01/04/2024
So Arena Championship V happened and I am excited to share that I had an amazing positive experience competing in this event. I qualified by securing enough wins throughout 2 qualifier weekends to get the top spot of the at-large invites.
The Arena Championships mark the pinnacle of competition within MTG Arena. The top 2 players will earn an invite to the World Championship.
I started the tournament with a win against a Hall of Famer, no less, which gave me a quick confidence boost. However, this was followed by 3 straight losses. But somehow, I bounced back and ended day 1 with a record of 3-3. This kept me alive to top 8 if I manage to win all my remaining matches in day 2.
Alas come day 2, I immediately received my 4th loss which knocked me out of contention. I ended the tournament with a record of 4-5 which landed me in 20th place. This was enough to earn a prize of $2500.
I came out of the tournament feeling fulfilled and inspired despite underperforming.
I want to give a shoutout to my good friend Nicky for helping me prepare for the tournament. Due diligence was made as we both were slogging it out in the trenches of MTG Arena honing our skills. He also helped me decide which deck to play and tweak the final list.
Of course, I want to thank my number one cheerleader who has been rooting for me throughout my competitive MTG journey, my lovely wife, Grace. She rallied friends and families to cheer me on and I truly appreciate everyone who supported me and gave encouragement.
All in all, this event gave me the self-assurance that I can go toe-to-toe with the best players in the world. Of course, there's a lot more room for improvement but I remain optimistic that we will get there one day.
