Congrats on your top 4 finish. Choosing Chalice over Null Rod seems really good. Chalice of the Void and Gorilla Shaman (and Pyroblast of course) work really nicely together against Tinker, which I agree is this deck's main concern. Chalice (on zero) also allows same-turn plays that are more costly/impossible with Null Rod. Chalice is better against Storm too. Troy: Were there any circumstances where you Chaliced for 1 or 2? And why play Snow-covered lands?

For anyone interested, here's another possible sideboard (perhaps for a metagame with less Oath and more Dredge):

4 Mogg Fanatic
4 Relic of Progenitus
1 Blood Moon
2 Ancient Grudge
1 Seal of Primordium
3 Red Elemental Blast

I vote for Sam Berse, Mark Hornung, and Matt Elias. I'm from NJ but I've participated in several Blue Bells over the past 2 years.

I agree with Troy.
And?  We expect posts here to have more content than "I agree."

-Klep

Doing well with this deck depends on knowing your metagame as well as you can, and tweaking your list accordingly, even if that means studying a huge meta. In a large tournament environment, I wouldn't say it's impossible to metagame. You can't check out what everyone's playing, so there will always be a few surprises, but you can generally expect to play against the major archetypes a lot (i.e. MUD, Fish, Stax, Dredge, Combo, Tezz, UGB Tezz, Oath). I agree one of the biggest problems facing this deck is making every card choice count in as many matchups as possible, but I don't think there is any such thing as an "allround list." Anyway, for Robin and anyone who is interested, here's what I'm currently running:

4 Tarmogoyf
4 Null Rod
4 Pyroblast
4 Magus of the Moon
4 Seal of Primordium
4 Nature's Claim
4 Mogg Fanatic Gorilla Shaman
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Elvish Spirit Guide
4 Simian Spirit Guide
4 Wooded Foothills
2 Taiga
4 Forest
4 Mountain
4 Wasteland
1 Strip Mine
1 Black Lotus

Sideboard:
1 Blood Moon
3 Red Elemental Blast
3 Ancient Grudge
4 Pithing Needle
4 Relic of Progenitus or Tormod's Crypt

Choke is good per se, but it's not so good when their nonbasics become mountains. Choke is practically anti-synergistic with Magus/Blood Moon. If I had open slots for something like Choke, I'd consider just adding more Blood Moons.

No problem, I hope your testing goes well. And I agree with what Troy just wrote. I also agree with your "balancing test" statement, it's just that in my experience the pros of having 4 Pyroblast have always outweighed the cons.

Thanks Troy. By the way, "Autumn's Veil: Autumn's Fail" really made me lol.

o uncola o: I prefer Nature's Claim because Tin Street Hooligan is almost completely useless against Oath, Nature's Claim is instant speed, and I can cast Nature's Claim off an ESG while tapped out if necessary. Also, If Sphere of Resistance or Lodestone Golem is out, Nature's Claim will cost 2 whereas Tin Street will cost 3, which is sometimes a difference that makes or breaks a game with this deck.

Troy: It is challenging to work with 8 three-drops, but I think it's plenty feasible. It's just a matter of playing the right one at the right time and playing your lands correctly. In situations where I have both Burning-Tree and Magus in hand but can only cast one, if I manage to choose correctly it's usually not a problem that I may have to wait awhile to cast the other or even never cast the other. It's great to protect them with Pyroblast/REB when I can, but I agree that is hard to do. On the other hand, I don't really mind getting them countered when I can't reach 4 mana with a Blast in hand because 1) many of the other spells in the deck get the job done, and 2) holding that Blast often results in me either protecting another clutch spell or countering a Tinker, Recall, Jace, Tezzeret, FoF, Gifts, Mystical Tutor or some such since they've expended a FoW on my three-drop. And then there are plenty of times when just one three-drop is in hand, and I'll go ahead and play it even if it means using Spirit Guide(s) (unless I have reason to hedge for the other three-drop) because by the time I draw another three-drop I'll likely have three+ mana or I'll have locked the game up.

BruiZar: I like the idea of Sculpting Steel, I'll have to test it...

You could be right, depending on your local metagame, but in my experience Mogg Fanatic has been very handy for killing Dark Confidant, Goblin Welder, Noble Hierarch, Forbidden Orchard tokens and anything else with one toughness, as well as exiling Bridge from Below. Ancient Grudge isn't versatile enough to be maindeck, and Life from the Loam just doesn't work in this deck (based on my testing of it). I've considered Lightning Bolt, but in my opinion Mogg Fanatic is more useful.

Vintage Adepts: What do you think are good shuffling techniques/habits (pre-game or in-game)? Do you have any particular habits that serve you well? At any given tournament I'll see people who aren't thorough enough, people who I think are on overkill, and everything in between, which has made me curious for a while now.

Thanks for all your input.

-Ryan

For anyone who is interested, here is a list I'm running right now:

4 Tarmogoyf
4 Null Rod
4 Pyroblast
4 Magus of the Moon
4 Seal of Primordium
4 Nature's Claim
4 Mogg Fanatic
4 Burning-Tree Shaman
4 Elvish Spirit Guide
4 Simian Spirit Guide
4 Wooded Foothills
2 Taiga
4 Forest
4 Mountain
4 Wasteland
1 Strip Mine
1 Black Lotus

Sideboard:
1 Blood Moon
3 Red Elemental Blast
3 Ancient Grudge
4 Pithing Needle
2 Tormod's Crypt
2 Ravenous Trap

I'm open to suggestions, questions, and feedback. I don't think Autumn's Veil has a place in the deck right now, unless your local metagame has a big blue/black bias. And for the sake of this deck I hope they print some broken red or green spell(s) in Scars of Mirrodin, or at least in the Scars block.

-Ryan

Hey thanks. The maindeck is pretty much set in stone unless the metagame changes in some big way. Sideboard may always be subject to tweaking; I'm pretty sure I'm getting rid of Greater Gargadons.

I felt Seal of Primordium was better against Sphere of Resistance/Trinisphere and as an enchantment it helps pump Tarmogoyf.