Subject: PTQ-Rome Date: Sat, 24 Oct 1998 13:34:04 -0500 From: ROBERT CASTRO To: fkusumot@ix.netcom.com Hey Frank Tourney report PTQ-Rome Location: Palatine, IL 1-slot Final Eight results included Head Judge: Darrell Wyatt (Level III) Run By: Steve Port and Legion Report by: Robert "5-Color" Castro I drove down from the Milwaukee area with Brian Kowal (Team Rogue) and my VGC teammates Dave Schriener, Marcos and Julio Fontanez. This would be my first Rath Cycle qualifier, because I was not to thrilled with this format I had not put any effort into making a deck. I did want to go to Rome, because I really enjoy playing in the Extended format, so I had to try at least once. I decided to play Shuler Jank, a deck that Brain gave me the night before the tournament designed by John Shuler. We did make some changes by adding a Volrath's Stronghold, four Legacy's, and two Power Sinks. I removed one stalking stone (big mistake), two Dismiss, two Ironhead Sharks, and two Merfolk Looters. Shuler Jank (Counter Portcullis) 1 - Dominating Licid 1 - Wall of Souls 1 - Ertai, Wizard Adept (Good ole Ertai nothing beats Ertai!) 2 - Power Sink 3 - Forbid 3 - Capsize 3 - Portcullis 3 - Lobotomy 3 - Wispers fo the Muse 4 - Tradewind Rider 4 - Legacy's Allure 4 - Counterspell 4 - Wall of Tears Land 4 - Rootwater Depths 1 - Stalking Stone 1 - Volrath's Stronghold 3 - Swamps 15 - Islands Sideboard 2 - Dominiating Licid 1 - Grindstone 3 - Nausea (They were put in specifically for Curious George) 2 - Hammerhead Shark 1 - Portcullis 1 - Capsize 3 - Chill 2 - Dread of Night and 1 Rebound (Shuler Tech) just kidding Brian: Ponza Red Dave: Ponza Red Marcos: VGC Static Humility (No Orim's Prayer) Julio: Suicide Black Round 1: Ryan Georges - 1614 - Kenosha, WI - VGC Static Humility, his varient Thanks Ryan for giving props to Marcos. Unfornate for Ryan, he was playing a deck I was well two familiar with. I had played Static Humility against him and Dan Thomas, failing to get a win against Death and Counterphoenix I put it on the shelf and decided it was not the deck for me. Apparently they both liked it and were using their varient in this tournament. Game 1: I found out what he was playing when I lobotomized him and took out his humilities from the game. I then locked up them game. Game 2: I did not draw any humilities and I preceded to bounce his lands. Games/Match: 2-0/1-0 Brain: Check his post for his results Dave wins vs White/Green 2-0/1-0 Marcos wins vs Ray DeGuzman (team Ultra Pro) playing Curious George 2-1/1-0 Julio wins vs Mark Arriola White weenie 2-0/1-0 Round 2: Jacob Raye - 1793 - Chicago - Counter Blue/Lobotomy Game 1: He gets an early Lobotomy off and I lose my capsizes and the game Game 2: Hegets another Lobotomy off and there go my capsizes again. He then beats me down with three stalking stones. Games/Match: 2-2/1-1 Dave loses vs White weenie/blue (Lost to a topdecked interdict) 2-2/1-1 Marcos wins vs Red/White Furnace Bounce 4-0/2-0 Julio loses vs Cliff Wallach Counter/Tradewind 3-2/1-1 Round 3: Mark Arriola - ? - ? - White weenie Game 1: I get a couple of tradewinds out, with portcullis I lock him down Game 2: Same as game 1. Games/Match: 4-2/2-1 Dave wins vs Sligh 4-2/2-1 Marcos loses vs White weenie 4-2/2-1 Julio wins vs ? 5-2/2-1 Round 4: Dominick Riesland "The TURNABOUT Guy" - Milwaukee - Ponza Red A regular customer and Judge at the VGC Dom came down with Waiken Soo. Dom knows the rules insight and out. Game 1: I Lobotomy him three times! I had two walls in play and three Tradewinds, a wall and Ertai out of the game due to Portcullis. I had to wait for a capsize which was the fifthteen card from the bottom of my deck before I could start bouncing his creatures and lands. I then killed him off. Game 2: I get a second turn chill and then another chill the next turn. I cas another Lobotomy and take his Fire Slingers. I can't kill him off quickly before time is called. Games/Match: 5-2-1/3-1 Dave loses vs Humility/Prayer 4-4/2-2 Dave drops Marcos wins vs Julio 6-3/3-1 Julio loses vs Marcos 5-4/2-2 Marcos beats Julio 2-1 when he drops Light of Day Round 5: Cliff Wallech - 1887 -Buffalo Grove, Il - Counter/Tradewind Originally I was supposed to play Brian Kowal but with other individuals playing themselves we were repaired. Game 1: I lock Cliff down with Tradewind/Portcullis Game 2: He beats me down with Curiosty Manta Rider Game 3: We didn't finish Games/Match: 6-3-2/3-1-1 Marcos wins vs Herbie Lukes (Team Ultra Pro) playing Curious George 8-3/4-1 Julio wins vs ? 7-4/3-2 Round 6: Scott - ? - ? - Counter Sliver Game 1: I drop early walls and a Port cullis and beat him down with a Stalking stone. Game 2: He gets a second turn Crystalline Sliver and I lose badly. Game 3: He gets out two Muscle Slivers and a Metallic Slive and puts me at six when I finally draw a black source, Rootwater Depths. I drop my Wall of Souls and start bouncing his creatures. I deny him his counterspell by casting Lobotomy. I was luck he had no blue source. I lay one Portcullis which he disenchants it during my discard phase. I get a capsize and bouce everything. Games/Match: 8-3-2/4-1-1 Marcos finally loses to Curious George vs Mark Slapak (Team Ultra Pro) 8-5/4-2 Julio wins vs ? 9-4/4-2 Round 7: Jim Kirpanous - ? - ? - Counter Dracoplasm Props to Jim for bringing the most original deck to the tournament. He would cast a Reigns of Power, then drop Dracoplasm and beat you down with him. Jim I liked your deck a lot, great idea. Game 1: I win the first game. I don't really remember it. I just know it went back and forth. Game 2: He brings in four Grindstones and he kills me quickly. Game 3: I get a shark early and start to beat him down while he grinds. I get Ertai through and draw two Counter spells when cast intuition for three Reigns of Powers. He casts Reigns and I Counter spell it. I barely win. Games/Match: 10-3-2/5-1-1 Julio loses vs Dan Thomas VGC Static Humlitiy (His Varient) 10-6/4-3 I made top eight as the eigth seed, and I was very happy to see four other Wisconsinites it. Top Eight 1 - Dan Bock - Madison, WI - Team Rogue - Oats 2 - Scott Valastyan - Chicago Area - Tradewind Awakening 3 - Kevin Mergen - Madison, WI - Independent - ? 4 - Mark Slapak - Northbrook, Il - Team Ultra Pro 5 - Brian Kowal - Big Bend, WI - Team Rogue - Ponza Red 6 - Dan Thomas - Kenosha, WI - VGC Static Humility (His varient) 7 - Yuan Jiang - ? - Tradewind Awakening 8 - Robert Castro (me) - Brookfield, WI - Team VGC - Shueler Jank Round 1: Dan Bock Dan had gone undefeated with his combo deck. I was probably the only one in the top eight that had a good chance of beating him. Game 1: I get early Legacy's and steal his Muro de Flores and his Canopy Spider I get lobotomy off and take his Overgrowths, this may have been a questionable move because he did have a power sink in his hand. I beat Dan down with his own Canopy Spider. Game 2: Good ole Ertai, nothing beats Ertai! With Ertai on the board he really had no chance. Dan thanks for great entertaining games. Brain vs Mark Brain loses Kevin vs Dan Kevin wins Scott vs Yuan Everybody was happy that both Tradewind Awakening decks had to face each other. Scott wins Round 2: Mark Slapak Curious George Game 1: Again I get a Lobotomy off on my opponent, but I still lose the game. Game 2: Mark squandered down to six cards and I start bouncing his Legacy's until I could counter it. After that ocurred I just started bouncing his land with Tradewind and Capsize with buyback. I never saw any sideboard cards but never needed them. Game 3: He came out fast. He had a Cloud Spirit and a Manta Rider in play when I played Nausea. He put out Thalokos Drifter and anthor Manta Rider. I drew anther Nausea, but I had no answer for the Drifter. The key between the two decks was who could get more Legacy's in play. Mark Slapak went onto the finals against Scott Valastyan. They both decided to spit the prizes. Since both are qualified for the Junior Super Series they won't be going to Rome. Robert "5-Color" Castro Team VGC 1997 WI Standard State Champion and 1998 D-Tour (Milwaukee area thing) Champion See you in Milwaukee for 1998 Standard State Championship.