I got another tournament report, this time from the FacetoFace Open in Edmonton. Played the same decklist I top 8'd GP Calgary with except one sideboard swap: +Runed Halo -Settle the Wreckage
Round 1 Abzan Midrange W 2-0
My opponent was a kitchen table player who was playing a budget deck. The match wasn't very exciting.
Round 2 Grixis Shadow W 2-0
He was either new to the deck or new to modern. He was reluctant to take damage early, when he did draw death shadows he couldn't play them. Again another unexciting match.
Round 3 Amulet Titan w 2-1
Now this was more of a game. He mulled to five game one which slowed him down enough for me to set up counter spells for his first two Titans. He scooped to an imminent Teferi ultimate with a Jace on the board. Game two he assembled Cavern of Souls + Walking Ballista + Academy Ruins. There was nothing I could do and the game ended quickly after that. Game three he starts going off, plays a Azsua, Lost but Seeking I attempt to counter it, but he casts Pact of Negation. He plays a couple of bounce lands, and accidentally picks up a blue source. He kills himself on his next upkeep due to the Pact. Got a little lucky, my hand was terrible and he could have played multiple Titans that turn if he didn't kill himself.
Round 4 Jund Valakut W 2-1
Played against the winner of GP Calgary on his GP list. Was excited for the match, because I would have played him at the GP if I hadn't have lost in the quarters, and was curious about what might have happened. Game one he does his this and I die to Titan finding Valakuts. Games two and three I Surgical Extraction his Valakuts and his Titans, and he didn't have another reasonable win-con that I can't beat in his deck.
Round 5 Izzet Phoenix L 0-2
Game one he multiple Phoenix on turn two, While I kept a risky hand. Game two he cast three Molten Rain with an active Pyromancer Ascension destroying six(SIX!!) of my lands, before finishing my off with a couple of bolts.
Round 6 Burn W 2-0
Played a friend who was trying main deck Deflecting Palm which is horrendous in the match. Game on I was at 1 life for a couple of turns, with no protection, while he had four cards in hand that did nothing; Palm and Searing Blaze. I landed a Jace and was able to cast Absorb, then fate-sealed him out of the game. Game two I waited to play Timely Reinforcements until I could Negate a Skullcrack. I then flashed back Timely and beat him down with a pair of Snapcaster Mage.
Round 7 Humans Win 2-1
Game one he curves out beautifully and he kills me on turn four, cool. Game two get to the point where I'm sure I'm dead, I needed a miracle. I blind flipped a Terminus then top decked a Jace to put another Terminus on top. Slammed a Baneslayer Angel, and he bounced it with Reflector Mage. Think I'm dead again, but then top deck a settle. Game three was pretty much the same as Game two, a a lot of back and forth with crazy top decks on both sides, but the my Angels eventually get there. I wish there was a way I could have gotten this match on video. It was probably the best match I have ever played with the deck, the whole thing was just crazy.
Round 8 U/G Infect ID
There were nine people who were in contention for top 8. I was eighth in the standings, but the tie breakers from 5th to 8th were all within 5%. I hoped that the ninth player, who got paired down, would lose and it wouldn't have to go to breakers. His opponent conceded the match after the top 4 tables drew. sadly my tiebreakers tanked, and I finished 9th place. I was the only 19 pointer to not make the top 8. I felt like an idiot, but I knew taking the draw was risky. Will never make that mistake again.
1. I think I am playing enough card selection where 24 lands is good. Celestial Colonnade coming in to play tapped is a huge draw back. If we can get past the first six or seven turns at a healthy life total and a relatively clear board our chances of winning is high. Colonnade doesn't help with that. Also i'm not a big fan of using Colonnade as a win-con, I prefer to use it as a emergency blocker, and I will never protect it unless it being alive will either immediately win me the game or lose me the game.
2. Serum Visions have been good, card selection is great. Main deck timely is really only great against burn, and I chose to replace it with absorb which is even better against burn, because it doesn't give the burn player targets for Searing Blaze. Post board when they bring out Searing Blaze, Timely becomes much better.
3. I think Cataclysmic Gearhulk is underwhelming, but have never tried it personally. tapping five mana main phase for a partial wrath, only to have it killed next turn and the opponent having a creature ready to attack sounds bad.
4. The single Stony Silence was more of a meta call. It was probably crazy, but I didn't get punished for it. I didn't play an artifact deck in the Event.
5. I did consider playing Runed Halo main deck, but ended up playing a third Jace instead. I think shutting down a maximum of four cards in an opponents deck is to narrow of an effect, and dead in to many match-ups for the main deck.
Played U/W Miracle at GP Calgary this last weekend, and thought I would do a little tournament report. Started day one with two byes thanks to a last chance trial in which I got a bye in the last round.
Round 3 Izzet Phoenix Win 2-0 (3-0)
Played in the feature match area against Alex Majlaton. The match wasn't too exciting Jace floating two terminus both games was great.
Round 4 Naya Burn Win 2-1 (4-0)
Game one he was stuck with multiple Searing Blaze in hand. Game two Cindervines wrecked me. Game three my turn three Snapcaster Mage went all the way.
Round 5 Izzet Phoenix Loss 2-0 (4-1)
Don't remember much about this match except he had the nut draw both games.
Round 6 Amulet Titan Win 2-0 (5-1)
Game one he cast Pact of Negation on my Teferi, untaps and draws (whoops). Game two he casts Summoner's Pact on his turn to find a Titan. On my turn I cast Detention Sphere on his Coalition Relic, and he can't pay for Pact. After the match his told me he has only played the deck at a couple of FNM's.
Round 7 B/G Rock Win 2-0 (6-1)
This deck just can't beat a active Jace. They play so many lands they flood out with the fateseal. After this match I was locked for my first day two!
Round 8 Tron Loss 2-0 (6-2)
Game one kept a hand with a couple path's, a settle, a pair of cantrips and two lands; a great hand against most of the meta . He casts a turn three Karn Liberated (of course) and I don't draw any lands. Game two I Field of Ruin turns 3,4,5 and 6. He still gets tron on turn 7. I think I have the game locked down with a Teferi and a flipped Azcanta, but he casts Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger which got countered, but still left me unable to recover.
Round 9 8-Rack Win 2-1 (7-2)
He caught me off guard game one, couldn't do anything about it. Games two and three never went below six cards in hand thanks to Jace.
Round 10 Izzet Phoenix Win 2-1 (8-2)
Played against the guy who won the MCQ on the Friday. Game one went long, but he was eventually able to do his thing and I died. He side boarded out his bolts for games two and three, and couldn't beat my planeswalkers.
Round 11 Spirits 2-1 Win (9-2)
He never seen a single Collected Company in any of the games. In game three he flooded hard after I settled and played Baneslayer.
Round 12 Grixis Shadow Win 2-0 (10-2) Field of Ruin and a blind Terminus stole this match both games. In game two he fetched to four to shuffle a Jace fateseal to five, which left him dead to my Colannade.
Round 13 Storm Win 2-1 (11-2)
Easily my favorite match of the GP. Got paired up against someone who was 11-1-1. Game one went super long, and there was a while where all we did was draw, move to discard. Eventually she went off. Game two she went off early for a Empty the Warrens for eight. I Detention Sphere them away. She tried again the next turn, and I sphered the goblins away again, then cast surgical on her grapeshot, the cast Rest in Peace. I asked if she had anymore win-cons and she scooped a couple of turns later. Game three she kept a one lander, and didn't find a land for a few turns. I cast turn for Jace, and road him to victory.
Round 14 G/B Rock Win 2-0 (12-2)
My planeswalkers rolled over him, not much else to say.
Round 15 Dredge ID (12-2-1)
I was in fourth and got paired up against a 37 pointer. The top four tables all took the draw immediately. The only was I wasn't locked in the top 8 is if the storm played I played earlier won and my tie-breakers somehow plummeted. She lost her Round, and I was in.
Quarterfinals Izzet Phoenix Loss 2-0
Was fifth seed and played against the only person to go undefeated in the first 9 rounds. Game one he stomped me. Game two went long, I drew to many lands where any spell would have been great. He ran me out of counter spells and he got me with Lightning Bolt. He definitely out played me and I was scrambling the whole match.
Overall the deck felt great, but I think it needs more main deck answers to Phoenix.
Played this list to a first place win at the FacetoFace open in Red Deer yesterday.
Played Against:
Hardened Scales (2-0)
Bant Spirits (2-0)
Burn (2-1)
Burn (2-1)
KCI (2-0)
Bant Spirits (1-2)
G/W Devoted Druid Company (2-0)
Amulet Titan (ID)
Went into top 8 as the fifth seed
Quarters: Fourth Seed Amulet Titan (2-1) (Same guy who I ID in round 8)
Semi: First Seed U/W Control (2-0)
Finals: Second Seed Burn (2-0)
Deck felt great. Would highly recommend playing Maximize Velocity. Being able to play, flip, and then attack withThing in the Ice all in the same turn is crazy.
I've been trying to design a Micro-Micro-Cube for a while now. My plan is to have 180 cards each having a CMC less than or equal to three. In order to mitigate flooding, lands will have cycling 2. While not a powered cube, it would contain higher power level cards. My problem has been what do I do with Green? Green is generally the go big colour, but there would be no big creatures to ramp into and no real way to spend a large amount of mana.
Then I thought why even include Green at all. Has anyone tried cutting a colour from your cube, and what do you think of my cube concept?
6 Island
2 Plains
2 Hallowed Fountain
3 Glacial Fortress
4 Flooded Strand
4 Field of Ruin
3 Celestial Colonnade
Creatures
3 Snapcaster Mage
Spells
3 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
2 Teferi, Hero of Dominaria
2 Serum Visions
4 Opt
4 Path to Exile
1 Condemn
1 Spell Snare
1 Negate
1 Logic Knot
1 Mana Leak
1 Search for Azcanta
1 Absorb
2 Detention Sphere
1 Hieroglyphic Illumination
3 Cryptic Command
1 Settle the Wreckage
4 Terminus
2 Dispel
1 Negate
2 Celestial Purge
2 Rest in Peace
2 Surgical Extraction
1 Stony Silence
2 Timely Reinforcements
1 Runed Halo
1 Lyra Dawnbringer
1 Baneslayer Angel
I got another tournament report, this time from the FacetoFace Open in Edmonton. Played the same decklist I top 8'd GP Calgary with except one sideboard swap: +Runed Halo -Settle the Wreckage
Round 1 Abzan Midrange W 2-0
My opponent was a kitchen table player who was playing a budget deck. The match wasn't very exciting.
Round 2 Grixis Shadow W 2-0
He was either new to the deck or new to modern. He was reluctant to take damage early, when he did draw death shadows he couldn't play them. Again another unexciting match.
Round 3 Amulet Titan w 2-1
Now this was more of a game. He mulled to five game one which slowed him down enough for me to set up counter spells for his first two Titans. He scooped to an imminent Teferi ultimate with a Jace on the board. Game two he assembled Cavern of Souls + Walking Ballista + Academy Ruins. There was nothing I could do and the game ended quickly after that. Game three he starts going off, plays a Azsua, Lost but Seeking I attempt to counter it, but he casts Pact of Negation. He plays a couple of bounce lands, and accidentally picks up a blue source. He kills himself on his next upkeep due to the Pact. Got a little lucky, my hand was terrible and he could have played multiple Titans that turn if he didn't kill himself.
Round 4 Jund Valakut W 2-1
Played against the winner of GP Calgary on his GP list. Was excited for the match, because I would have played him at the GP if I hadn't have lost in the quarters, and was curious about what might have happened. Game one he does his this and I die to Titan finding Valakuts. Games two and three I Surgical Extraction his Valakuts and his Titans, and he didn't have another reasonable win-con that I can't beat in his deck.
Round 5 Izzet Phoenix L 0-2
Game one he multiple Phoenix on turn two, While I kept a risky hand. Game two he cast three Molten Rain with an active Pyromancer Ascension destroying six(SIX!!) of my lands, before finishing my off with a couple of bolts.
Round 6 Burn W 2-0
Played a friend who was trying main deck Deflecting Palm which is horrendous in the match. Game on I was at 1 life for a couple of turns, with no protection, while he had four cards in hand that did nothing; Palm and Searing Blaze. I landed a Jace and was able to cast Absorb, then fate-sealed him out of the game. Game two I waited to play Timely Reinforcements until I could Negate a Skullcrack. I then flashed back Timely and beat him down with a pair of Snapcaster Mage.
Round 7 Humans Win 2-1
Game one he curves out beautifully and he kills me on turn four, cool. Game two get to the point where I'm sure I'm dead, I needed a miracle. I blind flipped a Terminus then top decked a Jace to put another Terminus on top. Slammed a Baneslayer Angel, and he bounced it with Reflector Mage. Think I'm dead again, but then top deck a settle. Game three was pretty much the same as Game two, a a lot of back and forth with crazy top decks on both sides, but the my Angels eventually get there. I wish there was a way I could have gotten this match on video. It was probably the best match I have ever played with the deck, the whole thing was just crazy.
Round 8 U/G Infect ID
There were nine people who were in contention for top 8. I was eighth in the standings, but the tie breakers from 5th to 8th were all within 5%. I hoped that the ninth player, who got paired down, would lose and it wouldn't have to go to breakers. His opponent conceded the match after the top 4 tables drew. sadly my tiebreakers tanked, and I finished 9th place. I was the only 19 pointer to not make the top 8. I felt like an idiot, but I knew taking the draw was risky. Will never make that mistake again.
1. I think I am playing enough card selection where 24 lands is good. Celestial Colonnade coming in to play tapped is a huge draw back. If we can get past the first six or seven turns at a healthy life total and a relatively clear board our chances of winning is high. Colonnade doesn't help with that. Also i'm not a big fan of using Colonnade as a win-con, I prefer to use it as a emergency blocker, and I will never protect it unless it being alive will either immediately win me the game or lose me the game.
2. Serum Visions have been good, card selection is great. Main deck timely is really only great against burn, and I chose to replace it with absorb which is even better against burn, because it doesn't give the burn player targets for Searing Blaze. Post board when they bring out Searing Blaze, Timely becomes much better.
3. I think Cataclysmic Gearhulk is underwhelming, but have never tried it personally. tapping five mana main phase for a partial wrath, only to have it killed next turn and the opponent having a creature ready to attack sounds bad.
4. The single Stony Silence was more of a meta call. It was probably crazy, but I didn't get punished for it. I didn't play an artifact deck in the Event.
5. I did consider playing Runed Halo main deck, but ended up playing a third Jace instead. I think shutting down a maximum of four cards in an opponents deck is to narrow of an effect, and dead in to many match-ups for the main deck.
6 Island
2 Plains
2 Hallowed Fountain
3 Glacial Fortress
4 Flooded Strand
4 Field of Ruin
3 Celestial Colonnade
Creatures
3 Snapcaster Mage
Spells
3 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
2 Teferi, Hero of Dominaria
2 Serum Visions
4 Opt
4 Path to Exile
1 Condemn
1 Spell Snare
1 Negate
1 Logic Knot
1 Mana Leak
1 Search for Azcanta
1 Absorb
2 Detention Sphere
1 Hieroglyphic Illumination
3 Cryptic Command
1 Settle the Wreckage
4 Terminus
2 Dispel
1 Negate
2 Celestial Purge
2 Rest in Peace
2 Surgical Extraction
1 Stony Silence
2 Timely Reinforcements
1 Settle the Wreckage
1 Lyra Dawnbringer
1 Baneslayer Angel
Played U/W Miracle at GP Calgary this last weekend, and thought I would do a little tournament report. Started day one with two byes thanks to a last chance trial in which I got a bye in the last round.
Round 3 Izzet Phoenix Win 2-0 (3-0)
Played in the feature match area against Alex Majlaton. The match wasn't too exciting Jace floating two terminus both games was great.
Round 4 Naya Burn Win 2-1 (4-0)
Game one he was stuck with multiple Searing Blaze in hand. Game two Cindervines wrecked me. Game three my turn three Snapcaster Mage went all the way.
Round 5 Izzet Phoenix Loss 2-0 (4-1)
Don't remember much about this match except he had the nut draw both games.
Round 6 Amulet Titan Win 2-0 (5-1)
Game one he cast Pact of Negation on my Teferi, untaps and draws (whoops). Game two he casts Summoner's Pact on his turn to find a Titan. On my turn I cast Detention Sphere on his Coalition Relic, and he can't pay for Pact. After the match his told me he has only played the deck at a couple of FNM's.
Round 7 B/G Rock Win 2-0 (6-1)
This deck just can't beat a active Jace. They play so many lands they flood out with the fateseal. After this match I was locked for my first day two!
Round 8 Tron Loss 2-0 (6-2)
Game one kept a hand with a couple path's, a settle, a pair of cantrips and two lands; a great hand against most of the meta . He casts a turn three Karn Liberated (of course) and I don't draw any lands. Game two I Field of Ruin turns 3,4,5 and 6. He still gets tron on turn 7. I think I have the game locked down with a Teferi and a flipped Azcanta, but he casts Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger which got countered, but still left me unable to recover.
Round 9 8-Rack Win 2-1 (7-2)
He caught me off guard game one, couldn't do anything about it. Games two and three never went below six cards in hand thanks to Jace.
Round 10 Izzet Phoenix Win 2-1 (8-2)
Played against the guy who won the MCQ on the Friday. Game one went long, but he was eventually able to do his thing and I died. He side boarded out his bolts for games two and three, and couldn't beat my planeswalkers.
Round 11 Spirits 2-1 Win (9-2)
He never seen a single Collected Company in any of the games. In game three he flooded hard after I settled and played Baneslayer.
Round 12 Grixis Shadow Win 2-0 (10-2)
Field of Ruin and a blind Terminus stole this match both games. In game two he fetched to four to shuffle a Jace fateseal to five, which left him dead to my Colannade.
Round 13 Storm Win 2-1 (11-2)
Easily my favorite match of the GP. Got paired up against someone who was 11-1-1. Game one went super long, and there was a while where all we did was draw, move to discard. Eventually she went off. Game two she went off early for a Empty the Warrens for eight. I Detention Sphere them away. She tried again the next turn, and I sphered the goblins away again, then cast surgical on her grapeshot, the cast Rest in Peace. I asked if she had anymore win-cons and she scooped a couple of turns later. Game three she kept a one lander, and didn't find a land for a few turns. I cast turn for Jace, and road him to victory.
Round 14 G/B Rock Win 2-0 (12-2)
My planeswalkers rolled over him, not much else to say.
Round 15 Dredge ID (12-2-1)
I was in fourth and got paired up against a 37 pointer. The top four tables all took the draw immediately. The only was I wasn't locked in the top 8 is if the storm played I played earlier won and my tie-breakers somehow plummeted. She lost her Round, and I was in.
Quarterfinals Izzet Phoenix Loss 2-0
Was fifth seed and played against the only person to go undefeated in the first 9 rounds. Game one he stomped me. Game two went long, I drew to many lands where any spell would have been great. He ran me out of counter spells and he got me with Lightning Bolt. He definitely out played me and I was scrambling the whole match.
Overall the deck felt great, but I think it needs more main deck answers to Phoenix.
3 Island
2 Mountain
4 Spirebluff Canal
3 Steam Vents
4 Scalding Tarn
2 Polluted Delta
Creatures
4 Thing in the Ice
2 Jace, Vryn's Prodigy
4 Arclight Phoenix
3 Crackling Drake
4 Serum Visions
4 Opt
3 Thought Scour
4 Faithless Looting
4 Lightning Bolt
3 Gut Shot
4 Manamorphose
1 Lighting Axe
1 Maximize Velocity
1 Burst Lightning
2 Dispel
2 Ceremonious Rejection
1 Spell Pierce
3 Surgical Extraction
3 Abrade
2 Anger of the Gods
1 Ral, Izzet Viceroy
1 Lighting Axe
Played this list to a first place win at the FacetoFace open in Red Deer yesterday.
Played Against:
Hardened Scales (2-0)
Bant Spirits (2-0)
Burn (2-1)
Burn (2-1)
KCI (2-0)
Bant Spirits (1-2)
G/W Devoted Druid Company (2-0)
Amulet Titan (ID)
Went into top 8 as the fifth seed
Quarters: Fourth Seed Amulet Titan (2-1) (Same guy who I ID in round 8)
Semi: First Seed U/W Control (2-0)
Finals: Second Seed Burn (2-0)
Deck felt great. Would highly recommend playing Maximize Velocity. Being able to play, flip, and then attack withThing in the Ice all in the same turn is crazy.
Then I thought why even include Green at all. Has anyone tried cutting a colour from your cube, and what do you think of my cube concept?