Subject: Team NoPros at PA States Date: Tue, 24 Nov 1998 11:22:25 -0500 From: Dan Ford To: fkusumot@ix.netcom.com Well, Pennsylvania State Championships were this last weekend and Team NoPros (Eric Turnquist, Phil Keffer and I) along with our "Team Mascot" Jill made the trip from Harrisburg to Pittsburgh early saturday morning... a little to early in fact as we got there before just about everybody (7:40) is way to early to show up.... in fact it could have eqauled another 2 hours sleep. Sleep is good. At any rate we showed up at the Marriot and began our search for meltdowns ( I still needed 2 for my sideboard... well not actually you see I didn't face an Academy deck all day long...) So after finding my last two sb cards we went in search of food. Upon return to the tournament we did some strategy talk (well Phil and Eric did some strategy talk. Jill and I took a nap) So after a little while the first round pairings were up. Oh yeah... I was playing Counter Phoenix Eric and Phil both went with Mono-Red Round 1 (sorry no notes = no remembered names) My opponent was a really nice guy playing recur/death. Game 1: Game 1 is very close for a very long time. We trade creatures and spells here and there but he winds up winning on a living death very late in the game. Game 2: Another really good game... one of the highlights of this game was turn 4. I had 1 island 2 mountains and wasteland in play. He had played a survival early and had gotten the Verdant force in his graveyard and BoP in play. He goes for the recurring night mare... I cast Annul and everybody around me kind of goes huh?. The next turn made it all the funnier when I cast a disk and my opponent goes annul. (note: On the day I annuled the recurring nightmare, 2 cursed scrolls and 1 c.o.p red). I later went on two win this game. Game 3: He is going first and I mulligan. My 6 card hand comes up in this order. (Island, island, disk,disk,disk,disk) Knowing that he didn't have much to deal with disks I kept the hand...I probably shouldn't have but I did not want to go down to 5 cards) His first turn is CoB BoP.... I draw a mountain play an island... then he plays another bird and casts duress. his choice is between disks and a counterspell... he takes one of my 4 disks. A couple turns go by and I get a disk. I disk his birds wasteland a city of brass and he is stuck at 1 forest for about 3 turns. I tap out the very next turn to cast a shard phoenix and he goes the distance. Round 1: 1-0, 2-1 Phil played against a vineyard deck packing armodons and earthquake... he lost Eric played against another mono-red deck... he lost as well Round 2: I play a kid whose name I don't remember but he wound up in the finals... he was pretty cool.Oh yeah... he was playing Mono-Red Game 1: This kid just puts absoulte beatings on me. It was ugly. Game 2: A really close game but I lock it up with the shards Game 3. Another really good game. I annuled to scrolls in this game and it seemed like I ws going to win. Then I made the worst mistake I could make with this deck. I played a second phoenix. I could only counter 4 times.. he had 6 cards.. do the math... (I was at 4 life) round 2: 1-1, 1-2 Eric and Phil.... played each other WTF???!! They ID'd... At this point I find out what the other Harrisburg guys are up too. Brad Paul was 2-0, Jaime, Pat and Josh were all 1-1.. (Jaime and Josh missed the second round ) Round 3: An older guy playing Oath of Avatar Game 1: He was playing Oath of Avatar... I wasn't. Game 2: He was playing Oath of Avatar... I still wasn't. Okay to be compleltly fair neither of these games were close, but he was a really cool guy and we had a lot of fun. I hope he takes no offense to this because I understand that he was there to have a good time and he seemed to be doing just that... it was cool. Round 3: 2-1. 2-0 Eric won Phil won ---------- Brad won Jaime won Pat (I'm not sure) Josh won Round 4: Playing against Jaime (ack!!!!) Well we have a good laugh about playing one another then we sit down for our games... they were both close... okay no they weren't he kicked my ass, but still.... round 4: 2-2 , 0-2 Eric won Phil won Jaime beat the crap out of me Brad won Josh (I'm not sure) Pat (I think he dropped after this round) Round 5: Playing against a ww/r deck game 1: I screw up and he wins after I cast a second shard phoenix game 2: Another close game but I tie it up and win with a phoenix game 3: I switched decks at this point and went to my capsize lock deck (no not really but I drew my capsize and locked up the game with it) Okay, here is how this happened. Turn 4 he geddons with nothing on the board. I let it through and proceed to play lots of land 6 turns later I had 6 lands. he had 3 and still had nothing on the board (I countered and burned stuff.) the seventh turn I draw a wasteland and waste his city he now has an island and a plains. I bounce the plains during his upkeep for a few turns, mean while he shocks me and incinerates me a couple of times. The instead of relaying the plains he lays a wasteland and incinerates me. I capsize the mountain and waste his waste... he is at one mana for the rest of this game. Round 5: 3-2, 2-1 Phil won Eric won And at this point I don't know about the rest of the crew (other than Brad, he kept winning.. but more on that later) Round 6: Playing you guessed it MONO-RED I will keep this short. I lost in two very close games, and both to my own mistakes (I made a lot that day, includung not playing mono red). After this round I dropped Round 6: 3-3, 0-2 Eric: Lost Phil: Won (4-0 after the 0-1-1 start.. he has a chance people....) Round 7: Phil lost to fish and eric beat up on somebody.. I believe Brad was 7-0 or 6-0-1 We stuck around and watched final 8 (well actually Phil and Eric did) Jill and I went to get dinner with my uncle who came down from cleveland to hang out for the day. We all had a really good time so it was cool. Then my uncle left and Jill and i found a nice comfy chair to fall asleep in for a little while... the only problem was it was right out side a board meeting for the Polish Falcons of America (Huh?) These people were really kind of loud.... Then to top it off this older guy (who introduced him self as Fred Mertz came out to talk with us.. I think he was the chairman although I am not sure) We talked for a few minutes and he then asked if he could take my folder of cards in to show people... I let him of course. he then came back out, offered me a drink and we sat and talked for a little while. He asked a little more about the game of Magic so we gave him a rule book.. he was pretty cool so we talked to him for a little bit before we left... we left as Brad was playing the person I played in the second round, they were the final match. From what I understand Brad won PA States 3-1 in the finals... GO BRAD!!!!! Props Brad- for winning states Jill for coming up with us, driving and jsut being a great friend Eric & Phil for sticking it out after starting 0-1-1 Josh- for showing up, we were all really glad to see you My Uncle Ed- For coming down from Cleveland to hang out, I hope you had a good time Fred Mertz- for being a neat guy and getting my a drink when I was really thirsty The Andon Staff, you guys ran a pretty good show Slops Just one. that little kid that was watching my game during round 3. Please.. Please do not interfere in tournament games. It is impolite and tends to upset people. Thats it for this report see you all next time, hopefull when Team NoPros (maybe even me) return to the top 8. Dan Ford Team NoPros "Sneak attack... hmm... I think I am at a disadvantage now"- Overheard during Pa States