I wasn’t planning on playing in the Eldritch Moon Game Day event this weekend. I had a Standard deck built, but hadn’t even looked at it for over a week. I decided to play in order to make the number of players even.
I went undefeated in four rounds of Swiss and in Top 4. I went 2-0 every round except the final round of the tournament. I lost the first game, then went on to win games two and three. This is my second Game Day championship. First time was Magic Origins.
Here’s the list I piloted this weekend:
| Creatures | |
|---|---|
| 1 | Hangarback Walker  |
| 2 | Jace, Vryn’s Prodigy   |
| 2 | Sylvan Advocate  |
| 2 | Den Protector |
| 1 | Pilgrim’s Eye  |
| 1 | Nissa, Vastwood Seer  |
| 2 | Ishkanah, Grafwidow  |
| 1 | Dragonlord Silumgar  |
| 1 | Distended Mindbender  |
| 1 | Emrakul, the Promised End  |
| Planeswalkers | |
| 2 | Liliana, the Last Hope |
| 1 | Ob Nixilis Reignited |
| Enchantments | |
| 1 | Oath of Liliana |
| 1 | Oath of Jace |
| Instants | |
| 2 | Grapple with the Past |
| 2 | Grasp of Darkness |
| 1 | Murder |
| Sorceries | |
| 1 | Traverse the Ulvenwald |
| 3 | Gather the Pack |
| 3 | Ruinous Path |
| 3 | Languish |
| Lands | |
| 4 | Evolving Wilds |
| 4 | Sunken Hollow |
| 4 | Hissing Quagmire |
| 2 | Lumbering Falls |
| 2 | Choked Estuary |
| 5 | Swamp |
| 3 | Forest |
| 2 | Island |
| Sideboard | |
| 1 | Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet |
| 1 | Gilt-Leaf Winnower |
| 2 | World Breaker  |
| 1 | Dead Weight |
| 1 | Aerial Volley |
| 1 | Grasp of Darkness |
| 3 | Scatter to the Winds |
| 2 | Summary Dismissal |
| 1 | Silumgar’s Command |
| 1 | Read the Bones |
| 1 | Languish |
While I’m happy I won another Game Day, that alone isn’t a great reason to write a blog entry. I’ve been thinking a lot about my opponent in the final round of Top 4. His name is David. He’s a regular at the LGS, and a good player. He’s been on G/B Seasons Past for a while now. He likes to play the long game. And I mean the LONG GAME. David’s semifinal round opponent was running an Esper Control brew that is almost as slow. We had untimed rounds in Top 4. Their match lasted for an hour and a half.
Game Day started at 1:00, and we were past 7:30 when David finally won the round. I hadn’t eaten since the early morning, I was tired, and David’s deck – win or lose – is slow. I didn’t feel like playing another long match of Magic. And, quite honestly, I didn’t have a strong desire for the play mat. It’s awesome, but, as my grandma would’ve said, I didn’t have a hankering for it.
I offered David the mat, and a fair split of the prize packs. He declined my offer. He said he’d rather play it out. In that moment, I suddenly really wanted the play mat. Maybe it’s my competitive spirit. Maybe it’s just my silly pride. But I wanted to win.
He beat me in the first game by grinding me out. Seasons Past gave him more card advantage than I could handle. My sideboard stepped up in games two and three. World Breaker plus Liliana, the Last Hope punished his lands, and Summary Dismissal exiled his Seasons Past. After the match, he respectfully shook my hand, packed up his things, and left.
I thought about the match for a while. He didn’t want to simply be given the play mat. He wanted to earn it. He definitely has the ability to win it. He wanted the word “Champion” on the mat to actually mean something. I get that. I respect him for that. Makes me ponder the nature of the human ego. What would drive a player to need to earn the play mat rather than just taking it? What would drive me to want to post on my blog about how I won another Game Day? Why didn’t I just concede and let him win? He couldn’t have stopped me from scooping up my cards. EGO, right?
The word “ego” is from Latin, and literally means “I.” If my ego is too large, it means I’m seeing ME disproportionately: “too big for his britches,” is what my grandma used to say.
“We dine here on a balanced diet
Ego when it’s loud self hatred when it’s quiet” — Brother Ali
This is the real battle – in our minds – between the need to puff ourselves up and the self-doubt and insecurities that drag us down below the dirt.
Should either of us have done anything differently? I don’t think so. We both wanted to win, even if only one of us really wanted to play. But it helps to reflect on why that was the case.
Bud Johnson
MTG Philosopher 