Subject: Hey Frank Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1998 08:48:33 -0400 From: "Stella A. Lynch" To: fkusumot@ix.netcom.com Hey Frank I know that most of the reports from all the states that I`ve seen have been on the Academy, but I still felt as if I had to write this anyway for a few reason (one to hear myself speak =) Now with a bunch of my good friends going to Rome on the same weekend as our states along w/ some of our states top pro`s there wasn`t much tech going around and no one for me to seriously test w/ (no offence to Eric) , so I went in mostly on my own thoughts and predictions. I knew that Academy was the best deck to play, but might not be the best swiss deck but would give me the best chance to take it all so I decide not to settle and I played a deck that had a better chance of miss firing earlier on in a tourney, but had the most chance of being able to draw well enough in the latter rounds to beat the best decks. I haven`t played any post-urza saga T2 and wasn`t sure about all of the slots in the deck, and had to ask around to figure out what would be the best choices and the night before I was on the phone w/ my friend Justin Polin from NY and he was telling me about haveing Twiddle in the main deck, and it made sense it help against all decks. Against sligh you could tap a ball lighting and gain a turn to go off, also against other Academy you could tap there Academy during there upkeep and slow em dowm, use it on your own Academy to gain more mana and against counter decks to take away a possible counter during the end of there turn and then go off next turn. So here`s the crack baby deck that I played: 4 Academy 4 Time Spirals 4 Windfall 3 Stroke of Genius 3 Momma`s 3 Mox Diamonds 4 Lotus Pedals 3 Scroll Rack (the power!!!) 2 Twiddles 1 Glasses of Urza (just cause the better players were playing counter p and TA so it was a pre tourney change) 3 Voltaic Keys (I think 3 is best) 4 Mana Vaults 3 Intuition 3 Power sinks ( I tried hard to find something better than this but counterspell slowed the deck and I only played sinks just cause the only reason that you would use em is if you stalled out in going off) 1 Meditate (yes it is crap but I think it works well with the #`s in this deck the Twiddles supports this slot and it won me many games 3 Wastelands 3 City of Brass 4 Ancient Tombs 5 Islands Well there it is The Tourney was held at Your Move Games in Boston and more people showed up than anyone expected and we tried to fit 89 people (since the tourney was cut off at 90 but one pre-reg didn`t show) in a space that will fit about 50 or so comfortably and it was only a level 2 event and the rules were loose but everyone played as if it was a PTQ. On to the tourney it self, now again I do this alot, I go to a tourney and forget to write down names and stuff and then after the event i decide it would be a good idea to write a report, so I apologize to anyone who I leave out. *DING* DING* GET IT ON!! Round 1 vs ??? Game1 I went off turn 4, but when he played a 1st turn island I wanted to concede but he didn`t seem to know what this deck was about and he got stuck at 2 land I got a sub-par draw but he played a turn2 wall of tears and then a turn 4 wall instead of discarding it and that was game. Game 2 don`t remember much but I did go off turn 2 after he played something. I WIN!! 1-0 Round 2 vs a kid who did well in the event Game 1 it took me a while to go off but I think it was turn 4 after I was at 5 or so, I don`t rember much about this game. Game 2 well I got an awsomw draw and would of went of turn 3 even if he did have a pyroblast, but he went 1st turn pup second turn pup and at the end of my turn shock, then next turn sat back, at the end of his turn I intuitioned fro a chill and then played it and he pyro`d it and then I took the 7 mana left and tried to spiral and he pryo`d it and I had 1 card left and 1 mana in my pool and so I scroll racked and drew a spiral, but he then showed me the meltdown for 1 and I couldn`t recover and lost, damn I would take that draw all day long 3 sideboard cards out of 9 pretty damn good. Game 3 I kept I hand that I might not have 1 chill, 2 mana vaults, 1 Intuition, 1 key, 1 ancient tomb, 1 time spiral. Everything good except a blue mana source and I didn`t see one all day, live by the combo draw die by em =( I Loose 1-1 This isn`t good I have a 1950+ T2 ranking and really didn`t want to play without haveing some good playtest sessions, and I felt like I was throwing away my chance to Q for NY but what the hell, I`m still in the tourney and I may as well play till I loose another one and have no possiblity of winning. Round 3 vs Ray Fucillo Game 1 I went off on turn 3 or so, but he didn`t have a shot since he was playing recur/cycle, which isn`t a close match up for Academy unless he gets a Lobo off which he didn`t. Game 2 I went off turn 2 and he had to paris down to 5 and didn`t see any of his sideboard cards, he`s a good player and I owed him one from a past PTQ =) I WIN!!!! 2-1 Since these were 70 minute rounds I`ve had time to go to the bar around the corner w/ a few friends of mine (which I enjoyed as much as the turney itself) TAKEN THE EDGE WAY OFF =) Round 4 vs I player I`ve seen do well before (sorry I feel bad since you remembered my name when we sat down to play) Game 1 well this was the match I was waiting for NOT!! the flip of the coin mirror match, but I did get the first Academy out and was in better position, but somehow he got the cards he needed to go off the mana vaults. I was always behind in mana and could stop him w/ a sink. Game 2 I believe this on was over on turn 2 but I don`t remember much. Game 3 This was a good one from my point of view I got to finally see my board come threw for me! The addition of the cities main deck and the pryoblasts in the board came in big since he would off went off turn 2-3 since he went 1st and a power sink just wouldn`t stop him. On A ROLL I WIN !!!!! 3-1 I only had enought time to just go out side for a smoke between round 4-5 since I went overtime last round. Round 5 vs Julian Hough (one of my drinking buds) Game 1 he was playing a quick black deck and a good one and he got a great draw and I had a sub par, so in the last turn I could possibly win I had to set up my deck w/ a scroll rack in order to keep the 3 cards in my hand and use the 1 meditate in my deck in order to get to the 4 cards on top and then hope to spiral and get something to go off with and it just so happened it was enough. Game 2 he goes first and drops a 1st turn planar void and it slows me down and makes me make some tough choices but on turn 4 I had to Intuition for a Spiral to have a chance and throw 2 of them out of the game and I still had enough to go off. I WIN!!!! and then we went back to the bar!!! 4-1 As I was downing a cold one I realized that I only needed to go 1-0-1 to make it into top 8 BURP! Round 6 vs Matt Rauseo We looked over what deck were still out there to play in the next round and I didn`t like my chances against counter pheonix and he like his chances against Acedemy but not me so we decided to split this one. Also there was 6 sligh still playing at our record and 2 straight blacks so my odds were good. 4-1-1 Ya I get a full hour in the bar!!!!!!!!!! Round 7 vs ???? Yes I got sligh!! (when do you ever hear that =) Game 1 I went off w/ out a problem Game 2 he never saw a sideboard card and I saw 2 early chills I WIN ANOTHER FINAL 8!!!! and time for another beer =) 5-1-1 Now I ask a question of all the people who are reading this the guy I played in the Quarterfinals I was looking over his match record on his sheet and realized that they (judges) misrecorded a match one where he tied but they game him a match victory and it allowed him to make it to the final 8. I was getting up to say somethng and even screamed out for a jugde and then remembered that he was playing a slower version of sligh and decided not to say anything just cause the match up was in my favor and not my place. If anyone wants to dicuss this with me please e-mail me. Brian4178@hotmail.com Quarter final vs Hathaway Game 1 Well I went off turn 2-3 I don`t remember much but it was quick Game 2 More of the same ON TO THE SEMI`S 6-1-1 Semifinals vs Willard Game 1 Damn another mirror match and I lost the die roll(my key mistake) and I lost this one early Game 2 Side board helped a little and I went off pretty quick Game 3 the one that counts this one was so bad for me I had a great opening hand mana vaults and and a turn 2 Academy and Momma but no draw cards no windfalls or anything and he had a bad draw and I had many turns inorder to draw anything and I didn`t so he started to go off and windfalled and I drew a powersink and a Intuition and he had a Momma out also and we keeped battleing over fast effects with our momma`s and I was hopeing that he would have to stroke himself to get to his 2nd stroke and I could then stroke him in response and on his turn but when I Intuitioned for my strokes he went did the same for powersinks and I lost. he just had way to much of a many advantage and he didn`t have to stroke himself in order to win. this match lasted a long time since it was 3 in the morning and I didn`t want to loose if there was anyway to win. Well just a top 4 finish and I got 4 packs of Foreign weatherlight, 2 packs of Foreign Legends, 4 packs of Urza, 1 pack of Foreign Tempest (Igot a tradewind =) Box of anthologies( white boardered mogg fanatic!!!) and 2 packs of Foreign stronghold Little small for a 90 person 15 dollors a head tourney but hey it was fun and cramped. Props PGD for being cool as hell!!!! My friend Jono for makeing day 2 in ROME!!!! Team TJ`s for the support Tom Shea for the backs and the M@M`s to go w/ the beer All of my opponents for good sportsmanship Mark White for keeping the atmoshere light and fun Last but not least Mr. Stanton for winning the whole thing!! Slops Your move for the small place to play (they only expected 40-50 people) Brian `Whatever` Lynch Former member of team 36 cheeseburgers Member of Team TJ`s Honorary member of PGD Top 100 composite player in the world AND STILL LOOKING TO GET BACK ON THE PRO FRIKEN TOUR!!!!!! Check out my shitty web page http://memeber.tripod.com/~brian4178/index.html