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PTQ San Diego @ Eternal Magic (18 October 2009) Event Coverage - Finals
Mohd Khairul Anuar vs Terry Soh


Mohd Khairul Anuar

Game 1

Khairul quickly sent his opening 7 back for a new 6 card hand while Terry kept his, as Khairul starts off with a Akoum Refuge, going to 21 before casting a Zektar Shrine Expedition, followed with a Cliff Threader and a Highland Berserker while Terry had a Nimana Sell-Sword. The Berserker is forced to stay back in the face of the 3/3 ally of Terry's but he could only watch as the Cliff Threader chipped into his lifetotals not having or not willing to spend a removal spell on the 2/1 Mountain-walker. A second Nimana Sell-Sword made his first a 4/4 which chipped in for 4 as Khairul continued to harass Terry's lifetotals with the Cliff Threader while he cast a Makindi Shieldmate to try to hold the fort.



Terry's 3/3 and 4/4 Sell-Swords went into the red zone trying to topple Khairul's defences but a Pitfall Trap killed the 4/4 while the ¼ Shieldmate blocked the 3/3 but was killed anyway thanks to a Disfigure from Terry. A Torch Slinger killed off the threatening mountain-walker as Khairul's Highland Berserker traded with Terry's Torch Slinger. The furious continuous trade of blows continues with Khairul's Shatterskull Giant was quickly sent to the graveyard by a kicked Gatekeeper, but Terry had a slight upper hand now with the the help from the vampire, along with a Vampire Lacerator. In the meantime, Khairul finally hit the 3rd land needed for his Zektar Shrine Expedition whose 7/1 trample haste elemental took 7 from Terry to settle at 6 as Khairul continues build his board with a Kor Sanctifier. Little that Terry know that the game was already over for him however as after he lost a life to his Lacerator, Khairul flashed an Unstable Footing, capable to deal the final 5 damage to Terry, just as Terry seemed to have taken control of the game, summoning a bunch of monsters on his side who could do nothing in time.



Mohd Khairul Anuar 1 – Terry Soh 0

Game 2

Terry sideboard-ed in 3 cards as Khairul made no changes, and with Terry choosing to start first, he quickly sent back his opening 7 while Khairul is content with his. Keeping his 6, Terry only played lands for his first 3 turns while Khairul made the first moves with an Adventuring Gear and a Highland Berserker, which got a pump from the gear and a Teetering Peaks but the Berserker met a quick demise in the form off a Disfigure from Terry. Goblin Guide then came in on the following turn, taking on the gear and got a landfall pump taking 8 over 2 turns from Terry despite Terry putting up a Geyser Glider for defense as Khairul took it out of the battlefield with a Magma Rift.



When Khairul finally missed his landfall trigger for the Adventuring Gear, the Goblin guide tried to hit for another 2 but finally met his end from Terry's Disfigure but Khairul reinforced his side of the battlefield after with a Shatterskull Giant while a Tuktuk Grunts, Surrakar Marauder is cast along with an Expedition Map by Terry to set up his defense. Landfall hits for the Adventuring Gear packed Giant as he tried to hit in for 6 thanks to Goblin Shortcutter putting off the Grunts form blocking for Terry, forcing him to chump block with his Surrakar.



All the while where Terry is being pushed onto being defensive, Khairul had yet to find his white mana source and a handful of white cards is beginning clump up Khairul and slow hi down. Taking advantage of the lull, a Crypt Ripper followed by a Nimana Sell-Sword plus a lack of landfall forced Khairul to hold back his forces as Terry turned the tables, attacking Khairul who was at 21 thanks to a Refuge land to 17 with his 4/4 grunts. Another Goblin Shortcutter forced Terry's Sell-Sword to stand aside made Terry trade his pumped Crypt Ripper to kill off Khairul's 4/3 giant.



The Adventuring Gear was then picked up by one of the Shortcutter as Terry went in for another 4 a turn with the Grunts for a couple of turns, as Khairul could put up anything but burn Terry down another 5 with Unstable Footing to put him a precariously low lifetotals. Terry pushed on anyway, despite having his 4/4 Grunts killed off by a Magma Rift, and in his final moments of game 2, Khairul summoned another Shatterskull Giant but Terry's Magma Rift cleared the path to victory for him as he sealed the game with his 3/3 Sell-Sword dealing the final few points of lethal damage to Khairul.



Mohd Khairul Anuar 1 – Terry Soh 1

Game 3

Khairul chose to start first as he kept his opening 7 but once again Terry sent his opening hand back. Khairul went up to 21 with his Refuge as a 2nd turn Shortcutter set the pace for the game. The Goblin chipped Terry to 18 as a Zektar Shrine Expedition threatened to quickly end games for Khairul. The 2/1 goblin is killed by Terry's Seismic Shudder but Khairul quickly followed up with a Highland Berserker post combat. The Berserker equipped Khairul's Adventuring Gear got a pump thanks to landfall, and with the help of a Goblin Shortcutter, the Berserker hit Terry to 14 despite the Nimana Sell-Sword Terry have. The Sell-Sword quickly became a 4/4 however thanks to a Tuktuk Grunts but perhaps fearing Khairul's Zektar Shrine Expedition, he left them on defence. His defense plans was dashed amongst the rocks however as a Windborne Charge lifted Khairul's 2 creatures to the air to hit for 8, leaving Terry at a very dangerous 6.



Terry thought long and hard before a Torch Slinger kicked sent Khairul's Berserker into the graveyard and kept his team behind anyway. With an Unstable Footingin his hand and the Expedition needing another landfall counter, Khairul is really counting on hitting a land to seal the game and match win. He does hit his land draw, played the land, and quickly sent his 7/1 Trample Haste elemental and his Goblin Shortcutter into the red zone, choosing not to equip either creatures with his Adventuring Gear, possibly holding mana up to seal off the game with his spell should Terry make a mistake but Terry ever cautious sent all of this guys to block the 7/1, with his Slinger blocking Khairul's Goblin Shortcutter, in what might prove to be a fatal mistake for Khairul. The creatures all traded blows and when the dust settles, the battlefield is empty and Terry survived the skirmish at 6.



Changing gears, Terry went onto the offensive with a Tuktuk Grunts but died to Khairul's Pitfall Trap. And when Khairul sent in his Goblin Guide, he took got killed by a Disfigure. Khairul's Goblin Shortcutter was quickly dealt with by Terry's Torch Slinger but a Kor Skyfisher returned Khairul a Kabira Crossroads to gain another 2 life the flying 2/3 Kor met an Hideous End from Terry while his Torch Slinger went in for 2. Khairul's Kor Hookmaster kept it tapped and tried to end the game there and then but he got killed too by a Disfigure, in response to the landfall trigger of the adventuring gear that Khairul equipped him to.

In the meantime, Terry finally got some damage in over a few turns, as he turned the damage up a notch with a Surrakar Marauder joining his Torch Slinger. An attempt to stem the bleeding with a Shatterskull Giant was met with a Gatekeeper of Malakir, pushing Khairul to 5 in this high tension and breathtaking game. Knowing that he is almost at his wits end, Khairul burns Terry to 1 with his Unstable Footing but in the end he was overrun by Terry's monsters, failing to find a way to deal that that ever so critical final damage to kill off Terry's game.



Mohd Khairul Anuar 1 – Terry Soh 2


Terry Soh

Terry Soh is your PTQ San Diego @ Eternal Magic (18 October 2009) Champion!