Oct 13, 1996

So it was very late Friday night when the Captain America deck ( a red,white, and blue Jester's Cap deck) still couldn't take a game. I had previouslyplayed this deck in an IA/Alliances tournament, but she just couldn't hangwith the new breed of decks I had designed for my friends for the qualifier.If I couldn't even beat a small pool of decks, I had no business goingat all.

So on that fateful Friday night, I did something I pledged never todo: I pulled three Necropotences out of my binder and started constructinga B/R control deck for the next day. She had about 10 land destructionin the main deck with more in the sideboard, 8 knights, and of course,the DARKNESS.

I got an hour of sleep before I had to go to the convention...

Round 1 Me vs. Andrew

Andrew was a genuinely nice junior who was playing the BANE of my deck,G/R/w Stormbind. I realistically think that my deck will beat every typicaldeck in the IA/Alliances metagame consistently, except for this one, andprobably a Browse deck with a good draw. I was terrified.

Game 1 Andrew got out some Deadly Insects and other small toughnesscreatures. His Stormbind was making quick work of my weenies, and his Incinerateshandled my Lim-Dul's High Guard. Luckily I had two Withering Wisps in hand,and eliminated all of his creatures quickly. Two Incinerates and a LavaBurst later, it was game 2.

Andrew gets a ridiculous draw this time. 2 Insects and Stormbind areout before I can blink, and there is no Withering Wisps or Dystopia tobe found. He makes short work of me.

I own the third game. Dystopia annihilates everything he can bring out,and I crush him with a flurry of land destruction and weenies.

Match 1-0, games 2-1

Round 2 Me vs. Steve

Steve was playing an aggressive mono-red deck. He eventually went onto make the semifinals of the tournament, so I suppose it was a good deck.Unfortunately for Steve, I had an ungodly measure of land destructionin both of my opening draws. He was dead to Specters, Knights, and firebefore he could really do anything defensive. Our match was over in underseven minutes--and in the second game, I even had two more Pillagesin my hand when he conceded!

Match 2-0, games 4-1

Round 3 Me vs. Jeff

Jeff was playing a u/W Outpost deck. I eat these decks for breakfast.The trick is to eliminate all their Thawing Glaciers and blue mana. Withoutthese resources, they have no way of eliminating your Knights of Stromgald,and you can walk all over them before they can mount a plan with theirOutpost tokens.

Jeff's deck had the unique dynamic of Skull Catapult, which, when combinedwith the Outpost, can beat my Knights of Stromgald! Luckily forme, I stole all of Jeff's hand with an enormous Mind Warp. He had an Orderof White Shield on the board, as well as a Zuran Orb, but I had more land,a Zuran Orb, and a Withering Wisps. Needless to say, his Order kept myWisps on the board, while I annihilated him with it for enormous amountsof damage. Oh yeah, I was also plinking away with a (regenerating) Lim-Dul'sHigh Guard, but I eventually had to let him go because it was tedious toregenerate him after each 1-point Wisps plink.

In game 2, Jeff got out an Outpost and a CoP Black. I got out Dystopia,but had to (effectively) Dystopia down to -6 life (I had a Zuran Orb onthe table of course) before eliminating it, due to his making an Outposttoken each turn. After it was gone, there was nothing left to stop my pumpKnight who hit Jeff for like 10 damage for each of two turns. Game over,man.

Match 3-0, Games 6-1

Round 4, me vs. Doug Dixon

Dixon is a great guy. We playtest together, and have met in many tournaments.The great irony of our match was that I was playing B/R Necropotence, whichwas Doug's deck last year, before Necro was even popular. Doug was runningU/W control, which, as everyone knows, is my signature Type II deck.Funny how IA/Alliances format forces you to change your normal playingstyle...

In the first game, I go down to 2 life, but am never in any real dangerto Doug's Ivory Gargoyles and Outpost tokens. Like I said, once my Knightsof Stromgald hit the table, it's usually game over for a U/W player. Dougdid eliminate some of my boys with Deflection (on my Incinerates) and Rayof Command, but I take this one handily.

In the second game, Dixon pretty much owns me, and I concede when Ihave around 14 life. If there's one thing about me, I know when I'm beaten,and I won't waste anyone's precious time in a tournament dragging out agame that I can't win. I really hate it when I am playing U/W control andI lock somebody up really hard, and then I don't win for 30 turns. Thatcosts everybody Swiss points, and in my opinion, it is a ridiculous andoverproud practice. That being said, on to game 3...

Dixon never has a chance. Two Knights and several Incinerates later,I've taken him down. I did make a possibly costly error, though. When Doughad 3 life, and I had a Knight on the board (I obviously could finish himthe next turn) I Incinerated him. The Incinerate got deflected onto myKnight and I had to cast the other one in my hand the next turn. I wasscared of CoP Black coming out though, and stand by my decision to tryfor the quick kill.

On the downside, I had to eliminate Doug from the tournament. It isalways sad when you have to do that, and he is a strong player who maybewould have made the elimination rounds.

Matches 4-0, Games 8-2

Round 5, me vs. Geoff

Geoff is a really amiable guy, and I enjoyed talking to him before ourmatch. I did not enjoy playing with him, though, as you will see below.

In game 1, I saw my first real manascrew of the tournament. He has allkinds of Pillage and Stone Rain for my few lands, and I am toast quickly.You know, I really do play a lot of mana in my decks, and I don't everlike to lose to manascrew; oh well, it'll happen to any given good playerin a tournament once, right?

In game 2, I am again sort of manascrewed, as I am held to 3 lands,2 Springs and a Mountain. However, I can cast most of my spells with 3mana, so it's all right. I go down to 9 life from my own pain lands, andGeoff has no land (because of my spells, not a manascrew) when I overrunhim with a Knight of Stromgald and a Lim-Dul's High Guard.

Now this is ridiculous. You are only supposed to get manascrewed ONCEin a tournament, and this is the third time in one match! (I was also color-screwedin the Juzam Sealed tournament that morning, but that is another topicentirely) Geoff jumps all over me with Storm Shamans and I am quickly overwith. I was really pissed off. If not for manascrew I know I should havebeaten his deck (it was R/W Joke-ulhaups). An interesting side note tothis match was that it was the FIRST time the whole tournament I drew anyNecropotence (I had 3 in my deck). Unfortunately, I never had the 3 manato cast it out--not that I would considering the fact that I held 7 cardsin hand most of the game...

Matches 4-1, Games, 9-3

Round 6, me vs. Bruce.

Bruce was a friendly enough guy, but we both knew that only one of uswas going to make the single elimination rounds. He was playing R/W Joke-ulhaups,so I knew I had an excellent chance of beating him...

In the first game, I jump all over Bruce, and Necro down to 1 life todraw the Incinerate to finish him off. That was probably kind of dangerous,becasue he could have StP'd one of his creatures, I guess, to stay alive,or cast Incinerate on me. Anyway, I don't think it was a mistake, becauseI won the game!

I never touch Bruce in the second game. I must have been manascrewedor something. A ridiculous match on my side.

In game 3, Bruce does this silly thing--he casts out an Ivory Gargoyle.I know everyone thinks this card is good, but I think it is a joke, ingeneral. I attack him with my pump Knight and Abyssal Specter, which he,of course, doesn't block. There goes that last card in hand for Bruce!Here comes Dystopia! Bruce has to sacrifice his Ivory Gargoyles to Dystopiaon his upkeep, and gets no draw phase. I of course smash him the next turnwith my creatures.

Matches 5-1, Games 11-4

I pretty much know that I am in the single elimination rounds, because5-1 (with 1 loss to another 5-1 only) is a pretty good record. Single eliminationrounds...

Round 1, me vs. Eric

In the first game, Eric counterspells one of my spells with an ArcaneDenial on my turn. On his turn, he untaps his Thawing Glaciers and grabsa Mountain before drawing his cantrip card. I call the judge overbecause this is obviously illegal. You have to draw your cantrip for ArcaneDenial at the BEGINNING of your upkeep, and thinning out the land in yourdeck to reduce the chance of drawing a land is shady, in my opinion. BigTony issues Eric a warning, and says that if a similar rules infractionhappens, he is eliminated. Anyway, he is playing U/R/W Joke-ulhaups, andthat deck really can't hang with my disruptive Necro. I let him Haups,and then Ritual out a pump Knight right after, then lay a Glaciers thenext turn. Game over, man.

In game 2, Eric casts the Haups, and I lose a lot of land and 3 qualitycreatures. Luckily I have a ZOrb on the board, and go up to 34 lives. Helays a Glaciers. Shit. I lay a Glaciers with a Swamp in my hand. On histurn, he untaps the Glaciers, and lays an Outpost. He taps the Outpostto activate the Glaciers before it goes to his graveyard. I yell for thejudge, because I know this is way illegal, and allowing him to havethat kind of post-haups advantage will be the death of me. Tony lets Ericoff easy, saying that the Outpost just goes to his graveyard. Eric is reallymad at me for calling Tony, and at Tony for making the correct ruling.I think Eric is lucky Tony didn't boot him out of the tournament for anotherrules-infraction. Anyway, I drop a Necro, and with me at 34 lives, he hasno way to cope with the card-advantage. I annihilate every land he drops,and finish him quickly with a pump Knight. All right now, just one moregame...

Round 2, me vs. Justin

Justin was a really friendly guy, who goes to Swarthmore, a school outsideof Philadelphia (I go to Penn). It turns out we have some friends in common,and we are both eager to see who gets to go to Dallas.

In game 1, all I see are some Islands, Adarkar Wastes, and Plains. Ithink that Justin is just playing U/W control, and with that mindset, defeathim in a close game. All right now, just one more...

I sideboard out some creatures and one Withering Wisps for 2 Pyroblastsand 2 Dystopias. I'm not sure what Justin is playing, so I'm not sure howto sideboard. Anyway, I knock him down to 3 lives when he drops CoP Black.Fuck. Double-fuck. I hurl tons of fire at him, but at this point he's gota Browse on the table, and obviously a ton of counterspells in hand. Hehas 3 Outposts. He Ray of Commands my Lim-Dul's High Guard and kills mypump Knight. Damn. Justin attacks maybe twice before I concede. Not a Dystopiain sight, damn it!

I sideboard again. I will either be the biggest Magic genius for thisplay or the biggest Magic fool. I have to beat Justin's Browse, as wellas his defensive measures to win. I sideboard out almost all of my creautresfor an extra Stone Rain, 4 Pyroblast, and 3 Dystopia.

We shuffle and I go first. GOD DRAW! Glaciers. Swamp: Ritual, Icequakeyour Island. Swamp. Pump Knight. Pillage. Stone Rain. Second Pump Knight.Two Dystopias in hand. All I remember was attacking Justin when he hadthree life. He looked at his hand. He didn't say "You've got me,"or anything. I went into "cocky bastard" mode and jumped outof my chair yelling I'M GOING TO DALLAS BABY! All my teammates jumped overto me and it was hugs and slapping on the back and yelling! Justin wasvery gracious, I must say, and shook my hand, and congratulated me.

WOO HOO

Now it was time for sealed deck for $1000.

Someone please tell me how I didn't win sealed deck.

Artifacts:

1Aladdin's Ring
2 Rod of Ruin
1 Diabolic Machine
1 Jayemdae Tome
1 Nev's Disk

Blue:

1 Flood
1 Ghost Ship
1 Merfolk
1 Phantasmal Forces
1 Time Elemental
1 Zephyr Falcon (one of my all-time favorites...)

Land (special):

1 Strip Mine

Red:

2 Fireball
1 Immolation
2 Lightning Bolt

White:

1 Amrou Kithkin
1 Mesa Pegasus
1 Reverse Damage
1 Spirit Link
1 StP
1 Tundra Wolves
1 White Knight
1 Wrath of God

The answer: manascrew. Don't say I didn't have enough--I had 20 basicland plus a Strip Mine in a just-over-40 card deck. Everyone at the tournamentcame over to me and said "Bow your head, boy. You may be going toDallas, but with that deck, you really should have won sealed!"

Side note: I now know today that the reason I didn't win was becauseI sucked ass at sealed several months ago. While I got bangup cards inthe $1000 rounds, I obviously didn't play with big enough, or enoughfor that matter, creatures.

Anyway, the FINALS of the Pro Tourney Qualifier...

Erik and I decide to split everything. He will get the larger travelvoucher, but gives me cash to compensate. Erik had a fabulous day. He wonevery event. He won the Juzam Sealed tournament in the morning, met mein the finals of the PTQ, and won the $1000 sealed portion of the show.

We decided to play one game for fun. Erik's deck had Snow-covered SwampwalkingZombies in the main deck, and my Snow-covered Swamps doubly hurt me, ashis Icequakes actually did damage for once. I was manascrewed and concededto his Zombie after he Contagioned my Knight.

Ah well, the game was just for fun, and I'm still frigging GOING TODALLAS, BABY!