A little about myself before we get into the report. I first started playing Magic in 1995 when Ice Age & Alliances were released and stopped in 2000 after the Urza block. Retiring my “Type 1” Land Destruction and “Extended” Necro-Assault decks. In 2012 some old friends had just started playing the game and promptly got me to play with them which, of course, led to me wanting to build new decks. I discovered TES at the beginning of this year and have been epic storming ever since. Onto the weekend!

My Grand Prix weekend starts on Friday with a half-day, working from home. Working from home is great since I’ve been so pumped for the upcoming weekend and have opted not to pack until the last minute. A half hour later, we’re ready to rock and roll!

I get into Seattle around 4:30pm thinking that it’s not a bad time to arrive – it’s the middle of the day and it’s awesome. I call a Lyft to take me to my AirBNB in Tacoma and it takes just over an hour due to rush hour. Doh! I should’ve known this as I commute to work everyday, but it slips my mind as I’m not used to traveling in the middle of the day.

I get to the convention center around 7pm, meet up with both groups of friends that I know here and quickly depart for dinner. We decide on Cafe Vincero where I get spaghetti and meatballs, a nice hearty meal to carbo load for the next day.

It’s the morning of the Grand Prix, my first major event, and third comp REL event ever. The excitement is slowly building and I realize it’s game time. Let’s do this.

 

 

I apologize in advance for the lack of details regarding my opening hands.

 

Round one: Daniel Nath with Lands

Game one: My hand is: Gitaxian Probe, Infernal Tutor, Burning Wish, Cabal Therapy, Ponder, Brainstorm and Polluted Delta. Daniel wins the die roll, fetches for a Taiga and passes the turn. I cast Ponder, don’t see a land and shuffle. Still no land. Next turn I cast Brainstorm and draw Infernal Tutor, Infernal Tutor, Cabal Therapy. Daniel dredges Life From The Loam a turn later flipping Dark Depths, Thespian’s Stage, Dark Depths. Hello, Marit Lage.

Sideboarding: -2 Cabal Therapy, -4 Ponder, +3 Abrupt Decay, +2 Chain of Vapor, +1 Thoughtseize

Game two: I have a line to make ten goblins on turn one. I play Gitaxian Probe revealing Exploration, Crop Rotation, Sphere of Resistance, Rishadan Port, Rishadan Port, Grove of the Burnwillows, Forest. I opted against the goblins route after seeing Crop Rotation and Daniel plays a turn one Sphere of Resistance and turn two Chalice of the Void for one. GG.

This wasn’t how I wanted to start the tournament, but we still have a long day ahead of us.

0-2 | 0-1

 

Round two: Dave Asbury with Defense of the Heart

Game one: Dave starts the game with a Tropical Island, casts Ponder and passes the turn. I cast Ponder on my turn. Dave plays Forbidden Orchard, casts Ponder with the Tropical Island and Ponder again with the Forbidden Orchard, giving me a Spirit token. This is excellent because I’m holding a Cabal Therapy. I attack for a point of damage and cast Cabal Therapy naming Force of Will. It hits and I flash it back naming the revealed Brainstorm. Is that value or what? I also see Defense of the Heart and Natural Affinity, I’m glad that I had the Cabal Therapy to prevent whatever combo this deck is about. He doesn’t recover from this and I cast my first Ad Nauseam of the day.

Sideboarding: -2 Ponder, -1 Swamp, +3 Xantid Swarm

Game two: My only notes are that I’m at 18 life and he’s at 19. I assume he fetched for a land, then I played Gitaxian Probe and didn’t bother writing down his hand because it was a clear path to cast Ad Nauseam. I remember Tendrils of Agony for 26 life.

I’m psyched for my first win of the day especially with it being in devastating fashion. Now to post a winning record.

2-2 | 1-1

 

Round three: Alfred Austria with Shardless BUG

Game one: I open with Gitaxian Probe which reveals Abrupt Decay, Abrupt Decay, Creeping Tar Pit, Verdant Catacombs, and Forest. Which leads to fourteen goblins on the following turn.

Sideboarding: -2 Ponder, +2 Abrupt Decay

Game two: Alfred plays fetch lands for his first two turns and plays a 1/2 Tarmogoyf. I comment on how this is the smallest Tarmogoyf I’ve ever seen in play. “What doesn’t grow, dies. And what dies grows the Tarmogoyf.” I did not grow and proceeded to die.

Sideboarding: -2 Abrupt Decay, -1 Ponder, +3 Xantid Swarm

Game three: I play Gitaxian Probe which reveals Swamp, Misty Rainforest, Liliana of the Veil, Thoughtseize, Force of Will, Golgari Charm, and Vendillion Clique. I play Duress to take the Thoughtseize. On turn three, I play Burning Wish which draws out Force of Will and then cast Cabal Therapy naming Vendillion Clique not realizing that he pitched it to Force of Will. I’m feeling like an idiot at this point, but fortunately for me, he points it out and let’s me name something else to which I name a previously revealed Lilliana of the Veil. I had Dark Ritual and Infernal Tutor in hand and was able to play Ad Nauseam next turn with a top decked Lion’s Eye Diamond.

I got lucky with that one, but I’ll take it. Goals for the weekend have been achieved, but let’s slow down a bit and pay more attention.

4-3 | 2-1

 

Round four: Jeremy Gray with TES

Game one: Jeremy opens with Bloodstained Mire and fetches a Volcanic Island. I chuckle in my head because I realize it’s the mirror. I open with Gitaxian Probe revealing: Chrome Mox, Lotus Petal, Lotus Petal, Dark Ritual, Polluted Delta and Bloodstained Mire. I cast Duress to take his Dark Ritual, then Cabal Therapy naming Lotus Petal. Once I get him down to three cards I make eight goblins and flashback both Cabal Therapies, hitting Dark Ritual and Infernal Tutor. The six remaining goblins bring it home.

Sideboarding: -1 Bayou, +1 Thoughtseize

Game two: We both start our turns by playing a land and Lion’s Eye Diamond. The next couple of turns are spent discarding each other’s hands. Eventually I’m left with only a Rite of Flame in hand. Next turn I topdeck Empty The Warrens and play it for a whopping four goblins. I flashback Cabal Therapy and then beat down for 3 damage for a few turns. I get 9 damage off him, putting him at 7 life, before he gets ten goblins of his own on the table. He gets one swing in and then next turn I play Burning Wish, Dark Petition, Burning Wish, Tendrils of Agony for the remaining damage.

My friend, Stefan, starts to think I have a real shot at making day 2. This was way beyond my expectations for the weekend, but at this point I’m starting to build confidence.

6-3 | 3-1

 

Round five: Ryan Evans with Merfolk

Ryan tells me he’s just coming off his first loss of the day and we chat about traveling to play Magic. After spotting the mirror in my last match, I start playing Bryant’s game of “What deck is my opponent on?” I put him on a cheap aggro deck.

Game one: Ryan starts the game with an Island and passes the turn. I’m thinking Merfolk? I open with Cabal Therapy which gets Dazed. I continue my turn by making twenty goblins. That was a nice fair game of Magic.

Sideboarding: -2 Ponder, -1 Swamp, +3 Xantid Swarm

Game two: Ryan opens with a Master of the Pearl Trident, hah! I play Gitaxian Probe and see Spell Pierce, True-Name Nemesis, Island, Island and Island. I make ten goblins through Spell Pierce and flashback Cabal Therapy naming True-Name Nemesis. Apparently goblins like sashimi.

Stefan is getting pumped and, now, so am I, but I’m trying to not get overconfident.

8-3 | 4-1

 

Round six: Daniel Crowder with Death & Taxes

Game one: I start the game with a fetch land and pass the turn. He plays a Plains and Mother of Runes (I’m getting good at this). I play Ad Nauseam and make twenty goblins on turn two.

Sideboarding: -2 Duress, -2 Ponder, +2 Chain of Vapor, +2 Abrupt Decay

Game two: Daniel plays a land and passes the turn. I play Gitaxian Probe revealing Batterskull, Stoneforge Mystic, Thalia, Swords to Plowshares, Rishadan Port, and Horizon Canopy. I assume that if I don’t do anything, he’ll play Thalia next turn so I storm out for twelve goblins even though it’s not enough to outrace Batterskull. Daniel plays Stoneforge Mystic fetching Umezawa’s Jitte. I draw Burning Wish for the following turn, grab Void Snare with it and attack, Daniel takes 11 damage. He draws, thinks for a minute and passes the turn. (In my head I’m thinking “noooooo” as my Void Snare is now nullified). I draw Brainstorm for the turn and cast it pre-combat which gets me Lotus Petal, Underground Sea and Chain of Vapor. (Now I’m thinking “yesssssss, you’re dead”). I move to combat and declare attackers, he brings in Batterskull, I bounce it with Chain of Vapor, he takes 11 more damage.

I always have a hard time with the local Death & Taxes players so I’m relieved with this result. It’s hitting me how close I am to day 2!

10-3 | 5-1

 

Round seven: Joseph Christensen with BUG Delver

A polite gentleman who’s relieved that I’m calm and not high strung like his last opponent. By the way he’s speaking, I put him on control.

Game one: Joseph mulligans to six and I start the game with a Duress revealing Daze, Stifle, Delver of Secrets, Wasteland, Wasteland and Polluted Delta. I take Daze. Joseph plays Delver of Secrets on his turn and I respond with twelve goblins.

Sideboarding: -2 Ponder, +2 Abrupt Decay

Game two: Joseph’s turn one Delver of Secrets flips on his turn and beats me down quickly. I try casting Ad Nauseam at 9 life and get Empty The Warrens as my first card. Yeah.

Sideboarding, -2 Abrupt Decay, -1 Ponder, +3 Xantid Swarm

Game three: I keep Lion’s Eye Diamond, Lion’s Eye Diamond, Lion’s Eye Diamond, Lotus Petal, Gitaxian Probe, and two fetch lands. I open with Gitaxian Probe revealing Stifle, Golgari Charm, Abrupt Decay, Duress, Ponder, Wasteland and Polluted Delta.

The next couple turns are a little hazy, but I remember an Underground Sea getting hit by Wasteland and later trying to fetch two lands at once with the second one getting hit by Stifle. I drew a second Lotus Petal and the fourth Lion’s Eye Diamond during this pseudo-blackout. Joseph had what I’m assuming is a small Tarmogoyf as my notes show my life being reduced by 2 for two turns.

Joseph plays Duress and doesn’t think it’s funny that I have fourteen mana in my hand (he took whatever non-mana card was in my hand). Next turn I topdeck an Infernal Tutor! I play both Lotus Petals, all four Lion’s Eye Diamonds, and cast Infernal Tutor (cracking only three of the Lion’s Eye Diamonds) searching for Ad Nauseam. I cast Ad Nauseam starting at 12 life and go down to 2 revealing the other two Lotus Petals, plenty of discard, cantrips, and ritual effects, but no Infernal Tutor or Burning Wish. I play Lotus Petal, Ponder, shuffle, draw. Lotus Petal, Brainstorm which draws me Brainstorm… Polluted Delta… BURNING WISH! I play Duress to take the Stifle and Burning Wish into Tendrils of Agony.

Stefan is watching this game and we kind of celebrate when I get win. I’m getting super excited at this point being just one win away. This could really happen.

12-4 | 6-1

 

Round eight: Eric Froehlich with ANT

Admittedly, I don’t know a lot of the Magic pros. Heading into this match, I thought the name resembled someone from my LGS so I start asking my friends if they know the name. As I’m walking to the table, I get a text message saying, “He is hall of fame. Crush him!” Didn’t need to know I was playing a hall of famer, but thanks for the words of encouragement. Eric is an intimidating looking dude, I put him on a deck that crushes people badly.

Game one: I open with Gitaxian Probe revealing Brainstorm, Cabal Ritual, Cabal Therapy, Underground Sea, Island, Lotus Petal and Lotus Petal. Eric plays Underground Sea followed by a Cabal Therapy naming Brainstorm which misses. Next turn I make eight goblins and flashback a Cabal Therapy that I discarded to Lion’s Eye Diamond, naming Brainstorm. Next turn I draw another Cabal Therapy naming Cabal Ritual. The remaining seven goblins take it home.

Sideboarding: -1 Bayou, +1 Thoughtseize

Game two: On the draw, I start with a Duress and pull a Brainstorm, but also revealing Cabal Ritual, Cabal Ritual, Dark ritual, and Lion’s Eye Diamond. My hand is nowhere near this power level and Eric combos off two turns later.

Sideboarding: No change

Game three: I keep an opening hand of Dark Ritual, Rite of Flame, Infernal Tutor, Burning Wish, Lion’s Eye Diamond, Underground Sea, and Bloodstained Mire. I play the Bloodstained Mire and Lion’s Eye Diamond and pass the turn. Eric plays Gitaxian Probe followed by Cabal Therapy. He thinks for a good minute about what to name. I’m feeling slight relief as it looks like he has no idea what to take, but also calmly stressing because taking Dark Ritual would immensely slow down that hand. Fortunately, he takes the Burning Wish and allows me to storm off with Ad Nauseam.

What?! Are you serious?! I made it to day 2!! I’m freaking out in my head, but holding it together on the outside. We still have one round left, let’s celebrate after.

14-5 | 7-1

 

Round nine: Pat Chapin with Esper Control

I know of Pat’s name, but not much of his history. At this point, it really hits me that things are going to get increasingly more difficult from here. Obviously, Pat has to be a very skilled player but he doesn’t look like a combo player. I put him on some kind of control, maybe Miracles.

Game one: Pat wins the die roll and mulligans to five. He fetches an Underground Sea and passes the turn. I start with one of the dumbest plays and play Gitaxian Probe before playing my first land so he counters it with a Daze. This tells me he’s protecting at least one other counter. I try comboing off next turn anyway and Infernal Tutor eats Force of Will. Pat plays a couple of cantrips and gets Tasigur, the Golden Fang on the board. (Esper Control/Stoneblade fusionbrewthing?) I draw a Burning Wish and bounce back Tasigur with a Void Snare. This buys me a couple more turns, but Tasigur, the Golden Fang lands again and beats me down.

Sideboarding: -1 Chrome Mox, -3 Ponder, +3 Abrupt Decay, +1 Thoughtseize

Game two: I have no notes about this game but I remember a lot of things that happened. Overall, it’s a slow game and I have difficulty gaining a leg up against this odd brew. Pat casts Painful Truths for three, how awesome is that card! He also gets a Notion Thief on board (that’s how slow this game was) which I respond to with some goblins. He then played Zealous Persecution to kill my goblins and hits me for 4 damage. He ravages my hand with Cabal Therapy and flashing it back sacrificing Notion Thief. A Monastery Mentor lands and I have no answers.

14-7 | 7-2

I’m pretty elated by how I’ve played so far. Not bad for my first GP. My friends and I had joked about going 0-5 before dropping, so making it to day 2 was a very welcome surprise. We merge a few groups of friends for dinner at Old Spaghetti Factory and I carbo load again with the #3 combo (spaghetti, meatballs, and italian sausage). My friends from home will probably find it very weird that I’m not posting about chinese food or pho.

 

Round ten: Bo Zhang with Miracles

When I sat down at the table, Bo didn’t say a word.

Game one: Bo wins the die roll and mulligans to six. He plays a land and Ponder. I play Gitaxian Probe revealing Ponder, Terminus, Sensei’s Divining Top, and Jace, The Mind Sculptor. I don’t remember what his next play was, but I tried to combo off the following turn and ate a Force of Will. I got Top-locked and beat up by Venser, Shaper Savant.

Sideboarding: -2 Chrome Mox, -4 Ponder, -1 Swamp, +3 Abrupt Decay, +1 Thoughtseize, +3 Xantid Swarm

Game two: Bo is a lot more chatty now and my notes are super bad for this game. It looks like I opened with a Cabal Therapy naming Force of Will, followed by Gitaxian Probe next turn before making fourteen goblins and flashing back Cabal Therapy naming Monastery Mentor.

Sideboarding: No change

Game three: My notes for this game are mixed up with the previous game. At some point I cast Duress taking a Flusterstorm and Cabal Therapy hitting two Counterbalances. I get Bo down to zero cards with a Sensei’s Divining Top on board while I have Dark Ritual, Dark Ritual, Rite of Flame, Lion’s Eye Diamond in hand. I can’t believe that the coast is clear and I have all the ammo to go off, but nothing to actually do. Bo gets Meddling Mage on the board naming Burning Wish. I get beat down for a couple of turns and he gets a second Meddling Mage on the board this time naming Abrupt Decay. My draw for the next turn? Abrupt Decay. This was a tough match and felt like I could’ve won this at any moment until the end there.

This was a well fought game and I can’t be upset by the outcome. We still have plenty of time to turn things around.

15-9 | 7-3

 

Round eleven: Timothy Amburn with Reanimator

I’m starting to feel tired and worn down even though the day had just started. I’m not tilted over the last round, but the only thing I can think of is mental exhaustion? Regardless of what it is, I stopped playing “What deck is my opponent on?”

Game one: Tim wins the die roll and mulligans to six. He plays a land and passes the turn. I fire off a Duress and he responds with Entomb for Sire of Insanity. Really? So that’s how day 2 is starting. I don’t have a combo hand and Tim casts Brainstorm on his turn which finds a Reanimate.

Sideboarding: -1 Empty The Warrens, -1 Ponder, -1 Swamp, +3 Xantid Swarm

Game two: This game doesn’t even have notes, but by looking at the life totals it looks like there was another turn two Sire of Insanity.

This must be how all of my day 1 opponents felt. 

15-11 | 7-4

 

Round twelve: Jeffrey Tang with RUG Delver

We make small talk and it turns out Jeff is from the bay area as well, but never makes it out to any LGS for smaller events. Hope to see him around after the GP!

Game one: I’m pretty sure Jeff won the die roll and opened with a Delver of Secrets. I play Gitaxian Probe revealing Daze, Brainstorm, Delver of Secrets, and Wooded Foothills. Not a lot happens on my end and I get beat down with a flipped Delver and Tarmogoyf.

Sideboarding: -4 Ponder, +3 Xantid Swarm, +1 Thoughtseize

Game two: I start the game with a discard spell, revealing Spell Pierce, Divert, Daze, Force of Will, Nimble Mongoose, Wooded Foothills and Volcanic Island. Force of Will bit the dust either from Duress or Cabal Therapy. It looks like I played Cabal Therapy naming Spell Pierce and then made eighteen goblins on turn three.

Sideboarding: No change

Game three: Jeff opens with a turn one Delver of Secrets. I play Gitaxian Probe revealing Ponder, Flusterstorm, Daze, Spell Pierce, and Tarmogoyf. Delver flips and starts doing work on my life total. I get down to 11 life with Ad Nauseam and two Dark Rituals in hand. I draw Xantid Swarm for the turn with four lands and a Chrome Mox on the board. I fetch a Bayou, going down to 10 life, and cast Xantid Swarm. Next turn Jeff attacks with the Insectile Aberration and for some reason I decide to block, figuring next turn I’ll try casting Ad Nauseam into the jaws of all his counterspells. I realize that even though I was down in the game and was likely going to lose anyway, my best chance at staying in the match would’ve been to take the 3 damage, going down to 7, and then casting Ad Nauseam with Xantid Swarm protection.

I’m starting to get a little discouraged after starting the day 0-3, but am still trying to stay positive. All I need is one win to turn things back around.

16-13 | 7-5

 

Round thirteen: Eric Pei with BUG Delver

Game one: My opening hand is Bloodstained Mire, Bloodstained Mire, Underground Sea, Chrome Mox, Dark Ritual, Infernal Tutor and Thoughtseize. Did I really leave a sideboard card in my main deck? I share this information with Eric and we call a judge over immediately. I tell the judge the situation and he checks with the head judge on how to proceed. I double-check my sideboard and not only did I leave in the Thoughtseize, but also the Empty The Warrens from the sideboard. We could watch the epic double facepalm all day. I’m half embarrassed and kind of laughing about the situation, and Eric doesn’t want his first win of the day under these circumstances. The judge comes back saying that because the information was in the opening hand and before the game had actually started, I had to mulligan down to six after fixing my deck (he used an official ruling term for that, but that’s ultimately what happened). Had this been during any of our turns, this would’ve been a game loss. Whew!

Eric plays a turn one Deathrite Shaman and I open with Gitaxian Probe revealing Force of Will, Tarmogoyf, Sylvan Library, and Daze. Eric plays Sylvan Library and Delver does work. Tarmogoyf hits the board and starts doing work on my life total. Eric loses a bunch of life and takes a bunch of cards from Sylvan Library to play a second Tarmogoyf. I cast Ad Nauseam at 10 life and go down to 2 to get all the cards I need for the kill completely forgetting about the active Deathrite Shaman.

Sideboarding: -4 Ponder, +3 Xantid Swarm, +1 Thoughtseize

Game two: I open with Gitaxian Probe revealing Force of Will, Ponder, Tarmogoyf, Gurmag Angler, Hymn To Tourach, and Polluted Delta. I play Duress taking Hymn To Tourach. Eric draws and plays Deathrite Shaman. I cast Cabal Therapy naming Force of Will followed by making ten goblins and flashing back Cabal Therapy naming Gurmag Angler. Eric plays Tarmogoyf and passes the turn. I come in for 8 damage, bringing him down to 10 life. Next turn I attack dealing 6 damage, bring him down to 4. He casts Ponder, then Brainstorm looking for a way to either get more dudes on the table or get creatures in the graveyard to eat with Deathrite Shaman. He plays a second Deathrite Shaman and I swing for lethal.

Sideboarding: -3 Xantid Swarm, +3 Abrupt Decay

Game three: I have no recollection of this game, but my life total went 20 > 18 > 14 > 7 > dead.

This is not helping. Two rounds left and I’m refusing to drop. I’m now settling for one win for the day.

17-14 | 7-6

 

Round fourteen: Eric Landon with BURG Delver

There’s this unspoken feeling of “it’s been a rough day” between the two of us.

Game one: I start the game with Gitaxian Probe revealing Daze, Delver of Secrets, Force of Will, Lightning Bolt, Volcanic Island, Volcanic Island and Polluted Delta. He starts his turn with Delver of Secrets and passes the turn. I believe my cantrip gets hit with a Daze and I’m unable to get any offense or defense through his Force of Will as well as a resolved Young Pyromancer, which beats me down hard.

Sideboarding: -3 Ponder, +3 Xantid Swarm

Game two: I open the game with a fetch land and pass the turn. Eric plays a turn one Delver of Secrets. I fire off a discard spell next turn, revealing Thought Scour, Thought Scour, Gurmag Angler, Volcanic Island and Tropical Island. The path is clear to make fourteen goblins.

Sideboarding: -3 Xantid Swarm, +3 Abrupt Decay

Game three: Eric plays a turn one Delver of Secrets. I have a turn one Ad Nauseam and go for it without protection. It resolves and we’re off to the races. I go down to 4 life and the only line of play I have is to cast Infernal Tutor, crack Lion’s Eye Diamond, and play Empty The Warrens for exactly twenty goblins. OK, that wasn’t the only line I had. I did have the option of a non-lethal Tendrils of Agony (for 16, I believe). I go with the twenty goblins and start thinking about the following scenarios:

1. If Eric has any direct damage or draws into it I’m dead.
2. Should I flashback a Cabal Therapy to buy me a turn?
3. If I do this, Eric is now on a two turn clock. If Delver of Secrets flips, he can kill me first.

I decide to flashback Cabal Therapy naming Lightning Bolt. It misses, but all he had was a Spell Pierce and another non-cantrip blue card that I can’t remember. Delver of Secrets flips revealing Daze. I’m a tiny bit frustrated, but to my surprise Eric passes the turn! I attack for 18 damage. Eric doesn’t draw a burn spell and extends his hand.

I got my win for the day! I’ll take whatever I can get at this point.

19-5 | 8-6

 

Round fourteen: Dylan Jupp with Reanimator

We both have a good laugh about what spot we’re in and how it’s going to be really bad for one of us. Dylan does not have high hopes for this round.

Game one: I open with Gitaxian Probe revealing Entomb, Izzet Charm, Izzet Charm, Careful Study, Careful Study, Griselbrand and Polluted Delta. I guess this is how we’re ending the day. I play Cabal Therapy naming Careful Study. Dylan plays Polluted Delta and Passes the turn. I play another Cabal Therapy and Dylan plays Brainstorm in response. I name Izzet Charm and hit one. Next turn Dylan plays Entomb for Griselbrand followed by Reanimate.

Sideboarding: -4 Ponder -1 Swamp, +2 Chain of Vapor, +3 Xantid Swarm

Game two: I know what you’re going to say about Chain of Vapor but this was essentially my last game and I was getting desperate. I open with Gitaxian Probe revealing Ponder, Ponder, Ponder, Reanimate, Entomb, Island and Verdant Catacombs. Excellent. His turns go Entomb for Iona, Shield of Emeria followed by Reanimate naming Black. While that’s not exactly a blowout, it was very opposing to my hand. I extended the hand and called it a day.

It kind of sucked to end the weekend with that matchup, but that’s Magic for ya. I still felt really good about the whole weekend.

 

Ad Nauseam Wins: 5
Empty the Warrens Wins: 14
Natural Storm Wins: 1
Past in Flames Wins: 0

 

Even though day 2 didn’t pan out the same as day 1, I still feel like I played great overall despite a few mistakes, the tough matchups, and an ever increasing amount of mental exhaustion. Playing a large event like this against stiff competition was a great experience. I feel like I learned so much just from playing match after match of Tier 1 and 1.5 decks. It’s surprising how long I went before playing one of these events, but I already can’t wait for the next one.

I have to give an infinite amount of thanks to John, Stefan, Peter, and Anh for getting me through the weekend and for being my cheerleaders – I couldn’t have done this without you guys. Big shouts to Bryant for asking me to post my report, I’ll keep better notes on my opening hands the next time around.

Thanks for reading!