This was my closing comment in my WMC Diaries last year. Still to this day, it was a bitter pill that was very tough to swallow and forget. Despite the end, I thoroughly enjoyed (and stressed) over the process and it was one I was willing to fight all out for another opportunity. Fight I did and I regained the coveted spot on the squad in WMCQ #2 in July. Do read my earlier journey in my previous article here:
http://vmtgstore.blogspot.my/search/label/WMCQ%202%20%282016%29
I started my WMC diaries around 6 weeks before the World Magic Cup. Last year WMC format was Teamed Sealed and Unified Standard which also introduced Battle For Zendikar and the rotation of Theros. The format was expected to shift with the rotation and the team only got to work then.
For the first time, Modern Constructed is the format of choice for the WMC and it’s a format that rarely gets warped with an introduction of a new set. Well except for the recent Eldrazi winter which saw Eye of Ugin getting the ban hammer after it was the catalyst for very broken Eldrazi decks in Modern. At this point, Modern is as healthy as it can be and barring any repeats in Kaladesh, I don’t forsee any big shake-ups between now leading to the WMC.
So between now and November, I’m going to keep a blog of what’s happening MTG-wise for me, Team Decards, the WMC team, upcoming WMCQ #3 , Modern and so much more.
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3rd August 2016
Its Day Five into Pro Tour Eldritch Moon testing. I’m not qualified for the Pro Tour, but my WMC captain, Chye Yian Hsiang, is. The standard format was expected to be wide open as Eldritch Moon introduced sweet mechanics such as Emerge and also pushed the Delirium theme further. However Bant Company (now upgraded with Spell Queller and Selfless Spirit) continued to be weapon of choice for many and there weren’t many decks in the format that could line up properly against the deck. Everyone was going back to brews they had back in Pro Tour Shadows of Innistrad, particular GW Tokens and Goggle Ramp, both with raw power to beat Bant. But Spell Queller and Selfless Spirit combo was a beast. The deck no longer feared Languish and Kozilek’s Return. Selfless Spirit made combat messed up and Queller messes up your mind with a heavy tempo swing AND losing your best spell. Despite all of that, what stood out to me was a Blue Black Zombie engine that abused Voldaren Pariah.
Chye had put together a stock list a week earlier and I went to work. I’m not going to write about a deck-tech here yet until after the PT but if Chye’s plays the deck it may just get him his first PT Top 8 (you heard it here first).
Either that or I’m going to be so wrong and embarrass myself.
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So while this is all happening, I’m on my usual routine for our accommodation in Rotterdam. Last year’s WMC apartment in Barcelona was sweet. Its going to be pretty hard to top that, but I think I found one that’s pretty close and going to be Team Malaysia’s war room come November.
It’s going to be great.
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Something Modern
Prior to 2014, I didn’t play any Modern at all. Heck I hated the format so much that I decided to sell most of my cards (and regretted later on) and my first Modern event was actually a PTQ which I Top 4 with Scapeshift. You can read back my article here:
http://vmtgstore.blogspot.my/search/label/PTQ%20Khans%20%40%20KL%202014
Since then, I had a soft spot for Modern in my heart. The format was fast, brutal and exciting. It reminiscent the time when I first started Magic back in 1998 where formats and strategies were cunning and tricky. There were many strategies that could punish or be punished by other strategies and we’re not talking two or three, more like a dozen or so variations. Channelfireball pro Paolo Vitor said it before, Modern needs a 25 card sideboard. While that may hold true to tackle the format, but that wouldn’t make Modern interesting now would it?
Quick shout out now to Jeffrey Ong on two Modern articles on Classroom website. You can read them here:
Burn: https://www.classroom.com.my/index.php/blog/mtg/feature-articles/item/95-modern-101-burn
Naya Zoo: https://www.classroom.com.my/index.php/blog/mtg/feature-articles/item/99-modern-101-bushwhack-zoo
Burn. I’m going spend a few minutes to put my spin on this hot potato. Some fun facts:
- I narrowly defeated Burn in the finals of WMCQ 2
- There were 2 Burn decks in the top 8, plenty more in the top 32.
- I played Burn for GP Singapore 2015. I literally crash and burned and didn’t make Day 2.
- I continued to pilot burn after the Grand Prix last year and made multiple top 8’s in PPTQ and GPTs (zero wins).
- I showed up in WMCQ 2 2015 and played turn 1 island, Cursecatcher. Veteran Razif “Squee” Rosdin was standing watching my match and commented along the lines of –
“This is every unexpected considering you were T1 Mountain Goblin Guide for the past 3 months!”
Indeed.
Jeffrey covered the all you needed to know about Burn in his article but I’m going to add in a few pointers for those fire-wielding aspirants out there:
1) Burn is a game of numbers. Managing your resource and your opponents’ life will be your primary goal. However protecting your own is equally as important.
2) Burn is not forgiving when you mismanage #1. So plan well. On contrary to what people say, you actually MUST test with live opponents and don’t goldfish to see how many red cards you draw in 4 turns and imagine your opponent dead.
3) Burn lives and dies by the top of your deck. Its hard to sculpt a winning game plan with just the cards in your hand. 5 spells + 2 lands rarely deals the 18-20 you need (though its mathematically possible). Trust the top of your deck to deliver the final and winning blow.
4) If it doesn’t, its going to be a long day and you will feel the frustration of missing out 3 to 4 damage. And this will happen the entire day. Don’t despair, Burn isn’t a bad deck, but more like you had plenty of bad luck.
As I’m putting together our decks for the upcoming WMC, there are a few reasons for Burn to be strong contender for our lineup. Particularly the tie-breaker rule.
But let’s face it, we’re not slow roasting lamb here. If anyone on the Malaysian team plays Burn and going into extra turns of a match you better:
(a) get a new watch because your current one doesn’t tell time; or
(b) hit yourself in the head because its so silly for you as a Burn pilot to be playing so slowly; or
(c) get Chye to hit you in the head.
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