July Tournament (in progress)

[Serbitar]

Round 2

Cognis vs Serbitar
The issue of whether to debug Wilt-Leaf Liege into play is obviously deciding here: I chose to put it into play.

as Cognis (2:0) (Cognis +2pts)
(1) Teeg + AI screw,
(2) Smallpox lets me discard Liege (which I debug into play). AI is manascrewed again.

as Serbitar (1:2) (Cognis +3pts)
(1) Smallpox deals with Teeg but puts Liege into play. I get beaten down a bit, but AI has no third land and is screwed on Savannah and Mox. Deathcloud for 1 wins.
(2) I keep a hand with two removal and lands and never draw another spell.
(3) I slow him with Smallpox and Deathcloud for his board+hand. I win. Or so I thought: AI discards three Wilt-Leaf Lieges and swings for 24...


Yggdrasil vs Shantak

as Yggdrasil (2:1) (Yggdrasil +1pt)
(1) I play t2 Bitterblossom.
(2) I mull to 5 for action (still not finding it). AI has two Hymns.
(3) I mull to 5 for Bitterblossom and find it.

as Shantak (2:1) (Shantak +1pt)
(1) Multiple Poxes and Wasteland screw the AI, but I cannot find a kill. Eventually, The Rack + Raven's Crime grind it out.
(2) Again I screw the AI pretty bad, but cannot handle his flipped Nezumi Shortfang (drew a total of zero removal).
(3) I kill all AI lands and win with Bloodghasts.


Juzamjedi vs Jatill

as Juzamjedi (2:0) (Juzamjedi +2pts)
(1) Would have killed t4, but AI has t3 Ritual into Damnation. This way it takes two more turns for me to win.
(2) Same as above.

as Jatill (0:2) (Juzamjedi +5pts)
(1) I draw ten extra cards, but cannot find a Helm (or Tutor) to go with my Leyline. I Damnation away some Elves two times, but eventually I die.
(2) Again, I keep a Leyline, 2x Damnation hand, but cannot find Helm for the love of God. I die.


Aww1979 vs Monopoman

as Aww1979 (2:0) (Aww1979 +2pts)
(1) I resolve Bribery before he resolves Natural Order.
(2) Again, Bribery wins.

as Monopoman (2:0) (Monopoman +2pts)
(1) t3 Natural Order with Force of Will backup. Meanwhile, the AI doesn't cast a single spell.
(2) AI plows all my early guys, but has no pressure. I resolve Natural Order for the win.

[Cognis]

Yeah, debugging Wilt-Leaf Liege is what can make the difference in our match up since the tactic to clear the board with Death Cloud and kill with tokens fails if the AI discards Wilt-Leaf Liege. Jatill is working on making the liege come into play when discarded and it works more times than not. Thank you for playing honestly and in the spirit of this tournament.

[jatill]

serbitar 2-1
cognis 2-0

yggdrasil 2-0
shatak 2-1

juzamjedi 2-0
jatill 2-1

aww 0-2 (started the game with 3 lands, meddling mage, bribery, and baneslayer. Sounds optimal, but I never got land #5 and lost. Similar story game 2, but with mulligans)
monopman 2-1

Favorite deck: Shantak Poxer

[Brandon822]

Cognis vs Serbitar

Cognis 5 points.

Cognis vs Serbitar(AI) - 2-0

Both games went similarly. AI used all his poxes and remove spells, but I always had enough creatures to start attacking him. Off course I had to tempt AI to use his spells in one creature(mainly damnation).

Serbitar vs Cognis(AI) - 1-2

Game 1: I had forest and swamp in starting hand, but didn't drew anymore. I disfigured Qasali Pridemage, but then back to back Watchwolf and WL Liege quickly killed me. 0-1.
Game 2: AI had bit mana problems and when I had 7 mana and AI 3 I used Death Cloud for three. After that Sorin Markov and Garruk ended game pretty fast. 1-1.
Game 3: Gaddock Teeg completely wrecked my game. Two Damnations sat in my hand with no use. WL Liege pumped GT to 4/4 and my newly drawn Disfigure was no use. 1-2.

Yggdrasil vs Shantak

Yggdrasil 7 points.

Yggdrasil vs Shantak(AI) - 2-0
Game 1: Second turn Bitterblossom ruled.
Game 2: Same.

Shantak vs Yggdrasil(AI) - 0-2
Game 1: Lifepoints were 5 to 2 for AI. Both were in topdeck mode. I had Bloodghast in play, AI didn't had anything, but he topdecked Lightning Bolt.
Game 2: This time second turn Bitterblossom got me.


Juzamjedi vs Jatill

Juzamjedi 1 point
Jatill 1 point

Juzamjedi vs Jatill(AI) 2-1
Game 1: AI had combo cards at turn 4, but didn't use them. 1-0
Game 2: Holy smoke! AI used the combo at turn 4. 1-1
Game 3: AI got manascrewed. Easy win. 2-1

Jatill vs Juzamjedi(AI) 2-1
Game 1: AI just got me. Next turn he would be dead. 0-1
Game 2: Combo. 1-1
Game 3: Combo. 2-1


Aww1979 vs Monopoman

Aww1979---7 points

Aww1979 vs Monopoman(AI) 2-0
Game 1: Stole Trygon Predator, cast Baneslayer Angel. NO came too late for AI. 1-0
Game 2: Baneslayer ruled. I were bit behind all the time because AI plowed three knights, but Baneslayer turned the tide. 2-0

Monopoman vs Aww1979(AI) 0-2
Game 1: Baneslayer got me faster than I could pound him to death with bears and mongooses. 0-1
Game 2: Things looked promising when I got Progenitus in play, but then came Baneslayer and then second and I could get AI only to 1 life...uuh. Angels dominated every game! 0-2

[juzamjedi]

Yggdrasil's deck feels very powerful both last round and this round too. Maybe it's due to the hands I drew, but it was the only match I played where AI feels incredibly hard to beat.

Serbitar vs. Cognis
Serbitar as human win 2-0
Game 1 I fall behind early, but I disfigure Kitchen Finks and then Death Cloud for 4 to wipe the field and have mana advantage. I find Garruk, make some Beast tokens and win.
Game 2 I mulligan and have a hand with a metric ton of removal. I let the AI overextend and kill 4 creatures, but I am now at 4 life. Garruk + Kitchen Finks build up my field and win with a bunch of beast tokens.

Cognis as human win 2-0
Game 1 My Noble Hierarch get blown out by Smallpox. But a couple turns later AI is dumb and lets me kill Garruk.
Game 2 AI stumbles on 2 mana with 2 Sakura Tribe Elder in play /facepalm Gaddock Teeg beats down until I cast Baneslayer Angel and then it's GG.

Yggdrasil vs. Shantak
Yggdrasil as human win 2-0
Game 1 I stick a Bitterblossom into play; I don't know if it's possible for Pox to beat it... maybe it should be in the Pox deck (?)
Game 2 I stick a T2 Bitterblossom, T3 Vampire Nighthawk, GG.

Shantak as human lose 1-2
Game 1 I mull to 6 and Cabal Therapy naming Bitterblossom on turn 1 (whiff). I then Pox twice for X+1 creatures / lands. I extirpate a Lightning Bolt, and then AI topdecks Bitterblossom. We're both at 6 though and Bitterblossom + Rack kills him.
Game 2 I keep what I think is a strong hand, but AI plays an early Bitterblossom. Bloodchief Ascension was pretty bad here; it doesn't add counters when I Pox :-/
Game 3 I keep a 5 land Cabal Therapy hand, naming Bitterblossom and I get 2(!) of them. I Smallpox etc. and eventually draw Rack + Bloddghast while he gets to stick Nezumi Shortfang. It's a close race, but I lose when Demigod of Revenge from the top of the deck kills me.

Juzamjedi vs. Jatill
Juzamjedi as human win 2-0
Game 1 I have Goblin Charbelcher and a ton of Elves in my opening hand. By turn 4 I have over 20 power of Elves on the table and win on turn 5. AI misplays its City of Traitors :-/
Game 2 AI starts with T0 Leyline. On my 3rd turn I have Goblin Charbelcher in play with 8 power of Elves. I topdeck Joraga Warcaller, kick it 4 times and AI dies on turn 4.

Jatill as human win 2-0
Game 1 I have an awesome opening hand of Leyline, Helm, Thoughtseize, Dark Ritual and land. I rip the land I need and win on turn 3
Game 2 My hand is Leyline, 3 lands, Dark Ritual, 2x Sign in Blood. T1 Dark Rital, Sign in Blood, Thoughtseize AI to take an elf. T2 Sign in Blood. T3 I play city of Traitors + Chrome Mox to play Helm and activate it at 8 life (mostly damage I did to myself!)

Aww1979 vs. Monopman
Aww1979 as human win 2-0
Game 1 I start with 2x Knight of the Meadowgrain vs. Nimble Mongoose. T4 Natural Order for Progenitus. However, I have enough lifegain from Knights that I outrace Progenitus
Game 2 I lead with Knight of the Meadowgrain (countered), then Meddling Mage naming Natural Order. Never close and win easily after that. Just for giggles I Bribery Progenitus as well

Monopman as human win 2-0
Game 1 AI doesn't play anything until about the 5th turn and it's... Knight of the Meadowgrain. Win.
Game 2 With my early filtering I find 3 Tarmogoyfs, 2 Natural Orders, and 2 Force of Wills quickly. The game is about as close at it sounds.

[aww1979]

I'm thinking my deck could have used more mana or else a few more low-mana plays. My curve is really high, and the times I'm seeing it lose, both in my own games and in the reports, are because of this. I'd purposely not included Path to Exile due to the fact everyone is playing basic lands and I didn't think my deck could handle giving away free mana to the opponent. Still, I'm thinking I should've tried to fit in either more removal or more weenies; something like Oblivion Ring would've shined in my deck. I'm liking the Bribery metagame call, though, but I'm thinking two might've been a better number than three (it was four earlier in testing) and put in an extra land.

Also, in some of the decks I played with, I found myself wishing that artifact lands had been included in place of some of the basics. For instance, Taron could have used them for Thirst for Knowledge or Arcbound Ravager, Brandon could've used them for Master Transmuter, and Discoransom could've used them for Open the Vaults. Thedrigo could've used them for Metalworker, but that would've wrecked the manabase, so I agree with not using them there.

I'm just wondering, were people fearing Blood Moon and other nonbasic land wreckers? I've trained myself to play only nonbasic lands whenever possible, so I'm the other way around; it takes me effort to remember to put in a few basics for the people I know will use Path to Exile or whatever :p In my deck this month, for instance, I'd have used 4x Glacial Fortress, 1x Karakas, and so on, but the AI has the annoying habit of not playing the damn things sometimes, as I found in earlier testing.

[discoransom]

Cognis vs Serbitar


game 1: AI deals with early Liege and pressure, but can only deal with the first 2 of three Baneslayers in my hand- hehehe

game 2: Quick beats and a ton of creatures to survive the late sacrifice effects

2-0


Serbitar vs Cognis

game 1: Keep a hand with turn 4 Damnation. AI goes Heirarch into Finks into Liege and by the time I stabilize the mess I'm at 3 and he's at 9. I have Top for the topdeck war. He has Baneslayer after drawing precisely the needed lands.

game 2: We get down to another topdeck war, both at 16 life. I draw 6 consecutive lands despite massive thinning, and the AI draws land-creature-land-creature-land-creature, again perfectly. Can't do much against the stone cold nuts.

0-2


I'm always a little upset when I can't pull wins for a guy playing his deck


Cognis- 7 points
Serbitar- 0 points

[discoransom]

Yggdrasil vs Shantak


game 1: I get a turn two Bitterblossom, and eventually sneak out Death's Shadow. Quick win.

game 2: I eat 2 Hymn to Tourach and get out Bitterblossom just as the AI gets out a pair of Bloodghast. I draw running Death's Shadow and squeak out a very close one.

2-0


Shantak vs Yggdrasil


game 1: I lose to a turn 2 Bitterblossom. It's really hard to beat in this match.

game 2: From a clear board, 15 life each, and 2 lands, I draw 5 lands in a row, then a Sinkhole, then another land. I lose to a Bitterblossom. Aggravating.

0-2


Yggdrasil 7 points
Shantak 0 points

[discoransom]

Juzamjedi vs Jatill

game 1: Elves bash ftw on turn 4

game 2: I get hit by 2 Damnation, but combo never shows up

2-0


Jatill vs Juzamjedi

game 1: Got Leyline in opener, and stitch the combo together at 7 life

game 2: Turn 3 kill

2-0


Juzamjedi 2 points
Jatill 2 points

[discoransom]

Aww1979 vs Monopoman

game 1: AI casts turn 4 Natural Order and Force of Will on my Baneslayer. Ouch.

game 2: I mull to 5, AI gets another Natural Order turn 4. Double ouch.

0-2


Monopoman vs Aww1979

game 1: Didn't need the Natural Order as Goyfs came out with Force of Will backup for the quick kill.

game 2: I have to mull to 5 and keep a one lander. AI screws me with double Meddling Mage and lands Ajani for the win.

game 3: A long game with mana troubles, but all the digging gets a Natural Order. AI casts Bribery, but luckily doesn't pick the second Progenitus.

2-1


Aww1979 0 points
Monopoman 6 points

[thedrigo]

I'm thinking my deck could have used more mana or else a few more low-mana plays. My curve is really high, and the times I'm seeing it lose, both in my own games and in the reports, are because of this. I'd purposely not included Path to Exile due to the fact everyone is playing basic lands and I didn't think my deck could handle giving away free mana to the opponent. Still, I'm thinking I should've tried to fit in either more removal or more weenies; something like Oblivion Ring would've shined in my deck. I'm liking the Bribery metagame call, though, but I'm thinking two might've been a better number than three (it was four earlier in testing) and put in an extra land.

I'm always intrigued by the deckbuilding aspect of these tournaments because, honestly, putting together a deck that the AI (a player who makes decisions based on 0s and 1s) can wield to clobber opponents that are way smarter than it is a HELL of a challenge. I mean, for me, these tournaments are a lot more fun than live tournaments at my local store because we all have the same resources available (Sure, I'd love nothing more than for all of us here in the forum to gather around a table and play some paper magic with the real cards we all own and battle it out); but what these tournaments really mean is that it all comes down to how good a deckbuilder and how good a player you are. And to me, that is what really makes a Magic: The Gathering junkie. I know that I didn't really practice what I'm preaching this tournament but this is really how I feel. Ramble, ramble,ramble....

Anyway....
Aww, IMHO, I woulda cut the Psionic Blasts (don't get me wrong, they are an AWESOME card) for 3x Oblivion Ring (just because they are a little more versatile, they don't hurt you and they cost the same)... And yeah, Bribery is a sweeet metagame call! It must be sooo sweet to snag your opponent's Proggy or Emrakul from his own deck and beat the $H!7 out of him with it; I know my deck would've HATED it.
As for the curve, I don't think you messed up the mana or the choice of cards since there's plenty of 2 drops (12 in total) to hold down the fort past the 3rd turn (especially because Meddling Mage denies the opponent's next card in the hands of the AI). I personally woulda cut 1 Control Magic and 1 of each of the white Planeswalkers to add some card drawing like Wall of Omens or Mulldrifter, but that's just me. All in all, again, IMHO, I think your deck's pretty solid.

[aww1979]

Cognis vs Serbitar:
Game 1: Keep 2x Paths, Qasali, Liege, hierarch, forest, plains. Turn 1 I play hierarch; it gets smallpoxed. I throw away the Liege. I'm not sure whether it is fairer to debug it into play or not. I decide not to, thinking that as the human I have the advantage and will hopefully win anyway. The next few turns I'm stuck at 1 land, but all AI does is two Tops and some land. Eventually it gets a finks, but I path it. When I get a second land, I have a choice between qasali, watchwolf, and teeg. Teeg will hurt bad against some cards like deathcloud, but I choose to bait with watchwolf to draw out other removal. It's a good call; AI Maelstrom Pulses it. I draw another liege and play a 2nd watchwolf. It dies to smallpox, and I throw away the liege. I draw a forest, which is great, since I sacced the old forest to smallpox, and I cast qasali; it dies to Death Cloud at 1. I sac the forest again, even though it's my second, because the plains lets me use my two paths. Luck smiles on me and I topdeck a forest again and play Teeg. It lives; I topdeck qasali and hit with teeg. The rest of the game consists of AI doing nothing and me swinging for 4 until I win. 1-0
Game 2: I keep forest, qasali, hierarch, Mox Diamond, swords, 2x watchwolf. I was going to mull it, due to the one land and the Mox Diamond, but then I realize the mox is poxproof, and so I keep it. I play mox/hierarch, then watchwolf turn 2. AI plays finks; I play qasali and swing for 5. (2x exalted on watchwolf) AI casts Damnation... ugh. I plow the 2/1 fink when it attacks; AI casts Sakura Tribe Elder, which I could plow, but don't. I topdeck a land and play Teeg rather than Watchwolf this time, because based on AIs play, I don't think it has Smallpox right now. It doesn't, but it does have Disfigure for him. Then it plays Garruk and I'm in trouble now. I play watchwolf; AI plays beast #2 off garruk and pulses my watchwolf.(postcombat :p ) Deep trouble, mistake notwithstanding. I draw another liege, and can't do anything except plow one beast; I take 4 and AI does nothing, not even using Garruk. I draw-go; AI hits me for 4 and makes one last beast. I thankfully topdeck a fetchland and can cast either a cavaliers or a finks; I do the Wilt-Leaf Cavaliers, since it can survive Disfigure. AI casts Smallpox (postcombat, rofl); I discard a liege, and this time it's probably game if I don't put it into play unless I topdeck a land. I really don't know what to do, since one favours Cognis and one favours Shantak, but I'll play on since it's a known approximation, and drawing a land still gives me a chance. I draw a hierarch; AI swings for 6, as I don't block; I'm down to 2. I draw a Plains! I can now cast finks, liege, or cavaliers; I play the finks; I'm at 4. AI doesn't attack with 2 beasts, even though life is 4-22, and suddenly I have hope! I play the liege and send an exalted 6/5 finks at the AI; the beasts double-team it and die, while I keep the baby finks and gain 2 more life. Suddenly I have the board advantage, and just as suddenly it's gone; AI plays Damnation. I play cavaliers; it's smallpoxed. I play Qasali; AI plays Sakura. I could start beating, but life totals are 5-21, and I'll die first, particularly if AI finds Death Cloud, so I hold back. I topdeck Gaddock Teeg; I slap him down and qasali swings for 3. AI topdecks Disfigure, but kills Qasali instead of Teeg, and I laugh even harder when AI sacs Sakura! Teeg's way is now clear. I topdeck cavaliers and teeg swings for 2. AI topdecks another Disfigure and kills Teeg. Cavaliers sneak in one hit before Damnation kills them. That turns out to be the last spell AI ever casts this game. I get out a liege and then finks for the win. 2-0

Serbitar vs Cognis:
Game 1: I keep a hand that's promising... if I draw a third land. I do, and a fourth. AI misses turn 2 land drop, but turn 3 finds one and plays Qasali; I play finks. It's exiled and I take 3. I cast garruk, and thanks to a rot farm, get Yavimaya Elder out the same turn. It's swordsed and I take 3. (not garruk, surprisingly) I play Sakura, sac it, and garruk powers a Death Cloud for 4, leaving the AI with no hand or board, and me with no hand, but two lands and Garruk. AI had no lieges in hand to discard, so there's no issue there. I then make a beast and attack every turn, while AI never sees a land again. 1-0
Game 2: I keep a 6 land hand with Smallpox, thinking it will stall and I can spare losing land to it, while AI hopefully cannot. I play land-go; AI plays land, mox, teeg. Obviously I play Smallpox; AI discards a cavalier, so no conflict there. AI plays land and a hierarch; I get out Sensei's Top and do Top things. AI plays hierarch #2; I draw and play Yavimaya Elder. He's Pathed and AI plays cavaliers. I find Sakura (best choice) and play it. AI swings for 5 (2x exalted) and plays Baneslayer. Ruh Roh... but I've got Death Cloud coming up, so if I play it right, I can perhaps survive. I use the Top, and the 3rd card down is Damnation! Even better, since AI has 4 creatures, and I might not live long enough to deathcloud the ones that matter. I flip the top and damnate right now. I could sac the sakura to get a land in response, but I don't want to shuffle (with the Top on top) so I let him die. AI does nothing; I get Yavimaya Elder by draw/using/flipping the Top again. Ai does nothing; I draw/use/flip Top again to play Garruk and Beast. It gets Pathed, and I decline to draw a land, since I have 7 already (plus garruk and one land is rot farm) so that my Top stays on top. I draw/use/flip Top yet again for Finks, and make a beast. (The other two cards have been Death Cloud and Swamp the entire time) I make a big mistake and attack with beast and finks; AI finks blocks beast and counterattacks, killing Garruk, then plays Qasali. I draw Death Cloud and trade finks for qasali, leaving both sides with 2/1 finks. AI plays another Finks. I draw Maelstrom Pulse and destroy the Mox Diamond, so when I use Death Cloud (hopefully next turn) AI won't have that mana source, while I have 4 more lands right now. AI plays hierarch and doesn't attack, though it should. I play and sac a Sakura (shuffling two swamps from on top ) AI plays a Liege and attacks with a 5/4 and 4/3. I chump, since I know I'll be using Death Cloud next turn; I take 4. Death Cloud for 5 wipes everything but my 3 lands and the Top. (5 instead of 4, so the AI has to sac the persisted finks, too) Top finds 3 lands, so Fetch goes on top to shuffle. Then Top finds Smallpox, to kill AI's only land and card in hand; I lose a land but have no hand. AI gets no land. Top spots Garruk 3rd and flips to get it now, and I make a beast. At this point, I've almost certainly won, with Garruk, two beasts, and land, against AI's empty board, but when I attack, the game locks up. I'd have won with two more attacks, and the AI's only way to even stall that would be to draw a white land and a swords/path for one beast, and even then it still needs to somehow handle two beasts at 2 life and 1 mana, so I hope it's okay that I just call that a win here. 2-0

[aww1979]

...what these tournaments really mean is that it all comes down to how good a deckbuilder and how good a player you are.

Well, I think the deckbuilding skills come more into it than play skills, since even if you are the best player, if everyone else can't play your deck, you won't win :p

Aww, IMHO, I woulda cut the Psionic Blasts (don't get me wrong, they are an AWESOME card) for 3x Oblivion Ring (just because they are a little more versatile, they don't hurt you and they cost the same)

Yeah, that could work. The Psionic Blasts were the last change I made before submitting, so it was the least tested part. I definitely think they were better than the second Jace and two Gideons they replaced, though :p Imagine THAT mana curve...

... And yeah, Bribery is a sweeet metagame call! It must be sooo sweet to snag your opponent's Proggy or Emrakul from his own deck and beat the $H!7 out of him with it; I know my deck would've HATED it.

I bribed an Inkwell Leviathan against Brandon; that was pretty fun Against serbitar, Bribery was awful, though.

As for the curve, I don't think you messed up the mana or the choice of cards since there's plenty of 2 drops (12 in total) to hold down the fort past the 3rd turn (especially because Meddling Mage denies the opponent's next card in the hands of the AI). I personally woulda cut 1 Control Magic and 1 of each of the white Planeswalkers to add some card drawing like Wall of Omens or Mulldrifter

Well, I *hate* walls, so that's out :p Mulldrifter would be a solid choice, though. I'd thought about dropping an Elspeth or even both as well; at one point I was worried because the 'pump' ability didn't synergize with my shroud creatures, but in the games I played, this was never an issue, so I left it in. If I were to redo things, I'd probably drop one Bribery, at least one Psionic Blast, and maybe one Ajani and/or Elspeth, and add lands and Oblivion Rings, or maybe even some sort of acceleration, like Fellwar Stone.

[jatill]

My deck was built with only 1 thing in mind: I wanted a creatureless that that the AI could somehow win with (take that Bribery!). No small feat, since the AI stinks at mill (maybe not with Jace's Erasure), and stinks at burn. Mission accomplished, since the AI did rack up a couple wins with my deck, including a turn 1 kill. I knew going in that the AI wins would be infrequent, though, since the AI
1) doesn't use tutor well (or at all)
2) doesn't know how to use city of traitors
3) will NEVER cast Leyline. So if it's not in the opener, it always loses. Oh well!
It was either this deck or one similar to Monopman's, since I still think Progenitus is too tough of a strategy to beat. Next tournament beware, though, I'm out to win it.

[Cognis]

Bracket Alpha

Cognis vs Serbitar 2-0
Serbitar vs Cognis 2-0

Cognis: 2 points
Serbitar: 2 points

Match 1 (Serbitar AI)
Game 1: At first the AI had enough removal but when Gaddock Teeg hit the board it was over. I checked the AI’s hand and it had Garruk Wildspeaker, Sorin Markov and Death Cloud.
Game 2: Turn 2 Gaddock Teeg was hit by Disfigure, as was Kitchen Finks after trading with a beast token. Wilt-Leaf Liege hit the board and the AI responded with Death Cloud for 2. I sacrifice another Kitchen Finks twice and discard another Wilt-Leaf Liege that attack for 12 the next round. AI plays Maelstorm Pulse on them but I have a Watchwolf that finishes the job.

Match 2 (Cognis AI)
Game 1: Oppening hand – fetch land, Bayou, Swamp, Sakura-Tribe Elder, Death Cloud, 2 Smallpox; I play first

Turn 1: Play Bayou
AI – fetch land for Savannah at EoT
Turn 2: Draw Sakura-Tribe Elder, Play Swamp, Sakura-Tribe Elder, AI tries to sword it but I go for Forest in response
AI – Plains, Watchwolf
Turn 3: Draw fetch land, Play fetch land for Bayou, Sakura-Tribe Elder goes for swamp, Smallpox (discard Smallpox and sacrifice Forest)
AI – Plains
Turn 4: Draw Golgari Rot Farm, Play Golgari Rot Farm (Swamp)
AI – nothing
Turn 5: Draw Garruk Wildspeaker, Play Garruk Wildspeaker and untap 2 lands, fetch land (Swamp), Death Cloud for 2 which leaves AI with no lands and me with 4 mana. AI discards Path to Exile and Swords to Plowshares.
AI – Savannah
Turn 6: Draw Swamp, Play Swamp, beast token that gets sworded
AI – Plains
Turn 7: Draw Swamp, Play Swamp, beast token
AI – Noble Hierarch
Turn 8: Draw Damnation, Play beast token
AI – Forest, Wilt-Leaf Liege
Turn 9: Draw Disfigure, Play attack with two beasts and kill liege with Disfigure while leaving a beast alive, Garruk Wildspeaker untaps two lands so I could get more tokens
AI – Wilt-Leaf Liege, good thing it didn’t discard them to Death Cloud
Turn 10: Draw Smallpox, Play attack with two beast, Damnation, beast token
AI – Qasali Pridemage
Turn 11: Draw Maelstorm Pulse, Play beast token that kills Garruk Wildspeaker before Qasali Pridemage could; AI 4, Me 18
AI – Noble Hierarch
Turn 12: Draw Swamp, Play Swamp, Maelstorm Pulse, attack for 3 and Smallpox to finish the job

Game 2: Oppening hand – 2 Bayou, 2 Swamp, Forest, Smallpox, Death Cloud; I draw first, I decided to keep since I draw first and can sacrifice my own lands without worrying I will be left mana screwed

Turn 1: AI – Savannah, Noble Hierarch
Draw Bayou, Play Bayou
Turn 2: AI –Plains, Qasali Pridemage
Draw Damnation, Play Bayou
Turn 3: AI – Watchwolf
Draw Damnation, Play Swamp
Turn 4: AI – attack for 5; AI 20, Me 11
Draw Swamp, Play Forest, Damnation
Turn 5: AI – Plains
Draw fetch land, Play Forest, Smallpox
Turn 6: AI – nothing
Draw Sakura-Tribe Elder, Play fetch land (Bayou), Sakura-Tribe Elder which tries to get exiled but instead goes for Forest
Turn 7: AI – nothing
Draw Smallpox, Play Death Cloud for 2 which leaves the AI with no lands and me with 4 mana and Smallpox in hand
Turn 8: AI – Plains
Draw Sakura-Tribe Elder, Play Sakura-Tribe Elder, Smallpox
Turn 9: AI – nothing
Draw Yawimaya Elder, Play Yawimaya Elder
Turn 10: AI – nothing
Draw Swamp, Play Swamp
Turn 11: AI – nothing
Draw Maelstorm Pulse, Play attack; AI 12, Me 6
Turn 12: AI – Savannah, Path to Exile but I sacrifice in response and draw Forest
Draw Garruk Wildspeaker, Play Forest, Garruk Wildspeaker, beast token
Turn 13: AI – Swords to Plowshares
Draw Swamp; Play Swamp, beast token
Turn 14: AI – Plains, Watchwolf
Draw Sakura-Tribe Elder, Play trade creature for creature, Sakura-Tribe Elder
Turn 15: AI – Gaddock Teeg
Draw Golgari Rot Farm, Play Golgari Rot Farm (Forest), Maelstorm Pulse, attack with sakura, beast token
Turn 16: AI – Noble Hierarch
Draw fetch land, Play Forest, attack; AI 7, Me 9
Turn 17: AI – Kitchen Finks
Draw Sakura-Tribe Elder, Play Forest, attack with token to kill finks, Sakura-Tribe Elder, beast token
Turn 18: AI – Qasali Pridemage
Draw Disfigure, Play fetch land, attack with everything, Sakura-Tribe Elder kills Kitchen Finks, Disfigure takes out Qasali Pridemage, beast goes through
Turn 19: AI – Path to Exile on sakura instead of the beast token
Draw Disfigure, Play beast token
Turn 20: AI – Watchwolf
Draw Maelstorm Pulse, Play Disfigure on Watchwolf and take it out together with Noble Hierarch while blocking.
Turn 21: AI – fetch land
Draw Yawimaya Elder, Play attack for the kill. Could’ve been different but the AI doesn’t discard Wilt-Leaf Liege but a card at random, I didn’t have to use debug mode so I didn’t have a conundrum whether to put it in or not, although I would’ve if I had to since it is the ability of the card and is by the rules and it doesn’t trigger properly since the new cards are more complex that the original engine indented, so we have to use approximations. That’s why debug mode is used. I understand why it might be considered “cheating” but in that line of thinking Bloodbraid Elf cascading Darksteel Colossus into play would be considered legal. At least that’s what I think. The matches were close, but I probably have the advantage because of Gaddock Teeg and Wilt-Leaf Liege. Serbitar I like your deck, it’s fun to play, although maybe slightly above the level of the AI.

Bracket Beta

Yggdrasil vs Shantak 2-0
Shantak vs Yggdrasil 1-2

Yggdrasil: 5 points
Shantak: 0 points

Match 1 (Shantak AI)
Game 1: AI killed three of my mana sources making my Hymn to Tourach moot, but thankfully I had a lot of land and was able to play Vampire Nighthawk before that. I took the AI down to 3 before it got Innocent Blood. The AI started to play tricks with Bloodghast and Crucible of Worlds but it was already down to too little life to put up a resistance. In the end Blightning was the finisher.
Game 2: AI plays Hymn to Tourach and discards 2 Vampire Nighthawk but thankfully leaving Bitterblossom in hand, then after the faeries hit the board my hymn takes out his Pox. I trick the AI into sacking Wasteland on a fetch land which was fun. AI wasted Damnation on one faerie token so when Nezumi Shortfang like totally flipped out it was over quickly.

Match 2 (Yggdrasil AI)
Game 1: After the game stabilized I drew 4 lands in a row with no cards in hand which would normally piss me off if I hadn’t had Raven’s Crime in my graveyard and Crucible of Worlds and The Rack in play. I drew a ton of lands to feed the raven and eventually sent Bloodghast to suck the AI dry. There was a lot of Pox shenanigans which make this deck oh-so-fun to play, it was completely evil mana screwing mono black control, bwahahaha.
Game 2: I had a great hand and was able to demolish 3 lands in one turn but unfortunately the AI played Bitterblossom and Vampire Nighthawk by then which I couldn’t get around.
Game 3: I again had a good hand but Nezumi Shortfang flipped and Vampire Nighthawk just made my death quicker. I was able to Cabal Therapy Bitterblossom on turn 1 but it was to no avail. Too bad Shantak has such an unfavourable match up because this deck is pure fun, while Yggdrasil has a good solid deck as he did these past tournaments.

Bracket Gama

Juzamjedi vs Jatill 2-0
Jatill vs Juzamjedi 2-1

Juzamjedi: 2 points
Jatill: 1 point

Match 1 (Jatill AI)
Game 1: No real opposition from the AI. Just one Damnation.
Game 2: AI activated Helm of Obedience twice but without Leyline of the Void in play. No real threat at all.

Match 2 (Juzamjedi AI)
Game 1: I tried to stall the AI by discarding Land Grant. I even used Damnation but there was no way stopping an army of elves.
Game 2: I had to mulligan and got Leyline of the Void and Helm of Obedience in my starting hand. Drew Dark Ritual and had the combo in play on turn 2, activated it on turn 3.
Game 3: I had a decent topdeck with Helm of Obedience which allowed me to tutor for Leyline of the Void and activate the combo just in the nick of time. Too bad the AI doesn’t know how to play the combo, but even if it did I think the elves are just too fast.

Bracket Delta

Aww1979 vs Monopman 2-0
Monopman vs Aww1979 2-0

Aww1979: 2 points
Monopman: 2 points

Match 1 (Monopman AI)
Game 1: AI didn’t have Natural Order so I had time to play Bribery for Progenitus.
Game 2: Had to mulligan to 5 but again Bribery for Progenitus.

Match 2 (Aww1979 AI)
Game 1: Turn 3 Progenitus.
Game 2: Another turn 3 Progenitus. Well, the winner of this match up will be the one who gets Progenitus out sooner, a close one by my judgement.