A few months ago a friend of mine casually mentioned that some of his Magic cards had recently gone up in value. These were Collector's Edition cards. He mentioned that there was a new format that people were playing called 93/94 which was the reason for the increase in prices.
I hadn't played Magic in years but something about the format intrigued me.
I started searching online and finding websites and blogs (most of them are linked here on my blog). I also started watching YouTube videos about 93/94 (also known as Old School Magic).
Playing with a limited set of cards, especially the sets that I originally played with in the 90s was too enticing to pass up. I looked into the rules for the format and found that there were several different varieties.
The two main rules standards are as follows:
- 93/94, which originated in Sweden and includes cards from Alpha, Beta, Unlimited, Arabian Nights, Antiquities, Legends and The Dark. No reprints from newer sets are allowed.
- Eternal Central, which is an American format that includes not only the cards from the above format but also allows cards from Fallen Empires and reprints so long as the borders and the art are the original and also no foils. The reprint policy allows Revised, 4th, 5th and Chronicles cards to be played with.
Both of the above formats have their own Banned and Restricted lists.
There is also a 95 Old School format that I haven't yet decided to get into but I am sure at some point I will.
I have decided to use the Eternal Central rules to build decks for several reasons. One reason is that I started playing in the Fall of 1994. The first cards I owned were Revised cards. I have a great nostalgia for Revised. I also remember that The Dark had just been released and that it was difficult to get a hold of. Fallen Empires was the first expansion I bought and I have many fond memories of playing with Necrites and Thallids.
The other reason I chose Eternal Central was the fact that it was the more accessible format. It was cheaper to get into it. I would also be able to buy a lot of cards and build up a large pool to build decks from because of how inexpensive it would be compared to 93/94.
Since starting down the Old School road almost 2 months ago I have acquired a number of cards. I have been in the process of organizing them and I have built several decks and refined them as well.
In the coming posts I will share some of the cards I have acquired and also go over the decks I have assembled.
I have always played MTG on a kitchen or dining room table among friends. I've never been much for tournaments and I like 4+ player games the best. I will explore not only 1v1 Magic but also multiplayer Magic.
I hope that this blog will serve as both a journal of my collecting but also as an inspiration to others who choose to take the Old School path.
Until then....
