[Free Article] Tournaments, Dealers, & Karrthus

[voltron00x]

In this week's article, I discuss the shifting tournament landscape, which features less of an emphasis on the Pro Tour to the benefit of local and regional events, and some general thoughts and tips for interacting with dealers.  Most relevant to these forums, I look at updated Oath and Ichorid lists, including my T8 Oath list from 8/29 and an interesting version of Ichorid with Crop Rotation:

http://www.starcitygames.com/magic/misc/17983_The_Long_Winding_Road_Tournaments_Dealers_and_Karrthus.html

Next week will be a full-on Vintage article... I'm expecting to cover the Mana Ichorid list that won back-to-back events in NY and PA the past two weekends, as well as a reimagined Oath list, updates on TPS and Tezzeret, and discussion on relevant Zendikar cards.

[Will]

Good article Elias.  Definitely a worthwhile read, especially liked the analysis of how regular people view dealers and vice versa, a topic oftentimes unexplored. 

[LotusHead]

Fun article.

I knew early on that Dealers need to make a profit, and was lucky that I could buy singles from Legends that I thought were "Cool" like Mirror Universe, for $6, then trade them months later for power at say, $60 value. Saweeet!

(those trades included Mirror Universe and 10-15 other awesome cards like Icy Manipulater and Nether Void for 1 Mox.  I was happy, but blocked the details out of my mind for sanity's sake)

[Smmenen]

Matt:

Regarding the first part of your article, I, too, was struck by how much of the tournament circuit when I started playing magic again revolved around the professional circuit.   The biggest non-eternal tournaments in my area were the Ohio Valley Regionals, which got like 800 players.

But what i realize now is that those tournaments, and PTQs as well, are essentially an unlordly cash cow for organizations like Professional Event Services.    The prize payout is garbage.   Same for PTQs.    They can get away with it because the 'prize' is actually a ticket or a invite to the Pro Tour or to nationals.   

The truth of the matter is that Starcitygames.com is the party that's stepped up to the plate with their $5k series.   They are the only one's who could really pull it off.    I know of no one who is doing anything even close.   

Here's my gripe with the Pro Tour: it's not player sustainable.    The Pro Tour is great for Magic, but it's also the number one cause of burnout.    The Pro Tour is a good thing, but it's also true that it's very difficult to maintain a high level of interest in Magic over many years and be a dedicated pro tour player.   

I think people would have much longer Magic playing careers if they didn't focus as much on the Pro Tour for the reasons you mentioned.   Starcitygames events have really helped broaden the possibilities for non Professional level events.   

The second part of your article was uninteresting to me.  I actually think you could have set it up less didactically to make it more interesting, say, by sketching out a scenario first, then explaining second.   

Regarding the third part of your article, I can't help but think that you should try to find ways to make Vintage accessible to non-Vintage players.  By writing for the non-premium side of SCG, you have a unique ability to bring Vintage to a wider audience.    I'm not sure how you could do it, but similarly to the article you wrote about the misconceptions of Vintage, you might want to organize your article in a way that is very accessible, but do it by presenting Vintage scenarios, or something.  Just a thought.

[voltron00x]

Matt:

Regarding the first part of your article, I, too, was struck by how much of the tournament circuit when I started playing magic again revolved around the professional circuit.   The biggest non-eternal tournaments in my area were the Ohio Valley Regionals, which got like 800 players.

But what i realize now is that those tournaments, and PTQs as well, are essentially an unlordly cash cow for organizations like Professional Event Services.    The prize payout is garbage.   Same for PTQs.    They can get away with it because the 'prize' is actually a ticket or a invite to the Pro Tour or to nationals.   

The truth of the matter is that Starcitygames.com is the party that's stepped up to the plate with their $5k series.   They are the only one's who could really pull it off.    I know of no one who is doing anything even close.   

Here's my gripe with the Pro Tour: it's not player sustainable.    The Pro Tour is great for Magic, but it's also the number one cause of burnout.    The Pro Tour is a good thing, but it's also true that it's very difficult to maintain a high level of interest in Magic over many years and be a dedicated pro tour player.   

I think people would have much longer Magic playing careers if they didn't focus as much on the Pro Tour for the reasons you mentioned.   Starcitygames events have really helped broaden the possibilities for non Professional level events.   

The second part of your article was uninteresting to me.  I actually think you could have set it up less didactically to make it more interesting, say, by sketching out a scenario first, then explaining second.   

Regarding the third part of your article, I can't help but think that you should try to find ways to make Vintage accessible to non-Vintage players.  By writing for the non-premium side of SCG, you have a unique ability to bring Vintage to a wider audience.    I'm not sure how you could do it, but similarly to the article you wrote about the misconceptions of Vintage, you might want to organize your article in a way that is very accessible, but do it by presenting Vintage scenarios, or something.  Just a thought.

I'm actually quite pleased that SCG is running these $5Ks, and even more impressed that they took the step of adding the Legacy events (although to really be successful they may have to run one on a Sunday and see what the attendance looks like).  However, I'm also aware that gushing about them too much would seem like I'm towing the company line, so to speak, even though that's not really the truth.  I also wonder how much the escalation in dual land prices has to do with SCG increasing their buy prices earlier this year, and selling those duals for use at the $5Ks.  You have to take your hat off to Pete and Ben, I'll say that much.  I only hope that Vintage attendance will continue to increase in the northeast so that SCG might at least consider running a P9 tournament next year.

The second part of the article couldn't be more divorced from where you are as a Magic player or as a working professional, so your lack of interest there doesn't suprise me at all.

And I have written, and periodically will continue to write,  articles along the lines that you suggest - however, it has been striking how many people have asked me to write MORE about Vintage at a higher level, especially the past few weeks; while those types of articles serve a purpose, as food for thought, I got into Vintage initially not because of any type of low-level primer or discussion, but rather a tournament report you wrote about Tyrant Oath that was meant for people already familiar with the format.  The complexity of the deck is actually what got me so interested in Vintage.  The fact that the decks I usually cover / discuss are the more accessible decks financially - Elves, Ichorid, Oath - is not completely coincidental.

[Smmenen]

And I have written, and periodically will continue to write,  articles along the lines that you suggest - however, it has been striking how many people have asked me to write MORE about Vintage at a higher level, especially the past few weeks; while those types of articles serve a purpose, as food for thought, I got into Vintage initially not because of any type of low-level primer or discussion, but rather a tournament report you wrote about Tyrant Oath that was meant for people already familiar with the format.  The complexity of the deck is actually what got me so interested in Vintage.  The fact that the decks I usually cover / discuss are the more accessible decks financially - Elves, Ichorid, Oath - is not completely coincidental.

I don't think I was clear in my intended meaning.  I wasn't suggesting that you gear your articles to Vintage novices.  Rather, I was suggesting that you write in such a way that Vintage novices or newbs could 1) follow you and 2) engage your writing.     I think it is possible to write high level strategy that is comprehensible to a wider audience.   I think that some minor organizational tweaks to your writing would make it more penetrable to the broader audience without reducing content sophistication. 

[wox2]

One BIG ERROR. Ichorid with no Bridge from the Bellows?

[voltron00x]

One BIG ERROR. Ichorid with no Bridge from the Bellows?

This was just a miss on my part, the four missing cards from the decklist are Bridge from Below.

I don't think I was clear in my intended meaning.  I wasn't suggesting that you gear your articles to Vintage novices.  Rather, I was suggesting that you write in such a way that Vintage novices or newbs could 1) follow you and 2) engage your writing.     I think it is possible to write high level strategy that is comprehensible to a wider audience.   I think that some minor organizational tweaks to your writing would make it more penetrable to the broader audience without reducing content sophistication.  

The content you're referring to was meant as bonus content for people who already play Vintage; the previous 3000 words were the "meat" of that article.  The Vintage info was added last-minute because a number of people requested that I write about Vintage again, so I wanted to do a teaser for the following week (and in my haste included a typo, and then missed 4 Bridge from Below in the Ichorid list as noted above).  Next week's article is exclusively Vintage content - I probably have to stop adding to it as I'm approaching 4500 words.  If you want to look at that and PM me any specific comments re: areas that you feel could've been restructured for easier understanding from the perspective of a Vintage novice, that'd be fine with me.

[Smmenen]

Briefly, there is a bunch of research on cognition and learning: it suggests that although our long-term memory is impressively large, channeling short term information into it is very difficult.   Our working memory is quite limited and only so much information can be digested at a time.    All I'm suggesting is that the use of things like: 1) Headers, 2) even more and clearer roadmaps, 3) transitions, 4) short recaps, and 5) breaking up paragraphs can all help aid in the ability of people to digest what they are reading.   This isn't a criticism of your work -- I can work on this as well.  

EDIT:  Long-term Vintage players can digest denser material quicker because more information is stored in the long-term memory.  But newer players have to navigate through basic terminology, which they may be picking up, as well as the substance of the point you are making.   

[voltron00x]

Correction - there were 56 cards iin the Ichorid list n my submitted article, which were added as Leyline of the Void.  They should be Bridge from Below.  Here is the correct decklist.  I still believe this list is quite good and I would play it if I were going to play Ichorid:

Fatestitcher Ichorid

4 Bazaar of Baghdad
4 Serum Powder
2 Crop Rotation
2 Fatestitcher
4 Chalice of the Void
4 Cabal Therapy
3 Unmask
4 Golgari Grave-Troll
4 Stinkweed Imp
3 Golgari Thug
1 Darkblast
4 Narcomoeba
4 Ichorid
3 Dread Return
4 Bridge from Below
2 Sadistic Hypnotist
1 Flame-Kin Zealot
4 City of Brass
3 Gemstone Mine

Sideboard

2 Emerald Charm
2 Wispmare
4 Chain of Vapor
4 Pithing Needle
2 Darkblast
1 Gemstone Mine