Yeah, it's been a long time since I posted, and I bet you're wondering how I did in the Portland PTQ.  The fact that I posted my cardpool as the event was still going on should be a hint.  But after the Thanksgiving holiday and my birthday (what did you jerks get for me anyways?), let's go back and revisit that brief weekend.

I decided to play white, since all my good creatures were in white.  I chose to pair it with black for removal.  After posting this cardpool to Northwest Magic, the posters there suggested every other color with white.  So I was half right in the building process, and I think the suggestions of white/green (maybe even splashing Red for Kazuul Warlord/Punishing Fire/Magma Rift) were probably the best, as that color combination would give me an actual bomb in Gigantiform, almost the same amount of removal, and better creatures.  Here was the 40 I ended up with, however.

Bold Defense
Kor Aeronaut
Kor Hookmaster x3
Kor Sanctifiers
Kor Skyfisher x2
Makindi Shieldmate
Narrow Escape
Shepherd of the Lost

Bog Tatters
Crypt Ripper
Disfigure
Gatekeeper of Malakir
Guul Draz Vampire
Hideous End
Nimana Sell-Sword
Soul Stair Expedition
Vampire's Bite

Blazing Torch
Stonework Puma
Trusty Machete

Plains x9
Swamp x8

I should have been playing Windborne Charge, but I was worried about getting to double white and triple black in the same deck, then still played more Plains than Swamps and ran Aeronaut.  These should be red flags going off in my head during deckbuilding that my mana and construction isn't very good, but I'm I'm not good enough yet to see them.  I'll have another chance to learn next week.  I also made sideboarding errors in both matches, forgetting to take Bog Tatters out until game 3 vs. a white/green/blue deck which might have helped me win game 2 and prevent that game 3 in the first match, and then not boarding in Devout Lightcaster against the white/black deck in game 2, which was similar to mine except it had Vampire Nighthawk (THAT GUY.), Day of Judgment, Emeria Angel x2, and Surrakar Marauder x3.  Nice 0-1 matchup.  During the games, I don't think I made many play errors, nothing glaring or burnt into my mind.  My first round opponent played Pitfall Trap and Whiplash Trap in games 1 and 2, then played two copies of each in game 3 (he never doubled up in either game previous, so I had no idea) before dropping Felidar Soverign at a meager 6 life and riding him to victory.  I could have won the turn he played Soverign by drawing a Hookmaster or a Hideous End, but neither came and the game slowly slipped out of reach.  In the second match, there really wasn't much I could do.  Other than him playing Mire Blight (blech!), every card he played in our two games was absurd and right on time.  So it was 0-2 drop and a day on the town in Portland for me.  Such is life.

Next weekend is the final paper PTQ of the season in Seattle and I hope to build better and take a little more time to make the right sideboarding decisions.