The Combat Phase — Tramplampler

Every time I play a Blue mage I just want to strangle him. Sorry, it’s true. Every

time they steal my stuff or play Fact or Fiction, I just stare at the monitor in disbelief and

hand my opponent three cards at instant speed. Then he untaps and wrecks me.

I guess it’s a good thing Green is insane right now. Insanely good, and only going to

get better. I copied Benjamin Peebles-Mundy

Mono Green Aggro deck from last week, and just love smashing face with it. Sure, we all

have a version like it, but I copied his because I’ve playing Extended so much that I

haven’t played any Standard. For once, I was lazy and just copied an already perfectly

tuned deck. And man, is it good.

You know what’s better than “can’t be the target of spells or

abilities?” Instant speed can’t be the target of spells or abilities.

Nothing I like better than making Blue waste a Repeal and hitting them for five

additional damage. Wow, is that fun.

“Why are you wearing that stupid bunny suit?”
“Why are you wearing that stupid man suit?”

The movie of the week is Donnie Darko. A surreal time-tripping superhero movie about a

disturbed kid who saves the world. Or something. I don’t really get it. Honestly, I

don’t think that the director, the writer, or the producer knows exactly what the movie

means. But its fun as hell to watch. An excellent cast of characters. I think it was Jake

Gyllenhaal’s first major role, and I can never watch him in anything without thinking of

him as Donnie Darko all grown up.

I’ve done it.

I know you’re thinking “No, Wakefield, you haven’t. Mid-range Green is

not viable in Extended.”

Well, before I started playing the deck, I had an online rating around 1520. Since playing

this deck, my rating has climbed to 1686. The highest it’s been since Joshie Green

rotated out.

But let’s move back a step and see how the deck morphed into something else. You

could even say that the deck died, was scrapped, given up on, and then I just started from

scratch. We have some good matches and funny comments from Beast Attack games that need to be

seen to be enjoyed. Okay, never mind, I don’t. Somehow I’ve lost my notes and game

replays. We’ll just be focusing on Tramplampler instead.

Let’s see, a little scattered this morning. A lot to say and not a really good way to

tie it all together.

This Saturday Josh and I were going to head to Montreal to play in the PTQ. But we were

having awful luck with Beast Attack, and hadn’t made a new deck yet. And we didn’t

get the cards together in time, so we had nothing built and little hope for the next day, so we

just bailed on it. Instead we played in the 4x Extended Online Premier Event.

Joshie played straight Beast Attack with Trinisphere main in place of Chalice of the Void.

He made top 64 out of 125.

Joshie played this version of Beast Attack —

13 Forest
4 Ghost Quarter
1 Pendelhaven
4 Chrome Mox
4 Llanowar Elves
4 Boreal Druid
3 Umezawa’s Jitte
4 Trinisphere
4 Call of the Herd
4 Ravenous Baloth
4 Mwonvuli Acid-Moss
4 Creeping Mold
4 Indrik Stomphowler
3 Beast Attack

Let me just brag and say that Beast Attack > Flores “Bests.” Even when Bests

draws a Jitte.

To illustrate.

guiwei chooses to play first.
guiwei keeps this hand.
JTT keeps this hand.
guiwei skips their draw step.
guiwei plays Stomping Ground.
guiwei plays Llanowar Elves.
Turn 1: JTT.
JTT plays Forest.
JTT plays Boreal Druid.
Turn 2: guiwei.
guiwei plays Contested Cliffs.
guiwei plays Llanowar Elves.
guiwei plays Umezawa’s Jitte.
Turn 2: JTT.
JTT plays Forest.
Turn 3: guiwei.
guiwei plays Forest.
guiwei plays activated ability from Umezawa’s Jitte targeting Llanowar Elves.
Boreal Druid blocks Llanowar Elves.
guiwei plays triggered ability from Umezawa’s Jitte.
guiwei plays activated ability from Umezawa’s Jitte targeting Llanowar Elves.
Turn 3: JTT.
JTT plays Forest.
Turn 4: guiwei.
guiwei plays activated ability from Umezawa’s Jitte.
guiwei plays activated ability from Umezawa’s Jitte.
guiwei plays triggered ability from Umezawa’s Jitte.
Turn 4: JTT.
JTT plays Ghost Quarter.
JTT plays Creeping Mold targeting Umezawa’s Jitte.
guiwei plays activated ability from Umezawa’s Jitte.
guiwei plays activated ability from Umezawa’s Jitte.
Turn 5: guiwei.
guiwei plays Stomping Ground.
guiwei plays Indrik Stomphowler.
No legal targets to choose for Indrik Stomphowler’s triggered ability.
Turn 5: JTT.
JTT plays Forest.
Turn 6: guiwei.
guiwei plays Umezawa’s Jitte.
guiwei plays activated ability from Umezawa’s Jitte targeting Indrik Stomphowler.
JTT plays Beast Attack.
Beast token blocks Indrik Stomphowler.
guiwei plays triggered ability from Umezawa’s Jitte.
Turn 6: JTT.
JTT plays Ghost Quarter.
JTT plays Indrik Stomphowler.
JTT plays triggered ability from Indrik Stomphowler targeting Umezawa’s Jitte.
guiwei plays activated ability from Umezawa’s Jitte.
guiwei plays activated ability from Umezawa’s Jitte.
JTT plays Llanowar Elves.
Turn 7: guiwei.
guiwei plays Pendelhaven.
guiwei plays Scrabbling Claws.
guiwei plays activated ability from Scrabbling Claws targeting JTT.
JTT removes Boreal Druid from the game.
guiwei plays activated ability from Scrabbling Claws targeting Beast Attack.
Turn 7: JTT.
JTT plays Forest.
JTT plays Mwonvuli Acid-Moss targeting Pendelhaven.
guiwei plays activated ability from Pendelhaven targeting Llanowar Elves.
JTT plays Call of the Herd.
Turn 8: guiwei.
guiwei plays Boreal Druid.
Turn 8: JTT.
JTT plays Trinisphere.
JTT plays Call of the Herd from the graveyard.
Boreal Druid blocks Llanowar Elves.
guiwei plays Ancient Grudge targeting Trinisphere.
Turn 9: guiwei.
guiwei has conceded from the game.

Of course Josh, being Josh, asks him in the middle of game one “Are you Jamie

Wakefield? I love your articles.”
I laugh. “I’m sitting right next to you. What the hell is wrong with

you?”
“Sowing confusion.” The Joshie way.

Isn’t that a nice little log? You know what the best part of all of that is?

This little app.

Massive thanks to Owlswater in the forums for writing this for me. For us,

actually. Anyone who wants to post Magic logs. You paste in text cluttered with numbers, hit

clean up, and voila, readable text. How he only rips out the junk numbers and keeps the time

and the numbers for the turn I have no idea. I guess that’s why he’s a programmer

and I’m a writer. [Of course, I strip the times by hand. — Craig.]

Random stuff. Here’s a list.

Pino player
Lost my notes. Ninth out of 46.
Land destruction sucks.
Joshie interview notes.
So all you beat is Affinity?
Sex money housework

Thanks to PinoPlayer for some help with the deck. He was watching some of my games,

messaged me with some ideas and we started chatting about the deck for about a half an hour

between rounds and then played some test games. I added in Plow Under to supplement the land

destruction theme, and that seemed to work really well. Until I faced Boros or Zoo and then I

sat there drawing Creeping Mold and Plow while he smashed my face in with the four guys he had

on the board. Anyway, he’s much higher rated than I, and is always in the Top 8s, so I

wanted to thank him for the help and the test games. It was good time, and I thought for sure

we would make the deck into even more of a beating.

As mentioned earlier, I’ve lost my notes, so I don’t have a lot of games to

show you or recap, but I ended up taking ninth in a 46-person Extended Premier Event with it.

After a few 8-man queues of getting smashed by Boros and Zoo, I post this to my private

forum —

Land Destruction sucks.

I am SMASHING FACE with this.

20 Forest
1 Pendelhaven

4 Llanowar Elves
4 Boreal Druid
4 Scryb Ranger
4 Viridian Zealot
4 Viridian Shaman
3 Beacon of Creation
3 Iwamori of the Open Fist
3 Kodama of the North Tree
4 Spectral Force
4 Indrik Artifact StompStompStomper
3 Overrun

Tramplampler.

This is the deck I mentioned earlier that has raised my rating to just under 1700. The

current version is a little bit different than the above, since I have played it a lot and

tuned it.

I take this into the 4x Premier Event on Saturday.

But wait; let’s finish up the notes section first.

We’re interviewing people for my position in the district. Josh is in fine form the

day of the interviews. We’re singing Bender’s theme song of “I love

lootin’, I love stealin’,” and quoting web comics as we walk into the main

office.

“The Iractonians have been defeated! The planet itself rumbles in triumph!”
“Hey lover, want to learn how to hide a body?”
“Boy, do I!”

We’re not very thrilled with the resumes, but we have some that show promise. We call

six people in for interviews. Dan, Sam, me, Joshie, and our boss Patricia are all meeting them.

Josh keeps bitching at me for leaving to start a new life. Sam keeps saying, “I

can’t believe you’re leaving.” Dan says, “I hope these interviews show

us someone with potential.”

Josh: “Yeah, let’s hope we don’t get anymore like Frank Dred.”
Dan: “Who? I don’t remember him.”
Josh: “You know, he’s the guy who spelled his name three different ways on his

resume, came in wearing bloody gloves and his eyes glazed over, and he licked his lips when we

mentioned he might have to work with kids.”

Riotous laughter.

Patricia goes upstairs and gets our first candidate. He comes down, well dressed, but not

overdressed. Good mannerisms. Not geeky at all. He aces the interview. We are all literally

blown away and hoping he doesn’t find another job before we offer him this one.

He leaves.

Dan looks at me and smiles, “What are you still doing here, Wakefield?”

He’s that good.

Sam: “Jesus Josh, I thought you were going to polish that guy’s

by the time the interview was done.”

Josh: “Hey, that guy is perfect. We can assign him all the tasks and take a month

off. He can do it all.”

Josh feels great relief now that he has someone cool and knowledgeable to work with.

He’s been dreading what we might find to replace me. We all agree the other interviews

will be worthless, but we have to go through the process.

The next guy comes down in a suit. Good thing because we’re very professional. Josh

is wearing an Adidas sweatshirt and I’m in a black UFC T-shirt.

He’s really not good for the job.

Josh: “If I have to work with that guy, one morning there’s going to be a

large, heavy black plastic bag in the school dumpster.”

Sam: “Did you notice he didn’t actually answer any of the questions, no matter

how much he talked?”

Me: “Did you notice that he gave a ten minute answer to every question except for

‘Do you have any problem working with kids?’ … and on that one he paused for

fifteen seconds and then said ‘I have no problem with that.’”

The jokes just start flying. Josh reduces us to tears and Patricia does her best to rein us

in, but she can’t stop laugher herself. Her face is beet red, she’s laughing so

hard. After about her third attempt, Josh takes over.

“Okay, we’re going to have to be serious about this. We’re all going to

calm down and act like professionals.”

Dan: “Josh, why are you looking at me?” The absurdity of Josh telling us that

causes us all to start laughing again. Patricia finally gets herself under control.

“Alright, I’m going to go up and get the next candidate. Think calming

thoughts. Jamie, you think about Madrid; Josh, you think about Pokemon or whatever damn thing

will calm you down.”

The next candidate is also awful. He leaves and Josh says, “Look, I took your advice

and kept myself sane by drawing Pokemon guys.”

He lifts up his notes and shows us his drawings.

More laughter.

In total, we got one person who is perfect. One who can do the job and be acceptable. One

that can’t do the job but could be trained and has a great attitude, and three complete

duds.

So what’s next on my list of notes?

The Affinity thing comes later.

Marriage advice for the men:

I’m in Madrid doing laundry.

Wendy: “Are you always this neat? I mean, you’re constantly picking up, doing

dishes, doing laundry. Is this just how you are, or is this the product of thirteen years of

marriage?”

Me: “Fact. In order, the top three things that couples fight about – sex, money, and

housework. We’re great at the first two; I’m not interested in fighting about the

third.”

Round 1.

A hundred and twenty five people.

Destructive Flow is funny against me. Trample trample trample.

Turn 3: MLGreen.
MLGreen plays activated ability from Scryb Ranger targeting Boreal Druid.
MLGreen plays Forest.
MLGreen plays Spectral Force.
Turn 4: _MetroiD_.
_MetroiD_ plays Mountain.
_MetroiD_ plays Destructive Flow.
Turn 4: MLGreen.
_MetroiD_ plays triggered ability from Destructive Flow.
MLGreen plays triggered ability from Spectral Force.
MLGreen plays activated ability from Scryb Ranger targeting Boreal Druid.
MLGreen plays Forest.
MLGreen plays Iwamori of the Open Fist.
MLGreen plays triggered ability from Iwamori of the Open Fist.
Turn 5: _MetroiD_.
_MetroiD_ plays triggered ability from Destructive Flow.
_MetroiD_ plays Forest.
Turn 5: MLGreen.
_MetroiD_ plays triggered ability from Destructive Flow.
MLGreen plays Forest.
MLGreen plays triggered ability from Spectral Force.
_MetroiD_ has conceded from the game.

Game 2

Let me sum this up. Beacon plus Overrun really early.

MLGreen plays Beacon of Creation.
Creating 3 tokens.
Turn 4: MLGreen.
MLGreen plays Forest.
MLGreen plays Overrun.
Elephant token blocks Viridian Zealot.
Dark Confidant blocks Viridian Zealot.
Dark Confidant blocks Llanowar Elves.
_MetroiD_ plays activated ability from Wooded Foothills.
_MetroiD_ plays activated ability from Sensei’s Divining Top.
_MetroiD_ put a card on top of _MetroiD_’s library.
_MetroiD_ put a card on top of _MetroiD_’s library.
_MetroiD_ put a card on top of _MetroiD_’s library.
Turn 5: _MetroiD_.
_MetroiD_ plays activated ability from Sensei’s Divining Top.
_MetroiD_: eh, gamer
_MetroiD_: game*
_MetroiD_: cya gl
MLGreen: gg
_MetroiD_ has conceded from the game.

Round 2. Gifts Rock.

dol_pl plays Duress targeting MLGreen.
MLGreen discards Beacon of Creation.
Turn 1: MLGreen.
MLGreen plays Forest.
Turn 2: dol_pl.
dol_pl plays Breeding Pool.
dol_pl plays Cabal Therapy targeting MLGreen.
dol_pl chooses Scryb Ranger.
MLGreen discards Scryb Ranger.
MLGreen discards Scryb Ranger.

Not that good a start…

dol_pl chooses Kodama of the North Tree.
MLGreen discards Kodama of the North Tree.
Turn 5: MLGreen.
dol_pl plays Putrefy targeting Iwamori of the Open Fist.
MLGreen plays Iwamori of the Open Fist.
MLGreen plays triggered ability from Iwamori of the Open Fist.
dol_pl plays activated ability from Windswept Heath.
Turn 6: dol_pl.
dol_pl plays Vindicate targeting Iwamori of the Open Fist.

Smashes my Iwamoris. Therapies me again. Deeds me.

Turn 8: dol_pl.
dol_pl plays Cabal Therapy targeting MLGreen.
dol_pl chooses Spectral Force.
MLGreen discards Spectral Force.
Turn 8: MLGreen.
MLGreen plays Forest.
dol_pl plays activated ability from Pernicious Deed. (X is 4).
Turn 9: dol_pl.
dol_pl plays Loxodon Hierarch.

Then it starts to get ugly. Gifts, Gifts, Loxodon, Baloth, Plow, concede.

Game 2 I side in Crypt. I just keep playing huge tramplers and armies. Because, you know,

it’s always the last fatty that kills you.

Turn 4: MLGreen.
MLGreen plays Forest.
MLGreen plays Kodama of the North Tree.
Turn 4: dol_pl.
dol_pl plays Overgrown Tomb.
dol_pl plays Ravenous Baloth.
Turn 5: MLGreen.
MLGreen plays Forest.
MLGreen plays Llanowar Elves.
Turn 5: dol_pl.
dol_pl plays Pernicious Deed.
dol_pl plays activated ability from Pernicious Deed. (X is 1).
Turn 6: MLGreen.
MLGreen plays Forest.
MLGreen plays Beacon of Creation.
Creating 6 tokens.
Turn 6: dol_pl.
dol_pl plays Eternal Witness.
dol_pl plays triggered ability from Eternal Witness targeting Pernicious
Deed.
Pernicious Deed is returned to dol_pl’s hand from the graveyard.
Turn 7: MLGreen.
Ravenous Baloth blocks Kodama of the North Tree.
Eternal Witness blocks Insect token.
dol_pl plays activated ability from Ravenous Baloth.
MLGreen plays Spectral Force.
Turn 7: dol_pl.
dol_pl plays Pernicious Deed.
Turn 8: MLGreen.
MLGreen plays triggered ability from Spectral Force.
dol_pl plays activated ability from Pernicious Deed. (X is 0).
MLGreen plays Iwamori of the Open Fist.
MLGreen plays triggered ability from Iwamori of the Open Fist.
Turn 8: dol_pl.
dol_pl plays Birds of Paradise.
dol_pl plays Putrefy targeting Iwamori of the Open Fist.
Turn 9: MLGreen.
MLGreen plays Forest.
Turn 9: dol_pl.
dol_pl plays Global Ruin.

I lose all but one land. But I have an 8/8 trampler on the board.

Turn 10: MLGreen.
MLGreen plays Boreal Druid.
MLGreen plays triggered ability from Spectral Force.

Game 3 I keep a hand full of sexy goodness. Too bad it only has one land.

dol_pl chooses to play first.
dol_pl keeps this hand.
MLGreen keeps this hand.
dol_pl skips their draw step.
dol_pl plays Windswept Heath.
dol_pl plays activated ability from Windswept Heath.
dol_pl plays Birds of Paradise.
Turn 1: MLGreen.
MLGreen plays Forest.
MLGreen plays Boreal Druid.
Turn 2: dol_pl.
dol_pl plays Polluted Delta.
dol_pl plays activated ability from Polluted Delta.
dol_pl plays Engineered Plague.
dol_pl chooses Elf for Engineered Plague.
Turn 2: MLGreen.
Turn 3: dol_pl.
dol_pl plays Vindicate targeting Forest.
MLGreen has conceded from the game.

1-1.

Round 3. Tenacious Tron (I think)

He counters a bunch of stuff, repeals a bunch of stuff; I keep playing stuff, he Wraths, I

Beacon plus Overrun. Highlights. Some stuff snipped that was boring.

Turn 4: MLGreen.
MLGreen plays Forest.
MLGreen plays Iwamori of the Open Fist.
MLGreen plays triggered ability from Iwamori of the Open Fist.
Turn 4: biscop.
biscop plays Skycloud Expanse.
biscop plays Wrath of God.
Turn 5: MLGreen.
MLGreen plays Viridian Shaman.
biscop plays Remand targeting Viridian Shaman.
Turn 5: biscop.
biscop plays Urza’s Tower.
Turn 6: MLGreen.
MLGreen plays Viridian Shaman.
biscop plays Remand targeting Viridian Shaman.
Turn 6: biscop.
biscop plays Hallowed Fountain.
Turn 7: MLGreen.
MLGreen plays Forest.
MLGreen plays Boreal Druid.
MLGreen plays Viridian Shaman.
biscop plays Remand targeting Viridian Shaman.
Turn 7: biscop.
biscop plays Repeal targeting Boreal Druid. (X is 1).
Boreal Druid is returned to MLGreen’s hand from play.
biscop plays Urza’s Tower.
Turn 8: MLGreen.
MLGreen plays Boreal Druid.
MLGreen plays Viridian Shaman.
MLGreen plays triggered ability from Viridian Shaman targeting Chrome Mox.
Turn 8: biscop.
biscop plays Chalice of the Void. (X is 1).
biscop plays Urza’s Power Plant.
Turn 9: MLGreen.
MLGreen plays Viridian Shaman.
MLGreen plays triggered ability from Viridian Shaman targeting Chalice of the Void.
MLGreen plays Llanowar Elves.
Turn 9: biscop.
biscop plays Wrath of God.
biscop plays Petrified Field.
Turn 10: MLGreen.
MLGreen plays Beacon of Creation.
Creating 4 tokens.
Turn 10: biscop.
biscop plays Chalice of the Void. (X is 2).
Turn 11: MLGreen.
MLGreen plays Forest.
MLGreen plays Overrun.

Game 2 is just assemble Tron, Gifts for Mindslaver. I won’t bore you.

Here’s a tip. The game is timed. If someone Mindslaver locks you, make them kill you.

Never concede. You’re not dead. You get to see their win condition. And, if you can win

one game, that means game 3 they’ll probably run out of time.

Game 3 he’s short of White mana. Not that it matters considering I’m holding a

Kodama North Side, Stomphowler, Viridian Shaman, and Viridian Zealot when he dies.

biscop plays Chalice of the Void. (X is 1)
MLGreen plays Scryb Ranger.
Turn 4: MLGreen.
MLGreen plays Forest.
MLGreen plays Viridian Shaman.
MLGreen plays triggered ability from Viridian Shaman targeting Chalice of the Void.
Turn 4: biscop.
biscop plays Chrome Mox.

MLGreen plays Indrik Stomphowler.

Turn 6: MLGreen.
biscop plays Thirst for Knowledge.
biscop discards Razormane Masticore.
Turn 6: biscop.
biscop plays Thirst for Knowledge.
biscop discards Wrath of God.
biscop discards Remand.
biscop plays Urza’s Tower.
MLGreen plays Scryb Ranger.
Turn 7: MLGreen.
biscop cycles Decree of Justice.
biscop plays triggered ability from Decree of Justice.
Soldier token blocks Viridian Zealot.
biscop: drew like 15 cards and no white source…

2-1.

Round 4.

My opening draw is two lands, 4 Viridian Zealot, and a Viridian Shaman.

My opponent’s first play is a Great Furnace. This is going to be funny.

Some highlights.

MLGreen plays Viridian Shaman.
MLGreen plays triggered ability from Viridian Shaman targeting Cranial Plating.
Turn 3: JaimeD.
JaimeD plays Seat of the Synod.
JaimeD plays Myr Enforcer.
JaimeD plays Myr Enforcer.
Turn 4: MLGreen.
MLGreen plays Forest.
MLGreen plays Viridian Zealot.
MLGreen plays Viridian Zealot.
JaimeD: {y}
MLGreen: nice draw huh?

Turn 5: MLGreen.
MLGreen plays activated ability from Viridian Zealot targeting Cranial Plating.

Viridian Zealot blocks Myr Enforcer.
MLGreen plays activated ability from Viridian Zealot targeting Myr Enforcer.

Turn 6: MLGreen.
MLGreen plays Forest.
MLGreen plays Indrik Stomphowler.
MLGreen plays triggered ability from Indrik Stomphowler targeting Myr Enforcer.

Wheee!

MLGreen plays Beacon of Creation.
Creating 5 tokens.
Turn 8: JaimeD.
JaimeD plays Frogmite.
Turn 9: MLGreen.
Frogmite blocks Viridian Zealot.
Frogmite blocks Viridian Zealot.
MLGreen plays activated ability from Viridian Zealot targeting Ornithopter.
MLGreen plays activated ability from Viridian Zealot targeting Seat of the Synod.
Turn 9: JaimeD.
JaimeD has conceded from the game.

Game 2

Forest, Forest, Scryb Ranger, Viridian Shaman, Iwamori, Overrun, Krosan Grip.

Then I rip some land, and its all goodness.

MLGreen plays Iwamori of the Open Fist.
MLGreen plays triggered ability from Iwamori of the Open Fist.
Turn 5: JaimeD.
JaimeD plays Tree of Tales.
JaimeD plays Frogmite.
Iwamori of the Open Fist blocks Frogmite.

MLGreen plays Krosan Grip targeting Frogmite.
JaimeD plays activated ability from Arcbound Ravager.
JaimeD plays activated ability from Arcbound Ravager.
JaimeD plays activated ability from Arcbound Ravager.
JaimeD plays triggered ability from Arcbound Ravager targeting Blinkmoth Nexus.
Turn 6: MLGreen.
Turn 7: JaimeD.
JaimeD plays activated ability from Blinkmoth Nexus.
MLGreen plays Krosan Grip targeting Blinkmoth Nexus.
Turn 7: MLGreen.
MLGreen plays Beacon of Creation.
Creating 4 tokens.
Turn 8: JaimeD.
JaimeD has conceded from the game.

I’m holding Kodama, Boreal Druid, and Overrun.

Ownage.

3-1.

Round 5.

Playing against old style Blue with Cloudpost. Man, I thought I had seen the last of

Shackles and Threads. Some highlights.

xXx 4ever plays Vesuva.
xXx 4ever plays Chalice of the Void. (X is 2).
Turn 4: MLGreen.
MLGreen plays Forest.
MLGreen plays Viridian Shaman.
MLGreen plays triggered ability from Viridian Shaman targeting Chalice of the Void.

xXx 4ever plays Vedalken Shackles.
Turn 8: MLGreen.
MLGreen plays Forest.
MLGreen plays Spectral Force.
xXx 4ever has conceded from the game.

Game 2 he gets Mindslaver lock on me. Anyone want to see that? Yeah? You’re reading

the wrong column then, you freak! No one should want to see that. What is wrong with

you?

Game 3 is about as tight as you can get. Despite Krosan Grip, Shaman, Zealot, and

Stomphowler, he has enough counters, Shackles, and Threads to keep stealing my men.

MLGreen plays triggered ability from Indrik Stomphowler targeting Threads of

Disloyalty.
Turn 9: xXx 4ever.
xXx 4ever plays Fact or Fiction.
Threads of Disloyalty is put in xXx 4ever’s hand.
Thirst for Knowledge is put in xXx 4ever’s graveyard.
Thirst for Knowledge is put in xXx 4ever’s graveyard.
Island is put in xXx 4ever’s hand.
Flooded Strand is put in xXx 4ever’s hand.
xXx 4ever plays Island.
xXx 4ever plays Vedalken Shackles.
xXx 4ever plays activated ability from Vedalken Shackles targeting Indrik Stomphowler.
xXx 4ever plays Threads of Disloyalty targeting Viridian Zealot.
Turn 10: MLGreen.
xXx 4ever plays Thirst for Knowledge.
xXx 4ever discards Flooded Strand.
xXx 4ever discards Flooded Strand.
Turn 10: xXx 4ever.
xXx 4ever plays Vedalken Shackles.
xXx 4ever plays activated ability from Vedalken Shackles targeting Viridian Shaman.

Yeah, how am I going to recover from that?

xXx 4ever plays Vesuva.
Turn 11: MLGreen.
MLGreen plays Forest.
MLGreen plays Viridian Shaman.
xXx 4ever plays Condescend targeting Viridian Shaman. (X is 8).

Damnit!

xXx 4ever put a card on the bottom of their library.
xXx 4ever put a card on the bottom of their library.
Turn 11: xXx 4ever.
xXx 4ever plays Vesuva.
Llanowar Elves blocks Indrik Stomphowler.
Turn 12: MLGreen.
MLGreen plays Forest.
MLGreen plays activated ability from Scryb Ranger targeting Scryb Ranger.
Turn 12: xXx 4ever.
Scryb Ranger blocks Indrik Stomphowler.
Turn 13: MLGreen.
MLGreen plays Forest.
MLGreen plays Krosan Grip targeting Threads of Disloyalty.

Can’t counter that! I get my Zealot back.

MLGreen plays activated ability from Viridian Zealot targeting Vedalken Shackles.

Get my Stomphowler back one turn before he would have killed me with it.

Turn 13: xXx 4ever.
xXx 4ever has run out of time and has lost the match.

Round 6.

I’m 4-1. My opponent is playing Flow Deck Wins. This should be a bye for me.

I get very little fat in all three games. I do happen to get a Beacon and an Overrun in

game 2, though.

Game 3 I play poorly and lose a game I might have been able to win. Never mind. Watching

the replay I see I couldn’t have won it.

Of course, not drawing Kodama, Spectral Force, Overrun, or Iwamori might have something to

do with it too. I get a perfect draw versus Affinity. Tons of enchantment and artifact hate,

and no fat at all. Too bad I’m not playing against Affinity.

Arg! From 4-1 to out of the Top 8. So much hate!

Round 7: TEPS.

TEPS wins game 1, like they always do.

Game 2 He Duresses me and takes Trinisphere. Good thing I’m holding two. He concedes

shortly after. Might have to find a way to put Chalice in the side too.

Game 3 I keep a very fast hand that has no Grip or Trinisphere.

This turns out to be a mistake.

After a 4-1 start, I finish 4-3.

I talk with Wendy for a couple of hours, and then enter another 8-man and split in the

finals.

jacksad keeps this hand.
MLGreen skips their draw step.
MLGreen plays Forest.
MLGreen plays Boreal Druid.
Turn 1: jacksad.
jacksad plays Darksteel Citadel.
jacksad plays Chromatic Star.
jacksad plays Ornithopter.
Turn 2: MLGreen.
MLGreen plays Scryb Ranger.
Turn 2: jacksad.
jacksad: Christ, its you.

Winning at Magic isn’t enough. You have to get comments like that to really

enjoy it.

Until next week,

Jamie.