Magic: The Gathering, Part Five

Part One, Part Two

Part Three, Part Four

During my seventh grade summer Magic became the largest thing in my life. I was active at my local game store and practiced online for hours on end. I played it almost every day, partaking in online games each night, relishing in the competition I faced and the difficult scenarios that popped up from playing so much. On Friday's I was able to go to my local game store and play with my friends there. During this period I played my modern affinity deck non-stop, trying to learn every single in and out of the deck. During this summer there was a Grand Prix held in Worcester Mass. A Grand Prix is a multi-day competitive tournament, usually numbering in the thousands of players, which anyone can enter for a chance to win. The prize payout of grand prixs are structured such that people who top eight earn thousands of dollars, and players who still place at a certain spot can make some prize money. In addition, pro tour invites are given out to any player who accomplishes thirteen wins. A grand prix is fifteen rounds and is a certain format that is prespecified. Why Grand Prix Boston-Worcester was so important was that it was a modern format grand prix. Modern was the format of my affinity deck, and had been the format I constantly practiced and played. I loved every bit of modern and was excited for any chance to play a game of it. My brother and his college friends were also interested in playing in this tournament. They too were modern fanatics and had many a deck. My brother having the closest home to the tournament asked my mom if he could have some of his college friends stay at our house. She agreed, and my dream began. Our house was infested with magic players, making a game easier to find than bread. I took advantage of this paradise, playing with everyone in the house. I tested matchups, I had conversations about possible tweaks to my deck and theirs, and overall just became a full-time magician. As game day approached, so did my excitement for this tournament. As we entered the huge multi-building complex I was flabbergasted. The event was held in a couple conference hall sized rooms and had a third ballroom at the very end of the magic arena. To put it in reference, to me the total area felt greater than three football fields. Magic was everywhere, with vendors setting up shop, and mini-tournaments taking place all around. People were buying, selling, and trading their cards, and if you just wanted to play a quick game you could go up to any stranger and most likely play one. I felt like a tiny fish, in the biggest of ponds. Not only was it packed, but there were famous professional players that were easily visible and accessible. These players acted like everyone else, including me, being with their friends and just getting ready before the tournament started. Already I was having a surreal experience, with the tournament not even begun. When the first round pairings were called up tension sprang into my chest. The tournament had begun. With around 2,400 players in the main event, plus all the players who just came for the side tournaments, and the multitude of vendors who came to sell and buy cards, it took a long time to reach the pairing board. The tournament circuit had just begun posting online pairings, and so the system was not perfect, causing by far the majority of players to go up to the little pieces of plain white paper spread around the hall alphabetically. Eventually, almost everyone in the tournament was seated and round one began. I got off to a rough start taking a round one loss. This did not bode well for the rest of my tournament, as to even make it to day two a player needed a record of seven wins and two losses. With one of my losses out of the way, I had to be almost perfect for the rest of the day to advance. I was able to take down my round two opponent, rerouting my day, and giving me hope. Just as soon as my fire inside was rekindled it was rained on again. Round three was an utter defeat for me, leaving me in a terrible position. I was one and two, and to make it to day two I would need to win six games in a row. These games would get harder, in general, each time I won, putting me in a very tight position. While I knew logically and reasonably that any hope for day two was basically gone, in my ever bleeding heart I wanted and thought I could still make it. Not even in this lowest of lows did I let my flame burn fully out. I was glad to win my fourth round, it made me feel better, at least I was fifty-fifty. Slow and steady I told myself. Then I won my next round becoming three and two. Then my next. Then my next. and my next until I was at six wins, and two losses. This was it, I had crawled all the way back from the bottom to a chance to make it to the second day. As round nine pairings were called, despite having played magic for ten plus hours at this point, I was still ready for more. This did not mean I was my well-refreshed self like at the beginning of the tournament, instead, I was like a pot under immense pressure being filled to the brim with adrenaline energy. I could see little cracks forming in my own play, dangerously close to becoming a full break. I knew I needed to play slowly, and make sure that I did not make any huge mistakes because of my weariness.

As I came up to my opponent I looked my college-aged foe in the eyes. We both knew only one of us could make it, and that this match would be the final decider of our tournament. My opponent was playing birthing pod, the same deck I had lost to in my PTQ top eight. This time I was able to take game one, allowing for a sigh of relief from myself. With game one secured I knew I had two opportunities to win the whole match. As we sideboarded in cards for game two, both of us made a few friendly comments, all that we could muster in our states of near exhaustion. Game two got off to a good start. I slowly took control of the game, getting more ahead each turn. I played the game as tight as I could until I saw it. It was my turn and I had lethal. I triple checked all my math and swung with my creatures for the win, securing my seventh win and day two spot. After day one of the tournament was over, my brother, his friends, and I all went to a Friendly's in our town, We got food, I had some amazing chicken fingers and ice cream, and we all just unwinded. We talked about our days, and how much fun it was. We then quickly went home, and I went to my bed, with my head spinning, and dreams forming I fell asleep.