From: Obi1Ken33@aol.com
Date: Tue, 26 Aug 1997 22:04:43 -0400 (EDT)
To: fkusumot@ix.netcom.com
Subject: Edison, NJ PTQ August, 24 1997

This is how my day went at the PTQ in Edison, New Jersey.
My day started off nicely, I had an unusually large amount of sleep(3 hrs.)
and the drive was very brisk from Long Island.  I wasn't really confident w/
my deck because I was missing alot of cards in my sideboard.  When I got
there it was about 9:30 so I didn;t really have much time to get the cards
and fill out a deck reg sheet.  I was going to play Ertog mostly because of
it's quick, surprising wins.  Also, unlike most Ertog decks I didn't copy it
off the 'net, I through in cards that fit my playing style.  When I got
there, there was such a long line to get in.  When I did get in, I found the
cards I needed very quickly.  I got 7 cards that were very inportant to my
side for only 4.00.  Then the battle began.

My first opponent was a nice guy from the area.  He was playing a G/B quick
creature deck based around Hiddden Horrors, Fallow Wurms, Centaurs, and
Nekrataals.  
Duel 1:
I was totally surprised and also mana screwed(only 1 swamp, and a shit load
of mountains and islands), he was so lucky.  I slowed him down w/ Man 'o wars
but he kept up and then the beatdown started.
Duel 2:
This game was the total opposite of the first but he got all forests and all
centuars which screwed me over because of me getting many-a Nekrataal.  Then
the beatdown commenced. Ouch! I can't believe I scrubbed out.  I made a very
crucial mistake that could've won me this game but I am a scrub and I didn't
notice that I could've blocked w/ man 'o war to save life and kill a creature
of his but I didn't and he casted a nekrataal to kill it any way.  I could
have another creatuer for nekie to chew on :(
Record: 0-1
My next opponent was another older gent but sort of a Newbie :) He was
playing a G/R/W democratic deck(tries to be anti-everything but comes short).
 
Duel 1:
He was playing w/ too much mana and too many mana elves :)  I quickly took
control of the game and a quick beatdown w/ a Neratog commenced
Duel 2: 
I threw in 4 mind harness' in.  This time we swapped creatures and my
nekrataals and Man 'o Wars gave me board control.  He was able to get 2
Thundermares out to do 10 damage but I waited to take them w/ mind harness'
(_8^(l) <hehehe
Then major beatdown take place and I felt sorry so I gave him 2 free tures
for him to play 2 mountains an dthen I thought wow red provokes anger and
then I showed hime what 2 songs of blood and 2 soul shrieks could do w/ 13
creatures in my graveyard.  SpLaT!!!!! (_8^(l) <heheheehehehehehehe
Record:1-1
My next opponent looked much like my first but he was much more serious and
determined to whip some ass(boy was he wrong).  He was playing a stupid black
cheap creature deck w/ a little burn.
Duel 1:
I was basically whiping his ass all over the table.  He tried to slow me down
by dark banishing my ertai's familiar which brought three nice
creatures(ChOmp! ChOmP!).  Then he took a one turn kill w/ a couple of
Nekies, Man 'o Wars, and knights.  I still can't believe he never heard of
ertai's familiar or even a necrotog deck!
Duel 2:
Basically he got all black creatures (4 hidden horrors), and I got
Nekrataals.  He cleared the board w/ the big guys and then he attacked and
casted relentless assault.  Oh well!  I forgot to side in dirtwater wraiths
:(
Duel 3:
I decided to be nasty like him and I sided in wraiths.  I really don't
remember much except that I stole some of his Suq lancers and Beat him down
w/ them :)
Record:2-1

After that last match they put me at seat number 9(damn!). I played a
mono-black deck( he lied and I was stupid enough to listen it was actually
Ertog), he played the version that didn't have red but more blue.  I couldn't
understand why (: )
Duel 1:
This game was pretty fun.  He got a sage owl early but he was mana-screwed
for he had two undiscovered paradi.  I was also mana-screwed and was taking a
sage owl beat-down.  I had 3 bad rivers on my opening draw.  When we both
finally got land it was pretty cool.  He kept playing fog elementals and I
kept playing Man 'o Wars.  Once my graveyard got stacked and I had a Soul
Shriek in my hand I attacked w/ everything and shrieked my unblocked Shadow
Guildmage!!!!!! (_8^(l)< hehehehehhe
Duel 2:
I forget what happened in this game but I know I got 3 Ertai's out and they
ditched all 4 of my necros.   awwww!!! I got killed by a Fog Elemental/Psi
Blast
Duel 2:
This game was so fucked up it wasn't even funny.  I sided in so heavily and i
never got even one card.  He couldn't really do anything but to stall my
beatdown, but after I got rid of his stupid little guys the beatdown
commenced.  Overall I didn't like his deck because it was a copy of the 'net
deck w/ psi blasts and sage owls.
Record: 3-1

Now I was feeling pretty good of myself, I was 3-1 and l knew who I was
playing,  he sat next to me before and his deck seemed weak.  He was playing
G/W Armor/Falcon which was so surprising to see.  
Duel 1:
He was beating the living crap outta me but I killed his little falcon w/ a
shadow guildmage and then my little ertai's familiar kicked ass so hard
because of the song of blood and a soul shriek.  If I didn;t have the shriek
then I would've died a nasty death(he had a 8/8 falcon).
Duel 2:
I was so mana-screwed and he was so lucky to get a serrated biskelion w/ an
armor on it.  He finished me w/ a 10/10 biskelion.
Duel 3:
Too many weenies w/ 3 armors on one.  I couldn't stop him and the game ended
very quickly.  I can't believe I lost to armor/falcon.  (_8^(l) <awwwww!!!
Record: 3-2

I decided to drop and go play booster draft which was really cool.  The top
eight had at least a 5-1-1 record so I made the right decision afterall.  A
couple of things surprised me: 

1) I saw a Sands-Epoise deck, and it was so slow!!  I found out later that he
ended the day 4-3.  He was so lucky and so stupid.
2) Barely any Red Cheesy Burn!!! I wasted $4 on Bubble Matri.
3) Someone was trying to play ProsBloom!!!!!(I don't even have to common on
that)
4) Outta the top 4 decks only one was Ertog.  There were 2 Mono-Black decks
using Infernal Tribute.  The other one was the deck I lost to during the
fifth round.
5) I saw 3 Adam Sandler Look-a-likes!!! 
 
Kevin Wu