The Duelist(or simplyDuelistas it was renamed) was atrading card gamemagazine published byWizards of the Coast.
 The cover of issue 20 ofThe Duelist | |
| Categories | Trading card games |
|---|---|
| Frequency |
|
| First issue | Winter 1993/1994 |
| Final issue Number | September 1999 41 |
| Company | Wizards of the Coast |
| Country | United States |
| Based in | Renton, Washington |
| Language | English |
| ISSN | 1082-8621 |
History
editThe first full issue was distributed in Fall 1993 as a quarterlymagazine[1]to accompany the increasingly popularMagic: The Gatheringtrading card game.Prior the 1st issue, a special one-time Duelist Issue #0 was released and given away at Gen Con 1993. This issue was eight pages that included a couple of news articles and a deck construction guide.[2]: 76 It later became a monthly gaming magazine in March 1995 with simply a focus on thecollectible card gameand trading card game industry before publication ceased in September 1999. The magazine was based inRenton, Washington.[3]
As Magic grew, a companion newsletter (The Duelist Companion) was sent out toThe Duelistsubscribers in between magazine releases; eventually this was dropped in favor of bimonthly magazine circulation, and still later a monthly magazine.
The Duelistran for 41 issues (42 if Duelist #0 is counted). The magazine was replaced withTopdeck,which was canceled in February 2001 after 15 issues, partially due to cutting costs as a result ofHasbro'spurchase of Wizards of the Coast, but also due to competition from Internet resources. Wizards was already publishingThe Sideboard,which was dedicated solely to Magictournamentplay that eventually was reborn as an online publication, and inThe Duelist'swake, some of the content from the magazine merged withThe Sideboardto createmagicthegathering.com.
Contents
editWhat initially separatedThe Duelistfrom other card magazines of its time, such asInQuestorScrye,was its detailed pages. Each issue featured a key artist who created a unique cover (often based on an existing Magic card) and whose art was showcased inside the issue; however in later issues, these art features were discontinued.
In addition to its artwork, the magazine also included articles on various strategies, game design articles, fiction fromMagicstorylines, product checklists, rules questions,Magictournament coverage; evenMagicpuzzles were eventually introduced. Price-lists would be included as well.
Phil Foglioand his wifeKajaresurrected Phil's formerDragonstrip "What's New?", which ran for almost the entire life ofThe Duelist,and a deck-construction column calledExcuse Me, Mr. Suitcase?( "Mr. Suitcase" being a reference to the large collections of cards that some players would carry with them) was among the other regular features.Magic: The GatheringcreatorRichard Garfieldoften wrote the quizzical back column of the magazine.
The Duelistwas known to occasionally give out promotional cards from upcomingMagic: The Gatheringreleases. In addition to Magic, it also served as a way for Wizards to introduce players to other products it owned, including the moderately obscureVampire: The Eternal Struggleand the more popularLegend of the Five Rings.Other card games were profiled, such asStar Trek,Star Wars,and thePokémon Trading Card Game.Magicgradually lost the magazine's focus as it put more emphasis on up-and-coming card games; with Pokémon's immediateNorth Americansuccess,The Duelistwas converted into a dual-format publication, with general separate sections for Magic and Pokémon. By this time, it had already expanded to coveringvideo gamesand others.
Reception
editThe Duelistwon theOrigins AwardforBest Professional Gaming Magazine of 1994.[4]
References
edit- ^"The Duelist Inserts".Magic Rarities.RetrievedDecember 12,2015.
- ^Chalk, Titus (2017).Generation Decks: the unofficial history of gaming phenomenon Magic: The Gathering.Solaris Books.ISBN978-1-78618-067-4.
- ^Titus Chalk (December 6, 2013).So Do You Wear a Cape?: The unofficial story of Magic: The Gathering.epubli GmbH. p. 4.ISBN978-3-8442-6814-0.RetrievedDecember 12,2015.
- ^"Origins Award Winners (1994)".Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts & Design. Archived fromthe originalon 2007-08-30.Retrieved2007-09-18.