{"ops":[{"insert":"I've been around mtg since 7th edition/Plane-shift(2001). My cousin who lived in a different state introduced me. We connected maybe 2 to 3 times a year when our families got together. Getting together then was mainly the only times I had a chance to play mtg at that time. When he went back home it was difficult to get games in or trade cards back then. However, shortly after getting into the game, my cousin took me to a card shop and I bought my first two 7th edition starter decks. I think one was angels and demons and the other was goblins. Those were 60 card decks. I played 60 card magic for the longest time because thats all I knew, then later on down the road two other friends introduced me to a new format called EDH(2011). My first EDH deck was "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Tariel, Reckoner of Souls"}},{"insert":". I think It was a left over legendary from the pre-con my friends had bought(I think "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Kaalia of the Vast"}},{"insert":" was the pre-con it came out of). The deck was bad! Me being new to EDH deck building put a bunch of my binder rare's together that were in the colors of the legendary creature; no synergy at all. that deck basically turned me off of EDH for a while. In 2017 I came across The Command Zone podcast on youtube and saw an episode of Game Knights, episode 4. One of the featured decks was "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Sram, Senior Edificer"}},{"insert":". Watching that deck work was so cool to me. It made me want to built my own version of it, so I did. The same friends who introduced me to EDH still get together, those friends morphed into a play group. We all try to get together a couple times a month to play commander. We all went to Command Fest Vegas in 2019 and recently MagicCon Vegas 2024. 23 years later my cousin who got me into the game doesn't play much anymore if at all that I know of. But thats life I guess. I'm excited to say my nephew(on my Wife's side of the family)who I briefly introduced the game to when he was a young kid about 6 years ago is now a young adult navigating life in another state separated from his father(who's living in my state-my brother in law)bond over the game. They talk about it and play over the internet. When my nephew moves back(after the new year)we plan on getting together and hashing out some games, we're also going to get his collection jump started. Wish us luck! Should be fun times I'm sure!\n"}]}