Subject: Missouri State Championship Report Date: Sun, 15 Nov 1998 22:40:36 -0600 From: "MASlattery" To: The process in which I chose what deck to play for state championships was a simple but effective one. I created a few decks I thought would be strong vs.. the Academy. Since few people have the kind of cash to buy the Academy, I made my deck to battle the decks that battle the Academy, but it still is remotely strong vs.. the Academy. Although all I could come up with was a Suicide Black deck, I felt it to be a great deck for the field. NO I DO NOT play the "Hatred my opponent as quickly as possible or I die miserably with 2x Culling the Weak and 1x City of Traitors in my hand"kind of suicide black. In fact, I am not even playing the powerful instant Hatred. Most people criticized my choice to play 4x Lurking Evils over 4x Hatreds. After waking up an hour late to get ready, I still had to compose 2 different sideboards for my father (he didn't know whether to play the Academy or straight green). On the road after 30 min. of s/b construction, we become somewhat confused as the street numbers in Columbia are awkwardly arranged. When we arrived, the hotel hadn't even known what they were holding as everyone working there kept referring it as "The magic show". Round 1 Sorry, didn't keep track of names deck (?) Game 1: I start be playing some quick sarcomancy and dauthi creatures. He only cast one spell, Fertile Ground, so I didn't know what to side in/out. He packs his deck and gets ready to wait for round 2, I tell him it's best 2 of 3. Game 2: I get to see 1 more card out of his deck, Argothian Wurm, which hides on his deck while my Turn 1 Lurking Evil delivers the finishing blows. (1/0/0) Round 2 deck (WW) Game 1: Skittering Skirge, Sarcomancy begin my 1st turn with a head start. He responds with a Soul Warden. I get a scroll and another sarcomancy out. Game 2: He starts slow, but so do I. I manage to Animate a Lurking Evil. He draws, and quite happily lays his 4th mana (Spelling LIGHT OF DAY or Game) Game 3: He starts slow, but it's because there's a Gloom in play this game.(2/0/0) Round 3 A woman sits across from me, I should remember the name, later you'll see why. deck (sui-black) Game 1: Her suicide black is superior in this match because I play Bad Moon and Duress where in those slots in her deck is more creatures. Game 2: Closer, but I could not get the disk mana early enough.(2/1/0) Round 4 A friend and good player, Charlie Hanford deck (the Academy) Game 1: He got a slow draw where I got 2x Duress and a Wasteland, and enough pressure to overcome him. Game 2: I was feeling good with my untapped disk and 2x Wasteland, but he got 3x Propagandas out, so I popped the disk... He went off w/out the Academy. Game 3: I only won due to his mistake of not untapping his mana vault at the one point of the game he could have.(3/1/0) Round 5 deck ( vineyard/overrun) Game 1: I gained control with an active Scroll and a few creatures. Game 2: He mulliganed twice and goes 1st . Lays a Vineyard. I lay a swamp, 2x Rituals, 2x Slayers, and a Horror, 1 point mana burn. He is shocked, nonetheless, kills me with spikes and Overrun. Game 3: I lay a Carnophage, He lays Vineyard. I have a Scroll this time. He has a Disk. I have a Lurking Evil and another Scroll, he dies.(4/1/0) Round 6 Ian Slattery, my most dreaded of opponents deck (Counter Phoenix) -Draw- (4/1/1) Final 8 A friend and good player, Mike Heffern deck (Pox) games 1 and 2: really short due to mana screw on him and my quick creatures. Final 4 Oh wait, this is my most dreaded opponent, the woman who smashed me in round 3 deck (sui-black) games 1 and 2: Quick, painful, and devastating. That's the feelings I felt as this woman mercilessly ripped through my deck and Myself like they were nothing. I take 3rd, so I get some foreign stuff, yes! And I also get some Unglued, uh, it's got cool land. I watch my brother play for 1st and 2nd place. Game 1: He gets bouncing Nevinyrral's Disk. Game 2: He gets double Propaganda and Shard, still close as he was at 2 life. The Deck: Darkest Days Creatures: 4x Sarcomancy 4x Carnophage 4x Dauthi Horror 3x Skittering Skirge 2x Dauthi Slayer 4x Lurking Evil Enchantments and Artifacts: 4x Unholy Strength 4x Cursed Scroll 3x Bad Moon Spells: 4x Dark Ritual 4x Duress Land: 4x Wasteland 16x Swamp Total: 20 The sideboard is: 4 Gloom, 4 Bottle Gnomes, 4 Oppression, 3 Nevinyrral's Disk Submitted by: Ryan Slattery