Magic Recap #18

The 9^th sealed booster draft!  The results are in.  We had a good showing as well with: Paul, Felix, Lowell, Chris, Don, Matt, and me.

Paul drafted his way to a second tournament win with a mono-black deck that was destroying creatures and pumping his way to victory with shades.  He went undefeated on the evening. 

Felix barely scraped out a second place finish over Don with his blue and white control deck.  I think that building a blue and white control deck during a draft is a feat in and of itself, so props for that.  Paul was the lone gunman who took Felix down.

Don built a better version of a green and white deck than I built to take third place.  He lost to Paul in a thrilling manner, but trounced me and Chris (especially me.)

Lowell and I finished with the exact same record to tie for fourth, but Lowell won the tiebreaker with a better dice roll to pick ahead of me.  Lowell played well but couldn’t secure the victories with his red and green burn and slaughter deck.

I was playing green and white like Don, but he drafted far superior to me.  I played some tough games and nearly won quite a few, but lacked the firepower or defense to take my deck to the next level.

Chris came in last with a green and red deck.  It was similar to Lowell’s but he didn’t have nearly the same luck.  Chris was riding high from the previous tournament where he won it all, but had the same fate as Paul following his first tournament win where he took dead last the tournament afterward. 

Overall I thought the tournament was a lot of fun and I enjoyed having that many people participate.  I do have to mention quickly that everyone owes me and Paul $10 buy-ins, as we forgot to collect any money in all of the tournament excitement.  I am thinking that the next draft we do should be in February after the 4^th when the next set “Mirrodin Besieged” is released.  The card shop near Paul’s where Chris and Paul played in the Friday Night Magic Tournament is selling the new set for $89.99 according to their website.  I know I want a box!  I think Chris wants a case.  Haha.

We didn’t have too much time to play any casual games, but Don did get to get his feet wet a little before the tournament playing some of Paul’s decks against Paul and Halo.  Don is getting back into Magic, after having not played for quite some time so I don’t expect he will be too long before he is creating some treacherous decks. 

Chris, Paul and I played a funny three- headed match where Chris was taking pleasure in chipping away at Paul turn after turn.  I just sat back and watched as I built up a nice defense and let the two of them battle.  Finally Paul made a power play to destroy Chris in retaliation, but as good as the play was (and surely satisfying) it did not prevent him from dying by the hand of my Baneslayer Angel. 

Lowell and I played a couple of fun games where I played my mimic vat deck against my white poison deck, and Lowell thoroughly trounced me the first game, and the second game surprised me late in the game by killing me with a single swing with an infect creature!  I had gotten cocky and left myself defenseless and he enchanted his little pesky creature with Armored Ascension and flew over with an insane creature with infect.

The number one best moment for me in the evening though was playing Don in the draft green and white against green and white.  The first game Don gets out Ajani’s Pridemate and enchants the creature with forest walk ability and then gets Ajani’s Mantra out to allow it to grow every turn.  I can’t block it and I can’t stop it, and I can only watch as he taps my creatures with blinding mage and gouges my life total.  It was an awesome combo to pull in the draft, and especially so because so many people were drafting green last night.  The second game I thought I could redeem myself and teach Don not to mess with me but by turn 4 I’m staring across the table at the same combo!  I couldn’t believe it!  It was hilarious and devastating all at the same time.

So the bad news for the newsletter is this.  Next Monday my new job schedule has got me working late training and I will be unable to attend.  The schedule is also that way for three weeks, so that means Mondays are no bueno for me for a little while.  I don’t know if there would be any interest, or ability, to temporarily switch the nights to a Tuesday or Wednesday?  If not that is okay, but I’d love to not miss out playing cards with you all.  (I don’t want trash talking behind my back!)

Also worth noting is Berserk Games FNM this week is a Standard Type II legal tournament again and I will be able to play.  So that means Paul, Chris and I will all be joining the ranks of the local Phinney Ridge nerds to try and dominate the competition.  I don’t know if anyone else is interested in participating but it seems fun!  I went as a spectator last week to cheer for Paul and Chris.  I don’t think that there is super stiff competition, but the players all seemed competent and eager to play.

So if you are playing you should get in touch with Berserk to add your names.

I haven’t decided what deck I am going to play, but I am leaning towards my Mimic Vat deck because I think it would do better against U/B control decks (which is the type that won the tournament last week).

JTMS in Paul’s face!