TORNEIOS MAGIC DOMAIN

Nessa quarta-feira, dia 11/01, tivemos mais um grande torneio na Magic Domain. Foram 29 pessoas e 5 rodadas. No final, dois jogadores ficaram no topo da tabela com 13 pontos. Paulo Henrique pilotando um GWR ramp e Arisitides Camara, o fiel escudeiro da Domain, pilotando um Solar Flare empataram na última partida para garantir uma grande premiação. Quarta-feira teremos outro grande evento e todos estão convidados.

Data- 28 e 29 de Janeiro – 54 vagas para cada dia – inscrições:http://www.domaingames.com.br/loja/busca.asp?busca=ingresso&buscar=buscar

As inscrições também podem ser feitas na loja.

Contamos com a sua participação!!!

Swift Justice: When you’re surrounded by things that want to kill you, kill them first! Fearlessly lead your creatures headlong into battle, and their ferocity will win you the day.

Relentless Dead: Legions of shambling zombies await your command. Unleash your hordes to overwhelm your enemies, then raise an army of the dead with good old-fashioned necromancy.

Dark Sacrifice: The dark powers require a sacrifice, and now you can satisfy their diabolical demands. Your reward? Power to vanquish even the strongest foes.

Monstrous Surprise: Just when your enemies think you’re down, you emerge stronger than before. If your creatures die, they return with a vengeance.

Grave Power: No need to fear death—it just makes you stronger! Fill your graveyard with creatures and then reap the rewards on the battlefield.

“Building a dream” – Parte 2

                Olá a todos! Como prometido, irei reportar o comportamento do “4-colors” control perante os decks do formato. Conforme fui montando a lista, eu realmente me preocupei em lidar com as principais ameaças do formato (não quer dizer que eu tenha obtido 100% de sucesso).

Enfim, cheguei nesta lista que pode ser conferida AQUI e fui jogar o campeonato de 10 anos da Domain.

Logo de cara, enfrento um dos decks “to beat” do ambiente: o UW Delver. Após enfrentar este deck, tenho a leve impressão que esta partida resume-se na quantidade de Mana Leak’s que meu oponente comprar/tiver na mão inicial. As criaturas são relativamente fáceis de lidar, mas senti muita dificuldade em vencer esta partida, mesmo tendo cartas potencialmente fortes contra este tipo de deck. Pós-side, as coisas melhoram um pouco, mas sempre preciso ter cuidado contra possíveis Geist’s. Um possível plano de sideboard contra este tipo de deck é:

Side in: 2 Dismember, 2  Phyrexian Metamorph (Phantasmal Image), 1 Slagstorm

Side out: 3 Beast Within, 1 Negate, 1 Forbidden Alchemy.

Resumindo, é uma partida equilibrada, arrisco dizer que o UW Delver tem uma ligeira vantagem devido o terreno que gera periquitos espíritos 1/1, a temida Moorland Haunt. Snapcaster Mage combinados com as spells também podem ser um incômodo, dependendo da situação em que você se encontra no jogo. Eu, particularmente, tinha um preconceito contra o UW Delver, mas, estou me convencendo que ele é o melhor deck do formato T2 atual. (In) felizmente.

Uma coisa que eu detectei jogando com esta lista é que eu não perdi de decks control do formato. Na verdade, estas partidas contra U/x e Solar Flares é um teste de paciência. Perdi as contas da quantidade de vezes que falei “terreno, passei” contra decks control. Hoje, vejo que os controls sofrem para lidar com planinautas (desde que eles entrem em jogo). Pós-side, a partida se resume em: tentar resolver um planinauta e controlar o jogo. Basicamente, foi assim que joguei contra todos os decks control (isto não quer dizer que seja a maneira certa de jogar contra este tipo de decks). Um possível plano de sideboard seria:

Side in: 2 Ancient Grudge (contra Inkmoth Nexus e Equipamentos), 1 Ghost Quarter (contra Nephalia Drownyard), 2 Jace, Memory Adept, 1 Mana Leak, 1 Negate, 2 Surgical Extraction (é uma boa saída para reduzir as kill condition do seu oponente) e 2 Phyrexian Metamorph (opcional)

Side Out: 3 Slagstorm, 3 Beast Within, 3 Incinerate, 1 Mountain, 1 Chandra, Firebrand

Na maioria das vezes, eu retirava estas cartas e tentava jogar em cima dos counters. Como os decks controls demoram para finalizar o jogo, geralmente eu tinha tempo para montar minha mesa com uma certa tranqüilidade. O único control do formato que não enfrentei foi o Patrick Chapin’s Deck. Imagino que o plano de jogo seja “basicamente igual”.

Bem, o deck tem uma partida justa contra o UW Delver e uma boa partida contra os controls do formato. Então, será que o deck poderia, um dia, ser um dos melhores?

Tudo ia bem até eu enfrentar o UW Humans. Parece ser uma partida justa (e realmente é) até ele resolver um Hero of Bladehold. Grand Abolisher também é uma dor de cabeça respeitável, apesar de ser mais fácil de ser contornado. Para piorar, o deck ainda conta com counters para atrasar seu jogo.

Resumindo, uma combinação de fatores realmente faz com que o UW Humans tenha uma partida ridiculamente fácil perante meu deck. O plano pós-side que utilizei é praticamente idêntico ao usado contra o UW Delver. A única diferença é que você sobe o Ghost Quarter retirando uma Ilha contra as Moorland Haunt. Uma possível solução seria Combust, mas não consegui verificar a eficácia desta carta. Depois de enfrentar 05 UW Humans e não vencer nenhuma partida, acho que este deck é refém do UW Humans. (In) felizmente [2].

Ainda enfrentei alguns decks considerados tier 02 como monored e o monoblack Infect e, posso dizer que são partidas que tenho uma ligeira vantagem (algo em torno de 60-40 para o deck). Contra estes decks, o side pode variar bastante. Mas, cartas-chave como  Slagstorm e Ancient Grudge (contra Inkmoth Nexus e Shrine of Burning Rage) acabam sendo boas opções pós-side.

Bem, este foi minha experiência jogando com este deck. Posso dizer que eu consegui jogar com um deck que me deixou feliz nos últimos campeonatos. Tive alguns momentos em que errei (por falta de treino) e, em outros momentos, tive algumas jogadas razoáveis que me motivaram a treinar mais.

Agradeço, especialmente, o S15 Team por permitir a criação deste deck através do empréstimo do deck!

Porque, apesar de todo o nível competitivo para o qual o magic está migrando, ele ainda não deixa de ser um momento de diversão (mais conhecido como hobby). Isto, independente do seu objetivo pessoal dentro do jogo.

Até o próximo artigo!

Obs: Algumas pessoas (dentre eles, alguns colegas e amigos) comentaram sobre a minha coluna dentro do blog da domain. Eu agradeço sinceramente pelos elogios e sempre estarei aberto à críticas.

Olá a todos! E, hoje irei falar sobre um deck que, aparentemente, “não existe”. Ultimamente, o t2 atual me deixa muito insatisfeito a ponto de reclamar de (quase) tudo que existe. UW Delver (Illusions), UW Humans, GX Wolf Run, etc. Joguei com alguns decks control para testar o formato. Comecei com um UW control que ia 03 Timely Reinforcements no main deck, mas conforme eu fui jogando percebi que era atropelado pelo UW Delver e o UW Humans (Sim, mesmo tendo a combinação Timely Reinforcements+Snapcaster Mage). Começava aí meu desespero em relação a qual deck jogar. Toda vez que eu via o metagame lotado de decks “aggros”, imediatamente vinha uma lista de um deck UB control com várias remoções e criaturas poderosas como Grave Titan e Consecrated Sphinx.

Mas, após o campeonato mundial de 2011, vemos que minha visão sobre o UB estava totalmente errada. O deck realmente não apresentou os resultados esperados. Mas, a grande surpresa estava na lista do Patrick Chapin: um “4-colors” control que utiliza Olivia Voldaren como maior surpresa, fazendo um ótimo resultado no Standard (5-1). Analisando a lista, vejo que o deck realmente me parece bom e acabo montando para testá-lo. Assim que começo a jogar com o deck, realmente eu sinto que o deck tem, teoricamente, todas as respostas para o metagame atual. O grande problema é você conjurá-las na hora certa e, de vez em quando, o Desperate Ravings não é tão vantajoso, descartando uma ameaça ou uma carta-chave. Outro problema é ver a quantidade de empates que arranjei durante os campeonatos. Por ser um controle com poucas kills, não foi difícil empatar com os outros controles do formato. Bem, acabei desistindo deste deck, apesar de adorar a Olivia Voldaren e a Liliana of the Veil.

Mais tarde, Gerry Thompson lança uma lista de um “5-colors” control que utiliza Pacifism e Pristine Talisman, atingindo um top8 no evento Open da Starcity. Novamente, monto esta lista para testar o deck. E, jogando com o deck, vejo que realmente o deck sofre bastante com a base de mana. Logo eu desisto do deck (apesar de que, eu considero este deck como um bom deck.) e recomeça a minha luta para achar uma lista que me agrade. Com a falta de novos decks, resolvi montar uma lista de um “rainbow” deck para não ficar preso ao “netdeck”.

Inicialmente, queria jogar com cartas até então consideradas poderosas no formato. Sempre achei Beast Within uma carta fantástica, só que o seu drawback é muito relevante neste formato. Após pensar bastante em como lidar com os principais decks do formato, chego à seguinte lista:

Primeiramente, eu queria esclarecer algumas coisas sobre este deck: ele é uma “variante” do deck do Chapin, só que eu troquei a cor preta pelo verde para jogar com o Garruk Relentless. Então, vamos às principais questões que me atormentaram até chegar nesta lista:

• Beast Within: Queria usar esta carta por ser absurda. O fato de uma ficha 3/3 entrar sob o controle do seu oponente ainda é relevante, mas eu imagino que há algumas ameaças piores. Na pior das hipóteses, ela pode “fornecer” uma criatura 3/3 em troca de um terreno ou alguma permanente irrelevante que esteja sob seu controle.
• Incinerate X Galvanic Blast: Neste caso, eu realmente fui levado pela emoção. Galvanic Blast, depois de muitas discussões, é BEM MELHOR do que Incinerate. Mas, dependendo do metagame, eu jogaria com os dois facilmente. O fato que poderia mudar minha opinião é a existência de alguma criatura com regeneração que possa incomodar (Skithiryx, the Blight Dragon). Outra carta que poderia aparecer neste deck é o Gut Shot.
• Chandra, Firebrand: Outro caso que fui levado pela emoção. Com certeza, é bem melhor que ela seja o quarto Snapcaster Mage ou que ela seja outra ameaça do que jogar com um planinauta que “praticamente” não faz nada. Depois de muitos testes, cheguei à conclusão que este planinauta é linear: ou você joga com um deck que gire em torno dela ou não faça o esforço de colocá-la no deck (com exceção do Monored).
• Think Twice X Desperate Ravings: Aqui a decisão foi muito difícil. Inicialmente, a idéia era jogar com Desperate Ravings porque esta carta tem mais visibilidade em relação ao Think Twice. Mas, neste deck que as kills são limitadas, eu não posso correr o risco de perder uma ameaça “aleatoriamente”. Então, minha escolha para o deck foi o Think Twice.
• Phyrexian Metamorph X Phantasmal Image: Diversos jogadores me criticaram por usar o Phyrexian Metamorph ao invés de usar o Phantasmal Image. O fato do Phantasmal Image custar 2 manas realmente é um bom argumento mas, eu cansei de perder para o maldito Kessig Wolf Run. Então, eu coloquei o Phyrexian Metamorph para evitar este problema. Realmente, custar 1 a mais e dois de vida ou 1U, faz com que ele seja pior contra o UW Delver e o UW Humans (ambos para lidar com Geist of Saint Traft). Contra o Wolf Run, é quase que irrelevante (para lidar com o Thrun, the Last Troll), além de poder copiar um Primeval Titan ou um Inferno Titan sem perder para a Kessig Wolf Run.

Imagino que haja outras cartas que possam entrar ou sair do deck, mas isto é discussão para outro artigo. No próximo artigo, irei comentar sobre as partidas e como o deck se comporta em relação aos decks do formato e sugestões de cartas para este deck. Sugestões e críticas (desde que positivas) serão bem aceitas. Então, até o próximo artigo!

efore the 2012 season begins at Grand Prix Austin in early January, Wizards of the Coast is announcing the following changes to the premier play tournament structure and Planeswalker Points system. These adjustments are a culmination of an extensive review to the changes we announced in September and November. Included in these changes are:

• Modifications to Planeswalker Points multipliers and standings
• The debut of the World Magic Cup
• The launch of the new Pro Players Club
• Review of Pro Tour invitations
• Thresholds for Grand Prix byes
• Renaming the 2012 World Championship to the Magic Players Championship

Details on each bullet point can be found below. For more information on the decisions behind these changes and how player feedback influenced the process, please read “Addressing Changes to 2012 Magic Premier Play” by Director of Organized Play Helene Bergeot.

Planeswalker Points

Several changes are being made to the Planeswalker Points system. Competitive Planeswalker Points will no longer directly award invitations to the Pro Tour starting with Pro Tour Avacyn Restored in May. The Competitive Points category is being split into two groups: Seasonal Award and Yearly Award. In addition, some multipliers are changing and the Professional Points category is being rebuilt to model the previous Pro Points system.

Seasonal Award points will be used to determine Grand Prix byes. The period of time for the current Seasonal Award season is December 26, 2011–April 1, 2012 (the same dates as what the Competitive season would have been under the old category names). Yearly Award points will be used to determine World Magic Cup Qualifier invitations (see below). As the Planeswalker Points system is adjusted with these new categories, the Yearly Award Standings will not begin until April 2012. Professional Points will be used to determine levels in the new Pro Players Club.

Here is a review of how the Planeswalker Point categories are being adjusted:

Along with changing category labels, some multipliers are changing. The multiplier changes listed in the chart below will go into effect for all events run after December 25, 2011, and will be reflected on the Planeswalker Points standings and information pages in late January. The events at the 12x multiplier level will only contribute points to a player’s Lifetime Planeswalker Points total, not his or her Seasonal Award or Yearly Award totals. There will also no longer be an 18x multiplier for Top 8 finishes at Pro Tours.

For the 2012 Friday Night Magic Championship, the Friday Night Magic standings will not be retroactively adjusted to the 1x level. Friday Night Magic events run from September 5, 2011, to December 25, 2011, will remain with the 3x multiplier. Friday Night Magic events run after December 25, 2011, will have the 1x multiplier. The Friday Night Magic Championship will be held at Gen Con in Indianapolis (August 16–19), with the same invitation policy as previously announced. Competitors in the Friday Night Magic Championship will also be given a four-day badge to Gen Con.

As the evolution of the Planeswalker Points system continues, players will no longer be able to view their Elo ratings as of late January 2012.

World Magic Cup

The World Magic Cup will be a three-day, team-only event to crown the top nation in Magic each year. World Magic Cup teams will be made up of three winners of World Magic Cup Qualifier tournaments and the #1-rated player in that country based on Professional Points (based on events played from June 13, 2011, to May 13, 2012). The 2012 World Magic Cup will take place at Gen Con in Indianapolis (August 16–19). Previously known as the 2012 World Championships, the Magic Players Championship will be held later in the year rather than at Gen Con (for more information on the Magic Players Championship, see below).

Wizards intends to include a number of countries in the World Magic Cup similar to the number of national teams that participated in previous World Championships. That list can be found in the Premier Play Invitation Policy. Along with a prize purse of approximately $150,000, the World Magic Cup will award Professional Points based on finish order and the top four teams will earn invitations and airfare to the next Pro Tour. Participants who are Pro Club levels 6–8 will earn a $1,000 appearance fee in 2012. More information on the Professional Points award structure can be found here.

World Magic Cup Qualifiers

World Magic Cup Qualifiers will be run by Wizards Play Network locations around the world, with the winner earning a spot on his or her country’s World Magic Cup team. There will be three World Magic Cup Qualifiers in each country, to be run April 21–June 9. These will be invitation-only events for all countries. Invitations will be based on reaching a threshold in the Planeswalker Points standings specific to the player’s home country.

Because 2012 is a transition year, Wizards of the Coast needs time to realign the qualification windows on the calendar. Measuring a player’s performance over a 12-month span is important in determining who earns an invitation, but the compressed time frame to launch the World Magic Cup in 2012 demanded a shortened season to set the qualification levels. Therefore, Seasonal Award points will be used for the season running December 26, 2011–April 1, 2012 to determine invitations to World Magic Cup Qualifiers in 2012. For invitations to World Magic Cup Qualifiers in 2013, the Yearly Award points will be used.

Invitation thresholds vary by country and are listed in the Premier Play Invitation Policy. Plane tickets will be awarded to the winners of each World Magic Cup Qualifier and the player earning the “top pro” slot. The Yearly Award season used to determine invitations to 2013 World Magic Cup Qualifiers will begin April 2, 2012 and end March 17, 2013.

World Magic Cup Qualifiers replace the National Championships and National Qualifiers system. More information on World Magic Cup Qualifiers can be found in the Premier Play Invitation Policy.

Pro Players Club

The new version of the Pro Players Club will use Professional Points to determine levels, following a scale very similar to the Pro Points system used in 2011. The levels are based on thresholds and have been streamlined to reward the top professional players each year.

• Silver (15 points): Two-round bye at each Grand Prix, invitation to World Magic Cup Qualifier in your country
• Gold (25 points): Invitations to all Pro Tours that year, three-round bye at each Grand Prix, invitation to World Magic Cup Qualifier in your country
• Platinum (40 points): $3,000 appearance fee at Pro Tours, hotel and airfare paid for by Wizards of the Coast for each Pro Tour, $250 appearance fee at Grand Prix, $1,000 appearance fee at the World Magic Cup (if invited), plus all benefits provided to Gold level

Due to the timing of this transition and the change to the “end” of the Magic year, the stretch of time used to determine 2013 Pro Club levels will be June 13, 2011–May 13, 2012. Benefits earned by levels set at the May 13, 2012, cut-off will be honored immediately. Pro Club benefits earned in 2011 will be honored for the entire 2012 calendar year. Because of the overlap in benefit systems, a player will earn benefits based on the higher level of the two systems he or she has achieved.

Because the 2011–2012 and 2012–2013 seasons have several significant differences in their schedules, the Silver, Gold, and Platinum thresholds for the 2012–2013 season will be reexamined and likely be higher. Those levels will be announced by May, 2012 (the start of the new season).

When the new levels kick in, Magic Pro Tour Hall of Famers will earn the equivalent of Gold level benefits along with a $500 appearance fee at Pro Tours and the World Magic Cup (if invited). If a Hall of Famer is earning Platinum-level benefits, the $500 will be in addition to the base appearance fee for Pro Tour and World Magic Cup participation.

A breakdown of Professional Points awarded by event can be found here. Complete information about the updated Pro Players Club can be found here. The Professional Point totals by player for the period of time from June 13 through the end of the 2011 season can be found here.

The graphic below illustrates the overlapping seasons for the next 18 months and the Planeswalker Points that feed each category. Mouse over the arrows to scroll left to right, and click on the arrows to increase the scrolling speed.

Download the schedule

Pro Tour Invitations

Starting with the Pro Tour Avacyn Restored in May, invitations at each Pro Tour will be awarded in the following categories:

• Top 25 finishers at the previous Pro Tour (plus airfare)
• Top 4 finishers at Grand Prix feeding the Pro Tour (plus airfare)
• Pro Players Club members, based on their level benefits (plus airfare for top-level players)
• Magic Pro Tour Hall of Fame members (plus $500)
• In-person Pro Tour Qualifier winners (plus airfare)
• Magic Online qualifier winners (plus entrance into the Pro Tour Super Draft)

Invitations for Pro Tour Dark Ascension have been extended to the top 25 individual finishers and top four national teams from the 2011 World Championships to close the gap between the old invitation system and the new one. In addition, the top four teams at the World Magic Cup will earn invitations to the next Pro Tour.

Grand Prix

Grand Prix will award Pro Tour invitations to the top four finishers, starting with Grand Prix Austin. The system used to award Grand Prix byes will change from the “Top X” Competitive Planeswalker Points system launched in September to a threshold system based on Seasonal Award points. Byes for Grand Prix from January 1 through April 1, 2012, will be awarded based on the Planeswalker Points system announced in September.

The new thresholds are 300 Seasonal Award points for one bye, 600 points for two byes, and 1,200 for three byes. The threshold bye system will begin with the season starting December 26, 2011 (concluding April 1, 2012). Grand Prix Trials will continue to be run in Wizards Play Network locations and offer a three-round bye to the winner.

If a player crosses a threshold in the middle of a season, he or she will earn the byes for any Grand Prix left that season, and all Grand Prix the following season. Along with having an 8x multiplier for Planeswalker Points, Grand Prix will offer Professional Points for high finishes. For the breakdown of Professional Points awarded at Grand Prix, visit this page.

The Magic Players Championship

Previously called the 2012 World Championships and scheduled for Gen Con, the 2012 Magic: The Gathering Players Championship will take place between Gen Con and Pro Tour No. 3 at a location to be determined. It remains a 16-player event inviting the following players:

• 2011 Pro Tour Player of the Year: Owen Turtenwald
• Pro Tour Philadelphia Champion: Samuele Estratti
• 2011 World Champion: Jun’ya Iyanaga
• 2011 Magic Online Champion: Reid Duke
• Pro Tour Dark Ascension Champion
• Pro Tour Avacyn Restored Champion
• Top-ranked player in each geo-region (North America, Europe, Japan, Latin America, APAC) based on Professional Points from June 13, 2011, to May 13, 2012
• Top-ranked players based on Professional Points from June 13, 2011, to May 13, 2012 who are not previously invited to bring the total to 16 players

The Magic Players Championship will be a three-day event testing players across prominent Constructed and Limited formats. This event will have a $100,000 prize purse as previously announced. The only changes listed above are the inclusion of the Player of the Year as an invited player and a shift of the date range for qualification to align it with the new cut-off dates for the new Pro Players Club. Because of the unique nature of the Magic Players Championship, Professional Points will not be awarded directly by finish order. Instead, players will earn one Pro Point per match win and top finishers will earn additional Pro Points.

For more background information and reasoning behind these changes, please see the Helene Bergeot’s article “Addressing Changes to 2012 Magic Premier Play.” Director of Magic R&D Aaron Forsythe will also be addressing the Organized Play system, as well as looking back on many other facets of Magic in 2011, in his “From the Director’s Chair” feature that will be published on DailyMTG.com the first week of January.

i, this is Helene Bergeot, Director of Organized Play for Wizards of the Coast. Today we’re announcing some changes to our Organized Play offerings (read the specifics here), and I want to take the time to explain the goals and driving forces behind these recent decisions.

We initiated the changes to our Premier Play program with the following goals in mind:

• We want to make sure Premier Play represents the highest level of competition for Magic
• Premier Play has to be a source of aspiration for millions of Magic players around the world

We are committed to continued investment in Premier Play to drive that aspiration.

At the same time, we are partnering with Wizards Play Network stores throughout the world to create great play experiences; in a number of countries, hobby stores become the hub where Magic communities form and grow. It’s the place where players get together on a regular basis.

Hobby stores are the fundamental first step toward building and growing Magic communities. Because of this, it has become more important to connect Premier Play with in-store play. This is the insight that has been behind the recent OP changes.

With that said, we have listened to the thoughts you shared with us after the previous announcements.

You gave us specific feedback on the issues you felt most strongly about, and here are the changes we’re making:

• Offer a world-scale tournament crowning the best Magic country
• Maintain access to Premier Play even in smaller countries
• Put an end to the “grind”

Introducing the World Magic Cup

We share with you the desire to have a Premier event that allows players to represent their nation. Determining which country is able to declare, “We are the best!” and giving the opportunity to local communities to support and cheer for their representatives is what we are bringing to you with the introduction of the World Magic Cup.

I read a lot of your comments about Nationals and I want to explain why we had to reconsider that tournament even though it is beloved by many. Under the previous tournament structure, organizing and running Nationals was consuming most of the resources of many countries, leading them to neglect the development and growth of their local Magic communities. We’re very excited to solve this problem by providing a global team competition supported by our local network of hobby stores.

The World Magic Cup will see teams of four players compete to determine the best Magic nation in the world. Three of the players will be selected by World Magic Cup Qualifiers, a series of tournaments run by selected hobby stores. The fourth team member will be the top-rated professional player in the country. This change keeps a Premier-level team event that crowns the top country in a given year, with the Players Championship crowning the top individual player.

We also share the belief in the importance of providing access to Premier Play to most countries; this is why top-finishing players at the World Magic Cup will qualify for the next Pro Tour. The World Magic Cup serves as a path to the Pro Tour for smaller market nations.

For full details on the World Magic Cup, I encourage you to read the announcement here.

An End to the “Grind”

There is undisputed consensus on this point: as much as the structure introduced in September was created to encourage play, that play should not force a compromise with your enjoyment of being rewarded for playing Magic. We don’t want you to feel obligated to play in a fashion that lessens your enjoyment of the game.

Following Pro Tour Dark Ascension, we will be eliminating the Planeswalker Point invites for the Top 100 players in a given competitive season, instead favoring direct invites that reward skillful play. These will include the Top 4 finishers at Grand Prix tournaments, the Top 4 teams from the World Magic Cup, and the Top 25 finishers at each Pro Tour. The plane tickets currently awarded to the Top 100 Competitive Points players will go to these direct invitees.

We still want to reward players for success and dedication to the game, but we are shifting how we do so. We’re splitting the current Planeswalker Points Competitive category into Seasonal Award points and Yearly Award points. This system will be used to distribute invitations to World Magic Cup Qualifiers and byes at Grand Prix, but now once you reach a threshold of points you can count on locking in your benefits rather than being constantly uncertain whether you’re playing often and well enough to receive your perks.

You also gave us feedback on controversial Planeswalker Point multipliers, and we have taken steps based on your feedback to resolve these issues as well. I want to take this opportunity to clarify what it means for Friday Night Magic. The FNM multiplier will be reduced to keep the spirit of that series intact: FNM is meant to be a friendly competition and new players should feel welcome to participate and join their local Magic community. Additionally, FNM should not overshadow other store-run events, which had a lower multiplier.

A Few Additional Words about PTQs

In North America, selected hobby stores will begin being able to host Pro Tour Qualifiers for Pro Tour Avacyn Restored, with the goal of full store-run PTQ implementation in late 2012. We are partnering with these hobby stores to offer the best possible play experiences to you.

Additionally, we have decided to increase the global number of PTQs to better serve the remote areas and maintain a path to the Pro Tour for these communities. While we currently run 200 PTQs by season, by the time of the Pro Tour #3 season, this number will have increased to 220. Markets such as those in Eastern Europe or island nations, to name a few examples, will get the priority. It doesn’t mean that all small markets will get a PTQ per season, but we’ll make sure to rotate PTQ slots from one season to another between the smaller countries we want to serve better.

I also want to draw your attention to the fact that we’re adjusting the Planeswalker Points website to introduce the new multipliers and the other policy changes; these changes will not be reflected until late January. Some Planeswalker Points totals will not be accurate until the new web update is completed.

I realize that we’re making a lot of changes—thank you for your support.

We are committed to Premier Play and growing the Magic community by providing great play experiences. Feel free to share your thoughts on the forums. You can also reach out to us throughout the year via social media: on Twitter use the hashtag #mtgop and send messages to myself at @HeleneBergeot, OP programs manager Scott Larabee at @ScottLarabee, or Magic R&D head Aaron Forsythe at @mtgaaron.

—Helene Bergeot