News, stories, and muses from the Magic: The Gathering vintage community
Monday 31 December 2012
Next Level BUG
Well this will be my last post for the year unless I decide to do another one today which I find highly unlikely. Next saturday marks a year of this blogs existance and as I am still writing I guess I am barking mad. Many of the posts have a fat 0 views, though my Vintage guest post has 100 views I suppose. It must speak to the awesomeness that is a new player coming in and doing well. Aiden has not played again but I hope he did enjoy is short tenure as a vintage mage.
At the moment we have a few newer players in the dandenong area who have expressed some interest in playing. One had allready played in Vintage Masters but the others have taken interest by either seeing the proxy decks in action or been suckered into joining a tournament to make even numbers :) I firmly believe that the proxy decks I made really were a good thing and I am glad I spent the time I did to create them. I hope that these newer players do keep coming back and I will assist them as much as possible over the new year.
However, if you are here; you are not here to watch me pat myself on the back, you are here for some vintage news, brews and musings.
NEWS
Our next vintage tournament will be held on Saturday, January 5th at Next Level Games Dandenong. I hope everyone who can make it will try to attend so we can have an awesome event. I am hoping to talk to Ben/Adam about prize support to have a newer player friendly prize this month. As will be a recurring theme with prizes this year there will hopefully always be the option of credit/cash instead of the card prizes. I will need to talk to adam about that but that is my hope.
Burning Long decks are now official; while my build has not been represented, the Team Serious Open has been taken down my a Mr S. Menendian piloting an updated version of his list which includes the Oath of Druids/Gristlebrand plan. There has been no decklist published or any additional information available at this time but now we can say that we are piloting real decks. The closest any Burning Long list has come before this was Mühltal with 3 lists in the top 8 taking 2nd, 3rd and 8th and my exploits here in Australia
Deathrite Shaman is getting more attention. Brain De Mars posted a Grixis list on Starcity Games, another player has developed a 4 colour control deck using Deathrite Shaman and Guttersnipe as pinging damage and I have developed a list of my own. One of the defining features of these lists is the return of Strip Mine and Wastelands into traditional blue shells . The offshoots of this could become very important if any of these decks become popular. Will we see Crucible of Worlds also make its way back into the Blue decks to both help and hinder how effective these plans are? If the format is slow enough that a U deck can really threaten you with a strip lock then that opens the door even further for faster decks such as burning Long and Belcher to compete. It will also lessen the effectiveness of Shops Wastelands and we may see some maindeck graveyard hate such as Tormod's crypt to fight the strip lock if it gets really bad.
BREWS
How can I tease you about my own deathrite shaman brew without revealing it. Due to my promises to other players about loaning cards for the 5th I cannot play this list but may pick it up in the future. I have built it with shops in mind but I believe that it is a strong list whose only real weakness would be dude decks, it has not got a great game vs Fish. It can certainly beat them but having tested against Andy's Walking Fish list it seemed like a pretty poor match up.
NEXT LEVEL BUG
Artifacts
1 Black Lotus
5 Moxen
1 Nihil Spellbomb
1 Sol Ring
Lands
7 U Fetches
2 Island
1 Strip Mine
2 Tropical Island
2 Underground Sea
1 Volcanic Island
2 Wasteland
Creatures
1 Blightsteel Colossus
3 Deathrite Shaman
2 Trygon Predator
Enchantments
1 Fastbond
Planeswalkers
2 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
Instants
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Ancient Grudge
1 Brainstorm
4 Force of Will
1 Gifts Ungiven
4 Gush
1 Mana Drain
2 Mental Misstep
1 Mystical Tutor
2 Natures Claim
Sorceries
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Merchant Scroll
2 Preordain
1 Time Walk
1 Tinker
1 Yawgmoth's Will
Sideboard
2 Natures Claim
1 Trygon Predator
2 Mental Misstep
3 Flusterstorm
4 Leyline of the Void
2 Yixlid Jailer
1 Pithing Needle
I have only actually IRL tested this list vs Walking Fish and Dredge. Walking fish seemed like it was hard but it was certainly winnable as your nuts hand beats theirs everytime. The only problem is the lack of creature removal can be a problem if they can get multiple creatures into play. Cavern of Souls is very good your missteps etc and forces become only good vs swords and their 1 ofs like Recall.
Dredge seems insane. Not only do you have the MD Nihil spellbomb and 3 Deathrite shaman (who I seriously underrated as dredge hate, it's amazing), you have up to 12 cards you can side in depending if you are on the play or the draw. In addition to the 4 Leylines, 2 Jailers, Pithing Needle, Nihil Spellbomb and 3 Deathrite Shamans you have a full set of Missteps and 3 Flusterstorm to protect your hate.
While I have not tested IRL among other decks my conclusions are:
Oath is certainly beatable because you have answer to all of their kills and get more of them post board. You have Natures Claim (to a small extent Trygon) which is an all star killing both the Time Vault and the Oath kills and creatures that can attack Jace directly.
The addition of the strip package as well as the Natures Claims, Trygons, Grudge and Shamans means that you can often answer their first couple of threats before you can take over the game.
Storm is pretty bad for the MD but the post board 4 Mental Misstep and 3 Flusterstorm as well as Natures Claims and needle can really slow your opponent down.
The lack of Cage is possibally wrong but I have had to lend them to another deck for the coming tournament. If I could, I would probably take this to the tournament next weekend.
MUSINGS
I think 2012 has showed a real change in the Melbourne Vintage Scene.
Whereas in 2010-11 there was only really Metagames holding Vintage tournaments (while it was open RIP Meta Games), now there are two stores that hold monthly tournaments (Games Laboratory and Next Level Games). However the roles of the two stores have changed over the course of the year. In early 2012 it felt that Games lab has having regular events thatat least semifired whereas NLG (or GG Dandenong as it was known) would struggle to get 4 players for a monthly. Coming to the end of the year and things have turned around and I have not attended a Games Lab Vintage event with more than 1 other person in the last 4 or so months (attended 3 im pretty sure) while NLG has had 8, 12 and 14 at their most recent events from memory. I think this has been due to a push in different directions by the stores themselves and the players. Games Lab now has a thriving Legacy scene with many players and tournaments organised both by the store and the players themselves. Alexander Johnston especially deserves credit for his tireless work in starting a Legacy community there. NLG has really turned a corner and started pushing for player acquisition. What started earlier in the year with Lee bringing a friend along as turned into a small but definative "new player" base which is exciting and hopefully promises further growth.
2012 has also brough about a change in the Melbourne meta. Many of the older (read: Metagames) playerbase who were playing when I started in 2010-11 have slipped off the radar or have only attended one or two tournaments this year. Another facet of the changing face of Melbourne is the lack of Dredge and Shops. Traditionally these were very strong pillars of the Melbourne Metagame but now dredge is almost not played and Shops is only really being stuck to by its stallwarts. Yet even with dredge not being played, players are really hating it out and loading up on sideboard slots in order to be sure vs dredge. I think we are a long way off people turning up with 4 grafdiggers and hoping not to face dredge but that time may be coming if dredge really does continue to show up in these numbers (or lack thereof).
The newer Shops pilots are taking up newer Shop decks. While some of the older players have stuck to their guns and have played similar decks all year, we have seen an explsosion in new shop variants that have been played. Vintage Masters saw the first appearance of Martello Shops which now seems to be a mainstay despite its online bashings from the Australian Vintage Facebook group.
Untill Next Time
Thursday 13 December 2012
December Vintage Landscape
Two weeks into December, Two tournaments in and with one more still to come the vintage bug is going strong.
Two 14 man tournaments at two different stores is huge... with only one week between them!!! What's even better is the spread of players between the two stores, it was not the same 14 people at both events, there were a few at both events such as Andy Horne and myself at least half of the faces at Good Games were not at Next Level Games the week before. Special props to the Canberrans who were down for the PTQ and came along to play in the event.
Next level games on December 1st had 14 players and 4 rounds with no cut to top x. We never worked out how long we would be playing for and some of our players had to leave at the end of the swiss so we left it at that which seemed fine. Prizes were paid out for the top 4 which ended up:
1) Forgemaster Shops
2) Turtle Dredge
3) Mono R Shops
4) U/W Bomberman
and filling out the rest of the top 8
5) Verbrannte Ranken
6) Affinity
7) Oath
8) Walking Fish
Way to go the pillars of Vintage: 2 Blue Decks, 3 Shops Decks (2 Prison/ 1 Aggro), 1 Dredge Deck, 1 Ritual Deck and 1 Fish Deck. Almost exactly what you would hope to see in a healthy format.
In this event I ran my Verbrannte Ranken list with a couple of changes.
5) Joshua Butler – Verbrannte Ranken
4 City of Brass
4 Forbidden Orchard
2 Gemstone Mine
1 Tolarian Academy
2 Simian Spirit Guide
1 Necropotence
1 Yawgmoth’s Bargain
1 Ancestral Recall
2 Cabal Ritual
4 Dark Ritual
1 Demonic Consultation
1 Chain of Vapour
2 Hurkyl’s Recall
1 Rebuild
1 Vampiric Tutor
4 Burning Wish
1 Demonic Tutor
3 Duress
1 Mind’s Desire
1 Ponder
1 Regrowth
1 Timetwister
1 Time Walk
1 Tinker
1 Wheel of Fortune
1 Windfall
1 Black Lotus
2 Chrome Mox
1 Lion’s Eye Diamond
1 Lotus Petal
1 Mana Crypt
1 Mana Vault
1 Memory Jar
5 Moxen
1 Sol Ring
Sideboard
1 Diminishing Returns
1 Empty the Warrens
1 Balance
1 Shattering Spree
1 Tendrils of Agony
1 Thoughtseize
1 Yawgmoth’s Will
2 Ancient Grudge
2 Ravenous Trap
4 Xantid Swarm
The addition of Diminishing Returns was something I had been audibling so finally cut the second Tendrils of Agony for it. This meant that I always had a engine in the board which meant that I would hopefully never be short of a source of card draw. An emergency draw 7 is helpful as it turns all your Burning Wishes into card draw if you are in a top deck war.
I also turned the Pyroclasm into Balance as I expected there to be more Tarmogoyfs than usual so I decided that balance is the better card to have in that matchup. Its also a must counter vs U decks or watch all their lands/hand hit the bin.
I also turned the MD Flusterstorm into a Chain of Vapor. I did this as Dandenong has generally had a very strong Shops presence and Flusterstorm is a very dead card in that matchup. It is also a MD out to Stony Silence which I knew (thanks to arming my opponent) would be making an appearance.
The list ran well. I lost round 1 due to playing the mull to 5 game. I mull to 5 game 1 and lose. Dan mulls to 5 game 2 and loses and on game 3 I mulled to 5 and lost. Woooo. I won my next to matches and unfortunately draw round 4 due to a stupid mistake when I did not lead my turn with a duress effect and get my mana vault misstepped which meant I was 1 turn too slow and won on turn 6 of time which as we all know, is too late.
Good Games also had 14 players including three guys from Canberra who had come down for the PTQ. 5 rounds were played before a cut to top 4 and a very different top 4 resulted.
1) Grixis Control
2) Walking Fish
3) 5C Control
4) Noble Fish
I cant remember the rest of the top 8 but I finished an unfortunate 9th place after going 3-2 on Martello Shops. Having two Noble Hierarch decks in the top 4 is great. Andy Horne was having a chat with another Vintage player a couple of weeks ago defending the Noble Hierarch decks while this other player kept saying the decks were not very good. Having three in the two most recent top 8's is surely contrary to that view.
I lent Verbrannte Ranken to Wei-Ning who went 2-3 overall after winning his first two rounds (I think). The list I played was:
4 Ancient Tomb
4 Mishra's Factory
4 Mishra's Workshop
1 Strip Mine
1 Tolarian Academy
4 Wasteland
1 Duplicant
4 Kuldotha Forgemaster
4 Lodestone Golem
3 Phyrexian Metamorph
3 Phyrexian Revoker
2 Steel Hellkite
1 Sundering Titan
1 Black Lotus
4 Chalice of the Void
1 Mana Crypt
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Sol Ring
3 Sphere of Resistance
4 Tangle Wire
4 Thorn of Amethyst1 Trinisphere
Sideboard:
4 Grafdiggers Cage
3 Relic of Progenitus
2 Razormane Masticore
2 Crucible of Worlds
2 Wurmcoil Engine
1 Precursor Golem
1 Phyrexian Revoker
Martello shops seems a fine list but I am just not sure that it wouldn't be better without the Forgemasters. I won a couple of games using them e.g. getting Steel Hellkite vs Merfolk or getting Sundering Titan vs various U decks but I felt that they were largely win more. They did not help locking my opponents out; I never felt "If I just draw Forgemaster here" and they are a pretty big crosses in my mind for designing a shops deck. I'm not calling myself a master at shops decks in any way but I want ever card to be active and sometimes Forgemaster was just not. It's just a threat that's sometimes not a threat.
[To be continued]
Two 14 man tournaments at two different stores is huge... with only one week between them!!! What's even better is the spread of players between the two stores, it was not the same 14 people at both events, there were a few at both events such as Andy Horne and myself at least half of the faces at Good Games were not at Next Level Games the week before. Special props to the Canberrans who were down for the PTQ and came along to play in the event.
Next level games on December 1st had 14 players and 4 rounds with no cut to top x. We never worked out how long we would be playing for and some of our players had to leave at the end of the swiss so we left it at that which seemed fine. Prizes were paid out for the top 4 which ended up:
1) Forgemaster Shops
2) Turtle Dredge
3) Mono R Shops
4) U/W Bomberman
and filling out the rest of the top 8
5) Verbrannte Ranken
6) Affinity
7) Oath
8) Walking Fish
Way to go the pillars of Vintage: 2 Blue Decks, 3 Shops Decks (2 Prison/ 1 Aggro), 1 Dredge Deck, 1 Ritual Deck and 1 Fish Deck. Almost exactly what you would hope to see in a healthy format.
In this event I ran my Verbrannte Ranken list with a couple of changes.
5) Joshua Butler – Verbrannte Ranken
4 City of Brass
4 Forbidden Orchard
2 Gemstone Mine
1 Tolarian Academy
2 Simian Spirit Guide
1 Necropotence
1 Yawgmoth’s Bargain
1 Ancestral Recall
2 Cabal Ritual
4 Dark Ritual
1 Demonic Consultation
1 Chain of Vapour
2 Hurkyl’s Recall
1 Rebuild
1 Vampiric Tutor
4 Burning Wish
1 Demonic Tutor
3 Duress
1 Mind’s Desire
1 Ponder
1 Regrowth
1 Timetwister
1 Time Walk
1 Tinker
1 Wheel of Fortune
1 Windfall
1 Black Lotus
2 Chrome Mox
1 Lion’s Eye Diamond
1 Lotus Petal
1 Mana Crypt
1 Mana Vault
1 Memory Jar
5 Moxen
1 Sol Ring
Sideboard
1 Diminishing Returns
1 Empty the Warrens
1 Balance
1 Shattering Spree
1 Tendrils of Agony
1 Thoughtseize
1 Yawgmoth’s Will
2 Ancient Grudge
2 Ravenous Trap
4 Xantid Swarm
The addition of Diminishing Returns was something I had been audibling so finally cut the second Tendrils of Agony for it. This meant that I always had a engine in the board which meant that I would hopefully never be short of a source of card draw. An emergency draw 7 is helpful as it turns all your Burning Wishes into card draw if you are in a top deck war.
I also turned the Pyroclasm into Balance as I expected there to be more Tarmogoyfs than usual so I decided that balance is the better card to have in that matchup. Its also a must counter vs U decks or watch all their lands/hand hit the bin.
I also turned the MD Flusterstorm into a Chain of Vapor. I did this as Dandenong has generally had a very strong Shops presence and Flusterstorm is a very dead card in that matchup. It is also a MD out to Stony Silence which I knew (thanks to arming my opponent) would be making an appearance.
The list ran well. I lost round 1 due to playing the mull to 5 game. I mull to 5 game 1 and lose. Dan mulls to 5 game 2 and loses and on game 3 I mulled to 5 and lost. Woooo. I won my next to matches and unfortunately draw round 4 due to a stupid mistake when I did not lead my turn with a duress effect and get my mana vault misstepped which meant I was 1 turn too slow and won on turn 6 of time which as we all know, is too late.
Good Games also had 14 players including three guys from Canberra who had come down for the PTQ. 5 rounds were played before a cut to top 4 and a very different top 4 resulted.
1) Grixis Control
2) Walking Fish
3) 5C Control
4) Noble Fish
I cant remember the rest of the top 8 but I finished an unfortunate 9th place after going 3-2 on Martello Shops. Having two Noble Hierarch decks in the top 4 is great. Andy Horne was having a chat with another Vintage player a couple of weeks ago defending the Noble Hierarch decks while this other player kept saying the decks were not very good. Having three in the two most recent top 8's is surely contrary to that view.
I lent Verbrannte Ranken to Wei-Ning who went 2-3 overall after winning his first two rounds (I think). The list I played was:
4 Ancient Tomb
4 Mishra's Factory
4 Mishra's Workshop
1 Strip Mine
1 Tolarian Academy
4 Wasteland
1 Duplicant
4 Kuldotha Forgemaster
4 Lodestone Golem
3 Phyrexian Metamorph
3 Phyrexian Revoker
2 Steel Hellkite
1 Sundering Titan
1 Black Lotus
4 Chalice of the Void
1 Mana Crypt
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Sol Ring
3 Sphere of Resistance
4 Tangle Wire
4 Thorn of Amethyst1 Trinisphere
Sideboard:
4 Grafdiggers Cage
3 Relic of Progenitus
2 Razormane Masticore
2 Crucible of Worlds
2 Wurmcoil Engine
1 Precursor Golem
1 Phyrexian Revoker
Martello shops seems a fine list but I am just not sure that it wouldn't be better without the Forgemasters. I won a couple of games using them e.g. getting Steel Hellkite vs Merfolk or getting Sundering Titan vs various U decks but I felt that they were largely win more. They did not help locking my opponents out; I never felt "If I just draw Forgemaster here" and they are a pretty big crosses in my mind for designing a shops deck. I'm not calling myself a master at shops decks in any way but I want ever card to be active and sometimes Forgemaster was just not. It's just a threat that's sometimes not a threat.
[To be continued]
Friday 30 November 2012
Once again it has been over a month since I updated this. I really must get better at this.
The lack of activity on here however is not indicative of lack of action in Vintage.
The final Vintage event for 2012 for NLG will be held tomorrow on the 1st and I have arranged for the event to be playing for a playset of GP Auckland Lotus Cobras which has spurned interest from some of the standard/non-vintage players, I will certainly think about continuing running events for actual prizes in 2013 in lieu of store credit for NLG. The event will be 10 Proxy (with some changes I will outline below) and start at 1PM.
On the 9th, Good Games Melbourne will be running their second Vintage event for the year. However beyond the initial announcement there has been no further information regarding prizes, prices or proxy limit. I inquired about this but have so far not had any word back from them. I do not know how well attended this event will be. I will be there but I have heard of no confirmation from any other vintage players.
On the 16th Games Laboratory will be running their final Vintage event for 2012. Last month there was only myself and Andy Horne when I was expecting another 2-3 people so I was disapointed however maybe the excitemend of the last Vintage event of 2012 may pull more people. Games Lab have moved their Vintage events to 1PM which is great for me as I get that extra hour of sleep after working till at least 4AM in the morning.
I have made some changes to the way Vintage is being run at NLG for this tournament and I hope that I will be able to continue this into 2013. Not only have I changed the prize structure from store credit to the Lotus Cobra's (plus more if we get the numbers) but I have introduced 100% proxied decks. Late September I brought into NLG 4 100% proxied Vintage decks with the intention that they would be visible at the front of the store, maybe people would sift through them and maybe even have a game or two between them. The decks I made up were Burnt Tendrils (I couldn't resist), Marc Lenigra's Grixis control list from Gen Con 2012, Raf Forino's Martello Shops from Gen Con and a European Dredge list; I have also added Matt Elias' final Noble Fish build since then. This has worked much better than expected as I have been told that a small number of players were playing the decks in between rounds at a Super Series Standard grinder as well as a couple of other occasions. Novembers' Vintage event fired (8 man) thanks to Jimbo Jones Dowling agreeing to play the Grixis Control deck and he did quite well.
I have decided (at least for this event however I will be speaking to Adam about continuing it) to allow these proxied decks to be used in the tournament if it is a players first tournament. Obviously entry is still to be paid etc but these decks will be able to be used and are pre made up so if someone expresses interest on the day, there will be no scrounging around for cards, they will be ready to go.
This has been a resounding success, not only is Jimbo back (now playing with real cards as it will be his second event) for December, we also have Luke back for his first event since masters as well as Tye and Patrick coming for their first events with the possibility for one or two more coming to test the waters. For the first time since January we have 8 telling me they are coming on the facebook page as well as another 9 in the maybe column. The biggest NLG event this year has been 11 in January and I am hoping to beat that. It will be great to close out 2012 with a bang.
I was pleasantly surprised to find out when preparing for this event I am able to almost build 3 decks with 10 proxies (have not checked with sideboard though) including Verbrannte Ranken (Burnt Tendrils), Shops (Espresso or Martello) and a U Deck (Oath, Gush, Jace/Bob) missing only power and maybe a few cards from each archetype. This should help to alleviate any issues with the newer players needing decks after their first event.
I will be posting my list for tomorrows tournament after the event so wish me luck
The lack of activity on here however is not indicative of lack of action in Vintage.
The final Vintage event for 2012 for NLG will be held tomorrow on the 1st and I have arranged for the event to be playing for a playset of GP Auckland Lotus Cobras which has spurned interest from some of the standard/non-vintage players, I will certainly think about continuing running events for actual prizes in 2013 in lieu of store credit for NLG. The event will be 10 Proxy (with some changes I will outline below) and start at 1PM.
On the 9th, Good Games Melbourne will be running their second Vintage event for the year. However beyond the initial announcement there has been no further information regarding prizes, prices or proxy limit. I inquired about this but have so far not had any word back from them. I do not know how well attended this event will be. I will be there but I have heard of no confirmation from any other vintage players.
On the 16th Games Laboratory will be running their final Vintage event for 2012. Last month there was only myself and Andy Horne when I was expecting another 2-3 people so I was disapointed however maybe the excitemend of the last Vintage event of 2012 may pull more people. Games Lab have moved their Vintage events to 1PM which is great for me as I get that extra hour of sleep after working till at least 4AM in the morning.
I have made some changes to the way Vintage is being run at NLG for this tournament and I hope that I will be able to continue this into 2013. Not only have I changed the prize structure from store credit to the Lotus Cobra's (plus more if we get the numbers) but I have introduced 100% proxied decks. Late September I brought into NLG 4 100% proxied Vintage decks with the intention that they would be visible at the front of the store, maybe people would sift through them and maybe even have a game or two between them. The decks I made up were Burnt Tendrils (I couldn't resist), Marc Lenigra's Grixis control list from Gen Con 2012, Raf Forino's Martello Shops from Gen Con and a European Dredge list; I have also added Matt Elias' final Noble Fish build since then. This has worked much better than expected as I have been told that a small number of players were playing the decks in between rounds at a Super Series Standard grinder as well as a couple of other occasions. Novembers' Vintage event fired (8 man) thanks to Jimbo Jones Dowling agreeing to play the Grixis Control deck and he did quite well.
I have decided (at least for this event however I will be speaking to Adam about continuing it) to allow these proxied decks to be used in the tournament if it is a players first tournament. Obviously entry is still to be paid etc but these decks will be able to be used and are pre made up so if someone expresses interest on the day, there will be no scrounging around for cards, they will be ready to go.
This has been a resounding success, not only is Jimbo back (now playing with real cards as it will be his second event) for December, we also have Luke back for his first event since masters as well as Tye and Patrick coming for their first events with the possibility for one or two more coming to test the waters. For the first time since January we have 8 telling me they are coming on the facebook page as well as another 9 in the maybe column. The biggest NLG event this year has been 11 in January and I am hoping to beat that. It will be great to close out 2012 with a bang.
I was pleasantly surprised to find out when preparing for this event I am able to almost build 3 decks with 10 proxies (have not checked with sideboard though) including Verbrannte Ranken (Burnt Tendrils), Shops (Espresso or Martello) and a U Deck (Oath, Gush, Jace/Bob) missing only power and maybe a few cards from each archetype. This should help to alleviate any issues with the newer players needing decks after their first event.
I will be posting my list for tomorrows tournament after the event so wish me luck
Thursday 11 October 2012
Burning Tendrils Update
I really am trying to do this at least weekly and it has been less than a week so I must be doing something right.
Since my last post I have put up Verbrannt Ranken on TMD (The Mana Drain) and recieved not much feedback actually. Of the few comments there are, most are correcting my German. I do have a couple of people on my side though which is great and I even have a post from someone stating (on a different thread altogether) that my list is a starting point for looking at storm in the current metagame which is fantastic. I have updated my list slightly (only 2 changes)
-1 Fact or Fiction
-1 Ponder
+1 Lion's Eye Diamond
+1 Demonic Consultation
I really had to think about cutting both those cards as they have been so great for me in the couple of weeks testing but I do like the two cards I am bringing in and unfortunately the two I am taking out seem the weakest. I was tempted to keep Ponder and lose Brainstorm but it seemed too much of a Sacred Cow. Maybe it was the wrong choice but I am going to keep a tally from here out, whenever I draw a Brainstorm I will question whether it would have been better as a Ponder. If this number is High enough I will swap them back. I still need to work out the sideboard properly as it still is not finished.
I have gotten the "we're interested" from another store regarding the Melbourne Eternal Series. Nothing has really been worked on yet, I have an idea about how I would like it to run but I need to talk to the stores in question. I am speaking to Adam tomorrow. If you have any comments or questions, feel free to contact me at eternal.melbourne@gmail.com
I gotta run now so today is a short one but cya
Keep Eternal Strong
Since my last post I have put up Verbrannt Ranken on TMD (The Mana Drain) and recieved not much feedback actually. Of the few comments there are, most are correcting my German. I do have a couple of people on my side though which is great and I even have a post from someone stating (on a different thread altogether) that my list is a starting point for looking at storm in the current metagame which is fantastic. I have updated my list slightly (only 2 changes)
-1 Fact or Fiction
-1 Ponder
+1 Lion's Eye Diamond
+1 Demonic Consultation
I really had to think about cutting both those cards as they have been so great for me in the couple of weeks testing but I do like the two cards I am bringing in and unfortunately the two I am taking out seem the weakest. I was tempted to keep Ponder and lose Brainstorm but it seemed too much of a Sacred Cow. Maybe it was the wrong choice but I am going to keep a tally from here out, whenever I draw a Brainstorm I will question whether it would have been better as a Ponder. If this number is High enough I will swap them back. I still need to work out the sideboard properly as it still is not finished.
I have gotten the "we're interested" from another store regarding the Melbourne Eternal Series. Nothing has really been worked on yet, I have an idea about how I would like it to run but I need to talk to the stores in question. I am speaking to Adam tomorrow. If you have any comments or questions, feel free to contact me at eternal.melbourne@gmail.com
I gotta run now so today is a short one but cya
Keep Eternal Strong
Sunday 7 October 2012
Verbrannt Ranken
Back again guys
Today I have finished my initial building, goldfishing and testing of my take on the Burning Wish Tendrils deck.
With the unrestriction of Burning Wish, I have built, goldfished and tested a list I would be happy to take to a tournament. It is not yet optimized, the sideboard not fully complete but it certainly is the start of a powerful tournament worthy deck. The deck allows some of my favourite things: Casting targeted discard, Drawing cards and solving puzzles
The list is:
Lands
4 City of Brass
4 Forbidden Orchard
2 Gemstone Mine
1 Tolarian Academy
Artifacts
1 Black Lotus
2 Chrome Mox
1 Lotus Petal
1 Mana Crypt
1 Mana Vault
1 Memory Jar
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Jet
2 Mox Opal
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Sol Ring
Creatures
2 Simian Spirit Guide
Enchantments
1 Necropotence
1 Yawgmoth's Bargain
Instants
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Brainstorm
2 Cabal Ritual
4 Dark Ritual
1 Fact or Fiction
1 Flusterstorm
2 Hurkyl's Recall
1 Rebuild
1 Vampiric Tutor
Sorceries
4 Burning Wish
1 Demonic Tutor
3 Duress
1 Mind's Desire
1 Ponder
1 Regrowth
1 Time Walk
1 Timetwister
1 Tinker
1 Wheel of Fortune
1 Windfall
Sideboard
1 Yawgmoth's Will
2 Tendrils of Agony
1 Empty the Warrens
1 Pyroclasm
1 Thoughseize
2 Ancient Grudge
1 Shattering Spree
2 Ravenous Trap
4 Xantid Swarm
The list is very powerful, entirely capable of "going broken" with a number of different ways of storming off without the opponent getting a say in anything, often though a piece of disruption thanks to your Duress' and Flusterstorm. The multitude of Draw 7's mean that your opponent is only keeping their opening hand every other game (when your on the play) and even if critical spells are countered, you have several surefire ways of getting back in the game. These cards especially give you the ability to just "win", supplying you with the necessary fuel to keep comboing or to disrupt your opponents. Wheeling away your opponents hand can decimate their plans (especially brutal is a Hurkyl's followed by a Windfall) and keep you alive for the necessary turns to go off. It is also able to run a more controlling (though not preferred) role with multiple Duress effects, Hurkyls etc in order to set up the perfect turn where your opponent is helpless.
The primary route to victory is obviously a lethal number of copies of Tendrils of Agony. The deck has a number of ways to reach this end game and has no strict requirements to begin to combo off. Your end game however, is sure to involve the card Burning Wish (in Game 1). Burning Wish allows you unprecedented access to the cards in your sideboard allowing you to cherry pick what you need for any given situation. Need access to your graveyard> Yawgmoth’s Will, Problem creature > Pyroclasm, problem artefact > Shattering Spree; you get the picture.
One of the main features that draws me to this deck is the pure speed. You are fast, blazingly fast. Where other decks need to pack 6-8 pieces of grave yard hate to survive to turn 3 or so, you can just race the Ichorid player. It even gets better post board when you gain access to the Ravenous Traps, you can fire off a draw 7, watch them dredge their library and exile their GY leaving them with a couple of Narcomoeba’s and then have all the time in the world to finish them off.
You are faster (on average) than some of the other popular storm decks (e.g. Cobra Gush/Bob Tendrils/ Gristlebrand Oath) and your mass of business spells means that control is going to spend more time focusing on stopping you than advancing their own game plan and you run more bombs than they run countersJ . Because of the explosiveness of the deck, you are able to exploit other decks when they are weak (e.g. tapped out for Jace) seemingly out of nowhere.
Your mass of acceleration is a tremendous help in the shops matchup. You can quickly out-mana their prison. The double Hurkyl’s and Rebuild also ensure you always have access to bounce which performs double duty in buying you time and adding storm.
Some of the more different card choices are:
The land base: When I originally build the deck I was using a 2 Sea, 1 Volc, 1 Trops, 1 Badlands + Fetches (Disillusionists mana base) and found that I was having mana problems. Either I would open with a land and a fetch but needed two fetches or just pulling the wrong lands at the wrong time. Then I thought of running City of Brass and found that that worked so well I kept adding more 5 colour lands until I realised my normal mana sources were getting in the way so I went for the full 5 colour mana base. I thought about Glimmervoid over gemstone mine but felt that if I am facing a chalice at 0 from my shops opponent, Glimmervoid basically becomes an unplayable mox. This change has had some other implications (both good and bad) that I will get to later.
Extra Moxen: As I was testing I found that I wanted more Hurkyl’s Recall effects (started at 1) as I was such a dog to shops. Once I upped my recalls, I found myself sitting with an extra one in hand later in the game where I could only play it for a few storm. I also wanted to be able to accelerate past shops lock pieces and I had knew dropping moxen was one of the best ways to do that. I knew diamond was not going to be good enough (only 10 lands to drop) so I went with 4 Chrome Mox. This did not work as I would often open with or draw into multiples and be crippled because I could not play them for mana. With 14 other low cost artefacts I tried Mox Opals (swapping the chrome moxen) but the legendary rule kept screwing me over so I am happy sitting at a 2-2 split each way.
Flusterstorm: When I played at Australian Masters a few weeks back my opponent beat me in an end game scenario because he had a Flusterstorm in his GY in his Will turn completely neutering my ability to stop him. I wanted to have this sort of end game and not completely reliant in Duress to see me through. This card is not completely necessary as I have found once you go off you have enough access to duress when you need it.
Fact or Fiction: I tested Disillusionists list with 3 Facts and 3 Cabals and found Fact to be a completely amazing card. It suits the deck so well, if there were a 61 card minimum rule it would certainly be a second Fact. Once you have your mana set and you are going off, facting into facts is incredible, digging you 5 for the best card/s and setting Y Will up for 1 coloured mana is great. I cut the extras for the additional mana sources but I could certainly see going above the singleton copy.
No tinker Bot: I don’t like Tinker Bot as a play because it gives me an absolutely dead Draw and is does not guarantee you the win the following turn. Jar has only failed me once (will talk about in cobra gush matchup) in testing. Everyother time I have activated a Jar I have won or put me in the winning position (stocked GY and Will in hand etc.)
The card I am most disappointed with is
Brainstorm: I was surprised when I found myself not liking drawing Brainstorm when I did. I cut the fetchland base which meant my only real shuffle effects are tutors. There has been at least twice in testing where I am digging for a draw 7 (for example) and seen mana sources and had to wait the turns to draw through what I put back. I am keeping it in at the moment but it could become fact #2 or any of a number of other cards. I found myself Chrome Moxing a BS more often than I was casting it for full value.
I have tested the Deck against multiple opponents both at the Local store as well as on Cockatrice and multiple different Decks. I did not keep a complete record of each matchset but going from memory:
MUD(Live+ Cockatrice):(even- near favourable)
It’s easily the worst matchup I have tested. My MUD opponent and I go about even in the early testing (die roll is quite important) but as I had more experience over the testing session I believe I started winning more games that I was losing. The Onus however is on the MUD Pilot to consistently lock you down. They are pretty much required to put chalices down at 0 and 2 in the first couple of turns and put down spheres every turn of the game. If they try to land a crucible or smokestack early, or keep a hand that doesn’t sphere + chalice every turn, you can just punish them and win the game on the spot. The multiple Hurkyl’s effects are obviously a great boon in the early game. I beat my opponent through multiple different angles of disruption: Chalice Thorn, Trinisphere, Golem Resistance etc. Your ability to lay down your artefact mana base through a T1 golem is fantastic. Shattering spree from the board (or wished for) is awesome. One game I destroyed 5 artifacts before turn 3 or so.
Dredge(Cockatrice): (Favourable)
Dredge is pretty much a walkover. You are generally faster than their deck (was playing against dread returnless version) and it gets better post board as you bring in Rav Traps and nuke their GY after a Draw 7. I beat my opponent one game because he Dredged his GY after I Wheel him twice and I nuke his GY leaving him with 4 Narcomoeba 5 cards in Library and then I Wish for Pyroclasm GG. I have not tested against a version with dread return but the only difference would be a preference for not passing the turn on a Jar Hand.
Cobra Gush (Live):Favourable
This was only a small testing session but my opponent only won a single game when we had matching Tinkers T1 (mine for Jar and his for BSC), My Jar drew him into a force and I did not have 2 mana sources for Duress then Ritual and my first ritual got countered. Not needing to spend a turn casting a dude really gives me the edge.
Cerebral Assassin (Live):Extremely Favourable
A friend was testing Chromatic Lantern in his old assassin deck (Bob, Welder, Shop, Bazaar) but the games are pretty short and I win most of them (I can’t remember losing but I might have)
Merkfolk (Reel Fish I think)(Live)-Extremely Favourable.
I only lost one game of this testing Session to quadruple lord beats. The dudes make Necro a riskier play but I never felt like I would have any problem with the deck. Daze was a very annoying and multiple Daze effects are annoying but nothing more than that. I have so much mana that Daze is quickly outclassed and drain remains the only real spell of worry however the deck packs Wastes and Caverns meaning UU is not achieved until it’s too late. My deck was able to go off turn 2 through a waste effect and 2 Dazes on the draw.
Grixis(Cockatrice): (?Favourable?)
Grixis is a very good deck and requires discipline to beat. Your best bet is to go off early when they are tapping out for their bobs/Jace etc. An early force can set you back and the longer the games go, the more chance they have of “locking you out”, the onus is however again on your opponent because they are required to keep a counter heavy hand and be lucky enough to keep drawing into forces when you wheel. Misstep is not as bad as I originally thought it would be due to the only cards I generally care for getting countered at 1 are 4 Ritual, 1 A- Call, 1 Brainstorm and VT. This is a low number compared to some other storm builds where the bulk of plays are at 1 mana. Due to the huge amounts of acceleration I don’t run so many 1 drops. I only post favourable because I won more games than my opponent by a fair margin but depending on build Grixis in G1 can be tough. Post board Xantid Swarms come in and just take over the game if they resolve.
Here are a few sample hands from the deck on the play vs the goldfish.
Opening 7:
Simian Spirit Guide
Chrome Mox
Cabal Ritual
Dark Ritual
VT
Duress
Mox Jet
Against Freddy the Goldfish this hand wins turn 3 through a piece of disruption. It is soft to chalice at 1 (which you can Duress) but beats a sphere also. I would keep this in a G1 scenario. I have randomized my hand so these are not cherry picked hands.
T1 20
Jet > Duress, Chrome Mox imprinting Cabal ritual > VT for Necro when necessary.
T2 18
Draw Necro. Ritual > Necro Pay 11 Life
(Burning Wish X 2, Lotus, Forbidden Orchard, Mox Ruby, Duress, Cabal Ritual, Rebuild, Sol Ring, City of Brass, Mox Opal)Keep Lotus, Opal, Ruby, Cabal, Burning Wish, Duress.
T3 5
Duress(1), Lotus (2), Opal(3), Ruby(4), Lotus for black (BBB), Cabal Ritual (BBBB)(5), Tap Ruby (BBBBR), Burning Wish for Will(BBB)(6), Tap Chrome Mox (BBBB), Play Will (B) (7), Play Lotus (8), Dark Ritual (BBB) (9), Cabal Ritual (BBBB) (10), Tap Opal (BBBBR), Burning Wish (BBB) (11), Crack Lotus (BBBBBB), Duress (BBBBB)(12), Duress (BBBB) (13), Tendrils 14 Copies.
Opening Hand
Burning Wish
Mox Opal
Simian Spirit Guide
Vampiric Tutor
Ponder
Cabal Ritual
Duress
= Mulligan
Time Twister
Forbidden Orchard
Simain Spirit Guide
Black Lotus
Dark Ritual
Here is a risky hand. I would keep it but you can certainly argue that it dies to a Force. As Freddy is a goldfish, he will not force here. Shops/Dredge/Fish this is certainly a keep.
T1 20
Orchard, Lotus (1), Crack Lotus (BBB), Play and Tap Vault (BB3) (2), Tap Orchard (BB3U), Time Twister (BB1) (3), in response Exile SSG (BBR1) + Dark Ritual (BBBBR1) (4)
Draw City of Brass, Burning Wish X 2, Mind’s Desire, Ponder, Sapphire
Sapphire and Tap (BBBBRU1)(5), Ancestral (BBBBR1)
Draw Crypt, Mox Ruby, Simian Spirit Guide
Mana Crypt and Tap (BBBBR3) (6), Mox Ruby and Tap (BBBBRR3) (7), Exile Simain (BBBBRR3), Burning Wish (Thoughseize) (BBBBR2) (8), Thoughtseize (BBBR2) (9), Burning Wish (Tendrils) (BBB1) (10), Tendrils for 11 copies
Final Hand
Wheel of Fortune
Duress
Dark Ritual
Dark Ritual
Sol Ring
Mox Sapphire
City of Brass
This hand offers you two distinct options, the balls to the walls involves fireing off a draw 7 this turn and going from there. I would however advise the Duress turn 1 to ensure your wheel resolves next turn.
T1 20
City of Brass, Duress. Mox Sapphire > Sol Ring
T2 19
Draw Lotus Petal; now that’s a Draw.
Play Petal (1), Tap City and Sol Ring > Wheel (2). In response, Crack petal (B) Dark Ritual (BBB)(3) Dark Ritual (BBBBB)(4)
Draw Duress, Burning Wish, Hurkyl’s Recall, Memory Jar, Mind’s Desire, Regrowth, Vampiric Tutor (our storm plan ends here)
Duress (BBBB), Tap Sapphire Memory Jar
T3 18
Upkeep Tap Jar and cast VT (Lotus)
Draw Emerald, Opal, Orchard, Jet, fact or Fiction, Hukyl’s Recall, Black Lotus, Time Walk.
Play Orchard, Tap Sapphire + Sol Ring Cast Hurkyl’s Recall targeting opponent. Move to second main phase. Play out mana sources (lotus first), Cast Time Walk
T4
Draw Chrome Mox
Tap Opal and Emerald cast Burning Wish (thoughtseize)(1), Tap Jet > Thoughtseize (2). Play Chrome Mox (3) Tap Sapphire + Sol Ring Cast hurkyl’s (1) (4).Play Lotus (5), Sapphire (6), Jet (7), Emerald (8), Opal (9) Sol Ring (10) Chrome Mox(Regrowth) (11) Crack Lotus (UUU), Tap Sol Ring (UUU2) and Chrome Mox (UUU3), Mind’s Desire for 12 copies.
Reveal: Cabal Therapy, Dark Ritual, Burning Wish x 2, Simian Spirit Guide, Mana Vault, Rebuid, Tinker, Time Twister, 2 Gemstone mine, City of Brass.
From here you can win in an innumerable number of ways. Most basic way is play out mana sources and burning wish for tendrils.
The deck as you can see is certainly powerful and can rip apart opponents not ready for it. I encourage you to pick it up and test it for yourself.
Today I have finished my initial building, goldfishing and testing of my take on the Burning Wish Tendrils deck.
Das Feuer
If I may take a few sentences to explain why I like this deck and why its so powerful. My first Vintage deck ever was 60 slips of ripped of paper worth of Smnemen's TPS deck. Even though I had no idea how to play it properly I knew it was a style of deck that spoke to me. When I first started playing Vintage properly, I was stuck with sub optimal decks (Spellbook instead of moxen) before I set my sights lower (Dark Times) and as I have kept playing, building up my collection I have always kept an eye out for the next combo deck and playing them when I could. I had a good long stint with Cobra Gush before I moved back to more controlling decks.With the unrestriction of Burning Wish, I have built, goldfished and tested a list I would be happy to take to a tournament. It is not yet optimized, the sideboard not fully complete but it certainly is the start of a powerful tournament worthy deck. The deck allows some of my favourite things: Casting targeted discard, Drawing cards and solving puzzles
The list is:
Lands
4 City of Brass
4 Forbidden Orchard
2 Gemstone Mine
1 Tolarian Academy
Artifacts
1 Black Lotus
2 Chrome Mox
1 Lotus Petal
1 Mana Crypt
1 Mana Vault
1 Memory Jar
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Jet
2 Mox Opal
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Sol Ring
Creatures
2 Simian Spirit Guide
Enchantments
1 Necropotence
1 Yawgmoth's Bargain
Instants
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Brainstorm
2 Cabal Ritual
4 Dark Ritual
1 Fact or Fiction
1 Flusterstorm
2 Hurkyl's Recall
1 Rebuild
1 Vampiric Tutor
Sorceries
4 Burning Wish
1 Demonic Tutor
3 Duress
1 Mind's Desire
1 Ponder
1 Regrowth
1 Time Walk
1 Timetwister
1 Tinker
1 Wheel of Fortune
1 Windfall
Sideboard
1 Yawgmoth's Will
2 Tendrils of Agony
1 Empty the Warrens
1 Pyroclasm
1 Thoughseize
2 Ancient Grudge
1 Shattering Spree
2 Ravenous Trap
4 Xantid Swarm
The list is very powerful, entirely capable of "going broken" with a number of different ways of storming off without the opponent getting a say in anything, often though a piece of disruption thanks to your Duress' and Flusterstorm. The multitude of Draw 7's mean that your opponent is only keeping their opening hand every other game (when your on the play) and even if critical spells are countered, you have several surefire ways of getting back in the game. These cards especially give you the ability to just "win", supplying you with the necessary fuel to keep comboing or to disrupt your opponents. Wheeling away your opponents hand can decimate their plans (especially brutal is a Hurkyl's followed by a Windfall) and keep you alive for the necessary turns to go off. It is also able to run a more controlling (though not preferred) role with multiple Duress effects, Hurkyls etc in order to set up the perfect turn where your opponent is helpless.
The primary route to victory is obviously a lethal number of copies of Tendrils of Agony. The deck has a number of ways to reach this end game and has no strict requirements to begin to combo off. Your end game however, is sure to involve the card Burning Wish (in Game 1). Burning Wish allows you unprecedented access to the cards in your sideboard allowing you to cherry pick what you need for any given situation. Need access to your graveyard> Yawgmoth’s Will, Problem creature > Pyroclasm, problem artefact > Shattering Spree; you get the picture.
One of the main features that draws me to this deck is the pure speed. You are fast, blazingly fast. Where other decks need to pack 6-8 pieces of grave yard hate to survive to turn 3 or so, you can just race the Ichorid player. It even gets better post board when you gain access to the Ravenous Traps, you can fire off a draw 7, watch them dredge their library and exile their GY leaving them with a couple of Narcomoeba’s and then have all the time in the world to finish them off.
You are faster (on average) than some of the other popular storm decks (e.g. Cobra Gush/Bob Tendrils/ Gristlebrand Oath) and your mass of business spells means that control is going to spend more time focusing on stopping you than advancing their own game plan and you run more bombs than they run countersJ . Because of the explosiveness of the deck, you are able to exploit other decks when they are weak (e.g. tapped out for Jace) seemingly out of nowhere.
Your mass of acceleration is a tremendous help in the shops matchup. You can quickly out-mana their prison. The double Hurkyl’s and Rebuild also ensure you always have access to bounce which performs double duty in buying you time and adding storm.
Some of the more different card choices are:
The land base: When I originally build the deck I was using a 2 Sea, 1 Volc, 1 Trops, 1 Badlands + Fetches (Disillusionists mana base) and found that I was having mana problems. Either I would open with a land and a fetch but needed two fetches or just pulling the wrong lands at the wrong time. Then I thought of running City of Brass and found that that worked so well I kept adding more 5 colour lands until I realised my normal mana sources were getting in the way so I went for the full 5 colour mana base. I thought about Glimmervoid over gemstone mine but felt that if I am facing a chalice at 0 from my shops opponent, Glimmervoid basically becomes an unplayable mox. This change has had some other implications (both good and bad) that I will get to later.
Extra Moxen: As I was testing I found that I wanted more Hurkyl’s Recall effects (started at 1) as I was such a dog to shops. Once I upped my recalls, I found myself sitting with an extra one in hand later in the game where I could only play it for a few storm. I also wanted to be able to accelerate past shops lock pieces and I had knew dropping moxen was one of the best ways to do that. I knew diamond was not going to be good enough (only 10 lands to drop) so I went with 4 Chrome Mox. This did not work as I would often open with or draw into multiples and be crippled because I could not play them for mana. With 14 other low cost artefacts I tried Mox Opals (swapping the chrome moxen) but the legendary rule kept screwing me over so I am happy sitting at a 2-2 split each way.
Flusterstorm: When I played at Australian Masters a few weeks back my opponent beat me in an end game scenario because he had a Flusterstorm in his GY in his Will turn completely neutering my ability to stop him. I wanted to have this sort of end game and not completely reliant in Duress to see me through. This card is not completely necessary as I have found once you go off you have enough access to duress when you need it.
Fact or Fiction: I tested Disillusionists list with 3 Facts and 3 Cabals and found Fact to be a completely amazing card. It suits the deck so well, if there were a 61 card minimum rule it would certainly be a second Fact. Once you have your mana set and you are going off, facting into facts is incredible, digging you 5 for the best card/s and setting Y Will up for 1 coloured mana is great. I cut the extras for the additional mana sources but I could certainly see going above the singleton copy.
No tinker Bot: I don’t like Tinker Bot as a play because it gives me an absolutely dead Draw and is does not guarantee you the win the following turn. Jar has only failed me once (will talk about in cobra gush matchup) in testing. Everyother time I have activated a Jar I have won or put me in the winning position (stocked GY and Will in hand etc.)
The card I am most disappointed with is
Brainstorm: I was surprised when I found myself not liking drawing Brainstorm when I did. I cut the fetchland base which meant my only real shuffle effects are tutors. There has been at least twice in testing where I am digging for a draw 7 (for example) and seen mana sources and had to wait the turns to draw through what I put back. I am keeping it in at the moment but it could become fact #2 or any of a number of other cards. I found myself Chrome Moxing a BS more often than I was casting it for full value.
Der Kampf
I have tested the Deck against multiple opponents both at the Local store as well as on Cockatrice and multiple different Decks. I did not keep a complete record of each matchset but going from memory:
MUD(Live+ Cockatrice):(even- near favourable)
It’s easily the worst matchup I have tested. My MUD opponent and I go about even in the early testing (die roll is quite important) but as I had more experience over the testing session I believe I started winning more games that I was losing. The Onus however is on the MUD Pilot to consistently lock you down. They are pretty much required to put chalices down at 0 and 2 in the first couple of turns and put down spheres every turn of the game. If they try to land a crucible or smokestack early, or keep a hand that doesn’t sphere + chalice every turn, you can just punish them and win the game on the spot. The multiple Hurkyl’s effects are obviously a great boon in the early game. I beat my opponent through multiple different angles of disruption: Chalice Thorn, Trinisphere, Golem Resistance etc. Your ability to lay down your artefact mana base through a T1 golem is fantastic. Shattering spree from the board (or wished for) is awesome. One game I destroyed 5 artifacts before turn 3 or so.
Dredge(Cockatrice): (Favourable)
Dredge is pretty much a walkover. You are generally faster than their deck (was playing against dread returnless version) and it gets better post board as you bring in Rav Traps and nuke their GY after a Draw 7. I beat my opponent one game because he Dredged his GY after I Wheel him twice and I nuke his GY leaving him with 4 Narcomoeba 5 cards in Library and then I Wish for Pyroclasm GG. I have not tested against a version with dread return but the only difference would be a preference for not passing the turn on a Jar Hand.
Cobra Gush (Live):Favourable
This was only a small testing session but my opponent only won a single game when we had matching Tinkers T1 (mine for Jar and his for BSC), My Jar drew him into a force and I did not have 2 mana sources for Duress then Ritual and my first ritual got countered. Not needing to spend a turn casting a dude really gives me the edge.
Cerebral Assassin (Live):Extremely Favourable
A friend was testing Chromatic Lantern in his old assassin deck (Bob, Welder, Shop, Bazaar) but the games are pretty short and I win most of them (I can’t remember losing but I might have)
Merkfolk (Reel Fish I think)(Live)-Extremely Favourable.
I only lost one game of this testing Session to quadruple lord beats. The dudes make Necro a riskier play but I never felt like I would have any problem with the deck. Daze was a very annoying and multiple Daze effects are annoying but nothing more than that. I have so much mana that Daze is quickly outclassed and drain remains the only real spell of worry however the deck packs Wastes and Caverns meaning UU is not achieved until it’s too late. My deck was able to go off turn 2 through a waste effect and 2 Dazes on the draw.
Grixis(Cockatrice): (?Favourable?)
Grixis is a very good deck and requires discipline to beat. Your best bet is to go off early when they are tapping out for their bobs/Jace etc. An early force can set you back and the longer the games go, the more chance they have of “locking you out”, the onus is however again on your opponent because they are required to keep a counter heavy hand and be lucky enough to keep drawing into forces when you wheel. Misstep is not as bad as I originally thought it would be due to the only cards I generally care for getting countered at 1 are 4 Ritual, 1 A- Call, 1 Brainstorm and VT. This is a low number compared to some other storm builds where the bulk of plays are at 1 mana. Due to the huge amounts of acceleration I don’t run so many 1 drops. I only post favourable because I won more games than my opponent by a fair margin but depending on build Grixis in G1 can be tough. Post board Xantid Swarms come in and just take over the game if they resolve.
Die Macht
Here are a few sample hands from the deck on the play vs the goldfish.
Opening 7:
Simian Spirit Guide
Chrome Mox
Cabal Ritual
Dark Ritual
VT
Duress
Mox Jet
Against Freddy the Goldfish this hand wins turn 3 through a piece of disruption. It is soft to chalice at 1 (which you can Duress) but beats a sphere also. I would keep this in a G1 scenario. I have randomized my hand so these are not cherry picked hands.
T1 20
Jet > Duress, Chrome Mox imprinting Cabal ritual > VT for Necro when necessary.
T2 18
Draw Necro. Ritual > Necro Pay 11 Life
(Burning Wish X 2, Lotus, Forbidden Orchard, Mox Ruby, Duress, Cabal Ritual, Rebuild, Sol Ring, City of Brass, Mox Opal)Keep Lotus, Opal, Ruby, Cabal, Burning Wish, Duress.
T3 5
Duress(1), Lotus (2), Opal(3), Ruby(4), Lotus for black (BBB), Cabal Ritual (BBBB)(5), Tap Ruby (BBBBR), Burning Wish for Will(BBB)(6), Tap Chrome Mox (BBBB), Play Will (B) (7), Play Lotus (8), Dark Ritual (BBB) (9), Cabal Ritual (BBBB) (10), Tap Opal (BBBBR), Burning Wish (BBB) (11), Crack Lotus (BBBBBB), Duress (BBBBB)(12), Duress (BBBB) (13), Tendrils 14 Copies.
Opening Hand
Burning Wish
Mox Opal
Simian Spirit Guide
Vampiric Tutor
Ponder
Cabal Ritual
Duress
= Mulligan
Time Twister
Forbidden Orchard
Simain Spirit Guide
Black Lotus
Dark Ritual
Here is a risky hand. I would keep it but you can certainly argue that it dies to a Force. As Freddy is a goldfish, he will not force here. Shops/Dredge/Fish this is certainly a keep.
T1 20
Orchard, Lotus (1), Crack Lotus (BBB), Play and Tap Vault (BB3) (2), Tap Orchard (BB3U), Time Twister (BB1) (3), in response Exile SSG (BBR1) + Dark Ritual (BBBBR1) (4)
Draw City of Brass, Burning Wish X 2, Mind’s Desire, Ponder, Sapphire
Sapphire and Tap (BBBBRU1)(5), Ancestral (BBBBR1)
Draw Crypt, Mox Ruby, Simian Spirit Guide
Mana Crypt and Tap (BBBBR3) (6), Mox Ruby and Tap (BBBBRR3) (7), Exile Simain (BBBBRR3), Burning Wish (Thoughseize) (BBBBR2) (8), Thoughtseize (BBBR2) (9), Burning Wish (Tendrils) (BBB1) (10), Tendrils for 11 copies
Final Hand
Wheel of Fortune
Duress
Dark Ritual
Dark Ritual
Sol Ring
Mox Sapphire
City of Brass
This hand offers you two distinct options, the balls to the walls involves fireing off a draw 7 this turn and going from there. I would however advise the Duress turn 1 to ensure your wheel resolves next turn.
T1 20
City of Brass, Duress. Mox Sapphire > Sol Ring
T2 19
Draw Lotus Petal; now that’s a Draw.
Play Petal (1), Tap City and Sol Ring > Wheel (2). In response, Crack petal (B) Dark Ritual (BBB)(3) Dark Ritual (BBBBB)(4)
Draw Duress, Burning Wish, Hurkyl’s Recall, Memory Jar, Mind’s Desire, Regrowth, Vampiric Tutor (our storm plan ends here)
Duress (BBBB), Tap Sapphire Memory Jar
T3 18
Upkeep Tap Jar and cast VT (Lotus)
Draw Emerald, Opal, Orchard, Jet, fact or Fiction, Hukyl’s Recall, Black Lotus, Time Walk.
Play Orchard, Tap Sapphire + Sol Ring Cast Hurkyl’s Recall targeting opponent. Move to second main phase. Play out mana sources (lotus first), Cast Time Walk
T4
Draw Chrome Mox
Tap Opal and Emerald cast Burning Wish (thoughtseize)(1), Tap Jet > Thoughtseize (2). Play Chrome Mox (3) Tap Sapphire + Sol Ring Cast hurkyl’s (1) (4).Play Lotus (5), Sapphire (6), Jet (7), Emerald (8), Opal (9) Sol Ring (10) Chrome Mox(Regrowth) (11) Crack Lotus (UUU), Tap Sol Ring (UUU2) and Chrome Mox (UUU3), Mind’s Desire for 12 copies.
Reveal: Cabal Therapy, Dark Ritual, Burning Wish x 2, Simian Spirit Guide, Mana Vault, Rebuid, Tinker, Time Twister, 2 Gemstone mine, City of Brass.
From here you can win in an innumerable number of ways. Most basic way is play out mana sources and burning wish for tendrils.
The deck as you can see is certainly powerful and can rip apart opponents not ready for it. I encourage you to pick it up and test it for yourself.
Monday 1 October 2012
MES + Masters Results
Preamble+ MES
WOW, it has been so long since I posted on here. Sorry about that, from this point forward I will be doing my best to post weekly on here. I have updated the site name and the name of the blog to something a little more respectable as well as start to reveal the MVS in 2013. While nothing has been finalised, I am pushing for NLG (who are on board) and some of the other stores to become a part of the biggest structured tournament system eternal in Melbourne has ever seen (to my knowledge).
The tournament system would be based of the NEV run by Coss, Detweiler etc (excuse spelling) and would involve the preexisting monthly events at any of the participating stores. Each of these monthly tournaments (call it 20 events over the year) would award points to the highest placing attendees and those who managed to make enough points over the year would be given a free invitation to an end of your tournament for real prize support. I believe that this is better than the current situation (particuarly with legacy) where there is a huge saturation, people are pushing for weekly tournaments where I believe players will burn out leading to the "Ill just play next week " syndrome that we have seen in Highlander both with GLabs weeklies and GG's Sundays. I believe that a strong structured system which rewards attendance over time is a much more sound tournament base. Having a once a month tournament, which rewards attendance regardless of placing will surely have more pull on players than "the weekly for credit". The MES would not overtake any tournaments currently held but would settle on any existing tournament that the store involved would choose. As I have said, nothing has been finalised, but I have written to each of the major stores with the proposition. I do hope that this is realised as a Melbourne wide series but that remains to be seen.
Masters
Masters has also come and gone with all my hard work paying off with a whopping 48 players for the Legacy; 32 players for the Vintage and a disappointing 24 for the Highlander, almost exactly the opposite of what we were originally planning back in June. I am going to address each format, what we did right and what we did wrong seperately.
Legacy- Legacy's popularity has been booming since Alexander Johnston started his campaign for more legacy. That campaign was just starting when we were organising dates and Legacy was not much bigger than Vintage. After we finalised dates and time (the Friday Night) legacy started getting bigger and bigger however we were not expecting more than 25 players due to the date and time. Friday night was going to be hard to attend and we did not want to push it back further because then it would end up finishing far too late.
Also the fact that Legacy was only firing small tournaments weighed on my mind. The overwhelming support for the for the tournament was a great way of starting Masters. It was a great tournament with so many great players and I thank everyone who attended and made it the event it was.
We failed the legacy crowd because we underestimated the support that the format had. The Date/Time and prize support were not up to scratch for a long tournament. I believe that we made the tournament a bit to top heavy for the prize support we did give out, and that what we did give out was not enough. I have laid out the reasons why we only expected 25 or so and scheduled it as we did and I believe I am justified in this view, however, if I were to do it again, I would certainly move the event to the Sunday and up the support.
Vintage- Vintage managed to get an awesome 32 players which was fantastic. Beating last year's numbers was my goal for this event as we certainly trumped it. We had 7 different decks in the top 8 with Grixis control taking the top spot by none other than Dan Unwin (who has posted a tidbit on Vintage on starcitygames.com). Oath remains a strong staple for the Melbourne scene posting 18% of all decks (split between GG and Gristlebrand). Surprising though was the under representation of both Workshops and Dredge. Dredge only posted 2 copies and Workshops 5. Dredge has been a mainstay of Melbourne in 2012 so almost the complete absence is unsettling. Worskhops, which Melbourne has been famous for have a strong presence in nearly every tournament for over two years (I myself have faced 2 workshop opponents in 3 rounds at 3 different tournaments this year), were small in number and split between 2 Mono R, 2 MUD and 1 Martello lists. The support for sanctioned Vintage was great and having 32 players does make it miss out on being classified as a large tournament (by 1) but I was happy with the overall tournament.
The Vintage was what we did the best with. Again we underestimated numbers but not by such a great margin as Legacy. Next year, I believe we can still pull players out of the woodwork as well as try and pull in more unpowered /newer players
Highlander- I was very disappointed in the Highlander turnout. Only 24 players made it out to Dandenong despite the highest prize support of any of the tournaments. Of the 24 players, maybe 12 were regular Melbourne players, too many people we thought would turn up did not and we ended up have prize support far greater than the number of players. We had players the week before the tournament ask for it to be changed etc which we could not do in reference to interstate players and already published start times that had been out for 3 months. If these issues had been raised when they were published, they might have been dealt with but the turnout was still far below what was expected.
Highlander unless we get a new surge of players, will certainly be making way for the powerhouse that is Melbourne's Legacy scene.
WOW, it has been so long since I posted on here. Sorry about that, from this point forward I will be doing my best to post weekly on here. I have updated the site name and the name of the blog to something a little more respectable as well as start to reveal the MVS in 2013. While nothing has been finalised, I am pushing for NLG (who are on board) and some of the other stores to become a part of the biggest structured tournament system eternal in Melbourne has ever seen (to my knowledge).
The tournament system would be based of the NEV run by Coss, Detweiler etc (excuse spelling) and would involve the preexisting monthly events at any of the participating stores. Each of these monthly tournaments (call it 20 events over the year) would award points to the highest placing attendees and those who managed to make enough points over the year would be given a free invitation to an end of your tournament for real prize support. I believe that this is better than the current situation (particuarly with legacy) where there is a huge saturation, people are pushing for weekly tournaments where I believe players will burn out leading to the "Ill just play next week " syndrome that we have seen in Highlander both with GLabs weeklies and GG's Sundays. I believe that a strong structured system which rewards attendance over time is a much more sound tournament base. Having a once a month tournament, which rewards attendance regardless of placing will surely have more pull on players than "the weekly for credit". The MES would not overtake any tournaments currently held but would settle on any existing tournament that the store involved would choose. As I have said, nothing has been finalised, but I have written to each of the major stores with the proposition. I do hope that this is realised as a Melbourne wide series but that remains to be seen.
Masters
Masters has also come and gone with all my hard work paying off with a whopping 48 players for the Legacy; 32 players for the Vintage and a disappointing 24 for the Highlander, almost exactly the opposite of what we were originally planning back in June. I am going to address each format, what we did right and what we did wrong seperately.
Legacy- Legacy's popularity has been booming since Alexander Johnston started his campaign for more legacy. That campaign was just starting when we were organising dates and Legacy was not much bigger than Vintage. After we finalised dates and time (the Friday Night) legacy started getting bigger and bigger however we were not expecting more than 25 players due to the date and time. Friday night was going to be hard to attend and we did not want to push it back further because then it would end up finishing far too late.
Also the fact that Legacy was only firing small tournaments weighed on my mind. The overwhelming support for the for the tournament was a great way of starting Masters. It was a great tournament with so many great players and I thank everyone who attended and made it the event it was.
We failed the legacy crowd because we underestimated the support that the format had. The Date/Time and prize support were not up to scratch for a long tournament. I believe that we made the tournament a bit to top heavy for the prize support we did give out, and that what we did give out was not enough. I have laid out the reasons why we only expected 25 or so and scheduled it as we did and I believe I am justified in this view, however, if I were to do it again, I would certainly move the event to the Sunday and up the support.
Vintage- Vintage managed to get an awesome 32 players which was fantastic. Beating last year's numbers was my goal for this event as we certainly trumped it. We had 7 different decks in the top 8 with Grixis control taking the top spot by none other than Dan Unwin (who has posted a tidbit on Vintage on starcitygames.com). Oath remains a strong staple for the Melbourne scene posting 18% of all decks (split between GG and Gristlebrand). Surprising though was the under representation of both Workshops and Dredge. Dredge only posted 2 copies and Workshops 5. Dredge has been a mainstay of Melbourne in 2012 so almost the complete absence is unsettling. Worskhops, which Melbourne has been famous for have a strong presence in nearly every tournament for over two years (I myself have faced 2 workshop opponents in 3 rounds at 3 different tournaments this year), were small in number and split between 2 Mono R, 2 MUD and 1 Martello lists. The support for sanctioned Vintage was great and having 32 players does make it miss out on being classified as a large tournament (by 1) but I was happy with the overall tournament.
The Vintage was what we did the best with. Again we underestimated numbers but not by such a great margin as Legacy. Next year, I believe we can still pull players out of the woodwork as well as try and pull in more unpowered /newer players
Highlander- I was very disappointed in the Highlander turnout. Only 24 players made it out to Dandenong despite the highest prize support of any of the tournaments. Of the 24 players, maybe 12 were regular Melbourne players, too many people we thought would turn up did not and we ended up have prize support far greater than the number of players. We had players the week before the tournament ask for it to be changed etc which we could not do in reference to interstate players and already published start times that had been out for 3 months. If these issues had been raised when they were published, they might have been dealt with but the turnout was still far below what was expected.
Highlander unless we get a new surge of players, will certainly be making way for the powerhouse that is Melbourne's Legacy scene.
Friday 11 May 2012
Vintage Control
Long time no talk. It has nearly been two months since I posted on here but that does not mean I have not been playing my favourite format. I have been trying to get some people interested in Vintage in my local playgroup (La Trobe University Card Gamers Club) but to no avail. If anybody has any suggestions I would love to hear them but I am just getting no responses at all (except for a singular game here or there)
I have also taken over running the Eternal (read: Legacy and Vintage) events at Good Games Dandenong and so far my 1 Vintage event had 6 players show up. Tomorrow it will be the first Legacy Event but it does not look promising. I know Legacy is not my strength but I'm am going to show up with my Goblins and do my best. No point playing answers in a format I don't know well enough so I better ask the best questions. Most importantly, Does Piledriver resolve?
Enough about Legacy, lets talk Vintage.
For the past two tournaments I have been playing my homebrew control deck. Basically I have been moving away from the more all in Combo decks (OK, Cobra gush is not all in but while its the best Storm deck vs Shops its still required to cast 7-8 spells minimum in a turn for a quick game) and more toward a SLOW control game. I have taken inspiration from Weismanns The Deck and some other control decks such as an old control deck list from Brian De Mars on starcitygames.com. I wanted to be able to control the game state and allow my end game to naturally trump my opponents. So what I was looking for was a way to was hold back any rush and survive long enough to completely control the game state. In order to achieve this I set my sights squarely on Shops, not that I only wanted games against shops but I wanted to get to a high win % against them. That would mean I have a high % against a large portion of the Melbourne meta game
I knew that I wanted a multi angled attack, unlike a oath deck (w/o Vault), to attack my opponents in a variety of ways to keep them on the back foot as I push through my win conditions. After brainstorming I came up with the Idea of running strip effect as well as the traditional counterspell and destruction packages. Prevent my opponent from being able to cast something he wants, Counter it when he does and destroy whatever slips through (or I allow through).
The First focus (Land Destruction) led me to adding Strip and Wastes, in order to keep my coloured sources up I dropped to 3 Wastelands and eventually added a Crucible of Worlds to make up for that 4th strip effect and be able to indefinitely hold my opponent landless. I also added a Gorilla Shaman to the main as an additional way to keep my opponent off their mana.
The Second focus is my Counterspell package: I definitely start with 4 Force of Will because I want to be able to hold back the person who goes for broke and Force helps with the early game, trading cards for time to get set up. I also moved to 3 Mana Drains because sometimes it is possible to get locked down under drain mana against shops so I replaced this final Drain with a Spell Pierce. My 9th counterspell (I was looking to use counters strategically rather than counter everything) I was not sure about and it currently is the weakest slot in the deck and I currently use Flusterstorm. It certainly helps in the U matchups but does next to nothing vs Shops so that's why I am sure it could be changed.
Finally the Destruction Package: these are the spells I want to control anything that slips through or I let through my counters. Keeping my focus on Shops I knew I wanted some amount of Ancient Grudges, Nature's Claim and Trygon Predators, being the natural predators of shops. My personal preference is for Predators as it is reusable but I know Grudges and Claim are in some cases much better because of their ability to be cast under spheres. Beyond shops, Melbourne has some number of decks reliant on creatures (Bob, Lab Maniac, White trash.dec) so I wanted some ways to deal with these little pests.
Getting a Land base to hold all these together means running 4-5 colours. My original list tried to stay away from City of Brass as I have always thought it to be more of a cop out as a land, I did not seriously expect to die from one but as I was looking for longer games the damage would become an issue.
Putting all of that together along with a shell of other cards (mostly draw and tutors) I took the following list to a tournament in the city. I ended up quite far down the standings because of poor play but I knew I was onto something. (I never wrote the list down so this is from memory)
2 Tropical Island
1 Volcanic Island
2 Underground Sea
1 City of Brass
1 Tolarian Academy
1 Library of Alexandria
7/6 Fetches
2 Island
1 Strip Mine
3 Wasteland
1 Sol Ring
1 Black Lotus
1 Mana Crypt
5 Moxen
1 Crucible of Worlds
Vault
Key
4 Force of Will
3 Mana Drain
1 Spell Pierce
1 Flusterstorm
2 Trygon Predator
2 Snapcaster Mage
1 Gorilla Shaman
2 Jace the Mind Sculptor
1 Yawgmoth's Will
1 Time Walk
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Mind Twist
1 Merchant Scroll
1 Ponder
1 Mind Spring
1 Nature's Claim
1 Ancient Grudge
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Hurkyl's Recall
1 Fact or Fiction
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Brainstorm
1 Thirst for Knowledge
1 Gifts Ungiven
I am not sure about the remaining slots but the deck look much like that list.
R1 vs Shops
Great I get to test my deck against what it was supposed to prey upon.
G1, Im on the draw and he goes Lotus Thorn Shop Golemn, and I scoop 3 turns later caught under two sphere effects. I had Force in hand thought I could survive the thorn, My draw for turn was Claim which would have changed my plan but alas it was not to be
G2- Game 2 was a long hard fought game. My early forces were able to hold back his relevant threats, Ancient Grudge proves its worth and the sideboarded Goblin welder shuts him out of the Game as he is unable to break his lotus for anything relevant and I Jace him out without key vault giving him nothing but lands and nothing to do with them. Funny play is a Mind twist for 3 revealing 3 Dismembers.
G3- I lose game 3 to obvious play error, He gets turn 1 Trinisphere and backs that up with alot of sphere effects. Thanks to the high land count (27 I think) I continue to make land drops and manage to hold off his Golems with forces and Grudges. I get an opening at 4 life thanks to 3 factories and go for vault key and have that set up but I played the Mana crypt I had in hand the turn before thinking I would need the mana but I did not and I lost to it on the first flip. I never tapped it for mana and lost to it, foolish mistake.
1-2 (0-1)
R2 Vs Shops
I get ready for round two knowing my opponent is on Espresso Stax (he beat me at the GP for top 4) and am ready for him
G1- G1 I get everything on line late after draining his threats and Jace ultimate (no Vault) giving him nothing but lands and win the game from there
G2- He locks me out early and my Trygon gets stuck in my Hand
G3- I hold complete control over this game, he goes Shop mox lodestorn and I force, I waste. He plays a smokestack and I pierce it, I land a shaman and eat his moxen, I eventually land Trygon and he started eating everything my opponent has when he lands a duplicant and while I claim it, the damage is done and I lose to the beat of Golems on my fact
I am not sure how I could have played it differently, the Duplicant was just bad luck.
1-2 (0-2)
R-3 Noble Fish?
G1- A few fights leave both of us low on cards but my jace resolves and bounces his goyf 3 times giving me time to draw into the relevant tutors and assemble Key Vault with 3 Life left.
G2- Wastelands and Grudges leave him going into turn 5 with no permanents, Jace makes short work of him.
Notes from the day
I boarded out Mind Spring every game, so should maybe replace (OK that was probably a given)
Initial red for Grudges was sometimes had to get
Welder + shaman worked great as a team
Tested Oath, very poor matchup
At times felt lack of draw, cant go 1v1 against shops forever
Wastes at times held back production of mana base
Changes thought of:
Tropical- Volcanic
Claim to Board and up Grudges
Another City of Brass
Tinker/Welder in the MB?
After fixing up the deck with most of these changes -Tinker I found out that I had to Give up my wastelands to a friend so he could play Dark Times so this is what I sleeved up for the second event
2 Tropical Island
2 Volcanic Island
2 Underground Sea
3 City of Brass
2 Scalding Tarn
1 Polluted Delta
2 Island
1 Tolarian Academy
5 Moxen
1 Lotus
1 Crypt
1 Sol Ring
1 Time Vault
1 Voltaic Key
1 Nihil Spellbomb
1 Myr Battlesphere
1 Snapcaster
1 Trygon
1 Welder
2 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
3 Mana Drain
4 Force of Will
2 Ancient Grudge
1 Flusterstorm
1 Spell Pierce
1 Thirst for Knowledge
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Brainstorm
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Gifts Ungiven
1 Fact or Fiction
1 Hurkyl's Recall
1 Fire//Ice
1 Merchant Scroll
1 Tinker
1 Time Walk
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Mind Twist
1 Ponder
1 Yawgmoth's Will
This deck is obviously different from the original, the loss of the Mana denial in the form of strip effects led to the loss of Shaman and the loss of Crucible. The counter package remained the same and the anti Shops became more spell based rather than creature.
Taking this list in I was more comfortable as it was a little more streamlined however I did miss the mana denial because I always game my opponent the chance to come back into the game. Mana denial shuts that straight off.
This tournament I faced 2 home brews so there is little Tier 1 Data in this report
R1vs Mad Lab Laboratory maniac and Consultation
G1-I land a turn 1 Jace and just keep pumping him up so when I finally deal with his Laboratory Maniac with a Fire, I win
G2- He goes for the Combo on turn 2-3 and consults for A-Call so he can win in response to any of my shenanigans and dies when it is the 5th card down and I Fire the Maniac
R2 vs Homebrew Black Shops (Shops with thoughtseize)
G1- I am winning with tinker on top of my library thanks to MT and he VT's for a Chains of Mephistopheles and i scoop forgetting the "except for the first card you draw" clause
G2- Early trygon beats everything he has.
G3- We fight through discard and I eventually get Tinker, Battlesphere through his Lilliana of the Veil
R3 vs Oath
G1- I force his Oath and get Key Vault shortly afterwards
G2 He drops Land Mox go and I mind twist away his hand leaving him with nothing taking his Yawgmoth's Will after forcing his force and he does nothing after that.
Between the two deck I am going to have to choose which way I want to go, adding the Mana Denial back or to keep to fighting on the stack and winning through superior answers. There have been games where both is relevant and only further testing will help.
I have also taken over running the Eternal (read: Legacy and Vintage) events at Good Games Dandenong and so far my 1 Vintage event had 6 players show up. Tomorrow it will be the first Legacy Event but it does not look promising. I know Legacy is not my strength but I'm am going to show up with my Goblins and do my best. No point playing answers in a format I don't know well enough so I better ask the best questions. Most importantly, Does Piledriver resolve?
Enough about Legacy, lets talk Vintage.
For the past two tournaments I have been playing my homebrew control deck. Basically I have been moving away from the more all in Combo decks (OK, Cobra gush is not all in but while its the best Storm deck vs Shops its still required to cast 7-8 spells minimum in a turn for a quick game) and more toward a SLOW control game. I have taken inspiration from Weismanns The Deck and some other control decks such as an old control deck list from Brian De Mars on starcitygames.com. I wanted to be able to control the game state and allow my end game to naturally trump my opponents. So what I was looking for was a way to was hold back any rush and survive long enough to completely control the game state. In order to achieve this I set my sights squarely on Shops, not that I only wanted games against shops but I wanted to get to a high win % against them. That would mean I have a high % against a large portion of the Melbourne meta game
I knew that I wanted a multi angled attack, unlike a oath deck (w/o Vault), to attack my opponents in a variety of ways to keep them on the back foot as I push through my win conditions. After brainstorming I came up with the Idea of running strip effect as well as the traditional counterspell and destruction packages. Prevent my opponent from being able to cast something he wants, Counter it when he does and destroy whatever slips through (or I allow through).
The First focus (Land Destruction) led me to adding Strip and Wastes, in order to keep my coloured sources up I dropped to 3 Wastelands and eventually added a Crucible of Worlds to make up for that 4th strip effect and be able to indefinitely hold my opponent landless. I also added a Gorilla Shaman to the main as an additional way to keep my opponent off their mana.
The Second focus is my Counterspell package: I definitely start with 4 Force of Will because I want to be able to hold back the person who goes for broke and Force helps with the early game, trading cards for time to get set up. I also moved to 3 Mana Drains because sometimes it is possible to get locked down under drain mana against shops so I replaced this final Drain with a Spell Pierce. My 9th counterspell (I was looking to use counters strategically rather than counter everything) I was not sure about and it currently is the weakest slot in the deck and I currently use Flusterstorm. It certainly helps in the U matchups but does next to nothing vs Shops so that's why I am sure it could be changed.
Finally the Destruction Package: these are the spells I want to control anything that slips through or I let through my counters. Keeping my focus on Shops I knew I wanted some amount of Ancient Grudges, Nature's Claim and Trygon Predators, being the natural predators of shops. My personal preference is for Predators as it is reusable but I know Grudges and Claim are in some cases much better because of their ability to be cast under spheres. Beyond shops, Melbourne has some number of decks reliant on creatures (Bob, Lab Maniac, White trash.dec) so I wanted some ways to deal with these little pests.
Getting a Land base to hold all these together means running 4-5 colours. My original list tried to stay away from City of Brass as I have always thought it to be more of a cop out as a land, I did not seriously expect to die from one but as I was looking for longer games the damage would become an issue.
Putting all of that together along with a shell of other cards (mostly draw and tutors) I took the following list to a tournament in the city. I ended up quite far down the standings because of poor play but I knew I was onto something. (I never wrote the list down so this is from memory)
2 Tropical Island
1 Volcanic Island
2 Underground Sea
1 City of Brass
1 Tolarian Academy
1 Library of Alexandria
7/6 Fetches
2 Island
1 Strip Mine
3 Wasteland
1 Sol Ring
1 Black Lotus
1 Mana Crypt
5 Moxen
1 Crucible of Worlds
Vault
Key
4 Force of Will
3 Mana Drain
1 Spell Pierce
1 Flusterstorm
2 Trygon Predator
2 Snapcaster Mage
1 Gorilla Shaman
2 Jace the Mind Sculptor
1 Yawgmoth's Will
1 Time Walk
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Mind Twist
1 Merchant Scroll
1 Ponder
1 Mind Spring
1 Nature's Claim
1 Ancient Grudge
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Hurkyl's Recall
1 Fact or Fiction
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Brainstorm
1 Thirst for Knowledge
1 Gifts Ungiven
I am not sure about the remaining slots but the deck look much like that list.
R1 vs Shops
Great I get to test my deck against what it was supposed to prey upon.
G1, Im on the draw and he goes Lotus Thorn Shop Golemn, and I scoop 3 turns later caught under two sphere effects. I had Force in hand thought I could survive the thorn, My draw for turn was Claim which would have changed my plan but alas it was not to be
G2- Game 2 was a long hard fought game. My early forces were able to hold back his relevant threats, Ancient Grudge proves its worth and the sideboarded Goblin welder shuts him out of the Game as he is unable to break his lotus for anything relevant and I Jace him out without key vault giving him nothing but lands and nothing to do with them. Funny play is a Mind twist for 3 revealing 3 Dismembers.
G3- I lose game 3 to obvious play error, He gets turn 1 Trinisphere and backs that up with alot of sphere effects. Thanks to the high land count (27 I think) I continue to make land drops and manage to hold off his Golems with forces and Grudges. I get an opening at 4 life thanks to 3 factories and go for vault key and have that set up but I played the Mana crypt I had in hand the turn before thinking I would need the mana but I did not and I lost to it on the first flip. I never tapped it for mana and lost to it, foolish mistake.
1-2 (0-1)
R2 Vs Shops
I get ready for round two knowing my opponent is on Espresso Stax (he beat me at the GP for top 4) and am ready for him
G1- G1 I get everything on line late after draining his threats and Jace ultimate (no Vault) giving him nothing but lands and win the game from there
G2- He locks me out early and my Trygon gets stuck in my Hand
G3- I hold complete control over this game, he goes Shop mox lodestorn and I force, I waste. He plays a smokestack and I pierce it, I land a shaman and eat his moxen, I eventually land Trygon and he started eating everything my opponent has when he lands a duplicant and while I claim it, the damage is done and I lose to the beat of Golems on my fact
I am not sure how I could have played it differently, the Duplicant was just bad luck.
1-2 (0-2)
R-3 Noble Fish?
G1- A few fights leave both of us low on cards but my jace resolves and bounces his goyf 3 times giving me time to draw into the relevant tutors and assemble Key Vault with 3 Life left.
G2- Wastelands and Grudges leave him going into turn 5 with no permanents, Jace makes short work of him.
Notes from the day
I boarded out Mind Spring every game, so should maybe replace (OK that was probably a given)
Initial red for Grudges was sometimes had to get
Welder + shaman worked great as a team
Tested Oath, very poor matchup
At times felt lack of draw, cant go 1v1 against shops forever
Wastes at times held back production of mana base
Changes thought of:
Tropical- Volcanic
Claim to Board and up Grudges
Another City of Brass
Tinker/Welder in the MB?
After fixing up the deck with most of these changes -Tinker I found out that I had to Give up my wastelands to a friend so he could play Dark Times so this is what I sleeved up for the second event
2 Tropical Island
2 Volcanic Island
2 Underground Sea
3 City of Brass
2 Scalding Tarn
1 Polluted Delta
2 Island
1 Tolarian Academy
5 Moxen
1 Lotus
1 Crypt
1 Sol Ring
1 Time Vault
1 Voltaic Key
1 Nihil Spellbomb
1 Myr Battlesphere
1 Snapcaster
1 Trygon
1 Welder
2 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
3 Mana Drain
4 Force of Will
2 Ancient Grudge
1 Flusterstorm
1 Spell Pierce
1 Thirst for Knowledge
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Brainstorm
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Gifts Ungiven
1 Fact or Fiction
1 Hurkyl's Recall
1 Fire//Ice
1 Merchant Scroll
1 Tinker
1 Time Walk
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Mind Twist
1 Ponder
1 Yawgmoth's Will
This deck is obviously different from the original, the loss of the Mana denial in the form of strip effects led to the loss of Shaman and the loss of Crucible. The counter package remained the same and the anti Shops became more spell based rather than creature.
Taking this list in I was more comfortable as it was a little more streamlined however I did miss the mana denial because I always game my opponent the chance to come back into the game. Mana denial shuts that straight off.
This tournament I faced 2 home brews so there is little Tier 1 Data in this report
R1vs Mad Lab Laboratory maniac and Consultation
G1-I land a turn 1 Jace and just keep pumping him up so when I finally deal with his Laboratory Maniac with a Fire, I win
G2- He goes for the Combo on turn 2-3 and consults for A-Call so he can win in response to any of my shenanigans and dies when it is the 5th card down and I Fire the Maniac
R2 vs Homebrew Black Shops (Shops with thoughtseize)
G1- I am winning with tinker on top of my library thanks to MT and he VT's for a Chains of Mephistopheles and i scoop forgetting the "except for the first card you draw" clause
G2- Early trygon beats everything he has.
G3- We fight through discard and I eventually get Tinker, Battlesphere through his Lilliana of the Veil
R3 vs Oath
G1- I force his Oath and get Key Vault shortly afterwards
G2 He drops Land Mox go and I mind twist away his hand leaving him with nothing taking his Yawgmoth's Will after forcing his force and he does nothing after that.
Between the two deck I am going to have to choose which way I want to go, adding the Mana Denial back or to keep to fighting on the stack and winning through superior answers. There have been games where both is relevant and only further testing will help.
Monday 19 March 2012
Vintage Guest Post
Here we have a tournament report from Aiden who managed to make 4th in his first ever Vintage tournament.
Guest Post: A Vintage Newbie
Hello everyone, my name’s Aiden and I’m writing this guest post to give a new player’s perspective on Vintage. I first started playing Type 1 a couple of weeks ago and it is already one of my favourite constructed formats. Here I will outline my journey so far.
Getting started
I must admit that my first impression of Vintage was how darn EXPENSIVE it is. As a budget player this was a major drawback, with the most expensive card I own being worth around $20. However, Josh’s enthusiasm for the format was infectious enough for me to put the effort into proxying up Jorge Requesens’ Bomberman list. I chose this deck for a few reasons. Firstly, I actually owned a few of the cards, such as Auriok Salvagers, Trinket Mage and some Spellbombs. Secondly, I wanted some game against the notorious turn 1 Vintage wins, and free counterspells like Force of Will and Mental Misstep gave me a measure of security. Finally, I’m a combo player at heart so having access to the Salvagers/Lotus combo made the deck much more enticing.
My first few games with the deck were akin to a baby giraffe learning to walk – I wasn’t really sure what to counter or even how to use Library of Alexandria properly. However, after comboing out, drawing my deck, having infinite mana of all colours and still not being able to win that turn I made my first change by replacing a Spell Snare with a Pyrite Spellbomb. I’m an impatient man, I want to win now!
Lead-up to the tournament
At this point I was still not that excited by Vintage. It was cool playing with broken cards and everything, but it just didn’t excite me. When Josh first contacted me about travelling to Adelaide for a Vintage tournament I was sceptical. In the end I figured I may as well go, at least it’s something interesting to do over the weekend. This is when the awesomeness began. Within a half hour, members of the Vintage community which I had never met before had offered to lend me hundreds of dollars’ worth of cards making up the bulk of my deck. Upon arriving in Adelaide the trend continued, with the hospitality of strangers never ceasing to amaze me.
Now, there is a point to me emphasising the generosity of other Vintage players. At the start of this post I mentioned how expensive the format is, and how that put me off initially. Well, part of the reason for that was that I assumed the kind of people with thousand-dollar collections would be elitist, and generally not be much fun to hang with or play against. I couldn’t have been more wrong. Instead, they were very enthusiastic to have another person enter the format, and were extremely patient with my noobishness and gave me plenty of pointers. I learnt a lot from playing against them the night before the tournament, and actually felt somewhat competent by the time I went to bed.
The tournament
Round 1: Dredge – Toby
My first round opponent borrowed his deck from a friend and hadn’t played it before, so he didn’t really understand what he should be doing. Add to that a sprinkling of bad luck when he kept mulliganing and missing Bazaar of Baghdad, and I had an easy 2-0 win.
Round 2: Snapcaster Control – Socrates
I went into this game feeling pretty good as my personal goal was just to win *something*. To my amazement in both games I seemed to have counters for all of his relevant spells and even got a combo kill in there. I had just won the first 2 rounds of my first Vintage tournament! One of the highlights of the game was killing a Sensei’s Divining Top, which is not easy when your only answer is Engineered Explosives.
Round 3: Stax – Lee
I won game 1, but game 2 was very close and went for a long time, with the end result being decided by a couple of timely Spine of Ish Sah’s on his side. Since it looked like we would go to time, Lee kindly scooped me through as he could not make top 4 with a draw.
Round 4: Cobra Storm – Josh
At this stage both Josh and I are 3-0, so we just draw into the top 4. We play for fun anyway, Padawan vs Jedi Master! Josh beat me handily, with some blisteringly fast Cobra action.
Semi-finals: Stax – Dan
This round is where my story ends. Dan simply had the cards to beat my deck, and I was crushed under the weight of three Lodestone Golems in one of the games.
Moving forward
Well there you have it, my first foray into playing Vintage. I was pleasantly surprised by this fading format and the community around it struggling to keep it alive, and would definitely recommend giving it a try. In terms of modifying my deck for future games, I would probably try to fit a Consecrated Sphinx into the list somewhere to make use of Mana Drain mana and give me an end game. I would also better tune the sideboard, perhaps adding a Grafdigger’s Cage.
Wednesday 14 March 2012
Infinity Games Vintage - 3rd place
As I write this it is the Tuesday after the Adelaide Magic Extravaganza at Infinity Games. With a PTQ, GPT, Legacy, Vintage and Commander all over one weekend, any store would be busy and Infinity Games was no exception. With a Library of Alexandria on the line everyone is eager to get going. Leaving roughly 06:15AM on the Saturday morning with three other Melbournites including my friend who had never played in a Vintage event before, wespent the next 8 or so hours driving to Adelaide with Magic talk and long discussions (Mostly involving Workshops) we arrived at the store with the GPT in full swing.
With Legacy due to start, we decided to wait for another hour so see if we could bait any more GPT players but unfortunately we had no bites and managed to scrape an 8 man which I took down with hordes of little green men (Mono R Goblins). Beating Affinity, UR Burn and Painted Stone/Show and Tell and finding myself up $60 in store credit I left the store happy about the day.
After leaving the store we headed to our local Frenchman's (Tom) house where Socrates cooked up a storm with one of the best barbecues I have ever had with shaslicks, steaks, sausages, dips, bread, pita and salads everybody was happy to spend the night testing against each other between friendly Ciders.
Waking up in the morning of the main event (for the vintage players) we elected not to play in the PTQ and go for a swim/test instead. The fact that none of us had Modern decks was also a consideration. During that morning (and the night before), I tested extensively against the Bomberman deck and while I believe I am favoured against it, it is not as wide a margin as I had originally believed. Aiden improved his play with the deck considerably over the weekend that in my eyes the deck turned from a decent low level deck to a proper contender for the tournament. It was able to completely grind out opponents and quickly change gears into a superfash combo deck at a moments notice. This deck is now certainly on my radar of decks I will test against hopefully.
At the last minute I changed two of my sideboard slots from Lightning Bolt\ Fire//Ice to two Thoughtseize and I arrived at my final list.
3) Joshua Butler – Cobra Gush
ARTIFACTS (6)
1 x Mox Jet
1 x Mox Emerald
1 x Mox Sapphire
1 x Mox Ruby
1 x Black Lotus
1 x Mana Crypt
CREATURES (6)
1 x Blightsteel Colossus
4 x Lotus Cobra
1 x Laboratory Maniac
PLANESWALKER (2)
2 x Jace, The Mind Sculptor
ENCHANTMENTS (1)
1 x Fastbond
SORCERIES (14)
4 x Preordain
1 x Doomsday
1 x Yawgmoth’s Will
1 x Tendrils of Agony
1 x Tinker
1 x Ponder
1 x Empty the Warrens
1 x Merchant Scroll
1 x Timetwister
1 x Demonic Tutor
1 x Time Walk
INSTANTS (16)
4 x Gush
4 x Force of Will
1 x Ancestral Recall
1 x Brainstorm
1 x Hurkyl’s Recall
1 x Rebuild
1 x Vampiric Tutor
1 x Red Elemental Blast
1 x Pyroblast
1 x Mystical Tutor
LANDS (15)
1 x Island
2 x Underground Sea
2 x Tropical Island
1 x Volcanic Island
4 x Scalding Tarn
3 x Misty Rainforest
1 x Flooded Strand
1 x Polluted Delta
SIDEBOARD
2 x Thoughtseize
1 x Red Elemental Blast
1 x Pyroblast
2 x Ingot Chewer
2 x Trygon Predator
1 x Ancient Grudge
4 x Leyline of the Void
1 x Grafdiggers Cage
1 x Yixlid Jailer
3) Joshua Butler – Cobra Gush
ARTIFACTS (6)
1 x Mox Jet
1 x Mox Emerald
1 x Mox Sapphire
1 x Mox Ruby
1 x Black Lotus
1 x Mana Crypt
CREATURES (6)
1 x Blightsteel Colossus
4 x Lotus Cobra
1 x Laboratory Maniac
PLANESWALKER (2)
2 x Jace, The Mind Sculptor
ENCHANTMENTS (1)
1 x Fastbond
SORCERIES (14)
4 x Preordain
1 x Doomsday
1 x Yawgmoth’s Will
1 x Tendrils of Agony
1 x Tinker
1 x Ponder
1 x Empty the Warrens
1 x Merchant Scroll
1 x Timetwister
1 x Demonic Tutor
1 x Time Walk
INSTANTS (16)
4 x Gush
4 x Force of Will
1 x Ancestral Recall
1 x Brainstorm
1 x Hurkyl’s Recall
1 x Rebuild
1 x Vampiric Tutor
1 x Red Elemental Blast
1 x Pyroblast
1 x Mystical Tutor
LANDS (15)
1 x Island
2 x Underground Sea
2 x Tropical Island
1 x Volcanic Island
4 x Scalding Tarn
3 x Misty Rainforest
1 x Flooded Strand
1 x Polluted Delta
SIDEBOARD
2 x Thoughtseize
1 x Red Elemental Blast
1 x Pyroblast
2 x Ingot Chewer
2 x Trygon Predator
1 x Ancient Grudge
4 x Leyline of the Void
1 x Grafdiggers Cage
1 x Yixlid Jailer
This list was an amalgamation of my previous Cobra storm list and the list Stephen Menindian took to first place in Sandusky, Ohio. I also felt that I wanted to play with the Doomsday/Lab Maniac Combo. I knew I was being greedy by throwing in another Combo and watering down the effectiveness of the deck but I had in testing had trouble with reaching the sufficient storm density for an effective early Mind's Desire so I cut that and Necropotence to test it out. Even with the additional combo the deck was testing well so when we left for the tournament I was happy with what I had sleeved up.
Round 1 is called
R1 vs Noong (Noble Fish)
Game 1
Here we are, with Noong running one of the fairest lists of the tournament and I running one of the most unfair. I lose the die roll (a common theme) and he leads with a Gitaxian Probe, Tropical and Noble Hierarch. I see my seven and know my line of play already. Fetch into tropical casts fastbond...Resolves (There was a FOW somewhere this turn and I force back). Land, tap and Gush; replay one land and cobra hits the table followed shortly after by the Doomsday combo. As much as I try to explain the Vintage is not about T1 kills, I keep proving myself wrong once every couple of tournaments
SB
-1 Rebuild
-1 Hurkyl's Recall
-1 Rebuild
-1 Hurkyl's Recall
-1 Pyroblast
+2 Trygon
+1 Ancient Grudge
Game 2
Game 2 Noong opens with Land, Cage and passes the turn. I had snap kept my 7 with land, Mox, Lotus and Jace on turn 1. He responds with a Pridemage and the luck sac that I am Brainstorm into Time walk and cast it. On my free turn I cast the Trygon predator and pass back. Noong seemed confused at this play but elects to attack and his Jace became Pridemage food thanks to exalted but it is all for naught when I draw the tinker left on top of my deck, Trygon eats the Cage and I tinker for BSC. I never cast the A-Call in my opening hand all game as I always had something I wanted to do more than just draw three cards.
2-0 (2-0)
1-0
R2 vs Vinny (R Stompy)
Game 1- I head into game 1 with no idea what Vinny is playing but I decide to keep my hand and go Mox ,Crypt, V. Island and tinker into BSC. Vinny draws and and scoops so I still have no idea what he is playing.
Game 1- I head into game 1 with no idea what Vinny is playing but I decide to keep my hand and go Mox ,Crypt, V. Island and tinker into BSC. Vinny draws and and scoops so I still have no idea what he is playing.
I elect not to sideboard
Game 2
The second match with Vinny was very interesting. It was generally Land go from both players except for a Cobra on my side and a Porc Legs on his which I force. My Cobra beats in for a decent amount of damage until Trinisphere hits the board. While I am not struggling to pay for my spells (and electing to play them through Trinisphere rather than hold up counter magic). Two more Porc Legs join Vinnce's team and I am suddenly in trouble. With now two cobras on board I double gush (w fastbond) and Tendrils him for 8 life. I Draw Doomsday and cast it and using my mana to pay for the lotus and A- Call and gush. The extra life gain from the Tendrils saves me from his swings and with no library I draw a card for turn.
The second match with Vinny was very interesting. It was generally Land go from both players except for a Cobra on my side and a Porc Legs on his which I force. My Cobra beats in for a decent amount of damage until Trinisphere hits the board. While I am not struggling to pay for my spells (and electing to play them through Trinisphere rather than hold up counter magic). Two more Porc Legs join Vinnce's team and I am suddenly in trouble. With now two cobras on board I double gush (w fastbond) and Tendrils him for 8 life. I Draw Doomsday and cast it and using my mana to pay for the lotus and A- Call and gush. The extra life gain from the Tendrils saves me from his swings and with no library I draw a card for turn.
2-0 (4-0)
2-0
2-0
Round 3 Vs Dan - Red Stax
Dan was in the car on the way down to Adelaide so we both know what the other is on. 13 Spheres, 4 Stax, 4 Wires and Welders. I was in for a tough time. I lost the die roll again and open to a hand of Mox, Mox, Land, Lotus, Doomsday +x +y. I tank for a few seconds and elect to keep. My rational is that if there is no chalice for 0 I can just win early and bypass what would be a very hard matchup. Dan drops some moxen and something irrelevant and I Doomsday. He scoops the turn after as I get my Lab Maniac on board with 2 cards left in my Library.
Dan was in the car on the way down to Adelaide so we both know what the other is on. 13 Spheres, 4 Stax, 4 Wires and Welders. I was in for a tough time. I lost the die roll again and open to a hand of Mox, Mox, Land, Lotus, Doomsday +x +y. I tank for a few seconds and elect to keep. My rational is that if there is no chalice for 0 I can just win early and bypass what would be a very hard matchup. Dan drops some moxen and something irrelevant and I Doomsday. He scoops the turn after as I get my Lab Maniac on board with 2 cards left in my Library.
SB
-1 REB
-1 Pyroblast
-1 Time Walk
-1 Jace
-1 Pyroblast
-1 Time Walk
-1 Jace
-1 Merchant Scroll (I think)
+2 Trygon Predator
+1 Ancient Grudge
+2 Ingot Chewer.
+2 Trygon Predator
+1 Ancient Grudge
+2 Ingot Chewer.
Game 2
Game two Dan leads with Shop, Mox, Resistance; which I force, Resistance. I go land go and he drops a chalice on one and his third turn is a Lodestone. My third turn play is Chewer on the Golem and my fourth turn play is the Trygon. Dan only sees lands even after Bazaaring and Trygon eats at his moxen and chalice leaving the sphere up and Dan concedes shortly after.
2-0 (6-0)
3-0
Round three was finished in under 15 minutes so I walk to see how my friend is doing and he is mulling to 4 against Lee's Panther Stax deck. He had already won game one but game 2 nearly goes to time (after the mull as well) as Lee traps himself under his own Spheres but eventually gets there. The players realise that they will go to time and as they are reboarding I do the math for them. A draw did not guarantee a top 4 place for either but a win by Aiden would guarantee his top 4 placing. Lee offers the Concession and Aiden accepts.
Round 4 vs Aiden - Bomberman ID
As the last undefeated players in the swiss, Aiden and I ID and play the round anyway which I win in two small games after him countering everything I do I manage to force an Mystical for tinker and tinker the next turn. Game two I won due to me have three cobras over the course of the game just beating down.
Cut to top 4
Semi Finals vs Socrates Stavropoulos - Happy Snappy (Snapcaster Control)
Reaching the semi finals undefeated I felt very good about the decks performance. I lose the die roll (again) and lead land go. My A-Call is eaten by a misstep, so is my Fastbond and Mystical Tutor on the following turns. I am forced to use my remaining mana for a twister essentially giving him a free hand. I go for broke and Doomsday off and both undergrounds and a Jet with force and pyroblast backing. Here I make the first mistake of the match and cast through the pile leaving me with no library and no way to draw at instant speed. but I still had force and pyroblast. I should have held onto the gush and left 2 cards in my library but it was not to be as Socrates tanks and casts Voltaic key (he already has Time vault on board) which I force. Socrates tanks again and baits a Merchant Scroll. I bite and Pyroblast it away when he Chain of Vapors my Lab Maniac. I hit my head and enter the scoop phase for the first time that day.
A point to make about that game was that I had tested against Socrates the night before so he knew I was on Red Blasts. He may not have baited the scroll if he did not know this. If we hand not tested it might have turned out differently.
I make my biggest mistake of the tournament when sideboarding and take out gas to bring in Thoughtseize, Blasts and Trygon. I slowed my deck down too much to try and control the control deck... Bad Idea.
SB
-1 Doomsday
-1Labratory Maniac
-1 Hurkyl's
-1 Rebuild
-1Labratory Maniac
-1 Hurkyl's
-1 Rebuild
-1 Twister
-1 Empty the Warrens
+2 Blasts
+2 Thoughtseize
+2Trygon Predator
+2 Thoughtseize
+2Trygon Predator
Game 2
Game 2 Socrates counters pretty much everything and I am about to concede when I draw a Jace. A flicker of hope sparks and I spend all of my resources protecting my Jace from Bob and Bolts until Soc rips Time walk off the top, hits Jace twice with Bob, Lands his own Jace and I concede shortly after.
0-2 (6-2)
3-1
3-1
And Thus ended my battle to reach the Library of Alexandria, I was fast, but not fast enough.
Adding Doomsday to the deck was very greedy, not saying it did not work but I felt it was clunky and I never wanted to draw either part of the Combo except when behind or on turn 1. In deck construction I had shied away from the higher mana spells (Bargain/Desire) and now feel that at least 1 has a place in Cobra Storm (will be testing Bargain first). I did not miss the Pearl that Menindian cut for land. Maybe it is time to try Memory Jar again as many decks are now running Cage as hate and I don't want tinker to be a dead card. I loved the Trygons in the board, I found them to be invaluable and even destroying moxen was satisfying, there to stay.
I need to be faster and the REB/Pyros were all right but just not good enough. This deck wants to be forcing questions down its opponents throat, not holding a couple of answers back. I found that often I did not want to fetch my volcanic because I had non blue spells (Cobra/DT) that advanced my game plan more than a red blast might have hindered theirs. I'll be going back to targeted discard for sure. The red blasts were a nice surprise but little more than that.
As Sanctioned Vintage is the next tournament at the Melbourne GP I guess its back to Dark Times and I will be testing the misstep/extraction builds first.
Until next time
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