Proof again that Commander is 1 of the Magic: the Gathering’s fastest growing and popular formats, over 200 spell slingers showed up at Singapore’s 1st ever Commander Quest community event on the last Saturday of September at Suntec City.
Although the event was originally scheduled to begin at noon, it was pushed forward to 11am just a couple of days before, and by 10:30am, over people were in line to register.
Organised by regional product distributer Animart, Commander Quest had an entry fee of $10 but that’s considered a good deal considering they would receive either a Sol Ring or Path of Ancestry alternate art promo card. Unfortunately they were non foil, but both of these cards are used in a majority of Commander decks so they definitely wouldn’t go to waste.
Some lucky players also received a unique “sideloader,” with a specially printed design on the back. The rigid plastic cases provide excellent protection for transporting your expensive Commander cards.
As Commander Quest is an officially sanctioned event, players were required to log in through the Magic Companion app, as is common practice in other local game store events too.
There were also a pair of qualified Magic Judges to help steer players to empty tables, or pair partial groups with others so that 4 or more can play together. While the casual Commander Quest doesn’t really require ruling and judging support, it was great to see that they were around to support if needed.
In between games, players could also visit the pop-up stores set up by both Tanoshimou and MTG Asia. If anyone was looking to buy or trade cards, or pick up some sleeves and preconstructed Commander decks, both stores had them in abundance.
Singapore-based Magic artist Julian Kok was also in attendance for anyone who wanted to get limited-edition artist proofs of recent cards such as Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire, Containment Construct and Artillery Blast. Non foil proofs (they have a white card back) were going for S$25 and included a free autograph if you purchased 1.
End Step
It’s heartwarming to see Magic still being a dominant force in the trading card game scene. With 2 new products coming out in October (Warhammer 40K Commander decks and Unfinity), it can be hard to keep up, but the good thing is you don’t have to buy into every set just to play Magic. If you’re starting out, find a preconstructed deck with a Commander that speaks to you, do some simple upgrades from there, and that deck can bring a whole lot of fun for years to come.
