6:15pm - We have over 100 players registered for the FNM. Capacity is 140. Chatting up with ex-host Lee Steht discussing his deck choice and a few card choices.

6:24pm - Player count is up to 113 with ten more minutes to register.

6:32pm: Tom and Trevor from MTGRadio

6:36pm - Nearing on the magical 128 player count. In the 120s last I checked.

6:45pm - Round 1 pairings are up. Players are gathering around the papers to check where they're playing. I'll be doing a match report so updates will be sparse during the rounds.

7:17pm - Round 1 feature match was Lee Steht vs Kyle Franzen, won by Lee in two games. I'll put the match up later on in the night.

7:32pm - As players lose round 1 it looks like a number of people are departing or maybe running off to get food.

7:38pm - Just heard about a couple of people who went 1-0 drop. Decided the time investment wasn't worth the potential payoff I guess.

7:50pm - Drops were largely overestimated. Only four players dropped after round 1.

8:06pm - Round 2 is underway. No feature match this round as I walked around to survey the field. Not as much Jund as I expected, did see one guy with a janky Red/Black deck. He's obviously in a pool of sharks as he didn't recognize Path to Exile but hopefully he still has fun.

8:44pm - Lots of people milling around. I was busy showing them the newest spoiled card. Tweeted from Pax East, All is Dust is pretty crazy.

10:44pm - Two rounds in a row of feature match coverage. Skipping covering round five to post the write-ups thus far. I did hear that this FNM outnumbered the players at the PAX East FNM by one player.

Round 1: Lee Steht vs Kyle Franzen - Table 13

Lee is playing a Jund build, we were discussing it prior to the begin of the tournament. On the high roll, Kyle won and chose to play first.

Kyle cut his Lee's deck while Lee shuffled up Kyle's. Drawing opening hands, both players decide to keep. Kyle opens with a Swamp revealing the Vampire-like nature of his deck. On his second turn Kyle Sign in Bloods. Lee casts Trace of Abundance on his Black-Red man-land.

Kyle on turn three drops his third swamp before casting Vampire Hexmage. Passing the turn. Lee casts Bloodbraid Elf on his turn, Cascading into a Lightning Bolt to kill the Hexmage. After attacking life totals are at 15-19 in Lee's favor. Kyle Malakir Gatekeepers causing Lee to sac his Elf. Lee has another on the following turn though.

Both players swap punches with Lee gaining the advantage getting Kyle down to 9 before his Elf is Tendrils'ed. Lee's board is cleared and he Blightning's Kyle. Life is 10-19.

Lee begins analyzing Kyle, picking what is in his hand, incorrectly guessing a Malakir Bloodwitch, when it was cast and shown to be a Bloodghast.

After more removal on both sides, Kyle is down to 2 but has gained board advantage as Lee is left only with his man-land. After a Urge to Feed that removed Lee's Master of the Wild Hunt, tapping both of Kyle's creatures to pump them. Lee is able to swing for the win with the forgotten man-land.

Lee is up 1-0 as the players go to their sideboards.

Lee boards out four Goblin Ruinblasters as they prove useless against the mono-black Vampires.

Game two comes around and Kyle chooses to play first again. Both players keep their opening seven. A Swamp from Kyle then a Raging Ravine from Lee. Kyle sacs his Verdant Catacombs for a swamp and then casts Sign in Blood for an early three damage to himself.

Lee plays and sacs his own Catacomb for a Forest to cast Trace of Abundance on the Ravine. Kyle sacs a BW Fetch to get his third swamp and Mind Rot Lee. Considers and drops a Bolt and a BR Manland.

Lee drops a Catacomb and then Blightnings Kyle causing him to discard Vampire Nocturnus and Bloodwitch. Kyle misses his land drop but does Mind Rot Lee again to see a Pulse and Leech get tossed to the yard.

Lee fetches and then top decks a Master of the Wild Hunt which meets a swamp and a Gatekeeper from Kyle. Lee stands up his Ravine and swings, and Kyle has the Gatekeeper jump in its way.

Kyle drops the mascot for ManaNation, Vampire Nighthawk followed by Lee playing his Putrid Leech. Lee's tech of Trace of Abundance protects it from a Tendrils causing Kyle to instead kill the Leech in the red zone.

Life is 18-14 in Kyle's favor.

The Nighthawk surveys the table against Lee's newly cast Leech and Thrinax. Kyle considers his options as Lee surveys Kyle's graveyard. Kyle chooses to kick a Gatekeeper causing Lee to sac his Thrinax. A key to the Vampire matchup.

Lee bolts the Nighthawk and then alpha strikes with the tokens, a Leech and the token'd Raging Ravine. Lee deals 7 to Kyle and takes two himself. 12-11 in Lee's favor.

A Bloodghast is in play and Kyle drops a Nocturnus revealing a second Nocturnus. Lee rips off the top a card which gives him a good feeling as his eyebrows betray him. He animates the Ravine and swings with his tokens and Leech pinning his hopes on this attack.

Kyle blocks the Leech with his Nocturnus, forcing Lee to pump it putting him down to 6 life and Kyle goes down to 2 from the attack. With Bloodghast in play, Kyle considers his options trying to get the win in this first round.

Kyle considers for a bit before finally playing the previously revealed Nocturnus. Revealing a Duress on the top of the deck. Swinging with the Bloodghast he puts Lee to two. Lee Bloodbraid Elfs on his turn playing a Thrinax.

Lee swings with the tokens and Bloodbraid to triumphantly win game two. Kyle was visibly nervous, a fairly new player. Lee and he shared some strategy afterwards.

Round 3 - Chad Shotton vs Tim Glasscock

Mono-red in the hands of Chad and Tim rocking Red-black. Chad won the roll and chose to go first. Both kept their opening grips.

Chad drops a Scalding Tarn and passes. Tim drops a Mountain tapping for a Guide that he swings with. Chad gets a Tarn off the top of the deck. He then pops his Tarn for Mountain. At 18 he draws for his turn and considers.

Fanning his grip he looks over a full hand, dropping an Arid Mesa and passing the turn again. Tim draws, plays an Akoum Reaches to cause Tim to gain one. He drops a second Guide and swings with both. Chad reveals a spell. Taking the damage Chad is down to 13. Tim passes the turn. Chad decides not to pop the Mesa and after drawing he lays a Mountain to play a Plated Geopede, holding the Mesa as a combat trick.

Tim draws and shuffles his hand back and forth thinking over his options. He drops a Scalding Tarn with five cards in hand. Tim's two Guides' attack reveals an Earthquake on top of his library. He responds by popping his Mesa, to which Tim Burst Lightning's the Geopede before it gets buff.

The second Goblin Guide reveals a Burst Lightning. Chad Bolts one of the guides only taking two from the attack. Chad draws the Burst Lightning with three mountains in play. Tim has four cards in hand and two mana available.

Chad kicks a Ruinblaster targeting the Akoum. Tim responds by popping his Scalding Tarn and casting Searing Blaze.

Tim's attack with the Guide reveals another Geopede and puts Chad down to five life. 20-5 in Tim's favor.

Chad drops a Hell's Thunder and then Teetering Peaks' it sending six points of damage at Tim taking him to 14. Chad Burst Lightning's the Guide rather than take the damage. Tim Blightning's and then Bolt's Chad to win game 1.

1-0 in favor of Tim's Black-Red deck.

Both players are sideboarding, deciding what will best help them in this matchup. They shuffle up after sideboarding and then Chad decides to play first. Drawing seven they both keep. Chad drops Mountain then Goblin Guide swinging for an early two. Tim whiffs on the reveal.

Tim draws and pops an Arid Mesa to search his library for a Mountain. He's at 17. Tim drops a Goblin Guide and Chad whiffs on the reveal.

Tim passes to Chad who draws and lays a Scalding Tarn. He taps the Mountain and Goblin Guides, the attack for four revealing a BR Man-land. He takes Tim to 13.

Tim draws, lays a foil Scalding Tarn. He then discards a Hellspark Elemental. Chad pops his fetch at the end of turn and then Burst Lightning's Tim's Guide.

Chad untaps and draws, swinging with both Guides. Tim cracks his fetch land for a Mountain, casting Searing Blaze to kill one of the attackers. Tim is at 11 while Chad is down to 14. Chad casts the Dragon Claw and passes.

Tim cracks his fetch putting him at 10. He casts a Ball Lightning, Chad gains 1 and loses six. Tim passes.

Chad draws, stuck on two lands. He casts Hellspark Elemental and then swings with both putting Tim at 5. Tim casts another Ball Lightning and attacks taking Chad down to five. Chad untaps and draws, reveals two bolts in hand to win game 2 tying up the match.

Shuffling up for game three. Spoiler, this one goes for a while.

They both take their time making sure they get a good mix and best odds for game three. Tim chooses to play first in this final game of their match. He notes it's only proper to draw when you're playing in Master's Edition 3 limited.

Tim mulls over the decision to keep it or not before deciding it was best to throw them back. Chad will keep his seven. Tim draws six and keeps. He drops the Akoum and gains 1 life. Chad draws and drops a useless Teetering Peaks.

Tim taps the Akoum and swings with a Goblin Guide, missing his second land drop. Chad whiffed on the reveal. Chad drops a Mountain and then casts Dragon Claw.

Tim draws, lays a Mountain, casts Dragon Claw and swings with the Guide. 16-21 Tim vs Chad.

Chad draws and lays a mountain, tapping one for a Lightning Bolt on the Guide, both players gain a life. With the remaining two mana he casts Hellspark Elemental, both players gain one and then Tim loses three.

Tim draws, and lays another Akoum to gain a life, then casts Goblin Guide. Chad reveals Searing Blaze. Chad untaps and considers, tapping two mountains for the Searing Blaze he just drew, killing the Goblin Guide.

Tim runs out a Ball Lightning for an easy six damage, softened by the Dragon Claw. Chad has 14, Tim has 19.

Chad responds with his own Ball Lightning, unearthing his Hellspark and swinging with both to deal 9. 15-11 Chad to Tim.

Chad lays an Akoum Refuge to gain 1 and passes. Chad untaps, draws and passes. Both players are struggling for gas. Tim drops a second Dragon Claw and Chad says response deciding to burn or not before the second claw hits the table. Chad drops two Bolts and a Burst Lightning (unkicked). Sending Tim down to 7 life.

Tim gains two off of his Dragon Claws for Chad's Ball Lightning. Chad also unearths his Hellspark Elemental. Tim Searing Blaze's the Ball Lightning. 17-7 in Chad's favor.

Tim draws and passes the turn.

Chad draws and looks at the double Dragon Claws shaking his head. He drops the Hellspark Elemental causing Tim to gain 2 life. Tim Searing Blaze'd the Elemental. The players settle life totals after all the bookkeeping the Dragon Claws cause them.

Tim is at 11, Chad is at 17.

Now the game enters a lull with both players drawing and then passing until Tim shakes things up by casting Hell's Thunder and swinging. With that Tim nearly takes the life total lead, 14-15.

Chad draws, lays a Mountain and casts Quenchable Fire. Tim goes to 13 and Chad is at 16. Tim draws, taps and Unearths Hell's Thunder.

Chad then casts his own Hell's Thunder. Tim Blightning's Chad. The bookkeeping on this match is humorous. 10-11 Tim vs Chad.

Chad Quenchable Fire's taking Tim to 9. Chad unearths both Hell's Thunder, one is Searing Blazed before damage and the second gets a kicked Burst Lightning.

13-10 Chad vs Tim. Tim drops a Dragon Claw... his third. Chad drops his second Dragon Claw. This one might be a draw.

Tim draws and casts a Hellspark Elemental, gaining three for himself and losing 1 for Chad.

Tim drops a Hell's Thunder and unearths the Hellspark Elemental swinging for 7. The last action before time in the round. Chad draws and passes on turn 0.

Tim draws and casts Ball Lightning and Unearthing Hell's Thunder to swing on turn 1. Chad does the math and then Burst Lightning's the Ball Lightning. He takes four after gaining two.

Chad is turn two and he drops a Plated Geopede. A topdecked Earthquake drops for 8 putting Chad down to 3 life but it isn't enough and they draw by going to the end of turns.

Round 4 - Corey Sterrett vs Mike Pfaff

Both players are store regulars so they're relaxed as they settle in and shuffle up. Drawing up their hands, Mike throws back and draws six.

Corey drops a Halimar Depths and peeks then passes. Mike drops his Swamp and passes. Corey drops a Collonade and passes. Mike drops a swamp and a Vampire Hexmage to pass.

Corey drops a Plains and an Kabira Evangel. Mike pops a fetch and then kicks a Gatekeeper before attacking with the Hexmage.

Corey drops an Island and then a second Evangel. Core kicks another Gatekeeper before swinging for four. Mike pops a fetch and drops to 13 to get a Plains. Corey ships the turn.

Mike draws and Sign in Bloods on himself, going down to 17. Then he alphastrikes for six, taking Corey to 7.

Corey draws and surveys the board. He lays a plains and lays a Kazandu Blademaster then an Ally Clone.

Mike untaps and draws. He decides to drop the mascot, Vampire Nighthawk and the passes the turn. Corey, on his turn, swings with both Allies. Mike blocks the Clone with his Nighthawk and the Blademaster with his Hexmage. Before damage Corey casts Join the Ranks. Mike sacs the Hexmage to remove the counters from the clone, killing it with the Nighthawk.

Mike lays another Hexmage and attacks with the Nighthawk.

Corey untaps at five life and plays an Evangel, in response Mike sacs his Hexmage to remove the counters from the Blademaster. It gets one when the Evangel resolves.

Mike untaps and draws, playing a Vampire Nocturnus that revealed a Gatekeeper off the top of his deck. Corey scoops and they go to game two.

For game two they sideboard and then shuffle up. They both draw their opening hands and Corey chooses to mulligan while Mike keeps his opening hand. Corey keeps his six, then goes Plains, Hada Freeblade.

Mike draws, drops a Swamp and passes.

Corey drops a UW dual, then a Kazandu Blademaster, and swings with the 3/4 Freeblade. Mike goes Swamp, Black Knight.

Corey drops his plains and the Evangel and swings for six with Pro black. Mike draws and passes. Corey draws and drops a Halimar Excavator, in response Mike Tendrils the Evangel. Then Corey drops a Freeblade and swings.

Mike untaps, lays a swamp, and passes. Corey untaps and lays his second Excavator. Mike is down to 7 while Corey remains at 20. Corey mills Mike for 10 with both Excavators and three other allies.

Corey attacks with the Blademaster and both Freeblades. Mike considers his blocks, deciding on the Black Knight in front of the Blademaster and a Tendrils on one of the Freeblades.

Mike takes three in total and is down to four life. He untaps and draws. Mike kicks a Gatekeeper causing Corey to sacrifice one of the Excavators.

Corey draws a Blademaster and plays it, milling another four off of Mike's deck. Mike draws and casts Malakir Bloodwitch and passes.

Corey draws and passes. Mike draws and swings with the Witch after doing some math and checking to make sure he'd be okay. Unfortunately Corey top-decks an Evangel to get in for the win.

Corey wins game 2, tying up the match 1-1.

I got sucked into ROE spoilers and meanwhile they began game three. Quietly with lands and then an Ondu Cleric gets Gatekeepered. Corey then drops a Blademaster that also gets Gatekeepered.

Corey gets a Devoted Lightcaster and then kills one of the two Gatekeepers. Mike draws and lays a Swamp, casting Nocturnus with Tendrils on top for four damage from the Gatekeeper.

Corey untaps and draws, laying an Excavator to mill the Tendrils. Mike takes 2 from the Lightcaster. An attacking Nocturnus meets a Path to Exile from Corey. Mike casts a Hexmage and passes. Corey draws and lays a second Excavator, milling Mike for four. Corey then lays a Blademaster. He might have done that the other way to get the Blademaster bigger rather than the milling. Mike meanwhile is milled for six more.

Mike untaps and draws and casts Black Knight. He drops a swamp to Landfall a Bloodghast into play. He passes.

Corey drops a clone ally targeting an Excavator, Mike tendrils in return, then gets milled for six. Life is even 12-12.

Corey untaps and draws, then casts another Blademaster. Mike responds with Urge to Feed on the Excavator and pumps his vampires.

Corey swings with the Lightcaster and takes Mike to 12, while he is at 15. Mike gains 6 then attacks with the team. Corey takes six putting him at 9. Corey untaps and draws, popping an Arid Mesa for 1. Corey drops the Talus Paladin. Mike nods. Corey drops a Hada Freeblade. Mike gets milled some more.

Corey swings with a Blademaster and the Lightcaster, the Blademaster is blocked by the Black Knight. Corey passes.

Mike untaps and draws, his draw the only card in hand. He surveys the battlefield and considers his options. Counting his cards in the library. Mike drops his second Hexmage before attacking with the Black Knight.

Corey untaps and draws. He lays a Collonade and considers his own attack. Mike is at 22 while he is at 7. He chooses to pass.

Mike draws and drops a Bloodwitch, causing Mike to lose five life and go to two. Mike begins moving creatures around visualizing his attack and counting damage to see what would be left.

Both players have empty hands, playing off the top of their decks. Corey's Collonade remains tapped so it isn't a factor in this but Mike is unsure if he can afford the attack. He decides to hold back and pass. The carnage isn't worth it when the Bloodwitch should be able to finish it next turn.

Corey untaps and draws, spinning the card on the table. After much thinking Corey concedes and offers his hand to shake.

Mike Pfaff wins 2-1.

Update: To fix the surnames in the final match of coverage.