I don't post that much, but I think I have to include something considering how huge this tourney was.As usual, I played Azhrei Sligh for this tourney with the notable addition of a borrowed Lotus (so good!).I wanted to try out some Crumbles in the sideboard, but I neglected to obtain any before the tourney.17 participants, 4 Rounds of Swiss, cut to Top 8.Let's get it on!

Round 1: Jamin (Sligh)
Game 1:He has to Paris, I believe.He's land light, and keep him that way with Pillage.Kird Ape beats him down for the win.Side out:2 Pups,1 Pillage,1 Hull Breach for 4 Fire/Ice

Game 2:He has to paris again, and I keep him even more mana screwed with 2 Pillage/Stripmine.Game 2 and the match are mine.

1-0 2-0 games

Round 2:Steve (Pox)
Great, a fellow team Ironchef member.
Game 1:Close game, I'm able to recover from a Pox, but have to trade 2 cards for 1 with a steel golem.I eventually overwhelm him since he is at low life. Side out 2 Cursed Scrolls (mistake) for 2 Fire/Ice

Game 2:Steve gets off to a good start with usual supply of Hymns and Sinkhole, he Poxes, gains some life for Spin Darkness,I'm able to kill his Golem, but his Scroll goes the distance.Side back in scrolls

Game 3:God draw of the tourney on my part.Opening hand is:Ruby, Lotus, Taiga,Shaman,Cadet,Demonic Tutor,Dwarven Miner.Empty my hand by turn 2 and tutor for stripmine to slow him down.Early beats end up going the distance, Steve was not quite able to recover.

2-0 4-1 games
Round 3:Josh (Ruby Red OSE) not official name
Great,another Ironchef.We ID and get lunch.

2-0-1 4-1 games

Round 4:Ian (sligh)
He's 3-0 and offers the draw. I know we are both in Top 8 and I'm out for blood after a bad Burger King trip.I decline,though knowing it was not a good matchup.Needless to say, I should've accepted, as he beats me down in straight games.

2-1-1 4-3 games
Top 8:
1. Ian (sligh)
2. Josh (Ruby Red OSE)
3. Darren (OSE)
4. David (Suicidish Black)
5. myself (Azhrei Sligh)
6. VT dude #1 (Void)
7. VT dude #2 (BBS)
8. VT dude #3 (Keeper)

sorry, Matt and Steve :-(

Round 5: David (suicidish Black)
Game 1: He plays first and does his dark ritual stuff.I still get off to a good start and he gets stuck at 1 land.Game 2....Side out Hull Breach,2 Miners, 1 Pillage for 4 Fire/Ice

Game 2:Close game.He gets will and I can't kill off his creatures quickly enough with scroll.His mishra's were crucial in this game.

Game 3: Damn double dark ritual BS.Most of my hand is gone, but I have a cadet and sac lotus to pillage a swamp.I think he is manascrewed like the 1st game, but after a couple turns, he topdecks the land he needs to ritual out a kicked Scuta. :-( I can't reply effectively, becuase he disrupted my hand and mana quite a bit.

Oh well, David went on to the finals to face Josh, which Josh won.This might represent a new evolution of OSE.Also, BBS didn't win :-).Check out www.richmondcomix.com sometime this week for decklists and future tourneys.

Just a little bit of analysis on my own deck. The Lotus was awesome, producing some minor brokenness on its own.Nothing really new there, but it was first time IRL for me, so I had a lot of fun with that.Second, I'm beginning to think that AzhreiSligh is too inconsistent and unfocused as an aggro/control deck to get the big victories an upper echelon deck gets.It's main appeal to me is that it is an inexpensive deck without the blandness of traditional sligh.My record with this deck is 22-12-2 in tourneys.However,this deck doesn't beat control or good sligh and any variety of good black decks consistently.This is partially my fault and not the deck's, as I have consistently sideboarded heavily for control, mainly in a vain attempt to beat Azhrei and anyone else that dares to play blue .Considering the metagame present at Richmond Comix, this clearly was a mistake.

It was a great tournament, for sure.I wish the pairings could be somehow improved however.Too many of the same people playing each other.

URMage