n00bTube - Magic: The Gathering

OMG...  It's finally going to happen!  The mythical unicorn of GGOrlando, the Friday update!  Figured that I'm spending my lunch trying to fix all that went wrong this week, might as well finally release the first n00bTube.

The purpose of n00bTube is to introduce people to new, geeky hobbies.  In the future, I would like people who actually know about some cool nerdy topics to be the ones to be guest columnists because, for the time being, it'll be more like "How much stuff the Grand Owl can find about a topic on Wikipedia..."  So, if you would like to write a n00bTube segment or have a suggestion for an upcoming post, feel free to e-mail me at grandowl@ggorlando.com.

This week's update, on Magic the Gathering, was originally intended for last week to coincide with the release of their new Innistrad expansion.  However, using the short-links for YouTube in Windows Live Writer seems to screw it up.  So, after this post was up for about 10 minutes, I took it down to fix.  And I'm just now getting around to it.  Better late than never, right?!  Because I'm editing it, I took out references to last week's launch events, but if I miss one just remember that this was supposed to go out a week ago.

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n00bTube - Magic: The Gathering

If you look in our weekly updates or peruse the GGOrlando calendar, you will see a word constantly popping-up...  Magic!  Magic: The Gathering has a massive fanbase and many local comic and hobby shops host Magic events throughout the week.  Want to join in...  Check out this primer!


What is it?


Magic: The Gathering (MTG) is a card-based battle game.  You take the role of a powerful wizard called a "Planeswalker", who uses spells and magical creatures to defeat their opponents.

How to Play


OK, kids...  I have never played and reading through the instructions...  I still have no idea how to play.  However, realizing how daunting picking up the game may seem to players, the game's publisher Wizards of the Coast offers a great tutorial page with YouTube videos.

Part 1 - Welcome to the Multiverse

Part 2 - The Five Colors of Mana

Part 3 - Game Zones and Parts of a Card

Part 4 - Card Types

Part 5 - Parts of a Turn

Part 6 - The Next Step

Where to Play


As I mentioned, many local comics and hobby shops in the Orlando-area will host a MTG night.  Typically, if you're willing to make a drive, there's a MTG event 7 days-a-week.  Check out the GGOrlando calendar on our main page and look for an event near you.

However, if you're feeling intimidated battling face-to-face (or just anti-social like yours truly), check out the video game version - Magic: The Gathering - Duels of the Planeswalkers 2012 is available on Xbox, PS3, and for PC on Steam.  Get some practice in before heading out to battle head-to-head.