SCG Chicago Report - Top 8 day 2 *7th*

Last Friday myself and fellow Colorado Crew member Brennen Cook started off on a thousand mile journey to the home of the Cubs and the destination of the first SCG Chicago since forever. How awesome!

The trip out was fairly uneventful, with the only highlights being some deck and meta game discussion in between a couple of weed naps.

Friday night we pull into Chicago and I meet up with my good buddy Russell Weidman, who while no longer being a very good magic player, is still enthralled with the game and every so often will decide to turn some cards sideways. Some Chicago style pizza and a few beers later and we are rocking out to Guitar Hero 3. That game is fucking tough!

At some point during the night we decide what we are all going to play and hash out most of our lists. I wanted to see a Meandeck list my CC teammate and Meandecker Jim Gaffney slightly hinted at while discussing Chicago, and he said he would see what he could do to get me a list. As of Friday, nothing.

Saturday comes and we get ready for the tournament. I get a decent nights sleep and we get to the event with plenty of time to spare. Plenty. I’m not sure what was with the late start, but for a double event, I would like to see an earlier start time on day one, for sure.

I decide I am going to play a variant of what I normally play, U/B Tendrils with Bob and some Grim Tutors.

Here is the list:

4 Dark Confidant
2 Tendrils of Agony
4 Brainstorm
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Yawgmoth’s Will
1 Necropotence
1 Timetwister
2 Grim Tutor
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Time Walk
1 Chain of Vapor
1 hurkyl’s Recall
1 Echoing Truth
4 Duress
2 Thoughtseize
4 Dark Ritual
4 Cabal Ritual
4 Polluted Delta
2 Bloodstained Mire
5 Swamp
1 Island
2 Underground Sea
1 Black Lotus
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Lotus Petal
1 Mana Crypt
1 Lion’s Eye Diamond
1 Sol Ring
Sideboard:
4 Serendib Efreet
2 Phyrexian Negator
2 Rebuild
4 Leyline of the Void
3 Smother

I didn’t take great notes either day, and a lot of this will be from memory. If there are any discrepancies, please note they are not intentional. This was a long weekend.

Round 1 - Derek playing Shop Aggro

Derek is one of the guys that comes in late at the start of the tournament. We are in our game one when a judge came over and informed us that because of the tardy policy at the event, Derek lost game one and we were playing game two. I said this wasn’t necessary, but the judge insists.

Derek starts the game with a turn one Juggernaut followed by a turn two Juggernaut. I combo out fairly easily turn three with a Dark Confidant on the board. Shitty luck for Derek, who was a nice guy.

With that match over in about five minutes total, I decide to scout the tables and see what everybody is playing.

1-0

Round 2 - Ari playing Rector Flash

Game one is over quickly, with me comboing quite easily. I Duress Ari turn one and see Vampiric Tutor, Mox Ruby, Time Walk, Mox Emerald, Sol Ring and one card my handwriting won’t reveal. Needless to say, at this point I am not sure what he is playing.

Game two he gets and early Platinum Angel off Tinker. I misplay over and over in this game, and punt the game to Ari. I Mystical for Ancestral knowing he has Misdirection in hand, and with Angel on the board and knowing I have to find an answer.

Game three was a nail biter, with Bargain whiffing for Ari and me squeaking out an ugly one.

2-0

Round 3 - Josh Franklin playing Empty Control

Josh fucking decimates me this round, and I quickly realize my deck is not so good against Empty Control, which I thought was a good match up.

Game one was kind of good actually. I attempt to go off with Tendrils, and I even get a lethal storm count, but Josh Misdirected the last copy, and stabilized shortly thereafter.

Also of note, I thought Josh was a dick before this tournament, but I actually found out he is a pretty standup dude.

2-1

Round 4 - Jon playing Belcher

Jon Empties for 10 turn one, and things are looking bleak, until I Mystical for Echoing Truth and bounce his team turn 2. Two Tendrils later and win game one.

Game two is about Duress for me and REB for Jon. He eventually gets a Living Wished Storm Entity out, and the pressure is too much as I can’t find the win.

Game three Jon mulls into oblivion, and a Duress and a Thoughtseize seal the deal as I build up my hand and finish with Tendrils.

3-1

Round 5 - Dan Carp playing Empty Gush

Dan is another person I thought was a dick, but after meeting him I realized I was wrong.

Dan gets a fairly long game one with an Empty as his finish.

Game two I get an early Necropotence, and that is all she wrote.

Game three I get an early Necro again, but I fail to find relevant threats, and Dan is my dream crusher today.

3-2

Round 6 - John playing Belcher

I don’t remember this round. I know I was furious because I felt John was an inferior player and I was completely out of control in this match. Note to self, play Force of Will. No offense meant to John here.

3-3

Round 7 - Mark Trogdon playing Landstill

I was excited when I saw the pairings. I love playing against good Magic players.

Game one is insane. I go for the gusto on turn one, sending him to four off Tendrils with Bob on the board. He Fires Bob after dropping to two, and quickly stabilizes and wraps up game one with multiple factories.

Game two I finally get to side into my man plan. I get an early Serendib Efreet and start beating. Mark has multiple man lands and is also applying the pressure. He gets me down to eight when I make the most ridiculous play mistake. He has Factory and Fairie Conclave out with an Efreet on my side. That’s five damage since I decide to swing and go for it. He’s at twelve and I have two Tendrils in hand and some acceleration. He has Null Rod. I Grim Tutor, taking me from eight to five. I then realize I just used all my black mana and I can’t cast anything. I knew he had the Null Rod and I couldn’t get Lotus, but I still tapped my mana wrong and played my spells in the wrong order. GG.

3-4

Wow, I lost the final three. I wasn’t too stoked to say the least.

At some point during the day Willy asks me if I am running the list Jim mentioned, and I tell him no, I hadn’t seen it yet. Jim emails it to me, and I love it. I definitely wanted Force of Will day two.

Time to party.

Many beers, much smoke and some amount of unmentionables later and it’s 5:30 a.m. Sunday. I’d better get some sleep.

8:30 comes way too fast, and we head out to the event.

I decide to play the Meandeck list, which I find out is dubbed Super Long.

Paul Mastriano also played the list Sunday, and made top 8 as well. I made a few variations to suit play style and predicted meta game calls.

The list:

4 Polluted Delta
2 Flooded Strand
3 Island
1 Swamp
3 Underground Sea
4 Brainstorm
4 Ponder
1 Imperial Seal
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Merchant Scroll
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Chain of Vapor
1 Hurkyl's Recall
4 Force of Will
2 Misdirection
3 Duress
2 Thoughtseize
1 Tinker
1 Memory Jar
1 Darksteel Collossus
1 Timetwister
4 Dark Ritual
1 Cabal Ritual
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Mox Jet
1 Lion's Eye Diamond
1 Black Lotus
1 Sol Ring
1 Lotus Petal
1 Mana Crypt
1 Tendrils of Agony
1 Yawgmoth's Will
1 Yawgmoth's Bargain
1 Necropotence

Sideboard

4 Leyline of the Void
2 Rebuild
3 Pithing Needle
3 Smother
1 Echoing Truth
2 Pact of Negation

I took red out, added some more basics, added DSC over Empty the Warrens and put in Merchant Scroll over Wheel of Fortune. There are a few other differences.

On to the action!

Round 1 - Jamison Bryant playing R/G Beats

Nice! The winner of day 1. I assumed he was playing the same deck from day one, and if this was the case I thought I had a really nice match up. He was, and it was.

Game one sees a second turn DSC come down. No matter how good Tarmogoyf is, it couldn’t compete this game.

Game two is more ridiculous for me, as Jamison leads with Lotus into Magus of the Moon. My only land in hand is Polluted Delta. No fear though, as I have my own Black Lotus. I lay the Delta and cast Pithing Needle, naming obscurity. I lay the Lotus and crack for blue, then cast Tinker saccing the Needle for the big man.

1-0

Round 2 - Tommy Kolowith playing Grim Long

Fuck yeah! In the world of type one, it doesn’t get much better than sitting across from TK, who is always on his game and one of the more consistent guys out there.

I’m not sure what Tommy is playing, so I figure I will find out shortly. I lead with fetch for Swamp, Dark Ritual and then Necro. No FoW. Nice. I think I won turn two but maybe turn three.

Game two Tommy wins turn one and we are onto the final game.

Tommy gets an early Platinum Angel and Pact of Negation seems like the nut high. Tommy sees little else however, and after an Ancestral Recall on myself, I build up what I need to, find some bounce, and Yawgmoth’s Will wins the game.

2-0

Round 3 - Tony playing U/B/G Stifle Goyf

This match is pretty shitty for me, as Tony has all the answers to all my plays. Stifle on fetch. Spell Snare on Merchant Scroll. A few early Goyfs both games and throw in some discard, and Tony just rolled me. This was my first time playing this match up, and a lot off the cards caught me unaware.

2-1

Round 4 - Russell Weidman playing Hulk Flash

Russell has been my great friend since high school, and I love this guy. Tons of shit talking ensues, and while it could have been a close match, Russell’s inexperience shows here and I win in two. It was awesome playing Russell in the tournament. He finished 4-3 in his first tournament in years.

3-1

Round 5 - Matt Endress playing Shop Aggro

Matt, as always, is a super fun opponent, and he is good to boot.

Game one he has an aggro draw and attempts to gold fish faster than me. One Tendrils slowed that down, and Yawgmoth’s Will saw that the second one was lethal.

Game two is silly. I Bargain turn one, but do to his Ankh of Mishra, two fetch lands dealt me 10 damage, and I wasn’t seeing too many more cards from Bargain. I scoop after not seeing anything but more fetch lands and some accelerants. WTF!?!

Game three was ridiculous. I had the turn one Will into Tendrils kill, but Leyline of the Void nixed that idea. I guess Tinker for DSC will have to do.

4-1

Round 6 - James King playing U/B/G Stifle Goyf

I remember playing James before in a similar situation, and I thought he came out ahead. He didn’t remember it quite like that. Who knows?

I get turn one Necro game one, and it’s over soon.

Game two is similar. My notes are shady here.

5-1

Round 6 -Jarret Rocha playing Stax

ID

5-1-1

I draw into top 8 and I’m the sixth seed. Rad.

Top 8 - Nick Calcoteria playing Dawn of the Dead

Going into the round I ask around to find out what Nick is playing. It sound like an awesome match up for me, and I’m told that while he did do well at vintage worlds, he is a terrible player. I find out this is true.

I mull to six game one, into a pretty decent hand. Until Nick Thoughseizes my Tinker and I am left with shit. A Gaddock Teeg and two Confidants plus two more Thoughtseizes and a Duress and this game is over.

I side into bounce and Smother, expecting Thorn of Amythest.

Another mull to six, and I’m as happy as I’m going to be with my hand. I have multiple Brainstorms, but only one land. He leads with Leyline. I also should have brought Leylines in, but I didn’t. I also should have kept in two top of the deck tutors I sided out, as Tinker should probably have been my number one game plan. I was very tired here, and I didn’t know much about his list.

He Strips my land, and I don’t see another one forever. He gets three Thorns down, I get shit, and I’m out.

I thought Nick was a horrible player, and he showed that by constantly making the wrong play. He allowed the second game to go on much longer than it should have by choosing the wrong card off Duress and Thoughtseize over and over. Luckily this game is about who wins though and not who plays better, and Nick took this one down. Congrats on top two.

I won an Emerald for my troubles.

I thought this event was super fun, and I had a great time. I got to meet more people from this wonderful community, and a few people changed my perception of them. Awesome.

Props -
- Event organizers. The day one start time was a little late, but the event ran smoothly and the tournament site was awesome. Tons of room.
- Jim and Meandeck for the list
- Brennen and Matt for making the trip with me
- All my 420 friends
- Your Uncle Bob’s pizza in Iowa City, Iowa

Slops -
- The Land Rover for breaking down in Iowa City, Iowa, where we still sit waiting. The truck broke down at about 3:30 a.m. Monday. Shitty.