Subject: Tournament
Date: Mon, 21 Sep 1998 15:35:21, -0500
From: CXEL93B@prodigy.com (MR CHRIS A ZEIHER)
To: fkusumot@ix.netcom.com

 I can’t say I recommend working until 1:30 a.m. and then waking up at 5:30 to go
to a tournament, but I can’t say I had a choice, either.  When the PTQ-Rome (Rath
Cycle Constructed) in Miami on Saturday the 19th of September beckons, I
answer.  On my way to the tournament I make one little error driving error and end
up on a twenty minute scenic tour of the Slums of Downtown Miami.  Finally I get
to the hotel and I must say, for Doust, this is a pretty nice hotel.  Especially
considering a) it’s on the edge of the Slums of Downtown Miami, and b) the one
he used for the PTQ back in February or March (can’t remember) was the
definition of rat-ass hotel.  

 Nonetheless, I go on up to the room, I’m there fairly early, and do something that
is almost unheard of for me, I buy cards.  I have fourteen cards in my deck that I
need to acquire, and manage to pick up most of them from Doust, who nicely
discounted some of them because I help him judge at Pre-Releases.  I’m playing
mono-blue and am having real trouble dealing with Scragnoth.  I notice a lot of
Death decks sitting around at the tables and realize that I’m in for a Protection
from Blue whooping.  I had two Dominating Licids main deck that I could use to
take Wall of Blossoms from my opponent to block Scragnoth, and I had two
Shifting Walls in the sideboard.  I decided that the Walls were stupid because of
Spike Counters so I go for Mindless Automatons that I can pump up, instead.  I
truly thought that was enough to deal with enemy Scragnoths.  Oops.  Oh well,
that’s what happens when NONE OF YOUR PLAYTESTING TEAMMATES
BUILD SIDEBOARDS FOR PLAYTESTING!!!  >:(

 I mark down my deck, as my teammates slowly start to arrive, we sit around and
change Chi-Chi’s name to Grollub.  For those of you who know Chi-Chi, tell me
this is not an appropriate name.  First of all, he looks like Grollub, and second, just
like the quote on the card, you just want to beat on him (get your mind out of the
gutter).  Anyhoo, the tournament, which only got 61
participants,...............................eventually gets under way.

Round 1

   My first opponent is playing a deck that I didn’t really except to see too much of,
and, I believe he was the only one playing it: White Weenie.  He seems to be
playing an exact copy of Slemr’s deck (I wonder if he has Null Rod in the
sideboard).  I truly don’t understand why, but my deck really whoops up on White
Weenie before sideboard.  I admit, he drew too much land, and the Wyvern is very
unforgiving.  Second game he draws two Wastelands and one Plain for the first
fifteen or so turns.  How sad is that, White Weenie basically doesn’t function
without two white.  Sadly enough, I was only able to draw land after land after
land.  I got a Tradewind in play and eventually a Dominating Licid.  But, he had
two Emissaries, a Decoy, and a Soul Warden out.  I managed to keep the
Emissaries from killing me (He couldn’t make them shadow because he only had
one plain out that he used to tap my Tradewind with the Decoy).  At one point I
thought I was dead, so I Whispered of the Muse no buyback.  I drew nothing useful
(another land) and the Whispers went away.  As it turns out, I was able to hold off
my death for a few more turns with Stupid Licid Tricks.  If I had kept buying the
Whispers back, I would have gotten to the Capsize on the next turn.  And then,
with the Memory Crystals and Medallions, it would have been over.  But, alas, I
didn’t.  He drew the second plain and Cataclysmed.  I countered.  He did it again
the next turn.  I had no counter.  After the Cataclysm, I drew nothing, and he drew
nothing but land.  The creatures poured from his hand, and I died.  Third game.  I
lost, so I go first.  On my first turn, I accidentally reach to draw.  I picked up the
card and then, quickly dropped it back on the library and turned my head so as to
seem like I didn’t see the card.  I said nothing, but my opponent saw it.  I waited a
few second for him to pass judgement, he said nothing.  I went on to win the game,
and the match.  Thank you for not saying anything.  The card on top was a
Tradewind, a card I couldn’t cast for four turns, therefore it made no difference.  It
was a minor mistake, thank you for not calling me on it.

(1-0)

Round 2

 My opponent is a young kid who seems to know what he’s doing.  He’s playing
Death, and therefore, he doesn’t have a prayer first game.  He sides in two Chokes
and four Scragnoths.  I hate sideboards.

(1-1)

Round 3

 My opponent this round is my teammate Jenna.  She seemed only mildly interested
in the tournament as she spends the entire round plugged into a portable CD player
and quietly singing along.  She’s playing Counter Phoenix.  I figure as long as I
can keep the CounterSpell wars on the end of her turn, I should do just fine.  As it
turns out, I’m able to do just that, and then, when I untap, I go Capsize mad with
my Medallions and Crystals.  At one point, she had six Mountains and two Islands
tapped on the end of her turn.  When she untapped on her next turn, she had only
two Mountains.  I love Memory Crystal.

(2-1)

Round 4

 My opponent is playing Hatred.  To be honest, I didn’t even acknowledge it’s
presence when playtesting, I simply thought it was too weak.  I think that’s because
when I play it, I can’t get a thirtieth turn kill, much less a second.  I have some of
the worst luck.  Nonetheless, he runs me over the first game, which I expect. 
Unfortunately, despite a valiant Capsizing effort on my part, he runs me over in the
second.  No complaints.  No mana screw.  No bad draw.  He beat me.  How
disturbing.

(2-2) 

 I dropped at this point so I could play in the Mox Mania which didn’t start for
another four hours because that retard was running it.  So I sat around.  Only one
of my teammates remained at this point with the chance of going all the way, Zach. 
There was a wedding going on in the ballroom next to the room the tournament
was held in.  So we sat around in the bar in the hotel while all the chicks in their
tight dresses walked by.  Unfortunately, it was a Spanish wedding, so we had to
listen to Spanish Music shaking the walls of the hotel all day.  I can’t decide
whether they played different songs or the same song over and over because all
Spanish songs are, by law, required to have that same back beat.  You know?  The
one on the Casio Keyboard from K-mart that you hear when you press the button
for Spanish Background?

Anyhoo, Zach defeated the guy I played the first round, to go into the final eight.  I
didn’t watch his matches though, as I was busy losing in the Mox Mania.  I pulled
five black shadow creatures with 1 toughness in my sealed deck.  Unfortunately,
my first opponent had COP: shadow and COP: Black STANDARD in his deck. 
Not to mention Fevered Convulsions, Evincar’s Justice and Stronghold
Taskmaster.  Whatever.

To make a long story short, Zach pulled it off and won the whole thing.  I don’t
think he could’ve won if I hadn’t loaned him that Grindstone for his sideboard.  :)  

Props

David Doust - for not picking a rat-ass hotel and giving me a discount on those
Tradewinds.  Oh yeah, and for letting me judge the Pre-Release next week.  
 
 Teammates - John, J.C., Micah, Zach, Merle, and Jenna.  I couldn’t have gone 2-2
without you.  Go (whatever our team name is)!!

Zach - For winning the whole thing!  Congrats!  

My first round opponent - For not calling my mistake.  

Jon Finkle - For not attending.

Jakub Slemr - For putting Null Rod in his sideboard.

Colin McNeal - For a kick-ass picture on Silver Wyvern

The guy who left the Chinese Grollub on the table.

Slops

Mark Rosewater - for designing Scragnoth.  Jerk.

People who don’t shower!  

The guy who tried to Sac his Phoenix against Zach while Humility was out. 
Granted, a spectator (who happened to be on me and Zach’s team) pointed it out,
even though Doust was standing right there.  I can understand why you would be
mad, but do you think we’re going to wait for Doust to say something?  Didn’t you
all end up sharing a hotel room and hanging out that night?  In other words,
weren’t you two friends?

People who leave their trash lying around.  

The person who designed the streets of Miami.

David Doust - for picking the same rat-ass hotel for the Pre-Release as he did for
the tournament in FEB/MAR.  >:(



Chris Zeiher
(on the verge of being a Level II judge)
CXEL93B@Prodigy.com
Team... umm....  that’s a good question...what is our team name?