Hello everyone,
Last Saturday, I drove to Quebec City to participate in the Sealed Secrets of Strixhaven tournament on the F2F Tour. Having played Two-Headed Giant at the Prerelease with my son, I felt confident about the format. Okay, maybe not entirely. Nevertheless, the set seemed enjoyable overall, and I had really liked the Strixhaven universe in its first iteration.
The tournament format was a bit unusual, as it was a double-elimination tournament. In other words, you play until you have two losses or win the tournament. My day could therefore be very short or quite long depending on my performance. No pressure, of course.
Another interesting detail: Jeux Face à Face really liked their experience with pre-recorded card pools at Spotlight Toronto. They have therefore decided to extend this practice to all their future competitive Sealed tournaments. Traditionally, we take about thirty minutes at the beginning of each tournament to open our sealed packs in front of an opponent and then record each card on a sheet of paper. Saving this time during the day might seem trivial, but it makes life easier for everyone, and I think everyone greatly appreciates it.
Anyway, back to the tournament. My card pool was a bit spread out across different colors. I had two good Silverquill rares, but the other cards in those colors lacked a bit of synergy for my liking. The second combination that seemed the most viable in the end was Prismari. I had plenty of cards to draw, interaction, and decent creatures in those colors. I considered playing three colors, adding green for some rares, but I prioritized the stability of my mana base.
In Round 1, I faced a black-green deck with a touch of blue and red. I think our decks were fairly evenly matched, but I had to work so hard to find my fifth land that I never got to cast the big spells that are so characteristic of Prismari. A similar scenario played out in the second game, but I was mostly beaten by Together as One. That card is worth adding one or two more colors to your deck for the effect it has on the game.
In round two, I faced a red-white deck with a touch of black. My opponent quickly conceded the first game after missing his third land two turns in a row, when I was gaining a significant advantage. The second game was decided when my opponent cast Armageddon. We both had Rubble Rouser to produce mana, but he also had Potioner's Trove, which should have given him the advantage. After a poor attack from him, I regained the land advantage, and then the mana advantage. Little by little, I managed to win the game.
Round 3, I played against a black-green deck again, but with a touch of white this time. I won the first game by sheer force of air thanks to Spectacular Skywhale and Elemental Mascot. Unfortunately, I succumbed to the card Together as One in games 2 and 3.
After 3 rounds, I already had two losses, ending my day. It was a long road for a short tournament, but still a lot of fun nonetheless.
I thank Cartes Léo for their support and I hope you enjoy watching the Pro Tour next weekend. I'm looking forward to seeing how the Standard format will evolve in preparation for RC Ottawa in mid-May.