There wasn't much going on, magic-wise, around Baltimore today and my only option to battle was Games & Stuff's monthly Modern tourney. Fine by me since I love playing my only modern deck, but it meant I'd be going solo (Jimmy, Mike and Nick aren't big fans of the format).
I brought this updated list of Aggro Mill:
4x Delver of Secrets
4x Jace's Phantasm
3x Snapcaster Mage
3x Nihilith
1x Vendilion Clique
2x Spell Pierce
2x Thoughtseize
1x Orzhov Charm
3x Path to Exile
4x Glimpse the Unthinkable
4x Archive Trap
4x Serum Visions
4x Visions of Beyond
3x Thought Scour
2x Island
2x Scalding Tarn
2x Misty Rainforest
2x Watery Grave
2x Hallowed Fountain
4x Darkslick Shores
4x Seachrome Coast
(60)
1x Spell Pierce
1x Path to Exile
1x Lazav, Dimir Mastermind
1x Spellskite
2x Echoing Truth
2x Azorius Charm
2x Hurkyl's Recall
2x Surgical Extraction
3x Pithing Needle
(15)
I wanted to try out some of the more pricey cards that I don't have online, like Thoughtseize, Vendilion Clique and even Spell Pierce. I also meant to add at least one more Spellskite to my side, but forgot to do so before leaving the house.
Round 1 vs Mono-blue Tron
He Remands everything game 1 and each is as good as a Timewalk for him as I'm not drawing any land. I get him down to around 6 before he hits back with a Wurmcoil Engine. After that he Mindslavers me (his Academy Ruins are in the grave though) and I Thoughtseize away my own Snapcaster, Path my own Delver (deciding not to search for a land) and attack with my Nihilith into his untapped Wurmcoil.... ouch.
I didn't see any Eldrazi game one, but bring in my Surgical Extractions and Lazav, along with my Hurkyl's Recalls. Game two I start slow because I spend the first few turns casting Thoughtseizes and Serum Visions. I'm able to stick Phantasm and flip a Delver that take it home for me following a timely Hurkyl's Recall sending Platinum Angel to his hand. Game three I Thought Scour away a Wurmcoil Engine and Surgical Extraction it thinking he's probably playing four if he's not running Eldrazi... Turns out he's only running two along with one Platinum Angel and one Sundering Titan - no Eldrazi at all. After seeing his hand I'm able to play around his Condescend as he's not finding the third piece of tron and take him down.
(2-1, 1-0)
Round 2 vs Mike Wayne playing Scapeshift
I like this matchup a lot after playing against it a bunch online, and the Thoughtseizes and Spell Pierces should only make it better.
Game one I Archive Trap him and hit THREE Scapeshifts! Not sure if he's running a full set, but he never finds anything worthwhile and dies after stalling me a bit with Cryptic Commands.
I bring in Surgicals again and the extra Spell Pierce, happy to leave Echoing Truth in the side since I took the first game. (They pretty much HAVE to come in if I lose game one to a deck that may board Leyline of Sanctity).
Game two I get an early Archive Trap and hit two Leylines. WHEW! Thoughtseizes and Spell Pierces do in fact prove to be awesome as I take Mike down with little resistance. The singleton Vendilion Clique got in on the action this game as well, tucking a Cryptic Command while he was tapped out.
(2-0, 2-0)
Round 3 vs Hexproof :(
I hate this deck so much! I always lose to it! In Standard, in Modern and even Innistrad Sealed (Invisible Stalker + Spectral Flight).
Because I was able to scout and knew what I was playing against I mulligan a usual auto-keep hoping to find at least one piece of disruption but my six is another auto-keep lacking Thoughtseize or Spell Pierce and I stick with it. I'm racing with two flipped Delvers until Day Break Coronet slams that door shut (Lifelink, Vigilance, First Strike AND Reach from some Umbra).
I bring in the one Spellskite (wishing I had more), the extra Spell Pierce and the Echoing Truth's since I've been Leylined by this deck in the past.
I'm able to first turn Phantasm and his first turn Trap. Turn two I Spell Pierce some Umbra and am feeling like I might have a shot! Next thing I know he's got a huge hexproof dude with every keyword. I Thoughtseize while at three and take a first strike umbra, leaving him with another Coronet. When he swings I Echoing Truth both Coronets, knocking his guy down to a 5/3 Trample and trade with my Phantasm. He Rancor's his Noble Hierarch after combat and I have one turn to deck him... I rip Snapcaster and flashback Glimpse the Unthinkable for the win :)
Game three I get crushed even after he mulls to 5. Fuck I hate that deck!
(1-2, 2-1)
Round 4 vs AggroLoam (he's the only player with 9 points)
Game 1 I don't do much. Not sure what the nuts for his deck is, but he seems to have drawn it this game. He finishes me by casting Faithless Looting, dredging two Loams, casting both loams and discarding 6 land to 12 me with Seismic Assault.
I bring in all the Pithing Needles, Surgical Extractions and the random Spellskite since I want to cut Delvers and some Path's (leaving one path in the deck for man-lands).
This game I get the nuts starting on Phantasm and having the Archive Trap for his first turn fetch plus attempted Flame Jabbing of said Phantasm. After that I drop another Phantasm, suspend a Nihilith (really good against Faithless Looting and retrace cards) and even Needle Seismic Assault.
Game 3 he re-sideboards and I discover later that it was for Ancient Grudges he didn't have game two.
I start out aggressively again this game with 5/5 fliers and 4/4 hasty guys. He recovers at a very low life with Liliana into Small Pox. I EOT Orzhov Charm back a Phantasm to take care of Liliana and he follows with Flame Jab your dude five times. I surgically extract his loams but he's taking chunks of life away from me with Raging Ravine. I find a Snapcaster to chump with while I'm at 2 and flash back Ancestral Recall which finds another Ancestral Recall and on my turn I Thought Scour + Glimpse to reduce his library to zero cards :)
(2-1, 3-1)
Prize pool was 4 different $30 modern rares that the four 3-1's each got one of. Being second on tie-breakers I took Karn Liberated before Linvala and Mox Opal (Noble Hierarch was first picked).
Changes I plan to make to the deck: +2 Spellskite in the sideboard. The Azorius Charms are looking appealing to cut right now since I never brought them in today, but I'm thinking the Lazav is probably a little too cute and needs to go. I'd like another Surgical Extraction in there somewhere too. And I still need to find a way to beat the Gruul deck and it's Rampagers. As for the maindeck, I think I'll stay with the 2/2 split of Spell Pierces and Thoughtseizes for now, and I like the 1x V Clique and 1x Orzhov Charm too.
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