Jupiter Games Invitational (06/11/2011) — Top 8

This tournament report really starts here where I began to qualify for the Jupiter Games Invitational event. After this I top 8’d Grand Prix Columbus but because of college I’ve barely been able to play and when I have been able to play, I’ve been cold. Luckily I graduated with enough time for playing and testing to get back into tip-top nerd shape, just in time for Grand Prix Providence. I made day two of the event but lost my first round and it was a downhill fall after that, however, Providence did end my cold streak. It made me realize I wanted to put [[Meltdown]] back into my sideboard. Which leads me to my current list!

Jupiter Games Invitational

Round One – David Price with Zoo

Game One:

I open the event with: [[Duress]], [[Lotus Petal]], [[Polluted Delta]], [[Gemstone Mine]], [[Lion’s Eye Diamond]], [[Lion’s Eye Diamond]], and [[Infernal Tutor]]! What a hand! I win the die roll and put my opponent on New Horizons as it seems like the type of deck that Dave has played in the past (I haven’t been playing enough or else I would’ve known that it was Zoo). I lead off with [[Polluted Delta]]], [[Underground Sea]], and cast [[Duress]] to look at a hand full of creatures and a [[Lightning Bolt]]. Dave plays a [[Steppe Lynx]] and then I play [[Ad Nauseam]].

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

Game Two:

I keep an awkward hand of: [[Scalding Tarn]], [[City of Brass]], [[Gemstone Mine]], [[Burning Wish]], [[Burning Wish]], [[Ponder]], and [[Dark Ritual]]. Dave plays a creature and then I [[Ponder]] into a bunch of mana on my turn. Dave attacks and then plays another creature. On my turn, I cast [[Burning Wish]] for [[Tendrils of Agony]] because I don’t want to lose to [[Pyroblast]] on [[Diminishing Returns]]. Another attack step and more creatures, I notice at this point that there isn’t a red source for David. I draw and realize that I am a Storm short of winning and pass. I take another attack step down to eleven life. The worse case scenario for me is that my opponent draws a fetchland for Landfall and casts [[Lightning Bolt]]. This would put me to one life, which shuts off [[City of Brass]], but this doesn’t happen. Instead, a [[Blood Moon]] hits the table. I end up drawing a [[Lotus Petal]] for the turn. [[Lotus Petal]], [[Rite of Flame]], [[Rite of Flame]], [[Dark Ritual]], [[Burning Wish]] for [[Grapeshot]], play [[Grapeshot]], and then [[Tendrils of Agony]].

I’d like to take the time to point out that [[Pyroclasm]] has never assisted in killing the opponent the way that [[Grapeshot]] did here.

Round Two – Ryan McKinney with Reanimator

This was a recorded feature match, since then, the video has been removed.

Round Three – Will Eldredge with NO RUG

Will is a long-time friend, we have played a lot over the years, and especially on Magic Work Station. I’ve typically been the winner in our battles.

Game One:

I play a turn one [[Brainstorm]] into [[Empty the Warrens]] and [[Dark Ritual]]! On turn two, I cast [[Dark Ritual]], Will plays [[Mental Misstep]], [[Rite of Flame]], [[Rite of Flame]], and [[Empty the Warrens]]. Will casts [[Tarmogoyf]]. I attack bringing Will down to nine life. Will then attacks me back? But then it makes sense as a [[Natural Order]] is cast. I attack and have enough mana left over to [[Burning Wish]] into [[Grapeshot]] for the final point of damage.

Sideboarding: -1 [[Empty the Warrens]], -1 [[Ponder]], +2 [[Pyroblast]]

Game Two:

Will mulligans and just passes. No land — nothing. My hand was: [[Brainstorm]], [[Ponder]], [[Bloodstained Mire]], [[City of Brass]], [[Chrome Mox]], [[Rite of Flame]], and [[Tendrils of Agony]]. I draw [[Dark Ritual]] and decide I’m not going to shuffle back [[Tendrils of Agony]], I’m going to Will to help generate my Storm count. I play [[Bloodstained Mire]], but Will is rewarded by drawing a land into [[Noble Hierarch]]. I just play lands and take draw steps for a few turns. I decide it’s time to win around turn five, I play [[Brainstorm]] putting back two [[Infernal Tutor]]. I look at my hand of spells that all create mana, [[Infernal Tutor]], and [[Tendrils of Agony]]. I play out all of the mana, Will initially tries to stop some of it with a [[Mental Misstep]] and a [[Daze]], but then realizes all I have is mana and starts to let it resolve. I cast [[Infernal Tutor]], Will debates letting it resolve with three cards in hand, but lets it happen. I get a second copy of [[Dark Ritual]], at this point Will says, “You must have [[Tendrils of Agony]] in hand.” and I do.

Round Four – Dan Rae with CawBlade

Game One:

I play a turn two [[Burning Wish]] for [[Diminishing Returns]], my opponents plays a [[Stoneforge Mystic]]. I draw an [[Orim’s Chant]], but I decide I want to wait a few turns until I have the mana to [[Orim’s Chant]] and cast [[Diminishing Returns]] with a mana floating. Dan puts [[Batterskull]] into play and then attacks up to 21 life. I end up rushing the [[Diminishing Returns]] due to Dan’s increasing life-total and start to combo but end up one Storm short, I have to cast [[Ponder]] for the Storm, but I also need it to replace itself mana-wise, I end up shuffling, and don’t draw what I need.

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

Game Two:

I have no idea that Dan didn’t have [[Force of Will]] in the deck and I played around it the entire game. Because I waited too long looking for protection, Dan built up enough soft counters to stop me.

Round Five – Brian Finlayson-Schueler with Grixis Control

Game One:

I open with a [[Xantid Swarm]], but Brian kills it. I am then hit by back to back copies of [[Hymn to Tourach]]. I manage to attempt to go off with an [[Orim’s Chant]] while at eight life, but Brian was so far ahead due to the card advantage that [[Dark Confidant]] and [[Jace, the Mind Sculptor]] created.

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

Game Two:

I just go for it turn three, Brian played [[Mental Misstep]] on my [[Xantid Swarm]] on the second turn. I’m thinking because [[Infernal Tutor]] resolved with exactly five floating that [[Daze]] is going to get me. Because of this, I decide to [[Empty the Warrens]] for 16 [[Goblin Token]]s. Brian reveals [[Engineered Explosives]] from hand.

Round Six – Nick Patnode with Bloodbraid RUG

Game One:

A [[Duress]] and discards [[Force of Will]] leaving Nick without much in hand. Nick casts a [[Tarmogoyf]], on my turn I play [[Duress]], [[Rite of Flame]], [[Dark Ritual]], and [[Ad Nauseam]].

Sideboarding: -1 [[Empty the Warrens]], -1 [[Chrome Mox]], +2 [[Xantid Swarm]]

Game Two:

I play a [[Xantid Swarm]] on the first turn but it dies to [[Fire // Ice]]. I then cast [[Orim’s Chant]] on the second turn into [[Lion’s Eye Diamond]], [[Dark Ritual]], [[Lotus Petal]], [[Rite of Flame]], and [[Infernal Tutor]] into [[Ad Nauseam]].

Round Seven – Josh Cicio with NO RUG

Game One:

I play a Turn two [[Duress]], followed by [[Rite of Flame]], [[Dark Ritual]], and [[Ad Nauseam]].

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

Game Two:

Pretty much the same thing as game one except I had two [[Xantid Swarm]] to start off the game.

Will and I did some math and it was a guarantee I was in, however, we were unsure about him. He made it also, we shared a terrible jumping five. It was totally worth it though. He also informs me that Dan Rae doesn’t have Force in his deck which really pissed me off considering I was playing like he did.

Top Eight – Dan Rae with Cawblade

Game One:

My opening hand is: [[Chrome Mox]], [[Chrome Mox]], [[Lion’s Eye Diamond]], a [[Duress]], and lands. I send it back, but my six card hand has no mana at all. My five cards are: [[Xantid Swarm]], [[Lion’s Eye Diamond]], [[Gemstone Mine]], [[Scalding Tarn]], and [[City of Brass]]. [[Xantid Swarm]] shockingly resolves and then I attack over the course of three turns waiting to draw a business spell. Sadly, it doesn’t happen and [[Batterskull]] comes down and then [[Swords to Plowshares]] is found. I eventually die without drawing anything but mana.

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

Game Two:

I keep a decent hand, but Dan’s hand is just better. [[Stoneforge Mystic]] on turn two followed by [[Vendilion Clique]] on turn three. After this, there are enough cpies of [[Daze]], [[Spell Pierce]], and [[Mental Misstep]] to end my event.

Closing & General Thoughts

I end up winning a [[Mox Ruby]] and sell it back to the store which is enough for three foreign black-border [[Tropical Island]]! I want four so I end up selling my Korean [[Ill-Gotten Gains]] and a [[Polluted Delta]] to help cover the difference. After this I enjoy the ride home with Adam Phillips and decide that I’m exhausted from having to play against so many blue decks and [[Mental Misstep]] — I’m going to change things up soon.

Until next time, keep storming!