On my Shards of Alara Release event

I need to start having a little more confidence in my deck building. I am pretty cocky as is when it comes to constructing decks, but there is always a form of lingering doubt when it comes to playing draft or sealed events. I lack confidence in my decks initially, and then they end up working just as well as I would have hoped Arguably I didn't do as brilliantly as I usually do last night as a result of my least favorite aspect of MTG... mana screw. Oh well, here is my sealed deck:

//Creatures
1 Wild Nacatl
1 Valeron Outlander
1 Deft Duelist
1 SIgiled Paladin
1 Wandering Goblins
1 Sunseed Nurturer
1 Knotvine Mystic
1 Rhox Charger
1 Rafiq of the Many
1 Meglonoth
1 Skyward Eye Prophets
1 Rockcaster Platoon

//Artifacts
1 Kaleidostone
1 Obelisk of Bant
2 Manaforce Mace

//Spells
1 Resounding Silence
1 Might of Alara
1 Gleam of resistance
1 Traumatic Visions
1 Fiery Fall
1 Resounding Thunder
1 Bant Charm

//Lands
4 Plains
4 Island
4 Mountain
4 Forest

Looking back on it I really shouldn't have run Rockcaster Platoon, he was generally worthless and I have no idea what I was thinking other then "OOoo Big menz with hurtz to flierz and playerz." In reality he is very not good... But on a positive note, one of my MVPs was Wandering Goblins, many people overlooking the fact that I could pump his ability more then once.

The Match Rundown:

Me and Paul decided to run our decks into each other quickly. He ended up getting a Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker... and managed to drop it against me, blowing up my Manaforce Mace equipped to my Meglonoth. Luckily I had a second in hand, and managed to swing back into his planeswalker to murder it down and eventually take the game.

0-0

I ended up playing Kyle first round, and the only thing better then pwning one friend wicked bad when they drop a Nicol is managing to pwn another friend after having to mull to 4. But Kyle called it, saying I would probably still manage to win somehow. He dropped a couple of dudes that managed to take me down to 10 before I drew enough removal to take them out. Then I dropped Rafiq of the Many and swung throwing a Might of Alara my critters way. 16 damage in one hit and I took him out the next turn. The second match I ended up dropping a Wandering Goblins with my trusty Manaforce Mace. Kyle underestimated the goblins ability (and wasn't the only one) and ended up taking a bit too much damage from him.

1-0

The next round I played a kid named Chris. Game 1 I got mana boned, and he swung into me repeatedly with his Esperzoa. That game ended up quickly. Game 2 nearly ended in his favor as well, with him managing to swing into me with evasion critters and use Sludge Strider and Onyx Goblet to slowly wittle my life down. But some removal later and dropping my Sunseed Nurturer managed to offset my loss of life, and eventually I managed to overpower him with dudes. Game 3 was another close one, but swinging with a Mana Force Mace'd Sigiled Paladin and Wandering Goblins, with another underestimation on the goblins part won me the game.
2-0

I had actually gotten pretty tired at this point and forgotten to take down my opponents name for this match... and the next one. The first game I managed to win as my opponent decided to underestimate a Wandering Goblins once again... with my mythic Rafiq of the Many out... it was an easy one shot. And my next 2 games I would draw almost nothing but lands... giving him the match
2-1

After my mana boneage the last round I kind of wanted to drop this one. I could still top 8 though, not that it ended up mattering. More mana flood for me and an easy match win for my opponent.
2-2

In conclusion I really can't stand the random aspect of the game that is mana screw. It doesn't matter how brilliant a player you are you can still easily take it to the face just because of poor luck. It happened in Philly, and it happened again tonight. Oh well, it generally can't be helped... honestly anyways.

I am honestly kind of disappointed that I didn't get a Progenitus. While it is probably very Timmyish of me, I really want to build a deck around him... a 10/10 pro everything, that two shots people! I have an interesting idea for a deck I think, and hopefully I can get my hands on him.

Bleach had a pretty epic dialogue today
Ichigo: Take care of Inoue. If Inoue's Rikka can't shield her from my energy, shield her with your body.
Ishida: I would even if you hadn't asked.

Hehe, Ishida is such a cocky mother trucker.

Kyle gave me a copy of FF7 whoot :D



Life is pretty fricken wonderful, and only stands to get better at this point IMO

A mana boned Travy

I am thinking it's a sign that the freckles
In our eyes are mirror images and when
We kiss they're perfectly aligned
And I have to speculate that God himself
Did make us into corresponding shapes like
Puzzle pieces from the clay
True, it may seem like a stretch, but
Its thoughts like this that catch my troubled
Head when you're away when I am missing you to death
When you are out there on the road for
Several weeks of shows and when you scan
The radio, I hope this song will guide you home

They will see us waving from such great
Heights, 'come down now,' they'll say
But everything looks perfect from far away,
'come down now,' but we'll stay...

I tried my best to leave this all on your
Machine but the persistent beat it sounded
Thin upon listening
That frankly will not fly. you will hear
The shrillest highs and lowest lows with
The windows down when this is guiding you home