How does everyone feel about Finale of Devastation that was just spoiled?
XGG
Sorcery
Search your library and/or graveyard for a creature card with converted mana cost X or less and put it onto the battlefield. If you search your library this way, shuffle it.
If X is 10 or more, creatures you control get +X/+X and gain haste until end of turn.
It grabs both combo pieces and can be a finisher. I'll be testing it for sure.
At first glance, it makes me sad that Green Sun's Zenith officially has a permanent grave in Modern, but it actually seems fairly sweet. I would love to see testing for this card!
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Legacy - Sneak Show, BR Reanimator, Miracles, UW Stoneblade
Premodern - Trix, RecSur, Enchantress, Reanimator, Elves https://www.facebook.com/groups/PremodernUSA/ Modern - Neobrand, Hogaak Vine, Elves
Standard - Mono Red (6-2 and 5-3 in 2 McQ)
Draft - (I wish I had more time for limited...)
Commander - Norin the Wary, Grimgrin, Adun Oakenshield (taking forever to build) (dead format for me)
I like your main deck. It is 2 cards, not counting lands, off my current list. Mine is -1 Viscera Seer and -1 Shalai, Voice of Plenty for +1 4th Duskwatch Recruiter and +1 Noble Hierarch. I do play a basic Swamp.
The SB is mostly a meta call and since I haven't played much recently, I'll leave that one up to others to comment on. It looks solid to me. I might bring back Kataki, War's Wage if you expect Whir Prison. Oh damn, you have it!
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Legacy - Sneak Show, BR Reanimator, Miracles, UW Stoneblade
Premodern - Trix, RecSur, Enchantress, Reanimator, Elves https://www.facebook.com/groups/PremodernUSA/ Modern - Neobrand, Hogaak Vine, Elves
Standard - Mono Red (6-2 and 5-3 in 2 McQ)
Draft - (I wish I had more time for limited...)
Commander - Norin the Wary, Grimgrin, Adun Oakenshield (taking forever to build) (dead format for me)
I played Abzan Counters for the first time in a while. Laplasjan's old list before KCI rose to the top. 20 person MNM.
Round 1 vs. Burn. In the first game, he has the perfect mana curve and Searing Blaze on Druid on his turn 3. He burns enough to get there, despite a Company for a Kitchen Finks and something else. In the next game, his hand is slow and I Chord for Kor Firewalker to complement a Voice of Resurgence token and a Sin Collector that took Boros Charm. Yep, I'm not losing this one. In the final game, I get waaay ahead again and Chord for Kor Firewalker and have some pressure as well with mana dorks and Walking Ballista. I lock him out with his own Eidolon of the Great Revel. 2-1.
Round 2 vs. Jund. He made me discard just enough, but I go for Walking Ballista on Bob. Then Goyf and Raging Ravine get me down while I have to put chumps in front each turn. I hope to draw Company, but I don't and he adds Scooze. In the next game, I get E Witness after some discard and dorks get killed. But I go the distance with Gavony Township and some other creatures. In the last game, he gets stuck on 3 land and has 3 Tarmogoyf, but no Green. He drew all of them and I run away with it with double Scavenging Ooze and mana dudes. 2-1. Round 3 vs. Tron. He won the die roll. I had GAS and the turn 3 combo. He minus Karn Liberated on my Druid, so I put it in the bin. He did the same next turn and played another Karn. Then he played Walking Ballistas the rest of the way and I get 2 poor Companies, so I scoop. In the next game, he gets the same Map Tron while my mulligan probably should have been deeper. But had I drawn Druid on turn 2, I combo turn 3. I end up doing a Chord of Calling for Phyrexian Revoker EoT after 2 Walking Ballistas attack me (4/4 and 1/1). I get the Revoker and put it on Ballista while Ugin is on 3 loyalty. I hope to Company into an exalted Bro, but I hit 5 lands and Chord of Calling. GGs. 0-2.
Round 4 vs. Abzan Rites. He kept me off the Combo, but Collected Company into E Witness and Scooze, exiling Unburial Rites before he could flash it back was too much. In the next game, he Thoughtseizes my CoCo, leaving me with double mana dork and 4 lands. I peel some guys off the top and get to work with Gavony Township. He could not beat this card in this game with too many creatures. I kept 3 creatures in hand and then he showed me he drew Languish when my guys were all larger than X/4s from the Township. Them's the beats. 2-0.
Legacy - Sneak Show, BR Reanimator, Miracles, UW Stoneblade
Premodern - Trix, RecSur, Enchantress, Reanimator, Elves https://www.facebook.com/groups/PremodernUSA/ Modern - Neobrand, Hogaak Vine, Elves
Standard - Mono Red (6-2 and 5-3 in 2 McQ)
Draft - (I wish I had more time for limited...)
Commander - Norin the Wary, Grimgrin, Adun Oakenshield (taking forever to build) (dead format for me)
I've been considering adding 1 copy of Shalai, Voice of Plenty to the main-deck. Not only is it a nice mana sink that acts like another expensive version of Gavony Township or immediate win condition with infinite mana, but it also blanks a lot of removal and stops burn and some combo cards. In the worst case it is still a 3/4 with flying for 4 which is reasonable on its own.
I'm always hesitant to add cards that make CoCo less reliable, but it seems to have a lot of upside right now. Has anyone played Shalai main-deck and how have the results been?
I briefly tried Shalai, Voice of Plenty in the SB for a month, but it just rarely ever came in. Maybe that's a good thing to not play against those types of matchups often? The few times I did side it in, I never got it or was able to Chord for it. So I am pretty ambivalent to it.
On the other hand, it has been incredibly good against me a few times when it has been on the opponent's side (not always on Company, but other decks too). It has been very tough to overcome, so I may revisit Shalai in Company again some time.
*Regarding the new art Devoted Druid, that's cool for others, but I prefer the art I already have. Also the foiling on Shadowmoor cards is insane!
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Legacy - Sneak Show, BR Reanimator, Miracles, UW Stoneblade
Premodern - Trix, RecSur, Enchantress, Reanimator, Elves https://www.facebook.com/groups/PremodernUSA/ Modern - Neobrand, Hogaak Vine, Elves
Standard - Mono Red (6-2 and 5-3 in 2 McQ)
Draft - (I wish I had more time for limited...)
Commander - Norin the Wary, Grimgrin, Adun Oakenshield (taking forever to build) (dead format for me)
I like your list but I'm not sure about Militia Bugler, seems kind of "win more" if you're combo'ing, and doesn't really do much if you're not combo'ing. I'd rather have a mix of silver bullets, or a third combo (Saffi + Rallier) like the Modern 10k List has.
I think Bugler is there to find the Combo more often. Sure, it isn't as fast, but Bugler finding a missing piece is still 1-2 turns off the "ideal" turn 3 kill. It may also be there as a "value" creature in those types of matchups, but you'll have to ask Torpf about that.
I'm not gonna lie though; that Saffi list was hot. I think the next time I run this deck, I'm going to be doing that. I'm so sad I sold my foil one for $60 half a year ago.
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Legacy - Sneak Show, BR Reanimator, Miracles, UW Stoneblade
Premodern - Trix, RecSur, Enchantress, Reanimator, Elves https://www.facebook.com/groups/PremodernUSA/ Modern - Neobrand, Hogaak Vine, Elves
Standard - Mono Red (6-2 and 5-3 in 2 McQ)
Draft - (I wish I had more time for limited...)
Commander - Norin the Wary, Grimgrin, Adun Oakenshield (taking forever to build) (dead format for me)
I really don't know, but I assume it's because he has 3 Assassin's Trophy and in order to free up slots for Knight of Autumn. Anyone tested that card yet? Or either one for that matter?
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Legacy - Sneak Show, BR Reanimator, Miracles, UW Stoneblade
Premodern - Trix, RecSur, Enchantress, Reanimator, Elves https://www.facebook.com/groups/PremodernUSA/ Modern - Neobrand, Hogaak Vine, Elves
Standard - Mono Red (6-2 and 5-3 in 2 McQ)
Draft - (I wish I had more time for limited...)
Commander - Norin the Wary, Grimgrin, Adun Oakenshield (taking forever to build) (dead format for me)
That's what I was thinking. I wish he streamed the recent 5-0s (and other results too). I would love to see great Company players in action!
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Legacy - Sneak Show, BR Reanimator, Miracles, UW Stoneblade
Premodern - Trix, RecSur, Enchantress, Reanimator, Elves https://www.facebook.com/groups/PremodernUSA/ Modern - Neobrand, Hogaak Vine, Elves
Standard - Mono Red (6-2 and 5-3 in 2 McQ)
Draft - (I wish I had more time for limited...)
Commander - Norin the Wary, Grimgrin, Adun Oakenshield (taking forever to build) (dead format for me)
I agree with this. I think if you're playing SSG, it should be more like the Eternal Devote (Turbo Vizier) version with Hall of the Bandit Lord. Damn, I would love to try playing that again (only got 5-3 in 2 FNMs), but I kind of am prized into play UW Control since it's insane. I think I'm going to play Knightfall or just straight Bant Company occasionally for a bit with UW Control as my main deck.
On another note, I tried some main board UW Control vs. Abzan Counters and it was 6-6 so far. Not as bad as I'd thought, based on what everyone keeps saying (that we get thrashed).
Legacy - Sneak Show, BR Reanimator, Miracles, UW Stoneblade
Premodern - Trix, RecSur, Enchantress, Reanimator, Elves https://www.facebook.com/groups/PremodernUSA/ Modern - Neobrand, Hogaak Vine, Elves
Standard - Mono Red (6-2 and 5-3 in 2 McQ)
Draft - (I wish I had more time for limited...)
Commander - Norin the Wary, Grimgrin, Adun Oakenshield (taking forever to build) (dead format for me)
35 person PPTQ, last PPTQ of the season. Will this be the first Modern Season I don't win one?
Mulled to 6 every single first game of all 6 matches. Also mulled to 6 a bunch other than that, although to 5 only once. Won 2 of my first 4 die rolls But then lost the last 2. Doesn't matter much; I need cards when I have fewer cards than my opponent.
Round 1 vs. UR Wizards. I mull to 6. He plays Delver and I cannot draw a 4th land. I kept on 3 land and drew 0 lands the whole game, losing on turn 7. I did a Collected Company in response to revealing a Spell Pierce to flip Delver, but it got literally 1 Devoted Druid. Then he Remanded and Snap Remanded Kitchen Finks while I drew Finks after Finks after Finks. He ended up throwing 5 Bolt this game too - 2 Bolt, 2 Wizard's Lightning, and a Burst Lightning. In the next game, he gets me to 2 life with a Delver in play and 2 cards in hand. I play Vizier of Remedies and Chord for Viscera Seer. He doesn't have anything? No way! In the last game, I just get tempoed out by a bunch of Bolts and he finishes me off with the 3rd Lightning Bolt of the game (after 2 Wizard's Lightning, which I couldn't stop by killing 2 Soul-Scar Mage). He got there when I flooded the heck out and CoCo'ed for a Devoted Druid and a BoP. I mean, it's good if I draw Vizier or a way to get Vizier, but without it, it's pretty useless. Ominous way to start a tournament. 1-2.
Round 2 vs. Storm. In game 1, he is on the draw and plays Baral. I get infinite mana and CoCo, then E Witness CoCo gets there. He showed me he had me next turn. Storm is no joke. In the next game, he kept on Serum Visions and 1 land. He missed his 2nd land drop for 2 turns. He showed me he literally had game easily if he drew the 2nd land. That was terrible luck, something that I rarely see from my opponents. 2-0.
Round 3 vs. UW Enchantments. This is just an odd deck. I played around sweepers and Settle because a friend described playing against this Jank deck. I keep paying for 2 Ghostly Prison and crash with Finks with 2 Exalted triggers. It helped that I drew 7 land to go with 2 Noble Hierarchs. I draw the Combo right as I'm about to do lethal, so I swing fo lethal instead. In the next game, I Combo on turn 4 I believe for infinite life and he scoops. I guess he didn't have a way to beat infinite life or didn't want to try. 2-0.
Round 4 vs. Hollow One. He has a normal draw, but the turn before I die. I am able to hit Vizier of Remedies AND Duskwatch Recruiter off Collected Company. That's a first! In the next game, he got stuck on 1 land just like my Storm opponent. He played some 1 drops, but it just wasn't enough for my gassy hand. Bad luck for him. I do not remember a tournament in the past few years where this happened twice against me, but I probably only average playing 3-4 tournaments per week. Maybe that's not enough? 2-0.
Round 5 vs. 8 Whack. I thought I had seen all of the guys who were 3-1 or close to it. I didn't know what he was playing. In game 1, I come off a bit clunky, get my mana dude killed by a Fanatical Firebrand, and then die after doing a Company for a Devoted Druid and a Noble Hierarch. He finished me off on the final turn with the 3rd Lightning Bolt of the game and the 2nd Goblin Grenade. Did you know that a resolved Grenade does 5 damage? Yep. In the next game, I am land a bunch of Kitchen Finks and a Scavenging Ooze after he did a Grenade and 3 Lightning Bolts on my creatures. I got there pretty easily. In the final game, it is close. Another mulligan for me in 6 cards. In fact, I had 6, 5, and 6 this match. Can't keep 1 land hands or 6 land hands. He had triple Goblin Guide and crushed me with them mercilessly after Bolts on BoP and Devoted Druid. This stunted my growth and I got stuck on the original 3 lands and 2 Companies that were revealed with Goblin Guide. On the final turn of lethal when I blocked, but he did 4 damage with teh other 2 GGs and then 3rd Bolt of the game, it revealed 3 lands. Hahahahah. Right on time. I think I had 20 cards in hand when I died. Seismic Assault in play and I can't lose that game. No, I can. 4th Lightning Bolt off the top and Goblin + Grenade. It's that sort of day. I only saw around 4 different cards from him, not counting Mountain or Ramunap Ruins. 1-2.
Round 6 vs. Humans. Game 1, he comes out the gates with Champ and then double Mantis Rider, but I have time. I have 2 Birds of Paradise and some chumpers. I try to find Devoted Druid or Viscera Seer to combo out, but after several turns, I don't find them, even after activating Duskwatch Recruiter 3 times. This game was close as hell, with me at 1 life and him at 1 life when he did lethal. Also there was 22 minutes left on the clock. In the next game, I am under duress again, but scry after a chump a fetchland to the top to fetch for White mana to Vizier of Remedies and combo out with Duskwatch Recruiter. In the final game, I kept a stupid hand. I will admit that I don't know what the **** I was thinking. I was thinking in non competitive ways. I had Abrupt Decay, 3 lands, 2 E Witness, and a Duskwatch Recruiter. I did Abrupt Decay on Gaddock Teeg. That was a big mistake and I kind of felt it. The other mistake was that I could not draw a 4th land...well, not really a mistake. I wish I had an Aether Vial. I could have kept doing that value train of Abrupt Decay or now I drew Maelstrom Pulse and the Witnesses, but I got greedy and played Viscera Seer and Vizier of Remedies. I felt that I was going to be stuck on 3 lands the whole game, which I was, but I could draw a Kitchen Finks and just win. But...he Vialed in Izzet Staticaster and I was wrecked. I lost both of those creatures because of this and had to Abrupt Decay the Izzet Staticaster. I should have just done the value train of removal and forced him to just kill an Eternal Witness with the Staticaster, but he was showing extreme patience. He said it was in his opener, which I'm not sure anyone can have that much patience. But it's possible. I just got wrecked and knocked from top 8 contention. He's in! 1-2.
I finish 3-3 after having 2 win-and-ins. From the look of the standings, two 4-2 players would make it in and as long as I win the final round and don't get passed up in tiebreakers, I'm in. Alas, it was not meant to be. I should certainly have mulliganed the final hand of the night, but most other hands lose as well, oddly enough.
*Looking back at the final game in Round 6 of the win-and-in, I was pretty disappointed at myself. I punted the game, even after the suspect keep. I was a bit on tilt from losing the last round barely to a deck that I should destroy to more than 2 Bolts and 2 Grenades per game in games 1 and 3 on the play for him. But I should have gotten that out of my head completely.
I didn't need to Abrupt Decay the Gaddock Teeg. I even considered not doing so, but I assumed I would draw a single land during this game and maybe Collected Company. I did so way too preemptively for 2 things that never happened. The next thing. I need to get the Champion of the Parish off the board quickly and my mana is taxed (I only had 3 with Horizon Canopy as one of them). I just needed to kill the Champ, and offer a potential block for Teeg with E Witness. I didn't want to play around Izzet Staticaster because #1 he seemed flooded, cracking 2 Horizon Canopy early on with his Vial ticking up to 3 eventually and #2 I felt that I can't beat Izzet Staticaster + Mantis Rider. But, I didn't even play to win vs. JUST Staticaster. Playing the creatures gave him an opening to destroy me and I didn't even have Kitchen Finks in my hand yet (I just thought I may draw Finks or Chord (2 sided out).) If I knew the contents of his hand, I cannot lose this game. I had another E Witness, a drawn Maelstrom Pulse, and some Duskwatch Recruiters in hand. If I stabilize and present pressure (so that Mantis Riders off the top don't just end it), I cannot lose this game, even with 3 lands the whole game. I feel like I really punted here because I assumed that Izzet Staticaster cannot be played and drawn alone - it accompanies Mantis Rider of course, duh! Stupid, stupid. How would you have played it? Would you have played it for a potential Kitchen Finks or Chord (2) if he doesn't have removal (also Reflector Mage is in the discussion)?
**Oddly enough, I believe that 4 of my opponents top 8ed. The guys from Rounds 5 and 6 obviously did because they're win-and-ins. The guy from Round 1 top 8ed. And the opponent from Round 2 on Storm was playing a win-and-in at the table next to me to be the other 4-2 to make it. I don't think it was a sign of strength. The PPTQ was a bit soft, as shown from UW Enchantments and some other things I noticed, but in the end, it was me who made the biggest PUNT in the world.
Legacy - Sneak Show, BR Reanimator, Miracles, UW Stoneblade
Premodern - Trix, RecSur, Enchantress, Reanimator, Elves https://www.facebook.com/groups/PremodernUSA/ Modern - Neobrand, Hogaak Vine, Elves
Standard - Mono Red (6-2 and 5-3 in 2 McQ)
Draft - (I wish I had more time for limited...)
Commander - Norin the Wary, Grimgrin, Adun Oakenshield (taking forever to build) (dead format for me)
I played at FNM with 27 players for 4 rounds. Lost 4 die rolls today; nothing new. It's part of the reason I enjoy playing this deck. Outside of a Gemstone Caverns deck, this one doesn't punish being on the draw as much IMO.
Round 1 vs. Jeskai. I had him on the back foot right away after he Bolted a Bird, then I played Devoted Druid. I had enough pressure to resolve several Collected Companies while he flooded to 6 lands and only played 1 Cryptic. I end up getting there with too much gas and a Scavenging Ooze that just AAATE his graveyard and my dead creatures from earlier. In the next game, he mulliganed to 5. He got me with a turn 4 Settle the Wreckage on Kitchen Finks, a Scavenging Ooze, and a Vizier of Remedies, but I followed with Duskwatch Recruiter and got a million creatures off him, while drawing only Collected Companies. I resolve a Voice of Resurgence and win nearly after killing a Teferi. 2-0.
Round 2 vs. Bant Spirits. In game 1, he starts with the pressure, but draws a 2nd Vial and I get too much pressure for him. It's close and I was hoping for Gavony Township to make it easy, but I got there barely. In the next game, I am close to the Combo, but he does Disdainful Stroke (I expected Unified Will, which does nothing in that situation) to get my Chord for infinite mana. He slows me down enough and makes a plethora of lords to get lethal after 2 chumps by Birds. I drew my 2nd land on turn 5, but I thought I was good because I had mana dork into Devoted Druid and 2 more Devoted Druids in hand with Chord. In the last game, he had a 4/5 Spell Queller (on CoCo) that he didn't attack with because I only had Kitchen Finks and Noble Hierarch, but I draw and play another CoCo for a 2nd Hierarch and he takes 5 damage. This attack made him just barely have me at 2 life when I win with Gavony Township. He Quellered the CoCo, then cast his own CoCo, netting Gaddock Teeg. Luckily for me, I didn't draw anything affected by it. I basically drew Gavony Township in time to not lose as I swung him to 1 life, but Kitchen Finks Persisted to gain my 2 life. Then he swung with everything and I blocked the persisted Finks on Gaddock Teeg. He tried to CoCo in response, but … I didn't realize until after he had resolved it ... he has Gaddock Teeg out. He just scooped because he saw the writing on the wall. I did notice quite late though. I gotta be more careful. It's just that I was calculating 2 lines that he would have to have to stay alive and he had both of them, so my mind was a bit flustered. Got there though. 2-1.
Round 3 vs. 4 Color Saheeli. This game was played out long, as I killed 2 Saheelis and a Felidar Guardian with Walking Ballista, but he eventually got Restoration Angel to slow me, then drew a land after a few Lotus Cobras to get the last card in his hand down, Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker. GGs. I had a million turns to assemble the combo, but couldn't find anything. In the next game, it is similar. I just draw lands after using a Walking Ballista to kill a Felidar Guardian, a Restoration Angel, and 2 Saheelis. I used E Witness TWICE with all of the mana I drew (5 lands, 2 Devoted Druid, and 2 Noble Hierarch). But he got another Felidar Guardian and the next turn, he played Impact Tremors and Eldritch Evolution his Cobra for Restoration Angel to bounce each other for infinite damage after I tapped out for a next turn lethal Gavony activation. I'm assuming he had Impact Tremors in his hand the whole game and drew Eldritch Evolution for the turn since there was a card he just was not playing from the beginning. 0-2.
Round 4 vs. Burn. Kind of upset about the last round, especially since my opponent was playing with some fake cards and although his deck felt like fewer than 60 cards, it was exactly 60 cards. I am at 5 life when my Burn opponent on 2 lands still does Boros Charm to me to put me to 1, but doesn't attack his Goblin Guide into Kitchen Finks. I untap, play Vizier of Remedies and Chord of Calling for Viscera Seer. Poof - infinite life and scrys. In the next game, I just had too much and got there with a 6/6 Scavenging Ooze after trading, then landing 2 Kitchen Finks that got Path to Exiled. I think he needed to Path the Scooze, but honestly I won at 14 life with 2 cards in his hand, so I don't think there were outs. I even had Collected Company and Chord in hand, but there was no reason to react. I could have won on the final turn by playing the Devoted Druid that I had just drawn, then fetched/shocked to 11 life, put counters on the Devoted Druid to put him in the yard, ate him with Scooze, and then activated Gavony Township for exactly 8 life, but instead I just attack him to 2 life with CoCo and Chord up. He draws and scoops. I think that 11 life was safe from 3 cards anyway. Oh well; it didn't hurt to play too safely. 2-0.
I finish 3-1, which isn't too bad. I would have liked to 3-0-1 or 4-0, but my deck would not quite cooperate against Saheeli.
Legacy - Sneak Show, BR Reanimator, Miracles, UW Stoneblade
Premodern - Trix, RecSur, Enchantress, Reanimator, Elves https://www.facebook.com/groups/PremodernUSA/ Modern - Neobrand, Hogaak Vine, Elves
Standard - Mono Red (6-2 and 5-3 in 2 McQ)
Draft - (I wish I had more time for limited...)
Commander - Norin the Wary, Grimgrin, Adun Oakenshield (taking forever to build) (dead format for me)
i played this deck at a large PPTQ last weekend and didn't represent the deck too well. made a few noobie mistakes which i'd chalk up to lack of practice with the deck recently.
also, worth noting that about half of the whole room was on some kind of blue control deck, and later in the tournament, the top tables were a mishmash of UW control and very little else. The meta was extremely hostile to this type of deck.
also rather amusing, near the middle/bottom tables (where I was) towards the final rounds, it was all Tron mirror matches! clearly not a good day for Tron. After facing control three times in the early rounds I got Tronned in the later rounds.
I reckon the GW Value Town deck may be better positioned as a CoCo strategy in my local meta (UK, Midlands and South West) where everyone seems to want to play control.
either way, i'm gonna put the deck down in paper, just for the moment, in order to run something a bit more deterministic in its gameplan, that's not so soft to endless creature removal. I'm thinking RUG Scapeshift might be a decent option in this weird meta. Or I could just go TRON and see what happens.
wish me luck!
Don't feel badly. I've been playing so many decks recently that when I audible to Bogles or Titanshift, I occasionally make a small mistake with even those decks just because I haven't been playing them much recently. Something as simple as taking 2 more life unnecessarily with Titanshift. Still, it's pretty embarrassing because I know when I've been playing the decks for at least 5 days straight, I can play them to 100% in every aspect of the game. Yeah, sometimes I mulligan depending on what I think someone's on and they end up being on something else or I take the correct line and lose because of it, but those are not really "mistakes."
I think RG Titanshift can beat UW Control. I haven't tested it recently, but with a Thrun, the Last Troll and some Tireless Trackers, I believe you can win. Just extend as much as you need to and protect Valakuts and I think you are around 55/45 to win in my experience (haven't been against Terminus with the deck yet though). I would assume something like Mardu Pyromancer would be good vs. UW, but then you fold pretty hard to Tron.
*Stick with it. I know everyone saw the PPTQ report where I went 1-2 and dropped. The salt really flowed in that report. Sorry. But the next PPTQ with it, I was 1 game and 1 fewer Searing Blaze to be more specific, from winning. Stick with it guys. I do truly believe this is a deck that is capable of winning a PPTQ and possibly a GP, although that's a big tougher.
Legacy - Sneak Show, BR Reanimator, Miracles, UW Stoneblade
Premodern - Trix, RecSur, Enchantress, Reanimator, Elves https://www.facebook.com/groups/PremodernUSA/ Modern - Neobrand, Hogaak Vine, Elves
Standard - Mono Red (6-2 and 5-3 in 2 McQ)
Draft - (I wish I had more time for limited...)
Commander - Norin the Wary, Grimgrin, Adun Oakenshield (taking forever to build) (dead format for me)
It seems like our only answer to the fast decks is our fast combo. No matter what 3 drops you play, they'll be dead. Might as well pick 3 drops that are FANTASTIC vs control and midrange. However, Torpf's comment is insightful. I'll try Trackers first and Knights as an experiment.
I think what he's saying is that you're dropping maybe Duskwatch Recruiter to less than 4, Eternal Witness less than 3, or possibly something else (although I'm assuming that everyone runs 4 Devoted Druid, 4 Vizier of Remedies, 4 Collected Company, and 4 Chord of Calling in every list now).
Dropping any of those cards lowers the chances of the Combo, even if it gives many points against Midrange and Control. It would purely be a metagame choice because you face a lot of Control/Midrange and would give you fewer chances to goldfish KCI or Tron for example.
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Legacy - Sneak Show, BR Reanimator, Miracles, UW Stoneblade
Premodern - Trix, RecSur, Enchantress, Reanimator, Elves https://www.facebook.com/groups/PremodernUSA/ Modern - Neobrand, Hogaak Vine, Elves
Standard - Mono Red (6-2 and 5-3 in 2 McQ)
Draft - (I wish I had more time for limited...)
Commander - Norin the Wary, Grimgrin, Adun Oakenshield (taking forever to build) (dead format for me)
Congratulations on your finish! Looks like we both were the bridesmaids in these tournaments, not the brides.
There were a lot of things I was curious about.
Tireless Tracker - I love the card! It is my favorite Modern legal creature. I could see going up to 2, but any more than that seems really clunky. The current meta is filled with decks that just don't care if you make 2 clues on turns 3 or 4 (mana dork for 3) because they kill you the next turn or are about to. I do see how good it is vs. Control though and haven't seen that big of an impact of UW Control locally. (probably underplayed)
Rhonas vs. Ballista. I actually think that Ballista is a better card because it kills X/1s on the play if you turn 2 it. Then to combo off, you just get E Witness and then kill them. I would hate to play Rhonas when my opponent plays turn 1 mana dork, Glistener Elf, Champion of the Parish, Steel Overseer, and a few more.
I tried Shalai for 2 weeks, but didn't side it in once, so I ditched it. I still think there's potential.
Field of Ruins - This is an interesting one. I play 2 Gavony Township, but this is definitely a possibility and purely a meta choice. I wonder which is better in the current "global" meta, not that it matters since people care about what they play against locally.
I like the extra burn hedging in BfT, Kambal, and Auriok Champion. I wish I had those when I lost to Burn in the finals!
I don't run Leyline. I run 2 extra Scavenging Ooze in the SB. I do realize that it is WAY worse graveyard hate, but it does most other things a lot better and is a monster in some matchups. Kill my combo pieces and watch an Ooze grow to mythic proportions while nuking your graveyard, lol.
It's interesting to cut mana dorks. This is always something I have wondered. It's tough cutting them because you want mana acceleration, but then they are pretty "meh" in some matchups. I don't think I've ever cut more than 2-3 mana dorks before and I'm not sure ever if I relied on a 3 drop more than a 2 drop vs. an opponent. I still to this day don't know what is the right decision. I am assuming that the right decision depends on how you want to face the matchup?
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Legacy - Sneak Show, BR Reanimator, Miracles, UW Stoneblade
Premodern - Trix, RecSur, Enchantress, Reanimator, Elves https://www.facebook.com/groups/PremodernUSA/ Modern - Neobrand, Hogaak Vine, Elves
Standard - Mono Red (6-2 and 5-3 in 2 McQ)
Draft - (I wish I had more time for limited...)
Commander - Norin the Wary, Grimgrin, Adun Oakenshield (taking forever to build) (dead format for me)
Round 1 vs. Bogles The more I play this matchup from either side, the more I am convinced that the matchup is even worse for Bogles than I originally thought. Dating back to Birthing Pod, I was over 60% win ratio vs. Pod decks. Then it got banned and Company came out. I felt like the matchup was 40/60 for Bogles. More recently, I've believed it to be 30/70. After today, I am convinced it's even worse than that for Bogles. I combo on turn 3 after he puts a fairly serious clock on me in Game 1. In the next game, he mulls to 5 and it's a slow grind, as I cannot find something to go with infinite mana. I get there with some Finks and a Tracker, as he can't get his dude big enough in time and then I go wide on him, also drawing Gavony Township to make it easier. Better lucky than good. 2-0.
Round 2 vs. Infect. This guy lost in a PPTQ finals the previous day, so he's out for blood. Lost in the first game to the turn 1 Noble Hierarch, turn 2 Blighted Agent with probably protection, and turn 3 kill. Won the next game on turn 3 before he would kill me on turn 3 with the same type of kill. In the last game, he mulliganed to 6 and I comboed out pretty quickly again after I did Path to Exile and Abrupt Decay on dudes. 2-1.
Round 3 vs. UW Control. This guy had some super nutty draws the last time I played him; 4 months ago with a similar deck and me on GW CoCo. I think he used up his luck then because he cast 0 Terminus this match. Had a really gassy hand in game 1, getting Tireless Tracker to draw 6 extra cards this one. He couldn't find Terminus in time and Gavony Township on the final turn made sure it's lethal. I find some hate in the next one with Voice and Sin Collector. He can't find Terminus again and I get there. Semi-long game, but I'm pretty tired right now to discuss or even remember every play. You get the gist of it. :X 2-0.
Round 4 vs. Infect. This play is just a very common play. Turn 1 Noble Hierarch into turn 2 Blighted Agent with mana up, turn 3 kill you all on the play. I'm not sure if this happens to YOU 50% of the time, but it happens to ME 50% of the time. But it was not to be in this match. I play Path to Exile on turn 1 Glistener Elf in game 2 right away, then Devoted Druid into turn 3 E Witness Path to Exile on Blighted Agent all while he was tapped out. Then I got Sin Collector and he drew a late Noble Hierarch, which almost got him there with a bunch of pump spells, but me knowing what he had from Sin Collector was big. In the final game, he mulls to 5 and plays Inkmoth Nexus turn 1. He misses his 2nd land drop and it gives me time to set up the combo a little slower than usual. No Dismember BABY! I dodged Dismember in 4 games vs. Infect today. The nuts. Got there with a huge Ballista. 2-1.
Round 5 vs. Burn. We ID because double ID gets us there and this locks us for Top 8. 0-0-3.
Round 6 vs. UR Breach. I play it out because I have a friend at X-2 that wants to try to make it in. I win, but the Breach player still gets 6th place (three 4-2s made the top 8, but NOT my friend; he got 11th). The Breach player is also a former teammate and cool guy, so it was a tough decision that I had to make, drawing or playing it out. The first game is really drawn out with me putting a lot of pressure early, but he kept burning and Snapcaster Maging to stay alive. I get a late game Collected Company, which gets me Devoted Druid AND Vizier of Remedies and I win next turn. He was close to lethal anyway, but I could not get those last points. It was hell from 9 life on. He also discarded 2 Through the Breach, so I knew he had at least 1 in hand and was looking for Emrakul, the Aeon's Torn and I was only at 17 life. But he was pretty much drawing off the top and doing Desolate Lighthouse late game. In the next game, I just pushed the combo too much and he did not have enough burn early to stop me. Since I took out Walking Ballista during the SBed games, I had no win-con, but I got Viscera Seer and every Green creature in my deck in play so that if he drew Anger of the Gods, I sacrifice every creature and pump 3 Scavenging Oozes for lethal next turn since he didn't have enough mana to Anger of the Gods AND Cryptic Command. It was an odd game, me having the Druid, Vizier, Recruiter Combo, but not winning on the spot. 2-0.
Top 8 vs. 4 Color Shadow. I drew and had too much gas in land light hands while he made me discard some cards. He played very well, especially saying it was his first PPTQ top 8 ever, but took a Chord of Calling instead of Collected Company (only mistake in 4-5 discard spells) and I won with that very Company next turn effectively. I did not attack for a while because I wanted to play around removal, which I'm assuming he didn't have anyway since Scavenging Ooze was causing havoc. I just had no reason to rush since I have more inevitability, but the Judge did tell us to speed up our play, which mostly was fine. I just played suuuper safe. In the next game, he had a lot of 1 for 1 removal, but Sin Collector nabbed one and I just gummed up the board too much. I had way too much gas against him, including 3 Birds of Paradise, lol. 2-0.
Top 4 vs. Jeskai Queller. In the first game, it takes forever, but I eventually get there with some by comboing out after he put pressure with Queller and Obstructionist. I had too much gas, something like 3 Companies and 2 Chords in hand with an E Witness at 1 time. Just needed time to play all that around Mana Leak, Remand, and Dispel. Got there eventually. In the next game, he mulled to 6 and seemed unsure if he should keep. My hand was combo centric, so this bode well for me. I do in fact get the combo on turn 5 or 6 and he is out of plays, having only 1 more card in hand. Whew! I hate playing against Jeskai with this deck because I usually draw terribly, but I drew the nuts on him. Turn 2 Voice of Resurgence, he eventually killed it with Electrolyze on his turn because I WOULD NOT attack with it, but after he tapped out for ScM/Electrolyze, I did Chord for E Witness for Voice of Resurgence and replayed him all on the very next turn. Had some mana dorks. 2-0.
Finals vs. Burn. The same player from Round 5 who I ID'd with at 4-0. He got out double Eidolon of the Great Revel and I could not draw Collected Company. I did get a Finks and a Chord of Calling, but got stuck on 4 lands with mana dork after mana dork in hand after he played the 2nd Eidolon. The next game, he comes out blazing with Monastery Swiftspear. He Searing Blazed my Birds and I missed some 2nd land drops, but eventually peeled lands to get triple Kitchen Finks while I was at 5 life at one point. He just had all lands in hand and I had to play like that or else he would have already killed me. He drew 2 more Monastery Swiftspear and only 1 burn spell and I got there. In the final game, it is super close, but he ended up playing 3 Searing Blazes on me and had an active Grim Lavamancer. If he had drawn Searing Blood, I probably would have won because I had Viscera Seer out, which makes Searing Blood not do damage if I don't want it to. I did have the infinite life combo in my opener and a mana dork with enough mana to do stuff. I died with 2 Scavenging Ooze in hand when he did exact lethal on the final turn with Searing Blaze after fetch, then draw a card for turn and play Lava Spike and Lightning Helix with his last card when I was at 9 before the Searing Blaze. I responded to the Searing Blaze on my Viscera Seer with sacrifice Kitchen Finks to go to 9, but it was enough. 3 + 3 + 3. Damn, next turn I would untap with Scavenging Ooze and a BoP in play. The reason I didn't play Scooze that turn was because I'd have to tap Horizon Canopy and I had just played Temple Garden tapped. This was a mull to 6 because my 7 just didn't do enough against him - 5 lands too. 1-2.
It freaking sucks losing in the finals of a PPTQ. Still, I can't help but realize that I drew better than 7 of my 8 opponents today, so there's that. Lost 5 die rolls today, but got to be on the play throughout the top 8. 5-0-1 does that!
P.S. - Also realized that I have yet to draw Kor Firewalker, have a Chord available for 2, or Company into it in my last 3 SBed games vs. Burn. Well, scratch the last one - I've cast 1 Company in these games, as well as teh other 2 non SBed games. I don't get to cast Company much. I just know that the first time I get Firewalker against Burn, my opponent is going to be pretttttty pissed though.
Legacy - Sneak Show, BR Reanimator, Miracles, UW Stoneblade
Premodern - Trix, RecSur, Enchantress, Reanimator, Elves https://www.facebook.com/groups/PremodernUSA/ Modern - Neobrand, Hogaak Vine, Elves
Standard - Mono Red (6-2 and 5-3 in 2 McQ)
Draft - (I wish I had more time for limited...)
Commander - Norin the Wary, Grimgrin, Adun Oakenshield (taking forever to build) (dead format for me)
Also went to a PPTQ. 52 players, looked like the room had a bunch of players on fair decks. Still wanted to try my luck.
Round 1 vs. Grixis ?. Some odd deck that did Rise/Fall to me on turns 2 and 3, taking my only non-land cards. I had kept a 4 land hand and peeled land after land. I get some damage through, as he doesn't seem to have as many Fatal Push/Lightning Bolt as one would think. I draw all my Birds of Paradise and 2 of 3 Noble Hierarch. He is low on life. I have 5 lands left in my deck - 3 fetches and 2 Gavony Township. He cast a Nicol Bolas, the Ravager. I discard a land. The guy took a long time, so we have around 15 min. left. I didn't take that long because I mostly played land, go or land/bird, go. I am considering scooping since I can't draw ***** and I have a better game 2 and 3. I draw Gavony Township and swing for lethal with Devoted Druid, Duskwatch Recruiter, and 3 Birds of Paradise. In the next game, I keep a weak 4 land hand, weaker than the first game. I play the Scavenging Ooze, then Sin Collector, then Chord of Calling for Voice of Resurgence in reponse to Cryptic Command tap/draw. He gives me some tokens and can't win now. He does Rise/Fall to get my "win-con" in Walking Ballista, but he does something that gets me a Voice Elemental token to go with the other token and now I have lethal. 2-0.
Round 2 vs. Burn. He is on the play. I play a tapped land. I draw a BoP for turn 2. I play Devoted Druid instead. He makes me sacrifice it in response to Lightning Helix. I draw another BoP next turn. I play Kitchen Finks instead. I then do Eternal Witness into the Devoted Druid, but he has lethal burn next turn. The next game is similar. I do get Kitchen Finks, but he has 2 Goblin Guides, a Monastery Swiftspear, and an Eidolon of the Great Revel. He does a Boros Charm to put me to 4 life. But he's tapped out. I have Vizier of Remedies in hand and Devoted Druid out, so I need Chord or Collected Company for Duskwatch Recruiter. I draw...Duskwatch Recruiter. How lucky! I am at 4 life with an Eidolon of the Great Revel in play. Will he miss his triggers? Probably not. I play for the long game, but just draw 3 Birds of Paradise, a Duskwatch Recruiter, and a Noble Hierarch. Eidolon trigger much? 0-2.
Round 3 vs. Tron. I get to play against a guy who I usually give a ride to FNM with. He's played 2 PPTQs and I've played him in both. In the first game, I have Chord, BoP, Devoted Druid, and lands. I need to get a 3rd piece. I don't and he gets turn 4 Tron with Wurmcoil Engine. I was on the play, so this shows how painful this game was. I scryed infinite life to the top so I could scry my deck to a possible win, but I end up not doing crap. None of the Collected Companies had any good hits and he Karn exiled, O Stone cracked, and then rinse repeat until he got Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger. In the next game, I mulligan and am missing just Vizier of Remedies. When he gets turn 4 O Stone and cracks it, my next draw is Vizier of Remedies. I had done a Duskwatch Recruiter activation for Chord, land, Chord to miss. He gets some stuff and I just get mismatching bears that don't have any combo. GGs. 0-2.
I left before the next 3 rounds, so 1-5 on the day for me. This was my roughest tournament that I can remember. I remember going 1-5, then 2-5 before dropping at a Los Angeles PTQ back in the days with UR Swans during BW Tokens Standard. This brought back memories.
Legacy - Sneak Show, BR Reanimator, Miracles, UW Stoneblade
Premodern - Trix, RecSur, Enchantress, Reanimator, Elves https://www.facebook.com/groups/PremodernUSA/ Modern - Neobrand, Hogaak Vine, Elves
Standard - Mono Red (6-2 and 5-3 in 2 McQ)
Draft - (I wish I had more time for limited...)
Commander - Norin the Wary, Grimgrin, Adun Oakenshield (taking forever to build) (dead format for me)
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At first glance, it makes me sad that Green Sun's Zenith officially has a permanent grave in Modern, but it actually seems fairly sweet. I would love to see testing for this card!
Premodern - Trix, RecSur, Enchantress, Reanimator, Elves https://www.facebook.com/groups/PremodernUSA/
Modern - Neobrand, Hogaak Vine, Elves
Standard - Mono Red (6-2 and 5-3 in 2 McQ)
Draft - (I wish I had more time for limited...)
Commander -
Norin the Wary, Grimgrin, Adun Oakenshield (taking forever to build)(dead format for me)The SB is mostly a meta call and since I haven't played much recently, I'll leave that one up to others to comment on. It looks solid to me.
I might bring back Kataki, War's Wage if you expect Whir Prison.Oh damn, you have it!Premodern - Trix, RecSur, Enchantress, Reanimator, Elves https://www.facebook.com/groups/PremodernUSA/
Modern - Neobrand, Hogaak Vine, Elves
Standard - Mono Red (6-2 and 5-3 in 2 McQ)
Draft - (I wish I had more time for limited...)
Commander -
Norin the Wary, Grimgrin, Adun Oakenshield (taking forever to build)(dead format for me)Round 1 vs. Burn. In the first game, he has the perfect mana curve and Searing Blaze on Druid on his turn 3. He burns enough to get there, despite a Company for a Kitchen Finks and something else. In the next game, his hand is slow and I Chord for Kor Firewalker to complement a Voice of Resurgence token and a Sin Collector that took Boros Charm. Yep, I'm not losing this one. In the final game, I get waaay ahead again and Chord for Kor Firewalker and have some pressure as well with mana dorks and Walking Ballista. I lock him out with his own Eidolon of the Great Revel. 2-1.
Round 2 vs. Jund. He made me discard just enough, but I go for Walking Ballista on Bob. Then Goyf and Raging Ravine get me down while I have to put chumps in front each turn. I hope to draw Company, but I don't and he adds Scooze. In the next game, I get E Witness after some discard and dorks get killed. But I go the distance with Gavony Township and some other creatures. In the last game, he gets stuck on 3 land and has 3 Tarmogoyf, but no Green. He drew all of them and I run away with it with double Scavenging Ooze and mana dudes. 2-1.
Round 3 vs. Tron. He won the die roll. I had GAS and the turn 3 combo. He minus Karn Liberated on my Druid, so I put it in the bin. He did the same next turn and played another Karn. Then he played Walking Ballistas the rest of the way and I get 2 poor Companies, so I scoop. In the next game, he gets the same Map Tron while my mulligan probably should have been deeper. But had I drawn Druid on turn 2, I combo turn 3. I end up doing a Chord of Calling for Phyrexian Revoker EoT after 2 Walking Ballistas attack me (4/4 and 1/1). I get the Revoker and put it on Ballista while Ugin is on 3 loyalty. I hope to Company into an exalted Bro, but I hit 5 lands and Chord of Calling. GGs. 0-2.
Round 4 vs. Abzan Rites. He kept me off the Combo, but Collected Company into E Witness and Scooze, exiling Unburial Rites before he could flash it back was too much. In the next game, he Thoughtseizes my CoCo, leaving me with double mana dork and 4 lands. I peel some guys off the top and get to work with Gavony Township. He could not beat this card in this game with too many creatures. I kept 3 creatures in hand and then he showed me he drew Languish when my guys were all larger than X/4s from the Township. Them's the beats. 2-0.
I finish 3-1 for the evening.
Premodern - Trix, RecSur, Enchantress, Reanimator, Elves https://www.facebook.com/groups/PremodernUSA/
Modern - Neobrand, Hogaak Vine, Elves
Standard - Mono Red (6-2 and 5-3 in 2 McQ)
Draft - (I wish I had more time for limited...)
Commander -
Norin the Wary, Grimgrin, Adun Oakenshield (taking forever to build)(dead format for me)I briefly tried Shalai, Voice of Plenty in the SB for a month, but it just rarely ever came in. Maybe that's a good thing to not play against those types of matchups often? The few times I did side it in, I never got it or was able to Chord for it. So I am pretty ambivalent to it.
On the other hand, it has been incredibly good against me a few times when it has been on the opponent's side (not always on Company, but other decks too). It has been very tough to overcome, so I may revisit Shalai in Company again some time.
*Regarding the new art Devoted Druid, that's cool for others, but I prefer the art I already have. Also the foiling on Shadowmoor cards is insane!
Premodern - Trix, RecSur, Enchantress, Reanimator, Elves https://www.facebook.com/groups/PremodernUSA/
Modern - Neobrand, Hogaak Vine, Elves
Standard - Mono Red (6-2 and 5-3 in 2 McQ)
Draft - (I wish I had more time for limited...)
Commander -
Norin the Wary, Grimgrin, Adun Oakenshield (taking forever to build)(dead format for me)I think Bugler is there to find the Combo more often. Sure, it isn't as fast, but Bugler finding a missing piece is still 1-2 turns off the "ideal" turn 3 kill. It may also be there as a "value" creature in those types of matchups, but you'll have to ask Torpf about that.
I'm not gonna lie though; that Saffi list was hot. I think the next time I run this deck, I'm going to be doing that. I'm so sad I sold my foil one for $60 half a year ago.
Premodern - Trix, RecSur, Enchantress, Reanimator, Elves https://www.facebook.com/groups/PremodernUSA/
Modern - Neobrand, Hogaak Vine, Elves
Standard - Mono Red (6-2 and 5-3 in 2 McQ)
Draft - (I wish I had more time for limited...)
Commander -
Norin the Wary, Grimgrin, Adun Oakenshield (taking forever to build)(dead format for me)Premodern - Trix, RecSur, Enchantress, Reanimator, Elves https://www.facebook.com/groups/PremodernUSA/
Modern - Neobrand, Hogaak Vine, Elves
Standard - Mono Red (6-2 and 5-3 in 2 McQ)
Draft - (I wish I had more time for limited...)
Commander -
Norin the Wary, Grimgrin, Adun Oakenshield (taking forever to build)(dead format for me)That's what I was thinking. I wish he streamed the recent 5-0s (and other results too). I would love to see great Company players in action!
Premodern - Trix, RecSur, Enchantress, Reanimator, Elves https://www.facebook.com/groups/PremodernUSA/
Modern - Neobrand, Hogaak Vine, Elves
Standard - Mono Red (6-2 and 5-3 in 2 McQ)
Draft - (I wish I had more time for limited...)
Commander -
Norin the Wary, Grimgrin, Adun Oakenshield (taking forever to build)(dead format for me)I agree with this. I think if you're playing SSG, it should be more like the Eternal Devote (Turbo Vizier) version with Hall of the Bandit Lord. Damn, I would love to try playing that again (only got 5-3 in 2 FNMs), but I kind of am prized into play UW Control since it's insane. I think I'm going to play Knightfall or just straight Bant Company occasionally for a bit with UW Control as my main deck.
On another note, I tried some main board UW Control vs. Abzan Counters and it was 6-6 so far. Not as bad as I'd thought, based on what everyone keeps saying (that we get thrashed).
Premodern - Trix, RecSur, Enchantress, Reanimator, Elves https://www.facebook.com/groups/PremodernUSA/
Modern - Neobrand, Hogaak Vine, Elves
Standard - Mono Red (6-2 and 5-3 in 2 McQ)
Draft - (I wish I had more time for limited...)
Commander -
Norin the Wary, Grimgrin, Adun Oakenshield (taking forever to build)(dead format for me)Mulled to 6 every single first game of all 6 matches. Also mulled to 6 a bunch other than that, although to 5 only once. Won 2 of my first 4 die rolls But then lost the last 2. Doesn't matter much; I need cards when I have fewer cards than my opponent.
Round 1 vs. UR Wizards. I mull to 6. He plays Delver and I cannot draw a 4th land. I kept on 3 land and drew 0 lands the whole game, losing on turn 7. I did a Collected Company in response to revealing a Spell Pierce to flip Delver, but it got literally 1 Devoted Druid. Then he Remanded and Snap Remanded Kitchen Finks while I drew Finks after Finks after Finks. He ended up throwing 5 Bolt this game too - 2 Bolt, 2 Wizard's Lightning, and a Burst Lightning. In the next game, he gets me to 2 life with a Delver in play and 2 cards in hand. I play Vizier of Remedies and Chord for Viscera Seer. He doesn't have anything? No way! In the last game, I just get tempoed out by a bunch of Bolts and he finishes me off with the 3rd Lightning Bolt of the game (after 2 Wizard's Lightning, which I couldn't stop by killing 2 Soul-Scar Mage). He got there when I flooded the heck out and CoCo'ed for a Devoted Druid and a BoP. I mean, it's good if I draw Vizier or a way to get Vizier, but without it, it's pretty useless. Ominous way to start a tournament. 1-2.
Round 2 vs. Storm. In game 1, he is on the draw and plays Baral. I get infinite mana and CoCo, then E Witness CoCo gets there. He showed me he had me next turn. Storm is no joke. In the next game, he kept on Serum Visions and 1 land. He missed his 2nd land drop for 2 turns. He showed me he literally had game easily if he drew the 2nd land. That was terrible luck, something that I rarely see from my opponents. 2-0.
Round 3 vs. UW Enchantments. This is just an odd deck. I played around sweepers and Settle because a friend described playing against this Jank deck. I keep paying for 2 Ghostly Prison and crash with Finks with 2 Exalted triggers. It helped that I drew 7 land to go with 2 Noble Hierarchs. I draw the Combo right as I'm about to do lethal, so I swing fo lethal instead. In the next game, I Combo on turn 4 I believe for infinite life and he scoops. I guess he didn't have a way to beat infinite life or didn't want to try. 2-0.
Round 4 vs. Hollow One. He has a normal draw, but the turn before I die. I am able to hit Vizier of Remedies AND Duskwatch Recruiter off Collected Company. That's a first! In the next game, he got stuck on 1 land just like my Storm opponent. He played some 1 drops, but it just wasn't enough for my gassy hand. Bad luck for him. I do not remember a tournament in the past few years where this happened twice against me, but I probably only average playing 3-4 tournaments per week. Maybe that's not enough? 2-0.
Round 5 vs. 8 Whack. I thought I had seen all of the guys who were 3-1 or close to it. I didn't know what he was playing. In game 1, I come off a bit clunky, get my mana dude killed by a Fanatical Firebrand, and then die after doing a Company for a Devoted Druid and a Noble Hierarch. He finished me off on the final turn with the 3rd Lightning Bolt of the game and the 2nd Goblin Grenade. Did you know that a resolved Grenade does 5 damage? Yep. In the next game, I am land a bunch of Kitchen Finks and a Scavenging Ooze after he did a Grenade and 3 Lightning Bolts on my creatures. I got there pretty easily. In the final game, it is close. Another mulligan for me in 6 cards. In fact, I had 6, 5, and 6 this match. Can't keep 1 land hands or 6 land hands. He had triple Goblin Guide and crushed me with them mercilessly after Bolts on BoP and Devoted Druid. This stunted my growth and I got stuck on the original 3 lands and 2 Companies that were revealed with Goblin Guide. On the final turn of lethal when I blocked, but he did 4 damage with teh other 2 GGs and then 3rd Bolt of the game, it revealed 3 lands. Hahahahah. Right on time. I think I had 20 cards in hand when I died. Seismic Assault in play and I can't lose that game. No, I can. 4th Lightning Bolt off the top and Goblin + Grenade. It's that sort of day. I only saw around 4 different cards from him, not counting Mountain or Ramunap Ruins. 1-2.
Round 6 vs. Humans. Game 1, he comes out the gates with Champ and then double Mantis Rider, but I have time. I have 2 Birds of Paradise and some chumpers. I try to find Devoted Druid or Viscera Seer to combo out, but after several turns, I don't find them, even after activating Duskwatch Recruiter 3 times. This game was close as hell, with me at 1 life and him at 1 life when he did lethal. Also there was 22 minutes left on the clock. In the next game, I am under duress again, but scry after a chump a fetchland to the top to fetch for White mana to Vizier of Remedies and combo out with Duskwatch Recruiter. In the final game, I kept a stupid hand. I will admit that I don't know what the **** I was thinking. I was thinking in non competitive ways. I had Abrupt Decay, 3 lands, 2 E Witness, and a Duskwatch Recruiter. I did Abrupt Decay on Gaddock Teeg. That was a big mistake and I kind of felt it. The other mistake was that I could not draw a 4th land...well, not really a mistake. I wish I had an Aether Vial. I could have kept doing that value train of Abrupt Decay or now I drew Maelstrom Pulse and the Witnesses, but I got greedy and played Viscera Seer and Vizier of Remedies. I felt that I was going to be stuck on 3 lands the whole game, which I was, but I could draw a Kitchen Finks and just win. But...he Vialed in Izzet Staticaster and I was wrecked. I lost both of those creatures because of this and had to Abrupt Decay the Izzet Staticaster. I should have just done the value train of removal and forced him to just kill an Eternal Witness with the Staticaster, but he was showing extreme patience. He said it was in his opener, which I'm not sure anyone can have that much patience. But it's possible. I just got wrecked and knocked from top 8 contention. He's in! 1-2.
I finish 3-3 after having 2 win-and-ins. From the look of the standings, two 4-2 players would make it in and as long as I win the final round and don't get passed up in tiebreakers, I'm in. Alas, it was not meant to be. I should certainly have mulliganed the final hand of the night, but most other hands lose as well, oddly enough.
*Looking back at the final game in Round 6 of the win-and-in, I was pretty disappointed at myself. I punted the game, even after the suspect keep. I was a bit on tilt from losing the last round barely to a deck that I should destroy to more than 2 Bolts and 2 Grenades per game in games 1 and 3 on the play for him. But I should have gotten that out of my head completely.
I didn't need to Abrupt Decay the Gaddock Teeg. I even considered not doing so, but I assumed I would draw a single land during this game and maybe Collected Company. I did so way too preemptively for 2 things that never happened. The next thing. I need to get the Champion of the Parish off the board quickly and my mana is taxed (I only had 3 with Horizon Canopy as one of them). I just needed to kill the Champ, and offer a potential block for Teeg with E Witness. I didn't want to play around Izzet Staticaster because #1 he seemed flooded, cracking 2 Horizon Canopy early on with his Vial ticking up to 3 eventually and #2 I felt that I can't beat Izzet Staticaster + Mantis Rider. But, I didn't even play to win vs. JUST Staticaster. Playing the creatures gave him an opening to destroy me and I didn't even have Kitchen Finks in my hand yet (I just thought I may draw Finks or Chord (2 sided out).) If I knew the contents of his hand, I cannot lose this game. I had another E Witness, a drawn Maelstrom Pulse, and some Duskwatch Recruiters in hand. If I stabilize and present pressure (so that Mantis Riders off the top don't just end it), I cannot lose this game, even with 3 lands the whole game. I feel like I really punted here because I assumed that Izzet Staticaster cannot be played and drawn alone - it accompanies Mantis Rider of course, duh! Stupid, stupid. How would you have played it? Would you have played it for a potential Kitchen Finks or Chord (2) if he doesn't have removal (also Reflector Mage is in the discussion)?
**Oddly enough, I believe that 4 of my opponents top 8ed. The guys from Rounds 5 and 6 obviously did because they're win-and-ins. The guy from Round 1 top 8ed. And the opponent from Round 2 on Storm was playing a win-and-in at the table next to me to be the other 4-2 to make it. I don't think it was a sign of strength. The PPTQ was a bit soft, as shown from UW Enchantments and some other things I noticed, but in the end, it was me who made the biggest PUNT in the world.
Premodern - Trix, RecSur, Enchantress, Reanimator, Elves https://www.facebook.com/groups/PremodernUSA/
Modern - Neobrand, Hogaak Vine, Elves
Standard - Mono Red (6-2 and 5-3 in 2 McQ)
Draft - (I wish I had more time for limited...)
Commander -
Norin the Wary, Grimgrin, Adun Oakenshield (taking forever to build)(dead format for me)What does that mean?
I played at FNM with 27 players for 4 rounds. Lost 4 die rolls today; nothing new. It's part of the reason I enjoy playing this deck. Outside of a Gemstone Caverns deck, this one doesn't punish being on the draw as much IMO.
Round 1 vs. Jeskai. I had him on the back foot right away after he Bolted a Bird, then I played Devoted Druid. I had enough pressure to resolve several Collected Companies while he flooded to 6 lands and only played 1 Cryptic. I end up getting there with too much gas and a Scavenging Ooze that just AAATE his graveyard and my dead creatures from earlier. In the next game, he mulliganed to 5. He got me with a turn 4 Settle the Wreckage on Kitchen Finks, a Scavenging Ooze, and a Vizier of Remedies, but I followed with Duskwatch Recruiter and got a million creatures off him, while drawing only Collected Companies. I resolve a Voice of Resurgence and win nearly after killing a Teferi. 2-0.
Round 2 vs. Bant Spirits. In game 1, he starts with the pressure, but draws a 2nd Vial and I get too much pressure for him. It's close and I was hoping for Gavony Township to make it easy, but I got there barely. In the next game, I am close to the Combo, but he does Disdainful Stroke (I expected Unified Will, which does nothing in that situation) to get my Chord for infinite mana. He slows me down enough and makes a plethora of lords to get lethal after 2 chumps by Birds. I drew my 2nd land on turn 5, but I thought I was good because I had mana dork into Devoted Druid and 2 more Devoted Druids in hand with Chord. In the last game, he had a 4/5 Spell Queller (on CoCo) that he didn't attack with because I only had Kitchen Finks and Noble Hierarch, but I draw and play another CoCo for a 2nd Hierarch and he takes 5 damage. This attack made him just barely have me at 2 life when I win with Gavony Township. He Quellered the CoCo, then cast his own CoCo, netting Gaddock Teeg. Luckily for me, I didn't draw anything affected by it. I basically drew Gavony Township in time to not lose as I swung him to 1 life, but Kitchen Finks Persisted to gain my 2 life. Then he swung with everything and I blocked the persisted Finks on Gaddock Teeg. He tried to CoCo in response, but … I didn't realize until after he had resolved it ... he has Gaddock Teeg out. He just scooped because he saw the writing on the wall. I did notice quite late though. I gotta be more careful. It's just that I was calculating 2 lines that he would have to have to stay alive and he had both of them, so my mind was a bit flustered. Got there though. 2-1.
Round 3 vs. 4 Color Saheeli. This game was played out long, as I killed 2 Saheelis and a Felidar Guardian with Walking Ballista, but he eventually got Restoration Angel to slow me, then drew a land after a few Lotus Cobras to get the last card in his hand down, Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker. GGs. I had a million turns to assemble the combo, but couldn't find anything. In the next game, it is similar. I just draw lands after using a Walking Ballista to kill a Felidar Guardian, a Restoration Angel, and 2 Saheelis. I used E Witness TWICE with all of the mana I drew (5 lands, 2 Devoted Druid, and 2 Noble Hierarch). But he got another Felidar Guardian and the next turn, he played Impact Tremors and Eldritch Evolution his Cobra for Restoration Angel to bounce each other for infinite damage after I tapped out for a next turn lethal Gavony activation. I'm assuming he had Impact Tremors in his hand the whole game and drew Eldritch Evolution for the turn since there was a card he just was not playing from the beginning. 0-2.
Round 4 vs. Burn. Kind of upset about the last round, especially since my opponent was playing with some fake cards and although his deck felt like fewer than 60 cards, it was exactly 60 cards. I am at 5 life when my Burn opponent on 2 lands still does Boros Charm to me to put me to 1, but doesn't attack his Goblin Guide into Kitchen Finks. I untap, play Vizier of Remedies and Chord of Calling for Viscera Seer. Poof - infinite life and scrys. In the next game, I just had too much and got there with a 6/6 Scavenging Ooze after trading, then landing 2 Kitchen Finks that got Path to Exiled. I think he needed to Path the Scooze, but honestly I won at 14 life with 2 cards in his hand, so I don't think there were outs. I even had Collected Company and Chord in hand, but there was no reason to react. I could have won on the final turn by playing the Devoted Druid that I had just drawn, then fetched/shocked to 11 life, put counters on the Devoted Druid to put him in the yard, ate him with Scooze, and then activated Gavony Township for exactly 8 life, but instead I just attack him to 2 life with CoCo and Chord up. He draws and scoops. I think that 11 life was safe from 3 cards anyway. Oh well; it didn't hurt to play too safely. 2-0.
I finish 3-1, which isn't too bad. I would have liked to 3-0-1 or 4-0, but my deck would not quite cooperate against Saheeli.
Premodern - Trix, RecSur, Enchantress, Reanimator, Elves https://www.facebook.com/groups/PremodernUSA/
Modern - Neobrand, Hogaak Vine, Elves
Standard - Mono Red (6-2 and 5-3 in 2 McQ)
Draft - (I wish I had more time for limited...)
Commander -
Norin the Wary, Grimgrin, Adun Oakenshield (taking forever to build)(dead format for me)Don't feel badly. I've been playing so many decks recently that when I audible to Bogles or Titanshift, I occasionally make a small mistake with even those decks just because I haven't been playing them much recently. Something as simple as taking 2 more life unnecessarily with Titanshift. Still, it's pretty embarrassing because I know when I've been playing the decks for at least 5 days straight, I can play them to 100% in every aspect of the game. Yeah, sometimes I mulligan depending on what I think someone's on and they end up being on something else or I take the correct line and lose because of it, but those are not really "mistakes."
I think RG Titanshift can beat UW Control. I haven't tested it recently, but with a Thrun, the Last Troll and some Tireless Trackers, I believe you can win. Just extend as much as you need to and protect Valakuts and I think you are around 55/45 to win in my experience (haven't been against Terminus with the deck yet though). I would assume something like Mardu Pyromancer would be good vs. UW, but then you fold pretty hard to Tron.
*Stick with it. I know everyone saw the PPTQ report where I went 1-2 and dropped. The salt really flowed in that report. Sorry. But the next PPTQ with it, I was 1 game and 1 fewer Searing Blaze to be more specific, from winning. Stick with it guys. I do truly believe this is a deck that is capable of winning a PPTQ and possibly a GP, although that's a big tougher.
Premodern - Trix, RecSur, Enchantress, Reanimator, Elves https://www.facebook.com/groups/PremodernUSA/
Modern - Neobrand, Hogaak Vine, Elves
Standard - Mono Red (6-2 and 5-3 in 2 McQ)
Draft - (I wish I had more time for limited...)
Commander -
Norin the Wary, Grimgrin, Adun Oakenshield (taking forever to build)(dead format for me)I think what he's saying is that you're dropping maybe Duskwatch Recruiter to less than 4, Eternal Witness less than 3, or possibly something else (although I'm assuming that everyone runs 4 Devoted Druid, 4 Vizier of Remedies, 4 Collected Company, and 4 Chord of Calling in every list now).
Dropping any of those cards lowers the chances of the Combo, even if it gives many points against Midrange and Control. It would purely be a metagame choice because you face a lot of Control/Midrange and would give you fewer chances to goldfish KCI or Tron for example.
Premodern - Trix, RecSur, Enchantress, Reanimator, Elves https://www.facebook.com/groups/PremodernUSA/
Modern - Neobrand, Hogaak Vine, Elves
Standard - Mono Red (6-2 and 5-3 in 2 McQ)
Draft - (I wish I had more time for limited...)
Commander -
Norin the Wary, Grimgrin, Adun Oakenshield (taking forever to build)(dead format for me)There were a lot of things I was curious about.
Tireless Tracker - I love the card! It is my favorite Modern legal creature. I could see going up to 2, but any more than that seems really clunky. The current meta is filled with decks that just don't care if you make 2 clues on turns 3 or 4 (mana dork for 3) because they kill you the next turn or are about to. I do see how good it is vs. Control though and haven't seen that big of an impact of UW Control locally. (probably underplayed)
Rhonas vs. Ballista. I actually think that Ballista is a better card because it kills X/1s on the play if you turn 2 it. Then to combo off, you just get E Witness and then kill them. I would hate to play Rhonas when my opponent plays turn 1 mana dork, Glistener Elf, Champion of the Parish, Steel Overseer, and a few more.
I tried Shalai for 2 weeks, but didn't side it in once, so I ditched it. I still think there's potential.
Field of Ruins - This is an interesting one. I play 2 Gavony Township, but this is definitely a possibility and purely a meta choice. I wonder which is better in the current "global" meta, not that it matters since people care about what they play against locally.
I like the extra burn hedging in BfT, Kambal, and Auriok Champion. I wish I had those when I lost to Burn in the finals!
I don't run Leyline. I run 2 extra Scavenging Ooze in the SB. I do realize that it is WAY worse graveyard hate, but it does most other things a lot better and is a monster in some matchups. Kill my combo pieces and watch an Ooze grow to mythic proportions while nuking your graveyard, lol.
It's interesting to cut mana dorks. This is always something I have wondered. It's tough cutting them because you want mana acceleration, but then they are pretty "meh" in some matchups. I don't think I've ever cut more than 2-3 mana dorks before and I'm not sure ever if I relied on a 3 drop more than a 2 drop vs. an opponent. I still to this day don't know what is the right decision. I am assuming that the right decision depends on how you want to face the matchup?
Premodern - Trix, RecSur, Enchantress, Reanimator, Elves https://www.facebook.com/groups/PremodernUSA/
Modern - Neobrand, Hogaak Vine, Elves
Standard - Mono Red (6-2 and 5-3 in 2 McQ)
Draft - (I wish I had more time for limited...)
Commander -
Norin the Wary, Grimgrin, Adun Oakenshield (taking forever to build)(dead format for me)Round 1 vs. Bogles The more I play this matchup from either side, the more I am convinced that the matchup is even worse for Bogles than I originally thought. Dating back to Birthing Pod, I was over 60% win ratio vs. Pod decks. Then it got banned and Company came out. I felt like the matchup was 40/60 for Bogles. More recently, I've believed it to be 30/70. After today, I am convinced it's even worse than that for Bogles. I combo on turn 3 after he puts a fairly serious clock on me in Game 1. In the next game, he mulls to 5 and it's a slow grind, as I cannot find something to go with infinite mana. I get there with some Finks and a Tracker, as he can't get his dude big enough in time and then I go wide on him, also drawing Gavony Township to make it easier. Better lucky than good. 2-0.
Round 2 vs. Infect. This guy lost in a PPTQ finals the previous day, so he's out for blood. Lost in the first game to the turn 1 Noble Hierarch, turn 2 Blighted Agent with probably protection, and turn 3 kill. Won the next game on turn 3 before he would kill me on turn 3 with the same type of kill. In the last game, he mulliganed to 6 and I comboed out pretty quickly again after I did Path to Exile and Abrupt Decay on dudes. 2-1.
Round 3 vs. UW Control. This guy had some super nutty draws the last time I played him; 4 months ago with a similar deck and me on GW CoCo. I think he used up his luck then because he cast 0 Terminus this match. Had a really gassy hand in game 1, getting Tireless Tracker to draw 6 extra cards this one. He couldn't find Terminus in time and Gavony Township on the final turn made sure it's lethal. I find some hate in the next one with Voice and Sin Collector. He can't find Terminus again and I get there. Semi-long game, but I'm pretty tired right now to discuss or even remember every play. You get the gist of it. :X 2-0.
Round 4 vs. Infect. This play is just a very common play. Turn 1 Noble Hierarch into turn 2 Blighted Agent with mana up, turn 3 kill you all on the play. I'm not sure if this happens to YOU 50% of the time, but it happens to ME 50% of the time. But it was not to be in this match. I play Path to Exile on turn 1 Glistener Elf in game 2 right away, then Devoted Druid into turn 3 E Witness Path to Exile on Blighted Agent all while he was tapped out. Then I got Sin Collector and he drew a late Noble Hierarch, which almost got him there with a bunch of pump spells, but me knowing what he had from Sin Collector was big. In the final game, he mulls to 5 and plays Inkmoth Nexus turn 1. He misses his 2nd land drop and it gives me time to set up the combo a little slower than usual. No Dismember BABY! I dodged Dismember in 4 games vs. Infect today. The nuts. Got there with a huge Ballista. 2-1.
Round 5 vs. Burn. We ID because double ID gets us there and this locks us for Top 8. 0-0-3.
Round 6 vs. UR Breach. I play it out because I have a friend at X-2 that wants to try to make it in. I win, but the Breach player still gets 6th place (three 4-2s made the top 8, but NOT my friend; he got 11th). The Breach player is also a former teammate and cool guy, so it was a tough decision that I had to make, drawing or playing it out. The first game is really drawn out with me putting a lot of pressure early, but he kept burning and Snapcaster Maging to stay alive. I get a late game Collected Company, which gets me Devoted Druid AND Vizier of Remedies and I win next turn. He was close to lethal anyway, but I could not get those last points. It was hell from 9 life on. He also discarded 2 Through the Breach, so I knew he had at least 1 in hand and was looking for Emrakul, the Aeon's Torn and I was only at 17 life. But he was pretty much drawing off the top and doing Desolate Lighthouse late game. In the next game, I just pushed the combo too much and he did not have enough burn early to stop me. Since I took out Walking Ballista during the SBed games, I had no win-con, but I got Viscera Seer and every Green creature in my deck in play so that if he drew Anger of the Gods, I sacrifice every creature and pump 3 Scavenging Oozes for lethal next turn since he didn't have enough mana to Anger of the Gods AND Cryptic Command. It was an odd game, me having the Druid, Vizier, Recruiter Combo, but not winning on the spot. 2-0.
Top 8 vs. 4 Color Shadow. I drew and had too much gas in land light hands while he made me discard some cards. He played very well, especially saying it was his first PPTQ top 8 ever, but took a Chord of Calling instead of Collected Company (only mistake in 4-5 discard spells) and I won with that very Company next turn effectively. I did not attack for a while because I wanted to play around removal, which I'm assuming he didn't have anyway since Scavenging Ooze was causing havoc. I just had no reason to rush since I have more inevitability, but the Judge did tell us to speed up our play, which mostly was fine. I just played suuuper safe. In the next game, he had a lot of 1 for 1 removal, but Sin Collector nabbed one and I just gummed up the board too much. I had way too much gas against him, including 3 Birds of Paradise, lol. 2-0.
Top 4 vs. Jeskai Queller. In the first game, it takes forever, but I eventually get there with some by comboing out after he put pressure with Queller and Obstructionist. I had too much gas, something like 3 Companies and 2 Chords in hand with an E Witness at 1 time. Just needed time to play all that around Mana Leak, Remand, and Dispel. Got there eventually. In the next game, he mulled to 6 and seemed unsure if he should keep. My hand was combo centric, so this bode well for me. I do in fact get the combo on turn 5 or 6 and he is out of plays, having only 1 more card in hand. Whew! I hate playing against Jeskai with this deck because I usually draw terribly, but I drew the nuts on him. Turn 2 Voice of Resurgence, he eventually killed it with Electrolyze on his turn because I WOULD NOT attack with it, but after he tapped out for ScM/Electrolyze, I did Chord for E Witness for Voice of Resurgence and replayed him all on the very next turn. Had some mana dorks. 2-0.
Finals vs. Burn. The same player from Round 5 who I ID'd with at 4-0. He got out double Eidolon of the Great Revel and I could not draw Collected Company. I did get a Finks and a Chord of Calling, but got stuck on 4 lands with mana dork after mana dork in hand after he played the 2nd Eidolon. The next game, he comes out blazing with Monastery Swiftspear. He Searing Blazed my Birds and I missed some 2nd land drops, but eventually peeled lands to get triple Kitchen Finks while I was at 5 life at one point. He just had all lands in hand and I had to play like that or else he would have already killed me. He drew 2 more Monastery Swiftspear and only 1 burn spell and I got there. In the final game, it is super close, but he ended up playing 3 Searing Blazes on me and had an active Grim Lavamancer. If he had drawn Searing Blood, I probably would have won because I had Viscera Seer out, which makes Searing Blood not do damage if I don't want it to. I did have the infinite life combo in my opener and a mana dork with enough mana to do stuff. I died with 2 Scavenging Ooze in hand when he did exact lethal on the final turn with Searing Blaze after fetch, then draw a card for turn and play Lava Spike and Lightning Helix with his last card when I was at 9 before the Searing Blaze. I responded to the Searing Blaze on my Viscera Seer with sacrifice Kitchen Finks to go to 9, but it was enough. 3 + 3 + 3. Damn, next turn I would untap with Scavenging Ooze and a BoP in play. The reason I didn't play Scooze that turn was because I'd have to tap Horizon Canopy and I had just played Temple Garden tapped. This was a mull to 6 because my 7 just didn't do enough against him - 5 lands too. 1-2.
It freaking sucks losing in the finals of a PPTQ. Still, I can't help but realize that I drew better than 7 of my 8 opponents today, so there's that. Lost 5 die rolls today, but got to be on the play throughout the top 8. 5-0-1 does that!
P.S. - Also realized that I have yet to draw Kor Firewalker, have a Chord available for 2, or Company into it in my last 3 SBed games vs. Burn. Well, scratch the last one - I've cast 1 Company in these games, as well as teh other 2 non SBed games. I don't get to cast Company much. I just know that the first time I get Firewalker against Burn, my opponent is going to be pretttttty pissed though.
The Deck...
4 Windswept Heath
4 Verdant Catacombs
1 Misty Rainforest
2 Temple Garden
2 Overgrown Tomb
3 Forest
1 Swamp
1 Plains
2 Gavony Township
2 Horizon Canopy
4 Birds of Paradise
3 Noble Hierarch
1 Viscera Seer
4 Devoted Druid
4 Vizier of Remedies
4 Duskwatch Recruiter
1 Scavenging Ooze
4 Kitchen Finks
3 Eternal Witness
1 Tireless Tracker
1 Walking Ballista
4 Chord of Calling
1 Qasali Pridemage
1 Kor Firewalker
1 Orzhov Pontiff
1 Eidolon of Rhetoric
1 Voice of Resurgence
1 Sin Collector
3 Path to Exile
2 Abrupt Decay
1 Maelstrom Pulse
2 Scavenging Ooze
1 Kataki, War's Wage
Premodern - Trix, RecSur, Enchantress, Reanimator, Elves https://www.facebook.com/groups/PremodernUSA/
Modern - Neobrand, Hogaak Vine, Elves
Standard - Mono Red (6-2 and 5-3 in 2 McQ)
Draft - (I wish I had more time for limited...)
Commander -
Norin the Wary, Grimgrin, Adun Oakenshield (taking forever to build)(dead format for me)Round 1 vs. Grixis ?. Some odd deck that did Rise/Fall to me on turns 2 and 3, taking my only non-land cards. I had kept a 4 land hand and peeled land after land. I get some damage through, as he doesn't seem to have as many Fatal Push/Lightning Bolt as one would think. I draw all my Birds of Paradise and 2 of 3 Noble Hierarch. He is low on life. I have 5 lands left in my deck - 3 fetches and 2 Gavony Township. He cast a Nicol Bolas, the Ravager. I discard a land. The guy took a long time, so we have around 15 min. left. I didn't take that long because I mostly played land, go or land/bird, go. I am considering scooping since I can't draw ***** and I have a better game 2 and 3. I draw Gavony Township and swing for lethal with Devoted Druid, Duskwatch Recruiter, and 3 Birds of Paradise. In the next game, I keep a weak 4 land hand, weaker than the first game. I play the Scavenging Ooze, then Sin Collector, then Chord of Calling for Voice of Resurgence in reponse to Cryptic Command tap/draw. He gives me some tokens and can't win now. He does Rise/Fall to get my "win-con" in Walking Ballista, but he does something that gets me a Voice Elemental token to go with the other token and now I have lethal. 2-0.
Round 2 vs. Burn. He is on the play. I play a tapped land. I draw a BoP for turn 2. I play Devoted Druid instead. He makes me sacrifice it in response to Lightning Helix. I draw another BoP next turn. I play Kitchen Finks instead. I then do Eternal Witness into the Devoted Druid, but he has lethal burn next turn. The next game is similar. I do get Kitchen Finks, but he has 2 Goblin Guides, a Monastery Swiftspear, and an Eidolon of the Great Revel. He does a Boros Charm to put me to 4 life. But he's tapped out. I have Vizier of Remedies in hand and Devoted Druid out, so I need Chord or Collected Company for Duskwatch Recruiter. I draw...Duskwatch Recruiter. How lucky! I am at 4 life with an Eidolon of the Great Revel in play. Will he miss his triggers? Probably not. I play for the long game, but just draw 3 Birds of Paradise, a Duskwatch Recruiter, and a Noble Hierarch. Eidolon trigger much? 0-2.
Round 3 vs. Tron. I get to play against a guy who I usually give a ride to FNM with. He's played 2 PPTQs and I've played him in both. In the first game, I have Chord, BoP, Devoted Druid, and lands. I need to get a 3rd piece. I don't and he gets turn 4 Tron with Wurmcoil Engine. I was on the play, so this shows how painful this game was. I scryed infinite life to the top so I could scry my deck to a possible win, but I end up not doing crap. None of the Collected Companies had any good hits and he Karn exiled, O Stone cracked, and then rinse repeat until he got Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger. In the next game, I mulligan and am missing just Vizier of Remedies. When he gets turn 4 O Stone and cracks it, my next draw is Vizier of Remedies. I had done a Duskwatch Recruiter activation for Chord, land, Chord to miss. He gets some stuff and I just get mismatching bears that don't have any combo. GGs. 0-2.
I left before the next 3 rounds, so 1-5 on the day for me. This was my roughest tournament that I can remember. I remember going 1-5, then 2-5 before dropping at a Los Angeles PTQ back in the days with UR Swans during BW Tokens Standard. This brought back memories.
Premodern - Trix, RecSur, Enchantress, Reanimator, Elves https://www.facebook.com/groups/PremodernUSA/
Modern - Neobrand, Hogaak Vine, Elves
Standard - Mono Red (6-2 and 5-3 in 2 McQ)
Draft - (I wish I had more time for limited...)
Commander -
Norin the Wary, Grimgrin, Adun Oakenshield (taking forever to build)(dead format for me)