Returning To VS System

My name is Mike. I am a gamer, a nerd, a geek, whatever you wanna label me, it's cool. I know what I am. I am a traitor. I've betrayed my true love and bedded another. I've been playing Magic The Gathering for about five months with friends at home. I bought new cards. Singles. Packs. I even went in half and half on a booster box! I could have gotten an entire box of VS System for that price. I really regret it now that I realize Magic just isn't the game for me. It might be fun, but that's because I'm hanging out with people I like, not because I like Magic.

To be honest, Magic is a great game, but it's not VS. It doesn't excite me the way VS does. It's not as fun as VS. It's not as good as VS. It's second best. Plain and simple.

So Saturday I finally started the task of re-organizing all my cards. I spent pretty much all day sorting through piles that have laid on tables for months on end untouched. Wiped off the dust and lovingly remembered all the wonderful art, the quirky or cool cards I never got to play, but always wanted too (In The Hands of Qward! New Identity!), the banned cards that I used so often, but totally was glad to see go (Overload!) or didn't get to use enough before they got banned (Detective Chimp, who I received 4 of in the mail days after the ban... With 4x Valeria Von Doom) and of course the banned cards I still wish could be around, but I know it's for the best they're not. (Antarctic Research Base and Gone But Not Forgotten!) I can't mention the ban list without talking about Justice League of Arkham, which is oddly a sentimental favorite of mine.

I never played Ivy League and it cost me one my only two shots at making day 2 of a Pro Circuit (the other time the deck I played cost me my day 2 chance, hehe), but still I absolutely marveled at the ingenuity of that deck. Also it's got some of the best art on a banned card. Batman with his Rogue's Gallery of villains on stormy knight in front of the gates of Arkham Asylum? So awesome. Better yet, Batman is with them because he and Nightwing are about to TEAM UP with the Joker, Riddler, Catwoman, Poison Ivy, The Ventriloquist and Scarface? Hell yeah! Of course it doesn't hurt I somehow pulled off a win against it with No-Hand Squadron Supreme. Without Fate Artifacts. Yeah, that's how well prepared I was... And it wasn't against a bad draw.

Isn't that what we all love about VS System though? Even in the worst match up you always feel like there's a way to win if you just play better than your opponent. It's a really stimulating experience to sit down and realize you should totally lose this game, but stand up, shake hands and walk away the winner. I don't think there's a better feeling in the world. It's why I never feel bad when I lose in this game. There's times when you don't draw anything, but you know that and your opponent knows that. When you draw well and lose, it's because your opponent played better. I can respect losing to a better player. I can learn from losing to a better player.

VS System, in essence, makes me a better person.

I love VS System.

-Mike