June 2 – 3, 2023
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 $80 for all players will cover registration in any and all of the weekend’s events: the Premodern MAIN EVENT (Friday, June 2), the Old School MAIN EVENT (Saturday, June 3), the X-Point Old School SIDE EVENT (Friday, June 2), and the Premodern SIDE EVENT (Saturday, June 3). 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.
COVID SAFETY
Policy for 2023: proof of Covid vaccination is no longer required, but we are asking that all participants take a self-administered rapid test before traveling to the event, and use common sense and decency: stay home if you test positive and/or are symptomatic. Also, if the public health situation changes dramatically, the organizer reserves the right to impose any additional safety requirements and/or enforce pandemic-related mandates by local jurisdictions (i.e. citywide mask mandates, if any are in effect at the time).
THE EVENTS
North American Premodern Championship hosted by The Premodcast
Friday, June 2, 10:30am – 9pm. The Premodern Open main event returns for enthusiasts of cards from ’95 to ’03. Premodern deck construction rules as outlined at www.premodernmagic.com, with gold-bordered (WC, CE/IE) cards legal along with other reprints, no proxies; tournament structure will be Swiss pairings followed by a cut to Top 8. Registration will be capped at 256 players and there will be no waitlist or other accommodations beyond the first 256 registrants.
X-Point Old School Side Event [FILLING FAST]
Friday, June 2, 12pm – 6pm. New this year for the Old School crowd on Friday: an opportunity to jam this popular and accessible 93/94 variant. Deck construction rules at the X-Point Old School website. Registration will be capped at 64 players.
Friday Night Free Play
Friday, June 2, 6pm – 11pm. Casual / free play time for OS, PM, cube drafts, ante shenanigans, and any number of other 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, June 3, 10:30am – 9pm. The sixth-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. Registration will be capped at 256 players and there will be no waitlist or other accommodations beyond the first 256 registrants.
Premodern Side Event [SOLD OUT]
Saturday, June 3, 1pm – 7pm. 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. As of February 8th, we are no longer accepting registrations for this event, which will be hard-capped at 64 players due to space and logistical constraints.
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. We’re also planning on running back the Friday night pizza order, no additional charge to paid registrants. 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 be joined by some early Magic artists at LOBSTERCON 2023! Jeff Menges and Drew Tucker will be with us in Boston, offering sigs and alters, selling their merch, sharing stories, and otherwise enjoying the weekend with our community.
Jeff A. Menges / Skaircrow Graphics
VENDORS
LOBSTERCON will also have the participation of multiple vendors from the Northeastern U.S. and beyond — check back for the full line-up closer to the event:
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. Note for 2023: due to MIT graduation weekend, Kendall Sq hotels are either fully booked or prohibitively expensive. A few more recommended options are as follows: Holiday Inn Boston Bunker Hill, Hotel 1868 in Porter Sq, AC Hotel by Marriott Boston Cambridge, and the Residence Inn by Marriott Boston Watertown and the Hampton Inn & Suites Watertown Boston.
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 all-day off-street parking available at the One Kendall Square Garage for $5 per day when you get your ticket validated by the bartenders at our event hall.
REGISTRATION FORM
As of February 7th, registration for LOBSTERCON 2023 is now open, using this form:
WHO’S SIGNED UP?
The Sentinel 