UGC: Boros, Round 3 Results!

Deck Challenges

Dallie

5 December 2013

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UGC: Boros finally up!

A while has passed and I've been excellent at keeping deadlines for this challenge (Yay, lies right off the bat)!

There's a storm in Denmark, which means that I had plenty of time (classes were cancelled, all ventures outside discouraged by the authorities) to write the article!

So here it is, and since I'm sure you've all been aching to see this, I will Delay this no more

Please scroll down to see the

Round 3 matches!

EpicureanHorn (2) (Boros Control) versus GureiSeion (1) (UGC: While the Legion's Away)

Game 1:

EpicureanHorn started off with a slight mana screw, but managed to stay into the game thanks to a Boros Reckoner, which applied early beats. Eventually, it met an end by GureiSeions Devouring Light, which he followed up with an Assemble the Legion.

GureiSeion looked like he was going to take a demanding lead, as he produced 4 tokens, some turns later, bringing him up to a total of 10 tokens which all swung, but a well timed overloaded Electrickery brough an end to those shennanigans. A topdecked Wear / Tear brought down the Assemble the Legion, and EpicureanHorn played his own Assemble the Legion, which started ticking up counters.

Soon GureiSeion was staring down lethal damage from tokens generated on the next upkeep, and he had to overload a Mizzium Mortars to buy time, however, the a pair of Boros Charms to the face, meant that he didn't manage to live through the following attack.

Game 2:

EpicureanHorn threw down a pair of Boros Reckoners but each met a Faith's Fetters, and whilst GureiSeions own Boros Reckoner was taken out by a Lightning Helix, GureiSeion followed it up with a Sunhome Enforcer, whilst already, thanks to Faith's Fetters, ahead on life.

EpicureanHorn managed to get down an Assemble the Legion and attacked on the following turn, after killing the Enforcer with a pair of Muggings, but GureiSeion had another Sunhome Enforcer at the ready.

With 9 mana open, and EpicureanHorn at 7 life, GureiSeion swung, and forced EpicureanHorn to use the Wear / Tear in his hand, which had been reserved in case of an opposing Assemble the Legion, on one of the Faith's Fetters locking down one of his Boros Reckoners. However, GureiSeion had the Devouring Light, and pumped the Sunhome Enforcer three times, putting EpicureanHorn at 3 life, before passing the turn.

At this point, GureiSeion was sitting comfortably on 29 life, though with no means of getting through more damage on the ground (due to the soon-to-be 2 counters on the Assemble the Legion), he gripped on to his Lightning Helix and waited.

EpicureanHorn drew for his turn a Lightning Helix, and attacked with a token, leaving two for defense. However, GureiSeion untapped, and topdecked another Lightning Helix which he cast to the face. In response EpicureanHorn cast his own Lightning Helix, but GureiSeion cast his second Lightning Helix, which EpicureanHorn didn't have an answer for.

Game 3:

GureiSeion had a terrible opener, (4 Angel of Serenitys and just a single land) and had to mulligan to see a, still slow, but better hand, which had double Boros Garrison and a Mountain for land, to get into the game.

However, EpicureanHorn spewed threat upon threat, with an Boros Reckoner (which received a Faith's Fetters and then an Assemble the Legion, which drew a Soul Tithe. EpicureanHorn paid the upkeep, then drew a second Assemble the Legion, and decided that he wanted to keep mana open, thus on his following turn, he used the 5 mana to play a new Assemble the Legion.

More Faith's Fetters, Lightning Helix and Devouring Light draws by GureiSeion, which are all rather unattractive against a ticking Assemble the Legion, meant that he had to play subpar, to stay alive.

Finally, EpicureanHorn had ticked his Assemble the Legion up to 5 counters, and having lost only a marginal number of tokens, he could swing for 12 and follow it up with a burnsuite, he had been amassing against GureiSeions targetless board, for game.

Riceeman (1) (Twisted Firestarter) versus Darkness1835 (2) (Boros Guild Challenge)

Game 1:

Darkness1835 played an Order of the Stars naming red, and hooked it up with a Sunforger to begin his synergistic deck shennanigans. In the meantime, Riceeman was doing his best to apply the beats with multiple Flame-Kin Zealots, Boros Reckoner and a Boros Elite, however it's hard to race someone who pulls a free Lightning Helix out of his deck each turn, and has a 4/1 with protection from red, in play.

Riceeman eventually started to run out of steam, and had to fall back on a pair of Faith's Fetters on the Order of the Stars and Darkness1835's other blocker, a Boros Reckoner. He still got in a few damage, but multiple copies of Spark Trooper from Darkness1835 meant that Riceemans lifetotal was in range of a Warleader's Helix to the face.

Game 2:

Darkness1835 got mana screwed, and his pair of Truefire Paladins could not stand up to a Lightning Helix and a Faith's Fetter. A lone Order of the Stars held it's ground, but with Riceeman bashing for up to 8, with an Ash Zealot, an unleashed Gore-House Chainwalker and a Boros Reckoner, there wasn't a whole lot Darkness1835 could do.

Well timed Lightning Helixs and Muggings kept him alive, but eventually, due to an obscure amount of flood, he ran out of answers, and succumbed to the flurry of creatures.

Game 3:

Riceeman had to mulligang to 4 cards to see any land in his hand, but his draws from then on were kind. Boros Elite and Gore-House Chainwalkers into Boros Reckoners and a single Viashino Firstblade applied a lot of pressure.

Darkness1835 however had a pair of Order of the Stars naming white and red respectively, meaning that Riceeman had to swing with 3 creatures or more to push through damage. Turn by turn, Darkness1835 drew into removal, which kept Riceeman at 3 creatures, meaning that only 2 damage got through each turn.

When he drew a Sunforger he hooked it up to one of the Orders, disheartening Riceeman from attacking at all, as that would mean losing two creatures per turn. Slowly, Darkness1835 cast all his muggins, and Lightning Helixes, and cleared the board. He then threw down a Boros Reckoner, and on the following turn attacked for 11, however after that, Riceeman drew into a Faith's Fetters and stopped the train of hurt.

Another Sunforger draw for Darkness1835 meant that his next creature drop, a Truefire Paladin was a scary foe, and just a few turns later, with the help of a Spark Trooper, Riceeman had to succumb to lethal.

Jimhawk (2) (the-tactics-of-war) versus 8bitJesus (1) (security-detail-boros-challenge)

Game 1:

Jimhawk had two mana rocks for ramp and quite a few land in play, however, 8bitJesus was the one to throw down an Assemble the Legion to start racking up counters. Jimhawk cleared the board with a Mizzium Mortars, but 8bitJesus gained 4 tokens, and played a freshly drawn Sunforger to make it hurt even more.

Sitting on 8 mana, Jimhawk couldn't quite play his Blazing Archon, and his [Angel of Serenity]] wouldn't affect the boardstate much. Jimhawk had 5 life, and with a Warleader's Helix still in hand, he survived the attack.

However, drawing no mana meant that 8bitJesus could un-attach Sunforger for Lightning Helix on Jimhawk's end step, and swing with 5 tokens on the following turn. Jimhawk attempted to cast the Warleader's Helix, but it was met with a Boros Charm to the face, (which negated the lifegain), and post combat, 8bitJesus un-attached the Sunforger for another Boros Charm and the game.

Game 2:

8bitJesus had to mulligan a no-land hand, but kept a 6 hander with several lands, and being on the play. With double Boros Reckoner on turn 3 and 4 for 8bitJesus, Jimhawk ramped with Boros Signet and a Boros Keyrune for a turn 4 Assemble the Legion and a turn 5 Angel of Serenity which cleared the board of Reckoners. Jimhawk also had a Sunhome, Fortress of the Legion which put 8bitJesus on a 2 turn clock.

With 5 mana, and two Electrickery's, a Lightning Helix and a Warleader's Helix in hand, 8bitJesus could not find a land or another burn spell to deal 6 damage to the angel. With Jimhawk having a Warleader's Helix himself to follow up on the opposing Helix, to try to stay alive, there was nothing 8bitJesus could do, as Jimhawk brought the Aerial beats for game.

Game 3:

Jimhawk's artifact ramp control deck, decisively gets ahead in the control match-up, obviously it doesn't help that 8bitJesus had a bunch of 3 cost spells in hand, with only 2 mana. 8bitJesus did what he could with dual Keening Apparations, and hoped for a good draw. 8bitJesus did not see another land until turn 6, where Jimhawk retaliated on the freshly cast Boros Reckoner with an Angel of Serenity.

Jimhawk attacked in the air for 5, and passed the turn. 8bitJesus held up a Warleader's Helix, and passed it back, however on his end step Warleader's Helixs were exchanged. The lifegain (or neutralisation of damage in this case) wasn't enough against an Aurelia's Fury for 9 to the face combined with the attack from Angel of Serenity on the following turn.

killroy726 (2) (The Boros Brigade) versus adaptivesnapjaw (0) (Boros Aggro )

Game 1:

Both players spewed removal and creatures, but killroy726 pulled ahead with a pair of Blind Obedience's which turned each spell into a Pharika's Cure to the dome. With a Tajic, Blade of the Legion and a few other creatures (which changed all the time due to removal), he played it safe and slowly drained down adaptivesnapjaw.

adaptivesnapjaw looked like he could pull out of it, with a Boros Reckoner and a Madcap Skills and a number of other creatures, though unfortunately for him, killroy726 topdecked Spark Trooper upon Spark Trooper which kept him alive, and dealt big damage, though some was blocked in full by adaptivesnapjaw who then Boros Charmed to save his creatures. Ultimately, the game was taken by killroy726 through the continous effects of Blind Obedience which always put him ahead a turn creature wise, and rendered adaptivesnapjaw's own copy of Spark Trooper quite useless.

Game 2:

A very similar start. The players traded off Boros Elites and then killroy726 once again set up a pair of Blind Obediences, with burn and creatures to back it up. adaptivesnapjaw was threatening with a huge board precense, but Condemn, Lightning Helix and Riot Control kept killroy726 from falling into the redzone. After an alpha strike against an empty board with an attempt to finish it with a pair of [[Boros Charms, killroy726 managed to stay alive thanks to another Lightning Helix, and swing for game with a double extorted Spark Trooper.

exarkun809 (2) (Challenge Accepted, Boros) versus numa529 (1) (Boros Control)

Game 1:

exarkun809 got down an early pair of Order of the Stars both naming red, and numa529 threw down two Guttersnipes and a Boros Reckoner, all of which ate a removal spell. numa529 then played a Sunforger and topdecked an Assemble the Legion which he played the following turn.

However exarkun809 had a Wear / Tear and fused it to destroy both, netting him a huge 2-for-1, which swung the game in his favor. He then followed it up with an Assemble the Legion of his own, and even though numa529 had an Electrickery to deal with some of the tokens, it only prolonged the game.

Char from exarkun809 removed the only blocker numa529 had, a Seller of Songbirds, and he swung for lethal with an animated 6/6 Gideon, Champion of Justice, and a horde of tokens.

Game 2:

exarkun809 was denied red from his deck, but had a trio of Order of the Stars to hold down the fort. numa529 played a pair of Truefire Paladins which didn't attack, due to no damage being dealt, and the fact that the Boros decks do include spells such as Condemn and Arrows of Justice in the deck. A Sunforger from numa529 meant that he could start withering away at exarkun809's life points, and an Assemble the Legion made Annihilating Fire a dangerous spell, that exarkun809 was unable to deal with.

Game 3:

Both players spent a few turns setting up mana, and by turn 5exarkun809 played a Homing Lightning on a Boros Reckoner, taking the second of numa529's copies with him, taking 8 but clearing the board. numa529 followed on the next turn with a Seller of Songbirds, but exarkun809 had a Gideon, Champion of Justice in his hand that he played and immediately gave +3. On his turn numa529 played and equipped a Sunforger, but it only got Gideon to 1 loyalty, not killing it.

exarkun809 then played an Order of the Stars with a copy of his own Sunforger, and with plenty of removal in hand, as well as fetching removal from his deck, he could burn his way through all numa529's creatures, whilst staying alive. exarkun809 spent a few turns building up Gideon, Champion of Justice, whilst burning through creatures, and then he animated Gideon, equipped Sunforger, swung for 8 and unattached it and fetched up a Warleader's Helix; dealing exactly lethal damage.

CaveShinobi (2) (Righteous Rushin') versus Nox.LD (1) (legion-of-might)

Game 1:

Nox.LD led off with a Fencing Ace turn 2, into Madcap Skills and Ethereal Armor turn 3, and even though CaveShinobi did have a Wojek Halberdiers, he was unable to block it, due to Madcap Skills, and he took 12 in one swing.

CaveShinobi played a Truefire Paladin, and a Boros Elite. He chumped the buffed Fencing Ace with the Halberdiers and the Elite, and on his turn played a fifth land and another Boros Elite keeping up mana to give the Truefire Paladin +2/+0 and First strike to deal with the double-striking attacker.

Nox.LD however had a Guildscorn Ward to make the Ace even bigger, and also preventing the Truefire Paladin from blocking it. He swung, and being unable to block with two creatures, CaveShinobi succumbed to lethal.

Game 2:

CaveShinobi had a way more aggressive start, sporting a pair of Wojek Halberdiers followed up with a Skyknight Legionnaire. Nox.LD did look to have a solid hand, but his Boros Swiftblade ate a Lightning Helix and his Fencing Ace suffered the same fate. Being stuck on two land wouldn't normally be a huge problem, as Nox.LD had used turn 3 (before drawing the Fencing Ace to play a Legion's Initiative, and had a pair of Ethereal Armors and a Madcap Skills in hand, but having no real protection on his creatures, meant that it was easy for CaveShinobi to control the opposing board.

The 8 damage, of which 2 was flying and 6 first striking, soon brought Nox.LD to 0 life.

Game 3:

Nox.LD tried to play his aggressive game, but lost a lot of momentum when CaveShinobi Lightning Helix'ed his Fencing Ace in response to a Guildscorn Ward. Nox.LD still had a Ethereal Armor in hand, and instead cast a Boros Swiftblade and passed the turn.

CaveShinobi played a [[Truefire Paladin] and passed the turn back, With a limited amount of combat tricks for one mana, Nox.LD played the Ethereal Armor on the Boros Swiftblade, making it a 2/3, and attacked, in response, CaveShinobi cast Wear / Tear on the Ethereal Armor and traded his Truefire Paladin for the Swiftblade.

Running low on cards and especially creatures in hand, Nox.LD played a Blind Obedience and passed the turn. CaveShinobi took over the game from that point. Playing a Frontline Medic one turn, and a Skyknight Legionnaire the next, meant that he could swing with 3 indestructible creatures, for a total of 8 damage per turn (though it did happen a turn later due to the tapped effect of Blind Obedience).

With no removal in his deck, there was no way for Nox.LD to race CaveShinobi who kept up mana for a Boros Charm to finish the game.

dcarpntr (0) (dcarpntrs-ultimate-boros) versus TheLameSauce (2) (Concerted Boros)

Game 1:

dcarpntr in the meantime curved from a Frenzied Goblin, to a Firefist Striker and by turn 3, a Frontline Medic, which meant that until TheLameSauce got down some blockers, he was taking a beating. TheLameSauce plays a number of keywords, and by the time he played the namesake of his deck, a Concerted Effort he had an Order of the Stars naming red, a Boros Swiftblade, a Boros Reckoner and a Guardian of the Guildpact. Thus each turn, every single one of his creatures had: Protection from Red, Protection from Monocolored, and Double Strike.

dcarptnr managed to Lightning Helix the Guardian of the Guildpact in response to the trigger of Concerted Effort to at least be able to chump block, but a Legion Loyalist made everything trample, dealing lethal on TheLameSauce's next attack.

Game 2:

dcarpntr was royally screwed over by his deck this game, a three land hand turned out to be the only mana he would see for most of the game; with an average CMC of 2 usually that would probably sit will, but drawing almost solely Legion Loyalists, a few Boros Elites and two Firemane Avengers, meant that he was not in the best of shapes.

On the other hand, TheLameSauce, drew a variety of creatures of all costs, and curved out effectively, with a Boros Recruit, a Boros Swiftblade, a pair of Boros Reckoners and topping it off with a Tajic, Blade of the Legion.

dcarpntr finally pulled a land of the top of his deck and played his Firemane Avenger number 1, which ate a Lightning Helix. Thanks to a Master Warcraft topdecked by TheLameSauce, dcarpntr didn't live to see another mainphase to try a second Avenger.

With these matches done and done, the remaining contestants for the Ultimate Guild Challenge: Boros are:

EpicureanHorn (2) (Boros Control)

Darkness1835 (2) (Boros Guild Challenge)

Jimhawk (2) (the-tactics-of-war)

killroy726 (2) (The Boros Brigade)

exarkun809 (2) (Challenge Accepted, Boros)

CaveShinobi (2) (Righteous Rushin')

TheLameSauce (2) (Concerted Boros)

This means that we're moving into the quarter finals; with Darkness1835 and killroy726 having already received a BYE!, the match-ups for the next round are:

Darkness1835 (Boros Guild Challenge) versus exarkun809 (Challenge Accepted, Boros)

EpicureanHorn (Boros Control) versus TheLameSauce (Concerted Boros)

killroy726 (The Boros Brigade) versus CaveShinobi (Righteous Rushin')

Jimhawk (the-tactics-of-war) v BYE!

That's it for this time! Stay tuned for another article soon to come! I (am making an outrageous) promise, that I will (likely, but not guaranteed-ly) have the next article up before (but also quite possibly later than) Sunday the 8th of December!

As always, stay Fire / Ice-ey, and enjoy the upcoming holidays! Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it.

Leave feedback or comments below, and I will be eternally grateful!

//Dallie