FM: Finals - Joe Hammond vs. Michael Smith

After six rounds of Magic, it had all come down to this. Joe Hammond had emerged victorious in the Qualifier, and despite long odds to be anywhere near this position just a week ago, was suddenly in the finals of the Invitational after a day of grinding, hard-fought matches. After losing his opening round against Joe's Valakut deck, Michael Smith had won five matches in a row, defeating the defending champion in the Semifinals to reach this last match. Only one would emerge as Spring 2011 Invitational champion.

Joe won the die roll and chose to play first, keeping his opening seven. Smith, however, looked hard at his opener, showed me his one-lander of two drops, and sent it back for six. Both players traded land drops one turn one before Joe's second-turn Overgrown Battlement, a card that had been a stalwart in multiple decks throughout the day. Michael Smith responded with the one-card combo that had gotten Joe into the Invitational to begin with: Stoneforge Mystic, tutoring up a Sword of Feast and Famine.

Undeterred, Joe cast an Oracle of Mul Daya, flipping up a Mountain and getting a second land drop for the turn, giving him a chance at the prolific play of fourth-turn Primeval Titan. Smith appeared to have no way to stop it, playing a land and ending his turn. However, Joe apparently had no lands in hand, and when the top of his library gave him no help, all he could do was attack with his Oracle (20-18) and play a second one. Smith put the Sword into play with his Mystic at the end of the turn.

On his next turn, Smith gave the Sword to his Mystic, and attacked in undeterred (17-18). Joe discarded yet another copy of Oracle, while Michael untapped his lands, but had no further plays. Joe drew his card, flipped over the top card of his library...and missed again, revealing Thrun. He decided to cast a Green Sun's Zenith for 2, to get a mana producer and a shuffle, but Michael countered it with a Mana Leak. Deciding the shuffle was more important, he cast a second copy, which resolved and shuffled back into his deck. In a cruel twist of fate, he flipped up Green Sun's Zenith and still couldn't find his land.

Since they couldn't block anyway, Joe attacked with both Oracles (17-14) and ended his turn. Michael used a Misty Rainforest (17-13) to find an Island and then attacked with his Mystic (14-13). Joe discarded a Lotus Cobra, and Smith apparently had nothing to do with his plethora of extra mana, so he passed back. Joe finally hit a land in the form of Evolving Wilds, and used it to fetch a Mountain and try for a second land, but this time he hit a Lightning Bolt on top. He attacked with both Oracles, but one was crushed by an animated Stirring Wildwood (14-11).

Smith attacked again with his Mystic (11-11), and this time Joe was forced to discard the Primeval Titan that the mana gods just hadn't given him fair chance to play. Upon Smith casting Wurmcoil Engine, Joe knew the Lightning Bolt atop his deck wasn't going to cut it, so he packed it in and got ready for game 2.

Michael Smith 1, Joe Hammond 0

The pregame logistics were identical to game 1, as Joe chose to play and kept his opener, while Smith mulliganed down to 6. The openings were quite different, however, as Joe used a turn two Explore to ramp his mana. Smith tried to equal it with a Lotus Cobra, but Joe immediately dispatched the snake with a Lightning Bolt.

Joe cast another Explore on his next turn, but did not have the extra land in his hand to take advantage of it. Smith cast a Birds of Paradise on his next turn. Joe followed up with a Harrow and yet another Explore, this time hitting on his extra land. The players continued with rampy green spells, as Smith cast Garruk Wildspeaker, but chose to make a 3/3 Beast token instead of more mana. But, Joe had another Lightning Bolt to take care of Garruk before he could do any more damage.

Joe continued setting the world on fire, casting an Inferno Titan and choosing to kill the Birds of Paradise and hit Smith for 2 rather than removing the token (20-18). Smith had other plans, using a Verdant Catacombs to get a fourth land (20-17), replacing Garruk with a second copy, and untapping two lands to cast Journey to Nowhere, removing the Inferno Titan. He attacked with his Beast (17-17) and passed.

On his next turn, Joe pulled a timely Nature's Claim, destroying Journey to Nowhere (17-21) and using his Inferno Titan's return to the battlefield to finally destroy the Beast token. Instead of replacing it, Smith used Garruk to untap two lands so that he could cast Jace, the Mind Sculptor off of his single blue source. After a Brainstorm with Jace, he used another fetch land to shuffle (17-20), and cast Stoneforge Mystic to find the infamous Sword of Feast and Famine. He finished his extensive turn by using his last land to Oust the Inferno Titan (20-20).

Joe regrettably had no plays on his next turn, and Smith cast and equipped the Sword to Stoneforge Mystic, and attacked. Joe took the hit and discarded Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre (17-20), shuffling his graveyard back into his library, but also sending back his Inferno Titan. Smith took full advantage of his extra mana this time, casting a Baneslayer Angel and equipping it after another Brainstorm with Jace.

On his turn, Joe was only able to cast a Green Sun's Zenith for 2 to find an Overgrown Battlement. Smith used Jace to Unsummon it, and then activated Garruk's ultimate, giving his creatures a free Overrun. A full swing, including Stirring Wildwood, put Joe to the brink (1-30) and made him discard the Overgrown Battlement. When the top card of his library wasn't a miracle, he extended his hand, making Michael Smith the Spring 2011 Invitational winner.

Michael Smith 2, Joe Hammond 0