Subject: Delaware State Championships Date: Tue, 10 Nov 1998 08:17:27 -0500 From: "Thomas F Pahutski" To: fkusumot@ix.netcom.com Thomas F Pahutski 11/09/98 01:24 PM To: FKUSUMOTO@IX.NETCOM.COM cc: Subject: Delaware State Championships Start right off with playtesting. Jeff Servesko and I had been planning to attend the Delaware State Championships for a few weeks and had disected and redisected the new environment. After playtesting, we came to a few conclusions: 1. Tolarian Blue was going to make a strong appearance, but only make it to the top if played by a good player. 2. Despite the rumors, sligh is alive and well...losing Fireblast is a loss, but not really with Sonic Burst, Ball Lightning. Like someone else said Cursed Scroll is the great equalizer. 3. Draw-Go variants would be popular to stop the academy, but had a real trouble against Suicide Black. 4. Things depended on Pariah White...if Pariah White was big, I didn't think we would see much of Suicide Black and Sligh at the top. 5. Recuring Nightmare and Survival Decks would just be strong. 6. Tradewind Decks were looking strong as well. 7. Since Kentucky's State Championship was won with Priest of Titania/Fireball...green elves could be strong...and would at least make a presence. 8. Suicide Black easily loss to sligh and white weenie. So lets get to the tournement. I decided to go with a Big Blue/Draw-Go Variant...I named Mr. Garrison's Deck (you know from South Park). "Sit down, Stanely." 18 Islands 2 Remote Isle 2 Stalking Stones 4 Ice Flow 3 Legacy Allure 3 Spire Owl 2 Silver Wyvern 4 Disks 4 Whispers of the Muse 4 Counterspell 4 Mana Leak 4 Forbid 4 Force Spike 3 Dismiss 1 Legacy Allure 2 Rootwater Hunter 4 Bottle Gnomes 4 HydroBlast 4 Wastelands Why Spire Owls...in play testing they looked the deepest....4 cards, pulling up the disk or needed land or a counter when I wanted it, provided an early or late blocker...also did on average 4-8 points of damage. Legacy allure was for creature heavy decks, but especially fliers and Tradewind Rider, no real crazy idea there. Ice Flow was great, sure it slowed down the mana production, but what good is land when your getting a beating, also locks up Scragnoth...and takes a pair of Mogg Flunkies out of the picture. The Legacy allure and Bottle Gnomes were used against Suicide Black. Rootwater Hunter against White Weenie and Elves. Hydroblast and Gnomes against Red. Wastelands and Rootwater Hunter (2U is easy to back up with a counterspell) against Blue. Wastelands against Tolarian Blue. 6 Rounds of Swiss, Final 8 single elimination. Instead of giving you play by play, I'm just going to mention deck types and key plays. Sorry if I didn't remember things exactly. Round One playing Energy Field Blue...nice opponent, put together the deck the night before. Energy Field was okay but he just couldn't get to his one kill card...Ephermon. Against Blue, Energy Field just isn't that good...all I had to do was cast a kill card (Spire Owl or Silver Wyvern) and wait for his hand to fill up and then discard. 2-0, 1-0 Round Two playing Creative Sligh...great kid who really stuck it out through the tournament. He gets to go first...Mountain...Mana Clash. What? It did one damage against him, and that was it. His Flunkie and Okk could not attack which clinched the game for me. Second game Okk and Ball Lightning attack for 10, game lose. Silver Wyvern is also pretty good against red. Ice flow broke up an early Mogg Flunkie attack. 4-1, 2-0 Round Three playing Recuring Infinite Mana Combo...good player (makes the final eight as the 2 seed)...gets the combo going after I counter a Survival. Second Game, Silver Wyvern follows up a nasty Spire Owl. Third game key play was his Intuition for two blue creatures and a City of Brass...I let him keep the City...which he uses as a back up his combo with a timely Pyroblast. 5-3, 2-1 Round Four playing White/ Blue...good guy...I counter his Cataclysm, Wraths, and Armageddons. Second game, let his Cataclysm get through when he has Opal Agrolith, and a wall, I kept a Legacy Allure, and a Silver Wyvern. 7-3, 3-1 Round Five playing traditional Draw-Go...nice guy...Blue on blue was slow...First game I steal his Stalking Stones for the win. Second game he has two Stones attacking, I had no creatures. Third game he just couldn't get to his Stones, Sage Owl beat down, followed by a Stone of my own. 9-4, 4-1 Round Six playing Sligh...early creatures are held down by Ice Flow...but not enough to stop his Ball Lightnings and I think I saw and Okk. Second game, Early Spire Owl beatdown, counter everything, lock up the rest with Ice Flow. Third game, real tight, Wyvern gets out...he targets or something I redirect, he Boils...soon kills the Wyvern, I see no more land. 10-6, 4-2 I had the highest OppWin%. I make top eight. Vs. Top Seed...Little Kirby (age 7) playing Sligh...Early creatures locked down by Ice Flow, Goblin Patrol killed with Spire Owl, Silver Wyvern gets out...he toasts it, there were no other creatures out. I believe I still pulled it out with the a Stone and Owl. Second game Ball Lightning takes over. Third game Wyvern takes over, with one of his creatures locked up with Ice Flow. Gets a hell of a good prize for winning his age group...which makes me feel a lot better. 12-7, 5-2 Vs. Kendall (Seeded 3rd...I believe) playing B/R...Legacy Allure rape him game one. Some poor playing on my part loses to a Dauthi Horror I could of snagged. Third game I Spire Owl seeing an up coming Bottle Gnomes...with a Legacy out...snag his Carnophage with Unholy strength, he burns me down to 1, I forget that I have a Hydroblast in my hand, play the Gnomes, lay a Wyvern, he attempts to burn me again...I actually notice the Hydroblast, sac the Gnomes, untap the Carnophage and finish him off for eight. 14-8, 6-2 Finals playing Tolarian Blue...this is where it gets funny, because in response to his first Time Spiral I go to the bathroom to talk to Mr. Hanky (I had a kidney operation in the spring and well, I got to go.) He gets the combo off after I lay and early disk. I believe I pulled the second one off with three Wastelands (two in my opening hand) and Spire Owl and Silver Wyvern Beatdown, of course he did 8 points of damage against me with his blue common. Third game two early Wastelands, and Silver Wyvern in the midgame, coupled with a bad Stroke on himself lead to a win for me. 16-9, 7-2 I won the State Championship. Not bad. Days of Knights in Newark gave away great prizes...and I received 50 packs, a plaque, a shirt, and an embroidered carry-on bag. Thanks to the Judges who ran a great and fair tournament...fantastic job Dorein. Thanks to Days of Knights...go there, buy stuff, tournaments are the last Saturday everymonth...EVERY FORMAT...great prizes...located in Newark DE see state championship for address and phone number. Thanks to lot of the guys I play with at White Marsh, Denver, Tom, Steve, Jones bro, Wolf, little Timmy, and Chuck (you're the man!). Special thanks to my Playtesting Partner...Jeff...who convinced me to run with 4 Force Spike which helped greatly...and gave a big roar at the finals when I force spike an artifact three times to tap my opponent out. Great advice...you're a great player. Special thanks to my wife, who not only puts up with all this stuff...but is interrested in hearing all of my storys and whoop-la. For Delaware, Tom P. slp99@mindspring.com Team Mana Screw Boys.