Game Analysis - ZNR Premier #58

ZNR 58 - Game 1 (Loss vs UG Landfall Scute on Draw)
MVP: Scute Swarm

• Opening Hand/Turn 1. Bug-Catcher and two removal/combat tricks. Seems like a good start with good distribution of lands
• Turn 2.  Bug-Catcher. Can't block the Squid though. 
• OP Turn 3. RIsen Riptide. Sigh. 
• Turn 3. Do I try to get rid of the Riptide. Trying to use my mana and scry and get another party card. With a 2nd Bug-Catcher in hand, I probably should be trying to get a party member. I'm good with this play here.
• Turn 4. Do I try to get rid of yet another Riptide. I think I bring out the 2nd bug-catcher still debating on attack. This would be an interesting match bo3. 
• Turn 5. Chose not to attack. Into the Roil is good play by OP. Draws a card and I can't double block on Squid. 
• OP Turn 6. Scute Swarm perfectly on time and they have yet to miss a land drop, wow what a draw for them. I know I can get rid of one with Kazuul's Fury, can I get rid of the second. If I drew a Roil Eruption I would be able to. 
• Turn 6. Still have to carry out the destroy one scute swarm. I probably could scoop at this point with cards in hand and no real way to stop the multiplying Scute unless they miss a land drop. Forgot if I should get rid of token or card. I think token is better since it can't come back from graveyard. 
• Turn 7. I think there's not much hope at this point. 

Not quite sure what I could have done differently. The riptides were in the way and I probably would have done better with more party cards. Let's see how this deck plays out. 

ZNR 58 - Game 2 (Win vs UB Party on Draw)
MVP: Feed the Swarm

• Opening Hand/Turn 1. Great curve. Skulker->Blight-Priest->Electromancer-> hopefully new card to dual cast. 
• Turn 2. There was a pause with one blue mana by OP, so I'm thinking there's a Duelist in hand. Skulker is pretty straight forward play.
• Turn 3. With Cleric out, no need to attack. Just build the board/party. 
• Turn 4. Okay. How to double spell here. I can bring out Electromancer -> Mind Drain or Skitter-Sneak or Feed the Swarm. Mind Drain would remove half their hand, that's tempting. But another rogue to make Skulker death touch wins. 
• OP Turn 5. I know I can double spell Mana Drain and Feed the Swarm. Field Research by OP fills up their hand sadly.
• Turn 5. Mind Drain before Feed the Swarm. I think I would have attacked with all except I was worried about Duelist. Just realized that Skulker would be neutralized by the Duelist. But I would keep one Rogue. 
• OP Turn 5. Scavenger is worrisome but not a huge threat. 
• Turn 6. I think I swing with everything and kick the Rider for Haste. OP has Anticognition, good for them. I realize there's no blue mana open so I don't worry about Duelist and they have to block something or it's lethal. 
• Turn 7. I think I still attack with everything. Oh yeah chilling trap but luckily it didn't kill anything of mine. 
• Turn 8. Zof for the win on the draw, but I think this was the right amount of aggression. Probably could have done a bit more. 

I think this was prioritizing party for the correct early phase and then just pushing the pedal to the metal when the board was built. 

ZNR 58 - Game 3 (Win vs WG ??? on Play)
MVP: Grotag Bug-Catcher 

• Opening Hand/Turn 1. Great start/curve. I debated Expedition Skulker and Grotag-Bug Catcher on 2, but realized I can cast Bug-Catcher on 3 with Electromancer but not the Skulker. 
• Turn 2. Skulker as mentioned above. Nice draw on the Inordinate Rage
• Turn 3. Boom. Amazed they didn't cast anything on Turn 2. 
• Turn 4. What a draw. They are tapped out. I know I can do 9 damage. And I do. Party worked out well.
• Turn 5. Ouch for OP that they are tapped out. I didn't actual do the math but I knew they would likely block the Bug-Catcher. In hindsight, should have kept the Cleric on top (not that it mattered) so I would have a full party and boost Electromancer in hand and Bug-Catcher damage. 

This is the perfect draw/curve for this deck. Also realized that Grotag Bug-Catcher is the target for trades, and combat tricks work well with the trample. 

ZNR 58 - Game 4 (Win vs WG Landfall on Play)
MVP: Ardent Electromancer

• Opening Hand/Turn 1. Initially I was like only one land? But I think playing an MDFC turn 1 and then mountain to bring out Grotag Bug-Catcher on turn 2. Worse case Turn 3 is to play the MDFC and bring out the second Bug-Catcher. A land means Electromancer into bug-catcher.
• Turn 2. Bug-Catcher it is.
• Turn 3. Play the MDFC as land and bring out the second bug-catcher. 
• Turn 4. Nice to dual spell with the Electromancer into the Rebuke on the Baloth and then be able to swing with both bug-catchers with 2 party members.
• Turn 5. Perfect Swamp draw allowing me to Electromancer and then deadly alliance the hornbeetle. And then swing with the group. 
• Turn 6. Guess he has no ammunition with just one card in hand. I'm swinging for 6 and he can't kill anything. 

Explosive start with Electromancer, allowing me to dual spell remove creatures. 

ZNR 58 - Game 5 (Loss vs UB Mill Rogue on Play)
MVP: OP's Mind Carver

• Opening Hand/Turn 1. Very good starting curve. 
• Turn 2. Drawing Electromancer, now I have to think about sequencing. I could bring out Blood-Priest here but it would do just 2 damage and potential for 3 later. I think I choose for the greedy line here with Grotag Bug-Catcher. 
• OP Turn 2. Sneaking Guide is a good discard out of my options.
• Turn 3. Was it greedy to actually play Bug-Catcher on 2? I could have dumped out my party on 3 if I had played Blood-Priest. Now I'm one turn behind. I was hoping to draw a red 2 drop, that was bad mistake by me. 
• Turn 4. Now that I look at it, I missed 2 damage here, as I could have done the Kazuul's Fury before combat and attacked with the Blood-Priest but lost the Kazuul's Fury. So I could have had OP down to 11 here with this line. I also could have had OP to 11 here if I had played the Blood-Priest. Difference is that I would have had the Electromancer on the board. Post combat, such a waste of mana. Could have killed the blackbloom rogue here instead of bringing out the Skulker and attacked for 2. Though it would have cost the Electromancer. 
• Turn 5. Carver going to be dangerous. Should have attacked with the Electromancer and then Kazuul's Fury the Blackbloom Rogue. The Skydancer coming out, I should have used the Fury there to kill the rogue. Did not pay attention to cards in graveyard and milling. 
• OP Turn 5. Realized I had to double block. I am pretty happy with my Fury use here. I said it above I wish I was smarter but here's an example of me knowing what to do. Use the Fury before the creature is useless. Definitely not out of game. 
  
• Turn 6. I attack, knowing I'll take more damage and the clock is ticking, but if I can get OP to 4, then we have options. 
  
• Turn 7. Colossus is one short, not going to get rid of my Zof consumption to be able to cast it next turn. Hope for land. 
  
• Turn 8. Land I need but too little too late with OP putting hand onto board. 
  

Lots of interesting trade offs in this game. Much more than I was thinking when I was playing. Lots of little mistakes. Small greedy play for 2 life when I wanted board presence. Not pushing the advantage when I had it.

ZNR Game 6 (Loss vs UG Kicker on Draw)
MVP: OP's Kazandu Stomper

• Opening Hand/Turn 1. Reasonable curve. Blood-Priest to Blight-Priest. No warriors. Mind drain could be useful. Maybe I should have done mulligan to get better red curve? But this seems reasonable. Don't look at revisionist history to decide if I should have mulliganed. 2 lands, reasonable playing of creatures + mana drain. It's not a mulligan to go down a card.
• Turn 2. Blood-Priest. 
• OP Turn 3. Squid attacks. I was wondering about Duelist. I knew I had a priest behind. Probably should just not block. 
• Turn 4. I think I can Mind Drain next turn, as well as do one more damage. Get a creature out there. 
• OP Turn 5. Should I have blocked the Duelist - OP might be bluffing given the last one. 
• Turn 5. 4 lands. Does not look like I can double spell. I know the scorch rider can reduce the cost of deadly alliance. I know I can feed the swam the squid and deadly alliance the brute. Mana drain gets rid of a Geysermage. 
• Turn 6. I wonder if the feed the swarm was the right call, as OP needs to draw a land to make squid attack. Probably should have attacked here as well. Probably got too nervous with 9 life. Should make OP cast spells. Played WAY too passively after the Duelist early on. In fact, they did not draw the land. 
• OP Turn 6. Maybe I should trade off Blight-Priest for Brute. Definitely seeing how the extra mana to cast Blight-Priest is not worth it in a non-Kor Celebrant deck.
• Turn 7. Debated hasted scrorch rider. But went the route of deadly alliance to buy myself time. Again, hesitant with the Blight-Priest. I could have turned it around with some better plays. 
• Turn 8. Need Scorch Rider to block stomper. Zof would have just stalled.
• OP Turn 9. Should have expected a trick - though not much choice here. 
• Inevitable loss after that play.

Again, so many small mistakes in this game. Hesitancy and not thinking it through when they had low card count. Definitely cost me edges where I could have come back. Just kept digging a deeper hole. They top decked a Stomper, could have bought myself time to top deck Zagras. 

Deck Summary

Lessons learned from this deck:

• Draw Zagras. Sadly I never had Zagras in my hand for 6 games.
• Be aware when you are the beat down and push your advantage if you have an aggro deck
• Try to play out your party as fast as possible and use all your mana. Don't get greedy about small edges that don't use your mana. 
• Don't be afraid of combat tricks when you get hit with one early. 
• Pay attention to graveyard size when OP has a mill deck