I have not won a modern PPTQ. So for this year's, regardless of where it feeds, I hope to book one.
My first attempt on winning that elusive invite was on 15 July 2017 at Ongkeco's. I brought a Naya Revolt Zoo to the said event. I was a little excited not just because of the deck's capability of dealing 12 to 15 (in some instances can do up to 18) damages in one swing; but also I'll be calling out creatures to the battlefield instead of my usual thing of slinging spells after spells in one turn. We had it five rounds and cut to top eight. Unfortunately I landed 10th with a 3-2 win-loss mark.
My second try was on July 22 at The Habbit. We also had it five rounds of swiss elimination and a cut to the top four. This time, I brought my UR Storm deck. I opted to use the same seventy-five that I had from GP Kobe.
Slivers
Meeting a new face at the opposite side of the table really excites me because I will have no idea what he is on. Game one, I simply slow roll on sculpting my hand into perfection before going off. Same thing happened during game two.
GW Hatebears
Game one, I wiped everything he had on the battlefield with Grapeshot before going for the win the turn after. Game two, a second turn 12 goblin tokens off Empty the Warrens won me the game.
Grixis Death Shadow
Grixis Death Shadow
Although I did win game two due to a second turn Blood Moon, I still lost this round because he kept a very good hand (discard and counter spells) versus storm.
GW Counters
In my last turn. I was thinking if whether or not I should kill the druid (with a Lightning Bolt) or perform two cantrips - pass the turn - and pray hard to storm god keranos that opponent will not go off in his turn. I confidently proceeded with the latter. I paid dearly with my dream of landing at the top four seat.
Grixis Death Shadow
I won both games because of an online Pyromancer Ascension. After the swiss, I landed sixth.
Days before Magical Dream Portal Cafe's PPTQ, Wizard of the Coast made an announcement as to where the modern RPTQs will be. PHILIPPINES: 11/18 - 11/19 REGRAN QUEZON CITY. Perfect! I just need to win an invite. 30 July 2017, I brought the same seventy-five again to MDP's PPTQ. We had it five rounds of swiss and a cut to top four.
Boros Goat
I have no idea what he was on. All I saw was goat producing tokens cards. I won two games via an online Pyromancer Ascension.
Jund
I won both games. Game one, despite his numerous discard spells thrown at me, I was still able to power my team to victory thanks to an online Pyrmancer Ascension. Game two, a turn three Blood Moon totally shuts him down. I slow roll sculpting my hand into perfection before going for the win.
Abzan
I wiped his board first with Grapeshot before shooting for the win via Baral - ritual - ritual - manamorphs - cantrip -PiF - repeat until storm count reached lethal. Game two, Blood Moon sealed the game into my favor.
With only two more rounds left in a five rounder tournament, having a 3-0-2 record will secure me a seat for the top four play offs.
Semis: Merfolk
He's on the play for being the higher seed. He had a turn two Silvergill Adept. My hand during turn two: PIF, 2 rituals, Manamorphose, Baral and lands. I see a potential second turn play but opted not to go for it yet. He untapped, draw for the turn, dropped his third Island into another Silvergill Adept before shipping the turn back with an untapped Island left. I know him since our legacy days. I vividly recall on how good he was in handling counter magic base decks then. Keeping in mind those experiences, I watched him attentively for any sign that would tell me that he's holding a counter spell (Pierce, Snare and the like) or at least a creature removal (at this point I was only thinking of Dismember) before untapping my Blue Red shocklands for my third turn.
I drew for the turn: Desperate Ritual. I looked at him again trying to fish-out any last minute body language that would tell me he has the stuff I am thinking. I came to a conclusion that he has one. I am just not sure which of the two it is. Instead of starting my combo with the Baral-ritual way, which I am certain that he will kill my Baral with whatever one to cast removal spell by just responding to my first ritual spell; or will stop me by just responding with a counter spell trying to nullify that kick-off ritual, I lay on the table the first spell - Pyretic Ritual - then asked him if it will resolve. If this one resolves, I could safely conclude that only a creature removal spell is in his hand. He immediately gave me the go signal for my ritual. I dropped Baral as my second spell. He simply gave me another go signal while giving my blue chief a predatory stare.
Now I have 2R floating and a Baral while my hand has: PiF, 2 rituals, 1 Manamorphos. At this point I am certain that he only had a creature removal so I call out Manamorphose first before any of the remaining rituals. In this situation, I think this is the best spell sequence in order for me to have the would be maximum number of floating mana I will need. "In respond, Vapor Snag" then point his instant blue spell to Baral, Chief of Compliance. With one red floating I responded with Desperate Ritual into another Desperate ritual (5R). I let his Vapor Snag bounced my Chief. Manamorphose produced two blue mana floating (5R 2U) and bestowed me Thought Scour in which I used (5R 1U) milling two cards (one of them was Gifts Ungiven) off my library. I called out my blue Chief of Compliance again (4R) into casting Past in Flames from hand (1R). I recycled every instant and sorcery from the graveyard until I presented to him a pile that has Grapeshot. He did a little math and started to pick up his cards for game two.
He won game two with a school of merfolks, two of which are Cursecatchers. He also maintained a minimum of three cards at hand throughout game two which tells me that he reinforced his 60 with counter spell cards. I won game three because Defense Grid kept his counter magic spells at bay.
Finals: Jund
Game one, he was able to discard my key cards. He even had a very good board presence: Dark Confidant, Scavenging Ooze, Tarmogoyf and a Liliana of the Veil. He did pinned me down to one life point in his last combat phase. Before drawing for my last turn, I only had the following on my table: 6 blue and red lands and my graveyard had almost half of my library in it. I just needed a Past in Flames to ignite my combo. I prayed to god keranos to hand me the card I needed, I peel the top card of library and there it is, Past in Flames. I slammed the red sorcery on the table and, as expected, he responded with Scavenging Ooze's ability. He immediately got frustrated to himself after a quick scan of my graveyard - there was a Baral Chief of Compliance sitting there like a boss. He could have won the game in his last combat phase if only ooze eat my blue chief from the graveyard. From there, I simply counted fourteen spell to win game one of the finals.
Game two, a timely resolved Blood Moon assured me of that RPTQ invite. Mission Accomplished! See you Regran on November 19!
-Paeng 4983
GW Counters
In my last turn. I was thinking if whether or not I should kill the druid (with a Lightning Bolt) or perform two cantrips - pass the turn - and pray hard to storm god keranos that opponent will not go off in his turn. I confidently proceeded with the latter. I paid dearly with my dream of landing at the top four seat.
Grixis Death Shadow
I won both games because of an online Pyromancer Ascension. After the swiss, I landed sixth.
Days before Magical Dream Portal Cafe's PPTQ, Wizard of the Coast made an announcement as to where the modern RPTQs will be. PHILIPPINES: 11/18 - 11/19 REGRAN QUEZON CITY. Perfect! I just need to win an invite. 30 July 2017, I brought the same seventy-five again to MDP's PPTQ. We had it five rounds of swiss and a cut to top four.
Boros Goat
I have no idea what he was on. All I saw was goat producing tokens cards. I won two games via an online Pyromancer Ascension.Jund
I won both games. Game one, despite his numerous discard spells thrown at me, I was still able to power my team to victory thanks to an online Pyrmancer Ascension. Game two, a turn three Blood Moon totally shuts him down. I slow roll sculpting my hand into perfection before going for the win.
Abzan
I wiped his board first with Grapeshot before shooting for the win via Baral - ritual - ritual - manamorphs - cantrip -PiF - repeat until storm count reached lethal. Game two, Blood Moon sealed the game into my favor.
With only two more rounds left in a five rounder tournament, having a 3-0-2 record will secure me a seat for the top four play offs.
Semis: Merfolk
He's on the play for being the higher seed. He had a turn two Silvergill Adept. My hand during turn two: PIF, 2 rituals, Manamorphose, Baral and lands. I see a potential second turn play but opted not to go for it yet. He untapped, draw for the turn, dropped his third Island into another Silvergill Adept before shipping the turn back with an untapped Island left. I know him since our legacy days. I vividly recall on how good he was in handling counter magic base decks then. Keeping in mind those experiences, I watched him attentively for any sign that would tell me that he's holding a counter spell (Pierce, Snare and the like) or at least a creature removal (at this point I was only thinking of Dismember) before untapping my Blue Red shocklands for my third turn.
I drew for the turn: Desperate Ritual. I looked at him again trying to fish-out any last minute body language that would tell me he has the stuff I am thinking. I came to a conclusion that he has one. I am just not sure which of the two it is. Instead of starting my combo with the Baral-ritual way, which I am certain that he will kill my Baral with whatever one to cast removal spell by just responding to my first ritual spell; or will stop me by just responding with a counter spell trying to nullify that kick-off ritual, I lay on the table the first spell - Pyretic Ritual - then asked him if it will resolve. If this one resolves, I could safely conclude that only a creature removal spell is in his hand. He immediately gave me the go signal for my ritual. I dropped Baral as my second spell. He simply gave me another go signal while giving my blue chief a predatory stare.
Now I have 2R floating and a Baral while my hand has: PiF, 2 rituals, 1 Manamorphos. At this point I am certain that he only had a creature removal so I call out Manamorphose first before any of the remaining rituals. In this situation, I think this is the best spell sequence in order for me to have the would be maximum number of floating mana I will need. "In respond, Vapor Snag" then point his instant blue spell to Baral, Chief of Compliance. With one red floating I responded with Desperate Ritual into another Desperate ritual (5R). I let his Vapor Snag bounced my Chief. Manamorphose produced two blue mana floating (5R 2U) and bestowed me Thought Scour in which I used (5R 1U) milling two cards (one of them was Gifts Ungiven) off my library. I called out my blue Chief of Compliance again (4R) into casting Past in Flames from hand (1R). I recycled every instant and sorcery from the graveyard until I presented to him a pile that has Grapeshot. He did a little math and started to pick up his cards for game two.He won game two with a school of merfolks, two of which are Cursecatchers. He also maintained a minimum of three cards at hand throughout game two which tells me that he reinforced his 60 with counter spell cards. I won game three because Defense Grid kept his counter magic spells at bay.
Finals: Jund
Game one, he was able to discard my key cards. He even had a very good board presence: Dark Confidant, Scavenging Ooze, Tarmogoyf and a Liliana of the Veil. He did pinned me down to one life point in his last combat phase. Before drawing for my last turn, I only had the following on my table: 6 blue and red lands and my graveyard had almost half of my library in it. I just needed a Past in Flames to ignite my combo. I prayed to god keranos to hand me the card I needed, I peel the top card of library and there it is, Past in Flames. I slammed the red sorcery on the table and, as expected, he responded with Scavenging Ooze's ability. He immediately got frustrated to himself after a quick scan of my graveyard - there was a Baral Chief of Compliance sitting there like a boss. He could have won the game in his last combat phase if only ooze eat my blue chief from the graveyard. From there, I simply counted fourteen spell to win game one of the finals.Game two, a timely resolved Blood Moon assured me of that RPTQ invite. Mission Accomplished! See you Regran on November 19!
-Paeng 4983
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