Subject: NY STATE OBSERVATIONS
Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1998 18:05:11 -0500
From: "The Abyss" <aj11kk@wpe.com>
To: <fkusumot@ix.netcom.com>

Academy, Academy, Academy....after weeks of playtesting, days of
deliberation and hours of driving I was ready to play. I sat down in a
sweltering Neutral Ground, Table 3, and faced a "blue control" deck. A
smile broke over my face and soon I was onto the next rounds. It was the
last BLUE deck I faced. My smile was gone. Four rounds later I was done. I
face "stupified black" again and again. Since I was also playing the black
POS, it came down to drawing the first ritual or going first. It was my own
fault, I Metagamed blue red and I lost.

My teammates however fared much better, well most of them did. Ertais-Lab
was destroyed, Blue Field deck did a little better and counter-phoenix
fared okay. But the biggest surprise was the success of POS-RED or Red
Sligh. Tenth place for Fill, even with his STUPID ID in the 7th round. I
guess you can chalk it up to experience.....

Davey however found his way to the finals playing The Academy. He is a
great player having finished 9th in the Regionals and missing the invite by
1/2 a percent. This time he was done in by MANA VAULT damage. Yes, he died
from his own tapped vaults. Three of the final four decks were Academy, as
were both fianlist. He took the winner to three games and bowed out. A
great run for a guy who has been playig for only about a year. Little did
we nothe excitement was just beginning.

As we piled out of the doorway, five screaming firetrucks stopped right in
front of us, fire, I guess so...we went to McDonalds. After our pleasant
meal we face the four hour drive home in the rain and fog. Another car was
to meet us at the corner, we never foud them but we found lots of other
cars on the way home. We sped from the city, it actually took us an hour to
get out and I missed the turn for the GW, hey I was tired it was
Midnight.....After travelling over the Tappan Zee I remember very little. I
guess I drove okay, at least no one complained. I remember singing a song
by Percy Sledge but that about it until the DEER, I saw the deer but DAVEY
jerked and yelled DEEEERRR!!!! I was now WIDE AWAKE and scared to death.
Finally we got home and I found my bed for the first time in about 48
hours.

Magic players who live in bigger cities must understand all the problems we
must endure to play Magic.



PROPS:

Davey: 2nd place, keeping me awake and all around good guy

Fill: 10th place

Sobey: playtesting and humor

Team Abyss includung Pat, Jon, Sparky and Bill

NGround a good all around tourny

the players for their fairness and trading

SLOPS (i hate theword)

FILL: his ID, the bathroom, the toilet etc

NG for the heat

WOTC for the Academy

the hotel parking

NYC

Keith Kreger

TEAM ABYSS