Introducing Myself

I have been collecting into, and playing Magic the Gathering for almost 15 years. I account myself one of the few casual-play veterans, who is pleased with the balanced direction the game has moved in. Over the years, I have watched a fluctuating, but growing population of players, gravitate towards MTG, and other trading card games. With MTG's overall popularity growth, I have seen this interest channeled into numerous web-pages, blogs, and forums, with increasing frequency. I have personally picked the brains of numerous posters, in constructing my own type two, and extended decks. The wealth of information I find, from players much younger than myself, is insightful and astonishing.

I am beginning a project, which I hope will be ongoing, where I will statistically analyze MTG at the most fundamental levels. Through the research I have already done, I have seen most serious analysis as outdated (in terms of modern game mechanics), or guarded (subscribe here, plug your numbers in here, get your answers here). Of coarse a major function of this initial blog is to share and network information on the subject of analyzing the game, which I may currently lack.

I feel strongly, that the research I will do, will be different than the quantitatively objective, or qualitatively subjective information already out there. Most analyses focus on overall game-play, and deck building strategies. I will refine my focus to individual cards, and individual mechanics, by revisiting the most fundamental levels of the game. I will construct probability models, which I hope will be transposable into future expansions, where I will be able to empirically measure the strength of future expansions.