After a few weeks off from playing in the League due to travel commitments, I was back for Week 7, with some very important guests in tow, people that had an unintentional but significant impact on the EDH format.
From Virginia came Justin Norris and Todd Hughson, the two most consistent players in my Sunday Magic group. When I randomly asked one Sunday if they’d like to try out a format my friend Adam Staley had come up with, they said ‘sure.’ Little did they know that the odd little format first dreamed up in Alaska would dominate our Sundays and sweep the Magic-playing world. The group was comprised of mostly casual players, which help lay much of the groundwork for the format’s eventual attitude.
From Seattle came Scott Larabee, Organized Play Magic Program Manager at Wizards of the Coast, and my dear friend for many years. Scott was the first person at WotC to pick up the 100-card decks, and immediately became the primary West Coast evangel for the format. He’s been a staunch supporter of the format ever since, and is now on the Rules Committee.
I picked up Justin and Todd at the airport on Wednesday afternoon, and we headed back to the house for some afternoon EDHing before making a run to Bern’s Steakhouse for dinner. Bern’s is an experience every visitor to Tampa needs to have. It’s a world-class steakhouse with the largest operating wine cellar in the world. While you can go broke on the wine list, one piece of Bern’s tech is drinking good California wine from the 70s for very little money. We had a 1974 Franciscan Charbono. Price: $58. You really can’t do that anywhere else in the world.
Thursday, we had lunch at another of Tampa’s must-stop places, Wood-Fired Pizza. Owner Peter F. Taylor has perfected the ancient art of making Neapolitan pizza dough, and the stuff will change your life. We then zipped over to the already-busy Armada Games for casual EDH, to include a session of Archenemy, with the Archenemy chosen at random. Armada regular Brian Ruddeforth had an already-constructed Archenemy deck. I ended up as the bad guy, and their puny minds could not comprehend the complete evil and power of Karrthus, Tyrant of Jund. Between games, I ran off to the airport and picked up Scott, after which we had time for another pickup game, not to mention a tasty Cuban sandwich from the place next to Armada, before leaping off into the League.
A record 24 players came out, meaning we had six tables of four. Michael decided with that turnout, we’d have two top tables instead of one, with six winners and two wild-cards with the most points filling them out.
GAME 1, Table 2
I’m playing Kresh. I’m seated with Patrick, who has a new Rune-Tail deck, Anthony with Reaper King, and Dustin with Wort, Boggart Auntie. Patrick wins the roll, but before we start, Anthony announces he has Gemstone Caverns. First Enchant World is Caverns of Despair.
TURN 1
Patrick: Miren, the Moaning Well
Anthony: Crumbling Necropolis, Terrarion.
Dustin: Swamp, Vampiric Tutor (38).
Me: Forest. I feel like I’m falling behind already.
TURN 2
Patrick: Ancient Den
Anthony: Volrath’s Stronghold, Conjurer’s Bauble. Elixir of Immortality, sacrifices Bauble.
Dustin: Goblin Recruiter, stacks his deck with dudes.
Me: Forest
TURN 3
Patrick: Plains, Rune-Tail, which flips.
Anthony: Sacred Ground untapped, Master Transmuter. I’m a little worried that Anthony is already in the middle of crazy combo-land, but he assures me that I’ll “really appreciate the deck.”
Dustin: Mountain, Goblin Lackey. Goblin Bombardment, attack me with the Recruiter (39).
Me: Tainted Wood, currently tapping for colorless, Yavimaya Elder.
TURN 4
Patrick: Reliquary Tower
Anthony: Arcane Sanctum. Sensei’s Divining Top and Pithing Needle, naming Goblin Bombardment (good choice).
Dustin: Blood Crypt untapped (36). Lightning Crafter, champions the Recruiter. Attacks Patrick with the Lackey, gets Mad Auntie. I suspect we’re going to get a pile of Goblins out soon.
Me: I’ve held Bojuka Bog since the beginning, and I considered playing it first turn, but I wanted to make it worth something. I have bouncelands to re-use it, but since I don’t have a fourth land, I need to do it. I target Dustin, who loses a couple of things.
TURN 5
Patrick: Plains, Noble Purpose. Noble Purpose doesn’t grant creatures Lifelink, it has a triggered ability. That means with a Lifelink creature, Patrick will gain double the life.
Anthony: Vampiric Tutor (36). Sacs Terrarion for mana, drawing the Tutor. Bounces Pithing Needle for Salvaging Station. Recasts the Needle, this time naming Lightning Crafter.
Dustin: Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle, a card which I suspect every Mono Red EDH deck has but I haven’t seen really get going. I guess you need Scapeshift-type shenanigans to really take advantage of it. Casts his General. Sacrifices Lightning Crafter to Bombardment to kill Elder; I sac it to draw a card. Attacks Patrick with Goblin Lackey (37), putting in Kiki-Jiki. Could get crazy fast.
Me: Swamp, Jens (for a Mountain), Tormod’s Crypt. Anthony Salvagers out the Bauble and puts the Tutor on the bottom.
TURN 6
Patrick: Twilight Shepherd, which to me, when deckbuilding, always seems like it’s not good enough. Patrick and another player in the League keep playing it for good value.
Anthony: Anthony has lots of moving pieces, and I stop writing down everything he does, and only get the important stuff. I suspect he’s got something infinite down the road, probably with that Salvaging Station and Summoning Station or the like, but for now, he hasn’t really done anything too worrisome. He cases Bringer of the Green Dawn. Could be worse for us, for sure.
Dustin: Gets Lightning Crafter back with Wort. Ringleader, Warchief, Prospector, Matron, and Instigator. Kiki-Jiki copies Lackey, and he attacks me with both of them. I block one of them with Jens (37). Lightning Crafter champions the Recruiter.
Me: Spinerock Knoll. Bone Shredder on KJ.
TURN 7
Patrick: Windbrisk Raptor. Attacks Dustin with Shepherd (31).
Anthony: Sacs Bauble, Artificer’s Intuition. Pitch Citadel, runs through stuff, gets AEther Spellbomb.
Dustin: Puts back KJ. Enchant World changes to Field of Dreams before he attacks. He swings at me with Wort, Ringleader, and Mad Auntie. Antony bounces Wort, I block Ringleader with Bone Shredder.
Me: Pernicious Deed with five mana up. I resolve to just hang on for a while. I know when I blow it, it’s going to be pretty bad for Anthony. I just have to wait until I have 9 mana, or 10 if he plays the King.
TURN 8
Patrick: Akroma’s Memorial. Attacks Dustin with both. Anthony bounces the Raptor, then uses Artificer’s Intuition to get Voltaic Key. Dustin goes to (26), Patrick to (52).
Anthony: Draws Enlightened Tutor, casts the Voltaic Key and Reaper King.
Dustin: Gets back KJ, casts it, copies Lackey, attacks Anthony with the team. Anthony blocks both Lackeys with Beasts, goes to (31).
Me: Overgrown Tomb tapped. Keep up the 9 mana.
TURN 9
Patrick: Draws Arena of the Ancients. Cool tech. Recasts Windbrisk Raptor. EOT, Anthony sacrifices Spellbomb and draws 2 cards, and slips the Spellbomb under.
Anthony: Discards Synod Sanctum to get Despotic Scepter. Casts Demonic Tutor. Bringer of the White Dawn. Attacks Dustin with Green Bringer (21) and me with Reaper King (29).
Dustin: Skirk Prospector, Wort, Matron, KJ copies Matron. Attacks Patrick (49).
Me: Definitely need to keep up 10 mana to kill the Bringers. I have Fling in my hand, but nothing to Fling.
TURN 10
Patrick: Cauldron of Souls and Arena of the Ancients, which will slow down Kiki-Jiki and Reaper King (at least his attacks).
Anthony: Draws the Red Bringer. Reveals Worldly Tutor. Puts Bauble back out. Puts Demonic Tutor on bottom. Untaps Reaper King with Voltaic Key. Casts Conspiracy, names Scarecrow. Could get ugly. Intuitions away the Scepter for Ornithopter, casts it, destroys Noble Purpose. I confess that this is a clever deck. It’s a lot to write down, but the Deed will likely take care of that.
Dustin: Skirk Fire Marshal. Someone’s getting hurt! Attack me with Instigator (28). EOT, I Crypt Dustin and Deed for 10. Dustin sacs his dudes at Anthony’s head (20). Anthony flops Karn into play. The EW changes to Forsaken Wastes. Patrick gets back his stuff from the Shepherd.
Me: (27). Eternal Witness, getting back Crypt, and drop it, then cast what I peeled: Boom Tube, who is currently 41/41.
TURN 11
Patrick: (48). Rune-tail again, which flips. Arena of the Ancients. Attacks me (23). Anthony starts talking about some of his combos and how he’ll get his stuff back. At the end of Patrick’s turn, I Fling Lord of Extinction at Anthony’s face, killing him. He later asks if I did it because of the annoyance of writing down all his stuff and interactions. I confess that it was a factor. Had Patrick been lower in life, I would have probably killed him and just Crypted Anthony.
Dustin: (25). Wort for the third time.
Me: (22). Artisan of Kozilek, targeting Boom Tube. Patrick casts the somewhat good Honor the Fallen in response. It burns us.
TURN 12
Patrick: (47). Concerted Effort, attack me (18).
Dustin: (20). Nothing.
Me: (17). Attack Patrick, who sacrifices Arena and Ancient Den (which I realize should have gotten blown up by Deed). Double-blocks, and Rune-Tail saves his guys.
TURN 13
Patrick: (46). Concerted Effort triggers. Attacks me. I Summoning Trap. The best I can do it Woodfall Primus, blowing up the Memorial. Go to (9).
Dustin: (19). Nothing.
Me: (8). Attack Patrick with team. Annihilates Miren and Effort. Raptor blocks Primus (44). Primus Persists, killing Valakut. Cast Kresh, which I should have done before combat.
TURN 14
Patrick: (43). Platinum Angel.
Dustin: (18). Diabolic Tutor, Reiterates it with Buyback
Me: (7). Attack Patrick with Primus. He blocks (42).
TURN 15
Patrick: (41). Cauldron of Souls, Leonin Shikari.
Dustin: (17). Wort for the fourth time (which is worth an important point, since it looks like we’re not piling up too many in this game).
Me: (6). We change to Storm World, which is still going to cost us all life. Avenger of Zendikar for 11 guys, then Landfall. Oversold Cemetery. I might have a chance to get back in this game.
TURN 16
Patrick: (40). Crawl Space. Argh!
Dustin: (16). Decree of Pain for 17. Double argh! Patrick’s guy Persists, and at EOT he Erases my Oversold.
Me: (4). Play Kresh again, Clamp it, and Equip it.
TURN 17
Patrick: (38). Attack me (1).
Dustin: Skullclamp, Piledriver, equips Chieftain, but doesn’t attack me. Interesting.
Me: I die on my upkeep, since I have 2 cards in hand.
No one gets points for me, which means if Patrick kills Dustin without piling up two additional points, I will actually win the table (surprisingly enough). It’s not meant to be, however, as Dustin eventually Goblin Tinkerers away the Platinum Angel and casts Profane Command for a lot. He wins the table with 7 to my 5, Patrick and Anthony both at 3.
GAME 2
I’m completely surprised that I’m one of the two wildcards. I just figured there’d be at least two folks with more than five who didn’t win tables. I’m seated with Brian (Rafiq), Nate (Radha and her Beasts), and my man Justin with Intet, the Dreamer. The first Enchant World is Eye of Singularity.
TURN 1
Nate: Forest, Suspend Durkwood Baloth. Announces he’s playing lots of Beasts.
Brian: Temple Garden untapped (38), Sol Ring.
Me: Akoum Refuge (41).
Justin: Forest, Sol Ring, which blows up Brian’s.
TURN 2
Nate: Radha.
Brian: Glacial Fortress.
Me: Oran-Rief, the Vastwood.
Justin: Island, Compost (an idea he stole from me earlier in the day).
TURN 3
Nate: Attack Justin (38). Forest, Kodama’s Reach.
Brian: Sunpetal Grove, Dueling Grounds. I know Brian really likes this card in his Rafiq deck since Rafiq attacking is generally better than any other creature that will block it.
Me: Forest, Yavimaya Elder.
Justin: Grim Monolith, Intet.
TURN 4
Nate: Feral Throwback, revealing 3 Beasts.
Brian: Plains.
Me: Swamp, Bone Shredder on Intet. It was lucky I had that in my hand.
Justin: Nothing. Clear signal he has counterspells.
TURN 5
Nate: Provokes the Elder, giving me land, Fierce Empath, getting Primeval Titan. Mosswort Bridge.
Brian: Aura Shards.
Me: Kresh. At EOT, Justin untaps the Monolith.
Justin: Kozilek and has to discard.
TURN 6
Nate: Durkwood Baloth comes in. Casts the Primeval Titan. One of the lands is Mosswort Bridge.
Brian: Stonehewer Giant. Aura Shards blows up Monolith.
Me: Mountain, got nothing else.
Justin: Misty Rainforest, sacs it (37), Sakura-Tribe Elder.
TURN 7
Nate: Indrik Stomphowler blows up Dueling Grounds. Mosswort Bridge online, he activates it, getting Insurrection. Kills Brian, who whines a great deal about getting run out of the game so early. I remind Brian that he’s the one who some time back played Rofellos / Umbral Mantle, killing someone on turn 3 (not to mention he’s playing Rafiq, who is known to occasionally wreck someone by turn 4 or 5), so he has no room to complain. At EOT, I Summoning Trap. Justin Forks get. He gets Seedborn Muse, I get Bloodshot Cyclops. I’m pretty sure that I lose that one (unless there’s a Boom Tube coming up).
Me: Bounce the Refuge with Rakdos Carnarium, play Spiteful Visions.
Justin: (35). Conquering Masticore. Nate puts the Cyclops and his 9/9 dude on the Cliffs. I sacrifice Cyclops itself to kill the Seedborn Muse. Takes the 9/9 guy, Provokes Kresh attacks Nate with Kozilek, trades with Kresh. Nate to (28). Kodama’s Reach.
TURN 8
Nate: (26). Ravenous Baloth. Kurgadon. Attacks me with Titan (35).
Me: (33). The New World Enchant is Serra’s Aviary. Deed. Refuge (34).
Justin: (33). Attacks Nate, who Annihilates 4 lands and me with the Manticore (28). Nate triple blocks. Justin Harrows. Nate Acidic Slimes the Deed. I pop it for 2. Justin draws (32).
TURN 9
Nate: (24). Bear Umbra Primeval Titan. Packleader. Attack me with Titan and Baloths (18). Gets Gargadon off Mosswort. Draws (23). Primal Command off Spinerock Knoll (30). Vigor, Sol Ring, Paleoloth (29).
Me: (16). Artisan, getting Shredder taking out the Umbra on the Titan.
Justin: (31). Nothing
TURN 10
Nate: (27). Where Ancients Tread. Spearbreaker damaging me (13). Paleoloth trigger gets Stomphowler. Gargadon swings at me, Primeval Titan at Justin. Bone Shredder blocks Gargadon. Justin casts Chord of Calling, getting Eternal Witness, getting back the Chord. Gets it again and gets Seedborn Muse (since he had shuffled his graveyard in to his library). I write a note in the margin here that says “Justin and Nate will fight over my bones.”
Me: (11) Pay 7 to cast Kresh. Justin Momentous Falls his Manticore (draws wipe out life gain). Bojuka Bog Justin, who Harrows.
Justin: (29). Steam Vents tapped. Primeval Titan of his own. Diamond Valley and Eye of Ugin.
TURN 11
Nate: (25) Stomphowlers the Visions. Draws Vigor. Justin responds with Time Stop. I Momentous fall my own Artisan (19). New Enchant World is Mystic Decree.
Me: Kresh is +11/+11, so I’m going to try to kill Nate before I die. I cast Eldrazi Monument, which Justin Counterspells. Seems like he has better stuff to save that for, but whatever. Actually, this game is already over. Nate has really piled up the points, with a Straight and a Flush and other stuff. The only way I have any chance to survive now is Lurking Predators, which he Draining Whelks. I tell him he’s walking back to the house. I get my tiniest bit of revenge by dropping Vesuva and copying Bojuka Bog to eat his yard. At EOT, he searches up Emrakul with the Eye.
Justin: Casts Emrakul. Slime attacks me (19). Tormod’s Crypt (another piece of tech he’s dropped into his deck after getting 300+ points of damage from Living Death a day earlier). On the extra turn, he attacks me for 19 exactly, and sends Emrakul at Nate. Nate makes Greater Gargadon and Primeval Titan Indestructible. Then he targets Seedborn with one of them and Contested Cliffs. Justin Diamond Valleys Emrakul. Nate saves me so that he can kill me himself. I consider Berserking one of Justin’s guys to foil that plan, but I let it go through. Maybe he’ll leave me alone.
TURN 12
Nate: Brawn. Casts Duplicant, which Justin counters with Force of Will. Attacks me with his Titan, and I Berserk it out of spite.
Justin: Takes a turn, realizes that he has nothing.
Nate wins the table with a big pile of points, 18 I believe. Justin finishes second.
The first game was interesting, but I feel like I didn’t actually do all that much. I was definitely mostly a spectator in game 2, which it generally not the case with Kresh. I guess every deck has an off week, but I understand that it’s more of a mid- to late-game deck instead of one with a great deal of early game punch. If the League trend is to being so dangerous that much earlier, I suppose I’ll have to adapt. Scott and Todd both said they had interesting and fun games, so I was happy that they had the opportunity to enjoy themselves. We played more games over the weekend before they left, and much Chaos was Embraced. Cloudstone Curio demonstrated how crazy it can be.
Next week is the final week of this iteration of the Armada Games EDH League. I’m not sure what place I’m in at the moment, but I’ll make my run for the gold!