2008 Magic Regionals Report: Go Go Platinum Angel
June 14, 2008 | Posted by Dee
I was pretty excited to play last Saturday in my first regionals ever. The Fort Worth, TX regionals attracts many people. Someone told me it’s drawn 200+ players every year for the last couple of years. I was expecting 8-9 rounds.
I hadn’t had much experience with live play so I played in an FNM (Friday Night Magic) the night before. Most of my playtesting was done on Magic Workstation. In fact, I just received my deck from eBay on Thursday, only two days before regionals.
Playing in the FNM helped me make the adjustment from online play to real life play. However, the closest FNM was an hour from my place. Also, I made a wrong turn coming back home. By the time, I got back home it was already 2:00am. Plus, I still had to finalize my sideboard and plan my sideboard decisions against the popular netdecks.
By the time I created a sideboard, it was 3:30am. Regionals was at 9:00am so I didn’t get much sleep. Sleep is underrated as I found out during the tournament especially since I played a mono blue control deck for a good 9 hours.[TABLE=3]
I call this deck Big Plats because that’s what many of the regionals players called Platinum Angel whenever I played her. Seems like a good name for the 4/4 flier.
I wanted to play Faeries but I didn’t have the $700+ to buy the deck. I just got back into the game a couple weeks ago. I didn’t have any cards because I sold my Magic collection two years ago. I needed a cheap deck. Big Plats was cheap and it tested better than mono red burn.
Match 1 vs GW Big Mana
Game 1
He had Treetop Village early but I killed it with Psionic Blast. He had a second Village but Teferi killed it. He tried Oversoul of Dusk but I had a counter ready. I hit him a couple times with Teferi. He resolved Chameleon Colossus but I had Platinum Angel end of his turn for the win.
Game 2
He came out fast with Devoted Druid and Loxodon Warhammer. I had a slow draw. He hit me a couple times with Devoted Druid equipped with Warhammer. Next, he resolved Chameleon Colossus. I was pretty much dead with only Teferi on the board. However, I drew Platinum Angel.
I played Big Plats. I drew enough counters to keep her from dying while he hit me with a 56/53 trampling lifelink Colossus. This game went to time and we drew with his life total at 269 and my life total at close to -300.
Matches 1-0, Games 1-0-1
Match 2 vs Mono Red Burn
Game 1
He started off by sending burn to my face. I resolved Teferi and started attacking. He played Demigod of Revenge, which got in for two hits. I drew Plumeveil to stop the Demigod beats. Then, I got to 7 mana and played Platinum Angel for the win.
Game 2
I played Teferi, protected him with counters, and he went all the way.
Matches 2-0, Games 3-0-1
Match 3 vs Vesuvan Shapeshifter GUb Rogue Deck
Game 1
He played Wall of Roots and then a morph. I Psionic Blasted his morph. It was Vesuvan Shapeshifter. He turned it face up and copied Wall of Roots. He played another morph. I Psionic Blasted that morph but it too was a Vesuvan Shapeshifter. Bad move on my part. I probably should’ve just killed the Wall of Roots (it had at least one counter). The morphs killed me as I was also slightly mana screwed.
Game 2
He plays two Bitterblossoms. I have Platinum Angel though. I protect Big Plats until the Bitterblossoms kill him.
Game 3
At this point, we only had nine minutes left in the round. I made a mistake by sideboarding this way:
+3 Evacuation
+4 Fledgling Mawcor
+1 Psionic Blast
-4 Rune Snag
-3 Platinum Angel
-1 Venser
This is how I sided against Faeries. Since he had Bitterblossoms, I figured it might work. I later found out he sided out his Bitterblossoms.
Anyways, I played faster than normal to try to complete the game. However, my faster play and lack of sleep caused me to forget about a Pact of Negation payment. :/
I still think the best I could do was draw. He drew good cards and had the advantage before I killed myself.
Matches 2-1, Games 4-2-1
Match 4 vs Faeries
Game 1
I mulliganed to 4 with Academy Ruins as my only land. He also mulliganed to 4. However, he had an early Ancestral Visions. I didn’t draw enough land to play my spells and he killed me with double Scion of Oona and Mutavault.
Game 2
This time he got stuck on two land including a Pendelhaven. The third land he drew was another Pendelhaven. He scooped when I played my second Fledgling Mawcor.
Game 3
He tapped out for a Scion end of my turn. I had a decision to make. I could’ve countered with Cryptic Command or I could’ve played Teferi. I choose to play Teferi since I had a Pact in hand.
He tried to bounce Teferi with Cryptic Command but I countered with Pact. He drew two more Cryptic Commands but I countered them. I killed his Scion with Psionic Blast while he attacked with a couple of Faeries. This allowed me to wreck him with Desert. Also, Plumeveil ate one of his guys.
He had taken a couple points from Underground River and Teferi finished him off while Plumeveil protected me in the air.
Matches 3-1, Games 6-3-1
Match 5 vs GW Big Mana
Game 1
He went turn 4 Oversoul of Dusk. My only counter in hand was Cryptic Command and I only had three mana since he played first. I lost quickly.
Game 2
I made a bad play to lose again to Oversoul of Dusk. He used Mouth of Ronom to kill Teferi. In response, I tapped out to play Platinum Angel instead of saving the mana for Flashfreeze. Since I was tapped out, he played Oversoul of Dusk. I tried to race with Big Plats but he had too many cards that dealt with it. I countered Squall Line but he resolved Wrath of God and a second Oversoul of Dusk after the Wrath. The Oversoul and Treetop Village killed me.
Matches 3-2, Games 6-5-1
Match 6 vs Doran
Game 1
He played Thoughtseize while I had Rune Snag, Teferi, Big Plats, and Remove Soul. Surprisingly, he took Remove Soul instead of Big Plats. He had a pretty fast draw with Llanowar Elves, Treetop Village, and Tarmogoyf. I was soon at 1 life. However, I was able to play Platinum Angel the turn before I would’ve died. I protected her with counters and she attacked in the sky for the win.
Game 2
He was at 16 life and I was at 3 life. I had one Platinum Angel in play and another one in hand. I had exactly eight mana including two Mind Stone. I had countered one Profane Command and one Squall Line already. He had two cards and at least 6 mana to play with while I had no counters in hand.
I should’ve tapped out to play the second Angel. Instead, I just passed the turn because I feared Squall Line. If he had Squall Line, I hoped to draw a counter from the Mind Stones. He did have a way to kill my Angel but it was Profane Command instead of Squall Line. I drew cards off of the Mind Stones. However, I didn’t find a counter, so I lost.
By playing the second Angel, I would’ve stayed alive and had a chance to finish him off.
Game 3
He had multiple Squall Lines and Profane Commands to kill my Angels. I lost.
Matches 3-3, Games 7-7-1
Match 7 vs Faeries
Game 1
He had the nuts draw: turn 1 Ancestral Visions, turn 2 Bitterblossom. I lost.
Game 2
This was a frustrating game. He had Terrors for the only creatures I saw: 2 Fledgling Mawcor. I had multiple Evacuations to slow down his Bitterblossoms. However, he resolved multiple Visions and his overwhelming card advantage did me in.
Matches 3-4, Games 7-9-1
Match 8 vs Mono Green Elves
Game 1
I played someone who looked wasted. He told me he didn’t sleep at all last night. Also, he started off 3-0 but lost the last 4 matches. He forgot to pay for Summoner’s Pact so he lost.
Game 2
He had a great sideboard against me with multiple Krosan Grip. However, he never saw Big Plats in game 1. I saved my counters to protect Big Plats. He created a huge Elvish force with Imperious Perfect, Overrun, and Door of Destinies. I took 191 damage in one turn. However, he couldn’t deal with Big Plats and she attacked a couple times for the win.
Matches 4-4, Games 9-9-1
Match 9 vs Mono Red Burn
Game 1
He played 2 Demigod of Revenge, but I had Plumeveils to trade. Then, I simply played two Angels in consecutive turns. He tried to kill one with double Incinerate but I had Pact of Negation. I attacked with the Angels and finished him off with Psionic Blast.
Game 2
He played turn 2 Vexing Shusher. I lost. Shusher is really good against my deck.
Game 3
I didn’t a third blue source until it was too late. Plumeveil, Teferi, and Cryptic Command were all stranded in my hand. He killed me with a swarm of red creatures including Keldon Marauders, Vexing Shusher, Mogg Fanatic, and Boggart Ram-Gang.
Matches 4-5, Games 10-11-1
Fun Times
I had a good time at regionals. I wish I had a better performance, but I had a fun time especially meeting a lot of cool people. My friend, Mariano, only started playing Magic last November. He ran Faeries, went 5-3-1, and got 63rd place, which was good enough to get a prize (top 64 got prizes).
I saw Bryan, who helped me playtest the previous weekend. He pointed me to Psionic Blast, which was much better than Moonglove Extract. He helped judge regionals, but I think he could’ve done well with his UB Control with Big Plats and Oona, Queen of the Fae.
I met some players from Waco, TX, and had a good time talking strategy with them.
I saw an eight year old kid win 2-0 against Faeries. He played UWr Lark. Game 1 he randomly comboed out. Game 2 he played Crovax, Ascendant Hero with Pact backup for the win.
Watching the top 8 was also a great experience. We had GB Rock, 2 Merfolk decks, 2 Faeries, BR Furystoke tokens, Knollspine Invocation/Squee deck (!), and GB Elves. The Squee deck lost to Merfolk because Merfolk had Burrenton Forge-Tender to counter Firespout. One of the Faeries decks had Damnation and Slaughter Pact main.
Changes to Big Plats
Here’s my newest list.[TABLE=4]
I cut a Desert for an Island because I’ve got so many crucial cards that require 3 blue mana. I cut Venser for a Psionic Blast because Psionic Blast was good all day while Venser was mediocre.
I added Trip Noose in my sideboard to fight Oversoul of Dusk and Demigod of Revenge. I added more Moonglove Extract to kill Vexing Shusher. I cut an Evacuation because two seems to be enough against Faeries. Also, I think I boarded wrong against Faeries. I should side out Plumeveil instead of Platinum Angel. If I protect Big Plats, Bitterblossom can just kill them.
For another take at mono blue Platinum Angel control, check out this list I found on mtgsalvation.com:[TABLE=5]
It was played by Gavin Verhey at the Seattle Regionals. He went 6-2 (with two byes) for 15th place.
4 Responses to “2008 Magic Regionals Report: Go Go Platinum Angel”
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I do think it’s good, and I would still play it if I did Regionals over again. Evacuation goes out against Faeries and Reveillark for the most part.
Basically, the thing about the deck is that it isn’t really a control deck. It’s a combo deck. It’s their cards vs you hitting 7 mana. Evacuation was very good for me all day, and it’s because all you have to do is buy enough time. Psionic Blast deals damage to you and is basically just pinpoint removal for a single creature, while Evacuation gives you a realistic answer to a quick elves draw. You know all of the times when you Cryptic Command to tap all of their guys? That’s what Evacuation is good at. And that situation happens a lot.
Nobody has activated Urza’s Factory in months. That card doesn’t do anything, so I would cut it. If you can activate it, you’re either too far behind for it to be anything more than an act of desperation or you have an Angel and you’re good. Mouth of Ronom is great because it’s removal, like Psionic Blast, but unlike Blast, it only takes up one of your land slots. 4 Desert is beyond crucial; it’s the key to beating faeries.
Plumeveil is good, but we cut him for Think Twice. The deck really just needs a way to sift through its draws to “get there” on its land drops and dig for a Platinum Angel. Plumeveil still makes a great sideboard card, but Think Twice is a lot better maindeck.
I think my list is very strong and would play that. My only losses were against Thoughtseize+Extirpate in two consecutive games and against a good faeries player, and friend, who had the fix each game that he won.
Thanks for the comments and I’m glad that you enjoyed the show, the deck, and the power of Platinum Angel,
Gavin
Gavin,
Thanks for your comment. I played in a tournament a couple days ago and I won every game where I was able to play Platinum Angel. The games where I did not draw it, I lost. So, I definitely see your reasons for maindecking Think Twice.
What do you side in against Faeries and Reveillark?
I’m gonna play your list and see how it works out. Thanks for publishing it online and keep up the cool podcasting.
Dee
Dear all,
I am one of the platinum users in SG. I searched around in yahoo and it brought me here… Ever since I have been trying out the deck itself. In my deck I subbed 2 glen-elunhe archmage and also tried a few big shots such as the Guile, just one is enuff. I agree that this deck is a lil slow based..as the mana symbols 3 x U is tormenting.. But 4 deserts is still essential to keep u alive til our 7 mana is out..
I have tried in red/green plats, blue/black plats, white/green plats.. But none is able to protect platinum angels for long except for holding more time for ur deck to create a combo or beatdown..
Therefore, this mono-blue will have a more stable chance in playing … heres still room for improvement tat is.
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