Millennium Blades

I put Millennium Blades in front of people I have known since our competitive MtG days, so there was a small and entirely fair joke in the choice. It was lovely to return to it after a while and to see several sets from the rotation for the first time; like opening an old box and finding not memories, but new cards that already speak your language.

At its heart, it has the feel of a collectible card game: you look over the available sets, work out what belongs with what you have, and try to assemble something that can stand up beside everyone else's. Rotation keeps that work moving, rather than letting attention settle on one safe answer.

The interaction comes chiefly through the shared market and the knowledge that everyone else is hunting for their own pieces at the same time. This is not a game where you simply stare at your private tableau: you watch what the others take, rethink your plans, and, if the spirit of old competitive card games means something to you, smile a little more broadly.

At our table, four out of five liked it, as is apparently its tradition; the fifth never found its point and did not especially care for it. Fair enough for a game that first asks you to enjoy the ritual of building a collection. For those who do, Millennium Blades is quietly excellent.