Subject: Grand Prix Indy Date: Mon, 29 Jun 1998 21:11:15 -0500 From: Koby Kennison To: fkusumot@ix.netcom.com "As far back as I can remeber I have always wanted to be a gangster..." Me and my teamates (Lee Steht and Daniel Mondragon of Goodfellas) decided to hit Indy for some sealed action. After a short Plane ride and a long $100 cab ride we arrived. We beat a group of guys in some team draft on Friday and did some playtesting. Saturday turned out to be a bad day for us. We all ended up with average decks, but with the help of 3 byes I still managed to pull off a 5-1-1 record. This was good enough to make me 31st going into the second day. I thought this was going to be quite tasty, with most of the good players fighting it out at the top tables but then I saw my table... Dani O'Mahoney-Schwartz Bob Maher Jon Finkel Joseph Crosby Bob Coonce Francis Keys Tim Wiersilis Well, at least I am getting pratice for Origins. I was pretty happy with the deck I drafted considering the table I was at. 2 Standing troops 2 Zealots en-Dal Soltari Visionary Smite Master Decoy Shield Mate Kor Chant (Best white draft card in my opinion) Mistfolk Whiptongue Frog Wind Drake Dream Prowler Rootwater Hunter Evacuation Couterspell Time Ebb Watchdog Bullwhip Sky Spirit Round 8 vs Francis Keys Round 9 vs Jon Finkel Wow, I get to play the top contender for player of the year. First game: I got some early beatdown going untill he plays Oath of Scholars. Well I am stuck holding a Dream Prowler with only 1 island in play. So I watch him draw 4 cards a turn and play them all for at least five turns in a row. Luckly all his creatures were weenies and I had a watchdog+tim+bullwhip to keep them from pounding me too badly. He eventually decks himself before he can do enough damage to finish me. Second game: He doent draw blue mana and I get bullwhip for his little guys. 7-1-1 Round 10 vs Dani O'Mahoney Swartz We split the first two, third game is very close. I have a few zealots and standing troops working on him but, then he gets a Dungeon shade out with about 8 swamps. I manage to draw a Kor chant, someone behind me lets out a gasp, thats when my gangster pal Lee steps in and says "You mind watching the facial expresions?" some other heated words are exchanged and it looks like it might get out of hand but a judge shows up and things calm down a bit. Anyway I attack with everything he blocks zealot, bye bye dungeon shade. 8-1-1 My second draft pod isnt quite as bad, even though it is the #1 pod. I get a pretty good black red deck, even though I normally try to avoid red because it is so heavily drafted. It includes 3 serpent warriors, grollub, 2 sandstone warriors, canibalize, fireslinger, kindle, 2 death strokes, 2 dauthi jackals. I go 2-1 in this pod losing to Mike Katz. On to the top 8 Draft. I am practical a zombie at this point with no sleep the night before. I choke down a couple of kit kats and I am ready to go again. I am really disapointed with the tempest pack I only come out with a fireslinger, dauthi murderer, and a couple of cheesy white creatures. But it all changed with the stronghold. I open a Fanning the Flames sealing red for me and then on the 4th pass I see GRAVE PACT!! My deck seemed to come together nicely after that, picking up an acidic sliver and a couple of nice flyers. Dauthi Marauder Endless Scream Servant of Volrath Dungeon Shade Grave Pact Lab Rats Morgue Thrull Rabid Rats Revenant Serpant Warrior Dauthi Jackal Nausea Fireslinger Lightning Elemental Fanning the Flames Cinder Crawler Furnace Brood Mage il-Vec Sabretooth Wyvern Sonic Burst Acidic Sliver Maze of Shadows Quarter finals vs Mike Katz playing red black Well this was my chance for revenge and my deck seemed to agree with me by giving me the best draws I have gotten the entire day. I later find out he was one mana away from Hatreding me. Semis vs Michael Chiumento I lose first game since he is playing Penance straight in. Second game I mana stall, having to discard 5 turns in a row. But he comes out slow and I manage to come back and get grave pact out. Third game he mana stalls, I get my tech sideboard card flowstone flood rolling and keep him at one land the whole game. Finals vs Eric Jordan I prety much get my ass beat by evincars and brush w death buyback. I never see my gravepack or my fan and loose 1-3. All in all it was a great weekend at a nice hotel. I bet they never book another magic tourney. See everyone at Origins!