Played a 129 person MCQ. Failed pretty badly.
Round 1 vs. Whirza. The matchup I've been testing a bunch! In the first game, he does turn 2 Urza, then turn 3 Urza, then turn 4 combo kills me. I also had the turn 4, but alas, a DIE ROLL chooses who plays first. In the next game, I had the kill the turn after he played Urza. In the final game, I barely get there when I have hate to slow him down. I find a land and a ramp spell to Scapeshift for lethal while he had a Thopter Foundry and a few artifacts in play. 2-1.
Round 2 vs. Tron. A match vs. a local player who is amazing with Tron. She beat my friend in the mirror match at the last MCQ we went to and then she top 4ed, losing only to my other friend, who won in the finals. In the first game, she mulls to 5 and does turn 3 Karn. I Bolt it and continue to ramp while she just plays Ugin. I bolt it once so it doesn't kill my Prime Time next turn and then I cruise to a win, leaving the Ugin on board. She mulls to 5 in the next game and I have double Mwonvuli Acid-Moss.
for her. 2-0.
Round 3 vs. Whirza. This was the deck I lent the 1 friend I drove with because he left some Tron pieces at home on accident. It was his only choice and he top 4ed. He gets the turn 4 combo and I don't scoop to it right away. But I scoop a few turns later. In the next game, he gets turn 4 Urza, but I am able to control the board with Valakut triggers from a Prime Time the turn before. In the final game, he is able to win through Force of Vigor and Reclamation Sage. He Whirs for another Thopter Foundry after 2 are destroyed. GGs. 1-2.
Round 4 vs. Storm. I bolt 2 cost reducers, one in response to her Ritual. Then she gets another one and I have Valakut triggers from a Prime Time. In the next game, she is holding a lot of cards, but couldn't get more than 1 cost reducer, which got killed by me on turn 2. I decide that I kind of have to go for Summoner's Pact into Sakura Tribe-Elder into Scapeshift and sure enough, she actually DOES NOT have Remand. Got there. She made a lot of mistakes in this game, not knowing about Repeal and targets that disappear and some other minor stuff. An onlooker told me that she had the win rolled up in Game 1, but punted. 2-0.
Round 5 vs. Whirza. Dream dead. He combo kills me on turn 4. I also had the turn 4 Scapeshift. Sad. I grind through him in the next game, overcoming Magus of the Moon immediately and then Ensnaring Bridge and . Tireless Tracker is king! I Pact for it early and get to 13 cards left in my deck when I draw all the answers 5 in a row! Bolt, Bolt, Force of Vigor, Summoner's Pact for Rec Sage, and Ancient Grudge. Did a 4 land Scapeshift (should have been 5, but I thought I needed to win that turn because he'd draw the combo to win this late in the game.) But it was good enough. Ever had 2 dice full on a Tracker? I now have. In the final game, he overcomes Force of Vigor and more to combo out and kill me on turn 5. I had to double Force of Vigor, leaving myself with 5 land and a Prime Time. So I wasn't winning any time soon because the top card was yet a 3rd Scapeshift (I exiled 2 of them to Forces). Sad, sad days we live in. 1-2.
Round 6 vs. Burn. In the first game, I get an early Courser and do an 18 point Scapeshift, knowing that he may have Lightning Helix, but the life gain wins. It killed him. No Helix. In the next game, he gets double Eidolon and they're good. I Anger of the Gods, but I take 4 and am down to 3 to get Rift Bolted. In the final game, I am nearly dead, but he misses on 1 draw with me at 2 life and I draw a Search for Tomorrow to Scapeshift him. 2-1.
Round 7 vs. Jeskai Copycat. Comboed me on turn 4 because it seemed like I was about to win anyway next turn. Smart player, as that is what I was going to do. I did not have Bolt in hand. Nearly the same situation in Game 2, but I DID have Bolt and I win from there. In the final game, he gets Teferi, Time Raveler, leaving Search exiled. Then Narset into Narset. I am about to hope to dodge Force of Negation and STE into Scapeshift and kill him despite all this, but he draws Ashiok for the turn and I only draw stuff that loses to that, while I already have that stuff in hand.
1-2.
Round 8 vs. Titanshift. His deck was close to Marshall Jankovsky's, who won an MCQ last weekend with it. I kept on 2 land, STE, double Explore and never draw a single land. I Summoner's Pact, confusing him since I only have 3 mana. Then I Bolt myself before Valakut triggers kill me. He mulls to 5 and I mull to 6. I would have mulled more, but it seemed like he wanted to mull right away, so I keep 4 land and Mwonvuli Acid-Moss with a Prime Time. I Moss him twice and win easily after that. In the final game, I Prime Time first, but I still lose to Scapeshift. He doesn't draw it, but draws Prime Time and I am able to kill him on board. Field of the Dead put some useless Zombies for both of us since Valakut triggers were low at the time. Lol. 2-1.
I finish 5-3 and definitely out of prize. I expected to win all matches except vs. my own deck. I should have just played Whirza. I know people don't come to these threads to see this, but I honestly didn't make the correct deck choice, due to seeing Marshall win. I went from thinking that Titanshift is a top 8 deck to Titanshift is a
winning deck.