Popeye of the Altered Aces competitive team won the first World Championship Qualifier at the Dutch Altered Championship in Zoetermeer, The Netherlands. After his big win, he took a moment with the Blog to reflect on the experience and share some of his thoughts.

What was the overall atmosphere of the Qualifier like? Were players excited to be a part of the first Qualifier?

You could feel a mix of tension and excitement among the players. They were happy to see each other again, as they are at every major tournament, but this time it was clear that the stakes were higher than usual. The tension peaked during the last two rounds and especially at the end of the day, when the eight players who qualified for the final stages were announced over the microphone.

How did you decide which deck to bring to the event? Did you make any last-minute changes or tweaks to the deck?

I played the last major tournament in Angers with Kojo & Booda, and I was eliminated by Afanas in the Top 16. My experience in that tournament was particularly frustrating during my matches against Afanas. After the event, I decided to build a version of Sigismar that could compete against Afanas while still holding up well against other decks. After trying several builds, I quickly settled on the list I eventually played in the Netherlands. I didn’t make any changes to the deck in the three weeks leading up to the tournament, and during that time, I even reached first place in the BGA rankings with it so I felt pretty confident that the deck was competitive.

There was a lot of representation from the Altered Aces at DAC. What was it like to play alongside your teammates in the event?

Indeed, there were four Altered Aces players in the Top 8, and seven in the Top 16! When we enter tournaments, we know we’ll inevitably have to face each other at some point – that’s just part of the game. At the Netherlands Qualifier, there was an unusually high number of AA vs. AA matchups. While it’s never fun to eliminate a teammate, we always celebrate each other’s victories. The team spirit within Altered Aces is truly amazing, and I’m genuinely proud to be part of this group.

What was the actual competition like? Were the matches more intense than other competitive events?

Before the tournament started, the pressure was definitely higher than in previous events, at least for me, given what was at stake. That said, once you’re actually playing, you’re so focused on making the best possible decisions that the stress fades into the background. I had several intense games, especially one against my teammate Matmatu during the Swiss rounds. It was a super close match!

How did it feel to put down those last few cards to win the final?

To be honest, even though I might have seemed relaxed during the final, and even cracked a few jokes to entertain the audience watching the match, I had rarely been that stressed in a TCG game. When I saw my teammate Claedus play Field Reinforcements, clearly searching for a way out because he had nothing left, I realized I had won. A wave of relief washed over me. But honestly, the best moment was when I called my wife to tell her I had won, she was even happier than I was! Then again, maybe that’s just because it meant we weren’t obliged to spend our next vacation in London, Milan or Barcelona for another Altered event!

Which of the prizes you got at the Qualifier is your favorite?

At the moment of victory, I was mainly focused on the fact that I had qualified, I had completely forgotten about the rest of the prizes! When the organizers came over with their arms full of trophies, booster displays and cards, I thought, “Wow, okay… this is serious!” All the rewards were amazing, and it’s hard to pick a favorite, but I know that the exclusive Worlds Ordis Trooper card and the glass trophy will definitely get a special spot on my shelf, right next to my Charizard and my other trophies!

What are you looking forward to most at the World Championships in Paris?

It’s still hard to fully picture it, as it all feels a bit far off, but I’m really looking forward to seeing the names of the 31 other players I’ll be facing in the tournament! Of course, I’m also curious to see how the meta will evolve throughout the remaining qualifiers, and I can’t wait to discover the new cards in the upcoming set. I’ll be doing everything I can to build the best possible decklist and give myself the best shot at success.

Any message to other players preparing for their regional Qualifier events?

My advice to all players hoping to qualify would be this: Don’t just copy the decklist of someone who’s already qualified. Instead, build a deck that suits your playstyle, one where you know exactly why each card is there. Of course, we all play around similar cores, but every deck has a few flexible slots that should be used to tailor the list to your personal approach and to support a well-defined game plan. I’d also strongly recommend joining a team if possible, and practicing relentlessly against all the top decks to learn every key matchup. That kind of preparation makes a huge difference. And hey, if all else fails, at least you’ll be able to blame your teammates in the group chat.