i was at GP quebec... with 0 byes. i did 6-3. 5 people did day 2 with that score and we were about 125 people with 18 points. finished 218th on 800-ish people.
victim of night is such a good choice for any random R/x - G/x aggro/midrange meta which was my call its like a murder for 2... BUT it was SO bad in the mirror. top of day one was flood of jund and naya aggro. i did face a lot of esper control earlier in the week i was expecting few of them but decided to MD 2 ghost quater instead of the usual 2 cavern. to fight the opposing lands and i did add 2 acidic slime in SB to fight the utility lands. everyone in my playgroup thought it was such a good a good idea for the meta. Guess how much slime i did cast in in the weekend? 0 even if i boarded them him so often!
1-0 bant kessig
1-1 UWR reckoner aggro. good deck i have to admit it.
2-1 Esper Spirit i didn't have that match up on my SB sheet. i thought it was esper control and honestly without being arrogant, i didn't care. game one i won with 4 of my 5 fireball effect. didn't SB much if i remember, i think it was 3 Slaughter Games 2 Acidic Slime 2 Duress. sideout some removal+lili. and i did one of my first shady move at magic. i'm still not sure if its ok. The guy play obzedat. in my head, I'm like "**** its good against me!" the guy say : "turn?" 0.0 i'm like : "hum, ok" i said : "untap/upk..."(normal speed i did not rushed it like a scrub) he tried to flip it, i told him : "no, it's the beginning of the end step only and when you passed the prority, it was my turn." I called "JUDGE!" he said that he would be inclined to rule in its favor as it was clear what was his intention but suggested me to appeal (it was lvl 3 judge that judged in the Protour BTW). so we called the headjudge. he ruled in my favour. he was ****ing tilt. i proceed to draw and reveal a bonfire for 5. he scooped and said "it's boring playing against you". I'm like "dude we are at a GP!" i continued to talk with the first judge. (it's rare we have french judges even in Quebec) i learned more about the rulings and everything. i thought the rules were less subject to personnal interpretation of the judges and that it was clearer like black and white.
3-1 bant kessig
4-1 bant kessig
4-2 bant kessig at that point was ****ing tired of that match up. +3 Slaughter Games for the freaking revelation +2 Slime for the possible orb and kessig. I know Melissa deTora rocked with it but damn. after i lost, i said i was tired to play that match up. the guy in front of me said that he designed it. i said: "yeah right! just like i designed Valakut or Cawblade before anybody" he said that his name was Loic Lebriand(76th at the pro tour gatecrash) and that he did designed it with raphael levy. OUPS! still nice to be in top50 table at one time without any byes.
5-2 the Aristocrates. early rakdos return after he missed a land drop in game 1 won me the game. he discarded zealous conscript 2 falkenrath aristocrate and another removal spell... game 2 i resolved olivia and proceed to the lunch.
5-3 MIRROR jund control
game one he resolved olivia killed me. i had 2 victim of night in my hand. game 2 i mulled to 6.. like i did 75% of the day. i duressed him, reveiled staff of nin murder land and huntmaster. without thinking too much i chosen staff, remembering how it was good in long games. i should have chosen the murder instead, i "could" have win the huntmaster war that way... it was impossible to win-it with the murder in his hand. and my removal sucked against him. need to change a couple of thing for mirror.
6-3 RDW against a friend from Montreal :-S just like jund is supposed to do, i crushed him
i missed top128 for day 2 but i was glad to make a couple of new friends, a french event with french announcers and french judge (its rare, even in quebec thanks to protour gatecrash at montreal last week) and did a drunken darft with french boosters it was hilarious. day 2 i cubed and did a lot of trade. it was a funny weekend.
main points :
i understand the reason why nighthawk can be in this deck but its far from all-stars. i saw a couple of list with a couple arbor elf and a couple of more removal. and i might try this.
i think 2 victim was a more a FNM call when you really know the meta than a serious GP call... i hated that choice in the mirror!
bonfire was the nuts! i wont change them for mizzium mortar like people do at the moment. i might still put a couple of copies as generic removal. Liliana was nuts vs aggro.
Ghost Quarter was the right choice. i can't remember hating it in the whole weekend. I also "strip mined" the a white of a bant kessig to prevent the potential suprem verdict. the guy top decked that suprem and tried to cast it and i asked him "dude, where is the white?" already knowing the response. Mana base are greedy atm (no basics) and utility lands are everywhere!
Standard:GWRU 4C Collected Company Modern:GUWRB Bloom Titan Legacy:BUG SHARDLESS BUG
EDH : GR BORBORYGMOS ENRAGED GU PRIME SPEAKER ZEGENA UWR ZEDRUU THE GREATHEARTED UBR MISHRA ARTIFICER PRODIGY B SHEOLDRED WHISPERING ONE R ASHLING THE PILGRIM
Jund control was not so preeminent in the last 2 week in the GPTs and LGSs in Montrieal which was a good portion of the people at GPquebec because of GPcharlotte and because quebec is quite far from USA. it was a small GP of 800 people with mostly people from montreal.
Victim was a mistake, but i don't think you can go into these events without taking risks vs the meta. Also don't forget, i had 0 byes, i had to go threw the jungle. Test victim of the night, its quite good, 100% better than ultimate price. but it sucks vs Falkenrath(jund aggro, the aristocrate, rb aggro) and jund mirror. just like for ultimate price. there is really a lack of removal for that vampire. and i would really feel dumb for put tragic slip or curse of deathhole
I think that Arbor Elf and Murder were probably a better answer to the meta this weekend.
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Kakwann, Lvl 39 Sorcerer
Currently Playing
Standard:GWRU 4C Collected Company Modern:GUWRB Bloom Titan Legacy:BUG SHARDLESS BUG
EDH : GR BORBORYGMOS ENRAGED GU PRIME SPEAKER ZEGENA UWR ZEDRUU THE GREATHEARTED UBR MISHRA ARTIFICER PRODIGY B SHEOLDRED WHISPERING ONE R ASHLING THE PILGRIM
4-2 bant kessig at that point was ****ing tired of that match up. +3 Slaughter Games for the freaking revelation +2 Slime for the possible orb and kessig. I know Melissa deTora rocked with it but damn. after i lost, i said i was tired to play that match up. the guy in front of me said that he designed it. i said: "yeah right! just like i designed Valakut or Cawblade before anybody" he said that his name was Loic Lebriand(76th at the pro tour gatecrash) and that he did designed it with raphael levy. OUPS! still nice to be in top50 table at one time without any byes.
This is a little off topic. I'm not sure you should feel bad for not believing him when he first said he designed the deck. I think it's a little braggy to say something like that anyway even if he was the guy that designed it.
But congrats on your high finish. It's no day 2, but it sounds like you got pretty close to that mark with no byes.
My first post so this will be pretty vague probably if the deck tags even work. But my LGS has an FNM that typically has around 50 and last weekend we had a tourny for a case of gatecrash so we had around 80 people show up all cocked and locked with their best decks they could muster for 6 rounds of standard. I ended up top 4 with a 5-0-1 record swiss and 1-0 in the top 8 and we all split into 2.5 boxes each. My meta is typically super fast aggro so my deck is more removal heavy.
Round 1
barely boros might be victorious he called it. Game 1 he was on the play and curved nicely with t1 noble t2 zealot t3 reckoner t4 hellrider...but luckily i kept a hand with 1 blood crypt 2 woodland cemetery a spear 2 abrupt decays and a pillar and my first draw was a huntmaster so i answered all of his threats pretty timely his hand was gone and a thragtusk a few turns later ended it. Game 2 he said he kept an iffy hand and after i handled a ash zealot and a reckoner he gave it up.
Round 2
mirror against my buddy who i was testing against before the tournament and we discovered my removal heavy version has a great match against mirror and olivia took game 1 away while a rakdos return emptied his hand.
Game 2 i was able to slam a t4 primal hunter to which he didnt find an answer to before i played a thraggy and drew 5. He scooped when on my next turn i played a kessig and Rakdos returne him for his hand
Round 3
RG aggro. Game one he is on the play and just nuts into cackler then t2 triple BTE flinthoof. I had taken a slower hand and certainly couldnt keep up.
Games 2/3 though went way better both games i was able to rolling temblor into barter in blood and kessig wolf run+ nighthawk wins
Round 4
esper control. I have never lost a game to an esper deck in the 30+ times i have tested against my friend who i play in round 6 and this was no different. game one he is on the play and a rakdos return put him 1 card from topdeck mode after he taps out for a sorin and thragtusk+ kessig took it to the house. Game 2 he says he has better luck on the draw but i t3 slaughter games out a Tamiyo(she seams to kill me more than a sphinx) then when he plays his witchbane orb and smiles vraska ands that and he gives up.
Round 5
RG aggro. He is on the play and starts off strong game one with t1 cackler t2 emissary boar but i am able to pull it out with early removal and 2 tusks. Game 2 i saw him side our like 12 cards so i was confused and i faced almost a midrange plan...luckily olivia says omnomnom to other midrange plans and i get to take a silverheart from him and then everything he played.
Round 6
Esper control. This time it was actually my friend who convinced me to ID with him since he didnt feel like taking a loss and he played me enough. But we played for fun anyways and i gave him the 1-2 punch. Turns out post-board i can outdraw a pair of sphinxes.
Top 8
nayamans. Told me before the game that his deck he found on the most recent magicgameplan post. Unfortunately for him i have been reading that blog every day since RTR came out so i knew to keep a hand with plenty of removal. It was the same deck that took down the standard portion of the GP. I was able to eak out game one after going to 1 and he was counting on a topdecked something to finish me but on my turn a thrag ended that dream and we took it to game 2. Game 2 he t1 champions which gets pillared into t2 BTE mauler. on the next turn he plays 2 experiment ones and my rolling temblor blows him out and my olivia sticks with enough mana to ping anything he has to death.
So the changes I would make are definitely taking out the pillars, they did almost nothing for me, then again I just went with what I thought was good considering this was my first FNM in nearly a month (I had stopped right before GTC came out to focus on modern).
I switched my deck up after having back to back FNM outings where I got blasted by Obzedat. I took the 2 Ultimate Price maindeck and moved them to the sideboard, replaced them with 1 Murder and 1 Victim of Night (testing to see which I like better), and an extra VoN side. I took out the 1 Clan Defiance... that experiment is over, put Bonfire back in. Took Duress out of the sideboard, replaced it with 2 Barter in Blood and the stuff I moved from the maindeck.
Round 1: RB Vampires. I have to say, I like having extra sideboard slots dedicated to removal, because there are alot of cards that can quickly get out of hand if you don't kill them. He won one of the games on the back of Nocturnus but I won the other 2.
Overall 1-0
Round 2: Naya (with Aurelia and Sigarda main). I played against this guy last week and this guy is a solid player that likes to throw his own tech into netdecks. Wolf Run turned out to be the deciding factor. Game 3 was pretty intense. I was at 6, he was at 10... facing off against Resto and a 2/2 token. I just had a few tokens (2/2 and 3/3) myself. We both had Wolfrun. I had 7 mana to his 6. My turn I didn't have enough damage to kill him to prevent him from swinging back. For a second I thought I lost, but then I remembered the Sever in my Graveyard... Sever the Angel... and it turned out he was out of gas and I won.
Overall 2-0 (4-2 games)
Round 3: Orzhov Zombies. A buddy of mine I played last week with the same deck that mulled to 3 and beat me on the back of Obzedat. Game 1 was classic "I stabilized and won". Game 2, I got zombied and didn't have an answer to 4 1 drops, Liliana and Messenger. Game 3 I play Garruk after baiting 2 flying tokens to chump and kill my Huntmaster. He plays Messengers, but that doesn't hurt Garruk. Obzedat? Murder. Second Obzedat? Victim of Night. Garruk Ultimate I win. The VoN/Murder experiment is off to an initial success.
Overall 3-0 (6-3 games)
Round 4: ID into top 8
Top 8: Grixis Control
Game 1: I get milled out. Dude doesn't play a creature other than Snapcaster. And I die solely from Drownyard Milling.
Game 2: Underworld Connections hits the table and I draw a good 5-7 cards off of it before eventually ending the game.
Game 3: No Underworld Connections, but Garruk into Kessig Wolf Run'd Wolf Token -3 to draw 8 cards. He actually survives for a long time because of all the creature destruction, but the writing was on the wall. After the match I ask him if he was playing Rakdos Return because that would've been a card that turned things around... but he wasn't. No Jace either because her 0 ability would've put a faster mill clock on me. I sided out Dreadbore game 3 because I didn't see it hit the table game 2 in a long game.
Top 4: We split and I buy a bunch of stuff for a commander deck I'm building.
Lessons learned: I'm still not sure if taking out Duress is the right move. But I was able to face a control deck and not having it didn't screw me. If I bring it back, I might have to take Deathrite Shaman completely out of the deck because I have yet to run into a player playing Frites or any kind of reanimator where that kind of sideboard tech is more vital. I know the archetype exists though. Week 1 of the VoN/Murder experiment was off to a good start.
I may almost be done with my B/W Orzhov Zombies deck . . . just can’t seem to get over the hump. Last FNM after going 2-2 with all sorts of mana issues, I pulled out my ‘old’ Jund deck and stayed and played till almost one in the morning. I played all the guys who took the top 5 places in the tourney and also quite a few other kids. Honestly . . . I didn’t lose a single game. I musta played 20 more games with it and not a single game did I lose. I guess my deck missed me.
I don't have time to write out my deck ATM but ill come back and do it tonight when I'm not on my phone.
Rounds 1: The aristocrats 2-0
Round one I just out valued him. Turn 2 farseeks, turn 3 huntmaster turn, 4 I let huntmaster flip killing a token and he drops falkenrath and swings for like 9 damage, it fell to tragic slip and I win with bonfire+ swing out turn 5 or 6.
Game 2 I sided in 2 more tragic slips and death rites to handle his 4 lingering souls. Kessig let me not care about blockers and he couldn't stick an falkenrath as I held both tragic slips I drew until I saw one.
Round 2 - Humaniator 2-1
Game one I lost as he got his infinite mill combo out the turn before I swung for lethal.
Game 2 and 3 i side out all my discard and side in staff of Nin, 3 Deathrite Shaman, 2 duress (2 mana to duress a faithless looting and then exile it and deal 2 damage just too muh value for him and slows down his digging) both games went the same way I luckily landed Deathrite both time by turn 3 and it was GG.
Round 3- Mirror 2-1
Just out thraged him game one playing 3 back to back with a kessig out.
Game 2 I was mana flooded. Kept a 4 mana hand and drew into 4 more mana and a farseeks when he was curving out b
Game 3 I landed staff of Nin turn 4, turn 5 swagtusk, turn 6 Olivia and a hand of removal he couldn't beat my Card advantage.
Round 4- 0-2 my only pre top 8 loss. Guy was a great player with an incredible black/white zombie deck with Obzedot and zombie package. It was really good. I should of had game 2 and brought it to game 3 but made a bad play error involving messanger and Deathrite shaman and he ended me a turn before I drew into my thragtusks and a bonfire coming after (I always have to check my next draws on a loss haha)
Round 5- bye
Round 6- Jund Aggro 2-0 Final round my opponent and I were both garunteed into top 8 for a draw but he was one or "those guys" refused to draw and wanted to play and get his planeswalkers points or w.e.
So of course I 2-0d him lol he should of accepted the draw but its w.e
Top 8- this was single elimination. I faced the mirror again a great player and his deck was almost identicle. I'm kicking myself over this match bc I easily could of taken it game 1 but made a horrible play and it lost me the game. It was sort of embarrising how dumb it was so I'm not even gonna say I was ahead 10 life threw game 1 away.
Of course then on game 2 I get mana flooded for the 2nd time that night and he rolls over me to get into top 4 and I took I believe 6th place. (Kind of a guess I left after getting my top 8 prizes) overall a great day I got a free playmat, max points and $35 or so in store credit for next time. Top 4 would of been $160 store credit if we split (which they did) so an extra $130 woulda been nice but **** happens. I'm no pro and I made mistakes and it cost me my top 4 but had a blast the deck was awesome and overall I did really well as it was a pretty competitive environment most competitive day I've seen since the SCG Atlanta Open.
I played and went 5-2 overall at the TCG gold event in GA
I don't have time to write out my deck ATM but ill come back and do it tonight when I'm not on my phone.
Rounds 1: The aristocrats 2-0
Round one I just out valued him. Turn 2 farseeks, turn 3 huntmaster turn, 4 I let huntmaster flip killing a token and he drops falkenrath and swings for like 9 damage, it fell to tragic slip and I win with bonfire+ swing out turn 5 or 6.
Game 2 I sided in 2 more tragic slips and death rites to handle his 4 lingering souls. Kessig let me not care about blockers and he couldn't stick an falkenrath as I held both tragic slips I drew until I saw one.
Round 2 - Humaniator 2-1
Game one I lost as he got his infinite mill combo out the turn before I swung for lethal.
Game 2 and 3 i side out all my discard and side in staff of Nin, 3 Deathrite Shaman, 2 duress (2 mana to duress a faithless looting and then exile it and deal 2 damage just too muh value for him and slows down his digging) both games went the same way I luckily landed Deathrite both time by turn 3 and it was GG.
Round 3- Mirror 2-1
Just out thraged him game one playing 3 back to back with a kessig out.
Game 2 I was mana flooded. Kept a 4 mana hand and drew into 4 more mana and a farseeks when he was curving out b
Game 3 I landed staff of Nin turn 4, turn 5 swagtusk, turn 6 Olivia and a hand of removal he couldn't beat my Card advantage.
Round 4- 0-2 my only pre top 8 loss. Guy was a great player with an incredible black/white zombie deck with Obzedot and zombie package. It was really good. I should of had game 2 and brought it to game 3 but made a bad play error involving messanger and Deathrite shaman and he ended me a turn before I drew into my thragtusks and a bonfire coming after (I always have to check my next draws on a loss haha)
Round 5- bye
Round 6- Jund Aggro 2-0 Final round my opponent and I were both garunteed into top 8 for a draw but be was one or "those guys" refused to draw didnt care about top 8 wanted to play and get his planeswalkers points or w.e basically a thick headed jerk. I know that sounds harsh but he was annoying refused to draw or work together acted like I was a "*****" for wanting to and everyone at the store I told that he was my final round groaned and rolled their eyes, basically no one likes him bc he's a tool, I don't normally smack talk people but he got on my nerves.
So of course I 2-0d him. He probably should learn to accept a draw when you both are 2nd and 3rd place. At that point.
Top 8- this was single elimination. I faced the mirror again a great player and his deck was almost identicle. I'm kicking myself over this match bc I easily could of taken it game 1 but made a hasty decision and immediately realized I was ****ed and t lost me the game as I couldn't take it back. It was sort of embarrising how dumb it was so I'm not even gonna say I was ahead 10 life threw game 1 away.
Of course then on game 2 I get mana flooded for the 2nd time that night and he rolls over me to get into top 4 and I took I believe 6th place. (Kind of a guess I left after getting my top 8 prizes) overall a great day I got a free playmat, max points and $35 or so in store credit for next time. Top 4 would of been $160 store credit if we split (which they did) so an extra $130 woulda been nice but **** happens. I'm no pro and I made mistakes and it cost me my top 4 but had a blast the deck was awesome and overall I did really well as it was a pretty competitive environment most competitive day I've seen since the SCG Atlanta Open.
What kind of nonsense tournament structure has you get a bye when you're X-1 with 1 round to go?
Also, BW Zombies is unbelievably bad. The deck has no general synergy/concept. It's just zombies plus some randomly good white cards, plus Obzedat. Green has good synergy with zombies because Rancor fits in with the general Zombies plan, and Lolteth Troll is BG. Red has good synergy with zombies for obvious reasons. White just..really? Resto'ing a Messenger is great and all, but that deck doesn't need to have Gravecrawler, Diegraf Ghoul, etc. I don't know how you can possibly lose to that deck with Jund. Of course, I have no idea what your decklist is, so there is that. It sucks that you lost to that.
Better luck next time. Maybe take it easier on your opponents..just because someone doesn't want to ID(IDs are the absolute worst aspect of tournament MTG) doesn't make them a bad person. Maybe he thought he had a good matchup? Or wanted a better seating for T8? Who knows.
What kind of nonsense tournament structure has you get a bye when you're X-1 with 1 round to go?
Also, BW Zombies is unbelievably bad. The deck has no general synergy/concept. It's just zombies plus some randomly good white cards, plus Obzedat. Green has good synergy with zombies because Rancor fits in with the general Zombies plan, and Lolteth Troll is BG. Red has good synergy with zombies for obvious reasons. White just..really? Resto'ing a Messenger is great and all, but that deck doesn't need to have Gravecrawler, Diegraf Ghoul, etc. I don't know how you can possibly lose to that deck with Jund. Of course, I have no idea what your decklist is, so there is that. It sucks that you lost to that.
Better luck next time. Maybe take it easier on your opponents..just because someone doesn't want to ID(IDs are the absolute worst aspect of tournament MTG) doesn't make them a bad person. Maybe he thought he had a good matchup? Or wanted a better seating for T8? Who knows.
I wouldn't knock the guys zombie list until you see it it was very good and everyone was talking about it I believe he placed 1st or 2nd.
Also you're right I shouldn't be so hard on the guy but it got on my nerves lol.
And the tourny didn't give me a bye I just called it that my opponent had to leave and dropped after pairings were made.
Round 2 - G/W Aggro (W 2-1)
Game 1 played out like Jund should against aggro - I was able to keep the table clear with Dreadbore and Abrupt Decay until I could drop Huntmaster of the Fells and Thragtusk and go to town.
+2 Mizzium Mortars
-2 Lilliana of the Veil
Game 2 he was able to drop 3 Loxodon Smiter off of a Rakdos Return. Didn't recover there.
Game 3 played out like Game 1 and I was able to win handily.
Round 5 - Jund Aggro (L 1-2)
Game 1 was a blowout for my opponent - he kept my side clear with Decay and Dreadbore, and landed a pair of Boros Reckoner (!) to keep me down.
+2 Abrupt Decay, +2 Mizzium Mortars
-2 Lilliana of the Veil, -2 Duress
Game 2 I had no business winning, but I was able to stabilize with Staff of Nin and had the gas to come back.
Game 3 was close, I had a 1 turn clock when he ripped a Falkenrath Aristocrat to tag me for lethal.
Round 6 - U/W/R Flash (W 2-1)
This was one match I hadn't tested extensively - UWR feels alot like my deck in that it's chock full of good stuff. Game 1 I was able to keep the board clear long enough for Huntmaster -> Thragtusk -> Staff of Nin.
+2 Deathrite Shaman, +2 Skullcrack
-2 Rakdos Keyrune, -1 Abrupt Decay, -1 Garruk Relentless
Game 2's loss was brought to me by Sphinx's Revelation. I was able to rip a Rakdos Return, but he was able to respond with a Revelation, making it into a "Cycle 5" courtesy of me.
Game 3 I was able to stabilize and eat his graveyard with Deathrite and peck away with Vampire Nighthawk to stay in the game until I was able to roll a pair of Tusks then Rakdos for 5. Draw-go isn't so spectacular when you are ripping off the top.
Missed the cut for T8 by 2 - breakers ended up being really bad.
Personal Observations
Before the tournament started, I saw tons of people on Junk Reanimator. In this configuration, I wasn't able to prevail pre or post board.
Rakdos Keyrune was underwhelming for me - every time I saw it, I wished it was either straight removal or a dude.
Staff of Nin was the real deal for me - we might have lots of straight up value, but very little gas. Both modes helped me out a lot that night.
I'm contemplating changes for next week while I read through the backlog of pages on here. No new tech to report, either.
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Decks in the hopper... Standard - R/G Aggro RG Standard - Book Burning UR Modern - U/W Tempo UW Legacy - Master of Affinity XX Vintage - Burnination RR
After going 2-2 in the FNM where I lost both of my games to Junk, I decided to make some changes to my list. I replaced 2 Keyrunes for 2 Shamans in MD, and added 2 Ground Seals and 2 Sever the Bloodline in place of Duress.
Round 1, Mostly Black by Demand, 2-1
A favourable MU. I was about to win the first game but he gains approximately 10 life and draws 16 cards in one turn. The other games I take home.
MVP: Rakdos's Return, Thragtusk, Liliana of the Veil
Round 2, Naya Beatdown, 0-2
I lost to Aurelia, the Warleader beats. G2 I could have won after landing an Olivia, but I punt and lose the match. He played the enchantment that makes hasty soldier tokens, which was intimidating, but I could have closed the game before it would have started to make any difference.
MVP: Olivia Voldaren?
Round 3, Bant Control, 1-1-1
Game I don't draw the cards I need. Game 2 I do. Game 3 my hand was not optimal and game goes on for too long. Luckily, draw was enough to put me in top 8 in the end.
MVP: Rakdos's Return
Round 4, Junk Reanimator, 2-1
Sometimes you win the tougher matches instead of the easier ones. Game 1 a DSR takes the cake, although it helped that my opponent stumbled on mana, never hitting his 5th land. DSR lifeloss and Thragtusk-beats won the game. G2 I play a Shaman that gets decayed. I SG his Thragtuskes and Unburial Rites, and I'm close to winning, but he plays a Garruk PH and I got 0 answers for it. G3 is a win.
MVP: Deathrite Shaman, SG, Olivia
Round 5, Jund Midrange, 2-1
We all know what's good in this MU. I was pretty confident as I've played with the deck more than him. Big spells all around, but when the dust settles, I'm the victorius player.
MVP: All the good spells
After the swiss I'm 6th with 10 points. In the Quarters I lose to Bant. I was pretty saddened since it's a super easy MU, but G1 he plays 3 thragtuskes and my hand wasn't good enough, and G3 I lose to a T3 Witchbane Orb. I had 2 SGs and a RR in my hand which would have won the game for me, but what you gonna do? Witchbane Orb essentially lost me almost 60 store credits.
As my last thoughts, I will probably keep playing DSRs and Severs, and I'll also find some room for anti-witchbane orb -cards. Right now I'm thinking about 2 Acidic Slimes, but it might be 2 Duress or 2 AfB as well.
@Tiem: Last week I lost a grindy match to a control deck that played Assemble the Legion (the card you referenced that makes soldiers). I had Underworld Connections, Garruk, stuff like that. I don't know if it's a for real thing or just an FNM thing. I need some Acidic Slime in my sideboard just as added hate against random stuff. And it sounds like you could use it as well as it would've solved your Assemble the Legion problem and Wichbane Orb problem.
@Tiem: Last week I lost a grindy match to a control deck that played Assemble the Legion (the card you referenced that makes soldiers). I had Underworld Connections, Garruk, stuff like that. I don't know if it's a for real thing or just an FNM thing. I need some Acidic Slime in my sideboard just as added hate against random stuff. And it sounds like you could use it as well as it would've solved your Assemble the Legion problem and Wichbane Orb problem.
Assemble the Legion wasn't a problem, really. I had an Olivia out which could have pinged the 1/1 soldiers and she presented a too fast clock. Trostani was what made me lose the game. I think Assemble is a great card and I'm certain that it would be harder to deal with against control, since those games last longer.
I'm actually thinking about removing Pillar of Flames from my SB. My LGS has mostly control and midrange, there's like 1 Mono-R player and 1 Naya Blitzh player and the next most aggressive deck is either Naya or Aristocrats.
2 Acidic Slimes will stay in the SB because it can answer cards like Staff of Nin and Assemble the Legion when needed. I will also remove the Pillars for 2 AfBs. People play lots of Junk and Bant, and AfB is better in those MUs because it can remove a Tusk or an AoS on top of countering their Orb-defences. I'll see how my SB works, I've got 2 FNMs until the PTQ and WMCQ I've thought about switching to Naya beatdown, but I honestly like Jund too much in a varied meta. We have the luxury to switch gears and play hate cards like DRS.
Week 1 - 3-1 (6-2) (23 players)
R1 - W vs UB Mill 2-0
Newer player with a lot of cipher cards, Jace's Phantasm, and Consuming Aberration. Spot removal and Liliana were all stars here
R2 - W vs Esper Control 2-0
Pretty easy matchup. Can't handle resolved Liliana and Thundermaw.
R3 - L vs Junk Reanimator 0-2 **
Unprepared for this matchup. Played Reckoners, Thragtusks, AoS, and Unburial Rites. Just couldn't keep up
R4 - W vs BW Zombies 2-0 **
G1 I fought back from a board state of 2 Blood Artist, Messenger, and another Zombie to win with 2 life. Also managed to steal an Obzedat with Olivia. G2 he stalled on mana, rolled over him
Week 2 - 4-0 (8-1) (28 players)
R1 - W vs Bant Control 2-0
Easy MU. Ultimated Liliana in G2 and gave her a choice between blue and black mana. These decks seem to have a hard time with planeswalkers
R2 - W vs Junk Tokens 2-0
G1, Thundermaw wrecked his Spirit tokens and Abrupt Decay took care of the anthem effects. G2 ended with him stuttering on mana
R3 - W vs BRWu Reanimator 2-0 **
Same guy from last week, mulled into Rakdos Charm in G2 to prevent a reanimated AoS. Was effective
R4 - W vs Naya Midrange 2-1
Lost G1 to the swarm, Liliana and Olivia were crucial in G2, and a miracled Bonfire was a winner in G3
Week 3 - 3-1 (6-5) (17 players)
R1 - W vs Esper Control 2-1
Same guy from week 1. Drownyard and Jace got me in G2, but Slaughter Games for Jace MA in G3 made it a piece of cake
R2 - W vs Wolf Run Bant 2-1
Nothing significant in this MU, just couldn't handle the additional 20 life his Thragtusks gained him in G2
R3 - W vs BRWu Reanimator 2-1 **
Slaughter Games in G2 stripped him of his good stuff. Other than that, nothing exciting. Post board this match up gets a lot better
R4 - L vs BRWu Reanimator (different build) 0-2 **
Split prizes, didn't play to win, and he steamrolled me
** - indicates better player. Our store has a bunch of people who have top 64'd GPs, top 8'd PTQs, etc, so I classify those players as "better players"
Total - 10-2 (19-8)
Breakdown by game
G1 - 8-4
G2 - 8-4
G3 - 4-0
By Archtype
Aggro/Midrange - 4-0 (8-2)
Control - 4-0 (8-1)
Reanimator - 2-2 (4-5)
Observations and comments
This deck just wrecks control. Pre-board, the deck holds its own despite many dead cards (Abrupt Decay, Murder, etc). I've found that most control decks are relatively counter light in G1, so a resolved Liliana and/or Garruk are a beating. Post Board, Slaughter Games, Rakdos's Return and Duress beat up on control even more.
In my meta, opponents have a really hard time dealing with a resolved Thundermaw Hellkite
Still making adjustments on my removal suite. Like the Dreadbores, but the split of Abrupt Decay, Murder, Ultimate Price, and Devour Flesh
Deck mulligans VERY well. I find I have a very high mulligan rate with my opening hand.
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How is Rolling Temblor working for you? I tried it before as basically another stop-gap against Giest and it was just never a card I wanted to play. It probably doesn't help that Zombies was the aggro deck of choice back when I first tried it. So if you are staring at a board of Messenger, Gravecrawler, and just any random 2/2 creature... Temblor is like maybe a 1 for 1... kind of a 1 for 1.5 because it keeps Gravecrawler from attacking next turn. But you lose 2 life to Messenger and it becomes a 4/3.
I guess now where a potential board might be Cackler, BTE, BTE, Mauler... being able to kill all of that is nice. Then again, it could just as easily be Cackler, BTE, Flinthoof, Reckoner and you only get a 2 for 1 out of the deal.
In the past three weeks I have never sided in Rolling Tremblor, so I might end up taking them out all together. I find the 4th Bonfire is far more effective. I've thought about Mutilate or more spot removal. Zombies isn't really prevalent in my store's meta, so things like Pillar aren't too useful.
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Got home from our FNM a bit ago and figured I’d write up a quick (and my posted first) tournament report. This week it was a good mix of fresh players with some newer faces and also players from one of the other area shops. Sadly I didn’t write down or cap the play by play for each match so a summary of each round will need to suffice.
2-0
G1: Won the die roll. Early removal was able to keep him off any real board advantage. Thragtusk took it over from there.
G2: Opponent seemed iffy about his hand (not a bad sign). I dropped a T3 LoTV to start picking his hand apart. Huntmaster and a Vampire Nighthawk ended it.
Match 2: BR Vampires
2-0
G1: Won the die roll. Opening hand had 3 land, farseek, pillar, tragic slip and Thragtusk. Realized quickly my opponent was on vampires (T2 Cavern naming vamps) but I was able to get to Thragtusk no problem and just run him over with Kessig.
G2: Opponent mulled to 6 and kept what I’m guessing was an iffy hand. A slightly late Thragtusk was able to stall the board until I dropped Olivia Voldaren with mana open. Writing was on the wall from there.
Match 3: Esper tokens
0-2
G1: I was not ready/expecting to see this on the other side of the table and it showed. I was able to keep some of his tokens off the table and started to stabilize with Thragtusk but his Drogskol Captain made life rough pretty quickly.
G2: Mulled down to 6 and kept a two lander. Huntmaster of the Fells was able to hold off the board for a while but eventually he dropped another Captain and I didn’t have any answers before his tokens over ran me. I shouldn’t have looked but the next draw was a MIzzium Mortars. /cry
Match 4: Izzet flashback (budget)
2-0
G1: Opponent had an early answer to some of my creatures (VNH and Huntmaster) but wasn’t able to do anything when Thundermaw Hellkite landed.
G2: My opponent stumbled on land and by the time he dug himself out I was able to swing in and finish with a Pillar of Flame
I will say that my opponent was probably one of nicest guys I’ve played in a while. I saw his deck play out after one of my earlier matches and the deck combos to make Guttersnipe sorta scary - 24 damage in a single turn.
Match 5: UW Geist Hexproof
2-1
When we sat down my opponent said he’d been hoping to play me since the first round. I guess he was a few spots away and thought it would be a fun match after seeing what I was on.
G1: Opponent flooded out and a Vampire Nighthawk and Thragtusk got there. (He kept an opener of 5 land and two Glaring Spotlight figuring he’d draw into some action)
G2: We both start off on decent game plans but he curves out perfectly into a T3 Geist of Saint Traft and then loads up enchantments on T4. Scoopable board state.
G3: A scary start…mulls left and right. We both mull to 6 and I’m greeted with another 1-lander. We both look at one another and go, “Mull 5?” – which is really the only thing you want to hear when you announce a mull in G3. My 5 had a Rootbound Crag, Thundermaw Hellkite, Thragtusk, Farseek and Abrupt Decay. I figured I couldn’t afford to mull to 4 on the play and my opponent seemed as unhappy as I was; even entertaining a mull to 4 for a second.
Play my Crag and say go, opponent plays an Island and passes, I draw a…Woodland Cemetery thanks deck. Luckily no action on my opponent’s side yet so I draw/play Blood Crypt, and Farseek an Overgrown Tomb. Opponent plays a land, Spotlight and passes. Draw a Swamp (I’ll take it!) and land my Thragtusk figuring a bit of life gain would be best since he can make such big swings. Opponent drops a Geist (damn) and passes back. Draw a Rakdos’ Return, play Thundermaw and swing for 10. Opponent draws and just stares at the board.
-“What are you at”
-“25 and I have you at 10”
-“Think you’ve got me. I can only get in 13 and that’s with the angel…damn”.
A handshake, congrats and we pack up. I asked him why he scooped and he said that at that point he wasn't going to be able to do anything to really take advantage and knew there were too many answers in my deck.
The Results & Aftermath
Overall a great night – I finished out in 3rd (4th had same record but with one more 2-1 than I did and top two decided to ID). Grabbed my promo Farseek, 8 packs and busted out the trade binders to pick a few things up.
I haven’t popped the packs yet but will try to remember to edit this post with the pack contents.
29 Players total with about 15% playing brews of varying success, 25% playing top tier decks with modifications (ie Junk Reanimator with blue), 25% playing tier 2 decks (Humans, Esper Control), and 35% playing tier 1 decks (Naya, Jund, Junk Reanimator, UWr Flash)
Round 1 - W 2-0 vs BUG Mill
Guy was playing a brew. Looked spicy
G1 - He played a bunch of Jaces and a Tamiyo. I played Huntmasters and Rakdos' Return. I win
G2 - His deck actually gets going, played Mind Grind for 6 and then for 8. Thankfully I run 25 lands otherwise he would have gotten me
1-0 (2-0)
Round 2 - L 1-2 vs BR Control
One of the better players at the store, this is his pet deck. He's dabbled in Jund a bit, but seems to like the BR shell with Griselbrand
G1 - I manage to get a flipped Huntmaster down and beat him down to 10 before he wipes my board with a Mutilate and starts swinging in with Nighthawks and doming me with Rakdos' Return
G2 - I mull to five but manage to get a Thragtusk and ride him and a Thundermaw to victory
G3 - I had him until he dropped a Griselbrand.
1-1 (3-2)
Round 3 - W 2-1 vs Esper Control
This is pretty much an auto win for me
G1 - Even with Obzedat recursion, he played off the top of his deck far too much after a Liliana and Rakdos' Return savaging his hand, and then a large Olivia swinging in for the win
G2 - He was able to control the board and Obzedat recursion and attacks for the win
G3 - He punted and forgot to exile his Obzedat so I dealt with it with a Dreadbore. Big creatures did him in from there.
2-1 (5-3)
Round 4 - W 2-1 vs Junk Reanimator
One of the better players at the store, top 8'd a bunch of PTQs and went deep into day 2 of GP Toronto a few months back. His first time playing the deck.
G1 - This wasn't really fair. He keeps a one lander with dorks, I Bonfire his board, he concedes
G2 - Honestly, don't remember much of this one. I think he was able to drop a Lotleth Troll and a Thragtusk, and then managed to deal with my board effectively
G3 - He got a little stuck on lands and relied a little heavily on dorks. Olivia was a beating as she ate up the dorks and the spirit tokens
3-1 (7-4)
So now Jund is 15-4 (30-15) in the past five tournaments that I've taken it to.
Notes:
- I actually managed to ultimate Liliana twice tonight, once in round 1, once in round 3. Unfortunately, the choices I gave were typically all your permanents vs 1 planeswalker (Jace AoT in round 1 and Sorin in round 3). Felt like a bit of a waste
- Deck changes: -1 Griselbrand, -1 Devour Flesh, -1 Abrupt Decay, +2 Deathrite Shaman, +1 Murder. SB, -1 Devour Flesh, -2 Duress, -3 Rolling Tremblor, +1 Abrupt Decay, +2 Ground Seal, +1 Mizzium Mortars, +2 Tragic Slip. This was to account for the number of aggro decks I saw on Saturday. More control today so Mortars and Slips were useless.
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Changes to the deck this week:
MD: -1 Mountain, -1 Swamp, +2 Kessig Wolf Run
SB: -1 Golgari Charm, -2 Rakdos Charm, -2 Underworld Connections, +3 Appetite for Brains, +2 Acidic Slime
Round 1 - W 2-1 vs Jund
G1 - We both play the Thragtusk game for a bit. I drop a Thundermaw, manage to wipe his board, and swing in for the win
Sideboard : -3 Abrupt Decay, + 1 Rakdos Return, +1 Bonfire of the Damned, +1 Mizzium Mortars
G2 - I stall out on four lands, he lands a Thundermaw, I lose
G3 - We Thragtusk battle again, I Bonfire his board clear, then repeat game 1
1-0 (2-1)
Round 2 - W 2-0 vs Naya Midrange
This version of the deck runs Reckoners and Harvest Pyre
G1 - He never really gets any traction as I am removal heavy so I take care of his board with a combination of Murder and Liliana. Thundermaw joins and beats down
Sideboard: +2 Tragic Slip, +1 Bonfire, -1 Ultimate Price, -2 Dreadbore
G2 - We trade board position, with Thragtusks, Huntmaster, Reckoner, and Thundermaw all joining the party. He makes a misplay when he attacks with Reckoner, I block with Thragtusk. Instead of trading and killing off the Thundermaw, he gives the Reckoner first strike. Thundermaw once again provides me with victory
2-0 (4-1)
Round 3 - W 2-1 vs Junk Reanimator
G1 - Olivia is the difference here, letting me pick off Spirits and mana dorks. I think this was the only game I won where I didn't resolve a Thundermaw
SB: +2 Ground Seal, +3 Appetite for Brains, -3 Liliana of the Veil, -2 Abrupt Decay
G2 - I stall out on four lands, it was pretty academic
G3 - I Appetite out a Thragtusk and Angel of Serenity fairly early. We do some Thragtusk trading, then Thundermaw comes down and does what he does
3-0 (6-2)
Round 4 - W 2-0 vs Naya Midrange
Slightly different than the one in round 2, no Harvest Pyre maindeck
G1 - Mulled to 5, but was able to cast turn 4 Thragtusk, turn 5 Thundermaw, turn 6 win. He had a bad keep, one land and a couple of dorks, but it wouldn't have mattered
SB: +2 Tragic Slip, +1 Bonfire of the Damned, +1 Abrupt Decay, -2 Deathrite Shaman, -2 Rakdos's Return
G2 - He gets off to a quick start with a couple of Smiters before I stabilize with Huntmaster and Thragtusk. I win with a Thragtusk with Wolf Run.
4-0 (8-2)
So in the past month the deck has gone 19-4 (38-17). I'm really comfortable with the deck and will likely take it to WMCQ and PTQ April 20/21 with few modifications. I haven't played too many Reanimator matchups which worry me a bit.
Thundermaw is the absolute MVP in this deck. I don't think I've ever lost a game where he has hit the table.
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Match 1 vs Barely Boros (2-0): Both games on the draw, I kept 3 or 4 landers with the rest of the cards being removal. Drew into creatures with either Liliana or more removal to solidify the board and life total.
Match 2 vs BWU Obz Control (1-0-1): Game 1 was a hell of a fight. The start was ...boring. I played 2 Farseeks and he played 2 Think Twices. He then taps out for a Jace, Archetect of Thought. He does -2 and I laughed and cried at the same time. Land, Detention Sphere, Supreme Verdict. My hand was Dreadbore, Abrupt Decay, Putrefy, and Sire of Insanity. Next draw was a land for me. I could either kill the Jace and let him untap with 7 cards in hand or I drop Sire.... I dropped Sire. Nightmare scenario in 3, 2, 1....he top decks Obzedat. He then top decks a removal spell for Sire but I was able to hold off attacks from Obz because of my Keyrune + Kessig on defense. I went down to 3 life and finally peeled my 2nd putrefy. I then got the top decks to get in my favor with a serious of Thragtusks and Huntmasters. We then went to time on turn 4 in game 2 for the game draw, but match win for me.
Match 3 vs WBR Aggro (2-0): Game one was tricky, but the right removal package was key when I mulled. Tragic slip for the Blood Artist and Abrupt Decay for the Boros Reckoner. After landing a Thragtusk then Huntermaster to chump block and trade, he ran out gas and I grinded it out with planeswalkers. Game 2 he kept a 2 land hand (only had white but 3 doomed travelers). He saw no 2nd color land for 6 turns.
Match 4: This one was interesting...I started off looking like a mirror match until he farseek'ed to find a blue colored land. Basically his deck uses a Jund base but splashed blue for Jace (and something else I didn't see/don't remember). I lost game one due to him controlling the board with a Jace, Garruk PH, and Olivia. Game 2 I was able to ultimate Liliana on curve with a Thrag and Huntmaster in play.
Game 3---- it was on. I was almost dead on board. He had out a Jace and Vraska. He then played a Deadbridge chant. I was stuck on 5 lands with a Deadbridge Chant of my own in hand. Back to back Rakdos's Returns allowed me to kill each planeswalker. I played my Chant finally. He resolved a Sire of Insanity. My chant gets me back a putrefy, drew a land. Board is clean except for each of us having a chant. This went on for about 10+ turns. I went down to 10 cards left in my deck due to my farseeking to clear out my deck. He ran out of gas after drawing some lands and not getting any creature cards from his GY. I was able to put out Vraska and Garruk for the scoop.
Match 5: The exact mirror. Games 1 and 2 were one sided. Who ever missed their 4th or 5th land drop was punished. Game 3 I won because I ramped to 5 mana and RR for 3 then RR for 4 the next turn. He didn't draw anything for my planeswalkers.
edit One jund player that came 2nd had 1 chant mainboard, and a 2nd sideboard, thoughts?
Round 2 v BUG Aggrovenge
Game one I kept a risky hand with dragonskull and bloodcrypt with a farseek. By turn 4 I still had no green source and he had Deathrite Shaman, Dreg Mangler and a Vrolz out.
Games 2 and 3 I was able to curve Arbor Elf into t3 Huntmaster, then t4 Olivia or Thragtusk. I sided in all my removal and took out a Garruk, Olivia, and trimmed a bonfire and a dreadbore since sorcery speed is bad and abrupt decaying their scavange target is awesome.
Round 3 v American Cyclops
My buddy made an American Deck with Nivix Cyclops and Artful Dodge. The first game he got me down to 4 life by turn 5 but then a couple huntmasters into a thragtusk then Olivia saved me. Huntmaster was really good agasint him since he always cast multiple spells on his turn to make his cyclops really big. Game two he got super land screwed.
Round 4 v Slime Reanimator.
Dude Mulliganned both games one to 6 on the play, then 5 on the draw. He got pretty land screwed and I curved out and did the Jund thing. Side Note- I p.t against this deck and if they ramp into an early slime and resto it a couple times this matchup is really hard because we need our lands. After boarding I droppeg all planeswalkers and a thrag and put in the other sire and groundseals because them together is major work. Since I dont run Electrickery, Gaze of GRanite for 1 kills all 8 or their dorks.
Saturday was pretty much the same, only deck that gave me real trouble was American Mid/ Tempo. Warleaders Helix I guess was made to beat Sire.
I came very very close to finishing top 64 at my first SCG open this weekend in Nashville. I was in the running all the way to the very end of the 10 rounds of swiss. All I needed was to go 7-3 in the end and I was inches...just inches away from that finish. And....my oppponent topdecked a second Thundermaw hellkite to dash my dreams.
Let's start at the beginning though.
My team arrives at the venue and we sign up and proceed to write out our lists. My friend and I are both on the exact 75 of Jund this weekend(Reid's main deck with a SB I modified.) . While our friend Travis "mailman" Bryant(7th place) was on his own home brewed and fine tuned Four Color Midrange/control.
After all the initial preparations are finished Jason and I get up to walk around and check out the vendors and look at what the alterists had to offer.
I eventually decide on having Amber Musick create my dream playmat. Rakdos's Return. I buy some custom tokens from Hurley and Burley. I am in a good state of mind and ready for 10 rounds of this game I love playing.
Round 1 vs RDW (2-0)
He gets a solid start both games but I am able to stabilize with Huntmasters and Thragtusks. Coming along for the ride is the always welcome blow out bonfire.
Round 2 vs Bant Tokens (1-2)
He is kind of like the flash variant and kind of not like the flash variant. He plays call of the conclave and gets a 3/3 centaur turn 2 and turn 3 passes and casts EOT Selesnya charm for a Knight! already taking a ton of damage by his 4th turn I am trying to create a front to get rid of his force. He adds to the onslaught with EOT Advent of the Wurm...Oh boy, this is not good.
Game 2 I win this one with some very timely draws and 2 miracle Bonfires!
Game 3 he has surprise tech for me when I attempt to clear his field with overloaded Mizzium Mortars. Rootborn Defenses! What?! He populates a 3/3 and clearly I am in a losing position at this point with so much damage cruising at my face. When he unsummons my ONLY hope at survival, my last blocker I extend the hand and wish him luck.
Nice Guy too.
I am now 1-1 and prepare myself to do better....but that is not what happens next round.
I almost didn't make the trip Friday night as it is. I came home from work and I was feeling miserable(heat stress with Allergies) and almost told my friends to go on with out me. So round 3 I start feeling a bit rough again, head feels like its submerged in water.Lets go to round 3.
Round 3 vs UWR Geist (1-2)
I don't remember too much other than the game ends with him playing slayers strong hold, flash in a Resto- Angel give it +2/+0 haste/Vigilance I block the other angel 3/4 with my 3/3 olivia while at 3 life because I forgot about the pump the stronghold gave the other angel. I die.
Upset a little with myself I beat him game 2. Go Sire of Insanity!
Game 3 I die to not one but 2 Hellkites.
1-2 and determined to continue on strong I push on and fight hard in round 4.
Round 4 vs Esper Geist. (2-0)
Jund does it's thing both games
Turn 2 Farseek
Turn 3 Huntmaster/Olivia
Turn 4 Ground Seal/Thragtusk
Turn 5 Sire GG.
I move to round 5 and crush a Planeswalker miracles deck that is supposed to crush midrange. Apparently he hasn't played Jund before. He didn't know what to do when I resolved turn 3 Liliana and popped her ultimate with Sire on board. Leaving my opponent left with 3 lands on board he draws for his turn and concedes the game. (2-0)
Round 6 vs RDW (1-2)
Not much to say of this round except I am not a fan of this guy. Well maybe there is something to say of this round after all.
I understand it's a Huge payout tournament setting. Money is up for grabs here after all but there is no reason to be a cocky/snide character here. This guy was cocky and just looking for me to slip up so he could get a free match win.
I start shuffling for game 1. I stop and think. Did I de-board last round. I start looking through my deck to be sure. My opponent cocks his head and before he asks what it is I'm doing I tell him. " I'm making sure I de-boarded last round.
He replies "Yeah but if you didn't that could be a good thing for me."
I said "I guess so. If you like getting free wins in Magic instead of playing." He doesn't have a reply for that.
After shuffling I present for a cut and he just shuffles it and moves this card here, that card there. This goes on for about 5 minutes. I finally get my deck back and I mulligan after seeing a no land hand.
Shuffle. He does his crooked thing again. I draw 6. Mulligan. 1 land and it's Wolfrun.
Shuffle. His routine draw 5. Keep. Lose.
Game 2 same rountine but this time I fixed him a bit. I pile shuffled more, then shuffled 2 times. He does his thing. So the whole time he shuffles mine, I shuffle his barely self shuffled deck. This time he mulligans down to 5 and loses.
Game 3. This one isn't about his crooked conduct but about his cocky attitude. The end of the game is near I am at 3 life and while he's tapped out he asks me
what my life total was. I reply "3". He literally throws a searing spear across the table to my side. Wow. Really?!
I don't mind losing but when the winner acts the way this guy did the whole round it bothers me that I didn't vanquish the Villian. You know?
Round 7 vs. Junk Reanimator (2-1)
Jund does it's thing once again.
Game 1.
Turn 2 farseek
Turn 3 Olivia
Turn 5 Ground seal with Backup Putrefy
Turn 6 Sire of Insanity
Win!
Game 2 went longer and we both gained alot of life but he drew more Thragtusks and I never drew a single removal spell after he ripped my Mortars from hand with sin collector. GG nonetheless.
Game 3. Jund did it's thing again. Also found slaughter games turn 3 ripping multiple thrags from hand.
Round 8 vs. BUG Flash (2-1)
Game 1 I win in a Slaughter.
Game 2 he has multiple Appetite for brains and I just never recover.
Game 3 Was another slaughter with Jund doing the cutting. I end the game at 29 life. Slaughter games taking out his Thragtusks works everytime.
Round 9 vs. The Aristocrats (2-1)
Another sufferer of the Allergies today. He has a box of tissues to the right side of his mat. I tell him joking "since we are both suffering today I don't mind shaking your hand. Nice to meet you." We both laugh as we get set to play.
I was doing my best not to spread my germs to the un-infected.
Anyways onto the match.
Game 1 a timely bonfire and another timely bonfire wins the game along with Sire.
Game 2. He has multiple Souls and Cartels. Hard to get through. I lose.
Game 3. I had all the answers while he had all the questions. Eventually I lay down a threat and ride it with a Kessig wolf run to victory.
Round 10 vs. Big Naya. (1-2)
I am pumped! My first Open Event. I am in the running to finish top 64! I am living my dream.....then it stops.....
Game 1 was ridiculous. I thought I was facing the traditional big naya. Kind of was traditional. Except.....When he had one land open EOT I attempted to slip a Tusk. You know? Since my wolf token got trampled under hoof in combat that turn. He reveals he is playing Cloudshift in place of Resto-Angel. WHat?! He Gains a 3/3 and 5 life. Proceeds to play another tusk and pass. Cloudshift EOT again! I'm dead....
Game 2 Slaughter Games is all it took to render his strategy useless.
Game 3 Multiple Advent of Wurm and 2 Thundermaws. The Magic gods were with this one.
Slightly disappointed but still thrilled with my performance at my first open and my new playmat and tokens , I watch my friend Travis Bryant in the top 8.
Despite a massive sinus infection I still had a blast and can't wait for my next chance to play an SCG Open. I'm looking at you Atlanta!
Round 1: RUG Control 2-1
Game 1 was long drawn out and eventually he pealed a big bonfire of the damned to put it away. Boarded in my regular control match up cards minus the Slaughter Games. +1 Garruk, Primal Hunter, +1 Underworld Connections, +1 Deadbridge Chant, +1 Vraska, the Unseen
Games 2 & 3 weren't very memorable, Game 2 was fast I know because we shuffled up with like 25 minutes left in the round for game 3. Game 3 I got Deadbridge Chant online which graciously shattered my Oliva that was in play by giving me another one. Bad guy played two Pithing needles naming Garruk and Liliana, beat him, who cares.
Round 2: Atrociously bad Four Color deck (BRGW) 2-0
Honestly think this guy finished in last place in the tournament. Beat him without a sweat in game 2 he hilariously casted a Griselbrand and on my turn I flashed back Sever the Bloodline and he responded by paying 7 life and drawing sever cards and leaving him dead on board. Really bad deck and player. I mean *cough* *cough* I'm so good.
Round 4: Bant Hexproof 2-0
Games were not very memorable, believe he only had one creature game 1 and it didn't have hexproof so he lost. Game 2 I had barter in blood again. good games.
After 4/6 rounds there were only three undefeated players and I was one of the top two playing each other so I double drawed into top 8.
In Top 8 I was third seed and extremely cocky with my match-up (one of two people that went against splitting the money 8 equal ways) and I lost to Aristocrats Act: II on the play both times =(. In my defense I thought my match up was going to be Naya Aggro which I was super stoked about. These games were win-able but I drew and kept bad hands because I'm not that great of player. Let my nerves get the best of me. Kept hands with too much situational removal and the situations didn't align (i.e. pillar of flame and bonfire and my opponent came out with boros reckoner's and falkanrath aristocrat's.
Jund feels good right now and I think it will stay this way at least until the release of M14. The new trending thing is Junk Aristocrats which is a pretty easy match up for us, Esper and UWR aren't terribly popular which are probably our worst match-ups. We are about even with Junk Rites and the mirror match. And all aggro match-ups should be favorable to even match ups for us. Go Jund!
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"Swag[tusk] is bringing life to the party and making sure a homie isn't alone when leaving"
Currently Playing:
BRGJund MidrangeGRB
RGBW4-Color Reanimator WBGR
Noteworthy Finishes:
Gatecrash Games Day Winner (8-0 with Wolf Run Bant)
4 Huntmaster of the Fells
3 Olivia Voldaren
3 Vampire Nighthawk
4 Thragtusk
Spells (21)
2 Garruk, Primal Hunter
2 Liliana of the Veil
4 Farseek
3 Bonfire of the Damned
2 Abrupt Decay
2 Victim of the Night
2 Searing Spear
1 Dreadbore
2 Rakdos Return
1 Rakdos Keyrune
2 Kessig Wolf Run
4 Blood Crypt
4 Overgrown Tomb
2 Stomping Ground
4 Woodland Cemetery
2 Rootbound Crag
3 Dragonskull Summit
2 Ghost Quarter
1 Swamp
1 Mountain
3 Slaughter Games
2 Pillar of Flames
2 Acidic Slime
2 Duress
1 Sever the Bloodline
1 Pithing Needle
1 Grafdigger's Cage
1 Barter in Blood
1 Abrupt Decay
1 Dreadbore
victim of night is such a good choice for any random R/x - G/x aggro/midrange meta which was my call its like a murder for 2... BUT it was SO bad in the mirror. top of day one was flood of jund and naya aggro. i did face a lot of esper control earlier in the week i was expecting few of them but decided to MD 2 ghost quater instead of the usual 2 cavern. to fight the opposing lands and i did add 2 acidic slime in SB to fight the utility lands. everyone in my playgroup thought it was such a good a good idea for the meta. Guess how much slime i did cast in in the weekend? 0 even if i boarded them him so often!
1-0 bant kessig
1-1 UWR reckoner aggro. good deck i have to admit it.
2-1 Esper Spirit i didn't have that match up on my SB sheet. i thought it was esper control and honestly without being arrogant, i didn't care. game one i won with 4 of my 5 fireball effect. didn't SB much if i remember, i think it was 3 Slaughter Games 2 Acidic Slime 2 Duress. sideout some removal+lili. and i did one of my first shady move at magic. i'm still not sure if its ok. The guy play obzedat. in my head, I'm like "**** its good against me!" the guy say : "turn?" 0.0 i'm like : "hum, ok" i said : "untap/upk..."(normal speed i did not rushed it like a scrub) he tried to flip it, i told him : "no, it's the beginning of the end step only and when you passed the prority, it was my turn." I called "JUDGE!" he said that he would be inclined to rule in its favor as it was clear what was his intention but suggested me to appeal (it was lvl 3 judge that judged in the Protour BTW). so we called the headjudge. he ruled in my favour. he was ****ing tilt. i proceed to draw and reveal a bonfire for 5. he scooped and said "it's boring playing against you". I'm like "dude we are at a GP!" i continued to talk with the first judge. (it's rare we have french judges even in Quebec) i learned more about the rulings and everything. i thought the rules were less subject to personnal interpretation of the judges and that it was clearer like black and white.
3-1 bant kessig
4-1 bant kessig
4-2 bant kessig at that point was ****ing tired of that match up. +3 Slaughter Games for the freaking revelation +2 Slime for the possible orb and kessig. I know Melissa deTora rocked with it but damn. after i lost, i said i was tired to play that match up. the guy in front of me said that he designed it. i said: "yeah right! just like i designed Valakut or Cawblade before anybody" he said that his name was Loic Lebriand(76th at the pro tour gatecrash) and that he did designed it with raphael levy. OUPS! still nice to be in top50 table at one time without any byes.
5-2 the Aristocrates. early rakdos return after he missed a land drop in game 1 won me the game. he discarded zealous conscript 2 falkenrath aristocrate and another removal spell... game 2 i resolved olivia and proceed to the lunch.
5-3 MIRROR jund control
game one he resolved olivia killed me. i had 2 victim of night in my hand. game 2 i mulled to 6.. like i did 75% of the day. i duressed him, reveiled staff of nin murder land and huntmaster. without thinking too much i chosen staff, remembering how it was good in long games. i should have chosen the murder instead, i "could" have win the huntmaster war that way... it was impossible to win-it with the murder in his hand. and my removal sucked against him. need to change a couple of thing for mirror.
6-3 RDW against a friend from Montreal :-S just like jund is supposed to do, i crushed him
i missed top128 for day 2 but i was glad to make a couple of new friends, a french event with french announcers and french judge (its rare, even in quebec thanks to protour gatecrash at montreal last week) and did a drunken darft with french boosters it was hilarious. day 2 i cubed and did a lot of trade. it was a funny weekend.
main points :
i understand the reason why nighthawk can be in this deck but its far from all-stars. i saw a couple of list with a couple arbor elf and a couple of more removal. and i might try this.
i think 2 victim was a more a FNM call when you really know the meta than a serious GP call... i hated that choice in the mirror!
bonfire was the nuts! i wont change them for mizzium mortar like people do at the moment. i might still put a couple of copies as generic removal. Liliana was nuts vs aggro.
Ghost Quarter was the right choice. i can't remember hating it in the whole weekend. I also "strip mined" the a white of a bant kessig to prevent the potential suprem verdict. the guy top decked that suprem and tried to cast it and i asked him "dude, where is the white?" already knowing the response. Mana base are greedy atm (no basics) and utility lands are everywhere!
Standard: GWRU 4C Collected Company
Modern: GUWRB Bloom Titan
Legacy: BUG SHARDLESS BUG
EDH :
GR BORBORYGMOS ENRAGED
GU PRIME SPEAKER ZEGENA
UWR ZEDRUU THE GREATHEARTED
UBR MISHRA ARTIFICER PRODIGY
B SHEOLDRED WHISPERING ONE
R ASHLING THE PILGRIM
Victim was a mistake, but i don't think you can go into these events without taking risks vs the meta. Also don't forget, i had 0 byes, i had to go threw the jungle. Test victim of the night, its quite good, 100% better than ultimate price. but it sucks vs Falkenrath(jund aggro, the aristocrate, rb aggro) and jund mirror. just like for ultimate price. there is really a lack of removal for that vampire. and i would really feel dumb for put tragic slip or curse of deathhole
I think that Arbor Elf and Murder were probably a better answer to the meta this weekend.
Standard: GWRU 4C Collected Company
Modern: GUWRB Bloom Titan
Legacy: BUG SHARDLESS BUG
EDH :
GR BORBORYGMOS ENRAGED
GU PRIME SPEAKER ZEGENA
UWR ZEDRUU THE GREATHEARTED
UBR MISHRA ARTIFICER PRODIGY
B SHEOLDRED WHISPERING ONE
R ASHLING THE PILGRIM
This is a little off topic. I'm not sure you should feel bad for not believing him when he first said he designed the deck. I think it's a little braggy to say something like that anyway even if he was the guy that designed it.
But congrats on your high finish. It's no day 2, but it sounds like you got pretty close to that mark with no byes.
4 Rootbound Crag
4 Blood Crypt
4 Overgrown Tomb
3 Dragonskull Summit
3 Kessig Wolf Run
1 Forest
1 Swamp
4 Woodland Cemetery
Spells
3 Abrupt Decay
1 Ultimate Price
2 Pillar of Flame
4 Farseek
2 Rakdos's Return
3 Mizzium Mortars
2 Searing Spear
1 Murder
1 Dreadbore
1 Victim of the Night
4 Thragtusk
3 Vampire Nighthawk
2 Olivia Voldaren
1 Bloodgift Demon
Planeswalkers
1 Garruk Relentless
1 Garruk, Primal Hunter
Artifacts
1 Staff of Nin
3 Slaughter Games
2 Duress
1 Dreadbore
2 Vraska the Unseen
2 Underworld Connections
1 Rolling Temblor
1 Barter in Blood
1 Ghost Quarter
1 Human Frailty
1 tragic slip
Round 1
barely boros might be victorious he called it. Game 1 he was on the play and curved nicely with t1 noble t2 zealot t3 reckoner t4 hellrider...but luckily i kept a hand with 1 blood crypt 2 woodland cemetery a spear 2 abrupt decays and a pillar and my first draw was a huntmaster so i answered all of his threats pretty timely his hand was gone and a thragtusk a few turns later ended it. Game 2 he said he kept an iffy hand and after i handled a ash zealot and a reckoner he gave it up.
Round 2
mirror against my buddy who i was testing against before the tournament and we discovered my removal heavy version has a great match against mirror and olivia took game 1 away while a rakdos return emptied his hand.
Game 2 i was able to slam a t4 primal hunter to which he didnt find an answer to before i played a thraggy and drew 5. He scooped when on my next turn i played a kessig and Rakdos returne him for his hand
Round 3
RG aggro. Game one he is on the play and just nuts into cackler then t2 triple BTE flinthoof. I had taken a slower hand and certainly couldnt keep up.
Games 2/3 though went way better both games i was able to rolling temblor into barter in blood and kessig wolf run+ nighthawk wins
Round 4
esper control. I have never lost a game to an esper deck in the 30+ times i have tested against my friend who i play in round 6 and this was no different. game one he is on the play and a rakdos return put him 1 card from topdeck mode after he taps out for a sorin and thragtusk+ kessig took it to the house. Game 2 he says he has better luck on the draw but i t3 slaughter games out a Tamiyo(she seams to kill me more than a sphinx) then when he plays his witchbane orb and smiles vraska ands that and he gives up.
Round 5
RG aggro. He is on the play and starts off strong game one with t1 cackler t2 emissary boar but i am able to pull it out with early removal and 2 tusks. Game 2 i saw him side our like 12 cards so i was confused and i faced almost a midrange plan...luckily olivia says omnomnom to other midrange plans and i get to take a silverheart from him and then everything he played.
Round 6
Esper control. This time it was actually my friend who convinced me to ID with him since he didnt feel like taking a loss and he played me enough. But we played for fun anyways and i gave him the 1-2 punch. Turns out post-board i can outdraw a pair of sphinxes.
Top 8
nayamans. Told me before the game that his deck he found on the most recent magicgameplan post. Unfortunately for him i have been reading that blog every day since RTR came out so i knew to keep a hand with plenty of removal. It was the same deck that took down the standard portion of the GP. I was able to eak out game one after going to 1 and he was counting on a topdecked something to finish me but on my turn a thrag ended that dream and we took it to game 2. Game 2 he t1 champions which gets pillared into t2 BTE mauler. on the next turn he plays 2 experiment ones and my rolling temblor blows him out and my olivia sticks with enough mana to ping anything he has to death.
Went 3-2 for 5th out of 20 people.
R1 - Wolf Run Bant 0-2
R2 - Wolf Run Bant 2-1
R3 - Heartless Summoning BUG 2-0
R4 - Esper Control 2-0
R5 - Naya 0-2
Sideboarding was simple
R1-R4 was
-4 Pillar
-1 UP
-1 VoN
-2 ???
+3 SG
+2 Rakdos Keyrune
+3 Duress
Here is the list -
4 Huntmaster of the Fells
4 Thragtusk
4 Thundermaw Hellkite
4 Abrupt Decay
4 Farseek
4 Pillar of Flame
2 Liliana of the Veil
2 Searing Spear
1 Sever the Bloodline
1 Tribute to Hunger
1 Ultimate Price
1 Victim of Night
1 Dragonskull Summit
2 Evolving Wilds
2 Forest
1 Kessig Wolf Run
1 Mountain
4 Overgrown Tomb
4 Rootbound Crag
1 Swamp
4 Woodland Cemetery
2 Appetite for Brains
3 Duress
2 Mizzium Mortars
1 Pithing Needle
2 Rakdos Keyrune
1 Sever the Bloodline
3 Slaughter Games
1 Underworld Connections
So the changes I would make are definitely taking out the pillars, they did almost nothing for me, then again I just went with what I thought was good considering this was my first FNM in nearly a month (I had stopped right before GTC came out to focus on modern).
(246-174-26)
4 Huntmaster of the Fells
4 Vampire Nighthawk
2 Olivia Volderan
3 Garruk Primal Hunter
2 Rakdos Return
3 Bonfire of the Damned
2 Sever the Bloodline
1 Murder
1 Victim of Night
2 Searing Spear
2 Abrupt Decay
4 Farseek
25 land (2 Wolfrun, 2 Caverns, no Stomping Grounds... yet)
2 Barter in Blood
1 Victim of Night
2 Underworld Connections
3 Slaughter Games
2 Deathrite Shaman
1 Sever the Bloodline
2 Ultimate Price
3 Dreadbore
I switched my deck up after having back to back FNM outings where I got blasted by Obzedat. I took the 2 Ultimate Price maindeck and moved them to the sideboard, replaced them with 1 Murder and 1 Victim of Night (testing to see which I like better), and an extra VoN side. I took out the 1 Clan Defiance... that experiment is over, put Bonfire back in. Took Duress out of the sideboard, replaced it with 2 Barter in Blood and the stuff I moved from the maindeck.
Round 1: RB Vampires. I have to say, I like having extra sideboard slots dedicated to removal, because there are alot of cards that can quickly get out of hand if you don't kill them. He won one of the games on the back of Nocturnus but I won the other 2.
Overall 1-0
Round 2: Naya (with Aurelia and Sigarda main). I played against this guy last week and this guy is a solid player that likes to throw his own tech into netdecks. Wolf Run turned out to be the deciding factor. Game 3 was pretty intense. I was at 6, he was at 10... facing off against Resto and a 2/2 token. I just had a few tokens (2/2 and 3/3) myself. We both had Wolfrun. I had 7 mana to his 6. My turn I didn't have enough damage to kill him to prevent him from swinging back. For a second I thought I lost, but then I remembered the Sever in my Graveyard... Sever the Angel... and it turned out he was out of gas and I won.
Overall 2-0 (4-2 games)
Round 3: Orzhov Zombies. A buddy of mine I played last week with the same deck that mulled to 3 and beat me on the back of Obzedat. Game 1 was classic "I stabilized and won". Game 2, I got zombied and didn't have an answer to 4 1 drops, Liliana and Messenger. Game 3 I play Garruk after baiting 2 flying tokens to chump and kill my Huntmaster. He plays Messengers, but that doesn't hurt Garruk. Obzedat? Murder. Second Obzedat? Victim of Night. Garruk Ultimate I win. The VoN/Murder experiment is off to an initial success.
Overall 3-0 (6-3 games)
Round 4: ID into top 8
Top 8: Grixis Control
Game 1: I get milled out. Dude doesn't play a creature other than Snapcaster. And I die solely from Drownyard Milling.
Game 2: Underworld Connections hits the table and I draw a good 5-7 cards off of it before eventually ending the game.
Game 3: No Underworld Connections, but Garruk into Kessig Wolf Run'd Wolf Token -3 to draw 8 cards. He actually survives for a long time because of all the creature destruction, but the writing was on the wall. After the match I ask him if he was playing Rakdos Return because that would've been a card that turned things around... but he wasn't. No Jace either because her 0 ability would've put a faster mill clock on me. I sided out Dreadbore game 3 because I didn't see it hit the table game 2 in a long game.
Top 4: We split and I buy a bunch of stuff for a commander deck I'm building.
Lessons learned: I'm still not sure if taking out Duress is the right move. But I was able to face a control deck and not having it didn't screw me. If I bring it back, I might have to take Deathrite Shaman completely out of the deck because I have yet to run into a player playing Frites or any kind of reanimator where that kind of sideboard tech is more vital. I know the archetype exists though. Week 1 of the VoN/Murder experiment was off to a good start.
I don't have time to write out my deck ATM but ill come back and do it tonight when I'm not on my phone.
Rounds 1: The aristocrats 2-0
Round one I just out valued him. Turn 2 farseeks, turn 3 huntmaster turn, 4 I let huntmaster flip killing a token and he drops falkenrath and swings for like 9 damage, it fell to tragic slip and I win with bonfire+ swing out turn 5 or 6.
Game 2 I sided in 2 more tragic slips and death rites to handle his 4 lingering souls. Kessig let me not care about blockers and he couldn't stick an falkenrath as I held both tragic slips I drew until I saw one.
Round 2 - Humaniator 2-1
Game one I lost as he got his infinite mill combo out the turn before I swung for lethal.
Game 2 and 3 i side out all my discard and side in staff of Nin, 3 Deathrite Shaman, 2 duress (2 mana to duress a faithless looting and then exile it and deal 2 damage just too muh value for him and slows down his digging) both games went the same way I luckily landed Deathrite both time by turn 3 and it was GG.
Round 3- Mirror 2-1
Just out thraged him game one playing 3 back to back with a kessig out.
Game 2 I was mana flooded. Kept a 4 mana hand and drew into 4 more mana and a farseeks when he was curving out b
Game 3 I landed staff of Nin turn 4, turn 5 swagtusk, turn 6 Olivia and a hand of removal he couldn't beat my Card advantage.
Round 4- 0-2 my only pre top 8 loss. Guy was a great player with an incredible black/white zombie deck with Obzedot and zombie package. It was really good. I should of had game 2 and brought it to game 3 but made a bad play error involving messanger and Deathrite shaman and he ended me a turn before I drew into my thragtusks and a bonfire coming after (I always have to check my next draws on a loss haha)
Round 5- bye
Round 6- Jund Aggro 2-0 Final round my opponent and I were both garunteed into top 8 for a draw but he was one or "those guys" refused to draw and wanted to play and get his planeswalkers points or w.e.
So of course I 2-0d him lol he should of accepted the draw but its w.e
Top 8- this was single elimination. I faced the mirror again a great player and his deck was almost identicle. I'm kicking myself over this match bc I easily could of taken it game 1 but made a horrible play and it lost me the game. It was sort of embarrising how dumb it was so I'm not even gonna say I was ahead 10 life threw game 1 away.
Of course then on game 2 I get mana flooded for the 2nd time that night and he rolls over me to get into top 4 and I took I believe 6th place. (Kind of a guess I left after getting my top 8 prizes) overall a great day I got a free playmat, max points and $35 or so in store credit for next time. Top 4 would of been $160 store credit if we split (which they did) so an extra $130 woulda been nice but **** happens. I'm no pro and I made mistakes and it cost me my top 4 but had a blast the deck was awesome and overall I did really well as it was a pretty competitive environment most competitive day I've seen since the SCG Atlanta Open.
Were you playing at gaming pit on sunday?
Also, BW Zombies is unbelievably bad. The deck has no general synergy/concept. It's just zombies plus some randomly good white cards, plus Obzedat. Green has good synergy with zombies because Rancor fits in with the general Zombies plan, and Lolteth Troll is BG. Red has good synergy with zombies for obvious reasons. White just..really? Resto'ing a Messenger is great and all, but that deck doesn't need to have Gravecrawler, Diegraf Ghoul, etc. I don't know how you can possibly lose to that deck with Jund. Of course, I have no idea what your decklist is, so there is that. It sucks that you lost to that.
Better luck next time. Maybe take it easier on your opponents..just because someone doesn't want to ID(IDs are the absolute worst aspect of tournament MTG) doesn't make them a bad person. Maybe he thought he had a good matchup? Or wanted a better seating for T8? Who knows.
I wouldn't knock the guys zombie list until you see it it was very good and everyone was talking about it I believe he placed 1st or 2nd.
Also you're right I shouldn't be so hard on the guy but it got on my nerves lol.
And the tourny didn't give me a bye I just called it that my opponent had to leave and dropped after pairings were made.
I still need to go edit in my list ill do it now.
4 Vampire Nighthawk
4 Huntmaster of the Fells
4 Thragtusk
2 Duress
2 Searing Spear
3 Abrupt Decay
2 Dreadbore
3 Farseek
1 Slaughter Games
2 Rakdos' Return
2 Lilliana of the Veil
1 Garruk Relentless
2 Rakdos Keyrune
4 Overgrown Tomb
3 Blood Crypt
3 Stomping Ground
4 Woodland Cemetery
4 Dragonskull Summit
3 Rootbound Crag
1 Forest
1 Swamp
2 Kessig Wolf Run
2 Appetite for Brains
2 Deathrite Shaman
2 Tormod's Crypt
2 Pithing Needle
2 Skullcrack
2 Slaughter Games
2 Mizzium Mortars
1 Dreadbore
FNM Report (6 Rounds)
Round 1 - 4 Color Good Stuff (L 1-2)
Game 1 was lost to 3 straight Thragtusk.
+2 Skullcrack, +1 Slaughter Games, +1 Dreadbore
-2 Abrupt Decay, -2 Duress
Game 2 i was totally unprepared for Gisela, Blade of Goldnight - she mopped the floor with me.
Round 2 - G/W Aggro (W 2-1)
Game 1 played out like Jund should against aggro - I was able to keep the table clear with Dreadbore and Abrupt Decay until I could drop Huntmaster of the Fells and Thragtusk and go to town.
+2 Mizzium Mortars
-2 Lilliana of the Veil
Game 2 he was able to drop 3 Loxodon Smiter off of a Rakdos Return. Didn't recover there.
Game 3 played out like Game 1 and I was able to win handily.
Round 3 - Unexpected Results Combo (W 2-1)
This matchup wasn't on my radar at all - I was soundly crushed under the mammoth foot of Griselbrand in game 1.
+2 Slaughter Games, +2 Appetite for Brains
-2 Abrupt Decay, -2 Searing Spear
Games 2 and 3 is where Slaughter Games and Duress did yeoman's work for me - both times I was able to strip Unexpected Results early, and in game 3 I was able to slaughter both Griselbrand and Thragtusk from the board to ensure victory.
Round 4 - Bye (W 2-0)
Round 5 - Jund Aggro (L 1-2)
Game 1 was a blowout for my opponent - he kept my side clear with Decay and Dreadbore, and landed a pair of Boros Reckoner (!) to keep me down.
+2 Abrupt Decay, +2 Mizzium Mortars
-2 Lilliana of the Veil, -2 Duress
Game 2 I had no business winning, but I was able to stabilize with Staff of Nin and had the gas to come back.
Game 3 was close, I had a 1 turn clock when he ripped a Falkenrath Aristocrat to tag me for lethal.
Round 6 - U/W/R Flash (W 2-1)
This was one match I hadn't tested extensively - UWR feels alot like my deck in that it's chock full of good stuff. Game 1 I was able to keep the board clear long enough for Huntmaster -> Thragtusk -> Staff of Nin.
+2 Deathrite Shaman, +2 Skullcrack
-2 Rakdos Keyrune, -1 Abrupt Decay, -1 Garruk Relentless
Game 2's loss was brought to me by Sphinx's Revelation. I was able to rip a Rakdos Return, but he was able to respond with a Revelation, making it into a "Cycle 5" courtesy of me.
Game 3 I was able to stabilize and eat his graveyard with Deathrite and peck away with Vampire Nighthawk to stay in the game until I was able to roll a pair of Tusks then Rakdos for 5. Draw-go isn't so spectacular when you are ripping off the top.
Missed the cut for T8 by 2 - breakers ended up being really bad.
Personal Observations
I'm contemplating changes for next week while I read through the backlog of pages on here. No new tech to report, either.
Standard - R/G Aggro RG
Standard - Book Burning UR
Modern - U/W Tempo UW
Legacy - Master of Affinity XX
Vintage - Burnination RR
Find me on Modo under Tigerbreak
Swiss 3-1-1, cut to top 8, loss in the quarterfinals.
2 Deathrite Shaman
3 Vampire Nighthawk
4 Huntmaster of the Fells
2 Olivia Voldaren
4 Thragtusk
PWs (5):
3 Liliana of the Veil
2 Garruk, Primal Hunter
Instants & Sorceries (16):
4 Farseek
2 Searing Spear
2 Victim of Night
2 Abrupt Decay
2 Mizzium Mortars
2 Bonfire of the Damned
2 Rakdos's Return
2 Kessig Wolf Run
22 Lands
4 Slaughter Games
2 Deathrite Shaman
2 Pillar of Flame
2 Sever the Bloodline
2 Ground Seal
1 Rakdos's Return
1 Olivia Voldaren
1 Vampire Nighthawk
After going 2-2 in the FNM where I lost both of my games to Junk, I decided to make some changes to my list. I replaced 2 Keyrunes for 2 Shamans in MD, and added 2 Ground Seals and 2 Sever the Bloodline in place of Duress.
Round 1, Mostly Black by Demand, 2-1
A favourable MU. I was about to win the first game but he gains approximately 10 life and draws 16 cards in one turn. The other games I take home.
MVP: Rakdos's Return, Thragtusk, Liliana of the Veil
Round 2, Naya Beatdown, 0-2
I lost to Aurelia, the Warleader beats. G2 I could have won after landing an Olivia, but I punt and lose the match. He played the enchantment that makes hasty soldier tokens, which was intimidating, but I could have closed the game before it would have started to make any difference.
MVP: Olivia Voldaren?
Round 3, Bant Control, 1-1-1
Game I don't draw the cards I need. Game 2 I do. Game 3 my hand was not optimal and game goes on for too long. Luckily, draw was enough to put me in top 8 in the end.
MVP: Rakdos's Return
Round 4, Junk Reanimator, 2-1
Sometimes you win the tougher matches instead of the easier ones. Game 1 a DSR takes the cake, although it helped that my opponent stumbled on mana, never hitting his 5th land. DSR lifeloss and Thragtusk-beats won the game. G2 I play a Shaman that gets decayed. I SG his Thragtuskes and Unburial Rites, and I'm close to winning, but he plays a Garruk PH and I got 0 answers for it. G3 is a win.
MVP: Deathrite Shaman, SG, Olivia
Round 5, Jund Midrange, 2-1
We all know what's good in this MU. I was pretty confident as I've played with the deck more than him. Big spells all around, but when the dust settles, I'm the victorius player.
MVP: All the good spells
After the swiss I'm 6th with 10 points. In the Quarters I lose to Bant. I was pretty saddened since it's a super easy MU, but G1 he plays 3 thragtuskes and my hand wasn't good enough, and G3 I lose to a T3 Witchbane Orb. I had 2 SGs and a RR in my hand which would have won the game for me, but what you gonna do? Witchbane Orb essentially lost me almost 60 store credits.
As my last thoughts, I will probably keep playing DSRs and Severs, and I'll also find some room for anti-witchbane orb -cards. Right now I'm thinking about 2 Acidic Slimes, but it might be 2 Duress or 2 AfB as well.
-Cheers
Youtube Channel
Assemble the Legion wasn't a problem, really. I had an Olivia out which could have pinged the 1/1 soldiers and she presented a too fast clock. Trostani was what made me lose the game. I think Assemble is a great card and I'm certain that it would be harder to deal with against control, since those games last longer.
I'm actually thinking about removing Pillar of Flames from my SB. My LGS has mostly control and midrange, there's like 1 Mono-R player and 1 Naya Blitzh player and the next most aggressive deck is either Naya or Aristocrats.
2 Acidic Slimes will stay in the SB because it can answer cards like Staff of Nin and Assemble the Legion when needed. I will also remove the Pillars for 2 AfBs. People play lots of Junk and Bant, and AfB is better in those MUs because it can remove a Tusk or an AoS on top of countering their Orb-defences. I'll see how my SB works, I've got 2 FNMs until the PTQ and WMCQ I've thought about switching to Naya beatdown, but I honestly like Jund too much in a varied meta. We have the luxury to switch gears and play hate cards like DRS.
Youtube Channel
3 Huntmaster of the Fells
2 Olivia Voldaren
4 Thragtusk
2 Thundermaw Hellkite
1 Griselbrand
Planeswalkers
3 Liliana of the Veil
2 Garruk, Primal Hunter
Spells
3 Bonfire of the Damned
1 Murder
2 Rakdos's Return
3 Abrupt Decay
1 Ultimate Price
1 Devour Flesh
2 Dreadbore
4 Farseek
4 Rootbound Crag
4 Woodland Cemetery
1 Forest
4 Overgrown Tomb
3 Dragonskull Summit
3 Stomping Ground
1 Swamp
1 Mountain
4 Blood Crypt
1 Devour Flesh
2 Duress
1 Rakdos's Return
1 Bonfire of the Damned
2 Slaughter Games
3 Rolling Tremblor
2 Underworld Connections
1 Golgari Charm
2 Rakdos Charm
Week 1 - 3-1 (6-2) (23 players)
R1 - W vs UB Mill 2-0
Newer player with a lot of cipher cards, Jace's Phantasm, and Consuming Aberration. Spot removal and Liliana were all stars here
R2 - W vs Esper Control 2-0
Pretty easy matchup. Can't handle resolved Liliana and Thundermaw.
R3 - L vs Junk Reanimator 0-2 **
Unprepared for this matchup. Played Reckoners, Thragtusks, AoS, and Unburial Rites. Just couldn't keep up
R4 - W vs BW Zombies 2-0 **
G1 I fought back from a board state of 2 Blood Artist, Messenger, and another Zombie to win with 2 life. Also managed to steal an Obzedat with Olivia. G2 he stalled on mana, rolled over him
Week 2 - 4-0 (8-1) (28 players)
R1 - W vs Bant Control 2-0
Easy MU. Ultimated Liliana in G2 and gave her a choice between blue and black mana. These decks seem to have a hard time with planeswalkers
R2 - W vs Junk Tokens 2-0
G1, Thundermaw wrecked his Spirit tokens and Abrupt Decay took care of the anthem effects. G2 ended with him stuttering on mana
R3 - W vs BRWu Reanimator 2-0 **
Same guy from last week, mulled into Rakdos Charm in G2 to prevent a reanimated AoS. Was effective
R4 - W vs Naya Midrange 2-1
Lost G1 to the swarm, Liliana and Olivia were crucial in G2, and a miracled Bonfire was a winner in G3
Week 3 - 3-1 (6-5) (17 players)
R1 - W vs Esper Control 2-1
Same guy from week 1. Drownyard and Jace got me in G2, but Slaughter Games for Jace MA in G3 made it a piece of cake
R2 - W vs Wolf Run Bant 2-1
Nothing significant in this MU, just couldn't handle the additional 20 life his Thragtusks gained him in G2
R3 - W vs BRWu Reanimator 2-1 **
Slaughter Games in G2 stripped him of his good stuff. Other than that, nothing exciting. Post board this match up gets a lot better
R4 - L vs BRWu Reanimator (different build) 0-2 **
Split prizes, didn't play to win, and he steamrolled me
** - indicates better player. Our store has a bunch of people who have top 64'd GPs, top 8'd PTQs, etc, so I classify those players as "better players"
Total - 10-2 (19-8)
Breakdown by game
G1 - 8-4
G2 - 8-4
G3 - 4-0
By Archtype
Aggro/Midrange - 4-0 (8-2)
Control - 4-0 (8-1)
Reanimator - 2-2 (4-5)
Observations and comments
This deck just wrecks control. Pre-board, the deck holds its own despite many dead cards (Abrupt Decay, Murder, etc). I've found that most control decks are relatively counter light in G1, so a resolved Liliana and/or Garruk are a beating. Post Board, Slaughter Games, Rakdos's Return and Duress beat up on control even more.
In my meta, opponents have a really hard time dealing with a resolved Thundermaw Hellkite
Still making adjustments on my removal suite. Like the Dreadbores, but the split of Abrupt Decay, Murder, Ultimate Price, and Devour Flesh
Deck mulligans VERY well. I find I have a very high mulligan rate with my opening hand.
Open to questions and comments
Check out my blog and help me improve my game
Currently playing:
Standard BUG Control
Modern :UAffinity, GNyxWave
Legacy UBTezzAffinity
My Cube
I guess now where a potential board might be Cackler, BTE, BTE, Mauler... being able to kill all of that is nice. Then again, it could just as easily be Cackler, BTE, Flinthoof, Reckoner and you only get a 2 for 1 out of the deal.
Check out my blog and help me improve my game
Currently playing:
Standard BUG Control
Modern :UAffinity, GNyxWave
Legacy UBTezzAffinity
My Cube
Decklist:
1 Swamp
2 Kessig Wolf Run
4 Blood Crypt
3 Dragonskull Summit
4 Overgrown Tomb
4 Woodland Cemetery
3 Stomping Ground
4 Rootbound Crag
Planeswalkers: 4
2 Garruk, Primal Hunter
2 Liliana of the Veil
Creatures: 13
3 Vampire Nighthawk
3 Huntmaster of the Fells
1 Thundermaw Hellkite
2 Olivia Voldaren
4 Thragtusk
2 Pillar of Flame
1 Tragic Slip
1 Searing Spear
2 Mizzium Mortars
1 Ultimate Price
4 Farseek
2 Victim of Night
2 Abrupt Decay
1 Murder
2 Rakdos’ Return
1 Tragic Slip
1 Pillar of Flame
2 Grafdigger’s Cage
1 Appetite for Brains
2 Duress
2 Dreadbore
1 Rakdos Charm
1 Barter in Blood
1 Acidic Slime
1 Vraska the Unseen
2 Slaughter Games
Match 1: Boros (humans + reckoner)
2-0
G1: Won the die roll. Early removal was able to keep him off any real board advantage. Thragtusk took it over from there.
G2: Opponent seemed iffy about his hand (not a bad sign). I dropped a T3 LoTV to start picking his hand apart. Huntmaster and a Vampire Nighthawk ended it.
Match 2: BR Vampires
2-0
G1: Won the die roll. Opening hand had 3 land, farseek, pillar, tragic slip and Thragtusk. Realized quickly my opponent was on vampires (T2 Cavern naming vamps) but I was able to get to Thragtusk no problem and just run him over with Kessig.
G2: Opponent mulled to 6 and kept what I’m guessing was an iffy hand. A slightly late Thragtusk was able to stall the board until I dropped Olivia Voldaren with mana open. Writing was on the wall from there.
Match 3: Esper tokens
0-2
G1: I was not ready/expecting to see this on the other side of the table and it showed. I was able to keep some of his tokens off the table and started to stabilize with Thragtusk but his Drogskol Captain made life rough pretty quickly.
G2: Mulled down to 6 and kept a two lander. Huntmaster of the Fells was able to hold off the board for a while but eventually he dropped another Captain and I didn’t have any answers before his tokens over ran me. I shouldn’t have looked but the next draw was a MIzzium Mortars. /cry
Match 4: Izzet flashback (budget)
2-0
G1: Opponent had an early answer to some of my creatures (VNH and Huntmaster) but wasn’t able to do anything when Thundermaw Hellkite landed.
G2: My opponent stumbled on land and by the time he dug himself out I was able to swing in and finish with a Pillar of Flame
I will say that my opponent was probably one of nicest guys I’ve played in a while. I saw his deck play out after one of my earlier matches and the deck combos to make Guttersnipe sorta scary - 24 damage in a single turn.
Match 5: UW Geist Hexproof
2-1
When we sat down my opponent said he’d been hoping to play me since the first round. I guess he was a few spots away and thought it would be a fun match after seeing what I was on.
G1: Opponent flooded out and a Vampire Nighthawk and Thragtusk got there. (He kept an opener of 5 land and two Glaring Spotlight figuring he’d draw into some action)
G2: We both start off on decent game plans but he curves out perfectly into a T3 Geist of Saint Traft and then loads up enchantments on T4. Scoopable board state.
G3: A scary start…mulls left and right. We both mull to 6 and I’m greeted with another 1-lander. We both look at one another and go, “Mull 5?” – which is really the only thing you want to hear when you announce a mull in G3. My 5 had a Rootbound Crag, Thundermaw Hellkite, Thragtusk, Farseek and Abrupt Decay. I figured I couldn’t afford to mull to 4 on the play and my opponent seemed as unhappy as I was; even entertaining a mull to 4 for a second.
Play my Crag and say go, opponent plays an Island and passes, I draw a…Woodland Cemetery thanks deck. Luckily no action on my opponent’s side yet so I draw/play Blood Crypt, and Farseek an Overgrown Tomb. Opponent plays a land, Spotlight and passes. Draw a Swamp (I’ll take it!) and land my Thragtusk figuring a bit of life gain would be best since he can make such big swings. Opponent drops a Geist (damn) and passes back. Draw a Rakdos’ Return, play Thundermaw and swing for 10. Opponent draws and just stares at the board.
-“What are you at”
-“25 and I have you at 10”
-“Think you’ve got me. I can only get in 13 and that’s with the angel…damn”.
A handshake, congrats and we pack up. I asked him why he scooped and he said that at that point he wasn't going to be able to do anything to really take advantage and knew there were too many answers in my deck.
The Results & Aftermath
Overall a great night – I finished out in 3rd (4th had same record but with one more 2-1 than I did and top two decided to ID). Grabbed my promo Farseek, 8 packs and busted out the trade binders to pick a few things up.
I haven’t popped the packs yet but will try to remember to edit this post with the pack contents.
Legacy
WUBRG TES
UWR Blade
UWB TinFins
EDH
UWB Sharuum
Rules Advisor
2 Deathrite Shaman
3 Huntmaster of the Fells
2 Olivia Voldaren
4 Thragtusk
3 Thundermaw Hellkite
Planeswalkers
3 Liliana of the Veil
2 Garruk, Primal Hunter
Spells
3 Bonfire of the Damned
2 Murder
2 Rakdos's Return
2 Abrupt Decay
1 Ultimate Price
2 Dreadbore
4 Farseek
4 Rootbound Crag
4 Woodland Cemetery
1 Forest
4 Overgrown Tomb
3 Dragonskull Summit
3 Stomping Ground
1 Swamp
1 Mountain
4 Blood Crypt
1 Rakdos's Return
1 Bonfire of the Damned
2 Slaughter Games
2 Underworld Connections
1 Golgari Charm
2 Rakdos Charm
2 Ground Seal
1 Abrupt Decay
1 Mizzium Mortars
2 Tragic Slip
29 Players total with about 15% playing brews of varying success, 25% playing top tier decks with modifications (ie Junk Reanimator with blue), 25% playing tier 2 decks (Humans, Esper Control), and 35% playing tier 1 decks (Naya, Jund, Junk Reanimator, UWr Flash)
Round 1 - W 2-0 vs BUG Mill
Guy was playing a brew. Looked spicy
G1 - He played a bunch of Jaces and a Tamiyo. I played Huntmasters and Rakdos' Return. I win
G2 - His deck actually gets going, played Mind Grind for 6 and then for 8. Thankfully I run 25 lands otherwise he would have gotten me
1-0 (2-0)
Round 2 - L 1-2 vs BR Control
One of the better players at the store, this is his pet deck. He's dabbled in Jund a bit, but seems to like the BR shell with Griselbrand
G1 - I manage to get a flipped Huntmaster down and beat him down to 10 before he wipes my board with a Mutilate and starts swinging in with Nighthawks and doming me with Rakdos' Return
G2 - I mull to five but manage to get a Thragtusk and ride him and a Thundermaw to victory
G3 - I had him until he dropped a Griselbrand.
1-1 (3-2)
Round 3 - W 2-1 vs Esper Control
This is pretty much an auto win for me
G1 - Even with Obzedat recursion, he played off the top of his deck far too much after a Liliana and Rakdos' Return savaging his hand, and then a large Olivia swinging in for the win
G2 - He was able to control the board and Obzedat recursion and attacks for the win
G3 - He punted and forgot to exile his Obzedat so I dealt with it with a Dreadbore. Big creatures did him in from there.
2-1 (5-3)
Round 4 - W 2-1 vs Junk Reanimator
One of the better players at the store, top 8'd a bunch of PTQs and went deep into day 2 of GP Toronto a few months back. His first time playing the deck.
G1 - This wasn't really fair. He keeps a one lander with dorks, I Bonfire his board, he concedes
G2 - Honestly, don't remember much of this one. I think he was able to drop a Lotleth Troll and a Thragtusk, and then managed to deal with my board effectively
G3 - He got a little stuck on lands and relied a little heavily on dorks. Olivia was a beating as she ate up the dorks and the spirit tokens
3-1 (7-4)
So now Jund is 15-4 (30-15) in the past five tournaments that I've taken it to.
Notes:
- I actually managed to ultimate Liliana twice tonight, once in round 1, once in round 3. Unfortunately, the choices I gave were typically all your permanents vs 1 planeswalker (Jace AoT in round 1 and Sorin in round 3). Felt like a bit of a waste
- Deck changes: -1 Griselbrand, -1 Devour Flesh, -1 Abrupt Decay, +2 Deathrite Shaman, +1 Murder. SB, -1 Devour Flesh, -2 Duress, -3 Rolling Tremblor, +1 Abrupt Decay, +2 Ground Seal, +1 Mizzium Mortars, +2 Tragic Slip. This was to account for the number of aggro decks I saw on Saturday. More control today so Mortars and Slips were useless.
Check out my blog and help me improve my game
Currently playing:
Standard BUG Control
Modern :UAffinity, GNyxWave
Legacy UBTezzAffinity
My Cube
2 Deathrite Shaman
3 Huntmaster of the Fells
2 Olivia Voldaren
4 Thragtusk
3 Thundermaw Hellkite
Planeswalkers
3 Liliana of the Veil
2 Garruk, Primal Hunter
Spells
3 Bonfire of the Damned
2 Murder
2 Rakdos's Return
2 Abrupt Decay
1 Ultimate Price
2 Dreadbore
4 Farseek
4 Rootbound Crag
4 Woodland Cemetery
1 Forest
4 Overgrown Tomb
3 Dragonskull Summit
3 Stomping Ground
4 Blood Crypt
2 Kessig Wolf Run
1 Rakdos's Return
1 Bonfire of the Damned
2 Slaughter Games
3 Appetite for Brains
2 Ground Seal
1 Abrupt Decay
1 Mizzium Mortars
2 Tragic Slip
2 Acidic Slime
Changes to the deck this week:
MD: -1 Mountain, -1 Swamp, +2 Kessig Wolf Run
SB: -1 Golgari Charm, -2 Rakdos Charm, -2 Underworld Connections, +3 Appetite for Brains, +2 Acidic Slime
Round 1 - W 2-1 vs Jund
G1 - We both play the Thragtusk game for a bit. I drop a Thundermaw, manage to wipe his board, and swing in for the win
Sideboard : -3 Abrupt Decay, + 1 Rakdos Return, +1 Bonfire of the Damned, +1 Mizzium Mortars
G2 - I stall out on four lands, he lands a Thundermaw, I lose
G3 - We Thragtusk battle again, I Bonfire his board clear, then repeat game 1
1-0 (2-1)
Round 2 - W 2-0 vs Naya Midrange
This version of the deck runs Reckoners and Harvest Pyre
G1 - He never really gets any traction as I am removal heavy so I take care of his board with a combination of Murder and Liliana. Thundermaw joins and beats down
Sideboard: +2 Tragic Slip, +1 Bonfire, -1 Ultimate Price, -2 Dreadbore
G2 - We trade board position, with Thragtusks, Huntmaster, Reckoner, and Thundermaw all joining the party. He makes a misplay when he attacks with Reckoner, I block with Thragtusk. Instead of trading and killing off the Thundermaw, he gives the Reckoner first strike. Thundermaw once again provides me with victory
2-0 (4-1)
Round 3 - W 2-1 vs Junk Reanimator
G1 - Olivia is the difference here, letting me pick off Spirits and mana dorks. I think this was the only game I won where I didn't resolve a Thundermaw
SB: +2 Ground Seal, +3 Appetite for Brains, -3 Liliana of the Veil, -2 Abrupt Decay
G2 - I stall out on four lands, it was pretty academic
G3 - I Appetite out a Thragtusk and Angel of Serenity fairly early. We do some Thragtusk trading, then Thundermaw comes down and does what he does
3-0 (6-2)
Round 4 - W 2-0 vs Naya Midrange
Slightly different than the one in round 2, no Harvest Pyre maindeck
G1 - Mulled to 5, but was able to cast turn 4 Thragtusk, turn 5 Thundermaw, turn 6 win. He had a bad keep, one land and a couple of dorks, but it wouldn't have mattered
SB: +2 Tragic Slip, +1 Bonfire of the Damned, +1 Abrupt Decay, -2 Deathrite Shaman, -2 Rakdos's Return
G2 - He gets off to a quick start with a couple of Smiters before I stabilize with Huntmaster and Thragtusk. I win with a Thragtusk with Wolf Run.
4-0 (8-2)
So in the past month the deck has gone 19-4 (38-17). I'm really comfortable with the deck and will likely take it to WMCQ and PTQ April 20/21 with few modifications. I haven't played too many Reanimator matchups which worry me a bit.
Thundermaw is the absolute MVP in this deck. I don't think I've ever lost a game where he has hit the table.
Check out my blog and help me improve my game
Currently playing:
Standard BUG Control
Modern :UAffinity, GNyxWave
Legacy UBTezzAffinity
My Cube
4 Huntmaster of the Fells
3 Olivia Voldaren
2 Sire of Insanity
2 Abrupt Decay
3 Bonfire of the Damned
2 Tragic Slip
1 Mizzium Mortars
1 Rakdos's Return
1 Dreadbore
4 Farseek
2 Putrefy
2 Ground Seal
2 Garruk, Primal Hunter
1 Liliana of the Veil
2 Cavern of Souls
2 Kessig Wolf Run
4 Blood Crypt
2 Dragonskull Summit
4 Overgrown Tomb
4 Woodland Cemetery
4 Stomping Ground
3 Rootbound Crag
1 Deadbridge Chant
2 Vampire Nighthawk
2 Duress
3 Pillar of Flame
2 Liliana of the Veil
1 Ground Seal
2 Rakdos's Return
2 Vraska the Unseen
2 Slaughter Games
2 Deadbridge Chant
My FNM:
Match 1 vs Barely Boros (2-0): Both games on the draw, I kept 3 or 4 landers with the rest of the cards being removal. Drew into creatures with either Liliana or more removal to solidify the board and life total.
Match 2 vs BWU Obz Control (1-0-1): Game 1 was a hell of a fight. The start was ...boring. I played 2 Farseeks and he played 2 Think Twices. He then taps out for a Jace, Archetect of Thought. He does -2 and I laughed and cried at the same time. Land, Detention Sphere, Supreme Verdict. My hand was Dreadbore, Abrupt Decay, Putrefy, and Sire of Insanity. Next draw was a land for me. I could either kill the Jace and let him untap with 7 cards in hand or I drop Sire.... I dropped Sire. Nightmare scenario in 3, 2, 1....he top decks Obzedat. He then top decks a removal spell for Sire but I was able to hold off attacks from Obz because of my Keyrune + Kessig on defense. I went down to 3 life and finally peeled my 2nd putrefy. I then got the top decks to get in my favor with a serious of Thragtusks and Huntmasters. We then went to time on turn 4 in game 2 for the game draw, but match win for me.
Match 3 vs WBR Aggro (2-0): Game one was tricky, but the right removal package was key when I mulled. Tragic slip for the Blood Artist and Abrupt Decay for the Boros Reckoner. After landing a Thragtusk then Huntermaster to chump block and trade, he ran out gas and I grinded it out with planeswalkers. Game 2 he kept a 2 land hand (only had white but 3 doomed travelers). He saw no 2nd color land for 6 turns.
Match 4: This one was interesting...I started off looking like a mirror match until he farseek'ed to find a blue colored land. Basically his deck uses a Jund base but splashed blue for Jace (and something else I didn't see/don't remember). I lost game one due to him controlling the board with a Jace, Garruk PH, and Olivia. Game 2 I was able to ultimate Liliana on curve with a Thrag and Huntmaster in play.
Game 3---- it was on. I was almost dead on board. He had out a Jace and Vraska. He then played a Deadbridge chant. I was stuck on 5 lands with a Deadbridge Chant of my own in hand. Back to back Rakdos's Returns allowed me to kill each planeswalker. I played my Chant finally. He resolved a Sire of Insanity. My chant gets me back a putrefy, drew a land. Board is clean except for each of us having a chant. This went on for about 10+ turns. I went down to 10 cards left in my deck due to my farseeking to clear out my deck. He ran out of gas after drawing some lands and not getting any creature cards from his GY. I was able to put out Vraska and Garruk for the scoop.
Match 5: The exact mirror. Games 1 and 2 were one sided. Who ever missed their 4th or 5th land drop was punished. Game 3 I won because I ramped to 5 mana and RR for 3 then RR for 4 the next turn. He didn't draw anything for my planeswalkers.
edit One jund player that came 2nd had 1 chant mainboard, and a 2nd sideboard, thoughts?
I buy HP and Damaged cards!
Only EDH:
Sigarda, Host of Herons: Enchantress' Enchantments
Jenara, Asura of War: ETB Value Town
Purphoros, God of the Forge: Global Punishment
Xenagos, God of Revels: Ramp, Sneak, & Heavy Hitters
Ghave, Guru of Spores: Dies_to_Doom_Blade's stax list
Edric, Spymaster of Trest: Donald's list
2x Arbor Elf
2x Olivia Voldaren
2x Sire of Insanity
4x Huntmaster of the Fells
4x Thragtusk
Enchantments
2x Gound Seal
Planeswalkers
3x Garruk Primal Hunter
Instants
2x Putrefy
2x Abrupt Decay
2x Tragic Slip
Sorceries
3x Bonfire of the Damned
1x Mizzium Mortars
1x Dreadbore
4x Farseek
1 Rakdos's Return
4x Overgrown Tomb
4x Woofland Cemetary
4x Stomping GRound
4x Blood Crypt
2x Forest
2x Rootbound Crag
2x Dragonskull Summit
2x Kessig Wolf Run
1x Cavern of Souls
2x Slaughter Games
1x Clan Defiance
1x Duress
1x Abrupt Decay
1x Gaze of Granite
2x Ground Seal
1x Tragic Slip
2x Dreadbore
1x Sire of Insanity
2x Pillar of Flame
1x Golgari Charm
FNM
Round 1 was aint no lie, baby BYE BYE BYE
Round 2 v BUG Aggrovenge
Game one I kept a risky hand with dragonskull and bloodcrypt with a farseek. By turn 4 I still had no green source and he had Deathrite Shaman, Dreg Mangler and a Vrolz out.
Games 2 and 3 I was able to curve Arbor Elf into t3 Huntmaster, then t4 Olivia or Thragtusk. I sided in all my removal and took out a Garruk, Olivia, and trimmed a bonfire and a dreadbore since sorcery speed is bad and abrupt decaying their scavange target is awesome.
Round 3 v American Cyclops
My buddy made an American Deck with Nivix Cyclops and Artful Dodge. The first game he got me down to 4 life by turn 5 but then a couple huntmasters into a thragtusk then Olivia saved me. Huntmaster was really good agasint him since he always cast multiple spells on his turn to make his cyclops really big. Game two he got super land screwed.
Round 4 v Slime Reanimator.
Dude Mulliganned both games one to 6 on the play, then 5 on the draw. He got pretty land screwed and I curved out and did the Jund thing. Side Note- I p.t against this deck and if they ramp into an early slime and resto it a couple times this matchup is really hard because we need our lands. After boarding I droppeg all planeswalkers and a thrag and put in the other sire and groundseals because them together is major work. Since I dont run Electrickery, Gaze of GRanite for 1 kills all 8 or their dorks.
Saturday was pretty much the same, only deck that gave me real trouble was American Mid/ Tempo. Warleaders Helix I guess was made to beat Sire.
Let's start at the beginning though.
My team arrives at the venue and we sign up and proceed to write out our lists. My friend and I are both on the exact 75 of Jund this weekend(Reid's main deck with a SB I modified.) . While our friend Travis "mailman" Bryant(7th place) was on his own home brewed and fine tuned Four Color Midrange/control.
After all the initial preparations are finished Jason and I get up to walk around and check out the vendors and look at what the alterists had to offer.
I eventually decide on having Amber Musick create my dream playmat. Rakdos's Return. I buy some custom tokens from Hurley and Burley. I am in a good state of mind and ready for 10 rounds of this game I love playing.
Round 1 vs RDW (2-0)
He gets a solid start both games but I am able to stabilize with Huntmasters and Thragtusks. Coming along for the ride is the always welcome blow out bonfire.
Round 2 vs Bant Tokens (1-2)
He is kind of like the flash variant and kind of not like the flash variant. He plays call of the conclave and gets a 3/3 centaur turn 2 and turn 3 passes and casts EOT Selesnya charm for a Knight! already taking a ton of damage by his 4th turn I am trying to create a front to get rid of his force. He adds to the onslaught with EOT Advent of the Wurm...Oh boy, this is not good.
Game 2 I win this one with some very timely draws and 2 miracle Bonfires!
Game 3 he has surprise tech for me when I attempt to clear his field with overloaded Mizzium Mortars. Rootborn Defenses! What?! He populates a 3/3 and clearly I am in a losing position at this point with so much damage cruising at my face. When he unsummons my ONLY hope at survival, my last blocker I extend the hand and wish him luck.
Nice Guy too.
I am now 1-1 and prepare myself to do better....but that is not what happens next round.
I almost didn't make the trip Friday night as it is. I came home from work and I was feeling miserable(heat stress with Allergies) and almost told my friends to go on with out me. So round 3 I start feeling a bit rough again, head feels like its submerged in water.Lets go to round 3.
Round 3 vs UWR Geist (1-2)
I don't remember too much other than the game ends with him playing slayers strong hold, flash in a Resto- Angel give it +2/+0 haste/Vigilance I block the other angel 3/4 with my 3/3 olivia while at 3 life because I forgot about the pump the stronghold gave the other angel. I die.
Upset a little with myself I beat him game 2. Go Sire of Insanity!
Game 3 I die to not one but 2 Hellkites.
1-2 and determined to continue on strong I push on and fight hard in round 4.
Round 4 vs Esper Geist. (2-0)
Jund does it's thing both games
Turn 2 Farseek
Turn 3 Huntmaster/Olivia
Turn 4 Ground Seal/Thragtusk
Turn 5 Sire GG.
I move to round 5 and crush a Planeswalker miracles deck that is supposed to crush midrange. Apparently he hasn't played Jund before. He didn't know what to do when I resolved turn 3 Liliana and popped her ultimate with Sire on board. Leaving my opponent left with 3 lands on board he draws for his turn and concedes the game. (2-0)
Round 6 vs RDW (1-2)
Not much to say of this round except I am not a fan of this guy. Well maybe there is something to say of this round after all.
I understand it's a Huge payout tournament setting. Money is up for grabs here after all but there is no reason to be a cocky/snide character here. This guy was cocky and just looking for me to slip up so he could get a free match win.
I start shuffling for game 1. I stop and think. Did I de-board last round. I start looking through my deck to be sure. My opponent cocks his head and before he asks what it is I'm doing I tell him. " I'm making sure I de-boarded last round.
He replies "Yeah but if you didn't that could be a good thing for me."
I said "I guess so. If you like getting free wins in Magic instead of playing." He doesn't have a reply for that.
After shuffling I present for a cut and he just shuffles it and moves this card here, that card there. This goes on for about 5 minutes. I finally get my deck back and I mulligan after seeing a no land hand.
Shuffle. He does his crooked thing again. I draw 6. Mulligan. 1 land and it's Wolfrun.
Shuffle. His routine draw 5. Keep. Lose.
Game 2 same rountine but this time I fixed him a bit. I pile shuffled more, then shuffled 2 times. He does his thing. So the whole time he shuffles mine, I shuffle his barely self shuffled deck. This time he mulligans down to 5 and loses.
Game 3. This one isn't about his crooked conduct but about his cocky attitude. The end of the game is near I am at 3 life and while he's tapped out he asks me
what my life total was. I reply "3". He literally throws a searing spear across the table to my side. Wow. Really?!
I don't mind losing but when the winner acts the way this guy did the whole round it bothers me that I didn't vanquish the Villian. You know?
Round 7 vs. Junk Reanimator (2-1)
Jund does it's thing once again.
Game 1.
Turn 2 farseek
Turn 3 Olivia
Turn 5 Ground seal with Backup Putrefy
Turn 6 Sire of Insanity
Win!
Game 2 went longer and we both gained alot of life but he drew more Thragtusks and I never drew a single removal spell after he ripped my Mortars from hand with sin collector. GG nonetheless.
Game 3. Jund did it's thing again. Also found slaughter games turn 3 ripping multiple thrags from hand.
Round 8 vs. BUG Flash (2-1)
Game 1 I win in a Slaughter.
Game 2 he has multiple Appetite for brains and I just never recover.
Game 3 Was another slaughter with Jund doing the cutting. I end the game at 29 life. Slaughter games taking out his Thragtusks works everytime.
Round 9 vs. The Aristocrats (2-1)
Another sufferer of the Allergies today. He has a box of tissues to the right side of his mat. I tell him joking "since we are both suffering today I don't mind shaking your hand. Nice to meet you." We both laugh as we get set to play.
I was doing my best not to spread my germs to the un-infected.
Anyways onto the match.
Game 1 a timely bonfire and another timely bonfire wins the game along with Sire.
Game 2. He has multiple Souls and Cartels. Hard to get through. I lose.
Game 3. I had all the answers while he had all the questions. Eventually I lay down a threat and ride it with a Kessig wolf run to victory.
Round 10 vs. Big Naya. (1-2)
I am pumped! My first Open Event. I am in the running to finish top 64! I am living my dream.....then it stops.....
Game 1 was ridiculous. I thought I was facing the traditional big naya. Kind of was traditional. Except.....When he had one land open EOT I attempted to slip a Tusk. You know? Since my wolf token got trampled under hoof in combat that turn. He reveals he is playing Cloudshift in place of Resto-Angel. WHat?! He Gains a 3/3 and 5 life. Proceeds to play another tusk and pass. Cloudshift EOT again! I'm dead....
Game 2 Slaughter Games is all it took to render his strategy useless.
Game 3 Multiple Advent of Wurm and 2 Thundermaws. The Magic gods were with this one.
Slightly disappointed but still thrilled with my performance at my first open and my new playmat and tokens , I watch my friend Travis Bryant in the top 8.
Despite a massive sinus infection I still had a blast and can't wait for my next chance to play an SCG Open. I'm looking at you Atlanta!
Thanks for reading.
Control1stDominate..Later.
Round 1: RUG Control 2-1
Game 1 was long drawn out and eventually he pealed a big bonfire of the damned to put it away. Boarded in my regular control match up cards minus the Slaughter Games. +1 Garruk, Primal Hunter, +1 Underworld Connections, +1 Deadbridge Chant, +1 Vraska, the Unseen
Games 2 & 3 weren't very memorable, Game 2 was fast I know because we shuffled up with like 25 minutes left in the round for game 3. Game 3 I got Deadbridge Chant online which graciously shattered my Oliva that was in play by giving me another one. Bad guy played two Pithing needles naming Garruk and Liliana, beat him, who cares.
Round 2: Atrociously bad Four Color deck (BRGW) 2-0
Honestly think this guy finished in last place in the tournament. Beat him without a sweat in game 2 he hilariously casted a Griselbrand and on my turn I flashed back Sever the Bloodline and he responded by paying 7 life and drawing sever cards and leaving him dead on board. Really bad deck and player. I mean *cough* *cough* I'm so good.
Round 3: Bant Hexproof 2-0
Game 1 was a nail-bitter, used Kessig wolf run in combination with Garruk, Primal Hunter and Huntmaster of the Fells to draw a much needed Liliana of the Veil to force my opponent to sacrifice his suited up Loxodon Smiter.
Game 2: Barter in Blood x2, enough said.
Round 4: Bant Hexproof 2-0
Games were not very memorable, believe he only had one creature game 1 and it didn't have hexproof so he lost. Game 2 I had barter in blood again. good games.
After 4/6 rounds there were only three undefeated players and I was one of the top two playing each other so I double drawed into top 8.
In Top 8 I was third seed and extremely cocky with my match-up (one of two people that went against splitting the money 8 equal ways) and I lost to Aristocrats Act: II on the play both times =(. In my defense I thought my match up was going to be Naya Aggro which I was super stoked about. These games were win-able but I drew and kept bad hands because I'm not that great of player. Let my nerves get the best of me. Kept hands with too much situational removal and the situations didn't align (i.e. pillar of flame and bonfire and my opponent came out with boros reckoner's and falkanrath aristocrat's.
Jund feels good right now and I think it will stay this way at least until the release of M14. The new trending thing is Junk Aristocrats which is a pretty easy match up for us, Esper and UWR aren't terribly popular which are probably our worst match-ups. We are about even with Junk Rites and the mirror match. And all aggro match-ups should be favorable to even match ups for us. Go Jund!
"Swag[tusk] is bringing life to the party and making sure a homie isn't alone when leaving"
Currently Playing:
Noteworthy Finishes: