PTQing in Nashville

After a less than stellar 5k run, I found myself sitting down the next day for a PTQ. We sit down for the player meeting and are informed that we have 211 strong leading to 8 rounds of sealed deck action. I get passed a pool that looks like this:

Blue
Cancel 2
Cosi's Trickster
Gomazoa
Lethargy Trap
Living Tsunami
Paralyzing Grasp 2
Roil Elemental
Shoal Serpent
Trapfinder's Trick
Welkin Tern 2
Whiplash Trap

Artifacts
Adventuring Gear
Blazing Torch
Expedition Map 2
Explorer's Scope
Spidersilk Net
Stonework Puma

Black
Blood Seeker 2
Bog Tatters
Crypt Ripper
Desecrated Earth
Giant Scorpion
Grim Discovery
Hagra Diabolist
Halo Hunter
Heartstabber Mosquito 2
Hideous End
Marsh Casualties
Surrakar Marauder
Vampire's Bite

Green
Beast Hunt
Grazing Gladeheart
Greenweaver Druid
Harrow
Lotus Cobra
Nissa's Chosen
Oran-Rief Recluse
Quest for the Gemblades
Savage Silhouette
Scythe Tiger
Tanglesap
Turntimber Basilisk
Turntimber Ranger
Vastwood Gorger
Vines of the Vastwood
Zendikar Farguide

White
Arrow Volley Trap
Brave the Elements
Cliff Threader
Kor Outfitter
Kor Sanctifiers
Narrow Escape
Ondu Cleric
Pillarfield Ox 2
Quest for the Holy Relic
Shieldmate's Blessing
Steppe Lynx

Lands
Greypelt Refuge
Jwar Isle Refuge
Scalding Tarn
Sejiri Refuge
Turntimber Grove

Red
Bladetusk Boar 2
Goblin Ruinblaster
Goblin Shortcutter
Goblin War Paint
Magma Rift 2
Molten Ravager
Murasa Pyromancer
Plated Geopede
Quest for Pure Flame
Ruinous Minotaur
Tuktuk Grunts
Unstable Footing
Burst Lightning

Nothing real impressive here aside from the money cards. Black immediately stood out as the color I really wanted to play as it had most of the removal and a solid rare in Halo Hunter. From there I had to find a second color. Blue seemed pretty good with a Roil Elemental, Paralyzing Grasp, Welkin Tern, and Cancel. Red had the Bladetusk Boars and Burst Lightning. White was fairly unplayable. In the end I chose to play Green. I had opened most of my favorite cards in green with a Harrow, Grazing Gladeheart, and Turntimber Ranger so I set about building and ended up with this.

Grazing Gladeheart
Harrow
Turntimber Ranger
Turntimber Basilisk
Nissa's Chosen
Quest for the Gemblades
Vines of the Vastwood
Zendikar Farguide
vastwood Gorger

Bog Tatters
Crypt Ripper
Giant Scorpion
Hagra Diabolist
Halo Hunter
2x Heartstabber Mosquito
Hideous End
Marsh Casualties
Surrakar Marauder

Stonework Puma
Expedition Map
Blazing Torch

10x Swamp
8x Forest

Pretty solid creature base and a fair bit of removal. Green also helped provide to help in fixing for the triple black Halo Hunter. The only card I felt I should play, but I didn't was Grim Discovery. After a few mind sludges I realized that maybe I wanted to get my guys back from the yard. So, how did it go?

Round 1 against Scott:

Scott told me he was a newer player and that he was playing in his first PTQ. I didn't write him off as such a novice and he didn't disappoint.

Game 1 he beats me around while I try to gain a stable board position. Then he shows me his bomb, Sphinx of Jwar Isle. I commit a few guys to the board, including a kicked oran-rief recluse and kicked heartstabber mosquito to kill some guys. Along the way I get a counter on Quest for the Gemblades and when he rumbles in with his Sphinx while I'm at 4 I send my recluse adventuring and take down the menace. I take game 1 a few turns later.

Game 2 he leaves my Gladeheart unchecked and I gain a pile. Halo Hunter hits the table for me and he retaliates with his Sphinx, but the life gain combined with the fact that my hunter hits harder seals game 2 for me.

Matches: 1-0 Games: 2-0

Round 2 against Curtis:

Game 1 he never really gets started. I play some guys and he plays some removal but not enough and Halo Hunter seals the deal.

Game 2 he hits Mind Sludge on 6 for my hand which included my Hunter. I try to recover but eventually just die.

Game 3 he hits Mind Sludge again, but this time he backs it up with a flurry of Hideous Ends, Marsh Casualties, and a Disfigure. I ask him what it's like to get such a removal heavy pool. He responds by telling me it's pretty nice. I figured that out.

M: 1-1 G: 3-2

Round 3 against Dillon:

Dillon is a local from back home and the match was pretty relaxed as such. We discussed Grand Prix plans for next season and possible Legacy decks while shuffling. Soon it was down to business.

Game 1 We trade blows with some dudes, then he shows me Day of Judgement. I rip Halo Hunter off the top and win. Lucky me...

Game 2 he has no answer for my turn 5 Halo and it goes the distance.

M: 2-1 G: 5-2

Round 4 against Rob:

Rob seemed like a pretty nice guy, and told me he misbuilt his sealed...

Game 1: Sure enough he was having some issues getting his mana online and it allowed me to bring the pain.

Game 2: We spend some time sideboarding and he comes back with all the black removed and playing better green spells. I mull to 6 and he smashes me in record time.

Game 3: Rob lands turn 2 Luminarch's Ascension. I play a guy on 3 that's dealt with, a guy on 4 that's dealt with, and 2 guys on 5 that are also dealt with. Luminarch activates and he beats me down with angels.

M: 2-2 G: 6-4

Here I faced a decision, I'm most likely out of contention for a top 8 spot, so I could drop and not feel bad. On the other hand, Saturday had ended badly and I could possibly make up some lost rating points if I won a few more matches. I decided to stay in until I took a 3rd loss.

Round 5 against Clay

Game 1 took a solid 30 minutes that ended with me decking him while having 1 card in my library and a massive creature stall on the ground.

Game 2 is a little better. He's playing red/white allies with a splash for hagra diabolist, I manage to play both my rares and then out dude him.

M: 3-2 G: 8-4

Round 6 against Thomas

Game 1 he plays 3 Journey to Nowhere hitting all of my good guys. Unfortunately for him, he didn't have a lot to work with outside of that and I still manage to pull it out.

Game 2 we battle for a while. He knocks me to 2 and I land Grazing Gladeheart and start playing some lands and getting back into the game. I start to draw my removal and make a comeback leaving him with a Torch Slinger equipped with a Machete and Adventuring Gear. He taps out main phase 1 for a KICKED(!) Conquerer's Pledge and swings with a 6/5 Slinger. I look at my hand, see my marsh casualties and decide to go to 2. Untap casualty the board away and swing with just enough to win.

M: 4-2 G: 10-4

Round 7 against Michael

I had the read on him from the last round when he played a friend and knew he was packing Hellkite Charger and a couple Mind Sludges.

Game 1 he gets a solid draw with Vampire Lacerator and Vampire Nighthawk. He out races me with his guys and beats me soundly.

Game 2 he lands Lacerator again and it deals a pile of damage, only this time it's to him. I take this one home with the assist.

Game 3 a couple of big swings take this one down for the home team.

M: 5-2 G: 12-5

So with a round to go I realize I can still prize with a win and that a couple of locals are in good shape to top 8. Time to close it out then.

Round 8 against Corey

Game 1 he plays some little guys and once they're out of the way I start swinging with mine. Halo Hunter creates another win on it's demon back.

Game 2 he lands Sphinx of Jwar Isle and I hit Halo Hunter. I land my Gladeheart just in time to allow me to win the race.

M: 6-2 G: 14-5

All said and done I manage a respectable 25th and regain the points lost from Saturday. One thing I noticed about Zendikar sealed over the course of the day is that the format isn't as fast as people think it is. Sure, you have a few matches where your opponent can kill you really fast, but the format can lend itself a control/midrange strategy if you get the proper cards. Unfortunately, the format leans heavily on the black side making black removal slightly less good, but only slightly. On the positive side of a heavy black sealed format you get cards like Bog Tatters as a maindeckable niche card.

Lastly, I would like to promote my other endeavors, mainly Draw Go Radio. Draw Go Radio is a podcast featuring myself, Carlos, Eric, and Tyler all of STD fame! Find us every week at DrawGoRadio.blip.tv or on iTunes by searching for DrawGo Radio. You can find our twitter feed @DrawGoRadio and become our fan on Facebook. Shameless self promotion over.

Until next time, turn 'em sideways

Steven

WHAT IS

HIS 60TH CARD?!

http://www.deckcheck.net/deck.php?id=29607

My guess is Eternal Witness. Makes for cute Intuition piles where Volrath's Stronghold and Life From the Loam are concerned.

Hott.

This is

why I suddenly want Bitterblossoms:

Stalker-Faeries - 5/283.

Plus I think their current lull of $9 is a mistake due to the Standard rotation. The card is a Jitte, and $9 there was a mistake as well - one upon which I am glad to have seized.