fk03-11-98
Subject: Final Eight Article
Date: Wed, 11 Mar 1998 07:59:22 -0600
From: [email protected] (Francis Keys)
To: [email protected] (Frank Kusumoto)
Pro Tour Los Angeles Day Three: Fortune and Glory
Sunday starts too early after three consecutive late nights and early
mornings, but a beautiful California sunrise glorifies the decks and
bridges of the Queen Mary. Brian Weissman and Chris Pikula set up
for commentary with the giant screens at the top of the tournament
area while the final eight hide deep within the old ship's secret decks.
A small theater with seats for a few score provides the stage for the
final act of this year's Los Angeles Pro Tour. The judges look sharp
and wise in their black and white stripes. The players, all weary but
determined, agree to fan their hands for camera takes, tap
permanents precisely, enunciate clearly. Video crew, photographers
and reporters stand poised to record the memories. Scott Larabee,
Beth Moursund and head judge Jeff Donais complete the scene with
definitive rules savvy.
Putting out Fires in the Round of Eight
At the top table, top seed Kyle Rose squares off with mono-red
against Neutral Ground regular Adam Katz playing blue/black Living
Death as created by Darwin Kastle. Mad Hatter officiates as Katz
takes game one with Tradewind Riders, seizing board control and
returning Corpse Dancers to his hand. In game two, Adam falls prey
to a Jinxed Idol. He begins to dance, but cannot catch up.
During long battles between Kyle and Adam, the other matches fly by.
World Champion Jakub Slemr plays another red deck against David
Bachmann's white weenie under the supervision of Marc Hernandez.
Jakub and David each grab an easy win as Jakub Stone Rains David
early in the first game and then stalls at one land himself in game two.
Game three is about mana again as Bachmann draws 11 land,
including five in a row, and even many gnomes cannot save him.
Slemr's turn again in game four, as he stares at his single mountain.
This match is down to one game. Slemr gets in early damage, but
Bachmann pulls like a pro to Disenchant two Scalding Tongs and a
Cursed Scroll and take the board with Staunch Defenders for the win.
Fire on both sides of the table as David Doust oversees Deadguy
Dave Price and Svend Sparre Geertsen vying for the third spot in the
semifinals. Svend's good spirits contrast Price's concerned looks as
Svend quickly takes two games in a row.
In the third game, Dave stalls at two land. He eventually finds himself
at just seven life, facing Svend's Mogg Conscripts and Goblin
Bombardment, and suspecting the four-point Kindle in his hand. Dave
adds Giant Strength to his Mogg Raider and attacks. Svend draws
land. Dave makes a 5/5 Raider and attacks again. Svend draws
nothing but land in the two turns he has left to product two more
points of damage to Dave.
Game four and Dave Price plays Rathi Dragon while topdeck skills
continue to evade Svend. In a close fifth game, both players burn
and destroy one another's permanents, including many Canyon
Wildcats on both sides. Finally, Price pulls out a narrow win for an
amazing comeback.
The last semifinals position goes to the winner of Ben Rubin playing
blue/black/white Living Death against Andy Wolf's black weenie deck
with Dan Gray presiding. Ben sweeps Andy in three games, as Andy
is unable to handle the repeated disruption of all his creatures in play,
massive life gaining, and Tradewind Rider board control.
Back at the top table, a long game three sees Adam's life stabilize as
his large creatures gather board control to take the lead 2-1. Rose
takes advantage of early vulnerability as Katz mulligans with no land
followed by a draw of mostly Rats of Rath and Bottle Gnomes, not
enough to stop Kyle's big creatures and board control.
One more game, one more spot. Rose mulligans with six land while
Katz keeps his hand with no islands. The slow start on both sides
favors Katz, yet he drops as low as four before drawing a well-timed
creature to grow his Skyshroud Vampire, destroy Rose's Rathi
Dragon, and come back for the win. The players and judges break for
lunch.
Head to Head for Final Four
The semifinals begin under the watchful gazes of seven top level
judges and rules officials. Dave Price mulligans to six cards, but
serves up 16 points of damage with his first turn Jackal Pup and
second turn Giant Strength. Bachmann tries to race with Soltari
Emissary and Priest and two Torture Chambers, but dies to twin
Kindles.
In the second game, Bachmann draws two land and nothing small
enough to cast with it as Price rolls out and punishes him for the stall.
In an astounding game three, Bachmann's Cursed Scroll, Soltari
Priest, Bottle Gnomes, Staunch Defenders, Bottle Gnomes sequence
outraces Price's Raider, Strength, Raider, Fireslinger, Raider, Rathi
Dragon.
A disappointing game four is nearly a repeat of game two as
Bachmann again stares at two land on his side and Jackal Pup,
Fireslinger, Raider, Scroll, Kindle, Scroll, Giant Strength on the other.
Price beats Bachmann before Katz and Rubin finish a game. The
blue/white/black and blue/black Living Death matchup should be an
intellectual battle with many strategic decisions. Katz later confesses
to Pro Tour Los Angeles being only his fifth constructed deck
tournament, and his play errors make it evident. While not making
any technically flawed plays, Adam fails to pursue key strategic
decisions and loses three in a row, the first two to his own choices.
And Then There Were Two
Ben Rubin has done nothing to reveal his young age of 15, instead
excelling at tactics, procedure and strategy with the deck he and his
friend Dan Clegg built. Undefeated with T2 mono-red at last year's
US Nationals, Dave Price must be the king of modern burn with this
Pro Tour showing.
Dave Price wins the first turn, playing a mountain and a Jackal Pup.
Ben Rubin lays Salt Flats. Price gives his pup Giant Strength, and
attacks for four. Another Salt Flats for Rubin. Price makes three
Moggs: two Raiders and a Fanatic. Four more from the giant pup.
Rubin has just an island. Seven more damage, with Intuition for Bottle
Gnomes during Price's discard phase. A Thalakos Lowland and
Bottle Gnome are not enough for Rubin to recover as Price follows
with an all out attack, a Jackal Pup, and a Cursed Scroll.
Now it's Ben's turn to play first and he has a Swamp. David Price
brings out a mountain and a Mogg Conscript. Rubin's Manakin
follows his Reflecting Pool. Dave plays a second Mountain and
makes his Conscripts into giants. Ben shows him a Rootwater Depth
and a Tradewind Rider. Dave Stone Rains the Rootwater Depths.
Rubin plays a Reflecting Pool and attacks for one. Dave finds
another Conscript and a Cursed Scroll, attacking for four. Ben has
another Swamp and this time the Rider stays home. Dave Scrolls
and then plays a Wildcat during his turn. Rubin chump blocks both
Conscripts, losing his Manakin and Tradewind.
Ben has the Living Death and he plays it and a Salt Flats, but Dave
responds by scrolling his own cats. Dave reinforces with a Jackal
Pup. Rubin plays another Manakin, so Dave again responds with the
scroll, this time targeting the rejuvenated Manakin. Another Cursed
Scroll in play for Dave, now, so on his turn, Ben casts Intuition for
three Disenchansts, nails a Cursed Scroll and attacks with his
Tradewind again. Dave attacks for four, but watches in concern as
Ben has another Intuition during his discard phase, this time for
Staunch Defenders.
On his turn, Ben has another Rootwater Depths and makes
Tradewind Rider #2 and a Staunch Defenders. Price scrolls Ben
during his discard phase, then plays a Mogg Fanatic. Rubin has
another Staunch Defenders! David attacks with everything.
Everything dies. Dave scrolls a Manakin and a Tradewind Rider to
force issues. Yes another Tradewind Rider for makes Price's next
play, a Mogg Raider, seem ineffective. When Rubin attempts to
Lobotomy, Price concedes.
Back to red first with mountain, Jackal Pup. Swamp for Rubin.
Attack for two, Mogg Fanatic, Wasteland. Ben has a pool. Price
plays his second mountain, stone rains the swamp, attacks for three.
Rubin discards Staunch Defenders for his turn. Another mountain
helps put Giant Strength on the pup and attack. His Rootwater
Depths show up a turn too late as Ben goes down to Price's fifth turn
Wastelands on his Rootwater Depths.
A pattern begins to emerge with Ben Rubin's second chance to go
firstby playing a swamp. Dave Price has another mountain and
Jackal Pup opening. A Thalakos Lowland precedes a Rat, which dies
to Price's subsequent Fanatics, letting through the pups for two.
Rubin has another Thalakos Lowland. Price plays a second
mountain, a second Jackal Pup and a Mogg Conscripts. For Ben, a
Reflecting Pool and a Tradewind Rider, who dies to Price's hoarde,
which then expands by a Mogg Raiders and a Fanatic.
Living Death follows a Rootwater Depth on Ben's fifth turn, leaving his
Rats and Rider to face two Fanatics and a Raider. Dave Price wants
Giant Raiders and the Rats die to the Fanatics, with the big raiders
making it across for three. Rubin attacks! He makes Staunch
Defenders. Price brings three points anyway and plays a Fireslinger.
Next, Ben has another Tradewind. This concerns Dave, who dumps
out a mountain, two Fanatics and a Scroll. Ben delivers four damage
and Disenchants Dave's Scroll, who then Scrolls Ben, attacks for
three and is happy to 3:1 the Tradewind away. Ben attacks and plays
Chill. Price Scrolls with and plays a Mountain.
On his turn, Rubin casts Intuition for Bottle Gnomes. With building
futility, Price attacks for one, Scrolls Rubin, plays a mountain. A
barage of attacks, Bottle Gnomes and Corpse Dance convince Dave
Price to concede.
Three long days and nights with sixteen rounds against the best in the
world wind down to just one game. Dave Price has the advantage of
going first and he has a mountain and pup yet again. Rubin has a
Salt Flats.
Attack for two from Price, with another mountain and a Fireslinger.
This time a Reflecting Pool from Rubin. No early Chill in any of four
sideboard games.
Price sets back down Rubin with his third turn three point attack,
mountain and Stone Rain on the Pool. Rubin has another Pool.
Price devestates Rubin with his fourth turn. He plays a Wastelands
and takes out Rubin's Pool, attacks for three and Stone Rains Rubin's
original Swamp, leaving him with no permanents. Dilligence, and a
Thalakos Lowlands.
Three more damage means time is running out. Dave has another
Mountain, a Mogg Fanatic, Scalding Tongs, but Ben only a Swamp.
Dave Price's sixth turn is about a point of damage from Tongs and
four points from creatures. Rubin attempts to hide behind some
Bottle Gnomes with a Thalakos Lowland.
Tong damage forces Rubin to sac the gnomes after blocking and a
Fireslinger shot. He doesn't draw a miracle, making Dave Price the
champion of Pro Tour Los Angeles for 1998.
Until We Meet Again
Los Angeles appears to be the city of conflict for Pro Tour events.
Last year's tournament saw the players up in arms over David Mills'
ejection. This year held accusations of cheating, a physical altercation
in the Super Series and more conflicts for Mike Long. Despite all this
and a predictable environment with a severely restricted card pool,
Dave Price and Ben Rubin delivered one of the most memorable Pro
Tour finishes yet, with outstanding plays and strategy.
Pro Tours end on a bittersweet note, with sanctioned tournaments all
night, new and old friendships, money drafts. As the magic fades
from the elegant ship, thoughts turn to the next chances to go all the
way: Grand Prix Atlanta and Pro Tour New York.
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