It's been two months since I've had the desire to write about Magic. For one thing, I took a month-long break from the game; I just felt like doing other thing ya' know? Also, there hasn't really been anything for me to write about: I had no deck breakthrough or tournament report, and everyone and their mothers were doing set reviews... So I decided I'd wait for States.

Well, states has come and gone, and I've got a lot to share.

I decided to stop by Amazing Adventures a few weeks ago to scope out Onslaught and jumped into the FNM draft. Well, the format is interesting to say the least: It's no where near as skill-intensive as Odyssey Block, and also a lot more fun. When you're not hemorrhaging over cards in the graveyard, you can sit back and enjoy the spoils of swinging with 5/5 dragon tokens. Heh. This set's got more bombs than a B2 - and normally, everyone gonna have at least one. The tribal stuff takes a bit to get used to, as creature type can matter more than individual card quality. (Makes me wonder about ferret tribal cards.)

I went 3-2 with a Kamahl, Fist of Krosa/Exalted Angel deck, and went 3-1 this last week with a Starstorm, Rorix, Dragon Roost deck. Silly cards they are, but four 5/5 dragons are still fun as hell. Believe it or not, I have no more Onslaught cards than the winnings from those two drafts. Send me my box, Wizards!* (I can still play in JSS tourneys! *dances*)

Anyways, I leeched a ride off my friend Squire for States, and away we go!

I had been planning for a few weeks to play Kibler Wake, and got the deck put together the night before. I've been practicing with the deck for that amount of time, and I still don't know everything this deck can do. All I knew was it was helluva fun. Something about going "Ahem, yeah - I'll cast Crush of Wurms. Yes, those are some big wurms." Makes me smile, ya know?** I was confident in the deck's ability to run over creature horde decks, but I was crossing my fingers about Opposition all day. This deck can't react quickly enough to having its red and white mana locked down, so it was a tough matchup.

I gotta give Misty Mountains credit; didn't have to be there till noon. That was plenty of time to sleep, then get up there in a timely fashion. I got there with Squire, Mark, and Castro, and got registered while we chatted. I was surprised to see Dustin Stern show up; I thought he'd gone to Magic Online. Well, it is States after all, who would miss that? I saw Adrian Sullivan running a goofy Red Control deck... And the damn thing worked! Squire had Red Zone 2k3 in his possession while Mark ran Burning Bridges and Castro ran BUG Opposition respectively. It was a good group.

Before I forget, here's my decklist:

Kibler Wake
4 Mirari's Wake
4 Rampant Growth
4 Krosan Tusker
3 Quiet Speculation
3 Moment's Peace
3 Deep Analysis
3 Compulsion
4 Burning Wish
2 Memory Lapse
1 Time Stretch
1 Crush of Wurms
3 Wrath of God
1 Flooded Strand
3 Windswept Heath
4 Krosan Verge
4 Plains
5 Island
7 Forest
1 Mountain

Sideboard:
1 Gerrard's Wisdom
1 Wrath of God
2 Kirtar's Wrath
1 Quiet Speculation
1 Time Stretch
2 Memory Lapse
1 Nostalgic Dreams
1 Creeping Mold
1 Blaze
1 Firecat Blitz
1 Pyroclasm
2 Overmaster

First off, let me say, that this deck needs another mountain! Man, the mana base is fragile - but that one mountain becomes inaccessible, and you're in trouble. I'm not sure yet on how to get it in there, but I'm rather sure it needs to get in the deck. Another thing I noticed before States was that the deck needs another X spell as an alternate win to the Firecats; Moment's Peace, Ensnaring Bridge, or anything like that could short-circuit the creature swarm, so I took out the third Kirtar's Wrath for a Blaze. It won me a few games. On to the matches...

Round 1: R/G beats
As it turns out, I suck with names, but my opponent was a nice guy. This deck is meant to smack R/G and like decks upside the head, so I was feeling pretty good about this match up. I kept a Heath, Verge, Growth hand and dropped my Verge. He dropped a Wild Mongrel to match my second turn Rampant Growth for an Island, and the race was on. Turn 3 I Verged, and let him smack for two points. My fourth turn, Wake came out - and it was lights out. I went down to fourteen, Time Stretched, and Time Stretched again the next turn with the help of a Burning Wish. I showed him the Crush in hand, and he scooped it up.

Game 2 was much worse for me; I lacked anything to side in, as this deck is built more around the Wish. I mulliganed down to six, as he forced me to play first! I tried to work off a forest, Rampant Growth hand, but never drew another land, and I died shortly thereafter.

Game 3 was horrible. I drew into another one-lander, mulliganed, and found myself with the exact same situation as Game 2. I didn't draw my second and third lands till turn 5 and 6, and by then things were getting ugly. I was able to Moment's Peace, and drew my fourth land the next turn.

Now I had two turns, to draw another land, a Moment's Peace, a Wrath, or a Wish. Who cares about the better than 55% chance of that happening? I mean, I suck at topdecking... So fine, I lose.

0-1

Round 2: Quiet Roar
Another good match up, just gotta draw land... Seems reasonable.

Remember that I suck at names, right? Nice guy again, but he made lotsa play mistakes and allowed me to win even though I only had forests and plains in Game 1. Game 2, my deck performed the way it should, and I Pyroclasmed, Wrathed, and Moment's Peaced the trouble away. The Firecats cometh.

All right; I'm feeling a bit better now.

In between rounds, I learn that all four of us are 1-1. Well we decide that if we all get two losses, we're going home since we'll be out of the prizes. (140 people, 8 rounds)

1-1

Round 3: Sligh (D'OH!)
This isn't gonna be fun... Sligh likes me slightly toasted and served with a side of Blistering Firecat.

Turns out I know Lester, a cool guy. He misregistered his Grim Lavamancers as Grim Monoliths, which got a good laugh outta everyone. Well, that didn't stop him from trouncing me as I ripped forest after forest from the top.

I battled back in Game 2, and Moment's Peaced for four turns straight until I Wrathed the goblin horde. Gerrard's Wisdom put me at a safe enough life total to blitz'em up.

Game 3... No land; a savage draw, right? I'll just mulligan into a...One lander! Joy...

Thank God he killed me quickly.

1-2

Turns out that Squire is the only one at 2-1, and he wants to go home. Well, the rest of us want to stay anyways, so we force another round out of him.

Round 4: B/G/R Beats
Another solid matchup; I'm running into the creature decks today, it seems. Well, I decide to double pile shuffle now. I almost break my thumbs, but my deck draws lands again.

He brings the beats - and with Anger, I can't Wrath away the problems without being smacked. I Moment's Peace up to Wrathing mana, then drop a Wake. Come, my little Wurms of death!

My opponent seems a bit annoyed about the comeback - and this time, I'm looking down the throat of two angry Wurms. He holds one back anticipating my Wrath... But the Wrath puts an Anger in the yard. Uh-oh...I'm at six. Gulp. Well, I rip a Memory Lapse off the top, and get rid of the Wurm. This opens the door for a Firecat Swarm of doom the next turn. Back to even!

2-2

Okay, we're all 2-2 now, except for Squire. He still wants to go home! Ah well; we'll drag him along kicking and screaming.

Round 5: R/G Beats
Okay, Kibler Wake takes the entire freaking round to play. I'm hungry! Now it's like 5:30 p.m, and I haven't eaten lunch yet. Someone's gonna pay... Sorry, R/G player, you're going down and quickly!

Using my savage double pile shuffle tech, I lose feeling in my thumbs at the same time I draw a nice four-land hand. My opponent plays many creatures... I play many Peaces. Seeing a pattern? He tries to hold some creatures back when I drop a Wake, but Time Stretch doesn't give him the turns to play them.

Game 2, I keep a one lander, Rampant Growth hand, and draw into my next three lands. R/G doesn't stand a chance.

3-2

I grab a snack and a soda. Turns now Castro, the resident former States Champion of the group is 2-3 - with me and Mark 3-2, and Squire 4-1. (Yes, he still wants to go home.) M friend Eric decided to run the same deck that I was running at the last second (bad idea...) and he's 3-1-1. Things are looking up.

Round 6: G/W Give Jake a Heart Attack.dec
This was an easy match up... Until Solitary Confinement hit. Someone pinch me, I must be delusional.

I just held fast till a Wish came up - but holy hell, nothing like having a Firecat Blitz in hand, zillions of mana, and nothing to help deal damage. Creeping Mold is good for something!

Game 2, he leads with double Anurid Brushhopper beats; good thing I have Wrath of God. He then drops Slate of Ancestry. Oh God...I see it now - that's just wrong! It's a bad combo, but it might actually beat me! I hold both Memory Lapses, and with ten mana in play I'm optimistic. I rip a Time Stretch off the top, and proceed to Crush him to death, after his painlands had brought him to eighteen. He shows me the Confinement in hand... Phew.

4-2

Squire matches me and Mark at 4-2, and Castro sits at 3-3. Well, we're playing this States out, turns out that the top 32 win prizes. Yay!

Round 7: Sligh (ARGH!)
I'll battle this one right, I mean why not try? My opponent gives me hope when he doesn't drop a Cat with me at seven on turn 4. I figure, hey, no Cat - I'll risk it. I tap out for Wake.

Next turn: "Forgot 'bout the Cat... I'll swing!"

Killed by forgetfulness!

Game 2, I get an early Burning Wish for a Pyroclasm and wreck the board. He can't kill me before I Wake/Time Stretch, and I pull out a squeaker amid a flurry of burn.

Game 3... My opponent triple mulligans! And wow, I have a great hand too! I get to Wake on turn 4, and just sit back waiting for a win condition. My opponent gets me to fourteen with a Reckless Charge and Goblin Sledder, and that's when things get ugly.

He topdecks a land and smacks me in the face with Volcanic Hammer. Eek, I'm at ten now. Next turn... No win condition. Hold steady, Jake... He rips another Hammer. Oh crap. I Moment's Peace the goblin to stay above double Hammer range...Or something. Next turn, Peace the 1/1... Hammer to the dome.

Now I'm sweating. You know what's coming, don't you?

Yup...HAMMER OFF THE TOP!!!! Down to one. I pray... peace the goblin... He's got one card in hand... Say go, say go, say go...

Lava dart.

Yup, I was Lava Darted to death by a guy with four cards to start off the game. I think I'll go cry now.

(Well, that is Sligh for you... The Ferrett)

4-3

Yay, everyone's at 4-3. I'm still pissed, and I wanna finish this tourney on an up note.

Round 8: W/G Wake
Oh, man... Someone is definitely gonna pay for that Round 7 loss. Sorry, guy, you're nice, but you're gonna die. My thumbs went past numb into dangling members a few hours ago, but I shuffle on.

Yeah, I got a good hand. Opponent plays Wake, Worship, Brushhopper. Clever, isn't he? Cough; Wake of my own, Wrath. Worship doesn't stop Firecat tokens when you don't have critters, does it?

Game 2 was much better. I draw all four wakes, see that he has no chance in hell and proceed to have some fun at my opponent's expense.

Four Wakes in play: Twenty mana.
Firecat Blitzing for 184 damage? Priceless.

Another happy ending, and I go to ice my thumbs.

Squire drops at 4-3, Mark Finishes 4-4, and Rob and I sit at 5-3. I figure 5-3 will get me nine packs. Nope, Rob takes 29^th - and because of crappy tiebreakers, I fall to 38^th. Sigh. But I take solace in knowing that I had fun, and did a few hundred damage with kitties.

Dustin Stern finishes 9^th; he's still got it, it seems. Well, I love this deck, and we all had a great time, sot he day was a success. I say my goodbyes to some friends, and off we go. We leave around 11 p.m. - and yes, La Bamba really does have big burritos.

'Til next time,
Jacob Bagha
Siefer041087 on AIM
jbagha@hotmail.com

* - Won a JSS at Gen Con, wrote about it a while back, but I'm too lazy, Ferrett - put a link somewhere. (I did put it - somewhere - The Ferrett)

** - Damn Squaresoft! I beat Final Fantasy 10 during my time off and that"ya know" catch phrase caught on to me. Now if that Yuna side story turns out to be try...

And Yet There is More....
I have something to say in regards to a friend. Thanks, Kurt - you might be leaving the game, and on less than good terms, but you've been a great player, and a great help to us at Amazing and everywhere else. Good luck.