My First TCGPlayer Silver Qualifier
Magic The Gathering
As you proably know I've gone down the rabbit hole and am totally immersed into Magic. Not only do I go to drafts but every weekend we have friends over to play at out house. Either another draft, EDH or now our new cube! It's great having a group to talk about strategy and playtest our decks. With the new set coming out in two weeks (Return to Ravnica) all the standard decks are rotating out. The deck I've been running for the past couple months is my awesome Dungrover deck! It's all green and completely kick ass aggro. Even though most people call the deck Get 'er Dungrove I decided the name "Dungrover" was more my style - like Super Grover stomping all over my opponents. (Cute and adorable but someone you don't want to mess with)
TCGPlayer Qualifier
With the last two weeks left my friend got an email about a TCGPlayer event about 30 minutes away from us. It was a Standard event with cash prizes and a PLAYMAT for top 8. Yea. I was going to win a playmat. I didn't care about anything else. My eye was on the prize and the Eye of the Tiger was playing in my head. Playmat or BUST! On Sunday I headed out to the store with my deck in hand ready to reign down some bonfire.
I arrived at the store with two of my friends and the total pool of players was 20 people. 4 rounds swiss, cut to top 8. Okay I thought... I can do this!
First match up - I sit down across the only other girl in the store and both of our names were Jenn! First game she comes out swinging with Zombies. I don't get many great cards and she pings off my little creatures and I never got started. Soon it was on to game 2 where I sideboarded in some graveyard hate and switched up my Swords to Feast and Famine. Second game I came out strong. Strangleroot Geist into Rancor into Dungrove Elder. She didn't stand a chance. Game 3 ended the same way and I was on to Round 2 with a win!
Round 2 got re-paired and I sit down across from my friend. I smile and he just looks at me. We've playtested our decks against each other multiple times with my deck winning 80% of the time. He runs Wolf Run Jund. All I had to do was come out FAST. He never got a chance to touch my life as I swung for lethal by turn 5 both games. Now I'm 2-0 and well on my way to top 8
Round 3 I sit down for the hardest matchup of the day - Delver. I despise delver. I've played it - it's not my cup of tea. I'm more of the aggro type of girl who loves to go PEWPEWPWEPWEPEPWEPEW. Game 1 I was able to beat him before he got Delver or Snapcaster out. Game 2 it was a close battle but he won out. Then Game 3 he came in flying and there was no way I could stop him. I got my first match loss but I had pretty good tiebreakers. The standings were posted after 3 rounds and I was in 4th place at 6 points. Top 3 were undefeated with the rest of us at 6 points or less. I got paired with one of the top 3 and we decided to bye into the top 8.
Top 8
By now I have accomplished what I came for. I've won my playmat. I could lose first round or continue on, either way being a happy camper. I get paired up with the same guy I would have played in the 4th round. We both sit down across from each other. I had seen him play against my friend and knew he had a slower deck with a small reanimation package. I had to get out ASAP to win and not let him get any titans out. Draw 7 cards - 3 forests, 2 rancors, 1 dungrove elder, 1 llanowar elf. He mulligans down to 5. I got this.
- Turn 1; Draw a Sword of War and Peace play forest & Llanowar Elf, He puts down a land.
- Turn 2; Draw a Rancor, play a Forest into Dungrove, He puts down a land.
- Turn 3: Draw a Forest, play a Forest, Attack with Dungrove and Llanowar Elf for 4 damange. Tap 3 to put out the Sword, He puts down a land.
- Turn 4; Draw a Forest, play a Forest, attach Sword to Dungrove, Swing for 10 damage (7+3 cards in his hand) I gain 4 life. He draws and scoops
- I NEVER GOT TO PLAY MY 3 RANCORS. It was a crazy hand.
The Finals
Umm how?? It was very surreal. I was once again able to watch my opponent's game as they finished up a grueling game 3. Wolf Run vs Delver. The same Delver I lost to in Round 3 of Swiss. He was undefeated so far and I was getting nervous. My chances against Delver are 50% but once they get more than 1 flyer out I'm not looking so hot. I watched intently as Wolf Run had Delver down to 8 life. Delver has out a Geist of Saint Traft with a Runechanter's Pike attached passes the turn. Wolf Run top decks a BONFIRE. The miracle saved my butt. That's how good that card is. I'm not even running it and it STILL saves my butt. I knew my match up against Wolf Run was extremely good. All I had to do was play my deck the way it was made - explosive.
Game 1: I'm on the play (I was the higher seed) and decide to keep my hand. He mulls to 6 just shaking his head. I fly out with a turn 1 Forest and Llanowar Elf into turn 2 with a Strangleroot Geist attacking. Then its turn 3 Strangleroot Geist and Llanowar Elf attacking, play a Dungrove Elder. Turn 4 attacking for 5 to play another Dungrove Elder into turn 5 attacking him down to 1. He finally plays a Huntsmaster giving him 2 additional life and a wolf. Turn 6 I attack directly into him forcing the block for the win on Turn 7.
Thought process at this point.... OMGOMGOMOGMOGMOGMOGHOLYCRAP everyone is watching me and I can win this. HOLY CRAP. OH SIDEBOARD!! I immediately grabbed my deck board and boarded in my Thragtusk, Batterskull, Acidic Slime and swapped the Swords out (War and Peace for Feast and Famine). I took out my Trackers and Ranger's Path. I had this. I just had to make sure I didn't make any stupid play mistakes.
Game 2: He's on the play. I pull my 7 cards. He mulls to 6 and I keep. I come out blazing with a Strangleroot Geist attacking. He eventually O-Rings it but I come back with a Rancor'd Dungrove Elder. He double blocks with his Huntsmaster and Wolf. Things still aren't looking good for him when he draws another land. I play an Acidic Slime to take off the O-ring and its over. He scoops up his cards as I sit there staring at the board in disbelief. Did I just WIN the ENITRE tournament? Umm.. YEA??? ZOMG!!! My next thought was OMG my deck list will be in first place on TCG Player!! I got my playmat, my 20 TCG Maxpoints and some dollars!!!!.... which I will spend on more Magic cards.
Driving home from the event my stomach was still in knots. Being nervous and anxiously awaiting each turn with bated breathe takes a lot out of you! My deck performed beautifully. I had finally found a deck that was super fun for me to play! One last shot at glory for my Dungrover Deck as Standard is coming to a close with the new Ravnica set. What deck will I make for the next rotation? I think it will be green..... green with strangleroot geists all the way.