Subject: [PT-LA] Baron Harkonnen in LA for $500 - [Part 2/3] Date: Tue, 17 Mar 1998 19:34:09 -0600 From: The Corrupter Newsgroups: rec.games.trading-cards.magic.strategy Well, in case any of you were wondering, I've been unable to get to a computer to finish parts 2 and 3... That will be Rectified! Baron Harokonnen in the LA $500 Side ---- OR ---- How 60 Minute Rounds hurt Baron Harkonnen --- The tourney was run by Head Judge Nat Fairbanks, who did a mighty fine job, I might add. He went through 6 judges before the tourney was over, and the 118 competitors were definately international... Check for the final 8 at the end of the report... Because of prodding from fellow Cabal Rogue Maillist people, I decided to play Baron Harkonnen in the tourney. For those of you who don't know, here is Baron Harkonnen... 1 Mahamoti Djinn 4 Wall of Roots 2 Nevinyrral's Disk SIDE: 2 Control Magic 3 Crumble 2 Hailstorm 1 Control Magic 2 Serrated Arrows 2 Nevinyrall's Disk 2 Impulse 1 Natural Spring 2 Whispers of the Muse 1 Disrupt 1 Brainstorm 2 Hydroblast 3 Gaea's Blessing 1 Interdict 2 Sullivan Library 1 Dissipate 4 Counterspell 1 Tormud's Crypt 4 Force of Will 1 Hailstorm 2 Disrupt 1 Tranquil Domain 1 Interdict 3 Natural Spring 1 Splintering Wind 4 Wasteland 3 Thawing Glaciers 5 Forest 7 Island 4 Tropical Island The deck has done quite well for me, and, I understand that since I posted it, was played in every PTQ in the world. :) --- (ratings are given in Extended) ROUND 1 - Brett Antill - London - 1721 - RWG-Gun Brett and I had been hanging around during the PT, and he was very fun company. His deck is typical old-school Gun. Game 1 - He achieves fast swarm, and I bring things back under control. I decide to stop drawing counterspells in late game and he finishes me, having drawn very little land, and many spells. Game 2 - I lay a 4th Turn disk with no counterspell backup (what I get for having to Mulligan). He has no green mana in play, but topdecks it, drops the Monkey and kills me... Not a good start... GAME/MATCH: 0-2/0-1 ROUND 2 - Darren Stanford - Costa Mesa - 1776 - Tradewind-UG His deck has light counter, Tradewinds, bounce and Untargettables... Game 1 - I quickly lock down the game, disking to clear his offense, and then manipulating into Late Game Control. Game 2 - I outcounter, and remove his threats. Eventually, the Baron brings it home, repeating game 1. GAME/MATCH: 2-2/1-1 ROUND 3 - Robert Griffin - Las Vegas - 1650 - Traditional Gun His deck was fairly conventional... Game 1 - I Hailstorm away an early rush, causing Half-a-Geddon and a One-Way-Wrath for only 3 mana. 2 Mishra's a Lion and a Knight go bye-bye. I bring out a Late-Game Baron and ruin him. Game 2 - He comes out quickly, and brings me down low. I achieve some manner of control, when it begins to slip away as I decline to draw spells, and instead draw land, despite my thawing... Game 3 - I achieve massive control, and he begins to stall. we run out of time, with me at over 30 life, about 10 cards left in my library, and plenty of manipulation to get to the Baron. If I had had 5 more minutes... GAME/MATCH: 3-3-1/1-1-1 ROUND 4 - Brandon Rutter - Chicago - Team ACD - 1687 - PseudoPrison Brandon was playing Jason Moungey's Pseudo-Prison, one of the best extended decks in pre-Stronghold existence. I was playing Baron. Baron's matchup is notoriously strong against Pseudo-Prison. Game 1 - I selectively counter and let him have his Icy's and diamonds, but decline him his geddon's and Scroll Racks. Eventually, I have total control and he concedes to get to game 2. Game 2 - It's even worse for him. My sideboard starts stripping him, and I relaxedly destroy his deck. He concedes fairly quickly. GAME/MATCH: 5-3-1/2-1-1 ROUND 5 - Jeff Seifert - Anaheim - 1600 - RWg Ehrnam/Burnem/Geddon Game 1 - I slow him down early, and stop his major threats and disruption. His burn is plowing into me, and I let it all hit me as I accumulate Natural Springs in my hand. I beat him down with his own Ehrnam, and Spring from 2 to 18. Game 2 - After sideboarding, even more is against him. He starts to blast my lifegain, and then realizes he can't do it. I Baron him into the dust. GAME/MATCH: 7-3-1/3-1-1 ROUND 6 - Barret Mayer - Milileni, Hawaii - 1607 - Sped His deck is typical Sped.... Game 1 - I draw some early Hailstorms and knock off a beautiful 5-1 trade, killing 2 mishra's in the process. I then proceed to Sylvan him away, drawing counter/lifegain/blessing. The Baron eventually meanders over to munch Sped. Game 2 - Sylvan Library on turn 3 for 8 life. Against Sped... I play the land and Wall of Roots that I drew. The Hydroblast I drew from the Sylvan protects the Wall of Roots from follow-up burn by Barret. The next turn, I have new cards and proceed to slowly gain control. The 4 Natural Springs comes to my hands 5 times... Baron for the Finish. GAME/MATCH: 9-3-1/4-1-1 ROUND 7 - Mark Mahm - San Diego - 1710 - Best of the Best Necro Mark's deck is a derivative of the RGB-Necro that first emerged from extended for PT-Chicago... Game 1 - Disrupt his turn 1 consult for Land. Unfortunately, his top card is land, and he Hymns me. I drop a Sylvan and start to Draw like Mad. Natural Spring makes most of my counters unnecessary. I control an Ehrnam to the finish. Game 2 - He consults to stay in the game, and lays a turn 3 Forsaken Wastes. I eventually eliminate it and he drops another that I eliminate. By this time, however, there is not enough of his deck left to finish me, and he dies to deck-death. GAME/MATCH: 11-3-1/5-1-1 I'm certain that I'm in the top 8, but my tie-breakers make me the only 5-1-1 not to get into the top 8. While I'm pissed, and bitter, I watch on... --- 1 - Carlos Barrado Lopez - Spain - 1679 - SerraAngel/Prison 2 - Alex McConnel - USA - 1746 - Wolf Pack Pox 3 - Kurt Foket - Belgium - 1694 - Gun 4 - Brian Kooyman - USA - 1697 - Cursed Blitz 5 - Massimo De Matteo - Spain - 1612 - Forsaken Cursed Blitz 6 - Robert Shaw - USA - 1600 - Rwb Cursed Blitz 7 - Lars Tietson - Germany - 1772 - RGB-Randall-Meta-Creature 8 - Adam Kemp - USA - 1600 - Millstone I was extremely frustrated that only Massimo's deck looked like it could handle the Baron, and we played for fun afterwords. After sweeping him, I shrugged: we're shuffling cards, after all. Luck happens. Carlos wins 2-0 versus Adam Lars wins 2-1 over Alex Kurt wins 2-1 over Robert Massimo wins 2-0 over Brian Carlos wins 2-0 over Massimo \ Lars wins 2-1 over Kurt / A European only final 4! Lars wins 2-1 over Carlos --- It was an exciting tourney, to say the least. On a side note, fellow Team Rogue Wyatt Agard wins the Super Series qualifier for Sunday playing Brian Kowal's SS-Stompy. He loses one match, and gets to play in the Super Series 15-under division. Yay for the sole Team Rogue Junior. --- Prepare for Part 3, and remember, sponsors are cool and always wanted by teams... Good teams are cool, and always good for sponsors... ;) @#$ Adrian Sullivan $#@ Game Theorist Coffee Addict Eccentric $#@ @#$ The Corrupter $#@ Opinionated Gynophile Hedonist MHSTHSTS $#@ @#$ Cabal Rogue $#@ GAT/CS/WS C(+++)$ N++ PS++@ R+++* r+ z++**? $#@ ...watching the lake turn the sky / into blue-green smoke...