The first article of the year launches a new section, “Win and Tell”: the classic quickfire questionnaire that will help us get to know some of the league’s players a little better. Opening the section is Joe Gallego, LCOS Premodern champion for January 2024, who took the win by burning eyebrows off with a Burn deck (yes, there is no report yet — we will write it when we can, being extremely important and extremely busy people).
Can you tell us your full name and your nickname, if you have one?
José Luis Gallego López, known as Joe and, on forums, as Alchemist.
Age?
42 physically and, mentally, 15 — trollwise speaking.
What is your favourite film and/or series?
This is a hard one. For a single film I could say Pulp Fiction, speaking broadly and for various reasons (cast and script), but above all I am in love with the cinema of the 80s and 90s — I am an old fart even about that, xD. For sagas, Pirates of the Caribbean, being an adventure and having a bit of everything. In series, Stargate SG-1, for the sheer weight of values it carries (kindness, friendship, respect and humanity) while still being sci-fi. And I would also like to mention an anime series, Fullmetal Alchemist — a masterpiece as far as I am concerned.
Favourite music genre and band
Metal and Rock, and I am the biggest El Último de la Fila fan there is 🤟🏻
Favourite comic/book
For books I will say Michael Moorcock’s Elric of Melniboné saga, out of nostalgia. For comics I will say a manga — and, to avoid repeating Fullmetal, I will go with Slayers.
Besides Magic, what other hobbies do you have?
Well, given that I am about as complicated as a dummy, I will say no — but geeks do not live on “Mallic” alone. I love meeting up with my friends to go to the cinema and/or have dinner and talk about whatever, healthy trolling always included.
Wine or beer?
LitroVino. A litre of wine.
What year did you start playing Magic, and how?
1995, Fourth Edition black border. I discovered the game at a friend’s house, they taught me to play and I got my first deck. I remember the three rares I opened were Force of Nature, Will-O’-The-Wisp and Nevinyrral’s Disk. Magic has given me a lot of good times and I have met some very good people through it.
What is your favourite colour?
Brown. I am an artifact guy to the bone. I have steel and tin for skin and motor oil for blood.
What is your favourite Premodern card?
Ooof, these are hard questions, friend Juzam. Well, contradicting my previous answer, I will say Plague Spitter, also known as “The Potato”. There is something special about it.
Which formats had you played before?
Magically speaking I have always been a misfit, and I have always gone against the WoTC current. I have always moved around Eternal, Vintage and Legacy. And right now I am head over heels for Premodern.
Do you currently play any formats other than Premodern?
Yes, Legacy and Pauper. But I go in phases; I might well sign up for a Vintage too.
What is your favourite deck? Why?
Right now I do not have a favourite. I like a lot of them; that is Premodern for you.
Which card do you think is underplayed in Premodern?
Smokestack. You do not even see much of it in the decks it belongs in. I think it is a monster of a card — the things you can do with it, from grinding out permanent advantage to resetting the whole table if you fancy going suicidal.
If you could only play one deck for a whole year, which would it be?
UR Tinker
Which deck do you hate the most? Why?
Ha, see, this one is much easier. There is not and never will be a deck created by man or Martian that I hate more than UW Landstill. To me it is a coward’s deck: all reactive cards, and it does nothing unless you do something first. I am not criticising control in general, only this one — combining counterspells with white cards like Humility makes me want to go out and buy petrol.
Which card would you ban?
Islands.
Which card would you unban?
Entomb. I do not think the creatures we have in Premodern are anywhere near powerful enough to justify keeping this card out. Still, if it gets out of hand, it can always be shut away again.
Tell us a crazy idea you would like to try out in the format. (for example: swapping decks with a random player at the start of the tournament)
Here you have properly caught me with my trousers down, hahaha. I would not change a thing, honestly. In the Premodern world, alongside the cards, alcohol is very much present. I don’t know… a drinking contest up in Sant Hilari?
Do you have a funny story from any tournament?
One?? I could give you a kilo of them, xD. But one of the funniest I ever saw was years ago, in Odyssey/Judgment Standard (which today is Premodern ✊🏻💓). I watched a friend playing his Red/Green aggro against a Burn deck of the era. At one point the opponent casts a Threaten on his Baloth — 2R sorcery, gain control of a creature until end of turn, it gains haste — and here is where it gets epic.
After a long series of complex calculations, with my friend gesturing away as if simulating events yet to come, he says OK. So far so good: he lets it through, it gains haste, it hits him and… it gets sacrificed 😱. The look on my friend’s face is indescribable. How can this be?? It only had to hit me once and then it was my turn again! Well, no — maybe, just maybe, he should have considered that it could be sacrificed. Then again, with half a bottle of “Su señorío de Don Mendo” inside you, you see things differently. And that is one of many stories.
Which cards are on your wishlist this year?
Nothing in particular — just gradually turning the pool Japanese, mica en mica, little by little.
Do you have any particular quirk when you play?
A touch of OCD about the table: playmats lined up, everything neatly placed. Only a touch, mind. Is this a report for Roso so he can use it as kryptonite?
And finally… ask whatever you like to the next interviewee!
Right then: why…?
We are saving this question for the next interview. So if you want to know the answer, come back and see us next month.