Round 8: Tsuyoshi Fujita vs. Tobey Tamber

By Eli Kaplan

Tsuyoshi Fujita vs. Tobey Tamber

It's 5-2. Winner makes Day 2. Loser doesn't. Any questions?

In all seriousness, Day 2 is on the line here, and the two contenders are undeniable superstars. Tsuyoshi Fujita, finist at PT: Tokyo and owner of a winning record at the 2001 Invitational, has earned wide fandom for his tight play skills and elegant good looks. Tobey Tamber, Top 8 APAC finalist and Asian Grand Prix fixture, is no stranger to success either.

Tamber came to the table bearing strange aliens, Psyduck, and an injured arm. He was in pretty high spirits; he had done well despite playing a deck he described as a 'pile'. Fujita was all business. Tamber tried to roll the higher number with a glass bead, much to the amusement of the crowd. Picking up the twelve-sider borrowed from the audience, he won, and made Fujita play first.

Fujita stalled at two land for two turns, but by that point Tamber had already cast Aven Fisher. Fujita then untapped his Ravaged Highlands and dropped Leaf Dancer. Tamber answered that with a Rabid Elephant and swung with the Fisher. Fujita's freshly played Sandstone Deadfall might have offered a brief respite from the Elephant, but at the cost of losing precious land. Just in case Fujita might do something to his initial pachyderm, Tamber added a second to the table. The resulting fat was too much for the Japanese idol to handle.

Tsuyoshi Fujita

Tobey gasped and stage whispered to the crowd that it was his first game one win all day. He also commented that he was playing at a major disadvantage since he was using his bad right hand to cast spells.

1-0 Tobey Tamber- Tsuyoshi Fujita

Fujita opted to play first. His hand was Rabid Elephant, Nantuko Disciple, Escape Artist, Aven Fisher, Springing Tiger, and two plains. Conventional wisdom says that this hand should mulliganed on sight. Fujita, perhaps feeling lucky, ran with it. Tamber kept his hand as well, and played a Diligent Farmhand, who was given a chance to do one point of damage before being sent packing.

Tobey Tamber

With mutterings about the previous match, Fujita again suffered the indignity of mana screw. Tamber used this window of opportunity to drop an Aven Fisher. Fujita recovered from screw by dropping a Plains and Hallowed Healer. Tamber threw a Psionic Gift at his Aven Fisher, who attacked and suddenly seemed smarter than Fujita's Aven Fisher. Tamber dropped a Rabid Elephant, and Fujita made sure the second Elephant to show was his own. Tamber attacked to bring Fujita to 13, and dropped a big Crashing Centaur.

All Fujita could do to stop this offensive was with Springing Tiger. Tamber kept sending his Rabid Elephant and Crashing Centaur. Fujita was helpless against the unstoppable fatties. A Repel helped Tamber hit threshold and trample through the last few points for the win, edging into Day 2 at sixty-fourth place.

This match was brought to you by Tobey's little Psyduck, who wants to shout out "Hi, Pei Shin!"

Fujita Tsuyoshi

Decklist Stats Sample Hand

Creature (13)

1 Aven Flock 1 Aven Cloudchaser 1 Resilient Wanderer 1 Patrol Hound 1 Hallowed Healer 1 Mystic Zealot 1 Dwarven Strike Force 1 Nantuko Disciple 1 Rabid Elephant 1 Diligent Farmhand 1 Crashing Centaur 1 Springing Tiger 1 Leaf Dancer

Sorcery (2)

1 Kirtar's Wrath 1 Volley of Boulders

Instant (5)

1 Second Thoughts 1 Demoralize 1 Thermal Blast 1 Refresh 1 Muscle Burst

Artifact (1)

1 Sandstone Deadfall

Enchantment (2)

1 Kirtar's Desire 1 Still Life

Land (17)

5 Forest 3 Mountain 6 Plains 1 Sungrass Prairie 1 Ravaged Highlands 1 Timberland Ruins

40 Cards

Deal Another Hand

Tobey Tamber

Decklist Stats Sample Hand

Creature (11)

1 Aven Fisher 1 Aven Smokeweaver 2 Dreamwinder 1 Barbarian Lunatic 1 Chainflinger 2 Crashing Centaur 1 Diligent Farmhand 1 Nut Collector 1 Springing Tiger