Tournament Report: Summer is Burning Hot

Hey peeps. I’m here once again to discuss my performance on last Saturday’s Standard and DCI-sanctioned tourney. I’m piloting a Mono Red Burn deck and it has performed quite well. Before the tournament, I was deciding to play Black-Green Elves and my friend Oliver provided me with his build. I made some last minute playtesting online thru MWS and so far it was doing well. We were able to complete the main deck list but the sideboard was lacking of the cards that we want. We just adjusted the sb with cards that were available at that time. This gave me second thoughts and since the playtest weren’t enough for me to get familiar with the deck, I decided to stick with my mono red burn and made some adjustments. Here’s the list:

Ok, burn...burn... and..whoa!

Mono Red Sligh a.k.a. Summer Heat by Mark Ian Alloso

Main (37)

16 Creatures
4 Keldon Marauders
4 Magus of the Scroll
4 Mogg Fanatic
4 Spark Elemental

21 Spells
4 Incinerate
4 Rift Bolt
4 Shard Volley
4 Sudden Shock
4 Sulfurous Blast
1 Manabarbs (Tech Wannabe)

Land (23)
2 Ghitu Encampment
2 Keldon Megaliths
15 Mountain
4 Mutavault

Sideboard (15)
4 Cryoclasm
1 Fury Charm
1 Ingot Chewer
4 Magus of the Moon
2 Manabarbs
3 Threaten

Round One: Jaime Hernandez playing Mono Red Burn

Game 1: We started throwing burns at each other’s faces but I ran out of gas while he was able to Browbeat for more burn and ended the game quickly.

Game 2: I was able to start ahead with fanatic and marauders while he had less burn in hand. He Browbeat for answers but I decided to take the 5 damage instead and took the game after several burn to the dome.

Game 3: Quite similar scenario with game 2 where he draw more lands than burn and I was able to go beatdown with Fanatic and Mutavault.

Record: 1-0
Matches: 2-1

Round Two: Emben Estrella playing Mono Blue Faeries

Game 1: One-two punch of fanatic and marauders took him to low life. He countered some of my burn but Magus of the Scroll burned him to crisp.

Game 2: Early beatdown once again by fanatic and marauders and Magus of the Scroll did the rest.

Record: 2-0
Matches: 4-1

Round Three: Derek Palanca playing Mono Green Elves

Game 1: I burned his creatures one by one. He over extended by casting a vanquisher and an Elvish Harbinger and fetching Elvish Promenade. Sulfurous Blast wiped out his board and I started the beatdown with my man-lands. After several attacks and two sulfurous blasts, he was dead.

Game 2: His first two creatures was burned to crisp and I played Mana Barbs on an empty board which I noticed later was a huge mistake. I was getting him to low life and the barbs keep on hitting me at the same time. Mutavault took most of the beats and with him at two life, a suspended Rift Bolt finished the game.

Record: 3-0
Matches: 6-1

Round Four: Jonathan Tabalina playing Homebrewed Project R

We are both standing at 9 points and decided to draw the match.

Record: 3-0-1
Matches: 6-1-1

Round Five: Caesar Ean Escleto playing Tarmorack

This seems to be a bad matchup for sligh because of the massive discard and an early fatty Goyf, but we decided to play it out.

Round 1: I played first and started fast with fanatic and marauders. I took him to 14 and suspended two Rift Bolts without playing a third land. He didn’t play any spell at turn three while I was stuck at two lands. I was expecting a Stupor but I’m glad that it didn’t come. I was able to get to draw my next two lands and Shard Volleyed him to take the game.

Round 2: I boarded in my fury charm and ingot chewer for his rack and two threatens for Tarmogoyf. His turn two rack was met with an evoked chewer and I was lucky that he didn’t draw any direct discard spells. I burned his augur of skulls and Oona’s prowler but he was able to discard Haakon and play it from the grave. But it was too late for him as I burned him with my Magus.

Record: 4-0-1
Matches: 8-1-1

The results were calculated and I ranked 1^st having 13 points. The second placer was Raynard also with 13 points. The other players who made it in the top 8 were Jonathan, Gian, Patrick, Micheal, Caesar, and John Paul. The pairings were made and here we go with the top 8.

Quarterfinals: John Paul Imperial playing Mono Blue Rogues

Game 1: I started burning him while he suspended an Infiltrator-il-kor and played Cloak and Dagger. I got him to low life and played a main phase Sulfurous Blast unhindered to take game 1.

Game 2: Quite similar scenario of burning and in addition of beatdown of two Mutavaults while he didn’t have early threats. Two Shard Volleys in response to his Cryptic Command ended the match.

Record: 5-0-1
Matches: 10-1-1

Semifinals: Patrick Tirol playing Dragonstorm

It was getting late at that time and the remaining players were quite exhausted. So we decided the match and this generous opponent gratefully gave me the win.

Record: 6-0-1
Matches: 12-2-1

Finals: Gian Occeña playing Project R

Another generous player. We were discussing on who will be first and he gratefully gave me the top spot.

Record: 7-0-1
Matches: 14-3-1

So there you have it folks, my first tournament report for the month of April. My match-ups were somewhat favorable and I'm glad the deck performed very well. If you're looking for a deck to build this summer, this deck is definitely fit for the season. Hehe...

After the tournament, we went to Mao's place to celebrate his birthday and the graduation of his younger brother and fellow Magikero, Carlo. Here's a glimpse of that event.

From left: Me, Patrick, Jonathan and Oliver

Birthday boy Mao with Ramon on the jamming sessions.

Till next time… Chow!

*Regards to Ellen Adarna. I can't help it putting your pic on my report. I am definitely one of your fans now. Lol...