Well it has been a few days since the GP has been over and I had not had the time to update being busy with work and being sick. This past weekend was overall a disappointment as far as Magic goes. I went 5-3 (6-3 with my 1 bye). Ending up in 188 out of 834 players. Anyways, Friday morning I woke up about 8am got ready to catch my flight. Traffic ended up being backed up and the ride to the airport was anger filled. I'd like to thank my girlfriend for putting up with that and picking me up from the airport when I got back. Anyways, security was a pain in the ass and I got searched twice. My flight had announced final boarding, to find out the gate had switched! So I ran over, but to my luck the line had just started due to airport security deciding to do screens before people got on. I saw Zach Gray and chatted it up then got on the plane. We landed in Los Angeles about 25 minutes earlier than scheduled. It was 80 degrees and could not be nicer, considering when I had left Chicago O'Hare the temp plus windshield was -40. I went to the tournament site to see what was going on. Saw Rashad and a bunch of Wisconsin and Michigan players testing various decks. Looked as though Faeries and Deathcloud were going to be the most played deck for the weekend. I went to check in for the tournament and received my free playmat and chrome mox, which I preregistered for online. The TO told me to take my info to be entered into the system, the guy missed that I had preregistered and handed me another mat and chrome mox. Thanks I do like a free 30 dollars! Anyways I checked into the hotel room and waited for AJ to arrive. It was only 5pm there, but with the time change everyone was starving. We walked down to the In N Out Burger for dinner. For my first time it was ok, nothing special. Im still weirded out by the sauce they put on their burgers. We go back to the tournament site and I watch Owen Turtenwald play in a grinder. He had 2 byes, but was playing for the 3rd. He had a few interesting opponents. One of his elf opponents was nice enough to not pay for the Summoner's Pact and then proceded to ask if they could move back! LOL. Then a girl ripped a sleeve while shuffling up for game 3 and did not have a replacement. The judge staff was terrible in getting this resolved. Cedric, Nick, and Anderson all arrived from Indianapolis and we checked in for the night. I decided on Faeries, AJ was playing his RG loam, Cedric and Nick also played Faeries, and Chris decided on MonoWhite last minute instead of Elves.

Saturday morning came and got ready for the tournament. After waiting infinite time for an elevator we walked down to the site. On a side note I will never stay at a Radisson Hotel again. When we sat down to register our decks, the word was going around that everyone had decided to play TEPS. Mainly Luis, Gerry, and their crew.

Round 1: BYE Rashad, Bernat, Nick, Chris, and I went to In N Out Burger for some nourishment. I dominated this round with Fresh Fries and a Double Burger.

Round 2: Peter Szigeti with Affinity
Peter had just sat down before the round started and was jumbled. He introduces himself and I kind of recognize him from older events. Turns out he had just been unbanned from the DCI a couple months ago. We roll the die and he is on the play. We both keep our opening hands and he goes Ancient Den into an Arcbound Worker. When I noticed Affinity I knew it was going to be a rough round. This matchup is almost impossible to win until after boarding. I played an island and suspended an ancestral visions. He swung in for 1 and played another Worker along with a Frogmite. I played a land and passed. My hand was Spellstutter, 2 spell snare, 2 land, Venser. He swings in for 4. Im down to 16 and he tries to play Crainial Plating which is met with a Spell Snare. He plays a third Worker and passes, nice deck! I laid my land and passed. He swings in with 3 Workers and Frogmite I flash in a Spellstutter and block a Worker. He moves the counter onto the Frogmite, then tries to play Ravager, which is Spell Snared. He thoughtcasts then drops Myr Enforcer. At this point the game is basically over. I dont draw my 4th land and pass. He plays Master of Etherium and I scoop. I side in 3 Damnations for 3 Stifles and 1 Engineered Explosives for 1 Glen Elendra Archmage. I go on the play. No land, I ship back and mulligan to 6. This hand is semi better with Strand, Mutavault, SpellSnare Leak, and SpellStutter. He went land Thopter, drum, Frogmite pass. I drew a land and passed. I spell snared his Ravager and he gets in for 2. He casts Thoughtcast and passes. I drew another land and pass turn. He bashes for 2 and casts Master, which is Mana Leaked. He then plays another Frogmite and passes. I draw a Vendillian Clique and pass. Clique him duringhis draw step and reveal Frenzy, Ravager, and Plating. I took the plating and he draws into another Master. How lucky! I was bitter and had Damnation as my only out. Draw and scoop them up. (0-2)overall(1-1)

Round 3: Caleb Morris with Affinity
Caleb sat down and flashed me a Ravager as he was shuffling. I could not believe it. Of all tournaments I have to play against Affinity again. There werent many notes from this round because my opponent did not do much. He mulliganed to 5 both games. The most damage I took was from my own Fetch and Dual. (2-0)overall(2-1)

Round 4: Michael Kwon with TEPS tendrils
Starting this round I had a headache and took less notes from this point out, therefore it wasnt as detailed as the beginning. Michael led off with 2 fetchlands in his 2 turns. I had him on either Faeries or TEPS. He cracks them and reveals Steam Vents. I neutered his hand with Clique and got him down to 2. He basically has 2 outs. He can draw a desire or hit a desire off his manamorphose. He missed it off the draw plays out his spells and lucks off a manamorphose into a ponder and hits another manamorphose into a desire. MUST BE! He Desires with a spell count of 7 and flips a Desire with the first and that gets my concession. I have nothing to board in against this matchup as I already play Stifle main. Game 2 is almost the same as game 1. He Gigadrowses me the turn before he is about to go off. Im helpless with an Archmage out and Stifle in hand. He goes off but turns out he is 1 mana short from the desire. He tried playing it off but I always keep track of storm and mana when my opponent is playing solitaire. He punts this game and we are off to game 3. Similar to the other games, he ends up desiring for 6 with 1 card in hand and 2 black mana floating. He misses hitting anything relevant except a ponder and a lotus bloom. He ponders into a rite cast the bloom and reveals the tendrils in his hand. Close, but no cigar. (1-2)overall(2-2)

Round 5: Rex Mendoza with Affinity
I dont have much to say about this round. This is where I wanted to kill myself. Game 3 I was in control with the board, but we were short on time due to his slow play. He has 1 card in hand and an ornothopter with 2 plating on it. I need to get aggressive. I saw Fatal Frenzy Game 1, so I had him on this. I tapped out to play Clique with no blue mana floating because I had out Riptide and Mutavaults. He plays Soul's Fire targeting me for lethal. I couldnt believe it. I kind of just sat there in shock. He expresses how he got extremely lucky and I kinda just ignore him.
(1-2)overall(2-3) at this point I was going to drop, but I continued to try and get some points back.

Round 6:Justin Holb with Affinity
Justin shows up late round 6 and gets a game loss. He is on the play and says he is in a hurry. I asked him why didnt he just drop last round. He concedes to me and is off.
(2-0)overall(3-3)

Round 7:Scott Vanessen with Rock
While Scott was shuffling I saw a Baloth so I was happy to not be playing Affinity for once. Game 1 Scott does little to nothing and I went Aggro Faeries on him. I did not sideboard, because I thought he was a weak player. Game 2 was very close. He gained back an advantage with life gain then resolved persecute on me. My hand was raped and he bashed in. His board was clear and had him at 2. I was at 8. I had him on no outs and off the top he rips DEMONFIRE! haha for lethal. I was kinda like WTF nice deck and went to game 3. I couldnt believe I lost a game to this donk. There were about 10 minutes left in the round. I had to go aggro Faeries if I was going to win. Clique got in for 3 and revealed some hilarious cards. He was playing Spectral Force. I took his Baloth and passed. I bashed with Clique and 2 Mutavaults. He plays Force and passes. Topdeck and get a Sower. This was justice for ever losing to a demonfire at a GP. (2-1)overall(4-3)

Round 8:Luis Antonio Magisa with Burn
This matchup is awesome to play. After the first couple turns they wont be resolving many spells. I won this round fairly quickly. A resolved Archmage is mos def GG.
(2-0)overall(5-3)

Round 9:Jeff Meadows with Mono Blue Faeries
I sat down and was next to Shuhei Nakumara. Turns out Shuhei was having just as bad of a day. He was also rocking the Faeries. I didnt take many notes during this round as I just wanted to be done playing for the day and leave on a positive note. I started both games off with an Ancestral Visions. This seems like the key to the mirror. If it resolves you are good to go. Everytime he played an Archmage I had a Sower ready for it and would bash in. Jeff was very frustrated and couldnt believe the draws I had, but this happens when you resolve a Visions...
(2-0)overall(6-3)

I plan on playing this deck for most of the season and just making adjustments to the sideboard as the meta shifts and we welcome Conflux into the season. I will see everyone at Madison and hoping I take it home there!