Subject: Tourney report Date: Fri, 07 Nov 1997 14:54:03 -0700 From: Michael Callahan To: fkusumot@ix.netcom.com Zig Laing's been trying to get me to write this java applet for him forever (I'll get to it eventually Zig). He likes to know what his DCI rating is all the time, and how much it goes up and down. So when WotC changed their web pages, Zig sent me some email to let me know he had gone all the way up to 37th in one of the categories. While poking around the web site, I happened to notice that the Salt Lake PT Qualifier for Mainz was the next day, and that it was a sealed deck tournament. So I figured to myself "Hey, what the hell. It would be fun to go to Germany." You have to understand, I haven't played any magic in over 4 Months since I gave away all my cards. I even got a new computer and girlfriend now, so what interest could I have in this silly game anyway? Trust me, sex is better than Magic. Besides, I think WotC are a bunch of greedy bastards. Patenting CCGs and that's good for the industry? Give me a fucking break... Anyway, don't ask me why I did it, I just did. I showed up at the hotel in the morning at the last minute (it was the day after Halloween), registered a pretty good deck, then got back a really average deck. So I put every white/green/red creature I got in except for that wall of earth, and proceeded to get really lucky. I got mana screwed really bad in the first game. I think to myself "Why am I doing this?" But I get lucky and win the next two matches. Next round, I loose the first game again to a quick Hulking Cyclops. I even tried to sack my Hollow Trees thinking that they were the other green lands that you can sack for 2 green mana that I don't know the name of anymore. Bleah. However, I managed to win the next 2 games again. In the third round I played against Alan Chandler from Idaho. I'm beating him down with my big fatties against his Mons goblin raiders and mountain goat. Finally, I get him down to 3 life, me at 12. he attacks with his 1/1 creatures. I let them through. He relentless assaults and attacks again, tapping out in the process. So I let them through again, big deal. Then he fireblasts me twice!?! Doh, that was unexpected. I thought this was a sealed deck tournament. Anyway, I beat him soundly the next game for the match win. Next I played someone I don't recognize, but who doesn't seem to be very good. I smack him around for my only 2-0 victory for the day. I'm feeling good now, since I'm in the top 8. I arrange a draw with Zig and Hung for the next two rounds, then I go eat dinner with Julie. In the top 8, I draft a baby blue deck. It consists of a flood, rockslide, disk, elkin bottle, 2 counterspells, and a bunch of sucky red/blue creatures (I took all I could get, but they all sucked.) I also grabbed the 2 Dandans and tossed them in, since they were creatures and I figured blue would be popular in Visions draft. So in the first round of the top 8, I'm playing against Richard who has drafted a red/green weenie creature deck. Fortunately, he only starts with 14 lands in his 42 card deck? Thanks Richard! I let him put some more land in his deck for the next two games, and we go 1/1. In the semi-final rounds, I'm playing against Bob, another local player. He's doing a 3 color B/U/W deck, and the 2nd turn dandan is just rough on his slow start. He finally gets rid of it, but I toss out a cloud elemental and counter/flood things until he dies. Next game, Bob doesn't draw enough land and mulligans. I draw all land and 1 spell. Bob's looking all flustered, so I just smile smugly and keep my hand. I impulse and grab the Elkin Bottle, then draw the flood and the disk and some counterspells. I have about twice as much land out, a bunch of creatures, and a nice fat hand when the guy that just one the other bracket comes by and lets us know that he can't stay for the final round, he has to go catch a flight back to the Bay Area. Apparently he was here on a business trip and played on a whim, and was unable to rescedule his flight when he did better than he thought he would. Or I scared him off (heh). Bob starts looking pretty depressed at this point. A small crowd gathers to watch me finish him off. So that's about it. Julie was happy that I won, since I told her I'd take her with me. I'm glad it's a booster draft thingy, that way I don't have to even pretend to prepare for the tournament. Maybe I'll see some of you in Germany (if I don't get lost in some tourist trap along the way.) Michael Proud owner of 0 magic cards.