Sears bushwacker

The Big Bend 100 - a Tale of Searing Heat and Frigid Cold
When: December 10th - 13th, 2020
Distance: 100 total miles, with an even split between the national and state parks. The route breaks down as such:
trail=49 mi
dirt road/4WD roads=29 mi
sandy arroyo=14 mi
off-trail route finding=5 mi
paved road=3 mi
Conditions: Highs in the mid 90s. Lows in the high 20s. Long exposed desert hiking, during a historically dry and hot year. That didn’t stop the desert from pounding me with rain on the first night. More on that later.
Lighterpack: https://lighterpack.com/capkvl
*There’s a TLDR and a gear review section towards the bottom of the post, if you don’t want to read this long winded chronicle about a hike I did. Here’s my instagram, if you wanna see small overviews of each day, with corresponding pictures.
Useful Pre-Trip Information:
I wrote a post over at ULTexas, where I go into considerable detail on the logistics of this thru-hike.
Day 1 - 30.22 Miles
“I love your jacket, where did you get it?”
“Oh, THANKS! It’s Lulu, of course!”
“I need to get the fuck out of the Basin”, I thought very quietly to myself.
Even with an early morning start, the famous Chisos Basin was already becoming crowded. As I was detaching my car key from its keychain, I eyed an old friend; the Nitecore Tube. At nine grams, it’s the definition of ultralight. It actually used to be my main torch before I switched it out for the NU 25, and rehomed it to my everyday carry. With only nine hours of sunlight available during the day, and a waning moon, I decided to chuck it into my ditty bag at the last second. A fateful decision, it would turn out.
I slung my Cutaway onto my back and set off. The Basin was practically teeming with life, and not just with suburbanites. Birds and squirrels danced from tree to tree, as herds of mule deer lazily grazed just off trail. As I started my descent into Blue Creek Canyon, I ran into a gentleman with a ULA pack. I may have tuned him into this sub, as he was finishing the Outer Mountain Loop and was interested in shedding a bit more weight off his back. If you’re reading this, how’s it going D? The line between ultralight and ultralight_jerk can be thin at times, huh? Can’t wait for your shakedown post: )
Blue Creek Canyon is a personal favorite of mine in Big Bend, its tall walls and gentle limestone spires loom over as you walk by. I hiked past Homer Wilson Ranch and paused a moment. Everything so far had been familiar territory, and I was about to venture into the unknown. The further you travel from the Basin, the less information there is about the route.
With the next step, I was on the road. Literally. It’s a three mile road walk to Chimneys, and a bit dicey at times. More than once I had to step off of the road and bushwack through deep thickets of thorns to avoid an upcoming Ford F-150 (it’s Texas, y’all). The temperature kept climbing as I baked on the asphalt, but the turn off finally came and I walked on to the Chimneys.
The Chimneys are a rock outcrop on a desert floor void of any other geographical features. The petroglyphs there are cool, and you can do some minor bouldering. I was more interested in shade though, as the temperature was hitting 87 degrees.
Why didn’t I brought my umbrella for this?
I swig of water later, and I was off again. I could have stayed there in the shade, but the BB100 is all about your water strategy. Especially true of a dry year, but there are hardly any reliable water sources in Big Bend. To remain stationary and drink water, is to shorten your supply of liquid gold without insuring your next source. I was happy I could easily put in the long miles between the few reliable sources of water there are out there. That was MY strategy at least.
Santa Elena Canyon drew closer as I made my way down Old Maverick Road. The popular Terlingua Abajo campsite came and went, and Terlingua Creek opened up as I rounded a corner. The word ‘creek’ doesn’t do it justice. This tributary of the Rio would be called a river in any other setting. It was MASSIVE. Ducks live there year round. In fact, its size created a bit of a problem.
How the hell am I supposed to cross this thing?
As I worked out where to cross the Terlingua Monster, I chugged water. I was so effin thirsty. My watch had read 93 degrees an hour earlier, but grey clouds had started to gather, and as the sun began to set, the temperature also began to fall. I was starting to worry I would have to set up camp and find a crossing in the morning. I scouted for about 20 minutes, all the while chugging water.
When was the last time I peed?
I was able to find a beaver dam of sorts, crossed the creek, and stepped into an oasis. After all my years of desert travel, I had never seen a true wild oasis, I realized. It was as loud as forest, with the sounds of living insects and birds. I barely made any ground as I stared around.
I felt great, even after a thirty mile day, so I decided to keep moving. As I stepped further from the creek, the oasis thinned, as did the trail. Eventually, there was nothing to follow at all. I picked an Eastern heading, and followed dry creek beds to the base of the Mesa de Aguilla. Light became dimmer and dimmer, and soon after the sun set, I reached for my NU 25.
Click. Nothing.
What?
Again, click. Nothing.
...WHAT? Fuuuuuuck.
It wouldn’t turn on. Just as I came to that realization, the dark clouds above began to sprinkle.
What the actually living fuck is happening right now?
In a split second, I made the decision to stop. I reached back and fumbled for my keychain light. A few seconds later, it was clipped to my hat and I had light. I pulled out my tarp, but the soft dirt in the area wouldn’t hold my stakes.
“No worries,” I thought, “I can use some rocks.”
Nope. All the rocks were as small as pebbles.
...seriously?
The rain began to pick up. In a last ditch effort, I pulled out all my quilt and mattress, set up a hasty camp, and wrapped myself in the tarp on the barren desert floor. As thunder boomed, I let out a steady rumble of inaudible expletives. It was going to be a long night.
Day 2 - 26.24 Miles
My alarm went off at 4 AM, but I hardly needed it. The DCF material of the tarp had worked as an amplifier of sorts, and I had gotten to intimately know each and every drop of rain as the course of the night went on. In fact, it was STILL raining. For the record, the forecast had called for a 30% chance of scattered showers before midnight... Not too long after my alarm went off though, it dissipated slightly, and I took the opportunity to break camp and hike.
Hey, my NU 25 is working!
The rain had turned the dry creek beds at the base of the Mesa into true arroyos, or dry sandy creek beds that are hard to travel on. Travel was indeed hard, but I was happy to not be confined to my DCF tomb, and was ecstatic that my headlamp worked again. Before long, the night began to give way to the light, and the rain stopped altogether. As I gained more light, a towering abyss of darkness materialized to the West. The Mesa I was about to climb was truly daunting.
The Mesa de Anguila is one of the least visited sections of the national park. Most visitors don’t even know about it. But to desert hikers, especially those that love to backpack in the Chihuahuan Desert, it’s steeped in rich legend and history. I was most excited and terrified about this section of the route, as I had never been up there.
I reached a low point in the limestone wall, and began to climb. It wasn’t too bad, but I could see this being a terrifying venture for some hikers. It’s a pretty exposed and steep climb. I would NOT attempt this in the dark, as had been my plan the night before. In the grand scheme of things, maybe the rain and headlamp malfunction had stopped me from doing something really stupid.
I finally crested the Mesa, and was floored. I had imagined it would be a flat barren limestone block, like off of a Wile E. Coyote cartoon. I’m writing this about four days after my trip ended, and I still don’t know how to describe it well. The fact of the matter was that I had climbed into a whole new world; a snowglobe within a snowglobe of sorts. Hills, draws, canyons, and ridges still existed up here. But it was just...different somehow. As if the landscape grew in defiance of a higher power. Maybe someone else can help me describe it.
Early on, there were signs of life. I crossed a dam, left over from the pioneer days of the area, and then hiked past some large deep caves. Cairns littered the brush, but they were hard to make out until you were right on top of them.
The route on the western half of the Mesa tethers you to the desert floor and the dry creek beds in the area, broiling you alive as the temperatures in Chihuahuan Desert climb. I only had a little over two liters of water left, and there were no tinajas available. Travel on the Mesa was also blistering slow. I tried my best to conserve precious water. I'd wait until I couldn't stand my dry throat, then savor every small swig I took.
When I began to feel lightheaded, I found a small crevice in a small cliff where I could be shielded from the sun's pale harsh rays. I took the opportunity to dry my gear from last night's storm. The temperature was reaching the high 80s. With a little food in me, the break worked well enough, and I was on the trail again.
The Mesa really tested my navigation skills, as well as my mental fortitude. I got lost A LOT out there. The trails were faint, and the geographic features inside of the Mesa were indistinguishable from one another, making navigation incredibly hard. At one point, I became mesmerized by a green flowery valley, and lost 20 minutes following the wrong set of cairns. Despite its challenges, I'd like to plan further expeditions into the Mesa. This place is wild, in every sense of the word.
As the afternoon continued, and I reached the western half of the Mesa, travel became easier. I picked up an old pack trail, grabbed a ridge, and made my way to Lajitas. As I descended, I could see the Rio Grande off in the distance.
Back on the desert floor, I hiked into town, and waved a hello to Clay Henry, the mayor of Lajitas. He also happens to be a very dapper looking goat. I refilled my water at the Barton Warnock Visitors Center. Unfortunately, it was late in the day and so I couldn't grab a backcountry permit for the state park.
Hmmmm. Well…I'll be passing the Sauceda Visitor Center tomorrow, so I’ll make it my business to get there before closing time, and square away my permits and fees.
I continued into the state park, as light rapidly fell from the face of various Chiuahuan mountain ranges. At which point, the wildlife began to come out, as only I’ve seen it do a few times at night. Crickets chirped. Squadrons of Javelina snuffed and rooted for sustenance, just off trail. Coyotes sung about the new possibilities the night could bring. Perhaps a fresh kill? All accented by small meteors dashing across the sky. While I passed through the desert in silence, like a ghost.
Day 3 - 24.66 Miles
My alarm went off at 6 AM, but I laid still for a long while, as I watched the tail end of the Geminid meteor shower. There were only one or two per minute, but as a city dweller most of my life, I may as well have been watching the movie “Armageddon”. The crescent moon and Venus eventually ended the bombastic celestial show, and pulled the sun from below the horizon.
Is this what camping is like?
I don’t think I’ve ever slowed down. Even in the default world, I'm running around at breakneck speeds. To finish assignments. To complete deadlines. To make a meeting. I think I’d like to slow down for a while, when I get back. Yea, I think I’d like that.
As I finally got going, my eyes caught the many things that I had missed during the night hike. The deep red of the desert mountains. The abundance of trees that live in the canyons of Big Bend Ranch State Park. The water seeping from the cliff sides. Better yet, the amount of water everywhere.
Why isn’t the state park more popular?
Yet still, I wouldn’t trade it for watching a meteor shower while hiking, or the sound of dozens of coyotes singing what I imagine were Christamas carols.
Part of my day involved a steady gain of elevation from Lajitas. The other part was walking through more water fed pools of life. The Banos de Madrid were particularly beautiful. I actually lost the trail for a few minutes, as I lost myself in exploration. Orchards of yellow trees lined Fresno and Chorro Canyons.
The climb continued, and eventually I reached an overlook where I could see the full length of the Banos. And then, that’s when I had a fateful encounter with a rock. As I made my way to the edge of the overlook, a rock which SEEMED to be able to bear my weight... could not. It slipped underneath two small rocks as soon as I stepped on it, and my leg got swallowed into the resulting hole. As I stopped, I pitched forward, slammed my shin into another rock, and the full contents of my front pocket careened forward and out to a rocky ledge just below.
My first thought was, “...OWWWW. WHAT THE FUUUUUCK?!?!?!?”
...As were my second, third, and fourth thoughts. After a half minute though, I was able to get my shit together. I pushed myself out of the hole to survey the damage. My leg was split open and gushing blood, but nothing besides my spirit was broken.
At least I’m hydrated enough to bleed.
I made my way down to the ledge and collected my things. What I didn’t know at the time was that my NU25 had also been launched into the desert, never to be seen again. I wouldn't come to realize this for quite some time.
Navigation was hard at times, after the Banos. The trails were crisscrossed by game trails, or had been eroded by wind and rain into extinction. After the Mexicano Overlook, the views became less frequent and I entered what I like to call “the microwave.” Meaning the trail takes you up and over a small hill, just to have you come down the other side and climb the next hill. In Big Bend, it also means the temperature picks up. It was SCORCHING in that microwave.
After a few hours of the microwave, I reached some dirt roads and made my way over to the Sauceda Visitor Center. I was greeted by the NICEST state park ranger I’ve ever had the pleasure of speaking to. However, she told me that they stopped writing permits for the BB100 recently and that I may not be allowed to continue my hike. She went into the back to check out an old email, and to speak with a supervisor on the phone. I only heard one end of the conversation, but it didn’t sound like it was going well for me. After fifteen minutes or so, she came back with a sheet of paper and a smile.
Holy Pmags, I’m IN!
The permit took a while to finish, and a crowd of about ten people started to form behind me. I knew I was losing precious daylight hours too, but I considered myself really lucky to get the chance to legally finish my hike. Permit in hand, I thanked the ranger profusely and made my way around the corner to refill on water, throw away trash, and repack all my gear.
The next person in line walked up to the ranger, and started to ask about car camping spots near the border of Big Bend National Park.
“Why don’t you ask that fella around the corner about the national park? He just came from over there. Took him about 70 miles to get here,” the ranger added.
“...He walked over here,” one man asked.
“Sure he did. He’s on a bit of a long walk actually, and has another 30 miles left. Should be done tomorrow, I think,” the ranger said.
That last bit of information sent the small crowd into a raucous. “Crazy,” one woman said. “That’s incredible.” one father said. A small smirk managed its way onto my face. I have to admit, in that moment, I felt kinda cool.
The moment passed quickly though, as it was in that moment I noticed my lack of a headlamp. After another short burst of creative expletives, I forced myself to take a series of deep breaths. There was nothing else that could be done about the situation. I slung my pack again, and briskly made some miles on the open road before entering my first arroyo. The next few miles would all be along these sandy creek beds that line the canyons in this area.
I was astounded by the views. The canyons held an abundance of beautiful trees, and the canyon walls themselves looked formidable and strong. There were signs of wildlife everywhere as well, and at one point, I rounded a corner and came face to face with a mighty bull with matching horns. The one and only time I’ve come across a bull in the wild, it bluff charged me before I was able to convince it that I wasn’t worth the hassle. This regal fella let me pass though, as it lazily munched on grass.
I passed some sizable tinajas, and slot canyons as well. In fact, sometimes the two features combined, and I would have to scrabble off to the side to find a pass, closer to the canyon wall. This was actually a lot of fun, but as the light in the canyon became golden behind the yellow trees, I knew my time was limited.
Eventually, the sunlight failed altogether and I had to reach back for my keychain light. I clipped it to my hat and adjudged the lumens so I could see the area right in front of my feet. It wasn’t that bad actually. This section of trail all takes place in these arroyos, so navigation was straight forward; just follow the canyon. I came to a small intersection, where I had the option to leave the arroyos for about a mile or two, or stay in the canyon and follow it to a small intermittent creek.
I chose to stay in the canyon so as to avoid potentially losing the trail on a barren ridgeline. Travel and navigation remained easy, but what I didn’t notice at the time was how the canyon was narrowing. Without my knowing, I was being funneled into tighter and tighter spaces.
I came across a small tinaja, and skirted it to the side. Down a small rock or two, and back onto level ground. The process repeated a few times, each time the tinaja becoming a little larger and deeper, and the steps became larger and steeper. Eventually, I came across a shallow but large tinaja. It was close to 10 PM, the temperatures were getting colder and colder, and if I wanted to cross this body of water I would have to get my feet wet. I looked at the map, and saw I was close to the intersection with the creek. I had another ten or fifteen minutes left in the canyon, so I decided to cross the tinaja. I took a small jump down, and as I reached the other side of the tinaja, I found myself boxed in all four sides.
…..fuck me, shit. I’m fucked.
The next ledge with level ground was about thirty feet below me. It held an even bigger and deeper tinaja. The canyon walls hugged me on each side. And without realizing it, where I had just jumped down had been a large wall as well.
I allowed myself to panic for thirty seconds, before forcing myself to calm down and brainstorm. My best option was the wall to my right. It was only about fifteen to twenty feet tall, and had a slight slope that ended in what seemed like a rocky ledge. It lacked any holes though, and only offered a rough surface for hand and foot holds.
I allowed myself another thirty seconds of panic before turning on my In-Reach, taking one deep breath, and scaling the wall. I was like a small arachnid crawling up a tremendous tree. I was not very graceful, I must admit. But I was fast, and after some spicy moments, I was able to pull myself up to the shallow ledge.
I let out a third string of creative expletives that echoed off the canyon walls and into the densely packed starlit night. The ledge dropped off to one side, but continued back along to the canyon to where I had just come from. I couldn’t continue forward, but I felt lucky enough to make it out of the canyon in one piece to not really care all that much. After one or two more spicy spots, I found my way out of the arroyo and onto actual trail.
I’m really surprised I could follow the faint trail, but my senses were probably dialed up to eleven after Spiderman-ing my way out of that slot canyon. That little flashlight was working overtime. I met up with Terrenos Creek, whose creekbed was both dry and wet at times. After a few more miles, I found a small nook that was protected by an overhanging tree branch. I was mentally beat, so I took the out and made a hasty camp for the night.
Day 4 - 17.29 Miles
Truth be told, there wasn’t supposed to be a Day 4. I had expected to finish around 3 AM and crash at the Western Terminus until a friend picked me up at noon. But as you can see, loads of unplanned stuff happened, and I still had a handful of miles to go. Lucky for me though, my legs were good for it.
I swung my pack on one last time, turned on some “Daddy Issues” and “Descendants,” and crushed some miles. By the time the sun came up, I was peddling my way out of the arroyos and onto discombobulated jeep trails.
I gained elevation pretty quickly, and as I did, the wind whipped me left to right and back to the left. A cold front must have come through during the night. “Oh well,” I thought, as I continued to move forward.
The last cool thing I saw on this trip was a family of fat javelinas walking on a ridge above mine. These guys were HUMONGOUS. Very rarely have I seen a wild hog in the daylight too, but who the hell would want to mess with these guys?
Noon came and went, but I was still a mile or two out.
Fuck.
I kept on chugging, this time dialing up my speed. I finally crested the last big hill on the trail and saw my friend's truck, followed by a large cloud of dirt. I took off at a sprint. I was late, and was afraid they’d leave if they didn’t see me at the trailhead. You see, this “trailhead” is nothing more than a speck of dirt on a long windy road in the middle of nowhere. She could easily miss it and keep driving into Mexico.
Luckily, she stopped. I could see her as she stepped out of the truck, and I waved at her with my trekking pole. She waved back(!), prompting me to slow down to a walk, and then a crawl. I was spent. I was able to make it across the finish line, but collapsed onto her truck the moment I didn’t have to bear my own weight anymore.
It’s over. I can drink all the water I want.
TLDR: Desert hiker is humbled by the Big Bend area, but sees some cool shit along the way.
Lightning Round Gear Review:
Gryphon Gear Aries 30 - the desert is an intimidating place in winter. Just look at the temperature swings I expereneed. Highs in the mid 90s, which drained and dehydrated me, with lows in the high 20s, which gave me numb fingers after a few minutes of hiking with bare hands. Weather in general is very volatile in the desert, just take a look at my GRT trip report. Hell, it rained the first four days of my NOBO PCT attempt. I wanted a quilt I knew could handle that challenge, and after MONTHS of debate, I decided the Aries 30 would ensure a comfortable trip. You can read more about the specs here, and how it stacks against a more familiar quilt, but after this trip, I believe this quilt can face any challenge, with toasty draft-free nights. At times, it was almost too much quilt. But that’s a far better problem to have, then the quilt not being warm enough. Quilts are easy to vent anyway.
Uberlite - The short version, more specifically. This was the first time in years that I tried my hand at a 20 inch wide inflatable pad. I like to use CCF, and only occasionally use inflatables. When I do, they tend to be wider. But I didn’t mind the width at all, especially when I slept on my sides. I wouldn't trust it to survive the desert by itself, so I paired it with my ⅛” Thinlight. That combo really worked well on this trip.
Uncrustables - a month ago, in the Weekly Thread, I mentioned that these are my go-to breakfast and dinners. I still think they’re fine, but on trips or ressupplies longer than four days, I think I’d like to supplement these with homemade wraps or jerky. I noticed on my last day that they had become drier and less flavorful, the longer they stayed out of the freezer. Especially the ones that were crushed inside my pack.Proceed with caution.
NU 25 - I just bought a replacement for the one I lost on this trip. Some of you may be thinking, "woah, I wouldn’t trust that headlamp after it gave you soon much trouble." But you have to realize that I used this headlamp for almost three years. Not just on backpacking trips, but on early morning trail runs. So multiple times a week, every week, sometimes for hours on end. Sure it acted a little funny on my first night of this trip, but after that much abuse, it was bound to start acting weird eventually. Maybe it was even serendipitous to lose it on that overlook, on my third day. I still think it’s a great headlamp.
Nitecore Tube - If there were an MVP for this trip, it would be this little guy. What a clutch decision to bring it along at the last second. It saved my ass, TWICE, while I was out there. If you don’t really plan to do much night hiking, or want to have a go at a XUL set up, I’d take a hard look at this affordable torch. Especially with this mod to clip it to your hat. It overperformed, given its weight.
Training - After my trip to the Winds this past summer, I realized that I was in decent shape, but my aerobic capacity was somewhat lacking. I spent the next four months focusing my training to become more aerobically fit, while maintaining muscle strength. It’s been a fun change, and this was my first ambitious multi-day trip since the Winds. I can say that I never became tired physically. Even the hardest parts of this trip were not that challenging to me, and this is a brutally unforgiving trail. What did give way were my mental facilities. I made more navigational errors, the longer the day went, and the longer I was out there. I think mental fitness is the next form of training I need to embark on.
Senchi Fleece - Made of 4409 Polartec Alpha, this is the lighter airy version of the two fleeces the company makes. I’ve owned this since April 2020, but didn’t start using it until August. After about 300 miles, and about eight days and nights of trail use, I feel confident in saying that it fits my hiking style well. Hike all day, with late nights and early mornings possible. On this trip specifically, I’d wear it at night while setting up camp. Usually with my rain jacket on top. Then wear it to sleep by itself. On the last morning, when the temps stayed in the 30s well after 9 AM, and the wind chapped the parts of my face not covered by hair, I kept my rain jacket over it. For similar hikers, this is a good three season piece that could replace a traditional mid layer. Durability hasn’t been an issue for me, during on-trail and off--trail excursions. This stuff was made for Operators, I doubt that it’ll meet its match on groomed trails.
With all that positive stuff said, let me level with you. I think yall need to chill. It’s a fleece. Any fleece would suit a similar hiker. The fleece in your closet right now, whether it be the P97, the ON Go-Warm, the Macpac Nitro, the R1, ….the Palante Grid Fleece, the Montane Allez, the Arcteryx Delta...I can do this all day…the Rab Nucleus, the Haglof LIM, the Melly, ect...all of these would fit that same bill. Put your credit card away, close down reddit, and go on a backpacking trip.
Or maybe just plan one on Caltopo. Five of you messaged me the weekend before I set off for this trip. I’m not sure what made yall pop at the same time, but please just go enjoy the outdoors with what you have. I’m very happy for the success of Senchi, but I sometimes wish this sub wasn’t so gear oriented.
I hope you don’t read the above paragraph as a “do not disturb” sign. In fact, I really enjoy talking to y’all on a one on one basis. I spent three hours this past summer, helping someone plan their WRHR trip. In real life, I helped my friend beat my GRT FKT record by shuttling them to the Eastern Terminus, and spent the 24 hours prior with them discussing the trail in great detail. I’m more than happy to discuss why a piece of gear worked or didn’t work on a specific trip, why and how I use my gear, or to help you plan your own gnarly adventures. But I find it really boring when I’m used as a point of confirmation bias, or as a justification for you to buy a new piece of gear you don’t need. Idk. I’ll probably be crucified for saying so. Oh well, I’m gonna go plan my next trip.
Future trips - I've done some really ambitious trips this year. Even my day hikes have been arduous expeditions into the unknown and dangerous. I’d like to go on some easier trips next year. Like an overnighter to a nice lake, where I drink hot cocoa or something. I’ve never done anything like that. I’m serious, I don't know how to relax. I’m too competitive for my own good, and would like to slow things down for a change.

Our second Super Qualifier is up along with another weekly Challenge. I'm going to focus my efforts on the SQ this week because I think these events are generally more competitive and representative than the Challenges due to a better prize structure. MTGO grinders: feel free to correct me if I'm misrepresenting this. Here's the SQ T32 with cool lists, special spice, and relevant tech noted.
Event link: https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/mtgo-standings/modern-super-qualifier-2020-03-29

1. Golgari Titan Ramp: Sharkcaster_Mage (4 Karn, the Great Creator + SB toolbox, 4 SB Abrupt Decay, 1 SB Memoricide, 1 SB Cranial Extraction)
2. Burn: NorrathDecay (Boros only, 3 MD/1 SB Searing Blaze, 2 MD/2 SB Skullcrack)
3. Temur Urza: Theo_Jung
4. Dredge: TheAdonis (all Dredge lists in this event are virtually identical with only SB shifts)
5. Mardu Death's Shadow: Trieste (Death's Shadow returns! 2 Unearth, 1 Angrath's Rampage, 1 Dismember, 1 Path to Exile)
6. Burn: MdvWin (Boros, similar to 2nd place)
7. Mono G Tron: sff_mtg (1 Ugin, the Ineffable, 1 Kozilek, the Great Distortion, 1 MD/1 SB Sundering Titan, 1 MD/1 SB Thragtusk)
8. Dredge: Sodeq
9. Traverse Death's Shadow: jled (More DS! 1 Grim Flayer, 1 Windcaller Aven (!), 1 The Royal Scions, 1 Delay (!), lots of bullets in SB)
10. Bant Snow Control: katoriarch123 (1 MD/1 SB Supreme Verdict, 1 MD Timely Reinforcements, 1 Spell Snare)
11. Dredge: scipios
12. Simic Reclamation: Namkrew___Lacsap (Sweet Simic control take with 1 Torrential Gearhulk, 4 Wildnerness Reclamation, 4 Remand, 1 Nexus of Fate, 3 Fact or Fiction, and 4 Thought Scour with 3 Uro)
13. Eldrazi Tron: yPrincipe
14. Jund: musasabi (2 Kroxa, Death's Hunger, 1 Scavenging Ooze, 2 Seasoned Pyromancer, 0 Abrupt Decay)
15. Bant Snow Control: Darkiundsa (2 Supreme Verdict)
16. Dredge: raisans
17. Eldrazi Tron: ArchaeusDota
18. Golgari Titan Ramp: TFTIjhub (2 Prismatic Omen, 4 Hour of Promise, 4 SB Decay, 1 SB Memoricide, 1 SB Cranial Extraction)
19. Eldrazi Tron: otakkun
20. Naya Zoo: Malakxy (This list came up all week AND in the Challenge! 3 Gallia of the Endless Dance, 4 Hidden Herbalists, 1 Klothys, God of Destiny, 4 Wild Nacatl, 4 Narnam Renegade, 4 Reckless Bushwacker, GO CRAZY!!)
21. Bant Snow Control: Misplacedginger (2 Verdict, 2 SB Gideon, Ally of Zendikar, 2 SB Leyline of the Void)
22. Dredge: Mercenario
23. Death and Taxes: Gods_Shadow (Old-school without Eldrazi. 4 Giver of Runes, 2 Giant Killer, 4 Stoneforge Mystic + 1 of BSkull/SoFI/SoLS, 4 Force of Virtue (!))
24. Simic Titan Ramp: Squidbilly (4 Adventurous Impulse, 2 Uro, 2 SB Aether Gust)
25. Amulet Titan: Mistakenn
26. Amulet Titan: iceiceice
27. Eldrazi Tron: StormlightReaper
28. Humans: bogarden3
29. Jund: CReactor (2 Kroxa, 2 Ooze, 1 Abrupt Decay, 4 SB Pillage, 1 SB Boil, 2 SB Choke)
30. Bant Snow Control: baiburqueno (2 Spell Queller)
31. Burn: kthanakit26 (Boros, 4 SB Leyline of the Void)
32. Bant Snow Control: Do0mSwitch

Direct link formatting thanks to FereMiyJeenyus and their web scraper! If you encounter any dead or broken links, or have any questions/praise, please reach out to them!
Unlike the more open Challenge, this T32 is pretty crystalized around a few Modern pillars. There are some notable omissions we'll identify later, but most of these top decks are exactly what you would expect in 2020 Modern. As always, take the T8 itself with a grain of salt. This week, only Trieste (Mardu DS), Theo_Jung (Temur Urza), MdvWin (Burn), and sff_mtg (Mono G Tron) actually made it into the T32 off of a decisive 24 points. Norrathdecay on down to Malakxy at 20th all had 21 points and got sorted out on breakers. Remember this when making event or format assessments based on this SQ.
Pillar-wise, we're seeing lots of the same top-tier decks with few upstarts. We have 6 Astrolabe decks, split 5 Bant Snow Control with 1 Temur Urza. We have 5 Tron decks split 1 Mono G and 4 Eldrazi. We have a noteworthy 5 Dredge and a more expected 3 Burn. And we also have 5 Primeval Titan decks split 2 Golgari Titan, 1 Simic Titan, and 1 Amulet Titan. Also, 2 Jund! Because Jund! These 25 decks are exactly what we would expect in a competitive Modern event, and I imagine a GP or PT right now (assuming COVID-19 vanished tomorrow) would reflect a similar breakdown as we're seeing here. None of these finishes are particularly offensive either on the event's own terms or in the broader Modern context, with a relatively even split between controlling/interactive (8), aggro (8), and ramp (10). It's pretty clear these decks represent Modern's Tier 1 strategies to varying extents; make sure you have plans to beat these decks or are just playing one of them to begin with.
One of the biggest stories this week is the return of Death's Shadow, with Mardu DS making it into the coveted 24 point bracket (sadly, losing in quarterfinals), and Traverse DS baaaarely missing on breakers. It's awesome to see DS lists back in the fray, as this is a unique Modern pillar and decktype which contributes to overall health and diversity. I think it's notable that both DS pilots did not go traditional Grixis, which is really going to struggle with all the Veils out there (11 decks played an average of about 2.5 copies in the SB). DS pilots should use this as a baseline when retrofitting their decks for this new metagame.
Another big story is the explosion of Dredge, the solid performance of Burn, and the total absence of Mono R Prowess. Dredge has been an aggro mainstay for a while now but it's unprecedented in recent events to see 5 Dredge players in the T32 alongside 0 Mono R Prowess. I'm not super familiar with the Prowess matchup spectrum so can't say with certainty why this deck is out of vogue, but I expect it's a broader metagame shift that led to this. As for Dredge, this is probably just a symptom of players minimizing GY hate to fight either ramp, Astrolabe decks, or traditional creature-based aggro like Burn or the absentee Prowess. When GY hate declines, Dredge tends to thrive and that could have been a big contributor to its success this week.
Spice shouts go to traditional, mono-white Death and Taxes in 23rd, that wacky (semi-pun intended) Naya Zoo Bushwacker list at 20th, and the grindy Simic Reclamation at 12th. I feel like we've seen at least one D&T variant in most T32s over the last months, so I expect this will remain a solid Tier 2 choice for many metagames. By contrast, this new Zoo list appears to be exploiting some metagame gaps by going wide and fast against lists that are light on sweepers and geared to go a little later. It's a natural metagame evolution that will likely fade out as lists evolve. As for Reclamation, it's cool to see non-Astrolabe control decks take advantage of new interactive packages. I suspect there's even more room to explore in this area in the future.
Looking forward, expect to see Tron lists maintain a top-tier footing, Astrolabe lists continue to tune at the edges, and Titan lists continue their experimentation with different angles. Even before OUaT's banning, we saw a ton of Primeval Titan experimentation and it's notable this trend is continuing after the ban. We're going to see even more in the future as this highly iterated MTGO quarantine metagame keeps evolving. As always, let me know in the comments if I missed or mischaracterized something, or if you want me to address something specific.

Deck List:
x4 Wild Nacatl
x4 Kird Ape
x4 Experiment One
x4 Narnum Renegade
x4 Hidden Herbalist
x4 Burning-Tree Emissary
x4 Goblin Guide
X2 Ghor-Clan Rampager
x4 Reckless Bushwacker
x4 Lightning Bolt
x4 Atarka's Command
x4 Arid Mesa
x4 Windswept Heath
x4 Wooded Foothills
x2 Stomping Ground
x1 Sacred Foundry
x1 Temple Garden
x1 Forest
x1 Mountain
​
Sideboard:
x4 Searing Blaze
x3 Smash to Smithereens
x3 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
x2 Path to Exile
x1 Relic of Progenitus
x1 Cindervines
x1 Destructive Revelry
​
Round 1: No Show
Round 2: Amulet Titan 2-1
Round 3: Cat Combo 2-1
Round 4: Jund Deathshadow 2-1
Round 5: Ad Naus 1-2
Round 6: G Tron 2-0
Round 7: Dredge 0-2
Round 8: Amulet Titan 1-2
​
Match-by-match analysis in the comments. Ask me anything.

Decklist I took to Regionals in Columbia, MO 2019 at Mageling Games.
http://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/rw-burn-20191020/
Tournament was held in a High School gym…which brought back all kinds of repressed memories. Luckily the bell never rang, because I’m sure I’d have been halfway down the hallway before my brain kicked in.
Round 1 vs Mono Red Prison
Game 1, on the play: Got off to a quick start with Goblin Guide followed up with a couple burn spells. But they land Chalice on 1 and then Chalice on 2 with the help of Rituals. I try to limp in the final damage with Rift Bolts and Skewers, but only get them to 3 before they kill me with the [[Goblin Rabblemaster]] I thought I could race.
In: 2x Smash to Smithereens, 1x WeaTear. Out: 3 Boros Charm.
Thoughts: Chalice and Bridge are my biggest worries. Charm can’t target their few threats and its two mana.
Game 2, on the play: Opponent mulls to 6. Turn 0, they go [[Leyline of Combustion]] and [[Gemstone Caverns]]. After reading Leyline, I go to draw thinking that was them on the play. Call a judge on myself. Since the card never touched my hand, I get a Game Play Error, Looking at Extra Cards and have to re-randomize my deck. Also, the judge wasn’t sure on if his name or my name is supposed to go first when writing down what happened, so I might end up with a field promotion to L1 judge.
I luckily kept a creature heavy hand, so the Leyline doesn’t come into effect too much. They land an [[Ensnaring bridge]], but I’m able to go under it with Swiftspears. I took out a potential blocker after attacks (to get under bridge]], but before blocks. Not a terribly original play, but it feels good. I win the game
Thoughts: No change to sideboard. I think I should have taken out the 4x Eidolons for 2x [[Deflecting Palm]] and 2x [[Skullcrack]] here or a combination of [[Kor Firewalkers]]. Eidolon on the draw is slow and I know he has big enough threats that a D Palm can do a lot of damage. I’ll blame this on me 1) not thinking through at all and b) not being familiar with the matchup.
Game 3, on the draw: I mull to 6, and keep a good 1 land hand. They’re able to land a Turn 2 [[Seasoned Pyromancer]] (those rituals are a killer) which hoses me pretty hard since my hand had 3 one drop creatures. They follow up with a Rabblemaster that’s a must kill for me after Game 1 and I do get the second land in time. They end up with a bridge, a [[Batterskull]], and a [[Karn, the Great Creator]]. They wished with Karn to get another card so they can attack with Batterskull and raise their life total which I thought was pretty clever. I traded for the germ with double blocking Eidolons, but can’t come back from the life gain. They had animated the Bridge one turn with Karn to use as a blocker...opened themselves up to my killing the bridge, but it worked for them in the end. It was close though…had I made different sideboard choices I think I might have gotten there.
Results: 0-1
Round 2 vs Jund
Game 1, on the draw: They do a lot of the work for me with fetches and shocklands, but I draw creatures rather than spells and can’t get past their board. I end up with 1 fewer burn spells than needed.
In: 2x Path to Exile, 2x Deflecting Palm. Out: 4 Searing Blazes.
Thoughts: Unless I get really, really, really lucky…Blazes are just a 2 mana lava spike. Path can take out their creatures and D. Palm can be the best Boros Charm there is.
Game 2, on the play: They mulligan to 6 and never really get going. I have a quick start and end the game pretty quickly. There was a [[Liliana, of the Veil]] that ate a card and an attack. I think I was just too fast and they didn’t have time to get going without taking a ton of damage from their own lands.
Thoughts: Again, no changes to sideboard and I think I should have taken out Eidolon for Skullcrack and something else…maybe Grim Lavamancer?
Game 3, on the draw: They mulligan to 6 again and have the perfect anti-burn mana base. 2 Blackcleave Cliffs and 2 basics (swamp/mountain or double swamp) mean they never take damage off their lands (which is bad for me). However, that means they’re not able to cast their green cards including a [[Tarmogoyf]] or [[Huntmaster of the Fells]] (which is good for me). I’m able to chip in damage. I hold an extra land in hand to entice them to use their Lili uptick, I don’t know if that made a difference or not, but it felt smart.
Results: 1-1
Round 3 vs Urza Ascendancy I haven’t played this matchup before this tournament. I have some theoretical knowledge of the Urza deck, but no practical experience.
Game 1, on the play: I figure it’s just a race. Ignore everything they’re doing and book it. I get a Goblin Guide down on T1, followed by an Eidolon that they have to pretty much take a turn off and kill with [[Engineer Explosives]]. That buys me enough time to get them low enough to kill them the turn before they go off.
In: 2 Smash to Smithereens, 1 Wear / Tear, 1 Skullcrack Out: 4 Searing Blazes.
Thoughts: Blazes don’t kill Urza and I thought artifact removal would be good. Skullcrack came in just as another burn spell. I think I should have left in one Searing Blaze. They’re both 3 damage for 2 mana and sometimes the Blaze does get a Emry. Again, not knowing the matchup at all and not having a sideboard guide did me no favours here. I’m also not sure if Eidolons come out now. I’m on the draw, so they’re slow. But for Urza to go off, they’re casting a millions spells, so I think they threaten enough damage against a typical Urza hand that they stay in.
Game 2, on the draw: Urza player gets the wrong half of their combo deck and is just slow enough they can’t beat me in the race. Again, I was able to finish them off the turn before they went off, but they stumbled early spending one too many turns digging. I was lucky they only had 3 mana on the last turn, because my killing blow was a [[Smash to Smithereens]] and they had a [[Paradoxical Outcome]] in hand.
Thoughts: I don’t know if targeted artifact removal is actually good in this matchup. They don’t have any MUST kill targets and they can fizzle it with Outcome. If I get it early enough, it might make them stumble on mana by taking out a Mox. If I was Naya Burn, I think [[Cindervines]] would be the choice over [[Destructive Revelery]]. As is, I think I should have brought in the Paths over the Smashes and try to deal with Urza rather than the artifacts. Not sure on this either way.
Results: 2-1
Round 4 vs UR Midrange It felt like a tweaked Blue Moon deck. Which I have no experience against… I might need to practice more.
Game 1, not sure play/draw: I fight my way through counter magic and the blue ambush viper [[Snapcaster Mage]]. I see a [[Blood Moon]] off a Goblin Guide, so I fire off my RW spells as soon as possible. Get them dead before they can stabilize.
In: 2x Skullcrack, 2x Grim Lavamancer Out: 4x Searing Blaze.
Thoughts: Only creature I saw was Snapcaster, so Blazes look super dead. Lavamancer comes in as non-counterable damage if the opponent stabilizes and the game goes long. This time, even though I’m on the draw I think Eidolons stay in as they punish counter magic. Not positive on this, but I also don’t have anything else great to bring it so it’s mostly a moot point.
Game 2: on the draw: Not a bad start, though I do see my Eidolon get Spell Snared. I get a couple of turns with Swiftspear out and the prowess triggers really helped. Opponent was close to stabilizing and if given time could set up a [[Mystic Sanctuary]] [[Crypic Command]] loop. Not an auto-win, but it would definitely have dragged the game out…but I finish them off before they get there.
Results: 3-1
Round 5 vs RG Zoo I have played this matchup before…but it’s been awhile.
Game 1, not sure play/draw: Opponent goes Turn 1, revolted [[Narnam Renegade]] which very neatly stops all of my creatures forever. I sit back, do some blocking (it feels so wrong), and point burn spells at their face, but just can’t get there.
In: 4x Kor Firewalker Out: 4x Boros Charms.
Thoughts: Charms can’t kill his creatures and I need to murder all of them. Also the lifegain from Firewalker might buy me a turn or two. Sidenote: did you know that this RG Zoo lists skews mostly green and Kor Firewalker, while not a dead card, isn’t the slamdunk option I thought it was? There’s a fun fact that will become relevant later.
Game 2, on the play: Pretty much the same as game one, except in the opposite direction. A couple of creature attacks before they can get set up and then finish them off with spells.
Thoughts: No changes to sideboard. I’m on the draw and those Eidolons are slow, I should take them out for Path and Palm. Palm would be a [[Sovereign’s Bite]] as a worst case scenario, blank some damage at least. And Path at least gets rid of a creature…but I’m nothing if not consistent in not thinking about this until after the games were over.
Game 3, on the draw: We get some early back and forth and I try to focus fire the creatures, but, opponent lands a [[Hidden Herbalist]] into [[Burning-Tree Emissary]] into [[Reckless Bushwacker]] for a bunch damage. I lose to a bolt to the face, which feels a lot worse when you’re not on the giving end.
Results: 3-2
Round 6 vs Naya Zoo I happen to have some recent experience that might be relevant to this matchup.
Game 1, on the play: Turn 1 Goblin Guide into turn to Searing Blaze their one-drop is as perfect as a start as I can dream of. Opponent stays on the back foot the rest of the game.
In: 2x Deflecting Palms Out: 2x Boros Charm.
Thoughts: At least I’m learning? Charms don’t kill creatures, but a Palm can change the race. I think this is a good idea. And don’t worry about those Eidolons on the play because I sure never do…-sigh-
Game 2, on the draw: Opponent with T1 fetch a [[Sacred Foundry]] into [[Kird Ape]], so Turn 2 they could go Forest, [[Thalia, Guarding of Thraben]] since they had the basic in hand, which does slow me down. But that lets me get a hit in with Goblin Guide and later I paid the tax to Blaze Thalia, which got me there in the end. After the game, opponent was unsure if they should have mulliganed since the mana was too awkward.
Results: 4-2
Round 7 vs RG Zoo Funny story: Round 7 and Round 5 opponents are on the same team. A buddy sent them a decklist a week prior that he was using to tear up some online leagues, so they had 5-6 people all on the same list. I didn’t learn this until after the round. Round 6 Zoo player was not part of that group. Just lots of zoo this tournament and I just as I had taken [[Searing Blood]] out of the sideboard.
Game 1, on the draw: Creatures and burn spells met in the red zone. A timely Blaze turned it to my favour and I get the win.
In: 2x Path to Exile, 2x Deflecting Palm Out: 4 Boros Charm.
Thoughts: I’m getting so good at this sideboarding stuff, didn’t even consider Firewalkers. I’m quick and agile and don’t even think about those damned Eidolons at all….ever…
Game 2, on the draw: Opponent goes Turn 1 Goblin Guide into Turn 2 14 damage to my stupid face. With only a Scacred Foundry and a Mountain, they go Emissary, Herbalist, Emissary, Bushwhacker and takes me to 3 life. But I had them exactly where I wanted them, so on my Turn 2 I play a fetch land and attack with my own Guide, luring them into my trap. Turn 3 when they attack, I fetch a shockland purposely killing myself. It was a great hand by the Zoo deck…can’t even be mad.
Thoughts: No changes to sideboard. At least I’m on the play so my master strategy of ignoring Eidolons from my sideboard decisions make sense.
Game 3, on the play: We both mulligan to 6 and I keep a genius hand. I go Turn 1, Sacred Foundry tapped. Turn 2, Mountain, pass. Opponent has a T1 Renegade and turn 2 more creatures. I Helix them EoT, then Turn 3, Helix into Skewer. Turn 4 Helix and then it’s two more burn spells to close out the game.
The hand I kept with Sacred Foundry, Mountain, 3x Helix, Skewer, and I bottomed Skullcrack. I figured my mana base was painless and unless they had the godhand Turn 2 again, I was essentially starting at 29 life if I could get the helixes (helixi? helixoxen? helipodes?) off. So if I ignored the creatures and pointed everything at face, I should get there in the end. I did draw well and the game ended with me at 2 life, so it could have easily gone poorly for me. But I think it was a correct keep as I don’t know of a 5 card hand that could be any better.
Results 5-2, ended up in the top 32 out of 111 players. I’m ecstatic with those results. Had tie breakers gone a little differently, I think Top 16 was possible. All my opponents were great, I talked with each of them after the round to discuss potential sideboard options/strategies. Learned that Ascendency Urza has a Turn 2 kill…so that’s terrifying. The one judge call on myself was a dumb mistake on my part. No glaring misplays I think. Definitely some subpar decisions and I need to work on my sideboarding a lot more, but nothing embarrassingly wrong this time.
The meta there was different than I was expecting. Not as much Urza or graveyard shenanigans as I thought there would be. Not a ton of Stoneblade decks either. A lot of Burn and Zoo though, and quite a few Death Shadow variations as well.
Mainboard Discussion: Pretty stock list only two notable changes from a lot of recent lists:
1) I’m only play 19 land and have a Skullcrack in the main. I’d like to pretend this is due to a ton of research and some advanced mathematics and it is actually the perfect amount…but it’s really just a personal choice. I don’t think it makes a huge difference either way in the end, I just like 19 lands more. And the Skullcrack is there as the best burn spell from the sideboard…I have considered a D. Palm in the main just for blowout potential, but I’m worried about the matchups where it’d be a dead card.
B) I do think I should cut a couple of lands to go up to 4 Vantages and 4 Canyons. I think I’ll try cutting a Foundry, since I’m adding two white sources, and cutting a fetch. I don’t think I’m going to add [[Fiery Islet]] to the deck quite yet, I’d probably have to cut fetches for them and I’d rather Fetch/Mountain than take 2-3 damage and maybe cycle it for a card. Not 100% on the Islet, but I’ll keep it in mind.
Sideboard Discussion: I think the sideboard is fairly solid. I don’t think Searing Blood is worth putting in…there were a number of creature decks at the tournament, but in a lot of them, their toughness is typically 3+ so Blood is kind of dead there.
Wear // Tear could have been another Smash, but I live in terror of [[Leyline of Sanctity]] and refuse to leave myself without an out to it.
Skullcrack was fine as a “my blazes are dead” replacement. Besides Round 1 Batterskull, I didn’t see any real life gain. I think they’re good enough to stay.
Deflecting Palm was also fine. I didn’t play anyone where it’s amazing, but it was alright…again, especially as a “blaze is dead” replacement.
Firewalker was never relevant. Though there was plenty of other Burn at the tournament, so I think they stay where they are.
Grim Lavamancer was also never relevant. I dodged all of the slow, grindy matchups where he’s great. But again, I think he’s important enough to stay. I am glad I moved both to the sideboard, as one in the main feels too slow.
If I am supposed to be taking Eidolon out almost every game I’m on the draw, I think I want something decent to bring in besides Skullcrack. I don’t know if that’s supposed to Deflecting Palm like I was doing, or if I need to find another spell like [[Exquisite Firecraft]]. I might just have to keep a couple Eidolons in if nothing else in the sideboard is decent in the matchup.
Other: Mageling Games was amazing as always (this is not a paid advertisement). The set up was good, the judges were great. I always enjoy going to their tournaments…if only they were closer to home.
I found a couple interesting decks and talked to the pilots; a 5 colour Slivers and RB Burn. Sliver player was doing well the entire time and the deck seems pretty sweet. RB Burn player may have sold me on giving it a go…I might try it out at an FNM or two.
TLDR: RW Burn with 5-2 in an 111 person tournament. I think I did pretty good and sideboarding Eidolons is actually impossible.

Decklist I took to Regionals in Columbia, MO 2019 at Mageling Games.
http://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/rw-burn-20191020/
Tournament was held in a High School gym…which brought back all kinds of repressed memories. Luckily the bell never rang, because I’m sure I’d have been halfway down the hallway before my brain kicked in.
Round 1 vs Mono Red Prison
Game 1, on the play: Got off to a quick start with Goblin Guide followed up with a couple burn spells. But they land Chalice on 1 and then Chalice on 2 with the help of Rituals. I try to limp in the final damage with Rift Bolts and Skewers, but only get them to 3 before they kill me with the [[Goblin Rabblemaster]] I thought I could race.
In: 2x Smash to Smithereens, 1x WeaTear. Out: 3 Boros Charm.
Thoughts: Chalice and Bridge are my biggest worries. Charm can’t target their few threats and its two mana.
Game 2, on the play: Opponent mulls to 6. Turn 0, they go [[Leyline of Combustion]] and [[Gemstone Caverns]]. After reading Leyline, I go to draw thinking that was them on the play. Call a judge on myself. Since the card never touched my hand, I get a Game Play Error, Looking at Extra Cards and have to re-randomize my deck. Also, the judge wasn’t sure on if his name or my name is supposed to go first when writing down what happened, so I might end up with a field promotion to L1 judge.
I luckily kept a creature heavy hand, so the Leyline doesn’t come into effect too much. They land an [[Ensnaring bridge]], but I’m able to go under it with Swiftspears. I took out a potential blocker after attacks (to get under bridge]], but before blocks. Not a terribly original play, but it feels good. I win the game
Thoughts: No change to sideboard. I think I should have taken out the 4x Eidolons for 2x [[Deflecting Palm]] and 2x [[Skullcrack]] here or a combination of [[Kor Firewalkers]]. Eidolon on the draw is slow and I know he has big enough threats that a D Palm can do a lot of damage. I’ll blame this on me 1) not thinking through at all and b) not being familiar with the matchup.
Game 3, on the draw: I mull to 6, and keep a good 1 land hand. They’re able to land a Turn 2 [[Seasoned Pyromancer]] (those rituals are a killer) which hoses me pretty hard since my hand had 3 one drop creatures. They follow up with a Rabblemaster that’s a must kill for me after Game 1 and I do get the second land in time. They end up with a bridge, a [[Batterskull]], and a [[Karn, the Great Creator]]. They wished with Karn to get another card so they can attack with Batterskull and raise their life total which I thought was pretty clever. I traded for the germ with double blocking Eidolons, but can’t come back from the life gain. They had animated the Bridge one turn with Karn to use as a blocker...opened themselves up to my killing the bridge, but it worked for them in the end. It was close though…had I made different sideboard choices I think I might have gotten there.
Results: 0-1
Round 2 vs Jund
Game 1, on the draw: They do a lot of the work for me with fetches and shocklands, but I draw creatures rather than spells and can’t get past their board. I end up with 1 fewer burn spells than needed.
In: 2x Path to Exile, 2x Deflecting Palm. Out: 4 Searing Blazes.
Thoughts: Unless I get really, really, really lucky…Blazes are just a 2 mana lava spike. Path can take out their creatures and D. Palm can be the best Boros Charm there is.
Game 2, on the play: They mulligan to 6 and never really get going. I have a quick start and end the game pretty quickly. There was a [[Liliana, of the Veil]] that ate a card and an attack. I think I was just too fast and they didn’t have time to get going without taking a ton of damage from their own lands.
Thoughts: Again, no changes to sideboard and I think I should have taken out Eidolon for Skullcrack and something else…maybe Grim Lavamancer?
Game 3, on the draw: They mulligan to 6 again and have the perfect anti-burn mana base. 2 Blackcleave Cliffs and 2 basics (swamp/mountain or double swamp) mean they never take damage off their lands (which is bad for me). However, that means they’re not able to cast their green cards including a [[Tarmogoyf]] or [[Huntmaster of the Fells]] (which is good for me). I’m able to chip in damage. I hold an extra land in hand to entice them to use their Lili uptick, I don’t know if that made a difference or not, but it felt smart.
Results: 1-1
Round 3 vs Urza Ascendancy I haven’t played this matchup before this tournament. I have some theoretical knowledge of the Urza deck, but no practical experience.
Game 1, on the play: I figure it’s just a race. Ignore everything they’re doing and book it. I get a Goblin Guide down on T1, followed by an Eidolon that they have to pretty much take a turn off and kill with [[Engineer Explosives]]. That buys me enough time to get them low enough to kill them the turn before they go off.
In: 2 Smash to Smithereens, 1 Wear / Tear, 1 Skullcrack Out: 4 Searing Blazes.
Thoughts: Blazes don’t kill Urza and I thought artifact removal would be good. Skullcrack came in just as another burn spell. I think I should have left in one Searing Blaze. They’re both 3 damage for 2 mana and sometimes the Blaze does get a Emry. Again, not knowing the matchup at all and not having a sideboard guide did me no favours here. I’m also not sure if Eidolons come out now. I’m on the draw, so they’re slow. But for Urza to go off, they’re casting a millions spells, so I think they threaten enough damage against a typical Urza hand that they stay in.
Game 2, on the draw: Urza player gets the wrong half of their combo deck and is just slow enough they can’t beat me in the race. Again, I was able to finish them off the turn before they went off, but they stumbled early spending one too many turns digging. I was lucky they only had 3 mana on the last turn, because my killing blow was a [[Smash to Smithereens]] and they had a [[Paradoxical Outcome]] in hand.
Thoughts: I don’t know if targeted artifact removal is actually good in this matchup. They don’t have any MUST kill targets and they can fizzle it with Outcome. If I get it early enough, it might make them stumble on mana by taking out a Mox. If I was Naya Burn, I think [[Cindervines]] would be the choice over [[Destructive Revelery]]. As is, I think I should have brought in the Paths over the Smashes and try to deal with Urza rather than the artifacts. Not sure on this either way.
Results: 2-1
Round 4 vs UR Midrange It felt like a tweaked Blue Moon deck. Which I have no experience against… I might need to practice more.
Game 1, not sure play/draw: I fight my way through counter magic and the blue ambush viper [[Snapcaster Mage]]. I see a [[Blood Moon]] off a Goblin Guide, so I fire off my RW spells as soon as possible. Get them dead before they can stabilize.
In: 2x Skullcrack, 2x Grim Lavamancer Out: 4x Searing Blaze.
Thoughts: Only creature I saw was Snapcaster, so Blazes look super dead. Lavamancer comes in as non-counterable damage if the opponent stabilizes and the game goes long. This time, even though I’m on the draw I think Eidolons stay in as they punish counter magic. Not positive on this, but I also don’t have anything else great to bring it so it’s mostly a moot point.
Game 2: on the draw: Not a bad start, though I do see my Eidolon get Spell Snared. I get a couple of turns with Swiftspear out and the prowess triggers really helped. Opponent was close to stabilizing and if given time could set up a [[Mystic Sanctuary]] [[Crypic Command]] loop. Not an auto-win, but it would definitely have dragged the game out…but I finish them off before they get there.
Results: 3-1
Round 5 vs RG Zoo I have played this matchup before…but it’s been awhile.
Game 1, not sure play/draw: Opponent goes Turn 1, revolted [[Narnam Renegade]] which very neatly stops all of my creatures forever. I sit back, do some blocking (it feels so wrong), and point burn spells at their face, but just can’t get there.
In: 4x Kor Firewalker Out: 4x Boros Charms.
Thoughts: Charms can’t kill his creatures and I need to murder all of them. Also the lifegain from Firewalker might buy me a turn or two. Sidenote: did you know that this RG Zoo lists skews mostly green and Kor Firewalker, while not a dead card, isn’t the slamdunk option I thought it was? There’s a fun fact that will become relevant later.
Game 2, on the play: Pretty much the same as game one, except in the opposite direction. A couple of creature attacks before they can get set up and then finish them off with spells.
Thoughts: No changes to sideboard. I’m on the draw and those Eidolons are slow, I should take them out for Path and Palm. Palm would be a [[Sovereign’s Bite]] as a worst case scenario, blank some damage at least. And Path at least gets rid of a creature…but I’m nothing if not consistent in not thinking about this until after the games were over.
Game 3, on the draw: We get some early back and forth and I try to focus fire the creatures, but, opponent lands a [[Hidden Herbalist]] into [[Burning-Tree Emissary]] into [[Reckless Bushwacker]] for a bunch damage. I lose to a bolt to the face, which feels a lot worse when you’re not on the giving end.
Results: 3-2
Round 6 vs Naya Zoo I happen to have some recent experience that might be relevant to this matchup.
Game 1, on the play: Turn 1 Goblin Guide into turn to Searing Blaze their one-drop is as perfect as a start as I can dream of. Opponent stays on the back foot the rest of the game.
In: 2x Deflecting Palms Out: 2x Boros Charm.
Thoughts: At least I’m learning? Charms don’t kill creatures, but a Palm can change the race. I think this is a good idea. And don’t worry about those Eidolons on the play because I sure never do…-sigh-
Game 2, on the draw: Opponent with T1 fetch a [[Sacred Foundry]] into [[Kird Ape]], so Turn 2 they could go Forest, [[Thalia, Guarding of Thraben]] since they had the basic in hand, which does slow me down. But that lets me get a hit in with Goblin Guide and later I paid the tax to Blaze Thalia, which got me there in the end. After the game, opponent was unsure if they should have mulliganed since the mana was too awkward.
Results: 4-2
Round 7 vs RG Zoo Funny story: Round 7 and Round 5 opponents are on the same team. A buddy sent them a decklist a week prior that he was using to tear up some online leagues, so they had 5-6 people all on the same list. I didn’t learn this until after the round. Round 6 Zoo player was not part of that group. Just lots of zoo this tournament and I just as I had taken [[Searing Blood]] out of the sideboard.
Game 1, on the draw: Creatures and burn spells met in the red zone. A timely Blaze turned it to my favour and I get the win.
In: 2x Path to Exile, 2x Deflecting Palm Out: 4 Boros Charm.
Thoughts: I’m getting so good at this sideboarding stuff, didn’t even consider Firewalkers. I’m quick and agile and don’t even think about those damned Eidolons at all….ever…
Game 2, on the draw: Opponent goes Turn 1 Goblin Guide into Turn 2 14 damage to my stupid face. With only a Scacred Foundry and a Mountain, they go Emissary, Herbalist, Emissary, Bushwhacker and takes me to 3 life. But I had them exactly where I wanted them, so on my Turn 2 I play a fetch land and attack with my own Guide, luring them into my trap. Turn 3 when they attack, I fetch a shockland purposely killing myself. It was a great hand by the Zoo deck…can’t even be mad.
Thoughts: No changes to sideboard. At least I’m on the play so my master strategy of ignoring Eidolons from my sideboard decisions make sense.
Game 3, on the play: We both mulligan to 6 and I keep a genius hand. I go Turn 1, Sacred Foundry tapped. Turn 2, Mountain, pass. Opponent has a T1 Renegade and turn 2 more creatures. I Helix them EoT, then Turn 3, Helix into Skewer. Turn 4 Helix and then it’s two more burn spells to close out the game.
The hand I kept with Sacred Foundry, Mountain, 3x Helix, Skewer, and I bottomed Skullcrack. I figured my mana base was painless and unless they had the godhand Turn 2 again, I was essentially starting at 29 life if I could get the helixes (helixi? helixoxen? helipodes?) off. So if I ignored the creatures and pointed everything at face, I should get there in the end. I did draw well and the game ended with me at 2 life, so it could have easily gone poorly for me. But I think it was a correct keep as I don’t know of a 5 card hand that could be any better.
Results 5-2, ended up in the top 32 out of 111 players. I’m ecstatic with those results. Had tie breakers gone a little differently, I think Top 16 was possible. All my opponents were great, I talked with each of them after the round to discuss potential sideboard options/strategies. Learned that Ascendency Urza has a Turn 2 kill…so that’s terrifying. The one judge call on myself was a dumb mistake on my part. No glaring misplays ^{I think.} Definitely some subpar decisions and I need to work on my sideboarding a lot more, but nothing embarrassingly wrong this time.
The meta there was different than I was expecting. Not as much Urza or graveyard shenanigans as I thought there would be. Not a ton of Stoneblade decks either. A lot of Burn and Zoo though, and quite a few Death Shadow variations as well.
Mainboard Discussion: Pretty stock list only two notable changes from a lot of recent lists:
1) I’m only play 19 land and have a Skullcrack in the main. I’d like to pretend this is due to a ton of research and some advanced mathematics and it is actually the perfect amount…but it’s really just a personal choice. I don’t think it makes a huge difference either way in the end, I just like 19 lands more. And the Skullcrack is there as the best burn spell from the sideboard…I have considered a D. Palm in the main just for blowout potential, but I’m worried about the matchups where it’d be a dead card.
B) I do think I should cut a couple of lands to go up to 4 Vantages and 4 Canyons. I think I’ll try cutting a Foundry, since I’m adding two white sources, and cutting a fetch. I don’t think I’m going to add [[Fiery Islet]] to the deck quite yet, I’d probably have to cut fetches for them and I’d rather Fetch/Mountain than take 2-3 damage and maybe cycle it for a card. Not 100% on the Islet, but I’ll keep it in mind.
Sideboard Discussion: I think the sideboard is fairly solid. I don’t think Searing Blood is worth putting in…there were a number of creature decks at the tournament, but in a lot of them, their toughness is typically 3+ so Blood is kind of dead there.
Wear // Tear could have been another Smash, but I live in terror of [[Leyline of Sanctity]] and refuse to leave myself without an out to it.
Skullcrack was fine as a “my blazes are dead” replacement. Besides Round 1 Batterskull, I didn’t see any real life gain. I think they’re good enough to stay.
Deflecting Palm was also fine. I didn’t play anyone where it’s amazing, but it was alright…again, especially as a “blaze is dead” replacement.
Firewalker was never relevant. Though there was plenty of other Burn at the tournament, so I think they stay where they are.
Grim Lavamancer was also never relevant. I dodged all of the slow, grindy matchups where he’s great. But again, I think he’s important enough to stay. I am glad I moved both to the sideboard, as one in the main feels too slow.
If I am supposed to be taking Eidolon out almost every game I’m on the draw, I think I want something decent to bring in besides Skullcrack. I don’t know if that’s supposed to Deflecting Palm like I was doing, or if I need to find another spell like [[Exquisite Firecraft]]. I might just have to keep a couple Eidolons in if nothing else in the sideboard is decent in the matchup.
Other: Mageling Games was amazing as always (this is not a paid advertisement). The set up was good, the judges were great. I always enjoy going to their tournaments…if only they were closer to home.
I found a couple interesting decks and talked to the pilots; a 5 colour Slivers and RB Burn. Sliver player was doing well the entire time and the deck seems pretty sweet. RB Burn player may have sold me on giving it a go…I might try it out at an FNM or two.
TLDR: RW Burn with 5-2 in an 111 person tournament. I think I did pretty good and sideboarding Eidolons is actually impossible.

Zoo For GP Toronto Hello animal enthusiasts, just giving a bit of an update about my favorite deck. I've been playing Zoo as my primary deck for almost a year now. I love the flexibility and reactive plan. I'm excited to be playing in my first Modern GP next month. I am trying to make adjustments with that in mind now. Over the last few months I've been going a bit bigger with more tools that provide interaction. Here is a list I played for some serious events last month:
 
CREATURES (27) 4 Wild Nacatl 2 Burning-Tree Emissary 3 Vexing Devil 2 Reckless Bushwhacker 4 Goblin Guide 1 Kytheon, Hero of Akros 3 Eidolon of the Great Revel 1 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben 2 Pelt Collector 3 Narnam Renegade 1 Scavenging Ooze 1 Dryad Arbor
SPELLS (15) 1 Mutagenic Growth 1 Path to Exile 4 Atarka's Command 4 Lightning Bolt 3 Searing Blaze 2 Risk Factor
MANAS (18) 1 Forest 1 Mountain 4 Windswept Heath 4 Arid Mesa 4 Wooded Foothills 1 Temple Garden 2 Stomping Ground 1 Sacred Foundry
SIDEBOARD (15) 1 Stony Silence 1 Spreading Algae 1 Risk Factor 1 Kataki, War's Wage 2 Destructive Relvery 1 Relic of Progenitus 1 Rest In Peace 1 Choke 1 Burrenton Forge-Tender 1 Grim Lavamancer 1 Surgical Extraction 2 Boros Charm 1 Flame Slash
  The biggest takeaway is I've slowed down a lot compared to playing Simian Spirit Guides, Hidden Herbalists and 4-8 Bushwackers.
Risk Factor has been AMAZING for the deck, putting us way over the top in control matchups where they really struggle. I've enjoyed testing with Pelt Collector but ultimately may be dropped.
 
GOOD MATCHUPS Grixis Control - A deck that primarily trades 1 for 1 has serious trouble keeping up.
UW Control - Less Painful Manabase but still a historically positive matchup.
Scapeshift - A bit too slow and uninteractive to keep up.
Humans - We flood the board a bit too fast, we are able to play around the interactive creatures. 3x Searing blaze hits them hard. I''ve also been on 2 MD path more recently
Boggles - I was a bit shocked, but I haven't lost against it yet. The earliest they can drop daybreak is turn 3, turn 4 is too slow typically. Atarka's command can steal the match.
Phoenix - New Hotness, the only game I lost was then they played all 4 thing in the ice. This is where Edilon & Thalia excel.
Tron - This matchup is definitely not a walk in the park, but I feel confident it's a good pairing and we have sideboard tools.
Deaths Shadow - Our swarm Stratigy and taxes are good game 1, it gets harder post-board.
Close Matchups
UWR Control - Depends on the build, but Path, Helix, Snap + Path sounds like a nightmare to play against.
Burn - Historically I've been on the winning side. Atarka's Command and Wild Nectal and even Narnam Renegade line up well.
Spirits - I've only played against it a few times but evasion, hexproof and the ability to counter key spells could be disruptive enough to catch up to our quick board presence.
Hollow One - Narnam Renegade is great here keeping larger threats at bay, they tend to deal themselves a lot of damage and not gain it back.
Storm - We have a clock and disruption but those storm players are tricky.
KCI - The more I play against this deck, the harder it gets. Like everyone right now my sideboard is LOADED against the boogyman deck.
Eldrazi - Many different builds, I think E&T is the most difficult, not a deck I want to be facing.
BAD MATCHUPS
Jund - Winnable, with all our burn but its hard to develop a strong board.
Titanshift - Able to combo off Turn three and gain life in the process.
Dredge - I had my opponent at 1 and 2 life both games last time I played against dredge but my draws were good on the draw and his dredging was terrible. Creeping Chill is a powerful card.
Ad Nauseum/Unlife - Dealing 30 damage is a lot harder then dealing 15
Mardu Pyromancer - Inquisition my best card, fatal push my best creature, make a token army UGH, the worst.

Introduction:
I played my first ever modern tournament in paper at a local pptq last Saturday and was obviously pretty nervous. Since my closest LGS is about 35km and I will move to another city within the next few weeks paper experience is pretty much nonexistent so far. Having played around 200 matches on xmage with the deck so far (with decent results) have set up a solid base on how to approach different matchups. This is my first ever tournament report as well.
Main Deck:
4 Bomat Courier
4 Monastery Swiftspear
4 Lightning Bolt
2 Burst Lightning
4 Ash Zealot
4 Eidolon of the great revel
2 Searing Blood
2 Harsh Mentor
2 Abrade
2 Dire Fleet Daredevil
2 Goblin Chainwhirler
3 Rampaging Ferocidon
4 Molten Rain
17 Mountain
4 Ramunap Ruins
Sideboard:
1 Ratchet bomb
2 Exquisite Firecraft
2 Relic of Progenitus
1 Dragon's Claw
1 Sorcerous Spyglass
2 Goblin Rabblemaster
1 Pyroclasm
1 Smash to smithereens
2 Blood Moon
2 Damping Sphere
Explanations:
I expected more tron than there was actually present at the event, so I packed in a big package of land destruction and disruption. Spheres make my storm Matchup even more favorable and are helpful against KCI as well. Rabbles and Firecraft are my usual side-ins against control and Pyroclasm and ratchet bomb give me tools to fight Bogles and go wide strategies like elves and Merfolk. My ordered "roast" and "scab-clan berserker" didn't arrive in time, so I couldn't include them.
Expectations:
My expectations were not high at all. I didn't want to get stomped so 2 wins out of 5 rounds would be a solid showing for me. Getting routine with the paper play and making a learning experience were the goals I set up for myself.
Round 1: Dredge
My first seven has only one land (ruins) and several 3-drops. Mulligan. I mull twice and keep a slow 5. Enemy starts with stitchers supplier. Hits 2 Bloodghast. After turn two glimpse on himself he has 13 power on the board on turn three (3 amalgam, 2 ghast) and I die quickly.
Game two I can keep a solid six, but my spot removal turns out to be of mediocre efficiency. I draw my relic a turn too late and get overwhelmed on board quickly.
0-1
Round 2: Bushwacker Zoo
In game one he started with nacatl, followed by 2 apes and a bushwacker on turn three. I can remove the nacatl, but my bears are too small to block the apes properly. I lose quickly.
Since my enemy fetched aggressively in game one I bring in my blood moons and this is rewarded. I deploy one on turn three without him having any basics out. A rabblemaster eats his life total quickly.
Game three is a nail biter. We trade creatures and removal in an even way. Being down 4-17 life doesn't stop me from stabilizing with a daredevil, who bolts his nacatl. I win the game with 4 life left thanks to my first strike creatures he can't block with his Goblins.
1-1
Round 3: Burn
Turns out my burn matchup isn't as even as I thought. I can deploy some creatures in game one, but he blazes them away one by one, putting my life total dangerously low. A topdecked Boros charm finishes me off.
Game 2 wasn't much better either. He sides in searing bloods in addition to his blazes which keeps my board empty and gives his guides an open line to attack.
1-2
Round 4: Jeskai Control
I can put on some pressure early in game one, getting 3 cards under my bomat, who is cracked later. My opponent stays in the game with sphinxes revelation and an active colonnade threatening to block. A molten rain cleans up the land and I get him down.
Game two is a fast affair. Opponent paths my bomat turn one, giving me the extra land I need to get down a turn two molten. I follow it up with double eidolon on turn 4. The enemy can't recover from his stumble and misses his 4th land, leaving his commands inactive.
2-2
Round 5: Grixis Control
In game one my opponent got all the removal (turns out KCommand is a good card) and I flood out horribly, seeing 12 lands within my first 20 cards.
Game two sees a blood moon turn 3 after I mull to six. Enemy scoops.
Game three is really close. I can get in a lot of damage early, having my opponent to 4 life. With the certainty of my opponent having no lifegain I just need to find ruins, firecraft or simple burn (assuming my opponent has no counters). I have no board and no cards in hand, but enough lands to crack ruins immediately. Opponent lands Tasigur and snappy, chipping in and putting me to 12. I draw a ruins, opponent down to 2. Enemy attacks, gets me down to 6. I topdeck a searing blood, blowing up snappy, enemy has no counter.
3-2
All in all I made a lot of sloppy plays and got 2 warnings over the course of the day. I forgot to call an eidolon trigger once (but noted the life change) and after round 4 I forgot to de-sideboard and realized it just when I drew my opening 7 in round 5. Lots of things I will have to keep mind for next time. I am sure I will.
Feel free to ask anything you want to know.

Hi all,
I don't bother posting here too often but I thought this particular tournament was a funny one and I somehow took enough notes to make a coherent story for once.
Since my plans for the summer contain a lot of Magic in other formats (a standard GP, a limited GP, a standard RPTQ) and holiday breaks, I sold out of modern for the year (lantern) a couple of weeks ago, confident that I was going to miss all events anyways. However, last weekend I failed to get anything done at the Dutch nationals, and spent my sunday playing the side-event modern PPTQ with 96 other equally unsuccessful peers (or people who don't like nationals/standard/saturday magic). As said, with no deck, I had to play what I could borrow. A friend of mine (who ended 3rd at Nationals, so close) had either Burn or Jund stock decks pretty much ready to go. Having played a lot of Burn in 2016, I figured that would be the more reasonable choice!
Arriving just in time, with the deck still in the friend's bag (who was in a match) & unsleeved / decklistless, I had some healthy stress to get set before the event started. Realising I had a firm grasp of the current format, a decent grasp on Burn, and no experience with the combination, I ordered a large coffee despite the high temperatures (30c) and off we went!
Round 1 - Mardu Pyromancer (2-1 / 1-0)
Typical - when I last played this deck Mardu Pyro wasn't a deck. My opponent remarks halfway through game one that it's a bad matchup for him, and I agree - game one I handily curve out Guide into four burn spells, losing Eidolon to Thoughtseize but never being in a bad place. Game 2 I keep a 1land, guide, 4 1mana burn spells hand and never find a second land before I die to tokens - Kambal is a good card. Game 3 I mull to a medium 6 but my opponent gets their third land wayyy too late. I brick on topdecking the last 1 damage for 5 turns but their pressure is too little, too late.
Round 2 - KCI (2-0 / 2-0)
Two for two! Another deck that saw no play, but I know what it does. My game one opener has an eidolon, my game two opener has an eidolon. Both have enough pressure. No wurmcoils. My sideboard seems to have 4 Revelry which is a neat plan here. Both games end around turn 4. Seems like a nice matchup.
Round 3 - Bant Spirits (2-0 / 3-0)
Finally, a deck I know. I've seen my opponent playing near me earlier, and it stuck with me (at this size of a tournament, that's rare) as he was playing a Bant Spirits mirror with the new lord. Losing the dieroll, I sequence bolting Noble, jamming Guide & Swiftspear, landing Eidolon after bolting a queller. Putting on enough pressure to get the next Queller to just be a blocker (and get Searing Blaze'd before doing so) wins me a quick game 1. Opponent mulls to 6 game two and the rest is actually rather similar, with Searing Blaze/Blood and Eidolon doing all the work supporting a reasonably wide board. Opponent runs out the desparation CoCo revealing a single hit, after which I show the triple burnspell in hand.
Round 4 - Bushwacker zoo (2-0 / 4-0)
A deck I would've probably played if I could today, Bushwacker zoo is a bit closer to the burn deck I used to play (Nacatl, Atarka's Command) but with a combo of Emmisary's and Bushwackers. Game one on the play I find two Helixes to swing the race in my favor, pretty handily out-sequencing my opponent thanks to that huge lifeswing in hand. Game two I board in 2 bridges, mull to 5, stick a turn 3 bridge and win 'the slow burn'. Opponent mentions she has no way to get rid of bridge and not enough burn to win the race. I agree.
Round 5 - MonoG Tron (2-1 / 5-0)
Another good old (old & good) matchup for the win-and-in, monogreen tron. Opponent played a friend of mine round two (saw him in the distance), and I knew he was on a deck running tron lands. Since my friend on E-tron mentioned getting handily wrecked I assumed it would be classic tron. Game one goes as these games go. Burnspells burn, I have enough land and spells, win. Game two I do my best impression of round 1 game 2, keeping a proactive onelander (albeit on 6) and proceed to get double-karned, never playing a two-mana spell and dead with 5 cards in hand. Game 3 I have a very creature-heavy hand and my opponent opens with a forest - too slow, as they die on my turn 4...
Round 6 - RB Goryo's (2-1 / 6-0)
At the top of the standings I get downpaired with a x-1 opponent, which is slightly annoying as the venue food (Hotel/Conference center) was pretty expensive and not very diverse, so I was hoping to get something in the downtime. Alas, it wasn't meant to be. I keep 2 land, 3 eidolons, spike, bolt on the play - seems reasonable. Starting with mountain - spike you gets a slight groan. Opponent plays swamp -> thoughtseize, and groans a bit more, taking one of the eidolons. I play the other two in turns, keeping my opponent from casting anything reasonable but a turn 3 liliana which, as she plusses, reveals that my opponent has Griselbrand. At this point my opponent dies, making the reveal a bit silly. Boarding in paths, bridges and RIP wouldn't have been my first thought otherwise, he looked more like a clunky-starting Mardu Pyro. Regardless, opponent goes off by faithless into Goryo's Griselbrand, with the path turning up a turn late. I don't recover from the draw 7 finding double Collective Brutality. Game 3 I keep a slow six with path, my opponent doesnt get the combo nor Brutality, and I eventually burn them out the boring way - drawing enough boros charms.
Round 7 - ID
Ending the swiss at 6-0-1 to guarantee the play is just perfect for my deck, and I gladly take the ID to get some fresh pastries, and apples for my round 7 opponent. I get to watch my buddy win his QF match at nationals in between, which was sweet.
Top 8 gets announced, one of my teammates had IDs himself into anywhere between 7 and 9, meaning a 33% chance of him missing the cut, 33% chance to play me on the draw right away (he was on Blue Moon). We get the perfects, with him ending up at 7th and my round 2 opponent at 8th place and my round 5 opponent on 9th. Either of them would've been fine, but KCI on the play feels good.
QF - KCI (2-1)
Game one goes as it did in the swiss - swift kicks to the butt, turn 4 we're done. Game 2 my opponent goes Wurmcoil into Wurmcoil, setting up enough lifelink versus my skullcrackless hand to grind out the win. Game 3 I get my opponent to his knees, he tries to combo out on turn 4 with a Aetherflux Reservoir but I skullcrack in response, leaving the reservoir useless for this turn and forcing my opponent to play the wurmcoil without backup plan. Having no green sources left I get to finish the game with 2 burn spells from the hand, despite the claim in hand. Matchup may be slightly closer than I thought after round 2.
SF - UR Breach (2-1)
I get remanded into oblivion game one, not resolving much after turn 3 while on 2 land, with the eventual emrakul hitting the board turn 5. First time I lose a game one this tournament, and I feel like this may end up rough. UR breach doesn't add much in the form of lifegain, so an aggressive start game 2 gives me a turn 4 kill. Game 3 we get the staredown, with my flooding out and my opponent drawing just counters, stabilizing at 7 life. I draw one of the two Exquisite Firecrafts to put them to bolt range, and end the game with a flurry of 4 stockpiled burn spells the next turn. Games felt really close.
F - Blue Moon (2-1)
Well, dodging the QF matchup meant playing my teammate in the finals. The matchup is similar to the SF, but my opponent's build means Thing in the Ice and more cheap interaction. Game one a couple of eidolons get there, putting too much of a strain on my opponent's resources. Game two we go long, with an eventual torrential gearhulk doing the beatdowns while I end up one burn spell short of lethal. I decide not to show Firecraft, to maybe get his mind off of it. Like that would work. Game three, for the grand prize, I draw an opening 7 consisting of 2 fetches and 5 2mana burn spells. I ship it and get back a no-lander. The five has 2 goblin guides, 2 fetches and a shock. Since I don't think my four can be better, and this hand might get there if my opponent has a dispel/negate type hand, I keep and keep a Swiftspear on top - we're all in on the creature plan at this point. Shock, Goblin Guide, reveals delta. Opponent to 18. Island, go. Draw the swiftspear, fetch, shock, swiftspear and guide, reveal opt, opponent to 13. Opponent opts, bottoming the other opt. Opponent plays a basic, Thing in the Ice. I look at my 1land hand, and my deck provides - 3rd goblin guide. Swing the team, hit for another 5, down to 8 & revealed Snapcaster. Opponent passes. I untap, top Eidolon. Cast pre-combat eidolon, Opponent flashes in snapcaster - this looks good. Swing in the team, guide and snap trade, opponent goes to 5. Current board means no Thing shenanigans. Opponent passes again, I propose to go to attacks, opponent taps my team and bounces Eidolon. I replay Eidolon and am sitting pretty with just a skullcrack in hand. Opponent looks at their hand of interaction that doesn't provide against this board and extends the hand - done for the season!
Slightly sad to beat a friend in the finals, proud of him for making it to the finals in his first tournament with his deck, kinda amazed that Burn was this good. I feel like I ran medium-hot most of the tournament, and still didn't drop a match and lose only one game 1.
TLDR: Hadn't played burn for a year and a half, played burn at PPTQ side-event after failing nationals, crushed but had to beat friend in the finals - kinda like a movie.
List: https://www.mtggoldfish.com/deck/1187401#online Reasons to play this: I like bridges and Exquisite, plus I could borrow this - no further thought in it.

So the prize payout is #1 gets a full Box, Second Recieved 12 packs, 3-4 gets 4 packs each and 5-8 get one pack of Masters 25.
 
https://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/27-02-18-bushwacker-zoo/?cb=1521420995
 
Same deck I've been dabbling with for 4 weeks now. The only maindeck change this week is +1 Kytheon -1 Gut Shot. Molten Rain is new to the board, I thought it would be better than blood moon (Debatable). Prior to this event my record with Zoo is 7-1 over the course of three events (with one bye)
 
R1 VS 8 Wack I win the die roll and steamroll my opponent Game 1. +2 Searing Blaze, +1 Boros charm, +1 Path? (I forget) -1 Thalia, -1 Manamorphose, -1 Edilon of the Great Revel (On the draw) Game two was very close, a mogg fanatic taking out a reckless bushwacker on defense allowed trample damage to put me into bolt range. Game 3 My opponent thought he had lethal but my Thalia on board meant he was unable to cast Goblin Grenade. (WIN 1-0, 2-1)
 
Round 2 vs Affinity Game 1 my opponent kept a slow 6 and I puked out my 7 for a quick win. +3 Destructive Revelry, +1 Ancient Grudge +1 Path to Exile, +1 Searing Blaze? Game 2 I mull and keep a 1 lander (I never mulled below 6) I lose the race and never draw land #2 Game 3 My opponent failed to see Narnam Renegade has deathtouch and blocked it with his spellskite. Ancient Grudge seals the deal. WIN (2-0, 4-2)
 
ROUND 3 vs 4 Colour Death Shadow Game 1 I go wide quickly, My opponent drops a death shadow at 5 life. I wait until he taps his blue to use Path to Exile. He has no followup, I clean up. He revealed his hand was all responsive and admits tapping the blue (For Opt) was an error. Game 2 He stabilizes at 5 life using Kozilek's Return, fetches to 2 with temur battle rage in hand. Game 3 Kytheon was the winning card. Early in the game I attack with three creatures, two mana in play and one mystery card in hand (And one known Reckless Bushwacker). He decided to block Burning-Tree Emissary allowing Kytheon to Transform, go up to 5 Loyalty and forcing his 4/5 Tarmogoyf to attack. I finish the match with two attackers and a bolt the next turn. WIN (2-1, 6-3)
 
Round 4 VS UG Merfolk I'm one of 5 undefeated players and am Paired down. Game 1 I had my most aggressive hand of the day with 10 power on board turn 2. +2 Searing Blaze, +1 Choke, +2 Path to Exile, -1 Thalia, -1 Manamorphose, -2 SSG, -1 Ghor-Clan Rampager. Between My self Inflicted Land Based Damage and being on the draw I cant keep up game 2. I noticed I have yet to actually see an Island in his deck. -1 Choke +1 SSG. Game three I keep his side of the board clear with 2 Searing Blaze and a bolt. He decided not to block my two attackers while at 9 life so Atarka's Command finished the match. WIN (2-1, 8-4)
 
ROUND 5 vs Boggles ID He ended up #1 Rank, I was #2. We played one game for fun and he took it down.
 
TOP 8 VS Jund Game 1 I do my thing and trounce before he can stabilize. +3 Boros Charm, +1 Path To Exile, +1 Molton Rain. -2 SSG, -1 Ghor-Clan Rampager, -1 Manamorphose Games two and three went relatively the same. I get him to a low total but cant close out as his board of Goyfs and Bloodbraid Elfs Trounces mine. Game three was more drawn out and there was one attack I regret not swinging with an additional creature since he finished the game at 2 life. LOSS (1-2, 9-6)
 
SO I only won 1 pack, it had Rest in Peace, SSG and Pentad Prisim so I can't complain. Deck it still great and every match was close but I felt advantaged overall.

So as the title says I went to FNM and went 4 - 1! It was a pretty good showing and it makes me feel way better about how I play my deck! Anyway here is the list!
Lands
4x [Bloodstained Mire]
3x [Wooded Foothills]
3x [Arid Mesa]
2x [Stomping Ground]
2x [Sacred Foundry]
2x [Inspiring Vantage]
2x [Mountain]
Creatures
1x [Grim Lavamancer]
4x [Monaastery Swiftspear]
4x [Goblin Guide]
4x [Eidolon of the Great Revel]
Noncreature Spells
4x [Lava Spike]
4x [Lightning Bolt]
4x [Boros Charm]
4x [Lightning Helix]
3x [Searing Blaze]
2x [Skullcrack]
2x [Atarka's Command]
2x [Shrine of Burning Rage]
4x [Rift Bolt]
Side
1x [Shattering Spree]
1x [Kor Firewalker]
1x [Blood Crypt]
2x [Rakdos Charm]
2x [Rampaging Ferocidon]
2x [Deflecting palm]
2x [Fulminator Mage] (I know this should be [Molten Rain])
2x [Destructive Revelry]
2x [Kolaghan's Command]
I will get to card choices at the end but for now, lets get to the games! P.S I don't remember what I sided in, sorry about that!
Round 1 vs B Minotaur cc
Game 1: Its a pretty simple game. He gets stuck on lands and isn't able to cast anything at all, and a combination of Guides and burn was enough to end it on turn 4
Game 2: I got 2 Eidolons down and cast fire down at him from up high I did 11 to myself with Eidolons, shocks, and fetches.
Round 2 vs Bant Spirits (2 - 1)
Game 1: I flooded for a bit he made a sick play while at 2 to play 3 different spirits to power up his [Mausoleum Wanderer]
Game 2: I played 2 Eidolons again! On a side note, I played two burn spells to kill him at the end here, I dealt 8 to myself to deal 7 to him!
Game 3: was rather slow but I recall Ferocidon doing some pretty good work here, he didn't read the card which put him to death because of menace neat!
Round 3 vs Burn (2 - 0)
Game 1: In the mirror, you don't expect Shrine to get above 4 but in this case, we got it up to 10 which was his downfall.
Game 2: It wasn't much of a game tbh I just killed all his stuff and then turned burn at his face.
Round 4 vs Goblins (1 - 2)
As a note I can never seem to beat this guy it isn't that he is that much better than me I'm really not sure why but he always gets me!
Game 1: I tried to play the control game to kill his stuff of bushwackers were just to strong in the end
Game 2: I played Eidolon and he tried for 3 turns to find removal and he just couldn't he scooped to the 2 bolt and lava spike hand!
Game 3: I felt super dumb I had forgotten to side in Deflecting palms which totally killed me here. He slammed a [legion loyalist], a [mogg fanatic], and a bushwacker kicked and no matter where I blocked I died to mogg fanatic sad day.
Round 5 vs 5c Humans (2 - 0)
Game 1: He got stuck hard on lands and just couldn't get anything going I just burned him out.
Game 2: The same thing happened I felt really bad but after he said it was all good and came and hugged me so it was good!
So that's it 4 - 1! Feels pretty good!
So I hope you enjoyed ask about anything you wish to hear more about!

Hey all, first real post here on spikes! So if I mess up be nice! lol.
Anyways, as the title states, I top 8ed a 57 man pptq today at CY-TEX games in Cypress, TX. My weapon of choice was burn and I was happy to place 6th with it.
I will try my best to recall the matches to the best of my ability. But first, here is the list!
MB: 4 Goblin Guide 4 Eidolon of the Great Revel 4 Monastery Swiftspear 4 Lightning Helix 4 Searing blaze 4 Rift bolt 4 lava spike 4 skullcrack 4 lightning bolt 4 boros charm 3 mountain 2 arid mesa 4 wooded foothills 4 bloodstained mire 3 inspiring vantage 2 sacred foundry 2 stomping ground
SB: 1 smash to smithereens 1 searing blood 2 rest in peace 2 kor firewalker 2 deflecting palm 3 path to exile 4 destructive revelry
I can do some talk about the deck if requested. The main board is pretty stock but my sideboard differs from list to list.
Round 1: Bushwacker Zoo (2-0) G1: Burned him out G2: D palmed him for 8 to close it out. Feelsgoodman.
Round 2: Living End (2-0) G1: Burned him out in 4 turns he got living end off once but it didn't matter. G2: Drew my on curve RIP and that was pretty much game. Burned him out.
Round 3: Grixis Death Shadow (2-1) G1: Burned him out. G2: He got the nuts. I was staring down 2 11/11 DS's and scooped. G3: I got the nuts and won in 4.
Round 4: Anafenza Combo (1-2) G1: He got infinite and I scooped G2: Eidolon got the best of him this game. Had a great combat step, left him at 2, then 2nd main phased another Eidolon to close it out. G3: He got infinite again and I scooped. ** This matchup is not fun when they maindeck 4 finks **
Round 5: Affinity (2-1) G1: He mulled to 5 and I burned him out. G2: It was close, etched champion finished the job out for him despite me packing major hate for this matchup. G3: The hate worked out and he mulled to 5 again. Felt bad, but killed every VS felt good.
Round 6 (WIN AND IN TO T8): GW Value Town (2-1) G1: Voice just wrecked me. Quick loss. G2: Got the nuts and won in 3. G3: This was such a cool game. Long story short, I got my opponent to 1 and I was at 4. I had no cards in hand and he was two Knights on the field representing lethal next turn. I had no blockers. Nothing. I did what anyone in my position would do... Slam down top card... It was a Skullcrack... and I got my win and in.
Top 8: I was Second going into the top 8.
QF: GW Value Town (1-2) G1: Got utterly dominated by courser. G2: Got the nuts and won in 4. G3: I flooded out really hard and ended up losing. But hey that's magic.
6th was good for 7 packs of Modern Masters or 70 store credit. Worth!
Thanks Spikes and good luck this modern pptq season!

I really want gob tribal to work in modern, but I have found it to be a tad lackluster. It is a great entry point for people new to the format what with its low cost to assemble. I want more for my gobos though, not just an entry level deck! With that in mind I would like to present a brew I have came up with. I do not have any tourney tests to present yet, but I am excited from what I have solitared.
4x Goblin Guides
4x Mogg Fanatics
4x Foundry Street Denizens
4x Vexing Devils
4x Spike Jesters
4x Goblin Bushwackers
4x Reckless Bushwackers
4x Lightning Bolts
4x Goblin Grenades
4x Claim//Fames
11x Mountains
4x Blood Crypts
4x Blackcleave Cliffs
1x RB filter land
The spice is definitely the claim to fames here. It plays well with grenades, a devil that went straight into the yard, fanatic, denizen triggers, aftermath for a reckless surge. I am very much building off the bones set up by hellakevins rg gobs, and other normal 8 whack builds.
Have yet to mock up a SB. It would probably have some Lilianas defeats, rakdos charms, searing bloods, smash to smithers, k commands, pile drivers, dragon charms, rain of gores...something like that
I plan on trying this out when I pick up 2 more fast lands and shock lands, I will update when I give this thing its maiden voyage. If I do not update, assume it crashed and burned lol

It's Saturday, and that means it's time for another Pauper Puzzle! This is the 10th real puzzle we've released on the subreddit, which I'm very excited about - making these has been a lot of fun, and it makes me happy that they've been received so well.
In honor of the auspicious timing, this week's puzzle is a bit of an experiment. Rather than killing your opponent, your goal is to survive until the beginning of your next turn. If people like this, I'll probably make more in the future. If not, I can stick with traditional 'win this turn' stuff.
There's one additional detail which bears pointing out - in this puzzle, you have only three cards in your library. In other words, you're at risk of decking out if you aren't careful.
This is the board state, and you begin in your first main phase.
Text Version:

Player: 5 Life Field: Battlefield Scrounger Lands: Tranquil Thicket, Simic Growth Chamber x3, Thornwood Falls x4, Island x2 Hand: Radiant Fountain, Simic Growth Chamber, Thought Scour Library: Respite, Think Twice, Piracy Charm Graveyard: Fog, Deep Analysis, Pulse of Murasa Opponent: 20 Life Field: Beetleback Chief, 1/1 Red Goblin Token x4 Lands: Mountain x6 (Tapped) Hand: Goblin Bushwacker, Lava Spike, Goblin War Strike, Searing Blaze, Needle Drop Library: Mountains all the way down Puzzle beings in your main phase 1 Goal: Survive until your next turn 

Please remember to use spoilers (or a pastebin) for posting solutions in the comments! The syntax is -

[Spoiler](/spoiler "Your text goes here") 

Visuals, as always, by u/sulkingraccoon
Click here to find all of our previous puzzles.

After Peer Pressure from a friend of mine over a period of a few weeks, I finally agreed to try out Duel Commander. Initially, I intended to look through some MTGTop8 results, brew a deck, and then start going to events after my winter break. However, within about half an hour at looking at meta decks, I was instantly hooked. The aggro decks were sick, the combo decks weren’t linear, and the control decks were doing everything I wanted a control deck to do. I messaged the friend and asked if he had a deck I could borrow, and before I knew it, I was offered a chance to play a Zurgo Bellstriker deck.
While I initially had hesitations as far as playing agro went, since I tend towards control and combo in most formats, and Zurgo in particular looked concerningly linear (I am not exactly a fan of Red Deck Wins and Burn as archetypes), this specific rendition of Zurgo looked relatively interesting. It skipped a lot of the 2 mana/3 damage burn spells (Searing SpeaLightning Strike were notable exclusions) in favor of a larger emphasis on board control, and a variety of flexible and easily dividable burn spells. Based on a last second suggestion on my part, an Ankh of Mishra was procured (although there wasn’t a Zo-Zu the Punisher available), and I was ready for the tournament, which fired with a total of 8 players.
Round 1: Jori En, UR Control Game One: I won the die roll, and obviously opened with a turn 1 Zurgo, which immediately began to pressure my opponent on turn 2. They cantripped a bit, including paying real mana for a Gitaxian Probe (The right move, but something that still amused me given my experiences in Legacy), and were ticked repeatedly down by a combination of the turn 1 Zurgo and the Ankh of Mishra that I dropped turn 3. They stabilize briefly, countering some “must answer” threat I throw at them with a Disrupting Shoal, before I drop a Ball Lightning and take them from 14 directly down to 6. I get them down to 1 life, but make a misplay by denying them a Vexing Devil, allowing them to drop me from 13 to dead in the span of a turn with a Fireblast and some other burn spells from their hand.
Game Two: Resolved not to lose this one easily, I curve out a Zurgo into a Slith Firewalker, forcing an early stifle on the second Slith trigger that I proc. I Press the Advantage, and quickly drop a Goblin Bushwhacker, bringing him down to 1 life from 12, and finishing him off with a Burst Lightning to the face.
Game Three: Final game in the match, and I’m looking to make a good first impression on this tournament. Look at hand: full of gas, including a bolt, Rift Bolt, a few good 2 mana spells, and some brutal curve toppers at 3. One issue: It’s a 1 lander. I grit my teeth and bear it, hoping that my deck chooses to smile upon me. They’re on the play, and while I drop a turn 1 Zurgo, it get’s quickly Flame Slashed out. They a Gitaxian Probe (again, paying the mana), and just look at me, admonishing me for the dubious keep, before I top deck, and groan. No land. I suspend a Rift Bolt, as do they before passing to me and remanding my Rift Bolt. Back to the drawing board. I keep up, throwing the Rift Bolt and a Forked Bolt at them before they land a threat: a True Name Nemesis. I swear internally before top decking a land. Glorious. Smuggler's Copter comes down, and the next card I draw is another land, allowing me to start curving out. Zurgo comes back out, and both the Fish and the Orc pilot Copters which fly at each other: he loots into a Fiery Temper, killing my copter, and I respond with a Bolt in kind, leaving both of us down a Copter. Unfortunately for him, his decision to swing at me with TNN is punished by a Skab-Clan Berserker, quickly picking up Renown. He tries to stabilize, but punishing him for cantripping keeps him from firing at Peak Efficiency, and I land a big hit off of a Bushwacker, dropping him to 1. The next turn I draw a Searing Blaze, and burn him out, targeting him and his commander who he dropped as a blocker. I’m 1-0 (2-1 on games)!
Round 2: Keranos, UR Control Game One: Everyone in the tournament seemed to either be playing Mono Red Aggro (Me, a Zo-Zu player, and a Chandra player) or UR Control (My R1 opponent and this guy). There were a few other decks, but the repetitiveness surprised me somewhat. Regardless, I had to mulligan to 4 in order to find the right balance of lands and threats, which hurt badly. Still, I open with Zurgo, which gets killed, and forces me to look for chip damage with Lightning Berserker. He digs for a while, at one point trying to out tempo me with Early Frost (I spend the mana to instant speed Incinerate him), and then eventually drops Keranos. I get a good hit on him, dropping him to 9 life, but he untags and Wildfires. I spend a few turns trying to top deck a land, but eventually just concede the game after he drops an Energy Field. My deck has very few ways of blowing up anything other than creatures, and I figure that he can just play it safe from here. I lose with 20 life to his 9.
Game Two: I drop a turn 1 Zurgo (obviously), and he shocks out a Steam Vents to suspend an Ancestral Visions, an opening that strikes me as weak. I pressure him with Zurgo, eventually dropping a Hanweir Garrison and getting him down to 11 before he deploys a Meek Stone. I take a mental inventory, and shrug it off, my creatures aren’t that big, knocking him down to 7, before bolting him. He pauses, then nods sure. I take this as confirmation he has counter magic, and make him pay with an spell masteried Exquisite Firecraft.
Game Three: He’s on the play again, and turn 1 Gitaxian Probes me. I play with that set of cards revealed for the rest of the game which throws me off in a really dumb way: I forget to turn 1 Zurgo, instead opening with a Firebolt. A turn or two later I realize just how dumb that was. I dash Zurgo in turn 2 though with minimal harm done, and the turn after bolt him and drop a Bonesplitter instead of going for Zurgo, dropping him to 10. Right now, he lands Keranos, and I start sandbagging lands, not wanting to lose to another Wildfire. I glance at my hand and see my way in: A Hellspark Elemental hits the field, grabs the Bonesplitter, and swings in for 5. He winces, top decks a Force of Will and has Keranos bolt my face, passing back to me and leaving up mana. I unearth Hellspark, and he Force of Wills it. I move it back to my graveyard before pausing. “Wait, that’s an activated ability.” He does a Double Take, glances at his hand, and I return the elemental back to play, equipping it, and swinging for lethal. 2-0 (4-2 on games).
Round 3: Geist of Saint Traft Control Game One: This is the person that convinced me to get into French, so meeting them in the finals was, as another friend described it it, kinda like the end of a Season 1 of a sports anime. I was not excited for this, especially given that Geist was a deck that I consistently struggled to beat in playtesting, and given that this person had specifically etched to beat Red Aggro based on past weeks. One of my worst matchups, in a cinematic method? Let’s do this. I win the roll, land a turn 1 Zurgo, and curve into a Slith that get’s dazed. As I smack him upside the head, I hit 3 lands before he does, and end up dropping a Tangle Wire, which ends up helping a surprising amount despite the matchup. I flood out with lands slightly, but answer the few creatures he drops to slow Zurgo’s roll. I get out a Grenzo, Havoc Raiser, and set him to pillaging while I burn. I end up casting Impulse, and actually stealing a removal spell, getting a weird amount of value out of a card that seemed like a really dubious inclusion. Hanweir Battlements does a surprising amount of work this game, but although I get him down to 5, he stabilizes with Geist, and a Steel of the Godhead. I swing in, getting him to 2, and throwing a final burn spell at him, which gets countered. He turns around, and hits me down to 12, going up to 10, and deploying a Batterskull for good measure. I lose this one, but I got close enough that I’m out for blood in game 2.
Game Two: I’m on the play again, and drop a turn 1 Zurgo. Nothing new, except the Turn 2 Stigma Lasher I drop causes him to pause. A top decked Wasteland gets his only white source, and I slam him, dropping him to 12 with the help of a Bonesplitter. I swing in a few more times, and Zurgo gets Azorious Charmed once he get’s a white source (he later confirms that the Wasteland saved the Stigma Lasher that critical turn 3), but I press on, dropping him down to 5 before he get’s out a 2/1 blocker. Out of nowhere, I drop a Ball Lightning, and finish the game.
Game Three: I’m on the edge of my seat: my first French Tournament, and I’m sitting at 1-1 in the finals. I’ve tasted blood, and although he’s on the play, I think I have a chance. A turn 2 Ankh of Mishra causes him to change game plans and go ham, dropping an early Geist as we go back and forth. And although I build up a solid board state, and a life advantage (14 to his 12), he drops a Timely Reinforcements at a critical moment (another card he put in due to the prevalence of Mono Red Aggro in this meta, apparently), going back up to 18 and creating 3 blockers. I try to stabilize, including Thunderbolting a Geist Angel out of the air, but ultimately, he has this one. 2-1 (5-4 on games).
I end up winning some store credit since I tie for second and I’m pretty happy with how I did with my first Duel Commander Tournament. This definitely has me hooked on the format, although I intend to play a deck I’m more comfortable with in the future (Currently looking into a Selvala HotW Combo/Midrange deck).

After peer pressure from a friend of mine over a period of a few weeks, I finally agreed to try out Duel Commander. Initially, I intended to look through some MTGTop8 results, brew a deck, and then start going to events after my winter break. However, within about half an hour at looking at meta decks, I was instantly hooked. The aggro decks were sick, the combo decks weren’t linear, and the control decks were doing everything I wanted a control deck to do. I messaged the friend and asked if he had a deck I could borrow, and before I knew it, I was offered a chance to play a Zurgo Bellstriker deck.
While I initially had hesitations as far as playing agro went, since I tend towards control and combo in most formats, and Zurgo in particular looked concerningly linear (I am not exactly a fan of Red Deck Wins and Burn as archetypes), this specific rendition of Zurgo looked relatively interesting. It skipped a lot of the 2 mana/3 damage burn spells (Searing SpeaLightning Strike were notable exclusions) in favor of a larger emphasis on board control, and a variety of flexible and easily dividable burn spells. Based on a last second suggestion on my part, an Ankh of Mishra was procured (although there wasn’t a Zo-Zu the Punisher available), and I was ready for the tournament, which fired with a total of 8 players.
Round 1: Jori En, UR Control
Game One: I won the die roll, and obviously opened with a turn 1 Zurgo, which immediately began to pressure my opponent on turn 2. They cantripped a bit, including paying real mana for a Gitaxian Probe (The right move, but something that still amused me given my experiences in Legacy), and were ticked repeatedly down by a combination of the turn 1 Zurgo and the Ankh of Mishra that I dropped turn 3. They stabilize briefly, countering some “must answer” threat I throw at them with a Disrupting Shoal, before I drop a Ball Lightning and take them from 14 directly down to 6. I get them down to 1 life, but make a misplay by denying them a Vexing Devil, allowing them to drop me from 13 to dead in the span of a turn with a Fireblast and some other burn spells from their hand.
Game Two: Resolved not to lose this one easily, I curve out a Zurgo into a Slith Firewalker, forcing an early stifle on the second Slith trigger that I proc. I press the advantage, and quickly drop a Goblin Bushwhacker, bringing him down to 1 life from 12, and finishing him off with a Burst Lightning to the face.
Game Three: Final game in the match, and I’m looking to make a good first impression on this tournament. Look at hand: full of gas, including a bolt, rift bolt, a few good 2 mana spells, and some brutal curve toppers at 3. One issue: It’s a 1 lander. I grit my teeth and bear it, hoping that my deck chooses to smile upon me. They’re on the play, and while I drop a turn 1 Zurgo, it get’s quickly Flame Slashed out. They a Gitaxian Probe (again, paying the mana), and just look at me, admonishing me for the dubious keep, before I top deck, and groan. No land. I suspend a rift bolt, as do they before passing to me and remanding my Rift Bolt. Back to the drawing board. I keep up, throwing the Rift Bolt and a Forked Bolt at them before they land a threat: a True Name Nemesis. I swear internally before top decking a land. Glorious. Smuggler’s Copter comes down, and the next card I draw is another land, allowing me to start curving out. Zurgo comes back out, and both the Fish and the Orc pilot Copters which fly at each other: he loots into a Fiery Temper, killing my copter, and I respond with a Bolt in kind, leaving both of us down a Copter. Unfortunately for him, his decision to swing at me with TNN is punished by a Skab-Clan Berserker, quickly picking up Renown. He tries to stabilize, but punishing him for cantripping keeps him from firing at peak efficiency, and I land a big hit off of a Bushwacker, dropping him to 1. The next turn I draw a Searing Blaze, and burn him out, targeting him and his commander who he dropped as a blocker.
I’m 1-0 (2-1 on games)!
Round 2: Keranos, UR Control
Game One: Everyone in the tournament seemed to either be playing Mono Red Aggro (Me, a Zo-Zu player, and a Chandra player) or UR Control (My R1 opponent and this guy). There were a few other decks, but the repetitiveness surprised me somewhat. Regardless, I had to mulligan to 4 in order to find the right balance of lands and threats, which hurt badly. Still, I open with Zurgo, which gets killed, and forces me to look for chip damage with Lightning Berserker. He digs for a while, at one point trying to out tempo me with Early Frost (I spend the mana to instant speed Incinerate him), and then eventually drops Keranos. I get a good hit on him, dropping him to 9 life, but he untags and Wildfires. I spend a few turns trying to top deck a land, but eventually just concede the game after he drops an Energy Field. My deck has very few ways of blowing up anything other than creatures, and I figure that he can just play it safe from here. I lose with 20 life to his 9.
Game Two: I drop a turn 1 Zurgo (obviously), and he shocks out a Steam Vents to suspend an Ancestral Visions, an opening that strikes me as weak. I pressure him with Zurgo, eventually dropping a Hanweir Garrison and getting him down to 11 before he deploys a Meek Stone. I take a mental inventory, and shrug it off, my creatures aren’t that big, knocking him down to 7, before bolting him. He pauses, then nods sure. I take this as confirmation he has counter magic, and make him pay with an spell masteried Exquisite Firecraft.
Game Three: He’s on the play again, and turn 1 Gitaxian probes me. I play with that set of cards revealed for the rest of the game which throws me off in a really dumb way: I forget to turn 1 Zurgo, instead opening with a Firebolt. A turn or two later I realize just how dumb that was. I dash Zurgo in turn 2 though with minimal harm done, and the turn after bolt him and drop a Bonesplitter instead of going for Zurgo, dropping him to 10. Right now, he lands Keranos, and I start sandbagging lands, not wanting to lose to another Wildfire. I glance at my hand and see my way in: A Hellspark Elemental hits the field, grabs the Bonesplitter, and swings in for 5. He winces, top decks a Force of Will and has Keranos bolt my face, passing back to me and leaving up mana. I unearth Hellspark, and he force of wills it. I move it back to my graveyard before pausing. “Wait, that’s an activated ability.” He does a double take, glances at his hand, and I return the elemental back to play, equipping it, and swinging for lethal.
2-0 (4-2 on games).
Round 3: Geist of Saint Traft Control
Game One: This is the person that convinced me to get into French, so meeting them in the finals was, as another friend described it it, kinda like the end of a Season 1 of a sports anime. I was not excited for this, especially given that Geist was a deck that I consistently struggled to beat in playtesting, and given that this person had specifically etched to beat Red Aggro based on past weeks. One of my worst matchups, in a cinematic method? Let’s do this. I win the roll, land a turn 1 Zurgo, and curve into a Slith that get’s dazed. As I smack him upside the head, I hit 3 lands before he does, and end up dropping a tangle wire, which ends up helping a surprising amount despite the matchup. I flood out with lands slightly, but answer the few creatures he drops to slow Zurgo’s roll. I get out a Grenzo, Havoc Raiser, and set him to pillaging while I burn. I end up casting Impulse, and actually stealing a removal spell, getting a weird amount of value out of a card that seemed like a really dubious inclusion. Hanweir Battlements does a surprising amount of work this game, but although I get him down to 5, he stabilizes with Geist, and a Steel of the Godhead. I swing in, getting him to 2, and throwing a final burn spell at him, which gets countered. He turns around, and hits me down to 12, going up to 10, and deploying a Batterskull for good measure. I lose this one, but I got close enough that I’m out for blood in game 2.
Game Two: I’m on the play again, and drop a turn 1 Zurgo. Nothing new, except the Turn 2 Stigma Lasher I drop causes him to pause. A top decked Wasteland gets his only white source, and I slam him, dropping him to 12 with the help of a Bonesplitter. I swing in a few more times, and Zurgo gets Azorious Charmed once he get’s a white source (he later confirms that the Wasteland saved the Stigma Lasher that critical turn 3), but I press on, dropping him down to 5 before he get’s out a 2/1 blocker. Out of nowhere, I drop a Ball Lightning, and finish the game.
Game Three: I’m on the edge of my seat: my first French Tournament, and I’m sitting at 1-1 in the finals. I’ve tasted blood, and although he’s on the play, I think I have a chance. A turn 2 Ankh of Mishra causes him to change game plans and go ham, dropping an early Geist as we go back and forth. And although I build up a solid board state, and a life advantage (14 to his 12), he drops a Timely Reinforcements at a critical moment (another card he put in due to the prevalence of Mono Red Aggro in this meta, apparently), going back up to 18 and creating 3 blockers. I try to stabilize, including Thunderbolting a Geist Angel out of the air, but ultimately, he has this one.
2-1 (5-4 on games).
I end up winning some store credit since I tie for second and I’m pretty happy with how I did with my first Duel Commander Tournament. This definitely has me hooked on the format, although I intend to play a deck I’m more comfortable with in the future (Currently looking into a Selvala HotW Combo/Midrange deck).

I've been a fan of Wild Nacatl and Atarka's Command in Burn for a while now, but I'm thinking of moving to an older list such as this one With Bushwacker Zoo and Merfolk gaining in popularity, I want the full set of Searing Blazes in the main board.

Hi. I'm bad at Magic and also keeping a schedule. I had a lot to do and then left the country for a while, so now I'm back. I hope someone gets my joke in the header. Please laugh at it. If you don't think it's funny, laugh anyways you troglodyte.
Today I am going to talk about another match-up you should know how to play. Zoo.
Today's tour is going to be my gift to you. I am going to talk about all variants of Zoo. Big, Little, Suicide. You read that right. No racism here. Equal rights for all decks. This will be a great tour. I've been told that it's a good idea to role play. Since my first role play idea was immediately stopped in public and I can't do that, I will be your zookeeper.
I guess that's the next best thing.
What does Zoo do?
Turn creatures sideways.
What will we talk about here?
High CMC, low CMC, and trying to lose but then not losing CMC.
You get what I mean.
Core Cards
First I am going to talk about Big/Little Zoo. To be upfront, most people won't play little Zoo since Big is mostly considered superior. Just know that Little is mostly very low CMC creatures that they just throw out. Big Zoo has many more lines of play and also isn't as gutted by the CMC limit.
So here's a Big Zoo list (or for now, Naya Zoo or just Zhu):
http://www.mtggoldfish.com/deck/440566#paper
Let's talk about what's in it. If a card has a CMC of 3 it's not going to be in little Zoo, or else they really aren't playing little Zoo anymore. Mostly the deck is in Naya colors since apparently that's the best. Racist.

1. Noble Hierarch: Bant bird, good for exalted.
2. Wild Nacatl: 3/3 on a stick.
3. Qasali Pridemage: Exalted and a good removal for annoying enchantments that stop their gameplan.
4. Scavenging Ooze: SCOOZE SCOOZE SCOOZE. Really it gives them life and gets big. Decentish but not at its best against us.
5. Tarmogoyf: Hey kids here you can see the big bear. It feeds on salt and green pieces of paper.
6. Voice of Resurgence: Mostly vanilla but just makes big beaters. Careful. Kill it on your turn. Path works wonders.
7. Knight of the Reliquary: May or may not have the bant combo. On her own she's just really good.
8. Loxodon Smiter: If you see this card after an IoK/TS, absolutely, always, always take it.^{Just kidding.} It's vanilla mostly, shores up their control MU.
9. Loam Lion: Less common, likely more for Little Zoo.
10. Goblin Guide: Little Zoo also, still very strong.
11. Kird Ape: Old art sucks. Creature doesn't. 2/3 for cheap, mostly in Little Zoo, Wild Nacatl is mostly superior in the majority of lists, but still a great card.
12. Burning-Tree Emissary: Common in Gruul variants. Excellent tempo swing ahead of the opponent.
13. Experiment One: Mostly Gruul/Little if seen. Fairly efficient card. Stompy card.
14. Reckless Bushwacker: Buishwacker Zoo or part of Gruul. T2 Emissary into this plus whatever T1 creature they cast is very scary.
15. Ghor-Clan Rampager: Mostly for bloodrush. Cannot be countered.
16. Grim Lavamancer: Not common, but nice since it's a non-swinging clock.
17. Thrun, the Last Troll: He's the last of his kind and here for control MUs.
18. Thalia, Guardian of Thraben: Guarding their rear end against control. Or if you play EDH, she's STAX stuff.
19. Kitchen Finks: Whatever this thing is, it's a good body and gives life.
20. Geist of Saint Traft: Bant variants. Very strong card that they can pump easily. The angel is annoying to deal with. Block him a lot.
21. Anafenza, the Foremost: Mostly as a SB grave hate card.
22. Siege Rhino: RHINO RHINO1211!!!11 RHINO RHIONOFINONOONMTHOIRHRHONRHINO RHINO. (5C Zoo only or a splash).
23. Lightning Bolt: 3
24. Boros Charm: 4, or double strike. If you forget about double strike, that's a great way to lose. Also indestructible. They actually use all 3 modes.
25. Lightning Helix: Worse Rhino.
26. Atarka's Command: Mostly for reach, pump and damage. They aren't as worried about some lifegain, but they can still use it.
27. Searing Blaze: Not common but very potent removal.
28. Rancor: AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH Trample.
29. Dismember: -5/-5.
30. Dromoka's Command: Mostly removal and pump or enchantment/burn hate
31. Collected Company: get gud lucker n00b (spin roulette wheel).
32. Path to Exile: This is bad against us. But overall very good.
33. Blood Moon: The most fun card to play against in Modern!
34. Aven Mindcensor: Life's really hard if you got a library card.
35. Ethersworn Canonist: Actually interesting as a card tech, but won't give you much trouble.
36. Engineered Explosives: Kills things.
37. Magus of the Moon: Blood Moon on a stick.

That's mostly it for that. Let's do Suicide Zoo. I'll only list different things.

1. Death's Shadow: Pain is victory.
2. Monastery Swiftspear: Pairs well with the constant "free" lifeloss cards in the deck.
3. Steppe Lynx: Yup.
4. Street Wraith: Kill yourself faster.
5. Mishra's Bauble: Thins deck, pumps Swiftspear.
6. Gitaxian Probe: Pay 2 life. You also get to draw a card and look at the opponent's hand if that makes any difference.
7. Mutagenic Growth: Pay 2 life. Your creature also gets bigger!
8. Thoughtseize: Lose 2 life. You also get to take the opponent's best card!
9. Temur Battle Rage: Makes the life threshold higher for a win.
10. Become Immense: Like the Mario Mushroom.
11. Phyrexian Unlife: Nifty little thing for them, let's them really go deep with death's shadow.
12. Pyroclasm: Boardwipe.exe

How does a game play out?
The whole next part is fairly straightforward. It's a creature deck, and we are playing tokens. Mostly everything in our deck is really good against them. Your job is to stabilize since we are fairly slow as a deck, and then just beat them down in the air.
Play these cards:

1. Path to Exile: Bye creature
2. Sorin, Solemn Visitor: Hi life
3. Murderous Cut: Bye creature
4. Token Generators: Win the game
5. Auriok Champion: Blocks a decent chunk of DS Zoo and is nice against other Zoos
6. Gideon, Ally of Zendikar: Makes our creatures big and scarier to swing into
7. Timely Reinforcements: One of the best cards against them
8. IoK/TS: Not bad, take whatever your hand cannot deal with
9. Intangible Virtue: Make big tokens

And here's how to sideboard:
Take out Bitterblossoms unless you are on a very high Auriok count, these can give them the reach they need. Put in more Timely Reinforcements if you have them. If you run EE, it's a great 1 sided board wipe against them to clear the way. Worship is absolutely nuts against this deck and will along with Auriok win you a game. Zealous Persecution is one of the most insane cards we get against creature based decks and is great here. Anguished Unmaking and Dismember are decent. They kinda have a legit life loss component so be careful and use sparingly.
Playing the Set
Game 1: Do your thing and try to stabilize and swing to win. Sorin will work real magic. Timely is a great card. Be wary that they can double strike for 20+ damage in a turn, so if you are scared of that, block or hold up a PtE. If you IoK or TS them and see a double-strike card, it's normally a good target, as is any really crazy pump/trample spell. Auriok is a very good card in this MU as she gives free blocks on some creatures and nets some life along the way. Wait for pump spells to PtE if you can. Intangible and then in the air swinging is what will win the game this round, Pridemage can kill Virtue, so be ready for that.
Game 2: If you like Worship, now is the time to run it. It will put you on it's back and carry you. If you have Shambling Vent, understand you can manipulate the stack to also have a creature on the field, but don't rely on it as much since it gets bolted. The original combo is Auriok Champion. If you are on the play here, the game is much better. Play against Zoo is really nice. More Timely sided in if you can.
Game 3: A lot like 2.
Death's Shadow Zoo deals a lot of damage to itself, so sometimes they can put themselves in range and then you can swing for an easy win. In this MU, Auriok and PtE are imperative and will really cover your weaknesses. Removing Death's Shadow from the picture pretty well drops the reach of the deck. Conveniently, Auriok blocks both Death's Shadow and Swiftspear.
I consider this fairly even, with the right build, we're favored. Post board with strong lifegain or a really good board state, we can make it 55-60:45-40 in our favor. G1 I feel is mostly 50:50.
Ta da. Talked about Zoo. Hope it helped a little. Comment with questions or comments.

Tournament Report for 8 Whack at GPT for GP LA in May
http://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/24-04-16-TAy-8-whack/
To start off I have to thank my friends for play testing with this deck none of the success could have been done without them. This is my first tournament report so its gonna be sloppy and imperfect but hell I play goblins thats the name of the game. I generally had a very good experience with the deck but after so many rounds I always sided out Chieftains they felt like dead cards today against these fast match ups that I kept hitting all over the place.
This was a standard MODERN 5 round swiss, single elimination top 8 GPT for GP LA byes and this was my second attempt to clench first not with this deck though this was the first time I had sleeved up the paper version and played it in competitive.
Game 1- Affinity 2--0
Opening hand: Denizen, Bolt, Grenade, Legion Loyalist, 2x Mountains and a Mogg Fanatic
Opponent is on the draw. I go into denizen not expecting opponent to spit on the board Memnites, Ornithopters and shocks for a Vault Skirge. I respond with bolt cleaning up his flier and play mogg fanatic and swing for 2. Opponent follows up after missing land drop with another Skirge which gets shot down with Mogg Fanatic. Opponent keeps durdling looking for land doesn't find it and eventually succumbs to raw amount of goblins on board.

• SB: Out 2 Grenades, 2 Chieftain. In 3 Forked Bolts 1 Smash to Smithereens

Game 2
Opening hand: 2x Forked Bolt, 2X Mountain, Pile Driver, Goblin Guide, Legion Loyalist
Opponent opens up with Blink moth Memnite shocks for Skirge. I play Mountain promptly shoot down both with Forked Bolt drew lightning bolt for turn. Opponent plays Signal pest and Blinkmoth and passes the turn. I play second mountain play guide hold up bolt swing draw mountain. Opponent is feeling safer thinking I dont have removal plays Cranial plating misses land drop and passes the turn. I draw Goblin Bushwhacker play land kick bushwhacker leaving mountain up swing for 5. Opponent takes 5. Next turn plays vault skirge again shocks tries to equip to get back some life bolt in response. Prompt scoop. No idea why he wasnt drawing normally but I'll take it.
Second Round: Infect 2--1
Game 1: Denizen, Mountain, Loyalist, Goblin Grenade, Guide and bolt. I decide to keep it after mulligan to 6 cards hoping to draw into second land
Im on the draw as opponent plays out Dryad Arbor as turn 1 and pass. I managed to draw a second land and decided to bolt the Dryad to keep him off lands. Responds with shock breeding pool into a Glistener Elf. I put second land into play, cast guide and denizen swing for 2. Opponent then plays fetch and passes the turn. I drew into a Bushwhacker and kicked it tapping out going for 8 damage and turning the pressure on. Team tapped, lands tapped opponent fetches plays rancor and might of old Krossa, Mutagenic Growth Mutagenic Growth for 11 infect. Moving onto game 2
-SB: Out: 2 Chieftains 1 Mogg War Marshal 1 Denizen. In 3 Forked Bolt 1 Sudden Shock
Game 2: Guide, 2x Mountain, Goblin Bushwhacker, Goblin Pile Driver, 1 Forked Bolt 1 Lightning Bolt
Opponent aggressively goes to 5. On the play I decide to lead with Guide smacking for two revealing Spellskite. I actually felt disgusted as I forgot about that card and didnt bring in Smash. Opponent shocks breeding pool plays Glistener Elf. I draw land and play it and promptly bolt the elf and swing revealing rancor. Opponent misses land drop and I draw more and more goblins while opponent is stuck on one land one creature plays. On to game 3.
-SB-Out 1 Forked Bolt 1 Mogg War Marshal. In 2 Smash to Smithereens
Game 3. I cant really fully remember the whole hand but I kept a risky hand I think it was Guide, Grenade, Grenade, Bolt, Mountain, Bushwhacker, Pile Driver
Opponent leads off with Dryad Arbor again for bolt bait. I draw a Forked Bolt play mountain and fork bolt it off the field. Next opponent plays windswept and passes. I draw a second mountain and swing with guide keeping bolt up. Opponent shocks Breeding Pool now Im worried and plays Glistener Elf passes the turn. I attempt to bolt but apostles blessing saves it. I draw a third land and kick Goblin Bushwhacker swing for 5. I attempt to Goblin Grenade the Elf but he plays Vines to protect it. Opponent misses land drop but plays Spellskite. Now Im in trouble 0/4 blocker is pretty bad I need a Smash now! I untap draw card face down, look at board state and hand I have 1 grenade left I look at draw I top deck a Smash. I instantly smash to smithereens his Spellskite and goblin grenade his Elf off the field. My opponent doesnt play another creature goblins kill him pretty quickly.
Round 3: Scapeshift 2--0
Game 1: I kept a really bad hand but after getting lucky I decided to push it with a one lander again. Im on the play and I play guide revealing basic forest. Opponent plays that forest and suspends [[Search for Tomorrow]]. My face mustve turned a bit white realizing what a crap hand I kept. I play a Denizen swing for another 2 revealing a blood crypt. Opponent plays [[Sakura-Tribe Elder]] and passes. I still dont draw a land but got a second denizen. I play denizen and swing 4 he blocks and sacrificed Sakura for third land. Opponent cast Search for Tomorrow gets a basic mountain and passes the turn. Im in fight or flight mode as I still dont draw a single land I get a second guide thinking I can still do this I play it and swing revealing Primeval Titan. Opponent responds with Summoning Trap which he grabs Titan and gets two more lands blocking my guide. I didn't get much farther as he played Valukuts shooting down my team.
-SB: Out 2 Chieftains In 2 Skullcrack
Game 2: I get the nuts 2 mountains 2 guides 2 Goblin Bushwackers and a piledriver. I play guide reveal titan. Opponent leads with forest pass. I draw Grenade play second guide swing 4 reveal I believe search. Opponent plays mountain and Sakura. Draw land play Piledriver swing another 4 revealing Baloth sacs Sakura gets basic. Plays 4th land and Baloth for 4 life. I draw get Legion Loyalist play Loyalist kick Bushwhacker = GG as Piledriver shreked his life gain.
-SB: No changes
Game 3:
Much like game one leading off with uber aggressive start. He lands another Baloth and gains 4 Im stuck on 3 lands and a Mogg War Marshal and Goblin Bushwhacker in my hand with 5 goblins on board. Opponent feels confident and shows me Pyroclasm after [[Harmonize]]. I ended up drawing a 4th land played Mogg and Bushwhacker for overwhelmingly lethal.
Round 4: Grixis Control 0-2
Game 1: Mull to 5 durdled too long let him resolve a Kalitas and re-gas with Visions the game promptly ended when he wiped the board with Anger of the Gods.
-SB: Out- 2 Chieftains (Looking back maybe the wrong call) 2 Mogg War Marshal, 1 Denizen. In 3 Relic of Progenitus, 2 Skullcrack
Game 2: I kept seven and he mulled to 6. I kept a land heavy hand with 3 Mountains, 2x Bushwhacker, Lightning bolt and Goblin Grenade. I play land and pass. He suspends ancestral vision pass. I draw another land and pass. I keep drawing pretty much land for the next 4 turns until I need to put pressure or its way over so I decide to double kick bushwhacker to smack him for 5 knowing he doesnt run counter spells only removal. He allows it to hit him as his hand is full. He then plays [[Izzet Staticaster]] which kills my Bushwhackers. I draw into piledriver and hold it up with nothing but lands in my hand. He plays [[Pia and Kiran Nalaar]] and I know its over. I draw a second pile driver and put them both out as desperation sets in. I kept drawing land and my opponent loved every second of it.
Round 5 Im 3-1 going into final round. Secure top 8 live to fight another day and draw. Im starving at this point as its been 6 hours of solid magic and we both agree to draw go to top 8 and get lunch.
Swiss: 3-1-1
Top 8
First round: Burn 2--1
Game 1: Mandatory Deck Check occurs forgot Dragon Fodder wasn't in SB after hot swap to Smash to Smithereens to 3 instead of 2. I automatically go down 1 game. Now I got a fire up my butt I already know what my opponent is playing and Im looking for blood.
Game 2: I land 2 guides and am clocking him as he durdles on one land eventually he shows me 3 Helix and 2 Atarka Commands in his hand as he says go to game 3.
-SB: Out 2 Chieftain In 2 Skullcrack
Game 3: I keep a hand with a guide, bolt, 2 mountains, piledriver, Reckless Bushwhacker and a grenade. Opponent leads off with shock swift Spear which I bolt next turn. Opponent misses land drop and passes as I play guide and denizen after drawing swing for 2 revealing Eidolon. Opponent then plays second land and Eidolon and passes. I play the land I drew grenade off Eidolon and Surge Bushwhacker for 5 damage putting him way down Im at 17 life at this point and hes at 13. He plays land and passes the turn I swing with guide and bushwhacker for 4 more putting him at 9 play pile driver. He boros charms me for 4. Untaps plays land fetches to 8 gets basic plains hits me again with a Boros Charm putting me to 9. He then hits me with bolt to 6 and searing blood my bushwhacker dealing 3 to me Im down to 3 life and hes in top deck mode. I untap draw land swing putting him to 5 lethal on board next turn. He draws puts card face down Im thinking Im screwed any burn spell will get there. He flips the card revealing swift spear I realize its not over he swings for 1 putting me to 2. I draw reveal goblin grenade flip it over and he concedes.
Second Round Top 8- Infect 2-0 Semi Finals
Same player from earlier same game plan. I mull to 6 after getting terrible hand content with 2 bolts 2 mountains 1 guide and a pile driver. I open with guide revealing breeding pool. He opens with Glistener Elf which I promptly bolt off and play another guide putting a hefty clock on him. He plays Inkmoth and passes and I play my third land and play Piledriver swing for another 4. Now hes in Lethal range for me. He misses a normal creature drop and plays a second inkmoth nexus. Im holding a bolt in hand waiting for the activation. I swing for 9 he elects to block a guide with one inkmoth and I bolt him end of turn. He concedes onto game 2
-SB: out 2 Chieftains 1 Mogg War Marshal 1 Pile Driver. In 2 Forked Bolt 2 Smash to Smithereens.
Game 2: Hand- Denizen, Smash to Smithereens, 2 Mountains, Bolt, Reckless Bushwhacker and Piledriver
He opens with turn 1 elf after playing basic forest. I bolt it off and pass. He plays a Dryad Arbor and passes I draw a Forked Bolt. I play Denizen and Fork Bolt his land off. Turn 3 he plays Spellskite and I smash it off the board dealing 2 to him. He couldn't get a stable board as I kept drawing removal and slowly chipped his life total away. Eventually I got there with multiple guides and Goblin Bushwhackers coming down later.
Finals Jeskai Control 2--0
Friend is opponent and doesn't want the byes and was planning to concede anyways to who ever he faced. He grants me the win taking 1st place with 8 Whack.
Overall feel of the deck is great. I still think Goblin Chieftain belongs in the deck but as a 2 of in the SB hes too slow for some of these match ups which I kept getting paired against. Im actually considering bringing a more tweaked version of this deck to GP LA to have some fun with but I had a huge blast playing the deck today.

Tournament Report for 8 Whack at GPT for GP LA in May
http://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/24-04-16-TAy-8-whack/
To start off I have to thank my friends for play testing with this deck none of the success could have been done without them. This is my first tournament report so its gonna be sloppy and imperfect but hell I play goblins thats the name of the game. I generally had a very good experience with the deck but after so many rounds I always sided out Chieftains they felt like dead cards today against these fast match ups that I kept hitting all over the place.
This was a standard MODERN 8 round GPT for GP LA byes and this was my second attempt to clench first not with this deck though this was the first time I had sleeved up the paper version and played it in competitive.
Game 1- Affinity 2--0
Opening hand: Denizen, Bolt, Grenade, Legion Loyalist, 2x Mountains and a Mogg Fanatic
Opponent is on the draw. I go into denizen not expecting opponent to spit on the board Memnites, Ornithopters and shocks for a Vault Skirge. I respond with bolt cleaning up his flier and play mogg fanatic and swing for 2. Opponent follows up after missing land drop with another Skirge which gets shot down with Mogg Fanatic. Opponent keeps durdling looking for land doesn't find it and eventually succumbs to raw amount of goblins on board.

• SB: Out 2 Grenades, 2 Chieftain. In 3 Forked Bolts 1 Smash to Smithereens

Game 2
Opening hand: 2x Forked Bolt, 2X Mountain, Pile Driver, Goblin Guide, Legion Loyalist
Opponent opens up with Blink moth Memnite shocks for Skirge. I play Mountain promptly shoot down both with Forked Bolt drew lightning bolt for turn. Opponent plays Signal pest and Blinkmoth and passes the turn. I play second mountain play guide hold up bolt swing draw mountain. Opponent is feeling safer thinking I dont have removal plays Cranial plating misses land drop and passes the turn. I draw Goblin Bushwhacker play land kick bushwhacker leaving mountain up swing for 5. Opponent takes 5. Next turn plays vault skirge again shocks tries to equip to get back some life bolt in response. Prompt scoop. No idea why he wasnt drawing normally but I'll take it.
Second Round: Infect 2--1
Game 1: Denizen, Mountain, Loyalist, Goblin Grenade, Guide and bolt. I decide to keep it after mulligan to 6 cards hoping to draw into second land
Im on the draw as opponent plays out Dryad Arbor as turn 1 and pass. I managed to draw a second land and decided to bolt the Dryad to keep him off lands. Responds with shock breeding pool into a Glistener Elf. I put second land into play, cast guide and denizen swing for 2. Opponent then plays fetch and passes the turn. I drew into a Bushwhacker and kicked it tapping out going for 8 damage and turning the pressure on. Team tapped, lands tapped opponent fetches plays rancor and might of old Krossa, Mutagenic Growth Mutagenic Growth for 11 infect. Moving onto game 2
-SB: Out: 2 Chieftains 1 Mogg War Marshal 1 Denizen. In 3 Forked Bolt 1 Sudden Shock
Game 2: Guide, 2x Mountain, Goblin Bushwhacker, Goblin Pile Driver, 1 Forked Bolt 1 Lightning Bolt
Opponent aggressively goes to 5. On the play I decide to lead with Guide smacking for two revealing Spellskite. I actually felt disgusted as I forgot about that card and didnt bring in Smash. Opponent shocks breeding pool plays Glistener Elf. I draw land and play it and promptly bolt the elf and swing revealing rancor. Opponent misses land drop and I draw more and more goblins while opponent is stuck on one land one creature plays. On to game 3.
-SB-Out 1 Forked Bolt 1 Mogg War Marshal. In 2 Smash to Smithereens
Game 3. I cant really fully remember the whole hand but I kept a risky hand I think it was Guide, Grenade, Grenade, Bolt, Mountain, Bushwhacker, Pile Driver
Opponent leads off with Dryad Arbor again for bolt bait. I draw a Forked Bolt play mountain and fork bolt it off the field. Next opponent plays windswept and passes. I draw a second mountain and swing with guide keeping bolt up. Opponent shocks Breeding Pool now Im worried and plays Glistener Elf passes the turn. I attempt to bolt but apostles blessing saves it. I draw a third land and kick Goblin Bushwhacker swing for 5. I attempt to Goblin Grenade the Elf but he plays Vines to protect it. Opponent misses land drop but plays Spellskite. Now Im in trouble 0/4 blocker is pretty bad I need a Smash now! I untap draw card face down, look at board state and hand I have 1 grenade left I look at draw I top deck a Smash. I instantly smash to smithereens his Spellskite and goblin grenade his Elf off the field. My opponent doesnt play another creature goblins kill him pretty quickly.
Round 3: Scapeshift 2--0
Game 1: I kept a really bad hand but after getting lucky I decided to push it with a one lander again. Im on the play and I play guide revealing basic forest. Opponent plays that forest and suspends [[Search for Tomorrow]]. My face mustve turned a bit white realizing what a crap hand I kept. I play a Denizen swing for another 2 revealing a blood crypt. Opponent plays [[Sakura-Tribe Elder]] and passes. I still dont draw a land but got a second denizen. I play denizen and swing 4 he blocks and sacrificed Sakura for third land. Opponent cast Search for Tomorrow gets a basic mountain and passes the turn. Im in fight or flight mode as I still dont draw a single land I get a second guide thinking I can still do this I play it and swing revealing Primeval Titan. Opponent responds with Summoning Trap which he grabs Titan and gets two more lands blocking my guide. I didn't get much farther as he played Valukuts shooting down my team.
-SB: Out 2 Chieftains In 2 Skullcrack
Game 2: I get the nuts 2 mountains 2 guides 2 Goblin Bushwackers and a piledriver. I play guide reveal titan. Opponent leads with forest pass. I draw Grenade play second guide swing 4 reveal I believe search. Opponent plays mountain and Sakura. Draw land play Piledriver swing another 4 revealing Baloth sacs Sakura gets basic. Plays 4th land and Baloth for 4 life. I draw get Legion Loyalist play Loyalist kick Bushwhacker = GG as Piledriver shreked his life gain.
-SB: No changes
Game 3:
Much like game one leading off with uber aggressive start. He lands another Baloth and gains 4 Im stuck on 3 lands and a Mogg War Marshal and Goblin Bushwhacker in my hand with 5 goblins on board. Opponent feels confident and shows me Pyroclasm after [[Harmonize]]. I ended up drawing a 4th land played Mogg and Bushwhacker for overwhelmingly lethal.
Round 4: Grixis Control 0-2
Game 1: Mull to 5 durdled too long let him resolve a Kalitas and re-gas with Visions the game promptly ended when he wiped the board with Anger of the Gods.
-SB: Out- 2 Chieftains (Looking back maybe the wrong call) 2 Mogg War Marshal, 1 Denizen. In 3 Relic of Progenitus, 2 Skullcrack
Game 2: I kept seven and he mulled to 6. I kept a land heavy hand with 3 Mountains, 2x Bushwhacker, Lightning bolt and Goblin Grenade. I play land and pass. He suspends ancestral vision pass. I draw another land and pass. I keep drawing pretty much land for the next 4 turns until I need to put pressure or its way over so I decide to double kick bushwhacker to smack him for 5 knowing he doesnt run counter spells only removal. He allows it to hit him as his hand is full. He then plays [[Izzet Staticaster]] which kills my Bushwhackers. I draw into piledriver and hold it up with nothing but lands in my hand. He plays [[Pia and Kiran Nalaar]] and I know its over. I draw a second pile driver and put them both out as desperation sets in. I kept drawing land and my opponent loved every second of it.
Round 5 Im 3-1 going into final round. Secure top 8 live to fight another day and draw. Im starving at this point as its been 6 hours of solid magic and we both agree to draw go to top 8 and get lunch.
Swiss: 3-1-1
Top 8
First round: Burn 2--1
Game 1: Mandatory Deck Check occurs forgot Dragon Fodder wasn't in SB after hot swap to Smash to Smithereens to 3 instead of 2. I automatically go down 1 game. Now I got a fire up my butt I already know what my opponent is playing and Im looking for blood.
Game 2: I land 2 guides and am clocking him as he durdles on one land eventually he shows me 3 Helix and 2 Atarka Commands in his hand as he says go to game 3.
-SB: Out 2 Chieftain In 2 Skullcrack
Game 3: I keep a hand with a guide, bolt, 2 mountains, piledriver, Reckless Bushwhacker and a grenade. Opponent leads off with shock swift Spear which I bolt next turn. Opponent misses land drop and passes as I play guide and denizen after drawing swing for 2 revealing Eidolon. Opponent then plays second land and Eidolon and passes. I play the land I drew grenade off Eidolon and Surge Bushwhacker for 5 damage putting him way down Im at 17 life at this point and hes at 13. He plays land and passes the turn I swing with guide and bushwhacker for 4 more putting him at 9 play pile driver. He boros charms me for 4. Untaps plays land fetches to 8 gets basic plains hits me again with a Boros Charm putting me to 9. He then hits me with bolt to 6 and searing blood my bushwhacker dealing 3 to me Im down to 3 life and hes in top deck mode. I untap draw land swing putting him to 5 lethal on board next turn. He draws puts card face down Im thinking Im screwed any burn spell will get there. He flips the card revealing swift spear I realize its not over he swings for 1 putting me to 2. I draw reveal goblin grenade flip it over and he concedes.
Second Round Top 8- Infect 2-0 Semi Finals
Same player from earlier same game plan. I mull to 6 after getting terrible hand content with 2 bolts 2 mountains 1 guide and a pile driver. I open with guide revealing breeding pool. He opens with Glistener Elf which I promptly bolt off and play another guide putting a hefty clock on him. He plays Inkmoth and passes and I play my third land and play Piledriver swing for another 4. Now hes in Lethal range for me. He misses a normal creature drop and plays a second inkmoth nexus. Im holding a bolt in hand waiting for the activation. I swing for 9 he elects to block a guide with one inkmoth and I bolt him end of turn. He concedes onto game 2
-SB: out 2 Chieftains 1 Mogg War Marshal 1 Pile Driver. In 2 Forked Bolt 2 Smash to Smithereens.
Game 2: Hand- Denizen, Smash to Smithereens, 2 Mountains, Bolt, Reckless Bushwhacker and Piledriver
He opens with turn 1 elf after playing basic forest. I bolt it off and pass. He plays a Dryad Arbor and passes I draw a Forked Bolt. I play Denizen and Fork Bolt his land off. Turn 3 he plays Spellskite and I smash it off the board dealing 2 to him. He couldn't get a stable board as I kept drawing removal and slowly chipped his life total away. Eventually I got there with multiple guides and Goblin Bushwhackers coming down later.
Finals Jeskai Control 2--0
Friend is opponent and doesn't want the byes and was planning to concede anyways to who ever he faced. He grants me the win taking 1st place with 8 Whack.
Overall feel of the deck is great. I still think Goblin Chieftain belongs in the deck but as a 2 of in the SB hes too slow for some of these match ups which I kept getting paired against. Im actually considering bringing a more tweaked version of this deck to GP LA to have some fun with but I had a huge blast playing the deck today.