SEPTEMBER 2018: UR STORM

Six modern tournaments. 27 rounds. 12 wins. 15 losses. Not a very good stat line. I need to level up my game if I wanted to do good in the upcoming Grand Prix Hong Kong. I started it by sleeving the Baral-Gifts version.

Gold Rush Trial - Modern
Playground, Caloocan City
25 Aug 2018

Mardu Nahiri 2-0
Lantern 1-1
Bant Coco Spirits 2-1
8 Whack 2-0*
UR Storm 2-0
(4-0-1)  (9-2)

*: I won by 2-0 but due to him having the better breaks to be at the top, and the event has no top 8 play-offs, I gave him the win and wish him luck on his last round.

Notes
Bant CoCo Spirits
Check each spirit card before making any move for you might oversee something important. Blood Moon single-handedly won me game two.

Lantern
The deeper you dig, the better: Sleight of Hand - Opt - Serum Vision.  Tokens off the Empty the Warrens plan is a not a good route versus them.

Madcap PPTQ 
San Pedro, Laguna
1 September 2018

UW Spirits 2-0
Hollow one 0-2
Infect 0-2
BW Eldrazi 1-2
Humans 2-0
UB Mill 2-0
Mardu YP 2-0
(4-3)  (9-6)

Notes
I learned my lesson from the previous spirit game. I read every spirit card he puts on the table.

Infect turn two-ed me.

Never do more than two fetch - shock land - take two scenario against Hallow One or Vengevine deck.

Multiple hate on stick < Thing in the Ice.

Graveyard hates and/ or non stick permanent storm hates < swing from your 7/8 horror creature plus mini Grapeshot.

CLBHSE PPTQ 
Imus. Cavite 
2 September 2018

Mono Green Stompy 0-2
Humans 1-2
UB Mill 1-2
Mono Red Dragon Stompy 2-0
-drop-
(1-3)  (4-6)

Notes
I was not prepared for those home brews. I guess I'll have to thinker on the spot in case I get paired against them at the grand prix.

Dryad Militant is a house.

Him swamp done. Me: tarn into island into serum. He responded with an Archive Trap then Extirpate.

It felt weird that I am not seeing Trinisphere and Chalice of the Void across the table against Mono Red Dragon Stompy.

I kept a one land hand in one game - and failed to see another one, I lose.

I won a game despite losing Gifts Ungiven, Manamorphose, and a Past in Flames to his Extirpate, Nihil Spellbomb, and Surgical Extraction: Grapeshot. Remand. Draw Remand, draw discard Baral. Grapeshot. Unsub. Grapeshot this time for lethal. WIN.


PC BUTLERS PPTQ
Sta Rosa, Laguna 
8 September 2018

URW Control 2-0
CoCo Vizier 2-1
Tron 1-1
Grix DS 2-1
UW Control 2-0
Grix YP  ID
(4-0-2)  (10-3)

Since there were only two persons who are interested in the invite, the top 8 players simply divided equally the packs and just proceeded with the finals, UR Storm vs Tron.

Notes
Finals game one, he mulled to 5 for Relic of Progenitus. I lost this one. I was not able to get the correct combination of cards to play around it. Finals game two, he mulled again. This time to six, and got 2 relics. Fortunately, this time, despite him having relics eating two cards per my end of turns, I got the correct combination and was able to forced a rubber match with the help of double Grapeshot. Finals game three, he mulled to 5 again for those relics. This time he had an Oblivion Stone to help him preserve his precious relic.

Thing in the Ice > hate and combo on sticks.

Blood Moon won me a lot of games in this tournament. The same thing happened with tokens off  the Empty the Warrens.

I used his instant spells to feed my storm count then win the game with double Grapeshots.

Always check your opponent's life total.

And before ending this post, here's the 75 that I sleeved from the tournaments mentioned above. 

UR Storm
Paeng 4983 

Lands (17)

3 Island

1 Mountain

2 Polluted Delta

4 Scalding Tarn

4 Spirebluff Canal

3 Steam Vents

Creatures (6)

3 Goblin Electromancer

3 Baral, Chief of Compliance

Non-creature spells (37)

2 Pyromancer Ascension

4 Desperate Ritual

4 Gifts Ungiven

4 Manamorphose

4 Opt

4 Pyretic Ritual

1 Remand

1 Unsubstantiate

1 Repeal

2 Grapeshot

2 Past in Flames

4 Serum Visions

4 Sleight of Hand

Sideboard

2 Thing in the Ice

2 Blood Moon

2 Abrade

2 Dispel

1 Fiery Impulse

2 Lightning Bolt

2 Empty the Warrens

1 Shattering Spree

1 Defense Grid

To all Filipino planeswalkers who will compete at this weekend's Grand Prix Hong Kong (modern), GOOD LUCK! 
Paeng 4983

AUGUST 2018: UR STORM

UR STORM

Paeng_4983

Main deck

4 Scalding Tarn

2 Flooded Strand

4 Spirebluff Canal

3 Steam Vents

3 Island

1 Mountain

4 Desperate Ritual

4 Pyretic Ritual

4 Manamorphose

1 Increasing Vengeance

4 Serum Vision

4 Sleight of hand

4 Thought Scour

3 Faithless Looting

2 Izzet Charm

4 Pyromancer Ascension

3 Baral, Chief of Compliance

3 Past in Flames

3 Grapeshot

Sideboard

4 Lightning Bolt

3 Empty the Warrens

3 Blood moon

2 Echoing Truth

2 Sharttering Storm

1 Defense Grid

Gatecrashers Anonas

Quezon City

1 July 2018

Infect 0-2

Affinity 1-2

Amulet Bloom 1-2

Tron 0-2

(0-4) (2-8)

The worst output I had with UR Storm. 

Notes
I forgot to bring-in Shatterstorms against Affinity. Ten goblin tokens by turn two was not enough to outrace a turn three deathtouch and lifelink 6/6 wurm. And lastly against the Amulet Bloom, Echoing Truth and Izzet Charm were not enough to stop him, thanks to his prime time, from dancing. 

Neutral Grounds' PPTQ

Alabang Town Center

4 August 2018

The event had 100 players, 7 rounds of swiss plus cut to top 8. Sweet! I faced the following:

Amulet Bloom 0-2

Bant Eldrazi 2-1

Tron 2-1

Elves 0-2

Storm 0-2

(2-3) (4-8)

Notes:

Against Amulet Bloom, I had the chance to win the game but I decided to kill his 6/6 green giant first and prayed to god keranos that I'll get my turn back. Sadly it never did because he dropped his second Primival Titan fetched a Bojuka Bog and another bounce land and controlled my tempo from there. I dropped from the event after absorbing my third loss. 

Blood Moon

I had a two turn-two ritual into Blood Moon scenarios (against Amulet and Storm). Unfortunately, I drew bricks in my next draw phases. 

After those frustrating outcomes, I did some adjustment to the deck. I removed the following from the sixty: 3 Faithless Looting, 3 Baral, Chief of Compliance, 2 Izzet Charm, and an Increasing Vengeance; and replaced them with a set each of Goblin Electromancer and Opt, and an Empty the Warrens. As for the sideboard: 2 Blood Moon, 2 Empty the Warrens, 3 Lightning Bolt, 2 Echoing Truth, 2 Dispel, 2 Abrade, and 2 Thing in the Ice.

Opt

I like Faithless Looting because of two reasons: (i) it sculpts your hand and (ii) it has flashback. Despite being a big fan of it, I decided to replace it with Opt because: (i) it gives that flexibility feeling whenever you cast it at the end of your opponent's turn; and (ii) it nets you one sure card especially in times where it is the only card in your hand unlike Faithless Looting.

Goblin Electromancer

I switched back to Goblin Electromancer because sometimes having multiple copies of this discount giving friend helps you negate opposing player's taxing tactic. 

Empty the Warrens 

So instead of having a defensive card to deal with whatever main deck hate they have, I opted to bring-in another win condition, Empty the Warrens. 

Thing in the Ice
I hope this horror creature helps me win against pesky little fast aggro decks. 

Neutral Grounds' PPTQ 
Cash and Carry Makati

19 August 2018

Boros Burn 0-2

Amulet Bloom 2-0

Boros Burn 0-2

UWr Control 2-0

Affinity 0-2

(2-3)  (4-6)

Notes: 

Puking goblins does not guarantee you a win. I'll probably bring back my lone Gifts Ungiven and will probably do the same with Faithless Looting. I'll probably add Echoing Truth in the mix as well. 

Against Amulet Bloom, I've already learned my lessons from the last two bloom matches: no more hanky-panky line of plays. Against Boros Burn, I had a very good mental computation with rituals-cantrips-Grapeshot. But I attacked my golden goblin; opponent simply block and killed it with a 2/2 of his own. What was I thinking! And lastly, do not forget to respond to "before damage dealing" thingy. Every life point matters. *sigh*

That's all for now. Hopefully I get my winning rhythm just in time for Grand Prix Hong Kong. I hope to see you in any of the upcoming modern PPTQ:

Sept 1

Madcap Gaming

Sept 2 

Cedric's Boardgame Cafe 

Sept 8

Johnson Gaming 

OHS

PC Butlers

Sept 9

Concealed Courtyard

That's all for now. Thank you for reading!

-Paeng4983

August 2018: Modern Mono Blue Merfolk

Mono Blue Merfolk

Paeng4983 

Main Deck 
4 Ancestral Vision

4 Spreading Seas     

4 Aether Vial

3 Master of Waves

4 Merfolk Trickster

4 Silvergill Adept

4 Curesecatcher

3 Harbinger of the Tides

3 Merrow Reejerey

4 Lord of Atlantis

4 Master of the Pearl Trident    

15 Island

4 Mutavault

Sideboard

4 Relic of Progenitus 

3 Ceremonious Rejection

3 Negate

2 Dispel

2 Damping Sphere

1 Echoing Truth

AUGUST 2018: Back to back modern PPTQ weekend

Pearl of the Orient had four modern PPTQs during the first weekend of August 2018. August 4th had (Manila) Neutral Grounds branches Alabang Town Center and Megamall and in Cebu Magus Games; while Block 101 was the lone shop to host it the day after. 

Congratulations to the Saturday winners: Josh Lo (Amulet Bloom) NG ATC, Rex Ybardolaza (Eldrazi Tron) NG Megamall, and Rene Aquino (UW Miracles) Maguc Games. Also to John Sahagun for taking down the Block 101's event. 

4 August 2018

NG ATC

100 players

A solid happy seven rounds for everyone. I brought my beloved storm and had a miserable a 2-3 drop. 

5 August 2018

Block 101 

80 players

I planned to be at the venue by 10 in the morning. Unfortunately I experienced an unbearable headache the moment I woke up at 6am and had to deal with it for two to three hours first before going to the event. I brought Mono Blue Merfolk to the event and had my worst result with it: 1-3-1 drop. 

Before ending this, for those modern players who are still hunting for that elusive invite, here's what we have for the next two weeks. 

Aug 11

NG Trinoma (Quezon City)

Upkeep Hobby Shop (Pampanga)

Aaffinity Games (Cagayan de Oro)

R4 Hobby Shop (Las Pinas City)

Aug 18
Wabshaq (Las Pinas City)

Aug 19 
Regran (Quezon City)

Thank you guys for reading! 

-Tiyo Paeng 4983

PS
Regran will have its Regran Modern Open on August 12th.

JULY 2018: Philippines Nationals

Congratulations to Mr. Rey Abella for winning this year's Philippines Nationals!  Congratulations as well to Mr. Ian Mark Gutierrez for that back to back Philippines Nationals finals appearance. I wish that Team Philippines win the event`in December 2018! Thank you Winter and Rubi for lending me the Mono Black standard deck! I really had fun with it.

Philippines National

July 20 to 22

Glorietta Mall 

Ayala, Makati City 

I only lasted for three rounds in the main event. I returned the next day to participate in one of the scheduled side events, sealed. Yes, I do play sealed but not that often. If my memory serves me correct, I only had two sealed experiences prior to this July 22nd. The first was at the prerelease of Mirrodin Besieged, 2010 or 2011 I think it was; and the second was at Grand Prix Taiwan (2012). July 22nd was my third sealed experience. I was able to assemble a BW life gain deck but unfortunately I had a dismissal record, 1-3-1 drop. 

Congratulation and thank you very much Nuetral Grounds and MTG PH Judges for spearheading this event! I am sure that every planewalker out there had fun. I wish we will have the same fun experience on your Gold Rush 2018 event. 

Thank you for reading and I hope to see you at the Block 101's PPTQ event on August 5th.

Tiyo Paeng 4983  

PS:

I you are looking for those modern PPTQ schedules kindly click here.

June 2018: MODERN PPTQ PH

MODERN PPTQ PH 

July
28 - Raxx Gaming 

August
4 - NG ATC
4 - NG Megamall
4 - Magus Board Games (Cebu)
5 - Block 101
11 - NG Trinoma
11 - Upkeep Hobby Shop (Pampanga) 
11 - R4 
11 - Affinity Games (Cagayan de Oro)
18 - Wabshaq
19 - Regran
19 - Cash and Carry


September 
1 - Madcap Gaming 
1 - Final Turn (Bacolod)
2 - G5 Gaming (Bacolod)
2 - Cedrick's Cafe
2 - CLBHSE (Imus)
8 - Johnson Gaming (Baguio)
8 - OHS
8 - PC Butlers
9 - Concealed Courtyard
15 - Gatecrashers Anonas
21 - Kick Engines
22 - MDP
22 - Mage Ring
22 - Dragonforge 
23 - NG Imus District
23 - FQ

The RPTQ that these PPTQs feed can be found here.

Paeng_4983

*Thank you Judges Phil and Vince for helping! ^_^

June 2018: Pyromancer Ascension

I originally wanted to use Jund for the MALCON ToyCon modern tournament. But I had a change of heart two days prior to the event and sleeved by beloved deck instead.  

UR Storm

Main Deck

4 Scalding Tarn, 2 Flooded Strand, 4 Spirebluff Canal, 3 Steam Vents, 3 Island, 1 Mountain

4 Desperate Ritual, 4 Pyretic Ritual, 4 Manamorphose

4 Serum Vision, 4 Sleight of Hand, 4 Opt, 4 Thought Scour, 1 Peer Through Depths

4 Pyromancer Ascension, 1 Gifts Ungiven, 3 Goblin Electromancer, 3 Past in Flames, 3 Grapeshot

Sideboard

4 Lightning Bolt, 3 Empty the Warrens, 3 Blood Moon, 2 Perilous Voyage, 2 Shattering Storm, 1 Defense Grid

26 May 2018

MALCON Toy Con

Malolos, Bulacan 

The last time I was in Malolos for MTG was four years ago for their first major event BT: Shock Sabbath modern tournament. Today I am making my return with my son, Raj (burn), and Binoy Espina (Eldrazi Tron). 

Mono Blue Taxes 1-2
RG Titan-shift 0-2
UW control 2-0
Restore Balance 2-0
Living End 2-0
(3-2)  (7-4)

I had a slow start lossing my first two assignments. Against the RG Titan-Shift, I should have mulled my game two hand: canal, serum, Thought Scour, Opt, Past in Flames, goblin, and a ritual. It took me six turns before I get to hold on my second land. 

My third round opponent tried denying me of red mana by destroying every blue-red dual land I lay on the table. Probably the crucial part of the game was when he tapped out for Student of Ojutai. This opens an opportunity for me to drop my two red enchantments that I've been holding for turns then casted an Opt (gave another Opt)  (a counter on each of red engines) before passing the turn. He untapped, draw for the turn and pass.

I draw for the turn and looked at my hand: Opt, rituals, Past in Flames, and a Manamorphose. I start the assault with an Opt which cascades into chain spells until I had lethal storm count for Grapeshot. But he simply responded with an Angel's Grace. I tried to move on by casting the third Pyromancer Ascension to which he responded with Surgical Extraction on Grapeshot. Without a contest, I showed him my entire graveyard, hand, and library. 

After the search, the third red enchantment hits the table. I looked at our libraries and mentally compared them side by side. From the looks of it, it seems his library has like around 15 or more cards. I pass the turn right after giving the third Pyromancer Ascension's second counter.

He untapped, draw for the turn then pass. I fired a couple of Thought Scours at the end of his turn. I untapped and draw for the turn and casts Serum Visions with a prayer that the remaining copies of Thought Scours will reach my hand - and they did. I fired those  milling him another sixteen cards; brings out a ritual into Past in Flames into Manamorphose into all Thought Scours targeting him, off to game two. 

He started game two with a tapped UW dual land. My hand after the first draw step: Desperate Ritual, Perilous Voyage, Manamorphose, Goblin Electromancer, Opt, and lands. Dropped an izzet dual land into a cantrip then pass. An Isochron Scepter imprinting Silence in his second turn. I paused again pondering on how will I beat this Scepter-Silence tandem. I draw for the turn (Empty the Warrens), dropped my second land into 2/2 goblin and pass. He missed his land drop in his turn and simply pass the turn. My upkeep, he activated his artifact and I only get to respond with an Opt (Past in Flames). Past in Flames is not needed at the moment, so I send it to the bottom of the library and got another copy of Perilous Voyage. 2/2 Goblin attacks before passing the turn with an izzet land standing tall. He simply pass the turn missing again his land drop. "At the end of your turn sir, Perilous Voyage to your scepter." He simply picked his artifact without any resistance. I saw two bricks off the PV's scry two and quietly send them down.

I untapped, draw a card then off to my first main phase. I looked at him, trying to fish out for any body language that would tell me he's holding a relevant spell. Honestly, I cannot tell. It's now or never UR Storm let's do this. In front of his two untapped blue lands, I showed him Manamorphose and asked him if it will resolve. He immediately gave the thumbs up. I was praying for a relevant spell off the hybrid's draw but gave me brick. Next was Desperate Ritual. He simply let it resolves as well. And finally, Empty the Warrens. He had no answer to my six 1/1 goblins, I win in three swings.

Restore Balance and Living End
In both games Restore Balance did wipe all but one of my lands. But luck was still on my side because I top deck a land for the win. I won my last round versus Living End by two zero. Binoy and Raj also ended their respective Malolos ToyCon campaign on a positive note. 

It was team Baguio's turn a week after MALCON: 2018 King of the North (KOTN) magic tournament that featured modern as its day two event. I brought the same seventy-five. The event had 40+ players, 6 rounds of swiss + top 8 play-offs. 

King of the North 2018
Modern tournament
Baguio City

Unfortunately I was not able to finish the event because I do not want to go down from Baguio (via Kennon Road) past seven in the evening. I faced the following: Eldrazi Tron, a no show opponent, and Humans. 

Notes
Humans has a lot of non-basic lands so I wonder, will Blood Moon be a good sideboard versus Humans? Fellow troopers reading this, what can you say? Thanks!

versus Eldrazi
It is in this game that I get to experience flood, drawing ten straight lands (regular draw phase). Also in this round, I miscalculated. I should have picked Grapeshot over Manamorphose off Peer Through Depths. I could have done Grapeshot for six then win the game using the same card, this time with flashback, for eleven (or twelve). 

Faithless looting
I'll probably reinstate this card in my next tournament. To me looting is better than Opt because: (i) it can help you sculpt your hand; (ii) a sure draw two; (iii) and the inherent recycle property is great in tight game situations.

Izzet Charm
A card that can kill a (key) creature; can sculpt your hand at instant speed into perfection; or just being a Spell Pierce. This card is perfect addition to the sixty. 

Regran 
16 June 2018

The adjustments

Main deck:
- 1 Gifts Ungiven
- 1 Peer Through Depths
- 4 Opt 

+ 3 Faithless Looting
+ 2 Izzet Charm
+ 1 Increasing Vengeance 

Sideboard:
None. 

Match ups:
Boros 0-2
Tron 2-0
RW Taxes 2-0
8 Racks 1-2
Gifts Storm 2-0
Affinity 2-1 
(4-2)  (9-5)

Notes
Round one game one my opening seven: rituals, Empty the Warrens, Manamorphose, Faithless Looting, and lands. Then I immediately recall that I had a play test session the night before with Team Joytits. Lesson: always CHECK your sixty and fifteen. 

Versus 8 Racks, I think I could have won game three if I did not bin the ritual.

Top decking for the win is sweet; but it could have been sweeter if it happened in a win-in situation. Echoing Truth bouncing his Worship then swing 11 1/1 goblins for the win!

Cantrip: Faithless Looting - Thought Scour - Sleight of Hand - Serum Visions - Manamorphose. 

Increasing Vengeance and Izzet Charm were superb!

It's getting lengthy, I will end my report for now. But before parting ways, here's my calendar. Enjoy!

June
23 - Modern Team event (hosted by Kick Engines at SMX Aura)
23 - Madcap Modern League (new season)

July 
(side event at Nationals) (no official date yet)

August 
11 - PPTQ NG Trinoma
18 (or 19) - Emperor of the South

If I forget to include some tournament, kindly inform me. Thanks for reading! 

-Paeng_4983


PS: PPTQ modern will start on July 21st to September 23. See you in those PPTQ events!