FNM - Feb 27, 2009

I just posted about previous week's FNM, but it's weird how I remember more in that tournament that the one that just happened yesterday. :( It seemed like I was in a different place, because the meta was totally different -- everyone was playing control! And it didn't help that I played a deck that sucked against control -- a mid-range Doran Assassins deck, with Infest MB for the supposedly aggro meta.



// Lands
4 [SHM] Reflecting Pool
4 [MOR] Murmuring Bosk
4 [LRW] Gilt-Leaf Palace
2 [EVE] Twilight Mire
1 [10E] Llanowar Wastes
1 [SHM] Wooded Bastion
1 [EVE] Fetid Heath
1 [LRW] Vivid Marsh
1 [LRW] Vivid Grove
2 [10E] Treetop Village
1 [ALA] Forest
1 [ALA] Swamp
1 [ALA] Plains

// Creatures
4 [10E] Birds of Paradise
3 [LRW] Treefolk Harbinger
4 [LRW] Wren's Run Vanquisher
4 [MOR] Scarblade Elite
4 [LRW] Doran, the Siege Tower
4 [MOR] Chameleon Colossus
2 [LRW] Cloudthresher

// Spells
4 [LRW] Nameless Inversion
2 [LRW] Crib Swap
3 [LRW] Profane Command
2 [ALA] Infest

// Sideboard
SB: 4 [LRW] Thoughtseize
SB: 3 [MOR] Bitterblossom
SB: 3 [LRW] Oblivion Ring
SB: 2 [SHM] Faerie Macabre
SB: 2 [ON] Infest
SB: 1 [EVE] Wickerbough Elder


Round 1: vs. 5-color control (lost)

All I remember from this round were the 3 Path to Exiles that he used in our first game to get rid of my 3 Doran, the Siege Towers. Other than that, I just got beat by a bunch of Kitchen Finks, Mulldrifters, and Archon of Justice ftw.

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


Round 2: vs. 5-color control (won)

In the first game, my opponent cast two Kiss of the Ameshas to bounce back, stabilize, and eventually win the game. In games 2 and 3, my deck's engine turned on and I was tutoring a bunch of threats and answers via Treefolk Harbinger, and he didn't have enough answers for them.

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


Round 3: vs. Bant Aggro-Control (lost)

I lost very badly in the first game, with a lethal combination of Rafiq of the Many and a Rhox War Monk both on the board. He killed me while at almost 40 life I think. I didn't feel that bad though since I mulliganed to 5 that game. On the second game, things turned the other way. It was his turn to mull to 5, and I quickly finished him off with a Doran and a pair of Harbingers. The third game was the best game of the night. We were swinging back and forth and the board slowly clogged up. It finally got to a point when I drew a Crib Swap, and decided to cast it on his War Monk so that I could Scarblade Elite his other creature. Unfortunately, he had the Cryptic Command in his hand, and he countered the Crib Swap and bounced my Oblivion Ring which had his Elspeth, Knight-Errant underneath. On his turn, Elspeth pumped and flew the War Monk ftw. GG.

Game standing: 3-5
Match standing: 1-2


Round 4: vs. UWr Reveillark Control (lost)

I believe I was mana screwed on the first game so I quickly lost that one. On the second game, I had my opponent on the ropes, at 3 life, but couldn't push the final points of damage because the board was cleared, and I knew he had a counter spell in his full hand, for my Profane. He continued to have answers to each of my creatures, eventually casting a Martial Coup for a gazillion tokens, leaving Cryptic mana untapped. I had no choice but to cast the Profane on my turn, and I found out he wasn't bluffing and he countered it ftw.

Game standing: 3-7
Match standing: 1-3


Two points:
1. If I had do it over again, I'd still use a Doran deck, but drop the whole Assassins theme, and just used Stillmoon Cavaliers instead, and Path to Exiles instead of Crib Swap.

2. If I had used the RDW deck this week, instead of last week, perhaps I could have done better.

Oh well.