French Nationals Report
27-28 june 1998
Angoulême
By Manuel "Poulidor" Bevand
Ok magic-playing boys and magic-playing girls (all three of you) ,
here's my nationals report.
My ambitions and motivation for nationals were mixed. I was already Q'd
for Worlds (PT points) but I couldn't really afford to go (plane tickets
are so expensive). I was hoping I could take a shot at the 1-2nd places
and earn the plane ride. That was the real issue for me.
I left Lyon with 5 friends from our region on friday morning ... after a
calm but exegion on friday morning ... after a
calm but exhausting 8 hours train ride we arrived in Angoulême, a small
town
lost in the middle of nowhere, I.e. the perfect place to hold nationals
during the football world cup :). On Friday night registeration takes
place and I meet most of the good french players there .... as usual
it's gonna be really tough.
***** saturday,the draft! ******
6 rounds of TE TE ST draft are scheduled today, plus 2 rounds of type 2
(then 4 other t2 rounds on sunday).
First draft: the only players I know at my table are Julien Oriol (from
my region, 1 pro tour) and Alexandre Benzra from Paris (2 Pro Tours).
the tables were set by DCI rankings
I pick black early, then I start picking white, but nothing comes my
way. Then I get a rolling thunder 2nd pick in the second TE pack so I
switch to red/black. I draft a pretty solid deck with a fair amount of
removal and fast creature damage.
Round 1 - Blaise Hanczar (spelling?)
He has a W/B deck with little flying and shadow guys. My creatures are
just more fat, and I draw the thunder twice, so I win easily.
2-0 games, 1-0 matches
Round 2 - Julien Oriol
he's playing B/G with fat creatures... he's colorscrewed in the first
game (no green) then I'm full of lands in the second one, so it comes
down to a third game which I win due to the lowest CC of my cards, and
well-timed thunder and lightning blast.
4-1 games, 2-0 matches
Round 3 - Thomas Didierjean
He has a R/G de - Thomas Didierjean
He has a R/G deck with a touch of black for burial. I win the first game
with firefly - which is broken as everyone knows - and him mulching away
4 spells (I wouldn't use mulch in limited ..). I win the second game in
a rather funny way, getting the "no quarter lock". I sided No Quarter in
to deal with his peaches (he had 2) and other small critters. I got the
2 servants beatdown and he couldn't recover :).
6-1 games, 3-0 Match
Second draft:
My table is pretty strong (with Phillipe Mongauze, François Fressin and
several strong players I know). The packs give us a lot of crap. I
start with a red/blue plan, but then I start to realize,
approximatively on my 17-18th pick, that white was the only color not to
be picked eagerly, so I switch to white .. I REALLY switch to white
... I end up playing monowhite! :) My deck is weenie-like with loads of
damage prevention and silly combos (more about that later). Now, the
rounds:
round 4, Romuald Coueffe
He's running R/B with a touch of blue for Rootwater hunters. I win both
games because his removal just cannot deal with damage prevention and
en-kors, and his large red beasts are just stopped by multiple smites.
Games 8-1 Matches 4-0
Round 5, François Fressin (97 nationals champ) FEATURE MATCH
He's playing green/blue, with lots of fat creatures, and some
counters/shadow.
I win the first game with moat. Really. I put out master decoy and
Oracle en-vec ... now attcoy and
Oracle en-vec ... now attack me with anything, please, so that I can tap
it :)))) I do 20 damamge with Knight of dawn and stay untouched.
Fatality, Flawless victory.
I lose the second game because of fylamarid ... really. I sided in COP
green and perish (along with 3 swamps), so all of them are useless and
his large creature go all the way.
The third game sees my moat combo hit the table, but he destroys it with
a well-played provoke. Then we just race each other (me with shadow and
COP green and him with prowler). He gets Helm of possession out but it's
not really
helpful this time, and I outdraw him (I used only 15 lands in that
deck).
Games 10-2 Matches 5-0
Round 6 - some player from Montpellier, name too complicated to
remember cause I lost the sheet (sorry!)
I win both games due to bad mana draws on his side and damage prevention
really hoses red/black .. you'd be amazed to know the havoc a single
bandage can cause :).
Games 12-2 Matches 6-0
Well ... 6-0 in draft is a good start, isn't it? :) I needed to go 3-3
in type 2 to get into the top 8. (at the time I thought I needed 4-2 but
all players with 27 points made it).
Now, let's take a look at my type 2 decklist: it's inspired (obviously)
from Draw-Go but I modified it a lot during playtesting with friend
Jean-Baptiste Mathieu (one of Lyon's and even France strongest player
IMO, he proved it at nationals).
4 Counterspells (doh)
4 Dissipates (gonna replells (doh)
4 Dissipates (gonna replace them with forbid..)
2 Dismiss (4 was too much)
2 Powersink (timewalk is amaaaazing ..)
2 Mana leak (good vs fast decks)
2 Memory Lapse (Finnish TECH! thanks guys!)
4 Steel Golems (I worship Alex Shvartsman :)
4 Disks (you need them)
1 Ophidian (secret weapon!)
1 Firewalker (more was too much)
4 Legacy's allure (don't foregt to put the counter on upkeep... it's NOT
mandatory :)
4 Impulse (so many ways to play it ..)
4 Whispers (Key!)
4 Quicksands (sooo metagame ...:)
2 Stalking Stones (PHAT aren't they?)
16 Islands (Temples? Are you kidding?)
sideboard:
4 Hydroblasts (disk and chill is NOT a combo)
3 Gnomes (healing salve beatdown)
2 Disrupt (wins counterwars)
2 Rainbow efreets (vs decks that cannot deal with them)
2 Ice Floe (secret tech vs armor, shadow, scragnoth)
2 Vision Charm (secret tech vs orangutan, disenchants, blue and bloom).
First round of type 2: Pierre Malherbaud, Sligh
Pierre should have been in my "who's who" if I had known his presense at
nationals. He studies in canada, so I didn't know he was going to show
up. He's a pretty strong player from what I know (he placed around 15th
place in chicago). He's the only other undefeated player.
He plays Sligh. I have been playtesting vs Sligh for 2 months, so I am
pretty confident when he lays a first turn scroll, second turn flunkies
(bad start vs blue). I gain solid control, but I dumbly tap out and he
balls-fireblastsdumbly tap out and he
balls-fireblasts, leaving me to 5 with a tongs pinging me. I realize
that my golem won't win the race, so I need a disk. I draw nothing for 2
turns, then when I'm down to 3, I draw impulse. Down to 2. Impulse at
the end of his turn. Grab impulse. Cast it. Get crap. Draw whispers on
my turn. Cast it. Get Disk! phew! I win at 1 life :) Tell me about luck.
Second game is mine when I play 2 gnomes and golem with solid (and now,
cheapest) countermagic in hand. He takes 8 from his own Jinxed Idol,
then my stone finishes him.
Matches 7-0 games 14-2
Round 8, Jérémie Lagarde, turboZvi!!
Well .. nothing really amazing to talk about .. except that Jérémie did
mulligan twice, got manahosed twice, and that didn't really help,
especially vs all my counters.
Matches 8-0, Games 16-2
- END OF DAY 1 -
I am undefeated and lead the swiss with 24 points while Pierre
Malherbaus is at 21, tied with a few other players.
- DAY 2, 4 rounds of type 2 and top 8 -
Round 9, Laurent Walbroeck (spelling?) Paris regionals champ, 5CW
I win the first game with firewalker control on the table and I steal a
manowar for the kill.
I lose the second game to a very well played empyrial armor.
I win the third game with priest beating (yes, his priest :) and take a
few damage from his secret tech card= circling vultures! The vultures
were a big surprise in his deck, but well, they are 3/2 flying for B!
Laurent was a sympathetic guy, excellerent was a sympathetic guy, excellent player and good sport.
Games 18-3, Matches 9-0
At that time I am sure to play in the top 8.
Round 10, Michael Sochon, Bloom (FEATURE MATCH)
I didn't know Sochon was playing Bloom. I was expecting it, but I wasn't
sure. He got the perfect bluff start and played it very well. First turn
plains, second turn swamp - scroll rack (wtf!!??). I am suspicious, so I
lay down my ohpidian (to see how his deck would react to it), and he
goes for the drain life kill. doh!
In the second game I stall at 4 mana and lose. First loos of the entire
tourney. I knew it would end sometimes :))
Games 18-5, Matches 9-1
Round 11, Raphael Levy, 5cg Tradewind (FEATURE MATCH)
Raphael needs a win to get into the top 8, but I would never collude
even for a teammate. We cannot draw so we play it out, and I win 2-0
cause his deck cannot put enough pressure on me (and also because he
keeps a 1 land hand and gets manascrewed). I wish him the best of luck
for his last match.
Games 20-5, Matches 10-1
Round 12, Terence Merle des Iles, Fish
Last round, I am far ahead in the standings, so I could draw or lose and
still be first seeded. My opponent needs a win, so we play it out.
I lose the first game to a waterspout djinn and way too many islands
(and probably to him playing disrupt main deck).
I win the second game with a golem rush and some disk action, then we
play a very good third game, very close, with my vision rd game, very close, with my vision charms proving
to be amazing again (islands are swamps, wanna phase out your
illusionists? Disk them in response :). I win 2-1.
Final score: 11-1, 33 points, first seeded, 5 points ahead of Pierre
Malherbaud (second) woohoo! :)
TOP 8 is , if my memory is good:
1 - Manuel Bevand 33 points Monoblue/Golem
2 - Pierre Malherbaud 28 points Sligh
3 - Mike Sochon 28 points Bloom
4 - Jérémie Lagarde 28 points Turbozvi!
5 - Laurent Walbroeck 27 points 5CW
6 - J.B. Mathieu 27 points Monoblue/Golem, card for card
7 - Fabien Demazeau 27 points 5CSliver of doom!
8 - Marc Hernandez 27 points CounterSliver
We have to play in double elim. It means that it's like a single
elimination bracket, but semis and quarters losers meet each other and
fight for the 3rd-4th slots) while undefeated players play in the
finals.
"Quarterfinals" - Marc Hernandez, CounterSliver
Marc is always a fearful opponent. you never know what's up his sleeve.
First game he goes Crystalline-Winged-Crystalline-Crystalline, counters
my counters, counters my disks and wins easily. A real rush despite my
early ophidian.
Second game is a REAL heartbreaker. I mulligan. He gets muscle,
crystalline, muscle and my life total goes down like this: 20 - 18 - 11
- 1! I have disk out, he plays orangutan, I charm the disk, untap, disk
on his turn and proceed to win
on his turn and proceed to win while he cannot draw the right color of
mana in time.
phew!
Third game I mulligan again! He gets a slow hand (6 lands, monkey as he
told me after the match) but keeps it. I gain control and beat him down
with efreets.
2-1! One more match win and I make the team!
"Semis" vs Pierre Malherbaud, still with Sligh
He called my previous victory on luck, so I decided to show him what 2
months of playtesting vs Sligh are worth. :)
I win the first game (I shouldn't, but still) with 2nd turn allure, 3rd
turn golem, counter counter counter counter counter counter counter disk
boom game over :)
I win the second game with a really insane hand. 2nd turn allure, 3rd
turn golem, then about twice as many counters and hydros (I think I drew
3 Cspells and 3 Hydros in my first 15 cards..). He has no chance with a
single mountain for 4 turns.
Third game he gets me: he ball lightnings me with mogg fluknies around
then shows me his last card, which is incinerate, and I'm at three. You
know how it feels.
Fourth game isn't very different from the first 2. I get 2 Allures in
the first 3 turns and steal most of his creatures, putting him on the
defensive. He lets me disrupt an incinerate, and soon loses to stalking
stones. I didn't go below 10 life.
3-1!!
I make the finals!!
Meanwhile J.B. has beaten Sochon in quarters (revenge!), and is playing
vs the 5Csliver guy in the semis, and he's ahead 2-0!!! He thene semis, and he's ahead 2-0!!! He then proceeds
to lose 2-3 :((( so I have to play vs the Slivers Horde in the finals.
FINALS: Fabien Demazeau, 5CSliver
That was strange. I had just defeated some of France's finest and most
experienced players, and now I was in the finals playing this kid with a
weird sliver deck (take a look at his decklist) who I have never seen
anywhere before. Just before the finals starts, France has the good idea
to beat Paraguay in the World Cup, so about 50 more people come and join
the spectators for the heartbreaking finals:
Game 1 - I take control and beat him down with golem... I just countered
the slivers... Then I ask him how he did top 8. He answers "3-3 in
draft, 6-0 in type 2" which means he's 8-0 in t2 at nationals. Hmmm. I
start to wonder.
Game 2 - He runs over me with lots of flying untargetable pumped
slivers. I lose.
Game 3 - See game 2. I cannot draw the disks. Damnit.
Game 4 was one of the best games I have ever played.
He starts slow with CLOT SLIVER (wtf!?) and then winged sliver. I have a
golem in play, and he's low on lands: he has to deal with a city of
brass, 2 paradises, some depletion dual, and a gemstone mine. I attack
relentlessly with golem and bring him down to 6. Then he starts
regenerating and blocking my golem while pinging mr with the other
sliver. I have a disk out, but I don't want to blow it up and lose my
golem .. I draw another golem, but now he has a lot of lands (and keeps
trying to play 1 sliver a turn, all of which I counter). I draw vision
charm. Then I have a strange idea. Since he's got all these painlands
(now 2 cities, 2 paradises and a few duals) I need to ping him to death.
I phase out the golem (after attacking) then I blow up the disk and play
a second golem. Now he's tapped out, all lands tapped, and he has to use
his cty of brass every turn to regenerate. A few turns later, while he's
losing, he draws victual sliver (I cannot counter it) so he gains a few
life back. Then, the turn adfter that he cast living death....... I
still have no counters at that time, but I have antoehr disk untapped. I
blow up and destroy 8 slivers running at my 7 life points. Then I play a
*third* golem and he chump blocks for several turns... Then the turn
after, I draw powersink. He's at 1. He cast a sliver. I sink it. He dies
from the city of brass!
2-2 ...
It all comes down to a disgusting 5th game.
He thinks for a while and doesn't mulligan. I do mulligan but get a
pretty decent hand.
He plays first, and cast Muscle Sliver.
I play allure? Disenchant.
I play allure? Pyro. Hydro? Mana leak
I play Disk? Disenchant. Charm it? disenchant in response!!
I play Quicksand? Wasteland.
The crowd goes wild ....
considering the fact that he had 4 disenchants, 2 pyroblasts and 2
manaleaks in his deck, it's a pretty good draw ...
i play allure and steal the sliver, it's a pretty good draw ...
i play allure and steal the sliver, he incinerates me, I'm at 1 life, I
have 2 counters in hand and he's got no cards left. He then proceeds to
topdeck 3 slivers. I counter the first 2 (victual and crystalline) but
then he topdecks THE GOD OF ALL SLIVERS, yes, you got it, the mad sliver
god of beatdown, the best creature in all magic, the HEART SLIVER! I
have a quicksand, but he has another wasteland (...) I cast charm, turn
all quicksands into islands, so his wasteland fizzles, but hell, it's
not a quicksand anymore ...:( Fabien Demazeau rides his heart sliver
right ot the 1998 Nationals title and I lose.
Second, again! I deserve my Poulidor nickname.
Here are the final results:
1 - Fabien Demazeau, 5CSliver of doom, 9-0 at nationals in type 2,
decided to play in "more sanctioned tournaments, cause they are fun".
2- Manuel Bevand , Monoblue/Golem, 11-1 in the swiss part, is glad to
announce that he is now FLYING to seattle (much better idea than
swimming or rowing).
3 & 4 - Marc Hernandez makes the french national team again, and
produces a pretty impressive comeback on the Pro Scene. We'll give him
the crappy deck at Wordls.
- Pierre Malherbaud burns the last remnants of his opponents and
decides to make it to seattle with us. Welcome back in the country
Pierre, we'll need your talents! :)
5 & 6 - Jean-Baptiste Mathieu missed Worlds but he was so close ...
Better luck next time JB!
- Laurent Walbroeck shows an intLaurent Walbroeck shows an interresting potential. I didn't know
him before.
7 & 8 - Mike Sochon misses the Team, hell, I already stole a slot, you
don't wanna steal another one do you? :)
- Jérémie Lagarde proves that Turbozvi is consistent .. or maybe
just playable .. or maybe he was lucky .. err, no he wasn't :)
Now to the Props and slops part:
Props:
-The organizers, judges, volunteeers, for their competence and fairness.
-Head Judge Cyril Grillon for being the french Donais. Or maybe Donais
is the Canadian Grillon. I don't remember :)
-All my opponents for being good sports. I didn't have a single problem
with any of them.
-Fabien Demazeau for winning it all .. just practise draft for Worlds,
we have a strong team and can have a shot at the team title!
- Jean-Baptiste Mathieu for being one of the best players I know and
proving it despite his lack of self-confidence.
- Nicolas Labarre for providing me with the secret Vision Charm Tech
that won me many games, including quarterfinals... especially
quarterfinals! :)
-Emmanuel Beltrando for congratulating me. Et si on faisait la
paix??
Slops:
- Myself for beating the poor Raphael Levy (who ended 10th after a last
round unintentional draw).
- Everyone who made the draft sessions stop .. you guys know how to play
magic, it's way more complicated than to respect simple drafting rules.
Stopping the draft about 10 times a pack is kinda distrubing for
ev times a pack is kinda distrubing for
everyone's concentration.
- Heat. And closed doors under a glass roof.
Seeya in Brussels or Seattle!!!
Manuel Bevand
1997 French nationals runner-up
Team Legion
|