Magic The Gathering - Malaysia

The writer can be contacted for feedback at qj.wong@gmail.com or here.

GPT Singapore @ CCEGAMES January 18 2009 - Quarterfinals
Mohamad Nazim vs Sashi Kumar Balakrishnan (Loco)

Game 1


Sashi Kumar Balakrishnan (Loco)


Mohamad Nazim

Nazim won the dice roll and started off the game with a Mogg Fanatic while Loco had a Treetop Village. A Keldon Marauders joined Nazim's Fanatic, taking a point off Loco quickly followed by another point from the Fanatic. The Marauders were ready to make Loco take a full 5 from it but he had a Sakura Tribe Elder, ready to chump block Nazim's Marauders and get a land out of it as well. Nazim however had a Seal of Fire to take his opponent's potential blocker away and attacked with his 2 creatures before playing another Keldon Marauders, taking his opponent down to just 12 life left.

A Damnation cleared the board but Loco went down to 9 from the deaths of the two Marauders and Mogg Fanatic's ability. Nazim however then ply his burn spells to knock off Loco's life totals with a Rift Bolt and a Shrapnel Blast that took his opponent's life totals down to his very last point.

Loco tried to get back into the game with a Ravenous Baloth while Nazim was left with an empty hand. Loco sent his Baloth and his Treetop Village into the red zone, taking 7 points off Nazim to 13 before sacrificing his Baloth to get himself up to 5 and cycled a tranquil thicket before passing his turn.

Nazim took Loco down to 4 with his animated Blinkmoth Nexus before playing a Mogg Fanatic. Loco played a Crime // Punishment for one which caused Nazim to sacrifice his Fanatic to deal a damage to Loco before a freshly drawn Lava Spike is more than enough to finish off his opponent for the first game.

Mohamad Nazim 1 - Sashi Kumar Balakrishnan (Loco) 0

Game 2

Loco going first, mulled over this opening hand before deciding to mulligan his opening hand before keeping his six. Nazim started off the game with a Seal of Fire, followed with a Incinerate and a Lava Spike, while all Loco had was lands.

Kitchen Finks then came into play for Loco which gave him some relief, going up to 16 from 14 while Nazim played his first creature of the game, a Mogg Fanatic. The Finks attacked Nazim to 17 before Loco played a Krosan Grip, destroying Nazim's Seal of Fire before he had the chance to use it, thanks to the split second ability on Krosan Grip.

Both players' creatures went into the red zone on their respective controller's turn, after which at the end of Loco's turn, Nazim fired a Magma Jet on his opponent.. When his Mogg Fanatic tried to chip another point off Loco, it ran into a Putrefy, which Nazim immediately sacrificed the Fanatic for the goblin's ability. Loco stepped up the offense with an Indrik Stomphauler which destoryed Nazim's freshly played Ensnaring Bridge. Nazim again has nothing on his turn while Loco puts his creatures to good use with a 7-point combat phase with his Stomphauler and Finks to take Nazim to 4. Eternal Witness returns Putrefy back into Loco's hands but an end of his turn Flames of the Blood Hand took Loco to 8.



Nazim drew for his turn, thought about it, but passed his turn doing nothing after which Loco immediately sent all of his creatures to try to finish Nazim off for game 2, and after thinking about it for another while, Nazim scooped up his cards so that both players can move into the game 3.

Mohamad Nazim 1 - Sashi Kumar Balakrishnan (Loco) 1

Game 3

Nazim is happy with his opening 7 but a no-lander caused Loco to promptly send his hand back for a fresh 6.

Nazim starts off the game with a Mogg Fanatic and a Pyrostatic Pillar which proceeded to takes huge chunks of life off Loco as he played his Sakura-Tribe Elder while Nazim ply his burn, starting with a suspended Rift Bolt, followed quickly by a Magma Jet after Loco played his Kitchen Finks.



Both players keeps taking damage from the Pillar, but Loco's life totals are plummeting dangerously. Nazim sends his animated Blinkmoth Nexus to take Loco to 9, after which Loco sends his Finks to take Nazim to 13. A Sakura-Tribe Elder forced Loco to take another 2 damage from the Pillar to 7 and Nazim had an Incinerate to send him further down to 4, although it also took Nazim to 11.

Mogg Fanatic and an animated Blinkmoth Nexus charged into the red zone, taking Loco to just his last life point as he blocked the Mogg Fanatic with his Elder while Nazim pumped his animated Nexus with his other Nexus.



Loco, desperate for an answer to take him out of his current predicament failed to draw anything relevant on his following draw step, conceded the game and match with no way out.

Mohamad Nazim 2 - Sashi Kumar Balakrishnan (Loco) 1

Mohamad Nazim wins the Quarterfinals match defeating Sashi Kumar Balakrishnan (Loco) 2-1