… or a drawn out, slow, inevitable demise…
Okay. Okay.
I have once again been asked to contribute to the greatness that is the OS Newspaper handed out at the Eel Cup. What an honour. What a chance! Thanks a lot.
With all that praise and glory out of the way, let me just say this; did anyone of you ever think about this:
What the hell is it about the deep blue sea?
I mean, really? What is it? I have had this very privileged life – but it has always been nagging me. The sea. Is it just big and blue, or what?
I have been living near the sea my entire life – never more than around ten minutes by car away, and most of the time not more than a ten minute walk. I live in a country (Denmark) where it is basically impossible to be more than maybe 30 minutes away from the sea. There is something about the sea. House advertising always stresses how far a house is from the sea, and if you can actually see some waves from said house, the price soars!
The sea is attractive, I guess. I agree. I would have a hard time living without access to the sea. Actually I am unable to really understand that a person can live an entire life, without ever seeing a sea in real life! It is unfathomable for me. And I am glad, I am not one such person: A sandy, stony beach is one of my absolute favorite places to relax and unwind. I always somehow feel full, when near the big blue – enlightened, even, somehow, maybe? And the sound the waves make? Silence. Roaring silence. Even though it is loud, it is the most tranquil sound I have ever known in this world.
But what is it about that sea, this “heaving vastness of unbroken blue” as H.P. Lovecraft describes it, in one of the coolest sentences I have ever read in English.
There is this doublesidedness to the sea. On the one hand it is a promise; adventures, new worlds, knowledge, power, personal growth and wisdom. On the other hand, it is despair: empty vastness, the unknown, feelings of insignificance, inevitableness and a slow inevitable death as you are drawn down into the endless, dark depths.
I think humanity has a very deep-rooted connection with the ocean. It is the global highway between continents. It is a source of almost endless life (at least it was…). When glancing over the waves you can literally first-hand experience the curvature of our planet. The sea can make you feel small and insignificant. But…
Most of all, the sea is source of power
Ah, yes, there we have it!
Access to the sea, control of the sea, and deep knowledge of the sea, is one of the greatest natural sources of power to mankind – it has been so ever since the first men and women dipped their prehistoric toes in the salty waters. Both in very direct terms; if you have a fleet of warships that can either defend your island or attack your opponent’s shores. But also in more vague or hidden terms where the sea can provide a steady stream of resources for your settlement – or your global empire.
But the sea is only truly a source of power if you manage to harness the strengths and benefits it can provide. It is not enough to be near a sea. It will not be sufficient for your survival to keep drawing on the sea for resources and wisdom. You have to convert this wisdom into true, applicable strength. Power. You have to figure out how to go from water to a hammer. Or to a knife against your opponent’s throat.
Simply put, if you only ever draw a bunch of cards, you will not win the game…
Wait. Here we were talking about the sea, the view and the power. What is this about cards and games?
Blue, the sea and the beauty of Old School Magic
See (see what I did there), this whole thing was actually about more than just the sea all along. You hadn’t guessed, I am sure. But when I was asked to write a piece for this publication, I was only told it should be within a “blue, sea theme.” That was a broad one! Luckily, of course it makes sense. I took my vantage point in the sea, and have now smoothly transcended towards “Blue.”
One of my favorite things about Magic has always been the color pie. Or maybe not one of my favorite things, but one of the things, I think makes the game all the more interesting and, quite frankly, genius.
I know the color pie has seen some amount of refinement (and at this point heavy diluting) through the ages, but it is clear that a fundamental version of it was in place when the original sets were thought out and designed. And I have always thought Blue was the most true to its color scheme in it’s mechanics, cards and effects. Just the gameplay of blue, I find it more distinct than any of the other colors. It is so…
… Reactive. It waits. It builds. It harnesses power. And then, slowly, but certainly, it drowns you in the advantage it has amassed through the first part of the game. It floods your defenses.
While I think Blue is the most true color to its pie, I’ve also always found it to be the color most dependent on other colors. Of course, as time has gone by, and insane swathes of cards have been printed, mono blue decks are perfectly viable in different newer formats. In the original game, though? Mono blue just isn’t that hot.
I think it is by design. Blue is, was and always has been the IQ1000 color. Not that you necessarily have a high IQ just because you enjoy playing blue, but blue has always demanded more of the player than any of the other colors. Why? Simply because it doesn’t solve much itself. It always relies on either another color for protection, removal or a potent kill condition. Or it needs your opponent to play something to steal or copy.
As much fun as it may be, simply drawing cards and countering your opponent’s spells will not win you a game. Let this be the lesson for now.
Carry on, and enhance your wisdom!
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