Game Analysis - ZNR #61 Traditional Match 3

ZNR 61 Match 3

Game 1
MVP: Expedition Skulker 

• Opening Hand/Turn 1. Roost, 3 swamps to let me cast the Skulker/Skydancer. Reasonable start though I will need double blue. 
• Turn 2. Skulker - reasonable start.
• OP Turn 2. Brushfire - that maybe trouble if let unchecked.
• Turn 3. Field Research, let's get some ammunition. Shadow Stinger not a bad card against Brushfire, nice to get another Island as well. 
• Turn 4. Skitter-sneak good defense against brushfire Elemental. 
• OP Turn 4. I debated not blocking, then they said oops. Obviously could have been a bluff, where they have a combat trick and all that open mana. I took the chance to block and wow, that worked. OP might be tilting. 
• Turn 5. Chose to cast the Predation because I have no other kicker cards in hand. Happy to get rid of Shepherd of Heroes. Attack knowing I can Duelist to save the Skulker. Oh nice that I milled a Roil Eruption. 
• Turn 6. Nice to know what's exactly in their hand. Roost time! Can do roost after attack. 
• OP Turn 6. I guess they drew another land and knew the pain that was coming and conceded. 

Pretty good play - the Brushfire, could it have survived/made a difference? Who knows. 

Sideboard
Make the same changes I made last game:
Bubble Snare->Mana Drain
Roilmage -> Skulker

Game 2
MVP: Soaring Thought-Thief

• Opening Hand/Turn 1. 4 lands and 3 cards with CMC 3 or more. I'm worried about Brushfire Elemental coming out hard, but I can't really mulligan this. I'll just have to get to turn 3 quickly without too much damage. 
• Turn 2. No need to play Predation with all that land. Almost played a Swamp instead of Island fo Duelist. Using Duelist more than -2 damage but also trying to kill a creature. Grotag Bug-Catcher could be trouble
• Turn 3. Or two Grotag. I see some Skulker/Duelist surprises coming up for OP. 
• OP Turn 4. Was worried about combat tricks, but what are you going to do. Duelist and then Skulker to kill one. Interesting that it went straight to my turn after combat. They can't cast those 3 cards in hand. 
• Turn 4. Can only cast one of these. Predation to see 3 BLACK cards?!?!?! Huh! Still not doing a lot of damage to OP but hmm.
• OP Turn 5. Electromancer doesn't help when you get black cards in hand.
• Turn 5. Still can only cast 1 of the cards in my hand. Put out Stinger to block and tap Duelist to get Deathtouch. 
• Turn 6. Wait am I going to cast before combat. I do - NO! Skulker attacks by itself. 
• OP Turn 7. Shepherd of Heroes could be trouble. Skydancer at end of their turn.
• Turn 7. Oh look at that Soaring Thought-Thief and they are at exactly 6 cards in graveyard, a good time to cast it. Skulker attack will kill something on their side and get to 8. Geysermage next turn reduces cost for Stalker. We're good to go. 
• OP Turn 8 . Attended Healer scary.... but wait they resign. I think they screwed up their mana with the black cards. 

Wow 3-0 matches, 6-0 games. Roost is so powerful.