Tournament Report

This weekend, I went to a tournament in Shizukuishi.
I am practicing for GP Chiba, so I played Doomsday.
I have two byes for the GP, so 4-3 continues to Day 2!
My goal was to have 4 wins at this event.

I played my usual 75:

４　Flooded Strand (溢れかえる岸辺)
４　Polluted Delta (汚染された三角州)
１　Misty Rainforest (霧深い雨林)
３　Underground Sea
２　Volcanic Island
２　Island (島)
１　Swamp (沼)

４　Lion’s Eye Diamond (ライオンの瞳のダイアモンド)
１　Lotus Petal (水蓮の花びら)
１　Chromatic Sphere (彩色の宝球)
４　Sensei’s Divining Top (師範の占い独楽)
４　Gitaxian Probe (ギタクシア派の調査)
４　Ponder (思案)
４　Brainstorm (渦まく知識)
３　Cabal Therapy (陰謀団式療法)
４　Duress (強迫)
４　Dark Ritual (暗黒の儀式)
１　Rain of Filth (汚物の雨)
１　Ideas Unbound (留まらぬ発想)
４　Burning Wish (燃え立つ願い)
１　Laboratory Maniac　(研究室の偏執狂)
３　Doomsday (最後の審判)

Sideboard
１　Shelldock Isle (殻船着の島)
２　Tropical Island
１　Void Snare (虚空の罠)
１　Cabal Therapy (陰謀団式療法)
４　Abrupt Decay (突然の衰微)
１　Cruel Bargain (残酷な取り引き)
１　Doomsday (最後の審判)
１　Massacre (虐殺)
１　Tendrils of Agony (苦悶の触手)
１　Empty the Warrens (巣穴からの総出)
１　Emrakul, the Aeons Torn (引き裂かれし永劫、エムラクール)

The event had 44 players.
It was the biggest event I have been to up here!

Round 1 - Narita-Tell
44 players, and my first opponent is a friend. Damn.

I play first.

Game 1, my opening hand is Underground Sea, Volcanic Island, Island, LED, Chromatic Sphere, Sensei’s Divining Top, Ponder.

My opponent plays Turn 2 Burning Wish to find Show and Tell.
I can’t stop Show and Tell, so I try to combo.
The opponent knows my deck well, and has been working on developing a poker face.
When I start casting LEDs, I know something is strange.
However, Doomsday resolves.
I create a Laboratory Maniac Pile so I don’t automatically lose to a counterspell on Ideas Unbound.
Ideas Unbound resolves. When I cast Gitaxian Probe, I see my opponent has been holding Force of Will. I lose.

(L)

I made a mistake here.
I assumed my opponent would counter Doomsday or wait to counter Ideas Unbound.
He had the patience to wait until my last spell, which I didn’t expect.
I also had so much mana that I could have put Duress in my Doomsday pile to prevent this.

-Chromatic Sphere, 1 Gitaxian Probe, 1 Cabal Therapy
+Shelldock Isle, Cruel Bargain, Emrakul

Game 2, I keep Flooded Strand, Underground Sea, Volcanic Island, LED, LED, Ponder, Duress.

My opponent starts with Leyline of Sanctity in play. Duress is useless.

Ponder finds two Sensei’s Divining Tops, and my opponent counters both of them with Force of Will.
I cast Laboratory Maniac on Turn 4.
My opponent responds by casting Burning Wish for Pyroclasm.
Then, I cast Empty the Warrens for 12 Goblins and win with damage.

Note: I didn’t think about Pyroclasm.
If my opponent didn’t cast it on Laboratory Maniac, I would have lost my tokens.

(W)

Game 3, I mulligan to six.

My seven card hand is Sensei’s Divining Top, Sensei’s Divining Top, Sensei’s Divining Top, Gitaxian Probe, Cabal Therapy, Duress, Doomsday.

I keep Misty Rainforest, Cabal Therapy, Dark Ritual, Dark Ritual, Rain of Filth, Ideas Unbound. Scry Duress to the bottom of my library.

My Cabal Therapy misses. In hindsight, I should have named Sneak Attack.
My best chance of winning was to draw Emrakul and force my opponent to cast Show and Tell.
My hand was horrible, so I lost quickly.

(L)

I can’t keep making mistakes like this if I want to make Day 2 of the GP...

Round 2 - Merfolk

Speaking of mistakes I can’t keep making...
When writing my decklist, I forgot a card. I get a game loss.

(L)

However, my opponent also got a game loss!

(W)

Our first game is Game 3. I play first.

I keep Polluted Delta, Underground Sea, Ponder, Brainstorm, Ideas Unbound, Burning Wish, Burning Wish.

My opponent mulligans to five.

I cast Burning Wish for Cabal Therapy, name Force of Will and this game is over.

(W)

Round 3 - Burn

I know what my opponent is playing, I saw her last round.

Game 1, I mulligan to five.

My seven card hand was Flooded Strand, Volcanic Island, Sensei’s Divining Top, Sensei’s Divining Top, Gitaxian Probe, Ponder, Duress.

My six card hand was LED, Lotus Petal, Sensei’s Divining Top, Sensei’s Divining Top, Ponder, Ideas Unbound.

I keep Volcanic Island, LED, Ponder, Dark Ritual, Burning Wish. I scry Volcanic Island to the top of my library.

This is a great hand. I can win if I find a black land.
My opponent starts with Goblin Guide and I draw my second Volcanic Island.
However, I don’t find a black land in time.

(L)

-Misty Rainforest, 1 Gitaxian Probe, 2 Duress, Laboratory Maniac
+1 Tropical Island, Void Snare, 2 Abrupt Decay, Cruel Bargain

Game 2, I keep Polluted Delta, Island, LED, Chromatic Sphere, Ponder, Brainstorm, Cruel Bargain.

Brainstorm finds the cards to win on Turn 3.
However, my opponent casts Eidolon of the Great Revel on Turn 2.
I can’t find an answer, so I lose.

(L)

Round 4 - Storm
I’m playing against another friend.

I draw first.

Game 1, I mulligan to six.

My seven card hand was Polluted Delta, Volcanic Island, Island, LED, LED, Gitaxian Probe, Brainstorm.
I mulligan this because I am drawing first.
It is too weak to fast combo and discard.

I keep Flooded Strand, Misty Rainforest, Sensei’s Divining Top, Sensei’s Divining Top, Gitaxian Probe, Brainstorm. I scry Burning Wish to the top of my library.

My first play is irrelevant, I lose on Turn 2.

(L)

-1 Gitaxian Probe
+1 Cruel Bargain

Game 2, I keep Polluted Delta, Island, Gitaxian Probe, Ponder, Duress, Duress, Duress.

I cast all of my Duress. Doomsday is better than Past in Flames this early in the game.

(W)

Game 3, I mulligan to six.

My seven card hand was Sensei’s Divining Top, Gitaxian Probe, Ponder, Brainstorm, Brainstorm, Brainstorm, Cabal Therapy.

I keep Polluted Delta, Underground Sea, Sensei’s Divining Top, Dark Ritual, Dark Ritual, Doomsday. I scry Doomsday to the top of my library.

This hand is a Turn 2 kill if I find any cantrip.
My opponent casts Gitaxian Probe and sees I am close to combo.
He casts Dark Ritual, Duress for Doomsday, Sensei’s Divining Top, and activates Sensei’s Divining Top.
My next turn, I draw Doomsday, cast Sensei’s Divining Top.
My opponent does nothing for a few turns.
I spend a few turns looking for a cantrip to win.
My opponent finally casts Cabal Therapy for Dark Rituals.
When he cast Cabal Therapy, I realize I made a huge mistake.
I have Cruel Bargain in my deck.
With 2 Dark Ritual and Sensei’s Divining Top, this was a Turn 2 combo!

I still win this game, but only because my opponent makes a mistake on his combo turn.

(W)

I really must practice more to eliminate these mistakes.

Round 5 - Burn

I play first.

I keep Polluted Delta, Volcanic Island, Swamp, Sensei’s Divining Top, Dark Ritual, Duress, Doomsday.

When I cast Duress, I see Barbarian Ring, Wooded Foothills, Mountain, Lightning Bolt, Lightning Bolt, Rift Bolt, Fireblast. I take Fireblast.
I have a Turn 3 Combo.
My opponent doesn’t play Eidolon of the Great Revel, so I win.

(W)

-Misty Rainforest, 4 Duress, 1 Gitaxian Probe, 1 Laboratory Maniac
+1 Tropical Island, Cabal Therapy, 4 Abrupt Decay, Cruel Bargain

Game 2, I keep Underground Sea, LED, Sensei’s Divining Top, Ponder, Brainstorm, Dark Ritual, Cabal Therapy.

My opponent casts Turn 1 Goblin Guide.
I cast Turn 1 Cabal Therapy naming Eidolon of the Great Revel.
I see Bloodstained Mire, Mountain, Lightning Bolt, Smash to Smithereens, Rift Bolt.
On Turn 3 my opponent puts me to 1 life.
Doomsday pays half of your life rounded up, so I am unable to win.

(L)

Game 3, I keep Flooded Strand, Swamp, Ponder, Brainstorm, Dark Ritual, Dark Ritual, Abrupt Decay.

I draw Cruel Bargain and Doomsday.
My opponent taps all of his mana, and I pray he doesn’t have a Fireblast in hand. There is no Fireblast, I win.

(W)

If my opponent didn’t tap all his mana, I would have lost.

Round 6 - Death and Taxes

I play first.

I mulligan to five.

My seven card hand is Flooded Strand, Polluted Delta, Misty Rainforest, Volcanic Island, Volcanic Island, Gitaxian Probe, Ponder.

My six card hand is Island, Volcanic Island, Volcanic Island, LED, Duress, Laboratory Maniac.

I keep Flooded Strand, Underground Sea, LED, LED, Chromatic Sphere. I scry Lotus Petal to the bottom of my library.

This hand can win quickly if I find a Burning Wish.
Turn 1, I play Underground Sea, Chromatic Sphere.
My opponent plays Rishadan Port.
Turn 2, I draw Gitaxian Probe.
I cast Probe, and I see Eiganjo Castle, Rishadan Port, Phyrexian Revoker, Phyrexian Revoker, Spirit of the Labyrinth, Serra Avenger, Wispmare.
I draw Brainstorm. I cast Brainstorm and pray for Burning Wish.
My opponent starts to keep track of Storm and cries about dying.
I don’t find Burning Wish. I die to Spirit of the Labyrinth.

(L)

My opponent is confused and doesn’t know if I am ANT or Show and Tell.

-Misty Rainforest, Chromatic Sphere, 4 Duress, Laboratory Maniac
+2 Tropical Island, Void Snare, 4 Abrupt Decay

Game 2, I keep Volcanic Island, Tropical Island, Island, LED, Sensei’s Divining Top, Brainstorm, Burning Wish.

My opponent mulligans to six. He also cries about his bad hand. No poker face at all.

My opponent casts three Aether Vials this game.
He played Aether Vial #3 instead of Spirit of the Labyrinth.
On my combo turn, I cast Void Snare to return an Aether Vial with 2 counters on it.
He doesn’t put Spirit of the Labyrinth into play.
I say "ANT or Show and Tell, which one is it?"
He answers "Yeah, which one is it?"
I say "NEITHER. Dark Ritual, Doomsday."

(W)

Game 3, I keep Flooded Strand, Polluted Delta, Volcanic Island, LED, Gitaxian Probe, Brainstorm, Doomsday.

My opponent plays Turn 1 Plains, Aether Vial.
I cast Gitaxian Probe to see my opponent has Rishadan Port, Rishadan Port, Aether Vial, Phyrexian Revoker, Recruiter of the Guard. I draw LED.
In the next few turns, My opponent finds an Ethersworn Canonist.
I draw a Burning Wish, which I use to find Massacre.
My next turn, I find Sensei’s Divining Top. I cast it.
I cast Massacre. Then, I cast Brainstorm. If I find a draw source, I can put Doomsday on top of my library and cast it with LED mana, and still have Sensei’s Divining Top for my combo.
I find Ponder.

(W)

If my opponent had used his Rishadan Port on my combo turn, I would not have won so quickly.

Overall, I went 4-2 and finished in 4th place.
If this were the GP, I would have met my goal.
However...I made many mistakes.
Also, I only won three games because of opponent’s mistakes.
I must work harder!