Gaming the System

All work, all play.

Hosting Your Own Tournaments: A Different Way to Test

I mentioned in an earlier post that I’ve got some new playtesting partners, local San Marcos kids. Having partners who are available as much as you’re interested and on short notice is a god send. Hopefully, you can tell I’m really reinvigorated right now.

These guys are fairly new to competition, mostly making it to Austin and San Antonio for FNM’s, but they are looking to qualify for the Tour so we’re speaking the same language. So, in addition, to the unfocused battling we’ve been doing, I’d like to organize a weekly or biweekly tournament (I’ll tell Kyle to come up from San Antonio), probably round robin until we get some more people involved. Proxies will be legal and encouraged no matter what format we’re working on. I wanna get these guys regularly thinking about winning matches, preparing for it, making choices with that end (as opposed to card availability).

I’d like some kind of low-to-no-cost/high-incentive prize to add a little juice to the proceedings. any ideas? any input in general? let me know in the comments.

also look forward to plenty of material to come out of these nights once they get rolling. and if you’re in the area, let me know if you’re interested.

April 8, 2010 - Posted by | Magic: The Gathering | , , , , , , , , ,

5 Comments »

  1. I run weekly tournaments, and I charge 5 for entry. Then give ALL of it away as prize.

    Comment by Bobby Duckett | April 8, 2010 | Reply

  2. You can try the Gateway TO stuff. While it may not be high-incentive, they are free cards. The event would have to be in a public venue (not a private residence), and the event does not need to be sanctioned. You can advertise on the WotC event locator as a Casual non-Rated Constructed event, and the Gateway foils are meant to encourage players (normally they get used as participation or prize foils).

    You could also have some sort of ranking system, with a title. I would also suggest seeing if anyone from the Finkel Draft group has any ideas. Maybe make a victory cake (ala what Matt Wang owes) or some other interesting food-stuff for the winner.

    I do like the idea of mock tournaments. A few weeks back, LSV talked in one of his articles about using them in his group’s playtesting sessions.

    Keep up the good work. I haven’t been able to read all of your posts yet, but what I have read has been useful.

    Comment by starwarer | April 8, 2010 | Reply

  3. The loser has to drive the team to the next PTQ. The winner gets shotgun!

    Comment by mightygerm | April 9, 2010 | Reply

  4. I like mightygerm’s idea…or the winner gets money to buy one of their proxies, if any? Cheap.

    Comment by DirtyDeeds | April 9, 2010 | Reply

  5. […] UR Polyplosive […]

    Pingback by Polly Wanna Morph Part 2 « Gaming the System | April 9, 2010 | Reply


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