I recently attended a 1k at The Gathering with RUG Force. This tournament was big enough for six rounds and very informative about the deck and its matchups. Jonathan Suarez and I have been fine tuning the deck. We were so confident in it that we decided to build two versions and both play it at the 1k. This was my list:

[cardlist]

[Creatures]

2 Primeval Titan

2 Inferno Titan

1 Frost Titan

[/Creatures]

[Spells]

4 Mana Leak

2 Mind Spring

3 Lightning Bolt

2 Into the Roil

2 Garruk Wildspeaker

4 Rampant Growth

4 Jace, the Mind Sculptor

4 Cultivate

3 Destructive Force

[/Spells]

[Lands]

1 Mystfying Maze

4 Forest

4 Island

4 Mountain

2 Scalding Tarn

2 Khalni Garden

2 Halimar Depths

4 Raging Ravine

4 Misty Rainforest

[/Lands]

[Sideboard]

1 Nature's Claim

2 All is Dust

3 Flashfreeze

3 Negate

2 Pelakka Wurm

4 Obstinate Baloth

[/Sideboard]

[/cardlist]

He had slightly different sideboard than myself, but the main list was the exact same. We get there early because our driver, Chris Henry is a judge and he had to help set up. We quickly assemble cards that we need and are ready for the tournament to start.

Round one pairings are up and sadly Suarez and I are paired against each other... Oh Joy.

Round 1 vs Jonathan Suarez (RUG Force)

He wins the die roll. I draw my seven card hand and it has four lands two titans and a force. I quickly mulligan, I need ramp against him and want to resolve a turn three Jace, the Mind Sculptor or Garruk Wildspeaker. My six is very keepable with Rampant Growth, Jace, into the Roil, and three land.

He Rampant Growth's on turn two. I don't have a Mana Leak on my turn two and I don't want to try and bluff one in case he does have Jace and decides to play it - that would put me way behind. So I just Rampant Growth and hope for no Jace. He Rampant Growth's again then says "awkward." He only has 3 lands in play, he missed his land drop. I take advantage of him only having one mana open and drop a Jace and Brainstorm. On his turn he finds his fourth land and drops a Garruk untapping two lands. Eventually on my turn I have a Garruk in hand and want to play it after I attempt to bounce his Garruk, locking him out of his planeswalkers. So I Into the Roil without kicker on his Garruk and he Mana Leaks it. I pay for it, but now I can't play my Garruk. On his turn he plays his Inferno Titan killing my Jace. Things were looking a little scary, but I was able to draw a Lightning Bolt so that I could play my Inferno Titan dealing three to his Titan followed by a bolt. He had no answer for my Titan and the game quickly ended.

I decide to keep in my ramp in but cut my Destructive Forces, by doing this I am still ok if he forces and I get to play with more sideboard cards.

-3 Destructive Force -3 Lightning Bolt

+3 Flashfreeze +3 Negate

Game two we are both afraid to cast anything relevant to early. So we end up ramping to a bunch of lands with nothing on the board. We eventually get into a counter war over his Jace that I end up losing. I end up having a Garruk in play but he is able to resolve an Inferno Titan killing my Garruk and sealing the game.

Game three we are very short on time and it looks like this game is going to be a draw. Time is called and we both reveal our hands. We couldn't really decide who would win by just our hands but Suarez decided to just scoop to me since a draw would be like losing for both of us. What a super nice guy, I thanked him and got ready for round two.

1-0

Round 2 vs Tyler Phelps (Wafo-Tapa's U/W control)

My opponent is a very nice young lad I thoroughly enjoyed playing against even though we only got to really play one game out of three. He wins the die roll and decided to play first. We both are playing the control game not wanting to tap it into a counter spell. He eventually breaks it by trying to cast a Jace which I get to Mana Leak. On my turn I get to drop a Frost Titan keeping his Celestial Colonnade tapped. During his main phase he tries to Path to Exile my Frost Titan but forgets to pay the two extra so it was countered. I get one attack in with Frost Titan then the next turn he is able to Path it again – this time though the two was paid. On my turn I don't have much in my hand besides ramp spells so I try to go for a Destructive Force since that is most likely my only way out. Unfortunately he had the Deprive to counter it and began slowly killing me with Colonnade while Sun Titan made quick work of my manlands thanks to Tectonic Edge. I sat with ramp spells in my hand not being able to cast them since I had all basics out. I eventually get out a Primeval Titan that does me no good since he is able to edge my Mystifying Maze. I die a very tragic death to Colonnade.

-2 Cultivate -3 Lightning Bolts -1 Rampant Growth

+3 Negate +2 All is Dust +1 Nature's Claim

I know this game will go long so I cut some cultivate since it quickly becomes dead in this matchup. I end up cutting one Rampant Growth since now I will have eleven turn two plays seven being counterspells. This game goes very long where he is able to answer all my threats via Tectonic Edge, pinpoint removal, or counterspells. We eventually go into time and Tyler gets the match 1-0. We wish each other good luck than part ways. After this game I contemplate bringing Obstinate Baloth in next time against U/W to up the threat count since they will most likely be cutting some number of Day of Judgment.

1-1

Round 3 Anthony Duval (Wafo-Tapa's U/W control)

I am playing yet someone else that rode with us to the 1k. Anthony is a newer player that has become competitive faster than anyone I know. He is a very good friend and a nice guy, but it was time for us to battle it out! I know what he is playing and I try to play faster since I do not want to go into time again.

I end up winning the die roll and play first. Yet again both of us are trying to play the control game, but we are playing fast. He doesn't counter my ramp spells and I always leave mana up for a Mana Leak. I get to resolve a Garruk who makes a beast. That beast is only able to smash in for three once before he gets to play a Wall of Omens stopping some damage from my beasts. After I get three beasts in play he casts Day of Judgement and Tectonic Edges my Raging Ravine when I try to attack with it. He is tapped out at that point and I still have mana to cast Inferno Titan. On the following turn I am able to Destructive Force putting him too far behind allowing my Titan to quickly end the game.

This time I want more threats, I don't want to play the waiting game.

-3 Lightning Bolts -2 Cultivate

+4 Obstinate Baloths +1 Pelakka Wurm

I really don't want to play the counter game again so I try to go super aggressive. This works out very well since he has cut out his Wall of Omens. He stumbles on mana and is only able to counter one of my spells. I am able to ride the back of my creatures to victory with no trouble. I end both games at twenty or above life. Maybe next time my Hispanic brother!

2-1

Round 4 Adrian Nestico (Wafo-Tapa's U/W control)

I know Adrian as well, he's a cool guy that can't tell when I am joking. I will make a sarcastic joke and he will think I am serious. Maybe I am just bad at telling jokes... Nah that can't be it!

I know he is playing U/W because I helped him a little with his sideboard. So again I want to play fast to avoid going to time. He wins the die roll and we begin to battle. After turn four I notice he is screwed on mana – he had no white mana out. He counter's my Jace and Garruk, but still has no white mana. I am able to cast Primeval Titan and get my Raging Ravine's to go berserk on him before he ever gets white mana. The following turn I Destructive Force to lock him out of the game.

I know Adrian will take out his walls against me because he knows I don't play Lotus Cobra's or Oracles. So I decide to go aggressive again.

-3 Lightning Bolts -2 Cultivate

+4 Obstinate Baloths +1 Pelakka Wurm

Game two I am shocked that I was able to resolve a turn three Garruk. I apply enough pressure with Garruk that he has to Path to Exile a token. He then Oblivion Rings Garruk and casts Day the next turn. I am able to resolve a Destructive Force by countering his counter. The game goes for awhile with draw go and eventually I am able to Destructive Force again and win via man lands.

After the game he says he had the counter for Garruk but he didn't think it would be a difficult problem to answer, and that he should've countered the Planeswalker. I agree especially with no Wall of Omens left in the main deck.

3-1

Round 5 Andre Love (G/W Knights)

I introduced myself to Mr. Love then we got down to business. I kept a good hand with only one ramp spell which was fine I since it was a Cultivate and I assumed he was playing U/W. Andre just keeps dropping green and white mana and doesn't have a play until turn four where he drops a Dauntless Escort. On my turn I just play Jace and unsummon his Escort. He then drops an Elspeth making a 1/1 soldier token. I cast a Frost Titan than bounce his 1/1 token to keep my Jace alive. He just recasts Escort and make's another 1/1. I am able to force him to sacrifice his escort with my Inferno Titan. I then fateseal him with Jace, and kill Elspeth with Frost Titan after tapping down his token. The following turn he casts another Escort which I am able to ignore thanks to Frost Titan and just win the game.

I figured he was Mythic that kept a really bad hand so I sideboarded for Mythic.

-2 Cultivate -1 Mind Spring

+2 All is Dust +1 Nature's Claim

He is on the play but doesn't do anything until turn three dropping a Tajuru Preserver which I Mana Leak. On his next turn he tries to cast an Ajani Goldmane – Now I know he is not Mythic but maybe some kinda of token deck? I'm not really sure but I Mana Leak his Ajani anyway so I can ramp the next turn. I Cultivate and he casts Knight of the White Orchid and misses his land drop. I end up casting Garruk and Jace in the same turn and fateseal him to make sure he draws no more lands while Garruk hold the fort with his beasts.

After the game he tells me he was playing G/W Knights but he had slow hands.

4-1

Round 6 Eric Collins (G/R Valakut Ramp)

We find out that we can draw in but a friend needs me to play it out in order for him to make top 8. I really didn't want to play it out since I consider this matchup favorable for me and I would like to face him in the top 8. Also if he does wreck me that would mean my friend is in but I am out with nothing... Sometimes you gotta put yourself first so we drew.

After top eight was announced I found out that my friend made it in regardless, but Suarez was not in the top 8. I had to take it down for the team!

4-1-1

Quarter Finals Kevin Fricke (U/R Runeflare Trap)

I know what Kevin is playing and suddenly wish I had more Nature's Claim in the sideboard. Game one he ends up resolving two Howling Mine effects and a Font of Mythos. We draw five cards each for two turns then I finally decide to try and bounce his mine effects EoT with Into the Roil. My hopes were that I draw either a Destructive Force or some countermagic. It was not to be, instead I drew Primeval Titan which was Call to Heel'ed. He casts his mine effects again. At the end of my draw step he Runeflare Traps me copying it with Twincast. At this point I am still at twenty and have a Lightning Bolt in hand. I try to go down to nine cards by casting the bolt but he has the Burst Lightning anyway.

I know I need to be aggressive here and that a Titan won't cut it.

-2 Mind Springs -2 Primeval Titans -1 Frost Titan -3 Lightning Bolts -2 Cultivates -2 Inferno Titan

+3 Flashfreeze +3 Negate +4 Obstinate Baloth +1 Pelakka Wurm +1 Nature's Claim

Games two and three happen the same way. He gets stuck on three – four land and I am able to keep him off lands with Jace all the time holding countermagic and applying pressure with Baloths. I am able to resolve Destructive Force sealing the game with Jace. I was surprised how much easier games two and three were for me. Having ten counterspells in your deck and your opponent getting stuck on mana helps Jace end games I guess.

Semi Finals Oliver Russ (UWR Planeswalkers)

I know Oliver and offered him a Split on the top four. He politely declined saying he needed money for rent. So off to battle!

He wins the die roll and starts things off with Wall of Omen's and turning my land to islands with Spreading Seas. I am able to resolve a Jace and get great card advantage after a couple brainstorms where he is then forced to play a Jace of his own to stop mine. I resolve a Primeval Titan that get's two Raging Ravines. He isn't able to stop my titan and man lands for long they make quick work of his walls, Gideon, then him.

-2 Cultivate -3 Lightning Bolts -1 Rampant Growth

+2 All is Dust +1 Nature's Claim +3 Negate

He starts things off with Spreading Seas and I just ramp up and the following turn and decide to cast a turn three Jace - because after playing my fourth land I have no more in hand. He has the Mana Leak for it then is able play Ajani Vengeant and locks me out of the game while I sit in my hand with an All is Dust.

Game three I am on the play and for some odd reason decide to keep a sketchy hand with two lands and a Rampant Growth. If I draw one land my hand will be fine. On my turn two I rampant growth and pass the turn. He Spreading Sea's my land and I fail to draw a land on my turn. He is able to cast an Ajani Vengeant again that locks me out of the game.

After the game I am a little upset that I kept that hand. Oliver notices I'm distraught about something and apologies for not splitting in the top four. I tell him that was fine I didn't mind that, I just shouldn't have kept that hand. Hindsight I probably should've kept in some Bolts to buy me time against Ajani.

Closing Thoughts

If I play this deck again I would not play any more than two Cultivates. I found myself running out of basics fast. Like some people suggested last time maybe four Rampant Growth's and four Explores is the way to go, I just hate missing with Explore. If I were to play Explore though I would up the land count to 28-29 to hopefully ensure Explore doesn't miss.

After I got my prize money I give half to Suarez for the concession. I pick up some EDH cards and get ready for the ride home, but not before stopping at Chili's for a small celebration. The best part about tournaments really is seeing and hanging out with your friends.