Jupiter Games 2k Event (06/26/2010) — 3rd Place

[[Mystical Tutor]] was banned, but we had two weeks left to play it. This event was essentially a farewell to the card for me.

I’ve received a number of messages about my plans for The EPIC Storm (TES) moving forward, some even thinking the deck is dead — it’s not. [[Mystical Tutor]] was a two-of that was often sided out against blue decks. We’ll be just fine.

Jupiter Games 2K

Round One — Landstill

Game One:

I’m playing against someone who I know plays TES. We start shuffling and they drop a few cards on the table — a [[Brainstorm]] and a [[Tundra]]. Obviously, some sort of control deck. I keep a hand with a few protection spells, [[Mystical Tutor]], and a pair of [[Dark Ritual]]. I [[Duress]] them, they reveal: [[Force of Will]], [[Counterspell]], planeswalkers, and lands. I discard [[Force of Will]]. They decide to take the aggro route with [[Mishra’s Factory]] until I’m at 14 life. I then decide it’s time to win. On their end step, I cast [[Mystical Tutor]] for [[Ad Nauseam]]. Untap, draw, and cast [[Duress]] which is countered by [[Counterspell]], [[Orim’s Chant]], [[Dark Ritual]], [[Dark Ritual]], and [[Ad Nauseam]].

Sideboarding: -2 [[Mystical Tutor]], +2 [[Pyroblast]]

Game Two:

I keep a hand of: [[Duress]], [[Duress]], [[Dark Ritual]], [[Infernal Tutor]], [[Rite of Flame]], [[Lion’s Eye Diamond]], and [[Scalding Tarn]]. I draw a [[Brainstorm]], but decide to cast [[Duress]] since they mulliganed. Their hand had next to nothing, I end up discarding a [[Blue Elemental Blast]]. They draw, play a land, and pass. I draw a [[Lotus Petal]] and then play [[Brainstorm]] drawing into [[Lion’s Eye Diamond]], [[Lotus Petal]], and a land. I put [[Rite of Flame]] and the land on top. I then play [[Lotus Petal]], [[Dark Ritual]], [[Duress]], [[Lion’s Eye Diamond]], [[Lion’s Eye Diamond]], [[Infernal Tutor]] for [[Ad Nauseam]].

Round Two — Landstill

Sorry, this round was a feature match. The video was taken down and there was no written record of it.

Round Three — Team America

Game One:

An early [[Wasteland]] and slows me down a bit and then the attacking starts. I eventually build up and start disrupting them with a few copies of [[Duress]]. On my next turn, I cast [[Brainstorm]] into [[Dark Ritual]], [[Lion’s Eye Diamond]], and [[Lotus Petal]]. I then play [[Dark Ritual]], [[Infernal Tutor]] (Reveal: [[Lion’s Eye Diamond]]), [[Lotus Petal]], [[Rite of Flame]], [[Rite of Flame]], [[Burning Wish]], [[Ill-Gotten Gains]], then replay [[Lion’s Eye Diamond]], [[Lion’s Eye Diamond]], and [[Infernal Tutor]] for [[Tendrils of Agony]].

Sideboarding: -2 [[Mystical Tutor]], +2 [[Pyroblast]]

Game Two:

The opponent opened up on multiple copies of [[Wasteland]] — this leads to me sitting on my hands. I’m waiting for more initial mana sources, and they never come. I attempt to go off, but am easily stopped.

Game Three:

I had to contain myself when I opened this hand: [[Underground Sea]], [[Gemstone Mine]], [[Dark Ritual]], [[Dark Ritual]], [[Duress]], [[Lion’s Eye Diamond]], and [[Infernal Tutor]]! [[Gemstone Mine]], [[Dark Ritual]], [[Duress]] ([[Force of Will]]), [[Dark Ritual]], [[Lion’s Eye Diamond]], [[Infernal Tutor]], and [[Ad Nauseam]].

Round Four — Merfolk

Game One:

[[Duress]], [[Rite of Flame]], [[Rite of Flame]], [[Scalding Tarn]], [[Gemstone Mine]], [[Lion’s Eye Diamond]], and [[Burning Wish]]. I start the match off with a [[Duress]] which is countered by [[Force of Will]]. He plays [[Cursecatcher]]. I draw an [[Orim’s Chant]], play a land, and pass. They play another [[Cursecatcher]]. I draw and play the land into [[Rite of Flame]], [[Rite of Flame]], [[Orim’s Chant]], [[Lion’s Eye Diamond]], and [[Burning Wish]] for [[Diminishing Returns]]. I then cast [[Diminishing Returns]] floating , with an untapped land. The new seven card hand is: [[Rite of Flame]], [[Dark Ritual]], [[Lotus Petal]], [[Volcanic Island]], [[Chrome Mox]], [[Infernal Tutor]], and [[Burning Wish]]. I play [[Rite of Flame]], [[Chrome Mox]] (Imprint: [[Infernal Tutor]]), [[Lotus Petal]], [[Dark Ritual]], and [[Tendrils of Agony]].

Sideboarding: -2 [[Mystical Tutor]], +2 [[Pyroblast]]

Game Two:

They mulligan to five and I keep a pretty decent hand. I decide I’m going to go all in turn one. I cast [[Dark Ritual]] and they [[Force of Will]]. On my next turn, I draw into [[Orim’s Chant]]. Play a [[Gemstone Mine]] into [[Orim’s Chant]], [[Dark Ritual]], [[Lotus Petal]], [[Rite of Flame]], [[Lion’s Eye Diamond]], [[Infernal Tutor]] for [[Ad Nauseam]].

Round Five — New Horizons

Game One:

The opponent starts off with a few copies of [[Noble Hierarch]], which turns into a [[Rhox War Monk]] gaining a lot of life. They get all the way up to 30 life. Me? I’m at 5 life with in my mana pool. [[Duress]] resolved and so did my [[Burning Wish]]. I stare at my sideboard for awhile then realize, THEY’RE AT THIRTY LIFE! I have to [[Diminishing Returns]]. I start off with a [[Duress]] which is countered by [[Force of Will]] and then a [[Burning Wish]] which meets the same fate as the [[Duress]]. I play a [[Brainstorm]] and draw into the main deck copy of [[Tendrils of Agony]] — pretty lucky, huh? I then play out some artifact mana, [[Dark Ritual]], and [[Rite of Flame]] before casting [[Tendrils of Agony]].

Sideboarding: -2 [[Mystical Tutor]], +2 [[Pyroblast]]

Game Two:

The opponent has [[Rhox War Monk]] and [[Noble Hierarch]] again. I’m at 11 and they’re at 25 — I decide if they get another hit in, my odds get much worse. I [[Duress]] them twice, play out my hand, [[Ad Nauseam]]. I end up revealing 15 cards and go to two life with no “tutor effects”. I decide I can’t win unless I flip a cantrip. I reveal [[Infernal Tutor]].

Game Three:

I start with a [[Duress]]. They have: [[Force of Will]], [[Force of Will]], [[Daze]], [[Spell Pierce]], [[Noble Hierarch]], [[Knight of the Reliquary]], and a [[Tropical Island]]. I discard [[Force of Will]] and they play [[Noble Hierarch]]. I draw and pass. They draw a second land to be able to cast [[Knight of the Reliquary]]. Time to capitalize! I [[Duress]] again taking the second [[Force of Will]] leaving them with just a [[Daze]]. [[Lotus Petal]], [[Dark Ritual]], [[Lion’s Eye Diamond]], [[Lion’s Eye Diamond]], and [[Infernal Tutor]] for [[Ad Nauseam]].

Round Six — INTENTIONAL DRAW

Round Seven — INTENTIONAL DRAW

Top Eight — New Horizons

Game One:

They achieve their game plan of [[Wasteland]] plus [[Stifle]] and I do nothing.

Sideboarding: -2 [[Mystical Tutor]], +2 [[Pyroblast]]

Game Two:

My opponent has not tapped out since that game three of the swiss against me. They end up attacking me with a [[Noble Hierarch]] until I’m at 6. I play a bunch of protection spells, all of which get countered. I then cast a [[Burning Wish]], into [[Diminishing Returns]] floating . Resolves. I draw [[Orim’s Chant]], [[Pyroblast]], artifact mana, [[Ponder]], [[Burning Wish]]. I play [[Orim’s Chant]] which is countered by [[Negate]]. If I cast the [[Pyroblast]], I’m a mana short of [[Burning Wish]] into [[Tendrils of Agony]]. But I have a [[Ponder]]? I’m weighing do I take the chance and [[Pyroblast]]? Do I need to take the risk of [[Ponder]] into the mana I need? I allow [[Negate]] to resolve. [[Burning Wish]]? Resolves. [[Tendrils of Agony]]. I couldn’t help myself but to look at the top three cards, there was a [[Lion’s Eye Diamond]].

Game Three:

I keep a really solid hand: [[Orim’s Chant]], [[Duress]], [[Dark Ritual]], [[Lion’s Eye Diamond]], [[Ad Nauseam]], [[Underground Sea]], and [[City of Brass]]. They starts with [[Noble Hierarch]]. I [[Duress]] discarding [[Daze]]. On my next turn, I draw another [[Dark Ritual]]. I cast [[Orim’s Chant]], [[Dark Ritual]], [[Dark Ritual]], [[Lion’s Eye Diamond]], and [[Ad Nauseam]].

Top Four — Zoo

Game One:

I mulligan and keep a land of Lands, [[Ponder]], and a pair of [[Dark Ritual]]. I cantrip four times this game never to find [[Infernal Tutor]] or [[Burning Wish]].

Sideboarding: -3 [[Orim’s Chant]], -1 [[Empty the Warrens]], +1 [[Echoing Truth]], +1 [[Deathmark]], +1 [[Wipe Away]], +1 [[Infernal Tutor]]

Game Two:

An early [[Gaddock Teeg]] attacks me down to 11. They then play a second [[Tarmogoyf]] and have lethal on the board. I play [[Rite of Flame]], [[Dark Ritual]], [[Lotus Petal]], [[Burning Wish]], and [[Grapeshot]]. I can kill the [[Steppe Linx]] or deal a damage to them. I can put them to 15 and then be short one life on my [[Infernal Tutor]] for [[Tendrils of Agony]] (the difference is them being at two or three life). The decision ends up being to kill the [[Steppe Linx]], but ultimately doesn’t matter.

Closing & General Thoughts

All in all, a good event. I ended up with a bunch of EDH foils and some cash. A decent farewell to [[Mystical Tutor]]!

Until next time, keep storming!