Last week Jake Karpinski agreed to doing my interview. I was happy to have him do it. I was wondering how it was going to get done otherwise. So I would very much like to thank Jake for his help in this matter. Because he did such a great job on this, I am considering letting him do the interviews from now on. However, all that remains to be seen. 

This interview took place 3.24.03 on the night of the Twelfth Magic Monday.

No Magic players were hurt during the typing of this interview.

Hola. 

Hi.

When did you first start playing Magic?

About '93. I'm not sure, when the game started. My first real set was revised.

Did you take a lapse at any point? 

Yes and no. I stopped collecting the Urza's block, but I was still playing. 

Why? 

Because that's when Nich went up to college. I had no one to play against. 

So you two learned together?

Well, yeah. We made our mistakes at the same time 

How do you think your rivalry with your brother plays out in magic?

Heh... our rivalry in magic is actually a better example of sibling rivalry than in real life. 

Well, I know that not to be true, but go on. 

The game allows your personality to come through. Nich is very, what's the non-gay way of saying "creative", he's a good composer. I just play the hell out of the instrument. 

Any other thoughts on that?

Even though we learned to play together, we definitely have different styles; hence, good competition.

All right, what was the first deck you ever made?

I can only remember two cards; Phantasmal Terrain

And?

...and Unsummon. Definitely a blue deck

Did it work?

I can't remember, but it must've because I modified it and I don't modify anything unless I like it. When I first started playing magic, no one really knows this, but, there was a gaming store downtown, not brainstorm. I would go there after school. 

What did you do there? 

Well, let's just say that five or six packs of revised would end up in my backpack every day for about a year; but here's why. There was a guy who used to work there that convinced me that trading my Bayou for his Dancing Scimitar was a good idea. 

Are you knocking Dancing Scimitar?

It's no Bayou. I just wanted to get back at that bastard. 

...I think I knew about that.

It's possible. Actually, this goes back to the me and Nich thing. Mom would buy him cards, but not me, yet we always had the same number of cards.

Any other thoughts? 

When I was first playing, the only players I knew were You and Nich. it was a small world.

What's your current deck?

I have a lot.. but my baby is a Black / Red Sliver deck.

Which sliver abilities did it feature?

Oh, I just took all my red and black slivers and made a deck, I do have eight slivers that regenerate other slivers. 

Why is this deck your baby?

After tonight, I'll modify it a bit. I just lover slivers, man. Slivers make magic something better than it was. 

High praise for slivers. Why? is it because they tie in creature types?

No, it's the flavor they added to the game? Kavu, Slivers, totally new fantasy ideas. I got hooked on slivers from the flavor text in Stronghold and Tempest. 

What's your favorite card?

Jake I know I've been the one drilling people on this, but, I tell you, I have to think. (He thinks... and thinks) I think I know what it is... Sol Ring.

Why?

Ooh! It goes with every deck, simple, beautiful art- what's not to love?

I have to agree with that.

It came in the first box of cards I ever got.

Favorite color?

It has to be white... because I have 4 Wrath of Gods, 4 Swords, 5 Serras. It's protection AND kick you in the ass. 

Favorite mechanic?

Super flying.

High flying?

No, shadow. Shadow is beautiful. There need to be more shadow cards.

Wouldn't that defeat the point of shadow?

Sort of, yeah. Dauthi Embrace is in every black deck I make. 

That card is fucked up.

Yup, it's in my sliver deck.

Who's your favorite artist?

Without a doubt, Rebecca Guay. Without a doubt.

Well said. Favorite set overall? 

Stronghold. Enter the Sliver Queen. and the Mox Diamond.

When you think about a set, do you think about a few cards that define it? 

No, the importance of a set has as much to do with how well my life is going as much as the set itself. As a matter of a fact, If it weren't for stronghold, I might not be as big of a player today as I am, or be playing at all. It was interesting, dynamic, with new abilities. It was when they really started to hook me with the storyline. 

Favorite set for...
Mechanics: Legends, rampage, multicolor, etc...
Mood: Inv- no... Nemesis. There was a sense of urgency in that set. 
Cohesiveness: Onslaught. It was very together. It would work well as a stand-alone.
Storyline: Invasion
Art: The art in prophecy sucked. Mercadian Masques

Least favorite card?

This will change every day. Today, Exalted Angel. White is my favorite color, but there's something about that card that pisses me off. It has my least favorite mechanic, morph. I would play bands with other any day over morph. 

What about morph pisses you off?

I don't think morph was ever needed where kicker exists. 

Least favorite color?

White.

Interesting.

For every thing it can do, there are ten things white can't do. I can't play a mono-white deck.

Least favorite artist? 

R. K. Post. it doesn't work. It doesn't float, it's not aesthetically pleasing.

Least favorite set for...
Overall: Prophecy, felt too disjointed.
Mechanics: Legions
Mood: Prophecy
Cohesiveness: Homelands
Storyline: Arabian Nights. it's not magic I hate quotes on cards that are from Shakespeare. 

That is exactly one of the things I wish they would bring back.

I totally disagree.

Art: Prophecy. It's Nich's favorite set... 

I know, he has every card from it. I don't dig that whole "if all your lands are tapped" thing.

What's your favorite format?

House rules: No creatures with power greater than 2, all cards must begin with "T", etc...

Magic? How is it going?

Couldn't be happier. I think they're doing a good job. 

Do you think they've sold out? Gone cash cow?

Not in the way you think. Not in the way that sounds, but they have gotten bigger and appealed to a bigger crowd.

(Becky: At least they don't have little stuffed animals for every card.) 

What's your favorite card you would never use? 

Black Lotus. I'll never own one.

Rank the following from 1-5 in terms of importance:

1-Versatility
2-Flavor
3-Power
4-Trickiness
5-Balance

If you were a magic card, what would you be?

Jovan. I'm Jovan. Ya know... He's a big guy, Jovan, he is.

Most broken, and perhaps I should say most likely to be included in one of your decks: (non-power 9)

Creature type: Elf
Creature: Spiritmonger
Land: Tolarian Academy
Artifact: Slate of Ancestry
Sorcery: Parallel Evolution
Instant: Orim's Chant
Enchantment: Pernicious Deed.

How many of those cards do you have?

None.

This will be a little funny, seeing how you answered a previous question, but what would you do with a Black Lotus?

I would take long strolls on the beach... no, I would put it in every deck and I wouldn't put it in a sleeve.

How many fingers am I holding up? (thumb and forefinger extended)

One.

Good. Worst deck you've ever made. 

The first deck I ever made, I've only gotten better.

What countries or things you see every day embody each color

White: Switzerland, Toilet
Green: Brazil, Commercials for bottled water
Red: China, Becky
Black: Bosnia, my desk (no matter what I do, it'll never be clean.)
Blue: Scotland they're doing all the medical advances nowadays, the fridge
Artifact: Singapore, my computer.

How do you make a deck?

One land for every two cards, I make it around creatures, not spells. 

Anything else?

I'm not letting you on to any more secrets.

Thank you very much. It's been an informative pleasure. I know some of these questions have been taxing, some silly, but you humored me until I was kicked out.

- Jake Karpinski 3.24.03