Magic The Gathering - Malaysia

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

PTQ San Diego @ Eternal Magic (18 October 2009) - Quarterfinals
Terry Soh vs Chen Tze Kang


Quarterfinals – Terry Soh vs Chen Tze Kang

Game 1

Tze Kang hit a 1 on his dice roll, lamenting his ominous bad start to the match as the players sleeved up their decks together and shuffled them. Both players considered their opening hands briefly before Terry got the game started with a Surrakar Marauder on his 2nd turn while all Tze Kang had a Oran-Rief Recluse to join his side of the battlefield. Terry missed a land drop on his following and could only leave his Marauder back as Tze Kang's 1/3 spider looms on the other side of the battlefield. A Bladetusk Boar for Tze Kang began to spell trouble for Terry as he has yet to draw his lands while Tze Kang's army quickly sent Terry down to 16, giving 2 counters to Tze Kang's newly cast Beastmaster Ascension.



Terry counterattacked with his Surrakar Marauder for a couple of turns to take Tze Kang to 16 but was forced to discard a couple of cards as the elusive lands remained out of reach. Tze Kang attacked Terry to 12 before summoning a Vastwood Gorger and with the Beastmaster Ascension crept closer to being active, Terry took a quick look of his the top card of his library before scooping up his side of the board to move into the 2nd game.

Terry Soh 0 – Chen Tze Kang 1


Chen Tze Kang

Game 2

Terry took some time to consider before deciding to go first after all. Tze Kang led off with a River Boa this time on his second turn but the Snake didn't stay for long as Terry killed it off with a Disfigure. A Nimana Sell-Sword for Terry also quickly met a quick demise as Tze Kang killed it with a Burst Lighting with the +1/+1 counter trigger on the stack. An Oran-Rief Survivalist joined Tze Kang's side of the battlefield and the 2/2 ally hit in for 2 while Terry spent his turn playing a Khalni Gem, before killing off the ally with a kicked Torch Slinger. It was Tze Kang's turn to be stuck on lands however as he had to discard a Summoning Trap on his following turn while Terry had a Geyser Glider. Tze Kang found his 2nd forest however and cast a Nissa's Chosen, but a kicked Gatekeeper of Malakir quickly put the elf out of the way which prompted Tze Kang to scoop up his cards as well the face of impending doom.



Terry Soh 1 – Chen Tze Kang 1

Game 3

Tze Kang chose to start first and but Terry was the fisrt to make a move with a Vampire Lacerator, going down to 19 on his following upkeep but the vampire attacked Tze Kang to 18. Tze Kang passed his 3rd turn doing nothing but play lands yet again as Terry went to 18 but another attack from the vampire took Tze Kang to 16. Terry, eager to put up more pressure on Tze Kang, cast an unkicked Torch Slinger.



Another of Tze Kang's turn passed uneventfully but the vampire died to Tze Kang's Burst Lightning but went down to 14 while Terry stands at 17. Terry continued to build his army with a Nimana Sell-Sword. Tze Kang had a kicked Torch Slinger who killed off Terry's own goblin but Terry had a Tuktuk Grunts to create a huge wave of damage onto Tze Kang, as the 3/3 haste goblin ally also pumped Terry's Sell-Sword to knock Tze Kang's lifetotals half to 7. A 2nd Nimana Sell-Sword forced Tze Kang to go deep into the thinking tank as he thought hard about his options with the Ally triggers on the stack.



In the end, Tze Kang chose to do nothing and allowed the allies' +1/+1 counters to stack up. Tze Kang then cast a Summoning Trap as Terry's creatures were committed into combat, but cringed as his top 7 cards were filled with lands and only 2 creatures both of which were not the ones Tze Kang would prefer to see.



In the end, he chose to put the Timbermaw Larva and double blocked the 4/4 grunts with his Larva Torch Slinger and but Terry had a Disfigure, killing off both creatures. Tze Kang, shaking his head, drew his card for his following turn and concede the game and match.


Terry Soh

Terry Soh 2 – Chen Tze Kang 1

Terry Soh defeats Chen Tze Kang 2-1, advancing to the Semifinals!