St. Patrick's Day Challenge

So I rush home from my PGY I class (photography), making it home just in time to get on MTGO for the first SPDC of the season. I've been absent for almost 2 full seasons now, so needless to say, I'm rather excited. After logging in, and being seated for the first round, I find that my decks are gone. After a good 5 minutes of scrambling frustration and several moments contemplating hurling my monitor into a wall, I realize that I'm on my desktop pc (also for the first time in months, full time work and full time school really keeps you on the go), and all my decklists are localized to my laptop. I quickly throw my list together to the best of my memory, make the appropriate sideboard changes for the MTGO meta, and hop in my first match. Here is the list I ran Thursday:

MBc "To the Max" v2.0

Creatures
4 Fume Spitter
4 Cadaver Imp
4 Liliana's Specter
4 Phyrexian Rager
3 Crypt Ripper
2 Moriok Replica

Spells
4 Disfigure
4 Grasp of Darkness
2 Shrivel
4 Sign in Blood
3 Mind Rot

Lands
16 Swamp
4 Quicksand
2 Bojuka Bog


SIDEBOARD
1 Nihil Spellbomb
4 Duress
3 Golden Urn
2 Sylvok Lifestaff
2 Doom Blade
2 Shrivel
1 Mind Rot


First, I feel I need to explain the board. As I was assuming I'd be dealing with tokens, Shrivel is a no brainer, as is Duress for that pesky Inspired Charge. Sylvok Lifestaff is perfect board against any aggro decks and/or decks packing Lightning Bolt/Staggershock/etc, as this deck tends to dip under 10 life regularly, with or without the opponent's assistance. The single Nihil Spellbomb was for a little extra kick against the mirror/recursion, as the 2 maindeck Bojuka Bogs should already have that in check. Mind Rot is to add a little power in the 4cc/esper control matchup and Doom Blade = more removal. Now, on to round 1.

'Thundercats HOOOOOOO!'

Round 1: White Weenie (fliers) - Decade_of_Statues

This matchup is one I'm familiar with. I've had a solid amount of playtesting against my own version of this deck, and I know how to handle it. As long as I ensure I'm trading creature for creature and my Cadaver Imps are grabbing Fume Spitters, this match is pretty much autopilot until Crypt Ripper lands on the board. The problem with White Weenie is that it typically has NO card advantage, and can seldom recover from Mind Rot, especially when you're opponent is playing defensively and just waiting for a slight over extension.

Game 1: I have all the answers I need and he just runs out of steam while I continue to draw into action.

Sideboard:
-2 Moriok Replica, -1 Phyrexian Rager, -2 Sign in Blood
+2 Sylvok Lifestaff, +1 Mind Rot, +2 Doom Blade

Game 2: This game goes much like the first and I cruise to round 2.


***I'd like to mention here, Squadron Hawk does not scare me. I don't know what the big deal is. I think I saw a total of 24 Squadron Hawks, a playset in 6 of the 7 decks I encountered. That's worse than Kor Skyfisher.

--- 1-0

Round 2: Bant Tokens - Free87

This is the only matchup I feared, because I pretty much NEED my board to have a chance against this deck. That or turn 3 Liliana's Specter > turn 4 Mind Rot > turn 5 Shrivel + Cadaver Imp followed by a creature drop (Crypt Ripper preferably) every turn for the rest of the game.

Game 1: I survive for quite a bit, but on a misplay (targeted the wrong creature with Quicksand), I leave him with 3 creatures attacking (one slightly smaller due to sandy feet) and only 2 creatures to block them. Since my life total was sitting at 1 before damage was dealt, we head to game 2.

Sideboard:
-2 Moriok Replica, -2 Sign in Blood, -1 Phyrexian Rager, -2 Disfigure, -1 Grasp of Darkness
+2 Sylvok Lifestaff, +2 Golden Urn, +2 Duress, +2 Shrivel

Game 2: Despite seeing 3/4 Shrivels this game, the dudes just keep on coming, with a Sylvok Lifestaff being passed around like a 2 dollar...well, you know what I mean. On to round 3.

--- 1-1

'I'm in your nest, invadin' ur dudes'

Round 3: Bant Tokens - Rotdog

Game 1: I was able to glance at Rotdog's match round one (which happened to be against Free87), and knowing that I was headed into the Bant Tokens matchup again had my nerves racing, but I was more prepared. When I see my opening hand:

Swamp, Swamp, Quicksand, Fume Spitter, Fume Spitter, Fume Spitter, Shrivel

I smile. Though the game is long and drawn out still, I'm able to come away with a win, thanks to a Cadaver Imp loop holding off the only threat, a Kor Skyfisher, allowing me enough turns to restabalize. Once a Crypt Ripper hits the board and starts chipping away at chump blocking Eldrazi Spawn, it's only a matter of time.

I don't know if it was his connection that night, but after game one, Rotdog only had 8 minutes on his clock, so I pretty much felt like the match was in the bag, so long as I could hold off the token army.

Sideboard:
-2 Moriok Replica, -2 Sign in Blood, -1 Liliana's Specter, -2 Phyrexian Rager, -1 Mind Rot, -1 Cadaver Imp, -1 Disfigure
+2 Sylvok Lifestaff, +2 Golden Urn, +2 Shrivel, +4 Duress

Game 2: This game goes smoothly, Sylvok Lifestaff + Fume Spitter + Cadaver Imp = so much synergy my brain 'asplodes. I take the match.

--- 2-1

Round 4: BG Infect - RobJP

Game 1: I'm actually rather excited to see a non UG distortion strike infect deck in the 2-1 bracket, vying for a top 8 spot. I have a soft spot for BG infect, because it's the underdog, and unfortunately for RobJP, I've also had a lot of playtesting experience against it, and know exactly how to beat it. A tip for non UG infect decks: Let them be aggressive. Let them get poison counters on you. Let them think they have the game, over extend, and meet your double Disfigure/Grasp of Darkness grip. Fliers and killing Blightwidow are the name of the game here.

Sideboard:
-2 Moriok Replica, -1 Disfigure
+2 Doom Blade, +1 Mind Rot

Game 2: I recall him being a little land screwed for a portion of the match (I might be mistaken), and after a creature war, I take the match, with Crypt Rippers.

sidenote: Crypt Ripper is vastly underrated.



After 4 rounds of swiss, a near mental breakdown, 1 hookah, some house lo mein, and a bathroom break, I'm 3-1, hoping my tiebreakers seal a seat in the top 8. Luckily they do, and my next match is underway in a matter of minutes.

'kill me or I kill you'

Top 8: BoltFace - Paloalto36

Always nervous when meeting a familiar pauper face. Paloalto comes with a considerable amount of skill and rarely pilots a weak deck. As I assumed, he was running something similar to the MetalHawks deck that is swiftly gaining popularity, but on closer inspection, it's a very modified version, dropping creatures for a hefty amount of burn. The Kor Skyfisher/Glint Hawk + Necrogen Censer combo is about the most powerful combo I've seen in Standard pauper thus far. If you don't remove that Necrogen Censer, you're on a ticking clock, and a fast one at that.

Game 1: He starts strong, and after my own self-destructive tendencies (Phyrexian Rager + Sign in Blood) and a thrice bounced Necrogen Censer, he takes game 1, and I'm scared.

Sideboard:
-2 Moriok Replica, -2 Sign in Blood, -2 Phyrexian Rager, -1 Liliana's Specter, -1 Cadaver Imp
+4 Duress (for the Necrogen Censer), +2 Sylvok Lifestaff, +2 Golden Urn

Game 2: Turn 1 Golden Urn is really all I NEED to say (ended up with 22 counters before I cracked it), but really he just ran out of steam, and my Sylvok Lifestaff kept me in good health for most of the match.

Sideboard: -1 Grasp of Darkness
+1 Golden Urn (mvp, love this card)

Game 3: Another turn 1 Golden Urn, this time, it gets SMASHED by a Revoke Existence and only gets to crack for 2 life. I was worried at that point, but my favorite play (turn 3 Liliana's Specter, turn 4 Mind Rot) sealed his fate and my flyers and removal were just too much for him to keep up with.

Top 4: Boros Landfall - jackbastet

I don't really fear the boros matchup, because nothing eats boros like Fume Spitter.

Game 1: This game is foggy, but from what I CAN recall, he just burned away all my creatures and continued to swing with Kor Skyfishers and Plated Geopedes, and despite my best efforts, I couldn't stay afloat.

Sideboard:
-2 Moriok Replica, -2 Grasp of Darkness, -1 Mind Rot, -2 Sign in Blood, -1 Cadaver Imp
+2 Shrivel, +2 Doom Blade, +2 Golden Urn, +2 Sylvok Lifestaff

Game 2: Game 2 goes much better, I have an opening hand Shrivel, and I draw into a second one. I Shrivel away 2 Plated Geopedes and 2 Squadron Hawks, and after removal/creature battles galore, I end up swinging to the dome with a Crypt Ripper.

Game 3: I recall this game going much like the 2nd game, and I come away with the win.

sidenote: Being that SPDC fell on St. Patrick's Day, the later the games went into the night, the harder it was for me to recall them. Unfortunately, they weren't all available to replay in 'My Games'.

'Brohawks UNITE!'

Finals: Bw Control - Plateddragon

Another fearful opponent, another solid deck. Nothings worse than playing a strong deck with an even stronger pilot.

Game 1: It looks at first like I'm playing the mirror match (which made me giddy because I'd posted my MBc list weeks earlier, so my egotistical side would immediately take credit), until I'm struck with a frowny face as I see 'Plains, tappity tap tap, Squadron Hawk'. Weeeee, BroHawks. I'm honestly tired of seeing this, and can't wait to see them go to Classic City with Kor Skyfisher, so they can hang out with Izzet Chronarch and Mulldrifter. /rant

Rather than recant 3 semi-long games with boring to read recursion in both decks, I'll just say this:

Plateddragon is an excellent player, all 3 games were pretty intense, and I was happy to take 2nd, especially falling to a deck that was so similar to my own. As long as Bant Tokens didn't win SPDC's first tournament (like it has with both week 1 and 2 of MPDC), I'm a happy camper.

My board against BW control was the same game 1 and 2:

-2 Moriok Replica, -2 Cadaver Imp, -1 Disfigure, -2 Phyrexian Rager, -1 Shrivel
+2 Sylvok Lifestaff, +1 Nihil Spellbomb, +1 Mind Rot, +2 Duress, +2 Golden Urn

Finished the event in 2nd place. Not too shabby for my first SPDC back. Hopefully I'll be up to tackling Mono Blue in my next entry. We'll see. Thanks for reading, and I'll see you guys next week.