The ARG State Championships for NC was held at Raleigh this year and if you had asked me earlier this week I would have expected to tell you about how Bahamut and heavy regalia based deck were still going be to what ruled the day. After 6 rounds of swiss and the top 8 playoff, the outcome was different from what I initially thought. Blazer was the most represented Ruler locking up 3 Top 8 spots, all them playing an Incarnation based deck. While Guinevere, the Jealous Queen saw the top spot of most played card with 6 of 8 decks mainboarding 4, Lancelot, the Knight of Mad Demon was the second most played resonator and the one that had the most impact while he stayed on the board and Susanowo, the Ten-Fist Sword remained the most solid closer.

It was a very diverse field but ultimately most of the underplayed archetypes were put out and we were left with the more conventional decks.

Quarter Finals Feature Match Cain vs. Pricia

Holding an undefeated going into top this Cain deck secured the No. 1 seed. He had had his fair shareof close matches but always managed to come out on top. He started off Game 1 by going first and playing a Bow, Glepnir and a Laevateinn then pitched another Laevateinn to get the Turn 1 J-Activate The bow killed any blockers that Pricia tried to block with between Cain and Lancelot attacks this game was over quickly.

Game 2 started off with heavy regalia play from both sides with Pricia playing Horn, Marybell and Deathscythe while Cain played a Marybell, Bow, and Marybell. The Marybells by both players were used to take out the problematic Regalias and from there they played Lancelots and started the life point race. Pricia started to pull ahead trading effectively using Rapid Growth to save his resonators. On his last turn with only 500 Life Points Cain finally J-Activated, he was forced to use his Magic Stones of Moon Shade for Fire will to burn Pricia's blockers putting him to 100 but that was all he needed to close out the game with him and Snow White swinging through unblocked.

After all the Top 8 matches were decided, both Bahmut decks were beat out and it left us with Cain, 2 Incarnation Blazers, and a Valkyrie Alice deck.

Semi Finals Feature Match Cain vs. Valkyrie Alice

Percevals were Cain's opening plays that fetched out the Regalias he needed for his setup, while Alice used Cheshire and a Marybell to stifle Cain's setup. Lancelot usage became the name of this game as both players played multiples and had to expend resources to deal with the other's. An Almerius, the Levitating Stone by Cain allowed his J-Ruler to swing over Cheshire Cats but they were still helpful by blocking Lancelot. The last turn came down to a Split Heaven and Earth by Alice that took both of them down to Almost no Life Points but the ability to fetch out Alice's Little Assault Forces with Deep Blue was what was able to finish Cain off.

Game 2 saw another Bow opener by Cain and a Turn 2 flip. Just like in the previous matchup Cain used the Bow's arrows to kill blockers and start to whittle away at Alice's Life Points. The difference is that Alice was able to play a Crime and Punishment on Cain's second attack which forced his Laevateinn to be banished. At this point Lancelots and Snow Whites for both players began to hit the field and trade back and forth. Cain however, was the first to run out of creatures when on his last turn he was only able to play a Guinevere and pass. This was answered by Alice who with a Lancelot and Assault Force was able to win in a similar fashion to Game 1 with a massive Split Heaven and Earth. The previously undefeated Cain deck being beat out left us with a matchup of a Valkyrie Alice deck versus an Incarnation Blazer deck.

Grand Finals Feature Match Valkyrie Alice vs. Incarnation Blazer

In the finals we had No. 4 seed Valkyrie Alice going against No. 6 seed Incarnation Blazer. Alice,  being the higher seed, starts off the game with a Cheshire Cat then plays and Artemis Bow and a Deep Blue and passes. Blazer plays a Guinevere and passes but is pressured with a turn 2 Lancelot by Alice. Even though the first Lancelot is answered by a Rapid Decay, another one by Alice keeps the pressure alive and forces Blazer to have to banish 2 Guineveres to play a Hastur. Hastur doesn't stick around long due to Demonflame at which point Alice starts to play the waiting game using Deep Blue to fetch out different resonators. Nyarlathoteps starts to pluck away at Alice's hand and Arthur clears out most of Alice's resonators but with Lancelot and 3 Artemis Bows on board Alice is still in a good position. With an attacking Arthur taken off the field by triple Artemis Arrows, Alice was able to use all her Deep Blues to flood the board with Assault Forces and take out the last of Blazer's life points between their attacks and activations.

Game 2 started out in the fashion that is typical for an Incarnation Blazer deck with a Turn 2 Nyarlathotep using a Rukh Egg and Lora which takes Alice's Susanowo. An Artemis Bow and Lancelot are the answer by Alice that forces a block and trade by the Nyarlathotep. Blazer sets up for another Incarnation by playing Lora and Egg and passes. The response by Alice is his second Lancelot and a Scout. Hastur, Lora, and another Egg round out Blazer's next turn. With an Artemis Bow on the field, Scout is able to continous poke through while Deep Blue provides blockers every turn to keep this at a close match. Demonflame allowed Alice to kill off most of Blazer's resonators when they were blocked by fetched Scouts. With both players slowing running out of answers Deep Blue still continued to shine by allowing Alice to keep getting resonators and keeping a constant board pressure while all Blazer could do is pay life to recycle Rasputin. When Susanowo is played by Alice and immediately killed this prompts Blazer to play his own Susanowo and take out a hefty chunk of Alice's life. Having tapped out to play Susanowo, Blazer ended up giving up the game when Alice J-Activates and plays 2 Snow Whites and swings in. As in previous games, the combination of multiple Assault Forces fetched by Deep Blue put the finishing touch on Blazer making Scott Wiggs piloting his Valkyrie Alice deck the first ARG Force of Will State Champion for NC.

Top 8 Decklists

1st place (Alice Tempo)

J-Ruler: Alice, the Girl in the Looking Glass // Alice, the Valkyrie of Fairy Tales

Resonators

4 Cheshire Cat, the Grinning Remnant

4 Alice's Little Assault Force

4 Alice's Little Scout

4 Lancelot, the Knight of Mad Demon

4 Snow White, the Valkyrie of Passion

2 Susanowo, the Ten-Fist Sword

Additions

2 Ame-no-Habakiri

Chant

2 Split Heaven and Earth

4 Demonflame

Regalias

2 Marybell, the Steel Doll

4 Artemis, the God's Bow

4 Deep Blue, the Phantom Board

Magic Stones

1 Moojdart, the Fantasy Stone

1 Little Red, the Pure Stone

4 Magic Stone of Hearth's Core

2 Magic Stone of Water

2 Magic Stone of Flame

Sideboard

3 Glimpse of Kaguya

4 Deathscythe, the Life Reaper

2 Marybell, the Steel Doll

1 Blazer Gill Rabus

1 Horn of Sacred Beasts

2 Crime and Punishment

2 Split Heaven and Earth

2nd place (Incarnation Blazer)

J-Ruler: Blazer Gill Rabus

Resonators

2 Mozart

4 Guinevere, the Jealous Queen

1 Susanowo, the Ten-Fist Sword

4 Nyarlathotep, the Usurper

3 Lora, the Blood Speaker

3 Hastur, the Unspeakable

4 Rukh Egg

3 Rasputin

2 Arthur, the Dead Lord of Vengeance

3 Scion of Ancient Lore

Chants

1 Rapid Decay

3 Flame of Outer World

3 Thunder

3 Stoning to Death

Regalia

2 Artemis, the God's Bow

Magic Stones

9 Magic Stone of Darkness

1 Grusbalesta, the Sealing Stone

Sideboard

3 Lancelot, the Knight of Mad Demon

3 Deathscythe, the Life Reaper

1 Susanowo, the Ten-Fist Sword

2 Dark Pulse

4 Split Heaven and Earth

2 Fetal Movement in Outer World

Top 4 (Cain Knights)

J-Ruler: Apostle of Creation // Cain, the Traitor of Gods

Resonators

4 Perceval, the Seeker of Holy Grail

4 Guinevere, the Jealous Queen

2 Hector de Maris, the Acolyte of Mad Demon

4 Lancelot, the Knight of Mad Demon

4 Snow White, the Valkyrie of Passion

2 Bedivere, the Restorer of Souls

1 Gareth, the Dauntless Knight

Chants

3 Thunder

4 Demonflame

Regalias

3 Artemis, the God's Bow

4 Gleipnir, the Red Binding of Fate

4 Laevateinn, the Demon Sword

1 Deathscythe, the Life Reaper

Magic Stones

4 Magic Stone of Moon Shade

4 Magic Stone of Heat Ray

1 Little Red, the Pure Stone

1 Almerius, the Levitating Stone

Sideboard

1 Deathscythe, the Life Reaper

2 Marybell, the Steel Doll

3 Certo, the Blazing Volcano

2 Flame King's Shout

2 Crime and Punishment

4 Split Heaven and Earth

1 Blazer Gill Rabus

Top 4 (Incarnation Blazer)

J-Ruler: Blazer Gill Rabus

Resonators

3 Mozart

4 Guinevere, the Jealous Queen

1 Blazer, the Eater of Dimensions

4 Nyarlathotep, the Usurper

4 Lora, the Blood Speaker

3 Hastur, the Unspeakable

4 Rukh Egg

3 Rasputin

2 Arthur, the Dead Lord of Vengeance

1 Little Dread, the Fake Red Moon

1 Carmilla, the Queen of Vampires

1 Susanowo, the Ten-Fist Sword

Chants

3 Flame of Outer World

2 Stoning to Death

1 Dark Pulse

Additions

1 Bullet of Envy

Regalia

1 Marybell, the Steel Doll

2 Deathscythe, the Life Reaper

Magic Stones

7 Magic Stone of Darkness

1 Little Red, the Pure Stone

2 Magic Stone of Scorched Bales

Sideboard

1 Alice in Wonderland // Alice, the Drifter in the World

1 Vlade Tepes

1 Magic Stone of Scorched Bales

1 Magic Stone of Moon Shade

1 Deathscythe, the Life Reaper

1 Susanowo, the Ten-Fist Sword

1 Dark Pulse

4 Split Heaven and Earth

1 Fetal Movement in Outer World

2 Artemis, the God's Bow

1 Robe of the Fire-Rat

Top 8 (Bahamut Aggro)

J-Ruler: Falltgold, the Dragoon // Bahamut, the Dragon King

Resonators

4 Hunter in Black Forest

4 Rukh Egg

4 Guinevere, the Jealous Queen

4 Lancelot, the Knight of Mad Demon

4 Cthugha, the Living Flame

4 Loup-Garou, the New Moon

1 Susanowo, the Ten-Fist Sword

3 Gilles de Raid, the Golden Dragon

Chants

4 Thunder

4 Split Heaven and Earth

Regalia

4 Laevateinn, the Demon Sword

Magic Stones

9 Magic Stone of Flame

1 Little Red, the Pure Stone

Sideboard

1 Vlad Tepes

1 Susanowo, the Ten-Fist Sword

4 Deathscythe, the Death Reaper

2 Rapid Decay

1 Demonflame

3 Bullet of Envy

3 Flame King's Shout

Top 8 (Bahamut Aggro)

J-Ruler: Falltgold, the Dragoon // Bahamut, the Dragon King

Resonators

4 Hunter in Black Forest

4 Rukh Egg

4 Guinevere, the Jealous Queen

4 Lancelot, the Knight of Mad Demon

4 Cthugha, the Living Flame

4 Loup-Garou, the New Moon

1 Susanowo, the Ten-Fist Sword

3 Gilles de Raid, the Golden Dragon

Chants

4 Thunder

4 Split Heaven and Earth

Regalia

4 Laevateinn, the Demon Sword

Magic Stones

9 Magic Stone of Flame

1 Little Red, the Pure Stone

Sideboard

1 Melgis, the Flame King // Melgis, the One Charmed by the Demon Sword

1 Blazer Gill Rabus

4 Deathscythe, the Life Reaper

3 Bullet of Envy

3 Flame King's Shout

2 Certo, the Blazing Volcano

1 Susanowo, the Ten-Fist Sword

Top 8 (Incarnation Blazer)

J-Ruler: Blazer Gill Rabus

Resonators

2 Mozart

4 Guinevere, the Jealous Queen

1 Blazer, the Eater of Dimensions

4 Nyarlathotep, the Usurper

4 Lora, the Blood Speaker

2 Hastur, the Unspeakable

4 Rukh Egg

3 Arthur, the Dead Lord of Vengeance

1 Little Dread, the Fake Red Moon

1 Carmilla, the Queen of Vampires

1 Susanowo, the Ten-Fist Sword

Chants

1 Flame of Outer World

2 Stoning to Death

1 Dark Pulse

4 Thunders

Additions

1 Bullet of Envy

Regalia

2 Marybell, the Steel Doll

1 Deathscythe, the Life Reaper

2 Artemis, the God's Bow

Magic Stones

7 Magic Stone of Darkness

1 Little Red, the Pure Stone

2 Magic Stone of Scorched Bales

Sideboard

1 Alice in Wonderland // Alice, the Drifter in the World

1 Vlade Tepes

2 Magic Stone of Scorched Bales

1 Magic Stone of Moon Shade

1 Magic Stone of Moon Light

1 Deathscythe, the Life Reaper

2 Dark Pulse

4 Split Heaven and Earth

1 Artemis, the God's Bow

1 Marybell, the Steel Doll

Top 8 (Pricia Knights)

J-Ruler: Pricia, the Beast Lady // Pricia, the Commander of the Sacred Beasts

Resonators

4 Perceval, the Seeker of Holy Grail

4 Zhu Que, the Sacred Beast

2 Bai Hu, the Sacred Beast

4 Qing Long, the Sacred Beast

4 Lancelot, the Knight of Mad Demon

2 Bedivere, the Restorer of Souls

Chants

2 Xeex the Ancient Magic

4 Demonflame

2 Flame King's Shout

2 Rapid Growth

Regalias

4 Artemis, the God's Bow

4 Horn of Sacred Beasts

2 Marybell, the Steel Doll

Magic Stones

3 Magic Stone of Blasting Waves

3 Magic Stone of Gusting Skies

3 Magic Stone of Heat Ray

1 Little Red, the Pure Stone

Sideboard

1 Blazer Gill Rabus

1 Arla, the Winged Lord // Arla, the Hegemon of the Sky

2 Marybell, the Steel Doll

2 Gareth, the Dauntless Knight

2 Hector de Maris, the Acolyte of Mad Demon

3 Deathscythe, the Life Reaper

4 Gawain, the Knight of the Sun

Discussion

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