Nerd Crack

God Damnit.
So five years ago I managed to quit my nerd crack addiction. Nerd Crack (for those who don't know) is Magic the Gathering, the card game by Wizards of the Coast.
For those of you that don't know, Magic the gathering is a trading card game created in 1993 by Wizards of the Coast and continues to remain strong even to this day.
It's a fun game where you build a deck from cards you buy (in booster packs or other types of pack) and play against other players trying to defeat them. It's one of the nerdier things I do.
Incase you want to learn, here's the wizards website and a tutorial.

Well I have always been off and on with Magic, way back when I was a kid and watching Yu-gi-oh the cards weren't sold in England, but the MTG cards were so I bought them. That was my first interaction with them, though I did not at all play the game as intended.
Fast forward ten years, I've moved to Scotland for my first QA job and there are a bunch of people who play. They get me involved and I really enjoy it. Buying cards, playing, buying cards, making decks, buying cards.
It was very addicting.
I played a ton until the company I worked for (Realtime Worlds) went bust and we were all made redundant.
We all went home and I had nobody to play with.
3 years later and I start work at Ideaworks 3D, a mobile games studio in central London. A bunch of people play it there, but I'm only a temp so I don't bother with it. I talk to them about it, but I don't buy anything. My addiction is pushed back. I don't have to worry anymore.
Flash forward another two years and I get hired at my current job at Future Games of London. Nobody plays Magic, my money is safe. a year passes, people from Ideaworks join the company who do play magic, but nobody really plays in the office. Another few months pass, An Australian with a Magic habit joins and starts some draft tournaments where we get new cards every time. I take part, it's only £7 a time, what does it matter? right? well all those tiny bits of crack culminated last week when the latest set came out. I bought an almost £70 box of booster packs. I bought a £15 deck builder kit and I'm contemplating buying a £25 fatpack and another £70 booster box.
Almost 6 years sober from my nerd crack and now... now I've spent almost £100 in a week and still contemplating another £84 worth of cards!

There is something wrong with me.

Moral of the story; dont do nerd crack, kids... or do. It's really fun. you should try it.

Magic-Spellslingers-Tube
- James