Right! Riding high from my return to Twenty sided, the weekend was torturous. I just wanted to flop cards. But you know how it is, ya gotta work. But before the weekend, fashion week happened, and I got a call as an emergency studio photographer… netting enough for a case of RTR! Thats gonna make a huge difference in deck innovation and (HOPEFULLY) my final record after GP Philly. I plan on practicing the heck out of sealed.
Anyhow fast forward to 9/11 Tuesday at Twenty Sided. I was playing the same 75 cards and ready to crush some wizards!
Round 1:
Nick H
Nick was (and possibly still is) the preeminent Zombie player at Twenty Sided. When I was still rare drafting my way toward a standard deck Nick was in the driver’s seat of R/B zombies. Even once i made my way into Constructed he was still running it as I was playing my U/B Zombie deck that was a trick (and by trick I mean not nearly as good as other U/B Zombie builds) deck that played Mana Leaks instead of Phantasmal Images. I have been in Draft pools with Nick but I’m not sure that I’ve actually played him in a tournament. We talk a lot of trash, deck theory, whether or not we like a certain card in limited or constructed… normally each of us on either side of the fence, but I’m pretty sure this is our first match. MIRROR MATCH!
Game 1: I get a crazy good draw and I’m on the play… Nick mulls to six keeps and doesn’t look happy with his hand. Game one is pretty much a blow out and Nick gets mana screwed as my three one drop hand mauls him… finishing with either a Messenger or Aristocrat. It was a shameful display of power, but this tournament ain’t gonna win itself (amiright).
Game 2: Again I rock a solid, “Snap Keep!” and Nick mulls to 5. It’s a massacre. I try to convince Nick to stick around, crush dreams and aim for the prize. He ragequits. EVERYONE NOTICES. I felt bad until he told me the next week he salvaged his night. I should beat him like he owes me money more often, it was good for everyone involved.
1-0
Round 2
Charley Li – Hexproof PUMP beats
Game 1: Charley lays down a Geist of Saint Traft… I’m confident I can win this race. Rancor and Increasing Savagery made that hypothesis laughable. I was like the dead half of Schrodinger’s cat. It was pretty terrible. NEW TARGET ACQUIRED: Geist of… oh he’s Hexproof… that’s bad.
Game 2: With no real way to get ride of geist I sided out my removal in hopes of a more consistant hand full of creatures. I started off strong, but a few well played counters and another iSavagery’d Geist sent me to bed.
How do I deal with Geist? He countered my Geth’s Verdict my burn all but useless against it. Bonfire was sided in but the iSavagery made that worthless. New Strategy: Don’t get paired up against this deck for the new month… Seems like a solid battleplan.
1-1
Round 3:
Luis
Game 1: Oh I’m playing Delver! Oh Delver is pretty good and consistent and he wins. This is how I feel about playing Delver decks. The match up for Zombies is goodish, but I still think Delver has the overall better chance.
Game 2: Much of the same…
1-2 (what happened I was doing so well!?)
Round 4:
Nic – I forget
I won in two games, i have to admit I forget this match completely. I was too overwhelmed with how to deal with Geist of Saint Traft. I was living the last 4 matches back in my head. Play Geist, I lose… there has to be an answer. I reported to Luis and put money down toward a case of RtR. Maybe i can get a jump on the metagame after Rotation.
Final Result 2-2
I’ve had a couple people ask why I havent drafted in a while. I actually like drafting and It’s a much more skill oriented format, for sure. I was a solid limited player 12 years ago, and I would completely draft more… but Constructed has 4 rounds. Thats a few more points each week. Twenty Sided is a hard store to consistently win at, which is good! That means the competition is really strong. Someone said of Magic in NYC, “Being good here is a lot harder than being good anywhere else in the world.” I agree. NYC is a crucible for the Magic community. Twenty Sided is our Arrakis (Dune) or for those of you how are DnD hip… the Menzoberranzan (Dark Elf Triolgy). May Your Blade Chip and Shatter!