Game 1
3 player against Mayael and Narset
Opening hand:
Animate Dead, Forest, Vampiric Tutor, Altar of Dementia, Carrion Feeder, Verdant Catacombs, Wood Elves
T1.
Draw Reveillark
Play Verdant Catacombs -> Bayou
(eot for last opponent)
Vampiric Tutor for Entomb
T2.
Draw Entomb
Play Forest
Play Altar of Dementia
T3.
Draw Godless Shrine
Play Godless Shrine
Play Entomb putting Boonweaver Giant in the yard
Play Animate Dead on Boonweaver Giant
gg
Game 2
4 player against Nahiri, Kruphix, and Derevi
Opening hand:
Llawnmower Elves, Diabolic Intent, Swamp, Phyrexian Tower, Animate Dead, Iona, Shield of Emeria, Windswept Heath
T1.
Draw Forest
Play Windswept Heath -> Bayou
Play Llawnmower Elves
T2.
Draw Spore Frog
Play Swamp
Tap elves and play Spore Frog
Play Diabolic Intent sacking Frog -> Survival of the Fittest
T3.
Draw Enlightened Tutor
Play Forest
Play Survival of the Fittest
(eot for last opponent)
Activate Survival discarding Iona -> Boonweaver Giant
Activate Survival discarding Boonweaver -> Carrion Feeder
T4.
(Derevi player had played Rising Waters, so only Bayou untaps)
Draw Brushland
Play Phyrexian Tower
Play Carrion Feeder
Activate Phyrexian Tower on Llawnmower Elves for BB
Play Animate Dead on Boonweaver
gg
Game 3
4 player against Jhoira, Kruphix, and Derevi (same players as game 2, but with Nahiri swapping to Jhoira)
Opening Hand
- I have a terrible opening hand and even after mulling down to 5, only have 1 land in hand. Sakura-Tribe Elder is in there and I don't want to go to 4, so I keep.
Early Turns
- Derevi player gets off to a really fast start, planting Sol Ring, Mana Crypt, Derevi, Edric, and a bunch of mana dorks.
- Jhoira player seems to have mana trouble. He plants Jhoira T4 and suspends Worldgorger Dragon for some reason.
- Kruphix player sets up his mana base while disrupting some of Derevi player's moves. It's evident that this list is very similar to mine, being a counterspell.dec which means he'll be unstoppable if he's allowed to establish a big cache of mana.
- I don't wind up hitting a second land until T6.
Midgame
- Derevi player was really looking like he was going to run away with the game. Kruphix player lands Prophet of Kruphix and Derevi steals it with Gilded Drake.
- Jhoira player buys everyone some time by resolving Blasphemous Act. He then feels the sadness when his Worldgorer Dragon resolves effectively giving him nothing to do (we're all happy to leave him with no land).
- Kruphix player is glad to have the extra time as he sits there stockpiling mana.
- The gap created from my early mana trouble is closing as I've been able to ramp modestly and the Blasphemous Act makes the difference in development less pronounced. I am able to land Hermit Druid, which I'm hoping will help me dig for a win con before Kruphix locks everyone down.
Key Moment
- I've had to activate Hermit Druid three times (kind of dissappointing as now I'm finding all that missing land), but my yard is now stocked with notables including Boonweaver Giant, Sun Titan, Fiend Hunter, and Karmic guide. I'm not going to be able to do the usual Boonweaver dance, since most of his Pattern of Rebirth targets are in the yard instead of the library.
- My hand has Animate Dead, Necromancy, Viscera Seer, Altar of Dementia, Eternal Witness and Shred Memory. Looking at the yard, I've got a win con with Altar of Dementia coupled with Fiend Hunter and either Sun Titan or Karmic Guide. All I've got to do is resolve Altar and reanimate a guy to win. With the Kruphix player online, that will take some work.
- The Kruphix player has all of his land untapped with some 20 colorless in the cache. He has 2 cards in hand with Kruphix and Mystic Remora in play. Against this kind of Kruphix deck you need to assume that every single card is a counter, so I want to draw those out before playing the win con.
- During my turn I'll have access to 8 mana, which should be enough to play Viscera Seer, Altar, Animate Dead, and Necromancy. Since he only has 2 potential counters, if I sequence this right and Kruphix counters each, I should be able win.
- Key Misplay Before untapping for my turn I had an open mana and Qasali Pridemage on the field. I didn't account for fact that the Kruphix Player's Mystic Remora would draw him a card on each of my casts. I only considered the 2 cards in hand. The correct play would have been to destroy the Remora before untapping for my turn.
- I play Viscera Seer hoping he'll counter... resolves.
- I play Altar of Dementia. Remora triggers and Kruphix player draws and ... resolves. (!!!)
- I play Necromancy, Kruphix player draws and counters.
- I play Animate Dead, Kruphix player draws and counters.
- This was the moment where the game was winnable and it passed.
End Game
- On my next turn, I activate Pridemage and destroy Remora.
- I play Eternal Witness... resolves and I get Animate Dead back.
- I play Animate Dead and Kruphix responds with Time Stop, exiling Animate Dead.
- On his turn, Kruphix player lands Spawnsire of Ulamog. I inform him that I didn't agree to sideboard rules, but would let it slide because we weren't playing for prizes or anything. Derevi player concedes.
- Jhoira player is still way behind because no one will interact with his Worldgorger, but he stays in.
- My turn again, I transmute Shred Memory into Dance of the Dead and cast ... countered.
- I play Karador ... resolves.
- Karador returns Eternal Witness... resolves and returns Dance of the Dead.
- I play Dance of the Dead... countered.
- Kruphix players turn, he activates Spawnsire... and gets Trickbinded by Jhoira player!
- Back to my turn, I can try the Eternal Witness into Dance of the Dead again, but Kruphix has 3 cards and will probably counter. He doesn't have the mana to activate Spawnsire on my turn (but will when he untaps) and doesn't have haste so I'll have one turn more before getting attacked by an army of Eldrazi. I choose to cement my position and try for the win next turn instead so...
- I play Birthing Pod... Kruphix thinks for awhile and seeing only Karador, Hermit, and Viscera Seer, lets it resolve.
- I target Karador with Birthing Pad to go get Iona naming Blue. Counters be damned.
- Kruphix players turn, he untaps and passes. Hmm.
- Jhoira untaps and passes.
- Back to me. I cast Eternal Witness... no responses and get Dance of the Dead.
- I play Dance of the Dead... Kruphix responds with what everyone expected. He activates Spawnsire to cast all the eldrazi, Ulamag kills Iona, Kozilek draws 4, and Dance gets countered.
- gg
