Making magic

The Calciderm.

The Isochron Scepter.

The Fungal Behemoth.

To an outsider, the complex rules and character names of Magic: The Gathering might seem like an unintelligible mess. But to Davin Frankosky and his Magic-playing friends, they are a second language.

Crowded around a table hidden away in Talley Student Center, Frankosky, a sophomore in physics, sits with his fellow members of the Collegiate Association of Table Top Gamers. Gamers eagerly sift through dozens of stacks of Magic cards all neatly placed in color-coordinated, laminated covers. In between matches, players casually talk about the merits of strategies and particular cards with the same expert knowledge one would expect an avid sports fan to discuss the NCAA tournament.

"Mono black," says one player, referring to a particular type of Magic card deck.

"Like mono black control?" asks another.

"Yeah, but with mono, you lose to a Stupor," quips a third. The room boils over with laughter. Everyone knows mono black control loses to a Stupor.

Several times a week, Frankosky can be found playing Magic, often with other members of the CATTG. But unlike many gamers whose pastimes yield little in the way of rewards, Frankosky's affinity for Magic has landed him a trip to Japan.

Frankosky won first place in a qualifying tournament in High Point, N.C., Feb. 17. Professional tournament qualifiers, or PTQs, are regional Magic competitions often drawing between 125 and 175 players. Each player pays an entry fee and the winner receives a ticket to play in the next professional tournament.

April 20 to 22, Frankosky will compete in Yokohama, Japan, for a first-place prize of $40,000. Many of the people Frankosky will play against enjoy near-legend status in the Magic community.

"These are the best 300 or so players in the world … you read about these guys," Frankosky said.

Frankosky admitted that winning a professional tour qualifier is a prestigious accomplishment.

"It's a pretty big thing," he said, "but winning the professional tour is the pinnacle of the game."

Despite Frankosky's personal success, he said the students of the CATTG have helped his game.

"I try not to get a big head. [The Collegiate Table Top Gamers] are one tight-knit group," Frankosky said.

He improves and keeps his game sharp by constantly competing against his fellow gamers, many of whom compete in the same tournaments.

Frankosky regularly trains with several of the CATTG members, including his roommate John Warren, a sophomore in nuclear engineering.

Warren said Frankosky's style of play as a "control player" means he uses few higher-powered cards to keep the pace of the match slow and steady.

Frankosky laughed at the notion of explaining Magic: The Gathering in simple terms. He looked to his fellow players for help.

"It's like a really, really advanced game of chess, except all your pieces do more than just move," Frankosky said. "Players attack each others' with creatures and cast spells, all done with a deck of cards constructed from a set."

In tournament-style play, two players face off, each with a carefully handpicked deck of cards, according to Frankosky. Players work to strengthen their decks of cards for long periods of time, often years -- buying, trading, swapping in, swapping out, constantly reorganizing the make-up of their decks.

"It's a huge, long, grinding process," Frankosky said.

He said he had been working on the deck he used to win in High Point since December 2005.

Ryan Gerleve, junior in computer science, said Frankosky's analytical skills contributed to his success.

"He can analyze the game position very well," Gerleve said. "He sees plays before I do, plays that others might not see."

Warren said he was proud of Frankosky for earning the opportunity to compete in Japan. Although Frankosky won, several members of the CATTG finished just behind him.

"He's not as good as he looks; he got lucky," Warren joked within earshot of Frankosky.

In the mean time, Frankosky continues to prepare for his chance to play among the best in the world.

"If I do really well, that will qualify me for the next one. But who knows how it will go," Frankosky said. "If this goes good enough, it is definitely a career option -- but I don't want to jinx myself."