Report: T1 @ Carta Magica

Hi all. This is my first attempt at a tourney report, so bear with me.

Date: September 1st
Location: Carta Magica (Montreal,Quebec)
Time: 1pm
Entrants: 34
Format: 6 rounds Swiss from which the Top 8 advance to single elimination

Members in attendance: the phoenix, Khazgar-, tom bombadil, Cancerman, mal, specialK, Shock Wave

There were others, but I was not acquainted with everyone and thus am not sure who they were. Apologies to those I missed.

Metagame: Keeper, Void, Sui, Sligh, Stacker 2, Urphiddian, Parfait, Mono Blue, Reanimator, random control, random aggro

I am playing my usual U/W control, which I refuse to give up on, and has been treating me rather well as of late.

Shock_Wave.dec, Rogue U/W Control

4 Force of Will
4 Mana Drain
4 Counterspell
2 Mana Leak
2 Misdirection
1 Teferi's Response

4 Impulse
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Stroke Of Genius
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Time Walk

4 Swords To Plowshares
1 Moat
1 Balance
1 Aura Fracture

2 Morphling

7 Island
4 Tundra
4 Adarkar Wastes
3 Mishra's Factory
3 Wasteland
1 Plains
1 Strip Mine
1 Library Of Alexandria
1 Sol Ring
1 Mox Pearl

Sideboard:

4 Meddling Mage
3 Powder Keg
3 Hydroblast
2 COP Black
1 Blue Elemental Blast
1 Misdirection
1 Zuran Orb

Round 1: vs. beginner, random mono black

Game 1: There's not much to say about this matchup as the kid I am playing against is obviously a beginner and is unfamiliar with standard control cards such as Mana Leak, Misdirection, etc. His deck consists of Drain Life, Cabal Coffers, Corrupt, Haunting Echoes, and other cards which have absolutely no synergy. Morph eats him up.

- Aura Fracture + 4 Meddling Mage
- Stroke Of Genius + 2 COP: Black
- 2 Counterspell
- 2 Impulse

I didn't get to see much of his deck the first game, so the boarding was totally intuitive. I also wanted to try the mages out, but it didn't really make a difference.

Game 2: I draw an overabundance of counters, and hold off his weird array of spells for a while. I lay factories and beat him for a while and let him resolve a Ring of Gix (?!). He goes to tap my factory, I cast Teferi's Response. This takes him to less than 10 life. On his following turn, he concedes after I Misdirect his Haunting Echoes, removing all but a few janky cards of his library from the game.

Match 2-0, 1-0-0

Round 2: vs. Tom Bombadil (Keeper)

Game 1: As we are shuffling, I get a good look at his cards and see a bunch of Moxes, Abyss, Yawgmoth's Will, so I naturally assume I am playing against Keeper. My first hand: Ancestrall Recall, 2x Force Of Will, Misdirection, Impulse, Mana Leak, Mishra's Factory. Knowing that he's most probably going to make an early move for Ancestral Recall, I keep, and plus I don't want to mulligan versus Keeper. He wins the roll and opts to play first:

Tom: COB, Mox Emerald, DT
Me: Factory (draw Mana Drain)
Tom: Tundra, casts Ancestral
   - I respond with Misd, pitching impulse
   - Tom FOW's pitching Drain
   - I FOW pitching Drain

I draw a Sol Ring, Island, Pearl, and then proceed to cast my own Ancestral on my turn. I beat him with the factory for a few turns and then lay Morph. He tries to FOW, but I counter and he scoops.

- Aura Fracture + 3 Hydroblast
- Mystical Tutor + 1 BEB
- 4 Swords + 3 Powder Keg
- Moat + 4 Meddling Mage
- Stroke Of Genius
- Time Walk
- 2 Impulse

Game 2: This game is an absolute nightmare for Tom, as I have an answer for just about everything he does. He makes an awful error in the early going by stripping the first land I play (an island!?). I lay factories and start beating away. The game ends when he Regrows a Wasteland, a last ditch effort to polish the last factory, but I have Teferi's Response and draw into another factory to seal the match.

I typically lose to keeper with this deck, but I drew 2 hands that were optimal for the opening scenarios in both games.

Match: 2-0, 2-0-0

Round 3: vs. the phoenix (Urphiddian)

Game 1: I am totally fearing this matchup, as I know his build has more counter-magic than mine. He seems extremely reluctant to cast anything though, and then blindly attempts a Morphling, while I am holding 7 cards (6 counter, Morphling). My Mana Drain eventually resolves and thus I cast Superman on my turn. He scoops.

- Mystical Tutor + 4 Meddling Mage
- Aura Fracture + 3 Powder Keg
- 4 Swords + Misdirection
- Moat + BEB
- 2 Mana Leak

Game 2: We are pressed for time as the last game took forever, but I already have 1 win so I'm not worried. He sides out Fire/Ice, as expected, and I watch him cringe as I lay Meddling Mage naming Morphling. He REBs it, but I follow with another and then give him some factory discipline for the win. Hmmmmmm. He owns this matchup, but perhaps this is my lucky day?

Match: 2-0, 3-0-0

Round 4: vs. specialK (Mono Blue)

Game 1: I prepare myself to be totally owned, as I should be in this matchup. He lays LOA on his first turn and catches me Strip/Waste-less. He goes to town on my ass, drawing an obscene amount of cards and then thoroughly butchering me with Morphling.

- Mystical Tutor + 4 Meddling Mage
- 4 Swords To Plowshares + 3 Powder Keg
- Moat + Misdirection
- Stroke Of Genius
- Impulse

Game 2: <insert Rootwater thief, Morphling, Scrying Glass beatings here please>

Match: 1-2, 3-1-0

Arend (specialK) graciously gives me a free win to help out with tie-breakers if necessary. That's about the only way I was gonna get a win out of this matchup.

Round 5: vs. some kid, Sligh (I think.... )

Game 1: He mulls down to 5, so I'm banking on the autowin already. I have Ancestral in my first hand, and he is casting weird shit like Goblin Chariot and other lame red cards. I'm wondering how he managed a 3-1 record at this point.

- Aura Fracture + 3 Powder Keg
- Balance + 3 Hydroblast
- Stroke of Genius + BEB
- Moat + Misdirection
- 2 Counterspell
- 2 Impulse

Game 2: I made some really lame sideboard choices, but I wanted to play with the mages so bad . It was totally inconsequential in the end, as he casts Final Fortune (!?!) and ends up putting himself out of his misery.

Match: 2-0, 4-1-0

Round 6: Because the Top 8 spots had already been determined at this point, everybody purposely drew so that we could quickly proceed into elimination.

Top 8 decks: 2 x U/W control, Sui, Stacker 2, Landstill, Mono U, Urphiddian, Keeper

Top 8 Round 1: vs. Cancerman (TnT)

Game 1: This was probably the most entertaining match of he tournament for me, as both players made no errors and the game was extremely close. He starts casting fatties right away. I send a Juggernaut and Triskelion farming, and counter a welder. He manages to resolve another Juggy, which beats me up until I can block and pump with a factory. His next fatty is drained and I cast Superman on the following turn, at precariously low life. I don't have much land, so I can only pluck him here and there. He chump blocks with a few critters and pokes me down to 1 life before I stabalize with Morphling. Game Point: He is at 11, I am at 1. I have 2 lands. He casts another Juggernaut. I desperately need a land to save my Morphling and kill the Juggy next turn. I draw.... and.... there's life. I block/stack/pump with Morph on his turn, and then send him in for the kill a few turns later. On the final turn, my opponent had Anger in the graveyard, but had no mana left to Survival for another Welder, else he could have scurried in for the win.

- Aura Fracture + 3 Hydroblast
- 2 Misdirection + 4 Meddling Mage
- Teferi's Response + 3 Powder Keg
- 2 Mana Leak
- Time Walk
- Stroke Of Genius
- 2 Impulse

Game 2: Hmmmmm. What's the best way to explain this? He stuffs my ass quickly with Su-Chi and Juggernauts. Swords/Moat/Balance are nowhere to be found.

Game 3: This game starts off slow. He drops Survival and Welders, I drop Moat. He finds Lyrist, I send the lyrist farming. I'm thinking I've got this game in the bag, as I've no idea as to how he's going to get around the Moat.

Currently on the board:

Him (21 life): 2 x Welder, 2 x Juggernaut, Su-Chi, Winter Orb, Survival, 2 Moxes, 4 Land.

Me(20 life): Morphling, Moat, 6 Land, Mox Pearl.

I swing for 5, and end my turn. He searches for "Wonder". I read the card (which I've never seen before) and figure out that I am fucked unless I wipe the board next turn. He has my mana locked down with Winter Orb, and I only have 3 untapped, so its looking pretty grim for me. For some reason though, Cancerman opts to exchange the Winter Orb for a Triskelion (having Anger in the graveyard) and send in the parade. I take 16, but I am no longer under the constraints of the Winter Orb. At EOT, I cast Impulse and find.... Balance! I knock off my own Morphling, cast a Powder Keg, and then wipe the board with Balance. He pings me in response with the Triskelion, leaving me at 1. After the balance:

Him (16 life): 4 lands, 2 Mox, Survival (no cards)
Me(1 life): 4 lands, Moat, Mox (no cards)

I pass, he drops land. I topdeck Morphling, cast it, and then keg away the moxes. He finds nothing on his next turn, and my next 2 draws are permission, which seal me the win.

This was an all round excellent match, with the exception of the one gaffe Cancerman made with the Winter Orb. Otherwise, very exciting and well played.

I'm informed at this point that both mal (U/W Control) and specialK (Mono U) have been eliminated, along with tom bombadil (Keeper). Suicide, WW, and Urphiddian are left.

Top 8 Round 2: vs. the phoenix (Urphiddian)

Game 1: This game must have lasted over an hour. It was long and boring, with lots of deliberation and typical draw-go bullshit. In the end, I have 3 cards left, he has 6. I try to Stroke him for the remainder of his library, and after a huge counter war, he Misdirects it to me for the win.

- 2 Mana Leak + 4 Meddling Mage
- Aura Fracture + 3 Powder Keg
- 4 Swords + Misdirection
- Moat

Game 2: I made a huge sideboarding error this game, keeping the Mystical Tutor in. By the time I noticed though, it was kinda late. He draws LOA first turn, so do I. He Wastes mine, I sit around and watch him do fun stuff with his. He beats me up with Morphling. 'Nuff said.

Andrew played well and deserved to win. I believe the first place prize of $150 was split between him and the guy piloting the Sui deck.

The Hairy T's bunch did rather well, with Arend (specialk), myself, and Lam (mal) finishing 1st, 2nd, and 3rd (respectively) in the top eight, prior to the elimination round. Thanks to Arend and Lam for the hook-ups and the deck tweaking. Hats off to all for a great tourney.