The archmage is sort of the biggest T1 tournament
in Quebec. This year edition attempted 79 players.
As I expected, the field was eavily composed of
Legend blue and it's variants (65 % of the deck played).
For this reason I hesitated to play Powerblast (see decklist)
because I thought it wouldn't be good enought to
deal with the field. I played it anyway, but I add
2 metagame cards en masse to my sideboard : Pyroblast and Red
elemental blast. Those cards made an irrelevant
difference in game two and three when facing the
superman-based decks.

Here are the decks I faced during the 7 round suiss
tournament:

Round 1: Nether pox played by Jonathan Mailloux.

Game 1 : My opponent cast a second turn Sinkhole on my Mishra's
factory followed by, Nether spirit, Mishra's factory
and two Cursed scroll later in the game. I did have a
scroll two but my opponent raced me with a Pox and
his coming-back-into-play-critter.

0-1

Game two :

Sideboard:
In: 4 Psychic purge.
Out: 2 Earthquake, 1 Black vise and 1 Gorilla shaman.

I got a fairly good opening hand composed of Mogg fanatic,
Sol ring, Mox diamond, Serendib efreet, Mishra's factory,
Psychic purge and an Impulse. I raced my oponent due to a fast
begining and to a discarded purge on a Mind twist.

1-1

Game three:
Sideboard : same thing.

A combination of Mishra's factory and Serendib efreet on
turn 3 rapidly killed my opponent.

Final score : 2-1
Overall: 1-0

Round 2 : Old school blue played by Sébastien Gaudreault.

Game one : I played a first turn Mox ruby, Mogg fanatic,
Island, followed by an Ancestrall recall that got
misdirectionized !!! Later In the game my opponent
cast Masticore and played a Zuran orb. Too many lands
on the board for me...

0-1

Game two:

Sideboard:

In: 4 Pyroblast, 3 Red elemental blast.
Out : 2 Gorilla shaman, Timetwister, Wheel of fortune,
2 Earthquake, Mystical tutor.

I stripped one of my opponent Island on turn 3 while
he only had two. I then casted Serendib efreet and
Mogg fanatic. Both of them crushed my opponent who was
still struggling whith two Islands.

1-1

Game three:

Sideboard: Same thing.

I had a slow beginning only composed of a Mishra's factory.
My opponent then cast an Ivory tower :-( I was almost certain
to die when things got suddenly better for me. My opponent
kept on drawing whitout playing a threat. To avoid overabundant
life gaining I kept on attaking every turn with Mishra's factory.
My opponent then played a Thieving magpie. I bolted it at the
end of turn. On my turn I casted a Mogg fanatic followed by a
Serendib efreet. My opponent responded by making a Force
of will that was Pyroblasted by me. He answered the Pyroblast
with Misdirection. I got the last word by countering it with
a Red elemental blast. My opponent only had two cards in hand. :-)
I then crushed him with my critters.

Final score: 2-1

Overall: 2-0

Round three: Blastogeddon played by Carl-Philippe Brillant.

Game one: My opponent casted a turn 5 Earnham djinn followed
by a Blastoderm. I chump blocked the Blastoderm with the Mogg fanatic
and Impulsed at the end of turn. I founded the land that was missing to
cast a five point Earthquake. Serendib did the final job.

1-0

Game two:
Sideboard : Nothing.

I played a turn one Black vise but my opponent quickly got
rid of his hand by playing turn one Bird of paradise and
turn two Hidden gibbons. He later casted a Tangle wire
followed by an Armageddon. Unable to deal with that I got
badly broken appart.

1-1

Game three:

Sideboard:
In: Zuran orb.
Out: Black vise.

My opponent early cast a Hidden gibbon followed by
two Blastoderm and an Earnham djinn. With only a Fanatic
to chump block I Impulsed to find an Earthquake. I casted
it for five, getting rid of a great threat. I then played a
Serendib and a Time walk followed by a Zuran orb as I was
at 3 life. I won !!!

Final score: 2-1
Overall: 3-0

Round 4 : Red blue control played by Carol.

Game one:

I got a verry good oppening hand of two syonic blast,
Mox ruby, Cursed scroll, Island, Mogg fanatic
and Ancestrall recall. This hand allowed me to
begin strongly. I then played a Mishra's factory
and draw two more Psyonic blast and a Serendib efreet.
He did not like that rendez-vous with the psychic.

1-0

Game two:
Sideboard:
In: 4 Pyroblast, 3 Red elemental blast.
Out: 3 Gorilla shaman, 2 Earthquake, Timetwister,
Wheel of fortune.

I got a very fast beginning of a first turn Mox diamond,
Zuran orb, Lotus petal, Island, Mogg fanatic and
Ancestral recall. I then played a Psyonic blast that got Red blasted.
I then played a Serendib efreet protected by a Pyroblast. The efreet
scored for victory.

Final score: 2-0
Overall: 4-0


Round five : Frederic Gaudreault playing Squeebind.

Game one :

Game one was a piece of cake. I played a turn two Serendib and
another one on turn 3. Four turns later the game was over.

1-0

Sideboard : Nothing.

Game two:

My opponent first cast an early Stormbind followed by a Survival of the
fittest. He went searching for a Squee goblin nabob, discarded the Squee,
search for an another, discarded the other to search for another one...
Six points every turn without card disadvantage was too much damage for me.

1-1

Game three:

My opponent cast an early game Survival followed by a Dwarven miner that
I got forced to bolt. I then played a Serendib that got killed the turn after
by a Flametongue kavu (no bolt in hands to manage him). I was stalled with
only 3 lands on the board and no other mana sources. Guess who came to
destroy the mishra that was suppose to deal with the kavu ?
Darwin Castle (Avalanche rider)... No lands is not a good thing.

1-2

Overall: 4-1

Round six: Black discard played by Raphaël.

Game one:

My opponent cast a first turn Dark ritual followed by a Duress and an Hymn
to tourach :-( He casted The Rack on turn two. On turn three came a Stupor.
Have you ever heard of that combo ? Double Hymn : Win...

0-1

Game two:

Sideboard:
In: 4 Psychic purge.
Out: 2 Earthquake, Black vise, 1 Incinerate.

Game two :

With business cards like the Purges chances to win were greater this time.
In fact, I casted a Gorilla shaman that got rid of a Rack. Then my
opponent made a Mind twist for four on me. I got bad news for
him...two Purges in hands. Game over.

1-1

Game three:

Sideboard: Same thing.

My opponent casted an Hymn to tourach on second turn. I responded by casting
a Mystycal tutor for an Ancestrall recall. I cast the Recall on his next end
of turn. I drew a Psychic purge. On his next turn he casted a Dark ritual
followed by a Duress. I then realised that he could not play his tourach
whitout great life sacrifice so he casted The Rack and took one point of
due to mana burn. I next drew a Lighting bolt and played a Gorilla shaman
to take the Rack out. I further played a Mogg fanatic. My opponent then
casted Phyrexian negator. On his next turn he attacked me and I blocked with
the fanatic, put the damage on the stack sacrificed the fanatic to deal an
extra point to the negator. I then Played a bolt, leaving my opponent without
a permanent on the table...The came Serendib to finish the job.

Final score: 2-1

Overall: 5-1

Round seven : I intentionnaly drew.

Overall: 5-1-1.

Standing after seven rounds : third place. I'm in top sixteen.

1/8 finals: Yannick playing a blue rogue deck with the Palinchron-High
tide combo as well as turn 6 Superman and tons of counters.

Game one:

My opponent drew 2 lands in the entire game. I crushed him rapidly.

1-0

Game two:

Sideboad:
In: 4 Pyroblast, 3 Red elemental blast.
Out: Mystical tutor, 2 Earthquake, Timetwister, Final fortune,
2 Gorilla shaman.

I began with a turn one Mogg fanatic. My opponent obviously have a cursed
deck because he just drew two lands. I drew a Strip mine and strip one of his lands.
Poor him. I than cast a Serendib that got force of willed (discarding Morphling)
but I answered with Pyroblast. I kicked him with the Serendib and the little Mogg.
Dull game.

2-0

Quarterfinals: Dominic Sirois playing a tweeked version of butter knife.

Game one:

I opponed quite strong with turn two and turn three Serendibs. 3 turns later
it was game over.

1-0

Sideboard:
In: 4 Psychic purge.
Out: 2 Gorilla shaman, 1 Earthquake, Black vise.

Game two:

Game two was one of the most exciting Magic game I've ever
played in my life. I played a turn four or five Serendib and kicked my
opponent 2 turns with it. He than played a Diabolic edict and I got forced
to sacrifice the efreet :-( Things got bad to worse when my opponent casted
a Masticore and always kept my Mishra's (2) from chump blocking it by taping
those with a Rishadan port... I got kicked by the Masticore.

1-1

Sideboard: 4 Psychic purge, 1 Apocalypse (Good tech. against Parfait and
Popalescence too !).

Game three:

Game three was again a good game but I lost poorly due to a kicked Phyrexian
scuta, a Phyrexian arena, an Ivory tower and only 4 lands in play, avoiding
me to cast the Apocalypse.

1-2

Congrat. Dominic :-)

Here's the decklist:

Powerblast

2 Eathquake
1 Black vise
2 Incinerate
4 Mogg fanatic
4 Serendib Efreet
4 Lighting bolt
4 Psionic blast
3 Gorilla Shaman
2 Impulse
2 Cursed Scroll
1 Ancestrall Recall
1 Timewalk
1 Final Fortune
1 Timetwister
1 Wheel of Fortune1
1 Yagmoth's Will
1 Recall
1 Sol Ring
1 Zuran Orb
1 Mox diamond
1 Mox ruby
1 Lotus Petal
1 Mystical Tutor

Lands :

4 Mishra's Factory
4 Shivan Reef
4 Volcanic Island
1 island
1 montain
2 City of Brass
1 Wasteland
1 Strip Mine

Sideboard:

4 Pyroblast
3 Red elemental Blast
4 Psychic Purge
1 Zuran orb
1 Apocalypse
2 Anarchy


See ya,

Rioux.