Subject: (RPT) Stronghold pre Groningen NL.
Date: 22 Feb 98 09:52:04 GMT
From: Onix@hunze.iwg.nl (Onix)
Newsgroups: rec.games.trading-cards.magic.strategy

Hello everyone

First I did have a real nice day , I have enjoyed most of my games a lot.
That's a good thing.

Ok  we arrived way to early due to my lack of consistent timing in
keeping appointments. Anyway we arrived in time.

There were quitte many people. The tourney was full, I v seen the room
more crowded , that was a horror. In fact it got real warm in the end still.
Anyhow if this is how far it goes , it's all right.

At ten we were all handed boosters it took some time, and a starter,
plus the plastic back with surprises, consistently old duellists in NL.
And the introduction rare, not to bad I must say.
I may be to critical but we got to write down only our deck, wich we were
supposed to make of the cards handed us.
Before the tourney I asked a guy who went yesterday as well to have a look at
the cards wich he wouldn't let me. In the end that guy won a booster in the
lottery so it worked out for him, myself I find no proof of his capacitys
in how he acted. Anyhow spoilers should be available to everyone at the
entrance on such a second day.

That we only got to write our deck 40 cards and nor boosters nor starter
were redistributed. I was there with a friend playing different colours,
so like everyone we did exchange commons from the sideboard after the
first match. Not so we didn't but it was easy as hell to do so.
And more important we both would have won everything thereafter as
we only shared one colour (red), okay guys?, not okay?

I have seen one deck I think that played 3 double commons, wich proves nothing.
To my experience "topplayers" are not allways honest so that is a pitty.
Most are I think tho mindgames tend to be of some importance the first rounds.

Okay I made my deck, BRU as I had rather solid removal, and Goblin Bombardment
I played only little creatures ( at least I think so) focused on flying,
and minor shapeshifting in red. No shadow at all because I had none, it
wouldn't
have been so good because it was played a lot. I also had not one counterspell
wich bothered me a little, but in the whole day I have had only two spells
countered.

Comes the first round.
Real nice guy, rather new to the game.
So he playes white, first game I run over him. I kill his critters wich he
enchants a lot with (me thinks) bad enchantments. I don't remember what
specific
weenies he played but he would try to cast two and then his Marble Titan.
It worked once but only a little.
Both games were like me on 20 life or 18 him finished , Fylamarid both times,
and Sadistic Gleed Flowstone Hellion capsize and anger buyback.

Next game I was a little nervous, dunno why, I think he played Blue red,
anyhow I win easily both times again. Third game just the same.
Wow I won three in a row. okay next one I lost, Suddenly he declares a
this and that and still more and I forget the bombardment I have out.

I die way to quick. Next game I am colour manascrewed for the first time
when I die , him having his capsize rolling and low on life as well,
I still have not  my second swamp for my enfeeblement, or Kezzerdrix,
and still on 5 mana , I have not used the capsize without buyback,
maybe I should have. Anyhow I loose 0-2
Btw he was good with Capsize real good. Used it more to the max then me.
I suppose he plays it alot as I'v not done before.
I tend to more an agressive and disruptive player then a control one.

Out of the race well not really but almost.
The next guy had been bothering my friend, so I ask him to desleeve
I asked the judge if I still could and I could. The game was highly tensed
I seldom think so hard, he made me turn all my cards one direction
I see not why because my way of shuffling mixes em up anyhow, so
I had to do this twice. On with the game. First game we are both
manaflowed I am just topdecking much better, not much but land on the
table on his side all game (Gna) .

He takes a lot of time to play. Next game we are both manascrewed.
one land for some time. When he puts out bull whip again things go wrong.
Mainly because drawing land when I would have liked a buyback or
something else to sink it in. Pitty for me. All the time we have played
concentrated but he would keep on talking even in himself when he was
sideboarding so I told him that as he was young: a nice guy might still
grow out of him and I think he did try for a while. Not that he really
failed. Anyhow I saw his hands tremble in a way I know my friends hands
would have trembled and as I know such a feeling of my own I have it
when I play people whom I consider unsportwomanlike, I really want to win
but I loose often when I feel that way. So he stalled a little so me no hurry.
draw. As until know I have two times lost of guys I really hate because I
think they are bad players , one mindgames other one cheating to , I saw
him draw extra cards. Oh I hate to loose of such guys. But what can you do
against extra cards. Look if it happened to me now I wouldn't leave it with it
and when he'd draw extra cards I.d just make  noice and opiniate judges.

Anyhow with me lots of rules problems occur and I am glad to say I was right
on most ocassions today as you know the judges shouldn't have a to bad
impression of me with those mindgamers around.
I will always cut my opponents deck. On Jamies dice count I would have done
quitte well as I 've even held an eye on what my opponent did now and then.

3-1-1 now. Next game the other guy tells me I have no chance at a price
anymore , wich may not have been the case.
Anyhow he's sort of a real nice guy and we have a lot of fun playing.
First game I win, Not to hard, I forget to sideboard , some cards in the deck
have already sort of their standard replacement  little people sideboard
a lot. where I always do if I don't forget. I had a good anti blue critter
but well. So I loose, yes due to manascrew uh not really. It had a minor part
but I started drawing land and never really stopped.
He's at 2 when I die (or 3 maybe 6 I don't recall) and no time there for a
third game.
He offers me a win because he's leaving. I don't take it. Because I want to be
real anticheating so I better not.
another draw.
Okay But I went on to win the last one. Again a guy I really liked although
he wanted to trade my Furnace of Rath against a crappy stronghold rare ,
I had some of that already so not really interested.

Then I'll go on to the Job of typing my decklist my not deck list and
asking comments, include them were seems apropriate as well.

The deck (Sick Hellion)

Black

Kezzerdrix

(Not that bad I had 4 ways to get rid of  him without cardloss
He's been combusted and bombarded , I didn't have to capsize or puppet
string for him they did the job for me mostly.
Has done zero damage , maybe 4 but I think 0)

Endless Scream (was strong 's done about 40 damage good to time it)
Dark banishing.( Only minor drawback in sealed and that is exactly what
happened.
Edict best black one on one .
Death Stroke BB , better then enfeeblement . Was a reason to take
damage . recap. I donot like it much. I took relativly much damage
for it at least one game I would'v been on twenty live without it.
(Me thinx 2 besides it may have hurt me in the games I lost)
Enfeeblement BB , Not sure if next time because it was in my hand all
the time when I lost a match.Did kill about 7 critters the day still.

Pit Imp Has done about 6 damage for B of itself and much more
with Endless scream. They work nice together as you loose two soso
cards instead of one good and one soso.

Lab Rats, 5 mana is a lot but I played a blue and a red buyback so why not
a black as well. Eventually in the last game I managed to make about
10-12 tokens wich killed the guy in the end. Most games I prefered to play
capsize or just other usefull spells but this one, still the tokens it
fixed me helped a lot. Tokens did about 15 damage to players (most in the
last two games like 14 about ) and killed a few creatures via bombardment.
Killed maybe one player that way but only like 1 damage.

Almost forgot Sadistic Glee, very good with my creatures and removal
(cast sadistic Glee kill opponents creatures, get usefull counters)
Also on Flowstone he's great good for about 20 damage.

on with red

Rolling Thunder, never a finisher killed about 1,7 creatures on average
when I drew it. 3 times I think. One game I needed one more mana for to kill
with it but I had to waste it on critters when the mana didn't come,
still won that one quickly thereafter.
Shock, 1 kill, a creature everytime and two manascrewed damage.Usefull,
a bit dehumiliating but still usefull. Maybe I should n't have used it
to not discard tho ,didn't win that game I was much in doubt at the time
of the play.
Goblin Bombardment, generally usefull, drew it a lot, got dizt/eagled
each once ( I had endless scream see)
Flowstone shambler. Not to good I think, not overly bad but one other
card I regretted a little (Enfeeblement 2)
Did 9-12 damage today at most.

Furnace spirit
Now this is not a good card. Been using him twice unsummonsick,
a job to make that work. He wouldn't do much more therafter,
Well CC is 3 so what I expect. Did 4 or 5 damage all day
even tho I would murder any pinger he was an easy kill all the
day.
Flowstone Hellion. This one rocked, with sadistic glee he went
unbelievable , I think I put endless scream on that once.
Wow. ANyhow good for surely 30-40 damage today if not more.
Very much gave p[eople the yikes...
Seething Anger the red buyback that gives creatures +3/+0 (for R + 3)
I think it's done about 15 yesterday maybe more.
Forgot one.
Mogg Conscripts. Fun with Sadistic Glee. Good Bombardment fodder
cheap early blocker in a second colour. Did some, maybe
8-10 in all.Without the Glee would have done no more then 4.
Has been functioning as early blocker against white.

Blue.....
Wall of tears, stopped weenies well did nothing much else. I mean
it just doesn't work that great against lightning elemental.
Cloud Spirit, not impressing either, Has gotten killed a lot.
 3 or 6 maybe 9 damage all day, I wouldn't enchant him because
well because he got killed the most often of all my critters.
One other guy said oh that's strong , I said nothing , cause
it wasn't for me.

Fylmarid , amazingly good in the deck, lots of people played
blue, has done3 damage unenchanted (2?) and a whole lot more
enchanted. Main killer two games.
Capsize, When it rolled it did, has been dead in my hand,
some 1 or 2 games, Lab rats as well(2 or 3).
Sift. Has been quitte useful, not really strong tho,I sided it
out after game one a lot. But I had no other library control
at all.

Gold Spontaneous Combustion. Two times sweeped the board like
it should I remember best the time it killed a white weenie
horde with a little control elements that was getting to
go like I tap your Hellion and attack with two shadows.
Not.
It sweeped the board in an urgence case one more time,
No card advantage there. Dead in hand 2.

Artefacts, puppet strings.
Satisfied with it. Used everytime I drew it 4-6 times I think
I still think it is a bit expensive in constructed, like icy.
Land Caldera Lake (not used for coloured once tho on 2 occasions
I could have, was usefull for colourless)
5 of each basic.

Then for cards I didn't use.

Flame Wave RRRR3 4 damage target player and 'is creatures.
Furnace of Rath, would have made one or two more kills one turn
sooner but to risky to have in the deck .
Crown of flames R (only thing I could say is no not even in sealed.
Blood frenzy (not to bad in sealed I think but I played low on critters
Sandstone Warrior (Mainly cause I had four double coloured CC already
Mob justice (deal 1damage to player for each critter I control.
Most of the time only one that is yah combo with rats but in sealed
I don't try to combo and in constructed it is to slow at least with
rats)
Flowstone Blade I didn't seem to lack removal and that one cost
RR to kill a weenie probably better then enfeeblement tho.
Fling , This was a mistake I should have put it in as I regularly
created beast with much more power then toughness.
Would have had lot's of chances for a kill.
Against non blue decks I sided it in , but it never came out.
So far for the red.
Fling was a card I could have played , but what to take out,
enfeeblement maybe, still enfeeblement killed bunches of shadowers
and Fling can't .

Artefacts.
Manakin (another 1/1 ) didn't need the extra colourless mana a lot.
Excavator. Stupid card. Maybe better with harvest wurm. Should cost 1.
Shifting wall, X comes into play with x +1/+1 counters. Not bad
but no good in sealed I had a wall in my deck already and that one
at least had a mana control element, but I repeat it wasn't that impressive
either. Nice early defence 2 or 3 times (2 I think) dead in hand at least
once.
Metal Sliver. Sided in once against capsize. Not seen it tho.

Black.
Perish, I sided it in against green for Kezzerdrix twice, never came out tho.
Megrim one of the better Stronghold cards I got. Would even have done
quitte a lot of damage in 3 games, but well I saw no reason to play it in
sealed apart for people building sloppy decks.
Serpent Warrior, not a good card in sealed.(4 damage to an opponent)
Foul Imp , same story, I have had two damage of one but in all it's done
six to my opponents. BB besides.
Morgue Thrull. No good in sealed.
Clot Sliver .
Torment, Like a guy wrote saturday , no good.
Tortured existance. Uhuh.I didn't have that many good critters, 2 if you
include Flymmarit. Not many others to pitch to.

Blue
Dream prowler. To high CC and little power. Not to strong.
Horned Turtler , idem.
Tidal Surge. I know people will like this card, but it needs a creature
focussed deck in sealed.
Hammerhead shark, sided it in against blue all the time.
tidal warrior. (to small and comboish.)
Sea monster to big. I tried it as a sideboard card against blue, to expensive
in serious competition even in sealed I think.
Winged sliver. I used it once against capsize decks because it is cheap
not drew it tho.The only sideboard card I actually got to use was
Hammerhead shark. Good card tho.
Has done between 5 and ten damage.(must have been thrown
throu bombardment then maybe I put the Glee on it. I put it on the
first critter I could if I had no removal in hand. I put it on the wall to
try to arrange
rules complication, I shouldn't have done I lost that game.

Highlights.
Flowstone Hellion:

Real good and funny sealed deck card. Base of the deck only one or two
games he did nothing real good.
Sadistic Glee for comboing so nice and for being reason to destroy
stupid creatures like Mogg Conscripts. Has been disenchanted a few times.
So they hadn't seen the bombardment yet? True.
All mass destruction (Combustion Rolling Thunder bombardment) for
massdestructing. Kezzerdrix for actualy being quitte usefull.
It never damaged me and it killed one opponent , I summoned it and used
bombardment immediatly Oh great that was what it was for.
It even got to kill one or two critters an other time.
Fylmarid for being twice as good as I expected. When I drew my first from
a booster I was so horrified I didn't buy any boosters for weeks.
Puppet Strings, Did a good deal of the Control. Overall strong card
real good in sealed. By the way this was the card I made the most mistakes
with, I never played it before. So I thought it had a CC of 2....
That play I must have made once or twice before that day.

Funny detail the guy attentioning me this was the guy I lost to.
All buybacks, allthough I think Capsize is the strongest of the three
I used. Lab Rats were okay to. A bit expensive but with the colour
requirements and mana,- of Capsize no real problem there.
Having 3 buybacks was strong, ofcourse I had one or two most games.
I think the red one is better then the white but that's just me,
I play offensively.
Last thing to mention I was glad with all black destruction,
4 black destroy cards made it quitte reliable removal.
Fixed with a shock and the combustion and rolling T it was enough
removal.

In green and White I had nothing much special , white being the best by far.
Lots of removal well I'll list that as well.

Temper, W1 X gives X +1/+1 counters for each damage prevented.
Not bad not great maybe good with Spikes
Sacred Ground W1 , anti Geddon card. Good for that.
Scapegoat(2). sac a critter return the others to your hand,
Good against Wrath. Otherways not good. (I had two yeah)
Spirit en Kor(2), 4CC mhhh . Flying is nice.
Conviction. Should cost W to be usefull, not good.
Change of heart. Worst buyback in Stronghold I saw so far, has been used
against me with little results. Saves me a blocker, I am much safer if they
play it then if not.
Slotry lancer, Trooper and soldier, I like the lancer most, none of them
is real strong. Tho the trooper did two or 4 to me over the day.
Armoured Pegasus. Wow a killer.. not. But decent.
Repentance (I told you lots of white removal.
Nomad en Kor. Presumably the best en Kor I'v seen . But tiny.
Smite Now this is a swords replacement that at least is good for WW.
Me thinx it is an okay card. The small focus won't let you play four.
But two or three in a Weenie could be competing. May be good with the
new white wall. But that is to defensive to my taste.

Pursuit of knowledge very much the definition of a crap rare.
Maybe usefull in cards with alternative drawing engines but cost 4
so it is a very very very utterly crap rare, poor me.
" Skip drawing a card instead put study counter, after three counter
you can sac for seven cards. Will find some use. but I think this should cost
W1 or not be made. Very unlucky rare it is.

The place was crowded with shadow and my poor 3 shadowers wouldn't ever
stand a chance. Glad I didn't pick white, but like I said, It lacked
offence 2 small expensive flyers and one cheap is all I see in it,
plus a couple of weenie defenders and conditional removal. oh yeah and the
trooper.Wow

Green:
Mulch, much worse then Harrow. Until I find a use. Could be well with Rowen-
Sylvan combo etc. tho.And in reanimate decks. Utility card with nice uses.
But not a sealed card like harrow. Will be cheap to trade for in the
near future.
Provoke. Not impressive tho when properly used that could be cantripping
removal, a bit over conditional and not optimal as a sideboard card.
There is no way to use it when opp. has no creatures out. Not very good.
But in sideboards of green decks it could function  as a anti black, blue
maybe card. Or anti green.

Awakening wow another useless rare. We both are insured of untap again.
Okay anti Orbs.
Natural SPring (little use at 5CC)
Endangered Armodon, Promising in Constructed I think. Would have been
okay with the bombardment. I think it is better then opiniated in the
newsgroup.
Lowland Basilisk. To slow I fear.
Crossbow Ambush. Use Frog Tongue instead ,well don't us eitherthat's best.
Spike Soldier(2) 4CC for a 3/3 in sealed not good. They never had Mana to
use the counters ability didn't do any damage to me tho I killed it about
6-8 times.WOnder why it was played so much but well.
Rootwalla ,Main reason to even consider green.
Rampant Growth, To slow in constructed (for me ,I tested it quitte thoroughly.
No good in sealed 'caus it wont be there early , would have played it still
if playing green.
Heartwood Dryad. Must be my taste , I don't like it.
Scragnoth Expensive for sealed. Usefull against capsize but a green sealed
deck shouldn't let a blue player get that far if it wants to win.
Skyshroud Troopers, nice funny card for in Elves decks. Why did't
they make it Skyshroud horde 3/4 at 4CC , dunno. It is not a card outside
Eladamri decks I fear.

Anyhow if anyone wants to comment be welcome, if you got this far.
Props and Slops...
The organisation, the woman that did the pairings. All my opponents but one
and he did his best well a little, even tho I was kinda rude to him.
I told the judge beforehand I would btw.
The judges, I was delighted to see them dispute a card one moment. Hey I am
not the only one that sometimes wonders...
Me for playing concentrated . Jamie cause I really was in a better mood and
move then before his article.

Slops : Me for playing not concentrated all the time. WotC for the crap Rares.
The easiness of cheating with no decklists or exchanges.
Then again they may have feared that people would exchange crap rares of the
day before.
The guy I think played two Capsizes, don't remember who it was and I am not
sure but he had like I wrote I think 3 double commons.
Excuses guy if I am wrong but the mindgames (not overly prevalent now) ,
and cheating of the time before may have made me paranoid .
Stalling for being to easy and diffuse. You know I myself had to think
for minutes on a few occasions, so I imagine nobody's been stalling.
I specifically remember one turn I couldn't do anything really but still
I thought for over two minutes trying to anticipate on the next turns.
I did have somethings to do on his turn so ...
Both games that went 1-1 I had a rather slow opponent, some people are just
more likely to think longer I suppose.The other guy really came up with
very well outthought plays so he must'v been really thinking.

Another prop. Me for having learned not to let a slow player gain advantage
by starting to speed myself. Instead when I think someone is to slow I'll
calm down myself, not wasting resources in an attempt to speed it up.

Once again I had a real nice day my friend has the green trample enchantment
wich is real nice too, it wasn't used because she assumed it to be an instant
or sorcery.
Our Team did well both of us in the top 20 dunno exactly. me 4-1-2 her 5-2-0.
I went 3-0 3-1 3-1-2 4-1-2 her 3-0 3-2 5-2.
This was a long story. Good for our ratings tho.
Most games I won I was on 20 19 18 live only 3 on less. I won 10.
I was quitte proud of that as well.

Onyx