SOI Standard Poor-Man Challenge: Round 1, Part 2 Results

Deck Challenges

zandl

11 May 2016

1522 views

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Round 1, Part 2 Results

Your Poor-Man decks are eager to break out of their boxes and prove their worth! Before we get into the thick of it, though, a few words:

It has come to my attention that I may have been a bit hasty in my past write-ups by assigning a male gender to all participants when referring to them in the results. Because Magic is all-inclusive and we love our badass, spell-slingin’ ladies, I’m going to be refraining from using gender-specific pronouns when referring to deck creators. This way, I won’t have to worry about misrepresenting anyone in my articles. And, before you point it out, yes; I see the irony of all this next to the name "Poor-Man Challenge". This’ll all be rectified in the future.

Glad I could clear that up. Onward!

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Impoverished Aristocrats by icedkeverage
      versus
Bargain Barnyard by PoppaHyzer

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Results Show

icedkeverage (2)   vs.   PoppaHyzer (0)

Game 1 Show

Where Poppa got off to a somewhat slow and clunky start and had trouble finding lands beyond the third one, Keverage jammed threats onto the board each turn. Thraben Inspector into Zulaport Cutthroat into Nantuko Husk gave Keverage a ton of different lines to play as the game progressed while Poppa was stuck with a clunky hand of slow spells. Another Zulaport Cutthroat landed and Kev was off to the races, riding on the back of the Husk to the finish line.

Game 2 Show

Similar to the first game, Kev bombarded the board with highly efficient creatures and Poppa was yet again slowed down by a slow curve and mana issues. With only 20 lands comprised of 3 basic types and no fixing, it was bound to become a problem. By the time Poppa was cracking Clues and gaining little bits of value, Kev was already surging ahead with Vampiric Rites and draining Poppa’s life each turn. An alpha strike from a pair of Nantuko Husks ended it.

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Elvish Massacre (deck not found) by ShikaSpectre
      versus
Izzet Eldrazi Aggro (for contest) by TimeliestStorm

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Results Show

TimeliestStorm (2)   vs.   ShikaSpectre (0)

Game 1 Show

The Elves started stacking up on Shika’s board, leading into a Shaman of the Pack for 8 life. However, Storm was matching Shika toe-to-toe with a Herald of Kozilek to power out threats just as quickly. With a pair of Vile Aggregates looming dauntingly over the 1/1 Elven army, there wasn’t much Shika could do to prevent a beatdown. A few creatures were traded here and there, but Storm’s were simply larger and lived through combat more often than Shika’s.

Game 2 Show

Shika got off to a great start with a turn-1 Gnarlroot Trapper into a Dwynen's Elite, but a few awkward top-decks in Ultimate Price and Gather the Pack slowed things down. Stuck on just 2 lands and the Elf-mana-only dork, there was never an advantageous time to cast Gather the Pack without running the risk of drastically falling behind on the board. A Ruination Guide buffed a pair of Thopter tokens from Whirler Rogue as a wall of large Eldrazi sat on defense. Shika had no blocks for the Thopters but attacking into the would-be blockers only presented a one-sided board-wipe. Without adequate removal or a way to break through blockers, the game was over.

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UR Colorless Beatdown by Wee_Dragonaut
      versus
Broken Spirits- SOI standard Poor man's challenge by fdn2

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Results Show

Wee_Dragonaut (2)   vs.   fdn2 (0)

Game 1 Show

FDN’s Topplegeist was having some issues finding Delirium in the graveyard as FDN was stuck on 3 lands for a few turns. To capitalize on this hiccup, Dragonaut played out a pair of Ruination Guides and an Eldrazi Skyspawner for a massive board presence. By the time FDN attained Delirium and found a fourth land, Dragonaut’s board was growing in size each turn with a Prophet of Distortion netting cards and restocking the hand each turn.

Game 2 Show

The battlefield grew hectic as FDN clogged it up with Spirits and Dragonaut stuffed it with colorless creatures (including the full playset of Whirler Rogues). However, Dragonaut’s Rogues couldn’t activate with the Thopter tokens because FDN’s Spirit army would then be able to swing in for victory, so the players were at a stalemate. In the end, though, it was Dragonaut’s lone copy of Prophet of Distortion which drew up to 2 extra cards per turn and found many more threats over time than FDN could match. Dragonaut controlled 18 separate creatures to FDN’s 11 (3 of which were active Topplegeists), but FDN couldn’t hold it back forever.

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Moneyless Vampires by Nightdragon779
      versus
04-04-16-mono-green-wolves by brokendwarf

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Results Show

Nightdragon779 (2)   vs.   brokendwarf (0)

Game 1 Show

Dwarf laid down the Werewolves each turn, but Night was slaying them with highly efficient removal spells. An Heir of Falkenrath  ^Flip was transformed with a Fiery Temper being discarded and the resulting Heir to the Night  ^Flip crashed in overhead until the game was over. Without drawing something like the Clip Wings hiding out in the deck, Dwarf could do nothing but watch it happen.

Game 2 Show

Dwarf got off to a decent start in this game, but the need for the Werewolves to flip early was met by the need to cast more of them to fight Night’s removal package. By the end of the game, a Call the Bloodline cranked out enough Vampire Knight tokens to hold back Dwarf’s few creatures while an Heir to the Night  ^Flip flew in for 3 points of damage each turn. Any hope Dwarf had at transforming a Werewolf and getting in for damage was dashed by Night’s instant-speed removal.

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Poor-zhov by jcofer
      versus
Burninating the Countryside by TheGrayMerchant

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Results Show

TheGrayMerchant (2)   vs.   jcofer (1)

Game 1 Show

On the play, J was able to use Ultimate Price on a Village Messenger  ^Flip before it could transform. From here, a Kalastria Healer drained at least 1 point of life per turn until a Drana's Emissary could come down and speed up the clock. Merchant found some sweet, topdecked removal but was unable to keep any creature on the battlefield for more than a turn. Silkwrap, Stasis Snare, and Ultimate Price kept things clear for J and paved the way to victory.

Game 2 Show

Though J began with a pair of Silkwraps and bound up Merchant’s Village Messenger  ^Flips, Merchant wound up seeing many more creatures this time around with burn spells to remove blockers at opportune times. J’s draws were a bit awkward, clogging up the hand with relatively high costs and preventing J from casting more than one spell per turn. With a distinct speed advantage in the game, Merchant swung in for some big damage and J couldn’t recover before some leftover burn finished the game.

Game 3 Show

There was plenty of removal from J to seize up Merchant’s creatures, but Merchant’s removal left J without a board for the majority of the game. Eventually, Merchant was casting larger and larger threats (namely Voldaren Duelist and Pyre Hound), all of which blanked the Silkwrap sitting in J’s hand. After just a few more turns of not being able to interact with Merchant’s board or gain life off of things like Drana's Emissary, J fell to 0 life.

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very-life-much-poor by pokemaster325
      versus
aristocrats-in-black-soi-poormans-challenge by Saturn999

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Results Show

Saturn999 (2)   vs.   pokemaster325 (0)

Game 1 Show

As a few early threats from both sides were contained with removal, Saturn’s pair of Nantuko Husks landed and slowly took control of the board. Sitting on a Zulaport Cutthroat, a Sanitarium Skeleton, and a bunch of lands, Saturn could sit and spend each turn sacrificing the Skeleton for life, recurring it, and recasting it. Without being able to break through the potentially massive Husks without losing nearly everything, Pokemaster could only sit and watch it happen. A few more turns of stalemate on the board led to Santurn’s victory through the sac-outlets and Cutthroat.

Game 2 Show

Pokemaster began a heavily aggressive series of plays, including a turn-3 Incorrigible Youths and then a Fiery Temper to deny Saturn a blocker. However, as a testament to Nantuko Husk’s power, a single copy backed by a board of highly expendable creatures held off the horde. Pokemaster had to throw a lot of resources at it to get it off the table, but a second copy popped up just as quickly. Now with 10+ Swamps and a pair of Sanitarium Skeletons to play with, Saturn couldn’t be caught and the combo let the Husk swing for huge damage every turn without needing the use of a single spell.

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Ultra Budget Landfall Deck by jellowsmurf
      versus
izzet-thoptorzz-ogw-standard-copy-1 by clayperce

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Results Show

jellowsmurf (2)   vs.   clayperce (1)

Game 1 Show

Clay began with a few awkward draws that were a turn behind the curve (like Impact Tremors on the third turn), and also took a few turns to find a fourth land. By that point, since Jellow wasn’t under much pressure, a Retreat to Emeria took the game over in a matter of turns. Explosive Vegetation and an Evolving Wilds at the same time spawned Jellow an army out of thin air. Even Clay’s Essence Flux on a Whirler Rogue wasn’t enough to withhold the assault after Might of the Masses on an unblocked Kor Ally.

Game 2 Show

All hope seemed lost for Clay as the hand was backed up yet again, this time due to high mana costs. A pair of Stormchaser Mages flew over a Jaddi Offshoot for minimal amounts of damage, but Jellow’s Snapping Gnarlid was smashing in for bigger damage, thanks to Rogue's Passage. On what would’ve been the last turn of the game, Clay ripped a Whirler Rogue, cast it, and used an Essence Flux to get Jellow down to 4 life from Impact Tremors, which was just the perfect amount for the two Mages with Prowess.

Game 3 Show

With Clay on the very aggressive plan of "playing on curve," the game already seemed decided as Jellow was just sitting on a Jaddi Offshoot and lands. As the game drew out, though, Zendikar's Roil made its challenge debut and promptly clogged up the board with a horde of ugly 2/2 tokens. Jellow’s Offshoot kept the life total up while the tokens started turning sideways. Clay had favorable blocks (with a number of 1/3 creatures), but the sheer volume of tokens was the biggest issue. Now that Clay was stuck with things like Ramroller and Horribly Awry, Jellow found a foothold and quickly seized control of the game. Unable to interact with Zendikar's Roil or keep Jellow from drawing and playing lands, Clay’s loss this game was inevitable.

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Hit-Elves for Hire by mtgThaen
      versus
delirious-sadness by Tsarius

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Results Show

mtgThaen (2)   vs.   Tsarius (1)

Game 1 Show

In typical fashion, the Elf deck hit the ground running with a Gnarlroot Trapper into Dwynen's Elite on the play. Just before a Tajuru Warcaller hit the board on turn-4 and would’ve dealt massive damage, Thaen’s Tooth Collector inspected the mouth of the Trapper. This left T without the clutch deathtouch or ramp. By the time the Warcaller made it down onto the battlefield, the resulting buff and attack wasn’t nearly as impressive. Now with Delirium and a pair of Tooth Collectors expanding their stashes, no Elf could survive Thaen’s upkeep to be of any use in combat. An Ancient of the Equinox  ^Flip bashed in alongside the Collectors and the game was over.

Game 2 Show

Without Delirium or any form of disruption after turn-3, this happened:


Game 3 Show

The Elves did their thing and gummed up the board rather quickly. T tried to stay toe-to-toe on value, but Sylvan Messenger is a powerful card when there are 35 Elves in the list. Without a Tooth Collector and lacking a way to constantly remove creatures and keep Thaen from going wide, T was stuck with just a Moldgraf Scavenger and a few other beaters. A Tajuru Warcaller came off the top for Thaen and the game ended in much the same way the last one did.

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burning-insanity by beakedbard
      versus
Izzet Time for the Breadline? by Schlatre

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Results Show

Schlatre (2)   vs.   beakedbard (1)

Game 1 Show

The two hyper-aggressive decks both got off to blazing starts, but the U/R variety had tempo to utilize. Bard tried to get a Sanguinary Mage going, but a pair of Clutch of Currents kept it from ever connecting. Schlatre’s own pair of Stormchaser Mages were able to fly right over anything Bard could cast, and a Titan's Strength gave them enough power to win the game.

Game 2 Show

Where Schlatre had tempo, Bard had burn. Fiery Temper off a Lightning Axe dealt with Schlatre’s two Prowess creatures, letting the beats commence. Each time Schlatre cast a new creature, it seemed like Bard was always just waiting with another way to remove it from the board. In a battle of hyper-aggressive decks, the deck which is first forced into playing defensively is most typically the one to lose.

Game 3 Show

Coming right down to the wire, Bard was getting as much damage in as possible, but some of the draws just weren’t right for the matchup. Dragon Fodder, for example, gives almost no advantage against a deck that flies or otherwise can’t be blocked. While Bard did have some removal this game, Schlatre’s deck was firing on all cylinders and the draw engines were making a strong showing. The game was over as a Titan's Strength off Expedite landed on a Stormchaser Mage, allowing it to get in for exactly lethal damage.

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im-poor-and-the-land-is-burned by taskking
      versus
Rakdrone: Poor-man challenge by CRKFIEND

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Results Show

CRKFIEND (2)   vs.   taskking (0)

Game 1 Show

Fiend’s deck curved out perfectly while Task had some awkward draws. Sylvan Scrying kept coming off the top, though the card does nothing but thin out the deck by one if you’re being pressured on the board. By turn-4, Fiend had a Reaver Drone, a Kozilek's Sentinel, a Vile Aggregate, and a Forerunner of Slaughter with haste. Task was too far behind from the get-go to be able to catch back up.

Game 2 Show

Save for an early Fiery Temper and a massive Rolling Thunder off a bunch of lands and Vessel of Volatility, Task had trouble finding ways to interact with Fiend’s creatures. The ramp spells were okay and they made sense in the deck, but I get the feeling there were too many. Also, cards that can only deal damage directly to your opponents (and not their creatures) have historically been very narrow and not always great. Tunneling Geopede is okay, but the damage dealt to Fiend simply didn’t matter.

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Izzet Aggro by Oshi_with_an_O
      versus
Cult Sacrifice by Honeysliced

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Results Show

Honeysliced (2)   vs.   Oshi_with_an_O (1)

Game 1 Show

Though Oshi had the right creatures and even drew a sweet Expedite for a turn-3 Elusive Spellfist, a couple lands together made for some uninteresting draws going into the mid-game turns. Honey capitalized on the decreased aggression and made a decent amount of Vampire Knight tokens from Call the Bloodline with an Indulgent Aristocrat to offset the damage being dealt. With Honey’s life total rising but without any extra aggression coming off the top, Oshi fell.

Game 2 Show

With a more proper mix of creatures and spells this time around, Oshi got off to a rousing start with a Stormchaser Mage and a Jhessian Thief, the latter even netting a few cards later on. Most of Honey’s spells in this game were only temporary solutions to the problems on the board, like Expose Evil and Alms of the Vein. Oshi got out in front and couldn’t be caught.

Game 3 Show

Oshi’s opening hand was certainly promising, as was Honey’s. Oshi, with a Stormchaser Mage and a Titan's Strength the turn after, set a grueling pace for Honey to keep up with. However, Oshi’s draws weren’t exactly smooth. For a number of turns, each card drawn was either a slow land or a 3- or 4-drop spell, giving Honey time to build something up. With a Gisa's Bidding into a pair of Expose Evil, Honey had a lot of control of the board as Alms of the Vein sped up the clock. With only one spell per turn, Oshi simply could neither do enough to kill Honey nor prevent losing the game entirely.

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Autumn is Coming! by Nickick
      versus
for-better-or-for-worse by DarksteelBadger

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Results Show

Nickick (2)   vs.   DarksteelBadger (0)

Game 1 Show

Each of Badger’s attempts to keep a creature on the board were met with Nickick’s efforts to keep them off of it. Sinister Concoction and Ultimate Price kept everything clear while Badger’s lack of permanent answers to Obsessive Skinner was becoming a problem. A few turns beyond this, Autumnal Gloom  ^Flip landed and transformed in the same turn, giving Nickick a huge threat. Badger, now without any spells to stop the Ancient of the Equinox  ^Flip, was still having trouble landing any creatures of worth and eventually lost out to the beater.

Game 2 Show

Badger kept drawing into spells like Murderer's Axe and Neglected Heirloom  ^Flip while there were no creatures to utilize them with. Nickick had a bit of trouble actually getting to Delirium, but a Reclaim on Sinister Concoction got the fourth card type in the bin. A pair of Autumnal Gloom  ^Flips transformed and Badger was once again at the mercy of a Hexproof assault. Alms of the Vein and Pore Over the Pages bought some time, but Ancient of the Equinox  ^Flip is really good.

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Poor Man's Deck Brewery (RB) by furyofstorm101RL
      versus
poor men can't think of a good deck name by MCY998

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Results Show

furyofstorm101RL (2)   vs.   MCY998 (1)

Game 1 Show

Two well-aimed Fiery Impulses was enough to keep Fury off of much of a board presence, giving MCY the advantage. A Stormchaser Mage paired with an Elusive Spellfist crashed in for large amounts of damage each turn and Fury couldn’t do much to prevent it. A Sinister Concoction popped up to deal with the Spellfist, but the payment of 1 life put Fury right down to exactly the damage the Stormchaser would deal the following turn.

Game 2 Show

In a grueling 25-turn game, each deck seemed to always have removal at the most opportune moment. Each creature cast was almost instantaneously destroyed and the topdeck wars ran deep. MCY seemed to be getting the upper hand with a Stormchaser Mage and pair of Goblin tokens against Fury’s empty board, but damage done in the early game became the problem. Alms of the Vein with MCY at 3 life with 7 mana open to fight off a Clash of Wills was eventually what ended the bout, granting Fury the chance at a third game.

Game 3 Show

MCY, at one point, had 3 separate copies of Stormchaser Mage on the board, but Fury fought back with removal and lifelink through Grotesque Mutation on a lowly Village Messenger  ^Flip that never got the chance to transform. Alms of the Vein also proved to be somewhat troublesome for MCY, as it would often offset the added damage from Prowess. With both players getting low on life totals, MCY’s Dragon Fodder tokens sat on defense as the remaining Mages flew overhead. An Incorrigible Youths off of Madness with Rush of Adrenaline, though, pushed enough damage through blockers to snag the game in Fury’s favor.

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SO-Sligh (Poor-man) by DruneGrey
      versus
hard-mother-suckers by KUW

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Results Show

DruneGrey (2)   vs.   KUW (1)

Game 1 Show

Drune managed to be on the play with a hand of 1-drop creatures and removal. KUW had a lot of trouble keeping up with Drune’s speed and removing the threats from the board with one-for-one removal spells. By the time KUW could start using Madness to cast two spells per turn, Drune was already swinging in with Reckless Bushwhacker and burning away blockers with Ravaging Blaze for added damage.

Game 2 Show

With a bit of a slower more normal hand this time around, Drune wound up being quickly overwhelmed by some early removal and a pair of Incorrigible Youths fueled by Stensia Masquerade. Ravaging Blaze was always one mana shy of being able to nuke one of the creatures and blocks were prevented by KUW’s own removal spells. The game was over by turn-6 and Drune never had a foothold.

Game 3 Show

The fact that Drune had so many tricky combat creatures was particularly problematic for KUW. With all of KUW’s creatures possessing less toughness than power, first strike and Kessig Forgemaster  ^Flip’s ability put a lot of strain on KUW’s options throughout the game. For a while, KUW was behind and needed to block, but blocking offered no trades in combat. This continual lack of value let Drune surge even further ahead in the race, crashing in with an army of untouchable creatures each turn. KUW’s draws didn’t allow for many defensive lines and Drune swung in unimpeded until the game was over.

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Get Some Life by MaverickGV
      versus
Poor Man Assault by SpringingTiger

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Results Show

SpringingTiger (2)   vs.   MaverickGV (1)

Game 1 Show

Maverick began with a decent start of Expedition Envoy into Zulaport Cutthroat and Drana's Emissary, but Tiger’s start was far faster. A pair of Expedition Envoy on the play with Stasis Snare for backup and a Relief Captain on turn-4 really set the pace. Maverick was drawing into a few life-gain spells, but they did nothing to solve the problems on the board and, therefore, didn’t generate much value at all. Tiger’s topdecks were only getting better as the game progressed, finding more spells like another Relief Captain and Gryff's Boon. One final swing with an enlarged army was all Tiger needed to finish up the first game.

Game 2 Show

Tiger began building up the board as in the first game, but Maverick saw a lot more removal this time around. The life-gain was largely based on Maverick’s creatures in this game, granting more value than just the life-gaining sorcery spells. Tiger had some trouble getting through a massive Bloodbond Vampire with Silkwrap being the only removal, and eventually succumbed to its bloodsucking tendencies (and 9 power in the air).

Game 3 Show

Both decks did a decent job of containing the other’s threats as the game progressed. Maverick netted some life with a pair of Prism Rings and a Drana's Emissary, keeping the life total relatively high and the race fair. As time went on, however, Tiger’s board was growing wider thanks to Foundry of the Consuls and Nearheath Chaplain’s ability. Couple this with Anointer of Champions and it’s simple to see how Maverick began having problems. Drana's Emissary eventually had to be traded away for a buffed Spirit token and spot removal off the top didn’t offer Maverick too many great lines of play. The Anointer was dealt with, but the damage had been done. The remaining tokens dodged blocks to get in for the win.

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Because even paupers like control by tpmains
      versus
Maddened Neighbor of the Beast by Nuclearrich

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Results Show

tpmains (2)   vs.   Nuclearrich (0)

Game 1 Show

Following a rough turn-3 board-wipe from Flaying Tendrils, Rich was stuck casting just one spell per turn - right into TP’s countermagic. As the game went on, TP amassed a ton of mana and ways to deal with any type of threat. Rich couldn’t get much of anything to resolve as TP was now casting Possessed Skaabs to get the control spells back, then turning them sideways to swing for the win.

Game 2 Show

Without being able to capitalize on Lightning Axe + Madness for the majority of the game nor getting to resolve any creatures for Vampiric Rites, Rich fell behind on card value pretty far. It did take TP quite some time to find a creature to stick and swing with, but Rich was completely incapacitated. Once again, the Possessed Skaabs hit the board to recur the Ulamog's Nullifiers in the graveyard and the game was over soon after.

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Dimir Dreadwaters - Poor Man's Challenge by nateblego
      versus
Hah, Try Killing Me Now! (SOI P.M.C) by Garrus_Vakarian

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Results Show

Garrus_Vakarian (2)   vs.   nateblego (0)

Game 1 Show

In a truly riveting game of Magic, both players sat on counterspells and stared at each other for about 20 turns, occasionally trading resources in 1-for-1 interactions. By the time both decks were down to about 14 cards left, Garrus managed to stick a Sphinx's Tutelage after a massive counterspell war. Without drawing Dreadwaters in time, Nate was out of luck.

Game 2 Show

Both players traded a few counterspells here and there for somewhat major threats, but Garrus’s Sphinx's Tutelage stuck and that was all there was. Dreadwaters was cast twice by Nate (and it resolved both times), but Tutelage just goes so much faster and mills more cards.

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Budget Man Bill by Ninjadude51
      versus
Hinomaru | RW Aggro for Zandl's Challenge by canterlotguardian

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Results Show

Ninjadude51 (2)   vs.   canterlotguardian (1)

Game 1 Show

Canterlot’s seemingly aggressive hand of Expedition Envoy, Weapons Trainer, and a pair of Bone Saws was thwarted entirely by two copies of Fiery Impulse from Ninja. From here, Ninja was allowed too much time to build up a board and become the dominant presence in the game. All of Ninja’s topdecks were nuked by Roast or bounced by Reflector Mage as a Perfected Form  ^Flip flew overhead for massive amounts of damage each turn.

Game 2 Show

With a few less spells to control the board this time around, Ninja was at the mercy of a Bone Saw attaching to a topdecked creature each turn. Immolating Glare from Canterlot took care of Ninja’s Perfected Form  ^Flip before it could deal damage, letting Canterlot take on the role of the aggressor in the game. After whiffing a few topdecks to lands, Ninja was out of options and Canterlot’s modest creature army got the job done.

Game 3 Show

On the play, Ninja was able to enchant Canterlot’s Village Messenger  ^Flip with Skin Invasion  ^Flip and burn it away in the same turn, spawning a 3/4 Insect Horror on turn-2. This creature stuck around for the remainder of the game, finding a friend in an Aberrant Researcher  ^Flip. Canterlot was hanging on with dashed Lightning Berserkers for quite some time, but Ninja’s burn started showing up to deal with them at instant speed. A Reflector Mage bounced back an Expedition Envoy when it was Canterlot’s only creature and the tempo swing won the game for Ninja.

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Rise from the Tides! UR Budget Build by PhnxLdr
      versus
Rising Tides Control by M010601

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Results Show

PhnxLdr (2)   vs.   M010601 (0)

Game 1 Show

Well, this was certainly a matchup I was curious about as the pairings were being generated. The first player to cast Rise from the Tides (the only spell that really matters in the match) was M. Generating 5 Zombies seemed like a sure win for M, but Phnx fought back with some burn spells that had nothing better to do. The following turn, Phnx cast Rise and generated 11 Zombies - it helps when your deck has half-again the number of instant and sorcery spells over your opponent’s. M was able to hold off the horde for a couple turns with some temporary answers, like Send to Sleep, but the game couldn’t be saved from that point.

Game 2 Show

The decks got into a fierce staring match while both stuck on 5 lands with hands full of countermagic and Rise from the Tides. M, now with 3 different copies of Rise and drawing a land, made the first move and ran into a counterspell - as expected. Phnx leader went ahead and cast Rise to net 5 Zombies. M followed up with a second Rise for 6 Zombies, but Phnx was far better equipped to deal with them. Pore Over the Pages to discard a Just the Wind and open up Lightning Axe + Fiery Temper dealt with 3 of the Zombies while Phnx’s 5 got to work. M had a few options to stay in the game, but none of them worked because of Phnx’s constant stream of tempo coming off the top. M’s draws were things like Nagging Thoughts and Screeching Skaab while Phnx was drawing into Geistblast and Just the Wind.

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thanks for your life (poor-man challenge) by mr_jacobo02
      versus
RB Vampires of Poverty by sophontteks

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Results Show

sophontteks (2)   vs.   mr_jacobo02 (0)

Game 1 Show

Jacob got off to a decent start with Vampiric Rites, Blisterpod, and Zulaport Cutthroat, but had no answers to Soph’s blazing start of Heir of Falkenrath  ^Flip into Stensia Masquerade. The flyer crashed in overhead for an increasing amount of damage each turn and Jacob had no removal for it. The draws became a bit clunky on the mana curve and Soph was still drawing fuel in the form of Tormenting Voice and Bloodmad Vampire.

Game 2 Show

A pair of Rot Shamblers led the assault for Jacob, but some redundancies in the deck quickly became apparent. To stay ahead of Soph’s Call the Bloodline, Jacob had to keep sacrificing things to Altar's Reap and Bone Splinters. By doing this, though, the number of expendable creatures was running low. Voracious Null and Vampiric Rites also needed creatures to be useful, but the resources were spread so thin that none of these sacrifice effects were really valuable at all. In the meantime, Soph had been accumulating a Vampire Knight army and Jacob, now out of suitable creatures to sacrifice, fell far behind. In the end, Soph’s 9 Vampire Knights all received a buff from an Indulgent Aristocrat and a Stensia Masquerade to get in for the win.

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Wolf Wolves Wolf Wolves - Poor Man Challenge by magnetcrocodile
      versus
U/R Poor Man's Prowess by Dumeeperninja

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Results Show

magnetcrocodile (2)   vs.   Dumeeperninja (0)

Game 1 Show

As seen earlier in this first round of the challenge, the U/R Prowess deck is capable of some very explosive starts and can easily win games by the fifth turn. However, the deck is oftentimes a victim of variance, requiring a healthy mix of lands, creatures, and spells to work correctly. In this game, Ninja got stuck on two lands even after Titan's Strength to scry and Tormenting Voice to draw. By the time it came up, Magnet was already sitting on a pack of Wolf creatures and slammed a Howlpack Resurgence after blocks to win the game.

Game 2 Show

Ninja had Fiery Impulse to burn away an early Timberpack Wolf, but Magnet followed up with two more copies. A Howlpack Resurgence the turn after meant Ninja was then losing the race at an alarming rate, and drawing Fiery Impulse wouldn’t have been enough to destroy one of the wolves. Without a way to contain the mounting pressure on Magnet’s board or push enough damage through, Ninja fell.

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The Noble House of Nutsawrisch by Helldiver18
      versus
Process of Elimination-For the Poor Man Challenge by xcn

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Results Show

xcn (2)   vs.   Helldiver18 (1)

Game 1 Show

XCN had some trouble finding enough mana to support the large spells coming off the top of the deck. This gave Diver some time to build up a board and secure a presence. The constant life-draining going on by Diver’s creatures made XCN’s Ruin Processors decent, but the 5 life wasn’t enough to stabilize. Vampiric Rites hit the board as Diver had a Zulaport Cutthroat and a Cliffhaven Vampire, meaning each creature that was sacrificed led XCN to lose 3 total life. With no hope of racing and Diver no longer needing combat damage to win, the game was over.

Game 2 Show

With a Transgress the Mind and a Flaying Tendrils the turn after, XCN was allowed to lead Diver’s lines of play right into a corner. With plenty of time to amass the necessary mana for Ulamog's Despoiler and Ruin Processor, Diver could only sit and watch as the Eldrazi assault got underway. Bits and pieces of value popped up for Diver, but the engine from the previous game was too far out of reach as the Eldrazi won the game in a matter of turns.

Game 3 Show

XCN’s curve went from Sludge Crawler and Silkwrap into Stasis Snare and Oblivion Strike, meeting Diver’s threats with efficient removal. From here, Diver understandably had trouble getting much of anything going and XCN transitioned into Eldrazi giants. One unfortunate part of Diver’s deck is that it doesn’t have ways to deal with large creatures beyond blocking them in combat. Without creatures, Diver was hard-pressed to stop the onslaught and fell quickly.

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skeletallies by legendofa
      versus
Rally-less Rally [Zandl's Challenge] by Crayfish

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Results Show

Crayfish (2)   vs.   legendofa (0)

Game 1 Show

Crayfish’s Serene Steward found a good friend in Drana's Emissary, giving the vampire a buff each turn while it drained life and swung through the air. Legend certainly had some decent board presence, but Bone Splinters’s reluctance to show up was what ultimately ended the game. A few of the smaller creatures were also found to be irrelevant more often than not. Without any form of removal for the growing, aerial threat, Legend could only watch as Drana's Emissary attacked uncontested each turn.

Game 2 Show

Legend had some better luck this game with a Sanitarium Skeleton doing work with Bone Splinters. Crayfish’s early creatures were stopped before they could generate much value and Legend took the lead. However, a string of favorable draws for Crayfish as Legend whiffed on lands a few times meant the tides were turning. Crayfish’s pair of Cliffhaven Vampires occasionally buffed by Grotesque Mutation led the assault. Alms of the Vein hit hard with the two vampires on the board, and the subsequent swing was enough to finish the game.

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zandls-soi-challenge by eludemerlange
      versus
'Poor Man' tournament renown by DaftVader

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Results Show

eludemerlange (2)   vs.   DaftVader (0)

Game 1 Show

Vader managed to have a pair of Consul's Lieutenants become renowned, but had trouble recovering from a Biting Rain off of Call the Bloodline. From here, Elude found the entire playset of Retreat to Hagra, turning each would-be awful draw of land into a free Alms of the Vein +1. By the time Vader had enough creatures to pressure Elude through the Retreats, Elude drew into Evolving Wilds, hitting Vader for 8 on the spot and ending the game.

Game 2 Show

For the second game, Vader played right up the curve - Topan Freeblade, Stalwart Aven, Valeron Wardens, and Rhox Maulers. However, Elude was sitting on a piece of removal perfect for each one. Between Grasp of Darkness, Complete Disregard, and a pair of Fleshbag Marauders, Vader was out of things to do. Elude now had plenty of time to use Read the Bones to find some win-cons in the form of three copies of Retreat to Hagra. The lands streamed off the top of the library and Vader’s infrequent creatures met their doom at the hands of Elude’s removal.

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poor man challenge deck by TheDeckBuilder_mage
      versus
deck-for-the-poor-mans-challenge by JonnyIV

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Results Show

TheDeckBuilder_mage (2)   vs.   JonnyIV (0)

Game 1 Show

A single Stormchaser Mage was the bane of Jonny’s existence as there was no permanent answer to the threat. Mage had a hand stacked with plenty of spells to enable Prowess and draw even more but Jonny had nothing to stop it. By the time Jonny finally had 6 mana to cast Rise from the Tides, a Rush of Adrenaline on the Stormchaser Mage was lethal.

Game 2 Show

In similar fashion to the first game, Jonny simply had no way to keep Prowess creatures off the board. Even counterspells against things like Titan's Strength felt like a concession of sorts after considering that Prowess still triggered. A few Aberrant Researcher  ^Flips were used as blockers in desperation, but the built-in combat tricks of Mage’s creatures sent them to the graveyard without ever trading.

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Mysterious Ramp by tulse
      versus
Mad Rakdos Aggro (deck has since been changed) by ToolmasterOfBrainerd

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Results Show

tulse (2)   vs.   ToolmasterOfBrainerd (1)

Game 1 Show

While I admit I was initially skeptical of the U/G Clue-Control archetype, I have to say that I’m impressed. Toolmaster cast all the usual suspects - Ravenous Bloodseeker, Incorrigible Youths, and Heir of Falkenrath  ^Flip - but had trouble fighting through Tulse’s life-gain from a pair of Jaddi Offshoot. After spending a few turns on the verge of death and barely hanging on, tulse drew a second copy of Dampening Pulse, effectively neutering all of Toolmaster’s creatures and enabling the Offshoots to safely block. Tulse’s life started climbing back up and a Plated Crusher was way out of Toolmaster’s realm, especially with -2/-0 to the board.

Game 2 Show

Toolmaster’s Heir of Falkenrath  ^Flip brought along an Incorrigible Youths on turn-3 and the beats were on. A pair of Jaddi Offshoot were doing a mediocre job of holding back the horde (now including a Bloodmad Vampire), but Tulse missed the fourth land-drop, preventing Explosive Vegetation or Dampening Pulse from coming down. Because of this hiccup in the mana, Toolmaster was able to smash in for more damage and Tulse couldn’t stave it off, even with the Pulse on the following turn.

Game 3 Show

The Jaddi Offshoots in this game gave Tulse enough time to cast an Explosive Vegetation and amass a huge amount of mana, necessary to gain control of the game. With either a Dampening Pulse, Clue, or way to keep Toolmaster’s biggest creature tapped each turn, Tulse took over in a commanding way. Under the crippling hindrance of two copies of Dampening Pulse, Toolmaster couldn’t muster enough damage to make any attack worthwhile, allowing Tulse’s Plated Crushers to smash in without fear of a trade.

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Aristocrats Budget $10 by Mr.Dr.Professor
      versus
Bounty of the Tides- Necro-Alchemy on a Budget! by Mortem

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Results Show

Mortem (2)   vs.   Mr.Dr.Professor (1)

Game 1 Show

Mortem’s opening hand was fairly aggressive, with a Blisterpod, Rot Shambler, Sanitarium Skeleton, and Nantuko Husk. The Husk, however, was countered and the Skeleton was exiled by Complete Disregard. From here, Professor was just drawing into lands and more "dork" creatures. Without a card like Vampiric Rites or Catacomb Sifter to really capitalize on their potential value, the little guys just couldn’t kill Mortem before Rise from the Tides landed. Once the Zombie horde untapped, there was no looking back.

Game 2 Show

Professor controlled a Blisterpod and a Zulaport Cutthroat, forcing Mortem to counter the turn-3 Nantuko Husk without any other answer to it. Without another counter, though, Crawling Sensation landed and made a 1/1 Insect token nearly every turn by either Evolving Wilds or the self-mill effect. These tokens and Professor’s other creatures, coupled with the fact that Mortem couldn’t find a Rise from the Tides, overwhelmed the board and had no trouble crashing right through any blockers Mortem could offer up.

Game 3 Show

Professor was off to the exact same start as in the previous game, but Mortem, being on the play, countered the Cutthroat and killed the Husk with Murderous Compulsion. From there, Professor’s hand grew thin and the creatures that remained were each very small and insignificant. Mortem’s Possessed Skaab enabled Compelling Deterrence to be a "clean" answer to Carrier Thrall, keeping Professor’s board presence to a minimum. A Rise from the Tides not too long after sealed the deal.

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With the conclusion of the first round, I’d like to congratulate those who advanced! Win once more and you’re in the prize support!

At the onset of Round 2, I’ve decided to break up the round into two articles, just as I have for Round 1. I do this to increase the frequency of articles being released as Round 2 has (obviously) half the rounds as Round 1, allowing each article to take half as long to complete. From Round 3 onward, there will only be one article for the each entire round. Look for Round 2 Part 1 sometime next week.

In addition to next week’s typical match results, I’m going to start a running set of statistics to help us analyze the metagame and see the trends that have emerged beyond what I would call "a reasonable amount of variance."

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Pairings have been made using the best random number generator on the internet.

Round 2 matches:

Part 1

aramlet vs. PhnxLdr
jacobpetersen23 vs. Saturn999
libraryjoy vs. tulse
Gearhead93 vs. DarkLaw
CRKFIEND vs. icedkeverage
Ninjadude51 vs. xcn
Kizmetto vs. Nobueno95
Honeysliced vs. SpringingTiger
kovarion vs. Schlatre
ancientgorillashaman vs. tpmains
DillsDells vs. Wee_Dragonaut
sophontteks vs. professorducky
Garrus_Vakarian vs. mtgThaen
TimeliestStorm vs. TheDeckBuilder_mage

Part 2

Nickick vs. CaptainLick
Dalektable vs. argeaux
TheGrayMerchant vs. Boza
greasysweet vs. ThoughtShift
DruneGrey vs. magnetcrocodile
tempest vs. jellowsmurf
furyofstorm101RL vs. JKLawson89
Mortem vs. DominusMine
Nightdragon779 vs. tooTimid
Holtzman vs. SwaggyMcSwagglepants
Crayfish vs. Volvary
eludemerlange vs. Ostrichman01
TristanTaylorsVoice vs. amerishin
… and JerichoDarkstar gets the bye!


Happy tapping, players!
zandl

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