Walking the Planes with Kaelen
December 5, 2017
Seven-years-old.
That’s how old Kaelen MacDonald (10) was when he began playing Magic: The Gathering, a trading card game.
“My dad plays this game, and he taught me how to play,” MacDonald said. “I’ve been playing for about nine years now.”
According to the website Magic the Gathering, the cards represent spells, creatures, and weapons. A minimum of two players, both with a variety of cards, are required to play the game. Players are Planeswalkers, spell casters within the multiverse. Beginning with 20 lives, one must magically beat his opponent down to zero lives to become the victor.
It gives me the same feeling that professional football players get when they play football.
— Kaelen Macdonald
In Cedar Rapids and Dyersville, card tournaments are held every Friday and Sunday. Tournaments are four rounds. Players start against a random person, and winning or losing determines who they play against next.
“Most people play at FNM (Friday Night Magic),” MacDonald said. “There’s about 20 to 30 people who play there in Cedar Rapids and about ten in Dyersville.”
MacDonald plays every Friday and Sunday. He especially likes the games interaction and diversity. “I have gone to them for about eight and a half years now,” MacDonald said. He enjoys the tournaments.
On a scale of one to 100, MacDonald feels he is a 75. MacDonald said, “I understand the game a lot better than most people and can play well under pressure.”
