For the final leg of my Legacy GP tour,
I will be going to GP Seattle/Tacoma in November.
I've got my air tickets and preregistered for the VIP package (not sure if that's a good choice but I'm not really that interested in thinking about it now).
I have to settle my lodging and some visiting registration thingy which can only come after I have an address to put on it.
This all started early in the year when I decided to go to Kyoto for the first ever Legacy GP. I didn't intend to go for all 3 Legacy GPs of the year back then. I'm not sure if I broke up with my fiance before or after GP Kyoto but it was around then. With this opening in my life, I figured that I wanted to do something I liked before I ended up regretting never ever had been able to. For me, that would probably be to play Mtg at the competitive level. That said, I am not in any position where I could suddenly make Mtg into my lifestyle nor my lifeline. After Kyoto, I wanted to go for the Modern Masters GP in Chiba together with my friend but he couldn't make it so I thought that I would divert this intention into playing GP Lille and and also GP Seattle Tacoma, the other two Legacy GPs of the year.
I don't think this can continue for more than 1-2 years so this window is probably my first and last.
I have yet to day 2 in a GP so my first goal would be to do so in my strongest format.
(If I can't day 2 in my best format, I'm basically screwed anyway unless I'm just plain lucky.)
Unfortunately, things didn't go well for me at Kyoto nor at Lille. Lille was much worse as I ended up being disqualified midway, essentially busting my trip, and I was at risk of denying my own plans for Seattle Tacoma. To day 2, the most essential requirement would be to work out 2 byes which would lower the threshold of making day 2 from a tough 7-2 performance to a 5-2 performance (which is not an easy feat in itself). The 2 round byes would also filter out some very outlier decks that always plague the bottom tables that are essentially playable but not high tiered and that can easily knock out a deck prepared to face the big decks (unless I am playing a top tiered deck myself).
I missed my chances for getting byes for Kyoto and there weren't any for Lille locally as GP Singapore was just before that so no organizer in the right mind would divert precious income for some out of the way GPT. At some point, my biggest chances could only be found in the final dash.
I had to get my 2 byes at the GPT Seattle/Tacoma that are happening in October. There is a random shop holding a Standard GPT Seattle/Tacoma, a Legacy GPT and modern GPT organized by the shop I usually go to (and its affiliate) using connections.
If I manage to top 8 in one of them, I would probably be able to secure the 2 round byes since no one would need actually the byes so this is as good as it goes in terms of chances.
Thankfully, I scrapped out of my almost bannings which could have outright stopped me from playing in Oct/Nov, both of which were crucial in the scheme of things.
I've been playing the format regularly and have recently had good finishes (which all don't give much planeswalker points but I wouldn't have had enough anyway) so I think I'm in one of the better shapes I've been prior to a big event. There were many distractions with GP Singapore being Modern and being obligated to play the format. This time it's much cleaner.
I'm also adding exercise to my preparations in order to increase my physical capabilities to reduce the impact of fatigue/jetlag that I would have to face. I guess it's the same way as my playstyle; trying to add very minute advantages from every possible avenue.
I am trying to optimize my creature selection and my sideboarding now and I have 1 month and 1 week to complete that. Thankfully, Battle for Zendikar doesn't look like it would impact the format much with its big gap in cheap and efficient cards. I have a few that I like but I think I do not have to worry much about not being able to identify what would be good.
I would have to start more intensive preparations soon.
Too bad MTGO has some missing cards that I cannot test there and have to rely on real life testing to collect data on. (Good job Wotc for missing out Legacy legal cards)
I wonder if the Legacy DE schedule is favorable...
Sunday 20 September 2015
Saturday 5 September 2015
Took down the Singapore Legacy Champs with 4c Delver =)
Yesterday, I won the Singapore Legacy Championship 2015.
I was running a 4c Delver deck based off a list that was not running more than two Volcanic Islands (as I own only one).
I used that list as a shell and did some works on it.
3 Delver of Secrets
3 Deathrite Shaman
2 Tarmogoyf
2 Young Pyromancer
1 Snapcaster Mage
2 Jace, Vryn's Prodigy
1 Vendilion Clique
4 Brainstorm
4 Ponder
3 Stifle
2 Spell Pierce
3 Lightning Bolt
1 Sylvan Library
2 Daze
1 Counterspell
3 Abrupt Decay
3 Force of Will
2 Dig Through Time
4 Wasteland
2 Polluted Delta
2 Flooded Strand
2 Misty Rainforest
2 Scalding Tarn
2 Underground Sea
2 Volcanic Island
2 Tropical Island
SB
1 Force of Will
1 Extirpate
2 Pyroblast
1 Dismember
1 Flusterstorm
1 Duress
1 Grafdigger's Cage
1 Kolaghan's Command
1 Ancient Grudge
1 Sulfur Elemental
1 Vendilion Clique
1 Forked Bolt
1 Scavenging Ooze
1 Life from the Loam
Round 1 - Mud 2-1
Game 1 starts off with Cavern of Souls naming construct,
I have between my hand and the top few cards of my library almost all my Wastelands which make me think that I've won. My opponent Wastelands my dual, preventing a Daze, and gets in a Metalworker which I unfortunately have no answers for.
Games 2 and 3 revolved around having some threats and counters for my opponent's. There were a few things I ignored like a Chalice at one and Lightning Greaves. A Wasteland - Life from the Loam lock took place in game 2 to close it. Game 3 was closed with a Force of Will on a slow bomb.
Round 2 - Grixis Delver 1-2
True Name Nemesis is incredibly tough to face from this matchup since I have zero outs apart from winning the damage race.
Game 1, True Name Nemesis comes out midway while we go back and forth trying to disrupt each other. My board could not keep up and easily lost.
Game 2, Stifles and Wastelands combined with Sylvan Library push me far ahead and I easily take the game while my opponent is trying to just see more of my deck which I selectively choose to reveal.
Game 3, I get into a semi Loam lock but my opponent plays a few basics so the lukewarm lock didn't do too much. My normal draws were crappy with lands and bolts facing a True Name Nemesis.
Round 3 - Omnitell 2-0
Both games, Sylvan Library makes it down and takes chunks of my life total in exchange for gas. Delver beats end game 1.
Game 2 I use Vendilion Clique to bash down and have my lone Lightning Bolt to clean up.
Round 4 - Omnitell 2-1
Game 1 ends fast with me having dead cards and no Force of Will.
Game 2 my Delver flips early and I have a Scavenging Ooze to join (and delay Dig Through time) while making a very quick clock.
Game 3 goes with Deathrite Shaman and Young Pyromancer while holding the fort with counters and Wasteland.
Round 5 - Esperblade 2-0
My opponent is the 2014 champion who they say has godly topdeck skills.
He doesn't start out with anything and gets Wastelanded heavily.
I see his hand with Vendilion Clique and beat down using gas from Sylvan Library.
Game 2, he gets out Delver (which I deal with) and True Name Nemesis. I have Deathrite Shaman,
Delver and Young Pyromancer on my side to race with him. After awhile TNN goes into defensive and I chain a bunch of spells to get a small army of elemental tokens out while having an Ancient Grudge in the graveyard from discarding to Jace, Vryn's Prodigy (aka sperm Jace). The grudge stares down the Umezawa's Jitte on the other side and a desperate Clique wearing it leaves the game to me casting Ancient Grudge and my opponent not having any counters which he doesn't and I take the game.
Round 6 - Omnitell 2-1
Prior to the round I am 9th in place and 10th is a burn deck.
I have to play it out and I don't like my chances at all.
Thankfully the pairings changed that and I faced a deck that I was far more comfortable with.
Game 1 I had Delver and counters to keep my game.
Game 2 I had a threat heavy hand but my opponent leisurely goes off once he gets 3 mana and I can't do much.
Game 3, an early Delver and probably another keeps the clock tight and the disruption goes all the way and I secure a high placing in the top 8.
T8 - Burn 2-1
Here I get paired with friggin-worst-matchup aka burn played by a very veteran Mtg player from when I was much younger. The odds don't look good in my favor despite playing first.
Game 1, I get pressed down and I try to stabilize to no avail.
Game 2, I have a get a very strong Deathrite Shaman (which gets killed) followed by a double Gofy draw,
The clock closes down very fast and I have a Force of Will for the Fireblast trying to eat my last 4 points.
Game 3, I Bolt a turn 1 Monastery Swiftspear, my early Delver gets burnt and my Goyf gets hit by Searing Blaze plus a Chain Lightning.
Eventually Goyf #2 comes to save the day and I stabilize at 8 life holding 2x Force of Will while my opponent has to start blocking, even with an Eidolon.
My Goyfs did a good job by showing up.
Technically, any chances of me taking this matchup can be found on goyfs racing.
T4 - Grixis Delver 2-1
We joke that we'd rather lose here than next round because we get a Volcanic Island at 3-4th place versus a Moat at 2nd.
Game 1, we trade blows and a Gurmag Angler comes down which I try to counter but gets Dazed.
I take my chances and attack to force my opponent to have a burn spell to win with my life down to 1 but he doesn't and my Insect Aberration takes the game.
Game 2, I thought that I would be really good with Life from the Loam but it gets countered with every attempt to cast it while a flipped Delver is beating away.
Game 3, we throw everything at each other and the game comes to a point whereby he has a Gurmag Angler, Deathrite Shaman and Young Pyromancer (no tokens) and I have a Young Pyromancer, Delver of Secrets (and something else). I reveal a timely Dig Through Time to flip the delver and cast it on the spot and end up chaining a few cantrips. I crash my guys into my opp and he trades the card I can't recall with Young Pyromancer and I get to Bolt the Deathrite which was already tapped. I hold a Volcanic Island out and a Pyroblast to guard against a Dig Through Time but it gets Wastelanded but no Dig Through Time comes. He casts a Deathrite Shaman which goes into defensive while I pepper some elemental attacks. I eventually win with just enough damage from a full swing. THANK YOU DIG THROUGH TIME!
Finals - vs Jund 2-0
Game 1, my opponent has out a basic Forest and basic Swamp while I have assorted threats from Young Pyromancer and goyf. My opponent eventually tries for a Toxic Deluge but I have Force of Will for it.
Game 2 starts out with us trying to get Deathrite Shaman dominance but I have enough removals for them and the board on my opponent's side looks similar to game 1.I use Sylvan Library to get ahead.
I had to make a difficult choice of having to Force of Will a removal on my Deathrite Shaman to secure my black mana for Abrupt Decay and I did so before using my Wastelands to eat his Wasteland and Grove of the Burnwillow to press down the board. I still get open to a Toxic Deluge but the topdeck was a Sensei's Divining Top which just climbed up there so at 2 mana it was not a possibility.
I won 4x Force of Will (which I sold off to a player at a player price but it's still very decent) and I was drawn a dickbutt on one of my blank cards (haha).
Next is my plan to get 2 round byes at Seattle Tacoma and to make my first day 2 there. =)
I was running a 4c Delver deck based off a list that was not running more than two Volcanic Islands (as I own only one).
I used that list as a shell and did some works on it.
3 Delver of Secrets
3 Deathrite Shaman
2 Tarmogoyf
2 Young Pyromancer
1 Snapcaster Mage
2 Jace, Vryn's Prodigy
1 Vendilion Clique
4 Brainstorm
4 Ponder
3 Stifle
2 Spell Pierce
3 Lightning Bolt
1 Sylvan Library
2 Daze
1 Counterspell
3 Abrupt Decay
3 Force of Will
2 Dig Through Time
4 Wasteland
2 Polluted Delta
2 Flooded Strand
2 Misty Rainforest
2 Scalding Tarn
2 Underground Sea
2 Volcanic Island
2 Tropical Island
SB
1 Force of Will
1 Extirpate
2 Pyroblast
1 Dismember
1 Flusterstorm
1 Duress
1 Grafdigger's Cage
1 Kolaghan's Command
1 Ancient Grudge
1 Sulfur Elemental
1 Vendilion Clique
1 Forked Bolt
1 Scavenging Ooze
1 Life from the Loam
Round 1 - Mud 2-1
Game 1 starts off with Cavern of Souls naming construct,
I have between my hand and the top few cards of my library almost all my Wastelands which make me think that I've won. My opponent Wastelands my dual, preventing a Daze, and gets in a Metalworker which I unfortunately have no answers for.
Games 2 and 3 revolved around having some threats and counters for my opponent's. There were a few things I ignored like a Chalice at one and Lightning Greaves. A Wasteland - Life from the Loam lock took place in game 2 to close it. Game 3 was closed with a Force of Will on a slow bomb.
Round 2 - Grixis Delver 1-2
True Name Nemesis is incredibly tough to face from this matchup since I have zero outs apart from winning the damage race.
Game 1, True Name Nemesis comes out midway while we go back and forth trying to disrupt each other. My board could not keep up and easily lost.
Game 2, Stifles and Wastelands combined with Sylvan Library push me far ahead and I easily take the game while my opponent is trying to just see more of my deck which I selectively choose to reveal.
Game 3, I get into a semi Loam lock but my opponent plays a few basics so the lukewarm lock didn't do too much. My normal draws were crappy with lands and bolts facing a True Name Nemesis.
Round 3 - Omnitell 2-0
Both games, Sylvan Library makes it down and takes chunks of my life total in exchange for gas. Delver beats end game 1.
Game 2 I use Vendilion Clique to bash down and have my lone Lightning Bolt to clean up.
Round 4 - Omnitell 2-1
Game 1 ends fast with me having dead cards and no Force of Will.
Game 2 my Delver flips early and I have a Scavenging Ooze to join (and delay Dig Through time) while making a very quick clock.
Game 3 goes with Deathrite Shaman and Young Pyromancer while holding the fort with counters and Wasteland.
Round 5 - Esperblade 2-0
My opponent is the 2014 champion who they say has godly topdeck skills.
He doesn't start out with anything and gets Wastelanded heavily.
I see his hand with Vendilion Clique and beat down using gas from Sylvan Library.
Game 2, he gets out Delver (which I deal with) and True Name Nemesis. I have Deathrite Shaman,
Delver and Young Pyromancer on my side to race with him. After awhile TNN goes into defensive and I chain a bunch of spells to get a small army of elemental tokens out while having an Ancient Grudge in the graveyard from discarding to Jace, Vryn's Prodigy (aka sperm Jace). The grudge stares down the Umezawa's Jitte on the other side and a desperate Clique wearing it leaves the game to me casting Ancient Grudge and my opponent not having any counters which he doesn't and I take the game.
Round 6 - Omnitell 2-1
Prior to the round I am 9th in place and 10th is a burn deck.
I have to play it out and I don't like my chances at all.
Thankfully the pairings changed that and I faced a deck that I was far more comfortable with.
Game 1 I had Delver and counters to keep my game.
Game 2 I had a threat heavy hand but my opponent leisurely goes off once he gets 3 mana and I can't do much.
Game 3, an early Delver and probably another keeps the clock tight and the disruption goes all the way and I secure a high placing in the top 8.
T8 - Burn 2-1
Here I get paired with friggin-worst-matchup aka burn played by a very veteran Mtg player from when I was much younger. The odds don't look good in my favor despite playing first.
Game 1, I get pressed down and I try to stabilize to no avail.
Game 2, I have a get a very strong Deathrite Shaman (which gets killed) followed by a double Gofy draw,
The clock closes down very fast and I have a Force of Will for the Fireblast trying to eat my last 4 points.
Game 3, I Bolt a turn 1 Monastery Swiftspear, my early Delver gets burnt and my Goyf gets hit by Searing Blaze plus a Chain Lightning.
Eventually Goyf #2 comes to save the day and I stabilize at 8 life holding 2x Force of Will while my opponent has to start blocking, even with an Eidolon.
My Goyfs did a good job by showing up.
Technically, any chances of me taking this matchup can be found on goyfs racing.
T4 - Grixis Delver 2-1
We joke that we'd rather lose here than next round because we get a Volcanic Island at 3-4th place versus a Moat at 2nd.
Game 1, we trade blows and a Gurmag Angler comes down which I try to counter but gets Dazed.
I take my chances and attack to force my opponent to have a burn spell to win with my life down to 1 but he doesn't and my Insect Aberration takes the game.
Game 2, I thought that I would be really good with Life from the Loam but it gets countered with every attempt to cast it while a flipped Delver is beating away.
Game 3, we throw everything at each other and the game comes to a point whereby he has a Gurmag Angler, Deathrite Shaman and Young Pyromancer (no tokens) and I have a Young Pyromancer, Delver of Secrets (and something else). I reveal a timely Dig Through Time to flip the delver and cast it on the spot and end up chaining a few cantrips. I crash my guys into my opp and he trades the card I can't recall with Young Pyromancer and I get to Bolt the Deathrite which was already tapped. I hold a Volcanic Island out and a Pyroblast to guard against a Dig Through Time but it gets Wastelanded but no Dig Through Time comes. He casts a Deathrite Shaman which goes into defensive while I pepper some elemental attacks. I eventually win with just enough damage from a full swing. THANK YOU DIG THROUGH TIME!
Finals - vs Jund 2-0
Game 1, my opponent has out a basic Forest and basic Swamp while I have assorted threats from Young Pyromancer and goyf. My opponent eventually tries for a Toxic Deluge but I have Force of Will for it.
Game 2 starts out with us trying to get Deathrite Shaman dominance but I have enough removals for them and the board on my opponent's side looks similar to game 1.I use Sylvan Library to get ahead.
I had to make a difficult choice of having to Force of Will a removal on my Deathrite Shaman to secure my black mana for Abrupt Decay and I did so before using my Wastelands to eat his Wasteland and Grove of the Burnwillow to press down the board. I still get open to a Toxic Deluge but the topdeck was a Sensei's Divining Top which just climbed up there so at 2 mana it was not a possibility.
I won 4x Force of Will (which I sold off to a player at a player price but it's still very decent) and I was drawn a dickbutt on one of my blank cards (haha).
Next is my plan to get 2 round byes at Seattle Tacoma and to make my first day 2 there. =)
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