Anime North: Last Year & This Year

[dave321]

So last year when I went to Anime North I noticed there was a pokemon event. I was still into pokemon but at the time I had not had any interest in the cards and was mostly into the video games, so I didn't attend the TCG event, whatever it was.

So I was wondering what the event last year was like, and if anyone knows if there are any plans to continue and create another TCG event there this year. And of course which Pokegym members are planning on attending!

Anime North is at the Toronto Congress Centre, May 28th - 30th!
http://www.animenorth.com/main/

 

[pokemonforever]

From what I recall, the event was run for two days. The host constructed several pre-built decks that we had to use. There were barely any rare cards, making each deck somewhat more balanced over other decks. I wish people brought their modified decks like I had, but there were only like a few people. The initial turnout was huge. The host was overwhelmed since she did the same thing last year and almost nobody showed up. I can't remember how this was settled.

I didn't see what happened in Day 2, which I was told was slightly different from Day 1. As a TO myself, I was upset to find this event relatively unorganized, but still enjoyable using all the old school cards. Apparently, the host was alone on establishing the event and didn't have enough finances to make anything big. I made some recommendations to change the event for 2010, so hopefully there's modified constructed or a booster draft? On an unrelated note, I won first place in Day 1's event: $25CDN worth of merchandise from a sponsoring booth, some Team Rocket and Gym Heroes booster packs, and some promo I think.

I don't plan on attending AN2010. I just don't have the money (I live near Washington D.C.) nor the motivation (I usually visit some online friends of mine, but they're all over Canada now). I wish I documented Saturday well. I wrote down my trip to AN2009, but only for Friday...oh boy, a dreadful Friday AN2009 was.

 

[P_A]

I was involved as a judge and helper for the events there 2, 3 and 4 years ago. It usually is held on weekends we have Battle Roads, and in some cases we've actually held them there, but it's a very loud venue, hard to concentrate. I don't think Marvin (the PTO for that area) got a lot of good responses from doing it there. There are a lot of card stores interested in league and events in the Toronto area, so I doubt it would be organized any larger than a normal league type event.

EDIT: I'm pretty sure I'll be attending this year with my son - with or without a pokemon event..

 

[dave321]

From what I recall, the event was run for two days. The host constructed several pre-built decks that we had to use. There were barely any rare cards, making each deck somewhat more balanced over other decks. I wish people brought their modified decks like I had, but there were only like a few people. The initial turnout was huge. The host was overwhelmed since she did the same thing last year and almost nobody showed up. I can't remember how this was settled.

I didn't see what happened in Day 2, which I was told was slightly different from Day 1. As a TO myself, I was upset to find this event relatively unorganized, but still enjoyable using all the old school cards. Apparently, the host was alone on establishing the event and didn't have enough finances to make anything big. I made some recommendations to change the event for 2010, so hopefully there's modified constructed or a booster draft? On an unrelated note, I won first place in Day 1's event: $25CDN worth of merchandise from a sponsoring booth, some Team Rocket and Gym Heroes booster packs, and some promo I think.

I don't plan on attending AN2010. I just don't have the money (I live near Washington D.C.) nor the motivation (I usually visit some online friends of mine, but they're all over Canada now). I wish I documented Saturday well. I wrote down my trip to AN2009, but only for Friday...oh boy, a dreadful Friday AN2009 was.

Really? I find that kind of suprising that it was only one person organizing and apart from that that the event was made up from old cards. I think we should get in contact with whatever organizer this was if possible and just convince her to sign up for a pokegym account, so we can potentially give suggestions and stuff in advance to avoid something like this again this year (since this is one of the main reasons I am going, my friends are all going but I have mostly grown apart from anime so).

I think modified with theme decks available for purchase would work out well. Theme decks usually go for about 15 CDN, right? That's not too much and I would definitely buy a theme deck to play against people. This would probably cut down on the amount of people discouraged because they don't have a tier one deck, and it will make it more fair.

I WOULD also like to see a normal tournament but I guess that may be a pipe dream :tongue:

I was involved as a judge and helper for the events there 2, 3 and 4 years ago. It usually is held on weekends we have Battle Roads, and in some cases we've actually held them there, but it's a very loud venue, hard to concentrate. I don't think Marvin (the PTO for that area) got a lot of good responses from doing it there. There are a lot of card stores interested in league and events in the Toronto area, so I doubt it would be organized any larger than a normal league type event.

EDIT: I'm pretty sure I'll be attending this year with my son - with or without a pokemon event..

Marvin is my League Leader so maybe I will ask him if he plans on doing anything at AN '10, or maybe even just suggest the idea. Even just league time would be fun, I would definitely go for that alone just to meet some GTA players, and maybe re-connect with some who will also have attended the March 13th event in Toronto!

How did battle roads events go in the past? It /is/ a very loud venue but in terms of turnout and etc.?

 

[P_A]

We ended up with a league type event one year that had about 20 people, and that one time we had the battle road ended up getting quite a few (40-50). Yes by all means talk to Marvin, and see what he can do. It may actually have been Alice who ran it last year.

 

[smacktack15]

I would definitely go for that alone just to meet some GTA players, and maybe re-connect with some who will also have attended the March 13th event in Toronto!

There is also Regionals in Toronto (Is it April 17th) and i think that may be before Anime North:thumb:

 

[dave321]

Discussed it briefly with Marvin at League last week and he confirmed he didn't run it/have anything to do with it last year - he bascially said that there is not very much organization in terms of games so he's unsure if he would do it even if they did contact him.

I'll make another post if I get any news though, I'll check in again in a few weeks maybe.