After the smoke cleared, four players remained: Chad Galpin (Reanimator), Markus Thibeau (Moneyball Black), Alastair McLellan (Goblins), and Colin Whitwell (TerraGeddon). Well, except for Alevizakis and Kidston, who were running it back for 'Kegs in an unofficial B.C.PMM Ante Shootout.
Thibeau was fresh off a three-game chess match against Rob Hackney's Iggy Pop Brain Freeze combo. The two had been frozen over a perilous board in Game 3, in which Hackney's Ill-Gotten Gains loops were recurring Thibeau's Ritual — powering a Withered Wretch, eating the very fuel Hackney needed for his combo. In the end, through careful play, Thibeau eked it out.
Thibeau's a long-standing member of the Vancouver Magic community, and long since graduated to the status of Pro Tour grinder. Galpin, meanwhile, is a relatively new player who'd discovered Premodern as an offshoot of Vancouver's Pauper community. But both the deck and his play were firing on all cylinders.
Game 1 —
Thibeau keeps. Galpin mulligans a hand with everything but a reanimation target, and settles on 6.
Thibeau leads Cabal Therapy naming "Dark Ritual."
Galpin flips over:
In other words, no Ritual — but pretty much everything else.
And then it happens. Galpin draws.
"Dark Ritual?" Almost apologetic.
Thibeau can only shake his head. It was a beat along the lines of which any seasoned grinder had suffered — and would continue to suffer — time and time again. He'd done everything he could.
"Imp. Discard Akroma. Reanimate Akroma. Take 8 to 12. Hit you for 6."
Thibeau draws. Scoops his cards with a sigh.
"Sorry," Galpin offers. "Therapy bug happens IRL sometimes."
+3 Dystopia · +1 Snuff Out · +1 Knight of Stromgald
+2 Sickening Dreams
Game 2 —
Thibeau leads with Duress, seeing:
Thibeau is already displeased at the robustness of Galpin's hand. He takes the Unmask — leaving Galpin all the pieces, but without a way to get the monster into the graveyard.
And then it happens… again?
Galpin draws — again, apologetic at his luck — and leads Swamp into Dark Ritual… Unmask myself…
Thibeau mumbles a gripe. A replacement Unmask. Once again Galpin had seemingly peeled the perfect card at the perfect time.
Unmask takes Akroma, Exhume brings it back, it attacks for 6 — and based on Thibeau's reactions, Galpin must've been expecting a quick concession.
But Thibeau just flashes a Diabolic Edict — and with Galpin's resources entirely spent — it's off to Game 3.
+2 Engineered Plague
Game 3 —
Galpin's on the play now. No Duress, no Therapy — no interference. He keeps a one-lander with big potential if he draws a second land within a turn or two.
Swamp. Ritual. Buried Alive.
Thibeau leads Duress, seeing:
He takes the Exhume.
Galpin draws Therapy, names Wretch. Whiff.
Thibeau flashes back the Therapy, hitting the second reanimation spell.
Two Factories, a Knight of Stromgald, and three or four attack phases later — it's over.