Australian
Vintage Review
July- December 2013
July- December 2013
Six months into 2013 and the Australian Vintage
metagame had seen some sweeping changes. Grixis Control was appearing more
frequently as the premier control deck, Workshops were appearing with a higher
frequency in top 8’s than they ever had previously and BUG Fish was really
making a name for itself. Would the latter half of the year continue these
trends or would we see a new paradigm take hold. Continue reading to find out.
July was another heavy hitting month with 3 tournaments over its 4 weeks. We had another Masters Qualifier (our previous qualifier was in February) and certainly no one picked this result. Once again for a qualifier, it was two Fish decks duking it out in the finals. In his usual style, Michael Runic successfully trolled the field with his “day-of-tournament Slivers”. This was a standout point as Michael had not played Vintage before this point, built his deck and smashed his way through to the finals where he was defeated by another new Fish deck, Humans. This was the first appearance by either of these archetypes in Australia. Both decks rolled past their Semi Final opposition who were on differing Landstill builds.
1) Joshua - Cavern Humans
July was another heavy hitting month with 3 tournaments over its 4 weeks. We had another Masters Qualifier (our previous qualifier was in February) and certainly no one picked this result. Once again for a qualifier, it was two Fish decks duking it out in the finals. In his usual style, Michael Runic successfully trolled the field with his “day-of-tournament Slivers”. This was a standout point as Michael had not played Vintage before this point, built his deck and smashed his way through to the finals where he was defeated by another new Fish deck, Humans. This was the first appearance by either of these archetypes in Australia. Both decks rolled past their Semi Final opposition who were on differing Landstill builds.
1) Joshua - Cavern Humans
Lands (21)
4 Cavern of Souls
4 City of Brass
2 Marsh Flats
1 Verdant Catacombs
1 Scrubland
1 Savannah
1 Bayou
1 Gemstone Mine
1 Strip Mine
3 Wasteland
2 Mishra's Factory
4 Cavern of Souls
4 City of Brass
2 Marsh Flats
1 Verdant Catacombs
1 Scrubland
1 Savannah
1 Bayou
1 Gemstone Mine
1 Strip Mine
3 Wasteland
2 Mishra's Factory
Artifacts (6)
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Mox Emerald
1 Chalice of the Void
1 Batterskull
1 Batterskull
Creatures (24)
4 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
4 Noble Hierarch
4 Dark Confidant
3 Mayor of Avabruck
2 Fiend Hunter
2 Stoneforge Mystic
1 Deathrite Shaman
1 Sin Collector
1 Huntmaster of the Fells
1 Exava, Rakdos Blood Witch
1 Grand Arbiter Augustin IV
Enchantments (2)
2 Stony Silence
Instants (7)
2 Swords to Plowshares
1 Path to Exile
2 Mental Misstep
2 Abrupt Decay
Sideboard (15)
1 Wasteland
1 Mishra's Factory
1 Engineered Explosives
2 Grafdigger's Cage
2 Rest in Peace
1 Tormod's Crypt
2 Mindbreak Trap
2 True Believer
1 Glowrider
1 Path to Exile
2) Michael Runic, the last Troll – Slivers
Lands (15)
4 Cavern of Souls
4 City of Brass
3 Gemstone Mine
4 Mutavault
1 Strip Mine
4 Cavern of Souls
4 City of Brass
3 Gemstone Mine
4 Mutavault
1 Strip Mine
Artifacts (12)
1 Black Lotus
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Mox Pearl
4 Æther Vial
4 Thorn of Amethyst
4 Thorn of Amethyst
Creatures (25)
4 Crystaline Sliver
4 Muscle Sliver
4 Sinew Sliver
3 Winged Sliver
3 Gemhide Sliver
3 Harmonic Sliver
2 Hibernation Sliver
3 Phantasmal Image
Sorceries (2)
1 Time Walk
1 Demonic Tutor
Instants (5)
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Vampiric Tutor
3 Path to Exile
Sideboard (15)
2 Notion Thief
3 Grafdigger's Cage
3 Leyline of the Void
2 Dismember
2 Inquisition of Kozilek
1 Flusterstorm
2 Chalice of the Void
July also saw the ending of the first Vintage
League. The Sydney guys had 12 players over 2 months duking it out for a Mox.
This league style of tournament was later picked up in Melbourne and has caught
like wildfire as there is currently a Vintage as well as both Highlander and
Legacy Leagues running there. They Sydney league was a great success with
Graham Croucher winning the Mox at the end of the tournament choosing Cobra
Gush as his weapon in the finals defeating Benjamin Paton on his Esper Control
deck. The remaining slots in the top 4 were Grixis Control and Blue Angels.
Graham Croucher (Cobra Gush)
Graham Croucher (Cobra Gush)
1 Ancestral
Recall
1 Black Lotus
1 Brainstorm
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Doomsday
1 Fastbond
3 Flooded Strand
2 Flusterstorm
4 Force of Will
4 Gush
1 Hurkyl's Recall
1 Island
2 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
1 Laboratory Maniac
4 Lotus Cobra
1 Mana Crypt
1 Merchant Scroll
1 Mind's Desire
1 Misty Rainforest
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Mystical Tutor
3 Polluted Delta
1 Ponder
4 Preordain
1 Pyroblast
1 Rebuild
2 Scalding Tarn
1 Tendrils of Agony
1 Time Walk
1 Timetwister
2 Tropical Island
2 Underground Sea
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Volcanic Island
1 Yawgmoth's Bargain
1 Yawgmoth's Will
1 Black Lotus
1 Brainstorm
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Doomsday
1 Fastbond
3 Flooded Strand
2 Flusterstorm
4 Force of Will
4 Gush
1 Hurkyl's Recall
1 Island
2 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
1 Laboratory Maniac
4 Lotus Cobra
1 Mana Crypt
1 Merchant Scroll
1 Mind's Desire
1 Misty Rainforest
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Mystical Tutor
3 Polluted Delta
1 Ponder
4 Preordain
1 Pyroblast
1 Rebuild
2 Scalding Tarn
1 Tendrils of Agony
1 Time Walk
1 Timetwister
2 Tropical Island
2 Underground Sea
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Volcanic Island
1 Yawgmoth's Bargain
1 Yawgmoth's Will
Sideboard
1 Fire // Ice
2 Ingot Chewer
4 Leyline of the Void
2 Lightning Bolt
2 Red Elemental Blast
1 Tormod's Crypt
2 Trygon Predator
1 Volcanic Island
1 Fire // Ice
2 Ingot Chewer
4 Leyline of the Void
2 Lightning Bolt
2 Red Elemental Blast
1 Tormod's Crypt
2 Trygon Predator
1 Volcanic Island
Benjamin
Paton (Esper Control)
1 Ancestral
Recall
1 Black Lotus
1 Blightsteel Colossus
1 Brainstorm
4 Dark Confidant
1 Demonic Tutor
2 Flooded Strand
4 Force of Will
1 Hurkyl's Recall
3 Island
3 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
1 Mana Crypt
3 Mana Drain
2 Mental Misstep
1 Merchant Scroll
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Mystical Tutor
4 Polluted Delta
1 Sensei's Divining Top
1 Sol Ring
3 Spell Snare
1 Swamp
1 Thirst for Knowledge
2 Thoughtseize
1 Time Vault
1 Time Walk
1 Tinker
1 Tolarian Academy
2 Tundra
3 Underground Sea
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Voltaic Key
1 Yawgmoth's Will
1 Black Lotus
1 Blightsteel Colossus
1 Brainstorm
4 Dark Confidant
1 Demonic Tutor
2 Flooded Strand
4 Force of Will
1 Hurkyl's Recall
3 Island
3 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
1 Mana Crypt
3 Mana Drain
2 Mental Misstep
1 Merchant Scroll
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Mystical Tutor
4 Polluted Delta
1 Sensei's Divining Top
1 Sol Ring
3 Spell Snare
1 Swamp
1 Thirst for Knowledge
2 Thoughtseize
1 Time Vault
1 Time Walk
1 Tinker
1 Tolarian Academy
2 Tundra
3 Underground Sea
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Voltaic Key
1 Yawgmoth's Will
Sideboard
2 Disenchant
1 Extirpate
3 Grafdigger's Cage
1 Pithing Needle
2 Rest in Peace
2 Steel Sabotage
4 Swords to Plowshares
2 Disenchant
1 Extirpate
3 Grafdigger's Cage
1 Pithing Needle
2 Rest in Peace
2 Steel Sabotage
4 Swords to Plowshares
Of note here is Graham’s use of Doomsday over Tinker as his secondary win condition. I have only seen it one other time and it obviously worked for him.
July also saw Australia’s largest Vintage event with 35 players making it down for the annual MASTERS event. This was the largest Vintage event and the largest Sanctioned Vintage event in the Southern Hemisphere for 2013. Well done Australia. It was also the largest Vintage event ever held at Next Level Games and the Legacy event was also huge. I would like once again thank everybody who came down, it was fantastic to be involved with and it’s such a great community that I can’t wait for next year.
As for the tournament itself, once again the Sanctioned event was saturated with Drain players, over half the field was on some version of a Blue Control deck. This tournament was also the first Australian tournament to have its finals recorded, though some footage was corrupted, we have 5 games still up you Youtube to watch. This tournaments top 2 also split the finals meaning that which cost Dredge its closest chance to actually win an Australian tournament in 2013. Jason’s Scott’s Oath deck was declared the winner. Reflecting recent changes overseas and almost as a precursor to future top 8’s, Jason had dropped many of the Combo parts from the other Griselbrand decks and was hoping to ride the demon to victory, defending it with Countermagic and just tutoring up Key-Vault.
1) Jason Scott – Oath of Druids
Lands (16)
2 Island
1 Tolarian Academy
1 Tropical Island
1 Polluted Delta
1 Misty Rainforest
3 Flooded Strand
3 Underground Sea
4 Forbidden Orchard
2 Island
1 Tolarian Academy
1 Tropical Island
1 Polluted Delta
1 Misty Rainforest
3 Flooded Strand
3 Underground Sea
4 Forbidden Orchard
Artifacts (11)
1 Mana Crypt
1 Sol Ring
1 Black Lotus
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Sensei’s Divining Top
1 Voltaic Key
1 Time Vault
Creatures (2)
2 Grislebrand
Enchantments (4)
4 Oath of Druids
Planeswalkers (1)
1 Jace the Mind Sculptor
Sorceries (7)
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Tendrils of Agony
1 Show and Tell
1 Yawgmoth’s Will
1 Time Walk
2 Thoughtseize
Instants (19)
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Memories Journey
1 Chain of Vapour
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Mana Drain
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Brainstorm
1 Hurkyl’s Recall
2 Flusterstorm
3 Impulse
4 Force of Will
2 Mental Misstep
Sideboard (15)
Show and Tell
Steel Sabotage
2 Nature’s Claim
2 Duress
2 Pithing Needle
1 Surgical Extraction
1 Abrupt Decay
1 Massacre
4 Leyline of the Void
2) Samuel Loy – Cagebreaker Dredge
Lands(12)
4 Bazaar of Baghdad
3 City of Brass
4 Undiscovered Paradise
1 Dakmoor Salvage
4 Bazaar of Baghdad
3 City of Brass
4 Undiscovered Paradise
1 Dakmoor Salvage
Artifacts (4)
4 Serum Powder
Creatures (24)
2 Ichorid
1 Sun Titan
1 Flame Kin Zealot
2 Fatestitcher
4 Narcomoeba
4 Golgari Grave-Troll
4 Stinkweed Imp
2 Golgari Thug
4 Bloodghast
2 Ichorid
1 Sun Titan
1 Flame Kin Zealot
2 Fatestitcher
4 Narcomoeba
4 Golgari Grave-Troll
4 Stinkweed Imp
2 Golgari Thug
4 Bloodghast
Enchantments (4)
4 Bridge from Below
Sorceries (6)
4 Cabal Therapy
2 Dread Return
Instants (10)
4 Mental Misstep
4 Nature’s Claim
2 Darkblast
Sideboard (15)
4 Ingot Chewer
4 Chain of Vapour
2 Tormod’s Crypt
2 Serenity
1 Ichorid
1 City of Brass
1 Elesh Norn
September saw NLG Monthlies back in form with 12
players braving Melbourne’s unpredictable weather only to be defeated by
Verbrannte Ranken, an Oathless Burning Tendrills deck which uses the Oath slots
in the more popular version with additional acceleration in the form of Cabal
Ritual, Simian Spirit Guide and more bounce like Rebuild and Chain of Vapour.
Tim winning with this deck is even more remarkable as he defeated Martello Shops in the final
round.
1) Tim Hughes - Verbrannte Ranken
Lands (11)
4 City of Brass
4 Forbidden Orchard
2 Gemstone Mine
1 Tolarian Academy
4 City of Brass
4 Forbidden Orchard
2 Gemstone Mine
1 Tolarian Academy
Artifacts (14)
1 Black Lotus
2 Chrome Mox
1 Lion’s Eye Diamond
1 Lotus Petal
1 Mana Crypt
1 Mana Vault
5 Moxen
1 Sol Ring
2 Mox Opal
1 Memory Jar
Creatures (2)
2 Simian Spirit Guide
Enchantments (2)
1 Necropotence
1 Yawgmoth’s Bargain
Instants (13)
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
Sorceries (16)
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
Sideboard (15)
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
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
2) Andrew Erlndren - Martello Shops
Lands (18)
Lands (18)
4 Mishra's Factory
4 Mishra's Workshop
1 Strip Mine
1 Tolarian Academy
4 Wasteland
4 Mishra's Workshop
1 Strip Mine
1 Tolarian Academy
4 Wasteland
Artifacts (24)
1 Black Lotus
1 Mana Crypt
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Sol Ring
4 Chalice of the Void
3 Sphere of Resistance
4 Tangle Wire
4 Thorn of Amethyst
1 Trinisphere
Creatures (18)
1 Duplicant
4 Kuldotha Forgemaster
4 Lodestone Golem
3 Phyrexian Metamorph
3 Phyrexian Revoker
2 Steel Hellkite
1 Sundering Titan
Sideboard (15)
3 Crucible of Worlds
1 Duplicant
3 Grafdigger's Cage
2 Serrated Arrows
1 Sphere of Resistance
4 Tormod's Crypt
1 Wurmcoil Engine
Mid-October saw GP Brisbane come around and we had
25 players with the itch for some sanctioned Vintage. This time Robert Bartlett
made the switch to Shops and was rewarded with first place over the U/R Delver,
complete with Price of Progress. Robert’s BC Espresso list overcame the Delver
list on the back of Buried Ruin > Wurmcoil engine in game 2.
"BC Stax, by Robert Bartlett - 1st"
"BC Stax, by Robert Bartlett - 1st"
Business (32)
4 Chalice of the Void
4 Tangle Wire
3 Crucible of Worlds
3 Smokestack
2 Ratchet Bomb
1 Trinisphere
4 Lodestone Golem
3 Triskellion
3 Phyrexian Revoker
3 Phyrexian Metamorph
2 Karn, Silver Golem
4 Chalice of the Void
4 Tangle Wire
3 Crucible of Worlds
3 Smokestack
2 Ratchet Bomb
1 Trinisphere
4 Lodestone Golem
3 Triskellion
3 Phyrexian Revoker
3 Phyrexian Metamorph
2 Karn, Silver Golem
Mana Sources (28)
1 Black Lotus
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Mana Crypt
1 Sol Ring
1 Mana Vault
1 Tolarian Academy
4 Mishra’s Workshop
4 Ancient Tomb
1 City of Traitors
4 Buried Ruin
1 Strip Mine
4 Wasteland
1 Black Lotus
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Mana Crypt
1 Sol Ring
1 Mana Vault
1 Tolarian Academy
4 Mishra’s Workshop
4 Ancient Tomb
1 City of Traitors
4 Buried Ruin
1 Strip Mine
4 Wasteland
Sideboard (15)
4 Grafdigger’s Cage
4 Tormod’s Crypt
3 Sphere of Resistance
3 Wurmcoil Engine
1 Crucible of Worlds
"UR Delver, by Luke McCandless -
2nd"Business (42)
4 Force of Will
2 Mental Misstep
3 Spell Snare
3 Flusterstorm
1 Steel Sabotage
4 Lightning Bolt
2 Price of Progress
4 Gush
2 Preordain
1 Ponder
1 Brainstorm
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Time Walk
1 Mystical Tutor
4 Delver of Secrets
3 Young Pyromancer
3 Snapcaster Mage
2 Vendillion Clique
2 Mental Misstep
3 Spell Snare
3 Flusterstorm
1 Steel Sabotage
4 Lightning Bolt
2 Price of Progress
4 Gush
2 Preordain
1 Ponder
1 Brainstorm
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Time Walk
1 Mystical Tutor
4 Delver of Secrets
3 Young Pyromancer
3 Snapcaster Mage
2 Vendillion Clique
Mana Sources (18)
1 Black Lotus
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Sapphire
3 Misty Rainforest
2 Scalding Tarn
2 Volcanic Island
6 Island
2 Mountain
1 Black Lotus
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Sapphire
3 Misty Rainforest
2 Scalding Tarn
2 Volcanic Island
6 Island
2 Mountain
Sideboard (15)
4 Ingot Chewer
4 Grafdigger’s Cage
2 Spell Pierce
1 Pyroblast
1 Red Elemental Blast
1 Shattering Spree
1 Mental Misstep
1 Shattering Blow
November saw two Victorian events. The first
Melbourne Vintage League, modelled after the Sydney League earlier in the year
came to a close with Grixis once again at the top of the pack. In fact 50% of
the top 4 was Grixis control. Of note, this time around we saw the addition of
Dreadbore for the first time to the main deck to deal with the abundance of
planeswalkers but more specifically Karn Liberated from the BoM deck which Luke
had been championing with great success all throughout the league.
Isaac Egan
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Black Lotus
1 Brainstorm
4 Dark Confidant
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Dreadbore
4 Force of Will
1 Gifts Ungiven
1 Hurkyl's Recall
1 Island
3 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
1 Library of Alexandria
2 Lightning Bolt
1 Mana Crypt
2 Mana Drain
2 Mental Misstep
1 Merchant Scroll
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Myr Battlesphere
1 Mystical Tutor
4 Polluted Delta
4 Scalding Tarn
2 Snapcaster Mage
1 Sol Ring
2 Spell Pierce
1 Swamp
1 Time Vault
1 Time Walk
1 Tinker
1 Tolarian Academy
2 Underground Sea
1 Vampiric Tutor
2 Volcanic Island
1 Voltaic Key
1 Yawgmoth's Will
1 Black Lotus
1 Brainstorm
4 Dark Confidant
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Dreadbore
4 Force of Will
1 Gifts Ungiven
1 Hurkyl's Recall
1 Island
3 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
1 Library of Alexandria
2 Lightning Bolt
1 Mana Crypt
2 Mana Drain
2 Mental Misstep
1 Merchant Scroll
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Myr Battlesphere
1 Mystical Tutor
4 Polluted Delta
4 Scalding Tarn
2 Snapcaster Mage
1 Sol Ring
2 Spell Pierce
1 Swamp
1 Time Vault
1 Time Walk
1 Tinker
1 Tolarian Academy
2 Underground Sea
1 Vampiric Tutor
2 Volcanic Island
1 Voltaic Key
1 Yawgmoth's Will
Sideboard
1 Dreadbore
1 Firespout
4 Grafdigger's Cage
3 Ingot Chewer
2 Mental Misstep
1 Mountain
1 Rack and Ruin
1 Strip Mine
1 Vandalblast
Luke McCandless
4 Ancient Tomb
1 Black Lotus
4 Chalice of the Void
4 City of Traitors
2 Crucible of Worlds
2 Expedition Map
2 Karn Liberated
1 Karn, Silver Golem
4 Lodestone Golem
1 Mana Crypt
1 Mana Vault
4 Metalworker
4 Mishra's Workshop
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Sapphire
2 Phyrexian Metamorph
4 Phyrexian Revoker
1 Sol Ring
4 Sphere of Resistance
3 Staff of Nin
1 Strip Mine
1 Tolarian Academy
1 Trinisphere
4 Wasteland
1 Black Lotus
4 Chalice of the Void
4 City of Traitors
2 Crucible of Worlds
2 Expedition Map
2 Karn Liberated
1 Karn, Silver Golem
4 Lodestone Golem
1 Mana Crypt
1 Mana Vault
4 Metalworker
4 Mishra's Workshop
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Sapphire
2 Phyrexian Metamorph
4 Phyrexian Revoker
1 Sol Ring
4 Sphere of Resistance
3 Staff of Nin
1 Strip Mine
1 Tolarian Academy
1 Trinisphere
4 Wasteland
Sideboard
3 Batterskull
1 Crucible of Worlds
4 Grafdigger's Cage
1 Jester's Cap
2 Pithing Needle
2 Tormod's Crypt
2 Wurmcoil Engine
The remainder of this top 4 was U/R Landstill and
Grixis Control.
As soon as Vintage Champs was over, heaps of people were ready to see what changes the worldwide metagame was going though and how it would affect us here at NLG. 14 players battled it out for a shiny new Commander deck of their choice. 6 hours later it was Jimbo who took home first place after two crazy games vs Lab Man Dredge with my URg Gushstill brew. Seeing Lab Man dredge was refreshing and once again the deck was not able to bring out a win.
1) James "Jimbo" Dowling - URg Gushstill
As soon as Vintage Champs was over, heaps of people were ready to see what changes the worldwide metagame was going though and how it would affect us here at NLG. 14 players battled it out for a shiny new Commander deck of their choice. 6 hours later it was Jimbo who took home first place after two crazy games vs Lab Man Dredge with my URg Gushstill brew. Seeing Lab Man dredge was refreshing and once again the deck was not able to bring out a win.
1) James "Jimbo" Dowling - URg Gushstill
Lands (24)
4 Scalding Tarn
4 Mishra's Factory
4 Wasteland
3 Volcanic Island
2 Tropical Island
2 Island
1 Library of Alexandria
1 Mountain
1 Barbarian Ring
1 Strip Mine
4 Scalding Tarn
4 Mishra's Factory
4 Wasteland
3 Volcanic Island
2 Tropical Island
2 Island
1 Library of Alexandria
1 Mountain
1 Barbarian Ring
1 Strip Mine
Artifacts (4)
2 Engineered Explosives
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Black Lotus
Creatures (3)
1 Gorillla Shaman
2 Snapcaster Mage
Enchantments (5)
1 Fastbond
4 Standstill
Planeswalkers (4)
4 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
Instants (21)
4 Force of Will
3 Gush
3 Mana Drain
1 Ancient Grudge
1 Ancestral Recall
3 Lightning Bolt
1 Spell Pierce
1 Flusterstorm
2 Spell Snare
2 Steel Sabotage
Sideboard (15)
4 Grafdigger's Cage
2 Flusterstorm
1 Dismember
1 Firespout
1 Surgical Extraction
3 Ingot Chewer
1 Pyroblast
1 Mental Misstep
1 Tormod's Crypt
2) Zac Crowley - Lab Man Dredge
Lands (10)
4 Bazaar of Baghdad
4 Dakmoor Salvage
4 City of Brass
1 Riftstone Portal
1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
4 Bazaar of Baghdad
4 Dakmoor Salvage
4 City of Brass
1 Riftstone Portal
1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
Artifacts (7)
4 Serum Powder
1 Black Lotus
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Mox Jet
Creatures (23)
4 Bloodghast
4 Narcomoeba
4 Golgari Grave-Troll
4 Stinkweed Imp
2 Fatestitcher
2 Laboratory Maniac
2 Griselbrand
1 Sun Titian
Enchantment (2)
2 Bridge from Below
Sorceries (7)
4 Dread Return
3 Cabal Therapy
Instants (7)
2 Darkblast
4 Mental Misstep
1 Ancestral Recall
Sideboard (15)
4 Cavern of Souls
1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
4 Divining Witch
4 Mayor of Avabruck
1 Dark Confidant
1 Vampiric Tutor
December, the last month of the yea also had two
Victorian based events to finish the year off.
NLV: December edition had the last minute decision to cut to a top 8 with only 12 players just to get more Vintage in and while that did not go so well for Luke McCandless who only lost 1 game in the swiss, only to lose in the top 8 cut, the whole event was a heap of fun. The addition of some of the Melbourne crew such as Isaac was a great boost and made the day really enjoyable. Isaac once again, championing Grixis took down the event defeating Tim Hughes on Espresso Stax in the finals. Rounding out this top 4 was Dan on his usual Mono Red Welder Stax and Joshua Butler on 5C Control.
1) Isaac Egan - Grixis Control
NLV: December edition had the last minute decision to cut to a top 8 with only 12 players just to get more Vintage in and while that did not go so well for Luke McCandless who only lost 1 game in the swiss, only to lose in the top 8 cut, the whole event was a heap of fun. The addition of some of the Melbourne crew such as Isaac was a great boost and made the day really enjoyable. Isaac once again, championing Grixis took down the event defeating Tim Hughes on Espresso Stax in the finals. Rounding out this top 4 was Dan on his usual Mono Red Welder Stax and Joshua Butler on 5C Control.
1) Isaac Egan - Grixis Control
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Black Lotus
1 Brainstorm
4 Dark Confidant
1 Black Lotus
1 Brainstorm
4 Dark Confidant
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Dreadbore
4 Force of Will
1 Gifts Ungiven
1 Hurkyl's Recall
1 Island
3 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
1 Library of Alexandria
2 Lightning Bolt
1 Mana Crypt
1 Dreadbore
4 Force of Will
1 Gifts Ungiven
1 Hurkyl's Recall
1 Island
3 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
1 Library of Alexandria
2 Lightning Bolt
1 Mana Crypt
2 Mana Drain
2 Mental Misstep
1 Merchant Scroll
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Myr Battlesphere
1 Mystical Tutor
4 Polluted Delta
4 Scalding Tarn
2 Snapcaster Mage
1 Sol Ring
2 Spell Pierce
1 Swamp
1 Time Vault
1 Time Walk
1 Tinker
1 Tolarian Academy
2 Underground Sea
1 Vampiric Tutor
2 Mental Misstep
1 Merchant Scroll
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Myr Battlesphere
1 Mystical Tutor
4 Polluted Delta
4 Scalding Tarn
2 Snapcaster Mage
1 Sol Ring
2 Spell Pierce
1 Swamp
1 Time Vault
1 Time Walk
1 Tinker
1 Tolarian Academy
2 Underground Sea
1 Vampiric Tutor
2 Volcanic Island
1 Voltaic Key
1 Yawgmoth's Will
1 Voltaic Key
1 Yawgmoth's Will
Sideboard
1 Dreadbore
1 Firespout
4 Grafdigger's Cage
3 Ingot Chewer
2 Mental Misstep
1 Mountain
1 Rack and Ruin
1 Strip Mine
1 Vandalblast
2) Tim Hughes - Espresso Shops
lands (18)
4 Mishra's Workshop
4 Ancient Tomb
4 Mishra's Factory
4 Wasteland
1 Strip Mine
1 Tolarian Academy
4 Mishra's Workshop
4 Ancient Tomb
4 Mishra's Factory
4 Wasteland
1 Strip Mine
1 Tolarian Academy
Artifacts (42)
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Ruby
1 Sol Ring
1 Mana Crypt
4 Chalice of the Void
4 Tangle Wire
4 Smokestack
4 Serum Powder
4 Sphere of Resistance
3 Crucible of Worlds
1 Trinisphere
1 Thorn of Amethyst
4 Lodestone Golem
3 Phyrexian Revoker
2 Karn, Silver Golem
1 Duplicant
Sideboard:
4 Leyline of the Void
4 Leyline of Sanctity
2 Grafdigger's Cage
2 Wurmcoil Engine
1 Maze of Ith
Finally, we arrive at our final tournament of the
year. We had 22 players for our moxalicious event which really sent the year
out with a bang. In a “his Dark Materials” mix of fate, the finals would play
out to a similar end to our last tournament, though this time not in favour of
Grixis with Tim Hughes on Espresso defeating Isaac Egan on Grixis in the
Semi-finals. Tim would go on to defeat the URg Gushstill list in the finals.
The top 8 of this event featured, Shops, Gush, Bob, Delvers, Oaths and even 3
Swords of Fire and Ice.
1) Tim Hughes - Espresso Shops
1) Tim Hughes - Espresso Shops
lands (18)
4 Mishra's Workshop
4 Ancient Tomb
4 Mishra's Factory
4 Wasteland
1 Strip Mine
1 Tolarian Academy
4 Mishra's Workshop
4 Ancient Tomb
4 Mishra's Factory
4 Wasteland
1 Strip Mine
1 Tolarian Academy
Artifacts (42)
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Ruby
1 Sol Ring
1 Mana Crypt
4 Chalice of the Void
4 Tangle Wire
4 Smokestack
4 Serum Powder
4 Sphere of Resistance
3 Crucible of Worlds
1 Trinisphere
1 Thorn of Amethyst
4 Lodestone Golem
3 Phyrexian Revoker
2 Karn, Silver Golem
1 Duplicant
Sideboard:
4 Leyline of the Void
4 Leyline of Sanctity
2 Grafdigger's Cage
2 Wurmcoil Engine
1 Maze of Ith
2) James 'Jimbo" Dowling - U/R/g GushstillLands
(23)
4 Scalding Tarn
4 Mishra's Factory
4 Wasteland
3 Volcanic Island
2 Tropical Island
2 Island
1 Mountain
1 Barbarian Ring
1 Library of Alexandria
1 Strip Mine
4 Mishra's Factory
4 Wasteland
3 Volcanic Island
2 Tropical Island
2 Island
1 Mountain
1 Barbarian Ring
1 Library of Alexandria
1 Strip Mine
Artefacts (6)
1 Black Lotus
1 Mox Sapphire
2 Engineered Explosives
2 Crucible of Worlds
Creatures (2)
2 Snapcaster Mage
Planeswalkers (4)
4 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
Enchantments (5)
4 Standstill
1 Fastbond
Instants (20)
1 Ancestral Recall
3 Gush
1 Ancient Grudge
3 Lightning Bolt
4 Force of Will
3 Mana Drain
2 Steel Sabotage
2 Spell Snare
1 Flusterstorm
Sideboard (15)
4 Grafdigger's Cage
3 Ingot Chewer
2 Flusterstorm
1 Firespout
1 Dismember
1 Surgical Extraction
1 Pyroblast
1 Mental Misstep
1 Tormod's Crypt
The remaining decks were:
Strixis Control
Grixis Control
Oath of Druids
Workshop Aggro
Grixis Control
RUG Delver
No Bug Fish in this top 8 but that was the only deck missing that had put up good numbers during the year. Overall this event was a blast and a fantastic way to end the year. I hope that we can get such events more often and 2014 and look forward to 2014 being even bigger and better than 2013.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wow, that’s a lot of Data. Almost an entire year of
tournaments spanning 3 states. The only notable tournaments that are missing
from this are CacCon and any of Shane’s tournaments in the ACT. I could not
find those results online L.
There are a few clear trends in the data:
- 2013 was not a good year for Dredge; it was played in numerically low numbers and did not win any tournaments. Even with it not being played a great deal, reviewing decklists show that most players are still paying hefty Dredge Taxes. Maybe this will change in 2014 but without that change Dredge does not seem like a tournament winning deck at the moment.
- There is a very wide subset of players who default to Blue Based Control strategies, particularly for larger tournaments. Of course, this is vintage and Control Mages are to be expected but there is an oversaturation of these players compared to the worldwide average. This is something I suspect players to prey upon in 2014. It is already starting to happen; the December Vintage events had a record number of Spell pierces and Mindbreak Traps.
- There has been a huge consolidation in Fish strategies to BUG Fish and RUG Delver. 2014 will reveal whether this will continue or whether it is just a momentary lapse in the diversity of creature options we saw earlier in the year.
- People have gotten over Burning Long. The deck is good but the popularity of the deck has waned. The slew of victories it had in the early months of 2013 has slowed down. It is still being played but is in decline and I suspect it’s top 8 numbers to do likewise.
- Shop Players still have not decided on a definite direction for that pillar to go. Espresso, Metalworker, Aggro and Martello have all made multiple appearances over the year but Espresso has the most victories.
Bonus: Here are some tables for best performing Decks and players over 2014.
P.S. this was a last minute decision and I may have missed some players/top 8’s.
P.P.S. Obviously these are very Melbourne based as the sheer number of events there makes the players/deck played there come up more frequently.
Most wins
There are a few clear trends in the data:
- 2013 was not a good year for Dredge; it was played in numerically low numbers and did not win any tournaments. Even with it not being played a great deal, reviewing decklists show that most players are still paying hefty Dredge Taxes. Maybe this will change in 2014 but without that change Dredge does not seem like a tournament winning deck at the moment.
- There is a very wide subset of players who default to Blue Based Control strategies, particularly for larger tournaments. Of course, this is vintage and Control Mages are to be expected but there is an oversaturation of these players compared to the worldwide average. This is something I suspect players to prey upon in 2014. It is already starting to happen; the December Vintage events had a record number of Spell pierces and Mindbreak Traps.
- There has been a huge consolidation in Fish strategies to BUG Fish and RUG Delver. 2014 will reveal whether this will continue or whether it is just a momentary lapse in the diversity of creature options we saw earlier in the year.
- People have gotten over Burning Long. The deck is good but the popularity of the deck has waned. The slew of victories it had in the early months of 2013 has slowed down. It is still being played but is in decline and I suspect it’s top 8 numbers to do likewise.
- Shop Players still have not decided on a definite direction for that pillar to go. Espresso, Metalworker, Aggro and Martello have all made multiple appearances over the year but Espresso has the most victories.
Bonus: Here are some tables for best performing Decks and players over 2014.
P.S. this was a last minute decision and I may have missed some players/top 8’s.
P.P.S. Obviously these are very Melbourne based as the sheer number of events there makes the players/deck played there come up more frequently.
Most wins
|
Name
|
# Top 8
|
# Wins
|
|
Burning Tendils
|
8
|
3
|
|
Espresso
|
4
|
3
|
|
Grixis Control
|
13
|
2
|
|
BUG Fish
|
8
|
1
|
|
Landstill
|
4
|
1
|
|
Oath
|
3
|
1
|
|
Cobra Gush
|
2
|
1
|
|
Junk Fish
|
1
|
1
|
|
5c Control
|
1
|
1
|
|
Forgemaster
|
1
|
1
|
|
Gush
|
1
|
1
|
|
Humans
|
1
|
1
|
Most top 4/8’s
|
Name
|
# Top 8
|
# Wins
|
|
Grixis Control
|
13
|
2
|
|
Burning Tendils
|
8
|
3
|
|
BUG Fish
|
8
|
1
|
|
Espresso
|
4
|
3
|
|
Landstill
|
4
|
1
|
|
Turbo Tezzeret
|
4
|
|
|
Martello
|
4
|
|
|
Dredge
|
4
|
|
|
RUG Delver
|
3
|
|
|
Oath
|
3
|
1
|
|
Cobra Gush
|
2
|
1
|
|
Aggro Shops
|
2
|
|
|
Strixis
|
2
|
|
|
Metalworker
|
2
|
|
|
Junk Fish
|
1
|
1
|
|
5c Control
|
1
|
1
|
|
Forgemaster
|
1
|
1
|
|
Gush
|
1
|
1
|
|
Humans
|
1
|
1
|
|
Affinity
|
1
|
|
|
Slivers
|
1
|
|
|
Merfolk
|
1
|
|
|
Mono R Shops
|
1
|
|
|
4c Control
|
1
|
|
|
Dark Times
|
1
|
|
|
Burn
|
1
|
|
|
Terra Nova
|
1
|
|
|
The Wheel
|
1
|
|
|
TPS
|
1
|
|
|
Bomberman
|
1
|
|
|
U/W landstill
|
1
|
|
|
GW H8 Bears
|
1
|
|
|
Steel City Vault
|
1
|
|
|
Pyro Storm
|
1
|
|
|
U/R Delver
|
1
|
|
Players by top 4/8
Players by # of Wins
|
|
|
|
