Hello, i'm French and i was curious about RU-Commander, i am not totally agree with the DC-comitee moves, and when i see on cockatrice, sergei searching for an opponent in your format, i ask him about the banlist.
He gives me links, and tell me about this tornament. I have no idea about the metagame but i know that inalla is a strong deck actually on DC. So i switch little cards with RU-Banlist (Lion eye diamond, cavern of souls, wasteland...)
Let's go discover this metagame !
Round 1 : Oloro, ageless ascetic (Heinar)
A control deck in my mind, so the games will be long i need to out-value with copy, or find a way for combo with back-up.
I win the dice roll
Game 1 : First hand, i have tendrils, brain freeze and petal with only two lands mental misstep and useless exhume. I think because it's near of combo but i can't out-value so i have only 1 play style for this game, i choose to mull6. My opponent's mull6. I keep the second hand with culling the weak, duress and 4 lands. It's better cause i can play a land for a long time, and duress is a good opening turn for combo.
The early game was a little boring, i draw inquisition of kozileck and lands, my opponents vindicate one land but i don't care. I draw sea gate stormcaller. I have 4 land i play sea gate, no counter, i copy and play duress copy twice. This will be the game break. It will take times to find the combo with spellseeker (5 turns later) but my opponents have few cards in hand and i can combo starting with kozileck's inquisition without fear.
Game 2 : Only one land in this first hand. Not enough in this kind of match-up. Mull6. 3 lands, preordain, serum visions, imperial recruiter, and i pu bottom snapcaster mage.
Early game is cantrip in two sides and my opponents turn 3 with wasteland + Rest in peace. I play merchant scroll to find chain of vapors (i have spellseeker in hands, so i just need to find the good moments). I miss 4 landdrop 1 turn, but i transmute a card in vendilion clique. The play game break was when i find 4 mana, vendilion clique which take the counterspell, my turn i can seagate and copy the diabolic intent (but no copy twice). I take back-ups. Next turn i can bounce the Rest in peace and play combo.
Round 2 : Asmoranomardicadaistinaculdacar
I need to combo, i can fear the removal instant speed but nothing else. The games will be a race.
I win the dice roll again.
Game 1 : I keep starting hand, 3 lands, snap, spell snare, reanimate, exhume. My opponents will mull6.
My opponent play dead wanderer T1 and asmo T2. I don't find my 4th land, i play snap on asmo to take time. My opponent's play rakdos headliner. I was at 5 life, no spellseeker in hand, but a tutor, this turn i draw a fetchland. Play it and wait the opponents play to survive. I chump a turn, but still can't have time to play the tutor.
Game 2 : 2 lands, spell snare, chain lightning, gitaxian probe, serum visions and … spellseeker. I keep it.
I take time to cantrip and find my future lands. My opponents start T1 imp, T2 asmo and mox and hellspark (i counter). Turn 4 i start by gitaxian probe, and see the opposition agent of my opponents,, i have the solution but not enough mana this turn, no worries, im 12 life so i take turn to kill asmo. I combo next turn.
Game 3 : 3 lands, ponder, Demonic tutor, duress and inquisition of kozileck. It's a little weak on removal, but T2 demonic and probably combo T4 without needed back-up cause of discards T1 and T3. I keep.
My opponents keep6, this i turn 1 of my opponents : Swamp, petal lotus, putrid imp, discard skyfire phoenix, crak petal and play asmo, trigger phoenix. Attack 3 damage. (now, i see my lack of removal and my discards... will be harder). I can't play Demonic to find toxic deluge beacause i will have 3 life on turn 3 (and can't remove all creature), so i play the cantrip and find rain of filth. Keep it and keep faith. Wasn't enough (no lots out but can combo with somes extra mana cards)
Round 3 : Kari-Zev, Skyship raider
The race is open, doesn't have to fear lots of hate cards, the faster will probabbly wins.
I loose the toss.
Game 1 : My opponents mulligan, i have only 1 land, i mulligan too (even this spellseeker in hand, and serum visions). I keep 6, 2 lands, collective brutality, bolt, intuition, sea gate stormcaller and put bottom rain of filth. Opponents keep 5.
The game starts T2, Kari takes bolt, T3 sulfuric vortex, T4 kari zev again and intuition in my side. Spellseeker + 2 reanimators. Win my next turn.
Game 2 : My opponents keep 7. I have 6 lands and tuto for seeker. Still mulligan. I keep 1 land hand with daze, augur of bolas, underworld breach, chain lightning, wishclaw talisman. Have faith. Starting T1 monastery and T2 Kari, use chain lightning on Kari. I miss mu land 3. Use the collective just drown. My opponent miss the land 4. and have chandra and territorial hellkite in hand. I will the 3rd land but late, and will never draw the 4th
Game 3 : I keep the hand with 3 lands, fire//ice, ponder, vendilion clique, fatal push. T1 ponder, my opponent play a creature 2/1. T2 i use chain lightning, and keep push open for Kari, he plays Kari. All goes well. T3 i use merchant scroll to find gift ungiven. He plays goblin guide and Roiling vortex. Quite embarassing ! I keep 4 mana let him play (i have 15 life). He attack (13) and do nothing. I play gift. Chain of vapors/spellseeker/snapcaster mage/Demonic tutor. He gives me seeker and Demonic. I start my turn (11 life) and count all possibility. I'm pretty sure i can't combo with the traditionnal loop cause i take 10 damage with the vortex and my opponents wait for a blast.
I brainstorm and find culling the weak. It can help ! I start the combo, seeker / culling / unearth / burnt offering / cabal ritual / Demonic tutor my opponents stop me and blast the seeker and the copy. I play breach, Demonic and find LeD. At this time forgot the roiling, my opponents don't ^^ i loose 5 life. And think again cause i can't play another spell without reflexion. I coun't the stom and i'm already high enough in count. I play cabal ritual and cie from the grave, took 8 mana. (UUUBBBBB) use DT for brain freeze, and cast brain freeze 3 times (storm counts 11 at the first cast). I think i can do better play cause i can maybe find tendrils but i'm not good enough with this deck. My opponents untap, cast searing spear. (im at 3 and still 1 card in hand) but wasn't the holy blast. He lose.
Round 4 : Thalia, guardian of thraben
This deck can be a serious problem for me. He mix the pressure like all good aggressiv deck and the hate card for the combo like Thalia herself.
Game 1 : I keep 4 lands, collective brutality, exhume and wizardcycling card. My opponents start T2 thalia and T3 selfless spirit (missing land3!) i play collective on T3 for kill thalia and scout the hand. (Eidolon / Ranger-captain of eos / angel of jubilation ! All that can disturb the combo line!) he find the 3rd land and play eidolon and 4th land and play angel turns after. I choose do not hurt me more.
Game 2 : I keep 3 land, fire//ice, vendilion clique, unearth, imperial recruiter. Thalia T2, T3 giver of runes (and he miss again the 3rd land drop). I play fire at the end of this turn 3. play imperial recruiter and find spellseeker in hand. My opponents miss clic, and draw 2 cards, don't cancel the draw but do some weird moves on cocka, i said to stop and wait, for ask what we need to do for fix this problem. He decides to concede. With the hand he have, it can be problematic for me. (still 2 lands, but can play mana tithe, eidolon, and remorseful cleric. I have toxic, but don't know how the game will be ending without the missclic.
Game 3 : I keep 3 land, ponder, transmutation CCM3, brainstorm and culling the weak.
T1 champion of the parish and i ponder, T2 thalia and he miss again the 3rd land ! And play selfless spirit, i choose to play brainstorm end of turn and transmutation into toxic deluge. I think my opponents loose the game at his next turn. He attack me with all (im at 5 life) and plya nothin (sill 2 land) that's pretty well cause i have toxic deluge. But he don't attack with the mishra's factory land. (keep mana for sword to plowshare maybe). If attack, my deluge let me with 1 life and full tap, he attacks again and win... But he didn't. I play toxic deluge. And i have now 3 life. He find the 3rd land and play thalia V2. I play collective brutality, kill thalia and gain 2 life. He play mirran crusader, i pass my turn with 5 ups, he use finnally mishra and attacks with mishra and crusader. I play vendilion and on trigger see the swords of plowshare (but no play it, so i choose to bottom the card) copy for the security, the hand have nothing good against me. I block the crusader this the copy and take 2. i have 6 mana, and diabolic intents, i go combo.
Round 5 : Uro, titan of nature's wrath
A control deck, like round 1. I need to fond the way to go combo or outvalue with copy.
I win the dice roll.
Game 1 : I keep 3 land, wizardcycling, snapcaster mage, flame slash and thoughtseize. Opponents mull 6. Thoughtseize, misstep. Growth spiral, uro, wizardcycling. At the start of my turn 4. I have spellseeker in hand, my opponents have 5 lands (2 untap). I start my turn by dark ritual, and cast snapcaster mage take the counter. Use the mana to cast seeker and go combo. At the demonic tutor cast my opponents cast FoN. I concede. (uro in grave, no removal i have no hope or faith).
Game 2 : Keep 4 land, daze, rain of filth, fire//ice. I have nothing to do in early game. My opponents play gitaxian probe and growth spiral. End of my turn 4. Intuition, find wasteland/life from the loam and field of the dead. I give him field. He dredge and play loam. Find wasteland, mystic sanctuary and island. He play wasteland, try to destroy a land, I play my gift ungiven, but get counter. I daze the target land. Bue still countered. It take times but i finally transmute into spellseeker. When 6 mana up i play inalla for pressure, get counter. I have tendrils / FoW / seeker and blue card for pitch... my opponents is 12 life. I try the combo with 7 mana. Seeker, FoW, FoW, concede. (if i took counter the next move was rain of filth and tendrils for 12 life)
Game 3 : Keep 3 land, augur of bolas, flam slash, toxic deluge, brain freeze. My opponents start again with gitaxian probe. Uro T3 on wasteland. I counter oko, but don't find my 3rd land (4th with the destroyed one). My opponents play uro, keep 2 up. I find my 3rd land, cast toxic deluge, get counter and concede.
Round 6 : Laelia, the blade reforged
Another agressive deck, so this is a race this time.
I don't have the dice roll in my favor.
Game 1 : My opponents keep 5, and i keep 4 land, Merchant scroll, petal lotus, spellseeker. My opponent's play T1 faithless looting, T2 ancient tomb laelia. Surprise ! I play merchant scroll and find pact of negation. My opponents will play the worst combinaison of cards for me ^^ jeska's will, forke bolt, ash zealot, flashback looting, seal of fire, chain lightning. Start of turn i have 17, End of turn i have 4. and seal of fire in play. I play petal and land, but can't combo because of ash zeolot. I try to go far enough to gain life with tendrils, but can't find the way. I concede (1 land or 1 life short)
Game 2 : Keep 4 land, pact, thoughtseize and a transmutation CCM3. T1 thoughtseize, i see ancient tomb and i discard the hellspark. I take fireblast T1, laelia T2, choose to transmute for seeker T3, took laelia hit at the start of my turn 4, i have 9 life and my opponents CCR mana up. I go como with pact up. No need.
Game 3 : I keep 3 land, underworld breach, collective brutality, preordain and force spike. My opp keep 6 and play T1 seal of fire. I fear laelia T2 so i keep mana up for force spike. Opponents play keldon marauders. T2 i play preordain and find Lion eye diamond. T3 my opponent's don't play land, attack and keep mana up. T4 he play laelia (and i counter), my turn 4 i draw brain freeze. I go combo breach led and brain freeze.
I will not comment the metagame of the tornament, but was weird for me to see red aggro deck with oloro or uro (which DESTROY them) at the same time. I hope i will do the next tornament because it was fun enough. Thanks all opponents for the effort on language.
