FNM in Karlstad

A little over a year ago, WotC made a change in the Friday Night Magic policy allowing every format viable for FNM-play. This gave our flute-playing invoker and former DCI-manager of Sweden Mikael Mällroth good incentive to organize the first sanctioned 93/94 FNM in a local pub. This is his story. Enjoy! /Mg out

This is a little summary of the first ever 93-94 FNM. It’s late but work, family and life got in the way.

It started in the car towards the World championship in the format last Easter. We had some loose talks about doing a 93-94 FNM. Would be nice to hand out some FNM-foils in a 93-94 tournament.

A day or few after the championship I checked some dates and found a Friday that’s lodged between a Swedish holiday Thursday and the weekend. Much more chance for people to get of work and such. I talked to our local magic friendly pub in Karlstad, called The Leprechaun Pub, and they gave their approval (we host like chaos sealed there, of and on). We had a go. The tournament was set for the 15th of May at 15:00. The reason for the early start was that we had to play 3-4 rounds and then semis and final. Knowing some of the decks (and players) it could take a while even with time limit in the rounds.

Nine players signed up for the event (more than I’d thought). So we would be playing 4 rounds and top 4. This would, however, mean that one player would have a bye. I played one of my favourite decks from back then, UGR Zoo. Probably the first good deck I ever built. Good creatures with backup from bolts and power. Of course I didn´t own any power cards back then but the rest were the same.

UGR Zoo

First round, the pairings said, I would have the bye. I made good time of this for a pint of Guinness or two :) 1-0

In the second round I met Kungmarkus with his toolbox. His deck didn’t really do anything in game one and my creatures could do their job. After sideboard, game two. Now he flooded the board with various artifacts in the first rounds. I then responded with Energy Flux, which more or less shut his deck off. 2-0

Before the third round a player dropped to go to the other FNM. That meant no more byes. I met Frasse with white weenie. The first game he knocked me down (more than) some life before I could stabilize and turn around. In the second game I had a tremendous start with Volcanic Island, Black Lotus. Sac Lotus and play two Kird Apes and a Lightning Bolt leaving Volcanic for an, at end of his turn, Ancestral Recall. Second turn Taiga turned the Apes big and that was it. 3-0

Round four I met Artelas with another homebrew toolbox (a good one). After a close fight in the first game and a not so close fight in the second (his deck decided to take a break) I was on top. 4-0 and not a duel lost so far. You will get yours in the play-offs, Artelas predicted.

Semifinal. I am again to face Artelas. Now it’s my deck that won’t work (strangely, as predicted). It’s mulligan and then a keep to rely on Birds of Paradise to give me mana towards one of my colors. He pops of my Birds and half my hand stays were it is. Then I get a fast start and thanks to a side boarded Energy Flux I make it even again. In the deciding duel a fast played City in a Bottle is all that it takes to topple me over. I’m out.

In the other semi Kungmarkus and Svetzarn is battling for top spot. After the smoke settled Kungmarkus is through to the final.

In the final the two toolbox decks battle out for glory. In the end Artelas stands on top as the winner in the first ever 93-94 FNM, aka LepreCon 1. And of course as the winner he gets a card signed by all the participants. The card, of course, being Aisling Leprechaun. Some trinkets and FNM-foil were also handed out and it was a merry crew having another pint :)

The champion's deck.

I would like to thank everyone playing and telling everyone else that there will be a LepreCon 2.

Keep on tappin' Moxes and Mountains alike!
Mikael Mällroth