What a weekend for me. And I'm still somewhat recovering from it as I write this. While I played - and crashed out of - the main event, I got to enjoy some of the best formats, Pauper and Chaos Draft! Here's how the weekend went down:
Friday 1-1-1
Round 1 vs Atog Affinity 0-2
I may or may not have punted sideboarding this matchup, however I consider this to be a bad matchup for the deck anyway. While a card like Disciple of the Vault would be a great card in our SB for this game, there isn't the space for it just for one matchup. Both games I was overrun and outmatched.
Round 2 vs Izzet Skred Delver 1-1-1
I kid you not, we went to time in this match. Game 1 my removal didn't line up well against all of the threats, and I scooped with no creatures against a board of 4 flyers and Accumulate Knowledge drawing four cards. Sideboarding helped, as I was able to drain them out, and swinging for lethal. And like I said, this match went to time. In fact, in additional turns we were playing land-go.
Round 3 vs Atog Affinity 2-0
Game 1 was a fluke with me winning. But it was close, as one more turn and I would likely be dead. Game 2 I just commanded the game, easily beating them with a better Sideboard attempt.
Saturday 2-0-1
Round 1 vs Suicide Black 2-0
Suicide Black is one of our better matchups, mainly because they deal as much damage to themselves as they do to us, and we have enough removal to deal with a flood of attackers. Game 2 gets easier, even though I won on 2 life. Who says Life isn't a resource?
I hope you like changing life totals, because when Monoblack Control faces off against Orzhov Pestilence they can rise just as much as they can fall. Syphon Life was a great help as it helped regain some life so that Guardian of the Guildpact and Pestilence couldn't kill me quickly enough. Game 2, with some better tools in hand, things were easier for me to win, and win I did.
Round 3 vs Elves 1-1 (-1)
We agreed to ID game 3 if that happened because it then meant we both got better prizes than if we didn't and lost. Although, I was the only 2-0 player who decided to play. Game 1 my removal didn't line up, however Game 2 Pestilence put in some great work, allowing us to win while keeping it around, even though it meant we couldn't use Syphon Life as much.
Sunday 2-1
Round 1 vs Izzet Skred Delver 2-0
It's a shame this was my opponent's first ever Pauper game, since this is a good matchup for us. Game 1 I was able to control the few threats that were played, and game 2 Trespasser's Curse worked more of a hindrance to them as they tried to counter spells.
Round 2 vs Suicide Black 2-0
Same as on Saturday, Suicide Black is an easy matchup, and one I will usually win all the time. Mainly because they have nothing in their sideboard for the matchup really.
Round 3 vs Snow Tron 1-2
Game 1 is rough for us against Tron, and we lost quite convincingly. Game 2 an early Duress and our opponent not getting Tron in time meant we could win. And in Game 3...we were Rolling Thunder'd to death. Not a fun matchup.
Final Thoughts
Overall this was a fun weekend of Pauper, and proved that Monoblack Control is still competitive in the meta. Usually best when the meta is trying to beat Tron or is Skred Delver though.
