Happy [belated] Birthday, Princes!
Grozathia and I started this clan as a lark back on December 7, 2005. We had been joking about starting a clan of our own ever since I decided to bail on the increasingly juvenile Boros guild clan. But at the outset, we had no clear theme or direction.
I can’t quite recall exactly how we came to know about the glorious format that is Pauper Magic, but once we did hear of it, it immediately appealed to both of us. Not only because it’s cheap, but because it forces you to actually PLAY, by cutting out the powerhouse cards (though, as we have all seen, Pauper has powerhouses of its own). I wanted a format where I wouldn’t be laughed out of the hobbyshop when I suggested a deck centered around Dogpile.
It didn’t take us very long to connect our interest in Pauper Magic to the fledgling idea of starting a clan. We figured we had very little chance of mustering 6 interested MTGS members in the two week time-span, but since it was a lark to begin with (and very much with a sarcastic mindset), we didn’t really care.
I applied my literary mastery to create an alliterated name and used my mad Photoshop skills to patch together some of the iconic arts of horrible commons past (Apathy among others), and wrote up a brief and ridiculously erudite description of our clan, ennobling those who wished to cast aside the trappings of the Jitte and walk with the impoverished, impecunious Paupers of the world.
Lo and behold, we drummed up interest! Our original incarnation was a gathering of people who tried to break the wide-open format of Paper Pauper. But as we set our sights on playing with each other over the Internet, we had to converge upon a common gaming platform. MWS was our first choice, but the allure of WotC-sanctioned Magical interaction was great indeed and we eventually migrated to MTGO. The real perk of this move, of course, was the access to the established Pauper community online, the PDC.
I’m fairly certain our clan would have fallen apart many times over if it hadn’t been for the enthusiastic glue of some of our most devoted members. MasterBeeble and Eegag were there from the start, pouring enthusiasm into the clan, which in turn fueled my own. We also had strong participation from akmage, Disrupt_Your_Hymn, Veserius, and Alfred, the latter of whom was our resident genius, constantly churning out decks that seemed to be exemplars in their respective archetypes.
When the whole R_E debacle went down and we all learned about the circumstances leading to Haloscope‘s involvement in “the case,” we were tickled that the big heroes of the story met over a game of Pauper Magic. Star-struck, it took us many months before we recruited Haloscope into the fold. This move has proved most fortunate for the Princes, however, as Haloscope is one of the pillars of our small but very lively community.
I really think the greatest Prince of all, however, is Eegag. From the beginning, this clan afforded him an opportunity to play competitive Magic in ways that did not exceed his means. Of all Princes present and past, Eegag is the one for whom this clan had a greater meaning. He is also the one who most encourages us to involve ourselves in the PDC competitive scene, to develop and playtest and metagame…
Eegag’s absence from the clan this summer nearly led to its disintegration. Luckily, we all came back from the summer ready for some new cards. Since that resurgence of activity, we have grown a lot, and we’re definitely at our height right now.
Looking forward, I don’t really have any insane goals for the clan. I used to, but I quickly found that organic growth is better than structural growth. However, I’m very happy to see how successfully we’ve developed a community — small, but very close-knit — and that that each of us places some amount of priority in our lives on our membership in this community. It has made the vast and sometimes n00bish wilderness of MTGS into a home. We can come here and know that somebody has left a light on for us in cyberspace, and that light may be tapped for 1 colorless mana.
So, to everyone who has been involved in this clan in some way, whether it be small or large, I extend a festive glassful of Fishliver Oil to you! Thank you for making this clan the nut high!