Tourney Report from Anchorage, AK--Sanctioned Extended
 
This was the third scheduled Extended format tourney held in Anchorage leading up to the 12/6 LA PTQ.  Once again, I played my Paladin deck, but this time took out the tweaks from last week that didn't work and went back to the winning Fairbanks version, with a couple of new cards:  PS If you're playing white weenie and don't have 4 Soltari Priests, stop it.  Read on to see what I mean.
 
Jeff's Paladin deck, mid November incarnation:
 
Land (20): 4x Plateau, 4x Savannah, 3x Tundra, 2x Wasteland, 3x Taiga, 4x Plains.
 
Creatures (16): 3x Savannah Lions, 4x Leitburs, 1x White Shield, 4x Soltari Priest, 4x Scragnoth (you read right).
 
Board Control (17): 4x Bolt, 4x Incinerate; 3x STP; 2x Aura of Silence; 1x Stormbind; 3x Armageddon
 
Other Stuff (7): 1x Enlightened Tutor; 4x Tithe; 1x Empyrial Armor;1x Warmth.
 
Sideboard: 3x Pyroblast; 2x Disenchant; 2x Karma; 3x Quake; 2x Warmth; 3x Sleight of Mind.
 
No black decks anywhere to be found again this week.  Entirely too many red decks again.  This set did a lot better against them.  Also, decided to try out the Scragnoths main line, as blue cheese is a threat posed by some of the better players up here.  Having Ernhams bounced or controlled was getting tiresome.
 
Round 1 vs r/g/w:  I don't remember much about this other than it was mostly red burn and high toughness green critters.  The deck could not deal with the Soltari Priests, including an Armored one in Game 1.  (1-0, 2-0)
 
Round 2 vs Extended Sligh: This was a "Type A" Sligh, with Goblin Grenades, Sparkies, various other Goblins and lotsa burn.  Game 1 I draw the Warmth :-) and the Priests serve again.  Game 2 I side in the other 2 Warmths but he counters with a Havoc ;-( and I can't find an Aura.  This one is very close but again the Priests and my own bolts serve with me down to 1 life.
(4-0; 2-0)
 
Round 3 vs. r/g control/bigstuff.  I've been seeing this deck a lot in the middle rounds of Extended.  4 Mana Vaults (the tip card) and sundry other green mana weasels, backed by Ernies, Volcanics, Bolts, Icies and Quakes.  Geddon is the big enemy of this deck, preferably timed when the Vaults are tapped.  I win Game 1 with the Priests again.  I side in the Disenchants and Game 2 is pretty good and back and forth, but ultimately a couple of white weenies (including one Priest) get through.  (6-0; 3-0)
 
Round 4 vs. Blue Cheese.  It's counterspell x24
/Disk/Capsize/Rainbow time.  Heh heh heh. In game 1, everything I try to play gets countered and/or Capsized and/or eventually disked until the Turn 6 ScRaGnOtH makes an appearance.  Game set and match to Mr. Noth about 4 turns later.  I pick the one Disk that makes an appearance with an Aura of Silence that was let out early (presumably on the theory it could later be Capsized).  I go get my Disenchants and Blasts.
 
Game 2, that rotten Dream Tides makes an appearance.  I manage to get rid of it (finally) and get him down to 4 Life before I get Disked and locked down by Capsize about turn 30.  Ms. Rainbow pounds me down.  I had a Scragnoth stuck under a Dream Tides for at least 15 turns.
 
Game 3 is another long affair but I have a much better draw and know what to expect.  I hold a Blast and 2 Disenchants until a Dream Tides makes an appearance, and the 3rd try at whacking it gets through.  Scraggie cannot be stopped after that.  (8-1; 4-0).  Onto the final 4.
 
Semis vs Stompyesque monogreen.  Game 1--no white mana vs. a horde of Stompy suspects.  It's over quick.  Side in the Quakes.  This game taught me to try multilands instead of Taigas.
Game 2, Opening hand has 4 Lands and 2 Quakes.  I "flop around helplessly" until turn 4 when I quake an Army of Stompy creatures.  After that he tries to hold off an Armored Pumpknight one dead creature at a time.  Game 3, I get a hand full of removal spells and a Priest backed by a Geddon wins.  (10-2; 5-0).
 
Finals vs. the Mana Vault deck again.  Game 1 he salvages a tie by Quaking for 13 while a Priest and Leitbur were closing in (where are my Geddons?  !@#$ Vaults).  Game 2 I have more artifact elimination, so the Mana Vaults don't stay out.  This is close though as he has a handful of bolts.  Again the Priest of Doom serves, and Warmth slows down the Bolt assault just enough.  Game 3, double Priest beatdown backed by Geddon and Swords for the late appearing Volcanic wins.  (12-2-1; 6-0).
 
The Priests are just huge in this format, since so many people are relying on bolts to eliminate creatures and no one seems to be playing Shadow except for Priests.  On to the LA PTQ--Jeff.