My “Dominaria United” Prerelease

Last weekend was Prerelease time and so I rolled down to my LGS to play some Dominaria United sealed!
This time I was really into the set as I was excited by all these new Legendaries that will start hitting the various Commander tables and the set seemed really flavorful!

My pool didn’t have bombs unfortunately, but I was able to find some nice synergies to build a Mardu deck that focused on an aristocrats-like playstyle.

You can click here to see the list I played.

We were 22 players and the tournament began after the announcement that there will be four matches.

Match 1 vs Naya Domain
Game 1
I thought to have a great start by playing Elas and Lagomos on curve, but he is ready for them and he is able to remove both. I resist a few turns with my own removals but I end up finishing them and he wins the game by filling his board with creatures that are much bigger than mine.
Game 2
I lead the first part of the game with a race with Mesa Cavalier but I get stuck on drawing only a ton of lands and he wins the game by attacking with big creatures like Territorial Maro that are incredibly hard to deal with.

0 wins – 1 loss

Match 2 vs Dimir Control
Game 1
I’m able to stay in control of the game thanks to a slow but steady race until he drops Sheoldred on the field. Due to the life he gets back my race is completely stopped and at the same time he is slowly chipping my life off. I’m not able to recover from this and he wins the game.
Game 2
Again I’m able to set up a nice race, dealing him various damages before he is able to set up some blockers. When his board starts getting too big I cast Temporal Firestorm, saving one of my creatures… the turn right after however he played Sheoldred. Luckily it is too late this time and I’m able to knock him out with my flying creatures before he is able to get in control of the game.
Game 3
I mulligan down to five and we exchange some blows at the beginning of the game until he gets ahead with Tolarian Terror. I try to remove it two times but he has either the counterspell ready or a way to give it hexproof. He wraths the board with Choking Miasma and wins by beating me down with the Terror.

0 wins – 2 losses

Match 3 vs WRBG Good Stuff
Game 1
I fill the board with many of my dangerous creatures and I start pinging him down until he wraths it with Choking Miasma. I use Phyrexian Missionary to get Elas back on the field and I start an attrition war that let me finish him while I end the game will more than 30 life.
Game 2
I have a quick powerful start with the synergy of Lagomos and Garna that puts me ahead until he is able to remove Lagomos and play Braids. I’m still able to get in some damage thanks to my flying creatures and I have plenty of creatures to sac to not let him draw with Braids. He doesn’t find an answer and I finish him off with my flying creatures.

1 win – 2 losses

Match 4 vs 5-colors Domain
Game 1
I have to mulligan down to 4 as I’m not able to find a playable hand until I do it. I have too few resources and he is able to use The Weatherseed Treaty to ramp a ton and hit me and finish me off thanks to the +x/+x of the saga that with the trample makes for me impossible to survive by chumpblocking.
Game 2
He has the saga again but I’m able to set up a nice race with Mesa Cavalier and Dragon Whelp. I’m going to go lethal and I see him leaving suspiciously some mana open. I set up the attack so I’m able to leave him at 2 or 3 life even if removes one of my creatures. In fact he kills the Dragon with Ertai before the damage and, in my main phase 2, I shot him for lethal with Meria’s Outrider.
Game 3
I try to go again for the flying race but he plays a Snarespinner almost immediately, stalling me out. He then proceeds to play Nemata and use various removals to build a nice board that also helps him as an engine. He easily finishes me off by keeping me controlled until the end.

1 win – 3 losses

The prerelease didn’t go well, result speaking, but I’m liking this set a lot! I hope I will be able to play some drafts with it soon!