Quest for the Holy Relics #1: Humble Beginnings

So, I'm starting off this new segment to explain a project that I plan on embarking on very soon. After I get a few things settled in my life in terms of career and applying for school, I will vigorously tackle this challenge till its end. Some of you may be familiar with Pack to Power, but if not, it's a project that started with Jonathan Medina, where one purchases a booster pack of magic cards and uses its contents to trade and form an independent collection that you eventually trade away for something expensive or a piece of the Power Nine. I started out with this project a few months ago, but got discouraged very quickly, because I didn't enter the expedition with the right mind set. 'Nothing to power' is a quest and you'll face many challenges that will hurt your progress, but hopefully strengthen you as a person along the way.

Recently, after enduring unemployment for a couple months and being unable to find a job, I've been feeling the effects of depression and not feeling able to achieve goals I set out for myself. Unfortunately, it's a slippery slope full of self loathing, but I won't get into that too much. I found a parallel after reading some of the Pack to Power articles, how many journeys are crushed in the middle of their quest and how these dreamers lose their way. I know that feeling all too well. However, some stories ended in success. Those stories featured protagonists who overcame challenges, criticism, and most of all, doubt. After doing some self reflecting, I decided to hit the books hard and improve on skills and create positive challenges for myself and apply to school again. One of those challenges will be the Quest for the Holy Relics. Similar to Pack to Power, but we're going big.

I've always wanted the Dual Lands from 3rd Edition/Revised. They've always been incredibly expensive and completely out of reach. There's also something really exciting about having a piece of magic history and the dual lands will always be the best fixing in the game to help you cast whatever broken spell Wizards of the Coast prints next. But, I decided to make this challenge incredibly difficult that will exhaust every resource I have available. I'm also hunting the Power 9.

That's right. I will obtain a copy of each of the Power 9 from Unlimited (white border, because I want to keep my house). The rules for this challenge are not as easily identified as in other challenges. I'm giving myself the ability to sell old toys/collectible card games and other clutter in my house, so I can do some cleaning and make my parents happy. I'm also giving myself the ability to use the Pack to Power challenge to obtain duals and/or power. If you see me running around with multiple binders, you'll know why. I'm also allowing myself to add 'minimal' amounts of money to any trade binder. Considering I'm very poor, this shouldn't be a huge issue to viewers holding torches and shouting for my head. The rules are a bit flexible so I can actually achieve the end goal. I can accept donations as well. Expect to see me holding the tin cup for change on the side of the street very soon. I expect this challenge to take a copious amount of time, but I'm hoping that in addition to making me a better business man and magic player, it'll make me better at handling personal challenges. In this section of the blog, I'll be posting my quest and explain exactly how I obtain each relic. I'm hoping that some of these techniques help you guys on your quest for cards to finish off decks and obtain cards you've always dreamed of owning.

Luckily for you guys, I've already started.

I went to my local gaming store and was looking at some product to get with store credit from selling cards. I had my eyes on a Vendilion Clique, so I could start building a Legacy deck. I had a pair of Phyrexian Obliterators that I was in the market to move. I had obtained them earlier to build a mono black deck, but realized quickly that Obliterator dies to Dismember. This wouldn't normally be a problem; however, every color and every deck easily has access to Dismember. So, I wanted to move them quickly, while the buy price was relatively high. After putting a couple cards in the sell cart, I noticed my total was kinda higher than I expected. I usually check the buy prices to see what the store is purchasing at a fair or even generous amount. Stores often give you a percentage bonus if you use the amount as in-store credit, so the payout had a small multiplier on it, which can make it better than selling the card on eBay. After playing around with a few numbers, here's what it came out to.

2x Phyrexian Obliterator
1x Batterskull
1x Mox Opal
1x Sliver Legion
1x Verdant Catacomb
1x Sorin Markov
3x Timber Protector
2x Teramorphic Expanse
3x Vampire Nighthawk
1x Timely Reinforcements
1x Rupture Spire

After looking at the list, I realized it wasn't really 'that' much compared to some trades I've conducted. I felt comfortable trading away Batterskull because I had just picked up a foil copy from a good friend earlier that week. And I wasn't particularly attached to Sliver Legion, from a deck I played many years ago, and Verdant Catacomb which was my 4th copy. Some of the clutter commons/uncommons came from Ajani v. Nicol Bolas Duel Deck and the vampire Event Deck from M12 that I purchased not too long ago. After looking at the pile of cards for a couple minutes, I gladly handed it over and received my first relic.

Tundra: valued at $105.45

Until next time magic players! 

Interested in more Magic content? Check out every series on the MTG Casual Network Archive!

-David J.

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