It seems that 2019 is the new 1993 with the revival of the old card game Magic: The Gathering (MTG), which has made its entrance at Roseville High School. Students of RHS have taken well to the game’s reliance on strategy, battles, and plain old luck.

For freshman Connor Olson-Donohue, the game – one he’s been playing for two years – took on a new meaning once the close friend who had inducted him into the world of MTG moved away.
Olson-Donohue now continues to play as both a tribute to his friend and an attempt to seek out and find new friends.

“He taught me a a lot about the game,” Olson-Donohue said. He’s probably the number one person I would have to thank for introducing me to the game.”

For the students at RHS, Magic the Gathering’s game modes are a great way to connect with others and make new friends.

Olson-Donohue’s first year of high school has been a stressful transition.

He found solace in Board Game Club, which is hosted by English teacher Scott Brink.

It wasn’t until last year that Brink, a fellow Magic player, renewed his love for the game and started started to play Magic again.

Initially, Brink was surprised to see two freshmen come in with decks of cards from a game he’d once valued so highly.

“One of the first Game-Board Club meetings of the year, there were two freshman who came in to play games, and they brought Magic cards,” Brink said.

Brink saw this revival of Magic at RHS as an opportunity to teach his fellow students a thing or two about good games and a nostalgic look into the past.

Board game club is a chance for students to broaden their gaming horizons by teaching each other how to play, and is a safe space for others to play games of their choosing.

More people soon began showing interest and Brink has continued informing others of MTG cards, with the intent to teach anyone willing to learn.

“Board Game Club is open to anyone and if you want to come in to learn how to play, I’ve got a bunch of decks for people to use,” Brink said.

Brink also prides himself on the idea of a safe space for anyone to come in, and play game of their preference.

Since the game’s introduction in 1993, the creators, Wizards of the Coast, created new sets each year to continuously entice players and keep updating the game.

Set updates, including the cards and the play style, are renewed on a yearly cycle to keep things fresh.

Alongside sets, there are three main ways to play the game: standard, modern, and commander are all ways to play with the yearly updated cards and sets.

Standard game mode is playing with the most current set of the year, with a minimum card deck of 60 cards.

Modern is very similar, but uses current and old sets. Lastly, Commander uses legal cards in a 100 card deck.