Modern $1K - 65 players.
Round 1 vs. Infect. This player went into the top 8 as the 2nd seed at 5-0-2. A look at the Companion standings and his game win percentage was 90.9%, so he went he 2-0ed 4 other opponents before IDing into the top 8. And our match was super close. So, this player comes from the Orange County area, so I don't see him often. He
was playing Infect for the longest time. But in the past few years, I faced him twice, once on Storm over a year ago and UW Control a half year ago. I am on the play and keep Arboreal Grazer, lands, and Prime Time. You can see what happened. I drew lands and the hand was not quick enough. I would have mulliganed if I knew he was on Infect. I thought UW Control since it was the last deck I saw him on or some odd Combo deck like Storm. In game 2, he mulls to 4. He actually may have had me dead when he tapped out for Blighted Agent and left up Overgrown Tomb on turn 2. But I kill him on turn 3 with double Amulet and the nuts. In game 3, I mull a 0 land hand to a 6 land hand. I keep on a solid 5 and draw a 2nd Amulet to make a fairly nut hand. But when I Dryad and Prime Time, it is not enough to get a 6th land for Valakut triggers. He has 3 varied Hierarchs, Blighted Agent, and a just cast Phyrexian Crusader with 3 or 4 lands in play and 0 cards in hand. I am at 4 poison from last turn, so any pump spell kills me. I tank for the longest time and finally decide to go for
Turntimber Symbiosis // Turntimber, Serpentine Wood after my Titan lands since haste is not enough to trigger Valakut, nor kill him. So I bounced the Turntimber and go for it since it is my only out. Maybe it was 3 Amulet, but somehow Titan found enough mana to do Turntimber Symbiosis. I look at 7, see 4 lands, 2 Summoner's Pact, and 1 Dismember. He draws
Mutagenic Growth and 6's me for lethal. The next 2 cards on my library were Prime Time X 2. One of those would have won the game or obviously if I had another turn. Too bad
Turntimber Symbiosis wasn't
8 cards.
1-2.
Round 2 vs. Bant Heliod. This player drew poorly vs. me and I drew the nuts. Still, I saw through the Companion app that he won the last 5 rounds and got 10th place overall.
I won the die roll and killed him with the absolute nuts, 4 Amulets and every Titan in my deck nearly.
Absolutely disgusting. I didn't know what he was on, so I guessed Elementals. That was dumb - he didn't have Kaheera and most people don't run Ragavan in it. In the next game, my mull was slower, but he only had Stoneforge Mystic and Kaldra Compleat. I end up drawing another Amulet and am able to do a double Titan turn. I never knew this guy had Heliod until a few rounds later when I saw him play. 2-0.
Round 3 vs. Jund Shadow. This player ended up 5-2, securing the only X-2 in the top 8 at
8th! In the first game, he has all the things. Ragavan, Bolt for Grazer, discard, DRC, I make a mistake of not playing a land as my 2nd land drop immediately after Dryad when he had 1 card in hand and 2 lands. Terminate slowed me, although Terminate on Prime Time that I Pacted for would have been game anyway. I kind of thought that it wouldn't matter if he had his last card as yet another answer to what I have, but I still honestly should have played correctly. In the next game, I kind of ran him out of answers. His one Bolt on my 1 Grazer again, but DRC stayed a 1/1 naturally and then when I cycled Relic of Progenitus. His Ancient Grudge slowed me, but I went all out on a Cultivator Colossus and drew a million cards. He had 1 card left in hand and did it on upkeep, a
Temur Battle Rage to surveil with DRC. He had a 8/8 double strike, but scooped. I was at 14, so have to block. In the last game, I mulled to 6. I have a choice of putting Endurance, Dryad, or Summoner's Pact on the bottom, or one of 4 non bounceland lands. I put Valakut on the bottom. I end up only drawing a single land this game, an Urza's Saga, which he played
Alpine Moon next turn. On my final turn, I drew Simic Growth Chamber, which puts me back in the game, but he kills Azusa and plant with his 2 last cards, then draws and Unholy Heat on Dryad. I have no blockers for a 7/7 Shadow and I'm at 7 now since I went from 14 to 7 last turn. Ugh. 1-2.
Round 4 vs. 4 color Ragavan, Reanimator, into SB Boom/Bust. My mull to 5 was slow, but he only played Wrenn and Six, Ragavan, and Seasoned Pyromancers. I get Prime Time and company and it's easy from there. I think he scooped to double Prime. In the next game, he made me discard Amulet, then Boom/Bust, then Wrenn and Six, got Seasoned Pyromancers to Boom/Bust me again. Eventually he almost had an emblem, but I get through eventually with Endurance and Dryad. He did Bust to destroy all lands and he Wrenn and Six to combine with Bolts for my Endurance and Dryad. I scoop and then win the last game, deciding to play around burn on my 2/4 instead of 4th copy of Thoughtseize. It pays off and he scoops to me drawing 6 cards off
Cultivator Colossus. We were almost on time. 2-1.
Round 5 vs. Burn. He Goblin Guides me, then Searing Blaze on Arboreal Grazer. He does a quick burn on the play hand, but I am able to nut play with multiple Amulets into Cultivator Colossus into everything. The next game is almost as disgusting. I draw the absolute nuts with 3 Amulet and triple Dryad to a Prime Time junking in. Even 1 Dismember or even 2 doesn't do it now, lol. NUTSSSSS. 2-0.
Round 6 vs. General Rockric. He gets some guys, does some Prismatic Endings, but I am able to Valakut him the turn before losing.
He scoops to me to leave since his friends are leaving now. 2-0.
Round 7 vs. Merfolk. I win the die roll. I get my Prime Time Trickstered when I am about to try to get Valakut triggers and win. But I win next turn pretty easily. In the next game, he Spreading Seas my Saga, but I get out of it, take 10 damage to 12 life now and swing for lethal. I had my Prime Time and Dryad PHASED OUT with a Blue March, lol. But he had no cards left and didn't draw whatever card would have won it for him next turn and I had another Pact in hand. Nut draws again. 2-0.
I go 5-2 for 9th place. No playing top 8 for me.