Game 1
Ryan won the die roll and opened up with a Seachrome Coast. Tony went down to 18 and cast a Gitaxian Probe, revealing Ryan’s keep of 2 Midnight Haunting, a Sword of Feast and Famine, Gideon, Negate, and Ghost Quarter. Tony followed up with his own Seachrome Coast into a Delver of Secrets. The Delver turned into an Insectile Aberration when Tony flipped a Dismember off the top the next turn and attacked Ryan for 3 damage. Tony added another Delver of Secrets to the board, but Ryan refused it with a Mana Leak. Ryan missed his third land drop and simply passed the turn. Tony continued the beats by dropping a Moorland Haunt and a Phantasmal Image, but Ryan revealed what he had drawn – a second Mana Leak. The Insect got in for 3 damage yet again, but met a Dismember during Ryan’s main phase, taking Ryan down to 10 life.
A main phase Think Twice from Ryan still showed no land. Tony’s Moorland Haunt generated a Spirit token during Ryan’s end step. The Spirit brought Ryan down to 9, and the subsequent Snapcaster Mage flashed Gitaxian Probe back. It revealed nothing new except for a Think Twice. Ryan cast the Think Twice during his main phase but still drew him nothing relevant, as he missed his land stop again and passed the turn. Tony made another Spirit and took Ryan down to 6. After being forced to discard due to the maximum hand size rule, Ryan flashed in a Snapcaster Mage to block a Spirit the next turn, but Tony Dismembered it before it could block. After not seeing a single land after his opening hand, Ryan picked up his cards to go to game 2.
Tony 1, Ryan 0
Game 2
“It happens.” Ryan said of his horrible luck after Tony and Ryan shuffled up for game two. However, the string of unfortunate luck continued for Ryan as he was forced to mulligan to 6…then 5…then he settled on 4 before he played a Drowned Catacombs and ended his first turn. Tony opened up with a Delver of Secrets. Ryan missed his second land drop yet again, but the Delver did not flip during Tony’s next turn, attacking for only 1 damage. A second Delver followed, then a Ponder set up Tony’s next couple draws. Ryan missed his second consecutive land drop while Tony flipped a Ponder to transform the Delvers into Insects and attacked for six to bring Ryan’s life total to 13. He added a Phantasmal Bear. Yet another turn of draw go followed from Ryan, and Tony took Ryan down to 5 with another attack. Finally, an Island appeared on the top of Ryan’s library. He played it and cast his first spell of the game—a Ratchet Bomb, but Tony flashed the Negate and was onto the Finals.
Tony, on his way to the finals
Tony 2, Ryan 0