I am a very average Asian and am bad at most things (including Magic le’ Gathering). Anyways, if you are lucky enough to have met me already, you should know that I am rather new to Magic. Going into this tournament, I had only been playing for about 7 months. Without that much experience and a lack of experience playing in a competitive environment, I was sure that I was going to go 0-X before dropping and going to the casino. This of course was not the case, I actually ended up doing really well. I believe a huge part of my success this past weekend was largely due to my deck choice. Just from watching SCGLive on Saturdays and Sundays, I knew that midrange was a very popular deck (primarily Naya Midrange) and I wanted to play a deck that would run over most midrange lists. This deck being the Esper Control list.
My original list was Nick Spagnolo’s 75 that he had taken all the way to the top 8 of the SCG Invitational in L.A.
Nick Spagnolo’s list had basically all of the spells I wanted and all of the creatures I wanted (none). After playing the lists at a couple of FNM’s I realized that this deck seemed very weak against aggro decks. I knew that walking into SCGSD with a deck that was weak against aggro would not be a good choice. The fact that RDW took down the SCG Open in Colombus didn’t help either. Because of this evident weakness in his Original 75, I decided to make a few changes.
In the main board, I had completely taken out the Lingering Souls/Sorin package and the single Negate. I felt the Lingering Souls were too easy to deal with and more easily gone over the top when Kessig or Rancor was on board. Sorin was also taken out because it was just bad and really didn’t contribute to my overall goal of stabilizing and milling my opponent out. The final product resulted in the addition of 2 Feeling of Dread and 2 Snapcaster Mage. Snapcaster Mage ended up being an amazing addition to the B/R Zombies and Mono-Red matchup because it threw out a blocker that typically traded and gave flashback to my Azorius charms that would help stabilize as we headed into mid-game. After these changes, I felt as though my matchup against aggro was manageable as long as I kept the right hand. Midrange matchups almost felt unloseable (ironic). Bant control has 2 less drownyards they lose.
I woke up the morning of SCG SD assuming I would leave with a .500 record and I would call it a good day. Regardless, I wasn’t stressed and was well rested for a beautiful 9 rounds of Standard. Really, I fucking love Magic regardless of how good I am.
Round 1 – Jund
I had to mulligan to 5 and was happy I pitched the first two hands. I mulligan into 3 land and 2 think twice. That is probably the best 5 card hand you could ask for. I was especially happy when my opponent turn 1 Blood Crypt into Deathrite Shaman, he was playing Jund. Jund is very underwhelming especially if Kessig doesn’t hit the board and I was able to stabilize and mill him out before he even did 10 points of damage. Game 2 and 3 are still almost unloseable but a series of Slaughter games can win me the game. Since I am the luckiest, this didn’t happen and I milled him out with a turn 5 Jace.
1-0
Round 2 – B/R Zombies
This time the turn 1 was a Gravecrawler and boy was I afraid of leaving that table 1-1. Turn 2 he plays Gravecrawler and Diregraf Ghoul. Turn 3 he plays 2 Diregraf Ghouls and a Cackler. Because I am good at this game, I miracle a terminus end of turn to stabilize and mill him out. I lost Game 2 but kept a hand with three Feeling of Dread to easily take down game 3.
2-0
Round 3 – Naya Midrange
Refer to Jund but disregard my comment about Slaughter games. Naya Midrange is a very bad deck that does well against aggro and is a bonfire fight against other Naya Midrange decks.
3-0
Round 4 – Humanimator
It is funny because if you happened to see my feature match against Joe Lossett, you will see my miserable misplay and my complete lack of knowledge when it comes to this deck. My opponent however doesn’t have a chance to go off because both games 1 and 2 I saw both dissipates and a Snapcaster or two. Regardless, I got lucky and didn’t have a single Angel of Glory’s rise hit the board.
4-0
Round 5 – American Flash
I had not actually tested against this deck much and assumed that it was an easy matchup for me. In game 1, my opponent Revelated for poop load (tapping out for all but 2 mana) and I responded with a big Revelation leaving dissipate mana. My opponent Izzet Charmed my Revelation and I paid it. On the following turn he played a Runechanter’s pike and swung for lethal with a completely flashbackable Feeling of Dread and only 1 mana open. Regardless, I was able to resolve a Rest in Peace early in games 2 and 3 and eventually milled him out with ease.
5-0
Round 6 – Naya
LOL
6-0
Round 7 – Joe Lossett
Well, this was a very embarrassing match. I was on camera, very nervous, and of course played like an idiot. With 16 cards left in library, Jace 5 on board, and enough mana to dissipate Snapcaster dissipate, I decided to tap my mana like a fucktard leaving only 2 of my 5 blue sources leaving me in a position where I could not dissipate Joe’s second Unburial rites. He swung for 40. Game 2, I played fine but maybe should have dissipated his Angel of Glory’s Rise rather than playing Tamiyo on the following turn and tapping it down. Zealous Conscript from Joe sent me from 6 to -1.
Round 8 – G/W Humans piloted by John Kassari
I’m glad no one mentioned to me that this guy has had some decent SCG experience because I would have shit myself and probably played miserably. Trying to shake off my loss to Joe in Round 7 was not easy because John swung for lethal on turn 4 after countering my Supreme Verdict. DAT ROOTBORN DEFENSES. In Game 2, I was put in a situation where my opponent had 14 damage on board and I was at 16. My hand was Supreme Verdict, Think Twice, Ultimate Price, and lands. It was turn 4 and I could cast the Supreme Verdict and hope to god he doesnt have a Rootborn defenses. If he Rootborn defensed there he would have added 1 more power to the board by populating his 1/1 Soldier off of Precinct Captain and if he played another human creature he would have had exactsies on board. BALLS DEEP, BABY. I pass the turn. Before damage, Think Twice. HOLY MOTHER OF FUCKING GOD. TERMINUS! Stabilized boom, NEXT. Game 3 was turn 5 Curse of Death’s Hold and turn 6 Curse of Death’s Hold. Need I say more?
7-1
Round 9 – Doesn’t matter because I drew into Top 8 like a boss
7-1-1
Top 8 – Josue
Nathan Cardinell had informed me that Josue was the slowest player of all time and that I should try my best to call slow play on him. I didn’t think it would be that bad. I was wrong. Game 1, I stabilized because he is playing Jund with cards like Izzet Staticaster and Nightshade Peddler. In game 2 he casts Slaughter Games like 4 times. I lose. Game 3, he casts Slaughter games like 3 times. I lose. Snapcaster and Slaughter games is only out there to prey on decks that rely on like 2 cards (i.e., Sphinx’s Revelation). Oh well. This match took about an hour and a half because he took his sweet time. Needless to say, I was covered in salt as I left my first SCG Event.
7-1-1 and up $300
So, I have learned many things from the weekend. I learned that I am a very bad magic player who chose the right deck to play for the right weekend. I learned that being able to mulligan to keepable hand is a gift and we should be happy that we can pitch 7 land or no land hands. I also learned that anyone can do well in a big tournament such as this. You really just need to prepare for the matchups you plan to see and build your deck to adapt to the current meta game. This is probably my one and only tourney report because I cannot see myself doing this well in the future. Bye.