Our car to Providence, RI was Adam Barnello (Nightmare), Alex Artese (Munkie), and myself. We left early Friday morning and it was mostly talking about music, movies, and nerd stuff — who would’ve guessed?

We eventually arrived at the event site, first person we see is Chuck (CDR) and shortly after we find out we can’t use any of the MTGtheSource items due to copyright restrictions which is fairly lame.

I was excited to find out that there were artists at the event! I could get some stuff signed! I had my four Japanese Foil [[Duress]] along with my Japanese Foil [[Deathmark]]s signed for The EPIC Storm (TES), as well as a Japanese Foil [[Slithermuse]], and a Japanese Foil [[Terastodon]]! While waiting in line I noticed a [[Grozoth]] painting, my initial thought was “hell yeah!”, then “FUCK!” I literally have a binder full of [[Grozoth]] from a deal I have with Zach Tartell. It’s a very big bummmer that I could’ve had the artist sign some copies.

I hit the dealer booths to look for Japanese Foil [[Xantid Swarm]] but have little luck, unfortunate.

What changed?

Right before the start of the event, I decided to listen to some advice from people from the MTGtheSource TES thread and I cut the [[Meltdown]] for a third copy of [[Pyroblast]] in the sideboard. This allows you to have more options against Merfolk, which is very popular at the moment.

Grand Prix: Providence, RI

Round One – **BYE**

Round Two – Jake Gans with Dredge

Game One:

My opponent opens with land into a [[Putrid Imp]]. I play [[Underground Sea]] and a [[Ponder]]. In their upkeep, they discard, Dredge, and then cast [[Breakthrough]]. They reveal three copies of [[Cabal Therapy]].

Sideboarding: -2 [[Xantid Swarm]], -1 [[Empty the Warrens]], -3 [[Orim’s Chant]], +3 [[Pyroblast]], +2 [[Echoing Truth]], +1 [[Duress]]

Game Two:

I keep a hand of: [[Scalding Tarn]], [[Duress]], [[Duress]], [[Dark Ritual]], [[Infernal Tutor]], [[Lion’s Eye Diamond]], and [[Ponder]]. I cast [[Duress]] and look at a pair of [[Careful Study]], [[Breakthrough]], [[Putrid Imp]], [[Gemstone Mine]], and Dredge creatures. I discard the [[Breakthrough]]. They play [[Purid Imp]]. I draw another [[Infernal Tutor]] for the turn. At this point I cast [[Ponder]], fail to find mana, shuffle, and draw another cantrip. Another upkeep discard, Dredge, cast [[Careful Study]], and then casts [[Breakthrough]]…

Round Three – Luke Bardsley with Painter

Game One:

The opponent mulligans and opens with [[Great Furnace]] and [[Goblin Welder]]. On my turn, I cast our favorite bug — [[Xantid Swarm]]. We attack each other for a bit, but then I break the silence by casting [[Ad Nauseam]]. Luke reveals a pair of [[Force of Will]] in hand.

Sideboarding: -1 [[Empty the Warrens]], -1 [[Chrome Mox]], -1 [[Ponder]], +3 [[Pyroblast]]

Game Two:

Luke opens with [[Painter’s Servant]], [[Chrome Mox]], and [[Grindstone]].

Game Three:

I resolve another first turn [[Xantid Swarm]]. Then on the second turn [[Dark Ritual]], [[Rite of Flame]], [[Lion’s Eye Diamond]], and [[Ad Nauseam]] from hand.

Round Four – David Fortuna with Affinity

Game One:

They get a very fast draw and put me to six life on their turn three, but on my third turn, I [[Ill-Gotten Gains]] loop for the win.

Sideboarding: – 2 [[Xantid Swarm]], -1 [[Orim’s Chant]], -1 [[Empty the Warrens]], +2 [[Echoing Truth]], +1 [[Duress]], +1 [[Wipe Away]]

Game Two:

I cast [[Ad Nauseam]] on the first turn and my opponent asks what it is.

Round Five – Alex Morrill with Zoo

Game One:

They mulligan to three, I [[Duress]], and they concede.

Sideboarding: – 2 [[Xantid Swarm]], -1 [[Orim’s Chant]], -1 [[Empty the Warrens]], +2 [[Echoing Truth]], +1 [[Duress]], +1 [[Wipe Away]]

Game Two:

I have the win on my turn three after shuffling and drawing a [[Rite of Flame]] off of a [[Ponder]], but I draw the [[Tendrils of Agony]] for my turn and can’t become Hellbent for [[Infernal Tutor]] and die to some cats.

Game Three:

I mulligan and my opponent tells me that they hope I mulligan to three, this is incredibly rude — please do not do this, it’s very poor manners. I refuse to mulligan down to five against Zoo. My six card hand is: [[Lotus Petal]], [[Lion’s Eye Diamond]], [[Infernal Tutor]], [[Rite of Flame]], [[Brainstorm]], and [[Lotus Petal]]. I cast [[Lotus Petal]] and then [[Brainstorm]] into [[Bloodstained Mire]], [[Polluted Delta]] and an [[Orim’s Chant]]. I cantrip a few times again during my next turn. On my opponent’s following turn, they slam, and I mean reach across the table and hit my two foreign black-border duals lands with their [[Choke]]. I lost it — I got visually angry with my opponent. I end up losing the game, but end up fairly upset for awhile over this.

Round Six – Trenton Bollinger with Burn

Game One:

If there’s one thing I learned about this person is that they love [[Gitaxian Probe]]. At the end of their second turn, they were at 14 life between [[Gitaxian Probe]] and fetchlands. I naturally build up to seven Storm and cast [[Tendrils of Agony]].

Sideboarding: – 2 [[Xantid Swarm]], -1 [[Orim’s Chant]], -1 [[Empty the Warrens]], +2 [[Echoing Truth]], +1 [[Duress]], +1 [[Wipe Away]]

Game Two:

I resolve [[Ad Nauseam]] on turn one after a [[Duress]].

Round Seven – Joseph Chagnon with Merfolk

Game One:

I play a turn one [[Xantid Swarm]] and it gets countered by [[Mental Misstep]]. They then play [[Island]] into [[Cursecatcher]]. On my turn, I play a bunch of spells and [[Empty the Warrens]] for 14 [[Goblin Token]]s.

Sideboarding: -1 [[Infernal Tutor]], -1 [[Ponder]], -1 [[Chrome Mox]], -1 [[Rite of Flame]], +2 [[Xantid Swarm]], +2 [[Pyroblast]]

Game Two:

My [[Xantid Swarm]] resolves this time! On the second turn, I follow it up with: [[Rite of Flame]], [[Dark Ritual]], [[Dark Ritual]], [[Lion’s Eye Diamond]], [[Burning Wish]], [[Diminishing Returns]], [[Brainstorm]], [[Lotus Petal]], [[Lion’s Eye Diamond]], [[Dark Ritual]], [[Infernal Tutor]], and [[Tendrils of Agony]].

Round Eight – Korey Age with Sneak & Show

Game One:

I [[Ponder]] into [[Xantid Swarm]] and a [[City of Brass]]. I play them on turn two into a [[Force of Will]] removing [[Show and Tell]]. I decide that I need to win quickly and go all-in on casting [[Ad Nauseam]]. It resolves.

Sideboarding: -1 [[Infernal Tutor]], -1 [[Ponder]], -1 [[Chrome Mox]], -1 [[Rite of Flame]], +2 [[Xantid Swarm]], +2 [[Pyroblast]]

Game Two:

I keep a hand of: [[Scalding Tarn]], [[Ponder]], [[Xantid Swarm]], [[Lion’s Eye Diamond]], [[Lotus Petal]], [[Dark Ritual]], and [[Rite of Flame]]. Korey plays [[Island]], [[Ponder]], go. I cast my own [[Ponder]] into [[Bloodstained Mire]], [[Brainstorm]], and [[Dark Ritual]]. Korey plays [[Volcanic Island]], [[Lotus Petal]], and [[Show and Tell]]. I put [[Xantid Swarm]] into play against [[Emrakul, the Aeons Torn]]. I attack and then [[Brainstorm]] into [[Ad Nauseam]]!

Round Nine – Kriss Larsen with Deadguy Ale

Game One:

I play [[Empty the Warrens]] for 12 [[Goblin Token]]s on turn one.

Sideboarding: -2 [[Xantid Swarm]], -2 [[Orim’s Chant]], +2 [[Echoing Truth]], +1 [[Duress]], +1 [[Wipe Away]]

Game Two:

I play a turn one [[Ponder]] which finds me [[Burning Wish]] with exactly enough mana to cast [[Empty the Warrens]]. My opponent plays [[Dark Ritual]], [[Dark Ritual]], [[Dark Confidant]], and [[Umezawa’s Jitte]] but it’s not enough.

End of Day One

That’s the end of day one! Adam Barnello and I made day two out of our car, we end up going out in downtown Providence to celebrate. The Waterfire and nightlife was pretty pretty ridiculous, we had drinks and ate on the river. We all ended that night saying, “I want to live here.”

Round Ten – Joseph Schmidt with Blue MUD

Game One:

I play a turn one [[Duress]] leaving them with a bunch of things they can’t cast because I took [[Grim Monolith]]. On the next turn I cast [[Empty the Warrens]] for 12 [[Goblin Token]]s and then play [[Orim’s Chant]] the next two turns in their upkeep.

Sideboarding: -2 [[Xantid Swarm]], -2 [[Orim’s Chant]], +2 [[Echoing Truth]], +1 [[Duress]], +1 [[Wipe Away]]

Game Two:

[[City of Traitors]], [[Grim Monolith]], [[Voltaic Key]], [[Trinisphere]]. On turn two, [[Metalworker]] and reveals [[Staff of Domination]] in hand.

Game Three:

I open with [[Duress]] and take [[Trinisphere]] leaving them with expensive to cast cards again. I have a turn two win, except their draw step was [[Chalice of the Void]]. I have [[Burning Wish]] in hand but no [[Meltdown]] in the sideboard to [[Burning Wish]] for. I eventually lose the game.

Round Eleven – Eugene Ho with Merfolk

Game One:

Eugene beats me down with two copies of [[Cursecatcher]] down to thirteen life, plays a [[Mutavault]], and then a [[Coralhelm Commander]]. I attempt to go off, but am stopped. On their turn, they level up [[Coralhelm Commander]], [[AEther Vial]] in [[Lord of Atlantis]] and it’s lethal.

Sideboarding: -1 [[Infernal Tutor]], -1 [[Ponder]], -1 [[Chrome Mox]], -1 [[Rite of Flame]], +2 [[Xantid Swarm]], +2 [[Pyroblast]]

Game Two:

I keep a hand of: [[Gemstone Mine]], [[Lotus Petal]], [[Lion’s Eye Diamond]], [[Lion’s Eye Diamond]], [[Infernal Tutor]], and the rest doesn’t matter. Eugene doesn’t have [[Force of Will]]! [[Ad Nauseam]].

Game Three:

I cantrip into [[Xantid Swarm]] and then cast [[Xantid Swarm]] on the second turn into [[Force of Will]]. I then [[Brainstorm]] into [[Empty the Warrens]] and play [[Lotus Petal]], [[Lotus Petal]], [[Rite of Flame]], [[Dark Ritual]], [[Chrome Mox]], and [[Empty the Warrens]] for 18 [[Goblin Token]]s.

Round Twelve – Dave Meier with Merfolk

Game One:

These are the cards I saw game one: [[Stifle]], [[Daze]], [[Spell Pierce]], [[Mental Misstep]], [[Force of Will]], [[Cursecatcher]], [[AEther Vial]], [[Island]], [[Wasteland]], and [[Lord of Atlantis]]! How do they have room for all of this?!?! No clue.

Sideboarding: -1 [[Infernal Tutor]], -1 [[Ponder]], -1 [[Chrome Mox]], -1 [[Rite of Flame]], +2 [[Xantid Swarm]], +2 [[Pyroblast]]

Game Two:

Dave draws all of those cards again plus [[Spell Snare]] AND [[Surgical Extraction]].

Round Thirteen – Peter O’Brien with Reanimator

Game One:

My opponent has multiple copies of [[Force of Will]], [Mental Misstep]], and [[Iona, Shield of Emeria]] all by turn three.

Sideboarding: -1 [[Infernal Tutor]], -1 [[Empty the Warrens]], -2 Chant, -1 [[Ponder]], -1 [[Rite of Flame]], -1 [[Brainstorm]], +2 [[Echoing Truth]], +1 [[Wipe Away]], +2 [[Xantid Swarm]], +2 [[Pyroblast]]

Game Two:

It’s a long game with a lot of hand destruction, Peter eventually gets [[Platinum Angel]] in play. I can win through this but then the better angel enters play — [[Iona, Shield of Emeria]].

Round Fourteen – Jesse Steele with Affinity

At this point I’m pretty bummed because I can’t even make top 64. I don’t really feel like playing, but I figured I might as well for rating points.

Game One:

Jesse leads with [[Memnite]] and an artifact land and plays other stuff on turn two. My turn two I cast [[Ad Nauseam]] drawing 23 cards.

Sideboarding: None.

Game Two:

Jesse gets a really fast start, I’m at eight life on turn three. I go off casting [[Ad Nauseam]] because it’s all I can do. I stop at four life and win! Jesse reveals an [[Ethersworn Canonist]] but no white mana.

Round Fifteen – Nick Wilbur with Zoo

Game One:

I keep a hand that’s amazing versus Merfolk, Nick isn’t playing Merfolk.

Sideboarding: -2 [[Xantid Swarm]], -1 [[Orim’s Chant]], -1 [[Empty the Warrens]], +2 [[Echoing Truth]], +1 [[Duress]], +1 [[Wipe Away]]

Game Two:

I play turn one [[Ponder]] and then turn two [[Ad Nauseam]].

Game Three:

Look at game two, but add a [[Grapeshot]] for 25!

Closing & General Thoughts

It was a great time, I got a bunch of foils and hung out with a bunch of close friends. Went to the bars with the Virginians and made my second Day 2 of a Grand Prix. Thanks for reading my loser’s report.

Until next time, keep storming!