#scgopen

[hurleyburleystudio]

Mutavault #borderless #commission #hashtags #mtg #mtgalters #scgopen #scgrich #scg #land (at Greater Richmond Convention Center)

[basic-island-blog]

(The Basic Island Podcast) Our second episode with Rishi Kovalenty, Theo Thevenot, Tony Hazuka and speical guest Mike Thorict Ocala, Florida’s first PPTQ winner. Topics include the grind, more cards from oath of the gatewatch and the SCG Open and Classic events.

[littlespeckmtg-blog]

Howdy, gonna jump right in to the basics here. Ascendancy storm is a combo deck revolving around the namesake card ‘Jeskai Ascendancy’. Get a couple mana dorks in play with an ascendancy, and suddenly all of your can trip spells turn into black lotuses stapled to careful considerations. Untapping your dorks every spell is powerful by itself, but the looting in addition makes this enchantment a monster.

My list can be found here: http://sales.starcitygames.com//deckdatabase/displaydeck.php?DeckID=73359

This weekend I played this deck at SCG Indianapolis, expecting a high concentration of midrange decks trying to be abusing courser caryatid frameworks, walling off the aggro….and playing a turn too slow to stop me from blindsiding them with a dastardly little combo deck.

Match 1: Temur (RUG) Midrange

Game 1: He has no idea what I’m doing and plays his mama dorks into big dudes while I just seem to be ramping up with a caryatid and a Kiora’s follower. Turn five, I’m down to seven life. And I pull the trigger. Combo plays out flawlessly and I’m up a game.

Game 2: Not sure what form of hate he’s packing for me game two, I cautiously bring in four swan songs and a single retraction helix. Game has a slow start for both of us, but after I carelessly tap all my blue sources with a swan song in hand he Temur charms my only in play mama dork ‘which I had tapped to swing for two the turn prior’ he eventually beats me down and we go to game three.

Game 3: he throws a bit of damage me way every turn, but on the fourth he taps out and I pull the trigger.

1-0

Match 2: Abzan (Junk) Aggro

Game 1: He was able to apply an immense amount of pressure very quickly on the play with bloodsoaked champion, I had to attempt to go off a turn earlier than I wanted to, and I fizzled. On to game two.

Game 2: He applied quick pressure again, but at five life I was able to pull the trigger and take it to game three.

Game 3: Mulligan to five, see no mama dorks and he kills me. Happens. An early loss is gonna be murder on my breakers though.

1-1

Match 3: Mono-Green Devotion

Game 1: This matchup is as noninteractive as it gets. He sees me playing dorks and assumes I’m just ramping into … Something. He taps out to play Nissa, I combo off next turn.

Game 2: He manages a turn three courser into turn four Polukranos, and I manage to combo out while he is once again tapped out.

2-1

Match 4: Naya midrange

Game 1: This is another moderately non interactive matchup, especially pre-board. He applies zero pressure, and I combo killed him on turn 5.

Game 2: expecting some hate, but feeling more bold, I brought in three helix and two swan song. He tapped out to play a Nissa while he had a destructive revelry in hand, and I proceeded to drop the dragonmantle helix combo to draw my deck and kill him.

3-1

Match 5: Jund Midrange

Game 1: Another courser caryatid deck. Yummy. He taps out to hit me with a sarkhan while I have a caryatid in play. I drop an ascendancy into a twin flame and combo out.

Game 2: He tapped out with enchantment hate in hand. People should stop doing that.

4-1

Game 1: This guy was not in a good mood to play me. After I win game one handedly, he yells me “Anybody playing that deck should be ashamed of themselves.” I respond that I felt quite proud of my deck choice.

Game 2: He gets stuck on lands and taps out with hate in hand on turn five. Better luck next time.

5-1

Match 7: Jund Monsters

Game 1: He resolved a turn two rabblemaster, and I didn’t notice an opportunity to combo out and lost the game.

Game 2: He has another high speed hand and I can’t keep a creature in play or find a caryatid. That’s two match losses, and I’m now playing to hope for a top 16 finish.

5-2

Match 8: Mono-Green devotion

Game 1: My opponent wasn’t aware of how the combo worked, and I took advantage of that game one, comboed off, all the while explaining what I was doing to her.

Game 2: She tapped out on turn five. GG.

6-2

Match 9: Jeskai Aggro

Game 1: I’m on the play he goes; soldier of the pantheon, into military intelligence, into mantis rider. I go caryatid on turn two, into caryatid kiora’s follower into ascendancy divination. Combo kill.

Game 2: He’s on the play, and plays out a similar hand, but I’m a turn slower than last time. With swan song backup, I dragonmantle helix my deck into my hand, and kill him.

7-2

Match 10: Mardu control (BWR)

Game 1: Final round. He thoughtsiezes my burning anger fairly early, but I hadn’t lost to that. I was able to stick a number of non caryatid dorks and was about to combo off for a twin flame kill, except he conceded the turn before without knowing what I was about to do. Alright.

Game 2: lots of removal bought him this game. Unable to stick anything I succumb to eventual pressure.

Game 3: Swan song backup for a helix mantle combo. Draw my deck, cast burning anger, win game.

End comments:

Early rabblemasters and other cheap creatures seem like my primary weakness so some board changes have been made to accommodate that. We also decided I needed to have a threat in my board to match the absurd power growth of rabblemaster. Wish I hadn’t lost 2 matches and made top 8, but I guess I’ll have to wait till next time.