Well, I was there and due to the fact that there were over 300 players, each player will have to face off with eight other players in order to try to proceed to the top 64 spots and come back on Sunday for the second day of competition.
Each round with an opponent consisted of three games and the results will be best of the three games. Win two and you are through. For the day, I played a mono-red deck built along the Sligh game philosophy which entails getting out small, aggressive creatures and using my direct burn spells to kill opposing creatures and then attacking with my own.
The strategy seemed to work for the first two match-ups which I basically blazed through. Man, my morale then was sky high sia! I played a roguish blue-black control with Isochron Scepter to imprint counterspells and bounce. (Forgive me, if you don't understand a bloody word of what I am typing, but you can also access www.magicthegathering.com to know more), I basically burned right through him as he got either mana screwed or he had no creatures on board.
That's the bloody Isochron Scepter
The second match was against a mono-red goblin deck of a Thai player which is the epitome of aggressiveness since the little red men just kept a-coming under the power of the Goblin Warchief which is one hell of a card (it gave goblins haste - being able to attack once they are out and made them cost less to play). I burned off the Warchief and he played a Siege-Gang Commander which was a goblin that took three other little 1/1 goblins with him. I shocked the Commander in response and Starstorm-ed for one, killing the rest of the 1/1 critters. Haha, that to me was one of my moments of memorable play since Starstorm was a card that I added in the last minute before the tournament and it will save my butt for many time after this match.
The Warchief...dangerous little thing, have to kill if you see him
The Siege-Gang Commander which is quite dangerous if you let him live as he can effectively make useless goblins into direct damage...must kill also
Starstorm - Red's only Instant speed mass kill spell
The Thai player was stunned by this turn of events and I went on to beat him 2-0, grabbing the match super quick. My gosh, I was doing too well to my expectations (I expected to lose you see, coz goblins were hard to beat, let alone beat it 2-0, even my friends were surprised).
Anyhow, the third to eighth matches, I lost straight as my red deck just cannot handle the tough decks that were all up there and I didn't have the money to buy all the essential cards which cost bombs, arms and legs.
But I will definitely try again for competitions next year and the years after since I can buy my desired cards now as I got a job. :) Tournaments are also a good way to know people. I made friends with local traders who gave me discounts for purchases, fellow players whom I can exchange pointers with as well as international players from different walks of life. I actually got to know a Dutch flight steward working for KNM who happened to be in Singapore for the two days the Grand Prix was ongoing and he came down to play.
Magic is so darn fun, Ismail should know. Maybe next year, I am gonna run a Green-White deck with Astral Slide and Eternal Witness.
Oh, for the sake of trivia, an old time Japanese player won the Singapore Grand Prix after all the battle. He was undefeated in all 8 games on the first day somemore. Gulp...
Anyhow, here's an ode to my red deck of fiery burn, which I spent 6 months in learning about its philosophy and play tactics...am gonna break it up and make a new deck with the components to compete in another tournament.
You shake my nerves and you rattle my brain
Too much of love drives a man insane
You broke my will, but what a thrill
Goodness gracious great balls of fire
{ band joins }
I laughed at love 'cause I thought it was funny
You came along and you moved me honey
I changed my mind, looking fine
Goodness gracious great balls of fire
You kissed me baby, woo.....it feels good
Hold me baby, girl just let me love you like a lover should
You're fine, so kind
I'm a tell this world that your mine mine mine mine-ine
I chew my nails and I twiddle my thumbs
I'm really nervous but it sure is fun
Come on baby, you drive me crazy
Goodness gracious great balls of fire
{ piano solo }
Well kiss me baby, woo-oooooo....it feels good
Hold me baby
I want to love you like a lover should
You're fine, so kind
I got to tell this world that your mine mine mine mine-ine
I chew my nails and I twiddle my thumbs
I'm real nervous 'cause it sure is fun
Come on baby, you drive me crazy
Goodness gracious great balls of fire
{ guitar solo }
{ piano solo }
{ guitar and piano jam }
I say goodness gracious great balls of fire...oooh...
- Jerry Lee Lewis, Great Balls of Fire
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