Nessaja
07-25-2010, 05:16 PM
Link to last tournament report: here (http://www.mtgthesource.com/forums/showthread.php?18060)
Link to discussion topic: http://www.mtgthesource.com/forums/showthread.php?18069-[Deck]-NO-Elves
My list for today is exactly the same as the last one], with some minor edits. Mostly in the sideboard.
My sideboard looked like this:
4 Krosan Grip
3 Relic of Progenitus
2 Tormod's Crypt
2 Nature's Resurgence
2 Ravenous Trap
1 Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre
1 Faerie Macabre
My Terastodon was moved maindeck.
I was tired as hell because I had been testing till 3 AM to test cards and had to wake up at 9. Not extreme, but still, I prefer another preparation for my tournaments. I came there and it was a really pleasant location, open roof so lots of oxygen. Lots of familiar faces, many of the teams from the east of the Netherlands were there.
So, matchups.
Match 1. Maarten with Zoo
I win the die roll. I start with a t1 Llanowar and he starts with a t1 Kird Ape, not my favorite matchup, but fine. Turn 2 I cast a WSS and a Quirion Ranger, as well as a land. He casts a Wild Nacatl and another Kird Ape. My turn, I get a Wolf, cast a Natural Order. He concedes.
Nice start :)
I think my starting build is relatively optimal against Zoo. So I don't board. My opening hand isn't fast enough so I mull. My second hand only has a Priest but lands as well and I don't feel comfortable taking the risk. He starts with another t1 Kird Ape. I don't have a 1 drop. He casts a t2 Umezawa's Jitte.. oh.. The rest of the game is him killing everything I got. I should've boarded in Krosan Grips but I just didn't expect Zoo to have a sideboard to deal with aggro decks.
I'm a fast learner so in come the Krosan Grips, 2 WSS and a Terastodon because it's an unlikely target this MU. I got a hand with two 1 mana elves Quirion Ranger 1 land Imperious Perfect and WSS r. First turn I cast the Llanowar. He starts with a Grim Lavamancer. I know my hand can deal with it. I draw an NO and am fairly sure it'll be game. I cast Quirion Ranger, Llanowar and WSS. My WSS catches a Lightning Helix , I cast Proggy :) gg.
So I'm one of the first to be done so I'm going to scout. I see a lot of TES, one Dream Halls deck, Show and Tell, Dredge, lots and lots of Thresh (Bant Aggro, Bant Survival, CB Bant), three times Aggro Loam, 3 Goblin Decks, New Horizons, Eva Green. Interesting meta.
Match 2 Maarten with Affinity
I didn't know what my opponent was playing as he was done even faster then I was. He starts with a Chromatic Sphere and an artifact land, so I know what time it is. I'm happy though cause I got a balls to the wall hand that is extremely fast, featuring Quirion Ranger, Priest, and Sylvan Messenger. He gets a Diciple of the Vault, Arcbound Ravager down and a Frog and a Myr (4/4 one) but I got 20 damage on the table by turn 4 with a Tribal Forcemage. One of the matchups where I prefer Tribal Forcemage.
I board in the Krosan Grips, think WSS takes the axe again, this matchup is about speed.
He gets an Ornithopter wit a Cranial Plating with two Diciple of the Vault and a Myr. I got a Krosan Grip for the plating and get an NO for Proggy. Keep some blockers back and he didn't draw a Ravager, he shows me a Thoughtcast and Ethersworn Cannonist with no white or blue mana to cast. That's the risk of a 3 color deck without fetch..
Match 3 Abel with W/B/G/u Thresh?
I'm playing against Abel from team Nijmegen, a team that's normally famous for playing combo. But not today I guess. These matches weren't too difficult, he has a lot of removal a KotR and a Top. He also has a Academy Ruins game 1. The first game is relatively easy going, I just keep casting Elves and win that way. I also had a NO backup but decide not to cast it so I might surprise him.
Game 2 I decide I need to board in GY hate for the ruins and KotR so I board in 3 Relic of Proggy. I get a opening hand with Priest, Perfect Relic and Tribal Forcemage. He starts with no action. I start with a forest. His turn, land, go. My turn Priest. His turn Engineered Plague, hello friend, long time no see! I cast a Perfect. He casts another Plague and I'm sort of in trouble. I got a Terastodon on hand but not enough mana to cast it by far. He gets Goyf down and I got 2 relics down which keep him a 0/1 for about 6 turns. He eventually picks up a Shriekmaw, targets his own Goyf and this goes all the way. Eventually I got 7 mana but no way to stop the Shriekmaw. I realize I made a mistake boarding this game. Had the Relics been Grips I would have won this.
Game 3.. heh. Sometimes you got these moments..
T1 Llanowar, T2 Quirion Ranger Elvish Archdruid, T3 Fyndhorn, Fyndhorn, tap Archdruid for 5, untap, tap for 5 again. Cast NO "OK'd", put Prog in play,cast NO #2, OK'd Terastodon blow up all his lands. I had a lot of people watching when I did that :D
Match 4 Goswin with Bant Survival
Deckcheck time! Takes a long time, the judge comes back with a mild warning for me because some of the cards were turned around. I know this, because I don't watch it. No pattern found ofcourse so I'm safe, he told me however that in big tournament he would have to give a serious warning for this.
So.. all my cards were ordered, which really sucks because it's hard to get it randomized again. I had to mull to 4 (!!) because of no land hands. I'm just really bad at shuffling. He does his usual thing. Gets some Goyfs and RWM's and wins without any real opposition from my side.
Game 2 I board in 3 relics and a grip. For a Messenger and WSS. This game is a blowout from my side, we both mull to 6 and I got a really explosive start. He Forces my perfect but I got a T4 NO which kills him.
Game 3 is a longer game. I got a Perfect that is on token generation duty and a Elvish Archdruid which is keeping his army at bay. I cast an NO the same turn and he asks me "No mana in the pool?" and I slap myself a milion of times, he spell pierces. He gets a Survival in play and I got a Relic which I blow up when he tries to get card advantage with Squee, Goblin Nanob, I draw a Progenitus off this. It might not have been the right choice, as his only real way to win was with a Wonder.I draw an NO. I use it up for Terastodon and blow up his Survival of the Fittest and 2 lands of myself. He casts another survial and attacks with 2 flying Elephants (token + Loxodon Hierarch my turn, I attack with a 9/9, 2 3/3 Elephants, Archdruid, Perfect, 2 Elf Tokens and a Priest. GG.
So right now I'm 4-0 and certain of a place in top 8 if one of my opponents wants to draw.
Match 5 Antoine with Dream Halls
I ask him if he wants to draw and he doesn't seem interested. Alright. I know he's playing Dream Halls so I keep a hand with Progenitus, Sylvan Messenger Sylvan Messenger Imperious Perfect. His turn 3 he Show and Tells for Dream Halls, I put Progenitus into play.. he frowns and puts his own Prog into play removing something like Brainstorm.
Show time, I draw a Progenitus (!!!, shuffled good too) Messenger, removing a Perfect, revealing 3 Elves from which 2 Lords and a Llanowar, second Messenger shows some more Elves. I cast the Prog and harcast the lord I got lethal on the table.
To win, he needs to draw Conflux.
He draws Conflux.
Hum.
Game 2 I board in Krosan Grips and Ulamog. I got a hand with a lot of land, Krosan Grip, Terastodon and Elvish Archdruid. Good hand. I play conservative always leaving 3 mana open after I cast the Archdruid. Another Archdruid join him. When I got lethal on the table he hardcasts a Dreamhalls, follows up with Conflux, I Krosan Grip and he realizes that he can't really do anything this turn anymore without Dream Halls.
Game 3 I keep a really fast hand that has lethal on the table by turn 3, but no Show and Tell targets. Turn 4, lethal on the table, he tells me that he needs the next card to be a Conflux. Topdeck, conflux, Show & Tell, Dream Halls, Conflux. Good game.
I'm surprised about how much of a game I have to offer against Dream Halls. Both games I lost I had a really big chance of winning and a small chance of losing, but lost them anyway. Very fair combo deck. Antoine is undefeated with Dream Halls this tourney.
Match 6 Jeroen with Show and Tell mr Kul
We decide to draw, but play anyway. I didn't keep any notes but this wasn't very close, I went 3-0. He didn't draw very good, but still I got many Show and Tell targets in my own deck and NO -> prog or Terastodon as well.
4-1-1, earned my spot in the top 8!
Remco with RBW planeswalker homebrew
Remco is playing a homebrew deck which I find impressive in a field with netdecks. On the other hand, my own deck is homebrew as well. But his was quite a bit more homebrew. All I know is that he plays Pyroclasm mainboard, Elspeth, Ajani, Chandra, land destruction and lots of discard.
Game 1 I never really feel threatened, sure he clasms 3 for 1 sometimes but I resolve a few Messengers a WSS and it's actually all good. Eventually I end the game with NO into Prog but even without I would've won it eventually just dragging out the game.
Game 2 I board in Nature's Resurgence and a few Grips. He boards in 4 Volcanic Fallout and a Engineered Plague. He starts with Engineered Explosives for 1, I cast a Llanowar anyway, knowing that'll be a 1 for 1 because I'm not stupid enough for the alternative. It goes a lot like game 1 he gets a Chandra down, he casts two Pyroclams and a Volcanic Fallout but I got a lot of card advantage and it's always only a 2 for 1. I cast 3 Messengers this game. The game is ended with him having Elspeth in game and Chandra with a few counts, I got a Sylvan Messenger which tramples for the last few damage. Red has traditionally been hard for me but I think times changed. Pyroclasm doesn't really cut it anymore as far as I'm concerned.
Gijs with LED Dredge
I can be short about this, he got two turn 1 wins on me. All the GY hate I have in my board didn't even matter. Game two I had Wasteland Relic and Llanowar Elf on the play which is a great hand already. I needed better but didn't take the risk.
So that was my tournament, place 3/4 I walk away with a Vindicate and a foil Natural Order which completes my collection.
Overall, just like last time I'm really happy with my results. The deck is performing well in the current metagame I surprised a lot of people again. Against Gijs I wouldn't have won, I don't really think I got myself to blame. Dream Halls was extremely close so I'm not unhappy there either.
Link to discussion topic: http://www.mtgthesource.com/forums/showthread.php?18069-[Deck]-NO-Elves
My list for today is exactly the same as the last one], with some minor edits. Mostly in the sideboard.
My sideboard looked like this:
4 Krosan Grip
3 Relic of Progenitus
2 Tormod's Crypt
2 Nature's Resurgence
2 Ravenous Trap
1 Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre
1 Faerie Macabre
My Terastodon was moved maindeck.
I was tired as hell because I had been testing till 3 AM to test cards and had to wake up at 9. Not extreme, but still, I prefer another preparation for my tournaments. I came there and it was a really pleasant location, open roof so lots of oxygen. Lots of familiar faces, many of the teams from the east of the Netherlands were there.
So, matchups.
Match 1. Maarten with Zoo
I win the die roll. I start with a t1 Llanowar and he starts with a t1 Kird Ape, not my favorite matchup, but fine. Turn 2 I cast a WSS and a Quirion Ranger, as well as a land. He casts a Wild Nacatl and another Kird Ape. My turn, I get a Wolf, cast a Natural Order. He concedes.
Nice start :)
I think my starting build is relatively optimal against Zoo. So I don't board. My opening hand isn't fast enough so I mull. My second hand only has a Priest but lands as well and I don't feel comfortable taking the risk. He starts with another t1 Kird Ape. I don't have a 1 drop. He casts a t2 Umezawa's Jitte.. oh.. The rest of the game is him killing everything I got. I should've boarded in Krosan Grips but I just didn't expect Zoo to have a sideboard to deal with aggro decks.
I'm a fast learner so in come the Krosan Grips, 2 WSS and a Terastodon because it's an unlikely target this MU. I got a hand with two 1 mana elves Quirion Ranger 1 land Imperious Perfect and WSS r. First turn I cast the Llanowar. He starts with a Grim Lavamancer. I know my hand can deal with it. I draw an NO and am fairly sure it'll be game. I cast Quirion Ranger, Llanowar and WSS. My WSS catches a Lightning Helix , I cast Proggy :) gg.
So I'm one of the first to be done so I'm going to scout. I see a lot of TES, one Dream Halls deck, Show and Tell, Dredge, lots and lots of Thresh (Bant Aggro, Bant Survival, CB Bant), three times Aggro Loam, 3 Goblin Decks, New Horizons, Eva Green. Interesting meta.
Match 2 Maarten with Affinity
I didn't know what my opponent was playing as he was done even faster then I was. He starts with a Chromatic Sphere and an artifact land, so I know what time it is. I'm happy though cause I got a balls to the wall hand that is extremely fast, featuring Quirion Ranger, Priest, and Sylvan Messenger. He gets a Diciple of the Vault, Arcbound Ravager down and a Frog and a Myr (4/4 one) but I got 20 damage on the table by turn 4 with a Tribal Forcemage. One of the matchups where I prefer Tribal Forcemage.
I board in the Krosan Grips, think WSS takes the axe again, this matchup is about speed.
He gets an Ornithopter wit a Cranial Plating with two Diciple of the Vault and a Myr. I got a Krosan Grip for the plating and get an NO for Proggy. Keep some blockers back and he didn't draw a Ravager, he shows me a Thoughtcast and Ethersworn Cannonist with no white or blue mana to cast. That's the risk of a 3 color deck without fetch..
Match 3 Abel with W/B/G/u Thresh?
I'm playing against Abel from team Nijmegen, a team that's normally famous for playing combo. But not today I guess. These matches weren't too difficult, he has a lot of removal a KotR and a Top. He also has a Academy Ruins game 1. The first game is relatively easy going, I just keep casting Elves and win that way. I also had a NO backup but decide not to cast it so I might surprise him.
Game 2 I decide I need to board in GY hate for the ruins and KotR so I board in 3 Relic of Proggy. I get a opening hand with Priest, Perfect Relic and Tribal Forcemage. He starts with no action. I start with a forest. His turn, land, go. My turn Priest. His turn Engineered Plague, hello friend, long time no see! I cast a Perfect. He casts another Plague and I'm sort of in trouble. I got a Terastodon on hand but not enough mana to cast it by far. He gets Goyf down and I got 2 relics down which keep him a 0/1 for about 6 turns. He eventually picks up a Shriekmaw, targets his own Goyf and this goes all the way. Eventually I got 7 mana but no way to stop the Shriekmaw. I realize I made a mistake boarding this game. Had the Relics been Grips I would have won this.
Game 3.. heh. Sometimes you got these moments..
T1 Llanowar, T2 Quirion Ranger Elvish Archdruid, T3 Fyndhorn, Fyndhorn, tap Archdruid for 5, untap, tap for 5 again. Cast NO "OK'd", put Prog in play,cast NO #2, OK'd Terastodon blow up all his lands. I had a lot of people watching when I did that :D
Match 4 Goswin with Bant Survival
Deckcheck time! Takes a long time, the judge comes back with a mild warning for me because some of the cards were turned around. I know this, because I don't watch it. No pattern found ofcourse so I'm safe, he told me however that in big tournament he would have to give a serious warning for this.
So.. all my cards were ordered, which really sucks because it's hard to get it randomized again. I had to mull to 4 (!!) because of no land hands. I'm just really bad at shuffling. He does his usual thing. Gets some Goyfs and RWM's and wins without any real opposition from my side.
Game 2 I board in 3 relics and a grip. For a Messenger and WSS. This game is a blowout from my side, we both mull to 6 and I got a really explosive start. He Forces my perfect but I got a T4 NO which kills him.
Game 3 is a longer game. I got a Perfect that is on token generation duty and a Elvish Archdruid which is keeping his army at bay. I cast an NO the same turn and he asks me "No mana in the pool?" and I slap myself a milion of times, he spell pierces. He gets a Survival in play and I got a Relic which I blow up when he tries to get card advantage with Squee, Goblin Nanob, I draw a Progenitus off this. It might not have been the right choice, as his only real way to win was with a Wonder.I draw an NO. I use it up for Terastodon and blow up his Survival of the Fittest and 2 lands of myself. He casts another survial and attacks with 2 flying Elephants (token + Loxodon Hierarch my turn, I attack with a 9/9, 2 3/3 Elephants, Archdruid, Perfect, 2 Elf Tokens and a Priest. GG.
So right now I'm 4-0 and certain of a place in top 8 if one of my opponents wants to draw.
Match 5 Antoine with Dream Halls
I ask him if he wants to draw and he doesn't seem interested. Alright. I know he's playing Dream Halls so I keep a hand with Progenitus, Sylvan Messenger Sylvan Messenger Imperious Perfect. His turn 3 he Show and Tells for Dream Halls, I put Progenitus into play.. he frowns and puts his own Prog into play removing something like Brainstorm.
Show time, I draw a Progenitus (!!!, shuffled good too) Messenger, removing a Perfect, revealing 3 Elves from which 2 Lords and a Llanowar, second Messenger shows some more Elves. I cast the Prog and harcast the lord I got lethal on the table.
To win, he needs to draw Conflux.
He draws Conflux.
Hum.
Game 2 I board in Krosan Grips and Ulamog. I got a hand with a lot of land, Krosan Grip, Terastodon and Elvish Archdruid. Good hand. I play conservative always leaving 3 mana open after I cast the Archdruid. Another Archdruid join him. When I got lethal on the table he hardcasts a Dreamhalls, follows up with Conflux, I Krosan Grip and he realizes that he can't really do anything this turn anymore without Dream Halls.
Game 3 I keep a really fast hand that has lethal on the table by turn 3, but no Show and Tell targets. Turn 4, lethal on the table, he tells me that he needs the next card to be a Conflux. Topdeck, conflux, Show & Tell, Dream Halls, Conflux. Good game.
I'm surprised about how much of a game I have to offer against Dream Halls. Both games I lost I had a really big chance of winning and a small chance of losing, but lost them anyway. Very fair combo deck. Antoine is undefeated with Dream Halls this tourney.
Match 6 Jeroen with Show and Tell mr Kul
We decide to draw, but play anyway. I didn't keep any notes but this wasn't very close, I went 3-0. He didn't draw very good, but still I got many Show and Tell targets in my own deck and NO -> prog or Terastodon as well.
4-1-1, earned my spot in the top 8!
Remco with RBW planeswalker homebrew
Remco is playing a homebrew deck which I find impressive in a field with netdecks. On the other hand, my own deck is homebrew as well. But his was quite a bit more homebrew. All I know is that he plays Pyroclasm mainboard, Elspeth, Ajani, Chandra, land destruction and lots of discard.
Game 1 I never really feel threatened, sure he clasms 3 for 1 sometimes but I resolve a few Messengers a WSS and it's actually all good. Eventually I end the game with NO into Prog but even without I would've won it eventually just dragging out the game.
Game 2 I board in Nature's Resurgence and a few Grips. He boards in 4 Volcanic Fallout and a Engineered Plague. He starts with Engineered Explosives for 1, I cast a Llanowar anyway, knowing that'll be a 1 for 1 because I'm not stupid enough for the alternative. It goes a lot like game 1 he gets a Chandra down, he casts two Pyroclams and a Volcanic Fallout but I got a lot of card advantage and it's always only a 2 for 1. I cast 3 Messengers this game. The game is ended with him having Elspeth in game and Chandra with a few counts, I got a Sylvan Messenger which tramples for the last few damage. Red has traditionally been hard for me but I think times changed. Pyroclasm doesn't really cut it anymore as far as I'm concerned.
Gijs with LED Dredge
I can be short about this, he got two turn 1 wins on me. All the GY hate I have in my board didn't even matter. Game two I had Wasteland Relic and Llanowar Elf on the play which is a great hand already. I needed better but didn't take the risk.
So that was my tournament, place 3/4 I walk away with a Vindicate and a foil Natural Order which completes my collection.
Overall, just like last time I'm really happy with my results. The deck is performing well in the current metagame I surprised a lot of people again. Against Gijs I wouldn't have won, I don't really think I got myself to blame. Dream Halls was extremely close so I'm not unhappy there either.