In an interview with MeinMMO, content creator and professional player Thoralf “Toffel” Severin talks about his experiences and successes with the popular card game Magic.
Who is Thoralf “Toffel” Severin? Thoralf “Toffel” Severin is a well-known professional player and content creator in the Magic community. He is known not only for his friendly smile but also for his successes in the game. In 2019, he won the Mythic Championship in Barcelona.
In an interview, MeinMMO editor-in-chief Leya Jankowski had the opportunity to talk with him about his journey and experiences in the Magic scene.
From the Beginnings to Career Highlights
How did you first come into contact with Magic: The Gathering, and what motivated you to play at a professional level?
Toffel: I first encountered Magic when I was 13. Classmates had the cards at school and played on the playground, in the cafeteria—just everywhere. There was inter-class play, which really impressed me at the time. The younger kids played with the older ones. That didn’t happen otherwise. At some point, many people stopped playing, but I wanted to continue.
So I looked for a store in Berlin that regularly hosted tournaments. That was “Der andere Spieleladen,” which still exists today. The internet wasn’t so widespread back then, so people actually came together to play and trade. There weren’t many places to play Magic.
I started playing smaller tournaments and worked my way up to larger events. It was extremely exciting for me to play to win, to actually win the tournaments, and even take home the prize money from the big tournaments.
What do you consider your greatest success in your Magic career, and why?
Toffel: That’s simple: I won the Mythic Championship 2019 in Barcelona. In the scene, that’s something I’m known for. But I also consider my work as a content creator to be a great success. Our content and creative output on the YouTube channel reach many people in the Magic world. I feel like Magic is probably the biggest niche in the world. It’s quite possible that I’m better known for my work in the community and on YouTube than for my achievements in tournaments.
With Preparation and the Right Strategy to Success
Can you give us insight into your training routine? How do you prepare for international tournaments?
Toffel: I’ve always prepared intensively for tournaments. On relaxed days, I played eight hours, on average days I played twelve, and just before tournaments, sometimes 16 hours. Before the online era, we would meet at tournament venues, rent an apartment, and test all decks and cards there.
The preparation started two weeks before the tournament and was characterized by massive thinking work and the constant question of whether one has done enough. If a tournament took place in San Francisco, for example, we would be there at least a week earlier and stayed in an Airbnb. Nowadays, there are slightly fewer tournaments, but in the league we played in back then, there was an event almost every two weeks. That time was very intense.
Are there specific strategies or game philosophies that you follow? How do you develop your decks?
Toffel: Playing the best deck is crucial, but “the best” is often subjective. You will never be successful with a deck that might be very strong on paper but with which you can’t perform well. There are people who like to play aggressive decks, and then there are those who prefer control decks or a mix of both. Finding the right strategy takes a lot of time but also knowledge. Knowledge about the cards and mechanics. Ignorance and time are the biggest limiting factors.
I must admit, I was never particularly good at actually building the decks in the end. My discipline lay more in devising strategies for the games. However, I preferred to play with control or combo decks. With control decks, you can stretch the game better, and you have more decisions available to you in the long run than with aggressive decks. As a team, we complemented each other well in deck building and gaming strategies.
12-Hour Matches and an Ever-Increasingly Complex Game
What challenges do you face as a professional player, especially on an international level, and how do you deal with them?
Toffel: Magic is a game with high variance, much more so than other card games, and there are always factors that you cannot control. You don’t know for sure how your opponent will react. I often lost well-going matches because I suddenly didn’t draw good cards anymore, or my opponent suddenly had a streak of luck.
The psychological component, dealing with defeats, maintaining concentration over long tournament days, and teamwork are crucial. In international tournaments, there are often games lasting up to twelve hours. You have to be mentally strong to endure that.
The challenges are diverse and also encompass logistical and financial aspects. At a certain point, you need sponsors or the necessary cash to keep up with the others. The travel to events and accommodations for the team also need to be organized. All of this costs a lot of time and money.
Over the years, Magic has gained more and more mechanics that make the rules difficult to grasp, especially for newcomers. How do you handle this as a professional?
Toffel: Magic is becoming increasingly complex; new cards are constantly being added. As a professional, I have the advantage of drawing on a wealth of experience. The experience with older cards and mechanics helps enormously, especially in complex game situations or when building decks. There are certainly many people who don’t know most of the cards I play or have never encountered them.
When I started with Magic in 2000, the game had already been on the market for seven years. Young people, in particular, often have a better understanding and learn faster. I’ve seen that a lack of experience in Magic can definitely be compensated for.
To find out how cards work together or which cards suit you, there is really only one sensible way for all age groups: play as much Magic as possible.
How important is the Magic community to you and the exchange with other players?
Toffel: The community is extremely important. My goal has always been for players to feel welcome and have fun playing. Over the years, I’ve created a lot of content and noticed how much people appreciate it. We show Magic as it is meant to be played—in all its facets and with the opportunity to discover and enjoy the game personally.
Of course, major Magic tournaments are played with highly developed decks and according to fixed rules. But that is just one part of Magic for me. My interest has always been to show people out there how Magic is still played. Namely, with perhaps not-so-perfect decks and house rules.
The most important thing is that we engage the community by showing how much fun we have with Magic.
“What matters is that everyone finds their own path in the game”
How do you see the future of Magic: The Gathering, both as a game and as a sport? What changes or developments do you hope for?
Toffel: Magic is currently extremely successful, and I believe that this won’t change anytime soon. It’s important that everyone finds their own way in the game, without feeling like they have to understand everything. Ultimately, I hope that there will always be Magic and that I can continue to play in tournaments.
What advice would you give to someone just starting with Magic: The Gathering who may want to play at a professional level sometime?
Toffel: If someone were to ask me who is just starting with Magic, I would probably first say: think carefully about whether you want to do this. Playing Magic at a high level is challenging and demanding.
Apart from that: use the resources available, build a network, and learn from others. There’s always something to learn in Magic. And never forget: if you really want to play Magic at this high level, don’t be discouraged by setbacks.
Besides Magic, what other interests or hobbies do you have? How do you find balance to the demands of professional play?
Toffel: I love all kinds of games, especially competitive ones. That’s probably not surprising. I also do a lot of sports. It’s particularly important to me to balance my time at the computer with enough offline time.
Music in various forms is also one of my hobbies. Music helps me especially to unwind after a day full of mental work. Especially during tournament phases, that’s really valuable.
Anyone who has dealt with such games a little knows that some cards are particularly valuable. One Magic card changed hands for a lot of money: Someone paid $3 million for a card in Magic: The Gathering – only allowed for one game mode
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