So one Modern PTQ in the books. Here's my tourney report-
The tournament was at Gnome Games in Green Bay, it's a big shop, similar in size to Misty in Burnsville, MN. They had 170 people and 8 rounds, pretty sizeable IMO for a PTQ. Entry was $25 and prize payout was absurdly awesome, 6 packs to 33-64, 12 packs to 25-32, 18 packs to 17-24, 24 packs to 9-16, and I think a box for everyone in top 8. The staff was very friendly and the tournament was a lot of fun although it took forever which I think was a combination of a lot of eggs decks going until time every round and the judges being slippery boggles.
Decks I saw or knew were at the tournament-
Jund
RBW Burn
UWR Tempo
UWR Delver
UWR Control
UW Control
Affinity
Infect
Eggs
RG Tron
RUG Tron
Tron-Shift
Scapeshift
Goblins
BW Tokens
Mono White Martyr
GW Aggro
RG Aggro
5-color Tribal Flames Zoo
BUG Delver
Birthing Pod
Enchantress
White Weenie
Raven's Crime Mono Black
Living End Combo
Teachings
I'm sure there were even a few more than this that I didn't see or hear about but damn I gotta say this is an awesome and healthy format. I really frowned upon Modern initially and didnt think I'd enjoy it but I was wrong. This format usually involves a lot of interaction, a lot of great decision making, and overall just a high quality level of magic games. If I can afford it and time allows I'd like to play at Misty next weekend but I don't know if I can yet.
Here is the list I ran-
4 Deathrite Shaman
4 Dark Confidant
4 Tarmogoyf
2 Korozda Guildmage
3 Kitchen Finks
1 Thrun, the Last Troll
1 Creakwood Liege
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Liliana of the Veil
3 Inquisition of Kozilek
2 Thoughtseize
2 Terminate
1 Malestrom Pulse
1 Abrupt Decay
4 Blackcleave Cliffs
2 Blood Crypt
1 Overgrown Tomb
1 Stomping Ground
3 Raging Ravine
2 Treetop Village
2 Swamp
1 Forest
4 Verdant Catacombs
4 Marsh Flats
Sideboard
4 Molten Rain
2 Jund Charm
2 Ancient Grudge
2 Spellskite
2 Slaughter Games
1 Rakdos Charm
1 Thrun, the Last Troll
1 Combust
I initially was testing the ooze/leech version, but ooze seemed like a do nothing creature and was killed often. The deck is also a midrange deck and that version played out more like a slow man's aggro build with little late game power. I saw some other lists online from big ptqs in Italy that were on the finks/Thrun/jund charm plan, and these were 3 cards that had immediately come to mind when I was playing the ininital list that I wanted. The initial list also had Blightning, which I still haven't decided on if it's something I want or not. I think its good against maybe 50% of the field situationally and worthless against the rest and there are quite a few people with obstinate baloth running around.
I played the guildmages over the leeches because for one I didn't want 4 leech at the time and I felt like I had enough two drops but wanted a card that could either put me over the top in a stalled board state (intimidate) or that could provide some defense (sacking off a kitchen finks for example to get tokens + more life). I played against some UWR decks online so that was one I was expecting to see (and boy was I right) and the games typically grinded out where value cards were especially important. Guildmage wasn't really for the matchup since he dies to most of their copious removal but he can be nuts if left unattended. I played a few warmup games before the tournament with him as a 1-of and when I drew him he proceeded to go to town making my team get past blockers and threaten lethal quickly. I then just cut the leech package and made him a 2-of. On that same note I added creakwood Liege, as he's another threat that if left unanswered can take over a game and make all the guys in your deck bigger (although I thought he was a 3/3 which makes a difference).
As for the removal suite and sideboard, in the maindeck I wanted basically "catch-alls" backed by enough 1-drop discard and Liliana to strip my opponent of plays that would keep them in the game or let them combo. I think overall combo game 1 is just bad. Abrupt Decay is fairly weak in this format, it kills a lot but it doesn't kill any of the important cards aside from o-stone in the Tron matchup and cranial plating against affinity. Pulse is usually just better for hitting bigger stuff, planeswalkers, and tokens. Jund Charm also should have been maindeck as it's amazing in this format in every mode and there's a lot of decks that you really need it against. Speaking of board, Molten Rains were for tron, the mirror, and some of the control matches, they were pretty awesome most of the time but Sowing Salt could be the better choice, Slaughter Games against Eggs + tron + other combos, and the rest is pretty self explanatory. Going forward, I absolutely want grafdigger's cage against pod, more hate for eggs and tron, and more Jund charm / possibly Golgari Charm.
Round 1 (Win, 2-1 vs UWR Tempo)
Very close match against a guy I've seen on the circuit who ultimately finished top 16 losing to only one other person. Game highlights included playing triple molten rain in a row on turns 3/4/5 of game 2 followed by Liliana and thrun. GFG. Game 3, more molten rain, and tarmogoyf doing his thing. I almost lost game 2 though because I played 2 Bob's
. We discussed it after and he thought it was the right play though because it let me draw into pure gas. Like in testing, the problem cards were collonade and tec edge. He also had trouble with my manlands. This matchup almost always comes down to manlands.
Round 2 (Win, 2-1 vs UWR Control)
Another grinder with me having double terminate in game 3 to clear a baneslayer and batterskull token ftw.
Round 3 (Loss, 1-2 vs UWR Tempo)
Game 1 he had a turn 3 geist that put in a lot of work before I could get a finks in the way. He then dropped a second one on the table and I couldn't recover. Game 2 I jund charmed a goyf in response to burn to make him a 6/7, and then knowing he had a geist in hand from thoughtseize I baited it out and cast Liliana to seal the deal. Game 3 went to turns; he was at 5 life with me having an active deathrite shaman on the board but he topdecked a plains to allow him to play a baneslayer and take the game.
Round 4 (Loss, 1-2 vs BW Tokens)
Lukas had told me this was an abysmal matchup for me and I quickly saw why. Game 1 was thoughtseize into tidehollow sculler into lingering souls into honor of the pure. Game 2 I fought him off with Jund charm, goyf, guildmage tokens, and burn. Game 3 was similar to the first and I mulled to 5.
Round 5 (Win, 2-1 vs Goblins)
Game 1 I mulled to five with a 1 lander and miracualously over the course of 4-5 turns drew into just enough lands to cast double kitchen finks + terminate to come back and win. Game 2 I had him completely locked up but got super greedy and careless and punted the match to double goblin grenade. Game 3 spellskite + finks + removal tore him up.
Round 6 (Win, 2-1 vs UW Control)
Game 1 he played 4 Cryptics, 4 Paths, sphinx's revelation, and 3 mana leaks. My god, what a grindfest. He almost got milled out but he got there. Games 2-3 molten rain on collonades + thrun were good combined with guildmage making thrun get past his blockers for exactly lethal.
Round 7 (Loss, 0-2 vs Eggs)
Game 1 I had no idea what was going on, I had no testing with this deck, I had read an article and was told by Lukas to slaughter games lotus bloom. Well lotus bloom suspended on turn 2, and all I could muster was an active deathrite. I should have deathrited a faith's reward when he started going off but I didn't know what cards were the right ones. Regardless I was outmatched. Game 2 I brought in all the charms, slaughter games, and grudges. The artifact hate was pretty pointless and I didn't see any of the sideboard before he combod off on turn 4.
Round 8 (vs. Jund)
I got paired against a guy I know who wanted to watch some of our other friends playing against each other for top 8. We were both tired and just decided to play one game, which I had to mull and kept a weak hand which didn't get there to his very strong hand. Watched the other kids duke it out after that and then bid adeu.