Here are the results for my first state tournament.
1-1 Round 1: Junk Midrange
With all the people in the room, I played against someone I knew. Slightly unhappy at the fact that it was going to be me or him, I at least knew it was going to be a good game. Game one he was dropping creatures and getting in the occasional hit and I was answering when I could. Eventually he got Ajani, Mentor of Heroes to which I had no answer in hand. Turn by turn he started pulling away in card advantage and I lost to Obzedat, Ghost Council.
Game 2 I was able to supply answers to his early game and stalled long enough to resolve Blood Baron of Vizkopa followed by another one next turn. At that point I was able to put in 8 per turn until I won game 2.
Game 3 we were nearly out of time but we played it anyway. I was able to answer everything he dropped but couldn’t resolve a win condition fast enough to take game 3. We went to time.
1-2 Round 2: Mono Black Devotion
Game 1 Started off with him on the play. He dropped a swamp on turn 1 then Mutavault on turn 2. On turn 3 he started swinging in with it and missed a land drop. After realizing this I quickly burn the mutavault with a Hero's Downfall on his turn 4. After losing a mutavault he dropped another and attempted to swing with it again on his following turn only to have that one downfalled as well.
At this point he was playing so far behind I easily took this game all the way.
Game 2 He started off on the play again and destroyed my hand with a volley of Thoughtseize and Duress. He also answered every Detention Sphere I played until he got the win from an ever increasing board state.
Game 3 Was a great game. It went back and forth with answers and problems until I started into a land draw and that I never got out of. Eventually my opponent got the win as I continued to draw lands and no Sphinx's Revelation.
0-2 Round 3: Naya Aggro
Game 1 went fast and furious. I kept 3 land hand on my first game and never got my fourth so I could drop my Supreme Verdict.
Game 2 went much the same way. I kept a hand with 3 lands and once again never got the lands that I needed to support me for the win. My opponent easily got game 2.
2-1 Round 4: GW Aggro
Game 1 went like it should have with an on curve verdict followed by a sphinx’s rev a few turns later. Then an Elspeth, Sun's Champion to top it all off.
Game 2 I actually got mana screwed yet again and my opponent got it
Game 3 happened in the same fashion as game 1. The deck had answers until it could sphinx, then resolve an Elspeth and +1 to victory!
1-0 Round 5: Orzhov Midrange
Game 1 was a tough match up as my opponent attacked my hand, droped problem cards like blood baron and obzedat. He was able to whittle my life down to 5 before I was able to stabilize and start getting the advantage. Even with me at 5 and my opponent at 28 I knew he couldn’t win at this point so I reasoned with him to go to game 2 and he didn’t agree. So l I took a gamble and showed him my hand which consisted of Sphinx's Revelation, multiple counter spells, and various answers, the only card missing was the win condition. My opponent understood that to go any further was just going to cut into future games and decided to scoop and go to game 2.
Game 2 was another epic battle of problems and answers and it went all the way until the clock hit 0. In the final turns my opponent was able to start resolving some problem cards and had blood baron and Obzedat on board. I used sphinx for 13 to live and he was still able to drop me to 6. Most of the cards I drew were lands. I was looking for a downfall and a verdict so I could stop both his threats and call it a 1-0 since it was turn 4 on my turn. I, instead drew a blood baron and Jace, Arcitect of thought. So I dropped the blood baron and the jace then +1 Jace. The baron would prevent him from swinging with obzedat and the jace would ensure I didn’t die to to blood baron. His turn came, I took 2 from obzedat trigger putting me at 4. He realized he couldn’t kill me and picked up his cards after that. It was 2 epic games.
2-0 Round 6: RG Monsters
Game 1 my opponent was able to drop me to 10 using Courser of Kruphix over the first half of the game. During which I was answering the problems that the deck presents. After getting in a comfortable place, knowing he had no threats in hand, due to thoughtseize and courser, I used azorious charm to give myself a free “do what you want” turn. So as he put his courser on top of his library I resolved my Elspeth and proceeded to +1 her to victory.
Game 2 went much the same as game one but with more thoughtseize action. After my turn 2 there was never a point in the game I didn’t know what was in his hand. I was able to dance around and game plan for every threat he had. I knew he had a Mizzium Mortars in hand. So the turn before my Elspeth goes ultimate I tick her up to 7, then cast a thoughtseize to snag his mortars. Then play an AEtherling for good measure. He didn’t draw an answer to the tokens and couldn’t swing in so he passed. I ultimate Elspeth and proceeded to swing in for 39 to end the match.
2-1 Round 7: Mono Blue Devotion
Game 1 I went first and was able to answer everything relevant, until I was able to resolve a Jace and absorb most of his damage. Once he was nice and invested in a board state he dropped Master of Waves and I dropped Supreme Verdict. At this point in the game I was able to resolve Elspeth and start making guys. She didn’t go ultimate since he used a non overloaded Cyclonic Rift to reset her, but I still had more than enough 1/1’s on board to finish the game.
Game 2 was a bit different. He was on the play and was floating counterspells to stop my Jace and Sphinx. I didn’t draw into a supreme verdict and he ended up overwhelming me in a few short turns.
Game 3 started off in a terrible place as I had 0 lands in my opening hand and 0 lands in my 6. I had to mulligan down to 5 on the play. This game 3 started off looking grim, until I saw my 5 cards. 1 scry land, 1 shock land, 1 jace, and 2 detention spheres. I dropped my shock land and passed then drew another scry land. Dropped an, scry land and it was another land on top. The magic gods gave me the perfect 5 and the lands to support it. I resolved Jace on the turn my opponent tapped out to advance his board state and then +1 for protection. The turn after I used his -2 and started getting the answers I needed. I was able to protect and draw cards off of this 1 jace for the rest of the game. I waited to resolve Elspeth until I had enough mana to push her with a Dissolve. Then proceeded to victory and killing him with 1/1’s.
The tournament didn't start off so well for me in the beginning with a draw followed by 2 losses, making my record 0-2-1. I’m glad that I decided to stick it out and pull out the 4 wins in a row. The entire tourney was taxing, I was exhausted and relieved with it was all over with. I finished in 24th place. Not bad for my first state tournament.
