#pptq

[intrepidguardian]

Toot That Horn (12th with 5c Humans)

Well, since I said I would (and I need to get used to typing on my new keyboard), I’m going to talk about my last PPTQ. First, I like to Toot That Horn and talk about how good Militia Bugler is. 

Militia Bugler is the TRUTH. I was a little skeptical of it as a two-of when I first tested it, but it is the answer to the deck’s biggest problem: card advantage. A lot of iterations of the deck tried to clean up that problem by trying to use creature-centric spells (Collected Company), using creatures that have card advantage tacked on (Restoration Angel, Dark Confidant, Bloodbraid Elf), or just try to ignore the problem entirely by ending the game faster (Kessig Malcontents). Militia Bugler solves this problem by having a reasonable body (2/3 with vigilance is entirely reasonable), and offering not just card advantage, but also card *selection*, which is a luxury that creature decks almost never have. For a majority of game 1s, this basically translates into seeing more Reflector Mages, Thalia’s Lieutenants, and Phantasmal Images, which gives the deck a level of consistency it never had before. With Phantasmal Image, the deck already felt like it ran eight copies of its most impactful cards - now Militia Bugler makes it feel like the deck can run almost 12 virtual copies. And the fact that Bugler can grab Phantasmal Image, which can become a Bugler and dig even deeper? Insane. Post-board, it’s all about the silver bullets, all of which can Bugler can recruit. “Two or less power” is a low bar, and it opens up a lot of creatures, especially out of the sideboard.

And the real “hidden power” on the card is how the etb operates: looking at 4 cards, taking one and bottoming the rest. As a three-mana card, if I can cast this, I’m basically set on lands anyway, so even if the etb whiffs, that’s still some mix of lands/Aether Vial that I’m not drawing later in a game, and not drawing 3-4 lands in a row could be the difference between wins and losses. 

Anyway, this is the list I took on Saturday:

// Spells: 4

4 Aether Vial

// Creatures: 37

4 Champion of the Parish 4 Noble Hierarch 4 Thalia’s Lieutenant 4 Meddling Mage  4 Kitesail Freebooter 3 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben 3 Phantasmal Image  4 Mantis Rider 4 Militia Bugler 3 Reflector Mage

// Lands: 19

4 Cavern of Souls  4 Unclaimed Territory 4 Ancient Ziggurat  4 Horizon Canopy  1 Seachrone Coast 1 Plains  1 Island // Sideboard: 15 2 Damping Sphere 2 Dismember 2 Auriok Champion 2 Selfless Spirit  1 Kataki, War’s Wage 2 Izzet Staticaster   2 Reclamation Sage  2 Sin Collector

To make room for the 4 Militia Bugler, we ate the flex slot, then cut a Thalia, a Reflector Mage, and a Phantasmal Image, with the thought that these cards are powerful, but are the most context-dependent, and if we really need them, Militia Bugler should be able to find them.

Match 1: 0-2 vs Green-White Valuetown 

So we didn’t get off to the hottest start. Game one was getting buried under a bunch of Coursers of Kruphix and Voices of Resurgence. Game 2 saw my opponent resolve a Worship, then proceed to Eldritch Evolution a Tireless Tracker to play a Cataclysmic Gearhulk.

Ouch.

Match 2: 2-0 vs Blue-Red Control

I had seen this deck from Pro Tour Rivals of Ixalan, but had never played against it. My opponent tried to turtle up behind a Thing in the Ice in game 1, but Reflector Mage cracked that shell open and cleared a path for the rest of my team. Game 2, we both had slow hands, but he had a Keranos, God of Storms. A topdeck Militia Bugler was able to find a Thalia’s Lieutenant, which both insulated my team from the god and put enough pressure on my opponent to end the game quickly.

Match 3: 2-0 vs Krak-Clan Ironworks

A very experienced opponent with one of the best decks in the format sounds like a tournament-ender, but Militia Bugler really shined here. Game 1 was decided by Kitesail Freebooter and Meddling Mage locking my opponent out of the game. Game 2 I resolved three Buglers which had all found creatures, and my opponent was forced to use an Engineered Explosives on 3, which cleared my board, but also blew up his own Scrap Trawler with nothing to get and his own Ghirapur Aether Grid. My second wave of creatures emptied his hand and eventually beat my opponent. 

Match 4: 0-2 vs Green-Black Elves 

Both games my opponent was able to have active Heritage Druids on turn 2, and my Meddling Mages missed both times. The matchup feels REAL BAD. 

Match 5: 2-0 vs Krak-Clan Ironworks

This went a lot like Match 2, except Kitesail Freebooter kept my opponent from having any real chance.

Match 6: 2-1 vs Red-White Burn

My opponent and I both knew we were unable to claw into top 8, but would still have some prize money to fight over, so we played it out. Game 1 my opponent kept a one-lander and got locked under a Thalia, Guardian of Thraben. Game 2 my opponent burnt away most of my creatures and cleared a path for two Goblin Guides. Game 3 my opponent admitted to keeping a mediocre hand that an Ensnaring Bridge, with the intent of staying under it until he drew enough burn spells to burn me out. I had not sided in my Reclamation Sages, so I only had one chance - I needed to draw enough Meddling Mages to strand cards he couldn’t cast in his hand, then chip away with whatever creature could fit under the bridge and get boosted by Noble Hierarchs. We jockeyed for board position and I eventually had two Auriok Champions going alongside three Meddling Mage and two Noble Hierarches. My opponent showed me two Searing Blazes stuck in his hand and conceded. 

So I ended up getting 12th. In my opinion, that was a good result for me considering how little Modern I play these days. But, it is Modern season, so if I wanna compete, I gotta play this format. I’ve got another tournament this coming Saturday, and I’ll probably bring something like this: 

// Spells: 4

4 Aether Vial

// Creatures: 37

4 Champion of the Parish 4 Noble Hierarch 4 Thalia’s Lieutenant 4 Meddling Mage 4 Kitesail Freebooter 3 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben 4 Phantasmal Image 4 Mantis Rider 3 Militia Bugler 3 Reflector Mage

// Lands: 19

4 Cavern of Souls 4 Unclaimed Territory 4 Ancient Ziggurat 4 Horizon Canopy 1 Seachrone Coast 1 Plains 1 Island // Sideboard: 15 2 Damping Sphere 2 Auriok Champion 2 Selfless Spirit 1 Kataki, War’s Wage 2 Izzet Staticaster   2 Reclamation Sage 2 Sin Collector 1 Militia Bugler  1 Riders of Gavony 

Now, I still love The Bugler, but I do recognize that it can be a clunky card a times, so we shipped one to the sideboard for matchups where I expect to need the card advantage (Mardu Pyromancer, various control decks). And since Humans seems to be getting more popular, the ol’ mirror breaker is probably pretty good. 

I’ll probably do another tournament report next week (unless I get totally smashed), but until then, happy spell slinging!

[mtgquests-blog]

All ready for another standard PPTQ today. Can’t wait for modern pptq time again though!

[samaniblog]

I placed 4th overall in my local Modern PPTQ

27 players turned up to the modern pptq that was help at my workplace.

Played my Turbo Skred deck that I took to GP Birmingham with a few alters.

I got to top 8, went 3 - 1 - 1 with 10 points.

In the quarter finals I played against Green / Black Elves and lost in the Semi finals to Naya burn.

Had a fantastic day yesterday, really enjoyed it alot, although it should be said I was shattered afterwards. Think I fell asleep pretty early.

Round 1: Bant spirits (Won)

Round 2: Grishoalbrand (Won)

Round 3: Green / Black Elves (Lost)

Round 4: U/R Storm (Won)

Round 5: Abzan Aggro (Drew)

Round 6: Green / Black Elves (Won)

Round 7: Naya Burn (Lost)

[boltsnapbolt]

5th place at Modern PPTQ with TitanShift

Hello everyone, tonight I am writing up my tourney report for you. So, for those interested, it was hosted at Madness Games and Comics in Plano, TX on 7/22/17. Great turnout of 100 players, the meta out here is primarily Burn, TitanShift, Shadow variants, and Living End, so I planned my sideboard accordingly with the help of my teammates and the great staff at Madness. I ended the day at 6-2, coming in 5th,after losing in the Quarterfinals. Very stressful day, I can feel it in my muscles and neck lol but I wouldn’t trade it for the world. A little preface, I was on the draw every single game except for Top 8. So without further ado, let's begin! (Excuse my poor sentence structure, and me skipping boring parts by jumping straight to the end game. I also typed out the simplified names of the cards, and for those of you wondering why Wood Elves came out in almost every matchup, the second copy is my flex slot for the mainboard so it’s super easy to cut down to just one copy of the card.)

Round 1: BW Eldrazi Taxes 2-0

Game 1: My opponent starts off with Concealed Courtyard, and passes. I draw, fetch Stomping Ground, suspend Search. He proceeds by playing taxing creatures, me making land drops and playing ramp, but in the end Scapeshift for the win.

Game 2: He plays Eldrazi Temples, but doesn’t cast anything other than Wasteland Strangler the game, and I just get there with Volcanoes again.

+1 Rec Sage, +1 EE, +1 Anger of the Gods

-1 Explore, -1 Scapeshift, -1 Wood Elves

Round 2: Affinity 2-1

Game 1: He gets the nuts and kills me by T4 with 2 Steel Overseers, Vault Skirge, and Signal Pest. GG.

Game 2: He loads up his board and has me at 4 on T4, I top deck Scapeshift for game with him at 18.

Game 3: This is the fun game. So he starts off by playing Inkmoth, Ornithopter, Memnite, Springleaf Drum, Mox Opal, and Cranial Plating. I kept a REAL SKETCH hand of 7 consisting of 2 Search for Tomorrow, 1 Wood Elves, 1 Scapeshift, 2 Sakura Tribe Elder, and 1 Stomping Ground, and INSTANTLY regret keeping the hand. I draw Explore, shock Stomping, suspend Search, pass. He draws and plays Darksteel Citadel, activates Inkmoth, equips Plating, swings for 7 infect. I literally needed a miracle, and I drew a Nature's Claim. I kept my cool, and passed. He draws, does the same thing, swings in and I Nature’s Claim the Inkmoth. He plays an artifact, and passes. Suspend comes off, I get a Mountain, and draw Ancient Grudge. I grudge the Plating, pass, and from there I AotG once, then Scapeshift for game after Bolting him. Really scary moment haha.

+1 Rec Sage, +1 Anger of the Gods, +1 Ancient Grudge, +2 Nature's Claim

-2 Khalni Heart, -1 Wood Elves, -2 Explore

Round 3: Eldrazi Tron 2-1

Game 1: He starts off by playing Tower into map. And for those of you who aren’t too familiar with the matchup, let me just say this: Make land drops, Scapeshift, Volcanoes explode. GG.

Game 2: He manages to get Tron active, and lands an early Wurmcoil Engine on T3 with me missing some ramp spells, and can’t seem to find a Valakut.

Game 3: I suspend a search, he plays another map, and then it just comes down to me killing with Primeval Titan triggers. Not much too this matchup.

+2 Tireless Tracker, +1 Rec Sage

-1 Explore, -1 Wood Elves, -1 Anger of the Gods

Round 4: Esper Shadow 1-2

Game 1: At first I thought he was on some sort of Esper control build, when he Seized my Thoughts and took our KHE. Come my turn, land, Search, pass. He double Street Wraithed at the end of my turn, and I knew exactly what was about to happen. He starts his turn by playing Delta, and then following it up with another Thoughtseize, taking my Elder, and sticks a Death’s Shadow as a 3/3. Things got real hard after that, and I died shortly after when I couldn’t make ramp spells work.

Game 2: I get a Search going on T1, followed by another land drop into Sakura. He doesn’t seem to have any more discard past the first turn, and I quickly leveled him with Scapeshift.

Game 3: I have a strong start to my turns that consist of ramp into ramp. He has lots of discard this game, and when I land Primeval Titan, I thought that I would be in the clear as he has only 2 cards in hand. He Paths the Titan, I get a mountain, hit him for 3, and pass to him. He draws and plays Gurmag, and passes. I draw Primal Command, and attempt to make him gain 7 and put a Titan into my hand, but it’s met by a Stubborn Denial. He plays DS, shocks a land, and passes. I draw a Pact for turn, get Colossus from the deck and put it into play, and at my end step, he Paths it again, and then I died to a DS and Gurmag beats.

+1 Engineered Explosives, +2 Relic of Progenitus, +3 Obstinate Baloth, +1 Chameleon Colossus, +1 Primal Command

-2 Khalni Heart Expedition, -1 Scapeshift, -1 Explore, -2 Farseek, -1 Wood Elves, -1 Primeval Titan

Round 5: Living End 2-0

Game 1: He starts off by going double Street Wraith, into shock land, pass turn. I play a Search, and pass, he cycles at my end step. My turns follow as such: Sakura, Wood Elves, land Scapeshift.

Game 2: Ramp, ramp, and hella ramp when he casts Demonic Dread on my Sakura, I sac in response, and when he casts Living End, I get back the one Elder I just sacked, and the one from a turn earlier. He passes, I sac both at end step, and shoot him down for 36 on my turn. This is a matchup we should not lose.

+2 Relic of Progenitus

-2 Anger of the Gods

Round 6: Grixis Shadow 2-1

Game 1: He starts off with a Thoughtseize and proceeds to rip my hand apart from that turn forward, ultimately leaving me with nothing on T4, with only 3 lands. He kills me with DS.

Game 2: I start with a Search, and pass. He plays Wraith, into shockland, into Thoughtseize, and takes my Khalni I had in hand. I draw a Khalni for turn, and slam it down, and pass. He gives me a look like “Are you f*****g kidding me?” He draws and IoK’s me, and takes an Explore, plays a fetch and passes. Search comes off, land comes in, and triggers Khalni, I draw, play a fetch, trigger, cast Wood Elves, trigger again, and I don’t pop it yet. I pop at his end step, and cast Titan on my turn, and get the beats going. Games over in 2 turns.

Game 3: He leads off with an IoK and repeats the game plan from Game 1, except that this time I’m able to draw into my ramp, and come T5, I’m at 2, he’s at 6, I have no cards in hand, with 7 lands down, draw my card for turn, and it’s a Scapeshift. I ask what mana he has open, and he mutters something and I look and he’s tapped out. Cast Scapeshift, he extends the hand.

+1 Engineered Explosives, +2 Relic of Progenitus, +3 Obstinate Baloth, +1 Chameleon Colossus, +1 Primal Command

-2 Khalni Heart Expedition, -1 Scapeshift, -1 Explore, -2 Farseek, -1 Wood Elves, -1 Primeval Titan

(Same as the previous Shadow matchup)

Round 7: Elves 2-1

He initially asked for a draw because that’s all he needed to get into Top 8, because he was 6th. I was 7th going into the last round, so I had to play. I declined his offer, and at the end of Game 1, he asked again, and I politely declined. So we played out the remainder of the round.

Game 1: His starting turns are pretty slow and his creatures are met by my bolts, and AotG. Mountains do him in eventually.

Game 2: He has a normal Elves start, and is able to hit me for lethal on T4 when I’m at 15.

Game 3: I start off with an untapped red source with a bolt in hand, because my turns from then till T3 were super slow, but I had a bolt, and an AotG in hand, with lands, so I would be ok. He plays a dork, and passes then I bolt it. I untap, draw Elder and pass. He draws and plays a Devoted Druid. I slam AotG because I know what kind of sick shit that card can do. He plays another dork, and a Visionary, and passes. The game gets a little stale for a couple turns, and then I find myself at 7, and he’s at 19. I need another one of them great miracles, and with 8 lands in play, I draw a Scapeshift, I cast the Scapeshift, and in response, he Chords for X=2, and I nearly shit myself and I really didn’t want to lose this way, because I have no idea what he could be getting. He grabs a Spellskite, let’s me proceed and when the Valakuts and Mountains come into play, he asks where the triggers will go. I say all to him, and so he redirects 9 of them to Skite, and extends the hand. Scariest moment of the day.

+1 Engineered Explosives, +1 Reclamation Sage, +1 Anger of the Gods

-2 Khalni Heart Expedition, -1 Wood Elves

Quarters: UWr Control 0-2

Game 1: Counters, counters, and more counters followed by me drawing all lands. Ironic.

Game 2: Counters, counters, counters, and an early Blood Moon kill me dead.

RIP.

+1 Reclamation Sage, +2 Relic of Progenitus, +2 Tireless Tracker

-2 Farseek, -1 Scapeshift, -1 Wood Elves, -1 Explore

Overall, I had a great experience with the deck, and this makes my second Top 8 out of three events in the last month with TitanShift. I look forward to playing this hot pile in future events and hope to do well. Thanks for taking the time to read this! List is below. Sorry for the write up a few days later. Had to work and boring adult stuff. As far as I can remember, this is what happened. So if you’re reading this, and I played you, please feel free to message me and we can fix the write up!

List:

4 Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle

4 Cinder glade

2 Stomping Ground

7 Mountain

3 Forest

4 Wooded foothills

3 Windswept Heath

4 Search for Tomorrow

4 Scapeshift

3 Explore

2 Farseek

2 Anger of the Gods

4 Lightning Bolt

2 Summoners Pact

2 Khalni Heart Expedition

4 Primeval Titan

4 Sakura Tribe Elder

2 Wood elves

SIDEBOARD

1 Engineered Explosives

1 Rec Sage

1 Primal Command

1 Chameleon Colossus

1 Ancient Grudge

1 Anger of the Gods

2 Relic of Progenitus

2 Natures Claim

2 Tireless Tracker

3 Obstinate Baloth

[the-burnished-hart]

Playing at an AKH Sealed PPTQ with @obi-one-drop today. This is the deck I built, RW splashing for Samut and green Cartouche. What do you guys think?

[thetunnelingcat]

I went to a sealed PPTQ today at Face To Face games in toronto. Opened a pretty good pool, started off 2-0, was doing pretty good, but then lost 2 rounds in a row, I considered dropping, but I had to be there anyways, so stayed in for the last 2 rounds. I ended up actually winning those last 2 rounds, and barely scraped into top 8 on tiebreakers. In the top 8 draft, I first picked an insult to injury, was passed a Naheb , and second picked that, basically locking myself into RB, ended up also picking up a liliana's mastery, a cut to ribbons, a bontu, and a second Naheb. Won quarters, won semis, and on the last draw step of game 3 in the finals, I top deck Insult to Injury and win the event. This was my first sealed PPTQ, first time winning a PPTQ. Was a long day, but I'm happy with how I did, definately got lucky more thab once today.

[magicjudge]

Hi Charlotte! I recently won a PPTQ for the first time! I qualified for June Pro Tour: Kyoto RPTQs. It puts me in an interesting position because I'm 380 Planeswalker Points away from getting to the sweet 1300 level, but now I can't play in other local PPTQs (and of course the RPTQ is in June, so it won't count for this season). There are no nearby GPs to grind points, so I'm hoping to grind local events. My question is: When am I allowed to go to more PPTQs? Thanks so much!

The answer to these and many other frequently asked questions that PPTQ winners might have are contained in this handy document that’s updated regularly: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1FQP3x2kwae3CJ3UbkjeRhcBD30FTEvU77yFhkkzOr7k/edit

But to save you having to click through, you can’t play more PPTQs until next season. The last PPTQs of this season will happen on 16 April 2017.

[intrepidguardian]

PPTQ Report: *1st* with Mardu Vehicles

Preparations:

There isn't much to talk about. Despite a lot of other players being impressed with Mardu Ballista, I found a lot more success with lists closer to Marco Carvalho's list from the MOCS, especially with UR-X Dynavolt Tower decks supplanting BG Snake as the “third” pillar of the format. I came to the conclusion that, between Mardu decks getting slower and other control decks creeping into the format, a more aggressive build for Mardu would be a good selection for the weekend.

Creatures (20)

4 Toolcraft Exemplar 4 Thraben Inspector 4 Scrapheap Scrounger  4 Veteran Motorst 2 Pia Nalaar 2 Archangel Avacyn

Vehicles (6)

4 Heart of Kiran 2 Cultivator's Caravan

Spells (11)

3 Fatal Push 4 Unlicensed Disintegration 4 Gideon, Ally of Zendikar

Lands (23)

4 Inspiring Vantage 4 Concealed Courtyard 4 Spire of Industry 1 Aether Hub 2 Shambling Vent 1 Needle Spires 1 Smoldering Marsh 3 Plains 3 Mountain

Sideboard (15)

4 Shock 3 Release the Gremlins 1 Fatal Push 2 Thalia, Heretic Cathar 1 Anguished Unmaking 2 Chandra, Torch of Defiance 2 Skysovereign, Consul Flagship  

Round 1: 2-1 vs Jeskai Tower

After a fairly routine game 1, game 2 was within grasp. However, at a critical turn I announced combat with no Toolcraft Exemplar, and was too late to crew my Cultivator's Caravan with my Scrapheap Scrounger. He scraped by at one life with a series of good topdecks. Game 3, I got to play protect-the-planeswalker with a Chandra and won the match with her emblem.

Lesson learned.

OUT: 3 Fatal Push, 2 Pia Nalaar, 1 Archangel Avacyn

IN: 2 Chandra, Torch of Defiance, 2 Thalia, Heretic Cathar, 1 Release the Gremlins, 1 Anguished Unmaking

Round 2: 2-0 vs UB Control

Not much to say for both games. Without seeing a Yahenni's Expertise, I was able to save my vehicles for a critical turn by forcing my opponent to use his removal on Veteran Motorists and Thraben Inspector. Unlicensed Disintegration finishes off a Torrential Gearhulk and my opponent.

OUT: 3 Fatal Push, 2 Pia Nalaar, 2 Archangel Avacyn 

IN: 2 Chandra, Torch of Defiance, 2 Thalia, Heretic Cathar, 3 Shock

Round 3: 2-1 vs Mardu Vehicles

Despite me being on the play, it was my opponent who dropped multiple Toolcraft Exemplars and Scrapheap Scroungers to put the beatdown on me. My opponent got stuck on mana game 2, and game 3 was decided by me being able to Release the Gremlins from a Heart of Kiran and a Skysovereign. I thought that he was on the Ballista plan, but after game 3 I saw that we were pretty much on the same game plan.

OUT (play): 2 Pia Nalaar, 2 Thraben Inspector, 2 Archangel Avacyn

IN (play): 2 Thalia, Heretic Cathar, 2 Release the Gremlins, 2 Skysovereign, Consul Flagship

OUT (draw): 1 Thraben Inspector, 2 Scrapheap Scrounger, 1 Toolcraft Exemplar

IN (draw): 3 Release the Gremlins, 1 Anguished Unmaking

Round 4: 1-2 vs RB Aggro

This deck was rad. My opponent had returned to his first PPTQ since quitting the game eighteen years ago. His deck was much-more creature-oriented with the likes of Kari Zev, Lanthu Hellion, and Scrapheap Scrounger and zero vehicles from what I saw. However, the real interesting part of the deck was the eight threaten effects he ran – four Kari Zev's Expertise and four Wrangle. Game one was about me failing to find a pilot for my three vehicles on the field while my life was whittled down by a Kari Zev and occasionally a Wrangled Thraben Inspector. I was able to outrace my opponent game 2, but game 3 was a complete breakdown on my part. Being on the draw, I mulliganed into a hand of Concealed Courtyard, Inspiring Vantage, three Scrapheap Scroungers and Cultivator's Caravan. I failed to draw a third land while my opponent played a Kari Zev into multiple Lanthu Hellions.

My sideboard plan was awful and I can't really remember it, but looking at it now, it probably SHOULD be something like this.

OUT: 1 Toolcraft Exemplar, 4 Scrapheap Scrounger

IN: 1 Fatal Push, 1 Anguished Unmaking, 2 Chandra, Torch of Defiance, 1 Skysovereign, Consul Flagship,

Round 5: ID vs RW Tower

Despite the loss in Round 4, I was in third place, with the best breakers among the 3-1s. I figured that even if I played it out, I couldn't do better than third if the top table drew. They did, as did the table below me, so I took a chance with the draw, figuring that only one or two players could jump over me in seeding.

I got dinner with my opponent from round 4, and actually learned a lot about collecting baseball cards and how lucrative it could be. It was nice. :)

Quarterfinals: 2-0 vs RW Tower

As it turned out, only one player jumped over me in seeding, so I got to start the quarterfinals as the number 4 seed against the player I drew against in round 5. He had a Red-White control deck that looked to get advantage with Fiery Temper, Cathartic Reunion, and Nahiri, the Harbinger. As it turned out, it couldn't really deal with Scrapheap Scrounger coming back multiple times, and without Dynavolt Tower, it couldn't generate enough energy to beat a Heart of Kiran. Game 2 was a little closer, but without any counterspells or hard planeswalker removal, my opponent ate too many two-for-ones killing two Gideons and had nothing left for the third.

I couldn't help but think “I wish @languishedunmaking was here to see this.”

OUT: 3 Fatal Push, 2 Pia Nalaar

IN: 2 Chandra, Torch of Defiance, 2 Release the Gremlins, 1 Anguished Unmaking  

Semifinals: 2-1 vs Mardu Ballista

Probably my most challenging match of the tournament. Even with me on the draw, I was able to curve out against my opponent, who didn't present any action besides a Scrapheap Scrounger. My opponent curved out on me game 2 and had the Unlicensed Disintegrations for my lone blocker. Game 3 presented an interesting board state. My opponent was at 8 life, with two Scrapheap Scroungers, a Thalia, Heretic Cathar, and a Nahiri, the Harbinger with six loyalty, and was tapped out. I was at 10 life with an Archangel Avacyn, a Thraben Inspector, a Shambling Vent I could activate, and a Cultivator's Caravan. My options were to crew the Caravan with the Thraben Inspector and the Shambling Vent and present lethal by attacking for 9, or attack for 7 with the three creatures. If my opponent's blocked, I would have lethal with the Avacyn flip. My opponent was in the tank for a while before letting the attack through and dropping to 1, which let me gain two life from my Shambling Vent and insulate myself from Unlicensed Disintegration if my opponent topdecked it. He wasn't able to and conceded the match.

OUT (play): 2 Pia Nalaar, 2 Thraben Inspector, 2 Archangel Avacyn

IN (play): 2 Thalia, Heretic Cathar, 2 Release the Gremlins, 2 Skysovereign, Consul Flagship

OUT (draw): 1 Thraben Inspector, 2 Scrapheap Scrounger, 1 Toolcraft Exemplar

IN (draw): 3 Release the Gremlins, 1 Anguished Unmaking

Finals: 2-0 vs UR Tower

I hadn't been paying much attention to the other matches, but it turned out that my finals opponent was the player who jumped over me in the standings, so he got to be on the play. The match grinded out for about twenty-five turns. My opponent resolved two Dynavolt Towers, which chewed through a lot of my creatures and ran my out of Scrapheap Scrounger targets. With a few maindeck Negates from my opponent, I even ate through all four of my Unlicensed Disintegrations. Despite that, I had whittled my opponent down to two life when my opponent let me untap with a Toolcraft Exemplar. When he went to shoot it with the last of his energy, I was able to save it with Archangel Avacyn, which sealed the match when my opponent conceded. Game two was a little tighter on my end, as I was able to leverage my threats better and not expose them to removal unnecessarily. Despite my opponent negating two Gideons, I was able to pressure him with a Heart of Kiran and, when he found an Aether Meltdown for it, I was able to play a second Heart of Kiran and finish my opponent off.

OUT: 3 Fatal Push, 2 Pia Nalaar

IN: 2 Chandra, Torch of Defiance, 2 Release the Gremlins, 1 Anguished Unmaking  

Review/Changes

While I'd love to say that I found a gaping hole in the meta, in all honesty I just picked a good weekend to play aggro. The meta is pretty much settled, but there's an opportunity to sneak under some opponents who try to sideboard against you expecting a heavy planeswalker package. Mardu Ballista is probably the more powerful version of the deck in a vacuum, but if the meta continues shifting to a midrange/control environment, an aggressively-leaning version of Mardu Vehicles could be primed to make a comeback. I won't have much opportunity to play competitive Magic between now and Amonkhet, but if I did, I would be tempted to try lists closer to Lucas Esper-Berthoud's PT-winning list that was still utilizing Inventor's Apprentice to try and overload the removal from the other decks in the format. In the meantime, I gotta get good at Sealed for the RPTQ. :|

Still think Mardu Ballista is the best deck? Is Veteran Motorist your favorite two-drop in this format? Let me know in the comments!