Subject: Type 2 report Date: 17 Nov 1997 15:16:02 GMT From: "Hannibal Hansen" Newsgroups: rec.games.trading-cards.magic.strategy This sunday I went to the local Type II tourney, the first in the new environment. I'd been playtesting several decks and it seemed that 5cG was the strongest deck I could come up with. It consistently beat the two decktypes I was expecting to meet: Propa-Orb and Sligh. My deck was pretty much a traditional 5cG (see below). The only new thing was 2 Propaganda to beat Sligh and 5cG, and 2 Bottle Gnomes to beat Knights and Sligh. Deck List: 4 Q. ranger 4 Birds of Paradise 3 J. Centauer 2 Maro 3 Gr. Guildmage 2 River Boa 1 Lhurgoyf 1 Apes of Rath 2 Giant Growth 1 Vampiric Tutor 2 Terror 2 Propaganda 2 Man-o-war 4 Incinerate 2 Disenchant 1 Armageddon 2 Bottle Gnomes 3 Winter Orb 3 Undis. Paradise 3 Gemstone Mine 2 City of Ouch 11 Forest Sideboard: 1 Serenity 2 Light of Day 2 Warmth 2 Pyroblast 1 Chill 1 Disenchant 1 Feldons Cane 1 Emerald Charm 1 Karoo Merkat 1 City of Solitude 2 Freewind Falcon Now, on to the highligts of the tourney. There were only 21 players (the lowest ever in a Type II tourney in this area). We always play 6 rounds of swiss and 21 players means top 4 get in the finals. I figure I have to go 5-1 or 4-2 with a good resistance. Match 1 vs. Morten Jensen 5cG Game 1 I draw 3 lands during the entire game, one being a gemstone that I used up quickly. I lose. Game 2. He gets a good start with Askari and Centaur. I get the gnomes and the boa who don't like flanking so he deals lots of damage. Then he geddons, wipes out 4 of my lands and play a Quicksand. The next 6 turns I draw lands. Game over. 0-1 0 points Match 2 vs. Dennis Something mono-green Dennis is a little kid that doesn't look like an experienced player, so I might just have a chance:). Game 1. He starts with no-land mulligan followed by a no-land hand and forgets to draw any land at all during the game. I kill him on turn 5. Game 2. This time he gets lands and some boas. I get a lot of weenies, but can't get through because of the boas. Then I get Maro and eventually incinerate one boa while my guildmage takes care of the other. He play a 3/4 Lhurgeyf, block my Maro and giant grotwths the Lhurgeyf. Then he asks me how big my Maro is. "10/10", I answer while I kiss my resistance goodbye. The Lhurgeyf die and I finish him off quickly. 1-1 3 points Match 3 vs. Stig Nielsen Propaganda-WOrb-Pendrel Mist-Armageddon Stig had told me about his deck before the tourney, so I know what I'm facing. I am not sure I can handle this one, because it differs from the PropaOrb decks I have tested. Game 1. He gets the lock by turn 5 or 6, killing all my creatures. Then he armageddons and I concede. Game 2. I swap my creature-kill with all my anti-blue stuff from the sideboard. This should do the trick. I draw four enchantment killlers but no multi lands. Instead I play green weenies until he gets the lock. Then it happens. Just to show off he taps out and plays a Dream Tides. I untap one land and top-deck a City of Brass and play Serenity. You should have seen his face!! It was without a doubt THE moment of the day. I wipe out Worb, P.mist, Dream Tides, and two Fellwar Stones. With three Disenchant in my hand its no problem keeping him from getting the lock again. I get out my City of Solitude, shut off his Quicksand defense, and start sucking his life with a ranger and a boa. But he has one more trick up his sleeve. TITANIAS SONG!!! He hits me for 10, bringing me down to 4 life. Luckily, I had drawn my fifth and last enchantment killer: the charm. I kill him two turns later with an incinerate. Phew, that was close. Game 3. We only have 6-7 minutes left when we start the last duel, but Stig is mana screwed, so I tutor for my Apes and finish him off. 2-1 6 points Match 4 vs. Boris Something playing r-g-w Dirtcowlgeddon Game 1. I get a strong weenie start. He, OTOH, doesn't do much until he plays a dirtcowl on turn 5. Next turn he uses it to block my Centaur. I incinrate the wurm and keep on hitting with the rangers. Now he does something unusual. The next three turns he plays 3 Gerrards Wisdom bringing his life total to 43!! It doesn't matter, I kill him with an 8/8 Maro. Game 2. I'm in mana trouble but manage to put out a few creatures, but he gets out blockers. Then he plays a SHIVAN! I draw no terror...game over. Damn, I hate losing to a shivan... Game 3. See game 2. Only this time, when the shivan hits the table I have only one forest in play (used up two mines). But I do have a freewind Falcon in my hand so all I have to do is to draw a multi land. I draw some crap though and start whining about my lack of land. Stupid me. Boris think for a looong time, then plays a geddon. Next turn I draw a city. The turn after I die. I am convinced that he wouldn't have play the geddon, if only I had shut my big mouth. 2-2 6 points This was bad. Now I have to be extremely lucky to make the cut. I go home for lunch and return 10 minutes into the next round (I guess I didn't pay attention when the judge announced the time to start after the break. Fortunately, Anders, my next opponent, is cool and says I don't have to lose the game. But if we didn't finish the 3rd game, he wins the match. Unfortunately, from Anders' point of view, his deck is what I'd been waiting for all day. Match 5 vs. Anders Sloth R/w burn Game 1 I play weenies and a propaganda on turn 3. He puts 4 mountains in play before his first move. He taps out and play Rolling Thunder on two of my creatures. I play the Worb. Now he looks pretty frustrated and for the rest of the game he only play an Incinerate and a Kindle. Game 2. Five sideboard cards go into the deck. I repeat the lock from game 1 and adds a Warmth and a Freewind Falcon. It ends slow and painful for Anders... 3-2 9 points Match 6 vs. Another Boris Something Sligh Another burn player. What a shame I have to reset my sideboard. Game 1 I get the probaOrb lock out and he is helpless. The centaurs show their efficiency once again. Game 2. I mana screw and he spank me with a Suq'ata twice with Bloodlust! Fireblast, Incinerate, game over. Game 3. The falcons make their appearance and stall the game long enough for me to get the gnomes and a Worb. I win easily after that. 4-2 12 point As predicted I don't make the cut. Two players out out five with 12 points make it. I am placed 7th. Looking back I'm pretty satisfied with the deck's performance. The only thing I regret is that I didn't add two terrors (or edicts) to the sideboard instead of the merkat and the cane. It would have helped against those shivans. Furthermore, next time I play the deck I will add one or two disenchant, because Propagangda is getting more and more popular and is a real pain in the ass for my deck. The top 4 players were Niels S. Jensen Sligh Casper Nielsen 5cG Jan Sørensen r/g/b fatties Morten Sigsgaard WW with red That's all for now. Thanks for reading. -- Hannibal Hansen