Standard with WWr Boros - Gresham, OR December 18, 2005

This tournament report comes from guest writer Mark Gebhart who played in a Standard box tournament at Gamers Guild in Gresham, Oregon on December 18, 2005.
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Round 1: Nathan Saunders - Bg Discard Arena
Game 1 I didn't get a turn one drop. He said that was good for him because his wins and losses against Boros usually coincide with the Boros turn one drop. Then he played the Arena on turn 3, not a good position for me. It came down to him bashing me with Kokusho while I cast burn spells at him and let the arena dwindle him. Eventually I was at 1 life with 2 jitte counters, he was at 6 life with a post combat tapped Kokusho. I had Flames of the Bloodhand in my hand. I figured I had to draw any burn spell or a haste creature and I could win. Then in his second main phase he surprised me by Putrefying his own Kokusho. I responded by casting Flames of the Blood Hand to bring him to 2 life, but Kokusho hit the graveyard and was just enough to kill me. If only I had Yamabushi's Flame in my hand instead.

Game 2 was long and bizaare. Again missed the one drop, but kept a pretty good hand. Nate got better creatures than me out so I played COP:B. It became a race between him casting creatures and me keeping enough land open to protect. I made a play mistake by letting him flip Shortfang, but with the cop I was able to sit and fill my hand up. It was a different feeling to have a full hand and my opponent having an empty hand. Eventually he had 9 creatures plus Svogthos. I had 3 creatures and plenty of land. Then I thought he made a play mistake by attacking with everything in a position that would not kill any of my creatures, he would lose 2 rats and he would do no damage to me. I blocked the rats and cop'd the rest. I should have known better, he just wanted to tap me out so I couldn't cast burn at the end of his turn and more on my turn to finish him off. He was out of range for me to burn him in one turn and I had to keep my mana available on my turn for cop. Smart play by him. Then I made my next and final mistake. I cast a skyknight with haste to swing for 6 damage with two of my other creatures. I was at 1 life and couldn't afford to let any threat past. I forgot to count his land/creature!! I did not have enough land open to protect every threat. I also was relying on a blocker. I should have been keeping enough land open to cop every creature incase he drew removal! What a rookie move to forget about that land guy.

Games 0-2
Matches 0-1



Round 2: Derek Edgley - Bg Discard Arena
I didn't want to play Derek in Round 2 after we both lost in round 1 because I was hoping one or both of us would top 4.

Game 1 I got the Swiftblade-Jitte combo early. He destroyed it with removal, but I found another Jitte and 2 more Swiftblades. He ran out of answers. Short game.

Game 2 I had a very fast start and didn't let him get off his feet. Sometimes Boros just goes off and can't be stopped. Didn't even need cop's or devouring lights I boarded in.

Games 2-2
Matches 1-1

Round 3: Jay Collins - Greater Good
Game 1 I got an early pup and a Lion (replaced Lantern Kami main deck) and Jitte. But he got a couple tribe elders to hold me off. Then I got flyers for the Jitte. He got Greater Good and Iname to get 2 Kokushos and Yosei in his graveyard. He cast Goryo's Vengance to get Kokusho in an attempt to block my Jitte equipped flyer. I cast Yamabushi's flame on Kokusho before he could block with it. This forced him to use Greater Good without blocking. It slowed me down, but I quickly finished him off the next turn.

Game 2 I played an early pithing needle naming Greater Good. He played 2 snakes early again, but stalled out at 4 land! The two he had in the opening 7 and the two he searched for. He couldn't find any answers and I had a nice complement of creatures and burn.

Games 4-2
Matches 2-1

Round 4: Sean Collins - UW Control
This match was not fun or pretty. Game 1, he cast story circle and I was releaved that he named White and not Red. He also got a blue shrine out. He was short on white mana, so I would attack forcing him to tap pain land for white, then I would un-equip the forger. Then he cast the white shrine. So I am attempting to out burn him as he gains 4 life each turn. I was using my mana for the forger and he finally wrathed. I unequipped one last time casting Flames. He was at 2 life and I had Char in hand. The only problem was that unequiping the forger left me with only 2 mana. Nate was walking by from time to time and I was commenting about my chances of out burning the shrine at this point. Nate was wondering why I didn't scoop a long time ago. I figured if I drew a low casting cost creature I would equip and cast Char, then un-equip at the beginning of his upkeep to get Flames. No such luck, I drew land the next two turns and finally took Nate's advice. Turned out Sean had accumulated counter magic with all his blue shrine drawing anyway.

Game 2 he cast Ivory Mask, COP:R Storycircle naming white and the white shrine. Egad!! I needed my Grasps and pithing needles fast because he found Meloku. At this point I played poorly in an almost impossible situation. I found pithing needle and named copR. I found Grasp and killed the Ivory Mask hoping I could burn him. But I had no chance against the white shrine. I couldn't draw burn that fast, even with what I had saved up in my had. I was at 27 life and got him down to 4, but he eventually out paced me by bashing with Meloku and gaining life. I should have pithing needled Meloku and grasped the shrine. That would have given me time to find another pith or grasp (which he probably would have countered anyway).

Games 4-4
Matches 2-2

Results: 5th place, no prizes, slight increase to DCI rating I hope. I know Nate and Derek have higher ratings than me and I'm guessing the Collins' have decent ratings. The only mistake I saw either make was calling white on the Story Circle, but that may have even been correct if he's running COP:R main.