Tourny Report from Cameron Miller

This is Cameron Miller with a recent booster draft report. There were eight participants who were Anthony King, Mike Restivo, Kevin Underwood, Jeff Hoffman, Boldo, 2 other kids and myself. We drafted Sixth Edition, Mercadian, and Nemesis, and the draft was kind of loose. Here's the deck: 1 Jayemdae Tome 1 Snorting Gahr 1 Lure 3 Blastoderm 1 Elven Riders 1 Animate Land 1 Giant Spider 1 Rushwood Herbalist 1 Spidersilk Armor 1 Dream Cache 1 Sliptide Serpent 1 Saprazzan Legate 1 Rishadan Airship 1 Extravagant Spirit 2 Wind Drake 1 Wandering Eye 1 Trickster Mage 1 Jolting Merfolk 1 Shoving Match

I felt that I had a solid deck, but there were other good decks due to loose drafting, and other various factors.

Round One: Anthony King vs. Cameron Miller

Anthony played a fast red/green deck with landkill, fast creatures and a trademark relentless assault.

Game One: I had the best hand of the tournament as I win due to double Blastoderm combined with a Jolting Merfolk with a Spirit and Match in hand. There was no way he had a chance. My hand was realistically almost perfect, and the draws really augmented my hand.

Game Two: I win due to flier beatdown, but Anthony had me on the ropes with a River Boa and another creature or two.

1-0

Round Two: Kevin Underwood vs. Cameron Miller

Kevin played a black/white small rebel/mercenary engine deck with Conspiracy, Enlightened Tutor, Skull Catapult and Story Circle.

Game One: Kevin draws a lot of land, and I quickly beat him with big creatures.

Game Two: Kevin once again complains of a suboptimal draw as he loses to fast creatures (2 Spineless Thug will not help him against big creatures). This game started quickly for him, but ended quickly in my favor. On a side note I brought up the name "Blair Underwood" (the actor) later in the tournament, and Trash Talkin' Tom became "uncaged" and was ranting on how since Kevin was an "Underwood" then he was not fit to come in the store (said in jest). When I mentioned Blair Underwood I did not think that anything would come out of it.

2-0

Round Three: Boldo vs. Cameron Miller

Boldo was playing a very good black white deck with a great rebel engine (2 Thermal Gliders, Defiant Vanguard, Cho-Mamma, and 2 Falcons plus a Bringer or two). He also had a small mercenary engine (Fiend, 2 Intimidators, and Spitefull Bully plus a Ghost). Boldo also had 2 Snuff Out, 2 Topple, Angelic Favor, D'Avenant Archer, Devout Witness, Dry Spell, Fatal Blow, and a Hecatomb, and a Kjeldoran Royal Guard. To end this in a blunt manner would be to say that Boldo had the best deck in the tournament. There was not a deck there which could easily push him to the side. I would rarely say anything like that, but I figured that if I had my best draw possible; Boldo could still win with a high level moderate draw.

Game One: Boldo has suboptimal draws (no mercenaries or rebel engines or bombs) and loses to quick beatdown

Game Two: I double mulligan while playing, but come back with some tough draws. This is closer, but Boldo lacked crucial land while I managed to beat him with big creatures which died to a Vanguard. My evasion won as a managed to win by just ousting him. He informed me that his next draw would have won. I must credit Dream Cache as it helped me immensly this game (the crucial Saprazzan Legate), and it aided me throughout the tournament.

3-0

Semifinals: Jeff Hoffman vs. Cameron Miller

Jeff was playing a red/black deck with removal, and decent creatures such as Flowstone Crusher, Ascendant Evincar, plus other good creatures.

Game One: I think I mulligan, but manage to race his Razertooth Rats and Imp. He lacked red for almost the entire game, and had to discard a Crusher to the Undertaker to return cards to block. Big creatures, evasion, and a Jolting Merfolk finish him.

Game Two: I am in the process of double mulliganning when I am informed that Jeff is leaving the tournament so I receive a win.

4-0

Finals: Boldo vs. Cameron Miller

Game One: This is a very close game in that I manage to slip through lethal damage with evasion. Boldo had a Belbe's Armor out, but I had a tough evasion draw to deal with and I manage to win in part to a Lured Gahr which killed the Defiant Vanguard early on, and to the fact that little removal was drawn on Boldo's part.

Game Two: I make a mental error heading into this game. I think that if I win this game then I would have swept everybody 2-0 which is extremely hard to do. As it turns out I almost do due to a quick evasion draw of a Spirit, Drake, Mage,and a Legate. The Spirit is Snuffed Out during my upkeep and Boldo begins to counterattack with an Intimidator, and I think a Fiend makes a quick appearance. When Boldo casts the Royal Guard things get bad as I fail to draw a semi-early second forest to cast the Riders, and the Blastoderm. I believe I could have Shoving Matched and killed him, but Boldo feels he could have blocked at least one creature or killed one. Well I do not win as I lose to 2 Intimidators, and a Thopter Squadron.

Game Three: I thought I had a good chance at this game when I cast a Gahr, Blastoderm, and a Sliptide Serpent. Well Blastoderm deals about 5 damage, and kills a creature. The Serpent is Fatal Blown (I think Dry Spell or Vicious Hunger may have been used to aid in this), and the Gahr is Toppled soon after. I had the Tome in hand and the Riders, but Boldo proceeded to win with a Witness and some creatures come in and kill me in a few turns. I had Tranquility in hand which was sideboarded in against Hecatomb, and I felt that Boldo had it in hand. When I played a Wandering Eye I did not see it, but I did see some pretty good cards to be used against me. I receive a foil Giant Growth.

4-1

That's all for now.