Subject: INDIANA STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS
Date: Sun, 22 Nov 1998 08:49:23 -0600
From: Bob Smith <smilmrj@iquest.net>
To: fkusumot@ix.netcom.com

INDIANA STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS - November 21, 1998
123 players.

Finish = tied for 5th.

Let me start of by saying that I abhor Sligh and the Academy decks.  I
therefore built a deck to beat those 
two types.  Here it is, and commentaries will follows:

THE CURE
4 Wall of Blossoms
4 Birds of Paradise
4 Argothian Wurm
4 Tradewind Rider
4 Propaganda
2 Mana Leak
2 Arcane Laboratory
4 Earthquake
3 Armageddon
3 Disenchant
4 Mox Diamond

2 Reflecting Pool
2 Adakar Waste
2 Karplusan Forest
1 Brushland
2 Thran Quarry
4 City of Brass
4 Islands
3 Forests
2 Wasteland

Sideboard:  4 Hydroblast, 2 Warmth, 3 Pyroblast, 2 Meltdown, 1 Arcane
Laboratory, 1 Disenchant, 1 Light of Day, 1 Hibernation.

Round 1 = Academy:  I LOSE; I had to Mulligan down to 4 cards in round 3. 
I still had a chance, though, 
but the top-drawing skills were not there.

Round 2 = WIN.  Counter-Pheonix/Disk:  This should have been a bad
match-up for me, but with some 
careful play (and a little mana-hose on my opponent's part), I prevailed.

Round 3 = WIN.  Sligh:  Beat no problem.  Sligh, Black Weenie, and Green
Weenie cannot handle 4 
quakes and 4 propaganda.

Round 4 = WIN.  Academy:  Beat it as I should w/ Arcane Lab. Standard,
and large sideboard.

Round 5 = WIN.  Sligh (again).  See Round 3.

Round 6 = 3 Color White Weenie (McKeon's deck):  BTW, several copies of
McKeon's deck were prevalent.  I beat it easily, as I should.  Although
quakes are less effective b/c of pro-red and propaganda's are susceptible to
disenchant, white cannot handle the Wurm, cannot kill my birds early (which
gives me mana), and cannot deal with the tradewind bound.

Round 7 = Black Weenie-Hatred:  WIN.  See Round 3.  One game was close,
although it should not have been.  My opp. got me down to 1 life, before I
was able to propaganda and then armageddon.  Wurm comes out and beats
down a few turns.

Final 8:

2 Academy
2 3CW Weenie (McKeon variants)
1 Black Weenie
1 Green Weenie (w/ vineyards)
? (possibly another 3CW Weenie)
me (5CG Tradewind-Armageddon)

Final 8 Play:

1st Game:
I match up w/ 3CWW.  I should win, but I got some pretty poor draws.  First
game:  land, land, mox diamond, bird of paradise, argothian wurm (x2). 
(SWEET against WW, right?  Sure, with a FOURTH land.  It took me 3 more
turns to drop a fourth land.  In the mean time, I was taking shadow
beatdown.  I still had a chance at a draw.  My opp. attacks w/ everything
knocking me down to 1 life.  I have a Wurm on the table, he has no blockers,
and he has 7 life.  (If I top deck a quake, it is a draw).  No such luck.

2nd Game:
I draw land, land, land, land, land, land, land, land, land, land, land, land,
land, land, land, land, land, etc.  My only two chances:  both propaganda and
tradewind rider were pyroblasted by my opp.

My opponent was a nice guy and a good player.  3CW is strong, but I think
that THE CURE is a better meta-game call.


George Pratt ran another excellent tournament.
Congratulations to Downtown Comics for becoming the new sponsor of
George's tourneys.


TEAM EXTREME
Robert J. Smith
e-mail:  smilmrj@iquest.net