Magic The Gathering - Malaysia

Decards @ USJ Summit GPT Taipei 2008 - Quarterfinals

Hong How Tuan vs Johan Jamal Yacob



After a long day with 5 rounds of swiss, the dust settles upon 8 remaining players who survived the swiss rounds who will then play in the single-elimination rounds to determine who will be the one who deserves to get 3 round byes at Grand Prix Taipei 2008.

In one of the quarterfinals, Hong How Tuan, a respected veteran player who is often seen in high level tournaments like these face off against Johan Jamal Yacob, who is just fresh off a top 8 appearance just last weekend at Manawerx's own Grand Prix Trial: Taipei.

The pre-game banter was lively and cheerful, thanks to some interesting dice rolls the two players made to decide who gets to decide whether or not they want to start or draw. A roll of 20 drew a laugh from both players, but when the other rolled a 20 as well, there were laughter all around. Their 2nd roll was also a draw before the 3rd roll became the decider.

Game 1

Johan mulligan while Hong is happy with his opening seven. Johan considers his his next 6, and decides to keep it.

Hong leads off with the first move of the game with a Dragon Fodder, summoning two 1/1 goblins on his turn two. Johan passes his turn again without action, and the 2 tokens hits him for 2, taking Johan down to 18, and Hong is prepared to hit harder as he plays a Thunder-Thrash Elder, choosing to devour his 2 tokens which would make the viashino a 7/7. Johan tries to deal with it with an Agony Wrap, but both players fumbles as they are unsure of whether or not the Agony Wrap's -3/-3 ability will send the Elder into the graveyard. A quick question to and answer from notable local certified level 2 judge, Fong who was in attendance for the tournament confirms that Johan can't play a spell while the Elder is resolving and Johan willingly announces the Agony Wrap to be played after the Elder comes into play, turning it into a 4/4 instead of dealing with it as he intended.

A Demon's Herald from Johan in a lonely board is of no threat to Hong as he attacks with his 7/7 without hesitation but a Call to Heel from Johan took care of the threat. His Herald got in for 1, taking Hong to 19 to his 18, and he add a Kederekt Creeper into his side of the board. Hong calmly adds a Vithian Stinger, preparing a defence to Johan's advancing army while said army attacks Hong to 16.


Hong How Tuan

Hong passes the turn doing nothing but when Johan's creatures attacks Hong again, he dealt with the Herald with the Stinger's ability, but the Creeper chips away Hong's life totals yet again, taking him down to 14. Johan builds his momentum by playing a Corpse Connoisseur, searching for a Scourge Devil to put into his graveyard. Meanwhile, Hong finds his black mana, and plays his own Corpse Connoisseur, choosing to find nothing. Johan then unearths his Devil, and attacks with his army of 3, threatening to take a huge chunk off Hong's life totals. Hong trades his Corpse Connoisseur with Johan's but he still takes 7 to go to 7. A Bone Splinters sacrificing the Devil before he has to leave play deals with Hong's Stinger but not before he takes a small chip off Johan's life totals.

Hong knows he has a lot of catching up to do, plays a Rockslide Elemental and a Blister Beetle. Not about to let his chance slip away, Johan unearths his Corpse Connoisseur, searches for a Kathari Screecher into his graveyard, and then attacks with with his freshly unearthed creature and his Creeper. Hong chump blocks the Corpse Connoisseur with his Beetle, but goes down to 5 from the Creeper while his Rockslide Elemental grows bigger from the Beetle hitting the graveyard. He then plays a Shore Snapper while Johan sacrifices his Panorama for a land.

Johan continues his assault, unearthing his Screecher, attacks and got in for 2, taking Hong down to 3, before adding a Death Baron to his side of the board.

Hong attacks with a Snapper, activating it's islandwalk ability before playing another 2 Snappers. Both the Death Baron attacks with Johan's Creeper, determined to force some damage through to finish Hong off. The Creeper gets double blocked by Hong's Snappers, while the Baron dies to Rockslide Elemental. Hong goes to the offensive, attacking with his Elemental and Snapper, taking Johan down to 8, while Hong adds more fat to to his board, playing a Dreg Reaver. Johan losing his grip on the game, plays a Grixis Battlemage and a Courier's Capsule and passes the turn.

Hong pushes with his creatures – Snapper, Rockslide Elemental and Dreg Reaver. Johan's Battlemage dies to prevent damage from the huge Elemental and Johan then takes 6, going down to 2, but not before dumping a Kederekt Leviathan into the graveyard. Johan then asks for a land before drawing his card and got what he wants, getting the mana he needs to unearth his Leviathan, who swung in for lethal damage while getting all of Hong's creatures away.

Johan 1 – Hong 0

While the players are sideboarding for game 2, Hong couldn't find his sideboard and was resigned for it to be stolen due to an Elspeth within the pile of cards, until he found it within his own box much to everyone's amusement, and most probably, relief for Hong.

Game 2

Hong chose to go first and both players are happy with their opening hands.

Hong leads off again with a Dragon fodder on his 2nd turn but he misses his landrop on the 3rd turn while Johan plays a Courier's Capsule. Johan hits his 3rd land and plays a Kathari Screecher, but Hong attacks into the 2/2 with his 2 1/1 token anyway. Johan blocks a token with it and while he kills it off, Hong has a Blister Beetle to finish the 2/2 off, but he's still stuck at 2 lands. Johan stalls at 3 lands on his forth turn, but finds his land after sacrificing his Capsule for 2 cards. Hong still land shy, could only cycle his Ridge Rannet, but finally finds his 3rd land while his 1/1 token and Beetle takes Johan down to 15.


Johan Jamal Yacob

Johan seized the moment to build up his board while Hong is still stumbling, playing a Corpse Connoisseur, looks for a Dregscape Zombie to put into his graveyard, while Hong plays a Thunder-Trash Elder, devouring a token, making a 4/4 Viashino Warrior. A Death Baron from the other side of the board however makes the situation worse for Hong as Johan attacks with his Corpse Connoisseur taking Hong down to 16, before sending Hong's 4/4 into the graveyard with a Grixis Charm.

All Hong could manage was to play a Vithian Stinger while he's still stuck on 4 lands. Johan realizes he has the opportunity to send Hong reeling, unearths his Dregscape Zombie and attacks with everything, casts a Agony Wrap on Hong's creatures, and all Hong could do was to minimize the damage by chump blocking the Corpse Connoisseur, taking 5 into 15, while Johan adds a Grixis Battlemage to his board.

Unfazed, Hong unearths his Stinger, pings and plays Infest to clear away the board. Johan although set backed from Hong's play, unearths his Corpse Connoisseur, looks for his Scourge Devil, unearths it as well, and then hits Hong for 8, leaving Hong with just 3 life left while Johan's at 15. A Shore Snapper comes in for Hong while he tries to take back control of the game but Johan plays a Death Baron and Executioner's Capsule to stay ahead. Hong plays double Shore Snappers again, and suddenly, the Capsule doesn't look as menacing anymore. Johan adds a Kederekt Creeper to his board and Hong is forced to play it safe before making a move, playing a Lightning Talons on one of his Snappers before Johan adds a Prince of Thralls and it was all over for Hong as he has no solution to the incoming horde of Johan's creatures and falls prey to Johan's synergistic Grixis deck.

Johan 2 – Hong 0

Johan Jamal Yacob wins the Quarterfinals beating Hong How Tuan 2-0!