I decided to try a 4-round Sealed daily event. The packs where looking ok, though red contained far too many cards for my liking. Looking at the creature count in each color Black didn’t really seem like a viable color unless I could get heavy creature count from another. That [c]Gray Merchant of Asphodel[/c] wouldn’t be doing a ton of work, even if I pulled him back from the graveyard.
Looking at White and Blue, it seemed like an aggro deck was there. [c]Wingsteed Rider[/c], [c]Favored Hoplite[/c] and even two [c]Vaporkin[/c]s. It may be thin on removal, but with the right start I think it could go the distance. Btw, aggro decks are not in my comfort zone, but you live and you learn.
[d]
Creatures
1 Favored Hoplite
1 Hopeful Eidolon
1 Soldier of the Pantheon
1 Cavalry Pegasus
1 Traveling Philosopher
1 Phalanx Leader
1 Observant Alseid
1 Wingsteed Rider
1 Heliod’s Emissary
2 Vaporkin
1 Nimbus Naiad
1 Daxos of Meletis
1 Leonin Snarecaster
1 Lagonna-Band Elder
1 Breaching Hippocamp
Spells
1 Gods Willing
1 Battlewise Valor
1 Chosen by Heliod
1 Last Breath
1 Dauntless Onslaught
2 Fate Foretold
Land
10 Plains
7 Island
Sideboard
1 Yoked Ox
1 Ray of Dissolution
1 Viper’s Kiss
1 Priest of Iroas
1 Nylea’s Presence
1 Traveler’s Amulet
1 Ordeal of Erebos
1 Cutthroat Maneuver
1 Magma Jet
1 Warriors’ Lesson
2 Messenger’s Speed
1 Unknown Shores
1 Decorated Griffin
1 Fade into Antiquity
1 Silent Artisan
2 Portent of Betrayal
2 Defend the Hearth
1 Asphodel Wanderer
1 Psychic Intrusion
1 Crackling Triton
1 Stymied Hopes
1 Boulderfall
1 Mnemonic Wall
1 Commune with the Gods
1 Hunt the Hunter
1 Peak Eruption
1 Titan’s Strength
1 Coastline Chimera
1 Setessan Battle Priest
1 Temple of Triumph
1 Pharika’s Cure
1 Thassa’s Bounty
1 Sylvan Caryatid
1 Savage Surge
1 Leafcrown Dryad
1 Opaline Unicorn
1 Time to Feed
1 Nessian Courser
1 Triton Fortune Hunter
1 Karametra’s Acolyte
1 Prophet of Kruphix
1 Pharika’s Mender
1 Pheres-Band Centaurs
1 Nessian Asp
1 Lash of the Whip
1 Akroan Crusader
1 Deathbellow Raider
1 Returned Phalanx
1 Two-Headed Cerberus
1 Minotaur Skullcleaver
1 Flamespeaker Adept
1 Felhide Minotaur
1 Borderland Minotaur
1 Purphoros’s Emissary
1 Kragma Warcaller
1 Wild Celebrants
1 Keepsake Gorgon
1 Gray Merchant of Asphodel
[/d]
Match #1
The first round my draw looked good. Only pulling two lands, but both a Vaporkin and a [c]Fate Foretold[/c] I could picture this deck taking off. My opponent played a Blue/Green deck, mirroring my opening with Vaporkin and the putting out a [c]Triton Fortune Hunter[/c], bestowed with a [c]Leafcrown Dryad[/c]. That basically sealed the round, making me kick myself for not playing [c]Last Breath[/c]. I tried switching over to a controlling UBG deck, as I couldn’t really see any hope for racing his deck. That one looked like this
[d]
Creatures
1 Leafcrown Dryad
1 Sylvan Caryatid
1 Nessian Asp
1 Nessian Courser
1 Pheres-Band Centaurs
1 Prophet of Kruphix
2 Vaporkin
1 Nimbus Naiad
1 Triton Fortune Hunter
1 Pharika’s Mender
1 Keepsake Gorgon
1 Breaching Hippocamp
1 Opaline Unicorn
1 Returned Phalanx
1 Karametra’s Acolyte
1 Felhide Minotaur
1 Daxos of Meletis
Spells
1 Time to Feed
1 Savage Surge
1 Lash of the Whip
1 Fate Foretold
Land
6 Island
4 Swamp
8 Forest
[/d]
I felt like I was in that game up to a certain point. Again opening with Vaporkin and Fate Foretold, having a solid selection of mana ready, it looked promising. However my opponent slowly outplayed me and me making a few mistakes, one which was grave, kept me from ever getting a foothold after turn 4. Note to self, try seeing all the possibilities, instead of just throwing out something, when you spot the timer ticking down.
Match #2
I went up against a Green/Red deck with a lot of big fatties. Luckily he only had a [c]Nessian Asp[/c] for dealing with my Vaporkins and all those other fliers. On the first game I got out my [c]Favored Hoplite[/c] and just kept on stacking enchantments on him. By the time I won I think he was 7/9 or something and I still had a [c]Dauntless Onslaught[/c] sitting in my hand. That could have won me the game a turn early, but I missed that.
Game 2 I boarded in nothing for. I failed to off my opponent before he built up board advantage and not even a late [c]Daxos of Meletis[/c] save my hide, when his big ass [c]Flamespeaker Adept[/c] came swinging in for 9. I guess some games you just lose.
Game 3 I decided to go for my optional deck, having seen most of his. I was quite confident that I could deal with most of his big threats and I brought along a [c]Fade into Antiquity[/c] just in case anything got out of hand. The game went to turn 9 and his [c]Fanatic of Mogis[/c] got me down to 4 life. He then decided to conceed, seeing that my two Vaporkins would kill him the next turn. I played this one safe and the Vaporkins had put him under the clock, which ultimately ran out 🙂
Match #3
The guy I was playing against had a Blue/Green big fatties deck. Sporting two [c]Sealock Monster[/c]s and a [c]Prognostic Sphinx[/c] my weenies came up short. I switched back into the alternate deck and stomped him.
Then I decided to do something stupid. I boarded in a [c]Portent of Betrayal[/c] not only moving into a four color deck, but also not supporting it with mana in any way. Two creatures is not enough. The whim I acted on was that it could steal me a late game victory. FYI, you have to get to the late game for that to happen.
Game 3 gave me a hand with a [c]Time to Feed[/c] and lands. I KEPT it, which was risky from the get-go. Sure enough I drew the Portent and got solidly stomped into the ground. I bad…
Match #4
I got a bye on the last match, ensuring me my 3 boosters. Can’t complain, but hardly a victory by any means.
Conclusion
Going 1-2 (2-2 if you count the bye) isn’t the worst, but it doesn’t feel very satisfying. I think I’m getting better, but still got a lot of practice before being at a level I’m happy with. Key takeaways from this event has got to be:
- Do not, I mean NEVER ever, try and run a card you haven’t got the mana base for. It’s like screwing up your chances of winning, by giving yourself dead draws
- Don’t stress over the clock, but don’t ignore it either
- Practice, practice, practice…
That’s gotta be it for now 🙂