SuperStars Mox Ruby Results! Lists! Pics!

[LotusHead]

Ok, lists and pics later.

21 people showed up to battle, and here's the meta breakdown:



5 Rounds of Swiss and a cut to top 8 yeild:

Jarvis Yu (Dredge) lost to Ryan Devine (MUD)
David Ochoa (Bob Tezz w/3 maindeck Trygon Predators) beat Jeff Neilson (5c Stax)
Shawn Gresgon (of www.Channelfireball.com fame) (Oath) beat Matt Sperling (Also of www.Channelfireball.com fame) (Ad Nauseum Tendrils)
Bryan Hoyt (UB Bob Tezz) got dispatched by Jeff Huang (Bob Tezz w/3 maindeck Trygon Predators)

Top 4:
Ochoa beat Shawn Gresgon
Ryan Devine beat Jeff Huang

Finals: David Ochoa beats Ryan Devine and takes home an unlimited Mox Ruby!

2nd got like 140  125 in trade (I think), and 3/4th got like 40 each in trade.

Pics and lists soon!

[potato]

2nd place was 125. I spent about 100 right away on the recently-unbanned Illusionary Mask. I'm thinking that might turn into a good deck.

Mini-Report:

Round 1: David Ochoa with something weird

Game 1: He tinkers for Inkwell and runs me over.

Game 2: He has turn 1 Trygon Predator and runs me over.


Round 2: Ryan Reynolds with madness

Game 1: He doesn't draw any lands and I run him over.

Game 2: He draws nothing but lands and I run him over.

Round 3: Bryan Hoyt

Game 1: He counts his deck and sideboard, remarks "hmm, I have a 16 card sideboard! how weird!" and presents his deck. I call judge.

Game 2: I run him over with a god draw.

Round 4: Jeff Huang

I don't remember this one, but he won 2-1 I think.

Round 5: Philip Yam with Tezz

Game 1: I think I won this one... don't really remember.

Game 2: I think he won this one with turn 1 bob beatdown.

Game 3: I win somehow...

Top 8: Jarvis Yu with dredge

Game 1: I have a wasteland, but he slow-dredges for the win.

Game 2: I side in 13 cards including 3 Tormod's Crypt, 3 Pithing Needle, 2 Relic of Progenitus, and keep a hand with wasteland, crypt, needle, and 2 spheres. I steamroll him.

Game 3: I keep a hand with needle and wasteland, and topdeck a crypt and a relic. Razormane goes the distance.

Top 4: Jeff Huang again

Game 1: He has turn 1 land go, and I have workshop, mox, Mana Crypt, Nullstone Golem, Thorn of Amethyst. He didn't have a force.

Game 2: He has turn 1 island go, and I have like a chalice of the void on 1 and a Null Rod and a sphere or something. He resolves 2 dark confidants, but Razormane and a Smokestack take them out of the game. Mishra's Factory got some beats in too.

Finals: David Ochoa.

Game 1: He has a monster with turn 1 time walk, Trygon Predator, turn 2 Demonic Tutor for Trygon Predator #2.

Game 2: I have a monster with double workshops and a ton of spheres, a quick Karn, etc.

Game 3: I keep a really questionable 6 card no-lander and don't draw a land to play anything other than a Tangle Wire in the first 5 turns, while he has plenty of mana for a turn 1 Tarmogoyf and later a Trygon.


All in all, it was a pretty okay day. I took 125, got an illusionary mask and change. I also got to trade some so-so type 2 cards for like 60 terrible rares for my bad-rare cube. If anyone has some suggestions, feel free - I'd especially love to add more lesser-known legends and arabian nights cards. However, Honestly, I didn't think the metagame would adapt that fast. Tezz with maindeck trygons is insane in the stax/mud matchup, and I thought I would just play what I thought was the "best deck." Maybe I shoulda stuck with oath, which I've been playing for the last 5 or 6 of these.

I spent a lot of time thinking about whether to play Serum Powder or not. Based on the mulligans I had to do, especially in my matches against Huang and Ochoa, Serum Powder would have been a welcome addition. I wasn't pleased with Null Rod - while it was pretty decent most of the time, I kept drawing like 3 of them and that's just miserable. I think I might stick with the 2 main that I had but put something else in the side, like more Sculpting Steels.

I'd also like to look more seriously at no-mana-vault-no-black-lotus 3x Karn mud.

Props: Razormane Masticore. That dude is badass.

Slops: Trinisphere, because I never drew it, ever. Ever.

[jeffthefob]

To those "curious" ones and to save time for Jeff on typing these lists... Here is what Web and I ran at the tourney.

4 dark confidant
3 trygon predator
 
4 force of will
4 spell pierce
3 thoughtseize
2 mana drain
 
1 demonic tutor
1 merchant scroll
1 mystical tutor
1 vampiric tutor
 
1 ancestral recall
1 brainstorm
1 sensei's divining top
1 thirst for knowledge
1 time walk
1 tinker
1 yawgmoth's will
 
1 darksteel colossus
1 jace, the mind sculptor
1 tezzeret, the seeker
1 time vault
1 voltaic key
 
1 mana crypt
7 solomoxen
 
1 tolarian academy
2 misty rainforest
4 polluted delta
2 island
1 swamp
3 tropical island
3 underground sea

Going in to the tourney I knew I didn't want to play Oath again even though I had great success with it; sometime you just got to switch up.  So I am IM'ed Web on like Wednesday asking him if he has come up with anything.  And on Saturday morning he shipped this list and told me couple things. 

Me: SHIP LIST BRAAAASKI.
Web: *Insert decklist*
Me: Trigun Predator?
Web: Yeah, I think it is a good answer to the decks we are facing in our meta.  Very sweet against Stax, a way to "stop" Oath, and eats mana inTez mirrors.
Web: This is also untested and might just be garbage, I just goldfished it a lot.
Me: Sweet list gunning it.

I shipped the list to LSV on Saturday when he asked what Web and I were running he definitely NO-SIR'ed the deck.  Look who is the fool now, guess pro tour champs are just chumps sometime.  To be fair, he only came because Matt Sperling was coming and there were some sweet GWall actions going on. 

My board is bit different than Web's
4 Tarmogoyf
2 Mindbreak Trap
3 Nature's Claim
4 Leyline of the Void
1 Pithing Needle
1 Tormod's Crypt

My basic board plan against Oath is take out tinker, robot, and mystical, and add in 3 Nature's Claim.  Against Stax -3 Thoughtseize, -1 Mystical, -1 Tez, -1 Jace TMS, -1 1 Spell Pierce for 4 Goyfs and 3 Nature's Claim.  Against Tez - tinker, robot, mystical, and something loose I forgot + 4 goyfs.  This is like an "aggro" Tez build.  Against dredge take out bad cards and add in the good ones, shouldn't be hard to figure out -_-|||

Web and I went a combine total of 5-1 against Stax, thanks Trigun.  There really isn't anything much, I just think overall I have more consistent draws than my opponents and just outsourced them through Bobs and what not.  Trygon Predator was actually pretty decent in some of my games where I ate my opponent's Moxen and just really slowed them down a lot.  It is a pretty nice card and it did what we wanted it to do, disrupt the opponent enough while we set up. 

Another sweet tourney at Stars.  And see you guys at Eudo/Stars next month.

Oh, on the car ride back while stopping on red we saw 2 duders with an actual yield sign walking in the intersection.  Needless to say, it was some serious payment.  Two guys with an ACTUAL yield sign. 

[LotusHead]

Lists! (will edit in the rest of top 8 as I get to it tonight.)

1st David Ochoa (Webster)  (I guess FOB Ninja'd the list out while I typed this one...)

4 Force of Will
3 Spell Pierce
3 ThoughtSeize
2 Mana Drain
1 Maelstrom Pulse
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Merchant Scroll
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Brainstorm
1 Sensei's Divining Top
1 Thirst for Knowledge
1 Time Walk
1 Tinker
1 Yawgmoth's Will
4 Dark Confidant
3 Trygon Predator
1 Inkwell Leviathan
1 Tezzeret The Seeker
1 Time Vault
1 Voltaic Key
1 Jace the Mind Sculptor
1 Black Lotus
1 Mana Crypt
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Sol Ring
1 Tolarian Academy
4 Polluted Delta
2 Misty Rainforest
3 Tropical Island
3 Underground Sea
2 Snow-covered island
1 Snow-Covered Swamp

Sideboard

4 Tormogoyf
1 Deathmark
1 Smother
3 Nartures Claim
1 Yixlid Jailer
2 Tormod's Crypt
2 Leyline of the Void
1 Thada Adel, Acquisitor

2nd Ryan Devine (Potato)

2 Null Rod
4 Chalice of the Void
3 Cruiclbe of Worlds
1 Mana Crypt
1 Mana Vault
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Mos Jet
1 Mox Emerald
3 Smokestack
1 Sol Ring
4 Sphere of Resistance
4 Tangle Wire
4 Thorn of Amethyst
1 Trinisphere
4 Lodestone Golem (Not Nullstone Golem )
2 Razormane Mastic ore
1 Karn, Silver Golem
1 Duplicant
1 Black Lotus
1 Tolarian Academy
2 Mishra's Factory
4 Wasteland
4 Mishra's Workshop
1 Strip Mine
4 Ancient Tomb
2 City of Traitors

Sideboard

1 Sculpting Steel
2 Duplicant
1 Razormane Masticore
2 Null Rod
1 Crucible of Worlds
2 Relic of Progenitus
3 Tormod's Crypt
3 Pithing Needle

Jeff Huang 3rd/4th

4 Force of Will
3 Spell Pierce 4 Spell Pierce
3 ThoughtSeize
2 Mana Drain
1 Maelstrom Pulse
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Merchant Scroll
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Brainstorm
1 Sensei's Divining Top
1 Thirst for Knowledge
1 Time Walk
1 Tinker
1 Yawgmoth's Will
4 Dark Confidant
3 Trygon Predator
1 Inkwell Leviathan
1 Tezzeret The Seeker
1 Time Vault
1 Voltaic Key
1 Jace the Mind Sculptor
1 Black Lotus
1 Mana Crypt
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Sol Ring
1 Tolarian Academy
4 Polluted Delta
2 Misty Rainforest
3 Tropical Island
3 Underground Sea
2 Snow-covered island
1 Snow-Covered Swamp

Sideboard

4 Tarmogoyf
2 Mindbreak Trap
3 Nature's Claim
4 Leyline of the Void
1 Pithing Needle
1 Tormod's Crypt

Sean Tristan Gregson 3rd/4th

1 Yawgmoth's Will
1 Time Vault
1 Thirst for Knowledge
1 Rebuild
1 Sensei's Diving Top
1 Fact or Fiction
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Voltaic Key
1 Tezzeret The Seeker
1 TIme Walk
1 Brainstorm
1 Tinker
1 Iona, Shield of Emeria
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Merchant Scroll
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Demonic Tutor
4 Spell Pierce
2 Terastodon
4 Oath of Druids
3 Mana Drain
4 Force of Will
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Mox Jet
1 Black Lotus
2 Jace, The Mind Sculptor
1 Island
1 Forest
1 Mana Crypt
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Ruby
4 Forbidden Orchard
4 Misty Rainforest
2 Underground Sea
3 Tropical Island
1 Tolarian Academy
1 Flooded Strand

Sideboard

3 Duress
1 Darkblast
1 Show and Tell
3 Seeds of Innocence
1 Sphinx of the Steel Wind
1 Relic of Progenitus
3 Tormod's Crypt
2 Pithing Needle

Matt Sperling 5th-8th

4 Ad Nauseum
3 Tendrils of Agony
4 Duress
1 Demonic tutor
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Yawgmoths' Will
1 Demonic Consultation
1 Necropotence
4 Dark Ritual
3 Cabal Ritual
1 Thoughtsieze
4 Chrome Mox
1 Black Lotus
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Sol Ring
1 Mana Vault
1 Mana Crypt
1 Mox Jet
1 Lotus Petal
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Ancestral Recall
4 Pact of Negation
1 Ponder
1 Brainstorm
1 Hurkyl's Recall
3 Chain of Vapor
1 Island
2 Swamp
3 Underground Sea
1 Bayou
4 Polluted Delta
2 City of Trators ???

Sideboard

3 Trygon PRedator ???
4 Bitterblossom
3 Xantid Swarm
2 Elvish Spirit Guide
2 Slaughter Pact
1 Tropical Island

Jarvis Yu 5th-8th
4 Chalice of the Void
4 Serum Powder
4 Golgari Grave-Troll
2 Golgari THug
4 Stinkweed Imp
1 Darkblast
4 Narcomoeba
2 Dread Return
4 Leyline of the Void
2 Nature's Claim
4 Cabal Therapy
4 Bridge From Below
2 Ichorid
4 Bloodghast
1 Flame-kin Zealot
1 Iona, Shield of Emeria
2 City of Brass
1 Kakmor Slavage
4 Undiscoverd Paradise
4 Bazaar of Baghdad
2 Petrified Field

Sideboard

3 Unmask
2 City of Brass
2 Pithing Needle
4 Chain of Vapor
2 Nature's Claim
2 Darkblast

Bryan Hoyt 5th-8th (This list was a mess to look at.  Lemme know if anything is missing)

2 Underground Sea
3 Polluted Dleta
2 Wasteland
6 island
3 FLooded Strand
1 Strip Mine
1 Tolarian Academy
3 Dark COnfidant
1 Inkwell Leviathan
1 Vendillion Clique
4 Spellstuter Sprite
4 Trinket Mage
1 Sensei's Divining Top
2 Skullclamp
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Echoing Truth
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Black Lotus
1 Engineered Explosives
4 Force of Will
1 Mana Crypt
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Mox Pearl
1 Sol RIng
2 Mana Drain
1 Time Vault
1 TInker
1 Voltaic Key
2 Spell Pierce
1 Brainstorm
1 Tezzeret The Seeker
1 TIme Walk

Sideboard
1 Umezawa's Jitte
3 Energy Flux
2 Yixlid Jailer
3 Relic of Progenitus
1 Pithing Needle
1 Sower of Temptation
2 Spell Snare
1 Misdirection
1 Diabolic Edict

Jeff Neilson 5th-8th

// Lands
    1  Bazaar of Baghdad
    3  City of Brass
    3  Gemstone Mine
    4  Mishra's Workshop
    1  Strip Mine
    1  Tolarian Academy
    3  Wasteland
    1  Mishra's Factory (4)

// Creatures
    1  Duplicant
    4  Goblin Welder
    4  Lodestone Golem
    1  Sundering Titan
    1  Triskelion

// Spells
    3  Chalice of the Void
    2  Crucible of Worlds
    1  Mana Crypt
    1  Sol Ring
    1  Mana Vault
    1  Black Lotus
    1  Mox Emerald
    1  Mox Jet
    1  Mox Ruby
    1  Mox Sapphire
    3  Null Rod
    3  Smokestack
    4  Tangle Wire
    1  Tinker
    1  Trinisphere
    1  Ancestral Recall
    1  Balance
    1  Mox Pearl
    1  Crop Rotation
    3  Thorn of Amethyst

// Sideboard
SB: 2  Duplicant
SB: 4 Leyline of the Void
SB: 1  Red Elemental Blast
SB: 1  Diabolic Edict
SB: 1  Echoing Truth
SB: 2  Seal of Cleansing
SB: 2 Ancient Grudge
SB: 1  Suppression Field
SB: 1 Leonin Abunas

[LotusHead]

Round 1, to my left. Helm of Awakening, Artifact Lands, Skullclamp... Suicide Virus?


Round 1 Game 1 vs Jeffthefob
I played turn 1 Tanglewire on the play, he Tinkers in Inkwell.  I get Lodestone Golem/Thorn of Amethyst/Mishra's Factory out, and have a plan to possibly race him somehow (with a Factory Chumpblock at some point, keeping me at 1.
On a critical turn, he plays his Maindeck Trygon Predator (WTF?) and swings with his Inkwell.  I look at my giant dice that says thirteen, and say no blocks, I go to 6?.  Turns out NOPE! I missed a swing with Inkwell, and I actually had 6 left.  So, I say, then I chump with Lodestone Golem (or factory), and he said "You said no blocks".
Bad beats.  This is the first time that my big dice failed me.  I am usually very specific when I take damage (and shift my big dice), but I somehow forgot this round.
Game 2: I don't remember, but I thought he was playing maybe Fish with Tinker. Nope. I die (don't remember anything)


LSV beating down with Iona.  I know LSV is a super hot pro-player, but to me, he is just another one of the excellent vintage players in Norcal.  I think he was just another regular here untill he famously was some other guy's Top 16 opponent at a pro-tour/whatever in London like 4 years ago.
Then  he made nationals, then won a bunch of stuff, then won a bunch of more stuff.  But he's still a Vintage player, and thoroughly knows this format.


Ryan Reynolds (left) vs a deck with Back to Basics.  Ryan is the judge at Eudemonia events, so it is rare to see him actually playing in tournies.  He played MADNESS! Possibly the European list that came out a few weeks ago.  Ryan would just like to point out: Squee is Legendary, even if the one in play is asian.


Webster vs Potato in a gruelling match of Mental Magic.
Well, maybe not Mental Magic, but I take these pics on my cellphone, and sometimes the SuperstarsGameCenter has SuperGlare all over my CellPhoneCameraThing.


I'm pretty sure this is Ryan picking of Squees from the graveyard over and over.


Sperling vs Sean Tristan. I think


Klemic sending Noble Hierarch into the red zone vs Bob. "You won't block"...


Lin Cheng facing Helm of Awakening. What to do?


Ryan on Ryan action.  I am pretty sure that Ryan has a distinct edge over Ryan at this point in the gamestate.


Lin Cheng still facing down Suicide Virus (No disciples, just Brain Freeze/Retract) in turn 1 or 2 of extra turns... What to do?


Matt Young more than a little pissed that his goddam creature gets oathed up like 5th from last card.  Add in a Draw step and lack of Haste for Sphinx and F#$%!  Matt was a good sport.  One game, he couldn't force my Duplicant (with Thorn out) because, even though he had a fetchland out, he had no other islands/lands left in his deck to fetch.  doh!  I didn't deserve my top 8 today.. Round 1 Get beat by Jeffthefob. Round 2: Bye. Round 3 THis match (Oath decks himself games 2 and 3 basically). Round 4: I play against Madness (and mulligan into Leyline game 2) Round 5 ID with Matt Sperling (architect of my deck).


Terastodon vs my Dupe (6/6) and 4 Spirit Tokens and his 3 card library.


Klemic does his best to not suck by holding a land in his hand since like turn 2 (that and a Force)


Me facing down Ochoa.  I get a Smokestack to resolve, and eat up the board by ramping up to 2 ASAP.  Eventually, I sac my Chalice for 0 (1 turn after I draw a much needed Lotus) and play Lotus for Ancestral (as opposed to Goblin Welder).  I don't get there, but I did eat up the Inkwell, and will always wonder if a Welder would have gotten there.


Klemic v Hoyt.  I think both players thought they were losing at this point, but I couldn't tell. (I almost never float around and see what both players have in hand. I stick to a position and see the game through that person's eyes/hand)


Potato drops the locks like they're hot.


Ochoa eventually resolves yawgmoth's will and seals the deal.


Finals: Potato vs Webster
I missed the first game entirely.
Then I miss the 2nd game
This 3rd game I get a pic of, but it's over soon after (like 4 non-land draws by Potato soon over)

[matt_sperling]

are the "???" next to my deck choices noting uncertainty or interesting choices?  I can confirm that the list is accurate, 2 city of traitors main, 3 trygon in the board.  Tried a Trygon + Bitterblossom (with 2 ESG to get them up and running quickly or under a sphere) conversion plan vs Shop decks.  Didn't play shop so didn't get to try it out. 

I beat a Fish, a Tezz, and an Oath in swiss, losing to Shawn's Oath.  Then I lost again to Shawn's Oath in the top 8.  My Oath matchup is pretty good, but it didn't shake out that way yesterday.  More analysis to follow when I have time.  Had a great time, thanks to everyone at Superstars for welcoming me to the nor cal vintage scene.

[credmond]

I played turn 1 Tanglewire on the play, he Tinkers in Inkwell.  I get Lodestone Golem/Thorn of Amethyst/Mishra's Factory out, and have a plan to possibly race him somehow (with a Factory Chumpblock at some point, keeping me at 1.
On a critical turn, he plays his Maindeck Trygon Predator (WTF?) and swings with his Inkwell.  I look at my giant dice that says thirteen, and say no blocks, I go to 6?.  Turns out NOPE! I missed a swing with Inkwell, and I actually had 6 left.  So, I say, then I chump with Lodestone Golem (or factory), and he said "You said no blocks".
Bad beats.  This is the first time that my big dice failed me.  I am usually very specific when I take damage (and shift my big dice), but I somehow forgot this round.

This seems wrong or at least borderline wrong. Aren't both players responsible for keeping life totals accurate? Isn't perpetuating an inaccurate game state to your advantage not allowed? Maybe a judge should have been called here or maybe I am misunderstanding something here.

[Cyberpunker]

Don't ever use a dice to keep track of life totals, those things move too often. Use something like http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51pOCdh9iFL.jpg

I lost my chance at top 8 in a legacy tournament last sunday because I used a dice to keep track of storm and counted 1 less and lost. (The opponent didn't bother to correct me and when I discovered it the game was already over).

But yeah, I personally think "mistakes" like that aren't really mistakes and should be allowed to be taken back because of misinformation.

[jeffthefob]

Wow, really? This is going to be so interesting.  I mean, seriously? All right.  

In tourney plays you should keep track of your own life and your opponent's life.  Preferably with a pencil + pad.  

When you said, "no blocks" it means, no blocks.  You can't go back and declare blockers once you said that.

I attacked with Jeff with an Inkwell, after I played a Trygon.  And he said no blocks.  I was surprised he didn't block and said, "okay, next game?" He was confused by it and then figured out what was going on; he forgot to move his giant dice.  When he tried to block, I said, "you said no blocks. It's too late already." And he scooped his card.  He scooped it up.  We could had call a judge there, but he packed it up to the next game.  I am not going to call a judge because of it.  I'd had been okay if judge came by and made a ruling.  I'd argue for my point, I mean, who wouldn't?

Furthermore, Jeff didn't ask me about the life points because he was sure.  If he asked me the life points then I would had point out what I have and we can compare.  I am not getting punished for someone not keeping track of their life total.  I am not getting flamed and accused something out of my character for someone's mistake.  

To the people who commented, I mean seriously? First off, you aren't at the scene.  Second off you only heard one side of the story.  Accusing people's characters based on 2nd hand information and plus the fact you aren't even there is ridiculous.  I didn't act as a douche or try to cheat Jeff.  I know his life total and I attacked.  He didn't ask me what he was at and he said "no blocks." I didn't misrepresent information nor lie.  I didn't INTERFERE as a spectator on a match where he had no rights to interfere.  I didn't interfere the match by indirectly hinting at the players for something they overlooked.  By posting something like this just serves no good, but quite the opposite.  

Edit:
I guess I "forgot" that Web put 1 Maelstrom Pulse in his main instead of Spell Pierce.  So our maindeck is off my 1 card; I didn't play that loose 1 of' :-p

[LotusHead]

are the "???" next to my deck choices noting uncertainty or interesting choices? 

They were interesting choices.

This seems wrong or at least borderline wrong. Aren't both players responsible for keeping life totals accurate? Isn't perpetuating an inaccurate game state to your advantage not allowed? Maybe a judge should have been called here or maybe I am misunderstanding something here.

This game was versus Jeffthefob, and I don't think he would deliberately cheat/mislead while already massively winning.

[potato]

I was really excited to see the creativity that people brought to battle at this event. A Madness aggro-control Bazaar deck, a mono-blue deck with Back to Basics, Ad Nauseum with City of Traitors, that Blasting Station/Skullclamp deck, Tezz with Skullclamps... it was weird as hell. I'm glad to see that people can still mix it up in this format.

As to the Jeff/Jeff duel, I don't think anything untoward happened. Forgetting to block lethal damage because you forgot you got attacked last turn is no different from forgetting to use your Mindbreak Trap on a lethal tendrils or forgetting to use your Swords to Plowshares in hand on your opponent's creature or forgetting to do something else to save yourself from immediately dying.

Even LotusHead doesn't blame anyone but himself. This stuff happens. It's not a big deal.

[LSV]

Jeff (thefob) didn't misrepresent anything. As long as you keep track of life and don't lie about it, it isn't your responsibility to tell your opponent that they just let through a lethal attack. If Lotushead, before blocks, said something like "I'm at 13, right", jeffthefob would obviously have told him that "no, you are at 6". Once he doesn't block and dies, it is definitely too late to go back and block. I mean, a mistake is a mistake, and if you make them you should be held to them. I have to credit Lotushead for accepting it as it was and not arguing, since it is a tournament, and mistakes are mistakes.

As for my tournament...

I played Oath (basically the same list as the last few events), since I didn't have the time or inclination to switch to Web's brew.

Round 1 vs Phil, TPS

Both games he mulls to 5, though the games ended up being reasonable.

g1 he had double Force + Ancestral, so we weren't that off on cards, but I was able to peel Yawg Will to replay Time Vault with Tezzeret in play.

g2 he didn't do anything t1, even play a land, but t2 went swamp ritual force my spell pierce into sadistic sacrament. All of a sudden it didn't seem too bad to have Iona stuck in my hand, which I eventually Jaced back into my library and oathed up.

1-0

Round 2 vs Web

I scooped so we could get some lunch (and by that, I mean I won the coinflip against Tristan and he bought me lunch!)

1-1

Round 3 vs the Counselor, Matt Sperling, ANT

I got rolled pretty fast g1, as it tends to go. He had duress into Ad Naus on t2, and even had a Pact of Negation he didn't have to use.

g2 I managed to stick an Oath, despite his chain of vapor, and he never found an Ad Naus.

g3 I mulled a hand without disruption into Fow, Mystical, Will, Mana Crypt, lands, and died. He went t1 Xantid Swarm (which I didn't fow, since it was pointless), t2 attack, ad naus, kill you.

1-2

Round 4 vs William, Skullclamp Brain Freeze combo

This was William's first tournament, so his deck wasn't quite as refined as it could have been. He had explosive starts both games, but a timely Force of Will was able to stop him from finishing either. I assembled Vault Key rather quickly, and that was that.

2-2

At this point, the standings showed that I had no chance, so I dropped.

The deck was fine and all that, though the ANT matchup was a bit weak (which is why Matt chose to play ANT, of course). I'm not overly excited about the Oath + targets package, but it's good vs stax and fish, and gives you a pretty decent early threat in tezz mirrors. If people actually start playing combo again (though both the TPS and the ANT i played were from socal), I might have to devote some sb space to it.

[credmond]

Wow, really? This is going to be so interesting.  I mean, seriously? All right.  

In tourney plays you should keep track of your own life and your opponent's life.  Preferably with a pencil + pad.  

When you said, "no blocks" it means, no blocks.  You can't go back and declare blockers once you said that.

I attacked with Jeff with an Inkwell, after I played a Trygon.  And he said no blocks.  I was surprised he didn't block and said, "okay, next game?" He was confused by it and then figured out what was going on; he forgot to move his giant dice.  When he tried to block, I said, "you said no blocks. It's too late already." And he scooped his card.  He scooped it up.  We could had call a judge there, but he packed it up to the next game.  I am not going to call a judge because of it.  I'd had been okay if judge came by and made a ruling.  I'd argue for my point, I mean, who wouldn't?

Furthermore, Jeff didn't ask me about the life points because he was sure.  If he asked me the life points then I would had point out what I have and we can compare.  I am not getting punished for someone not keeping track of their life total.  I am not getting flamed and accused something out of my character for someone's mistake.  

To the people who commented, I mean seriously? First off, you aren't at the scene.  Second off you only heard one side of the story.  Accusing people's characters based on 2nd hand information and plus the fact you aren't even there is ridiculous.  I didn't act as a douche or try to cheat Jeff.  I know his life total and I attacked.  He didn't ask me what he was at and he said "no blocks." I didn't misrepresent information nor lie.  I didn't INTERFERE as a spectator on a match where he had no rights to interfere.  I didn't interfere the match by indirectly hinting at the players for something they overlooked.  By posting something like this just serves no good, but quite the opposite.  

Edit:
I guess I "forgot" that Web put 1 Maelstrom Pulse in his main instead of Spell Pierce.  So our maindeck is off my 1 card; I didn't play that loose 1 of' :-p

Heya Jeff,

I was making weak, qualified statements and asking questions for clarification and not making accusations. What Jeff Nielson described as transpiring sounded like something that could use further elaboration. It sounded like a grey area that could be brought out and discussed. And I think a tourney report like this is a legitimate place to open up such discussions.

Nonetheless, something I said put you on the defensive and I apologize profusely since that wasn't my intent at all. Even if a judge would have gone in there and rolled back the game state, it most certainly would not have called your character into question. If my posting was somehow lacking in tact, please tell me how I could have phrased the posting better.

[llarack]

I'm sort of sad I went 4-1, then immediately lose to MUD r1 of t8.

[Cyberpunker]

Sorry >< I was just suggesting a life counter as an alternative to a dice. I may actually go to NorCal for tournaments so don't want to offend anyone. 

[LotusHead]

Sorry >< I was just suggesting a life counter as an alternative to a dice. I may actually go to NorCal for tournaments so don't want to offend anyone.  

I'm usually pretty darn careful with my big dice, and announce when I lose life and wait for opponent to mark their paper.  This was a rare lapse on my part.  As Jeff was making his plays, I was calculating how I could survive one vital turn, hopefull topdeck a tinker or Tanglewire or something (balance?) and dig my way out of this.  I watch very carefully when my opponent's change up the life totals.  Because I was thinking a few turns ahead, I thought I had somehow masterfully gotten Jeff to stall his attack by my ability to race (Golem and Factory is 7, just like his Inkwell).  I was totally caught off guard by his Trygon Predator (and it's lack of Haste) that I thought I had 1 turn to hope for a sweet topdeck. I was wrong, I scrubbed, and I suck it up like running Ancestral into Chalice for 1.

I put my misplays and other non-optimal tactics out there to help other's improve their game.

Props in the tourney to those who told me they really appreciate the pics/reports/etc.  There were  8 people who showed up who I had never heard of before (one of which only heard of this tourney through these reports) , and that made it very difficult to decide on my last few variable sideboard slots.
Also, props to new players showing up!

Because I didn't know those people, I went with 4 Leyline of the Void SB because Uknown=Dredge, Sperling likely = Stax,.  I was completely thrown off by Ochoa's Meta'd control deck (which I am sure was the intent), but the leylines did give me a quickie win vs Ryan Reynold's Madness build round 4.

[matt_sperling]

My report with Ad Nauseum.  (see above post for my decklist)

Pre-tourney:  A couple weeks ago I sent this message to LSV, Web, Chapin, and a few other friends:
Matt Sperling June 8 at 2:27pm

"Here is my take on The Deck. "When MUD and Oath come a knockin, Trygon starts rockin" as my grandpa used to say. Double the mind twist is an attempt to get double the fun, but especially because trygon on my side leads to an opponent with a larger than average hand, trying to get some mox turn off later.

4 Trygon Predator
2 Tarmogoyf
1 Sundering Titan
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Brainstorm
4 Force of Will
1 Jace the Mind Sculptor
1 Gifts Ungiven
2 Mana Drain
2 Spell Pierce
1 Misdirection
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Thirst for Knowledge
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Merchant Scroll
2 Mind Twist
1 Ponder
1 Regrowth
1 Time Walk
1 Timetwister
1 Tinker
1 Yawgmoth's Will
1 Black Lotus
1 Crucible of Worlds
1 Mana Crypt
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Sol Ring

4 City of Brass
1 Island
1 Forest
4 Misty Rainforest
1 Strip Mine
1 Tolarian Academy
1 Tropical Island
2 Underground Sea
3 Wasteland "

I later suggested cutting the Twister and the Ponder, and if you do so, I suggest 2 Mindbreak Trap.

Anyways, it looks like Web was listening to my rant about Trygon, and/or he independently recognized its strength in this metagame, as he decided to play a Trygon control deck at the tourney (he used the Tezz shell instead of the The Deck shell).  His deck was a good choice, and he's got the Ruby to prove it.

I myself decided to play my favorite deck of all time: Vintage Ad Nauseum.  Demonic Consultation is my favorite card, and this deck is just one big extension of that theme.  4 Ad Nauseum, 3 Tendrils... every Ad Nauseum has the potential to go wrong, but it usually just kills the opponent.  Fun stuff.

Round 1: vs. Bob Tezz

game 1 Duress and Pact get Ad Nauseum resolved on turn 3, and that's all she wrote.

game 2 I mull to 6 and keep some mana and a tendrils, hoping to draw an ad naus, will, or tutor, or just have enough time to set up a big enough storm turn 4-5.  He leads Lotus Mox Land Tezzeret.  gg.

game 3 I've got a slow hand (Tendrils but no Ad Naus or tutors), but a couple of duress should buy me the time I need to play a long game.  Nothing happens for a few turns except duresses and some mana on his side.  Around turn 5, I ritual twice, play a mox jet, an empty chrome mox, and double Tendrils him for 22.  I missed a City of Traitors trigger in the middle of going off, but a) it didn't matter, I had 2 extra mana, and b) the judge said the trigger goes onto the stack and I was allowed to respond to it by adding 2 mana.  Annoying that I missed it though.

1-0

Round 2: Oath (Sean Tristan)

Game 1 is very close back and forth.  At one point I know a card in his hand is spell pierce, and he also has 1 unknown card in hand.  He has a Trop and a Jet untapped, and a top out.  I decide to start going off since I can Tendrils for 16 (7 storm) which is lethal, IF he only has spell pierce and not Spell Pierce + FoW + blue card (after he tops and puts top on top).  Storm count is looking great after he spell pierces something and I pay it, but then he Forces my chain of vapor (leaving me with 3 mana and just a Tendrils in hand), so I lose. 

Game 2 I resolve turn 1 Ad Nauseum on the play.  The first 5 cards flipped include 2 Ad Nauseum and no mana.  5-6 cards later, still no mana and I'm at 2 life.  I have to keep going here, I just haven't drawn enough relevant spells (mana) to stop now and hope to win later.  Its basically all duresses and tendrils and ad nauseums that I've picked up.  There's 1 ritual so if I hit chrome mox/jet + ritual or my Lotus I'll win.  I hit some 2 drop and died.  Turn 0 kill for Sean, very impressive.  =]

1-1

Round 3: Oath (LSV)

Not much happened, I got one of my best possible draws game 1 and killed him turn 2 with 2 Pact of Negations to spare from my opening hand.

Game 2 I turn 1 Xantid Swarm turn 2 (City of Traitors in hand) i play 2x Dark Ritual Mana Crypt Ad Nauseum with BB floating and a land drop left to play. 

2-1

Round 4: Fish (Mike Klemic)

Game 1 he puts up some resistance with a Force on Duress (I think) and a Daze on Ad Nauseum, but it isn't enough as I have a Pact for the Daze and kill him.  As I'm sideboarding, I remember he had Tropical Island and Force of Will, so I'm thinking he is Oath.  Then a light bulb flashes above my head and I realize he played Daze.  I bring in my 3 Xantid Swarm, my Trop, AND my 2 Slaughter Pacts.

Game 2 goes a bit longer, as my early plays get spell pierce/dazed.  End of his turn 3 he has Wasteland, Mox Pearl, Tropical untapped and says go, deciding not to wasteland my Underground Sea.  The "Aven Mindcensor" alarm goes off in my head, so I decide not to Vamp end step.  I say go, he says go right back.  Now I decide to Vamp because I've got enough mana in my hand to make several cards interesting, and I want him to tap out of Spell Pierce/Negate mana and I'll take a look at the top 4 to find a Recall, Ad Naus, Will, Brainstorm, Consult, etc.  I vamp, he mindcensors, I look at the top 4 and find an Ad Naus.  It resolves (with the help of a Pact? cant remember) and I win. 

3-1

Round 5: Draw

Top 8: Oath (Sean Tristan Gregson again)

Game 1 goes super long after I fail to resolve to a lethal Yawgmoth's will earlier in the game (my hand has a Tendrils and I ritual a couple times into the Will).  Sean has Jace in play and it doesn't look good for me as I keep drawing Chrome Moxes.  Fetch lands and my Spirit Token have Sean down to around 14.  I Tendrils him down to 4 by playing 3 empty Chrome Mox and a Mox Jet.  On his turn he finds an Oath, Tinkers up a Time Vault, and says go with 3 cards in hand and one mana untapped.  my hand is Tendrils, and I have 6 mana, so I'll need to draw a ritual or free spell to win this game through a spell pierce I'm sure he has.  I draw my 4th chrome mox, cast it, and put a Storm 1 Tendrils onto the stack.   Sean's hand is 2x spell pierce and a Force of will.  If he Forces, my token kills him.  If he had the mana for 2x spell peirce, he would win.  He probably shouldn't have tapped so much mana on his turn for the Tinker etc.  Phew, I stole one, just gotta cash in one more.

Game 2 I keep a fine hand that has protection and Ad Naus but needs a littel time to set up.  Sean is on the play and he has Oath + Orchard before I ever have a chance.

Game 3 I keep this hand, a hand that I will think about for the next 6 hours as I'm driving home to So Cal:  2 Dark Ritual, Bayou, Polluted Delta, Xantid Swarm, Pact of Negation, Chain of Vapor.  So here's the thing, if I draw an Ad Naus (4), a DT-Vamp-Mystical (7), a Consult (8), an Ancestral or Brainstorm (counting them as .5 each that's 9), or a tendrils + something else (lets call that 9.5), I'm going to win pretty easily.  Chain of Vapor is going to give me time even if Sean has an Oath.  If Sean's hand is a bunch of disruption (that's what you need on the draw), my hand is equipped to deal with 2 counters, which is all you can ask for.  9.5ish outs and the protection is the reason to keep.  The reason not to keep would be the possibility of getting a 6 card hand with business and protection.  Its a close call.  I decided to keep.  Sean led with mox Oath after my Xantid Swarm resolved.  Fine, I'll just attack with the swarm, chain the oath, and say go.  I've drawn a land so far.  I draw yawgmoth's will and it lets me bounce the Oath again.  For my third draw step, I draw another land.  Oath finds Terrastadon, which blows up 3 of my land, but I've still got one in hand so if I draw ad nauseum I can still win.  No such luck, I die. 

My keep is bad vs Sean's actual draw of turn 1 Oath no Orchard, but that's a worst-case scenario for me.  On balance, I'm still not sure about my keep, and I'd love to have a do-over just to see what would have happened. 

Sean Tristan had my number this tournament.  His 4 Spell Pierce version is well positioned vs me relative to other oath decks, and I just didn't get the draws to fight back, which might have been my own fault given that game 3 keep. 

See you guys at Eudominia on July 25th (I hope).

[Tobi]

Thanks for the lists!

Ryan's list misses one card.
Bryan's list misses two cards.

[LotusHead]

Thanks for the lists!

Ryan's list misses one card.
Bryan's list misses two cards.

Ryan's list +1 Crucible of Worlds
Bryan's list +2 Polluted Delta

I bolded changes in original lists.

[saspook]

Its a close call.  I decided to keep.  Sean led with mox Oath after my Xantid Swarm resolved.  Fine, I'll just attack with the swarm, chain the oath, and say go. 


See you guys at Eudominia on July 25th (I hope).

How bad is it to want to chain the Swarm here?

Definitely had a fun time, even if it was a poor performance on my part.  I might be down for the drive again - although yesterday sucked at work.

[chrispikula]

You guys like Trygon Predator as much as I do. I build "The Deck" with Trygons for every tourney but then always play Tezz.