I went into this most recent PTQ actually having zero idea what deck I wanted to play. I was between gifts, this list and another more midrange list I had been brewing up. I ultimately decided on this because it's what I had the most experience with and gifts was too new to me. Honestly I think this deck can be the real deal, maybe not tier 1 but should be in the discussion for tier 2. In Fenton I had a little bit of luck going my way but I also felt like I was playing some of the best magic of my life. My deck was running full tilt and my decision making was pretty on point.
Round 1 vs UR Delver 2-0
Pretty simple game 1 as he kept a questionable 7 got out tempoed as I was on the play and tipped his hand as delver by playing a young pyromancer the turn before he died, otherwise I saw remand, serum visions, and bolt so would have assumed Twin.
Sideboard
-2 thoughtseize
-1 Sword of feast and famine
-1 Sword of Fire and Ice
-4 Delver of Secrets
+1 Drown in Sorrow
+2 Spell Pierce
+2 Lingering Souls
+1 Geist of Saint traft
+2 Liliana of the veil
You become the control on the draw, he plays zero cards over 3 and it's risky taking 2 for thoughtseizes. he Mulled to 6 and Lingering Souls ended up blocking his dude and eventually setting me up for geist beats
Round 2 vs Tarmo Twin 2-0
Pretty impossible match up for the tarmo twin player. They dont play enough threats and you're already set up to beat Twin anyways. Out tempo him with remands and a bob on the play.
Sideboard
-4 Delver of Secrets
-1 Sword of fire and Ice
-1 Sword of Feast and Famine
+1 Disenchant
+2 Spell Pierce
+1 Geist of saint traft
+2 Liliana of the veil
Tempo and controlling their threats. Liliana forcing their bolts to her to keep her off 6 loyalty were key here.
Round 3 vs Ad Naseum 2-1
I kept a double path to exile hand game 1 and was punished, he comboed out and I had 3 lands to redirect but sadly wasnt enough.
Sideboard
-4 path to exile
-1 Slaughter Pact
-1 Smother
+2 Spell Pierce
+2 Liliana of the veil
+1 Geist of Saint Traft
+1 Disenchant
Games 2 and 3 he just couldnt resolve an ad naseum. You have too much disrupt with thoughtseize and Inquisition followed by good counter magic and a fast clock.
Round 4 vs UWR Delver 2-0
Game 1 was pretty hilarious. I go island, cast serum visions, draw something, scry delver on top of smother. He goes Hallowed fountain tapped go. I proceed to go marsh flats and cast delver. he untaps casts serum visions, casts delver passes. I flip delver swing 3, crack marsh flats for a plains, and play a swamp casting geist. he flips his own delver and casts geist. We eye each other because this was pretty damn unusual. I swing he doesn block, he tries to kill me with bolt snap bolt but I mana leak the bolt and remand his remand so he cant go off.
Sideboard
-4 Delver of Secrets
-2 Inquisition of Kozilek
-2 Thoughtseize
+2 Spell Pierce
+1 Geist of Saint Traft
+2 Liliana of the Veil
+2 Lingering souls
+1 Drown in Sorrow
Game 2 was a cake walk. Liliana and lingering souls are real good.
Round 5 vs UWR Kiki Control 0-2
This game was rough, I kept a slow hand and he took advantage and I had to play from the back foot...was unable to come back.
-4 Delver of Secrets
-1 Sword of Fire and Ice
-1 Sword of Feast and Famine
-1 Slaughter Pact
+1 Geist of Saint Traft
+2 Liliana of the veil
+2 Lingering souls
+2 Spell Pierce
He got a Desolate Lighthouse online and ended up grinding his way to the win. I had him at 1 but couldn't finish.
Round 6 vs The Rock with Obliterator 2-0
He kept a land light hand and I saw 4 remands, and 2 snapcaster mages....simple plan of tempoing out with geist and not letting him resolve anything meaningful.
-4 Delver of Secrets
-1 Sword of Fire and Ice
-1 Sword of Feast and Famine
+2 Liliana of the Veil
+2 Lingering Souls
+1 Geist of Saint Traft
+1 Damnation
He mulled to 5 but put up a good fight getting me to 3 because I had a slow hand and he beat in with his ooze and Tree top as I stabilized. He spent 2 turns trying to resolve liliana as I beat in with geist but ultimately remand gets the job done.
Round 7 vs 4C Kiki Pod 2-1
Game 1 He kept a real poor hand that literally died to a geist with a sword on it. It also helps he pathed my delver on his turn so I could turn 2 geist.
-4 Delver of Secrets
-1 Sword of Fire and Ice
-1 Sword of Feast and Famine
-2 Spell Snare
+2 Liliana of the Veil
+2 Grafdigger's Cage
+1 Drown in Sorrow
+1 Damnation
+2 Lingering Souls
Game 2 he won with casting dudes and beating down. Game 3 he mulled to 6, I inquisitioned away his Kitchen Finks leaving him with Thrun, 3 lands, a birds of paradise and a Nobel. turn 3 I drown his bird and nobel leaving him stranded on 3 mana play lily and just proceed to take control of the game even more eventually winning with tar pit beats.
Round 8 vs Affinity 0-2
Game 1 I kept a super greedy 1 lander with a serum visions on the draw. 5 draws, zero lands, lets go to game two. My hand was Watery Grave, Serum visions, Inquisition, Snapcaster, Path, Dark Confidant, Smother. He kept a slow hand so I thought I had a chance but a turn 4 Master of Etherium brought me back to reality.
-4 Delver of Secrets
-1 Sword of Fire and Ice
-1 Sword of Feast and Famine
-2 Thoughtseize
+2 Lingering Souls
+1 Disenchant
+3 Kataki, War's Wage
+1 Drown in sorrow
+1 Damnation
Went to seal the game away as he had zero color producing lands outside of an island on turn three with a kataki, but the miser gut shot lets him untap and get another land in play before I get to turn 4 the next kataki, but he had already stabilized at this point. Sad end to the event.
Overall I was happy with how I played and how my deck preformed. I don't know exactly what I would change to the deck list but I know the damnation should probably be another Drown in Sorrow and the Kataki's should probably be Stony Silences. I also would love to sneak another Liliana somewhere in the 75, she's been so good to me games 2 and 3.
Ultimately you are going to a fast tempo win game 1 with delvers and geists and siding into a more grindy mindrange deck post board. Your wins mainly come from tar pit or geist beat downs but occasionally you'll have to dark confidant and Snapcaster grind a game out.