Once in a great while, significant events occur in Magic that draw us all closer together both as players and competitors. The advent of Friday Night Magic is a great example of this in that it not only provided an arena for the casual/competitive but it also broadened the players horizons by allowing them, as Magic players, to come in contact with the greater Magic community in their local area. It is developments like this that enrich not only the playing experience, but the community experience we feel as Magic players (which this author thinks is crucially important to the success of both the game and the individual player).

Friends, we have on our hands one of these monolithic events: the rise and glorious ascension of the Magic format known as Elder Dragon Highlander (or EDH). Think 2001: A Space Odyssey. Think of the first time you ever heard Jimi Hendrix. Think Beckham coming to the states. Ok… perhaps that last example really only works for people who understand the difference between Football and Football but the point still remains: these are revolutionary times for our global Magic community.

To clue in our readers who may not know yet what EDH is, allow me to give a very brief explanation. EDH is a constructed format that allows players to build 100 card constructed decks. You may have only one copy of any card that is not a basic land in the deck, hence “Highlander” (“There can be only one!!”… cue laugh track now). Previously, there have been other highlander formats; what makes EDH so different is the introduction of the concept of Generals. Now, Generals are legendary creatures that begin the game removed from the game and that you can play at any time as if they had been in your hand. As far as that goes, cards that are used in EDH decks can only be the corresponding colors of your legendary General. For a much better, both coherently and technically, explanation of the format, I would recommend: http://csclub.uwaterloo.ca/~geduggan/EDH_rules.html.

Now you may be asking yourself “Well sure Trent, I’ve seen singleton formats before, they can be fun at times but really nothing more than that. What makes this such an impetus for larger change in the magic community?” Friendly reader, I’m glad you’ve asked. And so eloquently too! Allow me to expound a little on exactly why EDH is so special. The concept of EDH combines the accessibility and “randomness” of other legacy-esque singleton formats with the coherency and deck building strategy of more competitive constructed formats due to the concept of Generals. It is a perfect blend of Thursday night Beer and Magic (where your friend Charles is bringing his squirrel deck that he swears is going to fundamentally alter the meta-game and our very understanding of reality as we know it) and sitting across from Mike Gurney in the finals of a round robin draft (believe me it’s NOT fun). It’s once again where we see the confluence of the casual and the competitive. And, the format is most popularly played in multi-player environments where often three or four people are playing at a time. This opens up the game for rarely seen mechanics and situations that you could never find yourself in during restricted limited formats or constructed formats that are so often dominated by four or five deck arch-types. It also encourages people who once played the game and are now afraid they won’t understand the rules to return to a magic playing environment that is friendly and casual while still having a competitive flavor to it.

EDH’s rise in popularity has not gone unnoticed by the Wizards folks in Renton. In fact, there is a movement towards the greater standardization and even sanctioning of this format. This would be a HUGE step for Magic. A home-brew multi-player format being sanctioned by the greater powers that be at Wizards would acknowledge the influence of casual group play on the larger magic world and would broaden the horizon for “renegade” play types and community organization in the future. I also see this as Wizards fostering what often goes so unnoticed in the title of Magic, the whole concept of a “Gathering”. We are once again returning to what makes the game great, being able to sit around, enjoy the company of friends, and enjoy summoning 6/6 flying, trample, dragons to melt your friends’ faces. So often, especially with Magic Online, social relations in the game have become merely a matter of protocol. I can’t tell you how many awkward silences I’ve had to sit through between games in a match while my opponent and I shuffle our decks and how much that makes me die a little on the inside. With EDH, social interaction is once again a major player in the game and opens us up to talk to one another again and truly become a greater gathering (a little cheesy, I know).

A religious scholar once said: “We are living in revolutionary times.” Unfortunately, he was referring to Armageddon, the Rapture, and the overall end of the world. However, this quote does serve as a delicious little juxtaposition for us as a new world of casual/competitive Magic play is opening for us. The lines are becoming blurred and people are once again coming together and not playing the drab formats they once were. EDH has certainly ignited my interest in constructed magic anew again and has opened up a greater bonding to my magic community in the Seattle area. Hopefully, the format will be able to catch on as it has here and other places and people can see once again what is beautiful about playing this game. Viva la Revolucion!

-- Trent