by Wolfgang Penetsdorfer

It was the 4^th Lure-event, so I can observe some routine (in a positive sense) and in some cases in have learned my lessons.

Again the Austrian crew started their journey on Thursday, and this year I agreed, that 4 people and a lot of package is enough for 650 km in a Mazda Baby. So we arrived in quite good shape and we spent a very pleasant evening with the others, that have arrived already (of course with some MECCG cards in our hands).

Next morning I had enough time for some preparations, when one on one players from all over the world dropped in. In many cases it was a meeting of friends, since it became a good habit, that one, who attended the Lure once will almost certain come again the next year. Well met again, Lure folk!

This year 123 players spent the weekend on castle Stahleck, having much too little sleep but the more fun with out beloved cards. We played 23 tournaments (you find the results here); there were traditional Constructed and Sealed Deck tourneys as well as new stuff such as Cool Play, Crap and Dragonhunt. We had some strange Sealed ones with Spanish, Dutch and Japanese cards, and of course there was the inevitable Drinking Game (with the 3^rd Drinking Game Only card series). Nico and his team presented another big expansion set: the Firstborn found their way to MECCG. Not to forget that Simone got the chance to teach another 8 new players the game.

I planned on playing the Drinking Game in the evening, but there was an odd number and some others were looking desperatedly for a 6^th player to the Minion Only Constructed. So I changed, but first I had to get a Minion Deck. I asked some people, if they want to have their deck tested for Saturdays GenOpp, and finally I got a quite funny Minion deck from andreas Vogt: a Balrog without Balrog! Time was pressing, so I didn´t spend much time in looking at the deck and played it as the cards came to my hand. Searching for some Dragon Factions and big items in Dragon County I always asked myself, why the hell Andreas isn´t playing the Balrog. I even got a win in the first round, and in the third round I was utterly destroyed by some Dragons, who preferred eating to following me.

On Saturday I was looking forward for the Dragonhunt. Last year this was my favourite, and again it was such great fun to play this one. I modified my deck a little bit, but I was still trying to kill those big Dragons with some minions. First round was great: Itangast was slain in his own cave. And I convinced Smaug to join me. Second round was the opposite: Itangast took terrible revenge and not even Daelomin wanted to follow. Also the third round seemed to end like this, but finally good old Smaug showed some pity and joined me one more time. It is still very thrilling to stand at some mountain knowing that you will be facing a Dragon soon. Are you prepared good enough? Is there some surprising Dragon Wickedness (coming from the opponent)?? Again I liked this tourney very much.

In the evening I played Crap. As many others I wanted to play a normal Sealed after seeing, what I have pulled: Quickbeem with Old forest, Orcrist and the Glorfindel f-deck. Even worse ihad exactly 10 characters, so all of them had to go into the deck. It turned out, that my deck did not too bad (meaning it won some TPs), while I tried to get as many points as possible with the decks I drew. First round was quite funny: I had to play with Thorsten´s deck against – Thorsten!! So he knew everything I had, still I managed a tie. Next two rounds I palyed very succesfull: 6:0 both. Lots of thanks to those, who built this hell of a Crap for my opponents ;-) this finally brought me place three.

On Sunday I wanted to play Cool Play. But again there would have been an odd number, also I had some organizing stuff to do. So I took the chance to move aroud and have some looks on other tournaments, talking to some friends and simply inhale the spirit of MECCG, that such a crowd is giving off. My wife Christine had some casual games with my Cool Play deck and won all of them 6:0. it makes me consider to let her doing the playing stuff in future…

So finally also Lure IV came to end, and as I did on the castle yet, I also want to say thanks to so many people, who have helped me organizing this event, though I am the one behind the mikro all the time (yea! I really had a micro this year. One of the lessons I have learned!).

My sincere thanks go to Steffen Lutter for this great homepage ( www.lureofmeccg.org), to Wim Heemskerk for providing us with Sealed stuff at really great prizes, to Thomas Jobst and Michael Schenk for caring for our thirsty throats, to Ute Jobst for neverending copying, to Thorsten Werner supporting me during the prize ceremonies, to Thomas Herrmann for having found this marvellous place and always offering his help on site, to all the tournament coordinators and to my Gigi, who helps e with so many small things. And finally to all those players, who have been at the castle to share the fun and keeping this great game prospering.

Well done again, Lure Folk! See you at Lure of MECCG V, which will be from 11^th to 13^th March 2005!

Wolfgang