I think that Victor is by far better splashed in WU over UB - having easy access to Grand Entryway makes it so much easier to trigger Eerie 3 times in a single turn.
I gotta question the mulligan decision at 33:48 . You have underwater tunnel into fear of isolation as a Turn 1 into Turn 2 combo. You can get buttery smooth draws from that. You'll be pressuring the opponent, with a removal spell and inevitability in hand. It's either binning the fear of falling, or more likely, the dual land. You can easily guarantee a third land drop easily with surveil 4. Replaying the removal spell is definitely tempting, but I don't think that's where you want to be at. I think you're in a much better position with the room, because it gives you a turn 4 play, which is at least a 3/3, which probably trades for anything that the bounced removal spell could kill. Like, imagine how this game plays out with binning the dual land. Turn 1: Underwater Tunnel. Keep Swamp on top. Not sure if you'd normally keep Live or Die, but this scenario works out best if you do. With another Surveil coming on Turn 3, you're likely getting to at least 4 mana, and you've got a turn 4 play. It's a tough call, but I think you keep it. Opp Turn 1: Land, go. Turn 2: Draw Swamp. Fear of Isolation, bouncing Tunnel. Opp Turn 2: Manifest Dread (Into a land, but you don't know that) Turn 3: Draw Live or Die. Tunnel, again. Your curve is now easily smoothed. Keep the land and Stalked Researcher on top in that order. Opp Turn 3: This is where it gets spicy. It's possible they just manifest dread again, and you kill one of them. However, I think there's a more likely play. Your opponent already has the combat trick and Wickerfolk Thresher in hand. They want to enable delirium, and an instant would do it. They attack, hoping to eat your 2/3 with their 2/2 and gain 2 life. You respond with Nowhere To Run. Best case scenario, you just two for one'd them. Worst case, you still killed a creature, and they are behind on board. Turn 4: Draw Island. The Room really pays off here. Manifest Dread the Researcher, binning the tapped dual land. You've got a 3/3, that you can make into a 4/4 as a pseudo combat trick. Opp Turn 4: Wickerfolk Thresher. You sweat, not knowing if you'll hit your fifth land drop. Worst case scenario, they get one attack trigger off, but you trade with Researcher flip. Turn 5: RNG smiles on you, drawing you an Island, making your fifth land drop. Phew. Same move is made. Live or Die the Wickerfolk. Opp Turn 5: The bomb comes out. Dissection Tools manifests secretly into a 3/1. You've got the blocker for it though, although you'll have to hold up 2 mana. Turn 6: You top deck Glimmerburst. Cast it immediately, hitting Island and Winter's Intervention! Play Island, so you've got two mana up to flip the manifested Researcher. Opp Turn 6: Cyptid Inspector precombat means it's not a big creature. They attack. You flip Researcher. Worst case scenario, you eat the combat trick that wasn't played on turn 3. In Magical Christmas Land though, they played the trick already, and so they manifest dread instead. Still a good play, but this bins the Unnerving Grasp. Hallelujah! Turn 7: Draw Unable to Scream. That's how you feel when your opponent has a sac outlet. Even in Magical Christmas Land, they've got a 3/4 and a 2/2 of unknown stats. If the 2/2 can flip, they've got a 4/5 and something else relevant. If it can't, they've got a 5/6 with deathtouch and lifelink next turn. They're tapped out, and they only have one card in hand. It's not mana efficient, but you need to get rid of both of these threats. Cast Winter's Intervention on the 2/2, and Unable to Scream on the 3/4. The 2/2 was actually the Swarmweaver! Glad he didn't get the enter the battlefield trigger. You're staring down a 1/3, and an extremely pesky equipment. He can upgrade any creature he draws, by sacking it. Still, he's only got 1 card in hand. You've got a 2/3 on the board, and a 4/4 in your hand. How bad can it be? Opp Turn 7: Your opponent casts a second Swarmweaver. I'm not kidding, I checked his vod. That was the last card in his hand, in addition to the one he manifested in this scenario, which was stuck in his hand in your real game. I don't know how he got so lucky in the draft, but here we are. He sacrifices the 1/3 to make a 4/4 lifelink deathtoucher with flying. He also has a 2/3 and a 2/2 flying deathtoucher. Joy. Turn 8: I no longer know the draws, but you can still cast your 4/4 flier. The insect creatures would trade with your creatures. He's got a 2/3 on the board, plus that accursed equipment. It's not looking good, but it's a lot better than the board state you ended up in. Alternatively, if you binned the Fear of Falling rather than the dual land, this is where it starts biting you in the butt. So, in conclusion, ruining a perfect curve with an extremely strong turn 1 into turn 2 play probably wasn't the smartest idea. Your opponent's deck was certainly cracked, but it could have worked a lot more in your favor if you binned the land, or even the 5 drop, rather than the room. Sure, if he doesn't use the combat trick Turn 3, you're still probably losing the game, but the more likely play leads to the game going even longer. He would still have the advantage, but you wouldn't be conceding just yet.
Scrambling to watch this
Thanks for getting this up so swiftly!
Lot of great learning points for the format from this. Thanks for the upload!
A deck full of C+’s
Damn. You got this out fast.
I think that Victor is by far better splashed in WU over UB - having easy access to Grand Entryway makes it so much easier to trigger Eerie 3 times in a single turn.
Thanks for the great content
Oh I am so hype for this 😊
Why 18 lands?
Why didn't you take any of the white removal spells in pack 1 and move into blue white? white seemed open
He got scamazed so hard game 2....
Algo
this is looking like another prince format....vomit.
I gotta question the mulligan decision at 33:48 . You have underwater tunnel into fear of isolation as a Turn 1 into Turn 2 combo. You can get buttery smooth draws from that. You'll be pressuring the opponent, with a removal spell and inevitability in hand. It's either binning the fear of falling, or more likely, the dual land. You can easily guarantee a third land drop easily with surveil 4. Replaying the removal spell is definitely tempting, but I don't think that's where you want to be at. I think you're in a much better position with the room, because it gives you a turn 4 play, which is at least a 3/3, which probably trades for anything that the bounced removal spell could kill.
Like, imagine how this game plays out with binning the dual land.
Turn 1: Underwater Tunnel. Keep Swamp on top. Not sure if you'd normally keep Live or Die, but this scenario works out best if you do. With another Surveil coming on Turn 3, you're likely getting to at least 4 mana, and you've got a turn 4 play. It's a tough call, but I think you keep it.
Opp Turn 1: Land, go.
Turn 2: Draw Swamp. Fear of Isolation, bouncing Tunnel.
Opp Turn 2: Manifest Dread (Into a land, but you don't know that)
Turn 3: Draw Live or Die. Tunnel, again. Your curve is now easily smoothed. Keep the land and Stalked Researcher on top in that order.
Opp Turn 3: This is where it gets spicy. It's possible they just manifest dread again, and you kill one of them. However, I think there's a more likely play. Your opponent already has the combat trick and Wickerfolk Thresher in hand. They want to enable delirium, and an instant would do it. They attack, hoping to eat your 2/3 with their 2/2 and gain 2 life. You respond with Nowhere To Run. Best case scenario, you just two for one'd them. Worst case, you still killed a creature, and they are behind on board.
Turn 4: Draw Island. The Room really pays off here. Manifest Dread the Researcher, binning the tapped dual land. You've got a 3/3, that you can make into a 4/4 as a pseudo combat trick.
Opp Turn 4: Wickerfolk Thresher. You sweat, not knowing if you'll hit your fifth land drop. Worst case scenario, they get one attack trigger off, but you trade with Researcher flip.
Turn 5: RNG smiles on you, drawing you an Island, making your fifth land drop. Phew. Same move is made. Live or Die the Wickerfolk.
Opp Turn 5: The bomb comes out. Dissection Tools manifests secretly into a 3/1. You've got the blocker for it though, although you'll have to hold up 2 mana.
Turn 6: You top deck Glimmerburst. Cast it immediately, hitting Island and Winter's Intervention! Play Island, so you've got two mana up to flip the manifested Researcher.
Opp Turn 6: Cyptid Inspector precombat means it's not a big creature. They attack. You flip Researcher. Worst case scenario, you eat the combat trick that wasn't played on turn 3. In Magical Christmas Land though, they played the trick already, and so they manifest dread instead. Still a good play, but this bins the Unnerving Grasp. Hallelujah!
Turn 7: Draw Unable to Scream. That's how you feel when your opponent has a sac outlet. Even in Magical Christmas Land, they've got a 3/4 and a 2/2 of unknown stats. If the 2/2 can flip, they've got a 4/5 and something else relevant. If it can't, they've got a 5/6 with deathtouch and lifelink next turn. They're tapped out, and they only have one card in hand. It's not mana efficient, but you need to get rid of both of these threats. Cast Winter's Intervention on the 2/2, and Unable to Scream on the 3/4. The 2/2 was actually the Swarmweaver! Glad he didn't get the enter the battlefield trigger. You're staring down a 1/3, and an extremely pesky equipment. He can upgrade any creature he draws, by sacking it. Still, he's only got 1 card in hand. You've got a 2/3 on the board, and a 4/4 in your hand. How bad can it be?
Opp Turn 7: Your opponent casts a second Swarmweaver. I'm not kidding, I checked his vod. That was the last card in his hand, in addition to the one he manifested in this scenario, which was stuck in his hand in your real game. I don't know how he got so lucky in the draft, but here we are. He sacrifices the 1/3 to make a 4/4 lifelink deathtoucher with flying. He also has a 2/3 and a 2/2 flying deathtoucher. Joy.
Turn 8: I no longer know the draws, but you can still cast your 4/4 flier. The insect creatures would trade with your creatures. He's got a 2/3 on the board, plus that accursed equipment. It's not looking good, but it's a lot better than the board state you ended up in. Alternatively, if you binned the Fear of Falling rather than the dual land, this is where it starts biting you in the butt.
So, in conclusion, ruining a perfect curve with an extremely strong turn 1 into turn 2 play probably wasn't the smartest idea. Your opponent's deck was certainly cracked, but it could have worked a lot more in your favor if you binned the land, or even the 5 drop, rather than the room. Sure, if he doesn't use the combat trick Turn 3, you're still probably losing the game, but the more likely play leads to the game going even longer. He would still have the advantage, but you wouldn't be conceding just yet.
Tldr