|
DoubleDrain
|
 |
« on: August 18, 2006, 06:28:15 pm » |
|
*** MODS please move this for me. Thanks! ***
Hello everyone. I would like to tell you about my trip to GenCon, where I won the 2006 Vintage World Championships with a deck called Meandeck Gifts. As many already know, the idea behind the deck is to try to control the game until you can resolve a gifts ungiven or two, and eventually tinker darksteel colossus into play, or resolve a huge yawgmoth's will and then cast burning wish for the single copy of tendril's of agony in the sideboard. Mana drain fuels the gifts, and merchant scroll acts like demonic tutors 2-5 in the deck, fetching up any number of great cards.
Well, Lou Christopher and I leave Denver, CO at about 10 am on Tuesday en route to Springfield, IL, where Lou's family lives. We make the 930ish mile drive and arrive at about 2 am Wednesday morning. We sleep and then later on that night, Lou's mom cooks up some 'horse shoes' for us. Horse shoes consist of a meat (hamburgers in our case) on a slice of toast, along with french fries. The kicker is they are all covered in a cheese sauce. Mmmmmm horse shoes.
We eat and then meet up with Lou's friend Mike and head out to his girlfriend Stacey's bar for some celebration drinks. You see, Thursday was my birthday, so some parting was in order.
After many beers and pool games later, I manage to get some sleep. Lou and his brother "Big Trav" pick me up in the morning from Kara's and it's quick-shower-then-run mode as we rush off to GenCon.
We meet up up with fellow Colorado Crew members Zach, Heather, and Scott later that afternoon and fool around for a while while we sell cards and visit artists for signatures. We eat dinner at the nearby Ram Brewery, where I get a chance to wax philosophical with none other than Socrates, our Australian friend who will be living in Denver through the fall. I finally get some sleep before the Friday preliminary tournament. Here is the deck I played on Friday and Saturday:
MEANDECK GIFTS
The Mana (25):
1 Black Lotus
1 Lotus Petal
1 Mana Crypt
1 Mana Vault
1 Sol Ring
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Tolarian Academy
2 Volcanic Island
2 Underground Sea
2 Flooded Strand
3 Polluted Delta
5 Island
The Core (20):
4 Brainstorm
4 Force of Will
4 Mana Drain
4 Gifts Ungiven
4 Merchant Scroll
Bombs/Support (25):
2 Misdirection
1 Chain of Vapor
1 Rebuild
1 Darksteel Colossus
1 Recoup
1 Burning Wish
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Yawgmoth's Will
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Time Walk
1 Tinker
1 Fact or Fiction
The Sideboard (15):
3 Pithing Needle
2 Red Elemental Blast
2 Pyroblast
2 Tormod's Crypt
2 Fire/Ice
1 Pyroclasm
1 Chain of Vapor
1 Hurkyl's Recall
1 Tendrils of Agony
Friday Prelims
Round 1 vs Joshua Roughley Playing Workshop Aggro
We shuffle up and some small talk is exchanged. He tells me he is from Springfield, IL, and I tell him I was just there the other day! He wins the roll, and decides to mulligan into turn 1 mishra's workshop, mox pearl, go. I draw for my turn and play a fetchland for island, and then drop mana crypt. I have the tinker, and my crypt quickly morphs into a darksteel colossus.
His turn 2 consists of a wasteland into a seal of cleansing. Not so good against DSC.
On my turn 2 I lay another fetch land and swing.
For Joshua's second turn, he drops another workshop, and hard casts sundering titan, but on his endstep I crack my fetch land for an underground sea and cast vampiric tutor for time walk, which I reveal along with an island and we move on to game 2.
I side +1 chain, +1 hurkyl's, +1 fire/ice, -2 misdirection, -1 gifts
Game two Josh has to mull again, and plays out a turn 1 Juggernaut.
I take some hits from fetch lands, Juggs, and my mana crypt, but eventually with only 6 life left and lethal beats staring me down from across the table, I resolve a large yawgmoth's will and burning wish for a deadly tendrils of agony.
1-0
Round 2 vs Lou Christopher playing Colorado Gains
I knew this was coming from the beginning. Lou and I drove out here together from Colorado, and sure enough we get paired together early on. Man, this always happens! We discuss an ID but conclude it is too early in the rounds, and a draw would hurt us both. I don't remember much of these games, except that they were a close 3, with him going broken in one of the games with 2x dark confidant into time walk goodness. Tasty.
Somehow, I pull out the win though.
2-0
Round 3 vs Carl VanLathem playing Control Slaver
Carl also came out from Colorado to represent the front range magic community. Carl is a very nice guy, and the owner of Black Gold in Littleton, CO, which regularly holds free sanctioned type 1 events for cash. Once again we comment on how we can travel over 1000 miles and STILL play people from our area...
Game 1 involved Carl winning the flip and resolving a turn 1gorilla shaman, which prevented me from dropping the multiple artifact mana in my hand. I take about 8-9 damage from the angry monkey, but while Carl draws mana sources, I draw business and he just can't keep up. I eventually resolve a huge will and it's on to game 2.
I know I bring in my red blasts and at least 1 tormod's crypt and 1 fire/ice, but I can't remember what I took out.
In game 2, Carl starts off with turn 1 library of alexandria while I have the explosive mana crypt, tormod's crypt, underground sea, merchant scroll for force of will opening. He draws some extra cards from the library, and takes some mana burn along the way from a mana drain, while I take multiple hits from my mana crypt. Finally, I resolve tinker for DSC to wrap up the game. He never saw a goblin welder in any of his games...
3-0
Round 4 vs Michael Herbig playing Fish???
Sorry I don't remember any of this match, and my notes only show that darksteel colossus won game 1 for me. I think I won game 2 with a tendrils. I think I might have pyroblasted a ninja of the deep hours and a meddling mage.
4-0
Round 5 vs Mat Endress playing Pitch Long?
We I.D. as we are pretty sure that 4-0-2 will top 8.
4-0-1
Round 6 vs Scott Limoges playing Colorado Dragon
Scott also came out from Colorado, and since he is Colorado Crew, we ID, guaranteeing us both a slot in the top 8. Hopefully we will be in different brackets.
4-0-2
Top 8 vs Derek Estelle playing 5c Stax (eventual winner)
Game 1 is a blow out as he mulls to 5 after winning the die roll and proceeds to strip lock me early. He maintains pressure with sphere of resistance and tangle wire, until sundering titan does me in. I never see a force of will. I was never really in this game. Way to mulligan aggressively!
Game 2 goes a little more in my favor as he gets a slow start and I eventually resolve a huge will.
Game 3 was a tense game that involved me hurting myself via mana vault and mana crypt, while he served with little red men. I remember I walk right into a red elemental blast on my tinker, and it's pretty much game over.
I manage to win 9 packs of type 2 cards for my troubles, and proceed to watch Scott Limoges battle Rich Shay in an epic dragon mirror match which came down to Rich failing to find enough mana while Scott ripped gas. I love watching two of the best vintage players battle; such games are always full of brilliant play and intense moments. Scott went on to lose in the finals to the same 5c Stax deck which dispatched me in the top 8. Sorry Scotty, bad beats!
Day 2: The Main Event
Round 1 vs Ryan Mayrand playing Bomerman
Ryan is a nice guy from Canada, and is here with his friend and fellow nice guy Glenn Miller.
Game 1 involved me countering multiple early trinket mages, and eventually I resolve a small yawgmoth's will. I make a bad gifts pile along the way (somehow forgetting I have no red mana), and the game resorts to a top deck war. Eventually, I am able to hard cast DSC(!) and the big man takes it down.
Sided in 2x REB, +3 needle, -1 rebuild, -1 demonic tutor, -1 mox emerald, -1 mox pearl, -1 gifts
Game two was long and drawn out, as I died a slow and painfull death dealt by trinket mage, aurock salvager, and viashino heretic beatings. He eventually used viashino heretic to destroy the pithing needle which had been preventing his aurock salvager's from regrowing black lotus 1,000,000 times, thereby allowing him to pyrite spellbomb me to death. I should have scooped to save time, which ended up costing me the match...
Game 3 began with too little time for me to get the win. I remember stealing one of the extra turns with time walk, just to prevent the chance that Ryan might combo out in the last of the extra turns. I remember sitting on countermagic with a favorable board position, but needing to draw a gifts/merchant scroll/whatever to get the game win. Oh well, we take the draw.
0-0-1
Round 2 vs Rob Leidle playing C/S or gifts??
This was a very interesting round. My opponent seems a little upset from his last round, and is rather quiet as we shuffle up. We draw our 7 and immediately he throws back his hand and says "you win this game." I say "excuse me?" and he informs me that he forgot to de-sideboard after last round. I'm like "wow, that's too bad. Thanks for being honest."
Game 2 he mulligans down to 5 and leads with island, ancestral recall, but I have the misdirection. He's like "what the #@$% ever, I scoop."
1-0-1
I jump inside at the easy win, but I felt bad about the situation and again thank Rob for being honest about game 1. If there is one sweeping statement that can be made about type 1 players in general it is that they are among the most pleasurable people to play against. They seem to have a high amount of integrity and honor and play with the sort of casual attitude that makes even the most intense matches fun.
Since that game lasted a mere 10 minutes or so, I had plenty of time to rest up and get some food before the next round. Also, I was able to scout around the top tables a bit.
When pairings for round 3 are posted, I see I am paired against Carl VanLathem. I think "damn, not again" and look at my points only to notice that I have 1, not 4. Oh no! I quickly tell the judges that there is an error in my points, and they go to get my last round match slip. I nervously await their return, and sure enough the slip is filled out 2-0 in Rob's favor! I tell them that that is a mistake and they ask who filled out the sheet and I tell them Rob. They then call up Rob and ask him what happened and he instantly tells the judges that he lost in our match. PHEWW!!!
If Rob wasn't such a stand up guy, he could have denied my allegations and maintained that he won our match, at which point the judges would have had no choice but to let the erroneous match results stand. Instead, the judges simply had Rob play Carl and I played Rob's opponent.
Again, props to Rob. Karma is in your favor.
Round 3 vs Ricky Prince playing Mono Black Aggro/Control
Ricky is a younger kid who (presumably) played this deck in the legacy champs, but added necropotence and strip mine. I never see much more than duress, hymn to tourah, and hypnotic specter. I win easily with darksteel colossus. He had diabolic edict but I have the counter; turns out edict was just bait for necropotence, but he cannot find an answer with the skull. As we sideboard, I notice he pulls out two powder kegs from the main, lays them face up on the table, and adds in two more diabolic edicts, also face up. Thus, I side out darksteel colossus and side in tendrils. I tendrils him out eventually, with him holding multiple edicts.
2-0-1
Round 4 vs Edward Baustert playing ???
Sorry, my notes are nonexistant for this match...All I know is I take it in 3 games.
3-0-1
Round 5 vs Kyle Lieth playing Grim Long/Pitch Long??
My notes are weak and I really don't remember any of this, including what Kyle played, except that I won game 3 on turn 4 of extra turns by tinker/DSC into timewalk. I remember these being VERY close, and my head hurt the whole time, contributing to my lack of memory. I remember this being a tough match, mostly due to the high level of playskill of my opponent. He seemed to be able to read my bluffs and he knew exactly how to play it out. I remember thinking I was going to loose right up until the end. Sorry I cannot remember more...
4-0-1
Round 6 vs Tyrell Wheeler playing UBW fish
I saw Tyrell destroy my teammate Lou in round 5, and so I knew what I was up against. Furthermore, I knew from watching Tyrell that he was a strong player. This would be a tough battle.
Game 1 he demolishes me with an early phyrexian negator which I cannot deal with.
Game 2 I get to 2 life before I am able to resolve a huge Yawgmoth's will for tendrils.
Game 3 came down to a critical turn in which I tried to mana drain something, but in the process I had to crack a fetch land. Sure enough, he had the stifle. I eventually die to multiple wizard beats. I remember a nice play was casting fire/ice to kill his Kataki and his dark confidant. I also remember dark confidant giving Tyrell a HUGE advantage the whole match, and I think it is one of the main reasons he won our match.
4-1-1
Round 7 vs Jimmy McCarthy playing Pitch Long
At this point, I have to win out if I want to make top 8, so needless to say I am nervous going into the round. I don't have much in the way of notes for this one, except I think I win the roll and lead off with polluted delta, black lotus game 1 and resolve an early will (I think) into a tendrils kill. I think in game 2 I again drew lotus turn 1 and he timetwisters and I draw lotus again! How lucky!
This game it is DSC beats for the win.
5-1-1
I am feeling pretty good, as I just have to win and I should make top 8!
Round 8 vs Mitch Cowles playing Gifts (homebrew)
Mitch starts off this critical match in bad shape, as he is forced to mulligan to 5. I remember resolving an early ancestral recall, while he topdecked mana. I tinker out the iron giant and it's soon over. He was never really in this one after the mulligans...
Game 2 again sees him mull again, but this time his second hand has a turn 1 ancestral recall, which resolves. He tinkers early for darksteel colossus, but I have the merchant scroll for the bounce. Eventually I resolve my own tinker and my DSC takes it home.
6-1-1
Standings are posted and I am 8th seed (the lowest 19 pointer). Top 16 is like infinity 18 pointers.
Before top 8, we were all asked to fill out some info about ourselves and our decks, and eventually the semi's begin. I am paired against Nick Trudeau, one of the guys from team BHWC. I have no clue what he is playing. I win the roll and we both keep. I remember I force of will his turn 1 black lotus, and he passes the turn! Turns out he had windfall in his hand, but no land. I resolve a turn 2 ancestral recall, and we play draw go for a while, until I tinker for DSC, but he has the chain of vapor. He resolved an early dark confidant which dealt a bunch of damage to me, and he was able to cast triple cabal rituals into a tendrils while I was at 6.
Game 2 he mulls and I eventually am able to control the game until I he tendrils me but I tendrils back, and then recoup my tendrils later for the win. I think I fired a xantid swarm somewhere along the way.
Game 3 I cannot remember in much detail. I think he turn 1 extracts me, taking darksteel. Somehow I am able to resolve a lethal tendrils, which I had sided in.
7-1-1
Top 4 vs Robert Vroman playing Uba Stax
Vroman is a top player, having won back to back Star City Games Power 9's in Chicago, as well as numerous other high finishes. Needless to say, I was intimidated even before the match started. Apparently, our match lasted over 2 hours. It was an epic battle and one of the best games of magic I have ever played.
Game 1 was long and stressful, as Vroman got an early crucible of worlds into play, along with an early bazaar of bagdhad. He resolved several lock pieces to keep me pinned down, and when he had 3 smokestacks in play, I had to rebuild. Things looked good for me as I was able to tinker DSC into play. He replayed all of his lock pieces, including the 3x stax, but I had 3 islands and colossus in play, so that I would have exactly enough lands to sacrifice. I untaped and swing and he bumps up the smokey's to one counter each. At this point, he only has one card in hand, so I feel o.k. but I know he has outs. He draws or his turn, and then bazaar's into...TANGLE WIRE!
Well, that was a great out for him, and the game is soon over as I loose my board.
After this game, the table judge who was sitting on my side of the table gave me a caution for slow play, saying that I "play very deliberately" and that if I keep it up I will get a warning with possible penalties. Well, shame on me, but the top 8 rounds were un-timed. Furthermore, a single play mistake caused by rushed play could easily spell doom and elimination from the tourney. In no format except type 1 does the plethora of opportunities for fatal errors exist. I don't know about you, but in an un-timed, top 4 match of a large event, I will most certainly play "deliberately."
Game 2 I decided to side out DSC for some reason, and brought in my tendrils. I remember I lead with turn 1 island, lotus petal. He opens with tormod's crypt, and I think "great, this is really going to make my tendrils kill hard." I decide not to counter the crypt, and instead he lays shop, crucible, which I mana drain. I then cast gifts with the drain mana into something like time walk, pithing needle, force of will, mana drain and I get to keep drain and force. I remember another gifts or two, and at one point I make the critical play of force of will on a jester's cap. Somewhere along the way, goblin welder is fired, and eventually I cast rebuild, and he crypt's me in response. On my next turn I proceed to drop a couple of artifact mana, chain of vapor them all, recast the artifacts, cast tendrils, and finally recoup it out of the yard again for the win. My library had like 15 cards left at that point.
Game 3 I bring DSC back in, and this game is over early as I resolve a pithing needle for Vroman's welder, and then tinker DSC out on turn 3. I also had vampiric tutor for time walk at the end of Vroman's fourth turn, sealing up the match.
8-1-1
Finals vs Tommy Kalowith playing Pitch Long
After the match with Vroman, my brain was totally fried. I hardly remember my games in the finals. Steve Menendian video taped the finals, and they should eventually be posted for your viewing pleasure. Check for details!
Game 1 Is a blur, but I remember I resolved a medium yawg's win and ended up with DSC in play and a hand full of counter magic.
Game 2 I again win with DSC. I think I resolved a turn 2 or 3 yawg's will just to play a land and cast ancestral recall again. Sorry I don't have more info here.
9-1-1
At this point my good friend Lou Christopher goes wild and, in a fit of joy, manages to pick me up and nearly drop me on the ground, all while I cling dearly to my painting! Roland Chang and Ray Rollibard are unable to escape the wrath of lou, as he nearly drops them on their heads in excitement. Luckily, no one was hurt, and I manage to secure the artwork at our hotel before heading to White Castle for a celebration meal with Scott, Lou, Zach, Zac "no h" from California, and Rafe from team ICBM.
The next day we meet up with Ray for some type 4 before we drop him off at his hotel and head on back to Lou's mom's home in Springfield. The rest of the trip to Colorado was uneventful, and I manage to drive the whole way back with no car troubles (Yes!).
Props (in no particular order):
--Heather and Zach for letting us crash on your hotel floor, and for being super rad.
--The Colorado Crew for being great guys and providing me with skilled playtest partners.
--Scott Limoges for making the prelim finals with his Colorado Dragon deck on Friday.
--Jim Gaffney (Godot) and Bob Yu (Clown of Tresserhorn) for the priceless brainstorming and advice with Meandeck Gifts.
--Rob Leidle for being such an honest guy.
--Lou for being such a crazy madman, and for all the laughs.
--Team Meandeck, esp. Steve Menendian for creating and tuning such a busted deck.
--The judges for being on top of things, and for being cool about that match slip round 2.
--My opponents, esp. Nick Trudeau, Robert Vroman, and Tommy Kalowith for the amazing battles. You people are the reason why type 1 is the best format.
--GenCon for being such a blast.
--Steak 'n Shake for being second only to In-N-Out burgers.
|
