Welcome back, folks. I teased you in the last post, with the promise of a tournament report, but didn't really get into the tournament. I felt like this report needed some context so you all could understand why this tournament felt so different to me. I felt untouchable with this deck, but obviously that was a bit of a stretch. If I had known going in, that I'd finish 5-3-1 I probably wouldn't have attended, but now, I feel like it was worth every grueling round, and I'm a better player for it. I also have more confidence in the deck than ever, if that was even possible, and wish I had another chance to do it again (after changing the negates in the board to Leaks of course).
I carpooled up to the tournament with my friend John. I shipped him about 65 of the 75 cards for the Kibler infect deck, and he had arranged to borrow the remainder at the venue. We arrived, registered, and prepared for battle. {Side Note: SCG are money grubbing jerks, they charge $1 for a plain ballpoint bic pen, really? Most tournaments, the judge staff provides those at deck reg. I lost multiple pens, this was expensive and annoying. Opponents walking off with it after signing the slip, etc. I had assumed it would be run similar to PTQ's and the like, where there was competeing dealer booths. This should have been obvious to me, but I didn't consider it.}
Round 1 (B/r Vampires):
In this first round, I'm paired against a guy who I had recently met at our LGS in San Diego. He was new getting back to the game, but was a long time player before. We tested Game 1's a bit as he was getting familiar with the deck, and I knew the Game 1 was bad, and my only prayer was to win with the Shape Anew package. The first game was as bad as I expected, I didn't draw many answers, and his deck just kept asking questions such as, "Can you deal with 3 Vampire Lacerators, a Seer, and a Highborn?" This time, my answer was, "Guess not." I then proceeded to mutter something about how all 4 copies of Arc Trail in my main board were within the bottom 5 cards of my deck when I go to Sideboard. I bring in the Shape Anew Package, and shuffle up. I keep a sweet opener, including Arc Trail x2, Trinket Mage, Pyromancer Ascension, Halimar Depths, Mountain, Island. On the play, i plop down the Halimar depths, and see another Halimar, a Shape Anew, and a Bolt. I wanted the shape anew to be the card I draw on turn 3, so when I tutor with Trinket Mage I don't lose it, but don't unneccesarily expose it to duress for a turn. I pass, and he shoots an Inquisition at me, and I reveal my hand. He makes no comment of the Trinket Mage in my hand, and takes the Ascension (obv). My next turn is land-go, and his turn 2 is a Seer and a Lascerator. I draw shape anew, cast the trinket mage, fetch an axe and pass. He tapps out for a kicked Gatekeeper... ... ... Uh-oh. He didn't board these out against me? Someone at the LGS informed him of my trix? I sac my trinket mage, and start thinking about what a waste of a drive this trip was, in the meanwhile he's asking me if i'm taking 3... oh yeah, take 3. The next turn I arc Trail two dudes, and cast my axe, leaving a bolt ready. He casts an unkicked Gatekeeper the next turn, and i let out a huge sigh of relief. He's only got 2 left! I untap and shape anew, praying he isn't gripping the 3rd Gatekeeper. Sure enough he's not, and that's the game. I'm cursing myself for not running leak in my board instead of negate, and as I mash my 15 cards into my deck, I'm trying to decide what to do for G3. I go back to the main board configureation, but leave the trinket mages in and the axe for block/beat option, treasure hunts and 1 jaces ingenuity got cut. This configuration netted me a blank Memoricide naming shape anew, and one of the longest Vamp matchup games ever. I quickly activated an ascension, and things were looking good, until..... Vampire Hexmage. This deck is seriously punishing me for not running a way to counter creatures. I hate my life. Luckily I had copied some draw spells, and was juiced up to quickly reactivate. 2 hexmages later, he wins the race.
1-2... (0-1, 1-2)
Round 2 U/B Intezzorable Tide (i just named his deck for him)
I sit down at table number Infinity to start round 2, across from a guy with a huge smile, named Traf.
Game 1 left me thinking I was playing a fairly typical Tezz deck, that just had some bad draws. I didn't really see much other than Artifact Ramp, Inkmoth Nexus and Tezzeret before I threw a triple-Burst Lightning-kicked at him for 12 damage to finish the game. In game 2, I brought in Negates, and got ready to battle. This time his artifact ramp actually ramped him into a turn 3 Tezz and turn 4 Inexorable Tide?! Woah. I mean, this card isn't even playable in Draft, right? Wow. I sorta start taking a nap, because I cockily assume this guy can't win (i should know better). he's also mentioned it's his first tournament, and he's playing quite slow. Before I know it, I'm out of spells in my hand, and I'm being poked by an Inkmoth and and every 0 drop artifact he casts is proliferating me farther. I look up at the clock while shuffling for Game 3, and I must have really napped because there is not much time left. I mull to 6 and keep a reasonable hand of counters, already thinking I'm hoping to not lose. He plays a jace and fateseals me. I take my turn, play some cantrips as time is called. On turn 1 he fateseals me (7) and pokes me with inkmoth (2 poison) and casts his Inexorable Tide. Extra Turn 2 I I play another draw spell (into lands) and pass. Extra turn 3 he casts a preordain, and proliferates my poison(3) and his jace(8), He then casts another preordain! (4,9) Then a trinket mage (5,10) then the chalice he fetched from said trinket mage (6,11) THEN he plays a mox opal (7,12) and legend bombs himself. Then he attacks me to 8 poison with the nexus, and then after combat ULTIMATES HIS JACE. This mistake cost him the match. I put the two lands in my hand in the empty space where my library once was. I go to turn 4, draw a mountain, and say go. He draws, shows me the land he drew, attacks me to 9, and we draw. If he just brainstormed his jace instead of going ultimate, he likely finds a spell to get the final poison via proliferate. I was definitely not happy about this draw, but wow, i did nearly lose. I'm signing the match slip and seriously considering marking an X in the drop slot next to my name. I decide to hang in there, as I did wake up early to drive up here for the day.
1-1-1 (0-1-1 matches, 2-3-1 games)
Round 3: U/W Caw Blade
This round wasn't too exciting. My opponent sat down, with his score pad facing me, and it was quite obvious he had just drawn against RDW or Goblins, and he was playing Caw. My opponent was very new to the game. He kept his lands spread out all over the play area, was reading each card as he drew it (The ones that took a while to process were likely Gideon or Jace). After a very long and drawn out game that has me with 2 active ascensions, but not enough burn to really win the game, I'm just bouncing and countering, and drawing cards, but the game is never anyone's but mine. At some point I bounced a SoFaF, a Gideon and a Jace and drew 3 cards from Into the Roil. he took his time to read my spell, I looked down after he said ok, so I could draw my cards, and we continued our dance. A few turns later, he rebuilt his board, but with different permanents, like hawks and stoneforges. I'm confused why he hasn't recast his jace or gideon. At his endstep i bounce his 3 creatures, and draw 3, and I notice him sweep them into the graveyard. I said, "Those just go back to your hand, man!" He looks down, and sees the previous cards I bounced sitting in his graveyard, and looks to pick those up to his hand too. At this point, he had squadron hawked, and would have had too many cards in hand etc etc, so I called a judge, full knowing I'd get a warning for this for not maintaing the game state correctly. The Judge made the play from a few turns ago stand (with the gideon jace and sword in the graveyard) and warned us both. I ended up winning the game shortly after, with about 7 cards left in my deck (I did draw 9 off a Jace's Ingenuity this game). There was 3 minutes left on the clock, and we didn't get anywhere close to finishing game 2. I was tempted to hurry him up, but i could tell he was really uncomfortable, and I wasn't trying to rush someone when I'm sitting at 0-1-1 myself.
1-0-1 (1-1-1 match, 3-3-2 games)
Round 4 Boros:
This is the easiest of the aggro matchups. 100% of the dudes die to Arc Trail, and they have little-to-no disruption. I win the game handily with 7 cards in hand to his none. Next game I board into Shape Anew, curve out, and resolve Shape anew on turn 5. GG.
2-0 (2-1-1 match, 5-3-2 games)
Round 5 U/B Infect:
I dodged some inquisitions, killed manlands, and killed him with burn in the usual fashion. Negates were great out of the board, but would have been just as good/better as mana leaks (*mutter*).
One notable thing came up here. He duresses me G2, and places the card out in front of me. I spell pierce and announce the trigger to put a counter on my ascension, and put my spell pierce right next to his duress. He says okay to the trigger then tanks. Then He places the duress in his graveyard. I bin my pierce, and its back to his priority, or so i think. He fiddles with mana, and then says, "I'll pay 2 for pierce." I can't be sure how much time had passed, but WAYYYY to much for me to think this was kosher. I called a judge, who simply encouraged him to play more clearly, even though my opponent agreed 100% with my description of the events. I then simply negate his duress, protecting my burn spells. In either case, I win this game, but thought for sure I'd get that judge call. His intention seemed pretty clear when he binned his duress.
2-0 (3-1-1 match, 7-3-2 games)
Round 6 Valakut:
After a deckcheck, I find I'm up game 1, as my opponent had misregistered. Cool, i guess. He runs me over pretty quickly on the play with a Cobra build of Valakut. Turn 4 Primeval, I simply can't outrace.
I bring in shape anew from the board for the final game, and bounce his khalani heart expiditions a couple times, and kill a few cobras. I natrually draw my axe to match up with my shape anew, and win the game.
2-1 (4-1-1 match, 8-4-2 games) {obviously not counting his game loss as a win...}
It's at this point I realize, wow, I'm actually in this tournament still. I look around as all my San Diego friends are starting to drop, and how I can't believe i'm trying to back door my way into this thing. I know my breakers will be bad, so I need to stay on my game.
Round 7 Caw Blade w/ Black:
Giving hand disruption to Caw blade is exactly what they need to beat me. Lame. I guess heavy mulligans also help. *shrug* this game sucked. I mulled to 5 game one, and he had 2 inquisitions in the first 2 turns which led to a pretty quick scoop, on my part, maybe too premature. In the 2nd game, i decide to try out the blightsteel package, along with the negates, to see if I can dodge memoricide, and add more counter backup. My first 7 is 6 lands+Blightsteel, and gets shipped for a moderate 6. My 6 were Mountain, Island, Trinket mage, Shape anew, Negate and Preordain. I lead off with a preordain, which nets me a land, and he opens on inquisition. He sees my hand and his eyes widen. He takes the mage. On turn 5 he has a memoricide with a spell pierce to back it up and takes my shape anews out of the equation. I scoop, and go get a sandwich, while i consider my chances to make the money at x-2-1. I really didn't want to keep a hand with shape anew in it, for that exact reason. I wanted to be able to draw it and play it the same turn, but the mulligan prevented that.
0-2 (4-2-1 match, 8-6-2 games)
Round 8 U/B Infect:
This opponent made me chuckle several times. He had been complaining about how he had one of his losses to a Trap version of Pyromancer (I'm pretty sure I know which guy he's talking about) and how it was his worst matchup. i lead with a preordain, and he says, "Oh, Caw-Blade, yippee." when i drop a Turn 2 Ascension, followed by turn 3 double preordain, he groans. I proceed to two-for-one my way through all of his permanents and spells, untill he runs out of cards to my full grip.
Game 2 was not much different, I drew all 4 into the roils which bounced skitherix 4 turns in a row, at which point he said, "I just want to go home." and picks up his cards and signs the slip. The game was by no means over, but I think he had simply had enough Magic for the day. It was clear he wasn't playing very sharp.
2-0 (5-2-1 match, 10-6-2 games).
Now I check the standings prior to the final round. Of all the 16 pointers, I'm near the bottom of breakers, and know even with a win I may not make the top 32 as I had hoped. Turns out my first round acquantaince from San Diego dropped at Round 2 when he was 1-1 to go to the pornstar convention next door... *shrug* guess I can't really blame him.
Round 9 U/W Caw-Blade:
Finally! Caw-Blade! Every one is talking about how much Caw there was in the room, but I didn't see as much of it as I expected. I guess that's what happens when you lose Round 1. Game 1 goes strictly to plan, which involves bouncing swords, and drawing cards, and being poked for 1 by squadron hawks until i hit a critical mass of burn with an active ascension. I bring in negates and combusts, but don't see the combusts game 2, and get beat down by a lone collonade with no ascension or double burn to kill it. I had an ascension on the table, but came down a bit too late, by the time i activated it, I didn't get a chance to play a draw spell before I died. A single combust, or burst lightning probably wins that game. Game 3, i mash in my full 15, but leave my configuration the same as game 2. I mulligan to 6, and have 4 red cards in hand with 2 blue lands. turn two finds me a mountain, and we both land-go to turn 5. by now i have a spell pierce, but the rest of my hand is burn/removal. He plops a Baneslayer T5, which I combust Eot. He plopts a Baneslayer T6, which I combust Eot, he pauses here, with a blue mana up, and looks like he wants to pierce it, before he realizes its futile. T7, he casts Sun Titan. I look at my grip....fucking Negate. FML. If this was leak, i win the game, period. After Sun Titan, pierce was the only card in his hand. I'd have had enough to pay for pierce, if i did have a leak, and I had cards in my hand to activate the ascension. He then proceeds to tec edge 2 of my halimar depths (2 of my 4 non-basics... *mutter*) and then I'm choked off, and his spell pierce becomes live. I get hit for 10 twice, and die.
He then says, that he only has 2 Baneslayers and 1 Titan, and he just happened to draw all 3. Must. Be. Nice.
1-2 (5-3-1 match, 11-8-2 games)
I finished around 70 something, which is really disappointing. But the matches I won, were not even close, and the matches I lost were very very close, the U/W/b match being the exception, but I was forced to mulligan pretty heavily both games. I know this deck is for real, and if i was a better pilot, there's no question this deck could have swept the tournament, and no doubt even my sorry ass could have finished x-1-1 if i had leaks over negates. *facepalm*
Some people have been asking about my deck, and I love that! makes me happy to know that others are willing to try and fight the metagame from this angle, and I strongly reccomend this deck. I never reccomend constructed decks, because I play so much limited, but I've done the testing this time, and put in the work, and I can honestly stand behind this one.
Feel free to comment or make suggestions on the build!
Thanks for reading!
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