Posted on Wednesday, September 04, 2002 - 01:35 PM EST by Trent |
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Cubists writes: Things are really starting to heat up. Will Christian's insane B/W Necro deck run the table or will someone take him down?
Round 2 Feature Match: Mark Zajdner vs. Steven Cassell
“The Battle of Experience” by Richard Hoaen
I, the humble reporter, have been assigned to watch my team mates for Pro Tour Boston duke it out at the 0-1 table. Mark, as mentioned earlier, is with a self-described “piss poor” deck. He lost to Josh Rider’s control deck after mulliganing both games Round 1. Steve lost to the commonly agreed best deck Antonescu’s Black White Necro. They took their time shuffling for game 1, while both hoping they don’t get “gayed out”.
They both keep their opening hands and Mark has a turn 2 Survival, a pivotal card for his deck. Turn 3 he discards Masticore to get Squee and then discards Squee to get Braids hoping for a quick lock, with Steve having only managed a mountain and forest. He plays turn 3 Grim Monolith and Centaur Cheiftan finishing with an attack for three. Mark returns his Squee and Survivals for a Bird. Steve follows with Abundance hoping to improve his draws. Mark lays an enormous Shivan Wurm returning Bird and passes the turn to Steve with a Forest up.
Steve Abundances for a spell and finds only a Sol Ring which won’t help him out of the mana flood. Zajdner combines the power of madness by Survivaling and playing a Rootwalla. Zajdner complains that his deck is all out of threats before his Shivan Wurm. (I have no clue what that means - ed.) Steve is annoyed by Mark’s taunting and starts the trash talk. Mark continues to complain while dominating the game. Steve tells his opponent how to play the last turn hoping to rattle him. Mark continues taunting while mentioning how good his Survival was.
Both players sideboard in 1 card and prepare for game 2.
Mark: Did you get gayed out?
Steve: Nah. I kept a bad draw.
Both players keep their hands. Steve plays forest, Land Grant, revealing Uktabi Orangutan, Yavimaya Elder, Phantom Nishoba, Moss Diamond and Kird Ape. He searches out a Taiga. Mark writes down his hand and plays Rootwalla and pumps it turn 2 as Steve plays Moss Diamond.
Steve plays Kird Ape and Elder turn 3. Zajdner plays Sulfurous Springs and thinks... He decides to pass the turn. Steve replies with Elfhame Palace. Mark takes his next turn and plays Mox Sapphire and Shivan Wurm. Steve sacs his Elder and Uktabi’s Mark’s Mox Sapphire. Mark attacks with Shivan Wurm. Steve double blocks with Kird Ape and Uktabi Orangutan. Mark Rages the Ape. Steve takes 5.
Steve lays down his Nishoba next turn after drawing the necessary lands. Mark plays a devastating Void for 7. Steve discards Roar but it isn’t enough to deal with Mark’s Wurm. Steve concedes at this point.
He predicted 3-0 and is very unhappy with his 0-2.
Round 2 Feature Match: Justin vs. Colin by Mike Fernyhough
These two are best friends and have been gaming together since the beginning of time. These two where the first Canadians to break the Star Wars CCG format. The results? A one-two finish at Canadian Nationals. There is much on the line here, but first and foremost, pride and bragging rights.
Colin wins the die roll and opts to play first. Unfortunately he throws his hand back, and goes down to 6 cards. He keeps and plays a land. Justin plays a Fairie Conclave and says go. Colin untaps, plays Fellwar Stone and an Ancestral Recall off the Stone. All of a sudden he’s back in this game despite the mulligan. Justin plays a Pygmy Hippo and passes the turn. Colin plays a Disrupting Scepter (aka stick). Justin Ice Storms Colin’s only Swamp and hits with the Hippo for 2.
Colin untaps, Sticks Justin and passes the turn. Justin drops a Treetop Village and a Wall of Blossoms and hits for another 2. The next turn he casts Phantom Centaur and hits again. Colin plays a Sedge Troll to hold back some beats, but is still behind on the damage race. After Justin plays his Blastoderm the game is looking totally in his favour. After several attacks Colin is at 8 and he rips a Yawgmoth's Will. He Ancestrals again and lays Jeska. The card advantage was too much to handle so Justin scooped it up.
Colin 1-0
Game 2
Justin decides to play first and he has to mulligan to 6. He starts the game off with a Wall of Blossoms -“I have a Wall and I didn’t mulligan, too bad he doesn’t have an ability.” He also plays a Mishra’s Factory on the next turn before Colin plays a single spell. On Colin’s next turn he drops down a Ghitu Encampment and passes the turn. Justin untaps and plays a Jayemdae Tome and passes the turn. Colin drops a Skizzik with kicker and swings for 5 putting Justin at 15.
Mishra attacks on his next turn and then a Psionic Blast is played targeting the Skizzik. Colin plays Thunderscape Battlemage with the black kicker and says go. On the next turn the Battlemage and Encampment turn sideways into the Red Zone putting Justin to 13 after the Wall blocks. Colin lays Maze of Ith and Mogg Fanatic then ends the turn. Justin plays out some fat creatures on the next few turns and starts to take over the game. He is at 5 life and cannot attack for much damage due to the Maze of Ith.
He finally finds his Creeping Mold for the Maze and sends the team. Justin is at 4 and Colin is at 8, and the all out attack from Justin puts Colin at 1 and dead on the very next turn. I ask if there are any outs and he points out that he still hasn’t drawn his Yawgmoth's Will. The Will would give him the win for sure - he draws Ancestral, but is unable to find the Will. Off to game 3.
Match Tied 1-1
Game 3
Colin plays first and has to mulligan to 6. Justin has the first play with Rofellos, however Colin has the answer with Chain Lightning. Justin plays River Boa, which Colin follows with a Powder Keg. Justin swings for 2 and says go. Colin casts Skizzik with the kicker, which is Excluded. Justin finds a Phantom Centaur and it is way too much for Colin to handle, he plays some chumps but is way too far behind on the card advantage.
Justin wins 2-1
Quick Interview #2:
What is your favorite non-power Cube card?
Steve: Force of Will
Colin: Dark Ritual
Justin: Blastoderm
Mark: Mindless Automaton
Christian: Fact or Fiction
Josh: Mana Drain
Lee: Fact or Fiction
Kyle: Misdirection
Anks: Morphling
Standings after Round 2:
Christian 2-0
Justin 2-0
Mark 1-1
Josh 1-1
Kyle 1-1
Colin 1-1
Steve 0-2
Lee 0-2
Round 3 Feature Match: Christian vs Justin
Battle of the 2-0s. by Richard Hoaen
Christian gets off to a quick start with a turn 2 Sinkhole, turn 3 Stupor. Justin isn’t very happy but keeps playing. On turn 3 Justin has a Forest and a Mishra’s Factory. He makes a Wall of Blossoms. Christian plays a Nantuko Shade with 2 Swamps and a Plains in play. Shade trades with Mishra as it pumps itself before damage. Christian kicks up a Scuta. Justin answers back with Creeping Mold on Christian’s lone plains. Christian plays a Mindless Automaton. Justin lays down a Kavu Titan avec le kickeur.
Christian brings the heat with Mindless Automaton and Scuta. Justin blocks the Automaton with his wall and leaves the Titan out of combat. Justin leaves his mana up and says go. Justin sends the Automaton and Scuta to Christian’s hand with a Rushing River. Christian has the perfect answer in Mutilate which kills Justin’s team with no losses of his own.
Christian is able to take control with Chainer’s Edict after his Scuta gets Excluded when he tried to bring it back down. He makes the Automaton 3/3 by discarding Ivory Tower. 4/4 with a swamp. Christian lays a Radiant’s Dragoons and the game is just about locked as long as Justin doesn’t have his Upheaval. Justin takes the pressure off sans Upheaval when he lays Phantom Centaur. He keeps laying the fats in the form of a Spiritmonger. Christian is forced to cycle his Expunge finding no targets on his opponent’s side. Christian flashes back his edict and Justin is forced to sac his 5/3 centaur.
Justin goes aggressive and attacks with his 'monger sending Christian to 6. Justin lays a Blastoderm to hold the fort. The 5/5 Automaton trades with the 'derm and draws Christian 2 cards after damage goes on the stack. Justin takes 2 from Radiant’s Dragoons to go to 4. Christian shows him the lethal Drain Life.
1-0 Christian
Justin brings up that that was the third game 1 he’s lost.
Justin plays first and lays a forest. Each player goes to 2 lands with no action. Justin misses his 3rd land drop and gets Stupored by Christian on turn 3. He again misses the land drop on turn 4. Christian plays a Hypnotic Specter and seems to be dominating Justin’s mana screw. Justin Psi Blasts the Specter but seems way too far behind to catch up. Justin’s Blastoderm is nothing compared to Christian’s recurred Hippie and Spectral Lynx. Justin Treacheries the Hippie and gains some semblance of board control. The 3/3 Automaton is applying pressure.
Lee with no idea what's going on: “Guy that was horrible.”
Justin plays a River Boa to try to hold off Christian’s Nantuko Shade. His army just keeps getting bigger and bigger while Justin’s Blastoderm withers away. The pro: green Lynx comes in for 2. Christian sends a Death Grasp for 5 at Justin’s head sending him to 4. Drain life for 2 is dissipated. Justin doesn’t draw an answer to the lynx.
Christian wins and 3-0s with the best deck at the table.
Me: How did the draft go so well?
Christian: I got a first pick Hippie, picked up a Necro soon after and things just kept seeming to go my way.
Standings After Round 3:
Christian 3-0
Justin 2-1
Josh 2-1
Mark 2-1
Kyle 1-2
Steve 1-2
Colin 1-2
Justin 0-3
Draft #1 Rochester - Steve Cassell
5 Forest, 2 Mountain, 1 Plains, Yavimaya Coast, Savannah, Tundra, Plateau, Taiga, Brushland, Dust Bowl, Elfhame Palace, Mountain Valley, Wild Mongrel, Beast Attack, Werebear, Armadillo Cloak, Living Wish, Mirari’s Wake, Land Grant, Academy Rector, Sylvan Library, Kird Ape, Abundance, Incinerate, Roar of the Wurm, Wheel of Fortune, Yavimaya Elder, Time Walk, Uktabi Orangutan, Grim Monolith, Centaur Chieftain, Mox Emerald, Spike Weaver, Moss Diamond, Genesis, Sol Ring.
Steve predicts that he will go 3-0
Steve went 1-2 “Didn’t go as planned” Steve Cassell
Draft #1 Rochester - Christian Antonescu
12 Swamp, 4 Plains, City of Brass, Volrath’s Stronghold, Nantuko Shade, Mindless Automaton, Sink Hole, Phyrexian Scuta, Hymn to Tourach, Mutilate, Expunge, Radiant Dragoons, Zuran Orb, Phyrexian Rager, Desolation Angel, Ivory Tower, Hypnotic Specter, Corrupt, Disenchant, Necropotence, Drain Life, Chainer’s Edict, Vindicate, Yawgmoth's Bargain, Demonic Tutor, Stupor, Death Grasp.
Christian predicts that he will go 2-1. He thinks that a heavy blue deck can be trouble. Justin’s Upheaval scares him and Steve’s deck is apparently insane.
Christian went 3-0.
So no one was able to take down Christian's mighty B/W Necro deck. How will he fare in the Booster Draft portion?
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