Whit3 Ghost's top 8 Running GAGG report.

The events leading up to this year's running GAGG are pretty much the same as pretty much every other tournament I've gone to. I got a text from Chris (rsaunder) saying that we were going to try to make the running GAGG, and that a responsible adult (Chris' dad Rich(the real Rsaunder) would be driving us up. Plans get shifted around and I almost end up not going due Mr. Saunders having work requirements. This tournament's contingent consists of myself, Qack (the birdman with 4c Retainer Recsur), Chris (Grim Iggy) and his dad (Mono Red Goblins with MD Magus). I decided on UGr Thrash after David and Lam's success at the Winter Wonderland.
The next day, I got picked up at 6 by the rest of the gang, and ripped apart Chris' play binder and built up my deck except for 2 Ponder, 2 Spell Snare and 2 Predator (which I never actually found). My list looked like this:

Will Eldredge - UGR Thrash

4 Wasteland
4 Tropical Island
4 Volcanic Island
3 Wooded Foothills
3 Polluted Delta
4 Tarmagoyf
4 Nimble Mongoose
4 Force of Will
4 Stifle
4 Spell Snare
4 Daze
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Fire // Ice
1 Wipe Away
1 Rushing River
4 Brainstorm
4 Ponder

SB:
4 Krosan Grip
3 Pithing Needle
2 Engineered Explosives
1 Pyroclasm
2 Red Elemental Blast
2 Pyroblast
1 Sea Drake

Round One: Jon Quackenbush with Retainer Survival.

G1: I get some early mana disruption going, and establish beats with a Goose. Unfortunately, I’m unable to draw hardcounters, and he’s able to resolve a Survival. He gets Akroma active, and I fail to find the bounce spell. I was also one life short of burning him out.

G2: This matchup was where Needles were smexy. I start off with a Needle on Survival and begin beating down with a Goyf. My hand amasses a bunch of ridiculousness that he can’t do much about, and I win.

G3: He mulls, I mull, I again grab an early Needle on survival. I drop two Goyfs which are a bit shrunk due to a Leyline, he is able to evoke a ‘Maw on one of my guys, and goes for a Recurring Nightmare a turn or so later. However, I’m able to Brainstorm into a Fire//Ice and am able to Fire away both of his guys and win.

In between rounds I am notified that I received a game loss for misregistration as I left out my draw spells. Ah well.

Round 2: Kevin Seiter (he lurks) with Aluren.

G1: I start off with a draw spell (I believe it was a Ponder), and he follows suit. I put him on Thresh because of his Trop, but after I Snare a Wall of Roots, I put him(correctly) on Aluren. I start applying pressure, and he’s forced to go off far before he is ready. I counter his first combo piece, and we go to game 2.

G2: He starts with a Therapy and nabs my Force. He gets a Weaver down, and I respond with Goyf. He resolves Aluren and attempts to get Man o War and start bouncing things, but I have the blast. I counter a Chain of vapor, Goyf eats the Weaver, and he’s scrambling to establish his board position. He Intuitions for Raven Familiars, I have the Stifle, and Goyf smashes home.
Kevin was another incredibly fun opponent and a nice guy.

Round 3: Nick Wowelko (nickrit2000) with Green Goblins.
We get feature matched at Table 1 and Calosso starts trash talking about how I should be 0-2 drop by now and how I suck at magic and stuff (epic forshadowing).

G1: I keep a slow hand, and am unable to stabilize. I burn and Stifle some of his stuff, but I’m behind for most of the match. I finally get a Goyf, but am one life short of stabilizing.

G2: I get an early Needle on Aether Vial, and he stalls on land. I draw a metric fuckton of Fire//Ices and prevent him from keeping any sort of relevant threat on the board. I finally draw Goyf and he gets in there and ends it.

G3: I draw the absolute nuts: my lone Clasm, 2 Fire Ice, Goyf, Bolt, Brainstorm, Volcanic. He opens Lackey, I drop the Volc and pass. He gets Waste and I Bolt the Lackey in response. Now, for about 7 turns I fail to see a land, and he finally kills me with some guys. His draw relied on the mana denial (he kept Lackey, Waste, Port and not much else), and he lucked out.

Once again really fun opponent.

Round 4: Nick Patnode: Eva Green

G1: He gets a Thoughtseize on me, and takes a Force. I deal with his early threats, which consisted of a Hyppie and a Shade and get a Goose down. All of a sudden, I find myself staring down a very angry Tombstalker. I realize that I need to draw bounce or Ices and up my clock. I draw spell into exactly what I need to win. I drop a second Goose and take 5 to the face. I then chain a few Ices to cool down the Stalker and eventually end up bouncing him while Gooses plow through.

G2: I keep him stalled on one or two land with Wastes and Stifles while a Leyline impaired Goyf provides the beats. After the match, Zulander explains why Leyline is bad in this matchup, and I feel really bad about knocking him out (he’s a few years younger then I am). He played very well and nearly got game one from me. Also, if anyone knows him, tell him I’m sorry I never got to test with him, I think he started playing Type 4 and I ended up watching Bryant lose to Goblins.

In between rounds, standings are posted and I hear Calosso proclaim "Who the fuck is Will?!" Bryant points over in my direction, and Calosso keeps talking about irrelevancy.
(More epic forshadowing because my round 5 opponent is...
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Round 5 CALOSSO FUENTES: Moon Thresh.
We get deck checked, and both of us nearly have heart attacks out of fear of getting game lossed.

G1: This was a beating. I Stifle his second turn fetch and counter about 5 draw spells with Dazes and Forces. This completely prevents him from drawing land, and I brainstorm into a ton of Geese and a Goyf. He starts talking shit about how I’m playing additional beaters precombat (I had 6 cards in my yard, if he tries to stop them resolving, I can swing in with 3/3s instead of 1/1s) and eventually scoops em up.

G2: He gets an Goyf on turn 3, and I wait a turn to drop my own Goyf so I can have Force, Blast backup. This turns out to be a mistake, as he drops Blood Moon when I’m tapped out with a Grip in hand. I Force, he Blasts, and I’m up a creek without a paddle. I still have a longshot chance at the game, but he’s smart enough to play around Fire//Ice and I lose my only threat.

G3: He mulls. A lot. And then some. And some more. He’s down to four cards. I keep another heavy disruption hand, and I can’t remember if I missed a Stifle opportunity or not early(I don’t remember if I just had fetches or not). Anyway, on around turn 4 or 5 he goes for a Top, which I (controversially) let resolve. My reasoning behind this, is that he’s been able to resolve a few draw spells and most likely has Blood Moon or another such threat and some sort of counter backup. If we get into a war over Top and he resolves Moon, I didn’t have a threat onboard at the time, and I lose.
Whatever, I get a Goyf two turns later, and start with the beatings. I counter a Moon and start inching towards a top8. He gets a second Moon and I Daze. I then look at his board and realize: HE HAS FOUR LANDS. I want to cry. I also HAD the bounce spell. Supah-fly-numba-gay. Anyway, I just keep beating. Goyf keeps the pressure on and eats a Goose. He’s digging frantically with Top for a Goyf of his own. I can beat a draw spell, as I still have Blast, but I’m in no way Goyf-proof. He’s at 8, and I draw: FORCE OF WILL! I breathe a gigantic sigh of relief and take him to within one swing of the match. He tops, looks at his draws and scoops. I pound the table and high-five Chris after Bryant leaves me hanging (I won you 10 bucks, show some Goddamn gratitude).

Round 6: Colin Chilbert (Di) Survival.
We draw and talk about the matchup and some whatnotery, I mosey over and watch Chris almost punt it to Kirdape3, but he manages to win. Unfortunately, the VA contingent explains that Chris will fall heartbreakingly short if Alix Hatfield wins against Anwar, as Chris had lost to him earlier in the tournament. Alix wins, and Chris and I are pretty bummed that I’m going to be making the trip to top 8 alone.
Then standings get posted and I hear someone yell "GET THE RAZORBLADE CALOSSO!" I quickly scan down to 8th and see 8th Place: Chris Saunders, I yell something like fuck yes, and Chris and me share a wicked gay moment.

Top8: Bryant Cook with TES.

G1: I can’t counter a Chant after multiple draw fours and I lose.

G2: I smash with a Goyf as his draws rape him.

G3: I can’t counter a Chant and lose.

Long story short, I misplayed this matchup horribly, horribly wrong, as with Thrash, you attempt to stop combo from setting up, while with other lists, I save my efforts for the combo turn. Whatever, I’m perfectly happy with the finish and take Scrublands.

Props/Slops

+ Chris, for organizing and making top8 with Grim Iggy, letting me borrow what basically amounted to the entire deck and registering me last second.
+ Mr Saunders for driving
+ Quack, for dominating side event drafting
+ Kirdape3 and Zulander for loaning me the finishing touches to the list.
+ The hosts of the running GAGG
+ David Caplan, for helping me with boarding decisions and theory the night before
+ Lam and Dave, for developing Thrash
+ The Hatfields, for developing Moon Thresh
+ Team Blitzkrieg, for comprising 1/4 of the top8
+ Emidln for picking 3/4 of the top8
+ Fire//Ice, for being the nut high
+ The rest of the top8

-Bryant Cook, for the lack of high fives, not loaning me cards, and knocking me out of top8
-Calosso, for wicked amounts of shit talk
-Trygon Predator, for being impossible to find
-Blood Moon, for being wicked gay.
-Me, for not really knowing how to play the TES matchup and misregistering my deck

Quote:

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-Bryant Cook, for the lack of high fives, not loaning me cards, and knocking me out of top8

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There was enough high fives for weeks. Whine much? NUB. Congrats on top 8.

Congrats on the Top 8. Great report.

Nice report. Well done!

It's awesome you beat calosso. He was saying how he wanted to get paired against thrash and wipe it's face into oblivion and then he got pwnt.

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Originally Posted by zulander

It's awesome you beat calosso. He was saying how he wanted to get paired against thrash and wipe it's face into oblivion and then he got pwnt.

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No I got pwnt by mulliganing to 4 and still almost winning.

congrats on the finish.

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Originally Posted by calosso

I got pwnt

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We know.