This is a guide for people who are entering their first tournament. I realize most of this information is well known to you grizzled, veteran plansewalkers out there, but it’s info I wish somebody would’ve told me before I started so I thought it might be helpful for anyone curious about what to bring. I’ve also provided links to some of these products on Amazon if you feel so inclined. Considering MTG has a lot to keep track of, your number one item should be…
Pen and Paper
Yes, you can keep track of your life with a good spin-down counter and there are even some pretty nifty iPhone apps out there that fit the bill, but having pen and paper really is ideal. Turn after turn it’s just easier to keep track of your (and your opponent’s) life total this way and you can also quickly and easily add notes about damage exchanges. It’s also easy to get someone’s contact information this way if you enjoyed playing with them (or write ‘doodie-face’ really big at the top if they beat your ass).
Dice
If you’re too snobby to scrawl on dead trees like I outlined above, a good 20-sided die can be helpful. Also, a good set of 6-sided dice can be great for keeping track of +1/+1 counters and such if you’re playing a token heavy deck or one that spawns lots of creatures. Also, if you want to look totally awesome (or like a gigantic nerd if you’re going anywhere respectable) you could always get a pair of these for your car.
A Trade Binder
If you don’t already have one of these, you should really consider making one. Keeping your duplicate cards or rares that you don’t care to keep in a trade binder will make it easier to get rid of them for something you will use. I mean, Magic is a trading card game, after all. Every tournament I’ve been to I’ve had at least two or three people walk up to me looking for trades and had I thought to bring some of my better (but unwanted) cards with me, I might’ve been able to get some great cards for my other decks without having to buy them on eBay or hoping to get them out of some random booster.
Deck Boxes
If you’re playing preconstructed it’s a given that you’ll want to keep your deck in something protective. However, if you’re playing sealed or drafting, you’re going to be getting a lot of new cards and you don’t want to be stuck with nothing to keep them in while you play. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy, but again, if you’re snobby there are certainly options. Any respectable game store or hobby shop will have deck boxes though, and they’re usually only a couple bucks. Odds are good you can purchase these at the tournament, but just in case it doesn’t hurt to have one to hold all of your extras.
Something to Keep it All In
While in some cases I’ve been able to get by with a good pair of cargo shorts (keeping my trade binder relegated to a deck box), I also have an old swiss ammunition carry bag to keep my playmat, cards, boxes, and tokens in. However, there are more elegant solutions. One of which is the Ultra Pro Deck Box Zippered Album or UPDBZA (pronounced uhpdzbaaaaah) for short. It’s got enough room to carry a couple of deck boxes, 9 card binder sleeves, compartments for dice and accessories and more. Eventually this is probably what I’ll use to replace the ammo bag, but for now I’m doing a-ok.
Land
While any tournament host worth its salt will have plenty of basic land available for use, it never hurts to bring extra- especially if you’ve never been to a new store before. It’s usually dirt cheap (or even free!) but you can also purchase it online for a reasonable price. Remember though, if you’re playing sealed (as in, you play with the packs you buy), the only land you can bring along to add to your deck is basic land, so no Dragonskull Summits or any such nonsense unless they come in the pack you buy.
Well, that should just about cover it for anyone aspiring to tournament play. Granted there are other items you can include and you could probably get by without a trade binder for example, but these are things that you’ll almost certainly find useful!
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