Magic the Gathering

Tournament Reports

2nd Place at Grand Prix Denver - Part 2

If you missed it you can read last week’s write up about the first half of the tournament. For part 2, I thought I’d take a more in depth look at the match ups.

At this point in the Tourney I found out that I had already qualified to take some cash home (no less than $250). Antonino and Billy P. both told me I needed to go 4-1-1 to make the Top 16 to get the invitation to Berlin and I simultaneously found out that I needed to finish 5-0-1 to make the Top 8. To be honest, I had really become numb over day 2s and such. Lots of people were clearly nervous. Any of you who think you can handle a day 2 and NOT get nervous, let’s see you make day 2 first.

I need to give a little shout out to Denver, the city, quite beautiful and… quite boring. It’s probably a good place for quiet, country living. A little bit of action, here or there, but not enough for a city slicker like me. As I prefer places like Hawaii, California, New York, Las Vegas and Florida.

Round 10 Merfolk

I wasn’t too familiar with the latest Block version of the deck and I have to admit it took me some time to adjust to the cards in it.

• Silvergill Adept and Stonybrook Banneret die to my Peppersmokes
• Sygg & Merrow Reejerey is a challenge but I can take with Nameless Inversion, Shriekmaw
• Cryptic Command, Sage’s Dousing, Chameleon Colossus are my problem cards

It’s Game Time!

I mulligan. He plays an Augury Adept, I activate Mutavault and Peppersmoke. He plays Banneret I activate Mutavault and Peppersmoke. His Sage’s Dousing does me in as I lose with no threats. Game 1 goes to him and I anticipate the coming of the Cloudthresher.

Game 2 I mulligan and (thankfully) he mulligans I open with a Thoughtseize and he kept a below average hand. I come in with a Spellstutter, Scion, Mistbind Clique attack to win this one. I’m at 14 life.

Game 3 He mulligans so I choose to ditch for a more aggressive hand, which I do. I open with Spellstutter, Scion, Cryptic, Cryptic, Mistbind. Game 3, I win at 5.

Throughout this match, I blocked with Mutavault and Peppersmoked before damage.

8-2 Match :: 16-5 Games

Round 11

While shuffling, I split one of my sleeves, I pulled the card and I split that too. Trying to be discrete I turn it over and it was a MUTAVAULT!!! ARGH!!! I literally split the card like William Tell an Apple. Sheesh! As if $80 for Stillmoon Cavaliers wasn’t enough, I split another $30.

He asked me what I played last round and I said some janky Merfolk deck. He said how did you do I said, “well, I just flew over” ;)

I won the die roll, he mulligans. Opening, I Thoughtseize he shows me MERFOLK, although I took his Reveilark!!! Haha I tried to retract all the trash I spilled earlier by saying “no offense” he just smirked. He plays a T2 Adept and I end his turn with a activated Mutavault and a Peppersmoke. Knowing what he showed me, I being to attack with Mutavaults. Puppeteer Clique uses his Mulldrifter to net me 2 damage and 2 cards. Then, I Nameless Inversion the Clique on his turn to take the Reveilark. I end at 9.

Game 2

I open with T3 and T4 Bitterblossoms. I also eventually draw all 4 Peppersmokes and use them here and there. He evokes Cloudthresher on two consecutive turns to wipe my board. I don’t have any Cryptic Commands this game, but Consign to Dreams buys me 2 turns on his Chameleon Colossus. He lays Colossus on the turn when he’s at 6 I have 2 Faerie tokens I rip the Puppeteer Clique. Next thing you know, I have 2 ‘Threshers’ and he dies with me at 3 life.

9-2 Match :: 18-5 Games

Round 12 Kithkin

This was an interesting match vs Kithkin. This gentleman played me twice at GP Indianapolis, once in the Grinder and once in the GP, BOTH times he beat me.

Look at this matchup:

1. Mono WHITE – Stillmoons have had a GREAT time defending my team
2. Peppersmokes – weaken his creatures along with drawing me much needed cards
3. With me armed with 4x Peppersmoke, 4x Nameless Inversion, 1x Shriekmaw it’s imperative that I keep Kithkin from attacking with the Heath in play.

Game 1 He comes out in typical Kithkin form Stalwart, Cenn, Knight of Meadowgrain.

Sidenote: When I was younger, I tried to develop a style of play that was as versatile as possible. Meaning, I could play slow or I could play fast, dependent upon my opponent. This “Tango” is something I believe most players do NOT have a clue on. In the military, the most extreme situations or circumstances are simulated to make sure a soldier will succeed in his task in “real life” situations. IF, you can somehow interrupt a person’s ability to process information, you can most certainly take advantage. You can learn more about ideas like this in “The Art of War” – I want to also plug a potential Hall of Famer that I feel was almost as good as me in this philosophy, Mike Long. A very good Magic player, but also a MASTER at the mind games. Unfortunately, Long possessed the knack to be shady as well, cheating (if I may). None the less, Mike Long changed the way rules were processed in tournament play. Also, he forced Judges to establish much more thorough forms of deliberation and judgement. If we didn’t have a guy like Mike Long, we might as well be playing Chess.

Back to the action, I cast Inversion on Cenn, then the Knight. I Mutavault/Peppersmoke the Stalwart. He Processions, and with 2 Mutavaults in play I activate them both and then cast Spellstutter?!?! Yeah I know. I stop myself and say “slow down man, maybe you can’t go that fast” then I Mistbind. I Mistbind again. He lays Ajani. I tap his guys and draw with Cryptic. I kill Ajani with a Mistbind, followed with a Scion. I Tap his guys again for the win. I’m at 6.

This game was finished in 5 minutes. Notice, I realize where I make my mistake. I adjust and get ready for battle.

Game 2 was just as fast. He starts out just as fast as game one. However, an interesting turn….

He says – Land Stallwart Go

I say – Mutavault Go

He says – Attack 2, Land Knight Go

I say – Secluded Glen Go

He says – Attack for 4, Land Procession Go.

I say – At The END of your turn Peppersmoke a token. (He draws a card)

I say – JUDGE.

This all happened within 2 minutes. I think me doing something at the end of his turn threw his rhythm off and thought I was doing it during my turn. Either way, I attribute this mental mistake to my ability to adjust to his speed. Had I been a slow, more deliberate player, he might not have made that mistake as he would have adjusted to my speed. As the judge came over, my opponent scooped. The judge asked me what I needed, I said I just wanted the judge to sign the results slip. Yes, I could have asked for the Judge’s warning and the inevitable Game Loss for my opponent, but I choose to just sign.

10-2 Match :: 20-5 Games

Round 13 Faeries

Ok, so I see the match-up and I’m pitted against the mighty Paulo Vitor Doma da Rosa! I know he’s playing Faeries. I also know that his team aggressively mulligans for the almighty Bitterblossom. ESPECIALLY in the mirror match!

Game 1 I mulligan, then he double mulligans. He starts it off with just a swamp. I drop a Secluded Glen and Thoughtseize. He’s got Scion and Spellstutter (I take Spellstutter). Turn 2 I Bitterblossom and go to town. He does begin to draw some stuff and makes this a bit closer than I want it to, I end this game at 1 life. Whew!

Game 2 He mulligans to 5 again. Unfortunately, I don’t have the Thoughtseize to take advantage. However, Turn 1 He Thoughtseizes me taking my Bitterblossom. I commence to beati him with my Mutavault. On turn 4 I draw another Bitterblossom and it goes downhill for him there. 16 life.

He was relatively gracious about the loss. I apologized and he said, “You are not sorry. If you are sorry you can drop”. I reply with, “Well, I’m not sorry about winning, but I am sorry that I can’t beat you on more fair terms. It’s not like I can brag to my friends about beating you with 5 cards both games.” He agreed with that part, I really wasn’t trying to be a snob.

11-2 Match :: 22-5 Games

Round 14 Kithkin

Not much to say here, I Thoughtseize and see a Wilt Leaf Leige x2 Mirrorweave, Cloudgoat Ranger x2 (I take one of the Rangers). Thankfully, I play Blossom on turn 4 and Mistbind a token turn 5. On 3 consecutive turns I cast Scions and he scoops. 12 life.

Game 2 would have been more exciting had I not cast Turn 3 Cavalier. He sat while I built up my defense. We both have a throng of guys on our respective sides but I have the flyers and I’ve got the gall to attack with the unblockable Cavalier. With several answers in my hand I Alpha Strike for the kill. I’m at 5.

12-2 Match :: 24-5 Games

To be honest, up until this point, I wasn’t even paying attention to my record. I tried to keep myself focused on 1 round at a time and the day had flown by so fast. Antonino and Billy P congratulate me on my finish and tell me that I may have to play. I tell them that I don’t care I’m just happy to finish. After round 14, I am listed at 5^th! I really couldn’t believe it and I was starting to feel a bit nervous

Round 15 has me matched up with Antonino De Rosa which we intentionally draw. After the Swiss rounds Antonino is 3rd and I’m 5^th, gearing up for my GP Top 8. It’s funny, at this point it sets in and people have questions. It is revealed that I have been around the Magic game for quite some time. One of the guys working the event said I was in a GP top 8 when he was 11! The judging staff and reporting personnel were all very nice. The head judge, who called me for possible slow play earlier in the day, was very funny (although I didn’t always understand what he said – due to him being from Italy).

Details on the Top 8 can be viewed on Wizards.com. I will just summarize my side of the duels.

Top 8 - Round 16 Doran aka the ‘Mr Miyagi’ round

While we’re shuffling our decks, I snatch a fly out of the air and both the match reporter (Riki Hayashi) and my opponent are in awe! This might have been my edge.

Thoughtseize is truly a fantastic equalizer in virtually every matchup. Although, my opponent does mulligan here, I Thoughtseize him here and control the entire game. Those of you who are trying to decide how many Thoughtseize you should play or if you should play any at all, I would say MOST DEFINITELY play four. I finish at 18.

Game 2 ConspireConspire to Dreams buys me a couple of turns as he taps out to double up a Colossus’s damage. (Remember Conspire does return PERMANENTS which include Lands) He really didn’t draw anything. I’m at 14.

13-2-1 Match :: 26-5 Games

Top 4 - Round 17 Merfolk

My opponent mulligans. I provide a 2^nd turn Thoughtseize and in typical fashion I Peppersmoked both his Adept and Banneret and with a basically 3 card advantage he doesn’t win.

Game 2 - I open with a Thoughtseize and he’s got Thresher x2, Colossus, Land, Land, Cryptic Command. I figure I’ll bum rush him so I take his Command. Turn 2 I throw down my Bitterblossom. He starts to clear my guys on Turn 7 and 10 with Cloudthreshers evoked. At this point, I’m holding Cryptic, Cryptic, Puppeteer and Spellstutter. On his turn, with 7 mana available, he casts Sower of Temptation on 1 of my tokens (I have 1 tapped 1 untapped). I drop the Spellstutter anticipating his Sage’s Dousing, which he has. On my turn, I go down to 7 (he’s at 11) I cast Puppeteer Clique and gain both Cloudthreshers :)

14-3-1 Match :: 28-5 Games

Finals

My finals match is against the Chapin deck, which I like. Basically, I win the first game rather quickly, but lose the next 2 due to land flood. Note that I also took out a land after game 1.

I end this weekend with a 14-3-1 Match Record 29-7 Game Record, $3000 and a totally drained mental state. Although WOTC didn’t mention it, I had NO byes for this event, I earned every win. Which, for me, made this finish even more sweet.

As for the match-ups:

5-0 Faeries

5-0 Kithkin

3-0 Merfolk

1-1 Doran

0-1-1 Chapin

0-1 RDW

The Chapin deck is strong! However, it really does only have a 50/50 matchup vs faeries. Both decks are good!

I wanted to thank EVERYONE who has been there for me throughout these 14 years of Magic. I’ve achieved another dream of mine and pursuing Worlds needing only 5 more Pro points in my next 3 events. Kansas, Atlanta and Berlin maybe…

Hope this helped!

Lee

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