Round 3′s match-up features relatively unknown but up-and-coming player Luis Scott-Vargas facing off against local powerhouse Ka Shing Chung, noted for his impenetrable poker face. Luis is wielding the ubiquitous Caw-Blade deck that has been dominating Standard since Paris, while Ka Shing is battling with an interesting U/B Infect deck of his own design. Ka Shing won the roll and elected to keep (Creeping Tar Pit; Darkslick Shores; Preordain; Preordain, Mana Leak; Stoic Rebuttal; Tezzeret, Agent of Bolas), while Luis also kept his opening seven (Plains; Island; Seachrome Coast; Gideon Jura; Jace, the Mind Sculptor; Arc Trail; Spell Pierce). After a few turns of Preordaining and land-dropping, Ka Shing began the game with a Plague Myr, which Luis greeted with a minor dose of derision and a major dose of Arc Trail. A Phyrexian Crusader from Ka Shing elicited an [card Unsummon]unsummon[/card] from LSV’s freshly cast Jace, the Mind Sculptor, which was calmly recast on the following turn. Gideon Jura from LSV did his best to keep the [card Phyrexian Crusader]Crusader[/card] in check, while a Jace Beleren from Ka Shing legend-ruled away its [card Jace, the Mind Sculptor]big brother[/card]. Stoneforge Mystic made its first of what will assuredly be many appearances in this match, searching out a Sword of Feast and Famine. When Luis attempted to equip the meek Mystic with its mighty Sword, Ka Shing showed him a Disfigure in response. LSV’s plans were not to be thwarted however, and a Spell Pierce shattered Ka Shing’s hope of a feint. When the Mystic connected, Luis cast an Inferno Titan off the freshly untapped lands, and that was enough to lead to a concession from Ka Shing.
Luis Scott-Vargas 1, Ka Shing Chung 0
LSV’s Sideboard Changes:
-2 Cunning Sparkmage
-1 Arc Trail
-1 Basilisk Collar
+2 Mana Leak
+1 Inferno Titan
+1 Sword of Body and Mind
Ka Shing’s Sideboard Changes:
+2 Negate
+2 Steel Sabotage
Ka Shing anticipates a Gruesome Encore of game 1.
Ka Shing was happy to keep his opening hand (Island; Preordain; Tezzeret, Agent of Bolas; Spell Pierce; Stoic Rebuttal; Phyrexian Crusader; Mana Leak) while Luis very much was not, and after a brief trip to ol’ Paris, game 2 was underway (Arid Mesa; Arid Mesa; Seachrome Coast; Deprive; Jace, the Mind Sculptor; Spell Pierce). “I’ll make this quick” remarked Ka Shing, but what that meant for his hopes was unclear. Regardless, after Ka Shing repeatedly missed his third land drop, things were looking grim. A Jace, the Mind Sculptor and a brief counterwar later left Ka Shing suddenly looking down the wrong end of a planeswalker that was gaining loyalty counters very quickly. When Ka Shing attempted a Preordain to remedy his mana woes, LSV Mana Leaked. From that point on the game was decidedly ugly, as Ka Shing never found his third land, and a [card Gideon Jura]Gideon[/card] and a Stoneforge Mystic only looked on while [card Jace, the Mind Sculptor]Jace’s[/card] ultimate closed the game out quickly.
Luis Scott-Vargas 2, Ka Shing Chung 0
