AUGUST: Pyromancer Ascension

After a frustrating July with the Unstorm version, I summoned my ritual base deck to help me get back on the winning track. August 6th was a perfect date for raking planeswalker points due to high number of modern PPTQ and GPT contests around the metro. Sadly, I sit out on all events because I went pokemon hunting with my son. The following day, in as much that I would like to play in a PPTQ than a GPT because of its multiplier, I went to Friday Quest's GPT,  with this list, because it was the nearest playground that offers a multiplier to where I was. FQ registered 21 players, five rounds of elimination swiss and a cut to top 8 to help determine who will have the bye allotted. My matches were as follows.

Ad Nauseam 1-1

Mono Black W

Abzan Aggro W

Naya Burn W

Titan Shift id      

Q: UWr Nahiri W

S: Naya Burn W

F: Titan Shift L

I ponder on three things from this experience. First, game one versus Ad Nauseam. He used his Pact of Negation in vitiating my game breaking ritual. During his upkeep, after resolving his flower artifact from its suspension, cracked it and tapped his two mana cast Ad Nauseam with Phyrexian Unlife on his side. Realizing that I do not have counters to halt his engine, he grabbed his entire deck and showed it to me. I checked its content and respectfully gave it back then began picking up my cards. As soon as I was skimming on my fifteen, I suddenly recall his Pact of Negation trigger. I should have won that one but instead of crying over spilt milk, I simply shrug it off and focused on our incoming game two. Second, Echoing Truth is an answer against an unknown deck especially if the game ended in just three or four turns without you seeing much from his side. This happened to me against my third round opponent, an Abzan aggro. I won game one on turn three. I did not see that much so I included my singleton Echoing Truth together with my three pieces of Empty the Warrens without me knowing that it will save my ass from the jaws of defeat by bouncing Worship before swinging for lethal. Third, an opening hand with only a land (regardless if it is a basic, dual or fetch land) is a big no especially if you're in the finals. With me behind the wheels of an Ascension deck, especially if it has two or three cantrips with it, I am not that pessimistic. Unfortunately against the Titan shift, I kept a hand of a Sulfur Falls, rituals, Manamorphose and a Blood Moon. Three or four turns after, I lose.

August 13th saw three modern GPTs around the metro, Got Game (Makati Square), Dragonforge (Katipunan) and PC Butlers (Sta Rosa). I went to Got Game's GPT because it's the nearest to where I was. Because of the bad weather, Got Game only had 26 players, 5 rounds of elimination swiss and a cut to top 8 to help determine who will have the bye for Grand Prix Kuala Lumpur. My matches were as follows.


Naya burn W
Elves  W
Ad Nauseam W
* ID
CoCo id

* - I cannot recall what was his deck.

And since I do not after the byes for GP Kuala Lumpur, not to mention the worsening weather, I simply conceded to my quarter finals opponent (Dredge) so that I can go home early. There were only two good things that I would like to share from this grind. First against Naya Burn. It was his third turn, I think. He's tapped out but had an active Eidolon of the Great Revel plus a bunch of cards at hand; and to make more unfavorable I was down to twelve life points. I dropped my third land, cast Goblin Electromancer (10), cast a ritual (8) (3R), then Manamorphose (6) (2R 2B), followed by Serum Visions (4) (2R 1B) that handed the Grapeshot I needed in killing his enchantment creature (2) (1R 1B). I win from there (through another ritual, Past in Flames into recycling my graveyard). Second, against Ad Nauseam. His Spoils from the Vault failed him because the named card  showed only after 22 flips. Mentally looking back I think I do not have any misplays in this grind.

August 20th, Coswort hobby shop (Dasmariñas, Cavite) hosted Pinoy Planeswalker's Fifth Modern Series. There were 18 players, 5 rounds of swiss with play-offs. By the way I am still on the same seventy-five. My matches were as follows.

Merfolk 2-0
UR Eldrazi 2-1
Grixis 1-2
Wb Eldrazi hatebears 2-1
Bloom ID

Q: Merfolk 2-0
S: Infect 1-2

Reminders
I've said this before, and I will say it here again. Against the Merfolk deck, always fetch for Steam Vents because you do not want to go double island (thanks to their Speading Seas turning your lone source of red mana) a turn after your second land. Also, there's a probability that his school of fish can out run (lord effects plus islandwalk) your horde of goblins. If you're planning to take the goblin route still, make sure you'll win in one swing. Again, please be mindful of their Cursecatchers for it can ruin your math. Gifts Ungiven instructs us to look for up to FOUR cards with DIFFERENT names on it. This could also mean four different lands. I could have won my third round if I only saw that side of the coin.

All in all I ended up with a 12-3-5 win-loss-draw mark. I hope I'll have good results in the upcoming war that I'll be participating with. Anyway, before parting our ways, my calendar for modern.

August 27
Modern returns at BCI Jupiter Makati
PPTQ hosted by R4

Day one
Grand Prix USA
Grand Prix China
Grand Prix France

August 28
PPTQ at Dragonforge (Katipunan, QC)

Day two
Grand Prix USA
Grand Prix China
Grand Prix France

September 3
PPTQ at PC Butlers (Sta Rosa, Laguna)

September 4
PPTQ at NG Centris (Quezon Ave.)

Thanks for reading!

-Paeng Paeng
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