OCTOBER 2017: UR STORM

After a disappointing 9-14 (39.1%) start, I decided to abandon my seventy-five for awhile and planned to sleeve its unstorm sibling. Unfortunately, I was not able to do it because of other important tasks in life. So I went to participate at Madcap's modern league with the same GP Kobe line up.

BG Death Shadow 0-2

Mono U Tron 2-1

BW Eldrazi Taxes 1-2

UR Storm 0-2

The worsening continues, my third straight 1-3 result - jeez! Here are the flashbacks that I can still recall.

BG Death Shadow

Game 1: A mulligan to five plus two disruptions caused my engine not to ignite.

Game 2: I was not expecting an opening Leyline of the Void from him. So without Echoing Truths during game two, I surrendered round one of this league. 

Mono U Tron

I won games one and three. But the highlight of this game: I died to my own Grapeshot. How? He was able to resolve an Emrakul, The Promise End.

BW Eldrazi Taxes

Game three: He dropped Rule of Law and I forgot to bring those god-damn Echoing Truths again. Loss.

UR Storm

Pyromencer Ascension went online in both games but drew bricks from my next cantrip spells. If my memory serves me correct, my lifetime standing versus the UR gifts sibling, 1-5 (4-11 27%). I better need to do something with this.

I am very unhappy with that third straight 1-3 record. Two days after Madcap’s, I finally get to sleeve my unstorm deck. Here is my updated list (days before Ixalan gets legal for modern).

Unstorm

22 September 2017

Lands (18)

4 Scalding Tarn / 2 Flooded Strands / 2 Misty Rainforest / 3 Steam Vents / 4 Island / 3 Sulfur Falls

Spells (42)

4 Pyromancer Ascension / 4 Thing in the Ice  / 4 Lightning Bolt / 4 Lightning Helix / 4 Remand / 2 Cryptic Command / 1 Wipe Away / 3 Noxious Revival / 4 Serum Visions / 4 Sleight of Hand / 4 Think Twice / 4 Manamorphose

A week of gauntlet playtests, the unstorm did not perform the way I expected it to be. So I went back to my build and decided to implement some adjustments. In order for me to include a set of Opt and an Increasing Vengeance I took out the following: -1 Grapeshot, -1 Peer Through Depths, -1 Gifts Ungiven, -1 Faithless Looting and a land.

Going back, I need to understand why I had those losses from my three tournaments.

Revolt Zoo 1-2 L

Mono White DnT 0-2 L

bye

Living End 2-1 W

GW DnT 1-2 L

BW Eldrazi 2-1 W

BG Elves 1-2 L

Dredge 1-2 L

Tron 1-2 L

BG Death Shadow 0-2 L

Mono U Tron 2-1 W

BW Eldrazi Taxes 1-2 L

UR Storm 0-2 L

Total: 3-9 (25%) / 12 - 21 (36.3%)         

Causes

Wrong Decisions: (i) Calling a bunch of goblin tokens usually spells win; but there are times that you’ll need to use them defensively in order for you to buy time. (ii) If there is a chance to board wipe his battalion, do it. (iii) Selecting between cards: Cantrip > land, except if you are looking for your second land. Ritual < cantrip, except if you are going off within or on your next turn. Land > ritual, except if you are going off within or on your next turn. Win condition > whatever card you see (cantrip / ritual) because statistic wise the probability of drawing a cantrip / ritual / land is far better than drawing any of your win condition (Past in Flames, Grapeshot and Pyromancer Ascension).  (iv) Correct sequencing of spells. 

RTFC: Before allowing to resolve a spell or an ability, it is very important to read the (McGregor tone) fookin card. You must also think of the possible effects it will create like triggers of this and that card/s whether it is in play, graveyard, hand, or exile zone. In this way you will be able to maximize the value of your spells. Remember that stack matters to a storm player especially when in the middle of going off. 

Side boarding: (i) While there are players who use net decks, there are those who loves to explore alternative side board card options which is why, probably, I have instances that I, well, 'forgot' to bring in those Echoing Truths. (ii) I admit, UR Storm Baral Gifts became so popular and as a result it's not just the hates towards the deck increases but also people are getting more aware of it. (iii) Enough with the experimentation of whether or not this or that card will work versus this archetype. I'll stick with my side boarding guide from now on. 

I finally get to test my list at the Block 101's modern Thursday paired with this fifteen: 3 Leyline of Sanctity, 3 Empty the Warrens, 2 Blood Moon, 2 Echoing Truth, 2 Shatterstorm, and 3 Lightning Bolt. I was hoping to face, if not all, any of the following decks: Eldrazi variant, GW Counters, any Death Shadow base decks, Affinity and Burn. I faced: Vengevine-Hallowed One, GW Counters, Dredge, and Elves. 

Vengevine-Hallowed one 

I lost both games. Going fetch into shockland more than twice was the mistake I had. He won both games with this path: Burning Tree Emissary into Reckless Buishwhacker, RB's trigger on the stack, trigger Vengevine/s, resurrect that green 4/4 leafy creature/s, then RB's trigger resolves. Swing everybody for the win.

GW Counters

My lone win from the event. I lost game one because of a bad decision. It was my fourth (or fifth turn) when I had the chance to dismantle his army; but instead of doing it, I opted to dig for combo pieces. I paid the price when I shipped the turn. Calling for Vizier into unlimited green mana into Collected Company hitting Duskwatch into finding his win-condition and swing for the win. Realizing and remembering my mistakes from this archetype, I did my best to win the next two games. I won games two and three by killing (game two with a bolt while ascension was online) / returning (game three returned it back to his at the end of his turn) his white Eidolon. 

Dredge

Shit happens. Lost both games. I drew bricks plus he had a black leyline out and no truths with me to bounce that nuisance. 

Elves

I mulled to 5 cards in both games. Also, I never get to draw enough cantrips to power my storm engine. Because of these mulligans, I already felt that right from the start that I will not win this. So I simply sit back, relax and watched him play his game. He puked elves after elves until he had enough mana to call Emrakul, Thorn of Aeon into an extra turn. GG.     

Another 1-3 to be added to my worsening record: 4-12 (14-28 = 33.3%). I am frustrated with that consecutive 1-3 record but part of me is a little happy because I won against one of the decks that I am expecting to see at the fast coming modern RPTQ. There were a lot of modern tournaments in the immediate weekend but I opted to sit out because of personal errands.

On October 14 Manila saw two big modern tournaments, The Vault's and Gatecrashers'. I went to The Vault's FM modern (with the same 75) because it is nearer to where I live. The event registered 50+ players, 6 rounds with a cut to top 8. 

Grix DS 1-2
Grix control 2-0
UW control 2-1
Naya Burn 1-2
Eldrazi Tron 1-2
Boros 2-0
3-3 (9-7)

Here's my brief report. 

Grix DS
Game three I am on the draw and is fully aware that this archetype packs a lot of disrupt spells versus storm. My opening seven was: a medallion bear, 2 rituals, 2 lands, and 2 cantrips. I tanked for 30 seconds whether or not I will keep or will mull for that white leyline. I picked the former option and regret keeping it after two or three turns of him raping my hand with Thoughtseizes and Inquisions.

Grix control
I learned my mistake from my round one. I mulled for Leyline Sanctity and turns out to be a good gamble because he kept a hand with 2 or 3 disrupt spells. 

UW Control 
Game three, at one point he brings down Gideon Jura resulting into tapping out all of his lands. I go off when I got my turn back.

Naya burn
Game three, opening seven was: Leyline of Santity, Pyromancer Ascension, Canal, a ritual and the rest cantips. Second land did not came on time. Goblin Guide and Monastery Swiftspear teamed up to hand me my second loss of the day. Mathematically speaking, this puts me out into top 8 contention. 

Eldrazi Tron
Note for myself: always use the proper term when using the judge call button. This game really gave us both a very good mental exercise with regards on how the stack works. 

Boros
Game one: All I need was one life point to win the game. Keranos granted my wish. He was short of one lethal damage off his bolt spells. 
Game two: I win the round in turn two.

After playing 22 rounds [7-15 (31.8%) or 23-35 ( 39.7%)], despite that not so impressive stats, I am still optimistic that it will bounce back to its winning glory just in time for the modern RPTQ. This is all for now, thank you for reading! ^_^

Paeng_4983