Hey people. Some of you may know
me some of you may not. My name is Dan
Bretherton or as some people call me Destructor
Dan. My first tournament was the Stronghold
Pre-release and I’ve been playing competitively
ever since (with a few breaks here and there).
The name Destructor came about when I was about
the only decent junior on the New Zealand magic
scene (This was Before Cole, B.C. for short).
The big boys couldn’t believe it when I smashed
them so the name Destructor was coined. Andrew
Plinston came up with it and Dave Williams kept
it going.
Before I start I’d like to add
that I have never written a tournament report
before, so bear with me. In fact I’m only
writing this one because last weekend was
possibly the best weekend I have ever had
playing Magic. It started at FLM where I managed
to go 3-0 with Ravager. While on the subject I’d
just like to say that FLM is the best thing ever
to happen to Hamilton Magic. The level of play
here has increased so much in the last year or
so. Once upon a time I was the only good junior
in Hamilton. Now we have players like Andrew
MacIntyre, Henry Gammon, Hemi Witehira and lots
of others who are getting better with every
game. There are also the slightly older guys
like Nico Johnston, Leighton Archer and Morgan
Baines (just to name a few) who have all stepped
up a level. Above them is “the old guard”
keeping things together. Players like Tony
Wooton, Dave Williams and Grant Anderson are the
foundation on which this scene has been built
on. By the way, I’m sorry if I missed any names
out there are so many players to name (Hi Gavin
J). All in all it is a very healthy scene with
old and young, boys and girls and most
importantly big turnouts.
Back to the report. So Friday
night was over and I was feeling reasonably
chuffed with a 3-0. At that point I pretty much
decided to keep the deck the same. If it ain’t
broke don’t fix it. In hindsight I would have
changed this deck quite a bit (I knew about
Furnace Dragon tech but didn’t play it) but
that’s a different story which I will talk about
later. Anyway heres what I played:
Ravager.dec
4 Ornithopter
4 Disciple of the Vault
4 Arcbound Worker
4 Arcbound Ravager
4 Frogmite
4 Myr Enforcer
4 Welding Jar
4 Skullclamp
4 Pyrite Spellbomb
4 Tooth of Chris-Goria
4 Shrapnel Blast
4 Glimmervoid
4 Darksteel Citadel
4 Great Furnace
4 Vault of Whispers
Sideboard:
4 Tree of Tales
4 Oxidise
4 Genesis Chamber
3 Stabiliser
Pretty standard BR ravager really. I decided to
go for the all out aggro version not seeing the
point in playing blue for Thoughtcast (just to
draw an extra card). I still don’t think it is
worth it unless you’re playing stuff like Aether
Spellbomb, Seething Song, Furnace Dragon and
Mana Leak. I’ll list a revised build later.
So Sunday morning I wake up still half pissed
from the night before (after multiple dreams
about Glissa). It was a friend’s 2lst and I
swore I wasn’t going to get too pissed (Good one
Dan). The 1st thought that came to my
head was Magic. Then sleep. Then Magic. And so
on until I finally dragged myself out of bed.
It also happened to be Mother’s Day. It went
something like this:
“Please make me breakfast”
Mum makes breakfast
Eat breakfast
“Happy Mother’s Day!”
Hand over gift and card
“Thanks Dan”
“Now drive me to Hamilton”
So I got there pretty early. Henboy was there
trading with his little groupies. I looked at
Henboy. Then I looked at the nice grassy lawn.
The grassy lawn looked like the better option so
I lay down. Why I was getting intimate with the
lawn people started to arrive. 54 people to be
exact. The Hamilton Regionals were just about to
begin.
Round 1 – Sebastian playing Goblin Bidding
While we were shuffling we talked a bit of shit
(like how they didn’t spell his name properly).
I was still sobering up and was actually a bit
worried about how this game would go. A loss in
Round 1 really sucks.
Game 1 I smashed him.
Game 2 I smashed him.
It was a very one-sided match. He
didn’t deal me one point of damage. My men came
out while his didn’t. Smash smash. Game over. I
felt kind of sorry for Sebastian because he
seemed like a nice guy. But then I remembered I
was 1-0 up and all my sympathy disappeared.
Matches 1-0 Games 2-0
Round 2 – Nico playing BRU
Ravager
This was going to be close. But
fun. Yes the Ravager mirror is fun people. We
talked a bit while shuffling. Shuffling is a
great time to talk. Sometimes I shuffle a bit
more just to talk a bit more. After finishing
shuffling I pulled out my monkey mask. He
crapped his pants. The game was already won.
Game 1: I play men. He plays men.
I have more men. Go to smash his face with tub
tub and a ravager. He takes it. Next turn he
attacks with a 6/6 ravager and a tub tub putting
me on 10. Double shrapnel blast. I loose.
I whine a bit and call Nico a luck sack. Side in
Trees and Oxidise.
Game 2: I go first. Get aggro draw. Next few
turns I play Frog, Frog, Tub Tub, Ravager,
Disciple, that kind of thing. He plays land. He
dies.
Game 3: Pretty much a repeat of Game 2 except I
get something stupid like 3 Disciples of the
Vault. Disciple is key in the mirror.
All I remember was this game was fun. Probably
because I won. But it seemed fun even after the
1st match. My notes are kind of
brief. But I think that’s how the games went. We
sat and talked a bit after the match. Nico was a
good sport and took the loss really well. I tell
him I’ll keep winning to keep his resistance
high and that he’ll qualify for sure.
Matches 2-0 Games 4-1
Between rounds 2 and 3 I traded a
Broodstar for a Mirrodin Players Guide. You
might think that’s stupid but the Players Guide
had the biggest picture of Glissa ever on the
front. It was so sweet… anyway I got the guide
and gave my baby a kiss. We were meant to be
together. O.K. O.K. I’ll keep the Glissa talk
to a minimum.
Round 3 – Colin playing Elves
I could hardly keep my hands off
Glissa. I was torn between playing this game or
kissing Glissa. Glissa told me Colin was playing
Elves and that I had better look out. I gave her
one last kiss and grudgingly put her down. With
a tear in my eye I began to shuffle. Colin is a
cool little dude who has the cut of doom. He
forced me to mulligan to 6. He did the cut of
doom again forcing me to mulligan to 5. I said
keep and the game began.
Game 1: He starts with Elvish
Pioneer. I only had 5 cards in hand, which made
for a really slow start. He begins to summon
multiple wirewood symbiotes along with a
wellwisher, timberwatch elf and a treetop scout.
I can’t keep up and hes gaining something like 5
life a turn. I can’t even kill his elves with
the symbiotes out. He puts me out of my misery
with a 14/14 Treetop Scout.
At this stage I wish I still had
Pyroclasm and Goblin Sharpshooter in the board.
Game 2: I go first and lay
artifact after artifact quickly summoning frogs
and tub tubs. He dies just as quickly.
Game 3: He goes first. I get a
good start and smash him around before he
stabilises with a 6/9 Forgotten Ancient. I have
a Ravager and Thopter out. Block the Ancient
with the Ravager killing both. An 11/13
Ornithopter = Game.
I breathe a sigh of relief. I
apologise to Colin for being tough on him but
that I didn’t want to reward him for bad play.
This guy shows real promise so look out for him
and his cut of doom.
Matches 3-0 Games 6-2
Round 4 – Andrew playing Tooth
and Nail
This was the match up I was most
worried about. I knew Andrew had been testing
this deck for ages and would know it inside out.
That didn’t deter me too much though as Glissa
was on my side. I look over to James White on
the other table and tell him hes next. He laughs
and says something like only if I win.
Game 1: I smash Andrew until hes
on 7 life. He plays Platinum Angel. I concede.
Game 2: I go first. I think it
went something like 1st turn Disciple
2nd turn Ravager and Frog. Sac lots
to Ravager. Win a bit later.
Game 3: I have a good hand with 0 costing stuff,
land a tub tub and a ravager. Andrew goes first
laying down a cloudpost and a chalice for 0. I
frown and draw a card. I play a land and
disciple. He lays down another post. I draw an
oxidise and play a ravager. He plays a chalice
for 2. I lay a land cast oxidise on the chalice
for 0, playing 3 0 costing artifacts. Play tub
tub for free. Then sac all my land and 0 costers
to Ravager. I win turn 4.
Andrew sucks.
Matches 4-0 Games 8-3
At this stage I was feeling pretty damn good
with a top 8 almost guaranteed. I go chill
outside for a bit and say hello to my friend the
lawn.
Round 5 – George playing Mono White
Before we start playing we talk about the
possibility of IDing. George was really keen on
the idea, as he wanted to guarantee himself an
invite. I really wanted to play but didn’t want
to kick George out of the top 8. I said even if
one of us looses that we’d probably still get in
the top 8. I also wanted to play James in the
final round. So we end up playing.
Game 1: I smash George pretty quickly. All I see
of his deck is a skullclamp and an eternal
dragon.
Game 2: He survives the initial attack and
smashes me back with an angel and a dragon.
Game 3: I attack with a big fat ravager and cast
2 shrapnel blast for the win.
George and Hamish decide to ID next round, which
meant all of us are in the Top 8. Good times.
Matches 5-0 Games 10-4
In between rounds I talk to James. He asks if
I’ve tested the mirror much. I say a little bit.
He’d obviously done lots and mentions that the
ravager mirror is the most important match up to
test in the environment but that no one seems to
test it.
Round 6 – James White playing BRU Ravager
James White is possibly the best player in New
Zealand. He has been to 2 Worlds and went with
Scott Richards to the DCI Invitational in South
Africa. Apart from that he is a really nice guy
who had lots of time for me when I was just a
junior. I have so much respect for him that it
actually felt like an honour to be playing him
in the final.
Game 1: I have to mulligan to 5 while James
keeps a hand of 7. I have skullclamp and manage
to do pretty well but in the end James wins.
In comes the sideboard.
Game 2: I get an aggro start and start to smash
James. His only real threat was a tub tub which
was quickly oxidised. He plays a Furnace Dragon
but its too late as my 2 Disciples turn sideways
for the kill.
By this stage lots of people are crowded around
us and there is that final type atmosphere.
Game 3: I get the more aggressive start and
start to smash him. He casts furnace dragon and
clears the board. The dragon starts to attack.
After a few turns I’m on 4 life when I topdeck a
shrapnel blast to kill the dragon. I stabilise
and cast a disciple and a tub tub over the next
few turns. He plays Furnace Dragon #2 and it is
all over.
You know it’s a great game when you loose yet
you still feel good. This game was tight and
enjoyable. James was playing the better deck and
deserved to win. The Furnace Dragon made all the
difference. In hindsight heres the deck I
should have played (pretty much James’ deck):
Ravager.dec
4
Disciple of the Vault
4 Arcbound Worker
4 Arcbound Ravager
4 Frogmite
4 Myr Enforcer
2 Chromatic Spheres
4 Skullclamp
4 Pyrite Spellbomb
4 Aether Spellbomb
4 Thoughtcast
4 Shrapnel Blast
2 Darksteel Citadel
4 Glimmervoid
4 Seat of the Synod
4
Great Furnace
4 Vault of Whispers
Sideboard:
4 Mana Leak
4 Sulfuric Vortex
4 Seething Song
3 Furnace Dragon
James was nice enough to drop after kicking my
ass leaving me in 1st place and the
rest of the Top 8 was as follows:
2. George Zhang - MWC
3. Josh Tutaki - Burn
4. Hamish Reeve - MWC
5. Andrew MacIntyre – Tooth and Nail
6. Nico Johnston - Ravager
7. Kirk Allen – Goblin Bidding
8. Nigel Lee – GW Control
It was a truly awesome weekend
thanks to Dave Williams and his team from
running it and congratulations to the other guys
who qualified. Lets kick some ass at the
Nationals!
Destructor Dan
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