[Report] Winning a Mox Sapphire at Mark's

This is just a quick report. I wrote some notes, but man does my handwriting suck.

Stats:
18 Players, 5 Rounds

The Decklist: "Tower" Noble Fish

4 Force of Will
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Time Walk
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Black Lotus
2 Swords to Plowshares
3 Null Rod
2 Aura of Silence
2 Daze
3 Spell Pierce
4 Noble Hierarch
3 Cold-Eyed Selkie
4 Tarmogoyf
4 Qasali Pridemage
2 Aven Mindcensor
3 Trygon Predator
1 Strip Mine
4 Wasteland
2 Misty Rainforest
2 Flooded Strand
3 Tundra
3 Tropical Island
1 Plains
1 Forest
1 Island

SB:
1 Mindbreak Trap
1 Rebuild
1 Hurkyl’s Recall
2 Nature’s Claim
1 Ravenous Trap
2 Ethersworn Canonist
1 Tariff
2 True Believer
2 Pithing Needle
2 Relic of Progenitus

I made a few modifications to the deck for what normally is a Stax heavy meta, putting True Believer in the board and maindecking Aura of Silence. As it would turn out, the change was mostly irrelevant as Stax was far and few between at Mark's, but so were decks that True Believer would help with.

Round 1: Win 2-1 vs Andrew (Keeper) [1-0, 2-1]
I don't have a ton of notes on this match. I know I lost game one after he Tinkered for Sphinx. I boarded in Recall, Rebuild, and Tariff, taking out Null Rods after game 2 as there was never a point I liked having Null Rod in my hand for some reason. Only thing I have on game three was that Selkie got there.

Round 2: Lose 0-2 vs Tom Dixon (BUG Tezz) [1-1, 2-3]
Normally on Keeper, two things really attributed to this loss. Not expecting anything else from Tom and me drawing blanks for two games. I took out the Auras against him for 2 Pithing Needle. Both games he dropped to 7... on his own Bobs.

Round 3: Win 2-1 vs Mike Savage (Welder Stax) [2-1, 4-4]
Game 1 is a total blowout with him dropping turn 1 and turn 2 Lodestone Golems and me taking a mulligan. The board was simple: Take out Mindcensor and 2 Selkie for Rebuild, Recall, and the 2 Claims. Game 2 was insanely close as he has Welder, Lodestone, and Karn against my Hierarch, Trygon, and 4/5 Goyf. He drops Titan to blow up some land, but I keep flying over to put him to 3 and get rid of Lodestone. I have Recall in hand and try to use it before he attacks, but he wisely welded Lodestone back in, keeping that from happening. However, I was able to keep Noble and Trygon alive for the win. Game 3 he mulls to 5 and I drop 2 Goyfs on turn 1 to just beat him down fast with double Force of Will backup for any threat he drops.

Round 4: Win 2-1 vs Andrew Brady (G/R/W Beats) [3-1, 6-5]
Not a deck you expect and I lose game 1 on no land and no answers. The board: Take out Null Rod, Aura, and Spell Pierce (I only saw creatures and 1 Sorcery) and put in True Believer, Ethersworn Canonist, Pithing Needle, and Relic (cause it as Life from the Loam). The basis was simple, get rid of stuff that was 100% worthless for stuff not as worthless. Needle was mainly for Mox Monkey. Game 2 both went the same as we both tried to keep each other off mana and I was more successful, forcing him to only have City of Brass for mana and he had to use Bolts on my creatures. I probably should have brought Spell Pierce back in Game 3, but I just didn't.

Round 5: ID with Justin [3-1-1, 6-5]

With the Top 8 set, I get the 3 seed. Including the ID, four of my opponents make the Top 8. The matchups:
1 vs 8 - Justin (Dredge) vs Mike Savage (Welder Stax)
4 vs 5 - Brian Brady (Stax) vs Fenton (Oath)
3 vs 6 - Myself (Noble Fish) vs Andrew (Keeper)
7 vs 2 - Tom Dixon (BUG Tezz) vs the one deck I can't remember

I always hate playing the same person twice, especially in a close matchup, because very rarely have I ever seen the same results twice. But looking at the standings before round 5, I knew this was a possibility.

Top 8: Win 2-1 vs Andrew (Keeper) [4-1-1, 8-6]
This time I win Game 1, which had not happened all tournament. My turn 1 play: Tropical Island, Mox Pearl, Mox Emerald, Black Lotus, Selkie, Pridemage. Yes, I had one card left and it as a Daze to counter his Jace. I ended up riding Selkie to win at this point and dropping more exalted creatures. I had the same board in, but this time I took out the 2 Aura and 1 Null Rod. Game 2 involved me using Pridemage beats after he used Fire on my Selkie and Noble. I got him to 6, but then was forced to blow up his Time Vault when he dropped key. It was tons of draw/go after that until he finally got Tinker for Sphinx and countered my Swords. For Game 3, I went back to the Auars, taking out Null Rod again. We both Mull to 6 and we started my matching removal spells on our guys (Swords vs Edict). I get down Trygon and follow with Mindcensor when he tries to fetch. He missed on it and I just flew over.

Top 4: Win 2-1 vs Tom Dixon (BUG Tezz) [5-1-1, 9-7] (Other match was Dredge vs Oath, as both Stax decks lost)
Again, didn't want to see Tom here. Again, I win Game 1 as I drop a quick Pridemage and just beat down. The Nature's Claims came in this time as I took out the Auras. Game 2 resembled round 2 as I drew blanks and he just went full throttle with Bob, Trygon, and a Tinker for Inkwell. I took out the Claims for Game 3, opting for Tariff and Recall. Game 3 was totally different though as I drop Noble on turn 1. Here, Tom had a play, but changed it on thinking I had Daze (which I didn't telegraph at all, but he was right). You could tell he wanted Jace, but chose to play Trygon. I drop a Goyf and pass back. He goes for Bob and now I Daze. (At this point, he even says he should have used Thoughtseize and Bob on turn 1). I get back to back Pridemage and he quickly scoops.

Meanwhile, the other semi-final was just starting game two, with Dredge up a game. He won game 2 without ever getting rid of either of Fenton's Leylines.

Finals: Win 2-0 vs Justin (Dredge) [6-1-1, 11-7]
Yes, I won Game 1 vs Dredge, which nobody had done all day. Granted, he mulled to 5 and found his Bazaar. But he found nothing to dredge and I had turn one Wasteland. It was just a matter of getting creatures (Selkie and Exalted) and bashing. The board is basic here: Bring in True Believer, Trap, Relics, and Needles and take out Null Rod, Aura, and Mindcesnor. Game 2 we both keep seven and he goes Turn 1 City of Brass. I drop Hierarch and he uses Firestorm. I Daze quickly, not knowing he still got to discard cards. He only had one Troll and misses again with the Dredge, losing 2 Bazaars. I pretty much do the same thing as before, plus dropping Relic and Needle. He has to Claim his own Chalice to stay alive and in dramatic fashion lost to him tapping City of Brass in response to Claiming his own artifact with lethal damage attacking.

Yes, much less Stax than expected and I never did play Oath. However, I still think Noble Fish is very underrated right now and cant be ignored.