March: UR Storm ala summon WALL 1/3

11 March 2017
Ongekeco Shop
Vito Cruz, Manila

UR Storm

4 Scalding Tarn

3 Polluted Delta

3 Steam Vents

3 Island

2 Shivan Reef

1 Mountain          

4 Desperate Ritual

4 Pyretic Ritual

4 Manamorphose

4 Serum Vision

4 Sleight of Hand

4 Take Inventory

4 Thought Scour

2 Faithless Looting

1 Peer Through Depths

4 Pyromancer Ascension

1 Baral, Chief of Compliance

2 Goblin Electromancer
3 Past in Flames

3 Grapeshot       

Sideboard

4 Thing in the Ice

4 Lightning Bolt

3 Blood Moon

2 Echoing Truth
2 Shatter Storm

My Match ups are as follows:
RD 1 Naya Burn 0-2
RD 2 BW Tokens 2-1
RD 3 Naya Burn 0-2
RD 4 BGw 0-2
Dropped

Losses
vs. BGw
The outcome of the game will, sometimes, depend on what you will keep. In helping me decide whether to keep an opening seven or not, I usually follow a certain pattern.  Unfortunately in this round, my second land did not reached me on time even after three cantrips, Serum Vision, Sleight of Hand and Thought Scour plus three mandatory draws.

vs. (two) Naya Burns
This is interesting. I lost two in a row against them. I really felt that something was lacking because they are able to deal 10 to 15 damages that fast. I checked all my burn base match ups from every 2016 tournament posts in which I had a total win-loss-draw record of 10-4-1. After making a comparison between my 2016 and 2017 games, here are the possible explanations why I had those misfortunes.
- They always mull for red eidolon during game ones.
- For games two, they were able to swing 6 to 8 (even up to 10) damages by turn 2 or 3 leaving me with a very little room to operate. I was really stunned when my first round opponent inflicted 15 damages by turn three, leaving me down to 2 life points. I could have won that game if only he dealt somewhere 6 to 9, because in two turn I will be able to amass my combo pieces.
- Looking back at my 2016 posts, I never experienced a 10 to 15 damage explosion from those red team because a second or third turn 8 to 10 (sometimes 12-14) 1/1 red goblin tokens off an Empty the Warrens acts is enough to halt his battalion from doing more combat damage, thus buying myself an ample time in reloading my hand in goodies .

Well that's all for now. I just like to put those stuff in this page while they're still fresh in my mind.
Thank you very much for reading!

-Paeng4983

MARCH: UR STORM

One of the best way to rake your planeswalker points is by participating in a Grand Prix Trail in a local gaming shop near you. Unfortunately, the last batch of GPTs we could enjoy are those tied to Grand Prix Las Vegas. And speaking of it, I originally planned to participate in two GPTs but due to some things beyond my control, I only got to play at MDP’s first GPT (Beijing).

MDP's GPT Beijing saw 17 players, five rounds and a top 8 playoffs. I was lucky enough to bag the top spot after the elimination swiss; but had an unfortunate game three in the quarters because I have no choice but to keep a one land mull to five hand. I used the same sixty but had a slight different sideboard line up.

Sideboard

4 Lightning Bolt

3 Blood Moon

3 Empty the Warrens

2 Echoing Truth

2 Shatterstorm

1 Pithing Needle

And here are my matches from MDP’s GPT Beijing. 

RD 1: DnT 2-0

RD 2: Bant Eldrazi 1-2

RD 3: RWu Saheeli Cat Control 2-1

RD 4: Abzan 2-0

RD 5: Coco 2-0

Q: BW Taxes 1-2

Notes:

vs. DnT / BW Taxes
This kind of match up is the only time where Goblin Electromancer, instead of Baral, Chief of Compliance, shines brighter because a couple of this golden goblin can totally negate Thalia, Guardian of Thraben's taxing power.

Empty the Warrens sideboard plan
Majority, if not all, of my opponents bring mass removal such as Engineered Explosives, Maelstrom Pulse and the like for they expected this deck to go the Empty the Warrens route for either games two and/ or three. And if that happens, usually the deck will have a hard time recovering from such.

Pithing Needle
This is my last minute addition to my sideboard primarily because it stops a lot of hate, to name a few: Engineered Explosives, Relic of Progenitus, Tormod's Crypt, planeswalkers, Scavenging Ooze, etc. It can also be utilize against those activated ability combo base decks. I brought it in against my third round opponent but I did not drew it. 


And before ending this, here is the remaining GPT modern around Metro Manila.

March 25

OHS

March 26

Madcap

Regran

April 1

Vault QC

April 2

Madcap     

April 8

Dragonforge

OHS

April 9

Madcap

April 16

Raxx

April 30

Mage Ring

May 6

OHS

May 7

FQ

May 20

Kick Engines     

May 27

OHS       

May 28

Madcap

Thank you very much for reading and I hope to see you guys in any of those GPT mentioned.

Paeng_4983

6214089146

PS.
Congratulation to Mr. Bon Miyasaka for winning the Pro Tour invite from his RPTQ (China)!
 

FEBRUARY: UR STORM modern

One of my promises for 2017 is to play once a month only on an eternal format of magic. Well for January I was able to do it in which I had a 4-2 mark. And for the 2017's love month, I intend to keep my troth by scheduling only one. Before getting the ball rolling, my updated seventy-five.

UR STORM
Paeng

4 Scalding Tarn
3 Misty Rainforest
3 Steam Vents
2 Shivan Reef
3 Island
1 Mountain
4 Pyromancer Ascension 

3 Baral, Chief of Compliance
3 Past in Flames
3 Grapeshot
4 Manamorphose
4 Desperate Ritual
4 Pyretic Ritual
4 Take Inventory
4 Sleight of Hand
4 Serum Vision
4 Thought Scour
2 Faithless Looting
1 Peer through Depths

SB
4 Thing in the Ice
4 Lightning Bolt
3 Blood Moon
2 Shattering Storm 
1 Echoing Truth
1 Defense Grid


Madcap Gaming
San Pedro, Laguna 

4-1-1
Burn 2-1
Ad Nauseam 2-0
BG Infect 2-0
Jund draw
RG Valakut 2-0
RG Tron 0-2

NOTES
- I replaced the golden goblin for that new kid on the block. As I see it, there's not much difference between the two (at least with that build above). Definitely Baral works well in a build that has Remand and/ or Izzet Charm in it. I will surely give it a try on March.
- I had a two turn three kills.
- Take Inventory is a house.

Thank you very much for reading!
Paeng

PS.
I am no shop owner but I wish WOTC gives back the GPT (for all formats) privileges to the shops. 

JANUARY: UR STORM

Greetings everyone!

I am sure a lot of people were saddened when they announced the ousting of Gitaxian Probe from Modern. But what can we do? We are just merely mortals playing under their roof. So instead of getting frustrated at it, I simply moved on and find a suitable replacement for our dearest sorcery cantrip. Immediately the cards like Peek, Faithless Looting, Telling Time, Peer Through Depths, Anticipate, Visions of Beyond and Lightning Bolts were the things that come into mind. Amongst them, my top three are: Lightning Bolt, Faithless Looting and Peer Through Depths.

Faithless Looting and Peer Through Depths

Faithless Looting gives you the speed needed for you to dig in your first two turns. Peer Through Depths will give that deep plow you badly need, especially if there is an active online Pyromancer Ascension.

Lightning Bolt

My top pick is this card because of two reasons: (a) serves as a removal for his x/3 and below creatures; and (b) serves as the second win condition especially if Pyromancer Ascension is online.

Speaking of cards to be included in the deck, Baral, Chief of Compliance seems a neat pick but only if you are packing yours with a Remand for that Remand-Manamorphose loop combo. Otherwise, I'd say 3-1 split with Goblin Electromancer with the blue-red goblin at three.

For the month of January, only two ascension decks partake around Metro Manila’s GPT modern. Aside from me, Ian Rombawa did a great job on landing fifth (out of 45+ players) on Kick Engine’s GPT Vancouver. Faithless Looting was the card he picked as replacement for Gitaxian Probe and his match-ups are as follows:

4-1-1

RD 1 Abzan 2-0

RD 2 Boros 2-0

RD 3 Grixis Control 0-2

RD 4 Esper Control 2-0

RD 5 Eldrazi Taxes 2-0

RD 6 ID

And here's mine from the Finale Series of Pinoy Planeswalker Open:

4-2

RD 1 Grixis Control 2-0

RD 2 Eldrazi Bant 1-2

RD 3 Affinity 0-2

RD 4 Reanimator 2-0

RD 5 BW Tokens 2-0

RD 6 UW Thopter 2-0

Some notes that I would like to share from my experience:

- Lightning Bolts in the main are great except during my round fourth.

- I have no Faithless Looting, so my first turn cantripping maneuver was lessen. There were times that I felt the effect of not digging in my first turn. I'll definitely give the deck some changes in which I'll include a couple of this.

- Thing in the Ice is a Wrath of God with legs that flies. Super awesome against aggro base decks.

- I had a turn two win. Also, I had two turn three wins.

- Won against Disallow.

- Opponent forgot to pay for his Pact of Negation upkeep trigger.

-The eight cards at hand technique works well with four Grapeshots in the sixty.

Thank you very much for reading!
Until next time!

-Paeng4983