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I admit, I used to play Magic when it first came out. I have also played several other card games from different companies. I admit this with a certain amount of shame. I am proud that I managed to unload almost all of my cards. With this in mind, I wasn't looking to learn or buy a new card game this year at Gen Con. That is, until I ran across the nice Canadian gents at the Anoch booth. I sat down for a demo and was impressed.

Their new card game Mystick plays like any of a hundred (and I don't think I am exaggerating by all that much) collectible card games. You design your decks, and go at it with other players. However, there are no rare cards, no uncommon, and definitely not any ultra - rare cards. When you buy one of the two decks, you have every single card for that expansion. Some of you might ask; "Then what's the point?". The point is that the game actually comes down to better deck design and random draw of the cards. I always enjoyed playing Magic and the other games, for the strategic aspect of designing my decks and seeing how they did. However, I always hated the fact that some rich kid would have a better chance at getting Super - Duper Card X, just because they could afford to spend more money on the game. Mystick currently has two sets of 78 cards. Each set sells for $20.00.

The game is based on the idea of Secret Masters attempting world domination through the use of their pawns. What sets Mystick apart is the cards they have chosen to use. Each deck of 78 cards constitutes an entire Tarot deck of the major and minor arcana. The Secret Master (players) use their pawns to challenge for a limited amount of power that is located within a pool. The amount in the pool is determined by the number of players in the game. The artwork on the cards constitutes pieces from all periods. In fact, the artwork for the Frontier Scientist (the 7 of Swords) was the cover art for a paperback copy of Frankenstein I bought when I was still in elementary school. That said, I like the artwork. I would much rather look at pictures from some of the great and lesser known artists of the world than art from someone who is still trying to get hired by a comic book.

Learning the game is simple and friendly. The cards come in a pre - sorted order in the box, and a quickstart tutorial walks you and a friend right through the deck. Since the cards come in a set order, the tutorial has the players each take half of the deck and then start playing without shuffling. The players are then taken through a mock game card by card as they come up in their decks. This is something that none of the other card games have been able to do with their special card frequencies. I don't have to worry about my wife who isn't real big into games being confused by the rules. I just sat her down and walked her through the tutorial. By the end, every card in the basic deck was explained, and she was ready to start making her own deck.

There is at least one more deck promised to come out for this game, as well as a role playing game this winter. While I don't wear aluminum foil on my head, I enjoy good conspiracy stories where the secret masters are always attempting to control the world. While there is a deck that is labeled Basic, you don't have to start out with that deck. The Power deck has the same sort of tutorial included with the rules. For those of you who immediately start shuffling through your new cards, don't worry! Anoch has provided you with a listing of the cards in the order they initially appear in your decks. While the twenty dollars per deck does seem a bit steep, I can handle it as I know that I will be getting every card possible for that set with my $20.