Subject: GA State Tourny report
Date: Mon, 23 Nov 1998 00:16:06 EST
From: GURU418@aol.com
To: webmaster@classicdojo.org

well----lets start from the basics-----ever since the spoiler of US was released i said the fireball deck was back---and i really wanted to play it----so what do i build---my personal creation of what can be called a Cradle Ball deck (even though it rarely wins by the red X)

well here's the deck as i played it---only a few sideboard changes i would make if i could go back---main deck ideas were perfect overall
creatures
4-Llanowar Elves ---in a green deck---who'd a thunked it
3-Birds of Paradise--see above
4-Priest of Titania---just plain good
4-Skyshroud Elf---red conversion
3-Skyshroud Ranger---get land out of hand--first card to get sided out too
2-Elvish Lyrist---MOMa's bad---Survival's bad---Recurring Nightmare's bad---you get the idea here
1-Eledamri, Lord of Leaves--make burn waste a spell on him first
1-Titania's Chosen---gets FAT QUICK
1-Wood Elves---drain the deck a card and get an extra land
1-Elvish Berserker---kinda good (neat art)
1-Citanul Hierophants---everyone in the mana pool !!!!!!
1-Mirri, Cat Warrior ---- i love this card
1-Child of Gaea

Other spells
3-Gaea's Embrace---this is plain fatness
3-Blanchwood Armor---growing fatness
3-Citanul Flute----search for any damn creature any damn time you need it
4-Fireball--ouch
3-Disentegrate--ouch again

Land
1-Thran Quarry--extra red or green
2-Gaea's Cradle---does this need explanation?
13-Forest
2-Wasteland

sideboard
2-Light of Day
2-Presence of the Master
2-Tsunami
1-Stream of Life
2-Spirit Link
2-Hidden Retreat
1-Warmth
2-Pursuit of Knowledge
1-Spike Weaver

well----i the deck really surprises people with "tricks" it pulls out of it's sleeves but some people knew not to let certain cards they didn't know too well into play (Flutes mainly)---so---here it goes

Round One----Rod Rombauer----playing Elf Coat

Game 1----he wins the elf race and and gets me to 3 life where i don't think i had made a dent in his life---so he casts a 3 point Hurricane for the kill

Game 2---now this was a scare----he starts out a little faster than i did and commences beatdown---not good---i let some through to build up some power but before i know it i'm at 1 life---not good---then the Flute tech kicks in thank god----i had enough elves to hold him off so i get a Mirri to start making him work some kind of defence (forest walk is good) then i enchanted her and starting dealing real damage and killed

Game 3---2nd turn Titania's Chosen is REALLY nice with 2 green decks on the table----so with some enchantments and many green spells i slowly take down his army and finally make it through with a 25/25 TC to win

gms-2-1 matchs 1-0

Round 2---Jodi Dunville playing Academy varient----good player i am kinda scared of
-----side note---my biggest compliment of the day came when Jodi said he really thought i would make top 8 with my deck----unfortunately he was wrong

Game 1----well---no matter how perfect my draw is i can't handle him "going off" on turn 3---ick

Game 2---i outraced him attacking quick and his deck stalling a little (thank god)

Game 3--turn 5 he goes off---which he had to---i had the win next turn with an Embraced Child of Gaea and enough mana for the Fireball in my hand---damn

gms 3-3 matches 1-1

Round 3---Jeff Wenkel playing Blue Control with Energy Fields and Arcane Labs
----another side note----Jeff is a great player i have never beaten---didn't raise my hopes any LOL

Game 1---wow---didn't exspect him to CAST 2 Great Whales and an Ertai---ouch
---especially when i had him at 1 life (damn)

Game 2--Energy Feild gave me a scare but i finally got rid of it and finish him off

Game 3---this was bad for him----i topdecked a Tsunami when he had one mana left from casting Ertai (i think) so it went through----he gets back to 2 mana with me only having 2 1/1 elfs in play and he plays Legacy's Allure (i'm scared)---i then topdeck Eladamri an he buys me a turn----again topdeck (3--wow) a Gaea's Embrace and play it on Eladamri to buy me 3 more turns since he isn't pulling mana----i then get lucky once again (4 straight) and topdeck my other Tsunami and win---wow---i don't think that will ever happen to me again

gms 5-4-0 matches 2-1

Round 4---Eric Ewald playing black weenie

Game 1---i double enchant an elf for the beatdown

Game 2--i get hit with the shadow beatdown---couldn't get the red to kill them

Game 3--got the Flute tech rolling and finished him off with the rush

gms 7-5-0 matches 3-1

OK---well at this point i was feeling pretty good----actually thought i was going to have a chance to make top 8 but would have to sweep to really have a chance---lets just say i froze (or at least my deck did)

Round 5---Ricky Jones playing sligh----uggh---i didn't play test against this--not a good thing since he burnt me down FAST 2 game straight----ick

gms 7-7-0 matches 3-2

Round 6---Kyllan Burt---same deck as Jeff in Rd 3 ----i know Kyllan well and he's a good player but i didn't think i would have a problem with him---i was wrong
Lose 2 straight to the Whale (great whale not you Kyllan)

gms 7-9-0 matches 3-3-0

Round 7--James Holland--academy---rude player---first game stalled and second game was too worried about feeding his fat face than playing the game----too bad he stroked me the first game and fireballed the second---oh well

gms 7-11-0 matches 3-4-0

Well---overall i had a great time since this was only my 3rd sanctioned tourney and i made a good showing to start---didn't drop this time just cause and my dci ranking doesn't really matter to me much

since this has become tradition i guess i'll follow

Props

David Doust and judging team----well done---best ran event i've been too---made me feel better after going to the PTQ at DragonCon they ran poorly

David Doust again for buying and selling cards at pretty reasonable pricing overall

97% of the players there----most of us had great fun and just talked and traded all over----well done players---this is what we need ALWAYS---hand shakes are good

Slops

the other 3% of the players that were "anal" or annoying---please get a life

well----hope everyone enjoyed this---unfortunately i don't know the winners cause i left before top 8 were even announced

Ralph Dennis
aka GURU

remember----Citanul Flute is amazing !!!!!!!!