Zendikar Game Day (Top 8)

Today was Zendikar Game Day. I decided to go, since it was essentially FNM + 3 bucks and extra prizes. Not bad. We ended up with exactly 17 people showing up, so it was 5 rounds of Swiss into top 8. X-2 was enough to make it in by my calculations.

I got my Nissa's Chosen and gushed over it (I almost wish I was playing R/G Elves, since that Chosen looks SO DAMN COOL!) and then it was on to the first round.

Round 1 vs. U/B Mill

First round, he came out of the gates, and I drew very few creatures. I drew a Bloodbraid Elf with 8 cards left in my library, and he Mind Funeraled me. Sadly, out of those 8 cards, only 3 were land.

Game 2 I had Anathemancers in just as another guy to replace my removal. I managed to get double Bloodbraid Elf and kill him.

Game 3 I was hitting him and he played Nemesis of Reason. I swung with Sprouting Thrinax and Bloodbraid Elf (into Putrid Leech) and he killed the Thrinax, just as I planned. Sure he Doom Bladed the Elf, but meh. What happened next is something I'm not sure about.

He declared an attack with Nemesis of Reason, then said 'Wait no, play Traumatize first'. I said that he'd declared an attack, and he swung, knocked me to 14 cards (I killed the Nemesis) then Traumatized me to 7. It turned out it didn't matter in the end, as I killed him next turn, but since it was REL 1, should I have let him take it back? I'd appreciate feedback on this for next time.

1-0

Round 2 vs. Mono-White

She was running a deck with Baneslayers, Emeria, and various soldiers with Honor of the Pure. She had a fair bit of removal as well. I can't remember much of this round, but I do remember going 2-1.

2-0

Round 3 vs. Vampires

Game 1 he played some guys, but I played some better guys. Not much to it.

Game 2 I knocked him to 5, but he Tendrilled for about 8 and played Malakir Bloodwitch and was able to defeat me handily.

Game 3 I took him to 2 before he stabilised, but I had the Lightning Bolt.

3-0

Round 4 vs. Jund

I offer the ID, but he declines for whatever reason, so we end up playing it out.

Round 1 he's playing Borderland Ranger, which is odd. He eventually kills me with Broodmate Dragon.

Round 2 about the same thing happens, but I get a Bituminous Blast. It cascades into an Elf cascading into a Thrinax, but he plays another Broodmate. Despite my Deathmark, he gets through for the win.

Afterwards he tells me he runs 4 Broodmates but no Leeches. He runs Borderland Ranger as a source of card advantage.

3-1

Round 5 vs. ID

I offer the draw to him, and explain my reasoning, and he accepts.

3-1-1

I make Top 8, and we go into single elimination.

Top 8 vs. Luminarch Control

I go up against the guy who ID'ed with me last round. Game 1 I knock him down to 3, but he gets Luminarch active with 8 mana. I die.

Game 2 I manage to simply answer every real threat he plays, with Pulses for the Ascension and Wall of Reverence, and Bituminous Blast for the World Queller. My board overwhelms him.

Game 3 he draws triple Path, double O-Ring, and Journey to Nowhere. I knock him down to literally 1, but he gets Wall of Reverence and active Ascension, stifling my attempts to win.

Eliminated in Top 8.

And that's my tournament. I get a very nice-looking foil full-art Emeria Angel. The guy playing Luminarch Control ends up eliminated against the Jund guy who beat me, and the Mill deck makes the finals against Jund Guy. Jund Guy wins the whole tournament, but doesn't get his certificate since it's not in Australia yet.

I then proceed to get my prize packs, choosing M10, and out of my first pack, see a Garruk staring back at me. I show it to a couple of people, and proclaim it's going straight in my Jund deck. I then open the second pack, only to find ANOTHER GARRUK WILDSPEAKER! The whole store exclaims at my luck, and I immediately slot them both into my Jund deck. That was very damn lucky.

And that's the Game Day! I had a great time, and am definitely going to attend the Worldwake Game Day, and hopefully do better that time! I would recommend the Worldwake Game Day to anyone thinking of attending: it's like an FNM, but with more prizes! What more could you ask for?

Until next time!