I enjoy Mike Flores.
- I think the man has had an incredible impact on this game we play.
- I think the man is a shameless self-promoter, but he's honest in his promotions.
- I think that he builds very well-tuned decks for a specific metagame; then players continue to play those decks as that metagame changes, which leaves his original decks behind and this is what causes a lot of people to claim "Flores builds bad decks."
Word.
I can't even count the number of times I said the above sentences in the course of the day that I took a Flores deck to win a Team PTQ for Charleston.
Oops... that spoiled the surprise, didn't it?
Since I know you're asking, I did, in fact, include the word "Word" in my arguments. I've learned you can't lose a debate when you end it with:
"Word."
Try it sometime.
I was listening to a Top8Magic.com podcast on Thursday night, the week of the St. Louis PTQ: Charleston, and I heard Flores talking about the deck he'd built and adopted for the PTQ that coming weekend. He talked about some of my favorite cards, including Shining Shoal, Loxodon Hierarch, and Chord of Calling. I knew that I had to play this deck in the coming PTQ. Up to that point I was stuck with Ghost Dad. That's not a shot at Ghost Dad. If this were an individual PTQ season, rather than a Team season, I would probably be playing Ghost Dad. However, I feel that having an entire day of Ghost Dad mirrors, and having opponents be prepared for the deck I'm playing, would be a rather pointless PTQ and wouldn't get me anywhere.
So, I spammed Flores.
I had no way of getting in touch with him, and I wanted to play this deck in the PTQ, so I sent him PM's at every message-board I could find him on, and I begged Richard Feldman (who had no clue who I was) to email him for me. I arrived home from FNM to find an email waiting in my inbox:
The email contained the list, and nothing more. No matchup analysis, no sideboard strategies, no clue how to play the deck. But I got what I asked for, and that was good enough for me.
The day of the tournament started, and I'd not played a single game with the deck. The only change I made to the deck was to replace the four Giant Solifuge in the board with four Hunted Wumpus. Our Gruul Deck Wins already took the Solifuges, and I literally had no idea what to put in their place. There is absolutely nothing in the format that can be a substitute for it. So rather than find a card that would be strong against Control... I decided to throw in a card that could be questionable against Aggro.
I am not Mike Flores.
My teammates were playing these decks:
This version of Gruul Deck Wins is intended to be better against the mirror and other Aggro decks. The only changes to support those matchups are four Volcanic Hammer and three Frostling... but very often, that is enough.
One card that is unique to this deck list is Silhana Ledgewalker over Dryad Sophisticate. The Ledgewalker is a card that my team (Fatman Dance) has been in love with since we discovered the stellar play of turn 2 Ledgewalker, turn 3 Moldervine Cloak, respond with giggles. Even without the Cloak, the Ledgewalker seems better in the current environment than Sophisticate. Yes, Sophisticate has the stellar "Non-Basic Landwalk" ability. It also has the not so stellar “Aim target Electrolyze/Rusalka/Frostling/Tribe Elder/Jitte Counter at me” ability. We don't like the second ability at all. Sophisticate is twice as fast a clock as Ledgewalker, if it lives... and it very rarely does. When I first saw Ledgewalker, I thought, “they made this unplayable by making it cost 1G.” Now I understand that it would've been ban-worthy at a cost of G.
Seriously... play Ledgewalker. It's broken.
On to the tournament!
My notes for all my matches... well... don't exist. I didn't actually think I'd do well, so I didn't think I'd need to write a report. I apologize in advance if I get any game details wrong.
We played Niv-Mizzet control in Seat A, Gruul Deck Wins in Seat B and G/W Ghazi-Chord in Seat C.
Round 1 versus Mono Red Beatdown.
Game 1 I don't know what I'm facing off against, so my hand was a tad slow. Turns out that our round 1 opponents are "morally opposed to net-decking" so they have all rogue decks. My opponent is playing Mono Red Beatdown. He does just that in game 1, and beats me down to a quick six life. At some point during this game I had used the maindeck Shining Shoal to try to save a Guildmage from a Shock. My opponent simply untapped and Shocked him again. This is relevant because a few turns later, after the board has been cleared in combat, I passed the turn tapped out with nothing in play and sitting at six life. I was going to untap and drop a Loxodon Hierarch. My opponent also had nothing in play except five lands, and no cards in hand.
He topdecked Hunted Dragon.
Had I not tried to save my Guildmage from his Shock, I would have removed Yosei to kill the Hunted Dragon and started my turn with three 2/2 First Striking Knights.
Looking back, I think that saving the Guildmage was the wrong play no matter what, because he still had four cards in hand and I was tapped out. I had already seen four different ways his deck could kill the Guildmage, and even forcing him to use two Shocks on it meant I was down three cards to two just to save a card that wasn't too important to the matchup. Against burn, that Shoal should definitely have been in my hand to save me.
I sideboarded in Faith's Fetters and Shining Shoals. I don't remember exactly what I took out... most likely cards that didn't say, “Destroy target Red deck.”
Nearly every match all day I sided out three Glare of Subdual. I was always happy with that decision, but I still wouldn't remove the Glares from the maindeck because they just help out so much against nearly every deck when you don't know what you're facing. The Glare is an excellent card to handle anything, but in sideboarded games you can have more direct cards for the matchup.
Game 2 I win on the back of some 4/4's that gain life.
Game 3 I open a hand of Temple Garden, Forest, Forest, Hierarch, Hierarch, Hierarch, Yosei. I consulted with my teammate on this and after we both figured I should keep it. I had twenty-eight mana sources left in the deck. Not only that, but the only cards I had seen out of the opponent were 1/1s for one, 6/6s for five and burn. Nothing in between.
Clearly you can see where this is going. I lose Round 1 against Rogue mono-Red Aggro by not drawing a fourth mana source until turn 9. I was dead by then, even though I had used three Shining Shoals.
What a way to start the day...
Luckily... my teammates both won. Yay for teams!
My Record: 0-1
Team Record: 1-0
Round 2 versus Firemane Angel Control.
Game 1 was a long and drawn-out game. A lot of spells were played, a lot of things died to Wraths. A lot of Fetters and Zur's Weirdings died to Nikko-Onna's. A lot of tokens died to Electrolyze. The important part of the story is that I won by making more Tokens with Vitu-Ghazi and Guildmages than he could with Meloku.
I sided in Faith's Fetters, because I assumed he would bring in more Meloku. I also brought in Nikko-Onna, Seed Spark, and Silklash Spider.
Starting game 2 I figured that we would never have a third game. I was right. This game went quite long as well, with lots of life being gained, lots of men dying to Wrath of God, and lots of Faith's Fetters being cast. The crucial point in this game came when he tapped out at the end of my turn to Electrolyze my two Saproling tokens. This would leave him with a Meloku and one token, and me with nothing but a Vitu-Ghazi. I responded with Chord of Calling, with X equaling two. I could have gone up to seven, but didn't think Yosei was the right choice since he would just chump it all day with tokens. My mind was replaying the first game when Vitu-Ghazi plus Guildmage beat out his Meloku. The problem here was that I was at thirteen life, and he was at about twenty-five. This problem smacked me in the face full force when I picked up my library and saw the bottom card: Silklash Spider.
Here's a toast to my little friend called "Playtesting."
He won this game in extra turns, which made my match a draw instead of a 1-0-1 win for me.
Will had won rather quickly, but Nick was against B/W/g Control and their game was in extra turns. They didn't finish their second game, and the match record was 1-0-1 in favor of Nick. Since we were the last match to finish, we had a judge standing over us telling us to fill out the match report sheet. Nick filled it out as 1-0-2 and signed it.
Sixty seconds later we realized we actually won the match 2-0-1. We rushed up to the judge table to try to remedy the situation, but since the judge had watched us sign the slip and the results were already put into the computer they wouldn't let us change the results. Either way it was a win for our team, but the way it went into the computer hurt our tiebreakers. We hoped that didn't haunt us later.
My Record: 0-1-1
Team Record: 2-0
Round 3 versus Ghost-Dad.
Game 1, my opponent dropped turn 1 Godless Shrine. I prayed that this was Ghost Dad. On turn 3, he played Thief of Hope and I giggled a little inside.
See, one of the reasons I knew I had to play this deck was because I figured Ghost Dad would be everywhere (it wasn't), and Flores had talked about a play he made in testing that went something like this:
Opponent has just tapped out to cast a spirit, triggering Tallowisp to get Pillory of the Sleepless and cast it on the sole Loxodon Hierarch on Mike's side of the board. Opponent attacks with a 2/x, Tallowisp, and Ghost Council. Before blockers, Mike played Chord of Calling… with X equaling three to put Nikko-Onna into play. Nikko-Onna destroys Pillory, Hierarch blocks Ghost Council, Nikko blocks the 2/x. Damage on the stack; pitch Hierarch to Shining Shoal in order to redirect Ghost Council's damage to Tallowisp, returning Nikko-Onna to hand to be cast on the next Pillory.
This play is the biggest reason I wanted to play this deck.
Guess what play I got to make in game 1 of this match?
(The answer is: "that play.")
My opponent's response to this play?
"… I don't think I have any outs after that."
Game 2 was uneventful. I didn't screw up (too much). I was playing against Ghost Dad. I won 2-0.
My Record: 1-1-1
Team Record: 3-0
Round 4 versus B/W House Guard Control.
Our opponents this round were a great team of guys from Memphis. They traveled all that way to play in the PTQ, and I hope that they qualify before the season is over (they can almost make it on rating by now). My opponent from their team was a very nice guy named David, I believe (I'm horrid with names). Their team name was "D.A.M.!!!" I must stress the three exclamation points on the end. The judges removed them when putting the names into the computer, but they were insistent that the name be said in an exclamatory fashion.
Game 1, my opponent very quickly realizes what I'm playing and says "Thank you Mike Flores, this is a bad matchup for me." Apparently he had heard the podcast too. I win this game rather handily, on the back of four Loxodon Hierarchs, even after mulliganing to six.
Game 2 I mulligan to five. I lose.
Game 3 I mulligan to five. I lose.
How fun.
Between myself and my two teammates, we mulliganed twelve times in eight games. Will lost the race versus Heartbeat 2-1. Nick won his match 2-0 against Zoo.
Side note: Somehow, a deck with sixteen maindeck counterspells is happy when it faces Zoo. How does that work again?
My Record: 1-2-1 (boy, am I stellar today)
Team Record: 3-1
Round 5 versus Zoo.
Game 1 I don't know what he's playing so again, I keep a slow hand. I'm learning that you should never keep a slow hand. I lose very quickly to an incredible Zoo draw that sees turn 1 Kird Ape, turn 2 Watchwolf, turn 3 Burning-Tree Shaman, turn 4 scoop.
I side in all the "Destroy target Red deck" cards: Faith's Fetters, Shining Shoal, and Hunted Wumpus (only time the Wumpus came in all day).
Game 2, he had another incredible draw that nearly mirrored the first one except for some lands he played. The difference is that I went first, and played a turn 3 Wumpus off an Elf. He got a free Isamaru. I played a turn 4 Wumpus. He got a free... nothing. Seems good.
Both Wumpuses (Wumpi?) died to blocks plus burn... but it was mostly academic after that.
Game 3 I open a hand of Llanowar Elves, Temple Garden, Forest, two Faith's Fetters, two Umezawa's Jitte. I consulted with Will in seat B, asking if I should keep the hand. He said: "You don't lose with Jitte on the board, and you have a backup." At first, the game seemed close and he got me down to eleven very fast. Then I started chaining Fetters, and built up some counters on a Jitte and, again, it felt very boring from that point on. He played out a Jitte during the game to kill my Jitte with four counters on it. At that point I had two more Jittes in hand, and a Viridian Shaman. Chord of Calling for Yosei was pretty much a punch in the gut to him... but I didn't want to possibly screw up the game in any way.
Side note: The new team talk rule is an incredible change to the format. At first I really was against it. I completely changed my mind during this tournament. I discussed games with Will all day long. Since I had built and playtested his deck, I had good insights to sideboarding and mulliganing… and since he is a solid player he had the same good insights for me. Plus his deck won so fast all day that he could just sit between Nick and I and help us both out.
Will had already won his match and when I won mine. The other team scooped the third match to us, to boost our tiebreakers. We were very grateful for that.
My Record: 2-2-1
Team Record: 4-1
Going into Round 6 (the last round) we were in third place, and were paired against the 2nd place team. We ID'd with them and got to rest for an hour or so.
Due to the tournament being smallish (I guess twenty-four teams is small) there were a lot of teams paired up and down in the last round… but it ended up that there was no way for anyone but the Top 4 at the start of the round to make it into the Top 4 at the end of the round.
I can't even explain the relief I felt. My highest finish at a PTQ to this point had been 22nd, and now I would be playing two more matches for the slot? Sweet... friggin'... action.
My Record: 2-2-2 (with 1 ID)
Team Record: 4-1-1 (with 1 ID)
Semifinals.
We are paired against the first place team. Team D.A.M.!!! The only team to beat us in the Swiss. Maybe we won't mulligan twelve times this match.
Game 1 was a rather quick affair, but it was also the game where I nearly punted our tournament away. See, Nick with Mizzet Control was very confidant about his matchup versus Zoo. He hadn't lost to Aggro all day (actually, he hadn't lost all day). Will was about a 50% chance against Heartbeat. It is literally a race. However, this Heartbeat player was pretty good, so that lowered Will's chances considerably. Plus, this Heartbeat player and deck were Will's only match loss in the Swiss. I felt that it was basically on my shoulders. I didn't like that feeling.
Back to game 1.
My opponent quickly empties his hand, Castigating and Cranial Extracting and Mortifying and Last Gasping left and right. With an empty hand, he drops Bottled Cloister. I untap and swing in with the Hierarch I had played last turn, to put him at sixteen. I dropped another Hierarch and passed the turn. He untapped, drew two cards, transmuted Dimir House Guard for Wrath of God, and passed the turn. His cards went under the Cloister on my turn. I swung in with both Hierarchs, putting him at eight.
Now time for the punt.
In my hand I have Wood Elves; Temple Garden; Miren, the Moaning Well; and Chord of Calling. In play I have two Hierarchs (tapped), two Selesnya Sanctuary, and one Vitu-Ghazi. I play the Miren and cast Chord with X equaling three. My opponent informs me that I only have two Green mana available.
I look at the board. I look at my hand. I look at the board again. I curse.
I was at twenty-eight life, yet I played a colorless source instead of the Temple Garden in my hand? What kind of idiot am I? Who makes mistakes like these in the Top 4 of a PTQ? Did I just screw up this whole tournament for my team? I knew that his game against me post-sideboard was much better for him, so I very much did not need him to untap, draw two more cards, and Wrath away my board.
At this point Will had to calm me down and tell me to get my head back into the game. I think my opponent thought I was angry with him, but I was definitely irate at myself. I passed the turn with all my lands untapped. He Wrathed my board. I made a token at the end of his turn, and destroyed his Cloister on my turn, leaving him with no cards in hand (there were two land under the Cloister).
Luckily for me, his deck didn't let him take advantage of my mistakes, and I won with Vitu-Ghazi tokens.
I don't remember what I sided for this matchup at all.
Game 2. Despite him resolving three Wrath of God, two Cranial Extractions, and one Persecute, his deck didn't really put up any offense. Instead, it gave him thirteen lands, and I rode the tokens and elephants to the win.
Will lost quickly to Heartbeat (only his second match loss of the day, both to the same player), and Nick won the deciding match on the back of a Keiga, against Zoo.
My Record: 3-2-2 (with ID)
Team Record: 5-1-1 (with ID)
Finals.
We were in the Finals against some very well known St. Louis players, Mike Donovan, William Brandt, and Matt "Ogre" Stephens. I am paired against William Brandt playing B/W Aggro.
William is the type of player that people like me hate to play against. I make mistakes, and William catches mistakes and will always call judges over on these mistakes (as he should).
In the first game against William, he gets out a few Castigates but is manascrewed with only three land in play - one of which is a Quicksand (really nice tech, in my opinion). The Quicksand does hold me off for a little bit, but eventually I get enough tokens off a Guildmage to overwhelm him.
Will has already won his game 1 against Donovan with URzaTron with Wildfire.
Nick has won his game 1 against Ogre with G/R Beats.
Game 2 against William sees me getting a mana-light hand. My opening hand is Vitu-Ghazi, Selesnya Sanctuary, Wood Elves, Chord of Calling, Chord of Calling, Guildmage, Yosei. I keep it, because I feel that B/W can't beat down fast enough to really take advantage of my slow start. William kicks off with a Castigate to take my Wood Elves. I topdeck Wood Elves. He Castigates again to take a Chord of Calling. I topdeck a Chord of Calling. He castigates again to take a Yosei.
Guess what I topdeck?
At this point my teammates have both won 2-0 and my match is irrelevant, but William and I finish it out and I win 2-0 as well.
My Record: 4-2-2
Team Record: 6-1-1
Nick, Will, and myself stand around, feeling a bit shocked. All of us have aspirations of going to the Pro Tour, but none of us ever have before. We double-check to make sure that this wasn't an incredibly elaborate April Fools joke, involving nine hours and a hundred people. It wasn't. We actually won.
I highly recommend checking this deck out. The only deck in the environment I wouldn't feel comfortable facing off against would be Heartbeat, and this deck has enough enchantment hate that it might be a good matchup. If I had to choose again, it would most definitely be this deck. It is fun to play, very powerful, and best of all… it takes very little away from any other decks on the team.
Props:
Nick and Will. Do your backs hurt from carrying me all day long? Nick didn't lose a match all day and Will only lost 2, both to the same player.
Mike Flores. You are king of Metagame hosing decks. Thank you very much for giving your tech decklist to the annoying guy who spammed you even though you didn't know him.
Richard Feldman. Thanks for helping me spam Flores.
Team Fatman Dance (especially Mark Finefield, for all the cards you've loaned me). Thanks for all the support. You guys are a great team, and I'm glad to be a part.
My opponents. I had a great time against all of you, especially Team D.A.M.!!! Hope you guys qualify soon.
Slops:
Me. Who doesn't get Silklash Spider against a tapped out Firemane Angel Control player? Who loses to Mono Red with four Hierarchs in hand, and three Shining Shoals cast in the game? Who doesn't play Temple Garden when they are at 28 life and need the third Green source?
Mike Flores haters. Get over it. The man is a self-promoter, but his promotions are true. He has also accomplished a hell of a lot more than you have, and has made incredible contributions to this game over the years. Also, buy his book.
James "Pselus" Wright
james w at gmail dot com
Team Fatman Dance
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