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Highlander in Livingston, NJ

Started by grizzledmage, 06-04-2009, 03:57:18 PM

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grizzledmage

We concluded the store's - and region's - first HL tournament last night (already announced here http://www.magicplayer.org/forum/index.php?topic=215.0).

A few highlights:

First place: mono-red Goblins (4-0)
Second place: mono-B control (4-0)
Third place: BR beatdown/control (3-1)

There were approximately 28 participants.

Me? I brought an enhanced version of that WW deck that I've played here recently, and went 2-2, placing me somewhere in the middle of the standings. I have every confidence that the deck is a good one and has the potential to do far better.

One match that I lost was to the 3rd-place BR winner (my son, actually, who is simply a better player and deckbuilder than I am). In that one-game match, our results were very much spot-on with all the playtesting we'd previously done against each other; I brought him to 4 life before he could stabilize against me (he runs about 7 board sweepers in his deck; very rough against WW and other fast aggro)and then throw lots of direct damage at me.

The other match I lost, in the final round, was against the 2nd-place winner, and I really truly have only myself to blame, as I allowed myself to be psyched out by him, and made at least two very, very bad play mistakes that likely (although not necessarily) cost me the game.

Interestingly, the one match my son (3rd with BR) lost was against the tournament winner, the R goblin player... who is a locally known Goblin "expert."

The two other matches I played were fairly unremarkable; in one my opponent was attempting to play a deck with big Dragons that he can "cheat" into play, and his deck was simply too slow. In the other I was playing against a player who is experienced in Magic but inexperienced in Highlander; he was playing mostly GW with a good amount of lifegain but I felt many of his card choices were suboptimal; we talked a lot about our decks and card choices after we finished our game.

I am trying to get decklists and will post them when they come in.

grizzledmage

I have obtained the decklist for the winning R Goblins deck (below). I will try to get others as well.

LANDS:

Goblin Burrows
Pendelhaven
Quicksand
Mutavault
Kher Keep
Wasteland
Rishadan Port
Barbarian Ring
Keldon Megaliths
Ghitu Encampment
Mountain (28)

CREATURES

Goblin Lackey
Mogg Fanatic
Skirk Prospector
Goblin Sledder
Mogg Raider
Goblin Soothsayer
Mogg Sentry
Goblin Grappler
Frenzied Goblin
Goblin Chirugeon
Goblin Taskmaster
Figure of Destiny
Mogg War Marshal
Goblin Recruiter
Mogg Maniac
Goblin Lookout
Sparksmith
Spitfire Handler
Skirk Drill Sergeant
Gempalm Incinerator
Goblin Warchief
Goblin King
Goblin Matron
Arms Dealer
Goblin Sharpshootr
Boartusk Liege
Goblin Ringleader
Murderous Redcap
Clickslither
Moggcatcher
Flametongue Kavu
Siege-Gang Commander
Goblin Marshal
Patron of the Akki
Warbreak Trumpeter

OTHER:

Aether Vial
Seal of Fire
Pyrokenesis
Lightning Bolt
Firebolt
Riftbolt
Shock
Dragon Fodder
Goblin Bombardment
Lightning Greaves
Magma Jet
Incinerate
Volcanic Hammer
Shared Animosity
Mogg Alarm
Char
Arc Lightning
Empty the Warrens
Violent Eruption
Goblin Scouts
Shower of Coals
Rise of the Hobgoblins
Goblin Offensive
Banefire
Demonfire
Ghitu Fire
Kaervek’s Torch
Blaze
Disintegrate
Fireball

grizzledmage

#2
I finally took the time to enter the 3rd-place deck (my son's) into MWS, and here it is. Before looking at it, note that the only deck to which it it lost at the tournament was the winner (mono R Goblins, above), and that was because he missed a critical land drop, sort of: he needed a 4th land to play the Damnation in his hand (which would have cleared the board of all enemy Goblins and likely paved the way for a comeback, typical of this deck), but he drew Ghitu Encampment which - as you know - comes into play tapped.

Anyway, here it is:

// Lands
    15 Mountain
    1 Rakdos Carnarium
    1 Keldon Necropolis
    1 Sulfurous Springs
    1 Barbarian Ring
    14 Swamp
    1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
    1 Ghitu Encampment
    1 Graven Cairns
    1 Bloodstained Mire
    1 Blood Crypt

// Creatures
    1 Lyzolda, the Blood Witch
    1 Solemn Simulacrum
    1 Visara the Dreadful
    1 Avatar of Woe
    1 Faceless Butcher
    1 Arc-Slogger
    1 Bogardan Hellkite
    1 Magus of the Scroll
    1 Jeska, Warrior Adept
    1 Reiver Demon
    1 Graveborn Muse
    1 Akroma, Angel of Fury
    1 Shriekmaw
    1 Murderous Redcap
    1 Fulminator Mage
    1 Liliana Vess
    1 Chandra Nalaar
    1 Grim Lavamancer
    1 Mogg Fanatic
    1 Siege-Gang Commander

// Spells
    1 Fireball
    1 Lightning Bolt
    1 Terminate
    1 Magma Jet
    1 Beacon of Unrest
    1 Decree of Pain
    1 Wrecking Ball
    1 Demonfire
    1 Incinerate
    1 Flame Javelin
    1 Night's Whisper
    1 Phyrexian Totem
    1 Foriysian Totem
    1 Char
    1 Slice and Dice
    1 Pulse of the Forge
    1 Chainer's Edict
    1 Decree of Annihilation
    1 Death Cloud
    1 Sudden Death
    1 Damnation
    1 Death Pulse
    1 Profane Command
    1 Molten Disaster
    1 Mind Stone
    1 Price of Progress
    1 Demonic Tutor
    1 Blood Moon
    1 Executioner's Capsule
    1 Infest
    1 Barter in Blood
    1 Shunt
    1 Talisman of Indulgence
    1 Pillage
    1 Fireblast
    1 Blightning
    1 Volcanic Fallout
    1 Sensei's Divining Top
    1 Starstorm
    1 Reiterate
    1 Banefire
    1 Incendiary Command

He added PoP and Blood Moon just a few minutes before the tournament started, and apparently the PoP came in handy once or twice. Wasteland is notably missing, but it so happens that I own the only copy in the household (we are bidding on more on eBay!) and I was using it in my deck.

If I obtain any other deck lists (EDIT: of the top 8, that is; I could post my WW build but - as described above - it only went 2-2 for the reasons given) I will post them, but I do not believe that any will be available... we'll see!

pyyhttu


grizzledmage


OGmonk

Here is the mono-black control list I played to an undefeated finish at the Livingston tournament:

LAND: 41

30x Swamp (A mix of snow-covered swamps is important mainly for Tainted Pact)
Molten Slagheap
Dreadship Reef
Barren Moor
Wasteland
Leechridden Swamp
Lake of the Dead
Boseiju, Who Shelters All
Maze of Ith
Vesuva
Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
Cabal Coffers

Planeswalker: 1

Liliana Vess

Creatures: 19

Nantuko Shade
Nezumi Graverobber
Faerie Macabre
Undead Gladiator
Dusk Urchins
Maga, Traitor to Mortals
Bane of the Living
Faceless Butcher
Mindslicer
Korlash, Heir to Blackblade
Kagemaro, First to Suffer
Puppeteer Clique
Shriekmaw
Kokusho, the Evening Star
Ink-Eyes, Servant of Oni
Twisted Abomination
Helldozer
Dread
Duplicant

Sorcery: 14

Chainer's Edict
Demonic Tutor
Mind Shatter
Profane Command
Drain Life
Consume Spirit
Beseech the Queen
Barter in Blood
Mutilate
Diabolic Tutor
Nightmare Void
Damnation
Corrupt
Decree of Pain

Artifact: 12

Sensei's Diving Top
Relic of Progenitus
Lightning Greaves
Jet Medallion
Crucible of Worlds
Oblivion Stone
Phyrexian Totem
Darksteel Ingot
Helm of Obedience
Nevinyrrals Disk
Mirari
Guilded Lotus

Instant: 7

Dark Ritual
Skeletal Scrying
Grim Harvest
Shred Memory
Tainted Pact
Sudden Death
Tsabo's Decree

Enchantment: 6

Bitterblossom
Necromancy
Necropotence
Leyline of the Void
Enslave
Debtor's Knell

As far as highlander Magic goes, I primarily play EDH, so this was a fun new experience. Due to time constraints, I simply adapted my mono-black EDH deck by cutting cards that were more useful in a multiplayer environment, and adding some faster reactive cards due to the nature of the format. There are definitely some changes I would make, such as replacing a lot of the graveyard hate with more powerful cards. Mind Twist also belongs in the list now that it is unbanned (obviously).

I will try to post a short report of the tournament in the next day or so.

grizzledmage

Next Highlander Tournament, same location and time of day, is scheduled for Sunday, May 17, 2009.

I do not yet know if I will be there due to a likely conflict with the North Jersey Veteran Mages (http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/njveteranmages), but we'll see!

grizzledmage

We concluded our second regional Highlander tournament this past Sunday, with about 24 people competing. The top 2 decks (both players went 4-0) were the same guy who came in 1st last time (he posted his deck here a few weeks ago), and new guy Rob Cuellari (new to HL tournaments but well established on the local Magic scene) who ran a BUW control deck, with the following list (copied from http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/njveteranmages):

(*'s denote win conditions)

Mana Accel:

u/b borderpost
mind stone
u/w borderpost
talisman of dominance
thran dynamo
gilded lotus
dimir signet
phyrexian totem*
obelisk of esper
coalition relic

Other artifacts:

powder keg
engineered explosives
solemn simulacrum
sensei's divining top
memnarch*
mindslaver*
sen triplets*

Counterspells:

counterspell
disrupting shoal
pact of negation
cryptic command
mana drain
forbid
FoW
dismiss
exclude
desertion*
draining whelk*
misdirection
venser
decree of silence*

Creatures (excluding previously listed ones):

morphling*
exalted angel*
shriekmaw
teferi, mage of zhalfir
shadowmage infiltrator
mulldrifter


Card Drawing:

stroke of genius
ancestral vision
brainstorm
mystical teachings
gush
thirst for knowledge
fact or fiction
tithe

Spells that drag the game on and keep me living:

repulse
damnation
treachery
teferi's moat
diabolic edict
swords to plowshare
chainer's edict
sower of temptation
capsize
hallowed burial
porphyry nodes
ribbons of night
decree of pain
wrath of god
mortify
bribery*
tezzeret the seeker*
decree of justice*

Lands:

10 island
3 swamp
1 plains
academy ruins*
watery grave
black artifact land
miren the moaning well
white artifact land
blue artifact land
dreadship reef
godless shrine
boreal shelf
kor haven
calciform pools
w/b filter land
wanderwine hub
arcane sanctum
flagstones of trokair
seaside citadel
dimir acqueduct
azorius chancery
urborg, tomb of yawg
riptide laboratory
hallowed fountain
tolaria west

yes I played again, and yes I brought WW again, with a couple tweaks, and the following results (remember only 1 game per match):

Round 1: Rob Cuellari playing BUW control (undefeated for this event.)

Although I was able to deal him some early damage, his control and disruption
slowed me down long enough for him to get a Mindslaver going, which pretty much
wrecked me. Then a turn or two later he resolved a Sen Triplets, and without any
of my removal available (O-Ring, Path to Exile, Swords to Plowshares; although
he probably could have countered any of them anyway), it effectively removed me
from the game altogether; I scooped to avoid further agony.

0-1

Round 2: Jeff Mutchler playing RG stompy

Jeff had a very slow start with likely color screw (no Green mana!) whereas my
deck cooperated just fine; I got enough creatures going and he didn't.

1-1

Round 3: David Grodman playing 5-color stuff

I think the point of his deck is to simply play the best allowed cards from each
color. Anyway, we both got Figure of Destiny going first turn, and a 3rd turn
Wasteland for me whacked one of his Revised duals; I think that one move helped
set the tempo for the game. I was able to keep a steady stream of threats going
(saccing an Aura of Silence along the way to remove his Aether Vial). He was
hesitant to play lands due to my Land Tax, and even his Troll Ascetic enchanted
with Armadillo Cloak turned out to merely delay the inevitable due to my
Battlegrace Angel equipped with Sword of Fire/Ice. His frantic search for a
Wrath or equivalent was sufficiently hampered by the timely arrival of a Winter
Orb for the WW home team.

2-1

Round 4: Chris playing mono-R goblins

Very frustrating game, as early mana stalling on my side, coupled with a Turn 2
Goblin Recruiter for him, tilted things pretty heavily to his side. Even an early Silver Knight couldn't help, as he almost immediately killed it with Ghostfire. I prolonged
where I could, but drawing my 2 anti-artifact/enchantment spells (Disenchant, Aura of
Silence) in the absence of any targets meant merely 2 dead cards instead of any
creatures, removal, card searches, sweepers, equipment, etc. I struggled to just
stay alive but he delivered the coup de grace with a Cursed Scroll, and before I
could Disenchant it he immediately used its ability naming the one card in his
hand (Incinerate) to deal me damage, and then Incinerated me.

2-2, same as last time.

Interestingly, after each of these games (except for round 3), there was time left so we played more fun games. Against Rob (round 1) I won one and then lost one; against Jeff (round 2) I won 3, and against Chris (round 4) I won one.

Another fun event!

grizzledmage

The third local Livingston, NJ (USA) HL tournament concluded this past Sunday, with approx. 23 players. In first place was my son (getting married next week!) playing GWU Oath deck (will post decklist if/when I get it).

I tried a different deck this time, deciding that mono B might be fun (will post in the Clinic forum). As seems to be my fate for these local tournaments, I went 2-2 again, as follows.

Round 1, Ben playing 5-color control. (He ended up undefeated in the tournament, placing second to my son in tiebreakers.) This game went fairly long, even though it was really lost to me at his 2nd turn. Although I got a first-turn creature drop, his first 2 turns were:

1: Plains, Land Tax
2: Mishra's Workshop, Isochron Scepter with Mana Drain imprinted, and Scroll Rack

I managed to stay in the game for a number of turns with my 1 creature and some land-based effects, but I really just couldn't get past his permanent Mana Drain.

Round 2: Jeff playing BU control

Fairly uninteresting game; he managed to get the upper hand early in the game but I was able to clear the board once or twice (much of his permission was either unplayed or unavailable), then I was able to keep things clear while I attacked repeatedly with man lands.

Round 3: Adam, BW control. Actually kind of an even matchup, but a well-timed Promise of Power filled his hand with very good cards and I ended up losing to hand disruption and one or two good creatures (like Pristine Angel).

Round 4: Max playing RDW

Hand disruption (a recurring Augur of Skulls) and graveyard hate (Nezumi Graverobber against his unearth creatures) helped a lot. That, plus he runs only 33 lands with NO artifact mana producers and he had trouble getting lands out.

Well, I guess we can try again next month!

grizzledmage

As promised, here is the 3-color Oath deck my son (just got married yesterday!) used to win this tournament. One of the more notable "rogue" cards he used was Time Stop.

// Lands
    5 Plains
    1 Cephalid Coliseum
    1 Lonely Sandbar
    1 Temple Garden
    1 Yavimaya Coast
    1 Windswept Heath
    1 Bant Panorama
    1 Secluded Steppe
    1 Seaside Citadel
    1 Wasteland
    1 Tranquil Thicket
    1 Wooded Foothills
    1 Breeding Pool
    1 Gemstone Mine
    1 Adarkar Wastes
    1 Forbidden Orchard
    1 Flooded Grove
    1 Reflecting Pool
    1 Treetop Village
    1 Mystic Gate
    10 Island
    2 Forest
    1 Hallowed Fountain
    1 Terramorphic Expanse

// Creatures
    1 Simic Sky Swallower
    1 Akroma, Angel of Wrath
    1 Empyrial Archangel
    1 Progenitus

// Planeswalkers
    1 Jace Beleren

// Spells
    1 Opportunity
    1 Obelisk of Bant
    1 Muddle the Mixture
    1 Evacuation
    1 Exclude
    1 Gilded Lotus
    1 Defense of the Heart
    1 Hallowed Burial
    1 Bant Charm
    1 Life from the Loam
    1 Dismiss
    1 Oblivion Ring
    1 Damping Matrix
    1 Ghostly Prison
    1 Capsize
    1 Faerie Trickery
    1 Path to Exile
    1 Counterspell
    1 Darksteel Ingot
    1 Rewind
    1 Idyllic Tutor
    1 Spectral Searchlight
    1 Teferi's Moat
    1 Oath of Druids
    1 Enlightened Tutor
    1 Ancestral Vision
    1 Cryptic Command
    1 Put Away
    1 Wash Out
    1 Coldsteel Heart
    1 Dream Fracture
    1 Gifts Ungiven
    1 Force of Will
    1 Remand
    1 Propaganda
    1 Wrath of God
    1 Swords to Plowshares
    1 Absorb
    1 Time Stop
    1 Engineered Explosives
    1 Dissipate
    1 Ponder
    1 Counterbalance
    1 Fact or Fiction
    1 Pact of Negation
    1 Coalition Relic
    1 Sensei's Divining Top
    1 Solitary Confinement
    1 Interdict
    1 Voidslime
    1 Careful Consideration
    1 Gush
    1 Daze
    1 Decree of Silence
    1 Standstill
    1 Brainstorm
    1 Hinder


grizzledmage

Highlander IV of Livingston NJ concluded yesterday, with a turnout substantially lower than the previous three events; only 8 players enrolled. As a result, the TO decided to hold only three rounds. In the end, one person earned 9 points (3-0 match record), a guy playing mono-red goblins to place first.

Speaking for myself, I tried that same BU control deck I'd used in another local event (our own NJVM local playgroup, a couple months back).

Round 1: Peter, playing UB control; very much a mirror match.

I had what I thought was a good start; on my 3rd turn I drew Wasteland and used it against his only land (Dimir Aqueduct). He recovered quickly, however, with a Chrome Mox and another land on his next turn, and got plenty of lands out over the next few turns while I did not. The game then entered the typical back-and-forth style characteristic of mirror control matches, until I drew Bribery. In retrospect I suspect I should have simply sat on it, but I decided to try it, in order to steal a creature but also see what else he had in his deck. I ended up taking Oona, Queen of the Fae.

He was able to bounce it to his hand with a Recoil, discarding some other card. Although I kept it in his hand for a long time, he finally got it into play, and even though I was able to partly contain it (Staff of Domination for tapping it), I couldn't find a permanent answer for it (kept drawing cards from Jace Beleran and the Staff of Domination, but no useful answers), and Oona's activated ability did me in in the end. It was a long and intricate game, actually a lot of fun.

Round 2: Zeke, playing RG stompy

An early (3rd turn) Isochron Scepter imprinted with Doom Blade made me very comfortable until he played a 4th turn Citanul Centaurs which I could not counter... ouch. I had to play around it, and was able to chump block it enough while swinging with my own creatures (an animated Phyrexian Totem, a 4/4 Draining Whelk) meanwhile keeping his battlefield (there's that word again) otherwise clear with the Doom-ed Scepter. He did get me down to 7 before I could finish him off.

Round 3: Evan, playing W Weenie

My opening hand ended up with a Doom Blade and a Hideous Laughter with enough mana sources to support both, and I knew what archetype he was playing, so I was glad with what I had. He dealt early damage with a Knight of Meadowgrain (I had to restrain myself from using the Doom Blade on it 3rd turn) and a couple others; finally on his 5th turn he swung with a horde of 5 creatures including Serra Avenger; NOW was the time for Hideous Laughter, leaving only his Avenger.

Meanwhile he has dealt me 7 total; not too bad, and Doom Blade mops up the Avenger next turn. By now I have enough resources on the board and in hand, and slow him down with things like Capsize w/buyback, a counterspell here and there, a Phyrexian Totem... and Bribery again. After searching his library, I narrow down my choices to Exalted Angel, Battelgrace Angel, and Stillmoon Cavalier. The Cavalier's pro-white ability makes it my final choice.

And it wins me the game. I keep his creatures and other permanents off-balance with he Capsize and other disruptive spells, while MY Cavalier now has free reign to pillage and maim (and my Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth helps to provide plenty of B mana sources). At one point he threatens to get back in the game with a Reveillark; luckily I can remove it (Devour in Shadow) and prevent any subsequent creature recursion by playing Trickbind on the Lark's triggered ability. The Devour brings me down to 4 (he'd been able to sneak some more combat damage through in the meantime), but that's as low as I got.

My 2-1 record (6 points) places me third; behind another 2-1 guy who wins the DCI tiebreakers using a mono G Elf deck.

grizzledmage

#11
Highlander V of Livingston came to a late conclusion last night, with 20 local participants. After four rounds, two players tied for 1st with 12 match points; one was playing UW Control and the other played 4-color aggro.

The UW guy apparently got Scepter/Chant going twice during the tournament; not bad. The 4-color aggro guy was the store owner!

I brought the mono-B deck I put together fairly recently, with a few tweaks since the tournament 2 months ago. (With respect to, and notwithstanding, the excellent suggestions made elsewhere in this forum, the deck nevertheless continues to be kind of aggro and kind of control.)

Round 1: Jon, playing Wb(?) weenie/aggro

He gets a first-turn Savannah Lions out (on the draw) but I immediately follow-up with Black Knight. He plays a 2nd white creature; I play Stillmoon Cavalier.

Not a whole lot more to say; the early appearance of these 2 pro-White creatures is at the core of his deteriorating game. We did proceed for another 4-5 turns each with various plays, but he just couldn't get around those two; very lucky for me.

1-0

Round 2: Evan, playing RG stompy

Early mana flood keeps me from doing much and in fact it starts to look very bad for me; I slow things a bit with Wasteland against one of his dual lands. Turn 5-6, however, I draw Death Cloud which wins the game for me: I play it for X=2; he has to sac his 2 creatures and 2 of his 3 lands AND empty his hand; I meantime have about 5 cards in hand ALL lands so the discard really doesn't hurt me at all plus I can followup with more lands right away.

A few turns later Liliana Vess enters my battlefield (meanwhile he is manascrewed with 1 land and has to keep discarding EOT); I tutor twice on that and next turn for good cards (uh, don't remember what); GG.

2-0

Round 3: David, Gw Elves

I keep a meh hand and play first: Swamp, Dark Ritual, transmute Shred Memory, tutor for Bitterblossom ("Hm; interesting but unorthodox" remarks one onlooker); I play it next turn but in the meantime he has Wirewood Symbiote. He gets Viridian Zealot and kills the Blossom after only one token is made. He gets a couple elves out (Wren's Run Vanquisher, Rofellos); I play Creakwood Liege. I believe I can do well if the Liege stays in play so I try to insure this by using Dust Bowl against his Savannah to avoid possible removal. He seems a little short on lands but his Symbiote, Elvish Visionary, and others are dancing very effectively. Then he makes what I think is a questionable play: Winter Orb. (This is additionally surprising as he is a good player; perhaps it was a high-risk play in consideration of his eroding position.)

Yes; he has fewer lands so it hurts me more than him; yes, he has Rofellos to make mana; but the fact of the matter is that until he can get rid of my Creakwood Liege I think he needs as many of his resources as possible. In any event; the accummulating Worm tokens are hurting him more and more, and then when I can finally get enough mana sources untapped and play Visara the Dreadful, he is too far behind; he laughs and scoops.

3-0

Round 4: Chris, 4-color aggro (see top of this report)

Fast game. I again have a meh opener, and he comes screaming out of the gates with BoP, Llanowar Elves, Flametongue Kavu, Tarmogoyf; all within 3-4 turns. ("This is the best this deck has ever done," he remarked half with apology and half with happiness.) I do manage to get Oblivion Stone out by Turn 3 and am hoping I can blow up the board, but alas no more lands come. I did get Bog Witch out, to which he responded with Chainer's Edict. I also got a Leaden Myr out but he played Regrowth to re-play the Edict. I evoked a Shriekmaw against one of his creatures, but I was unable to muster any meaningful resources of my own, and he dealt me plenty of damage with his creatures. (At the end, the next three cards in my library were Twisted Abomination, Swamp, Swamp.)

3-1; 4th place out of 20.

Looking forward to the next one!!

kmzandrew

I played in last nights event too. I ran my white weenie deck to a 3-1 record. Overall, I would say it was a fun tournament, but I really think it should be best of three instead of just 1 game. Here is a quick report.

Round 1 vs Ben playing UBW control- I forget that I had just sorted my deck and did not shuffle it nearly enough. This means I don't hit any lands in my first 13 cards and mulligan to 6. My 6 card hand is also quite unimpressive consisting of plains, mutavault, honor the pure, spectral procession, parralax wave, and a random 2 drop. Neither of us does much in the first turns with him dropping lands, lotus bloom, and lotus vale and me just dropping a guy and honor the pure while not hitting a third plains and drawing blanks like seal of cleansing. He proceeds to drop scepter and imprint mana drain. At this point I'm getting really frustrated and the memnoch he plays next turn doesn't help my situation. I decide to see if he will counter everything or just major threats by attempting a random guy and he gets countered. So now my plan is to hit another land, play a spell to bait the drain and then drop seal of cleansing. Luckily I don't have to worry about that as he taps out to steal my aven mindcensor and then bribery me taking exalted. All of a sudden I'm back in the game since I drop seal next turn and kill the scepter. Now all I need is that damned 4th land I can't seem to draw. Sure enough I draw it two turns later and play parallax wave targeting his team (most of which I own) so when wave dies I am left with a huge army and win in short order.
1-0

Round 2 vs James playing Red Aggro
- I am unable to find a good mix of lands again and keep an opener with plains, dust bowl, icatian javeleneers, grafted wargear, flickerwisp, silver knight and defiant falcon. I drop javeleneer and he plays aether vial. I then drop the falcon and sit around while all he has is rakdos guildmage and zozu. I finally hit a plains and drop flickerwisp to reset the vial. He bolts it and follows up with a blood knight. I drop silver knight. He drops sulfuric vortex and the race is on. It looks very good for me since I have grafted wargear, but he has one of his own. In the end, I get him down to 3, so vortex puts him to 1, but it's not enough.
1-1

Round 3 vs David playing xxxxx- I'm not even sure what he was playing. The game was just very quick. He had a slow start and I had a 2/2 for two followed up by wilt leaf cavaliers while he just played some tapped lands. Turn 4 dust bowl went active and I just blew up a land each turn until he was dead.
2-1

Round 4 vs Lou playing Elves
- He got a fairly slow start while I dropped defiant falcon, honor the pure, and something else. He had a wolfskullshaman which was starting to help him play catchup and a reach/deathtouch elf. He blocked the falcon with the elf and harms way did some redirecting to kill the shaman. Next turn I grafted wargeared the falcon and he couldn't find an answer to the flier in time.
3-1

grizzledmage

Quote from: kmzandrew on 17-08-2009, 05:24:25 PM
I really think it should be best of three instead of just 1 game.

Under normal circumstances I would definitely agree with you, Andrew, but there's too good a chance that a typical best-of-3 match in Highlander would far, far, exceed a normal 45- or 50-minute time frame. Real-time constraints make a 4-round, 1-game-per-match compromise a very reasonable compromise, at least in my humble opinion.

Nice report, and nice showing!

grizzledmage

#14
Showed up to the 2HG Highlander tournament last night, and ended up pairing with master strategist Brian Popkin.

He brought a mono-black control deck. I, not knowing with whom I might
eventually have ended up pairing, had brought a variety of decks to cover various bases, and Brian and I decided that a RDW approach would complement his MBC deck. We made a couple very minor adjustments to each deck and were ready to go.

Round 1: Jason (multi-color big creatures) and Vin (Jund... stuff)

Brian's and my opening hands were fairly good; I had sufficient land, Boggart Ram-Gang, and some spot and mass removal. Jason started kind of slowly, trying to build up his mana resources to bring big guys in. Vin's deck presumably was designed to be faster but unfortunately for him he got stuck on low mana resources. He did get Llanowar Elves and Werebear going but we swept them away quickly. Jason managed a Wall of Denial which threatened to slow us down but then Brian played a card I'd never seen before: Dystopia. That card by itself pretty much, I think, sealed the game - even though we took 10 life loss from it, it kept the other side pretty clear while we attacked and burned.

Round 2: Andrew W (Staxx; check out the thread in http://www.magicplayer.org/forum/index.php?topic=303.0) and Ben P (WU control)

Long and painful game. Brian's attempt at casting Bitterblossom 2nd turn was foiled by Ben's Force of Will, and that was probably our last real hope. Meanwhile, Andrew had played Library of Alexandria and Mox Diamond on his first turn; over the course of the game that Library probably accounted for something like 15-20 extra cards for him. We were countered, Silenced, tripped up by Tangle Wire (twice, that's 8 turns, thanks to his Academy Ruins), Armageddoned, Land Equilibrated... in other words, the lockdown was near total; meanwhile Andrew has fetched his Sphinx of the Steel Wind and that's game.

Round 3: Brendan (5c control) and Max (RDW)

Key and decisive plays: (1) Brian's first-turn Duress; we pull a Miscalculation out of Brendan's hand, and (2) my third-turn Blood Moon which pretty much shuts Brendan out of the game. Max forges ahead gamely but it is essentially now 2 players against 1. Brendan is able to get a few basic lands out and is finally able to cast a spell (Magus of the Tabernacle) which slows us down a tad and is a good blocker, but then Brian and I get some great topdecks: Nekrataal removes the Magus; Arc-Slogger comes on line. The Slogger is all set to deliver the coup
de grace (which it does, next turn), and I happen to draw Fireblast just in case something else goes awry (which it doesn't).

Brian's and my 2-1 record earned us 2 packs apiece of M10; Haunting Echoes and Honor of the Pure were my two rares and I am not displeased.

Nice!