Event Review- Masters

I have some mixed opinions on the entire Masters event and system, but that's an entirely different topic.  This is mostly dealing with the event itself.  A lot of this is going to be repeats from Grail Quest, since it is a lot of the same crowd and the exact same venue, but there are some differences.

The Basics-
Years Active: 2 (I have attended one year)
Format:  6 games, 2500 points, standard limitations and no special characters
Comp System:  Swedish
Sports System:  Best Game Votes only, but not for top award
Painting System:  Tiered Checklist with two judges, but not for top award.
Battle System:  20-nil

Venue-
This event takes place at Atomic Empire in Raleigh North Carolina.  The rows are crowded and it shares space with other events going on in the store.  The game store is an excellent place to buy stuff and has a beer only bar inside.

 Tables-
They are packed tight with somewhat sparse terrain.  The LOS blocking pieces are small and all of the terrain is in so-so condition.  The tables themselves are modular pieces, but serviceable.  It is basically a standard game store table experience.

Swag-
 T-Shirts and some Meirce Source Books.  Awards are nice trophies and some random GW kits.

Scenarios-
There are bonus points each round, determined by selecting a card from your hand secretly.  You can use each card once and only on day one.  I liked the concept, but it needs a little more fine tuning.

Crowd-
These are the top dogs of each region of the country and they reflect the general preference of that region and its selection criteria.  Mostly, its a room full of best general winners with a few hobby guys tossed in.  While cases of outright open rudeness are rare, they do occur and the level of the competition tends to make the entire event very tense.

Boozing-
Yeah, outside of some cheap beer at the in store bar, not much of that.  You can open a tab and have some local brews, but that's about it due to local laws.

Competition-
The best generals in the nation are here playing no frills 20nil battle lines for six games in a row.  The playstyle and crowd reflect that and the fierce competition over the team title means everyone is playing heavy point denial and evasion.  It is quite simply, the roughest room you will play in.

Overall-
My personal issues with the format and tone aside, this is a very well run and efficient event.  While I have no interest in going again, even when it relocates to Vegas next year, I recommend anyone who is capable of qualifying to give it a go at least once.  Its worth it just to network with all the really good players who attend.