Following the Dragon's Maze to the League Finals,or If I only Had a Brain!

"Although extraordinary valor was displayed by the entire corps of Spartans and Thespians, yet bravest of all was declared the Spartan Dienekes. It is said that on the eve of battle, he was told by a native of Trachis that the Persian archers were so numerous that, when they fired their volleys, the mass of arrows blocked out the sun. Dienekes, however, quite undaunted by this prospect, remarked with a laugh, 'Good. Then we'll have our battle in the shade.' " - Herodotus, The Histories

 

If you know me, you know I love history, especially accounts of the world's great military leaders and conflicts throughout the ages.  Nothing is more to my heart than the last stand of the 300 Spartans at Thermopylae nearly 2,500 years ago.  They are an appropriate side bar to a recounting of the Dragon's Maze Pre-Release and Gatecrash League final 4.

 

"Molon Labe!" (Come and get them!) - King Leonidas

 

Attendance for the Dragon's Maze Pre-Release were sparse.  Competition from other locations with midnight tournaments have caused many early tournaments to have lower turnouts.  Still, that didn't prevent those that came from having a blast.

 

 

I didn't do very well, my best placing was 2d on Sunday afternoon.  I had chosen Boros combinations for my first two tournaments, and on Saturday I got paired with Azourius.  That failed.  Sunday afternoon I got paired with Gruul, that faired better.  Sunday night I got my dream brew of Rakdos and Boros and it failed as well.  Saturday's tournament was won by Leo Walters IV (Way to go Leo!), playing a nasty Gruul build.  Sunday's early tournament was won by Rich Bourque and our Sunday evening tournament went to Steve Winz.  Congrats to all that played and thank you to all that attended. 

 

The semi finals of the Gatecrash League saw Mark Jr facing Courtney and Joanne facing me. Mark Jr. vs. Courtney was over a cup of espresso.  Well, not so literally.  The match apparently took less time to play than it would to drink a shot of coffee.  Mark was crushed by the Boros onslaught by turn 4 or 5 each game.

 

"Either With it or on it." - Queeen Gorgo, note written upon King Leonidas's shield ticket.  

 

I played Joanne.  Her Simic deck had been rolling all league long.  It was the one of 2 decks that actually defeated me in the league itself. I was honestly more afraid of Joanne's deck than Courtney's.  The deck catapulted Joanne into her first ever FINALS.  Yes, it was a league, but it was a FINALS.  To win something.  The deck was fine.  It wasn't broke. It didn't need fixing. Not to mention Mark Jr. had just helped her build one hell of a deck in her Simic colors.

 

Imagine my surprise when I sat down and saw a mountain hit the table for her first land.  And this was Boros.  There was absolutely no competition. Her deck was horribly put together and I noted it really had no tempo.  Two quick matches and Joanne was done.  Both games she had mana issues and zero synergy with her deck. 

 

Now, I have some criticism about this match and I DO NOT apologize ahead of time if anyone doesn't like what I have to say.  Who dropped Joanne's ball?  The cooks in the kitchen did.  I do not mind that people have helped Joanne design her decks.  If she is learning from what they build for her and she understands the WHY's and HOW's of the deck, that's fine.  But how do I put this?  Please allow me to use this analogy:

 

After a teenager has learned to drive an automatic sub compact car, what business does ANYONE have telling the kid they should drive a tractor trailer.  ON A HIGHWAY.  During Rush Hour. With an Ambulance behind you. 

 

That's what people did to Joanne when they learned she pulled a third Boros Reckoner in our packs for the finals.  And told her to change her deck but left her responsible for the build.  

 

You literally threw a raw meat to a wolf.

 

Yes, Joanne pulled 3 Boros Reckoners during league.  Yes, she had a multitude of Boros cards at her disposal.  Yes, in constructed she does play a similar deck, a deck that was built using input from Lilac House regulars.   But to enforce that she build a deck on her own after coddling her isn't fair to Joanne.  SHE DIDN'T EVEN PUT ALL 3 RECKONERS IN THE DECK!!!  Wasn't that the point of changing her color scheme?  AND SHE RAN 15 LAND!!!  What are you people teaching her?  Gods!  In one breath I'm so excited that both she and Courtney made the finals.  In another I want to shake someone for causing another person's demise. 

 

What were you people thinking?  I believe Joanne had a legitimate chance to win the League if she hadn't been "advised" (I use that term loosely) to change her color scheme.  If she came up with the idea on her own, shame on her advisors for not telling her to stick with Simic.  This ranks up there with some of the greatest blunders in the history of Magic at Lilac House.  I certainly hope Joanne has learned something from this.

 

"Tonight we dine in Hades" - King Leonidas

 

Courtney and I met in the fun and glaring window sun of CiCi's.  To insure that Courtney won, I brought my wife, THE COOLER, with me.  Yeah, I said that.  Mrs. Bourque whooped me in 2 successive games like I had gone out back to get the switch, myself.  Here was her build.  She pulled the Aurelia in her packs for the finals: 

Act of Treason
Aurelia, the Warleader
Boros Charm x2
Boros Elite
Court Street Denizen
Firemane Angel
Foundry Champion
Gift of Orzhova
Homing Lightning
Madcap Skills
Martial Glory
Mugging
Skyknight Legionnaire x4
Sunhome Guildmage x2
Truefire Paladin
Warmind Infantry

 

Mountain x8
Plains x6
Boros Guildgate x2 

(Editor's note:  There is a count discrepancy.  Soon as Rich notices this I will annotate the entry) 

The first was over quick; in the second I had her on the ropes after a long game that saw me mana starved for double white and unable to cast my Aurelia for the win, instead I was forced to cast a Foundry Champion, which Courtney promptly stole on her turn with an Act of Treason to seal the deal.  Courtney brings home the clock. 

"Go tell the Spartans, stranger passing by,
that here, obedient to their laws, we lie" - inscription at monument in Thermopylae 

I regret I won't have much time to accommodate this blog or even Magic going into the future.  A new door has opened for me, of which this blog is partially responsible; yet an unfortunate side effect of it will be me not having much casual free time anymore.  Future entries in this will be less and less Lilac House-centric as my new venture will prevent me from being secularized in how I write.  You may note that the name of the blog has changed to reflect that.  I pass the torch on to who wishes to grab it.  The new players at Lilac will still need a voice to guide them. 

Until the next time I shout something about being INFAMOUS . . .

 

PEACE!