Well, some of us were unable to go to Waterbury (damn you, distance!), but luckily, we had a nice little tourney in Mississauga. Between 15-20 people usually show up (sometimes more), so it wasn't going to be bad.
We had some car trouble in the morning, so we knew we were going to be late (luckily, the TO gave us a bit of lenience), and when we finally got there (Moridar (Wayne Oickle), Mark Rachewski, and myself), the decklist sheets were being distributed. Oh, goody.
Well, I had most of a deck ready, and was missing a few pieces, such as Mox Emerald.
Petko (Andy) was there as well, and he had most of a Mox Emerald, and was missing a few pieces, such as a whole deck.
We figured an even trade, his Mox Emerald for half of my Keeper deck (he ended up putting together Scepter Keeper). Anyhow, here's what I managed to sling together:
Toronto Slavery v1 (for lack of a better name)
11
Something like a control element4 Trinisphere
4 Chalice of the Void
3 Mindslaver
10
Something that draws something4 Thirst for Knowledge
1 Fact or Fiction
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Windfall
1 Wheel of Fortune
1 Timetwister
1 Memory Jar
4
Bizarre stuff that fits nowhere else1 Tinker
1 Time Walk
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Shattering Pulse (than you 7/10 dudes and Moridar for suggesting this maindeck instead of the 2 Rack and Ruins I had)
8
"Critters", and lots of them4 Goblin Welder
1 Bosh (sick, sick, sick guy)
1 Memnarch
1 Pentavus
1 Triskelion
28
Mana4 Mishra's Workshop
4 Volcanic Island
3 Shivan Reef
4 Island (Tolarian Academy, Good Riddance)
1 Mountain
3 Gilded Lotus
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Ruby
1 Black Lotus
1 Mana Crypt
1 Sol Ring
1 Mana Vault
Sideboard4 Red Elemental Blast
3 Blue Elemental Blast
3 Viashino Heretic
3 Sundering Titan
2 Rack and Ruin
Okay, 61 cards. Yes, I had 60, and then someone asked: "Where's the Time Walk?" Of course, this happened about 30 seconds before the fourth warning about "Hand in your timesheet"... so I just said "F*ck it", and put the Time Walk in. Fine! 61 cards it is. It's a Time Walk, so it can't be bad.
Okay, at this point, I was also missing 3 more sideboard cards, couldn't find my 4th BEB, 4 Heretic, or 3rd Rack and Ruin. After another litany of curses, I put in 3 Sundering Titans. "But you run much basic land and dual lands..."! Hm... good point. "Any better ideas?". "No, Titans are fine."
Anyhow, I was talking to Peter (dicemanx), and he showed me his built. He had 4 Brainstorms and 4 Force of Will, and the 4 Trinisphere sideboard. Also, he had no Bosh. No Bosh? Hm... He suggested I cut him off as the 61st card, but since he was the first thing I wrote on the Deck Sheet, I decided to just let it go at 61.
Anyhow, more on the deck later, since the tournament was starting. My first opponent was none other than Petko, who was still furiously jetting down his deck list. And making the deck. At this point, I still wasn't done (or shuffled, or anything), so I welcommed the 5-minute break. In other matchups, Peter was squaring off against Rich (shock_wave), and a bunch more I cannot remember.
Round 1 Andy Petkovics, playing Scepter KeeperGame 1
We get started about 10 minutes late, but it's good, people were still shuffling and mulliganing for some reason (for game 1).
Petko wins the die roll, and we are on our way (I got a 1, whee).
He opens with Fetch Land, Volcanic Island, Gorilla Shaman. I don't mulligan a hand with 3 non-workshop land and no accelerators. He gets the deck going, and I have to risk playing an early Sol Ring->Trinisphere into Mana Drain mana (can't let him cast too many spells too fast). He Drains, and Shamans my Sol Ring. I ramp up to 5 land, and cast a variety of threats, emptying his hand, but then he puts Ancestral Recall on a Scepter. I look at my next card, and it's over.
Game 2
I go first, and don't have too particularly great a hand. I remember little from this game, except that I manage to resolve a Timetwister early, and run into Memnarch as well as lots of mana. I cast him, and the game is pretty much over.
Game 3
Petko mulligans into a really slow hand, with just a Wasteland. He gambles upon picking up a blue source (at which point, after looking at his hand, I would be in trouble).
I mulligan (I think) into a crazy hand, with first turn Welder and second turn Pentavus (Crypt, Vault, Sol Ring). Recurring that, making an army of little Pentavites seals the deal.
He picked up a Strip Mine (destroying all my land), but in the end couldn't draw a blue source (and wouldn't top-deck one for 3 turns).
Well, at this point (we finished before everyone else, the games lasted like 15 minutes together, tops, Petko and I play very fast), we go over and watch Rich and Peter duke it out (Landstill vs. Workshop Slaver). I don't remember what happened in game 2, but game 3 ended up being a draw, after Peter got gobs of mana, Rich used Nevinyrral's Disk, and finally no one could get anything going past the other's wall of control.
Round 2 Eugene Lo, playing Ravager AffinityEugene loaned me his Wheel of Fortune (where the hell are all my cards, I couldn't find mine), and now I am paired against him. He won his first round, and I had no bloody clue what the heck he was playing.
Game 1
He wins the die-roll (another 1, score!). He drops a few fast things, like 2 Skull Clamps and a Disciple of the Vault. He drops an early Ravager too. He clamps the Ravager, draws cards, gets a Frogmite, and casts a few draw spells (Thoughcast).
All the while I just ramp up my mana, with a Goblin Welder, several Gilded Lotus in play, and absolutely nothing to use. I think at some point I get a welder, but it's getting desperate. I draw some cards, and finally get a Mindslaver going. I do so, and see another Ravager. I cast that, sac everything that can be sacced, including itself, and we go to game 2.
I got virtually no land this game, and I welded back the Black Lotus at least 5 times to get mana.
Game 2
I sideboard in the Heretics (in exchange for Trinispheres). I briefly think about the 2 RnR, but I have no idea what to take out for those.
He goes fast (thanks to a Workshop), but I go just as fast, thanks to another Workshop, Gilded Lotus, Viashino Heretic. At this point he has 2 Disciples and a Frogmite, when I draw into a Mindslaver. I kill the Frogmite with the heretic, cast Slaver, activate it. I find he has a Masticore, so I cast that, kill the Disciples, and blow it up with the Heretic. Eugene then concedes.
Round 3 Bryan Finch, playing nasty DragonWe ID this round. Since it's a 4-round tourney, we figure that we can ID the last 2 rounds. We then play a few games... and he smokes me 7-1. I did keep about 4 hands I really shouldn't have, and he goes off on turns 2-3 almost all games, but still! I am now really scared.
Round 4 Andrew Chen (I think), playing MadnessSadly, there's 5 people with 7 points, and I get paired down against Andrew (6 points). He saw my deck, and asks if he can make it with a Draw. I look at the list, and there's 5 people with 7 points, 3 people with 6 points, and one person with 4 points (Rich). I tell him that it's a toss-up, but there's only one way he wouldn't be in, so chances are good that he'll make it with a draw. He then suggests an ID, since he doesn't think that he can beat me.
We play it out, and between me keeping 2 hands I shouldn't have (yet again), I win game 1, and he wins game 2. Then he wins game 3, through a flurry of FoW and Circular Logics.
At this point, the 2 people with 6 points drew, and Andrew has the worst tie-breakers, so he's 9th. At this point I feel really badly. I am not sure what would have happened if we played (too many variables), but I am pretty sure we both would have made it if he won. Well, such is life. I think that I owe him for this.
Top 8At this point, here are the rankings:
1) Bryan Finch (Dragon)
2) Christian Something (Control Slaver)
3) Me (Workshop Slaver)
4) Wayne Oickle (Control Slaver)
5) Peter Olszewski (Workshop Slaver)
6) Mark Rachewski (Stacker variant)
7) Eugene Lo (Ravager Affinity)
8) Richard Mattiuzzo (Landstill)
I sit across from Mark, and I lose the die-roll to him. Again.
Top 8 Mark Rachewski, playing Stacker-ishGame 1
He goes first, and drops a first turn Juggernaut. I then proceed to write "You Bitch" on a piece of paper, and lean it so he can see it.
I play mana. He whacks me for 5.
I play more mana. He whacks me for 5 again. He then plays Tangle Wire (crap). On my upkeep, I tap everything and cast Fact or Fiction: 3 land, Mox Sapphire, Sol Ring. I take the 2 land and Sapphire. I draw Goblin Welder.
At this point I comment on my intention to make love to the Goblin Welder. People start to leave our table.
I cast it, and the Juggernaut smacks into me again. I am at 5. At this point, I need a way to stop him, fast.
I draw Thirst for Knowledge. I cast that, and draw Bosh. I discard him, and next turn the Juggernaut barrels into Bosh. Since Mark took some Mana Crypt damage, Bosh finishes him off next turn singlehandedly.
Game 2
I take out the Trinispheres and 2 more cards for the Heretics and the BEBs.
He gets started with a pair of Welders. At some point (after him screwing with my mana constantly), I get 10 mana on the table (2 Workshops, Mana Crypt, 2 land) and Slaver him. At this point, he concedes, visibly upset.
Top 4 Christian (looks and sounds like John Leguizamo), playing Control SlaverChristian is loud and constantly screaming. He curses at everyone, and gives hearty "F*ck you"'s to absolutely everyone. I start to get a headache.
Game 1
I mulligan into absolute crap. He goes crazy broken on me, and gets a quick Mindslaver. He makes me cast Pentavus, which he Artifact Mutations, and then kills me in two turns.
He forgot about Mana Drain mana twice in that game, and howls (not kidding) every time someone reminds him.
Game 2
I side out my Welders, and a few other cards. I bring in BEB, REB and Heretic.
Again, I get nothing. Frustrating. He slavers me a few times (I BEB his welder in response, and afterwards then I REB my Thirst for Knowledge twice). Finally, he Timetwisters (yet again forgetting about Mana Drain mana, another howl), and is 3 mana short of activating his Slaver.
His Timetwister gives me 7 bloody mana. I draw Slaver (crap), and then cast it, forgetting it's legendary. At this point he screams again, louder than anything i have heard of in my life... at this point I have a huge bloody headache... anyhow, he wins.
---
I walk away pretty despondent. Wayne and Rich duked it out in the other semi, and Rich won that one. Rich then lost in the final to Christian, after he managed to draw nothing, and Christian topdecking like a madman. He then screams "F*ck you" to everyone, starts screaming and dances out of the room... No, I am not making this up. I only bring it up because I still have a headache from that constant yelling.
Anyhow, that's about it. I have a huge headache, and it's already late, so we just go home.
Wayne and I will duke it out later in the week for bragging rights for 3rd place.
