Subject: Tourney Report From: "Allen D. Hudson" Date: Fri May 30 06:27:09 1997 I participated in a small tourney (19 participants) on the weekend in Ottawa Canada. 4 round swiss style (best of three, 2 pts for a win, 1 pt for a draw, 0 pts for "mutually conceding" - play all three games) with the top 8 moving to a single elimination. I started playing Sligh(-like) decks when I first encountered them on this list many months ago. The deck I used is what my mostly-red deck has mutated into after experimenting with sheltered valley. I'll list the deck and give my impressions in part 2. The tourney: Round 1 vs John playing Prosperous Bloom - wall of roots, dream tides, no infernal contract. Game 1 sees a weenie rush. He drains me early because he is getting close to zero but doesnžt draw the cards he needs. Game 2 I side in tactics, blasts and emerald charms with tranquil domain. Charm and domain in opening hand. He starts slowly again but plays a city of solitude. It gets charmed. I hold onto the domain for a few turns. I get a pyroblast so I domain the city. He is getting low in life again from creatures and DD. He tries to prosperity and I blast it. game over. Game 3 is much of the same with his wall of roots and dreamtides slowing me down. I "discover" the ball lightning/shadow guildmage combo to help finish the game. I feel his deck wasnžt put together well combined with little playtesting. In game 2 he said he had the prosperity for a few turns. My deck may be a little too slow for a better tuned prosperousbloom deck. (3-0-0 / 6 points) Round 2 vs Matt playing R/B land destruction choking sands, stone rain, pillage, moleworms and blight, talruum minotaurs. Matt is in his mid-teens. Game 1 sees ironclaw orcs overrun him though he blows up a few land. I winter orbed him on turn 3 with an undiscovered paradise out which slows down his destruction. Game 2 I only have 2 undiscovered paradise out all game but the agent of stromgald and shadow guildmages show up in numbers to kill him off. Game 3 is more weenie swarm and no black mana for Matt. (6-0-0 / 12 points) Round 3 vs Shawn black knight, skulking ghost, tarpit warrier, fallen askari, fallen angel, crypt rat, nekrataal, nocturnal raid, bone harvest and tombstone stairwell with a splash of red for song of blood. Game 1 his superior weenies wear me down although I am able to keep putting them in the graveyard with shadow guildmage and orcish artillery. I attempt to orcish artillery his skulking ghost and explain that because the artillery canžt do the damage I do not take the 3 points either (as explained by Bethmo on mtg-l). He calls a judge who rules that I do in fact take the damage. I therefore must take a few extra damage such that when the stairwell comes out, I am a little too low in life and die (he only had a few life left here too). Game 2 I side in the ebony charms. We both quickly lose life until we are both at 4. My turn. Orcish artillery for 2. guildmage for 1. Ebony charm for the last point which puts me at 1! Game 3 I only draw 2 or three creatures and I am swarmed. (7-0-2 / 14 points) Round 4 vs Tracy mono red - ball lightnings, talruum minotaur, keeper of kookus, hammer, raging gorilla, all the X spells and fireblast. Game 1 she fireballs and incinerates my initial weenies. I hold my DD for her ball lightnings and am never hit by one. She gets my two and my weenies win the day. Game 2 I winter orb her after she taps out to fireball me. I only have 3 mana all game but with this deck and the sheltered valley with undiscovered paradise it is enough. Game 3 she brings me down to ten. I see no valley so I decide to play all the land in my hand. The winter orb is out. I have a pyrokinesis in hand with no red card, 4 untapped mountain and an undiscovered paradise and I use my guildmage to attack her (Doh!) She ball lightnings me but luckily she didnžt have a fireblast. I should have kept a red weenie in hand or put more lands out. (I rarely play over 4). She dies a turn or two later. Thank you orb. (10-0-2 / 20 points) Shawn and I each have 20 points. Top 8 quarter finals vs Shawn Mc, red goblin weenie with goblin king and all incinerates on the top of his deck. (It turns out he has only been playing Magic for one month.) His 6 point bye edged him into the top 8 I think. Game 1 he incinerates my initial weenies but they keep coming. My artillery kill off his goblin kings and I overrun him. Game 2 he incinerates and fireballs me down under 10 life but winter orb and the ignored weenies secure the win. Semi finals vs Jeff R/U incinerate, disk, frenetic efreet, breezekeeper. Game 1 the few creatures I see are incinerated but the efreets die to death sparks losing the flip. A breezekeeper blows out my flame. Game 2 much of the same except I see less creatures and the frenetics live this time. No contest. My winter orb disturbs him and the sheltered valley is a nuisance. No army ants to get rid of all the land in my hand. Black weenie Shawn easily kills Jeff to take home a box of Visions. The deck I used: 3 agent of stromgald 3 shaper guildmage 2 death spark 4 incinerate 4 ironclaw orcs 2 fallen askari 3 winter orb 2 phyrexian warbeast 4 orcish artillery 4 pillage 2 ball lightning 3 army ants 2 suqžata lancer 2 fireblast 10 mountain 3 sheltered valley 4 undiscovered paradise 2 sulphurous springs 2 city of brass Sideboard: 2 terror 3 pyroblast 2 emerald charm 1 tranquil domain 3 ebony charm 2 pyrokinesis 2 guerrilla tactics My impressions: I really like the sheltered valley/undiscovered paradise synergy. I inserted this into and mutated the sligh after someonežs post on the list suggesting sheltered valley. I almost never play more than 4 land as the most anything cost is 3. I put in the army ants so I can use those extra lands in my hand. My opponent must deal with them or start to lose his land. This can be effective with a winter orb in play. I debated between winter orb or ankh of mishra (or both) but I think the orb is better because of undiscovered paradise. Sometimes I will play 4 city of brass and 4 Undiscovered and then splash whatever colour. I found that black works well and am still looking for other workable alternatives. The shadow guildmage is a recent addition who helps (a bit) against protection from red. Perhaps the granger guildmage, river boa and emerald charm could be strong. Anyone have any ideas, experience to add? I feel maybe I should use stronger creatures (is the agent really worth it?). Ball lightnings never seem to be a wasted draw but with the way I play (only 4 lands one of which is a sheltered valley) I canžt cast the ball until later on and I canžt cast both it and a death spark. I have thought of trying strictly mono-red with four fireblasts which would help get back to 4 land if and when a sheltered valley appeared. I enjoy playing this deck because of the unorthodox creatures that appear (ironclaw, artillery - most people ask what they do), sheltered valley with undiscovered paradise (what do you mean you are at 17? Ižve hit you for 10!), and the general tenacity of the deck. I wonder however if I have not weakened the deck a little by not allowing for late game mana glut exploitation (X spells like fireball). Due to redžs weakness versus enchantments, and this deck having a harder time dealing with large toughness creatures, is this deck concept that I am exploring maybe a little too fragile against other tourney decks. I have not played in enough tournaments or against enough tough decks to know. Any comment? -- ax412@freenet.carleton.ca (Al Hudson) * Until * Death We're all connected in some * Do We way or another. * Part.