I’ve found it very interesting to compare Garfield’s game to those of another prolific Baird game designer, Reiner Knizia. They’re both doctorate level mathematicians, and I think this shows on the structure of many of their games.

I gave up on MTG very early on when I saw people who really couldn’t afford it drop hundreds, and even thousands of pounds into the game. Still, it’s a fascinating design well worth playing, and early era formats like this look like a great way to enjoy the game without getting sucked into a pay to win cycle.