[HLL]Scoreboard - Season IV

[Payron]

pyyhttu (GW Enchantress) -  Payron (UGwb survival)

1:2

First game: We both builded up our board .. not much pressure here on both sides ... then both tried to get combo pieces together ... he tried to get his Earthcraft - Squirrel Nest combo working ... but I could get time by countering his Squirrel Nest ... on the other side I tryed to get fast all my revilarke combo to work .. but with this "recollect entchentment" i got back his Squirrel Nest and could of builded up his tokens ... I started then my combo with life through Darkheart Sliver and drawing cards with Solem and found finaly venser as last card bounced all and won ... hard game and funny

second game: he had turn 3 crusible with waste land ... y i mean i play 4c so I was pretty much screwed ... could stay alife quite a while but couldn t handel any of his cards ... gg nice waste land combo without tutore

third game: was very hard he was ramping mana with the land that bounces at end of turn and get basics in (forgot the name) and I was scrwed on 2 Lands and a Llanowar elf ... could so some pressure but he scrwed me more with Wasteland ... pretty long game with a lot of thinking ... in the end we had the combo situation like in game 1 on the tabel ... wouldn t I got it I would be death through his token army ...

thx 4 games very interesting because I love enchentress decks but never saw such a good deck ...

[Mythrandir]

third game: was very hard he was ramping mana with the land that bounces at end of turn and get basics in (forgot the name)

Thawing glaciers? Its an alliance land. nice card, btw.

[Mythrandir]

5CC Mythrandir VS RDW Peeler
2:1

Game 1: killer start for him. 1st: mountain: scorched rusalka, 2nd mountain tattermunge maniac, 3rd turn: stigma lasher (ouch). luckily i had maze of ith. however my life was slowing be taken away, luckily i countered a PoP (qhich would take 8 lft) but it wasnt enough, evenutally i died. gg. Fast game like RDW wants it.

Game 2: he mull to 6. i had a decent hand with tabernacle + wog + eladrmi call + hide/seek. he playeda  1t turn lackey (but no other gobs in hand, thks to that, otherwise...). i played seek as soon as i could for PoP. and then wnet for loxodon via call. my elephant died to a ashenmoor gourge but i killed his lackey with a lighning helix. i played exalted angel but got kille with a goblin grenade (with a goblin vandal). he played arc-slogger but it died before becoming a threat. then the game crashed :S i think because of his wLAN and he granted me the win THKS (we were both playing by top, i had eternal dragon in hand he had rakdos guildmage)

Game 3: Despite being a bit mana/color screw i was VERY lucky (thought i was a goner) a 2nd turn ankh of mishra really hurts =/ he played wasteland but didnt use it (probably because he had arc-sloger) however if he had use it things might have been different.
Well, once again i went seeking for the Pop (+2lft) he played mogg flunkies + goblin goon + played shriekmaw on his goon and later a 2 counter engineered explosives (which btw, probably saved me), no more flunkies and ankh. he then played some fire which got through and then lavamancer + arc-sloger (mortified his sloger) next turn siege ganga commander -> WOG on my part.
i had maze of ith he then decided to use wasteland on my maze and cast a morphed firecat cat. next turn morph +heartlash cinder i iced the firecat and nantuko monastery took car of the heartlash. Next turn i play exalted angel. he played countryside crusher (but got putrefied when was it was 5/5) he finally conceded after 2 attacksof the angel (was at 20 again) he was playing from the top, i had necromancy + venser + dissipate + decree of justice.
Very lucky with my draws

ggs, wished the 2nd didnt crash, but.. ggs

[Thibir]

4cc VuRkka VS Ug Skies Thibir

1:2

Game 1: i got fine hand, 4 lands, Dryad Sophisticate, Scryb Ranger and Spiketail Drakeling. i mulliganed 2 lands away, just to draw next 2. however i kept. i played all of my critters, VuRkka played Enlightened tutor in response to my drakeling and found pernicious deed. however he was screwed at 4 lands, so he used deed just to kill my drake. until end of game i drew only lands, while opponent didn´t draw any. so dryad + scryb ranger have done their work.

Game 2: i got Scryb sprites in first turn, then i got cloud sprite. he got Loaming shaman at turn 3 and i didnt draw a third land nor a solution for shaman, nor won the damage race. later he got, enginered explosives and finaly swing with shaman.

Game 3: i started with scryb sprites again. second turn, open mana for spellsttuter sprite, which ate his ravens crime. turn three i prowled Latchkey Faerie, which got FoW. oponent played Explosives for one + Tarmogoyf. on my turn i played silhana legewalker + attack. in his turn he used explosives and attack for 5 with goyf. next turn i used selkie-hedge Mage to bounce his goyf + life gain + swing. next turn pestermite.
and the game was over. just 1 turn away from gifts (wrath, damnation, regrowth, deed) with pact of negation back-up.

nice games, it was a pleasure

[VuRkka]

just 1 turn away from gifts (wrath, damnation, regrowth, deed) with pact of negation back-up.

nice games, it was a pleasure

One mana short, the story of my life.

Those were fun games indeed.

[Georg B]

Georg (5c IsochronControl) vs. peeler (RDW)

2:0

It was a match of silverbullets.
In the first game, I was on low life, but Isochron Szepter + Hide/Seek won me the game.

In the second, I got an early Collective Restraint.
His leathal PoP got countered by a Mana Drain.

[Payron]

Georg (5c Control) - Payron (UGwb survival)

1:2

first game: He started with second round Iso+Remand o_O ... but i could play pretty much around it with Aether vial and tree top village (top came with my third round Trinked Mage because I startet) ... I attacked with trinked mage and tree top but he handeld my tree top village with terminate ... dunno game was going on and i did Actions with aethervial Crystal shard and venser ... we handeled things on every side but in the end I won with the venser action and a seedborn muse  (ah y I remeber that the Collective Restrained pretty much slowed me down) ... gg

second game: He had quite good hand and could just counter every of my moves ... survival .. and so on like just everything ... my deck didn t showed me anything special just a explosive for 5 with my Gemestonemine but he rebuilded his army with stronghold ... gg


third game: I had hand with llanowar elves breeding pool and Intition think about the last games where i didn t see any basics ... so the plan is 2nd turn eot Intuition and something with wasteland ... didn t worked out because i just drawed cards that didn t helped at all and no lands -.- ... only nice thing was Force of Will ... so I startet und got a second turn Wall of roots from the top and third turn Troll Asket and startet after that my wastland action .. worked quite well because he kind of flooded and i think he had first round top ... in the end the troll hittet him down he could handel with damnation my threads and removed my grave .. anyways he was to low and i had enough critters ... gg

gg's funny and hard games !!

[pyyhttu]

Pyyhttu (Vault&Key-combo) vs. Nastaboi (Heartbeat-combo): 2-0 for pyyhttu

Not very exciting games but had to test the deck in action now that there was a window for it.

I had a chance and time to do some research of my own now with the upcoming bannings and exploited one of the more controversial cards, Time Vault. It already has the new power-level errata and has been tested in vintage alongside Tezzeret some what, with rather good results. Still, the HL-banning won't take effect until 15th. day so we get to utilize a rule hole here.

To put things in perspective, Time Vault + Voltaic Key is in theory a 2 card and 4 colorless mana kill; (compared to 6 mana kill by Painter/Grindstone which got ban hammer rather quickly after GP3). An opponent has to play Sulfuric Vortex or something else upkeep triggering card to win from that point on.

Here's the list I piloted if anyone's interested:

// Lands
    1 [MR] Seat of the Synod
    1 [10E] Island (3)
    1 [CS] Snow-Covered Island
    1 [SOK] Oboro, Palace in the Clouds
    1 [FUT] Tolaria West
    1 [OD] Tarnished Citadel
    1 [CHK] Forbidden Orchard
    1 [SHM] Reflecting Pool
    1 [5E] City of Brass
    1 [ON] Polluted Delta
    1  Tropical Island
    1  Underground Sea
    1  Scrubland
    1 [R] Bayou
    1 [A] Savannah
    1 [A] Tundra
    1 [ON] Bloodstained Mire
    1 [ON] Wooded Foothills
    1 [ON] Flooded Strand
    1 [ON] Windswept Heath
    1 [TSB] Gemstone Mine
    1 [RAV] Watery Grave
    1 [BOK] Tendo Ice Bridge
    1 [RAV] Overgrown Tomb
    1 [DIS] Hallowed Fountain
    1  Volcanic Island
    1 [DIS] Breeding Pool
    1 [10E] Yavimaya Coast
    1 [10E] Shivan Reef
    1 [IA] Underground River
    1 [OV] Adarkar Wastes
    1 [TSP] Academy Ruins
    1 [MR] Vault of Whispers

// Creatures
    1 [FD] Trinket Mage
    1 [ALA] Tezzeret the Seeker
    1 [FD] Eternal Witness

// Spells
    1 [9E] Sleight of Hand
    1 [FD] Early Frost
    1 [OD] Tainted Pact
    1 [VI] Impulse
    1 [GTW] Boomerang
    1 [NE] Daze
    1 [FNM] Force Spike
    1 [AL] Force of Will
    1 [FUT] Pact of Negation
    1 [ST] Grim Tutor
    1 [SHM] Beseech the Queen
    1 [TSP] Wipe Away
    1 [WL] Argivian Find
    1 [TSP] Pull from Eternity
    1 [FNM] Cabal Therapy
    1 [BD] Diabolic Vision
    1 [TSP] Trickbind
    1 [MR] Pyrite Spellbomb
    1 [FNM] Fire/Ice
    1 [FD] Engineered Explosives
    1 [IN] Chromatic Sphere
    1 [TSP] Chromatic Star
    1 [8E] Merchant Scroll
    1 [ARE] Duress
    1 [LRW] Thoughtseize
    1 [PT] Sorcerous Sight
    1 [IA] Clairvoyance
    1 [PS] Rushing River
    1 [FD] Serum Visions
    1 [PT] Cruel Tutor
    1 [SH] Mox Diamond
    1 [MR] Chrome Mox
    1 [US] Gamble
    1 [TE] Lotus Petal
    1 [RAV] Shred Memory
    1 [TE] Intuition
    1 [PY] Rhystic Tutor
    1  Demonic Tutor
    1 [AL] Lim-Dul's Vault
    1 [MI] Enlightened Tutor
    1 [CHK] Gifts Ungiven
    1 [RAV] Shadow of Doubt
    1 [ON] Chain of Vapor
    1 [US] Voltaic Key
    1 [MI] Sapphire Charm
    1 [7E] Reclaim
    1 [SOK] Pithing Needle
    1  Time Vault
    1 [DS] Echoing Truth
    1 [PS] Orim's Chant
    1 [WL] Abeyance
    1 [10E] Peek
    1 [IA] Portent
    1 [RAV] Muddle the Mixture
    1 [CHK] Sensei's Divining Top
    1 [LRW] Ponder
    1 [CST] Brainstorm
    1 [FUT] Delay
    1 [SH] Mana Leak
    1 [FNM] Remand
    1 [UL] Frantic Search
    1 [R] Regrowth
    1 [HL] Memory Lapse (1)
    1 [LG] Mana Drain

So yeah, that one has borrowed Ideas from Simon Görtzen's FlashHulk. How many cards you can count are the same with his build?

Game1: I roll 19 but Nastaboi's papa needs a new pair of shoes and rolls 20. Nevertheless I have a good hand consisting of Mana Drain, Ponder, Brainstorm, Chrome Mox, Impulse and a couple of lands. I play the mox using impulse, use the Ponder, shuffle, draw some shit and pass the turn. Nastaboi now tutors a land and starts amassing his landbase. I eot with Brainstorm and see Enlightened Tutor, Demonic Tutor and something random. From this point on, I always have one 2 mana counter in my hand and mana open to cast it. It doesn't take long until I have tutored the Vault and Key for the win while Nastaboi struggles with a bad hand.

2nd. game: Nastaboi goes first, plays a land and passes the turn. I have drawn Mana Drain, Memory Lapse, Sensei's Divining Top, Chromatic Star and lands. This game is very similiar to the first one: I draw all the good counters (and later also the tutors), and eventually turn the tide with Mana Drain and tutor for the win.

Afterwards I have to confess, that this wasn't the same deck I was going to use, and Nastaboi clearly expected I'd play the Aggroloam, which he got a glimpse last time before net was severed and we had to postpone the game. Sorry.

Just want to say that this deck is absolutely bonkers and deserves to get killed. Even this first, bad, crude draft (which loses straight to Jester's Cap or Earwig Squad) can win at fairly efficient certainty. It was a wise decision to ban this beast before it would've wreaked havoc in the upcoming GP6.

Edit: Fixed the card list by cleaning some of the tags.

[Thibir]

Thibir (Ug Skies) vs. Payron (RB Aggro?)
2:0

Game 1: I won first game thx mws shuffler, oponennt kept hand with 2 lands: Mishras factory and Urborg and dark ritual. until the end of the game he didn´t get a third land while i got wasteland. no mana, no fun.

Game 2: I got Godlike draw in this game, I got everything i needed. opponent started with Black Vise. i got just ponder. then Payron played Wretched anurid, which got fow. i played some critter in my turn. then Payron´s Skittering horror got daze. i played bonesplitter + equip + swing. later i played winter orb + cloud sprite. later i topdecked Spellsttuter sprite for his magma jet. and tarmogoyf + standstill ended the game.

These games were not very entertaining, however thats also magic. later games against Payron´s UGwb survival were more interesting and challenging.

[Mythrandir]

Pyyhttu (Vault&Key-combo) vs. Nastaboi (Heartbeat-combo): 2-0 for pyyhttu

Not very exciting games but had to test the deck in action now that there was a window for it.

Not to criticize, but why pilot a deck that isnt going to be legal? Unless you´re a fan of combo decks. Just to try and understand better, to take it badly

[pyyhttu]

Don't get me wrong, I play all kinds of fun decks between aggro, control, combo and prison. The fundamental beauty of this "german" highlander is that it actually offers so many viable archetypes to fiddle with.

But the real reason is that this is the last time a deck like vaultcombo can ever be piloted and studied again in HL environment. Then after the 15th. it's gone. Also, putting the deck together and actually test it against the field (gauntlet) is the only reliable way I know of to validate the bans (and reporting back ofcourse).

[Mythrandir]

Don't get me wrong, I play all kinds of fun decks between aggro, control, combo and prison. The fundamental beauty of this "german" highlander is that it actually offers so many viable archetypes to fiddle with.

But the real reason is that this is the last time a deck like vaultcombo can ever be piloted and studied again in HL environment. Then after the 15th. it's gone. Also, putting the deck together and actually test it against the field (gauntlet) is the only reliable way I know of to validate the bans (and reporting back ofcourse).

ok, thks for the enlightment i wasnt judging or criticizing, just curious. And the fact that you test the bans is really good for the format, IMO.

[Vazdru]

Peeler (RDW) - Vazdru (White clouded skies)
0:2

RDW / RG are the worst match-ups i have with uw-skies. Anyhow i didn't change my deck for this league game cause since i know RDW / RG is hard to beat i always tried to improve this MU a bit.

This kind of decks is the reason i play Sword of Light and Shadow, Augur il-Vec, Faith's Fetters and Aven Riftwatcher and also playing Freewind Falcon and Sea Sprie over Mistral Charger and Azorius First-Wing. Exactely the mentioned cards won me the games.

1: Into the bargain he had the higher number on the die and started match one. I've kept 2 Islands, Spiketail Hatchling and Freewind Falcon (thats the difference to a tourney game - I've never would have kept Falcon in game 1 but this time i've known that it is a BOMB vs his deck). I've got one more Island, SWORD OF LIGHT AND SHADOW, Footsoldier. He started with Grim Lavamancer, Skirk Prospector and Spellbomb - autsch, exactely the card he needed so badly. Lucky me he used it on my Spiketail Hatchling. Not until Spellbomb was gone it i've played my Falcon + Sword. He had Keldon Megaliths as well but wasn't fast enough to get hellbent. So i equipped the Falcon with the Sword to get each round 3 LP and Spiketail Hatchling back form my graveyard. Accidentely (WLAN) his connection crashed. But he was a quite fair sportsman and gave me this win.

2: This time i've had Fetchland, Tithe, Knight, SWORD OF FIRE AND ICE, Aven Riftwatcher. He started again with Spellbomb, Lava Spike. I've played Tithe turn 1 for 2 Plains, Turn 2 Swords to Plowshares on his attacking Goblin Warchief, Turn 3 Knight fetching Tundra, Plains + Surveilling Sprite. He played Crusher + Flame Jab on my Sprite. Turn 4 I've played Sword + equipped my Knight and this was game. He handled Aven Riftwatcher, Serendib Efreet, Augur il-Vec, Court Hussar but wasn't fast enough to raise 6 damage of my Knight per turn.

GGs - i had some really good draws vs RDW. If i got Back to Basics, Winter Orb, Memory Mask or stuff like that it would have been his games.

[Payron]

Mythrandir (5c control) - Payron (UGwb survival)

1:2

first Game: y ... not much to say i guess .. for my draws he was just getting all cards he needed .. 2 counters in the beginning, one counter was for survival ... and then he just got a solution for ALL my threads .. just awsome ... on this part I was very very scared to lose .. because I just had no chance

second game: again I got from the top a early Survival ... but could ramp mana because I had no lands ... but in the end he told me he was mana Screwed ... I could of get my combo pieces for revilarke together and bounced everything with venser  ... sry mana screw sucks ...

third game: was jsut like beatdown ... I tryed to get some pressure and he did his control aktions .. in the end my Tree top village won the game .. and he didn t had enough card advantage to win ..

gg's

[Nastaboi]

Nastaboi (UGw Heartbeat Combo) vs. VuRkka (4c Control)

2-0

G1 I run Gifts into his counter at end of third turn only to untap and lay down Future Sight. It took me several turns to take it home however as I sacrificed wrong land to Harrow but it just denyed the inevitable.

G2 VuRkka got a pre-emptive Deed and Baloth against my lone Sunscape Familiar. I had Mirari's Wake and Palinchron in hand and Impulsed into Mana Reflection. VuRkka used Oblivion Ring instead of Deed, and two turns later I got infinity mana and went of chaining Relearn into Impulse into Idyllic Tutor into Future Sight into stuff.

Morale of the story: 1U counters >>> XUU counters.