Scourge Prerelease
18th May 2003
Aston Ramsden
Bristol, UK
# People : Unknown exactly but around
35
The tournament started at 10:45, but I was a bit
late starting. It was to be six rounds. I got my three boosters and
tournament pack, and I opened my boosters first, found a dragon
tyrant, decree of annihilation and day of the dragons. I also got goblin
and krosan warcheifs, sprouting vines and a Titanic Bulvox. I got 2
unburden as well, ands two rush of knowledge. Heavy red, but powerful
cards all the same. Out of my tournament pack, I pulled a Hystrodon, Clone
and...Grinning Demon. Looks like black could be the colour of
choice. Add in green for land search and splash red for no real reason,
and the deck I eventually decided on looked like this:
Green:
1xSprouting Vines
1xFierce Empath
1xHystrodon
1xKrosan Tusker
1xKrosan Warchief
1x Alpha Status
1xDragon Fangs
1xSpitting Gourna
1xTitanic Bulvox
Black:
1xGrinning Demon
2xUnburden
1xZombie Cutthroat+
1xReaping the Graves
1xChill Haunting
1xCruel Revival
1xCabal Interrigator
1xFallen Cleric
1xCabal Archon
1xVengeful Dead
1xSpined Basher
Red:
1xDragon Breath
1xDecree of Annihilation
Land:
6xForest
6xSwamp
4xMountain
1xForgotten Cave
The deck was based around zombies, beasts and
the demon. With tusker and vines I could search for lots of lands, so a
three colour deck didn't seem to pose much of a problem. Black gave me
removal and discard, and the creatures I needed. Green provided
power. Red was just there.
Round One: Mark/Red green burn beasts
I win the flip and opt to go first. I keep a
hand with one of each colour and he keeps his hand too. The game starts
with both of us just laying lands, and storming out sprouting vines. I get
a cutthroat out early but it succumbs to some form of burn. The game ends
in a torrent of fire to my dome for something like four damage, and lo and
behold, I'm dead. The next game was very similar, except this time it was
my demon that I lost to a Carbonize after killing a 3/3. The end comes
from a pair of beasts beating me down. I lose 0-2, not a good
start.
Matches: 0-0-1 Games: 0-0-2
Round Two: Steve/Black-white zombie
clerics
I again manage to go first, and mulligan a landless
hand. The game goes quite well, leaving an unblocked archon and morphed
demon to flip over for 8 damage. He goes down quite quickly to the
pair. The second game I fall to a land screw and high cc
creatures. The third game was very similar.
Matches: 0-0-2 Games: 1-0-4
Here I decide to change my deck completely, taking
out the green altogether and filling it with goblins. I didn't record the
decklist though.
Round 3: Paul/Deck which I can't
remember
These two games I don't recall too well, but I
remember going to town with my demon twice for two wins. The second game
wasn't to my favour though, and I go 2-1.
Matches: 1-0-2 Games: 3-0-5
Round 4: Dave/Green-black symbiotic
husk
Both games Dave was the victim of savage land
screw, which is a pity cos he was a nice guy. He showed my his combo
afterwards, which involved saccing symbiotic elf and wurm to the husk, saccing
the tokens and recurring them with 2 reaping the graves and aphetto
dredging.
Matches: 2-0-2 Games: 5-0-5
Round 5: Joe/Black-white fliers
I had seen this guy lose once already, to a dawn
elemental enchanted with dragon scales and 4 +1/+1 counters courtesy of a cycled
decree of savagery, after killing an exalted angel. Un fortunately,
although I manage to get out a few creatures, he flies over me too much and I
lose 1-2
Matches: 2-0-3 Games: 6-0-7
Round 6: Andrew/Black-red-white zombie
cleric
the first game I lose due to some bad plays on my
part and him reaping the rewards. The scores end something like
35-0. The second game I manage to bring out a cabal archon, cycle decree
of annihilation and deal 12 or so damage with the black cleric. It ends
with him scooping to a demon. The last game ended fairly quickly, like the
first. My record:
Matches: 2-0-4 Games: 7-0-9
On reflection, a better deck would probably have
been blue black control, but there we have it.
Props:
Joe and Dave for being great opponents
Grinning Demon for being cool
Scourge for being a timmy set :)
Slops:
None, except to Bristol for being too far
away.