Timmy/Tammy
A Timmy/Tammy is characterized by their tendency to use big creatures and cast big spells. Large, exciting plays motivate them. Timmies are most associated with playing for fun, and all kinds of huge creatures, fantastic spells, and mythical enchantments. They are the most social archetype, enjoying the interaction that Magic provides. A stereotypical Timmy/Tammy is usually a younger player with a simple (yet fun for them) deck. They do not care whether they win or lose, but want to have fun playing really big effects.
Mark Rosewater wrote of Timmy:
“ Timmy wants to experience something. Timmy plays Magic because he enjoys the feeling he gets when he plays. What that feeling is will vary from Timmy to Timmy, but what all Timmies have in common is that they enjoy the visceral experience of playing. ”
The 'Timmy/Tammy' profile was represented in the Unglued card Timmy, Power Gamer.
Some subgroups of Timmies are:
- Power Gamers love playing big creatures and big spells as they smash their way to victory. They equate power with fun.
- Social Gamers thrive on the social aspect of the game. Their only interest is interacting with their friends. Thus, they tend towards multiplayer variants.
- Diversity Gamers experience all the different deck types and formats. They always try something different because they enjoy constant exploration.
- Adrenaline Gamers enjoy the variance in the game, playing cards and decks that don't have a predictable outcome. They love cards that work differently each time you play them like coin flip cards.
- Griefers enjoy making other players to not have fun.
Timmies see Johnnies as too focused on certain combos and Spikes too bent on winning.
Johnny/Jenny
A Johnny/Jenny is characterized by their tendency to build complex and creative decks. Johnny/Jenny is most commonly known as a 'combo player', and they sometimes choose for elaborate but inefficient win conditions. They like to find interesting combinations of cards that can win the game or give them an advantage. Johnny may be a player who seeks niche cards, or cards widely reputed as bad, and tries to "break" them, exploiting them in ways to give abnormal power and win the game. Johnnies are happiest when their decks work and they win their way; for them, one in many leaves them happy, if that win is on their own terms.
Mark Rosewater wrote of Johnny:
“ Johnny is the creative gamer to whom Magic is a form of self-expression. Johnny likes to win, but he wants to win with style. It’s very important to Johnny that he win on his own terms. As such, it's important to Johnny that he's using his own deck. Playing Magic is an opportunity for Johnny to show off his creativity. ”
The 'Johnny/Jenny' profile was represented in the Unhinged card Johnny, Combo Player.
Some subgroups of Johnnies are:
- Combo Players are fascinated by the interaction of the cards. They find combinations that no one else has. They want to build decks that will impress all who see them.
- Offbeat Designers are driven by ideas. They are proving their ability to find answers for any challenge. What if the deck only had lands? What if the deck never played permanents?
- Deck Artists use deck building as a form of self-expressive art. They build decks that do things like embody the elf culture, for example.
- Uber Johnny thrives on doing the undoable. He proves that what conventional wisdom says can't be done, can be done. To him, no card is too bad to find a use for like One with Nothing.
Johnnies see Timmies as simplistic and Spikes as uptight and unoriginal.
Spike
A Spike (of any gender) is characterized by their competitive nature and they play primarily to prove how good they are. Spike will find the best deck in the format, even if it requires copying another innovator's work (see netdecking). Spike's cards are effective, designed to secure a fast and effective victory over opponents. If Spike plays several games and loses only one, but feels they should have won it, they may be malcontent
Mark Rosewater wrote of Spike:
“ Spike is the competitive player. Spike plays to win. Spike enjoys winning. To accomplish this, Spike will play whatever the best deck is. Spike will copy decks off the Internet. Spike will borrow other players' decks. To Spike, the thrill of Magic is the adrenaline rush of competition. Spike enjoys the stimulation of outplaying the opponent and the glory of victory. ”
The 'Spike' profile was represented in the Unstable card Spike, Tournament Grinder.
Some subgroups of Spikes are:
- Innovators pride themselves on their ability to judge new cards. Their goal is to find the next broken thing. Their dream is to spawn the next dominant deck.
- Tuners try to dominate by fine-tuning the known decks. Known as min/maxers in the role-playing side of gaming.
- Analysts plan on winning not by having the best deck in a vacuum, but by having the deck best suited for any particular environment. They are very focused on the sideboard.
- Nuts & Bolts focuses their energies in perfecting their own gameplay. They try to understand their own internal flaws and work to improve them. They tend to spend more of their time on Limited formats.
Spikes see Timmies as rookies and Johnnies as eccentric and annoying.
