If it seems like I've been writing more this week without having an article...well, it's not entirely acurate. Most weeks I've done an article I've tried to bring at least three-ish tournaments. This will be my third GI Blog since I stopped writing.
Mostly, I've had the time. But behind that is the fact that I've tried to get in a few tourneys while going through the trials of moving over state lines, knowing I'll likely be without internet for some period, in addition to moving in and learning a new job. GI may be hibernating for a bit.
However, in the meantime, I managed to jump back into a standard 8-man with snow blink. Tournaments like this one are exactly why constructed is soooo much more profitable (if less fun).
Round 1 vs. UR something
Not really sure how to classify it. It was aggro-ish, but I never saw any Marauders. He had Psionic Blast and Incinerate, but also Sower of Temptation. It was strange. He beat me game one with trips Blast plus a Gargadon. He made a very heads up play when going all in with Gargs by floating mana to make my Rune Snag worthless. However, I took game two with Trips Riftwatchers, which he scooped to. Then I took the third game with third turn Bottle Gnomes (which died to Snow Yeti Man), then Blinked an Evoked Shriekmaw to kill Yeti Man and Magus of the Scroll. I followed that up with Mulldrifter and a key Grim Harvest. I won when I Remove Souled his all-in Gargadon.
And that's how I won the tournament.
Not quite, but sorta.
Round 2 vs. GR Snow
At any rate, all he did was play some 0/1 goyfs while a Cloudskate unsuspended. Eventually he was forced to Pyroclasm a Venser, Cloudskate and his own two Goyfs. I bounced and attacked ihs Chandra a few times, and bounced his Stuffy once. When he cast a second Chandra and aimed it at his Stuff, I blinked a Venser and bounced Stuffy. In response, he scooped. For the whole match.
"gg I gotta go."
Sweet.
So I split the finals. Go me.
And that's why standard 8-man queues rock.
I sold the winnings for 13, giving me 19.75 + 13 - 4 = 28.75
Then, since I had the time, for probably the last time...in a long time...I thought I'd play a few times...but only this time...
Anyway, another 8-man.
Round 1 vs BG Rock-ish
No real other way to describe it. He had goyfs and shriekmaw and Thoughtseize and stuff...and Loxodon Warhammer. I couldn't deal with a Warhammered Shreikmaw, so I lost. Actually, I think I missassigned my role and lost because I didn't realize how much I could have out-tempoed him. He crushed me in two straight.
28.75 - 4 = 24.75
Not to go out like a punk, I jump into another 8-man about to fire off.
Round 1 vs. Mono-Red Stuff
No green for this guy. Which means not a chance in heck. He never really came close. Martyrs were worthless game one as I drew all four Mulldrifters, plus two Cloudskates off all those cards. Multiple blinks easily helped me out draw and easily out-damage the mono-red deck (Bill Stark, what hath you wrought?) The second game was mostly me keeping Stuffy and Chandra from ever really being relevant, and just swinging with dudes. His life went from 20-0 in chunks of two, with the final blow delivered by a Riftwatcher.
Round 2 vs Mono Black Rack
After a lengthy break due to server crash, I'm up and playing the first person in a queue ever to recognize my online name. Penultimatedoom deserves mention as a really cool opponent. I figure I mention the jerks, I should mention the nice ones too...even wished me luck with the new job.
Anyway, I make a few mistakes in the first game, but so does he. In the end, I die to some Rack damage and a Korlash in there. Games two and three were mostly the same. He can't deal with my enchantments (Moat and O-Ring) and I peck away at him through the air. Riftwatchers keep my life total sky high (I ended the last game around 39 life) and Grim Harvest makes sure they keep coming back. The Riftwatchers were key in this match, as they kept Hippies at bay (damn dirty hippies! stay off my lawn!), kept my life above Rack-level and swung over for the damage. With Grim Harvest, the vanishing was more of an advantage than a disadvantage.
I split in the finals again. 24.75 - 4 + 13 = 33.75
Thus ends the special "live" blog...which was more of a wait for the server to come up blog.
This'll likely be the last one for a while, as I pack up tomorrow and move to my internet-less apartment on Thursday. Those of you in Iowa, I'll see you at FNM. Those of you elsewhere...
...till then.
Edit: Rather than add a whole 'nother blog, my very, very last standard 8-man before moving went as such (yet another example of why I love 8-mans)
Round 1 vs. Br 10th Ed Starter Deck
Sorta a starter deck. I knew I had it when he dropped swamp turn one followed by Vampire Bats. There were Severed Legions and Sould Feasts and other "stuff." The only red card I saw was a Bloodrock Cyclops. Anyway, I won. I felt bad for the guy...he was 1600, so this was obviously his first foray.
Round 2 vs. Mono Black Aggro
I just never win this match game one. He has 2/2 shadow guys and I have...no way to permanently handle them. He rolled me when Bad Moon hit and I scoope don turn 4. However, as the mono black match goes games 2 and 3, I just won because he can't handle my enchantments. What's more, I LIKE when they play 1 for 1 discard like Thoughtseize. It's one fewer creature, it's an early turn spent not affecting the board, and I have so many answers available to me, that he can't nab them all. I had no problem scooping game one, because games two and three seemed inevitable. There were some issues with Phobian Phantasm...but not "I'm gonna lose" issues...more like "I should deal with that in the next five turns or I may have to really start trying" problems. Anyway, I won 2 and 3.
So I split the finals. 33.75 + 9 = 42.75
P.S. Recall now my last article comment about already being essentially infinite...yup...here's why.
