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frogtownhobbies · 5 years ago

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On August 24 Frogtown Hobbies hosted a Mythic Championship Qualifier, the first in their history, and the only one being run in Northwest Ohio for the season. The format was modern and after SCG IQs in the last two months drew 60+ competitors excitement was high, especially with $3000 being given out to the top 16. We ended up with 98 players from throughout the tri-state area as well as southern Ontario. In the end it was Timothy Robertson and his Boros Burn deck that took the crown and the invite to the November Mythic Championship in Virginia by defeating Quang Vu on Urza Sword.

The field showed a little more homogeneity than either of the recent IQs with 17.3% of players bringing the boogeyman of the format, Hogaak. Recent analyses by Frank Karsten and Tobi Henke at Channel Fireball having shown the dominance of the deck in modern probably contributed to that percentage. It should be noted that the diversity of modern still means that you would have about a 26% chance of dodging Hogaak for all 7 rounds. The Urza, Lord High Artificer/Thopter Foundry/Sword of the Meek deck (Urza Sword) was the second most played deck on the day at 12.2%. It is widely regarded as having one of the best Hogaak matchups in the field and is very good against creature decks but current configurations struggle against both burn and tron. Mono-red Phoenix, mono-green Tron and Burn rounded out the five most played decks. Please note that on the accompanying chart mono-green tron is split into versions with (8 total) and without (3 total) Karn, the Great Creator.

Due to the recent banning of Hogaak, Arisen Necropolis and Faithless Looting and unbanning of Stoneforge Mystic I decided to keep my matchup analysis for this tournament brief. There are some interesting and useful pieces of information that can be gleaned however if one delves into the results. Let’s start with the day’s best performing decks by average results, these decks all did very well in small sample sizes (3 or less players each), don’t lose anything after the bans and remind us that no matter what we think we know about modern somewhere, someone disagrees and will beat you if you’re not prepared for them. Ten players all together chose to play either Infect, Abzan Midrange (!), Amulet, Humans or Affinity. While none of those players made top-8 they all finished on at least 9 points with Kevin Mcleskey finishing in ninth place on tie breaks (5-1-1) with Humans and exactly one player finishing on 5-2 for each deck. Jon Koch’s strong finish with Abzan Midrange is especially interesting due to the possibility of slotting Stoneforge Mystic right into that deck. I would also like to call out Andrew Wolthuis of Swish Gaming for thoroughly wrecking me (on Urza Sword) in round 4 with a game 1 first turn Hope of Ghirapur out of his Affinity deck.

The middle chunk of the chart contains all of the most heavily played decks except 1 (we’ll get to you, Jund) and a range of average performances from very good (Urza Sword and Burn) to slightly below average (Hogaak). It should be noted that the overall mean for this dataset is 8.37 and the overall median is 9. Furthermore, the more copies of a deck in the tournament, the more likely it is to approach the mean/median. Urza Sword and Burn were the big winners on the day, populating the top tables all tournament long and bagging 4 of the top-8 spots. As mentioned above, Timothy Robertson took down the tournament with his Boros Burn deck (playing 3 sb Leyline of the Void, 2 sb Shattering Spree and a 2-2 split of Skullcracks). Timothy did get to face a favorable matchup in Urza Sword in the semifinals and finals but definitely proved his mettle all day, beating unfavorable matchups Hogaak twice and Eldrazi Tron once. In addition to Robertson, Drew Johnson and Corey Petryschuk both managed 5-2 records to help bring up Burn’s average up. Urza Sword put three players in the top-8 (Quang Vu, Joel Holosko and Austin Davis) with Vu losing to Robertson in the finals. Davis opted for a white splash for Teferi, Time Raveler, Holosko went with a green splash for sideboard cards and Vu went ahead and did both, leaning on his Mox Opals, Arcum’s Astrolabes and a pair of Chromatic Stars to help him cast 5 colors worth of goodness. Urza Sword is definitely one of the favorites to be a top deck going forward with some people even suggesting it as a possible home for Stoneforge Mystic. Personally I want to take advantage of a probable decrease in graveyard hate to try out Trash for Treasure in the deck (which combos nicely with Goblin Engineer). I seperated mono-green Tron decks in the chart to show the split between the two most common versions of the deck with those variants running Karn, the Great Creator (and its sb package) finishing notably worse than those who eschewed the Silver Golem. Kyle Boggemes took one of those copies without Karn to the top-8, presumably using his superior magical skills to beat three mirror matches along the way.

Despite big (justifiable) hype Hogaak decks did not perform well as a whole on Saturday with the average finish being worse than any other heavily played deck. Definitive “best decks” do have a tendency to draw a lot of players who haven’t played them extensively and their opponent is often more experienced playing against their deck than they are playing it. I’m not sure if this is what happened here or if perhaps the amount of hate in the format just finally reached the necessary level to contain the undead. Either way, 7 of the 17 players who sleeved up Hogaak finished with 1 or less match-win on the day. James Quinn and Allison Coleman both made top-8 but bowed out in the quarterfinals. The last deck I want to point out from this section is mono-R Phoenix which thoroughly supplanted the older Izzet version of the deck by the end of Hogaak summer. Wes Williamson carried this group with a top-8 appearance while most pilots finished around 9 points for the day. I used Tobi Henke’s math-up analysis article to figure out what odds every top-8 competitor overcame to make the elimination rounds and found that Williamson had the toughest path. Given his matchups in the first 6 rounds he had only a 7.36% chance of being 5-1 or better with especially tough matchups for his deck being Eldrazi Tron in round 1, Twiddle Storm in round 3 and Hogaak in round 6 all of which he beat so good on him. If you’re interested here are every other top-8 player’s odds for reaching 5-1 or better given their matchups:

*Please note that these are very rough as they make a lot of assumptions about decklists and the importance of player skill but they do illustrate how important matchups can be. For a baseline, 50% matchups all day would give a 10.9% chance of 5-1 through 6 matches.

The bottom of the chart comprises 12 little-played decks that managed averages of 2 or less wins each (topping out at a couple of 9-point finishes for Goblins and Grixis Death’s Shadow) and Jund. Jund was definitely the big loser on the day with five players managing to eke out a total of 8 wins between them. Having bad matchups against Hogaak, Urza Sword, Burn and Tron was definitely not an enviable place to be on Saturday. I know a lot of people have been talking about Jund being potentially good against Stoneforge Mystic but with three of those decks not losing anything to the bans Jund may need to stay on the sidelines for a while longer.

With Faithless Looting and Hogaak leaving the format I believe the best place to be will be leaning on the remaining busted cards, namely Mox Opal and Ancient Stirring or playing one of the reliably fast decks with a little bit of disruption. My preliminary top 5 modern decks for the new format are Urza Sword, Affinity/Hardened Scales, Tron, Burn and Amulet. Of course, modern is famed for its diversity so there are another 20 decks after that that will give you a chance on any given day with Storm, Infect, Humans, Bogles and Amulet Titan being my picks for most likely to break into that first tier. Personally I have been really enjoying a Bant Flash Snow deck lately and I think it has chops but we’ll see. I think that Stoneforge Mystic doesn’t quite play on the right axis to heavily impact modern but that UW control is likely to get a little better with access to it. I will not miss Hogaak but for those who did play it I offer this small condolence, you can’t play Looting or Hogaak but you can still play Ideas Unbound and Demon of Death’s Gate. That’s something, right?

-Stephen K Timmons

#articles #staff #mtg #magic the gathering #mythic championship qualifier

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peachyteabuck · 4 years ago

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come water me ☂

summary: after years of depending on science to give you a child, you think giving a magic a shot isn’t a half-bad idea (a commission for @myhoneybeeheart)

pairing: steve rogers x thor odinson x reader (established steve rogers x reader)

words: 3,538

trigger warnings: infertility, MMF threesomes, creampies, praise kink, breeding kink, cuckolding, angst if you squint but like REALLY squint. REALLY REALLY squint.

ask box / masterlist / commission info / ko-fi

You and Steve had both done every test known to every male and female fertility specialist in the United States, along with several European countries, Japan, China, and Australia. Every single one, for each of you, pointed to the same thing – infertility.

Persistent infertility. As in, the both of you are not only infertile, but will continue to be infertile despite any type of treatments any type of doctor wants to put you through. Steve doesn’t qualify for experimental treatments, and you’ve tried at least five to no avail.

Long story short, neither of you can have biological children.

The problem is, you both really want biological children. But, according to biology, it just isn’t going to happen.

“Science says so,” the last doctor had told you, voice full of apology. “I’m so sorry.”

That particularly heartbreaking appointment was in the late afternoon, but the battery of tests meant you and your husband were stuck in the shitty doctor’s office until long past when the sun had set. You were grateful how dark it was when you left, terrified some Captain America stan or paparazzi would get a high definition picture of both you with puffy faces along with snot and stray tears still running down your face. It was late when you got back to your secluded high rise, neither of you hungry nor willing to feign it enough to order something. You didn’t know about Steve, but the sadness had somehow overwhelmed every single one of your senses – making your taste buds pointless and limbs numb. Silently, the both of you got ready for bed and held each other as emotional exhaustion acted as a second weighted blanket and lulled you both to sleep.

It was the next morning when you thought of what you had dubbed “the plan.” You had gotten up before Steve (unusual, as you’d been together long enough that wallowing in self pity was a shared activity) and sat at the kitchen table with unbrushed teeth, messy hair, and the sort of determination that comes with a self-reflexive ultimatum: if “the plan” didn’t work, you’d stop trying. You’d tell Steve that you’ve come to terms with your inability to conceive and continue your journey to start from the assumption that there was nothing either of you could do to make it happen. It’s a heartbreaking reality, but it was one you were willing to accept.

It took a few days to work up the courage, to find the right time to broach the idea with the man you chose to spend the rest of your life with. The perfect moment ended up being when you were both eating dinner, Steve telling a story about something ridiculous Peter had done on a mission (turns out, flirting with a fellow agent undercover as a full service sex worker is not a good idea). You were both happy, incredibly so, and you knew whenever your husband talked about the kid it ignited the special light inside of him that wanted to be a father.

It was the tail end of the story, he was two beers down (a special mix Tony had concocted that balanced with Steve’s serum-induced metabolism), and he was happy. So with a deep inhale and sustained eye contact, you rambled with your prepared speech that covered a few of concerns you knew Steve would have and informed him of your personal deal.

You finished quickly – words tumbling out of your mouth before you knew they were being spoken. Your heart beat loudly in your chest, blood rushed to your ears. You were terrified.

That was, until Steve gave his reply a few hours later.

(He asked if he could table the conversation for a little while, wanting to “think it over.” Of course you told him it was okay, especially since you knew there was dessert still waiting to be eaten in the fridge, and you were still very hungry.)

You imagined a lot of responses from your husband, the worst of which sounded like the beginning of a particularly sad Shonda Rhimes television show:

“You want to what?” Steve nearly screams. “You want to invite Thor Odinson in our marriage bed so that we can have a child!? No! I won’t allow it!”

You fall to the ground, sobbing, clutching your phone as you scream back. “I want what’s best for us! For our family! For our future child!”

Steve storms out of the bedroom, turning back to your crumbled figure just before stomping out. “I’m calling a divorce lawyer. I want you out by Monday.”

You expected you’d have to convince him, would have to coax his clenched jaw towards your face so he’d know how serious you are from the look in your eyes. Maybe you’d have to wait days, weeks, months before he’d agree, would have to have long conversations with him and his colleague about negotiations and boundaries and whatever else.

What you didn’t expect was for Steve to agree not only immediately, but enthusiastically.

“T-that’s it?” you asked. You both were in bed, reading separate books before you’d each turn off the lights and go to sleep. He was reading something about battle tactics during Vietnam while you were thumbing through a book about the history of swearing.

Steve did not look up from his novel. “You want to have a threesome with Thor in the hopes it’ll give us a baby?”

You looked to him, brow furrowed. “Yeah?”

Now he puts the book down and turns to you. “The worst thing that happens is we have sex with a literal deity?”

At first you think he’s joking but, nope. He’s serious.

“Uh, yeah,” you reply again.

Steve shrugs before going back to his book. “Then yeah, but you have to call him.”

You blink a few times – shocked. Pleasantly shocked, but still shocked. “That’s…a deal. Yeah. I can, I’ll talk to him.”

Steve smiles, turning back to you once more and giving you a peck on the cheek. “Sounds good, babe. Let me know what he says.”

You nod, still a little surprised. “O-of course.”

With that, the conversation ends, and you need to figure out how to contact the man in question.

The next morning, you learn from the detailed calendar Tony’s assistant keeps that Thor’s on Migard for the rest of the month, doing…whatever. Honestly, you have no idea what he’s doing, and – even more honestly – you don’t care. Short of saving an entire population from destruction, you’re sure he can make time for you.

Luckily you find him easily, watching some reality show about weird white people in the living room of a common floor. You take deep breaths for stepping into eyeshot, asking if you can sit next to him (he says yes) before you start what is likely the most uncomfortable conversation of your life.

Somehow, though, Thor beats you to it. “If you want me to help you and Steve conceive, just tell me the date and time you want me in your bed.”

Even more so than when Steve accepted your recent proposal, you’re surprised by Thor’s forwardness. “Um-“

Thor smiles, putting a comforting arm around your shoulders before pulling you close against him. “Listen, I’ve done this with many families on many planets. I’ve never done it on Earth, but I’m willing to give it a try for you two. You deserve a child, and I’d be happy to help with that.”

You wipe a stray tear before allowing yourself to be enveloped into Thor’s massive arms. “Thank you,” you tell him after your heart had stopped beating at your ribs as if they were boxers going for the championship title. “Thank you so much.”

You feel Thor smile against the side of your head. “Of course, anything for you.”

You return to Steve with your findings, who agrees to set it up for the next night. The few hours before the mythical man is scheduled to arrive are an otherworldly combination, as if you had put giddy excitement, gut-wrenching fear, and determined optimism in a Nutribullet with bananas and strawberries and vanilla Greek yogurt and served it with-

“Honey, he said we both have to eat before,” Steve pulls the breaks on your train of thought, nudging your plate of food towards you with a small smile. “I’ve known you for long enough to know what you overthinking and forgetting to eat looks like.”

You nod and sigh, biting into the seasoned steamed vegetables. “Sorry, I-“

Steve shakes his head, swallowing whatever from his plate he was chewing. “I’ve also known you long enough to not need you to explain. Just eat.”

He’s right, you think as you clear your plate. You’ve known Steve for over a decade, dating for nine of them and married for seven. He met you through Natasha, who knew you from your work as a professor studying the differing effects of veterans and civilians (how she found you is still a mystery) and invited you to a conference that Stark was funding and therefore required the Avengers to make an appearance. He knew everything about you, and you knew everything about him.

For the first time in a long time, you wonder whether that’s a good thing, or a bad one.

When Thor arrives, he directs the two of you with ease, accepting a glass of expensive red wine as he follows you to the expansive bedroom.

He makes you strip first, tells you to lay in the center of the bed with your legs spread over the end and arms at your side. Steve’s next, already half-hard as he takes his position by your head, on his knees so he can watch the show in front of you. He’s naked, erection hard against his chiseled stomach.

“You’re so beautiful,” you tell him, blissed out before anything had ever begun.

He smiles down at you, same look in his eye the same day you got married. “You, too babe.”

Thor lets you have the moment as he undresses himself, letting you wrap a hand around Steve’s cock as he slots himself between your legs.

“Mm,” Thor hums, tracking your every move with a precise eye. “What a pretty cunt you have…”

A deep moan from you cuts him off as he kneels and licks a wide stripe up your dripping center, his large hands moving under your knees to bend your legs to your chest.

“Oh!” you cry, one of your hands moving to clutch his long blonde hair. “Oh that feels so good!”

You can feel Thor smiling into your folds as one of his perfectly calloused fingers slowly enters you, reveling in your now-mindless acceptance of pleasure. “So tight,” he moans. “Can’t wait to feel you around my cock.”

It doesn’t take long for your brain to fry, losing your ability to do anything but moan and sloppily jerk off your husband as Thor begins to fuck two fingers in and out of you at a bruising pace.

Steve watches you intensely, takes over jerking his own dick when you lose control of the muscles in your hands.

Thor scoffs, rolling his eyes you pout when his lips leave you.

“C’mon, love,” he murmurs into your inner thigh. “Don’t neglect the man.”

Nearly panting, you wrap your lips around Steve’s cock while Thor continues eating you out.

“Fuck you’re so good at this,” Steve hisses as you start to gag on him, running your tongue on the underside of his cock.

You do your best to smile as one hand moves to play with his balls, eyes screwing shut as you turn all your attention onto your husband’s cock.

“That feel good?” Thor asks, hand around the base of his cock. He grunts when Steve nods, his head thrown back in ecstasy. “C’mon, Stevie. Tell me how good your wife’s mouth feels on your dick.”

Steve swallows what little spit is left in his mouth before trying to remember how to speak. “It f-feels so good,” he’s breathless, chest straining as he tries not to come. “Wet and t-tight, the best thing I’ve ever felt.”

Thor grunts deep in his chest, as if he’s restraining himself. “Keeping going – and tell me when you’re about to cum.”

Steve moans when he hits the back of your throat, both hands now tangled in your hair. “F-feels so good, like she’s sucking the life out of me through my fucking dick- Oh fuck!”

You’re deep throating him now, breathing through your nose as you gag.

“T-Thor,” he moans, voice strained. “I-I think I’m-“

“Stop,” the man at the end of the bed commands as he continues fucking his fingers in and out of you. Reluctantly, you do as you’re told, ceasing all actions and giving Steve the most pitiful look you can muster.

“C’mere pretty girl,” Thor murmurs, leaving one last kiss at the most sensitive part of you. “It’s time for me to fuck you.”

You and Steve both moan deeply as he lifts himself to his feet and aligns himself with your center – hardened cock bobbing against his stomach. The sight is enough to make your center tighten, skin on fire as you wait for him to gift you reprieve.

“Such a perfect little pussy,” Thor mumbles to no one but himself, grinning wide as he enters you.

Little words are exchanged after that, Thor focusing on the feeling of your cunt instead of talking.

“Oh Thor-“ you moan, pulling away from Steve to throw your head back once more. “Oh shit holy-“

Thor just laughs, leaning down so he can kiss you. He places one hand next to your head for balance, the other moving to jerk Steve’s cock for you. His whole body works like a perfectly build machine, hips and hand working in tandem to get all three of you off. His movements are languid and purposeful, as if each muscle contraction and release was planned long, long ago in some expert fashion.

As Steve moans once again that he’s close, you remember what Thor had told you the day previous – that he had done this for other people attempting to build their families. In an instant, you were struck with the fear that this was somehow mechanical for him, something he was doing out of some sense of duty with half his brain focused on what he was going to have for dinner or what fruit was in season – something mundane and minutely distracting so he could phone it in and take the credit when the pregnancy test came back positive.

Thor notices you’re drifting away, grabs you with one hand and coaxes your eyes to meet his. “Don’t worry about anything, baby,” he tells you, voice low in his chest. “Don’t worry, I’ve got you.”

It’s comforting – you can’t describe why, don’t even understand why; but even if you could, Steve’s begging cuts your train of thought short.

“Fuck please,” his voice is high and desperate, anything left of his precious Captain America façade torn to shreds by the possibility of denial. “Please let me come!”

Thor just shakes his head and smiles, putting him through the same torture as he did before but continuing fucking you – ignoring Steve’s cries as he rubs at your clit.

“Ignore him, baby,” he murmurs to you, “C’mon, focus on how good it’s gonna feel when I make you come.”

That’s all it takes for you to lose yourself, to throw your head back and buck your hips up and scream as loud as your exhausted lung will allow. At the last second before you reach your peak Thor moves away from you to grab the back of Steve’s head, pulling the man into a deep kiss.

“Fuck,” Thor groans against Steve’s lips. “Fuck you’re both so gorgeous I’m, fuck, I’m gonna-“

Thor releases himself inside of you with a deafening shout, moaning into Steve’s mouth as his come spills out of you. You’re speechless, watching them kiss above you while you pant.

For a moment there’s silence – the thick scent of sex and the wet sounds of their mouths and your pussy being the only things that fill the air. The only thing that cuts through it is Thor’s gruff voice instructing Steve to take his place between your legs.

The shuffling is awkward but gives you a minute to breathe, the clouds in your brain clearing with a few seconds of being left alone. Unlike Steve, Thor lays next to you on his side, one hand framing your jaw as he kisses you deeply.

Steve takes a moment to admire Thor’s cum dripping out of your pussy, resisting the urge to kneel down and lay his tongue there and drink it all down.

He swallows what little spit is left in his mouth as he enters you, body trembling as his eyes roll to the back of his head. The feeling of your pussy – though familiar – is sublime; mixed with the feeling of Thor’s cum inside of you makes him want to cry from the overwhelming pleasure.

He doesn’t, though, he somehow gets his brain and cock to reconnect so that he can fuck you despite his entire body screaming. You’re sensitive – if Steve couldn’t read your body language, your screaming moans and eyes screwed shut would tell him. It’s a precious thing to see you in such a feral state, to see you fucked out and desperate and begging to be pushed over the cliff again and again and again. You’re normally a very professional woman – always put together and well-spoken and knowledgeable in any subject necessary. To see you incoherent, lost to the pleasure – it’s something special Steve is determined to remember for the rest of his days.

“Such a good boy,” Thor tells him when he notices Steve’s concentration fading. “You fuck your wife so well for me,” he turns to you, leaving a kiss at the corner of your panting mouth. “Doesn’t your husband fuck you so good?”

“Y-yes,” you reply after you take a second to process what he’s asking of you. “Steve’s so good at fucking a baby into me, makes me feel so good I, oh!”

Something in Steve snaps as he listens to Thor, elicits something primal that makes him dig his fingers into the pit of your pushed-up knees as he pounds into you without mercy.

“Gonna-“ Steve moans. “Gonna fuck our baby into you, gonna make sure everyone knows how good I fuck you, fuck!”

Thor just smiles all big and toothy, looking between your face and Steve’s. Just as confident as before, he trails the same hand as before between your breasts and down your stomach, rubbing at your sensitive nub once more.

“You can do it, baby,” he whispers to you, coaxing another orgasm out of you with skilled fingers. “You’re so beautiful, I want to watch you come again. You can do that, right? You can come again for me?”

You shake your head, too overwhelmed to form coherent sentences. “I, I- “

“Shh,” he trails his thumb – still soaked with your slick and his precum – “It’s okay, my little dove. You can do it once more for me and Steve. C’mon, you can do it with him, right?”

You don’t speak, don’t move, don’t do anything – too focused on the feeling of Thor next to you and Steve on top of you and Thor rubbing at your clit and Steve fucking your pussy and the warmed sheets between your fingers and the sweat pooling between your breasts and-

“Fuck!” Steve’s screams mirror your own internal monologue. “Fuck I’m-“

Thor uses the thumb that was just under your lip to grab Steve’s jaw, forcing their eyes to meet just as he had done many times before. “Come for me.”

You and Steve’s orgasms come at the same time, the both of you twitching as you fall slowly, deliriously, from the shared delicious high.

When the French coined folie a duex, you’d always assumed it was about some madness that happened to manifest in two people. But what is defined as “madness?” Could it be the sweet satisfaction that flows through each of your veins like gold? Could it be the vacant contentment behind Steve’s eyes? Could it be the vacant content behind yours?

Somehow, Thor maneuvers the two of you so that all three of you can lay there, out of breath and sweaty all over as each of you stares at separate spots on the ceiling.

You’re the one to break the silence, stuck between the two men in the center of the large bed. “Do you think it worked?”

Steve turns towards you, leaning on one arm while the other spreads itself over your stomach. “I think so.”

Thor turns over next, mirroring Steve’s position. Free hand, though, goes to cup your face, pulling you in for a quick peck on the lips before guiding you to Steve for a much deeper kiss.

“I think so, too,” the large man says eventually, watching as you and Steve remain locked together. He doesn’t think either of you can hear him, but he smiles at the softness on both of your faces nonetheless.

#steve rogers x reader #thor odinson x reader #steve rogers x thor odinson x reader #thundershield x reader #lukis does commissions #lukis writes stuff

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dominicesquire · 6 years ago

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Not game related, but, I made top 8 of a Mythic Championship Qualifier today! I lost the first round of top 8, but I ended the 7 rounds of swiss in first place, which was cool. I’m the small guy wearing a blue hat in the picture.

There were around 150 people playing, and I got a cool 200 bucks for my efforts. I also got a sweet Arcbound Ravager promo, which I immediately sold for 40. Not bad! I also got a sweet playmat on the cheap (only ten bucks).

As for what I played, I played G/R Warriors. It’s a good deck, and a style I’m comfortable with. The deck felt incredibly strong. The two matches I lost (1 in swiss, 1 in top 8) both went to game three and ended with me getting stuck on two lands, which sucks but it happens. I’m just glad I was able to do well at one of these things, finally!

#magic #magic the gathering #mythic championship #mythic #magic arena #mtg #mtglife

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mtggoldfish · 5 years ago

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duresspacito · 6 years ago

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A Simplified Guide to Understanding How to Qualify for the Magic The Gathering Mythic Championships Formerly Known as the Pro Tour

Fans of Magic the Gathering have been eagerly awaiting the announcement of the new system that would replace the previous Pro Tour Qualification system for the newly re-branded Magic the Gathering Mythic Championships Formerly Known as the Pro Tour (MTGMCFKPT). Today, Wizards of the Coast answered the prayers of competitive players everywhere with details on the new qualification system. To better help you parse the complicated announcement, we’ve written this simplified guide. How to qualify for the MTGMCFKPT: The top 74 FNM players in the country will be allowed to provide free Grand Prix video coverage for the next seven Magic Fests. The 14 players with the highest rated streams from this coverage will be chosen to move on to the first round of qualification tournaments. The format for the first round with be Standard Best of One (BO1). Players will have 60 seconds to finish each match, failure to do so will result in disqualification. The results from these matches will be divided by the number of tweets each player has tweeted praising the quality of Magic the Gathering Arena over the past 6 months. This will result in four players moving to the next qualification round. These four players will be pitted against each other to see who can most quickly tear up a pile of paper MTG singles while chanting “E-Sports! E-Sports! E-Sports!” in their language of choice. The winner of this event will be allowed to attempt to finish with a #1 ranking on MTG Arena for the season corresponding to the most recent upcoming MTGMCFKPT. If that player ends that season ranked #1...they will be qualified!

See how simple it is? As WotC says “YOU could become the next Magic Champion!”

*Side note: popular racist streamers will be given honorary invites, so if you or someone you know is a streamer with questionable ethics and an offensive screen name, WotC wants to hear from YOU!

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commander-deck-ideas · 2 years ago

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Am I the only one who thinks the idea of ranked best of one is conceptually idiotic? Ranked implies competitive, and there's really nothing competitive about only playing game ones. I find it incredibly ridiculous that somebody can qualify for the mythic championship and have never seen a game two in their entire life because they got there by playing a free wins agro deck in best of one. The whole point is that you're supposed to be able to have a sideboard to have cards that help you and matchups that you're not favored in, and so they're not advantaged the entire match just because they won the coin flip to see who goes first. Case and point, if you're not literally playing some mono red agro deck with tons of tiny haste creatures, how often do you beat mono blue on the draw? Probabaly rarely, if ever. However if that mono blue player was forced to play a three-round match they'd have to play at least one more game against you and in the second one they wouldn't get to go first, and you get to bring in cards that help the matchup, so that if you are able to force game 3 you might not be as disadvantaged by being on the draw. This doesn't happen in best of one. More often than not it's just "I got first, so I win"

#magic the gathering #standard #arena

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gamingbell · 3 years ago

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The 'Willian Case': he left England for Brazil, is not taken into account by Tite but dreams of Qatar

The ‘Willian Case’: he left England for Brazil, is not taken into account by Tite but dreams of Qatar

The Brazil’s selection is already classified Qatar World Cup 2022. After being the only leaders of the Qualifiers (he has 39 points in 15 games played) they got a place in the national team tournament months before the qualifying tournament reaches its end. This has motivated more than one national player who dreams of being part of the championship in Asia. This week, one of the mythical players…

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sbknews · 3 years ago

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Quartararo wins, Rins second as Aleix Espargaro makes history at Silverstone

The gap at the top increases, Rins gets back on form and Aprilia take a first MotoGP™ podium as six factories finish in the top six for the first time since 1972 Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) unleashed some serious speed at Silverstone on Sunday, the Frenchman on fine form to fight his way through to the lead and then put the hammer down to win the Monster Energy British Grand Prix. Behind, Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) stormed through for second place and a podium to bounce back from a tougher season so far, and in third place some history was made: Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) held off Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) to take Aprilia's first ever podium in the MotoGP™ era. Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team) took the holeshot from pole, with Quartararo initially up into second. But Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) was on the move, past Aleix Espargaro into third and then attacking El Diablo. Drama struck just off that fight too as Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) and Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing) came together once with Martin up the inside, and then the eight-time World Champion tried to take it back. With Martin reacting to those ahead to have opened a small gap, the number 93 made it just ahead but then collected the rookie. He apologised and it was deemed a racing incident. That early race action was still led by Pol Espargaro, with Bagnaia in second and Aleix Espargaro shadowing. The Aprilia then went for the lead but headed wide, and not long after that Quartararo started to make his moves. By 16 to go the Yamaha had worked his way to the front, and from there the hammer went down. The battle behind raged on, with Pol and Aleix Espargaro ahead of Bagnaia and reigning Champion Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar). Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) was in the mix too, but the rider starting to make serious progress was Rins. By 13 to go, Rins was into third with Quartararo gone out front and Aleix Espargaro holding strong in second. Pol Espargaro was starting to fade slightly, but the big change was Bagnaia as the number 63 sunk to the back of the group, struggling to stay with them. Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), meanwhile, was doing the opposite. The South African was on an absolute Sunday charge once again, and was past Mir and homing in on Pol Espargaro. Bagnaia had dropped well back and Alex Marquez (LCR Honda Castrol) had moved well forward, as a change up ahead then ultimately decided the podium. Aleix Espargaro headed wide, and Rins needed no second invitation as he moved into second. Quartararo was gone, and by the final lap the key battle was focused on Aprilia, on the verge of making history. Rins was just out of reach although still tantalisingly close, but Miller was on the march. The Australian struck to momentarily break a thousand Noale hearts, but Aleix Espargaro hit straight back and made it stick. A few apexes were all that remained between the number 41 and history, and he kept ahead for that mythical first podium. Quartararo made the masterclass look easy but far from it, Rins got back on the box after a tougher 2021 so far, and Aleix Espargaro ended a long, long wait for a podium - for man and machine. Not since 2014 has he been on the box, and Aprilia never have in the MotoGP™ era. Miller was denied but came home top Ducati, with Pol Espargaro taking fifth and a great result from pole. And sixth went to Binder, the South African raising more eyebrows on race day and adding the final piece in a history-making race: Yamaha, Suzuki, Aprilia, Ducati, Honda and KTM in the top six makes it the first time since 1972 six factories have been in the top six. Iker Lecuona (Tech 3 KTM Factory Racing) also put in a Sunday stunner to take seventh, not so far from Binder either as the Spaniard leapfrogged compatriot Alex Marquez, who took eighth. In the latter stages Mir faded to ninth, and he was only just ahead of another charging KTM as Tech 3 KTM Factory Racing's Danilo Petrucci completed the top ten. Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) was close behind too in P11, before a slightly bigger gap back to Enea Bastianini (Avintia Esponsorama), Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) and then Bagnaia, who took P14 in the end. Luca Marini (Avintia VR46) picked up the final point. After a monster weekend for Quartararo that sees him now sit 65 points clear of Mir in the Championship, the Frenchman seems to be holding most of the cards in 2021. But next up it's Aragon and good hunting ground for his rivals. Can they fight back next time out? We'll find out in two weeks! MotoGP™ podium 1 Fabio Quartararo - Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP - Yamaha - 40:20.579 2 Alex Rins - Team Suzuki Ecstar - Suzuki - +2.663 3 Aleix Espargaro* - Aprilia Racing Team Gresini - Aprilia - +4.105 *Independent Team rider Fabio Quartararo: "It feels so good because it has been a tough qualifying. Yesterday I lost confidence, but we knew in FP4 our pace was strong with the medium, I felt great. I will be short, I want to thank the fans, it’s the first time we have them, a lot I mean. Also, it’s the Monster Energy GP it is great to win for all of them and my family and team. Also, my mechanic, who couldn’t come, Daniele, so that one was for him, and I can’t wait to be with the crew and celebrate!" For more MotoGP info checkout our dedicated MotoGP News page Or visit the official MotoGP website www.motogp.com Follow us on social media: Instagram: @superbikenews Twitter: @sbknews Facebook: @superbikenews

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bunkershotgolf · 6 years ago

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Monday After Bellerive

By ED TRAVIS

Brooks Koepka beating Tiger Woods for the Wanamaker Trophy and the 100th PGA Championship gave us some great golf and wonderful competition on a demanding course, but it is increasingly apparent the fourth major needs something to distinguish it from not only the other majors but the week to week traveling circus a.k.a. the PGA Tour.

By way of comparison the Masters, Bobby Jones’ tournament, has the tradition of being played early in April at the same course conveniently timed just as the weather is warming for golf in much of the country. The U.S. Open is our national championship and typically played on courses so difficult they would bring tears to the eyes of most amateurs. The British Open is the oldest, most historical, theoretically open to anyone in the world and often on linksland which requires an entirely different style of golf virtually unknown in this country.

The PGA really has nothing unique other than the mythic determination that somehow, it’s a “major” even though the field includes 20 club professionals. The schedule change next year to May between the Masters and the U.S. Open could be a real shot in the arm. But truthfully it still needs a singular uniqueness to better establish its identity…push it towards the front of the pack that not only includes the other three majors but the four World Golf Championship events, the FedExCup and other big tournaments during the year plus the Olympics every four years and the Ryder Cup or Presidents Cup annually.

Even though television executives may not like it the time has come to convert the PGA Championship to match play as it was until 1958. Keep the PGA professionals as part of the 156-man field and simply have a 36-hole qualifier on Wednesday and Thursday to select an elite 32 for match play.

One last thought on the PGA—the possible venues could be expanded by going outside of the states occasionally to gain not only the publicity but more international fans. As I said just a thought.

Tiger Woods: A seeming lack of focus on the 14th hole of the final round and wide right drive into the hazard on 17 sealed Woods’ chances for winning his fifth PGA and 15th major. However, his final round 64, his lowest round ever in a major championship, had fans glued to their televisions. It’s not going out too far out on a limb to say not only will he soon win again and his position now at 11th in the Ryder Cup points list means a role as a playing vice-captain on the Ryder Cup team is a given. Woods comeback to tournament winner and major champion will be of the same magnitude as Ben Hogan returning after his 1949 collision with a bus.

Disappointments: Play in the PGA by much of the U.S. Ryder Cup team was not inspiring and except for Justin Thomas none were ever in contention. Dustin Johnson finished T-27, Jordan Spieth and Rickie Fowler T-12, Webb Simpson T-19 and Bubba Watson who along with Phil Mickelson missed the cut.

TV Coverage: You would think that TNT, which covered the first two days of the PGA Championship in conjunction with CBS Sports for the weekend, could have done a better job but it was refreshing to hear the critics going after someone other than the coverage on Fox of the U.S. Open.

Photo credit: PGA of America

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tkmedia · 3 years ago

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Manny Pacquiao-Errol Spence winner will be The Ring welterweight champion

Photo by Shabba Shafiq/ SW33TSCIENCE photography 04 Jul by The Ring It’s taken the best part of six years but finally we have a 147-pound fight deemed worthy of Ring Magazine championship honors. The winner of the August 21 showdown between unified titleholder Errol Spence Jr. and the legendary Manny Pacquiao will become the first Ring welterweight champion since Floyd Mayweather relinquished the title in September 2015. Other holders of this prestigious prize include all-time greats Henry Armstrong, Sugar Ray Robinson, Sugar Ray Leonard and Roberto Duran. However, the decision to put the championship at stake in this matchup was not an easy one. While Spence is the Ring’s No. 1 rated welterweight, Pacquiao is currently situated at No. 3. Ideally, a vacant title goes on the line when No. 1 faces No. 2, but unfortunately a bout between Spence and three-weight world titleholder Terence Crawford remains in the fantasy fight section. Promoters? Networks? Ego? Money? All of the above? Who cares? It’s boring and The Ring has to move on. Our own championship policy stipulates the following: “If a fight between the No. 1 and 2 contenders cannot be made and No. 1 fights No. 3, the winner may be awarded The Ring belt if the Editorial Board deems the No. 3 contender worthy.” All three members of the editorial board voted and all three agreed that Pacquiao-Spence qualifies. “Like every serious fight fan, I’ve been looking forward to a Spence-Crawford showdown for years, but it’s looking less and less likely,” said The Ring’s Managing Editor, Tom Gray. “There’s the tendency for fans and media to attribute blame, but I honestly couldn’t care less at this point. They’re both great fighters in the same weight class and could have fought a trilogy by now. “Pacquiao is an all-time great who has consistently faced the best in a multitude of divisions for two decades. Spence is one of the finest pound-for-pound fighters in the world today and his talents are beyond reproach. It’s an excellent fight that is eagerly anticipated the world over. May the best man win.” If the 42-year-old Pacquiao (62-7-2, 39 knockouts) were to pull off the upset, then it would be impossible to overstate the enormity of such a triumph. In the eight divisions in which the Filipino icon has claimed world titles, he has held three Ring Magazine championships (126, 130 and 140). A victory on August 21 would see Pacquiao become the first four-weight Ring Magazine champion in boxing history. But does any fighter out there carry a more apt moniker than Spence? “The Truth” is unbeaten in 27 fights, with 21 knockouts, and is rated No. 6 on The Ring’s mythical pound-for-pound list. With impressive wins over Kell Brook, Mikey Garcia, Shawn Porter and Danny Garcia, the 31-year-old Texas star now seeks to prove that Manny Pacquiao is fresh out of miracles. Our Pacquiao-Spence preview issue is available ON DIGITAL NOW and the hard copy can be pre-ordered at The Ring Shop: www.ringmagshop.com. DO NOT MISS IT!

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expatimes · 4 years ago

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‘This is what your life is’: Tom Brady, the GOAT?

In the early 2000s, as his Patriots teammates collected diamond championship rings after their Super Bowl wins, a 20-something Tom Brady, who had won three titles in his first four years as New England’s starting quarterback, was asked which of the boastful bling was his favourite.

“The next one,” the baby-faced Brady famously responded.

It was not just a cute answer, but an insight into the motivation that drove, and continues to drive, Brady’s insatiable quest for success across more than two decades atop the National Football League mountain.

The 43-year-old Brady, with his new team the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, collected his most recent favourite ring on Sunday night with a 31-9 mauling of defending champion Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LV.

Brady joined Tampa Bay after 20 seasons with the Patriots following a split with legendary New England coach Bill Belichick that was one of the biggest stories in North American sports in 2020.

Brady joined a talented but underachieving Bucs squad that had not even qualified for the playoffs since 2007.

“One man”, according to his new head coach Bruce Arians, changed all that, as he brought his trademark leadership, drive and skill to his side filled with skilful teammates.

It was Brady’s 10th appearance in the Super Bowl, four more than any other player and twice as many as any other quarterback.

It was his seventh Super Bowl victory, two more than any other player and three more than any other quarterback.

He also secured his fifth Super Bowl MVP award, two more than anyone else.

Statistically, his most recent win was also one of better performances in the big game, throwing three touchdown passes and no interceptions.

In many ways, Brady was as motivated, driven and productive as he was back in 2003-05 when the Patriots were the last NFL team to win consecutive Super Bowl titles.

“If I was going to say why he is so great, I’d say that the level of discipline, drive and willingness to compete under any circumstances are all traits that he has,” Christian Fauria, who played 13 seasons in the NFL as a tight end, including collecting a pair of diamond-filled Super Bowl rings playing with Brady in New England from 2002 to 2005, told Al Jazeera.

“It’s unbelievable how he’s able to achieve one goal and then not be satisfied with it, turn the page and do the same thing he just did to try achieve that goal again,” added Fauria, who caught 13 career touchdown passes from Brady.

“That’s unbelievably exhausting. Most people, they reach the top and they are kind of satisfied with it. That was pretty incredible. He is just wired differently and he’s actually conditioned his body to be able to continually do that.”

Brady has not only dedicated his talents to his craft but has described himself as willing to “give up his life” to reach his championship goals. He attributes his remarkable health in a violent game to the year-round workout regime and strict diet he adheres to.

“Most guys his age, they break down,” Fauria said.

“Not only do they lose it physically, but that ends up killing them mentally. But that’s never happened to him. He doesn’t get physically and mentally exhausted. He’s always healthy and he’s always at an advantage.”

Brady, right, has not only dedicated his talents to his craft but has described himself as willing to ‘give up his life’ to reach his championship goals

Brady has now essentially closed the door on questions of whether he’s the greatest quarterback of all time or even the most accomplished American football player in history.

Now, it is a legitimate debate whether Brady is the greatest, most accomplished athlete in American team sports, jockeying for the mythical title among the likes of NBA six-time championship legend Michael Jordan and MLB hero Babe Ruth, who changed the game in the early 1900s with his homeruns.

Not surprisingly to those paying attention to how he got the perch, Brady made it clear in the immediate aftermath of his most recent Super Bowl victory that he is not done.

He will be back in late 2021 for his 22nd NFL season at the age of 44, targeting yet another championship ring in Tampa Bay.

Fauria believes that Brady is essentially an addict – addicted to competition and winning that competition and he cannot stop.

“You kind of have to be kind of crazy in a way to convince yourself that this is what your life is,” said Fauria.

Read full article: https://expatimes.com/?p=17855&feed_id=32715

#AmericanFootball #Brady #GOAT #life #News #Sports #Tom #UnitedStates #USCanada

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mastersgolfinfo-blog · 5 years ago

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Tradition Runs Deep in the Masters Golf Tournament

The Masters Golf tournament is steeped in tradition. Held at Augusta National Golf Club annually in April, it's a well-established championship and routine stop for qualifiers on the PGA tour. The very first Masters championship has been held in 1934, after golfing fans Bobby Jones and Clifford Roberts made a decision to promote and promote golf clubs by sponsoring a championship.

The home of the Masters golf championship, the Augusta National Golf Club, has become the source of controversy especially among female golfers. The team continues to exclude women as members, preventing them out of joining an exclusive record that includes past member Dwight Eisenhower.

Other customs that the Masters Championship as well as the Augusta National Golf Club hold to are people who started in the very first years of this championship and are honored now, for example 4 times of 18 holes each (the habit at the time was supposed to play 36 holes of golf on the next day); the elimination of qualifying rounds; and restricting commercialization of this championship.

On the longer Than 70 years that the Masters championship has existed, golf legends, Including Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson, have abandoned their Mark on the championship and taken house its mythical green coat. Nicklaus shirts the win record with 6 Masters championship wins while Palmer and Tiger Woods each have four. Nicklaus, Woods and Nick Faldo will be the Only golfers to undergo back-to-back wins in the Masters golf tournament. Since the Masters tournament proceeds, more of their Ideal Golfers in the world will definitely be added to the listing of Masters champions.

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junker-town · 5 years ago

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Hunter Pence wants to be a ‘Magic: The Gathering’ champion. Let’s build him a deck

Does this nerd have the power to turn Hunter Pence into a ‘Magic: The Gathering’ god?

The San Francisco Giants won media day with their school photo-themed motif, but there was something about Hunter Pence’s that really stood out.

via @SFGiants, Twitter

No, it’s not that his favorite food is kale salad, though that’s disturbing enough on its own — it’s what Pence wants to be when he grows up that really caught my eye.

For the uninitiated, Pence is referring to the “Magic: The Gathering Mythic Championship,” an esports tournament in Magic: The Gathering Arena, which is a computer-based version of the card game. As a giant nerd who has been playing Magic: The Gathering since 1995, and also a sports fan, I feel I’m uniquely qualified to help Pence realize his dream of becoming mythic champion and build him a deck that suits his strengths.

Firstly, this isn’t a bit from Pence. He really, really loves playing MtG. The Giants’ outfielder has made numerous appearances on various popular MtG streams, and even has his own Twitch channel where he plays Magic: The Gathering Arena almost exclusively, and routinely played Magic: The Gathering Online in the past.

I combed through Pence’s history to try and understand his preferences when playing MtG, but really it’s all over the map. He’s been playing a lot of draft lately, which means he’s building a deck from scratch every time he plays out of a random assortment of cards. This doesn’t help understand his nature when approaching an organized, constructed deck format.

However, ultimately I decided on building Pence a Gruul (Red/Green) deck for two reasons: Firstly, he played a Gruul deck a few years ago in Magic: The Gathering Online, and also that I believe a magic deck inherently reveals someone’s personality. For example, I am generally risk-averse and prefer social engineering in games, so I play Bant (Blue/White/Green). Pence’s messy, high-energy style naturally lends itself to an aggressive deck looking to hit people in the face quickly with creatures, and burn them down with spells.

The lazy thing to do would be for me to go to the results from the recently held “Magic: The Gathering World Championships” and copy a deck for Pence, but no Gruul deck placed highly. Also that’s incredibly lazy, and I don’t believe in being lazy. I am home brewing Pence a standard-legal deck from scratch that he can build on arena and, I believe, potentially get a win.

The deck, which I not-so-creatively call “Messy Gruul Aggro for Hunter Pence,” has potential.

A creature-heavy deck, MGAHP uses a solid base of haste creatures which can immediately start hitting in for damage with Bonecrusher Giant’s ability to be played as a two damage instant, and Robber of the Rich stealing cards being the deck’s main sources of disruption.

Into the mid-game I hope Pence has built up a pretty strong Pelt Collector to start holding its own against larger creatures, along with Klothys, who hopefully has had its devotion turned on so it can be a wall of a blocker.

Finally I want Pence to finish with a combo of Questing Beast and Embercleave, potentially hitting in for ten damage on its own thanks to double strike.

Make no mistake, I’m not saying this deck will win the Mythic Championship. Azorious Control is much too strong in the standard meta game right now with Teferi, Time Raveler and Dream Trawler locking down the board — but I think this Gruul deck could at least compete a little.

I am also well aware that everything I wrote in the bottom half of this story probably sounds like a foreign language to 99 percent of our reading audience, and that’s OK. This is for Pence, and he knows what I’m talking about.

Hunter, you’re welcome.

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olympictickets · 5 years ago

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Olympic Canoe: ICF President Perurena looks forward to Tokyo Olympic year

International Canoe Federation (ICF) President José Perurena is anticipating the Olympic 2020 year after an effective 2019 for his game. The previous year saw record seeing numbers on both TV and online stages, a huge development in internet-based life action and rivalries overall ICF disciplines.

Olympic admirers from all over the world are invited to book Tokyo Olympic tickets from our online platforms for Olympic Tickets. Olympic Canoe supporters can book Olympic Canoe Tickets from our ticketing marketplace exclusively on discounted prices.

Features incorporated various World Championships, Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic qualifiers in kayak dash, kayak slalom and Para kayak, and world titles in sea hustling, long-distance race, free-form and wild water. Perurena recognized this achievement and anticipated the up and coming year, with the Olympic 2020 and Paralympic Games set to get in progress in July.

There is no uncertainty a large portion of the spotlight this year will be on Tokyo Olympic, and with three trains across both the Olympic 2020 and Paralympics, our own will be perhaps the busiest game, he said. It's energizing since we have a major gathering of developing competitors prepared to challenge the accomplished Olympians and Paralympians.

I have most likely that we will toast some new Summer Games saints in Tokyo Olympic. Concentrate won't simply be on Tokyo Olympic, be that as it may, with plans likewise set up to extend ICF improvement programs in a few kayaking disciplines far and wide.

Different features for 2020 incorporate the Para-kayak World Championships and Paralympic qualifiers, further Olympic 2020 qualifiers for kayak slalom and Olympic Canoe, the principal World Championships for non-Olympic classes in both run and slalom, and World Championships in kayak polo, kayak long-distance race, sea hustling, wild water and mythical serpent pontoon.

It's not just about the Summer Games said Perurena. We have World Championships in different teaches and top-flight global occasions all around the globe, and we will endeavor to expand on the mind-blowing 2019 season as we hope to draw in new competitors and more nations to Olympic Canoe.

Olympic 2020 enthusiasts can get Olympic Tickets through our trusted online ticketing marketplace. Sportticketexchange.com is the most consistent and reliable source to book Olympic Packages.

#OlympicTickets #Olympic2020Tickets

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sneakyhomunculous · 5 years ago

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Thrill of the Hunt

Hey everyone, I just want to get some of my thoughts down onto the page. This is mostly just me rambling my thoughts on the current state of OP and Competitive Magic in general. Disclaimer: I have been a lifelong competitive player. My first games of magic were FNM booster drafts 15+ years ago against some unbelievable competition. From day 1 I was drawn in to the fierce competition in the game. I know that I am privileged; Undeniably lucky and advantaged in every way before I even get in the que. I’m a white cis male who grew up middle class in the US with supportive parents. I was able to spend my free time cutting my teeth on Magic Online and traveling to local PTQs/GPs. But this post is not going to be about where you are from; or what challenges you may face personally; or what hurdles your demographic have had to overcome. All of that stuff is completely true and valid. I will touch on it lightly, and I am happy that things are being done to address some of those issues in Magic. That being said; This is going to be solely about the drive for fair competition that burns inside of every single one of us. Inside every single person reading this; Every person that has played this game for probably half of their life or more. For every person that has spent 1000s of waking and/or dreaming hours thinking about decklists, new formats, new ideas, old formats, old theory, new theory; All the while completely forgetting that their is any life outside of competitive Magic The Gathering. For every person that plays this game in search of something they can’t really define. It’s not exactly the validation of self improvement; or the highs of the good finishes. Or even the good times with friends and all the learning we get to do along the way. It’s simply the constant burning desire for competition. Going into battle against a sea of villains who are all fighting for the same thing you are. That upper hand in this ruthless game of marginal edges. I was never part of the “Old Boys Club”. I was always an outsider; a local end boss at best. In my 15 years of being a competitive player; I have played in only 20 or so GPs, 7 PTs and a few SCG tournaments (5 or so). I have always had other commitments (School, Full time Job, Wife and 3 kids), and I never focused 100% on magic as a job or anything. Despite all of this, I was always totally enthralled by the Pro Tour. I know I am not alone. I spent years traveling to PTQs in the South and found that there were 100s of local players who wanted the exact same thing as me. 1000s worldwide all chasing the same dream. The dream of mastering this beautiful game and moving up to the very highest level. The Pro Tour was an enigma; until you played in it. Once you did, you realized how right you were all along. The entire reason you played the game was for your shot in those 16 (17! 👌🏻💪🏻) rounds. The current state of the PT/Wizards Organized Play is still mostly a disaster. Everyone sort of knows this, but it seems that most people don’t care to admit it. (They usually either benefit directly from the current system, or they are incentivized to “be cordial” in hopes of one day benefiting from the climb up the ranks of the popularity contest. They say nothing or even back up the new status quo.) Shoutout to the true hero’s like GerryT and Lucas Berthoud. They benefited from the RNG in the system and still stood up for the fairness of competition. To the Edel’s and Soorani’s; keep fighting the good fight. I will always tell it like it is. At this point they are going further and further into the wrong direction. Magic is completely peaking; unfortunately OP is floundering around hopelessly. The only way to make anything happen right now is to win tournaments. No 2nd places. No top 8s. No good run,nice 11-5 see u in a few months. You have to be ruthless and collect trophies. If you don’t do this, at the moment you are an afterthought. That being said, I am coming for the trophies. When I win the Players Tour Finals 1 and then the World Championship you don’t have to worry; I will still be screaming for organized play to be about open and fair competition. The reality is simple; The highest echelon of competition is now DIRECTLY mingled with one giant absurd petty ridiculous unbelievable comically hilariously awkwardly stupidly infuriating POPULARITY CONTEST. This is mind boggling for so many reasons. It doesn’t have to be this way! No system is ever going to be perfect. It’s impossible to make everyone happy. It’s impossible to be 100% fair. But you could at least fake it? Just try a little bit?? Having invitationals is awesome. Invite Savjz and Day9 and then whoever you want to help out with the diversity issue. But don’t tie them directly in to the Pro Tour results??? And then make them 3x important as the Paper Pro tour Results???? It literally makes so little sense and is so infurating I cannot believe how little has been said about it. I know Wily and Lucas Kai etc. talk about it often. But 25+ of the MPL all pretty much silent on it. Even the people on the bubble aren’t raising hell!!? I can’t imagine being someone who grinds and did well in multiple paper MCs this year, who is now on the bubble of rivals or MPL (that they found out about randomly over halfway through the season) and not invited to most or any of these Arena MCs!! They are OBSCENE tournaments already; 750K prizepool for a small group of players. The EV is unbelievable. And they just PILE on the Mythic Points or whatever BS system they use. It’s like worth double or more points of the Paper PTs 🤦🏻‍♂️😂😵 Siggy and I were talking while I was waiting to play my Quarterfinal match of the last fucking Pro Tour. I was in the top 8!! Siggy had just gotten 10th. I told him how bittersweet it is. With PTs mattering less and no1 caring anymore; I don’t feel as excited as I expected I would. It helped me focus as I know that winning is the only result that matters. I can get 2nd and no1 will remember me. I will not be invited to the next Pro Tour on Arena in a month. In 2 paper PTs from now I will not be there at all unless I top 8 the next one too!! (Or I get on the good side of some Wizards people maybe, or up my clout and twitter followers.) People say this stuff as a joke, but even in this PT top 8 I felt alienated a bit. Ondrej was getting literal hugs from all of the staff before the quarters even started because they know him from inviting him to things, because he calls himself Honey and smiles and is nice and streams. I love Ondrej and I believe he’s a really great player and deserves to be playing these tournaments anyway; It’s just wild to me that at the literal highest possible level of competition it’s still about some things other than the competition. Lucas and others have covered it, but in no other games/esports is this the case. When you watch the TI; or even the Fortnite World Championship... You don’t see famous players or clout farmers. You see unbelievable talent and dedication, the absolute best of the best who clearly earned their way. You don’t see Marshmello and Drake; or even Ninja and his buddies. You see 100 kids between the ages of 13-20 you’ve never heard of; who are all so unbelievably good it will give you the chills. Siggy said something along the lines of “Yeah it is really weird; I got 10th for 5k which is just an unbelievable result obviously. But the Arena PT next month is worth like 5x. You get 7500$ for dead last! And so many points!!” Congrats Siggy, but I won’t be playing in the Arena PT. Neither will 1000s of players who have played in the handfuls of paper PTs over the past few years. SEPERATE THEM! Have all the Arena Invitationals you want. Spend as much money on that as you want. We can take the slaps in the face it’s no big deal. “250k PLAYERS TOUR FINALS! Qualify by winning FIRST PLACE in a GP this season!!! Only 128 Players very exclusive wow wow cool we have to kill the pro tour to make this happen but it’s awesome woohoooooo” “Cominggggg to Long Beach Californiaaaaaaa Your 3Million$$$$$ Arena Mythic Professional Tour Championship of the Universe!!!!!!!!!!! 38 Unbelievable challengers will be taking on this new format and chopping up the 3 million$ plus 100s of Mythic pojnts catapaulting them all into the MPL conversation while you argue on twitter about who should have been invited; as if it fucking matters. As if we read that shit at all!!! If we fucking cared about what you think maybe we would respond to you sometimes 😂💪🏻😬👌🏻👌🏻💯” Just relax; stop giving away rivals/MPL points in tournaments that are invite based and already so high profile with massive prize pools. (This doesn’t affect me at all by the way; I am not even close on points it’s just very obviously the right thing to do and it’s unbelievable they aren’t acknowledging it and just continuing to invite whoever they feel like). Ok enough clowning... but for real though. What in the fuck is this popularity contest bullshit?? How is this being joked about so lightly, it’s an abomifuckingnation! Invite whoever you want, just pick some people based on some predetermined merit. Give people a chance. Something to shoot for. Have open tournaments for people from Australia and Latin America. Have open qualifier tournaments for females/NB Invite people who deserve to be there from previous PT performance like Allen Wu or Eli Loveman or Matt Sperling or Sebastian Pozzo or TheSneakyhomunculous or Jack MF Dobbin or Lan d Ho and Mark herberholz for all I care. Just give the people some feedback on anything ever! Ok enough is actually enough I could write forever about OP and what I wish they would do. But really all we can ask for is fair competition and clear communication. People will complain about anything and everything, but if Wizards would just be open and honest while communicating and promoting fair competition at the highest levels... I couldn’t give 2 shits how little money the tournaments pay or where we have to play them. We just want to have a fighting chance to play against Paulo and Luis and Kai and Yuki and Allen Wu and Zvi and Gab and Seth and Li and Lucas and Shota. Aside: Arena is also a disaster at this point. How can they not implement a friends list? Any programming/computer scientist people know what the fuck is going on? It’s been 2 years now and they are still printing $ faster than a magic streamer from outside the US with 10k+ twitter followers can print with 500000 Arena PTs on the horizon! And they still can’t fix anything ever? How is there no spectator mode or tourney mode? How is building a sealed deck still impossible? How is the best fucking computer you can find lagging after 5 matches no matter what? We gotta figure this shit out m8. Arena should have nice big competitive in client tournaments every day. At least one or two a week. Instead we can’t even draft the fucking current format? The bots can’t fucking click on Merfolk Secretkeeper? 3 cards in pack they really click deafening silence over the secretkeeper???? God dammit GG’s no re sorry u had to read this. TL;DR Old Man Yells at Clouds

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