So for those who don't know my handle, this is Brian Grewe.

I play at Black Gold on Thursdays, as well as pretty every other Vintage event Carl runs.

I am pretty ashamed at how this conversation seems to have degraded. The reality is this, we play sanctioned Vintage on Thursdays. I don't want to see that change. I don't think those who show up on Thursdays want to see this change. The reality of the matter is this, Vintage requires an investment, but so does Standard, or extended, even limited. The bottom line is, Magic is a COLLECTIBLE card game, in which cards cost money. Read my next article on channelfireball, I am going to talk specifically between the investments required to play Vintage vs. Standard. But to give you all the cliff notes, Vintage is probably cheaper in the long run to play, but requires some sort of Up Front investment. If your not willing to make that investment, that's fine. Its your choice. we are not going to think any less of you because you don't have either the desire or the resources to pick up some cards. But please don't come in here and begrudge us, or call us elitists.

As for what to change, I remember distinctly having a conversation with carl about the dangers of having tourney's every month and that is, they lose their glamor. Maybe after October, it'll be nice to have a short break before the next major tournament. Also, maybe we need to change the format a bit. We could do 10.00 entry for cash tournaments up to 10 proxy, but for 15.00 they can have unlimited? Then people can't whine about not having cards as they could theoretically proxy every card.

Anyhow, do note that I appreciate the hell out of carl for having Vintage as their is a good chance I wouldn't play this game if I couldn't sling some Workshops every once in awhile.

Although I dont have the top 8 results, I think the first tournament of the day, Prelim #1@ 11:00 AM was around 70 players. Prelim #2 was 32 players (at 4pm).

There was a TON of MUD at the event. Also, there was maybe 10% on Ichorid and probably around 15% - 20% on Oath.

I did see a couple of Noble Fish players floating around and a gentlemen running Omnath + Berserk.

I had a just fine time Carl. I just chose to go look at a magic collection than play the last round.

how bout you just bring a game? Maybe monopoly? You know you can't beat me at magic.

Proxies are poo.

But proxies bring people out.

They certainly will be better.

Thanks to everyone who showed up for today's event. I will post a full report tomorrow, but just a quickie -

19 Participants.

5 Rounds, cut to top 4.

1st Place - Adam Ramsay, Selkie Smash.
2nd Place - Daniel Bragg, Steel City Vault
3rd Place - Michael Svien, Dark Tezz
4th Place - Travis Spero, TPS

Props - Jeff, the Owner of Enchanted Grounds for giving us a Venue for this month. Props to new players making their Tournament Debuts.

Slops - Ali Baba's for making 1/2 a tournament late for the Lunch Round and to everyone who decided that Snow = scary.

That's cold.

You obviously underestimate my ability to not lose in the finals again.

Well unfortunately, unless I go and learn chinese, more specifically how to read and translate s-chinese, that wasn't a possibility.

To be fair, I didn't know you could break a lotus in response to split second.

Carl,

Are you posting deck lists from the top 4? I am interested in seeing what Dan beat me with.

Brian

1st Place: Danny - Steel City Vault
2nd Place: Brian Grewe - 5c Stax
3rd Place: Alex Smith - Steel City Vault
4th Place: Steve Golenda - BuG

As Steve mentioned, it was a disappointing turn out. After delaying 30 minutes, we had about 20 people ready to play Vintage. I was playing 5c Stax and there was only 1 other person at the event who also played Stax.

Opponent 1: Adam Ramsay - Tyrant Oath

Now, preparing for this tournament, I knew people would be running oath, so I main decked and sideboarded a Jester's Cap.

Game One:
Turn 1: Mishra's Workshop, Mox, Chalice to 2. Forced.
Turn 2: I rip a Cap off the top and play Ancient tomb, Jester's Cap, resolves - activate. I notice immediately that he doesn't have more than 1 Tyrant in his deck. It must be in his hand. Three turns later he brainstorms it back in and resolves his oath.

Game Two:
Turn 1: Workshop, Mana Crypt, Jester's Cap. Forced.
Turn 2: I top deck a Cap and he scoops. He was only running 3 creatures in the deck.

Game Three:
Turn 1: He drops pithing needle, naming cap.
Turn 1: I play workshop, crucible go.
Turn 2: Forbidden Orchard.
Turn 2: I drop Strip mine, taking the orchard. He plays a land and drops another needle naming Strip mine.

We continue to play, but on turn 5 I tinker for Sundering Titan, wiping his land base out under a 3sphere.

1-0.

Opponent 2: Ryan Hannigan - U/G Fish

Game one: I crucible lock him early with a smokestack.
Game two: we draw about 3/4 of our deck until he finally drops a 6/7 goyf with me at 6 life.
Game Three: I lock him out with crucible/smokestack on turn 2.

2-0

Opponent 3: Michael Williams - Tezzeret

Game one: I drop a lot of pesky artifacts that keeps him at bay until I can get my Razormane into play.
Game two: He blows up early, dropping a Tezz. He then proceeds to turn all his moxen into creatures and swing for the win
Game Three: I believe he misplayed. Turn 1, I resolve a Smokestack. Turn 2, I add a counter, drop a crucible and another land and pass.
He responds with setting up Vault/Key and activating it. Smokestack is still set to 1. I am currently holding Wasteland, Wasteland, Strip Mine. He can't draw a land to activate Vault and ends up passing the turn back to me. I set stack to 2, draw then drop a strip mine. Pass. He ends up sacking all his permenants and died very easily to Trike.

3-0

Opponent 4: Marcus Knox - U/R Stax

Game One: He locks me early with Smokestacks, Tanglewires and a crucible.

Game Two: I lock him out with about the same.

Game Three: 12 minutes left in the match I am at 8, he is at 2, we are in the final turns of overtime and  Marcus has Karn and a 7/10 duplicant on the table with a 3sphere, Tormod's Crypt, Sphere of Resistance. I have a 1/1 Triskelion and a Goblin Welder. Instead of swinging for the win, he swings with duplicant, which I block with my Triskelion. Tie'ing the match.

3-0-1

Opponent 5: Steve Golenda - BuG.

Game 1: He resolves a Goyf and stomps me quickly.
Game 2: Same as above. A disappointing loss that I didn't expect. Steve was very nice to talk to and seemed to thoroughly enjoy both the deck and the format.

3-1-1.

I win on tie-breaks and find myself making the top 4.

I play Steve again. As you read in the report, it went just as he explained. Losing Game 1, I sided:

-4 Smokestack
-1 Tangle Wire
-1 Sphere of Resistance

+1 Krosan Grip
+1 Balance
+1 Ancient Grudge
+3 Powder Keg.

Game 2: I start early with resolving a Welder and a tanglewire. I get a powder keg out, then a chalice, and start my swinging with Razormane. At 10 life, I tinker in a Platinum Angel and he scoops.

Game 3: I resolve welder, powder keg, crucible, chalice and every other piece of control that I possibly could and keep him at bay with welding tanglewires. With 2 spheres on the board, he casts Black Lotus. I've been holding Krosan for awhile, so I destroy his mana. Finally, I resolve a Triskelion and beat him down.

Final Match: 5c Stax vs. Steel City Vault.

I would give all the gory details of this match but I got murdered. Game 1 I get him to 8 life before he proceeds to kill my lock piece with a flashbacked Ancient Grudge.

Game 2: I have a Jester's cap in hand with enough mana to cast and activate it the following turn. He plays a bunch of spells, casts Yawg's will and tinkers for the win.

Grats to Danny for the win and thanks Carl for running a smooth Tournament. Maybe next time Eh?

Black Gold's tourney is on the 13th.

So this isn't happening right? At least not on Sunday?

I'll be there sir. TBG ftw.

It's not ignorance. You can win a tournament with a sub-optimal deck. You can win with an optimal deck. Regardless, he was stating that some of the Ichorid posts are using lists are not as efficient or lack particular cards to survive in the current meta. There may be preference, but there is also the meta game to shape decisions for what's in and what's out.

I understand what each card does, but I think that the 4 spots dedicated to Noble Heirarch could be spent on better cards.

I think the disruption/destruction is a good idea, but maybe doing a split like 2 disrupt/1 draw/counter card might be the way to go. Thirst was pretty awesome in Tezz, but controlling the field, especially with as many fish decks floating around may be worth considering.

Something like:
Diabolic Edict
Innocent Blood
Remand/Echoing Truth/Daze/Fire//Ice

I would change:

+4 Fetch lands
+3 Ancient Tomb
+2 Juggernaut
+4 Magus of the Moon
+1  Staff of Domination

I would cut back on:

-1  Goblin Welder
-2  Gorilla Shaman (2)
-1  Triskelavus
-1  Duplicant
-1  Lotus Petal
-3  Sensei's Divining Top
-1 Sword of Fire and Ice
-4  Thorn of Amethyst

I think you have a good start, but you have some cards that I believe are extra or don't quite fit in the deck. Currently we have a few different archtypes are pretty common and powerful. I don't quite see why you need more than 2 monkeys, 3 welders and 3 SoFi's. I think Triskevalus is not as good as Triskelion and duplicant is a wash. Top is too encumbering at times, especially since Shop can't activate it and you'll be relying on your mana pool when you have a trini or a coupla sphere's in play. With Fish based decks on the rise, I believe Thorn's are only going to hurt you and maybe could have a home in the SB, but certainly not MD. These are just my thoughts.

Would L. Tax be useful? I also agree that Null rod is very important, however depending on the artifacts you use, I could see replacing null rods with other artifact hate.

Have you thought about moving Pride to SB? I think you could fit in a few tutors in place of the Pride's. I don't think you need 2 creature sets with exalted, and if it isn't prides, I would probably move Heirarch to SB or remove them all together.

I think I am failing at something. Why are you running were-bear in general? It seems like you don't have a ton of mana issues and most of your stuff is cheap to cast. In fact, aside from MD and FoW, everything is under three. It just seems to me to be a waste of 3 slots, especially since you are waiting another turn to use his ability. Wouldn't it be more effecient to either turn those spots into more control or better creatures? Hell, maybe even 3 SoFi's would be interesting.

I run:
Main Deck
4 Chalice of the Void
4 Serum Powder
4 Bridge from Below
4 Cabal Therapy
3 Dread Return
3 Golgari Thug
4 Ichorid
4 Leyline of the Void
4 Stinkweed Imp
2 Unmask
4 Narcomoeba
1 Flame-Kin Zealot
4 Golgari Grave-Troll
2 Darkblast
1 Angel of Depair
1 Reveillark
Land
4 Bazaar of Baghdad
4 City of Brass
3 Petrified Field

Sideboard
2 Contagion
4 Gemstone Mine
1 Emerald Charm
1 Crop Rotation
3 Innocent Blood
1 Ancient Grudge
2 Oxidize
1 Root Maze

I can pilot this pretty well. I think a future build would include +2 Unmask, -1 darkblast and maybe -1 Reviliark.

However, I do like this build over the dryad arbor build because I feel like I have more answers main deck and post G1. Especially siding in almost always 8-13 cards G2 and 3.
 

 

 

 

 

 

QFT.

Looking at your decklist, I feel like I am looking at a Tezz-less Tezz deck. For your main deck I would cut:

-2 Sensei's Divining Top
-1 Painter Servant
-1 Thirst for Knowledge
-1 Red Elemental Blast
-1 Merchant Scroll

and add:
+1 Grindstone
+1 Pyroblast
+1 Gifts Ungiven
+1 Ancient Grudge
+2 Thoughtseize

The sideboard is tough since the Meta changes by location and event. You have listed as using:
3x Duress
1x Extirpate
1x Tormods Crypt
2x Pyroclasm
2x Rack and Ruin
2x Pithing Needle
2x Yixlid Jailer
2x Engineered Explosives

I would consider as additional SB card choices:
Varishino Herectic (Or whatever its actual name is)
Ingot Chewer or Ancient Grudge
Hurkyl's Recall
Relic of Progenitus

I would cut the Extirpate, increase the Tormod's, cut the duress's, cut the engineered

But those are just my two cents.