Play the Game | Winter Wonderland (01/03/2010) — Top 8

At the last Jupiter Games event I went to I was running a few sideboard [[Xantid Swarm]] — they kicked ass. However, I still missed [[Pyroblast]]. I decided that I wanted to run both, but there wasn’t enough room in the sideboard. This meant if I wanted to play [[Xantid Swarm]] I would have to move them to the main deck. These slots came from an [[Orim’s Chant]] and a [[Duress]] (it looks really ugly on paper, but has been goldfishing well).

This opened up a few sideboard slots for [[Pyroblast]] and a [[Chain of Vapor]], these slots are going to help with the rise of Reanimator.

PLAY THE GAME | WINTER WONDERLAND

Round One — Dredge

Game One:

A first turn [[Putrid Imp]], [[Lotus Petal]], and then [[Careful Study]] (discarding two Dredge creatures to the [[Putrid Imp]]). Wow… what a start. [[City of Brass]] into [[Brainstorm]]. Making my hand: [[Gemstone Mine]], [[Lion’s Eye Diamond]], [[Lion’s Eye Diamond]], [[Lion’s Eye Diamond]], [[Infernal Tutor]], [[Mystical Tutor]], and [[Burning Wish]]. They Dredge into some great cards, cast another [[Careful Study]], and then end up putting [[Iona, Shield of Emeria]] into play (blue). I then play [[Gemstone Mine]], [[Lion’s Eye Diamond]], [[Lion’s Eye Diamond]], [[Lion’s Eye Diamond]], [[Infernal Tutor]], and they concede.

Sideboarding: -2 [[Xantid Swarm]], -1 [[Silence]], -1 [[Orim’s Chant]], +2 [[Pyroblast]], +1 [[Chain of Vapor]], +1 [[Echoing Truth]].

Game Two:

I open [[Dark Ritual]], [[Dark Ritual]], [[Lotus Petal]], [[Underground Sea]], [[Ad Nauseam]], [[Chrome Mox]], and [[Chrome Mox]]. Self explanatory.

Round Two — Natural Order Threshold

Game One:

I [[Duress]] them and they [[Brainstorm]] in response. I see: [[Swords to Plowshares]], [[Swords to Plowshares]], [[Force of Will]], [[Force of Will]], [[Counterbalance]], and a land. It turns out the cards on top of the library are another [[Counterbalance]] and a [[Sensei’s Divining Top]]. My hand was [[Xantid Swarm]], some copies of [[Dark Ritual]], and [[Infernal Tutor]]. I sit there as a [[Rhox War Monk]] crushes me.

Sideboarding: -2 [[Simian Spirit Guide]], -1 [[Ill-Gotten Gains]], +2 [[Pyroblast]], +1 [[Krosan Grip]].

Game Two:

I ask, “do you have [[Force of Will]]?” They don’t. [[Gemstone Mine]], [[Dark Ritual]], [[Dark Ritual]], [[Lion’s Eye Diamond]], [[Infernal Tutor]], and [[Ad Nauseam]].

Game Three:

A first turn [[Noble Hierarch]]. I play [[Chrome Mox]] (Imprint: [[Tendrils of Agony]]), [[Chrome Mox]] (Imprint: [[Ill-Gotten Gains]]), [[Lion’s Eye Diamond]], [[Lion’s Eye Diamond]], [[Infernal Tutor]], and [[Ad Nauseam]]? Resolves.

Round Three — Merfolk

Game One:

I play [[City of Brass]] into [[Xantid Swarm]]. They play [[Mutavault]], into [[AEther Vial]]. I attack, covering them in bees. I pitch [[Simian Spirit Guide]], [[Rite of Flame]], play a land, [[Mystical Tutor]] for [[Ad Nauseam]]. Play [[Lion’s Eye Diamond]], [[Ponder]], sacrifice [[Lion’s Eye Diamond]] for . [[Ad Nauseam]].

Sideboarding: -2 [[Simian Spirit Guide]], +2 [[Pyroblast]].

Game Two:

My hand is: [[Lotus Petal]], [[Dark Ritual]], [[Dark Ritual]], [[Lion’s Eye Diamond]], [[Lion’s Eye Diamond]], [[Infernal Tutor]], and [[Volcanic Island]]. They play [[Island]]. I draw something that doesn’t matter. I’m going all in! [[Lotus Petal]]? Resolves. [[Lion’s Eye Diamond]]? [[Spell Pierce]]. [[Lion’s Eye Diamond]] resolves. [[Dark Ritual]], [[Dark Ritual]], and [[Infernal Tutor]]? Resolves and then they just concede.

Round Four — Reanimator

Game One:

They get a quick [[Iona, Shield of Emeria]] naming black. I try to win via [[Diminishing Returns]], but I flip remove three copies of [[Burning Wish]] off [[Diminishing Returns]].

Sideboarding: -1 [[Ill-Gotten Gains]], -2 [[Simian Spirit Guide]], -1 [[Chrome Mox]], +2 [[Pyroblast]], +1 [[Chain of Vapor]], +1 [[Echoing Truth]].

Game Two:

I get a pretty good hand: [[Duress]], [[Gemstone Mine]], [[Gemstone Mine]], [[Lotus Petal]], [[Lotus Petal]], [[Lion’s Eye Diamond]], and [[Infernal Tutor]]. I [[Duress]] them and on my next turn draw [[Ad Nauseam]], [[Gemstone Mine]], and pass. On the next turn, I draw [[Mystical Tutor]]. They put [[Iona, Shield of Emeria]] into play. I search for [[Chain of Vapor]] using [[Mystical Tutor]] and then bounce it on my turn. I also cast a [[Brainstorm]] putting back [[Ad Nauseam]]. Play a land and then [[Lotus Petal]], [[Lotus Petal]], [[Lion’s Eye Diamond]], [[Lion’s Eye Diamond]], and then [[Infernal Tutor]]. They cast [[Force of Will]]. I untap and cast [[Ad Nauseam]].

Game Three:

A second turn [[Iona, Shield of Emeria]] and I [[Mystical Tutor]] for [[Chain of Vapor]], bounce it. They [[Brainstorm]], fetch, and [[Entomb]]. I decide that now is the best opportunity to win as they only have two cards in hand — they happen to be [[Force of Will]] and [[Ponder]]. [[Iona, Shield of Emeria]] comes back into play on turn four.

Round Five — Landfall Aggro

Game One:

They keep a [[Plains]] open on the first one and pass which is very weird… Then plays a [[Plateau]] on the second turn into [[Steppe Lynx]]. This makes me think that they’re definitely holding something. I cast an [[Infernal Tutor]], they get jumpy and taps the [[Plains]]. Asking, “How much in mana pool?” “Uh… Zero.”, I respond. They then untap [[Plains]]. I eventually get my second copy of [[Burning Wish]]. On their turn, they play a second [[Steppe Lynx]]. I [[Duress]] them on my turn. They have a main deck [[Orim’s Chant]] that hits me in response! I discard a [[Fireblast]] leaving them with a [[Lightning Bolt]] and a [[Lightning Helix]]. They attack and cast the burn spells, which puts me to one life. I play a bunch of [[Rite of Flame]]s and [[Dark Ritual]]s, [[Burning Wish]] for [[Grapeshot]], [[Burning Wish]] for [[Tendrils of Agony]], [[Grapeshot]] for seven, and then [[Tendrils of Agony]] for the rest.

Sideboarding: -2 [[Xantid Swarm]], -2 [[Mystical Tutor]], +2 Deathmark, +1 [[Chain of Vapor]], +1 [[Echoing Truth]]

Game Two:

He plays a turn one [[Sensei’s Divining Top]], I play a turn one [[Ad Nauseam]].

Round Six — Aggro Loam

Game One:

They have a first turn [[Chalice of the Void]] and I kept a land of literally all one casting cost cards besides a [[City of Brass]] and a [[Lotus Petal]]. Sweet.

Sideboarding: -1 [[Silence]], -2 [[Xantid Swarm]], -2 [[Orim’s Chant]], +1 [[Krosan Grip]], +2 Shattering Spree, +1 [[Chain of Vapor]], +1 [[Echoing Truth]].

Game Two:

I play [[Simian Spirit Guide]], [[Rite of Flame]], [[Rite of Flame]], [[Lion’s Eye Diamond]], [[Dark Ritual]], [[City of Brass]], [[Burning Wish]], [[Infernal Tutor]], and [[Ad Nauseam]].

Game Three:

They play, “land, go.” I kept [[Lotus Petal]], [[Lotus Petal]], [[Dark Ritual]], [[Ad Nauseam]], and [[Chrome Mox]] on my Mulligan. I draw [[Infernal Tutor]]! I cast the [[Ad Nauseam]], they then reveal a [[Chalice of the Void]] in hand.

Top Eight — RUG Threshold

Game One:

I keep a hand of: [[Underground Sea]], [[Lion’s Eye Diamond]], [[Lion’s Eye Diamond]], [[Lion’s Eye Diamond]], [[Dark Ritual]], and [[Infernal Tutor]]. My [[Ad Nauseam]] resolves.

Sideboarding: -2 [[Mystical Tutor]], +2 Pyroblast.

Game Two:

I have a turn one [[Duress]] and I see a bunch of [[Spell Snare]] and [[Spell Pierce]]. I play [[Xantid Swarm]] feeling pretty confident. They rip a [[Lightning Bolt]] off of the top of their deck leaving me in a very tough spot. I’m forced to wait for protection spells that never arrive before I die.

Game Three:

It’s a long back and forth game, they eventually pull out the win.

Closing & General Thoughts

List feels great, deck is great, and you should play The EPIC Storm!

Until next time, keep storming!