4/27/14 The River of Dreams (Journey into Nyx prerelease day 2) 2-2

I was super sleep deprived today.  I went to bed around 12:40 last night and had some issues with acid reflux, due to drinking three beers yesterday.  I should lay off the beers tonight.

I woke up around 7:40, left for Versus Games around 9:10.  The crowd was noticeably smaller today.  The store was packed yesterday, but today there were about 10 empty seats.   I hoped this meant the crowd would be more casual.

I picked green for this prerelease.

My rares were:
Heroes' Bane (promo)
Setessan Tactics
Herald of Torment
Eidolon of the Great Revel
Soldier of the Pantheon
Kruphix, God of Horizons
Daxos of Meletis

The pool was kind of a mess.

BLACK:
1 Felhide Brawler
1 Returned Phalanx
1 Felhide Minotaur
1 Herald of Torment
1 Shrike Harpy
1 Eye Gouge
2 Font of Return
1 Cast into Darkness
2 Feast of Dreams
1 Pharika's Cure
1 Aspect of Gorgon
1 Ritual of the Returned
1 Read the Bones

BLUE:
1 Triton Shorestalker
1 Vaporkin
1 Sigiled Starfish
1 Mnemonic Wall
2 Lost in a Labyrinth
1 Evanescent Intellect
1 Aerial Formation
2 Hubris
1 Hour of Need
1 Sudden Storm
1 Thassa's Bounty

GREEN:
1 Golden Hind
1 Satyr Grovedancer
1 Swordwise Centaur
1 Bassara Tower Archer
2 Oakheart Dryads
1 Agent of Horizons
2 Ravenous Leucrocrota
1 Karametra's Acolyte
1 Nessian Asp
1 Heroes' Bane
1 Goldenhide Ox
1 Font of Fertility
1 Hunt the Hunter
1 Aspect of Hydra
1 Commune with the Gods
1 Skyreaping
1 Setessan Tactics
1 Mortal's Resolve
1 Fade into Antiquity
1 Desecration Plague
1 Market Festival

RED:
1 Priest of Iroas
2 Satyr Hoplite
1 Eidolon of the Great Revel
1 Kragma Butcher
1 Magma Spray
1 Dragon Mantle
1 Font of Ire
1 Starfire
1 Rage of Purphoros
1 Flurry of Horns

WHITE:
1 Lagonna-Band Trailblazer
2 Favored Hoplite
1 Soldier of the Pantheon
1 Cavalry Pegasus
1 Stonewise Fortifier
1 Oreskos Swiftclaw
1 Nyx-Fleece Ram
1 Lagonna-Band Elder
1 Scholar of Athreos
1 Archetype of Courage
1 Setessan Griffin
1 Griffin Dreamfinder
1 Mortal Obstinacy
1 Font of Vigor
1 Reprisal
1 Vanquish the Foul

MULTICOLOR:
1 Underworld Coinsmith
1 Nyx Weaver
1 Daxos of Meletis
1 Fleetfeather Cockatrice
1 Kruphix, Prophet of Horizons

ARTIFACT:
1 Prowler's Helm
1 Siren Song's Lyre

DECK:

GREEN:  14
1 Golden Hind
1 Satyr Grovedancer
1 Swordwise Centaur
1 Bassara Tower Archer
2 Oakheart Dryads
1 Agent of Horizons
2 Ravenous Leucrocrota
1 Nessian Asp
1 Heroes' Bane
1 Aspect of Hydra
1 Setessan Tactics
1 Mortal's Resolve

BLUE:  6
1 Vaporkin
1 Sigiled Starfish
1 Aerial Formation
1 Hubris
1 Hour of Need
1 Sudden Storm

MULTICOLOR:  2
1 Fleetfeather Cockatrice
1 Kruphix, Prophet of Horizons

ARTIFACT:  1
1 Prowler's Helm

LANDS:  17
9 Forest
8 Island

Match 1:  BWR (2-0)

Dreamcrushed a little kid.  He did get me to 3 life first game, but the second game was tightly under my control.  Setessan Tactics did work both games.

Match 2:

Played against another young kid.

Game 1:

My opponent went into Golden Hind into Ordeal of Nylea, deal three to me.

I Setessan Tactic's my Vaporkin, tapping Golden Hind to buff my Vaporkin with Mortal's Resolve to kill her Hind + Ordeal.   She ends up playing a Dawnbringer Charioteers into Supply-Line Cranes but I have Aspect of the Hydra to make my creature bigger in blocks.

Heroes' Bane + Sudden storm = GG

Game 2:

She kept 2 lands on the play, I curved out turn 2 Bassara Tower Archer into turn 3 Oakheart Dryad into turn 4 Ravenous Leocrocruta into turn 5 Agent of Horizons + Golden Hind.   I felt bad for her.

Match 3:  GW planeswalker (0-2)

Game 1:

Lost to Ajani, Mentor of Heroes giving my opponent a 7/8 Nessian Game Warden.  I blew my Sudden Storm too early.

Game 2:

Lost to Ajani + Elspeth.

Match 4:  BUG enchantment (0-2)

My opponent was the recent Star City Games Invitational Qualifier Winner, so he knew his stuff.

I mull to 6, keep Heroes' Bane and Aerial Formation (win combo).

My opponent goes turn 4 Ordeal of Erebos on a Oakheart Dryad.  I take 4.  Then next turn I have to Setessan Tactics my Bassara Tower Archer and my Agent of Horizons to fight his Oakheart Dryad.  I fight the Agent/Oakheart first, then he has Savage Surge, so I fight my Bassara Tower Archer so they all die.

My opponent goes Pharika, God of Affliction and makes a snake token which holds off my Heroes's Bane indefinitely.   I punt when he goes to cast Nimbus Naiad on his Nyxborn Wolf.  For some reason I decide to bounce the Nyxborn Wolf in response, rather than waiting for the Naiad to resolve, so both creatures go into his hand.  Next turn I could have swung for lethal with 16/16 Heroes' Bane and Aerial Formation.  Geez.

I also punt later when I forget about Doomwake Giant's -1/-1 trigger.  I could have exiled my Vaporkin with Hour of Need to change it into a 4/4 Sphinx.  He ends up browntowning me with Grim Guardian into Nyx Infusion on a Sphinx Token, shrinking my team by -2/-2.

Game 2:

Mull to 5, my opponent's girlfriend asks him when they can go get lunch.  My opponent replies that it's going to be a fast game.

Indeed, it was a fast game.  Apparently I left two plains in my deck, so I was running 42 cards/19 lands.  I drew both my plains of course, and a double green two drop (Bassara Tower Archer).

He beat the crap out of me with a 5/4 Bloodcrazed Hoplite bestowed with Nimbus Naiad, then a 3/6 Nyx Infusion'd Grim Guardian ftw.   Hour of Need only serves to stall my demise slightly.

Result:  2-2

I felt like I had a lot of downtime between matches, which was annoying.  Usually I would spend that time talking to people, but I am not a well known person at Versus Games, which means starting conversations is awkward.  People will actually walk away from me when I talk to them.  Then again, that would happen at Gamescape too.  So maybe I just need to find the right crowd for me.

4/26/14 Double Dragging my Heart (Journey into Nyx prerelease Day 1) 2-2, 4-0

I did not sleep well last night.   I meant to go to sleep around 10 p.m. but didn't end up falling asleep until 12:40 a.m, then I woke up around 7 a.m.   I left for Versus Games around 9 a.m., and got there around 9:40 a.m.

My stomach wasn't treating me well today.  I blame it on eating a frozen Farmer's Frittata (alliteration) and a steak bowl at 8 in the morning.

First pool was pretty blargh.

RARES:
Dawnbringer Charioteers (promo)

Eater of Hope (foil)
Whelming Wave
Dictate of Kruphix
Launch the Fleets
Psychic Intrusion
Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
Temple of Ephipany

BLACK:
1 Asphodel Wanderer
3 Bloodcrazed Hoplite
1 Baleful Eidolon
1 Felhide Brawler
1 Grim Guardian
1 Forlorn Pseudamma
1 Gray Merchant of Asphodel
1 Eater of Hope
1 Cruel Feeding
1 Viper's Kiss
1 Boon of Erebos
1 Feast of Dreams
1 Necrobite

BLUE:
1 Dakra Mystic
1 War-Wing Siren
1 Nimbus Naiad
1 Floodtide Serpent
1 Prescient Chimera
1 Benthic Giant
1 Aerial Formation
1 Voyage's End
2 Hubris
2 Pin to the Earth
1 Dictate of Kruphix
1 Whelming Wave
1 Interpret the Signs

GREEN:
1 Charging Badger
1 Voyaging Satyrs
2 Oakheart Dryad
3 Pheres-Band Thunderhoof
1 Nessian Asp
1 Centaur Battlemaster
1 Nessian Game Warden
1 Vulpine Goliath
1 Nemesis of Mortals
1 Nature's Panoply
1 Solidarity of Heroes
1 Culling Mark
1 Time to Feed
1 Shredding Winds

RED:
3 Satyr Hoplite
1 Akroan Crusader
1 Kragma Butcher
2 Akroan Line Breaker
1 Ill-Tempered Cyclops
1 Stoneshock Giant
1 Wild Celebrants
2 Gluttonous Cyclops
1 Titan's Strength
1 Bolt of Keranos

WHITE:
1 Loyal Pegasus
2 Lagonna-Band Trailblazer
1 Oreskos Swiftclaw
1 Tethmos High Priest
1 Eagle of the Watch
1 Akroan Mastiff
1 Akroan Phalanx
1 Dawnbringer Charioteers
1 Decorated Griffin
1 Supply-Line Cranes
1 Evangel of Heliod
1 Ajani's Presence
1 Ephara's Radiance
1 Launch the Fleet
1 Battlewise Valor
1 Font of Bigor
1 Sunbond

LAND:
1 Temple of Epiphany
1 Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx

MULTICOLOR:
1 Psychic Intrusion
1 Stormchaser Chimera

ARTIFACT:

1 Fleetfeather Sandals
1 Gold-Forged Sentinel

DECK:

WHITE:  10
1 Oreskos Swiftclaw
1 Eagle of the Watch
1 Akroan Mastiff
1 Akroan Phalanx
1 Dawnbringer Charioteers
1 Supply-Line Cranes
1 Evangel of Heliod
1 Ajani's Presence
1 Launch the Fleet
1 Battlewise Valor

GREEN:  13
1 Voyaging Satyrs
2 Oakheart Dryad
1 Pheres-Band Thunderhoof
1 Nessian Asp
1 Centaur Battlemaster
1 Nessian Game Warden
1 Vulpine Goliath
1 Nemesis of Mortals
1 Nature's Panoply
1 Solidarity of Heroes
1 Time to Feed
1 Shredding Winds

LAND:  17
9 Forest
8 Plains

Match 1:  WG (2-1)

Game 1:

Beat down is the name of the game.  I have to ask for clarification on how Solidarity of Heroes works, but indeed, it *will* double the counters from a heroic trigger.  So if I pop Solidarity of Heroes on a 3/3 Centaur Battlemaster, I'll end up with a 9/9 Centaur Battlemaster.  Sweet.  

Game 2:

I end up in a bad situation where I have to swing with Dawnbringer Charioteers just to gain life, and he has Divine Verdict. 

Game 3:

My beatdowns are superior.   Sorry I don't remember this match.  I should write down more notes for my early matches.  

Match 2:  RG (1-2)

Game 1:

I beat him down pretty hard with my 5 mana heroic guys, Nature's Panoply, Ajani's Presence, and Time to Feed.  

Game 2:

Lost to Hunter's Prowess into Forgestoker Dragon. 

Game 3:

Lost to Hunter's Prowess into Harness by Force.

Match 3:  GW (1-2)

Game 1:

He's got turn 4 Dawnbringer Charioteers.

Game 2:

I keep 6 land, Dawnbringer Charioteers on the play.  I manage to draw all the tricks/critters though.  

Game 3:

I stumble on three plains no forests.  

Opponent nut draws me with turn 2 Oreskos Swiftclaw into turn 3 Oreskos Swiftclaw into turn 4 Dawnbringer Charioteers.  

Match 4:  WR (2-1)

This match was basically for fun since we were both eliminated from prize consideration.  

Game 1:

Savage beatdowns with my 5 mana fatties.

Game 2:

My opponent gets out Prophetic Flamespeaker.

My opponent casts Armament of Nyx on one of his creatures, and I tell him that doesn't do what he wants it to do, and let him take it back (since we're not playing for prizes now anyways).  

Lost to Forgestoker Dragon into Portent of Betrayal.  

Game 3:

My opponent gets out Prophetic Flamespeaker again.  

Somehow I end up at 28 life, and my opponent's at 1.  

I went over to King of Thai Noodle for some roasted duck fried rice.  It was quite delicious!

RARES:

Doomwake Giant (promo)
Silence the Believers
Herald of Torment
Sylvan Carytaid
Hydra Broodmaster
Dictate of Kruphix
Temple of Abandon

RED:
1 Priest of Iroas
1 Nyxborn Rollicker
1 Spearpoint Oread
1 Fanatic of Mogis
1 Rouse the Mob
1 Magma Spray
1 Ordeal of Purphoros
1 Bolt of Keranos
1 Flurry of Horns
2 Rollick of Abandon (one foil)

BLUE:
1 Sigiled Starfish
1 Wavecrash Triton
1 Triton Cavalry
1 Presicent Chimera
1 Godhunter Octopus
1 Aerial Formation
1 Lost in a Labryinth
1 Retraction Helix
1 Aqueous Form
1 Voyage's End
1 Pin to the Earth
1 Stratus Walk
1 Hour of Need
1 Dictate of Kruphix
1 Pull from the Deep
1 Thassa's Bounty
1 Rise of Eagles

GREEN:
1 Satyr Wayfinder
1 Golden Hind
1 Sylvan Caryatid
1 Agent of Horizons
1 Oakheart Dryad
1 Staunch-Hearted Warrior
1 Pheres-Band Tromper
2 Pheres-Band Thunderhoof
1 Humbler of Mortals
1 Hydra Broodmaster
1 Skyreaping
1 Karametra's Favor
1 Solidarity of Heroes
1 Desecration Plague

BLACK:
1 Pharika's Chosen
1 Returned Reveler
1 Nyxborn Eidolon
1 Felhide Petrifier
1 Herald of Torment
2 Rotted Hulk
1 Doomwake Giant
1 Gray Merchant of Asphodel
1 Shrike Harpy
1 Boon of Erebos
1 Dark Betrayal
1 Cruel Feeding
1 Font of Return
1 Feast of Dreams
1 Aspect of Gorgon
1 Tormented Thoughts
1 Read the Bones
1 Silence the Believers

WHITE:
1 Nyxborn Shieldmate
1 Stonewise Fortifier
1 Leonin Snarecaster
1 Phalanx Leader
1 Eagle of the Watch
1 Great Hart
1 Akroan Mastiff
1 Supply-Line Cranes
1 Evangel of Heliod
2 Gods Willing
1 Ajani's Presence
1 Mortal Obstinancy
1 Font of Vigor
1 Reprisal

LAND:
1 Temple of Abandon
1 Unknown Shores

MULTICOLOR:
1 Nyx Weaver
1 Kragma Warcaller

ARTIFACT:
1 Guardians of Meletis
1 Traveler's Amulet
1 Fleetfeather Sandals

DECK:

GREEN:
1 Golden Hind
1 Sylvan Carytaid
1 Agent of Horizons
1 Oakheart Dryad
1 Pheres-Band Tromper
1 Pheres-Band Thunderhoof
1 Humbler of Mortals
1 Hydra Broodmaster
1 Karametra's Favor
1 Solidarity of Heroes

BLACK:
1 Pharika's Chosen
1 Nyxborn Eidolon
1 Felhide Petrifier
1 Herald of Torment
1 Doomwake Giant
1 Gray Merchant of Asphodel
1 Shrike Harpy
1 Boon of Erebos
1 Font of Return
1 Feast of Dreams
1 Read the Bones
1 Silence the Believers

LANDS:  17
8 Forest
8 Swamp
1 Temple of Abandon

Solidarity of Heroes was a lot worse in this deck, than the first one.  I could see myself playing Desecration Plague or even Fleetfeather Sandals over it.

Perhaps I should have played the Satyr Wayfinder and Nyx Weaver, since I had two Font of Return.  That seems super slow though.  

Match 5:  Jund (2-0)

Game 1:

I made a ton of mistakes this game.  It was embarassing.

One I didn't need to block his Renowned Weaver with my Pharika's Chosen.  It was only hitting me for 1 damage.  I also missed out on Doomwake Giant value (kinda).  Sure he could have sac'ed his guy in response to the Giant coming into play.  Meh.  

I attack to trade off my Shrike Harpy for his Gold-Forged Sentinel.  I probably had a way of keeping my guy alive, but he was tapped out and I wanted to force a trade.  

He had the Blinding Flare for my Hydra Broodmaster and two other guys.  Then he was going to swing in with Heroes' Bane and Ravenous Leucrocota.  I responded by monstrousing, but I could have honestly waited until he attacked.   If i waited I could have swung back for pretty hard, instead of having to rely on bestowing Herald of Torment to do it.  

I also missed an opportunity to cast Solidarity of Heroes to buff my Hydra Broodmaster for lethal.  Geez.  

Game 2:  

My opponent switched to green/blue.  We both start racing.  I win the race though.  

Match 6:   WR (2-0)

Game 1: 

Opponent mulls to 5.  The only life I lose is from my own Read the Bones.

Game 2:

This game is closer, and my opponent takes down some of my life with Font of Ire and Akroan Line Breaker into Spawn of Thraxes.   Feast of Dreams on his 1/1 allows me to swing in for the win.  

Match 7:  GW Triple Mythic (2-1)

Game 1:

I get a pretty crazy ramp draw with turn 2 Golden Hind and curve out every turn.  My opponent's got Dawnbringer Charioteers and a 2/3 but it's not enough to stop him from dying. 

Game 2:

Game 3:

The board state gets complicated.  My opponent gets the early beats in with a Golden Hind/Ravenous Leucrocota.  Monstrous Fleecemane Lion with Leafcrown Dryad becomes annoying too.   Then he plays Harvestguard Alseids, Stonewise Fortifier, and an Oreskos Swiftclaw.  

On my side I have Doomwake Giant, Hydra Broodmaster, 4 4/4 Hydra tokens (one bestowed with Herald of Torment)

  My opponent starts harassing me about the time, because he said he got a draw earlier, and didn't want to get a second draw.

He starts whittling away at me with a 3/5 Supply-Line Cranes and a 2/4 Dawnbringer Charioteers.  He's tapping down my 4/4 Hydra token bestowed with Herald of Torment.   I'm at 8, but then I play a Gray Merchant of Asphodel to go up to 14 life.   I then start checking if I have enough lethal creatures on board to kill him through blocks, but he tells me I already passed combat phase and I should hurry up.  He also accuses me of moving the +3/+3 counter on my Pheres-Band Tromper to +4/+4 intentionally, though I told him I didn't.  He said he was "just keeping me honest" as though I was lying.  

I end up winning off top decked Silence the Believers to exile three creatures.  He had Gods Willing to save one guy, but I hit him for exactsies with my team.  I ended the game with Desecration Plague still in my hand.  I could have used it to remove the Herald of Torment that was draining my life.  I guess.  

This game would have ended a lot faster if I kept Humbler of Mortals in my deck, instead of siding it out for stupid Desecration Plague.  I only sided in Desecration Plague for his Dictate of Heliod, which he never drew.   I should have sided out a different card for the Desecration Plague.

My opponent says "sorry for earlier" after the game.  I say it's all good, then wish him good luck with the next round.

Match 8:  WUg (2-1)

I ask my opponent if he'd like to draw, saying that I beat a triple mythic deck.  The two people next to me call me arrogant and a terrible bluffer for saying that.  My opponent says he's ok drawing, but then he suggests a 6-4 split instead of the current arrangement of 7-3.  I say that's fine and we play.  

Game 1:

My opponent plays an Oppressive Rays on my Felhide Petrifier.  When I swing in Felhide Petrifier and Agent of Horizons he upgrades his Omenspeaker into a 4/4 Sphinx with Hour of Need, blocking and killing my Agent of Horizons.   I might have been able to make my guy unblockable in response to the Hour of Need.  

My opponent plays Ajani, Mentor of Heroes but it doesn't matter.  I'm bashing down with mono-deathtouch 2/3's thanks to Archetype of Finality.  Font of Return helps me buy-back beaters too.  

Game 2:

Lose to Ajani, Mentor of Heroes an 8/9 War-Wing Siren, and a Hubris to bounce my Pharika's Chosen bestowed with Herald of Torment.  

Game 3:

It's getting late, and I get super tired.   My opponent has a Prophet of Kruphix and a Battlefield Thaumaturge.  I stop my attacks for a bit, even though I have a Font of Return to buy back guys that die to bestow tricks.   I end up blowing my Silence the Believers for two, then he responds by exiling his Prophet/Thaumaturge and my Doomwake Giant with Hour of Need.  Then the game gets clunky again, until he plays an Ajani, Mentor of Heroes again.  

I swing in all my guys into Ajani, he doesn't block.  He doesn't attack the next turn either which is weird, even though he has two 4/4 flyers and a 4/4 lifelink Hopeful Eidolon.  He just plays Medomai the Ageless and passes.   The next turn I bestow Pheres-Band Thunderhoof with Nyxborn Eidolon and attack with everyone.  He blocks/kills some of my guys, I kill one of his flyers and his Eidolon, and he gains 5.  Then he attacks next turn his the Medomai and the 4/4 Sphinx, then plays a War-Wing Siren.   Then he attacks me for 5, bringing me to 5.   Then he scoops.    

So I punt the game by attacking all into his Ajani and not splitting some guys to attack him to bring his life down, and he punts by not blocking any of my guys that turn.

So I went 2-2 in the first tournament, and 4-0 in the second tournament.  Pretty nice.   If it was one combined tournament and I went 6-2 in it I would be pretty happy.  

I might actually stop going to Versus Games for prereleases though.  I was pretty darn tired after doing two tournaments in a row, and my experience with my third round opponent was rather negative.  

4/24/14 If I ruled the world (Thursday BNG-THS-THS draft) 2-1

I went to Versus Games to draft (twice).

P1P1:  Rare was Gild, which I took.  I passed Akroan Skyguard to my left.

2nd pick Siren of the Silent Song

3rd pick Asphyxiate over Archetype of Imagination.

7th pick Ephara's Enlightement.  Really.

9th pick Retraction Helix over Deepwater Hypnotist or Nyxborn Eidolon.

Green/red seemed a bit open, as I was getting 12th and 13th pick Fearsome Temper.  It was weird because it turned out the two people to my immediate right were in red/blue.

P2P1:  Rare was Artisan of Forms.  I took Vaporkin over Baleful Eidolon.

Took 2nd pick Gray Merchant of Asphodel over Insatiable Harpy and Griptide and Shipwreck Singer.  Probably not the greatest idea.  None of the other cards came back, sadly.  :(

P3P1:  Rare was Hammer of Purphoros, which I hate picked over a 3rd Sip of Hemlock.

Took 2nd pick Nimbus Naiad over Nessian Asp.

DECK (main)

1 Returned Phalanx
1 Nyxborn Eidolon
1 Felhide Minotaur
1 Servant of Tymaret
1 Returned Centaur
1 Gray Merchant of Asphodel
1 Marshmist Titan
1 Pharika's Cure
1 Read the Bones
1 Asphyxiate
1 Gild
2 Sip of Hemlock

1 Vaporkin
1 Wavecrash Triton
1 Nimbus Naiad
2 Sealock Monster
1 Retraction Helix
1 Divination
1 Curse of the Swine

1 Guardians of Meletis
1 Siren of the Silent Song

DECK(sideboard)

1 Ashiok's Adept
1 Returned Centaur
1 Dark Betrayal
1 Lost in a Labyrinth
2 Annul
1 Stymied Hopes
1 Satyr Hedonist
1 Swordwise Centaur
1 Arena Athlete
1 Ill-Tempered Cyclops
2 Fearsome Temper
1 Hammer of Purphoros
1 Traveling Philosopher
1 Griffin Dreamfinder
1 Bronze Sable
1 Opaline Unicorn
1 Ephara's Enlightenment

Dat 14 creature deck.   Not excited about the Felhide Minotaur or the Returned Centaur, but not every black common creature can be Returned Phalanx or Baleful Eidolon.

I was black/blue.  Going right, the table seemed to be:

Blue/red
Blue/red
Black/red
White/green
White/green
White/red
White/green

So black wasn't being drafted much.

Match 1:  WG (2-0)

Game 1:

Timely removal spells get me through this game without too much issue.  My opponent plays a late Wingsteed Rider.  Sealock Monster + Servant Tymaret bestowed with Nimbus Naiad mop up the game.

His Nylea's Presence allows me to attack him with my Sealock Monster without monstrousing, weee.

Game 2:

I remove my opponent's turn 3 Wingsteed Rider with a turn 3 Asphyxiate.   Then he plays a Lagonna Band Elder gaining 3 off his Nylea's Presence.

Game starts to stall a bit, with my opponent getting a Leafcrown Dryad with Gift of Immortality on it, and a *splash* Baleful Eidolon (nonbestow).  I have a 5/4 Returned Phalanx (bestowed with Nyxborn Eidolon) and a 10/10 monstrous Sealock Monster bestowed with Nimbus Naiad.  Curse of the Swine clears up my opponent's side of the board, and I finish him off with two swings from my Sealock Monster and a Sip of Hemlock.

Match 2:  UR (0-2)

Game 1:

Mulled a 2 island hand, with a few black spells.
Mulled a 1 lander.
Kept a 1 lander 5.

He plays a turn 2 Omenspeaker.  I miss my land drop turn 2.  Turn 3 I get my second swamp.
I had Pharika's Cure for his Two-Headed Cerberus.   I just cast it right away, without waiting for him to play something on his Cerberus.

He has Dissolve for my Siren of the Silent Song.

Unfortunately he puts Dragon Mantle and Aqueous Form on his Omenspeaker.   Asphyxiate no longer works since his creature is untapped.  I play a Wavecrash Triton, and he has Griptide for it.  He bestows his Omenspeaker with Purphoros's Emissary.   I never reach 6 mana for my Sip of Hemlock, so I die.

Game 2:

This was a bit closer.  He goes for the Voltron Dragon Mantle + Aqueous Form + Omenspeaker again.  I have Gild for it.  Then he plays another dude with Dragon Mantle, plus plays a Floodtide Serpent.  I have to deploy Curse of the Swine so he doesn't get a ton of card advantage off Dragon Mantle + Floodtide Serpent.  I'm swinging in with a 4/2 Vaporkin.  Then next turn he plays a Thunder Brute.  I let it be a 5/5 haste.  Next turn he draws into Stratus Walk to make it a flyer.

I play a Returned Centaur which mills his Lightning Strike.  But he has Sudden Storm to lock down my Returned Centaur + Vaporkin.  I only have 7 mana to play either Gray Merchant of Asphodel or Nimbus Naiad.  I try to play Gray Merchant of Asphodel to lock up the game, but it didn't matter, since he Dissolved the Gray Merchant.  I wish I had the Annul in my hand a turn earlier to counter his Stratus Walk.

I might have lost the game by not swinging with Servant of Tymaret to gain 1 more life and live a turn, but he mentioned that he still had Voyage's End.

Match 3:  Opponent no-show

Opponent left after pairings.   I guess he was hungry and wanted to leave before the nearby restaurants closed, or something.

4/20/14 Easter Double Draftin (Sunday BNG-THS-THS draft) 2-1, 0-2 drop

I was originally planning on going to Versus Games to play on Saturday.  However, I figured it would be more efficient to get my housework/errands done on Saturday, then just sign up for two drafts on Sunday, instead of signing up for a draft on Saturday and Sunday.  Unfortunately, that would mean I would need to potentially sit through six hours of drafting in one sitting.  That is difficult at my age (35) due to getting tired/hungry.

I ended up leaving from home kinda late, and there was traffic on 19th ave.  I ended up getting to the store exactly at 1 p.m.

P1P1:  Temple of Plenty over Fall of the Hammer.
P1P2:  Got passed a Hero of Iroas.  What.
P1P6:  Reap What is Sown.  Green/white is open maybe?

P1P10:  Fanatic of Xenagos.  How does this go 10th pick.  Yikes.

P2P1:  Hundred Handed-One

P3P1:  Arbor Colossus.

DECK:

12 white

2 Hopeful Eidolon
1 Leonin Snarecaster
1 Hero of Iroas
2 Oreskos Sun Guide
1 Observant Alseid
1 Elite Skirmisher
1 Wingsteed Rider
1 Hundred Handed-One
1 Gods Willing
1 Excoriate

7 green

1 Leafcrown Dryad
1 Agent of Horizons
1 Staunch-Hearted Warrior
1 Arbor Colossus
1 Vulpine Goliath
1 Karametra's Favor
1 Feral Invocation

3 multicolor

1 Chronicler of Heroes
1 Reap What Is Sown
1 Daxos of Meletis

1 artifact

1 Opaline Unicorn

1 Temple of Plenty
8 Forest
7 Plains
1 Unknown Shores

SIDEBOARD:
1 Blood-Toll Harpy
1 Necrobite
1 Omenspeaker
1 Mnemonic Wall
1 Cyclops of One-Eyed Pass
1 Portent of Betrayal
1 Demolish
1 Satyr Hedonist
1 Commune with the Gods
1 Artisan's Sorrow
1 Revoke Existence
1 Griffin Dreamfinder
1 Vanquish the Foul
1 Fanatic of Xenagos
1 Destructive Revelry
1 Temple of Malice

Many bombs, handle them.

Hero of Iroas, Hundred-Handed One, Arbor Colossus, and Daxos of Meletis is pretty stronk.

Splashing for Daxos was a bit controversial.  As you can see, I got kinda cut out of my colors, but I kept going with white/green anyways because of what I opened.

I felt like I was getting cut pretty bad on my colors too.   I was white/green, and these were the other people:

Green/black
Green/white
White/blue/black
Red/green
Red/black
Green/blue
White/black

So four other people in green, and three other people in white.

Match 1:  UG 2-0

Game 1:

He drags the game out a bit with Wavecrash Triton taps, and a Nylea's Disciple with Aqueous Form.

Even with Curse of the Swine for my Wingsteed Rider voltron + Hundred Handed One + Oreskos Sun Guide, I end up with 5 2 power creatures (3 boars, Observant Alseid, Leafcrown Dryad) for his 3 blockers, when he's at 4 life, and is tapped out.  So I win.

Game 2:

He plays a Wavecrash Triton with Aqueous Form + Stratus Walk.  When he goes to bestow Thassa's Emissary I have Artisan's Sorrow to destroy the aura.

He played a Bow of Nylea but I played an Arbor Colossus and he scooped.

Match 2:  WG (2-0)

Game 1:

I manage to get up to 29 life off Daxos of Meletis with Feral Invocation and Hopeful Eidolon, and Wingsteed Rider with Hopeful Eidolon.   He gets me down to 5 life with Anthoussa, Setessan Hero and Fabled Hero and a 5/5 Setessan Oathsworn.  But then I swing for the kill.

Game 2:

He gets me down to 12, but I get him down to 4, then he scoops to Arbor Colossus.

Match 3:  BR (1-2)

Game 1:

My opponent plays a turn 2 Deathbellow Raider and turn 4 Purphoros's Emissary

I play a turn 2 Hero of Iroas
Turn 3 Leafcrown Dryad bestow
Turn 4 Observant Alseid bestow
Turn 5 Hopeful Eidolon bestow

Game over.

Game 2:

I lose to double Tormented Hero opening into Purphoros's Emissary.   I have Revoke Existence for the Purphoros's Emissary, but then I start flooding out.

I end up having to trade a Wingsteed Rider + Reap What is Sown for a 4/3 Tormented Hero with Ordeal of Erebos.

I manage to get my third forest for Arbor Colossus on turn 12 or so, but he has Asphyxiate for it, then swings for lethal.

Game 3:

This was a tough game.  He gets turn 1 Tormented Hero into turn 2 Tymaret, the Murder King.  I have Excoriate for the Murder King.    He plays a Borderland Minotaur, I play a Staunch-Hearted Warrior.  He attacks with his Hero and the Minotaur, I block with the Warrior, and pop Gods Willing, making a 4/4 with protection from red.

I swing in with a 6/6 Staunch Hearted Warrior and leave a Leafcrown Dryad (unbestowed) behind to block.

Ultimately, he gets me down to 5, and I lose to a Tormented Hero with Purphoros's Emissary.

P1P1:  Courser of Kruphix.
P1P2:  Got passed a Hero of Iroas again.  What.
P1P3:  Took Bile Blight over Setessan Oathsworn.
P1P4:  Took Sudden Storm over Archetype of Imagination and Chorus of the Tides and a second Setessan Oathsworn.  Gah.

I got a fifth pick Tromokratis, and passed a sixth pick Kraken of the Straits (bad, but still a card).  I should have just started forcing blue at this point.

Passed literally three Setessan Oathsworn.

I was still hedging my bets as it seems like the packs didn't have many actual playables.

P2P1:  Took Dauntless Onslaught over Steam Augury and Hopeful Eidolon.  Maybe this was wrong.

P2P2:  Took Nemesis of Mortals over Temple of Mystery.  MISSED value.

P2P3:  Nessian Asp.

P2P4:  Wingsteed Rider over Sea God's Revenge/Triton Tactics.

P3P1:  Passed Akroan Horse for Ordeal of Heliod.

Took Observant Alseid over a second Ordeal of Heliod.

Person on my left was white/black.  Person on my right was red/green.

Basically looked like this:

Me (white/green)->red/green->white/black->white/green->5 color->white/green->blue/red->white/black.  Seriously?

So 3 other people in green, and 4 other people in white.

It also wasn't nice that the two people on my right (who came in together) never drafted before, and were asking each other for advice.  They were also asking the store employee for advice on picks. Huh.

DECK:

green:  11

1 Satyr Hedonist
2 Voyaging Satyr
1 Courser of Kruphix
1 Nylea's Emissary
1 Nylea's Disciple
1 Nessian Asp
1 Centaur Battlemaster
1 Nemesis of Mortals
2 Savage Surge

white:    7

1 Hero of Iroas
1 Oreskos Sun Guide
1 Observant Alseid
1 Lagonna Band Elder
1 Wingsteed Rider
1 Chosen by Heliod
1 Ordeal of Heliod

blue: 1
1 Sudden Storm

multicolor 2

1 Horizon Chimera
1 Ephara's Enlightenment

artifact 1

1 Traveler's Amulet

2 Island
8 Plains
7 Forest

SIDEBOARD:

1 Felhide Brawler
1 Boon of Erebos
1 Pharika's Cure
1 Bile Blight
1 Weight of the Underworld
1 Vaporkin
1 Mnemonic Wall
1 Tromokratis
1 Stymied Hopes
2 Crypsis
2 Stratus Walk
1 Griptide
1 Thassa's Bounty
1 Eternity Snare
1 Centaur Battlemaster
1 Fade into Antiquity
1 Last Breath

Match 1:  5 color Chromanticore (1-2)

Game 1:

I mull to 6.

My opponent plays turn two Fleecemane Lion.

However, I curved out with turn two Hero of Iroas into turn 3 Savage Surge to kill his Centaur Courser, then turn 4 Observant Alseid into turn 5 Nylea's Emissary bestow.  Craycray.

Game 2:

My opponent gets out TWO Akroan Horse on me.  How absurd.

He also plays Prophet of Kruphix but I have Last Breath to exile it.   I try to use Nessian Asp with Observant Alseid bestow to whittle down his soldier tokens, but without Nylea's Emissary I can't make any real effort.   I have to rely on Horizon Chimera to try and get through his Chorus of the Tides (which he recurs twice with Pharika's Mender.  He kinda punts and attacks all out with his Pharika's Menders and Fleecemane Lion.  I block his Menders with the Akroan Horses he gave me.

I had my opponent down to 2 life, then he plays Chromanticore and turns the game around.

Game 3:

I mull to 5.  First hand was a one lander with Hero of Iroas, Ordeal of Heliod, and Chosen of Heliod.  On the play I left like this was really bad.  Ended up with another one lander, then mulled to 5.

My opponent gets out TWO Akroan Horse out on me again.  It still turns out to be kinda close game, but he manages to resolve Prophet of Kruphix into Bestow Manticore on Pharika's Mender into Whip of Erebos.  Geez.

Match 2:   UR (0-2)

Game 1:

Lost to Nimbus Naiad bestow on Wavecrash Triton, and Archetype of Imagination.

Game 2:

Lost to Archetype of Imagination and Stoneshock Giant.

Time to pack it up and go home, and have a few (four beers).

Result:   2-1, 0-2 drop