[Waterbury] Side Event: September '94

[chewy01234]

I don't know if this is the right place for this, maybe casual or community? I'm sure It will get moved if I'm wrong.

Anyway,

For those of you who don't know Waterbury will be featuring a side event on day 2 called September '94.
http://www.themanadrain.com/forums/index.php?topic=24010.0

So I was wondering what kinds of decks people where going to be playing. Something like old school Blue/White control?? Maybe something chaos orb related. I'm excited about this event. Should be interesting.

Here's my Decklist, so theres some content.

Blue
4 Mana Drain
4 Counterspell
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Time Walk
1 Braingeyser
3 Serendib Efreet


White
2 Disenchant
4 Swords to Plowshares
2 Moat
4 Balance
3 Serra Angel

Artifacts
1 Black Lotus
5 Moxen
1 Sol Ring
2 Jayemdae Tome
1 Ivory Tower

Land
4 Tundra
6 Plains
7 Islands
1 LOA
4 Mishra's Factory

[Sam Best]

I will play control slaver or gifts belcher one of the two not sure yet. BTW your deck seems really out of date.

-Sam Best

Man, I really hope this was an attempt ar humor. - Bram

[Yames]

Yeah it's true your deck looks like something out of... oh I don't know. Let's say 1994.

But seriously after using my secret tech (Reading) I'm not sure if your deck is the best available.  They say in the post that you will be using the B&R list from back then. Have you looked into that? I personally have no idea where to even look to find the B&R from sept 94.  Was there a degenerate combo back then?

[Matt]

Degenerate combo? Hell no. There weren't even any DRAW SPELLS back then - you had Ancestral and Geyser and that was IT.

[Jacob Orlove]

Technically there was a combo deck based around Timetwister, unrestricted Fastbond, and Verduran Enchantress, but that deck really wants Forgotten Lore.

Basically, the "combo" deck of the format is 4 Balance 56 other cards.

[Matt]

There was also Enduring Renewal+Shield Sphere+Ashnod's Altar+Fireball.

[Jacob Orlove]

There was also Enduring Renewal+Shield Sphere+Ashnod's Altar+Fireball.

Not before Ice Age, there wasn't. Remember, 1994 was even pre-Fallen Empires.

[Revvik]

Yeah it's true your deck looks like something out of... oh I don't know. Let's say 1994.

But seriously after using my secret tech (Reading) I'm not sure if your deck is the best available.

He didn't even say anything about the 4 x Balance... 
Honestly, if Fastbond is unrestricted and Balance is unrestricted, there HAS to be some way to create a combo deck.  To me, the draw engine isn't the biggest part, the kill is the biggest part.  Limiting yourself to Braingeysering your opponent doesn't give you a lot of flex room since you have to focus on infinite combos.

Hell, what am I talking about?  This is years before I first started playing, and even then my favorite finisher was Catacomb Dragon in a four-color aggro deck. 

[Hi-Val]

This entire format will be who casts balance first and most often. You have been warned. You do not make use of all the modes of Balance, so you will have your hand blown apart. Titania's Balance is probably the best deck for the time frame.

[bebe]

The Balance Deck
Adam Maysonet

1  Black Lotus
1  Mox Emerald
1  Mox Ruby
1  Mox Pearl
1  Candelabra of Tawnos
4  Bazaar of Baghdad
1  Maze of Ith
4  Mishra's Factory
4  Plateau
4  Savannah
4  Taiga

3  Atog
 
4  Balance

4  Chain Lightning
1  Chaos Orb
2  Consecrate Land
3  Disenchant
4  Lightning Bolt
3  Library of Leng
4  The Rack
1  Regrowth
2  Relic Barrier
3  Sylvan Library

sideboard
2  Circle of Protection: Red
2  Consecrate Land
1  Disenchant
3  Red Elemental Blast
2  Relic Barrier
3  Swords to Plowshares
2  Tranquility

followed by

2  Strip Mine
4  Mishras Factory
1  Maze of Ith
3  Tundra
4  Volcanic Island
3  Plateau
3  Scrubland
1  Mox Emerald
1  Mox Jet
1  Mox Sapphire
1  Mox Ruby
1  Mox Pearl
1  Black Lotus

East Coast Balance
Sean Fleischman & Tony Parodi

4  The Rack
1  Black Vise
3  Jade Statue
4  Balance
3  Disenchant
3  Swords to Plowshares
1  Mind Twist
1  Demonic Tutor
4  Lightning Bolt
4  Chain Lightning
1  Fork
1  Wheel of Fortune
1  Fireball
1  Time Walk
1  Timetwister
1  Ancestral Recall

Both these decks utilize the symetrical effect of balance for the win. Since there were no free counterspells back then you could often empty your hand turn opne and play a rack.
For those who remember the canadians later played a vise/prosperity deck that also could win turn one with four mana cryopts and four leds but this is post pre restriction.

[Jacob Orlove]

Mana Crypt is another card that didn't exist in 1994. Doug is right about Titania Balance being the best deck in the format, though.

[iamfishman]

Mana Crypt is another card that didn't exist in 1994. Doug is right about Titania Balance being the best deck in the format, though.

Some have said that they have found a way to beat the balance deck, though as far as I know, these may just be rumors.

[chewy01234]

I have 4x Balance in my decklist. I dunno guess some of you overlooked that.
Its probably not a great deck anyway.

Just wanted to point out I'm not an idiot.

[Bulls on Parade]

I have 4x Balance in my decklist. I dunno guess some of you overlooked that.
Its probably not a great deck anyway.

Just wanted to point out I'm not an idiot.

You have the Balances, but you don't abuse them as hard as other decks are going to, is what everyone is telling you. Your deck looks solid and pretty balanced, but unfortunately I think everyone is trying to break this format.

[chewy01234]

nono i figured that. I really never thought about breaking this format. I guess you are right though. I just thought of it as a way to get back to our roots. When black vise and juzam were staples and you didnt leave the house with out a braingeyser and a recall.

it's too bad they are abusing balance like this. "Unfortunatley" was the exact right word. oh well though. when in rome....

[wicketsnatcher]

I really never thought about breaking this format. I guess you are right though. I just thought of it as a way to get back to our roots. When black vise and juzam were staples and you didnt leave the house with out a braingeyser and a recall.

it's too bad they are abusing balance like this. "Unfortunately" was the exact right word. oh well though. when in rome....

And you, chewy, get a medal.  You have have truly struck the heart of the matter.

This format has been being played around our local CT haunt for a good amount of time now.  Actually it began as "Legends and Back" and after a half a year or so of playing it, we added in The Dark.

A friend of mine wanted to play magic with a friend of his.  Unfortunately this friend of his hadn't played since, like, 4th edition time.  The solution?  Make decks using only cards he would be sure to know and understand.  Since that time, I have around ten decks for this made - all a blast to play and none very competitive.

The fact that "competitive" and "Balance is too broken" has eeked its head into this format is a shame.  Granted, of course that was going to happen when announced as a side event for Waterbury.  However, I absolutely love it in the way that it was intended.  It produces the best casual games ever.  Over the past month I've gotten to play with Phantasmal Terrain, Ley Druid, Paladia Mors, El-Hajiajj, Scarwood Bandits, Divine Transformation, and Unholy Strength (just to name a few).


It was designed for us old time players to grin as we tapped mana for bad creatures and inefficient spells just because they made us smile.  There's an incredibly rewarding feeling when you sit down with a bunch of guys to play a game and it's lighthearted and fun as people send bad creatures in to attack, and play bad spells just because they have cool artwork or bring back a certain memory.  There's an added joy when people who just don't understand can't comprehend why a Bird Maiden is in your deck.

[Jacob Orlove]

There are some easy enough ways to "fix" the format, if you don't mind having things be a little different from what the actual rules of the time were. My number one suggestion would be to limit the number of restricted cards in a deck to something very low. Say, 4. Then, be sure you restrict Balance and *maybe* a couple other offenders.

That would go a long way towards (heh) balancing the format.

[Cross]

I was pretty pumped to play oldschool mono-red, but then I started considering how stupid 4x balance is, and realized that I would just be throwing 10 bucks away. As far as the rest of the old b/r list is conerned mana vault would be the next big thing, but workshop is restricted so this probably wouldnt cause any issues.

There's an added joy when people who just don't understand can't comprehend why a Bird Maiden is in your deck.

I don't think there is a reason for anyone to play bird maiden, ever.

[Englishman_in_NH]

Maybe in an Arabian Nights Booster Draft 

[chewy01234]

I was just looking foward to some old school nostalgia. But on the other hand one could agrue "we are sentimental fools in a competative game where winning is everything and tradition is forsaken."

or

not.

?

[Ufactor]

Please, somebody tell me if I'm way off on this one.  Aren't basic plains (at least 5) tech because of Blood Moon?

[Ophidian98]

The "combo deck" wiith enchantress mentioned earlier in the thread was based around mana flare, fork, timewalk, regrowth, candelabra of tawnos, and of course rabid wombat with spirit link and or carrion ants with berserk for the kill, sylvan library was a staple card... the deck was uber savage back in the day... multiple mana flares, and candelabra with copy artifact on it, generating a kajillion mana, with a forked berserk on a carrion ants for a million damage, or a 10/10 wombat with 4 spirit links and a spectral cloak on it.. savage, utterly savage, while taking 8 or 9 turns in a row between the walk, recall (not ancestral) regrowth, fork  ya ya ya, sorry i loved that deck


Oh and the tech vs Blood Moon was, of course Shivan Dragon as a sideboard option--- utterly devastating!  hah!!!
 
But don't underestimate mono black, nether spirit with bad moon is good against balance, so is gloom btw muahahha (if you get to cast them)  And every deck has to run psychic purge vs balance in the board.. so bad, but so good.. good times, ok, I'm gettin all teary eyed.. I'm missing my 15 dollar leviathans

Phid

[Jacob Orlove]

The "combo deck" wiith enchantress mentioned earlier in the thread was based around mana flare, fork, timewalk, regrowth, candelabra of tawnos, and of course rabid wombat with spirit link and or carrion ants with berserk for the kill, sylvan library was a staple card... the deck was uber savage back in the day... multiple mana flares, and candelabra with copy artifact on it, generating a kajillion mana, with a forked berserk on a carrion ants for a million damage, or a 10/10 wombat with 4 spirit links and a spectral cloak on it.. savage, utterly savage, while taking 8 or 9 turns in a row between the walk, recall (not ancestral) regrowth, fork  ya ya ya, sorry i loved that deck

Actually, the version I was referring to was based around Fastbond, Timetwister, and Forgotten Lore, but also ran Enchantress, Dance of Many, Mana Flare, and a few singletons like Mesmeric Trance and Dark Heart of the Wood, along with all the obvious broken cards. It could sometimes combo off on turn 3-4, which was astonishing back in the day. Your kill was often just Mirror Universe, but you could use Braingeyser, or even an infinitely recursed Ancestral.

[Ophidian98]

Yeah, I remember that version of the deck!!  i totally forgot about the mirror universe thing.. it kinda fell out of favor in my area, when "the deck" picked up steam and rust was the sideboard de jour..

Did anyone ever play the old living plane/tabernacle at pendrellvale deck with prodigals, preachers, and old man of the sea.. that deck was amazingly dumb but it was crazy fun.. steal lands and sac em to a life chisel, or play a johan (style points) and attack with non tapping lands, or hazezon tamar!  lol, horrible-- or the always bad, marton stromgald.. so as to attack with a bunch of 10/10 lands lol.. ugh

Sorry, i have a thing for bad old decks..

[Skink_123]

Channel was banned back then? Right?

[Fubar]

Channel was banned back then? Right?

Good question, will the 94 format (an exceptionally cool idea) have good old channel/fireball?

[Bram]

You say that like the tournament wasn't two weeks ago...