Qualifier Weekend Prep and Achievement Mindset
At the time of writing this Zendikar Rising Qualifier weekend starts in less than 24 hours, so this is going to be a quick overview of the past couple weeks, with some valuable lessons to share - specifically on laddering and the importance of having an achievement mindset.
The banning announcement on 10/12 finally gave Standard the shakeup that it long needed. Though I had been playing 4C Adventures since the Uro banning, by no means did this latest announcement “pull the rug out from under me.” Rather, it gave me a chance to really dive into some of the unexplored potential in Standard. I was still at Diamond 2 when the bannings were announced, and I was OK with that, knowing that I’d be able to experiment with different lists in a relatively low risk, yet competitive environment.
The deck I spent the most time on was a Jeskai Control list with Yorion as a companion. It’s a relatively straightforward control list with Inspired Ultimatum and Dream Trawler as the top end. Over five days of trial and error, I simply couldn’t get traction with it. Some of it was definitely due to pilot error and trying to navigate a raw format. However, the reality is that the deck definitely needs some work. I can also see some general approach variations, and perhaps leaning more towards a heavy blink focus via Charming Prince and multiple Yorion in the main will make the deck competitive.
Here’s the current “vanilla” list in case you’re interested in taking it for a spin.
October 17-22: Refocusing on Mythic
As much as I enjoyed playing and tuning my Jeskai brew, I decided to put it down on the 17th so that I could make some significant headway towards reaching Mythic. I also recognized that I needed to start closing in on a list for the upcoming Zendikar Rising Qualifier Weekend on the 24th-25th. At that point, I was happy to hear rumblings that an old favorite of mine was making some noise in the young Standard: Golgari Adventures.
I played Golgari Adventures exclusively in Throne of Eldraine Standard last fall, reaching Mythic with it in November and December of last year, and again in January of this year. This deck caters extremely well to my midrange playstyle, and it’s proficient in a lot of the things I want my midrange decks to do: draw cards, kill things, disrupt opposing gameplans and demonstrate maximum versatility.
GB Adventures can get off to some super aggressive starts, and of course, it can play an outstanding long game. However, the deck lacks the raw power you get with the many Yorion builds out there, so it’s important to play no less than three copies of The Great Henge in this archetype.
I was only able to get in a couple of matches on the 17th, and I won them both 2-0. My opponents were Rakdos Midrange and Mono Green food.
On 10/18 I decided to continue pushing ahead with Golgari, but didn’t fare all that well, going 4-7 that afternoon. However, prior to the 10/12 bannings I signed up for Red Bull’s Week of Wings Entry Events in order to prepare for the Zendikar Rising Qualifier. One of the events was that night, and rather than drop, I decided to use the opportunity to explore the Standard meta in a more competitive environment. Despite a poor ladder record that day, I still decided to run Golgari for the event. To my surprise the deck performed really well, going 4-1 in 5 rounds. Match results are as follows:
Round 1 vs. Dimir Control: Win 2-1
Round 2 vs. Mono Green: Win 2-0
Round 3 vs. Mono Red: Win 2-0
Round 4 vs. Selesnya Midrange (Yorion): Loss 0-2
Round 5 vs. Gruul Adventures: Win 2-1
Overall I finished 25th out of 200+ players, and I was super stoked on the finish. By going 4-1 I also earned a spot in the Red Bull Week of Wings Qualifier, though it conflicts with the Zendikar Rising Qualifier.
While I could technically try to play the Red Bull Qualifier, I won’t be playing in it for a variety of reasons. For starters, doing so would definitely compromise my focus on the Zendikar Rising Qualifier - and earning a spot in a Zendikar Rising Championship is my primary goal at the moment. Additionally, the Red Bull Qualifier starts at 6:00 AM EST, and having to wake up that early would absolutely compromise my performance in both events. Finally, the RBQ also includes a few rounds of Historic, which I haven’t played since September. All of these factors indicate that playing in the Red Bull Qualifier just isn’t a good idea.
Ultimately, I explained my rationale here so that I could demonstrate the types of factors you should consider when faced with a similar situation.
Always Recognize the Milestones
Coming off of a strong performance in the Week of Wings Entry Event on Sunday, I continued playing Golgari Adventures throughout the week, experimenting with different variations. I finally reached Mythic on the 21st, marking the 12th month in a row that I achieved this rank.
For me, reaching Mythic in 12 consecutive months isn’t a huge deal, but it’s definitely an achievement worth recognizing and celebrating. Regardless of what your goals are in life or in the game, it’s so important to celebrate and appreciate the smaller victories and achievements you reach along the way to those greater pursuits. Doing so is one of the keys to keeping yourself motivated through the inevitable ups and downs of your greater journey.
And truth be told - no matter how big your goals may be, thereafter awaits an even bigger milestone for you to pursue.
I’ll be back next week with a recap of the Zendikar Rising Qualifier. Thanks for reading, and good luck in any events you’re playing in this weekend.
