Subject: Tempest Pre Realease Date: Sun, 05 Oct 97 16:28:03 PDT From: Jacob Krejci To: magic dojo Hi...Here's a Tempest Pre Release Tournament Report, Hope you can use it.... Ahhh...My first MAJOR tournament...The Tempest Pre Release....I ended up going alone...My friend was supposed to come with me, but he had to go to something called "homecoming"(and sneak in wearing a dress, but that is another story for another time.) Anyhoo...I wake up about 7:30 and take a 40 minute drive to the Dalton Expo Center(If this is the Chicago Tempest Pre Realease why is it in Dalton?) I after ascending a large winding stare case I enter the large crowded room that I would spend the rest of my day at. The INCREDIBLY obnoxious "line organizer" is yelling about something, very loud and obnoxiously. The hand me my starter and 2 boosters and hand me a sheet and tell me to record my cards....I comply. I had not seen ANY form of spoiler list prior to the tournament, and I'm still glad I didn't not knowing how stuff works and what is coming is half the fun. After some skillful Deck Genesis, I construct the following (decent, If I may say so myself) deck: Green: 1 Pincher Beetle 1 Skyshroud Elf 1 Elvish Fury (never got to use the buy back) 1 Canopy Spider (can't believe how efficient of a creature this is) 1 Heartwood Treefolk 1 Needle Storm 1 Broken Fall (simply awesome) 1 Trumpeting Elephant (I love this guy, even though I didn't get much use out of him) 1 Natural Spring (just as efficient as Gerrad's wisdom if you ask me) Blue 1 Volrath's Curse 1 Time Ebb(surpassingly effective) 1 Power Sink(surpassingly ineffective) 1 Rootwater (ANOTHER TIM, and this time he's a FISH 1 Dream Cache 1 Giant Crab ( a useful homarid warrior) 1 Manta Riders 1 Horned Turtle (Why do I have a feeling people are gonna call him "Horny turtle"?) Red: 1 Goblin Bombardment (fun) 1 Flowstone Giant 1 Blood Frenzy 1 Wall of Diffusion (Shadower's were EVERYWHERE, this card was a must have) 1 Lightning Elemental 1 Mogg Fanatic (gets my pick for coolest new card, EVERYONE was using this little freak) 1 Fireslinger (Tim/Orchish Artillery hybrid) 1 Tahngarth's Rage Artifacts: 1 Echo Chamber (fun, fun, fun) 1 Coiled Tinviper 1 Bottle Gnomes (I found this card hilarious, you gotta see the picture, the image of picking up your soldiers and drinking them when they are no longer useful just struck me as funny) Lands: 5 Moutains 5 Forests 7 Islands Some interesting things about Tempest: There is NO instruction book, I repeat NO instruction book, It has been replaced by the "Tempest Story Book" that explains the characters and story. There is NOTHING explaining anything about how to play.... The main theme of the art is Weatherlight characters getting the CRAP kicked out of them....Kind like the dark sequel were everything goes wrong for the good guys leaving us hanging for the 3rd installment. I guess the next set will be "The Weatherlight Strikes Back." Crovax is black now. I walk around a bit and was shocked to see so many people I knew....I ran into SLAYER(Beyond Dominia regular)...My cousin which I hadn't seen for 4 months....and assorted people from the local card shop I also I ran into Brian and his cheerleader and the other guy that hangs out with them(one of them is her boyfriend, I still can't figure this one out)(see Dojo article, Type 2 sligh(IT WASN'T SLIGH) under J. Acup(THATS NOT MY NAME)). The loud obnoxious "line organizer" turns out to be the head judge. He forces all to sit down (I HAD TO SIT ON THE FLOOR) and shut up, under penalty of disqualification. Then he delivers a speech where he quotes Tom Wylie ("I AM THE RULES") and then tells that all 350 of us have to fight through a big crowd (aka B.O. city) to see 1 of four monitors than fight to get to our seats within 5 minutes of be DISQUALIFIED. The seats were incredibly cramped and I had to battle long and hard to get to my seat...then suddenly as I set my bad down I realized something.....I HAD LOST MY FRIGGIN DECK...I searched frantically all over and finally had given up every shred of hope....I told my opponent that I would have to concede and I moped off to see what side tournaments would be available....Suddenly a judge runs up to me and shoves my life counter in my face and yells "Does THIS mean anything to you"(sounded like I was being busted for something). I gleefully said "Thats my life counter"(well thats rock hard proof) and I have my deck returned to me as the judge runs off into the shadows. I yell "Where did you find it" he yelled something unintelligible and vanished...Oh well, the important thing was it was back, any ways another judge shows up with my opponent and says that I could start playing (what ever happened to that little FIVE MINUTE RULE, HUH?). Anyways, it worked out for the best because we weren't forced to cram ourselves back into those tables. And so we have ROUND 1: Me Vs. The Guy with lots of tattoos.... Game 1: This was simply glorious, I went from the lowest point of the day to one of the highest, Not only did my deck work, but it fell together perfectly...I sent out all my cool little creatures and then dropped a broken fall, which made my little Minions practically invisible...Winner: Me Game 2: And I thought the first game was glorious....I was able to pull off the coolest sealed deck combo I had ever done. Goblin Bombardment and Echo Chamber....Every turn I make a clone smack him with it then shoot it at him or one of his weenies with the bombardment....Winner: Me I SWEPT MY FIRST GAME....YEEEEEEEEEEEAH BAY-BE......... I allow my cousin to tinker with my cards and make ME COMPLETELY UNBEATABLE (or something like that). My cousin introduced me to his friend who got 10th at The World's Championships.....actually he didn't introduce me...he kinda pointed at him and I stared in awe....... Round Two (a young boy's dreams are crushed): Me Vs. Some guy who looked a lot like Arn Anderson Game One: I lost.....I think it was mana screw or someother lame excuse..... Game 2: I WON....I don't remember how, BUT I WON........... Game Three: He put out a big mean segmented wurm, I cleverly dispatched of it by repeatedly casting Valrath's curse on it....but it didn't matter....He played some other sort of wurm(which turned out to be the commemorative card) and smashed me :_( Lunch Time: Me Vs. The Polish Sausage I won the battle, but the polish sausage would later extract its revenge opon my bowels...... I also heard the interesting quote "I would rather buy a Chronotog than a hot dog" I walked around a bit and noticed what a dump the Expo Center was......The decided not to provide us with garbage cans so a table had somehow became the garbage table, mounted with disgusting trash....oh yeah, they also used the drinking fountain and the bathroom as a garbage can....I heard one of the judges mumble to himself as he walked out "This bathroom is pathetic" in a real pompous voice...... Round 3: Me Vs. Some skinny guy Game 1: He totally locked me down with Valgrath's curse..... Game 2: I think he did the same thing, but was alot more of a jerk this time.....he also played some wacky uncounterable creature called the Grethroght (or something). I finally decided to throw in the towel and get my stamped wurm....... I sighned up for the next side tourney unfortunately it was 2 hours away.... I then had the honor of meeting Tom Gianni....For those of you who have been living in a FREAKING cave...Tom Gianni is the artist of Abeyance (the hottest type 2 card ON THE PLANET BAY-BE), Frentic Efreet, Shimmering Effreet, Whirlpool Djinn, Frentic Efreet, Fledgling Djinn, The 5th Edition Game of Chaos and Reverse Damage and the new Tempest card Dregs of Sorrow (among many others). He was a really friendly guy, he'd sigh anything you brought him (1 Frentic, 2 Shimmerings, 2 Waterspouts, Prismac Boon, Favorable Destiny, Dregs of Sarrow, and pg. 34 of the Tempest Story Book.) During our little group chat I learned: He created the origanal artwork for Selinia, Dark Angel, but wizards decided to change it for some reason. The origanal artwork can be found on pg. 34 off the Tempest Storybook. He said that if he knew Abeyance was gonna be so hot, he probably would have been to nervous to do it. When I asked him what was going on in the Abeyance picture he said Wizards simply told him to show a wizard casting a spell. Suq Ata Assassin, which was done by Tom's brother Greg, was actually modeled by Greg. Tom took the picture. When he heard some people raving about Dregs of Sorrow, he said "Ooooo, I got another hot one." He has played Magic, but he doesn't have very much time and he doesn't know anyone who plays. I was pretty star struck, considering that the only other remotely famous person I had ever met was the voice of McGruff, the crime dog. I wondered around the room a bit and found some ROCK BOTTOM prices for cards. I acquired all of the following for ONE DOLLAR EACH: 2 Nekratals, 2 nettletooth djinns, 1 wipporwill, 1 wand of denial, 1 Aku Djinn, 1 Desert Nomads, 1 Fire Sprites, 1 Marble Diamond, 1 Antiquities Atog, 1 Fellwar Stone, 1 Kookus, 1 Infernal Contract, 1 Orchish General, 2 Coal Golems(PAY ATTENTION, JACOB), 1 Mole Worms and 1 Golgothian Sylex, BAY-BE. The new sealed deck tourney started..... As I was about to open my cards, I thought to myself, I wish I could get a Dregs of Sorrow to get signed By Tom Gianni. LAST CARD!!! DREG'S OF SORROW, I quickly bolted over to Tom Gianni and had him sigh it for me (this being my 4-5 vist). I think I might have scared him.......... Round One: Me Vs. Fran.... Game 1: Yes....Fran was a girl...she had a yellow button on her sweater that said "Our God can beat up your God". Of all my opponents that day, she was the easiest to be staring at for an hour. Anyhoo...She got out a Zebra Distracter(thats not what its called, but its close) and puppet strings locking us into a perpetual stand still for at least 45 minutes...In the end she beat me.......... Game 2: I beat her.....I think Shadowers and a splicer were involved..... Time expired, landing both us at a draw, meaning that we both got to stay in the tournament (Shouldn't all duels end like that?) Round 2: Me Vs. Jay Game 1: I beat Jay with a bunch of Shadowers Game 2: I beat Jay with a bunch of Shadowers....and a time ebb.... Round 3: Me Vs. Yori Game 1: If I beat Yori, I would be in the final 4, which gives me the option of splitting the box 4 ways. Unfortunately, Yori stomped the crap out of me, with some big green creatures. Game 2: I beat Yori....Shadowers can be mean...... Game 3: It was not ment to be, Yori once again stomped the crap out of me with big green guy. Yori went on the final four and succeeded and POing the other 3, by wanting to play instead of split, So they made an agreement, Fran would play the other lady for half the box and Yori would play the other guy for half the box. Fran Vs. The other lady was the first Girl on Girl I had ever seen :) it was quite a sight to behold.....I had a urge to walk up and go "Ooooo, Cat fight", but the consummate feminist in me prevented me from doing that. One the subject of females there was actually quite a few there, there was a girl who had to be at least 9....and she beat Slayer...... The final tournament of the night was a booster draft to take home the BANNER, only 35(or so) other in EXISTENCE. I WANTED TO TAKE HOME THE BANNER. THE GLORY. THE ETERNAL TOKEN OF MY EXCELLENCE. But my mom doesn't feel "safe" driving through Chicago in the middle of the night...so it was not to be..... I signed up for the dual starter tournament and dropped out immediately, with is just a technicality used by the judges, to let people buy cards, they are not allowed to sell them directly. My cousin, Matt Baranowski (REMEMBER THAT NAME) placed 50th in the main tournament, out of 350+ people...that ain't to shabby..... Anyways...I had more fun tonight than I have had in years, I finally got out of the house and did something with other people, instead of sitting in front of my computer rotting. I didn't "win" anything per se, but I got a crap load of cards and even a left over booster display box (WHOOO HOOO) and YOU ain't gettin them for another month. HA