Texas State Championships

Subject: Texas State's Judges Report
Date: Tue, 17 Nov 1998 08:50:58 PST
From: "Fletcher Peatross" bludragon@hotmail.com
To: webmaster@classicdojo.org
This is a Judges report from the Texas State Championships, held this weekend in Houston. Run by Tim Weissman of Event Horizons, the tournament started pretty close to ontime, without any major hitches. Some of Texas' finest players were in attendance in Rome and were truly missed at the Championships, namely David "Tiger" Williams, Jeff "Pimpster" Clark, Lance Tokuda, and Sid Rao. The Texas Guildmages didn't make a strong showing (if at all). The Austiknights and Team Houston both brought most of their members though, so the competition was guaranteed to be tough.

Over 100+ participants, swiss going into 7 rounds. Level 4 Rules enforcement. Academy decks were abundant, as was mono-color red, black, and green (Wakefield should be proud). Someone brought along a laptop that we connected to the hotel phone and watched the results of the Pro-Tour as they came in.

By the time it boiled down to the final 8, the State championships could be entitled "The Great Texas Circle-Jerk", as three of the top 8 were stroking themselves, then their opponents till they went off with huge gobs of card-drawing madness. (Hopefully Wizards will hear this and realize that something in the combo is in need of being banned).

The final 8 matched defending state champ Bryan Hubble who was with Academy, against Andrew Johnson, also with Academy. Dequan Watson with mono-green speed versus Cy McCormick who was playing mono-black speed weenie. Dan Olnick playing Fire-Elves versus Paul Telkamp, with Academy. And Matthew Watchman playing mono-red speed weenie vs Clint Raute, playing a G/u lifeline tech deck.
Andrew Johnson 2 Bryan Hubble 0
DeQuan Watson 2 Cy McCormic 1
Dan Olnick 0 Paul Telkamp 2
Clint Raute 0 Matthew Watchman 2

The final four matched up two Academy decks versus two speed decks. Both Academy decks proved to be very strong even against an onrush of burn and damage.
Andrew Johnson 2 DeQuan Watson 0
Matthew Watchman 0 Paul Telkamp 2

Two Academy decks in the finals, how interesting. In the first game, the fight over who got Academy down seemed to be key, but even as he lost that battle, Andrew Johnson utilized Mind over Matter to untap his Mana Vault enough times to deck his opponent. Then, Paul Telkamp returned the favor in game 2, also without his Academy. "I wonder if this deck can go off without the Academy" I chuckled as Paul went off.
The final game, Andrew Johnson was in full control, getting lucky with Time Spiral and mana floating in his pool. As he laid his cards out for his opponent to see, Andrew Johnson had won the Texas State Champs.

Decklistings are below. See ya next week at the Lousiana State Championships!

Fletcher Peatross
DCI Level 1 Judge

Texas State Champion - Andrew Johnson

  4 Windfall
  4 Time Spiral
  4 Stroke of Genius
  3 Sapphire Medallion
  3 Voltaic Key
  4 Mana Vault
  1 Capsize
  2 Mox Diamond
  2 Brainstorm
  2 Intuition
  4 Lotus Petal
  2 Scroll Rack
  4 Power Sink
  3 Mind over Matter

 Land
  2 Wasteland
  4 Tolarian Academy
 12 Island
   
 Sideboard
  2 Wasteland
  2 Rebound
  2 Counterspell
  2 Annul
  1 Capsize
  2 Turnabout
  4 Chill 

Second Place - Paul Telkamp

  3 Windfall
  4 Time Spiral
  4 Stroke of Genius
  3 Counterspell
  3 Intuition
  3 Meditate
  1 Capsize
  3 Scroll Rack
  3 Voltaic Keys  
  3 Mind over Matter
  4 Lotus Petal
  4 Mox Diamond
  4 Mana Vault  

 Land
 10 Island
  4 Wasteland
  4 Tolarian Academy
 Sideboard
  3 Pyroblast
  3 Propaganda
  2 Capsize
  2 Turnabout
  3 Interdict
  2 Hurkyll's Recall


3rd/4th - DeQuan Watson

  4 Llanowar Elves
  4 Scavenger Folk
  3 Elvish Lyrist
  4 Giant Growth
  3 Symbiosis
  4 Albino Troll
  4 Muscle Sliver
  4 Elvish Archer
  2 Lhurgoyf
  1 Mirri, Cat Warrior
  3 Overrun
  3 Pouncing Jaguar

 Land
 10 Forest
  4 Wasteland
  4 Gaea's Cradle
 Sideboard
  1 Lhurgoyf
  1 Overrun
  4 Lifeforce
  1 Elvish Lyrist
  3 Scragnoth
  2 Hurricane
  3 Winter's Grasp


3rd/4th - Matthew Watchman

  3 Goblin Patrol
  4 Goblin Cadets
  3 Sonic Burst
  4 Mogg Flunkies
  4 Cursed Scroll
  4 Ball lightning
  4 Mogg Fanatic
  4 Incinerate
  4 Shock
  4 Jackal Pup

 Land
 18 Mountain
  4 Wasteland
 Sideboard
  4 Bottle Gnomes
  4 Pyroblast
  4 Meltdown
  2 Boil
  1 Rathi Dragon


4th-8th - Clint Raute

  3 Spike Weaver
  4 Wall of Blossoms
  3 Tradewind Riders
  4 Birds of Paradise
  3 Lifeline
  3 Spike Feeder
  2 Elvish Lyrist
  2 Barrin, Master Wizard
  2 Cintanul Centaurs
  2 Scroll Rack
  3 Survival of the Fittest
  3 Cradle Guard
  2 Scavenger Folk
  2 Child of Gaea

 Land
 11 Forest
  1 Gaea's Cradle
  2 Skyshroud Forest
  1 Wasteland
  2 City of Brass
  1 Reflecting Pool
  4 Island
 Sideboard
  3 Annul
  4 Scragnoth
  4 Oath of Druids
  4 Propaganda


4th-8th - Bryan Hubble

  4 Mana Vault
  4 Time Spiral
  4 Stroke of Genius
  4 Windfall
  4 Mox Diamond
  4 Lotus Petal
  3 Power Sink
  3 Mind over Matter 
  3 Urza's Bauble
  3 Intuition
  2 Voltaic Key
  2 Scroll Rack
  2 Interdict

 Land
  9 Island
  4 Wasteland
  4 Tolarian Academy
  1 Blasted Landscape
 Sideboard
  4 Chill
  3 Tidal Warrior
  3 Ertai's Meddling
  2 Capsize
  2 Turnabout
  1 Interdict


4th-8th - Cy McCormick

  4 Cursed Scroll
  4 Dark Ritual
  4 Dauthi Slayer
  4 Dauthi Horror
  4 Sarcomancy
  4 Carnophage
  4 Black Knight

  4 Priest of Gix
  4 Duress
  4 Unholy Strength

 Land
 16 Swamp
  4 Wasteland
 Sideboard
  4 Diabolic Edict
  4 Coercion
  4 Winter Orb
  3 Gloom


4th-8th - Dan Olnick

  4 Llanowar Elves
  4 Priest of Titania
  4 Scavenger Folk
  4 Cursed Scroll
  4 Seeker of Skybreak
  4 Overrun
  4 Skyshroud Elf
  3 Birds of Paradise
  3 Elvish Lyrist
  3 Winter Orb
  2 Fireball
  1 Lhurgoyf
  2 Child of Gaea
 Land
  4 Brushland
  2 Karplusan Forest
  4 Gaea's Cradle
  9 Forest
 Sideboard
  4 Pyroblast
  3 Root Maze
  3 Absolute Law
  3 Light of Day
  3 Bottle Gnomes