Subject: T2 Scalding Sligh Date: Sat, 11 Apr 1998 10:56:07 -0400 From: Michael Cavoto To: fkusumot@ix.netcom.com Hi all! I went to the local T2 tourney this past weekend and played my favorite deck: Sligh. Now, if you don't like Sligh, you're going to hate this report 'cause I ripped apart every deck that is suposed to beat Sligh. It only gets better; I DID NOT USE Fireblast, Ball Lightning, OR Cursed Scroll. Here's the deck: 4 Mogg Fanatics 3 Goblin Vandals 2 Jackal Pups (Not many people were using burn today) 4 Fireslingers 4 Mogg Flunkies (Cheap and Fat!) 4 Suq'Ata Lancers 3 Viashino Sandstalkers 4 Incinerates 4 Shocks 3 Kindles 3 Scalding Tongs (better than a scroll in this deck) 2 Nevinnyral's Disks 15 Mountains 3 Wastelands 2 Stalking Stones (won me a match against a mono-blue deck) R1 vs. Yuri (Sligh)G1: I get mana-screwed badly and 2 Wastelands are the only lands that I see. He Hammers me and hits me with Ball Lightnings. G2: My deck realizes it's showtime and I swamp him along with Tong damage. G3: I draw all of my heat and roast him to a crisp! 1-0 matches 2-1 games R2 vs. Matt (some strange counter deck with a Sliver Queen) G1: I keep beating on him with my horde, but he keeps Wisdoming. He eventually gets a Sliver Queen out and beats me to death with it and 8 sliver tokens. G2: I sided in 4 Pyroblasts, 2 Ruinations, and a Phyrexian Furnace. I get 2 Pblasts and a Ruination in my opening hand :) He played all non-basic lands this game. On his 4th turn he taps out to play Gerrard's Wisdom and on my turn I wipe out all of his lands with the Ruination and beat on him with my horde. He conceeds. G3: Started off just like Game 2 except I made a mistake that cost me the win. He got out a COP: Red and I had several creatures out and was having a merry time tapping him out so I could burn him. I waited until I had 5 land out and I played Ruination. He countered. I Pblasted. He countered. I should have attacked first so that he couldn't counter the Pblast. (Let this be a lesson to all of you who like to play spells before you attack!) I kept beating on him but couldn't kill him as he Wisdomed twice before time ran out ;( 1-0-1 matches 3-2-1 games R3 vs. Chris (Pox w/red) Whenever I go to my local card stores on Wenesdays, I usually try to get a couple of games in against Chris. He always has some really cool decks to play against and always tells me about the trends outside of our area (I'm from outside Philadelphia). G1: He's slightly mana-screwed, but manages to play a Tongs and a Scroll. He beats on me a bit with them, but I burn him and play a Tongs. I also get some creatures to help me get the win. G2: I get a slow start while he gets out a Tongs and a Scroll. I got a Goblin Vandal out and eliminated his scroll and tongs (He had too many cards in his hand for the scroll to work). I run him over with Flunkies and Lancers along with burn and the tongs. 2-0-1 matches 5-2-1 games Before the next round started I was bragging to my friend that my deck would beat any mono-Blue deck (don't ask why). Guess what kind of deck I played next. R4: vs. some kid with a mono-blue deck. G1: I get my 2nd Tongs out after he counters the first. These along with burn and some early creatures make the difference as he gets out 3 Propagandas. G2: This second game was an interesting one. The tongs did about 11 damage to him and it was all his fault. I learned this game that he was using Static Orb, and this locked up most of my mana. He told me that he Impulsed for a Mind Games to tap the Orb at the end of my turn instead of a Capsize. He though that he could tap the tongs during my upkeep to stop the damage; I don't understand why (then again, I don't really care) but the head judge ruled that he couldn't tap it to stop the damage. It was the tongs and the Stalking Stones (I had the mana because he got rid of the orb somehow) that did him in as I managed to get rid of 2 Air Elementals and attacked for the victory. 3-0-1 matches 7-2-1 games I made the Top 8 and my first opponent of the finals was Mike who had an En-Kor WW with Freewind Falcons. G1: I got the mana-curve and ran him over with creatures and burn. G2: I got 4 lands in my opening draw. I almost recovered but he Honorable Passaged my Sandstalker and attacked me the next turn. He won with 4 life left. G3: I only get 2 lands but that's all that I need to get out a Pup and a Flunky. He's mana screwed and doesn't see any creatures until it's too late. R2: Finals vs. Geoff (Sligh w/Ankhs and Mox Diamonds) Before this round I was talking to his mom who was the head judge. She's very nice. She told me something though that I couldn't believe: SHE BUILT HIS DECK FOR HIM! To his credit, he played it flawlessly. I was mana-screwed both games, and he blew me away. Now I have something to tell all of you. You're reading the report of someone who gave away a free Mox. I came to this tournament with my friend Sean who went 1-3. He sat around patiently while I advanced into the finals, and when I received my prize of 6 Stonghold boosters and an Inquest, I decided to give him one of my packs for being so patient. Guess what the rare was: Mox Diamond! My jaw hit the table when I saw it and I'm still in a state of disbelief a week later. Oh well, he was happy to get it. Sean if you're reading this; I want to trade for that Mox. That's all for now, Matt Cavoto