Subject: Columbus PTQ Report Date: Mon, 14 Sep 1998 12:30:45 -0400 (EDT) From: Michael S Turian To: fkusumot@ix.netcom.com Hello all, I am writing about the September 6, 1998 Columbus PTQ. The tournament was run very well by those nice people from Andon Unlimited. Although I did not participate, since I am already qualified, I was allowed to get a copy of the top 8 deck lists from this one slot qualifier. I have decided to post the deck lists in hopes that others will use them to figure out the Rath Cycle PTQ metagame, or maybe just improve a deck that they already have. Following the deck lists I give a summary of the top 8. Top 8 Decklists: Aaron Forsythe 4 Mana Leak 4 Counterspell 4 Forbid 4 Dismiss 4 Intuition 4 Shard Phoenix 4 Shock 3 Capsize 1 Searing Touch 14 Island 10 Mountain 4 Reflecting Pool Sideboard: 1 Mawcor 2 Stalking Stones 1 Wasteland 2 Interdict 2 Shattering Pulse 2 Whim of Volrath 3 Searing Touch 2 Wall of Tears Anthony Justice 2 Soltari Champion 4 Soltari Priest 4 Soltari Monk 3 Soltari Visionary 3 Soltari Foot Soldier 3 Master Decoy 4 Cataclysm 4 Soul Warden 3 Helm of Possesion 4 Disenchant 4 Conviction 18 Plains 4 Wastelands Sideboard: 4 Humility 3 Cloudchaser Eagle 4 Light of Day 4 COP: Red Jess Means 2 Orim Samite Healer 4 Soltari Priest 4 Soltari Monk 4 Soltari Visionary 3 Paladin En-Vec 2 Shield Mate 4 Cataclysm 4 Soul Warden 3 Torture Chamber 4 Disenchant 4 Warrior En-Kor 22 Plains Sideboard: 3 Altar of Dementia 3 Gallantry 4 Light of Day 4 Warmth 1 Allay Jason Means: 1 Orim Samite Healer 4 Soltari Priest 4 Soltari Monk 4 Soltari Visionary 4 Paladin En-Vec 2 Nomad En-Kor 4 Cataclysm 4 Soul Warden 3 Torture Chamber 4 Disenchant 4 Warrior En-Kor 1 Helm of Possession 22 Plains Sideboard: 1 Altar of Dementia 1 Null Brooch 1 Orim, Samite Healer 2 Gallantry 4 Light of Day 4 Warmth 2 Allay Nathan Heiss 4 Tradewind Rider 4 Manakin 3 Mawcor 2 Thalakos Drifters 3 Keeper of the Mind 3 Legacy's Allure 4 Counterspell 4 Forbid 4 Curiosity 4 Mox Diamond 1 Mind over Matter Sideboard: 4 Hammerhead Shark 3 Capsize 1 Legacy's Allure 1 Mind over Matter 2 Rootwater Hunter 2 Thalakos Drifters 2 Whispers of the Muse Alex Borteh 2 Scroll Rack 4 Recurring Nightmare 4 Hermit Druid 3 Living Death 3 Spike Feeder 2 Spike Weaver 2 Thrull Surgeon 4 Wall of Blossoms 4 Survival of the Fittest 2 Tradewind Rider 1 Cloudchaser Eagle 1 Lobotomy 1 Verdant Force 1 Scragnoth 1 Rootwater Hunter 1 Coffin Queen 2 Mox Diamond 1 Volrath's Stronghold 3 Reflecting Pool 1 Skyshroud Forest 2 Rootwater Depths 2 Pine Barrens 1 Island 4 Swamp 8 Forest Sideboard 3 Oath of Ghouls 3 Dread of Night 2 Thrull Surgeon 2 Verdigris 2 Lobotomy 1 Cloudchaser Eagle 2 Tranquility Ed Porter 4 Recurring Nightmare 3 Corpse Dance 4 Overgrowth 3 Spike Weaver 2 Spike Feeder 4 Earthcraft 1 Stronghold Assassin 2 Workhorse 1 Spike Breeder 3 Survival of the Fittest 4 Wall of Blossoms 1 Mogg Fanatic 3 Scroll Rack 2 Mindless Automaton 1 Hermit Druid 10 Swamp 12 Forest Sideboard: 3 Oath of Ghouls 2 Thrull Surgeon 2 Stronghold Taskmaster 3 Canopy Spider 1 Verdigris 1 Coffin Queen 2 Cloudchaser Eagles 1 Spike Feeder Leonard Richardson 4 Mogg Fanatic 4 Jackal Pup 4 Mogg Raider 4 Fireslinger 4 Mogg Flunky 4 Shock 4 Sonic Burst 4 Canyon Wildcat 4 Maniacal Rage 1 Seismic Assualt 4 Kindle 17 Mountain 3 Wasteland Sideboard: 3 Apocalypse 2 Ancient Tomb 2 Torture Chamber 2 Bottle Gnomes 2 Wall of Diffusion 1 Shattering Pulse 3 Spellshock The Top 8 was paired like so. 1. Leonard Richardson (Sligh) 8. Ed Porter (1-0)(Horsecraft) 8. Ed Porter 4. Nathan Heiss (2-1) 4. Nathan Heiss (U)(2-0) 5. Jess Means (WW) 2. Jason Means (WW)(3-1) 4. Nathan Heiss 3. Alex Borteh (LD) 6. Aaron Forsythe (Counter Phoenix)(2-0) 6. Aaron Forsythe 2. Jason Means (2-0) 2. Jason Means (WW)(2-1) 7. Anthony Justice (WW) Brief rundown of the matches: Leonard received a first game loss, due to miss registering his deck. In what would have been game 2 Leonard watches as Ed pulls off the combo, before Leonard can burn him to death. Nathan destroys Jess Means. Jess continues to mumble about how Nathan's deck destroys white weenie for the rest of the day. Before the match began Alex said, "Counter phoenix is the only deck that I don't want to play against in the top 8". Game 1 was painful and long, Alex continued to bring back Scragnoth using the Volrath's Stronghold, but Aaron slowly took down Alex's life total in one of the most boring games I have watched in a long time. Game 2 saw Alex Paris mulligan, following which he got beatdown by Shards while praying for a fourth mana which he would use to Lobotomy with. He didn't get the land until Aaron could easily counter. I only saw the third game of the white weenie versus white weenie match. Basically the game came to a point where after another Cataclysm they both needed to draw Plains. Jason drew two plains in the first four turns after the Cataclysm and Anthony drew 2 Wastelands after that. Anthony couldn't stay alive after getting beat down for those crucial turns even with the help of Soul Warden. The matchup between Nathan and Ed in the semi-finals can be summarized rather quickly. Counter the combo, combo succeeds, dead before combo is found. Jason and Aaron's match went almost as quickly. Jason served as Aaron had land problems in game 1 and just got run over in game 2. The finals between Nathan and Jason were began after everyone heard Jess mumble loudly about how bad of a matchup it was for Jason. In the first game it sure seemed that way. We all knew it was over when Nathan was attacking with a double Curiosity Thalokos Drifter. Games 2, 3 were a much different story, however. If Nathan got a really good anti-beatdown draw then Jason would have a super control draw and vice-versa. In game 4 Nathan stalled out on three mana for a turn too long as Jason's weenie white creatures swarmed for the win. Jason Means has had a great deal of success recently as he qualified for PT Chicago on August 29th and PT Rome on September 6th. Also, Nathan Heiss modified the Mono Blue deck that he played and just qualified for PT Rome by winning the September 11th qualifier in Pittsburgh. Hope you enjoyed this, Michael Turian If you liked this and would like to see more of these tournament reports, or just have general comments my email is mturian@andrew.cmu.edu.