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... ;-)