Today, I am interviewing one of the most prolific characters in the game of Magic: the Gathering… Michael J. Flores, Resident Genius. I have known Michael for eleven years, and I’m blessed to have been his friend long before he was ever anything but the worst.
His resume is far too long to list, so take my word for it. He has done a few things for a few people, not the least of which was write to me continually for years during a time when I needed a friend most. In addition, he introduced me to John Shuler, Adrian Sullivan, Brian Kowal, and Katherine Flores, four great friends who have always shown love and support.
Without further ado, twenty-five questions with the man more popular than the Beatles….
Patrick Chapin: What are the five best – or most important – decks you have ever built?
Michael J. Flores: 5. The G/W deck that Kibler Top 8’ed U.S. Nats in ’04 with, that transformed into Tooth and Nail.
4. Kuroda Red with Top, Shrapnel Blast, and the Culling Scales sideboard.
3. Enduring Ideal, an aggro ideal deck that would have been the greatest deck I ever built, if only I hadn’t sat on it.
2. Playing Fair, a G/B mid-range deck that is entirely not The Rock.
1. Jushi Blue, I firmly believe Jushi Blue had the greatest edge ever for any major tournament deck.
PC: Not Napster?
MJF: Okay, if you insist, I will get six.
PC: Looking only at Pro Tours that you and I have both played, who is the best Magic player of all time?
MJF: Canada.
PC: What?
MJF: Some has-beens from Canada.
PC: Explain!
MJF: Paul McCabe won the first, Terry Borer won the second.
PC: What about me? I made Top 8 at the first three! How did you forget me?
MJF: I didn’t forget you. I was waiting for you to say it.
PC: Tolarian Academy and Tinker, Yawgmoth’s Will and Dark Ritual, or Elvish Herder and Barrin, Master Wizard. Which pair of cards was in the best Saga-Legacy block deck? Explain.
MJF: The best was Will and Ritual, as in my land destruction deck. Sturla Bingen made Top 32, losing only to a triple consecutive Temporal Aperture revealing Wildfire. I finished 2-5 Day 1, despite a game 1 record of 6-1. I set the record for most mulligans, blah, blah, blah, random excuses.
PC: How in the world did you ever end up finding and marrying the perfect woman?
MJF: I am not gutless. I am actually fearless, whereas most Magic players see plaid, still hiding behind their mommies’ skirts, despite the fact that they are 26.
PC: What exotic location – that you have never been to – would you like to see host a Pro Tour?
MJF: I want to go to Hawaii. I don’t care about anywhere else on Earth. Once you, Bob Maher, and I were hanging out at Pro Tour DC. I made fun of the two of you for living in Iowa, or wherever you live. Bob said that since I lived in NY, everywhere else might as well be Bolivia. At the time, I agreed. Now, I realize there are three types of places on Earth: New York, Bolivia, and Hawaii.
PC: Why do you have such a reputation for playing fair decks, and is it warranted?
MJF: I always advocate fair decks, so I guess it is warranted, but our fair decks beat the broken decks. We do get “fair-ed out” though, in the fair-on-fair fights.
PC: It is well known that you rank Necropotence above Yawgmoth’s Will. What about Bob Maher (Dark Confidant) versus Aziz (Dauthi Slayer)?
MJF: I mean, Dauthi Slayer has won me much more. Dark Confidant is a powerful card, but it is terribly overrated and played far too much.
PC: Who is the favorite of all your children?
MJF: I was at Pro Tour: Atlanta, and two of my children were on 6-0 before losing to Tiago Chan team. Josh Ravitz, who was coming off a Top 4 Grand Prix finish… I expected to do well. He scrubbed out. “That is okay,” I told him, “You are still my favorite of all of my children.” I later was forced to rescind this statement when I realized that my biological daughter, Bella, already existed.
PC: You are a well-known advocate of not playing Vintage. What advice would you give those Classic players out there with their hearts set on playing the format?
MJF: It is not that I don’t advocate Vintage, it’s just that Vintage players are so up-in-arms about how good they are, when their decks are such a joke. Why don’t you try playing 29 mana sources, 29 tutor/card drawers, a Yawgmoth’s Will, and a Tendrils of Agony, and get back to me. The first one is free, but I expect 5% of your residual lists.
PC: What was the greatest Constructed format of all time? Note: Mercadian Masque Block Constructed is not an acceptable answer. I don’t care how many Mageta the Lions you played.
MJF: The Extended format that Kai Budde won the Pro Tour with Trix versus Walamies with Dumbo Drop. There were so many great decks. YMG had a huge edge on deck, but the best man still won with a great deck. Anton Johnson managed to make Top 8 with straight Three-Deuce in a format with Trix, Tinker, and turn 1 Verdant Force. The following season I played in four tournaments, and won three with The Rock and Miracle Grow. Masque was still better, though. Standard 2000 was the best deckbuilder’s format, as is evident by the incredible success of all of the game’s best deck designers at the time.
PC: What was the greatest Limited format of all time?
MJF: Triple Urza’s Saga Rochester. The Pro Tour Top 8 was Steve-O, Finkel, Chapin, Long, Worth Wollpert, Svend Geertsen, Terry Lau, and Lucien Bui.
PC: As a Resident Genius recipient, who do you feel the award should go to this year?
MJF: For sure, Mark Herberholz. I actually had a better year in every way this year, much better than last year, and I still feel he deserves it for sure. He is the best deck designer in the world. Seriously, Mark designs decks much the way Finkel plays Magic. Most people will never understand.
PC: What is one card from each color you would like to see reprinted in Tenth that is not already spoiled or in Ninth?
MJF: White — Isamaru, Hound of Konda.
Red — Magma Jet.
Green — Blastoderm.
Blue — Doesn’t Blue have enough? Fine, Remand.
Black — Duress, Dark Ritual, Entomb, Vampiric Tutor, pretty much all the good one-drops.
PC: Would you settle for Imperial Seal?
MJF: I don’t know what that card does, as all the copies I have ever seen are in Chinese. I will have to ask Matt Wang to translate for me.
PC: My neck hurts. Will you give me a massage?
MJF: Have you ever had to ask before?
PC: Which of the following best describes your current deck of choice for Regionals: Sacred Foundry, Steam Vents, Hallowed Fountain, or Watery Grave?
MJF: As there is no “all of the above,” I will have to go with Hallowed Fountain.
PC: Word Association… Napster.
MJF: Perfect.
PC: Jonny Magic.
MJF: Perfect.
PC: Japanese.
MJF: Kenji.
PC: Heezy.
MJF: Taken it!
PC: Circle of Protection: White.
MJF: I’m drawing a blank.
PC: Vintage.
MJF: Resveratrol.
PC: Future Sight.
MJF: Gerard Fabiano
PC: Donkasaurus Rex.
MJF: Green.
PC: Deckade.
MJF: Top8Magic.com.
PC: What was your greatest Magical success?
MJF: My personal finish in Charleston made me most happy, among Magic accomplishments, but I still could have helped my teammates more if I was less focused on myself.
PC: What was your greatest Magical failure?
MJF: U.S. Nationals 1999… you were there with that girl I picked up, waiting for my name to be called for Top 8….
PC: Who are your five favorite Magic authors of all time?
MJF: 5. Brian David Marshall- obv.
4. Randy Buehler– who claimed in print that I played like a donk on purpose to lure opponents into long traps.
3. Edt- Underrated as a writer, which says a lot, considering that most people put him in their Top 5.
2. Brian Hacker- Every tournament report he has ever written is better than every tournament report ever written by anyone else not named John Shuler.
1. John Shuler- I’m pretty sure the forward he wrote in Deckade is better than anything I wrote in it.
PC: Speaking of Shuler and Hacker, who would win in a fight?
MJF: Shuler. Hacker is a vegetarian.
PC: What is the most common or biggest mistake that PTQ players make that holds them back from reaching the Pro Tour?
MJF: They are unwilling to change. They are unwilling to accept that the things they think are true are actually wrong.
PC: If you are so good at building decks and are allegedly the best play-tester on the planet, why do you get wrecked at every Pro Tour? (As in no Top 8 performances…)
MJF: The number of appearances I have is very small. I used to be terrible, so my early years are throwaways. Now that I am good, I don’t play as much.
PC: So, are you ever going to Top 8 a Pro Tour?
MJF: Umm, yeah?
PC: What is the most misunderstood thing you have ever said? (Magical)
MJF: You can read any Stephen Menendian article for a good (if not best) example.
PC: You have a reputation for being super-positive in set reviews, and you receive a lot of slack about it. What do you have to say to those who criticize your optimistic perspective?
MJF: First of all, you don’t build any great decks by shooting any cards down. As an example, most people didn’t have Strands of Undeath in their list of playables, but it was very important to a deck that did a lot of good for a lot of people. On balance, I said Compulsive Research was Constructed Unplayable, but lo and behold, it is one of the primary cards I play. Detritivore is an excellent example of a card I ranked highly, but received criticism on. Wow, what do you know… it is one of the best cards in the set.
…
The stories I have to tell about Michael J. Flores are extensive enough to fill a novel. While I haven’t seen Mr. Flores in many a moon, I can say with confidence that one of the high points of Pro Tour: San Diego will be kicking it with one of my oldest and greatest friends.
Michael J. Flores… broken in most formats.
Patrick Chapin
“The Innovator”