NICE PTQ – UCC, Cork. 2^nd March 2002 Odyssey Sealed

There was a bit of a mix up with dates, but thanks to Dave Kearney everything was sorted. Unfortunately he got delayed (caught in traffic and his driver got a bit lost) coming down from Dublin, and things started a bit late. Turn out was low for a Cork PTQ – just under 30. Still, everyone seemed to have a good time, and it was a nice, relaxed tournie.

When I first got my sealed deck, I was a bit worried. My black was weak, I had little Red direct damage, and my only two Blue creatures were Thought Nibbler and Amugaba. Then I realised I had solid green – all creatures with only 1 green spell – Howling Gale. My White wasn’t bad either. However, I hate G/W on its own – too little tricks means you can easily lose to a creature stalemate. So I splashed Blue for Amugaba (a game breaker) Compulsion, Psionic Gift and Repel. I played all my green creatures bar 2, and I played my Green spell. Most of my creatures had 4 casting cost, but I reckoned my 2 Terohs Faithful would help me recover any life lost from early beats.

I’ve rated each card out of 10.

17 CREATURES

Diligent Farmhand                              7

Setons Scout                                        7

Nantuko Elder                                       5

Pilgrim of Virtue                                    7                Good even against non Black decks

Militant Monk                                      7                Seems better than he really is

Chlorophant                                          8                Scares people

2 Terohs Faithful                                  8                Solid

Nantuko Disciple                                 8.5                Combat tricks are always good

Elephant Ambush                                                8

Springing Tiger                                    8                Good even without Threshold

Centaur Chieftain                                 8                Great finisher

Mystic Zealot                                       9             

Beast Attack                                         9                With fatties so rare, its good to get two in one card

Aven Flock                                           7             

Limestone Golem                                  6

Amugaba                                               8                Better if I had more Blue

5 SPELLS

Compulsion                                           10                Threshold and card drawing!

Howling Gale                                        7                Never used it

Repel                                                      8

Second Thoughts                                                9             

Psionic Gift                                            8                Stops those annoying creature stalls

18 LAND

7 Forest

6 Plains

1 Abandoned Outpost

4 Island

SIDEBOARD:

Leaf Dance, Krorictor, Stupefying Touch, Churning Eddy

ROUND 1: Tim Caisley

Game 1, I don’t draw any land after the two in my opening hand, and he kills me quickly enough to be humane.

Game 2 I get some beats in, but it’s a bit of a stand off with him on 10 life. I use Compulsion to help me reach Threshold and better cards. It gets me what I need - Centaur Chieftain with Threshold, and my attack does 18 damage.

Game 3, Tim gets mana screwed this time, and he writhes for a bit before I put him down.

ROUND 2: Jason Donaghy

Game 1 is a bit of a creature standoff, but I get Psionic Blash out on Terohs Faithful to start whittling away Jasons life. In the end Jason had to attack, and my Second Thoughts was enough to turn the tide my way. Game 2 I started out very quickly, but Jason Persuades my Aven Flock to join his side. However, I Repel the Flock and recast it to overwhelm him.

ROUND 3: Ian Desmond R/B

I got some early beats in, and was looking good when he cast Cabal Ritual to put Vampiric Dragon into play. Needless to mention, that put a stop to my gallop. I churn through my deck with Compulsion, but I draw no Second Thoughts. Despite the efforts of my Beast Attack, the Dragon soon killed all my creatures and turned me crispy.

The Dragon had me worried, so I brought in what extra creature control I had - Churning Eddy and Stupefying Touch. Also  brought in Krosan Constrictor in the hope I could kill Ian before he gets the Dragon. Out went Nantuko Elder, Limestone Golem and Howling Gale.

In game 2, I use Churning Eddy early to bounce a creature and slow Ian up. Despite this, a creature standoff develops. The turns go back and forth for a bit, with some very enjoyable plays. Then Ian hard casts Vampiric Dragon. I’m hoping for a stunning top deck, and I get it – Amugaba! I’m tapped out, and Ian attacks with the Dragon, but I just take the damage. I untap, and draw Stupefying Touch. Hehe, top deck master that I am, I Stupefy the Dragons ability, and make sure I keep enough resources free to bounce Amugaba if need be. Amugaba goes all the way.

Theres only 5 minutes left, but I get a great start in game 3, and finish Ian off with Mystic Zealot in turn 4 of the 5 extra turns.

Phew! Great games, very enjoyable

ROUND 4: Craig Brooks –

We ID, and the top 4 ( us, Ian Nolan and Dalton Maloney ) go off to eat chips.

ROUND 5

ID with one of the chip eaters.

TOP 8 DRAFT

At this stage, its after 6 and we no longer have the hall. Fellow Team5FU member Steve Ruttledge has also made top 8, and kindly offers his house to play the top 8 in.

Fellow Team 5FU member Cormac Smyth suggested going R/W, and that was my plan. On my right was Ian Nolan and James Maher, and on my left Rob McKweon. So was sat around the table in Steves front room.

FIRST BOOSTERS - ODYSSEY

I open Repentant Vampire, which I take. Next I take Mystic Visionary, then Wild Mongrel. However, this made me leave Elephant Ambush, and I was worried I had signaled Rob to go Green.

I still haven’t decided my colours when then the boosters go to pot. I get Werebear, and some more random White. I take some Red, but I realise its dried up. So at the end of first booster I’m still confused. I don’t want to Green/white, but they’re the best colours I have so far. My red removal is Acceptable Losses, which isn’t.

SECOND BOOSTER - ODYSSEY

I’m still a bit confused, and even hope to get good black, cause theres plenty of that in Torment. I quickly give up on Red, as its obvious Rob is drafting it, and so is someone to my right. I get two Second Thoughts in a row, and begin to wonder am I the only guy drafting White!? I get a Mystic Zelaot as well, and Rites of Spring. Rites of Spring means I have less worry about going 3 colours, provided I get more land search cards. I don’t.

THIRD BOOSTER - TORMENT

I pass some amazing Red to Rob. Green and White go completely off the map. I even drafted 2 Overmasters, just to pick something. ( note, this was not rare drafting in a moment of panic. ;) )

A Devasting Dreams, gets to me, which I take. Followed by me taking Sonic Seizure. I now realise I should have gone Red from the start of Torment. However, its too late now! I basically end up counter drafting – I take Faceless Butcher, Turbelent Dreams, and Flaming Gambit.

At the end, I realise I will be G/W, but I don’t have 22 G/W cards!

So should I add Red for:

                Devasting Dreams, Sonic Seizure, Acceptable Losses and Flaming Gambit

Or Blue for

Turbelent Dreams and Skywing Aven?

It was very tough, but in the end I added Blue – Turbulent Dreams is just broken. With my sealed deck, I drew first, as I wanted the extra mana. With this deck, I wanted to play first and hope to get enough early beats in.

17 CREATURES

Confessor                              9                All the list I gained from Madness and Rites

Mystic Visionary                 8

Angelic Wall                         8

Phantom Whelp                   7

Wild Mongrel                       9

Werebear                               8

Militant Monk                      7

Master Apothecary                8

Anurid Scavenger                8                Unless you have lots of Threshold cards

Skywing Aven                      8                Higher if I had more Blue

Leaf Dancer                           7

Elephant Ambush                                8

Terohs Faithful                     8

Mystic Zealot                       9

Arrogant Wurm                    9                Depends on your other cards

2 Aven Flock                        8

5 SPELLS

2 Second Thoughts                9

Turbulent Dreams                10

Rites of Spring                      7

Sacred Rites                          8

18 LAND

6 Forest

1 Timberland Ruins

7 Plains

4 island

BOARD:

Lyrist, land!

QUARTER FINAL: Craig Brooks G/B/w

Turn 1 Confessor does about 6 damage, but Craig plays Beast Attack, and whomps me. Onto game 2.

Bring in Lyrist, out with Phantom Whelp. Turn 1 Confessor again. Craig casts a turn 3 Last rites, and I lose 2 good cards. Being an idiot, I forgot to gain the 4 life from the Confessor. However, I remember when I Rites of Spring a Forest and an Island for another Forest and Island. Craig gets out Zombie Infestation and Grave Gouger, but goes to 8 thanks to Anurid Scavenger. ( and a full graveyard) Craig is on 8 life with no flyers , and I have Aven Flock. Craig casts Mystic Enforcer. Oh oh! He attacks and I lose 6. He uses Hypochondria to stop my Anurid Scavenger doing damage. However, between discards for that and Zombie Infestation, I’m still at 15 life. He casts Twigwalker, which he gives pro green with Floating Shield. This stops the Scavenger.

I cast Leaf Dancer, take another 6 from the Enforcer. My side of the board now has:

Confessor, Lyrist, Aven Flock, Leaf Dancer, Angelic Wall, Terohs Faithful and Werebear. One card in the graveyard – the Scavenger. Importantly I draw a fourth plains, which lets me block the Enforcer with a pumped 2/7 Aven Flock. However, I’m worried that Craig could use Floating Shield to give the Enforcer pro-white, and find some other way to do the remaining 3 damage. Hypercondria is stopping me doing damage with the Leaf Dancer, and Infestation could block a ground assault. Hmm, what should Lyrist do? I decide to wait a turn, and then I draw Elephant Ambush.

I decide to kill the Infestation and get through with Ambush tokens. Craig makes a second Zombie token, but hes still stuck at 4 land. He casts a second Floating Sheild – giving the Gravegouger Pre-White. I realise that Craig can now kill me if he uses both Shields to give the Enforcer pro white 2 turns in a row.

 He attacks, I block with the Wall. Phew, obviously he was too worried about my attack when he was on such low life. I make an Elephant token at the end of his turn. I do a big attack with Leaf Dancer, Elephant, Werebear, and Aven Flock. Some blocking goes on, and I Sacred Rites out an Arrogant Wurm. Both Zombie tokens die. I still have Confessor and the Faithful to block the ground, so Enforcer stays home to block. I make the second Elephant and that’s enough to overwhelm him.

Next game, I get turn 1 Confessor again! Then I get Wild Dog, and Militant Monk. Some beats. :)

Craigs at 7 life when he casts Beast Attack. Kills My monk, but leaves me discard Arrogant Wurm to Wild Dog cast it. He untaps, but keeps his mana free for flashback. However, I draw Turbulent Dreams, bounce his token (if only dreams was instand!) and still have 2 cards in hand. This means he can only block one source of 4 damage, and hes at 4 life.

SEMI FINAL James Maher W/R

It turns out James is playing Land Destruction! Several people had commented how much Land D had gone around the table, and now I know who took it and the other Red I had been looking for in Odyssey. Fair deuce to James, this takes some balls to play!

By turn 9 I have 5 land in the graveyard. 4 of those is thanks to 2 flashbacked Earth Rift. A Petravark has removed an Island from play. Unfortunately for James, I drew lots of land, and a Mystic Zealot with threshold ( a mostly land threshold) finished him off.

For game 2 I swapped Turbulent Dreams for a Lyrist as there was no way I was ever getting two Blue. I start off well, with Phantom Whelp (who I should have taken out) and Skywing Aven doing damage. James get Pyromania, but I keep the Aven alive with Master Apothecary. Until he gets out Grim Lavamanver, then kills the Apothecary and the Aven. I have no Blue to recast the Aven, so I let it die. James other creatures are Ember Beast and Mine Layer. Mine Layer is proving to be a real pain, and th problem with G/W is the lack of creature removal. James is on two life, so I’m still confident of the win. I decide to attack with two creatures, knowing that this way he has to block with one of his annoying utility creatures. Hopefully the Miner. So I attack with a 1/1 Werebear and Leaf Dancer. Of  course he blocks the the Werebear with the Lavamancer and the Dancer with the Ember Beast. Then, he kills the Werebear using the Lavamancers ability before damage is dealt. Doh!

I lose both creatures and lands rapidily after that. I tap out ( destroying all my land) to cast an Elephant Ambush, but James kills its with damage, then finishes me off with no land in play on my side. Good comeback by him!

I’m worried now, and think about bringing in Red to use the Overmasters to cycle through my deck faster. Then I realise I hadn’t taken any Mountains. Luckily, I had taken extras Plains and Forests. So I go up to 20 land, and drop Lyrist and Whelp.

I start out with Confessor again, then Mystic Visionary. James also casts plenty of creatures. Theres some fighting going on, and James casts a Floating Shield on a Petraverk. He attacks with Petraverk and Ember Beast, and I Second Thoughts the Beast. James sacs the Shield to protect the Ember Beast. However, on his next attack, my second Second Thoughts nets the Ember Beast. I get an Elephant token, and theres a bit battle as James holds back and blocks. However, Sacred Rites saves my Zealot from a Sonic Seizure that would have finished him, and allows me to cast Arrogant Wurm for the Madness cost.  And that’s enough to win me the game.

Another enjoyable game.

FINAL – Rob McKweon

My wife is expecting our first child, so I’m going to stay home this year. I was in Monte Carlo last year, which is about 10 minutes from Nice, and it’s a lovely area. Rob agrees to split the money, and I get the two boxes of boosters, while he gets the slot. With the price of boosters at the moment, the cards are nearly worth more than prize!

Its 10pm at this stage, so I’m just glad to go home.

PROPS:

Dave Kearney and Tomas Raplh for running a great tournament.

Team5FU for being Ireland best team*. ;) (we do have two people on the National team. He he)

All my opponents for being great sports

Steve for making top 8, and letting us use his house. Although he wouldn’t show us his bondage cellar

Noel for beating John Larkin. A couple of hundred more point and I’ll catch him!

SLOPS

Wizards, for still not sending me my Nationals Trophy. Apparently its being made by a blind one handed sculptor from Saville,  who sculpts from finest marble using the nail on his little finger. However, I’m beginning to disbelieve that excuse. After all, I only got my PTQ Osaka cheque last week.