Hello, my name is Timm Trepanier. I'm the other Tim with two M's. Many of you know me as the guy who always played Varanis in every single event for the past few years so my screen name on the forums, naturally, is theslowmage. Here's my story on the road to top 8 of the Durotar Realm Championship.

My journey begins by talking to Brandon Tyer at 11:30 at night Thursday can't get any sleep so we discuss concepts about our deck for the tournament. Than about an hour later I tell him that I'm going to bed. Then I get a call from Jesse Bevenue who asks, "Do you have an ice chest?". I mean, really? You call me at 1:00 in the morning to see if I have an ice chest? I finally crash.

So I get up at 7:00, grab all my gear, and then head to Jesse's. When I get there, Jesse asks why I am here so early. I then asked if he ever check his texts much. 5 unanswered texts later and we're on the road. We're listening to some random music on my iPhone throughout to drown out jesse's ramblings and we make it to Denton in 4 hours. We check out the card shop Madness Comics where our RC is held. We met the shop owner (pretty cool dude0 and his wife. I picked up an Ascension carrying box which has 200 custom sleeves, which was pretty cool since I didn't have this back at my store.

Moving forward we decide to find a hotel and ended up at the Best Western. Than we head to find food. I see a Wich Wich sign and I'm like "There!". We pulled up and the saddest sign ever is on the front door..... Closed for training! Are you serious? So we decided to head to Chic Filet. We came back to the hotel to relax for a bit and then headed back to the card shop to see our competition at the LCQ. I've met some of these guys before at Worlds 09 in Austin but there were a lot of new faces which means it would be a great turnout for RC.

I did some trading and then met with Brandon Tyer, Calvin Keeney and their whole group at some restaurant named the Green Tree. It was a pretty good place except that the table of 13 of us must have changed everyone in the places multiple times with our conversations. I think the most memorable mention was when this old lady walked up to the girl at our table and said, "Oh honey, you're the only girl at the table.” I said, “Yeah, wait till you see the after-party". I've never heard an old person laugh so hard. I go to pay and the card is declined. I was thinking “wtf”? I call my card company and the person said that the hotel charged 260 to my card instead of 160. The hotel said it would clear up after 3-5 business days. Blah! After dinner we headed back to the room to get some Z's.

The next day was game time! This is what I played:

Hero: [Nuvon Dawnfury]

Master Hero: 2
2 [Ysera the Dreamer]

Allies: 4
4 [Broderick Langforth]

Abilities:
4 [The Taste of Arcana]
4 [Spell Suppression]
3 [Brittilize]
4 [Blizzard]
2 [Conjured Cinnamon Roll]
3 [Counterspell]
4 [Mana Sapphire]
4 [Nether Fissure]
2 [Mana Shift]
2 [Roaring Blaze]
3 [Mystic Denial]

Equipment: 6
4 [Ebonweave Robe]
2 [Netherbreath Spellblade]

Locations: 4

4 [Silvermoon City]

Quests: 10
4 [A Question of Gluttony]
4 [Darkness Calling]
2 [Call to Arms: Arathi Basin]

Pretty much simple: name shadow with [Silvermoon City], drop [Ebonweave Robe] and protect it to lock them out.

Round 1: David Chen - [Triton the Sacreligious]
I played Broderick turn 1, which David mirrored. Turn 3 I played a blind [Mana Sapphire] baiting a [Vuz'din]. It sure enough came down. My turn before I drew flip [a Question of Gluttony], in response flip discarding Broderick, drawing a card via Question to shoot Vuz'din, draw for turn shoot Vuz'din, complete Darkness Calling discarding another Broderick to shoot Vuz'din for lethal. I proceed to attack for 3. He played dethvir and I taste. 6 turns later after countering some more cards I drop Ysera at which point he scoops.

1-0

Round 2: Joseph Sikes - [Deathseer Zul'kraj]
It's a pretty easy match and not much went on. I just countered his key cards, used [Brittlize] on 3 [Voice of Reason], and had Ysera with [Netherbreath Spellblade] and [Mystic Denial].

2-0

Round 3: David Mauck - [Jeriamiah Karkov]
This game was a real nail biter, but I kept my cool. I answered card after card, and he just kept ripping stuff to throw at me. He managed to get me to 23 before I dropped ysera. A few turns later he ended up scooping once netherbreath dropped.

3-0

Round 4: Chad Lathrop - [Lord Benjamin Tramendason]
I had a lot of fun in this match. Made a crucial play mistake but regardless this had to be my favorite match.

3-1

Round 5: Drew Cottongin - [Eronda Frostmoon]
I think I took 7 damage this game. Not much to explain here.

4-1

Round 6: Matthew Parker - [Triton the Sacreligious]
Death Knight again? Well this was a back and forth match of just answering each other's threats. I just ran out of steam.

4-2

So it was on to draft and I was 7th in pod 1. I drafted the nuts:

Hero: [Arturius Hathrow]

Allies: 17
1 [Korialstrasz]
2 [Gerana Sparkfist]
2 [Zuur]
1 [Emerald Wanderer]
1 [Ruby Protector]
1 [Bella Wilder]
1 [Kirjen Fizzgar]
1 [Kalek Deepearth]
1 [Ruby Enforcer]
1 [Varandas Silverleaf]
1 [Loriam Argos]
1 [Emerald Soldier]
1 [Laenthor Shademoon]
1 [Garet Vice]
1 [Emerald Captain]

Abilities: 7
2 [Mark of the Untamed]
1 [Wrath]
1 [Rejuvenation]
1 [Earth and Moon]
2 [Entangling Growth]

Quests: 6
1 [Crystals of Power]
1 [Mystery Goo]
1 [The Essence of Enmity]
1 [The Torch of Retribution]
1 [Cleansing Witch Hill]
1 [Corrosion Prevention]

Round 7: Drew Keeney – Horde Warrior
Game 1 he had a fast start but turn 3 earth and moon and turn 5 and 6 Gerana Sparkfist was good enough to get him to scoop. Game 2 was much the same but he had a slow start.

5-2

Round 8: David Mauck - Alliance Warlock
He had nothing either game. Very bad beats for him.

6-2

Round 9: Skyler Thomas, Alliance Paladin
He answered all my cards both games...until Korialstrasz dropped. Then he died.

7-2

I ended 4th going into top 8.

The Tulsa crew and I went to get some all you can eat pizza. (Tim Batow, John Hall, Michael Barnes, Mr. Wiggans, Jesse Bevenue, and myself) I believe we had 50 slices between us. Talk about a bunch of fat nerds! (except for little Tim Batow of course) After that we just went back to the hotel. I jumped in the shower and then got out. I put my deck in order for the deck check the next day when I started hearing grunting coming from the bathroom. Jesse was taking a shower, and I was really disturbed and slept with one eye open all night.

I woke up and got some Jack and the Box for breakfast, and than we headed to Starbucks for morning refreshment. Then we proceeded to the shop and it was go time.

Quarterfinals: Brandon Larkin, Alliance Death Knight

Neither game I saw a single [Ebonweave Robe] even with mulligans. 1st game he rolled me, 2nd game I had a chance but didn't see Ysera when I got to 10 face-down resources.

Things I would change to the deck:
Drop [Brittlize] for [Freeze]s for scimitar like I originally planned before last minute switching. Also, I'd probably take [Mana Shift]s out for [Blue Suede Shoes] since there was a lot of Munkin and [Entomb] backed by [Strangulate]s going around to protect my robe and netherbreath.

Chad ended up taking the whole thing!

I want to thank William Zobak and Simon Key for running such a great event. Without the awesome people who run these tournaments I would not be part of this game.

Overall a successful weekend. Thanks for reading!

-Timm Trepanier (theslowmage)