Subject: Sydney Chicago PTQ Date: Mon, 18 Aug 1997 14:47:42 +1000 (EST) From: "Darren Williams" Hiya, I hadn't given much thought to the Chicago PTQ, but over the last couple of days I got in some playtesting with the other Team Kings guys, and chose a deck. With 2 of us off at the worlds we were hoping to still put in a good performance. What the team played: Ben Seck - Sands of Time/Equipoise. A very strong deck, was unlucky not to win, loosing his only match in the semifinals to a burn deck. Wayne Lawson - a control U/B deck with drains and crypt rats. Very good, but can't handle burn. He lost in the quarters to the same deck that beat Ben. Kevin Cheng - U/B identical deck to mine (see the bottom of the report). We both worked on this deck, and hard identical sideboards an' all. Was a very good deck, and Kevin lost his only match in the quarters to Neil Creighton. Round 1 - Table 3 ------- I was paired against Damien (Barry?) who was playing B/U. His version was ok, but not as focused as mine (I have 36 creatures, and its pretty unrelenting). The first game we exchanged damage back and forth, but I just kept putting out creatures, and eventually overwhelmed him. In the second game he got a third turn gallowbraid, but I'd just sage owl'd a man-o-war on top of my deck and was able to stop it in time. He never got to 5 mana, and I was able to kill him before he dropped it again. 2-0 1-0-0 Round 2 - Table 2 ------- Craig Woodfield, playing G/R. Craig's deck did nothing. He claims it was a quick weenie deck, with Rogue Elephants, Harvest Wurms, Boas, incinerate, etc but I didn't see much. He didn't damage me in either game, and was not very happy about how badly his deck died on him. 2-0 2-0-0 Round 3 - Table 1 ------- Geoff Kwan, playing U/w. Geoff is a friend from Brisbane, who was down for a job interview on Monday morning, and thought he'd play the PTQ (the Brisbane PTQ is a week away, so this would be good practise). He'd play tested the night before with us, and was not happy with the match up, as we'd specifically built the U/B we were playing to beat U/w - what I thought should be the dominant deck type. Predictably then, I killed him rather brutally, as I drew lots of man-o-wars and nekrataals against him. He had no answers and died very quickly in both games, without hurting me. 2-0 3-0-0 Round 4 - Table 1 ------- Paul Ross, playing U/w. By this stage I was feeling pretty confident, and really feeling my deck was strong. Paul is an ok player, but I felt I'd beat him and that'd put me in the top 8. First game I took control with a guildmage and a nekrataal. Recurring nekrataals are really great. He also misjudged a couple of things were I was able to poke with my guildmage (via an undiscovered), and discounted me saving creatures with the blue guildmage ability. I quickly beat him down. In the second game my wonderful side board came in, including Benthic Djinns which rock. I hit him early, dropped a Benthic, and killed him two turns later. The only damage I took in either game was from my guildmages and then the Benthic. 2-0 4-0-0 Round 5 - Table 1 ------- Ben Seck, playing SoT/Equipoise. Ben and I were the only undefeated ones left, and from playtesting we knew I'd lose every game. I'd even left the touchstones out from the side 'cause I didn't think anyone other than Ben would play this deck (I was right). We ID into the top 8, basically so we don't have to meet again until the final. Quarter Finals -------------- All 4 of Team Kings make the quarters. I'm paired vs Nick Spratt, playing U/R. Lots of burn, clear the way for the Ophidian type deck. He also used Foreshadow, Memory Lapse, Wand of Denial (cute_ish combo). First game I throw out lots of creatures, and beat him up without taking any damage. He had lots of mana, and used wand of denial on me a few times (taking out things like man-o-wars). I sided in the Benthics, Bubble Matrix (I'm worried about an Aether Flash). He goes first, drops a land, says done. I'm worried though, as I have only one land in hand, and the 8th doesn't prove to be a land. I drop the island, and say done. He draws, and says done (without playing a land). I know I'm ok now, but its a race to draw the land. Lucky for me, straight away I draw the land, drop a Sage Owl, and discover the next four cards are land. I drop lots of creatures and kill Nick without taking any damage. This isn't a great way to win, but oh well.. 2-0 Semi Finals ----------- Neil Crighton, B/u/r. A copy of Gary Wise's B/u/r from the 10th Oct Toronto PTQ. Neil is a solid player, and a member of our new team competitors Team Paradise. Unfortunately Neil made a couple of crucial errors in this game. I was worried a bit though, as he'd just beaten Kevin, who was playing the exact same deck as me. On the other hand, I hadn't been damaged by an opponent since the first round, so was feeling pretty lucky. First game, true to form, I drop lots of creatures, but Neil holds me off well, until we've both got Necratog on the table, a creature or two each as well. We've also both got 6 creatures in our graveyards, and no one has taken any damage. Neil attacks with his 'tog, and I double block with my 'tog and a man-o-war. His 'tog *will* die now, as we've got equal creatures in the graveyards, but I've got the jellyfish helping out. Rather than eat creatures, Neil just lets his 'tog die (he admitted later he forgot I could double block :-). He drops a Barrow Ghoul, but I send in my 'tog, which to my suprise is unblocked, so I eat all six of my creatures, figuring that the 13 from the 'tog, and the 2 from the attacking Skulker would give me a handy 20 to 5 life lead. (No need to get greedy and wait for the kill - it may not come). I then drop a Waterspout same turn and kill him in the next turn. Another game without taking damage :-) In the second game things are a lot closer, as Neil gets to go first and gets the man-o-war thing happening, beating me down to 5 or so life, but then I've got lots of flyers on the table and beat him up in 3 turns. Having 17 flyers is *great* against most of the decks in this format. So, I finally take some damage from an opponent again.. Still, a 9 game streak without it must be a record for me. 2-0 Finals ------ Nick Hamilton, playing R/b. Lots of burn, but no fireblasts. He also had a fair creature base. Nick had just beaten Wayne and then Ben, (two team mates) so I wanted to beat him, but was feeling pretty confident. In the first game I drop lots of creatures including a second turn Ertai's and a third turn Barrow Ghoul. Nick is immediately on the defensive and I kill him pretty quickly, without taking any damage. In the second game Nick doesn't get more than four or so mana, and while he hits me a few times with Suq'Atas and Minotaurs I keep hitting him back, and without Fireblasts or lots of mana aren't worried about being suddenly killed. I keep hitting and my creatures kill him. 2-0 Wow. An invite to Chicago, but what a day. The cash prize was nice, and finally ending my silly drought without a tournament win (I've made lots of finals this year, but haven't been able to win - last year I couldn't lose 'em). Not only that, but the deck worked really really well. The whole synergy thing is really happening, with *lots* of combos. Also, I was only damaged by my opponent in 4 games out of 16. Unfortunately due to work commitments I cannot go to Chicago, which sorta sux as I really wanted to.. Good luck to everyone that goes! (Especially the Australians!) Thanks heaps to Chris Zantides and Grant Mitchell for running the tournament and to Games World, Atlantis Gaming and Croftminster sponsoring the tournament. Thanks also to Kings Comics for sponsoring our team, and don't forget to come to our tournament on the last saturday of every month, in the courtyard in front of the Kings Comics store. Thanks to Kevin Cheng and the rest of the team for helping me build/playtest the deck, and the tournament report writers who gave us inspiration. The deck: 3 Barrow Ghouls 2 Circling Vultures 4 Ertai's Familiars 2 Necratogs 4 Man-o-War 4 Nekrataal 4 Sage Owl 4 Waterspout Djinn 3 Skulking Ghost 3 Cloud Elementals 3 Shadow Guildmages 8 Islands 8 Mountains 4 Bad Rivers 2 Quicksand 2 Undiscovered Paradise SB: 2 Bubble Matrix 2 Crypt Rats 2 Mind Bends 3 Benthic Djinns 2 Abductions 2 Fatal Blow 2 Tombstone Stairwell Daz - Quarrel on #mtg