After a close call with the Quest deck, Dom's RUG deck had advanced to the semifinals. His opponent was Noah Senzel, whose close Beastmaster Ascension-fueled victory over John Kreinbring had also secured him a spot in the top 4 with his GW Tokens deck. Dom won the roll, chose to play first, and kept his starting hand, while Noah needed a mulligan to six before keeping.
Dom led with a Misty Rainforest, though he didn't crack it immediately, while Noah started with a Forest and a Basilisk Collar. "Not that card again," Dom sighed. He played a second Rainforest, cracked both of them (18-20), and cast Lotus Cobra off of his fetched Island and Forest. Noah spent his second turn casting one of his deck's stalwarts - Kazandu Tuskcaller.
However, Dom was not in the mood to face down Elephants, so he played yet another Misty Rainforest and floated a red mana with his Cobra. He used this mana to Lightning Bolt the Tuskcaller, managing to cast the red instant despite not controlling a red land courtesy of his landfall Snake. Dom then popped the Misty Rainforest (17-20), found a second forest, and floated a blue mana. "You obviously know what's coming..." Dom teased, then surprising Noah and the onlookers by casting an Oracle of Mul Daya - not the Jace everyone in the room was looking for. He played a Raging Ravine from atop his library, beat down with his Cobra (17-18), and shipped the turn..
Noah used his next turn to cast Sylvan Ranger, finding a Forest from his library. Dom then spent his turn casting a chain of Preordains and Explores, hoping to find a fifth land and second blue source, but his quest failed despite filtering through seven cards. He attacked with Oracle (17-16) and passed back. However, Noah had little more to play on his turn, equipping Sylvan Ranger with the Collar and then passing the turn.
This time, Dom found the land he was after in the form of Scalding Tarn. He used it to float a blue mana and cast Jace, the Mind Sculptor, then also playing a Copperline Gorge from the top of his library. He then used his Scalding Tarn (16-16) and Lotus Cobra mana to cast Acidic Slime, destroying the Basilisk Collar. Dom then attacked with his Oracle, which was chumped by Sylvan Ranger.
Noah attempted to rebuild his field by casting Elspeth Tirel and using her second ability to create three 1/1 Soldiers. On his next turn, Dom found two more lands on top of his library and attacked Elspeth with both of his creatures. Noah used two of the Soldiers to chump, but soon realized the attack was just a ruse, as Dom removed Elspeth with a Lightning Bolt. Noah tapped out for a Wurmcoil Engine on the following turn, hoping to turn the tide of combat.
Dom had other ideas, playing two Halimar Depths off the top of his library and floating two mana with Lotus Cobra. He than used his Scalding Tarn (15-16) and floated a third mana upon the new Island's landfall. After using Jace to Brainstorm, he found a Frost Titan, which he could easily cast thanks to the additional three mana floating in his pool. Frosty the Snowman tapped down the Wurmcoil Engine, and Dom's army of 2/2's entered the red zone. The last soldier chumped one of the attackers (15-12). Noah attempted a Garruk Wildspeaker on his next turn, but it was countered by Mana Leak, and he then conceded after surveying the lethal army that would be bashing in next turn.
Dominic Casali 1, Noah Senzel 0
Both players kept their hands for game 2, and Noah started off with a Llanowar Elves. The Elf entered the red zone on the following turn (19-20), and Noah played a Stirring Wildwood, giving each player a man-land, as Dom had opened on Raging Ravine. Dom had no play on turn 2, and Noah beat down again with his Elf (18-20) and cast a Sylvan Ranger, finding a Plains.
Dom then cast a Lotus Cobra on his third turn before playing a Mountain, off which he floated a blue mana and cast Preordain before passing. Noah attacked with Sylvan Ranger (17-20) and cast a Wolfbriar Elemental without kicker, hoping to apply immediate pressure. However, this plan backfired, as Dom used a Scalding Tarn (16-20) and his Lotus Cobra to power out a fourth turn Inferno Titan, who took down both of Noah's Elves and also hit him for one (16-19).
Noah had no plays on his next turn, and used the Wolfbriar to chump Inferno Titan next time he attacked, though Noah was domed by the Arc Lightning triggered by the Titan's attack (16-16). Dom also cast Jace, the Mind Sculptor and used Jace's first ability to put the top card of Noah's library on the bottom. Noah again had no plays on the next turn, appearing to be short on mana, and Dom went for the throat on the following turn.
He first used Jace again to fateseal, leaving Noah's top card in place. Dom then cast an Oracle of Mul Daya, playing a Misty Rainforest from the top of his library. He then Preordained into a Mountain, which he also played, using the two red mana to pump Inferno Titan to 8/6. He then attacked with it and the Cobra, again doming Noah for 3 (16-13) and dealing 10 from the attack (16-3). Yet again, Lightning Bolt was just enough to finish the job (16-0) and send Dom to the finals.
Dominic Casali 2, Noah Senzel 0
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