By Michael Huebbe
Most entries were written at the end of each day or the morning after.
After working 3rd shift the night before, I drive the 8-hour trip in 7 hours. Can you say, "The OGRE fractured a few traffic laws!" :^) I get to the hotel, check in, and ask for directions to the convention center and then go up to the room to unpack. With all the minor crap taken care of, I call ol' Chuck Carey's wife in Indiana to find out where the schmoo is staying so I can call him. I find out that he isn't showing until Thursday!!! Now how is the mWo contingent for Origins (figured to be at 3 people) going to use foldable metal furniture on Magic players with only me there on Thursday (who am I going to hide behind?). It looks like the OGRE is all by his lonesome on Thursday to hand out his own special brand of "Whoop Ass" on either some Settlers of Catan players, or (shudder) enter a Magic Tourney. Hopefully I can just find some old TSR buddies to chill out with.
Not much happening today. Beat this kid in Magic that was playing a real annoying deck.
Exhibit Hall didn't open until 3pm.
Bought a butt-load of stuff. Later found Chuck, "War Party" Bill and "Weird Pete" (aka David Davis) and bummed out with them for a while. We then went up to their hotel room to play some Spellfire.
Now the Spellfire starts.
Noon: US Championship Qualifier (5 people showed, so Chuck had to play but not advance)
I play my "No Fun" Deck against War Party Bill and Steve Naus. War Party wins our "pod," but I take second in our pod with 14-2-0 result (Unrazed, Razed, holdings) and one win. Chuck wins that other one, so with two people making it to the Next day I make it in by having one more realm than the second place person in Chuck's pod.
Later in the day was a Sealed Deck tourney. 3rd edition staters with one booster of R&R and NS added.
My deck doesn't have many of the game-breaking cards, but I do have quite a few awesome sealed cards.
Here is a listing of the cards I got and see what you would have played. The ones I used have a * in front of them.
Realms
*Balic
*Theocracy of the Pale (got 2 of them)
*The High Moor (got 2 of them)
*The Bright Desert (got 2 of them)
*Tyr (got 2 of them)
*Daggerdale
*Dragonspear Castle (got 2 of them)
*Myth Drannor
*Pirate Isles (got 2 of them)
*The High Forest
*Malatra, the Living Jungle
*Falkovnia
*Cormyr (got 2 of them)
Lands of Iuz
Hookhill
The High Forest
Celene (got 2 of them)
Holdings
*Black Waters
Oasis of the White Palm
Palace of the Silver Princess
Kalidnay
The Mud Palace
Temple
Fort Melidor
Castle Hart
Ancient Arms of Furyondy
Fortification
Ziggurat
Champions
*Drizzt
*Storm Silverhand
*Mayor Charles Oliver O'Kane
*The Harpers
*Prismal
*Kas the Terrible
*Captain Kazhal
*Elminster
*Queen Frumpy
*Nenioc
*Tembo
*Rangers of the Hornwood
*Tithian
*Karlott the Shaman
Julio, Master Thief of Haslic
Stef'fa Naf'ski
Uldo Dracobane
Rikus
Nosnra
Mind Flayer Lord
Wereshark
T'kkyl
Gnomes of Samek
Dwarf of Earthfast
Events
*Airship
*Bad Omens
*Caravan
*Calm
*Surprise Raid
*Slave Revolt
Mordenkainen's Faithful Hound
Celestial Lights
Magic Items/Artifacts
*Figurine of Wondrous Power
*Shield of Wickedness
*The Necklace
*Rod of Zombie Mastery
*Gauntlets of Dexterity
Ipsissmo's Black Goose
Allies
*Red Dragon
*Silt Stalkers
*Hydra
*Treants of the Grandwood
*Raaig
*Thri-kreen
*The Rahasia
*Intellect Devourer
Wachter (it was after 6pm)
Shaqat Beetles
Inhuman
Thugs
Verrasi
Cha'thrang
Mogadisho's Horde
Powell
Loric the Fence
Spells
*Sleep
*Rock to Mud
*Chain Lightning
*Raise Dead
*Dispel Magic
*Death Fog
*Spell Turning
*Conjure Earth Elemental
*Lightning Bolt
Wall of Fire
Cure Light Wounds
Improved Invisibility to Undead
Protection from Lightning
Control Undead
Charm
Feeblemind
Charm Monster
Shield
Blade Barrier
Other
Climb Walls
Knockdown
Magic Resistance
Bear Hug
Round 1: against Steve Naus & Chuck
I win in three games. I lost game one to Steve and won #2 and #3. Both of my wins happen like this:
I get four realms on the table. I play Caravan before my turn. Play a realm. Take my normal turn. Play a realm and win. Steve follows me into the finals on the basis of the realms tie-breaker.
Finals: against Steve Naus and War Party Bill.
I fear the deck War Party put together. We put our decks together across from each other and I know he has a lot of the same cards from the 3rd edition decks that I had in my starter decks.
I win this one in three also. Steve won the first game again. He did the realm and Menzo thing on his 5th turn. Not much answer for that. Games 2 and 3 are much like games 2 and 3 in Round 1.
I win Sealed Deck tourney #1.
Humor Alert: A funny thing happens on the way to Origins in the morning. I'm driving to Origins and I pull up behind a horse trailer and see this big ol' horse-butt. Don't ask me why, but I'm thinking at the time, "How is Tony duLac doing???" I thought it was pretty funny, so did everyone at the con. I'm sure Wyte-squid won't when he reads this. :^)
Morning: World War tourney Not much happened, I got pasted in the first round by a FR POL deck.
Warning to all Spellfire Players: Beware Rosa Fontenez. If she ever gets more cards past DL set (she has some FR. And now some R&R and NS), she will probably just kick ass. She hurts people with the cards she has now. She is one to watch.
2nd US qualifier
I have to play in this one because Chuck redid things when we got 5 people to play in this qualifier and he dropped me so I have to play again (but I get to play a new deck due to this). Winners of the two pods move on to play against War Party Bill.
Me with Ubbie Dubbie (or 0-2-1-3-4), Rosa playing a tweaked DS deck (more on the tweaking later) and Mike Kenison with a Playing to Lose deck (this hurt me a bit)
Game 1: I have this game pretty much in hand and I have a fistful of cards. Rosa hits me with her "borrowed" Cold Cup on me (Nice tweak) (Note: Thanks Chuck). My eyes bug out and Chuck runs and hides before I have a chance to chase him. But I finally win, by pulling my Wish and getting rid of Mike's Playing to Lose (what a pain in the arse card).
Game 2: Mike gets out an early Playing to Lose, but I get my Taxation later to get rid of it and win.
US Championship FINALS against War Party Bill and Dave "Gru" Whetstone
Game 1: I sneak in with the POWER CARD "City States" and with the Caravan before my turn thing.
Game 2: Beyond belief, I win this one. War Party Bill con-games Dave so that he can get rid of Dave's Throne of the Pharaohs. I have City States in play already and Caravan in hand and three realms (and 1 holding) already in play. Bill wasn't a threat to "go out" on his turn (or even if he Caravaned.)
"The OGRE wins!!! The OGRE wins!!!" (apologies to the late and great Cubs announcer Harry Carey)
Even though I won the US Championships, War Party Bill (the 2nd place finisher) gets the automatic entry into the round of 27 for the World Championships at GenCon. This is due to the fact that I will be running the whole thing, so I can't play. :^)
Evening hours
2nd Sealed deck event 3rd edition starters and one BR and one Draco booster. (This is the only event at the whole con that can we have for points. Finally 9 people playing)
My deck has just too much chaff and decision making to really make a good deck.
Chuck wins this one with Steve Naus taking 2nd and Mike Kenison taking 3rd.
Chuck and steve had all 3 of the big events (Caravan, Good Fortune and Cataclysm). I figured that they would make the finals at the very least.
Here is a list of the cards I got to build with (* by the ones I used) Too many choices means too much to trim from the deck.
Realms
The High Forest
Celene
Dragonspear Castle
Iron Hills
Calimshan
Shadowdale
The High Moor
Tower of the Sword Mage
The Impregnable Heart of Haelyn
Sword Coast
Theocracy of the Pale
*Cormyr
*Slave Realm of Tunek
*Balic
*Tyr
*Furyondy
*The Trollmoors
*Pirate Isles
*Ruins of Zhentil Keep
*Jungles of Chult
*The Bright Desert
*Daggerdale
*Perrenland
*Evermeet
Holdings
Dungeon of Gulg
Ancient Arms of the Great Kingdom
South Ledopolus
Kalidnay
Salt View
Ancient Arms of Nyrond
Makla
Skull Keep
*Arkhold
*Border Forts
Champions
Kiara
Caliedhe Dosiere
Cleric of Torm
Tysiln San
Rogue Defiler of Tyr
Shayira
Cleric of Malar
Adventurers (+1 to allies)
Shandrill
Quagmiela
Sleet
*Sysania
*Starshine
*Dlasva
*Rauglothgor
*Mordenkainen
*Bagual
*Flashburn
*Maligor the Red
*Adventurers! (spellcaster)
*Lich Conclave
*Preserver
*Iuz the Evil
*High Mage Aelies
*Grimm Greybeard
*Banshegh
*Greyhawk Dragon
Events
*Fortunate Omens
Solid Fog
Treasure
Bad Omens
Mordenkainen's Faithful Hound
Water Hunters
Dragon Magic
Blessing of Zorquan
Calm
Labor of Legend
Artifacts/Magic Items
*Baba Yaga's Hut
*Codex of the Infinite Planes
*Ren's Crystal Ball
*Shield of Annihilation
Orb of Doom (got 2 of them)
Shield of Devastation
Figurine of Wondrous Power
Orb of Power
Rings of All Seeing
Shield of Destruction
Eye and Hand of Vecna
Chariot of Lyrz
Cup of Al'Akbar
War Banner
Orb of Dragonkind
Allies
*Myrmidons
*Kank Lancers
*Noble Djinni
*Rowan
*Ashathra
*Assassins
Hornhead Saurial
Zurn
Mogadisho's Horde
Tiger
Foucault
Halfling Mercenaries
Punisher
Sloth
Spells
*Forget
*Death Fog
*Meteor Swarm
*Death Spell
*Darkness
*Finger of Death
*Drawmij's Instant Summons
*Stick to Snakes
*Summon Insects
*Magic Missle
*Cone of Cold
Legion of Dead
Wall of Fog
Spell Turning
Fly
Paralyze
Dragon's Calm
Firetail
Blessing of Tiamat
Wall of Force
Cloudkill
Sleep
Feeblemind
Web
Wall of Fire
Dragon Mark
Blood Drain
Silence
Cure Light Wounds
Cure Serious Wounds
Other
Ultrablast
Divine Wrath
Animal Affinity
We did some play testing on the cards. Can't say anything about it. But I can say this much.
Chuck killed off the first Wyte-fang. Bill used Create Minion to make him alive but undead. (sidenote: We all knew that Tony is a Spellfire Zombie anyways.) Then Steve killed the Undead Wytefang with Furyondy. Two Wytefang "deaths" in less than 3 minutes. Good stuff. :^)
That about sums up the Origins report/diary.
Hope you enjoyed it.
The OGRE
1999 US Spellfire Champion
1996 TSR Employee's Tournament Champion