I dusted off my Vintage last week-end and made the trip to our national capital Canberra for the annual Cancon Gaming/Fantasy Convention.
To conclude a long week-end of PTQ’s, Lucky dip Seals, Legacy and Modern,… a Sanctioned Vintage event with a Time Vault as first prize was organised. These Sanctioned Vintage events are always a big thing in Australia as the chances to play against the cream of the cream of Australian Vintage players only present itself 3 times max per year across the whole continent.
17 players from each part of the country made the trip and battled fiercely for 5 rounds, a Top8 finish and, more important, the"Champ" title. After the 5 round Swiss, I finished 1st (undefeated with 13 points) but only to collapse badly in the first knock-out round of the Top8. This is my report and thoughts about the deck I played.
My last full size Vintage tournament was 6 months ago at the Australian Eternal Masters in Melbourne. At the time, adapting the freshly brewed Genesis Chamber Shop deck, I managed to Top4 the 35men tourney! My only losses that day were against Oath and Dredge. I commented at the time that I was not quite happy with Genesis Chamber which functionally felt like a 3-cards combo. You’ll find my previous list
here and a few brief comments about the deck in that TMD thread
there.
So basically, for this tournament I made the following changes to the main deck:
- 4 Genesis Chamber
- 2 Bratterskull
- 1 Gaea’s Cradle
+ 4 Grafdigger’s Cage
+ 1 Phyrexian Revoker
+ 1 Wasteland
+ 1 Karn, Silver Golem
Grafdigger’s Cage was a Meta call. I really expected Oath decks to be present (there were NONE!). Also, with the drawing power of Skullclamp, I felt like I may stand a chance game 1 against Dredge decks. I also liked the idea that Cage impaired Grixis’ game by shutting down their TinkerBot, Snappies and Yawg’s Will tricks. Last, I liked the idea that Cages MD was opening so much sideboard space. Note that Grafdigger is not completely dead vs certain Workshop decks such as Martello/Forgemaster and it always provides cheap permanents & food for Tangle Wire & Ravager.
Regarding Batterskull, I used to play two. The first one got cut since I really wanted the 4th Phyrexian Revoker MD. Revoker is simply my preferred card in Vintage at the moment. He does everything. Then, I ended up cutting the second Batterskull for 2 reasons. First, I remember losing a BatterSkull once to an unexpected Spell Pierce and I’m still a bit bitter about it. Then, I felt that if I were to invest 5 mana, I wanted something that could do tricks straight away. Karn can animate 3/3 Tangle Wire, he can clean the board and he can chumpblock anything as soon as he comes into play. I tried Karn and I liked him. He offers options and he’s always a good top deck.
Regarding Gaea’s Cradle, I think it made sense to cut 1 since I was not playing Genesis Chamber anymore (also, I only own one and I don't feel like cashing $150+). Instead, I added a 3rd Strip effect to the MD. Wasteland provides a lot of options and it is exactly what you’re after when playing Vintage: a LOT of options!
So, all in all, this is the list which carried me to a 1st place finish in the Swiss, undefeated after the 5 rounds:
Robots - Cancon14 (by tribet)
4 Arcbound Ravager
4 Memnite
4 Signal Pest
4 Phyrexian Revoker
4 Lodestone Golem
2 Phyrexian Metamorph
1 Karn, Silver Golem *
4 Skullclamp
2 Cranial Plating
1 Memory Jar *
4 Tangle Wire
4 Grafdigger’s Cage *
1 Black Lotus
5 Moxen
1 Sol Ring
1 Mana Crypt
1 Mana Vault *
4 Mishra’s Workshop
4 Ancient Tomb
2 Wasteland
1 Strip Mine
1 Tolarian Academy
1 Gaea’s Cradle *Sideboard:2 Ravenous Trap
1 Tormod’s Crypt
1 Wasteland
2 Dismember
3 Wurmcoil Engine
3 Witchbane Orb *
3 Thorn of AmethystThe cards marked with * are probably the first slots I would consider changing if I were to play the deck again in the near future.
Round 1 vs Grixis (Jacob Dunn 9th)Game 1, Jacob managed to stabilize early in the game by landing 2 Dark Confidants. They drew him loads of cards (and permanents). While down to 5 life, Jacob eventually cast Tinker. I had Gradigger in play so I smiled for a short half second. Then he revealed Time Vault and quickly assembled Infinite Turns by controlling his bob flips with Jace TMS.
Game 2 was a long and interactive game and, in the end, it was decided by the roll of a dice. For the first few turns, I attacked for 1 with a Memnite backed-up by Tangle Wire. As Jacob hits 10 life, he drops on the board a True-Name Nemesis! The Merlfolk, just by himself, managed to hold away my army of 1/1 and 2/1. After many more turns, my Mana Crypt naturally started to bite me. My only way out was to swarm around TNN. That’s when I drew into Phyrexian Metamorph. Options! Remember: You want Options when playing Vintage! So I proudly made my own TNN by targeting Jacob’s with Metamorph. My only other problem then was that I was now seating on a precarious 2 life. Next upkeep, like true Champs do, I rolled EVEN on my Mana Crypt! I then alpha-striked Jacob with my own TNN. That couldn’t have been closer. Saying that, this game made me wonder whether Jacob sided out his Lighting Bolts or not. I was so close from dying!
Game 3, an early Revoker slowly ate away Jacob’s life bits by bits. I eventually landed a Lodestone Golem to speed up the clock. Then, for some unknown reasons I decided to cast a 2nd Golem and ran straight into Mana Drain! Next turn, Jacob eagerly cast a JTMS, bounced back my Golem and stabilized. A few turns went, he bounced more guys, brainstormed, fatesealed me and even landed a second JTMS in order to use the ability twice in the same turn. I don’t fully recall how the game ended from there but my notes mention that Jacob managed to gain precious time by casting a TNN again; that he then flipped FOW on a Bob’s trigger and that my Lodestone Golem gave him the dying blow. So yeah, basically, it all went pear shape when I ran straight into Jacob’s Mana Drain. These were 3 very tight games. Jacob ended up 9th, missing the T8 just by a few %.
Round 2 vs Pyro-Gush (Chris Tuner T8)Game 1, I mana screwed Chris with a combination of Tangle Wire and Wasteland on his tapped Fetch-Lands. He died quickly to a swarm of little creatures. I was unsure at this stage which blue archetype Chris was on: Grixis? Landstill? RUG…?
Game 2, Tangle Wire gave me some easy and undisrupted early turns. Chris later dropped a Pyromancer, made 1 or 2 tokens but unfortunately, he quickly got buried under Wurmcoil which was soon followed by a pair of Metamorph making more Tangle Wires and more Wurmcoils!
Chris made T8.
Round 3 vs Espresso Stax (Josh Butler 1st)Game 1, I’m on the play and Josh mulls to 5. I beat him down with an early Golem but Josh ramping a Smokestack to 3 counters manages to reset the whole board. In the process, Skullclamp draws me some precious cards so I quickly recover and swarm Josh with some new little guys.
My notes also mention one of my most epic play of the day. While Smokestack was clearing the whole board, I decided to cast a Metamorph and to copy my own Skullclamp. The idea behind that was to draw 4 cards should my creature eventually die from Smokestack sacking ability. But then, I fucked up. For some obscure reasons, I decided not to pay 2 life when casting the φMetamorph. This meant that I was 1 mana short from equipping my newly made Skullclamp. So in the end, I paid 4 mana for a Skullclamp, which drew me 0 card and which got sacked the turn after. I was so close from putting together THE Most Optimum Play of my whole career, yet... I screwed it up.
Game 2, I mulled to 6. My notes mention an early Wasteland battle but then a Sphere of Resistance locked me out. I think Josh drew more lands and I lost to Golem. I don’t think Crucible got involved here.
Game 3, my notes talk about “Quick Beatdown and Waste Workshop”. So it sounds like I had a few early dudes doing the leg work and that my Wasteland did the ground work.
Josh (aka Shrewarmies) ended up winning the tournament so you may want to check
his report for more accurate facts and some more of my misplays.
Round 4 vs MUD (Patty T4)Game 1, I’m on the play. 3 Tangle Wires enabled me to keep Patty out of the game while his life goes down in 2 increments.
Game 2 is a back & forth game. Patty dismembered away two of my creatures, one of which was a Wurmcoil. My notes say that Skullclamp made the difference in that game. On the last turn, Patty was on 8 life. I had Ravager with plenty of artifacts and enough guys to swarm around Patty’s defence. I thought I’d sack things to jack up the modularity counters on Ravager and then I sacked Ravager itself to distribute some +1/+1 modularity counters around:
- Patty: JUDGE!
- Me: …?
- Patty: Game Rule Violation!
- Me: …?
- Patty: you can’t distribute the modularity counters around. You must only target 1 artifact creature.
- Me: Yep, sounds fair (after reading the small print reminder text on the card itself).
The judge comes, explains the ruling and explains what “Game Rule Violation” means… fair enough… Just play tight, read your cards, etc… Simple, play tight Tom. The judge goes.
30 seconds later:
- Patty: JUDGE!
- Me: …?
- Patty: Game Rule Violation!
- Me: …?
- Patty: you can’t use Sol Ring because it has been deactivated by one of the Revokers currently on the board.
- Me: Yep, sounds fair (though there were like 3 Revokers on the board, none of them with little reminder notes sribbled on. Saying that I think I’m the one who named “Sol Ring” 10 turns earlier because of Patty’s Sol Ring)
The same judge comes, explains the ruling and explains what 2 Game Rule Violation means… fair enough… Just play tight, read your cards, etc… Simple, play tight Tom. The judge goes.
One minute later, I simply attacked with my whole army and just win. FML.
Round 5 vs Grixis (Aloysius T8)We ID-ed, I’m now alone on 13 points, first seed for the play/draw rule in Top 8 knock-out rounds!
This break allows me to have a quick snack and most important to spend a good time watching and chatting with Rob Alexander at the artist tables. It was an amazing experience. I pestered him all day. Great bloke and very approachable. A Legend.
Quarter Final vs MUD with Batterskull + Wurmcoil MD (James MackAYE 2nd)I finished first in the Swiss so I’m on the play for the whole T8.
Game 1, I won by attacking with fast & small creatures.
Game 2, James lands Chalice at 0 + Chalice at 1 + Tangle Wire(s) and kills me with a lone Revoker after a dozen turns. I didn’t see the sunlight in this game.
Game 3, I’m on the play. I proceed to mull, and re-mull, and re-mull-mull. That’s a total of 1 Mox for 22 cards. I have no choice but to shuffle harder & better and to re-re-mull-mull down to 3. I draw into Wasteland, Mox Pearl and Revoker. I couldn’t have hoped for better! So, first turn I empty my hand and blind-name “Black Lotus” with Revoker.
James opens with Wasteland, Mox Jet and Revoker naming my “Mox Pearl”. He still has like 4 cards left in hand. I have none. FML.
Surprisingly, this game works in my favour as I manage to stabilize. James seems a bit short on Mana and I think his Chalice at 0 is starting to annoy him. I also manage to Revoke away his Mox Jet which buys me some real precious time.
Very slow game.
Soon after, I draw Mana Vault which enables me to ramp out a big Lodestone Golem.
James takes one hit but, soon after, he has 2 Mishra’s Factory on the board. Mind you, he has 2 “new art” foil Mishra’s Factories. It is some sort of glary foily brown-ish blob, that looks nothing like a Mishra’s Factory.
So yeah, I feel good. I now have 2 φRevokers +1 Golem. I attack with Golem + “Black Lotus” Revoker. James animates 1 Mishra, blocks Revoker and auto-pump Mishra to 3/3:
- Me: … Ah yeah! I remember that trick from back in 94! There used to be a times when Mishra virtually became a 0/3 when auto-pumping itself (ie not dealing its damage). Nowadays, everything is better, so an auto-pumped Mishra is now a 3/3! FML.
It’s ok, remember: Play tight Tom! James is now on 15, you mulled down to 3, you’re holding, you’re doing very good man! Just play tight. Simple.
Next turn, I decide to attack with Golem + “Mox Jet” Revoker. James animates Mishra again, blocks Revoker again and auto-pump Mishra to 3/3 again:
- Me: … ah yeah! Play tight, etc…. What a f%c&ing noob!
So basically, from that point, I copped it really hard. As soon as “Mox Jet” Revoker landed into the graveyard, James had access to 3 Mana and unleashed all Hell. His next two turns were just a disgusting discharge of Metamorphs, Wurmcoils followed with Tangle Wires into Spheres... I got buried; all the way back to France.
That’s it!
Awesome week-end again. My goal is always to T8 when making the trip to these big Vintage events, unfortunately I always seem to choke badly once in Top8. I think I just relax. Anything from then is just a bonus. I definitely need to work on this a bit. It’s not about knowing the rules better (20 years of kitchen Magic have been way too damaging). I think it’s really about playing tight, reading your cards, thinking twice, focussing, taking breaks… All simple things really.
Thoughts on the deck:I enjoy it very much. It offers a good mixture of Aggro, Combo and Prison roles. I feel like it has the edge versus the grindiest Shop decks and many other common matchups.
I wouldn’t discard yet the special trick of the 4 Grafdigger’s MD. It is a Meta-call but it is backbreaking game 1 against my worst Matchups: Oath, Dredge and, to some extent, Grixis. Grafdigger is a very cheap spell and it can always be cheap permanents & food for Tangle Wire and Ravager. Also it is not dead vs certain Workshop decks such as Martello/Forgemaster.
I think I missed the lifelink a couple of times in this tournament. Batterskull is legit but James MackAYE suggested Vault Skirge instead. I think it could fit very nicely in the deck:
- Increases the early threat density
- Curves out very nicely against Chalice
- It's Skullclampable (unlike Frogmite or Ornithopter)
- Offers evasion so it is a great body for Ravager & Cranial Plating
- Lifelinks for the grindy games...
Adding Vault Skirge to the deck will most probably involve twicking the number of Memnites & Signal Pests. I'll have to think more about that one but, 3 Skirge may be the good number. Does anybody have some for trade?
Last, I’m certain that I want to max out the Waste effects up to 5 in that deck. I don’t run many Spheres (which, by the way, works in my favour in the Shop Mirror) but more important, since I don’t run many Spheres, the deck should edge on more Waste effects to consolidate its Prison/Tempo role. Adding 2 extra Wasteland MD would most probably involve cutting the lonely Gaea's Cradle and the single Mana Vault. Wasteland is just too good in Vintage.
Til next time!
