Tournament Report
By Brian DeMars
I left from Ann Arbor Michigan early in the afternoon on Friday and Arrived in Pittsburg at the doorstep of Paul Mastriano (the creator and caretaker of Type 4) around six thirty PM. On the way east to Pittsburg I listened to the following albums on compact disc in my car.
The Postal Service's "Give Up"
Josh Rouse's "Nashville"
Ryan Adams' "Cold Roses (Discs one and two)"
Elvis Presley's "Greatest Hits"
Elton John's "Honkey Chateau"
I rang the doorbell and waited. And waited. And Waited. Eventually a thin blonde haired gentleman answers the door, and I ask if Paul is in. He says yes, and to come in. I am led downstairs to a small bedroom where Paul is apparently making a mix cd of various hip hop artists. I stand in the center of the room for a good forty seconds before finally asking in a loud voice: "Are you seriously not aware that I am in the room at this moment?" He wheels around in his chair and exclaims: "Dude, what's up I didn't even see you there." And our adventure begins.
Some things happened for a while, and eventually Paul and I, joined by one of his friends from Pittsburg leave his house in a somewhat inebriated state for the bar. I am saddened by the fact that it is 10:30 PM and that we will have to leave Pittsburg sometime around 2AM in order to make it to the tourament in Roanoke on time. This simple fact will directly dash the amount of drinking we are able to do at the bar on this night. But alas, we three make it to a very locally flavored bar the name of which I cannot recall. The first thing that I notice is that there are very large windows facing the street, and that the music seems particularly poor. I can distinctly remember that while we were at this bar some joker played Toby Keith's abomination of a song titled "Whiskey Girl" two times, back to back. Anyways, we drink several beers at the bar. What is interesting is that Paul's friend, whose name I believe was Bailey, was a student of Science somewhere in Pennsylvania. The entire time that I was trying desperately to drink as much beer in a very shortly alloted period of time Bailey was constantly asking me questions such as: "Do you know what happens when light travels faster than the speed of light, or, do you know what happens inside of a black hole, or, can you imagine what would happen if we were able to create and manipulate a state completely void of gravity?" Needless to say I didn't know the answer to many of Bailey's questions, but I was not surprised or disappointed when he decided to tell me the answers to all of these scientific queries that I didn't know, or couldn't remember the answers to. It is also of note that during this time of me getting sloshed and listening to an explanation of exactly what curtails the theory of general realitivity that Paul Mastriano, (who will thus be called Paul M. for the remainder of this report) was over on the other side of the bar trying to get the number of a particularly sultry blonde woman.
One thing that I distinctly remember out this bar was that for some reason I kept thinking to myself that it had an extended open patio off the front facing the street. Most likely this was just because I was in an altered state, and also because there were extremely large front facing windows. But I swear to god that I felt a breeze comming in from outside.
Around midnight after having consumed a fine amount of Oberon I had to peel Paul away from his conversation with the yellow haired girl. "Paul, if we are going to get any sleep before we drive to Roanoke, we are going to have to leave now to get to bed." He asks for a few more moments, (Likely to get the girl's phone number) a request that as a good friend I had no problem to oblige. In the meantime I stepped outside to smoke a cigarette and make a few phone calls. I end up calling my long time friend Kristina and proposing marriage. She reluctantly accepts saying "I know you won't even remember asking me this in the morning anyways." However, what she failed to realize is that I always remember anything, and that using drinking as an excuse to forget things is merely a simple trick that men use in order to not take responsibility for their actions.
Paul gets the girls number and we drive back to his house for a futile two hours of sleep. I don't bother sleeping. Sleep is for the weak and the tired. Instead I make a few changes to my deck. An excercise that is always interesting after having a few tasty brews. Paul wakes up around 2 AM and we get our things into my father's truck that I borrowed for the trip. Shortly thereafter we are on the expressway headed south to Roanoke, Virginia.
Oh, and by the way here is the deck that I put together while Paul was sleeping.
The Mean Deck
4 Force of Will
4 Brainstorm
4 Merchant Scroll
2 Impulse
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Time Walk
1 TImetwister
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Chain of Vapor
1 Rebuild
1 Fact or Fiction
1 Mind's Desire
4 Dark Ritual
2 Cabal Ritual
3 Duress
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Yawgmoth's Bargain
1 Yawgmoth's Will
1 Necropotence
1 Tendrils of Agony
1 Empty the Warrens
1 Black Lotus
1 Lotus Petal
1 Mana Crypt
1 Sol Ring
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Sapphire
4 Polluted Delta
2 Flooded Strand
2 Island
3 Underground Sea
2 Volcanic Island
1 Swamp
SB
4 Leyline of the Void
2 Extirpate
3 Red Elemental Blast
1 Duresss
1 Massacure
1 Tendrils of Agony
1 Empty the Warrens
1 Rebuild
1 Hurkyl's Recall
So, basically I was playing a customized version of the "Mean Deck" that Steve wrote about in his premium article this week on
www.starcitygames.com. The deck was a project that my teamates and I had been working on since about February. The key idea was to make a long style deck that didn't play with cards that we thought were awkward, like Grim Tutor, and replacing them with cards like Merchant Scroll. The build that I ultimately came up with was a close effort with none other than Pat Chapin from RIW Hobbies. We felt that a Meandeck Gifts style deck was greatly improved by removing, strangely enough, of all cards Gifts Ungiven. Anyways, this entire line of conversation is carried out much more in depth in Steve's article.
I ended up driving for the first two of the six and a half hours down to Roanoke. The scenery in Pennsylvania is breathtaking. I always enjoy driving through the Mountains between Pennsylvania and Virginia. Paul and I talked quite a bit about how driving through the mountains at night is a truely wonderful experience. The view is exquisite, and being up so high can be quite wonderful. In fact, it is almost intoxicating to be that high up in the mountains. Needless to say our conversation was interesting, and often silly and nonsensical.
During the two hours during which I drove we listened to the following albums.
Death Cab for Cutie's "Plans"
The Postal Service's "Sillouettes EP"
Ryan Adam's and the Cardinals' "Jacksonville City Nights"
After having been awake for roughly thirty five hours I decided that I must sleep. We pulled off at an exit and I fell quickly asleep and did not awaken until we had pulled off at our last exit in Virginia. So, thanks to Paul for not falling asleep at the wheel and killing us both. Clearly, I would have been of little help in impeeding our untimely deaths.
We pull into the parking lot of the Star City Games Center shortly after nine fifteen in the morning and register our decks. I am disappointed to see that there is a fairly small turnout for this event and that many of the face Vintage players are not in attendence. $30 later I am signed up to play in the event, and ten minutes later my decklist is filled out and ready to go. While I wait for the players meeting to start I quickly discovered that I was starving, having not eaten since around midnight the night before when we stopped at an all night resteraunt in Pittsburg that I think was called "The Hungary Chef," where I had what was quite possibly the worst and yet somehow most deliscious Italian food that I've ever experienced. Anyways, I ordered a slice of Pizza which was surprisingly only $1.25 (Vastly less expensive than that $4.00 slice of Pizza I had bought for breakfast at the Rock Finincial Showplace before Michigan Regionals the weekend before), and a purple Fanta softdrink from the vending machine.
Eventually, the player meeting is called and is finished and the pairings for round one go up. I find that I am paired up against Eric Becker in the first round. I am kind of sad because I know that Eric is a great player, and was hoping to get a few easy pairings before having to work for my wins. In fact, Virginia SCG's have been traditionally bad for me with respect to drawing difficult pairings in the first round. Of the three Virginia SCG tournaments I've played in during my lifetime, my first three opponents have been Kevin Cron, Steve Menendien, and Eric Becker; a pretty prestegious three. Anyways, I greet Eric as he sits down and I tell him that I am sad we have to play in the first round, and that I was expecting to draw into top eight with him in round six. He laughs and says, "Yeah, well at least I know that I have a pretty good match up against Control Slaver." (Because I usually play Control Slaver at most Vintage events that I play in). I am obviously not playing Control Slaver today, but he doesn't yet know that. He wins the die roll and elects to be on the play. He leads with an mana and passes. On my turn I play an Underground Sea and cast Dark Ritual. It resolves and I use the BBB to cast Necropotence. He makes a playful scowling face and makes a comment about how that is an atypical Control Slaver opening. I activate Necropotence six times and am disgusted with my six. I have exactly zero business spells, just a bunch of Dark Rituals and a Duress. He doesn't have much on his turn just some Brainstorming. On my turn I duress him and find that he is in a similar situation to me. He has a bunch of mana and no business. I take a card and necro for six more. Once again I am a bit unhappy with the cards that my necro has given me. More mana and one business spell. It is a Demonic Tutor. On ERic's turn he draws and plays a Duress, obviously taking my DT. On my Turn I am forced to necro again. This time I can definately win even if he has a Duress. Fortunately I drew a Force of Will and multiple blue business spells. Unfortunately, I am very aware that I am more than likely dead to a Tendrils of Agony or Mind's Desire off the top of Eric's Deck. He draws Desire, which he is able to cast with a storm of 4. The second card he hits off his desire is Tendrils of Agony and my hit points are reduced to less than zero, resulting in my death.
Game two I am on the play. He mulligans to six and I cast and resolve Ancestral Recall. He does not have anything that can catch him up and I have a game ending Yawgmoth's Will on the third turn.
Game three Eric is on the play and mulligans again. I keep a very good hand that contains Red Elemental Blast, Duress, UGS, Volc, Brainstorm, FOW and Merchant Scroll. My plan is to control the game early and gain card advantage off my draws for turn. However, my first draw of the Game is Ancestral Recall. I cast it and resolve it with FOW and I am all of a suddenly the beatdown. He is able to produce a bomb of his own on the next turn and is thus killed in turn.
Wow, this Ancestral Recall card is really good. I hope to play it every game!
I don't remember who my next round opponent was or what he was playing. All that I do remember is that I played Bargain and that he died.
In round three I played against Juan Rodregiez playing what I think was a Pitchlong varient. In game one he comes up with double Force to stop my turn three Yawgmoth's Bargain with Force of Will back up and I am pretty much cold at that point.
Game two was really strange. On turn one I scroll for Ancestral Recall and pass. On his turn he plays an Island and passes. On my turn I cast Ancestral Recall. He plays Misdirection. I cast Force of Will. He casts Force of Will. Ouch. My hand is Dark Ritual, Dark Ritual, Underground Sea, and Impulse. He casts Gifts on his turn and passes. On my turn I draw Yawgmoth's Bargain cast it and kill him. Man this Bargain card is really good, I hope to draw it every game! As a matter of fact, I drew the Bargain card in game three and it directly allowed me to win that game as well. So, after two rounds I've discovered that Ancestral Recall and Yawgmoth's Will both result to winning the game very quickly. I learn something new about Vintage every time I play!
Round three I play agaisnt some guy playing Bomberman. I don't really remember much about this match to be honest. It was never really very close at any point. One thing that I do remember is that Impulse was the stone nuts against Aven Mindsensor. Take that Vampiric Tutor! I am 3-0.
Round four I play against some kid playing Ritual Gifts. In game one he opens up with Ancestral Recall into Black Lotus. On my turn I cast a Brainstorm and pass. On his next turn he comes up with 2 Moxen and a land and passes. I cast Merchant Scroll for Recall on my second turn. He casts Gifts on my endstep. I cast Force of Will. Untaps and casts a second Gifts and Kills me on his turn.
Game two I Duress him on the first turn and take his force of Will. (He doesn't have Brainstorm or Merchants Scroll). In fact his hand is quite bad. its a bunch of Gifts, Recoup, Chain of Vapor, land and a Mana Crypt. On my turn two I Demonic Tutor for Yawgmoth's Bargain. On his turn he plays a land and passes. On my turn I cast 3 Rituals and Bargain. He casts Gifts in Response. I allow it. He goes for Force of Will, Time Twister, Merchant Scroll and Brainstorm. I give him the Merchant Scroll, and the Time Twister. And he plays Force of Will Pitching Scroll, I play Force of Will pitching Brainstorm, he plays a second Force of Will pitching Chain of Vapor. He naturally topdecked two Force of Wills in a row to not die. It must be unreal nice to live in Christmas land. I end up losing this game. Oh well, on to the next round.
Round five I don't remember. But I probably won with either Ancestral Recall or Yawgmoth's Bargain.
After round five the standings go up and I am in 3rd place. I should easily be able to draw in. Unfortunately for me I get paired down against an opponent who cannot draw. And my tournament life continues to be on the line in spite of my high tie breakers. I lose the die roll. I know that my opponent is playing Dredge when he starts mulliganing way down to four. As he is shuffling and picking up his four he comments about how unlucky he is, and how he always has to mulligan. I comment that perhaps if his deck played land he wouldn't be forced to throw back so many hands. He likes his four. And with good reason. Unmask pitching Stinkweed Imp hits my Ancestral Recall. He then plays Chalice for zero and a Bazaar. I am so fucking dead that it is unreal. He kills me on turn three as I put up very little resistence.
Game two goes a bit better for me I start with Leyline of the Void in play and he has no answer. So we move on to game three.
I keep a hand of 7 as does he. I start the game with Leyline of the Void in play. The rest of my hand is as follows. Island, Mox Pearl, Mox Jet, Merchant Scroll, Chain of Vapor. His turn one play is City of Brass into Emerald Charm. OUCH! On my turn I play my land and a Mox and Scroll for Ancestral Recall. I drew Fact or Fiction for the turn. On his turn he hardcasts Cabal Therepy for Recall and plays a Bazaar... This is not going well at all. On my turn I draw a land and play a Mox and pass. On his turn he dredges and doesn't hit much just one Narcoaemba and a few Bridges. He therepies me and I FoF in response. The flop comes: Impulse, Brainstorm, Mox, Land, Dark Ritual. I take a pile that has Dark Ritual and Impulse. He Therepies me naming Dark Ritual. Then plays Chalice of the Void for 0. He then plays a second Bazaar and dredges into multiple Narcoaeombas and Therepies, which he flashes back taking away my Chain of Vapor and my Impulse. On my turn I draw an Impulse. It yeilds, Delta, Delta, Delta, Hurkyl's Recall. I take the Hurkyl's, play a land and pass. On his upkeep he activates Bazaar with no cards in hand. I Hurkyl's him in response forcing him to pick up his Chalice of the Void and discard it. He is unable to find a creature to Dread Return after dredging almost all of the way through his library. He attacks me down to three and passes. My hand is Underground Sea. My board is 4 land, and 2 Mox. My graveyard is Impulse, Dark Ritual, Mox, A Call, Brainstorm, Hurkyls, Chain of Vapor. I am in very, very poor shape. As I move to my drawstep I announce that I am on roughly a five outer. And that is including the 3 Brainstorms in my deck. I draw for my turn. "I HIT!!!" I exclaim and cast my Brainstorm. I draw my three "I HIT AGAIN!!! AND I HIT BIG!!!!!" I announce as I see that I have drawn Time Walk and Merchant Scroll. I put back my Underground Sea and another worthless card. Walk and Scroll for Mystical and Mystical for Will. I untap and Will. First I mox and Recall. Recall Finds me Empty the Warrens. Brainstorm Finds me Lotus and a Mox. So I Mox again. Hurkyls, Chain, Ritual, Walk, into Empty the Bucket for a ton and the win. Wow.
Top eight some guy with Ritual Gifts. He has Ancestral Recall and Lotus in two of his opening hands and wins exactly two of the three games we played. He played well. But there was really nothing I could have done with the cards I drew to recover the tempo that he gained by having those two cards in his opening hand.
I finish fifth and get a Mox Jet. Not bad for a weekend of playing magic I suppose. My teamate Paul M. ended up in third taking down a Sapphire. NICE!!
After the event Paul and I once again became intoxicated by the scenerey as we attempted to find an Outback Steakhouse that JR Goldberg had assured us via cell phone did in fact exist somewhere hidden in the mountains. However, the elevated mental state we had achieved as a result of hardfought victories, beautiful mountainscapes, or other circumstances kept us from arriving at our destination for well over a half hour. After feeble minutes of searching we quickly realized that we could simply use GPS to tell us the location of this hidden location. Eventually we arrived, just in time to quelch our great thirsts for beer and red, red, meat. I ate a lot and it was fantastic. I drank a lot and it was wonderful. I smoked a lot and all was legalized in Roanoke Va.
We went to some awful motel with gigantic windows and quickly passed out. But, I would hate to bore you with the useless details.
SUPERPROPZZZ-
Paul Niccolo- for covering my shift at the RIW so that I could go to Virginia
Props:
Paul M. for making the trip down with me, and for doing so well at the event.
JR Goldberg. 9th is nothing to scoff at .
Eric Becker. We used to be teamates. He's a great guy, and I was glad to get a chance to play against him... Being that he is retired and all.
Juan Rodregiez. I swear I thought I was dead. You Misdirected my Fing Ancestral Recall.
Brazzy and Kowal. It was good to see you guys do so well. With all of us oldtimers dominating the top tables it felt all 2003. Just wait until Gush comes back, it will really feel nostelgic.
Mary Jane. Is it legal? Marriage is a binding contract, baby.
Slops.
Steven. Way to put your career first. Asshole.
jk
Black Lotus and Ancestral Recall for being in my opponent's opening hands.
The SCG forums and certain people who post there.
