GPT 30/5/2015

So I recently pieced together a Grixis twin deck, evolved from the Grixis delver deck.

I took it to a GPT and spent some time deliberating on how to go about with the sideboard and tried a 2x Bitterblossom and 4x Spellstutter Sprite configuration to try to play as a faeries deck in game 2.

I think that idea extended from a 2 Bitterblossom slot and some influence from a guy playing a UW control deck with Spellstutter Sprites. I also wasn't sure of what I wanted so I could as well just try and see where it all goes while figuring out what are the tools I need.

The change itself wasn't too bad an idea but I think that the important part would be to accurately identify the decks whereby that strategy is good and where I should fight over the combo more.
A half baked faeries deck isn't going to get too far.

Playing twin itself was a challenge because I ended up giving up 2 games where I could have won otherwise (on hindsight of course) but I had to be able to identify windows of opportunity to attack.

For example, in a game my opponent tapped out and cast Geist of Saint Traft and I could cast an Exarch. I topdecked Splinter Twin after that and would have won on the spot if I had just cast the Exarch in anticipation of a possible Splinter Twin. I lost the opportunity and the game.

The other instance was when my opponent cast Inquisition of Kozelik and I didn't cast the Exarch although I had double Splinter Twin in hand in fear of a Liliana.

I went 3-2 and dropped. I won collective, lost to URW Geist, won a GBW deck with Lingering Souls, won amulet bloom and lost to Jund (made a mistake of changing into the faeries deck).

Buddyfight 3DS Password

So my brother bought the DS game for Buddyfight and made me get one too.
As always, I'm collecting the passwords for the game.

Here are some that I have (haven't tested out yet, mainly because there isn't anything I want so there might be errors)

I will update this as time goes on and if I manage to get more info.

Surprisingly, the passwords are not shared much as compared to the VG 3DS games...

Jade Golem Shyatan - てわんをひこえ

Violent Dragon Magnagran - えらあくろしまを

Tsukikage, Giant Shield - くふらてれほまち

Demon Way, Oborogenbu - わてきこへそあも

Black Dragon, Dientes - すてちろもれまか

Demon Lord, Joker Grunwald - にひくふえむ

Jackknife 10000 - にせちよみすりも

Rising Flare, Heat Edge - ほろたとそさきへ

Steel Blooded Dragon, Gavaldine - ねうめふへきの

Drum Bunker Dragon - いちむみこさぬ

Gargantua Punisher - おむやきかまと

Brave of the Sun, Gao - むしよこのさな

Dragon Knight, Tutankhamun - をろめちけこゆ

Witch of Mischief, Iris the Trickster - ぬしせもはゆれ

Update (15/7/2015): You can get (all? I dunno) the passwords from the official page

http://www.cs.furyu.jp/buddyfight-yj/special/dlc.html

Q-ed for a PTQ!!!

So I was bouncing off doing Legacy and Modern DEs (less inclined for Modern) and I noticed that there were these PTQ qualifiers going on. I mapped out the ones I could play in without going the extra mile and figured that I would want to try playing in a PT at some point in my life so I might as well try grinding some of these.

I went 4-1 and am qualified to play in a PTQ (limited) and need to place top to qualify for the PT.

To be honest, this is my first sealed outside prerelease and I have not once drafted the set since I don't do much limited nowadays anymore.

However, I still have in me ingrained years of experience of playing limited and am no slouch when it comes to playing sealed. (Drafting is a different beast altogether)

So I played all my bombs, have good creatures, removals and drew first when I could.

The 2GG 5/4 that gives haste is the nuts. I've had my Elder dragon swinging out on turn 6 with haste thanks to him. My Elder dragon is a frigging 5/7 flying lifelink with built-in Defence Grid to stop my opponent's combat tricks. How awesome is that?

I did make a few blunders that cost me my loss from not knowing exactly what my cards did.

Like in one game, I had Foul Removal but I was under the impression that it gave -x/-x based on the converted mana cost until I cast it and failed to kill the thing I was trying to kill and then realized it gave -x/-x based on the card's toughness.
I also thought that bolster gave counters based on power rather than toughness until I cast my 5 mana bolster dude and realized that it was counting toughness instead.

In any case, below is my final moment that came from a turn 2 Soul Summons into my 2GG green Fires of Yavimaya that dominated the game with its hasty badassness, 

Next up, to win the PTQ!

Preregistered for GP Lille~

GP Lille's webpage is here.
I booked a hostel that is half an hour walking distance from the event location.
I think I'll probably be walking there but I don't think I have much to complain about.
(Need to plan my Paris trip and book the stays)

The GP playmat looks wicked. It's Sensei's (friggin) Divining Top~

I preregistered for the main event and Infinite GPTs. At Kyoto I did 3 so for the same count the money is probably worth it.

Also. I'm back to streaming (figured out what was wrong with the setting of the streaming program) and will be streaming about twice a day for Legacy and maybe a Modern DE if I get to it.

I went 4-0 and 2-2 for Legacy today. Perhaps I'll find something different I want to play along the way but for now it's the NaoDelver list I'm using. I guess being stuck at home isn't all that bad.

I lost to Pox...

I'm now officially stuck at home all thanks to chicken pox.
For an adult, it takes 2 weeks to a month to recover. GG.
Other than the fact that it destroyed at least 2 weeks of programs that I have packed myself with, my only solace is in the fact that I should be fine by my birthday which by extention also means GP Singapore and GP Lille are also unaffected.
It does mean that my classes are poof and my grinding of GPTs have come to a halt.

Being stuck at home means one thing: I'm back on MTGO.
I've played in a Tempest Remastered draft to the finals,
played a Modern DE 1-2 drop,
Vintage DE 1-2 drop and also a Legacy DE  3-1, playing in another later on.
I finally managed to get Wasteland #4 so I could get my deck up online.

I'll do some reading while staying in the sealed queue (for my bottle gnomes avatar).
My next DE would be the 8pm Legacy. Maybe I'll stream it or something if nothing goes haywire.

Walking to the end of the 2015...

So end June is going to be GP Singapore.
Preregistration can be done at http://cleventsgp.com .
As to why it is so expensive is beyond me.
For a similar price, you'd get much more value going for a modern masters GP.
I can't fathom what goes into the price hike from $45 -> $83.
Thankfully, I am a working adult now, more than capable of paying for a GP, albeit an expensive one. Unfortunately, I just have to say that milking people blatantly is not right.
It's not about what you pay but what you get. We don't really get anything out from the $83 that goes in. If the whole event organization goes well, perhaps there could be some justification done to the price but the people I know are not very hopeful with regards to that.
I'm not very sure about what they mean since I wasn't really playing GP Singapore the past 2 times.

Past midnight on the Sunday of GP Singapore, I'll be headed to Paris, to loiter there a few days before heading down to GP Lille to play Legacy.
To prepare for that, I'm in an 8 week, twice a week course to relearn French in a feeble attempt to not be totally unable to communicate. Obviously, if they speak at their normal pace my brain wouldn't be able to comprehend anything (Je ne comprend pas!) but perhaps if I can use kiddy talk they would see my exterior and recognize me for the non-native I am and try to come down to my level and be kind enough to help me out.
I need to get lodging settled by next week I guess. I've been neglecting that.

I'm not worried about GP Singapore. It's like the next train stop from where I live and I know how to get around the Expo. I'll just be working to get the 2 round byes every single week until then and brushing up my deck along the way (Probably like 7-8 more attempts). Even if I do not eventually obtain the byes, I would have enough experience to get past rounds 1 and 2. I don't actually like Modern other than the fact that the lack of Deathrite Shaman makes it possible to let me cast a turn 2 Gurmag Angler and nothing beats the feeling of that.

As for Legacy, I'm currently scheduled to be playing it on Wednesday nights and I wouldn't be putting in much more effort to work on it. I can't actually get any byes for Lille here.

Tue - French class
Wed- Legacy
Thur - French class
Fri - probably church stuff
Sat/Sun - church day/ modern GPT

After mid-July, I would practice some Mtg Origins sealed to prepare for GP Hong Kong which is over the 8-9 August weekend. I don't think that my limited skills have gone down to the point where a core set would baffle me so I think just a daily lingering in the cards should suffice.

After that is another span of 2 months as I build up towards GP Seattle Tacoma.
Thankfully, it seems like we would be able to get GPTs for that going and a top 8 should allow a negotiation for the 2 round byes.
I'll be there to meet my Mtgo friend "Tweaker" and to play in the third and final Legacy GP of the year. (I'm openly hoping that there would be MTG cosplayers there)
I guess that that GP would be my best chance of doing well since I probably wouldn't have any byes for any of the other GPs I'll be attending.

I guess that would be what I'll be up to for this year.

Legacy 6/5/15

Last night I went 3-1 in a Legacy tourney playing my NaoDelver list, changing a Thrun for Tasigur in the SB.

Round 1 vs Omnitell
My opp came late so we proceeded with a game loss.
However, I lost game 2 as my maindeck configuration isn't very good vs Omni and my opp blind topdecked all his lands which got him out of Daze range.
The last game we traded spells here are there and I had used Extirpate on the Show and Tell discarded via Thoughtseize. He used Cunning Wish to get Through the Breach, had Boseiju to cast it but we were not fighting over that. It resolved, I cast Diabolic Edict backed with Counterspell.

Round 2 vs Miracles
Game 1 saw me going all the way with a Deathrite Shaman and Scavenging Ooze with some counter magic backup.
Game 2, a few Terminus flips push down my singular creatures, I have in play a Tarmogoyf and an Isochron Scepter imprinting Brainstorm. He casts Engineered Explosives for 2 but I have Stifle for it.

Round 3 vs URW Delver
Game 1, I won with my opponent not getting past 2 mana.
Game 2, My opponent has triple Delver of Secrets (one of which I remove with Abrupt Decay) but I lose the race.
Game 3, I keep a Karakas - Wasteland hand which is very risky. My blue sources get removed and I can't come back.

Round 4 vs Sneak and Show
Game 1, my opponent mulligans down to 4. I don't have much to interact but my creatures do their job.
Game 2, I lead with Delver and my opponent casts Show and Tell and has double Omniscience but nothing to end the game with. We fight over my delver and I am left with double Diabolic Edict in hand and my opponent's life goes low. Basically Emrakul or Griselbrand (<7 life) wouldn't help from that state unless he casts a triple Emrakul in a row.

Thankfully, my standings were good enough for me to not end up with packs but double in worth in store credits. (Phew)

GPT Singapore 03/05/2015

So yesterday, I went for a GPT Singapore (Modern) which somehow ended up with a 15 man turnout.
Unfortunately, I went 2-2 (1 win was a bye) and failed to make top8 (naturally).

Round 1, I lost to UW with Ojutai
Game 1, I had very poor draws and my threats could not stick. Was a very odd game but I felt like I could take the other 2 games.
Game 2, a sudden appearance by Spellstutter Sprite thwarted my game and forced me to choose how to allocate my removals. I had wasted removals on the faeries and was stuck against a Celestial Colonnade that ended the game because of an Engineered Explosives that forced me to wipe both graveyards with Relic of Progenitus.

Round 2, I lost to Splinter Twin, both games with me being stuck on 3 mana while my opponent has a turn 4 Deceiver Exarch + Dispel, Turn 5 Splinter Twin. Game 2 I had a turn 2 Spellskite out but he had 2x Lightning Bolts for it.
Insanely short games. His "not everyday is Sunday" luck helped him to go all the way to win the GPT against many lucky scenarios and some bad plays from his opponent.

Round 3 bye.

Round 4 vs Splinter Twin, 2-0.
I had a more decent hand and I knew what I was facing. I started by opting to draw on the die roll.
My opp had 3x Snapcaster Mage 1x Splinter Twin hand versus my threats.
I recalled that against a similar deck earlier, he had removed his combo pieces.
I tried to sideboard with that in mind and made some slight adjustments to not be open to it.
I had Relic of Progenitus to mess his yard and disrupt his Snapcaster Mage while I had my aggro game up. Won via a very control route.

Talked to the other Grixis delver player, told him about Kolaghan's Command and we decided to take out Electrolyze (which we both disliked) for Grim Lavamancer, perhaps influenced by its performance in the match of the Splinter Twin player versus affinity.

Have to continue to grind for the 2 byes.