I gotta say, MJ... I like that idea a great deal. It really opens up the field. Taking the top 16 out of 256 (approximately 6% of the field) just feels like you're not really getting a good representation of the best players. Expanding it to 44 of 256 (around 17%) and awarding byes to the top players from the prelims I think is a better play.

Plus, it's more dramatic and entertaining to watch. A 5-2 player from Day 1 could conceivably make the final table, but he'd have to be running on fumes by that point (his 6th game of the day). That might have an impact if he ultimately faced off against one of the top 2 players from Day 1 who was only going into their 4th game and might be in better shape mentally.

One question: you said that with a cut to top 44 that all the 5-2 players get in, but it doesn't look like that from your numbers. Am I misinterpreting?

Was there even a Nationals announcement? It's also looking like there won't be Summer Tournament kits this year.

On Facebook they said that summer information will be out soon. The summer season starts in July.

Fair enough. The Spring kits were all announced for preorders in December so I still figured we'd have seen Summer by now.

I think the most disappointing thing for me is that the Top 16 will be held on a weekday. I know last year that there was a lot of interest in the Twitch feed of the elimination rounds. I had hoped they would still be on a Saturday this year in order for folks to be able to watch at home.

This. For those of us who can't attend it was still a big day of X wing last year. I don't expect them to change anything and they have good reasons for their choices, but this part sucks.

I gotta say, MJ... I like that idea a great deal. It really opens up the field. Taking the top 16 out of 256 (approximately 6% of the field) just feels like you're not really getting a good representation of the best players. Expanding it to 44 of 256 (around 17%) and awarding byes to the top players from the prelims I think is a better play.

Plus, it's more dramatic and entertaining to watch. A 5-2 player from Day 1 could conceivably make the final table, but he'd have to be running on fumes by that point (his 6th game of the day). That might have an impact if he ultimately faced off against one of the top 2 players from Day 1 who was only going into their 4th game and might be in better shape mentally.

One question: you said that with a cut to top 44 that all the 5-2 players get in, but it doesn't look like that from your numbers. Am I misinterpreting?

Shoot you're right. Not all the 5-2's would get in. There are 42 5-2's, I was glancing at that real quick thinking that it's less than 44. 42+14+2 = 58 players 5-2 or better. So the 5-2's would have to make it in on MoV.

This will be the first year I miss it since I started playing.

This will be the first year I miss it since I started playing.

doh! was really hoping to meet you in person after reading your Store Champ win and did my own version of that list.