From: yatesrb@ix.netcom.com Subject: Yet another [TOURNAMENT REPORT] Frederick, MD 10/11/96 Date: Sun, 13 Oct 1996 00:47:22 -0700 Well... It's that time again.. The story so far: 3 Members of Team Island Fish (Myself, Chad Day and Scott McCaughey (sp?)) went (again) to the Frederick, MD tourney to get our collective butts kicked, and post derrogatory tourney reports.. Heh-heh-heh. Well, this week was strange. I had just rented a Nintendo 64 (they ROCK!), and had inadvertently left myself only 15 minutes to build a deck.. (Mario waits for no man.) So, I hastily assembled a deck I had been tossing around for a bit. It's vaguely similar to a deck I think Mike Long played for a while. The final deck list is at the end for you manic-deck-critiquing-people. It's Mono Green, with a pretty wide variety of artifacts and 2 Titanias Songs in case all my "normal" critters get killed. I think it's neat. :) ROUND ONE: Clint Shifflett Cliff is pretty cool.. He's a good friend with Scott, ergo, we're compadres. I hate playing friends. *shrug* Clint is playing a G/B Speed Big Critter deck, with Lakes, Mana Vaults, etc. It's pretty intimidating.. I'd hate to think what'll happen with Cadaverous Bloom. Game One: Him: Forest, Mana Vault Me: Uhmm.. Forest. Done. Him: Swamp. Erhnam. Done. Me: Uh-Oh..... That was pretty much it.. I got out an Icy, but he overwhelmed me.. :( In go the Tornados, to deal with the Big Pounders, in place of Thermokarsts Game Two: Me: Forest. Done. Him: Swamp, Mana Vault. Me: I crumble it.. I eventually gained control with the Icys, and my Disrupting Anal Probe did its nastiness with a Rack on the table.. Game Three: Pretty much the same as Game Two.. He was mana screwed, and I kept tying down his Lake during his upkeep.. Games: 2-1 Match: 1-0 ROUND TWO: Chad Day *shudder* I go into this match whining and bitching about how Chad will sweep me like he did last week.. Chad is (as always, it seems) playing his "TurboPrison" deck.. It's like the prison, but it works a LOT faster due to the Howlers.. It's W/u, with a *little* bit ouf countering.. It's good stuff, but I HATE THE NAME! Game One: 20 artifats may well have died this game.. A song hit the table, like, turn 4 or something.. We both played little Artifact Minions until mine killed almost all of his, and he Disenchanted it. Grrr. No matter, my Deadly Insect got medieval on his hind quarters. Muhahaha! I won a game!! In go the Tornados as extra Artifact Destruction. (yes, there IS a theme developing.) Out go the Karsts, as I see no DudePosts to worry about.. Game Two: I Stunted Time Walk a few times, allowing myself some breeding time, and eventually my (slightly weakened due to the Howlers) pay off: Chad clues me in that he's waiting for an armageddon. I begin trying to draw out counters, and eventually shoot my wad: Chad has out a Zuran Orb. I have out a Lodestone Bauble. I play a Titania's Song. In response, he eats about 7 land. In response to that, I put 4 of those land on top of his library. Chad is NOT happy about the whole "Sacrifice is IMMEDIATE" thing. My song'ed artifats and pissed-off Insect mess him up real good. I WON THE MATCH! Woo-hoo! (Sorry, John.. I had to say it...) Game Three: Turn 4 Serra Angel. No Tornado or Icy for me. That's it. Well, I would've felt bad about sweeping a friend, so... Games: 4-2 Matches: 2-0 MATCH THREE: Michael Wolfensbuger Still known in Frederick as "The guy who played TurboStasis" (though he only played it once), Michael is pretty cool, but listening to your CD player during a match is kinda rude.. Michael is playing a Mono-Black weenie deck, with Unholys, Cuombajj Witches, Bad Moons, etc, etc, etc.. Game One: KnightKnightHippieKnightWitchBadMoonetcetc.. I die a horrible death, and wish I had drawn a disk... In go the Dervishes, the Arrows, and the Tornados (for Thermokarsts, because, hey: Which is more useful against weenies w/o Alliances lands or Mishras?) (yes, again.) Game Two: Me: Forest, elf, done. Him: Swamp. Done. Me: Forest. Dervish. Done. Him: Swamp, black knight. Done. Me: Another Dervish, Mishra's Factory. Das is game. Game Three: I get a double-mulligan, but he is land screwed. We spend a lot of time saying "Done", but eventually his Hippies kick my ass. *sigh* No Icies/Arrows/Dervishes for me. Games: 5-4 Matches: 2-1 MATCH FOUR (of four): Joel Sorry I can't remember your last name, man.. :( Anywho, Joel is playing a MonoGreen Deck.. Eerie, huh? However, his is the Force of Giant Growth version.. Force of Nature vs. Icy Manipulator.. This should be interesting.. Game One: He plays a Turn-Four Force of Nature. Fortunately, I have a Zuran Orb, Ivory Tower, and a Turn-Four Icy Manipulator with an extra Fellwar to keep the Force away... Unfortunately, as I get no blockers or Icies, I am soon forced to eat land with the Zorb to stay alive.. After having to crumble my own Fellwar, and he playing a Yavimaya Ant, The Green Hordes come and pummel my own green deck into the pavement.. Game Two: I get the "5 Permanents on Turn 2" Draw, and I'm able to get out the Icys, etc, that I drew, and keep him controlled until my extra icy can tie down all his blockers and my Insect + 3 Mishra's can vent their frustration at being held back all game... Game Three: Turn Four Force Of Nature. I die. That's it. If you want more detail, I'd rather not go into it.. :( Games: 6-6 Matches: 2-2 Fortunately, due to the rather small attendence and that 4 people dropped out, 2-2 is good enough to make it to the prestigious Final Eight (out of, like, 10. :) THE FINAL EIGHT: Vs. "Punky" Unfortunately, I forgot his name. (sorry!) John and Chad both insist on calling him "Punky", so I join in the fun. (so to speak.) He's playing a pretty-darn-generic Erhnamgeddonthing.. Game One: He gets a first turn Tax and Zorb. I accidentaly let him Tax. (I'm REALLY bad about that.) Turn 3 Erhnam Turn 4 Geddon. I die a quick and horrible death, as I was manascrewed to begin with.. In go the (say it with me, folks!) Tornados, out go the 'Karsts. I also put in the Cap, cuz i figured it might be slightly more useful than an extra Rack. Game Two: First Turn Tax Well, I play my little forest hordelings, and do NOT let him tax.. the Tornados suddenly mutate back into Multiple-Land-and-Erhnam-Killing Thermokarsts, and my Insects and Djinns plow their way through his non-existant defenses.. (I also capped out his 'Geddons..) Muhahaha! Game Three: This time, we both got off to quick starts. We have a couple Elf Skirmishes, and then the Main Events.. He plays an Outpost. (remember, 'Karsts in the 'Board..) He plays an Icy. I play a Tornado, and kill them both for a LOT of mana, and 3 life. Heh-heh-heh.. I kill an erhnam with the same tornado, then let it go. I play my Anal Probe/Rack combo, and Tornado any land he plays so my Erhnams won't hafta get in a fight with opposing Insects.. THE FINAL FOUR: vs Joel. Again. Uh-oh.. Well... I hafta play Joel again. I'm kinda frightened, as even if I win this series, I must play Michael W. again, or Dan Becker, with HIS black weenie deck. Yes, the final four decks were: MonoBlackWeenie, AlmostMonoBlackWeenie, MonoGreen, and MonoGreen. Variety? Who needs it? Game One: In the first 3 turns, I play 2 elves, a fellwar, a Probe and a Mishra. I use a little LD to keep his mana levels down, and my Elflings mess him up real good. (well, for elves, at least..) My Probes also keep his options limited-if-not-nonexistant. After a failed sideboarding tactic last match, I take the "No subtlety" approach: In go the Dervishes, the Lodestones, the Arrows, the Lore, and both Thermokarsts and Tornados. Out go the Disruptings and Racks, and Stunted Growths. I may have left in a single Rack.. Game Two: DervishdervishelfelfErhnam.. Repeat. Toss in Insects and Mishras as needed. Rinse off blood of opposing player. Yes, I actually made it to the FINALS! with one of my "15-Minute-in-a-hurry-to-pick-up-Chad" decks. Amazing. I feel proud. I can take on the world! I am a good deckbuilder! And gosh darn it, people like me! However: Game One: First Turn Hippie. Game Two: First Turn Hippie. The black knights + pumpclerics mess me up. *sob* Dan is a good player, and tosses my deck around like the compilation of green refuse that it is. He also acts well the role of the pompous, vicious Necromancer. Dan takes the packs, cleans off the elf blood, and stands triumphant.. But I'll be back next week.. And the Tornado Deck will stand triumphant! And here it is: "Rolling Thunder" T2 Mono-Green 2 Nevinrrral's Disk 2 Aeolipile 1 Ivory Tower 1 Zuran Orb 2 Serrated Arrows 3 Icy Manupulator (I couldn't find #4!) 4 Fellwar Stone 2 Disrupting Scepter "The Anal Probe" 3 The Rack 4 Llanowar Elves 1 Forgotten Lore 3 Fyndhorn Elves 2 Deadly Insect 2 Erhnam Djinn 2 Crumble 2 Thermokarsts (Yes, the Tornados will probably permanently get swapped.) 2 Titania's Song 3 Stunted Growth (Read: Time Walk) 2 Thawing Glaciers 1 Strip Mine 4 Mishra's Factory 14 Forest Sideboard: 1 Forgotten Lore 1 Meekstone 2 Lodestone Bauble 1 Serrated Arrows 3 Whirling Dervishes "The Dizzy Arab" 2 Feldon's Cane (Just for Chad.) 1 Jester's Cap 2 Thermokarst 2 Tornado Two Notes: 1. Tornado is INCREDIBLY useful. In a mono-green deck, the cost is not very prohibitive, and the abilities make up the occasional loss of 3-6 life. 2. Stunted Growth is REALLY good. For 5 mana, (read: after the elves, before the racks) you get to a) Take (effectively) 3 turns where your opponent will not draw anything more to stop your permanents, and an almost guaranteed 6+ damage from a Rack. It also draws out counterspells nicely, too. Critiques are welcome. I know I have a LOT of trouble with weenie hordes, as the elves make poor blockers, and the Icies can only do so much. Believe it or not, I'm considering Sandstorm in the sideboard against Insects and Pumpknights, and Hurricanes for the everpresent first-turn-hippie. *grr* Chris Yates, Member, Team Island Fish My .sig isn't working. I can be reached at cyates@instantgames.com or on IRC as imdHedge __________________________________________________________________ |visit http://instantgames.com/05 | 15-35% off all MtG and RPG! | |E-mail me if you want more info! | Including IA/AL/MI Singles! | ------------------------------------------------------------------