Subject: Indy PtQ Report 10-10-98 ***Second Place*** Date: Mon, 12 Oct 1998 15:35:00 -0400 From: "Leonard Richardson" To: Tourney report for Indianapolis on 10-10-98. Greetings all! This PtQ had some attendance, but the major players were all down in TX. I considered going, but decided that just hopping in my car and drving to Indy would be cheaper and I would probably have more fun. As always when I drive, I get lost but find the spot before the tourney starts. I was hoping to pick up some tickets for the Buffalo/Colts game which was held the next day. I did not get any although the pep rally was going on across the hall. I sure was glad I did not wear my Bills coat, Hat or Sweatshirt. I think I would have been mobbed. I am done rambling now.(Not really, but I thought I would write that.) I arrived at the PtQ pretty early and sold some cards to those who did not have their entire deck. I still do not understand this practice, but nevertheless, I seem to always have what people need. Noteable players in attendance were: Theron(Team Goal Line?),Brandon, Dave(Team Turbo?), Ped(Team Wak Wak), Yogi(Team No Cards?) and bunch of other players who I have seen around. Sorry if I did not mention your name. I talked to Zvi and Mike Pstilnick at PTChi and they tell me to play "NICE AWAKENING". Mike and I go out for dinner and he explains the deck to me. I am quite grateful for this. Next PT, I will buy him a soda. I am still a bit rusty on how to deal with all the things so I play it in between doing all my homework. I learn it okay well and I decide I will go play it and if I do not do well, I will make up some random excuse and play in booster drafts. As Always, DECK LISTING for "NICE AWAKENING" at BOTTOM. Rd1. Steve Jones, Sly I am so confused why people still play this. It was awesome first couple of weeks, but there is way to much WW and LD here in midwest for that deck to work any more. I win due to the brokenness of oath. 1-0 Rd2. Aaron ???, Countersliver WooHoo, an original deck. I have heard about CS from TX. I presumed the worst that this guy had some inside contacts and this was a great deck. He forces through a crystaline and I think I am in super trouble. I tap my deck and draw the weaver which just means I win. I win game two with a 19/19 sally that I borrowed "NICE"ly from him. 2-0 Rd3. Spy, Hatred Oh no! This is bad for me. I am hoping to simply outplay him and trick him into a hate that he will regret. First game, he dominates. I board and I win second because I can draw weavers. Third game I take the chance he cannot rit hate me. I think he makes a subtle misplay this games which allows me to lock him a few turns earlier than I should have, but I had already stabilized so it was quite irrelevant. 3-0 (Mental note: Isn't walking on Sun a great song?) Rd 4. Sam Gilly, MonoBlue This guy is wearing a PT shirt. He must be good. I immediately comment on that. I am somewhat nervous, this is my first match against one of the Pro's all day. He wins roll and goes first. This is great for me since I want to draw. I win this game with a borrowed wyvern. Game two ends with me grinded out and game 3 comes for a visit and scrag is little faster than a grinder. 4-0 Rd 5. ID-I think Counterphoenix. This round is awesome. Since I am undefeated, I draw and walk across the street and go to McDonalds. I buy 20 chicken nuggets and a diet coke for me. 1/4 cheese burger meal for Sam(we colluded about this, but we told no one so it was okay). 4-0-1 Rd 6. ID- LD Why play when you can scout? I mean enjoy watching the other matches. I quickly calculate the top 8 seeding and that helps me decide which matches are most interesting to watch. Thanks DCI! 4-0-2 Top 8. 1. Amok 2. "NICE" Awakening 3. CounterPhoenix 4. Living Death 5. Living Death 6. Mono Blue 7. WhiteWeenie 8. Recur-Timewarp (This is not the bottom of the report so I am not going to print my deck listing yet.) Quaters Amok beats Recur-TimeWarp MonoBlue beats CP LD beats LD My Matchup: Jeff Burton, WW okay, I can do this. This is an awesome matchup for me. I know his deck quite well, since I enjoyed watching his match from the previous round. Game 1, I lose because I am a bad player. Game 2 & 3, I learn how to draw and decide I want to go to semi's. Semi's LD beats Amok My Matchup: Sam Gilly, Mono Blue I comment on his PT shirt and he laughs and finally notices I am not only wearing a PT shirt, but a PT hat! (I think it is impossible to write a tourney report and not mention my hat.) He wins the roll and I assume he will make me go first. He chooses to play and I am befuddled. Inwardly I yell "WooHoo!". I win this game and win the second (he chooses to play again) with 14 cards remaining in library. I had 4 land left so I knew I could not be grinded out. Next time I see him, I want to talk about play/draw in TSE constructed. Finals: Dr. Ped Bun, LD His deck is original. It is diferent that most other LD decks. I like it, but I will still probably not play LD. We roll and he wins this is very bad for me. He fails to draw green early and I have time to develop. He conceded with 3 forests in play and no other land. We move onto the second game and I am racking my brain to know how to SB against him. Why couldn't he played normal LD? I subtly missideboard. The Dr goes into surgery so many times I think my medical insurance will be cancelled. We move onto game 3, I SB more since I will be playing first. This means I must change the mana ratio of my deck. I calculate the odds of a give play. The chances are 22% of him having the cards he needs to get out. If he does, I lose, if not I am at a decided advantage. He defies the odds and has the second of the cards. I then explain how he is breaking my heart. I go on to lose to Ped. While I hate to lose, I am glad that it was to a nice guy. Good luck in Rome. Deck List for "NICE" Awakening. Refer to "Rude" Awakening, but say "PLEASE" and "THANK YOU". Leonard Richardson