There's nothing quite as exhilarating and self validating as stepping into a room overflowing with 1200 kindred spirits.  A colossal arena with row after endless row of numbered tables, almost all of which are occupied by zealots of all ages playing the world's foremost customizable card game: Magic the Gathering.  Some came for glory, others came to fortify their collections and still others came foolishly expecting to defeat Mike Turian in a gunslinging throwdown.  I was there for a bit of all three.  That was the scene at the Seattle Grand Prix 2009 on day one of the big event.

[caption id="attachment_2642" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Well over 1100 registered participants and 100's more were there to watch, trade and hang out."][/caption]

If you want to meet the people behind Magic (artists, developers etc.) then a Grand Prix is where you want to be.  Lines of fans wait to get their favorite card signed by the original artist, and R&D team members gunsling with any and all challengers.

We got the opportunity to sit down with Hall of Famer and WotC Lead Developer, Mike Turian for an exclusive two on one interview.  The setting:  a table and chairs curtained off just outside the show floor, an iPhone on said table recording the interview and two bumbling fanboys who had in fact prepared for the interview but, in the excitement of the moment, misplaced their list of questions.  The interview has been left mostly raw, uncut and unedited.  Give it a listen and feel free to download the mp3 if streaming isn't working on your machine.

Streaming audio not working for you?  Download the MP3!

For the record, my challenge at the end of that interview was answered.   Needless to say, the hall of famer's Demigods overwhelmed my puny Reveillarks.  A big thank you to Mike once again, for the opportunity.

If there was a buzz word of the day it would've been "Cascade".   From Bitominous Blast to Bloodbraid Elf, cascade, as in Barcelona, seemed to be the most common approach.  Seismic Swan decks seemed to crop up every other game I witnessed.   Black and White token aggro was also prominent.  Of course, 5 Color Planeswalker Control, Oona, White-Weenie Kithkin and TurboFog made commendable appearances as well.  There was even a rumor about a Red/Black goblin deck floating around the arena (and winning).   Presently, standard includes a very large number of cards and thus, the diversity at this Prix was stunning.  While the new standard rotation (post M10) certainly keeps the game fresh with new, more frequent releases, it also cuts down significantly on the number of total cards allowed in the format.  It remains to be seen if the quicker set turnaround will breed the same diversity I'm seeing here at Seattle GP 2009.

[caption id="attachment_2644" align="alignleft" width="210" caption="Leaf's Weenies Vs. Mark's Goats (hint: goats win)"][/caption]

Apart from the main event, there are several other noteworthy activities to participate in at a Grand Prix.  Meeting the artists and pro players you read about online is noteworthy enough.  But being able to actually challenge an R&D member of the Wizards of the Coast team, is a fanboy's deam.  Both Leaf and I didn't participate in the Prix so we had the opportunity to play a few games with a handful of developers (for the record, I went 3-2 with a triumphant win over Mark Globus' dreaded Goat multiplier deck while Leaf went 2-3 with a loss to the same).  All of the guys were great and put together some interesting gunslinging decks.  Their love for the game and its future is palpable when you're sitting there playing with each of them.

[caption id="attachment_2643" align="alignright" width="185" caption="I think I appropriately captured Jace's essence here..."][/caption]

One of my other favorite pastimes is to wander around the showroom floor challenging anyone who looks willing to throw down.  Its a wonderful way to meet new people and take in perspectives of the game that you would have otherwise remained ignorant of.   Theres nothing more exhilarating then playing against a random deck and random player that could be playing just about anything.  Of course, tournament players have the same experience several times over but random duels with random players feel all that more unpredictable.  You're also able to enter several other side tournaments such Two-Headed Giant, current block sealed and Ravnica limited events.  Between those games and the massive multiplayer romps that tend to form out of nowhere, you're sure to have a memorable time at a Grand Prix.  I encourage anyone who is able to attend the one, whether you participate in the main event or not.

Id like to thank Mike again for the interview as well as the entire gunslinging R&D team for humoring our insatiable urge to challenge them on the showroom floor.

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In Magic 2010 Spoiler news, we've been able to confirm three new spoilers over at our M10 spoiler page.  Take a gander at Golden Lotus, Vampire Nocturnus, and Queen of Ants (all mock ups obviously).  Check out MTGRealm for scans of the actual promo cards.  Exciting stuff.