Normally we try to avoid covering the same player two rounds in a row, but when Denver's two most high-profile professional players sit down at a table across from one another just to chase Planeswalker Points it seems like it might be fun to see.
Tom Ma (right) needs to introduction, since we did that last round, and Conley Woods (left) needs less of an introduction. He currently writes for TCGPlayer, as well as ChannelFireball, and is coming off a Top 4 performance at the Magic World Championships.
Conley wins the die roll 9-4, and quickly chooses to play.
The two players wish one another good luck and the match is underway. Conley grimaces at his first seven cards, and then goldfishes two or three cards to signify the mulligan. "I'll mulligan too," Tom announces, and they start making cracks about their opening hands. "Would you keep a no lander if you have two one-drops," Tom asked.
Conley responded with a similar question. "Would you keep five lands if it came with two six drops?"
Regardless, both players take the mulligan to six cards, to which Conley says "sure" and Tom responds with "Yup."
The first creature of the game belongs to Conley, a Village Ironsmith, while Tom's first creature is Mikeaus, the Lunarch, with one counter.
Conley casts nothing on his next turn to flip the Werewolf over during Tom's upkeep, and Tom plays Voiceless Spirit as his three drop. Before Tom's end step Conley casts Midnight Haunting to get some bodies on the table.
During his own end step Conley takes out Mikeause when Tom tries to add a counter to him, tossing a Brimstone Volley at the annoying legend.
"Just this," Tom says on his next turn, pushing his one turn old Moon Heron into the red zone before adding a Lantern Spirit to the table.
Ironfang turned sideways takes Tom down to 10, and is joined on the table by Ashmouth Hound. On Tom's turn he casts a Silent Departure on one of Conley's two Spirit Tokens, which Conley casually tosses over his shoulder into the wall.
Bonds of Faith comes down on the Ashmouth Hound, and neither player can seem to find a long term advantage. Tom does have the creatures with evasion, as Lantern Spirit and Moon Heron still populate his side of the table, but Conley has a Butcher's Cleaver and some decent bodies of his own. The Cleaver gets attached to a recently cast Villagers of Estwald, but that just puts them in range for Smite the Monstrous, which Tom does to them happily.
"How many creatures in your graveyard," Conley asks as Tom plays Moorland Haunt. The answer of two doesn't matter much, as Conley is holding Into the Maw of Hell to destroy the land and a Moon Heron. The Into the Maw doesn't save Conley, as Tom is holding the win and we head off to game two.
"I'll play," Conley says as the two players shuffle up. Both of them keep their opening hand of seven cards, and Tom opens with the one drop Doomed Traveler. Conley has a turn two Darkthicket Wolf, and Tom has a turn two Silverchase Fox.
The Wolf attacks for four in its first attack, but only for two during its second attack, and Conley leaves all of his mana untapped, not playing another creature during the turn. On his next turn, in possession of a fifth land, Conley plays a Kessig Cagebreakers, putting the pressure on Tom to have an answer for them. They're joined the next turn by Night Revelers, and Conley turns his team sideways.
A Rebuke from Tom is met by Ranger's Guile from Conley, so Tom blocks the Cagebreakers with his Doomed Traveler and takes six damage. He's down to 6 and in need of an answer, so he starts with Bonds of Faith on the Night Revelers, followed by the playing of a Stitched Drake.
Conley has a Rage Thrower for his turn, a dangerous proposition for Tom at only 6 life, and then turns his Cagebreakers and Wolf sideways. Tom puts the Drake in front of the Cagebreakers, and the Spirit in front of the Wolf, but still takes two damage from the Thrower.
The game ends the next turn when Conley shows a Brimstone Volley and Tom knows it is over.
Tom chooses to be on the draw for game three.
Conley quickly keeps, while Tom stares at a one land hand, trying to make a decision. The decision made, he ships his cards back and takes the mulligan to six.
Tom's six card hand is a keeper, and gives him a turn two Elite Inquisitor, while Conley plays a turn three Villagers of Estwald, and then kills the Inquisitor with Brimstone Volley the following turn. Tom has Voiceless Spirit though, and the evasive beater heads to the red zone.
A second Brimstone Volley ends the threat from the Voiceless Spirit, and Conley has taken the time to flip the Villagers over. They end up dead to a Rebuke, and Conley plays a Night Revelers to replace them, while Tom adds Murder of Crows to the table. The Crows are another evasive beater that Conley couldn't handle, and Tom Ma knocks him off.
