12/13/14 Match Recap

Recap

Round 1: 

Facing a messy Abzan deck. Unfortunately, this deck highlights my tragic lack of winners or bombs.

The first game I keep a two lander. unfortunately I miss my mana drops on 4 & 5, only getting to five land (aka Throttle territory) on turn 7. I actually stabilized and lived the dream but Abzan Ascendancy is SO GOOD. Each time I attacked I just created more 1/1 fliers I couldn't block. So dumb. I actually pull out game 2 by leaping out to a bit of lead and then Archer Parapet-ing him down. So inelegant but hilarious! But game 3 saw an on-curve Ivorytusk and that was game.

Ultimately I had no answers for:

  

(1-2)

Round 2

Facing a messy Jeskai deck. Both games he leaps out to fast attacks

   

But I stabilize and wear him down with the Glacier as he floods out.

Game two was a little more harrowing. Similar quick-start but rolls into Leaping Master and the Kirin. Drops me to 7 before I get the shields up and morphs. Honestly his deck wasn't very good. He played Swift Kick.

Don't ever play Swift Kick, I don't care how many Prowess triggers you have.

(2-0)

Round 3

Now facing a much more competently put together Temur deck. It was interesting chatting with him because he 1st pack opened a Savage Knuckleblade and then never looked back. It's like how I drafted all of a month ago! The first game I ruthlessly overwhelm his weenies. The second game I stall dangerously on four mana and he hit all of his tricks complete with a unopposed Snowhorn Rider. I was a turn away from stabilizing but he broke through with a savage 13 point attack on turn 6. Brutal.

But game three, game three was epic. I stall on four mana for two turns and get whittled down to 13. Then I get some attacks in with my Scions and burrow him down. Then he cannily baits out my Sultai Charm and drops Riverwheel Aerialists (that should have been mine) and a Savage Knuckleblade. I start chump blocking, get out a Attendants. I have three throttles in my hand. He chumps the deathtouch with the Knuckleblade. Next turn he recasts it with some other stuff, but not enough blue to bounce it. I throttle it down. One threat remove. He has swung me to 5 and is one turn (presumably he has something) away from victory. But an end of turn Throttle followed by a main-phase throttle wipes out enough of his blockers that my lame team of Sultai Flayers, Sagu Archers, and Shambling Attendants can power the last 7 health.

Two packs of khans! Victory!

MVP (tie)

 

Both of these surprised me with their performance. The Scion often puts Villain in an awkward quandary and can start chipping away life totals. The Flayer is a great value play and often puts opponents into some terrible choices with the amount of potential lifegain on trading/removal. Especially hilarious when there are two Flayers on the field.

Other notes:
Three Throttles might be too many. It would be great for one of those to be, say, a debilitating injury.

Don't forget to come up with a way to actually, you know, win the game. I loves how my deck felt but I never committed to a way to finish. Sultai needs 2-3 reliable threats to win a game, Abomination, Sultai Scavenger, Mystic of the Hidden Way... SOMETHING.