Nats and Nats Qualifiers - explanation, dates... and organisation? (!)

[Dan Barrett]

I sort-of explained (not very well i might add!) what the deal is with Nationals and Nationals qualifiers to a couple of people (Louis, Alex), and said i would do a better job of it here on DT. Well, here's to trying...


What is "Nats"?

Nats = Great British National Championship, an annual event in which 200-odd of the country's best players are invited to battle it out over 12-14 rounds of standard constructed and draft Magic, in order to determine a champion for that year, and the 4-player team which will go on to represent our fine country at Worlds. It also is a breeding ground for many shenanigans and fun times, such as sleeping on a beach and losing all your belongings in the sea...

This year Nationals will be held here in London, at the Royal National Hotel, August 19 to 22. I believe the format this year will be 4 rounds standard, 3 rounds draft on day 1, same again day 2, then cut to a top 8 single-elim on day 3.

An important thing to note is that Nats is not just for players who have qualified! There are a billion (possible overestimate...) side-events, which i am sure Jason will announce shortly, which likely include GPTs, PTQs, old set draft/sealed, discount drafts, etc...

So how to i get to play at Nats?

To earn an invite/qualify for Nats, you need to either be in one of the country's top 75 based on your rating (very unlikely to most reading this, you need to be around 1900 to autoqualify), or, win a place via one of many National Qualifiers...

And what exactly are those?

Each Nats Qualifier is a standard constructed tournament, at which there is 1 place at Nationals for every 8 players who participate.So if 72 players turn up, the top 9 qualify, etc. These are held all over the country on weekends between March and April. Plus, there are likely to be last chance qualifiers (LCQs) on the night before Nationals, which may include limited formats as well as standard.

So when are these?

The following list is taken from the Wizards UK group, and may be likely to change - contact individual TO's for details. In bold are the ones within an hour and a half travel time, and thus most likely to be attended by London players.

13/03/2010     Southampton
14/03/2010     Newcastle
21/03/2010     Glasgow
21/03/2010     Reading
28/03/2010     Plymouth
03/04/2010     Manchester
04/04/2010     Bury St Edmunds
04/04/2010     Dundee
10/04/2010     Nottingham
11/04/2010     Oxford
02/05/2010     Gravesend
08/05/2010     London
09/05/2010     Downend
15/05/2010     Birmingham
16/05/2010     Portsmouth
16/05/2010     Altrincham
15/05/2010     Cambridge
23/05/2010     Milton Keynes
23/05/2010     Cardiff
29/05/2010     Sheffield
29/05/2010     Coventry
30/05/2010     Brighton

Will post some more on testing, and organisation, in a bit...

[Dan Barrett]

Then skip a weekend and then go to MK where at the worst you get a great lunch and scrub out!

[Paul Hodgson]

Will likely be down Friday for some testing for Cambridge, if anyone has any (3) vengevines for trade/borrow that would be much appreciated, more than happy to put up some collateral.

[Dan Barrett]

I am still waiting on a set in the post, if they arrive in time you're welcome to borrow.

Jobin's Jund list?

Paul Hodgson said:

Will likely be down Friday for some testing for Cambridge, if anyone has any (3) vengevines for trade/borrow that would be much appreciated, more than happy to put up some collateral.

[Paul Hodgson]

Yep, looks pretty spicy. Most of the problems I've been having are taking down active walkers, blightning doesn't cut it with Elspeth and Gideon's starting loyalty. Then again, my sideboard plan is more than a little weak so need to work on that too!

Dan Barrett said:

I am still waiting on a set in the post, if they arrive in time you're welcome to borrow.

Jobin's Jund list?

Paul Hodgson said:

Will likely be down Friday for some testing for Cambridge, if anyone has any (3) vengevines for trade/borrow that would be much appreciated, more than happy to put up some collateral.

[Dan Barrett]

It might suck to cascade into, but that +4/+2 and trample pump spell could be useful? Also if Time Sieve picks up, put a couple Vithian Renegades in your board, with the 4 Pulse and early aggression of leech, should make that a walkover.

Alternatively, i've seen both Plated Geopede and Hell's Thunder as ways of punching through/over walls.

It's probably pants, but i'm quite keen to try a "Jund" with nearly no black in it, running Bloodbraid, Vengevine, Hell's Thunder, etc, with burn, pump spells and "can't block" efffects to push damage through. Can probably get away with running no tapped lands other than Raging Ravine, fix the black by using Borderland Ranger (who also ups creature count for Vengevine's).

[Dan Barrett]

Speak of the devil, they just arrived Paul.

When will you be down next?

[Thomas David Baker]

Anyone still not qualified? My one attempt so far ended 1-2-1 so I am vaguely considering Cambridge or Portsmouth this weekend. Is anyone else? How/when are you getting there?

[Dan Barrett]

Pretty sure Paul is going cambs, shout if you want to borrow any cards (before 6 this eve) and i'll drop them in to the club tomo after work.

Thomas David Baker said:

Anyone still not qualified? My one attempt so far ended 1-2-1 so I am vaguely considering Cambridge or Portsmouth this weekend. Is anyone else? How/when are you getting there?

[Gary Lynch]

Tom, please play a good deck :)

Thomas David Baker said:

Anyone still not qualified? My one attempt so far ended 1-2-1 so I am vaguely considering Cambridge or Portsmouth this weekend. Is anyone else? How/when are you getting there?

[Amar Dattani]

Dan can I borrow 2 glacial fortress (uw m10 dual) and 2 gideons for rik powell. I can pick them up from the club tomorrow.

If you have them spare then you are a LEGEND!

Thanks!

Dan Barrett said:

Pretty sure Paul is going cambs, shout if you want to borrow any cards (before 6 this eve) and i'll drop them in to the club tomo after work.

Thomas David Baker said:

Anyone still not qualified? My one attempt so far ended 1-2-1 so I am vaguely considering Cambridge or Portsmouth this weekend. Is anyone else? How/when are you getting there?

[Dan Barrett]

Wait a second... if i'm playing in the 8-mans on Saturday, i will need a deck myself, plus Mills asked to borrow one too... hold up on the lends a bit!

[Gary Lynch]

Yeah. Let him lend me cards first, im much more important :)

Dan Barrett said:

Wait a second... if i'm playing in the 8-mans on Saturday, i will need a deck myself, plus Mills asked to borrow one too... hold up on the lends a bit!