{{Short description|American ''Magic: The Gathering'' player}} {{Use mdy dates|date=April 2020}} {{Infobox person | name = Dana Fischer | nickname = | image = Dana Fischer at GP Los Angeles 2019.jpg | caption = Fischer at Grand Prix Los Angeles 2019 | alt = Head and shoulders of Fischer, an eight-year old girl with reddish blonde hair in a black baseball cap and green costume | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|2010|7|23|df=y}} | birth_place = California, U.S. | years_active = 2014–present | death_date = | death_place = | known_for = Youngest competitive ''Magic: The Gathering'' player }}
'''Dana Fischer''' is an American ''Magic: The Gathering'' player. She is tied for the youngest to make the second day of a Grand Prix tournament (at age eight) and is the youngest to win cash at a Grand Prix (at age nine).
== Background and family life == Dana Fischer was born in July 2010, and lives with her mother, father, and older sister in Carmel Valley, San Diego.<ref name="Del Mar Times"/> Her father started teaching both daughters ''Magic'' when they were very young, before they could read the card text. They learned to play by memorizing the cards.<ref name="MtG2016">{{cite web |last1=Santo |first1=Hallie |title=Two Heads Are Better |url=https://magic.wizards.com/en/events/coverage/gpla16/two-heads-are-better-2016-05-22 |website=MAGIC: THE GATHERING |accessdate=February 19, 2020 |language=en |date=May 22, 2016}}</ref> This was similar to how players learn to play with cards in a foreign language. After they learned to read, the process went faster.<ref name="Mashable">{{cite web |last1=Rosenberg |first1=Adam |title=Dana Fischer is an amazing (and adorable) 6-year-old 'Magic' pro |url=https://mashable.com/2017/07/10/magic-gathering-dana-fischer-6-year-old/#vB7xFADswiOX |website=Mashable |accessdate=February 19, 2020 |language=en |date=July 10, 2017}} Also available as {{cite web |last1=Nuñez |first1=Cesar |title=Dana Fischer, la jugadora profesional de Magic con solo 6 años |url=https://www.gamerfocus.co/pop/dana-fischer-la-jugadora-profesional-magic-solo-6-anos/ |website=GamerFocus |accessdate=February 19, 2020 |language=es |date=July 12, 2017}}</ref> Her sister lost interest in ''Magic'' over the next few years, while Dana continued to play.<ref name="Del Mar Times"/>
right|thumb|Dana Fischer playing Magic with her father and sister in 2016
Other activities Dana likes include soccer, singing, hula hooping, and gymnastics.<ref name="Enter the Battlefield"/> She is currently a freshman at Canyon Crest Academy.
== Competitive ''Magic'' events == Dana Fischer's first ''Magic'' event outside her home was a Two-Headed Giant side event with her father at Grand Prix San Diego in August 2015, aged five; she still could not read all the cards, so Adam guided their play.<ref name="Del Mar Times"/><ref name="MtG2016"/>
She competed in her first Grand Prix on her own in Portland, Oregon, in August 2016, and attended three other Grand Prix events over the next year. She set herself a goal to win five out of nine matches, which she achieved in Las Vegas in June 2017, at the age of six. To do this she needed to play 20-plus games over a 12-hour period with only minor breaks, and do better than 55 percent of the over 3,000 mostly adult players competing.<ref name="Del Mar Times">{{cite news |last1=Billing |first1=Karen |title=Young Magic the Gathering player casts a spell |url=https://www.delmartimes.net/news/sd-cm-nc-magic-dana-20170718-htmlstory.html |accessdate=February 22, 2020 |work=Del Mar Times |date=July 18, 2017}}</ref> She had to miss the last two days of school to attend the Vegas tournament, but neither she nor her parents objected. ''Magic'' is very educational, the Fischers said, helping her with math, reading, strategic, and social skills ahead of her school grade,<ref name="Mashable"/> though Fischer said she regretted staying up until 2:30 am afterwards.<ref name="Del Mar Times"/>
Fischer's next goal was to become the youngest player to make the second day of a Grand Prix tournament, which would have required six match wins.<ref name="Mashable"/><ref name="60SecDocs">{{cite web |title=Magic: The Gathering {{!}} 7-Year-Old Dana Fischer |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-6EDoCp6dQ |publisher=60 Second Docs |accessdate=February 19, 2020 |date=September 20, 2017}}</ref>
[[File:Marshall Sutcliffe and Dana Fischer "Magic" commentating at GP Portland.jpg|left|thumb|Commentating at Grand Prix Portland 2017 with Marshall Sutcliffe.]] In 2017 Fischer became known in the competitive Magic community. Some of her matches would be "featured", when her game play would be recorded on video and streamed live and/or played after the tournament, and she would be often invited to the color commentator booth to discuss the matches live.<ref name="Enter the Battlefield"/><ref name="GP Minneapolis">{{cite web |last1=Santo |first1=Hallie |title=GP Minneapolis Day 1 Highlights |url=https://magic.wizards.com/en/events/coverage/gpmin17/gp-minneapolis-day-1-highlights-2017-08-05 |website=MAGIC: THE GATHERING |language=en |date=August 6, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Wolff |first1=Meghan |title=GP Portland Top Moments |url=https://magic.wizards.com/en/events/coverage/gppor17/gp-portland-top-moments-2017-11-19 |website=MAGIC: THE GATHERING |accessdate=February 21, 2020 |language=en |date=November 20, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Grand Prix Vegas 2017 Modern Round 1 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6y9lO9THIY |website= |publisher=Wizards of the Coast |accessdate=1 May 2020 |date=Jun 21, 2017}} Video of Fischer at play: Dana Fischer (Elves) vs. Philip Cox (Burn).</ref> She got a sponsorship from ChannelFireball, a popular ''Magic'' retailer, and tournament organizer, and a documentary video made about her by 60 Second Docs.<ref name="KPBS">{{cite news |last1=Lipkin |first1=Michael |title=Seven-Year-Old San Diego Girl Vies For Gaming Glory |url=https://www.kpbs.org/news/2017/dec/29/seven-year-old-san-diegan-vies-gaming-glory/ |accessdate=February 19, 2020 |work=KPBS Public Media |date=December 29, 2017 |language=en}}</ref><ref name="60SecDocs"/> In 2018, Wizards of the Coast, the makers of ''Magic: The Gathering'', made a longer video about her.<ref name="Union Tribune"/><ref name="Enter the Battlefield">{{cite web |author1=Wizards of the Coast |title=Enter the Battlefield: Dana |website=YouTube |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUD66fsx9wc |accessdate=February 19, 2020 |date=June 6, 2018|author1-link=Wizards of the Coast }}</ref>
In February 2018, Fischer went to her first tournament outside the United States, in Lyon, France.<ref name="GP Lyon"/> Originally competing in another country would have been a celebration for making day 2 at a United States Grand Prix, but it became a family trip instead.<ref name="Del Mar Times"/><ref name="GP Lyon"/> She says she was not bothered by non-English language cards, since she could recognize them by picture, the way she learned to play before learning to read.<ref name="GP Lyon">{{cite web |last1=Karsten |first1=Frank |authorlink1=Frank Karsten (Magic: The Gathering player) |title=Day 1 Highlights of Grand Prix Lyon 2018 |url=https://magic.wizards.com/en/events/coverage/gplyo18/gplyo18-day-1-highlights-2018-02-17 |website=MAGIC: THE GATHERING |accessdate=February 22, 2020 |language=en |date=February 17, 2018}}</ref>
right|thumb|Playing at 2019 GP Los Angeles In March 2019, aged eight, Fischer achieved her goal of becoming the youngest player to reach Day 2 at a Grand Prix, in Los Angeles.<ref name="GIGA">{{cite news |last1=Gehlsdorf |first1=Alexander |title=Diese 7-Jährige macht schon jetzt Profis auf Turnieren platt |url=https://www.giga.de/spiele/magic-the-gathering-arena/specials/magic-the-gathering-mit-sieben-jahren-ist-diese-spielerin-besser-als-du-es-je-sein-wirst/ |accessdate=February 19, 2020 |work=GIGA Television |date=March 4, 2019 |language=de}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Zevely |first1=Jeff |title=Magic: The Gathering's 8-year-old card shark |url=https://www.cbs8.com/article/news/local/zevely-zone/magic-the-gatherings-8-year-old-card-shark/509-d39d5833-0cf3-4465-8b4f-d2a5462ea8ae |accessdate=February 19, 2020 |work=KFMB-TV |date=April 2, 2019}}</ref>{{refn|group="Notes"|While sources reported she was the youngest, later research showed that Kurt Porter, also age 8, had advanced to day 2 in Grand Prix Kuala Lumpur in 2010.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Walkinshaw |first1=Ray |title=GRAND PRIX–KUALA LUMPUR: DAY 1 ARCHIVES |url=https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/event-coverage/grand-prix%E2%80%93kuala-lumpur-day-1-archives-2010-03-13#11 |website=MAGIC: THE GATHERING |accessdate=February 25, 2020 |language=en |date=March 13, 2010}}</ref> Wizards of the Coast considers them tied for youngest.<ref>{{cite web |last1=David-Marshall |first1=Brian |authorlink1=Brian David-Marshall |title=The #MTGGOAT: Finkel vs. PVDDR vs. Budde |url=https://magic.gg/news/the-mtggoat-finkel-vs-pvddr-vs-budde |website=MAGIC: THE GATHERING {{!}} ESPORT |publisher=Wizards of the Coast |access-date=29 October 2025 |language=en |date=February 6, 2020}}</ref>}} She won six of eight matches, and advanced to the second day among the top 15-20% of about 1,570 mostly adult players.<ref name="Union Tribune">{{cite news |last1=Bell |first1=Diane |title=Column: An 8-year-old San Diego girl beats the odds with her Magic touch |url=https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/columnists/diane-bell/sd-me-bell-20190316-story.html |accessdate=February 19, 2020 |work=San Diego Union-Tribune |date=March 15, 2019}}</ref> She said her next tournament goals would be to win a number of matches equal to her age, and to bring home a cash prize.<ref name="Union Tribune"/>
Fischer achieved both of these goals at Grand Prix Austin in January 2020. She finished in 46th place out of 801 players, with a 10-4-1 win-loss-draw record, and earned $300.<ref>{{cite web |title=Grand Prix Austin 2020 Final Standings |url=https://magic.gg/news/grand-prix-austin-2020-final-standings |website=MAGIC: THE GATHERING {{!}} ESPORT |accessdate=February 27, 2020 |language=en |date=January 13, 2020}}</ref> Fischer was nine years old, making her the youngest to win cash at a ''Magic'' Grand Prix.<ref> *{{cite web |last1=David-Marshall |first1=Brian |authorlink1=Brian David-Marshall |title=The #MTGGOAT: Finkel vs. PVDDR vs. Budde |url=https://magic.gg/news/the-mtggoat-finkel-vs-pvddr-vs-budde |website=MAGIC: THE GATHERING {{!}} ESPORT |accessdate=February 28, 2020 |language=en |date=February 6, 2020}} *{{cite news |last1=Horne |first1=Austin |title=Magic Phenom: Dana Fischer Becomes Youngest Player to Win Cash |url=https://carolinianuncg.com/2020/02/28/magic-phenom-dana-fischer-becomes-youngest-player-to-win-cash/ |accessdate=March 6, 2020 |work=THE CAROLINIAN |publisher=University of North Carolina at Greensboro |date=February 28, 2020 |language=en}}</ref> She was at 13th place at the end of the first day with an 8–1 record.<ref name="Epicstream">{{cite web |last1=Vyper|first1=Jake|title=9-Year-Old Dana Fischer Becomes The Youngest Magic: The Gathering Player to Win Cash at Grand Prix |url=http://epicstream.com/news/JakeVyper/9-Year-Old-Dana-Fischer-Becomes-The-Youngest-Magic-The-Gathering-Player-to-Win-Cash-at-Grand-Prix |website=epicstream.com |accessdate=February 25, 2020|date=February 19, 2020}}</ref> After the match, she tweeted "now have more GP Day 2s than my dad."<ref name="Epicstream"/> In her tournament report for ChannelFireball, she wrote that she was especially glad to win cash because she could buy something to share with her sister, who does not play much ''Magic'', making her win something that could benefit the rest of the family as well.<ref name="Epicstream"/>
Her continuing goal is to get more kids and women to play ''Magic'', to show that, as she says, "young people can do amazing and hard things".<ref name="New Yorker">{{cite magazine |last1=Jahromi |first1=Neima |title=The Twenty-Five-Year Journey of Magic: The Gathering |url=https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/the-twenty-five-year-journey-of-magic-the-gathering |accessdate=February 19, 2020 |magazine=The New Yorker |date=August 28, 2018 |language=en}}</ref><ref name="Enter the Battlefield"/><ref name="60SecDocs"/>
== Play style == left|thumb|upright=0.9|Adam and Dana Fischer at Grand Prix Los Angeles in 2019. Initially Fischer played her competitive matches with her father sitting beside her, but not offering her any advice or help, other than helping hold her hand of cards and shuffle her deck (40–100 cards depending on format), because her hands were too small to do it herself.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Van Allen |first1=Eric |title=7-Year-Old Magic Prodigy Can't Shuffle Cards Yet But Can Kick Adults' Butts |url=https://compete.kotaku.com/7-year-old-magic-prodigy-cant-shuffle-cards-yet-but-can-1820619884 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171121161322/https://compete.kotaku.com/7-year-old-magic-prodigy-cant-shuffle-cards-yet-but-can-1820619884 |url-status=dead |archive-date=November 21, 2017 |website=Kotaku|accessdate=February 19, 2020 |language=en-us |date=November 21, 2017}}</ref> He takes notes on the match, and advises her on what she did well and could have done better.<ref name="Enter the Battlefield"/>
[[File:Dana Fischer with Mark Rosewater.jpg|right|thumb|upright|Fischer in full Nissa costume with ''Magic'' head designer Mark Rosewater at 2017 Comic-Con]] Since the 2017 San Diego Comic-Con,<ref name="Del Mar Times"/> she has attended matches in cosplay as the Elf planeswalker Nissa Revane – though she replaced the original costume's black wig and pointed ears with a ChannelFireball baseball cap that she places pins on and wears backwards or sideways.<ref name="GP Minneapolis"/>
As she grew up, Fischer continued to play, but stopped needing her father to hold her cards for her, allowing Adam to play separately. They do, however, often play the same deck to help each other prepare. In August 2025, they each reached day two in the Orlando, Florida Spotlight Series event.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Hosler |first1=Corbin |title=Roy's Red Deck Cancels Cauldron's Weekend |url=https://www.magic.gg/news/roys-red-deck-cancels-cauldrons-weekend |website=MAGIC: THE GATHERING {{!}} ESPORT |publisher=Wizards of the Coast |access-date=29 October 2025 |language=en |date=August 31, 2025}}</ref>
== Writing == Fischer has written several articles about her game for ChannelFireball's ''Magic: The Gathering'' strategy website. Her father helped edit.<ref name="Making Day 2">{{cite web |last1=Fischer |first1=Dana |title=Making Day 2 at Age 8: Tournament Report for Grand Prix Los Angeles |url=https://www.channelfireball.com/articles/making-day-2-at-age-8-tournament-report-for-grand-prix-los-angeles |website=ChannelFireball - Magic: The Gathering Strategy, Singles, Cards, Decks |accessdate=February 23, 2020 |date=March 27, 2019|quote="My dad Adam, for always helping me, teaching me, and going with me to events. Also for helping me edit this article."}}</ref>
== Notes == {{reflist|group=Notes}}
== References == {{reflist}}
== External links == {{commons category|Dana Fischer}} * {{Twitter|DanaFischerMTG|Dana Fischer the Magic Planeswalker}} * {{Instagram|danafischermtg|Dana Fischer}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fischer, Dana}} Category:2010 births Category:Living people Category:American Magic: The Gathering players Category:Sportspeople from San Diego Category:21st-century American sportswomen