FEBRUARY: Counting 1 to 20 with Red & Blue (Modern)

After a successful stint at Regran Open (Modern) last 31st January 2016, I elected Boros Burn as my weapon of choice for February. Unfortunately just two weeks in to the love month, the outputs were not as I expected them to be. So to stop the losing streak, I sleeved my pet deck once again for duty. Here they are.

UR Storm 
Paeng_4983
17 February 2016

Lands (17)

4 Scalding Tarn
4 Misty Rainforest
1 Flooded Strand
2 Steam Vents
2 Shivan Reef
3 Island
1 Mountain

Spells (43)
3 Goblin Electromancer
1 Gifts the Ungiven
3 Past in Flames
2 Grapeshot
4 Pyromancer Ascension
4 Gitaxian Probe
4 Thought Scour
4 Serum Visions
4 Sleight of Hand
2 Faithless Looting
4 Pyretic Ritual
4 Desperate Ritual
4 Manamorphose

Sideboard (15)
3 Empty the Warrens
4 Lightning Bolt
3 Shatteringstorm
3 Blood Moon
2 Echoing Truth


HobbyPro Central
BF Homes, Parañaque
18 February 2016

RD 1 TRON
An online Pyromancer Ascension + Past in Flames + multiple cantrips and rituals + Grapeshot = win.

out: 1 Past in Flames, 2 Faithless Looting, 1 Thought Scour
in: 3 Blood Moon, 1 Empty the Warrens

1-0   (2-0)

RD 2 RG Eldrazi
Game one, my opening seven was: 4 cantrips, a fetch land, Goblin Electromancer and Past in Flames. Will you keep that seven? I did. Sadly, my second land did not come. Mimic and Matter plus Thought-Knot finished me off.


out: 2 Faithless Looting, 1 Thought Scour, 1 Gitaxian Probe
in: 3 Blood Moon, 1 Empty the Warrens

For games two and three, a resolved Blood Moon will give you an ample time in setting up your win condition. Just make sure that you will have an island (basic land) when you bring down your moon enchantment.

2-0   (4-1)

RD 3 BW Eldrazi
For me, the heart and soul of this group of is Eldrazi Mimic. Turn one: land drop Eye of Ugin followed by one or two or three Eldrazi Mimic. A turn later, those mimics will copy whatever his second drop, whether it be a Matter Reshaper, a 4/4 Endless One, Thought-Knot Seer or worst, Reality Smasher. And from there, he is just a turn away from enlisting that game unto his name.

If you are really interested in knowing more on how to beat those aliens, here by Paulo Vitor Damo da Rosa. Another approach on how to beat them is by putting your feet into their shoes. This was well illustrated in Andrea Mengucci's article. With the help of his work, we can now anticipate the sideboard cards they'll  be using. And from that, adjust your game plan accordingly.

An online Pyromancer Ascension + Past in Flames + multiple cantrips and rituals + Grapeshot = win. 

out: 2 Faithless Looting, 1 Gitaxian Probe, 1 Thought Scour,
in: 3 Blood Moon, 1 Empty the Warrens

3-0   (6-2)

RD 4 Affinity
Luck was on my side during our third game. I top decked the card I needed which made the Pyromancer Ascension online. Rituals and cantrips + Manamorphose + Past in Flames into recycle + Grapeshot = win. 

out: 2 Faithless Looting, 1 Past in Flames, 1 Thought Scour
in: 3 Shatterstorm, 1 Echoing Truth

4-0   (8-3)


GPT Melbourne at Scrappy Coco
Carmona, Cavite
20 February 2016

RD 1 GW aggro
I put him on GW Hatebears because that's what I am used to seeing him. I was wrong. The stuff I saw from my first turn GItaxian Probe: Loxodon Elephant, Thrun the Last Troll, Kitchen Finks and Segarda Angel. This build of GW does not carry that much hate as compared to its hatebear sibling. I won this round with a 2-0 margin. 

out: 1 Thought Scour, 1 Gitaxian Probe
in: 2 Echoing Truth

1-0   (2-0)

RD 2 Affinity
I won the round by 2-0. An online Pyromancer Ascension by third turn is much faster than an army of robots consisting of: Ornithopter, Memnite and two Signal Pest. 

out: 2 Faithless Lootting, 1 Past in Flames, 1 Thought Scour
in: 1 Echoing Truth, 3 Shatterstorm

2-0   (4-0)

RD 3 Merfolk
Whether it be game one, two or three; always be aware that this deck has counter-tax spells. So make sure to double check each of your line of play and the amount of mana you are paying. Also, Spreading Seas can  screw your lone red source. So to avoid such, always fetch for Steam Vents. 

out: 1 Thought Scour and 1 Faithless Looting
in: 2 Echoing Truth

3-0   (6-0)

RD 4 and 5 (Naya Burn and Ad Naus) 
I am glad that  both of them agreed to have an ID. 

3-0-2   (6-0-2)

Quarters: Jund
He just gave me the win. 

4-0-2   (8-0-2)

Semis: BW Tokens
It felt like a paradox, somehow. Game three, he successfully shredded my hand with Duress, Inquisition of Kozilek and Thoughtseizes. Turn after turns, his four 1/1 spirits were putting on the pressure to a point where he was just a swing away from netting the victory. In my last turn of hope, on my table I had: a goblin, and five lands while in my graveyard, a few rituals, Manamorphose and cantrips. I drew Manamorphose vouchsafed into Gifts Ungiven and presented him this package: Desperate Ritual, Pyretic Ritual, Manamorphose and Past in Flames. From that point on, UR storm never look back.

out: 1 Faithless Looting, 1 Gitaxian Probe, 1 Thought Scour

in: 1 Blood Moon, 2 Echoing Truth

5-0-2   (10-1-2)

Finals: Ad Naus Storm
He was still in need of planeswalker points for him to qualify for this year's WMCQ. So I Concede. 


Neutral Grounds
Glorietta, Makati City
26 February 2016

RD 1 
This is an example of a walk in the park win, opponent was no show. Sweet!

1-0   (2-0)

RD 2 Merfolk
In both wins I started counting to twenty with a Gitaxian Probe. No Cursecatcher on the table and saw no counters at hand, I won in a few minutes. Again, always fetch for Steam Vents during your early turns because their Spreading Seas can really thwart your plan as early as turn two or three.

out: 1 Thought Scour and 1 Faithless Looting
in: 2 Echoing Truth

2-0   (4-0)

RD 3 Naya Burn
I tried to go off in my last turn but despite numerous dig attempts, Grapeshot was no where to be found. He won in two swings from his: Monastery Swiftspears + burn spells + prowess triggers.

out: 4 Gitaxian Probe, 1 Faithless Looting, 1 Thought Scour 
in: 4 Lightning Bolt, 2 Empty the Warrens

2-1   (4-2)

RD 4 Affinity
Won both games through an online Pyromancer Ascension + Grapeshot. 

out: 2 Faithless Looting, 1 Past in Flames, 1 Thought Scour
in: 3 Shatterstorm, 1 Echoing Truth

3-1   (6-2)


Regran Open
Regran, Quezon City
28 February 2016

RD 1 Merfolk
In both wins, an online Pyromancer Ascension gets me there.

out: 1 Thought Scour and 1 Faithless Looting
in: 2 Echoing Truth

1-0   (2-0)

RD 2 UW Eldrazi
Game two, his Reality Smashers comminuted me into dust. Game three, I casted Gitaxian Probe in my turn two and saw Thought-Knot Seer and friends ready to go down by turn three and four. Gitaxian Probe hands out a Blood Moon. Brought it down a turn after, beckoned a mob of goblins a turn after that. Two swings it gets there.

out: 1 Pyromancer Ascension, 1 Thought Scour, 1 Gitaxian Probe, 1 Faithless Looting, 1 Past in Flames
in: 2 Blood Moon, 2 Echoing Truth, 1 Empty the Warrens 

2-0   (4-1)

RD 3 Infect
Game one turn three, I got ten poison counter. Game two, Blood Moon was able to neutralize his color resources. Game three, he top decked a land into two Groundswell. x_x

out: 2 Faithless Looting, 1 Thought Scour, 1 Past in Flames, 1 Pyromancer Ascension, 1 Gitaxian Probe
in: 4 Lightning Bolt, 2 Blood Moon

2-1   (5-3)

RD 4 Tron
Game three, he was able to drew all of his hates. Two Surgical Extraction removing Serum Visions and Manamorphoses; Slaughter Games on Grapeshots and Relic of Progenitus. I still have an out though but rarely execute such. Unfortunately I was not able to complete that maneuver because our time has expired. Draw.

Magic is so hard to play  especially if you are paired with a player who knows you well. ^_^ 

out: 1 Faithless Looting, 1 Thought Scour, 1 Gitaxian Probe
in: 3 Blood Moon

2-1-1   (6-4-1)

RD 5: Lantern Control
In our last game, his Surgical Extraction exiled all copies of Past in Flames and Grapeshots. Good thing I still have another route to take: an online Pyromancer Ascension + Gifts Ungiven. I gave him cantrips in both of my Gifts Ungiven sets. I used those cantrips to find Empty the Warrens then cast it for 20 goblins. And a turn later, did a few digging again and was able to find Shatterstorm. Cast it, destroy all artifacts then swing for the win. 

out: 2 Faithless Looting, 2 Thought Scour, 1 Past in Flames, 1 Pyromancer Ascension, 1 Gitaxian Probe
in: 2 Empty the Warrens, 3 Shatterstorm, 2 Echoing Truth 

3-1-1   (8-4-1)

RD 6 Merfolk
Game two, he had a Chalice of the Void set at one. I just bounced the nuisance at the end of his turn and killed him in my turn. 

out: 1 Thought Scour and 1 Faithless Looting
in: 2 Echoing Truth

4-1-1   (10-4-1)

RD 7 GW hatebears
And since he is in a better position to go the magic eight, and my migraine is starting to kick-in, I gave him the win. 


There you have it folks. Another very good showing for PyroAscension Storm with a total win-loss-draw mark of 16-4-3 or (36-12-3) for February 2016. If you have any queries, just give me a private message over at facebook. Search my name: Paeng Paeng. 

And one more thing, I'll be hosting my Last Paeng Cup this March 19th at Madcap, San Pedro, Laguna. A set of Snapcaster Mage awaits the champion! I hope to see you all there!

Thank you very much and I wish each and everyone of you a very prosperous and a happy March 2016! 

-Paeng Paeng
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