I've spent the last several months acquiring old school cards. My preferred format is "encyclopedia magic." I made my own banned/restricted list and have been enjoying it. As a consequence, I also have cards to play 93/94, old school, etc. Steve's article put into words all the thought I put behind my personal format.
The best part about formats like this bring you back to when Magic was young and fresh, either as a player, or as a fan of Magic in general. I came back to Magic with Worldwake, and while I appreciate this brave, new world, something never truly clicked with me. Choosing to play old cards in my own terrible brews, combined with the slower format and fantastic artwork is really a homecoming for me.
Going back and playing true ABU cards, which I never had originally, has also been wonderful. I've always had a penchant for white borders (thanks 4th edition), but now I truly appreciate fully black bordered decks.
In conclusion, there is something incredibly satisfying in playing old school formats. I haven't enjoyed Magic like this since I first started playing back in 1995. If you haven't tried these formats out yet, I highly recommend them. Play an "official" one, make your own, just get to it, grab some buds and brews, and HAVE FUN! You won't regret it.
PS - the absolute best part of these formats is NO FETCH LANDS . It is an absolute joy to just top deck. Unless you are timetwistering for the win, of course!
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