Billy Postlethwait is back from an extended sabbatical! The DMF Columbus Champion spent the last few weeks testing with Jeremy Blair in Florida, and they're here this weekend with their particular brew of Alliance Mage: Spellweaver Jihan. Dane Young is playing a twist on traditional Ryno the Wicked, subbing in Pidge Filthfinder and discard effects to get an edge against control.
Game 1
Dane won the roll and decided to start first. He drew his opening hand and kept those seven, but Billy P was not so fortunate. Dane started with A Question of Gluttony to draw, and played Mikael the Blunt on turn 2 with an Eye of the Storm. Billy also had an Eye, but no plays. A second Mikael on turn three hit for Dane, while Billy played one of his own to kill the original.
 Dane used a Cuffs of Devastation to kill Billy's Mikael, and then attacked with his own. The Cuffs would also let him mitigate the damage done by The Taste of Arcana and Everlasting Cold, which is an important aspect of the matchup. A second Mikael from Billy met a frown from Dane, as he had lost the battle of the Blunts. He flipped Pidge on his next turn, removing a Mana Ruby from a hand filled with goodies like Adam Eternum, Brittilize, and Battle Mage's Baton.
Adam came down for Billy on the following turn, while Brittilize destroyed the armor and gave Billy a significant board position. Dane tried to stabilize with Weldon Barov, but a Heartburn off the top combined with Jihan's flip to pave the road for pain. Dane played Nethershard, catching Billy's last card in hand: a second Mana Ruby. If Dane could stabilize the board, he might just claw his way back into this one!
Dimzer the Prestidigitator would be a helpful body, but Dane had to go to 18 after Billy's attacks. Billy emptied his hand, playing a Baton and an Everlasting Cold on Dane's hero before passing turn. Dane bounced Adam off the board with Dimzer, and then played an Adam of his own. He used Talisman of the Alliance to destroy the Cold, and passed turn.
 Billy attacked with Mikael and then quickly passed turn, leaving Dane in a surprisingly good position to fight the Baton. Nethershard removed a redundant Adam from Billy's hand, and now that Dane no longer feared Nether Fissure, he played his second Dimzer. Billy bounced one with the Baton, and drew Darkness Calling for turn; not much help.
Dane was firmly in the driver's seat now, and replayed his Dimzer to draw another two cards. Gromble the Apt drew two more, and Billy used his Baton to smash the Nethershard and quest for help. He pitched a Blizzard and played a second Brittilize to deal the exact remaining 4 points he needed. Runner-runner burn lets Billy scoot to victory!
Billy 1, Dane 0
Game 2
Billy opened on a mulligan once again, but he did have a turn one Everlasting Cold this time. A turn two Elder Achillia was too tough for Dane's Gromble the Apt, but not tough enough to dodge Hesriana! With the power of Inspiring Presence on his side now, he was in much better shape. Billy moved to stem the bleeding with Mikael the Blunt, but it only dealt a small amount before finding Cuffs once again.
A Brittilize killed the Cuffs, and a Dryad's Wrist Bindings from Billy would give him some additional defense. Dane flipped Pidge to take one of two Blizzards, and used Drain Will to get the second. Billy was on 4 resources, with two Call to Arms: Arathi Basin in play and no hand. Harrowing! He was forced to row the next card, and his Basin found Heartburn, Blizzard, and Brittilize. Dane's attacks put Billy to 9, whiel Dane himself was on 8. Dane groaned as Billy played a Wub's Cursed Hexblade off the top. “That's kind of a dagger,” he admitted, losing his Hesriana and his Pappy. Billy played the Blizzard, and passed turn.
 Dane killed the traitorous demon wench with his Wand of Prismatic focus, and then played Nethershard, which would break Blizzard rather easily. Billy elected to make no plays, holding Eye of the Storm #2 in hand in order to defend it from the Shard. No matter: Dane had the Victimize to get them both, playing an Adam and then passing a turn. A second Basin for Billy found Mana Ruby, Taste, and an Adam of his own, but all he played was the Ruby, with 2 resources open. Dane exhausted out for Pappy, and attacked with Adam, sending turn back to Billy, who filled 'er up.
Damage was still a tight race, 15 to 13 in Dane's favor, but the onus of defense was on Billy. A second Brittilize and a Dryad's Wrist Bindings were a start, along with Arcanite Dragonling and another Blizzard. The Nethershard removed Billy's Baton and broke his Blizzard, but Magnus Longbarrel was the real threat. Billy had to Taste Dane just to exhaust his resources and avoid losing Eye of the Storm.
Billy played and refilled with a second Ruby, and played another Everlasting Cold onto Dane. That one would likely be destroyed as quickly as the last one, thanks to Pappy. Dane's team exhausted due to Billy's Eye, and Dane played a late Amice of Brilliant Light in addition to drawing several cards. Billy blew the Brittilizes to put Dane on 23, and he went to 24 as he readied. A Taste on Dane's Cuffs put Dane to 26 damage, and he passed turn.
Billy quested for the kill, and found a winning combination. Brittilize plus Hexblade on Pappy killed both of Dane's armor, and dealt the final 2 points for the win.
Billy 2, Dane 0
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