Erek Speed

So, I’ve been reading a lot of stuff about Saito and whether or not he’s a terrible person.  I live in Japan and frequent his store, so I’m fairly confident that he’s not a terrible person just on account of my personal interactions with him.  I felt that his own final words on the topic should be put forth.

I hope that the translation conveys the true sense of his words.  If it makes you feel angry, then you probably don’t understand.  Essentially, it confirms that AJ Sacher was essentially exactly right in his post here.  He never intended to break the rules.  His original article in Japanese is here.  Anyway, here’s the translation.  It’s pretty accurate, but getting all the nuances is hard, so mostly use it as a much better google translate. — Erek Speed

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I couldn’t tweet during the event but I had some thoughts that I jotted down in my phone which I will now share unedited:

Thoughts:

People are assuming I’m from the philippines which leads to a bit of confusion.  I don’t speak Tagalog!  (though I learned how to pronounce it.)

Round 3 opponent couldn’t believe I was black, exclaimed the unbelievable fact to his friend later.

He was going to guess half brazillian I guess.

After I told him of the Jamaican dilutution of my black half, he asked me if I smoked weed, I sadly told him no, but I guess Filipino grass is really good.  Oh well.

Rd 1:  mono-red.  Game 1 he gets me before i can stabilize. I die to hell thunder tricks game 2.

R2:  white weeny.  Game 1 I didn’t draw a planeswalker but sphinx almost got there.  I couldn’t counter the second conqerors pledge though.

Games 2 and 3 I did draw planeswalkers.  I exiled 2 baneslayer angels because emeria was live an I wanted to win. 😛

Rd 3:  sqeaker games vs Jund.   Game 1 he got me with burn mostly.  Casting hell’s thunder 3 times.  Game 2 I stabalized but i needed a 6th land for my sphinx for 7 turns before I died to incidental damage that included thunders and sarkhan throwing broodmate dragon’s at me.

Rd 4:  vampires.  No witches or vapors.  game 1 he hits me with mind sludge to destroy me.  Game 2 walkers plus sphinx. Game 3 he mulls to 5 and I day 2 hexmages.  Then I count up Jace because he’s stuck on 2 lands.  5 turns later I ultimate.

Martin juza should never call a judge.

Rd 5 vs jund
Game one I double sea’d and won with the walkers and sphinx.  Game 2 I went to 1 before stabalizing with coup and counters.  I countered a pulse on my tokens but maybe I should save the counters for burn only.

Rd 6 vs mono green
Killed me game 1 with monument.  Planeswalker awesomeness games 2 and 3.  Game I day/coup 3 times.

Rd 7 vs NLB
Game 1 I mulled to 5 and never had more than 2 land.  Game 2 I mulled again and took some time to get some blue sources. It happens I guess.

The Mosquitos here love to bite my legs.

Rd 8 grixis draw.

Greedy game one.  Spinx game 2.  10 minutes left.  Draw.

Rd 9 gw aggro ramp
He was late so he received a game loss.  He had a pretty aggressive start game 2 with 2 escorts and so many spawn tokens.  I slowly ramped up playing walls and spreading seas while keeping negate open for the overrun.  I countered it eventually and won soon after that.

So many girls here.  More girls than I’d ever at any magic event.  Most were even playing in the event.  Definitely a good sign for magic.