After two close matches with unfortunate mulligans and mana problems costing me game 3 each time, I found myself sitting at an unexciting 1-2 start. However, because most of the other players with 1-2 records or worse had dropped, I found myself with my first bye in over two years, giving me time to cover the first limited feature match in the history of this site.
After seeing the pairings, I decided to cover event leader Skye, who was sitting in the lead at 3-0 featuring his blue/black Trinket Mage deck, facing off with Greg, who was 2-1 with almost-mono-blue control and looking to bring the leader back to the pack to give everyone else at 2 wins a chance to pull even.
Game 1: The players sat down and shuffled their decks, and Greg took his roll on a D-20. "No, not a 7! That's not fair!" exclaimed Skye, as he proceeded to roll 16 and chose play first. Both players kept their opening seven, and after a couple turns of land-go, Greg had the first play of the game with a Screeching Silclaw. Skye put down a Snapsail Glider, but with Skye not nearly at metalcraft yet, Greg sent his Silclaw into the red zone for the first damage of the game (20-19). He then followed it up with Plated Seastrider to keep the Glider at bay.
Skye quickly halted Greg's Silclaw with a turn 4 Darkslick Drake, and Greg further stalled the ground with a Wall of Tanglecord. Skye then called his shot, pleading for a Trinket Mage, but settled for playing a 5th land and casting both Tumble Magnet and Thrummingbird. Greg dropped an Accorder's Shield and shipped the turn, but his wall got tapped by Tumble Magnet at the end of the turn.
Skye then went on the offensive with his Drake and Thrummingbird. Greg blocked the 1/1 bird with his 1/2 Silclaw. Skye attempted to cast Instill Infection on the Silclaw, but Greg countered it with Stoic Rebuttal, causing the Thrummingbird to bite the dust, but taking 2 damage from the Darkslick Drake (18-19). Skye cast Infiltrator Lens with his last land and shipped the turn. On his turn, Greg was content to equip the shield to his Silclaw, making it a 1/5, and pass the turn back.
Skye then took a new angle of attack, equipping his Infiltrator Lens to Darkslick Drake and attacking. Greg opted to take the hit (16-19) instead of allowing Skye to draw two cards. Greg attacked back with his Plated Seastrider and Silclaw. Skye blocked the Seastrider with his Snapsail Glider, but took one from the Silclaw (16-18). Skye then repeated his previous attack, which was again unblocked (14-18), and cast a Vedalken Certarch, now with metalcraft active thanks to the Lens being on the battlefield. Greg repeated his previous attack and got one point of damage through again (14-17), but he had no further plays.
Skye bashed successfully yet again with Darkslick Drake (12-17), and then tapped the Silclaw during Greg's turn, ending his one-damage assaults. Greg passed again and took yet another hit from Skye's 2/4 flier (10-17), but on his next turn he finally had another play, casting Bonds of Quicksilver to shut down the Darkslick Drake. Skye fought back by equipping the Lens to his Snapsail Glider and swinging for two flying damage yet again. Greg finally gave in and blocked with his Wall of Tanglecord, netting Skye two cards.
Greg tried to re-establish his board with a Sky-Eel School. He discarded a second copy of the card after drawing off of the first one's ability, and swung with his Plated Seastrider (10-16). Skye cast Trigon of Rage on the following turn, and got to draw two more cards when his Glider was again blocked by Wall of Tanglecord. Greg had no plays on his next turn. Skye then cast Bleak Coven Vampires, draining 4 life from Greg (6-20). Greg swung back with his Seastrider and Eel School to put through a few damage (6-16), and cast Engulfing Slagwurm. However, Skye tapped the Slagwurm at the end of Greg's turn and then tapped the wall during his turn, leaving Greg no blockers for his 6 power of creatures (0-16).
Skye Kutner 1, Greg Lovell 0
Game 2: Greg chose to play second in game 2, and both players kept their starting hands again. Skye opened with Infiltration Lens and followed it up with a Screeching Silclaw of his own. Greg had a Wall of Tanglecord on his second turn to hold down the fort. Skye equipped his Silclaw and bashed in (19-20), then passing the turn. Greg fought back with a Neurok Invisimancer. Skye got through again with his Silclaw (18-20), but had no further plays.
Greg tried to go on the offensive with his Invisimancer, but it soon met its end from Instill Infection, and Greg passed the turn back to Skye. Skye had a Sylvok Lifestaff, which resolved, but his Tumble Magnet didn't, as Greg cast Halt Order to counter it and draw a card. Skye then equipped the staff to his Silclaw and attacked through with it yet again (16-20). Greg spent his turn casting two more copies of Wall of Tanglecord, giving him three total. However, these were not able to stop the Screeching Silclaw, which got in again (14-20) - and this time it milled Greg 4 cards, as Skye had cast Mimic Vat earlier in the turn, enabling Metalcraft. Skye also cast Thrummingbird during his second main phase.
Greg had no further plays to stabilize, and Skye attacked with his Screeching Silclaw again. This time, Greg gave one of his Walls Reach and blocked, netting Skye two cards. After combat, Skye played another Sylvok Lifestaff. He also tried to cast his a Sky-Eel School, but it met a Stoic Rebuttal. Greg came back with a Sky-Eel School of his own, again discarding a second copy after his draw. Skye equipped his Silclaw with a second Lifestaff, and attacked again with it. This time it got through (11-20), and Greg was also milled another four cards.
Greg cast a Silclaw of his own and bashed for 3 with his Eel School (11-17). Greg took another hit from Skye's Silclaw (8-17), and then Skye equipped one Lifestaff to his Thrummingbird. Greg played a Sylvok Lifestaff of his own, equipped the Silclaw, and repeated his previous attack, but the Thrummingbird and Silclaw traded, netting each player 3 life (11-20). Skye then imprinted Greg's Screeching Silclaw into the Mimic Vat, and retaliated with his Silclaw and a Mimic'd one. The token was blocked and the other one went through (9-20). Greg had nothing going on his next turn, taking another hit from a token, this time with both staves (6-20), and leaving his deck down to only 7 cards. Greg cast a Contagion Engine, but it left him unable to block either Silclaw, and the next attack proceeded to mill the remaining cards of his library.
Skye Kutner 2, Greg Lovell 0
Note: Before the outcome of the match was determined, both players chose to report the match as an intentional draw, since that would guarantee Skye first place and Greg a finish in the top four. However, they still played out the rest of the match for pride and so that I could have complete coverage of it.
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