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vroman
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« on: August 15, 2006, 04:59:45 pm » |
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3rd place Vintage Championships
Robert Vroman
My Gencon experience consisted of every waking moment spent either playing tournaments or violating their "no card selling" policy. I have no idea what went on in those other rooms. I finished 10th in the vintage prelim, going X-1-1. I got blown out by Rich Shay's fancy new Dragon build, and unfortunately drew vs Gifts player in a match Im confidant I could have won, given infinite time. This gave me the worst tie breaks of all 13 pointers and far from top8. I had planned to play saturday midnight tournament, but they secretly started half hour early. wow, you sure fooled me good!
I played legacy on sunday running our "Half-Life Tendrils" deck. I performed disapointingly 1-2. Having playtested 0% legacy in my life, this isnt so surprising. The deck basically can't lose game 1, but tends to forget that other people have sideboards. Combo and I just dont get along. My team mate Blaine Christiansen played same deck in legacy champs and scored 8 turn 1 kills. I had zero in 8 games. Big props to Blaine though for uber-tech Tomb of Urami as anti-force of will/duress win condition! using up my entire hand to create 5/5 flyer turn 1 is certainly fun.
Anyway, the championship report.
My list:
4 workshop
4 bazaar
3 waste
3 mtn
3 b-ring
2 port
1 strip
1 academy
5 mox
1 b-lotus
1 sol ring
1 mcrypt
1 mvault
1 tsphere
1 jens
1 dup
4 welder
4 chalice
4 smoky
4 crucible
4 tangle
4 uba
3 nrod
side
4 gshard
3 tormod
3 visheretic
3 jcap
2 dup
This list has remained unchanged for last 5-6 months. I dropped orb of dreams from the board for tormods, after losing to dragon in the prelim. since I predicted zero ichorid, dreamball wasnt good enough in other matchups to warrant inclusion any more. I was expecting lots and lots of tendril variations, fair amount of slaver/gifts, and minimal oath/stax/fish/scrub-aggro. I had considered going slightly rogue and dropping jens+dup from the main and running Thought Prison, to combat Rebuild.
Rd 1 British Control Slaver player win 2-0
Game 1
This guy did not seem very comfortable with his deck, and certainly not against ubastax. I won the roll and had superb opening dropping uba, then welder. after Ive already passed the turn, enemy stops to read and recieve explanation about uba mask. he decides to FoW uba mask, even though I already cast another spell and several phases have passed with verbal agreement from both players. yet I allow this, since I have welder and two artifacts on board, and the uba was just bait anyway. Im still holding null rod+bazaar. next turn I draw waste on his v-island, and lay null rod, immediately welded out for uba. I ubazaar few turns while enemy makes occaisonal land drop and ruins his hand w TFKs. I eventually draw 2nd uba and explain draw step lock.
My new boarding plan for slaver on the draw:
in-
ALL 15
out-
4 uba
1 black lotus (dont want artifacts in yard)
1 solemn
1 chalice
3 smoky
3 crucible
2 bazaar (see lotus)
Game 2
on turn 3 enemy has welder+shaman, 3 moxen + sol ring. Ive been chewing up his lands w crucible+waste (I seriously dont think he was running any basic islands) and have 5 mana worth of lands and quickly fading tanglewire. enemy then punts, laying sideboard bomb energy flux! I gladly toss my crucible and tangle in the grump, in exchange for his entire mana supply. I start getting bashed 2/turn until I draw bazaar and find b-ring on his welder. I get enough non-shop lands to support smoky+crucible under flux and lock him out.
Rd 2 Female Gifts player win 2-0
Game 1
her turn 1 was artifactland + saphire + sol ring. my turn 1 was rishadan port + sol ring + null rod. turn 2 she played island, and I played mtn to make port active. then I drew workshop and resolved uba, which had to be explained. her game was crippled and I developed expansive variety of locks soon after.
vs gifts my board plan varies depending how skilled enemy is. this woman was self-admittedly inexperienced.
in-
3 tormod
3 jcap
2 dup
out-
4 crucible
1 solemn
3 smoky
Game 2
I got turn 1 uba, but she vapored it, then drained n-rod, and mtutored for tinker before I could get any other lock going. I ubazaared once, less 11. then ubazaared next turn and hit dup against her empty hand.
Rd 3 Italian Tendrils player lose 1-2
Game 1
really mediocre hand I should have mulliganed. I got crucible+strip turn 2, but no other threats. enemy kept bouncing crucible, forcing me to use land drops to re-cast crucible, rather than killing his lands. I really didnt put any pressure on him and he combod easily.
I board standard anti-combo plan:
3 tormod
3 jcap
out
2 crucible
2 smoky
1 jens
1 dup
Game 2
unbeatable hand, w chalice@0, followed by tanglewire and jester cap.
Game 3
enemy plays turn 1 confidant, and draws 10 cards with it, taking 2 damage total. I could not keep up with this card advantage and the game slowly slipped away from me, despite using tormod to Rfg much of his best cards. I probably misplayed his last gifts stack, but I had already consciously conceded the game. He would almost certainly have just killed me via confidant beats, if I hadnt accidently given him the faster win.
Rd 4 Lou Christopher Tendrils win 2-0
Game 1
Lou mulled to 5, and then went all in on turn 1 demonic consultation for Yawg will. it was the 3rd card down. consultation was still needlessly desperate play, bc even if he hit his Yawg Will, his next play would have to be d-consulting again for tendrils. and assuming he managed to grab tendrils without rfging his library, I dont think it would have even been lethal storm.
Same board as Rd 3
Game 2
Lou's opening mana is saphire+sol ring. he fails to draw any lands, until after Ive resolved plethora of locks. I wiped his board w smoky and had him trapped under uba. Lou let me goldfish for awhile but then scoops as soon as he realizes I was enjoying myself.
After this round, a judge (Aaron with big glasses and goatee) pulled me aside and said he had a problem with my deck. I knew immediately he meant my altered cards and hated this man instantly. He sat down and hesitantly tried to explain the policy how cards are only truly identified by their art, yada, yada. I cut him off and said I didnt care, just pull out whatever cards you dont like and I'll replace them. He found 6 cards that he considered unidentifiable, and missed about 3 that were equally or more altered. Ive known this rule existed all along, and just ignored it. This is the first time in all my tournament experience anyone, player or judge, has ever complained about my altered cards. Sure its in the rules, but its pointless. If the card says Smokestack, and has smokestack's rules text, than its a fing smokestack. in protest, I took a generic smokestack, signed it, and wrote "NOT A SMOKESTACK" over the art. I was only carrying my foil binder and had a few of the extras, but had to scramble to borrow some null rods.
Rd 5 Roland Chang 5C stax win 2-0
Game 1
This whole match was closely fought stax battle. I won the roll and had turn 1 welder. Roland quickly got welder+bazaar, but I had smokestack and null rod, which negated his misplay of vamping for trike, bazaaring it into the yard and welding generic 4/4 into play. I carefully kept my yard artifact free, and managed to outplay his welder to keep his crucible off the table while smokestack ramped to 3 for several consecutive turns. I wiped his board, and Roland scooped to my remaining welder.
Board
+3 heretic
+3 tormod
+4 gshard
+2 dup
-4 tangle
-4 uba
-1 trinisphere
-1 black lotus
-2 bazaar
Game 2
Roland got turn 1 chalice@0 and crucible, and built up permanents, but no gas. He played memory jar turn 2, but I got null rod before he could break it. I also piled on permanents and turn 4ish finally drew red mana for welder + chalice@1. Then I drew bazaar to cycle away all my zero drops, and found smokestack. once I had soot counter, I double wasted Roland's two lands, forcing him to sack mox, and welded out his crucible. Soot wrecked his board and he was locked. I love the stax mirror more than anything in magic, and its always great to play against one of the best.
Rd 6 5C-Hate Deck win 2-0
Game 1
My teammate Jim Erlinger had lost to this deck in round 2, and I was somewhat worried about facing infi artifact kill. however, ubastax is just on such higher power level than hate decks, enemy was overwhelmed. This deck ran oxidize and naturalize main, but enemy gambled on destroying my artifact mana, combined with some wastelands, rather than waiting to destroy locks. This didnt work out for him, since I was slow rolling workshop. I got bazaar and start digging for locks, but he cast chains of mephistopheles to cripple bazaar. I had just drawn uba mask turn before, and cast it to overrule the chains effect. I ubazaared into tangle, to shut off his draws for awhile. next I found smoky to swallow his mana. following turn I topdecked crucible to seal lock. he never got any creatures in play.
board
+2 dup
+4 gshard
-3 uba
-3 nrod
Game 2
My lock was slower to develop this game, and he killed my first smoky. enemy had 2xmongrel and rootwalla that bashed few times, but then I drew in order: tangle, tangle, smoky, and wiped his board. After demolishing him game 1, I was not too worried. He plowshared some welders, but otherwise did nothing significant the whole match.
Rd 7 Bomberman win 2-0
Game 1
Bomberman is easy match up for me. I played turn 1 uba into force, and he e-tutored for lotus, making me fear a turn 2 win, but he just used the 3 mana to TFK. I cast another uba, which hit, and followed next turn w tangle to knock out long string of his draws. I sealed game w welder for ubalock against his permanent-based combo.
board
+3 jester
+3 tormod
-1 solemn
-1 dup
-3 smoky (I suspected sacred ground)
-1 crucible
Game 2
I got turn 1 nrod and enemy got early sacred ground. I actually had heavy land kill draw, but still managed to lock him via ubazaaring infinite cards, and playing multiple nrods, ubas, welders, tangles, etc. Enemy opts not to scoop and I goldfish expertly, finishing the game with b-rings and about half my deck on the table. He never got salvagers or enough resources in play to make me worried either game.
Rd 8 Arend Kraehling Control Slaver ID
I finished swiss in 5th place with record of 6-1-1. Looking at the tie breaks I feared being paired against Italian Tendrils master again in the quarters, but fortunately I ended up facing fish, my easiest match up among these top8 finishers.
Top 8
Quarters Paul Nikolo UBW Fish win 2-0
Game 1
nikolo gets turn 1 vial, making my turn 1 chalice@2 irrelevent. he has very aggro draw, and with my tapped vault and frequent mana burns, I lost life rapidly. I lose solemn and welder to plowshares. I duplicant his confidant before he draws any cards, and am facing iminent death to double factory. Fortunately I get waste+port to handle that threat, and Nikolo is forced to use his wasteland draw on my bazaar rather than the port. I finally get smokestack to stick and permanent race begins. I am aiming to end soot battle while still having workshop in play, but Nikolo draws another waste at perfect time, and both our boards clear, leaving life totals at 18 to 2. many turns go by with zero action as we both hope to topdeck mana. I drop chalice@0, and then finally nikolo draws tundra and plays another vial. I draw bazaar and start digging faster for lands. My next turn I find workshop, and am forced to burn to 1 to play nrod, lest he vial in beaters. thanks to bazaar, Im able to find another smokestack. Few turns of soot, and Nikolo scoops to crucible.
board
+4 granite shard
+2 dup
+3 heretic (just for blocking)
-3 null rod
-4 chalice
-2 uba
Game 2
Nikolo gets turn 1 meddling mage banning tanglewire. I did have tangle in hand, but also 2x welder, and draw red mana. he bashes w 2/2 until I get 1/3 viashino blocker and I dont take damage for rest of the game. nikolo drops energy flux, but with double welder, I set up lock of uba+tangle, where I never pay for flux and always keep tangle@4 and deny him most of his draws. I draw bazaar and pitch duplicant, and take out his mage. with 2xwelder, I can auto-kill any future creature drops, unless he eliminates my welders. he does not and I bash for 2/turn until he scoops.
Semis Travis Spiero Gifts lose 1-2
Game 1
This game was classic stax v gifts battle. I laid locks and tried to cut out his resources before he could bounce my board and win. In this game though I got hit w mass-bounce spell twice and survived yawg will and still managed to eke out the win. Early game I had crucible+bazaar draw engine going and put 3 workshops on board. I had smoky and tangle in play, and Travis had just merchant scrolled for rebuild. I drew another smoky and cast it to force the issue. Travis predictably cast rebuild, then tinkered for dsteel. on my turn, I drew another smokestack, and cast all 3 in the same turn, w 2 cards left in hand. Travis bashed me 11 less, then I ramped all 3 smokies. after drawing for turn and bazaaring I had chalice and tanglewire. I resolved chalice@2, and all 4 Fows were in Travis's yard. Tangle hit the table and he loses his board, but not before casting one last gifts ungiven. I hand him lotus, rather than draw spells. Travis is probably hoping to draw another bounce spell to use w his lotus to get something going again, if he has any hope of recovering in this game. but I draw chalice@0 soon enough and seal it.
talented gifts player will not attempt dsteel win if they cant protect it. thus theres no point in trying to pull off duplicant defense.
+3 tormod
+3 jester
-2 smoky
-2 crucible
-1 jens
-1 dup
Game 2
My opening hand had tormod+bazaar and lots of mana. unfortunately I got rather mana-flooded and since I had no threat other than tormod, I was twice forced to avoid giving Travis pithing needle in his gifts stacks. I developed very slowly, but the game hinged on one critical play in the midgame. I was holding tangle, smoky, uba. Travis had only 4 lands, and I cast tangle. If tangle resolves, he will be tapped down for several turns, letting me drop uba+smoky and seize control of his board. There are 2 Fows in his yard, and he casts gifts in response to tangle. The gifts stack is [mana drain, force, merchant scroll, brainstorm]. With 3 Fows accounted for, the odds of him holding the 4th are low. If I give him drain+scroll and tangle resolves, both those cards will be useless for the next few turns. I gamble that Travis does not have the last Force and hand him the objectively better cards on the hopes that I will lock him before they can be used. unfortunately he did have the final force of will, and countered tanglewire. This let him scroll for another gifts the next turn and keep drain mana open. The game was out of my control from that point on, but I had no reason to scoop, and Travis took his sweet time setting up the perfect hand to win with. The game dragged on another 45 minutes.
Game 3
Once I saw pithing needles I should have boarded for game 3:
+3 heretic
-2 crucible
-1 uba
but I was overconfident I could get overpowering opening hand on the play and just go for the throat with standard locks. my opening hand was strong:[tsphere, vault, 2xtormod, port, mtn, welder]. unfortunately Travis forced tsphere, needled welder, then turn 3 topdecked tinker and I had nothing.
Since the other player to lose Semis was Arend Kraehling who I was ahead of in the swiss, I assume I finished in 3rd place.
I was very pleased with how I performed in this tournament. I went 3-0 vs energy flux/sacred ground. my first complaint is nitpick judge Aaron. my second complaint is lackluster prize support. where were the equivalent of foil gemstones to top 16? booster box+handful of I-Legends packs was not satisfying to me. Im not sure if I will still be playing magic seriously this time next year, but Gencon doesnt seem worth it anymore.
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