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Affinity is the workings of being an Artifact-based aggro deck. The name sake of the deck came to be when “Affinity for Artifacts” was introduced in the Mirrodin Block, being featured on keys cards such as Thoughtcast, Frogmite and Myr Enforcer. The deck became an icon in many formats, seeing play in Legacy, Modern and Extended. As sets began to rotate and cards were introduced, the deck took away different cards from different sets to increase the power level of the already incredibly strong deck.
In Modern, Affinity is an underlying deck that can be noted as the “dredge” of the format, or the deck that can come out of nowhere and end up topping a tournament. While some notable cards that are seen with Affinity in Legacy are banned in Modern, it doesn’t change how strong the deck is, only the way it is played.
Affinity is one of the few "Aggro" decks seen in Modern. The deck’s strengths lie in the ability to overextend and while still able to gain value off of most of its creatures or the spells. The ability to send out cheap and effective creatures with evasion to put pressure on the opponent early game with the help of Arcbound Ravager to help the deck become more resilient to removal and Cranial Plating to push through enough damage to make this deck the fastest aggro deck in the format.
The only competitive variants of this deck are All in Affinity and Thoughtcast Affinity. Tezzeret Affinity and Tempered Steel Affinity were only seen briefly during Modern's birth or in Daily events on MTGO.
Deck Core:
4 Ornithopter
4 Signal Pest
4 Vault Skirge
3-4 Arcbound Ravager
2-4 Memnite
2-4 Etched Champion
2-4 Steel Overseer
4 Mox Opal
4 Cranial Plating
3-4 Springleaf Drum
4 Darksteel Citadel
4 Inkmoth Nexus
4 Blinkmoth Nexus
3-4 Glimmervoid
1 Basic Land
Card Choices:
Creatures
Ornithopter: A card that has been around since Antiquities, being the most notable Zero drop that Affinity has to offer. An early drop Creature than can help to power up Mox Opal and Springleaf Drum to provide early mana. Due to the cost and evasiveness of Ornithopter, this card is a 4-of, no questions asked.
Memnite: This card is practically Ornithopter 4-8, but without any evasion. Without evasion, this card is significantly weaker than most of the deck because it is easier to remove or block. Memnite is strong mostly for the fact that it costs zero. In order to not draw this consecutively, it is set as a 2-of most of the time in decks since other threats are better topdecks.
Master of Etherium: Usually seen in more of a Token or Aggro format, this card is the second choice when deciding what card should top of the curve. There is no doubt this card is strong, but it is easier to remove than Etched Champion, so it is almost never seen. This card is more suited for decks that can't deal with it or in an Affinity mirror-match.
Signal Pest: The pseudo-lord of Artifacts. Signal Pest can become a back to the Cranial Plating beatdown plan when in multiples. This card gets in fast and consistent damage when it isn't alone. Due to the number of cheap creatures that are played in the deck, it never it "alone" on the battlefield and gets in 3+ damage most of the time.
Vault Skirge: An All-star beater of the deck that also helps race other aggro decks while also getting. This card is always looked at as a 1-drop when it practically gains more than enough life to make 2 life seem like nothing.
Etched Champion: The card to top off the curves. This card turns every targeted removal of your opponents into a dead card. It is the best beater in the deck, dealing a consistent 2+ damage every turn. Etched Champion combined with Cranial Plating is a game-win against many decks.
Arcbound Ravager: The glue of the deck. This is the card of the deck that turns Affinity from an okay deck to one of the most feared decks in the format. Removal is one most prevalent things to take note of in Modern, but this card nullifies each and every removal spell while also being able to do a few combat tricks. It changes those useful artifacts that aren't needed anymore to +1/+1 damage.
Steel Overseer: Because of this card, Affinity became a slower, but stronger Aggro deck. The synergy this provides with all of the deck and Arcbound Ravager leads to some interesting interactions. This card, when it untaps, wins the game.
Artifacts
Mox Opal: Replacing Paradise Mantle, Mox Opal has become the go-to card for mana acceleration for any artifact-based deck. It acts as an extra land. In the right hand, it could potential help produce 2+ mana on turn 1. Without this card, racing against other decks would be possible.
Springleaf Drum: The other mana-producer of the deck. The strongest part of the deck is that it turns a Memnite or Ornithopter with Summoning Sickness into a Birds of Paradise at no extra cost. It also helps to make 1-drops cost nearly nothing when you can use them to tap for extra mana.
Welding Jar: Now, this isn't seen as frequently as most cards, but it helps to assure many players with extra support for Cranial Plating or other needed cards without having to sacrifice them to Arcbound Ravager.
Other Spells
Thoughtcast: The most seen non-artifact card in most Affinity Decklists. This card allows Affinity to overextend their resources. The amount of artifacts in this deck cause Thoughtcast to cast 1U at worse. With the ability to refill a hand for the cost of nearly nothing is one unique strength of Affinity. Thoughtcast is looked at as the Modern version of Ancestral Recall.
Galvanic Blast: The best removal that Affinity can play. It is a better Lightning Bolt most of the time, but at worse, it is a Shock. Galvanic Blast gets rid of most of the necessary threats and is also a threat to the opponent's life total when they are already in the red-zone.
Shrapnel Blast: Only seen in the All in Affinity variant, this card interacts with the opponents removal by causing it to fizzle and deal 5 damage to them. Burn was another way of Affinity winning when swinging with threats just wasn't enough.
Steelshaper's Gift: Along side of Shrapnel Blast, this was also seen only in the All in Affinity variant. Since Thoughtcast was never used, this was the best way to obtain Cranial Plating early enough to force it down and threaten your opponent.
Lands
Blinkmoth Nexus: Manlands are some of Affinity's way of dealing with Control and Lifegain decks. They also act as pseudo-artifact lands for Modern. They oppose a threat for most decks and are some of the best lands for Affinity since they do not come into play tapped and provide both a threat and an artifact for Cranial Plating. Blinkmoth has synergy with Inkmoth since it can provide it or Inkmoth +1/+1 until end of turn.
Inkmoth Nexus: The best threat against Melira or Junk Pod and Soul Sisters. This along side Cranial Plating, Steel Overseer, Signal Pest or Arcbound Ravager work as an alternate win-condition against decks that can't be raced through aggressive beatdown. Also can become pseudo-removal or anti-pump spell if need be.
Darksteel Citadel: The only Artifact land in Modern. A card that counts for Metalcraft and Cranial Plating. It is certainly the strongest land in the deck due to the fact that it is an Artifact.
Glimmervoid: With the help of our 8 other rainbow mana-producers and this, Affinity can run practically any color in sideboard. This is better than any Basic Land or Dual Land in the format since we play Artifacts. It reads "t: Add one mana of any color to your mana pool." The previous effect never matters when you're going to win since you always have an artifact on the field.
Island/Mountain: Path to Exile and Ghost Quarters do exist. It would be stupid not to get something out of it, so that is why we play Basic Lands. These are the only relavent choices for the type of Affinity decks. [/spoiler]
Sideboard Options:
Spellskite: Usually for the control matchup, this card neuters there removal when Arcbound Ravager isn't enough while also providing power to block Snapcaster Mage.
Ethersworn Canonist: Against Storm when it reigned supreme. This card is seen less in sideboards, but Storm is still an existing deck.
Dispatch: Usually best against creatures that seem to love the Graveyard. It is mostly strong against Tron and Pod decks.
Thoughtseize: The best way to answer threats while also gaining information from the opponent. It also helps to stop Abrupt Decay or other spells that prove to be an issue.
Whipflare: A one-sided sweeper is an incredibly strong card. This is Affinity's pyroclasm. It answers most threats in Zoo decks or Token decks for such a cheap cost while doing nothing to your side of the field.
Blood Moon: Mana bases in Modern are very greedy. This is the best way to answer them besides Sowing Salts, Tectonic Edge, Spreading Seas or Fulminator Mage. Since all of those cards are worthless in Affinity, we have chosen this to be our "Land base" hoser.
Ancient Grudge: In the mirror, this card is a nut. It gets rid of the needed cards. Even when Arcbount Ravager is used, it still works to rid the field of things that are not needed to help you win. With Spellskite as well, Arcbound Ravager becomes useful. I really don't suggest using Spellskite in the Mirror, though.
Wear // Tear: Another card that can be used in the mirror and doubles as Enchantment removal against any deck Sideboarding Stony Silence so that it doesn't provide them any needed advantage.
Spell Pierce: Another way of answering the opponent's cards. I would rather use Thoughtseize over Spell Pierce, but it answers problems at that time. Abrupt Decay does exist, though. This choice is more of a matter of what do you want to get rid of and when. Some people use these in a split in sideboard.
Rest in Peace: This is in my opinion the best Graveyard Hate in the format. I usually don't play it since Relic of Progenitus is an artifact and nets us a card, but this is going to be a hose that is harder to get rid of than an artifact,
Relic of Progenitus: I choose this over Rest in Peace since it is an Artifact and nets us a card. Usually easier to get rid of and we have to respond by getting rid of their graveyard when they do target it.
Dismember: Fast creature removal that gets rid of everything that exists. -5/-5 is incredibly strong for the light cost of 1. It is also very fast. Dispatch and Galvanic Blast usually answer most cards for me, but this is still the best black removal that can be used.
Grafdigger's Cage: How to deal with Pod's ability to search their library for creatures out of their toolbox. It also helps against reanimator decks.
Decklists
- GP Brisbane 1st Place 6/10/13:
4 Arcbound Ravager
4 Ornithopter
4 Signal Pest
4 Vault Skirge
3 Etched Champion
3 Steel Overseer
2 Memnite
4 Cranial Plating
4 Mox Opal
4 Springleaf Drum
4 Galvanic Blast
4 Thoughtcast
4 Blinkmoth Nexus
4 Darksteel Citadel
4 Inkmoth Nexus
3 Glimmervoid
1 Island
Sideboard:
1 Wear / Tear
3 Ancient Grudge
2 Thoughtseize
3 Blood Moon
2 Spellskite
2 Dispatch
2 Whipflare
- GP Brisbane 6th Place 6/10/13:
- 4 Signal Pest
4 Ornithopter
4 Etched Champion
4 Vault Skirge
4 Arcbound Ravager
3 Steel Overseer
1 Memnite
4 Springleaf Drum
4 Mox Opal
4 Cranial Plating
2 Welding Jar
4 Thoughtcast
2 Galvanic Blast
4 Blinkmoth Nexus
4 Darksteel Citadel
4 Inkmoth Nexus
3 Glimmervoid
1 Island
Sideboard:
2 Galvanic Blast
2 Torpor Orb
1 Ancient Grudge
1 Back to Nature
1 Grafdigger's Cage
1 Illness in the Ranks
1 Ray of Revelation
1 Rest in Peace
2 Spell Pierce
1 Spellskite
2 Thoughtseize
- All In Affinity:
4 Ornithopter
3 Memnite
4 Signal Pest
4 Vault Skirge
4 Arcbound Ravager
4 Steel Overseer
3 Master of Etherium
3 Mox Opal
3 Springleaf Drum
4 Galvanic Blast
3 Shrapnel Blast
4 Cranial Plating
4 Glimmevoid
4 Blinkmoth Nexus
4 Inkmoth Nexus
4 Darksteel Citadel
1 Mountain
Sideboard:
3 Whipflare
3 Dispatch
3 Spellskite
2 Ancient Grudge
2 Spell Snare
2 Nature's Claim
- My Current Decklist:
4 Arcbound Ravager
4 Steel Overseer
4 Vault Skirge
4 Signal Pest
4 Ornithopter
3 Etched Champion
2 Memnite
1 Master of Etherium
4 Cranial Plating
4 Mox Opal
3 Springleaf Drum
4 Thoughtcast
3 Galvanic Blast
4 Blinkmoth Nexus
4 Inkmoth Nexus
4 Darksteel Citadel
3 Glimmervoid
1 Island
Sideboard:
3 Thoughtseize
1 Relic of Progenitus
2 Spellskite
1 Ancient Grudge
2 Wear // Tear
1 Whipflare
3 Dispatch
1 Torpor Orb
1 Grafdigger’s Cage
Tournament Reports
- My Tournament Report 14/11/13:
While I start putting my Zombardment deck together in real life, I still am going to stick with the different types of Affinity deck that I have been playing. Today, I set to try Welding Jar in the main board to fight against Creeping Corrosion, Ancient Grudge, and Abrupt Decay. I took out Master of Etherium and a Thoughtcast to provide a fit for Welding Jar.
Decklist:
4 Arcbound Ravager
4 Steel Overseer
4 Vault Skirge
4 Signal Pest
4 Ornithopter
3 Etched Champion
2 Memnite
4 Cranial Plating
4 Mox Opal
3 Springleaf Drum
2 Welding Jar
3 Thoughtcast
3 Galvanic Blast
4 Blinkmoth Nexus
4 Inkmoth Nexus
4 Darksteel Citadel
3 Glimmervoid
1 Island
Sideboard:
3 Thoughtseize
1 Relic of Progenitus
3 Spellskite
1 Ancient Grudge
2 Wear // Tear
1 Spell Pierce
3 Dispatch
1 Grafdigger’s Cage
This was a 17-Spot tournament going in 4 rounds of Swiss, 2 rounds of Elimination.
First round: UWR Control vs. Affinity, 0-0
I started out strong with a turn 1 Cranial plating and an Ornithopter with a Mox Opal and Darksteel on the board. My hand had another Cranial Plating, Thoughtcast and a Darksteel. I was up first, opponent on the draw. My opponent played a Celestial Colonnade tapped. I ended up attaching my Cranial Plating to the Ornithopter and playing a second one. I swung in for 6 damage and passed. My opponent drew a Path and already ate up my Ornithopter. I grabbed an Island and went to play it out. My next turn, I drew into a Blinkmoth and Galvanic Blast. I played both and passed the turn. With three lands on my opponent's side, I had to take it easy here. I drew another Thoughtcast into a Mox Opal and Memnite. I played the Memnite and swung with Blinkmoth having only one Cranial Plating attached. Opponent was at 4 life now. I took the game in the next two turns.
1-0
The next game, I sided in Spellskites and 2 Wear//Tear. I suspected Stony Silence in his sideboard, so I figured I would play it safer this game than not. My hand was set up to deal with his answers. I had a Spellskite, Wear//Tear, Glimmervoid and Mox Opal with a Cranial PLating and two other cards. this time, I was on the draw. Setting up my turn, I went into a turn one Spellskite and passed. The opponent didn't answer it and just let it stick. The next turn, I played a Memnite and Springleaf Drum. I attached Cranial Plating to my Spellskite and swung in for I think 7-8 damage. My opponent played Path to Exile on my Spellskite, I grabbed an Island. He also played Stony Silence. I ended up using Wear//Tear to destroy it and attached Cranial Plating. By now, my opponent was at 6 life. I had an Inkmoth Nexus still on my field. I won through a Vault Skirge getting in damage.
2-0
In my Second Round, I had a bye, so I got a free win. 2-0
Third Round: BGx Midrange vs. Affinity, 2-0.
Game 1: I was in for a turn 3 win with my hand if I was disrupted, so I kept. I got Thoughtseized on the first turn, getting rid of my Cranial Plating. I still had a turn 1 Etched Champion on board with Metalcraft activated, so I could easily push through damage. I brought down a Welding Jar to support Etched Champion and a Signal Pest. I was disrupted, but kept up early damage. My opponent wasted an Abrupt Decay on my Signal Pest. I ended up playing Steel Overseer to put a faster clock on my opponent. I won with Etched Champion, Steel Overseer and Signal Pest.
1-0
Game 2: I sideboarded in Thoughtseize and Relic of Progenitus in this game. Keep his Tarmogoyf low and his hand down. My clock was slowed down because I kept a hand with only disruption and no beaters. I lost easily due to that mistake and the power of a Creeping Corrosion topdeck. My opponent took Game 2.
1-1
Game 3: I took out a Thoughtseize and the Relic of Progenitus to put in two Dispatchs. This time, I needed a faster hand with at least one disruption spell. I could probably win with my hand since I had an Etched Champion, Cranial Plating, Blinkmoth Nexus, Thoughtseize, and 3 other cards. My opponent was on the draw. I played a Turn 1 Cranial Plating with an Ornithopter and passed. My opponent played Treetop Village and passed. Since he didn't seem to have any way to disrupt me yet, I got in the early damage. Turn 3 came for me and my Ornithopter got Lightning Bolt'd. I played Etched Champion while having an Arcbound Ravager in my hand. I ended up winning on turn 6 with a good constant beater.
2-1
Round 4: BWr Zombies vs. Affinity, 3-0.
Game 1: By this time, I was in Second Place in Swiss, so even if I lost this game, I was already set for the top 4. I took this game easy and felt relaxed. This deck was seemingly filled with Innistrad, Scars of Mirrodin and Return to Ravnica cards. I guess he stopped playing Standard, but still wanted to play. I kept a mediocre hand and scooped 2 turns into the game without playing a single card. I thought that I could have the upper hand in the Sideboard game if he probably didn't know what I was playing.
0-1
Game 2: I kept a slow hand, but it was reliable and could turn this game into a win easily if I played right. I played Darksteel and passed. I ended up playing an Arcbound Ravager and Vault Skirge next turn and passed. He player Gravecrawler and I knew that I could easily get around that. I played teel Overseer, swung with Vault Skirge. Next turn, I drew a Thoughtcast to refill my hand. Steel Overseer helped to keep up with an Inkmoth and Vault Skirge. It was turn 5 that I just decided to end it. I was at 12 life from just Gravecrawler. My Vault Skirge was sacrificed to Arcbound Ravager, I sacrificed Arcbound Ravager to put three +1/+1 on my 4/4 Inkmoth Nexus. I won through Infect.
1-1
Game 3: This was a fast one for me, I guess. I still only won on turn 6, but my opponent ended up losing many of his creatures to chump blocking. Etched Champion with Cranial Plating took it easy and brought him down pretty fast. The turns didn't last too long, and it was an easy win for me.
2-1.
We had a 15 Minute break for the top 4. I talked to each other about the decks they used. UR Delver, Affinity, BGx Midrange and Kiki-Pod were the top 4 decks. As long as I didn't face the BGx Midrange, I pretty much could call it a win here and just get my prize. I wasn't going to be that cocky, I have lost to most of these players before in the Top 4 plenty of times.
Semi-Finals: UR Delver vs. Affinity 4-0.
Game 1: I won this game with a Vault Skirge and an early Steel Overseer beating passed a Magma Jet and Electrolyze. I did get hit by a Lightning Bolt, but my Vault Skirge and 2 Signal Pest attacked enough times to put my opponent in the Red Zone. I took out his remaining life with a Galvanic Blast.
1-0
Game 2: I had a hand filled with 3 Galvanic Blast, so I pretty much only had to deal 8 life to win. I played a Darksteel, Ornithopter, and a Mox Opal. I drew into a Signal Pest, so I was sure that I could deal at least 3 damage through combat by turn 3. My opponent hit my Ornithopter, but failed to deal with my Signal Pest. I played another in the next turn while keeping and Acrbound Ravager in my hand. I already used two of my Galvanic Blasts by this turn, so I had to keep dealing him damage for the next. My Signal Pest hit in 4 damages in the next couple of turns. I was able to deal him enough, but used up my Galvanic Blast on his Delver and chump blocked with my Signal Pest against Mutavault.
2-0
Finals: BGx Midrange vs. Affinity, 5-0.
Game 1: I wanted to win this, but I might have gotten a little ahead of myself. I forgot to take out some of the cards I sideboarded in, so it resulted in a game lost for me and we went to game 2.
0-1
Game 2: I was more focused on this game, but neither player was allowed to sideboard. Game 1 against these decks is usually a sure thing. It pretty much was. My hand lost a Crancial Plating and Etched Champion to Inquisition of Kozilek and Thoughtseize. I drew a Thoughtcast to refill my hand and I drew a Steel Overseer and Galvanic Blast. I ended up losing this game by overextending my board than actually responding to many of his cards. I played my Cranial Plating too late where I played my Steel Overseer too early.
0-2
I came in Second Place over the entire thing. The finals was filled with more mistakes than I was really happy about. I kept some hands where I should have mulligan. I played some cards just to play them and not paying attention to my opponent. Well, it was one of the longer tournaments I have been in, but I should have not gotten too cocky and fallen into a "don't worry about your opponent" kind of phase. Next time, let's see if I can get first!
- My Tournament Report 6/8/13:
This was a different location than what I am used to since I am on vacation right now.
Modern Night Magic Tournament Report:
Decklist:
4 Arcbound Ravagers
4 Steel Overseer
4 Vault Skirge
4 Signal Pest
4 Ornithopter
3 Etched Champion
2 Memnite
1 Master of Etherium
4 Cranial Plating
4 Mox Opal
3 Springleaf Drum
4 Thoughtcast
3 Dispatch
4 Blinkmoth Nexus
4 Inkmoth Nexus
4 Darksteel Citadel
3 Glimmervoid
1 Island
Sideboard:
4 Spell Pierce
2 Relic of Progenitus
2 Spellskite
1 Ancient Grudge
1 Wear // Tear
1 Whipflare
1 Dispatch
1 Etched Champion
1 Torpor Orb
1 Grafdigger’s Cage
4 Round Event – 16 People
Round 1: MonoU Tron
Game 1: It flew by quickly with a turn 2 Master of Etherium into a Turn 3 Cranial Plating. The opponent mulled to 5 and this hand didn’t hold off too well. All that came out was a turn 3 Platinum Angel getting Dispatched.
Game 2: I ended up siding in my 4 Spell Pierce against this deck along with my Ancient Grudge just in case. Not the greatest plan, but it held it’s all. The game lasted until turn 5 because of my opponent casting 2 Wurmcoils. I kept it held off with Arcbound shenanigans, but I ended up losing to his second Wurmcoil coming out and not having an answer for it.
1-1
Game 3: This was a quick one. I took out 2 Spell Pierces and put in place a Dispatch and another Ancient Grudge to have more answers against his wincons instead of his counterspells. He kept a lazy hand. My first turn, I dropped practically everything into a Thoughtcast to draw a Memnite and Dispatch. I now had 2 Dispatches in hand. I only used one to eat up a Solemn Simalacrum. He didn’t seem to draw too many answers or to use up some Thirst for Knowledge.
2-1
Round 2: This one was against the Polymorph brew.
Game 1: Quite easy with a Turn 3 army of Signal Pest, 3 of them. Having 2 Ornithopters and 1 Vault Skirge sealed the deal with evasiveness. The opponent had only Timely Reinforcements to stall the game. I won on turn 4.
1-0
Game 2: I ended up siding in 4 Spell Pierces and 1 Whipflare to help against any token generators. Nothing too exciting happened except having my Cranial Plating countered on turn 2, still ended up winning with a Steel Overseer and Arcbound Ravager fun. The game was really me just playing around with the opponent. The deck was rather slow and the mana base needed work, I think. It was a U/W/R deck with a splash of Black.
2-0
Round 3, Top 4: U/R Merfolk
Game 1: The only game that I ended up winning by racing the opponent. My opponent didn’t have enough draw power to keep filling her hand and was relying on top deck early enough. I won by having out Etched Champions to attack. Lightning Bolts and Electrolyze here seemed to be the best cards, but only one Electrolyze showed up to take care of my Memnites and Vault Skirge. 1-0
Game 2: I ended up keeping a handful of low drops and exploded too early on turns 1 and 2 without much of any good top decks. I lost to an army of lords the ended up outracing me this time.
1-1
Game 3: This was a really fun one that kept up until turn 7, I believe. I kept a slow, but reliable, hand. 3 lands, 2 Etched, 1 Arcbound and a Thoughtcast. I was thinking that if this worked, it was be pretty damn cool. I got away with having 2 Etched Champions and 1 Master of Etherium on the field with 4 lands. We were both having a blast just seeing what would happen at the end. This was all on the last turn, I was about to declare attackers, but got Hurkyl’s Recalled and lost most of my field presence without having an answer. Nest turn he won, I actually gave in because I was too low to even get a comeback.
1-2
Round 4, Finals: UB Faeries.
Game 1: I had two creatures on the battlefield, he had a Vedalken Shackles. He was at only 2 life and I had a 3/3 Vault Skirge with a 2/5 Ornithopter. I swung with my Vault Skirge. He tried to take hold of my Ornithopter, but I used Springleaf Drums to tap it before anything happened.
1-0
Game 2: This was a breeze with my siding in Spellskites and my Torpor Orb to stop Vendilion Cliques, Pestermite and Spellstutter Sprite. I only drew the Torpor Orb off of a Thoughtcast. Slowed his ETB triggers down enough to win quickly enough. A lot of the issues that I faced this game was chump blocking, but the old held off for a short while. I won with a Cranial Plating attached to an Inkmoth Nexus and about 3-4 attacks. Counterspells stopped my Dispatches and Arcbound Ravagers. The opponent seemed to focus more on Spell Snares than other counterspells.
2-0
Some decks were really different this time around. I never faced Faeries before or looked at them, so I didn’t know how they play too well.
The Merfolk deck was different with the red splash for cards like Lightning Bolt, Electrolyze. The deck also seemed to have a white splash, which the girl mentioned, for Boros Charm and Lightning Helix.A Polymorph brew was a stronger version of my friend’s Mass Polymorph deck with more of a focus on bringing out Progenitus and Griselbrand. The deck used manlands and Windbrisk Heights as back ups. I didn’t see any Linger Souls-esque cards so flying is a weakness for this deck.
- ApocKane Tournament Report 7/10/13:
4 Arcbound Ravager
2 Memnite
3 Steel Overseer
4 Etched Champion
4 Ornithopter
4 Vault Skirge
4 Signal Pest
2 Galvanic Blast
3 Thoughtcast
2 Welding Jar
4 Springleaf Drum
4 Cranial Plating
4 Mox Opal
4 Darksteel Citadel
1 Island
4 Blinkmoth Nexus
4 Inkmoth Nexus
3 Glimmervoid
Sideboard:
1 Whipflare
2 Blood Moon
2 Spell Pierce
2 Thoughtseize
1 Ancient Grudge
2 Wear/Tear
1 Illness in the ranks
2 Spellskite
1 Torpor orb
1 Grafdigger's cage
Round 1 2-1 vs Doran
This was a rogue deck that the player created, very friendly,with shaman, main spellskite which eat the wealding jar, doran etc.
Game 1- weird hand, started with 1 opal in hand, play thoughcast drew 2 opal, won with a champion even after plating eat a abrupt decay and bob killed him with draws.
IN: 1 Whipflare, 2 Blood Moon,2 Spell Pierce,2 Thoughtseize,2 Wear/Tear,1 Illness in the ranks
OUT: 4 Signal Pest, 2 Memnite, 4 ???? probably was thoughcast+something
Game 2- turn 1 play blinkmoth, drum, opal with wear/tear in hand, he has turn 2 stony silence and that is it, can't do much and got beated by tarmagoyf and doran.
Game 3- managed to play 2 champion with him only having lingering souls.
Round 2 2-0 vs Burn
Game 1- both mulligan to 5, opening hand of, 2 land, ravager, drum, memnite, his first 3 turns was tap land, 4/2 goblin guide, turn 3 lava spike but could not attack because was getting pressured from ravager a 4/4 at the time.
IN: 2 Spell Pierce,2 Spellskite
OUT: 1 Signal Pest, 3 thoughcast
Game 2- He makes a misplay,turn 2 he smash's a opal,turn 3 cast's volcanic fallout thinking the champion dies because he lost metalcraft when it resolved, so the next turn he has metalcraft again and i play a plating, and that is game.
Round 3 2-1 vs Melira Pod
Game 1- Got a really fast hand with ornithopter equiped with plating+ jar to back up when he casted decay on plating.
IN: 1 Whipflare, 2 Spell Pierce,2 Thoughtseize,2 Wear/Tear,1 Illness in the ranks, 1 Torpor orb, 1 Grafdigger's cage
OUT: 4 Signal Pest, 2 Memnite, 3 thoughcast
Game 2- i keep a bad hand because had torpor orb, i drew nothing good, only lands and not much more, and he kills with finks+souls
Game 3- got a ok hand, when i play overseer from the top he plays linvala, 2 turns after i top deck a galvanic blast, overseer is online after he pumped 2 times the team he dies, he had 2 finks, aristocrat and township so he can get some life but i top deck a plating and its game that turn, had in hand 2 spell pierce and 1 illness of the ranks.
Round 4 2-1 vs Restore Balance
Game 1- Never saw this deck, was really confusing for me, he plays the 4 restore balance them a ajani and i lose. First time and only i lose on the play.
IN: 2 Spell Pierce,2 Thoughtseize,2 Wear/Tear, 1 Ancient Grudge
OUT: 4 Champion, 3 thoughcast
Game 2- Ancient grudged 2 of his artifact mana sources to slow him down, and a spell pierce to counter the first balance, won the game.
Game 3- Got a relative fast hand, put some pressure and counter the first restore balance, but got 2 balance in a row after, so in top deck mode i got more threats and he can't combo.
Round 5 2-0 vs Jund
Game 1: Good hand, kill him by poison on turn 4 just to be sure because i had lethal on turn 3 but droped a champion for a backup plan saving a spell pierce on hand.
IN: 2 Blood Moon, 2 Spell Pierce, 2 Thoughtseize, 2 Spellskite
OUT: think it was 3 thoughcast, 3 blast, 2 memnite
Game 2: 3 Champion is too much for him, after he plays 2 huntmaster and no removal except a inquisition, and got flooded.
Round 6 I.D
Round 7 I.D
Top 8 i think was 2 Affinity (1 was red based), GR tron, Twin, Jund, GW, 2 UWR control
Quarter-Finals 1-2 vs Jund
Game 1: First time i lose the die roll
Fetch+dual+Thoughtseize and he's at 15 takes a plating but can't do much more the hand was good.
Game 2: Got a hand that could land ravager turn 1, champion turn 2, he inquisition takes my opal, and now its a slow hand, with ravager on turn 2, and i can't land champion because i dont draw the land and he inquisition again, shaman was really good here, he gained 4 life, used 2 terminate, 1 decay and killed me with tarmagoyf and shaman dealing me 8 damage.
IN: 2 Blood Moon, 2 Spell Pierce, 2 Thoughtseize, 2 Spellskite
OUT: think it was 3 thoughcast, 3 blast, 2 memnite
Game 3: I bring in 2 blast for the 2 blood moon
mull to 6 ,hand was ravager, opal, opal, drum,blast,blinkmoth
maybe i should have gone to 5 but i can turn 1 ravager and have blast open for shaman or to the blinkmoth if he trys to bolt the ravager.
He turn 1 plays shaman i blast him, i drew plating, jar but don't have more creatures or lands so i'm kinda stuck and 2/3 mana he starts to pressure me with goyf and treetop, i think i should have played this game other way only attacking with the 1/1 flyer but that was it, next draws was 1 land 2 champion
Observations: Jar is not that good against jund as i was expecting, never drew Thoughseize, spell pierce won me the game vs a combo deck, thoughcast only saw it round 1, blast was good. Most of the games i won i didn't had god hands like many affinity players, but was very consistent. Not really sure on sideboarding expecially vs jund, champion is really the MVP.
The winner was the Twin player vs the other affinity player that won vs GW, and after that the Jund that won against me, but he got a bit of luck.
Game 1 lost vs alot of preassure and a thundermaw, game 2 he kept hand with 2 lands, shatterstorm, jund charm, ancient grudge,shaman, but got stuck at 2 lands.
Game 3 mana killed him again, he had 1 tretop,2 Blackcleave Cliffs with 2 terminate, 1 bolt in hand when his attacking with a 4/4 ravager and other creatures, he draws abrupt decay turn after but its too late since he played a champion before. if the land's were diferent or he had the decay 1 turn before he could use 2 removals, and negate the 4 counters the ravager already had bolting the creature that was gonna get them.
- Jazzrage Tournament Report 16/9/13:
Game 1 - UR Delver 2-0
This was a pretty good match for me, simply because his Delvers refused to flip and he was a bit new to the deck. The hardest part was drawing out his counter spells and sticking big threats like Master, Ravager, Etched etc. Other than that I could push alot more damage through than he could and it got me there.
Game 2 Affinity 1-2
I'm still a bit sad about this game, he won the roll which is big but I feel like I probably could've won game 1 except I did some terrible math and didn't leave a blocker open for his Inkmoths. Had him at 9 poison too....The affinity mirror is still very much who gets a plating or who gets an ancient grudge first.
Game 3 Jund 2-0
He never really got off the ground against me. I played two etched champions in my main board and they + playing showed up in both games. With extra creatures to protect me from Liliana and his inability to find an Abrupt Decay this ended things pretty quickly.
Game 4 Assault Loam 0-2
Assault Loam is a deck I haven't seen in a long time. But apparently it has a great matchup against us. Flame jab is an all star and his ability to recycle ghost quarters took away most of my land game 1. Game 2 was close but he stuck on Olivia Voldaren and started stealing and killing things and eventually lethaled me out.
At this point I was pretty close to dropping, that's not exactly an auspicious start.
Game 5 - Twin
This was a must win match at this point and it's also IMO our worst matchup. And it got even worse when he revealed to me 1 MB ancient grudge (not too sure why but it was good for him here). He took game 1 pretty quickly on the back of that. Game 2 I was simply faster and he didn't see the removal to slow me down. Game 3 was a grind but I managed to make Topor Orb stick and used a duress to take away his ancient grudge.
Game 6 RG Tron
This game basically came down to my opponent being jumpy on his pyroclasms and me having my fastest starts of the day. Tron can try but T3 Karn when I have the board presence I did and him sitting around 6 life isn't that good.
Game 7
This is weird but I have no clue who I played in round 7. It's like he MIB'd me after we played. Needless to say whatever it was I won.
Game 8 RG Tron
First game I got absolutely stomped. 2 Pyroclasms followed by Karn followed by Wurmcoil. Karn started taking away lands. It was bad. Games 2-3 were much more similar to my other games against Tron. I dropped his life total early and he didn't find the 5 lands necessary to crack his O-Stone.
Game 9 - UR Splinter Twin (oh god whyyyy).
And here it was, my final win-it-in and it's my worst matchup. He was playing a different type of build with this deck, maindecking Izzet Charm, Snapcaster Mage, V-Clique and Cryptic command. Game 1 he tempod me out using V-Clique and removing my board. Game 2 he combod on turn 4 and I never saw my hate even though I mulliganed pretty aggresively for it. Oh well, these things happen.
All in all it was a fun tournament and a good experience (being my second GP and the first time I played all 9 rounds). I think if I could've avoided some of my mistakes in round 1 things would've been better but that's how it goes and I'll be better with the deck because of it. On the upside I played a sealed tournament with about 100 people in it on day 2 and managed to finish 7th-8th in that which was pretty cool.
