I’m back.
Magic has always found a way to lure me in. Six months ago, my fiancée and I went up to Longmont, CO to one of my favorite pizza places and stumbled upon Stonebridge Games. I walked in and saw the owner (a good friend) and chatted about the days of old. I bought a pack of M10 for grins, and as I opened the pack, I felt the same excitement as I had when I first started playing. It had been two years, but right then and there I felt the Magic bug. At around that time, there was an extended PTQ, and I thought, “why not?” I saw all my old friends and had a blast playing. Since that time, I’ve been playing in events here and there (even picking up Legacy), but something was missing: my love affair with Vintage. Let’s be honest folks, there is no format even close to being as fun as Vintage!
Fast forward to mid-June. Meandeck is working on a MUD list that features Null Rod. I look at the list and am sold that it’s the best deck in the format at the moment. I immediately start picking up cards for the deck and start goldfishing it. My boy Brennen Cook (aka JewLightning, aka The Bogard) tells me there’ll be a Vintage tourney at Black Gold on the 18th of July, and just like that, I knew my 2 year hiatus from Vintage was over.
I arrive Sunday to battle with this:
4 Mishra’s Workshop
4 Ancient Tomb
4 City of Traitors
4 Wasteland
1 Strip Mine
1 Tolarian Academy
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Mox Pearl
1 Black Lotus
1 Sol Ring
1 Mana Crypt
1 Mana Vault
4 Sphere of Resistance
4 Thorn of Amethyst
1 Trinisphere
4 Tangle Wire
4 Null Rod
4 Chalice of the Void
3 Sculpting Steel
4 Lodestone Golem
4 Juggernaut
1 Razormane Masticore
Sideboard:
4 Duplicant
4 Tormod’s Crypt
3 Relic of Progenitus
2 Razormane Masticore
2 Crucible of Worlds
Carl announces there are 27 players, so 5 rounds and top 8. Let the games begin!
Round 1: Brian Grewe playing Bob TendrilsBrian is an awesome guy. He has one of the most pimp collections I have ever seen, and when we talk, he always mentions Stax, so I put him on that.
Game 1 – He plays a fetchland, mox, and passes. I play a null rod and pass. He fetches for a nonbasic, and I believe he misses a land drop. I play wasteland followed by a lodestone and seal it up. He was off by one mana all game. SB: +2 Duplicant, -1 Razormane, -1 Mana Vault
Game 2 – Much of the same happens. He does cast rebuild at some point in the game, but I drop my hand again and he can’t break out of a tangle wire lock. I felt bad, as his confidants repeatedly revealed crap like Force of Will.
1-0, 2-0
Round 2: Andy playing Noble FishAndy is another old school player I hadn’t seen in ages. I remember us getting paired in a sanctioned Vintage tournament, and we drew because we both played MaskNaught.
Game 1 – I win the roll and have the nuts. I go turn 1 city of traitors into sol ring, into trinisphere! He plays a strip mine and passes. On my next turn, I play lodestone golem and wasteland his strip mine. He draws, plays a tropical and passes. I draw blank, attack and pass. He plays a wasteland next turn, but it’s useless as I top deck tangle wire. I see strip/waste/trop from Adam’s deck, so I put him on Fish or Oath. I didn’t know which, so I kept my rods MD, incase he was on Oath. SB: +4 duplicant, -4 Null Rod
Game 2 – He plays a turn 2 Pridemage, while I have turn 2 golem. He kills it and plays some hierarchs and a goyf. My deck loves me today and gives me 3 straight fatties for topdecks.
2-0, 4-0
Round 3: Pierre playing OathPierre is a very nice fellow. People like him are the reason I’ll always prefer this format to any others.
Game 1 – I punt pretty badly. Given the choice of turn 1 jugg or turn 1 thorn, I go with the Jugg. He has turn 1 oath. SB: +4 Duplicant, -3 Jugg, - 1 Razormane
Game 2 – I have turn 1 thorn, turn 2 golem, turn 3 tangle wire holding more resistors. He’s stuck on 2 lands the entire game.
Game 3 – He mulls to 6 but has a force for my turn 1 golem, and plays turn 2 orchard oath. I still almost get there, but make a huge blunder, playing duplicant a turn too early. I’m pretty pissed at myself at this point, because I can’t believe I made that misplay. It was even on my mind as it happened!
2-1, 5-2
Round 4: Jim Gaffney playing DredgeJim and I have been teammates and good friends since 2003. We draw with the hopes of T8ing with a win in the last round.
2-1-1, 5-2
Round 5: Brennen Cook playing Ad Nauseum TendrilsBrennen and I are teammates as well, and since he was 2-2 with no shot of T8, he scooped me in. Thanks broseph!
3-1-1, 5-2
I look at the decks in Top 8, and like my odds. Round 1, I’m paired against Pierre. Time for some revenge!
Quarterfinals: Pierre playing OathGame 1: I mulligan to 6, but I’m on the play and have turn 1 golem with double tangle wire. Lodestone resolves, and he can’t break the lock. SB: +4 Duplicant, -3 Juggernaut, - 1 Razormane Masticore
Game 2: This was one of the most epic games of Vintage I have ever played. Pierre keeps his 7, while I mull to 5. My hand is shop, mox, mana vault, tangle wire, juggernaut. He plays turn 1 mox, orchard, oath. FML. Really? Okay. I draw wasteland and play turn 1 juggernaut. He oaths up most of his deck and finds Emrakul and passes. I topdeck Duplicant, RFG his dude. He oaths up sphinx, plays tinker passes. I draw a waste, attack him, he double blocks 2 dorks, and takes 3 from emrakul when all's said and done. I waste orchard. I play wire. He taps outs, passes, I oath up lodestone, attack him to 1 and it's gg. Sick. I just beat turn 1 orchard/oath with a hand of 5. That’s Vintage for ya!
4-1-1, 7-2
Semifinals: Zivvy Epstein playing BUG FishGame 1: I’m on the play and feel bad for him. My hand was: Ancient Tomb, Mana Crypt, Black Lotus, Trinisphere, Lodestone Golem, Tangle Wire, Chalice. He only has 1 force of will. SB: +4 Duplicant, +2 Crucible, +2 Razormane, - 4 Null Rod, -4 Thorn
Game 2: He has turn 1 Trygon Predator. It gets him there.
Game 3: I open with ancient tomb, chalice 0. Next turn I play a lodestone off double tomb. He resolves. On my turn 3, I drop a sculpting steel and that’s all she wrote.
5-1-1, 9-3
Finals: Carl playing MUDGame 1: I mull to 5 and keep a hand with no threats but it has turn 1 null rod. Carl breaks out of mana screw before I do. SB: +4 Duplicant, +2 Razormane, +2 Crucible, -4 Thorn, -4 Sphere.
Game 2: The opposite happens. I play turn 1 chalice 0, wasteland. Carl has turn 1 metalworker. I waste his land and play null rod. We sit there drawing dead for multiple turns, until I finally draw a land to play crucible. I get back Academy and promptly play 2 golems. SB: +4 Thorn, -4 Chalice (Chalice comes out in the mirror on the draw)
Game 3: I think Carl is a bit on tilt this game because of the effect null rod had on the previous games. My hand is Shop, Mox, golem, Ancient Tomb x 2, City of traitors, Wasteland. He mulls over his hand for a few moments and finally decides to keep. I keep this hand because I get the feeling Carl may have kept a loose one. He drops his hand on turn 1, but only gets a chalice at 2 and metalworker down. I’m ecstatic. I get turn 1 Golem and start the beats. He’s at 4 life when he finally topdecks a Sword of Fire/Ice, but it’s too late, as he has a mana crypt he’ll likely die to and I have a juggernaut in hand.
6-1-1, 11-4
So, I win the whole shebang and we go to The Draft, just like old times, to hang out and bullshit. 14 of the 27 people showed up to kick it. Now that’s what I call a close community. Hilarity ensues as we witness THE Conley Woods get into an argument with Brian’s wife about Sandwich Punch.
So, after 8 hours of magic, I go home, have a beer with the girl, and can’t help but smile and think:
I’m back.
Props:
Carl – Thanks so much for holding these tournaments. They are unbelievably well run, and the venue is amazing.
Jimmy – Thanks for the ID, I think we both know you would have rolled me. We need to start testing/kicking it again. Also, good beta on those fries homie!
Brennen – Thanks for the scoop dog! Also, testing sessions at MHC are the shit. I’m going to miss your Jew ass when you move to Cali.
Trav – Thanks for the support homie!
All my opponents – You were all awesome. I can’t remember the last time I played in a tourney where nobody tried to rules lawyer me. I need to play Vintage more.
Brian – Thanks for the Foil Wire! The set looks amazing!
Team Meandeck – For putting out the best decks in the format. Bear the banner with pride!
Slops:
Team Black Gold – For real guys? You’re gonna let me walk into your house and clean up?
I want a grudge match between CC and Black Gold at the next event. 4 players each team, any format.
Fuckin’ Lou – Vegetarian now? What the fuck is the internet? You know I still love ya brother.
Sandwich Punch – What an awful game.
