Malaysia Nationals Championship - Magic

1st-2nd Sept i've played Magic championship in Cititel Hotel Level 5. Top 4 will represent Malaysia at New York in December 2007. Much thing is at stake especially my pride as the team leader of Manawerx PJ. One whole month practise come to an end to the real tournament. 2 days event, 12 gruelling swiss competition, only one will prevail as the Malaysia Champ!

I went 2-1 in the first 3 rounds of constructed, above my expectation since i'm fighting a solar flare deck with mulligan to 4. I hate Type 2 so i would say i'm happy with it. The next 3 rounds is booster draft with the same pod with the best players in Malaysia namely Terry Soh, Pang Ming, Michael Tan and Soon Leong from Penang. I managed to first picked Firemaw Kavu and i go blue red deck with combo reality acid, dreamstalker, 2 venser's diffussion, shaper savant. I managed to go 2-1 and lose to 2 sprout swarm G/W deck from Soon Leong. A bit frustrated but i quickly focused to next 3 rounds of draft.

Pod 3 consists of Joe Soh, Pang Ming again and Ben my teammate. I first picked Baloth over Serrated Arrows and 3rd pick Castle Raptor signalling white could be open. But a 6th pick Baloth stares at me and says please play green and u shall win. I fought Joe Soh who plays black red aggro with pyrohemia and beat him easily before facing a Penang guy with a blue-black deck with plenty of black removal in the form of dark withering, sudden death, ichor slick. Easy win too and i met my teammate Ben. He thinks a while should he give me the walk through but in the end after i beat him with my bomb deck, the answers was inevitable. 3-0

The last 3 rounds of Constructed will be crucial where any slip-up will cost me in making to my first Top 8 in Nationals. 7-2 right now i need 1 win and a draw to make it certain. I paired with Whey Whey who plays Omnichord deck with Loxodon Hierach, Shapeshifter, Mystic Snake, Blink combo and it doesn't look good. Should be a bad match-up. But a managed to pull out a draw out of my hairy ass after he mistakenly tapped out and i sacrifice my 3 lands to put Gargadon into play and swing for the win..haha! never estimate the power of 9/7 Greater Gargadon.

I lost to Edwin the next round so called my jinx and he plays Chaplin Teachings. Fought over 50 minutes before he has a better draw of hands and i anxiously waited pairings for Round 12, the decisive moment. A must win condition. Jason Yap is my opponent with dredge deck and i smile cause it's a good match-up and i won the 12th round in 15 minutes. Yeah man! I'm in Top 8 Nationals for the first time in my career; in fact i'm at 7th in overall standings.

In quarterfinals i fought Au Yong, the No. 1 player in M'sia. It's a do or die situation and i said to myself if i want to be the best i must beat the best! He's the only stumbling block right now for me to go to New York. Best of 5 rounds with unlimited time. I won the first game in 15 minutes to my surprise and we proceed to our sideboard cards. The 2nd game i drew my artifact removals for his signets but they never showed up. Instead, Magus of Tabernacle dominates my board killing my winnie 1/1 goblins and lose the 2nd game. 1-1

I approach the 3rd game carefully cause now i'm gonna face the facts Magus going to kill me if i don't draw the burn that i wanted. It turns out to be true after Magus came out again and it slows me down for combat phase and my elephant tokens (call of the herd) became no threat. Eventually i lost 1-2. Now the moment of truth came, i need to win the next match to stay in the game or Au Yong will send me packing home.

4th game turns out i got to a better start with my elephant but met with lightning helix. SHIT!!! my worst nightmare came again. Fucking Magus of Tabernacle make an appearance yet again. I tried to hang on with my creatures but a Lightning Angels equipped with a Warhammer signalling my grasp to Top 4 seems blurry. I managed to ancient grudge his Warhammer but with merely 4 life left the damage has been done and i reluctantly extended my hand indicating the game is over. New York vision no more in my eyes.

But to look at the positive side, i'm the only Malay guy who made it at Top 8 and i don't disappoint as a team leader. And forgot to mention, 7th place wins USD300. HuHu!! So i held my head up as my others teammate cheering and clapping their hands stating that i showed never say surrender attitude and fight till the end but i guess the fate is not for me to go New York. We treat ourselves at Keat's house for barbecue celebrating my Top 8 and i'm looking forward to GP Bangkok in October for another exhilarating experience in Magic.