Round 4 feature match from Coventry

Richard Bland writes...

Round 4 Feature Match: Peter Mottram vs. Bogi Hojgaard

Bogi is currently undefeated with his Jund Aggro deck and is generally seen around the top16 on UK nats and has been paired down to Peter, who sits on 6 points with his Elf deck. Peter will be looking to continue his run of good results, having finished 3rd at this year's nationals.

Bogi wins the roll, and keeps his 7, as does Peter. A Putrid Leech from Bogi, while Pete lays a Heritage Druid and an Elvish Visionary. Bogi gets in with the Leech and a 'gang ram' the next turn, sending Pete to 13. Peter, undaunted, lays a pair of Elvish archdruids, putting his team out of Volcanic Fallout range. Bogi replies with another Ramgang and serves with the team, trading one with an Archdruid.

Bogi passes, declaring that Pete will probably go off. Peter obliges and plays a Ranger of Eos, fetching a pair of Nettle Sentinels, but can 'only' drop 3(!) Nettle Sentinels and pass the turn, after swinging for a cheeky 4. Bogi taps his deck and plays Bituminous Blast on the Archdruid, cascading into Maelstrom Pulse on the 3 Sentinels and swings Peter down to just 2 life. Peter draws and quickly passes the turn back, seemingly out of gas. Bogi drops more guys, and Peter is soon in chump-block mode. One more swing and Peter drops his hand of 3 lands in concession.

Bogi 1- 0 Peter

Bogi makes no pretence of his plan to side out his Anathemancers, as Peter's deck played all basics Game 1, while Peter shuffles out a few random elves, and in his Oversouls of Dusk and Burrenton Forge-tenders.

Peter keeps his 7. Bogi is less certain, but keeps also. Nettle Sentinel leads off, and is followed by devoted Druid, which Bogi quickly Lightning Bolts, while laying taplands. Mosswort Bridge shows Peter does in fact play non-basics, and Heritage Druid joins the team, to give Nettle sentinel vigilance. Bogi drops land and passes, and peter adds a Ranger of Eos to his board, finding a spare nettle Sentinel and a Forge-tender. Bogi fallouts at end of turn, before the Forge-tender can blank it, then lays a Kitchen Finks to get back to a respectable 13.

Peter thinks for a moment, then Primal Commands a Vivid back on top of Bogi's deck, and grabs a Ranger of Eos from his own deck. Bogi quickly replays the land and gets in with the Finks. Peter drops the Ranger and again grabs the Sentinel-Tender combo, and adds the Tender to the board. Bogi replies with a Bloodbraid Elf into a Ramgang, and drops Peter to 12 with the team, trading the Goblin for Peter's Ranger. With 6 lands in play, Peter decides to give it a go, and lays down the Sentinels, and plays a second Primal Command on Bogi's Vivid and searching up a Regal Force to reload next turn.

Bogi can only play another Ramgang, and Peter drops an Archdruid followed by Regal force for 5 the next turn, drawing and playing a second Archdruid, before passing. Bogi finally gets to draw a card that isn't his vivid grove – a vivid marsh! Mosswort bridge spits out an Oversoul at end of turn, prompting a shrug from Bogi, who insists his hand has 'good ones' Peter sends in with the team and Bogi shows he wasn't lying, Bituminous Blasting one archdruid, cascading into Pulse, which Bogi casts on the other archdruid, allowing him to block and not die, falling to 4. Bogi goes into the tank on his next turn, and decides to pulse a pair of nettle sentinels. Peter sends in again and Finks and Ramgang do some chumping, leaving a persisted Finks versus 15 power of guys. One more attack levels the match.

Bogi 1- 1 Peter

Bogi declares that he's 'decided to win this game' and keeps his 7, as does Peter. Peter drops down a Nettle sentinel and Devoted druid, while Bogi's first play is a Ramgang. Peter curves out with a Ranger of Eos, fetching Heritage Druid and a second Sentinel. Bogi plays a second Ramgang and serves, trading one with the Ranger, dropping Pete to 1. Peter drops a heritage druid and explodes with mana on his next turn. Bogi bolts a nettle sentinel to try and throttle Peter's development, but Peter still ends the turn with a pair of Archdruids and 4 other Elves in play. Bogi can only play a Finks and pass. Peter plays out a Primal command, grabbing a Ranger, which grabs a Forge-Tender, then plays another Command, prompting the concession from Bogi, who bemoans his elusive Volcanic Fallouts.

Bogi 1-2 Peter