Grand Prix: Toronto 2013

At the end of November there's going to be a big Magic: the Gathering Grand Prix out by the airport in Toronto. I assume it's going to be big because apparently there was a PTQ in the same location that got in the neighbourhood of 350 people. That's an insane number of people for a PTQ! The last event I played in was a PTQ in Toronto back in 2011 and it only had 84 players. The last limited GP Toronto that I went to, in 2010, had 1361 people in it. If it goes up at the same rate you'd be looking at more than 5000 people! I can't imagine that actually happening, but I'm expecting a really large number of people to show up.

I haven't played Magic in person in more than 2 years and I haven't played much online either, but I still feel like I should head on out to a local GP. Last time around I had two byes thanks to my limited rating but unfortunately that system went out the window since then. Now byes are awarded based on recent Planeswalker points of which I have none. I could get 2 byes if I find and win a GP trial, or I could show up with no byes and need to go 7-2 or better to make day 2.

Finding a GPT is unfortunately easier said than done. There's a link on the GP overview site but it doesn't seem to do what it says it does. Searching Google is no better. Eventually my brain suggested I look on mtgontario and lo and behold they had an event list. No idea if it's comprehensive or not, but it at least has SOME info, which is more than I could get out of the Wizards site. There are GPTs on the 27th of October and on November 3rd and 17th. There's also a PTQ on Nov 9th. I have plans to stay awake for 25 hours until 8am Nov 3rd so that trial is probably out. This weekend is probably too soon, and there's an online PTQ too. But maybe I can fit the one on the 17th in... Of course the listing on the mtgontario site doesn't say where it is... *sigh*

I also need to, you know, learn the new set. I get a brief overview of things by reading Matt's Facebook posts but playing enough to understand the tricks that exist seems important. I did a swiss draft online last night and went 2-1 with what felt like a terrible deck, but this format might just be really screwy. I sided in land destruction in all three of my matches because people seem intent on paying 8 mana for things. Of course my deck mostly cost 4 and 5 so I can't really talk. I drafted several rares that ended up being underwhelming, like the new Fact or Fiction. I had the red mythic god and won the game I played him on turn 4 but every other time I drew him he had no impact on the game. Devotion is weird, and I think I needed to ignore a second colour entirely and just play a lot of cheap red creatures to power him up. Try to win before people can pay their 8 mana! I liked the red common monstrous creature who cost 4 for a 3/3 trample and then 6 more to power up to 6/6. He's probably even better in a deck with cheap stuff so you have something to do when you hit 6 instead of my super slow deck that had other 6 drops competing for time.

There's an online PTQ this weekend. I'll need to wake up early to play in it (it starts at 10am) but it's probably worth doing just for the experience with sealed deck.