07.16.17: modern pptq
- 14th out of 99 players, with 5-2 record overall.
RD 1: win 2-0, titanshift, on the play.
G1/G2: bitterblossom, blood moon, and liliana doing all the work both games. I could tell the OP was struggling to figure out how to play against my unknown deck.
RD 2: 2-1, grixis delver, on the play.
G1: I mull to 6. Early thoughtseize led me to think OP was on shadow. Ended up losing to double claim//fame on snapcaster mage and young Pyro beats. Two bitterblossom in play helped kill me too.
G2: I mull to 6. I took apart his hand with discard and liliana. Stabileized at one life and hazoret won the game with the shock and swing.
G3: discarded his hand and landed stormbreath which OP had no removal for and it closed the game quick.
RD 3: win 2-1, naya burn, on the play.
G1: Turn one thoughtseize revealed enough burn to kill me. I play it out for a few turns to see if he was on boros or naya and lose a few turns later.
G2: OP opens tapped stomping ground which I turn two fulminator off a SSG and blow up. OP is only able to get two mountains before I blood moon him. Next turn I cast hazoret and he conceads.
G3: Cast double collective brutality for all three modes, blood moon, and stormbreath for the win.
RD 4: win 2-0, grixis death's shadow, on the play.
G1: OP mulled to 5 and see only removal in his hand. I land liliana followed by hazoret for the win.
G2: I mulled to 6 on the draw with no hand disruption. OP plays cantrips and cycles but liliana, removal, and hazoret get the win again.
RD 5: lose 0-2, grixis death's shadow, on the draw.
G1: I didn't see any hand disruption, removal, or blood moon. Opener was land heavy and I should have mulled in retrospect. OP picked apart my hand and killed me with shadow.
G2: I was stuck on two lands while OP had no threats except liliana early on and I couldn't pressure. Finally resolved a bitterblossom but it was too late as his liliana had ultimate once and was still on the battlefield. OP won with ease and this was a lesson in making better keep/mull decisions.
RD 6: lose 0-2, eldrazi tron, on the play.
G1: I mulled to 6 and I didn't see any threats or enough removal this game. I was beat up by matter reshaper and a finishing reality smasher.
G2: I punted this game away hard. I blood moon, he casts ratchet bomb, I liliana, and he casts ballista for two while ticking bomb up to two. I have liliana and Kcommand in hand and move too fast shocking ballista and returning a hazoret from my graveyard to hand. He blows ratchet bomb next turn getting blood moon and liliana. I cast hazoret and discard a ssg to eat an attacking smasher which was neat. He gets another smasher and I have dismember in hand but no other cards to discard; I lose a few turns later. This was a lesson in slowing down and thinking through the turn better because I would most likely have won if I had just shocked ballista and shattered ratchet bomb in the early game.
RD 7: win 2-1, mardu burn, on the play.
G1: Pretty simple he has enough burn to kill me and we move to game two.
G2: This game ends up close but blood moon and liliana do good work to lock the game up. I stabilize at a low life total and precede to land hazoret for the win. Smacking for five a turn and pitching a card for two more is backbreaking.
G3: OP gets early guide which gives me two lands. I collective brutality for all modes to help stabilize. Blood moon and hazoret do all the heavy lifting yet again.
Summary: I had low expectations coming into the PPTQ because I threw the deck together the day before and had zero playtesting with it. However, I was very impressed with how the deck played out and the success I had. I think running a rogue brew threw a lot of OPs off when I turn two cast bitterblossom followed by turn tree blood moon. I think the deck has a solid death's shadow matchup with all the removal and blockers but the list definitely needs some tweaking moving forward.
The deck has a hard time finding threats and closing the game out sometimes. Having some type of card advantage is probably required. I also need to include a way to remove bitterblossom.
- I believe the deck needs another collective brutality in the 75 as life gain is very low.
- I never saw Kalitas in all my games so can't rate his effectiveness, but moving up to two is a consideration.
- Hazoret was an absolute house and isn't going anywhere but possibly up to three.
- Stormbreath was strong as always and has a home here.
- Chandra was very weak in the few games I cast her. I was expecting more out of her +1 but was too far behind for her to be helpful. I think she needs to be a two-of or a zero.
- Bitterblossom was strong but I'm not sure if four is the right number. I could see going down to two or three to make room for other additions.
- SSG was good when I had it in the opener. I think this should be either four or zero. If going to zero I will possibly add mind stone for ramp and to store a card.
