Opening Recap
Thirteen years. That is how long it had been since I last attended Nationals. Prior to that appearance, another decade had already passed. Over the past year, with the various changes to the game—particularly regarding rotation—I have found myself fully re-engaged. While Redemption remains an excellent hobby, the true blessing is the fellowship shared with everyone in this community.
Let me commend Brian and John for doing an absolutely outstanding job. The name tags were of exceptional quality and beautifully designed. The venue itself was excellent, and the surrounding area was lovely. I especially appreciated the worship music on Wednesday evening; it was a meaningful and touching addition that set a wonderful tone for the entire tournament. In my view, this should become a standard opening we strive to include every year.
Thank you, John and Brian. Thanks to all the Elders. Thanks to every worker behind the scenes. Thanks to Jayden and Tim for arranging the live streams. Thanks to the worship team for their excellent performance. And thanks to Luke for a message that prepared our hearts for a weekend of competition. It was all truly wonderful!
Now, a few thoughts on the Redemption categories I competed in: Booster Draft, Type 1, and Sealed Deck.
Day 1 – Booster Draft
I was unfortunately assigned to a three-person draft table. I cannot emphasize enough how disadvantageous this felt. I saw 25% fewer cards than those at four-person tables. As Booster is my second-favorite category, I was quite disappointed, though I respected the decision and chose not to make an issue of it.
Final placement:
27th place, 4–4 record, 12 points, 4 LSD.
My constructive criticism for Booster Draft:
We need at least two additional packs. While this would increase the cost, we are currently using nearly the entire pool of drafted cards (give or take about ten) to build a deck. Greater choice would improve the experience and leave for more skill expression in the category.
I would prefer ten extra minutes for deck construction, even if it means playing one fewer round especially if we add more packs.
Three-person tables should be avoided whenever possible; the math should favor groups of four or five. Three player tables create too large of a disadvantage in my opinion. Most packs contain only two to four strong cards, with the rest being quite mediocre—leaving those at three-person tables with a noticeably weaker card pool.
If three-person tables must continue, a record should be kept of previous participants so that no one is assigned to one again until everyone has experienced it.
Day 2 – Type 1
I entered this event with extensive practice on my deck and felt reasonably confident. Unfortunately, I made several significant misplays and am still reacquainting myself with the rules. I particularly regret removing Bartholomew from my reserve in favor playing Michael, who I could get with I Am Grace to band to most of the meta offenses; that decision cost me in multiple games. I likely should have switched Harvest Soul to Lost Souls as well, and I probably ought to have included Peter and Four Drachma Coin at the advice of Josh P. Overall, I feel I performed decently for my first major tournament in many years.
Final placement:
24th place, 6–4 record, 17 points, 9 LSD.
My constructive criticism for Type 1:
A top cut in best-of-three format would be a valuable addition. This could take place the following day, with those players competing in the top cut instead of the remaining categories. Live commentary for at least one match in each round of the top cut would also be excellent. Beyond that, the event was very well run.
Day 3 – Sealed Deck
I had not previously played Sealed with these particular starter decks. Israel’s Rebellion pairs extremely well with them. I felt I assembled a strong deck but did not always play optimally. Nevertheless, I thoroughly enjoyed the experience.
Final placement:
14th place, 4–3–1 record, 13.5 points, 7 LSD.
My constructive criticism for Sealed:
One or two additional packs would provide greater deck versatility and have more skill expression.,
Extending deck-building time by an additional ten minutes—even if it requires one fewer round—would also be beneficial.
Final Thoughts
Overall, I was thrilled to attend Nationals, reconnect with many people I had not seen in thirteen years, and catch up with others I had briefly encountered at Florida tournaments around 2020. I am very glad I made the trip and already look forward to next year. Whoever hosts in the future has a high standard to meet; living up to the 2026 National Tournament will be no small task.
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