After playing Magic since the mid 90's and trying out all the big formats like Legacy, Modern, Extended, and Pioneer, we were craving a format that had more of those classic cards, old-school mechanics and we weren't too keen on the new sets, planeswalkers, or the ever-growing power creep in this fast-paced game environment. During the Corona period, we started getting into premodern, and we got hooked! From day one, we dove into premodern, quietly building our decks and brushing up on our metagame knowledge.

In the Netherlands, there wasn’t much of a premodern scene after the webcam wave during Corona. The biggest event was always the Uthen Troll Cup with the Old School, but there was definitely room for more organized premodern games. That’s why we kicked off the Bolt the Bird tournaments!

In Apeldoorn, we set up 2 tournaments in 2022, then did it again with another 2 in 2023. By 2024, the Bolt the Bird events had our own little fanbase with four tournaments. After that, we noticed the interest was growing and bumped it up to 7 tournaments in 2024, and we're even announcing this website and expecting 8 tournaments in 2026!

The Bolt the Bird Tournament has a low entry and friendly atmosphere, we've got a low fixed price for a whole day of fun, a nice atmosphere, free cookies, coffee/tea, lunch included, and above all, it’s all about casual play with that "don't be a dick" attitude. We welcome both Dutch and international players, have regular tournaments and special events for brewers, and we attract both returning players and brand new players who haven't played since revised but just want to join in!

We see the playerbase, both competitive and casual, growing, and we’re really excited to see even more new initiatives and tournaments popping up! Can’t wait for you to join us!