GP YOKOHAMA MODERN

CONGRATULATIONS
REUBEN (13-2) and JB (10-4-1) 
on your strong finishes from the recently concluded GP Yokohama!

GOOD JOB GUYS!

APRIL 2019: ABZAN

I now improved from 12-20 (.375) win-loss mark to 15-20 (.428) marking with BGx after topping one regular modern event of Fast Effects. The four percent (4%) improvement to my over standing, plus King Abzan, congratulations by the way, winning the 107-player Got Game event last March 23rd,  somehow motivated me to improve on my BGx gaming. So for my next batch of modern tournaments, I decided to use BGx deck again. 

Fast Effects 
Pacita, Laguna

31 March 2019
RG Eldrazi 1-0
Boros Burn 2-0
Vexing-Collector Zoo 2-1
Mono Blue Merfolk ID
S: RG Eldrazi 2-0
F: Vexing-Collector Zoo 2-1
(5-0-1)

Block 101 
Boni MRT Station, EDSA
9 April 2019

Boros Burn 2-1
Grix DS 2-1
Boros Burn 2-0
Rakdos Burn 1-2
(3-1)

Notes
If you really wanted to excel in this game, you should know at least two things: be aware of the rules concerning (i) your cards and (ii) its interaction to the game. 

I normally summon the 3/2 green creature (Tireless Tracker) if I have sure land drop in that same turn. Drawing off the clue later in the game is gas. 

Spirit tokens are super effective in buying you enough time against whatever aggro decks you'll face. Provided that opponent's creatures do not have trample.

Engineered Explosives > 1 drop zoo creatures (Pelt Collector and friends). I think if it was an Experiment One instead of Pelt Collector, he could have won because of its regenerate ability.

I had a situation wherein I was not able to maximize the four life points off the Kitchen Finks because Chito played his Atarka's Command well. Here's what happened: I summoned finks from hand, he responded with the AC: three damage and no life gain. AC resolves. I take 3 and no life gain. Finks resolves, comes into play only a 3/2 green white creature. He then killed it with a Lightning Bolt. Finks dies. Persist triggers. I grabbed his AC from the graveyard to check the wording; and it reads, until end of turn. Finks goes back to play only as a 2/1 green white creature.

I faced three burn decks when I visited Block 101 on my birth date. Collected efforts from rhino, ooze, and kalitas gave me the win against the first two (Boros) assignments. Unfortunately, I lost to the third one (Rakdos) because I was not able to summon the rhinos from my hand for I did not get to draw the fourth land I desperately needed.

And speaking of Siege Rhino, the 4/5 creature won me a lot of games! 4/5 with trample plus helix ability, is love!

Top-decking the card you needed the most in a must win situation is one of the best feeling. I had alot with Abzan. But the game that I liked the most was the game against Grix DS. 

Players' life point total were at 2 (him) and me (5). Both players had no cards at hand; and had one creature each on the battlefield: 2/1 finks (me) and Death's Shadow (him). 

It was my turn, I untapped for the turn. I drew a card, Nihil Spellbomb. Dropped it and immediately tapped it, paid a Swamp (to let him know that I am using it this turn and I was digging for an answer). I slam the top card (in a friendly manner) on the table - Abrupt Decay. Decay his black creature and swing for the win. SWEET WIN. 

I was (still) fetching the wrong lands. I had a situation where I fetched for a Forest instead of an Overgrown Tomb or Godless Shrine. I lose the game because of that. 

My plan was to visit at six MTG shops during the first nine days of April 2019. But due to non-mtg errands that I cannot refuse, I was not able to.

Before ending this post, here is my calendar for modern/ legacy weekend events. 

Modern
April 13
Playground (Monumento, Caloocan)
Radioactive (Anonas, Quezon City)
Nissa MTG Shop (Dasmarinas, Cavite)
FQ (Mandaluyong City)
Concealed Courtyard (City of Manila)

April 14
Regran (Quezon City)
Fast Effects (Pacita, Laguna)
Big Boys (Los Banos, Laguna)
Mage Ring (Dasmarinas, Cavite) 

April 28 
MDP (Bicutan, Paranaque City)

Legacy
April 14
Kick Engines (Cubao Expo)


Thank you for reading. 
I hope to see you in any of those tournaments! 


Paeng_4983
04091983

MARCH 2019: UR STORM

UR STORM 

Paeng Paeng 

Main deck

4 Pyromancer Ascension

3 Baral, Chief of Compliance

3 Past in Flames

2 Grapeshot

1 Electrodominance

4 Desperate Ritual

4 Pyretic Ritual

4 Manamorphose

1 Increasing Vengeance

4 Serum Vision

4 Sleight of Hand

4 Thought Scour

3 Faithless Looting

1 Peer Through Depths

1 Repeal

4 Scalding Tarn

2 Misty Rainforest

3 Steam Vents

4 Spirebluff Canal

3 Island

1 Mountain

Sideboard

1 Defense Grid
3 Lightning Bolt

2 Blood Moon

2 Echoing Truth

2 Abrade

2 Empty the Warrens

2 Surgical Extraction

1 Tormod's Crypt

Friday Quest

Mandaluyong City

16 March 2019

Dredge 1-2

Grix DS 2-0

Humans 2-0

BUG Control 2-1
(3-1) (7-3)

GG

Makati Cty

23 March 2019

UR Phoenix 2-1

UR Phoenix 2-1

BW Tokens 2-0

Gb Elves 1-2
Abzan 0-2
Humans 0-2
-dropped-

(3-3) (7-8)

Notes

It's raining Surgical Extractions. 

Versus Dredge: game three and it was in his second turn's upkeep (I had a Surgical Extraction in hand) and in his graveyard he had the following: Stingweed Imp, Bloodghast, and a Faithless Looting. I initially thought of firing my black instant card to the imp to slow him down but decided to hold it to check if there's something valuable after his dredge. I soon regret for not firing it.

Manamorphose got Surgical Extractioned many times. Good thing Faithless Looting is a red card and it helped me fish out the cards I need. 

Whenever I use multiple cantrips in a turn, I always take the combination that will give me the deepest dig possible. This is because digging deeper allows me to see more options for my hand. 

Electrodominance can also be a spot removal. 

And speaking of the new red instant card, here are some of the situations I had.

-He Surgical Extractioned my Manamorphose with high hopes that I'll be having a hard time to find blue mana for my cantrips. But an online Pyromancer Ascension plus Past in Flames + 2 red rituals + Electrodominance and a Increasing Vengeance won me the game. 

-Online Pyromancer Ascension + rituals + ED for x + copy ED off PA’s trigger = lethal x damage ftw.

-Baral, Chief of Compliance + rituals + ED for x  + leave 1 or 2 mana open + free PIF from your hand + recycle those red rituals + recycle the dead ED, this time for lethal x damage ftw.

-Baral + rituals + ED for x + Grapeshot from hand storm for lethal.

-Opponent’s end of turn (better if with Baral on the table, but can also be done without) + rituals and Manamorphose + ED for x damage + Empty the Warrens from hand. I have yet to experience the end of turn Grapeshot version of this. 

-Versus humans, opponent dropped 2 Meddling Mages naming Grapeshot and Past in Flames during his second and third turns. I ramped for x mana in my last possible turn dealing x ED damage (plus the copy off PA’s trigger to make it lethal) and the win the game.

-Opponent’s life total was at 15 and my storm count was only at 10. One card was left in my hand (Sleight of Hand); no online Pyromancer Ascension on the table and no Past in Flames in my graveyard and my floating mana was 18 (15R and 3U). I casted the last blue sorcery cantrip (15R – 2U – 11 storm count) and was able to fish out an Electrodominance. WIN.

-Opponent was still at 15. On my table I had the following: an online PA and 2 UR lands. I started my offensive onslaught by casting a Desperate Ritual and a Manamorphose (2 storm count, 6R 2U floating mana). Electrodominance for 6 (on the stack). PA trigger copying ED for 6 (on the stack). PA trigger resolves dealing 6 (down to 9). Before the Orignal ED resolves, dropped Grapeshot from the hand and casts it for free (with 3 storm count trigger) dealing 5 (3 due to storm trigger + 1 from the card itself + another 1 damage off the PA's trigger copy). Then the orignal ED resolves, dealing lethal damage. WIN.

-I had a game one situation wherein opponent Surgical Extractioned my Past in Flames, Grapeshots, and Manamorphoses. I still won the game by ramping into 14 red mana into Electrodominance + Increasing Vengeance.

Overall, I think Electrodominance is a very good addition to UR Storm because: (i) it serves as another win-con outlet; (ii) does not use graveyard; and (iii) you'll need not to worry about mass creature removals.

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

Paeng 4983
0123456789

Modern tournaments around the Metro
March 30 
Radioactive (Anonas, QC)

March 31
Fast Effects (Pacita, Laguna)
Regran (QC)

April 7
Kick Engines (Cubao Expo)

MARCH 2019: ABZAN

The 38% win-rate spell was finally broken when I went undefeated at Fast Effects' second sanctioned modern tournament last March 9th. 

Fast Effects
Pacita, San Pedro, Laguna
9 March 2019 

UR Delver tempo 2-0

Mono Black control 2-0

Scapeshift 2-1

(3-0) (6-1)

Notes: 

Destroy whatever you can on his side before combat. Because whatever dies, grows the Tarmogoyf. 

Spirits off the Lingering Souls are superb in buying you time. 

I think I will really need to master the art of waiting in order for me to maximize the value of my removals. 

In the long run, I think Tireless Tracker is better than Dark Confidant, at least for this kind of build. 

Even though it was just a three rounder event, I am happy that somehow I improved piloting a BGx deck. 

That's all for now. Thank you very much for reading. 

Paeng_4983

FEBRUARY 2019: REVOLT ZOO

Revolt Zoo

Paeng Paeng

Main deck

4 Arid Mesa

4 Wooded Foothills

4 Windswept Heath

1 Misty Rainforest

2 Stomping Ground

1 Sacred Foundry

1 Temple Garden

1 Forest

4 Kird Ape

4 Goblin Guide

4 Narnam Renegade

4 Experiment One

4 Wild Nacatl

4 Hidden Herbalist

4 Burning Tree Emissary

4 Reckless Bushwhacker

2 Simian Spirit Guide

4 Lightning Bolt

4 Atarka's Command

Sideboard
4 Boros Charm

4 Chained to the Rocks

3 Tormod's Crypt
3 Destructive Revelry
1 Runed Halo

MADCAP GAMING
San Pedro, Laguna
23 Feb 2019

Match-up
RD 1 Mono Red Phoenix 2-1
RD 2 Mono White aggro 2-0
RD 3 Humans 0-2
RD 4 UR Phoenix 2-0
RD 5 Jund 2-1


REGRAN OPEN

Modern

24 Feb 2019

Match-up
RD 1 UR Phoenix 0-2
RD 2 Prison Deck 2-0
RD 3 8-rack 0-2
RD 4 Tron 1-2
RD 5 Ad Naus 2-0
RD 6 - dropped - 

Notes
Chained to the Rocks > Path to Exile. We are both aware that PTE offers speed; but I still prefer to use the enchantment card because: First, it dodges Dispel. Second, it can handle Reality Smasher, Emrakul, Aeon of Thorns, and the like creatures. And lastly, the land off the PTE could fuel your opponent's momentum. 

The attendance of artifact and/ or enchantment based decks are not that rampant these days. So I lessen Destructive Revelry's number by one to make room for a very good defensive card, Runed Halo. Runed Halo's versatility is well explained in Jeremy Dezani's article. 

Boros Charm. Dealing four damage to your opponent is nice but giving your permanents an indestructible is better.

I really love the extra speed off Simian Spirit Guide. I had this game wherein my opening hand was: fetch, SSG, AC, BTE, herbalist, narnam, and an ape. And in my next turn, I top decked my second land. Swing for 15 damage! After a quick computation, he immediately conceded.

Always look for the combination that will do maximum damage to your opponent. 

Cannot block flying creatures? Atarka's Command gives reach. In case Wurmcoil Engine is on the opposing table, Atarka's Command can negate the colorless' lifelink ability. 

Tormod's Crypt is great! Aside from it being free to cast and free to activate, it also helps in triggering Reckless Bushwhacker's surge cost.

Reckless Bushwhacker, even without any surge, has haste on its own. I had a game wherein I should have won three turns earlier if only if I was aware of its inherent haste ability.

I should have swang my entire team in front of an Eidolon of the Great Revel, but I hesitated. I was so concern of the ten (10) damages from the eidolon. If only I swing my team, his life total will go from 15 to 2. I clearly missed that line of play. 

Keeping four (4) land cards during your opening hand is not a good idea - except if it has three or four fetches in it. I think three lands (or two lands provided most, if not all, of the cards with it are at one casting cost) is a good number to keep. 

I really hate 8-rack especially Raven's Crime.

I lose to Tron because he top deck Ugin, the Spirit Dragon in both games.

Well I guess this is all for now. Thank you for reading and I hope to see you in any of the following eternal events around Metro Manila!

March 3
Fast Effects (Modern)
Cedric's Cafe (Vintage)
Radioactive (Pauper) 

March 10 
Kick Engines (Modern Majors III)
Radioactive (Modern)

March 17
Kick Engines (Legacy Majors III)
Mana Underground (Modern Tournament)
Regran Open (Modern)

March 23
Got Game (Modern tournament) 

March 30 
Radioactive (Modern)

March 31
Old School Magic (93-94) 
Regran Open (Modern)

April 7
Kick Engines (Modern Majors)

April 14
Kick Engines (Legacy Majors)

April 27

Malolos Toy Con (Moder)




Paeng Paeng
+6324091983

FEBRUARY 2019: REGRAN MODERN META

Hey you! Yes, you! This is going to be a quick read. Promise!

I know you are preparing for the upcoming Regran Modern tournament this 24 Feb 2019, right? Here's the statistic figure from the last three Regran Modern Open Tournaments (January 13th, January 27th, and February 10th) (top 8 only, 24 decks in total).

Enjoy!

Burn 4 (16.66%)

Dredge 3 (12.50%)

UR Storm 3 (12.50%)

Tron 2 (08.33%)

UR Phoenix 2 (08.33%)

Ad Naus 1 (04.16%)

Affinity 1 (04.16%)

BG 1 (04.16%)

Blue Moon 1 (04.16%)

BW Taxes 1 (04.16%)

CoCo 1 (04.16%)

Grisel-Shoal 1 (04.16%)

Humans 1 (04.16%)

Scapeshift 1 (04.16%)

UW Control 1 (04.16%)

I told you, it's going to be a quick read. Thank you and good night! 

Paeng Paeng

FEBRUARY 2019: JESKAI DOMINANCE

JESKAI DOMINANCE
Paeng Paeng

4 Steam Vents 
4 Flood Strands
3 Island 
4 Sulfur Falls / Spirebluff Canal
1 Sacred Foundry
1 Hallowed Fountain

4 Desperate Ritual 
4 Pyretic Ritual
4 Manamorphose
1 Increasing Vengeance

4 Serum Visions
4 Thought Scour
4 Sleight of Hand
3 Faithless Looting
1 Repeal
1 Peer Through Depths

4 Pyromancer Ascension
3 Baral, Chief of Compliance
2 Past in Flames
2 Grapeshot
1 Electrodominance
1 Silence / Gifts Ungiven / ETW / GS / PiF

Sideboard yet defined.