Jeff Zandi is a five time pro tour veteran who has been playing Magic since 1994. Jeff is a level two DCI judge and has been judging everything from small local tournaments to pro tour events. Jeff is from Coppell, Texas, a suburb of Dallas, where his upstairs game room has been the "Guildhall", the home of the Texas Guildmages, since the team formed in 1996. One of the original founders of the team, Jeff Zandi is the team's administrator, and is proud to continue the team's tradition of having players in every pro tour from the first event in 1996 to the present.

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This Space For Rent

The Southwestern Paladin

Is Angie Riley the Best Female Magic Player in the World?
Oklahoma City PTQ for London Tournament Report
by Jeff Zandi  - 4.22.05

The turnout was low at Game Headquarters in Oklahoma City for the April 9th sealed deck pro tour qualifier tournament for Pro Tour London. A meager number, thirty-four, of Magic players signed up for the tournament, including Angie Riley, her boyfriend Mark Dean, and myself. The three of us drove to Oklahoma City from Dallas that morning, piling into Guildmage 3 promptly at 6:30am. Three hours later, (even with a short pitstop just south of the city) our 1999 Chrysler minivan rumbled into the parking lot of the shopping center at the corner of SW 89th and Penn in Oklahoma City.This tournament is an AussieFox production, having been organized in advance by Magic’s most entrepreneurial TO Edward Fox of Wichita, Kansas, and judged and administered by the excellent Type II DCI Judge Jim Shuman of Texas. For this event, Jim Shuman has enlisted the aid of Evan Chada as a floor judge and Barry Skipp operating the scoring computer. The whole team was excellent, the tournament was well run. Other than the small turnout, this PTQ event was very successful. This would be my only PTQ appearance as a player this season, I judged the week before in Wichita, Kansas and would be judging in Fort Worth a week later. Angie and Mark both made the top eight in a PTQ in San Antonio the week before. Mark has improved his limited tournament play considerably in the past year. Can’t say anything too positive about my own limited play in the past year, I’m definitely having SOME KIND OF PROBLEM with the Kamigawa block in limited formats. But this report isn’t about me or Mark Dean, it’s about Miss Angela Rae Riley.

There’s a new sheriff in town, and her name is Angie! Angie has been playing Magic for many years, but only really got serious about it in 2001. In September 2002, she made her first PTQ top eight appearance. One year later, she qualified for Pro Tour San Diego by knocking out no less than David Williams himself in the semi-finals of a PTQ in Houston. When she played in her first Pro Tour event in San Diego last Spring, she became one-half of the first ever father-daughter team to play in the Pro Tour. Last Saturday in San Antonio was her third PTQ top eight, and today’s tournament in OKC became her third. Despite the fact that she did not win the PTQ, I believe that Angie’s development as a player makes it possible to argue that she is the best female player in Magic today.More about Angie and her Magical history later in this story, but now it’s time to talk about what happened in Oklahoma City.

ZANMAN AND WILMA’S TOURNAMENT

My tournament is easy to describe. As you can see from my sealed deck card list, my deck was decent, probably a little better than average. In round one, I played a guy named Elliott. Elliott is playing all five colors and most of the cards in his card pool. Elliott is from a little town in Oklahoma called Henryetta. Henryetta is the home of several very famous rodeo cowboys and one particularly famous Dallas Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman. Elliott rode up to the tournament today with the guy that runs the game store in Henryetta. I win the match after two brief games, after which I spend some time showing Elliott how to NOT crush the tiny mouse he carries around as a pet and how to build a slightly better sealed deck. In round two, I lose to Darin Minard. Darin is running a green/black deck splashing white for Cage of Hands and Honden of the Cleansing Fire. His platinum hits include Kodama of the North Tree and Seshiro the Annointed. Seshiro played a major part in both of the games Darin won. In round three, I run into Tony Menzer, one of Oklahoma’s best players. Tony’s deck appears below. Our first game was incredibly close. But you KNOW you’re in trouble when you manage the card advantage of splicing Glacial Ray three times and still lose the game. After mulliganing to six cards in game two, Tony never quite catches up. Game three was another tough one. Tony reduces my life points to exactly zero on the last turn of extra time at the end of round three. I let my traveling companions know that I’m planning on disappearing for a few hours and then I promptly disappear for a few hours.

Mark Dean’s nickname is Wilma. I wish I knew how such a thing happened, but I don’t know. I do know that Mark, or Wilma (which I tend not to call him), is a quite intelligent, rather vocal former Eagle Scout struggling in his young adulthood with, well, everything. Mark Dean had a good tournament, but probably won about as many games as his sealed deck materials would probably indicate. Dean won his first match handily, then faced his favorite gal in the second round. Even though taking an intentional draw in such an early round is normally ill-advised, Mark Dean and Angie Riley agree to draw. In the remaining rounds of the tournament, Mark manages to keep his head above water. Going into the sixth and last round of Swiss, Mark can still get in the top eight with a win, but unfortunately, he loses. Dean has been a good player for years, continually visible in the Dallas-area Magic scene.
Lately, he appears poised to take his game to the next level, the Pro Tour level. In the movie, Mark Dean will be played by Orlando Bloom.

ANGIE RILEY’S TOURNAMENT

In round one, Angie plays against one Kyle Whipple. His green/white deck features Kabuto Moth, Moss Kami, Waxmane Baku and, really, not much else.
Actually, Kyle’s deck DOES feature a certain artifact that a lot of decks would kill to have. No, not Jitte, but SHURIKEN. Kyle includes Shuriken in his deck, for all the good it would do for his green-white-no-Ninja-having ass. When Kyle did manage to play his Shuriken, he didn’t have a good handle on how to do the Shuriken “trick”. Readers of my article last Friday should be very knowledgeable about the so-called Shuriken trick, as well as how I feel about Shuriken. Well, Kyle doesn’t know exactly how to manipulate Shuriken so that he can use it with his menagerie of non-Ninjas to shoot Angie’s creatures without handing control of the Shuriken over to Angie.
Kyle asks Angie how to perform the trick, but she is repeatedly unwilling to teach Kyle how to play his own cards. Kyle calls a judge over three times to discuss Shuriken, but receives only the most general play instructions.
Later, Kyle calls the head judge, Jim Shuman, over to report that his opponent has *shudder* moved past her upkeep step without assigning the point of damage from her Honden of Infinite Rage. When the matter is adjudicated, I believe that Angie receives a caution. I KNOW that Kyle receives a point of damage square in the middle of his forehead. At some length, Angie wins this FIRST game, then goes on to close out the match win without much trouble.

In round two, Angie sits across from her opponent and immediately begins flirting with him. This would be quite unusual for shy-and-quiet Angie, but her round two opponent is boyfriend Mark Dean. Angie and Mark decide to take an intentional draw, a tactic that COULD bite at least one of them in the back later in the tournament. Besides each person’s desire to not hand the other a loss in round two, the decision is also based on the desire to get some lunch. Jim Shuman has announced that round three will begin at 2:15 pm, allowing roughly forty extra minutes at the end of round two to help most players have an hour-long lunch break. After indicating an intentional draw on their results entry form, Angie and Mark watch my match. Even though my match goes to game three, we’re quickly out the door heading for a nearby Chinese buffet that I scoped out a week earlier. This joint is on the loop in OKC, the sign says Super Hunan Buffet. In this joint, you pay first and then help yourselves to the buffet. The food really is quite good compared to the average Chinese buffet, although Angie DOES find a shirt button in her beef and broccoli. Angie spills a little sauce on the front of her new Texas Guildmage t-shirt (she became the newest Guildmage and the first female on our team just a month ago) but demurely flips her long dark hair around to disguise the drip. I manage to avoid similar fashion damage while finishing up my FOURTH egg roll, a number of egg rolls about FOUR too high for my low-carb diet.

Angie runs into trouble in round three against a very tricky Jason Taylor.
Jason, according to some, is a bit shady with his game. Today, Jason was pile shuffling his opponent’s decks into lose little piles of cards, each fanned out so that he could scrutinize the backs of the cards, sleaved or not. The judge staff watched Jason carry out this procedure several times during the day, but never determined that he was actually doing anything wrong. It’s NEVER a good idea to accuse any player of anything without having proof, I would say that in general, it’s the SNEAKY players that are the most concerned that their opponent is being sneaky. What I mean is, it’s usually the shady players that seem to be so worried about the shuffling habits of their opponents. The paranoia brought on by current or past guilt?
I don’t know. Just a feeling that I have sometimes. Angie loses this match
0-2 against a very powerful red/blue deck with Teller of Tales, several good Ninjas and TWO red Genju cards.

In round four, Angie faces Brent Baldwin, whose green/red/white deck is a little too spread out but DOES feature a Glacial Ray and a number of Arcane spells to splice it onto. Angie reported that Brent was a perfectly nice person and that she enjoyed her match against him. Why wouldn’t she? In both games of her 2-0 sweep, she put Throat Slitter into play on turn three.

In round five, Angie’s opponent was Andy Anders, a sturdy Texas Magic player who looks a LOT like the guy married to Shannon Elizabeth. Andy Anders, as a personal note, is the ONLY person in the world to beat me twice in the same sanctioned tournament. He achieved this nominal mark of distinction last year in a sealed deck PTQ at Madness Games in McKinney, Texas. Today, Andy’s deck is white/green splashing three Islands to support a Soratami Rainshaper and two Ninja of the Deep Hours. Andy’s other solid gold hits include Oathkeeper, lots of green creatures and Strength of Cedars. Angie’s superior mana curve quickly won her the first game. Anders took game two thanks to Oathkeeper and a well-timed Blessed Breath at the end of the game.
Angie won game three, and the match, after managing to eliminate Andy’s Patron of the Kitsune with a surprise Throat Slitter.

Round six found Angie unable to draw into the top eight with her single loss record, due to the intentional draw that she took with her man in round two.
In this last round of Swiss, Angie faces David Broadus, whose green/white deck plays three Mountains for a red splash of Blood Rites (BUZZ!), Frostwielder (BUZZ!), Yamabushi’s Flame and First Volley (BUZZ!). Not sure how David got to the sixth round with only one loss, but I have a pretty good idea why he failed to defeat Ms. Riley. In game one, Angie took control by getting both her red and black Hondens in play. In game two, David simmered in his own juices, badly mana-screwed as Angie took the match relatively easily.

TOP EIGHT DRAFT

The top eight booster draft was messy, to say the very least. It’s hard to believe that in the age of Magic Online, there would be players finishing in top eights of PTQs that don’t have much booster draft experience. Believe it. Mike Dvorak has the best seat in the draft, if you think the best seat is one where you have experienced, non-random drafters to your right handing you cards in the first and third packs. If you think the best seat in a booster draft is the seat with the most random drafters to your right who might fail to draft the best card more than once, then Chris Connelly was sitting in the best seat. Chris Connelly seriously wants to win this tournament. He finished in the top eight of all three Extended PTQs that he played in last season, but still failed to qualify for Pro Tour Philadelphia. Chris drafted black/white but ended up playing a few blue spells as well. The non-standard drafting style of the two players to Chris’s right DID NOT end up helping him much, and Chris seemed to have not been happy with his draft almost right from the start. Clockwise from Connelly was Jason Taylor with red/black, Tony Menzer with blue/white, Angie Riley with green/red, Taylor Webb (another good Texas player) with blue/black, Mike Dvorak with red/black and Chris Odorizzi evenly divided between black, white and red.

In her quarterfinal round, Angie faced James Fulgium. James is an Oklahoma Magic player that’s been around a long while, but who has never qualified for the Pro Tour before. Lately, though, things have been looking up for Fulgium. Last week, James finished in the top eight in Wichita, Kansas and is playing well in general. His draft was not spectacular, probably pretty close to Angie’s draft. Game one takes FOREVER. When Angie finally concedes, it is only when she sees that the game will end with her being decked (running out of cards in her library). In game two, Angie sets up with a turn two Orochi Sustainer, Fulgium counters with Orochi Ranger followed his next turn by Budoka Pupil. Fulgium deals the first damage of the game with the Ranger, and appears in charge of the game and the match when Angie attacks into him with her Burr Grafter and Order of the Sacred Bell. At fifteen life, James sees no reason to risk any blockers against Angie’s only two creatures, so he decides not to block. Angie quickly plays Unchecked Growth on her Order of the Sacred Bell, followed by Overblaze. James Fulgium takes eighteen points of damage and loses game two in twelve turns. In game three, James bravely keeps a two land hand on the play. On turn two, James makes a Loam Dweller, Angie lays a second land and plays Orochi Sustainer.
On turn three, James plays Kodama’s Reach and gains the lead in mana production. The game slows down considerably when James reaches five land and plays the green Honden. Five turns later, James plays Konda and it looks like Angie will be unlikely to win this one. Truthfully, James appears to have given Angie at least one more turn than necessary. James almost leaves himself defenseless when he finally does attack for the win in his twelfth turn. Angie ends the game with Unchecked Growth and Overblaze again in her hand. Reviewing the match, it is possible Angie could have won by attacking with everyone on turn thirteen, the turn she drew the second part of her Unchecked Growth/Overblaze combo. However, James would have had to block incorrectly in order for Angie to win. Even though James couldn’t know that she had the same two cards in her hand as at the end of game two, there is no reason to believe James would not have blocked correctly.

The quarterfinal winners were Tony Menzer, Taylor Webb, James Fulgium and Jason Taylor. All four quarterfinal matches required three games. In the semi-finals, Menzer made quick work of Taylor Webb before waiting a pretty long time for the Fulgium/Taylor match to work itself out. In their match, Jason Taylor accused James Fulgium of drawing an extra card. Jim Shuman was not prepared to accomodate Jason Taylor's accusations, reminding the player that it is extremely easy for one to under-draw one card (that is, fail to draw a card at some point) in order to accuse the other player for drawing an extra card. Shuman ended up sitting on this semi-final match in order to help eliminated any further shenanigans. In the other semi-final, Tony Menzer topped Taylor Webb. Tony then accepted a prize split with James Fulgium, and promptly dropped from the tournament, making James Fulgium the winner of the seat at Pro Tour London. James has been playing well lately, made the top eight last weekend at Wichita, but has been very vocal about how his top eight pins have been piling up without actually WINNING a PTQ.
Now Fulgium has the PTQ win he has worked so hard for. It's a long shot that James will manage to put together the scratch to travel to the UK to actually play in Pro Tour London, but at least for the time being, James Fulgium is a Pro Tour player.

GIRLS JUST WANNA HAVE FUN

Angie was barely a teenager when she first found out about Magic: the Gathering. Angie lived in Mansfield, Texas, with her mother Cathy and her stepfather Rob Lawing. Rob Lawing would one day be known as the "Godfather of Texas Magic", but back then, he was just getting started in the game, playing every weekend at a once-mighty game store called Games Galore across the street from the old high school that he used to attend in Arlington, Texas. As teams started to form in the Dallas-area Magic community in 1996, Rob Lawing found himself a part of the play group that would become the Texas Guildmages. (In fact, Rob fronted the money for the Guildmages first
t-shirts) Now Rob was traveling to a PTQ almost every Friday night, playing in a PTQ almost every Saturday along with playing in the weekly Type II tournament at Games Galore each Sunday AND getting together at Zandi's house in Coppell every Tuesday night. Soon, Magic players were hanging around at Rob's house in Mansfield on the way to and from out of town tournaments.
Other times, Magic players from all points of the compass would appear at Rob's house just to hang out and play cards.

Angie, a lot more interested in drawing pictures and taking care of animals than playing some arcane looking card game, began to see the game of Magic as a way to be around interesting people, a way to be closer to her stepfather. In January of 2002, Angie was playing often enough with Rob that he decided she was ready to join him at the weekly Guildmage practice. Rob, who REALLY doesn't like to drive at night, was also interested in having Angie drive him to and from the Tuesday night game. It was a win-win.
Angie's first Guildmage meeting was on January 9, 2002, where she and Rob were joined by Matt Duncan, Ken Pender, Kip Antene, Scot Martin, Jeremy Simmons and Chad Jones, as well as myself. Angie wasn't sure at first if this was the scene for her, but she kept trying, and she kept playing.

Eighty-Seven weekly practices and a few dozen pro tour qualifiers later, Angie Riley has matured into a player that can win against the best in constructed as well as limited formats. When she started playing in tournaments, there was no question that she was easily intimidated by the more "pushy" types of players out there. While Angie will never be a trash talker or a loud-mouthed player herself, she certainly has learned to deal with every kind of opponent without letting the opponent get to her emotionally. There is a tipping point at which competitive Magic players, as they mature, either decide that the work needed to play on the Pro Tour level either is or is not worth the trouble. Angie may have stepped across this line more gingerly than some, but she certainly has crossed over to the other side. Was overcoming her emotions to become less easily intimidated a GIRL thing? Let's just say that it was an Angie thing.

In the past year or so, there have been a number of important changes in Angie's life. Step Dad Rob is not playing Magic anymore, for a host of difficult to explain reasons. This would have been a great reason for Angie to put the silly card game aside in favor of more serious pursuits. Instead, Angie Riley became a Pro Tour player. While Angie still calls the house in Mansfield where Rob and Cathy live home, she has been living on campus at Tarleton State University in Stephenville. Studies have become more important to Angie than ever before, but she has not left Magic behind. One of my favorite pastimes is to think of new ways to use Magic cards, I'm always inventing new games to play with them. In a similar way, a year ago, Angie discovered a new thing that you can do with Magic players besides play Magic with them...you can date them too! Almost a year ago, while hanging out at Shotokan Anime in Hurst, one of the many smallish suburban communities wedged in between Dallas and Fort Worth, Angie became MORE than just casual buddies with a Magic player well-known in the Dallas Magic community, Mark Dean, better known in some circles as Wilma. Nobody was any happier to see Angie dating boys (for lack of a better term) than me. Having watched Angie grow up from a stringy-haired kid into an appealing young woman, many of the older Guildmages feel like Angie is their little sister.
Mark Dean is smart, imaginative and interesting. The two make a very good couple. We kid Mark that he's the only Magic player in the world whose girlfriend is better at Magic than he is. It's a funny thing. But it IS true.

In thinking about Angie as perhaps the best female Magic player in the world, my goal is not to put down the great female Magic players that have come before. The point is to GET EXCITED about the idea of more girls playing Magic. This is good for the game. It says nothing but good things about the game of Magic when you see the crowd that plays the game become more and more diversified. If you have played much Magic in stores or at big tournaments, you can quickly visualize the stereotypical Magic player. This stereotype applies to a LOT of the Magic community, for better or worse.
Female Magic players help break some of the more negative stereotypes. A more diverse image makes Magic a game more deserving off respect in the Intellectual Sports community. Girls ARE allowed in our clubhouses. Magic is NOT just a game for boys.

To date, no woman has finished in the money at a Pro Tour. This will probably change at Pro Tour Philadelphia, where it will not be necessary to finish in the top sixty-four in order to claim prize money. The real point remains that there has not been a female player finish close to the top of a Pro Tour, no top eight appearances in a Pro Tour MUCH LESS an actual Pro Tour victory. One by one, these distinctions will be eliminated. One day, a woman will win a Pro Tour. I think it COULD be Angela Rae Riley.

TOP EIGHT DRAFT DECKS

Taylor Webb
3-4th place
Draft position 3
9 Island
8 Swamp
1 Hisoka's Defiance
3 Peer Through Depths
2 River Kaijin
2 Soratami Mirror-Guard
1 Soratami Mirror-Mage
1 Teller of Tales
2 Cursed Ronin
1 Dance of Shadows
1 Devouring Greed
1 Honden of Night's Reach
1 Wicked Akuba
1 Callow Jushi
2 Floodbringer
1 Mistblade Shinobi
1 Shimmering Glasskite
1 Horobi's Whisper
1 Three Tragedies
Sideboard:
1 Horizon Seed
1 Hundred-Talon Kami
1 Floating-Dream Zubera
1 Hisoka's Guard
1 Peer Through Depths
1 Sift Through Sands
1 Akki Avalanchers
1 Soul of Magma
1 Yamabushi's Storm
1 Commune with Nature
1 Kashi-Tribe Warriors
1 Orbweaver Kumo
1 Thousand-legged Kami
1 Venerable Kumo
1 Ribbons of the Reikei
1 Teardrop Kami
2 Toils of Night and Day
1 Blessing of Leeches
2 Traproot Kami
1 Vital Surge

Jason Taylor
3-4th place finisher
drafted 8th
8 Mountain
8 Swamp
2 Befoul
1 Cruel Deceiver
1 Rend Spirit
1 Villainous Ogre
1 Akki Avalanchers
1 Ben-Ben, Akkii Hermit
1 Brothers Yamazaki
1 Brutal Deceiver
1 Glacial Ray
1 Hanabi Blast
1 Kami of Fire's Roar
1 Lava Spike
1 Uncontrollable Anger
1 Horobi's Whisper
1 Okiba-Gang Shinobi
1 Three Tragedies
1 Akki Raider
2 First Volley
2 Goblin Cohort
2 Shinka Gatekeeper
Sideboard:
1 Okina, Temple to the Grandfathers
1 Kusari-Gama
1 Lifted by Clouds
1 Bloodspeaker
1 Midnight Covenant
1 Ragged Veins
1 Soulless Revival
1 Devouring Rage
1 Earthshaker
1 Unearthly Blizzard
1 Unnatural Speed
2 Yamabushi's Storm
1 Budoka Gardener
1 Feast of Worms
1 Minamo's Meddling
1 Pus Kami
1 In the Web of War
1 Mark of Sekiko
1 Scaled Hulk

James Fulgium
1st place finisher
drafted sixth
9 Forest
8 Plains
1 Nine-Ringed Bo
1 Hikari, Twilight Guardian
1 Kami of Old Stone
1 Kitsune Healer
1 Konda, Lord of Eiganjo
1 Reciprocate
1 Burr Grafter
2 Feral Deceiver
1 Honden of Life's Web
1 Kashi-Tribe Warriors
1 Kodama's Reach
1 Orochi Ranger
1 Empty-Shrine Kannushi
1 Hokori, Dust Drinker
1 Hundred-Talon Strike
1 Budoka Pupil
1 Child of Thorns
1 Lifespinner
1 Loam Dweller
1 Scaled Hulk
1 Shuriken
1 Neko-Te
Sideboard:
2 Quiet Purity
1 Terashi's Cry
1 Hisoka's Defiance
1 River Kaijin
1 Soratami Mirror-Guard
1 Soratami Mirror-Mage
1 Teller of Tales
2 Thoughtbind
1 Befoul
1 Deathcurse Ogre
1 Gibbering Kami
1 Initiate of Blood
1 Ronin Houndmaster
1 Unnatural Speed
1 Kashi-Tribe Warriors
1 Heart of Light
1 Quash
1 Streams of Consciousness
1 Blessing of Leeches
1 Scaled Hulk

Tony Menzer
2nd place finisher
drafted first
9 Island
8 Plains
1 Hankyu
1 Cage of Hands
2 Harsh Deceiver
1 Kitsune Riftwalker
1 Mothrider Samurai
1 Nagao, Bound by Honor
1 Callous Deceiver
1 Consuming Vortex
1 Jushi Apprentice
1 Petals of Insight
1 Reach Through Mists
1 River Kaijin
1 Sire of the Storm
2 Soratami Rainshaper
1 Teller of Tales
1 Hundred-Talon Strike
1 Split-Tail Miko
1 Waxwane Baku
3 Shimmering Glasskite
Sideboard:
1 Honor-Worn Shaku
1 Harsh Deceiver
1 Kitsune Healer
1 Kitsune Mystic
1 Field of Reality
1 Hisoka's Defiance
1 Kami of Twisted Reflection
2 Sift Through Sands
1 Wandering Ones
1 Iname, Death Aspect
1 Crushing Pain
1 Iname, Life Aspect
1 Kami of False Hope
1 Silverstorm Samurai
1 Kaijin of the Vanishing Touch
1 Quillmane Baku
1 Bile Urchin
1 Crawling Filth
1 Psychic Spear
1 Petalmane Baku
1 Roar of Jukai

Mike Dvorak
5-8th place finisher
drafted 4th
8 Mountain
9 Swamp
1 Jade Idol
2 Ashen-Skin Zubera
1 Gibbering Kami
1 He Who Hungers
1 Rend Flesh
2 Waking Nightmare
1 Brutal Deceiver
1 Ember-Fist Zubera
1 Frostwielder
2 Glacial Ray
1 Hanabi Blast
1 Eradicate
1 Okiba-Gang Shinobi
1 Skullmane Baku
1 Stir the Grave
2 Takenuma Bleeder
2 Blademane Baku
1 Shinka Gatekeeper
Sideboard:
1 Pinecrest Ridge
1 Terashi's Cry
1 Kami of Twisted Reflection
1 Deathcurse Ogre
1 Midnight Covenant
1 Numai Outcast
1 Oni Possession
1 Akki Avalanchers
1 Crushing Pain
1 Stone Rain
1 Unearthly Blizzard
1 Yamabushi's Storm
1 Humble Budoka
1 Jukai Messenger
1 Sachi, Daughter of Seshiro
1 Kami of the Honored Dead
1 Pus Kami
2 Kumano's Blessing
1 Sakiko, Mother of Summer
1 Scaled Hulk

Christopher Odorizzi
5-8th place finisher
drafted 5th
5 Mountain
6 Plains
7 Swamp
1 Ethereal Haze
1 Harsh Deceiver
1 Indomitable Will
1 Kami of the Painted Road
2 Kitsune Blademaster
1 Silent-Chant Zubera
1 Gibbering Kami
1 Gutwrencher Oni
1 Kami of the Waning Moon
1 Nezumi Graverobber
1 Villainous Ogre
2 Kami of Fire's Roar
1 Kami of Tattered Shoji
1 Mending Hands
1 Moonlit Strider
1 Bile Urchin
1 Horobi's Whisper
1 Nezumi Shadow-Watcher
1 Blademane Baku
2 Frostling
Sideboard:
1 Kitsune Healer
1 Quiet Purity
1 Samurai Enforcers
1 Lifted by Clouds
1 Battle-Mad Ronin
1 Brothers Yamazaki
1 Desperate Ritual
1 Lava Spike
1 Unnatural Speed
1 Commune with Nature
2 Dripping-Tongue Zubera
1 Feral Deceiver
1 Jukai Messenger
1 Sakura-Tribe Elder
1 Venerable Kumo
1 Heart of Light
1 Mending Hands
1 Silverstorm Samurai
1 Takeno's Cavalry
1 Akki Blizzard-Herder
1 Crack the Earth

Angie Riley
5-8th place finisher
drafted second
11 Forest
5 Mountain
1 Shinka, Bloodsoaked Keep
1 Ember-Fist Zubera
2 Yamabushi's Flame
1 Kami of the Hunt
1 Kashi-Tribe Warriors
1 Kodama's Might
2 Matsu-Tribe Decoy
1 Order of the Sacred Bell
1 Orochi Sustainer
1 Rootrunner
2 Sakura-Tribe Elder
1 Sosuke, Son of Seshiro
1 Time of Need
1 Blinding Powder
1 Ogre Recluse
1 Overblaze
1 Child of Thorns
1 Gnarled Mass
2 Matsu-Tribe Sniper
1 Sakura-Tribe Springcaller
Sideboard:
1 Boseiju, Who Shelters All
1 Konda's Banner
1 Vigilance
1 Mystic Restraints
1 Sift Through Sands
1 Student of Elements
1 Thoughtbind
1 Burr Grafter
1 Hearbeat of Spring
1 Joyous Respite
1 Nature's Will
1 Venerable Kumo
1 Wear Away
1 Day of Destiny
1 Ire of Kaminari
1 Kodama of the Center Tree
1 Unchecked Growth
2 Uproot

Chris Connelly
5-8th place finisher
drafted 7th
3 Island
7 Plains
7 Swamp
1 Ghostly Prison
1 Hundred-Talon Kami
1 Innocence Kami
1 Kabuto Moth
1 Kami of the Painted Road
1 Kami of the Palace Fields
1 Kitsune Diviner
1 Kitsune Healer
2 Cruel Deceiver
1 Distress
1 Hideous Laughter
1 Honden of Night's Reach
1 Nezumi Cutthroat
2 Waking Nightmare
1 Hundred-Talon Strike
1 Patron of the Kitsune
1 Terashi's Verdict
1 Floodbringer
2 Ninja of the Deep Hours
1 Takenuma Bleeder
Sideboard:
1 Bushi Tenderfoot
1 Call to Glory
1 Kami of the Painted Road
1 Kami of the Palace Fields
1 Pious Kitsune
1 Quiet Purity
1 Squelch
1 Midnight Covenant
1 Nezumi Bone-Reader
1 Struggle for Sanity
1 Akki Underminer
1 Desperate Ritual
1 Jukai Messenger
1 Order of the Sacred Bell
1 Ward of Piety
1 Quillmane Baku
2 Veil of Secrecy
1 Blessing of Leeches
1 Stir the Grave
1 Crack the Earth
1 Scaled Hulk


TOP EIGHT SEALED DECKS

Christopher Odorizzi
1st place after six rounds of Swiss
4-0-2
8 Forest
7 Plains
1 Pinecrest Ridge
1 Shinka, the Bloodsoaked Keep
1 Orochi Hatchery
1 Sensei’s Divining Top
1 Cage of Hands
1 Devoted Retainer
1 Ethereal Haze
1 Ghostly Prison
1 Indomitable Will
1 Kabuto Moth
1 Kitsune Blademaster
1 Honden of Infinite Rage
1 Burr Grafter
1 Honden of Life’s Web
1 Kami of the Hunt
1 Matsu-Tribe Decoy
1 Order of the Sacred Bell
1 Orochi Eggwatcher
1 Orochi Leafcaller
1 Sosuke, Son of Seshiro
1 Hundred-Talon Strike
1 Waxmane Kami
1 Gnarled Mass
1 Roar of Jukai
1 Blinding Powder

Chris Connelly
2nd place after six rounds of Swiss
4-0-2
9 Mountain
8 Plains
1 Cage of Hands
1 Hundred-Talon Kami
1 Innocence Kami
1 Kami of the Painted Road
1 Kami of the Palace Fields
1 Mothrider Samurai
1 Reciprocate
1 Samurai of the Pale Curtain
1 Brothers Yamazaki
1 Devouring Rage
1 Ember-Fist Zubera
1 Glacial Ray
1 Kami of Fire’s Roar
1 Ryusei, the Falling Star
1 Hundred-Talon Strike
1 Kami of False Hope
1 Terashi’s Verdict
1 Waxmane Baku
1 First Volley
1 Genju of the Spires
1 Goblin Cohort
1 Ishi-Ishi, Akki Crackshot
1 Shinka Gatekeeper

Jason Taylor
3rd place after six rounds of Swiss
4-1-1
8 Island
9 Mountain
1 River Kaijin
1 Sift Through Sands
1 Soratami Cloudskater
1 Soratami Seer
1 Teller of Tales
1 Brothers Yamazaki
1 Crushing Pain
1 Devouring Rage
1 Earthshaker
1 Ember-Fist Zubera
1 Hearth Kami
1 Kami of Fire’s Roar
1 Pain Kami
1 Ronin Houndmaster
1 Uncontrollable Anger
1 Mistblade Shinobi
1 Ninja of the Deep Hours
1 Phantom Wings
1 Veil of Secrecy
1 First Volley
1 Frost Ogre
2 Genju of the Spires
1 Torrent of Stone

Mike Dvorak
4th place after six rounds of Swiss
4-1-1
6 Mountain
11 Swamp
1 Cursed Ronin
1 Kami of the Waning Moon
1 Marrow-Gnawer
1 Nezumi Cutthroat
1 Nezumi Graverobber
1 Soulless Revival
1 Villainous Ogre
1 Wicked Akuba
1 Brutal Deceiver
1 Ember-Fist Zubera
1 Glacial Ray
1 Pain Kami
1 Yamabushi’s Flame
1 Call for Blood
1 Nezumi Shadow-Watcher
1 Okiba-Gang Shinobi
1 Stir the Grave
1 Takenuma Bleeder
1 Toshiro Umezawa
1 Frostling
1 Torrent of Stone
1 Ronin Warclub
1 Shuko

James Fulgium
5th place after six rounds of Swiss
4-1-1
6 Forest
4 Plains
7 Swamp
1 Sensei’s Divining Top
1 Cage of Hands
1 Hundred-Talon Kami
1 Indomitable Will
1 Kami of Old Stone
1 Takeno, Samurai General
1 Cruel Deceiver
1 Rend Spirit
1 Villainous Ogre
1 Wicked Akuba
1 Honden of Life’s Web
1 Kodama’s Might
1 Orochi Sustainer
1 Sachi, Daughter of Seshiro
1 Sakura-Tribe Elder
1 Indebted Samurai
1 Genju of the Fens
1 Hired Muscle
2 Horobi’s Whisper
1 Shirei, Shizo’s Caretaker
1 Enshrined Memories
1 Lifespinner
1 Sakura-Tribe Springcaller

Taylor Webb
6th place after six rounds of Swiss
4-1-1
5 Island
7 Mountain
5 Swamp
1 Minamo, School at Water’s Edge
1 Callous Deceiver
1 Consuming Vortex
1 Soratami Cloudskater
1 Soratami Rainshaper
1 Uyo, Silent Prophet
1 Kami of the Waning Moon
1 Nezumi Cutthroat
1 Nezumi Ronin
1 Scuttling Death
1 Swallowing Plague
1 Hanabi Blast
1 Hearth Kami
1 Kami of Fire’s Roar
1 Yamabushi’s Flame
1 Mistblade Shinobi
1 Shimmering Glasskite
1 Blinding Powder
1 Akki Raider
1 First Volley
1 Frost Ogre
1 Torrent of Stone

Angie Riley
7th place after six rounds of Swiss
4-1-1
7 Mountain
2 Plains
8 Swamp
1 Honden of Cleansing Fire
1 Ashen-Skin Zubera
1 Blood Speaker
1 He Who Hungers
1 Honden of Night’s Reach
1 Kami of Lunacy
1 Kami of the Waning Moon
1 Nezumi Cutthroat
1 Scuttling Death
1 Seizan, Perverter of Truth
1 Battle-Mad Ronin
1 Hearth Kami
1 Honden of Infinite Rage
1 Yamabushi’s Flame
2 Bile Urchin
1 Okiba-Gang Shinobi
1 Psychic Spear
1 Throat Slitter
1 Ashen Monstrosity
1 Cunning Bandit
1 Frostling
1 Goblin Cohort

Tony Menzer
8th place after six rounds of Swiss
4-1-1
8 Forest
2 Island
8 Swamp
1 Ashen-Skin Zubera
1 Devouring Greed
1 Nezumi Ronin
1 Rend Flesh
1 Swallowing Plague
1 Waking Nightmare
1 Feral Deceiver
1 Soratami Mirror-Mage
1 Kami of the Hunt
1 Kodama’s Reach
1 Matsu-Tribe Decoy
1 Serpent Skin
1 Shimmering Glasskite
1 Call for Blood
1 Skullsnatcher
1 Takenuma Bleeder
1 Three Tragedies
1 Toshiro Umezawa
1 Gnarled Mass
1 Loam Dweller
1 Petalmane Baku
1 Sakura-Tribe Springcaller


SOME OTHER DUDES’ SEALED DECKS

Mark Dean
3-2-1
8 Forest
1 Mountain
8 Swamp
1 Nine-Ringed Bo
1 No-Dachi
1 Befoul
1 Gibbering Kami
1 Kami of the Waning Moon
1 Soulless Revival
1 Yamabushi’s Flame
1 Burr Grafter
1 Kashi-Tribe Reaver
1 Kashi-Tribe Warriors
1 Kodama of the South Tree
1 Kodama’s Reach
1 Orochi Ranger
1 Sachi, Daughter of Seshiro
1 Sakura-Tribe Elder
1 Bile Urchin
1 Patron of the Nezumi
2 Skullsnatcher
1 Torrent of Stone
1 Body of Jukai
1 Matsu-Tribe Sniper
1 Roar of Jukai

Jeff Zandi
1-2
7 Island
3 Mountain
7 Swamp
1 Sensei’s Divining Top
1 Callous Deceiver
1 Floating-Dream Zubera
1 Hinder
1 Mystic Restraints
1 Soratami Rainshaper
1 Cursed Ronin
1 Hideous Laughter
1 Kami of the Waning Moon
1 Nezumi Graverobber
1 Pull Under
1 Thief of Hope
1 Wicked Akuba
1 Glacial Ray
2 Shimmering Glasskite
1 Toils of Night and Day
1 Veil of Secrecy
1 Skullmane Baku
2 Takenuma Bleeder
1 Throat Slitter

Of course, I’m always interested in hearing what YOU think.

Jeff Zandi
Texas Guildmages
Level II DCI Judge
zanman@thoughtcastle.com
Zanman on Magic Online