Subject: MA Regionals Date: Wed, 20 May 1998 11:15:32 -0400 From: "Stors, Jim" To: "'fkusumot@ix.netcom.com'" So, the team that I am on, Team Comic Connection, from Norwich and Colchester, CT. finally decided to actually put some effort into a tournament. After numerous weeks of testing it ended up that everyone was for the most part playing different decks with the exception of myself and one other team member, George Deep. We both decided to play Counter/Burn. I have been playing counter/burn for years and though it usually doesn't do that well in standard I thought it had a chance. So we arrive and I must say that this place was beutiful. Some country club called Glen Ellen in Willis, Mass. So first things first, we get those stupid deck listing sheets. I'm not saying that we shouldn't list our decks, theres enough ways to cheat as it is, but these sheets make you write out not only by card but by extension. Anyway, thanks for letting me vent. So both our decks consisted, for the most part, as follows: Islands X 10 Mountains X 4 Gemstone Mines X 4 Wasteland X 1 (should have put more in) Adakar Wastes X 3 Counterspell X 4 Mana Leak X 4 Dissipate X 2 Force Spike (I took mine out, George had I think 2) Remove Soul X 2 (George didn't have any, I went with them because I expected most decks to have creatures) Memory Lapse (I didn't have any, George had some) Desertion X 2 (George had 1) Legacy's allure x2 Impulse X 3 Sage owl X 2 Air Elemental X 2 Suq 'Ata Firewalker X 3 (Sucks for you fire walker) Wildfire Emmissary X 2 (think George had 3) Scragnoth X 1 (I had 1 stock, George didn't, I was expecting more bouncy) Disenchant X 2 Incinerate X 4 Shock X 2 Kaervek's Torck X 1 (George didn't have) Earthquake X 2 Round 1, vs. William Bouenzi who is playing a 5CG variant. His whole purpose is to stay alive with life gaining walls and Spikes + Gnomes & kill with that most broken of all cards... Cursed Scroll. By the way, everyone had them, except me, I couldn't find mine the night before. Oh well, hind sight is 20/20. So, game 1 starts with me countering, him getting some life gain via that stupid spike guy, then I desert his Tradewind rider, he concedes. Game 2, he comes out much faster and runs me out of counters early. In the end I had him down to 7 life using my Sage Owl and a short stayed Suq "Ata Firewalker. (he terrored him quickly), I was stuck at three life while he had 2 cursed scrolls (damn broke card) with 6 mana) and one card in hand. So, knowing I loose next turn I cast a seven point earthquake causing a tie. I think it caught him by surprise. Game 3, I totally control the game until he gets out the bridge stopping me from attacking with my Wildfire, I Kaervek's for the game soon after. So, I find the rest of the team and to my dismay, I find that with the exception of one of the guys who played a fellow team mate, everyone else lost. So,not too good of a start for team Comic connection, and we all discuss how we would have done better if we had received our team shirts in time...Ed! Round2 vs. Mike Stanton who is playing a mostly blue counter deck with the only creatures being Steel Golems and Stalking Stones. He has massive card drawing with impulse and whispers of the muse. Most of his land are non-basic and he uses black creature removal. Game 1 starts with us both playing lands and saying go, over and over until I get a creature that he counters, I counter his counter and so on. By the late game I have his life total way down with mine being at about 18. But, i'm out of cards while he is now whispering twice on my turn, twice at the beginning of his upkeep and twice during his main phase with only 12 lands in play. See the thing that he was doing that I should have stopped was just counting mana and showing the card. I'm not saying he was cheating on purpose, just that I caught it way too late. See game 2 for a good example. So, I have him at about 5 life or so and he only has 2 cards in hand, I know one to be a land since he was using that most broke of all cards, Cursed Scroll. I cast a 5 point Kaervek's he counters soon after gets the Golem, I loose. Game 2 I come out early with a Scragnoth, he terrors (damn). I get another down not too much later, hit him a couple of times until he gets 2 quicksands (again damn). In the end he has about 6 cards in his library, with many cards in hand due to casting 4-6 whispers a turn with only 12 lands in play (I should have called a judge). He casts an Impulse and tries to put all 4 back on the bottom. Must have either been worried that he was running out of cards or just made a mistake. You guys decide. Anyway, same as game 1 he wins with Steel Golem. Oh well, I should have called a judge, but I learned a very important rule, "if you want to win like the pros, you must watch for cheating like the pros". I go over and find the guys at the patio of the first green, we make fun of some of the golfers yelling "Splice" or "Slice"-ha,ha. Find out the rest of the team went about 50%. Round 3, vs. Walter Johnson who is playing Pox. Game one he gets an early Pox off making me loose my owl. Rein of tears my land and I am pretty much done. He was able to over run me using that other of most broken cards...Volrath's Stronghold(what were they thinking making this card). This card sucks if you are playing counter and don't get that land destruct. Oh, I almost forgot, I then realized my mistake, the night before I removed from my sideboard my 2 stonerains. I curse myself and pray the wasteland works. Game 2 I come out fast getting a turn four suq'ata firewalker even after his turn 2 Pox using ritual. I am tapped out but I have that Wasteland in hand as well as one incinerate. His turn four he puts down Volrath's Stronghold and I smile knowing that its dead next turn with my Wasteland. But he then casts Bottomless Pit. My upkeep, just my luck, he pulls the Wastland out of my hand (and I think that from now on I will have people roll a die when I am discarding). From there on Volrath's (damn broke card) just overwhelms me. I lost 2 in a row. I can't remember the last time I lost 2 rounds in a row and I know that I cannot make the final 8. Everyone else went about 50% with the exception of Chris Saveria who is now 0 for 3 but should have one his first round against some guy named Chrstopher Manning. See Chris made a mistake and could have incinerated for the game. Well he learned. All in all Chris Manning's deck wasn't that much of a threat but our Chris made a mistake. Oh one other thing, after I lost I shook my opponents hand asking if the deck he was playing was that Gypsie Pox or a varient there of, he tells me "I ain't never seen no Pox deck like his" and I think about his deck, Knights, black creature removal, Rain of tears, Necrataal, Volrath's, Bottomless pit, rituals and Drains...yup that was a very original deck! Round 4 vs Mya Chapman who is playing White Weenie. This girl is very nice but is also very new to magic, her boyfriend is there and had taught her. I quickly win 2 in a row. I do spend a little time explaing the mistakes she made(see i'm not that much of a jerk). The rest of the team are all out of it with atleast 2 loses and Chris with 4 by now. They all head back to Connecticut to get back to play in a local. I stay for 2 rounds more just to keep my ranking up. Round 4 vs Robb Swanson who is also playing white weenie. Game 1 he gets an early Priest and the Armor, sucks for me. Game 2 I desert one of his creatures and whoop him. Game 3 is just like game 2. I get something to eat, stare in awe at the power that is Hammer who is getting a coffee, and go in for one more round. Round 5 vs someguy playing Sleigh Game 1 I legacy's his Mogg Maniac and in the end cast a 7 point earthquake. He takes 14. Game 2 I get the draw of a life time and am able to counter until he is out of cards, then Suq'Ata Firewalker comes out and he is done. Well, in the end I went 4 and 2 before I decided to go home, not too bad, but I was dissapointed about rounds 2 and 3. Well as the saying goes learn something new everyday. I wont make those mistakes next time. Anyone have some Cursed Scrolls for sale? If only we had those team shirts...Ed!