TNM 2/28/13

I decided to head out to Beyond Comics in Frederick, MD to play some Thursday Night Magic (TNM).

I originally built Jund and toyed with the idea of making Esper Delver.  I did not like the feel of Jund this time around.  I also thought the Delver deck was too slow (comparatively speaking) and ineffective against decks that play Cavern of Souls.

I built the Humanimator Mill Combo deck that took second at GP Montreal.

4 Burning-Tree Emissary
4 Fiend Hunter
4 Undercity Informer
3 Huntmaster of the Fells
4 Angel of Glory's Rise
4 Grisly Salvage
4 Faithless Looting
3 Farseek
3 Mulch
4 Unburial Rites
2 Blood Crypt
4 Cavern of Souls
2 Clifftop Retreat
1 Overgrown Tomb
1 Sacred Foundry
3 Stomping Grounds
3 Sunpetal Grove
3 Temple Garden
4 Woodland Cemetery

-Side -
2 Purify the Grave
4 Abrupt Decay
3 Centaur Healer
3 Restoration Angel
3 Thragtusk

I barely had time to goldfish the deck before leaving my house between work and when I left for TNM.

Round 1: Dave with Boros Aggro

Dave's deck had a lot of "Battalion" creatures (Legion Loyalist, Frontline Medic, Boros Elite) with Boros Reckoner.  In game one, I played some lands out of order and messed up a Grisly Salvage.  I was horribly beaten.  I sided in my suite of Abrupt Decay to deal with the Reckoners.
In games two and three I adopted a semi-aggro posture until I was able to get the combo off and deck Dave.  In game three, Dave kept a four card mulligan, made a VERY bad attack, in my opinion, and then I got the combo off.

(2-1)

Round 2: Ian with Jund

In game one, I cast a Mulch that revealed two other Mulches and two Grisly Salvages.  So I stalled on engine and got run over by dudes.  I sided in Abrupt decay in case he had Grafdigger's cage.  In game two, I filled up my yard pretty quick and then was hit with "Slaughter Games".  I an messed up and named "Unburial Rites".  I hard cast "Angel of Glory's Rise" (Which he should have named) on turn 6 and combo-milled.
I was fearful of "Slaughter Games" so I sided out my combo package (Angel of Glory's Rise and Undercity Informer) in favor of Centaur Healer, Thragtusk, and Restoration Angel.
I got a pretty fast start on Ian with Burning-Tree Emissary into Farseek.  I then curved "Huntmaster of the Fells" into "Thragtusk".  He played Olivia, but Fiend Hunter took care of her. (Twice, thanks to "Unburial Rites")  He had sided in too many four drops and was unable to race my beaters.

(2-1)

Round 3: Matt with Mono-Black midrange.

Matt had played for a number of years since Revised.  He took a decade hiatus and decided to get back into magic.  His deck was mono-black with Duress, Murder, Geralf's Messenger, Gravecrawler, Diregraf Ghoul, and Desecration Demon.  He was a bit unfamiliar with most of the cards, which is to be expected.  I was able to get my combo engine going pretty fast and killed him pretty quickly in Game 1.  I sided in "Abrupt Decay" as help if he brought in "Grafdigger's Cage".  (Which, in retrospect, was unlikely since he had "Geralf's Messenger" and "Gravecrawler".  He got me down to two life with mostly Geralf's Messenger until I stabilized.  I thought I was safe, but then he hit me with "Sign in Blood" killing me.  (Unexpected)
In game three I put the "Abrupt Decays" back into the board and revelled at my own idiocy for bringing them in to begin with.
In game three, he got me to two life and I was able to get the combo engine going thanks to a timely topdeck of Unburial Rites.

(2-1)

Round 4: Bill with Boros Aggro

Bill is a friend of Matt, they are kind of in the same boat in terms of coming "back to the game".

Bill had a Boros Aggro deck with "Spark Trooper" being the top of his curve.  His deck also included "Lightning Mauler", "Frontline Medic", and "Boros Reckoner".
In game one, he got me down to one life on me being a bit reckless by attacking into him.  I had ~12 outs and pulled one off the top to combo-out.  I made no sideboard changes between games.  In game two, it was not quite that close, I was at 4 life, but was well in control of the game, I got the combo engine going without need for an "Unburial Rites" and killed him.
I think if his "Spark Troopers" had been "Hellriders", he would have done better

(2-0)

I went 4-0 and got some packs, from which I pulled an Aurelia and a Merciless Eviction, and not much else.
I don't think I played flawlessly in these games, as it took me a few games to realize that I could use Undercity Informer to mill myself and not my opponent in order to fill the graveyard.  I need to learn how to sideboard better as I was generally confused about my sideboarding options.  Overall, the deck is fun for me to play, but there were a few groans when I would combo-off at very low life.  I did gamble a lot on the deck, by losing blockers when I though I could combo-off the following turn; if I did not draw into the combo, I would have surely died.

Until next time...