Zork
01-28-2008, 01:45 AM
NOTE: Most of my notes are sketchy, so the exact details may be off. The important pieces, however, like what lock piece or threat sealed the game in my favor, are all correct.
The journey began before it started, with an idea. That idea was attending the Running GAGG, a tourney which I believed I would not be able to attend. After getting a paycheck larger than intended and hearing that Akki (see props) could host me, I had the tough decision of picking a deck. After 2 minutes of consideration, I picked the deck I know the best, Full Slogger AKA Dragon Stompy. Having made a choice, I threw together a 5 minute, non-metagamed list and began my rigorous testing. I started with 10 games against GWU countertop gro, and went about even. The gauntlet next moved to a second set, but my interest was soon overcome by the atrocity known as the League of Extraordinary Gentleman (Don't see The League of Extraordinary Gentleman).
With that out of the way, I grabbed what parts of the deck I actually owned and hopped in a car with Allen (URABAHN), Zuhair (zulander), and Calosso (aka the Source Guardian). 8 hours and some serious Castlevania Dawn of Sorrow later, we ate some "must-have" NY food, the Garbage Platter (see name. gross), and settled in for the night at Akki's house. That night, I watched others test a few games (not with my deck) and made some mental decisions:
- Survival seems bad. I need to try to stop it and help out-tempo it.
- Eva Green also seems bad. Their disruption is very relevant, their removal is scary, and their beats are hard.
- Thresh is redonk-adonk, and I need to hope for dieroll wins and good hands.
So I quasi-fleshed out a SB in my mind and threw some cards that I had (hoping to borrow some others) into sleeves. I could have played the SB I had, but would have been less than pleased (Powder Keg is a bad answer to anything but ETW and Goose, and neither of those are scary).
Dawn broke and I awoke. We grabbed breakfast, or as I call it "coffee," and went to the tournament site. I was happy to see the Hatfields arrive with a fellow partaker of the red, Damon (Parcher). Parcher and I talked about the metagame and a couple card choices, and he lent me the cards I needed with a bit of tech against Eva Green.
The List:
Full Slogger AKA Big Redz AKA Shaquille O'Neal AKA "Dragon Stompy"
10 Mountain
4 Ancient Tomb
4 City of Traitors
4 Chrome Mox
4 Simian Spirit Guide
4 Seething Song
4 Gathan Raiders
3 Rakdos Pit Dragon
3 Sulfer Elemental
4 Arc-Slogger
1 Akroma, Angel of Fury
4 Magus of the Moon
1 Blood Moon
2 Trinisphere
4 Chalice of the Void
2 Umezawa's Jitte
2 Sword of Fire Ice
SB:
4 Pithing Needle
3 Blood Moon
2 Trinisphere
4 Pyrokinesis
2 Sting Scourger
Choices:
1) Akroma - I felt threat light against white thresh in testing, and figured it would probably be the same against other versions. I also felt outmatched in the long game against both thresh and dedicated control (UW Landstill especially). Akroma gives me both in a pinch and also turns those god-awful topdecked seething songs into a potential flip or a nuke for 5. I didn't think that more than 1 would be good, since most of the time it's a grey ogre (not good).
2) 3 Pit Dragon - Pit Dragon is probably the second scariest creature in most builds (3rd in mine), but seems weaker than other creatures in the face of decks with heavy permission and removal, especially red thresh. I knew the the Hatfields were running a new thresh of the red variety and that Calosso was taking their deck as well, so I cut a Pit Dragon.
3) 3 Sulfur Elemental - This guy is so underrated its not even funny. Against decks with counters, the general plan against me is to not let threats connect or disruption resolve. In this light, equipment is usually let through, with counters saved for heavy threats and disruption. Sulfur Elemental dodges the counter-a-threat plan. His instant speed lets him act as a combat trick or pseudo-removal. Not to mention, Sulfur Elemental is often a better threat than Pit-Dragon or Slogger off of a mulligan just because he costs 3.
4) 2 Sphere, 1 Moon - Blood Moon is a really strong disruption in this format. Its better than trini against control and Eva Green, and is only slightly worse than trini against thresh. Sotm combo also likes to have colors other than red, and with a chalice in hand a moon effect shuts them down better than trini.
5) Equip split - Jitte is good. Sword is good. Sometimes I want one, and sometimes the either. Sword is better on my ogres and unbent raiders, while Jitte is better on my slogs and dragons. I never felt like I had the wrong piece, ever.
6) The board: Pithing Needle is mostly against Survival, but also answers random hate like CoP:Red. 3 Moons 2 Trini is obvious. 4 Pyrokinesis is there against goblins, where it answers the scary Wort, Aluren, Eva Green, and Breakfast. Sting Scourger is there against Tombstalker and decks that are hard to out tempo. I didn't run Crypt since I didn't expect Breakfast or Ichorid (score!).
I went to buy new sleeves to replace the japanese crap that I had to grab at TMLO 3, but they didn't have Ultrapro AND they didn't take plastic. Savage. So I instead sleeved my borrowed cards from Damon and went to await my first pairings. Sadly I was paired against not only a fellow unicorn, but a fellow carmate. He was playing Eva Green, and I felt a sinking feeling that I might be starting with a loss. Nevertheless, I shuffled up and drew my 7.
Round 1 VS. Zuhair (zulander) with Eva Green
G1: I won the die roll and opened unspectacularly. I don't remember much here, except that I "trapped" him on double black with Magus and flashed in Sulfur Elemental as removal against a Shade. Eventually I resolved some beats and took the game.
SB: I sisded in Pyrokinesis and Stingscourger, and sided out trinisphere and something else (sorry, I really wish I had noted this since it is a new matchup for the deck, but I hadn't thought I would need to).
G2: I kept a questionable hand, but it didn't matter as Zuhair ripped it apart with a first turn hippy and I struggled to deal with shades and goyfs. My struggle failed.
G3: I keep a mountain, mountain, mox, song, raiders, magus, slogger hand with the idea that I can lay the beats turn 2 unless he draws a god hand. He first turn seizes seething song, telling me he has no snuff out, so I run out a turn 2 magus and keep him off double black until he is on 4 life. He resolves a tombstalker, but I already had 2 hellbent raiders.
1-0-0
Round 2 VS. Chris Saunders (rsaunder) with Iggy Pop
G1: I win the die roll and shuffle up knowing that this is a good matchup for me. I draw a seven that has a 2 mana land, a chalice, a mountain, and a magus. I drop turn 1 chalice for 1, and follow the next turn with magus. This basically seals the game as he runs (I assume) mostly fetches and duals.
SB: -1 Akroma -4 equipment +2 Trinisphere +3 Blood Moon
G2: I keep the absolute nuts with turn 1 Chalice for 0 and 1, but he openson my upkeep with a chant and then drops 12 goblins on his second turn. Sadface.
G3: I open with a moon effect turn 1 and seal the deal eventually with a chalice and a threat. This is the only game I made no notes on, so I don't remember which threat it was.
2-0-0
Round 3 VS. Calosso with Hatfield Red Thresh
G1: I lose the die roll and keep a hand with some disruption that gets countered. I eventually lay 2 morphed Gathan Raiders and an Arc-Slogger, but Calosso's 2 5/6 goyfs (he thought they were 4/5) and mongeese hold the fort down. I use slogs to burn down a dragon and remove Akroma, which makes Calosso afraid to swing into the morphs for a couple turns, but he does eventually cynch it with the big beats.
SB: -1 Blood Moon -1 Rakdos Pit Dragon (I think) +2 Trinisphere
G2: I lay down a chalice for 1 turn 1 that sticks. He drops a Volcanic Island, and I drop a Morphed Raiders. He drops another Volc, and I unmorph and drop an Elemental. He scoops 2 turns later after failing to find grudge or Goyf off of topdecks.
G3: I will omit most of the details of this match in an attempt to save mine and Calosso's (lol) honor. Suffice to say, we both punted the game more than once, but I did end up winning when top failed to get him a second bolt.
3-0-0
Round 4 VS. Eli (T ORGANIZER) with Aluren
G1: I know from scouting that Eli is playing Aluren, so I keep a hand with a turn 2 chalice for 2. I drop a 2 mana land on turn 1, and Eli whiffs with a cabal therapy. I stick the Chalice for 2 and prevent him from comboing out. I dropped Simian Spirit Guide and a Morph, and Eli drops Aluren and Recruiter chains to get 4 Recruiters, a Man-O-War, and something else into play, but I hellbent my raiders and played a slogger for the win.
SB: +3 Blood Moon +2 Trinisphere +4 Pyrokinesis -1 Akroma -4 Equipment -1 Seething Song -1 Pit Dragon -2 Something
G2: I keep a godawful 7 with only a mountain and a chrome mox for mana. I then pitch the game by playing mountain, go after seeing that he plays discard. I immediately realized I was a huge noob and lost to him duressing my mana source away and drawing only 1 mountain for the next 7 turns.
G3: I keep a hand of Chalice, Tomb, Mountain, Magus, Blood Moon, stuff. I open with a turn 1 Chalice for 1, and he wastes my Tomb on his turn. I rip a City of Traitors and play Blood Moon two turns later. I follow it the next turn with Magus, and he confirms my choice of playing the enchantment first by Ghitu Slinging my Magus. At that point, however, all he could do was hardcast Recruiters and hope to topdeck Mox Diamond. I eventually won with Raiders and a Sulfur Elemental.
4-0-0
Round 5 VS. Will with Goblins?
Draws
4-0-1
Round 6 VS. Bryant Cook (Wastedlife) with TES
Drawz (from the ghetto)
4-0-2
I finish the six rounds at first and move into top 8.
Top 8 VS. Chris Saunders (rsaunder) with Iggy Pop
G1: Feeling pretty good, I win the roll and end up with a hand that contained a first turn 3sphere off a Spirit Guide (maybe a mox?) and a second turn trinisphere. I stop remembering what I played at that point because only one of us was playing magic.
SB: Same as before.
G2: I mull away a third turn no disruption kill fearing both Chant and his second turn kill (average Goldfish). I end up with a hand of first turn Chalice off a tomb, second turn Sulfur Elemental, some land, and some chaff. I get the Chalice to stick and start in on the beats, but on the end of my third turn my Chalice gets bounced with Rebuild and Saunders makes 12 goblins again. I can't get enough dudes down to save the day (drew into land and mox) and he takes it.
G3: I have a hand with a second turn Trinisphere, but no other disruption and only 1 real threat. My six has no disruption, so I throw it back again. My five has a mox, song, City, Sulfur Elemental, Mountain. I drop the Elemental first turn and pass. He makes a land drop and passes. I savage rip a trinisphere off the top and slam it down. I eventually stick more threats and beat him before he can answer trinisphere.
Top 4 VS. Bryant Cook (wastedlife) with TES
G1: I win the die roll (I think I'm good at this) and open the ungodly savage seven of Spirit Guide, Mox, Mountain, Magus, Chalice, Gathan Raiders, Mountain. I play Mountain, Mox (pitch raiders), Chalice for 0, remove SSG, Magus, go. He plays "mountains," but I'm not even sure if he had an out other than Rite of Flame x4 in hand.
SB: Same as against rsaunder.
G2: I open a hand with trinisphere, Tomb, Chalice, Mountain, Sulfur Elemental, and some other stuff. He opens with a thoughtseize and takes Trinisphere, then drops a lotus petal and 2 LED. I draw a Magus and drop Chalice at 1, hoping to get 1 more turn. He draws and says go. I drop the mountain, after drawing a sulfur elemental and drop magus. He plays draw, go for the next two turns as I drop a topdecked mountain and 2 Sulfur Elementals. On his turn 6 he ends up EtW for 10 at 3 life. I play a Gathan Raiders from my hand, followed by a Blood Moon and flip the raiders for hellbent. The next turn I make a huge mistake: I topdeck a mountain, and somewhere in my mind I think it would be a really good idea to bluff a threat. I get in there with my Elementals and my Raiders, completely forgetting that the raiders are no longer hellbent. I end the turn with 1 magus staring down a Chrome mox on black, 2 mountains, an LED, and 3 Goblins. He fails to topdeck the tutor and the next turn I drop slogs for the win.
Top 2 VS. Alix Hatfield (ObfuscateFreely) with Hatfield Red Thresh
We split top 2 prize and both walk with a set of blue duals and a mana drain.
I must say I had a blast hanging out and playing some magical cards. I had nothing but nice opponents and a massive cheering squad. I will post some observations and thoughts on the deck later.
Props:
- Parcher for lending me cards, scoping the field, lunch, and believing in the deck.
- Allen for providing car and chocolate raisins.
- Akki for providing lodging, judging, and hospitality.
- Zuhair for most of the driving.
- Calosso for pitching Game 3 more than I pitched it.
- Alix Hatfield for eventually letting me get the Underground Seas.
- Bryant Cook for not being lame.
- Shaquille O'Neal for being the Enforcer of Justice and founder of Shaq-Fu.
Slops:
- Me for still screwing up.
- My car for making fun of me for eating healthy.
- Dave Price for not taking 9th.
- Garbage platters, for actually being slops.
The journey began before it started, with an idea. That idea was attending the Running GAGG, a tourney which I believed I would not be able to attend. After getting a paycheck larger than intended and hearing that Akki (see props) could host me, I had the tough decision of picking a deck. After 2 minutes of consideration, I picked the deck I know the best, Full Slogger AKA Dragon Stompy. Having made a choice, I threw together a 5 minute, non-metagamed list and began my rigorous testing. I started with 10 games against GWU countertop gro, and went about even. The gauntlet next moved to a second set, but my interest was soon overcome by the atrocity known as the League of Extraordinary Gentleman (Don't see The League of Extraordinary Gentleman).
With that out of the way, I grabbed what parts of the deck I actually owned and hopped in a car with Allen (URABAHN), Zuhair (zulander), and Calosso (aka the Source Guardian). 8 hours and some serious Castlevania Dawn of Sorrow later, we ate some "must-have" NY food, the Garbage Platter (see name. gross), and settled in for the night at Akki's house. That night, I watched others test a few games (not with my deck) and made some mental decisions:
- Survival seems bad. I need to try to stop it and help out-tempo it.
- Eva Green also seems bad. Their disruption is very relevant, their removal is scary, and their beats are hard.
- Thresh is redonk-adonk, and I need to hope for dieroll wins and good hands.
So I quasi-fleshed out a SB in my mind and threw some cards that I had (hoping to borrow some others) into sleeves. I could have played the SB I had, but would have been less than pleased (Powder Keg is a bad answer to anything but ETW and Goose, and neither of those are scary).
Dawn broke and I awoke. We grabbed breakfast, or as I call it "coffee," and went to the tournament site. I was happy to see the Hatfields arrive with a fellow partaker of the red, Damon (Parcher). Parcher and I talked about the metagame and a couple card choices, and he lent me the cards I needed with a bit of tech against Eva Green.
The List:
Full Slogger AKA Big Redz AKA Shaquille O'Neal AKA "Dragon Stompy"
10 Mountain
4 Ancient Tomb
4 City of Traitors
4 Chrome Mox
4 Simian Spirit Guide
4 Seething Song
4 Gathan Raiders
3 Rakdos Pit Dragon
3 Sulfer Elemental
4 Arc-Slogger
1 Akroma, Angel of Fury
4 Magus of the Moon
1 Blood Moon
2 Trinisphere
4 Chalice of the Void
2 Umezawa's Jitte
2 Sword of Fire Ice
SB:
4 Pithing Needle
3 Blood Moon
2 Trinisphere
4 Pyrokinesis
2 Sting Scourger
Choices:
1) Akroma - I felt threat light against white thresh in testing, and figured it would probably be the same against other versions. I also felt outmatched in the long game against both thresh and dedicated control (UW Landstill especially). Akroma gives me both in a pinch and also turns those god-awful topdecked seething songs into a potential flip or a nuke for 5. I didn't think that more than 1 would be good, since most of the time it's a grey ogre (not good).
2) 3 Pit Dragon - Pit Dragon is probably the second scariest creature in most builds (3rd in mine), but seems weaker than other creatures in the face of decks with heavy permission and removal, especially red thresh. I knew the the Hatfields were running a new thresh of the red variety and that Calosso was taking their deck as well, so I cut a Pit Dragon.
3) 3 Sulfur Elemental - This guy is so underrated its not even funny. Against decks with counters, the general plan against me is to not let threats connect or disruption resolve. In this light, equipment is usually let through, with counters saved for heavy threats and disruption. Sulfur Elemental dodges the counter-a-threat plan. His instant speed lets him act as a combat trick or pseudo-removal. Not to mention, Sulfur Elemental is often a better threat than Pit-Dragon or Slogger off of a mulligan just because he costs 3.
4) 2 Sphere, 1 Moon - Blood Moon is a really strong disruption in this format. Its better than trini against control and Eva Green, and is only slightly worse than trini against thresh. Sotm combo also likes to have colors other than red, and with a chalice in hand a moon effect shuts them down better than trini.
5) Equip split - Jitte is good. Sword is good. Sometimes I want one, and sometimes the either. Sword is better on my ogres and unbent raiders, while Jitte is better on my slogs and dragons. I never felt like I had the wrong piece, ever.
6) The board: Pithing Needle is mostly against Survival, but also answers random hate like CoP:Red. 3 Moons 2 Trini is obvious. 4 Pyrokinesis is there against goblins, where it answers the scary Wort, Aluren, Eva Green, and Breakfast. Sting Scourger is there against Tombstalker and decks that are hard to out tempo. I didn't run Crypt since I didn't expect Breakfast or Ichorid (score!).
I went to buy new sleeves to replace the japanese crap that I had to grab at TMLO 3, but they didn't have Ultrapro AND they didn't take plastic. Savage. So I instead sleeved my borrowed cards from Damon and went to await my first pairings. Sadly I was paired against not only a fellow unicorn, but a fellow carmate. He was playing Eva Green, and I felt a sinking feeling that I might be starting with a loss. Nevertheless, I shuffled up and drew my 7.
Round 1 VS. Zuhair (zulander) with Eva Green
G1: I won the die roll and opened unspectacularly. I don't remember much here, except that I "trapped" him on double black with Magus and flashed in Sulfur Elemental as removal against a Shade. Eventually I resolved some beats and took the game.
SB: I sisded in Pyrokinesis and Stingscourger, and sided out trinisphere and something else (sorry, I really wish I had noted this since it is a new matchup for the deck, but I hadn't thought I would need to).
G2: I kept a questionable hand, but it didn't matter as Zuhair ripped it apart with a first turn hippy and I struggled to deal with shades and goyfs. My struggle failed.
G3: I keep a mountain, mountain, mox, song, raiders, magus, slogger hand with the idea that I can lay the beats turn 2 unless he draws a god hand. He first turn seizes seething song, telling me he has no snuff out, so I run out a turn 2 magus and keep him off double black until he is on 4 life. He resolves a tombstalker, but I already had 2 hellbent raiders.
1-0-0
Round 2 VS. Chris Saunders (rsaunder) with Iggy Pop
G1: I win the die roll and shuffle up knowing that this is a good matchup for me. I draw a seven that has a 2 mana land, a chalice, a mountain, and a magus. I drop turn 1 chalice for 1, and follow the next turn with magus. This basically seals the game as he runs (I assume) mostly fetches and duals.
SB: -1 Akroma -4 equipment +2 Trinisphere +3 Blood Moon
G2: I keep the absolute nuts with turn 1 Chalice for 0 and 1, but he openson my upkeep with a chant and then drops 12 goblins on his second turn. Sadface.
G3: I open with a moon effect turn 1 and seal the deal eventually with a chalice and a threat. This is the only game I made no notes on, so I don't remember which threat it was.
2-0-0
Round 3 VS. Calosso with Hatfield Red Thresh
G1: I lose the die roll and keep a hand with some disruption that gets countered. I eventually lay 2 morphed Gathan Raiders and an Arc-Slogger, but Calosso's 2 5/6 goyfs (he thought they were 4/5) and mongeese hold the fort down. I use slogs to burn down a dragon and remove Akroma, which makes Calosso afraid to swing into the morphs for a couple turns, but he does eventually cynch it with the big beats.
SB: -1 Blood Moon -1 Rakdos Pit Dragon (I think) +2 Trinisphere
G2: I lay down a chalice for 1 turn 1 that sticks. He drops a Volcanic Island, and I drop a Morphed Raiders. He drops another Volc, and I unmorph and drop an Elemental. He scoops 2 turns later after failing to find grudge or Goyf off of topdecks.
G3: I will omit most of the details of this match in an attempt to save mine and Calosso's (lol) honor. Suffice to say, we both punted the game more than once, but I did end up winning when top failed to get him a second bolt.
3-0-0
Round 4 VS. Eli (T ORGANIZER) with Aluren
G1: I know from scouting that Eli is playing Aluren, so I keep a hand with a turn 2 chalice for 2. I drop a 2 mana land on turn 1, and Eli whiffs with a cabal therapy. I stick the Chalice for 2 and prevent him from comboing out. I dropped Simian Spirit Guide and a Morph, and Eli drops Aluren and Recruiter chains to get 4 Recruiters, a Man-O-War, and something else into play, but I hellbent my raiders and played a slogger for the win.
SB: +3 Blood Moon +2 Trinisphere +4 Pyrokinesis -1 Akroma -4 Equipment -1 Seething Song -1 Pit Dragon -2 Something
G2: I keep a godawful 7 with only a mountain and a chrome mox for mana. I then pitch the game by playing mountain, go after seeing that he plays discard. I immediately realized I was a huge noob and lost to him duressing my mana source away and drawing only 1 mountain for the next 7 turns.
G3: I keep a hand of Chalice, Tomb, Mountain, Magus, Blood Moon, stuff. I open with a turn 1 Chalice for 1, and he wastes my Tomb on his turn. I rip a City of Traitors and play Blood Moon two turns later. I follow it the next turn with Magus, and he confirms my choice of playing the enchantment first by Ghitu Slinging my Magus. At that point, however, all he could do was hardcast Recruiters and hope to topdeck Mox Diamond. I eventually won with Raiders and a Sulfur Elemental.
4-0-0
Round 5 VS. Will with Goblins?
Draws
4-0-1
Round 6 VS. Bryant Cook (Wastedlife) with TES
Drawz (from the ghetto)
4-0-2
I finish the six rounds at first and move into top 8.
Top 8 VS. Chris Saunders (rsaunder) with Iggy Pop
G1: Feeling pretty good, I win the roll and end up with a hand that contained a first turn 3sphere off a Spirit Guide (maybe a mox?) and a second turn trinisphere. I stop remembering what I played at that point because only one of us was playing magic.
SB: Same as before.
G2: I mull away a third turn no disruption kill fearing both Chant and his second turn kill (average Goldfish). I end up with a hand of first turn Chalice off a tomb, second turn Sulfur Elemental, some land, and some chaff. I get the Chalice to stick and start in on the beats, but on the end of my third turn my Chalice gets bounced with Rebuild and Saunders makes 12 goblins again. I can't get enough dudes down to save the day (drew into land and mox) and he takes it.
G3: I have a hand with a second turn Trinisphere, but no other disruption and only 1 real threat. My six has no disruption, so I throw it back again. My five has a mox, song, City, Sulfur Elemental, Mountain. I drop the Elemental first turn and pass. He makes a land drop and passes. I savage rip a trinisphere off the top and slam it down. I eventually stick more threats and beat him before he can answer trinisphere.
Top 4 VS. Bryant Cook (wastedlife) with TES
G1: I win the die roll (I think I'm good at this) and open the ungodly savage seven of Spirit Guide, Mox, Mountain, Magus, Chalice, Gathan Raiders, Mountain. I play Mountain, Mox (pitch raiders), Chalice for 0, remove SSG, Magus, go. He plays "mountains," but I'm not even sure if he had an out other than Rite of Flame x4 in hand.
SB: Same as against rsaunder.
G2: I open a hand with trinisphere, Tomb, Chalice, Mountain, Sulfur Elemental, and some other stuff. He opens with a thoughtseize and takes Trinisphere, then drops a lotus petal and 2 LED. I draw a Magus and drop Chalice at 1, hoping to get 1 more turn. He draws and says go. I drop the mountain, after drawing a sulfur elemental and drop magus. He plays draw, go for the next two turns as I drop a topdecked mountain and 2 Sulfur Elementals. On his turn 6 he ends up EtW for 10 at 3 life. I play a Gathan Raiders from my hand, followed by a Blood Moon and flip the raiders for hellbent. The next turn I make a huge mistake: I topdeck a mountain, and somewhere in my mind I think it would be a really good idea to bluff a threat. I get in there with my Elementals and my Raiders, completely forgetting that the raiders are no longer hellbent. I end the turn with 1 magus staring down a Chrome mox on black, 2 mountains, an LED, and 3 Goblins. He fails to topdeck the tutor and the next turn I drop slogs for the win.
Top 2 VS. Alix Hatfield (ObfuscateFreely) with Hatfield Red Thresh
We split top 2 prize and both walk with a set of blue duals and a mana drain.
I must say I had a blast hanging out and playing some magical cards. I had nothing but nice opponents and a massive cheering squad. I will post some observations and thoughts on the deck later.
Props:
- Parcher for lending me cards, scoping the field, lunch, and believing in the deck.
- Allen for providing car and chocolate raisins.
- Akki for providing lodging, judging, and hospitality.
- Zuhair for most of the driving.
- Calosso for pitching Game 3 more than I pitched it.
- Alix Hatfield for eventually letting me get the Underground Seas.
- Bryant Cook for not being lame.
- Shaquille O'Neal for being the Enforcer of Justice and founder of Shaq-Fu.
Slops:
- Me for still screwing up.
- My car for making fun of me for eating healthy.
- Dave Price for not taking 9th.
- Garbage platters, for actually being slops.