Two weeks ago, I did not know this event existed. Seriously. In my backyard, a major legacy event, at a major location. How the heck did that happen? I was so focused on the LoTR pre-release... thats how. (Which, for the first time since I re-joined magic... I did not even buy a pre-release kit for. Well, I might be able to fix that today hopefully. Update: I made it out to an 8 person pre-prelease, had some fun, and went 2-1)
I went in knowing the deck I was going to play- r/u initiative. I did not need to borrow a single card for the deck, which felt great. (who knew Plateaus would ever be $300+ cards?!) I was comfortable with the build after trying others... because there were multiple ways to slice and dice the deck from uber-gas to pure white with Esper Sentinel. The true test to my deck would be, would I draw a dead Chancellor of Annex in a critical time- and I felt like maybe once?
Here is my list of random thoughts followed by round by round summary:
- I am not sure, but I am fairly sure I didn't lose a die roll in my 7 matches. Maybe once.
- I think there were one or two hands I should have mulliganed that I didn't. Fairly sure I lost those games.
- Chalice felt good all day, only got Chalice checked once.
- Really gut punched myself in round 1 with game 3 missed trigger. Not sure it mattered in the long run, but ugh.
- Lots of good conversations with people, just happy to be out playing Legacy!
- I finished 110th place out of 256. That felt good.
- Knew of a lot of other really good players who didn't even make top 32 to cash out. So, my decision to drop at 4-3 was perfectly reasonable. I just hit a wall sitting down at match 7.
- Did not see any insane decks.
- I had Emrakul in my side for two decks, Mill and S&S. Ran into a single Painter deck, and it was a roadbump in his one victory.
- Pretty sure Leyline of the Void would have been more effective than Faerie Macabre.
- I had poor draws, but also some really good top decks at times. Felt reasonable.
- I had two different opponents thank me for having two Undercity cards, which was a last minute add to my sideboard. Small things help with the day.
- I only had one match go two games, which I won. The rest of my matches were all 3 games, which means I was doing something right all day.
- My last two rounds, and knockouts for me, were vs decks I had collectively, 1 match-up experience wise. I literally had no clue what I was doing effectively.
- Touch of the Spirit Realm was effectively nothing. I think there was one match I drew it and actually used it twice. Otherwise, nah.
- Any game I got to the 5th room of the Dungeon, I won. (I know, you are shocked)
- I felt slightly bad for my running mate for the day- Andy. He had two straight rounds against similar styled decks. For which he played a grand total of 2 games. Mind you, both first games went to time... however, he lost both. Its the magic he signed up for though....
Here is my round by round results.
Round 1 vs 4 color staff
Game one, my notes show that I was at 33, and that they were at 12. I don't remember anything else.
Game two, I got hosed good. I believe mana screw was my problem. A well timed prismatic ending removed my Chrome Mox, aka my only colored source at the time. He also had two terminus in hand. Not happening.
Game three might have been my biggest punt all day. First, he mulligan'd, and I revealed a pre-game Chancellor. Now normally, I leave it on the table as a reminder... but I picked it up for some GOD UNKNOWN reason. I dropped a turn one Caves of Chaos, which should have put him on the back foot for about 3 turns. He blue blasted it, and well- I completely blanked on the Chancellor trigger. I mean- I brain farted hard. He didn't have a second land up... that should have been game honestly. He could have waited a turn, and have a second land... but he was super nervous and I BUNGED IT HARD. I should have had him down to like 7 by turn 3. Sigh... CRAP.
Round2 vs 8 cast
Game 1, I was not ready for 8-Cast when I sat down. Go figure. I dropped a Chalice on 1 opener, and after he vomited his hand- I realized I choose in correctly. I mean, 85% of the time, Chalice on 1 is very good. And honestly, Urza's Saga won him the game. Creating tokens, and finding a Shadowspear. That Spear single-handedly won him that game.
Game 2, my notes show me not losing a point, and a Chalice on 0. That followed by a very quick game.
Game 3, My notes show I wound up drawing both of my Meltdowns. Which completely ended everything he was trying to do... so, a match win it is.
Round 3 vs Boros Painter
Game 1, I believe I dropped a Chalice on 1, and followed it by a complete beating.
Game 2, I nearly forgot to put in my Emrakul, the only time it was midly good. It caused him problems trying to mill me out. He had a Karn to fetch up a Tormod's Crypt to respond to the Emrakul trigger. I had an out if I could top a Meltdown, but no.
Game 3, All I have for a note is "stomped kill." But this last win was a VERY interesting timing kill. He had a slight window when he dropped a painter, then I attacked with a beefy Caves of Chaos, which exiled a Fury. He did not block obviously... I then I hard cast Fury to kill his Painter. It was all I could ever hope for.
Round 4 vs Deadguy Ale
Game 1, I had ZERO clue what he was on. I dropped a turn one Chalice on 1, which blanked his two StP in his hand. Go figure. I didn't know what he was on still becausehe dropped only a Dauthi Voidwalker, and I was able to Elite Spellbinder his had to remove his Serra Paragon. It was a good beatdown with no Initiative creatures.
Game 2, I think I crushed him even faster if possible. I found multiple Initiative creatures, and his Dauthi, while hitting me for 3 a turn, didn't do anything else. I felt bad for him... just a little bit.
Round 5 vs Field of the Dead deck? (decklist is not available on Melee)
Game 1, I never saw anything more than a single land before they scooped to my Caves of Choas. They said- Nope, I am just dead to that. I had zero clue what they were on, but based on a single dual land, I guessed and put in Magus of the Moon, and prayed.
Game 2, I wound up drawing a Magus, and dropped it when they only had two basics in play, but not any White to cast a prismastic Ending. Their Field of the Dead was dead.. and I removed they few pieces of creatures that let me run the dungeon.
Game 6 vs Mystic Forge (I've played against them exactly ZERO times)
Game 1, I honestly don't know what happened, but he comboed me out.
Game 2, I won with initiative creatures. He did not find his uber fast start.
Game 3, my single note was "Did I even play?" Nope... my hand was actually REALLY good if he didn't have Echo of Eons. I mean, I could have even removed everything up to, and including a 4 drop artifact due to a Meltdown... but I never even had a turn. Oh well.
Game 7 vs Breakfast (but he had it listed as 4 color loam.... shrug)
Game 1, I won but not sure how...
Game 2, Did not find a single piece of colored mana. Well, that sucked.
Game 3, He found a Kaldra via Stoneforge, I did not find a Solitude. I wound up with two Faerie Macabre in my hand which were completely useless. That ended my day.
