SCG #3 Chicago - Top 4 - Smemmen vs Bryan Fisher

[Dante]

This semi-final patch pits Smmemen vs Bryan Fisher playing his version of 7/10 (with Force of Will).

For this match, I can’t sit at the end of the table (to see both players hands), but sit in the middle on one side so I can cover both semi-final matches at once.

Steve wins the die roll and keeps his 7 card hand (which I can’t see – I’m on Bryan’s side of the table).  Bryan’s opening hand is 2 x Mox, Tinker, Mystical Tutor, Workshop, Triskelion, and Island.

Steve opens with Underground Sea, Brainstorm.  He thinks about the Brainstorm for about 5 straight minutes, ends up saying “I don’t think it mattersâ€? and passes the turn.  The judge at the end of the table has his head in his hands

Bryan draws Thirst for Knowledge, lays both Moxes and the Island and casts Tinker, sacking one of the Moxes.  Steve slams down a Force saying “No Sir!â€?  [In case you didn’t get it, Tinker probably gets Memory Jar, which means Steve can’t Doomsday b/c popping the Jar forces both players to draw seven cards, and Steve would only have 4 left].  Bryan passes.

Steve untaps and plays Dark Ritual then Duress, taking Thirst for Knowledge, then plays Cabal Ritual.  At this point he starts showing his hand to the judge, to the spectators, just kind of talking to himself.  The judge shifts his head to his other hand.  Steve casts Doomsday.  It resolves.  Now Steve really starts talking and making about 17 piles of cards  (Judge looks ready to kill Steve…I mean really kill him.  At one point the judge went into his pocket for a pen, I was estimate at least 70/30 he was going to stab Steven in the jugular).

At this point I concentrate fully on the other match…for like 10 minutes…..all I hear is “God, I’m fucking terribleâ€? and “I’m just savagely badâ€? [Steve “savageâ€? count on the day = 47].  I return to the other Top 4 match (detailed separately elsewhere).  5 more minutes I look over – I can’t tell if the judge is asleep, awake, dead, or in a coma.  It’s totally a Snickers commercial, “Not going anywhere?â€?  Finally Steve announces he’s messed it up.  They play draw go for a couple turns until he decks himself.

1-0   Bryan

Bryan boards in 4 Trinisphere and 2 REB taking out 2 Duplicant, Fact or Fiction, 2 Welder, and Memnarch.  I found out after the match that Steve brought in 3 Energy Flux and 2 BtB.

Bryan’s opening hand was 2 Triskelion, FoW, Merchant Scroll, Lotus, Ancestral, Brainstorm.  He keeps it despite no land.

Steve opens with Underground Sea, Brainstorm and says go.  
Bryan draws an island, lays it and the Lotus, casts Ancestral drawing 2 random cards and Trinisphere.  He plays the Trinisphere.  Steve does not look happy.

In the next few turns Bryan lays workshop, ancient tomb and a couple of Trikes while steve gets no land.  Steve shows us his hand (Lotus, 2 Energy Flux) and says he should have cast the turn 1 energy flux….

So Bryan wins 2-0.

I'll post the other top 4 (roland vs josh) and the finals (josh vs bryan) coverage tomorrow.

[Smmenen]

Not turn one energy flux, but turn one Lotus.  The only reason to hold back the lotus is to up the storm count.  I misplayed horribly and paid the price for it.  Game One i totally should have won, and I had an excellent game two if I wasn't stupid.

The problem with Doomsday deck from a DCI Floor rules perspective is that it compresses an entire game of magic into the space of one moment.  

Your Doomsday has to be thought out well in advance of hte actual play.  Becuase you rarely go for the same set of five cards, figuring out the five cards you are going to get becomes the task of the entire game.  I can't finish resolving a brainstorm until I know those cards.  And you can't just know what those cards are - you have to weigh the alternatives and then double check your math, so to speak.  By this point I wasn't functioning very well.

[M.Solymossy]

 I can't finish resolving a brainstorm until I know those cards. And you can't just know what those cards are - you have to weigh the alternatives and then double check your math [/qoute]

Mr. Smemmen that is why you are amazing to watch.  My friends thought you were boring but i really got to learn something from watching your games against Clarence and Brian.   I always play too fast and it has cost me some pretty heavy games, and here i was watching you take forever to brainstorm and i noticed that you were SO content in putting the right cards down.  it seemed like you were waighing out EVERY possible option and thinking of possible consequences of your actions and making SURE you were able to win upon resolution of your spells.  I always play to fast like i said and watching that actually taught me something!

I hope they do another star city in Chicago so i can see you, hi-val, kowal, and Chai1n5 again.  you were all a blast to talk to.

[Lost In Admiration]

[In case you didn’t get it, Tinker probably gets Memory Jar, which means Steve can’t Doomsday b/c popping the Jar forces both players to draw seven cards, and Steve would only have 4 left]

Actually, we don't play Memory Jar and haven't for some time.   He would have tinked out something terrible, like Titan.

[Saucemaster]

Ten minute Smmenen Brainstorms seem to be becoming an SCG P9 tournament tradition!  You should have seen his round 5 opponent at SCG2.  That was so incredible.  

[Dante]

[In case you didn’t get it, Tinker probably gets Memory Jar, which means Steve can’t Doomsday b/c popping the Jar forces both players to draw seven cards, and Steve would only have 4 left]

Actually, we don't play Memory Jar and haven't for some time.   He would have tinked out something terrible, like Titan.

Yes, but Steve didn't know this and had to assume that he was getting Jar, meaning he would have to dig for his H. Recall or try and do it the old fashioned way - Tendrils without Doomsday.

[Jacob Orlove]

Ten minute Smmenen Brainstorms seem to be becoming an SCG P9 tournament tradition!  You should have seen his round 5 opponent at SCG2.  That was so incredible.  :)

He took longer to resolve that one brainstorm than he did to play the rest of the match. It was savage, though.