Please include what kind of event it was, game/match results for every round, and the deck/play quality of your opponents. Also, it would be helpful if you could explain how you sideboarded for each match.
Took RDW to my LGS for the Standard FNM (4/6/12), got a decent sized crowd of about 24 or so. The meta in my area changes a lot, but last night saw mostly zombies and W/U control.
Round 1: Wolf Run White
This player is incredibly innovative and can pull off some miracle wins. I played him two weeks ago and got stomped in the games 2 and 3.
Game 1
Opening hand is just too fast for him to keep up as I go noble, bloodthirsted berkserker and a ton of burn for his mana dorks.
SB: +2 Traitorous Blood +2 Grafdigger's Cage (He Green Suns every chance he can) -2 Hellrider -2 Kessig Wolf Run
Game 2
I get a decent opener and manage to RSZ away an emissary to keep him off his ramp, but he gets there regardless and proceeds to find his way to wurmcoil engine. Following turn he drops a prime time and proceeds to get ready to ruin my day. I steal his wurmcoil with a traitorous blood and buy some time by going back to 20. He wolf runs his way past my pathetic blockers the following turn and leaves me at 3 life as he jumps back to 23. I draw an irrelevant card and scoop.
Game 3
I start aggressive and open with a noble and a ton of arc trails to slow him down. He opts to rampant growth and drops a solemn while I blast and unfortunately help him draw and ramp some more. Couple turns later he drops an elesh norn and I'm off to a poor start for the night. 1-2
Round 2: Junk Pod
Going up against a player notorious at my LGS for always top-decking just what he needs to turn the tides at the last possible second. Mostly he's an average player that takes lengthy turns to think things out.
Game 1
I start with a Lavamancer and try to keep pressure with some arc trails for his early creatures. He quickly drops pod and metamorph copies it. I have a shrine on 8 when he finally drops a problematic solemn, which he quickly pods away into acidic slime with me unable to sac shrine in response (not enough open mana). The following turn he sacs his slime into wurmcoil, which he immediately pods into elesh norn. That card is getting old as it costs me a second game in a row.:mad:
SB: +2 Cage +3 Ancient Grudge +2 Traitorous Blood -2 Hellrider -2 Kessig Wolf Run -2 Slagstorm -1 Gut Shot
Game 2
I start more aggressively this game with noble followed by blood-thirsted berserker. All his early creatures eat arc trails as I keep up the pressure and allow him to ramp. He can't hit a pod and I'm sitting on a pair of grudges. He finally manages to drop 2 creatures (Bop and Solemn) and gets ready to pod the next turn. I traitorous blood the solemn and hit him for a total of 7, I finish him off with a Lavamancer for exact and get ready for game 3.
Game 3
I look at a hand that shows Mountain, 2 Arc Trails, Volt Charge, RSZ, Cage, Noble. I snap keep and watch him play birds with a razorverge thicket. I top another mountain and drop cage. He stares at it for a second before sighing and whiffs on his second land, so he passes. I arc trail and continue to hit my curve. He whiffs again as I put noble into play and get ready to just start goldfishing for a win. He starts hitting his lands as I just keep up the pressure, adding a thirsted berserker for good measure. Volt charge gets my noble to three counters along with an additional counter on berserker. At some point he put a pod into play, but it didn't matter with cage on board. He drops an Archon of Justice and forces me to hold back my noble and just keep swinging out with the berserker for 4 a turn. He top decks a lingering souls and casts, tries to flash it back as I stop him and bring my cage back to his attention. He sighs and passes the turn. I arc trail away the spirits and bring him down to 4. He finally top decks an answer in the form of a sun titan. He decides to play it after a good minute of examining his lands and his hand while I agonize (silently) at his slow playing. He attempts to bring back a creature off the trigger but again I direct his attention the the cage. I draw a land and then proceed to traitorous blood him off his second blocker and take him to lethal. 2-1
Round 3: U/B Zombie Variant
New player at the LGS (I practically live there on my days off, so it's easy to pick out the newcomers), his unsleeved deck and lack of messengers (or even knowledge of them) lead me to believe he is also new to the game.
Game 1: I open with noble and pass. He drops a gravecrawler and passes. I swing by and follow up with an arc trail. He drops a land and passes. I quickly race him out with another hit from noble and stuck a thirsted berserker. He plays out the game but I reveal no less than 3 cards in hand that keeps him from ever getting board presence.
SB: +2 Cage +1 Slagstorm -2 Hellrider -1 Kessig Wolf Run
Game 2: He opens with an island and passes. I opt to go aggressive regardless and start unloading my hand on each turn. He never comes close to establishing a threat as I RSZ his gravecrawler out of the game and arc trail anything else that hits the battlefield. 2-0
Round 4: U/B Zombies
The pilot this round is another younger player, but his age does nothing to hinder his play skill and I know that I gotta play careful against him.
Game 1: He wins the die roll, plays the swamp, and passes. I open with a noble that he tragic slips EOT. He starts playing threats and I starting burning them while getting a phoenix and thirsted berserker into play. He GFTT the berkserker but has no response to my flyer as I continue to burn him out. He manages to start dropping diregraf ghouls but it's too late as I slam him to 2 and slagstorm to finish.
SB: +2 Cage +1 Slagstorm +3 Ancient Grudge (I know for a fact that he's packing swords in his side, and an unanswered SoWAP ruins my game plan)
Game 2: He mulls to 5 and goes swamp with diregraf ghoul. I groan at his 2 toughness creature while sitting on a gut shot. I drop a noble and pass. He slams me for 2 and hits his land that turn. I arc trail his ghoul out and gear up to wreck him, he has the tragic slip in hand though. He dead draws and I stick a phoenix that enables my berserker the following turn. He eventually hits lands but doesn't have the removal to swing things in his favor. He recognizes the futility and scoops with me revealing 2 more burns and a slagstorm finisher in hand. 2-0
Sidenote: He didn't expect to see any RDW (I'm the only person that plays it with any regularity at the LGS) and had no idea what to do to stop me. He reveals his SB and I point out that the playset of vapor snags are quite good against my deck as it puts me off bloodthirst or resets the counters on a noble. Otherwise he had nothing of relevance.
Round 5: Tempered Steel
Another new face and a surprising deck to see considering how much arbitrary hate every deck in the meta has for it that night. He tells me he's only been playing for a month or so but I know he already beat a buddy of mine earlier that night that normally plays well. He tells me he's 2-1-1 meaning I got paired down and must have awful breakers despite my first round opponent also going to 3-1 so far (his round 4 was against mono-black infect, I watched him mull to 3 game 3 and pull a win out of his ass, amongst the best games of magic I've seen someone play by far)
Game 1: He wins the die roll and goes plains vault skirge, immediately letting me in on what deck he's playing. I open with a noble and stare across the table at him. He drops a second vault skirge and plays an inkmoth. So far he's doing more harm than good with his phyrexian costs and I arc trail them both away and swing in with noble. He responds by infecting me the next turn for 1 and missing a creature that turn. I slam a phoenix and decide to race him, considering the generous lead he's helped me achieve. He hits a third land and drops an etched champion, but without tempered steel or metalcraft it means nothing to me as I slam a stormblood berserker the next turn after hitting him with the phoenix. He O-rings on his turn and thank my lucky stars that he did it a turn too early. I draw another mountain and windmill my hellrider that I drew turn 3, swinging in for a total of 7 that turn. Next turn I deal 3 with phoenix and hold back hellrider, revealing slagstorm for lethal.
SB: +3 Ancient Grudge +1 Slagstorm -2 Kessig -2 Hellrider
Game 2: He opens more aggressively with inkmoth memnite memnite, vault skirge. I stare at my hand of 4 lands Lavamancer Noble Shrine and just hope I don't draw into lands. I top deck slagstorm and my chances of winning just jumped. I play the noble and pass. He plays a gavony township and swings with vault skirge. I puzzle over him not getting aggressive with the memnites but nevertheless take the flying damage and drop my shrine the following turn. He drops a second township and plays a signal pest, again only swinging in with the vault skirge. I still have no idea what he's planning as he passes to me. Shrine ticks to 1 and I waste no time clearing the board. He finally hits his first colored land, but it's a fast(tapped) land and I'm not worried about it just yet. I play the lavamancer as shrine goes to 4 and pass. He drops a pair of glint hawk idols and another inkmoth the following turn, but the summoning sickness and only 1 white source don't worry me in the slightest. I drop a phoenix and start going to town as shrine makes it to 6. He drops an etched champion and I groan at the metalcraft and idol activation and he returns the 2 damage from my phoenix with one of his idols.
Shrine continues to build as I drop a noble and swing with phoenix. He swings in with his champion since I can't block it and holds his white source for one of the idols. Shrine hits 9 and his life is at 14, I decide to volt charge his face but lack the 3 mana to fire my shrine for lethal. I hold phoenix back and pass, pointing to my shrine and asking if he concedes. He declines and top decks....AN O-RING! I sigh at my hubris and he swings with his champion. I lavamancer him at the end of turn and go full tilt the next turn, hitting with my phoenix, blasting him with lavamancer and slagstorming us both to finish the game. 2-0
Overall a 4-1 finish that netted me 4th; G/W humans took the 5-0 spot, beating mono black infect in the final round and my round 1 opponent finishing 4-1 as well. The witchbane orbs in my side never came in, nor do I think I would side them in against anything other than U/B control, which is a matchup that is classically very favorable for me since phoenix stops them from drowning me out while I just keep the pressure on. Plus an early game shrine against them that resolves is just a clock they can't race. Vulshok nets me nothing in my meta unless someone decides to play R/G Huntmaster or the original Wolf Run Ramp build with inferno titans. I'm thinking a third cage and some dismembers will find their way into side for next week.
Any constructive criticism is welcome,as is any prodding at my bruised pride. I completely durdled that play, and against a more experienced opponent I wouldn't have been so lucky, though I would like to think I would've played around it with SLIGHTLY more caution.
Game 1: Mulliganed to 5 on his 7 keep on the play. No land, no land, 4 lands and Koth. Took a chance on a slow hand because mulling to 4 seemed a weaker option. First top deck was a Koth again. Nothing but lands for both of us rounds 1-4, my first Koth play was countered, then he tapped out for some milling and digging. I played the second Koth, managed to strike an emblem and it was adios muchachos.
Sideboard: -3 Arc Trail, -1 Incinerate; +1 Wrack with Madness, +1 Act of Aggression, +2 Traitorous Blood
Game 2: Kept my 7 card hand, turn 1 Noble, turn 2 'Serker, Turn 3 Volt Charge. Game was over pretty quick.
Round 2: Won 2-0
Playing against Spirit Delver
Game 1: Kept and opening hand with Noble, Stormblood, Arc Trail, Galv and three mountains. On the play dropped the Noble, he played a Delver and passed; swung noble, his Delver flipped on his trigger; galvanic blast neutralized the threat. Top decked another arc trail and rode the noble to victory with arc trail cleaning up his lingering souls.
Game 2: Kept opening hand of 1 Slagstorm, 1 Arc Trail, 1 Fireslinger, 1 Stormblood, 1 Chandra's Phoenix and 2 Mountains. Dropped the Slinger, opponent pondered and passed. Turn 2 dropped a blood thirsted Stormblood. Opponent played a delver, and passed. On attackers declared the Stormblood was vapor snagged. Opponent dropped a linger souls on turn three; arc trail clean up the souls, and a newly drawn noble hit the board. Turn 4 My opponent played another lingering souls, I dropped a phoenix. Turn 5 opponent flashed back both lingering souls, my turn 5 dropped slagstorm. Dropped another thirsted Berserker and rode him home.
Round 3: Lost 2-1
Playing against R/U Delver
Game 1: Blowout win for me. Opponents first three turns were lands and ponders. Finally at the end he hit a delver and showed flashes of some burn.
Sideboard: -1 Incinerate; +1 Arc Trail
Game 2: Shrine finally showed up but was a non-factor. Deck was giving me burn and nothing but, lost my turn 1 noble to a gut shot. Got him to 4 life before he finally got me with a pike top deck.
Game 3: Top decked 7 straight mountains. Ran out of gas around turn 4. Life totals showed the game being much closer than it was.
Round 4: Won 2-0
Playing against Mono Green Aggro
Game 1: Opponent was on the play, and played a forest and bird. Turn 1 I blasted the bird thinking she was running wolf run. Her turn 2 she dropped a Strangleroot and went aggressive. I responded with a Noble and blasted her bird. Again she attacked but had no turn 3 play. Hit a blood thirsted Berserker due to her lack of blockers for the noble, top decked a volt charge and rolled on past.
No Board
Game 2: Opponent on the play hit a forest and a bird again, I played a mountain and a Noble. Turn 2 Emissary stymied my attacks in the beginning, so I just dropped her bird with a galvanic blast and passed. She dropped a geist and swung with both the emissary and the geist, and I did not block. Went aggro with the noble and dropped a bloodthirsted Stormblood. She attacked both again, I left the emissary unblocked and killed the geist with the berserker. Turn 4 Volt Charged the geist to get rid of it Swung in for 7. Her turn 5 she acidic slimed one of my mountains; top decked a mountain, galv blasted the slime, swung in with both, she blocked the noble and went for her land, took 4 again. Dropped a big Dungrove, but never had two blockers. Ran the Stormblood home again.
Round 5: Won 2-1
Played against Spirit Delver
Game 1: Never drew into my arc trails and had issues with keeping his spirits under control. Eventually he got me in a fairly tight game.
Game 2: Kept a burn heavy hand with a noble. Dropped the noble and kept him off his stride. Managed to resolve a koth on turn 4 after he used his mana leak on a phoenix. Koth beat him in pretty good and kept the pressure off me. He couldn't keep bodies on the board.
Game 3: Another burn heavy hand, including a slagstorm. Played conservatively, and my lack of board presence resulted in a pretty gross overextension which slagstorm cleaned up. Resolved Koth. Protected Koth. Koth's emblem wiped him out.
Round 6: Won 2-0
Playing against U/w Illusions/tempo
Game 1: Opponent didn't see lands. Did see illusions.
No board.
Game 2: Opponent once again had to mulligan due to lands, could never get his footing. Illusions are weak to lots of targeted removal.
Thoughts from the evening:
I'm planning on dropping Hellrider altogether. He's a fun card and he's a blast when he resolves, but overall he's not a great fit in RDW because we rarely have enough creatures to really make him worth it. Koth is an absolute beater. His emblem basically screams quit now.
I plan to drop the two hellriders for two Grim Lavamancers, as well as a mountain for a fourth main board arc trail. I find the Arc Trail is good enough to be a main deck 4 of, at least in our current meta in Tallahassee. With that much burn going through, the Grim Lavamancer will give me some extra gas as well, and a lower mana curve.
Hellrider is a great card, but in a human/delver heavy meta I agree with you. He just doesn't do anything your other beaters can't get done on their own. He's amazing if you start seeing planeswalkers, and there's a ton of B/W tokens in my meta right now. The triggered ability plus any burn spell quickly clears them out and you can just send the creatures straight for your opponent.
Also in agreement about your choice to bring in another arc trail, it's my turn 2 play of choice if I don't have a chance to get a bloodthirsted berserker on the field. Especially if your meta is full of x/1 and x/2 creatures, which both those decklists run almost exclusively.
It's Friday the 13th and it only seems right as I go up against some terrifying opponents for my reconfigured Red Deck. The theme tonight was black and plenty of it; saw a vampire deck, a sorin's vengeance deck, and some various B/W tokens/beaters playing at some of the other tables.
Round 1: Werewolves GR
Not a face I see often, but he's no stranger and usually has some rogue build that has the oddest wincons.
Game 1: He wins the die roll and opens with forest pass. I drop a noble and pass. He drops a mayor and passes to me. I swing past it and play a shrine. He drops in a second mayor which I fail to respond to (misplay on my part). A wolfbitten captive joins the field and he passes. I continue to beat and start backing it with arc trails and gut shots for any stragglers. A late huntmaster fails to stabilize him and I fire the shrine for lethal.
SB: -2 Hellrider -2 Kessig -4 Shrine +1 Slagstorm +2 Ratchet Bomb +3 Dismember +2 Ancient Grudge (No idea if he has any swords or possibly an adaptive automaton)
Game 2: He opens with a wolfbitten captive and I drop a noble. He swings and pumps, then passes. Captive flips and he doesn't have enough to pump it, so I leave it alone and swing in. Bloodthirsted Berserker into play and pass. He drops an immerwolf and holds back. I opt for land go, not wanting to throw away either creature just yet. He drops a mayor and I'm not liking how things are going anymore as he holds back. I arc trail his immerwolf and mayor away before swinging with the berserker and nobles. He trades with the flipped captive and goes land go. I swing for another 3 and pass turn. He drops a huntmaster and stays ahead of my life total. I swing at him with the berserker in hopes that he double blocks so I can reclear his field with my 3/3 and the dismember I've been nursing for a turn or two. He takes 3 to the face and I blow 4 life removing the huntmaster. He swings back on his turn with the wolf and pumps it with wolf run, taking me down to 6. I swing again and drop a second berserker. He draws and passes, holding his wolf back(?). I double beat his face with my berserkers and slagstorm players get him for exact.
Result: 2-0
Round 2: UW Delver
A player I was hoping to avoid that night. Not the most fun to play against and is notorious for slow play. His skill is on the higher end but his deck is always the same archetype from set to set, so there's no surprises coming from him tonight.
Game 1: Again I lose the die roll and he opens with a gitaxian probe to check out my 4 lands, 2 berserkers and arc trail. I top deck a large amount of garbage and he drops a geist in short order. No slagstorm and no beaters worth a damn. I concede and it's off to game 2.
SB: -2 Hellrider -2 Kessig -2 Red Sun's Zenith +1 Slagstorm +3 Ancient Grudge +2 Ratchet Bomb (for his angel tokens)
Game 2: I open with a noble and he opens with delver. I swing in and drop a shrine. He flips his delver and goes aggro on me. I swing back and the race is on. He swings again and thought scours for useful things, dropping an invisible stalker. I go to attack and he vapor snags the noble and I replay it for the shrine. He drops a snapcaster after combat and starts thought scouring some more. I arc trail the delver and snapcaster and swing with the noble. He spends his time attempting to ponder and thought scour and hits nothing worthwhile. I EOT volt charge and swing in again with noble. I point to my shrine at lethal and he concedes the game.
Game 3: He goes land ponder pass. I turn one noble and prepare to get psycho. He drops a land and passes again. I swing in and he eots a snapcaster. He plops a spectral flight on it and swings for 4. He follows up with a ponder that shuffles some garbage away. I swing in and volt charge away his snapcaster. From then on he uses his turns to try to dig as I just keep up the pressure with a noble, he purges away a berserker I drop in after a succesful swing and I just start burning him out. He thought scours himself again with an invisible stalker and snapcaster hitting the yard and drawing into another land. He rage slams his hand and concedes the match.
Result: 2-1
Round 3: Junk Walkers GBW
This was a player I had seen around but never played against before, and this was a deck that I was not expecting to see tonight. In play testing I find this to be a terrible match-up that gets only manageable post-board.
Game 1: I whiff on the die roll yet again as he opens with a tap land. I drop a fireslinger and pass. He drops a swamp and tragic slips. I play a shrine and pass. He drops another tap land and passes. I windmill a phoenix and get to beating. He plays another land and I point out that it comes in tapped, he apologizes and passes. Another swing with phoenix as I bait a Day with a noble. Sure enough he drops day and I just go land pass for the time being. Next turn he drops a Sorin LOA and makes a vampire. I drop a Phoenix and slam into Sorin. He swings back and makes another one. Arc trail clears up his vampire and lets me KO the sorin with my phoenix. His turn is a garruk that fights my phoenix away. I volt charge EOT to bring back my phoenix and bring him into killing range. I hit land six and reveal another volt charge with lethal shrine.
SB: -4 Shrine +1 Slagstorm +3 Cage
Game 2: This game is looking grim from the get go as he kills off my turn 1 and 2 plays before dropping in a Lily and making me discard. A noble hits the yard and I do what I can to try to get in there, but I prove too slow. Even after clearing Lily and a turn 5 elspeth that makes a set of tokens, his clock is faster than mine and it only gets worse when he drops gideon. Somewhere in there he dropped a spellskite which just locks out any burn that isn't RSZ. I concede the game and decide it's time to start playing heavy aggro.
SB: -2 Hellrider -2 Kessig +2 Shrine +2 Ancient Grudge
Game 3: I mull to 6 and get an aggressive start with a noble into thirsted berserker. He starts trying to kill off my guys and manages to O-ring my noble when he starts to get big. I drop a late fireslinger that manages to swing stop him from stabilizing and keep up my bloodthirst if I hit another berserker. My hard opening leaves him weak as I finish the game with a slagstorm on players.
Result: 2-1
Match 4: Wolf Run Ramp RG
Another terrible match-up and he's known to draw with the devil's own luck. I was really hoping to avoid this match, but the only other options were two of my friends that also managed to maintain undefeated.
Game 1: I win the die roll (FINALLY) and open with a fireslinger. He plays a land and passes. I for some reason kept a 1 land opener and proceed to just durdle about with my fireslinger before he ramps into some serious pain and I punt game 1 away.
SB: -2 Slagstorm -2 RSZ -2 Hellrider -2 Kessig +3 Traitorous Blood +3 Dismember +2 Cage
Game 2: Again I open with a fireslinger and pass. Land go leads to me with double fireslingers. I force a slagstorm from him and drop a phoenix to keep pressure. He drops an inferno titan before too long and I have an arc trail and dismember to clear his board and get my phoenix back. A few more turns of beating and a berserker to boot leads me to a cruise control victory.
Game 3: He's on the play and I'm keeping a heavy hand. He goes land go and I turn 1 noble. Turn 2 he rampant growths and I return the favor with some more beats to his face and a berserker to put on the pressure. He slagstorms the board and I return the favor with a phoenix to his face the following turn. This meets with another slagstorm to ease the pressure. He solemns and I arc trail him away followed by bringing back the phoenix. He blasts away my phoenix and we both start hitting nothing but lands, which heavily favors him in the long run. Another phoenix meets another galv blast and I'm sitting on a traitorous blood that I've had since my opener. Late game I drop a grim lavamancer that is ready to go and keep me ahead. He drops a primeval titan and fetches a wolf run and inkmoth. I drop shrine and traitorous blood. He responds to my traitorous blood with an ancient grudge to my shrine to avoid me trying to burn him out (he's at 9 life). I take his prime time and swing in for 6 (An inferno titan at any point would've let me blow him out of this game). I filter my deck out a bit and leave my grim sitting pretty. He activates his inkmoth and swings with inkmoth and primeval titan. He puts inkmoth into instant kill range with wolf run and forces me to grim lavamancer it away, taking 6 and looking at lethal from primeval titan next turn. I rip a gut shot and hit him for the necessary three to steal this game from him.
Result: A very fortunate 2-1
Match 5: Naya Pod GRW
Great player and an increasingly good friend of mine, we decide to split the top spot and call it a day since he knows I've got a favorable matchup and he doesn't wanna lose his chance at the FNM promo if breakers were unfavorable. We decide to play just to see who would've been top dog this week.
Game 1: I win the die roll and go ape right off the bat. I've got a burn for every mana dork he drops and get a noble up in his face. The game doesn't take too long as I force him off his game.
SB: -2 Hellrider -2 Slagstorm -2 Kessig -2 Shrine +2 Ancient Grudge +3 Cage +3 Traitorous Blood
Game 2: He mulls to 4 and I keep an aggressive hand complete with a cage. I stick to my original plan with the addition of a cage in play but he has the blast for my noble and a purge for a second noble. Shrine begins to tick away but he revokes that and I sit on a burn heavy hand at this point waiting for something to hit the field. I eventually stick a phoenix and hit a second shrine. RSZ takes care of some low threats and even pops back up when I need to exile his Archon of Justice to keep my shrine from disappearing. A few more turns and a volt charge I was saving for lethal get me there and we call it a night.
Result: 2-0...sort of.
Overall a perfect 5-0 despite some sticky situations. The dismembers were the all-stars out of the sideboard tonight and I never saw a ratchet bomb when I wanted it. Slagstorm finishers are still my favorite way to end games, and arc trail is still the single best burn spell I'm packing.
Afterthoughts: Hellrider is nice but starting to think he's a bit of a win-more card, he just isn't relevant enough to windmill in most situations and could easily be replaced by AVR's thunderous wrath or Bonfire of the Damned, since XR to clear a board AND burn someone. Work has me scheduled for the next couple of fridays so chances are this was my last FNM before the new set and I foresee some changes coming to RDW.
Round 1: Naya Pod
A good friend from the shop piloting his deck. He really knows how to play it well.
Game 1
Not much to say, he comboed really quick and an Elesh Norm and a few creatures finished me.
In: 3 Ancient Grudge, 2 Act of Aggression. Out: 2 Hero of Oxid Ridge, 2 Grim Lavamancer.
Game 2:
Even with an O-Ring to my very big Stromkirk Noble, a Timely Reinforcements and a Tree of Redemption i won the game.
Game 3:
Very close match, he drops an Elesh Norm and my 4/4 Stormblood Berserker survives. An Act of Aggression later on the Elesh i left him at 5 life with 2 Arc Trails in hand, and then i remember that i failed to ping him with a Goblin Arsonist that died when he played the Elesh. After making some calculation and not finding a solution (his next attack was letal) i concede.
0-1
Round 2: U/G Turbofog
Another habitue of the shop, he brings his later invention, apparently solid in testing, and with an experienced player behind the controls.
Game 1
Some quick Nobles, Bersekers and Volt Charge finished him before doing nothing.
No side-boarding for the next game.
Game 2
Again, i began really quick, and after surviving a Day of Judgment, i finished him. He saw no sideboard card (Celestial Purge, Timely Reinforcements, Witchbane Orb).
1-1
Round 3: R/B Zombies
Another good frined fromt he shop, his deck was not completed to his licking, but he played it anyways.
Game 1:
He began really fast, and multiple Messengers finished me off
In: 1 Red Sun´s Zenith, 2 Nihil Spellbomb. Out: 2 Hero of Oxid Ridge, 1 Grim Lavamancer.
Game 2:
I draw RSZ and Nihil in my initial hand, he began really slow, and he overflood in lands.
Game 3:
Again, he began really slow, and i get Noble and Bersekers fast and big with Volt Charge.
2-1
Round 4: Frites
Other local player. He knows his deck well, and it was a pleasure to play against him.
Game 1:
I killed all his mana dorks, and finished him quick. He didnt get the mana to play his bigger critters.
In: 2 Act of Aggression, 2 Nihil Spellbomb. Out: 2 Hero of Oxid Ridge, 2 Grim Lavamancer.
Game 2:
Again, i killed all his mana creatures, and activates the Spellbomb when he tries to flashback a Wurmcoil Engine.
3-1
Some notes, the current meta is not kind to the Grim Lavamancer, wich i prefered to side out almost all the time, and so far i did not have the chance to cast a Hero of Oxid Ridge.
Second April´s FMN at 2de6. 6th of 20 players with a decent 3-1. I made some minor change to deck, moving a Arc Trail to the SB, and an Ancient Gredge to the MB. Also remove the Combust and Slagstorms for Surgical Extractions and Ratchet Bombs.
Round 1: U/W Spirits
A local player with his own interpretation of the Spirts deck, and very aggro deck.
Game 1
He got mana-screwed, and trampled him. The Dommed Travelers are very annoing.
In: 2 Ratched Bomb, 1 Arc Trail. Out: 1 Ancient Grudge, 2 Grim Lavamancer.
Game 2:
Now i got a mana flood, drawing 5 consecutive lands, and getting 3 Celestial Purges for my problems. He drops Drogskol Captain and GG.
Game 3:
Now is the contrary, i keep a very good hand but with one land, and saw the next in turn 3 (a Ghost Quarter) while he draw each and every one of his token producers. even after two Ratchet Bombs he got a lot of tokens, and overrun me.
0-1
Round 2: W/B Humans (?)A newcomer to the shop and to MTG, he was playing with a home brewed deck using some starter decks he bought.
Game 1
I began really fast, and the Stromkirk noble was the star here, while i burned his more dangerous humans.
In: 1 Arc Trail. Out: 1 Ancient Grudge.
Game 2:
Idem Game 1, Volt Charge with Noble, Berseker and Shrine in play is brutal. We ended chatting, and gave him some advice on improving his deck.
1-1
Round 3: Delver A very experienced player here, playing one of the more competitive deck of the current meta.
Game 1
He surprises me using Mental Misstep mind deck, wich is bad news to me, but is even more surprising to see Surgical Extraction MD!!! Goodbye to my Nobles (1 in the cementery, 2 in hand the the last on the library). He quickly produce some tokens with a Lingering Souls, and after drop SoWaP, he tried to equip and i Gut Shooted the token. Next turn he drops Runechanter´s PIke and equip the other token, dealing 1 damage to me and 2 lifes for him. Now is when i topdeck the Ancient Grudge, and using my only Rootbound Crag in play i play it and flashback to eliminate the artifacts. The rest of the game was far easier with a Berseker and burn.
In: 2 Ancient Grudge, 2 Ratchet Bomb. Out: 2 Grim Lavamancer, 2 Hero of Oxid Ridge.
Game 2:
This time he got a little mana screwed, and after burning his Delvers i took the opportunity to race him in damage.
2-1
Round 4: Naya Pod
A rematch with my good friend to get even for the last FMN.
Game 1
Turn 1 Noble. Turn 2 Gut Shot and Berseker. Turn 3 Volt Charge and some mistakes from his side got me the game.
In: 2 Ancient Grudge, 1 Arc Trail. Out: 2 Grim Lavamancer, 1 Hero of Oxid Ridge.
Game 2:
Again, it was late in the night and made some mistakes that i capitalized to get the win. Burning his mana dorks was very important again.
3-1
Notes: I am very pleased how the deck is working. My main worry is to deal with tokens, witch thanks to Lingering Souls, Midnight Haunting and the likes seems to be endless.
Private Mod Note
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MTGO Usermane: Mekorig
MTGO Newbie
Current Decks:
Standard: Just drafting for the moment.
Modern: Affinity
Round 1: U/B Delver?
One girl joining her BF in their first FMN experience. She was really un corfortable, and we talk a bit while we play.
Game 1
Stormkirk noble and double Berserks ended the game very quickly.
In: Nothing. Out: Nothing
Game 2:
She GftT my creatures, and later do nothing more, and after a few turns i finished her off.
1-0
Round 2: RDW (Mirror)
Game 1
He keeps a good hand, but done see the second lands while i pund him quickly.
In: 1 Arc Trail. Out: 1 Ancient Grudge
Game 2:
I got mana flooded, and he lands Vulshock Refugee and later (for my surprise) a SoWaP that gives him the victory.
In: 3 Ancient Grudge. Out: 2 Volt Charge, 1 Grim Lavamancer.
Game 3:
We quickly began to hit each other with creatures and burn, i grugde his alter and play mine. He later forgets about the AG and plays his SoWaP, which i quickly destroy for the victory.
2-0
Round 3: U/B Zombies
Another girl ( weird thing for a FMN :D). She is another shop local, she usually plays with her BF.
Game 1
I mulliganed to 5, and her deck works at its peak giving her the victory.
In: 1 RSZ, 2 Nihil Spellbombs, 2 Surgical Extraction. Out: 2 Grim Lavamancer, 1 Ancient Grudge, 2 HoOR.
Game 2:
I got mana flooded (and she get color screwed, she showed my the 3 Diregraf Captain she had in hand). After a grueling game i left her in 4 life, but she have a Geralf Messenger with a counter and i was at 10. I attack with my Phoenix, leaving her at 2. She attacks and left me in 6. In my turn she Doom Blade my Phoenix, and i pass. She attacks for 4, leaving both in 2. I topdeck a Gutshot and concede.
2-1
Round 4: B/W Tokens
Game 1
I mulligan again to 5, and later get mana flooded. It is worrisome to get flooded so often in a 21 lands deck.
In: 1 Arc Trail, 2 Corrosive Gale, 2 Ratchet Bombs. Out: 2 Grim Lavamancer, 2 Volt Charge, 1 Ancient Grudge.
Game 2:
It was incredible, but after a very good start, i get mana flooded again, bluffing the lands i got in hand. Even a Corrosive Gale cant help me. Sorin, Vault of the Archangel and a lot of tokens gaves him the victory.
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MTGO Usermane: Mekorig
MTGO Newbie
Current Decks:
Standard: Just drafting for the moment.
Modern: Affinity
Please include what kind of event it was, game/match results for every round, and the deck/play quality of your opponents. Also, it would be helpful if you could explain how you sideboarded for each match.
BGStandard Green AggroGB
UWRGModern Saheeli CobraGRWU
UBRGLegacy StormGRBU
Wizards Certified Rules Advisor
12 Mountain
4 Copperline Gorge
4 Rootbound Crag
2 Kessig Wolf Run
Creatures
4 Grim Lavamancer
4 Stromkirk Noble
4 Stormblood Berserker
4 Chandra's Phoenix
2 Hellrider
4 Gut Shot
4 Arc Trail
4 Volt Charge
4 Shrine of Burning Rage
2 Slagstorm
2 Red Sun's Zenith
1 Slagstorm
2 Grafdigger's Cage
2 Blasphemous Act
3 Ancient Grudge
2 Witchbane Orb
2 Traitorous Blood
3 Vulshok Refugee
Round 1: Wolf Run White
This player is incredibly innovative and can pull off some miracle wins. I played him two weeks ago and got stomped in the games 2 and 3.
Game 1
Opening hand is just too fast for him to keep up as I go noble, bloodthirsted berkserker and a ton of burn for his mana dorks.
SB: +2 Traitorous Blood +2 Grafdigger's Cage (He Green Suns every chance he can) -2 Hellrider -2 Kessig Wolf Run
Game 2
I get a decent opener and manage to RSZ away an emissary to keep him off his ramp, but he gets there regardless and proceeds to find his way to wurmcoil engine. Following turn he drops a prime time and proceeds to get ready to ruin my day. I steal his wurmcoil with a traitorous blood and buy some time by going back to 20. He wolf runs his way past my pathetic blockers the following turn and leaves me at 3 life as he jumps back to 23. I draw an irrelevant card and scoop.
Game 3
I start aggressive and open with a noble and a ton of arc trails to slow him down. He opts to rampant growth and drops a solemn while I blast and unfortunately help him draw and ramp some more. Couple turns later he drops an elesh norn and I'm off to a poor start for the night. 1-2
Round 2: Junk Pod
Going up against a player notorious at my LGS for always top-decking just what he needs to turn the tides at the last possible second. Mostly he's an average player that takes lengthy turns to think things out.
Game 1
I start with a Lavamancer and try to keep pressure with some arc trails for his early creatures. He quickly drops pod and metamorph copies it. I have a shrine on 8 when he finally drops a problematic solemn, which he quickly pods away into acidic slime with me unable to sac shrine in response (not enough open mana). The following turn he sacs his slime into wurmcoil, which he immediately pods into elesh norn. That card is getting old as it costs me a second game in a row.:mad:
SB: +2 Cage +3 Ancient Grudge +2 Traitorous Blood -2 Hellrider -2 Kessig Wolf Run -2 Slagstorm -1 Gut Shot
Game 2
I start more aggressively this game with noble followed by blood-thirsted berserker. All his early creatures eat arc trails as I keep up the pressure and allow him to ramp. He can't hit a pod and I'm sitting on a pair of grudges. He finally manages to drop 2 creatures (Bop and Solemn) and gets ready to pod the next turn. I traitorous blood the solemn and hit him for a total of 7, I finish him off with a Lavamancer for exact and get ready for game 3.
Game 3
I look at a hand that shows Mountain, 2 Arc Trails, Volt Charge, RSZ, Cage, Noble. I snap keep and watch him play birds with a razorverge thicket. I top another mountain and drop cage. He stares at it for a second before sighing and whiffs on his second land, so he passes. I arc trail and continue to hit my curve. He whiffs again as I put noble into play and get ready to just start goldfishing for a win. He starts hitting his lands as I just keep up the pressure, adding a thirsted berserker for good measure. Volt charge gets my noble to three counters along with an additional counter on berserker. At some point he put a pod into play, but it didn't matter with cage on board. He drops an Archon of Justice and forces me to hold back my noble and just keep swinging out with the berserker for 4 a turn. He top decks a lingering souls and casts, tries to flash it back as I stop him and bring my cage back to his attention. He sighs and passes the turn. I arc trail away the spirits and bring him down to 4. He finally top decks an answer in the form of a sun titan. He decides to play it after a good minute of examining his lands and his hand while I agonize (silently) at his slow playing. He attempts to bring back a creature off the trigger but again I direct his attention the the cage. I draw a land and then proceed to traitorous blood him off his second blocker and take him to lethal. 2-1
Round 3: U/B Zombie Variant
New player at the LGS (I practically live there on my days off, so it's easy to pick out the newcomers), his unsleeved deck and lack of messengers (or even knowledge of them) lead me to believe he is also new to the game.
Game 1: I open with noble and pass. He drops a gravecrawler and passes. I swing by and follow up with an arc trail. He drops a land and passes. I quickly race him out with another hit from noble and stuck a thirsted berserker. He plays out the game but I reveal no less than 3 cards in hand that keeps him from ever getting board presence.
SB: +2 Cage +1 Slagstorm -2 Hellrider -1 Kessig Wolf Run
Game 2: He opens with an island and passes. I opt to go aggressive regardless and start unloading my hand on each turn. He never comes close to establishing a threat as I RSZ his gravecrawler out of the game and arc trail anything else that hits the battlefield. 2-0
Round 4: U/B Zombies
The pilot this round is another younger player, but his age does nothing to hinder his play skill and I know that I gotta play careful against him.
Game 1: He wins the die roll, plays the swamp, and passes. I open with a noble that he tragic slips EOT. He starts playing threats and I starting burning them while getting a phoenix and thirsted berserker into play. He GFTT the berkserker but has no response to my flyer as I continue to burn him out. He manages to start dropping diregraf ghouls but it's too late as I slam him to 2 and slagstorm to finish.
SB: +2 Cage +1 Slagstorm +3 Ancient Grudge (I know for a fact that he's packing swords in his side, and an unanswered SoWAP ruins my game plan)
Game 2: He mulls to 5 and goes swamp with diregraf ghoul. I groan at his 2 toughness creature while sitting on a gut shot. I drop a noble and pass. He slams me for 2 and hits his land that turn. I arc trail his ghoul out and gear up to wreck him, he has the tragic slip in hand though. He dead draws and I stick a phoenix that enables my berserker the following turn. He eventually hits lands but doesn't have the removal to swing things in his favor. He recognizes the futility and scoops with me revealing 2 more burns and a slagstorm finisher in hand. 2-0
Sidenote: He didn't expect to see any RDW (I'm the only person that plays it with any regularity at the LGS) and had no idea what to do to stop me. He reveals his SB and I point out that the playset of vapor snags are quite good against my deck as it puts me off bloodthirst or resets the counters on a noble. Otherwise he had nothing of relevance.
Round 5: Tempered Steel
Another new face and a surprising deck to see considering how much arbitrary hate every deck in the meta has for it that night. He tells me he's only been playing for a month or so but I know he already beat a buddy of mine earlier that night that normally plays well. He tells me he's 2-1-1 meaning I got paired down and must have awful breakers despite my first round opponent also going to 3-1 so far (his round 4 was against mono-black infect, I watched him mull to 3 game 3 and pull a win out of his ass, amongst the best games of magic I've seen someone play by far)
Game 1: He wins the die roll and goes plains vault skirge, immediately letting me in on what deck he's playing. I open with a noble and stare across the table at him. He drops a second vault skirge and plays an inkmoth. So far he's doing more harm than good with his phyrexian costs and I arc trail them both away and swing in with noble. He responds by infecting me the next turn for 1 and missing a creature that turn. I slam a phoenix and decide to race him, considering the generous lead he's helped me achieve. He hits a third land and drops an etched champion, but without tempered steel or metalcraft it means nothing to me as I slam a stormblood berserker the next turn after hitting him with the phoenix. He O-rings on his turn and thank my lucky stars that he did it a turn too early. I draw another mountain and windmill my hellrider that I drew turn 3, swinging in for a total of 7 that turn. Next turn I deal 3 with phoenix and hold back hellrider, revealing slagstorm for lethal.
SB: +3 Ancient Grudge +1 Slagstorm -2 Kessig -2 Hellrider
Game 2: He opens more aggressively with inkmoth memnite memnite, vault skirge. I stare at my hand of 4 lands Lavamancer Noble Shrine and just hope I don't draw into lands. I top deck slagstorm and my chances of winning just jumped. I play the noble and pass. He plays a gavony township and swings with vault skirge. I puzzle over him not getting aggressive with the memnites but nevertheless take the flying damage and drop my shrine the following turn. He drops a second township and plays a signal pest, again only swinging in with the vault skirge. I still have no idea what he's planning as he passes to me. Shrine ticks to 1 and I waste no time clearing the board. He finally hits his first colored land, but it's a fast(tapped) land and I'm not worried about it just yet. I play the lavamancer as shrine goes to 4 and pass. He drops a pair of glint hawk idols and another inkmoth the following turn, but the summoning sickness and only 1 white source don't worry me in the slightest. I drop a phoenix and start going to town as shrine makes it to 6. He drops an etched champion and I groan at the metalcraft and idol activation and he returns the 2 damage from my phoenix with one of his idols.
Shrine continues to build as I drop a noble and swing with phoenix. He swings in with his champion since I can't block it and holds his white source for one of the idols. Shrine hits 9 and his life is at 14, I decide to volt charge his face but lack the 3 mana to fire my shrine for lethal. I hold phoenix back and pass, pointing to my shrine and asking if he concedes. He declines and top decks....AN O-RING! I sigh at my hubris and he swings with his champion. I lavamancer him at the end of turn and go full tilt the next turn, hitting with my phoenix, blasting him with lavamancer and slagstorming us both to finish the game. 2-0
Overall a 4-1 finish that netted me 4th; G/W humans took the 5-0 spot, beating mono black infect in the final round and my round 1 opponent finishing 4-1 as well. The witchbane orbs in my side never came in, nor do I think I would side them in against anything other than U/B control, which is a matchup that is classically very favorable for me since phoenix stops them from drowning me out while I just keep the pressure on. Plus an early game shrine against them that resolves is just a clock they can't race. Vulshok nets me nothing in my meta unless someone decides to play R/G Huntmaster or the original Wolf Run Ramp build with inferno titans. I'm thinking a third cage and some dismembers will find their way into side for next week.
Any constructive criticism is welcome,as is any prodding at my bruised pride. I completely durdled that play, and against a more experienced opponent I wouldn't have been so lucky, though I would like to think I would've played around it with SLIGHTLY more caution.
4 Stromkirk Noble
4 Stormblood Berserker
4 Chandra's Phoenix
4 Goblin Fireslinger
2 Hellrider
4 Shrine of Burning Rage
4 Galvanic Blast
4 Volt Charge
3 Arc Trail
3 Incinerate
4 Ancient Grudge
1 Arc Trail
2 Traitorous Blood
1 Act of Aggression
1 Wrack with Madness
2 Porcelain Legionnaire
2 Dismember
2 Slagstorm
Round 1: Won 2-0
Playing against 4-Color Reanimator/Control
Game 1: Mulliganed to 5 on his 7 keep on the play. No land, no land, 4 lands and Koth. Took a chance on a slow hand because mulling to 4 seemed a weaker option. First top deck was a Koth again. Nothing but lands for both of us rounds 1-4, my first Koth play was countered, then he tapped out for some milling and digging. I played the second Koth, managed to strike an emblem and it was adios muchachos.
Sideboard: -3 Arc Trail, -1 Incinerate; +1 Wrack with Madness, +1 Act of Aggression, +2 Traitorous Blood
Game 2: Kept my 7 card hand, turn 1 Noble, turn 2 'Serker, Turn 3 Volt Charge. Game was over pretty quick.
Round 2: Won 2-0
Playing against Spirit Delver
Game 1: Kept and opening hand with Noble, Stormblood, Arc Trail, Galv and three mountains. On the play dropped the Noble, he played a Delver and passed; swung noble, his Delver flipped on his trigger; galvanic blast neutralized the threat. Top decked another arc trail and rode the noble to victory with arc trail cleaning up his lingering souls.
Sideboard: -2 Volt Charge, -1 Incinerate; +2 Slagstorm +1 Arc Tral
Game 2: Kept opening hand of 1 Slagstorm, 1 Arc Trail, 1 Fireslinger, 1 Stormblood, 1 Chandra's Phoenix and 2 Mountains. Dropped the Slinger, opponent pondered and passed. Turn 2 dropped a blood thirsted Stormblood. Opponent played a delver, and passed. On attackers declared the Stormblood was vapor snagged. Opponent dropped a linger souls on turn three; arc trail clean up the souls, and a newly drawn noble hit the board. Turn 4 My opponent played another lingering souls, I dropped a phoenix. Turn 5 opponent flashed back both lingering souls, my turn 5 dropped slagstorm. Dropped another thirsted Berserker and rode him home.
Round 3: Lost 2-1
Playing against R/U Delver
Game 1: Blowout win for me. Opponents first three turns were lands and ponders. Finally at the end he hit a delver and showed flashes of some burn.
Sideboard: -1 Incinerate; +1 Arc Trail
Game 2: Shrine finally showed up but was a non-factor. Deck was giving me burn and nothing but, lost my turn 1 noble to a gut shot. Got him to 4 life before he finally got me with a pike top deck.
Game 3: Top decked 7 straight mountains. Ran out of gas around turn 4. Life totals showed the game being much closer than it was.
Round 4: Won 2-0
Playing against Mono Green Aggro
Game 1: Opponent was on the play, and played a forest and bird. Turn 1 I blasted the bird thinking she was running wolf run. Her turn 2 she dropped a Strangleroot and went aggressive. I responded with a Noble and blasted her bird. Again she attacked but had no turn 3 play. Hit a blood thirsted Berserker due to her lack of blockers for the noble, top decked a volt charge and rolled on past.
No Board
Game 2: Opponent on the play hit a forest and a bird again, I played a mountain and a Noble. Turn 2 Emissary stymied my attacks in the beginning, so I just dropped her bird with a galvanic blast and passed. She dropped a geist and swung with both the emissary and the geist, and I did not block. Went aggro with the noble and dropped a bloodthirsted Stormblood. She attacked both again, I left the emissary unblocked and killed the geist with the berserker. Turn 4 Volt Charged the geist to get rid of it Swung in for 7. Her turn 5 she acidic slimed one of my mountains; top decked a mountain, galv blasted the slime, swung in with both, she blocked the noble and went for her land, took 4 again. Dropped a big Dungrove, but never had two blockers. Ran the Stormblood home again.
Round 5: Won 2-1
Played against Spirit Delver
Game 1: Never drew into my arc trails and had issues with keeping his spirits under control. Eventually he got me in a fairly tight game.
Sideboard: -2 Volt Charge, -1 Incinerate; +1 Arc Trail +2 Slagstorm
Game 2: Kept a burn heavy hand with a noble. Dropped the noble and kept him off his stride. Managed to resolve a koth on turn 4 after he used his mana leak on a phoenix. Koth beat him in pretty good and kept the pressure off me. He couldn't keep bodies on the board.
Game 3: Another burn heavy hand, including a slagstorm. Played conservatively, and my lack of board presence resulted in a pretty gross overextension which slagstorm cleaned up. Resolved Koth. Protected Koth. Koth's emblem wiped him out.
Round 6: Won 2-0
Playing against U/w Illusions/tempo
Game 1: Opponent didn't see lands. Did see illusions.
No board.
Game 2: Opponent once again had to mulligan due to lands, could never get his footing. Illusions are weak to lots of targeted removal.
Thoughts from the evening:
I'm planning on dropping Hellrider altogether. He's a fun card and he's a blast when he resolves, but overall he's not a great fit in RDW because we rarely have enough creatures to really make him worth it. Koth is an absolute beater. His emblem basically screams quit now.
I plan to drop the two hellriders for two Grim Lavamancers, as well as a mountain for a fourth main board arc trail. I find the Arc Trail is good enough to be a main deck 4 of, at least in our current meta in Tallahassee. With that much burn going through, the Grim Lavamancer will give me some extra gas as well, and a lower mana curve.
RRRKamahl, Pit FighterRRR
Standard:
RRRRDWRRR
Also in agreement about your choice to bring in another arc trail, it's my turn 2 play of choice if I don't have a chance to get a bloodthirsted berserker on the field. Especially if your meta is full of x/1 and x/2 creatures, which both those decklists run almost exclusively.
12 Mountain
4 Copperline Gorge
4 Rootbound Crag
2 Kessig Wolf Run
Creatures
4 Stromkirk Noble
2 Grim Lavamancer
2 Goblin Fireslinger
4 Stormblood Berserker
4 Chandra's Phoenix
2 Hellrider
4 Gut Shot
4 Arc Trail
4 Volt Charge
4 Shrine of Burning Rage
2 Slagstorm
2 Red Sun's Zenith
3 Dismember
3 Traitorous Blood
3 Grafdigger's Cage
3 Ancient Grudge
1 Slagstorm
2 Ratchet Bomb
Round 1: Werewolves GR
Not a face I see often, but he's no stranger and usually has some rogue build that has the oddest wincons.
Game 1: He wins the die roll and opens with forest pass. I drop a noble and pass. He drops a mayor and passes to me. I swing past it and play a shrine. He drops in a second mayor which I fail to respond to (misplay on my part). A wolfbitten captive joins the field and he passes. I continue to beat and start backing it with arc trails and gut shots for any stragglers. A late huntmaster fails to stabilize him and I fire the shrine for lethal.
SB: -2 Hellrider -2 Kessig -4 Shrine +1 Slagstorm +2 Ratchet Bomb +3 Dismember +2 Ancient Grudge (No idea if he has any swords or possibly an adaptive automaton)
Game 2: He opens with a wolfbitten captive and I drop a noble. He swings and pumps, then passes. Captive flips and he doesn't have enough to pump it, so I leave it alone and swing in. Bloodthirsted Berserker into play and pass. He drops an immerwolf and holds back. I opt for land go, not wanting to throw away either creature just yet. He drops a mayor and I'm not liking how things are going anymore as he holds back. I arc trail his immerwolf and mayor away before swinging with the berserker and nobles. He trades with the flipped captive and goes land go. I swing for another 3 and pass turn. He drops a huntmaster and stays ahead of my life total. I swing at him with the berserker in hopes that he double blocks so I can reclear his field with my 3/3 and the dismember I've been nursing for a turn or two. He takes 3 to the face and I blow 4 life removing the huntmaster. He swings back on his turn with the wolf and pumps it with wolf run, taking me down to 6. I swing again and drop a second berserker. He draws and passes, holding his wolf back(?). I double beat his face with my berserkers and slagstorm players get him for exact.
Result: 2-0
Round 2: UW Delver
A player I was hoping to avoid that night. Not the most fun to play against and is notorious for slow play. His skill is on the higher end but his deck is always the same archetype from set to set, so there's no surprises coming from him tonight.
Game 1: Again I lose the die roll and he opens with a gitaxian probe to check out my 4 lands, 2 berserkers and arc trail. I top deck a large amount of garbage and he drops a geist in short order. No slagstorm and no beaters worth a damn. I concede and it's off to game 2.
SB: -2 Hellrider -2 Kessig -2 Red Sun's Zenith +1 Slagstorm +3 Ancient Grudge +2 Ratchet Bomb (for his angel tokens)
Game 2: I open with a noble and he opens with delver. I swing in and drop a shrine. He flips his delver and goes aggro on me. I swing back and the race is on. He swings again and thought scours for useful things, dropping an invisible stalker. I go to attack and he vapor snags the noble and I replay it for the shrine. He drops a snapcaster after combat and starts thought scouring some more. I arc trail the delver and snapcaster and swing with the noble. He spends his time attempting to ponder and thought scour and hits nothing worthwhile. I EOT volt charge and swing in again with noble. I point to my shrine at lethal and he concedes the game.
Game 3: He goes land ponder pass. I turn one noble and prepare to get psycho. He drops a land and passes again. I swing in and he eots a snapcaster. He plops a spectral flight on it and swings for 4. He follows up with a ponder that shuffles some garbage away. I swing in and volt charge away his snapcaster. From then on he uses his turns to try to dig as I just keep up the pressure with a noble, he purges away a berserker I drop in after a succesful swing and I just start burning him out. He thought scours himself again with an invisible stalker and snapcaster hitting the yard and drawing into another land. He rage slams his hand and concedes the match.
Result: 2-1
Round 3: Junk Walkers GBW
This was a player I had seen around but never played against before, and this was a deck that I was not expecting to see tonight. In play testing I find this to be a terrible match-up that gets only manageable post-board.
Game 1: I whiff on the die roll yet again as he opens with a tap land. I drop a fireslinger and pass. He drops a swamp and tragic slips. I play a shrine and pass. He drops another tap land and passes. I windmill a phoenix and get to beating. He plays another land and I point out that it comes in tapped, he apologizes and passes. Another swing with phoenix as I bait a Day with a noble. Sure enough he drops day and I just go land pass for the time being. Next turn he drops a Sorin LOA and makes a vampire. I drop a Phoenix and slam into Sorin. He swings back and makes another one. Arc trail clears up his vampire and lets me KO the sorin with my phoenix. His turn is a garruk that fights my phoenix away. I volt charge EOT to bring back my phoenix and bring him into killing range. I hit land six and reveal another volt charge with lethal shrine.
SB: -4 Shrine +1 Slagstorm +3 Cage
Game 2: This game is looking grim from the get go as he kills off my turn 1 and 2 plays before dropping in a Lily and making me discard. A noble hits the yard and I do what I can to try to get in there, but I prove too slow. Even after clearing Lily and a turn 5 elspeth that makes a set of tokens, his clock is faster than mine and it only gets worse when he drops gideon. Somewhere in there he dropped a spellskite which just locks out any burn that isn't RSZ. I concede the game and decide it's time to start playing heavy aggro.
SB: -2 Hellrider -2 Kessig +2 Shrine +2 Ancient Grudge
Game 3: I mull to 6 and get an aggressive start with a noble into thirsted berserker. He starts trying to kill off my guys and manages to O-ring my noble when he starts to get big. I drop a late fireslinger that manages to swing stop him from stabilizing and keep up my bloodthirst if I hit another berserker. My hard opening leaves him weak as I finish the game with a slagstorm on players.
Result: 2-1
Match 4: Wolf Run Ramp RG
Another terrible match-up and he's known to draw with the devil's own luck. I was really hoping to avoid this match, but the only other options were two of my friends that also managed to maintain undefeated.
Game 1: I win the die roll (FINALLY) and open with a fireslinger. He plays a land and passes. I for some reason kept a 1 land opener and proceed to just durdle about with my fireslinger before he ramps into some serious pain and I punt game 1 away.
SB: -2 Slagstorm -2 RSZ -2 Hellrider -2 Kessig +3 Traitorous Blood +3 Dismember +2 Cage
Game 2: Again I open with a fireslinger and pass. Land go leads to me with double fireslingers. I force a slagstorm from him and drop a phoenix to keep pressure. He drops an inferno titan before too long and I have an arc trail and dismember to clear his board and get my phoenix back. A few more turns of beating and a berserker to boot leads me to a cruise control victory.
Game 3: He's on the play and I'm keeping a heavy hand. He goes land go and I turn 1 noble. Turn 2 he rampant growths and I return the favor with some more beats to his face and a berserker to put on the pressure. He slagstorms the board and I return the favor with a phoenix to his face the following turn. This meets with another slagstorm to ease the pressure. He solemns and I arc trail him away followed by bringing back the phoenix. He blasts away my phoenix and we both start hitting nothing but lands, which heavily favors him in the long run. Another phoenix meets another galv blast and I'm sitting on a traitorous blood that I've had since my opener. Late game I drop a grim lavamancer that is ready to go and keep me ahead. He drops a primeval titan and fetches a wolf run and inkmoth. I drop shrine and traitorous blood. He responds to my traitorous blood with an ancient grudge to my shrine to avoid me trying to burn him out (he's at 9 life). I take his prime time and swing in for 6 (An inferno titan at any point would've let me blow him out of this game). I filter my deck out a bit and leave my grim sitting pretty. He activates his inkmoth and swings with inkmoth and primeval titan. He puts inkmoth into instant kill range with wolf run and forces me to grim lavamancer it away, taking 6 and looking at lethal from primeval titan next turn. I rip a gut shot and hit him for the necessary three to steal this game from him.
Result: A very fortunate 2-1
Match 5: Naya Pod GRW
Great player and an increasingly good friend of mine, we decide to split the top spot and call it a day since he knows I've got a favorable matchup and he doesn't wanna lose his chance at the FNM promo if breakers were unfavorable. We decide to play just to see who would've been top dog this week.
Game 1: I win the die roll and go ape right off the bat. I've got a burn for every mana dork he drops and get a noble up in his face. The game doesn't take too long as I force him off his game.
SB: -2 Hellrider -2 Slagstorm -2 Kessig -2 Shrine +2 Ancient Grudge +3 Cage +3 Traitorous Blood
Game 2: He mulls to 4 and I keep an aggressive hand complete with a cage. I stick to my original plan with the addition of a cage in play but he has the blast for my noble and a purge for a second noble. Shrine begins to tick away but he revokes that and I sit on a burn heavy hand at this point waiting for something to hit the field. I eventually stick a phoenix and hit a second shrine. RSZ takes care of some low threats and even pops back up when I need to exile his Archon of Justice to keep my shrine from disappearing. A few more turns and a volt charge I was saving for lethal get me there and we call it a night.
Result: 2-0...sort of.
Overall a perfect 5-0 despite some sticky situations. The dismembers were the all-stars out of the sideboard tonight and I never saw a ratchet bomb when I wanted it. Slagstorm finishers are still my favorite way to end games, and arc trail is still the single best burn spell I'm packing.
Afterthoughts: Hellrider is nice but starting to think he's a bit of a win-more card, he just isn't relevant enough to windmill in most situations and could easily be replaced by AVR's thunderous wrath or Bonfire of the Damned, since XR to clear a board AND burn someone. Work has me scheduled for the next couple of fridays so chances are this was my last FNM before the new set and I foresee some changes coming to RDW.
16 Mountain
3 Rootbound Crag
2 Ghost Quarter
Creatures - 20 Cards
4 Stromkirk Noble
2 Grim Lavamancer
4 Goblin Fireslinger
4 Stormblood Berserker
4 Chandra's Phoenix
2 Hero of Oxid Ridge
3 Gut Shot
4 Arc Trail
4 Volt Charge
4 Shrine of Burning Rage
4 Galvanic Blast
3 Act of Aggression
3 Ancient Grudge
2 Slagstorm
2 Combust
2 Nihil Spellbomb
2 Corrosive Gale
1 Red Sun's Zenith
Round 1: Naya Pod
A good friend from the shop piloting his deck. He really knows how to play it well.
Game 1
Not much to say, he comboed really quick and an Elesh Norm and a few creatures finished me.
In: 3 Ancient Grudge, 2 Act of Aggression. Out: 2 Hero of Oxid Ridge, 2 Grim Lavamancer.
Game 2:
Even with an O-Ring to my very big Stromkirk Noble, a Timely Reinforcements and a Tree of Redemption i won the game.
Game 3:
Very close match, he drops an Elesh Norm and my 4/4 Stormblood Berserker survives. An Act of Aggression later on the Elesh i left him at 5 life with 2 Arc Trails in hand, and then i remember that i failed to ping him with a Goblin Arsonist that died when he played the Elesh. After making some calculation and not finding a solution (his next attack was letal) i concede.
0-1
Round 2: U/G Turbofog
Another habitue of the shop, he brings his later invention, apparently solid in testing, and with an experienced player behind the controls.
Game 1
Some quick Nobles, Bersekers and Volt Charge finished him before doing nothing.
No side-boarding for the next game.
Game 2
Again, i began really quick, and after surviving a Day of Judgment, i finished him. He saw no sideboard card (Celestial Purge, Timely Reinforcements, Witchbane Orb).
1-1
Round 3: R/B Zombies
Another good frined fromt he shop, his deck was not completed to his licking, but he played it anyways.
Game 1:
He began really fast, and multiple Messengers finished me off
In: 1 Red Sun´s Zenith, 2 Nihil Spellbomb. Out: 2 Hero of Oxid Ridge, 1 Grim Lavamancer.
Game 2:
I draw RSZ and Nihil in my initial hand, he began really slow, and he overflood in lands.
Game 3:
Again, he began really slow, and i get Noble and Bersekers fast and big with Volt Charge.
2-1
Round 4: Frites
Other local player. He knows his deck well, and it was a pleasure to play against him.
Game 1:
I killed all his mana dorks, and finished him quick. He didnt get the mana to play his bigger critters.
In: 2 Act of Aggression, 2 Nihil Spellbomb. Out: 2 Hero of Oxid Ridge, 2 Grim Lavamancer.
Game 2:
Again, i killed all his mana creatures, and activates the Spellbomb when he tries to flashback a Wurmcoil Engine.
3-1
Some notes, the current meta is not kind to the Grim Lavamancer, wich i prefered to side out almost all the time, and so far i did not have the chance to cast a Hero of Oxid Ridge.
MTGO Newbie
Current Decks:
Standard: Just drafting for the moment.
Modern: Affinity
16 Mountain
3 Rootbound Crag
2 Ghost Quarter
Creatures - 20 Cards
4 Stromkirk Noble
2 Grim Lavamancer
4 Goblin Fireslinger
4 Stormblood Berserker
4 Chandra's Phoenix
2 Hero of Oxid Ridge
3 Gut Shot
3 Arc Trail
4 Volt Charge
4 Shrine of Burning Rage
4 Galvanic Blast
1 Ancient Grudge
3 Act of Aggression
2 Ancient Grudge
2 Ratchet Bomb
2 Surgical Extraction
2 Nihil Spellbomb
2 Corrosive Gale
1 Red Sun's Zenith
1 Arc Trail
Round 1: U/W Spirits
A local player with his own interpretation of the Spirts deck, and very aggro deck.
Game 1
He got mana-screwed, and trampled him. The Dommed Travelers are very annoing.
In: 2 Ratched Bomb, 1 Arc Trail. Out: 1 Ancient Grudge, 2 Grim Lavamancer.
Game 2:
Now i got a mana flood, drawing 5 consecutive lands, and getting 3 Celestial Purges for my problems. He drops Drogskol Captain and GG.
Game 3:
Now is the contrary, i keep a very good hand but with one land, and saw the next in turn 3 (a Ghost Quarter) while he draw each and every one of his token producers. even after two Ratchet Bombs he got a lot of tokens, and overrun me.
0-1
Round 2: W/B Humans (?)A newcomer to the shop and to MTG, he was playing with a home brewed deck using some starter decks he bought.
Game 1
I began really fast, and the Stromkirk noble was the star here, while i burned his more dangerous humans.
In: 1 Arc Trail. Out: 1 Ancient Grudge.
Game 2:
Idem Game 1, Volt Charge with Noble, Berseker and Shrine in play is brutal. We ended chatting, and gave him some advice on improving his deck.
1-1
Round 3: Delver
A very experienced player here, playing one of the more competitive deck of the current meta.
Game 1
He surprises me using Mental Misstep mind deck, wich is bad news to me, but is even more surprising to see Surgical Extraction MD!!! Goodbye to my Nobles (1 in the cementery, 2 in hand the the last on the library). He quickly produce some tokens with a Lingering Souls, and after drop SoWaP, he tried to equip and i Gut Shooted the token. Next turn he drops Runechanter´s PIke and equip the other token, dealing 1 damage to me and 2 lifes for him. Now is when i topdeck the Ancient Grudge, and using my only Rootbound Crag in play i play it and flashback to eliminate the artifacts. The rest of the game was far easier with a Berseker and burn.
In: 2 Ancient Grudge, 2 Ratchet Bomb. Out: 2 Grim Lavamancer, 2 Hero of Oxid Ridge.
Game 2:
This time he got a little mana screwed, and after burning his Delvers i took the opportunity to race him in damage.
2-1
Round 4: Naya Pod
A rematch with my good friend to get even for the last FMN.
Game 1
Turn 1 Noble. Turn 2 Gut Shot and Berseker. Turn 3 Volt Charge and some mistakes from his side got me the game.
In: 2 Ancient Grudge, 1 Arc Trail. Out: 2 Grim Lavamancer, 1 Hero of Oxid Ridge.
Game 2:
Again, it was late in the night and made some mistakes that i capitalized to get the win. Burning his mana dorks was very important again.
3-1
Notes: I am very pleased how the deck is working. My main worry is to deal with tokens, witch thanks to Lingering Souls, Midnight Haunting and the likes seems to be endless.
MTGO Newbie
Current Decks:
Standard: Just drafting for the moment.
Modern: Affinity
13 Mountain
4 Rootbound Crag
2 Copperline Gorge
2 Ghost Quarter
Creatures - 20 Cards
4 Stromkirk Noble
2 Grim Lavamancer
4 Goblin Fireslinger
4 Stormblood Berserker
4 Chandra's Phoenix
2 Hero of Oxid Ridge
3 Gut Shot
3 Arc Trail
4 Volt Charge
4 Shrine of Burning Rage
4 Galvanic Blast
1 Ancient Grudge
3 Act of Aggression
2 Ancient Grudge
2 Ratchet Bomb
2 Surgical Extraction
2 Nihil Spellbomb
2 Corrosive Gale
1 Red Sun's Zenith
1 Arc Trail
Round 1: U/B Delver?
One girl joining her BF in their first FMN experience. She was really un corfortable, and we talk a bit while we play.
Game 1
Stormkirk noble and double Berserks ended the game very quickly.
In: Nothing. Out: Nothing
Game 2:
She GftT my creatures, and later do nothing more, and after a few turns i finished her off.
1-0
Round 2: RDW (Mirror)
Game 1
He keeps a good hand, but done see the second lands while i pund him quickly.
In: 1 Arc Trail. Out: 1 Ancient Grudge
Game 2:
I got mana flooded, and he lands Vulshock Refugee and later (for my surprise) a SoWaP that gives him the victory.
In: 3 Ancient Grudge. Out: 2 Volt Charge, 1 Grim Lavamancer.
Game 3:
We quickly began to hit each other with creatures and burn, i grugde his alter and play mine. He later forgets about the AG and plays his SoWaP, which i quickly destroy for the victory.
2-0
Round 3: U/B Zombies
Another girl ( weird thing for a FMN :D). She is another shop local, she usually plays with her BF.
Game 1
I mulliganed to 5, and her deck works at its peak giving her the victory.
In: 1 RSZ, 2 Nihil Spellbombs, 2 Surgical Extraction. Out: 2 Grim Lavamancer, 1 Ancient Grudge, 2 HoOR.
Game 2:
I got mana flooded (and she get color screwed, she showed my the 3 Diregraf Captain she had in hand). After a grueling game i left her in 4 life, but she have a Geralf Messenger with a counter and i was at 10. I attack with my Phoenix, leaving her at 2. She attacks and left me in 6. In my turn she Doom Blade my Phoenix, and i pass. She attacks for 4, leaving both in 2. I topdeck a Gutshot and concede.
2-1
Round 4: B/W Tokens
Game 1
I mulligan again to 5, and later get mana flooded. It is worrisome to get flooded so often in a 21 lands deck.
In: 1 Arc Trail, 2 Corrosive Gale, 2 Ratchet Bombs. Out: 2 Grim Lavamancer, 2 Volt Charge, 1 Ancient Grudge.
Game 2:
It was incredible, but after a very good start, i get mana flooded again, bluffing the lands i got in hand. Even a Corrosive Gale cant help me. Sorin, Vault of the Archangel and a lot of tokens gaves him the victory.
MTGO Newbie
Current Decks:
Standard: Just drafting for the moment.
Modern: Affinity
Why didn't you gut shot her and recast phoenix after it returns to your hand?