I arrived at my local Wizards store two minutes before the tournament began. I talked with MunChul Shin, one of my friends from school; he had asked me to bring some cards for his U/B control, and I brought all that I could. A Disrupt and three Opts went into his deck, and then pairings were announced.

Here's what I played:

"Rogue" Fires Deck
1x Urza's Rage
1x Ghitu Fire
2x Rupture
3x Rhystic Lightning
4x Fires of Yavimaya

Mana Helpers
4x Birds of Paradise
4x Llanowar Elves

1x Darigaaz, the Igniter
1x Kavu Chameleon
1x Megatherium (now taken out for Chameleon)
2x Voracious Cobra
2x Mungha Wurm
3x Ancient Hydra
4x Blastoderm
4x Chimeric Idol

Land
1x Karplusan Forest
1x Rishadan Port
2x Geothermal Crevice
5x Mountain
14x Forest

Sideboard:
1x Tsabo's Web
2x Flashfires
2x Spitting Spider
2x Reverent Silence
2x Uktabi Orangutan
2x Spidersilk Armor
4x River Boa

Should I get any Bursts, they will replace the Mungha Wurms and Voracious Cobras. I also need more Karplusan Forests, and maybe Darigaaz's Caldera when that becomes legal. The Port never helped me, as the one game I drew it, it got destroyed by Global Ruin. My Wald (a German forest that looks like a plains) could have survived that, as the guy thought it was a plains, but that wouldn't have been honest. Finally, I say that any deck that uses Earthquake should use Rupture. It works for more damage for cost, as the Earthquake would kill the thing you sacrifice anyway. There's nothing better than playing an Ancient Hydra, removing the counters, attacking as a 7/3 with a sacrifice of Fires, and capping it with a Rupture. With that, one could do nineteen damage if one is very lucky (and has a ton of mana).

Since otherwise there would be no irony, my first-round matchup was against my friend MunChul.

First Round: MunChul Shin playing Blue/Black control (with Cowardice):

Game 1: I started out very slowly. I didn't get any mana acceleration, or sources of red mana. The first card I could play was a Kavu Chameleon on turn 5. By that time, MunChul had found one of his two Briberies. Since my deck has no answer to my own Darigaaz, the Igniter, I lost in short order.

Sideboard: 4 River Boa for Darigaaz, 1 Voracious Cobra, 1 Mungha Wurm?, 1 Megatherium

Game 2: I didn't see any of the River Boas that I sideboarded. I did get the benefits of sideboarding, however, when he used another Bribery and couldn't get the Darigaaz. Prior to that, I found two Elves and a Blastoderm. The problem was that his deck had enough mana open to "Force Spike" one of my spells. Since I knew his deck had no answer to Blastoderm once it came out, I put out the second Elf instead of the Blastoderm. The next turn after playing the Elf, MunChul cast Addle, naming green. Later, I would draw the Mungha Wurm I had left - but at that point, MunChul found one of his Briberies. Getting a Blastoderm, the two traded off, and I was left with a Chimeric Idol. Still, this was enough, as he couldn't find his threats in time.

Sideboard: No changes

This game went much as the second one did. I managed to find a Boa, and this combined with a Chameleon and a Blastoderm to go all the way. His Cowardice combo came into play, but he still couldn't answer the Blastoderm. He also had run out of mana putting the Cowardice into play, and I beat him the next turn.

Sidenote: Having seen a Probe in the first game, I was ready for more discard on the second. Therefore, when he asked me during the second game if I had any cards in my hand, I knew that he had to have Probe or Addle. Addle was less likely, because he needed to find cards. After saying that I had none, I told him that it wasn't worth paying the kicker. He went, "Yeah ... yeah," and played Probe without the kicker. I think that one should keep one's hand above the table, so that the opponent isn't forced to telegraph what's in his hand.

If I was going to change MunChul's deck, I would add more threats. Other than the Cowardice/Jolting Merfolk and the Briberies (of which he sideboarded one out - huh?), he had no threats. While I wouldn't add Nether Spirit, I might try to find some Air Elementals or Avatars of Will to go with his discard. Another possibility to add is the Tidal Visionary. While not as efficient as the Merfolk, it can return one per turn. If he could find any additional Fact or Fictions, or any Undermines would also help. Finally, with Fires' strength against his deck, I would add some Vodalian Zombies to the sideboard. They need burn to remove it.

MunChul's deck (revisited and remade):

4x Opt
4x Probe
3x Addle
4x Counterspell
4x Undermine
4x Cowardice
4x Jolting Merfolk
3x Fact or Fiction
2x Recoil
2x Avatar of Will
2x Bribery
2x Glacial Wall

13x Island
5x Swamp
4x Salt Marsh

Sideboard:
4x Vodalian Zombie
2x Bribery
2x Recoil
1x Addle
1x Fact or Fiction
Plague Wind/Tsabo's Decree
Submerge
Glacial Wall
(I'm uncertain of how to split the last four.)

Matches 1-0. Games: 2-1

Round Two: Didn't get name, playing rogue Ankh-Tide (U/W/B)

Game 1: I knew that this guy was playing Ankh-Tide before I got to the table. When I arrived, and was shuffling up for my first-round match, he was asking if anyone had any more Ankhs. I had no clue what was going on with his deck once I saw it in action. He started with a Saprazzan Heir, which ended up doing ten damage to me over the course of the game. I kept forgetting to attack with my two Elves, which probably cost me the game. I've got to find a good way to remember that. After 4 or 5 turns, he cast Global Ruin, which reduced me to one forest. Luckily the two Birds and Elf I had gave me enough mana. At one point, he played a Meekstone, which meant that the Blastoderm I played got one attack. Soon after, he played Death Pit Offering. I laughed, but he said that it worked. He used it to pump his Nether Spirit that he brought out. Despite this, I was at six life with his life at three. He had brought out a Collective Restraint with all three basic lands for his colors in play, and a Teferi's Moat naming green. I should have attacked him with the third Birds I had played and used the Fires to pump it. Instead, I spent the mana bringing out a second Fires, so that I would be able to finish him the next turn. He removed one of his own lands from the game, and took two damage from his Ankh, doing six damage to me in the process.

Sideboard: 4 River Boa and 2 Reverent Silence for Darigaaz, 1 Megatherium, 2 Mungha Wurms and two other cards.

Game 2: This game, I had to mulligan after a one land, no one-drop hand. With six cards, I got a Reverent Silence, two mana, and at least one Elf. The other stuff came as well as it could. Turn 2 River Boa, Turn 3 Blastoderm. When he brought out a Collective Restraint, he only had swamps and islands, so I could pay for the cost with my Elf and lands. He searched for a Teferi's Moat, but didn't have the white mana to pay for it. I didn't show him the Silence, which would have made it moot.

Sideboard: No change

Game 3: Again, I managed to overwhelm him with many quick creatures (especially the mighty Blastoderm). He had to use his turn to search with an Enlightened Tutor for a Meekstone, which gave me enough attacks with the Blastoderm to do sixteen damage (with Elf help once). To finish him after he tapped out, I cast Rupture and chose the tapped Blastoderm with no fading counters. He had no response, and I won.

Sidenote: Besides my stupid plays the first game, he was also not paying attention at one point. He had cast an Overtaker and controlled an Elf. After attacking for three, he gave me back the Elf. On his turn, he went to untap it, and I reminded him of the Meekstone/Death Pit Offering. He couldn't use that card for the rest of the game. The second game, I hit a Nether Spirit with a Rhystic Lightning. He had out Power Matrix, so he just pumped the Spirit up. That put a kibosh in my plans. I then saw the Rupture in my hand and cast it, sacrificing an Elf. The Spirit died, we each got hit for one, and Blastoderm went unblocked. We also got to the three-minute warning. I appreciate his not slowing down towards the end. He easily could have, as his hand was full and he had a very obviously complex deck. After the tournament, I traded him a Teferi's Moat, Ankh of Mishra, and Absorb for his deck in exchange for Tawnos' Coffin and Morphling. According to Inquest's prices I lost, but I'm perfectly happy even so.

Matches 2-0. Games: 4-2

Round 3: Tom? playing Blue Skies

I figured that I would play him, since we were both undefeated. I needed some time at the beginning to de-sideboard, so I started a little late (just like the last two rounds). I knew from the beginning that I would be sideboarding in the Boas again.

Game 1: He was unhappy with his hand. After laying two lands, he missed a land drop, and said something to the effect that he would have thought he would get another land with a two-land hand. I had laid an Elf, but was hesitant to play my cards since he had a Spiketail Hatchling as his only creature. After this game I knew that I had to be more aggressive, as he beat me with the aforementioned Hatchling and a Rishadan Airship after he drew his third mana on turn 4. I would have had a chance, but he hit me with two Withdraws in two turns when I was tapped out (due to Chimeric Idol).

Sideboard: 4 River Boa, 2 Spitting Spider, 2 Spidersilk Armor for 4 Chimeric Idol, 1 Megatherium, 1 Mungha Wurm (since I heard him say that he could change to Rising Waters; I didn't want to do that to myself), and 2 Voracious Cobra. I told him that I had a lot to bring in against him. He didn't seem intimidated, which I was impressed with. He looked to be about eleven, so his confidence was high.

Game 2: Both this game and the next all came down to River Boa. He started his mana with a Saprazzan Skerry. I kept in mind that if he didn't play an Island, my Boas wouldn't be able to islandwalk. After a first turn Elf, he played his Spiketail Hatchling. I had three mana, so the Boa was safe. Although he Withdrew it at one point, I was able to replay it in short order. When I went to play Fires, he countered it (with a Foil and two Islands), as I hoped. The next turn, I went to play Spidersilk Armor. He was forced to Hoodwink it the next turn, and the Blastoderm forced a Thwart with ACC. He couldn't recover especially after having used the Skerry in the beginning, and the Spidersilk Armor sealed it.

Sideboard: No changes.

Game 3: I began again with a quick Bird/Boa. This game, I had found two of them. The turn before I played the second, he had to Withdraw one of his own to get rid of the first. Replaying both sealed the game, and he couldn't stop them.

Sidenote: After the match, I made sure to shake his hand. Although he was sometimes cocky, he was a good opponent. He said that the Hoodwinks were left in only for the Chimerics, though I pointed out that he made good use of them when I cast Fires or Spidersilk Armor. The Chimerics just made me nervous against Withdraws, so I figured the Boas would work better (especially with the possibility of Daze or Hatchling). This was the first round that I finished early, so I though I might get some food. Instead, the guy next to me wanted to finish our trade, so I did that.

Then Tom Kerrigan came in. He is my deckbuilding buddy and a member of Team Homunculus, which should be getting back together after Christmas. He couldn't make it to the tournament, so I had to come and test the deck for him. If it wasn't for that, he would be playing the Fires deck, and I would have used my poor Rebel deck. Before the tournament, the deck used Fires with Elvish Champion and tons of Elves for a forestwalking frenzy. I took out the elf base (leaving only Llanowar), and added the Chimeric Idols. After adding more burn, I tested the deck. The biggest problem I found was a lack of big creatures. When I went online, I looked at Chevy Fires by Zvi Mowshowitz, the Red Zone by Brian Kibler, and the JSS Fires by Bryn (I know a girl with that name). The number of fatties in my deck was ten, including the Chimerics. The other decks ranged from fourteen to twenty-two. I knew that I couldn't get any Bursts, so I had to improvise. The choices I made, that I had available were:
2 Voracious Cobra (good in the mirror match)
2 Mungha Wurm (play after 'Derms, same as Leeches would normally)
1 Kavu Chameleon (all I had)
1 Darigaaz, the Igniter (finisher like Two-Headed Dragon or Rith, the Awakener in more standard Fires)
1 Megatherium

Sub-sidenote: The Megatherium was the biggest mistake in the deck. I am going to replace it with another Kavu Chameleon. Megatherium could never come out on turn 2, and usually not on turn 3. It would always be in my hand in the first game of a round, and I played it once (where it was too late.) It is a perfect example of a card that helps you win more, not win. Fires of Yavimaya, on the other hand, is different, because of the strength it has been assigned in the meta-game. While it is not necessary to win, people think that it is, and use their Seals of Cleansing and counterspells on it, paving the way for what is really needed - the creatures and other sideboarded enchantments. It also helps a great deal more than Fervor would. When people ask why, I compared it to a mini-Seal of Strength combined with Fervor. Even if you only use it to pump a Bird for the last 2 points, or play it early and get extra turns from fading things, it can be used in both the early and late game, and is useful in multiples. Finally, though Darigaaz was taken out against three of the decks I played (the fourth one coming up), he was much more usable. He just didn't work against Bribery, Land Denial, or ...

Matches 3-0. Games: 4-2

Fourth Round: No name playing W/g Rebel
Or:
The first time that I won't have to use River Boas!

Before this round began, I asked if he had a way of keeping track of his life. He said that he would just remember. It's not that I distrusted him, but I had no reason to trust him. I got paper, and recorded his life on that. I would rather that he did it, but he was honest, reminding me that he took damage from his Brushlands and the like. I was a little nervous, since I knew that Rebels had better creature recycling against my slower Fires. I was hoping to hit him hard, then use a Rupture to win at the stalemate.

Game 1: I get a good start with an Elf and a Fires. He Wanes the Fires, and brings out a Longbow Archer. Unfortunately for him, he didn't get any cheap recruiters. His first one was on turn 3, with Lin Sivvi. At that point, I made the most use of my burn against creatures this tournament. Prior to this, I had my Rhystic Lightnings go to the head, and I couldn't draw the Rage or Ghitu Fire. I cast Rhystic Lightning at Lin to kill her, and then brought out a Blastoderm. I cast the second Rhystic Lightning at the Longbow Archer, and that was the game.

Sideboard: 2 Flashfires for Megatherium and Darigaaz (I guessed he would have Gliders, and either one can block him and live).

Game 2: I didn't get a chance to see a Flashfires, because it was over so quickly. The quick start that a Fires deck hopes for happened. He was also forced to Parallax Wave an Ancient Hydra that I had out, meaning that it came back refreshed. I Ruptured for the win.

With that, I won the tournament. I won $25, which paid for my entry fee, gas, and paid for 2 boosters of Mage Knight. I also got a T-shirt, but I'm going to give that to MunChul, who got third place but no prize.

Matches 4-0. Games: 8-3


Props: Wizards of the Coast employees Hallie and Danny - Thanks for getting me registered in time.
The guy who got the all foil pack of Prophecy while I was there - for showing me they do exist.
Everyone who traded with me, especially the guy with the Coffin.
MunChul and Ankh-Tide- For playing hard with little time

Slops:
Megatherium - for letting me down
The fact that no one has Bursts or Karplusan Forests for trade