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Pairings are announced... let the 2002 Vermont State Championships BEGIN!

Thanks to the super-helpful judging staff, we waited for everyone to get to the tournament and get situated before the clock began....

Round 1: Josh Downs with Black/Green Braids
Josh is also from Fairfax. He is one of the people who met up at my house early in the morning to head down. It sucks to be playing him, but as you can see above, our crew of sixteen-plus and other assorted friends meant that I would see a lot of people I knew. I wished Josh good luck, and told him that his start to being State Champ began right here by taking me out in round 1.

Game 1: I started playing Elves and Birds, but they kept meeting up with Chainer's Edicts and Innocent Bloods. Soon a Call of the Herd hit, and a Wild Mongrel. Things started getting beatdown against him and that is when a threesome of Ravenous Baloths showed up. A Sylvan Might later - and the fact that Josh had three Braids in hand - left him in a very non-advantageous situation, and completely out of the fatty race.

No sideboard changes.

Game 2: I come out of the gates hard and strong. I get in his face quick - but once he gets to 4 mana, things start to change. A Faceless Butcher takes a face-down Hystrodon away. A Wild Mongrel on his side invites an Arrogant Wurm to face off against my Ravenous Baloth, which came out a turn after the Hystrodon. He sets up with two Squirrels Nests while I only have one, and he also has a couple of Elephants thanks to Call of the Herd. I got Josh down to four, but I can't finish him. He has a creature to answer all my stuff and just keeps pumping them out.

To make things worse, he has a Possessed Centaur that he used his own Living Wish for. Threshold hasn't been reached yet, but he has five cards in his graveyard. I need to tread carefully. I look at my hand: Two more land and a Living Wish. I look what I have in my graveyard: six cards. I look what I have for land in play - and realize that in two turns, if I play my land and get two cards in the graveyard, I will be able to win.

I do what I have set out to do - and a few turns later, I sacrifice my Ravenous Baloth for four life. He questions why, but I have the same amount of Squirrels as he does since he hasn't drawn a whole lot of mana to work with and has been casting lots of fatties. I drop a Living Wish, go for the Centaur Chieftain - and with my newly-acquired Threshold, it is going to get dangerous. I attack in with the whole group of five squirrels, two Call of the Herd tokens, a Hystrodon, and a Chieftain, all with a +1/+1 and Trample bonus, and net myself the victory.

2-0, 1-0

Round 2: Josh Seamons, Goblin Red/Black Sligh
I have never met this person, and we talk to each other. I was hoping for the whole"Surprise, I'm a scrub" factor, and was trying to play it up - when he asked me if I was the same guy who won last year.

Well, that cat was now out of the bag.

One thing I want to note: Josh took a whole lot of time on his turns thinking during the games. I didn't say anything, since, I was in control of the games and he was playing speed and so was I. I am a nice guy, and every now and then said,"We need to pick up pace here," knowing well that if this was a PTQ, GP, or even a Pro Tour event he would be receiving numerous slow play/stalling infractions. I shouldn't be able to watch an eclipse from start to finish during the course of one two.

Game 1: My draw was interesting: Four Forests, a Llanowar Elf, and two Beast Attacks. Guess I know what I am going to do. The Elf met a Shock though. I drop down a Birds of Paradise and that gets to hang around. He is tapped out, so I drop down an Elephant Guide on the Bird. He looks surprised, and he drops down a few Goblin Sparksmiths. A turn later he takes 4 to kill the Bird and give me an Elephant Token. I didn't do a whole lot of beatdown this game, my opponent pretty much did it to himself.

I find my 5^th forest, and start deploying Beasts via Beast Attack. I keep drawing Forest. In fact, on my ninth turn, I have my ninth forest in my hand, in my 22 land/62 card deck. Kooky! I then start drawing things like Wild Mongrel as my beasts get killed by removal (Grim Lavamancers + Burn and Smother) after his Sparksmiths basically became a problem because he is at three. Needless to say, while he had a bunch of removal, my tons of fatties kept him at bay, and led me to victory.

I put in two Naturalizes just in case he had Ensnaring Bridge; out went a Squirrel Nest and a Forest. I drew so many forests last game, that I had the feeling that if I really needed one more land, I could just Wish for it.

Game 2: This game was much simpler - and quicker - than the other one. I dropped out early acceleration, he had no answer. I dropped out a Phantom Centaur and two Ravenous Baloths. Soon they were joined by Sylvan Might, and the game ended pretty quickly right there... Though, a turn 1 Raging Goblin did five damage and a Blistering Firecat added seven more. This game was really just a savage beating.

I try to talk a lot about the game... But whatever he had, it wasn't what he needed.

2-0, 2-0

Round 3: Rob Dougherty (Vermont version), Suicide Black
Pairings are announced and half of our group seems to grimace that I am already playing Rob. I was last year's champion, but he was the champ the year before. I felt pretty much assured that he was running Control Black - which I didn't fear all that much. We sit down, shuffle up, and I prepare myself mentally for a long match.

Game 1: First comes a Duress, which takes my Elephant Guide away. He then follows up with two Blackmails, which kind of messed with my mana sources. Then he came out with a Wretched Anurid.

Wait a minute! This isn't Control Black - it's Suicide Black! A"mystery morph" creature comes out, and I know it's a Grinning Demon. I cast a Living Wish to get a Phantom Centaur, which will work well with my Wild Mongrel in play. I crank out a Squirrel Nest and keep drawing dudes to play. The Phantom Centaur ended the game, but the help I got from my Squirrel Nest/Wretched Anurid combo was pretty cool, too.

I sideboard in the one Bearscape, and take out a Elephant Guide in case I get behind on the creature run.

Game 2: I get a turn 1 elf, turn 2 Hystrodon, turn 3 Ravenous Baloth and turn 4 Phantom Centaur. Rob, on the other hand, didn't have a single early removal spell or discard spell. On turn 5, I flipped over the Hystrodon and led in with a Sylvan Might for support. Rob's big play of the game was casting Braids on the turn he died. He really got a very bad draw.

2-0, 1-0

Round 4: Jeremy Murray, Astral Glide
I showed Jeremy for the first time the deck the night before and Jake and I convinced him to play it. He got paired up against me, and knew winning was very important for him. This deck is really the exact type of thing Murray would want to play: He is an infamous bad-combo guy. People know him from all around as the"Turbo-Redneck" guy and from other things. Murray also once got a standing ovation at New England Regionals two years ago for announcing to half the room,"URZA'S RAGE WITH THE KICKER!!!!!" I knew I needed to come out fast and furious.

Game 1: No-land hand, no-land hand, down to five cards, going second. Not so bad, I guess.

I didn't get much early pressure - but when it started to come out in the form of Hystrodon and Wild Mongrels, I beat down hard. I got Jeremy Murray down to three life, even with his Astral Slide in play. He kept taking damage here and there... And that's when the tide turned. Four straight Renewed Faiths completely changed this back around in his favor. Lightning Rift was out now and, Jeremy was sending burn my way as fast as he could while fixing my creatures up with double Astral Slides.

That's when I played a Birds of Paradise. He suddenly looked like the exorcist had just possessed him. He questioned things, like why would I, his opponent, ever play with Birds of Paradise - unless they had another use... Another color, maybe? He had already tapped out and I told him to go. He decides not to do anything on his turn in order to wait until mine and see what I do. I attack, with everything, INCLUDING the Bird. He casts a Slice and Dice with Cycling, dealing one to each creature, and Slides out my other two dudes, and dealing two to me with Lightning Rift.

I respond by casting Sylvan Might with Flashback on my Bird, and attack in the air for four. This drops Jeremy down to two life.

Then a second Lightning Rift hit the game and he finished me off.

I counted twenty-one cycled cards during the game and he revealed four more in his hand afterwards... The question I had, was he only had five land in play... He had one hell of a cycling game is what I figured, but I don't really know for sure.

Sideboard in 2 Naturalizes, take out 1 Forest and a Elephant Guide.

Game 2: This game was all about me, and smashing. I cast a turn 1 Elf, turn 2 Mongrel attack. Turn 3 Call of the Herd, attack with the other dudes. Turn 4, Flashback Call of the Herd, and we are off. Jeremy finally gets out Astral Slide, but I have a Naturalize to kill it. He then busts out a Morph Creature; I attack, he takes it, and goes down to two. I have Sylvan Might in my graveyard, one in my hand, six mana sources out, and a Wild Mongrel at this time (Solar Blast and the one time Slide finished off my tokens), and one other card in my hand. Jeremy decides to attack me for the four damage, and gain four life, putting himself at six. Granted, once again this game he found three of his Renewed Faiths, so the game I thought that should be over sure wasn't.

Jeremy Murray had however down some math, figuring out how much I could do next turn to him. He counts up the Sylvan Might in graveyard, and the cards in hand, and says,"Well... That's five. I'm safe."

JEREMY FORGOT TO COUNT THE POWER OF THE WILD MONGREL! I attack, discard my cards, and boost the Mongrel, and Jeremy Dies.

It should be noted that Jeremy mulliganed this game down to four, going second. Also, I don't remember when in this game, but somewhere in it I had two Wild Mongrels out. Jeremy used two Lightning Rifts to shoot them down, seeing one card in my hand and four land untapped with no Sylvan Might to use. I joyfully discarded the Might to one Mongrel, saving him from death, and then flashed back the Might on the other Mongrel to save him.

No sideboard changes.

Game 3: I ask for the time left, while Jeremy power shuffles. He does it speedily, though admitting he wants to take as long as he can and get the draw on time. We get the report back: 2:30 left. Not much, but my deck could win in that amount of time; his can't. So, I draw my hand, look at it, see two Beast Attacks, a Squirrel Nest, and four Forests and think how this is not going to kill him fast enough.

I extend my hand for the draw.

1-1-1, 3-0-1

It should be understood, though, that before the round I was the #1 ranked seed according to the standings and I played the 11^th ranked person. What? It was unfortunate for Jeremy, as the loss and draw at this point would make it hard for him to make it in at 3-1-1.

Round 5: Mike Pidgeon, U/G Opposition
I look at the standings. There isn't really much to gain; I will either be the 2 or 3 seed going into top 8 (since there were two undefeated people and they were playing, so one would be 5-0), or be the 6 to 7 seed for the top 8. Mike was looking at about the same spot as me. Well, we decided to just draw, since after that long match with Murray I could use a break - and while I wasn't planning to draw today to help my friends, my previous draw already messed that up, and most of the friends who I was trying to help from the round before lost.

1-1-1, 3-0-2

How about them top 8 pairings, eh?

Well, let's just say that I know Jim Dalton tried his hardest, but they couldn't figure anything out. I saw his first pairings for the top 8, and it had the 1^st seed playing the 5^th seed, 2^nd seed playing 6^th seed and so on!? Someone needed to be taught all about brackets. It still took way more persuasion than was needed to show him about this.

Actually... The real story was when the staff announced the top 8. Here was the breakdown:

1^st Seed: Jake Conner, 5-0 (Mono Black Control)
2^nd Seed: Ian McBride, 4-1 (Black/Red Land Destruction)
3^rd Seed: Brendon Krizer, 4-1 (Black/Blue Braids)
4^th Seed: James Ryder, 4-1 (Goblin Sligh)
5^th Seed: Phil Cogswell, 4-1 (U/W/G Threshold)
6^th Seed: Robert Wyatt, 4-1 (U/G Opposition)
7^th Seed: Jeremy Muir, 3-0-2 (Paramount/Mono Green)
8^th Seed: Mike Pidgeon, 3-1-1 (U/G Opposition)

They announced the top 8 seeds. So because all of us in the top 8 aren't completely stupid, we match up with the corresponding player.

So we sit... All waiting. As I said, it took them a while to understand how the brackets worked. Then, others began to start. I asked if we can start.

No response.

I asked again, and I swear someone had a heart attack from a nearby lodge.

No Response.

Well... What I am supposed to do? The other three matches have started! I am staring Ian McBride right in the face, and he says,"let's just play." I tell him how I don't want to have to restart. He says that won't happen.

So we roll up, I get to go first with a 20 on a die.

Round 6, Top 8: Ian McBride, Black/Red Land Destruction

Ian. I am psyched to play him for a few reasons.

1. Is because he is a friend of mine, and that is always good when you both make the top 8.
2. Because Mono Green never ever ever fears land destruction
3. It's Ian, and he is better then many people give credit for.
4. He is part of the online writing creed. He isn't featured and doesn't write as often, but he is still part of the online crew.

I wish Ian good luck, and hope for a good series.

Game 1: I come out like a mono green deck should: Creature, creature, creature, creature, while he is deploying land destruction. Well, I win, as Ian's only removal is the first-turn Innocent Blood he casts.

Sideboard in the one Wood Elves for whatever dumb reason I decide to do it, and out with a Hystrodon, because that cost five, JUST in case.

Game 2- I have like 3 land, when a big announcement is made.

You see.... Even though the standings were announced and the pairings were determined, we weren't ever told to play.

Ten... minutes... later... when ... we ... are ... playing.

This has to be the dumbest thing ever. They go around, the staff, and ask us all to restart our matches. I am already up a game and looking good for game 2. That totally sucks! Partially for me, and partially just for my opponent.

Players of course weren't happy about everything and some complaining commenced. The Judge and his staff said that they never told everyone to start.

NOOOOOOOOOO. It was too friggin' (in a Rizzo way) important to sign up people for a booster draft and trade with people, as the Judge had been doing. No, we had to suffice what we had been doing right and thought we were doing right...

The judge says he never announced the pairings, and brought up the scale he had before again.

You have to be kidding, right?

Nope! Now this tournament had been kind of easy going all along but now we need to enforce the rules, be it how dumb they were. Christ, we had to wait almost an hour to start the final 8 from when the last round ended? There had to be some kind of mix up here, I mean... What the hell?

So what I am supposed to do now? We are down a game and told to restart.

I told Ian I didn't want this to happen and it did. I just had that feeling, that while the staff had been doing okay the whole day, something would all of the sudden not work out.

So we discussed. We decided to keep the first game honored, and just play the 2^nd one, starting over again, with sideboards in.

Game 3 (AKA 2): I drop out an Elf, then a Wood Elf. Ian casts a Chainer's Edict. Note Chainer's Edict. Now, note the fact that Ian drew fifteen land during this game, and like two other cards. A Call and a Wild Mongrel came out like turn 3 or 4, and really, it was downhill for Ian from there. His deck just threw up the big stinker.

So what am I supposed to do? I just beat Ian 2-0, and it was a controversially played game 1 that wasn't supposed to count. Then there was Game 2/3, which he got totally screwed over.

So I offer to Ian, three times, if he wants to discount game 1 that we had played and just play another game or two, I will do it. I am a honorable man. I can see Ian got fu**ed by his deck and there will be this controversial cloud over us (though his fault.. I would have waited!) Also, being that Ian is my friend, we were playing casually.

He eventually bit and said let's play again.

Game 2/3/4/? (a.k.a. 3): Ian had removal this time, but not enough early. He sat on his Mutilate he had Burning Wished for. In the meantime, I am swinging with a Wild Mongrel and a Call of the Herd token with a Bird out in case of an Edict/Blood technique.

So he sat... With 2 swamps. I had cards in my hand, and wasn't afraid to use them. He had out a Tainted Peak and two Shadowblood Ridges. He cursed them with furious anger:"Why couldn't you be those Bloodstained Mires I so desperately wanted to acquire but no one had?" That would have given him Swamp #3, which would have made the Mutilate way more powerful.

End Result? No Swamp drawn, not enough time; I send in with the beats and the game ends really soon. I honestly can't remember if I finished it off with an Elephant Guide, Sylvan Might, or if he had drawn and conceded. Either way, he was that one Swamp away from changing the momentum.

Overall, a good match and a pleasant opponent- I am still glad to play Ian, but what a mess!

2-0 or 3-0 (?), 4-0-2

So I eventually get paired up with the 3/6 person. I had to re-explain the brackets once more, and this time he got it, saying something like"Like the NCAA'S right?"

Round 7, Quarterfinals: Robert Wyatt, U/G Opposition
While I am definitely not afraid of this matchup, I don't really want to face it. I feel confident in myself. However, Robert is a solid player. I have seen him dominate in the JSS, as he is only fifteen years old. He is going to be a damn good Magic player really soon - you just watch.

I wanted to be friendly to Robert; this is the first time he and I have actually played against each other in a tournament and not in a playtesting session. While I want to win, I will take any advantage I can get, but keep things on the level. I will not be dishonest, and I will never be. I won't cheat against my opponents. I don't defile the game by that. Robert is a gracious opponent, who is sure to put up his best game versus me. He and I talk a little, and we both agree that this may be the real finals right here. Nothing against Phil and Jake, but... The play ability and decks of the day are right in this match right here.

Game 1: Robert wins the die roll and teaches me a lesson. He drops a turn one Llanowar Elf. Turn two, Elf, Bird. Turn 3, Opposition, and tap my permanents. Now, I am running out of options at this point and I haven't really had many turns. I have my own Elf out.. But time is running out as a Squirrels Nest comes into play. I use the two mana I am lucky to have left, and cast a Living Wish. Boy, do I want the Spellbane Centaur! Of course, there is no way at this point in my lock that I will ever get to do it. I sell out for the Elvish Lyrist. The next turn I draw a land, and drop out the Lyrist. He has no counter magic for it, and soon I destroy the Opposition.

Then I start deploying huge creatures, and using Sylvan Might. I knock Robert down to six, and all he has is a Merfolk Looter, some elves and birds, and a Squirrel Nest putting out what's left of the squirrels.

Then Opposition hits, combined with a Phantom Centaur and a Wild Mongrel. Then he used Deep Analysis a few times, and after tapping all my creatures, he kills me. This game was just bad all around from the onset for me.

I sideboard in 2 Krosan Reclamations and 2 Naturalizes. I knew the Reclamations would be handy if he goes to his Roar of the Wurm sideboard or just plain gets too much good flashback stuff going. I side out the four Elephant Guides, since those are irrelevant versus Robert. Either I am going to smash his face in, or I won't.

Game 2- I go with turn 1 Elf, turn 2 Wild Mongrel (attack with elf), turn 3 Call of the Herd - and then here comes the call of the beasts! Beast Attack at end of turn, with another ready to go. Robert's only real play of the game, turn 4 tap out for a Deep Analysis, Die.

I take out 1 Forest and add in the Wood Elves for a mana jump.

Game 3: This game came out like I wanted. I came out aggressive, but not really fast. I keep attacking him with a multitude of Beasts, including three Ravenous Baloths, two Hystrodons, and a Beast Attack token. That sure is a lot of life! I keep Robert on the defensive and continue to get in his face.

But really.. The story about this game was my land. I had about ten between play and in my hand by now and it was turn 8. I am playing twenty-one total land here... Twenty-one! I use the Krosan Reclamation I have in my hand to put his freshly-acquired Roar of the Wurms via Quiet Speculation back into his deck; sure enough, I had anticipated, his sideboard deck switch.

So I sit there... Drawing four more land in a row! This game is over if I can get a Living Wish during these times. All I need is a Kamahl, Fist of Krosa or a Silvos, Rogue Elemental, and this would be over quick. Instead, Robert is using his Merfolk Looters and finds all his Roar of the Wurms - again - via a second Quiet Speculation and drawing then. Soon a hoard of Wurms is in play. I start chumping blockers with my beast, gaining life. I reach 28 life at one point, then I take some Wurm damage.

I draw, and get another land. What? Man... I should have power shuffled after last game. This was horrible. I did a horrible job of randomizing my deck via a poor job of shuffling. I let myself down in a very, very important situation.

Robert then drops out a Opposition, and with his double-Squirrel Nest, he has been farming with and his Wurms + Elves/Birds etc. he does the math.

He taps some of my stuff and hits me. It's at this point when I know the game is over. I have to throw some Beasts in the way for blocking, I"forget" to sacrifice the beast for four life once damage is on the stack, since they are Hystrodons, even though before the block I had planned to. Oh well; the game was over anyway. The Opposition basically ended it. No matter what I drew at this point, I was dead. A Living Wish for a Spellbane Centaur would delay one more turn, and who knew?

So after going down to fourteen, I took my turn. I drew, and found a Sylvan Might. Well, Robert had just tapped all my creatures, with some tappers to spare, and lethal damage in the form of three Roar of the Wurm tokens plus many Squirrels were left to deal with.

I extend my hand. While being mad at myself, I am happy for Robert. He won graciously. He was nice about everything, and really seemed kind of shocked.

He told me later in the day that he really thinks I should have won that match. Oh well... You can't win them all.

1-2, 4-1-2

• Phil Cogswell defeats Jake Conner
• Finals--- Robert Wyatt defeats Phil Cogswell to become STATE CHAMPION!

Overall, the Vermont State Championships were a big disappointment for me. I had won last year, and no one ever in the history of the Vermont State Championships has top 8d the next year - no one has ever won again. Well, I breached one thing... But I wanted to win again! As I said before the day, unless I won the tournament, I can only be considered doing worse then last year, and so as such, I have to check off today as a failure.

High standards... Or should I expect this of myself?

I expect it from myself. Of course, I am known in my articles as kind of a cheerleader in terms of spirit, and determination to win. Always feel like you will win, then make it happen.

So once again the Vermont State Championship trophy gets passed on to a new hand. Here are the previous five inscribed champions from years past:

2002 - Robert Wyatt
2001 - Jeremy C. Muir
2000 - Rob Dougherty
1999 - Rod Sheldon
1998 - Walter Ochs

One other mystery on this list as the farther back it goes was how the player who won seemingly disappeared not too much longer after winning from the game of magic. At least the last three winners are still playing!

I guess one of the best things about the day was the fact that I made top 4, finishing 3^rd according to Jim's rules, with Mono Green. I know you won't see much of that anywhere else. I am, of course, more than willing to talk about my deck and give out any information to you about it if you would like!

Of course, the day was great fun! While I am disappointed on how I finished and all, it's not like I didn't have a great time. The whole thing is just a huge gathering of magic players. Lots of jokes, exchange greetings and talking with old friends.

Heck, after the tournament there was even a fair amount of fun to be had with a purple little friend someone had brought as a joke to play on someone else. Soon the thing was flying around the room, as grown adults and teens alike turned into little kids again. I mean, it's not like you see those kinds of items at any other tournaments or any other year at States - at least I hope you don't!

If I could do everything again, I would, except I would shuffle a whole lot more in my last game (Game 3) versus Robert. Besides that, I feel like my play was solid and that my deck ran like a dream. Maybe it's me... Maybe I have some sort of lucky skill or something, but why is that I always seem to win with some"complete pile of junk" - or so the analysts say? White-Green at Regionals? Mono Green at the State Championships?

I just hope that I am climbing that infamous stairway to being a good Magic player. Is the Pro Tour that much to ask? Lot's of people get to go... I qualified once, and my sister got married the same weekend. I went to the wedding, and have since regretted not being able to take up on the trip to Tokyo I wanted to do.

I just want to make the big stage, for once, and make my presence felt. For people to actually hear the name Jeremy Muir and think maybe this guy could be good or something. Friends of mine from North of the Border, Louis Bouileau, Mauro Bongiovanni and David Rood have all had their impact in the recent year or so of magic, how about me? Is Vermont just too small town for a player to make an impact in this day and age?

Jamie Wakefield was special. He may not have been the best player ever, but he tried to hard, to an extent that still very many envy. He got himself on the Pro Tour. I need to do that. Am I waiting for something? Jamie wishes me the best of luck whenever I see him.

Jeremy Muir: Pro Tour hopeful or random guy who has used up his lucky days?

One can always dream. Until someday when I make an impact, I will try to get my name out there, to show my stuff. Let it be via State Championships or writing or whatever, I will make myself a name. It's time to go to work again, as always, to try and win during my favorite tournament season... Extended.

Regardless of what happens the rest of my Magic-playing days, I sure have come a long way from where I once was... A real long way!

This is where I say thanks to everyone! All of the group in attendance at States, those of who didn't make it to the tournament but are part of the group - and I also need to specially thank all those that have made it possible for me to get to this point in my magic playing life. For, without these five, I may still be floating in that abyss of misinformation and playing Banding decks and Golem decks. I mean, name another time when I can really thank people?

Alan Webster - What Can I say? You are my only real mentor for the game of magic. Without you I would have never progressed and seen the light. I am still learning from you, and have been ecstatic with everything you have ever done for me.

Jamie Wakefield - A role model I got to know on a personal level. He made me think that I could actually become something someday in this game of magic. I still carry the spirit of Green with me Jamie, and you know that. I always did. The game misses you.

Jake Conner/Lloyd Bevins - It all started with a couple of packs of cards didn't it? Who knew, we got all into the card game thing thanks to playing Spades with a 52-card deck of cards.

Adrian Sullivan - Your ancient scriptures on the Dojo changed my opinions about the game and the way I played it. While I have never met you in person, you are still one of my favorite writers of all time.

The Ferrett, Pete Hoefling, and Starcitygames.com - Without the lending hand of the internet community and the focal point of being a Featured Writer I have turned into, who knew if I could reach the level I am at, with all the feedback I get about decks and ideas? StarCity is an outlet for information that I am thankful for every time I write. Thank you, guys! (Aw, shucks - The Ferrett)

* - It should be noted that I also give a shout out to Brandon Goldman of MTGPlanet.com for giving this writer a weekly chance to write.

Until next week... Where we delve into the Extended Format!

Jeremy C. Muir
Keiichibell@go.com