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