Roy Tang

Programmer, engineer, scientist, critic, gamer, dreamer, and kid-at-heart.

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Tournament was last April 6 2008 at NG Galleria, with 3 formats: Block, Standard and Extended. I was thinking of playing block but shifted to standard at the last minute because I only had one Mutavault.

This was deck I assembled on Saturday:

Of course I went in again with no playtesting. Enjoyment. Tournament report follows.

Round 1: UB Faeries

It’s basically impossible to join a standard tournament without seeing UB Faeries. This matchup is a race, since usually there’s no blocking involved. But I felt confident since they have Bitterblossom and I have Psionic Blast, so I had a lower damage target. However, the main enemy in this matchup is Cryptic Command, since it stalls one round of damage which is huge in such a close race. I won game one easily since I got a nuts draw and my opponent seemed not used to playing against the fish.

I ‘m not sure exactly how I sideboarded here but it was almost certainly wrong, as I remember changing my board decisions 2 or 3 times. I proceeded to lose games two and three, although game three was very close. My opponent had boarded in more removal (4 Shriekmaws) which meant I almost never had a lord on the board – good choice.

Games 1-2 Matches 0-1

Round 2: UBw Control (with Reveillark)

I’m not sure how the opponent could possibly win here; the matchup is very similar to Faeries, except that my guys are unblockable. The normal plan is to have 3-6 guys in play by turn 3, then just use permission to stop Wraths/Damnations/whatever. Delay is excellent in this matchup since you send the Damnation back three turns where he’s hopefully dead. I think I boarded in +2 Sower -2 random dorks, and won in three games.

Games 3-3 Matches 1-1

Round 3: UB Faeries

Yes, once again Faeries! Game one I had my opponent at one life and she had Bitterblossom out so I thought I would win, but end of turn Scion + Spellstutter + me forgetting to count the Faerie Conclave meant she was able to take me from 17 to 0 in one turn…

However, I managed to pull ahead and comfortably win games two and three.

Games 5-4 Matches 2-1

Round 4: UB Faeries

3 out of 4 opponents now brought this deck. Game one here was very close, as he killed me the turn before Bitterblossom would have killed him. A Cryptic Command decided that race, and he knew enough to play it inside the attack step so that I had no window to play a Merfolk spell to untap a creature.

Game two I mulligan to five, get stuck on one land and promptly lose. My opponent was apologetic about the mana screw, but hey that’s the way the game works.

Games 5-6 Matches 2-2

Round 5: UB Faeries

I didn’t even bother writing the matchup in the notes anymore, I would surely remember that 4 out of the first five rounds I faced Faeries.

Game one my opponent tried to stay alive by using a Sower on my Lord of Atlantis – but that doesn’t actually do anything since my guys get the bonus no matter where the Lord is. I lose game two to fast beats, then in game three I get the nuts draw: Turn 1 – Suspend Visions, Turn 2 – Banneret, Turn 3 – Reejerey, Adept (revealing Adept), untap island, one more Adept (revealing 3rd Adept). I actually had the 4th Adept as well, but I didn’t want to overcommit to the board. No hope for the opponent’s survival here…

Games 7-7 Matches 3-2

Round 6: BRwu Control

A strange controllish deck, I got hit by Avalanche Riders, Reveillarks and Hellkites, etc. I was close to sealing off game one with him at 5 and me holding the PsiBlast, but he manages to get a Tendrils off and I lost after that.

I board in +2 Sower -2 Sage’s Dousing. I win the next two games easily without drawing the Sowers though… I just make it a point to be more careful about Tendrils.

Games 9-8 Matches 4-2

Round 7: Monored Burn

Finally, an opponent without islands! It’s immediately obvious what he’s playing when his turn 1 is mountain, suspend rift bolt. I take some hits, and he chooses to point his burn at me instead of my critters, which I think is a mistake. Against a straight control deck that’s fine, but this one is an aggro-control swarm; I only need to make sure his burn doesn’t deal the twentieth point of damage and surely my creatures can finish the job. At least, that was the plan, until he played Crusher and suspended Big Gargs. I kept chumping the Crusher while waiting for my answer – Sower. When I finally drew it, it forced him to sac the Crusher and he was already in topdeck mode so I just went in, dealing 4-5 points of damage at a time to win the game at one life. The Sage’s Dousing and Silvergill Adepts were awesome in this matchup, ensuring that he loses steam before me.

I board in Flash Freeze for Delays. Second game is much like the first, except he draws no creatures except for a lone Mogg Fanatic which he sacs to off a Banneret, and he’s also mana flooded. He’s learned from the first game and keeps killing the lords, but eventually even the 1/1s manage to kill him. I ended the game at a comfortable 4 life, holding 2 flash freeze and a sage’s dousing.

Final record:

Games 11-8, Matches 5-2, #15

I win a Morningtide Booster, and the rare is

Idyllic Tutor!

To be honest, I’m glad to win anything at all, as I haven’t won anything since the Morningtide Release event.

Well, that wasn’t bad for a deck put together quicky with no playtesting at all. I wasn’t able to use the Surgespanners, which I had hoped to use against ‘Lark but after getting a feel of the deck the Surgespanners seem a bit too slow. Still, the deck is a pretty good choice for the meta. It has about an even chance with Faeries, I think it has a positive matchup against slow control decks and with a little luck can even survive against monored burn, even without Dragon Claws or Bottle Gnomes. I’ve always preferred turning men sideways in order to win, so I find this deck appeals to me more than ‘Lark.

What will I play next week? Stay tuned!

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