|
Luecifer
|
 |
« on: February 11, 2007, 01:41:59 am » |
|
Today’s Bluebell was a fantastic success, and this is my view on events, to the best of my knowledge. I will provide my full deck list at the end. It is 5c Uba Stax with a few changes I made to make the deck fit my play style more. I was very pleased, even though I lost in the Top8. Anyway, the rounds went thus.
Round 1 vs. David
Game 1 started on the play with a workshop and crucible. I pass turn and he proceeds to play 2 moxen and an island. My turn I draw wasteland, play sol ring into null rod, he allows it to resolve and attempts to eot telling time (yes I was surprised too). There was a small discussion, since he didn’t realize null rod shuts down artifact mana, and the game was over a few turns later with a tinker titan. Not knowing what I am facing at this point I leave the deck as is to try and get information, and shuffle up for game 2. He proceeds to turn 1 play demon horn (yes demon horn) off moxen and a gorilla shaman. My play was a crucible off workshop again, with waste and strip in hand. He proceeds to play cloudstone curio on his next turn, and chain kobolds to gain about 1 billion life. He cast brain freeze for the win and we go to game 3. Seeing this combo I now know what to side in, bringing in sphere of resistance. I only remember getting uba lock down early, a welder on turn 1 and board control to lock him out of the game. He died to a titan.
Round 2 vs. Carlos
Carlos and I got to shuffling, and recognized each other from previous events(bluebells and events in Philly) and started chatting. I win the die roll again and elect to play. Turn 1 starts with a few accelerants and a chalice for 0, I pass turn holding an uba, recall, tutor and a blank in hand. He plays a fetch and passes the turn. I draw bazaar, play it, and pass turn, since I feel this is a slow gifts start, he fetches out an underground eot and brainstorms, to which I respond with recall, drawing a crucible, workshop and waste. He plays another fetch and passes turn. My turn I attempt to play crucible off workshop, which gets forced and I pass turn. He fetches out a volcanic and passes turn. on his turn he plays a workshop, drops a gilded lotus and plays thirst. At this point I am immediately reminiscent of old school slaver, and it is what I put him on. My next turn I play uba, and since he has no relevant plays, he scoops, telling me afterwards that I have the game won. I sideboard expecting slaver, but must note that I never actually see a welder at all. Game 2 I only remember being beaten down by a memnarch with him countering much of my early game. I did manage to shut down him stealing my permanents, however, by dropping a null rod once memnarch was in play but without the mana to activate. It was an ugly game for me but I’ll take whatever information I can get. I made the mistake of bringing in powder kegs expecting empty the warrens, which I never see. Game 3 was a tightly contested game and a well-fought battle. He gets a turn 2 tinker titan, me drawing a lot of mana, hitting a duplicant and winning with the dup beats. We talked for several minutes after the match, and after t8 was done we discussed tech and theory for quite a while, exchanged emails, and had a rather enjoyable conversation. I found out this deck was a variant of 7/10 split, and played like a mixture of that and slaver. I was impressed with its mixture of new and old school and enjoyed the match considerably.
Round 3 vs. Anthony
Anthony is another good player I recognize from previous t1 events. Game 1 lose the die roll and have a typical stax game 1, shutting down most of his resources and using the lock pieces to control the game. He scoops to a titan. Game 2 I am on the draw again, bringing in my kegs for warrens along with crypts and spheres. I feel in retrospect the sideboard needs to be changed, but I’ll get to that later. The game proceeds with him dropping a turn 1 bob and having that take him all the way down to 3, me at 4, when he wins the game, I don’t remember much of that game accept for dropping trin but it being rather irrelevant most of the game. Game 3 I am on the play, he drops a turn 2 bob, I drop turn 1 welder. He takes some beats while I am forced to play keg and wait 2 turns to deal with the bob. He combos me out creating 30something tokens, and I cannot draw an artifact I can play or a way to deal with the tokens and I lose on his next turn.
Although I am slightly disheartened by the loss, I have a cigarette and get ready for the next round.
Round 4 vs. Evan
Evan was building his deck when I arrived at the event and I helped him by making his sideboard and deck better, and this being a pseudo mirror (5c uba vs. mono-red uba), I know the match up very well and I know he is inexperienced with his deck, this will play in my favor. Game 1 I draw a nuts hand, playing turn 1 crucible, turn 2 tinker for titan and win in short order. My deck now goes into hyper change mode, since I side out 9 cards for heretics, seals, crypts and razormanes. Game 2 begins slowly for him, I explode out of the gate and dominate the early game with a turn 1 welder and turn 2 heretic. I blow up his spheres (2 sphere) and begin to lock him out of the game (he suffers from the dreaded mana screw). He never recovers and I have a sick board with 2 welders, 2 heretics, and a titan in hand.
Round 5 vs. Joe
Joe is a good player I ran into at the last Waterbury, and I know he can play very well. Game 1 I fail to drop a relevant lock piece early and he oaths me into oblivion with akroma. Game 2 I completely lock him out with smokestack and win with titan beats. Simply game really I love when that happens. Game 3 I have a god opening hand, but run out of gas and he recovers, oaths up a SSS, and wins when I fail to draw an answer. I do not feel bad, however, since I feel my tiebreakers are good, as the only 2 loses I have at this point are to 2 t8 players, and I have 1 game left which now became a must win.
Round 6 vs. Chris
Chris is a nice guy in the same situation as me. This is a true mirror, however, and I find out he is also not experienced with stax, so I have 1 edge, and that is all I needed to win. Game 1 he had double welder and strip lock to my strip lock and full yard and null rod. I manage to take lots of damage off a crypt I cant keep off the board until I find 2 of my own welders, and the trix ensue. I hit a tinker, nab duplicant, and proceed to win by removing his welders and getting his crucible off the board, he scoops. Game 2 he admits he doesn’t know how to side for the mirror, which I help him with after the round is done. Game 2 I drop a crucible first turn, which is answered by a strip mine. I play my own, a welder off a ruby, and pass turn. He drops his own crucible, and this game is looking rather annoying. I manage to keep his permanent count down and hit him with tangle wire, keeping him tapped down and taking damage from city of brass. This allows me to develop my board and drop razormane, to which he scoops.
I did my part and waited with much anticipation to see how the other matches played out. I watched Carlos play a round against Ichorid (I’m sorry I forget the pilot, feel free to correct me if you know), which was a well-played game on both sides. I am happy to see I finished in 8th, getting my first top 8 birth at bluebell, and check the parings.
Top 8 vs. Jeremy
I see who my opponent is and I cant help but smile, since Jeremy and I have a history of playing against each other and ended up sitting next to each other for most of the day. We talk for a few minutes while shuffling, wish each other luck, and begin our games. Game 1 goes well for the stax player, dropping null rod, chalice, smokestack, and shutting him down with uba lock and a chalice for 0 1 and 2 when he scoops. Games 2 and 3, however, went incredibly well for him, and he dominated me before I could do much. Game 3, however, I made a mistake, which allowed him to combo out, which I caught after the fact. I was not disappointed, and I said to Jeremy, if I’m going to lose to someone in the T8, I’m glad it was you. I wished him luck the rest of the way, exchanged handshakes and of course, the victory hug, and was happy to hear that he got the Top 4 split. He is an excellent player, plays combo very well, and has had bad beats in the past at Bluebells, and I’m always glad to see someone get his dues.
I can’t say enough for the quality of players that come to this event, some of the very best minds come to Bluebells and play the best format in existence. I’m glad I can compete against them and do this well. I hope to see them all there again and at future events, greet each one with a smile and a handshake. Now without further a due, my deck.
4 Gemstone Mine
4 City of Brass
4 Mishra’s Workshop
3 Wasteland
Tolarian Academy
Strip mine
Sol ring
Mana Crypt
Black Lotus
5 moxen
4 Bazaar of Baghdad
4 Chalice of the Void
4 Tangle Wire
3 Uba Mask
3 Crucible of Worlds
3 Smokestack
3 Null Rod
Trinisphere
Sundering Titan
Duplicant
4 Goblin Welder
Tinker
Balance
Demonic tutor
Ancestral Recall
Sideboard
2 Razormane Masticore
3 Sphere of Resistance
2 Tormod’s Crypt
2 Seal of Cleansing
3 Powder Keg
3 Viashino heretic
Well there she is, I welcome all critisims, comments, complaings, omissions, or random jank you wish to add. I will check back so if there are any questions about my card selections I will do my best to answer. I feel the list is solid and there are very few changes that need to be made to the maindeck, the board needs work, and again, I am welcome to all suggestions. Thank you for your time and please come again
Jon Richards
|
