FNM - Nov 21, 2008

Our BG Elves deck has been doing pretty good recently, but it doesn't seem to get over the hump of actually winning an FNM, or top 8-ing a tourney. Because of that, and also to inject some change in my FNM experience, I sleeved up a Planeswalker Control deck, influenced by the recent Fellowship of the Ring creation in the PT Berlin LCQ, and modified based on card availability:



// Lands
4 [SHM] Reflecting Pool
4 [ALA] Jungle Shrine
3 [EVE] Rugged Prairie
2 [10E] Battlefield Forge
1 [SHM] Wooded Bastion
4 [10E] Brushland
4 [10E] Treetop Village
2 [SHM] Fire-Lit Thicket

// Creatures
4 [LRW] Garruk Wildspeaker
4 [LRW] Chandra Nalaar
2 [ALA] Ajani Vengeant
1 [ALA] Elspeth, Knight-Errant
4 [SHM] Kitchen Finks

// Spells
4 [LRW] Fertile Ground
2 [10E] Mind Stone
4 [10E] Wrath of God
3 [10E] Pyroclasm
4 [10E] Condemn
2 [LRW] Oblivion Ring
2 [ALA] Naya Charm

// Sideboard
SB: 4 [SHM] Guttural Response
SB: 4 [LRW] Cloudthresher
SB: 3 [LRW] Primal Command
SB: 2 [LRW] Oblivion Ring
SB: 2 [SHM] Faerie Macabre

Having 7 board sweepers and 8 spot removals (counting the Naya Charms), the deck should run over Kithkin and any other aggro deck. 5-color control should also be an easy matchup, as they don't have any answer to planeswalkers (unless for some reason, they run O-Rings in the SB). It would have a problem against Faeries (due to Flying) and any deck running burn, such as RDW or Blightning Beatdown.

Anyway, here's what happened 5 hours ago:

Round 1: vs. WW Kithkin (lost)

My opponent opens with Plains-Stalwart, and I secretly smile as I start the first game. I end up doing business as usual, controlling the board, and finishing up with Elspeth and Chandra.

My SB strategy for aggro is "There is no sideboard plan", so I just shuffle my deck for game 2.

In game 2, my opponent pulls off a god draw, and kills me in an alpha strike despite being at 22 life. Windbrisk-Mirrorweave ftw. What do you know...

In game 3, it starts off much like game 1, when he would lay down threats, and I would Wrath. Lay down more threats, then Pyroclasm. Lay down more threats, then Wrath. Wash, rinse, repeat. Up until a single Figure of Destiny falls through the cracks, which eventually becomes a mighty-morphing-flying-first-striking-power-ranger. I topdeck a Condemn for it, but draw only lands afterward, and he finishes me off with two knights - Orchid and Meadowgrain.

Game standing: 1-2
Match standing: 0-1


Round 2: vs. WW Kithkin (won)

Heavily disappointed after the first round, I wanted to redeem myself with my second round opponent, who also happens to play the short white weenie tribe. This time though, my deck stops disappointing me, and I easily run him over in 2 games -- first game via ultimate abilities of Chandra and Garruk (in a single turn), and second game via non-stop Beast tokens from Garruk.

Game standing: 3-2
Match standing: 1-1


Round 3: vs. Mono Green Elf Ball (won)

This was another easy match, as elf ball decks always overcommit to the board, and a single Pyroclasm would ruin their day. On the second game, I even get to do "The Dream" -- Ajani 1-sided Armageddon, followed by Wrath of God = no permanents in play for my opponent.

Game standing: 5-2
Match standing: 2-1


Round 4: vs. WW Kithkin (lost)

My 4th round opponent's first play was Plains-Go, and I knew he was playing Kithkins. However, after 2 more Plains-Go turns, I started to doubt myself -- what is this, mono-white control? However, when his 4th land was a Windbrisk Heights, I knew he just kept an extremely slow hand. And he paid for it, as I easily won game 1 behind Garruk Beast tokens.

For game 2, my starting hand was Brushland, Treetop, Finks, Wrath, and 3 random PWs. Not bad, I thought... I could Finks, then wait for 4 mana to Wrath the board.

And then, time stood still, all hell broke loose, and my deck went to the Phantom Zone. Apparently, my opponent used The Force, and did a Jedi-cut. I never got a third land! I drew a Mind Stone eventually, which I used to play my Finks, but the Stone was quickly O-ring'd by my opponent. WTF. O-ring as land D. By then, I was already being overrun by FOD's and knights.

For game 3, I thought for a while, but decided to keep another 2-hand land (both Treetops). What do you know... my deck wasn't finished playing games with me, and all I drew afterwards was a third Treetop and a Reflecting Pool. Mono-green ftl.

Game standing: 6-4
Match standing: 2-2

Oh well, shit happens.

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to test the deck against Faeries and 5-color control, but heck, I still felt good about the "promise" of the deck. Setting aside those ridiculously bad draws in rounds 1 and 4, it actually did its job and steamrolled my opponents.

I'm looking forward to further refining the deck... though, I think I have to get a hold of a few more Elspeths and Ajanis first... ;-)

Magic Player Rewards - Nov 14, 2008

I received the following in the mail last week:



- Foil Textless Cryptic Command
- Textless Unmake
- Textless Pyroclasm
- Oversized Feral Hydra
- Sarkhan Vol DCI membership card

I should have gotten more, but Wizards/DCI decided not to use all of my rewards points in the past 3 months (I wonder why...). But anyway, it's all good. For sure, I'll be able to use that Pyroclasm. ;-)

Will the real Kenji please stand up?

2005 MTG Player of the Year, Kenji Tsumura.



2008, um, Starbucks Drinker of the Year, Kenji Bayutas...



Do I look Japanese to you? LOL.

1700

I was doing my usual morning MTG surfing when I came across this in my DCI account:



I have finally broken the 1700 constructed barrier! :)

Looking at my play history, I also discovered that my all time low was 1480, after losing round 1 of the Shadowmoor Standard Inaugural. Browsing through the matches also made me reminisce about my previous deck choices (ie. Pickles, Goblins, pre-Mirrorweave White Weenie), sideboard "strategies" (ie. Deathmark, Paladin en-Vec, Tivadar of Thorn), and play styles (ie. attempting to play a control deck with no knowledge of the metagame whatsoever).

It took almost a year to get here, but at least I now feel that I'm actually starting to accomplish something. :) I wonder when I will ever post about breaking 1800 (if I ever get there at all)...

Alara Standard Inaugurals - Nov 8, 2008

The Elf deck has been playing out well for me recently, so I decided to give it another go at the Alara Standard Inaugurals at Galleria yesterday.



// Lands
4 [LRW] Gilt-Leaf Palace
4 [10E] Llanowar Wastes
2 [EVE] Twilight Mire
4 [MOR] Mutavault
4 [10E] Treetop Village
3 [UNH] Forest
3 [UNH] Swamp

// Creatures
4 [10E] Llanowar Elves
4 [LRW] Wren's Run Vanquisher
4 [10E] Troll Ascetic
3 [10E] Civic Wayfinder
4 [MOR] Chameleon Colossus
3 [LRW] Cloudthresher

// Spells
4 [LRW] Thoughtseize
4 [LRW] Nameless Inversion
2 [LRW] Eyeblight's Ending
4 [LRW] Profane Command

// Sideboard
SB: 1 [10E] Loxodon Warhammer
SB: 4 [SHM] Kitchen Finks
SB: 1 [MOR] Mind Shatter
SB: 2 [10E] Mind Rot
SB: 3 [LRW] Garruk Wildspeaker
SB: 1 [LRW] Cloudthresher
SB: 3 [ALA] Infest


Round 1: vs. UB Faeries (won)

I have a pretty good matchup against Faeries, having 3 MD Cloudthreshers, so I was glad to have faced the deck early. In fact, my SB strategy for it was to just remove 1 Nameless Inversion, in favor of a 4th Cloudthresher. My theory proved right in the first round, as I "relatively easily" won 2-0 against my opponent (it's never easy to win against Faeries, as they are probably the most resilient deck in Standard right now) thanks to some crucial evoking of Cloudthreshers, in response to his Mistbind Cliques.

Game standing: 2-0
Match standing: 1-0


Round 2: vs. WW Kithkins (lost)

My opponent and I were joking before the game that we were in the "feature match" area, as we were sitting in Table 1. :) After shuffling though, things quickly turned serious, especially for me, as I was getting beat up very quickly by Cenn and Ajani-pumped Kithkins. I eventually lost the game and went to my sideboards:

SB: +3 Infest, +1 Finks, -4 Thoughtseize

In game 2, bad luck fell upon me and I just couldn't draw any of my 13 removal spells (all creatures!) and my opponent's massive Kithkin horde was just too many for my Cloudthresher and Colossus.

Game standing: 2-2
Match standing: 1-1


Round 3: vs. WW Kithkins (won)

Having just lost pretty badly to a Kithkin deck, I was pumped to face another one -- I wanted revenge. Haha. And revenge I got, as I won two easy games behind the back of early Colossi.

Game standing: 4-2
Match standing: 2-1


Round 4: vs. UB Faeries (lost)

I got matched up against the guy who placed 3rd in the 2008 Philippine Nationals. Good luck to me! He was playing Faeries though, so I knew I had an inside chance of winning. In game 1, I took a chance and played a 1-land (Treetop Village) hand that had a Llanowar Elf, a Vanquisher, and a Cloudthresher. It proved to be wrong though, and once my opponent saw that I didn't have a second land, he quickly Agony Warped my mana elf, and I was just too far back behind and didn't stand a chance.

In game 2, things went the other way around, and I easily won the game with just a Llanowar Elf and a Civic Wayfinder. I knew he would counter any other spells I played, so I baited him to tap out and I won with a Profane ftw.

Game 3 was a close one, with both of us at 10 life at one point... until my opponent played his Mistbind Clique. He then put a Warhammer onto the huge Faerie, and with a single swing, the game changed a lot and he was suddenly at 17 and me at 3 life. I had an answer though for the Clique (Eyeblight's Ending) but had no answer to his other Faeries (a Conclave and a Bitterblossom token). I then decided to play a mind game with him. With a Colossus for defense, I separated my mana into 3 piles -- 4 mana (for pumping), 3 mana & 2 mana -- bluffing to have 2 removal spells. I then passed the turn. He thought for a long while -- what could I be holding??? -- but eventually decided to go for it. He activated the Conclave and swung. I shook his hand and showed the lone Eyeblight's Ending in my hand. :) He was all smiles. GG.

Game standing: 5-4
Match standing: 2-2


Round 5: vs. WW Kithkins (won)

It was apparently Kithkins and Faeries Day, as I once again got paired against the little white men. In game 1, I made a crucial misplay by not killing one of my opponent's 3 creatures before combat, so he was able to play a crucial Unmake behind his Windbrisk Heights. I lost the game. In game 2, it was my turn to beat him, and he had no answer against the tandem of Colossus and Ascetic. In game 3, my opponent did the misplaying this time, and tried to Unmake my Colossus. Pro black baby! I, of course, won that game. :)

Game standing: 7-5
Match standing: 3-2


Round 6: vs. 5-color Elementals (won)

I was happy to face a non-Kithkin, non-Faerie opponent in round 6. I was not happy to face my opponent though. He was just drop dead serious in playing, and he played extremely fast. And worst of all, he was a sore loser... frequenting a loud "Tsk!" each time I did something that was not good for him. What was important was that I beat him easily in 2 games. I didn't even sideboard anything for game 2. Haha. Take that.

Game standing: 9-5
Match standing: 4-2


Round 7: vs. WW Kithkins (lost)

After 6 rounds, I was at 21st place (in a tournament of around 100 players), and prizes were going to be given to the top 24 players. Basically, it was a do-or-die match. Win, and I go home with a couple of packs. Lose, and I go home. Period. Unfortunately, I knew my opponent and I knew he was a very good Kithkin player, having piloted the deck to a couple of decent finishes and top 8's. All that I had going for me, was that I had already beaten him before in a Block Constructed tourney, while using that same deck.

I couldn't remember much of the match though. Probably selective amnesia or something. Haha. All I can remember was that I lost both times to a Mirrorweave. God, I hate that card. LOL.

Game standing: 9-7
Match standing: 4-3


I went home empty-handed, but still quite satisfied with my finish. At least, I had an outside chance to win -- I just didn't deliver when it counted the most. But like Joven said, at least I'm now a Blind-Spot Giant. :)

FNM - Nov 7, 2008

After a decent finish in last week's FNM, I used the same BG Elves deck again last Friday. However, noticing that a good amount of Red decks were being played in my local store, I decided to main deck Kitchen Finks instead of Cloudthreshers.



// Lands
4 [LRW] Gilt-Leaf Palace
4 [10E] Llanowar Wastes
2 [EVE] Twilight Mire
4 [MOR] Mutavault
4 [10E] Treetop Village
3 [UNH] Forest
3 [UNH] Swamp

// Creatures
4 [10E] Llanowar Elves
4 [LRW] Wren's Run Vanquisher
4 [10E] Troll Ascetic
3 [10E] Civic Wayfinder
3 [SHM] Kitchen Finks
4 [MOR] Chameleon Colossus

// Spells
4 [LRW] Thoughtseize
4 [LRW] Nameless Inversion
2 [LRW] Eyeblight's Ending
4 [LRW] Profane Command

// Sideboard
SB: 3 [LRW] Garruk Wildspeaker
SB: 1 [MOR] Mind Shatter
SB: 2 [10E] Mind Rot
SB: 1 [SHM] Kitchen Finks
SB: 4 [LRW] Cloudthresher
SB: 3 [ALA] Infest
SB: 1 [10E] Loxodon Warhammer


Round 1: vs. Cruel Control (won)

My "lucky" tendency for awesome round 1's continued that day, when I got paired up with the best player in the room - a regular Nats player whose surname and team name are almost synonymous with Filipino Magic. Good luck to me!

In game 1, things went to a great start as I was able to early Thoughtseize a Wrath away, and he couldn't keep up to my early beats of Vanquishers, and I beat him with a Profane to the face.

SB: +1 Mind Shatter, +2 Mind Rot, +3 Garruk, -3 Finks, -2 Nameless, -1 Profane

In game 2, I basically got Cruel Ultimatum'd twice, and lost. In game 3, I once again got lucky with my early Thoughtseize, and took out a crucial Remove Soul. I afterwards squeaked in a Mind Rot after an evoked Mulldrifter on his side, and he just got too far back, and lost to a Warhammer'd Ascetic. GG!

Game standing: 2-1
Match standing: 1-0


Round 2: Mono Red Aggro (won)

In game 1, we were just racing life, but apparently, you almost always never win that way against a Red deck, and I lost to a Demigod and an Incinerate to the face.

SB: +1 Warhammer, +1 Finks, +2 Mind Rot, -4 Thoughtseize

In game 2, my opponent didn't stand a chance against 2 Colossi. In game 3, my Kitchen Finks army went online, which is just not fair for the Red deck. ;)

Game standing: 4-2
Match standing: 2-0


Round 3: WW Kithkins (lost)

I basically got demolished in this round. Losing game 1 with my opponent at 43 life (thanks to two Knight of Meadowgrains with multiple Ajani counters), and losing game 2 via Mirrorweave with him still at perfect life.

Game standing: 4-4
Match standing: 2-1


Round 4: Fellowship of the Ring (won)

This was, unexpectedly, the most difficult, but still the most fun game I had all day. My opponent was using something similar to the decklist that popped up on the PT Berlin LCQ, with 14 Planeswalkers and utilizing their synergy with Rings of Brighthearth. My opponent always had 2 to 3 Planeswalkers online all the time, and I was basically just attacking every turn so that they wouldn't be able to use their super abilities.

My opponent would, for example, make 2 Soldier tokens from Elspeth, AND lock down my 2 Mutavaults with Ajani Vengeant, AND deal me 2 damage with Chandra ALL ON THE SAME TURN. Take note: all those abilities gave the respective planeswalkers +1 loyalty. I was just very lucky that my opponent didn't draw ANY of his 4 Wraths, so my Troll Ascetics eventually did their job and cleaned his board away of any remaining planeswalkers (thanks to some crucial Fear abilities via Profane). By the time I beat him on our first game though, time was already up, and I gladly won the round. :)

Game standing: 5-4
Match standing: 3-1


In the end, my 3-1 finish was apparently good enough for 3rd place (some pairings ended up in draws, which went in my favor), and I won 1 Alara pack (Battlegrace Angel), 1 Shadowmoor pack (Deep-Slumber Titan) and an Isochron Scepter FNM card -- my very first FNM card won via standings (and not just given away for free :) )



Good times. :)

FNM - Oct 31, 2008

For the first time in how-long-I-can't-remember, The Company, er, Organization I work for (haha feeling Prison Break) had a holiday on a day when everyone else was going to work. That wouldn't stop me from playing at the FNM though, and I braved the heavy traffic on a nearby cemetery to get to Ongkeco's Hobby Shop at University Mall.

I used the new BG Elves build in the new Standard of 10E-LOR-SHM-ALA, but used Troll Ascetic in the slot where most decks put Kitchen Finks. I figured that was the way to go, because based on my previous FNM there, the FNM was always won by control deck variants. Anyway, here's the deck:



// Lands
4 [LRW] Gilt-Leaf Palace
4 [10E] Llanowar Wastes
2 [EVE] Twilight Mire
4 [MOR] Mutavault
4 [10E] Treetop Village
3 [UNH] Forest
3 [UNH] Swamp

// Creatures
4 [10E] Llanowar Elves
4 [LRW] Wren's Run Vanquisher
4 [10E] Troll Ascetic
3 [10E] Civic Wayfinder
4 [MOR] Chameleon Colossus
3 [LRW] Cloudthresher

// Spells
4 [LRW] Thoughtseize
4 [LRW] Profane Command
4 [LRW] Nameless Inversion
2 [LRW] Eyeblight's Ending

// Sideboard
SB: 1 [LRW] Cloudthresher
SB: 1 [10E] Loxodon Warhammer
SB: 3 [ALA] Infest
SB: 3 [10E] Mind Rot
SB: 3 [LRW] Garruk Wildspeaker
SB: 2 [SHM] Kitchen Finks
SB: 2 [SHM] Faerie Macabre


Round 1: vs. Mono Red Aggro (won)

I kept a hand of 3 Colossi and no early drops, and felt bad when my opponent played a first turn Mogg Fanatic -- this was going to end quickly. Luckily though, I drew a second turn Vanquisher to help fight off an onslaught of more Fanatics, Maniacs, and even a conspired Giantbaiting. In the end though, my opponent had no answer to 2 Colossi and a Troll Ascetic and I won the first game.

SB: +1 Lox Warhammer, +2 Finks, +3 Mind Rot, -4 Thoughtseize, -2 Cloudthresher

In the second game, it was more of the same, and in the final turn of the game, my opponent thought for a loooong time before finally deciding to concede against my army of Vanquishers and manlands.

Game standing: 2-0
Match standing: 1-0


Round 2: vs. BG Elves (won)

I was up against the guy who was watching behind my back when Joven and I were playtesting right before the FNM. Oh no. The guy knows every single card in my deck. Imagine my surprise when his first play of the game was to put down a Treetop Village -- it was a mirror match! Eventually, I found out that he was using the build that had Bitterblossom, after a first turn Thoughtseize for me. Bye bye Bitter. However, he had answers for all my creatures, while I had none against his, and I died against his army of Kitchen Finks and Vanquishers.

SB: +3 Garruk, -3 Cloudthresher

My plan was to outrace him, and outrace I did. He was matching my every single move, doing a Thoughtseize after mine, playing a Vanquisher after mine, and a Wayfinder after mine. However, I had my ace in the hole -- Garruk Wildspeaker. In the end, he couldn't find a way out against my Beast army and lost the second game.

In the third game, Garruk didn't come online, so we were just racing in the beginning. I eventually got board position though, and he was just defending against my attack every turn. I won in the end via a Profane on his defender and on the dome. (I eventually found out that I could have won a turn earlier via the fear + lose life modes. Oh well. ;-) )

Game standing: 4-1
Match standing: 2-0


Round 3: vs. Mono Red Aggro (lost)

I played against an irritating opponent in the third round. First off, he arrived late in our game (he was outside talking on the phone, while everyone else but us were already playing). Then, he kept on talking on his two phones while we were playing. And finally, he was just too damn lucky. Basically, I lost game 1 on poor draws, and I lost game 2 because I mulliganed to 4.

Game standing: 4-3
Match standing: 2-1


Round 4: vs. BG Land D (won)

In the first game, my bad luck from the previous game appeared to have stretched to this round, as I once again mulliganed to 4. Tough luck. I was all set to go home at 2-2, when I looked at my 4-card hand and saw 1 Wayfinder, 1 Forest, 1 Swamp and 1 Thoughtseize. Oh well, at least I get to reduce his hand by 1. Imagine my surprise when I saw 2 lands and a chock-full of Land Destruction spells in his hand -- Rain of Tears, Drain the Well, Poison the Well, Creeping Mold, and Fulminator Mage! I took the Rain of Tears out, and proceeded with the game. My opponent played his first land and passed.

On turn two, I drew and played a Vanquisher. Lucky number 1. :) My opponent played his second land and passed.

On turn 3, I drew another Thoughtseize. I got out his Fulminator Mage and found 2 Primal Commands in his hand. I attacked with the Vanquisher, 20-17. My opponent passed. No third land! Lucky number 2. :)

On turn 4, I drew a third land. Lucky number 3! I attacked with my Vanquisher again, 20-14, and played the Wayfinder.

You get the picture. :) My opponent didn't find his third land (a CIP Treetop Village) until it was too late, and I won (against a Land D deck) despite mulliganing to 4. Priceless. :)

SB: +3 Garruk, -3 Cloudthresher

Oh, what the heck. I couldn't remember anything about the second game -- except that I won. I was too ecstatic about the first game win. :)

Game standing: 6-3
Match standing: 3-1

Good enough for a 5th place finish, and a Shards of Alara booster pack as prize. Unfortunately, the pack contained crap -- Crucible of Fire crap -- but the night was still fun though, because of that mull-to-4-win. :)

Magic is fun. :)