Hey there. For those of you who don’t know me, I’m a local player in the Northern Massachusetts and Southern New Hampshire area. Everyone I know will tell you that I have a strong preference for aggressive decks and they’re not wrong. Although I would say that I generally choose decks that are proactive but have a late game as well. For example, during Shadows Over Innistrad standard I played Blue-White Humans over Mono-White or Red-White Humans. While I like explosive starts and aggressive creatures, the Ojutai and Always Watching plan was much more attractive than drawing a Gossipmonger on turn 8. In terms of tournament Magic finishes and accomplishments, I’ve cashed 1 Grand Prix (Limited) and top 16’d the only RPTQ (Modern) I earned an invite to. I definitely don’t consider myself far ahead of your average PreTQ grinder, so I’d say my goal for producing content here is to help both myself and readers improve and perform at their desired level.
To touch on format preference, I play A LOT of limited, but in the past six months I’ve tried to adopt the practice of playing whatever format the next big tournament is. Last weekend was Grand Prix Providence with a relatively new standard format, so I’m going to use this first article as a tournament report. Without further ado, here’s the list I registered for the Grand Prix.
Red-White Humans, a mediocre standard deck by Jt DiMaio
21 Creatures
4 Thraben Inspector
4 Inventor’s Apprentice
4 Thalia’s Lieutenant
3 Pia Nalaar
3 Hanweir Garrison
2 Thalia, Heretic Cathar
1 Reckless Bushwhacker
2 Planeswalkers
2 Gideon, Ally of Zendikar
4 Artifacts
4 Smuggler’s Copter
4 Sorceries
4 Declaration in Stone
4 Instants
4 Harnessed Lightning
2 Enchantments
2 Always Watching
23 Lands
5 Plains
5 Mountain
4 Needle Spires
4 Inspiring Vantage
4 Aether Hub
1 Hanweir Battlements
Sideboard
2 Blessed Alliance
2 Repel the Abominable
2 Skywhaler’s Shot
2 Fragmentize
2 Gideon, Ally of Zendikar
1 Savage Alliance
1 Reckless Bushwhacker
1 Stasis Snare
1 Archangel Avacyn
1 Chandra, Torch of Defiance
This deck hits very hard and features a few threats that can get out of hand if left unchecked. The curve of Thalia’s Lieutenant into Hanweir Garrison can lead to some crazy large creatures and the meld package produces a huge late game threat in longer games. That being said, there were definitely a few problems with the deck during the Grand Prix that I’ll get into after I walk through the matches. One thing that I’d like to mention is that I think it’s important for every tournament to be a learning experience about the game and yourself as a player. I know I’ve never played a perfect tournament and even if the final result ends up being good, being aware and reflecting on mistakes will help improve your game in the long run.
Round 1: BYE (1-0)
Round 2: BYE (2-0)
Round 3: Green-Black Delirium Aggro (W 2-0) (3-0)
Our first match of the day! The day started off oddly as I pile shuffled my cards to count my deck and only counted 57. I counted two more times to verify before searching my sideboard. As soon as I realized I was short, I instantly called a judge and explained the situation. I was able to look at my deck list, which I had on my phone and it turned out that I had left three copies of harnessed lightning on my desk at home when packing my deck that morning. The judge allowed me to go pick up replacement copies from a vendor, but also informed me that I would be receiving a game loss for tardiness (which didn’t make sense to me at the time). We played a fairly uneventful game one/two, where my hand was very strong (multiple copters) and my opponent spent a couple of turns playing tapped lands and casting Traverse the Ulvenwald for a third land. By the time he played anything that impacted the board, he was taking six and I was looting twice every turn.
Sideboarding
+2 Blessed Alliance – These come in on the draw vs Green-Black because it’s a clean answer to a turn 2 Grim Flayer that also gets around Blossoming Defense.
+2 Skywhaler’s Shot – This card really shines in this matchup, as they have a ton of targets for it and in the mid to late game scrying is pretty close to drawing a card.
+1 Stasis Snare – Answers Emrakul if they have it, also great on offense and defense vs Smuggler’s Copter and Kalitas.
+1 Archangel Avacyn – Having a flyer that can be cast at instant speed can help you push those last few points of damage through.
-2 Always Watching – Even though we’re not playing Fleetwheel Cruiser, our opponents don’t know that and Always Watching is equally susceptible to Appetite for the Unnatural.
-2 Hanweir Garrsion – Our deck is a little overloaded on three drops since we’re adding three more and Garrison is a little slow on the draw.
-2 Gideon, Ally of Zendikar – Gideon is a great planeswalker, but he’s a little slow on the draw and the 2/2 knights don’t matchup particularly well with a lot of what Delirium is doing.
-1 Reckless Bushwhacker – Even when pumping your team this card matches up poorly with Catacomb Sifter and Filigree Familiar, which are two of the popular three drops of choice in delirium decks.
The next game was a little more interactive, but I managed to get my opponent to attack with a Smuggler’s Copter by tapping out of red mana. While he was safe from Harnessed Lightning, I cast a Blessed Alliance in response to the copter trigger. Halfway through our second/third game, the judge who had given me the game loss came back and paused our game. The head judge then came over shortly after and rescinded the game loss, which has a few unusual implications, most notably that meant that I was given the choice to play in what was effectively game 1 (although I had won the die roll anyway) and that my opponent goes from being even to down a game mid turn. It also meant that if I had lost the first game we played, I would have lost the match. At this point, my opponent had just a Catacomb Sifter in play staring down a Thalia, Heretic Cathar and some small creatures and a Smuggler’s Copter. Using my Copter loots, I string together some draws of removal to ever prevent him from blocking.
Round 4: Red-White Vehicles(2-0) (4-0)
In Game 1 I’m on the play and have enough pressure plus some timely removal spells to keep my opponent off balance and steal a quick victory.
Sideboarding:
+2 Fragmentize – This card is efficient against Copters, Cruisers, and Stasis Snares as well.
+2 Skywhaler’s Shot – Great removal against Copter, Depala, and Skysovereign
+1 Savage Alliance – There has to be a little setup to make this alliance into a savage blowout, but it matches up well with the curve of Veteran Motorist into Depala, especially when on the play. Beware of Selfless Spirit though.
+1 Stasis Snare – Having flash and exiling creatures matches up well with Copter activations and Selfless Spirit.
+1 Archangel Avacyn – Having flash is particularly strong in this match up and flipping Avacyn will often wipe your opponent’s board.
Game 2 ended up being very interesting where my opponent sits and thinks for a while until ultimately deciding to play a Gideon, get an emblem and swing with everything into my Pia Nalaar, thopter token, and five open mana. I cast Archangel Avacyn and block to go to one life. I swing for seven on my turn and sacrifice the thopter with Pia. Avacyn triggers on my opponent’s upkeep and wipes the board clean. My opponent casts a Weaver of Lightning but can’t push through that last point as I deploy blockers and attack with my 6/5 flyer.
Round 5: Blue-White Flash (1-2) (4-1)
My opponent and I played a very long game one that ended with me foolishly blocking a Rattlechains with a thopter that wound up triggering my opponent’s Avacyn on my upkeep. Although my opponent had a Selfless Spirit in play and could have flipped it anyway. Live by the Archangel, die by the Archangel.
Sideboarding:
+1 Archangel Avacyn – Threats with flash are much better against the flash deck. Also, being 5 mana means it gets through Spell Queller. Selfless Spirit complicates flipping the Archangel to sweep though.
+1 Savage Alliance – This matchup often features 2/3’s bouncing off of one another. A post combat one damage to the opponent’s board can unlock quelled spells and help push through Reflector Mages. Selfless Spirit can complicate this play as well.
+1 Stasis Snare – Flash is great and if the opponent sees a Hanweir Garrison they generally don’t bring in Fragmentize.
+2 Gideon, Ally of Zendikar (Cut down to 1 on the draw) – I add two Gideons when I’m on the play in this matchup since he pressures very hard if he resolves.
+2 Skywhaler’s Shot (Only on the draw) – Answers Copter and Avacyn, but might be a little too niche and slow to bring in both copies.
-2 Hanweir Garrison – Slow for a three drop and getting it Reflector Mage’d is a nightmare.
-3 Declaration in Stone (3 on the play, 2 on the draw) – Not being able to hit a Copter or a Gideon makes these a little worse than they otherwise would be. The flash deck can also buy enough time with Spell Queller, Reflector Mage, and free blocks via Selfless Spirit and Avacyn to utilize the clues, which makes the drawback to Declaration very real.
Game 2 featured my opponent stumbling a little on mana and my curve being quite good with a turn four Gideon bringing enough beats to end the game shortly after. In Game 3, I made a colossal mistake on turn six by not playing a Gideon into my opponent’s four open mana. I had a Harnessed Lightning in hand to deal with a potential Spell Queller and wound up casting the Gideon the next turn anyway. Making the Gideon play that turn would have saved me two mana the following turn and made use of that four mana while applying pressure. The game ended with me being a few points away from a lethal swing.
Round 6: Green-Black Delirium Aggro (2-1) (5-1)
In game 1, my opponent struggled to get much going before turn 3 while I curved out nicely. It only took one swing with a Hanweir Garrison into making an emblem with Gideon to force game 2.
Sideboarding: I boarded the same way against my round 3 opponent.
Game 2 was a long one, my opponent played a copy of Grim Flayer on turns 2, 3, and 4. The first flayer was met with a Blessed Alliance. I followed up with 2 Thraben Inspectors. My opponent deciding not to swing into my board with his second flayer and just adding the third flayer made me pretty confident that he didn’t have a Blossoming Defense. On turn 5 he ended up swinging with both and I double blocked and cast a Harnessed Lightning on the other. The game wound up going very long and we traded resources back and forth until my opponent Traversed for an Ishkana and ripped a Gearhulk. With 10 minutes left on the clock and my chances of winning slim, I scooped up my board. Due to the amount of time on the clock my sideboard plan changed a little bit.
Sideboarding: I went up to the full 4 Gideons, 4 Declaration in Stone, and all of the Garrisons and Bushwhackers came in. I also took out every slow and situational card. If I was going to win the match, I’d have to play quickly and curve out with maximum efficiency.
Game 3 ended on turn 6 with me swinging for exactly lethal through a blocking Kalitas. My opponent had burned a Grasp of Darkness on a Thalia’s Lieutenant and couldn’t answer a Garrison the following turn. The Garrison got two swings in while the emblem from Gideon providing a nice boost to my team.
Round 7: Blue-White Flash (1-2) (5-2)
The first game in this match was incredibly uneventful from my side. I kept a hand with four lands and peeled off five more lands in my first six draws. My opponent kept a reasonable hand and my flooding meant my spells were staying quelled by a certain 2/3 flyer.
Sideboarding: I went with the same configuration from Round 5.
Game two was pretty much the opposite with my opponent not really doing anything until casting a turn four Gideon, which looked much worse with a Gideon of my own sitting in play already. The game ended on turn 6.
Sideboarding: On the draw Gideon is a little bit worse and I brought in the Skywhaler’s Shots to deal with Avacyn and Smuggler’s Copter.
In game three I never saw a second white and died fairly quickly staring at a drawn Stasis Snare and Gideon.
Round 8: Red-White Vehicles (0-2) (5-3)
In our first game my opponent was on the play and his aggressive draw lined up very well with my slightly smaller creatures. I had an awkward hand towards the midgame with multiple copies of Always Watching, but only two creatures on board. I chose to cast one and hold off, waiting to surprise my opponent with a large Bushwhacker swing for lethal. After three straight removal spells from my opponent, I couldn’t set up a turn that would kill, but I do think holding my Bushwhacker was my best chance of winning that game.
Sideboarding: I boarded the same way I did against my round 4 opponent.
I kept a very strong hand game 2 with a perfect curve of Inspector, Copter, Hanweir Garrison, and Gideon. Unfortunately, my opponent played a Copter of their own and a Selfless Spirit, which meant my Gideon would be under a lot of pressure if my Copter were to die. With this logic I made an emblem to go bigger, but my opponent played three copies of Gideon over the next five turns, eventually getting multiple emblems and knight tokens to go even bigger.
Round 9: Blue-White Flash (1-2) (5-4)
At this point, after losing the previous two rounds and neither feeling particularly close, I didn’t have much faith in the universe helping me out much in the last round. Game one I was pleasantly surprised when my opponent scooped their cards up after I had aggressively curved out.
Sideboarding: Same sideboard plan as the third game of round seven.
All I really remember from this game is watching my opponent miss their fourth land drop, but cast Spell Queller into Spell Queller into Stasis Snare. I foolishly blew a Declaration in Stone on a Selfless Spirit to turn on a Skywhaler’s Shot in hand, but removing the Spell Quellers probably means I make day two.
Sideboarding: Check game two of round seven for my sideboard plan.
I had brought in all of my aggression and Gideons to follow up. Unfortunately my opponent had multiple Reflector Mages for my three drops and I was never able to catch back up. I wound up losing to a Gideon backed up by Avacyn a few turns later.
Final record: 5-4 (9-9 in games)
This definitely wasn’t the result I wasn’t looking for or even expecting, particularly after round six had concluded. One thing I will say in Red-White Human’s favor is that multiple opponents told me that they brought in copies of Fragmentize or Appetite for the Unnatural that ended up being quite bad against me. That being said, there are definitely some things I would change in the deck as well as in my preparation for large tournaments. The first thing I’d change is practicing more with a team before the tournament. I did most of my preparation between Tuesday and Friday before the Grand Prix and I’d say 60% of it was on Magic Online. Had I had a group of players to discuss card choices, sideboard strategies, and lines of play with, I strongly feel that I would have done better. As for the deck itself, I have no intentions of putting it down and have two PreTQs circled on my calendar where I’ll be running Red-White Humans back. Here’s the list I would play tomorrow:
Red-White Humans, a better standard deck by Jt DiMaio – Post Grand Prix Providence
22 Creatures
4 Thraben Inspector
4 Inventor’s Apprentice
4 Thalia’s Lieutenant
4 Pia Nalaar
3 Hanweir Garrison
2 Thalia, Heretic Cathar
1 Archangel Avacyn
23 Lands
5 Plains
5 Mountain
4 Needle Spires
4 Inspiring Vantage
4 Aether Hub
1 Hanweir Battlements
4 Sorceries
4 Declaration in Stone
4 Instants
4 Harnessed Lightning
4 Artifacts
4 Smuggler’s Copter
1 Enchantment
1 Stasis Snare
Sideboard
2 Blessed Alliance
2 Gideon, Ally of Zendikar
2 Archangel Avacyn
2 Stasis Snare
2 Chandra, Torch of Defiance
1 Selfless Spirit
1 Skywhaler’s Shot
1 Fragmentize
1 Savage Alliance
1 Repel the Abominable
The list above has much better game against Blue-White Flash than the list I played at the Grand Prix. Having flash threats and removal like Archangel Avacyn and Stasis Snare is extremely important in winning the matchup. It’s important to note that Archangel Avacyn is also five mana, which makes her immune to Spell Queller. Pia Nalaar got the nod over a fourth Garrison because it’s a little worse to bounce with Reflector Mage. I’m not super worried about the legendary clause because when you swing with everything, Pia is usually one of the first creatures to be blocked, unlocking the extra you might have in hand. Selfless Spirit and extra copies of Avacyn are in the sideboard to protect from Fumigate while doubling as pressure. Adding an extra copy of Chandra goes a long way in matches against delirium decks and control decks, where you’ll win most games where you’re able to protect her.
Really quickly before I wrap this article up I’d like to thank a few people. Nate Walker, thank you for giving me a platform to voice my (aggressive) thoughts and ideas. I’ve got a huge thank you for Mitchell Bowe for lending me the cards I was short for the Grand Prix itself. Lastly, thanks to each and every one of you who are choosing to take the time out of your life to read this. I already have an article planned for next week about card versatility and flexibility so be sure to look out for that in the future.
You can find me on Twitter @jth_d.