Week 8 (11/9/2021)
Game 1
Alex – Phylath | Ryan – Kodama | Keegan – Korvold | Sean – Kemba
Kicking off the quarter is a group of repeat offenders. We did see Phylath and Kodama in the mix, which is the first time in a while for the two of them. Alex was the only one to take his free mulligan, and Sean rolled up the first turn which is a huge bonus for his mono white deck.
Early game showed some very notable plays. One is that Keegan was looking like Larry David not shocking in a Blood Crypt. Kodama had it’s normal start of hardcore ramp into threats before others are prepared. Normal mono green stuff. A very notable early game came from Kemba, who ended up curving Shadowspear –> Commander Plate –> Kemba through the first 3 turns. Korvold as well ended up entering the battlefield early with 2 fetchlands after his etb sacrifice. This is thanks to the T1 play of Orcish Lumberjack. Phylath was just putzing along with lands and an early Skullclamp, nothing else on board and ate up some early beats from those who were building with a presence.
A large momentum moment came on Sean’s T4, where he had equipped the plate and swung at Keegan with Kemba. Keegan ended up snapping off a Nature’s Claim on the plate, and blew out a naked Kemba with a block, giving himself a big 2 for 1 and destroying momentum for Kemba. The next turn was Keegan’s, and he ended up dropping a Strip Mine and swiped a T1 Mosswort Bridge drop Ryan had. He made a great act of his looks, and we thought he had gas under there, but it was only a Roiling Regrowth. Still a great 2 turn move from Korvold on controlling the board to let him snowball.
As the game progressed so did the board states naturally. Well for most of us it did. Kemba was showing major mana screw again unfortunately, and did not drop a land after T3 I believe. Alex was able to get out a Scute Swarm that he was able to keep around and grow, as well as his commander and 6 plant tokens. Keegan and his good buddy Korvold had not found his typical reanimation pieces, but he did find Titania, Protector of Argoth and a Zuran Orb. So he was not too upset by the situation. Ryan was able to resolve and keep around till the end of the game a Nyxbloom Ancient, which normally means untap and win the game. He also had his mana sink of Nylea, Keen-Eyed (Theros represent!!) to filter out his lands for his permanents. Which he did very much and prevented a Noah’s Arc level flood. His board was starting to look like the end game (it was only T7 he popped off lmao).
But then Alex asked Ryan “Hey there is a Craterhoof in here right?“, knowing that there was one. He just wanted to put fear and confusion into the hearts of the table, for he did not have the necessary mana to cast him. So he dropped a land making more scutes and buffing his plants, and dropped another pieces out for good measure. Then he put a Natural Order on the stack and asks “Does it resolve” to the blue-less table. And yup, a scute pays the iron price, and out comes Craterhoof Behemoth and Alex killed the table in a single +19/+19 swing. Keegan gave a good effort in a land sac, but his 5/3 elementals did him dirty with trample damage.
Alex was able to cap off the first win of the quarter he missed due to lack of math in Q1 with his beloved Phylath.
Game 2
Alex – Zombies | Ryan – Locust God | Keegan – Zaffai | Sean – Kaalia
Following up the single turn blowout game, Sean rolled a Nat 20 for decks and chose Kaalia as his drug of choice. Both Ryan and Keegan took their free mulligan this game, and Keegan rolled highest for turn order.
Sean got distracted by the movie Cats that was on in the background and did not shock in a Sacred Foundry off a fetch. Always have to bolt the bird. Ryan had an early Rhystic Study and got the “Will you pay the 1” paid from a land drop from Sean. Gott love that one.
The game progressed at a normal pace, Kaalia was played and removed. One major note from the early to mid game was an interaction between Ryan and Sean I missed and want to note. Ryan played Vesuva copying a Maze of Ith that Sean had out. Sean either thought it was a strip or land that destroyed another, but he ended up putting his Maze in the yard. A handful of turns later I saw Sean take a hit that he should have mazed and asked about it. Said Ryan blew it up, and Ryan was about to say something but I gave him the ol’ shush. I did this cause many turns have passed and what was done is done. But I will say, as the “commissioner” of the league, I would have not let this happen. Purely because it is just not legal, so I will try to be more alert next time on it.
Zombies and Zaffai were starting to build while also controlling Kaalia and chipping away at her iron throne. Locust God was starting to get his necessary mana, but Kaalia to Keegan and Alex was worse of an issue if left alone. Kaalia died to a fully swing from zombies, which left Alex tapped out. The turn after Ryan swing his 34 hastey insects plus a Consecrated Sphinx no one had removal for at Alex and killed him.
On Keegan’s next turn he went for it hardcore and copied Mind’s Desire, looking for some answers to the doomsday on Ryan’s board. Ryan being the draw god he was, was displeased to see this. So he ended up copying a Counterspell with his Primal Wellspring to deny BOTH of the Desire’s. It was incredibly mean and was Izzet on Izzet violence. Truly sad to see.
Ryan won his following turn by Koolaid Man-ing Keegan to death.
Game 3
Alex – Dina | Ryan – Lathril | Keegan – Kodama | Sean – Uril
There was no mulligans for the final game of the night, and Alex rolled a Turn 1 for once. Ryan hit a natural 20 on his die roll and was itching to kill people with elves the non traditional way. Again we had all repeat offenders, but a few friendly faces we do not often see in Kodama and Uril.
The game started out quick, Sean hit a T2 Sol Ring, and same turn cycle Keegan set loose the Goose. Meanwhile Ryan was curving fantastically as is tradition with elves. On the other hand, Alex kept a hand of gas but only a single forest.
Later early game / mid game we saw Kodama building a large board, but Uril was going larger. Ryan cast Skemfar Shadowsage with X for 13 like a mad lad. Shortly after that he used Lathril’s tap ability to kill of Alex, again cementing his love for Dina. Just after Alex was sucked of his lifeforce, Sean decided to do the same to Keegan. Just this time he wanted to break his spirit. He cast Fling, sacrificing his Satyr Wayfinder at Keegan’s dome piece to kill him. This was all during combat, in which Uril was a 22/22 with double strike, trample, flying, and lifelink. Oh plus Armadillo Cloak, so he gained 88 life off that single swing, and single creature. It is fair to say that Sean wiped up the rest of the game swiftly.