City: Rockville, MD
Deck Name: Cereal.deck
Player name: "Cartman", Rich Herbert
Tourtment: Grand Prix Houston Trial 
Format: Extended
Date: December 23, 2001, 
the team came over and we all playtested one last
night. 

Saturday: t minus 24 hours to go.

The day started with Matt Littletin coming over at 10
am to play. My team constists of the foll2pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Baskerville Old Face'"> Brian Ellis

Brian and Matt couldn't go to the GPT, but they still
partook in the playtesting portion. Littletin and I
played for hours. He at the time was playing Sligh and
I was playing TurboTrash (Turboland) After about 5
hours Matt Brooks came over for a while. The two
up at my house. It was during this time we all decided
(or thought we had) between the people that were going
what each person would play. Troy and Benj were gonna
go with VerderRiderGeddon (Verdent force with natural
order, Tradewind Rider and Armageddon) While Littletin
mentioned the deck that him and I had come up with as
a joke, but worked. RANDOMLAND!!! It used
plannerbirth, squandered resources, death grasp,
abeyance and meditate to win. It won on turn 4 each
game. Littletin quickly decided he wanted to play
this. When they came back to my house they announced
this. I got the idea thought that was this.Since we
decided that instead of only playing 4 different decks
between the team, we now have 5, plus other decks
we're not playing (Rock and Millions, 3 duece,
miraclegrow) we can now be prepared for the match ups,
and see whats the strongest and what we all need to do
to Tech for the matchups. I crushed with this Trix
deck, and here's what I decided on.


4 Sapphire Medallion
4 Counterspell
4 Force of Will
4 Merchant Scroll
3 Intuition
4 Accumulated Knowledge
3 Morphling
3 Pyroclasm
1 Hydroblast
1 Hibernation
2 Ruination
1 Stroke of Genius


Good Old Kai Budde for ya folks! I liked his deck so
much I couldn't resist. But, now I have made some
changes, and here's what I should have played.
4 Sapphire Medallion
4 Counterspell
4 Force of Will
4 Merchant Scroll
3 Intuition
4 Accumulated Knowledge
2 Stroke of Genius
2 Capsize
3 Fire/Ice
3 Ruination


This is what I will play at the PTQ by the way.

OK, so we all played till 3 am (not a strong play) and
drive.

When we arrived we went through some techinal
bullshit. The biggest crock was we had to keep out
backpacks and anything that was a carring item or
could be used to carry things that could be used to
store things (purses, backpacks, lunchboxes) HAD to be
kept behind the counter to preg
WW!
He was playing white weenie! This is good for me. I
knew I could win. Soul Warden t1 ment fire/ice and
Illusions combo would be needed. After a seal hit, I
was wishing I had 2 capsizes now. Stupid not listing
to my gut. But after medallions and a cap saying bye,
the combo came, and went in 3 turns. Fire did the

3 pyroclasm

Now, I left 1 donate because nothing else would be
useful! Also, it saw me FoW using it like turn 2.
excellent!

He boarded in enchantment hate, and when I FoWed he
RD2: Skip, good friend playing Junk

Well, game 1 I saw some boa beatings and seal, but
caping boas and call of the her tokens seems strong!
Countering them again is better. But I messed up, I
caped the seal, and he saced it in response. Oops, he
has lots of mana, and I have only 1 part of the combo
E> 
SBed in:
3 morphling
2 ruination
3 pyroclasm
1 hibernation
1 stroke

Out came:
This was after about 15 minutes of draw go, and
nothing exciting. He casted enforcer, and I wanted
ruination badly. He didn't have threshold though! I
drew the 2nd clasm, and clasmed 2 times. He elected to
keep 1 boa, and now had 8 cards in the yard. He drew
an enforcer! I draw, what!? RUINATION?!! YOU'RE A TURN
TOO LATE Old Face'"> talking I fall half asleep, and he awakes me when
round is over. LoL, skip 0wns!

Match Count: Draw, 1-0-1
Game Count: 1-1-1, 3-1-1
Draw, go. End of his turn he tutors. Feering feeder, I
intuition for FoW in response, and he gets weaver?!
Why I don't know! I allow it, and next turn illusions,
donate, cap. Scoop.

Match Count: Win 2-0-1
Game count: 2-0, 5-1-1Wayne had played him, and
the guy goldfished on turn 5 both games. Last round he
drew against Trix, but he had crushed and sent other
Trix decks packing. This would be a test. I sat down
and 2 seats down Wayne was saying "Go Cartman!" Skip
ZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Baskerville Old Face'"> an island and look at the 2 FoW's in my hand. He drew,
Auratog, FoW. "Damn" I laughed and said "I couldn't
match your turn 1, but my turn 2 might be good and
turn 3 will be better." He sighed, and looked at lots
of mana. He replied, "I can pay Illusions for some
turns though eh?" Seal of cleansing hit some time when
I had no permission, and basically it became draw go
<>
He had that Saga land which gets you lots of white for
each Enchantment, and could pay upkeep for about 8
turns. I had 10 cards in my library.. After paying it a
few times, he cast another Seal. I looked in my
graveyard, and I had one Illusions. I countered that
Seal so I could hopefully draw the other Illusions,
play it and make him pay 2 upkeeps. I dre 3 Morphling
3 Pyroclasm
1 Hibernation
1 Stroke



We had about 15 minutes left, and he wanted me to
hurry. I would not stalanother Morphling and Pyroclasm
and AK. I knowledged for 4 cards, and he sighed and
played a few mana producers. I draw, land. Pyroclasm.
Play another Morphling. Swing with the active one. He was at 10, and the Shapeshifter knocked
him to 7. Draws, extends the hand and scoops. We talk
for a while and says I was a great opponent and good
match up for him and thanks for not stalling. I got

Rd: 4, Jeff playing Alllurn

This was the weirdest game I have ever played in. He was going to go to Houston to play in the GP no matter what. We both were 3-0-1, and he wanted me to concede to him! If I won the tourtment, I was going to go to Houston though. We started our match, and both in bad positions. We fought over AK for 3 in which he won, and a couple discard spells later left me with nothing. He was in the same position. I draw, Illusions. Pass. He draws, pass. I draw, Illusions. Cool. Come on Donate! He was at few lands, 1 City of Traitors and a Bayou and a Wall of Roots. He Duress me and looks at the 2 Illusions and yells DAMN! and m 
Out:
4 Illusions
4 Donate
1 Capsize
1 Intuition
1 other random card.? Not remembering

In:3 Morphling
2 Ruination
3 Pyroblast
3 Pyroclasm

Game two We start slowly and after a 5 minute debate with a Judge called in which he accused me of drawling extra cards, and possibly sitting on cards (Hmm who does that? Not me, Moo??) (Inside Joke) I stand up, empty my pockets and the Judge finds I did not draw any extra cards, and have the correct amount of cards in hand. We get 10 extra minutes (whole investigation took only 4) Well, the game became Morphlnig swings, block, watch me draw literally 10 lands in a row (a common thing for me though) and eventually he combos off. Bah, stupid deck. No Ruinations again Stupid things like to stay in the deck and not come to my hand at the right time. Oh well, game 3. But, we have only 5 minutes, and it ends up in a draw. He looks at me pissed when I decide on a draw, and sighs and signs the paper saying its a mistake.

Yes, it was a mistake. I should have told the Judge this. I dindt, people, this is bribery and is illegal. Tell a Judge this when it happens. Dont make the mistake I did!!!

Match: Draw, 3-0-2
Games: 1-1-1, 8-2-2

Round 6: Make or break time. Morgan, Pro Tour player who was on Rubins team for designing this deck for PTNO! NOOO!!
Yea, this guy was a Pro Tour player who did help design this deck. This is not cool. Well basically, this guy beat me from left to right. I did notice something though. He completely abused Thwaling Glaciers in this deck, and Recall in late game is some good. He Stroke me for 16 one time, Recalled it and did it again. Oww. He was also going to Houston no matter what, but didnt want me to concede. He wins the games and the match. Congrats and good luck Morgan

Match: Loss, 1st of the day. 3-1-2
Game: 0-2, 8-4-2

Well, that whole match I was bothered by the fact that I dindt tell the Judge that the guy was bribing me many times throughout the whole match. I did tell the Judge, and after about a 20 minute debate the guy was DQed without prize. He was very upset, and changed his story, his own friends even told on him though. I placed 15th, and Bobbo made top 8 playing the deck that everyone said would suck. He got 8th place. Go Turboland! Troy got 11th, Benj got 20 something along with Wayne and Matt. We all learned things, and prepared for the next task at hand. PTQ EXTENDED in 1 week!


ANyone wannaget in contact with me just email me, or IM me. My screenname is BigRich316420, my email is rich416_417@yahoo.com

Paz, and thanks for posting. ~Cartman (Rich Herbert)