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! ^_^
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
