From: dsimko@sunline.net (Dave Simko)
Newsgroups: rec.games.trading-cards.magic.strategy
Subject: Orlando PTQ 8/30
Date: Mon, 01 Sep 1997 02:30:14 GMT

Hello all,

Well finally made it to my first PTQ, It was a great experience. My
only let down was the rule of no mana weaving, now dont get me wrong I
dont believe in taking your deck and taking all your mana out and
stacking it back in but I do believe you should be able to stack your
graveyard and in hand cards after a duel, cause mana screw sucks, well
that over lets begin.

Well for my first attempt at PTQ I used mono-black, after playtesting
all the popular web decks and bizarre ideas I went with my strongest
color black.Ok now the adventure starts out Friday around 5 PM, I meet
the guys I am going with at the local playing ground for an early
M/V/WL tournament long story short I lose to a white weenie armor deck
with against my Ertog deck(thats when I decide mono black as I dont
believe in using Internet decks, just wanted to se how the deck works
so I can plan against it). From there we head home for about three
hours of playtesting, then of to Orlando at about 4:30 AM. We get
there about 8 AM we register then go to the local Mc D's for break-
fest. Its now 10 and the tournament starts

Round: 1
Dont remeber his name but is playing Mono Red
Game: 1 I get Mana screwed(due to black backs they suck), he pounds me
down
Game: 2 I get Mana screwed and begin to get pounded by lancers and
snadstalkers but recover to cast an Urborg stalker (great card) and a
Nekrataal. I get low in life but then topdeck a drain life and get up
far enough for the stalker to sing a lullabye.
Game 3: Grreat draw I beeat him down with Akari and Stalkers

At this point I decide black backs suck and take them off.

1-0

Round: 2
This sucks have to play a guy I know from Fort Myers, Bill is playing
G/R beatdown/burn
Game: 1 Early stalker = beatdown
Game: 2 Two early stalkers + elephant grass = beatdown

2-0

At this point I feel real good about the deck.

Round: 3
I play a guy named Rob nice guy, playing mono-red
Game: 1 Sewer rats crypot rats and stalkers plus one drain and I win
game one.
Game: 2 first turn coercion and I take his only mountain (shitty thing
to do but we all would have) I kill quick with drain and crypt rats.

3-0

So far so good

Round: 4

I play agianst and Ertog deck and karma bites me in the ass ( look
above)
Game: 1 I get mana scewed and get killed by songs of the blood and an
early barrow ghoul.
Game: 2 Two lands and alot of creatures aginst me and I lose again.

3-1

Not worried yet

Round: 5

I play a guy using Inquest's "Karate Deck", karma still aginst me
Game: 1 First turn coercion and I take his only land, I draw two total
he recovers and beats me with Emberwilde Djinn.
Game: 2 I get one land the game and Aku Djinn kicks my ass, my karma
sucks.

3-2

I hate to think but 2 losts wont get in but I decide to go for it as
the judge tells me there is a chance with 8 rounds

Round: 6

I play against B/U snake basket deck
Game: 1 Stalkers rule the board
Game: 2 Stalkers again and urborg justice (great card) take care of
snake baskets and I win.

4-2

Keep going

Round: 7

I face off agianst Adam Maysonet's girlfriend Melody playing a R/G
deck, I am a little worried because I sat next to her last round and
watch her destroy a good player Iknow playing an Ertog deck.
Game: 1 Uh oh chance for first turn Coercion. I cast the coercion and
take her only land and win.
Game: 2 3 stalkers + Coercion + Elephant grass= game over.
I was not happy with the way I won this round because Melody is a nice
player and took the "rude" Stalkers well.

5-2

Fight on.

Round: 8

Well I sit down and my opponent is none other then this years National
Champion Justin Gary playing mono U/Ophidan deck , at this point I
know ther is no way in as all the 6-1 players take a draw. We play any
ways
Game: 1 he gets the Ophidan out and I get three lands he pummels me
with a Waterspout Djinn
Game: 2 Great game neither of us is mana scewed but I play him into
countering everything but my stalkers and win.
Game:3 He gets a slow start with 2 turnss after the third turn of only
three lands this gives me two turns two get set up Stakers Nekrataals
and crypt rats, he recovers and starts to pound me with cloud
elemetals and Mana wars well its nearing the end I have 8 life left he
has 5 end goes like this I have 1 Necratog ( and four creatures in my
graveyard) 1 stalker 1Nekrataal he has 1 Mana war and one Cloud
elemental he taps out to play a Waterspout 
Djinn and attacks with his cloud elemental at the end of his turn I
cast Vampiric tutor and topdeck a drain life. I draw a land I think I
attack he blocks the necratog with manawar and stalker with waterspout
djinn he loses 2 life to Nekrataal I then drain for three and win,
very exciting moment for me but I hold it back with sportsmanship.

6-2

well I finished 6-2 at my first PTQ with monoblack and felt good to
bad I missed my chance in but oh well get the next one

Heres my deck:

18 Swamps
4 quiksands
4 Drain Lifes
4 Coercions
4 Fallen Askari
4 Sewer Rats
4 Crypt Rats
4 Urborg Stalkers
3 Nekrataals
2 Necratogs
2 Necromancies
2 Dark Rituals
2 Urborg Justices
1 Infernal Tribute
1 Vampiris Tutor
1 Necrosavant

Sidebord:
3 Serrated Biskelions
3 Phyrexian Furnaces
3 Dirtwater Wraiths
2 Bubble Matrixs
2 Touch Stones
2 Forsaken Wastes