Magic is fundamentally an awesome game that offers so much too so many, be it from the casual kitchen table all the way to the bright lights of the feature match area of the Pro Tour and World Championships. The one thing that remains constant is the joy of the game itself and to me there is little better than sharing that joy and playing the game with as many people as possible. The biggest gatherings of Magic Players are the marquee events known as a Grand Prix, held across the globe throughout the year many different countries and exploring Limited, Standard, Modern and even Legacy formats.

I attended my first Grand Prix in London in 2011, since then I have seen the events grow into much more than a competitive two day tournament with around 800 players into large festivals of magic celebration with a wide range of events and experiences that hold something for everyone. The most enjoyable times I have had playing this game we love is at Grand Prix events. Quite simply if you have never been to a Grand Prix I cannot recommend more highly that you take the plunge and attend one. Especially as next month we are lucky enough to have another Grand Prix here in the UK!

GP London runs from Friday 7th to Sunday 9th October at the ExCel in London and the main event is Kaladesh Limited. With the main event being a sealed tournament there is no need to worry about having an up to date Standard deck or fearing your Modern deck doesn’t fit the meta. A Limited Grand Prix is the simplest way to introduce yourself to one of these events.

To some attending such an event can be a big step and they are not really sure what it will be like. The best way to make attending easy and remove stress is being organised. For anyone not yet organised let me present a guide for your Travel Preparations.

Step1: Decide when you want to be there.

The event runs Friday to Sunday. There is no requirement to attend any specific day unless you want to play the main event which runs on Saturday and if you are good enough to qualify for Day 2 then you might want to come back to play on the Sunday as well.

Review the schedule of events to pick out things you know you want to do and when they are. Organisers aim to provide events that appeal to all kinds of players, so there should be something for you! Personally I go for all three days. I aim to take part in a last chance trial or two on the Friday, depending on my success. Saturday I play the main event. Sunday hopefully sees me playing day two of the main event but if not I look to play some modern and draft events or the Super Sunday Series.

Step 2: Arrange travel and accommodation

Once you know when you want be there travel and accommodation is your next step. Not everyone will be luckily enough to live locally so getting to the venue and staying close by over your time at the event is a key priority.

Plan how you are going to get there and between your accommodation and the venue. Will you fly in to London, get the train, drive with friends or take a coach? Consider all the options and while cheapest might mean more cash to spend at the event it might not be the best option.

Find accommodation quickly. There are a wealth of options from Hotels to Hostels, using Airbnb or staying with friends & family. My advice is normally to book actually as far in advance as you can advance. I know accommodation I booked for the Saturday night is now over £40 more per night and as we get closer prices are bound to go higher.

Step 3: Pay now play later

If you are intending to play the main event I recommend pre-registering now. Early registration often comes at a slightly discounted price. Additionally GP events often have a player limit and it is not unheard of for these to reach capacity. Nothing could be worse than turning up at your first GP expecting to play and finding it is sold out. Not to mention it means you need to find less money at the time. Just be sure you register for the right event if there are multiple registration options.

Step 4: Setting a budget

People approach Grand Prix’s with different mentalities, but with a wealth of side events, traders offering a wide selection of cards, artists with beautiful prints and the often inflated price of food and drink within a venue you can often find spending more than you might have planned for.

Set yourself a budget, know how much you have for your trip and break that down further into events, food and drink, travel etc. while you don’t need to stick to it I find it a really useful way of managing the cost of an event and knowing if I can treat myself to certain cards or other items I want.

A top tip is to locate somewhere close by to your accommodation or the venue where you can buy food and drinks at normal prices to take with you and avoid the need to pay prices of the concession stands within the venue.

Step 5: Network

Grand Prix’s are truly festivals of Magic and over the years I have made numerous friends I look out for and catch up at when we are at the same Grand Prix. My experience is that Magic and Grand Prix’s are much more fun as a shared experience. That is not to say you can’t or shouldn’t attend alone, but speak to people at your Local Game Store or within your local community and see who else is going or considering going. Perhaps you can travel together, possibly stay in the same hotel or just meet at the venue and feel comfortable that you have people you know close by.

Step 6: Artists

At each Grand Prix there are normally at least two artists who contribute their artwork to the worlds we explore with each set and more importantly to the cards we play with. Their presence allows you the chance to meet someone that otherwise you might never have had the opportunity to see and also get some of your favourite cards signed.

Keep an eye on the Tournament Organisers website and see who will be attending. Take time to look through their card archive and see if there are cards you would like to have signed. Dig them out of your collection if you own them or pick them up in plenty of time for the event to ensure like minded individual’s don’t beat you too them.

Collect them all together in a folder so you can keep them safe before and after they are signed, I tend to organise them by artist for ease.

Sometime it isn’t possible to get all your cards signed at once, so give some consideration to the ones you want signed the most. There can be a lot of players looking to get their cards signed so sometimes limits are imposed and spare a thought for the poor artists signing all day.

Step 7: Packing

My greatest recommendation is to travel light. By the time you pack a selection of your favourite commander decks, a range of standard and modern decks, your cube, your trade folder, your cards for the artists, your limited set, food, drink etc. you will suddenly find your bag weighs a little too much.

While you can bring all these things I advise to bring only what you need. Magic cards and decks can have a high worth and while theft is a relatively rare experience exposing yourself to unnecessary risk and physical strain of carrying it all with you is best avoided.

All you really need if playing the main event is a new set of sleeves sufficient for a sealed deck, a deck box to keep your deck and sideboard in, two pens (always have a spare) a life pad or notebook to record in life scores and a small number of dice. To add to that I would suggest a selection of tokens but until we see what Kaladesh offers we won’t know exactly what we might want. 

Step 8: Have Fun

So you know when you are going, how you are getting there, where you are staying, what events you intend to take part in. All that is left is to immerse yourself in the event, meet new people, play a lot of Magic and most importantly have fun. If you do decide to come to Grand Prix London don’t be afraid to say hello and especially stop buy the Troll Trader stand and introduce yourself.

Nearer the time I plan to bring you a more detailed article on preparing for playing in the main event itself. However if you want to start early here are a few tips.

GP London will be limited format and we will be exploring the world of Kaladesh having left the plane if Innistrad behind us. While you don’t need to do any preparation you can be sure that many other players will be. Magic is a game we should all have fun playing but many people have more fun when they are winning. My immediate suggestions are to learn the cards, you can play the game much more efficiently if you know what your own and your opponent’s cards do. Understand the new mechanics the set includes. Gain an appreciation of the synergies and interactions the cards present. Ways to prepare include:

• Learn the cards
• Attend a Pre-release
• Split a box with friends, build sealed pools and then compare, discuss and rebuild with friends (pre-orders being taken)
• Jam some drafts at your local store or just with friends.

Until next time, thanks for reading and I hope to see you there.