Round 1: U/B Zombies
This was a tough matchup, and one I'm not experienced with. The U/B Zombie builds offer consistency, while my build had insane draws. Game 1 I saw two lands, with the rest of my hand being 4-drops. Sad face me. Moving to game two, I did a bit more here, but was outran and outgunned by better board control. That tends to happen when you get hit by double Tragic Slip. Overall, just a matchup where I don't have a lot of experience - oh well. It was good.
0-1
Round 2: A Weird MBC
I saw a weird menagerie of stuff - Obliterators, three different Swords, and not much of what I was expecting from MBC. Though my opponent played double Mutilate G3, I survived by rebounding with Falkenrath Aristocrat into Hellrider. This was an uneventful round - Blood Artist + pressure did all the work.
1-1
So far, a usual night - good players, bad players, and the usual crowd. This night was kind to me, though...
Round 3: G/W Pod
This got off to a weird start. Game 1 I win by Mikaeus into Aristocrat with 5 other dudes and my opponent at 10. Game 2 was grindy, but my opponent won off a Champion of Lambholt - and a lot of Restoration Angel triggers. Game 3 I boarded in two Falkenrath Nobles, and seeing one of them paid off here. Two Blood Artists + Noble ended the game, alongside a handy Messenger. That's one stellar guy for R/B Aggro.
2-1
Round 4: Talrand Delver
My opponent was borrowing this deck, and didn't have as much experience playing the deck. Despite winning the round 2-0, he gave me a great run for my money. While I don't think Talrand is great in Delver, it still has a place, as the creature is a solid haymaker. One of the tokens became a 9/2 thanks to a Pike. The champion card for me was Skinrender. That guy is stellar, and is also a Zombie to boot.
3-1
Round 5: Naya Pod
By this time, my opponent was unconcerned with FNM. This match was kinda a free win into the Top 8. Game 1 was fast, with Huntmaster/Strangeroot Geist ending it fast. Games 2 and 3 I got in and hit faster. This matchup is the least interactive (for the most part). It's a race to 20 - not very entertaining to watch, but that's what happens when 45/50% of the field is aggro.
4-1
Having a 4-1 record and good tiebreakers got me into the Top 8. I didn't do as well here, mostly due to relying on draws to smooth out hands. I got it handed to me swiftly and brutally paid for that mistake. Nonetheless, making T8 was pretty sweet.
So, thoughts are:
1. Olivia is REALLY GOOD! She flies, she kills mana dorks, and Mind Controls dudes who are too valuable to kill. This card will continue to be a part of my future R/B Aggro builds.
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Sphere of the Suns was pretty good for me. With the number of 4-drops I have, slamming with a T3 Aristocrat, casting the Olivia, or even just having four mana is good. This is going to stay for now.
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Sideboard needs work. Thinking of dropping Drivers for Smelt/Red Hero. That much is certain. It will take some more testing, but most of the cards did something, which is positive.
That's my spiel. Thanks for reading!
