Starcity Games 5k Legacy - Nashville
Zack Strait
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Round 1: Adam Cai (Retainer Survival)
I remember looking at the first round pairings and thinking, "I remember this guys name." Sure enough, when I saw him, I realized that I had just seen his picture on Star City for top 8ing the Standard 5k. I assumed I was in for a rough match.
Game 1: Game one opens with myself on the draw. He opens with Horizon Canopy and Noble Hierarch. I play Tropical Island and pass the turn. On his turn, I Stifle his fetchland activation and he follows that up with Mother of Runes, swing 1 with Hierarch. I play land, survival pass. He swings 2 with the Mother of Runes while casting Survival. I untap, play land and pass, hoping to set up at the end of his turn. EOT, he discards Iona to Survival to search up Loyal Retainers. I also remember how little testing I've done against his deck at that point. On his next turn he casts Loyal Retainers which draws a Daze from me. He passes, EOT I stock my graveyard. On my turn I find myself with 1 extra green than I need, so I search up Wonder, pitch and bring in 4 Vengevines.
Game 2: I start with a mull to 5 on the draw. He lands a turn 1 Hierarch, turn 2 Survival and turn 3 quad Vengevine swing without meeting any resistance from me. On to game 3
Game 3: See last game, but with more flying Vengevines on my side instead.
1-0; -2 Umezawa's Jitte -1 Trygon Predator + 3 Faerie Macabre
Round 2: Matt Alden (U/w/b CounterTop Thopters)
Pretty happy about getting a Counter Top matchup, as they don't do much to stop you.
Game 1: I have turn 2 Trygon Predator, which causes all sorts of problems for his deck. I tie up his mana by making him use and recast Top every turn, thanks to Predator giving him the option of destroying it or using its second ablity. It is a very long game that comes down to him having Dark Confidant out at 3. I swing, putting him to 1 and targeting the Top. He then used the ability and put the tap option on the stack. I let him draw and put it on top, and then Stifle the look at top 3 ability. He reveals Top to Bob, and loses.
Game 2: I go off on turn 4 with Survival after a minor counter battle. I swing 16 and put him to 1. My board after that is 4 Vengevine, 1 Rootwalla and 1 Memnite. He attempts to cast Perish next turn, which resolves. He then realizes that Memnite will be killing him next turn, so lets out a large sigh and scoops.
2-0; -3 Umezawa's Jitte -2 Wild Mongrel +3 Spell Pierce +2 Krosan Grip
Round 3: Robert Lee (Mirror)
I checked pairings, made the obligatory "I'm playing Robert E. Lee" joke, and the match was under way.
Game 1: We both keep at 7 and im on the play. I Dazed his turn 2 Survival and followed up with one of my own. Sick yard tricks were activated and we were on to game 2.
Game 2: He attempts the turn 2 Survival again, this time to meet a Force of Will. I play Aquamoeba, discard 2 Vengevines and cast a Memnite. How is that for god starts.
3-0; -3 Umezawa's Jitte +3 Faerie Macabre
Round 4: Dan Waeber (Burn + Goyf)
I sit down and my opponent informs me that this is his first legacy event. I automatically assume he is on burn or goblins and we get started.
Game 1: On the play, turn 1 Trop, Hierarch. Sure enough, his first play is mountain into suspend Rift Bolt. The game progresses with me playing creatures, and him doing everything in his power to stop me. At one point in the game I knew it was over when he cast Flamebreak. In the end his goyf picks me off.
Game 2: Turn 1 Hierarch, turn 2 Survival met by no resistance. My Vengevines stopped by for a visit and we were on to 3.
Game 3: A very intense game. It was getting late in the round, so we had picked up a fair amount of spectators. A really back and forth game until Flamebreak resolves. I had managed to knock him low quite early, and it came down to him swinging with a Tarmogoyf with no cards in hand to put me at 1, while he was a bit better off at 3. He looks at the board and says "Venge gets it here." I look at him and suggest that I just flip the last card, to which he shrugs. I flip it over, look down and am relieved to see my last Vengevine now face up on top of my library, followed by loud noises from my opponent and roughly everyone standing withing a 5 foot radius. We talk about the match for a few mins after and then part ways.
4-0; -3 Trygon Predator +3 Mind Harness
Round 5: Jessie Butler (G/W Survival)
While standings were not posted at the tournament, according to the standings online I was in 1st going into this round. Our match took a total of 10 minutes, with him putting some Vengevines in my face 2 games straight. We talk about our deck choices for a few minutes and then im off to grab some food while I have 40 mins in the round.
4-1; -3 Umezawa's Jitte +3 Mind Harness
Round 6: Joshua Justice (ANT)
I have been playing near this guy all day, and I was not happy about this matchup. He was a cool guy and all, but that didn't change the fact that I did not want to play a Storm deck.
Game 1: Mull to 6 on the play, drop T. Island and pass with Daze backup. My worst fears were realized, as he combos off into tendrils for roughly a billion with his 1 land open the entire time.
Game 2: It was a Survival party in my pants, and all the Vengevines were invited.
Game 3: He starts looking very iffy about his hand, but decides to keep. I fire off with a quick Mongrel/Vengevine/Rootwalla start, putting him on a clock, while leaving myself with 1 land and 1 Aquamoeba in hand.. He was getting all he could out of it, mainly by using his next turn to Preordain twice and Brainstorm once. I put him dangerously low on my following turn, while drawing Force of Will. On his next turn he does this whole storm thing that ended with Infernal Tutor on the stack while breaking two Lions Eye Diamonds. I let the LED triggers resolve to force a hand pitch and Force of Willed his Infernal Tutor. Left with 6 mana in his pool and nothing in hand, he conceded.
5-1; -3 Trygon Predator +3 Spell Pierce
Round 7: Christopher Coppola (Mono Green Survival)
This was a 100% blowout with my opponent "going off" both games. The premise of this deck is to Enlightened Tutor up a Lions Eye Diamond into sick yard tricks. However the execution was much different. His best start was LED into double Rootwalla and an Arrogant Wurm. I got 4 Vengevine on the field for a quick sweep both games.
6-1; Did not board
Round 8: David Gleicher
He was 6-0-1 going into last round, and was looking to double draw into top 8. I was happy to comply, as it guaranteed us both in. I.D.
6-1-1; I.D.
Quarterfinals: Rion Marmulstein (Ooze Survival)
There is a fellow named Bill Stark that gets paid to do this, so I'm gonna send it over to him.
Article Here <--- I'm in ya top 8's, wrecking ya innovations.
Semifinals: Adam Cai (Retainer Survival)
Article Here <--- Includes sick bluffing
Finals: Jessie Butler (G/W Survival)
Article Here
Overall was a very good day, and I was happy with the way things turned out. I was pleased with my play to the point where I never agonized over any mistakes.
Thanks to Martin, Christain, Tony, Josh and Bobby for getting me the cards I needed for this event. I also want to thank my opponents, as I didn't play against a single douchebag. And good work to Drew Bergschnider for Top 8ing States the previous week. Keep watching Team Tittyfeet tear shit up near you. Getting second qualified me for the Star City Invitational December 3rd - 5th which I will be attending in Richmond, VA.
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