The Ups and Downs of Taking a Break from Magic

I haven’t really played much Magic since January, but it’s all I can think about.

At the start of the year, I had to pack and move house. My last Spelltable game before moving was a nice chill catchup between friends, and I had a lovely time. It’s now halfway through March, and a few scattered games aside, I’ve not played much Magic at all in the intervening months.

For the thirty-something Magic player, this isn’t an uncommon occurrence. With the world as stressful as it is, and with the wealth of distractions we have available, there’s always too much to do and too little time. For me, though, it’s especially significant as it’s the first big break I’ve had since getting into writing about and making content about this great game – since becoming involved in the leadership of the most popular format, Commander. 

It started with something that has happened to the best of us.

MY LGS SHUT DOWN

I loved my LGS. It had a vibrant and thriving community. It had people interested in many games, from all walks of life. 

I don’t know what the economy is like where you live, but over in the UK, it’s not great in regards to retail space and entertainment space. Rent and tax has never been higher, and the disposable income of the public has arguably not been lower for many, many years. This perfect storm has led to a flurry of LGS closures over the past few years – with the worldwide pandemic throwing gasoline on that fire. 

And sadly, through (new) mismanagement, my LGS had to shut its doors. This put a real dampner on my access to a good Commander venue as, unlike in the US, houses in the UK can be pretty small, and not everyone has the space for entertaining. Coupled with the abysmal state of public transport? Well, it became that much more difficult to get everyone together.

My friends have also had children, moved house, and in some cases, moved to different games – or started second jobs and side hustles. The splintering of a main playgroup is always a tough thing to rebuild from, and doubly so as you get older.

Thankfully, I still had access to great games and good friends online, but I had to contend with my in-person gaming changing substantially. 

I THEN HAD TO MOVE HOUSE

Not many months after this happened, I also had to move house. In some ways, it was a blessing in disguise – I’d have the chance to move nearer a new LGS, perhaps, and find some new stomping grounds. I ended up moving a short train ride away from a lovely little LGS where I smashed a Foundations prerelease, so that worked out nicely. I’ll be headed there for Tarkir: Dragonstorm, and I can’t wait.

In the immediate, though, it was a lot of viewing places, doing paperwork, being disappointed, viewing more places, and then packing everything up and moving. And then, you know… unpacking.

My winter season was lower on Commander than it usually is, and it was mainly due to being really, really busy. Despite organizing in-person meet ups with friends from the old LGS, our schedules kinda diverged and it didn’t become as regular as any of us wanted. 

Packing up my set-up and collection meant waiting to play more again. It also added extra work into my schedule, and so downtime was kinda restricted to house-moving stuff, and resting.

I’VE ALSO BEEN OUT OF THE COUNTRY

By the way… never try to plan a 16-day trip to the other side of the planet, while having to plan for allergies and food, while moving house. It was incredibly stressful, and though I can say that it was one of the best two weeks of my life, it was a lot of work to make it happen.

I travelled to Japan in February, and didn’t get back until last week. I think I’d been in my new place for what… three weeks? Suffice to say, waking up back here was as unfamiliar as waking up in Tokyo. The jet lag had me real confused. 

Japan was amazing, and I loved every minute of it. I still hadn’t played much Magic for a while, though. I was feeling a little out of the loop, and a little uninspired. While my holiday kept me occupied with more than enough excitement, arriving back home had me thinking about the decks I wanted to play, the decks I wanted to build, and the recent and upcoming sets. It had me thinking about the duller hat sets, and how I was weirdly excited for Final Fantasy despite having never played one. It had me thinking about selling some of my rarer cards – masterpieces and duals, and such – to try and get back to Japan again.

It also had me thinking about the Gathering.

IT REALLY IS ABOUT THE GATHERING

Taking a break from Magic is largely a great thing to do, and I encourage everyone to take one from time to time. There’s a world out there, and it’s worth exploring. There are other card games, other hobbies. You could… dare I say… touch grass. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, after all. 

The thing is, though, those breaks are always better when you have some element of control over them. Being “forced” to take a break due to life circumstances isn’t so fun. It’s frustrating. Magic is on your mind whether you want it to be or not. In my case, the frustration at the loss of my beloved LGS, moving house, and becoming so extraordinarily busy was frustration I didn’t care for. 

Let’s put it this way: I suddenly understood why so many of my friends and contemporaries in the content space have decided to make gameplay series and streams, despite it being a saturated market. It’s a chance to play the game we love, to be creative, but more than anything? A chance to actually sit down, with friends, and have some fun. It’s about the Gathering.

A little ways into my Japan trip, I got to visit Hareruya, an LGS in Shinjuku, Tokyo. It’s an LGS where fellow Commander Format Panel and friend Ittetu runs big events, and I dropped in on the day they were holding a thrilling cEDH competition. The store is huge – much bigger than any I’ve been to in the UK, and the turnout was massive too. I played the lottery and won an Orcish Bowmasters, and picked up a few singles, but that’s by the by; what was really important to me was the Gathering.

I got to exchange omiyage with Ittetu and Tai Shin, and play some Commander. It didn’t matter that the cards were in Japanese – I picked up the deck with the most cards and artworks I could remember (mono-green stompy helmed by Loot) and slung some spells. I got to see the passion that goes into running one of Japan’s premier stores. I got to meet Judges, and players, and see how excited people were to play Magic. The “Gathering” is special, and it’s something that’s easy to take for granted.

At the same time, it’s something that persists, everywhere, in all corners of the globe. Whether people have access and resources to keep up with the latest sets or not. On kitchen tables, in huge game stores, in event halls, in pubs and bars… the game brings us together, even across language barriers. 

Leaving to go back home was sad, but one thing was at the forefront of my mind: as much as I was already missing Japan, I was also really missing playing Magic. 

END STEP

Sitting down to write today was difficult. The comfortability of a new release schedule looms on the horizon, but lack of playing Magic tends to limit exposure to inspiration in the downtime. That gave me the opportunity to reflect inward, and there I found some inspiration once more. One of the authors I read on my flight was Byung-Chul Han, and his philosophizing on burnout in relation to being in a constant state of engagement, positivity, and achievement certainly proved to bear some truths here. Taking time to look inwards and switch off provided me with a chance to balance out my energy and get my goals into alignment.

I’m ready for this break from regular Magic to be over. This Spring, I really want to play more Commander. Prerelease also looks set to be a joy. I can’t wait.