FNM - Dec 26, 2008

I needed to playtest for the 2008 Gold Rush tomorrow, so I played once again in my local store's FNM to practice. I wanted to try something in the BG Elves deck, by MD'ing Primal Commands.



// 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
2 [10E] Civic Wayfinder
4 [MOR] Chameleon Colossus
1 [LRW] Cloudthresher
3 [LRW] Garruk Wildspeaker

// Spells
3 [MOR] Bitterblossom
1 [10E] Loxodon Warhammer
3 [LRW] Nameless Inversion
2 [LRW] Eyeblight's Ending
3 [LRW] Profane Command
2 [LRW] Primal Command

// Sideboard
SB: 4 [LRW] Thoughtseize
SB: 3 [ALA] Infest
SB: 3 [LRW] Cloudthresher
SB: 1 [LRW] Primal Command
SB: 1 [LRW] Shriekmaw
SB: 2 [10E] Mind Rot
SB: 1 [MOR] Mind Shatter


Round 1: vs. WW Kithkins (lost)

First up: Kithkins. In terms of playtesting, this was good. In terms of doing well in the FNM, it was bad. Historically, I just have a bad record against this deck. Anyway, history repeats itself as I easily lost in 2 games. In the first game, my opponent got some help with me getting mana drought. In the second game, it was close all the way, but my opponent squeezed out the win in the end.

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


Round 2: vs. Mono Red Elementals (won)

My opponent and I both mulliganed to 5 for our first game, which I eventually lost thanks to a Rage Forger and a pair of Sunflare Shamans. I got back and won both sideboarded games though, thanks to a Profane Command in the second game, and a crucial Infest in the third game.

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


Round 3: vs. BG Elves (won)

I knew it was a mirror match even before we started, because I partially saw my opponent playtest before the FNM started. So when I drew the singleton Warhammer, along with a couple of dudes in my starting hand, the decision to keep was very easy. Unfortunately though, my opponent had all the removals and my Warhammer was reduced to a useless artifact with no one to equip it to. I eventually lost the one-sided game. In game 2, it was my turn to beat my opponent, and I finished the game with a Profane Command. I also found out that my opponent had an "incomplete deck" as he was using Briarhorns and Snakeforms. That gave me the confidence that I had the advantage in the deciding game. Game 3 though was the closest of all, and we were racing all game, with my Bitterblossom online, and my opponent gaining a bunch of life thanks to a couple of Kitchen Finks. In the end, I topdecked a Garruk to decide the game in my favor.

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


Round 4: vs. UW Reveillark (won)

My 4th round opponent was beside me in round 3, so I knew he had the Knight-Captain of Eos/Reveillark engine in his deck. I thought to myself, boy, this is going to be a looong game. It proved to be wrong though, as I my deck gave me the right cards at the right time, and I won both games very easily. The first game while at 37 life (thanks to Warhammer), and the second game via an early Garruk overrun, which my opponent had no answer to.

Game standing: 6-4
Match standing: 3-1

My final standing was good enough for a 5th place finish, and won me another booster pack -- which turned up to contain another crappy birdie. Oh well. I just hope to do as well as I did today, in the Gold Rush tomorrow. Good luck to me.