Exclusions: Attributes vs. Actions

Due to recent events in the MTG Community (on Twitter and other places online) I wanted to share my views on the matter as simply and straightforward as possible.

Wait a minute, that last one seems hypocritical. Isn’t ALL exclusion bad?! Don’t ANY exclusions make someone a jerkwad?!

See, the key difference comes down to whether the exclusion is based off of someone’s attributes or actions.

Things like gender, race, age, disability, etc. are examples of personal attributes. Excluding others based off personal attributes is wrong.

On the other hand, excluding people based off their actions is entirely reasonable, and even necessary.

Take cheating for example. Cheating is an action. It’s something people choose to do. When people cheat, it hurts other people, and the game as a whole. Because of this, there’s a long history of excluding known cheaters from the game.

But what if I enjoy acting like a jerkwad? Isn’t it wrong for people to exclude me for doing what I enjoy?

I’m sure there are people who enjoy cheating too, but that doesn’t make it a valid way to participate. If the actions you enjoy harm other people, then the community has a moral obligation to hold you responsible for those actions. There need to be consequences, and those consequences may include being excluded from the community.

I feel like this whole post is a pretty big downer. Is there any good news?

One of the wonderful things about actions, is that they can easily be changed!! Acting like a jerkwad is a curable condition!

The cure for cheating is incredibly simple: Just follow the rules of the game, and be honest!

Likewise, the cure for being a jerkwad is equally simple: Just have compassion for other people, and use that compassion to drive your words and behavior!

(And if you find you’ve acted like a jerkwad without meaning to, use your compassion to recognize your error, apologize, and try to learn from your mistake to drive future actions. Just keep moving forward and doing your best!!)

Field Reporter Roll Call 2017

We have logged the reports from the following Minions . If you submitted a report and not are on the list, please notify us and send a link to your report.

GP Milwaukee 2016

Lucca 2016

GP San Jose 2017

GP San Antonio 2017

Phoenix Comic Con 2017

GP Vegas 2017

Gen Con 2017

The signed tokens have arrived and have been forwarded to AMP for distribution. Our apologies,  if you have submitted a report and not on the list. Please send us the link so when can send out our token of appreciation to you.

Added 385 to the list.

Coming to GP San Antonio this weekend?  Come prepared by checking out my Convention Commandments: http://www.steveargyle.com/convention-commandments

GP San Antonio 2017 is underway!

Be there, Be there

Don't forget to send in those reports and have great time.

This is the tumblrweed of no notes. Reblog to appease the tumblrweed and avoid your posts languishing in the single digits.

Come see us if you’re nearby!

Looking forward to seeing some reports from Minions on this event who are lucky enough to be there.

I assume this is being streamed also, so those of your report based on your stream experience, will be rewarded also.

GP Milwaukee 2016

I had a great time at the GP this year, making day 2 and ending with an overall record of 9-6. I got some sweet @steveargyle stuff this year!

First of all, I finally have my @ascendedminionproject playmat! With my minion number (#465) and card art.

Next I got my binder candy signed that @ascendedminionprime gave away last year.

Assorted tokens and new binder candy! Also a signed business card to go in my collection of artist business cards!

Remember if you’re at an event with Steve make sure to let him and Kat know you’re a minion. You get free swag!

An AMP sticker, a bookmark and last year’s AMP holiday card. (With Kat’s address on the back. Oops, just noticed that. I won’t use it for evil I promise!)

And finally the most important piece; the alter I had done of Praetor’s Grasp. I asked for artist’s choice on it. Kat warned me it could be crazy but it turned out perfect. Everyone loves it!

I had a great weekend. Thanks for everything!

I am always so jealous of Minions at events.  I’ve gotten to meet Steve and Kat twice, once in my home town, so I won’t complain.  I feel certain I will again sometime.  Until then I will live vicariously through these reports.

GP Milwaukee Day 3 Field Report

…and some more from Day 1 too…

Sunday is always the last day of a GP and since I didn’t make day 2 I decided to get an alter done by Steve and do an on demand draft.  Since I had a 4.5 hour car drive and it was snowing, I needed to make sure I was done earlier rather than later.  I also bought a LP Chandra Ablaze on Saturday to get signed by Steve (card artist) and Kat (card model).

I previously reported on the Angelic Arbiter and Chosen of Markov, but I did not inform you that I commissioned two preorders.

Bloodbraid Elf and Urbis Protector were the lucky cards.  Bloodbraid lends itself to a lot of options and I have a list of characters I want to explore for potential alters.  In fact there are way more options for female characters than male characters when it comes to alters on Steve cards.  Steve just doesn’t have enough male characters large and in the foreground on magic cards.  Urbis Protector is a great option though.  I wish it saw some play.

So, Urbis Protector and Bloodbraid Elf were commissioned to be altered into Welkin Gunther and Alicia Melchiott from the PS3 game Valkyria Chronicles.  If you own a PS3 and haven’t played it, I highly recommend it.

Besides those cards and the others, I also brought Matca Rioters and Night Revelers to potentially alter.  I chose Night Revelers and told Steve and Kat I wanted it Artist Choice.  I am a Minion so I know what could happen.  When asked what they were by somebody, Steve responded “Night Revelers.”  My favorite is the smiling bear one with stubby arms and bat shaped mouth.  Everybody else I have asked has a different favorite, usually the one in the hat.  Which night reveler is your favorite?

Back to the report.  At the GP I saw somebody that frequents the game store I frequent while I was waiting for my revelers to dry.  I actually talked to her the day before and she had told me she used her tickets to get a very large metal Liliana of the Veil print from the prize wall, but she wasn’t going to pick it up until Sunday because she didn’t want to lug it around.  There were only 4 available I think.

On Saturday, I had told her that Steve painted it and she should get it signed.  On Sunday, I asked if she was going to get it signed and he asked me about my night revelers.  I told her that he alters them and told her the price.  She and I looked through Steve’s cards on our phones and she saw a couple that she might be interested in getting altered.  I even showed her the other alters Steve did for me and the Minion ID cards.  Unfortunately I had to leave and I don’t know if she got the print signed or got a card altered.  I plan to ask her the next time I see her at the store or ask Steve and Kat during Sketch and Skotch.

I also spent some time chatting with Aaron Miller, Chris Rahn, and RK Post throughout the weekend.

The final image is a picture of all of my current alters of which the top row are Artist Choice.

It was a great GP and it was nice to loiter around Steve’s booth and chat with him and Kat.  They didn’t shoo me away like a stray dog or cat, so I don’t think it was too much loitering.

@ascendedminionproject

@ascendedminionpress

I’m a sucker for purple so the wing-eared purplthing is mine.

Did someone say metal Lili print?  pics or it didn’t happen?

I love reports!

I never thought to take a picture since I only ever saw one in passing.  It appeared to be about 3 feet tall and I heard they were gone like the wind.  In fact, the person from my LGS traded cards for prize wall tickets to get one.  The next time I see her, I’ll think about asking if she can take a picture.

You do that… and then steal it.  (Don’t really do that second thing… but we can all have an active fantasy life…)

Minion 491/28 warps up GP Milwaukee with his latest installment from day 3.

He seems to have uncovered an elusive metal LOTV print? We are looking forward to seeing his follow up report on this with pictures.

Milwaukee GP Day 2 Report

My sealed pool was pretty decent but I went 2-4-Drop nonetheless.  At least I opened a Smuggler’s Copter.  I did talk to a bunch of strangers and late in the afternoon I saw a guy who had 3 Liliana alters done.  I sat down and chatted with him for 15 minutes and told him about the Ascended Minion Project.  I doubt he’ll join, but he did let me see his collection of Birds of Paradise.

He had a playset of every BoP including foils.  He had just finished his last Alpha that afternoon.  His collection included 7 edition foils and 4th Artist Proofs with colored sketched on the back.

I also fianally got my Ascended Minion Project playmat with the children’s and my minion.  Very cool.

I’ll file one last report tomorrow.

@ascendedminionproject

@ascendedminionpress

OK… let me step to the side and just be all like “playset of 7th ED BoP foils?!”

I hope we get new members from these random interactions, even if not this time.

Keep up the good work.  This is who The Ascended are!

Looks like Minion 491/28 is setting a precedence here with his second report from the GP.

GP Milwaukee Day 1 Field Report

On Friday, I didn’t play any side events other than the free Mini-Masters event that everyone got to play in if they were at the doors when the convention opened.

My initial pack was excellent and only had one bad card (the red enchantment that gives +2/+1 and menace) which is still playable because it is better than another basic land.  My deck had a Noxious Gearhulk, an Impeccable Timing, and a Tidy Conclusion.  To be honest, I won pretty easily.

My prize pack contained a Subtle Strike, a white flier and some decent black and white cards.  I ended up going Esper because green and red didn’t bring anything to the party.  Looking at my deck, I felt it could deal with aggro, handle control, and play an amazing midrange game.

In game 2, I was doing well with the UB lifelink guy and removal until turn 5.  On turn 5 he dropped a Sword of Light and Shadow.  Since I had no blue removal, artifact hate, or real blue creatures, it was pretty harsh.  I played it out for a while, but eventually I just lost because I couldn’t attack, block, or remove the sword or what it was attached to.  Everything I would kill would eventually come back and he kept gaining life in the process.

I then got some cards signed for a friend by Mark Poole, Noah Bradley, Chris Rahn, and Steve Argyle.  As usual, all of the artists are super nice and friendly.  I even picked up so tokens from RK Post

While at Steve Argyle’s booth, I got some alters done for myself or actually got my time slot reserved a couple hours later.  It was fun to talk with Kat and Steve.  I truly believe that Steve has such long lines because of the enjoyable experience as well as the art.  I also got to meet Minion 430 while I was there.

What are the alters you ask?  Well, I let my kids pick the cards and what was to be altered.  One child picked Chosen of Markov and wanted her wearing a Banana Suit.  The other child wanted Angelic Arbiter as Ho-oh from Pokemon.

Kat streamed the alter process on Facebook so check them out if you have time.

The children also got their own minion IDs and are now Minion 491 2.0 (Pineapple) and 491 3.0 (Sperm Whale).

I’ll report more on Saturday.

@ascendedminionpress

@ascendedminionproject

Cool!  I was watching part of the live stream for these alters yesterday!  Watch Steve not once… but twice… keep his cool while his over-excited yellow paint marker does its thing… that other thing that isn’t “apply paint as intended.”

First report is in from GP Milwaukee in lightning speed!

Just a brief commercial interruption: I’m headed to GP Milwaukee this weekend, come by and visit for arting and shenanigans!

*Playmats and prints make great presents!*

Any Minions planning to attend?

I am here.  I will try filing daily reports.

Oh goodie!  Field Reports!

GP Milwaukee Preorders open!

…Which I really should’ve done like two weeks ago.  

Surprisingly these are still open…you better hurry!

Lucca Comics and Games Report

Welcome everybody! This is my little report fom the Lucca C&G 2016! We spent 3 days at this awesome convention!

The first day, dressed as Gisa and Geralf, we brought some candies to Steve and Kat and the Team Argyle (Sugar rush and sugar crush, someone says XD).

And this year, the booth was larger! and awesome! When we arrived Steve was bending to work, and Kat was taking care of customers! The turnout was good in those days, but the tiredness was real (especially on the last day)… But they had time for us to have a chat, hugs and kisses.. I can not thank them (Steve, Kat Lucy and Francesco) enough.. I think I thanked them a thousand times, sometimes I could not talk even though I prepared speeches (but Lucy came to my rescue) .. But it was spectacular!

Year after year  my feeling is still the same: love and happiness. They always have a lot of patience with me and my overwhelming presence (I seem completely insane).

Last day: We saw this beautiful piece of art! Steve has painted it in the performance area.. An amazing aquatic creature (maybe a Naga or a Merfolk).. The picture quality is not excellent, but I assure you it is spectacular!

After three days, sad and tired but full of love and happiness we come back to home.. 

Minion 173/22 and 173.5

It was wonderful to see you again!  Thank you so much for making the trip out, and for the fantastic company, and for the delicious sugary goodness!

The biggest reason we keep coming back to Lucca is for the people.  You, and so many others in the Italian and European community have made us feel incredibly welcome and appreciated.   Thank you again my Beloved Minions!

I

Lucca Comics and Games!

Soon I’ll make the official report (but tomorrow is the last day of this convention, I have time XD) But for now I post my beloved and awesome Liliana! I love her so much! And the new awesome signed cards! - ~173/22

That is an exemplary Liliana del Rokugan!

A teaser from Lucca 2016!