Subject: Grand Prix Boston Report Ron Hopkins 69th Date: Tue, 8 Sep 1998 15:08:59 -0400 From: "Ronnie Hopkins" To: Comment of the day: "I wasn't expecting Sliver Beatdown" Grand Prix Boston was interesting, to say the least. I had a tight schedule that day, having a wedding to go to as well as the GP. I compromised and made a few appearances in between matches since the wedding was 15 minutes away. I'm sure a lot of the other players were wondering why I was wearing a shirt and tie; Now you know. I had playtested a lot with a strong straight blue deck, but needed three tradewinds for it. I was unwilling to pay 15$ apiece from the dealers, so I went with plan B: Sliver Beatdown. To my knowledge, no one else played a single Sliver, and several people commented on my "bravery" for doing so. The deck was designed as an "anti control beatdown" deck, just a bit slower than Hatred, Sligh, and WW, but with fewer of their inherent weaknesses. SLIVER BEATDOWN 4 Muscle Sliver 4 Heart Sliver 4 Metallic Sliver 4 Spined Sliver 2 Barbed Sliver 2 Horned Sliver 2 Elvish Fury 2 Reclaim 4 Maniacal Rage 4 Kindle 4 Sonic Burst 2 Shattering Pulse 1 Goblin Bombardment 11 Forest 11 Mountain SIDEBOARD 4 Price of Progress 4 Tranquility 2 Shattering Pulse 2 Boil 2 Choke 1 Goblin Bombardment I went two colors for a smoother land pull and so I could run the Price of Progresses (these did a LOT of damage). I think I'm going to add a third color, tho. In retrospect, I should have played four Elvish Fury and dropped the main deck Shattering Pulses. I had done a lot of testing against my buddies Bridge/Brooch lock deck, and was paranoid of those artifacts. The Horned Slivers may seem sub optimal, but they stop dancing gnomes and spikes quite well. I'd have to say that my best card, tho, was the humble Tranquility. On to the tournament. I knew I'd have to go at least 5-2 to make second day, which would be difficult with 25+ people with 3 byes (thats just not right)for an automatic 3-0. Still, I was confident I could make it with my sub optimal deck. Heres how I did. MATCH ONE My first match was with a guy named Chris. He was a good guy, and had the Humility lock deck, with lots of counters and multi lands. Game 1 - I start fairly quick, but he gets out one, then two Orim's Prayers, then Humility. I play a Maniacal Rage so I can hit him for 1, but it gets disenchanted. He's a 4 and is Grinding my library twice a turn when he counters my last bolts and I concede. Game 2 - He goes 3rd turn Prayer, tap out for 4th turn Humility. I go Metallic, Heart, Muscle, 4th turn Tranquility. It gets ugly fast. Game 3 - I get out four 1/1 Slivers ( sometimes it's like that) and hit him for six or eight. He plays a Warmth and a Prayer, but I Tranquility. He plays Prayer #2 and I am seemingly stalled. However, at the end of his turn I Price of Progress for 6 and Reclaim it, then Price of Progress for 6 again on my turn. RECORD 1-0-0 MATCH 2 I play another cool guy named Nate. He also was on of the few to play a rogue deck. His had Spindrifts and other disposable guys backed up with the Reins of Power/ Goblin Bombardment combo. Game 1 - He kills like 5 of my guys, but I get out some 3/3s and pop 3 Legacy Allures with 2 Elvish Furies and Bombardment. I win a hard fought battle. Game 2 - He Fanatics, Shocks, and otherwise removes a few guys, but I held back my Muscles for just such a reason. He has Bombardment out and I try to Tranquility, but it gets leaked. He gets his combo when he's at 12, and sacks all his guys, steals all mine, attacks with them, then sacks them too, leaving me at 6. However, the Gods of War have seen fit to give me a five card hand consisting of 4 Sonic Bursts and a Forest. I hit him with one before he ends the turn, then draw and get him with the other two. I'd rather be lucky than good. RECORD 2-0-0 MATCH 3 This round I play Michelle Bush of Your Move Games. She was all business, but I came here to play, too. She had a straight red deck, much like the one that won that Rath PT. Game 1 - She goes Conscript, Pup, Shock a Sliver, Flunky, Kindle a Sliver, Flunky. I side in one whole Bombardment. Game 2 - I get all green, but at first it's all right as I get out 3 Slivers and knock her down to 14. She starts to recover, and bolts my guys, beating me down with a pair of Flunkies. I should have played four Elvish Fury. RECORD 2-1-0 MATCH 4 Now I'm not feeling quite as confident, but I hope that all the Chills, Warmths COP Reds and Super Paladins will knock out the mono red. I play a guy who is also 2-1, but I forget his name. He also had the Orims Prayer/Humility deck. Game 1 - The infamous AUTO WIN SLIVER DRAW ( Metallic, Muscle, Heart, Muscle played in that order ) take 2, then 6, then 8, and a Burst ends it mercifully. Game 2 - I get out a Heart Sliver and a Maniacally Enraged Metallic Sliver, and attack away. He counters every guy after that and plays Chill. A Tranquility and a Price of Progress finish him off. RECORD 3-1 MATCH 5 I know I can only lose once more at most, and hope to face control. I get my wish in the form of a Trade Awakening deck. I don't normally talk trash about people, but this kid ( who had 3 byes ) was exceptionally annoying. After shuffling my deck for five minutes, he wanted to cut before we started. Sure, I said, and he proceeded to spread my deck on the table and randomize it. I just had to do the same, as visions of snapping his scrawny neck ran through my mind. I guess you had to be there. Game 1 - He counters my guys, I burn his, and after a while I have a Heart and a Barbed Sliver out, and he has Legacy Allure and 2 Tradewinds. He eventaully gets the Barbed Sliver but I got him for quite a few with it. I Burst a Tradewind, and he plays Awakening. He then Capsizes and later counters the Heart Sliver, and uses his twice untapping lands to pump the Barbed Sliver to an 8. Three hits and I'm dead. Once again I side in 8 cards. Game 2 - I get out a few guys and he plays Propaganda and Chill. I Tranquility those and Burst another Tradewind and give him service with a smile. Game 3 - Possibly one of the lamest games I have ever played. I get A forest, a Metallic, and two Chokes in my opening hand, so I keep it. I play the forest and the sliver, but those are the only two cards I play the whole game as I draw no land and he Capsizes with buyback my only land. RECORD 3-2-0 MATCH 6 Now I have to win every game. I play a guy from Maryland who's a Level 3 judge. He sees my deck in the "Dominator" pre-construct box, and says " Please tell me you're playing that". I tell him I am, and we joke about it. It turns out he has Tradewind Death. Game 1 - I draw three Muscle Slivers and kill two Tradewinds with a Burst and a Kindle after he blocked. a Maniacal Rage rounded out my attack and I won handily. Yet again, I side in 8 cards, fearing the Verdant Force he discaded to Survival of the Fittest, knowing I can't stop it or swarm around it. Game 2 - I hit him for a bunch with the AUTO WIN SLIVER DRAW, but he Banishes a Muscle. It's too late, tho, as a Price of Progress for 8 finishes him off. Verdant Force never came out. The pressure was on that game, but we actually played a fun game, joking around the whole time. Too bad he was out after that I wouldn't mind playing him again. RECORD 4-2-0 MATCH 7 Okay, one more to go. It's do or die time. I end up facing Hatred in a game that was, for me, for all the marbles. Game 1 - He hits me with a whole lot of shadow and kills me when he's at 5. I had a Sonic Burst, but needed that one more point of damage. We talk a bit and he confides that he only has Two Reckless Spites and a Slaughter as Removal. My game plan is now clear. Game 2 - I stick to my primitive plan, holding back blockers for his zombies and burning his shadows, then attacking when I have three or more Slivers out. I didn'r fear the removal so it was a lot easier. Game 3 - We both get good draws and race. He has his City of Traitors but no Hatred, and I win the race with a Bombardment after I attack with everything. RECORD 5-2-0 I wait around to make sure I made it to second day, but I came in 69th. I know, it's usually my favorite number, too. Still, I was proud of my performance and think I'll do a lot better in the next two qualifiers in October. See you there! Ron Hopkins Rhopkins@ccbn.com