Subject: PTQ Rome - Edison NJ Date: Fri, 09 Oct 1998 21:56:44 -0400 From: Covener To: fkusumot@ix.netcom.com I don't exactly 'Play the magical cards' anymore...But decided to go to a PTQ just to shoot the shit. I bum some horrible sligh deck off of Mike Lucarello, and prepare for my first _game_ of Rath cycle. Whatever, I'm only here to shoot the shit anyway... Round 1 - Familiar looking guy... I kinda-sorta recognize this guy as a Grey-Matter regular...I didn't get paired with some tard first round as I was hoping. Game 1: I Win the roll and play...Poor guy never plays a second land all game. I manage to serve through and overcome the FOREST he has in play. Awakenings and Capsizes o'plenty hit the graveyard. Game 2: This is actually a game, But he still doesn't get much going. I'm playing sligh and all my cards are ass, So it doesn't matter what he leaks or Bounces. Even though he buys tons of time with Wall Of Blossoms, he's just got Nuthen. Having not played Rath, I don't double sling When he has Awakening out and have a Fireslinger. I realize the next turn and Play another slinger and he goes down quick. Round 2 1-0 Woo-hoo. Like everyone wins 1st round except altran. Kobi even takes out THE BRAD SWAN, although he does try to SteveO him out of a buyback :( I Play god knows who Sligh vs. Sligh here and win. Neither of us has played since '72 but it shows more on his side. Round 3 2-0, Gerome Guardiano Oh Man. I sit down and play against HeyYouMeanWeAreNotPlayingDraft?.dec 3rd round. What do you do against this monster of a curve... Sally, Flunkie, Paladin. Game 1: He cataclysms...He keeps priest, I keep Flunkie w/ raging goblin in hand. You're a naughty raging goblin! You are, You're naughty! He scoops. Game 2: Every time this guy plays a cards I think to myself "Man, Who passed him that". Then I remember we aren't drafting and just bend over. Game 3: I Get mana screwed, Mulligan, And am still not well off. Prolly couldn't have taken the game anyway. Round 4 2-1, Dave Robinson I Introduced this guy to Barry Tings at the last tournament I played in apparently...I kinda remember him. Mike Lucarello witnesses this first game... He trades his pup for my Conscript TWICE in the first 4 turns. Mike can't contain himself and has to stop watching...I take two uneventful games. Round 5 3-1, Ted Kaplun Kaplun's playing awakening...Winner here can draw into almost a lock Final 8. Game 1: I sure wish Blossoms, weaver, Tradewind on successive turns wasn't good against me. I drag it out but get locked supremely. I eventually make like Tradewind and Extend the hand. Game 2: Kaplun goes down faster than his old lady...He just gets nothing. Game 3: Ted draws like god and has mad tradewinds and awakening and capsize. He locks me down and eventually comes over with the dominator and the weaver and whittles me down. This is the 7th top 8 this tradewind and this Licid have taken me to! I sure wish the other 6 weren't sealed deck :( Round 6: 3-2, Matt formerly of those HORRIBLE "Ontario Street somethingorothers" I'm playing for kapluns tiebreakers, 4-1-1 isn't a lock. Now this guy I'm playing...Made some unique plays against me 6 months ago at a local-ish tournament. In One match he Wrathed with 1 White, Failed to bury his Gemstones, Used Pools for incorrect mana, And Shuffled his hand into his library when he Blessinged. Anywho, He's playing hatred. From what I understand thats good for me. Heh. Game 1: He plays cocky, Which is funny because he isn't even approaching being a competent player. I have it pretty much wrapped up, and am about to come over for the last attack. His turn, he sits there shuffling and Dicking around, he's got like NO PLAY to make. I ask if he's done. No, I have a decision to make. [Totally Deadpan] Lemme help ya out. I'm thinking 'Left'. Uh, Wha? Left. Thats the hand you oughtta extend next turn when i come over for 8. Kaplun is watching and is much more amused than he is. Some random bystanders get a kick too. I take the game. I wrap it up soon after. Game 2: He boards in lots, Including possibly CROVAX and HELM OF POSSESTION. I just bring in two gnomes. He gets off a good start, than makes up for it by missing his Carnophage. Here's one key play from this game...Carnophage and Horror come over turn 4 or so. Block the carnophage, sac him and kill the horror. Now that's nothing special. Until he buries the carnophage kldfjlsdjf. I sit there. He sits there. Kaplun is about to bust out laughing, but has the presence of mind to control himself. I probably shoulda capitalized a little more on that, like... Did you lose a land yet? Later on in the game, He sac's something to Helm for my conscript. I have Bombardment out... I catch up but its a mutual lockdown... I go down to 12, and never draw any DD to handle a slayer and lose the game. Game 3: Early game I stop his offense with the mighty Shack. I have pup and slinger, He had Bottle gnome. I attack, he blocks. I Tap my fireslinger, "Firesling your Bottlegnome". I then put down my hand and sit there. A full 30 seconds pass. He says "Take 1". I squeal for joy (He's at like 8, me at 20). He goes to sac the gnome, and I explain to him he can't. He argues and I call a judge. Judge rules with me, and he doesn't bitch or anything. Later he has gnome, I have some random red dude + bombardment. He calls the judge Brian doesn't understand the question, so I go "He wants to know how Reckless spite works with regards to stuff fizzling". Brian explains when Matt rephrases. I make sure that he won't lose the 5 life if both targets fizzle (something Matt didn't ask). I attack. He announces reckless spite. I am waiting for him to say "Do you have any effects" so I can say no and he won't be able to sac the Gnome. Now he ASKED BRIAN HOW IT WORKED. What does he do? Puts gnome in Graveyard ( Does not sac it)...I don't sac the flunkie so I can be sure he takes damage. Is there any reason to not sac the gnome? At some point he uses Helm on a conscript and i still have bombardment out. We stalemate a little, and he busts out crovax. I shack his carnophage and crovax is 2/2. Comes over, I suck it down. It gets spinal grafted and I take 4 in the pooper. I plan to kindle it next turn, But Matt tells me during his upkeep it goes down to 2-2. Oh well. I decide take it, And he drops a slayer. Upkeep, crovax gets small, and he grafts the slayer. Shack. The board is more or less cleared and I eventually pull it out. Kaplun chokes in final 8 the end. Props: Ted "Final 8" Kaplun, who can only hold it together for 7 rounds before losing. Marc Paschover for not back-handing Michelle when she was screaming at him hysterically. The all powerful Mogg Fantastic that takes out Carnophage and Horror Dave Williams, Who always gets the number. Nateman Horation Orenthal James Alan Clarke, for not going a day without touching his Cats dick. Team TDC for taking Occidental Dan Bridy in as one of their own. Tony Parodi for yet again not failing to mention how big the cake is at Harolds Deli. Slops: Magical Card Player Eric Phillipps for being a closet gamer. Team sped for idleing in #mtgpro and checking covener.log for new 'sped lingo'. Dorian Anders for about crying up a storm about cheating then blatantly stalling like it's nothing. Altrans box munching sister :( Brian Schneider for not becoming part of THE PRO TOUR EXPERIENCE. ps John Shuler still cheats.