MARCH 20-21, 2026 • ATLANTA, GA

The inaugural event for the Lords of Atlanta, the Magic City Classic, took place in West Midtown Atlanta from March 20 to March 21, 2026. Players from Atlanta, Tennessee, Kentucky, and even New York gathered to showcase their cardboard prowess. Friday night was a casual meet-up at Dr. Scofflaw Brewery, featuring various formats like AAA, X-Point, Atlantic, and Will Kirkwood’s old frame cube. We even had a fun Art Trivia session that everyone struggled with.

Saturday’s main event was held at Bolt Monk Brewery in West Midtown. To push players out of their comfort zones in X-Point and introduce new decks, we decided to implement a double X-Point format. Each player would start game one with one deck and switch to the second deck for game two. If a third game was necessary, the opponent would choose the deck for the third game. This unique format was an interesting experiment, and I believe everyone enjoyed it. The weather was perfect, and we had a cozy shaded area to relax throughout the tournament. At the start of the tournament, we had 28 players and played five rounds of Swiss with a cut-top four.

Prizes were awarded to the top four finishers and the top four spicy decks. Additionally, we presented a prize for the farthest-traveled participant. The tournament winner and the player with the top spicy deck were honored with Lords of Atlantis cards that were specially altered by MG Alters. Our custom trophy, crafted by Matt Weaver, was a huge hit.

Our charity raffle was a tremendous success, with numerous donations and an impressive prize pool. The event raised a substantial amount of $2360 for Rebuilding Together Atlanta, a local charity that provides essential services to the homes of veterans, seniors, and the underserved, ensuring they have a safe and healthy place to live. The raffle’s success was so overwhelming that I had to make a quick trip to purchase more tickets. Thank you all for your support.

I want to express my deepest gratitude to our planning committee for their invaluable assistance in organizing and executing the event. Will Kirkwood, Jordan Mellor, and Matt Weaver played a pivotal role in making this possible. Special recognition goes to Ryan Rudolph, who not only provided invaluable feedback on my ideas but also dedicated significant time and effort to setting up and running our online website, www.lordsofatlanta.com.

I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to my son for his invaluable help in organizing the event. He thoroughly enjoyed himself and eagerly anticipates the next one.

— Andy Baquero