Pro Circuit Atlanta is fast-approaching. As you read this, it will be just a few days away! And with it comes the most balanced and exciting Modern Age yet.
Our first Marvel Modern Age was in PC Amsterdam back in early 2005. It ended with Adam Horvath taking down Mike Dalton in his first and only PC Day 3. Dalton has since made two more PC Top 8s, though he’s never returned to the finals.
This year, Dalton and Horvath are ready to go! They’re both on teams that are rich with strong PC performances, and there are other teams chomping at the bit as well. Let’s take a look at the teams we’ll see at the PC.
TEAM SKIPPED HEARTBEAT
I broke the news on this team’s existence on Star City a couple of weeks ago in an interview with Josh Wiitanen, who called them “Team Barnoculars.” Rian Fike has referred to them as “Team Skipped Heartbeat,” coined from the same interview. Me, I call them “Team Shellshock,” as that’s what will likely happen to any opponent when faced with one of their members. This team reminds me of Marvel’s Hydra—chop off one arm, and two more will grow in its place. Except Hydra always got stomped by SHIELD, and this team is not likely to get stomped any time soon, with their two PC wins, ten PC Top 8s, ten $10K wins, and an astounding thirty $10K Top 8s between them.
Here is the team, in alphabetical order:
Heath Baker: Ranked 275th in Constructed
Adam Bernstein: 45th in Sealed Pack
Winner – PC New York, 2005
Winner – $10K Wizard World Texas, 2005
Tillman Bragg: 7th in Sealed Pack
Top 4 - $10K Wizard World Texas, 2005
Top 8 - $10K Charlotte, 2005
Top 8 - $10K New York, 2005
Second Place - $10K Los Angeles, 2006
Adam Fears: 27th in Constructed, 62nd in Sealed Pack
Jason Hager: 41st in Constructed, 61st in Sealed Pack
Second Place – PC New York, 2005
Winner – $10K Charlotte, 2005
Second Place – $10K Columbus, 2005
Top 8 – $10K Origins, 2005
Karl Horn: 52nd in Constructed, 29th in Sealed Pack
Winner – PC Los Angeles, 2005
Michael Jacob: 2nd in Constructed, 7th in Sealed Pack
Top 8 – PC Indy, 2005
Winner - $10K Orlando, 2005
Winner - $10K Toronto, 2005
Winner - $10K Chicago, 2005
Top 8 - $10K Origins, 2004
Anthony Justice: 40th in Constructed
Second Place - $10K Origins, 2005
Second Place - $10K Atlanta/Dragon Con, 2004
Top 8 - $10K Origins, 2004
Nick Little: 70th in Constructed, 17th in Sealed Pack
Top 4 – PC Indy, 2004
Winner - $10K Origins, 2005
Top 4 - $10K Wizard World Texas, 2005
Matt Oldaker: 99th in Constructed, 46th in Sealed Pack
Top 8 - $10K Gen Con SoCal, 2004 (DC)
Adam Prosak: 9th in Constructed, 104th in Sealed Pack
Top 8 – PC Amsterdam, 2005
Winner - $10K Atlanta, 2005
Winner - $10K San Diego, 2005
Top 4 - $10K Orlando, 2005
Top 4 - $10K Detroit, 2005
Top 4 - $10K Wizard World Los Angeles, 2005
Second Place - $10K Las Vegas, 2005
Top 4 – $10K San Diego Comic Con, 2004
Neil Reeves: 58th in Constructed, 10th in Sealed Pack
Top 8 – PC LA, 2005
Top 4 – PC Indy, 2004
Top 8 - $10K Wizard World Texas, 2005
Dave Spears: 119th in Constructed, 31st in Sealed Pack
Top 8 – PC Los Angeles, 2005
Top 8 – PC Indy, 2005
Second Place - $10K Toronto, 2005
Top 4 - $10K Chicago, 2005
Second Place - $10K Wizard World Texas, 2004
Top 4 - $10K Atlanta/Dragon Con, 2004
Doug Tice: 38th in Constructed, 138th in Sealed Pack
Winner - $10K New York, 2005
Second Place - $10K Charlotte, 2005
Winner - $10K Los Angeles, 2006
Gabe Walls: 97th in Constructed, 93rd in Sealed Pack
Top 8 – PC Indy, 2004
Winner - $10K Columbus, 2005
Top 8 - $10K Origins, 2004
Josh Wiitanen: 4th in Constructed, 47th in Sealed Pack
Top 8 – PC LA, 2005
Winner - $10K San Francisco, 2006
Second Place - $10K Orlando, 2005
Top 8 - $10K Chicago, 2005
Second Place - $10K Wizard World Los Angeles, 2005
Top 4 - $10K Las Vegas, 2005
Top 4 - $10K Wizard World Texas, 2004
Top 8 - $10K San Diego Comic Con, 2004
So, how did this team form? It was essentially a Borg-like assimilation of several pre-existing teams. As Michael Jacob tells it, “It was originally me, Dave [Spears], [Adam] Prosak, and Josh [Wiitanen], I think. We just decided at LA. Dave left FTN and wanted a new team. He said he wanted all his friends on it, so we were all in on it. He wanted a different atmosphere than FTN.”
Nick Little had always been a part of a testing group with Neil Reeves and Gabe Walls. As he tells it, he began working with Doug Tice and then the Hong Kong Cavaliers from West Virginia. “Well, for Indy [2005] we were working with Doug [Tice]. For LA [2005], I worked with West Virginia, and Gabe didn’t go. I shipped Neil a Common Enemy list because we always work together. And Doug, Tillman [Bragg], and I were sharing some things, but they were on a different team, so it was complicated.”
So, to ease the complication, Dave Spears rallied everyone together. “Dave was talking about starting a team, and Dave and I are really good friends, so I was interested,” Nick went on. “Dave really wanted to work with Doug Tice, and Doug and I have been working together in one way or another since he started playing Vs. [System]. Doug and Neil have been friends for years. I wanted to keep working with the West Virginia-ers, so I had to clear them for the team, and it was on. Dave brought the whole thing together.”
Dave approached it in his typically hilarious way. “I have made a lot of good friends on the Pro Circuit. This game is great, but ultimately I just want to have as much fun as I possibly can. Part of the fun is being able to play and test with those friends. I basically thought about who I had the most fun with while playing and somehow talked them all into joining forces to entertain me.”
But one thing that aligns this team together, aside from being fun-loving friends, is that they are all very serious players when it comes down to the nitty-gritty, and their outstanding record reflects that. While it isn’t likely that each member of such a big team would play the same deck come PC time, they are invaluable testing partners. They are able to balance the ego of their individual performance records with the humility to recognize that any one of these players’ constructive criticisms will go a long way. As Jacob puts it, “I test online almost every day with someone, and I can talk serious with them. They can hold a conversation and discuss [the] right plays and I can ask if X is better than X, etc. I haven't ever been able to do this before.” Adam Prosak added, “We've had our issues bringing all the people together, but I’m pretty sure we're all on the same page at this point, and we'll be ready to go by the PC. I can almost guarantee you that everyone on the team won't be playing the same deck, but we'll all have decks we're personally comfortable with. It’s been nice testing with so many people that have so much to add.”
And that is an important factor for what Adam Prosak referred to as one of the toughest PCs and formats to date. “I have been testing infinite for this one—more so than [for] any other PC,” he said.
THE PREDICTIONS TO MAKE DAY 3:
Michael Jacob: “Neil [Reeves] will probably make Top 8; he is always competent. [Also] Dave Spears. Gotta add [Adam] Prosak and Josh [Wiitanen], because they are way better—but Dave is luckier.”
Nick Little: “Gabe [Walls], Neil [Reeves], Anthony Justice, Mike Jacob, [Jason] Hager. Probably Alex Brown is the best non-teammate, or maybe [Michael] Dalton—he is on a roll.”
Adam Prosak: “In no order: Alex Brown, Doug Tice, Josh Wiitanen, Anthony Justice, and Mike Jacob. Spears and Dalton have already Top 8’ed too many PCs!”
Dave Spears: “Mike Dalton, Adam Prosak, Neil Reeves, Alex Brown, Doug Tice.”
FINAL WORDS: Dave Spears, on respecting other players:
“I think you should never underestimate anyone you’re facing . . . but you can't psyche yourself right out of the game by giving too much respect. I am sure a lot of people lose because they ‘respect’ Dalton or [David] Leader too much. ‘Ah man, I am paired up against Mike Dalton.’ I hear that all the time at the pairings board. Hell, I have probably said it too. But you can't be intimidated by your opponent and expect to win. Just don't take anyone for granted. But still believe you have the edge, because your deck is better and your preparation was more complete and you understand the matchup better. Of course, it helps if all these things are true . . .”
TEAM FTN
Before Skipped Heartbeat, there was FTN. With a team as big as Skipped Heartbeat, a small team like FTN could outlast them. Without Nick Little and Dave Spears, they probably won’t outwit Skipped Heartbeat, but outplay? That’s entirely possible.
In the “off-season,” FTN lost one of their top players, Jason Dawson, to Team Decktech. They picked up Ryan Jones and Vidi Wijaya to replace him, and a PC win and countless Top 8 appearances are never bad things to add to one’s team.
FTN is looking mighty strong. Alex Tennet is playing and gunning for yet another money win—he’s moneyed in every PC he’s played in—and Michael Dalton is aiming to finally stop losing on Day 3 and take home the title he’s been clawing and scratching at. With two PC wins, seven PC Top 8s, four $10K wins, and fifteen $10K Top 8s, team FTN is knocking on the Day 3 door, and they are due for some more PC success! If you count their successes per player, they’re easily on par with, if not slightly better than, Skipped Heartbeat.
Meet the players:
Chuck Bell: 119th in Constructed, 214th in Sealed Pack
Winner - $10K Gen Con Indy, 2005
Kim Caton: 81st in Sealed Pack
Top 8 - $10K New York, 2005
Mike Dalton: 5th in Constructed, 1st in Sealed Pack
Top 4 – PC LA, 2005
Top 8 – PC Indy, 2005
Second Place – PC Amsterdam, 2005
Winner - $10K GenCon SoCal, 2004 (Marvel)
Top 4 - $10K New York, 2005
Milton Figueroa: 85th in Constructed, 48th in Sealed Pack
Top 4 - $10K Orlando, 2005
Steve “Snuffie” Horowitz: 138th in Constructed, 194th in Sealed Pack
Top 8 – PC Indy, 2004
Top 8 - $10K GenCon Indy, 2005
Ryan Jones: 22nd in Constructed, 12th in Sealed Pack
Winner – PC LA, 2004
Top 8 – PC New York, 2005
Top 8 - $10K Wizard World Texas, 2005
Top 8 - $10K San Diego, 2005
Top 8 - $10K Los Angeles, 2005
David Leader: 64th in Constructed, 4th in Sealed Pack
Winner – PC Indy, 2005
Top 8 - $10K Atlanta, 2005
Chris Price: 391st in Constructed
Peter Sundholm
Winner - $10K Seattle, 2005
Top 8 - $10K New York, 2005
Alex Tennet: 16th in Constructed
Winner - $10K Gen Con SoCal, 2004
Top 4 - $10K Columbus, 2005
Vidi Wijaya: 13th in Constructed, 18th in Sealed Pack
Top 8 – PC New York, 2005
Top 4 – PC LA, 2004
Second Place – $10K Wizard World Texas, 2005
Top 8 - $10K Detroit, 2005
Top 4 - $10K Seattle, 2005
Top 8 - $10K Los Angeles, 2005
Top 8 - $10K Las Vegas, 2005
It didn’t take long for Vidi Wijaya and Ryan Jones to find a new home in a post-Realmworx world. As Vidi explains, “Well, one day, after getting information that Realms was gonna get disbanded, Jonesy was like, ‘So, I'm gonna join FTN, do you want to join?’ It was really random and out of nowhere. So I thought he was joking, and I was like, ‘Yes.’ After that I got invited into their chat and that's basically what happened.” It was no joke, though, and the FTN members were thrilled at not only getting a PC champion, but also the best throw-in imaginable: a five-time $10K Top 8 and two-time PC Top 8 player.
And Mike Dalton couldn’t be happier to have them, especially with the unfortunate loss of Jason Dawson. “Jason is a great player so it's definitely a loss, but FTN has had other losses and we seem to keep rolling along. The core of the team is still intact, and adding Ryan and Vidi is obviously a huge plus. I don't think we'll really see any sort of decline.” Kim Caton agrees, saying, “It's losing one great player and picking up two . . . it makes us stronger. When Jonesy made the move to the team, it seemed natural that Vidi would come as well, since the two of them always work together, and we were happy to have both of them on board.”
One thing they all agree on is that the testing for this PC is fierce. According to Mike Dalton, “We have been testing a lot. Definitely the most I've tested for any PC. Seems like a very balanced format, which is causing a lot of mixed results.” Kim added, “I think it's much harder than previous formats, since there is so much to try and take into account. As far as whether I like it, ask me after Day 3!”
Dalton mentioned that the team is finalizing their deck, which looks to be strong. “We're still working on things. The benefit of testing so much is that we have a lot of good decks. It's really just a matter of finding the one that we like the best. We may play different things in the end because certain decks suit certain players better.” Kim added, “The short time between the release [of the X-Men set] and the PC, and also the fact that the two sets are so balanced, means that there are a lot more options than in previous Modern formats—all of which, of course, need to be tested.”
Vidi mentioned that the drafting shouldn’t be ignored. “As usual, Draft is really important, as we can see from the example in the last PC (sorry Aaron!). But, to be honest, I think I’ve forgotten how to draft JLA, since I've only been doing X-Men drafts to get new cards and prepare for the $10K in LA [last] weekend.”
All in all, it looks like a strong FTN is moving toward the PC, all of them a threat to make Day 3, especially with quality drafters on the team like Dalton, David Leader, Ryan Jones, and Vidi (when he can remember how!).
THE PREDICTIONS TO MAKE DAY 3:
Vidi Wijaya: “I dunno. I'm hoping that all are from our team!”
Kim Caton: “Alex [Tennet], of course. I'd be dumb not to say Dalton. He seems to Top 8 everything. I'm gonna say TJ [Holman] because he's due. And two guys from the über-team . . . say . . . [Adam] Bernstein and [Adam] Prosak.”
Mike Dalton: “These things are like impossible to predict, but I guess if I have to . . . Milton Figueroa, Vidi Wijaya, Adam Prosak, Alex Brown, and Justin Desai.”
FINAL WORDS: Mike Dalton puts it into perspective!
“I've enjoyed all the Modern Ages. I think it'll be very exciting; I'm sure some people will have some crazy decks ready. I can't wait to see what they made!”
TEAM TOGIT
They were known as “the only game in town.” Then, Antonino DeRosa defected to UDE, and Osyp Lebedowicz opted for a change of pace and started testing with Ryan Lockard, Dan Bridy, and various other pros. That left Adam Horvath, Eugene Harvey, and Anand Khare to pick up the pieces and keep the TOGIT fires burning. With DeRosa’s departure, the team lost two PC Top 4s, a $10K Top 4, and a $10K Top 8. That still leaves a PC win, a PC Top 8, a $10K finalist, and a $10K Top 8, but nothing else notable for months. Still, their ratings are formidable, and they’ve been testing and playing. It’s impossible to say how they’ll hold up, but Adam Horvath is the reigning Marvel Modern Age PC champion!
Team TOGIT is:
Eugene Harvey: 91st in Constructed, 103rd in Sealed Pack
Top 8 – PC LA, 2004
Adam Horvath: 22nd in Sealed Pack
Winner – PC Amsterdam, 2005
Second Place – $10K New York, 2005
Anand Khare: 138th in Sealed Pack
Top 4 – $10K New Jersey, 2005
So, how devastating was the loss of Antonino? Apparently, not as devastating as one might think. Adam Horvath says, “Losing Antonino to Upper Deck R&D was unfortunate, but not cataclysmic. The three of us are putting in much more time testing than we did for the previous Pro Circuit, and hopefully that investment will pay off. As for working with other teams and players for future tournaments . . . only time will tell.” Anand Khare adds, “He was the best and the most enthusiastic player out of all of us. TOGIT, the people in it, generally are friends and test together for most things.” And for this PC, that means three successful card players testing in Anand’s Lawrenceville, New Jersey apartment.
And testing is integral to success on the PC level. Adam says, “It's very important to play as many different decks as possible when you're testing. With the way the [Vs. System] game engine works, decks are always designed, ideally, to function in the exact same way every game. Understanding every deck's strategy, the cards that are important to its play, is critical.” Anand adds that he feels there will be no surprises in this format. “I think that by the time the tournament starts, I will be familiar with every archetype. There will be no surprising decks.”
THE PREDICTIONS TO MAKE DAY 3:
Anand Khare: “Eugene Harvey, Adam Horvath, Mike Dalton, Josh Wiitanen, Dave Spears.”
Adam Horvath: “No idea. Except maybe Eugene Harvey. He didn't even pick up a Vs. card prior to the previous tournament, then he just borrowed a Doom deck the day of and nearly made Top 8. Maybe he won't be so unlucky this time.”
FINAL WORDS: Adam Horvath on winning the PC:
“Of course winning a tournament works in my favor. People are more disposed to make mistakes when they feel they are matched against an opponent who is better than them. I'm not relying on that fact in any way, but I know it's there.”
TEAM DECKTECH A.K.A. THE CULPER RING
Call them the clowns of Vs. Decktech has a rep for not taking the game seriously and just enjoying their time at any PC, no matter the results. Enter Jason Dawson. Jason left FTN for Decktech’s open arms, which not only brings prestige to a team that was always just on the edge of great success, but it also might cause Jason Dawson to add a smile to his usually grim visage!
Here they are:
Steve Baroni
Jonathan Brown: 235th in Constructed, 39th in Sealed Pack
Jason Dawson: 2nd in Constructed, 371st in Sealed Pack
Second Place - PC Indy, 2005
Top 4 - $10K Wizard World East, 2004
Justin Desai: 124th in Constructed, 359th in Sealed Pack
Mike French: 174th in Sealed Pack
Mike Gemme: 115th in Sealed Pack
Clint Hays: 164th in Sealed Pack
TJ Holman: 60th in Constructed
According to TJ Holman, “Right now, we are not really representing Decktech the way a team that reps them should.” That could be taken to mean several things, so I shall leave it to your imagination. Still, one thing is certain—TJ Holman is proud to serve under the Decktech banner, and he feels that it takes more success than they’ve had to do that name proud. This is where Jason Dawson comes in. If anyone can bring success and prestige to this team, it’s him. One still gets the feeling that it will take a little time for him to get used to being on a new team, as he laughingly said, “Decktech has some cool cats. They have some talented players, I have no doubt TJ will see a Top 8 in the near future. I guess that should be we have some talented players!”
He is clearly happy to be with some fresh faces, and I get the feeling there was a little tension between him and FTN, even though the departure was amicable. He credits his leaving to “Money issues. Don’t do splits. Money is the worst thing to put between friends.”
Holman takes umbrage at anyone who gripes about Dawson’s decision. “A lot of people are talking [badly about] Dawson, and these are people that are close, close friends of mine. I can't find any reason to think Dawson did anything wrong in his own right.”
Holman has put a fresh spin on Decktech as well, giving them a new team name, The Culper Ring, which, as he tells me, “has an underground comic reference as well as American history.”
And whatever they end up calling themselves at the PC, they’re testing like mad to make sure their names are right up at the top of the leader board come Day 3. “We are down to two decks,” says Dawson. “I am sure we will have players playing both. The format is crazy fast. Turn 6 is the late game.”
THE PREDICTIONS TO MAKE DAY 3:
Jason Dawson: “Vidi [Wijaya], [Alex] Tennet, [Adam] Prosak, TJ [Holman], [Sammy] Gilly.”
TJ Holman: “Jason Dawson, Jonathan Brown, Neil Reeves, Kim Caton, Alex Tennet, and Peter Sundholm. Vidi or [Alex] Gellerman or Jonesy. [Ryan Jones] is the wild card.”
TEAM ALTERNATE WIN CONDITION (TAWC)
The crazy Floridians are at it again! The team that features some of the greatest nicknames in this game (Aqualad, Big Spooky, Inked Lawyer) is going all-out in their testing. They are likely to pull off another stunt at this PC, much like they did in New York last year with Michael Barnes surging to the Top 8—with a Xavier’s Dream deck, of all things!
While I never caught Matt Meyer or Michael Barnes to get some direct quotes for this article, I do know that this team is a threat in any and every tournament. They always seem to be in the running, their names always up near the top of the leader board, and frankly, it astonishes me that more attention has not been paid to this team. They have been competitive from day one, and the team has been solid together for a long time now. Just look how many of them are in the Top 100, and in both categories, right down to Tim Batow being 7th in the world in Constructed.
Put the spotlight on this team and get them some feature matches, because while they may not be so familiar to you now, they’re going to be very familiar to you before too long!
Michael “Big Spooky” Barnes: 69th in Constructed, 144th in Sealed Pack
Top 4 - PC New York, 2005
Tim “Aqualad” Batow: 7th in Constructed, 90th in Sealed Pack
Winner - $10K Las Vegas, 2005
Top 8 - $10K Chicago, 2005
Second Place - $10K Gen Con SoCal, 2004 (DC)
Jeremy “The Kingpin” Blair: 67th in Constructed
John “Scarlet Spider” Hall: 290th in Sealed Pack
Top 8 - $10K Wizard World Texas, 2005
Justin “Hoss” Hostutler
Matt “Recon” Meyer: 91st in Constructed, 89th in Sealed Pack
John Tatta: 134th in Constructed, 69th in Sealed Pack
Shane “Inked Lawyer” Wiggins
Top 8 - $10K Chicago, 2005
TEAM ATTAQC
You may have seen my profile of Team AttaQC at PC Indy last summer, when Benoit Chaurrette led the team by making Day 2 and moneying in a 66th place finish. While he was doing that, Max Bouchard was making the Top 4 in the $10K. Then they invaded the Toronto $10K, placing all five attending members (Benoit couldn’t make that one) into the Top 24 of that Sealed $10K, and three in the Top 8. Benoit was the only one to make PC LA, missing Day 2 by one win, but all six will be in Atlanta, where they hope to break out and force everyone to take notice.
Paul Bernard: 134th in Constructed, 315th in Sealed Pack
Top 8 - $10K Toronto, 2005
Maximilien “Max” Bouchard: 90th in Constructed, 119th in Sealed Pack
Top 8 - $10K Toronto, 2005
Top 4 - $10K Gen Con Indy, 2005
Matthieu “Broche” Brochu
Benoit “Mascot” Chaurrette: 329th in Sealed Pack
Guillaume “La Quille” Potvin: 300th in Constructed, 199th in Sealed Pack
Christian “Cri Cri” Sarrah-Bournet: 55th in Sealed Pack
Top 4 - $10K Toronto, 2005
Team AttaQC has done a lot of testing over the last month, commuting between Montreal and Quebec City to test in person. Like several other players, Benoit Chaurrette told me, “We’ve tested more for this than any other tournament.” They’re all playing the same deck—don’t ask me what it is, though. One hint would be Benoit’s comment that “In this format, the surprise factor is important. Decks that surprise their opponent will do well.”
Because they’ve prepared so much for this PC, Benoit expects this to be the breakout PC for Team AttaQC. “We’ve been drafting like crazy, in addition to our regular testing. It’s the draft that separates the best players from the average, as anyone can pilot a good deck to Day 2, but few can draft their way up the standings.” He predicts that Squadron will do better than many expect, getting three to four of the top eight-to-ten spots on Day 1, with Avengers and Brotherhood reservist decks close behind.
THE PREDICTIONS TO MAKE DAY 3:
Benoit Chaurrette: “Max [Bouchard] is due. [Mike] Dalton is always a top contender. And Craig Edwards usually has an interesting deck, and I hope he does well again.”
FINAL WORDS: Benoit has some final words for UDE:
“Let’s see a $10K Montreal! I hope we do well just to bring attention to Quebec, and to bring a $10K here!”
VS. SYSTEM AROUND THE WORLD
AUSTRALIA – The Wonderful World of Oz
Scott Hunstad and the Vs. Paradise team won’t be making the trek to Atlanta, and it looks like Alex Brown may be the only Australian to make the trip. This is truly unfortunate, if only because the Aussies are among the top competitors out there: tough, sharp, and solid all-around, in Draft and Constructed.
Alex Brown: 32nd in Constructed, 25th in Sealed Pack
Winner - $10K Auckland, 2005
Top 8 - $10K Sydney, 2006
Second Place - $10K Melbourne, 2005 (2)
Second Place - $10K Brisbane, 2005
Top 4 - $10K Melbourne, 2005 (1)
Second Place - $10K Sydney, 2004
Alex has been testing with his player group, who are trying to prepare him even though they won’t be joining him. “There is a bit of pressure being the only Australian coming, but that has more to do with talking ourselves up endlessly and the flight being boring than any real patriotic reason!” And jet lag can be tough, especially when you’re traveling upwards of fourteen hours, non-stop! “Something that U.S. players find hard to understand is that traveling to the PC for us involves a lot of sacrifice. It is expensive, takes a lot of time, and most of all, the jet lag is horrendous. I am coming to play $10K LA first, and then spending a week in Atlanta . . . before the tournament, so hopefully I will be acclimatized. I tend to make sure that I don’t sleep until at least sundown local time to get over it, and make sure I don’t sleep for longer than fourteen hours the first night. It can be very complex (and superstitious) at times!”
Like Benoit’s hope for a Montreal $10K, Alex wants to take it to another level. Australia, rich in $10Ks that always draw a large number of players, deserves a PC! “We should definitely be lobbying UDE for an Australian PC. The game is very popular here and we have a lot of people qualified. Overall, if the game is supposed to be international, I think in terms of participation we could contend with any non-U.S. country. There really isn’t anything like a home city PC, is there?” Well, I wouldn’t know the answer to that, but I do think an Australian PC would be very exciting!
And Alex also agrees on the importance of drafting, but to Alex, it’s more about what to draft rather than what your opponent is drafting. “Typically, there isn’t really that much of a skill divide in terms of [Draft] play, as most [Draft] games are simple curve-on-curve affairs. Most PC players understand the basics of this sort of matchup. The skill is in the actual drafting of your deck. Funnily enough, I think signaling is almost irrelevant to Vs. draft. You have to use so many of your cards (30/42 picks or 5/7) that you need to draft the packs much more than the man. As Vs. packs seem to have no equal relationship in team representation, you can open packs with wildly disproportionate amounts of cards in different teams. You can’t rely on that fourth pick Scarecrow, Fearmonger being a signal and then start taking Jesse James ◊ Trickster over Shayera Thal ◊ Hawkwoman. A basic knowledge of the set can help you work out how to value different fringe cards, like 8-drops, +1 DEF tricks, and so forth, but overall, I think flexibility is the key.”
THE PREDICTIONS TO MAKE DAY 3:
“I think there are about thirty players [that] could make Top 8, so I’ll just go off instinct.
“Mike Dalton: You would be defying LOGIC not to go for him.
Niles Rowland: The best player not to Top 8 a PC?
Doug Tice: I think Doug needed a strong team to push him over the edge. They don’t get much stronger.
Reinhard Blech: I have been testing with some of the Germans and some Americans, and Reinhard has been instrumental in my deck choice and tuning. The Germans are consistently underrated.
Billy Postlethwait: Always up there and has a really tight game.
“Sorry to those I left out . . .”
GREAT BRITAIN – Empirical Evidence!
Will Ian Vincent show up? How about Karl Bown and Team Comic Culture? Duncan Tang and the Scots? (Probably not . . .) Jonathan Challis? Will Rich Edbury break tradition and actually PC to glory?
I’m not sure who will show and who won’t, but each and every one of those names should strike fear in the hearts of North American Vs. players. Bown, who devastated the field and beat Andre Müller to ensure that the English $10K crown remained in England, is particularly intimidating.
OH CANADA! – Canuckistanian power!
With Olav Rokne joining us hallowed Metagame staffers, the Canadian field is a little light. Dean Sohnle (He’s Canadian! Stop whining, English peoples!) is supposedly coming, though he’s off on some typical Sohnle world-traveling jaunt, so who knows what part of the world he’s in or coming from around PC time. Still, a little bird told me that he’s been working on a very interesting and rather unique deck. Rumors are often wrong, so don’t quote me, but if anyone can pull out the Fantastic Fun deck of Marvel Modern, it would be Dean. And after his second place finish at PC LA, I can’t imagine that he would—or could—stay away!
David Fielder will likely be there as well, with his playing pal Donald Grant. Both tend to fly under the radar, yet still finish in the money. Many people pass Fielder’s Top 8 finish in PC LA ’04 as a fluke, and yet he’s made ten times more money than those haters have. If David and Donald play, watch for them up at the top of the leader board come the end of Day 2.
GERMANY
Alex Brown is correct when he says that the Germans are underrated. The simple fact is that these are some of the best players in this game. Reinhard Blech, Markus Kolb, Kristian Kockott, Maik Stich, and Andre Müller, if they show up, are always dominant and will continue to be so. Even excluding the European $10Ks, they still account for two Top 8s (Kockott and Müller) and a Top 4 (Kolb) in the last two PCs.
JAPAN
I can’t begin to pretend to know the Japanese players, and it’s too soon to tell just who will be a threat and who won’t. I also have no clue who will show up, though I’m certain we’ll see a contingent. Kunihiji Kishishita and Hirotaka Hata were the winners of the two recent $10Ks in Tokyo, and Ryuma Narumiya Top 8’ed both of them. Justin Gary gave North America six months at PC LA before the Japanese took over the game and dominated everything. That makes us halfway there, so we all better take notice and beware!
THE FREE AGENTS
This list could be a mile long. Matthew Tatar is a good example of someone I’ve been calling a dark horse for a long time, and he stepped up with a Top 4 at PC LA. Loren Nolen and Ben Stoll have both had considerable success on the $10K level but have yet to really make their mark at the PC. Bulk Lao, David Frayer, Daniella Grijalva, Niles Rowland, and Jerry Whaley are the most amazing “non-team” in this game, as they test together and have all been solid in the $10Ks.
Craig Edwards always seems to be around, and he steps up when you’re not expecting him to make it into the money. Alex Shvartsman came out of nowhere in New York and Top 8’ed. They represent two of the best gaming stores in the U.S. (Your Move Games and Kings Games, respectively), and each of them has the background in gaming, particularly in TCGs and card tournaments, to win.
I hear John Rich is starting to test seriously again, and Carl Perlas is ending his self-imposed retirement to re-enter the PC waters. If either of them finds his niche, he is practically guaranteed a solid shot at Day 3.
And I haven’t even mentioned Dair Grant, Sammy Gilly, David Bauer, Billy Postlethwait, or Quang Nguyen yet . . .
Finally, here are two names that are bound to make an impact in this PC. Both of them you’ve heard, though perhaps for different reasons, and both have been heavy favorites several times but have yet to really hit their PC stride: Alex Jebailey and Patrick Yapjoco.
Alex Jebailey: 156th in Constructed
Patrick Yapjoco: 12th in Constructed, 41st in Sealed Pack
Top 4 - $10K San Francisco, 2006
Second Place - $10K Seattle, 2005
Top 8 - $10K Los Angeles, 2005
Alex has often been criticized because he likes to talk a lot about his success in video game championships and how they’ve helped him tune himself into Vs. System. Well, people should pay a bit more attention, because Alex has made multiple Day 2s (in New York and LA), and he tests with Billy Postlethwait, which creates a danger to unwary players in its own right. His biggest roadblock has been drafting, so he’s redoubled his efforts. “I'm really mentally prepared this time for Draft. I'm not worried about Constructed—I already know what I'm playing so I should go to Day 2. Drafting again will be the hard part. I've been so busy with video game conventions and the real world, I haven't had much time to prepare. And with my future with the next two PCs looking bleak with overseas travels, I will do my best to make an impact in Atlanta.”
He knows that this is a tough game, tougher for him than any of the games he’s mastered, and he hopes that what preparations he has made with regard to drafting will work out for him. “As with any game I've ever played, if I had better players to draft with and people to learn from, I'd be a lot more comfortable, as I can learn anything practically overnight when taught right. I do want to belong to some team for the Draft practice, so hopefully I can get practice in. But I like the JLA format for drafting. It's not like Avengers, where everyone aims for Faces. I think if you can build a good curve and have the right tricks, you can have a heads-up in any matchup.”
Patrick Yapjoco could probably empathize. Left without a team since Team Realmworx split up, Patrick has been practicing with $10K champion Quang Nguyen and $10K Top 8’er Joe Bryan, plus a couple of fellow locals who won’t be making the trip. This is all under the guidance of Erik Reyes at his Edgeworld gaming shop, and with Erik’s known propensity to rip out his players’ spleens and eat them on site if they don’t live up to their potential, it’s no wonder that Patrick has been an important part of several tier 1 decks—most recently, he was arguably the main mastermind behind G’Lock. “We usually go against the grain when it comes to decks. To be on our team, you have to be a bit janky! We're still testing, but I’m pretty sure we have a unique deck. I haven’t seen it discussed anywhere too much . . . I think it will be hit or miss.”
Patrick also goes against the grain in terms of his opinions of the Modern Age field, thinking Avengers and Squadron will completely dominate. “It seems like Avengers will be everywhere—it’s proven, easy to build. Everyone already knows the optimal build, and it's easier to acquire all the cards since it's been out longer. Same with Squadron Supreme. I think some pro teams will try some new decks from X-Men, but for the most part, Avengers and Squadron will be the craze. Also, I’m a bit more of a risk-taker when it comes to playing unproven decks; I don’t know that a group of pros will try that if they can just play the ‘safe deck.’”
He also makes sure to emphasize the importance of the Draft, especially with a $10K in Los Angeles that involved a different set this past weekend! “The people who are going to the PC and are also going to the $10K here in LA might be at a disadvantage. I mean, we all were drafting a lot of X-Men and getting as much practice for the $10K. Now we have to switch back to drafting JLA; it’s a trickier set to draft than before . . . though I’ve never been really good in [Sealed] anyway, so I might be wrong.”
And he’s been testing like crazy to try to make up for that! “Oh geez, I eat, sleep, and drink Vs.! I test almost nightly—live testing too! None of this online stuff. We're still in the stone age! Though online testing [can] also [be] good.”
THE PREDICTIONS TO MAKE DAY 3:
Alex Jebailey: “I haven't kept up much lately with the rankings, but I could see Adam Prosak getting his due . . . Josh Wiitanen, Dave Spears—what's not to like about the guy? Michael Jacob, who I always admire for his confidence with whatever he plays. And I expect someone no one knows about yet making the Top 8. I mean, look at Karl Horn!
Patrick Yapjoco: “Michael Dalton, Dave Spears, Michael Jacob, Vidi Wijaya, Alex Brown.”
FINAL WORDS: PLAY THE ALEX JEBAILEY VS. VIDEO GAME CHALLENGE!
“I’m bringing my Playstation 2 with a portable TV that latches on. It’s badass-looking. So I'll be there a day early if anyone wants to challenge me to fighting games. If anyone can beat me, I'll be giving away free Vs. cards!!”
KERGY’S LINE
And now, the moment everyone has been waiting for! My picks and dark horses for Top 8!
(In alphabetical order)
Top 8: Max Bouchard, Alex Brown, Mike Dalton, Andre Müller, Adam Prosak, Dean Sohnle, Dave Spears, Vidi Wijaya
Dark Horse Picks: Michael Barnes, Benoit Chaurrette, Kim Caton, Eugene Harvey, TJ Holman, Alex Tennet, Josh Wiitanen, Patrick Yapjoco
Questions? Queries? Comments? Send ’em along and I’ll try to get them answered in the column! Email me at:
Kergillian (at) hotmail (dot) com
Also known by his screen name Kergillian, Ben Kalman has been involved in the Vs. community since day one. He started the first major online community, the Vs. Listserv, through Yahoo! Groups, and it now boasts well over 1,850 members! For more on the Yahoo! group, go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Marvel_DC_TCG.