Sydney: Honolulu PTQ

The Sydney: Honolulu PTQ happened today (you can find the results at mtgsydney.com.au).
I was playing TEPS with nothing innovative about it or the sideboard. Here's a rundown of my games.

MATCH #1 - Mono-Red

I had a pretty easy matchup first round, mono-red burn. Was very happy to see it, as it's basically a bye.

GAME 1: I waited to hit about three life with my opponent tapped out in the first game and then Tendrils my way back to sixteen, restocked my hand, and killed the next round using Sins of the Past for Tendrils.

GAME 2: Again, waited until I hit four life and then Tendrils my way back up to eighteen. Got back down to seven before I Sins of the Past for Tendrils and take the final six life.

Won in two.

MATCH #2 - ELVES!

The matchup I was dreading, and nervousness led to poor play.

GAME 1: I drop a Lotus bloom, he goes off the turn before I get it.

GAME 2: On the play, I go off on turn three - and that's where things get messy.
I had a 10 storm on the stack and 10 mana in pool and play Manamorphose. In response, he Chord of Callings for (a Japanese) Ethersworn Canonist.
If I'd been thinking I could of Peered Through Depths in response - and I would of found a Remand to take care of the Chord. Instead, I foolishly let it resolve, then once Canonist hit play the Manamorphose resolved, and I put Echoing Truth on the stack in response to bounce the Canonist, and then Peer in Response.
Of course, with Ethersworn in play I couldn't do that, and neither my opponent nor I spotted it, even with a Lvl 0 judge watching.
Eventually we both spotted the mistake and rolled back the game, both getting a game warning. I took 10 mana burn and passed the turn.
AND THEN...
My opponent plays Glimpse of Nature and tries to combo out. As soon as he plays his second spell I call for a judge. He's forgotten his own Canonist, immediately after we finished resolving the first mess. He gets a second warning, but not a game loss, and eventually he beats me with his little men.

Lost in two.

MATCH #3 - Zoo

GAME 1: I play badly and lose. Basically, I waited as long as I should of, but at the end of his turn cracked a Flooded Strand and failed to keep Remand mana open. He spots the error and immediatly Helixs me for the win. I would of combo'd out if I hadn't been so foolish.

GAME 2: He plays Ethersworn, I can't find the Truth in time.

Lost in two - out of contention for Top 8.

MATCH #4 - White Weenie

Game four happened after lunch and my opponent was running late. He ended up with an automatic match loss as a result.

GAME 1: Auto loss for my opponent.

GAME 2: I wait until I'm on four life then combo out for the win. No real threat, just some careful hand crafting.

Won in two.

MATCH #5 - Martyr Proc

I handn't spotted anyone running Martyr, so was surprised to see it. I won the roll.

GAME 1: I play Strand, suspend double Lotus.
He plays Plains, Martyr, Chalice of the Void for Zero.
I die a little on the inside.
I play a storage land.
He plays a second matyr, and I start pumping the land.
I play a third land (he's still on one).
He sacs a martyr and leaps to 38, showing Crovac, Eternal Dragon, and a whole bunch of other stuff - but no plains.
Four turn my 2 Lotus arrive and are immediately countered - but they start the Storm count nicely. I play the Storm perfectly, get Minds desire up and running into another desire, boost the storm count to above 14, the Tendrils twice to outpace a second Martyr sac.

GAME 2: He gets to two mana this time. I kill him with a perfectly played storm, with ten spells on the stack and 4B, 2U an 4R in the pool for Tendrils, Remand, Tendrils for the win.

Won in two.

Game #6 - TEPS (Mirror)

I win the roll - phew!

GAME 1: We mirror each other's play - land for land, Lotus for Lotus, storage for storage. Unfortunately I can't find a meaningful spell to go off when Lotus arrives, and he can. Foolishly, though, he spends another ten minutes comboing off when he could of just shown Tendrils in hand for the concession.

GAME 2: I've sideboarded in counterspells - he's sided in gigadrowse. He get into a Lotus/Remand war - I manage to remand four Lotus before one of mine resolves, guarded by a Pact of Negation. I combo out that turn.

1-1 draw due to time (but I won the vanity match!)

So at the end I finished 19th with 3 wins, 2 loses and a draw.

What would I do with the deck? Ditch the Electrolyze for either 2 Stifle main (as every deck plays fetchlands and stifling that can be cruel) or 2 more Slight of Hand. Play Volcanic Fallout vs ELVES! And definately keep Sins of the Past as a 61st card - it was also useful to have another spot other than the Electrolyzes to slide out for my three-ofs in the sideboard.

Labels: magic, PTQ, report, Sydney