Minecraft All-Star Tournament (MCAST)

The **Minecraft All-Star Tournament** (also known as **MCAST**) was a Minecraft event hosted by Alex, intended to be yearly but due to the amount of time and effort there has only been one so far. It consisted of multiple competitive challenges covering every aspect of Minecraft, from PvP to crafting to farming. The last and only MCAST took place in 2015. The prize for this event was the Golden Banana, a plastic banana spray-painted brass. This would inspire the Birthday Gameshow Banana Trophies three years later.

The competitors were Tim on the Green Team, Jordan on the Blue Team, Max on the Red Team, and Alec on the Yellow Team. Players had to compete in 11 different challenges earning a point for each round won.

## The Challenges

### Trivia

The *Trivia* challenge was fairly straightforward. It consisted of 41 Minecraft related trivia questions. Alex would begin reading a question, at which point players could buzz in at any point in an attempt to be the first to answer correctly.

Questions ranged in difficulty, becoming increasingly more challenging as players progressed, as well as being worth more points for correct answers. For example, question 1 was "How many music discs are in Minecraft as of version 1.8.1?" (the version of Minecraft being played on at the time); the answer being "12". On the other hand, question 40 was "Which mob could be milked like a cow in the beta version of the game?"; the answer being "Squids".

The player at the end of 41 questions with the highest score would earn a point on the overall competition scoreboard.

### Sheep Wrangler

The *Sheep Wrangler* challenge was a unique game where players needed to guide a sheep through on obstacle course using wheat. Each player played on identical courses simultaneously. Courses each had 17 crops planted- for each crop trampled (either by player or by sheep) would cost 5 seconds to their final time.

The player with the fastest time after any penalties wins the challenge and would earn a point on the overall competition scoreboard.

### PvP

The *PvP* challenge put each of the four competitors in head-to-head combat within a small arena. Combat lasted 3 minutes and players earn score by killing other players. There was also a hidden 'bonus room' in the arena rewarding a player that found it with 5 additional points.

The player with the highest score after 3 minutes would earn a point on the overall competition scoreboard.

### Archery

The *Archery* challenge is another straightforward game. Each player gets 64 arrows and a flame bow as well as 3 minutes to hit as many targets in a wide lane as possible. Targets are marked with four different colors worth differing point values: Red (1 point), Yellow (2 points), Green (3 points), and Blue (4 points). Targets can be hit again after their arrows burn for additional points.

The player with the highest score after 3 minutes would earn a point on the overall competition scoreboard.

### Parkour

The *Parkour* challenge puts the competitors in identical obstacle courses where they need to race to the finish. There are multiple stages of increasing difficulty between checkpoints. If no player reaches the end within 6 minutes, the player at the furthest checkpoint wins. If more than one player are at the same, furthest checkpoint, these players will participate in a sudden death tiebreaker. Competitors start from the beginning of the course, and the first player to reach the first checkpoint wins.

The first player to reach the end or the player to win the sudden death tiebreaker would earn a point on the overall competition scoreboard.

### Crafting

The *Crafting* challenge is unique in that players are given a list of 12 items and asked to craft them without being allowed any external reference for the recipes. Players can request hints at the cost of a time penalty. Players were permitted to communicate and trade items with each other. This challenge took place in a manufactured arena with all of the necessary resource requirements to craft all items.

The player with the fastest time wins the challenge and would earn a point on the overall competition scoreboard.

### Mob Arena

The *Mob Arena* challenge is another straightforward challenge where competitors take turns fighting up to 15 waves of enemy monsters. After the tenth wave, players were given upgraded gear and the waves became significantly more challenging. If more than one player completed all 15 waves or if two or more players reached the same peak wave, they would compete in a sudden death final wave. The fastest time completed wins.

The player who completed the highest wave or who got the fastest time in the sudden death would earn a point on the overall competition scoreboard.

### Spleef

The *Spleef* challenge was a WildCard game, where players did not know what it would be when they picked it. The game took place in a small arena on a layer of snow. Competitors were equipped with a shovel and needed to dig out the floor beneath the others and be the last man standing.

The last player not fallen down would earn a point on the overall competition scoreboard.

### Fishing

The *Fishing* challenge set players on their own docks along a river with 5 minutes to catch as many fish and treasures as possible. Every possible fished item was worth different score values. For example, a standard Fish was worth 1 point, whereas a Clownfish was worth 10. Enchanted Books and Nametags were worth 13 points. Any items or fish not in a player's chest after the time ends are not counted toward their score.

The player with the highest score after 5 minutes would earn a point on the overall competition scoreboard.

### Survival

The *Survival* challenge gives players a simple task: build an enchanting table and place it on your beacon in the center of the map. Each competitor heads out into the world and must gather the resources to make an enchanting table while avoiding monsters and other players attempting to kill them. PvP and drops are enabled.

The first player to place an enchanting table on their respective colored beacon at the center of the world would earn a point on the overall competition scoreboard.

### Mining

The *Mining* challenge is another challenge similar to *Survival* and *Fishing*. Players are sent out into the world with Silk Touch enchanted pickaxes in search of ores. Each ore has its own score value based on its rarity. Coal and Iron have no value, Diamond is worth 8 points, and Emerald is worth 20 (among others). You could also find treasures in dungeon chests worth point values, like Name Tags worth 7 and Golden Apples worth 20.

The player with the highest score after 10 minutes would earn a point on the overall competition scoreboard.

## Winner

After all 11 challenges were played out, the winner was **Alec**- beating Jordan by 1 point and earning the first and only ever Golden Banana Trophy for the Minecraft All-Star Tournament.

Despite Alex having started work on a tournament in 2016, 2017, and 2022, there has not been another since.