Does the name Michael Sewell ring a bell for anyone? I interviewed him at Pro Circuit San Francisco, back when he had yet to make any sort of real impact at the Pro Circuit level. Michael received some previous fame as the creator of a Witching Hour deck that turned a few heads at a $10K, and he made his return in hopes of piloting his version of the discard deck to victory. But PC: San Francisco wasn’t his chance to shine, as he barely missed the cut for Day 2.
Well, Michael has definitely made an impact now. After a 9-1 record with a deck that is just different enough to surpass all the other contenders, Michael is aiming for a Pro Circuit Top 8 finish. This weekend is certainly his best chance to reach that pinnacle.
What have you done between now and Pro Circuit San Francisco to improve your game so much?
“Lots of playtesting. It definitely helps to start playtesting more than just a week before. We were looking at this [format] like right before the flight got back home from San Francisco.”
Who playtested with you?
“Donald Noland, Billy P., Christian Valenti, and many others. I also got some special Draft expertise from fellow Nashville native ‘The’ Doug Tice.”
What did you guys come up with to play in this Pro Circuit?
“Good Guys with the Fate Artifacts and a nice splash of Removed from Continuity. On turn 4 you swing in to stun the opponent’s 4-drop and then hit it with Removed from Continuity. Against most decks it’s a crippling blow.”
What do you think your chances are at making Top 8 after being in first place after Day 1?
“I feel confident in myself. I’ve drafted this set quite a bit, and as I said before, with a draft-testing partner like ‘The’ Doug Tice, where can I go wrong? Of course, I do want a little help from Lady Luck as well. You can’t win them all on skill, so luck will have to be there too.”
What decks do you think will make the Top 8?
“I think the Top 8 will consist of a couple of Good Guys, maybe some Checkmate, and of course some of TDC’s Shadowpact.”
What’s your Draft strategy for today?
“I really don’t have a Draft strategy. I guess I just want to analyze the packs and pick whatever looks like the best card and just hope to get a second card that matches well and go from there. When you’re drafting with the best in the world, you have to realize that they’re picking the best cards out of those packs. It’ll come down to the luck of the packs for me.”
In closing, Michael wanted to add that if he can accomplish the feat that he did, then anyone can. “I definitely have to say that having fun is the most important thing here today, and if I do that, then I can’t go wrong.”