Maryland, here we come.
Last weekend was the final qualifier in the USA for the
World Magic Cup. Designed as a replacement for Nationals, the World Magic Cup
is a team event with four players representing each country. Three of our
champions had already been chosen: LSV, Brian Kibler, and Alex Binek. The
fourth would be decided by morning. Frankly, I hoped that it would be me.
The drive was shorter than I anticipated, and upon
arriving, I caught up with some of the other players. My list had changed
subtly on the suggestion of Marshall, cutting a land and an Angel of Jubilation
for a maindeck Timely Reinforcements. This more approximated the curve that a
lot of MTGO Tokens results were using, and given the prevalence of Delver in
the metagame at the moment, we figured that the Timely Reinforcements would
play a good role in game 1.
Here’s the list for the WCMQ:
Don’t use this list. There’s going to be a better one
later. I promise.
After catching up with some friends (Shoutout to Mark,
who I’d played against in the Philly PTQ), we sat down for the players meeting –
186 players, which meant 8 rounds of Magic, followed by a Top 8. The World
Magic Cup Qualifiers had been poorly attended all across the country, since the
payout was just so small in comparison to some of the other events.
Furthermore, there was almost no publicity at all. Frankly, it just seemed like
a glorified PTQ with cash prizes instead of packs. After talking to the
Tournament Organizer (who was spectacular
all weekend. Seriously, someone should give this woman a prize for being so
organized. I’ve never had rounds run that smoothly) and some other people, it
became evident that they were expecting something in the way of twice as many
people as actually arrived. I’m sure that was disappointing for her. Here’s
hoping that Wizards does something to promote the events more like a GP and
less like a GPT.
REL Competitive meant that all the general fudgeyness
with Lapsing triggers was in effect. I should really do an article about the
differences between Regular and Competitive REL some time, because it’s something
that newer players to competition screw up pretty often, and I’ve watched
enough judge calls that boiled down to “He didn’t make an angel, so I win!”
Regardless, the first round began right on time, and we
were off to the presses.
Round 1: Ron
with UW Delver
Ron seemed like an appropriate start to the tournament.
We sat down and exchanged some pleasantries before drawing our opening seven.
Sadly, with no lands, I was forced down to six, while he kept seven. We traded
blows for a bit, eventually skewing the advantage towards him as he cast and
equipped a Sword of War and Peace to start chunking my HP. I get Vault of the
Archangel online a turn too late and he manages to kill me with War and Peace
triggers just before I’m able to stabilize off of a Finest Hour Gather the
Townsfolk. We move to game two.
I’m going to be pretty honest here, this wasn’t really a
game. I drew three consecutive no-land-hands before drawing 4 that also had no
lands, but a pair of one drops. Interestingly enough, this match came down to a
single turn – with him on three and me on the same. I needed to draw one of
seven remaining anthems to kill him. I didn’t, getting a land instead, but he
gave me a second opening to draw one of a pair of Oblivion Rings to remove his
Gideon and kill him anyway. Sadly, Lingering Souls can’t block something
equipped with Sword of War and Peace, and I fell.
0-1 (0-2
in games)
Round 2 –
Timothy with RG Aggro
Tim was using a newer RG brew that incorporated Bonfire
of the Damned. I don’t know if you’ve ever played against a deck with 1-2
miracles in it, but let me tell you something, it’s terrifying. To know that
with any draw step, you could just get blown out of the game is really
nerve-wracking. It puts a lot of stress on an aggressive deck to be able to end
the game quickly.
In game one, he got a Sword in play on the second turn
after I mulliganed to five. Something with the deck just felt off, and I couldn’t
draw a good opening hand no matter how much I shuffled, pile shuffled, and
reshuffled. Maybe it was just unlucky, but I seemed completely incapable of
finding a second land. I lost the first game in short order, despite holding on
for a while due to Vault of the Archangel and beating him down to nine through
him gaining 4-5 per turn off Sword.
Game two finally found me keeping a seven card hand, and
I crushed him despite casting a pair of Bonfire of the Damned – one miracle,
and one hardcast. I got a pair of anthems and just ran him over with tokens.
The third game saw him resolve a Turn 2 Sword as well,
which killed me in short order. I texted Marshall, informing him what happened
and he responded by saying that Gut Shots may not be a terrible sideboard idea
against RG in the future. I’m inclined to agree.
0-2 (1-4
in games)
And just like that, I was out of the running. The rest of
the day got significantly better, with the highlights being below:
Round 3 – Pedro
with UW Midrange
2-0, I win with a Finest Hour Gather the Townsfolk that I
orchestrated beautifully.
Round 4 – Peter
with Almost Mono-Black Control
2-0 The deck was interesting, skewing very hard towards
black control with just a splash of blue for Snapcaster Mage. Unfortunately,
black spot removal is notoriously bad against Lingering Souls, and I ran him
over.
Round 5 – Joe with
Zombie Pod
2-0 I’ve got to give props to any deck that runs Gloom
Surgeon. He probably would have won a game if he didn’t exile every Geralf
Messenger in his deck. I suppose that happens sometimes when you’re exiling your topdecks away.
Round 6 – Randy
with Solar Flare
0-2 There isn’t a lot you can do to someone who plays T2
Ratchet Bomb, T3 Ratchet Bomb, and T5 Sun Titan off a Pristine Talisman. A similar
line of play happened twice. I feel like I need a better way to answer Sun
Titans in the future.
Round 7 - Brendan on ???
2-0 I’d stopped taking notes at this point. I was getting
hungry and tired, but I draw well both games and I roll him over in two quick
games before dropping to enter the last draft of the day.
Final Record: 4-3
(9-6 in games)
Bonus Round –
Draft!
I end up drafting an awesome UG Soulbond Deck with a pair
of Druids’s Familiar and Mist Ravens. Unfortunately, the games go extremely
long and his Yew Spirit ends up being too much for me to handle in both games.
I do get an Entreat the Angels in my second pack though.
I head out from the tournament site, get Chipotle. (God,
those burritos are gigantic, and their Guacamole is spectacular. Seriously, get
Chipotle. It’s awesome.) I check into the hotel and barely get to turn on A
Game of Thrones before I pass out until morning.
-----
I wake up in an ice cold room, beneath sheets that keep
me warm despite. This is actually my favorite way to sleep, for some reason,
but I fight out of the bed and head back down to the tournament center for the
PTQ that they’re holding. I’m one of the first people there, and so I’ve got
time to make some changes to the deck. The maindeck Timely Reinforcements was
useless all day, so I take it out, and the Doomed Traveler turns back into a
land. I’m holding the Angel of Jubilation, ready to put the miser’s copy back
into my deck when I spot the Entreat the Angels I’d pulled in the draft the day
before. Marshall had long been a proponant of adding the card, but I felt it was too expensive to cast reliably. I decided to give it a shot, and it paid huge dividends.
Here’s what I register:
Here’s what I register:
Somewhere in this, I get a text from Pop.
“Joe won the WCMQ?”
Joe was a guy from my first shop, back in New York (Shout
out to Comic Book Depot, one of the best stores in NY. Keep putting those
results up guys.) He’s a great player, but up until now, didn’t have a great
finish to his name. I’d left just as he made Top 8. I had no idea that he’d won
the whole thing.
Congrats to Joe Pennachio on the win. You deserve it man.
Then I got ready, because the room was packed for the Pro
Tour Qualifier. 216 players gives us another 8 round day. This one went a
little bit better for me.
Round 1 – Max with
Jund Pod
My mana issues appear to have disappeared overnight, and
I roll out in game one. He seems to be playing Mono-Green something that didn’t
actually cast any reasonable number of spells in the first game. While
sideboarding, we’re talking and he mentions that he had plenty of cards, but
none of the right colors. He gives away that his deck contains black, and I
balk on adding in Celestial Purges, figuring that he’s trying to trick me.
Turns out that he’s not, and he’s on Jund Pod – with Glissa/Ratchet Bomb.
That combo is pretty brutal for me, and I lose the second
game.
Game three, I Nihil Spellbomb his Ratchet Bomb away, and
get out five (!) anthems. An end of turn Midnight Haunting blows him out for 10
damage from nowhere. Feels good to be able to put 10 vigilant P/T on the field
for 3 mana.
1-0 (2-1 in games)
Round 2 – Paul with
RG Aggro
Paul is an older gentleman, who came to the PTQ on Father’s
Day with his son. They love playing together and competing together. Paul ended
up 5-3 on the day, missing prize in his last round, but he was smiling the
whole time. He’s one of those opponents that you remember for the rest of the
day.
I win game one despite him casting a Wolfir Silverheart
and a Sword of War and Peace. Go for the Throat provides the huge blowout and
Hero of Bladehold takes him from 16 to 3 with the help of a few one drops and
an anthem.
Game two, we both Mull to five, before he finds a
reasonable hand. I didn’t until four. Keeping a slow draw, he curves out with
Birds into Wolvir Avenger into Thrun into Sword of War and Peace. I didn’t have
a prayer here.
Game three he gets a turn two sword and crushes me with
it. I really need an answer to that thing. It hoses the deck more than anything
else in the format.
1-1 (3-3 in games)
Round 3 – Mark with
Esper Delver
Mark and I have a great time before the match, chatting
and goofing off. He’s playing fairly aggressively with his Vapor Snags, and so
he’s run out of them by the time that I drop my Hero of Bladehold, which takes
him down in short order.
Game two we both drop to six, and it’s not close. He
tries to buy time with a Feeling of Dread to tap down my team, but can’t find
his answer.
2-1 (5-3 in games)
Round 4 –
Rebecca with GW Aggro
I present my deck and before she’s able to touch it, the
judge jumps in.
“Don’t touch that
deck, ma’am! I’m here to perform a mandatory and extremely important deck check
on you both!”
Understand that the Bolding and Italics are not
exaggerations here. He actually talked like a superhero. Sometimes I love
judges. We pass the time by playing a game called Petals on a Rose, which I am apparently
horrible at. The deck check comes back fine, and we play two quick games
involving me praying that she never peals the Revenge of the Hunted that she
has to kill me at a bunch of different places. I manage to hardcast Entreat the
Angels for the first time, getting a pair of Angels that win the round.
3-1 (7-3 in games)
Round 5 – Mike with
Naya Run Ramp
I dislike the ramp matchup. My deck isn’t quite fast
enough to beat their good hands, and it doesn’t have the answers to prolong the
game and get them into a bad position. The Naya matchup is much worse than the
conventional one because Day of Judgment sidesteps my usual sideboard plan.
Normally, I can just get enough Anthems and Angel of
Jubilation into play, and be bigger than his Slagstorms can kill. Day of
Judgment has no such restrictions though, and it usually poses a big problem.
Add Elesh Norn to the mix, and the deck is more or less a nightmare.
In game one, he ramps quickly, but then fails to land a
threat. Despite three Day of Judgments, I’m able to keep putting threats on the
table and put him away with a Miracle Entreat for 5.
The second and third games both go similarly, with him
casting Primeval Titan and then Poisoning me out Post-DoJ, or just casting a t5
Elesh Norn after a t4 Titan. There is not terribly much I can do about that,
despite getting him low in both games. The deck just needs a little more speed
or a little more disruption to handle the addition of white to the deck.
3-2 (8-5 in games)
As an aside, after this match, I’ve become more and more
convinced that my currentl SB plan only really works against conventional Wolf
Run, and that a better answer might be to side in appetite for brains or
despise to remove their primary threats on turn 3-4.
Round 6 – Pedro
with UW Midrange
I get matched against Pedro again, and he takes a long,
drawn out game one where I can’t quite answer the amount of card advantage he
musters with Blade Splicer, Snapcaster Mage, and Restoration Angel.
Game two, he takes a swing from my Hero of Bladehold,
putting him to one. He casts a Tamiyo, tapping down the Hero and starts to take
control while I draw blanks. He misplays though, casting a Gideon and taunting
with him, so that he can Ultimate Tamiyo. Hero of Bladehold swings, and the
tokens come into play – unaffected by Gideon’s Taunt. They poke him and kill
him after the judge he called informs him that – sadly, yes, that works.
The final game was leaning in his favor until I Miracled
an Entreat the Angels. Playing around mana leak, I put out a pair of 5/5 flying
vigilant angels that killed 3 Gideon and a Tamiyo before they crashed into him
for the victory. He flashed the mana leak that he’d been holding the whole game,
unable to get value out of it.
4-2 (9-6 in games)
Round 7 – Will with
Wolf Run Ramp
Now here’s the ramp matchup that I prepared for. I get a
couple of quick creatures out and force him to Slagstorm my guys away.
Lingering Souls into a couple of anthems puts him away in the first game.
In game two, I cast T2 anthem, T3 anthem, t4 Midnight
Haunting, t5 Miracle Entreat the Angels for 2. He doesn’t come back from that.
5-2 (11-6 in games)
Round 8 – David
with RG Aggro
David was tired. That’s all there was too this match. He
kept a horrible seven card hand in which he ended up casting a Strangleroot Geist
and a Huntmaster of the Fells, with no other action in six turns. I curved out
and killed him.
In the second game, I orchestrate a T3 Timely
Reinforcements for full value after chump blocking his Geist with my Champion
of the Parish. A second anthem (adding to the Honor that I cast on turn 2) puts
the game well out of his reach. Vault seals the deal, though him missing a
Huntmaster transformation trigger certainly didn’t help his case. He scoops and I finish the tournament with an extremely
nice...
Final Record: 6-2 (13-6 in games)
Place: 20th of 216
Current Seasonal Planeswalker Point Total: 527 (aiming
for 750 before the end of August)
I took a look at the standing sheet. 6-2 comprised of
12th to 24th place, with around 6% Opponent’s Match Win separating the highest
from the lowest. I could very easily have Top 16’d if my opponents had done
better in their final round (all my former opponents lost in their last
matches). I walked out with 9 packs, and the knowledge that the deck preformed
more than admirably. I think that changing the sideboard to account for a t2
sword play, and being able to answer more than one type of Elesh Norn would
make this deck a solid contender at any PTQ.
-----
With the lack of bans in Standard, it’ll be interesting
to watch how the format develops in the coming weeks. As for myself – I’ve got
this weekend off from tournaments, as I’ll be visiting the girlfriend during
her summer break from school. The following weekend is GP Atlanta, and I hope
to get some testing done and build a deck before I actually have to get on the
flight next Friday.
Expect a report from that tournament – it’ll be my first
GP, and I have reasonable hopes of doing well. I’ll tell you what I’m playing next
Thursday, and why I think that it’s a well positioned deck for the tournament.
This coming Tuesday, we’ll return to our deckbuilding series, with a discussion
of Mulligans.
Until then, keep slinging spells the best way you know
how.
-Andrew
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