Thanks a Million - FNM Changes, PT/Pro Club Changes, $1M in Prizes & More!

First Pick & Giveaway:

Launch of Chaos Draft Boxes 2.0 - Now in 3 versions

Giving away an 8x Set of Bronze draft boxes:

https://gleam.io/7ebRv/win-an-8x-set-of-bronze-chaos-draft-boxes

http://www.coolstuffinc.com/page/3775

In-Store Play Evolves

http://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/feature/store-play-evolves-2017-07-16

• As of October 6th FNM now to have double-sided tokens instead of custom promos
• Standard Showdown moving to weekends and feature foil basic lands - the first a series of 5 Rebecca Guay artworks
• Store Championship at end of each season - with a full-art participation promo.
• • First is on Dec 30-31st featuring Rivals of Ixalan promo items

http://magic.tcgplayer.com/db/article.asp?ID=14055&writer=Corbin+Hosler&articledate=7-18-2017 - Corbin Hosler on FNM from a store-owner perspective; need a way to 'graduate' players from novice league to FNM; Give stores the ability to run Standard Showdown on Friday

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4N2XTYIQF2I - Professor's "Fail Night Magic"

• Competition drives attendance
• If you wanted to reward new players, add promos don't replace
• "Provide something I can't get at the kitchen table"
• Add / Give / Invest - Do Not Take Away
• After Rebecca Guay - what's next?
• • Turn into a common / hab-drab
  • Going to wear itself out fast
  • Not going to sustain for years
• Bad Promos for so long caused a long wane
• • It attracts players, or it doesn't; which is it?
  • Wizards didn't tweet directly announcing FNM promo or promoting it
  • Offer 6mo of great promos w promotion from WotC
• Bad Standard = Low Numbers
• Why can't they show us data?
• Doesn't Respect Loyalty

Gather the Townsfolk:

MTGO Launch problems - Servers went to crap. People were sad.

PT/Worlds in 2018

http://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/organized-play/2018s-pro-tours-and-2017s-worlds-2017-07-19

PT Rivals of Ixalan - Feb 2-4, Bilbao, Spain - MODERN / Draft

PT Dominaria - June 1-3, Richmond, VA (?) - Standard / Draft

PT 25th Anniversary - August 3-5 Minneapolis, MN - Team Constructed (Std/Mod/Leg(!!))

PT "Spaghetti" - Nov 2-4, Atlanta, GA, Standard / Draft

World Magic Cup - Dec 14-16 Barcelona, Spain, Format TBD

PT 25th Anniversary:

• 3 Person Teams
• Standard / Modern / Legacy
• Team Competition all 3 days

How to Qualify:

• Do well w PT Team
• • Top 16 teams after PT Dominaria
  • Team participating must be 100% part of the PT Team
• Top 4 a Team GP From Jan 6 - May 27th, 2018
• Sunday PTQs at GPs will feature Team formats.
• Team RPTQ at 30 locations around the world
• Silver/Gold/Platinum/HoF members (Silver can use their invite here)
• 33 pro points or better at PT Dominaria
• MTGO Can't Qualify

Prizes:

• "Will coincide with a special exhibition tournament" which will together provide ONE MILLION DOLLARS IN PRIZES - Details in September...

http://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/organized-play/pro-club-transforms-after-2017-18-2017-07-19

• 4 "cycles" lining up with 4 releases each year; last 4 cycle points count, rolling forward
• Less importance on first PT, less daggers if you miss a level
• Levels change each Cycle
• Maximum of 3 events count for this total each cycle
• Ixalan Cycle | Rivals of Ixalan Cycle | Dominaria Cycle | Core 2019 -- note they didn't' say "Magic 25"
• Now a Bronze level, in effect starting today
• Any player who receives at least 10 pro points | Granting it immediately to all players who have earned 10-19 pro points *this season*.

Bronze Pro Club level gets:

• RPTQ invite
• 1 Bye at GPs
• Nationals invite

Any player who wins a PT, MTGO Championship, World Championship, Rookie of the Year, or any title that grants Pro Club status, they automatically get that status for 4 full cycles aka a year.

Threshold:

• Bronze 10pts
• Silver 20pts
• Gold 35pts
• Platinum 52pts

Details on Hascon Collection:

• Three silver-bordered cards & a token
• Brings "Dungeons & Dragons, Nerf, and Transformers into your next game of MTG"
• Includes exclusive version of the Sword of Dungeons & Dragons with accompanying Gold Dragon Token from Unstable

Splash Damage:
Hearthstone data ground to a fine powder:
http://www.vicioussyndicate.com/vs-data-reaper-report-55/

Related: https://www.mtggoldfish.com/articles/wizards-data-insanity

The Finisher

Last week, Bob of Bob's Dugout led a masterclass in how best to burn every possible bridge on your way out the door from having WPN status. Now, in the past we've talked about stores losing WPN status from not having enough in-store space or not running enough events a week, but never before have we had the reason be the owner go off on a good ol' fashioned racist tirade. To quote Mr. Dugout himself: "WOTC kicked me off because of something I said in my store if you can believe that! No freedom of speech here in JewMerica. I am still in shock, and anger, and disbelief but it's true." That escalated quickly. So, my JewMerican cohosts, if your store was to be denied WPN status, how would you make your less-than-graceful exit in your Facebook post?