In a match pitting experience against the wide-eyed exuberance of a first time big tourney player, the Jumble's Dan Clegg, playing a deck he predicted to go 0-3, faced off against Providence Rhode Island's Melissa Detora.
Playing in her first big tourney, Melissa, who qualified for nationals through New England Regionals is the only woman playing in this year's national championships. Qualifying with her Enchantress deck, she plans on playing it again tomorrow, saying "I just hope to do well, to show the world we can all play, not just the guys".
In game 1, Melissa's draw was just too much for Clegg's deck of mediocrity to handle. First she played a Diving Griffon. Then she played a Ramosian Commander. Then she played Seal of doom, removing Clegg's Rib Cage Spider, the only spell he cast in the first six turns. Clegg was trying to build up to an effive Flowstone Slide, but when Melissa searched for a Trenching Steed and cast the first of two Pit Raptors, it was all but over. Clegg cast the Slide, buying himself time, but the Second Raptor lay in waiting and finished him off quickly.
Game two saw Clegg's deck add a third color, black while it was Melissa who had mana problems. His third turn Lacolith Grunt was joined by a fourth turn Fen Stalker and a fifth turn Scandalmonger, and with Melissa failing to playa land on turn three, she just fell too far behind to catch up, with a swarm of Clegg creatures finishing her off.
Game three was all Melissa's. with a third turn Belbe's Percher and a fourth turn Diving Griffon. Clegg tried to race with a fourth turn Blastoderm, but Melissa's Deathgazer wouldn't hear of it. Clegg finished off the Griffon with a Shock Troop, but to no avail as the percher took him down from twelve to zero in six turns. Now, the competitors will be starting anew with a fresh set of draft tables.