Subject: PTQ Rome Report Date: Mon, 07 Sep 1998 23:19:21 -0700 From: CARL SALOMONE To: fkusumot@ix.netcom.com PTQ Rome Report James Salomone Greetings and salutations fellow majika enthusiasts. This is my freshman appearance to The Dojo. Usually I keep my sagelike advice to myself, but my observations at a recent PTQ in Costa Mesa have forced me call down the thunder in the form of this post. I would like to begin with an overview of my deck, entitled "Rain of Tears" which is kind of a weird name considering the deck contains zero rain of tears, but that is another story for another day. The deck is a variant of a "normal" living death deck. Without further adieu I present to you "Rain of Tears". 4 Living Death 2 Recurring Nightmare 3 Altar of Dementia 4 Hermit Druid 4 Wall of Blossoms 4 Spike Feeders 3 Spike Weavers 2 Vampire Hounds 2 Verdant Force 3 Thrull Surgeon 4 Mindless Automaton 4 Eladamri's Vineyard (my favorite card ever) 4 Pine Barrens 1 Volrath's Stronghold 2 Reflecting Pool 11 Forest 8 Swamp My Sideboard Consisted of 2 Dark Banishing 1 Stronghold Assassin 3 Stronghold Taskmaster (piece of poop, which I never used, should have been Verdirgris) 3 Dread of Night (Ditto) 3 Tranquility 3 Oath of Ghouls (Clutch Omega) Anyhow, on to the report... I woke at 7:30 A.M. and took a shower (you always need to look your best when you are playing in a PTQ, its an intimadation tactic). My ride arove at 8:15, I grabbed my lucky Ambiguous hat and was out the door and on my way. On the way to the Costa Mesa Womens Club we listening to the soothing sounds of Korn on their fine new release entitled "follow the leader" yada, yada, yada... We arrived at Costa Mesa at 9:00 A.M., there was already a motley crue gathered at the entrance to the tournament site. I wait in the line, pay my money, record my decklist and check it twice to make sure that it is naughty and nice, and prepare for round one. Round 1 Vs. Some kid playing a mono-green control/grindstone deck game one I was not prepared to play this kind of slop deck, the kid got out a second turn null brooch courtesy of my very own vineyard and I had a really crappy draw. I let my hand build up until I have all 3 Altar of Dementia as well as 2 Living Death and I cast them all knowing that he will not be able to counter all of them, Living Death goes off and poor little kid gets milled for 58, so sorry. game two I make a million and one errors in this game, fortunately this kids deck really blew and could not capitalize for my horendous play. I could overhear others in the room commenting on my horrible play, funny how I would go on to route them later in the day. Needless to say I win. Record: 1-0-0 Round 2 Vs. Bryce Currence (I hope I spelled that right) playing a cool lock deck game one He gets out Natures Revolt/Humility lock on about turn five. I did not have a vineyard on the table so I had no way of tapping my mana and conceded the game to him. game two I never see a tranquility or a thrull surgeon and he gets the lock out rather quickly, I have an altar of dementia out and decide that I will stick this one out and see if he messes up with his scroll rack and I can get a cheap win, my altar is disenchanted shortly thereafter and I am forced to concede. Record: 1-1-0 Round 3 Vs. Some kid playing Tradewind/Awakening This is almost a sure loss situation for me. Thankfully, this kid had no idea how buyback worked and these errors gave me opportunities to sneak in victories. game one I get out of the gate quickly with a vineyard that serves up about 12 points of mana burn to my opponent before he begins whispering to get to a capsize or an awakening, thankfully I get out a thrull surgeon and take away all of his buyback spells, forcing him to burn to death on my vineyards. game two My draw is pretty quick with three spike feeders as well as a recurring nightmare. I beatdown on him for a couple of turns before he gets out a tradewind rider and begins sending things back to my hand. I eventually build up enough mana to cast 2 Mindless Automaton on the same turn, the kid attempts to capsize with buyback one of them and I sac in response, This was pretty much game as I took away his only buyback spell and drew a dark banish for his tradewind off of the Automaton. Record: 2-1-0 Round 4 Vs. A spiky haired fellow playing red-sligh game one My opening draw consists of 2 feeders 1 weaver and a living death. I think the game ends with me at about 24 life and him taking it from a couple of verdant force as well as their children. game two I draw all four spike feeders and my opponent stalls on one land. this game is over rather quickly as he cannot find anything to stop the fury of the feeder. Record: 3-1-0 Round 5 Vs. Gary Rush playing Humility/Prayer game one Gary gets totally mana screwed and is forced to intuition for land twice so that he can cast his spells, he does manage to get a humility out but it is to late as I already have five creatures beating him down and he cannot find the orims prayer to get the lock. game two I come out quickly with a turn 1 vineyard and a turn two and three thrull surgeon, unfortunately I neglected to take a lobotomy on either surgeon and this ends up costing me the game as I get all of my tranquilities lobotomied away and really have no way to win one turn later when the lock is established. game three I get out a turn two hermit druid a turn three spike feeder and a turn four mindless automaton. I begin serving beatdown with the feeder and the automaton even while under propaganda. Gary is one turn away from establishing the lock when I manage to get through a 7 point mindless automaton for the game. Record: 4-1-0 Round 6 Vs. Charles Kornblith playing red/sligh game one I get a really good draw against him consisting of 2 spike weavers and a vineyard, the weaver recursion slows him down long enough for the vineyard to do away with him. game two We begin the game by trading off my creatures for his direct damage spells, around turn six I cast a massive living death that gets me back 2 feeders 1 verdant force 1 Automaton and 2 Weavers. Needless to say this game was quickly mine as the Verdant Force and all of her children walked all over Chucky and his jackal pup armada. Record: 5-1-0 Round 7 Vs. Larry Janiec playing ? we decided to draw as their was no chance that he could make it into the top 8 and I was pretty much locked in with only 1 loss, I am glad that we drew because last time I had to play him in the final round of swiss in a PTQ he mopped my sorry butt around the floor with his "Godzilla" deck. Record: 5-1-1 I make the top 8 and give myself a nice big pat on the back and put my lucky poocah shell necklace on for luck in the next round. Round 8 Vs. Adam Viera playing Tradewing/Awakening game 1 I get a superb draw and on turn five I get my best living death of the day featuring about 7 or 8 good creatures, with the altar of dementia already in place for the win, so I won right? wrong! I procrastinate for about 5 turns too long waiting to go off and in the process get my altar of dementia capsized and then countered. shortly after I get my head beaten in by a couple of spike weavers and tradewind riders. game 2 I get 2nd turn thrull surgeon followed by an oath of ghouls, this allows me to cast thrull surgeon every turn and deny Adam and buyback as well as any counterspells to stop my living death. Adam scoops when he is down to 2 cards in hand and having to deal with the thrull every turn. game 3 It looks like I have a pretty good draw with a pair of living deaths, I figure I should have no problem taking this game until Adam puts down a fourth turn Portcullis. That is pretty much game for me as it allows me no way to cast a living death that will have much of an effect on the game. I concede about 2 turns after the Portcullis hits the table. Since the top 8 is single elimination this loss would be the end of my day. I retire to air conditioning and more Korn on the way home feeling satisfied of a good days work. and now the undeniably gay ritual known as "props and slops" Props: me-for always being there for me. Steve and Butch Shears-for letting me use the deck and for taking half of my winnings Adam Vieyra-for beating the tar out of me in the top 8 Charles Kornblith-for graciously getting the beating of his life from my deck Terry Schenold-for moral support and sporting the moral wear Indian Love God Statue-for good vibes and good luck. Poocah Shells-for same as Indian Love God Statue Andrew Dominguez-for having the back Don Paul-The Don of the click Team Vindication-for raining blows upon the competition Eladamri-for the damn fine mushroom wine Slops: all the naysayers who were talkin major chisme during round 1-where were you during the top 8? Thats right desleeving your pathetic decks and complaining about your pathetic lives. Two Words: SUCK IT!!!