Feature Match – Build your own Block

Players were allowed to build their own block of M:TG from any three sets. Here is the Top 4 match between Joe Lee and Billy Postlethwaith.

Joe; Ice Age, Champions of Kamigawa, Magic 2010
Billy; Odyssey, Ravnica, Seventh

Game 1
The game started with a forty-dice roll-off; Joe rolled 142, Billy followed with 143 and chose to play.

Billy played Putrid Imp on turn one with Underground River. Joe Countered with Adarkar Wastes and Ponder. During Billy's upkeep he discards Golgari Grave-Troll to the Imp to give it flying; he then dredges it back to his hand. He plays another Imp and discards another Troll, then plays Cabal Therapy and names Swords to Plowshares; Joe didn't have any (2 Sensei's Divining Tops, Elite Vanguard, Brainstorm, Ninja of the Deep Hours, Adarkar Wastes and Glacial Fortress). Billy plays another Underground River, sacks a Putrid Imp to flashback Cabal Therapy, naming Joe's 2 Sensei's Divining Tops, then attacks for 1. Joe drops an Elite Vanguard and passes. At the end of his turn, Billy brings Ichorid back into play, removing Putrid Imp from his graveyard. Billy dredges the Golgari Grave-Troll, dredging 3 straight Cabal Therapys in a row. He pitched another Troll to give his Imp flying and attacks with it and the Ichorid. Joe Plows the Ichorid, with only the Imp hitting for 1. Joe's now at 13, Billy's at 20 (thanks to the 3 from the Swords to Plowshares). Billy casts Cabal Therapy and hits the Ninja of the Deep. Joe swings for 2 with the Elite, then brings out a Jotun Grunt - a real dagger to Billy P's plan. Billy dredges for the troll and takes 4 to flashback to Deep Analysis, then dredges Life from the Loam and Stinkweed Imp. Joe Brainstorms, then sends his Vanguard and Grunt on the offensive, only to have the Ninja smokebombs past the Elite and bashes Billy for another 6. The Vanguard comes back into play with the totals at 14-11; shamefully Billy picks up his cards, his utter defeat now inevitable.

Game 2
Joe boards in 4 Samurai of the Pale Curtain, Billy brings in 3 Ray of Revelations.

Billy is on the play, playing Watery Grave into Careful Study and pitches a Golgari-Rot Troll and Ray of Revelation. Joe lays down a plain and unleashes Isamaru, Hound of Konda. Billy dredges the Troll for 6 and hits an Imp, then Careful Study's and pitches another Troll and an Ichorid. He plays a City of Brass, plays an Imp and passes. Joe plays Minamo and attacks with Isamaru - but shakes the battlefield up when the Ninja tags Isamaru out. Another dredge hits Cabal Therapy and another Troll, then Billy goes on the offensive with the 2 Imps. It’s down to 15-18. Flashbacking Deep Analysis brings it further down for Billy, leaving him at 11. He dredges another Imp and Troll hitting 2 more Imps, a Troll and an Ichorid. He casts Cabal Therapy but incorrectly calls out the Jotun Grunt – Joe reveals Isamaru, Swords to Plowshares, Sensei's Divining Top, Force of Will, another Ninja and 2 Islands. Fail. Joe casts his top and activates it. The Ninja dishes out two more points of damage and grants him another card. Isamaru joins the battlefield and Joe passes the turn. Billy manages to retrieve 2 Ichorids, dredges the Troll to get a Wonder and another Troll and removes 2 Imps for an Ichorid. The 2 Ichorids charge into the fray – the score is now 11-12. Billy, clearly forgetting the Force of Will in Joe’s hand, fruitlessly casts another Imp only to have it countered, taking 2 from his pain lands in the process. Joe uses his Top and swings for another 4. Billy’s left at a mere 2. He returns 3 Ichorids, doesn’t dredge, and smashes Joe for 9, though to no avail. He scoops and shakes Joe’s hand. The match is over, proving once again that you don’t mess with ninjas.

Joe Lee and Eric Muensh split in the finals.