This year I decided to participate in the WMCQs and for that it was time to play some Standard. After a while figuring what I would like to play I ended up playing Abzan Control which I already played at previous tournaments. The deck changed a bit though. I spent some time playing with the deck (mostly online) and there I really missed playing cards like Bile Blight and while playing in real life I needed Dromoka's Commands (there was many burn decks and GW constellation decks). I used to play Fleecemane Lions main and less removal online but vice versa in paper Magic. Anyway I wanted to tweak the deck so I could get a good result at WMCQ so paper Magic was what interested me.
This is what I ended up playing and I do not regret that. The deck was performing well. I would cut 1 Nissa, 1 Forest, 1 Dromoka's Command or 1 Ultimate price and added Thoughtseize, Den Protector and a land (not sure which one).
Last week before the WMCQ I did not really have time to play. But I also noticed the fact that there was rise in control decks and in Abzan Aggro/Midrange decks. Because of that I added Thoughtseize, Bile Blight and Unravel the Aether. Enchantments are played a lot and burn has its spot as well so I decided to keep 3x Dromoka's Command but I moved 2 of them to sideboard so I can play more general removal. Because I needed to get rid of some cards early game (most of the time I needed to deal with Jace) and couldn't wait till I have a creature on the board so I can use Dromoka's Command as a removal spell.
The day before the Qualifier I was so exhausted that I wasn't even sure if I would wake up (or that my alarm clock would wake me up). I know that after being sleep deprivated for a really long time (few months) there is one day I just don't wake up. It was quite possible that it would happen the day of the WMCQ...
I got missing cards for my and someone else's deck from Ondra and others borrowed cards from me (hopefully I'll get the cards back). Sasa even came to me with a strange request - he needed sleeves for his deck (and some cards as well). Even though he could buy the sleeves on site I told him that he can use the sleeves I have on my burn deck. One player who wanted to play Esper Dragons did not show up but I did not realize that I can take the Thoughtseizes out of the deck and play them myself so I ended up playing 3 Thoughtseizes instead of 4 (I thank Ondra for letting me play with his own. I was really slow in realizing stuff that day^_^ I couldn't think straight.). *facepalm no.2*
After players' meeting during which our decklists were collected and we received Thalias we were paired for the first round. (It seems there was a problem with Wizards Event Reporter) I was paired against Miro Sevcik playing Abzan Midrange. I wasn't particularly looking forward to that match because I knew it would take ages (he plays very slowly) and also because his way of thinking is completely elsewhere than my line of thought. The probability of playing mirror match was very high.
After playing Thoughtseize and seeing his hand I knew what deck he's playing. That was actually the matchup I never played. In his hand there was Ajani, Den Protector, 2x Hangerback Walkers, Caves of Koilos and Temple of Malady. I discarded Den Protector and hoped for a few Abzan Charms, Hero's Downfall or another Thoughtseize before Ajani would show up on the table. I was staring at those Hangerback Walkers, Siege Rhino and another creature (Anafenza I think). I had 2 Coursers and 2 Siege Rhinos but I couldn't really think what to do with the situation. I needed to get rid of the Hangerback Walkers without them generating the tokens (or get rid of those as well) and then I could possibly think of attacking. Miro knew that without being able to attack the game won't end so he spent ages thinking what to do. Few turns later we both were capable of attacking but I managed to deal with his creatures and won the game. The second game looked more or less the same. I managed to win somehow. We had to fill in the result slip ourselves due to problems with WER so I took a pic^_^.
In round two I played against Jiri Stetka who also plays Abzan Control. He usually loses but this time he was got lucky and won. Even though he managed to let his Nissa die and not to play Elspeth when she would kill me he still won the match. In the first game I couldn't draw my sixth land that I desperetadly needed and in the second game I was drawing mostly lands which did not really help me either. No Ugin to save the day and I lost.
/* beginning of rant */
At this point I was in a really bad mood. Listening to Jiri is something no one really likes, losing to him is even worse but that is not what made me angry in the first place. It was Ondra behaving like an idiot. Not only he fails to understand that I hate when people watch me play, he does not understand many other things and it seems that 'being polite' is not a notion he understands. Going through my stuff while I'm not there is something I certainly consider rude. That is why I decided to drop of the tournament after my second loss but in the end I ended up playing the whole tourney. Since I lost against Jiri early I guessed that I wouldn't be able to Top16 but I continued playing. During the upcoming matches I was too upset to think straight and my brain was flooded with thoughts and questions I won't really be able to find an answer for. Concentrating on the game was difficult and I was pretty tired (which was understandable, I really wonder what kept me awake. Maybe the fact that I was really angry helped. Sometimes being angry actually has its upsides.). /*end of rant*/
Next I played against Mardu Dragons or something like that. After seeing my opponent's hand with Kolaghan's Command, Crux of Fate and Stormbreath Dragon I knew that I have nothing to fear that game. (except endless top decks of hasty dragons). Except those cards what I saw was Soulfire Grandmaster that I did not really care much about and some burn spells including Magma Spray which does not do much against me either but I guess it is very good against many decks and cards (especially that annoying Hangerback Walker). In the second game there wasn't much resistance from my opponent so I managed to win relatively easily.
After this I realized that I'm hungry and I really need a coffee or something to wake me up (it was like 3 minutes till the end of round). I sat down to wait for the next round to begin and fell asleep (achievement unlocked!). Sasa woke me up, it wasn't nice but at least I woke up before the round started and could shake off a headache I got because waking up in mid-sleep. He gave me back my cards and sleeves and left. (just for your information, we waited 28 minutes till Esper Dragons and UR Tutelage decks finish their 5 additional turns! That's what I call Murphy's Law...I was soo hungry and sleepy-_-.)
Next I played against burn and it wasn't really pleasant and I wasn't supposed to win. I was facing Eidolon of the Great Revels and I did not like that at all. I could have died one turn but my opponent managed to misplay and that gave me the possibility to play my Siege Rhino and survive the next turn. Next I played Courser of Kruphix after Courser of Kruphix and later won the game. I was glad that I managed to win game 1, because I was in a way better position than usually I am (game one is tough). I lost game two to 3x times Pyrostatic Pillar effect that I couldn't get rid of. In game three my opener consisted of 3 forests, a fetchland and Dragonlord Dromoka. I did not particularly like the hand but if I could draw something and stay alive till turn 6 I could win. The hand had a certain plan even though a pretty shaky one. Also losing the game would mean leaving the site for me and that would probably ease my mind and I could spent more time at Natsucon and it also meant that I can get some warm meal^_^ ). I kept the hand (which in most cases would be immediate mulligan). My following draws were two more fetchlands. I needed to draw a land that is not a fetchland and does not come into play tapped. I managed that and played Dromoka on t6. My opponent missed 2 land drops so I knew that Dromoka would survive at least for one turn and then I had Dromoka's Command if my opponent would try to kill my dragon. Dromoka stayed in play and I won few turns later.
After this turn I hurried to get something to eat and get some Red Bull so I would be able to at least play the next round. Unfortunately for me I played against Abzan Midrange next. I somehow won the first game. I do not remember how or what happened during the game except that I played 2 Rhinos and Courser of Kruphix obviously^_^. In the middle of the second game I got completely lost in the game and I simply couldn't figure out what to do with all those creatures. I just hoped for a Wrath of God effect and lost later when Ajani and Sorin made it into play. I couldn't deal with either of them and I completely forgot that Sorin has an ultimate ability that actually DOES something. So I got rid of him before he could go ultimate but already fell to much behind and lost the game. The third game was similar to the second one. The fact that a judge was watching my game along with few more players (Ondra included as always, even though he seemed to understand that I hate this and even noted that he hates that as well. No matter what he comes to mess my games all the time) did not help. I had no idea what to do and attacking wasn't an option. I then played Elspeth and wondered if I should kill Rhino, Hangerback Walker with it and deal with the tokens with Bile Blight or use Abzan Charm to deal with it. The game continued and I soon faced 5/5 Hangerback Walkers that I couldn't deal with because I only had 1 Bile Blight and 1 Hero's Downfall and I needed one more removal. I did not draw the removal spell and died. But I think that there was a way how to win the game, I just had to seriously mess up somewhere in the middle of the game....But I hardly recall the game now. I was too preoccupied with thoughts in my head that I couldn't process the game the way I usually do. (that does not mean I would have won, I would just remember what happened in the game).
Next Mardu Dragons awaited me. I underestimated Goblin Rabblemaster in game 1 and even after I played few Rhinos that immediately died (to Crackling Doom). I died later to a horde of Goblin tokens. I wasn't happy about that and wasn't looking forward to game 2. My opponent tried to cheer me up and it kinda worked. Those were the only kind words that someone told me that day. In game 2 my opponent couldn't draw enough lands and also misplayed so I won the game. In the third game he kept a hand with Crux of Fate, few Scrylands and Stormbreath Dragon which seemed ok to me but his deck decided to provide mostly lands so I won that game as well. (even though I was flooded as well). But I still had answers to all the dragons and one creature can win the game (hoped it wouldn't end up dead, that would be a problem^_^).
In the last round I knew I would have to pay attention more than before because I was even more exhausted. I played against a very good player piloting UR Tutelage. I wasn't really sure if I can win this match up. My previous experiences with that deck did not end up well. The game was proceeding well though for me. I was able to deal enough damage but I knew there was still Send to Sleep in my opponent's hand that could just mean I would get milled before I deal the final three damage... No matter what I managed to mess up because there was Siege Rhino on top of my library that I could play (I had Nissa in play) and win but I didn't do it (*mega facepalm*). Not only I felt like an idiot but I expected Ondra to tell me this after the game (he didn't). I sided in all the Commands, discard and Unravel the Aether and hoped to win somehow. My opponent sided in Encase in Ice which kinda messed up with my Dromoka's Commands but even getting rid of the Encase (instead of Tutelage) meant that I could win because I would deal lethal damage next turn. That happened. I managed to miraculously win game three. I was facing two Tutelages and I had to mill many cards after two Treasure Cruises and some red drawing spell. My only way to deal with those tutelages (I had 6 cards left in my library) was to play Ugin a get rid of everything there was on the table (I did not have anything costing more than 3). After dealing 11 damage with my creatures (opponent being down to 5) I played Ugin. It resolved. I exiled everything and hoped to use his +2 ability to deal the remaining 5 life. My opponent though played Radiant Fountain and bounced Ugin. Next turn I played Duress to discard a counterspell but the spell itself was countered. I had no other choice but to play Ugin and hope. It resolved and I dealt 3 damage. My opponent played another Fountain though^_^. Anyway I managed to kill him before I ran out of my own cards. Anyway that one damage that was messing my game was my earlier mistake (playing Dromoka's Command post combat) (*facepalm no.3*).
The round was more or less after I finished the match so I wanted to see where my 5:2 record would take me. It wasn't far from top 16 (22nd). After that I rushed to Karlinske Namesti so I could participate in another tournament, this time in dance games. Before it we managed to get dinner with Ondra. My dish was too salty and greasy but it felt great to eat something warm and cooked after all those 7 rounds.
/* something you probably don't need to read*/
I after I ran those few hundred meters to the Natsucon site I knew that my physical performance would be pretty lousy. During the In The Groove tournament I realized how exhausted I am. I can play dance games for hours and feel ok. But after the tournament I felt exhausted both psychically and physically.
When I came back at midnight we ate something (more like a bit of everything we had in the flat) and then watched Mr. Robot's episode from 3 days ago. It was very strange but not provoking my mind to think about the series or its characters much. The thoughts that troubled me during the WMCQ came back and I started reevaluating whether I want to participate in the upcoming two WMCQs and Grand Prix Prague. After this experience with one particular player I really don't know if I want to be a part of that 'community' and suffer from this (there's way more players and things that I don't really appreciate. There are many players that make me feel miserable when I see them or have to deal with them.). While being at Natsucon I realized the big difference. People did not want anything from me there, weren't rude or hostile and actually wanted to talk to me or wanted to learn something. People with similar interests gathered there. Most participants know each other but even they would be strangers they wouldn't be so hostile as many Magic players tend to be. Those people were there to have fun and enjoy the event. I wasn't in the mood for anything, my mood destroyed since the morning, I did not even say good bye to all those people I treasure and was really glad to see after a long time. I regret this, but in my state I think it was a miracly that I did not kill someone...I know this post is strange but I really felt strange that day.
I fell asleep after 2am and woke up at noon, exhausted and depressed wondering if the tournament was worth it. The games and the tournament itself were fine. I would even enjoy it weren't it for that one particular person ruining my day. Unfortunately little is needed to spoil my mood.
/* end of rant */
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