After Years Away, Magic: The Gathering's New Commander Decks Might Get Me Back Into MTG Again

screenrant.com:

As a child, I was a huge fan of, and so, naturally, never really appealed to me. Fortunately, as I got older, my appreciation for and its slightly complex rules appealed to me more and more — thankfully, my love of never waned. I remember getting my first free deck from my local card shop, a 30-card green deck with a bunch of cards that I fawned over for days afterward. It was my gateway into phenomenal world, and it felt like the love would never stop.

Unfortunately, over time, my understanding of grew more and more strained as new rules were introduced. This is the natural progression of TCGs that need to be constantly evolving to both draw in new fans and give existing ones more reasons to buy cards. I failed to stick around to be a part of this shift, and that's something I regret now. However, it looks like my opportunity for a comeback is in order, as a new crossover is officially in the works.

I have a vivid memory of my mum driving away as I stood alone before my new university accommodation. As someone who suffers quite heavily from anxiety, that step to move away from home and live with a group of strangers was overwhelmingly painful. Fortunately, during my stay in that run-down building, I managed to make a small group of friends who all happened to be into. One was even a judge, something that was hugely beneficial when it came to learning the ropes again after having forgotten everything since being a child.

That brief revitalization of my love affair was a joyful one, and remains constantly at the back of my mind. It is the memory that spurs me on to check out the gorgeously illustrated Bloomburrow set, buy a starter deck here and there that remains perpetually unopened, and, every so often, flirt with the idea of really committing myself to it. Except, the rather frustrating thing about anxiety is that it's hard to make friends. I've spent a lot of my life alone, and that isn't particularly conducive to getting into an inherently multiplayer-focused