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Green Knight
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« on: February 20, 2004, 05:44:05 pm » |
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It has been quite some time since I played in any tournaments, so I was excited for today’s event. I had been fine-tuning my deck for weeks in anticipation of what I might face. In the end I played good old Keeper. After browsing themanadrain.com forums and doing some play testing with my wife, this is what I settled on:
Mishra Factory Keeper:
4 Mana Drain
4 Force of Will
3 Brainstorm
1 Fact or Fiction
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Time Walk
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Fire/Ice
2 Cunning Wish
3 Decree of Justice
3 Swords to Plowshares
1 Exalted Angel*
1 Balance
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Yawgmoth's Will
1 Mind Twist
2 Skeletal Scrying
2 Gorilla Shaman
4 Wasteland
1 Strip Mine
4 Polluted Delta
4 Tundra
3 Underground Sea
2 Volcanic Island
2 City of Brass
2 Mishra's Factory
1 Sol Ring
1 Black Lotus
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Mox Jett
1 Mox Ruby
Sideboard:
1 Disenchant
1 CoP:Red
1 Zuran Orb
2 Powder Keg
2 Rack and Ruin
3 Red Elemental Blast
2 Blue Elemental Blast
2 Stifle
1 Ebony Charm
* I’d like to go on record saying this card is a horrible main deck choice in Keeper. It seemed like good choice with evasion, life gain, a big body, and being playable turn 3. I had also just dropped Zuran Orb from the MD and wanted to try some other replacement, so Exalted Angel it was. I would support a SB slot for her as the Europeans do however, as there were times when this card would shine; it just doesn’t mesh as well MD as I hoped it would. With two Mishra Factories and three Decree of Justice (not to mention the Gorilla’s) Exalted Angel is total overkill.
Round 1
Matt Wood
Playing: Landstill (Powered? I can’t remember)
Game 1:
Matt starts off strong with an early Standstill and Fairy Conclave in play. He starts to beat me down, oh wait I have a Fire/Ice in hand and break the Standstill to off the Conclave and ping him for one. Matt plays another Standstill. The next turn I top deck Mishra’s Factory and play it, Matt’s jaw drops as he “thought” I was playing Keeper. Hehe. I swing with the Factory and pass the turn, Matt plays a land and says something to the effect he is the one w/ Manlands not Keeper and passes back to me, I smile and cycle an EOT Decree for two Soldiers. On my turn I swing w/ the Tokens and Factory. Matt breaks his standstill to deal with two Soldiers via Fire and Strips my Factory the next turn. This seems like a good time to Mind Twist his hand away, I cast it and he Misdirects it back to me! I was like what the heck!? This is Type One people don’t play Mis-D any more… Ah well, I Mana Drain the Misdirection. On the next turn I cast everybody favorite spell Yawgmoth’s Will and hard cast my Decree for four 4/4 Angels (I love that Mana Drain mana) and we move on to game two.
Life:
Zach: 20 19 18 17 16
Matt: 20 19 17 16 15 14 dead
Game 2:
Once again Matt starts off fast with a first turn Standstill off a Mox, I Force of Will this and he FoW’s my Force, Damn! On my turn I use a Fetch land to get a Volcanic Island and pass the turn. Matt promptly Wastelands my Volcanic Island, there goes the Red Elemental Blast I was holding. Not to worry though as I draw and play my savage tech (double signed winter Mishra’s Factory), now this really irks Matt, to ease his pain I let him know I am only running two Mishra’s Factories. He says that there are four times as many Man-Lands in his deck and he is supposed to be the one playing them. Grr.
A few turns pass with me swinging for 2 a turn with Mr. Mishra and Matt playing land, I am taking damage from my CoB. At some point I cast something that gets Force’d so I do what any Keeper play would do and Mana Drain the FoW. Next turn I play a huge Decree for three 4/4 Angels with counter spell back up and end the game.
Life:
Z: 20 19 18 17 16 15
M: 20 19 17 15 13 12 dead
The Mishra’s Factories were pure gold, just as I thought. Landstill was out in full force and it seems to be a Meta-Game fixture for some time to come. I would highly suggest running a pair of Mishra’s if you expect to see any Landstill in your area, I know you can Cycle a DoJ under the Standstill but the Factories are so easy to get into play and really shine in this match-up.
Matches 1-0 (games 2-0)
Round 2
Jason Schichli
Hulk Smash (No land destruction. Fully powered)
Game 1:
I start out with some fast Mana on turn one (Sol Ring, Ruby, Strip) and have a FoW in hand, but I have no blue Mana, that’s okay as I plan on drawing some. As fate would have it Jason opens strong with a Duress taking the FoW. Jason gets up to UU and I draw my Tundra and go for a Time Walk which is Mana Drained. I end up stripping a Volcanic Island to slow his development. A few turns pass and I try my luck with a Mind Twist for 5 which is promptly Force of Willed. I get a Mishra’s Factory into play and Jason Intuitions for 3 Accumulated Knowledge’s EOT and then proceeds to play Library of Alexandria on his turn. I start hitting him for 2 a turn with my tree (no not a forest, Mishra’s Factory) while he draws off the LoA and got huge card advantage from the AK. I have him down to 6 and cast an Exalted Angel (morphed) which is FoW’d, I respond with my own Force which is in turned Forced. I manage to get Jason to all the way down to 2 then it happens: Mr. Teeth, good ol’ Psychatog comes to play, that’s okay though right? Well no, actually. Jason pumps the ‘Tog to a 20/21 Berserks him up to 40/21 and tramples his way in for the kill.
Life:
Zach: 20 19 dead
Jason: 20 19 18 16 14 12 10 8 6 5 4 2
Game 2:
I play first and drop a land, Jason goes land-go. I drop a fetch and pass, he Ancestral Recalls EoT, I FoW and he Red Elemental Blasts. I’m about sick of losing these counter wars! On J’s turn he drops a land and passes, I do the same and then Jason plays our favorite little ‘Tog, I Mana Drain it and burn on my turn. Jason drops a Xantid Swarm (this has to be one of the most annoying creatures ever, great card!), I say no and Mana Drain that too. On my turn I still have nothing worth while, okay nothing at all I can cast, and burn again. Jason Intuitions for Accumulated Knowledge and I Red Elemental Blast it, ha! Score one for the home team. Until he Mana Drains my blast, sigh.
So from here Jason casts AK for three (I know he has another in hand as he Intuitioned for 3 signed AK’s and played an unsigned one). Then proceeds to AK for 4, casts Psychatog, pumps him to around 38 and comes trampling at me. Berserk and ‘Tog a match made in heaven.
Life:
Z: 20 19 18 15 14 dead
J: 20 19 18 17 16
Matches 1-1 (games 2-2)
Round 3
Patrick Homestead
Elfball (no power)
Game 1:
Patrick is new to the tournament scene, he admits that he is used to playing multi-player. That explains the deck choice.
This game was a blast to play! He gets a Mana Flair in play and Ghitu Fires me for 16, I Mana Drain and he is like “what can you spend that much mana on?” I Mystical Tutor a Force of Will, Cycle the DoJ that was in my hand for twenty 1/1’s, draw the FoW and he scoops. I also had four 1/1’s off a Decree I cycled earlier.
Life:
Zach: 20 19
Pat: 20 16 12 dead
Game 2:
This game is much more interactive and not over quite as fast.
I get an early morphed Exalted Angel into play, hit him and un-morph soon after. I get one more hit in and then my angel is Rolling Thundered away and I take a few as well.
I have an active Mishra in play that is chipping away at his life total, I counter some big Fireball type spells, he plays a Tower of Fortunes and I cringe, not because this is super powerful, or because he is going to start drawing lots of cards, but because this is a terrible card and should not be played. I strip his Scorched Ruins (see above comments) and feel kinda bad about it. I cycle a DoJ for three 1/1’s and these with the Factory finish him off. I may have cast another Decree as my notes only have his life going to 9 then being dead.
Life:
Z: 20 19 18 22 19 18 13 12 11
P: 20 22 20 16 14 12 9 dead
Pat and I talk a little after the match and I help him to get a little better grip on competitive type one play. Such as how the Scorched Ruins are basically a three for one trade when I Waste Land it, and why cards like the Towers cost way too much to be effective.
Matches 2-1 (Games 4-2)
Round 4:
Chris Holl
‘Tog (w/ Dryad. Powered)
Game 1:
Chris wins the roll and opens with a Library of Alexandria, I Wasteland this next turn and play some jewelry (Random Mox and Sol ring). He then plays an Underground Sea, which meets a Strip Mine, and two Moxen. I get a CoB in play with the jewelry and cycle a Decree this for three 1/1’s on his End of Turn. Chris finally gets a land in play and is feeling good, but I play a Mox Monkey (Gorilla Shaman, just in case you don’t know his nickname) next turn he tries to FoW but I have the Mana Drain. I proceed to kill his Moxen and that’s game folks.
Life:
Zach: 20 19 18
Chris: 20 19 dead
Game 2:
I start strong with a Wasteland on each of the first two turns killing two Underground Sea’s and also play all four Moxen. Chris gets another Underground Sea into play and I am out of land destruction. I play a Delta and pass. Chris also plays a Delta and Duress’s me, taking Fact or Fiction. I sac my Delta and Skeletal Scrying for 4 EOT, he FoW’s. Next turn Chris plays a Tropical Island and passes. I draw and play a land and pass, Chris casts Ancestral Recall EOT which I FoW (hard cast even). At this point Chris plays a Quirion Dryad and I Sword to Plowshare as quickly as it hits. I Skeletal Scrying for 3. He gets a ‘Tog into play and hits me for 1. I Cunning Wish for StP (removed from game via Skeletal Scrying) and kill this beast next turn. I try a Mind Twist which gets Mana Drained. Chris Duress’s me and sees two land (tech), his Dryad gets +1/+1 and I manage to StP this as well. I’m around 11 life at this point and Chris casts another Dryad! Crap, I draw and get Mana Drain (next turn I would draw FoW, then FoW, then REB). Chris casts something I don’t like (card drawing I believe) and I try to counter, he Mana Drain’s, I Blast, he FoW, I FoW. I am at 4 life and he just turned the Dryad into a 4/4. He kills me next turn.
Life:
Z: 20 19 17 15 13 11 10 8 6 4 dead
C: 20 19 18 19 20 22
Game 3:
We are dangerously low on time at this point, 7 minutes I believe. And Chris says something about how we are going to draw…
I start out with both of my City of Brass and a Delta on my first few turns. Chris casts an Ancestral which I FoW, he then Misdirects the FoW to the Mis-D pitching Gush, I Mana Drain this. On my turn I play the beatdown, hard casting Decree of Justice for two Angels, Chris has no response and I win with a few minutes to spare. There will be no drawing today!
Life:
Z: 19 17 16
C: 20 12 4 dead
Matches 3-1 (games 6-3)
Round 5
Taylor Reid
Keeper (Fully Powered)
Game 1:
I start off with an early Exalted Angel who is Sword to Plowshared. I proceed to Mana Drain a Mind Twist for four. On my turn I play a Sol Ring and Fire Taylor for two, cast a Gorilla Shaman and eat both of Taylor’s Moxen. Then I am forced to burn for two. I waste an Underground Sea (his only black source) next turn. The Shaman hits him over the next two turns and then goes farming (StP). I attempt to Waste a Tundra, but he Stifles. I manage an EoT Skeletal Scrying for 6 and this pretty much seals the game. From here I Mana Drain a Force of Will and cast four Angels, this games has taken upwards of a half an hour and we have less than 20 minutes left.
Life:
Zach: 20 19 23 21 20 21 15
Taylor: 20 19 18 17 15 dead
Game 2:
This game went down to the extra turns (Keeper vs. Keeper who ever heard of that!?)
High-lights of this game include me getting an early Mox Monkey who swings for 6 turns and is then StP’d. Taylor casting a Skeletal Srying for two. Me cycling a DoJ for two to block his two soldiers. Swords to Plowsharing another two Soldiers and finally getting two Soldiers of my own into play w/ a Mishra’s Factory. I have him down to 6 when the last extra turn happens on my turn, if we had one more turn I would have killed him fair and square. So we draw this game and I take the series.
Life
Z: 20 19 18 17 18 17 16 15 Draw
T: 20 19 18 17 16 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 9 10 8 6 Draw
Matches 4-1 (Games 7-3-1)
Round 6
Robert O’Leary
The Big Show (Type One Secret Force G/w)
I have no idea what Robert is playing. I have 12 points as of round five, I check the standings and I am in 6th place with my only loss to Dr. Schickli who was in first place if I’m not mistaken. So we draw, on the condition that we still play the games out.
I beat him squarely both games. His deck is the only non powered deck to make top eight!
It used Natural Order to sac his little guys such as Birds of Paradise, Llanowar Elves or Wall of Roots to get Phantom Nishoba, Verdant Force, Silvos Rouge Elemental or Mystic Enforcer, depending on the situation. It also ran the Spike Feeder/Weaver for combat tricks. The deck also had Swords to Plowshares. It was nice to see a non-powered deck make top eight. Good job Robert.
Matches 4-1-1 (Games 7-3-2)
Top Eight
Dr. Jason Schikli
Hulk Smash
Game One:
I try my early land destruction on him again, and again this fails. In the first few turns I waste an active LoA and a Volcanic Island. Jason has card advantage over me from his Deep Analysis and flashback. I am getting desperate at this point, I have six untapped mana and Jason casts an Ancestral Recall. I cycle a DoJ for one in the hopes of drawing a Mana Drain, lady luck does not smile down on me today and the Ancestral resolves. I am able to swing for one with my brave little soldier, but Jason casts his Accumulated Knowledge for four and takes control of the game soon after.
Life
Z: 20 19 18 dead
J: 20 19 18 16 15 14
Game Two:
Jason beats me squarely, only I have no land destruction to slow him down. He out counters me and out draws me with Accumulated Knowledge. This game is over fairly quickly and a big ‘Tog comes down for the kill.
Life
Z: 20 19 18 17 16 15 dead
J: 20 19 18 16
Tournament Breakdown:
The Top Eight
Jeff Urich – Keeper
Shane Knepshield – Keeper
Zach Gable - Keeper
Drew Fisher – EBA
Jim Gaffney – Landstill
Jason Schikli – ‘Tog (Hulk Smash)
Robert O’Leary – The Big Show (Secret Forces)
Rob Raven – Welder.dec
Rob (Welder) vs. Shane (Keeper)
Robert (Secret Forces) vs. James (Landstill)
Drew (EBA) vs. Jeff (Keeper)
Zach (Keeper) vs. Jason (Tog)
Top Four:
Shane (Keeper) vs. James (Landstill)
Jeff (Keeper) vs. Jason (Tog)
Finals:
Jason (Tog) vs. James (Landstill)
Super Bowl Champion - Jason Schikli
Deck Lists:
Jeff Urich - Placed 3rd-4th playing "Keeper"
4x Force of Will
4x Mana Drain
4x Brainstorm
2x Cunning Wish
2x Stifle
1x Ancestral
1x Time Walk
1x Mystical Tutor
1x Fact or Fiction
1x Future Sight
3x Decree of Justice
2x Swords to Plowshares
1x Balance
2x Skeletal Scrying
1x Mind Twist
1x Yawgmoth's Will
1x Demonic Tutor
1x Gorilla Shaman
1x Fire/Ice
1x Black Lotus
1x Sol Ring
1x Mox Sapphire
1x Mox Pearl
1x Mox Jet
1x Mox Ruby
4x Tundra
4x Underground Sea
3x Volcanic Island
3x Wasteland
2x Flooded Strand
2x Polluted Delta
1x Strip Mine
1x Library of Alexandria
SB
1x Vampiric Tutor
1x Coffin Purge
1x Diabolic Edict
1x Blue Elemental Blast
1x Stifle
3x Red Elemental Blast
1x Shattering Pulse
1x Disenchant
1x The Abyss
1x COP REd
2x Damping Matrix
1x Swords to Plowshares
Shane Knepshield - 3rd-4th "Keeper"
4x Wasteland
4x Flooded Strand
1x Island
2x Volcanic Island
4x Underground Sea
4x Tundra
1x Library of Alexandria
1x Strip Mine
1x Sol Ring
1x Black Lotus
1x Mox Emerald
1x Mox Ruby
1x Mox Jet
2x Gorilla Shaman
2x Morphling
4x Force of Will
1x Time Walk
4x Brainstorm
1x Fact or Fiction
1x Ancestral Recall
1x Stifle
4x Mana Drain
2x Cunning Wish
1x Mystical Tutor
1x Moat
1x Balance
2x Swords to Plowshares
1x Decree of Justice
1x Mind Twist
1x Demonic Tutor
1x Yawgmoth's Will
2x Skeletal Scrying
1x Fire/Ice
SB
1x Fire/Ice
1x COP Red
1x Disenchant
2x Swords to Plowshares
1x Blue Elemental Blast
1x Vampiric Tutor
2x Rack and Ruin
1x Deep Analysis
1x Coffin Purge
4x Red Elemental Blast
Jason Schikli - First "Hulk Smash"
4x Force of Will
4x Mana Drain
4x Accumulated Knowledge
4x Brainstorm
3x Cunning Wish
2x Intuition
1x Ancestral Recall
1x Timewalk
1x Merchant Scroll
1x Deep Analysis
1x Gush
1x Mystical Tutor
1x Mind Twist
4x Duress
1x Demonic Tutor? hard to read
1x Yawgmoth's Will
3x Psychatog
1x Library of Alexandria
1x Island
3x Volcanic Island
3x Tropical Island
3x Polluted Delta
1x Flooded Strand
4x Underground Sea
1x Sol Ring
1x Black Lotus
1x Mox Pearl
1x Mox Emerald
1x Mox Jet
1x Mox Ruby
1x Mox Sapphire
SB
1x Deep Analysis
1x Fire/Ice
3x Red Elemental Blast
1x Blue Elemental Blast
2x Rack and Ruin
1x Naturalize
1x Berserk
3x Xantid Swarm
2x Coffin Purge
Rob Raven - 5th-8th playing Welder.dec
2x Metal Worker
3x Tangle Wire
4x Smokestack
1x Starstorm
1x Wheel of Fortune
1x Jayemdae Tome
1x Memory Jar
2x Gorilla Shaman
3x Chalice of the Void
1x Mindslaver
2x Karn, Silver Golem
2x Triskelion
4x Grafted Skullcap
3x Sphere of Resistance
4x Goblin Welder
1x Grim Monolith
1x Sol Ring
1x Mana Vault
1x Black Lotus
1x Mox Pearl
1x Mox Ruby
1x Mox Jet
1x Mox Sapphire
4x Mishra's Workshop
4x Wasteland
1x Strip mine
6x Mountain
1x City of Traitors
1x Bloodstained Mire
1x Tolarian Academy
SB
2x Caltrops
3x Powder Keg
3x Tormod's Crypt
3x Ensnaring Bridge
3x Blood Moon
1x Chalice of the Void
Drew Fisher - 5th-8th
1x Plains
2x Island
4x Flooded Strand
4x Underground Sea
4x Tundra
1x City of Brass
3x Wasteland
1x Strip Mine
1x Library of Alexandria
1x Sol Ring
1x Mox Sapphire
1x Mox Jet
4x Mana Drain
4x Force of Will
1x Mystical Tutor
1x Fact of Fiction
1x Time Walk
1x Ancestral Recall
3x Brainstorm
3x Swords to Plowshares
2x Exalted Angel
1x Balance
1x Mind Twist
3x Duress
1x Demonic Tutor
3x Phyrexian Negator
2x Meddling Mage
1x Vindicate
3x Shadowmage Infiltrator
2x Masticore
SB
1x Vindicate
2x Stifle
1x COP Black
1x COP Red
2x Disenchant
2x Meddling Mage
2x Tormod's Crypt
2x Exalted Angel
2x Chalice of the Void
Zach Gable - 5th-8th "Keeper"
4x Mana Drain
4x Force of Will
3x Brainstorm
1x Fact or Fiction
1x Ancestral Recall
1x Time Walk
1x Mystical Tutor
1x Fire/Ice
1x Cunning Wish
3x Decree of Justice
3x Swords to Plowshares
1x Exalted Angel
1x Balance
1x Demonic Tutor
1x Yawgmoth's Will
1x Mind Twist
2x Skeletal Scrying
2x Gorilla Shaman
4x Wasteland
1x Strip Mine
4x Polluted Delta
4x Tundra
3x Underground Sea
2x Volcanic Island
2x City of Brass
2x Mishra's Factory
1x Sol Ring
1x Black Lotus
1x Mox Pearl
1x Mox Sapphire
1x Mox Jett
1x Mox Ruby
Sideboard:
1x Disenchant
1x CoP:Red
1x Zuran Orb
2x Powder Keg
2x Rack and Ruin
3x Red Elemental Blast
2x Blue Elemental Blast
2x Stifle
1x Ebony Charm
Jim Gaffney - 2nd "Landstill"
4x Standstill
1x Ancestral Recall
4x Mana Drain
4x Force of Will
4x Faerie Conclave
4x Mishra's Factory
3x Misdirection
1x Lotus Petal
1x Library of Alexandria
4x Wasteland
1x Strip Mine
3x Nevinyrall's Disk
4x Fire/Ice
3x Swords to Plowshares
3x Stifle
2x Decree of Justice
2x Flooded Strand
4x Volcanic Island
4x Tundra
2x Island
1x Plains
1x Balance
SB
4x Tormod's Crypt
4x Red Elemental Blast
3x Teferi's Response
2x Slice & Dice
2x Disenchant
Robert O'Leary - The Big Show (Type 1 Secret Force)
3x Swords to Plowshares
3x Troll Ascetic
2x Verdant Force
4x Wall of Roots
3x Birds of Paradise
4x Llanowar Elves
3x Elvish Spirit Guide
4x Natural Order
3x Spike Feeder
2x Spike Weaver
3x Mystic Enforcer
1x Silvos,
1x Fastbond
1x Sol Ring
1x Regrowth
1x Phantom Nishoba
2x Lightning Greaves
3x Wasteland
1x Stripe Mine
1x Plains
4x Forest
4x Savannah
4x Windswept Heath
SB
3x Naturalize
3x Xantid Swarm
3x Damping Matrix
2x Worship
2x Tormod's Crypt
2x Life Force
I’d like to thank Aaron Tucker for providing me with the Top Eight deck lists and for putting on a great tournament and my wife Heather for countless hours of play testing and for editing this beastly report.
Thanks for reading and long live Type One!
Zach J. Gable
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