8/28/10 Hadley, MA Vintage + THE GRUDGE MATCH T.O. Report

[mdenny]

Once again, thank you everyone for coming out to the event, especially to the several new players for whom this was their first Vintage Tournament. We had an even 70 players for this event, which was two less than there were seats for in the store, which worked out pretty well. Also, an enormous thanks to Joe Bernier and Roberto for judging this event and Adam for giving us the use of his store, despite the short notice. Also congratulations to Team New York for winning the Grudge Match and to Joe Brown for winning the Tournament!  Anyhow, on to the results (I apologize if any names are misspelled).

TOP 8:
Jeff Rodgers (Oath) def. [2-1] Evan Hundertmark (MUD)
Travis LaPlante (aka. Nick Pappagiorgio) (UBR Tezz.) def. [2-1] Jeff Roucoulet (Stax)
Travis Jones (UGW Fish) def. [2-1] Andy Probasco (Dredge)
Joe Brown (MUD) def. [2-1] Max Brown (Hexmage Depths)

TOP 4:
Travis LaPlante (aka. Nick Pappagiorgio) (UBR Tezz.) def. [2-1] Jeff Rodgers (Oath)
Joe Brown (MUD) def. [2-1] Travis Jones (UGW Fish)

FINALS:
Joe Brown (MUD) def. [2-1] Travis LaPlante (aka. Nick Pappagiorgio) (UBR Tezz.)

Metagame Breakdown:

TIME VAULT: 26 Decks [37%]
8 UBG Jace/Tezz/Trygon
6 UBR Jace/Tezz
    2x w/ 4 Jace
6 UB Tezz/Jace
1 UBRG Jace/Tezz
1 UBW Tezz
2 Steel City Vault

WORKSHOP: 10 Decks [14%]
8 Espresso Stax/ MUD (no welder)
2 Stax w/ multiple splashes

FISH: 9 Decks [13%]
4 Hexmage Depths (mono-black)
2 UBG Fish (with Jace but no Time Vault)
2 UGW Fish
1 UR Fish

STORM/TENDRILS: 8 Decks [11%]
4 TPS
3 Bob/Drain
1 Ad Nauseum

OATH: 6 Decks [8%]
5 Elephant Oath
1 Oath + Replenish + Lich + other cool stuff

DREDGE: 4 Decks [6%]
4 Mana w/ Bloodghast

OTHER:
1 Painter
1 Mono Black Vampires
1 White Deck
2 Five Color Control
1 Belcher

I will post up some pictures once I have a bit more time and the deck lists will be up soon as well. Finally a BIG thanks to Rebecca Guay for coming to sign all of our cards and alter the Library for free!

[TheBrassMan]

Damn look at that breakdown.  Way to not represent, tezz-pilots!

[DubDub]

1 UBRG Jace/Tezz

Technically there were white cards in my deck, that's why I named it 'five-color-control' on the registration sheet.

Really fantastic tournament, thanks!

[MagicMan]

1 UBRG Jace/Tezz

Technically there were white cards in my deck, that's why I named it 'five-color-control' on the registration sheet.

Really fantastic tournament, thanks!

I think that 1 of he was referring to is my list which was UBRG.

Is there going to be a post with top 8 deck lists?

[honestabe]

1 UBRG Jace/Tezz

Technically there were white cards in my deck, that's why I named it 'five-color-control' on the registration sheet.

Really fantastic tournament, thanks!

I think that 1 of he was referring to is my list which was UBRG.

Is there going to be a post with top 8 deck lists?

pretty sure he meant my list. i didnt run bob

[metalhead666]

Im Evan Hundertmark.  This is what I played

4 Workshop
1 Tolarian Academy
1 Strip Mine
4 Wasteland
4 Ancient Tomb
4 Mishra's Factory
5 Mox
1 Black Lotus
1 Mana Crypt
1 Mana Vault
1 Sol Ring
4 Smokestack
4 Tangle Wire
4 Chalice of the Void
4 Sphere of Resistance
4 Thorn of Amethyst
1 Trinisphere
4 Lodestone Golem
3 Karn, Silver Golem
3 Sculpting Steel
2 Triskelion

SB
4 Tormod's Crypt
2 Duplicant
3 Powder Keg
2 Jester's Cap
2 Relic of Progenitus
2 Pithing Needle

[Nefarias]

1 UBRG Jace/Tezz

Technically there were white cards in my deck, that's why I named it 'five-color-control' on the registration sheet.

Really fantastic tournament, thanks!

I think that 1 of he was referring to is my list which was UBRG.

Is there going to be a post with top 8 deck lists?

pretty sure he meant my list. i didnt run bob

I think he meant me guys. I didn't technically run any green or red cards, but I did have Mox Ruby and Mox Emerald, so I can understand the confusion.

Seriously though, thanks for the awesome tournament. I didn't get a chance to thanks you in person, but the tourney was an A+.

[Slayn001]

I'm Joseph Brown, and this is what i ran.

4 x lodestone golem
4 x sphere of resistance
4 x thorn of amethyst
4 x chalice of the void
4 x tangle wire
3 x smokestack
2 x crucible of worlds
2 x null rods
2 x razormane masticore
1 x karn the silver golem
1 x sculpting steel
1 x duplicant
1 x trinisphere
1 x black lotus
1 x mox emerald
1 x mox pearl
1 x mox ruby
1 x mox sapphire
1 x mox jet
1 x mana crypt
1 x mana vault
1 x sol ring

4 x mishra's workshop
4 x ancient tomb
4 x wasteland
2 x ghost quarter
2 x mishra's factory
1 x strip mine
1 x tolarian academy

sb

4 x leyline of the void
3 x relic of progenitus
2 x triskelion
2 x powder keg
1 x null rod
1 x karn the silver golem
1 x sculpting steel
1 x duplicant

[MagicMan]

Damn look at that breakdown.  Way to not represent, tezz-pilots!

I wasnt running Tezz in my deck so I guess this excludes me from not representing 

[Klep]

I think he meant me guys. I didn't technically run any green or red cards, but I did have Mox Ruby and Mox Emerald, so I can understand the confusion.

I think he actually meant me.  If you want to get picky about it, I didn't really run any blue cards, or even participate in the event.  But I am kind of awesome and people want to be associated with me, so I can understand the mistake.

[metalhead666]

I would like to see the other 6 decklists from the top 8 as well as a list of the top 16 so I can see how well I did on my bingo card.

[2nd_lawl]

I would like to see the other 6 decklists from the top 8 as well as a list of the top 16 so I can see how well I did on my bingo card.

This is what I (max brown) played:

Dark Times:

4 Dark Ritual
4 Dark Confidant
4 Leyline of the Void
4 Vampire Hexmage
4 Duress
4 Thoughtseize
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Imperial Seal
1 Demonic Consultation
1 Null Rod
1 Pithing Needle
1 Helm of Obedience
1 Yawgmoth’s Will
1 Crucible of Worlds
3 Diabolic Edict
1 Mox Jet
1 Black Lotus
1 Lotus Petal
1 Necropotence
4 Wasteland
1 Strip Mine
2 Dark Depths
2 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
11 Swamp

SB:
2 Bitterblossom
2 Emissary of Despair
1 Trinisphere
1 Darkblast
1 Pithing Needle
2 Yixlid Jailer
1 Perish
3 Null Rod
1 Engineered Plague
1 Sadistic Sacrament

My buddy Travis Jones was on noble fish, I will try and get his list later when he gets home.

[TheBrassMan]

I'm Andy Probasco, this is what I played:


3 Leyline of the Void
4 Bridge from Below
2 Dread Return
4 Cabal Therapy
3 Nature's Claim
3 Darkblast
1 Iona, Shield of Emeria
4 Bloodghast
4 Stinkweed Imp
4 Narcomoeba
2 Ichorid
1 Golgari Thug
4 Golgari Grave-Troll
1 Flame-Kin Zealot
4 Undiscovered Paradise
2 Petrified Field
2 Dakmor Salvage
2 City of Brass
4 Bazaar of Baghdad
4 Serum Powder
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Lion's Eye Diamond

SB:

1 Leyline of the Void
1 Nature's Claim
4 Chain of Vapor
2 Wispmare
4 Encroach
2 City of Brass
1 Ichorid

(We can copy/paste these back into the first post once they all come in)

[mdenny]

Hello folks,
I know several of you have been asking for Top 8 Deck lists and final standings. DA has the Final standings list and has graciously agreed to post them up some time today or tomorrow. I am heading into my Senior year at UMass and have 25 page paper due the first week of school which has severely cut into my free time, but I will try to scan the top 8 deck lists not already posted after work tomorrow. I greatly appreciate those players posting their lists as it makes it much easer on me and if there are any problems with reading the scanned lists, I will be happy to clarify.

I would also like to Recognize Chris (Demonic Attorney) for his help in putting this tournament together. As somebody who is in this entirely for the community, its pretty easy to recognize when others have a similar perspective. My experience with Chris has shown me that he is truly dedicated to the community and, to me, this really adds to his credibility as a Moderator on the Drain.

Finally, I have already begun the early stages of planning my next big tournament which will take place next spring/ early summer. It will be called "The Set Tournament" and will incorporate the The Grudge Match Hadley II. See you all at The Waterbury!

[Demonic Attorney]

Top 16 finishers after Swiss:

1.  Evan Hundertmark (Team PA)
2.  Max Brown (Team NY)
3.  Travis Jones (Team NY)
4.  Jeff Roucoulet
5.  Travis LaPlante
6.  Andy Probasco (Team NE)
7.  Joseph Brown
8.  Jeff Rodgers
9.  Keith Carpentier
10.  Matt Orfanello
11.  Chris Materewicz
12.  Demonic Attorney (Team NE)
13.  Keith Seals (Team PA)
14.  Nate Pease
15.  Elliott Wolchesky
16.  Rich Myest

[Oath of Happy]

I thought my deck was going to be great but it really sucked, I scrubbed out.  It was way to defenisive.  As far as most of the other decks, yea they didn't scrub out, but they mostly sucked.  I didn't see any creativity whatsover, I think Vintage is dead in NE, not because of the restricted list or Wizards, but because of the lack of skill and innovation in the people who play it.  Congratualtions especially to those who won by playing sphere sphere sphere sphere and eventaully a beater/stack.

[Juggernaut GO]

I thought my deck was going to be great but it really sucked, I scrubbed out.  It was way to defenisive.  As far as most of the other decks, yea they didn't scrub out, but they mostly sucked.  I didn't see any creativity whatsover, I think Vintage is dead in NE, not because of the restricted list or Wizards, but because of the lack of skill and innovation in the people who play it.  Congratualtions especially to those who won by playing sphere sphere sphere sphere and eventaully a beater/stack.

run more hurkyl's recall or 4x energy flux maindeck

[Oath of Happy]

I thought my deck was going to be great but it really sucked, I scrubbed out.  It was way to defenisive.  As far as most of the other decks, yea they didn't scrub out, but they mostly sucked.  I didn't see any creativity whatsover, I think Vintage is dead in NE, not because of the restricted list or Wizards, but because of the lack of skill and innovation in the people who play it.  Congratualtions especially to those who won by playing sphere sphere sphere sphere and eventaully a beater/stack.

run more hurkyl's recall or 4x energy flux maindeck

Haha, no there are legitimate ways to make a competetive and competent deck that will beat Lodestones/Confidants (AKA, 95 % of this tourney) without making a crappy hate deck.

[T00L]

I thought my deck was going to be great but it really sucked, I scrubbed out.  It was way to defenisive.  As far as most of the other decks, yea they didn't scrub out, but they mostly sucked.  I didn't see any creativity whatsover, I think Vintage is dead in NE, not because of the restricted list or Wizards, but because of the lack of skill and innovation in the people who play it.  Congratualtions especially to those who won by playing sphere sphere sphere sphere and eventaully a beater/stack.

run more hurkyl's recall or 4x energy flux maindeck

Haha, no there are legitimate ways to make a competetive and competent deck that will beat Lodestones/Confidants (AKA, 95 % of this tourney) without making a crappy hate deck.

Is that what your deck does?

[metalhead666]

After planning to go to the Grudge Match in Hadley for several weeks, everyone from Pa backs out.  Couple days later, we find another to go with so the trips back on.  Set out from home to Keith's place on Friday, stay the night, get little sleep thanks to his cat's claws, and set out at 6am on Saturday morning, with me driving on what Im sure is less than 2 hours of sleep.  Once we hit the highway, we fly at 80mph till midway through NY when we get clocked and pulled over.  Cops asks for licence and registration, sits in his car for several minutes, comes back up and says, "Here's your licence and registration." and walks back to his car.  After that, no more problems.  We get to the store with over an hour left till the tournament starts.  We survey the area, and get the Team Pa situation straightened out (Keith Seals was the only one from the voted Grudge Match team to make it to the tournament.  Team Pa becomes Team My Car (Me (Evan Hundertmark), Keith, and Paul Mastriano)).

Round 1 - Dark Depths
Game 1 – I mulligan to 5.  He plays Bob, beats for win.
Game 2 – I seal win quickly through spheres and stacks.
Game 3 – I mulligan to 6 he mulligans to 5.  My hand is: Workshop, Pithing Needle, Pithing Needle, Chalice, Chalice, something else (may have been Smokestack).  Hes on the play.  Goes: Black Lotus, break for BBB, casts Demonic Consultation, names Hexmage, flips 6 and a few more, plays Hexmage, plays Dark Depths, sacs Hexmage, gets 20/20 flying, indestructible dude. I fail to topdeck Tangle wire = I loose.

Games 1-2
Matches 0-1

Round 2 – Dredge
On the way to my seat, I notice that the store has become infested with bugs.  This provides a huge problem for the majority of the rest of the day.  (Bugs in eyes are really fucking annoying!!!)
Game 1 – Dredge does what it does.  Loose
At this point my opponent is really pissed about the bugs.  In the middle of the next game I became 95% certain that he was going to get up and walk out of the store.  Sadly he did not do this.
Game 2 – After siding in 15 cards, I am on the play.  We both mul to 6.  He manages to beat me for a couple of turns but I eventually get enough dudes out to block his.  Early on I see this game is going to end with him decking, everything he puts in his graveyard, I remove quickly.  I eventually get Trinisphere in play, he only has 2 lands, I then play Cap, turn after that I play Sculpting Steel on Cap, sac it, and remove his last 3 mana producing lands.  Next turn I remove 3 more cards.  He decks a few turns later.
Game 3 – By turn 2 I have 2 Tormod’s Crypts and a relic in play, and he Nature Claimed my Pithing Needle.  He beats me with a Narcomoeba for a few turns while I block other dudes with Karn.  Eventually I eat one of my moxes to remove his Bridges.  I Cap him, remove 3 Natures Claims.  Comes down to beating through dudes and removing his graveyard from the game in response to a Golgari Thug’s trigger.  I win on turn 5 of extra turns.

Games 3-3
Matches 1-1

Round 3 – I don’t know,  I saw a lot of typical blue cards and Inkwell
Game 1 – On the play, go mox, workshop, then my lodestone gets forced by pitching ancestral.  I feel pretty good about this game at this point.  He concedes a few turns later (cant remember what else happened).
Game 2 – We both mull to 6.  He plays Tinker, fetches Inkwell.  Next turn I play Sculpting Steel.  He scoops to my Inkwell after I point out that Sculpting Steel does not target and therefore “shroud” does nothing to stop Inkwell from being coppied.

Games 5-3
Matches 2-1

Round 4 – Oath
Game 1 – I set up good game early.  Tides turn in his favor when Oath hits the board.  He flips some dude, his next turn, flips a second creature then draws the last card in his deck.
Game 2 – Hes on the play.  Opens up with Tundra, Sapphire, Timevault, go.  I play Shop, mox, smokestack, go.  He untaps, plays Enlightened Tutor, fetches Key, draws Key, plays Key, no land drop, go.  I untap, add counter to Smokestack, draw, play more permanents.  He tries to stay in the game.  Every time he draws a land, he had just sacced a land.  I eventually overrun him.

Games 7-3
Matches 3-1

Round 5 – TPS
Game 1 - I play spheres. He plays lands and Necropotence.  Starts drawing cards.  I start beating with Factories.  He plays Rebuild/hurkyls.  I replay everything and win next turn.
Game 2 – I play Trinisphere, he plays lands, I beat with dudes, he bounces my stuff, plays Bargain, and attempts to go off, fails, and I win.

Games 9-3
Matches 4-1

Round 6 – Oath
Game 1 – I set up control early and win easily.
Game 2 – I win quickly, maybe double Lodestone.  He puts up little fight.

Games 11-3
Matches 5-1

At this point all I have to do is draw into the top 8 but, I get paired down to someone with 13 points who has to play, so I have to play.

Round 7 – Bob Tez?
Game 1 – I won, cant remember what happened.
Game 2 – He plays turn 1 Vault. I play turn 1 Smokestack.  My Stacks never gets a counter 
Game 3 – I loose some roles to Mana Crypt, but that doesn’t matter.  I beat for the win.

Games 13-3
Matches 6-1

Top 8
I enter the top 8 in first place with 18 points.

Top 8 – Oath, my round 6 opponent.
Game 1 – I never really get set up, and right before he gets in control and wins, I receive a game loss for failure to desideboard.
Game 2 – I set up control early.  He hangs in there, never getting past one land, but does Pithing Needle Mishra’s Factory, this makes the game last a lot longer than it should have.  He Tinkers out Colossus.  I Duplicant it.  He gets Oath out.  I beat him to 1.  He flips Terastodon, destroys one thing on my side and 2 on his.  I get Triskelion, in response he Nature’s Claims one of his moxes to put himself at 5.  I think about attacks and decide to pass.  He passes.  I think about attacking again, I see Duplicant getting blocked by a token, Triskelion getting blocked by Terastodon, and Elephant getting blocked by his other token; he blocks duplicant with a token, triskelion with a token, and my token with terastodon.  Next turn he Nature’s Claims my Duplicant.  Now it’s Terastodon versus Triskelion.  I topdeck another dude and win.
Game 3 – I keep Workshop, Sol Ring, Smokestack, Lodestone, Tangle Wire, ?, ?.  He keeps his hand.  He opens with Sapphire Strip Mine.  I play Shop, Sol Ring.  He Spell Pierces my Sol Ring and Strips my Shop.  He plays stuff. I topdeck 2 mox and a factory and never get back into the game.

I get to pick first from the 5th – 8th prize pool.  First we are offered $60 each cash split.  The prizes were 4x Force, 4x Phyrexian Dreadnaught, 1x Jace, the Mindsculptor, 4x Dark Confidant.  I take 4x Force.

Props:
Lots of new faces.
Good competition.
Keith Seals and Paul Mastriano for deciding to make the trip.

Slops:
THE FUCKING BUGS!!!
Hot store with no air circulation.

[Oak]

I'm Travis Jones, here's my list:


UGW Fish
4x Tarmogoyf
4x Trygon Predator
4x Quasali Pridemage
3x Noble Heirarch
3x Meddling Mage

4x Force of Will
4x Spell Pierce
3x Daze
2x Swords to Plowshares
1x Brainstorm
1x Ancestral Recall

3x Null Rod
1x Mox Sapphire
1x Mox Pearl
1x Mox Emerald
1x Black Lotus

1x Time Walk

4x Wasteland
4x Misty Rainforest
3x Tropical Island
3x Tundra
2x Flooded Strand
1x Forest
1x Island
1x Strip Mine


Sideboard
4x Leyline of Sanctity
3x Relic of Progenitus
2x Gaddock Teeg
2x Sower of Temptation
1x Tormod's Crypt
1x Rebuild
1x Hurkyl's Recall
1x Plains

[Urtho]

I am Jeff Rodgers and here is my list:

1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Merchant Scroll
4 Force of Will
1 Tezzeret the Seeker
1 Strip Mine
1 Gaea's Blessing
4 Forbidden Orchard
1 Sensei's Divining Top
1 Brainstorm
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Darksteel Colossus
4 Oath of Druids
1 Forest
2 Island
1 Thirst for Knowledge
1 Mana Crypt
1 Regrowth
1 Sol Ring
1 Flooded Strand
2 Tropical Island
2 Underground Sea
1 Emrakul, the Aeons Torn
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Black Lotus
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Time Vault
1 Time Walk
1 Tolarian Academy
1 Voltaic Key
1 Yawgmoth's Will
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Tinker
2 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
1 Nature's Claim
1 Terastodon
1 Iona, Shield of Emeria
3 Misty Rainforest
4 Spell Pierce

Sideboard:
1 Engineered Plague
1 Sphinx of the Steel Wind
1 Echoing Truth
3 Leyline of the Void
2 Pithing Needle
1 Bribery
2 Seal of Primordium
1 Perish
2 Nature's Claim
1 Mindbreak Trap

[mdenny]

Hey folks, with the beginning of class at UMass on Tuesday, I have been under an enormous workload which has simply prevented me from having any free time to type up lists or go on the drain. Nothing appears to be super tech from any of the lists in the top 8 and I am as mystified as the rest of you as to why the thread apparently disappeared for a couple of days. Thank you to all of you who posted your lists as this is a huge help and ill do my best to get any interesting ones up before the Waterbury. The 50 hours of HW standing between me and next Monday are not encouraging but ill do my best to attend myself.

[Juggernaut GO]

50 hours of work in the first week of class?  What kind of bullshit are you majoring in?  I didn't even show up the first week.