disclaimer: this is very personal and is hardly a report you would read on some portal or website. this blog is personal, just writing this so you don't get the wrong idea.
In Czech Republic, Prague the first weekend of July was dedicated to Eternal formats. Zuzy (and not only him) organized Prague Eternal Weekend held at CVUT Mensa located at Bila, Dejvice, Prague. This was an event I did not want to miss.
We got a schedule saying what formats would be played on what day. Highlander and Legacy weren't played on the same day so I expected to play both. Later on when more information was being posted we learned that the schedule would change but we didn't know how. In the end Legacy Main event was run alongside the Highlander event. At this point I wasn't really sure if I wanted to come. This meant I could play either Legacy or Highlander. I really wanted to play Legacy but I gave preference to Highlander. Many German players were pretty disappointed about this change as well since those wanted to participate in both events as well. I was very upset about how the organization and passing of information was handled and did not even want to come then.
There was possibly another reason I could possibly come. I could trade/sell or show my alters and custom playmats to the players coming there. Due to some misunderstanding or whatever with the organizer I decided to let this matter go and attend as a player. Anyway I was altering more cards so I could sell them there. Thanks to Jakub Jandak I have my own website promoting or showcasing some of my work. It can be found at http://stsungalters.com/
In the few weeks prior to Prague Eternal I could not even play Legacy because I was so upset with Delver decks that I changed my deck several times. No matter what I played be it Miracles, Esper Control or Jund I just couldn't find the right deck for me. At that time Cerny Rytir started some regular EDH tournaments. I went there with my reanimator deck and won few thousand crowns worth of store credit. I decided to build reanimator for Legacy just for fun (I lacked some Griselbrands and Show and Tells that I got from the credit I won). I did not expect to play that at Prague Eternal but well why not try something dumb (no offense meant for those who like reanimator, the deck is cool). At the first tournament I played with the deck I was in a really bad shape and did not expect to win a single game. But Entomb -> Reanimate on turn 2 was capable to win few games^_^. I even won a game against Delver deck with 3/7 Elesh Norn on the board while being down to 3 life, having Force of Will in hand and no blue spell along with it, Lightning Bolt eluded me and I won. I went 2-2 and realized that playing the deck is not actually easy and I realized why those few people playing the deck at those tournaments were always at the bottom of the standings list. The next time I played I went 2-2 but it was way more fun. In one of the games in which I fought for some store credit I just did not manage to resolve reanimation spell or Show and Tell - 2 Spell Pierce and 2 Force of Wills were one counterspell more than I could deal with. Later on I changed the deck a bit so I could get some better matchups with those annoying Delver decks. The deck seemed fine but still not something I would play with at a bigger tournament were the entry fee is 600CZK/22EUR. Prague Eternal was coming closer.
The week before Prague Eternal people started asking me if I have this or that card and this really upset me. When someone asked me if I would actually go there I said 'no'. I had no deck that I felt comfortable to play with and I did not want to see all those people because in some cases I would have the urge to slap them. Not to mention that I did not really appreciate the organization much. But who cares about that? People will remember and thank the 'organizator' even though we should thank all those people who actually organized the event.
Anyway on Friday when the Prague Eternal Legacy tournament Trial was held I decided to come. Equipped with my Reanimator deck I left for Dejvice (and two highlander decks). But there at Dejvice some weird feeling caught up with me. I realized that I don't really want to go there nor play even for some reason. Why? I'm in a bad financial situation that I don't really cope with well (along with my flatmate). We try to survive and pay for the most essential things. Magic: The Gathering is my primary income but what playing at three different tournaments with really high starting fee would do with this? I wasn't sure if I was ready to do this. I did not go to BoM nor Legacy GP because of this and I also knew that in August there was Worldcon I wanted to attend and I didn't have money for that event either. I was pondering about this for quite a long time. It took me about 10 circles around the building to finally decide more or less. I decided to try it. I came to the site quite a long time after the beginning of the tournament so I just came there. I handed a folder with my altered cards to Tomas Klimes and did the same with several of my playmats. I asked him the day before or something if he would be willing to sell some of my alters or mats, he agreed so I brought it. I was thinking about getting some business cards printed or writing some introductory paper about me and my stuff but in the end decided against it. Who cares about me anyway? I did not expect anyone to buy anything, people liked the cards but no one bought any of them. Few mats got sold though o_O My Stoneblade playmat and Kuroko playmat have new owners!
At the event I played some Legacy with few people and asked them why they don't play the trial and if they would play the day after. They told me that the prize pool for 77 players is simply wrong and paying the starting fee and getting much less is not something they want to do (if they even win something). The players playing the event had the same feeling and also weren't really happy with non-English cards they received and the allocation of byes that was given. I did not really care about this but seeing the players they really weren't happy about it and it reminded me that I was disgusted the same way when Cerny Rytir announced that at the Cerny Rytir Cup the prize pool is 4 booster boxes of current set (Legacy tournament, previously cash prizes). I also did not attend this tournament because in some way I felt offended.
That night I also played against some people having their German Highlander decks with them. All of those players except one told me that they would play Legacy the day after. The players would play Highlander if Legacy wouldn't be played at the same time. I expected this to happen but the organizers ignored this fact. Most probably already expecting that the Highlander tournament would be a failure or what.
Past midnight we left the site with Jan Jestribek. He invited me for 'dinner' and survived some time with my really upset and angry self, also showed how incapable of thinking he is. After our detour to the city center I left for my flat. There I tried to figure out what to play at the Highlander tournament because Legacy really seemed as a waste of money and it seemed that I would not be able to enjoy the tournament anyway (because I had no idea what to play). So during the night I tried my 5c goodstuff and Bant aggro-control with the help of Zdenek (my flatmate) and in the end decided to play the Bant deck because that should be more stable even though the 5c deck was capable of really crazy things.
In the morning Leos called me if I have a deck for him so I said yes and let him play with my 5c goodstuff. I wasn't really sure if I want to let him play with my Japanese/Korean cards but I did not have the time to change them. I hoped he wouldn't destroy any of them.
I registered for the tournament without paying because I did not have the money in Czech Crowns nor in Euros (I had 2 EUR missing). I was allowed to play if I'd pay later. At 11 o'clock there was a question if they should proceed with the tournament with so few players or wait for Legacy players to drop of the tournament. So there was quite a delay. In the end it was decided that it would be Vintage that would be delayed and our tournament was about to start. It took even longer for it to start but eventually it started.
I thought that after the tournament I would actually write a report from it but decided against it. I played against 3 different decks during the tournament. UWR Control decks, Esper Control decks and Staxx that I played against in the semi-finals. The UWR decks were the bane of my 5c goodstuff and did not seem the best match up for the Bant either. When I played against the first one I knew that it's not going to end up well (especially after deciding to play 3 basics and not more). After a terrible loss because my lands produced only red mana I started to feel that this tournament would lead to nowhere. In the second round my opponent played an Island, continued with a Mountain and I knew that I'm doomed. I wasn't though because I somehow managed to win and I did not even die to Stormbreath Dragon nor Thundermaw Hellkite. Next round my opponent found out that he lost a card in his deck and looked for a replacement basic land. I offered him my Island but he already got one from a friend. We started a game and I wondered what I would be doing with Back to Basics and such. While trying to have one threat in the game and still have mana open to counterspell I managed to win. Thrun and Sigarda can be really annoying and I have to say that I was really glad that I put that in my deck. Those were cards I did not want to run at first. The deck had real issues with double green.
Anyway I somehow with the help of my opponents managed to end up in the top 8. In the first round what I played against? Esper Control. I played against Vitezslav Smid who is an awesome person and also a good player and one of the kind of players I admire. I don't meet players that know what they want to play and how everyday (and those who can play well - as well). In game one one of us got mana screwed. In game two the other player got mana screwed. In game three it got to the state in which my opponent had Restoration Angel and 4 spirits on the table. He swung with some of those keeping the rest untapped so they could block my Thragtusk and who knows what else. My deck had quite some outs for that situation but I did not expect to draw it. Off the top I drew Parallax Wave winning me the game. I felt sad for my opponent. But on the other hand I knew that I would need the money I would get (the cards) if I want to pay for the tournament fee at least.
After I won I went to see against whom I could possibly play. It was either some Oath deck or Staxx. Patrik Adler with Staxx was the winner. I lost. I managed to win one game, I lost one game and in the last game I mulled. I tried to get something like T1 mana dork, turn two whatever creature that swings for at least 3. I was given a really bad hand, followed by one with only UW lands that I decided to mulligan (Harmonic Sliver, Counterspell and Council's judgment) it because without green this deck usually pretty much dies and I had problems with green the whole day. Up to today I don't know if this was a good choice. I mulliganed once again and decided to keep a hand that wouldn't do much good to me anyway. My one drop being Mother of Runes wasn't a good start against Staxx. I gave up during the game.
I received English Scalding Tarn and English Plateau for my efforts. I can't say that I played good or deserved this. I knew what I have to do against Esper and UWR in order to win and even against Staxx as I played against it and beat it several times before but I expected to get crushed hard. I'm glad it did not turn out that way. I'm not really content about the games I played. Most of the time it was...I can't do anything. Either my opponent gets screwed, screws it up himself or I luckily top deck. I don't like games like this.
Here's what I decided to sleeve for that day which got me to the finals.
In between rounds I went to get something to eat or drink which cost me a fortune but I needed that. I haven't slept for 6 days and that is also one of the reasons I did not really want to participate in such a tournament. Ondra Straka with Jan Kredba were there playing EDH so I joined them for a while and had some fun. I also left them with my unfinished coffee hoping to finish it later but playing against control decks was taking ages. I was exhausted, hungy, thirsty and I really needed some caffeine.
After the tournament we played more games against some players from the Legacy event. It was once again UWR control and Esper Control (they don't play anything else in Germany or what??). I survived a funny game in which Ajani Vengeant would wreck my lands. My Scavenging Ooze turning into a 9/9 beast managed to swing for the win after the one sided armageddon (I expected my opponent to have some bounce spell or spot removal but he did not manage to get it in time).
After this me and Vitezslav Smid (who needed a place where to stay during the night) went back to my place. We played few more games of highlander with Zdenek as well but it clearly showed that I was incapable of playing anything. I asked Vitezslav if he does not want to build his Vintage deck rather than anything else but he decided against it. I on the other hand knew that if I want to play the day after I need to build it during the night. I grabbed the most complete modern deck I had and completed it - Jund. I played the list that I accidentelly opened in my browser while randomly clicking on my facebook wall. I tried to go to sleep and did not expect to wake up if I would have fallen asleep. I did not manage to sleep and to my surprise I was still capable of standing and relatively thinking after those seven days of not really sleeping. How the hell I could still be awake??
We arrived at the site and we helped Vitezslav to put his deck together. He tried to write the decklist as fast as possible and forgot to include 3 Snapcaster Mage so he played without it. But in the end ended up well in the tournament. I expected him to win, but he lost against the mirror in semi-finals. Darkblast was too good against his Confidants.
My first round was against the player I actually had a chat before the pairings were announced. I knew that he plays a deck he never played before but I had no idea what it is. After him playing Island and a Mountain I was competely lost. What the hell he's playing?? I played Thoughtseize seeing mono blue cards and Vedalken Shackles...I still had no clue. But then Blood Moon changed that. I remembered Lee Shi Tian and his deck and imaginarily facepalmed myself. In the second game I knew what to expect and changed my game plan accordingly and fetched for some basics as well. I managed to do several serious misplays like instead of playing THREE Tarmogoyd playing only one because I tapped the wrong lands and such. I won the game anyway. In game three I decided to play better. The game was not in my favor but my opponent played Snapcaster Mage out of the blue for more or less no reason and then played Master of Waves. My Golgari Charm was capable of clearing the board and I won soon after that.
After this I tried to convince myself that I'm playing MODERN, not Legacy nor Highlander nor Vintage and that I should change my game plans accordingly and remember the cards that people play in Modern. I went to buy some coffee and spend some time with Jan and Ondra. Next round I played against Birthing Pod deck that I totally crushed. While sideboarding I was trying to recall what such a deck would sideboard but I couldn't remember (I played Birthing Pod before...and I was usually bringing in Thrun, Obstinate Baloth and PTE). During the game I actually recalled what such a sideboard could look like and was prepared for that.
In round three I played against another pod. I won the first game easily. In the second game I lost because I got quite mana flooded. In game three. I was facing Kitchen Finks, Voice of Resurgence token (9/9) and some other creatures doesn't matter what but what mattered was Gavony Township. Not having 4x Wasteland in my deck I either had to draw Grafdigger's Cage, Scavenging Ooze or two removal spells for the Kitchen Finks. I had five draws before the Voice token would kill me. I drew 5 lands unfortunately. That wasn't nice of my deck *sniff*. I have to say that Scavenging Ooze is a card that I saw only against Merfolk that I played against in between rounds (against Ondra).
After being overrun by really big creatures I went to find my next opponent. He seemed like a ANT player. First land - Urza's Mine. Second land Darksteel Citadel. I knew what would follow. Again I DID not see my Scavenging Oozes and I really missed Rakdos Charm that I forgot to include in my 75 cards. After being killed by eggs I played against Pyromancer^2. After thoughtseizing my opponent and seeing his hand Faithless Looting and Manamorphose (I discarded this card) I wasn't really happy. His hand wasn't any good but still playing against such a deck...I once again missed my japanese Rakdos Charm that was supposed to be in my sideboard. I beat him but I was lucky (I burned him).
By STsung
2 Courser of Kruphix
3 Scavenging Ooze
4 Dark Confidant
4 Tarmogoyf
1 Chandra, Pyromaster
3 Liliana of the Veil
1 Terminate
2 Slaughter Pact
3 Abrupt Decay
4 Lightning Bolt
1 Maelstrom Pulse
2 Anger of the Gods
3 Inquisition of Kozilek
3 Thoughtseize
1 Forest
1 Grove of the Burnwillows
1 Misty Rainforest
1 Overgrown Tomb
1 Stomping Ground
1 Twilight Mire
2 Blood Crypt
2 Marsh Flats
2 Swamp
4 Blackcleave Cliffs
2 Raging Ravine
2 Treetop Village
4 Verdant Catacombs
Sideboard
SB: 1 Obstinate Baloth
SB: 1 Golgari Charm
SB: 3 Fulminator Mage
SB: 1 Engineered Explosives
SB: 1 Batterskull
SB: 2 Ancient Grudge
SB: 1 Liliana of the Veil
SB: 2 Thrun, the Last Troll
SB: 2 Slaughter Games
SB: 1 Scavenging Ooze
So after all those games that were actually quite fun but my brain wasn't functioning properly I was quite content. There was a slight chance I would end up in the top 8. So I awaited the standings just to find out that I barely did not make it as expected. Being really sleep deprived and seeing the whole day that thinking is really difficult I actually deserved to end up in the top 8^_^ unlike the day before. It did not happen though.^_^. So no Cryptic Command for me.
After the tournament a bit more EDH or Highlander and then I went home. I was exhausted.
While at home I expected some real coverage from the tournament or some standings from all the tournaments. But finding information altogether was quite difficult and what was written on the facebook page was really scarce and of not good quality. Decklists that wre supposed to follow showed up few days ago and with so many mistakes in them that I did not bother reading them in the end. I collected the first four Highlander decklists and uploaded them to mtgpulse so those interested could see them. I was ready to do this with the Legacy and Vintage ones but hell it's not my job to do and I expected someone to do it and do it right. That did not happen even though the decklists are online now and I corrected some of the mistakes. The report was really sad and the missing standings even more sad. This reminded me why I did not want to attend an event like. Sometimes there are people that just won't do something right and have others to do it for them or save it somehow. Unfortunately we had someone like this in Legend of the Five Rings community and that is why this kind of organizations really hurts me. There were also judges I would slept in the face but that's not the organizators' fault or anything. But it amplified my really bad mood during the first two days of the Prague Eternal. On Sunday I actually had fun, but I have to admit that the Modern format seemed artificially created. It did not seem like an eternal format to me. It simply did not feel like an eternal format at all. It was completely different and it reminded me of the disgust when I tried playing modern after the first banlist. At that time I decided not to play modern anymore because at that time it did not feel like Extended. Now I can fully understand why some people can hate it and I fully agree.
Writing anything about Prague Eternal sooner than today would end up really badly so I did not expect to write anything at all. But few weeks later I start to appreciate the fact that I went there and participated. I thank Jan Kredba for buying Japanese Wurmcoil Engine that payed for the Modern tournament, Ondra Straka for supporting me, Tomas Klimes for bearing with me and selling my stuff. I would thank everyone for this great event but honestly I'm not there yet. So I look forward for the event in November. I might not play as I still don't have a deck (sounds wierd from a person who can practically build anything, but I need to find something that I like) and my situation might be even worse. But I know that people can learn from their mistakes and can make everything better. Such an event is a great idea and I would like to support it and help it be a better event for everyone. For this I thank Zuzy and also for his support of Vintage format in this country.
Good luck with the next Prague Eternal!
No comments:
Post a Comment