That good old feeling

In 1997, Señor Stompy made it all the way to the top four of that year’s world championships. In the following year, mono green team booked another ticket back to the top four in a major US tournament. It was during the same period when the greatest trading card game was introduced to me. I liked it immediately not just because how easy it was to learn but on how Hurricane, Giant Growth and Berserk end things. Every win then, even if it was just playing against my fellow high school buddies along the school corridor, I felt like a rampaging Rogue Elephant. While every loss, a weakling  Bear Cub. 

Fast-forward. 2007, legacy was in progress of overtaking vintage.  In the same year, César Fernández topped a Legacy Open PT in Valencia, Spain with his, then updated, version of mono green stompy. I checked his winning list and it was just a few cards away from what I had: a couple more Berserk, a set of Might of Old Krosa and the Kavu Predator - Invigorate package. This inspired and caused me to dig out my stompy from my place of oblivion. After its completion, I named it five peso stumpy and started to participate in legacy play test session and sanctioned tournaments. 2008 to 2010, five peso stumpy took me to numerous top eights. I never regret investing on it because of the dividends it gave (dual lands, legacy staples and some even as monetary prizes).

The arrival of vital cards from Zendikar to Innistrad blocks that helped reshaped the course of legacy, was also the same time where my five peso stumpy started to slip its grip in the competitive scene. Such occurrence forced me to shelve the green team in favor of Bryant Cook’s creation, The Epic Storm. Even though she is playing the reserved role now, I make sure that she is always with me in all of my travel abroad and partake in tournaments whether it be a Friday or Sunday Grand Prix legacy side event, small legacy tournament or even just doing play test with one of their local players. 

Here are some of my memorable games with my beloved deck.

- All second turn wins. Two Forest by second turn + first turn creature + attack + opponent just takes it like a man because it will only bite for one or two damages  + two Invigorates + two Berserks equals win.

- That priceless look on my opponent’s face whenever I cast a Jungle Lion or Scryb Sprites. He’s like, WTF is this?

- Spreading Seas  + a school of fish headed by Lord of Atlantis, islandwalk? What islandwalk? -Fog.

- Mental Misstep splash five peso stumpy deck.

- The crowd roared when the king of the jungle bailed me out from a win-and-in situation.

- Force of Will denying Scryb Sprites in some of my turn ones. 

- That moment when Berserk became my removal without doubling his damage at me.

- Kavu Predator and Batterskull became best friends.

- And lastly, Skarrgan Pit-Skulk single-handedly wins the game against their lone big man on the table (Progenitus, Griselbrand and Emrakul,Aeon of Torn). 

Nowadays whenever I am with my beloved deck in a tournament, winning the entire event is not my primary goal for I know that it is next to impossible because of their superior power level. But to remember, and experience, that good old feeling again where every win feels like a rampaging Rouge Elephant. While every loss is like a weakling Bear Cub.

-Rafael Lagasca

Paeng4983 in various legacy forums

FB: Paeng Paeng

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*SFM, why are you on my cover?