FNM - Dragon's Maze Sealed Results

Finally after long last the tournament went for my Dragon's Maze sealed deck. This review isn't my best work but it is what it is. Hit me up in the comments for clarifications.

Round 1: Things started off well. I got a couple early dudes down and my opponent stumbled a bit. Eventually he had stabilized and I was forced to sit back. Because of his stumble I was doing well, up 16-6. We each had three dudes out now but in grand Dragon's Maze fashion neither of us found beneficial attacks. He played a Steeple Roc to break it open, but I wasn't worried, a Pit Fight or Electricity and I would be ok. Unfortunately none came, all I did was draw land.The next turn my opponent played Undercity Plague ciphered on the Roc.  I now realized I was drawing too much land. I had no answer. Four turns later I was dead. Total for the game I drew 11 lands and 6 spells (none of which were more than cmc of 3). Just not going to get it done.

  

Game two I drew no land and was forced to mulligan. The next hand had two lands and a play on turns two and three, I kept it. Sadly I drew nothing but red spells and never got a red source. Maybe I should have mulled down to 5 hoping for better land, but I don't think so. I think the higher win percentage was to try and draw out of it. Sometimes you just don't get the land you need. I would attack this problem at the tournament progressed with sideboarding out some of the black.L 0-2 (0-1)

Round 2:  I was reeling after round 1. Seriously doubting my already dubious deck choices. I thought I couldn't win at all. I needed to turn it around. And I did, game one was sweet*. My opponent got stuck on 3 lands and played one spell all game. Game two was a little more competitive. We were dropping dudes and bashing early, 18-17, 16-14. He swung with his team and tied it up at 14, then he tapped out to drop a 3/3 creature. He figured he was safe at 14 because all I had was a couple of 3/3s on the board. Fortunately I had Armed & Dangerous and a Shanktail.

 

I Armed up one of my dudes and swung with the team. He blocked the unarmed dude for the trade and let the other one sail in. At which point I Bloodrushed and it was all over.  W 2-0 (1-1)

Round 3: Game one was pretty interesting. He was on the attack early with a Boros Elite into Sunhome Guildmage into Skynight Legionnaire  Needless to say I was on the back food. Did I mention he was on the play? After his third turn attack with battalion online I was at 11. For my third turn I dropped a dude. Then my luck turned. Due to a mulligan he was down to 2 cards and had no action. He got in for a little more damage. Then I played Crocanura. That turned off the clock presented by the Legionnaire. Again my opponent whiffed on his draw. And then on my turn the Croc started to evolve. The score was 6-18, a good spell or two was all he needed to finish me off. But the cards didn't come for him. By the end of the game the croc had evolved 4 times. I had made it to the big part of my curve. And he just couldn't keep up with the fatties.

Game two he got the Truefire Paladin out and was bashing away. I dropped a Dreg Mangler and starting in as well. The next turn he laid back with all his mana up. I smelled trick but had one of my own.

I bashed, he blocked, and I passed priority. He pumped his Paladin with Weapon Surge making it 3/2 first strike. However I pulled out my Shanktail and the Paladin died to a 6/4 first strike Mangler. That two for one was effectively the end of the game. My opponent was on the back foot and would never recover. W 2-0 (2-1)

Round 4: I don't know what to say about this match up but: LEGION LOYALIST. That little goblin came up huge. Game one went like this, turn one loyalist (20-19), turn two  2/2 duder (20-18), turn 3 dreg mangler swing with the battalion from loyalist (20-14), he blocked my dude.

I got another swing in the next turn with the Loyalist and sadly the little dude fell in battle but by then I was too far in front at (20-10). I had some removal and was able to swat down whatever he played, 20-5. Eventually killing him without taking any damage.

Game two started the same way as game one. I got in some early beats again with the loyalist and friends. The score was 20-13 but then he dropped Varolz, the Scar-Striped, all his dudes in the yard he had been chumping with were now bullets in his gun. I had nothing to deal with a huge dude.

However his play was incoherent from then on. He didn't scavenge, opting to put a 2/2 on the battlefield. I was able (because I had a Weapon Surge in hand) to attack favorably. He chumped with his duder and the score was now 20-11. Then he swung in with Varolz 18-11. Played a small dude and scavenged to make Varolz bigger. I was starting to worry, Then I drew a Ground Assault.

I had my plan, swing this turn. Then Ground Assault Varolz next turn. He would need to drop a serious creature or spell to hold me off. I swung and it was 18-6. Now he was really feeling the head and held his team back to defend. He scavenged Varolz up to 7/7 and dropped a dude. Phew! No big board changer. On my turn I played the Assault (for 7) which was lethal for Varolz and that forced the concession. The match was mine. W 2-0 (3-1)


wrapup: Overall I was happy with the outcome. I feel like I deckbuilt poorly but played well. I think this format is really susceptible to faltering and consistency is super important.


* sweet = super shitty but at least i was on the winning side