1995: The Season of the Witch

[@Alex-bb1so]

It's not a Rhystic Studies video if you don't spend the first few minutes wondering what does any of this have to do with MTG.

[@FrankWaters1900]

LMAO

[@apedosmil99]

Word

[@prashrad2382]

Ain't that the truth

[@JohnSmith-us9fv]

It all adds up together intertwined

[@RhysticStudies]

the first step to any video is clicking random article three times on wikipedia. the second step is doing the same on scryfall.

[@chalupacabra1727]

The devil went up to Bedford, he was lookin' for a soul to steal. He pulled out a Deck that played for ante and was willing to make a deal. LOL.

[@ThorsShadow]

Nice. 😂

[@chalupacabra1727]

@@ThorsShadow Thanks. It just seemed to fit.

[@danlewis7707]

Looki'n for a Jewled Bird Dig Boys, Dig! If we don't find it gonna lose real big! Lotus on the line gotta keep Your head! 'Cause if you don't you'll never get their Dual land!

[@khepri3266]

Next stop, r/all

[@andrewamann2821]

When he came across a Johnny building Draw-Go, and tuning it hot, he sat down in a folding chair and said "Boy, let me tell you what..." "I bet you didn't know it, but I'm a Magic player, too, and if you care to take a dare, I'll play a game with you. Now, you brew a pretty good decklist, son, but give the devil his due, I'll bet a box of the old, against your soul, that says I'm better than you."

[@DennisKwasnycia]

Rhystic Studies: "So where is all this black magic?" Me: It's on the stack.

[@quintonhoffert6526]

Your Blue 'friend': "Did you forget to say please?"

[@snowboundwhale6860]

@@quintonhoffert6526 Me, with no counterspells in hand: "Hmmmmmmmm, I'll allow it..."

[@YaqoubAlTayib]

Karen casts negate, pass turn.

[@MoonlitRose101]

@@quintonhoffert6526 *Laughs in my blue commander deck filled with variations of counterspell*

[@quintonhoffert6526]

@@MoonlitRose101 On that note I am reminded of a game of Magic I played a long time ago in a small card shop in Beijing while I was studying abroad. It was 1v1 Commander and my opponent was mono Blue, his Commander was Vendilion Clique, and every other card in his deck that wasn't a land was a counterspell or a bounce spell. I don't think I resolved a single meaningful spell against him that entire game.

[@mikotagayuna8494]

I remember how our local news tried to show how high the stats of Demonic Hordes and Lord of the Pit were compared to Serra Angel and took it as proof that MtG is demonic and depicts evil as the stronger force. If they only knew which card actually dominated the game for a long time.

[@crooker23]

its kind of awesome that they got so into the numbers=fantasy power aspect of magic that way tho, a lot of these pastors, reporters, and "psychologists" seemed to have imaginations that wpuld have played really well with MTG or DnD

[@emyron1843]

​@@crooker23 "See, the demon not only has enough power to kill the angel, but also enough toughness to survive her damage. This shows us that in this game the demons are stronger than the angels, thus implying that demons are better to the children playing the game. Thank you all for coming to my Ted Talk."

[@mikelong2756]

I wish anyone actually tried to make lord of the pit work lol. Very rarely do we see lord or force of nature or hordes in even casual play.

[@sarahmanalapan8443]

Was expecting a real proof.

[@RhysticStudies]

I misread Leshrac's Sigil at 11:52 as a pentacle, apologies. thanks for pointing it out.

[@williamchristensen7354]

It's cool, bro! We appreciate you!

[@SeanJL]

Lol I just thought it was sarcasm

[@xpeterx]

came here to say this. i'm glad you already cought it. also, i think the "sorcerer" on the book at 4:40 isn't a sorcerer, but baron sengir, if i'm not mistaken. other than that, as always a stellar essay. thanks, sam.

[@Steeks]

Haha thought it was meant as a subtle joke that the parents at the time couldn't distinguish and just lashed out at everything somewhat demonic :P

[@nickramos4012]

I honestly went to check to see if you pointed it out. I know its not often you make mistakes, but doesn't mean it doesn't happen. Thank you for the video, as a practicing witch it meant a lot for someone to point it out.

[@JoeyMossBBG]

Excited to see you talking about the witch hunt. I remember hiding my magic cards from teachers cause they would take them for this reason.

[@jakejutras5420]

Yup, I remember the same. Had my Dark Ritual taken for this reason in grade 6.

[@mati-uf3gz]

@DARPA that's kinda rude to say :)

[@Triadicarp]

@DARPA bruh you need to get a life lmao

[@zokpls8712]

SKADOOOOOOSHHHHHH

[@Station9.75]

@DARPA - 136,000 people like him dude...

[@Aelijus]

"The Dark is chilling because the elements of fantasy feel more decorative than foundational" -- I can tell that you put a lot of care into each word in your video essays because there is just no simpler and fully evocative way to put this. Your vocal cadence and rhythm are enchanting, and it takes a lot of writing effort to maintain that luxurious pacing and still say everything you need to say. Well done.

[@mr.mammuthusafricanavus8299]

The Dark the OG Fairy Tale set :p

[@TimmytheSorcerer]

👊

[@Vitaire]

@@mr.mammuthusafricanavus8299 The Dark is basically strictly better Innistrad

[@mr.mammuthusafricanavus8299]

@@Vitaire and Eldraine ;P

[@simplistic_1]

I came here hoping someone would have already made this point, and better than I could have done. The writing in these videos continues to amaze me. The amount of work that goes into them is sometimes hard to recognize because they fit together so well they appear to have sprung fully formed from Sam's brain. I hope we are lucky enough to receive many more of these episodes.

[@greysonmiller9407]

What he really saw where people eager to blame innocent fun for their bad parenting.

[@RetroPillowcase]

True

[@isaacleiferman709]

Nobody wants to blame bad parenting or mental illness

[@Aster_Risk]

@@isaacleiferman709 Because then we have to acknowledge that these things are real and a widespread issue. 🤦‍♀️

[@Jason-fv4rg]

I was in high school in 1994-1995 and my friends were into MtG. My family was too poor at the time for me to even think about playing it myself, but I watched with interest as my friends played and looked through their collections at the art. I remember we were all kind of secretive about it, because of the artwork of demons and pentagrams and people dying. Where we lived (the American South), the average person was deeply religious and suspected anything that wasn't directly church-related of being satanic. So we hid in dark corners of the lunch room and in our parents' basements playing MtG and D&D. I remember teachers watching us play and thinking we were gambling, only to see what was on the cards and end up believing we were up to something far more sinister! Good times.

[@mr.mammuthusafricanavus8299]

LOL That is exactly like how I got started in my Catholic Private School except the teachers knew it was just a card game and did not harass anyone. I would hang out and watch a group of Gr 7's play MTG in Elementary, later in High School I played with them :P

[@warpdrivefueledbyinsomnia8165]

A high school band buddy of mine back in 1998 bought some cards that he had another one of his friends hold onto, because his parents didn't want him to play (they also wouldn't let him read or watch Harry Potter). Eventually his parents found out he played. They made him give his collection to the friend that held onto it and quit the band. That's about the time in which I didn't really speak to him anymore; he just stopped hanging out. I felt bad for him.

[@vaevictis_]

This was part of the OG magic charm

[@carlcarlington7317]

I feel like a big part of the “secretive” vibe playing mtg or dnd have comes down to the relative complexity of this game’s. It’s not like football or basketball where you can give an easy over view of what’s going on, so whenever someone would come up to me and ask “what you doing?” I’d kinda just be stumped. like I can say I’m playing mtg but when they turn around and ask what that is or how to play it I just have nothing. It’s not quantum physics or rocket science but it’s also not something that can be easily explained in a short casual conversation with a passing stranger. You end up looking like you’re trying to keep a secret when really you just don’t want to get into it right now.

[@kaitlyn__L]

@@carlcarlington7317 my go-to as a kid was extensively explaining the board state and what the play options were until they stopped me lmao. They didn't have to know all the minutiae to understand something basic like "I can activate the artefact to power up my guy and then I attack with him and he will probably block that with this guy" and usually after that length of time they're like "okay okay jeez I don't care THAT MUCH". Especially if I took the time to name them all and show the artwork and explain what kind of guy/thing they were. But like I totally understand. Cos I saved some other pals from the fate you just described lol

[@izzitlife557]

man when I first got into MTG I was told "Magic is a great hobby... It's too expensive to let you get into things like drugs or other bad shit... so spend your money on magic" for some reason this whole thing made me think of that

[@CTimmerman]

Too expensive in the long run. I quit Warhammer 40k when i found out after buying the box and Dark Angels Codex and paint set that for best results i had to paint twice or buy an expensive spray can as well.

[@zenithquasar9623]

I think drugs would be relatively cheaper.

[@izzitlife557]

@@zenithquasar9623 depends on what format you play

[@Hadrioc]

Wanna play, but wanna have enough money for the nice stuff? Print proxy and don't miss a snort! :D

[@fralum7832]

@@CTimmerman It's exactly the opposite, warhammer has high initial investment but in the long run it's not more expensive than mtg

[@Level_1_Frog]

I gotta say Sam, I hope this isnt a final hurrah- the MTG community has missed your unique perspective, and your absence has been greatly felt.

[@Lemon_Squalo]

More than anything I just bet these videos take a long time to put together. Honestly the best production value in the MtG community, feels like a documentary I'd get recommended on Netflix lmao

[@Cyrus_III]

I'd equate the upload schedule with that of other prolific, documentarian-esque creators like Lemmino. The production value from the video itself, to the bg music, to the voiceover takes a long time, especially for a video scripted, produced, edited and voiced by a very small group if not a singular individual.

[@MrAmobius]

My man, Lemmino is the pinnacle of video essays based on urban mysteries. This channel is the Lemmino of MtG content.

[@Level_1_Frog]

I might be mistaken but I'm pretty sure Sam aka Magic Man Sam aka Rhystic Studies said he was quitting making magic content to focus on other projects. So hopefully this is a return to making MTG content.

[@alejocuruchet76]

Couldn't agree more, what he does for mtg is unique!

[@KnightofRome01]

I never understood this brand of stupidity. I am a Christian, I grew up in a conservative christian home, and my mother encouraged me to play Magic, D&D, and even Warhammer Fantasy/40k. She even let me borrow her Anne Rice novels to read and she was the one who introduced me to Harry Potter, which she learned about from another mom in her Bible study class. I was always told to learn all I could, ask questions, have doubts, that is how you learn and grow. But, enough about myself, it is good to see more from you man, love the content as always. Hope you are well with this epidemic going on.

[@Seltaeb_]

Your mother seems like a great person! More Theists need to be taught to question and doubt, because well... If their beliefs are true, what are they worried about? Sidenote: I've known many christian people who have cited bluntly "I'm afraid I'll prove my beliefs wrong" for why they don't question some of the dumber things they do.... like claim mtg is occult... for example...

[@krim7]

I used to game with a guy whose dad only allowed him to play D&D if we all promised that demons and devils would not be part of the campaign.

[@smoraptor]

My grandmother was a conservative Christian who was quite the opposite and bought into the satanic panic stuff. I am a conservative Christian who plays MtG with my kids lol

[@clayxros576]

@@krim7 That's pretty fair, in my opinion at least. Heck a lot of my friends would love to play only on the condition that such tings are left out as well. Not even due to fear, but just cause it's uncomfortable.

[@wanderinghistorian]

My parents were the same way. They were Christians and they never bought into any of this crap. I played D&D and Magic and our house became the "safe house" where my fellow geeks whose parents were not so cool could come and play and not be judged. I in turn came to believe in Christ Jesus and became a Christian too, as did many of my geek friends who came over to our house to play. Hmm... If yer not interested in what the Bible teaches go nah further! :P FYI - The Bible teaches that, far from outside influences "corrupting" us, we are already corrupt. (Psalm 51:5) We sin, says the Bible, when we are drawn away and enticed by *our own desires*. (James 1:14) So if your kid plays D&D and then goes and kills someone, that's because they already had the heart of a killer (psychopath) not because they played D&D. This is from Colossians 2, and illustrates why forbidding harmless things like D&D and Magic not only don't stop people bent on evil from doing evil but might even be harmful to those trying to do good: "Since you died with Christ to the elemental spiritual forces of this world, why, as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its rules: "Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!"? These rules, which have to do with things that are all destined to perish with use, are based on merely human commands and teachings. Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence." Thanks for coming to my TED Talk.

[@James11111]

*"D&D AND MTG ARE SATANIC!!!"* Me, just playing a paladin and using a white angel deck: 👍😿

[@EveryFakeGenius]

blue/white is the only truely satanic deck type

[@kajw.230]

@@EveryFakeGenius counterpoint: simic exists

[@rodrigobritobernardo7913]

So... you're basically complying to them... pathetic -_-

[@Triadicarp]

The only thing bad about MTG is how bad they cucked Rakdos in Zendikar

[@___ooobodybagooo___]

If you believe in angels. You believe in demons

[@grantmcdougall7801]

I remember this. My mom is really religious but she was absolutely cool with D&D MAGIC WARHAMMER anything that engaged my creativity. She is awesome, She even surprises me to this day. She surprised me with a Munchkin the other day when I visited . It was all set and waiting to play, she said she was waiting for me to help explain it..... They didn't need help they wiped the board with me!! My parents are awesome im 33 and live on my own but I visit them every week, If your parents are or were cool too, take a moment to thank them!

[@howaboutnow1895]

She sounds very fun.

[@crooker23]

really appreciate that "if your parents are/were cool" addendum, that shows a lot of awareness

[@Aster_Risk]

I am happy to hear this! I really hate religion, but I have met religious people who are fantastic and don't let fear or hatred stand in the way of being a nice person. Parents should want their kids to be happy. My parents were and are really cool too. I see them at least once a week and I make sure I let them know that.

[@IBeOutHere]

Wholesome af my man

[@AndrewWoodford]

My mom said she wouldn’t drive me to Magic in 1999 because it was demonic. So I said I would walk. Then she said it wasn’t safe and she would drive me instead. 😂

[@robertoferri9092]

ahahahahah

[@bakomusha]

We might find the Stanatic Panic to be odd, or humorous, but it ruined lives. 3 goths, and there kinda dumb neighbor almost got the chair for them being who they where. People where assaulted, HUNDREDS of people where sent to prison, a lot of them are still there, for crimes they never committed, and at least one person was shot and killed by a father who thought the person was killing babies out of a daycare. Even as late as the 2000s I was feeling the brunt of it, when I had to convince some friends parents that DnD wasn't about ritual murder.

[@DimT670]

Yea its easy to sit and laugh about it now but it was very much not funny at the time

[@CTimmerman]

...unlike the Bible. Yahweh has the highest death toll in that and people worship him as if he were real.

[@J33zas]

and it has happened more than once. With the red scare, the islamophobia after 9/11 and to an extent with BLM today

[@CTimmerman]

@@J33zas Except communism, Islam, and BLM are known for their violence against innocent people.

[@indigohalf]

​@@CTimmerman Bruh... you know the murder statistics are against you on this one.

[@CarronBarboza]

Dark Lord Blood is amazing and I can't believe anyone ever took him seriously.

[@ThePariaah]

Props to Eric Landes' mother! Imagine actually talking to your children and asking questions and showing interest in their interests!

[@eastburnart]

This channel deserves way more subs. As an artist who has worked for mtg in the past, and currently in the game industry, your videos are something i always watch during the day. Incredible work my friend, your videos are also a work of art, from composition, tone, and everything in between. I hope you continue this craft, and teach it to the next generation. Cheers

[@RhysticStudies]

thank you so much. this means a lot to me.

[@jacklpup3214]

just looked up your work, and jeez man, thats some good stuff!

[@pauldyson8098]

" . . .and Black Lotus hit $100 on the secondary market for the first time." Ah. Simpler (less expensive) times!

[@korakys]

My quick search indicates there are now 148 cards that sell for at least $100.

[@tkardaishou]

"Here we have Dark Lord Blood..." Guys seriously how do you keep a straight face when saying this junk on TV? XDD

[@tkardaishou]

@@DecimatorPrime I mean like He identifies as "Dark Lord Blood." Pretty sure that says all we need to about him. XD

[@jellybean358]

a few years ago, one of our local MTG players, who also happened to be a teacher, started teaching some of his students about the game. The kids were really into it and enjoying it, but there was an outcry from parents about devil worship and eventually the school stepped in and told him to stop and banned magic cards. Its sad that even these days a blind panic and outcry over a card game can occur.

[@PhoenicopterusR]

Wild that people can see games like mtg as satanic when one of the most popular tribes is fuckin ANGELS.

[@sirdeath1]

The music he picks is perfectly tuned / curated. I love his sense of detail

[@ThorsShadow]

11:55 "There's that pesky pentacle again." That's actually the Star of David. ;) And yes, the Star of David is used in Occultism, but it's not a pentacle. Penta means five (for the five corners of the symbol). The Star of David has six corners.

[@rolando-8231]

Well aren’t you smart

[@peterosborne8315]

Yeah I counted and I was like.... but there's 6...

[@thirsty1629]

Yea but media says “stars = scary” so it don’t matter.

[@KingBobXVI]

It's technically a sextacle, which is funny in its own right.

[@peterbillings3276]

KingBobXIV - sextacle huh? Lmao I noticed the 6 points too when he said pentacle 🤨 I was guessing hexacle, but that’s way better!

[@CattSenpai]

14:53 "dark lord blood" made me laugh so hard

[@2MeterLP]

Im willing to bet money hes just a random guy they paid 50 bucks to play the scapegoat. That name is so over the top theres no way thats real.

[@0xGRIDRUNR]

and a solid 25 years later, people are still rejecting science in favor of things they hear on tv. hopefully this will change, but I fear it won't

[@2MeterLP]

Well the hope is that in another 25, people will look at anti-masker, anti-vaxxers and flat earthers like we do now at satanic panic idiots.

[@MrMaxBoivin]

@@2MeterLP In 25 years, people will sacrifice chicken on the streets to cure illness and bald men will be decapitated because a rumour spread that they had gold in their head. Import the third world, become the third world. Oh, but maybe we shouldn't look at the science of race and IQ?

[@genzo454]

@@MrMaxBoivin what

[@vixenofthedead]

Well in this video a doctor said DnD kills people

[@flyingchimp5012]

​@@MrMaxBoivin Dude, this really isn't the place for this and I am surprised your comment still stands after 7 months. But I agree, the "I fucking love science" crowd is pretty annoying in how surface level their understanding is. A bunch of midwits I tell ya. I bet they never even heard the term replication crisis.

[@conrad03]

I was literally just looking at this stuff-the decades-old idea that role playing games, video games, etc cause violence-and I hop onto KZbin to see this video dropped 7 minutes ago. Such a frustrating yet intriguing topic!

[@CTimmerman]

It's projection caused by the cognitive dissonance of their loving god commanding torture and murder of real people.

[@hopinggirl1722]

“here we have dark lord blood”

[@jonerlucas3933]

i laughed my ass off to that. such a serious tone of voice at first and then the legend himself shows up.

[@VVheeli]

Can we actually talk about that? There are so many questions raised in so few words.

[@Shinnjid]

DARK LORD BLOOD... lmao I can't

[@2MeterLP]

Dude looks like a small time ganster they got off the street to play scapegoat for the show.

[@lordspider3958]

He looks like the guy who works at my local smoke shop.

[@conlanrichichi2328]

He's back!

[@watchinghh]

We had just started playing M:tG maybe 6 months before this blew up. We were in a small town and had to have our parents drive us 45 mins to buy cards and play tournaments. They were suspicious at first when these news storied started appearing but they gave us the benefit of the doubt and knew we were just nerdy kids not undercover satanists.

[@jbpeony7872]

i couldn't imagine growing up in those times of peak pearl clutching. The people complaining are the ones that conflate fantasy for reality not the kids playing it.

[@Aster_Risk]

As long as there's religion, there will be some sort of pearl clutching. Thankfully, it's less of a big spectacle these days since so many people are moving away from that line of thinking.

[@ubermenschen01]

There's a scholar, Silvia Federici, who wrote a book called Caliban and the Witch, where she posits the various historical witch hunts in Europe were essentially a backlash against the social power of women, and specifically how the figures of the village wise woman/witch were a threat to the newly emerging economic system of capitalism. Highly recommend it.

[@LemorasCards]

This is just everything I could want in a video. The atmosphere, the writing, the production value, the topics, everything is perfect. Truly one of the best content creators out there.

[@ubermenschen01]

The only time my evangelical dad and I were close to having a fist fight was about me playing Pathfinder. In 2012. Growing up in the environment of fear that the Satanic Panic caused influenced them both greatly. A shame, really.

[@LordZylok]

"The Dark is chilling because the elements of fantasy feel more decorative than foundational" For ages I have been wondering why I love The Dark thematically so much, but don't have such love towards something like Innistrad, and I think you just gave me the answer for that. Well, that and the artwork being hugely different. Innistrad feels way too "clean" with its digital artwork, while The Darks "water-paintery" style just oozes with atmosphere.

[@vacilusmaximuz]

good to see you posting, how are you doing buddy?

[@johnkiessel8876]

What an incredibly small world!! I’ve loved your videos for awhile and finally happened across this one! Lo and behold Peg Aloi pops up! I was in her Television and the Impacts of Digital Culture class in the fall of 2018! What an amazing professor! This made my day!! :)

[@stevenyukabacera160]

I went to a Catholic private school, but by that time, everyone was sort of over the Satanic Panic. We never got in trouble for playing Magic unless we did it when we were supposed to be doing homework. Small blessings.

[@ethanli-watchersyndicate6155]

Yessssss Welcome back Sam! Glad to see you again.

[@Aurinna]

Finally, thank you for the hard work man

[@HuntsmanMK1]

I burst out laughing at the “Dark lord Blood” reveal 😂

[@felipecapelin607]

Man, your videos are true gems ❤️

[@ty_sylicus]

It's finally here! The cursed video!

[@sethputnamscrackpipe6204]

The Dark is my favorite set ever, first expansion I ever got my hands on and it’s art and themes really hook hold of my young imagination. It’s the set that think of the most fondly in terms of not just nostalgia but of flavor and overall continuity. Despite all this I’m not a mass murderer, child eater nor do I believe that I am possessed by demons though my wallet may disagree (for all the bread spent on this game).

[@lukapasalic4993]

Weird how everyone got riled up about 16 year old college sophomore committed suicide and tried to blame it on MTG and DND. He was clearly under the stress of meeting unrealistic expectations by his parents.

[@bensaylor9093]

It gives me chills to think back on the stigma and craziness surrounding something that actually helped so many people connect to each other, themselves, and the world around them.

[@kierrynhigbed3902]

Sam - good to see you back man! Love it !!!

[@Clonekiller66]

you know what I think would make an amazing Rystic Studies video? Identifying / Analyzing Colorless Mana, and how it's very much the definitive 6th color of MTG.

[@crispy2802]

No one does it like Rhystic Studies.

[@KingBobXVI]

"There's that pesky pentacle again" _shows six-pointed star of Daivd_ ...huh. I'm going to chock this up to a jab at the ignorance of the panic-ers rather than a mistake on your part :P I'm surprised you didn't mention the old comic about how evil D&D was, though maybe that's veering too much into being a D&D video.

[@occultninja4]

Yeah it would have been both more accurate and also more impactful of he said something along the lines of "and here we have a hex."

[@jallen3775]

You should have your own show doing documentaries, the work and care that you put into each video is incredible. Love the piece, it is a work of art.

[@Shadowcloak]

I don't know if this has been mentioned, but New Year's on 1995 happened to take place exactly during a New Moon, and the symbolism here really speaks for itself.

[@1YCARADOFACAO]

The dark is my favourite part of magic and it be great if you made a deeper exploration of it.

[@tappytoeclaws2233]

The only good thing 2020 has brought us in an Erin Campbell X Rhystic Studies collab.

[@DavidHernandez-yc3cq]

so glad you got erin campbell to colab with you on this. shes always been vocal about this topic on magic mics and gf bracket.

[@eberron_arch]

They may be rare, but Rhystic videos are always amazing.

[@NT-ys3oh]

Your videos are genuinely so fantastic. I’ve practiced witchcraft and played Mtg for over 20 years. There’s no tie between the two other than they both bring something meaningful to my life- but starting out there was still this lingering fear that Mtg had “turned” me to the devil. These discussions and their place in history are so important.

[@jadasc]

Interviewing Di Nozzi was part of the the first story I wrote for InQuest.

[@CTimmerman]

Best Magic mag back then, imo. The place to look up magic card prices before the Internet. Iirc, an Alpha edition Black Lotus was 2000 USD, 600 in Unlimited, Sol Ring 250, Birds of Paradise 60, and Revised Duals 30-40. Being a 12-yo noob i spent my money on circles of protection instead of boosters, though, until 4th, Ice Age, Chronicles, Homelands, and finally Alliances. Mirage introducing yet more annoying rules to memorize (phasing) and me not yet having completed my Alliances collection, i took a 15 year break until the Xbox 360 game offered a free Planeswalker card.

[@warpdrivefueledbyinsomnia8165]

Hell yeah, man. Thank you for taking part in one of the best gaming publications, ever. I loved the puzzles, and Cow Nose.

[@jadasc]

@@warpdrivefueledbyinsomnia8165 Man, no one remembers Rick Swan and Cow Nose these days. :) Thanks for the reply.

[@Rincewindl]

It's not a Rhystic Studies video if I don't tear up a bit at your amazing use of audio mixing and choice. God damn, it just brings up everything and makes everything stick in my mind.

[@TheGreatDazod]

I distantly remember growing up how everything a little out of the normal was attributed to the occult and the devil by my parents. Especially around D&D and Magic the Gathering and to this day I still don’t understand the fear

[@CTimmerman]

It's instilled by any lasting cult, that only the cult can save them from enemies that are everywhere.

[@MTGCubeTuber]

Awesome video. I can't stress this enough: no one is out here making this content about Magic and I'm so glad that you're doing it.

[@diazan38]

Amazing video! As I had lived thru the waning hours of the "satanic panic" (entered highschool in 96), I defintely remember a lot of the stories and articles you pointed out.

[@georgelacatus1495]

I was beyond giddy to see a new Rhystic Studies notification, and the video was definitely worth the wait! I never knew about the parallels between the stigma surrounding D&D and Magic to the panic and fear surrounding heavy metal. Keep up the amazing work as always Sam

[@ethan6287]

Ahhhhhhhh new Rhystic study video!!!!

[@vasiliosk.8492]

I wasn't even born when "the dark" came out. But ever since i discovered that set, it has became my favorite one. The flavour and the artwork are something that are unique to that set. The chaotic design of the cards, collours acting differently, the agression between collours. Really glad it has been getting attention lately.

[@bosarmin05able]

I love your videos. Absolutely amazing. Keep up the good work

[@elbows234]

This video makes me want a dedicated Drew Tucker video so badly.

[@danacoleman4007]

YES!!!!

[@NekoDavid]

My grandmother thought all playing cards were satanic. She would sit in her kitchen chair smoking and drinking and glaring at us while we would play any TCG. Marvel's Overpower was my favorite at the time. I remember having to talk to my parents about magic the gathering when I wanted to play in 96 or 97. The bad press had a lasting impact on parents at that time. My friend gave me a few cards, I decided to show them a Craw Wurm and some other green cards. I didn't think they would like any of the black cards, and even some of the white cards seemed like something they wouldn't have liked. But they decided to be okay and took me and my younger brother to a local hobby shop to get a few cards to play with.

[@whatcaneyedo]

Thank you for creating another fantastic episode about these old cards. I began playing in early 95 when a cousin introduced me to the game with his two Revised starter decks. The classic fantasy art and feel to the game is what drew me in and has kept me playing and collecting ever since.

[@Dartowl1]

He’s back

[@robinkube16]

Holy ur videos are wow im slowly watching them all today love u love magic please stay like this

[@Cosminen]

Lol!! Thats not even a pentacle/pentagram in the leshracs sigil, thats the star of david 🤣🤣

[@diesertimgaedke]

I also did a double take there - but for the conservative crowd of that era it wouldn't have made a difference

[@ownageDan]

the symbol is known as a hexagram and has been used in occultism aswell.

[@Bluequaz]

Star of david doesn't have the circle on it. The hexagram is associated with the star of david but has an astrological and occult association

[@DreamtimeDrinne]

With the circle it's still Judaic tradition as the Seal of Solomon, also Judaism has a MASSIVE tradition of demonology even though there isn't really a God/Satan pairing like there is in Christianity. Identifying Judaic practices as "occult" without context is a frequent feature of US based evangelical manipulations of discourse. Many things that get rolled into "occult" are just other people's religions or ethnic family practices. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seal_of_Solomon

[@UnDefinedLegacy]

I don’t even play Magic the Gathering but I am enthralled by your story telling. You share the beautiful view you have for the game and I’m delighted to peek into the looking glass you have passed to me. Thank you for your words and showing me the amazing work and dedication this game brings to life from both fans and creators.

[@franklinhodsoniv8210]

We missed you! And I grew up with all of these ideas from my conservative Christian schooling. I specifically remember a seminar where the entire school was told that D&D would lead to Satanism, murderous intent, and eventually, death by electric chair (a nice topic to tell a bunch of 8+-year-olds...). If it wasn't for that authority restricting my interests, I would have played Magic and D&D years ago.

[@CTimmerman]

At least they didn't electrocute you. Such a loving god.

[@franklinhodsoniv8210]

@@CTimmerman It was all for control and power. "Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it." My teachers and youth leaders really took that to heart to brainwash us...

[@CTimmerman]

@@franklinhodsoniv8210 And judging by the photo of a child being shocked on a chair by some priest iirc in an encyclopedia article i read at my grandpa's, they weren't kidding.

[@gustavoo3886]

THIS VIDEOS ARE NOT ONLY GOOD INFORMATION BUT THE WAY YOU DEVELOP THEM (AESTHETICALLY AND NARRATIVELY) ITS AN ABSOLUTE WORK OF ART.. DONT STOP DOING THIS PLEASE

[@Dehalove]

Man this was hard to watch. I can’t believe adults speak so confidently and negatively about games I love

[@Wintersoldier411]

even though I don't play magic anymore I will never stop watching your videos. the best MTG content creator. each of your videos is a blessing

[@arcane_ironic]

I had to make a powerpoint a few years ago, in order to convince my mom that D&D was not in fact satanic, and rather an excuse for me to just hang out with friends and eat pizza.

[@asmund8436]

These videos are always a treat. They have so much effort put in, along with incredible research.

[@muffZor89]

Never clicked so fast!

[@ellisgriffin668]

I always appreciate your use of silence to allow your audience to reflect on what has been said. It's something that I believe many content creators neglect when making videos, and it makes your videos more memorable

[@123456789moification]

Many people i know had their MTG cards burned by their parents because of the fear they had over trading card games being SATANIC. Smh.

[@ggflowen]

It blows my mind that you bring this HBO quality production to youtube. Amazing.

[@M0torsagmannen]

regarding "Leshrac's Sigil" it isnt actually a pentacle.

[@Brother-man24]

Absolutely jaw-dropping presentation, this is genuinely inspired story-telling

[@pavarottiaardvark3431]

One of my friends grew up in a very devout household. He persuaded them that Magic the Gathering was ok by keeping a copy of Durkwood Boars handy. It can't be evil if it has bible quotes!

[@KingBobXVI]

There are a few with bible quotes, but my favorite is the card Swords To Plowshares, which itself is a direct reference to a biblical line: "He shall judge between many peoples, and shall arbitrate between strong nations far away; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more." And, you know, angels.

[@Lith5484]

Every video of yours that I watch makes me fall deeper and deeper in love with this amazing game

[@diggerdog9205]

WOTC should pay this man to represent them without a doubt

[@jamesjefferson1182]

Thank you, this fight is still going on.

[@marcello9476]

No it isnt lmao

[@DarknayseLyn]

@@marcello9476 Sadly it is in lots of places, especially the Bible Belt

[@marcello9476]

@@DarknayseLyn no man, it really isn't.

[@DarknayseLyn]

@@marcello9476 I had collection burned over this about 6 years ago, had another friend kicked out of his house and his college fund taken because he played DnD, and almost got kicked out for buying my favorite magic art online. It very much is, and several schools around where I used to be in high school outright banned it from being played and reported students to their parents if they played it.

[@marcello9476]

@@DarknayseLyn anecdotal evidence is not evidence.

[@rikname3672]

Love the nod from 15:06 to the first internationalized printing of Magic.

[@MoodySelection]

still looking for your Noah Bradley video... That was your masterpiece. Such a shame you deleted it. Nice vid as always

[@RetroPillowcase]

Dang I guess I missed it

[@SandstormGT]

Why would he delete it?

[@CrimsonFox36]

Hatred and fear often come from misunderstanding.

[@XiaosChannel]

it's hard to believe i was alive when people did that. It's like when you read some barbaric practice in the past, but it's not in the past. it's contemporary with you.

[@DraXCore]

I love your content and I am always excited to see a new video. I haven't been playing magic as long as some people may be around 1-2 years now. This means I don't know much of the history or the older cards so whenever you talk in-depth about them I love it.

[@hbkx5]

Woman: " you can visualize magical intention, it's sort of like SCRYING where you use a crystal ball or a dark mirror or a bowl of water..." Wizards of the coast: "Quick grab a pen write that down..."

[@humanwreckage4563]

24:47 this is the moment I realized what was coming. And when the last card showed, I had chills. Incredible editing and storytelling.

[@DavidOConnor44]

I'm happy to be born when I was and it would have sucked to live back then.

[@ironocy496]

I grew up then, it wasn't all that bad. The media was just as sensational then as now. Just turn the TV off and the talking heads go away. I'd rather be playing Magic anyways instead of watching that crap.

[@Nico-nu5rp]

Great video as always

[@SaberToothPortilla]

This is a very measured video. Obviously we know your takeaway, of course Magic isn't satanic, or, even if it were, certainly not malicious. That being said, I appreciate how much you lend legitimacy to the concerns from the perspective of people who were there, because, to be fair, some of the artwork of the early sets could be pretty unsettling. It was unashamedly raw, and the elements that were very much couched in reality being so near to the elements that were fantastical was quite interesting. Unprecedentedly virtuosic card art is Magic's MO these days, but the high craftwork of the art likely puts them more squarely in the realm of illustrations in people's minds, as opposed to depictions. Looking at the original artwork for Sacrifice, I can see how that might've been legitimately troubling, even more so than DnD, despite the fact that I still disagree with their conclusions. I suppose I take less issue with the concern itself than the hypocrisy, because even at the time, film was generally long past that level scrutiny. Card games, roleplaying games, video games, much of music... Not to lean too heavily into the oppression narrative, but there's definitely something to be said for the majority of criticism and social stigma being directed at things that were relevant to the young and/or non-mainstream culture. Food for thought.

[@Ukumelele]

I have never played Magic but I am still enjoying these videos. Easy to follow and very informative.