Marshall University's MTG Club organizes first-ever 'Thundering Herd TCG Expo'

By Matthew Young, RealWV

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – The Don Morris Room of Marshall University’s Student Center, on Saturday, played host to the school’s first “Thundering Herd TCG Expo,” a trading card show presented by the university’s Magic: the Gathering (MTG) Club. And with 14 of the area’s top vendors on-hand, and a rotating-roster of buyers, sellers, traders, and avid competitors in-and-out throughout the day, it is fair to say it will not be the last.

“We’ve been planning this event for about a month-and-a-half, or two months,” club-member Lucas Adkins, who helped plan the expo, told RealWV. “We were slow-rolling for the first little bit, though. We’ve been actively planning for about two weeks.”

***The first-ever “Thundering Herd TCG Expo,” at the Marshall University Student Center. September 27. Photo by Matthew Young, RealWV.***

“We’re hoping to learn from our mistakes this time,” Adkins continued. “When we do it the next time, it’ll be a better experience for everybody.”

Adkins, a Huntington-native, who is a senior at Marshall, said that pre-event advertising, and overall organization were the club’s biggest areas for improvement.

“In the future we’ll definitely be partnering with larger social organizations so that we can better advertise,” Adkins added. “But I’m not at all disappointed with the turnout we’ve had today so far.”

The MTG Club, which was formed in 2023, now consists of 26 members. And Adkins says that the hope is to present at least one expo each semester going forward.

For those unfamiliar with Magic: the Gathering, players compete as “dueling wizards,” with each playing card representing a particular spell to use against one’s opponent. Magic: the Gathering was the first playing-card game of this type created, and currently boasts more than 50 million active players worldwide.

“It’s very social,” club-member Zane Atkins explained, speaking about a four-player variation of the game. “It’s not as competitive when you’re not going against just one person. You get to talk, and you end up making friends.”

Although most club-members spoke of the overall positive atmosphere created by playing Magic: the Gathering, Social Media Manager Rynn Conrad warned of the occasional onset of “nerd rage.”

“I’m very drawn to artistic things,” Conrad told us. “I think one of my biggest attractions to Magic is collecting the cards, rather than playing. I love collecting the art of the characters.”

Marshall University’s MTG Club is open to both students and non-students, alike.