Buried Ruin was a do nothing pile of trash all day, so I'll be looking elsewhere for the flexspot.
Rounds 1 and 2 - Byes
2-0
Round 3 - Mardu Burn, 0-2
My opening hand game 1 was quite good with a bridge, a bell, a shredder, and a lantern, but my opponent's hand was 2 land and all burn and I couldn't keep him off the last 3 points. In game 2, I ended up mulling to 5, kept an opener of leyline, duress, glimmervoid, opal, wastes. The duress revealed 2 goblin guide, 2 swiftspear, 2 mountain, and an eidolon... I died shortly there after.
2-1
Round 4: Jund, 0-2
This was a great match even though I came up on the losing end of a key kolaghan's command in game 1 and a blind top decked huntmaster when I was at 2 life after I chose to make him shuffle a bolt away as well as hitting 3 lands in a row on top of my library during my upkeep. Sometimes you just have bad breaks.
2-2
At this point I was feeling very anxious knowing I had to win the next 5 rounds to make day 2, but I was confidant that I could do it if I could just dodge burn.
Round 5 - No Show, 2-0
Opponent didn't show after 10 minutes, free win.
3-2
Round 6 - Abzan Company, 1-2
I had my opponent locked in game 1 except for a collected company I couldn't get out of his hand. That collected company found him the melira and redcap he needed to instakill me. In game 2, same deal as above except his coco found him squat and he scooped after I milled his redcap. Game 3 I had to mulligan to 5 and I kept a hand of 2 glimmervoid, thoughtseize, bell, opal. I played opal, then bell and passed, while he only played a land and passed. On the next turn I drew a bridge and my thoughtseize took an abrupt decay, leaving him with another decay 3 land and 2 coco. He killed my bell and passed, then I drew another opal and passed. My opponent went on to draw, look at me with disbelief and played a pridemage, killing my opal and triggering my voids end of turn, I lose a few turns later after bricking on land.
3-3
So now I'm officially out of day 2 contention and I'm quite disappointed, but I decide to play it out and see if I can eek out a better than .500 tournament.
Round 7 - Abzan Kiki, 0-2
My opener consisted of a bell, a lantern and a bridge with an opal and 2 land. My opponent inquisitioned me turn 1, took my bridge and comboed me with angel and kiki before I could find another. Game 2 consisted of a turn 2 stony silence into a turn 3 kataki, into a turn 4 pridemage, probably the best curve ever against us, lol.
3-4
Round 8 - Burn, 2-1
Game 1 I got burned out rather quickly as they tend to do, but in games 2 and 3 I hit turn 0 leyline, turn 1 lantern, turn 2 mill rocks, turn 3 bridge and kept him off wear/tear and revelry. I love beating burn, always feels like sweet retribution, lol.
4-4
Round 9 - Infect, 2-1
Game 1 was very strange as we both mulled to 4, but my opener had 2 inquisition, a wastes and a shredder, while his opener had a forest, a heirarch, an agent and a mutagenic. He played the heirarch and passed, then I drew a glimmervloid and took his agent revealing that he had drawn a pool. He played the pool and swung for 1, then passed. I drew a bridge and took a vines off the 2nd inquisition, then played the shredder and passed. He drew and played an inkmoth and swung for another 1 then I drew a ghost quarter, slammed bridge and he conceded a few turns later after I drew a lantern and an abrupt decay for his heirarch. Game 2 I was always on the back foot and wasn't able to keep a bridge in play and was poisoned out shortly after as a result, but game 3 went according to plan and I was able to strip him of all his creatures with some discard and mill rocks while having inkmoth nexus named on the only needle I kept in.
5-4
So I was able to manage a winning record, though I wish I had done better, but there is alway the next one.
Played in a 13 player, 5 round, cut to top 4 Grand Prix Trial today and the report is as follows:
Round 1: Abzan Midrange, 1-2
I don't remember much from this match except for the fact that game 1, I hit an early lock and won quite easily and then in games 2 and 3, I kept sketchy hands at best in addition to sideboarding poorly in game 2 (he was telling everybody he was on Abzan Company before the tournament and even after not seeing Collected Company in game 1, I still fell for it, all of which resulted in a round 1 loss.
0-1
Round 2: Ad Nauseam, 2-1
Game 1 on the draw, my opponent plays turn 1 Temple of Deceit into Lotus Bloom; dead give away. I iquisitioned my opponent on my turn1, revealing an Ad Nauseam, a Temple of Deceit, an Angel's Grace, a Pentad Prism and a Lighting Storm. I took the Grace and passed. My hand had an early bridge, a surgical and a bell and that's about it. A few turns of pass/go and I drew a Thoughtseize. I thoughtseized, took an Ad Nauseam, then surgicaled it and we were off to game 2. I took out 2 bridges for game 2, then promptly died to a turn 3 Grave Titan off a Lotus Bloom... Game 3 I put an extra Bridge back in, assembled the lock on all his key pieces (Needle on Lightning Storm, Bridge for Grave Titan, all Angel's Grace Surgicaled and all Phyrexian Unlife in the yard) GG.
1-1
Round 3: Esper Control, 2-0, Pair Down
Not much to see here, his deck was a bit unoptimized with Battlelands instead of shocks, as well as no Snapcaster Mages and it cost him the match essentially.
2-1
Round 4: Infect, 2-1
Kept a bad hand and I got infected. Game 2, I got an early bridge and he couldn't punch through the last 3 poison. Game 3 was very back and forth with my opponent having both the infect an regular damage wins in hand if not for 2 key top decks in a bridge to stop the infect and an abrupt decay to stick at 1 life from a stupid Noble Heirarch plus some pump, but I got there.
3-1
Round 5: Affinity, ID
We actually had to play 35ish minutes of this match before we knew we could draw in and we did. I guess sometimes a long winded deck has its benefits; I want Affinity in the top 4 anyway
So the top 4 at this point is:
Lantern
Affinity
Affinity
Burn
Semi-Finals: Same Affinity Guy, 2-0
I just crushed him the way we often crush Affinity; Needle Ravager, Plating and Overseer, keep him off Signal Pest, win. Although, he did get me to 8 poison before finding a Bridge in game 2. He kept some very sketchy hands for being in the Semi-Finals as well as being the 3 time SCG State Standard Champion, shrugs.
Finals, Burn, Opponent Concession
Opponent asked me if I was going to Pittsburgh, I said, "If I get the byes." He says, "I found out earlier I can't go, so I concede." So I have 2 byes for Pittsburgh,
Amazing afternoon and now I have to start planning for GP Pitt!!!!!!
Went 4-3 at States yesterday for an unsatisfactory 35th place out of 100.
Round 1 - Temur Twin, 2-0
Twin is relatively easy, I think I've only lost to it 3 or 4 times out of 15 matches. Not much to see here as I assembled the combo and surgicaled cryptic both games, on to round 2.
1-0
Round 2 - Burn, 0-2
He had turn 2 and 3 eidolon in game 1 and I kept a hand with an early bridge, but no hand disruption. In game 2, we went back and forth for awhile, sun droplet keeping me alive and bridge keeping the creatures at bay, with a shredder, a bell and a lantern at 4 life. I milled a boros charm, then a skullcrack, showing an atarka command on top which I allowed him to draw instead of blowing my lantern. I gained 1 in his upkeep going to 5 life, he only has the command in hand, but has a bolt on top. I untapped, he commanded my sun droplet trigger and dealt 3 to me down to 2. I milled the second bridge off the top, revealing a land for me and a skull crack for my opponent, so I draw the land and shred him revealing... lava spike, so I force him to shuffle and pass. I go up to 3 from droplet, he draws and atarkas commands my face, gg.
1-1
Round 3 - Amulet Bloom, 0-2
I was a bit tilted after this 10 minute match, where I had great hands in both games, but it doesn't matter when your opponent gets turn 1 amulet into turn 2 amulet, double summers bloom, double titan both games. Sometimes they get the god draw.
1-2
At this point I knew I was pretty much out of top 8 contention unless I win out and my tie breakers are really good, but might as well play on, top 16 would still be acceptable.
Round 4 - Grishoalbrand, 2-0
My opponent decided to be on the play and then proceeded to go turn 1 pass. I immediately knew what he was playing and wondered why he chose the play. At any re ate my hand had an thoughtseize and a surgical in it, so I drew, Thoughtseize him, took griselbrand and surgicaled it, he looked at me for a second and scooped. Game 2 he decided to play again, plays turn 1 faithless looting discarding griselbrand and borborygmos. I untapped and casually played grafdigger's cage, he looks at his hand, looks at me and offers the handshake.
2-2
Round 5 Amulet Bloom, 2-0
Turns out the games are more in your favor when they don't have the nut draw. I had bridge down and I surgicaled hive mind after milling it both games.
3-2
Round 6 - Burn, 2-1
At this point I'm just praying nit to play against burn, but as I sit down my opponent is tr alking to his friend about how he boros charmed for the win last game and my heart dank just a bit, but at least I knew what he was playing and I could mulligan accordingly. Game 1 was a blowout that lasted 3 turns before I scooped for time concessions. Game 2 got me the turn 2 and 3 Sun droplet plus an empty hand for a turn 3 bridge thanks to welding jars and mox opal, he scooped when I was still at 15 life on turn 16ish. Game 3 was a barn burner. We had about 5 people watching the match by the end because word had gotten around that a burn player had a lantern player at 1 life, with no sun droplet down, but can't punch through. I had 2 spellkite, 3 blue sources, 3 mill rocks and bridge out with lantern and the pyrite spellbomb win available if the game went to long. The gane went long and he was at 15, so I set up the spellbomb win, somehow managing to keep him off lava spike, boros charm, atarkas command and skullcrack for 7 turns. Gg.
4-2
Round 7 - Affinity, 0-2
So I am really pumped, knowing this was going to be my first top 16 in a larger event and as long as I can dodge burn I got this. Opponent Belches his hand out on turn 1, my hand is a bit slow, but I should be able to get bridge down in time. He top decks galvanic blast and nukes my face down, bridge was 1 turn too late. Game 2 he got me down to 1 life after swing with his 1/1s through bridge, I only have 3 mana sources with another bridge in hand down a lantern after he grudged it on 2. My turn comes, I draw and it's... pyroclasm while he has a blinkmoth out. Gg
4-3
// Spells
2 Abrupt Decay
4 Ancient Stirrings
4 Codex Shredder
1 Duress
4 Ensnaring Bridge
4 Ghoulcaller's Bell
3 Inquisition of Kozilek
4 Lantern of Insight
4 Mox Opal
1 Noxious Revival
3 Pithing Needle
2 Pyrite Spellbomb
2 Surgical Extraction
2 Thoughtseize
// Sideboard
SB: 2 Grafdigger's Cage
SB: 4 Leyline of Sanctity
SB: 1 Nature's Claim
SB: 1 Pithing Needle
SB: 3 Pyroclasm
SB: 2 Sun Droplet/Circle of Protection: Red
SB: 2 Welding Jar
My list for reference, haven't decided whether I like droplets more than cop:red or vice versa as they both have their merits. Droplet is much better early, since you don't have to leave mana open for it, but cop:red is a much better mid/late game top deck when you only have a few health points left and droplet is essentially a dead draw.
So, I am playing this on Sunday at States and was wondering if there had been and major evolutions since Nocious Revival was implemented to be considered before I print off my deck registration sheet.
Split 1st and 2nd in an 8 man FNM last night without Leylines (still in the mail).
Round 1: Grixis Control 2-0
They have so many dead cards against us game 1 that is hard for them to get traction it seems. My opponent hit 1 kolagans command on lantern early, then we both durdled for about 15 turns me having double bridge, spellskite, 2 mill rocks and a needle keeping his flip jace in check and him frantically trying to tasigur his way to another command or snapcaster, then I finally hit a second lantern and it was elementary from there.
Game 2 I hit no bridges, but had 2 jars, 2 spellskites a lantern and a mill rock for aethergrid and I burned him down from 14 after all his fetching and shocks.
Round 2: Mono Blue Tron 1-0
This was my opponent's first FNM ever and his friend gave him a very difficult deck to pilot. He kept forgetting that his tron lands could tap for multiple mana and in game 2 he could have had me in the mindslaver lock, but didn't understand how academy ruins worked. After the match I explained to him a bunch of interactions the deck had and how to properly utilize them and he ended up winning his last round and thanked me afterwards for the advice.
Round 3: Infect 1-1 split (my roommate)
As you can see, I ended up in the winners match against my roommate, so we decided to split the $40 in store credit, but the games went pretty much like they are supposed to. He won game 1 on the play off a hand that had 2 mutagenics, a wild defiance, a rancor and an elf on the battlefield with me having no second land for the spellskite in my hand after 3 draws and an ancient stirrings.
Game 2, he forgot about spellskite being able to redirect pump spells and allowed me to kill his elf with my skite and I won after landing bridge and being hellbent 2 turns later. Game 3 was strange. Double mulligan to 5, I had lantern, 2 mill rocks, a blackcleave cliffs and a skite. He ended up with 1 land, a blighted agent and 3 pumps. He laid his land and passed, I drew an inquisition and took his agent, he had drawn a wild defiance. We durdle for awhile, my rocks hitting a couple creatures, but finally he was able to get a nature's claim after I milled another agent and a noble hierarch (probably should've just let him have it). He then claimed my lantern and two turns later drew another claim and hit my spellskite and played an inkmoth, showing me lethal in hand. 1 draw to hit bridge, ghost quarter or spellskite, due to the mutagenic growth in his hand, and... I whiffed, so he took game 3, but as I said we split anyway and had a great time. In hindsight, I defiantly let him have too much pump, but my logic was that it's worthless without critters, so I figured my mill rocks + lantern would keep things under control. At any rate, love this freaking deck.
Alright, so I just played my first 8 man tournament with my beloved Lantern Control (Zac's GP list, didn't have access to Leylines) and I have to ask, when is it appropriate to say to you opponent, "Look, you've been staring at all the dead cards in your hand for a minute, you have no plays, please pass for time concerns."?
Zac is a great pilot and I know he can beat old boring burn guy. Hell, the only reason he lost last time around was because his opponent managed to have a destructive revelry in hand by turn 2.
Yeah, I couldn't believe that not only did he get paired down, but it's to the last burn player in contention no less... Ah well, the longer it takes for the deck to top 8 a major tourney, the longer we all get freelo,
// Deck: Lantern Prison (60)
// Lands
2 Academy Ruins
2 Blackcleave Cliffs
1 Buried Ruin
1 Copperline Gorge
1 Forest
2 Ghost Quarter
4 Glimmervoid
4 Llanowar Wastes
1 Tendo Ice Bridge
// Creatures
3 Spellskite
// Spells
2 Abrupt Decay
4 Ancient Stirrings
4 Codex Shredder
4 Ensnaring Bridge
4 Ghoulcaller's Bell
4 Inquisition of Kozilek
4 Lantern of Insight
4 Mox Opal
3 Pithing Needle
2 Pyrite Spellbomb
2 Surgical Extraction
2 Thoughtseize
// Sideboard
SB: 1 Duress
SB: 2 Grafdigger's Cage
SB: 4 Leyline of Sanctity
SB: 1 Nature's Claim
SB: 1 Pithing Needle
SB: 3 Pyroclasm
SB: 3 Welding Jar
Buried Ruin was a do nothing pile of trash all day, so I'll be looking elsewhere for the flexspot.
Rounds 1 and 2 - Byes
2-0
Round 3 - Mardu Burn, 0-2
My opening hand game 1 was quite good with a bridge, a bell, a shredder, and a lantern, but my opponent's hand was 2 land and all burn and I couldn't keep him off the last 3 points. In game 2, I ended up mulling to 5, kept an opener of leyline, duress, glimmervoid, opal, wastes. The duress revealed 2 goblin guide, 2 swiftspear, 2 mountain, and an eidolon... I died shortly there after.
2-1
Round 4: Jund, 0-2
This was a great match even though I came up on the losing end of a key kolaghan's command in game 1 and a blind top decked huntmaster when I was at 2 life after I chose to make him shuffle a bolt away as well as hitting 3 lands in a row on top of my library during my upkeep. Sometimes you just have bad breaks.
2-2
At this point I was feeling very anxious knowing I had to win the next 5 rounds to make day 2, but I was confidant that I could do it if I could just dodge burn.
Round 5 - No Show, 2-0
Opponent didn't show after 10 minutes, free win.
3-2
Round 6 - Abzan Company, 1-2
I had my opponent locked in game 1 except for a collected company I couldn't get out of his hand. That collected company found him the melira and redcap he needed to instakill me. In game 2, same deal as above except his coco found him squat and he scooped after I milled his redcap. Game 3 I had to mulligan to 5 and I kept a hand of 2 glimmervoid, thoughtseize, bell, opal. I played opal, then bell and passed, while he only played a land and passed. On the next turn I drew a bridge and my thoughtseize took an abrupt decay, leaving him with another decay 3 land and 2 coco. He killed my bell and passed, then I drew another opal and passed. My opponent went on to draw, look at me with disbelief and played a pridemage, killing my opal and triggering my voids end of turn, I lose a few turns later after bricking on land.
3-3
So now I'm officially out of day 2 contention and I'm quite disappointed, but I decide to play it out and see if I can eek out a better than .500 tournament.
Round 7 - Abzan Kiki, 0-2
My opener consisted of a bell, a lantern and a bridge with an opal and 2 land. My opponent inquisitioned me turn 1, took my bridge and comboed me with angel and kiki before I could find another. Game 2 consisted of a turn 2 stony silence into a turn 3 kataki, into a turn 4 pridemage, probably the best curve ever against us, lol.
3-4
Round 8 - Burn, 2-1
Game 1 I got burned out rather quickly as they tend to do, but in games 2 and 3 I hit turn 0 leyline, turn 1 lantern, turn 2 mill rocks, turn 3 bridge and kept him off wear/tear and revelry. I love beating burn, always feels like sweet retribution, lol.
4-4
Round 9 - Infect, 2-1
Game 1 was very strange as we both mulled to 4, but my opener had 2 inquisition, a wastes and a shredder, while his opener had a forest, a heirarch, an agent and a mutagenic. He played the heirarch and passed, then I drew a glimmervloid and took his agent revealing that he had drawn a pool. He played the pool and swung for 1, then passed. I drew a bridge and took a vines off the 2nd inquisition, then played the shredder and passed. He drew and played an inkmoth and swung for another 1 then I drew a ghost quarter, slammed bridge and he conceded a few turns later after I drew a lantern and an abrupt decay for his heirarch. Game 2 I was always on the back foot and wasn't able to keep a bridge in play and was poisoned out shortly after as a result, but game 3 went according to plan and I was able to strip him of all his creatures with some discard and mill rocks while having inkmoth nexus named on the only needle I kept in.
5-4
So I was able to manage a winning record, though I wish I had done better, but there is alway the next one.
2 Academy Ruins
2 Blackcleave Cliffs
1 Copperline Gorge
1 Forest
2 Ghost Quarter
4 Glimmervoid
4 Llanowar Wastes
1 Tendo Ice Bridge
// Creatures
3 Spellskite
// Spells
2 Abrupt Decay
4 Ancient Stirrings
4 Codex Shredder
1 Duress
4 Ensnaring Bridge
4 Ghoulcaller's Bell
3 Inquisition of Kozilek
4 Lantern of Insight
4 Mox Opal
1 Noxious Revival
3 Pithing Needle
2 Pyrite Spellbomb
2 Surgical Extraction
2 Thoughtseize
// Sideboard
SB: 1 Duress
SB: 2 Grafdigger's Cage
SB: 4 Leyline of Sanctity
SB: 1 Nature's Claim
SB: 1 Pithing Needle
SB: 3 Pyroclasm
SB: 3 Welding Jar
Played in a 13 player, 5 round, cut to top 4 Grand Prix Trial today and the report is as follows:
Round 1: Abzan Midrange, 1-2
I don't remember much from this match except for the fact that game 1, I hit an early lock and won quite easily and then in games 2 and 3, I kept sketchy hands at best in addition to sideboarding poorly in game 2 (he was telling everybody he was on Abzan Company before the tournament and even after not seeing Collected Company in game 1, I still fell for it, all of which resulted in a round 1 loss.
0-1
Round 2: Ad Nauseam, 2-1
Game 1 on the draw, my opponent plays turn 1 Temple of Deceit into Lotus Bloom; dead give away. I iquisitioned my opponent on my turn1, revealing an Ad Nauseam, a Temple of Deceit, an Angel's Grace, a Pentad Prism and a Lighting Storm. I took the Grace and passed. My hand had an early bridge, a surgical and a bell and that's about it. A few turns of pass/go and I drew a Thoughtseize. I thoughtseized, took an Ad Nauseam, then surgicaled it and we were off to game 2. I took out 2 bridges for game 2, then promptly died to a turn 3 Grave Titan off a Lotus Bloom... Game 3 I put an extra Bridge back in, assembled the lock on all his key pieces (Needle on Lightning Storm, Bridge for Grave Titan, all Angel's Grace Surgicaled and all Phyrexian Unlife in the yard) GG.
1-1
Round 3: Esper Control, 2-0, Pair Down
Not much to see here, his deck was a bit unoptimized with Battlelands instead of shocks, as well as no Snapcaster Mages and it cost him the match essentially.
2-1
Round 4: Infect, 2-1
Kept a bad hand and I got infected. Game 2, I got an early bridge and he couldn't punch through the last 3 poison. Game 3 was very back and forth with my opponent having both the infect an regular damage wins in hand if not for 2 key top decks in a bridge to stop the infect and an abrupt decay to stick at 1 life from a stupid Noble Heirarch plus some pump, but I got there.
3-1
Round 5: Affinity, ID
We actually had to play 35ish minutes of this match before we knew we could draw in and we did. I guess sometimes a long winded deck has its benefits; I want Affinity in the top 4 anyway
So the top 4 at this point is:
Lantern
Affinity
Affinity
Burn
Semi-Finals: Same Affinity Guy, 2-0
I just crushed him the way we often crush Affinity; Needle Ravager, Plating and Overseer, keep him off Signal Pest, win. Although, he did get me to 8 poison before finding a Bridge in game 2. He kept some very sketchy hands for being in the Semi-Finals as well as being the 3 time SCG State Standard Champion, shrugs.
Finals, Burn, Opponent Concession
Opponent asked me if I was going to Pittsburgh, I said, "If I get the byes." He says, "I found out earlier I can't go, so I concede." So I have 2 byes for Pittsburgh,
Amazing afternoon and now I have to start planning for GP Pitt!!!!!!
Round 1 - Temur Twin, 2-0
Twin is relatively easy, I think I've only lost to it 3 or 4 times out of 15 matches. Not much to see here as I assembled the combo and surgicaled cryptic both games, on to round 2.
1-0
Round 2 - Burn, 0-2
He had turn 2 and 3 eidolon in game 1 and I kept a hand with an early bridge, but no hand disruption. In game 2, we went back and forth for awhile, sun droplet keeping me alive and bridge keeping the creatures at bay, with a shredder, a bell and a lantern at 4 life. I milled a boros charm, then a skullcrack, showing an atarka command on top which I allowed him to draw instead of blowing my lantern. I gained 1 in his upkeep going to 5 life, he only has the command in hand, but has a bolt on top. I untapped, he commanded my sun droplet trigger and dealt 3 to me down to 2. I milled the second bridge off the top, revealing a land for me and a skull crack for my opponent, so I draw the land and shred him revealing... lava spike, so I force him to shuffle and pass. I go up to 3 from droplet, he draws and atarkas commands my face, gg.
1-1
Round 3 - Amulet Bloom, 0-2
I was a bit tilted after this 10 minute match, where I had great hands in both games, but it doesn't matter when your opponent gets turn 1 amulet into turn 2 amulet, double summers bloom, double titan both games. Sometimes they get the god draw.
1-2
At this point I knew I was pretty much out of top 8 contention unless I win out and my tie breakers are really good, but might as well play on, top 16 would still be acceptable.
Round 4 - Grishoalbrand, 2-0
My opponent decided to be on the play and then proceeded to go turn 1 pass. I immediately knew what he was playing and wondered why he chose the play. At any re ate my hand had an thoughtseize and a surgical in it, so I drew, Thoughtseize him, took griselbrand and surgicaled it, he looked at me for a second and scooped. Game 2 he decided to play again, plays turn 1 faithless looting discarding griselbrand and borborygmos. I untapped and casually played grafdigger's cage, he looks at his hand, looks at me and offers the handshake.
2-2
Round 5 Amulet Bloom, 2-0
Turns out the games are more in your favor when they don't have the nut draw. I had bridge down and I surgicaled hive mind after milling it both games.
3-2
Round 6 - Burn, 2-1
At this point I'm just praying nit to play against burn, but as I sit down my opponent is tr alking to his friend about how he boros charmed for the win last game and my heart dank just a bit, but at least I knew what he was playing and I could mulligan accordingly. Game 1 was a blowout that lasted 3 turns before I scooped for time concessions. Game 2 got me the turn 2 and 3 Sun droplet plus an empty hand for a turn 3 bridge thanks to welding jars and mox opal, he scooped when I was still at 15 life on turn 16ish. Game 3 was a barn burner. We had about 5 people watching the match by the end because word had gotten around that a burn player had a lantern player at 1 life, with no sun droplet down, but can't punch through. I had 2 spellkite, 3 blue sources, 3 mill rocks and bridge out with lantern and the pyrite spellbomb win available if the game went to long. The gane went long and he was at 15, so I set up the spellbomb win, somehow managing to keep him off lava spike, boros charm, atarkas command and skullcrack for 7 turns. Gg.
4-2
Round 7 - Affinity, 0-2
So I am really pumped, knowing this was going to be my first top 16 in a larger event and as long as I can dodge burn I got this. Opponent Belches his hand out on turn 1, my hand is a bit slow, but I should be able to get bridge down in time. He top decks galvanic blast and nukes my face down, bridge was 1 turn too late. Game 2 he got me down to 1 life after swing with his 1/1s through bridge, I only have 3 mana sources with another bridge in hand down a lantern after he grudged it on 2. My turn comes, I draw and it's... pyroclasm while he has a blinkmoth out. Gg
4-3
// Lands
2 Academy Ruins
2 Blackcleave Cliffs
1 Copperline Gorge
1 Forest
2 Ghost Quarter
4 Glimmervoid
4 Llanowar Wastes
1 Tendo Ice Bridge
// Creatures
3 Spellskite
// Spells
2 Abrupt Decay
4 Ancient Stirrings
4 Codex Shredder
1 Duress
4 Ensnaring Bridge
4 Ghoulcaller's Bell
3 Inquisition of Kozilek
4 Lantern of Insight
4 Mox Opal
1 Noxious Revival
3 Pithing Needle
2 Pyrite Spellbomb
2 Surgical Extraction
2 Thoughtseize
// Sideboard
SB: 2 Grafdigger's Cage
SB: 4 Leyline of Sanctity
SB: 1 Nature's Claim
SB: 1 Pithing Needle
SB: 3 Pyroclasm
SB: 2 Sun Droplet/Circle of Protection: Red
SB: 2 Welding Jar
My list for reference, haven't decided whether I like droplets more than cop:red or vice versa as they both have their merits. Droplet is much better early, since you don't have to leave mana open for it, but cop:red is a much better mid/late game top deck when you only have a few health points left and droplet is essentially a dead draw.
Round 1: Grixis Control 2-0
They have so many dead cards against us game 1 that is hard for them to get traction it seems. My opponent hit 1 kolagans command on lantern early, then we both durdled for about 15 turns me having double bridge, spellskite, 2 mill rocks and a needle keeping his flip jace in check and him frantically trying to tasigur his way to another command or snapcaster, then I finally hit a second lantern and it was elementary from there.
Game 2 I hit no bridges, but had 2 jars, 2 spellskites a lantern and a mill rock for aethergrid and I burned him down from 14 after all his fetching and shocks.
Round 2: Mono Blue Tron 1-0
This was my opponent's first FNM ever and his friend gave him a very difficult deck to pilot. He kept forgetting that his tron lands could tap for multiple mana and in game 2 he could have had me in the mindslaver lock, but didn't understand how academy ruins worked. After the match I explained to him a bunch of interactions the deck had and how to properly utilize them and he ended up winning his last round and thanked me afterwards for the advice.
Round 3: Infect 1-1 split (my roommate)
As you can see, I ended up in the winners match against my roommate, so we decided to split the $40 in store credit, but the games went pretty much like they are supposed to. He won game 1 on the play off a hand that had 2 mutagenics, a wild defiance, a rancor and an elf on the battlefield with me having no second land for the spellskite in my hand after 3 draws and an ancient stirrings.
Game 2, he forgot about spellskite being able to redirect pump spells and allowed me to kill his elf with my skite and I won after landing bridge and being hellbent 2 turns later. Game 3 was strange. Double mulligan to 5, I had lantern, 2 mill rocks, a blackcleave cliffs and a skite. He ended up with 1 land, a blighted agent and 3 pumps. He laid his land and passed, I drew an inquisition and took his agent, he had drawn a wild defiance. We durdle for awhile, my rocks hitting a couple creatures, but finally he was able to get a nature's claim after I milled another agent and a noble hierarch (probably should've just let him have it). He then claimed my lantern and two turns later drew another claim and hit my spellskite and played an inkmoth, showing me lethal in hand. 1 draw to hit bridge, ghost quarter or spellskite, due to the mutagenic growth in his hand, and... I whiffed, so he took game 3, but as I said we split anyway and had a great time. In hindsight, I defiantly let him have too much pump, but my logic was that it's worthless without critters, so I figured my mill rocks + lantern would keep things under control. At any rate, love this freaking deck.