2007-2008 Precon Championships: Turian Division (Part 1 of 2)

Welcome to the opening day of Forsythe Conference action! While the Preconstructed Championships are well underway, we’ve thus far been watching the Rosewater Conference unfold. Now, while Evincar’s Tyranny from Tenth Edition rests up for the battle against the Goblins from Duel Decks: Elves vs Goblins to decide which of the two is going to the Grand Final, we turn our attention to the other half of the field.

Since the 2007-08 field of decks falls somewhat short of the 32 needed to fill out a bracket, there are a number of byes on offer. That means this first round clash consists of two matches, and without further ado we’ll head down to the arena to see how they unfold!

Game 21: Cho-Manno’s Resolve (10E) vs Death March (EVE)

Round One

It’s a slaughter! Cho-Manno tries to bait out extra value from a Benalish Knight, but gets completely overrun as March chains together a Woodlurker Mimic, another one, a Stalker Hag, and a Merrow Bonegnawer.

By the time Cho-Manno akes up to the threat and deploys a Youthful Knight to give some cover, it’s too late. A Cankerous Thirst kills the lone defender, letting March slam in for 15 point of overkill.

Round Two

A win away from advancing, March comes out right off the blocks. First a Quillspike, then a Rendclaw Trow and Hag Hedge-Mage and Odious Trow. Unfortunately, Cho-Manno isn’t content to roll over as he did before.

This time, an early Youthful Knight gets Serra’s Embrace, and as the air force fills out behind a Skyhunter Patrol and Wild Griffin the White deck can comfortably race. Since its first play of the game was an Angel’s Feather, it’s a rather comfortable win as March can’t find a solution to get past the Knight.

Round Three

There it is- Cho-Manno’s opening hand has his best trick in plain sight: the combination of Cho-Manno, Revolutionary and Pariah. With these two on the board, Death March will screech to a halt, and Cho-Manno can barely contain his excitement from the three-lander.

Naturally, things don’t quite work out that way. March leads with a Woodlurker Mimic, and having been snakebitten by them in the opener the White deck sticks a Pacifism on it. Then March plays a Wickerbough Elder. That’s bad news, since it can destroy an enchantment. Fortunately, March uses it to destroy the Pacifism, and starts chunking away Resolve’s life total.

Encouraged by the opening, Resolve plays Cho-Manno… after which March plays a second Wickerbough Elder. Fortunately, it’s also added a Quillspike, and it ends up using the Quillspike to eat the counter off the Elder as it hammers in relentlessly. Resolve’s down to single-digit life and a turn from death… but then it plays the Pariah on its only creature- the Revolutionary.

Just like that, March shuts down. Draw after draw it prays for removal, unable to deliver even a single point of damage across the table, while Resolve floods the board with a stream of creatures. An Angel of Mercy starts the counterattack in the air, emboldened by a Ghost Warden. An Ancestor’s Chosen and Loxodon Mystic provide some contingency defense- just in case- while a Skyhunter Patrol arrives to lend a hand. March has played a couple of Rendclaw Trows, but to no avail. It never finds a way to solve the Revolutionary or his Pariah, and dies from the skies.

WINNER: Cho-Manno’s Resolve

Game 22: Life Drain (EVE) vs Army of Entropy (SHM)

Round One

Drain opens with a Nip Gwyllion which gets in for a couple of swings early while Entropy plays a Blowfly Infestation and Ashenmoor Gouger. By then, Drain’s also added a Voracious Hatchling and Resplendent Mentor.

The Gouger goes to work aided by Fists of the Demigod, and hammers away at Drain’s life total. The problem, though, is that Life Drain keeps clawing back big chunks of life as the Hatchling grows bigger. A Woeleecher follows, and Entropy is falling gravely behind.

It gains some ground back, though, when it plays Din of the Fireherd, forcing the sacrifice of the Gwyllion and Mentor, as well as a pair of Plains. Still, thanks to Syphon Life and a next-turn retrace, Drain hardly misses a beat. Eventually Entropy runs out of chumps, with the final one being a Rattleblaze Scarecrow. Once it goes, so does Entropy– and with Drain’s life total above 20.

Round Two

Drain again opens with the Nip Gwyllion, which is followed by an Apothecary Initiate and Suture Spirit. Entropy too repeats its previous opener with Blowfly Infestation, then adds a Mudbrawler Cohort, Emberstrike Duo, and Murderous Redcap. Faced with that, Drain starts to  get clever.

First, a Resplendent Mentor touches down and allows for some immediate lifegain from the other creatures, of which only the Suture Spirit is profitably able to attack. A Smolder Initiate opens up more life draining opportunities, and Drain takes full advantage. After killing the Duo with a Gwyllion Hedge-Mage (while going up a 1/1 Kithkin), it exiles the Duo with a Beckon Apparation, letting the Smolder Initiate do its work. Next it plays Soul Reap on the Redcap, killing it and causing another four points of life loss (3 from the Reap, 1 from the Initiate). Though the Redcap’s persist lets it come back, Entropy just can’t keep up. Drain alpha strikes Entropy to 2 life, and Entropy has to scoop next turn after coming up empty.

WINNER: Life Drain

And that’s all for now! Thanks again for bearing with the delayed schedule, and by way of reminder we’ll be back tomorrow with the updated leaderboard and call for this weekend’s predictions. See you then!