MAY: Pyromancer Ascension

UR Pyromancer Ascensionly speaking, the fourth month of 2016 was not that fruitful to me. So on the last night of April, I whispered a simple prayer to storm god Keranos that he'll guide me back on the winning column. It took two weeks before I get the chance to shuffle my 75. The second weekend of May 2016 had the following modern games, 14th (Saturday) Regran Open V and 15th (Sunday) GPT at Madcap. I decided to bring the unstorm build for the two mentioned constests. As for the list, I used the same 60 from this page, but with a little change to my 15, here they are:

TJB_UNSTORM
Sideboard
3 Young Pyromancer
3 Wear / Tear
2 Timely Reinforcement
2 Swan Song
2 Pyroclasm
2 Echoing Truth
1 Rest for the Weary



By the way, before anything else here is a portion of my MTG related calendar of activities for the month of June 2016.

June 4 
GPT at NG ATC (Alabang)
GPT at Wabshaq (Casimiro)
GPT at Battlegrounds (Pasig)
GPT at Blaster (Paco)  
GPT at Madcap (San Pedro)
GPT at XHC (Sampaloc)

June 11
Regran Modern Open VI

June 12
GPT at FQ (Mandaluyong)

June 25
GPT at Dragonforge (Katipunan)
PPO Modern Series at MDP (Bicutan)


Regran Modern Open V
Quezon City
14 May 2016

Regran Open V had a total of 30+ players, five rounds and cut up to top eight play-offs.
My match ups were as follows.

1st rd: Naya Burn 0-2

2nd rd: UW control 2-0

3rd rd: Merfolk 2-0

4th rd: Naya Burn 2-1

5th rd: Infect ID    

Q: Infect 2-0
S: UWr control 

Misplays

I admit, I had a lot. Here are some of the instances that I can still recall.

Declaring the correct color off the Manamorphose is very important especially if you're in the process of going off. Failure to do so will definitely have an unwanted outcome. For unstorm decks, it is best to have two blue or, if in the case that you have an active Pyromancer Ascension, one red, two blue and one green. NEVER float two red mana during the early stages especially if you do not have Noxious Revivals yet ready in your hand. And in case you're with the ritual base one, always go with blue and red.

The loop: Manamorphose and Noxious Revival. When you're doing the loop, do not be in a hurtle. Relax and make sure that the top most card will be from the resolved triggered copy off your red enchantment's - then the target of the original Noxious Revival. I was lucky that I had still had an extra blue mana floating and a Serum Visions at hand when I did the mishap.

Also, my math almost ended my fourth round in throes. I was within bolt spell range and opponent was at nine life points. I had an active red enchantment and two red mana available and a bunch of cards in my hand in which two are Lightning Bolts. Yup, I did not see that line of play because I was so focus on how will I get to do the loop. After several minutes, I simply pass the turn. However, luck was still on my side because he failed to draw a bolt spell in his last turn.

After taking down an Infect deck in the quarters, I immediately concede before our semis so that I can go home early. Anyway, the SOI pack prizes were already divided equally to us eight and we're just slugging it out for the bye.

Wait there, here is my July 2016 calendar just in case you're looking for modern tournaments.

July 2
GPT at PC Butler (Sta Rosa)
GPT at Scrappy Coco (Carmona)
GPT at Hobby Pro (BF Homes)
GPT at XHC (Sampaloc)

July 3
GPT at NG ATC (Alabang)
GPT at Got Game (Makati Square)
GPT at Dragonforge (Katipunan)

July 9
2nd WMCQ Modern (Glorietta Makati)
GPT at Madcap (San Pedro)
GPT at Wabshaq (Casimiro)

July 23
PPTQ at NG ATC (Alabang)

July 24 
PPTQ at Blaster (Paco)

July 30 
PPTQ at Wabshaq (Casimiro)

July 31
PPTQ at Kick Engines (Cubao)

GPT Modern at Madcap Gaming

San Pedro, Laguna
15 May 2016

The morning of May 15th, I was feeling so positive. I even arrived in the vicinity three hours ahead of time. But that positive feeling was abruptly interrupted because of one problem, I left my deck at home. Good thing that Dean Joseph de Ramos brought extra decks. Luckily, one of it is their team's storm deck. I did a little tweak and shuffle before enlisting my final 75. Here were my match ups:

BW Tokens 2-0
Affinity 2-0
Living End 0-2
Naya 1-Drop Zoo 2-1    
Jund 2-0

The deck went well except for two rounds, Living End and Naya 1-Drop Zoo. Against the Living End, Avalanche Rider and Fulminator Mage did a good one two punch job in denying me of red mana. Against the Naya 1-Drop Zoo, his Guide Guide made me reveal three consecutive copies of Emtpy the Warrens, which initially I thought was a bad thing but eventually, not just it help me bought time from the assault of his one drop casting cost troupe, also helped my red enchantment reached the second counter needed. I finished the game with the combination of an online Pyromancer Ascesion, Lightning Bolts, red rituals and Past in Flames. After running over my last assignment, I ended second in this contest.

Misplays

First, I kept several bad seven. Second, sending key cards to the bottom of my library only to realize that I'll be needing it a turn or two after. Third, fetching basic islands versus Living End. And lastly, forgetting my deck.

For August 2016,  here.

August 6
PPTQ at NG Glorietta (Makati)
GPT at Madcap (San Pedro)
GPT at Wabshaq (Casimiro)  

August 7
GPT at FQ (Mandaluyong)
PPTQ at Madcap (San Pedro)

August 13
GPT at PC Butler (Sta Rosa)
GPT at Dragonforge (Katipunan)

August 20
PPTQ at Dragonforge (Katipunan)

August 27
PPTQ at BCI Jupiter Makati (R4)

Magical Dream Portal (MDP)
Donya Soledad, Bicutan, Parañaque
28 May 2016

After a lot of failed attempts of getting to MDP, I finally set foot in it on May 21st. I did some play test with two persons, Mono Green Stompy and Sliver deck. Against the Mono Green Stompy, all with our sixty; I lost four of five games because: (i) that 2/1 green white militant is all over the table; and (ii) Scavenging Ooze was eating the correct cards from my yard. Against the Sliver deck we had it four games in which I won three. The sliver team though gave a tough fight by exploiting the weakness of this deck.

May 25th, I checked my calendar for any modern games for the coming weekend and saw the following: Saturday (28th) MDP and Sunday (29th) Raxx. Great venues for me to test the unstorm version. I still planned to use the same sixty for these two constests. And as for the 15, here.

May 28th, I came back to MDP's to be part of their first modern tournament. My match ups were as follows:

UW Tron 2-0
RG Tron 2-0
Naya Burn 1-2
Jund 2-0

The deck went well throughout the day except against the Naya Burn. It was game three and I kept a seven with two shock lands and brought them down untapped paying two life points for two consecutive turns. YEAH, balls to the wall. I die a few turns after that. Unfortunately I was not able to go to Raxx on the following day because of some unforeseen event.

Let me end this post with the last batch of activities from my calendar.


September 3 
PPTQ at PC Butler (Sta Rosa)

September 4 
PPTQ at NG Centris (Quezon Ave)

September 10
PPTQ at Scrappy Coco (Carmona)

September 17   
3rd WMCQ Modern (Quezon City)  

October 1
PPTQ at  Hobby Pro (BF Homes)

Did I forget something (dates and/ or venues)? If there are, let me know. By the way, about the RPTQ that those PPTQ feeds, I have no idea as of this moment.

Thank you and good luck on your WMCQ campaigns!


-Paeng Paeng