So I want to address something that hasn’t left my mind for a while now. The Walking Dead Secret Lair has been out for four months now. Yet, despite this, there is little to no content of those cards online. Hardly any deck lists, next to no gameplay videos, the odd deck tech for Daryl or Negan here and there; why is this? After judging public reception, since October, there is still a strong social stigma surrounding these five cards. People are still hurt and holding feelings of betrayal and anger towards WOTC on how they released these cards. I hate this. I hate this because those players who were/are excited to play with those cards are being bullied into not playing them. As someone who has struggled with self-expression growing up, I am very against bullying and most of the comments I see towards players who want to play these cards is abhorrent and uncalled for. I want to address this stigma and say that it is okay for people to want to play with the TWD cards. They are doing nothing illegal within the game; yet they still face potential ostracization from their play groups because people have ruled 0’d them and banned them from their table.
I would like to address that nobody should ever feel bad about a deck that they have created and want to play. If the cards are legal then the deck is legal to play. Playgroups should not alienate players by telling them they don’t want to play against a card from a product they don’t like. You do not get to tell someone else how to have fun. The game is not about you or the majority. It is about each and every player getting to play with the cards that they enjoy and like. If someone decided that they don’t like Kadena, Slinking Sorceror and decided to rule 0 all cards from the C19 products, where is the difference? If someone if your playgroup didn’t like Angus Mackenzie is it okay for them to want to rule 0 all cards from Legends? Sounds silly doesn’t it. I believe it be very selfish when players decide to prevent players from playing TWD cards. I have seen a lot of horrible language used and bragging of how people prevented and even laughed at other players from playing their Glenn deck because they didn’t like the TWD product. These cards are not illegal, and people should not be made to feel bad for wanting to play the cards they want to play in a card game that they love to play. Drop the gatekeeping act.
Something else that springs to mind is how a lot of MTG influencers heavily voiced their opinions against the TWD cards. I believe that this celebrity voice has shrouded people’s perception of the TWD cards and so, they blindly accepted that it is a problem. Due to this, people like Tolarian Community College, Pleasant Kenobi and The Commander’s Quarters, who have certainly expressed their disdain for the Secret Lair, have basically given the go ahead for players to publicly shame players who like the TWD cards. It allows their audience to unanimously view these cards in a negative form. It is okay if you do not like the TWD cards. But it is not okay to stop people from playing them. If someone on your table pulls out a Daryl deck, do not try to tell them they cannot play that deck or try to lecture them on what you think of the cards. Accept that it another enemy at the table like the other two deck you’ll be facing and enjoy the experience.
People are taking the wind out of people’s enjoyment before they had a change to express their excitement for their TWD decks. You do not get to dictate someone’s fun. MTG is a game for everyone and people need to drop the gatekeeping act concerning the TWD cards. Content creators shouldn’t have to defend themselves for wanting to play or make content concerning any of the cards from The Walking Dead Secret Lair either. Also, as someone who is a fan of The Walking Dead and Magic: The Gathering, I shouldn’t have to justify wanting to play with cards that I like. These are cards that I have bought and want to play with. Like I said before, no one should dictate how someone should enjoy and play the game. Stop making people feel bad for wanting to play the game how they want to.
What do people think. Are you sick of receiving hate for playing cards you bought and enjoy to brew around? Why do you want to stop people from playing those cards? What do you gain from it? Am I seeing something that you guys are? Let me know in the comments below!
You can also catch me at my Instagram if you wish to talk to me in real time about the TWD Secret Lair - gathering_the_magic97