I had an interesting perspective as I watched these two players brew throughout the week for this event. In the end, both players asked me separately to borrow many of the same cards, despite having somewhat different decks.
Both players were playing a red/green ramp strategy. Carney's was creature based, relying on traditional creature beatdown to finish the job. While Joe's deck used many of the same ramp spells, he was playing the powerful combo of Primeval Titan and Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle. Joe won the roll but had to mulligan to 6, while Michael was happy with his first seven.
Red/green dual lands hit the table in a hurry, and Carney had a turn-two Overgrown Battlement to get things started. Joe used an Explore to get to 4 lands on turn 3, including 2 Valakut. Carney surprisingly had no play on his third turn, but Joe had an equally unexciting fourth turn to even things up.
Carney finally went on the war path, casting a second Overgrown Battlement and then Koth of the Hammer, who animated a Mountain into a 4/4 Elemental, which got an attack in (16-20). Joe fired back with Primeval Titan, who grabbed two Mountains out of Joe's library, since he already had 2 Valakuts in play.
However, Carney threw a wrench into that strategy by removing one Valakut with Tectonic Edge. He then used two Lightning Bolts to bring down the Titan, and put Koth to 5 loyalty to attack again with a 4/4 Mountain (12-20). Joe had a second variety of Titan, however, this time an Inferno Titan, who brought Koth down to 2 loyalty upon entering the battlefield. Joe also cast an Overgrown Battlement of his own before passing.
After a long trip to the think tank, Carney chose to use Koth as a mini-Garruk, untapping a Mountain to let him cast a Wurmcoil Engine. Joe then made an interesting play, animating his Raging Ravine twice and attacking with it and Inferno Titan, killing Koth and putting two +1/+1 counters onto the Ravine with one swing. Carney chose to trade his Engine for the Inferno Titan (12-26), and chumped the Ravine with one of his Battlements. After combat, Joe played his sixth Mountain and used his Valakut trigger to kill the 3/3 deathtouch Wurm.
On his next turn, Carney had his own Inferno Titan, which domed Joe since it had no other targets (9-26). Joe played an Evolving Wilds and declined to attack. Carney then went on the offensive, attacking with his Wurm token and Inferno Titan, doming Joe again (6-26). It was time for Joe's Battlement to chump, while he animated his Ravine to block the Wurm (6-29). After combat, Carney used Slagstorm to kill the Ravine, but the 3 damage it dealt to his Titan let Joe pop his Evolving Wilds for a Mountain and kill it with Valakut.
Joe had an opening, but all he could do was play another Valakut and pass. That was immediately removed by another Tectonic Edge, and Carney's Ravine attack put Joe near the brink (2-29). However, Joe drew Green Sun's Zenith, and cast it for X = 6, finding another Primeval Titan, which brought along another Valakut and a Mountain. He used his two Valakut triggers to shoot Carney's last Overgrown Battlement, and played a Mountain from his hand to dome Carney for six (2-23). However, the game came to an anticlimactic end when Carney revealed the Lightning Bolt he could've cast last turn if he had tapped his mana correctly.
Michael Carney 1, Joe Hammond 0
Joe elected to play first in game two, and both players kept their starting hands. This time Joe had turn two Overgrown Battlement, while Carney had an Explore. Joe played a Lotus Cobra and followed it up with a land and a Harrow, floating more mana to cast Viridian Emissary.
Carney tried to keep up by casting another Explore and his own Overgrown Battlement. But, it was futile, as Joe had the turn 4 Primeval Titan, which grabbed Valakut and Mountain from Joe's library. He got in for a couple points of damage, attacking with both of his 2/1's to Carney's lone 0/4 blocker (20-18).
Carney tried to recover with Koth of the Hammer, who he used to ramp into a kicked Goblin Ruinblaster, which took down a Valakut. Still, Joe was far ahead, casting Inferno Titan to join his green one, killing both Koth and the Ruinblaster, and another Primeval Titan swing brought out a Valakut and a Mountain (20-15), plus Joe's squad of attacking creatures all got in as well (20-5). Carney took a look at his top card and packed it in.
Michael Carney 1, Joe Hammond 1
Carney went first in game 3, and had turn 2 Overgrown Battlement. Joe countered with Lotus Cobra, while Carney had a second Battlement. Joe cast his first one, passing back.
This time it was Carney's turn for turn 4 Titan, and his Inferno Titan hit Joe for 2 and disposed of Lotus Cobra (20-18). Joe just had a Valakut, and appeared unable to reach the critical six-mana threshold.
Carney cast Goblin Ruinblaster to kill the Valakut, but Joe responded by sacrificing it to Harrow. Still, Carney had a good board position, swinging his Inferno Titan (20-15) and Ruinblaster. The 2/1 was nullified by the 0/4 wall, but Inferno Titan connected (20-9).
Joe had another Valakut to replace the one lost to Harrow, and tapped out for a Wurmcoil Engine, which looked like enough to stop Carney's assault of red creatures. But, Carney had a clutch Tumble Magnet, and once Belugatron was tapped, no amount of protest from its blowhole could stop Inferno Titan from cleaning up shop for the day.
Michael Carney 2, Joe Hammond 1
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