The Wake of the Titan: Northeastern Regional Champion’s Report, by Yan Margolin, the Negator
“There can only be one champion, and when he brings his vengeance down upon the world, the pretenders to his throne discard their arrogant veneer in despair, and flee for their lives”
Last year, I showed that I know more than just bad suicide black decks by smashing to an 8-1 record with the Replacement Killers, a slower, anti-beatdown Grb deck that could be likened to a better version of the current “Beasts” deck. This year, however, I had no pretensions to a qualification for Nationals. My friend Ed Paltzik and I waffled around for a few months, contenting ourselves to be 2 idiots playing bad beatdown decks in every format. We built a smelly, smelly Red-Green Deck, and were ready to guide this crappy behemoth in a lumbering attempt to storm Regionals. However, thankfully for me, Ed went to a $250 event at Neutral Ground two weeks before the big day. He proceeded to go 1-4, losing to UG, Tog, Reanimator and Beasts, and managing to overpower a sliver deck (Daunting a task as that may be). While Ed was still fully ready to just be a jerk, and play the same deck, more or less, on Regionals day, I realized that either I was going to abandon ship, or sink to the bottom, desperately clutching my Wild Mongrels and Violent Eruptions (an awful, uncastable spell). As I was beginning to contemplate skipping Regionals this year to avoid a disgraceful performances to follow up last year’s success, my friend Sam Greenblatt called me. He was returning to Magic, and hoping to go to Regionals with me, one of his classical partners in crime. He also told me that his cousins, Ross and Greg Anderson, could loan me a Slide deck, amongst others. I was excited at this prospect, and started to waste time immediately on apprentice by goldfishing like 50 games. Then, just this Thursday, Sam tells me that I have more options than just Slide, including Beasts, UG, or even Wake.
As I already said, I did not think my chances for T8 at this tourney were very good at all. I figured, “Hell, I’ll try Wake, the supposed hardest deck in the format, without any practice. If I am really a genius like I imagine myself to be, I will have no problem improvising a semi-winning strategy”. So, on Friday night, I call the Anderson brothers, and ask for a Wake deck, matching Jelger Wiegersma’s decklist from Dutch Nationals.
When I arrived at the site, I was able to acquire almost all of the cards for Wake from the Andersons, and they’re incredibly kind and likable friend Peter Matson. I was able to bum or buy the rest of the uncommons and commons, and changed Jelger’s list byone card, taking a Flash of Insight out of the sideboard for a Mana Short. Here is the decklist, for those too lazy or stupid to check the Sideboard.com:
Titan’s Wake, a totally non-net decked concoction…
4 Counterspell
4 Renewed Faith
4 Wrath of God
4 Compulsion
3 Cunning Wish
3 Deep Analysis
3 Moment’s Peace
3 Exalted Angel
2 Memory Lapse
2 Mirari’s Wake
2 Mirari
4 Krosan Verge
3 Skycloud Expanse
3 Brushland
3 Forest
3 Plains
10 Island
Sideboard
3 Teroh’s Faithful
1 Exalted Angel
1 Elephant Ambush
1 Krosan Reclamation
1 Chastise
1 Opportunity
1 Mana Short
1 Moment’s Peace
2 Seedtime
1 Circular Logic
1 Ray of Distortion
1 Ray of Revelation
While I feel that the Nordic Wake-player’s sideboard was overly greedy, filled with Wish targets whose argument for inclusion are tangential at best, such Seedtime, and at least 1 too many Teroh’s Faithful, the main deck is a work of art. This deck is a perfectly designed control deck, with a great engine to shut down the opponent’s aggression, and enough important cards against other control decks to get the job done. The deck required many complex decisions, although I will admit that its learning curve is overrated by most writers as the “toughest deck in a long time to pick up and play”. Nevertheless, I feel very proud that I was able to navigate this deck like a fine surgical tool, dismembering opponents as if they were test objects, or even toys. What I lovedmost about this deck is how easy it can seem to be beaten. It seems that every one of my opponents lost game on, confidently boarded in a plethora of enchantment removal, and then just gets totally smashed game 2. They then sulk away to their friends, and complain: “I boarded in the best anti-wake stuff! I got 3 Disenchant, a Demystify and a Ray! Then, this guy just gets lucky and rips an angel”. The fact is, the Wake/Mirari engine is supplementary, part of the plan to make the deck multifaceted. The only reason this deck is even called Wake is because this current list is a logical progression from the primitive, more combo-dependant Wake decks of the States metagame. The truth is, anyone trying to hate this deck will fail because if you shut down all of my board control permanents, I will counter every non-Disenchant effect that is important in your deck, and win with swords and feathers. Now, let us trace back the footsteps of the Ashen Titan, and learn from his greatness and glory the true meaning of conquest and domination.
Round 1: 9th Grader, RG
My seating was screwed up by the judges, although the excellent judging staff, headlined by Eric Smith, Steve Zwanger, Dorian Anders, Hayden, Mark and others ran a very organized event for 534 people. Therefore, I played in the hallway against another victim of a clerical error. In game one, he has a mediocre hand, wasting turn pumping a lizard, which I negate by cycling a Faith. Pretty soon, an angel is in the building, and I end the game at over 20 life. Game 2, I draw both faithful and angel, and I half-cunningly, half-carelessly play a facedown angel when he has a Lavamancer with a guide on it. He, as I had hoped, swings away, and I get the chance to use my angel, followed by a wake. Pretty soon, it is game over yet again.
Round 2: Brian Tweedy, MBC
In the first game, I plop down a turn 5 Mirari, and he is crestfallen. He Echoes me for some strange reason when my graveyard is just a wish and a verge. I jokingly remind him that I have a wish in my hand, which he knew from duress, and an orb in play, so he is actually helping me by removing my wish from the game. He immediately scoops. Game 2, I make the only play error of the day when I use my second wish for a greedy opportunity. I should have used wish #2 for a Ray of Distortion, killed his Mirari, played my own, and went infinite with Wish #3. Instead, I was one wish short of going anywhere, and was soon out of commission. Game 3, I am able to draw the game out, counter an echoes, and start plopping elephant tokens into play. Brian smothers some, but it is of no use, of course. Say what you will about endangered species, but these pacaderms were of an infinite supply, and Brian cannot race the tide.
Round 3: Mitch Okum, Aggro Black
Mitch is a friendly, grown up fellow who apparently was semi-professional some years back. However, when he plays a turn 1 Festering Goblin, I know I am in good shape. He does get a wretch and a rotlung into play, but I carefully Peace, wrath at 10 life, take 4, and wrath again. I then get the combo rolling, and he concedes. Game 2, I play a turn 3morph. He draws a card, and starts to agonize over his hand. I can immediately tell that he has no removal, especially when he attacks with a reanimator and wretch. I take my turn, and uncork an angel upon him. The angel appears to have a hypnotic effect, as Mitch’s frustration and bitter disappointment overwhelm him so that he fails to even swing back for 4 damage. Pretty soon, I am backing my angel with Wake’s and counters, and find myself at 3-0.
Round 4: Alexandrie Confurius, BW Slide
I play a turn one Verge, and he groans at his self-proclaimed worst matchup. Pretty soon, the game degenerates into me having a mana and card advantage, playing an angel, swinging twice, letting it die to a wrath, and playing another. In game 2, he actually seems to be winning with a gladiator since I am mana-flooded, but I draw a timely compulsion, and, before you know it, I have 2 angels in play. He even caps off the match by blocking one of my 2 angels with his own. He announces that “they bounce”, and I just dolefully point at my Wake. The game ends at that juncture.
Round 5: Adam Ruebens, Wake
I ask Adam, a longtime rival, how long he has tested Wake. He responds with a cocky “months, and even for the mirror”. I immediately desire greatly to win, and get to a good start with a turn 2 Compulsion. I choose to ignore the aggressive impulses of my usual play style, and allow Adam to do all the casting. Soon, through conservative and perfect use of countermagic, I am sitting on a Compulsion-Wake-Orb rig against his empty board. An upkeep Mana Short seals the deal for me. Game 2, I board in a fourth angel, and play the Grey Ogre turn 3. I hit for 2 three times, then morph with counter mana. He eventually wraths, and I counter. He seems to be able to fight me, but chooses not too. That angel never leaves the table from that point, as he frantically digs at 4 life for a wrath, arguing over whether he played a land in the final turn to have enough mana for a wrath when it was clear that I had counter magic to save my very special lady. With this aggro-control plan, I take the match.
Round 6: Nice adult, Beasts
At this point, it dawns on me: I am navigating the hardest deck in the room to the top tables with no practice at all. When my opponent mulligans, and play an elf off a brushland, I find myself at the same ease as I did last year when my opponent dropped a Karpalusan Forest versus Replacement Killers. There is little to say about these games, other than the fact that wraths and angels are harsh professors in the school of hard knocks, and my opponent is more of a spectator than a player in the match.
Round 7: Peter Matson
It becomes obvious when I sit down with Pete, a good friend of mine, and a teammate for this event, that he has no wish to go to Nationals, and wants to concede to me without playing his UG deck against me. I felt almost shocked at this turn of events, and thankhim profusely. I also contract with the 4-man group of myself, Pete, Greg Anderson, and Ross Anderson a prize split that benefits those that finish the lowest of the team. I am now given a technical bye, and am Scot-free to test for what began to seem an assured Nationals berth with my close compatriot and teammate Jeremy Cash.
Round 8: Ross Anderson
When Ross, playing Tog, expresses his own lack of interest in Nationals, I am floored. It seems that as a reward for being a returning member of the Regionals Class of 2002, I get 2 mid-tourney byes! At this point, I am more or less guaranteed the T8, and am ecstatic.
Round 9: Dan Budensick, MBC
Dan is usually non-civil towards me, but we have been sitting next to each other for several rounds now, and are in perfectly civil, and even friendly conversation. We draw the round, guaranteeing a T8 for both of us.
Round 10: John Grunzia, Slide
At this point, it becomes clear that both Ross and Peter, despite their concessions to me, are still in T8 contention. Wanting to finish our T8 sweep, I decide to play for the perfect record. Unfortunately for John, this means that his 8-1 record will not find its draw with me, and will have to play his worst matchup, with everyone the line. Game 1 is extremely easy, as he mulligans, and I wish for Ray of Revelation on turn 3. I destroy 2 Slides, counter a Rift, and roll to victory. During the sideboarding, Pete informs me that he lost to another friend of mine, a fine jewish paladin named Jon Gross, and that if I do not beat Grunzia, he will end up in the ignoble 9th place. At this point, it becomes clear to poor John that he will not get a draw with me, no matter the amount of begging. He tries to change his demeanor from suppliant to vengeful and crusading, telling me that he is bringing in 15 cards. I calmly realize that he is bringing in creatures, and keep my wraths around, adding just an angel. He plays a Hopper, and I match with angel. He adds an angel, but stupidly swings into Moment’s Peace about 4 times, giving me a lot of time. He drops a Genesis, and my plan changes. He also Boil’s away 3 Islands, but I am not in the least bit affected. He also drops an angel, which forces me to keep my own at home. He swings with his team, and I kill a monastery, which I had to block in the face of Slice and Dice to allow my next move to have meaning. He boils again on the island I just played, but I wish with Mirari in play, getting a Reclamation and Ray. I untap, swing with my angel, courtesy of his absent slice and dice, and wrath. I then Reclame his Genesis, and he is once again in dire straights. He gets to swing with his Hopper that survived the board sweep, only to encounter an angel the next turn. That angel swings away as he frantically races, and ultimately, lands about 15 points short. By this time, John’s use of headphones, an offensive and uncouth act, causes me to enjoy the systematic outplaying and destruction of his forces. My favorite point in the match is when he boils half my land, and his friend high fives him and leaves for a few minutes. When said friend returns, John is sitting with a long face in the same game, with my deck crushing him as if I did not even need blue mana.
Negator dismisses John Grunzia from the Top Eight
At this stage in the game, I have abandoned any pretense of this “Yan Margolin” persona, and transform fully and unconditionally into Negator. Get into a racially and sexually explicit verbal war with Osyp Lebomullatowitz, and begin making the rounds, receiving a healthy mix of congratulations, and sullen rolled eyes. I ask Eric Smith, a judge who has always been considerate and open to me, to declare my victory in a special way. When Eric steps up the microphone, and the room goes silent. He announces “Here are the Top Eight standings after the final round. I first place, as I regret to inform you all, is Yan Margolin.” The room goes nuts, and above the boos, and occasional cheers, the great roar of the WitchKing can be heard, celebrating the demise of his enemies, and his ascendance to the title that he was born to hold: Grand Champion!
I believe that when it comes to my doing well, there are 3 sorts of reactions. The first is that of those like Ross Anderson or Brian Stroh, of true happiness at my success. The second is that of those like Osyp, or Tony Tsai, who wish nothing short of blight and death upon me and my family. And then, in that expansive medium between those extremes there are those you want me to lose, but hope that I win. They may be turned off by my cocky attitude, but their deepest desire is to see my reaction, and to hear my words. They wish to hear the crowd boo in what they claim is “the worst outcome possible”, but in reality, they want a champion who is as antithetical to the magic community at large as myself. In short, as I like to say, They want this!
For me and my friends, the T8 was a sweep. Ross finished well within the T8, and my win over Grunzia indeed propelled Peter to 8th place. This win means a lot to me, and, unlike last year, I will not screw up Nationals. I used my Regionals deck last year to 3-3 day 1 result, then following it up a with a great 2-1 draft pod 1, where I lost playing for the pod sweep in round 9. However, in the infamous “Draft Pod Two”, I performed that is clearly the worst limited venture ever undertaken, as expressed in the following Internet chat with Ed Paltzik:
Legend: ah
Legend: draft pod 2
Legend: something you dont like to joke about
Negator402: I can handle it
Negator402: I can
Negator402: and I do
Negator402: I heralded that draft
Negator402: as the most poorly done at a high level event ever
Negator402: ever
Negator402: I had 4 colors in my draft after 15 picks
Negator402: and then picked the last color 16
Negator402: I changed all the rules
Negator402: FURTHERMORE
Negator402: I was insane
Negator402: I WAS LIKE HITLER
Negator402: I thought I would play turn 4 Tunneler Wurms!
Negator402: AND WIN!!!
Negator402: WIN
Negator402: whats worse
Negator402: instead of realizing after R10 that the ship was going down
Negator402: I stuck with it
Legend: stop!
Negator402: NO
Legend: I was KIDDING
Negator402: I AM ON A ROLL
Negator402: I nominate Draft pod 2 as the worst limited performance we have ever had
Negator402: worse than 0-3 draft
Negator402: worse than 0-3-1 Malilo draw
Negator402: the worst, bar none
Negator402: That is the official biography of draft pod 2
Negator402: Stay tunned for more when Behind the Magic: The Vanguard returns
Negator402: after these soft-porn commercials
This year, I will play with my cabal of aspiring Pro-Tour inductees such as Jeremy Cash, Matt Boccio and Jason Imperiale. This year, when the Nationals Fantasy Pro Tour arrives, feel no fear to vote me in as your 0-point buffer (But please, do not pick me if you picked Osyp. I wish to have nothing to do with him).
I may consider writing a more concise strategy article about what I learned at Regionals, and how accurate the pre-tourney predictions spread over the ‘net for months really were. In the mean time, I hope you have enjoyed this hastily, and ultimately, poorly written report (I do not think this is my best work, to be fair), and seek any and ALL (To me, even hatemail is desired. After all, apathy, not hatred, is the opposite of love) response. You can find me on AIM as Negator402, or email me at
ym402@nyu.edu. Thank you for reading the recount of the undisputed lord of Northeastern Regional, regardless of time or location. This has been the tale of Negator’s Truimph: The Wake of the Titan.
