I played another PPTQ yesterday. It was in Huntsville at Gamers Grove, where I have won the only two PPTQs I've played there. When Austin Bursavich said he could lend me a deck, I figured why not try to make it three for three?
I did very little preparation however. I played no games, so all my analysis is going to be off of the results I had in the tournament and some theory crafting. I've looked at lots of Standard lists trying to help Austin and Collin Rountree prepare for the upcoming PT. It can't hurt to think about Magic, though I believe your results are better if you actually play some games.
I played almost exactly this list. I changed the Search for Azcanta and Vraska's Contempt in the sideboard for 2x Spell Pierce.
40 people, 6 rounds of swiss.
Round 1 - UW Approach
Playing against Scott, also from College Station area. He road with me, along with Jeremy and Andrew. Before the games, he made the joke that if he won he'd have to walk home. Game 1 I kept a not ideal hand, but it has some lands and Glimmer of Genius which I thought would be useful. I didn't have nearly enough counters to fight on the axis I needed to, and he did, so I was defeated fairly easily. After SB I get to bring in 4 Duress 4 Negate 2 Spell Pierce, and really have a big advantage. Game 2 was close, I had to find a Scarab God of Supreme Will when I had him tapped out, and I found it. Game 3 I just destroyed his plan with Duress and Freebooter.
1-0
Round 2 - UW Approach
Playing against Max. Game 1 we both mulligan to 5, and I draw 3 Freebooter and easily win. Game 2 I draw all 4 Duress easily win. I'd love to play this matchup all day.
2-0
Round 3 - UB Marionette Control
He had Tezzeret, Spell Swindle, and another assorted things. Game 1 is hard because I don't have any hard counters, but I have a bit more card draw, and somehow get a Scarab God to stick and can use it on all the Gearhulks. We only have 15 minutes for game 2, he has some aggressive 2/1 that gives him treasure when it dies. I screw up and forget he has the treasure so he casts Gearhulk off only 5 lands, but I'm able to recover because Scarab God just too good.
3-0
Round 4 - Temur Energy
Paired down vs Mac on 7 points. Game 1 I have a reasonable draw, but he sequences in a way to always make it awkward for me. I trade a Gifted Aetherborn for a Hydra, and then he plays Carnage Tyrant and I die. Game 2 I'm in control for most of the game, but he has so much energy that when he finally resolves a Virtuoso he gets a bunch of guys. Scarab God helps me stabilize, and he misses on topdecks for a few crucial turns while I lock it up with my own Virtuosos and Freebooters. Game 3 he gets Carnage Tyrant in play, but I'm holding off with a Aetherborn. Scarab God comes down, and I can start attacking with a Thopter from my own Virtuoso, but time is called on my turn. I try to make as much damage as possible, scrying for Freebooter with the God. I play Freebooter on turn 2 of extras, then EOT I push it and reanimate it with God. Drain for four takes him to 7 life, and I have to hit untapped land to be able to cast two Vraska's Contempt and swing with everyone for exactly lethal. Top 4 cards don't have the land, but the 5th card is basic Island, so I win.
4-0
Round 5 - Temur?
We ID.
4-0-1
Round 6 - Ramunap Red
He didn't want to ID, despite being guaranteed the first seed if he did. So we play. I mulligan to 5 game 1, manage to get two Aetherborn, thinking I might steal the game but he has the desert that exiles my GY when I try to use Scarab God, then topdecks Lightning Strike to kill me before I can take over. Game 2 I win when he floods out, but I mulligan to 5 again game 3 and only draw 1 land.
4-1-1
I end up in 4th place after swiss.
Quarterfinals - RG Pummeler
I draw 3 Fatal Push and an Essence Scatter game 1 to keep him off the baord, but he lands a Pummeler and then has Harnessed Lightning for my Freebooter to get back Invigorating Rampage and attack for 40 power trample. Game 2 I manage my removal better, drawing both Essence Extraction and Vraska's Contempts to gain enough life to offset attacks by Voltaic Brawlers. Scarab God on Aetherborn locks it up. Game 3 I keep a slow hand with turn 3 Supreme Will as earliest play on the draw, but his first non-attune play is turn 4 Hydra so it works out. He floods out and I'm never really threatened.
5-1-1
Semifinals - Ramunap Red
Playing rematch from round 6, but since I have experience playing the matchup now, I feel a lot more comfortable. I win 2-0 when he doesn't draw much high end, and I'm able to answer his low end with timely removals.
6-1-1
Finals - Mardu Vehicles
Brandon Vickers playing Mardu, neither of us want to make any kind of deal so we just battle. I get to play first because higher seed. Game 1 he does a good job sequencing his threats and makes my removal awkward. Vraska's Contempt not ideal vs aggro decks. I manage to stabilize at 9 with Scarab God in play, but he has a second Disintegration to put me dead on board. Game 2 I get to Spell Pierce his turn 2 Heart of Kiran, and he never gets any big pressure after that. Game 3 I make a misplay when he Duress me. My hand his Fatal Push, Supreme Will, Glimmer of Genius with 3 mana untapped. He has two lands untapped, Courier and Heart in play. I Push the Courier in repsonse, then he plays Scrounger and hits me for 4 and I can't recover. I shoould have let Duress resolve and either counter the Scrounger if he takes push, or push the Heart if he takes Will. I'm still not sure I can win the game, his hand was stacked and my hand just lands, but the misplay put it so it was going to be very hard to recover, and I didn't.
6-2-1
The deck was solid, lots of good cards and lots of options, plus Freebooter gave you lots of information to use to make the hard decisions. Freebooter was even better than I thought it would be. Chart a Course is still a question mark in my mind. I sided it out vs Red and Vehicles, but I didn't have anything else cheap to bring in.
Going forward I would put the Vraska's Contempt and Search for Azcanta back in the SB, but probably cut the Kingpin for the two Spell Pierce. Pierce was very good vs Mardu, and I think it is useful enough elsewhere. Maybe I just love that card too much. I'd also consider playing more Essence Scatter or Walk the Plank so you have options for turn 4 deploying Freebooter with a spell up. I don't know the tokens matchup at all, but I think with 4 Duress 4 Negate 4 Freebooter you should be fine without the River's Rebuke. 3 Scarab God might be too many. Gonti was fine, nice to have more deathtouch if Carnage Tyrant being played in the maindeck. Commit / Memory was good catch all, but could be easily cut. I never got to Memory with Gearhulk like I wanted to.+
Props:
Freebooter
Austin for the Deck
Jeremy for keeping me company on drive back to College Staton
Slops:
Astros
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