One of the brilliant aspects of Magic that not enough people talk about is its social side. I remember attending a memorial tournament for a local player who had touched the hearts of our entire community. It was a wonderful event, and at the end, a few players invited me to hang out and get burgers. Going into that event I was horribly depressed and was struggling to find a reason to live, but these friends…this community…found me, and rescued me. That one simple act of kindness ended up saving my life and ultimately helped me become a person I could be proud of.
Soon after, I ran for event coordinator of my university’s Magic Club and served as a club officer for three years. At one point, I even sold my plasma to fund prize support. So believe me when I say there is nothing I wouldn’t do for my community.
I have been playing Magic for 10 years, but now more than ever, it’s not just the competitive side that drives me—it’s the people you meet along the way. You could say I’m here for the “gathering” part of Magic.
One of the social aspects I enjoy most is being my authentic, silly self in every situation, which often includes a lot of jokes and memes. This led to me becoming known as “The HONSE Man.” One day, I was at home and came across a funny image of a distorted horse called HONSE. I thought it was hilarious, so I had it printed as a playmat for myself and my roommate. A couple of weeks later, I won a 5k tournament, and although no one knew me as a person, they remembered the mat. Round after round, friends told each other they had faced me and “got HONSE’d.” From there, I fully committed to the bit, with apparel and all sorts of game objects featuring HONSE, and it became something I was well known for. Some people know me as Nick Roller, but many know me as “The HONSE Man.”
While I love goofing around, my resume is no laughing matter. I have won an SCG 5k and a Mavericks 5k, made the top 4 at Grand Prix Indianapolis (team Modern), played at what I call “Pro Tour Oko” (Mythic Championship VI), and have many other top 16 and top 32 finishes in large events.
Magic saved my life, and now I’m driven to make my community proud. But above all, I’ve learned that while being a good player is important, being a better person is even more so. I plan to write many articles, and I’ll kick things off by tackling one of the biggest barriers to competitive Magic: social etiquette at big events.
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