Subject: A Tournament Report from the Taco Lackey
Date: Sun, 25 Apr 1999 22:11:19 -0400
From: [JonPKibble@aol.com]
To: [submissions@thedojo.com]

A Tournament Report from the Taco Lackey
Neutral Ground: New York City
Saturday, April 24, 1999
Standard Format

I knew long before I got there that I was going to play Hacker Necro. It's a
deck which is very successful, and my friend Rob had done well with last
time. (The deck list is on the Dojo Decks To Beat, so I won't bother
re-listing.) Now I know that there is a large controversy about copying Dojo
decks, but I believe that my knowledge of deck building is not up to the
point where I am going to try to modify a deck I did not make, and think I'm
going to win with it. Necro is an archetype which I have always adored. I liked
it during the Black Summer in 96, I played plenty of Steel Necro, and Will
Necro is definitely something not to be ignored. The synergy in the deck is very
good.

Onto the report, though. I left Westchester around noon with Zev Gurwitz,
fellow schoolmate and Magic playtest associate. Rob Pisano, a good friend
from our local card store, came along, too. Rob played Necro at Neutral
Ground the last time we went, and made top 4, going 4-0 along the way, but
then losing to Toby Wachter playing, what else, Wachter Death. However, Rob
had beaten Toby in the rounds of swiss, so we thought maybe it was just a
toss up.

We arrive around 12:45 or so, and Rob and I do some playtesting. Zev hits
The net games. I play a couple of games with some guy named Philip, and lose
both of them. Philip tells me he is going to be playing in this tournament, and
that it is his second one. In the meanwhile, Matt Calhoun shows up and asks
Zev if he wants to join him going to some concert later. Zev declines. Rob
and I playtest some more, then the tournament soon starts.

Round 1 vs. Philip playing some green deck

Philip had mentioned earlier that we will probably play each other, and
coincidentally, we do first round. Being as there were only seven people in
the tournament (extremely low turnout for Neutral Ground on a Saturday!!!)
the chances were pretty good that I'd play him sooner or later. Philip is a
pretty good player. He always keeps a steady pace, pays his echo, and
appears to make the right decisions most of the time. Maybe he forgets to attack
with elves a few times, but that's not the end of the world. I take some beating
and play a Disk. Duress insures me some here and there. After disk is in
play he casts a creature he just drew---some bad over-extension. I pop disk and
corrupt some. Game is soon in the bag.

Second game is a big tougher. While I cannot remember exact details, I
remember that it seemed to be far in my favor. However, I have a Necro out
and he has an elf. I cannot seem to get a disk, and I'm at seven life. I
want to make sure I get a disk so I Necro down to 2 life. However, that was a
very bad idea considering that two elf smacks=game. 3 life would have been just
fine, but he attacks, I play tapped disk, then I lose.

Third game I Duress an Overrun to save my death, play stuff, and do the
Necro thing. Bauble+Will is so good. Ancestral Recall in type 2? I love it.

1-0 matches , 2-1 games

At this point I take a breath of relief. I'm ready for some more action.

Round 2 vs. Zev playing Lock and Key

I'm happy yet fearful. I always seem to wreck Zev in playtest. I beat this
deck with counter-phoenix like 6-1 in playtest, then I played him two weeks
ago in the tournament and went down screaming 0-2. Necro loses even less to
this deck, though, yet still I know he will win just cause it counts. Well,
I get a little bit of unexpected luck. First game I manage to persecute three
disenchants and play disk. Now I am not sure if I should mention his deck
too much as it is local tech, but it is full of artifacts. Disk is some good I
hear. Skirge wins the game.

Game 2 I side out edicts. Some bad, as his ticking gnomes come in. He plays
first turn mana vault, second turn voltaic key and ticking gnomes, and a
winter orb, or something like that. I get mad beats and lose.

Third game I rape him. He plays orb and I get chills. Nonetheless I manage
to get the mana to corrupt some. I am doing quite well.

2-0 matches 4-2 games

I guess it looks like I get to play Matt Calhoun. We are the only two
undefeated people.

Round 3 vs. Matt Calhoun playing Wachter Death

I'm not sure what's going to happen. He parises down to five cards and the
advantage helps me along quite well. I duress him, see a geddon and three
creatures, and think about it for a minute until I realize that I don't even
have a choice! Duress is some good though. I do the bauble will thing and
Necro goes all the way.

Second game I think he will win because with seven cards to start with that
deck can do some good in the hands of a high caliber player like himself.
I've heard his name before and I know I'm not up against random.guy this
round. Hell, I am random.guy to him. He plays bird and I edict. He plays
hermit druid and I can't kill. It gets him some land, and fills up the grave
nice and full. Viashino Heretic comes into play with untapped disk. I will
and rain of tears twice, tapping me out. Bad player am I for not popping
disk, I take 4 next turn, and the turn after he deaths. He is now at 17 and
has an army. I scoop.

It's all coming down to this last game. He plays elf and I edict, as I have
a drain in my hand. Then comes the hermit druid, which I also kill. Necro,
will, bauble... draw lots of cards, do lots of damage... he Duresses me, and
sees both ways I can kill him next turn. Time to extend the hand.

3-0 matches, 6-3 games.

Well I certainly did not expect that. Being as there were only 7 people,
that's the end. My prize is 18 packs of legacy. I later find out that Matt
is rated over 1900. Or, was. I can't do the math.

After the tourney I walk 4 blocks to Taco Bell and bring everyone tacos. The
world rejoices.

Jon Prywes
DCI# 133896
"Yo Quiero Taco Bell"