Hey everybody I know a lot of you don't know me but my name is Anthony Scalzo and I thought I explain the list from this weekend that I won waterbury with.
"It's Always Sunny"
Mainboard:
4 Bazaar of Baghdad
4 Undiscovered Paradise
3 City of Brass
1 Dakomar Savage
1 Black Lotus
1 Lotus Petal
1 Lion's Eye Diamond
1 Ancestral Recall
4 Serum Powder
4 Cabal Therapy
4 Bloodghast
4 Bridge from Below
4 Narcomeoba
4 Golgari Grave Troll
4 Stinkweed Imp
2 Golgari Thug
3 Ichorid
3 Dread Return
3 Fatestitcher
2 Sun Titan
1 Flame Kin-Zealot
2 Ancient Grudge
Sideboard:
4 Leyline of the Void
4 Nature's Claim
3 Chain of Vapor
3 Firestorm
1 Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite
Before I start the round reports I apoglize for my crazy play by play on some matches while on others I can barely remember them. The games that didn't really interact (a common problem with dredge) I didn't really remember that well so once again sorry if the report is odd.
Round 1: Bye
Since I came second last year at a Bluebell in November against Sam Berse, I bought in with a bye and decided to watch one of my teammates Vito play a deck he brewed up.
Round 2: John Joyce (Snapcaster Control)
Game 1: I have a killer hand of bazaar fatestitcher petal. I lose the die roll but proceed to dredge out a ton of nacromeobas on turn 1. I have two cabal therapies in the yard, he counters the first one, missteps the second one. I decide to go for the dread return anyways on a sun titan. He watched me dredge again till I hit Zealot where he scoops.
Game 2: This game was a lot longer. He opens with land mox bob go. I play bazaar say go. He flips ancestral off his bob, then attacks says go. End of turn, I draw with bazaar hit no dredgers but discard 3 ghasts, at this point I thought without ravenous trap I might be able to beat him down very fast. Unfortunately, he surgical extractions my ghasts show him my hand with 2 bridges and an ichorid. At upkeep, I draw with bazaar hitting grave troll and stinkweek imp. I dredge for 6 for my draw hitting double meoba which he responds with a second surgical extractions getting rid of the meobas. I play a land and say go. He reveals a force off bob bringing him to a very low life total of under 10. He sits on bob as he sees my ichorid in the yard. At upkeep I dredge in response to Ichorid exile an imp. I resolve ichorid dredge some more and discard two bridges. I simply pass the turn and get my 2 zombies. End of turn he recalls. On his turn he flips an extirpate off the bob and immediately exiles my ichorids. I end the turn since he is at 6 life and I hope that bob kills him, he flashes in a snapcaster and re casts ancestral. Flips land of bob. He decides he has to start attacking to try and win the race on his bob. I choose not to block to save my bridges just in case I can build up mana to a stinkweed/thug. I take my turn and at this point I can't use bazaar since I have roughly 8 cards in my library. I decide to try and hit him down but he flashes snapcaster (uses flashback on force) blocks one zombie takes 2 goes to 4 life. He flips another land swings with two guys I choose not to block again and puts me to a low life. I attack with my zombie which he blocks with snapcaster. He takes his turn and flips a force to concede. This game was very close and I would probably lose if he won two bob flips.
Round 3: Meddling Mage from the forums (sorry I forgot your real life name!) on Dredge
Game 1: He wins die roll which really scares me into thinking he already this. He plays bazaar go, I do the same. On his second turn he starts dredging but only hits one bridge one cabal and like 2 meobas. End of his turn I draw into a second bazaar (sick life!) and discard soe grave trolls and a ghast. On my turn I dredge a ton until I dread return titan and eventually into Zealot and destroy his small army with my 30+ zombies.
Game 2: I don't really remember this game this well either but he had a hand of leyline and a bazaar while I only had a bazaar with anti hate but no land. I'm way too slow to deal with him this game and get killed on turn 3.
Game 3: I mull really far down into city of brass, chain of vapor, bazaar, golgari grave troll thinking I should have this won. He opens with double leyline and for some reason I thought I thought that was his turn 1 and I was on the play so I draw a card (fatestitcher). He calls a judge and the first ruling is it's a game loss but then the judge says he has to look up a second ruling since it was the first draw of the game? I take a leak while he does this since it takes about 7 minutes for the judge to find the ruling. The ruling is I have to take 2 random cards from my hand and shuffle them into my library. I freak out thinking if he gets bazaar this game might be over, the judge pulls fatesticher and city of brass out of my hand and asks if I want to mulligan now. I say no and we finally begin. I play bazaar pass. He gitaxian probes me and says go. Realizing he's kept a hand without bazaar just on a double leyline hand I try to dig for anti hate. I draw a city of brass for my draw step, play it and chain his leyline. I say go. He plays a land says go. I draw a leyline bazaar draw into firestorm bridge, discard troll bridge leyline. After a couple more turns of me digging like this I eventualyl find a nature's claim. I start dredging but only have 1 dredger. He finally gets his side going but it's already too late. I untap discard elesh norn and dread return it (using an ichorid and some tokens from meoba that i used to cabal my grave troll to the yard) . At this point he is locked, he untaps and tries to dredge. He passes, I simply bring back an Ichorid and swing with my team of 4 zombies norn, ichorid for lethal.
Round 4: Brian Carey (Oath)
Game 1: I know Brian from Team Top Deck Games and had a ton playing these games. First game, I get a hand with bazaar on a keep of 7. He lands a first turn oath but is still too slow to stop a big army of zombies next turn.
Game 2: I keep a semi okay hand of bazaar nature's claim dredgers no land. His hand is the absolute nuts, leyline of the void before game, turn 1 land crypt tinker lotus time walk. I quickly scoop where Brian proceeds to tell me how much he hates dredge
Game 3: This game is really fuzzy, but I remember an early oath with iona on black. Under hate and iona I eventually lose.
Round 5: Jesse Martin (TPS)
Game 1: I don't remember these games too well either but I'm pretty sure I got a turn 2 win with stitcher and double/tripled cabaled his hand.
Game 2: He doesn't have a hate piece and in a similar fashion I strip his hand with cabal then kill him on turn 3.
Round 6: Andrew Farias (TPS)
We decide to tie into top 8 since I was third place at this time with the highest breakers at 12 points. I end up making it (obviously) at 6th place in the top 8.
Top 8: Andrew Farias (Snapcaster)
Game 1: Go figure I play Andrew anyways in top 8, I don't remember this game this well except the fact on my turn 2 I double cabal therapy him, he forces both times giving him 1 card in hand no untapped mana. Afterwards, I think he was screwed this game either way, he had to give up his only action cards for the force pitch which left with nothing. I proceed to dredge a lot but I cannot kill him on turn 2 but setup a nice army. He draws and scoops.
Game 2: I keep my 6 I believe and he also keeps his mull to 6. He might have kept one of the loosest hands ever of sapphire jet emerald preordian yawg's will extirpate. He preordians doesnt get a land so misses land drop passes turn. My turn is simply bazaar go. He just passes again. End of turn discard three seperate dredgers to play around extirapte/extraction, upkeep I dredge hit nacromeoba ask him if he has responses he says yes and extirpates a bazaar in my graveyard I hit off my dredging at upkeep. He searches my hand but finds cabal therapy serum powder and two dredgers. I remove my bazaars from the game and slowly kill him over 2 turns after i strip his hand of will force. After he scoops he tells me he had to get rid of bazaar because of I have another one in my hand it's a blowout. His keep was an attempt to rip lotus of of the top or some combination of ritual land to cast will and win.
Top 4: Brian Carey (Oath)
Round 1: Ah yes, once again I get to face Brian my only loss today for revenge. I lost the die roll and Brian opens up with underground sea, mana crypt, lotus, time vault using crypt pass. I play bazaar draw 2 discard golgari thug, cabal, dakmor and pass. He plays orchid, oath passes. I dredge for 4 then 2 and hit no dredgers and no action. Draw step I dredge into three dredger one is grave troll. I swing with my spirit token then cabal therapy second main using the token. He says it resolves with only two cards in hand, I figure oen has to be countermagic so name force, I hit dead on the nail leaving him with just a spell pierce. I pass, he plays a land and passes back. I dredge at upkeep in response to ichorid using two trolls. I pitch thug then dredge 6 more for draw hit a meoba. I cabal therapy during turn using meoba getting rid of spell pierce. I hit him with ichorid then second main I cabal myself to get my flame kin into the yard. I dread return a big grave troll and pass. He oaths into iona on black and passes. I dredge in response to ichorid trigger resolve 2 of them. I dredge 2 for salvage for my draw step. I still haven't hit a second dread return so I simply play a land get ghasts and swing. He is forced to block with iona. At end of turn he vampirics bringing him to 6 life. Now this is where he punts, he has an active crypt with only 6 life making the clear choice tinker but gets key instead. He loses his first crypt roll at upkeep then takes an extra turn and loses a second roll to give me game 1.
Round 2: He opens with leyline land go. I go undiscovered go. He goes land go again. I try to claim end of turn bu I am met with a spell pierce. I play city of brass pass. He plays orchid passes. I play chain of vapor end of turn and this time it resolves. I draw play bazaar draw 2 discard bridge powder zealot. I then play bazaar draw 2 discard bridge, powder, zealot. I play lotus then recall using city of brass then pass the turn. On his turn he plays orchid emerald taps 4 giving me 1 dude to replay leyline. I bazaar at upkeep, draw. I play city of brass attack for 1, take 2 play meoba and say go. On his turn he plays a land and tinkers for blightsteel. I draw for turn, bazaar during my turn. I claim his leyline then say go.
He then plays a land cracks takes 1and plays a second leyline. Afterwards he attacks, I double block with my meoba and spirit token. Now this is a where a lot of people told me later I "cheated", as I'm putting the guys in the graveyard I'm reminded they are RFGed because of leyline and I get no zombies. I ask if I can do something in response to blockers and no one objects so I claim his second leyline. While this probably shouldn't have happened if either the judge said something or Brian said something I wouldn't have gotten the 1 zombie. This ended up not really affecting me winning the game but it felt weird afterwards because I realized that probably shouldn't have happened. Anyways, I'm still under the gun of a potential death via blightsteel, I need to rip a lot of bridges and dudes + sac outlets or a chain of vapor. I draw 2 with bazaar for upkeep and hit meoba chain of vapor like a boss (Now I know what Hornung must have felt like!). I discard meoba troll and undiscovered. I dredge 6 for my draw then during my main I chain his blightsteel. I swing for 2 and pass. He draws an orchid plays it and passes. I bazaar at upkeep dredge 5 and hit a meoba and no other dredgers forcing a draw and discarding my hand. For draw step I dredge 6 hit another meoba and a dread return. This is where I misplay and a attack for 2 like a jag instead of dread returning a flame kin for a big swing to assure death next turn. Instead second main I just dread return a stinkweed imp for value, getting 4 zombies and pass. At upkeep still no ichorids but I still dredge 2 with salvage then 5 with imp hit some ghasts and bridges. For my draw I dredge 2 then for my main I play the salvage bringing back 3 ghasts. I sac a ghast to cabal get 3 guys and I name force of will like a dingus knowing he should have blightsteel. I have no dread return so I just attack bring him to 9. On his turn he cracks a fetch goes to 8 and hardcasts terstadon blowing up his orchids to give him some blockers. Regardless he still very dead at this point. I bazaar in response to ichorid at upkeep dredge 6 then choose to draw for the second draw discard my hand. Resolve ichorid removing thug. I'm at a dangerously low amount of cards in my deck but I think it's irrevelant since I know I have him this turn. I cabal him sacing imp to get 4 more zombies and I name blighsteel this time to leave him with no cards. I hardcast a bloodghast then sac 3 bloodghast to get 12 zombies to dread return a flame kin zealot. I attack with the very big army for the win.
Finals: Rich (Wielder Shops)
Round 1: I lose die roll and keep a 7 while Rich unfortunately mulls to 2 with a hand of mox jet wasteland. He plays wasteland and jet and says go. I draw a second bazaar for my draw. I play bazaar black lotus say go. During his turn he wastes, I draw into ancestral stitcher and then proceed discard some dredgers. Draw step I dredge into more guys 2 sun titans. I recall on my turn dredge a ton and try to accidentally discard (this was the second time all day I got to dredge with recall) which I am then reminded they aren't discard (obviously, du'oh). I play my second bazaar and before I can even dredge again he scoops.
Game 2: It felt like the tables were turned as he kept his seven this time and I mull to 3 with a hand of recall city of brass and bloodghast. While this hand is quite bad on the draw I decide a possible access to 3 more cards, plus 1 from draw would hopefully be a bazaar. I also hope he's kept some hand with hate/wasteland and isn't going for a sphere effect turn 1. Unfortunately, the complete opposite happens, he opens up with a killer hand of lotus land loadstone golem. I draw stinkweed imp, pass turn. He attacks then plays a thorn. I draw lotus petal, I cast it paying 1 more using city of brass trying to still sneak in recall before it's too late. I pass the turn. On his turn then plays ancient tomb pumps out a phyrexian metamorph naming loadstone golem, swing brings me to 9. I draw nature's claim and scoop to my imminent death.
Game 3: All down to one game baby. Serum powder my opening hand of serum, serum, serum, undiscovered, ichorid, nature's claim, bridge. Draw a new hand with bazaar no dredgers. I play bazaar pass. He passes emerald, wasteland, wastes bazaar, I draw and discard (whiff like a champ on drawing into dredgers) chorid, ancient grudge and bridge. I draw golgari grave troll for my turn. I play city of brass take 1 cabal therapy myself to get the grave troll out of my hand to dredge next turn, I pass. He plays shop, sphere of resistance pass. I dredge for my draw hit a meoba, ghast, therapy and some dredgers. I play city of brass get bloodghast, cabal him naming loadstone finding a loaded hand of thorns, leyline, shop. Jackpot! I cabal again pay 1, name thorn and say go. He plays a land says go. I resolve ichorid on upkeep using ghast, draw step i dredge 5 hit meoba (at this point I have the game). I attack with my 2 zombies and an ichorid to drop him to 13. I cabal therapy again using ichorid naming leyline see all he has is another shop. I pass the turn with my mini army. He draws a land passes. I start to resolve ichorids but he just begins scooping.
Summary:
And that's it! Still could not believe I went all the way, the whole day was awesome to see some of the other big names in vintage and even see the famous Chris Pikula. Ray hosted a great event and it seemed everybody had loads of fun from t-shirts to side events, and of course the famous trivia. Speaking of, Team Full of Win even took down the trivia! (I think they like that more than main event honestly xD) Thanks to Joe Pace and crew for bearing with me on the drive down and to Mark Hornung for getting us to play catchphrase at 2 in the morning. I'd also like to thank Matt Elias for inventing/bringing it the deck to U.S. Finally, some other people I should mention, Nick Coss for hosting the great Bluebell events, Nick Detwiller for the N.Y.S.E. events, and all TOs in the area for doing such a great job at promoting vintage. I also like to note as some of you may know, I had my entire collection stolen at Pro Tour Philly during a legacy side event. My bag was underneath my seat but was not tied to the chair (like an idiot) and ended up losing all ym standard decks, my EDH deck, my vintage blue deck, my legacys decks, tons of sleeves, deckboxes, 3 monster binders filled with staples with dual lands, bobs, etc. And, since I was playing legacy I changed my vintage dredge into legacy dredge so I moved all my big value stuff into my binders thinking it was safe. I had a complete playset of bazaars too which were also lost in the theft and at end I lost about 7,000 dollars in cards. As sad as this is, I should have known better, I heard it happened to Rich Shay and some other vintage players at GenCon who lost full beta power decks. I just can't imagine people who are low enough to steal from such a great community but I guess it's the risk when you played with such high valued cards. I like to thank Nick Coss for giving me a couple cards to start back up on that day, honestly if he hadn't have done that I don't know if I would even attended waterbury so really thanks to Nick and anyone else who has been helping me get back on my feet. It was great to win the tournament and to get a chunk of stuff back, still obviously doesn't cover my loss but a great way to get back into vintage.
Notes about the deck:
The Always Sunny version of dredge has to be one of the fastest Magic: the Gathering decks ever created. Honestly, how many decks can say they reliabley kill people on turn 1-2 every game 1? The archetype in general is also an annoying deck to hate out. While, games 2 and 3 the win % of the deck goes significantly down, it's all based on people's sideboards. How many cards are you willing to devote to dredge? How effective are these cards? Are these cards useful than more than one matchup (i. e. needle used for time vault decks) At this tournament the biggest thing I noticed was that people were playing not enough hate or not enough correct hate. There were a lot of subpar cards that were being sided in for dredge such as Surgical Extraction and Extirpate. Cards like Extirpate or Surgical Extraction do not belong in people's sideboards, while I was told this was mainly to stop snapcaster, these cards are not good. I survived both of the Cranial Extraction effects today in all my games while other real hate cards such as Leyline or Jailer did pose a much harder problem to beat. I think when people really start dedicating 7 good graveyard hate spells the deck will perform worse. Until then though, I'm going to keep dredging hopefully my way to a couple more victories.
-Scalzo
P.S. What basketball team is based out of Texas? Orlando Pacers!
