A week ago, I was preparing for GP: Detroit. I had been looking forward to Detroit since the event was announced. It's really hard not to get excited about a Modern GP within three hours of home, and this was no exception.

Then the Eldrazi invaded. People were up in arms, saying my beloved format was ruined and was not worth playing. I didn't believe them. I continued to test and tried to come up with something that fit my style. I tried multiple flavors of RG, and even dabbled in some infect decks.

In the end, as time closed in to make a decision, I jumped onto the Eldrazi train and decided to play the deck that had been testing the best for me. This is what I wrote about last week, and took with me to Detroit to play:

Even this list, I continued to tinker with. I talked with a local friend, Nick Hillman, who was also going to Detroit, and jumped onto Gruul Eldrazi after reading my article (to be fair, he was on Eldrazi regardless, it was just which flavor), and we went over the sideboard and discussed whether Lightning Bolt was a better choice than, say, a third each of Relic of Progenitus and Torpor Orb. Apparently, I had the "soul read" on the Melbourne event, what with multiple Living End decks making Top 8 there, plus a Dredge deck to boot.

I found out Thursday that my good friend, and GP Omaha winner, Erik Peters, was able to jump in a car, and was going to make the trek from Omaha to Detroit for the event. I was pretty stoked to see Erik again and hang out for a bit. Our conversation quickly turned to the obvious, "What are you on?" over the Twitters. Here is how that went:

As much has it bothered me to admit it, I was honest that the version of Green Moon I had been running and testing with was not a good choice. It was important for me to try to do well in the event, and that deck just wasn't there.

For those that know me and have attended events with me, this is not a surprise. But for the rest of you, let me give you a rundown of my pre-tournament preparation. Once I settle on the deck, I type up and print two copies of my deck list to take to the event (as a judge, I have a special appreciation for typed, readable, deck lists), as well as proof of my pre-registration (if applicable) and my hotel registration for those events I'll be sleeping over at. I typed the above list up, and printed my copies as I usually do. I also printed up another list with the sideboard changes I talked to Nick about previously. I packed up the complete deck, the extra cards I would need if I made the change to the board, and the cards I needed to lend out to friends in Detroit.

All set, I settled in and decided to play a little MTGO. I broke out Old Faithful and tinkered around and played with Green Moon. I made a few changes here or there, added cards, cut cards, and tinkered around. After a couple hours, I figured I liked what I came up with, and chose to update the deck. See, I ALWAYS have Green Moon put together in the latest configuration. I play it a lot, and there is no real reason to take it apart, so I update it as I make changes and put it back in the deck bag. I also typed up a deck list for it. I figured worst case scenario, I scrub out on the first day, and play in a side event that may or may not need a deck list. If I scrubbed out, I would definitely play Green Moon in side events, so I prepared for it.

With everything packed, I was ready to hit the road. My group, which consisted of Sam Balle, Eric Crump and myself, made our journey northward, and arrived safely and without consequence on Friday night. We checked out the site, grabbed a quick bite to eat and crashed for the night. We got up early, hit the breakfast buffet and made our way next door for the players meeting.

I pulled out my player waiver and the Gruul Eldrazi list...the original list that I posted last week, and scrawled my table number, 1033, in the upper right-hand corner. I was ready. I was going to do this. I was going to play what I thought was the best deck for the format. And then I got a case of the feels....

Was I really going to do this? Was I going to forsake my favorite and most loved deck for this event? Sure, versions of Green Moon had left me in awesome positons, like 3-6 at both GP: Minneapolis in 2014 and the previous GP: Detroit in 2013. But, could I turn my back on it? The deck that I had played (or at least a version of it) at every Modern GP I have ever attended. It felt bad. I was under-prepared for the event overall. Sure, I tested, but nothing like the 40+ hours per week that several friends had. Was I better off with Eldrazi than the deck I knew better than anything else? Should I make an eleventh hour change? (OK, at this point, this is more like an eleventh hour and fifty-ninth minute change).

Look, if my lack of preparedness was going to kill me and I was going to lose all day, then I may as well lose with something I love. Doing my best Richard Gere impersonation from "An Officer and a Gentleman", I confidently whipped open my Magic bag, swept my cherished Green Moon up and apologized, and pulled out that list. I quickly jotted my table number along the top of the sheet, and to prevent any further shenanigans, tore the remaining Eldrazi lists in half. This is what I really registered for the event:

Apparently, I am a filthy liar.

I do admit that this version is tilted towards the Eldrazi. Upping the Blood Moon count to four main, and adding in three Crumble to Dust main definitely points to me wanting to break or interfere with their mana. I also upped the Stormbreath Dragon count to three over the previous two. This did come at a cost, though. I no longer had access to Lightning Bolt or Dismember in the deck. With moving the Crumble and the fourth Moon to the main, and cutting Damping Matrix altogether, I had quite a few slots to fill in the board.

I upped the Ancient Grudge count to three for one of those, and went with Torpor Orb over Damping Matrix for all the same reasons as posted last week. The last fill in was Thrun, the Last Troll. Perhaps that was due to rumblings that control decks were going to have a big showing, or that my local meta is filled with UW Control lists. Regardless, I wanted a big, resilient, uncounterable creature on my side, and the legendary troll was my pick.

Shortly after I made the call, my list was collected and I was given my promos and playmat. It was time to settle in for a couple rounds until I got my chance to shuffle up in round three.

I spoke with my travel companion, Eric, after the players meeting. I told him there may have been a change to the deck list.

Eric asked, "Did you go with the alternate sideboard?"

"Not quite."

"You didn't, did you? Tell me you didn't."

"I did. I'm on Green Moon." Eric laughs and shakes his head. We run into our friend that won the GP over by the vendor tables.

"Hey, Erik, ask Carl what deck he is on.."

Erik looks at me. "You're on GR Eldrazi, right?"

"I made a change."

Eric jumps in. "He did...go ahead and ask him." Eric says through laughter.

"Did you?"

"I did. I'm on Green Moon." Erik turns from me in disgust, throwing his hands in the air. Pretty sure my rationalization is lost on both the Eri(c/k)s.

I guess at this point, we have enough of a pre-amble. Let's get to the tournament proper and talk about what happened.

Round 1 & 2 - Byes: Thanks to running hot for a single weekend, I had a couple byes to start the event. I managed to avoid getting gouged by vendors, and was able to parlay my good fortune into a 5-shots-of-espresso coffee and a few minutes of extra relaxation. 2-0

Round 3 - Affinity: My first round of the event, and I was pretty stoked to get started. My opponent wins the die roll and floods the board on the first turn. With the help of Steel Overseer, his team got pumped up, quickly destroying me, and we were on to the second game. My standard sideboarding plan is to bring in all three Ancient Grudge and both Shatterstorm, and to cut Crumble to Dust and two Stormbreath Dragons. I mulligan to six, and keep a hand with a Grudge and some guys. I cast a Blood Moon and a Burning-Tree Shaman and get a few more beaters out. When he gets his Master of Etherium out, I Grudge it. I flash is back to kill the next one, and we are off to the third. I kept a sketchy hand. I beat Affinity by being aggressive and fully utilizing my ability to mulligan to get one of my sideboard cards. If I get at least one, I can normally win. Instead, I keep a hand with Noble Hierarch, double Burning-Tree, Hellrider and land, figuring I'll just get one of the cards I need. Things did not work out will for me, as a bunch of creatures and Cranial Plating somewhat leaves me dead, with no answers springing up to save the day. 2-1

Round 4 - Affinity: When the fourth round starts, I find my seat. I'm bothered by my poor choices in the previous round, but try to put it behind me and get started. I win this roll, and start off with a Raging Ravine and pass the turn. My opponent plays six cards on his first turn. Well, then...this is fun. I get overrun, and we go to the second game. I sideboard the same way, and guess what happens? I make the same mistake I made in game three the previous round. I kept the wrong hand without a sideboard card, knowing full well what I should have done. While my opponent doesn't have the explosive start of game one, he is able to develop his board. We trade a bit of damage, and I see none of the five cards I brought in, or a Bonfire of the Damned to clear his side. In the end, I was dead on board, and could only hope for a misplay to win. My opponent was smarter than that, and I went down with little fight. 2-2

So, there I was...even up, playing badly, and wondering if I really was as big a fool as my friends thought I was for playing this deck. With five rounds left, I was simply a 3-2 record away from not making the second day, and sheepishly telling everyone what I did. I was looking the God of Death in the eye, and I had to make a choice: Die, or Regroup and play like I should.

Round 5 - Kiki-Chord: This was the round I really needed to win. If I didn't get the monkey off my back now, the rest of the day didn't really matter. I got an early start with a first turn Hierarch followed by a second turn Boggart Ram-Gang. I kept dropping creatures and my opponent was stuck in chump mode. The game ended with a Stormbreath flying through the skies. I board out Crumble to Dust for the three Torpor Orbs and get ready for game two. Second turn Blood Moon was pretty devastating. I continued to drop creatures while he was unable to really cast spells, and the game ended in short order. 3-2

Round 6 - Kiki-Temur: We shuffle up for game one, after I lose the die roll. My opponent starts off with Serum Visions and passes. I get a couple lands in play to develop as my opponent plays what really started to look like purely a Blue Moon deck. When he drops a Breeding Pool and plays Tarmogoyf, I realize something else is up. I was unable to mount a relevant answer to the Goyf, and died shortly afterward. I bring in both Thrun from the board, and cut one Hellrider and a Stormbreath. I start off the second game with a Utopia Sprawl followed by a Treetop Village, while my opponent simply fetch-shocks to cast Serum Visions, and follows that up with a fetch for an Island. I Crumble his Steam Vents, and looking through his hand, see both Bounding Krasis and Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker. Well, then... I go into my next turn with a plan. After shorting his mana, I just need to swing as fast as possible and kill him before he can get to his fifth land. I cast Giant Solifuge and get in a couple hits while my opponent is somewhat land light. A final turn Hellrider puts us to game three. I re-sideboard and cut the Crumbles for Torpor Orbs. Turns out, it didn't matter. When I hit the second turn Blood Moon, my opponent never cast a relevant spell the rest of the game, and I just swing in with huge creatures for the win. 4-2

At this point, I started feeling a bit better about my choices. Sure, I had yet to play the Eldrazi menace, but I felt like I put my early stumbles behind me, and I was starting to feel more confident.

Round 7 - UW Eldrazi: I fully admit that I thought this round was a lost cause. I look at my opener and see a single land. I visit the mulligan. My six and my five had one and zero lands, respectively. In all honestly, my opponent was on the mulligan plan as well. I kept a two-land, Hierarch, Ram-Gang hand, and scry. There is a Blood Moon on top, which I snap off. Turns out second turn Blood Moon, followed by four-point attacks with Ram-Gang is pretty sweet against UW Eldrazi when they only have Mountains. A couple attacks, and we go onto game two. My sideboarding plan for UW Eldrazi is to bring in Torpor Orb and Thrun, and to cut all the Ram-Gangs and one Hellrider. I mulligan twice in the second game. My first turn Hierarch eats a Dismember, and his second turn Thought-Knot Seer takes my Utopia Sprawl. I never get beyond a second land, and Reality Smasher joins his 4/4 buddy, and my goose is, as they say, cooked. I get to keep a seven in the third game, and have the perfect game of Utopia Sprawl, into Blood Moon, into Solifuge, into Crumble, into Dragon. Game over. 5-2

So, here I am. Suddenly, I'm at a point where I have two win-and-ins to make my first ever GP second day. I was pretty excited at this point, and started to consider that I may not have to play sides the next day.

Round 8 - GR Eldrazi: So here we are....the first win-and-in. We shuffle up and get started. My opponent is on the Gruuldrazi, and game one didn't go well. I had a slow start, and paid for it, as they were able to hit turn three Smasher into turn four second Smasher. I drew a card, and saw nothing worthwhile, and packed it in. The sideboarding for this version is a little different. Torpor Orb is not as powerful here as it is against the UW version, which has significant token making on creatures entering the battlefield. I brought in both Thrun and boarded out two Ram-Gangs. Game two, I kept my opener, and was able to get in a two points a couple times with double Hierarch, and followed that up with a Thrun. He stripped a couple cards with Thought-Knots, but a 6/6 Thrun was leaving some marks, and he resorted to chump blocking, and allowing me to draw cards. A Kozilek's Return cleared by mana dorks, but still left me with a regenerating fattie. A Bonfire of the Damned off the top ended the game, and we were on to the rubber match. Game three was pretty close. I got a Blood Moon out in the mid-game, which changed the way things played out some, but he did get a decent start. I got in some early hits with a Solifuge pumped by Hierarch, and then a Solifuge and Ram-Gang swing, but then I stalled, and needed to hold back blockers for his team, as he had Thought-Knots, Smashers and Matter Reshapers on board. I got a Thrun out, and allowed it to sacrifice itself to a creature when I drew my second one. As the game progressed, we were both empty handed, and I was at single life, while my opponent was at seven. My board was Stormbreath, Thrun, and Blood Moon, plus a ton of lands. He had a 1/1 Endless One (not really all that endless...), and a Matter Reshaper in play. He attacks with the Matter Reshaper, in the hopes of drawing an out, since I had to block and both my guys killed Reshaper. He flips a World Breaker and has the mana to cast it, thanks to his lone Forest with all his pretty, misnamed, Mountains, in play. He puts it in play and passes the turn. He missed both his Kozilek's Return trigger and the cast trigger on his World Breaker. I'm stunned. It's an epic punt on his side of the table. I swing with my Dragon and Monstrous it, which he chumps with his huge Eldrazi. He draws dead the next turn, and I'm into day two. 6-2

Round 9 - UW Eldrazi: At this point, there is absolutely no pressure. Sure, I want to win for the possibility of a Top 16, or even a Top 8, finish the next day, but knowing I already checked off the Day Two bucket list item...with Green Moon no less...was awesome. I shuffle up and make small talk with my opponent. He opens pretty fast, and drops a couple Eldrazi Skyspawner, paired with an Eldrazi Displacer and a Reality Smasher. My life total dropped in huge chunks. I saw no point in revealing much of my deck, as it was a lost cause, and allowed the game to end. I sideboarded in my standard way for UW Eldrazi, and we went off to game two. The second game started out slowly for both of us, and I developed some mana with Utopia Sprawls and Hierarchs, and he played a second turn Skyspawner and 2/2 "free" Endless One. I accepted the hits for a turn so I could Blood Moon, and to give him the chance to extend more. He obliged and cast another Skyspawner with his two Mountains and singular Island. I hard cast the Bonfire in my hand for two, wiping his board. He did nothing significant the rest of the game, and I was able to follow up with a few fatties, and soon we went to the third game. He had to mulligan in this game, and apparently settled on a two-lander, neither of which was a Sol-land. I had a second turn Blood Moon, and followed that up with a third turn Crumble on his late-to-the-party Eldrazi Temple. He never got another land in play and I beat down with Solifuge for the win. 7-2

After my rather dubious start, I was pretty stoked to have run the table. I had no idea what the next day would bring, but I was truly happy with both my deck choice, and the way I played after my initial stumbles. It was time for food and sleep for the next day.

Round 10 - UW Eldrazi: For the first time, I had a seat at the table for the second day of the GP. I wondered how I would do, or if I had the ability to do better than a 0-6 on the day. My first opponent was on UW Eldrazi. In game one, we both have somewhat aggressive starts, but I am able to out creature him. We trade damage back and forth, and I get in a big swing with Hellrider. He swings and takes me down to a mere five life, while holding back enough blockers to stay alive. A second Hellrider off the top was enough for him to pack it is, as he was to die to triggers. I stick with the tried and true sideboard plan, and we get to game two. I mulligan to six, and keep a hand with lands, Utopia Sprawl, and a couple creatures. He had a turn two Thought-Knot, taking my turn two play, and a turn three Thought-Knot, taking one of my few relevant creatures, and follows up with a Matter Reshaper for good measure. After dropping to five on his next attack, I made sure he didn't forget to attack the next turn, and then shuffled up for the third game. I was forced to mulligan down to four in game three, while on the play. Not quite the start I wanted. My four-card hand: two Fire-lit Thicket, Hellrider, and Crumble to Dust. I scry a Bonfire to the bottom, and play my Thicket, and pass the turn. I draw a Forest and immediately play it. I took a few hits from a couple of his smaller Eldrazi, but managed to Bonfire his team away, Crumble his Eye of Ugin, which left him mana short the rest of the game, and then roll into fatties. I think he kept a loose one, given he only ever had three lands, one of which was Crumbled. Maybe he thought his seven was good enough, and since I chose to mulligan right away, he thought he was safe. Regardless, my deck spit forth the goods, and I took it down even with the mulligan to oblivion. 8-2

Round 11 - Melira Combo: We start off the game with both of us keeping our seven. He plays a tapped shock land on his first turn, and I play a land and Sprawl on my turn. He second turns a Wall of Roots and Birds of Paradise and put him on Kiki-Chord. I was wrong, though, as he quickly assembles Viscera Seer, Melira, Sylvok Outcast, and Kitchen Finks. I ask him to show me the Murderous Redcap and when he does, I scoop. It's matches like this that I kinda wish I still had Damping Matrix in the sideboard. In fact, that may be a change that gets made once the April B&R list comes out and I see the effect of it on the metagame. For now, although I miss it, I will have to continue on without it. I bring in Torpor Orb for the Crumbles and shuffle up for the second game. The game is close, and I do get both Torpor Orb and Blood Moon online. He goes the beatdown plan, and has significantly more creatures in his deck than I have in mine. As I'm getting beat on, I have three turns to miracle a Bonfire, which would have cleared his board and given me the opening to steal the game. The miracle does not happen, and I lose. I look afterwards, while de-boarding...all three are in the bottom 15 or so cards. I wasn't holding on that long. 8-3

Hopes of a miracle Top 8 run (given my breakers, a real impossibility) dashed, I was playing for record/cash. Still, I'm fairly confident in the deck and feel that it has served me well. And honestly, Melira combo is the only deck I had played to that point where I actually felt disadvantaged. Three rounds left.

Round 12 - Affinity: After losing the die roll, game one goes just about as planned. My opponent gets double Steel Overseer, Arcbound Ravager, and Vault Skirge galore, and I quickly succumb to defeat. I sideboard in the standard way again, and present for game two. I mulligan my first hand, and keep one with an Ancient Grudge, lands, and other creatures. I draw a Shatterstorm off the top, and blow up his board, as he had overextended into triple Steel Overseer and Ravager. He starts activating his Inkmoth Nexus, and then a second one, and starts giving me the poison business. I know I have a couple turns, so I take time to develop my board and add some creatures to the mix. Once I'm at nine poison, he activates both the Inkmoths and swings in. That is the time I take to kill them both with the Grudge plus flashback. I then start swinging on my own and have double Burning-Tree out. He activates a Blinkmoth Nexus, and takes two. He equips it and takes two more, and swings in for six total. I miracle Bonfire for max damage, and have more than lethal on board in creatures. He scoops and we go to the third game. I again mulligan, and keep a hand with acceleration and a third turn Shatterstorm. I blow up his board, and get in for five with a Hierarch pumped Solifuge. He gets a few creatures out, including double Ravager, Signal Pest, Ornithopter and Vault Skirge. He's at 8 and I'm at 11. I have a Solifuge on board and a Hellrider and Grudge in hand. He keeps Ornithopter and his freshly cast Ravager back, and swings with the other three. I have no intention of blocking. He decides he wants to gain life and before damage, sacs his attacking Ravager, with four counters on it, to itself to put counters on his Skirge. I Grudge the Skirge, and he responds by sacrificing it to his other Ravager. I took nothing. He passes and at end of turn, I flashback the Grudge to kill the Ravager, which he allows to happen and puts the counters on the Thopter. My draw is a second Grudge, which ends the game immediately. 9-3

Round 13 - Naya Burn: I'm moving up and playing in the double digit tables now. My opponent is friendly enough, and we get set for a fun and interactive game of Magic. I win the die roll and play a turn one Hierarch. He casts a Copperline Gorge and Bolts it on his turn. I simply play a land and pass. He plays Lava Spike on his turn, but misses his land drop. I cast a Blood Moon. He plays some Goblin Guides over the next two turns and pokes me some, but I keep getting free lands and draw big creatures on my own turn. He quickly falls and we go to board. I bring in all the Trinisphere and cut the Crumbles, and we go to game two. I mulligan, but keep a hand of lands, Sprawl, Trinisphere, and Blood Moon. He shocks on his first turn and plays Grim Lavamancer. I Sprawl a land. He shocks on his second turn, Spikes me, swings with Lavamancer, and suspends a Rift Bolt. I cast a Trinisphere on my turn. He plays a fetch land, cracks it for a land, and targets me with Boros Charm. He was tapped out, and my Blood Moon came down. While he was able to poke me here and there, at that point the game was essentially over. His hand filled with various GR and RW cards he couldn't cast, and he never got to the point he could cast multiple spells a turn. I played big creatures and turned them sideways. There wasn't much more to it than that, and we were done in about 12 minutes. 10-3

After this match, I was talking with some friends, and hanging out, since I had a ton of time until the next match. A friend of mine, Zach Chilcote, owner of the relatively local DZ Gaming and a guy also celebrating his first GP day two as well, rewarded me for my late deck switch by gifting me with a print of Blood Moon, since Franz Vohwinkle was one of the artists in attendance. It was definitely a gift I appreciated and one that will be framed and hung with pride on my office wall. Thanks, Zach.

Round 14 - GR Eldrazi: Next to last round, and I'm still solidly in the running for some cash. Apparently, Green Moon wants to be the ONLY green I have, as it really spit forth the bad draws in this one. Over the course of three games, I mulliganned six times. I went to five in the first game, matching my opponent who also went to five. He played a Grove of the Burnwillows and cast Ancient Stirrings on the first turn, revealing a Ghost Quarter. After he played that, he never got another land, and I stomped all over him with Giant Solifuge. I held onto both Crumbles I drew, as there was no reason to show him I was on them. Again, I boarded the same way I had previously against RG Eldrazi, and went to game two. This time, I ended up going to four, keeping a hand of Rootbound Crag, Noble Hierarch, Utopia Sprawl, and Hellrider. On my scry, I saw a Dragon, which quickly hit the bottom. My second turn Hierarch met with a Dismember immediately, and I got my second land on turn five. I never cast another spell that game. We went on to the third game, and again, I had to mulligan a no-lander. I didn't love my six, as I had no acceleration, and nothing to do until turn three. But I had the fear for the first and only time in the event. What if my five was worse? I mean, look what just happened in the second game. Sure, I won multiple games already on mulls to four, so going to five may not be too bad. But my opponent has a snap keep. I think he only actually looked at six of his seven cards before he declared his intentions, which seemed like turn two Thought-Knot for sure. Could I beat that with even fewer cards? So I kept. It was a poor decision. And if you are curious, no, he didn't have that. Sure, he had double Ancient Stirrings into double Reality Smasher, and I got smashed that way, but had I taken the mulligan, who knows? I may have gotten the turn two Blood Moon hand, and then it's a completely different game. Alas, we shall never know. 10-4

Round 15 - Skred Red/Saffron Red: It's the last round, and I'm playing for pride. I know my breakers are bad, as I'm on table 90. Major catastrophes need to happen for me to get anywhere near the Top 64 for prizes. My goal is strictly to get that 11th win. We shuffle up and get started. My opponent gets a second turn Blood Moon, which I'm completely cool with. He follows up by casting a bunch of rituals and dropping an Ensnaring Bridge, which I am not as cool with. Knowing I have Burning-Tree Shaman that can at least cause him to damage himself with the Planeswalkers I know he has, I play it out. He is running Snow-Covered Mountians and does have Skred, which takes out the one Burning-Tree I do see, but otherwise, this is SaffronOlive's All-In deck. Needless to say, he gets me that game. I bring in Banefire, Ancient Grudge, and Thrun for the second game, and remove the Blood Moons and Crumbles. This is a huge fail on my part, as I didn't bring in Shatterstorm. In the end, it didn't hurt me. I was able to get a second turn Ram-Gang, thanks to Hierarch, that got in two hits before the Bridge came down. We played land go for a while, as he was unable to draw Koth of the Hammer or Chandra, Pyromaster and I was unable to actually attack because of Bridge. He casts a Chalice of the Void for two, and I proceed to rip a Grudge. Nice plan I had there. Eventually, I get to cast the Bonfire in my hand for five, and get a Banefire for near infinite to get to game three. I correct my mistake by removing Thrun and bringing in Shatterstorm. I get in a third turn hit for four with Solifuge. After he missed his third and fourth land drops, he rituals out a Bridge and casts a Chalice for zero just to keep me from attacking. I have a Shatterstorm in hand, but am unsure if I want to cast it now, on the chance he has another Bridge, or if I just want to add creatures and then blow things up when I have a locked in lethal swing. My draw for the turn was a second Shatterstorm. Having a backup in the chamber allowed me to just blow up the artifacts and keep swinging. The game ended two turns later. 11-4

Now is the time where I tell you all that I just simply love my deck. And I do. If I played another Modern GP tomorrow, I would rock the exact same 75 in this format. As I stated earlier, the only deck I think I'm at a severe disadvantage with, from my pairings, is Melira Combo. Even that, while not absolutely a great matchup, is not a zero percenter. I had a great time, and it was made even better by making a somewhat rash decision and having some amount of success with "my deck". My final standing was 130th place (or tied for 63rd, as I like to say..there were quite a few 11-4's).

I would like to take a moment here to express my thanks and gratitude to all the Fort Wayne locals who were at the event and who encouraged me throughout the day. You folks are awesome .I would also be remiss if I didn't extend some props to those friends of mine from The Fort area that did well as well, including Scott Bunnell, who took 26th overall in the event, my travel mate Eric Crump, my fellow Gruul Eldrazi fan Nick Hillman, God of Cards and awesome store owner Zach Chilcote, my "adopted daughter" Lexie Mettler, as well as John Ganger, Austin Robbins, and Tyler Frauhiger. It's great to see so many from the local area do well and represent.

As for me, I guess I did that thing I hadn't done before, and I'm happy with that. Sadly, this format, as we all know and love it, is more than likely about to change. Something...or somethings...are going to get banned. Will Green Moon still be viable after that? Who knows. I know I will be testing it and playing it and trying to come up with some decent configuration for it, regardless of which cards are legal. In the end, I'm glad I danced with the girl who brought me, even if that makes me a filthy liar.

Peace,

Carl Wilt