From: Nate Greig Subject: My Tournament Necro Deck {Was Re: Necro decks and card superiority} Date: Mon, 15 Apr 1996 13:49:38 -0700 This weekend I had the chance to play in the Long Beach qualifier at WotC in Renton, Washington. For the last month I had been fine tuning a U/W Serra Deck, but after play testing a Necro deck I decided to make the switch. Here's me story! {THE DECK IS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DON'T FEEL LIKE FALLING ASLEEP!} TOURNAMENT RESULTS I'd would have liked to make a report on the whole tournament, but I didn't take very good notes, and I didn't stay for the final four games. I had a long drive and I was exhausted. But I can report on how my Necrodeck did, and I can also say that I only saw ONE other deck like mine, and his didn't work quite as well. My downfall came from lack of experience. I thought that I had prepared for every type of deck I would face, but I forgot about one card. I lost FIVE games to a WHIRLING DERVISH! The first game I played was a G/W Ernham, Jesters deck. The guy who was playing it hadn't even planned on being in the tournament, but his brother put a deck together for him. The first two games he brought out a Dervish on the second or third turns and promptly pummeled me. The thrid turn I got a card advantage and then drained his life from him. Tournament Total (1 - 2) The second deck I came accross was a B/R destruction deck which didn't have much pop in it. The first two games I got Poxed and it seemed to hurt him more then it hurt me. Each game I got out two Spectors and two Knights and it was all over. Tournament Total (4 - 2) The thrid deck was one which I expected to see alot of. U/W Millstone with absolutly nothing that would punish me. Each game I got out the Ivory Tower, Zuran Orb, Fountain of Youth, and Necropotence and then I just swarmed him with creatures. I really, REALLY, hope more people try to copy the Millstone deck at next weeks qualifier. :) Tournament Total (7 - 2) In the forth round I came up against another G/W Ernham deck. The key card for this round: STRIP MINE. My opponent was having major mana problems, and everytime he got a land out, I stripped it. Then I destroyed him with my Mishra's Factories, and my Spectors. The round only lasted 15 minutes and we even played an extra game because I felt sorry for him. Tournament Total (10 - 2) Now it's the final round and I'm feeling pretty good about my chances. I knew that I only needed one more win to get me into the final 8 and a chance to qualify for Long Beach. My opponent was Matt H. (I think he's on the net but I'm new here and I can't remember his last name). My friend had just been swept by Matt and he warned me that he was really tough. He was playing a deck from my nightmares. The first game went rather quickly. I'm not even sure how I lasted as long as I did. I'd get a creature out. He'd bolt it. I'd get a creature out, he'd bolt it. I'd get a creature... you get the idea. What creature does he bring out? DERVISH. I hear the roar of the crowd "It's all over!" Basically, the next two games went like that. Tournament Total (10 - 5) I have to admit that I sat there stunned for about a half hour. I don't remember anything that was said to me. I had dropped all the way from third place to SIXTEENTH. Oh well, that's what experience (or lack there of) will do for you. Anyways here's the deck for anyone who made it this far. I'm not going to list the changes I'm going to make, but there won't be too many of them. I'll report on it next weekend after the qualifier in Portland. Drop me any comments you might have. I'd love to hear them. And Matt, if you're out there, Congratulations. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- "HELTER SKELTER" LAND 16 Swamps 4 Mishra's Factories 4 Stripmines BLACK 4 Hymn To Tourach 4 Dark Ritual 4 Hypnotic Spectors 4 Knights of Stomgald 3 Necropotence 3 Drain Life 3 Order of the Ebon Hand 3 Paralyze 2 Mind Warp ARTIFACTS 3 Serrated Arrows 2 Nevyrral's Disk 1 Ivory Tower 1 Zuran Orb Well that's it. I better not take up any more space explaining how it works I think you already know. Well, that's it. Hope you like it. Nate "Helter Skelter" Greig@mail.cs.orst.edu