I've been away like 9 months. What to play at a tourney 2 days away?

[kurtkeoki]

I used to play a bit of vintage, but haven't kept up to date in around 9 months. I recognized all the decks from the January Waterbury, but I haven't played in the current metagame. I understand Flash Decks and Ichorid decks are pretty popular. What should I play if I have very little time to playtest, and there is a tourney 2 days away? I don't have any of the new cards, so the new ichorid and probably the flash decks are out,even with the 10 proxy rule. I have the power, but I don't feel like trading for the new rares to get my deck in 10-proxy range. I also probably can't build stax. I have all the cards for the old Slaver, Gifts, Oath, fish, long, Bomberman etc decks. Which of the more veteren decks would be best in the current meta, with not a lot of time for playtesting? My top three choices would be Oath, Bomberman, and bomberman with Bob and Jotun Grunt. Would these be okay choices? Thanks in advance.

[hauntedechos]

Hey man,

Gifts just got nuked (more or less), Oath is dead, slaver is pretty much in the same boat, Stax is pretty much too slow and ichorid will roll it anyways.  To be honest man, bomberman would be ok, but you'll need some time to learn it (beyond the basics).  My suggestion, do your best to build Ichorid, it's somewhat of an autopilot deck (most seem to think) with Cabal Therapy choices being the hardest generally to call and unmask choices requiring knowledge of how the current decks run.

I'm a Fish player so I cant be of much more help to you mate.
cheers
Mike

[Aardshark]

The new B&R goes into effect June 20, so that won't affect your tourney if its tomorrow.

Although I'm not sure oath is dead (several players did ok withit in the last tourney), I agree it may not be the strongest choice. 

Gifts is still an ok choice, but seems not to be the best in the current meta. Ritual gifts is probably better if you know how to play it, but its not something I'd want to pick up cold (it does not play like traditional gifts at all).

If you are a competent combo player, I'd recommend playing pitch long. Here's a list that put 2 people in the top 8 of a 20+ person tourney in northern california (it should have put a third in as well, if he hadn't mistakenly scooped to me thinking he was out of contention):

4 Brainstorm
4 Force of Will
2 Pact of Negation
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Chain of Vapour
1 Mind's Desire
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Rebuild
1 Time Walk
1 Timwtwister
1 Tinker
1 Memory Jar
4 Dark Ditual
2 Cabal Ritual
2 Grim Tutor
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Imperial Seal
1 Necropotence
1 Tendrils of Agony
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Yawgmoth's Bargain
1 Yawgmoth's Will
2 Simian Spirit Guide
1 Burning Wish
1 Wheel of Fortune
1 Black Lotus
1 Lion's Eye Diamond
1 Lotus Petal
1 Mana Crypt
1 Mana Vault
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Sol Ring
1 Tolarian Academy
1 Bloodstained Mire
4 Polluted Delta
1 Badlands
2 Underground Sea
1 Island
1 Swamp

Sideboard:
2 Duress
2 Massacre
2 Empty the Warrens
1 Tendrils of Agony
3 Pithing Needle
4 Leyline of the Void
1 Volcanic Island

The only "new" cards (depending on what you mean by new) are leyline, Pact of Negation, and Simmian spirit guide (a common) = 8 cards--well within your range.  You can even proxy the two grim tutors if you don't have them.

Tinker a little with the list if you like (burning wish could be an Empty the warrens instead, and most long builds play 3 grim tutors), but this is a very strong list if you are a competent combo player.  It can race flash and ichorid--which is vital right now.  Fish is tougher, but UB fish seems more in vogue right now, which is better for you main (although your massacre's are suboptimal post board). Against UB fish I'd lean heavily on etw post board (I'd like to have 3 post board, which is why I might swap out the wish). 

Flash is also a strong deck, and easier to play if you can get the cards, but out of your range if your unwilling to trade/pay a couple of bucks.

If you can't pilot combo well, and don't want to acquire flash, bomberman (bob or not) is probably fine.  Play 4x leyline side at the very least to fight ichorid and flash--I don't know the deck at all though, so I can't realliy advise.

[kurtkeoki]

Thanks for the helpful replies. I played a bit of Long when pitch long was new, so that's a possibility. How has Fish been doing lately? Is there a standard fish build? I saw DAve feinstein's list from waterbury but it's a bit old. The deck I've had the most success with has been the old non-bob bomberman. Also, the pitch long you posted looks pretty nice. Is UBr the standard for Long now? I guess more than anything I'll just pick what I should have the most fun with, and since I haven't played in a while, I can still have fun even if I don't do well