So, how'd you get on at your Nationals Qualifiers? Made the cut after one grueling big event, or trekking around the country for several weekends in a row? If so, congrats, see you there! But, the majority of you that had a go won't have qualified – that's just how the numbers work. Instead, you went 0-2 drop, maybe 3-3 or similar, or perhaps worst of all, lost out on tiebreakers in your final round.

Assuming that's the case, you're not going to be bothering going to Nats, right? Think again.

No matter what your circumstances, you can, and should, attend Nationals at all costs! Here are 15 reasons why – Perhaps I can convince a few of you fence-sitters out there.

(Note: I'm using the easily accessible information for this year's Great Britain (= UK, England, home!), and USA Nationals events to illustrate my points – but no matter where in the world you are, these 15 reasons will still apply in some way).

1. Last Chance Qualifiers

Live the dream! Failing to qualify at the main NQ events in your country doesn't have to mean you can't play in the event – just that you have to go 5-0 in an event the day before. With all the best players in the country presumably qualified already, this may even be an easier proposition than the first time around. We've all strung together 5 wins in a row at some point, and the fact that you can keep trying all day long if you've got “grinders” (US, sealed and standard), or twice (double draft and standard) in GB, means that you've got at least 2 goes at it. If you're going to win Nationals you need to have a little self-belief, and if you have that and a decent deck, you've got a good chance in LCQs. It's just like winning a 32 player Game Day, only without the certificate!

2. Support your friends

Even if you don't LCQ in, you probably have at least a handful of friends who will be playing in the main event, be they team-mates or just players you know from your local store. It's nice to have someone rooting for you when things get serious, and any support you give will surely be appreciated. Next time, maybe it'll be you being cheered for in the feature match arena, and you'll be glad of some friends to return the favour when that time comes.

3. Watch, or do coverage

Unless your country/state is fortunate enough to have been host to a Pro Tour or Grand Prix event recently, Nationals will likely be the most high-profile event of the year. Your country's top players will be out in force, with the much-coveted invites to World's on the line. As such, you're going to see some saucy new tech, and fantastic games of Magic being played. You can be there to watch and learn from the likes of Brad Nelson, Pat Chapin, or Matteo Orsini-Jones. You can even take this to the next level and report on what you're seeing, doing coverage for either your personal blog/twitter, your favourite Magic news and strategy site (*cough* Mananation.com *cough*), or even the official Wizards of the Coast website, if you talk to the right people. Just be careful not to out someone's new tech or decklist without asking first, folks.

4. Judge, and help out

If you don't much feel like playing, but have a generous nature and love of the game, why not lend a hand and judge? Be it for the main event, or side-table drafts, judges are needed in large numbers at Nationals events, and you can even earn some product and promos for your trouble. If you're not yet a judge, or want to advance to the next level in the program, this is an ideal opportunity to do so, with so many high level judges in attendance, ready to show you the ropes or help you progress. If you don't fancy judging? There are still other things you can do to help deliver a great event for all players, from scorekeeping, to enrolling players in events, or working on a traders stand for fun and profit!

5. Atmosphere

If you've ever been to a Pro Tour or Grand Prix event, you know how it can feel almost like a festival of Magic. Wherever you walk around the venue there's Magic of all kinds being played and discussed, from the feature match tables to EDH battles on the floor of the lobby, and Nationals is no different – plus, people are battling to see who gets to play for their country, this is important stuff! Having so many people with a common passion in the same place creates an amazing atmosphere, and if you've only ever experienced Magic at a kitchen table or local store, you just have to experience this at least once.

6. Big prize events

Outside of the main event at Nationals, you'll find some of the best prize payouts this side of the Pro-Tour. From $900 value "Magic Cruise" packages, Xbox 360's, and a $4500 stack of laptops in the US, to a complete foil set of M11 and cash booster draft/eternal events paying out up to £200 in GB, there's plenty to play for in a variety of formats. A quick "back of the envelope" calculation shows that there is something like $18,000 worth of non-product prizes being given away in events between just the US and GB. With most of the heaviest hitters duelling in the main event, these could be your chance to shine and take home a serious prize!

7. PTQs and GPTs

Some prizes, no amount of money can buy, like the fabled "blue envelope" containing a Pro Tour invite and flight ticket, or a set of three byes to a GPT of your choice. Such things have to be earned, and there are ample opportunities to do so at all Nationals. Specifically, in the US, there's one of each to try your hand at, with a sealed PTQ and a Standard GPT. Meanwhile in GB, there's a whopping FOUR sealed PTQs (one each day), and three GPTs (2 standard, 1 (new) extended). Again, presuming the best players are playing in the main event, you might have a better shot than usual at taking it down here, especially over in London, where you can try four days in a row, and the field is often smaller than those in other countries (likely 80-150 players).

8. Casual games

If all this talk of pro tours and cash prizes is a bit daunting for you as a novice or non-tournament player, don't worry. You'll be more than catered for by the range of casual events Nationals has to offer, with plenty of scheduled and pick-up events you'll love. However, the best games you'll find aren't organised at all – they're the ones you'll stumble into by hanging around the open-duelling area and making a new friend or three. Sitting down opposite a stranger and asking, “Hey, fancy a game?” will never be more rewarding.

9. Old formats

There are always some old format events at Nats, and by this I mean both Legacy/Vintage, and non-current sealed deck formats. In smaller countries, the semi-official National Championships for Eternal formats will often be run over the same weekend.

In the US, you can win a free dinner playing Legacy, and in GB there are cash tournaments for both Legacy and Vintage, with bonus prizes for highest-finishing unpowered/extended-legal decks. A perfect chance to dust off those white-bordered duals that aren't getting much action! Plus, there are a variety of old sealed formats to try for the first time or revisit, including Mirrodin, Ravnica, Odyssey, and Invasion.

10. Variant formats

Do words such as “pauper” or “prismatic” get you far more excited than they perhaps should? Are you a true Johnny, at heart? Well, there'll certainly be an unusual variant format or two for you to test your deckbuilding skills out on. For example, here in London there'll be players playing formats such as standard and extended pauper, build your own block and standard, 15 card highlander and minimasters!

11. Multiplayer events

As we're now in the “Summer of Multiplayer”, events for 3 plus players will be offered in abundance, from 4 player EDH pick-ups to last-man-standing Grand Melees. Now that there are two excellent officially supported multiplayer expansions to the game, Planechase and Archenemy, expect to see good support for these as well – with exclusive “Summer of Multiplayer” playmats for participants in the US!

12. Trading

For the budding Kelly Reid's and Jon Medina's out there, trading doesn't get better than at events on this scale. With such a broad range of player types in attendance, you're guaranteed to find someone who wants anything you've got up for grabs, and it's more than likely someone has those obscure foils you've been searching high and low for your cube, or just the last few rares you need to finish your new standard deck. Nationals is also one of the few opportunities you'll run into players with power-9 and other big money cards for trade, and they will be willing to let go of it – for the right deal, of course! The night before the main event last year, I saw a pair of moxes go for a large stack of standard playables – trading for power does really happen, I promise you. Just keep a close eye on your stuff and don't rip anyone off, mmkay?

13. Artists

If you really want your cube foils to be as pimped out as they possibly can be, you're gonna need them to be truly one-of-a-kind. How about getting the card's artist to make some alterations to a few of them? There are usually one or two fan favourites in attendance ready to sign, draw, and otherwise amaze, from land-artist John Avon to Planeswalker creator Aleksi Briclot.

14 – Evening entertainment

The fun doesn't have to end when the events do each evening – in addition to cube games, team drafts and practise for the next day, there is often some scheduled entertainment to be enjoyed. Here in London, we'll be taking part in three nights of classic gameshows with a Magic twist, hosted by the Pro Tour's own Richard Hagon, and official coverage writer Tim Willoughby. The prizes aren't to be sniffed at either, with several hundred boosters and standard-legal rares to be won (having had a sneak peek at the rares pile, i can say it includes multiple Vengevines, Bloodghasts, and fetch lands!)

Outside of the organised fun, it's always worth having a look round the city the event is in with a group of friends, to find somewhere good to eat, drink, or dance. Last year in Brighton, we found a rock club that gave discounted entry if you showed a Magic card – how cool is that? Just don't have “too much fun” if you intend to play the next day... more on that another time perhaps!

15. It's more affordable than you might think

I imagine a common excuse for not attending Nationals, after “not having the time”, is “it's too expensive”. This I can appreciate, but don't be too hasty when deciding you just can't go – much like attending a GP more than a few hours away, it might not be as bad as you think.

If you're reasonably well-connected you can probably find a Magic player in the area you know well enough to crash on their couch for a couple nights, and if not, you probably know someone you can room with at a cheap hotel/hostel. If you book in advance airfare needn't be that expensive, and the same goes for trains/coaches. Add to that a few bucks a day for event entry fees, food, and drink, and you're pretty much sorted.

In fact, if you budget well and search online for the best deals, you might even find attending a foreign Nationals is within your grasp – for example, if you live on the US east coast and can convince one of us Londoners to put you up for a few nights (probably not that difficult), you can have 5 days in the UK for around $600. And if you win one of the legacy/vintage event you'll get half that back in cash... Why not make a little holiday of it?!

Hope you've enjoyed reading, see you at Nationals soon!

Thanks to Jason Howlett at The Games Club and Steve Port at Legion events for their information on GB and USA Nationals, respectively. You can see the full schedule for each event by following the organization link.

Dan is an average, but very passionate Magic player from London, England, who loves the social side of the game most of all. You can follow Dan on Twitter at @dangerawesome