121599

From: Monte C. Dean
Email: moxking@aol.com
Submited: Sunday, 21 Nov 1999 9:39:4
Subject: MN State Championship

For those of you only wishing to find deck tech, I'm afraid this article, the first I've ever submitted, will be of little interest. Although I can say that Dust Bowl and Rishadan Port were in almost every deck, and will give a general overview of the cards and decks that did well during the tournament, the focus of this item is more in keeping with the reason I play MTG in the first place - FUN !!!

Before I left for the tournament I, like most of the players, I imagine, had dreams of gaining the crown. I spent hours on the net getting tech info and downloaded and read every article on the past 20 State Championships up until that time. I had prepared three different decks that I thought would work, and work well against the prevalent decks of the time, you already know them so I won't bore you with that.

What I ended up playing was a Green/Red LD deck with 2 Lightning Dragons to help protect me against those damn morphlings, plenty of LD, 4 Shocks and a couple Hammers to rid myself of early attackers and possibly put the nail in the coffin, 3 Argothian Wurms which were unbeatable if I had finally gotten the opponent's land down, 4 earthquake and a faultline to eliminate the creature rush, and a sideboard against black and blue and artifacts.

What I forgot, was all the 254,628 ways there are presently to go get land out of your deck. First turn exploration simply killed me, grangers and elders then laughed in my face, with Vine Trellis on the sidelines cheering them on.

At 2-1-1 I dropped.

The reason I'm writing this report,however, is to give hope to those of you out there, like myself, who love this game for the fun of it. I've won a fair number of local tournaments, was #1 in my state in Arena for 7 seasons in a row, and in the top 10 Nationally, so I'm no scoop-puff.

Before I left for the tournmanet I seriously considered selling my cards if I didn't do well and just giving it up. I didn't do well, but because of the FANTASTIC way this tournament was held instead of it reducing my enthusiasm, I was greatly rejuvinated.

Heres why.

First, when I called MIRKWOOD COFFEE, COMICS, and GAMES where the tournament was held I was given the most exact and specific directions I think I've ever received from anyone.

Second, the prizes throughout the show were simply great. There was a door prize of a Box of MM, during the tournament they handed out 6 packs of MM for the most neatly written deck list, 6 packs to the 'weirdest' deck list, 6 packs to the best combo during the event that actually 'fired up', and in addition to the regular prizes for the top 4 MCC also gave the winner FREE play in all major events for a year - which could easily be worth $300-$500. I know I missed a few, cause it seemed like one of the people who ran MCC was constantly going around handing out packs of MM for something to someone.

Judging - Here is most certainly where a tournament can be made or broken. A self important prick of a rules lawyer who has decided to inforce the most minute infraction can turn a fun event into a hateful brawl. THIS WAS NOT THE CASE. In fact, our head judge announced that if anyone tryed to win a game/match by BEING a rules lawyer, that he would rule AGAINST the rules lawyer instead of the other player. He emphasized that this was a FUN EVENT, not a blood bath. I don't think he was called for more than 5 or 6 times during the entire event, with 86 players, and dozens of other non-players. Also, the Echo Counter rule was optional. You wouldn't lose your creature if you forgot to put an echo counter on it the turn it came into play which was greeted by much cheering from the assembled masses.

The Players - Maybe it's the cold that affects us up here, but I don't think I saw a single time when someone made a mistake in play and was not allowed to take it back. I know I was allowed two corrections, and I in turn allowed 3 or 4 corrections, one of which probably cost me a match. Before the tourny began there was at least a dozen 'youngsters' who had obviously not played much who had at least one if not more older players helping them build their decks, often giving them cards 'on loan' from their own collections to help strengthen those decks. Kids came not knowing what a sideboard was, and were promptly helped to assemble one. Even top players who were probably going to be at the top of the roster were 'loaned' key cards they still needed, many times by total strangers, and in general there was a very open atmosphere before the event started of people helping each other, not guarding there deck list like it was mana from heaven. Not once during the entire event, even with all of us crammed into a space the size of a shoe box (or so it seemed at times), did I ever see even the most remote flair up of temper. There was not an inch of room between chairs, and with all the 'excuse me', 'sorry', and the occassional call of 'hep me, hep me - let me out' I didn't see anyone get upset because of the necissary 'closeness'.

Side Events - Wow !! For $10 you got three packs of MM for booster draft. First place got 6 Packs of KOREAN MM, and second got 4 packs of Korean MM. I did win the booster draft I played in with a green/white deck that was much better than the one I constructed for the main event. I traded my 6 packs for 2 Mox Diamond and a Verdant Force, since I don't have any foreign cards and don't want to start, and was quite happy. Second place winner pulled a Korean Two-Headed Dragon, and was THRILLED.

Trading - EVERYONE brought trade books just packed with great stuff, I saw Moxe's and Ancestral Recalls change hands, zillions of Rishidan ports and a whole herd of Masticores found new homes, and in general the trading was excellent. Best part was, people were there to trade, not just show off their great cards, and it was just amazing how many cards changed hands.

So the bottom line is, with a single event like this you can take someone like myself who was thinking of quitting after playing since The Dark, and return the vigor of the game. The fun has returned.

Next week they are having a type II with $150 cash first prize. I'll be there.