Instead of a normal Release event for the M11 set, there was an M11 sealed Grnad Prix Trial, where the winner would recieve 3 byes for the first 3 rounds at Grand Prix-Portland, which will be in September. There were 17 players, so the turnout was not great. Throw in that we were going to cut to top 8, and nearly half of the people in the sealed event would go on to draft in the top 8.

The pool I registered was really solid. The Blue and Green cards were strong (including a Primeval Titan and Conundrum Sphinx), as well as 2 Fireballs to splash (I mistakenly wrote that there was only 1 Fireball on the registration sheet, cuz I'm a dumbass).

The pool I actually got to play with was really solid. The first card that caught my eye as a true bomb was Sword of Vengeance (aka Akroma's Sword). It seemed like all of the colors were solid, and since I had 2 Cultivates, I considered going 3 colors. But I fel that my Greaan and Red were strong enough together that if I were to run just those two colors, I'd be fine.

Here's what I ended up running:

Garruk's Companion
Cultivate x2
Chandra's Outrage x2
Manic Vandal
Llanowar Elves
Giant Growth
Ember Hauler
Brindle Boar
Vulshok Berserker
Canyon Minotaur x2
Shiv's Embrace
Spined Wurn x2
Duskdale Wurm
Act of Treason
Fling
Miotic Slime
Fauna Shaman
Sword of Vengeance

I also had some nice sideboard cards in Naturalize, Plummet (considered main boarding) and Combust.

Round 1 vs. Dan

Dan is a local guy (and a member of this site) who I've played against at least a dozen times in limited, and he's been victorious over me most of those games. He was running a Blue, White, and Green deck that seemed to get off to a slow start Game 1. He was at 15 when he played the White Archon, a 7/7 flier for Seven Mana. Lucky for me, I had Act of Treason in hand, which I cast, swung with his flier and all 3 of my creatures, bringing him to 1, and I then immediately sacked my Ember Hauler to finish him off.

Game 2 we each Mulliganed to 6, but I was on the draw. We each were able to get some creatures on the board and were exchanging stirkes when he cast Angelic Arbiter, which prevents me from attacking with my creatures when I cast a spell, or prevents me from casting spells after I've attacked with my creatures. I was at a low enough life that he was able to kill me with 1 swing.

Game 3 Dan had to mulligan twice, while I had a very strong hand. I was able to some creatures on the board, and eventually play and equip my Sword of Vengeance while he had trouble drawing anything to help him out. This ended quickly in my favor.

1-0

Round 2 vs. Pedro

I assume most people here know who Pedro is. He was running a fast B/W deck with quick creatures. He was able to destroy my Sword of Vengeance before it could do any extra damage, and despite trying to race him for a period of time, the quickness of his deck was too much for me

Game 2 we both had plays very similar to what happened in game 1. And just like Game 1, his deck was just too fast for mine to handle.

1-1

Round 3 vs. David

Never met David before that day, and if I'm being honest, I wouldn't be upset if I never saw him at a tournament again. He was playing a U/R/G deck that had some strong cards, as well as some head scratchers. He was obviously not terribly experienced with any competitive play.

Game 1 He wasn't able to draw much to stop my agreesive start, and I was able to make pretty quick work of his deck.

Game 2 was almost as crazy as he was. He would play cards with 'may' abilities, forget to trigger them (I did once tell him to remember may abilities, but to no real affect) and when he realized that he forgot them he would yell at himself. At one point he cast a Mind Control on my Duskdale Wurm while all I had in hand was a Chandra's Outrage. I somehow topdecked my other Chandra's Outrage (my only out) and killed my MC'ed Wurm before he had the chance to swing.

Later he cast a Cudgel Troll, which I had no answer for, with the exception of my Miotic Slime equipped with the Sword. I drew an Act of Treason, which I saw much potential in combination with the Fling in my hand. I play the Act on his Troll, swung with it and my Slime. Troll went unblocked, Slime was by a smaller creature, and potcombat I Flung his Troll at his 3/4 Water Servant, and no blue mana open to save it.

He eventually realized that the Naturalize in his hand could destroy my Sword of Vengeance. He cursed at himself for not realizing it, but by that point it was a mute point. My creatures overwhelmed him the next turn for the victory.

2-1

Round 4 vs. Kelly

I had never met Kelly or her husband beofre, but I had heard that her deck was full of very strong cards, including a Primeval Titan. I never saw any of those in game 1. The only cards I saw early were 2 cards that provided her with small life game. My start wasn't very fast, but I drew enough land to play a Duskdale Wurm, and followed it up with Shiv's Embrace. FLYING TRAMPLING FIRE-BREATHING WURM. Even with all her life gain it only took me 2 swings.

Game 2 my start was slow, but nothing compared to hers. She cast her early game life gain in Wurm's Tooth and Ajani's Mantra, but she played nothing but land for the next 6 turns. I slowly built up my board, and when I was able to take out her first creature with a Chandra's Outrage, my agressive board sealed the deal

3-1

With only 17 players and a cut to Top 8, 3-1-1 was guaranteed in.

Round 5 vs. Chris

We drew. Obv.

Top 8 - Draft (including two people who had never drafted before)

Didn't have much of a game plan going in. Ideally I'd love to go U/W, but you can't always get what you want.

My first pack was weak and it came down to a 3/2 flier or a Rise from the Grave. I decided on the Rise, but wasn't terribly confident in my decision. My next picks were Chandra's Outrage, Assassinate, Outrage again, and a Vulshock Berserker. After that the colors seemed to dry up for me, so I was still not confident in my choices. Pack 2 I saw that there was an Air Servant, and since had taken a Cloud Elemntal in the first pack and had seemed open earlier, I wanted to see if I could switch into blue. It seemed open for a short period of time, but eventually dried up for the rest of the draft.

At that point I knew I was stuck in Red/Black. A pack 3 Pick 1 Doomblade was great, as was a second Nightwing Shade, but eveyrthing else after that was lackluster. Don't have a decklist, as I seemed to have thrown it in my backpack with my sealed deck from the night before.

Quarterfinals vs. Stan

Stan is the reigning State Champ, and I'm pretty sure most of you have met him him at least once. He was playing a U/B deck with removal and fliers. Game 1 I had to mull to 6, and the hand I kept wasn't much better than the one I had just sent back. I was able to plink away for some small damage, but he cast a Triskelion that took out my creatures, and even though I used Rise from the Grave on the Triskelion after I finally killed it, his fliers were still too much.

Game 2 my hand was better while Stan's didn't seem to be spectacular. I was able to get enough of my creatures out and drew enough removal to clear the way for my attackers that I managed to get a somewhat quick win.

Game 3 I had a good start, but it was quickly stalled when he started playing creatures that could safely block and kill my creatures and live to block again. Eveuntally we played out our hands enough that we were both short on cards and creatures. He was sitting at 4 life, and despite my 2 creatures that totaled 4 power, his 2/4 was holding me safely at bay. He had 1 card in hand when I drew an Arc Runner (a card I wasn't a fan of drafting, but glad to draw it at this moment). I realized that with him having only one blocker, as long as he didn't have something to disrupt my plan, I had the victory. I cast the Arc Runner and... it was met with a Cancel. Sad Panda.

After that he drew a curcial Foresee that drew him into a Triskelion, while I drew nothing to push damage through. He eventually got the better draws, and with the help of a Warlord Axe, Stan was moving on to the Semi's, while my day was over.

Despite falling short of my goal of getting those precious byes in Portland, I had a good time and got some useful cards in the process.

Thanks for reading.