Locations
Jeremiah Buckenberger or "Buck" as he's normally called introduced himself to me after I had dropped from the main event. (sigh) He told me that he is a Captain in the United States Airforce stationed on a base in Germany as a Civil Engineer and has only really been able to access ManaNation.com for his Magic fixes. :) Also, that his wife had found ManaNation and was emailing him articles when access wasn't readily available. Thanks for that Mrs. Buck!
Now Buck wasn't participating in the Main Event in Berlin. He was currently stationed a few hours away and wanted to play in the side events primarily the Legacy Format. He showed me his deck and I loved it. However, I must say that his list really made me miss the days of Necropotence...
I'm sure you can put together the pieces ;) Checking with Buck throughout the weekend he ended up with a winning record but unfortunately could not muster a tourney win. Later in the evening, I asked Buck the same questions I had asked Mike while drinking beer (one of Germany's great past-times)
Lee - Why did you come to Berlin?
Buck - To play Magic. I don't have too much opportunity to play Magic locally, which is one of the things I miss most about the states. So I'm trying to take advantage of this event being only a few hours away.
Lee - What did you enjoy most about the event?
Buck - Just getting to play Magic has been enjoyable. However, in just a couple of days I have really learned alot by watching some of the great players that are here.
Lee - Is there anything you'd do differently to prepare for your trip?
Buck - If I could, I would practice more. I wouldn't say I'm a bad player, but when you come to these events you really get to see how you stack against some of the best players in the world, even in the side events. I would certainly practice, practice, practice.
Lee - Were there any Pro Players you had wanted to see or meet?
Buck - There weren't any people in particular that I wanted to meet, but it was really cool to see people you only hear or read about. Even meeting Lee Steht from ManaNation made it really cool for me.
Lee - What are your final impressions with the event?
Buck - I really enjoyed the experience. The opportunity to play in so many events and different formats was really exciting. Although I wish I had watched the Pros play a little bit more it was still a great time. I learned alot just being here and just watching.
I thanked Buck for watching the show and serving in the United States Armed Forces. I shared some of my experiences when I was in the U.S. Navy and reminded myself of jsut how old I have gotten :) and then I walked with him to the train station where he would be heading home.
For me, traveling to play Magic is so much fun. It's a fantastic getaway that also allows me the opportunity to do what I enjoy, which is play Magic. When I meet cool people it just makes the trip that much more enjoyable. I certainly hope you enjoyed this 2 part article and I hope you're able to experience the same.
Lee
