Junk Zombies OM NOM NOM!!
Standard*
SCORE: 31 | 24 COMMENTS | 12285 VIEWS | IN 10 FOLDERS
FNM#20: 8th. Place —May 18, 2013
Really bad week for me. The only reason I made top eight was because two of my opponents dropped and gave me free wins. I think I'll take out Blood Scrivener and go back to using Knight of Infamy. Also, due to the amount of people playing midrange at my shop, I'll have to take out Orzhov Charm and replace them with Putrefy or Tragic Slip. Here were the results:
Round One: Naya Blitz
He had just finished building his deck, so it was a little wonky. He didn't have Searing Spear or Burning-Tree Emissary. He was, however, using Ash Zealot which messed up my Lingering Souls and Gravecrawler. I win game one with two Lotleth Trolls trampling over everything. Game two I mulligan down to five, stuck with Abrupt Decay, Vampire Nighthawk, and three lands. I get up to 26 life, but fail to draw any creatures. He swarms me and I die horribly. Game three I curve out before he can establish board position, winning 2-1.
Round Two: American Flash
Game one I curve out. Game two he doesn't mulligan and gets stuck on three mana. He plays a Boros Reckoner, but I kill it with Abrupt Decay and win 2-0.
Round Three: Bye
My opponent decided to go play League of Legends instead of telling the judge he was dropping, so I didn't get to play :(
Round Four: Bant Flash
So I heard Advent of the Wurm is really good, especially when it flashes in on turn three. He had to mulligan down to five game one, but made up for it with turn one Avacyn's Pilgrim into turn two Farseek into Advent of the Wurm. I don't draw any removal and he tramples over me for game. Game two is really close as I get him down to five life. Just when I'm about to swing for game the next turn, he casts Sphinx's Revelation and follows it with Advent of the Wurm and Thragtusk. I lose the round 0-2, but he lets me report a win since he has to drop.
Round Five: Selesnya Tokens
I was off-tempo this entire round. I'm still unsure if I should have been more aggressive with my mulligans or not. Game one I had two Isolated Chapel and Woodland Cemetery for my lands. This slows me down as I'm casting Diregraf Ghoul when he's playing Wayfaring Temple and Loxodon Smiter. I lose when he plays Advent of the Wurm and starts populating. Game two I have a better start with Deathrite Shaman into Lotleth Troll into Vampire Nighthawk. Things come to a halt once he begins making tokens. We're both in topdeck mode with one card in hand when he casts Ready / Willing to wipe my board. I go to swing a second time for game when he casts another one! I lose the round 0-2, talk about crazy topdecks...
Round Six: Esper Control
It's been a while since I've seen someone play Esper Control at my store. Game one he gets stuck on one white mana with three Supreme Verdict in hand. Game two I shoot Rhox Faithmender with Appetite for Brains. Two Deathrite Shamans prevent him from flashing back Think Twice or Lingering Souls, and he dies to Dreg Mangler, so I sweep.
Quarterfinals: Four-Color Midrange (no black)
I've had to play this person in every FNM top 8 for the past four weeks or so. Game one I'm off-tempo again with no one drops, but a playable hand. He drops in Boros Reckoner on turn three and I kill it with Abrupt Decay. He follows up by casting Huntmaster of the Fells Flip who does all kinds of horrible things and finishes me off after transforming. Game two I side in tons of removal and draw all of it. I blow up two Boros Reckoners, a Huntmaster of the Fells Flip, and a Snapcaster Mage, then finish him off with Dreg Mangler. Game three I get him down to five life before he casts Sphinx's Revelation and two Thragtusk. Back at his starting life total, he ends the round for me at 1-2.