Well, I had heard so little from the guys in Charleston this time around, I was getting a little worried our attendance might slip. However, we had 26 participants for the T1 on Sunday.
The weekend began with plans to have somewhat of a "Magic-fest" consisting of several friends at my house, beginning as early as Friday, and following up Saturday, then proceed to the store for the tourney on Sunday.
Turns out Andy (and Faye) couldn't make it, and Cullen waited to play taxi-driver. So, Hill got here Friday, and we began smacking each other around when I got off work, late Friday. Several cronies joined in, and we played until the wee hours (4 am)(Josh, thank yer Mom for us, for the use of the facility).
After some domestic bliss (read: chores for wife), we ended up inviting some of those same people over to my house to play, and eat my wife's wonderful ribs she had grilled (sorry if its too damn cold in most of the rest of the country for this sort of thing). Also, hugest props to Joseph (of T1 Clerics' fame) for the GIGANTIC assist in my chores for that day.
What did I anticipate from playtesting that night? I had three unfavorable matchups: MaskNaught (50/50), Fish (slightly worse), and Roadshow (worse than Fish). Last time, I had called the field almost perfectly, and sideboarded perfectly for the sea of Keeper and blackness that was Charleston on the 4th. The only problem was that I didn't see that half of the field, I got the "I hate Keeper" portion of Chuck-town.
Since I liked the build of my "Dark Keeper", I changed only three slots in the Sideboard. Divert was a second-chance failure; I tried it once last year, and this time, and it has never really worked for me. I'd just rather have Misdirection, or Meddle, or whatever it is. The two Dodecapods, I feel, are too iffy, and unproactive. So, they changed into a Keg, and a Scour. I used the Scour once, in the first game of a tournament in Charleston, against Oath, and everyone talked about it all day, even though it made no other appearances that I recall. Divert became Hurkyl's Recall, mostly for Roadshow, which I knew was making an appearance, and I just thought it might save me. Also not too shabby against 'Naught, Ankh, Cursed Scroll, etc.
Round One: Jesse Driggers, Charleston VOID
Game 1, He drops some early beats, Hyppie, and Shade, thanks to Duress and Dark Ritual, and I smoke the Hippie with something. Maybe a Diabolic Edict. We continue trading cards, and I try and get to something really useful. Unfortunately, a 8/7 Shade is almost always useful. I think he dropped Nether Void in here, somewhere on my way to zero.
Game Two, my deck goes hog wild, and runs away, stopping everything, and just handing me answers when I needed them. Hymn? Mana Drain. Critter? Abyss. LD? Teferi's Response. A spud could've won that game.
Game 3, was a little closer, but some timely plays worked in my favor. We trade a few cards, mostly critters and Edicts, and kind of stabilize around turn five. He is sitting at 3 Swamps, and I think I have four lands. He puts out a Hypnotic Spectre, and I am holding Abyss. So, I let it go, and drop the Abyss on my turn. He follows up with a Dark Ritual (I think) Duress, stealing my counter, and throws Nether Void down. I begin to think I am in big trouble, because the Abyss is *poof* and then I look a little closer. I have a Wasteland on the board, and Strip Mine in my hand, and Vampiric Tutor, and the mana to cast it, even with the Void. So, NP, Vamp for? Library of Alexandria. One of the other "useless" cards I was holding. I also had some other, random land. I Strip away a land, he drops a Mishra's Factory, I waste it, and for about five turns, he can't even drop a Mox. When he did, Annul reared its ugly head, continuing his mana problems. Soon, Library is working overtime, and I am waaaay ahead of the mana game. So much so, that when I finally draw a threat (I was being very cautious) I am hardcasting Force of Wills, under the Void. A spud might've lost that game.
Games, 2-1, Matches 1-0-0
Round two, Cullen Cox, Parfait par excellence, Charleston
Game 1, I've played Cullen about a zillion times, and I think this might been the best draw I've ever seen. Land, Mox Diamond, Sol Ring, Tax. Hmm, now that does suck. I should've Parised for a Godhand. Needless to say, by the end of turn two, he has six mana, Scroll Rack, and one land in play. So, I Time Walk, and something, and something else, and say done go. I've given him Tax-ability, but I had little choice with the hand I was holding, anyway. So, of course, has feels the need to Chant me, and drop Blood Moon, his favorite (and only) red card; I mean, the man literally HAS no other red cards. I shoulda scooped, but I was holding Balance and Cunning Wish, either of which woulda rescued me. Somewhat. Onto Game two: His karma has paid me back, as he has to Paris down to four cards, and it still sucks. My first draw required a Paris, but the follow-up hand rocked. I even got to use that Hurkyl's Recall; I left it in the board, but for some reason, had left one of my Wishes in my main, so the only useful card left was Hurkyl's. It allowed me to rescue my Triskelion when it was about to hit the farm! Despite that quick game, we have only nine minutes left (damn ponies are slow), so we decide to draw. Hell, its only Round two.
Games, 3-2 Matches, 1-0-1
Round Three, Mike M, Oath, I think
Games one and two are almost identical. He draws Sylvan, and hustles it out, and starts trading Sylvan life for cards, trying to outhustle my "draws-a-lot" build, and ends up so low that a single Triskelion finishes him in game one, and a Mishra's Factory lays waste to most of his life in game two. Mike loves playing me; since he started playing really good decks, I am something like 10-0 against him. 'Course he knocked me out of a tourney I was primed to win with a Stompy w/o Ephelants, about a year ago, so vengeance continues.
Games, 5-2 Matches 2-0-1
Round Four: Josh Kinner, MaskNaught, Savannah
Great! Right when I needed a win! For some reason, all the top players are sitting on the second row, and I am limping along, in the first row, and kind of wondering why. Well, Josh was part of the reason. He's 3-0 at this point, and stomping the snot out of people.
Game One, I get a terrific set of cards, all draws and counters, keeping him off-balance, with Edicts and Wishes right when I need them, including the Abyss, Keeping the Hyppies of my back. I think a Morphling finishes him (Josh has reminded me it was a Mishra's beat-down).
Game two, I get a near-repeat performance, only better, as I get to add a pair of Mind Twists, Ancestrals, time Walks, DTutors, (thanks to YawgWill) and seven sideboard cards, three of which show up in my opening hand (Keg, COP:Black, and Annul). I really did need the win.
Games 7-2 Matches 3-0-1, Ten Points
Round Five, John O'Connell
He and Bill and I had discussed the ID situation, in round four, and I couldn't afford to in round four, because a loss would put me out, and Josh was likely to at least get his tenth point in round five, from a draw, with another nine-point guy. Bill has never liked IDing since being bumped in Savannah, where a bunch of toughies made it tougher by IDing into the T8. But, hell, Bill, if you can't beat 'em, right?
Anyway, he and I draw, and discuss the day, and how our decks would line up. We play some loose games, with no SBing, and I feel I might have a slight advantage, but that is just arrogance, really. His deck has a LOT of counters, and Back to basics. Mine has a lot of recovery, and can operate under extreme conditions, but his is well lined up against me, so who knows.
Games: 7-2, Matches: 3-0-2 11 points.
Top eight: Weird.
Josh J, with Gay Fish is lined up against Mono-phid Greg
I am slated with (who else?) Josh with MaskNaught
John (URPhid) is to play annoying T2 GR Scott
Evil Bill (Sligh) is playing Shaun, whom he's already beaten, but I thought Shaun would've won, so I'm glad I was proven (somewhat) right, by Shaun beating Bill
John decimates Scott, who is lucky to escape with his life, and Fish takes monoPhid. I am left to take my lumps from MaskNaught.
Game One: I take some early damage, due to Hyppies, and get some hand damage done to me, and somewhere in there, he gets an Illusionary Mask. I Balance, Edict, Edict and maybe Abyss, but both our hands are empty, and I'm at about four when he TDs a Dreadnaught. Wasn't that fun.
Game Two, I run away, with turns, and draws, locking him into the corner, and even making the topdeck of the day. I am about out of cards, and hold only Teferi's Response, land, and a Mana Drain, when he throws a 3-point Mind twist. I Drain it, knowing I might just have to sink it into my Monolith. Nope, just draw a Stroke of Genius, for eight, and proceed to win, quickly, and easily. Wish I could draw like that all the time.
Game Three: I get bent into shape by a turn one, Duress, Mask. I get some little help with my drawing, but he is quickly wrecking my decent hand, and I need to get the Hyppie off my back before *yank*yank*yank* hmm. All my answers are gone, unless I draw Balance...nope. Game over, go get another quarter.
So, after I started being an observer, Josh gets manhandled by GayFish, mostly because of counters, and Null Rods. John takes Shaun, thanks to some free cards (remember when we all realized Force of Will was broken? Why didn't Wizards when they made Misdirection?). John takes Gay Josh Fish, due to nice use of Kegs, and REBs, and Josh getting anxious. Good job, Dad.
Props? Cullen for always being on top of your game, and almost every obscure Fastbond ruling Hill for playing an off-the-wall deck and annoying everyone with it. Jon for quizzing me about Time Vault, one of my favorite cards! Bill, for asking tough questions. Jesse for being a very good sport as my "Force, hard-cast under Void" story made its rounds.
Slops? Scott for being a
Darren A. Dew
THE UNION
PS: Here's the link to the newbie forum's report, straight from John himself.
Dad's reportAnd here's the lineup:
Evil Bill Anti-Keeper Sligh
Josh Kinner MaskNaught
Hill Redwine Ducktape/Antiques Roadshow
John O'Connell UR Phid
Scott King GR Beats (T2)
Shaun Moreland R/G Zoo/Taiga
Todd Judy TnT
Cullen Cox Parfait
Mike Maujion Oath
David Allen MaskNaught
Rudy Quarterman Void
Jesse Driggers Void
Billy Bolger Agro-black
Carl Mallard Underworld Dreams/Abyss (B/R)
Matt Brooks (yay!) UB Underworld Megrim
Darren Dew Dark Keeper v16.9
Jon Spires Trixie (ur)
Gohan Trixie
Brandon Mackie The Rock
Greg Scott MonoPhid
Craig Wrisley TurboLand (Test of Endurance)
Josh Jurgenson UR Gay Fish
Ed Carlson Chain of Smog/Dodecapod/Animate
Pest GB Void
Bryan McGraw MonoBlack Control
William Myers I don't know (Necravolver)
Answer to Evil Bill's question #1:
See?Todd's recent question was answered here:
(Negator)
