New obsessions
Music has always been the biggest thing going on for me and I thought it always would be, having dedicated half of my life to my band; The Gifted. I'm confident that it will still remain a big thing for me but after several years of unfulfilling gigging and a stress filled album project I've had to step away from it until I find the love for it again. Something I will have to allow to come naturally and not try to force it. I still love music and not a day goes by when I don't listen to at least one or two albums, and I still go over ideas in my head for songs and projects. I just need to wait for that spark of creativity to hit that gives the enthusiasm and drive to throw myself into another project.
So until that day comes I've found that gaming has taken over as my largest obsession, specifically Magic: The Gathering.
I've been playing MTG for about four years now which for the most part was on a very casual level. Since changing jobs and now having regular Monday to Friday, 9 - 5 hours I've been able to play more regularly. Since attending a pre release event back in July at my local game store; Patriot games, I've started to invest a lot more time, energy and hard cash into becoming a better player.
It's safe to say I've started to take my MTG very seriously, spending every spare moment I have studying strategy and deck building, play testing decks and scouring eBay for the cards that will make that perfect deck. Not a moment goes by when I'm not thinking about the next deck build or how to improve on my current deck. Not unlike how I would usually obsess over making music.
I recently had a very successful "Game Day," an event that takes place a few weeks after the release of a new set. They are a fairly casual free to enter event with small prizes such as an exclusive play mat for the winner and limited edition promo cards for the top eight. Mainly they are a great way to experience MTG on a tournament level, without the high stakes and pressure of a higher level competition. I finished 10th overall out of a field of twenty-six narrowly missing out on a top space and a chance to continue playing for first prize.
I'm now starting on preparations for the next year of MTG events:
PPTQ in December.
A Preliminary Pro Tour Qualifier or PPTQ for short is for many the first step at trying to qualify for the Pro Tour and play on a professional level. Anyone can enter and first place will proceed on to the next stage which is the Regional Pro Tour Qualifier (RPTQ), the winner of which then gets to play on the Pro Tour itself.
I entered a PPTQ a few months ago and did not do well. It was "Modern Format" which basically means that players can construct their decks from any cards from the last thirteen years, roughly. Having only played for four years and therefore only owning and being familiar with cards from that period I grossly underestimated what I would come up against and was somewhat humiliated. I came out saying I wouldn't enter a PPTQ ever again.
Until I saw this PPTQ was "Standard Format" which provides a more level playing field. At the time of the event Standard will only consist of cards from just over the past year. It is what I play the majority of the time now and is the format the Game Day was where I came 10th place. That being a big confidence booster and affirmation that I should enter the PPTQ.
I'll of course be going in with my expectations low and the intention to simply enjoy myself and the competition. We'll see.
Grand Prix Birmingham & Liverpool.
One of the biggest MTG events you can attend without having to qualify is a Grand Prix. Grands Prix consist of a main event in a specified format with considerable cash prizes on offer depending on you final placing, with first place getting $10,000. There is an entry fee and a selection of goodies for everyone that enters. Alongside the main event there are side events in pretty much every format of the game possible all with lesser entry fees and non cash prizes on offer. You can even just turn up, as it is free entry into the venue, and just soak up the atmosphere, watch the games and visit the stalls and artists etc that are on offer.
There are two in the Grands Prix in the UK in 2017 and I intend on attending them both. My only gripe is that neither of their main events are in my preferred format of Standard.
The first is in Birmingham in August and is the previously mentioned Modern Format which I struggled with at my first PPTQ. However I have a good nine months to prepare and put together a modern deck which, with rigorous play testing and development, should be competitive and enable me to put up a decent fight. Once the December PPTQ is out of the way this will be the focus of my concentration between then and August.
The second is in Liverpool in October. All I know so far is this will be "Limited Format" which means it will either be sealed or draft, my money is on sealed. Sealed basically means you're given six fifteen card booster packs which within a set time you must open and construct a forty card deck which will be the deck you compete with over the day (or weekend if you qualify for day 2.) This does create a very level playing field as everyone is playing with a deck they've had to improvise from the cards they have opened. However, there is also a very large luck factor involved as it's possible that the packs you open just won't have anything good in them, whereas others could find bombs in every pack.
If it's draft on the other hand, that would be a different matter all together. In draft you sit in groups of eight opening three packs each. But rather than just being stuck with the three packs you're given, you open your first, pick a card you like then pass the rest on. Clockwise for the first pack, anti clockwise for the second, then clockwise again for the third. You can then pick another card from the pack that is passed to you that you believe will work well with the card you already picked - pass along - repeat, until all the cards have been drafted. Although luck is still a factor, you can better control which cards you end up with than you can with sealed. It is however much more high strategy as you try and keep track not just of the cards you're picking but of those your passing on. Many a draft match is spent looking at what cards your opponent has put down and trying to remember what cards you may have passed to him/her that would work in combo with those already in play.
So above is in essence what my next year of Magic playing will be with the big events still close to a year away. My focus may change as more events are announced and as much as I will want to concentrate on making a decent modern deck in time for GP Birmingham, I think standard will remain my preferred format.
So here's hoping that 2018 (or possibly a late announcement for 2017 as there usually is a Spring GP which 2017 doesn't currently have) will bring a UK GP with a standard format main event. The other option is to possibly look at what's on the other side of the channel tunnel and make a bit of a holiday of it.
I recently considered Warsaw for my first GP but realised that wouldn't have been very practical at the short notice I had.
So until that day comes I've found that gaming has taken over as my largest obsession, specifically Magic: The Gathering.
I've been playing MTG for about four years now which for the most part was on a very casual level. Since changing jobs and now having regular Monday to Friday, 9 - 5 hours I've been able to play more regularly. Since attending a pre release event back in July at my local game store; Patriot games, I've started to invest a lot more time, energy and hard cash into becoming a better player.
It's safe to say I've started to take my MTG very seriously, spending every spare moment I have studying strategy and deck building, play testing decks and scouring eBay for the cards that will make that perfect deck. Not a moment goes by when I'm not thinking about the next deck build or how to improve on my current deck. Not unlike how I would usually obsess over making music.
I recently had a very successful "Game Day," an event that takes place a few weeks after the release of a new set. They are a fairly casual free to enter event with small prizes such as an exclusive play mat for the winner and limited edition promo cards for the top eight. Mainly they are a great way to experience MTG on a tournament level, without the high stakes and pressure of a higher level competition. I finished 10th overall out of a field of twenty-six narrowly missing out on a top space and a chance to continue playing for first prize.
I'm now starting on preparations for the next year of MTG events:
PPTQ in December.
A Preliminary Pro Tour Qualifier or PPTQ for short is for many the first step at trying to qualify for the Pro Tour and play on a professional level. Anyone can enter and first place will proceed on to the next stage which is the Regional Pro Tour Qualifier (RPTQ), the winner of which then gets to play on the Pro Tour itself.
I entered a PPTQ a few months ago and did not do well. It was "Modern Format" which basically means that players can construct their decks from any cards from the last thirteen years, roughly. Having only played for four years and therefore only owning and being familiar with cards from that period I grossly underestimated what I would come up against and was somewhat humiliated. I came out saying I wouldn't enter a PPTQ ever again.
Until I saw this PPTQ was "Standard Format" which provides a more level playing field. At the time of the event Standard will only consist of cards from just over the past year. It is what I play the majority of the time now and is the format the Game Day was where I came 10th place. That being a big confidence booster and affirmation that I should enter the PPTQ.
I'll of course be going in with my expectations low and the intention to simply enjoy myself and the competition. We'll see.
Grand Prix Birmingham & Liverpool.
One of the biggest MTG events you can attend without having to qualify is a Grand Prix. Grands Prix consist of a main event in a specified format with considerable cash prizes on offer depending on you final placing, with first place getting $10,000. There is an entry fee and a selection of goodies for everyone that enters. Alongside the main event there are side events in pretty much every format of the game possible all with lesser entry fees and non cash prizes on offer. You can even just turn up, as it is free entry into the venue, and just soak up the atmosphere, watch the games and visit the stalls and artists etc that are on offer.
There are two in the Grands Prix in the UK in 2017 and I intend on attending them both. My only gripe is that neither of their main events are in my preferred format of Standard.
The first is in Birmingham in August and is the previously mentioned Modern Format which I struggled with at my first PPTQ. However I have a good nine months to prepare and put together a modern deck which, with rigorous play testing and development, should be competitive and enable me to put up a decent fight. Once the December PPTQ is out of the way this will be the focus of my concentration between then and August.
The second is in Liverpool in October. All I know so far is this will be "Limited Format" which means it will either be sealed or draft, my money is on sealed. Sealed basically means you're given six fifteen card booster packs which within a set time you must open and construct a forty card deck which will be the deck you compete with over the day (or weekend if you qualify for day 2.) This does create a very level playing field as everyone is playing with a deck they've had to improvise from the cards they have opened. However, there is also a very large luck factor involved as it's possible that the packs you open just won't have anything good in them, whereas others could find bombs in every pack.
If it's draft on the other hand, that would be a different matter all together. In draft you sit in groups of eight opening three packs each. But rather than just being stuck with the three packs you're given, you open your first, pick a card you like then pass the rest on. Clockwise for the first pack, anti clockwise for the second, then clockwise again for the third. You can then pick another card from the pack that is passed to you that you believe will work well with the card you already picked - pass along - repeat, until all the cards have been drafted. Although luck is still a factor, you can better control which cards you end up with than you can with sealed. It is however much more high strategy as you try and keep track not just of the cards you're picking but of those your passing on. Many a draft match is spent looking at what cards your opponent has put down and trying to remember what cards you may have passed to him/her that would work in combo with those already in play.
So above is in essence what my next year of Magic playing will be with the big events still close to a year away. My focus may change as more events are announced and as much as I will want to concentrate on making a decent modern deck in time for GP Birmingham, I think standard will remain my preferred format.
So here's hoping that 2018 (or possibly a late announcement for 2017 as there usually is a Spring GP which 2017 doesn't currently have) will bring a UK GP with a standard format main event. The other option is to possibly look at what's on the other side of the channel tunnel and make a bit of a holiday of it.
I recently considered Warsaw for my first GP but realised that wouldn't have been very practical at the short notice I had.
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