The 2011 Grand Melee final is upon us, and I’m noticing a pattern that I would like to avoid with these changes. We have had only two different winners in the past three years, and assuming Adrian wins (he is currently 8 points in the lead) that will hold for four years. I want to open up the possibility of winning to more players.
The other aspect is that currently the winner of a melee takes half the packs on the table, rounding up with the rest going into the prize pool. At the end of the year packs from the prize pool are distributed to those with the most points. This tends to be those who have already received all the packs during the year.
I am putting through the following changes to:
open up the possibility of winning to more players
move from paying prizes from a prize pool only at the end of the year to awarding prizes from an ‘achievement pool’ all year round
How will this work?
Each player will still pay one pack per melee, no change there. Each kill will earn you one point, with two points for winning a melee. Again, no change.
Pack are distributed like so:
Win a melee: 2 packs, +1 pack if the melee has 9+ players.
The rest of the packs go into the achievement pool.
Packs from the achievement pool are distributed throughout the year to each player who earns an achievement. The achievements are:
Stayer: Attend 6 melees during the year
Legion: Attack with 20 or more creatures in a single turn
Big Hands: Draw 10 or more cards in a single turn
Almost Immortal: Get up to 100 life in a melee, without winning that melee
Dark Horse: Get at least one point three melees running, without winning a melee in that time
Permanent trophy: Win a melee three months running
Top 8: Be in the top 8 by points after the November melee (no pack awarded, this achievement grants entry to the finals in December)
Earning each achievement will earn you one pack from the achievement pool, except for the Top 8 achievement. This will be paid at the end of the melee in which you earn the achievement. Each achievement can be earned only once per year. The achievements will probably change from year to year and your ideas for other achievements are welcome!
The December melee will be a finals featuring everyone who has gained the Top 8 achievement. You must be present in December to compete. The finals will be a different format to create a challenge, which will be announced before the December meeting. The finals will determine the overall winner for the year, and the remainder of the achievement pool will be distributed to the top 8 through the finals process.
The main changes are:
prizes are now distrubted throughout the year, instead of only at the end
anyone who attends 6 melees will win one pack
the overall winner will be decided through the finals, rather than only through points
I am interested in hearing everyone’s feedback on these changes, either through the website, message boards or in person at the next meeting.
