"Pro" player Achmed Ben Achmed Al-Achad, 16, qualified for Pro Tour Osaka last Saturday with an "Illusions-Donate" deck he found on the internet. Achmed's parents are among the elite few in the area who can afford a computer.

Achmed Ben Achmed Al-Achad waits patiently for the next round to start.

Regarding his deck choice, Al-Achad had the following to say: "I looked at the G.P. Sendai top 8 and there were 5 of these Donate decks. None of them got to the finals, but the metagame is a little different around here so I decided to play it anyway."

When prompted to explain Achmed continued, "For example, nobody around here plays a lot of counterspells. In fact, there were more Flametounge Kavu in that tournament then Forces of Will (or Islands for that matter). It is difficult to get cards older than Invasion Block around here."

Mr. Al-Achad orders cards over the internet, a luxury his peers cannot afford. Evidently there aren't even public computers for players to use to research decks or strategies.

"There were 5 R/G Creature decks and me in the tournament," Achmed explained. "Three rounds of swiss, cut to top 4." Al-Achad was awarded a Bye in the first round, and after his undefeated finish he is now qualified for his 4th Pro Tour. Achmed has won a total of 1 match in his first three Pro Tour appearances (he was awarded a Bye in round 7 of PTNO).

A local player had this to say about Al-Achad's consistant top finishes at local tournaments: "He comes in with a new deck every week, and they're all SO GOOD! I wish I could build decks like that guy. He must be among the top players in the world, I bet he'll do real good in Osaka..."

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"Pro" player Achmed Ben Achmed Al-Achad, 16, qualified for Pro Tour Osaka last Saturday with an "Illusions-Donate" deck he found on the internet. Achmed's parents are among the elite few in the area who can afford a computer.

Achmed Ben Achmed Al-Achad waits patiently for the next round to start.

Regarding his deck choice, Al-Achad had the following to say: "I looked at the G.P. Sendai top 8 and there were 5 of these Donate decks. None of them got to the finals, but the metagame is a little different around here so I decided to play it anyway."

When prompted to explain Achmed continued, "For example, nobody around here plays a lot of counterspells. In fact, there were more Flametounge Kavu in that tournament then Forces of Will (or Islands for that matter). It is difficult to get cards older than Invasion Block around here."

Mr. Al-Achad orders cards over the internet, a luxury his peers cannot afford. Evidently there aren't even public computers for players to use to research decks or strategies.

"There were 5 R/G Creature decks and me in the tournament," Achmed explained. "Three rounds of swiss, cut to top 4." Al-Achad was awarded a Bye in the first round, and after his undefeated finish he is now qualified for his 4th Pro Tour. Achmed has won a total of 1 match in his first three Pro Tour appearances (he was awarded a Bye in round 7 of PTNO).

A local player had this to say about Al-Achad's consistant top finishes at local tournaments: "He comes in with a new deck every week, and they're all SO GOOD! I wish I could build decks like that guy. He must be among the top players in the world, I bet he'll do real good in Osaka..."

Discuss this article in the Magic: the Gathering Forums!