Sunday, Mar 11: 9:17 p.m. - The Top 4 Team/Player Profiles
Names: Michael Havlik/Richard Hornansky
Ages: 32/28
Hometowns/Countries: Bratislava, Slovakia
Occupations: Lawyer/Administrator in IT Company
Number of GP/PT Top 8s: 0/0
Other Previous Magic accomplishments: 3 T-Shirts from prerelease (Richard)
What was your record over the weekend:
Swiss 6-1
Draft 1. 1-0-1
Draft 2 2-0
Draft 3 2-0
How did you prepare for the event? Who did you prepare with? Did you prepare as a team or separately?
We prepared as a team, but have played only two or three local tournaments
What is the top common in 2HG?
Empty the Warrens, Strength in Numbers
What was your draft strategy? Did you stick with it all day or did you have to change it?
We didn't have a special strategy - first draft we didn't play black and second draft just Syphon Mage, so it really depends on cards like Grapeshot, Syphon Mage, some Slivers, Empty the Warrens or Pyrohemia or other bombs to determine what your strategy will be like.
Names: Amiel Tenenbaum/Gabriel Nassif
Ages: 25/23
Hometowns/Countries: Germany/France
Occupations: Manager of Poker Players/Student
Number of GP/PT Top 8s: Amiel: 1/1. Nassif: 3/7
Other Previous Magic accomplishments: Mastering Team formats with Nassif: French Cup x2. PT & GP top 9s
What was your record over the weekend:
Swiss 7-0
Draft 1. 2-0
Draft 2 1-1
Draft 3 1-0-1
How did you prepare for the event? Who did you prepare with? Did you prepare as a team or separately?
Played a GPT. Heard advice.
What is the top common in 2HG?
Grapeshot/Empty the Warrens
What was your draft strategy? Did you stick with it all day or did you have to change it?
Take all the good cards but White. Try to build R/B and U/G. Changed once.
Names: Olaf Koster/Christian Kok
Ages: 20/26
Hometowns/Countries: Amsterdam/Ede (Netherlands)
Occupations: Teacher/Auditor
Number of GP/PT Top 8s: 0/0
Other Previous Magic accomplishments: Olaf: 33rd GP Malmo, 9th and 11th in Nats
Christian: 17th PT:Amsterdam, 2 other PT Day 2s
What was your record over the weekend:
Swiss 7-0
Draft 1. 2-0
Draft 2 1-1
Draft 3 1-0-1
How did you prepare for the event? Who did you prepare with? Did you prepare as a team or separately?
Separately (except for the trial we won). Olaf played with Wessel Oomens and the Amsterdam crew. Christian hardly practiced at all; he's a natural after all :P
What is the top common in 2HG?
Grapeshot
What was your draft strategy? Did you stick with it all day or did you have to change it?
Draft the best cards. See if slivers are coming. If they are (which was always) Take them. Any Psionic Sliver or Might Slivers being passed usually means Slivers is open.
Names: Vasilis Fatouros/Georgios Kapalos
Ages: 21/22
Hometowns/Countries: Athens, Greece
Occupations: Student/Student
Number of GP/PT Top 8s: Vasilis: 2/1, Kapalos: 2/0
Other Previous Magic accomplishments: Both have won nationals
What was your record over the weekend:
Swiss 7-0
Draft 1. 1-1
Draft 2 2-0
Draft 3 1-1
How did you prepare for the event? Who did you prepare with? Did you prepare as a team or separately?
Did a lot of sealeds with other Greek players, a couple of drafts and we tested as a team every time.
What is the top common in 2HG?
Empty the Warrens
What was your draft strategy? Did you stick with it all day or did you have to change it?
Just draft the best cards, trying to avoid black which is not so deep (we didn't manage to avoid it, though). We didn't really like slivers and preferred to just cut the good ones. We mainly played U/W and Red with either black or green.
Sunday, Mar 11: 9:45 p.m. - The Top 4 Draft Pack List
Sunday, Mar 11: 10:56 p.m. - Quarterfinals: France France Revolution vs Ragnar Hairybreeks - Amiel Tenenbaum and Gabriel Nassif vs Olaf Koster and Christian Kok
There were no mulligans for the semi-final, and the French led off pretty aggressively, with Goblin Skycutter and Gemhide Sliver, followed up by Flowstone Channeler and a suspended Nantuko Shaman. For Koster and Kok, things were a little slower, with a Greenseeker, and a suspended Baloth threatening big things for later turns.
The Greenseeker activated each turn to fix Kok's land, and thin his deck, at the expense of business spells. A combination of Prismatic Lens and Grapeshot allowed for Koster to kill off both Goblin Skycutter and Gemhide Sliver. There was still not much the Dutchies could do about the remaining attackers though, dropping to 23 following the attacks from the two seasoned Pros. Amiel had a Looter il-Kor to follow up with, while Gab kept going with Flowstone Channeler - adding a second to his side of the board. The French strategy throughout the draft day had been to avoid white, ideally going red/black and green/blue. This had worked almost every time, and the formula had not changed for the final draft of the tournament.
Koster was still without creatures, but he did have a permanent to play in the form of Griffin Guid on Greenseeker, while his teammate dropped a hefty 4/4 Sporesower Thallid. Gabriel had a Rift Bolt for the Thallid, which was finished off by one of his Channelers. Temporal Eddy then effectively stymied Griffin Guide, putting Greenseeker back on top of Kok's deck.
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Amiel Tenenbaum and Gabriel Nassif
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The beating continued, with the one Dutch team in the tournament dropping to 17 life, their biggest hitter, Durkwood Baloth, still 2 turns away from hitting play. In order to buy some time, Kok deployed a couple of 2/2 Slivers, both Basal and Dark Heart. Nassif had a Strangling Soot for the Dark Heart Sliver, but was content to let the other one stay around. .On the French turn there were of big swings, which were met with big blocks, virtually clearing the board. This left Tenenbaum's Cocatrice as the threat of the table, albeit briefly. The Dutchies fired back with Firemaw Kavu and Stronghold Overseer, promping a small groan from Tenenbaum.
Amiel suspended an Aeon Chronicler with 2 counters, and grimly surveyed the situation. It looked likely that Cockatrice was going to die to Firemaw Kavu the following turn, and that Durkwood Baloth and the huge shadow would smash for lots. As it was, Koster paid echo, signaling a different plan.
All of the Dutch monsters ran in, with Cockatrice trading with Durkwood Baloth. This was the first damage France France Revolution had taken, leaving them at a fairly healthy 21.
When Nassif played Damnation, it looked pretty certain that they wouldn't be taking much more any time soon. Amiel slammed down a couple of morphs and it was off to the races. He would have Aeon Chronicler in the following turn, and depending on what his morphs were, things could all be over very quickly.
Both morphs turned out to be pretty big hitters, a Slipstream Serpent and an Aquamorph Entity, but neither got to attack, being hit by Grapeshot after a Basal Sliver, D'Avenent Healer and Forisian Totem had suitably raised the storm count.
Attacks from the Aeon Chronicler on the following turn made the life totals 21-14 in France's favour. Only now did Nassif play the Pyrohemia that had been in his hand for some time. He used it twice, then Tenenbaum played a Veiling Oddity straight from hand, rather than suspending it, as it seemed the game would not last much longer.
The jovial Dutch were quietened by the power of the enchantment on the other side of the board, which threatened to keep them from a finals berth. Forisian Totem blocked Aeon Chronicler, and survived thanks to Brute Force, but only briefly, as Pyrohemia finished him off. Rift Bolt to the face finished off the match.
Gabriel Nassif and Amiel Tenenbaum win, advancing to the finals!
Sunday, Mar 11: 11:33 p.m. - Finals - France France Revolution vs. 100 Cent - Gabriel Nassif and Amiel Tenenbaum vs Michael Havlik and Richard Hornansky
Grand Prix Amsterdam all comes down to a single game. A single game with 4 players. Our protagonists are the powerhouse French team of Gabriel Nassif and Amiel Tenenbaum, each well used to such situations, and Michael Havlik and Richard Hornansky, who are still giddy in their luck at being in the finals - having hit exactly the topdeck they needed to dispatch their quarterfinal opponents, in dramatic fashion.
France France Revolution won the roll, and chose to play, and the game began in earnest.
Somewhat unusually, both Michael and Richard of 100 cent began with Islands, while Tenenbaum and Nassif had a pretty diverse mana base by the time they made their first play - suspending Errant Ephemeron on turn two. Richard suspended Duskrider Peregrine on his turn in reply.
Nassif effectively 'killed' a Spiketail Drakeling by tapping out for Coal Stoker on turn four, allowing Aquamorph Entity and Flowstone Channeler to swing in for the first damage of the game, taking 100 Cent down to 23. Michael tapped out on his turn four for a Herd Gnarr, but his teammate was conspicuously inactive, keeping up four mana including a Gemstone Mine, potentially threatening any number of tricks.
The French veterans of the game thought long and hard before making a play, eventually settling on a Giant Dustwasp. This resolved fine, and was followed up by a Flowstone Channeler activation by Nassif, targeting the new Dustwasp, with a discarded Dark Withering aimed at Herd Gnarr. This resolved, but when the wasp tried to swing in, it got on the wrong end of Dead//Gone. For those of you following at home, in this instance, it was the Dead half. Aquamorph Entity still made it 18 - 30 for France France Revolution though… they were nearly half way there.
Duskrider Peregrine came in for the first damage for 100 Cent, but it seemed inconsequential compared to the French start on offence. While Errant Ephemeron got hit by a Cancel, the remaining attack force continued to rumble in unabated. An Ashcoat Bear was effectively countered by Brute Force from Nassif, and the life totals became 16 - 27.
Richard used a Careful Consideration to reload, after the French simply cast a Veiling Oddity and passed. He discarded Slipstream Serpent and Prismatic Lens, before attacking for another 3 in the air. Finally, an Icatian Javelineers came out and 100 Cent passed, this time with Michael conspicuously untapped for the French turns.
The only blockers against Amiel and Gab's attacks were the fresh Javelineers and a morph. This wasn't enough to scare off Veiling Oddity, who got past the morph without incident. Post-combat Amiel had a Magus of the Library, while Gabriel contented himself with just using his Channeler to kill Richard's 1/1 before it could use its ability.
At the end of turn Shaper Parasite unmorphed to kill Aquamorph Entity. Attacks then took the French to 19, before Firemaw Kavu targeted Flowstone Channeler. This play also killed off Gemstone Mine, meaning that echo would definitely not be paid on the monster. Amiel had an Aether Web to save the 2/2, and let it block that pesky Peregrine should it again try it's luck in the red zone.
Amiel had an Uktabi Drake with which to run in, making the life totals 19 - 12 for France France Revolution. In upkeep, Firemaw Kavu died, taking down Flowstone Channeler with it, though not before Nassif had used Strangling Soot on Shaper Parasite. It seemed that the French team smelled a counter from 100 Cent, and were fishing for responses before the draw step. They did not get any though, and the turn progressed uneventfully, with Duskrider Peregrine coming in for some more, while 100 Cent gained a little life thanks to Aven Riftwatcher.
Gabriel played a Rift Bolt on the Duskrider Peregrine, which with protection from black was immune to much of his removal. Amiel then suspended Nantuko Shaman, and the French pair passed, with Amiel all out of cards.
Aven Riftwatcher attacked, and after much thought the French duo elected to take the damage, making the life totals 14 each. Post combat, a Dreamscape Artist came out for 100 Cent, and the turn ended.
The swings back (which included the now in play Nantuko Shaman) featured every creature that France France Revolution had. Dreamscape Artist blocked Magus of the Library, and the French knocked their opponents down to 7.
At the end of turn, an Erratic Mutation was used to kill off Uktabi Drake, and Aven Riftwatcher was then free to run in again. The French dropped to 12. Michael then played a Thallid Shell-Dweller before passing. Amiel used Snapback to get rid of the defender, then swung. Richard had a Whitemane Lion, threatening rescuing Aven Riftwatcher and killing off Nantuko Shaman in one play. Nassif responded with a flashed back Strangling Soot targeting Aven Riftwatcher. Michael then showed what he'd been holding back for - Draining Whelk.
As one, the French players winced. Though they must have wondered what Michael had been holding back for for so many turns, it still hurt to have their best plans foiled so completely by the rare. The Whelk resolved, and with the counter gaining ability on the stack, Gabriel used Orcish Cannonade to try to kill the flyer before it became huge. Unfortunately for him, there was a Dawn Charm waiting to stop this plan.
When the dust settled, 100 Cent had 9 life, a Lion, and a 4/4 Draining Whelk (tapped due to using Dawn Charm to regenerate), and blocked the Shaman, taking 2 to go to 7. The following turn they played the Riftwatcher again to get up to 9 life, and swung with their Whelk to put France France Revolution on just 5. The play of 100 Cent had been all about achieving something big with their Draining Whelk, and thanks to a mountain of support they had achieved it. Strangling Soot number 2 killed the Riftwatcher, and Temporal Eddy had to come out to put away Draining Whelk for a while. The waiting game on the bomb counter would begin again.
Unfortunately for the French, now 100 Cent had a Scryb Ranger and a morph with which to apply pressure, along with more of a life buffer thanks to their Riftwatcher. Swings from the little flyer made the life totals 11 to 4 in 100 Cent's favour, and when Tolarian Sentinel and a morph came down this only looked worse.
Gabriel played Goblin Skycutter, only to have it stopped by the morph, which turned out to be Voidmage Prodigy, who sacrificed himself in the name of GP Amsterdam victory. Each of the French sighed as Gabriel suspended a Rift Bolt and the team passed.
Attacks put the French on 2.
'And you are at 11? Good.' - Amiel's words did not seem to reflect his mood as he watch the game slip away.
The following turn Rift Bolt targeted Tolarian Sentinel. It did not resolve though, as the Spellshaper used it's own ability to try to bounce itself, forcing Strangling Soot to be flashed back. This finally drew the Draining Whelk. Amiel and Gabriel drew their cards, and extended their hands. It was all over.
Congratulations to Michael Havlik and Richard Hornansky, winners of Grand Prix Amsterdam!
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