Magic Log(August 24th 1996):
I started playing Magic just about when 4th Edition was released. My first deck was just a jungle of red and green cards, which I bought from a friend. It was about 100 cards large, and not so damn efficient. Soon I realised the power in the X-blasts, so I played with eight of them (fireball and disintegrate). When Ice Age was released, I also got the Lava Bursts and Meteor Showers (YES, I PLAYED WITH THE METEOR SHOWERS , I didn't know better then).
That deck, with red x-blasts, lightning bolts and green large and small creatures, smashed it way through the opposition in my school (which then was the only place and time I played Magic, on breaks). Soon I changed my deck into a fullred deck. I had got my hands on some Shivans, Mana Flares, Incinerates and Ball Lightnings. I blasted my way through other friends' decks. At one time, I did also play with Mana Batteries and Streams of Life.
I changed my deck for a landeater. Still in the colours of red and green. I remember I got a hard time finding anyone to play against after a time, they just didn't like me when I ate their lands.
It took about half a year before I realized the true power in blue decks, the deck which I hated the most with all it's counterspells and flying creatures. The way I figured, I would also be hated if I played blue, so therefore, I just had to do it. The green deck was never a true favorite, but I have never, and can still not imagine playing without the red ones.
So, now I had completed my deck for the time being. But I hadn't got any of those power cards. In fact, I didn't even have a Chain Lightning. But then, I didn't even know about their existance. The only cards I knew about was those I bought myself in boosters and starters (Ice Age and 4th). Later, I was introduced to other expansions when I got to conventions and such. I got my first Psionic Blast at this time. I traded a Stormbind and two Icequakes for it.
Magic Log Entry(November 3rd 1996):
Got home from a type II tournament today. It was my best yet, I placed 4th. I was in the semifinal but lost 2-3 due to lack of mana(All three of them), even though I played with 22 lands. Talk about chitty luckalubas. But hey, I had my triumphant moments. The tournament began with all of us 50 contestants was grouped into pools with 6 players in each. The winner of each group and the 4 best placed seconds went on to the finals. I won my pool with the scores 3-0, 3-1, 3-1, 3-0 and 3-1. Thats a damn good score!!!
Anyway, on we went. And this time we got into new pools, 3 players in each, and only the best player in the pool went to the semifinal. Ok, no problem, I thought at first! MAN DID I GET SECOND THOUGHTS!!! I happened to discover that the current national champion was in my pool. OH NO!!!
But still I managed to win. It was hard though, the scores was 2-1, 2-1. The champ played a Necro, but I managed to crush him. When we played the third he had sidedecked out his Terrors(I never got up a creature in the two first duels), because he didn't think I had any summons. You should have seen his face when I got my mana together and played out a Shivan. He just freaked! Anyway, he played out a Hypnotic Specter so he could block once. So what I thought. I attacked, he blocked, the Hypnotic went to the graveyard, he smiled and said: -"It didn't hurt me...". Ok, I said and played out another Shivan Dragon the turn after that. The champs face got longer. So there he was, facing two Shivans, nothing to block with, a Necro out and just 5 lives. IT WAS THE TIME OF MY LIFE!!! HAHAHAHAHA!!!
So I won the pool, but lost in the semi... Well, you know the rest. It didn't mean much. First prize was an Unlimited Black Lotus. So what! I have a Beta Lotus already. :)
Magic Log Supplemental(April 25th 1997):
Maybe its time for another update? I think WotC is becoming a little too "Trigger Happy". I mean, the expansions just shoots out from the factory one by one. I AM BEING FLOODED WITH CARDS!!! You can't really work on the same basis anylonger. I am switching to and forth between playing my traditional red/blue "Permission to Fire Deck", but I am also experimenting with only playing Blue. I have developed several wholeblue decks, but can't fix my fancy to either. We're talking type II. I have developed a Time Elemental deck called Time Squared, which is quite fun to play, but very hard to get right. The one I think I'm gonna use in the next tournament I've called Art of Denial and is based upon counterspells, counterspells and more counterspells. DENY YOUR OPPONENT HIS RIGHT TO POSSESS!!!
We'll see how the next tournament turns out, its in May 16th-19th. I'll come back with another update then.
