Date: Sun, 31 Aug 1997 18:31:40 -0600 From: stanhele To: fkusumot@ix.netcom.com Subject: My Trip to Worlds (Part One: The Greyhound Experience) Hello all. This is yet another Stanton production, provided here for your reading enjoyment. All complaints must be forwarded to IDONTCARE@rudy.com! The week before Worlds, I drove down to Layton, Utah in my old 1966 Thunderbird. I went to Layton in order to visit the Clan Muranaka and prepare for the Provo, Utah PTQ going on that weekend. Also, I had to pick up my Greyhound bus ticket three days in advance so that Aaron Muranaka could ride with me for free (it's called the "Misery Loves Company" promotion). That night, Robert Muranaka (eldest of the Clan) went to work building up my confidence by letting me pound on all the decks he had prepared for the PTQ. After starting out with my tweaked version of Alex Shvartsman's and Mark Paschover's U/W deck, I decided on my very smooth running and devestating Ertai's Familiar deck. Those who don't know about the Ertai's deck will soon realize that this is the best deck by far to be playing in the Mervin enviornment!* Anyway, I went to sleep and dreamed of Chickens.* Provo, Utah PTQ I arrive early with the Minions of Atog's leading Pro Points player, Aaron Muranaka. (Note: Robert Muranaka slept in. Kicking him didn't awake him, so we let him be*) Upon Aaron and my arrival, nothing happened. I at least expected there to be dancing girls! Oh well. Instead, there was Karl Batdorff doing his usual excellent job of giving instructions to the newcomers on how to fill out a form, the tourney type, what day it was, etc. As for people who came down from around the area, Eric Scott had come in from Denver (he's the head judge for PTQs in that area), David Bartholow (Team Deadguy) and Brian Finwick from Fort Collins Colorado (they didn't get too washed away in the flood), and the Vegas boys. 1st Round Opponent Eric Scott Denver, Colorado Eric was the only player to beat me in the Swiss rounds of the last Denver PTQ I attended and I was looking for a little revenge. I reminded him of my incredible record against Denver (26-4-1) and he reminded me of my loss.;P It's so nice to be able to banter with an opponent without him getting all bent outta shape. Anyway, Eric is playing a four color Ertai's deck with Ancestral Knowledge (to set up 4th and 5th turn kills), Songs of Blood, and River Bowas (metagame?). With my overwhelming critter advantage, I'm able to put up a relentless assault and attack virtually every turn for damage. This is good. I come out on top 2-0. 2nd Round Michael Barthlo Ogden, Utah Michael was playing a U/B that didn't appear to have the Ertai's or Necratogs in it (I didn't see any). It more reminded me of a U/W, with B instead of White. In the second game (I had won the first), he Abducted my Fallen Askari and then my Nekrataal (which had killed Mr. Potato Head when he came out). I managed to bring out a Serrated Biskelion and take a little damage from the traitors. Meanwhile, he brought out a Rainbow Efreet with two mana untapped. On my upkeep, I Serrated the Nekrataal, targeting the Rainbow when it came back into play under my control. He attempted to phase, but I managed to Guildmage the Rainbow in response (the Mage had been out since turn one, but no Red mana until late). Very fun play. I quickly won again 2-0. 3rd Round Corbin Fox Salt Lake City, Utah Corbin was also playing an Ertai's deck, more in the 32 critter variety. Seeing as I play more creatures than that, I always maintained creature dominance and swept Corbin as well. This really got me going, as Corbin is one of the best players in this area, having made it to the final eight of many PTQs without actually qualifying. 4th Round Phuong Chau Salt Lake City, Utah I like playing against Phuong. I really do. Reason? He's damned obnoxious and he prevented me from making the top eight of a qualifier once (though I had done the same to him as well). Hadn't really got a chance to play with him since PT NY (where we had roomed together), but I was prepared.;) First game starts off like a horror movie, I draw one mana! He kicks the living crap outta me. The only thing I know is that he's playing a R/B beatdown deck. Knowing the way Phuong thinks, I side in my Mind Harnesses and hope for some mana. Second turn, out comes an Ertai.;) On his turn, he brings out an Aether Flash!!!;P So I do what any normal person would do on my turn, cast a couple of Ertais and let them die!!! Oh yeah, then I start casting all my Zombie Scavengers and regenerating them. And also, I start casting Man O Wars, Knights of the Mists and Nekrataals to take care of any creatures he wants to spring on me (except for that Minotaur I decided to borrow). The third game sees me get out the Necratog before the Aether Flash comes down the next turn (he had a Fallen Askari out that kept threatening my Atog). I start throwing creatures away, Man O Waring his Askari before I manage to take too much damage. Meanwhile, I get a Zombie out that doesn't want to attack due to his Quicksand in play. Necratog, though, keeps inflicting one point at a time as I cast critters out in an effort to pump up the graveyard for one final assault. After drawing another Zombie, I attack with both the Tog and Zombie (he doesn't kill the Zombie with the Quicksand). Next turn he does and I take him down to 14 (he had Drained Lifed me a few times). I attack and he declares no blockers (he had Necromancys in hand). I start the chain of eating, enough to cover 16 points of damage with the Zombies and buff Tog. He finally decides to sac some mountains and Fireblast the Zombie.:) I let that resolve and then start some more effects with Tog eating the remains of the Zombie, and everything else, dealing 19 points of loving to Phuong. Phuong wasn't happy, but I was.;) In the fifth and sixth rounds, I did what ever undefeated player does, I drew. The two opponents so kind as to allow me to do so were Jason Brown of Rock Springs, Wyoming (a very strong group of players in a Magic desert) and Shannon Krumick of Las Vegas, Nevada (already qualified). The players I know who made it into the final eight were: Me Shannon Krumick Corbin Fox (he went undefeated other than his loss to me) Jason Brown Adam Howard (Las Vegas) David Bartholow Aaron Muranaka And a Vegas guy I really don't know (sorry) Quarterfinals Opponent Adam Howard Las Vegas, Nevada (and cool dude) Adam is one of the Vegas guys I wouldn't mind seeing at every Utah PTQ. Looking to be about 18, he was really cool to talk with and had the top decking skills of a pro (more on that). The first game can only be described as a nice draw for me, but a weird draw for Adam as he gets 2nd, 3rd, and 4th turn Ertai out. I manage the Nekrataal/Guildmage action to off two of the Ertais, but herein lies Adam's amazing draw capabilities. With his one remaining Ertai phased in (me having the Guildmage and Nekrataal out), he top decks a Tombstone Stairwell (he only had one card in hand at this point, me having killed off all his critters). He plays it (he has seven creatures in graveyard to my one). I drop three more creatures on my turn for the defense. I need to last one extra turn and I'll kill him off. His Ertai phases out (three creatures come up, giving him ten counters). This is still okay. I'll take some damage, lose some creatures, and equalize when I drop the rest of my hand next turn. He draws a Song of Blood and cast it (four creatures come up, giving him four unblocked 6/2 creatures). If you go over this, that's 9 cards from the draw the round before through the end of this that he had to do in that order to win. Somebody have the odds? To help you do the math, know that he had 32 creatures in his deck, 2 Songs of Blood and 2 Tombstones. Also, this was the 7th turn. The next game, he draws three Ertais and a Necratog. I draw three Fallen Askari and two land (had Zombie Scavengers in hand along with Circling Vultures to regenerate them). We did some of the math on this and came out with the odds of my draw at something like 5000 to 1. This leaves a bad taste in my mouth, as it is yet another top eight finish without the prize.;( As it was, it probably wouldn't have mattered, as the two decks I'd have faced in the semis were two Sandsipoise decks (which my metagame strategy was to ignore). Adam's sideboard provided him with something like 12 cards to combat the Vegas Poise deck that beat Muranaka's and win. Adam ended up winning against David Bartholow's mono black deck (designed by Fenwick) in the finals, winning the only spot available for Chicago. The highlight of the evening came when David, Brian, Aaron, a couple of other guys, and I went out to the Provo Dennys (continuing my quest to eat at every Dennys in existence*). The next day (Sunday), Robert and I went out to retrieve from the local Shopko, that which has stirred your imaginations since Donnie Gallitz's Worlds post. Chickens. As my brown leather counter bag (with Jyhad blood counters, silver half dollar, smiley face eraser tokens, lucky black rock) was lost at Origins, I had to go out and buy a new one. I managed a big ugly yellow one at Ozone Comics in Pocatello, Idaho on my way down, but I needed some really cool counters to put into it. Hence, I was thinking about getting some Micro Tusken Raiders to combat Aaron Muranaka's damned Jawas (it's a shame they don't make Micro Elvis). I finally settled on a nice bag of barnyard animals (which will be mentioned later). Then, Robert and I want to see Face Off. This reviewer actually liked the show with all it's gratuitous violence. The storyline wasn't half bad, either. After this was all said and done, I went to sleep once again (this is a reoccuring habit that happens once or so a day*). Monday rolled around. The day our Worlds adventure was to begin. I call it an adventure due to the mode of transportation we had selected for our travels: The Greyhound Buslines of the US of A. Now those of you not versed in Greyhound lore must know that you'll either have a good experience or a bad experience (most often the later). Our adventure started out pretty nicely, as Aaron was able to get his own seat, and I shared the back seat (it has enough space for three, so we both had room) with a cool guy from Arkansas. Highlights included a very nice dinner lunch in Bliss, Idaho where Aaron and I both had the buffet (BBQ ribs, chicken, salad, and, of course, Potatos). In Boise, my seatmate got out and Aaron was able to sit with me as the bus filled up a bit. Sleep was rather easy (something not often said regarding the Greyhound) and the trip much like an old high school track trip up until the thriving metropolis of La Grande, Oregon. At approximately 7:30pm, the bus decided to kill the transmission. This happened two miles on the outskirts of La Grande. The bus still managed to make a whooping 10 mph, so the driver took us in. He called up for a repairman and told his dispatcher to send a bus out from Boise (three hours away). Well, the repairman decided not to show, and the dispatcher forgot to call for the replacment bus. Didn't find this out for a while. So it's nine hours stuck in La Grande in the middle of the night (the bus station wasn't even open). The highlight of our stay was walking a mile or so to the nearest open convenience store to buy some food with others off the bus. The local cop passed us a few times before deciding we were harmless. Still, it was agrivating. On the road again, we managed to make good time getting to Seattle at 3pm instead of the 5:30 am we had intended. All in all, the bus trip wasn't THAT bad. Once in Seattle, we jumped on the local bus that would take us to the Wotc tourney center where we were hoping to find a member of Team Dickhead's AA team, John Yoo (we heard he beat out the girl who was trying out). WOTC TOURNEY CENTER. I hope everybody gets a chance to come to the tourney center. As far as the center was concerned, big game room, nice bookstore, large open playing spaces downstairs to play chess and Magic, as well as a missions control type Internet connected computer game place made it idea for the casual or serious gamer. What put it over the top was the food stores across and up and down the street. Directly across was a Bagel shop, McDonalds, Taco Bell, Teriyaki spot, Pizza, Greek, etc. No PT Rye Brooke here, just good honest food. Also, the front of the tourney center provided a wonderful place to stand around with your nicotine addicted friends and watch the babes go by. After checking out the Center and running into several friends, John Yoo was finally apprehended. We walked the 3/4 of a mile to our hotel, then came back for the players' meeting. THE MEETING: I can say, as a member of the press brigade and not that of a player, that my greatest memory of the player meeting had to be when I left shortly after it's commencement in order to seek out the players' BBQ with Eric Tam? THE BANQUET: Everybody pay very close attention to this right now. If there is one reason and one reason alone why you have to devote your whole life to playing magic and forsaking all other games so as to qualify for Worlds next year, The Banquet is it! From a man who had spent the previous 31 hours on a Greyhound bus, maybe anything would have sufficed. But no! Wotc went all out with a funky DJ playing all the request for players (I'm a Loser, Baby for the Nation of Tongo and other great hits), as well as a full setup of food (Baby Back BBQ ribs, BBQ chicken, Beans, salads, homemade dessert, three or four types of Microbrewed beer, and three or four types of different very good wine). And then there were the cool people (hi Laura). Skaff got a pickup game of hoops going (which the Deadguys went and played). I should have played, but didn't have any clothes on me that I wanted to get nasty. Listened to Richard Garfield, Lisa Stevens, Tam, Justin Gary (very cool kid to hang out with, glad he's the National champ) and others (I believe I spoke with some guy named Slemr). After the party broke up, went back to the tourney center with Nate Clarke, Finkel, Bachman and some others because they claimed to know the way back. Suprisingly, they did. Watched some drafts, talked to a lot of people. Wanted to pass out, so I went back to the hotel and died. So ends the first part of this report. Reason? I'm getting hungry and the administrator is about to kick me out. Stay tuned for some interesting tidbits regarding players, metagame, cheating, boneheaded plays, IHOP, charity booster drafts, and Nazi busdrivers.* Take care, Jack Stanton Minions of Atog Contributor to the Duelist Sideboard *Asterik indicates an attempt at sarcasm. All future reports by sarcastic people must have asteriks included so that the sarcastic impaired can follow along without getting all hot and bothered at the joke that went over their head!* Those who were all hot and bothered and ready to commit spam over my report without having read this warning on asteriks beforehand must go back now and reread the report in order to grasp it's full implications and subtle humor.*