Our store has had the opportunity to hold some big events over the years, from Store Championships to Pro Quests to RCQ's to League Cups. Talk about starting off 2026 in a big way - for one day we were the place to be for Star Wars Unlimited - hosting our first Planetary Qualifier. For a store there is no higher level event that you can run, and you have to be chosen to host one. The stakes are high, with the winner earning their seat in the 2026 Galactic Championship in Las Vegas. For those of you not familiar with the Star Wars Unlimited lingo, this is their World Championship, and it was the first time an event held at our store would advance someone to a spot in worlds. Needless to say the pressure was on.
The decision was made to cap the event at 48 players. To nobody's surprise we elected to run the event in Limited format. If you want to get to the Galactic, you are going to have to crack packs and build a deck, then battle your way to the victory. If you were fortunate enough to make the Top 8 you can put that deck away since you will be drafting and building an entire new deck for the knockout rounds. It took over 12 hours from the initial build until the final victory, and that victory belonged to Louis Ades, one of many players who traveled to see us for the first time. Louis knocked out another journeyman, Jason Seabury, in the final and put the finishing touches on his first ever PQ win.
I can't say enough for our local player turnout, with over 20 players either being from our home group or within the local area that will appear from time to time to have some fun. Two of our own made the Top 8, earning Qualifier Points as well as respect from the traveling competitive players. Between the players in the main event, players in side events, onlookers, and the staff the day went as smoothly as you can hope for. Congrats to Louis and everyone who came out and battled. These events are not easy and it was great to see how many people enjoyed the day.
Huge appreciation to everyone who helped out, from judging to running concession and store upkeep throughout the day. Here's to more major Star Wars Unlimited events in the future!
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