US Nationals 2009 Extra - Tom LaPille

Finals Game 1

Finals Game 2

Finals Game 3

Finals Game 4

Finals Game 5

Text Transcripts thanks to magicthegathering.com coverage via Brian David-Marshall.

In Game 1: Adam mulliganed but kept his next six. Gindy started on seven. Adam played the first of many Vivid lands and, despite ten D6 on the table, looked for more.

He knew they would be settling in for a long game — especially with so many dead Game 1 cards. Each player had Volcanic Fallouts, Plumeveils, Hallowed Burials, and additional spot removal to bias their decks against the Elves, Kithkin, Faeries, and Jund decks through the Swiss rounds. Both players had four lands when Adam cracked the seal with an Esper Charm to draw two cards. He attempted to stick a Jace Beleren but it was Negated. Gindy was content to play draw-go and just used Esper Charm at the end of Adam's turn while they both played lands and the occasional Plumeveil.

Deep into the “action” Gindy was ahead 13 to 9 — on lands, that is. The life totals had not been scratched yet.

Rather than discard, Adam played Path to Exile on his own Plumeveil bringing the land totals to 15 to 12 for Gindy. It was 16 to 13 when Adam decided to go “aggro” and asked Gindy to discard two cards with Esper Charm. Gindy pitched Essence Scatter and Fallout. Adam did it again and this time Gindy decided to Cryptic Command that one. That drew Negate from Adam and another Cryptic Command from Gindy. Adam played Broken Ambitions for three and Gindy paid and then drew two from the Commands on the stack.

Adam untapped to play the Cruel Ultimatum he exhausted Gindy's countermagic for the previous turn. There were two cards left in Adam's hand and Gindy had five mana to attempt the third Cryptic Command. Adam played Broken Ambitions for two and revealed Ajani for Gindy and land for Adam. He got back a previously pitched Dragon. Gindy could only keep one card and pitched Mulldrifter, Ajani Vengeant, and Negate. Gindy untapped to play the revealed Ajani Vengeant with one mystery card left in hand.

Adam played Broodmate Dragon and the card turned out to be Gindy's fourth Cryptic Command. Adam shrugged, played Cruel Ultimatum, and got the Dragon back to try again next turn. Ajani went up to five loyalty keeping a Sunken Ruins submerged for Gindy but the best he could hope for was a fog effect from his Planeswalker in the long run as Adam's next attempt at Broodmate was succesful.

Gindy ticked Ajani's loyalty up to six before the planeswalker fell to the twin strike from the dragons. Gindy tried to climb back into the hand business with Esper Charm into Mulldrifter. Adam played Broken Ambitions on the elemental for 10. Gindy X-spelled back for 6. Adam had Cryptic Command.

“Do you have anything left?” asked Gindy who was at 10 before the next dragon hit. “Do you have a Fallout?”

Adam flashed him Cruel Ultimatum.

“Thank you,” said Gindy.

“I just drew it,” Adam tells him.

Adam Yurchick is up one game to zero.

Gindy's sideboard plan was as follows:

-2 Hallowed Burial
-1 Essence Scatter
-3 Plumeveil
-4 Volcanic Fallout
-1 Broodmate Dragon

+4 Great Sable Stag
+2 Identity Crisis
+2 Jace Beleren
+1 Negate
+2 Runed Halo

Adam's was:
-3 Plumeveil
-2 Volcanic Fallout
-1 Doomblade
-2 Hallowed Burial
-1 Path to Exile

+2 Ajani Venjeant
+2 Great Sable Stag
+2 Identity Crisis
+1 Negate
+2 Runed Halo

For Game 2, Charles Gindy took a page out of Adam's book with a discard mode Esper Charm at the end of Adam's fourth turn. Adam pitched a land and Ajani Vengeant. Gindy missed his fifth land drop and played a sideboarded Great Sable Stag. Adam untapped and killed the Stag with Ajani Vengeant's second ability.

“Another one? Really?” said Gindy who knew there were only two copies of Ajani Vengeant in Adam's deck. Adam began to play draw-grow with Ajani Vengeant building up loyalty counters while Gindy dug for more cards with Esper Charm. Gindy offered up Jace Beleren and Adam cast Cryptic Command to counter it and bounce one of Gindy's untapped vivid lands. Gindy did not have the Negate and replayed the land tapped. Adam untapped into Identity Crisis and grew Ajani Vengeant once more. They played draw-go for a while — Ajani Vengeant was suddenly two turns away from going ultimate and Armageddon'ing Gindy's lands. Adam attempted another Identity Crisis, but it drew Negate from Gindy. All his lands went away a turn later.

Adam also played Jace Beleren. He did not have a way to start doing damage on the board but he was in total command. Gindy played three straight lands but Adam was nine up on him. Gindy evoked Mulldrifter. Adam untapped and decided to protect himself from Identity Crisis with Runed Halo. Gindy tried to banish Jace with his own copy but Adam had the Cryptic Command. Both players summoned Great Sable Stag.

Adam drew a pair of cards, expending his Jace. He made Gindy ditch two of his three cards — including a blank Identity Crisis — and Adam played another Jace Beleren. Gindy was Esper Charmed in his draw step and Gindy said, “Show me a Cryptic Command...”

Adam showed it to him along with Negate and Broken Ambitions. Charles scooped it up.

The count is now Adam Yurchick two games to Charles Gindy's zero.

For Game 3, Adam swapped out one Hallowed Burial for another Great Sable Stag and there were no changes for Gindy's sideboarding.

To get things started, Charles Gindy resolved Jace Beleren on turn 3 and Adam played a Great Sable Stag. Gindy was about to lose Jace to the Stag but set Adam back by Cryptic Commanding a Vivid Meadow. Gindy, meanwhile, paid full price for Mulldrifter.

The two players traded cantrip Boomerangs in a battle over resources, but Gindy was ahead in hand and on the board with a pair of Mulldrifters — and Runed Halo set on Great Sable Stag. The two fliers took Adam down to 12. He Esper Charmed for two cards at end of turn but passed the turn back to Gindy who did the same. Adam fell to 8 from the fliers. He drew two more cards as Gindy discarded Broodmate Dragon. Jace stuck for Adam. Both players drew. Gindy ignored the Planeswalker and dropped Adam to 4, who was digging frantically with another Esper Charm. Adam attempted an Ajani, but it was Negated. Adam attempted to buy another turn with an upkeep Cryptic Command but when Gindy started tapping mana Adam began getting ready for Game 4.

The game count is now Adam Yurchick two games to Charles Gindy's one.

In Game 4 Adam Yurchick mulliganed a two-land hand with a quick peek at the Identity Crisis on top of his deck. Gindy kept his seven. Nothing happened until the ceremonial first Esper Charm was thrown out at the end of turn five by Gindy. He untapped and attempted to land an Ajani. He had the Negate for Adam's Cryptic Command and Adam's Reflecting Pool was suddenly locked down. Adam peeled back the top card of his deck — he needed it to be a land that did not come into play tapped — and he was rewarded. Gindy staggered under the body blow of an earth-shattering Identity Crisis.

Adam tried Cruel Ultimatum but the one card in Gindy's hand was a timely Negate. Adam played a Great Sable Stag and protected it from a Cruel Ultimatum'd fate with Negate. He could not do anything about Ajani zapping it though. Both players were on one card after Adam played Runed Halo on Ajani. They both played Great Sable Stags but Gindy still had a supply of Lightning Helixes from his Planeswalker and he began the long road back through the red zone. Adam went to 8 from the Great Sable Stag. He tried Runed Halo but Gindy had Broken Ambitions — revealing Cruel Ultimatum to Adam's Broodmate Dragon.

“I am going to keep,” Gindy said. Ajani Vengeant ticked up to 7 loyalty and was a Cryptic Command away from blowing up all of Adam's land and forcing a game 5.

Adam attempted Broodmate Dragon, but Gindy had Cryptic Command and drew a card. Adam made Gindy discard two during his draw step with Esper Charm but still had no answer to the Great Sable Stag which dropped him to just five life. He fell to 2 a turn later. Adam played Cryptic Command to tap and draw a card during Gindy's upkeep. Gindy drew a card and beamed as he pointed the freshly drawn Esper Charm at the Runed Halo.

“Wooooooow!” exhaled Gindy who had all but resigned himself to losing after the Identity Crisis struck. He beamed at Adam, who seemed stunned to have lost. “We have to make it interesting for the crowds,” he said.

The match is now tied at two games apiece.

For the final game of the match, Adam Yurchick deliberated if he wanted to play for the National Championship with a hand of three lands, Ajani Vengeant, Negate, and two Cruel Ultimatum. Ultimately he decided that he did. The players traded Cryptic Commands to bounce lands in the early turns. Adam landed an Ajani Vengeant and kept Gindy's Cascade Bluffs tapped. Adam kept the Cascade Bluffs tapped and played a Great Sable Stag. Gindy bounced the Ajani Vengeant with Cryptic Command, and Adam chose not to fight over it with three lands open.

He swung with the Stag for first blood but Gindy was winning the only battle that seemed to matter in this matchup; who could get the most lands in play. He was up 8 to 6 on Adam, who used Esper Charm for two cards. He played a second Great Sable Stag. Gindy used a Cryptic Command to bounce a land at end of Adam's turn. Gindy was setting up to have the mana advantage going into a battle over Identity Crisis. He hit land number nine and fired the first salvo. Adam tapped out for Negate and Gindy cast Broken Ambitions — revealing Runed Halo — to force it through.

Adam attacked Gindy down to 8, and played a Jace ripped right off the top of his deck, which found him a sixth land — but Gindy was on cruise control now. He legend ruled the Jace Beleren, destroying it with another copy, and played Cruel Ultimatum.

Adam attacked with his remaining Stag to get Gindy to 10. Another Cruel Ultimatum followed by a Great Sable Stag was Gindy's next turn. A pair of Runed Halo came down a turn later for Gindy naming Cruel and Identity Crisis. Gindy flashed Adam yet another Cruel Ultimatum. Adam was unmoved. Gindy showed him Cryptic Command. That was enough and Adam extended the hand.

Charles Gindy is your 2009 US Nationals Champion!

Until next time Magic players, this is Evan Erwin. Tapping the cards...so you don't have to!

Evan "misterorange" Erwin
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BONUS:

My 5 Hall of Fame picks for 2009 (in alphabetical order):

Patrick Chapin
Kamiel Cornelissen
Antonino De Rosa
Frank Karsten
Antoine Ruel

I'll write my thoughts on these selections later.

Also, OMG I wasn't late with the content this week! Internet high five!