GPT Seattle at Games & Gizmos - Semifinals

Semifinals: Michael Dipetrillo (Five-Color Control) vs. Zaiem Beg (BW Tokens)

“You realize card advantage wins games,” Zaiem posited to Mike as he elected to play first. Mike sent back 7, then thought and also sent back 6. He quickly kept his 5. Zaiem made the first play with a Knight of Meadowgrain and got in for 2. His next turn, Zaiem attempted a Kitchen Finks, which was Broken Ambitioned by Mike.

On Mike’s turn, he summoned Ajani Vengeant and Lightning Helixed Zaiem’s only creature. Zaiem made three Spirit tokens on his turn with Spectral Procession. Digging for land, Michael evoked Mulldrifter, layed a tap land, and passed the turn.

With only one land up on the other side of the table, Zaiem played a Glorious Anthem and split his team up between attacking Ajani and Mike, putting Mike to 17. Michael played a Wall of Reverence and passed, ready to have Spirit tokens bounce off itself. Zaiem attacked for 4 to put Mike 13 and shipped the turn with 5 lands up. Michael drew and said go and started gaining 1 off of Wall of Reverence.

After another Spirit attack from Zaiem for 4, he hideaway a card on a Windbrisk Heights. Michael did nothing, went up to 11 then back down 4 to 7 on the next attack, and Zaiem followed up with a Bitterblossom from under his Heights. Michael continued to play land and ship the turn, then chastised himself for forgetting the Reverence trigger for the second time in the game. Zaiem attempted another Glorious Anthem, which was Broken Ambitioned. Zaiem then attacked for 4 again, putting Mike to 3.

Michael drew a Wrath of God off the top and played it, to which Zaiem sarcastically remarked “Okay, fine.” Zaiem played a land and said go. Mike made another Ajani Vengeant and Helixed a Faerie Rogue token, represented by a card from the game Bella Serra.

Zaiem made another token and attacked Ajani with a token, which met its end via Cryptic Command by going back to his hand. Zaiem then played a second Bitterblossom and shipped. After an end step Esper Charm to draw two, Mike used the last two counters on Ajani Vengeant to kill the remaining Bitterblossom token and passed.

Zaiem attempted an Ajani Goldmane which was Broken Ambitioned, revealing a Cloudgoat Ranger on the top of Zaiem’s deck and a land on Mike’s deck, which went to the bottom. Zaiem attacked with two Bitterblossom tokens, putting Mike to 4, and shipped the turn. Michael dug for answers with a Mulldrifter, which was Terrored at end of turn.

Zaiem went to his combat step to have his guys tapped down with Cryptic Command. On Mike’s own turn, he played a Volcanic Fallout, clearing the board, and then made a Mulldrifter. Mike was still at 3 while Zaiem now found himself at 8 thanks to Bitterblossoms and Volcanic Fallouts. A Glorious Anthem came on to the board for Zaiem’s next turn. Michael again filled his hand via Esper Charm, and on his own turn ran out Cruel Ultimatum and swapped life totals. Zaiem went to one, and when Mike Esper Charmed on Zaiem’s draw step to empty his hand, Zaiem scooped them up.

Michael 1, Zaiem 0

In the other Semifinal, Martin Goldman-Kirst beat Thomas Rolling in two games, so the winner of Zaiem and Mike’s match would have Five-Color Control waiting for them in the final.

In Game 2, Michael shipped his first 7 cards again.

Michael: “Yeah, let’s mulligan to 5 again…”
Zaiem: “Skipping 6, are we?”

After Michael kept 6, Zaiem made a Bitterblossom on his second turn, which was Celestial Purged on Michael’s own turn. Zaiem responded with another Bitterblossom and a Windbrisk Heights. On Zaiem’s next turn, another Windbrisk Heights came into play, followed by Burrenton Forge-Tender, which met Terror.

Michael missed his fourth land drop and shipped. Zaiem made a Marsh Flitter after attacking for 1. Michael missed land again, but had Volcanic Fallout to kill all of Zaiem’s tokens. Marsh Flitter survived, however, and got in for 3, putting Michael to 14. Zaiem made another Marsh Flitter and attacked with his team again, to which Michael made a Plumeveil in front of Marsh Flitter. Zaiem made a Glorious Anthem from under his Hideaway land and sacked a Goblin to the blocked Flitter to trade with Plumeveil and get in for 4, putting Michael at 10.

Michael hit his fourth land and used it to Cryptic Command Zaiem’s team on his combat step. The next attack step, Volcanic Fallout hit the board destroying Zaiem’s tokens again, and after the big Marsh Flitter’s attack, the score was 10 to 4 in Zaiem’s favor.

On Zaiem’s next turn, he attacked Michael down to 2 and ran Head Games out, which was Broken Amibitioned. Michael topdecked a dead Volcanic Fallout and facing Bitterblossom, Marsh Flitter, and a benched Mutavault, he scooped them up.

Michael – 1, Zaiem – 1

In Game 3, Michael opted not to complete the mulligan trifecta and started with seven cards, while it was Zaiem’s turn to invoke the Paris rule. Zaiem kept 6, and played a Burrenton Forge-Tender on his first turn and started to beat down with it. He attempted Tidehollow Sculler but met Broken Ambitions which milled among other things a Bitterblossom, Anthem, and Mutavault. After attacking on his next turn, he played a post combat Glorious Anthem, which was Brokened again, but this time he got to keep the Bitterblossom on top of his deck.

However, Zaiem opted not to run it out on his turn nor his next turn, as Michael kept playing land. After finding his fifth land, Zaiem “gave him something to Cryptic Command” and played the Tribal Enchantment, which resolved. Michael continued to play land until the score was 15 to 9, when he Terrored the BFT to set up Volcanic Fallout on his next combat step. Post-Fallout, Zaiem attempted a Cloudgoat Ranger, which met Cryptic Command.

At 11 to 7, another Cloudgoat Ranger entered the stack, and was Broken Amibitioned. Michael kept an Esper Charm while Zaiem had to think about keeping Ajani Goldmane. At end step, Michael filled up with an Esper Charm from hand and on his main phase put a Mulldrifter into play and looked fairly comfortable with all of the cards in his hand.

After his draw, Zaiem asked his opponent “Do you have Cryptic Command in your hand?” to which Michael quickly replied “Yep,” which he may have not expected, but regardless he played Head Games, which resolved, since he only left up 2 lands that could produce Blue. (Michael did indeed have Cryptic Command in hand.)

With a handful of Vivid lands, Michael drew and passed, as Zaiem went 9 life from Bitterblossom. “I punted this game, I thought he had a tri land” Michael lamented. He made Glorious Anthem, attacked for 2 and traded a token for Mulldrifter. “Wow, I’m dumb” Zaiem said as he made an Ajani Goldmane post-combat. “I guess I think he has Cryptic off the top every time.”

Michael played Wrath of God and followed up with Broodmate Dragon, his two post-Head Games draws. Zaiem went to 8, and made a Marsh Flitter. Ajani was activated and passed the turn.

Michael drew his card and sheepishly played a Cryptic Command off the top to tap his team. Zaiem sighed (in good spirits), tapped his board, and watched two 4/4’s go sideways and put him at 0.

RESULT: Michael beats Zaiem in 3