Subject: PTQ Rome 5th neutral Ground Detroit Awakening Deck. Date: Sun, 18 Oct 1998 23:37:48 -0400 From: "Paulo M." To: fkusumot@ix.netcom.com hi my name is Paulo Mirao I placed 5th at a PTQ Rome at neutral ground in Detroit Michigan on Oct 18th. I'd like to contribute the attached report. -------------------------------------------------------------------- October 18th 1998, PTQ Rome. Neutral Ground Detroit. This was my second DCI constructed event. The first being PTLA extendend in Grand Rapids Michingan. I bombed out at that one witha 5-2 record, But I did ok this time. Thanx to my buddy Tom for playtesting with me and all the guys at Get Smart in Leamington Ont. whereI live. Anyways, I got little sleep but when I woke up I felt good, After running around at 6am i hook up with Tom and we set off for Detroit. After being turned away at Taco Bell which at one time was open 24/7 we hit Mikky Dee's for a sloppy ass welfare breakfast..After the manditory explaination of Magic to a customs officer at the US boarder we get a little lost when Tom reads the directions to the Pack Shack instead of the directions he left at home for Neutral Ground.. So Tom apologizes for a while and we end up at the tourney with time to spare.. I didn't write down any names sorry fellas.. Round 1 vs Green spikey thing. First game I win the roll and play first. After a slow build up of mana he drops a main deck scragnoth that i can't deal with even though i have 4 wall of blossoms, 2 feeders and 3 weavers in deck. Didn't see a one. Game 2: I quickly setup a defense with wall,wall, weaver an active tradewind and capsize in hand. Awakening soon follows as does the obligatory judge call for verification on the use of capsize+ awakening during his upkeep. Quite a few players weren't familiar with awakening's abuse, much to my content. =) Game 3: Turn 6 awakening with capsize in hand, active tradewind, and 2 weavers meant a quick quick game with a 6/9 tradewind pounding on him after the board was cleared leaving time to browse the awesome cardshop at NG. Round 2 vs B/G trade-weenie Limited resources thing.. I duno.. Game 1: He drops a legacy's allure, I follow with mine. Soon after he casts woodelf, which by the way hits me 6 times before i get a wall of blossoms in play. After a little forbid fight and some sneaky capsize vs capsize action, I fizzle 2 of his capsizes by capsizing the allure in response to his capsize. blah blah...Anyways, I save the allure for a tradewind, only to have it fizzle when he shows me that he sports a full compliment of capsizes himself. Then I couldn't believe it, I have an active tradewind and he drops a limited resources!! woohoo, so i started bouncing all his U mana and soon deliver 6/6 weaver beatings. Game 2: my sharks swim out of my `board and rip him a new one as he encounters mana screw an all the while I'm holding 2 boarded leaks and 2 counters. Round 3 vs Mono Blue curiosity Hammer heads,rootwaters,ertai and tradewinds Game 1: He drops a rootwater, then curiousity on it, I capsize in response. We have many counter and capsize battles over Whispers and tradewinds, anyways, I show him the power of awakening after i make sure that I'm armed with losta Blue in hand and he keeps casting rootwaters i'm bouncing. Sure enough he wasn't sure tapping out in response to awakeing was possible. Our judge asssured him it was. Game 2: Man sharks are popular around here, I legacy's one of his sharks and cast one with a bunch of blue in hand to keep anymore threats from coming `round. Round 4 WWR This guy was really nice, he wears this cool rasta hat all the time sorry i don't remember your name. Game 1: He plays plains soul warden, uh oh. Luckily his shadow stuff didn't show up and I start the routine, But he's gaining a ton-a-life! I left these two inocent looking Soul wardens alone only to realize he was up to 28 life. Finally I get the board cleared of threats and we start the next one. Game 2: I board in Oaths and I notice he isn't boarding..? He tells me he got deck checked and something didn't add up right.. Shitty. I felt really bad, But things went my way. After fending off a paladin, warrior en-kor and a priest with tradewind-block-bounce nonsense, I get to six mana and kick some butt. He had a fireslinger that got to be a big threat with awakening out. I lock it up and win. Round 5 Burn deck all I remember is they called this cat "Shazaam" Shazaam starts assuring me that the best bet is to draw in. I've never played at this level so I'm lacking the understanding and the confidence to do this, All I've heard are these horror stories of the kid who drew only to find out that he missed 8th spot. Well whatever, as soon as I tell him I wanna play I see his hair go grey. And all the other guys in top 8 contention start asking what the fuck is up with the new guy? Sorry dude i should have trusted in you. Game 1: He goes mountain pup, me island go, Him Flunkie assault go. Me forest go, Him Maniacle rage puppy fanatic attack go. I draw and say go... man he killed me fast.. All i could hear is this guy saying "I told you so". Game 2: I board in 4 oaths, I go forest go, he plays a pup go, I play island oath, Man you'll never guess what he plays.. A FRIGGIN BOMBARDMENT.. oh shit..but the first time he sacs a dude to bombardment and searches for another via oath he mills off like 10 cards..Shazaam learned what fear was after that =) I drop a tradewind and he plays a Portculis... I'm like wtf? Ok I capsize his bombardment with buyback during his discard, all the while i have a wall and a tradewind.. Ok we have a 15 minute standoff, And there's an army of badguys standing behind the portculis... As well as 2 of my weavers, 2 walls and a feeder, Him 4 fanatics and a couple flukies and such.. I drop an awakening by this time I have about 9 land in play and i start the insanity, he calls a judge and then contemplates for a while..a long while each turn.. No he wasn't stalling just doing the math.. Finally after massing more mana I Cap the porticulis and start bouncing.. I got some tradewinds going then beat him up with weavers.. Game 3: Almost same start, walls-shocks oaths and flunkies bouncing burning and all that when that damned porticulis came back... After some very long turns he took, I get my mojo in high gear and with 11 lands on the table I drop awakening he's at 9 and I have 2 weavers loaded with counters. I say I'm done, n otify me of when your upkeep starts, and you know what the judge has the NERVE to say to me??? "active player finish your turn"..........doh. =) Ended up drawing anyways..okok I'm new, but if you were in my possition, scubby not a familiar face reassuring you of the benefits of drawing in, not to mention my scepticism about the intentions of these people and the repercussions..I didn't know these guys.. screw it I stuck with what felt good, I came to play. Round 6 Another guy gave me the run down and did an awesome job of explaining the math used in calculating top 8 results.. I drew...So I hung out and talked to a guy named Jason I think who was a pro tour guy... He also confirmed what the end result would be.. Top 8 vs awakening deck like mine.. I draw my hand, and paris.. I draw, Paris.. oh shit.. I draw, play islands say go. He plays island go. I draw and start tripping out .. I drew one of my sideboard cards.. All I heard was that guy hired to pester happy gilmore say "Jackass!" I drop my hand and say -game-. He thanx me for being honest and we promptly start the second game. I still duno if we did the right thing by not calling a judge.. But that suited me just fine.. I didn't need to feel dumber than i did.. Game 2: I draw 4 land in a row after a feeble attempt to cast a weaver to fend off his double shark beatdown, and later lose a counter battle over a capsize.. My luck ran out. I congradulated him and wished him the best of luck. I grabbed my 15 packs for 5th and went back to Canada. Props To Neutral Ground Detroit. amazing. To all the guys I played you were gentemen. Buddy for showing me the intentional draw logistics. The staff at the tourney. Always on time. Slops Me for not drawing right away. The US exchange rate.. Holy-48% you on crack? That dink at the gas station for charging me 3.00 for a pack of camels..wtf man.=) paulo@mnsi.net |TiLT| on IRC Effnet.