Hello Everyone,
Due to the deflation of Return to Ravnica packs during the weeks leading up to gatecrash, I was not able to justify grinding constructed dailies as much as I had during season 1. Now that we have packs worth more than 3 tickets (albeit only slightly) I'm getting back into the DE grind, with quite the rocky start. Anyways, I managed to accrue just over 15 qps from Zendikar drafts, as well as release sealeds, meaning I had to enter a MOCS prelim and try and 5-1 or better to get into the main event. Both MOCS events are standard, and seeing as I have not managed to acquire sets of all the shocklands or Boros Reckoners, my deck choice was somewhat limited, so I opted to play Ben Stark's Esper list from the pro tour.
For those of you who don't know the exact structure of the MCOS prelims, let me break it down for you. They are 6 round swiss tournaments that cost 15 qps to enter.
6-0 gets you 35 qps (effectively qualifying you for the monthly championship) and a foil Supreme Verdict.
5-1 gets you 35 qps and a normal Supreme Verdict.
4-2 gets you a normal Supreme Verdict.
Anything else = nothing!
MTGO Deck Text File
Round 1: vs Gruul Aggro
This match was a pretty textbook example of what this deck does well. I get in the way of his random dudes with Augurs and stall with Azorious Charms. Then, I play 2-3 consecutive wraths into Sphinx's Revelation and my opponent concedes. Game 2 is pretty much an exact repeat.
1-0 (2-0)
Round 2: vs UWR Lucky Charms
Not having had much standard practice with decks that aren't mindless aggro, this matchup was new for me. In game one we both stumble on mana, with him not drawing a white source until turn 6, and me drawing 3 Nephalia Drownyard, which severely hindered my ability to cycle through my deck with my cantrips while fending off 3 Boros Reckoners. He hits his mana first and prompty starts to burn me out with a turn consisting of Boros Charm -> Searing Spear -> Snapcaster -> Searing Spear and I die. In game 2, we both hit our lands earlier, but I'm unable to efficiently deal with all his threats and take a few too many reckoner hits before being triple boros charmed out without having draw a Sphinx's Revelation that I would have needed to stabilize or pull ahead.
So no foil for us, just gotta 4-0 the rest of these.
1-1 (2-2)
Round 3: vs Jund Midrange
In game 1, my opponent mulligans and then has no play until turn 3 Arbor Elf -> Turn 4 Thragtusk. In the meantime I'm able to develop my hand and land base and easily dispatch it with a removal spell and wrath follow up, taking out a Huntmaster of the Fells as well. After that, he's simply not able to apply any pressure, and bonfires me (hardcast) for x=3 both times to little effect. When he casts a Rakdos's Return off the top for 6, I respond with a Revelation for 8 (while having 6 cards in hand already) and he packs it in.
In game 2, my opponent gets a much quicker start with a turn 3 Liliana of the Veil and immediately starts making us discard. I'm able to land a turn 4 Witchbane Orb, which thankfully takes off the pressure from a potential Lily ultimate. My opponent plays a Huntmaster, which I let flip (The Orb saving me the 2 damage to the face) and I start to block his wolf with my Augur of Bolas. I have a Planar Cleansing in in my hand and I wait an extra turn after seeing him not +1 Lily to see if I can extract more value, knowing that casting it will make me vulnerable to Rakdos's Return and Slaughter Games without the safety of the Orb. He plays a land and attacks with 1 card in hand and I cast the cleansing. We're now both effectively topdecking but I have a Nephalia Drownyard and I start the mill plan. I draw a second one soon after, along with enough removal to not let him establish any kind of board presence, and he concedes with no board and 19 cards in library, despite having Slaughter Games'd both Sphinx's Revelation and Supreme Verdict (which he knew I was holding at the time). We're still alive for the MOCS!
2-1 (4-2)
Round 4: Esper Control Mirror
Game 1: I draw Nephalia Drownyard, he doesn't.
Game 2: I resolve Jace, he resolves Witchbane Orb. I'm eventually forced to Planar Cleansing. I have 3 coutners in hand, with the mana and card advantage (he has Drownyard Advantage). If I draw Psychic Spiral, Snapcaster Mage, or Jace I win the game. I cast 3 revelations and multiple Think twices, hitting nothing but bricks, he mills all my outs.
Game 3: He taps 2 mana on turn 4 to cast a midcombat Think Twice. I cast Jace on turn 5, he casts Orb. I go through ~4 turns of using the +1 on myself and switch to an aggressive plan with 2 Restoration Angels. He's able to resolve an Obzedat, and his own angel which makes my race much harder. I foolishly tap my last 3 mana on his end step to flashback a Think Twice, and he puts himself out of damage range with a Revelation. I'm able to dig pretty deep and resolve a Planar Cleansing with counter backup, but I'm at 7 life with only 3 mana. He end of turn Psychic Spirals me, which I can counter but then I can't Azorius Charm the Obzedat when he comes back.
MOCS dream dead for this month :/, still playing for a promo.
2-2 (5-4)
Round 5: vs Gruul
In game one my opponent mulls to 5, plays a Rootbound Crag and concedes shortly after. I assume my opponent is on an aggressive deck (rather than something like Jund Midrange) and board appropriately. He leads off game 2 with turn 2 double Burning-Tree Emissary into Rancor, and I defend with a Gloom Surgeon, but it gets Pillared and he follows up with an Ash Zealot. My opponent then casts Hellrider, and I'm able to charm his rancored emissary to stay alive at 1, needing to rip a Supreme Verdict Immediately to have any chance of winning. Sadly, I see another land on top and move to sideboarding.
In the final game, my opponent starts off fast, but hits a glut of mana on turns 3-5 and I'm able to stabilize with Gloom Surgeon. When I cast an Angel of Serenity into an empty board, my opponent complains in chat and then times out.
3-2 (7-5)
Round 6: vs Gruul
I was triple queuing at the time, including 2 events with the same esper deck so I forgot specifics of what happened (and mtgo doesn't let you watch your own replays). Regardless, we got there and earned a supreme verdict. Not happy, but i guess we got something XD.
Cheers,
Zak
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