2018-11-09 D&A FNM Modern 3-1

Updated decklist: https://www.mtggoldfish.com/deck/1457422#paper

Differences from last week:

• -1 Urborg Tomb of Yawgmoth, +1 Blackcleave Cliffs
• -3 SSG, +3 Fatal Push
• SB: -3 Fatal Push, +3 Anger of the Gods

Round 1 - Steve / Grixis combo (1-2, 0-1)
There's got to be a better name for the deck that plays Goryo's Vengance, Living End, As Foretold, Griselbrand, Kiki-Jikki & Deceiver Exarch, and Jace Vryn's Prodigy. Game 1 I had a hand that didn't do anything (no Waste Not). Probably wasn't winning g1 anyways since I don't have graveyard interaction. Game 2 I drew all three Surgical Extractions and had an easy win. Game 3 was no action again and combo'd on turn 3, perhaps should have mulligan'd to 5 for a Surgical.
SB: +3 Surgical, +3 Liliana of the Veil, -3 Fatal Push, -3 Kolaghan's Command

Round 2 - Brian / Affinity (2-1, 1-1)
Game 1 he played a Blood Moon into an open fetchland, and I had a basic Island in my hand. the Blood Moon turned off all his manlands, which could have been a problem. Finished game 1 with a Collective Defiance, which is hilarious.
SB: +1 Fatal Push, +1 Kolaghan's Command, +3 Anger of the Gods, +1 Kalitas Traitor of Ghet, +1 Gifted Aetherborn
-2 Collective Defiance, -5 other cards I forget. JVP, Snapcasters, maybe Collective Brutalities
I think it's important to keep at least 1 Snapcaster in for the ability to flashback Torment of Hailfire.
Highlight from game 3 was weakening a Galvanic Blast targeting my Gifted Aetherborn, by removing their third artifact.

Round 3 - Ed / mono red Steam Kin? (2-0, 2-1)
Don't think it was a stock list. He played Mox Opal, Bomat Couriers, Memnites, Signal Pests, Bushwhackers, Runaway Steam-Kin, Risk Factors, Goblin Guides, Goblin Grenades. Not a lot in the way of direct burn spells. He brought me close both games, but Risk Factor worked out quite poorly for him - ex. from 6 life, take 4 because he has access to RRRR mana (Steam-Kin on 3 counters + lands), or letting him draw 3 cards with no available mana on that turn + Collective Brutality in hand.
SB: +1 Fatal Push, +1 Kolaghan's Command, +3 Anger of the Gods, +1 Kalitas Traitor of Ghet, +1 Gifted Aetherborn
-2 Collective Defiance, -2 Thoughtseize, -1 Damnation, -2 JVP?
Basically same sideboarding as round 2 vs Affinity


Round 4 - pair down vs Dan / budget elves (2-1, 3-1)
Lost game 1 to a bunch of dumb pointy-eared brutes.
SB: I don't even remember. Anger of the Gods did a lot of work here (and in the other matchups).
Game 3 I misplayed several times. The first was vs a telegraphed Collected Company (Heritage Druid + 2 elves + land). I had a Fatal Push and Anger of the Gods in hand. I should have Pushed the Druid in draw step or first main, then cast Anger in the next available main phase. Later on, though around 10 life, I was not under threat of lethal damage (even if he had two lords), and could have played a JVP with Anger of the Gods in the yard - setting up a next turn flashback. Instead I cast Wistful Thinking, and had to Wistful Thinking myself next turn to find a Snapcaster Mage for my Anger. Earlier I cast a Torment of Hailfire for X = 4, and after sweeping the board I used JVP to flash it back for X = 6.

Judge question: I control a Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet. I cast Anger of the Gods (my opponent has creatures, obviously). What happens - do I get zombies or not?

Answer: CR 616.1

Overall thoughts:

• The Fatal Push/Anger of the Gods combination was huge, at least vs my local store's meta. There are a lot of "burn" or aggro players whose decks play a ton of small creatures. Control, midrange, combo, and big mana are not super prevalent right now?
• There are several players at the store who play (at least some of the time) some variant of the deck I faced in round 3 (mono red aggro, utilizing Mox Opals).
• With all these aggro players running around, there are a lot of Goblin Guides running out there. But most of these players don't remember the attack trigger, which is super frustrating to me (and pretty sure illegal at comp REL). You don't just get a bigger Angry Goblin with no downside!
• Wistful Thinking is the game's silliest Mind Rot.
• DIY Ancestral Recall (Dream Salvage) is great. However, I don't think it's worth casting when it can only draw 1 card (enabled by Geier Reach Sanitarium/Thoughtseize/Collective Brutality/Liliana of the Veil).
• I should formalize my priority of fetch targets. Usually I prioritize BR, the BB/RR, then a U source - roughly corresponding to each turn. There's only a couple people playing Blood Moon? in which case I'd probably fetch Swamp-Island in that order, unless both my fetches are Bloodstained Mire.