Subject: Tempest Booster Draft Date: Thu, 29 Jan 1998 13:32:55 +0000 From: "Arelius" <291@fsu.is> To: fkusumot@ix.netcom.com Hello everyone. This is my first report so go easy on me ... I competed in an all out Tempest boosterdraft this Sunday (1/25/98) and it was over all pretty darn good fun. I'm 22, in school and Icelandic. The population in Iceland is reaching 300.000 and the Magic community is not much to toss a biscuit at, but sometimes is fierce. See, we also have the net to see what's going on. There are some excellent players here though none have shown much proficiency abroad. Perhaps we're all dorks, but the first comment sounded much, much better. On to the report ... Early Sunday morning, twenty Magic players gather at the Grand Hotel in Reykjavik, schemeing, hopeing and in some cases nagging for a win. Everyone thinks he knows just what to draft and everyone knows what everyone else thinks is a must-draft card, (and ofcourse has a perfect anecdote). Johann Moller, twice the National Champion ('96, '97) drafted a hefty land destruction, 3x Stone Rain and, I think, two Aftershocks. I thought that was about the neatest thing I ever heard of in a Limited environment. Other brilliant drafting techniques were left up to me. (Hehehe). Drafting begins ... First Off, I pass a Counterspell for “Tim who Swim”, reasoning that I can splash for Blue if it does not become a primary colour. Second pass, another Counterspell is handed into my lap. Hmm, I think, perhaps the other will go around as not many people want mana heavy spells (UU) and a single Counterspell in a deck does not solely make Blue worthwhile, especially since I’ve already took one Tim that if I take this Counter I wont have much competition in the Blue department. So, my first Counterspell is born. I get a Spell Blast next. Staunch Defenders arrive, a Heroes Resolve and a Soltari Trooper. The first Counterspell did actually go around so I grab it, thinking three counters can make some diffirence. Next booster grants me my thrid Counterspell. What luck, I’m gleeful. Anoint sides with me and as a fourth or fifth pick I grab Capsize. By now Blue is a definate maindeck colour. This pack renders a Shatter, but nothing too significant otherwise. Third booster gives me my fourth Counterspell as a thrid pick! I’m speachless. I pick another boyback: Invulnerability, and another: Anoint. Some white weenies have asserted them in my deck, and Bottlegnomes came as a first pick. I’m pretty content with my drafting. At this point I call over the head judge, Indsdgridi, and tell him to gasp at my four Counterspells and tow Spell Blasts. He nods and confirms I’m cheatless. At first, my deck was something like this: Blue 4x Counterspell (These rocked and in somecases rolled too.) 2x Spell Blast 1x Capsize (Incredible card, a game winner. Not only does it capsize, it sinks and maroons the opponent.) 1x Volrath’s Curse (Creature control, I reasoned.) 1x Twitch (Tap an attacker, or untap my Tim or my Clergy en-Vec and then draw a card.) 1x Shadow Rift (Make my blockers Shadow all of a sudden, kill an attacker and draw a card.) 1x Horned Turtle (Good blocker.) 1x Gaeseous Form (Wait till you see my combo with is card!) White 2x Heroe’s Resolve (I think this card made it possible for me to get where I ended.) 1x Soltari Monk (Shadow is so good. Protection from Black is nothing to sneeze at, either.) 1x Soltari Trooper 2x Clergy en-Vec (Lifesavers.) 2x Armored Pegasus Flying weenie, that extra toughness really does matter in a Limited environment.) 2x Mounted Archers (Incredibly cool blockers, so many times do people not notice that little clause stating, ‘Bloody hell, it blocks flyers!’) 1x Anoint (I think this card saved my creatures from extinction about three billion times. Should’ve called it ‘Anoying’.) 1x Invulnerability (Cor, these buybacks are really cool.) 1x Cloudchaser Eagle (Speaks for it self. My only way of ridding of enchantments, not counting Capsize.) 1x Master Decoy (Great defence card.) Artifacts 1x Watchdog 1x Bottlegnomes (Now I’ve got seven lives extra in my deck.) 1x Lotus Petal I personally would not play with more than one in a Limited environment.) Lands (We were allowed 20 land.) 8x Island 8x Plains (I had shatter as an artifact killer, and, by chance, there was also a Wall of Diffusion there. Later it would be revealed that it was one of my key cards.) 45 cards ... too, too much ... First round, David Watchawillcallhim (15) I begin by trying to settle my mana in. At turn four I’m at five or six, due to an untimely advance by Horde Inc. courtesy of Green/Black Weenies Co.. It’s a lost game for me. Too many spells, too little mana. I try again, siding in a Green and a Black Copper, how appropriate. I see neither, he washes over me. He just built a way better deck than I did, and showed me that I was destined to die quickly and apinfully in this tourney if I did not improve. Jeez, and it’s a DCI sanctioned one and everything. I put my thinking cap on ... Second round, Kristmundur Yadayada (25-30) He built some crap with four colours, thereof two green cards requiring two green mana, three blue cards requiring two blue mana, two Rolling Thunders (two red mana) and one Envincar’s Justice (two black mana)!!! Gimp. I am truly ashamed of admitting that he won one game against me. But I proceeded to whip his behind with my Resolved shadow creatures. The Pegasi also hoofed him a bit. What bothers me the most is that Kristmundur drafted a Cursed Scroll and wouldn’t trade it, arg! I heard that one game he had it out for eight or so rounds and never once even tried to use it! Third round, The Twin, don’t remember his name (19-20) First thing he sees are two Plains, one Mountain, a shadow creature and my Wall of Diffusion. I never got an Island on board, but once I Resolved my shadow thingy, things were under way. A shadow creature kills him, it being my hero, and a resolved one at that. Second game I’m really happy he’s sided in a Red Copper, seeing as my only Red card is my Wall --which, obviously, is not going to attack-- the fear of Rolling Thunder is set! I was able to side in my White Cop and my Green Cop. The Police of Colours are doing their boogey. He wins the Shadow race with ease as an Eagle kills my White Cop. I’m horribly dead. I sit there, deep in the middle game, topdeck my second Counterspell and feel comfortable about two shadow beasts, two flyers and a Staunch Defender boosting my life total. Heh, not much to this story but utter victory. Fourth round, Jakob the Toad (16-17) This guy drafted it all! Spirit Mirror, Gerrard’s Battle Cry and a host of weenies including, three Master Decoys, Three Gravediggers, Dauthi Maruader (the boostable shadow guy) and two Bottlegnomes. Not only could he cycle his gnomes with the Gravediggers, the bastard also had Disturbed Burial. Ack! First game goes easy for him, he swarms me with shadow creatures, he had, I think, eight or ten of the little buggers. The bast. Second game he’s blocking my biggies with a Mirror token while sneaking past my line of defence with the Evil Weenies from Hell. Last round, he plays a Battle Cry, pumps for +3/+3, game over. We take a few training games. I loose 5, win one. Man! I’m depressed. I continu telling myself I’ll never draft a defensive deck again, as long as I live. Creatures, that’s the way to go. I’ve given up hope that I’ll make it to the elimination. Next guy’s probably got some creature heavy beat down ... This is where I begin to think. Watch dog is not so hot. He served me horribly, or at the very best, badly (went down in my first game against a lone Trained Armodon). Out it went. Spell Blast just plainly sucks. There are not many low-cost spells in the Limited environment, so out they go. Shadow really hurt me in my first game agains David, so in goes a Mountain and Wall of Diffusion, with me having two sources of getting him into play, counting the Petal. Out go Two plains. Volrath’s Curse takes it’s exit, as do Twitch and Shadow rift. I add two Islands, I need those counters to be stable. My deck’s tuned Way better now, 41 cards. I feel a little better. But only a little ... Fifth round, another David Something, (20-21). David is a good player, I expected some competition this turn around. To my relief, I don’t get it. My new deck rolls over him and makes dents in his library. It’s so solid! I let a few creatures on the board, stop the off with a Resolved whatever, and then ping him with a Hunter or shadow him to death. Both games are over quickly, especially when I get Capsize going. Wow. My deck works! Sixth round, Einar Agust Insertlastnamehere (20) He’s got a black and blue deck. He storms the table, a Hunter with a Resolve on him blocks, pings. My Capsize goes off, game over. Second game. His first turn: Grindstone. Ack!! I didn’t even have my Shatter in my deck! I’m scrouewed! He drains my deck, whilst I make a futile attempt to swarm him. I can’t draw once it’s my turn twenty minutes later. Third game was all mine. I Shatter the Grindstone, set down my defenders, and apply weenies. He decides to clear the table and Evincar’s Justices, I see the end of my weenies, but his also, but I held a counter. But I also held an Anoint (hehe!). I Anoint two of my guys, with no Buyback the latter time and use Clergy en-vec one other. I loose one Clergy, he looses three creatures. I’m happy and holding a Counter. His next turn I counter the Buybacked Justice and grin. He adds some Creatures to the table and things are pretty slim. My turn, he can’t handle my Monk with it’s Protection from Black, he’s at four, I attack. He’s at two. I’m at four, he’s got two creatures, the new blue 2/4 flyer for four mana and some other. I’ve got Wall of diffusion (what a card in an all Tempest draft!). I block the other and let the flyer through. Suspecting he’s got his other Justice on hand I hold my Counterspell dearly. This is the turn that decides if I go on to the Elimination or not. At this time, the news reach our ears, David (the 20-21 year old) has tied with his opponent, leaving both me and Einar at 9 points with one point more being enough to break above the water. In a mode of generosity I watch him play Justice, and let it resolve unscathed. He thanks me. So! My newly tuned defensive deck is in! Way to go, I think. I should have stuck to the basic deck building rule in all tournaments. Keep your deck as small as possible. I’m such a dork sometimes. Well! The top eight (in no particulour order) are: · Jakob the Toad (16-17) · Gumdmundur Viggoson (20, and I only remember his last name because he’s a friend!) · Johan Moller (21) · Einar Olafsson (20) · Einar Agust (20) · Arelius (me, 22) · Some other (sorry) · Some other (sorry) First Elimination, Gudmundur Viggoson First game he plays a mettallic Sliver. Second turn, he plays Heart Sliver, attacks. Third turn, Barbed Sliver, attacks, I’m getting cold sweats. Then, there comes my Wall, whoopee! Then my pinger, yeah! Turn four, he attacks, I block one, let two through, by now, I’m down to 10, due to boostable Slivers. My fifth turn: I do nothing, great. He Kindles my Hunter, I kill the Heart Sliver in response, he does not attack! I’m confounded. My turn, I set down a Soltari Trooper, resolve it and game’s over. Second game goes the same, except I get Capsize going, and Boomerang my way to victory. Gudmundur congratulates me and leaves the building in a soak. Takes defeat way to hard. Semi finals, Einar Agust, agian ... I sweep him two games straight, nothing to it. Most memorable moment: in the second game there are in play nothing but two of my Mounted Archers, land on both sides and his Maze of Shadows. He Coercions. My hand contains an Invulnerability, Cloudchaser Eagle and Soltari Trooper. First game he got killed by Shadow Creatures, so he’s really afraid of those! He picks my Trooper withi his Maze in play! And to add insult to his own injury, he plays Propaganda! What’s this guy thinking! My turn, I Eagle the Propaganda and attack! I kill him swiftly ... I’m in the finals!!! Jakob the Toad I feel lost. Those enchantments of his are the killers. First game, he lays a couple of creatures, Diggers, Decoys and a shadow creature. I lay my wall, Resolve a Shadow creature of mine, add a Hunter and a Clergy, capsize his weenies, and totally sweep him! I played like a motherthingy in this match, not a single mistake! He had no chance. Second game was a long, and a tiresome one. At one life, he at three, I finally get those blasted Decoys of the table via Capsize. It was all in the Decoys. Capsize rules. I Capsize one, Buyback, my turn. I capsize one defending creature, Buyback, Capsize again and tap his Samite Healer on Speed, (Orim Samite Healer. Tap: prevent three damage), and three little weenies attack, one, two, three damage, :):):) He played incredibly bad in the last game! Made rookie mistakes, such as Disturbed Burial without Buyback while he had a Bottlegnomes in play and the mana to cycle it twice per round! That’s six life and a blocked creature from me! He didn’t tap logically with his Decoys and attacked with an Eagle whilst I had my Mounted Archers in play. He was stupid ... a Toad. But, c’est la vie! I win! I can’t believe it! I won! I’m always drafting defencive from now on! Hehe! Come to think of it, I used the same tactic as I did on the Icelandic Nationals, huge blocker via enchantments, and Pingers/Despotic Scepter/Magma mine/Shadow creatures and a counter or two in hand. It’s incredible! Props to: · Indridi and Eddi for running a smooth, on time, and (for me) fun tournament · Gummi for taking his defeat so, erm, neatly ... · Jakob for playing like a rookie Slops to: · Jakob for playing like a rookie · Einar Agust for suggesting to Jakob that he should have commented on me casting Capsize, paying six mana but not announcing the Buyback ability · To me for not announcing the Buyback ability · To trees for not growing money Regars to you all, Arelius e-mail me at 291(a)fsu.is