Subject: PTQ Huntsville Tourny Report (Rome) Date: Sun, 6 Sep 1998 10:45:56 EDT From: Fastbond69@aol.com To: fkusumot@ix.netcom.com Hey all you Dojo-reading fans, Well, I broke my losing streak. This PTQ was my third straight top 2 finish, except this time when I got to the finals I WON!!! Everyone was rooting for me to keep my streak alive, but I guess I had to disappoint them by qualifying. Darn. Ok, onto the report. I got there about 8:30 and was then told that it doesn't start 'til 11:00. Oh well, I guess that just means that I have time to trade a little and talk some about rath cycle. There wasn't really too many people I know at the tourny, but there were enough people that there was competition. The only familiar faces I saw were the faces of Team Huntsville and some knoxville players (Bruce and Bill). I'd seen Bruce in a few top 8's with me, so I wanted to watch out for him. First round I play this dude from Panama City, Florida. He was playing White Weenie and that deck, I assumed, wouldn't give me a whole lot of trouble. I was right, as he never drew a cataclysm, the only card that stops me. I don't know if he was even playing cataclysm though, but I'll give him the benefit of the doubt and say he just didn't draw them. (1-0) Second round I played a fairly familiar face, David Jafari, who I have seen in my last top 8. He was playing Living Death. When I saw that, I figured my chances were pretty good since my deck playtested out beating any other Living Death. Well, I did win the match with less than a minute left in the first game. You could tell he was trying to stall, but the judge wouldn't allow it since he was going to get decked during the next turn. (2-0) Third round I played Bruce Cowley, a fellow Tennessean that I'd seen in another PTQ top 8 in the past. I know his rsnking is up there around mine, so I wanted to get some points out of this. He was playing a deck Dave Price was telling me about and when I lobotomised him, it was almost card for card. He drew one ritual the first game and two rituals the second, the one card that will most likely make the difference in if I win or not. Well, since I missed a whole turn by not drawing a fourth land, I got smacked by his spinal grafted shadows. Well, his draws were busty and mine were not busty. (2-1) Fourth round I played against a local dude. He was playing a deck similar to what Randy Beuhler played at worlds. That deck looses to cloudchasers and Lobotomys. Well, I did win with cloudchasers and Lobotomys. (3-1) The rest of the Swiss rounds I don't remember that well, but I didn't loose after that. Alright top 8 with only one loss and a draw in the last round. I was fourth seed in the top 8 and playing a some dude who was friend of the guy who I lost in the finals to in Birmingham a couple weeks ago. I got revenge on team Rakalite. Don't ask, but I will tell you that my winning may have had something to do with the lack of chicken eggs...Again, don't ask. Ok, here come the semi-finals, and I'm paired up with Bruce Cowley. He was my only loss so far that day, but I still thought I had a good chance. I figured there's no way he could draw yet another pair of rituals, so I felt good going into the match. The first game I got him Spike Weaver locked. The second game I started to get the lock again, and then decided to kill him with my killer bees (Revenant). Ok, I looking to break my streak of having bad luck in the finals of PTQ's. I play against another member of team Rakalite. Grey was a really good player, but his Humility/orim's prayer deck could not withstand my cloudchaser recurrsion with the strongholds. I'M GOING TO ROME!!!!!!!!!! For all of you who wish to copy my deck, here it is, but just be sure and give me credit for building it if you play it. 4 Survival of the fittests (must have 4) 4 Recurring Nightmares (ditto) 2 Lobotomys (had 3, but went down to 2 for the third stronghold) 2 Living Deaths (not extremely neccessary, but they are great) 2 Rampant Growths (I had a lot of mana problems in playtesting) 4 Mox Diamonds (Birds of Paradise slot...this deck has to have more speed!) 1 Altar of Dementia (this card is your other kill card...25%) 4 Wall of Blossoms (must play 4) 3 Spike Feeders (don't play less than 3, you need them) 2 Spike Weavers (you may wanna go up to 3, I sided in the 3rd a lot) 2 Tradewinds (do you want to win? If so play 2 of these) 2 Couldchaser Eagles (2 because of humility, awakening, and survival) 1 Verdant Force (If your opponent's screwed, this guy takes advantage of that :) ) 1 Killer Bees (Revenant) (He is pumpable with the survival and he FLYS!!!! 75% of the time he is my kill card. 1 Thrull Surgeon (he is soooo amazing!) 1 Coffin Queen (one is sooo amazing and will help beat other Death decks) 1 Gravedigger (this guy is awesome!) Ok this deck is perfect. If you copy this, do NOT change it at all. The numbers are perfect except you might want to put in another Weaver and take out the Verdant force or maybe a death. The sideboard MUST contain 4 leaks and 4 disenchants. The rest of the board is up to you. Good luck and I'll see ya in Rome, Craig Wescoe (captain of team Outer Limits, Quarterfinalist of the american chamionships, top 2 finisher in three consecutive PTQ's and that sreak is still alive.) If anyone lives in the general area of Nashville, Tennessee, then you may be interrested in playing in my next type 2 tourny. The prize is a JUZAM!!!!!! The entry fee is yet to be determined, but it will not be more than $10.00. For more information call Outer Limits at (615) 790-2392. I'll see ya there! ============================================================================= Ok, sorry about forgeting to add the land to my report. I just plain forgot about it. Without further ado, here is the complete deck, land, and sideboard perfectly tuned and playtested: 2 Skyshroud Forests 2 Rootwater Depths 2 Pine Barrens 3 Volrath's Stronholds 1 Wastelands 4 Swamps 7 Forests 1 Island 1 Plains 2 Rampant Growths 4 Mox Diamonds 4 Wall of Blossoms 4 Survival of the fittests 4 Recurring Nightmares 2 Lobotomys 2 Living Deaths 1 Altar of Dementia 3 Spike Feeders 2 Spike Weavers 2 Tradewind Riders 2 Coludchaser Eagles 1 Revenant 1 Verdant Force 1 Thrull Surgeon 1 Coffin Queen 1 Gravedigger Sideboard: 2 Spike Weavers 4 Mana Leaks 3 Disenchants 2 Coffin Queens 2 Constant Mists 2 Cloudchaser Eagles This version of the deck is far superior to any other version do to the fact that it can handle anything when played to its best ability. This deck should be able to beat any deck it comes across in the first game by at least 75% and at least 85% after sideboard. The hardest deck for it to beat is by far, not Tradewind/Awakening or Humility, but suicide black/Hatred. If that deck goes first and you don't draw a mox diamond they can Hatred you with a ritual for the win before you can get your weaver out After boarding though, you can side in your 3rd and 4th weavers and 2 constant mists which will stop the Hatred. I played in one PTQ this season with this deck and I won the PTQ. The deck lost one match the whole day and that was to Bruce Cowley's suicide Black/Hatred deck. I later played him again in the semi-finals where he didn't draw rituals [and] hatreds so I swept him. Although the deck is somewhat vulnerable to hatred, it is still the most solid rath cycle deck in my oppinion. Good luck to all in PTQs to come and hopefully I'll see you in Rome. Just please give me credit for designng the deck if you win with it. thanx, Craig Wescoe (winner of PTQ Huntsville and captain of team Outer Limits)