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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Meech17" data-source="post: 9445956" data-attributes="member: 7044459">I'm going to complain about Magic: The Gathering.. and specifically the M:TG community on Twitter for a moment. I hope you all don't mind.The "Primary" format for Magic is called Standard (It was Type 2 back in the day if any of you seniors used to play.) It's the format which uses the rotating set of new cards. It's a big joke that no one plays Standard, and Standard is dead. WOTC has been putting all their eggs into different MTG baskets, and have kind of left Standard to wither. It feels like they're making some small efforts to change that lately though.I've only been seriously playing since about 2021, and I've only gotten into more competitive Magic very recently. Now is a really good time to be playing Standard. We just had rotation last month, which hit right as a new set came out, so the format is all shaken up. There's no definitive "Best" deck in the meta, and there's actually space to brew around and try fun and interesting things, while still actually being competitive.  WOTC has sent LGS' a bunch of promo cards for events they call "Standard Showdowns" and the "Store Championship" My local store has been running Showdowns every Saturday this month, and plans to keep running them as long as we keep showing up. I've been to every one, and we've fired with anywhere from 4-6 players. Not exactly a big tournament or anything.. But it's a lot of fun. I'm having a really good time. There's a couple of top tier decks at the moment, including some really nasty Black Discard based strategies, but all in all it's pretty open still. For an example of how open it is, I won the last Showdown with the deck I played last season and hastily modified to replace the now illegal cards after rotation.So these promo cards. There's one that everyone gets just for showing up. It's actually sweet. I'm excited to get my fourth one this weekend and have a full playset. [ATTACH=full]378123[/ATTACH] They give this out to everyone at the Showdown, and then there's another card for the winner that's also super cool. It's a weird cross-over with Cowboy Bebop.[ATTACH=full]378124[/ATTACH] The thing about these promos is that they're worth about $6-8, respectively. Not huge prizes, but very cool.. And worth the $10 entry fee. (Which also includes the experience of playing, of course.)So the Showdowns and a lead up event to the "Standard Store Championship" which features that same consolation prize promo card.. But also two other ones, for the top 4, [ATTACH=full]378125[/ATTACH]and the winner. This first place prize card is worth ~$300.[ATTACH=full]378126[/ATTACH] Granted, right now, hype is high, and supply is low. Over the next month more and more stores will hold their Championships and give out their prizes.. The price may go down a little. (Then probably shoot back up after some time has passed.)Here's what was going around Magic X this morning. [ATTACH=full]378128[/ATTACH]A store tried to make their events "Locals Only". So you could only enter if you've played in some number of other events previously in the year. When questioned on this, they walked it back, and instead suggested "Entry is $300, and for every so many events you've played in thus far, you get a discount." The idea seems to be that they're trying to discourage tournament grinders from traveling around their local area, or however far they're willing to drive, to compete at these events to try and win the promos, and instead make it easier for the regular customers to win them.I'm kind of torn on this situation. On the surface, it feels kind of gross.. But the more I've been stewing about it.. The more I kind of get it? I'm absolutely loving playing Standard at my LGS. I'm trying really hard to help get it off the ground. I've been posting about it weekly on the store discord, and in local MTG based Facebook groups.. I'm singing the praises of my store and the format hoping to get more people to show up.On one hand, I don't think we should try and discourage people from coming. Perhaps not everyone has the free time that I do.. They can't dedicate four hours and $10 a week to come in and play pretend wizard fights. Maybe they can manage to do one, and they're saving that time for the Championship.On the other hand.. It's going to be a real feel bad if me and the regulars who have kept the smaller events running over the last month/into next month show up to play, and are smashed by grinders who have probably never been to the store, and don't plan on returning until the next time there's some sort of bigger prize on the line.I know a lot of you don't play MTG, but you're familiar with game stores, and some of you even own them.. I'd love to hear your perspectives. MTG X is leaning on the side of the grinders saying that this is a scummy move by the LGS in question.. But I kind of find myself leaning towards the LGS's side.</blockquote>

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