SCG #3 - Top 4 Coverage - Roland vs Josh

[Dante]

This top 4 match features Josh playing 5/3 vs Roland play 5-color Stax.  I didn’t get to see anyone’s hand because I was trying to concentrate on both matches.

Game 1[/u]
Jost wins the roll and drops Gemstone Mine, Mox Emerald.  Roland starts the action with Mox Emerald, Sapphire, Tolarian Academy and uses them to cast Trinisphere.  Josh responds with Vampiric Tutor.

Turn 2, Josh makes use of the new legend rule by playing his own Academy, killing both.  Roland answers with a Goblin Welder, but Josh uses his turn to drop a land and Tinker for a Triskelion, which shoots the Welder.

Roland decides to start locking by dropping a Tangle Wire and Crucible of Worlds, forcing Josh to tap down and do nothing but lay a land and pass the turn.  Roland casts TFK, but discards two lands.  Josh finally breaks out by playing a Workshop and a Juggernaut.

Roland answers with a Platinum Angel and on his following turn plays a Smokestack and Titan.  Josh needs to answer fast, which he does by playing Seal of Cleansing and destroying the Titan.

At this point, Josh has a Juggernaut and Triskelion (with 2 counters) and Roland has Platinum Angel and a Smokestack with zero counters.  Josh attacks with both creatures and they get through, leaving Roland at 7 life while Josh is at 10.

During his next upkeep, Roland adds a counter to the ‘stack and vampiric tutors.  He casts a Duplicant, imprinting Josh’s Juggernaut and also TFK’s, discarding a Trinisphere.

Josh sacrifices a Trinisphere to Smokestack and drops his own Platinum Angel and a Goblin Welder.  Roland tries to answer with 2 Welders of his own, but Josh shoots them with the triskelion.  Once Josh welds out Rolands Platinum Angel, it’s all over.

Josh 1-0

Game 2[/u]
This game isn’t pretty.  Roland mulligans to 6, lays a wasteland and says go.  Josh lays his own wasteland, which Roland wastes.  Then Roland lays his second wasteland.  Josh lays a City of Brass, which Roland wastes.

It’s now the start of the 3rd turn and there are no permanents in play, sweet.  Roland plays a workshop.  Josh discards.  Roland plays a mox, workshop #2 and platinum angel.  A few turns and creatures later, Josh is dead.

1-1

Game 3[/u]

Josh starts Jet, Waste -> Demonic (for Workshop).  Roland plays Pearl, waste, waste Josh’s wasteland.  Josh drops emerald, workshop -> Memory Jar.  Roland plays another waste, casts Seal killing the Jar.

Josh drops a wasteland and casts Karn, killing Roland’s Pearl.  Roland answers with Ruby, Gemstone -> seal of cleansing to kill Karn, waste Josh’s workshop.  Josh wastes Roland’s gemstone.

In case you haven’t been following the wasteland/Karn/Seal of Cleansing carnage, Josh’s board has a Jet and Emerald while Roland just has a Ruby.

Roland drops Emerald and a land and casts Tangle Wire.  They both tap down and lay land for awhile until Josh Vamps during his upkeep and then plays a welder.  Roland plays Crucible and gets recurring wasteland going.  Josh drops mana crypt, welds it out for Memory Jar and uses the Jar.  He drops another mox and plays welder #2.  Roland casts Smokestack.

Josh welds out a mox for Karn, which eats two of Roland’s moxes.  He then welds out emerald for Crucible, recurs a wasteland and wastes Roland’s city of brass.  Roland only has Tangle wire, Smokestack, and Crucible as his board, which he taps down and adds a counter to the ‘stack, but can’t do anything else.  Josh Rack & Ruins Roland’s Crucible and Smokestack and attacks with Karn and his own crucible (via Karn) and takes it home.

Josh 2-1