Subject: TOURNAMENT Date: Thu, 12 Nov 1998 22:53:59 +0000 From: JL Doyle To: fkusumot@ix.netcom.com Greeting from the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia, just a six hour drive from Charleston, where the 1998 WV state Championship was held. The event was held in the Charleston House Holiday Inn, along the banks of the Kanawha River. There on Saturday November seventh some 64 players from around the state came to claim the title, of course only one would prevail. I came into the event ranked 40th in the state, with less than a dozen events under my belt. My hope was to become the next state champion, my goal was to finish better than my current composite standing, I am John "The Reverend" Fizer. As in so many events I opted for red, having an Academy "Mind Stroke" Deckand it's blue nemesis the Arcane Lab, I still opted for red.Having play tested with pyroblasts & wastelands at FullcountSports Cards (my current home base) I was sure of my decision I had worried about bloom decks when they were popular anddispatched them routinely.... I do not fear academy variants especially the Mind-Stroke. Type 2 "Cursed Sligh" 14 Mountains 4 Wastelands 4 Cursed Scroll 2 Goblin Bombardment 4 Fireslinger 4 Mogg Flunkies 4 Ironclaw Orc 4 Jackal Pup 4 Mogg Fanatic 4 Shock 4 Incinerate 4 Sonic Burst 4 Ball Lighting Sideboard 4 Pyroblast 4 Maniacal Strength 4 Mountains 3 Bottle Gnomes Now there is a deck that just shuts down the "Academy Mind Stroke" variant that the Fullcount team had built, but it had only a 50% success rate against any weenie decks. I believed that there would be a lot of weenies at the Championship and I was right. Match One v John Hartman of Glenville (Rouge red/black) He put up a gallent effort in the first game reducing me to 13 but could not stand the heat of direct damageg. Game two I came away unscathed as he received a serious beat-down: t2 J'pup, t3 J'pup & Ball'ing, t4 J'pup, t5 J'pup & Ball'ing Matches 1-0-0 games 2-0-0 Points 3 Match Two v Ben Kommor of Charlestown (Counter Phoenix) Game one went very close as Ben demonstrated knowledge of his deck and how to play it against sligh. The cursed scroll gave him problems but he took the first game at just 4 life. Game two and he shocked me for the only damage I would take, he suffered from a mana screw as I pounded away with all I could bring to bear. He countered what he could but turn seven and the game was mine. With only six rounds of swiss I knew that I could only suffer one match loss and still have a chance of making the finals, He had done his math also and gave me the best match he could. We traded damage for eight turns I had him at 5 and I was at 7. I had a Jackal Pup and a Mogg Flunkie in play, he was dead next turn. Ben made the best play he could to increase his chances for a finals berth and earthquaked for 7 to bring our match to a draw. M:1-1-0 G:3-1-1 P:4 Game Three v Heath Baker of Huntington (Mighty Merfolk) You know (at least the red mages know) there is noting more discussing them loosing to fish. The Winter Orb quickly put me in check both games and I received the blue beating of my 14 month magic career. KUDOS to Heath who would make the cut to the top eight. M:1-1-1 G:3-1-3 P:4 Game Four v Matt Pate of Bell (rouge red/black) I really felt better when he exclaimed "Not Sligh!" He was already defeated in his own mind and I took advantage of it. Now I was fighting for my life, I knew that 4-1-1 was 13 points and I still had a chance. He managed to Incinerate me twice but betwix the scrolls, critters and direct damage it was over in seven. Game two was over in five. M:2-1-1 G:4-1-3 P:7 Game Five v Bill Mooser of Ritchie County (rouge red/green) Bill had a nice combo Endless Wurm & Firey Mantle, there was just no way of offing that fatty. I took the fist game but Bill's Wurm just ate me alive the second and third game. With the loss to Bill I knew that I was out of the running but bragging rights were on the line. M:2-1-2 G:5-1-5 P:7 Game Six v the no show. I showed he didn't, to bad cause Andon's prize for everybody in the sixth (and final) round was a booster of US. M:3-1-2 G:7-1-5 P:10 Ten Match points put me at the 20th slot over all that day. Props to Todd Sampson (Ogre's Lair, in Charleston) for letting me know what was happening and where, to the Chris Farley impersonator, John Barnes & all of the players and collectors at Fullcount Sports Cards,and MOSTLY to Andon Unlimited for putting the 1998 West Virginia Magic State Championship on. Slops to the thieves.