[Report] UGW Thresh @ Pandimonium - 1st

[urza_insane]

Alright, time for my first tournament report. I will start off by saying I took no notes (aside from life total and mage names). So please forgive me if I totally screw up a match/name/event etc. This isn't going to be an extremely thorough report. My apologies.

Pre-Tournament:
Nothing too crazy to report here. I had UGW pretty much built and have been testing it heavily over the past 2 month so I feel very comfortable playing it.
I talked to Spence (SpencerforHire) about a week and a half ago about it and he offers me a ride up to the thing, which is awesome since I can't drive. Team Predict is coming out full force looking to win at our first Legacy event.
Darren and Spence arrive at my house after some very confusing Mapquest directions (sorry!) and we're off. The ride up is fine and we arive at about 12:00 with registration at 1. We sit around and I watch a few games of Type 1 Gifts vs IggyPop and Gifts vs Thresh. These were very fun to watch consisting of Mongoose vs. 3rd turn Colossus with Force backup and the also fun Werebear vs. Colossus. Or Mongoose vs Tendrils. Some of the games were actually a lot closer than I thought they would be, but most were pretty ugly. I walked around looking at cards in the shop and pick up 2 Mystic Enforcer that I for some reason had never gotten before. Rich (KrzyMoose) shows up and tries to throw the last pieces of B/W Deadguy together, which he manages to do. Players slowly trickle in, for awhile we thought we weren't even going to break 8. Dan (Cancerstix) arrives (the organizer) and things begin to shape up. I act like a scrub and don't have my DCI number, so I grab a new one and sign up for the $3 fee (not bad!). It takes awhile to figure out where we're playing because there is a giant DBZ tournament going on (I had no idea it was so popular!) and most of the front tables are being used. The DBZ area clears out a bit so we head in there. I think about 14 players showed up for the thing, not terrible - at least it's sanctioned!

Matches go up and I'm happy I'm not playing any team members.


Deck:
I suppose it's time for a decklist. Here you are -
//NAME: UGW ThreshTutor
//Matt Maiorana
//3-4-06
// creatures
        4 Nimble Mongoose
        4 Meddling Mage
        4 Werebear
        2 Mystic Enforcer
// draw
        4 Brainstorm
        4 Serum Visions
        4 Mental Note
        1 Sleight of Hand
// control
        4 Force of Will
        4 Daze
        2 Counterspell
        4 Swords to Plowshares
        1 Echoing Truth 
// mana
        4 Flooded Strand
        4 Windswept Heath
        4 Tundra
        3 Tropical Island
        1 Forest
        1 Plains
        1 Island
SB:  3 Enlightened Tutor (might go down to 2 as that's usually how many I brought in)
SB:  2 Seal of Cleansing (might end up being instant speed instead vs Needle, Supression Field, Stifle etc.)
SB:  1 Cursed Totem
SB:  1 Null Rod
SB:  1 Tormod's Crypt
SB:  1 Worship
SB:  1 Sacred Ground
SB:  1 Compost (went between Ground Seal, Spiritual Asylum, Light of Day)
SB:  1 Sphere of Law
SB:  1 Serenity (This spot has also been Stabilizer)
SB:  2 Exalted Angel

I'll try to explain my weird choices briefly.

Echoing Truth - This is usually an Engineered Explosives and should have been with Tutor. Echoing truth isn't terrible though and is very nice vs. tokens (since opponents don't know you have it if they EOT Decree). It can also save something of mine if I need it to.

Tundra - I run 4, but only because of Angel in the Side. This might become a Savannah though... And if there was no double white in the side I'de just run another Island instead.

Sideboard - Ok, this'll take some explaining. I've been trying to get the damn tutors to work since the Legacy B/R was seperated. This is probably the best use I've gotten of them.The tutors offer a very solid option against Discard as the top of your library is the safest place to be. The main reason I ran them, however, was for the Silver bullet strategy. I will come out and state it. This card sucks against anything with counters if you can't get it through, or if they can easily kill what you fetch. This is included for the Aggro match and the random jank match. Combo is generally well taken care of main with random spells coming in from the side to further shut them off if need be. And since there is basically nothing resembling blue based control (what this sucks against) I decided to try it out. Some decks such as Confidant can usually dispose of the fetched card if they need to, but it buys you tempo in that match - which is needed to stabalize. The Exalteds are there as all around answers. They get around Gravehate, Greenhate (Perish), they win vs Aggro, and are an extra creature vs the Mirror and Control decks.
Best part of the side: most people totally don't expect it. I got a lot of weird looks when I played a morph creature or tutored in response to discard.

 
Match Report:
Alrighty, sorry for the intermission. Finally on to the report!

Match 1: Brad - Goblins with burn? (Grenades, Fireblast)
I have a slow start (not expecting to be playing Goblins) while he goes for the Lackey Siege-Gang play. Things aren’t pretty. I get a few chump blockers down and swords to Commander when he’s tapped out. I begin to thing there is hope when all he has are 2 matrons and a few tokens with only 2 cards in hand. I’m at 4. He shows me a fireblast. Who plays fireblast in Goblins?!

Game two looks much better. I go on the offensive early with Mongoose beats. I drop 2 Werebears and win.

Game three is a close one. I get an early Sphere of Law down which allows me to stabilize. I find some beaters, but then he goes crazy. He start Goblin Bombing me while hitting me with piledrivers for small increments of damage. I get a huge army and swing for the win at 6 life while he holds 2 Fireblasts that Sphere is protecting me from.
1-0 (2-1)

Match 2: Jeremy - Interesting Shivan Wurm/Berserk/Fling/Ball Lightning/Orcish Lumberjack.dec
I sit down across from a well natured guy who looks like he’s here for fun. But he won his previous match, so I proceed cautiously. He drops and early Orcish Lumberjack. I see little else, a Shivan Wurm here, a BoP there. But nothing that makes me recognize the deck. I beat for the win.

Game two he smiles and is really excited about his first turn play. Double Petal into City of Solitude. I smile and say ok since it doesn’t hurt the deck that bad and he just spent 2 extra cards to get it into play. I have a slow start, but he does too. He throws down a Ball Lightning at one point and smacks for 6. With him playing red I get a little worried about my life total, so I decide to win quick. I’m one turn away from winning with 2 Forces and a Daze in hand. I drop Seal of Cleansing and am ready to win. I pass the turn. He drops Shivan Wurm, then Berserks it. I think… hmmm ok? So I respond by using Seal on City of Solitude. BUT WAIT. My amazing scrub skills shine as I forget that City also stops abilities. Shit. Shitshitshit. He flings the Wurm at me for 14 damage. I die and am incredibly pissed at myself. I resolve to win. Not just win, but loose no more games the rest of the day. I accomplish my goal.

Game three I exact my revenge and smash his face in while I sit at 16 life.
2-0 (4-2)

Match 3: Pat - Goblins (burn? I never saw any but it was reported he had it)
More Goblins?! Before the tournament everybody was saying nobody would be playing Goblins. I was very glad I kept my hate in.
Game one I drop a Mage on Aether Vial and he has one stuck in his hand. I counter anything relevant and Lackey can never get through. The game ends quickly.

Game two I drop an early Mage on Goblin Warchief after Lackey is killed. He Matrons for Incinerator. I drop another Mage on Warchief. He gets another Incinerator. I drop another Mage. He gets another Incinerator. Warchief gets through, but I was able to find some huge monsters and it doesn’t matter anymore. I win at 6 life.
3-0 (6-2)

Match 4: Dan - RGW Zoo (Kird Ape/Isamaru/Lavamancer/Lions/Wolf/Mongrel + Burn)
I can’t remember this match too well so maybe Dan can help out some. I do a lot of chump blocking until I can stabalize. Once I have some fury animals and thresholp my creatures become bigger than his and win.

Game two I remember Mages diverting a lot of burn to themselves. Two Tormod’s Crypts come down, but I sneak an Exalted Angel and Worship onto the board. They win very shortly.
4-0 (8-2)

Top 4:
Me: UGW Thresh
Rich: B/W Confidant
Chris: UGW Thresh (with main Worship?)
Pat: Goblins (with burn?) - round 3 opponent

Match 5/Semifinals: Rich - B/W Confidant piloted by Rich
Game one I get some quick threshold action going after a first turn Hymn/Duress while he is stuck one 1 land. I beat for the win. Landscrew won the match for me.

Game two I board in my hate (Compost/Sacred Ground/Curesed Totem) and am delighted to see Compost in my opening hand. I don’t get hit by Duress, so it sees play. Multiple Vindicates are pointed at it which buy me a few cards and much needed tempo. I then proceed to find Sacred Ground and Cursed Totem to shut off most of his deck. Mongoose beats win it.
5-0 (10-2)

Match 6/Finals: Chris - UGW thresh
I smash face like crazy. In the two games I don’t think he did more than 3 damage to me.
Game one I get some early creatures and the first Mage chanting on Mage. He keeps talking about how he plays more creatures so he’ll win (I assume Galina’s Knight?) but I never see any. I end at 20 life.

Game two I bring in the Exalteds and Crypt, Worship, and Seal (with tutor). He says he’s sad he has no mirror hate. I never see the crypt I board, Exalteds show up. He doesn’t seem to have a great hand and I see few creatures. I amass a small army and he drops Worship. I have a feeling he has a fist of Counters so I hold back the Seal in my hand. He never finds the creature to turn Worship on, so the seal doesn’t even matter. That’s game.
6-0 (12-2)

I know for a fact I didn’t mention all the times the SB made an appearance, I simply can’t remember. But I really like how it worked overall. In the scrubby meta where anything can show up it is nice to have answers to all of it. I admittedly didn’t play against any pure control (where the Tutors are far worse), but I think the tutor engine has some promise. I supose it is a bit massicistic, but I love Tempo boosts even if it means card disadvantage. I don’t really care if I loose a card from the Tutor as long as it distracts my opponent long enough for my Animal Friends to kill them. And in the aggro match it will often lock the opponent out if they didn’t bring artifact/enchantment hate in.

I currently wouldn’t make any changes to the main except for the Echoing Truth and Sleight of Hand spots - everything else seems really tight. The Sideboard, however, can obviously be changed a lot. I currently have about 5 different Sides in the works (along with 50 some possible inclusions) .

Overall I thought the tournament went really well and thanks to everybody who showed up. I can’t wait for the next one!

Props-
Major props go to Spence for getting me to and back this thing and being an all around cool guy
Darren for driving and being incredibly enthusiastic about last place
Team Predict – kicking ass at our first Legacy event (3 out of 4 prizes baby – one was last place, but it was still a prize!)
Dan for putting this together
Pandemonium for hosting and being a cool place
Type 1 gifts vs random 1.5 decks
Pimped FlameVaultStax  (emidln)

Slops-
People taking wins away from far more deserving players
DBZ players for getting a better turnout (by far) than we did
Me for my play mistakes
Sickness attacking Spence

-Matt Maiorana aka urza_insane
-Team Predict-

[SpencerForHire]

Yea that tourney was good fun despite the low tournout.  I expect next time we will have a good many more people thanks to a more advanced warning and a much higher prize structure.  I for one really liked the fact that the event was 3 bucks for hours of fun.  On top of that sanctioned.  Higher prizes are sexy but there were no complaints on the smaller ones.

==on topic==
Matt totally deserved the win with some nice selections in his deck.  No one suspected Goblins to show up and it did which made his SB choices very opportune.  On top of that the Echoing Truth is a great solution to the issue I have been having with mass tokens on the other side of the board.  He was also the only person to go undefeated prior to the cut to Top 4.  I couldn't have been more pleased with the results.

[Bardo]

Well done.

Some comments:

How did the tutor-SB plan really work? It seems like you really have to dig into the core to squeeze x turors + targets into the deck when you don't have too many negotiable slots (excepting Sleight, E Truth, maybe a dude or two). If it works, rock on -- but I think you'd be in trouble if you faced a well-tuned Goblins deck, piloted by a competent player. You have nothing other than a single Sphere of Law to fight Red aggro. I don't think I'm overcompensating when I board in 4 Hydroblasts + 2 Tivadar's Crusades. If anything, I'd prefer a little more anti-red fire power, but then you're compromising your other match-ups.

Re: E Truth. I've tested this and think it's pretty swell. Utility-wise it's probably on par with EE.

Re: Savannah. I'd caution you away from this, but test away. Wastelands are still plentiful, though not as popular as they were nine months ago, but to avoid being screwed, I think it's best to stay away from non-basics that don't produce blue.

[Round 2] Shivan Wurm/Berserk/Fling/Ball Lightning/Orcish Lumberjack.dec

Ah, good old Legacy.

Again, congrats on the win.

[KrzyMoose]

Game two I board in my hate (Compost/Sacred Ground/Curesed Totem) and am delighted to see Compost in my opening hand. I don’t get hit by Duress, so it sees play. Multiple Vindicates are pointed at it which buy me a few cards and much needed tempo. I then proceed to find Sacred Ground and Cursed Totem to shut off most of his deck. Mongoose beats win it.

Yeh, spending time trying to get rid of Compost was probably a bad idea on my part.  And actually, you never played anything other than the Compost and 2 Mongooses (other than various counters).  I just couldn't find the Perish, and you rode them to victory.

Congrats on the win!

Team Predict representin'.

[urza_insane]

How did the tutor-SB plan really work? It seems like you really have to dig into the core to squeeze x turors + targets into the deck when you don't have too many negotiable slots (excepting Sleight, E Truth, maybe a dude or two). If it works, rock on -- but I think you'd be in trouble if you faced a well-tuned Goblins deck, piloted by a competent player. You have nothing other than a single Sphere of Law to fight Red aggro. I don't think I'm overcompensating when I board in 4 Hydroblasts + 2 Tivadar's Crusades. If anything, I'd prefer a little more anti-red fire power, but then you're compromising your other match-ups.

I agree that a well tuned Goblin deck would be much much more scary than any of the ones I faced.
Against Goblins I decided to forgo Counters and focus on getting a bomb out:
-1 Echoing Truth
-2 Counterspell
-4 Daze

+3 Enlightened Tutor
+1 Worship
+1 Sphere of Law
+2 Exalted Angel

I think the Hydroblast+Crusade plan is a lot stronger, but if I can survive the first few turns I'm usually ok. Swords aim for Piledrivers and I just soak up any other damage until I can drop Worship+Mongoose. But if they splash and brought in Enchantment hate, I'm screwed with this plan  . Recently I've been playing 2 Call of the Herd main (in the Truth and Sleight spot) which have helped in the Goblin match - this is very much in the testing phase though. If you know what the meta is going to be, then I probably wouldn't play the Tutor side at all - but you never know what local tournaments will bring.
(For other matches I either take out some of the Counter base, Mental Notes, Mages, or Swords.)

Re: Savannah. I'd caution you away from this, but test away. Wastelands are still plentiful, though not as popular as they were nine months ago, but to avoid being screwed, I think it's best to stay away from non-basics that don't produce blue.

Agreed

Yeh, spending time trying to get rid of Compost was probably a bad idea on my part.  And actually, you never played anything other than the Compost and 2 Mongooses (other than various counters).  I just couldn't find the Perish, and you rode them to victory.

Gotcha, sorry for the mixup.

[cancerstix]

Match 4: Dan - UGW Zoo (Kird Ape/Isamaru/Lavamancer/Lions/Wolf/Mongrel + Burn)
I can’t remember this match too well so maybe Dan can help out some. I do a lot of chump blocking until I can stabalize. Once I have some fury animals and thresholp my creatures become bigger than his and win.

Game two I remember Mages diverting a lot of burn to themselves. Two Tormod’s Crypts come down, but I sneak an Exalted Angel and Worship onto the board. They win very shortly.
4-0 (8-2)

First off, there is definitely no Blue in my Zoo list.  You might want to change that to RGW.  I really don't remember much of the match either.  We did alot of B.S.-ing while I did my best to get your counters drawn out on the spells I wanted you to counter. 

Game 2 was decidedly rough.  I was holding two land and a Wild Mongrel when you dropped Exalted, with effin Worship already on the table.  But you knew I wasn't holding burn when you got to stay alive at 5, so exalted was in there like swimwear.  Somehow, I managed to draw both crypts I had boarded but missed the 4 Pillars that would have made your draw spells oh so nice, for me.  Oh well, maybe next time.

  I for one really liked the fact that the event was 3 bucks for hours of fun.  On top of that sanctioned.  Higher prizes are sexy but there were no complaints on the smaller ones.

I'm really interested in hearing more opinions on this.  I too love the $3 for hours of fun but I want to be able to throw out some awesome prizes too.  In order to support the bigger prizes, the entry fee will need to go up.  I am looking at somewhere around $7-10 entry in order to cover next months prize structure with comparable turnout.  So what's better, higher enrty with bigger prizes, or lower entry with smaller prizes?

[urza_insane]

I'm really interested in hearing more opinions on this.  I too love the $3 for hours of fun but I want to be able to throw out some awesome prizes too.  In order to support the bigger prizes, the entry fee will need to go up.  I am looking at somewhere around $7-10 entry in order to cover next months prize structure with comparable turnout.  So what's better, higher enrty with bigger prizes, or lower entry with smaller prizes?

If it is only going to be once a month then I think a $7 fee is fine. $10 is a bit much, but if it goes towards prizes I have no major problem with it. Thanks for organizing!

-Matt

And yeah, sorry about the blue, fixed. 

[SpencerForHire]

It's a tie but I know for more people the biggere prizes are what count.

[KrzyMoose]

I'd go either way.  I honestly don't care about the money one way or the other.  I just want more people to show up, so whatever brings more people, go with it.