Hello,
First tournament of the year for me: Mol (Belgium), a Mox to grab.
I haven't played since Bazaar of Moxen in Annecy (France) in September 2008.
I don't think slaver is good enough vs combo right now, so I am considering the top 3 decks from Jan 17 at Myriad Games: Rich Shay's Remora's deck (love that card, my first serious T1 deck was built around it with 4 Mana Crypt), Demonic Attorney Painter or Ray Robillard's mono-red workshop.
Since I don't have time to test, I take the third one (I would have liked to try Rich's deck, but I fear the lack of testing in the mirror).
I take it card for card:
1 Black Lotus
4 Chalice of the Void
1 Mana Crypt
1 Mana Vault
1 Memory Jar
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Sapphire
2 Sensei's Divining Top
1 Sol Ring
3 Solemn Simulacrum
2 Sword of Fire and Ice
4 Thorn of Amethyst
1 Trinisphere
4 Triskelion
4 Goblin Welder
2 Gorilla Shaman
4 Magus of the Moon
1 Wheel of Fortune
2 Ancient Tomb
1 Barbarian Ring
4 Mishra's Workshop
6 Mountain
1 Strip Mine
1 Tolarian Academy
4 Wasteland
Sideboard:
1 Burn Out
1 Gaea's Blessing
4 Leyline of the Void
1 Pyroblast
1 Red Elemental Blast
2 Shattering Spree
3 Sphere of Resistance
2 Viashino Heretic
There are four of us to go to Mol: Matthieu took 75 cards of mine to play Ichorid, Alexandre is with his U/B/W fish and Pierre plays storm combo.
This is the first time the tournament is unsanctioned with 10 proxies.
There are 37 players, 6 rounds + top 8.
Round 1: Raphaël Lecocq - Ad Nauseam
I get out a turn one Magus of the Moon, he has a Lotus Petal to cast Dark Confident. Seeing his Tundra, I think he plays fish and play a second turn Chalice at 2. He doesn't draw any basic lands, turn 3 and 4 Simulacrums do the job. When he discards Ad Nauseam, I get what he plays.
Game 2 he opens with Duress. I get a turn 1 Shaman and topdeck a Trinisphere on my second turn that hits the board. 2 Magus of the Moon and Thorn of Amethyst prevent him to do anything.
2-0, 3 points.
Round 2: Chirstophe Bolsius - Oath
I am not confident starting this round, as I know what he plays. I open a hand with 2 non-disruptive spells and 5 mana source and mulligan. I have to mulligan to 4 to get something vaguely playable. He starts with land, Mox and Lotus but does nothing. I don't get any gas and he plays an Oath some turn later that I can't cope with.
Game 2 I get a good start with a Sphere of Resistance and Chalice at zero. He was holding some jewelry and is screwed.
Game 3 is all mine: I get turn 1 Sphere, turn 2 Sphere, followed later by a Thorn. He is stuck, but forces a Sword of Fire and Ice (I have a Welder in play). A Trike goes all the way.
2-1, 6 points.
Round 3: Tim Steur - U/R workshop
Tim seems to get what he needs when he needs it against me. This was no exception.
Game 1, He is at 4 life when his Razormane Masticore hits. I have 2 Magus, one equipped with a Sword. I could get 2 extra and hope for my lone Barbarian Ring to finish him off, but I don't. Too bad as I finish the game with the Ring in play: he wipes the board in a few turns and kills me.
Game 2 is no better. This time, it's Smokestack and Karn, along with the Ubiquitous Masticore that get rid of my board.
0-2, 6 points.
Round 4: Alexandre Chuffart - U/B/W fish
I get a good start with turn 1 Ancient Tomb and Thorn, turn 2 Magus. My turn 3 Thorn is Forced, but the next turn 4 hits. You could think that Thorn of Amethyst is not great vs fish but he runs few creatures and lots of trick cards, so it's bugging him. He doesn't see any of his 2 basic lands.
Game 2 I get an early Shaman, he plays Null Rod. I cast a Chalice at 2. This stops him cold. I draw a Sword that is promptly used to good effect after the mox monkey ate the Null Rod. He told me afterwards that he could have bounced the Chalice with Echoing Truth: when Chalice comes into play, the counters are not yet on it, so he can bounce it before the counters come. Nice trick, too bad he still had a hangover and couldn't think straight.
2-0, 9 points
Round 5: Benjamin Vand den Broeck - Ichorid
He has to mulligan down to 3 to find a Bazaar. I have a Wasteland in my opening 7. I topdeck a Workshop for a turn 2 Trinisphere. He doesn't recover.
Game 2, he mulligans to 4 (plus 2 Serum Power). I must admit I am some good at cutting dredge players
Yet again, I have a Wasteland in my opening hand along with a Leyline turn zero. He draws a second Bazaar which I waste again. Trinisphere, Shaman and Sword of Fire and Ice is enough to take care of him.
2-0, 12 points.
Round 6: Benny Massin
We ID.
Quarter finals: Benny Massin - Painter
Benny is playing Demonic Attorney's version with Thoughtcast. Good I have a couple of mox monkies.
Game 1 goes no further than turn 3, I can't do anything to stop him.
Game 2 I open with Chalice at one and 2 Wasteland. These were critical, as he later told me he was holding Tinker which I couldn't have dealt with (I couldn't have played a Welder due to the Chalice). I kill him with a Magus of the Moon I think.
Game 3 is quite long, Benny plays an early Viashino Heretic while I have a Welder and 2 Magus. He plays a Ingot Chewer and start to hit me for 3 a turn. At 4 life, I gang block it, losing a Magus and a Gorilla Shaman. I then play a second Welder and a Heretic of my own. I hit him for one a turn (attacking with Magus and Heretic while he blocks the Magus with his Heretic) until he dies. He then tells me I could have played with my Top to get an extra card a turn (I was worried about his Heretic) since I had 2 Welders. I should play more often...
2-1.
Semi finals: Marcel Gelissen with Bomberman
Having piloted Bomberman in a few tournies, I know it doesn't fear workshop a lot.
I take game one by beating him with 2 Simulacrum in a uneventful game.
Game 2, I have to mulligan, my 6 card hand is not that great, but I keep. I don't have any red source and I am holding 3 red creatures. I play a first turn Chalice at two but don't draw any mountain while Marcel goes into beatdown mode. In retrospect,
Game 3, I play an early Magus which is not countered, followed by Sword of Fire and Ice to put him on a clock. After 2 hits, he is at 6. If he doesn't do anything, he is dead next turn. I am holding a Triskelion. He has an Island and a Mox Sapphire untapped. I decide to play the Triskelion to put extra pressure on him. He drains. On his turn, he casts Thirst for Knowledge, Trinket Mage, and Auriok Salvagers, along with Black Lotus. He has now "infinite" mana and Engineered Explosives, so he gets rid of everything in play except the Salvagers and Trike. He then plays Seal of Cleansing to shoot my Triskelion. I don't draw anything to come back and he beats me to death. Had I not played the Trike, I would probably have won. Oh well...
1-2.
Thanks to Magic Club Mol for another sweet event.
See you in Paris in March.
