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. :)