pw_level pt_top_ gt_top_ debut nationality residence article_title name winnings lifetime_pro_points
41 -lrb- battlemage -rrb- 1 -lrb- 3 -rrb- 0 -lrb- 0 -rrb- 1998 worlds -- seattle united states american san diego , california , usa brian selden
 brian selden us 105
brian selden

brian selden -lrb- born in 1980 in san diego , california -rrb- was the winner of the 1998 .
his strategy in the tournament was to use two cards , called `` survival of the fittest '' and `` recurring nightmare '' repeatedly .
the former card puts creatures into the , while the latter allows the user to return those and other cards -lrb- including the `` recurring nightmare '' card itself -rrb- to his or her hand without using any mana .
this results in a constant cycle of resurrected creatures .
brian used this tactic to bring back utility creatures or either `` verdant force '' or `` spirit of the night '' , both very expensive , powerful , and usually game-ending cards .
brian received his bs in mechanical engineering from the university of california , berkeley in 2003 , and his ms in mechanical engineering from mit in 2005 .
he is currently developing a new deck-based rpg with an even higher degree of user-to-user feedback , the idea being that the level of player engagement will increase if players can form teams and work cooperatively .
though the details of his creative works are currently undisclosed , it is rumored that the game will be similar to magic : the gathering to some extent , but with more of a focus on the broader life events of each character , beyond their particular skills in battle .
