Didn't see this posted anywhere else. If so, I apologize.
Long story short there will still be the large National Qualifiers with the 8 slots offered.
Then over the course of the following two weekend a select few stores (210 in total) will be able to run a one-slot National Qualifier in their local area.
Where does it list where the big, regional National Qualifiers will be? The only thing I've been able to find on the mothership is the 2010 stuff.
Not sure the locations have been posted just yet, but I'd expect to see more of ino in the next couple weeks.
I think this is a good twist on Nationals. More people get qualified to take a shot. If the results don't work out well, then sure, don't do it again.
Credit to WotC for trying something new and trying to spread the love around a little. It'll be a fun experiment.
Honestly, th ebetter players at Nationals should be happy. You will have more lower skill players (potentially) to face in the early rounds. It'll be interesting to see how things work out.
Ok, so now I can try to qualify 3 different times, since the regional qualifier is right by where I live, plus I'll probably have another local qualifier or two. Seems like I have a decent shot at going to Nationals again this year.
4 Cities? Well Apparently I cant qualify for Nats this year...and I went all 3 times I qualified. Manitoba has been getting screwed over the last few years in regards to official tournaments, we don't even get PTQ's anymore.
If we are lucky we will get 1 WPN tourney where only 1 person can go...wtf
Because it's the only major event that isn't about the money, it's about representing your country at Worlds...
Right because its the only tournament you have to t16 just to pay for your trip. Ignoring the absurd costs of decks or even attending regionals style tournaments.
Because it's the only major event that isn't about the money, it's about representing your country at Worlds...
To be fair, once you develop your skills, consistently winning at Magic has become so random in recent years that even PT level payout is too little an incentive for anyone aspiring to play professionally. Stick with Poker; at least there you get more than three random chances at winning a table.
Ok, so now I can try to qualify 3 different times, since the regional qualifier is right by where I live, plus I'll probably have another local qualifier or two. Seems like I have a decent shot at going to Nationals again this year.
Nationals isn't a tournament meant to be profitable. Nationals is meant to select the best 4 players in each country to represent that country in the World Championships.
It's not about money, it's about national pride. If they handed out no prizes at all, people would still go, that's for sure.
This is naive to say the least. The idea that the people who win the tournament are even close to consistently the best players in the room is completely false, and its blatantly obvious to anyone who has ever played in a event of this size, or even watched coverage for that matter.
Also its a lot easier to say this when you live in a country not the size of a entire continent. Try dropping 400+ bucks on a weekend trip where t8 barely breaks you even then talk to me about the money being irrelevant. I live in a state 8 times the size of your country, so yes the money does matter when you start considering the costs involved.
Not to detract from one of the few OP positive moves we have seen in the past year or so, it just seems like with the absurd numbers MTG is doing we could do a little better with organized play than "heres a lot more competition at the worst ev tournament in magic".
It's sad to admit because I grew up watching really consistent results from strong innovative players when the Internet wasn't around, but the above poster(s) are so correct about the randomization of this game in recent years.
The Internet has turned this game to one of such incremental advantages that it can't possibly realistically turn into a reliable career the way it could twelve years ago. Every week is a strategic arms race that relies on educated guesses, flimsy scouting information and last but certainly not least, a deck that actually shows up on game day.
ChannelFireball, SCG,etc. spend every waking hour for weeks leading up to events preparing and on any given tourny day, 1/4th or less of those squads are actually in the hunt to finish with a prize total that matches their trip cost (not including appearance fees,etc.) They make their living off their shops, their writing and a decent finish or two a year to pad it.
You see pros with nearly identical decklists with completely different records in tournaments every weekend. Being on the train grants the luxury of playing in more tournaments, and thus, being able to consistently have results based on continual attendance. It's the same sort of phenomenon capitalism as a whole has where its easy for the rich to get richer, but if you're not already rich, it's hard become so.
You don't realize it until you start really following the circuit and attending, but especially in Sealed events, you see so many famous pros getting rolled by nobodies with bomb pools. Even in Constructed tournaments, 3 byes makes all the difference and even then, they scrub out all the time.
In other words, Nats isn't that much more of a joke as far as money incentive than most other Magic endeavors. The Internet is here. Masses of players are here with smaller card pools. The cat is out of the bag. This game is funner and more interactive than its probably ever been and there is a lot of community in Magic right now. But to become a professional at the game takes a hell of a lot more than making all the right plays.
Technically, yes. But there will be 8 invites per regional tournament so the numbers are similar.
Instead of 2 invites from Alaska, and 2 from South Dakota, and 2 from Montana, there will probably be a North West Regional tournament in Portland or Seattle that hands out 8.
Any word on where Nationals is going to be this year? I really hope it isn't in the middle of nowhere like the last couple of years.
Just because the last three have been in the Midwest doesn't mean they have been in the middle of nowhere. I would hardly call Chicago the middle of nowhere. Look at the PT and GP love the east coast gets, then look at the # of PTs and GPs the midwest have gotten recently. We need some big tournaments here.
So crunching the numbers it looks like this actually decreases the number of spots awarded by qualifiers in canada by 3 whereas in the states it increases it significantly. It is somewhere in the neighbourhood of 70+ more spots for US i think. As a Canadian, I am ok with this as I will be qualified on rating anyway unless there is going to be a change to what qualifies you on rating as well.
Actually, more than being ok with it, I feel this is a very strong positive move for Canadians. I have generally been in a position where hitting regionals is a 7 hour drive one way. Now I'll probably only have to drive 3 hours to get a shot. Hell, next year my LGS will probably be one of the stores that gets to run one of these. Not that it's relevent to me this year, but I would have killed for it over the last 3 years.
"Crovax Connections" does sound like a friendly corner store run by your local Ascendant Lord
I bet we have a case of Jon Finkel sleeping with the girl, then never calling her again and she going bat #%^% crazy and writing this article case closed.
First PTQ top 8 6/13/09(1st) Second PTQ top 8 10/7/09(5th) Second at national Qualifier 5/15/10
Third PTQ top 8 2/12/11 (2nd)
Second at Alberta 2011's
Fourth PTQ top 8 3/17/12(8th)
GP Vancouver 2012 (18th)
So crunching the numbers it looks like this actually decreases the number of spots awarded by qualifiers in canada by 3 whereas in the states it increases it significantly. It is somewhere in the neighbourhood of 70+ more spots for US i think. As a Canadian, I am ok with this as I will be qualified on rating anyway unless there is going to be a change to what qualifies you on rating as well.
Actually, more than being ok with it, I feel this is a very strong positive move for Canadians. I have generally been in a position where hitting regionals is a 7 hour drive one way. Now I'll probably only have to drive 3 hours to get a shot. Hell, next year my LGS will probably be one of the stores that gets to run one of these. Not that it's relevent to me this year, but I would have killed for it over the last 3 years.
hate to burst your bubble but I'd be surprised if Kelowna gets more than 1 slot. I'm expecting Winnipeg to get 1-2 slots. 2 Years ago we got 8 slots, then down to 4 slots and they took away our PTQ's as well. Competitive mtg in Winnipeg might not exist in 2012
snubbed? at least you dont have to pay 700 plus a year just to go to nats....
Welcome to central Canada, plus we get the bonus of 15 hrs to the regional tournaments (assuming Calgary is even one of the 4 big ones, I wouldn't be shocked if it was Vancouver, Ottawa, Montreal and Toronto....)
Just because the last three have been in the Midwest doesn't mean they have been in the middle of nowhere. I would hardly call Chicago the middle of nowhere. Look at the PT and GP love the east coast gets, then look at the # of PTs and GPs the midwest have gotten recently. We need some big tournaments here.
Notice I said couple...Chicago was 3 years ago. Not saying Chicago is the middle of nowhere.
4 Cities? Well Apparently I cant qualify for Nats this year...and I went all 3 times I qualified. Manitoba has been getting screwed over the last few years in regards to official tournaments, we don't even get PTQ's anymore.
If we are lucky we will get 1 WPN tourney where only 1 person can go...wtf
I know what you mean =/
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You've got a rat in your walls, and cheese won't solve anything.
Long story short there will still be the large National Qualifiers with the 8 slots offered.
Then over the course of the following two weekend a select few stores (210 in total) will be able to run a one-slot National Qualifier in their local area.
Details can be found hre:
http://www.wizards.com/WPN/News/Article.aspx?x=NQT_Announcement
Yes i am the same guy who trades/sells on MOTL AND Wizards of the Coast and i trade on POJO.
Not sure the locations have been posted just yet, but I'd expect to see more of ino in the next couple weeks.
I think this is a good twist on Nationals. More people get qualified to take a shot. If the results don't work out well, then sure, don't do it again.
Credit to WotC for trying something new and trying to spread the love around a little. It'll be a fun experiment.
Honestly, th ebetter players at Nationals should be happy. You will have more lower skill players (potentially) to face in the early rounds. It'll be interesting to see how things work out.
Isn't 17 regionals a lot less than before?
My wife was on MTV with this video.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUutIZg2EpU
If we are lucky we will get 1 WPN tourney where only 1 person can go...wtf
Chimaera's 540 Card Depowered Cube
Right because its the only tournament you have to t16 just to pay for your trip. Ignoring the absurd costs of decks or even attending regionals style tournaments.
Yes i am the same guy who trades/sells on MOTL AND Wizards of the Coast and i trade on POJO.
To be fair, once you develop your skills, consistently winning at Magic has become so random in recent years that even PT level payout is too little an incentive for anyone aspiring to play professionally. Stick with Poker; at least there you get more than three random chances at winning a table.
Wait how do you know where it is?
I'd like to know where the locations are too.
This is naive to say the least. The idea that the people who win the tournament are even close to consistently the best players in the room is completely false, and its blatantly obvious to anyone who has ever played in a event of this size, or even watched coverage for that matter.
Also its a lot easier to say this when you live in a country not the size of a entire continent. Try dropping 400+ bucks on a weekend trip where t8 barely breaks you even then talk to me about the money being irrelevant. I live in a state 8 times the size of your country, so yes the money does matter when you start considering the costs involved.
Not to detract from one of the few OP positive moves we have seen in the past year or so, it just seems like with the absurd numbers MTG is doing we could do a little better with organized play than "heres a lot more competition at the worst ev tournament in magic".
Yes i am the same guy who trades/sells on MOTL AND Wizards of the Coast and i trade on POJO.
The Internet has turned this game to one of such incremental advantages that it can't possibly realistically turn into a reliable career the way it could twelve years ago. Every week is a strategic arms race that relies on educated guesses, flimsy scouting information and last but certainly not least, a deck that actually shows up on game day.
ChannelFireball, SCG,etc. spend every waking hour for weeks leading up to events preparing and on any given tourny day, 1/4th or less of those squads are actually in the hunt to finish with a prize total that matches their trip cost (not including appearance fees,etc.) They make their living off their shops, their writing and a decent finish or two a year to pad it.
You see pros with nearly identical decklists with completely different records in tournaments every weekend. Being on the train grants the luxury of playing in more tournaments, and thus, being able to consistently have results based on continual attendance. It's the same sort of phenomenon capitalism as a whole has where its easy for the rich to get richer, but if you're not already rich, it's hard become so.
You don't realize it until you start really following the circuit and attending, but especially in Sealed events, you see so many famous pros getting rolled by nobodies with bomb pools. Even in Constructed tournaments, 3 byes makes all the difference and even then, they scrub out all the time.
In other words, Nats isn't that much more of a joke as far as money incentive than most other Magic endeavors. The Internet is here. Masses of players are here with smaller card pools. The cat is out of the bag. This game is funner and more interactive than its probably ever been and there is a lot of community in Magic right now. But to become a professional at the game takes a hell of a lot more than making all the right plays.
Technically, yes. But there will be 8 invites per regional tournament so the numbers are similar.
Instead of 2 invites from Alaska, and 2 from South Dakota, and 2 from Montana, there will probably be a North West Regional tournament in Portland or Seattle that hands out 8.
Just because the last three have been in the Midwest doesn't mean they have been in the middle of nowhere. I would hardly call Chicago the middle of nowhere. Look at the PT and GP love the east coast gets, then look at the # of PTs and GPs the midwest have gotten recently. We need some big tournaments here.
Vancouver
Calgary
Toronto
Montreal
Eastern Canada to get snubbed like usual. Local...pft.
Actually, more than being ok with it, I feel this is a very strong positive move for Canadians. I have generally been in a position where hitting regionals is a 7 hour drive one way. Now I'll probably only have to drive 3 hours to get a shot. Hell, next year my LGS will probably be one of the stores that gets to run one of these. Not that it's relevent to me this year, but I would have killed for it over the last 3 years.
On a trade break. Getting ripped blows...
snubbed? at least you dont have to pay 700 plus a year just to go to nats....
First PTQ top 8 6/13/09(1st)
Second PTQ top 8 10/7/09(5th)
Second at national Qualifier 5/15/10
Third PTQ top 8 2/12/11 (2nd)
Second at Alberta 2011's
Fourth PTQ top 8 3/17/12(8th)
GP Vancouver 2012 (18th)
hate to burst your bubble but I'd be surprised if Kelowna gets more than 1 slot. I'm expecting Winnipeg to get 1-2 slots. 2 Years ago we got 8 slots, then down to 4 slots and they took away our PTQ's as well. Competitive mtg in Winnipeg might not exist in 2012
Welcome to central Canada, plus we get the bonus of 15 hrs to the regional tournaments (assuming Calgary is even one of the 4 big ones, I wouldn't be shocked if it was Vancouver, Ottawa, Montreal and Toronto....)
Notice I said couple...Chicago was 3 years ago. Not saying Chicago is the middle of nowhere.
I know what you mean =/