Last Friday the wife was working and Phoenix was chillaxing with the grandpees so I thought I'd sleeve up one of my Standard decks and make a run.
Here's what I rocked:
ELDRAZI GREEN
Primeval Titan x 4
Avenger of Zendikar x 3
Wurmcoil Engine x 1
Emrakul the Aeons Torn x 1
Ulamog something or other x 1
Joraga Treespeaker x 4
Overgrown Embattlement x 4
Cultivate x 4
Explore x 4
Everflowing Chalice x 4
Summoning Trap x 4
All is Dust x 3
Tectonic Edge x 3
Khalni Garden x 4
Eldrazi Temple x 4
Eye of Ugin x 4
Forest x 8
Sideboard:
Tumble Magnet x 3
Ratchet Bomb x 4
Acidic Slime x 2
Slice in Twain x 1 (Should be Slime #3)
Naturalize x 1 (Should be Slime #4)
Obstinate Baloth x 4
Just some minor explanations. The reason I decided to play the deck is because Mike and Roy keep pushing me to run Treespeaker x 4. After realizing an unmolested Treespeaker with additional ramp can hit a Turn 3 Primeval Titan I finally understood the power. And it does happen. A lot. Or into Summon Trap into Emrakul. That's funny too. And the absurd things Avenger of Zendikar can do with Primevals is just crazy. Those little 0/1 Plants become Audrey II's in no time.
Played against Elfvine before the pairings went up. I went 4-2 against Elfvine. As long as the deck doesn't stick Eldrazi Monument I should win that match every time. Avenger of Zendikar is just absurd with the card advantage and turns all your ramp into Crusades.
Round 1: White Weenie Quest
This kid was a nice kid who just started playing a few months ago. He has a lot to learn about the game but that's what FNMs are all about. After the match we discussed what he can do going forward and we had a good talk along with some feedback from Roy.
A little about his deck. It is an Aggro/Combo deck that uses Quest for the Holy Relic to fetch Argentum Armor and start destroying stuff while dealing +6 damage each turn. It is super fast and comes out swinging. This is actually a horrible matchup for my deck because a lot of his guys fly. If he can get the Argentum Armor online I lose. The good thing about the matchup is if he doesn't get his Quest for the Holy Relic he is basically playing a bad White Weenie deck that are no match for swarms of plant tokens and Primevals.
Game 1: He gets turn 1 Quest and Menmite. I play forest and pass. He plays Ornithopter, Glint Hawk, Ornithopter and swings for 1. I play Temple and Explore. He drops a Kor and activate sacs Quest for Armor and we are on to Game 2.
Game 2: I side out my only slow removal spell, All is Dust x 3 plus tons of other slow stuff to get in Acidic Slimes, Slice in Twains, Naturalize, Tumble Magnet and a 4-pack of Ratchet Bombs. Basically 12 cards come in for the matchup.
I play a Forest and Treespeaker. He draws plays an Ornithopter and passes. I tell him rule number 1 about competitive Magic: DON'T KEEP A NO LAND HAND!!! He agrees. I go land pump and Wall. He draws and play Menmite. Its not even fair. I go Temple and Primeval Titan and we are on to game 3.
Game3: He plays turn 1 Quest. I play land. He plays Plains and Kor Outfitter. I have a choice to make because I have Ratchet Bomb, some ramp spells and Acidic Slime. I play the Ratchet Bomb and tick it up. By turn 4 he has 3 2cc Kors out. Either I pop his Quest at 1 tick or tick up EOT and kill his trip Kors and my Overgrown Embattlement on my turn. I go for the later and pop dudes plus his wall. Next turn I pop his Quest with Slime. I eventually EOT Trap out Avenger of Zendikar. On my turn I cultivate and play Titan and am swinging with like 6 4/5 plants and the 5/5 Avenger. Its pretty much over after that.
Round 2: Artifact Tempered Steel
Dude was kind of a noobish dickhole from Tampa. The first thing he said was, "Let's get all the shit talking out of the way now! I'm gonna kick your ass!" WTF?!? At that point it's on like Donkey Kong.
Game 1: He plays some Islands so I play accordingly by not running any ramp into open mana. The good thing is this kid taps out for the first 4 turns to run out Myrs and a Tempered Steel. Unfortunately for him I get an Avenger into Primeval chain and he is overwhelmed by plants.
Game 2: He actually gets some shit going with Tempered Steel and his Myr Battlesphere. I Ratchet Bomb all his dudes. I run out Primeval and he's all, "No way dude! Mana Leak!!!" I'm like, "Sure. Summoning Trap." He's all, "What does that do." I respond, "Kicks your ass." I hit Emrakul and he scoops.
After his beating he is a little more humbled since he had no board position during any part of the match. He was totally outmatched and outclassed. I hoped he learned to not shit-talk too soon. Being 1-0 going into Round 2 doesn't warrant a poor attitude. Sure you're undefeated but so is half the room.
Round 3: Roy and Genesis Wave
I've actually played a few more times with Roy and he is actually a nice kid. The fact he is only 23 really explains a lot. So I give him a pass for acting obnoxiously. He is a very good player and total Spike. This dude pretty much worships Conley Woods so I know to expect Genesis Wave. We decide to Intentional Draw because he wants to keep his 1850 rating intact. Not that I would have beaten him. Like I said, he is a tight player and plays tons of Magic. I know he also trolls all the relevant Magic sites so he knows his shit and is always on the ball when it comes to fighting with Magic cards.
We decide to play for the heck of it, no sideboards. We both know we are IDing so it doesn't matter.
Game 1: He wins the roll and gets his early dudes, Treespeaker and Lotus Cobra. This matchup is odd because we basically leave each other alone for the first 4 turns. But it really comes down to who goes first and who gets Treespeaker first. And with Lotus Cobra his deck does some absurd things. I ramp fine but he went first so can take advantage of his ramp sooner. He gets turn 4 Frosty and locks my wall down and when Jace the Mindoucher comes down I'm ready to scoop. We wants to jack his Gen Wave for a while and X9s and does some absurd stuff. The deck is amazing and totally outclasses my deck.
Game 2: I don't bother boarding nor do I know what I would board in and out. So it is irrelevant. I go first and open with Treespeaker, Ramp and a turn 4 Wurmcoil Engine. He drops Jace and bounces my guy. I have to make a choice here. Do I replay the Wurmcoil knowing I have All is Dust in my hand or do I All is Dust and blow up the board knowing I can like 6 for 1 him and have more ramp to recover from losing walls. I Dust and he is stuck on 4 lands. I play the Wurmcoil and finish the game out.
Game 3: Seriously, it comes down to who goes first in this matchup. I gets his early Treespeaker and Lotus Cobra. Jeez. Lotus Cobra has to be one of the best Green Creatures ever printed. With fetchlands it is just absurd. I ramp as usual but he gets his Frosty out and taps my wall so I can't run out Primeval and I end up scooping knowing I can't dig out of it.
By this time we have like 35 minutes left in the round. I let him play my Extended Valakut and I play Demigod Jund. Game 1 I get him down to 9 with Leech, Fauna and Bloodraid into Boggart. He plays Oracle and does some absurd ramping into Titan and Scapeshift for the win. Game 2 I early rush him and with Leech and Fauna with Demigod in the bin and a Demigod in hand. I can close it out if I draw a 4th land. It doesn't matter because Oracle comes down on his side with a Khalni Heart and he does more absurd ramping with Prismatic Omen and Titan. Scapeshift closes it out once again. I'm thinking Valakut in Extended is pretty good. Although I like Jund with the Demigod plan, Valakut is just insane.
Round 4: Pyromancer's Ascension
This is a funny match because this 18 year old kid just traded tons of money cards for the entire deck to my boy Mike. The deck is good but can be built for like $20. I'm just hating because I didn't have an Ascension deck ready to trade. LOL.
Game 1: He gets early Pyromancer's online but it is completely irrelevant. He kept on tapping out to play draw spells or dig for duplicates. By turn 4 I was able to play Primeval and baited the Mana Leak. Yup. He has the leak. I shrug and drop Summon Trap. Emrakul leads us into Game 2.
Game 2: All my slow stuff comes out for Acidic Slimes, Slice, Naturalize and Ratchet Bomb. He gets Turn1 Pyromancers. I try to ramp but he has Spell Pierces for my Cultivates and Chalice. I don't care much because I have an active Treespeaker and a Mana Wall. He taps out to Foresee with Pyros online. I have to tell him that he doesn't Scry 8 Draw 4. He must let 1 resolve and finish the copy. While he is tapped out I play Summon Trap. I hit Avenger with 4 Plants. Next turn I hit more land into Primeval Titan and bash his face in. Next turn my Plants are closing the match out each as 6/7s.
This dude was a nice kid and really wants to learn. I told him to not bother trying to stop my plan and make sure to get his online as soon as possible. I've never played that combo deck but I've read enough about it. Shrugs.
By this time I'm 3-0-1 and tied for 1st with Roy, who has the identical record. The remaining two players that I'm able to play are either Boros or the Eldrazi Green mirror match. If I get Boros I probably lose. Luckily I get the mirror. Or is it so lucky.
Round 5: Eldrazi Green mirror match
The only thing I know about this dude is he is basically playing the same deck as I am. I'm a little vexed because Eldrazi Green has really fallen out of favor to the more absurd RUGs and BUGs as well as the UB and UW Control decks. Eldrazi Green did make a Worlds Top 8 showing when Love Janse rocked the deck in the quarter finals.
Game 1: He gets no ramp and I get all my ramp include all four of my Explores. I start chaining Eldrazi Temples with Titan and Legendary kill his Eye of Ugin with my own Eye. By this time all the noob kids are watching our table. It is funny because at some point, Roy, Mike and myself all have active Primeval Titans crashing in for card advantage. I was able to get Avenger online with Primeval chaining lands and end the game rather quickly with plant tokens.
Game 2: I side in Slimes for his Eldrazi lands and 3 Tumble Magnets to fight his Titans and Eldrazi Giants. Again, he gets no ramp and I get all my ramp. I get an early Titan and fetch Tectonic Edges and start popping his lands. I stick a Tumble Magnet and he finally gets his Titan out. I tap his Titan and swing with mine while he chumps with Mana Walls. I have the Eye of Ugin on my board and am surprised he didn't fetch his Eye to kill my Eye. Because of that misplay I am able to tutor up Emrakul and force cast him for the Time Walk and the win. I mention the misplay and he said he didn't notice it among my plethora of lands. Make a note kids. When a person fetches or tutors out shit, always ask what they are getting.
I am tied for first with Roy at 4-0-1. Roy gets first but is cool enough to split the packs evenly with me. I end up with 9 packs. All the packs are being horded and ET runs out of good packs. God forbid I waste my packs on Scars of Mirrodin. Funny story. Mike let a few of the guys borrow his Tier 1 decks, UB Control and Elfvine. They both did well and packed at the same time both beating Mike with his own decks. They packed and gave them all to Mike. Mike is a lucky mofo when it comes to packs. I've seen him randomly pack Molten-Tails and Koths. Gah! He got some Rise of the Eldrazi packs and got a Foil Consume the Meek, a Gideon and an Emrakul. WTF!!! LOL. I get a Foil FNM Everflowing Chalice that I trade to Mike straight up for a Kozilek. I already have a Kozilek that I don't run but I'm not gonna pass on a good playable Mythic for a fancy foil. I have gazillions of normal Chalices that work just fine for me. I also had a $10 gift card to the store so I picked up a few needed Fetches and my 4th Inferno Titan.
A few days later, when I knew ET got packs in, I stopped by to cash mine in. Seeing how lucky Mike was I figured id get some ROE packs too. Ironically I packed a Vengevine that I've been looking to get a playset of. Yah for me! lol
All in all a fun FNM. Way better time then the last few times I played some tournaments. This time I actually had a deck that I didn't really care for nor did I care whether I won. Therefore I was almost invulnerable to going on tilt.
Until next time.
