Free Article - Raffaele Forino's GenCon Top 4 Report

[Prospero]

I'm really glad to be able to share this link with you today:

http://www.starcitygames.com/magic/vintage/24921-Awaken-The-Giant-Martello-Shops-And-3rd-Place-At-Vintage-Champs.html#comments

This is Forino's GenCon report, but it's written to be much more than that.  Raf doesn't post on TMD, so he's not going to be able to respond directly, but V4ino or I may be able to get an answer out for a question or two.

Enjoy!

[PeAcH]

There is quite a limited number of reads that give you such a great feeling after you read them as this one.

Deep thoughts assembled exquisitely in a lifetime report of gaming ending with a great performance.

Raffaele's lines project humbleness and maturity not only as a player but also as a person.

I enjoyed it very much Sir.

Well played.

[Thegreatgonzo]

I love the Bruce Lee quote, that's the very way I try to improve my decks once I found an engine I like. Over here we say : "Ce n'est pas un assemblage, c'est une épure"
I really had a nice read

[GrandpaBelcher]

Raf is one of my favorite members of the MtG community. I was very glad for the chance to read this - it was fantastic. Please give him my regards.

[Thecheese]

WoW, great read. A lot of history I never knew.

[StanleyAugust]

Wow, this is an amazing article. Both regarding Magic and life itself. Fantastic.

[Asphyxious]

Great player; great article; great guy.

I would love to see more from the godfather.

[Cruel Ultimatum]

Vintage was ascendant in 2005. It was a popular format that was growing, and I loved playing with my cards. I wasn't going to play another format; I wanted to play the purest format in the game. I wanted to play my power. I wasn't going to show up to a tournament and essentially donate an entry fee. I needed to get better. But the most important thing that I took back with me from Chicago was the knowledge that I wasn't as good as I thought I was. It's one of the best lessons that I've ever gotten.
"You will be rewarded in public for what you do in private."–Anthony Robbins

There's no other game in which fortunes can change so much from hand to hand. A brilliant player can get a strong hand cracked, go on tilt... and lose his mind along with every single chip in front of him. This is why the camps event is decided over a No-Limit Hold 'Em table. Some people, pros even, won't play vintage. They can't handle the swings. But there are others, like Raffaele Forino, who consider vintage the only pure game left.

[ErtaiAdept]

Absolutely amazing....couldn't take my eyes away until they had absorbed every last word. 

Great Article!  Thanks a lot.

[Twiedel]

When I saw this I just stopped everything that I was working on until I read the whole article - Haven't read something that inspiring for a long time Please, if you meet Raf again, tell him it was a pleasure reading this and of course also a pleasure playing him at GenCon. Best wishes from germany.

[A.-1.]

I'm a better Magic player, nay, a better human being having read that.

Raff, thank you for such an elegantly written article and Nick for directing us to it. I don't ever check StarCity for articles and likely would have missed this gem.

[Twaun007]

Great article! Not only did it reflect the development of an archetype, but it reflected the development of a Workshop legend as well.

[psyburat]

Raffaele Forino is an absolutely amazing person, and this report showed his character in its purest.  I remember when I first had the chance to play him at the Dan Herd Memorial Tournament.  Afterwards we spent 10 minutes talking about Dan, and I could feel the sincerity of his words and I could just tell that he was a devoted individual.  Raff is a good person, and although the tournament didn't end with that painting, I hope the fire will burn inside once again.

[Metman]

I always read the comments on this forum before I jump into reading an article. Like the many times before this, I read the previous poster's responses to this article. I do so to help get a feel for what the article might discuss so that I can prepare myself to be either subjective or objective just as I do before I read a novel. I like to know possible reactions that I may have so as to determine when and how I read something. I think being in a proper state of mind is important when reading an author's work.

I built high expectations for this article because of many of you (TMD Members). I was disappointed that many of you didn't do it justice with a simple sentence. The article is fantastic on so many levels.

[Killane]

That article was extraordinary. Thanks for sharing it!!!

[aforce808]

Great read!  Best article I've read in a long time.

[xouman]

I can't help but praise this article as other members done before me. This is not a tournament report, but a magiclife. I'm a bad player and I know it, but this article (article is a very low word for that wonderful reading) even puts me below as a player. I like to brew my own decks, or at least tune them if I don't understand the full 75, but I have a long way to go.

My congrats to Raf for the great tournament. May he be again in the semi's and prove his future-himself!

[desolutionist]

Awesome quotes. Looking forward to seeing you again

[THEBIGLOU]

A few days late to the party, but you all know the saying.."Better Late...

I had to go through ancient e-mail accounts to try to find my ID and then get through the Maze of Ith to get access to post.

Congrats to Raffaele on the article and great finish at Worlds.  While I have not been as involved in his transformation as I once was, it was great to see the evolution from a distance. Going from a good magic player to one who helps define an Archetype is no small tasks, especially when you count all the real life balancing with work and family.

Now both my brothers have made Top 8 at worlds (Vin 2x) and I am proud to say that no small feat.  I remember the Eureka Deck, I remember the Gauntlet Deck, Psyc Tomb-Karma etc...decks that wouldn't make it now, but were unique and very effective for the time.  Bringing back those memories, having a hobby in common with the people you care about, trying to improve.....That is what I loved most about the article. Remembering

Its a long way from us winning and getting to the finals at the 200+ person single elimination NYC Magic event at the New Yorker.  For those that remember the days when there only was Vintage, but we didn't know it was called that....enjoy the memories.

[Prospero]

I would like to thank the community in celebrating a very special moment in my Magic career.  I am happy to see all of the wonderful comments; in addition I hope that the readers who were not able to comment did enjoy, and possibly can extract something positive from my experiences.  I would be deeply touched if you were to approach me in person at an event, or electronically, to tell me about the impact that some of the approaches to life that the quotes and theory have provided.  Also, don't forget to mention the wins!!!  

[The Atog Lord]

Raph, it's great to hear from you. I hope that we can continue to see your name in Top Eight lists, and hear your insights here and elsewhere.