Extended is over, and I'm pretty sad to see it go. I 6-2'd the last PTQ with Faeries Thopter again, a deck which I've never had as much success as I have this season:
R1 W vs. Dark Depths
R2 W vs. Bant Foundry
R3 W vs. Dredge
R4 L vs. Jon Zoo (Scapeshift Zoo)
R5 W vs. Dredge
R6 W vs. Bant Foundry
R7 L vs. Dark Depths
R8 W vs. Blood Moon Zoo
I made a pretty subtle judgment error against Jon in Game 3 because, knowing that he had Scapeshift in hand, I auto-piloted and presumed that Scapeshift would take away all my life points. However, since he has Mountains in play, he doesn't have enough left in his deck to go for the full amount. The board is me with the Thopter Combo online at about 22 and five mana up, and him with lots of lands, a Knight of the Reliquary and a Scapeshift. He casts Scapeshift, and I tap 3 for Thirst for Knowledge because I think I'm just dead. I don't find Muddle the Mixture, and he sacs 4 lands to do 12 to me. He then plays a Sejiri Steppe to give Knight of the Reliquary pro Thopter Combo and attacks. I can gain 2 life, but I still end up about 1 short. What should have happened is me not tapping 3 for Thirst so I have more life to gain and I don't die. I'm bad.
So this is what my PTQ Puerto Rico season looked like:
EXTENDED Record Deck knocked out?
PTQ Seattle I 2-2 UG Scapeshift R4/8
GP Oakland 3-3-1 Bant Charm Zoo R5/9
PTQ Oakland 5-3 Bant Charm Zoo R7/8
PTQ Vancouver 4-3 Thopter Faeries R5/7
PTQ Boise 5-2 Thopter Faeries R6/7
PTQ Seattle II 6-2 Thopter Faeries R7/8
SEASON TOTAL 25-15-1 (61.79%)
I bested my win rate from last PTQ season, so this was my best PTQ season to date, but no blue envelope and no Top 8 pins yet. I think the deck mattered tons; it was a mix of raw power with it's sick T1 starts of Bob and Bitterblossom, and surprise with the Thopter Foundry combo jammed in there.
My rating is currently 1921, possibly 10-15 points higher if I can successfully hound a tournament organizer to submit a 16K sealed at a convention that I 5-0'd. This month I have two PTQ's, but I cannot attend Regionals and the cut off is the beginning of June. I have to get to about 2020 to qualify for Nats by then, and I'm thinking about booking a ticket and going right now even if I don't qualify. If I don't grind in there, I will have at least another PTQ to grind to add to the paltry three I'm currently slated for.
So I have the lofty goal of qualifying for Regionals off of rating this coming month. I think I'm going to book a ticket for Minneapolis to commit myself to it. If I don't make it, I will go to grind in. That next month will be a Star City 5K and another PTQ, then nothing for the rest of the season until Nationals in August and Grand Prix Portland in September.
I think I'm insane. I asked a couple friends who are in the GP/Magic jet set if I was insane. Response?
Yes (see: anyone who plays magic)
