Round 10: David Williams

Williams had a hyper-Cleric deck. Game one I don't have a second turn Sparksmith, and Battlefield Medic hits the table first, and Daunting Defender backs it up before I can kill it. Suddenly the Voltron is safely on the table and we settle in for the waiting game. He gets a little pressure in the air, but Silklash Spider shuts that down. Meanwhile, I'm trying to assemble enough power that his side will just collapse. These matches often work like that. He's trying to find a way to get through before I can get so many attackers that the fact that he can stop any individual attacker (or even two) dead in their tracks doesn't matter. Then he untaps, draws and plays Glarecaster with six mana untapped.

Time for the rules questions. I had two Sparksmiths, but he had Battlefield Medics to put up shields. The question was, if I shot Glarecaster with Sparksmith but didn't get enough damage through to go through the Medic shield, would the damage be redirected by Glarecaster's ability, letting me get through? I get up to ask the question, but I realize that there's only one question it could be so I just sit back down. The judge clearly doesn't know the answer but takes a stab at it anyway, ruling in such a way that I could get through for damage and possibly even win. Williams however knows how it works and calls for the head judge. The judge gets there and Williams explains it but he doesn't have to. Turns out the big shots know the rules just fine, and whoever controls the effects controls the order. In laymen's terms, I lose. How's this for a lock: Battlefield Medic, Shieldmage Elder, Daunting Defender, two random Clerics and oh yeah, Glarecaster.

Game two I come out with a few creatures, and he doesn't draw much of anything, but before I can finish the job he gets down a pair of Shieldmage Elders and once again I'm stopped in my tracks. But he can't draw any more creatures, and I hit eight mana and cast Biorhythm, putting him at three. Two turns later I manage to sneak out the last three points of damage. Game three is a bit of an anticlimax, as I take control and never look back.