Following my ok performance at my first tournament by going 3-3 overall I hoped that with the help of some new additions to my deck I could improve that record for the next one.
Overall changes included:
Mainboard: -2 Dakmor Salvage, -1 Bile Blight, +3 Bitterblossom
Side Board: -1 Pithing Needle, -2 Pack Rat, -1 Bile Blight,-1 Disemeber,+2 Syphon Life,
+2 Funeral charm, +1 Nihil Spellbomb,
With these changes I felt very confident that I could do much better this time at the tournament especially with the new addition of Bitterblossom.
My first match would be against a very inexperienced infect player who didn't seem to know much about the match up and just couldn't handle the defense of faeires with flying and constant lack of a hand. Got an easy 2-0 against him.
The next match would introduce me to an actual merfolk tribal deck and wow is that deck fast! Thankfully with an expert topdeck of ensnaring bridge to stop his tidal-wave of merfolk I was able to ensure a solid 2-0 against him.
The third match was a very rough one for me against affinity. This opponent seemed to know his deck well and crushed me game one and I almost stabilized game 2 but with protection from all colors with his etched champion I just could hold off his artifact horde and lost 0-2. I was rattled after the lost and thought I had reach my peak against opponents.
My next match would be against dredgevine which I had never played against and was surprised to realize my victim of nights had little to no effect against his zombie onslaught but thankfully with my trusty ensnaring bridge and help of the racks I was able to take a solid 2-0 victory against him.
I felt great after that match and realized that all I had to do was win this next match to have a real chance at top 8. This match was very ironic because it would be the same match-up I lost to first round at the last tournament.Twin is what i feared most and this guy was playing it. Let me say I have never been so nervous in a game of magic before and with us going to game 3 being 1-1 we had pushed the round time very far to time, so we started to get a crowd of people watching the match. Honestly I didn't think I could pull it out but even with a few missed triggers and almost a disastrous swing into a Batterskull to almost lose the game I took game 3.
This record of 4-1 would secure my spot in the top 8 with a draw which my opponent would agree to and so that was that. I was so surprised by I was actually ranked 3rd before the cut. 3rd! I finished the last tournament in 20th place and here I am going into the top 8 in the 3rd seat.
Unfortunately my first opponent in the top 8 would be a against my good friend who helped created this deck and we played the closest matches of magic our two decks had ever had played. Sadly with a few misplays and his mainboard artifact/enchantment hate he took game 3 by a hair. Of course I was disappointed by happy for him to move on.
So overall finishing 7th for the day was astonishing for me and couldn't believed I had done so well. I look for for the next tournament in a few weeks and hope that I can improve even more and still am so proud at how well me, my racks, and my faerie rouges(The real mvp) had made it.
