The Source missplay / failplay thread

[dunk]

Haven't seen a thread with that topic, but since its obvious that eternal players are notorious for their silly mistakes, I figured I might as well start one.

Expect me to post after every event that I play in, because somehow I'm the master of sillyness.
So let's start with my latest MTGO Daily Event... actually I do extremely well in there, but yesterday I just didn't want to win.
First, I screwed up against UR Landstill by countering his eot Brainstorm which was followed by a standstill... obv my hand contains V. Clique and Jace, so instead of just waiting and setting up the "lock", I allow him to play the Standstill...
Obv it didn't end there, next round I was up against storm. The first game is extremely weird, he gets some lands and 2 LED into play while i pressure him a bit with Snapcaster. Then, at some point he plays brainstorm... which I don't counter, for whatever reason. Needless to say, he both finds a Duress and a Tutor... WHAT WAS I THINKING? To make things worse, the next game is the total blowout: again I got some pressure and I could actually just play my Geist of Saint Traft, if I was clever enough to see that Karakas can bounce it back if I need to pitch a card for Force of Will. Good old onboard trick that I don't see... just a classic missplay. To make things even more worse, I let resolve his Ad Nauseam while he is at 8, hoping that he kills himself. Yeah. Whatever. Guess I have to go back to magic school now and practise more...

[Koby]

Those are pretty funny dunk!
My entire stream is dedicated to serve as a warning for others how NOT to play Magic. It's also called Epic Punts Live.

EDIT: Ok, actual stories:

At the latest SCG Invitation, I am running Elves in the Legacy portion. I am in the unfortunate situation of having Emrakul in my hand and a few mana short of playing him against Jund who is bricking on lands. I finally draw a Gaea's Cradle but I'm still 1-2 mana short. A few turns later I finally amass enough creatures in play to cast Emrakul, so I tap all my elves with Heritage Druid, return a forest in my hand with Quirion Ranger, then intending to play the Forest again to make the 15th mana I play a 2nd Cradle. I didn't even tap the first one yet. Went from a potential 15 mana to 8 floating.

I do what any good player does in that moment, I proceed to combo off the next turn and cast Emrakul anyway. :laugh:

[Finn]

At SCG Orlando 2011 I was facing GerryT in game one of the final round of the Swiss. I had Death and Taxes and he was on UW Landstill. I had a Phyrexian Revoker on the Battlefield blind naming Jace the Mind Sculptor. He was hurting because I was beating for two while messing with his mana. He got Vedalken Shackles out, but did not have the mana to use them yet. On my turn, I cast Flickerwisp. Gerry said it resolved, so I quickly pointed at my Revoker so that I could change the target to Shackles. Now I had the game well in hand. He shot me a queer look though, so I looked down at my Flickerwisp to see that I had pulled Mangara from my hand.

Facepalm. As you can imagine, I could not have given him a better creature to steal. That was the game, and my top 8.

EDIT: Also, Adam Barnello since he does not post here any more. After giving a sermon in an article about letting the trigger resolve first, he loses to Demigod of Revenge after countering it, and yet not countering it.

[Megadeus]

My first game a couple of weeks ago with TES I got my storm to 7 and played Burning Wish off of my only R source. Grab Empty the Warrens. Didnt have any more red mana :(

[Parcher]

I know more of these than I could ever type.

Let's start with Jesse Hatfield vs. Bryant Cook at The Mana Leak Open:

Jesse is playing CounterTop Thresh, with Bryant playing TES. Jesse has Counterbalance in play, no Top, and no other disruption in hand. Bryant Chants him, Jesse reveals Daze to CB, sighs, and says it resolves. Immediately, Bryant dumps Ritual, Ritual, LED, Infernal Tutor, sac LED in response.

A year later at the BOM tourney Team Unicorn traveled to, Jesse ends in the exact situation against another player. Player plays Silence, Jesse reveals Force of Will, sighs, and says it resolves. Immediately, the player goes LED, LED, Infernal Tutor, sac both LEDs in response, get Ad Nauseum, play it.

Jesse is a master.

[mini1337s]

I know more of these than I could ever type.

Let's start with Jesse Hatfield vs. Bryant Cook at The Mana Leak Open:

Jesse is playing CounterTop Thresh, with Bryant playing TES. Jesse has Counterbalance in play, no Top, and no other disruption in hand. Bryant Chants him, Jesse reveals Daze to CB, sighs, and says it resolves. Immediately, Bryant dumps Ritual, Ritual, LED, Infernal Tutor, sac LED in response.

A year later at the BOM tourney Team Unicorn traveled to, Jesse ends in the exact situation against another player. Player plays Silence, Jesse reveals Force of Will, sighs, and says it resolves. Immediately, the player goes LED, LED, Infernal Tutor, sac both LEDs in response, get Ad Nauseum, play it.

Jesse is a master.

HAHA! The best!

[Parcher]

Shit. Forgot another "Jesse is a Master" one.

Jesse is playing the Cephalid Breakfast mirror against Andrew Berke, and is on the draw with an awful keep. This is the almost original build of Breakfast in Legacy, with the Sutured Ghoul/Dragon's Breath kill, but with the addition of Goyfs.

Andrew resolves a turn one Nomads, and says go. Jesse drops a Vial, and says go. Andrew draws for turn two, swings for one with his Nomads, then casts Illusionist. He's amazed when it not only resolves, but Jesse has no response at all. Even to kill his Nomads. Confused, Andrew asks if it's ok to shortcut to milling his whole deck, whilch Jesse generously allows. He Therapies Jesse to see nothing relevant, then Dread Returns his Ghoul, to swing for obvious lethal since he has milled HIS ENTIRE LIBRARY. This is the point where The Master has to pause Andrew, and take his well-deserved win.

[danyul]

In a 6 round tourney w/top 8 cut for duals:

I was on BUG Control. 4-0 so far.

Round 5. I kill all of an Affinity player's creatures. He kills me with an Inkmoth Nexus equipped with Cranial Plating over two swings.

I had a Wasteland in play the entire time.

Round 6. I kill all of a Pox player's things. I have Jace + Liliana. I have Jace Ulted him and I'm at 4. He has 3 cards in his library and no hand. He draws Geralf's Messenger and immediately plays it. I tank. I tank more. I get really sad. I see Jace -1. But I still die. I see Liliana -2. But I still die. I tank more. I concede.

Of course, my friend yells at me saying that Jace -1, Liliana +1 = win.

I am dumb.

[nedleeds]

while (1 == 1)
{
WriteStoryAboutOpponentNotUnderstandingHowTrinisphereWorks();
}

[Picc]

This one time I hadn't been sleeping much for that past few days. I had been gold fishing UWR land-still a lot, anyway I sat down across from a goblin player. I was like land go, he was like turn 1 aethervial, then without even thinking I went land standstill. Man did I feel like an idiot as soon as I'd laid the card.

[AlmostGrown]

At GP Toronto (Modern), I was playing Jund and my opponent was playing Splinter Twin. After a bluff of Rakdos Charm, it is my turn and he has a Deciever Exarch in play enchanted with Splinter Twin. I cast Maelstrom Pulse, targeting Deciever Exarch. He responds by activating Splinter Twin. I respond by Abrupt Decaying the Exarch. Derp. I proceed to lose the game by my Dark Confidant flipping a Bloodbraid Elf a turn later. Had I not made the mistake, I would've won the match and potentially made Day 2.

[Joe Eigo]

Worst thing i've ever seen in a PTQ...:

Some experienced player is about to lose against some unexperienced kid.

The Kid plays a spell which would immediately win the game. Kid has like 3 mana open. Guy responds with "I counter that" and dop's a Force Spike instantly to the bin. Kid responds with "Ok". Kid looses... You can't even say he was cheating... :-/

[Kuma]

Worst thing i've ever seen in a PTQ...:

Some experienced player is about to lose against some unexperienced kid.

The Kid plays a spell which would immediately win the game. Kid has like 3 mana open. Guy responds with "I counter that" and dop's a Force Spike instantly to the bin. Kid responds with "Ok". Kid looses... You can't even say he was cheating... :-/

I have a similar one.

I'm at one of the old Meandeck Opens. I'm playing Bant CounterTop against some scrub with Burn. It's game two and having lost the first one I'm in a really bad spot. I have a Daze in my hand but he has four Mountains. He casts what would be a lethal Ball Lightning. I quickly realize that my only prayer is to Daze it and hope he fucks up. I confidently say "Daze that" picking up an Island and putting the Daze directly into the graveyard. He says, "Let me see Daze." I'm thinking, "Oh fuck, I'm screwed." He starts reading the card out loud...

...You may return an Island to your hand instead of blah, blah, blah. Counter target spell, okay...

...and he puts the Ball Lightning in his graveyard.

Suddenly, I realize I'm playing one of the best cards in Magic:

Dazed and Confused
1U
Instant
You may return an Island you control to its owner's hand instead of paying Dazed and Confused's mana cost.
Counter target spell.

The next couple of turns go by. He bolts me down to three life. The next turn I Dazed and Confused a Chain Lightning that would have killed me if he RTFC. I eventually set up CounterTop lock, win the game, and go on to win the match to stay undefeated.

The moral of the story is always give your opponent every chance to fuck up. You might be surprised sometimes. :cool:

[nedleeds]

I was at an Atlanta SCG playing Stifle-Mask-Naught vs. Wal-Mart Burn. I have drawn like 14 of my 18 lands and am about to lose game 2 because I can't for the life of me find a stifle an orb a mask or anything. I have Daze and 5 bone flutes in hand. I'm at 3 of course.

Opponent taps 3 to hardcast Rift Bolt with one Mountain untapped. I meekly Daze. He tanks. Tanks. Tanks. Red Blast your Daze. I go ... 'Storm is 3?".

So I still lose despite my opponent being both terrible and poor.

[Richard Cheese]

In round 6 of GP Denver I played against Junk with Team America. First game was close but he won, second game he bricked on land so I won easily. Game 3 I mulled some no-landers and ended up keeping a hand with a fetch, Delver, Daze, Force, and I think Brainstorm or Ponder. I then proceed to let him resolve a turn 1 Top and turn 2 Bob, when I could have easily countered both. That put me at 3-3, out of contention for day 2. I'm not sure I could have won since I didn't draw a land for several turns, but it at least wouldn't have been such a cakewalk for him.

[Tammit67]

Between GP Denver, GP Denver Side events, and the latest Jupiter games event, I am, in matches, 5 wins, 8 loses with TES. I have yet to see force of will (not even a probe/duress has revealed one).

[Parcher]

Time to tell you of the greatest Misplay/Jedi Mind Trick ever told. This isn't my story, but those who know it either are dead, or don't post here any longer.

We need to go back. Way back before the split. To the days of Type 1.5. Matt Kadilak ran tournaments in the Baldwinsville area then. The only decent ones for the format. This happened at one of those.

The matchup was for the Top 8, and it was Calosso, back at the heights of his doucebaggery, against Anwar, who was less world-weary then. And possibly even nicer than he is now. Calosso was playing Food Chain Goblins, against Anwar's Pox.

The third game had dragged on for some time, and both players were at four life. Calosso had only a Fanatic, and two Mountains in play, and dropped his only card; Goblin Recruiter. He stacked the remaining three Piledrivers he had on top, and passed the turn.;

Anwar had three Swamps and a Mishra's, and a Hyppie in hand. His draw for the turn was Pox. He was in bad shape, and paused to go over his options.

1. He could Pox. This was a non-option, really. He would go to two, and have no blocker. Calosso would lose his recruiter, swing with Fanatic, and shoot him for lethal.
2. He could swing with Mishra's. Calosso wouldn't block, and go to two. He'd swing back for two, drop Piledriver, and Anwar would have to topdeck another land to even survive a turn. Not good.
3. He could just block with Mishra's. Unfortunately, he'd still lose it, since damage stacked then. He'd then need running creatures, or removal to stay at a safe life total. More likely, but stiil bad.
4. He could play Hyppie. He'd take one, trade with the Fanatic, and be able to take two more hits if he hit a creature. If he only hit removal, it would be worse, but he's in a sad state anyway.

Going over all of this in his mind, Anwar looked deep into Calosso's eyes. "Oh my God", Anwar thought. "He IS going to just hand this to me." Anwar saw deep into the little Mexican bastard's filthy soul, and knew that he couldn't lose.

Anwar tapped his Swamps, and announced Pox. Without hesitation, Calosso said, "In response, I'll sac Fanatic to do one to you!"

Anwar went to three, then to one, and Calosso went to two. Anwar lost a Swamp, Calosso lost one of his two Mountains. Anwar passed, Calosso lost his Recruiter.

We all just sat back with immense satisfaction as Calosso drew his uncastable Piledriver, and Anwar killed him with the Factory.

"I looked into his eyes, and I just.........knew."

[Justin]

Shit. Forgot another "Jesse is a Master" one.

Jesse is playing the Cephalid Breakfast mirror

I stopped reading here.:eek:

[Darkenslight]

It's an Extended PTQ. I'm playing Wb Life and my opponent is on Rock. Last turn my opponent tapped out for Pernicious Deed. I already have the combo out (Nomads en-Kor and Daru Spiritualist), but I need a sac outlet. I have two Swamps and a Caves of Koilos out. I draw Worthy Cause for the turn...and pass. Then I allow the Deed's activation to resolve.

Then I /headdesk.

[alphastryk]

Here's a 'good' one I made recently:

Playing UWr Miracles against mono-W death&taxes. Game 3, finally stabilizing. Opponent has 3 lands, SOFI, and a revoker on either SDT or Jace, don't remember. I saw catastrophe in game 2, and its one of the few ways to lose from where I'm at. I have 4 lands, D sphere on a mangara, and nothing else in play,and O-ring, 2x v Clique in hand, and am at a healthy life total. Instead of avoiding Catastrophe by waiting and cliquing my opponent in his draw step, I proceed to O-ring his SOFI. He plays land #4, catastrophe, nukes my board, and I have to give him back either the SOFI or the Mangara. I have only 3 more mana-producing lands left in my deck, and get quickly destroyed.

[Dan Turner]

Playing Nourishing Lich.

[Parcher]

Not really a classic "Jesse Hatfield is a Master" story, but since I've been throwing everyone else under the bus.......

I'm playing Jesse at SCG Charlotte. He's playing Survival Ooze at the height of it's power and popularity, and I'm playing an Enchantress build specifically designed my Jesse and myself to beat Survival.

I keep a hand light on mana/ramp, but with tons of action. By turn five I have two Enchantress, Solitary, and two Groves in play. I only have four mana available though. So I keep discarding land, drawing two, then playing whatever enchantment I can afford to keep Confinement up. In this time, Jesse assemles the combo, plus a Pridemage on board.

After at least seven turns of me not drawing a mana enchantment, I decided to EOT sac a Grove to get another Enchantress and break this bitch wide open. Keep in mind, that I know Jesse's 75 as well as he knows mine, and know that he has no way to break through the double Grove. Jesse, of course, has the Grip for my other Grove, Pridemages my Solitary, and Ooze/Trike kills me with the 1st Grove activation still on the stack. Then asks me what the fuck I was thinking.

Yeah, I suck.

[nedleeds]

My all time misplay. The lone reason Randy Bueller went to the Pro Tour and won and got a job with WotC and was the product manager for Gleemax. So really ... it's my fault that gleemax ever existed.

Here on Wizards:

http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Article.aspx?x=mtgcom/daily/bs21

:mad:

[nedleeds]

Here's a 'good' one I made recently:

Playing UWr Miracles against mono-W death&taxes. Game 3, finally stabilizing. Opponent has 3 lands, SOFI, and a revoker on either SDT or Jace, don't remember. I saw catastrophe in game 2, and its one of the few ways to lose from where I'm at. I have 4 lands, D sphere on a mangara, and nothing else in play,and O-ring, 2x v Clique in hand, and am at a healthy life total. Instead of avoiding Catastrophe by waiting and cliquing my opponent in his draw step, I proceed to O-ring his SOFI. He plays land #4, catastrophe, nukes my board, and I have to give him back either the SOFI or the Mangara. I have only 3 more mana-producing lands left in my deck, and get quickly destroyed.

I feel like this play error pales in comparison to your opponent using a Cursecatcher that would have countered your Wrath of God as a shovel to scoop up all his 56 merfolk and bin them.

[alphastryk]

I feel like this play error pales in comparison to your opponent using a Cursecatcher that would have countered your Wrath of God as a shovel to scoop up all his 56 merfolk and bin them.

Ah yes, I'd forgotten about that one. To elaborate:

Playing an older UWb counterbalance list, boarded my wraths in against fish. Opponent has 2 lords and a cursecatcher, His attack will kill me. I cast wrath as a 'destroy target cursecatcher' to survive one more turn. My opponent picks up cursecatcher as expected, then uses it to pick up his other men and place them all in the bin. After observing this, everyone watching the match slowly walks away. I had to try so hard to not react or laugh, as this was only game 2, and he might well do it again in the match.

[Darkenslight]

Another one from back when i played in every FNM I could get to:

I'm playing Mirrodin-block Suicide Black, the week after Fifth Dawn comes out: it's turn 6 against Affinity, Game 3. My board consists of 6 Swamp, a Nim Replica, 2 Ebon Drake and a Dross Harvester. We're both under 10 life, but my sideboarded card is Murderous Spoils (because of the metagame in my LGS).

My opponent goes and casts Cranial Plating, and attaches it to his Ravager, and he attacks. I cast Murderous Spoils on his Ravager....and it resolves, no response. I proceed to win the game the next turn.

[Fry]

First time I play a tourney out at Jupiter Games I'm paired against Dan Jordan in the first round of the top 8. Dan was the only player who hadn't agreed to split and was still thinking about it, I got tired of waiting and said we're playing it out. As soon as I say that he wants to split, but it's too late and I made up my mind. I'm playing what's basically a 1-drop zoo with crap tons of burn (two years ago). I'm playing a miser Krosan Grip since I didn't know what to play as my 60th card and it seemed like it could be good in the era of counter top. Dan Jordan is playing Counter Top/Thopter Sword. Well Game one goes to me because of the miser grip and he crushes my hopes in game two. In game 3 I stick turn one Grim Lavamancer and proceed to win with it through his counterbalance, top, COP:Red, and a sphere of law. I k-grip the sphere, and a turn or later get the COP... Well during this whole time I know he has a 3-drop in the top three of his deck since he got my ensnaring bridge with it. Jordan doesn't keep the 3 drop on top (V-Clique or something) and K-grip gets there even though counterbalance still works through split second. Also he keeps tapping out at the end of my turn so I shocked him at least 5-6 time with the lavamancer that I kept dumping (1-drop on top) all my burn simply to fuel the Lavamancer.

Dan Jordan lost in the firt round of the top 8 and storm off when he's told about the counterbalance and K-Grip. I'm thrown a pack of Worldwake (before there were crazy equipment to abuse it with) just for beating him. I play Hollywood in the quarters against his The Gate, and win in the finals against something.


First time I ever played Death and Taxes was out at Jupiter and my only loss in the swiss was against Rock Lee here on the source on Turbo Drazi. We both get to the finals (Top prize Black Lotus) and since I was already qualified for the invite due to the first example I offer him the win if I get the Lotus, he refuses saying he doesn't want to give up $500 just to qualify. WE play it out and in game three he casts emrakul when I have an active mangara with a karakas ready to abuse him along with an untapped vial on 3. I had been tapping down one of the other e-titan with a goldmeadow harrier and had used 3 STP on ulamogs/kozileks. He had gain crap-tons of life with glimmerposts running rampant off Primeval. I mangara his emmy when he enters his declare attacks, end of his turn I vial it back in and proceed to clear the way for my dudes to do some beats and remove his permanents. He gets up after having lost and storms out.


I had a horrible misplay against a lands deck... I had a blood moon in play and a POP in hand... Yeah I forgot they were still non basic lands and lost that game, got game 3 though.

At SCG's Columbus a few weeks ago I wasn't even going to play in STD since a friend needed my chapels for his deck, my other friend pulls out the black/green aggro deck I played to top8 after losing round 1 and winning out to the cut, game three on my last turn I didn't shock myself with the overgrown tomb and didn't play my silklash spider. Instead I scavenged the mangler to the one in play and put the tomb in tapped. He rips Aristocrat, swings out and I lose... Well after playing 14 hours of my least favorite format, not too shabby... Just annoyed that I did that though. Of course I scrub out the next day day in Legacy 0-2, which is by and far my favorite format.

[Piceli89]

Me playing Doomsday ANT back at the times when Mystical Tutor was legal.

I'm up against CounterTop Bant; he has a board consisting of Gaddock Teeg, 3-4 lands, a Hierarch and 3 cards in hand. I have 4 lands in play and I have a full grip with 2 Tops in play.

I had Duressed him the turn before and I decide it's time to go off.
I chant him, Dark ritual, Cabal ritual, Doomsday cracking LED.
I do the following pile: Meditate, DRitual, DRitual, Tendrils. I'm undecided about the 5th card; since I'm 120% sure this is a clear win, I pick up a random Duress.
I draw into Meditate, and play blazingly fast every ritual. I Duress him seeing chaff, then Tendrils for 28.


My opponent calmly says,
"But there is Gaddock on the table..."

I shit myself in total astonishment and embarassment.

My friend, who had got there in the meanwhile, starts laughing his ass off and goes on for a good 30 mins, telling everyone who gets thereby.

[Rampart]

My all time misplay. The lone reason Randy Bueller went to the Pro Tour and won and got a job with WotC and was the product manager for Gleemax. So really ... it's my fault that gleemax ever existed.

Here on Wizards:

http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Article.aspx?x=mtgcom/daily/bs21

:mad:

LOL I remember watching you do that. Then I played in that pro-tour and watched that chubby guy with the weird sands-a-posie deck win the whole thing. It left my brother and I wondering who they hell is that guy.

[clavio]

Bump.

When I started playing high tide I didn't have candles for a while, so I tended to brainfreeze for the win. In a tournament I was playing against Death and Taxes. I won game 1. In game 2 I threw a "lethal" brainfreeze at him. Too bad he had a Jotun Grunt in play. Game 3 I had to mull to five and I lost to an assortment of hatebears. I'm the best. He gloated super hard afterwords because Magic players are classy.
---

That Pox story on page one was the best.

[baghdadbob]

Playing into my own chalice. 2 times. In one turn.

[Plague Sliver]

Awesome stories guys, keep it coming. Especially Parcher's.

[from Cairo]

The best one of mine that comes to mind is several years back. I'm jamming Goblins at one of Dave Feinstein's infamous "Bunch of Duals" events.

It's between rounds and my friends and I have a little down time. We decide it's a great idea to fishbowl the car we rolled up in between matches... always a good start to a story. I come back into the event ripped as and take a seat for my next pairing. I win the roll and keep the Goblins nuts of Lackey and SGC and roll a Chalice Green opponent game 1. He has the turn 1 Chalice of coarse after Lackey has hit the field. Feeling pretty good I board into some Pyrokenesis and figure I'm solid here. I keep something along the lines of Lackey, Goblin Matron x2, Pyrokenesis, and 3 land maybe. My opponent leads off Llanowar Elf and I offer back a Lackey. He drops a Sol land and jams down Sword of Fire and Ice. He removes double Elvish Spirit Guide to equip the armor. I stare at my hand and assess how large the Llanowar Elf will be... it will only be a 3/3, I should clearly hold my 'Kenesis for when he jams out another goofy Elf and get a 2 for 2 out of it... Very soon after the attachment resolves I snap back to reality and realize that Pro:Red blanks my removal and my deck. Not to mention that Pyrokenesising that Elf after my opponent had expended 2 ESGs to equip was virtually a 3 for 2 anyway. #HandleYourShit. Luckily I still get him in game 3.

[(nameless one)]

Playing into my own chalice. 2 times. In one turn.

I know that feeling.

The worst one I had was playing for Top-8. I am piloting MUD and facing Canadian Thresh.

Game one was a blowout by me (apparently try can't beat Wurmcoils). Game two was a close game. This is game three: for some reason, I have an active Metalworker (I am surprised he didn't get bolted or countered) and 15 floating mana facing two really fat Tarmogoyfs. For some reason, I decided to cast Wurmcoil first before Trinisphere.

Obviously he counters my Wurmcoil. I was thinking I should bait the permission so I can push through the 3sphere. It turns out, the Wurmcoil is more important since it would have been so much better against two fat goyfs.

So my board now has Metalworker, Trinisphere, a couple of other things and Forgemaster. I Forgemaster for a Wurmcoil, nuking most of my board. Facing lethal Goyfs, I decided to attack to push my life up.

If only I had been patient, I should have waited for the Goyfs to attack, kill one of his Goyfs (Deathtouch), let one Goyf through. I also forgot Lifelink doesn't use the stack anymore.

I still remember that game. It's one of the games that haunt me.

[HammafistRoob]

The best one of mine that comes to mind is several years back. I'm jamming Goblins at one of Dave Feinstein's infamous "Bunch of Duals" events.

It's between rounds and my friends and I have a little down time. We decide it's a great idea to fishbowl the car we rolled up in between matches... always a good start to a story. I come back into the event ripped as and take a seat
Don't blame the ganja Ben.

The last tournament I went to back in March I believe, I made a terribad play. I hadn't played any magic for about 2 years before that day, but it was a small weekly (~10players) mainly just for fun(good players though). I got handed Maveric five minutes before the event, and my first round was against D&T which is way different now than it was two years prior.

In game 2 after barely stealing the first, my opponent has something like Vial@2, a Karakas, two plains, and a Thalia equipped with Jitte on 2 counters. I tap GW to play the Pridemage I was lucky enough to have on hand and pass the turn with a Savannah untapped ready to blow up his Jitte. On his turn he taps two mana and plops down a 2/1 artifact dork and I was so used to just saying "ok" to everything since my only instants were StPs. Right after I said okay he says Umezawa's Jitte and I realize he just played that damn new Needle on legs, single handidly sealing the game. Then we ran out of time in g3 so we drew.

EDIT- My favorite failplays have to be from back when people died to manaburn from their own Mana Drains. I've seen that happen three times..... never again :'(
#NOMORERULESCHANGES!!

[from Cairo]

Don't blame the ganja Ben.

It's certainly something I might have missed regardless, but in any case, when you have the opportunity as a mono-Red creature deck to Pyrokenesis the body to which a Sword of Fire and Ice is being equipped, that Rob, is an opportunity worth taking.

[HammafistRoob]

It's certainly something I might have missed regardless, but in any case, when you have the opportunity as a mono-Red creature deck to Pyrokenesis the body to which a Sword of Fire and Ice is being equipped, that Rob, is an opportunity worth taking.
So is destroying an already active Jitte with Pridemage in response to a Revoker. Or fishbowling the car.

[barcode]

So I'm playing in the last round of GP Atlanta last year against Reanimator. I'm playing Maverick.

We're playing for top 16. If I win I probably slide up to 10th or 11th place if I lose I'm probably still in top 32.

It's game 3 and my opponent has a Sphinx of the Steel Wind in the bin but can't find a reanimate spell. He's at 9 life or so and I've got a 3 turn clock with Qasali Pridemages. I Green Sun Zenith for another Qasali Pridemage to make it two turns because I can beat his Animate Dead and he can't cast Reanimate or he'll just die. It turns out that Reanimator is still playing Exhume.

If I get a Scryb Ranger or Scavenging Ooze or Knight of the Reliquary I win and top 16. Instead, he Exhumes his first striking life linking protection from my deck creature and kills me. What makes it worse is that I'm still live to draw Maze of Ith or Swords to Plowshares over the course of 4 turns and can't make it happen. Even a Mother of Runes would have been good.

But, I lose. And I fall to 34th place just out of top 32 because my previous opponents are busy scooping to friends! Daggers. Tunnel vision and haste caused me to lose. These days I want to think I'm more patient.

[Parcher]

This one's not what I want to post for a command performance, but it's Friday and I can't think.

Playing for Top8 of the last GAGG. Jon Daily playing Dragon Stompy vs. The Wise and Mighty Protector of The Source and Gerry Thompson's Best Friend, Calosso Fuentes, playing the Hatfield's CounterTop Moon Thresh.

Calosso has a Goyf(4/5), and two cards. Daily has a Gathan Raiders(can't get Hellbent), and plays Arc Slogger, tapping out to pay for Daze. The reason Calosso Daze'd was so that he could swing with his Goyf. Afraid of a Bolt, Daily takes it. Calosso replays his Volc, having a Forest, and two Trops untapped, and spins Top, finding a Bolt. He then plays his last card, another Goyf, leaving Volc, and Trop untapped. Daily draws a blank, thinks for a long while, and swings out.

It that short span of time, Calosso completely forgets what he left on Top. He blocks Arc Slogger, SPINS TOP FUCKING AGAIN. AND DOES IT USING HIS ONLY VOLC!!! He sees the Bolt, sighs, and watches as he takes three, and Daily machine-guns his Goyf post-combat. Daily plays a random chump to insure that Bolt+Goyf isn't lethal, and kills him on his next turn. Then wins the tournament.



Oh, wait, wait. I thought of another one. Same tournament.

Eli is playing Aluren against Edinger with Goblins. Eli couldn't find a Dream Stalker before the tournament, so he's just running two Man-'O-War. And this was before Strix was printed. Edinger passes with four mana open, and Siege-Gang in play, and an Incinerator in his hand. Eli knows he has to go for it, though he can't win with only Aluren, Man, and Recruiter in hand. But he's dead on board.

Eli: Recruiter
Edinger: Sure
Eli: Recruiter, Recruiter, Recruiter, Man-'O-War?
Edinger: Sure
Eli:(long pause) Target that Recruiter with Man-'O-War????
Edinger: Sure
Eli: (even longer pause) Uh...ok. I'll bounce the Recruiter....ok?
Edinger: Sure
Eli: Recruiter?????????
Edinger: Sure
Eli: Guess I'll get this Cavern Harpy........
Me: Fuck you Edinger. You suck.(storm off)

[force_of_phil]

Avacyn draft, flooding out hard. Opponent is beating me down with his 1/2 or whatever. Land, land, land, land, I'm at 3 life. I draw the 2/4 lifelink flyer and pray he doesn't have burn to finish me. He Thunderbolts my flyer instead of my face, then kills me with his goblin squat team as I rip 2 more lands. I dropped and hit the bottle. That set sucked anyway.

[Einherjer]

I have been hardcoretesting Miracles for GP Strasbourg. Atleast 5h a day, pretty much all time I had left. So in the end of one of those days, somewhen in the night at cockatrice:
Opponent is playing Bant, I am playing one of my Miracles, no idea which version it was - doesn't matter.

I am at 1 life, got Counterbalance, Top, Top, Jace, aloot of lands. He is at high life total, and has only lands - one Fetchland though. I am superwell aware of the Fetch-->Arbortrick. So I decide to brainstorm with my Jace. In my hand I got Land, Land, Jace, Entreat, Counterbalance. I then put to cards back, and pass the turn grinning, because I knew I would block his Arbor with masses of Angels and then attack for the win. He untaps, draws, attacks. I tap top, reveal top card --> Land. Fuck. I look into second top, I see on top: Land, Jace, Top. Look at my hand --> Entreat. Great.


GP Strasbourg, Opponent is on RUG Delver, I am playing my RIP-Miracles.
I got Counterbalancelock out. It is his turn. He plays Nimble Mongoose. I reveal topcard --> Top. Counter. He passes the turn, I fetch end of turn. He stifles.

Legacy Open Vienna, Opponent is on NicFit. I am playing Miracle including Show and Tell and Griselbrand.
I got Jace on board, he has Broodmate Dragon plus it's token, both able to attack. I float my last Terminus on top to protect Jace. He thinks, thinks... casts Grave Titan.

GP Strasbourg, Opponent playing RUG Delver, I am playing my RIP-Miracles.
Somewhen late in the game I cast Blood Moon. Then I activate Mishra and attack.

Legacy Open Vienna, Opponent is on ANT, I am playing Miracle including Show and Tell and Griselbrand.
I got a Top on board, some lands, Flusterstorm and 2 Brainstorm in hand. Opponent has PiF in Grave, 3 LEDs, alot of lands, alot of rituals in grave. He casts his last card in hand, IT - cracking one LED - clearly getting a Discardspell. I think... cast Brainstorm, then anotherone, put 2 lands back and Flusterstorm the Tutor. He flashbacks PiF.

Legacy Open Vienna, Opponent is on RUG Delver, I am playing Miracle including Stoneforge Mystics.
My lone Snapcaster beats him down, he is at 3. At this moment I got 2 Volcanics, 4 Tundra and some basics on the battlefield. He casts Chain Lightning on Snapcaster Mage. I say ok and put it into the bin.

GP Trial for GP Ghent at the GP Ghent, Opponent playing BUG Control, I am playing Miracle.
It is round 5, the finals, I won all the previous games 2-0. I lost the first game against him, won the second, now last round, finals for the Trials :D We are both at 3 life. I got Jace in play with 3 counters. In my hand I got Snapcaster, Snapcaster, and some irrelevant cards. I pass the turn. He casts an Clique end of turn, targetting himself. I sigh knowing that I am dead now... my good play with flashing 2 Snappies for the win faded away, my dream of Byes did, too. He untaps, draws, attacks with Clique. I scoop up my lands, then he points on my Jace. I pause, so, attacking this Jace, right? He nods. I ´keep playing with my lands, now pretending I was re-ordering them. Then I put Jace into the bin. He plays his own Jace. He Brainstorms, passes. I cast 2 Snapcasters, flashbacking some irrelevant stuff end of turn. Untap, Draw. Attacks. He puts Jace into bin. I tell him to stop, and explain that I am attacking him. He says ok. I then tell him that he is dead. He looks at his life and facepalms.

Greetings

[Phelix]

@GP Amsterdam:

Im playing lands, vs ANT.

I magically win game 1, via maindeck canonist.

game two i open w. leyline of sanctity and a turn two chalice for 1.

turn 6 or so, the cast duress, and I promtly show him my hand.......

[personalbackfire]

This was a while ago, but I was playing in top 8 of a GPT with UW thopter/Sword CB/Top deck against Belcher. He has Belcher on the table with no mana to activate it meanwhile I have CB/TOP, counters in hand, and a Jace actively fatesealing him. I fateseal him and see LED, I let him keep. On his next turn he goes to cast it and I let it resolve without even activating Couterbalance. I lose that game and the match.

[ahg113]

LGS Legacy event,

I'm playing Manaless Dredge in G3 against Punishing Jund. T0 I show my opponent two Chancellors of the Annex, his first play on T2 he casts Relic of Progenitus with only two lands in play, proceeds to blow me out because I slow play until he lands a DRS.

Reading is paramount.

[Megadeus]

Playing against Jund ZombieVine. I have 2 10/10~ KOTRs on the board. My opponent has a LOL Troll on board with two tapped lands and he has just cast Goblin Bombardment. Instead of taking out the troll while he is tapped down, I use my abrupt decay on the bombardment. I proceed to win about 1000389487 turns later, but it was a punt nonetheless. Same night, playing vs Tin Fins, have a punishing fire in hand, attack my opponent to 2. Cast Sylvan Library, opponent says something about punishing fire being good here. LOL I forgot I had it in hand... I guess these werent game breaking punts, but very Lol worthy moments of my awesome play skill.

[Davran]

Me borrowing High Tide vs. Painted Stone at a random LGS event a while ago. I win game 1, and game 2 is looking good for me as I start to go off with a solid hand and 4 islands in play.

Me: Cast High Tide?
Opponent: Sure.
Me: Another High Tide, blue floating?
Opponent: Spell Pierce
Me: Sure, I'll pay. Still have blue floating.
Opponent: Ok, it resolves.
Me: Use the blue, cast High Tide?
Opponent: Sure.

Then I go into the tank as I now realize that I have one untapped island that taps for four mana and no candles. The Time Spiral in my hand taunts me, and he combos out a couple turns later.