MARCH 2018: UR STORM side event at GP Kyoto 2018

Modern side event 

Grand Prix Kyoto
25 March 2018

 
A week before my return to the Land of the Rising Sun, I pondered on what deck should I bring in case we did not made it to day two. 5 peso stumpy (legacy), burn (legacy / modern), mono blue merfolk (modern) and UR Storm (modern) are my top five picks. Burn topped the list because of two reasons: (i) easily convertible into whatever format I wishes to play; and (ii) it can be my last minute substitution for AnT. 

Then I remembered that I have not played against Jace and BBE in modern since the announcement. My desire to play against them won my heart. Thus this made me sleeved UR Storm as my side event deck for Grand Prix Kyoto. I sleeved the same 71 from my March 3 Gatecrasher Anonas tournament. The changes are: - 1 Gifts Ungiven, -1 Increasing Vengeance, and 2 Faithless Looting swapping them for a set of Opts. 

The day two side event had only eight rounds of swiss. Here are my match ups.

Affinity 2-0
Coco 1-2
Hallowed 2-0
Abzan 2-1
Bant spirit 2-0
UGr Merfolk 2-0
Ponza 1-2
Tron 2-0
(6-2) (14-5)

Affinity 
He had a slow start in his game one thus gave me enough time in setting up my red enchantment kill. Game two, I totally did not expected a second turn Rest in Peace from him. Good thing the one-off Empty the Warrens showed up the turn after his white enchantment hit the table. 16 goblins, I win in two swings. 

Coco
I totally regret going to mid game versus this deck. 

Hallowed One
Both games, Baral led my storm troopers. Game one went off in my turn four while it was turn 5 for game two. Perilous Voyage's scry two was really a big help in fixing the top of my library. 

Abzan
Game three, I never get the chance to go off because his discard spells took care of the cards I have. Unfortunately, when his life point was at five (because of fetches into shocklands plus Thoughtseizes), his judge foil Dark Confidant kept on revealing non-land cards: Inquisition, Tarmogoyf, and a Liliana. Lucky me.

Bant Spirit
Lightning Bolt + Pyromancer Ascension bailed me out from the jaws of defeat during our game two. Lightning Bolt (putting PA's second counter) killing the 2/3 flying spirit - freeing the PiF it imprisoned - putting PIF on the stack, copying and allowing to resolve PA's copy first; recycling instant cards from the yard (and effectively refilling them) was the focal point of the game turning things into my favor.

UGr Merfolk
A turn two (via ritual) Blood Moon wins me the game. Slow roll from there. WIN. 

Ponza
Game three, PA went online but did not draw necessary cards. I lose. 

RG Tron
Game one, turn three PA went online. Game two, Chief of Compliance led the way to victory.

 
Thanks for reading!

-Paeng4983

MARCH 2018: Grand Prix Kyoto Team Event

Kick Engines's March 11th event was supposed to be my last tune-up tournament before heading to Grand Prix Kyoto. Unfortunately, an important errand got in way. So I was forced to sit that one out. Instead, I read internet materials and asked fellow experienced AnT players for advise. 

AnT
4 Ponder / 4 Brainstorm / 4 Gitaxian Probe / 1 Pre-Ordain / 3 Duress / 3 Cabal Therapy / 4 Lion's Eye Diamond / 4 Lotus Petal / 4 Dark Ritual / 4 Cabal Ritual / 4 Infernal Tutor / 2 Burning Wish / 1 Ad Nauseam / 1 Past in Flames / 1 Tendrils of Agony / 1 Empty the Warrens / 4 Polluted Delta / 3 Misty Rainforest / 2 Underground Sea / 1 Volcanic Island / 1 Badland / 1 Bayou / 1 Tropical Island / 1 Swamp / 1 Island

Sideboard:
1 Empty the Warrens / 1 Tendrils of Agony / 1 Dark Petition / 2 Abrupt Decay / 2 Hurkyl's Recall / 1 Surgical Extraction / 2 Flusterstorm / 2 Chain of Vapor / 2 Fatal Push / 1 Xantid Swarm  

My team played the team trios Friday four rounder side event. I faced the following:
Grix DRS Delver 2-0
BUG DRS Agent 1-2
Grix YP Delver 1-2
Miracles 2-0
(2-2) (6-4)

For the main event:
Rw Goblin 2-0
BUG Agent 2-0
Eldrazi 1-2
Grix YP Delver 2-1
Reanimator 1-2
Grix 2-0
Dragon Stompy 2-0
Omnitell / Sneak 2-0
(6-2) ( 14-5) 

Some of the things that I can recall.
-Xantid Swarm was great versus counter spells and friends.
-Goblin tokens off ETW are amazing versus team DRS.
-Hurkyl's Recall > Chalices set at zero and one + Trinisphere.
-Do not forget to flashback Cabal Therapy right after you puke out goblin tokens (especially in games two or three). ETW in the main is very effective in a meta where DRS decks are rampant.
-Reanimator killed me in his turn one.  
-Burning Wish was great! 
-I forgot to include Past in Flames and Echoing Truths in the sideboard. 
-My very first legacy game in a year and a half, a turn one kill versus an unknown opponent (which turns out that he was on a Grix DRS variant). 
-Managed to win against this hand: two Force of Wills, Stifle, Daze, and a Ponder (without Xantid's help).

 -Used his spells to fuel my storm count.
-Feels good whenever multiple copies of a card is hit by a blind Cabal Therapy. 
-My last game was versus Omnitell deck. Game two, my opening seven was: Brainstorm, petal, LED, probe, dak ritual, and PiF. I decided to keep this despite the fact that he will increase the number of counter magic spells to his deck. Ancient Tomb + petal into Show and Tell into Sneak Attack were his first moves. I drew for the turn (2nd LED). I looked at my hand and asked myself what to fire first: Brainstorm or Gitaxian Probe? The advantage of the latter first is that you'll be able to dig a card deepet than if it is the former. I decided to drop and cracked the fetch into an Underground Sea. Brainstorm let me see these: Tendrils of Agony, Dark Ritual and another Gitaxian Probe. I returned my two four to cast sorcery spell into the top of my library with PiF being second to the top. I brought down my first probe and prayed solemnly to god keranos that he'll not have any Force of Will at hand. "Probe you" I said. He shook his head for a second or two before allowing me to took that his remaining three cards at hand: Volcanic Island, Griselbrand, and a Brainstorm. Coast is clear. Casted every card in my hand, probe into PiF into recycle whatever instant or sorcery cards I can recast into lethal tendrils for the win.  

*Especial thanks to Mr. Wilson Co (for the Odland) and Mr. JM Abellera (for the whole deck). Also to Rodrigo, strong 75 you have there man! THANK YOU VERY MUCH GUYS!

Thanks for reading everyone! Until next time!

-Paeng4983 

March 2018: Damping Sphere

Damping Sphere
2
Artifact

If a land is tapped for two or more mana, it produces C instead of any other type and amount.

Each spell a player casts costs 1 more to cast for each other spell that player has cast this turn.