On the evening of Saturday, June 11, 2011, in Nagoya, Japan, you could find one incredibly elated, tired, and also somewhat bemused girl looking at the final standing of the Pro Tour.

Hello. My name is Carrie Oliver, and I managed to come thirty-second in my first Pro Tour. I have been playing paper Magic since Worldwake prerelease, and shocked a lot of people by first winning a PTQ and then placing well at said Pro Tour. But actually, although when I first discovered there was a pro circuit I couldn’t imagine being good enough to compete in it anytime soon, it is more accessible than you may believe. I’d like to share my experience with you of going to a Pro Tour as a relatively new player.

As I mentioned, I qualified for Pro Tour: Nagoya by winning a PTQ. The PTQ was Extended, which I hadn’t actually played before, and I built a low-budget version of the Tempered Steel deck that had done reasonably well at Worlds. I’m not going to go into that here, but going to the Pro Tour, I was concerned that my win was a fluke and that I wasn’t really up to the standards of the Pro Tour. However, I was determined to go and just enjoy it, because it could be years before I would get the chance to go again.

I had wanted to dedicate a large amount of time to testing for the Block portion of the tournament; however, that didn’t quite happen. A little tip: Don’t have your Ph.D. viva just before the Pro Tour. I had to dedicate a whole week to stuff other than Magic, and I was not happy. The other problem I found with testing is that I was taken by bouts of despondency. I was never going to be able to determine all available deck archetypes and thus wouldn’t be able to predict the meta. As such, I wasn’t going to be able to work out what deck I should be playing. I knew I shouldn’t play control based on this logic—I wouldn’t know how to attack decks or what decks to prepare for. Ideally, I would play aggro, but Tempered Steel felt like the wrong choice—mainly because it was so incredibly expected that everyone should have tested that matchup more than any other and so should have a deck that could beat it. A lot of other players have written about how they tried to do just that and couldn’t, and so ended up running it, but with my somewhat smaller test group of less experienced players with less time, we could not confidently establish this.

To test, we started off with the online deck lists before New Phyrexia was released online and started adding cards from the new block. Then, once the set was released online, I kept an eye on what decks were appearing in the daily events. Tempered Steel still seemed to dominate, but I was unclear on how much to trust MTGO, as you don’t know how good the people playing the decks are.

Flying out to Nagoya, I actually had in my bag my very own Block deck. It was G/W mid-aggro, and it had a good matchup against Tempered Steel. At T minus 48 hours, I had established with the help of some of the other English pros who were out there that my deck could not beat the stock control lists that were appearing on MTGO. So I decided I had to run Tempered Steel. At T minus 12 hours, I threw up my hands in despair having been playing the mirror for three hours straight, as I couldn’t beat it and I didn’t like the deck. I sleeved up a mono-Red deck, slaughtered Tempered Steel in five games, and went to sleep. I would rather have had a longer time to just trying running the deck. As a newer player, I can’t just be handed a deck and perform with it. I don’t have that experience and tend to rely on just knowing my deck and the expected hands and draws. However, I had played RDW in Standard previously, so the archetype as a whole was not unfamiliar. I didn’t expect to do well, so I wasn’t worried about having the best deck. I was worried about not falling flat on my face because I’d brought a truly terrible deck.

As an aside, I had worried about making sure I had sufficient copies of every half-playable card from the set with me in Nagoya in case I came across some awesome deck at the last minute. I had changed my deck at the last minute, but in an ironic twist, I didn’t have enough Shrine of Burning Rage, as I had lent them to a friend to play in a Standard PTQ the week before and hadn’t got them back. Fortunately, I managed to pick up the one I needed from the dealers on the morning of the event for $$$. Well, actually, ¥¥¥. Here is the full seventy-five I sleeved up in pretty pink:

[cardlist]

[Creatures]

4 Kuldotha Phoenix

4 Oxidda Scrapmelter

[/Creatures]

[Planeswalkers]

4 Koth of the Hammer

[/Planeswalkers]

[Spells]

4 Galvanic Blast

4 Volt Charge

3 Red Sun's Zenith

4 Slagstorm

2 Contagion Clasp

3 Shrine of Burning Rage

3 Tumble Magnet

[/Spells]

[Lands]

21 Mountain

4 Inkmoth Nexus

[/Lands]

[Sideboard]

3 Perilous Myr

2 Karn Liberated

2 Burn the Impure

3 Dismember

3 Into the Core

2 Ratchet Bomb

[/Sideboard]

[/cardlist]

Overall, I was happy with my deck choice; however, a bit more play-testing would have resulted in at least the following changes:

Main Deck

+1 Shrine of Burning Rage

+2 Karn Liberated

−2 Contagion Clasp

−1 Slagstorm

Sideboard

+1 Slagstorm

+3 Vulshok Refugee or Spellskite (something for the mirror)

−2 Karn Liberated (placed into main)

−2 Ratchet Bomb

I wasn’t actually worried or nervous going to the venue and waiting for Round 1 to start. This was because I had no great expectations for myself. I didn’t want to go 0–8, but aside from that, everything would be a huge victory for me. I like to have goals when I attend events. They range from believable to “Yeah, right.” But it lets you appreciate even the small victories and you only look at the next goal after completing the previous one. I only had two I didn’t manage at the Pro Tour, so I was well into “Yeah, right” territory (Top 8 and win). Still, having no pressure on me meant I went into Round 1 super-relaxed. A turn-one Plains meant I knew my matchup and I knew I could beat it with the hand I had. My opponent was really friendly, which was a recurring theme and made the match a pleasant experience. I won in two games and was super-proud when I told the other English pros when we gathered after the round. I was also glad to have beaten an early Tempered Steel, as I felt justified and confident in my last-minute deck change.

Round 2 was a U/W control deck. I had been worried about what my control matchup would be like, as I obviously hadn’t had any time to try it out. I lost Game 1 to double Consecrated Sphinx, and I didn’t have much to turn to in my sideboard to help me. The deck can handle one Sphinx—just not multiple Sphinxes. As no more double Sphinxes turned up, I won Games 2 and 3 and got to report back another win.

I faced yet more control in Round 3, this time U/B. Game 1 went my way. Game 2 was going really well; I took a lot of early damage, but had stabilized with Karn and Koth on the table. However, I then let a Treasure Mage hit me—and I was only on 2 life! Whoops. Serious newbie error. I was winning that game, and I had just chucked it stupidly. I didn’t have time to shake it off but managed to hold Game 3 to tie the match. I didn’t have long to shake off that stupid mistake before heading into Round 4, but I did console myself that I wasn’t expected to be a 2–0–1, and of course I was still making the occasional mistake; I haven’t been playing that long. So I gave myself a break and went into Round 4.

Round 4 was another B/U control, and after losing Game 1, I closed out the other two with no problem.

Round 5 was my first mirror match. I had no sideboard cards specifically for this matchup, and I was disappointed I was not prepared for it. As I had earlier decided the deck was bad, I had not expected to find anyone playing it, but this was obviously somewhat ignorant. He had Spellskites after boarding, which worked out really well for him. I lost the match 1–2.

Still, going into Draft at 3–1–1 was a pretty good feeling. I was doing better than all the other English players I knew, and making Day 2 seemed like a really possibility. Still, I was going to be drafting with people who may well have been practicing online three or four times a day, so I was prepared to be outclassed. Pack 1, Pick 1 wasn’t very exciting; I ended up taking a Shattered Angel. I got passed a Jor Kadeen. As I hadn’t had much chance to draft New Phyrexia, I hadn’t been able to try drafting this card to see if it was any good. However, I’d chatted to a bunch of friends about which rares were good for Draft in the set, and had been told that Jor Kadeen was probably worth it despite the early color commitment. So I took it. A lot of players don’t like to commit to two colors early in the current Draft format, but I was rewarded for my choice. I got a Pick 4 Artillerize and a Pick 5 Porcelain Legionnaire, and it went on from there. I ended up with a very sweet aggro-Metalcraft deck:

"Draft Deck 1"

• Creatures (12)
• 1 Barrage Ogre
• 1 Shattered Angel
• 1 Kiln Walker
• 1 Porcelain Legionnaire
• 1 Razorfield Rhino
• 1 Rusted Slasher
• 1 Spin Engine
• 1 Vault Skirge
• 1 Vulshok Replica
• 2 Immolating Souleater
• 1 Jor Kadeen, the Prevailer

• Spells (11)
• 1 Artillerize
• 1 Burn the Impure
• 1 Concussive Bolt
• 1 Galvanic Blast
• 1 Seize the Initiative
• 2 Master's Call
• 1 Ichor Wellspring
• 1 Necrogen Censer
• 2 Glint Hawk Idol

• Lands (17)
• 7 Plains
• 9 Mountain
• 1 Inkmoth Nexus

• Sideboard (18)
• 1 Copperhorn Scout
• 1 Furnace Scamp
• 1 Koth's Courier
• 1 Oxidda Daredevil
• 1 Puresteel Paladin
• 1 Quilled Slagwurm
• 1 Vulshok Heartstoker
• 1 Darksteel Myr
• 1 Wall of Tanglecord
• 1 Marrow Shards
• 1 Rally the Forces
• 1 Turn Aside
• 1 War Report
• 1 Horrifying Revelation
• 1 Lead the Stampede
• 1 Victorious Destruction
• 1 Defensive Stance
• 1 Accorder's Shield

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The deck played out really nicely; one opponent commented I was playing Constructed in Draft after I’d played turn-one Nexus, Vault Skirge, turn-two Glint Hawk Idol, turn-three Glint Hawk Idol. I went 6–0 in games and won my pod. I was elated. I was practically bouncing off the ceiling. Not only had I made Day 2, but I was lying in thirteenth!! Even if I made Day 2, I had expected to have just scraped in, so when someone pointed out I was in strong contention for Top 8, I almost fainted. Still, for all the talk, I knew Day 2 was going to be tough—but now I was there, I really wanted to make Top 50 so I could go to Philadelphia and do all this again.

In Draft on Day 2, I was obviously in a much higher pod. I ended up aggro again, though this time B/R. I didn’t get passed as many good cards but I did open a Koth in Pack 3, which definitely helped.

"Draft Deck 2"

• Creatures (13)
• 1 Blistergrub
• 1 Ferrovore
• 1 Flesh-Eater Imp
• 1 Ogre Resister
• 2 Goblin Wardriver
• 1 Dross Ripper
• 1 Immolating Souleater
• 1 Moriok Replica
• 1 Signal Pest
• 1 Spin Engine
• 2 Vault Skirge

• Planeswalkers (1)
• 1 Koth of the Hammer

• Spells (7)
• 1 Rally the Forces
• 1 Volt Charge
• 1 Metallic Mastery
• 1 Morbid Plunder
• 1 Victorious Destruction
• 1 Contagion Clasp
• 1 Strider Harness

• Lands (17)
• 10 Mountain
• 6 Swamp
• 1 Blackcleave Cliffs

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I got my first match of the day against Robert Jurkovic in the feature area. I lost, but I did take a game, and it was against a very strong deck, so I felt I had good chances in the other two matches. I pulled out wins in both my other two matches through some solid play, leaving my Draft record at 5–1, which I was super-happy with. The most enjoyable play of the Day 2 draft was slow-rolling an Immolating Souleater with Strider Harness in play. I dealt 14 in one swing with the help of Ferrovore to win the match.

Block went less well on Day 2. I went 2–3 overall. I became very aware of some of the incorrect choices I had made in my deck design, which wouldn’t have happened if I’d not changed at the last moment. I was really pleased to beat Paulo. I managed to resist burning a Glint Hawk Idol with a Galvanic Blast for what felt like forever to finally be rewarded with being able to killing first one and then a second Hero of Bladehold by activating two Inkmoth Nexuses to turn on Metalcraft. Paulo, for the record, is a really great guy, and I had the pleasure of playing bridge with him on Sunday. Speaking of playing Paulo, a lot of newer players get very nervous when playing a “big-name pro” and can often lose the match entirely due to this. For me, until Paulo, I hadn’t actually recognized any names of my opponents although I was assured afterward that I played quite a lot of notable names. Ignorance really is bliss. I know the names of very few regular pros, and this has definitely helped. I probably wasn’t nervous against Paulo because by now I had accidentally played enough top players and won against some to realize that it is just Magic.

I had to win my last match to Top 50. It was a match tinged with sadness; my opponent was a guy I had met that weekend and had been getting along with really well, and we’d been meeting after each round to find out how each of us had done and to congratulate/commiserate as appropriate. Added to this, he could ID, but I couldn’t, which made it a rather sad way to end the Pro Tour. I managed to win Game 3 thanks to Karn and actually placed thirty-second overall, netting me that additional Pro Point.

While doing well at the Pro Tour was amazing, I have to say the best bit of the experience was the people. I met a lot of really great people; the players, the organizers, the coverage team, and the spectators were all super-friendly and made me feel really welcome. I never felt I was being judged on who I was or how relatively new I was to the game. It’s possible some of my opponents thought I was going to be an easy win, but they probably soon realized their mistake. I know some female Magic players have had bad experiences because of their gender. People who think female Magic players have no place in Magic or are no good at it are simply wrong, and they are the minority. I really hope my experiences will encourage more girls to complete at the highest levels. Also, if any sexist remarks are made, this is unacceptable behavior and should be brought to the attention of a judge. I also hope people who have yet to compete at a Pro Tour who think that maybe they are not good enough will read my story and realize that it is possible. It still is “just Magic” up there. Yes, there are fewer mistakes, but the cards do the same things. At the end of the day, it’s you, your opponent, and the decks.

Anyway, as I’m sure you’ve gathered from reading this, my first Pro Tour was an incredible experience, and I think I surprised everyone—including myself!—by how well I did. I’m looking forward to Philadelphia now (time to learn how to play Extended . . . again!)—although in many ways, I am probably more excited about meeting up with all the really great people I met in Nagoya. Thank you to everyone who made my first Pro Tour such an amazing experience, and thank you for reading.

A few quick shout-outs:

Thanks to Adam, Matt, and JJ for helping me test Block before going to Nagoya and letting me pinch half their collections to take with me.

Thanks to everyone at Inner Sanctum Collectibles in Cambridge for teaching me how to draft like a pro.

Thanks to all the people who sent me messages of congratulations and encouragement on Facebook, some of whom I’ve never met. You made me smile.