My Regional Experience 2008, by Kelly Thompson

I have played Magic: The Gathering for around 8 years off and on, since the release of Prophecy back in Masque Block.  The last time I played Magic, Kamigawa block was about to start for the summer.  I decided I hated it (I always hate Block Constructed of any kind except Invasion Block), and I quit Magic. I have quit about 4 times, and just recently started playing Magic again about a month ago.  Well actually started playing about a week ago.  I went to my local card shop Comic Asylum, which by the way has a fantastic owner willing to help out anyone trying to get in, or back in, to the game, and thought I would check out the environment.  I was looking for a deck to play at the upcoming 2008 regionals in Dallas, Tx.  I was told that the best deck in the format was faeries.  Faeries?!? I sure as hell am not playing a deck called “faeries.”  Coming back into the game, I knew I wanted to play an aggressive deck, probably red deck wins, or red green.  The last time I played regionals was in 2005, and I was playing ponza.  You know, the one that went:

Turn 1: Mountain, Chrome Mox, Slith Firewalker

Turn 2: Stone Rain

Turn 3: Genju of the Spires, Attack for 11

I went into the 9^th round with a 7-1 record, and went up against a black deck with 27 removal spells, and Kokusho, and some other 5/5 for 4 mana that I can’t seem to remember.  So, I went 7-2, and didn’t make top 8.  That last loss crushed me, and with the upcoming Kamigawa Block just around the corner, I decided to leave the game for good. 

So coming back into the game, I was shocked to say the least that Call of the Herd, valued at $20 back in my playing day, and always played in every r/g deck, was now valued at $5, and played in nothing.  I was happy to see that my best friend, thieving magpie, was still in the game, as well as merfolk looter, but no Opposition and Static Orb to join them.  Rats!!!

So, I found myself researching all the cards, and finding the first ever $50 creature in T2 called Tarmagoyf (Masticore and Morphling never reached that status), then the first $30 dollar land in T2 (Rishadan Port never reached that status) I was uncertain whether or not I would have the cash flow to get back in the game.  Luckily, Mark at Comic Asylum, was willing to take a storm load of crap rares off my hands at $.10 a piece.  In two visits I had about 150 dollars in store credit.  Yes, he took 1,500 rares off my hands, knowing that he would probably never be able to sell them again.  My friend Jonathan Patrick, and I loaded up on some Cryptic Commands, and Tarmagoyf, and other random commons and uncommons, mostly for the R/B Goblins deck we were going to build.  The Cryptics and Goyf were just for trade value.  So, we started to load up on the cards we needed for R/B, but eventually started studying the insanity that was Faeries.

We halted the scavenging for Goblins, and turned to Faeries.  I certainly didn’t want to play a blue deck, but was very intrigued by this deck, considering it had phenomenal results at some Star City Games tournaments.  My friend, Jonathan, took notice to Alex Bertoncini’s version which had Sower of Temptations and Pestermites.  I, however, took notice to Ben Weinburg’s version, which played only 2 spells at sorcery speed, which were Ancestral Vision and Bitterblossom.  This version looked far better, with everything being played at instant speed, than any U/B deck I’ve ever seen, because of the fact that the blue player is usually so afraid to play anything main phase, because they are scared to death of what their opponent might play, so they always leave land open for the counterspell, or two.  But, you didn’t have to do that with this deck.  I also have a big problem with Sower of Temptation, because I feel it gives players a false sense of security, as it usually never stays on the board with its weak toughness of 2, and just about everyone playing removal.  More often than not, a player will tap out to play a Sower, only to have it be put in the graveyard that same turn, and then being taken to zero life with the same creature they thought they were going to keep on their side of the board.  As for Pestermite, I figure why tap their creatures when you can just destroy them, or take them out with a Nameless Inversion.  This version of the deck also had favorable matchups with other faeries decks. 

So the deck looked like this:

We managed to get the cards together for one Faeries deck, and started play testing like madmen.  This involved a lot of cards turned backwards with card names scribbled on them inside crummy old card sleeves.  We play tested against faeries, R/G mana ramp, Zvi R/G, Revelark, B/G elves, R/B tokens, and merfolk.  The toughest matchups were R/B tokens, Zvi R/G, merfolk, and of course, B/G elves.  Merfolk, B/G elves, and Zvi R/G were all easier to beat after sideboard, but R/B tokens was still very difficult to beat, and I was willing to accept one terrible matchup.  I never found it necessary to playtest against Quicken Toast (spell check?), because there is no way faeries is going to lose to a deck with absolutely no early threats, and only 4 counterspells, I don’t care what Bucher, or whoever, says (I believe he said something about a 50/50 matchup, and when I here people say that, that means it is most likely 40/60, or 30/70, and they are usually praying for faeries to get a bad draw, and for them to get a god draw).

In play testing, we found that 2 pendelhaven was just bad, and only one was needed.  We also didn’t like the idea of only 2 Faerie Conclave, and decided to add an additional.  Oh did I mention that the deck had about a 30-40% chance of winning the first game against Zvi R/G? Magus of the Moonproved to be too difficult to deal with, and we decided that a swamp needed to be added, and that we needed to pray to draw it first game against those damned turn 2 Mountain Makers.  Of course it didn’t matter if they played a turn 2 Magus if we went first and already had to land in play to counter with a rune snag, or float a couple of mana (only one black needed) for a nameless inversion or terror).  So, the land base changed to:

5 Island

4 Mutavault

3 Faerie Conclave

1 Pendelhaven

1 Swamp

4 Underground River

4 Secluded Glen

3 River of Tears (I know what you are thinking but too often they prevent a turn one Ancestral Vision)

My friend Jonathan Patrick qualified for Nationals at Dallas Regionals in 2003, with a 61 card deck, and since then refuses to play a deck without 61 cards.  I figured why not add another Nameless Inversion and go for the 61 cards.  How bad can it hurt?  It didn’t at all.

So, the Friday Night Magic the night before regionals was the only tournament I would get to play before my big comeback at the Dallas Regionals 2008.  I knew I would have to leave after 4 rounds, because it is always important to get a good night sleep ALWAYS, no matter what the activity for the next day is.  I went 3-1, with my only loss coming to a play mistake against B/G elves, and dropped from the tournament.  I had beaten a Dragonstorm deck, and 2 B/G elves decks.  I felt very confident in the deck but was still uncertain about its chance against agro decks with early threats.  So I took out 2 Nameless Inversion, added 2 Slaughter Pact to the main deck, and completely changed the sideboard.

The maindeck ended up looking as followed:

4 Mistbind Clique
4 Scion of Oona
4 Spellstutter Sprite

4 Ancestral Vision
4 Bitterblossom
4 Cryptic Command
2 Nameless Inversion
4 Rune Snag
4 Terror
2 Slaughter Pact

3 Faerie Conclave
5 Island

1 Swamp
4 Mutavault
1 Pendelhaven
3 River of Tears
4 Secluded Glen
4 Underground River

Sideboard:

3 Damnation

4 Thoughtseize

4 Bottle Gnomes

2 Flashfreeze

2 Extirpate (What?!?)

Yes, that’s right folks!  2 Extirpate.  I respect Revelark very much, and I’m tired of everyone saying that Faeries always wrecks Revelark.  Okay, it normally does, but you simply can’t afford a bad draw against it, because they have so much card drawing power, and force you to always need a rune snag, or cryptic command.  If you Extirpate a Revelark, you might as well say “Good game.”

The Sideboard decisions were as followed:

Revelark/ Quicken Toast/ Any form of Blue Control:

+ 4 Thoughtseize

+ 2 Extirpate

- 2 Slaughter Pact

- 2 Nameless Inversion

- 2 Spellstutter Sprite

Hand Disruption really hurts this deck, and if you can extirpate an important spell, even better, plus it gives you a look at their hand.

Faeries:

+ 4 Thoughtseize

+ 2 Extirpate

- 2 Nameless Inversion

- Random Stuff.  Honestly, I love every card in this deck in this matchup so it is very hard to sideboard.  Extirpate gets ride of their counters, and if you manage to get a bitterblossom with it, it is a huge advantage for you.  I don’t really need to explain the addition of Thoughtseize do I?

R/G Mana Ramp, R/G Zvi:

+ 2 Flashfreeze

+ 3 Damnation

- 1 Bitterblossom

- 1 Scion of Oona

- 1 Ancestral Vision

- 2 Nameless Inversion

You don’t want a 2 Bitterblossom hand, You don’t want a 2 Ancestral Hand, Creatures are often too big for Nameless Inversion, and 1 Scion, because I like everything in the deck and sometimes a random card just has to go.

Red Deck Wins:

+ 2 Flashfreeze

+ 4 Bottle Gnomes

- 2 Ancestral Vision

- 2 Scion of Oona

- 2 Bitterblossom

See above.

R/B Tokens:

+ 2 Flashfreeze

+ 4 Bottle Gnomes

- 2 Ancestral Vision

- 2 Scion of Oona

-2 Nameless Inversion

This should be obvious.  Ancestral is too slow against this deck and Scion is an easy target for Mogg Fanatic

B/G Elves:

+ 2 Flashfreeze

+ 3 Damnation

- 4 Spellstutter Sprite

- 1 Ancestral Vision

Spellstutter hardly ever counters anything, and you don’t want a 2 ancestral hand.

Dragonstorm:

+ 2 Extirpate

+ 4 Thoughtseize

+ 2 Flashfreeze

- 2 Nameless Inversion

- 4 Rune Snag

- 2 Slaughter Pact

Hand disruption is the best thing against this deck, you really don’t need creature removal, and Rune Snag hardly counters anything.

Round 1:  Faeries

Obviously the faerie on faerie matchup is about whoever gets the better draw, and that is what I did Game 1.  Game 2 he gets a God draw.  I manage to thoughtseize him and he reveals 2 cryptic commands, a rune snag, another thoughtseize, and some other good cards.  I scoop it up considering I am land screwed, and he has a bitterblossom in play.  Game 3 he gets land screwed, and I thoughtseize his bitterblossom, and start swinging with a spellstutter sprite and some man lands.  Let me say this now, if it is turn 2 and you have a spellstutter sprite in hand and no faeries on the board with 2 land open at the end of his second turn, put it in play and start swinging next turn.  That thing will poke down your opponents life total, and make a big difference late game no matter what the matchup. 

Round 2: Random White creatures

This guy was very nice, and only a casual player looking for a good time.  I had to explain what Mistbind Clique was, and this told me that he hadn’t been around the game long.  I owned him easily, but it is always a joy to play someone who is just playing for fun, and doesn’t take the game too seriously.

2-0, 4-1 in games

Round 3:  Revellark

I own him easily.  His name is Angelo, and is a hell of a nice guy, and I’ve known him forever in the game.  I didn’t have much respect for his skill back in the day, but he has gotten a lot better at the game.  He never gets any draw power, and I have too many counters for him to even put a threat on the board.  He never keeps a creature on the board for more than a turn.

Round 4: Black discard and rogue creatures

Just like round 2, a very nice guy looking for a good time on a Saturday, playing a deck that he designed himself, choosing not to sell out to the idea of net-decking like the rest of us jerks (my words not his).  Neither game is close, but he takes the beating like a man, and is a very good sport about it.  Always a pleasure to play against this type of guy.

Round 5: U/B control

This guy’s deck relied on Shadowmage infiltrator, and Queen Oona, with heavy counters and removal.  Props to the guy for having the balls to play Shadowmage, because I have always wanted to build a deck with it, and never have made a good one, but slops to the guy for being a jerk about everything.  He starts the match by bragging about his high rating, but that doesn’t matter when I go first and have a turn 1 ancestral followed by a turn 2 bitterblossom while he only has a faerie conclave in play.  The game isn’t even close, but he does get mana flooded.  After the game, he has a side conversation with Mark Hendrickson (who I have the utmost respect for) about how I made some play mistake, and I conclude with “Oh well.” Game 2 we draw/go early on, but I start playing the creatures, and he can’t handle it.  I thoughtseize an infiltrator early and extirpate it, I counter a cryptic command of his, and extirpate that, too.  He pact of negotations during my turn, and has to tap out during his upkeep to remain in the game.  I cast a Scion at the end of his turn, and he Slaughter Pacts it at the end of his turn also.  In my main phase, I use cryptic command to bounce his only land that produces black mana to his hand.  He knows he can’t win, but plays some 4 casting cost card to search for an instant in his library.  I know he can’t win, but am not appreciative of his unsportsmanlike conduct, and rune snag the damned thing to deny him the chance of any hope, and he scoffs, and then scoops. 

Round 6: R/B tokens

The guy is wearing his Pro Tour Hollywood shirt, as he apparently just got done playing there.  The first game is close.  I have the advantage on the board, and I am one turn away from swinging for the win when I realize I have made a HUGE play mistake.  I have left 3 land open including a faerie conclave to make it look like I am going to block his greater gargadon, but I actually plan on terroring his greater gargadon when he attacks (I am at 9) during his turn, and then I realize his 2^nd greater gargadon is only suspending for 4 now, and he has 4 land in play along with a mogg fanatic to get it in play.  He looks right at it, and I am 5 second from punching myself in the face, but I refuse to look at it as not to point him in the right direction, or even look like I am afraid of it.  I simply focus on the one he has in play.  He says “Well I guess I have only one play.”  I’m thinking “yep good one Kelly you just handed him this game.” But he casts profane command with 2 mana for the X and gives his gargadon fear and gives my scion of Oona -2,-2.  I then make my move for the Academy Award for best actor when I sigh and look utterly hopeless as I toss my Scion into the graveyard.  He swings with his Gargadon and Fanatic, and I have the terror ready.  I finish the game at 8, and thank God every hour for getting away with that.  Game 2 he gets out 2 Bitterblossoms, and plenty of creatures, and has the god draw as far as I am concerned.  Game 3 I win somehow, sorry I can’t remember, but I know that it wasn’t even close.  I had counters for everything he had.

Round 7:  G/B weirdness (the guy ended up finishing 1^st place in the tournament)

He starts out by admitting that Faeries absolutely crushes him (he already knows what I am playing), and he admits that I am the only Faeries deck that he has had to face.  He was right.  He had absolutely no early threats, and we draw/go for a while, which lets ancestral fill up my hand with creatures and counters.  I play cryptic command 3 times, while also playing 2 rune snags, and countering other spells with spellstutter sprites.  Game 2 is much of the same.  Ancestral fills up my hand (I cast 3 during the game), and it isn’t even close.  He makes a play mistake by choosing to primal command my faerie conclave on top of my library, but I activate it into a creature in response, thus countering the spell entirely (thank you Mark Hendrickson for the ruling).  After the match, he claims I should be wearing a rainbow shirt for how gay my draws were.  The only thing he successfully cast the entire match was 3 Wall of Roots, and one Tarmagoyf which was terrored the same turn.  I still like the guy, because he let me use his tokens for bitterblossom, and is generally a nice guy.

Round 8: Merfolk – Intentional Draw

Round 9: I don’t know the deck – Intentional Draw

Top 8: I start out by telling everyone how I am going to concede for the box, as I have no interest in going to Nationals, but Jonathan tells me that I have to go.  I call my mother to see what she thinks, and she assures me that if I qualify, she will pay my way to Nationals.  The lady has already taken me there three times, and says “Kelly, have I ever not supported you in something you loved.”  I respond with “No,” and tell her I am going to give up the product for the Invite.

Final Match: Ian playing B/G elves

I sit down with a guy playing B/G elves (Ugh! My worst matchup!  Please take the product!!!)  He says he doesn’t want to go to Nationals, and will take nothing less than ¾ of a box, but I tell him I will give him no more than a ½ box, because I haven’t traded with anyone all day, and really need the product.  We sit around for a while, and Jonathan tells me “Hey man why not just take the box and smash him for the invite?”  Ian says “Okay, then lets play.” 

Game 1: I keep a 5 land, 2 spell hand.  He plays a turn 1 thoughtseize, turn 2 tarmagoyf, turn 3 thoughtseize followed by tarmagoyf, turn 4 terror on my only creature followed by a 3^RD TARMAGOYF!!! I say, “whatever,” and scoop. 

Game 2: This game is very close.  He thoughtseizes me for something I can’t remember, and starts out with an early Wren’s Run, and Civic Wayfinder, they do their damage while I counter his other spells, and finally resolve an ancestral, and lay down the creatures, with some bouncing of his via Cryptic Command.  He eventually has no cards in hand with nothing but a Wren’s Run in play at 4 life, and in his upkeep I play a Mistbind Clique and say “Good Game?”  He floats 4 mana including 2 black from pain lands, draws his card, and scoops.  I hear Jonathan yell in the background “Hell yeah that’s good game!  Smashed him!”

Game 3: I always start off with 7 cards faced down on the table, and draw them one at a time.  It only takes me seeing 4 cards (Faerie Conclave, Underground River, Flashfreeze, and Terror) for me to say “I’ll keep.” The judges give me a shocked look, and my opponent doesn’t like it, because he mulligans to 6.  My hand got much better with the final 3 cards (Nameless inversion, island, scion of Oona)  He gives his 6 card hand a long stare, but decides to keep, he starts off with a treetop village, and says “go.”  I play land, and say “go.” He plays no land, and casts a llanowar elves, and passes the turn.  I main phase nameless inversion it.  He topdecks the land and plays wrens run.  I terror it.  I play scion of oona at the end of his third turn, and end up terroring 2 more of his creatures, and countering just about everything while playing more creatures.  He scoops in frustration, and Jonathan comes to congratulate me.

I had to do it the hard way.  I am going to Nationals.

Lessons:

1. Always have good sportsmanship.  Before every game I won, I said “Good luck.”  The games I lost, I didn’t.  Karma is for real.
2. Don’t be afraid to be aggressive with Faeries.  You aren’t playing a control deck. 

Props:

-All the judges, especially Judge Shuman, who always does his job well, and is plenty courteous.

-Aussie Fox, for running the smoothest event I had ever attended.  Every round started on time, and there were no screw ups.  The man is a class act.

-Jonathan, for keeping his spirits up for me, when he wasn’t doing so well in the tournament.

-Friends made along the way

-Opponents who were friendly, and were good sportsman.

-The dealer with the radio going.  Nice jams man, and generally a nice guy.

Slops:

-Roy Spires for always trying to rip people off during trades.  I love you, Roy.

-Round 5 opponent, and Ian for not being a good sport when losing in the final round.

Tags: Regionals 2008

Related to: Magic: the Gathering

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