Written by pars1mony on November 27, 2006
Lessons Learned: A North Carolina Champs Report *45th*
by pars1mony“Learning is not compulsory…neither is survival.”
-William Edwards Deming
Yeah, I know I made 45th out of 197 (reportedly a N.C. Champs record), barely making prize support, so, while I may have barely survived my first non-FNM event, I chose to learn from my experience. Following this paragraph are some of the bad choices I made and what I would change to improve my game and some of the surprises that come along with life. So let’s start with my first bad decision: the deck I played. I brought in a mediocre piece of UW Control.
| UW Control | ||
|---|---|---|
| Main Deck | Sideboard | |
|
2 Sacred Mesa 4 Mana Leak 4 Remand 4 Cancel 4 Think Twice 3 Tidings 3 Faith’s Fetters 4 Repeal |
4 Condemn 4 Wrath of God 4 Hallowed Fountain 4 Adarkar Wastes 4 Azorius Chancery 3 Urza’s Factory 5 Island 4 Plains |
4 CoP: Red 4 Sacred Ground 3 Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir 1 Faith’s Fetters 3 Rewind |
I expected an aggro metagame and got a mixed bag instead. This deck has good matchups against all but the luckiest of aggro decks and even a slightly favorable game against Dragonstorm but a mediocre to horrible chance against Karsten Baby Bot Killer (KBBK). I chose it because it provided good draws via Think Twice and early removal in Condemn and Repeal, as well as the reassurance that Wrath could wipe the slate clean. What is glaring in this deck and should have really been addressed before I went to Champs is the lack of a third, reliably fast win condition via Akroma or Windreaver. But that’s enough about the deck; onto the game coverage.
Match One: Adam Westnedge BGW Midrange
My first game is against one of the guys who T8ed at this event who was running an interesting mid-range deck with Wall of Roots, Mystic Enforcer, Darkblast, Nightmare Void and Crime/Punishment main.
Game One: I control the board outright, drop a Sacred Mesa mid-game, he answers with two punishments for zero, slowing me down enough to make this game last a little over forty minutes, though, I eventually win with the flying equine machine. Sideboarding: -3 Tidings -1 Repeal +3 Rewind +1 Faith’s Fetters.
Game Two: He starts off with a Bird, Call and Solifuge. I answer with nothing, holding two Rewinds and a Wrath. I’m able to Wrath away his board but get answered by another Solifuge, which is too much for me to recover. Off to game three. Sideboarding: -3 Rewind +2 CoP: Red +1 Teferi
Game Three: At this point the five minute warning was just called. I have answers this time but not a fast enough win condition. We draw.
Matches 0-0-1
Games 1-1-1
Match Two: Richard Lail UW Tidespout Tyrant
This guy’s running a really weird deck in my honest opinion. He’s playing Tyrant with Resurrection and Clone! Other than that, he runs control to the gills (such janky stuff)! My problem is that I don’t know how to play this deck, let alone board against it. I find out after the tournament that he went 5-1-2.
Game One: He runs out a Grand Arbiter with counter backup; however, I win the fight. He puts out another one the next turn and proceeds to slowly gain advantage over the course of thirty minutes to own me with a Resurrected Tyrant.
Sideboarding: Can you say Teferi? -3 Fetters -1 Condemn -2 Wrath +3 Teferi +3 Rewind.
Game Two: I think he took out the Grand Arbiters because I never see them. I play a Teferi at his end of turn and proceed to push him around in the quickest fashion I can with the brand of retarded speed that only UW can espouse.
Sideboarding: I stick with my guns.
Game Three: We have about seven minutes for the game and finish in a draw
Matches 0-0-2
Games 2-2-2
Match Three: Adam Weinstein BWR Firemane Angel Control
This guy said that he played on the pro tour a number of years back. I don’t know whether to believe him or not, but this was one of the best games of the day. Game one took the entire match time.
Game One: I control pretty hard all the way up to a Mesa and get him down to seven life. I stupidly let a Jaya hit, thinking that I can have him burn himself out in desperation given the fact that I have an answer in hand for one Helix (he has two in the yard and about twently cards left in his library) but alas, he burns my tokens via Jaya, mortified my equine machine AND churns out two helixes to put himself at one life I scoop and concede the second game—we would have gone into turns the moment we started game two.
Matches 0-1-2
Games 2-3-2
By this time I’m feeling pretty low about my loss and uncomfortable in the player-packed room awash in human generated humidity (the place was built for 164 max—they actually had to use the furniture store next door for forty of us). I notice that I have a message on my cell phone, so I walk outside to get a breath of fresh air and check my message; my grandfather had a stroke. I’m shocked and feel totally helpless because I can’t just up and leave the tournament due to the fact I rode in with three other guys, all who are very interested in finishing. Not to mention the fact that I didn’t drive. I make a few calls and find out that he’s stable but is in intensive care and go off to my next match in a depressed malaise.
Match Four: Timothy Armstrong UWr Firemane Control
This guy asks if I’m playing control, saying he hasn’t seen an aggro match-up yet. I inform him I haven’t either. We shuffle up and play, him winning the roll.
Game One: He starts the game off on turn three with a Compulsive Research, ditching two Firemane Angels, immediately at this point I seriously consider conceding, given the grim news of my grandfather, the highly contested match I just underwent with a similar archetype, and the fact that I would have at least four more matches after this one to withstand. I decide to continue at least through this match and reconsider a withdrawal later. I go on to win this game, controlling the game and pushing through adequate damage. Sideboarding: -4 Repeal -2 Wrath +3 Teferi +3 Rewind.
Game Two: I’m able to drop a Teferi and control the game thoroughly. I feel proud of my decision to continue playing and persevering throughout that crappy day. After the match, I make a phone call to find out that my grandfather is responsive and is not on any life support at this time, which is a huge relief.
Matches 1-1-2
Games 3-3-2
Match Five: Stewart Hicks GW Glare
This guy was playing right next to me on the last match. I’m not sure that he was playing Glare in the deck (I never saw it), but all the other cards support that theory.
Game One: He sets up some pressure with two mana accelerants and a Selesnya Guildmage by turn three. On turn four he overextends himself by playing a Hierarch and another Elf into my Wrath, which he never recovers from.
Sideboarding: -1 Tidings +1 Fetters
Game Two: He stalls at two land with no 2cc drop or lower and takes twenty in the air rather quickly.
Matches 2-1-2
Games 5-3-2
Match Six: Matthew C. Drake UW Control
Yeah, it’s the mirror match. This guy asks the same question: “Have you seen any aggro today?” This time I can at least tell him about the last match.
Game One: He’s playing what I consider the weaker deck sans Think Twice and, in its place, Compulsive Research, and I never even see a Spell Snare to back them up! We both lay down Mesas, but I play mine more efficiently and take him down.
Sideboarding: -4 Repeal -2 Wrath -1 Condemn +3 Teferi +3 Rewind +1 Fetters
Game Two: The guy misplays, and I get Teferi out and own. I have to stall due to the fact that he has a Factory out, but I am able to Fetter’s it until I can get the Mage beats going.
Matches 3-1-2
Games 7-3-2
Match Seven: Jeremy S. Whitehead Solar Pox
I have never played against this deck before, but I did see it on WOTC’s website and was interested in its capabilities. Jeremy was a pretty cool guy, I thoroughly enjoyed this game as we were both 3-1-2 and joking about our tiebreakers.
Game One: He plays and I get out a quick Mesa and pound him into the ground. He stalls as much as he can with Darkblast but can’t hold on.
Sideboarding: -1 Repeal +1 Fetters.
Game Two: He comes out slowly and Nightmare Voids me to death until he can get his threats through safely and does so to my chagrin. It takes him an estimated thirty-five minutes to do so. Sideboard as is.
Game Three: We stall each other out, me with Fetters and him with Voids. We end in a draw. That’s right, THREE of them!
Matches 3-1-3
Games 8-4-3
Match Eight: George Antczak RW Boros Wins
My best match-up of the day would come in the last game. He isn’t even playing Demonfire! The best thing to say about this match-up is that I win, period. I won’t even go into much detail except that CoP: Red hurts you when you don’t sideboard in enchantment removal. Due to the fact that I did not know he wasn’t playing Demonfire, and I Repealed my Fetters two or three times during the match to keep out of burn range, which was quite hilarious to him given the fact he didn’t even run them.
Matches 4-1-3
Games 10-4-3
Technically I learned that a quick win condition would have won me at least one game and possibly two, knowing when to concede and save time for games two and three is important when playing a “slow as molasses in winter” deck, tying is as bad as losing in this large a tournament of a tournament and that a 32k event gives some sweet points to a mediocre record (I earned 31, going from a 1728 to a 1759).
My grandfather taught me perseverance; he persevered throughout his ordeal for two entire weeks while he intermittently bled into his brain, which allowed all of the family to come and say goodbye to him in a meaningful way. Throughout these last three weeks I’ve learned to persevere in unfavorable and even catastrophic conditions, allowing me to learn a great deal about myself, my capabilities and talents and, most of all, my limitations.
Hope this finds you in a reflective temper,
-Jason W.
snoopster on 2006-11-27 13:05 MDT good article
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WasD on 2006-11-27 13:07 MDT worth reading
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AppleRapple on 2006-11-27 13:51 MDT do u have the decklist of Tidespout Tyrant+resurrection+clone deck? :P i didnt understand that combo...
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DESTRUCTOR on 2006-11-27 14:08 MDT good article...your deck is not really good...you have to use 3 sacred mesa and 1 akroma in main and the 3 teferis in sb as win conditions
PS: i really sorry about your grandfather
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TugaChampion on 2006-11-27 14:22 MDT good article.
Just one thing: BDW isn't that easy. CoP:Red hurts and no Demonfire is bad but you don't just win, period. If there's a deck in this Standard that can win against all decks that deck is BDW.
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Streakz on 2006-11-27 14:31 MDT 45th is pretty awful
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Wiley on 2006-11-27 19:29 MDT yeah honestly this was terrible. If you know you are going to lose then concede, don't stall, because this is not ML and you will have to end in a draw.
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Anubis_End on 2006-11-27 20:31 MDT Have you ever played at a place called Ballistic comics before? That's my usual hang-out and what not and if you're in the Charlotte area you should come by, we could use a really cool player like yourself.
You have the perfect attitude to go far in this sport. Instead of just stating what happened during your state champs tourny, you really made a bigger deal about what you did wrong rather than how you triumphed. You took the time to help everyone and pass on some information that can usually only be learned by experience.
Thanks man, and I'll be seeing you in more state tournies I hope.
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dsad on 2006-11-27 22:01 MDT Anubis, did you just call magic a fucking sport?
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Anubis_End on 2006-11-27 22:14 MDT sure, how could it not be? You wanna debate ESPN's coverage?
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Streakz on 2006-11-27 22:15 MDT Anubis, first of all magic is not a sport by any lengths or bounds. Second, Underground Games rapes the hell out of Ballistic Comics.
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Anubis_End on 2006-11-27 22:35 MDT Hey, your opinion is your opinion. Personally, I find most people at Underground to be stuck up little pricks, which we have a few of those at Ballistic.
But in all honesty, how can you not consider Magic a sport?
1.
a. Physical activity that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often engaged in competitively.
b. A particular form of this activity.
2. An activity involving physical exertion and skill that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often undertaken competitively.
3. An active pastime; recreation.
Magic is a physical activity, you can't do it while not moving, and it has it's own set of rules and customs and is VERY often engaged in competitively.
Magic may not be your traditional definition of a sport, but to me it is the greatest game on Earth.
Regardless, you should play up at Ballistic one day, I'd love to see what tech you got irl
Peace, love and donuts
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aznjdude2006 on 2006-11-27 22:43 MDT Hey if Texas Hold'em is a sport how come MTG can't be a sport?
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Stinky on 2006-11-28 03:00 MDT Sport constitutes athletic participation IMO. Go to a magic tournament sometime. You will not see very many athletes. Magic is a hobby.
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TugaChampion on 2006-11-28 05:52 MDT Chess is considered a sport. so Magic is a sport too.
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ringman on 2006-11-28 07:20 MDT 1 of all maigc should not be considered sport and btw im sry for ur grandfather and as some1 said u have the attitude to go far in magic and in life as u see thigns diff than the general ppl and i give u credit for that.keep on going man u deserve more!!!
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pars1mony on 2006-11-28 07:47 MDT Everyone: Thanks for the feedback and support!
For those who gave “constructive” criticism: Yeah, looking back at this deck, I can’t help but notice the gaping hole of a neglected 3rd win condition. Also, this was my first large tournament format, so I had few expectations going into it and little experience to back up my preparations for the tournament. I felt that I came away knowing a little bit more about what to expect and how to prepare for it—specifically to run a much more solid deck with a lot more playtesting against as much of the field as I can.
AppleRapple: I’m not exactly sure what he ran in UW Tyrant, however, I know I saw 2 Careful Considerations, 2 Compulsive Research, 2 Wraths, 2 Resurrection, 1 Grand Arbiter, 1 Azorius Signet, 2 Tyrants, and 1 Clone in the first game alone. The advantage I felt he had over my deck was that his card draw was more efficient (given the synergy ditching cards had with his game plan) and intermediate (3-4 cc vs. my 2, 3, 5 cc) and the fact that I had so many dead cards in hand: Repeal, Fetters, Condemn.
TugaChampion: allow me to clarify the statement I made concerning RW Boros Wins. I playtested quite a bit against this deck, had a very solid understanding of my deck’s role in the matchup and knew the choices I had to make at each and every step. So, I thought that I had nearly an auto-win after he cranked out a lion. Additionally, once he told me that he didn’t run Demonfire, I felt surer about how to proceed with my game plan. My thoughts may have been presumptuous and uninformed in others’ eyes, but I really think that I had adequate preparation for that matchup—I probably didn’t communicate my preparation very well in the article.
Anubis_End: Actually, I live in Asheville. The only places I’ve heard of in Charlotte were Heroes Aren’t Hard to Find and Underground Games. However, if I come around I’ll check out Ballistic Comics, hopefully you will see me at Champs ’07 and more on this website in the future.
Magic a sport? I’m not an authority in the matter, but it sure is engaging and entertaining.
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Custode on 2006-11-28 07:52 MDT Good thing to write an article even if you can't boast with good results. You learn a lot from that and so do we.
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Drizzs on 2006-11-28 13:34 MDT Very good article :P this deserves at least a quarter lol u did Very well for the cards u had and u played like a champ GL in the future (good luck not game loss)
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TugaChampion on 2006-11-28 14:34 MDT ok np with that but still with all the preparation BDW doesn't have a bad match up against UW Control. At most I would say it's 40/60 BDW/UW Control but in my opinion it's more like 50/50.
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Streakz on 2006-11-28 15:08 MDT "a. Physical activity that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often engaged in competitively."
ROFL CUZ THERES SO MUCH IN MAGIC
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Pollo on 2006-11-28 17:57 MDT real friends would have drop w/o asking why
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Anubis_End on 2006-11-28 20:08 MDT Okay, only people who actually play in tournies can talk about Magic being a sport. How dead to the world are you at the end of the day? Your feet hurt, your body aches, your back is split in two and you most likely have a headache from all the thought processes going on.
Magic Tournaments are physically exhausting, I think we can all agree there.
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ChristPunchr on 2006-11-29 19:26 MDT It's called an intellectual sport. It isn't a conventional sport.
I am usually playing for the top eights at events in vancouver [when I attend] and afterwards, I am hungry and tired because I woke up at like seven after going to bed at like 12 am because of last minute deck changes etc.
If you are physically exhausted after an event, you need to hit a fucking treadmill because you are a memember of the insanely huge overweight/unhealthy north americans statistic.
Magic=intellectual sport, like chess and shit.
Football, hockey, etc=sport
Golf=faggot hobby, its position in the world of sports died when golf carts were invented.
In conclusion, fuck golf; it's for faggots.
Ps.
45th is a gay finish but one's first largish event is always a great learning experience. There is nowhwere to move but up...unless you are like me, then you will be banished to constant nineths and tenths.
Fuck golf.
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ditch_pig on 2006-11-30 04:32 MDT magic is a game, poker is a game. just cause you see something on espn doesnt make it a sport, they pretty much show anything thats popular and competitive. I've seen dog shows on tsn and espn, and there's no way thats a sport.
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Splattt on 2006-11-30 16:28 MDT Anubis_End
yes i am so much more exhausted from MTG than from Basketball
roflsauces
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Precinct on 2006-12-04 21:10 MDT Did he just ask Streakz if he has ever played in a long Magic Tournament....I find that hilarious as Streakz has prob played in a few more than that guy.
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GiddyGorgon on 2006-12-09 20:12 MDT @ChristPunchr
You say fuck golf i say fuck you.
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Reyals on 2006-12-12 15:47 MDT jason...jason...jason...wish i could have been there good to know you did alright in your first non fnm...btw this is Johnny Suarez...email me at planeshifter85@hotmail.com if you ever want to get together and test some man i have some people in Sc coming up to asheville area to test with us...
