Thiago Trevisan [email protected]
PTQ Report for PTQ Tokyo 11/18 NYC *T8*
After weeks of play testing, I finally settled on Tradewind/Survival, and it appears to have been a good choice. The PTQ had 100 people or so in attendance, with 7 rounds of swiss. I was a bit skeptical about playing versus Necro/Donate, thankfully I didn’t face a single one, but I did play versus a myriad of decks with blue. There was a lot of Oath/Turboland variants, TS, Necro/Donate, and a smattering of weenie decks. The extended environment is at its prime now, there is a good balance between decks, making it an awfully fun format to play in. This is the version of TS that I played, I think adding a 2nd weaver to the Sideboard and replacing the Bottle Gnomes with a 2nd Feeder would be some changes, but I like the deck the way it is now. Maybe Realist maindeck would be a good switch also.
Tradewind/Survival
5 Island
6 Forest
1 Savannah
4 Tropical Island
1 Gilded Drake
ß This card was exceptional in the mirror match-up
1 Morphling
1 Deranged Hermit ß This is a key card versus Stompy and some other weenie decks
1 Uktabi Orangutan
2 Quirion Ranger
1 Squee, Goblin Nabob
2 Impulse
4 Brainstorm
4 Land Grant
4 Survival of the Fittest
1 Spike Weaver ß Very important Versus Slivers, I lost in the T8 because I only had 1 Weaver
2 Mana Leak
4 Force of Will
4 Counterspell
4 Wall of Roots
4 Birds of Paradise
4 Tradewind Rider
SB: 4 Back to Basics
SB: 4 Emerald Charm
SB: 1 Monk Realist
SB: 1 Bottle Gnomes ß a 2nd Feeder would be better
SB: 1 Spike Feeder
SB: 1 Monk Idealist
SB: 1 Masticore
SB: 1 Uktabi Orangutan
SB: 1 Quirion Ranger ß A weaver can substitute this nicely
( I might of misspelled/forgotten some of the names, my apologies)
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Round 1: Eric Lovely; Blue/White Control
Games one and two were nothing too exciting, I set up my side of the board early on while he attempted to slow me down with Icy Manipulators and Wrath of God, but my Survival and creatures were eventually too much for his deck to handle. One interesting point was when he cast Bribery and got a Morphling from my deck, but fortunately he tapped out, and I was able to promptly survival for a Gilded Drake and eventually win the game. Eric was a very nice guy to play against, I won 2-0.
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Round 2: Eric Kessleman; TurboLand
I have tested this match-up before, and the results were close to what I expect them to be. Game one he gets out an early Oath and I can’t recover, but it was a game well played. Game two I expect to do better, I board in Emerald Charms and some utility creatures, the game gets close near the end but I am able to pull off the win. Game three is also very close, I am in good shape later on, but our 5-turn extension ends the turn before I am victorious, so we end up in a draw. Eric was a great opponent, we end up 1-1-1.
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Round 3: I am now 1-0-1, and playing Versus Jordan Weissman with Tradewind/Survival as well
I opt to play first, and get Tradewind advantage after some Gilded Drakes are used by both of us. Game two he gets control, I am unable to break out of his Tradewind lock. Game three I once again get a quick Tradewind down and eventually win a close game, 2-1.
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Round 4: Oath, this match-up wasn’t as strenuous as I thought, but tough nonetheless
Game one I am able to quickly gain advantage, he never gets much passed my creature offense and I eventually win. Game two I am also able to stabilize and win, it was a well-played game by both of us. I won 2-0.
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Round 5: I am now 3-0-1, and playing versus Matt M. with Oath
This match-up was a rather horrid experience for me, I should do reasonably well versus Oath but I was unable to draw much land/ Threats both games, so I quickly lost both. 0-2
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Round 6: I am 3-1-1 and still in good shape to make Top 8, I am matched up versus Merfolk
I didn’t test versus Merfolk too much, so I wasn’t too sure what to expect. My opponent was a pleasure to play against, both games were rather close but I was able to pull out a win 2-0.
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Round 7: Versus Richard Fein. I am 4-1-1 and need to win this, he is playing Stompy
I am confident I can win versus Stompy, game one is a close game but I gain control with Tradewinds and Weaver and win. Game two is even closer, I topdeck a Squee when I need it most, to get a hermit and stop his creature rush when I was at 1. They were great games, and I win 2-0 and on the Top 8
Top 8 Consisted of a few different decks, Necro/donate, TS, Slivers and Sligh were some that I can remember.
Top 8: I am playing Mark Swoyer, with Slivers
Game one he gets out 3 Muscle Slivers (!) and a Crystalline, which is eventually too much for me to handle. Game two I fare a bit better, he consults for a Swords to Plowshares and removes most of his deck from the game, but he plows my weaver and wins 2-0. It was two great games.
Props:
All of my opponents who were gr8.
Those gassy Top 8 pins and the box
Matt Rubin for T8ing also!
Suvival for being such a ting ray.
Misers worldwide.
Slops:
Me for losing in the T8, and that’s about it!