Stage 2: A Gathering of Mages

     We staged our second tournament last Sunday and while we only had twenty-four players as compared to twenty-six last time, this was a significant milestone since the previous week featured free entrance for the ladies and a guaranteed pack for everyone.  This time out we provided prizes for the top six and raffled out three booster packs.  While the players didn't complain about this, they were very vocal about wanting the guaranteed pack. 

      Many from the first tilt returned, including the defending champion Brian.  There were new faces as well, some of whom were well-known Magic pros.  And even without the free entrance, the lady planeswalkers came back to stake their claim as the best in spell-slinging.

     We started a bit late but ended early around past three.  That told me that we should allot more time for people to arrive and register while maintaining the same pace for every round so that people could mill around the mall after the tourney.  After five rounds, Brian emerged champion again with his Naya deck.

     It was truly reaffirming to see these many people attend our events.  Their continued support meant that we would need to step up every time in meeting their expectations.  One of these was to maintain a "serious fun" atmosphere which would differentiate us from other venues.  It meant redesigning the prize structure and a bunch of other details to satisfy our players' needs.  I hope we get it right next Easter Sunday.

Tournament of Dreams

     In the movie Field of Dreams, a farmer was instructed, "If you build it, they will come."  And so my friends and I did everything we could to launch a tournament at SM North.  It took time, guts, and sacrifices but eventually we were able to tell the Magic community that we had convinced Comic Quest and Padi's Point to sponsor our event last Sunday.  Old and new faces did come, gathering to battle in our old hunting grounds. 

     We expected eight people to show up, the minimum to run a tournament.  Lo and behold, twenty-six came to participate in the festivities and it was festive because everyone was guaranteed a pack regardless of their performance.  Seeing all those people fill up empty tables and chairs like the one pictured above made all our efforts worthwhile.

     These were some of the people who kept asking if there was going to be a tournament in SM North.  They're all smiles in this picture because it had finally happened.  We are going to try very hard to keep them smiling because it's them who made all these possible.

     Plenty of girls came to duel as we invited them to play for FREE.  We always knew they were good but when five ladies took us on our offer it was the proof we needed that they not only enjoy slinging spells but are awesome at it.  Thanks for coming and shaking up the tournament scene.  We'll definitely try to do more for the fairer sex in our upcoming events.

     How cool was it to behold Aki, the youngest to play in our tournament go up against the eventual champion Brian?  Our talented kid even managed to pose for the camera before they began the match.  This validated our goal of developing more Magic players so that the game will flourish for a long time.

     She played while he watched.  Often the reverse would hold true at most tournaments but we turned that upside down as guys cheered on the girls instead.  None of the girls cracked the top four this time out but sooner rather than later someone will.  Maybe even a couple will get to be at the top spots.  How terrific is that?

      One of the things I admired about our players was that they smiled in the heat of battle.  It was our task to make sure that they enjoyed themselves even when engaged in something as complex and competitive as Magic.  I hoped we succeeded even just a little bit.

     Because in the end, this was a tournament of dreams being fulfilled. :-)

A Quest for Legitimacy

Where Northern Mages Get Spells, Creatures, and Equipment

     A couple of years ago I started playing Magic with a bunch of awesome guys in SM North. We tested decks on the floors and on tabletops.  We would order food and drinks at restaurants and coffee shops just so we could indulge in our favorite game.  However, other people misunderstood what we were doing and shooed us away, treating us like second-class citizens.  But we persevered.

     In fact, we decided that the game and its players should be recognized and respected.  To do that, we would have to find a sponsor.  Enter Comic Quest.

     We had been staging tournaments all over SM North at this point.  Whether it was at the food court or a friendly restaurant, players showed up and endured whatever hassle came their way because their love for Magic was inextinguishable.  So when Comic Quest agreed to help us, they looked for a venue and found:

The Battlefield in the North

     Both of these stores guaranteed that we would have a place where we could learn to play better, to find cards we needed, and to meet new lifelong friends.  We were now legitimate, a regular fixture every Sunday to the people passing by Sky Garden.  For two years, we grew from six friends wanting Magic to be appreciated by a lot more people into a larger community known beyond SM North as the CQ Academy.  We introduced 7-man teams, Christmas Magic Mayhem, Academy Points (before there was Planeswalker Points), and other innovations that are now commonplace.  It was a wonderful time to be in the thick of things, to be influencing how Magic was viewed by the players and the masses alike. 

     Then the tournaments ended and the Academy members scattered.

     For almost a year, we were preoccupied with other things.  There was life to be lived after all.  Everything couldn't be just fun and games.  But in the backs of our collective minds, we knew that the community would resurface.  That Magic and the bonds we had fostered because of it would not go away.

     So we are back.  Finally.  Comic Quest and Padi's Point are once again with us, supporting our journey to reach new levels and goals.  I can't wait to see what happens next.  These are exciting times indeed.