PTQ BARI (to Hollywood)

Here's my Decklist:

RG Tarmoburn

4 Kird Ape
4 Mogg Fanatic
4 Grim Lavamancer
4 Tarmogoyf
3 Countryside Crusher

4 Rift Bolt
4 Incinerate
4 Lava Dart
4 Molten Rain
3 Reckless Charge

4 Bloodstained Mire
4 Wooded Foothills
3 Stomping Ground
1 Sacred Foundry
2 Barbarian Ring
2 Mutavault
5 Mountain
1 Forest

SIDEBOARD
3 Tormod's Crypt
3 Sulfuric Vortex
3 Gaddock Teeg
2 Umezawa's Jitte
2 Krosan Grip
2 Ancient Grudge

And that's the report.

1st Match: Francesco Coppi from Turi (WBg Braids)

First game begins with a 2nd turn Extirpate on Rift Bolt and follows with some Vindicates and Smallpoxes, and the cornerstone Braids, Cabal Minion of course (tutored by Infernal Tutor with Hellbent). However I draw enough lands to survive his rage and beat him with burn and Mogg Fanatics.
After thinking I decided to side in nothing.
Second game goes straightforward in aggro style, with burn and Apes until he resets with Damnation. After a stalemate, in topdecking mode he draws a Tombstalker, and equalizes the match with two flying attacks.
I side in Vortexes and Grips.
Last game I draw enough burn and he doesn't draw that Tombstalker again, Braids doesn't scare me so much and a Vortex destroyed too late (by Pernicious Deed) puts him in an agonizing situation (5 life), I draw burn (that's what the deck is paid for) and sack the match.
2-1 win (1-0-0)

2nd Match: Gianni Chico from Matera (RB Goblins)

First constant thought of the day: losing without any chance. This two games show how Engineered Plagues are an underestimated sideboard choice, as Goblins is a deck not to underestimate. First game my burn wave takes him to 7, then Mogg War Marshall and Gempalm Incinerator stall until he has too much goblins and with a dreadful Wort, Boggart, Second game I side in Jittes but he's faster and a goblin swarm (Goblin Piledriver in primis) brings me my first defeat.
0-2 lose (1-1-0)

To be continued

ROAD TO PTQ 2: City Championship Bari (Ext) - burn ftw

After a week of hard playtesting (sadly Turi’s tourney got cancelled), it’s time to test in the CC. Both Davide and my bro’ play UW Tron (there’s some little difference, though). I decided to drop the hated-out Affinity to test a standard version of the famous “burning weenie”, here’s the list:

BDW

4 Savannah Lions
4 Silver Knight
4 Goblin Legionnaire
4 Grim Lavamancer
3 Isamaru, Hound of Konda
1 Kataki, War’s Wage
4 Firebolt
4 Lava Dart
4 Lightning Helix
4 Molten Rain
3 Sudden Shock

SIDEBOARD:
3 Kataki, War’s Wage
3 Dwarven Blastminer
3 Disenchant
3 Sulfuric Vortex
3 Umezawa’s Jitte

1st Round: BGw Aggro/Control
My opponent is very skillful (a veteran I should say) but he hasn’t been playing Constructed since 2005, so it’s not much prepared for the field. First game it’s very easy, he doesn’t make significant pressure (a late Baloth) in a few turns Lions and Legionnaires take him to 2 when the neat Sudden Shock closes the game (while sideboarding we discuss of the brokenness of Split Second). I side in Jitte and Vortex. Second one he manages to play the dreadful Troll Ascetic + Sword of Fire and Ice pair, I can only shot 2 Helixes and chumpblockers but I coudn’t draw enough burn (he stayed at 16 thanks to a mighty Hierarch). The final match it’s faster for me with an early Lavamancer and Silver Knight, second turn he Duresses me to see a hand of Sacred Foundry, Sulfuric Vortex, Umezawa’s Jitte and a Grim Lavamancer. He decides eventually to choose Jitte, and Vortex comes into play a turn later, causing so much troubles to him. He had only a Troll Ascetic, it wasn’t enough, the game’s almost compromised as he casts Living Wish for Harmonic Sliver, plays it and destroys the Vortex, but he’s at 7 and the next two turns seal the deal.
2-1

2nd Round: Goblins
It shouldn’t be so difficult I think, unless he explodes his hand in a fatty Empty the Warrens combo…J I begin and play some weenie in the early turns, beating him to 14, then here comes the combo; untap, play Mountain, Rite of Flame, Rite of Flame, Empty the Warrens (storm 3), sac goblins to the Prospector, second Empty the Warrens (storm 4) !! 12 goblins on the field ready to stab at my Life points. Death two turns later. I side in the Jittes. Second one is uncertain, he seems not to have the hasty combo, but he put into play a Goblin King, great choice against me, and he’s waiting to explode so I must run with a Legionnaire and Lavamancer, in the crucial turn we’re 17/7 for me as he plays an Empty the Warrens for 4 goblins, with Goblin King and Warchief they’re +1/+1, hasty and mountain-walking…he starts thinking. Eventually attacks with everybody unless the King and a token, I’m at 9…end of turn I kill the token with the Lavamancer, then untap, attack with the legionnaire, shot it at him (5), tap Lavamancer (3), Firebolt (1), Lava Dart flashback (0). Third game is similar to the second but I manage to play a Jitte and equipping it to a Lion and Isamaru later, devastating all his chances to exploit the combo, and closing the game without troubles. He will tell me that he was waiting for a Warrens that probably would have won if he drawed it…
2-1

3rd Round: Affinity
Against him I can suffer the first one but after sideboarding it’s impossible for him. The first one seems easy, I burn some creatures and attack with lions, but I was blocked by a land screw and so he plays Cranial Plating and a Ornithopter. His version is different from the standards, infact I will see Lightning Greaves, then a Reshape of 0 for another Ornithopter and Mishra, Artificer Prodigy (!!!). However, I run out of burn and a lose to a plated Thopter bigger thanks to a Ravager duplicated by Mishra. I side in Kataki, Jitte and Disenchant. The second he mulligans to 4, and I can never lose, second turn Kataki adds to his land screw that ugly feeling I remember so well…the third is almost as the second one, in hand 2 Disenchants and 2 Katakis, I play with him a few turn before it’s all over.
2-1

I’ve done 3-0. Some says that I can also id with my opponents and make top8.

4th Round: Affinity
We’re both at 9 points so we decided to id.

5th Round: UG Tooth and Nail
We’re both at 10 so it’s another id…
Finished second in Swiss with the outstanding 3/0/2. The other seven decks are a UW Tron, another BDW, an Affinity, 2 Tooth and Nail and a BG Rock.

Quarter Finals: BG Rock
Obviously a tough match-up, but not so much. My hand however doesn’t cheer me at all, I keep and probably lose the game here…after a land screw I Firebolt and Helix him down to 11, after a Baloth he plays Haunting Echoes…I lose almost the deck but I manage to take him to 3, I must draw burn, but all that’s left in the deck is lands! I side in only the Jitte, but the match (and this tourney) is sealed by a ridiculous draw, 3 Pernicious Deeds, 3 Ravenous Baloths and a Jitte countered by the mine, I take him to 4 with the last burn, I have a Sudden Shock in hand and a Dart in the sideboard, he has 3 Baloths, if I could draw burn I will maybe play around the Baloths but it’s impossible…I draw a fetchland.
0-2

In the end a very exciting afternoon with a deck with a high sheer power, but I’m more confortable with Affinity so in this week I’ll decide between Affinity or BDW to be taken to the PTQ on next Sunday. See you after the PTQ to see if thinks worked out well. Bye!

ROAD TO PTQ 1: City Championship Bari (Ext) - almost a disaster

Yesterday I had just decided to begin testing my BDW but I was forced to give my deck to my bro (he and our friend Davide could have played UW Tron but it was discarded for the lack of Hallowed Fountains). Then my bro played BDW, Davide played Goblins and I decided to take my old classic, with the list I came up top8 in a previous CC tourney, but it didn't work as usual...

UBR AFFINITY
4 Seat of the Synod
4 Great Furnace
4 Vault of Whispers
4 Blinkmoth Nexus
2 Darksteel Citadel
1 City of Brass
1 Glimmervoid

4 Arcbound Ravager
4 Arcbound Worker
4 Frogmite
4 Myr Enforcer
4 Ornithopter
3 Atog

4 Cranial Plating
4 Chromatic Star
4 Thoughtcast
3 Shrapnel Blast
2 Welding Jar

Sideboard:
4 Darkblast
3 Cabal Therapy
3 Pithing Needle
3 Overload
2 Tormod's Crypt

The tourney started at 4.30 pm. Almost 30 participants (usually it’s more crowded).

1st round: Goblins
Ouch, against Davide (together with my bro travelled 50 kms to play here!!!). First game it's tough for him, Ravager and a couple of Frogmites kill him in a few turns without relevant goblins on the field. After sideboard goblins take advantage (I haven't Plague, he sides in 4 Sprees). After an early Spree for a Seat of the Synod, he takes the lead thanks to a fearsome Empty the Warrens that makes 8 goblins on the field and a Sharpshooted tutored by Matron to finish me off. The third game is even short, I begin with a Seat, he begins with Mountain, Rite of Flame x2, Prospector, sacrifice it for an Empty the Warrens of 4 = 8 goblins in play turn 1, nuff said. I play defensively and the deck seems to help me with ravager, frogmite, thopter, thopter, I remained alive to 2 but a Ringleader reveals Warchief and a War Marshall, I can't block so many goblins and lost.
(Davide did 3-1-1 swiss, losing against UW Cloudpost in the Quarter Finals)
1-2

2nd round: WG Haterator
Sitting at the table I remember him at the previous CC, we played a mirror Affinity matchup (win 2-0), but just seeing a Flooded Strand I thought that it would be slightly different from a mirror. I begin swinging heavily at turn 3 with a 2 frogmites and a Enforcer, he stays with a Soltari Priest and an Anurid Brushopper but nothing red mana...he is at 1 life. His turn 5: plains, tap 4 lands, WORSHIP. Damn. My first concern about this deck is that it can't manage to deal with enchantments, and the most terrible are Worship and Solitary Confinement. I can't ABSOLUTELY win this matchup, and I'm prepared for the worst, because every deck with white mana has the most dangerous anti-affinity card in the sideboard. In fact, the second match begin with an excellent start (Ravager + Worker + Frogmite) annulled by a second turn Kataki that destroys all. Priest and Troll Ascetic finish the job very soon, kinda sad but I could never win this matchup...
(Finish in the Top8, losing against my bro's BDW in the Quarter Finals)
0-2

3rd round: UW Cloudpost
At the "0-2 tables" there're the weakest decks I thought, but it's not always true...First game it's so much easy (since then I had found only poor matchups), control in general is way much slower than my deck except some Wrath of God, and with Cloudpost/Vesuva engine compared to the most common Urzatron engine is even more slower, I have all the time to win with a flying Plated Nexus 6/1 that is hell for that famous sorcery-speed removal. The second match it's a bit weird, I have a mistake to side in Darkblasts for Kataki (he sided in instead only Disenchants) and a manascrew hand with 2 Therapies without blackmana finish him to 4 but not much further...after stabilizing the field with Wraths and Condescends, 4 Cloudposts/Vesuva give a huge Decree and with 6 Angels it's 1-1 even. The last game is worse, I decide not to mulligan with a near-bad hand that it won't manage to explode and it repeats as the second match, with a different checkmate (Mindslaver + Academy Ruins infinite combo) that takes me to the little honorable 0-3.
1-2

4rd round: BGR Flow
After I have seen the guy (3rd in the current CC Standings) I was thinking to drop but only for a moment, I sat at the table and the match began. The first game is the most amazing of my tourney: he plays a BG aggro that uses also Stomping Ground and other /r lands, I think it's the Flow list played by Marco Cammilluzzi, the famous Italian player that won PTQ Florence for Yokohama 1 week ago (but he plays Flow in the Side as I can see in the next match). Thanks to his “experience”, his Confidant reveals land, land, land and builds up a fierce army of Troll Ascetic and Baloths without losing life. I have also a lot of Frogmites, Enforcers etc. but in the mid-late game he has so much advantage. When all was lost (he was at 12), I draw Thoughtcast. With that I put into play an artifact land and another Star, then start doing math. I decide then to attack with all my creatures (5) and he has 4 blockers (1 Baloth). After blocking 4 creatures leaving an Enforcer unblocked I start to sacrifice ALL artifacts to the Ravager before damage on the stack modularizing then the 12/12 ravager on the enforcer that becomes 16/16 that swings for the win even though a +4 of a Baloth. The second match he sided in almost 10 cards I think, I side Therapies and Needles, but it’s a lot much easier than the previous one. He went slowly but he managed to stop my offensive with a Putrefy on a Plating, I miss Troll Ascetic with a Cabal Therapy (he mindtricked me saying I would sacrifice Thopter to call Ascetic after my first mistake…too naive :) ) but a Needle on a Sword of Fire and Ice (he was forced to sacrifice a Baloth) dismantle all his attack power and my Enforcers and Frogmites finish him in a few turns. After the match, he made me saw what he sided in: 4 Flows, 3 Krosan Grips, 3 Ancient Grudges…
2-0

5rd round: UBR Affinity (mirror match)
Against a sad boy that seemed to have found the typical unlucky day as me...the mirror always is decided by who draws best, but seems that I found in the end all the luck that missed me during the whole day. First game, he screw so badly with a Glimmervoid against a perfect start (land-worker, land-ravager-frogmite, land-enforcer-frogmite), second game another ridiculous start finish him in a blink of an eye. At the end of the game we discuss about how fixing his deck.
2-0

In the end a very poor 2-3 with a deck so much played in Bari and therefore so much hated out by all the decks. Great news instead from Davide with Goblins (top8) and my bro that with BDW made a 3-1-1 swiss, defeats 2-1 the WG Haterator in the Quarter Finals and 2-0 a Goblin-Fecundity in the Semifinals to split the final (tourney ended almost at 11.00 pm) !!
See you next week in Turi where we’re going to continue testing for the upcoming PTQ (I’ll write the report asap).

My first thoughts

My first thoughts

This is my first english blog, and I'll dedicate it all to say something about the wonderful world of Magic The Gathering. It's unusual for me to use this japanese blog, but as a gaijin I'd like to use a more confortable language (and also because my Japanese is quite poor so far :) ). I hope you'll enjoy it! Well then, lets begin with the basics.

What's Magic the Gathering?
Magic the Gathering is a trading card game (TCG). The most famous. The most amazing. It's played almost everywhere, from Europe to America, and also in Japan. In Magic The Gathering, you are a wizard. Magic is about battles between wizards. Every wizard owns a secret book, the library (called also grimoire), where are sealed every battling technique, known as Spells. But not only this. Each library countains also the magic power's source, the Lands. More Lands a wizard can control, more its strength to cast spells will be. Library is totally customed by the wizard, but you must have a minimum of 60 cards in your library. Then begins the battle! Each wizard has 20 Life Points. If a wizard reaches 0 points, or if his library becomes empty, he loses.
A player can set a land, draw its power source (called Mana) and cast spells. In Magic we have 5 different types of Mana: White, Blue, Black, Red and Green. Each type differs from the others in spells characterization. For example, spells that uses red mana are likely to hit directly the opponent's Life Points, while blue mana is used mainly in blocking spells or rebounding permanents ecc.).
This is a simple explanation of what is Magic. Next days we will continue exploring the basics of this wonderful game!
For Magic experts instead, next article will talk about Extended Season that is about to begin and the infinite possibilities this format (my favourite) can show.