Subject: Re:Rath Constructed Thoughts
Date: Sun, 20 Sep 1998 15:05:15 EDT
From: JCalama@aol.com
To: fkusumot@ix.netcom.com

Having just competed in the PT Rome qualifier in Miami yesterday, I can give
you an accurate portrayal of how Static Games (mono blue of course) performed
in the field. The qualifiers consisted of 6 rounds of swiss with top 8 final.

My first match was against a black/red beatdown deck. The first game, after
taking about 11 points of damage, he tapped out and I dropped the orb. Already
having a propaganda, sapphire medallion and a memory crystal on the table I
locked him up with mind games, dropped my silver wyvern and commenced the
beatings. In the second game, he dropped a jinxed idol flat on my head and
continued recursing his acidic sliver via volrath's stronghold. In the last
match, I had him totally locked up again (propaganda, orb, mind games,
crystal's and medallion's) and so I dropped my wyvern for what should have
been an uneventful victory. Instead though, I dropped my second wyvern to
attempt to make the beatdown more severe. He forced through a reckless spite
on both my wyverns when I tried to tap his lands and he killed my only two
sources of damage. I maintained the prison but eventually (due to one whisper
earlier in the round) ran out of cards before him. I dropped the first match
1-2.

0-1

Luckily, things got much better from here on in. The next deck I played was
survival / living death. In the first match, I dropped my usual array of
medallions and crystals, dropped the orb and locked him down with mind games.
Second game was all him. No propaganda in site and Verdant Force knocking on
my door via Coffin Queen made for a very unpleasant gaming experience. The
final game was a gift. I played first and dropped a land. He played next and
dropped a mox but no land. I played a land and a medallion. He played ...
nothing. He was in big trouble. Next turn I played a land and capsized his
mox. I remember him saying "I knew that was coming". On turn 4 I drop my
wyvern and finish him off. I redeem myself and pick up the next round 2-1

1-1

The next round was against another control deck, similar to mine, minus the
static orb. I drop turn two legacy's allure, he drops a turn two sapphire
medallion. Next turn, he tries to play his own legacy's allure but I counter
it. On turn five, he play a silver wyvern (obvious mistake) and I take it
during my upkeep. I hold him off for five rounds more and beat him down with
his own silver wyvern. Next game, I side out my four prop's and side in two
mindless automatons (so large) and two ertai's. Early on, we have massive
legacy's allure battle, I have two on my side and he has three on his side. He
gets out a dominating licid. I took it, he takes it back, I took it, he takes
it back. He now has one legacy's allure left on the table. He beats me for the
next 8 rounds with his licid, all the while, I'm setting up my medallions and
crystals. I begin whispering like a freak, 5 and 6 cards at a time. I grab
both my last 2 legacy's allures and drop them like plates on his head. Next
turn, I drop a mindless automaton that he counters and then I drop the field
general, Ertai. It almost knoced him out of his seat. He tried to take him
with the licid so I capsize Ertai making the licid fizzle and play him again
(I have two medallions out so Ertai only cost me one). I whisper for a million
cards at the end of his turn and drop the silver wyvern right on his head. I
sweep 2-0.

2-1

This round I played another control deck (also mono-blue). After some serious
counter wars the first game which leave him tapped out, I drop the static orb
and lock him down, sailing across with my silver wyvern for the beatdown. In
game two, he plays first and drops a grindstone. That really sucked. He grinds
away all three of my orbs and all three of my capsizes. Refusing to give up,
he finally grinded away all my damage dealers (The two automatons and the two
wyverns) and milled the rest of my deck. In the final game, I play first and
he drops a grindstone on his first turn. I'm really sweating now, but luckily
I top deck a static orb. (I already have the mind games and the silver wyvern
in hand) He grinds me for a few turns, while I play my medallions and
crystals. I drop ertai, he counters and then I drop another ertai, he counters
and I counter back. The field general hits the table once again. Next round I
drop a mindless automaton, and proceed to go large. He takes severe beatings
from my automaton for the next three turns and eventually concedes. I win 2-1.

3-1

I finally played against someone I know. Rene Hidalgo was playing sligh this
round (he eventually made final 8 and played in the finals of the final) and I
was so happy to finally see a sligh deck. First game, Rene thinks that I am
playing some janky counter deck as I drop some of my medallions and
crystals(Rene loves to talk while he plays) until I slam the static orb down.
The look on his face was enough to tell me that he had no idea that was
coming. I lock him down under the orb and he concedes. Next game, I side in my
three chills. He of course sides in jinxed idols and ancient tombs to break
through the prop's. He get off to a fast start and drops a jinxed idol right
on my head, (I hate jinxed idol) He swarms me with jackal pups and easily gets
past my propaganda with the ancient tomb. Next game I choose to play first. My
hand was the stuff of legend. 2 chills, 2 propagandas, 1 legacy's allure, 1
capsize and 1 land. All I needed to do was get one land, any land, next turn
and it would have been lights out for Rene. Of course, as the story goes, I
don't see that second land until turn 6 and Rene tap dances on my head with an
assortment of Jackal Pups and various moggs. I drop like a scrub 1-2.

3-2

I decide to stay in for the final round even though I had no chance of
qualifying. I had played for so many hours already, I thought I might as well
finish the tournament up. I ended up playing a trade-awakening deck which I
totally ate for breakfast. Game 1 I play first and I drop a land. He drops a
turn 1 vineyard and I smile. Next turn I play a land and drop a medallion for
free. He plays a land and plays a wall of blossoms. I untap, play a land, and
drop my wyvern. I beat him down for the next five rounds, taking a little burn
along the way and countering everything he plays (I love mana leak with
medallions). Game two was all his, the result of vineyard burning / tradewind
beatdown. Game three, I got out two medallions and a crystal and he drops
awakening during his turn. I capsize him into oblivion and he concedes. I pick
up 2-1.

I finished up the tournament 4-2, although barring one stupid mistake, I could
have made final eight. All in all, I am happy with the decks performance. The
deck didn't lose today, I did. The deck did what it was supposed to do and
this of course was a good thing. Almost everybody I played gave me the same
comment after the game: "I can't believe you dropped a static orb on me, that
sucked." And now for the mandatory props and slops.

Props
---------

1. Props to Zach Litton of Team Shroomin Kangaroo (my team). Zach went all the
way on Saturday and qualified for PT Rome giving the Shroomin Kangaroo it's
first Pro Tour representation.
2. Props to Control. Aggro is quite budilicious.
3. Props to my friends over at Lizards on Ice. Merle, Jenna, Chris, Micah,
Zach and everyone down there, thanks for helping with the playtesting and
design portions of the deck.
4. Thanks to Rene Hidalgo for offering to let me mulligan in the last game of
our match after I had already played my first turn. You're too kind, but I
could never accept a gift like that.
5. Props to my cousin Jon for pulling off some kickass trades yesterday and
for the continuous supply of cigarettes in beween rounds.
6. And finally, major props to Dave Matteson for so accurately predicting the
metagame and the strength of Static Orb.

Slops
--------

1. To Rene Hidalgo for seeking revenge for National's Qualifiers in Atlanta. I
guess that means we're even now.
2. To all you magic players out there who don't shower. I hope I never have to
play against any of you ever again.
3. To that guy who tried to sacrifice his Shard Phoenix against Zach in the
final 4 even though the humility was out. Come on.
4. To everyone who said my deck sucked and then lost to me.

JuanCalama
Team Shroomin Kangaroo