3CB Tournament #41 Results and Discussion

[wonkey_donkey]

I would like to congratulate um… wonkey_donkey as the winner of 3CB Tournament #41.
Quite tight at the top, although this was clearly the tournament to be playing storage lands.
There were no winners of the mise-prize, although Zelc came disturbingly close.

The rules for this competition will be: Anything Goes!

Banned list:
Portal
Unglued
[card]Black Lotus[/card]
[card]Mesmeric Fiend[/card]
[card]Blackmail[/card]
[card]Chain of Smog[/card]
[card]Hymn to Tourach[/card]
[card]Cabal Therapy[/card]
[card]Encroach[/card]
[card]Mind Swords[/card]
[card]Forget[/card]
[card]Anvil of Bogarden[/card]
[card]Strip Mine[/card]
[card]Wasteland[/card]
[card]Raze[/card]
[card]The Rack[/card]
[card]Wheel of Torture[/card]
[card]Balance[/card]
[card]Meddling Mage[/card]
[card]Isochron Scepter[/card]
[card]Phrexian Dreadnaught[/card]
[card]Lion's Eye Diamond[/card]
[card]Evil Presence[/card]
[card]Sea's Claim[/card]

Entrant – Deck Name – Deck

1.   wonkey_donkey – it’sabouttimesomeoneplayedthis.dec – [card]Saprazzan Cove[/card], [card]Show and Tell[/card], [card]Form of the Dragon[/card]
2.   combo_dude – don’tlikechoker.dec – [card]City of Traitors[/card], [card]Mox Emerald[/card], [card]Nantuko Vigilante[/card]
3.   Robert the Swordsman – Heavy Metal – [card]Mishras Workshop[/card], [card]Trinisphere[/card], [card]Phyrexian War Beast[/card]
4.   Alfred – Balls of Steel - [card]Mishras Workshop[/card], [card]Trinisphere[/card], [card]Steel Golem[/card]
5.   r_x_ - Stompy.dec – [card]Pendelhaven[/card], [card]Scavenger Folk[/card], [card]Jovens Ferrets[/card]
6.   Lotushead – Miserhead.dec – [card]Mishras Workshop[/card], [card]The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale[/card], [card]Culling Scales[/card]
7.   Mortal Wombat – Mise! – [card]Force of Will[/card], [card]Tidal Kraken[/card], [card]Elvish Spirit Guide[/card]
8.   Nazdakka – 3CB Stacker – [card]Mishras Workshop[/card], [card]Trinisphere[/card], [card]Junk Diver[/card]
9.   Jdawg13 – Your Mom.dec – [card]Hickory Woodlot[/card], [card]Channel[/card], [card]Platinum Angel[/card]
10.   theorigamist – (no name) – [card]Treetop Village[/card], [card]Eladmiris Vineyard[/card], [card]The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale[/card]
11.   Laurie Cheers – Not Quite Netdecking – [card]Treetop Village[/card], [card]Eladmiris Vineyard[/card], [card]Words of Wilding[/card]
12.   Paloma – unhygienic.dec – [card]Peat Bog[/card], [card]Ravenous Rats[/card], [card]Swamp Mosquito[/card]
13.   Upinthe – Life Sucks – [card]Fountain of Cho[/card], [card]Shahrazad[/card], [card]Opal Guardian[/card]
14.   Nibble – willpower.dec – [card]Saprazzan Cove[/card], [card]Force of Will[/card], [card]Avatar of Will[/card]
15.   Zelc – mise-foil – [card]Island[/card], [card]Nether Spirit[/card], [card]Foil[/card]
16.   rocknrossi – kiss my asp – [card]Hickory Woodlot[/card], [card]Tangle Asp[/card], [card]Tangle Asp[/card]

How to read the table:
Match the deck# on the left with the deck # on top. Append a 1 where appropriate. The #s on the right of that deck correspond to how many points that deck received versus the deck on top. (Once again append a 1 where appropriate. The 1's are missing to make the table clearer)

0  1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6   Total
1| x 0 6 6 6 6 2 6 6 6 6 0 6 0 2 6     64
2| 6 x 3 3 0 6 2 3 6 6 6 6 6 0 2 0     55
3| 0 3 x 2 4 2 6 6 6 2 6 6 2 2 2 6     55
4| 0 3 2 x 4 2 6 6 6 2 6 6 2 2 2 6     55
5| 0 6 1 1 x 6 6 3 6 0 0 6 2 4 2 2     45
6| 0 0 2 2 0 x 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 0 2 2     22
7| 2 2 0 0 0 2 x 0 2 2 2 0 2 0 2 0     16
8| 0 3 0 0 3 2 6 x 6 6 6 6 0 0 2 6     46
9| 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 0 x 0 6 3 6 2 2 6     29
0| 0 0 2 2 6 2 2 0 6 x 2 6 6 2 2 6     44
1| 0 0 0 0 6 2 2 0 0 2 x 6 6 2 2 6     34
2| 6 0 0 0 0 2 6 0 3 0 0 x 6 2 2 6     33
3| 0 0 2 2 2 2 2 6 0 0 0 0 x 0 2 0     18
4| 6 6 2 2 1 6 6 6 2 2 2 2 6 x 6 6     61
5| 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 0 x 2     28
6| 0 6 0 0 2 2 6 0 0 0 0 0 6 0 2 x     24

Final Standings:

1:   wonkey_donkey 64
2:   Nibble 61
3:   Alfred 55
   combo_dude
   Robert the Swordsman
6:   Nazdakka 46
7:   r_x_ 45
8:   theorigamist 44
9:   Laurie Cheers 34
10:   Paloma 33
11:   JDawg13 29
12:   Zelc 28
13:   rocknrossi 24
14:   Lotushead 22
15:   Upinthe 18
16:   Mortal Wombat 16

This was the tournament to be playing storage lands, due to the high concentration of workshop decks with very little removal around of any sort. I played my deck largely because I thought it was about time somebody did – my second deck was going to be bridge, which was a less good choice of deck for this metagame due to the presence of vineyards.

Nibble’s deck was very nice, I felt – there are very few decks that can beat it, so it’s a very solid choice. I also like the fact that in some cases it can utilise the 3UU cost of FoW to counter. I noticed that people still use junk diver in their trinisphere decks, which is almost invariably a clear mistake. However, the power of trinisphere alone can still beat decks like JDawg13’s – a strong deck, only it was hated out this time. Zelc was irritatingly close to getting the mise-prize, which would not be good – I’d rather not have to ban more than one deck if I can help it.

What has happened to leveler? There only seem to be this deck and the choker deck that win when they show up, but no one’s willing to go with a spot of plagiarism nowadays. Ah well. We’ll see what happens next time.

Please post corrections/discussion etc.

Tom

EDIT: 200th post. Oooh. Go me.

[combo_dude]

I'll echo the mise-prize sentiments:

Please stop entering decks for the mise-prize. If they win it, they have contributed nothing to the tournament. If they don't, then they unbalance it in a bad way.

Oh, and Alfred: <3sphere is MY deck, whatever the name.   :lol:

Why do people still play War Beast (strictly inferior - not that the drawbacks make a difference) or Junk Diver in sphere decks?

I'll say something right now, just for clarification: Junk Diver returns ANOTHER target artifact from your graveyard. It does NOT return itself.

[Nazdakka]

Er, I'm not sure what happened with my Junk Diver. Total logic disconnect is all I can say - I know Diver can't return itself. Leveler was my second deck, I think that would have been a better choice for the tourney. Does Zelc's deck count as Mise, by the way? It can win the game, but optimal strategy from both players will result in a LOT of draws. Most decks can't get through the Foil and the infinite chumper.

[wonkey_donkey]

Does Zelc's deck count as Mise, by the way? It can win the game, but optimal strategy from both players will result in a LOT of draws. Most decks can't get through the Foil and the infinite chumper.

We've had this discussed before, I think - here, to be precise. Optimal play is always assumed, so that if trying to win would make you lose, the game is a draw.

Tom

[leviat]

What's "The Mise Prize" ?

[combo_dude]

What's "The Mise Prize" ?

Trying to score every game 2-2 - in other words, trying to draw every game.

Oh, and I'm guessing here, but CoK becomes legal for drafting tomorrow, and legal for Constrcuted on the 20th. So it's not legal this time - do we wait til next time, or the time after?

[Zelc]

Actually, I think that I do draw Nibble for the Mize Prize.  I always do nothing until he plays something.  The problem is, he can't play the Avatar of Will unless I dump my hand.  Therefore, neither of us plays anything, and the game is a draw.

EDIT: Even if he could somehow play a 2cc win condition, the game would work like this:

Turn 1: Saprazzan Cove.
Turn 2: Play 2cc win condition, I Foil, and he can't FOW because he doesn't have a blue card to remove from the game.

I'd go on to win with the Nether Spirit, so this is strictly worse than not doing anything and drawing.

[wonkey_donkey]

Oh, and I'm guessing here, but CoK becomes legal for drafting tomorrow, and legal for Constrcuted on the 20th. So it's not legal this time - do we wait til next time, or the time after?

It's legal for this tournament, but Nezumi Shortfang is banned. I'm hoping there's nothing I've missed, although I've got a little bit of time to have a quick check of the set.

Actually, I think that I do draw Nibble for the Mize Prize. I always do nothing until he plays something. The problem is, he can't play the Avatar of Will unless I dump my hand. Therefore, neither of us plays anything, and the game is a draw.

He can ramp up to 13 mana on his saprazzan cove before playing his avatar. He can counter your foil and win with the flying avatar.

Tom

[Zelc]

Whoops.  Thought it was a Skerry, not a Cove.  However, I do forsee this deck winning the mise prize sooner or later.