Saturday 13 March 2010

Report - Crashing at GP Madrid


So, 2 weeks ago I went to GP Madrid, since I won GPT in  OPorto which gave me 3 byes and some cash to help with traveling expenses, with 2 friend (that are judges by the way).
There isn’t much to say about the trip to Madrid. Well we got lost in Portugal (yea or own country) or rather we missed an exit and had to go a long way before being able to turn back and get in the right track. So after a 6 hour trip by car we were in Madrid, after checking that I’m not in time to make my inscription on Friday I’m told that they already had 1500+ players signed. Seriously, 1500+ for legacy?? And it was in the prior day. Anyway, after the judges meeting, we left the site to check-in on our hostel. In some unbelievable way 2 guys, (aka more judges) that would stay with us in the same room, get apart from us on the Metro station while we were checking were we would have to leave and change trains. Which means they got on the train before us and consequently they got lost, which led to an epic discussion (after we finally find them) about who fault was. After this epic journey and a stupid episode with our hostel board, we tried to explain that I preferred to sleep on the floor since the beds were tiny (and one of us needed to sleep on the floor since we were 5) but ended with them understanding that I slept everyday on the floor and them getting a mattress for me, we got to go out for dinner, and after some hours discussing magic rulings, YEI for me, we got some sleep.
So we start the big day at 6 am and after waiting on the line to enter we are told that there were 2229 players attending GP Madrid. After some babbling about how big that number and other irrelevant stuff I got to see some people playing and eating at a Kebab’s (love byes) since I would be only playing at 3 pm in the best perspectives.
So my list was this:
instant [16] 
4 Brainstorm 
4 Daze 
4 Force of Will 
4 Swords to Plowshares
enchantment [4] 
4 Counterbalance
artifact [3] 
3 Sensei's Divining Top
land [18] 
4 Flooded Strand 
1 Forest 
2 Island 
3 Misty Rainforest
2 Tundra 

Sideboard: 
So here we go:
Round 4 Russian Guy Playing
Game 1 - So time to play, “STOP DECKCHECK” or maybe not.
No problem with the lists so we start. For about 40 turns I thought he was playing Eva Green with W splash since he was playing goyfs, pulses, discard etc… Then he played Helm of Obedience and Leyline of the Void which I’m unable to counter and just scoop.
Game 2 - There wasn’t enough time for the second game.
3-1-0
Round 5 Someone Playing Hulk combo.
Game 1 - YEY, another random combo. I quickly lose to the combo on the first game.
Sideboard
+2 Krosan Grips +2 Vendilion +1 Trygon Predator +1 relic +2 tormod’s
-4 Counterbalance -4 Dazes
Game 2 - He sided against balance and I didn’t care, played some creatures countered or destroyed is key spells and landed an Elspeth to make my creatures fly over is walls.
Game 3 – Basically the same as game 2.
4-1-0
Round 6 Someone 2 playing Zoo
Game 1 – I play noble into Monk which he tries a path on the monk I counter with a force, he then attacks with the nacatl and I block with my monk, he then trys to burn my monk wich gets dazed. Then I go home with a monk on my turn and pass, e paths my monk on my turn I drop another monk, pass, drop jace draw a bunch of pridemage and hierarchs and I was attacking with a 8/9 monk, he scooped.
Sideboard
In 2 threads 2 explosives
Out 4 Daze
Game 2 - Same as game 1 with some swords and a threads on the middle
5-1-0
Round 7 Someone 3 Playing WBG Control.
Game 1 – He draws 4 goyfs an I only draw one he has a lot of removal for my creatures even though I 2 removal spell and he just wins with is last 6/7 goyf while I’m looking for an answer with top and a counterbalance on the table. We traded an Elspeth too.
Sideboard
In 2 threads 2 vendillion 1 sower
Out 4 dazes 1 counterbalance
Game 2 – I give him the beats after some needles, paths, swords, explosives, pernicious deed….
In 2 explosives 1 trygon
Out 3 counterbalance
Game 3 – I get timed out but I would win but he doesn’t want to concede so we get a draw and we will both drop from day 2 if we draw or lose another game.
5-1-1
Round 8 Andrzej Lysek playing Merfolks
Game 1 – He starts, and I have balance top active on my third turn but he had board presence with a 2/1 a 1/1 and a mutavault. I’m unable to draw any creature and he kills me after 3 turns.
In 2 threads 1 sower 1 llawan 3 explosives 2 vendillion clique 1 trygon
Out 4 counterbalance 2 elspeth 4 daze
Game 2 – So this goes draw go for some turns with both of us countering stuff  and he once again kill me with 2 mutavaults since once again I don’t draw any creature besides 1 vendilion which traded with one lord.
5-2-1 DROP
No day 2 for me, but I get a free beer from someone 3, Heineken by the way, so I could cheer up a little with him, no day 2 for him either.
So I registered for the PTQ and went to get some sleep.
DAY 2
So I’m actually happy to play extended (my favorite format), but Magic didn’t want anything to do with me on that day.
After 3 of the most stupid loss I have since I started playing Magic, a zoo deck countering 5 spell and beating me with only a goyf COMMOM.
DROP
Mad at that shit, I went to play some 2 drafts, and on my first one I make a U/R drck with 8 islands 8 mountains so let’s play.
Game 1 – 4 cards 3 mountains
Mool – 3 cards 3 mountains
Mool – 2 cards 3 mountains – Keep, screwed GG.
Game 2 – 4 cards 3 mountains Seriously?
Mool – 3 cards 3 mountains WTF?? I see a pattern here. Keep, screwed GG.
So, one of those days where I should be sleeping until 11 am as I usually do.
My second draft went better but I got screwed on my third game while he draws all is bombs after a mooligan to 5.
Magic ended for me on that day. So I just spent the rest of my time trading chatting and swearing.
So we get to go home after 2 days of magic and once again we miss an exit and get some extra km on our voyage, at least this time was in spain, and when we get to the frontier we are stopped by the Spanish border control. After some jokes about the situation we are asked if we have any type of weapon which we say no until Mendes realizes he has a pocketknife and asks if that is considered a weapon, which the officer answer with “it wasn’t to show now”. After we get our pockets emptied he frisked us or rather Mendes got is balls touched, Gonçalo got is hip checked and I got a massage on my ankles.
After a thorough search on Mendes car, which didn’t include is car case, we finally got on the road to Home again.
So my first GP was fun, had some hilarious moments, free beer and some of the weirdest games I had.
Pros:
Someone 3 making a scene because I wasn’t Spanish and was able to speak English. Simply hilarious.
Someone 3 giving me free beer and boasting to his friends that I was the best Portuguese player he ever met (and most likely the only one).
Being in the same room as 4 judges made me realize why I never wanted to be a judge and I probably never want, talking about rules all night made me realize that….
Getting the last cards for my standard deck.
Not having my ball touched by some random guy.
And FREE BEER.
Cons:
Playing weird decks on the first day
Leaving bed before 11 am on the 2 day.
Having 5 spells countered by a Zoo deck.
The stupid draft moolingans.
Being in the same room with 4 judges that speak about magic rules most of the time.

And that’s all people.
Comps, Rui Gomes.

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