FEBRUARY 2019: BOROS BURN

Skewer the Critics is one of the reasons why I sleeved modern boros burn deck for Regran's January 27th modern tournament. Though I had a disappointing stint from the event, my happiness towards the new red sorcery card did not just end there. 

So I still sleeved boros burn for the next Regran modern tournament - with a little adjustment in the sideboard. 

Regran Open (Modern)

Quezon City

10 Feb 2019

Boros Burn

Main deck

4 Skewer the Critics

4 Lightning Bolt

4 Lava Spike

4 Rift Bolt

4 Skullcrack
3 Searing Blaze

4 Boros Charm
2 Lightning Helix

4 Eidolon of the Great  Revel
4 Goblin Guide

4 Monastery Swiftspear

3 Mountains

4 Sacred Foundry

4 Inspiring Vantage 

8 red fetches

Sideboard

3 Path to Exile

2 Torpor Orb

2 Celestial Purge 

2 Ensnaring Bridge
2 Leyline of Sanctity
2 Rest in Peace
1 Graftdigger's Cage
1 Combust

Match-ups
UR Phoenix 2-0
Tron 2-1
UR Phoenix 2-1
Scapeshift-Prime time 2-1
UR Storm ID
UR Storm ID

(4-0-2)  (8-3)

Notes

My third top 8 finish out of the last four Regran Open Modern Tournament. 

Torpor Orb > Obstinate Baloth and friends. 

Eidolon of the Great Revel was amazing all day long  because it approximately inflicted six to eight damages each time it is on the table. I cannot imagine a burn deck without these creature enchantments in its sixty. 

I will probably remove those Celestial Purges in my fifteen because (I think) PTEs, RIPs, and Bridges are enough cards when going up against team Phoenix decks. I will replace them with either Wear // Tear or Smash to Smithereens because I had this one game vs UR Phoenix (game two of round three) that he had this Dragon's Claw and it irked me a lot because that gave him enough life cushions to send the game in a rubber match. 

This is all for now. Thank you for reading!

PAENG PAENG
12345678910

JANUARY 2019: BOROS BURN

Burn

Main deck

8 red fetch lands, 4 Sacred Foundry, 4 Inspiring Vantage, 3 Mountain

4 Lightning Bolt, 4 Lava Spike, 4 Rift Bolt, 4 Skewer the Critics, 3 Searing Blaze, 4 Skullcrack, 2 Lightning Helix, 4 Boros Charm

4 Goblin Guide, 4 Eidolon of the Great Revel, 4 Monastery Swiftspear

Sideboard

2 Ensnaring Bridge, 3 Path to Exile, 2 Torpor Orb, 2 Celestial Purge, 1 Graftdigger's Cage, 2 Kor Firewalker, 1 Mindbreak Trap

Regran Open

Regran Hobby Shop

Quezon City

27 January 2019

Notes

The last time I used a burn deck was on June 2016. To this day, my knowledge of the deck is a little out-of-date. To help me freshen things up, I asked a few active burn individuals about how is burn doing in today's meta. Most of them responded positively which was enough to convince me play the deck again. 

Ensnaring Bridge > Searing Blood. Yes the latter deals damage but I prefer the former because it can keep an army at bay - which is sufficient enough (at least for me) to buy time to win game.

I decided to include Torpor Orb in the 15 because I was expecting decks that abuse creatures which have comes into play triggers. 

Landfall timing is important. Most of the time during mid games, I crack my fetch land in my upkeep with a prayer that I'll be drawing a Searing Blaze on my draw step. 

Skewer the Critics, the number of this card in the main deck? TWO. Four is too much (I think). And three is ahhh... uhmmmm... Can be. (I think). 

I was having a great run during the first three rounds of the event. Unfortunately, it was in the fourth round when things suddenly changed after I answered a phone call that had something to do with work errand which left me no choice but to drop from the roll and report for duty. 

This is all for now. As of this posting, I am still trying to get rid of the adrenaline stress. ^_^ 

Thank you for reading! I hope to see you in any of the eternal tournaments that I have so far in my February 2019 calendar. 

February 2019
3 - Fast Effects (Modern) (Pacita, Laguna)
10 - Regran Open (modern) (Quezon City)
10 - Kick Engines (pre-modern) (Quezon City)
24 - Regran Open (modern) (Quezon City)
24 - Kick Engines (legacy) (Quezon City)

not yet confirmed
16 (or 17) - (modern) Canlubang, Laguna

Paeng Paeng
0987654321

JANUARY 2019: UR STORM

Regran Modern Open 

Quezon City

13 Jan 2019

Baral Gifts Storm

Paeng Paeng

4 Baral, Chief of Compliance

4 Serum Visions

4 Sleight of Hand

4 Opt

4 Desperate Ritual

4 Pyretic Ritual

4 Manamorphose

4 Gifts Ungiven

3 Goblin Electromancer

2 Past in Flames

2 Grapeshot

2 Remand

1 Unsubstantiate

1 Repeal 

4 Steam Vents

4 Spirebluff Canal

4 Island

3 Shivan Reef

1 Polluted Delta

1 Mountain

SB

3 Lightning Bolt

3 Empty the Warrens 

2 Thing in the Ice

2 Abrade

2 Surgical Extraction

1 Echoing Truth

1 Wipe Away

1 Defense Grid

Match-up

Mardu 2-1

UR Phoenix 2-0

UW Control 2-1

Bant Spirits 0-2

Jund 2-0

BG rock ID

T8: UR Phoenix 1-2

Notes

I borrowed CWS's list. Tweaked it to my play style and adjusted the same to help me win against Manila's modern meta. 

I forgot to bring-in some side board cards. 

Two of my opponents conceded right after I revealed Gifts Ungiven. 

Tokens off an ETW are still a great route to take to win games two/ three. 

Game three versus UW Control, it was his turn 4th when he tapped all but one of his lands. I went for the kill when I got my turn back. The combination of double Grapeshot + Remand gets me there. 

I lost to a well timed Spell Queller. 

Top 8 game three against UR Phoenix and it was my (last) turn (my life total was 6); I had 4 UR lands and six 1/1 goblins on the table. I swang my mob putting him from 10 to 4 lifepoints. In his turn, he pondered if he'll crack his blue-red zendikar fetchland. After a careful deliberation, he decided to crack the fetchland and looked a the top deck card to which immediately followed by a regret look on his face. He took out an Island, tapped it together with a mountain, into Manamorphose and asked me if it is good (while still having a card at hand). I allowed to hybrid card to resolve. He draws a card off the Manamorphose and instantly put it on the middle of the table; and was like he was going to burst into dismay and thought of extending his hand in defeat. 

But his emotion suddenly went from a losing face to a game face and did the next set of moves.  He first revealed LIGHTNING BOLT from his hand "targeting you" he said. Then flipped the card on the middle of his table: DISPEL countering bolt. Took the Phoenices from his graveyard, put them both on the table and swing for the win!  

And before ending my post, I hope to see you in any of these modern tournament around the Metro Manila.

January 2019

Jan 26: Radioactive Anonas

Jan 27: Kick Engines

Jan 27: Regran Open

February 2019

Feb 3: Fast Effects    

Thank you for reading! 

Paeng 4983

0123456789

JANUARY 2019: HAPPY NEW YEAR

Let all failures of your past years be your guide in This New Year!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Paeng 

DECEMBER 2018: BLACK-GREEN and WHITE

Despite having a low win rate (38.7%) with BGx, I am still hoping that I will do good with it. So before the year ends, I am donning the its colors again for my last 2018 modern tournament.

Fetchland tournament

Fast Effects Hobby Shop 
Pacita, Laguna
30 December 2018

RD1 Dredge 0-2
RD2 Burn 2-0
RD3 Hardened Affinity 0-2
RD4 RG Eldrazi 0-2
(1-3)  (2-6)

Notes:
I had games (all game ones against Dredge, Hardened and RG E), despite listing 24 lands, I got stuck at two lands. 

I need to know the proper hierarchy (or usage) of the spot removals of the deck.

I should read and study the board state well in order to maximize the value of my cards.

I probably side boarded wrong in some of my games. 

Always weigh every shockland you will fetch for it might affect your game later on.  

Engineered Explosives is a good answer to those cards that has hexproof. 

Spirit blockers from Lingering Souls are great. 

Is Dark Confidant a better choice over Tireless Tracker?  

I will need to improve on my decision making.

This is all for now. 

Happy New Year everyone! And thank you for reading!


Paeng Paeng

DECEMBER 2018: UR STORM

UR STORM
Paeng 4983

Main deck 
3 Island

1 Mountain

2 Misty Rainforest

4 Scalding Tarn

4 Spirebluff Canal

3 Steam Vents

3 Baral, Chief of Compliance

4 Pyromancer Ascension

4 Desperate Ritual

4 Manamorphose

4 Pyretic Ritual

3 Grapeshot

3 Past in Flames

4 Serum Visions
4 Thought Scour

4 Sleight of Hand
3 Faithless Looting
1 Peer Through Depths
1 Increasing Vengeance 
1 Repeal

Sideboard

3 Blood Moon

1 Echoing Truth
2 Abrade

4 Lightning Bolt 

3 Empty the Warrens
1 Defense Grid
1 Surgical Extraction

16 December 2018
Year End Modern Open
Regran Hobby Shop
Quezon City 

RD 1  Dredge 2-0 
RD 2  BG 2-0
RD 3  DS Grix 2-1
RD 4  Blue Moon 2-0
RD 5  UW Control ID
RD 6  Humans ID

*top 8 split 

Notes:

You cannot scry anymore if you already put on the table your leyline.

Tokens off Empty the Warrens out raced Dredge and DS Grixis. 

I could have won a turn earlier via Grapeshot instead of going goblin tokens off the ETW if and only if I did not miscounted my spells.

Opponent concedes two turns after my turn two Blood Moon.

Make sure your cards at hand is at eight before starting your assault versus a heavy permission deck. In this way, you'll just feed to your storm count the instant spells he'll use. Do not forget to sequence properly your spells when executing this maneuver. 

And lastly, use those cantrips to dig deeper into your library to find the pieces of the puzzle you need to go off. 

That's all for now. Thank you for reading! I hope to see you guys in any of the following modern tournaments. 

December 29

Radioactive's Modern Year End

December 30 

Fast Effect's Fetchland tournament 

  

Paeng_49830123456789

DECEMBER 2018: MONO BLUE MERFOLK

30 November 2018
Fast Effects Hobby Shop
Pacita, San Pedro, Laguna

RG Eldrazi 0-2
Scapeshift 2-0
UWr Control 1-1

Notes

I was unable to sustain the momentum against RG Eldrazi because the deck handed me five straight lands. 

As much as possible try to out tempo your opponent before going on the offensive. Play those Merfolk Trickster, Harbinger of the Tides, plus reejerey's triggers right. Do not forget that reejerey's triggers can also be use to tap other permanents (including lands) and not just his creatures. 

Sideboard cards: Relic of Progenitus's second ability does not requires you to tap it; just pay one and sacrifice. Protecting the school from whatever form of removal is the primary purpose of my counter spells with one exception: unless if the opposing player is on a combo deck variant. And speaking of counter spell, I know that Deprive has a much wider application as compared to Negate, but I'll stay with the latter. 

Dismember > Gut Shot / Wipe Away because killing by means of -5/-5 is better than dealing one damage / bouncing it. Mono Blue still has Deprive / Echoing Truth, Ceremonious Rejection in situational cases, for non-creature hate.

MONO BLUE MERFOLK
Paeng 4983

Main deck
15 Islands
4 Mutavault

4 Cursecatcher
4 Merfolk Trickster
4 Harbinger of the Tide
4 Silvergill Adept
4 Lord of Atlantis
4 Master of the Pearl Trident
3 Merrow Reejerey
2 Master of Waves
1 Phantasmal Image
1 Kira, Great Glass-Spinner

4 Aether Vial 
4 Spreading Seas
2 Spell Pierce

Sideboard
3 Negate
3 Ceremonious Rejection
2 Dispel
4 Relic of Progenitus
1 Echoing Truth
2 Dismember

9 December 2018
Gold Rush Modern
Glorietta Ayala Mall, Makati City

UR Kiki-Jiki 2-1
Bant Spirits 1-2
Dredge 2-0
Tron 1-2
Scapeshift 0-2
Affinity 2-1
Humans 2-1
Scapeshift 1-2
(4-4)  (11-11)

Notes

My defensive duo (Merfolk Trickster and Harbinger of the Tides) made some good stops. 

Main deck Spell Pierce caught some players off guard in some of our game ones.

Spreading Seas  slowed my third, sixth, and seventh round opponents's offensive onslaughts. And speaking of that blue enchantment, despite having two of it, plus not permitting his turn one Expedition Map with Ceremonious Rejection, his tron lands went online still because he was able to draw the urza lands needed through regular draw phase. Within just a few turns, Oblivion Stone wiped my school into extinction before his Thragtusk and 5/7 colorless eldrazi took over and win the round into his favor.

Team spirits out raced team merfolk. Merfolk Trickster cannot shut down those abilities that comes into play trigger. Spell Queller is so damn good! She's like the Vendilion Clique of this era. 

Negate cannot counter Prime time and Spell Queller so I am definitely making a switch to Deprive.  

Dismember > Welding Jar. 

I would probably implement the following changes in my next tournament.
Main deck
No changes. 

Side board
-3 Negate, -3 Ceremonious Rejection
+4 Deprive, +1 Surgical Extraction, +1 Hurkyl's Recall

Deprive: To help me counter whatever problematic spells. And besides, Deprive's scope is far better than Negate's and Ceremonious Rejection's combined.

Surgical Extraction: For Snapcaster Mage base and other decks that depend on their graveyard; plus it also helps me nitpick those phoenices.

Hurkyl's Recall: Hardened Scales, Lantern, and KCI decks.

Thank you very much for reading!

I wish you a happy Christmas and a safe New Year to you and your family!

CHEERS!

Paeng 4983
6396668391998