First of all to start I would like to let you know that this was my first states tournament and also my first report. I was not only covering the Iowa States Tournament but I was also playing in it. It all started out Friday night. I (Billy Moreau) and the rest of the members from Team Sidebar, Josh Staudenraous, Justin Park, Kevin Koppes, and Frank Cardenas decided to play test for the tourney. I knew what I wanted to play after beating bargain 50% of the time. That was green weenie. Here is the deck list:
4 Llanawar Elves
4 Pouncing Jaguar
4 Elvish Lyrist
4 Wild Dogs
4 Rancor
4 Giant Growth
4 River Boas
4 Albino Trolls
4 Might of Oaks
3 Weatherseed Treefolk
1 Child of Gaea
12 Forests
4 Treetop Villages
3 Gaeas Cradle
1 Yavimaya Hollow

I knew my deck would be able to stand up to anything but red, so I was pretty confident about it. Frank knew he was playing Black Control. This was also his first BIG Tournament outside of Dubuque. Kevin wanted to play Bargain. Justin had to sleep on it but in the morning he decided on Green Control. Josh had to wait until the last minute to build his deck. He built it 5 minutes before the tourney started. He played White Weenie. The tournament started at 10 am in Iowa City, 53 participants, of which 5 were from our team. We felt confident that at least one of us would make top 8. Here's how the rounds went

Round 1 (0-0-0) vs.
James Happel(0-0-0)
(Almost Mirror Match)

First of all I would like to say what a nice effort put forth by Mr. Happel. He was 3-1 going into the final round and needed a win to make final 8 but lost.

Game 1 I get out a quick River Boa with double Rancor and the beatings commence. He managed to knock me down to 8 before he died. Game 1 to me.

Game 2 Since James was also playing Green I felt Titania's Chosen should come in off the bench. In go 3 and out come the Treefolk. I get the Chosen out 3rd or 4th turn. This stalls James for a while. He can't really risk casting something unless he wants to lose. In the end all I can say is Titania's Chosen (6 counters) + a top decked Rancor + 2 Giant Growths + 1 Might of Oaks + 4 counters from those spells = 26 damage all trample and game over. I win in two thanks to amazing opening hands.

Matches (2-0-0) Rounds (1-0-0)

Round 2 (1-0-0) vs.
Mike Goodwin (1-0-0) Wildfire

Game 1 I see a mountain and scream... no not really. I hate red. He wins this game due to a stupid mistake of my own. He has Karn, Silver Golem out. I attack with a Pouncing Jaguar. He blocks. I have a Might of Oaks and a Giant Growth in hand with enough mana to cast one. What do I do? Cast Might of Oaks and Kill Karn? No, I did the stupid thing and Giant Growthed the Jaguar. STUPID ME!!!!!! He then proceeds to wildfire a few turns later and I die.

Game 2 Snake Basket in a Wildfire Deck? Well the must have been 4 of the. In come my Sex Monkeys and Splinters... 3 of each. I splinter his Voltaic Key he beats me to death with SNAKES. I lose.

Matches (2-2-0) Rounds (1-1-0)

Round 3 (1-1-0) vs.
Tyler Gunn (1-1-0) Quicksilver Amulet?

Game 1 I see a Skulking Fugitive come out 3rd turn. I see it die 3rd turn to a Giant Growth. Now that's card advantage. I proceed to win wondering what his deck is about.

Game 2 All I get is 2 Llanawar Elves and 3 Lyrists and win with them. No Rancor’s. No Might of Oaks. No Giant Growths. Just 5 elves. WOW.

Matches (4-2-0) Rounds (2-1-0)

Round 4 (2-1-0) vs.
Scott Sheehy (2-1-0) Processor Black

Game 1 I remembered Scott from a Pro tour Qualifier he split with Kevin last summer/fall. I knew he was good.
Turn 1- Land, Pouncing Jaguar
him- land
Turn 2- Echo, Land, Rancor, attack
him- land
Turn 3- Cradle, Rancor, Rancor, River Boa, attack-down to 8
him- land, Masticore
Turn 4- Might of Oaks- I win

Game 2 In come the typical anti artifact cards. He gets knocked down a bit until he knocks off my creatures with Maticore. HE KEEPS ON PAYING FOR Masticore with only 4 lands out. I keep on playing my Treetop Villages and I also play my Yavimaya Hollow. Next turn attack with a Village and Might of Oaks. The following turn- Repeat previous turn. I WIN

Matches (6-2-0) Rounds (3-1-0)

Final Round
Round 5 (3-1-0) vs.
Derek Lewis (3-1-0) Green Control

Game 1 Now I am 3-1 and I know I have to win to make it into the final 8. 3 rancor’s on a Pouncing Jaguar do the job. Game 1- ME.

Game 2 Did we play? All he could do was play land and a Rofellos. I beat him down. I made it into top 8 for the first time ever. I am the 7th seed. Time to check on my friends. Josh Kicked butt and finished 2nd seed with a (4-0-1) record. Justin (4-1-0) seeded 6th. Frank (4-1-0) seeded 8th. And Kevin (3-2-0) did not make it, SORRY.

Team Sidebar did it. We came with 5 and 4 make top 8. Here were the deck types in the final eight:
Mono Red- 6th place
White Weenie 3rd place
Black Control 5th place
Green Weenie 1st place
Cats and Dogs (green weenie) Me 7th place
Black Control Frank 8th place
Green Control Justin 4th place
White Weenie Josh 2nd place

Round 1 of Finals
Me vs. Josh
Justin vs. Black Control
Frank vs. White Weenie
Green Weenie vs. Black Control

Josh beats me in 3
Justin beats Black Control
White Weenie beat Frank
Green Weenie beats Black Control

Round 2 of Finals
Josh vs. Justin
White weenie vs. Green weenie

Josh's white weenie overtakes the Green Control and wins
Green Weenie beats White weenie

Final round:
Josh- White Weenie vs. Green Weenie.
Josh loses in three due to main deck Titania’s Chosen.

Overall team Sidebar did excellent. I finished 4-2-0. Josh finished 6-1-1. Frnk finished 4-2. Justin finished 5-2. And Kevin finished 3-2. Next time states come around they better watch out for Team Sidebar.

My congratulations go out to the winner of the qualifier and my apologies also for not knowing your name and some of the other names of the people in the final 8.

Billy Moreau
Team Sidebar
[email protected]