After my performance in Tempe I decided to make the journey to Tucson and press my luck. I really just wanted to see if my streak was a fluke, and I was kind of regretting not taking the invitation to Nationals.I threw an invite out to anyone that wanted to come along, and off I went. When we got to Tucson I made a couple of changes to the deck including -1 Trinket Mage, and -1 Brittle Effigy for a third Lotus Cobra and another Frost Titan. I made a couple of changes to the sideboard but I honestly can’t remember them right now. So here is my second shot at a Nationals Qualifier.
Round 1 – RDW
Game 1 – He opens on Goblin Guide, Goblin Guide, Goblin Guide, and removal for everything early. I scoop for game 2.
Game 2 – He is visibly manascrewed and it doesn’t take me long to flood the board with creatures.
Game 3 – He comes out strong with a turn 1 Guide. I hit a turn 4 Obstinate Baloth, followed by a turn 5 Obstinate Baloth off of a Clone. When I reveal another Baloth off of a Goblin Guide attack he scoops them up.
R – 1-0
G – 19-6
Round 2 – GW Quest
Game 1 – He mulligans and when he looks at his hand I can see he is displeased. He plays a turn one Quest for the Holy Relic. I play a turn 2 Fauna Shaman and get to work. The only thing he plays every turn is a Kor Skyfisher bouncing itself for one counter on the quest. I finish him with Vengevines a turn before he gets active.
Game 2 – He mulligans again and keeps a one land hand. I win rather quickly and he is nice about it saying its part of the game. I always like humble players and I wish there were more of them.
R – 2-0
G – 21-6
Round 3 – RUG Control (Ramp is my worst matchup)
Game 1 – I put on some early pressure with Renegade Doppelganger, and Vengevine. I ended the game by swinging with Hero of Oxid Ridge.
Game 2 – I don’t really remember this game. He ramped, played an Avenger of Zendikar, laid down some lands and beat me down.
Game 3 – He resolves an early Inferno Titan and I respond with a Frost Titan locking his down. Nothing else really stood out from then on. I do know I won by the skin of my teeth. RUG has a tendency to play lots of bombs as the game goes and I consider myself very lucky to win this one.
R – 3-0
G – 23-7
Round 4 – RG Land Destruction
Game 1 – I keep a speculative hand and I figure one good topdeck will dig me out of it. My opponent lands a turn 3 Inferno Titan and I quit to not show him what I’m playing.
Game 2 – I repay the favor with a turn 3 Frost Titan. When he wants to keep playing I Fauna Shaman up my second Titan and he scoops them up.
Game 3 – His deck kicks it into overdrive as he blows up multiple lands to keep me in check. I stick a Cunning Sparkmage that starts picking off his 1 toughness creatures. I make the game losing mistake of shooting his Birds of Paradise instead of a Goblin Ruinblaster. A couple of turns of drawing land I was a turn away from winning when he topdecks a Roiling Terrain. If I had shot the Ruinblaster I would have been at 1 and sent in my team for the win.
R – 3-1
G – 24-8
Round 5 – UW Caw Blade
Game 1 – He falls victim to the dreaded turn 2 Fauna Shaman. I just pump out Vengevines and beat down before he can mount any kind of offense.
Game 2 – Oust, and Condemn stop me from doing any serious damage and when he lands a Sun Titan that I can’t deal with its off to game 3.
Game 3 – I barely won this game. It would have been a lot easier if I had remembered an extra Vengevine trigger I had in my graveyard. I brought them back multiple times and forgot the triggers at least twice.
R – 4-1
G – 26-9
Round 6 – RDW
I decide not to push my luck and draw into top 8.
R – 4-1-1
G – 26-9
Top 8 – Bant Vengevine/ Stoneforge/ Caw/ Shaman/ Titan/ Blade
Game 1 – I keep the best draw all day on the play. Turn 1 birds, turn 2 Doppelganger, turn 3 Hero of Oxid Ridge copy and swing for 10. He only has a Stoneforge Mystic. One more turn of attacks and its over.
Game 2 – He plays Mortapod shooting a little creature. I play Fauna Shaman, and have to change my gameplan when he drops the ultimate hoser Linvala, Keeper of Silence. I topdeck a Clone, and drop my own Linvala to kill them both off and resume my beat down machine. I think it ended with a Hero of Oxid Ridge swinging into some Squadron Hawks.
R – 5-1-1
G – 28-9
Top 4 – UW Caw Blade
Game 1 – I ship away a 1 land hand and mulligan into an identical 1 lander minus 1. I play a turn 1 Birds of Paradise on the draw and he plays a Mortapod shooting it. I don’t see a third land until its too late.
Game 2 – I just get absolutely crushed. After the game he tells me he had the most disgustingly perfect hands against me both games.
R – 5-2-1
G – 28-10
I didn’t exactly have an amazing record but I feel I won at just the right times. I think going 50 percent vs the UW Caw Blade, and 4-0 vs the hybrid versions is a good start. This deck is a blast to play and I am testing it for the PTQ at the end of the month, so everyone watch out for my Vengevines! Thanks for reading and sorry for a short report but I am tired and I don’t want to get cranky.