Skred Em: 9th place at Pat's Games Modern 1K

Today, Pat’s Games hosted a Modern 1K. I don’t play Modern often, but have tried to get in some matches over the past few weeks so I wouldn’t completely embarrass myself. Here’s what I was on:

3 Pia & Kiran
3 Stormbreath Dragon
2 Chandra, Torch of Defiance
4 Koth

4 Bolt
4 Skred
3 Magma Jet
3 Anger of the Gods
4 Blood Moon
3 Mind Stone
4 Relic of Progenitus

2 Scrying Sheets
21 Snowy Mountains

2 Goblin Rabblemaster
3 Boros Reckoner
3 Vandalblast
4 Molten Rain
3 Dragon’s Claw

It was raining when I woke up. My wife & I walked the dog, then went and got breakfast tacos and lattes before she dropped me off to play my cards. Wound up with a solid turnout of . . . 80? 82? It was something like that, and enough for 7 rounds.

Round I: David on Elves: 0-2 (0-1 for the day)
- Game 1: Elves is the kind of deck Skred should beat the shit out of. However, sometimes you have incompetent pilots like me who think they should bolt all the mana dorks instead of things like Archdruid and Ezuri. I quickly get overrun and die.
- Game 2: The exact same thing happens, because I don’t learn things. Fortunately, David goes undefeated hereafter and helps my breakers.

Round II: Noel on Esper Control: 2-0 (1-1 for the day)
- Game 1: I land a quick Blood Moon and follow it up with Chandra. Relic & Anger keep Lingering Souls in check, and it’s a cakewalk from there.
- Game 2: Chandra resolves. Then a Stormbreath resolves. Then another Stormbreath Resolves. I end the game with the 3rd Stormbreath in hand.

Round III: Tim on Bant Eldrazi: 2-1 (2-1 for the day)
- Game 1: I know Tim’s on Bant Eldrazi, but keep a hand with no Moon. TKS and Smasher come down quickly and I die.
- Game 2: Still no Blood Moon, but we build up a big board with Rabblemaster, Pia & Kiran, Stormbreath, Swagtusk, etc. Eventually mine wins out.
- Game 3: Blood Moon and Molten Rain decide to show up and they win.

Round IV: Brand on Junk: 2-0 (3-1 for the day)
- Game 1: I’ve played Brandon a decent amount in Legacy, and expect him to be on Jund. He keeps that illusion going for a while with Inquisition and Grim Flayer, but then drops Lingering Souls. This was a relief, as I was expecting a Death’s Shadow to make short work of me. Anger and Blood Moon clean things up and he never recovers.
- Game 2: Blood Moon and Stormbreath do their jobs.

Round V: Bryan on GW Hatebears: 1-2 (3-2 for the day)
- Game 1: I’ve played Bryan the past few times I’ve gone in for Modern, and he’s usually on some fun GW or Bant brew. This was no exception. Didn’t take any notes, but I think Stormbreath did a lot of work here?
- Game 2: He locks me out pretty hard with Leonin Arbiter + Ghost Quarter, and some other gross stuff happens.
- Game 3: We trade haymakers for a while. At one point, I have active Chandra, then drop Koth and Stormbreath. He Chords into Wilt Leaf Liege to pump a Voice of Resurgence token, killing my Planeswalkers. I swing for lethal with Stormbreath and get blown out by Blessed Alliance.

Round VI: Will on RG Ponza: 2-1 (4-2 for the day)
- Game 1: The one time I played against Will he absolutely wrecked me. I knew he was on Ponza and was dreading this match. He did his thing with 4 Acid Mosses, then dropped an Inferno Titan.
- Game 2: He only has 1 Stone Rain, so I get to cast spells! Skred deals with Obstinate Baloth, then Rabblemaster surprises him and closes it out.
- Game 3: I kill his turn 1 mana dork, then Molten Rain his 3rd land drop. He’s stuck on 2 lands, and I make double Rabblemaster for the win.

Round VII: Aaron on Death’s Shadow Jund: 2-1 (5-2 for the day)
- Game 1: At this point I’m in 13th. I’m relieved to have beaten Ponza, but I have to play it out if I want to cash. Aaron turn 1 fetches > shocks > Thoughtseizes. Ah, the boogieman of the format. I manage to stabilize decently and come close to killing him when a Battle Raged Goyf kills me.
- Game 2: Boros Reckoner does work!!!!
- Game 3: I get to resolve a Blood Moon and lock him out of playing Magic. Reckoner + Skred protect me from Goyf and I get there.

Turns out my two losses both made Top 8, so I came in 9th on breakers, which was good for $72 in store credit. A solid day of Modern, and the rain ended by the time I was done.