Planeswalkers, Happy New Year!

December 26th, I checked my calendar for eternal schedule left before 2016 hits.

Friday Quest at Mandaluyong City is hosting on the 27th. 
R4 Hobby Shop at Zapote Road on the 28th. 
Hobby Pro at Aguirre Avenue BF Homes on the 29th. 
Neutal Grounds Examiner, Quezon City on the 30th.
And Madcap Pacita on even date with NGx. 
Seems pretty hectic. Let me see if I can play at least 3.

The night of 26th, I ruminated for a moment between modern Storm and UWr Tempo. My musing was precipitously balked when I realized that it was physically impossible for me to get my hands on them for they’re both 25 kms away from where I am at. Good thing that my rarely, heavy-played and silver-black tweaked but reliable Mono Red Goblins modern deck is always in my vehicle. A couple of hours before leaving for FQ’s, I quickly scan the deck and did minor changes. Took away all Foundry Street Denizens and a Goblin Grenade; replaced it with 1 Banners Raised, 1 Hordeling Outburst, 1 Krenko, Mob Boss and a couple of Goblin Chieftain. I also did changes in the sideboards. So for the remaining modern tournaments of 2015, here’s my updated 75.

Mono Red Goblins

by Tiyo Paeng

 

17 Mountain

4 Dragon Fodder

4 Krenko’s Command

4 Kuldotha’s Rebirth

4 Hordeling Outburst

2 Goblin Grenade

2 Banners Raised

4 Mogg War Marshal

4 Goblin Bushswhacker

4 Goblin Wardriver

4 Memnite

4 Ornithopter

2 Goblin Chieftain

1 Krenko, Mob Boss

Sideboard

3 Shock

3 Smash to Smithereens

3 Combust

3 Magmatic Chasm

3 Vulshok Refugee

27th December

Friday Quest, Mandaluyong City

There were only twelve players and four rounds of swiss. Of the 11 players, only 3 that I am familiar with, the rest was not.

RD 1

Before this event, I used to see with him in pauper tournaments. And if I will take that note to gauge what he’s on right now, I’d put him on something aggro. My hunch is correct: mountain into a Goblin Guide was his first action. I won this round thanks to Magmatic Chasm.

1-0   (2-1)

RD 2

I did mention that I only knew 3 out of 11 players, right? Well, I faced one of them. And I know he’s on Skred Red. His deck packs a ton of mass removals. Not a very good match up for my boys. I lost miserably by zero two.

1-1   (2-3)

RD 3

I faced the second person I know from the battlefield. I did not get the chance to see how his deck works in both games because my mob of goblins depleted his life points in no time.

2-1  (4-3)

RD 4

I got paired to a player new to me. I really like that feeling of playing against an unfamiliar player. That feeling that you’ll never know what’s coming at you. Anyway going back, I won game one and saw a little action from him. So heading to game two, I put him on heavy UW control. My inkling was correct because his mass removals and timely reinforcements did a great job in forcing a rubber match. I relied on my great assets during our do-or-die game, quantity and speed. I won the game even before his Supreme Verdicts came.

3-1  (6-4)

At the end of the day, I edged out Mr. Lantern Control deck by 10.5 points, good enough to land me on second.

28th December

I was happy for I know I get to play my mob goblins at the end of my day until work related errand had me cause me to make a split second revamp on my schedule. A little sad, but I still have my chances on the 29th and 30th tournaments.

29th December

All throughout the day, I was so confident of my time management. I made sure that I'll be done from my work by 5pm and be in Hobby Pro at least 30 minutes before 7pm. But wife had another plans for me, daddy duties! By the time I was done with them, it was like around 6:48pm. Too late. Definitely I wont make it on time.

30th December

Second to the last day of 2015, and most of the hard working men and women of the Strong Republic are enjoying their holiday off. After my morning rituals, I took a short moment to implement changes in my sideboard. Less one Shock and one Magmatic Chasm for two Sulfur Elemental. Since NGx is far from where I live, I elected to go to Madcap.

Madcap's modern is set at 5pm. I arrived at Madcap 8pm. Again, pretty late because we had our last minute grocery for the new year's eve celebration. Felix Capule greeted me with a high five and informed me that the scheduled game didn't push through due to lack of players

I guess that's it for my modern 2015. Although I didn't do well in my Grand Prix Singapore, WMCQ modern and modern PPTQs, at least I get to end the year on a good note. Just in case there's a modern on the last day of 2015, my chances of playing on it is next to zero. 

2016 is very promising for modern players. Aside from the GPTs from our local gaming stores, we have Grands Prix modern Melbourne, Australia on March and Guanzhou, China on August. WMCQ modern on 9 July 2016. And PPTQs modern from July to October 2016. The RPTQ that it feeds ia set on the first week of December 2016.

Alright folks! I hope you will have a prosperous 2016! Happy New Year and see you in the legacy and modern tournaments to come!

-Paeng 

The Epic Storm at KE's Year End Tournament

The Epic Storm at Kick Engines’ 2015 Year End Legacy

20 December 2015

Cubao Expo, Quezon City 

Wizards calendared another Grand Prix Asia legacy for 2016, and I think I’ll need to start my grind for it. Good thing Kick Engines hosted this year’s legacy year end tournament yesterday. It was a perfect spring board for my preparation for GP Chiba. 25 brave souls equals to five rounds plus a top eight cut for the play-offs.

Before anything else, I used our captain's list in toto. 

RD 1 UG Infect

I think both of us know what we’re on. The element of surprise is not in my side.

G1: All I did in my early turns were: Brainstorm, Fetch and Ponder, setting up Past in the Flames route. I was a turn away from winning but enhancers were summoned at his Inkmoth Nexus thus giving it the reach needed. x_x 

G2: He had a turn one Glistener Elf. I probed him and saw no counters and there were not enough pump spells to kill me in his attack. I win a turn after via Ad Nauseam into Burning Wish into Tendrils of Agony.

G3: I bait a Brainstorm to check for Daze or Spell Pierce. I was not wrong. He countered my Ice Aged print cantrip card with his Spell Pierce. On my turn, I peeked at him and saw no obstacle. I won this game via Infernal Tutor to Ad Nauseam to Burning Wish to Tendrils of Agony chain of spells.

1-0   (2-1)

RD 2 LED Dredge

Facing a teammate in this early stage is one of the last things I could wish for.

G1:  He won the roll and opened our game with a Gemstone Mine into a Careful Study, binning Golgari Grave Troll and a Golgari Thug. My opening seven was: Chrome Mox, Duress, Brainstorm, Rite of Flames, Lotus Petal and a couple of lands.  I drew for the turn (Lion’s Eye Diamond), cast Brainstorm and gave these: Infernal Tutor, Dark Ritual and a Cabal Therapy. Turn one Ad Nauseam into Burning Wish into Tendrils of Agony.

G2: His multiple Cabal Therapies successfully shredded my hand. I never recovered from such onslaught. I died to his battalion of decaying zombies.

G3: At one point, he was confronted of what to cast first: Cabal Therapy or Faithless Looting. He opts for the latter. This gave me the window I needed in unleashing my rituals into Infernal Tutor into Ad Nauseam and win from there.

2-0   (4-2)

 

RD 3 MUD

G1: He won the roll but mulled to four. I won via turn one Ad Nauseam.

G2: Chalice of the Void for zero and one totally shuts me down. I watched him do his thing for ten minutes before bowing down to his 5/4 golem.

G3: No turn one or two came. I lose to his Spheres of Resistance and a 5/4 Golem.

2-1   (5-4)

RD 4 Burn

We were seated right next to each other during the prior round so we’re aware what’s ahead.

G1: His first turn: mountain into Goblin Guide. Here was mine: Ad Nauseam.

G2: I had a second turn ten goblins but was not enough to cross the bridge. Blood Moon, Goblin Guide and Eidolons of the Great Revel were his troops that stopped my goblins and forced us in a must win situation.

G3: All he needed was a second turn for him to summon his Eidolon of the Great Revel. Unfortunately that second turn did not happened for my Ad Nauseam finished the game in an instant. Third win of the night.

3-1   (7-5)

RD 5 Mono Red Sneak Attack

In a field wherein there are only 25 souls, 3-1-1 is enough to land me in the top 8. ID.

3-1-1   (7-5-1)

After the swiss, I landed fifth and is about to face Junk in the Quarters.

Q: Junk

G1: I had a turn two Empty the Warrens for 12 tokens. He topped deck a Zealous Persecution. Seriously?!  I never recovered after that break. I died to his Dark Confidant and pinging Deathrite Shaman.

G2: All he did was shuffled and drew his opening seven. After seeing my first turn mob of goblins, he immediately asked me to go to game three.

G3: I probed and saw these hates:  Thalia, Guardian of Thraben, Gaddock Teeg and Nihil Spellbomb. I therapied his Thalia away. Unhappily, Chain of Vapor or Abrupt Decay did not reach me on time. I lose to his Teeg and friends.

I am happy with the outcome and a little disappointed at the same time. Happy because even though it was just a small five rounder tournament, it was enough for me to play and test my TES skills again. Disappointed, not because I lost in the quarters, but because of the misplays I had all night long.

Thank you Kick Engines for hosting the event. I hope you guys (and Neutral Grounds Examiner!) will not get tired of supporting legacy. See you legacy players in the tournaments to come! By the way for those who are interested, there will be a legacy tournament somewhere in the south either on the third or fourth week of January 2016. Let's just wait for their official announcement. And lastly, to those who are dead serious in coming to Japan for 2016 GP legacy, grinding starts on January 2016.

-Paeng

Adieu 2015!

Adieu 2015! Hello 2016!

How was your 2015? I am certain that each of us had our own unforgettable ups and downs. I hope you are not totally disdaining those experiences however sour or sweet they are.

Speaking of remembering the departing year, every planeswalker in Manila was exited for 2015. Some even had to cut short of their 2014 christmas break not because of the fast approaching regular days of the new year but to make more time preparing for Grand Prix Manila. Those happy hangover memories of the said event were soon replaced by mixed emotions because of wizards' announcement. Their dismay did not last long for the reason that Collected Company reinforced the momentarily defunct Birthing Pod team. UR Treasure Cruise delver decks shifted from its original shell to a grixis one. While some of the Dig Through Time decks revert to being the usual UW/ UWr control or twin.

Wizards' 19 January and 28 September 2015 announcements also changed legacy's landscape dramatically. Omnitell decks became extinct instantly while those UR delver burn base decks progressed into grixis tempo build. Worldgorger Dragon and Black Vise cards were released from the oblivion but still unable to make their presence felt yet. 

Before, especially for pure eternal format players, booking a ticket in order for him to be a member of the national team was next to impossible. Thanks to this official statement, the aforesaid type of players will now an equal chance to be part of the national team. The same is true when we talk about participating in a Pro Tour tournament. Aside from making it to the top eight or four of a Grand Prix, although considered a long shot, Preliminary Pro Tour Qualifier (PPTQs) and Regional Pro Tour Qualifier (RPTQs) are very good venues for eternal players to thrive and prove that they are worthy of a slot at the prestigious event.

Here's a pithy recap of my 2015.

• 5 wins 4 four losses in the main event Grand Prix Manila with rareless mono red deck.
• Scrub-out in my Grand Prix  Singapore, WMCQ modern, modern PPTQs and Gold Rush stints. 
• Won a handful of Grand Prix legacy side events all with The Epic Storm. Three from GP Kyoto and one from GP Manila.
• Five Peso Stumpy saw actions in Japan and Singapore. Each opponent's reaction  was priceless. 
• Making it to day two and finishing 102nd in GP Kyoto with The Epic Storm.

Here are some of the stuff that I know so far that will take place in 2016.

• There will be a No Banned List Modern Tournament at Kick Engines, Cubao Expo, Cubao, Quezon City on 3 January 2016.
• There will be a Modern Team Event at Neutralgrounds Examiner, Quezon City as well. But the host shop have not posted its details. 
• Just in case anyone reading is planning his trip to any of the 2016 Grands Prix that are near Manila: Nagoya, Japan (29-31 January, Limited), Melbourne, Australia (4-6 March, Modern), Beijing, China (15-17 April, Limited), Tokyo, Japan (6-8 May, Standard), Taipei, Taiwan (24-26 June, Standard), Guangzhou, China (26-28 August, Modern), Kyoto, Japan (9-11 September, Team Limited), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (21-23 October, Standard), Chiba, Japan (25-27 November, Legacy).**
• PPTQ modern season: 16 July to 9 October 2016. RPTQ modern season: 3 and 10 December 2016.
• Modern WMCQ is set on 9 July 2016. 

There you have it folks! Please, feel free to share your ups and downs from 2015 experiences. And in case you know some legacy modern 2016 tournaments, kindly share them on the Facebook comments too. 

Thank you very much guys!

I wish you all a happy and safe Christmas and New Year celebrations!

-Paeng

** - MVEX Travel and Tours offers one of the cheapest plane tickets for your GP travels. 

          Kindly give me a private message for inquiries. Thank you.

That good old feeling

In 1997, Señor Stompy made it all the way to the top four of that year’s world championships. In the following year, mono green team booked another ticket back to the top four in a major US tournament. It was during the same period when the greatest trading card game was introduced to me. I liked it immediately not just because how easy it was to learn but on how Hurricane, Giant Growth and Berserk end things. Every win then, even if it was just playing against my fellow high school buddies along the school corridor, I felt like a rampaging Rogue Elephant. While every loss, a weakling  Bear Cub. 

Fast-forward. 2007, legacy was in progress of overtaking vintage.  In the same year, César Fernández topped a Legacy Open PT in Valencia, Spain with his, then updated, version of mono green stompy. I checked his winning list and it was just a few cards away from what I had: a couple more Berserk, a set of Might of Old Krosa and the Kavu Predator - Invigorate package. This inspired and caused me to dig out my stompy from my place of oblivion. After its completion, I named it five peso stumpy and started to participate in legacy play test session and sanctioned tournaments. 2008 to 2010, five peso stumpy took me to numerous top eights. I never regret investing on it because of the dividends it gave (dual lands, legacy staples and some even as monetary prizes).

The arrival of vital cards from Zendikar to Innistrad blocks that helped reshaped the course of legacy, was also the same time where my five peso stumpy started to slip its grip in the competitive scene. Such occurrence forced me to shelve the green team in favor of Bryant Cook’s creation, The Epic Storm. Even though she is playing the reserved role now, I make sure that she is always with me in all of my travel abroad and partake in tournaments whether it be a Friday or Sunday Grand Prix legacy side event, small legacy tournament or even just doing play test with one of their local players. 

Here are some of my memorable games with my beloved deck.

- All second turn wins. Two Forest by second turn + first turn creature + attack + opponent just takes it like a man because it will only bite for one or two damages  + two Invigorates + two Berserks equals win.

- That priceless look on my opponent’s face whenever I cast a Jungle Lion or Scryb Sprites. He’s like, WTF is this?

- Spreading Seas  + a school of fish headed by Lord of Atlantis, islandwalk? What islandwalk? -Fog.

- Mental Misstep splash five peso stumpy deck.

- The crowd roared when the king of the jungle bailed me out from a win-and-in situation.

- Force of Will denying Scryb Sprites in some of my turn ones. 

- That moment when Berserk became my removal without doubling his damage at me.

- Kavu Predator and Batterskull became best friends.

- And lastly, Skarrgan Pit-Skulk single-handedly wins the game against their lone big man on the table (Progenitus, Griselbrand and Emrakul,Aeon of Torn). 

Nowadays whenever I am with my beloved deck in a tournament, winning the entire event is not my primary goal for I know that it is next to impossible because of their superior power level. But to remember, and experience, that good old feeling again where every win feels like a rampaging Rouge Elephant. While every loss is like a weakling Bear Cub.

-Rafael Lagasca

Paeng4983 in various legacy forums

FB: Paeng Paeng

6214089146

*SFM, why are you on my cover?