I went 4-4, should have (coulda, woulda) made top 16 at 6-2 but I was mentally retarded in round one and my opponent in round 4 mised like a friggin pro. Anyway...
Round one my opponent's on Haterator. So basically he's playing a bunch of the same **** as me except my **** is better. Game one I get beat by 3 Goyfs (he got 6 to my 2 in the match). Game 2 my cards (Doran, Witness) are better than a Kataki and a Bob. Mise. Game 3, ugh...I will explain.
My opponent has very good board position. I manage to get down 2 Goyfs. He has a Spec Lynx wielding a Jitte (one counter) tapped. He uses its counter to kill my Bob. I have 5 lands and a fetch in play holding Profane Command and Witness and Shrine. I'm on 3 life. I play Witness, saying I'm also going to crack a fetch. My opponent points out that I have now bipassed the "you may" trigger on my Witness, meaning I cannot fetch a Vindicate on the Jitte with it. So I get a land off my fetch and have not played a land this turn. I have 5 lands in play and what I believe is lethal next turn. I pass, with my only out being a Swamp since I can't play my Shrine untapped (misplay one: not playing my land).
He untaps, draws, attacks with Lynx to get 2 counters. He is on nine at this point. Goyfs are 4/5s and he has one black guy (to block fear'd guys with Profane). I untap, draw...Swamp! Yes. I play it, Profane for 4 on him and my dudes. He responds by gaining 4 life to 13. Then he goes down to 9. I then swing...for one damage short. :\
Round two I face a guy playing a more Doran-oriented deck than Doran Rock. It played Vipers and Baloths. I lost in 3 because I hear Vipers are really the nut high.
Round three I face the mirror with Trolls. I win in an extremely agonizing game 3 (Mike can tell you about that one...)
Round 4 I'm against Ideal. Game one I win with him getting nothing. Game 2 he combos turn 4. Game 3 I have lethal on the board after Therapying a grand total of 349344 times. He has mana, however. His hand is a Seething Song and some other random stuff, his board an Invasion land, a Top, and a Lotus Bloom. I'm holding Vindicate and Therapy. I decide to therapy his top then Vindicate his top, thinking that now all he can draw is wish off the top to win (as I extirpated all his Ideals...talk about good beats for ME this game). So I have lethal on the board and pass. He slams down Form of the Dragon. Now I have 5 lands in play and Vindicate in yard, and two draw steps before doom. I draw nothing and pass. I go to one. I draw...Witness. I play it, then stare down at my 2 lands and extend the hand.
Round 5 I beat Ideal soundly again with some good Therapy/Witness times.
Round 6 I beat R/G Assault crap. This guy was horrible. He barely pulled off a win game 2. His list also played Garbage like Warhammer and I even won game one after he wiped the whole board save for a Mox of mine.
Round 7 I beat Goblins in 2.
Round 8 I face the one matchup I didn't want to see...Mono Red burn. I get burned out game one, and manage to stabilize with a Hierarch up to 13 game 2. Game 3 is close, with me getting double Extirpate on some burn, but he is able to outdraw me, as I needed a Hierarch to save my life (I believe I only drew this bastard 3 times the whole day).
Finished 43rd, one win outside of top 24 (maybe, I had the 3rd worst breakers of the X-3's after round 7. Overall, a fun experience. Nice to meet you Chops.
I may come up to New York after my SAT for some drafts, but I may not since members of the opposite sex want my attention and I am inclined to oblige as opposed to just going to Fight Club to hang out.
I called Gray Matter about 15 minutes ago and I'm pretty sure I got Glen on the phone. I asked him about it and he said yes, the PTQ was still on, and that the answering machine we got was in fact the church office and not the church itself.
On a more serious note, I play the deck that gives me the best chance of winning the tournament. I determine this based on it's match-ups against the field and how well I play that specific deck.
QFT
I play decks I am comfortable with and that I have a good amount of edge on. You also have to play with cards that you know and can use, and are good for the format. I also make sure I have a good sideboard and plans.
Haha...good luck with that, you're not even guaranteed a Goyf per box.
Just bite the bullet and buy them. You'll be glad you did, and they will hold their current value for at least 8 months and I don't believe they will go down after.
So we're really seeing a strange metagame shift, it seems.
Everyone is switching to Affinity because it was somewhat forgotten and is still extremely powerful. The best players know this, and have audibled to Ideal.
That means it may be ripe for a Doran comeback next week.
Well after having played this deck the last 2 fnm with less than spectacular results I believe it will be retired. I continually loose to early turn dorans or goblin decks or mirror playing blue. The deck is very cool but without counter disruption or turn one thoughtsieze and turn 2 noggin whack this deck simply cannot contend with early big threats! I love the deck but dont believe it will survive. Can someone convince me otherwise? Good luck! For the record I am a competent constructed player with a rating above 1900!
Let's see your DCI page...for now, I'm taking that last statement with a grain of salt.
If you're telling the truth, then it makes no sense, since I'm a low 1700s/high 1600s rated player who's been thrashing everyone with this deck.
You guys are having problems with Doran...how...please tell me HOW...post-board, that matchup is incredibly easy. Just don't play into Cloudthresher, and use your removal wisely. You can't go turn 1 Thoughtseize turn 2 Noggin Whack. And plus, what aggro deck wants that draw. Counter backup? For what? Against control? Earwig solves all control matchups by removing sweepers.
Goblins? Uh...right. How can you be taken seriously?
This deck DOES take quite some skill to play. You're going to lose if you just doink around with it.
I don't believe Doran is going to be as prevalent, but I am expecting a fair amount of Death Cloud. I think Teeg is a good card, but it can also be switched for Terminates main.
Right now Extirpate is good against Dredge when combined with your sacrifice effects (post-board, you have 6 dudes you can fling to remove their Bridges). You simply Extirpate Dread Returns and force them to win with Ichorid. They can't really do that-you outrace them easily.
Well, I did very well against Kithkin in City Champs last Sunday, and post board he managed to get two White Shield Crusaders online. But Deathmark really is their bane.
The creature you want to keep off the board most is Mirror Entity and Harrier.
Bitterblossom is nuts and Helen Keller can see that. End of discussion.
Go me for being smart...
Maybe though it could run Siege-Gang instead of the Emptys, which the guy said were just "Miser's tricks."
Round one my opponent's on Haterator. So basically he's playing a bunch of the same **** as me except my **** is better. Game one I get beat by 3 Goyfs (he got 6 to my 2 in the match). Game 2 my cards (Doran, Witness) are better than a Kataki and a Bob. Mise. Game 3, ugh...I will explain.
My opponent has very good board position. I manage to get down 2 Goyfs. He has a Spec Lynx wielding a Jitte (one counter) tapped. He uses its counter to kill my Bob. I have 5 lands and a fetch in play holding Profane Command and Witness and Shrine. I'm on 3 life. I play Witness, saying I'm also going to crack a fetch. My opponent points out that I have now bipassed the "you may" trigger on my Witness, meaning I cannot fetch a Vindicate on the Jitte with it. So I get a land off my fetch and have not played a land this turn. I have 5 lands in play and what I believe is lethal next turn. I pass, with my only out being a Swamp since I can't play my Shrine untapped (misplay one: not playing my land).
He untaps, draws, attacks with Lynx to get 2 counters. He is on nine at this point. Goyfs are 4/5s and he has one black guy (to block fear'd guys with Profane). I untap, draw...Swamp! Yes. I play it, Profane for 4 on him and my dudes. He responds by gaining 4 life to 13. Then he goes down to 9. I then swing...for one damage short. :\
Round two I face a guy playing a more Doran-oriented deck than Doran Rock. It played Vipers and Baloths. I lost in 3 because I hear Vipers are really the nut high.
Round three I face the mirror with Trolls. I win in an extremely agonizing game 3 (Mike can tell you about that one...)
Round 4 I'm against Ideal. Game one I win with him getting nothing. Game 2 he combos turn 4. Game 3 I have lethal on the board after Therapying a grand total of 349344 times. He has mana, however. His hand is a Seething Song and some other random stuff, his board an Invasion land, a Top, and a Lotus Bloom. I'm holding Vindicate and Therapy. I decide to therapy his top then Vindicate his top, thinking that now all he can draw is wish off the top to win (as I extirpated all his Ideals...talk about good beats for ME this game). So I have lethal on the board and pass. He slams down Form of the Dragon. Now I have 5 lands in play and Vindicate in yard, and two draw steps before doom. I draw nothing and pass. I go to one. I draw...Witness. I play it, then stare down at my 2 lands and extend the hand.
Round 5 I beat Ideal soundly again with some good Therapy/Witness times.
Round 6 I beat R/G Assault crap. This guy was horrible. He barely pulled off a win game 2. His list also played Garbage like Warhammer and I even won game one after he wiped the whole board save for a Mox of mine.
Round 7 I beat Goblins in 2.
Round 8 I face the one matchup I didn't want to see...Mono Red burn. I get burned out game one, and manage to stabilize with a Hierarch up to 13 game 2. Game 3 is close, with me getting double Extirpate on some burn, but he is able to outdraw me, as I needed a Hierarch to save my life (I believe I only drew this bastard 3 times the whole day).
Finished 43rd, one win outside of top 24 (maybe, I had the 3rd worst breakers of the X-3's after round 7. Overall, a fun experience. Nice to meet you Chops.
I may come up to New York after my SAT for some drafts, but I may not since members of the opposite sex want my attention and I am inclined to oblige as opposed to just going to Fight Club to hang out.
Additionally, you can abadon the Hellkite/Dragonstorm combo and add Mines and Sulfurous Blasts to make for a very fast burn deck. Read here:http://www.starcitygames.com/php/news/article/15498.html
I called Gray Matter about 15 minutes ago and I'm pretty sure I got Glen on the phone. I asked him about it and he said yes, the PTQ was still on, and that the answering machine we got was in fact the church office and not the church itself.
So I'll see you guys tomorrow.
QFT
I play decks I am comfortable with and that I have a good amount of edge on. You also have to play with cards that you know and can use, and are good for the format. I also make sure I have a good sideboard and plans.
Just bite the bullet and buy them. You'll be glad you did, and they will hold their current value for at least 8 months and I don't believe they will go down after.
Everyone is switching to Affinity because it was somewhat forgotten and is still extremely powerful. The best players know this, and have audibled to Ideal.
That means it may be ripe for a Doran comeback next week.
I am not sure Profane is correct. It may turn out to be, but for now I'm not sure it's not too clunky. What would you replace?
Let's see your DCI page...for now, I'm taking that last statement with a grain of salt.
If you're telling the truth, then it makes no sense, since I'm a low 1700s/high 1600s rated player who's been thrashing everyone with this deck.
You guys are having problems with Doran...how...please tell me HOW...post-board, that matchup is incredibly easy. Just don't play into Cloudthresher, and use your removal wisely. You can't go turn 1 Thoughtseize turn 2 Noggin Whack. And plus, what aggro deck wants that draw. Counter backup? For what? Against control? Earwig solves all control matchups by removing sweepers.
Goblins? Uh...right. How can you be taken seriously?
This deck DOES take quite some skill to play. You're going to lose if you just doink around with it.
I could swap the Stomping Ground for a Mountain.
I don't believe Doran is going to be as prevalent, but I am expecting a fair amount of Death Cloud. I think Teeg is a good card, but it can also be switched for Terminates main.
4 Wooded Foothills
4 Windswept Heath
2 Stomping Ground
1 Breeding Pool
1 Temple Garden
1 Overgrown Tomb
1 Godless Shrine
1 Steam Vents
1 Sacred Foundry
1 Blood Crypt
3 Isamaru, Hound of Konda
4 Grim Lavamancer
3 Mogg Fanatic
2 Gaddock Teeg
4 Dark Confidant
4 Tarmogoyf
3 Gaea's Might
4 Tribal Flames
4 Vindicate
4 Lightning Helix
4 Extirpate
3 Ancient Grudge
4 Terminate
3 Ronom Unicorn
1 Gaddock Teeg
Right now Extirpate is good against Dredge when combined with your sacrifice effects (post-board, you have 6 dudes you can fling to remove their Bridges). You simply Extirpate Dread Returns and force them to win with Ichorid. They can't really do that-you outrace them easily.
The crazy thing is, they are seeded 1, 2, 3, 6 respectively...so 3 of them may still be in it through the quarters.
Good luck to y'all.
The creature you want to keep off the board most is Mirror Entity and Harrier.
Bitterblossom is nuts and Helen Keller can see that. End of discussion.