[Report] Garden City 1st Place: Golden Grahams (Salvagers-Gamekeeper)

Garden City (Detroit, MI) 19 Player pool.

No fluff to start off with, on with the content:

Golden Grahams
A Deck Built By: Me

The list:

Spells:
4 Chromatic Sphere
4 Lion’s Eye Diamond
1 Pyrite Spellbomb
4 Dark Ritual
4 Duress
4 Cabal Therapy
4 Innocent Blood
4 Tainted Pact
3 Gamekeeper
4 Living Wish
2 Sylvan Library
2 Auriok Salvagers

Lands:
3 Windswept Heath
2 Bayou
2 Forest
2 Polluted Delta
2 Savannah
2 Snow-Covered Forest
2 Snow-Covered Swamp
2 Swamp
1 Bloodstained Mire
1 Scrubland
1 Wooded Foothills

Sideboard:

1 City of Brass
1 Game Keeper
1 Viridian Zealot
1 Uktabi Orangutan
1 Tusnami
1 Bone Shredder
4 Infest
1 Kjeldoran Dead
1 Auriok Salvagers
1 Orzhov Guildmage
1 Simic Sky Swallower
1 Darksteel Colossus

Deviations From the Thomas Lee, Gencon list:

Main deck -2 Nights Whisper +2 Sylvan Library.

I play Library in nearly every deck I build that can support it, from Parfait, to Life and now this. Sylvan Library is terrific. In testing, Library proved superior as it gave me Gamekeeper (countered,) followed by Gamekeeper (countered.) And lastly, Salvagers, the turn before UGw would come in for lethal, to win. This was a sign that Library was in, and this performance repeated in the tournament at least twice.

Lands

I literally threw this together at 2 A.M. the night before, to start testing. Not having a Plains was probably a mistake, but it never came up. There is no reason that you cannot get away with using a couple of each dual, as Tainted Pact is not going to fizzle on them. The only change I would make to my mana base is –1 Wooded Foothills, +1 Snow-Covered Plains. I may like a 4th Heath.

Sideboard –1 Maga, Traitor to Mortals –1 Tsunami –1 Darsteel Colossus +1 Simic Sky Swallower +1 Orzhov Guildmage +1 Bone Shredder.

Orzhov Guildmage is better than Maga, Traitor to Mortals.

Bone Shredder Seemed like a good idea. He never came up, but it was nice to know that he was there. Next time, he might as well be another Orangutan.

Simic Sky Swallower it looked good on paper. It looked even better on the table. He is great, even against savage hate.

Before we get started:
1. I made some grievous errors with this deck. I will not discuss them here, but my performance with this deck should not be a representation of how well the deck can perform.
2.I tested incredibly well against Ugw, the last Tsunami in the board was a last minute “Opps, I forgot to fill this SB slot.
3.No one cares about what happened before or afterwards, so here it goes:

Round 1: Austin with U/W Landstill

Game 1

I win the die roll and lead off with Therapy on Force of Will. I grab one, and in the process see Swords to Plowshares and Counterspell. I have Gamekeeper, Duress and two Tainted Pact in hand, I am very uncomfortable about how this match is going to go. Next turn, I am able to snag the Counterspell with Duress. The next couple of turns are slow. At the end of turn 4, I Tainted Pact, it is Counterspelled, I Tainted Pact again, into Dark Ritual. My turn, play Gamekeeper, flash back Therapy naming Swords to Plowshares, get my Salvager, and he concedes before seeing a win condition.
Sideboarding: Nothing. I got a vibe that he was bringing in irrelevant hate, as he was completely baffled by what just happened and commented, “I do not think I can deal with this.”

Game 2

Starts him out with an Island. I get another turn Cabal Therapy looking for Force of Will, He brainstorms in response revealing two Wrath of God and Decree of Justice. I also see he is stuck on one of each type of mana. His second turn; he plays Standstill; I grimace. On my turn, I try to bate the counter with Sylvan Library (Gamekeeper in hand.) When it resolves, I feel a relief that I can win. When he still does not get a second blue mana source, I feel confident that I can win next turn. I draw 3 cards off the Library. Ritual, Duress. Gamekeeper, Lions Eye Diamond, flash back Cabal Therapy, get stuck on Gamekeeper. and have to pass the turn. Next turn, play Living Wish (as I have no Sac outlet) grabbing Kjeldoran Dead, it resolves. Gamekeeper hails Salvagers. Break LED. Win.

1-0 (2-0)

Round 2: Marcel with Iggy Pop

I was terrified of this match. I have not tested it, but seeing that it is difficult to win is obvious as the deck main-decks Graveyard hate. Before the match, as we present decks. I offer him an ID. He thinks for a moment (knowing what I was playing, as everyone was talking about it for some reason.) and agrees. I am relived. We play it out to pass the time.

Game 1: He does not get a Leyline in play. I hit him with Duress turn 1. Turn 2, Ritual Gamekeeper into play. Turn 3, fetch the wrong land as I Innocent Blood Gamekeeper. End of my turn, he Mystical Tutors up his win, and wins indeed.

Sideboarding: -1 Salvager +1 Darksteel Colossus. This is the kind of sideboarding you are going to see me do a lot of for game two when I do not know what to expect from a deck.. Here is the reasoning: I have no idea what I am supposed to do with this deck, but the partial transformation feels right to me. It gives me a 50/50 chance of win conditions. The deck is designed to work with Salvagers. I can win this turn, if I get Salvagers, if they do not have hate ready. And if they do have hate. I have a 50/50 chance of hitting a beater. DSC comes in against decks that do not use targeted removal. SSS comes in against decks that do.

Game 2: My opening hand is all right. Game Keeper, LED, Therapy, Living Wish. I keep it. He starts with a Leyline in play. I sink in my chair. He also kept a 0 mana source hand. I have enough time to turn my Living Wish into a Simic Sky Swallower and play it (same turn) I get an attack in with it before he hits two mana sources, an LED and wins.

After the game; he showed me he sided out a Leyline.

1-0-1 (2-0)

Round 3 Ari with U/G Madness

See Aside*

Game 1

Prior to playing, he tells me he thinks he knows what I am playing, and that the statistics are very much in his favor. Looking at my (on the play) hand of Sylvan Library, Gamekeeper, Cabal Therapy, Duress and three lands, I find that hard to believe. I Therapy for Force of Will, get one. I see Two Circular Logics on top of it. My next turn, I draw into a Ritual, and attempt to go for the gold. It is met with Brainstorm into Force of Will, removing a Logic. On his turn, he plays Wild Mongrel, which is only relevant as a madness outlet. On my turn, I play Sylvan Library, which he allows to resolve. He attacks, throws a Basking Rootwalla into play. I draw into my 4th land in a timely manner. I realize that he has the beats coming fast (as he has had another Rootwalla from his first turn) and I attempt to resolve a Gamekeeper, met with the Circular Logic. I lay down my LED and pass the turn: Knowing that the top card of my library is Salvagers, and he is topdecking, at this point. He draws into a card, attacks me to 7. On my turn. I draw into my Salvagers, draw an extra card as a buffer. Play Salvagers, it resolves, and I proceed to win.

Sideboarding –1 Auriok Salvagers +1 Darksteel Colossus

Game 2.

Long story short; he plays several counterspells, he finally gets a creature to stick to the table; wonders why I did not concede to Chalice with zero counters. On turn 6ish; I break 2 Chromatic Spheres, (using a forest) to Duress his hand, nabbing the only relevant card. End of turn; I tap Forest, Swamp for Tainted Pact: Getting Dark Ritual. As of my draw step my hand is: Game Keeper, Living Wish, Therapy, Therapy Dark Ritual, Dark Ritual, With three lands on the table (The only counter in his hand (as of Duress) is 2 Circular Logic.) Suddenly, after I draw a card; he calls the judge. Asking how I generated the Black mana (after I had played Duress) to play Tainted Pact, looking around for a few seconds I think: Wow, did I really do that? And politely apologize, and concede the game instead of winning After my concession a spectator standing behind me (and friend of my opponent) says, “Yeah, I did not want to say anything during the game, but you used Chromatic Sphere for that.”

Lesson learned.

Sidebaording –4 Lions Eye Diamond –1 Salvagers +1 Simic Sky Swallower +4 Infest. Chalice at 0 makes LED bad. He also let me Duress away a Crypt that game. Time to change up tactics

Game 3

I get a nice two-land hand. Which becomes a one-land hand after he Stifles a fetch. I see other lands three turns later, but it is too late. After playing another Chalice at zero, he monologues about how there is no possible way I can win.

1-1-1 (3-2)

Round 4: Jeremy with Sligh

Jeremy has been at every tournament since we started monthly Legacy. He has been playing Goblin Sligh, R/w Sligh and last month, Sligh sligh.

Game 1

He wins the die roll, and leads with Mogg Fanatic. I take an educated guess that he is playing Goblins, and play a Sphere turn one, No turn two play backed up this suspicion. Turn two, I go Ritual, popping sphere get BBBG and play Game Keeper. He attacks into it, after playing a third land. When I get Salvagers, he plays 2 Seal of Fire in his 2nd Main to kill them off. Shaken, I take my turn, play another Game Keeper, flashing back Therapy, naming Lightning Bolt, hit 2 copies, seeing 2 copies of Price of Progress. I play the Lions Eye Diamond that I drew for the turn after I get my other Salvagers and begin the combo.

Sideboarding: -1 Salvagers +1 Darksteel Colossus. I do not think he sideboarded at all against me. I think he looked, but found nothing. I figured this was safe either way.

Game 2

Another early Mogg Fanatic and a plethora of burn eat away at my life total. I get an Early Therapy in the yard, hitting Lightning Bolt again. I am not able to Ritual a Wished Gamekeeper in this game, and I even miss a land drop. After I Tainted Pact up Dark Ritual, and I draw into a land, I am able to Ritual Gamekeeper in, flash back Therapy (he has 1 topdecked card in hard. I predict and say “Fireblast” accidentally early, and get Fireblasted) I chain into another Gamekeeper, which begot Salvagers who won the game.

2-1-1 (5-2)

As we only had 19 players, we only played 4 rounds. My tiebreakers are mostly terrible, and I am not sure if I will T8. After doing some talking, everyone is 2-1-1, which makes me even less optimistic. When standings are posted I am 4th place. I suppose I do not understand the scoring as well as I like to pretend.

Top 8 Kacey: UGw Threshold.

Kacey and I are teammates and always seem to get paired together, no matter the size of the event. Kacey is main decking a couple of Stifles instead of another cantrip. This is the build I was testing against, and if everything held up, would do well against.

Game 1

I get a turn one Therapy, naming Force of Will, get one; like always. He has a good hand to play against me with; Counterspell, Swords are left. He leads off with a Serum Visions. My turn 2 consists of playing my topdecked Duress, to get he counterspell. On his turn, he draws a couple more cards. I go for the Gamekeeper; it resolves Flashing back therapy for his Swords. He has a couple of Mongoose chilling out in his hand. I hit Salvagers and I am forced to pass the turn. He untaps, plays another draw spell and hastily casts Swords to Plowshares targeting the Salvagers. I get a Dark Ritual. He starts playing 3/3s. He plays Pithing Needle on Salvagers. I hit Living Wish, and get Orangutan to kill the needle. I draw into Gamekeeper, play it, and chain a couple of Gamekeepers. And end up passing the turn with a lone Salvagers in play and 1 mana left untapped. He draws, (just Force of Will left in hand, after Therapy Chain) and passes. I (not paying attention to my lands again) tap 2 Savannahs (my only white sources) to return Lion’s Eye Diamond. He Stifles to buy another turn… He draws, and tells me to go. I get back the LED He counters with Force of Will. I get it back again. He plays Daze. I pay the 1, and then win. 2 Cards left in library.

Sideboarding: -2 Auriok Salvagers, +1 Simic Sky Swallower, +1 Darksteel Colossus. I know the hate is coming. Lets see what I can do.

Game 2

My hand is nice: Gamekeeper, Dark Ritual, Duress, Living Wish, Innocent Blood. Lands. He leads off with Pithing Needle on Salvagers. I play Duress, grabbing a Force of Will (leaving him Swords, Counterspell, and Meddling Mage.) Turn two he casts the Mage, naming Living Wish. Although he knows me deck, he is confused as to why I am not conceding. I am able to Ritual the Gamekeeper in and pass. He plays a Mongoose passes. I play Innocent Blood (Darksteel Colossus in hand.) both the spell and ability resolve. I get SSS. He is at 18, and had Brainstormed in response to Therapy. He concedes as he looks at his top 3, seeing if somehow Mystic Enforcer had been there.

3-1-1 (7-2)

Top 4 Phil with Affinity

Game 1

I start things out with a Therapy on Pithing Needle: No luck. He gets a turn one Disciple. I am not happy about it. My Innocent Bloods are all dodged by Ornithopter. A large Ravager does me in a couple turns, as I fail to get much going.

Sideboarding: -4 Innocent Blood –1 Auriok Salvagers +4 Infest +1 Darksteel Colossus

Game 2

On the play, I start with just a sphere. Living Wish, two Infest, Ritual and land make up the rest of it. He lays on creature on turn 1, Arcbound Worker; so, I can wait a turn to play Infest. I play Living Wish for Gamekeeper and pass. He extends far enough into my grasp turn two for me to Infest on my third turn. He recovers with just about nothing. I play Gamekeeper. On turn five, I Infest (4 lands on the table) Getting Salvagers, and passing the turn. He hits me for a few more points of damage, and I win on the next turn.

Game 3

This is another good hand. Living Wish, Infest and what not. For the second game in a row, he gets stuck on one land But it is all right, he has 3 Tormod’s Crypt. And he also lets what creatures he does have walk into Infest. I get a Gamekeeper down on turn four. He has a 3/3 Frogmite that I am happy to block. After I Gamekeeper up Gamekeeper and several Therapy, he uses one of three Crypt to remove my yard. On my turn, when I Infest, I check to see if Gamekeeper trigger resolves, it does. Repeat for another Gamekeeper trigger, it does. Darksteel Colossus comes into play. And he seems upset. I win two turns later.

4-1-1 (9-3)

Finals would have been against the same U/G Madness. I am confident in my ability to beat the deck, however. I was all ready tired, and I figured it would be a kindly gesture to split with him. He had to drop his match as no drawing is allowed, as you know; giving me first place.

Final Thoughts

This deck is way more consistent than it looks on paper. And is highly underplayed. Tainted Pact is one of my favorite cards; I never had a Pact fizzle, even when I dug deep, so warping the deck further than it is to accommodate Pact is unnecessary, as far as I can tell.
I had played a couple of few-board games against Zoo, winning each of them, on a short clock.
The deck is a loaded gun, and it definitely has the right silver bullets to get the job done. The transformational board is great at dodging most hate. But, I would like to make some further, minor changes. Foremost, the SB Tsunami slot, becoming Mesmeric Fiend.

I had a lot of fun playing this deck, and look forward to using it in the future.

*Aside: I would like to take a short aside to say something about sportsmanship. This was a REL 1 tournament. The judge, Dave is a laid back, relaxed, fun guy. The people were for the most part, a real blast to play with. It bothers me quite a bit when a group of players; is focused on working together to unnerve and undermine another player. While many players want to bring Legacy to a highly competitive level, we try to keep it casual at this tournament (as far as I could tell.) and the level of unsportsman like attitude that I had witnessed from various players was not only upsetting, but also enraging. I feel that this a more of a problem with Magic in general, and is sadly, something that will probably not be resolved. It really disturbs me that the only way some people can play this game is to attempt to demoralize, rules lawyer, and quite frankly harass the opponent. Simply between we are in competition with each other does not give another the right, nor the reason to act in such an uncouth and antagonistic manner. No one deserves to be treated in such a hostile fashion and the number of players I see resorting to this, frankly; appalls me. I feel strongly, that unsportsman like conduct is something that any player should have to stand for, and the insignificant punishment stated by the rules is not enough to seriously address this issue. Aggressive and intimidating players are not conducive to a healthy, fun, positive gaming environment that I, and I would assume most other people would be most interested in playing in.