GTC Game Day

Spending quite a lot of time in a local game store I was more or less forced to build a type 2 deck. Everyone was asking me for a game of standard and that's what I never had - Legacy, EDH, Highlander yes, but not type 2. So I build such a deck and after few games I realized that I might actually like to take it to a tournament. Game Day seemed as a nice choice as that would mean more rounds and more fun thus. I was pretty ill the day I decided this and wasn't sure if I could recover till that time (I'm still ill). Some time ago I decided not to play Magic while being ill because I can't keep track of anything - be it my life total or what is going on on the table. But the Game Day was near and I did not want to miss it.

I came back home and started wondering what my sideboard should look like. That took me about three hours of mindlessly roaming my room. Later I lay down to sleep and an idea showed up in my head - Skullcrack, Nephalia's Drownyard and Rakdos's Return are not cards I would want to be hit with. So at least two cards in my SB were decided - Witchbane Orb. Along with some Negates and random cards. I put also Planar Cleansing in my SB because this can take care of annoying Planeswalkers and there's no Vindicate I could use on them in this format.

In the morning I managed to wake up (I was already awake when my alarm clock started to ring). I ate a bit and ran for the tram. I arrived on time, bought 2 copies of Witchbane Orb and waited for the first round.

Round 1 was against Matej Maly who completely devasteted me with his combo deck. Well, in the first game he killed me with Nicol Bolas. I had Detention Sphere in my hand, but Bolas took care of my white sources so I was pretty much screwed up. In the second game I couldn't do anything and did not have the counterspells I needed. So Omniscience + Enter the Infinite ended the game.

Round 2 Mariusz and his UB Mill deck. I showed him that I can mill faster^^. He was playing Consuming Aberrations and Lazavs in his deck and I was able to take them down one by one. His deck ran a lot of removal spells and such which was pretty much useless against my deck that hardly played a creature. So I milled him faster and won.

In Round 3 I played against Patrik Fiala. The only person I played before the tournament so I knew what to expect. The question was what would happen after he and me sided. He kept a bad hand (obviously) and lost. More or less the same happen in the second game. But I have to admit that I was milling the best cards I could so there wasn't much he could play any way.

Round 4 was the toughest. I was already pretty tired and hardly concentrating. When someone by accident noted that we are going to play a mirror match I knew that this round would take ages. I dropped Nephalia's Drownyard early so I started milling soon. This helped me a lot as I managed to hit all the lands that my opponent needed. After really long game we started a second one. I waited a bit and then played Witchbane Orb when it seemed to be more or less safe. After that I was hoping to draw Nephalia's Drownyard so I could mill my opponent but it never showed up. During that time my opponent went through his whole deck and finally killed me with Snapcaster Mages, Dissipates and Restoration Angel. I knew this would happen but my hands consisting of 5 lands could not provide any answer to that. I could have maybe saved one more turn but still there was no way I could win this. My Planar Cleasing was countered so I couldn't get rid of my opponent's Orb so I could play Psychic Spiral. Getting rid of the previous Dissipates was difficult enough. There weren't so many threats I could actually play (except Drownyard and Supreme Verdict which can't be countered)

Round 5 against Boros aggro. Augur of Bolas showed to be a good blocker^_^. It cannot do anything with Boros Reckoner but it can stop 1/1, 2/1 etc from attacking. Enough time to draw Supreme Verdict and then take care of occasional Hellkite or Hellrider or whatever is in the deck. My opponent wasn't lucky and died quite soon. My hand containing 3x Sphinx's Revelation was too much to handle.

Round 6...I rather not talk about that. I won the first game easily. I played against Jund. Dreg Manglers, Deathrite Shamans, Strangleroot Geists, Ghor-Clan Rampagers etc...In the second game I did not kill Hellrider when I had the chance and was then killed by 2x Bloodrush saying +4/+4 Trample. In the third game I managed to do even 'stupider' thing by playing Restoration Angel and forgetting to block the one and only creature in play on the other side of the table - Falkenrath Aristocrat. This sealed the doom. I managed to draw six lands straight then but even if I would draw something I deserved to lose^_^. Such plays should not be happening at all. I lost two games I practically couldn't lose....What a shame. My won Firemane Avenger will remind me of this Restoration Angel/Falkenrath Aristocrat combat for quite some time^_^ I guess.

The Game Day was fun. I was afraid that it would be a torture as I'm still ill, but it was really enjoyable. Thanks for the games!

Esper Control
stsung
Type II

Main Deck:
4 Augur of Bolas
2 Obzedat, Ghost Council
3 Restoration Angel
2 Snapcaster Mage

4 Azorius Charm
2 Devour Flesh
2 Dissipate
1 Dramatic Rescue
3 Sphinx's Revelation
4 Supreme Verdict
2 Terminus
4 Think Twice

4 Drowned Catacomb
4 Glacial Fortress
4 Godless Shrine
4 Hallowed Fountain
4 Isolated Chapel
3 Nephalia Drownyard
4 Watery Grave

Sideboard:
2 Blind Obedience
1 Detention Sphere
1 Duress
1 Jace, Memory Adept
2 Negate
2 Planar Cleansing
1 Psychic Spiral
1 Rest in Peace
2 Ultimate Price
2 Witchbane Orb