In true GWS fashion, we drove entirely too far to Milwaukee and returned with new power. As usual I get up too early and go to bed too late. To be fair, I just discovered Gmail so I HAD to try it out.
Luckily my father is awake and has made coffee. I snag some of that as well as some French toast with peaches (the absolute best breakfast item ever) at the local diner. We hit the road about seven.
After testing Brian’s 7/10 build for a LONG time, I decided that my luck with the deck was just too awful to take. I went with a metagamed version of 4c Control with three Gorilla Shamans in the main.
Round one vs Steve with Crucible.decGame one: He is forced to mulligan down to six cards. I draw a set of 2 Wastelands and a Shaman. I kill off all of his lands with a third Wasteland and the game comes to a close by my Angel turning up. At some point he cast a Crucible and I countered. Three mana was the most he ever got.
Note: Somewhere midgame a large discussion over whether or not Time Walk targets occurs behind us. Everyone tells the kid it doesn’t, we move on. After reading the Origins report, I thought this was interesting.
Game two: My opening set has 3 Wastelands and soon after Shaman shows up. Steve was unaware that Gorilla Shaman eats up on those new artifact lands. My monkey clears out something like five permanents. He never got enough mana to do anything useful.
I’ve seen Steve at Chicago as well. It’s good to see people showing up to both; we are.
Round two vs Matt Morrison with TrinistaxGame one: He has to mulligan down to six cards. My set is pretty generic and I’m not entirely certain what he is playing. He plays an early Tangle Wire. I have Library of Alexandria. We sit there for entirely too long. He gets two Welders in play that can do little other than refreshing the Wire counters. I’m tapped down and don’t manage to draw anything but counters and a few Wastelands. Finally I get enough land and send out the Angel. Another Angel hits play too. The turn he finally hits four mana is the turn before Angel #1 turns up to kill him.
That game took entirely too long. We have about ten minutes heading into game two.
Game two: He throws down first turn Crucible. My set has three lands but I’m still somewhat worried. On turn two he drops a Tangle Wire, I Stifle the counters (omfgrofl!). He hits Wasteland way too late. Gorilla Shaman comes down to kill a few random things. I start to run out of land when time is called.
Matt was at the last Chicago tourney and rocked thoroughly then. He didn’t make much of a change this time. I hope to see him around for a while.
Round three Brian with Gay/R (get it? Gayer…funny am i rite?)
Game one: I play first turn LoA, he meets it with Ancestral. Men come down. Two Daze stop a key card. I get beat by fish in the traditional manner.
Game two: I get mass acceleration and cycle Decree for three on turn one. Angel comes down on turn four. GG!1
Game three: I have to mulligan to FIVE. Fortunately I get the NUTS. My hand is: Ancestral, Time Walk, Land, Land, Angel. I throw Ancestral out there, it sticks. He draws no red mana the entire game. Angel cleans it up.
Note: Angels are a goddamn house.
Round four again Tim with FCGGame one: I play Angels.
Game two: He plays three Lackeys.
Game three: I play Angels.
At one point in game three he swung with a large crew of men which prompted “How much damage is that?� to which he replied “I don’t know I lose.� That rocked. Tim kicked some serious bum despite playing a bad deck.
I draw round five again TNT to slide into top eight as first seed. I rule the whole world. Brian is seed three I think.
Top Eight vs Ryan with 3c MadnessGame one: He draws a lot of men. I draw a lot of mana. There’s not a lot to say. I get serviced.
Game two: I get a pretty great draw of Ancestral and Angel. He didn’t know I had Angels and therefore sided out the bouncers. The Angel kicks his face in and we go to game three. My life total was at 26 when I won.
Game three: Closest.game.evar. I get two Flametongues but he burns and beats me down to extremely low. I was at seven when he hardcasts down Anger. He swings and I can block with Kavu. I put another Kavu on top with Brainstorm so I let it through. That puts me at five life. I draw the Kavu and cast it down with City of Brass. Now I’m at four. He draws a burn and puts me at one. Anger is in the grave so most everything kills me. I beat with one Kavu leaving back the other and Shaman to block. He doesn’t get anything but counters and land. I take him from 18 to zero. WOW!
Ryan was an overall really cool guy as well as a competent player. That was my closest match all day.
Top Four vs Jeremy with 3c TogGame one: We fight over an Ancestral which I resolve. I draw two Wastelands and a Mox Monkey. I’m winning. He topdecks a Yawgmoth’s Will I can’t counter. I lose.
Game two: I take an early advantage. Despite not drawing much of counter, I resolve a Scrying for three. I slowly start to own him with the Decree I Mystical Tutored for. He topdecks Yawgmoth’s Will and I don’t have a counter like a pro. He ends up with four cards in hand and a Tog. My life total is too high for him to kill me. He needs Cunning Wish. I Brainstorm into shit and a Scrying. I play an Angel down and pass turn. He topdecks the Cunning Wish the turn before he dies. I Scrying for one in response hoping to get a Red Blast. No luck. He ownz me with a huge ass Tog and no cards in hand or yard.
Well it was disappointing to see me lose to topdecks but it happens I suppose. Fisher went on to own up on the Tog deck I’m not sure why but Jeremy refused to spilt the prize. 7/10 tends to hit up on the Tog deck pretty easily.
Props:
Brian for being the asshole who won 4 of the last 5 tourneys he’s been to
GWS for being the best team ever
The Morris guys for rocking in pretty much every way
The guy driving the Viper with the license plate of “Haulin Asp�
The amazingly hot chick at the restaurant after the tourney
The restaurant after the tourney for rocking
Tegan and Sara for giving me rockin’ girl music to listen to while writing this
Slops:
The kid who said that Time Walk targeted for being dumb as hell
Tog for being dumb as hell
Topdecks for being dumb as hell
Players for standing behind their friends, helping them remember shit, and making stupid ass comments during the game even after I make sarcastic remarks that blatantly meant shut up
Me for being a hypocrite
Me for not proofing this
Thank you everyone for showing up and helping to make this the best Milwaukee game yet! It was really a good time and everyone was pretty cool.
