FNM - Mar 6, 2009

The metagame in our local shop has become more control-based rather than aggro-based, so we sleeved up an aggresive Blightning Beatdown deck for last Friday's FNM.



// Lands
4 [10E] Sulfurous Springs
4 [FUT] Graven Cairns
4 [LRW] Auntie's Hovel
2 [SHM] Reflecting Pool
1 [10E] Ghitu Encampment
8 [ALA] Mountain

// Creatures
4 [EVE] Figure of Destiny
4 [10E] Mogg Fanatic
4 [CFX] Hellspark Elemental
4 [CFX] Goblin Outlander
3 [SHM] Boggart Ram-Gang
4 [CFX] Shambling Remains

// Spells
4 [10E] Incinerate
4 [SHM] Flame Javelin
3 [CFX] Volcanic Fallout
3 [ALA] Magma Spray

// Sideboard
SB: 4 [ALA] Blightning
SB: 4 [MOR] Bitterblossom
SB: 4 [ALA] Infest
SB: 3 [LRW] Shriekmaw


Round 1: vs. Jund Ramp (lost)

I liked my odds on my first round matchup, as I was up against a slow deck, and I had decent SBs for his particular deck (Infest for tokens, Blightning for disruption, and Bitterblossom as chump blocker generator). I took him to 5 life quickly on both games, and on both games I ran out of gas and was at topdeck mode at that point. In game 1, he cast Violent Ultimatum twice on me to get back on the game and win it. In game 2, he cast Hellkite Overlord ftw.

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


Round 2: vs. UBR Reanimator (won)

I was surprised when my opponent's first spell on the game was a Merfolk Looter. Oh no. I didn't expect anyone to still use this type of deck, so I had no graveyard hate in my SB. I had to finish the game quickly. In game 1, I was still safely at 18 life, but lost to a single spell -- Torrent of Souls putting back Inkwell Leviathan to play. That, along with Marsh Flitter and buddies was enough for a single lethal alpha strike.

I lost on the first 3 games of the night, but was still hopeful that things would turn the other way and I would still be able to finish decently for the night. Good thing they did. :)

In games 2 and 3, my deck finally did what it was supposed to do, and beat my opponent very quickly, before any graveyard shenanigans. In fact, I was the one with GY spells, as I beat him with my unearth creatures.

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


Round 3: vs. 5-Color Control (won)

Both games played out very similarly on this one. I would play some creatures, he would Wrath, I would play some more creatures, he would Wrath, then I would finish him with burn. On the second game, it was even a Mogg Fanatic, with him at 1 life, with Cryptic Command mana available, but no Cryptic Command spell. :)

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


Round 4: vs. 5-Color Control (won)

Similar QnT deck, similar results. I got a Hellspark draw in the first game, as all 4 copies came out and did double duty. Unearth ftw! In game 2, Blightning beatdown became Bitterblossom beatdown, as I was able to play the powerful enchantment in turn two. He had no chance against the incremental damage that the faerie tokens were making. I think the game ended with me having 6 or 7 tokens in play.

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

There were only two players with better records, but, despite being tied with third place, I had the worst tiebreaks (having lost early in the rounds), so I ended up finishing 6th place overall, and won a lone Shadowmoor booster pack, containing this crappy enchantment:



Better than nothing.

Magic Player Rewards - Mar 5, 2009

I received the following in the mail yesterday:



Textless Remove Soul, Nameless Inversion x2, Cruel Edict, Tidings, Recollect, and a foil DCI Hypnotic Scepter. I think DCI really holds out on MPR mailings, since I have more than enough points for another foil Cryptic Command, but didn't get one. Oh well. Time to use those Nameless Inversions on our Dark Bant deck. ;-)

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.