3CB #78 Results and Discussion/3CB Tournament #79 (Special Formats!)

[combo_dude]

I'd like to congratulate Nazdakka combo_dude as the winner of 3CB Tournament #78!
A disappointing turnout this week, although there was a nice array of decks out there - Pox proved to be the perfect answer to the decks out there. In fact, I'm struggling to think of a deck that beats it, so unless everyone objects I think I'm going to ban Pox! An excellent choice of deck, well done!
EDIT: Actually, it turns out I won, so I can safely eat my words regarding the phrase "it'll never win a tournament"...do people still think Pox needs to go?

Banned list:
Portal (in ALL its forms)
Unglued AND UNHINGED
[card]Form of the Dragon[/card]
[card]Mesmeric Fiend[/card]
[card]Nezumi Shortfang[/card]
[card]Blackmail[/card]
[card]Ghost Quarter[/card]
[card]Cabal Therapy[/card]
[card]Abandon Hope[/card]
[card]Nullstone Gargoyle[/card]
[card]Coercion[/card]
[card]Strip Mine[/card]
[card]Wasteland[/card]
[card]The Rack[/card]
[card]Balance[/card]
[card]Meddling Mage[/card]
[card]Pulse of the Dross[/card]
[card]Leonin Squire[/card]
[card]Show and Tell[/card]
[card]Misguided Rage[/card]
[card]Abandon Hope[/card]
[card]Glacial Chasm[/card]
All decks that can force mass-discard
All decks that can goldfish on turn 1

Decks:

1.   combo_dude    -    Black Maria    -    Black Lotus,   Horobi, Death's Wail,   Urborg
2.   Franz Ferdinand    -    Anti-Lotus.dec    -    Karakas,   Tethered Griffin,   Leyline of Singularity
3.   Cross    -    Rats!    -    Black Lotus,   Ravenous Rats,   Pithing Needle
4.   ReAnimator    -    F**k format changes    -    Mishra's Workshop,   Steel Golem,   Trinisphere
5.   emidln    -    BlackMasknought    -    Black Lotus,   Phyrexian Dreadnought,   Illusionary Mask
6.   wonkey_donkey    -    TET Offensive    -    Treetop Village,   Eladamri's Vineyard,   The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale
7.   combo_dude    -    Bleach    -    Mox Pearl,   Mishra's Factory,   Seal of Cleansing
8.   Godder    -    MaskNought    -    Black Lotus,   Phyrexian Dreadnought,   Illusionary Mask
9.   Nazdakka    -    Nether-Pox    -    Black Lotus,   Nether Spirit,   Pox
10.   wonkey_donkey    -    (no name)    -    Black Lotus,   Indentured Djinn,   Glowrider

Results:

      1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9   0 Total Position
1|   X   0   3   3   6   4   6   6   0   6   34   (1)
2|   6   X   3   4   6   0   0   6   2   6   33   (2)
3|   3   3   X   3   3   2   3   3   0   0   20   (8)
4|   3   1   3   X   3   2   3   4   3   3   25   (6)
5|   0   0   3   3   X   0   0   2   0   3   11   (9)
6|   1   6   2   2   6   X   0   6   2   6   31   (4)
7|   0   6   3   3   6   6   X   6   2   0   32   (3)
8|   0   0   3   3   2   0   0   X   0   3   11   (9)
9|   6   2   6   1   6   2   2   6   X   2   31   (4)
0|   0   0   6   3   3   0   6   3   2   X   23   (7)

Well, it's the first Lotus tournament of TMD, and it's a pretty good mix of decks. The mana-threat-removal that most decks ran meant that the balls-to-the-wall aggro route of Dreadnought didn't work, despite the deck's speed; the deck that impressed me the most was the Tethered Griffin deck, as it's a very powerful and simple way of removing creatures that works on the play or draw. My own deck was powerful, but given it was vulnerable to any sort of removal at all, I don't think it'll ever win a tournament.

For next week: Same Again!

Banned list:
Portal (in ALL its forms)
Unglued AND UNHINGED
[card]Form of the Dragon[/card]
[card]Mesmeric Fiend[/card]
[card]Nezumi Shortfang[/card]
[card]Blackmail[/card]
[card]Ghost Quarter[/card]
[card]Cabal Therapy[/card]
[card]Abandon Hope[/card]
[card]Nullstone Gargoyle[/card]
[card]Coercion[/card]
[card]Strip Mine[/card]
[card]Wasteland[/card]
[card]The Rack[/card]
[card]Balance[/card]
[card]Meddling Mage[/card]
[card]Pulse of the Dross[/card]
[card]Leonin Squire[/card]
[card]Show and Tell[/card]
[card]Misguided Rage[/card]
[card]Abandon Hope[/card]
[card]Glacial Chasm[/card]
[card]Pox[/card] <--- NEW ADDITION
All decks that can force mass-discard
All decks that can goldfish on turn 1

What is 3cb?

3-Card Blind (3CB) is a very unique game. The rules are as follows

Your deck is composed of 3 cards, all of which start in your hand.
You have no library (technically, the library exists, but starts at 0 cards) and no sideboard (Wishes fetch nothing).
Random effects always go in your opponent's favour.
You can see your opponent's hand, so you can always make the best possible play.
You don't lose as a result of not being able to draw a card.
You will play each opponent twice, once going first, once going second.
For each win, you score 3.
For each draw, you score 1.
For each loss, you get nothing.
Other than the aforementioned, EVERYTHING IS HANDLED EXACTLY LIKE A REAL GAME OF MAGIC!

To make an entry, PM your deck (for this week only) to GODDER in the following format:

Subject: 3cb Tournament #79 Entry or 3cb Tournament#79 Revision
Deck Name
Card #1
Card #2
Card #3

Optional Deck discussion, random sucking up, etc.

Entries close after 2 weeks. Get your entries in by 11th June. Many thanks to Godder for offering to help out - this is when my exam period really starts, so for this tournament only, send your decks to Godder to calculate. Things should be back to normal after this tournament - a larger tournament would also be good, ten decks isn't a huge number.

Thanks,
Adam

EDIT: Result and winner changed.

[Franz Ferdinand]

I think I should draw vs. #9. I can keep Karakas and Tethered Griffin in hand, and when he plays Pox, I discard Griffin, and I can bounce his Nether Spirit with Karakas. That would put me tied with it for 2nd.

[Cross]

I think this round people were getting a feel for the format, the decks will probably be better or more interesting next round.

[combo_dude]

I think I should draw vs. #9. I can keep Karakas and Tethered Griffin in hand, and when he plays Pox, I discard Griffin, and I can bounce his Nether Spirit with Karakas. That would put me tied with it for 2nd.

Yeah, that's fair. Fixed.

@Cross: It wasn't the variety I was worried about so much as the tournament size; usually these attract more people, even if the only change is a big banned list revamping.

Adam

[Franz Ferdinand]

Even though Pox didn't actually win, I think it should stay on the ban list, partially because it's an uncreative card, and partially because it DOES technically goldfish on turn 1.

[Nazdakka]

Even though Pox didn't actually win, I think it should stay on the ban list, partially because it's an uncreative card, and partially because it DOES technically goldfish on turn 1.

What do you mean by 'uncreative'? Do you just mean 'good'? There's no rule that every deck must be 'creative'. Also, what do you mean by saying that it 'techinally goldfishes on turn 1'? Are you simply saying that turn 1 is when the deck does its thing? Take a look around, most of these decks do their thing on turn 1 - namely #1, #2, #3, #5, #7, #8, #9 and #10. The Pox deck is good and all, but it hardly breaks the format in two.

Another correction: I only get one point against deck #4. On the draw I get nuked by Trinisphere, on the play I do my thing, he discards Trini, then drops Steel Golem and we get a neverending staring contest.

[Franz Ferdinand]

Not quite what I meant, but whatever.

In retrospect, if I had played Isamaru instead of Tethered Griffin, I would've gotten 2 vs. #7 and won.

[combo_dude]

I'm always fairly wary of a deck that doesn't lose a match, even now that it hasn't won; even Bayou-Duress-Thallid doesn't beat it going second, as the Spirit just keeps coming back. It may indeed be a fair deck, but I'm not really sure.

Result fixed.

[Kaesh]

I'm posting this just so I can PM my entry! 

[Godder]

Only 24 hours to go! There aren't many entries, so second decks are now being accepted.

I think I should draw vs. #9. I can keep Karakas and Tethered Griffin in hand, and when he plays Pox, I discard Griffin, and I can bounce his Nether Spirit with Karakas. That would put me tied with it for 2nd.

Yeah, that's fair. Fixed.

Karakas only works on Legendary creatures, and Nether Spirit isn't Legendary.

[Franz Ferdinand]

Only 24 hours to go! There aren't many entries, so second decks are now being accepted.

I think I should draw vs. #9. I can keep Karakas and Tethered Griffin in hand, and when he plays Pox, I discard Griffin, and I can bounce his Nether Spirit with Karakas. That would put me tied with it for 2nd.

Yeah, that's fair. Fixed.

Karakas only works on Legendary creatures, and Nether Spirit isn't Legendary.

Thus why Leyline is in the deck, or it would be completely useless.