2-2 Overall
Match 1 Vs, Boros Humans. 2-1.
Game 1: I had early hand disruption to take their removal, dropped a delve threat and a DS. Rode them to victory. Game two was very very close. Lost to a topdecked boros charm, while I had lethal next turn with 2x DS, a snapcaster, and souls tokens on the board. Game 3 I felt in control most of the game. I kept a hand with 2 DS's and some hand disruption. Spent a few turns taking damage, then dropped two DS's, next turn cast a Flaying Tendrils to clear the opponents board, then swung for lethal, while holding up a Stubborn Denial. OP felt that the game was quite close, but didn't realize that I had a hand full of answers and really felt in control of this game. Topdecked burn cards are a concern in this matchup and leaving up mana for Stubborn Denial is important.
Match 2 Vs. Sultai Control, 2-1, (Goyfs, snapcaster + cryptic command, Grim flayer, eternal witness, AV, spot removal etc.)
Game 1: Opponent started by playing RW lands on turns 1 and 2, so I initially thought I was playing against Storm, and so scry'd Fatal Push to the bottom on a Serum Visions. Big mistake. Opponent dropped Grim Flayer, Snapcaster Mage, made some wolf tokens, and I couldn't find answers and lost.
Game 2: Boarded in a Path to Exile, a LoTV, 2x Flaying Tendrils, and 2x Collective Brutality, taking out my Street Wraiths, one Stubborn Denial, and a Thoughtseize. Game two was a grind fest. Opponent got his snapcaster + Cryptic Command *list* engine online, and prevented me from winning for 4 rounds by tapping down my board and sending Snapcaster Mage back to his hand. Eventually I cast a Thoughtseize while he was tapped down and took his Snappy from his hand, letting me swing for lethal.
Game 3 was a bit faster. I used spot removal to clear the board, and kept swinging in with some small Death Shadows until I ground him out.
Match 3 Vs. Storm, 0-2
Lost on turn 6. I had a Delve threat on the table and was doing work. I used my Stubborn Denial + Snapcaster to put him back two turns by countering a serum visions, then a Remand. I had him down to 5 life and he comboed out. Game 2 I sided in my Nihil Spellbomb and kept a questionable opening hand with a spellbomb, but only 1 fetch land. I didn't draw into any more lands by turn 6 and lost after opponent cast an echoing truth to put spellbomb back to my hand. This matchup seems impossible to win. Record against Storm at FNM is about 1-12, and I'm not sure how to improve it.
Match 4 Vs. Ad Nauseam, 1-2
Game 1. Things were going according to plan, used multiple pieces of hand disruption to control opponent, while swinging away with a delve threat. Countered an AV. Lost to a resolved Keranos while opponent was at 3 life and I had lethal on board next turn. I had ignored the Keranos in Opponents hand when I thoughtseized, believing that I could race before Keranos hit the board, however spot removal slowed my clock. Game two, sided in graveyard hate, LoTV, Collective Brutality, and an extra Path. I dropped two DS's, grew them to 7/7's and swung away for the win. Game 3, unknownst to me, Opponent sideboarded out his Emrakul, the Aeons Torn. I spent the game trying to use threats to take out his Nahiri, The Harbringer instead of swinging at opponent, believing that he would ultimate and drop Emrakul, when in fact he could only play Griselbrand with Nahiri's ult (and I had 2 Paths in hand). This mistake cost me the game, as opponent wrathed the board 3x with Supreme Verdict while I kept dropping threats and focusing on preventing Nahiri from ult'ing. I eventually lost (with clock at zero) to a Crucible of Worlds plus double Ghost Quarter.
Concluding observations: My play has tighened up significantly, and I feel that my knowledge of the format is growing. Overall my choices and play were "good," and I don't believe that I made any major punts. Still unsure how to beat Storm, maybe start sideboarding in Rule of Law for this matchup? My loss in the last matchup was due to the Opponent having a great sideboarding strategy, and not to me making bad play decisions, which made the loss feel like a positive learning experience.
