Both players sat down to the Feature Match table, chatting casually, pleased with their undefeated starts, oblivious to the fate that was about to befall them. Just when they expected to be joined in battle and presented their decks, a judge swooped in from the nether. A sudden deck-check left them fiddling with their pens instead of casting spells. A gruesome outcome indeed! Never fear however- after a brief interlude, both players lists checked out, and we were back to the action as Chun won the roll and chose to play first.
Chun is playing a U/G Turboland deck against what has become the weapon of choice for many players this weekend: Caw-Blade, piloted by Utter-Leyton (Or Wrapter as he is known on Magic Online). Things kicked off right away, with a Lotus Cobra from Chun versus a Stoneforge Mystic from Wrapter (finding a Sword of Feast and Famine). Chun played a Joraga Treespeaker and sent Lotus Cobra into the red zone, which after careful deliberation was blocked by Utter-Leyton. One Lightning Bolt later and the board was clear on both sides, but that wouldn’t last long.
Wrapping things up
Jace, the Mind Sculptor for Wrapter threatened to pull him way ahead on cards, while Chun could only offer another Treespeaker in reply. Josh’s board exploded on the following turn with Stoneforge Mystic finding Basilisk Collar, Squadron Hawk finding (you guessed it) more Squadron Hawks, and a Lightning Bolt for the Treespeaker. Chun simply passed the turn with no action, and was soon in the unpleasant position of being hit by a Sword-carrying Hawk. Chun was finally able to present a threat of his own with a Primeval Titan, which found a Halimar Depths to hopefully yield more gas. Wrapter’s offense was unrelenting, as a Basilisk Collar combined with Cunning Sparkmage to off his Primeval Titan, and a Celestial Colonnade crashed in with some winged allies for eight damage. Faced with an empty hand, knowledge of the top of his deck, and an overwhelming board presence, Chun could only hope for a better turn of events in game two.
Josh Utter-Leyton 1, Charlie Chun 0
Both players sideboarded quietly for game 2, with Chun trying to optimize his deck against the most dangerous deck in the format, and Wrapter anticipating what wrenches Chun would try to throw into his plans.
Chun snap-kept his opener while Utter-Leyton mulliganed just as quickly. Finding his 6 card hand satisfactory, the players were ready to begin game 2. Chun opened with a Treespeaker which lead into an Overgrown Battlement. Pyroclasm dealt with one of the accelerators but Chun followed up with the card advantage machine Oracle of Mul Daya. However, the Oracle divined only another Oracle, and Chun was left passing the turn without playing the additional land.
Arc Trail dealt with the Oracle, but Chun calmly played the one waiting atop his library. She still failed to yield any more lands however, while Wrapter took the opportunity to get proactive with a Stoneforge Mystic and Sword of Feast and Famine. Josh attempted to connect with the Sword, but a Natures Claim rendered the Mystic equipment-less and thus decidedly less dangerous. During Chun’s drawstep the Oracle finally revealed a land, but Wrapter crushed that dream with a Lightning Bolt. Acidic Slime dealt with Wrapter’s Celestial Colonnade, but another Stoneforge Mystic meant there were suddenly more pressing matters at hand. After failing to resolve a Frost Titan, Chun was forced to take a Sword of Body and Mind to the chin.
One Avenger of Zendikar later, however, and things could be looking up. One Primeval Titan later, and things were really looking up. A marauding army of 2/3 Plants crashed into the red zone, and threatened to end the game in the blink of an eye. Wrapter’s peeled Pyroclasm would not dig him out of this particular hole, and he was forced to concede in the face of lethal damage.
One down, Chun to go
Josh Utter-Leyton 1, Charlie Chun 1
Wrapter chose to begin the game on the play, and both players eagerly kept their openers. The early turns featured a familiar refrain, with Joraga Treespeaker facing down Stoneforge Mystic. Garruk Wildspeaker hit the table for Chun, while Utter-Leyton was content to put his Sword into play with the Stoneforge Mystic‘s ability and battle Chun directly. With the untap trigger on the stack, he Lightning Bolted Garruk down to 1 loyalty counter. With his freshly untapped Mountain he cast Cunning Sparkmage and finished off the green planeswalker. Not to be deterred, Chun resolved a Primeval Titan which continued his climb toward obscene amounts of mana. Utter-Leyton strapped a Basilisk Collar onto his [card Cunning Sparkmage]Sparkmage[/card] and deathtouched the mighty green titan to… well… death. When his follow-up Avenger of Zendikar was Mana Leaked, he saw the writing on the wall and offered his concession.
