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).

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.

GPT Singapore 26/4/2015

Last Sunday, I went for a Modern GPT to try to get my 2 byes.
I was invited by my friend to go to a place in the west (1+ hr from my place) to play in a small GPT (16 man with preregistration). Eventually the place had 19 players, 3 of them walked-in so it became 5 rounds swiss with t8.
I went there because it sounded like the odds of getting the byes were really good.

I settled for a deck hybrid of the Young Pyromancer deck and the Zombie Fish with reference to MTGO daily results.
I couldn't really figure out the sideboard so I jammed cards that I could find.

I played:
4 Delver of Secrets
3 Snapcaster Mage
3 Zombie fish (don't have my cards now)
2 Young Pyromancer
2 Tasigur, the Golden Fang

4 Serum Vision
2 Gitaxian Probe
1 Deprive
1 Stubborn Denial
2 Mana Leak
4 Lightning Bolt
1 Burst Lightning
1 BR Command
4 Terminate (changing 1 to Murderous Cut to control the yard better)
4 Thought Scour
1 Electrolyze
2 Spell Snare

4 Polluted Delta
4 Bloodstained Mire
2 Steam Vents
1 Scalding Tarn
1 Watery Grave
1 Blood Crypt
4 Island
1 Swamp
1 Mountain

SB
1 Spellskite
1 Vandalblast
2 Blood Moon
3 Blightning
1 Rakdos Charm
1 Izzet Staticaster
1 Counter instant card
1 Stubborn Denial
1 Vendilion Clique
2 Dragon Claw
1 something

I went 4-0-1 in the swiss, and went to t4 before losing.
All my opponents made t8.

Round 1 vs Jund
2-0 with hyper aggressive turn 2 Zombie fish.
Delvers really require answers and Zombie fish is really tough to crack.

Round 2 vs Splinter Twin
Not sure if they run less combo pieces nowadays but having cheap answers plus disruption really went a long way. Kinda why it failed in Legacy.

Round 3 vs Tron
Game 1 I died to Wurmcoil Engine.
Game 2, Blood Moon plugged a turn 3 tron set and I managed to go all the way.
Game 3, he had a turn 3 Tron set and dropped an Oblivion Stone after which I played Blood Moon.
I was quite lucky to manage to control the board by killing my own stuff and forcing my opponent to wipe the board  to exile his Wurmcoil Engine. The exchanges after that were quite unusual as I was struggling not to fall behind Eye of Ugin. I ended up winning when my opponent searched up Kozilek and tried to bomb my Young Pyromancer and I cast Lightning Bolt at him, and had 2 elemental tokens.

Round 4 vs Ad Nauseum
Everyone thought that we would ID. I kinda wanted planeswalker points.
He came and thought that he could help his friend get t8 by controlling the top tables.
Aggro zombie fish really stressed out the opponent who ended up having to play Angel's Grace as to not lose.
Game 2 I disrupted what I could with Blightning, RB command hitting his Pentad Prism + discard and forced him to try go off on my turn but I had counter magic for his Ad Nausuem.
Round 5 ID (Splinter Twin)

Top 8 vs Infect
Game 1, I drop down to 12 lift and a Dryad Arbor gets pumped to 12 points, killing me.
I made a mistake by not casting a blocker although I suspected that that would be a possible hole.
Game 2, he went down to 1 and I topdeck a Blightning which dodges Spellskite.
Game 3, I find out that Stubborn Denial is a Negate and not a Counterspell.
My opponent doesn't have many infect guys and tries to press me down with normal damage but I have a Young Pyromancer horizontally protecting me so I slowly gain full control over the game and have counters to manage pump spells.

Top 4 vs Jund (from round 1)
I had quite weak draws game 1 and I had a very bad flow like having delvers facing an active Chandra and casting both and not managing to flip (so both eventually died).
Game 2 my opponent had Batterskull on a Tarmogoyf and drew a Bonfire of the Damned to miracle me out of the game.

Looks like I still have to go around to grind out byes.