Subject: PTQ-Mainz Report (Atlanta, GA) Date: Mon, 03 Nov 1997 14:20:49 -0500 From: gs11slm Newsgroups: rec.games.trading-cards.magic.strategy Here's what happened this Sunday in Atlanta at the PTQ. Event: 5e/Vi Sealed + 3x5e booster draft Format: 6 rounds swiss Me: Sol Malka I opened the worst deck I have ever seen. Two mortal wounds. Two wicked rewards. Two tremors. Only 1 visions creature in green, the creature color--and it was rare. I ended up with this: Krovikan Sorcerer Homarid Warrior Dandan (standard) Seasinger (") Time Elemental Knight of Piss Wall of Air Ironroot Treefolk Lichenthrope War Mammoth Fyndhorn Elder Cat Warriors Pikemen 2 Jamuraan Lion Infantry Veteran Undo Enervate Tawnos' Weaponry Jade Monolith Emerald Charm Memory Lapse 8 U, 6 G, 4 W land. I went around challenging people to find a worse deck (the 90 cards), offering a good Tempest rare each time, but no one accepted. When I sat down to play my first match i told the people at my table just how bad my deck was, the guy on my left said he registered a really bad deck, I asked what were the rares he said jade monolith and fyndhorn elder was an uncommon...needless to say it was my deck. Round 1: Kelsey McNair, B/R/G. Game 1: He has a slow mana start after playing some weenies, my wall of air shuts them down then I play the time elemental. He manages to kill it and gets out pestilence. It kills some creatures on both sides but I play more fat that he can't handle. Game 2: In go the CoP's Red and Black (I also had a white but hadn't seen his third color yet). I get out a Jamuraan Lion backed up by an Infantry Vet and Weaponry and it does 10 since all he has are 2 1/1's. He FB's the lion and vet for 2 each. We each lay more creatures but he gets pestilence and after numerous casualties on both sides the pestilence is buried, no creatures on either side, and both hands empty...he lays his last card it's orcish squatters. I topdeck a fatty. He does the same and after 2 more turns of TDS we have a stalemate again. By now I have both CoP's out. I get the Time elemental, Jade Monolith and War Mammoth after each of us draw land for about 5 turns; he gets more creatures too including a Clay Statue. He's at 4 or so life. I apply with the mammoth after a few turns of unsummoning stuff (clay statue) and he gang blocks, I monolith and CoP all but 1 pt of damage. The Mammoth tramples thru to get him to 2; I'm at 6. I just drew an Enervate. During his turn I realize he has an Erg Raider from last turn and Enervate it before he attacks; he looks upset so I figure he's dead. I have enough mana to CoP some stuff but can't unsummon anything this turn with the Time elemental. He says what the hell and attacks. I have the Elemental and a Wall of Air. He's coming over with an Elvis, Kyscu, Clay Statue, and some CoP-able creatures. All I have to do is block 1 of the first 3 with the wall and i take less than 6. I block the Statue with the Wall and the Elvis with the Time Elemental, copping the rest and taking 2 from the Kyscu...and 5 from the Time elemental. Oops. I give away the match win. Game 3: we have about 2 mins left so it's a draw. Result: 0-0-1, 1-1, 1 pt With a deck this bad I cannot afford to give away a match win. Kelsey went on to make top 8. Round 2: Adam Beauchamp, U/G/R. Adam registered my deck. Game 1: He gets a turn 2 sylvan, turn 3 killer bees but I get early pikemen, jamurran lion, treefolk etc. I play very aggressively thanks to the pikemen and early on he takes it. the bees sit useless since he casts other things. I continue to press with the pikemen and fatties and enervate something to kill it in combat, and by the time he gets his orgg it's too late although it does stop the pikemen from intervening. I win without taking damage. Game 2: More of the same I think. I get my fatties with enough mana to cast them. Time elemental helped here too. 1-0-1, 3-1, 4 pts Round 3: Lee Steht, G/R/W I lost to Lee in the finals last week in Birmingham. Game 1: I get early beatdown and draw about 6 cards off the sorcerer but still have land in hand. He gets down to around 7 and lays a disk. He is patient with it and tries to Inferno instead (!!! 2 resets disco inferno what???) but doesn't have the mana yet. Eventually he disks and infernos later with the pro-red gargoyle out (huh?!?) and another creature which he saves with a remedy (I had gotten him to 6 so he couldn't inferno but he had damage prevention too) he then wins easily. Game 2: I get the time elemental and he cannot deal with it. He has the resets but not the 1-shot kill for the elemental. I get out some fat too and unsummon his fat, apply, eventually force bad blocks and finally kill him. Game 3: He goes first but I get the Time elemental again on turn 3 and it's online by turn 4. I drop fat and...well, see game 2. Wow, I can't believe this piece of shit beat a good player with 2 resets! 2-0-1, 5-2, 7 pts Round 4: Rick Saunooke, B/G/W. Game 1: I finally get a turn 2 dandan but not only is he non-blue, his first 2 plays are knight of valor and sucky drake. I take large amounts of beat and don't get to block with the dandan until he gets an erg. I get the sorcerer and draw the knight of piss, but he necromancies the valor. I get the infantry vet and weaponry and try to answer but I'm too low. He gets pestilence and that's game. Game 2: I go first (bad move) get 2 land (no blue) and stall. He gets valor, black knight. I get the CoP's black and white but mana is tight and they still damage me. Oh BTW he gets a clockwork beast and hits me for 7. I finally get the mana to cast lichenthrope and mutual (taking 4 more from the knights) but he necromancies the beast...game. the shit (my deck) finally hit the fan. 2-1-1, 5-4, 7 pts...still mathematically alive. Round 5: Kyle Bigos, G/R/W. Notice that's the 4th non-blue opponent in 5. Game 1: Turn 2 boa for him, he gets 1 more land and starts discarding. I get wall of air and a bunch of islands, waiting for the 2nd forest to get out cat warriors and lichenthrope. I start taking 2 a turn and get lion, weaponry, but he rock slides it and continues beating down. He stays mana screwed for a long time but I have no damage dealers. I delay the inevitable with undo/lapse on the boa and at 2 life i draw not the 2nd forest but...island #6. Game. Game 2: I get all my green fat with enough mana but he gets a CoP green, plus a wand of denial tags both my emerald charm and the time elemental. the boa kills me again. Either of these games could have gone my way, say if I get the 2nd green game 1 or better luck with the CoP and wand game 2. 2-2-1, 5-6, 7 pts (out of contention), I drop before I lose any more DCI points. I get in a Te/Te/Wl booster draft with my confidence nearly at zero and draft a U/W that's incapable of breaking a stalemate. I get swept by W/G. I _Never_ lose to W/G. I had only 1 tim (the reason I never...) but don't get it either game. i get in another draft (Te/Te/Vi) determined to salvage something and return to my U/R ways, starting with rolling thunder (skillfully opening it and deciding to use it) and cutting off all the good red (firefly, sandstone, etc) so I get great red in the second pack too. I do likewise in blue (notwithstanding the 1st 2 packs 1st round which had capsizes) and get 2 counters, 2 booty turtles, etc. I end up with 2 fireflies, 2 sandstones. Visions adds cloud elemental, fireblast, knight of piss, talruum champion, and ovinomancer. Also had mogg fanatic, fireslinger, wildcat, kaleidoscope, mnemonic barbed and winged slivers, etc. Went 2-0, 2-1, 2-0 to get back on track, and the pot was fat with rainbow, city of SOLitude, time warp, tradewind, furnace of rath, etc. Rudy Edwards won the main tournament after getting in with a 4-2 record (only one of the 4-2's who got in). ----- -- gs11slm@panther.gsu.edu Station LS109-B103 in room LS109, Georgia State University