Lessons Learned

This is a response to the PT/PTQ format thread. I think that those who want the PTQs and PTs to share formats have no idea what they are really asking for. First, I'd like to describe what our Battletech team did (basically the store's players) for Worlds '98.

The format for the qualifiers, the day-before qualifier and the main event were almost exactly the same. Luckily, there is no real Dojo-level site for Battletech, so while the dominant deck types became clear the deck lists did not. Then we all went to GenCon, with a record on Alpha Strike of what deck we qualified with. The day-before qualifier (at JSS difficulty and open to qualified players) was called the "second-best deck competition".

The key was that our team had developed the first creatureless battletech deck, the rough equivelent of ProspBloom, and held it in reserve until Worlds. We caught about 106 of 108 other players 100% off guard. Everyone had done so much testing they discounted our deck type, since no one had made it work. So without the Emerald Charms and Auras of Silence, we had a very easy field.

Now compare that to what would happen in Magic. Most good players, and all but the top teams, can make one really good origional deck per format, tops. In addition, most will be discovered anyway over the course of the qualifier season. But there will be decks that only come from one team or person, because no one else built it or no one else built it right.

Now, look at the advantage of qualifying on Pro Tour points or Rating. Your team gets to HIDE your deck during the qualifiers, while others have to choose between exposing their deck in qualifiers or risk not qualifying. Instead of now, where most players have origional decks, at the PT, there would be 3-8 each of CMU, Deadguy, Dickhead, Legion and a few other teams with origional decks. Everyone else would be using the same 5 decks and be easy prey.

I think the big challenge of both PTs and PTQs is trying to build a good deck and prepare for an unknown field. The current system of holding worlds and GP:Boston before the qualifiers hurts this effort. I like that I went to a Chicago qualifier (last year) with an origional deck no one else had, that was built (not from my copy, I don't think) everywhere later. I'd played 3 games with it before the qualifier, and lost to another deck I'd never seen in Top 8. That's a PTQ. We need to go back to that.

A very simple solution might be to end the qualifier season before the last set used in a constructed ProTour became available, not just before the ProTour. This would put everyone on equal footing.

Zvi Mowshowitz Team Legion