Junior Super Series Championship

Semifinals Feature Match

Matt Hiemstra vs. Scott Lipp

Matt Hiemstra's first turn was a standard Mountain and Jackal Pup. Scott Lipp started somewhat faster, with two Mox Diamonds (discarding two Islands), two Grim Monoliths, and a Voltaic Key on his first turn. Hiemstra was taken aback, but went on the offensive, attacking on his third turn with his Jackal Pup, two Mogg Fanatics, and a Ball Lightning.

By Lipp's fourth turn, he was down to two life, so he was forced to try to kill Hiemstra. By combining mana-producing artifacts, Yawgmoth's Will, and Turnabout (to untap the artifacts), he was able to generate a 16-point Fireball, but it wasn't enough to save himself.

In the second game, Lipp's deck worked as advertised, as he got a few artifacts out, drew many cards with a Stroke of Genius, played more artifacts, tapped them for mana, untapped them repeatedly with Turnabouts, played Yawgmoth's Will, repeated the procedure, and Fireballed Hiemstra for enough damage to kill him.

In the third game, Hiemstra made a crucial play mistake that cost him the game. Holding a Sonic Burst and a Pyroblast, with his opponent at 15, he allowed Lipp to Stroke of Genius for nine cards. This happened during Hiemstra's discard phase. During Lipp's main phase, he untapped and went off. Hiemstra tried to Pyroblast a Turnabout, but he was met by a Hydroblast. After the game, Hiemstra admitted, "I made a mistake."

The fourth game went much better for Hiemstra, as he had two Mogg Fanatics out to join his turn three Ball Lightning. Another Ball Lightning finished off Lipp, who had played nothing but Brainstorms and a Frantic Search in the process of being overrun and burned to death.

In the fifth and deciding game, Lipp started with an Island, a Mana Vault, and two Mox Diamonds. Unfortunately for him, he cast nothing the next two turns, whili Hiemstra Shattering Pulsed both Mox Diamond. This kept him Lipp helpless for several turns. He was able to stave off death for two turns by casting Turnabout on Hiemstra's creatures. Even this didn't stop the damage, as Hiemstra's Fireslinger could damage Lipp directly. Eventually, Lipp ran out of Turnabouts and Hiemstra killed him.

Hiemstra 3 - Lipp 2