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Editor: Audrey C Quan. Saturday 31 August 2002
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"Once more into the breach, dear friends" - the Bard
On Wednesday morning I rocked up to Fox studios Hordern Pavilion for MTG Worlds. On Sunday night, I left. I am pretty sure that at some point in between those two times I did something other than play/watch Magic. I can't really REMEMBER doing anything else... but surely I must have. I am feeling rather numb. It hurts to think. It hurts to see. It hurts to breathe. I have never had the good fortune of actually having a hangover, but I would imagine this would be in the same vein.
A story - It was my first year of Uni - the end of the first semester - finals week. I had three finals, as I recall, Mon, Tue and finally Thursday afternoon. I got up on Sunday morning, having not prepared for any of them. I didn't really get around to studying during the day so I didn't get any sleep that night as I finally started in at about 4AM. I had my final on Monday and repeated the process - gaining no sleep on Monday night either. Tuesday and Wednesday came and went and I decided that IRC was much more interesting than studying or sleep - which
brings me to Thursday morning. I hadn't slept in four days now. I was pretty tired. I was talking to someone in the hall of my dorm and he left and I fell asleep. Standing up. As you do. I went to my final that afternoon. It was mid-winter in Albany NY, so it was cold. And snowing. But the examination room was warm. Oh, so warm. And there was a nice seat at the back, next to the wall. And Physics is really not all that fun. And sleep is so good. And it was so nice and warm. I missed an hour and a half of my three hour final, walking the path between conscious and unconscious. I went into the final with a high "C", needing a good mark for a "B". I ended up with a solid "D".
In any case, I think I felt better that day than I do today. Luckily I wasn't playing magic back then or I would have failed all my classes. Seriously. I only started playing Magic my second year of uni. Fill in the blanks.
So it was Worlds this week and the following things happened:
The event opened with a rather predictable Aboriginal/Australian themed number, an emcee that obviously didn't know the game, some insightful words from WOTC, and a flag ceremony. Yes, a flag ceremony at a Magic tournament. I try to be optimistic and open-minded about such things, but seeing Magic's finest walking down the isle holding flags whilst wearing ripped jeans and Slayer T-shirts... well, let's just say it wasn't a tearful moment.
My first event on Wed morning was OD Block Sealed. There were about 40 or 50 players, about 75% of which seemed like Sydney regulars. My second event was the GP trial, which was Do Block Sealed. Thursday I played Tempest Block Sealed. Thursday night was another GP - Do Block Sealed. As you can see, I generally prefer the limited formats. Of course I prefer to win in that format as well but unfortunately I cannot report much on that here.
Friday morning saw the PTQ for Houston - Do Block Constructed, which incidentally was my only foray into a constructed event over the five days. I was playing a deck that Sebastien Ourselin and myself concocted - U/B Zombie/Feeder/Wonder/Tog. Pretty much jank, but it tested well vs the common matchups.
First round I met a mono black control deck from Canberra. I play first and lay an Island. He drops a swamp, I drop a swamp and an Infestation. He sighs. I win. Second game, I play with my life as a resource. I am waiting to upheaval zombie next turn as he attacks for the win. I Wish for my 4th Aether Burst in my sideboard... and realize that I forgot to put it in. This is why I don't play constructed. So I lose that one and we run out of time and draw.
Second round is vs. G/B Genesis/Control - Johnny Linke who went top 4 with this deck at PTQ Sydney. I drew pretty well and in the second game I dumped my hand on turn 8 after an upheaval/infestation to make 4 flying zombies who went the distance. So now I'm 1-0-1
Round 3 and I am playing Spec. When your opponent is casting Krosan Reclamation on themselves to avoid life loss from the feeder, it is a pretty good sign for you. He died the mana death in game 2 - so I am now 2-0-1
Round 4 and I am paired up with Frankie who is playing the closest thing to the mirror that I can possibly come across in a U/B zombie w/ echoes deck. He logic/synced all my early card draw and infestations, and used the rest of his counters to wreck my upheaval. He follows with an echoes, so its bad news for me. Unfortunately Frankie is a bit low on counters at this stage so I force through a Traumatize, which leaves him with 11 cards in his library to my 13. I go for a final upheaval when he has 3 cards left, which gets Spelljacked. He attempts to flashback deep analysis on me which I Envelop - he gets decked. Second game I drop a second turn infestation and go agro, making a zombie every turn. So now I am 3-0-1
Round 5 vs Spec again. First game he comes out fast and I lost to the spec draw. Second game he drops an early standstill, which is obviously good for me. We draw go for about 25 turns until I have a reasonable hand. He has discarded an envelop and I know he is not playing logics, so I go for the upheaval with 2 logics to back it up. He has 3 envelops in hand. In turns I am one away from winning with Feeder, but he has his 4th Aether burst. Sigh. 3-1-1.
Final Round 6 and we get a deck check. I ended up misregistering my sideboard and getting a game loss. Play G/W, which is an excellent matchup for my deck, but he gets the walla/mongrel/discard roar and glory start, so I lose the one game and the match - leaving my at 3-2-1. Will probably head to PTQ Canberra and play the same deck. Seems good.
So Friday night is draft and Saturday is draft and Saturday night is Legends/4th Ed Sealed. I cracked a Mana Drain, which didn't remain in my possession for long, and the poxiest deck ever, even considering the format. After getting smashed round 1 against Zev and round 2 against? I decide that this format is not for me.
Sunday was the Magic museum draft. Mostly Australians and honorary Australian Nick Wong cracked Beta/Arabians/Antiquities/Legends packs. No power, but there was a Juzam, a Volcanic Island, a Counterspell, and 2 Candles. Nick was debating between an Island of Wak Wak and a Force Spike. Nathan Russell decided on a Shaharazad, but it didn't matter as after round four he won the lot on tiebreaks.
Sunday afternoon was numb. And Monday was work and numb. And today is work and numb. I must sleep now.
Many thanks to WOTC and the judges and all those who made the long trip down here to compete and partake in Magic World's 2002. Good times were had by all.
Scott
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