Here in my local area, there are a couple Grand Prixs coming up in the next month so I'd like to get everyone acquainted with how Competitive REL works, what it means, and what things to be aware of to prepare you for a GP. If it's not your first GP, then you probably understand just fine how it all works, however, there are some interesting changes being made by Wizards of the Coast to the Grand Prix structure and I'll discuss that as well so there's something for everyone here!
First off, a little bit of information on what a Grand Prix is. A Grand Prix is the largest competitive Magic event that's open to anyone. That means you don't have to qualify to go to one. For most, all it really takes is some trip planning to get there as they are only in bigger cities, usually. This means that you'll get thousands of players from all over the region that the GP is located in, and that means that it's going to be a tough event! Right now, a Grand Prix caps out at 15 rounds over a two day event, usually doing 9 rounds on day one, and 6 for day two. Anyone with a 7-2(7 wins, 2 losses) record or better at the end of day one will advance to the day two rounds. After the 6 rounds of day two are done, the top 8 players with the best records(including tie breakers) will move on to the Top-8 finals. You'll get paired up based on record(8th plays 1st, 7th plays 2nd, 6th plays 3rd, and 5th plays 4th) and play in 3 single elimination rounds to determine the winner. Everyone who makes the top-8 cut will be awarded with cash prizes, pack prizes and paid airfare and invitation to the season's Pro Tour tournament.
That's a lot of work right?! It definitely is. The best players in the world understand that a Grand Prix is more than just good magic. It takes a little luck, a lot of planning and probably some pack lunches. At the event, there won't be any food breaks so staying alert and energized can be hard. With that many people at the event, you'll end each round past the allotted time anyway, so you might be able to use that time in between rounds to find some food at the convention center that you're located in. If you're the one going to time each round, you might need to think about bringing some snacks with you in your backpack so you can eat when you need to. Don't forget to drink plenty of water too! It sounds like common sense, but you'll find out real quick that even if you have time to go get food, there are tons of others doing the same and you might not get enough time to get to the front of the line to order before the next round starts! Plan ahead! Plan ahead!
These events are very challenging so it's important to stay focused. Treat every round like it's the finals! Getting frustrated and tired will only make you play sloppy and miss things you wouldn't normally miss. Take your time with everything you do and take it seriously or else you'll wind up dropping before you know it.
Next, let's take a look at how the event is run. It is a Competitive REL(Rules Enforcement Level) event which means the judges will be a lot more strict on your mistakes and rules violations than they would at FNM, which is Regular REL. The first big difference you'll notice, is that you have to register your deck or your sealed pool after you finish drafting. This generates a lot of issues when you accidentally write down something that's not consistent with the deck you're playing. Pay special attention to your deck registration sheet and check it 2-3 times before turning it in to avoid any mistakes. Deck registration sheets allows judges to check your deck at anytime and make sure you aren't slipping in different cards illegally. This can be bad though if you forget to take out your sideboard from your last match so that's a big thing to remember.
The hardest part about Competitive REL is having a pretty broad understanding of the basic mechanics of how the game works. Not the mechanics or abilities of the cards(though you should know how those work too), but how to cast spells, how the stack works, how priority works, etc. This way, you can avoid playing a card at the wrong time and having your opponent call a judge over to issue you a warning. If you're confused about some of the things I mentioned, it would be a good idea to ask your local judges to help you out. Most judges are pretty friendly and are there to help you, so don't be afraid to ask questions!
Another big thing to understand is that you WILL need sleeves for your deck. Aside from the fact that you should be protecting your cards at all times, it's too easy to get a scratch on a card and have your opponent call a judge over to disqualify you for "Marked Cards". Don't play without sleeves... ever. Also, have extra sleeves to replace the ones you break while shuffling. Sleeves break and if you can't replace them, you're going to be in big trouble for the exact same reason as playing without sleeves and having marked cards. Just take care of your cards and your sleeves.
Finally, it's important to note that most people will be taking the event very seriously and are ready to call a judge on you in a heart beat when you mess up. I think it's important to be respectful and considerate at all times and not get in a fight with someone who might be acting like a jerk because you made a mistake. In fact, if you get flustered when they do something like that, it'll affect your game play so it's best to not let it bother you and continue playing good magic as best you can. Apologize for the mess up after the match, shake hands, and move on. The event will be hard enough without letting each opponent mess with your head.
The last thing I want to talk about with Grand Prixs, are the changes that Wizards of the Coast are making for them. The changes can be referenced HERE but I'll sum it up. Firstly, they are greatly increasing the number of Grand Prix events that happen across the world which means more opportunities to travel to these fantastic events and get into the Pro Tour! Each year, we will now have 24 in the U.S., 14 in Europe, 5 for Mexico, Central and South America, 7 in Asia-Pacific, and 4 in Japan.
If a GP has 3,600 players or more, the cash prizes will increase to $70,000 paying down to 230th place. For team GP's, the cash pool increases to $78,000 paying down to 76th place so there's a lot more opportunities to cash out!
So, I think that covers a lot of what to think about in preparation for a Grand Prix. In summary, make sure you plan a lot and know your schedule for the weekend, take plenty of sleeves or plan to buy some there. Stay hydrated, bring snacks or pack lunches, and stay focused throughout the event. Take your time with your game play and don't let others get to you!
Thanks for reading and I hope your next GP experience is a good one!
DannyO
WizardDen.com
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