Hi again,

Another Phantom event on the list, but I gotta say I’m not feeling super confident after the last few. The score has been looking terrible and I can’t imagine what my rating must be. Probably lousy.
But hey, you can only go up when you are in a hole 🙂

The Sealed pool
The pool itself showed some promise. First off, it contained a [c]Thassa, God of the Sea[/c] and an [c]Hythonia, the Cruel[/c]. Not too shabby. Black was looking real strong, but I wasn’t quite satisfied with a two color deck, since every combination seemed a little low on creatures. I decided to go for a BG control deck, with a splash of Blue, knowing full well that Thassa would never become a creature that way. But in my opinion, her strength is in the “make my guys unblockable part” and the scrying especially.

The deck looked like this.

[d]
Creatures
1 Baleful Eidolon
1 Agent of the Fates
1 Cavern Lampad
1 Erebos’s Emissary
1 Hythonia the Cruel
1 Returned Phalanx
1 Leafcrown Dryad
1 Voyaging Satyr
2 Nylea’s Disciple
1 Nessian Asp
1 Centaur Battlemaster
1 Agent of Horizons
1 Thassa, God of the Sea
2 Nimbus Naiad
1 Pharika’s Mender

Spells
2 Read the Bones
1 Pharika’s Cure
1 Savage Surge
1 Nylea’s Presence

Land
3 Island
8 Swamp
7 Forest

Sideboard
1 Yoked Ox
1 Hopeful Eidolon
1 Setessan Battle Priest
1 Setessan Griffin
1 Ray of Dissolution
1 Annul
1 Lost in a Labyrinth
2 Loathsome Catoblepas
1 Priest of Iroas
1 Vulpine Goliath
1 Bronze Sable
2 Anvilwrought Raptor
1 Dauntless Onslaught
1 Artisan’s Sorrow
1 Kragma Warcaller
1 Fleecemane Lion
1 Observant Alseid
1 Chosen by Heliod
2 Fleshmad Steed
1 Dragon Mantle
1 Evangel of Heliod
1 Vanquish the Foul
1 Coordinated Assault
1 Ordeal of Purphoros
1 Rageblood Shaman
1 Destructive Revelry
1 Cavalry Pegasus
2 Disciple of Phenax
2 Defend the Hearth
1 Heliod’s Emissary
1 Coastline Chimera
2 Centaur Battlemaster
1 Leonin Snarecaster
1 Triad of Fates
1 Crackling Triton
1 Shredding Winds
2 Boulderfall
2 Spark Jolt
1 Battlewise Valor
1 Demolish
2 Thassa’s Bounty
1 Guardians of Meletis
1 Flamecast Wheel
1 Ephara’s Warden
2 Titan’s Strength
1 Sea God’s Revenge
1 Triton Tactics
1 Omenspeaker
1 Wavecrash Triton
1 Benthic Giant
1 Pheres-Band Centaurs
1 Shipwreck Singer
[/d]

Match #1

I went up against a WBG Heroic deck. Starting off with a nice draw, albeit a little low on land, I got my [c]Nimbus Naiad[/c] out and pummelled the guy. He tried pumping his [c]Phalanx Leader[/c] and [c]Time To Feed[/c] my [c]Nylea’s Disciple[/c] but I got him in the end, with my bestowed up Naiad. Needless to say the [c]Artisan’s Sorrow[/c] got boarded in after seeing his deck.

Game 2 he boarded in some Red, so I guess he switched over to an RW Heroic deck. With a [c]Minotaur Skullcleaver[/c] and his [c]Phalanx Leader[/c]. He kep my creatures off the board with several [c]Rage of Purphoros[/c], before finishing me off with his bigass Phalanx Leader and a [c]Lightning Strike[/c] to my face.

The final game I tried boarding in [c]Shipwreck Singer[/c] to see if taht would help me deal with his little critters, like [c]Priest of Iroas[/c], which my Naiads, [c]Baleful Eidolon[/c] and [c]Leafcrown Dryad[/c] where especially vulnerable to. I also boarded in an [c]Annul[/c] to try and keep his enchantments at bay. The game started with some pretty standard plays. I then got out my [c]Agent of the Fates[/c] and bestowed the hell out of it, keeping his creature count to a minimum. The Agent in combination with the [c]Shipwreck Singer[/c] finally cleared the board, including a [c]Celestial Archon[/c] and my opponent conceded.

I felt quite good starting off with a 1-0 score 😀

Match #2

The next guy was playing a RB deck, which to my horror sported a [c]Whip of Erebos[/c] and an [c]Underworld Cerberus[/c]. I tried staving off disaster but he finally ran me into the ground on turn 10. Maybe I could have played my [c]Erebos’s Emissary[/c], attacked with it and hope that he would have blocked with the Cerberus, only to see me pump it by sacking two creatures, but I can’t say for sure. I’ll have to try it some other time.

The Sorrow went in again, as a counter for the whip. I figured I needed to stall for time, so I also took in a [c]Triton Tactics[/c].

In game 2 we both got a flyer out, me with Naiad and him with a [c]Blood-toll Harpy[/c]. A few turns later he had the harpy and [c]Felhide Minotaur[/c] out, and I went on the defense with a [c]Pharika’s Mender[/c] and my Naiad. I decided my best option was turtling my way to victory. The fliers traded off and he then brought out a [c]Mogis’s Marauder[/c] in hopes of racing me. Bestowing a [c]Cavern Lampad[/c] onto the Mender seems to make him give up on that plan. Again going for a deciding thrid game…

Seeing my opening my heart sank, as I was sitting on three colors worth of spells, but only two Swamps. I decided to keep, which could spell my demise before long. My opponent opened up with a [c]Thoughtseize[/c] and my heart snak even further. Luckily I was holding [c]Thassa, God of the Sea[/c] which he decided to discard, leaving me with just enough mana to get going. I managed to pull a land on turn 3 giving me enough to cast [c]Read the Bones[/c]. I felt a tingle of hope as I scryed a Forest. That one definately went on top. The game rolled on an my opponent got out his Cerberus again. At one point he was attacking with [c]Tormented Hero[/c], [c]Underworld Cerberus[/c], [c]Mogis’s Marauder[/c] and a [c]Spearpoint Oread[/c] against my [c]Voyaging Satyr[/c], [c]Nessian Asp[/c], [c]Erebos’s Emissary[/c] and [c]Nylea’s Disciple[/c]. I played a [c]Triton Tactics[/c] to try and get the Cerberus tapped down, but he countered that with a [c]Boon of Erebos[/c] and killing of my Asp. However, a late [c]Hythonia the Cruel[/c] swept, cleared the board. The Cerberus gave both of us a ton of creatures to play. Luckily I could keep him at bay, while my Hythonia swung in and won me the game.

2-0. Sweet 😀

Match #3

I was up against a solid opponont, who swept me off the board yesterday. He was playing a WRG deck, featuring a few scry lands (lucky duck), [c]Sedge Scorpion[/c]s and other nasty things. I got out my Thassa and my Pharika’s Mender could swing through for lethal.

Game 2 was a sad affair where I tried to keep his [c]Wingsteed Rider[/c] at bay. That did not go well. His [c]Ill-Tempered Cyclops[/c] did help my situation.

In game 3 I got out Thassa and the Agent, but the latter he made short work of with a [c]Magma Jet[/c]. The game went back and forth for ten turns apporximately and he slowly ground my defenses down. Hythonia came in and cleared the board. I was topdecking at this point, sitting at 2. He was definately topdecking too, but before I got my [c]Nylea’s Disciple[/c] he drew a [c]Destructive Revelry[/c] taking out Thassa and killing me off. I can only say well played. Well played indeed.

Conclusion

I really feel like my skills and decision making is getting better. I feel like I make fewer mistakes and I also tried not switching out the deck during games. My deck seemed to perform a lot more consistent, but I didn’t need to mulligan as much as normally. I think scrying may have been the key here along with 18 lands.

That’s it for now. Take care 🙂

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 🙂