SPEAK TO THE CHAMP: BELGIAN NATIONAL GRAND PRIX 2015

1. What’s is your name? How long have you been playing TCG's? What’s games were they?  Did you have any accomplishments in previous TCG's? What’s are your preferred style of decks to play?

Hi, my name is Nicolas Debacker, I’ve been playing TCG’s for 18 years now, starting with Magic. I nearly never played another TCG’s (well, I tried Pokemon but I didn’t catch on). I’m currently playing Magic and FoW. I’ve made several day2 on Magic’s GP and reach money, but that’s all.

I’m definitely a control player, whatever game I play.

2.  How long have you been playing FOW? What interested you about the game and how did you find out about it? Where do you play locally?

I’ve start Fow before the second Vallalah English set goes out, can’t really remember when it was. 2 years ago? It was a friend of mine who knew the official reseller of the game in Belgium. He made me try the game in his kitchen, and I immediately hook on the game. I actually play in Charleroi, which is the only place I know in Belgium where the game is active.

3.  What was the name of the event you topped? where was it and when? what place did you get and how many people attended?

I won the first GP hold in Belgium, back in February. I won the travel for Venice. I played Ushuah (the format was Origin with life break). Then, I won then world qualifier with Garmheld (again, the format was Origin but without life break this time). We were 14 ppl the first time (if I remember correctly) and 11 the second time.

4.  Prior to the event how did you prepare for the event and what was your expectations on what you types of decks you were going to face?  How is you meta compared to other areas? (for example: if you live in Russia, how is Russia's meta compared to the rest of the FOW communities)  How often do you play each week and how long?

For event that small, i just try to go a lot to the store where the tournament will be held, and try to see what people will play. This time, however, i picked a deck I have seen in Venice, and try to improve it with the recent addition from “The Moon Priestess Returns”.

Our meta is quite various. I think we just had 2 decks which were the same on the last tournament, two red wizard. We had 1 Abdul, 1 Siegfrid, 1 Lumia (first of the name),…

5.  What deck did you decide to enter with and why? 

I played this deck because i thought it was really powerful and had a really strong early game. Despite that, it's still a control deck. You can finish the game very fast.

6.  Please explain your card choices (main/side/stones/ruler)

Well, there isn’t much to explain. The cards are pretty obvious ;-)
Your goal is to set a Kukunochi on turn 1. You may cheat it with Sprout of treasure’s Tree (discarding Kukunochi, add 3 wind will, pay 400 hp to add darkness will via Garmheld, then reanimate her with Oath of dead) or with double Sprout.

For the stone, I’m a big fan of playing multiple colors with 10 duals stone. However, I was afraid of Split heaven and earth, which is an card that I don’t like ‘cause it pray too much on the metagame (you can’t play full Special Magic Stone, or you’d be destroy by agro/burn).

I try to always be the control player, that explain the side. If my opponent try to control the game on game 1, I transform the deck to play a Liberator of wind, and be even more control.

7. Give in detail each of your matches ( you can get as detailed as you like here)

Round 1, I played against Siegfried. The goal of my opponent was to set a flip turn 5, and kill on the spot. Luckily, I started this game (as every game in the tournament :D) and set a Kukunochi turn 1. I killed a little dragon, and kept 2 kiss of death for the turn he flipped. Game 2, he was dead turn 4 thanks Magicsucker Beetle support with Kukunochi to grow every turn.

Game 2, I played against a red wizard. Heithrun maindeck is just too much for them, ‘cause it buy so much time that they can’t handle le lifegain + counterspell + blockers.

Game 3,another red wizard

Game 4, I was facing Abdul. I can’t say that I was happy. He flipped quickly both game, and negate the ability of kukunochi. I couldn't get as much card advantage as i use to have in other game. It was thoughter but what can Abdul do when you have 3 Kukunochi on the board? :)

8.  Reflecting back on the event  - what would you have changed in your deck? Or was their any choices that you thought you should've made but didn’t?

I'm a bit disappointed by my sideboard. I didn't need to use at all the transformal sideboard. I think there were cards i never board postside.

9.  What are your goals in the game FOW?

I'm just trying to do my best at the game, and to bring enjoyment to my friend when i play with them (i even create a "cube" for the draft, an idea i stole from Magic ;-) )

10.  What do you expect or hope will happen in the future with FOW? 

I hope that the game will grow (specially in Belgium :D ) and that we'll always have set like Crimson Moon's Fairy tale.

11.  Will you be attending any event? Overseas? 

You can expect to see me in Japan this September, for the World Championship. Nothing else planned for now, but i try to attend to every tournament in Belgium, and to go for the big tournament in Italy (if i can have so vacation, which is hard in my job).

12.  Do you have any comments you would like to add?

Just to thank you for the opportunity you gave me to enlight you about the (small but) adorable community in Belgium.
I'd like to really thank David Bouillon (organizer) and Daniel De Bruycker (Belgian Judge) for all they did, and all they do for the game in my country.