The Invitational began inauspiciously, with just the Top 8 themselves and no other observers but yours truly. Soon enough, the pairings called for two best friends to square off in a matchup they were both quite familiar with.
Noah Senzel was playing a modified version of his blue/black Tezzeret deck that had earned him a third-place finish in Block Wars, while Chris was playing his long-time Standard deck: mono-white Knights. Chris opened his Invitational with a roll of one, and Noah chose to play first, as both players were satisfied with their opening seven.
Both players led with nonbasic lands; Noah had an Inkmoth Nexus while Chris had Emeria, the Sky Ruin. Chris played the first spell of the game in the form of White Knight on turn two, but Noah countered it with Mana Leak. Chris went for an Accorder Paladin on his next turn, but it met the same fate.
Noah had no plays on his fourth turn, but he bashed in with his Inkmoth Nexus (20-20 life, 0-1 poison). Chris finally resolved a spell in the form of Leonin Skyhunter, but he did get his Emeria destroyed by Noah's Tectonic Edge at the end of his turn.
Noah appeared a bit flooded, and had no action yet again. Chris cast a Mirran Crusader and then enchanthed his Skyhunter with a Hyena Umbra and bashed (17-20, 0-1). Noah looked to slow the assault with a Tumble Magnet, and attacked again with Inkmoth Nexus (17-20, 0-2), passing the turn tapped out.
Chris looked to take advantage, casting a Knight Exemplar and entering combat. Noah used the Magnet's first counter to tap the double striking Crusader, but still took a hit from the Skyhunter (13-20, 0-2). Noah cast a naturally-drawn Brittle Effigy and passed back.
Chris went to attack again, but again got his Crusader tapped. Still, his other two creatures got in for six (7-20, 0-2). At end of turn, Noah chose to use his Effigy on the Crusader, exiling it. He finally topdecked some gas, slamming down a Wurmcoil Engine off the top of his library.
However, it was easily dispatched, as Chris had the Journey to Nowhere to clear the way for his attackers. Tumble Magnet's final counter tapped the Skyhunter, leaving just a swing from Knight Exemplar unblocked (5-20, 0-2). Things looked grim for Noah has Chris cast a second Exemplar after combat. Noah had a potential out in the form of Black Sun's Zenith, but it was not on top of his library and we were on to game 2.
Chris Pear 1, Noah Senzel 0
Both players kept their openers again, and Noah led off with a sideboard specialty in the form of second-turn Ratchet Bomb. But, it was immediately removed by Chris's sideboarded Divine Offering, though Noah shrewdly sacrificed it in response to prevent Chris from gaining the life. Noah spent his next turn casting Trinket Mage, which fetched up an Elixir of Immortality.
Chris began applying pressure, casting Student of Warfare and levelling it twice. After Noah had no plays but the Elixir, Chris cast both Honor of the Pure and Leonin Skyhunter on his next turn. He attacked with Student of Warfare, and it was chumped by Trinket Mage. Chris passed the turn, and his Skyhunter was removed by Noah's Go for the Throat at end of turn.
Noah still had no action, apparently flooded on lands again. He did, however, counter an Honor of the Pure with his Stoic Rebuttal, and gained 5 life off his Elixir (25-20). Chris took a chunk of that back with Student of Warfare (21-20). Noah still had no spells, but got in with an Inkmoth Nexus (21-20, 0-1).
Chris continued on the Student of Warfare path, casting a second one and then levelling the first one to 7. Upon swinging with his 5/5 double striker, Noah chose to sacrifice his other Inkmoth Nexus, as he had plenty of other lands anyway. He cast another Trinket Mage, finding and casting Brittle Effigy, and then passed back, hoping he was prepared for the next onslaught.
Chris went for a big attack, exiling the Trinket Mage with Journey to Nowhere, levelling his second Student to two, and then attacking with both for a potential 14 damage. However, the remaining Inkmoth Nexus blocked the big Student, mitigating most of the damage (17-20, 0-1). On the next attack, Brittle Effigy dealt with the double-striking Student, but Noah still had no answer to the other one (13-20, 0-1). Chris cast White Knight and levelled his remaining Student to 4.
Noah hoped to stop the bleeding with Tumble Magnet, but Chris cast the first planeswalker of the Invitational: Ajani Goldmane. Ajani's second ability pumped all of Chris's creatures and gave them vigilance. Vigilance didn't help Student of Warfare against Tumble Magnet, but White Knight got in unmolested (9-20, 0-1). All Noah had was a Ratchet Bomb on his next turn, and that looked to be too slow given the board state.
Chris leveled Student to 5 and cast Mirran Crusader, using Ajani's second ability again. Noah used Tumble Magnet to stop Student of Warfare again, but White Knight brought him one hit from lethal (4-20). Noah put a counter on his Ratchet Bomb at end of turn, but after finding yet another land on top, he extended the hand, lamenting the lack of Tezzeret draws for his Tezzeret deck in both games.
Chris Pear 2, Noah Senzel 0
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