May 13 – 14, 2022
Kendall Square, Cambridge, Massachusetts
WHAT IS THIS?
This is a community-organized Magic: The Gathering weekend in Greater Boston, featuring main events for the Old School 93/94 and Premodern formats. Since 2018, LOBSTERCON has been New England Old School’s marquee event, continuing as an annual charity fundraiser for Room to Grow, a non-profit organization based in Boston.
An entry fee of $75 for all players will cover registration in any and all of the weekend’s events: the Premodern MAIN EVENT (Friday, May 13), the Old School MAIN EVENT (Saturday, May 14), the Friday Night Welcome Event, and the Premodern SIDE EVENT (Saturday, May 14). All events will take place under the same roof, with a cash bar on-site and easy access to a wide range of carry-in food options in Cambridge.
*** AS OF MARCH 24, both the Premodern and Old School MAIN EVENTS have capped. A waitlist is available here: LOBSTERCON 2022 Waitlist
COVID SAFETY
Covid-19 vaccinations will be required for all participants. While we do anticipate a more favorable Covid situation in May 2022, please note that we will follow all state and local requirements around Covid safety (mask mandates, etc.) if any are still in place. As of the opening of player pre-registration (Jan 31 2022), we expect that we will also require a negative antigen (at-home) Covid test result for entry, but as everyone knows by now, the unfolding Covid situation is extremely fluid and subject to change, and we will continue to communicate expectations accordingly.
Update as of March 13 2022: The Covid situation is still looking favorable overall. The major update for now is that Boston and Cambridge have both ended their indoor mask mandates. Assuming this holds for the next two months, mask-wearing will be recommended and welcomed, but not required, at our event. For attendees with a lower Covid risk appetite: studies on one-way masking are conclusively showing that if you’re wearing a good mask, your risk is significantly lower, even in indoor settings. Proof of Covid vaccination will still be required for all attendees, and we are asking that everyone take an antigen (at-home) test on the morning of the first day they attend LOBSTERCON (Friday or Saturday) and provide that result to us as well. Tests have gotten quite a bit easier to obtain lately (you can even order some free right now from USPS), so hopefully this doesn’t pose too much of an issue for anyone, and we can all keep each other as safe as possible.
THE EVENTS
Premodern Open Main Event hosted by The Premodcast
Friday, May 13, 12pm – 7pm. Call it the first-ever North American Premodern Championship, or just call it a great opportunity to play cards from ’95 to ’03. Premodern deck construction rules as outlined at www.premodernmagic.com; tournament structure will be Swiss pairings followed by a cut to Top 8.
Friday Night Welcome Event
Friday, May 13, 6pm – 11pm. Casual / free play time for OS, PM, cube drafts, and any number of side formats. Dedicated bartenders and cash bar. Meet up with old friends and make some new ones. Open to all players in town for the event; must be a registered player to enter the venue.
Old School Main Event hosted by NEOS
Saturday, May 14, 11am – 9pm. The fifth-annual edition of our seafood-driven Old School charity tournament. The format for the main event will be Atlantic 93/94, no proxies allowed, typical EC/American reprint allowances as with past LOBSTERCON events. The structure will be straight Swiss. Deck photos will be required, to be submitted before the first round of the main event.
Premodern Side Event
Saturday, May 14, 1:30pm – 8pm. Came to town for Premodern only? This event is for you. We’ll fire a Premodern side event at the venue during the Old School tournament. Slightly delayed start to accommodate OS players who scrub out of the first couple rounds and want to hop in. Don’t miss the lobster rolls.
THE FOOD SITUATION
Lobster rolls will once again be available from Kelly’s Roast Beef, with pre-orders opening up about 10 days before the event. Otherwise, the events will be “bring your own food,” with lists of take-out suggestions to be provided. Dedicated bartenders and cash bar will be open inside the venue throughout the weekend.
SPECIAL GUESTS: ARTISTS AND ALTERISTS
We’ll have three Magic artists joining us at LOBSTERCON 2022! Ken Meyer Jr., Jeff Laubenstein, and Bryon Wackwitz will be with us in Boston, offering sigs and alters, selling their merch, sharing stories, and otherwise enjoying the weekend with our community.
We’ll also have a super-talented OS community alterist joining us: MG Alters — check out his work! He’ll be on hand to paint, do extensions, and talk commissions.
VENDORS
LOBSTERCON will also have the participation of multiple vendors from the Northeastern U.S. and beyond:
A wide range of Old School and Premodern staples and playables will be available for purchase and trade throughout the weekend’s activities (Friday and Saturday).
TRAVEL LOGISTICS
Best airport to fly into is Boston Logan Airport (BOS). Recommended hotels are in the Kendall Square area of Cambridge — look at the Residence Inn by Marriott Boston Cambridge and the Boston Marriott Cambridge for a general sense of where you’ll likely want to be. The tournament venue is in Kendall Square, which is served by the MBTA Red Line, providing easy accessibility from other points in/around Boston, including Alewife Station parking garage and South Station. There will also be limited off-street parking available at the venue on a first-come, first-served basis.
PRE-REGISTRATION FORM (CLOSED)
*** AS OF MARCH 24, both the Premodern and Old School MAIN EVENTS have capped. A waitlist is available here: LOBSTERCON 2022 Waitlist
WHO’S SIGNED UP?
The Sentinel 