Magic: The Gathering nu este genul de joc care să surprindă cu poveştile sale: intri în rolul unui vrăjitor, pardon, un planeswalker,
şi joci tot felul de cărţi (pe post de vrăji, unele ,,dând viaţă” unor
creaturi, artefacte etc.) plătind cu mană (cărţi) de diferite culori
(verde, roşie, albă, albastră, neagră) corespunzătoare pentru ele.
Scopul este de a-l distruge pe oponent care este şi el, asemenea ţie, un
vrăjitor.
Povestea nu este punctul forte în MTG,
ci jocul în sine este captivant pentru foarte mulţi jucători. Ideea de
bază a jocului este că ,,nu toţi jucătorii trebuie să aibă aceleaşi
cărţi pentru a juca” şi că ei îşi aleg propriile cărţi, adică sunt
proprii ,,designeri de joc” [1].
Atât de captivant este MTG, încât există
numeroase competiţii dedicate MTG-ului, foarte multe seturi şi cărţi de
joc şi multe moduri de a juca MTG. Cel mai uşor de dovedit că MTG este
un joc de succes este faptul că el a trecut testul timpului, anul acesta
împlinindu-se 20 de ani de când a fost pentru prima oară produs
(1993-2013). La cum stau lucrurile, cu siguranţă că viitorul se anunţă
la fel de însorit pentru MTG, probabil şi în viitorii 20 de ani (fie că
vor fi în online sau nu).
Şi totuşi să nu exagerăm cu succesul
MTG: există destui jucători care l-au încercat, dar nu s-au lăsat
cuprinşi de magie şi nu doar pentru că nu aveau bani de investit [2].
Unul dintre motive poate fi că nu există nicio poveste ,,în spatele” MTG
care să susţină zecile de ,,vrăji aruncate” asupra celuilalt jucător.
Dar cum creează producătorii MTG povestea care să susţină universul, pardon, multiverse-urile,
din MTG? Sunt trei modalităţi de bază: prin articole şi explicaţii
accesabile de pe pagina de internet oficială, prin diferite tipărituri
care însoţesc promovarea jocului, prin pasaje de flavor scrise pe
cărţile de joc [3], prin întâmplările din revistele de benzi desenate şi
indirect prin diferitele informaţii de pe paginile de internet create
de comunităţile de jucători din întreaga lume.
În timpul jocului însă, atmosfera care
se presupune că ar trebui să-i cuprindă pe jucătorii de MTG este
realizată doar prin flavor-ul de pe cărţile de joc şi mai ales prin
diferitele efecte create de jucarea cărţilor de MTG.
Dintre cele două moduri de a crea
atmosfera MTG în timpul jocului ne interesează acum doar flavor-ul. El
este scris cu litere italice pe cărţile de joc şi este plasat după
explicaţiile necesare pentru a juca respectiva carte (dacă este cazul).
Flavor-ul nu are efecte asupra modului propriu-zis în care se joacă MTG.
Nu toate cărţile au asemenea pasaje care să creeze atmosfera de joc.
Altele în schimb au aromă, mai mult sau mai puţin inspirată, după
gusturi.
Pentru că sunt câteva mii de cărţi de
joc este greu să faci o analiză asupra flavor-ului de MTG. De aceea, am
ales să prezint doar aromele de cărţi MTG ce necesită cel puţin o mană
verde. Şi nici acestea nu sunt puţine, de aceea am inclus doar cărţile
din seturile de bază şi din extensiile principale (block expansions),
fără cele din seturi precum Duel Decks, From the Vault, Premium Deck,
Deck Builder’s Toolkit, Planechase, Commander, Starter, Master Edition
sau altele asemenea şi nici măcar toate cărţile, ci doar una care mi-a
atras atenţia din punctul de vedere, evident, al flavor-ului (fie că
transmitea un mesaj general, dar şi aplicabil jocului, adică o vorbă cu tâlc
[4] sau doar un pasaj relevant celor care joacă MTG sau doar respectiva
carte [5]). Pentru fiecare set am ales cel puţin o carte de joc,
niciodată (sper!) una pe care s-o fi selectat deja pentru alt set [6].
Multe din aceste pasaje sunt preluate din surse reale (de exemplu din
Shakespeare sau Biblie) sau sunt semnate de personaje create în MTG.
În concluzie, flavor-ul este un element
de joc minor în MTG (şi în jocurile asemănătoare), dar el poate ascunde
multe lucruri plăcute şi după cum spuneam multe flavor-uri chiar sunt
interesante, în timp ce pe altele le-am inclus din lipsă de altceva. Nu
cred că flavor-ul susţine prea mult povestea MTG, dar cred că este unul
dintre puţinele elemente MTG care face acest lucru şi pentru cei care
preţuiesc povestea MTG, atât cât este ea, este cu siguranţă important.
Flavor-ul meu preferat este din setul Magic 2013, cartea de joc Boundless Realms:
,,Planeswalking cannot be taught. Either you see the doors or you do not”. —Nissa Revane
’Nuff said şi acum la treabă, adică la citit!
P.S.: Vouă ce flavor v-a plăcut mai mult?
1993
Limited Edition Alpha; Limited Edition Beta; Unlimited Edition
Ley Druid
After years of training, the Druid becomes one with nature, drawing power from the land and returning it when needed.
Llanowar Elves
Whenever the Llanowar Elves gather
the fruits of their forest, they leave one plant of each type untouched,
considering that nature’s portion.
Arabian Nights
Wyluli Wolf
“When one wolf calls, others follow. Who wants to fight creatures that eat scorpions?”Maimun al-Wyluli, Diary
1994
Antiquities
Powerleech
The Forest of Argoth has developed a resistance to mechanical intrusion.
Revised Edition
Crumble
The spirits of Argoth grant new life to those who repent the folly of enslaving their labors to devices.
Legends
The Lady of the Mountain
Her given name has been lost in the
mists of time. Legend says that her silent vigil will one day be ended
by the one who, pure of heart and spirit, calls out that name again.
The Dark
Whippoorwill
If the Whippoorwill remains silent, the soul has not reached its reward.
Fallen Empires
Thorn Thallid
“I don’t know which is worse, getting hit with those darts or having to watch them grow back.”
—Orcish Soldier
Fourth Edition
Thicket Basilisk
Moss-covered statues littered the area, a macabre monument to the Basilisk’s power.
1995
Homelands
Shrink
“Do not fear adversity. Let your courage be your strength.”
—Onatah, Anaba Shaman
Ice Age
Giant Trap Door Spider
“So large and so quiet—a combination best avoided.”
—Disa the Restless, journal entry
Wall of Pine Needles
The power of the forest takes a hundred forms. Some are more surprising than others.
1996
Alliances
Undergrowth
“The art of war is turning obstacle to advantage.”Jaeuhl Carthalion, Juniper Order Advocate
Mirage
Fog
“More armies have been lost in the confusion of the jungle mists than to any battle.”
—Jolrael
Maro
No two see the same Maro.
Sandstorm
Better to fight the sand for a few hours than to sleep beneath it forever.
—Suq’Ata truism
Squandered Resources
“He traded sand for skins, skins for gold, gold for life. In the end, he traded life for sand.”
—Afari, Tales
1997
Visions
Llanowar Druid
“This forest means more to the druids than their own kin. The loss of a tree is like the loss of a child.”
—Mirri of the Weatherlight
Fifth Edition
Aurochs
One auroch may feed a village, but a herd will flatten it.
Durkwood Boars
“And the unclean spirits went out, and entered the swine: and the herd ran violently . . . .”
—The Bible, Mark 5:13
Verduran Enchantress
“Weave the magic so that it sings to you, and will always fly home . . . .”
—Verduran teaching
Weatherlight
Nature’s Resurgence
Spring follows winter
—Elvish expression meaning
“all things pass”
Tempest
Tranquility
“Peace will come, but whether born of harmony or entropy I cannot say.”
—Oracle en-Vec
Verdigris
“Only the most sophisticated inventions can survive nature’s unsophisticated motivations.”
—Hanna, Weatherlight navigator
1998
Stronghold
Wall of Blossoms
Each flower identical, every leaf and petal disturbingly exact.
Exodus
Bequeathal
“On my death, I give you this treasure: the knowledge that life is hard, yet too soon past.”
—Dal funeral rite
Cartographer
How do you map a world when the land moves beneath your feet?
Skyshroud Elite
“Civilization is a conspiracy to disguise the mutilation of nature.”
—Skyshroud elite creed
Urza’s Saga
Fecundity
Life is eternal. A lifetime is ephemeral.
1999
Urza’s Legacy
Lone Wolf
A wolf without a pack is either a survivor or a brute.
Classic Sixth Edition
Elvish Archers
“I tell you, there was so many arrows
flying about you couldn’t hardly see the sun. So I says to young Angus,
‘Well, at least now we’re fighting in the shade’”
Urza’s Destiny
Plated Spider
Most spiders wait patiently for their prey to arrive. Most spiders aren’t forty feet tall.
Yavimaya Enchantress
From each seed, a world. From each world, a thousand seeds.
Mercadian Masques
Saber Ants
They stay on the battlefield only long enough to consume the losers.
Venomous Dragonfly
A pretty little death is still death.
2000
Nemesis
Mossdog
The more you look at it, the more dangerous it becomes.
Animate Land
Irony is getting walked on by the earth instead of the other way around.
Prophecy
Spore Frog
The end of one life is merely the beginning of thousands more.
Invasion
Aura Mutation
“Life can be found in all things, even things unnatural.”
—Multani, maro-sorcerer
Coalition Victory
“You can build a perfect machine out of imperfect parts.”
—Urza
Hunting Kavu
Dominarians gladly fought alongside kavu . . . until the kavu figured out some Dominarians were quite tasty.
2001
Planeshift
Quirion Dryad
“Never underestimate the ability of natural forces to adapt to unnatural influences.”
—Molimo, maro-sorcerer
Seventh Edition
Anaconda
You’ll never find an anaconda in a swamp. It will always find you first.
Apocalypse
Penumbra Bobcat
This cat has two lives and it’s hunting for more.
Odyssey
Metamorphic Wurm
Only a handful have seen it transform. Or, from the wurm’s perspective, only a mouthful.
Nantuko Elder
Plant a field with wishes, and you will grow more wishes.
Squirrel Mob
An army of squirrels is still an army.
2002
Torment
Centaur Veteran
He wears his scars like badges of honor, warning his foes that he’s not easily defeated.
Judgment
Nantuko Tracer
Your past is a map to where you will go.
—Nantuko teaching
Thriss, Nantuko Primus
“When you live for others, you live for yourself.”
Onslaught
Elvish Pathcutter
In harsh times, the strongest currency is cooperation.
Elvish Pioneer
“Destruction is the work of an afternoon. Creation is the work of a lifetime.”
—Kamahl, druid acolyte
Words of Wilding
“Instinct is undaunted by terror, unchained by logic. It is the path from which all other paths diverge.”
—Volume V, The Book of Life
2003
Legions
Brontotherium
Lucky victims get run over. Unlucky victims get run through.
Enormous Baloth
Its diet consists of
fruits, plants, small woodland animals, large woodland animals,
woodlands, fruit groves, fruit farmers, and small cities.
Glowering Rogon
A herd of one.
Scourge
Claws of Wirewood
They say the forest has eyes. They never mention its claws.
Wirewood Guardian
Tall as a tree and probably related.
Core Set – Eighth Edition
Elvish Pioneer
“Destruction is the work of an afternoon. Creation is the work of a lifetime.”
Fyndhorn Elder
“It is useful to be able to speak to the trees. But it is truly wondrous to be able to listen to them.”
Giant Spider
Watching the spider’s web
—Llanowar expression meaning
“focusing on the wrong thing”
Grizzly Bears
Don’t try to outrun one of
Dominaria’s grizzlies; it’ll catch you, knock you down, and eat you. Of
course, you could run up a tree. In that case you’ll get a nice view
before it knocks the tree down and eats you.
Lone Wolf
A wolf without a pack is either a survivor or a brute.
Mirrodin
Brown Ouphe
In a strange twist of
fate, one of the most annoying creatures in the multiverse was brought
to the place where it could cause the most damage.
2004
Darksteel
Stand Together
Strange times make for strange allies.
Tangle Spider
They’re considered good luck by the elves they don’t eat.
Fifth Dawn
Joiner Adept
A talented apprentice makes all things. The master makes all things possible.
Champions of Kamigawa
Order of the Sacred Bell
“Our bodies are weak compared to
those of the kami, our knowledge limited, and our magic poor. Yet we
draw breath. That alone is reason to hope.”
2005
Betrayers of Kamigawa
Scaled Hulk
“Say, what rhymes with ‘run for your lives’?”
—Ku-Ku, akki poet
Saviors of Kamigawa
Okina Nightwatch
Only the most skilled budoka could protect the Okina Shrine. Only the best of these protectors took the night watch.
Core Set – Ninth Edition
Anaconda
If you’re smaller than the anaconda, it considers you food. If you’re larger than the anaconda, it considers you a lot of food.
Ravnica: City of Guilds
Farseek
“How truly vast this city must be,
that I have traveled so far and seen so much, yet never once found the
place where the buildings fail.”
Seeds of Strength
Beneath the beauty of light and seed is the might of Vitu-Ghazi.
2006
Guildpact
Giant Solifuge
“We respect all lifeforms, but this one we respect from a distance.”
—Mandor, Selesnya ranger
Killer Instinct
“Take the bridge, men Victory Victory is ou— Retreat RETREAT”
Dissension
Experiment Kraj
“Of course it will grow beyond control—it was designed to choose its own evolution.”
—Momir Vig
Vigean Hydropon
Fruits of magic, roots in science.
Coldsnap
Frostweb Spider
Its white webs glitter, mimicking the frost on the tree’s branches.
Time Spiral
Mwonvuli Acid-Moss
“Life gives way to death, and death to new life. Nature feeds upon her own decay.”
—Ezrith, druid of the Dark Hours
2007
Planar Chaos
Fa’adiyah Seer
“My visions don’t show me home. They show me where home is yet to be found.”
Future Sight
Llanowar Augur
“I am irrelevant. The future I hold in my hands is everything.”
Lorwyn
Elvish Handservant
The hardest lesson for any elf to learn is humility. It takes a giant to teach that.
Woodland Changeling
Changelings cannot resist the draw of a new shape, even if doing so would be in their best interests.
Core Set – Tenth Edition
Aggressive Urge
The power of the wild, concentrated in a single charge.
Primal Rage
Ferocity and cunning accounted for half the victory. Gravity accounted for the rest.
2008
Morningtide
Ambassador Oak
Treefolk and elves share a common interest in the forests, but really the elves just feel at home with the view from above.
Shadowmoor
Oracle of Nectars
When elves find a fount of beauty, they protect it. Where there is beauty, there is hope.
Reaper King
It’s harvest time.
Eventide
Quillspike
While it’s true that a quillspike does heal the sick, it’s just because it finds them tastier that way.
Shards of Alara
Qasali Ambusher
The surprise of a battle cry can be as deadly as a blade.
2009
Conflux
Might of Alara
The combined strength of all five planes spawned creations none had seen before.
Alara Reborn
Gloryscale Viashino
“This is a new world and a new war. We need warriors who know chaos and how to combat it.”
—Lisha of the Azure
Magic 2010
Ant Queen
“Kill the queen first, or we’ll be fighting her drones forever. It is not in a queen’s nature to have enough servants.”
—Borzard, exterminator captain
Birds of Paradise
Each feather in its tail is a souvenir of an exotic land, a memory condensed in hue.
Zendikar
Savage Silhouette
Some elves believe that their survival instincts are born of many cycles of reincarnation.
Territorial Baloth
Its territory is defined by wherever it is at the moment.
2010
Worldwake
Explore
An explorer’s reward is a view of tomorrow’s possibilities.
Nature’s Claim
“On this plane, the use
of magic can provoke a ferocious reprisal from nature. Whoever the
Eldrazi were, their relics left Zendikar forever enraged.”
—Jace Beleren
Rise of the Eldrazi
Gigantomancer
“All life is driven by an indomitable will to survive. I simply turn that into something more . . . tangible.”
Magic 2011
Cultivate
All seeds share a common bond, calling to each other across infinity.
Sacred Wolf
“I raised my bow, and the wolf stared at me. Under its gaze, my finger would not release the string.”
—Aref the Hunter
Scars of Mirrodin
Blunt the Assault
“Much can be gained from the appearance of vulnerability.”
—Ezuri, renegade leader
Carrion Call
The natural order is out of order.
2011
Mirrodin Besieged
Green Sun’s Zenith
As the green sun crowned, Phyrexian prophecies glowed on the Tree of Tales.
New Phyrexia
Vital Splicer
“For every one that falls, ten shall rise. The revelation of New Phyrexia is at hand.”
—Vorinclex, Voice of Hunger
Magic 2012
Autumn’s Veil
The rustling of leaves and a passing shadow are a dryad’s only trace.
Innistrad
Essence of the Wild
Wander too far into the wild and it may take you for its own.
Elder of Laurels
Hopes and prayers can carry the same force as swords and torches.
2012
Dark Ascension
Somberwald Dryad
The Somberwald is her domain, and she has yet to hear an acceptable excuse for trespassing.
Avacyn Restored
Somberwald Sage
“You can face any danger when all of nature is on your side.”
Magic 2013
Boundless Realms
“Planeswalking cannot be taught. Either you see the doors or you do not.”
—Nissa Revane
Return to Ravnica
Slitherhead
“It makes better use of Uncle Dragi’s head than he ever did.”
—Pesha, retired blacksmith
2013
Gatecrash
Rust Scarab
“Behold nature’s answer to the problem of society.”
—Nikya of the Old Ways
Dragon’s Maze
Mending Touch
“The gift of life must be freely given. Anything less would diminish us all.”
—Arin, Selesnya healer
Magic 2014
Into the Wilds
“Wonders hide where the trees grow thickest.”—Mul Daya proverb
Theros
Nessian Asp
It’s not the two heads you should fear. It’s the four fangs.
[1] După cum spunea într-un interviu chiar Richard Garfield, cel care a creat MTG (Allan Sugarbaker, Interview: Richard Garfield,
[2] Ca orice joc de tipul celor
colecţionabile (de cărţi – TCG, CCG, de miniaturi – CMG şi altele)
implică investirea unor sume de bani deloc de neglijat, în cele mai
multe cazuri chiar şi fără ca jucătorul să emite pretenţii de a fi
competitiv.
[3] Flavor-ul este un text scris pe
cărţile de joc deobicei cu italice, fără influenţă asupra modului în
care se joacă respectiva carte sau asupra întregului joc. Flavor-ul este
o modalitate des întâlnită mai ales în jocurile de cărţi, prin care
jucătorii sunt introduşi în atmosfera respectivului joc. Flavor-ul este
necesar pentru că majoritatea jocurilor de cărţi duc lipsă de alte
elemente de, precum tokene de lemn/plastic, countere sau table de joc,
care să dea profunzime jocului. De cele mai multe ori, doar o mecanică
bună nu este îndeajuns pentru un joc de succes, dacă el nu are şi o
poveste bună. Reciproca este valabilă.
[4] Mirage
Fog
“More armies have been lost in the confusion of the jungle mists than to any battle.”
—Jolrael
[5] Urza’s Legacy
Lone Wolf
A wolf without a pack is either a survivor or a brute.
Cartea Lone Wolf ,,devine” o
creatură pe câmpul de luptă care este capabilă de a ataca jucătorul
fără a putea fi blocată, adică o brută, jucătorii fiind avertizaţi de
această abilitate prin flavor.
[6] Informaţie relevantă mai ales că majoritatea cărţilor de MTG au fost de-a lungul timpului reprintate de mai multe ori.
Surse:
Wizards of the Coast, Magic: The Gathering, http://www.wizards.com/;
Baza de cărţi de joc MTG The Gatherer, http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Default.aspx;
