Subject: Scottish Tourney Experience 2 Date: Thu, 24 Sep 1998 08:30:02 -0700 From: "Dougie Anderson" The Scottish Tourney Experience 2 - A Scotsman in America. It`s early one summer`s morning, a trip to Boston is in store for one of the larger tourneys of the year. The night before it`s playtesting time, hmmmmn Type 2 what to play is always the biggest decision of the evening, I look at the four possibilities, a necro deck, counter-burn, 2 pints or the age old 5cG. I just cant get my head round it how do you metagame for a field of 180+ people, Scotlands tourneys are so much easier there are only about twelve really top players and they all have there favourite colours you know what to expect at least partially. Over hear it`s a diferent story, so many wierd ideas. I check the dojo for the decks to beat, preparing my metagame for the american online youth who have such regular access to these decks. My head starts to hurt, when did Magic become so competitive, I need to relax, stay calm and remember it`s all just a laugh really, thats why I`m playing. The phone rings and it`s one of my playtesting friends Christoph O`Leary looking to do some in depth preperation in the pub, Ah what an excellent idea, come to think of it thats why my heads hurting, last nights practice session. "Hair of the dog!" thats what we call it in scotland, a cool beer to eeze the pain, better than any advil could ever be................ The playtesting at the pub went well....... ..........I think........... ........but then again I didn`t take any decks so maybe it was just the Sam Adams that went well........ UUUUUUUUUUUURrrrrrrrrrrggggggggggggghhhhh maybe too well! Ah the beep of a horn, the rides arrived, God it`s 8am why the hell do tourneys start so early (answer: so you can make it to the pub after). I quickly dive out of bed, throw on my clothes and pull open the curtains to show I`m alive... AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgh BRIGHT LIGHT .....BRIGHT LIGHT. Another pleasant sunny New England morning greets me. The car is full of an assortment of Dragons Lair players, Nat driving, Keith, Nick and Jay. The discussion in the car is heavily weighted towards were to eat rather than what to play, a quick stop for the usual pint of coffee and munchies at Dunkin Donuts and were off. I look in my bag the decks lie there, taunting me to pick the wrong one for an epic 1-5 day, thank god the sacred woodenware isn`t in contention over here. Big diference I notice in the players around me from my home turf is that only Nat has a hangover, everyone else is just tense with anticipation. We arrive at Boston, the turnout is massive as always, a selection of noteable players gathers at our table and I am eased by the company of Ray`Party Party`Karkman, Christoph and Scott Verrill, all sporting shades and hangovers. I feel more at home and reach forth for the 5cG......if nothing else it always beats Scott! I look for the sideboard taking in to account the discussions from last night .."Oh I`ll sideboard in 2 Sam and a Guiness I think!" ....no thats no use, I`ll just cover myself for all occurences and play 3 chill, 3 gloom, 3 perish, 3 lifeforce and 3 choke. That should cover everyone. The tourney begins, so does my hangover in full. Round 1 Some Scrubb kid with a stupid hat on, he`s discussing heavy tactics with his fellow hat wearing teamates at the table, I vow to win this just on the grounds of the hat. He`s playing a deck of sorts, it did something I cant remember what exactly, I think his honest intention was to kill me at some point but somewhere along the line he forgot the objective. I roll him 2-0 Round 2 Jon Yurek, "Oh no not Jon of the Decks to Beat fame", his epic green deck that rode him to a 5-1 tourney win at the lair one week and a 1-5 the following. Jon`s great actually, just the happy cheery all round competitor you dont want to meet when you are suffering badly with a hangover. The comments start almost immediately, as one green player to another a verbal battle is always in order when playing Jon. "Your not playing that crappy green thing again are you!" I ask "But of course", he says "I even have those black border llanomars you traded me". With this I realise he`s trying to get the edge on me knowing my foolish preoccupation with black bordered cards.....the mark of a superior player. "Oh look" Jon says, forest BB Llanomar turn 1, there`s no holding him back, he`s straight for the throat here, with no force of will`s in any longer I must counter with something superior....."Forest, BB Budgie!" It`s a killer play, Jon immediately looks rattled, knowing his measly common is far outmatched by the rarity of a blackbordered Bird. The game swings in my favour as I lay a black bordered winter orb, danger ranger, and guildmage, then the black bordered geddon hits and it`s disaster for Jon. Game 2 Is tense he surprises me with his latest wall of blossoms, wildebeast combo, which I have many answers for just none of them appear to wish to be played as the skulk at the bottom of my deck. It`s that tense game three feeling, my opening hand spells victory though, three guildmages, it`s a winner. Jon tells me he has the perfect 5cG sideboard for just this situation arrising, but in a game were he fails to draw it my 1/1`s do the beatdown. Jon`s age old simoon never surfaces, but I knew to expect it when your green historians like Jon and myself you know all the old tricks. Round 3 Scott Verrill. It`s at times like this that I remember the scottish tourneys, a fellow patient nursing a hangover, a pine of homesickness rolls over me as I realise there is no bar at the tourney here. Scott and I always have the greatest battles, a mental and verbal tustle specialized to almost a cutting edge. The mental side wasn`t engaged for either of us today however, but the verbals start immediately. ...."Your not playing that prop orb thing again are you?" Scott inquires "I`m ready for you this time boy, Oh yes, so ready, 8 cards in the sideboard against you, 4 disenchant main deck, 2 auras, I`M SO, SO READY this time, I`m just going to crush you, ......not for me the old geddon when you have only one land out, Oh sorry Scott does that annoy you? No not this week, 4 sacred grounds sided in for you, HA my land will stay and the beatdown will continue......YES Joules my friend this week I`m ready, I`m Taking you DOWN!" Forest, Bird ....I smile .......Scott screams....... 2-0 Round 4 Hmmmmn considering I have had no alcohol I`m 3-0 a rather surprising turn of events for me. Wonder who will be next on the agenda.....a shadow falls over the table....the kind of shadow only a very large person can cast....only Nat could cast this big a shadow.....I have a bad feeling about this! "Hey Joules" says Nat, rather too cheerily for my liking, I`m suspecting his hangover is not as bad as mine, this could be bad. "Still hungover?" he asks, ah no holding back again eh, the old Jedi Mind Trick to start of with....."No more than you Nat!" I say with a smile, removing my shades and grinning through the painfully bright lights of the hotel`s conference room. While half blind I continue, the forced grin almost gives me cramp in my jaw, but Nat seems moderately shaken by my resilience to the lighting....I see a chink in his defenses.....I move for the kill...."you know Nat for a big guy like yourself, I would really have expected you to keep up with me last night?" (I idily slip a winter orb on to the table while saying this) "I dunno, I thought you could handle quite a bit?" ...the winter orb is out, he hasn`t noticed...."Danger ranger?" I ask, "Yeah, thats in" "Ok your go" Nat untaps, I retap his lands, "Winter orb, Nat, only one now Mr Red Blue!" he looks at the uncountered winter orb, the tapped mana on my side, a confused hungover look suddenly crosses his face as he realises I mentaly cast rebound on his Jedi Mind Trick. I think "You sneaky DICK!" was the expression Nat used but it was lost in the laughter. With that Nat`s game plan was thrown and the discussion changes to what were doing in the pub that night. Always a gamble doing these kind of mind tricks to an ex heavy weight wrestler, but I know he`ll spike one of my drinks later for revenge. So I`m on 4-0 in an amazing turn of affairs. 3 rounds to go, my hangovers clearing slightly, but I dont want to build up my hopes. Next round....check the list through the hustle and bustle at the side wall, a bald head passes me, walkman round neck, large pile of trade folders and .......the ABACCUS. "Lets go" ....................Oh no................. I AM ABOUT TO BURN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yes Round 5 Keith Wargot. Game 1. this is my worst possible matchup...Keith playing control RED, with a capital R. Game one is his he has everything, including the look of a serial killer about to commit his next act. I lose every creature that hits the table in a blaze of fire, somehow I get out a tradewind with the help of a winter orb, then another.....Keith is turning beetroot as yet another land comes to the top of his deck, I can see steam....his blood is boiling, he throws land after land at the table in disgust.....I geddon.....and in that moment see my life flash momentarily before my eyes......Keith erupts with more ferocity than vesuvius.......the room goes quiet as Keith tears through his deck....finds 1 of his 4 hammers and makes it in to confetti with a selection of well chosen words that best described the situation at hand................ A moment later it`s calm....I have entered the eye of the hurricane.....the storm broods around me but here it is calm. Keith takes out his box opens it and pulls forth a pile of hammers, quickly inserting one in to his deck he says, "Ok game 2"...a couple of seconds later after the shout of "Ultimate Victory!" echoes around the hall, game three starts......a couple of seconds later after the shout of "Supreme Victory!" goes forth to the hall Keith and I make our way up to report. I smile and say "I could have geddoned again but I thought the Abaccus would have bought it!, only kidding Kieth" he sees light of the situation as he always does and the air is once more calm. Round 6 Please be a good draw....I hold my head, the hangover is back after my stress levels peaked in the last game, God I need a drink...no true tournament is good without a bar, what kind of a country is this anyway. "Care for a little pre match sideboarding?" asks a voice that could only be one man.....a saving grace on a bleak day.....Mr Ray"Party Party"Karkman.....smiling he holds forth a previously secreeted brown paper bag, the contents are liquid...."Capn Morgans?" I ask in a desperate voice .."Absolutely, Fruity" comes the reply. I immediately feel the urge to concede the match but we decide to ID and have a break, a quick cigarette and some more sideboarding, while we discuss plan no 1 of about 50 for what to do tonight. Last round and I`m getting in the mood for the pub, who will my next matchup be, what epic battle will I have next. Christoph O`Leary, sits down opposite me with a cry of "Scotsman" ...."German" I reply and immediatly start discussing the plan for the night, food, a wee carry out, then off to the bar for some pool and see what happens. "So anyway who am I playing" Chris smiles and points to himself. OH NO This is bad....although Chris and I playtest regularly and go 50%-50% for some reason this isn`t reflected in my current 0-9 streak with him in the tourney scene.......nobody knows quite why, the causes aren`t really apparent, but it happens. I start the Jedi Mind Tricks as played on Nat, but it`s hard as my deck stalls on one undiscovered, Chris uses his immense talent in the game of magic to swarm past me with wings on and end it fast. Hmmmmmmn game 2 I mulligan, and get something to go with, "undiscovered, budgie, your go" ..."ah the old undiscovered is your only land again thing eh Joules?" asks Chris , "No I just like casting them with multicoloured lands" I correct him ...."So this one point firestorm on the budgie wont be disaster then?" "NO" I say in my least concerned voice. With the bird dead, the cat was out of the bag and ripping anything that landed using my 1 undiscovered to pieces. The match finishes with the comment "I know there`s more land in your deck somewhere Joules!!" Ah well a fine days performance anyway, the road journey home is made easier with the knowledge that the pub is near at hand. Rosie O Grady welcomes the valiant players back with open arms only to through them out in to the street some 5hrs later in a drunken pile. America isn`t such a bad place after all. Special thanks to all the lads in Massachusetts and especially from The Dragons Lair East, the tuesday night draft squad, and most of all the saturday night posse for making the stay in the states such a memorably and enjoyable experience. May your pint glasses be ever full. Oh and I`ll see you all when I get back........... Hope you`ve enjoyed it, Joules Haigh