Pondering


Hi Everyone, I've been AWOL for the most-part over the last year or so, life and the grind towards my career aspirations have kept me pretty busy to say the least (if you follow me on twitter you've got just a taste). I finally got to an FNM after weeks of "too tired", "too much work", "I just don't have the energy to be the new kid on the block today" and really enjoyed the rounds I got in!





Inspired by the tournament reports of other #HMSVU in the field (particularly @tholness) I'm attempting to write my experience up. I'll set the scene first by explaining that my day started at 4am with almost 8hrs of surgery experience and being on my feet for the most of a nearly 13 hour work day. I'd decided that I was going to FNM regardless of how tired I felt, it was an experience I didn't want to miss (AGAIN!).

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The local store is a little brick and mortar, old school shop with a smaller focus on MTG and an owner who is nice but a little old school! I showed up about 20 mins before tournament time, exhausted, but holding the RW Midrange standard deck I'd thrown together over the past few months of trying to buy low and trade high over pucatrade. A deviation from my usual fast tempo/glass cannon decks. After registering and sitting around feeling awkward but too tired to care, and the shooting the shit with the locals, we got down to business.

G1: Black "dash" aggro.
Match up was vs a really nice local artist who was admiring my HM/BrainstormBrewery/Kraken playmat (thanks @Load3r, it was a hit all night) and refreshing me on some of the optimal orders of play (constructively). We played our matches and with the exception of the 2nd match where I stabilized thanks to Wingmate Roc, really showcased the speed and power of unanswered dash abilities! (0-1; 1-2)

G2: Big Green
My first buddy from the deep south, wearing a big green tee and towering over me, I should have known I would be up against some seriously huge green creatures. Long drawn out back and forth battle between his ability to get Hydras out on the battlefield and my attempt to chain them to the rocks or exile them while jabbing back with goblins! We ran out of time but it was one of those grappling matches where we both came away saying "that was awesome" (0-1-1;1-2, 1-1).

G3: Standard card mashup
At this point I was really starting to drag, I had been up for almost 20 hours at the end of a very long week and had to consider being on 30hr surgical call a day later. My opponent was a very pleasant player who had been out of the game for 15 years. Really had a good time finding out what was new to her over the course of the match and had fun filling the role of the tutoring player, teaching the intricacies of planeswalkers and the like. To be perfectly honest, while the thrill of playing cards was there, this was more about connecting with other players and sharing the game state. I think it's something that can be lost when we collectively take things too seriously, but this was a good one to go out on. She was playing a mashup of standard cards that a local player had put together (1-1-1; 1-2, 1-1, 2-0).

A decent record for a first outing in standard for ages (years?), wish I could have played the whole event but bed was calling.

My deck: http://sales.starcitygames.com//deckdatabase/displaydeck.php?DeckID=80233

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A lot of people are buzzing about Hearthstone being on iPhone today, I'm happy that more people get to try this great game out.

Give it a try! Add me to Battle.net: Ricostravels#1196 and DM me to let me know what you think :)

Just some parting thoughts:

1) We do not live in a MTG OR HS, pick one, kinda world. Enjoy either, both, or neither

2) WotC isn't doing itself any favours with the lack of progress on MODO, I for one am completely burnt out on their digital disaster-piece. I feel entirely justified in saying this based on the amount of already limited time I've had invested, only to have tournaments crash on me repeatedly.

3) Be active in your #HMSVU community. If you're not happy with CFB smothering TSG out of the HM picture, be vocal about it. Let people know you're taking your business elsewhere. Don't let bullying quietly fade into the background.


#JustPlay



@Ricostravels