http://themanadrain.com/ew2017
This one's ... a bit different from the sort of stuff I usually post on TMD, so it felt like I should treat it a little differently than I would a more traditional tournament report.
There's not a ton of magic strategy in here, but I think there should be something for most vintage players. It took a little bit out of me to get this finished, I hope you like it.
Nice post, Andy. Sounds a lot like what mine would've sounded like if I'd remembered to write it.
I nod and shrug, "You got me!" It's easier than explaining to my opponent that sometimes I just throw away games and I'm not entirely sure why. He played the game well, there's no reason for me to make a fuss about it.
Are you me?
Oh my god that was GREAT. Considering I know the rest of the teammates on the Serious Crew, it made it even better because I could visualize exactly what everyones state was all weekend.
It was wierd being refered to as 'Mike'.
Nice write-up!
Did you ever test lightning bolt in your list? It was better than acceptable as removal to me, and i played 2. It's fine winning with the Pyro, Kess, or Chandra in a control deck but i also found myself in a few games where i untapped with Kess and 'bolted' the opponent for 9.
Did you have any really backbreaking insane or unusual plays with Kess's ability? I had some really fun ones but i don't want to humble brag on your post. I just love Kess, heh.
Jimmy had a box of Vintage Champs decks? That sounds awesome. I wish I had known; I would have tried to get in on that action.
It was a pleasure to read you.
As I meet a lot of assholes in Eternal WeekEnd Europe, it's a pleasure to see there are still decent and kind magic players. I don't know what you are looking like, just hope we could play some games if you happen to come in France for EWE 2018.
Great read; kind of nice it is a few months later; memories come back. I was staying in the room you guys "yangtimed" to death; I remember finding the partial bottle of Ardbeg in the evening....
@sovarius said in Brass Man's Eternal Weekend 2017 Report:
Nice write-up!
Thanks!
Did you ever test lightning bolt in your list? It was better than acceptable as removal to me, and i played 2. It's fine winning with the Pyro, Kess, or Chandra in a control deck but i also found myself in a few games where i untapped with Kess and 'bolted' the opponent for 9.
I considered it but didn't test it. It seems pretty reasonable to me. I think Abrade is better against the field, and Shattering Spree (with my 4 Volc/2 Mountain manabase) was better against shops, and those were the spots it was fighting with. Still, I don't hate it.
Did you have any really backbreaking insane or unusual plays with Kess's ability? I had some really fun ones but i don't want to humble brag on your post. I just love Kess, heh.
Kess has been a ton of fun. I built my list to support value plays rather than big combo turns, though I did get to pull off the Demonic Tutor->Time Walk->Time Walk->Demonic Tutor->Ancestral->Ancestral chain at least once ... (though I believe my opponent scooped well before it all resolved). When building the deck I had a lot of plays that I had considered building around and opted not to. My favorite?
Ultimately I though I could get more mileage out of using it more like a Planeswalker than a combo engine (and I still think that), but there is a LOT more to this card than people seem to realize.
Great read. The way you handled the situation with the nervous player during the feature match reminded me of a similar experience I had.
Wouldn't be surprised if you don't remember the event, but I played against you once in the finals of one of the GP Samite vintage events on the north shore. It must have been around 2005. I bring this up because in the first game of the match, I accidentally drew 8 cards and had to take a forced mulligan. I was visibly tough on myself about making such a careless mistake, and was clearly nervous (it was the first time I'd been in the finals of a vintage event, and an Ancestral was on the line). You made an effort to allay my anxiety and frustration. I then proceeded to start with Mox, Orchard, Oath with Force backup in both games. You were equally classy about losing to those absurd starts from a total scrub. Just wanted to say that the way you have handled these situations is appreciated and has surely benefitted the community.
@senor_bisquick thanks!
I'm definitely not always the classy guy when it comes to MtG, so writing/reading stuff like this is a good reminder to myself about how important that stuff is.
This is a great report and I thank you for taking the time to write it, edit it, and offer it to us. I loved the style, the transitions and it was a fun read. Even better, it equally conjures the atmosphere of a EW for a veteran and someone who has never been to one before. Great read!
P.S. I especially liked the insights into your thoughts ("does this player know me?" "Is having Kess be my only foil suspicious?", etc). Really added a lot to the story.
@Brass-Man in reference to the Hurkyl’s Recall ownership play. Anyway, from a personal perspective I like for my players to call me out on my mistakes. I obviously don’t speak for everyone, but I feel if an opponent lets me make the mistake, I’m more likely to learn from said mistake. I don’t like taking things back in a tournament setting. We’ve all made mistakes, so I think it was a good learning opportunity for your opponent.
After all, I am pretty awesome at making a lot of boneheaded mistakes. One might say exceptionally good.
Obviously he might think differently and curses you before going to bed and plots his revenge.
Awesome report.
Thing that stood out the most: strong sense of melancholy - which is somehow what I often feel with Magic too.
Great report - thanks @Brass-Man . As @mugginsman said, it was kinda nice getting this a few months after the fact, really brought me back to EW.
@Brass-Man great report, would love to get together with team serious one day for a few drinks but unfortunately im just a casual vintage player and not ready for anything more than an occasional local vintage FNM where I usually lose. Maybe I'll swing by the next NYSE and say hello since I'm on LI. Keep up the good work!
@mcfreiz By what you said, while I'm not on Team Serious 
, it sounds like you're more on their wave length then not. It's not about being great at vintage. 
*Edit: Now it sounds like I said you're a bad player. Haha Totally not what I meant... walking away now.
Great report, Andy. Reminded me of some of the old TMD.
Thanks for sharing your experience.
@mcfreiz are you in ohio or nearby? Come to the next tso, I think it is Sandusky!
