What an exciting day this has been, full of Magic and mystery and intrigue, all at the hands of yours truly! Well, okay. It’s really all thanks to the magnanimous Dominic Casali for bringing us together for this fine occasion. By this point, we have reached the semifinal round of the FITSSFF Magic Invitational of 2011.
This first match pits the roguishly handsome Michael Smith vs. the equally attractive Michael Carney. But keep your hands to yourselves, boys and girls! These two fine chaps are already taken! For now, settle yourselves with some intense Michael on Michael action. Let the Magic duel of the century begin!
Oh, by the way, did I mention Smith was playing white? Ugh… I shudder in revulsion. From what I’ve been told, Smith’s deck is a modernized form of Alara’s Bant-colored “Mythic” deck, which pretty much just plays every money card in those colors. Carney, on the other hand, is playing some kind of Red/Green deck, the details of which were shrouded in mystery. Isn't that so much more awesome than playing white cards?
Smith wins the initial die roll and opts to make the first play. He happily keeps his opening hand while Carney ships his off. With a grimace, he decides to send back his 6-card hand as well.
Already at a sizeable advantage, with opening hand sizes of 7 against 5, Smith opens the game with a Razorverge Thicket, rolling into a Birds of Paradise. Carney draws his card and lays down an unassuming Copperline Gorge before passing the turn.
Smith throws down a Lotus Cobra, then plays a Seachrome Coast, electing to end his turn rather than make use of his snake-borne mana. Things are already looking dire for our hero, as Smith has prepared what could be a lethally explosive start. Carney draws his next card and plays a Tectonic Edge. Unfortunately, that was all he was able to do, and passed the turn back to Smith.
The very same Smith who proceeded to play a second Seachrome Coast, making sure to float White mana just for me, in order to cast the most despicable of all high-end backbreakers – a Baneslayer Angel! Carney anxiously picked up the top card of his library. For his first main phase, he played… another Tectonic Edge. Well, so much for colored mana. Still unable to cast his spells, Carney ended his turn.
Smith confidently untaps his lands, plays an Island and, after floating some Blue mana, casts a Jace, the Mind Sculptor. This was enough to draw a concession out of Carney, and they were quickly shuffling up for game 2.
Smith – 1 Carney – 0
After a bit of sideboarding, both players shuffle up and start their second game. Carney decides to play first and, after seeing his opening hand, decides to keep. This time it is Smith’s turn to mulligan, though he decides to do so only once.
Carney starts things off simply with a lone Forest before ending his turn. Smith sees his Forest, and raises him a Llanowar Elves.
Not to be outdone, Carney quickly throws down another Forest, casting Explore to draw an extra card and ramp into a Tectonic Edge. Smith plays a Misty Rainforest, pops it for an Island (-1), and casts a Sword of Feast and Famine with the help of his elf. (20-19)
Carney draws for his turn, casts a Cultivate with his three lands, grabbing two Mountains, one of which comes into play tapped, the other of which Carney immediately plays. It looks like Carney is about to set up for something big of his own, albeit in a more budget-friendly way. Smith starts his turn off by popping a second Misty Rainforest (-1) for yet another Island. He taps an Island and his Forest to equip the sword to his elf. Carney doesn’t like this plan, and attempts to Lightning Bolt the critter before the sword lands, but Smith has the Mana Leak to defend, though he had to tap his elf in order to cast it. With no more mana and a lazy elf polishing his shiny new toy, Smith passes back to Carney. (20-18)
Carney casually drops an Acidic Slime onto the table and pops the sword before ending his turn. Smith tries to keep on the pressure by summoning the mighty Garruk Wildspeaker to assist him. Garruk goes down to 2 loyalty in order to bring out a 3/3 Meowth token, that grizzly beast! Then, the turn is over.
Carney doesn’t seem to phased by the opposing planeswalker, and chooses to attack Smith with the slime and ignore Garruk entirely. Well, that is until he reaches his second main phase, where he casts a timely Inferno Titan, scorching Garruk and the Llanowar Elves as it makes its grand entrance. All Smith has in play now is his beast token (who decided to let the slime through) and a bunch of lands. For his turn, all he could do was play a Seachrome Coast, which regrettably came into play tapped. (20-16)
Carney charges in with the slime and the titan, exploding Smith’s beast token in the process (-8) and follows up the traumatic blow by ruining Smith’s freshly played Seachrome Coast, courtesy of the turn 2 Tectonic Edge. On Smith’s turn, he casts a Jace, the Mind Sculptor, bouncing the titan, but Carney sends a Lightning Bolt over Jace’s way, and Smith ends the turn with nothing but lands on the field. (20-8)
Without a moment’s hesitation, Carney untaps his lands and throws down a Koth of the Hammer, sending a very angry Mountain and Acidic Slime into the red zone. At a precarious 2 life, Smith lays down a last-ditch defender in Lotus Kitty and, realizing he has no way to survive the next turn, concedes the game.
Smith – 1 Carney – 1
Michael and Michael do a little bit of re-sideboarding and prepare themselves for their climactic battle. Smith elects to play first, and mulligans his first hand. Carney keeps, and the duel commences. Smith opens with a Stirring Wildwood and passes. Carney plays a Forest and passes back.
On his second turn, Smith plays a Seachrome Coast and passes the turn with counterspell mana at the ready. Carney lays down a Mountain and attempts to fast-forward his mana with an Overgrown Battlement, but Smith is ready with a Flashfreeze to counter it. Smith untaps and plays a Forest before passing the turn, threatening another counterspell. Carney’s only move for his turn is to play another Mountain.
Finally ready to start some action, Smith plays an Island, taps all his lands for mana, and throws down Thrun, the Last Troll. Not wanting to be completely left in the dust, Carney plays a Rootbound Crag and taps out for a kicked Goblin Ruinblaster to destroy Smith’s Seachrome Coast.
Smith untaps his three lands and swings in with Thrun before playing another to replace his W/U dual land. Despite being at a very healthy 20 life, Carney decides to block the troll with his goblin, and Smith ends his turn having missed what was probably a very important land drop. On his turn, Carney plays a Forest and attempts to cast an Acidic Slime to further ruin Smith’s mana base, but Smith is ready to defend himself with a timely Mana Leak.
Smith swings in for an uncontested 4 damage, and ends his turn still stuck on 3 lands. Carney can only play a forest and pass the turn back, seeming to have no relevant plays available. (20-16)
At last, Smith draws into another mana source – a Birds of Paradise. He plays it, then swings in for another 4 with Thrun. Carney plays a Tectonic Edge and then casts a very intimidating Wurmcoil Engine, which threatens to turn the game around. (20-12)
Or so it would have seemed. If only Carney had been able to kill the mana-bird, because Smith’s next play is Jace, the Mind Sculptor, which unsummons the Wurmcoil and allows Thrun another potshot at Carney. Once Smith passes the turn, Carney drops down a Forest, recasts his Wurmcoil Engine, and uses his Tectonic Edge to take out Smith’s Stirring Wildwood, tragically dooming the Wurm to be returned to the AEther next turn. (20-8)
Smith does exactly that, and knocks Carney down another 4 points before casting a Stoneforge Mystic and searching out a Sword of Body and Mind. Carney recasts his Wurmcoil Engine and tries a final Lightning Bolt on Jace to keep his blocker and stay alive, but Smith has a second Flashfreeze to protect his mighty planeswalker. (20-4)
Smith bounces the wurm for the third turn in a row, swings with Thrun against an empty field for fifth turn in a row, wins the game, and the match.
Great job to both players for making it this far, and good luck to Smith in the finals! Of course, I say that, but I really hope he dies a horrible, fiery death by the hands of his sworn nemesis, Joe Hammond, who will meet him in the final round with a Red/Green Valakut deck, which is supposedly very strong against Smith’s Mythic concoction. No offense, Mikey – it’s just that, you know, you’re playing White, and I’m as intolerant as the most stalwart of mono-White tyrants or bigots. Hmm… I smell hypocrisy.
- Skye Kutner
