Here's the breakdown of the decks played (Top-4 in bold):
2 Team America
2 NO Bant
2 Gbw Junk
1 Psychatog
1 Enchantress
1 Dreadstill
1 MUD
1 Team Italia
1 Rock
1 Zoo
1 Pitch World
1 Dragon Stompy
1 Sneaky Show
1 Elves
Preparation
With the advent of New Phyrexia and Mental Misstep, I've actually predicted beforehand that the field will be filled with Merfolk and Landstill decks. These decks have benefited the most from the additional free counter and have been performing well in the recent SCG Orlando Legacy Open. Unexpectedly, my prediction failed and players brought what they were accustomed to playing.Like, DUH! Haven't I mentioned this before? I should gun for the players instead of the decks next time!
Anyway, I had already prepared Merfolk beforehand for the battle. However, I dislike having a bull's eye on my forehead. In addition, I did not practice the mirror matchup and want a deck that can beat Landstill hands-down, even if they manage to stick a Humility.
What else to do but bring Enchantress?
Enchantress (60 cards)
4 Windswept Heath
1 Savannah
2 Serra's Sanctum
13 Forest
2 Plains
4 Wild Growth
4 Utopia Sprawl
Disruption (17)
2 Elephant Grass
1 Runed Halo
4 Sterling Grove
4 Journey to Nowhere
4 Oblivion Ring
2 Solitary Confinement
Threats (3)
1 Emrakul, the Aeons Torn
2 Sigil of the Empty Throne
Others (10)
4 Argothian Enchantress
4 Enchantress's Presence
2 Replenish
Sideboard (15)
3 Enlightened Tutor
2 Choke
1 Silence
1 Mindbreak Trap
1 Ethersworn Canonist
1 Runed Halo
1 Leyline of Sanctity
1 Relic of Progenitus
1 Tormod's Crypt
1 Aura of Silence
1 Humility
1 Karmic Justice
Force of Will and Wasteland prices rising through the roof? Try this Moat-less version instead!
Having played Merfolk and detesting playing against 4 Plows and 4 Paths, 4 Journeys and 4 O-Rings play a similar role, despite being more expensive (cmc). This added consistency also reduced the dependency on tutors for 1-card hoses (Moat, Solitary Confinement) which are easily disrupted by Pridemage and Grip. If that's not clear enough,
DO NOT DEPEND ON 1 CARD RESOLVING AND STAYING ON THE FIELD!
It's like hanging on a thread and hoping it won't break.
Against Landstill, Emrakul provides a trump card that control decks have fits against. Casting it with Serra's Sanctum is not difficult in the mid to late game and it's probably game when you do so. Unfortunately, there's no way to tutor for the creature though Enlightened Tutors from the board get you Chokes in this matchup. It'll also be a walk in the park should you resolve an Enchantress effect or a Replenish after a counterspell frenzy.
Even though I got the metagame wrong, Enchantress still fields a good matchup against non-combo decks (ie all decks present in the tournament). To cover my behind in case of a combo backlash, 3 Enlightened Tutors seek out Ethersworn Canonist, Runed Halo, and Leyline of Sanctity. Silence and Mindbreak Trap are there too for surprises though I used none of the anti-combo cards that tourney. (Lucky ain't I?) Looking back, these cards seem too slow against the fast combo and I'd still remain a sitting duck if I do meet a Storm deck.
Humility is a concession to the Show and Tell brothers Raymond and Ryan. And Aura of Silence does a little duty against Storm combo's artifact mana and players like Yong Xin who adore MUD. To close the loop, Karmic Justice protects against Pernicious Deed as Rock players like Derek are bound to spot them in their 75. In fact, I'd up that card to 2 if I had another copy.
Enough of the deck choice and preparation mumblings, now to the report proper!
Tournament Report
Round 1 vs Keng Yin with Loam-a-Tog
If you do not know it yet, Keng Yin has been sporting Psychatog with the Intuition-AK engine for the past 4 tournaments to great success. A singleton Life from the Loam ensures Academy Ruins-Engineered Explosives recursion and guarantees card advantage with Lonely Sandbar. You can find his decklist at the MtgTrinket facebook page, as well as on our venue host Games Haven.To be honest, I was quite afraid of meeting him as he had put up great results in the past Singapore tourneys. In addition, I did not practice the control matchup at all even though I think I had the advantage. I just hoped it turned out well.
Game 1
I won the dice roll and started with a Sterling Grove on turn 2. Ok, time for a pause.What is the most humiliating way of getting your spell countered?
Answer: Force Spike.
And that's what happened to my turn 2 play. Well done!
Devastated, I racked my brains to devise up strategies to best him:
1) I can keep making land drops until I can burst out with multiple spells over a single turn and stick 1 or 2 Enchantress effect to refill my hand.
2) I have a trump card in Emrakul that I can cast with Serra's Sanctum.
3) I can wait for him to cast Psychatog, then bait counterspells with Journey/O-Ring and stick an Enchantress effect when he's out of mana and can only rely on FoW.
With that, I decided that I had the inevitability and just played draw-land-go with him for somewhat like 6-7 turns until he cast a Psychatog.
AHA! In any competition, the person with the most mistakes loses. I retaliated on my turn with a Journey (met with Counterspell), Argothian (FoW) and another removal for his Tog. The reason why I did not end with an enchantress was because his hand size and graveyard was getting big and a Cunning Wish for Berserk would likely meant GG for me. Removing his threat was more important than sticking my engine.
I eventually stuck an Enchantress's Presence before it met with a Cunning Wish-Enlightened Tutor-Engineered Explosives.
Lucky I had a Replenish which brought back stuff. Soon, I had 2 Sigil of the Empty Throne and the game was mine.
Ps: I'd already drawn the Emrakul and had enough mana to cast it for the win. I didn't do this as I could already win with Sigil and I want to reserve my surprise Ace for later.
Sb:
I didn't have notes for sideboard and this is just an estimate.
+2 Choke, +2 Enlightened Tutor, -1 Solitary Confinement, -1 Oblivion Ring
Game 2
Nothing much happened within the first 4 turns except that a turn 1 Wild Growth was Missteped and I broke a Sterling Grove for Enchantress's Presence which was countered (Mistake 1). I guess the fear got to me and I'd made the move too early. Keng Yin got the Life from the Loam package going with an Intuition and he out-drew me. My last attempt at revival (Sigil) was countered and his Psychatog got Berserked and chomped me down.Game 3
This was the worst game I played the whole tourney. It started with the most humiliating way to get your Enchantress's Presence countered, continued with your Argothian Enchantress dying to Engineered Plague, and ended with drawing to 8 cards and saying “Go” too hastily, resulting in me discarding a land card.Well-done!
And did I mention I tutored for a Choke, passed a turn without playing anything, then played the Choke only to have it countered?
W-L-D
0-1-0
With only 4 Force of Will and a maximum of 4 Counterspell in his deck, I should have played more conservatively and force through one of my Enchantress, a Replenish, or a Choke. I really need to think more before I play.
Round 2 vs Angus with Team America
Angus is a Zoo player at heart but switch to Albert's weapon of choice – Team America. I won the dice roll.Game 1
After Forcing my Wild Growth, he had Hymned me but didn't discard the better cards in my hand. The next turn, Argothian Enchantress resolved and I took care of his 2 Tombstalkers with my removals. I ended the game with 20 life.Sb:
I couldn't remember it well but as he might have Pernicious Deed:
+1 Karmic Justice, -1 Solitary Confinement
Game 2
Double Hymns on turn 2 and 3 followed by 2 Goyfs, a Vendilion Clique and a Tombstalker won the game for him despite me landing an Enchantress effect turn 2. Perhaps the aggro route would is the better game plan against me.Game 3
A turn-2 Presence resolved though the turn-3 Argothian was dealt with via Engineered Plague. Angus followed up with his sideboarded Phyrexian Crusader which I dealt with via a Runed Halo . Angels soon filled the sky with their wings.W-L-D
1-1-0
Round 3 vs Ryan Chen with NO Bant
Though I thought Ryan would turn up with Show and Tell, a little small talk revealed that he didn't, though I did not know what he played at that time. He won the dice roll.Game 1
He had: Turn 1 Savannah, Noble Hierarch. Turn 2 Savannah, Jitte. I had: turn 2 Argothian, turn 3 Presence. His equipped Hierarch went on the beatdown route that was halted via a Solitary Confinement. Though he Forced (shocking cause I didn't see any blue-based land) my first Sigil, a 3rd Enchantress led me to my other Angel producer which ended the game promptly.Sb:
Not clear but... +1 Karmic Justice, -1 Solitary Confinement
Game 2
He opened with another turn 1 Hierarch and surprised me with a turn 2 Ethersworn Canonist. This kinda made sense as it slowed me down when I'm about to combo out. My Presence resolved and he attempted to bring the beats with Clique, making me cycle my O-Ring. Being the lucksack that I am, I top-decked another and resolved another Presence. Soon, I tutored for a Sigil which churned out Angels amongst a Confinement lock.W-L-D
2-1-0
Round 4 vs Chuan Jie with Dragon Stompy
Having seen his sideboard full of red cards and after some discussion, I knew that he's on Dragon Stompy. My vast number of basics is immune to his Moons and so long as I can remove his Dragon and Slogger, I should be safe.I lost the dice roll.
Game 1
He went blistering fast with a turn 2 Seething Song and a Rakdos Pit Dragon threatening Hellbent. I took a turn of damage and resolved 2 Argothians turn after turn. The Dragon was then sent on a Journey to Nowhere. His follow up threats of Magus and Revoker were no match to my Confinement lock and the game ended promptly.Sb:
I knew he has Anarchy in his sideboard, thus: +1 Karmic Justice, -1 Solitary Confinement
Game 2
Chrome Mox and Chalice for 1 locked out 2 mana accelerants in my hand. The first threat (morphed Gathan Raiders) was sent away on a Journey and I had an O-Ring for the Dragon a turn later. A Halo on Rakdos Pit Dragon protected me from the 2nd one and another Journey sent the follow up Gathan Raiders.Then I combo-ed out with Angels in the sky.
W-L-D
3-1-0
Round 5 vs Mike with Zoo
Though there were chances of us both going into top-8, my tiebreakers weren't excellent and only 1 of us can go in. Mike graciously gave me the slot since I have better matchups against the rest of top-8. Thanks Mike! It was so close! I'll see you in top-8 next time!W-L-D
4-1-0
Top-8 vs Ryan Lim with Team Italia
Some pre-tourney information scouting revealed that Ryan has been playing in standard tournaments with pretty good results, like Joshua who made top-8 previously during the Survival era. Ryan probably is quite a skilled player and despite the good matchup, I shouldn't take this match lightly.The important card in this game will have to be Vindicate. I'll have to dodge a Vindicate on my enchanted land to minimize the loss of tempo. Tutoring via Sterling Grove should also be kept to crucial moments to prevent any lock pieces being destroyed at the wrong time. Since his deck is relatively threat-lite, my ample removals should do fine. I'd also have to play my important spells first before they get discarded.
Ryan won the dice roll.
Game 1
Turn 1 Figure of Destiny and turn 2 Hymn was quite a good start. Luckily, my Argothian remained in my hand and came down promptly (having Shroud rocks!). A Stoneforge Mystic then fetched a Sword of Fire and Ice while I cast Runed Halo on Figure.Dark Confidant(!!) and SOFI then came down on Ryan's turn but Bob was cast into an O-Ring. The follow up Hymn did little as my engine is already online though he did get an equipped hit in once. That's probably the only additional card that he drew as I had removals for the Sword and follow up Confidant and ended the game with another Presence and a Sigil of the Empty Throne.
Sb:
Are there any good ways to write down sideboard notes during the tourney? My mind is a blur now.
+1 Karmic Justice (hi Vindicate!), -1 Solitary Confinement
Game 2
It's kinda tough when your opponent goes turn 1 Thoughtseize, discarding Enchantress's Presence, turn 2 Extirpate removing half your engine. Unfortunately, the 2 Sterling Grove back to back turns 2 and 3 couldn't help find the Argothian I needed badly. What they do is protect future pieces from being destroyed by Vindicate.He hesitated a little before playing Grim Lavamancer and I had the feeling that he's trying to bait my removal. I had a single Journey in hand but ignored my tingling feeling and just dealt away with the wizard when he landed a Dark Confidant and Hymned me, perhaps to really make the Confidant stick. Being the lucksack that I am (and having 8 Journey/Ring in my deck), I top-decked an O-Ring just in time for the Confidant. A Stoneforge fetched SOFI and I drew another O-Ring for the SOFI.
Then I drew and landed Argothian Enchantress while he drew blanks. Another Argothian met with Diabolic Edict and my hand was soon flowing with cards. A Sigil fetched with Grove ended the game soon.
W-L-D
5-1-0
Top-4
Benjamin, Gan, YongXin and I split the duals and I traded my Plateau for a beat-up Volcanic Island. Now lacking Underground Sea to make my target of at least 2 duals of each kind, I hope to trade my way up soon!Thoughts
I made a right deck choice last tournament with Dredge and I repeated it this tournament as well. Though I'd like to say that I've correctly predicted that Mental Misstep has changed how people approached tournaments, the reality is people stick to their styles and played decks they are familiar with. (Not that I haven't said it before...) Mental Misstep is just another addition that made some deck choices appear more appealing. Enchantress just happens to be good against those decks.Going forward, I need to break out of my cycle of Merfolk, Enchantress, Merfolk, Enchantress. I had a Breakthrough in Dredge, but I need more. Any suggestions?
Props
8 Journeys/Rings redundancy deck building strategy
Angus for organising the tourney
The 16 other Legacy lovers for making it possible
Slops
Not able to co-make top-8 with Mike
Making the wrong prediction about the meta
Not recalling how I sideboard Tweet this!
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