Gamers heading to Detroit
Yu-Gi-Oh winners set to represent Nunavut with hopes of winning seat at worlds
Casey Lessard
Northern News Services
Published Monday, October 20, 2014
IQALUIT
Four Nunavummiut are one step closer to qualifying for the Yu-Gi-Oh world championships, and will be the first to represent Nunavut internationally in such a tournament.
Calif Munick-Denault won a recent Yu-Gi-Oh tournament that gives him a space in a world series qualifier next summer, as well as all of the goodies pictured. - photo courtesy of Jerry Winford |
The three men and one boy plan to travel to Detroit, Michigan, next summer.
Winner Calif Munick-Denault's reaction? Not exactly what you might expect.
"I dread the day, to be honest," the 21-year-old said, betraying his obsession with being the best.
"The odds of me going down and losing" are intimidating, he said, noting he fears having to say, "'Oh, well, that was that.'"
For those not in the know, Yu-Gi-Oh is a strategy trading card game that involves using monster cards to inflict damage on the life-force of an opponent's hand of cards.
The Sept. 27 tournament he won was the first ever official store tournament championship for Stuff-2-Do Toys and Games in Iqaluit.
"It is a kids' thing," said store manager Jerry Winford. "But because Yu-Gi-Oh started 15 years ago, people who took it up then have evolved with the game. Even as they go into college or university, or past university, they're still playing the game."
Players start at age six, but the store's youngest duellists are in the eight to 10 year old range, he said, and Yu-Gi-Oh is a great activity for developing smarts.
"There's a lot of skill-building with Yu-Gi-Oh, your math skills, your English skills, reading skills, and the social-gathering skills, which is really important in life. Then there's the critical thinking, which comes with the strategizing of the game."
The game is always evolving, Winford said, because the company that makes the cards is constantly issuing new card sets with new ways to win.
"Currently it's all about monster effects," Munick-Denault said, explaining how to win.
"It's either destroying the opponent's cards with monster effects or just taking them on with pure strength. That's where spell cards or certain traps come into play."
Of the 16 competitors, three came from outside of Iqaluit for the tournament. The top four are all from Iqaluit, and include Munick-Denault, Henry Mikajuk, Joe Sagiaktook and Juda Atagoyuk.
Three are working men with decent jobs who can afford to travel to Detroit unassisted, Winford said. However, the group will fundraise for $2,000 to help the youngest, Mikajuk, to attend the tournament. First Air is giving a fare discount to assist the group.
To get to the next round, the competitors will have to finish in the top 40 in Detroit, and if they can manage that, they'll head to Japan later in the summer for the world championships.
Munick-Denault has actually calculated his odds of moving to the next round at 15 per cent. The challenge ahead is scary, but he is not giving up. He practices every day and wants to make Nunavut proud.
"I aim to be the best," he said. "I'm determined to make it to the world championships. Step one, win the tournament, step two, win the next, step three, become the best. I play to win. That's it, that's all."
