Durham NC, March 31, Atomic Empire Vintage

[wiley]

We fired with 21 players, big thanks to everyone that came out!

1st Place: Garrett Wiley (5th Swiss) Tezzeret's Picnic
5 Island
4 Polluted Delta
2 Underground Sea
1 Scalding Tarn
1 Flooded Strand
3 Voltaic Key
3 Grim Monolith
2 Sensei's Divining Top
1 Time Vault
1 Sol Ring
1 Nihil Spellbomb
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mana Vault
1 Black Lotus
2 Tezzeret, Agent of Bolas
2 Tezzeret the Seeker
2 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
1 Karn Liberated
2 Back to Basics
1 Yawgmoth's Will
1 Tinker
1 Time Walk
1 Demonic Tutor
4 Force of Will
3 Mana Drain
2 Steel Sabotage
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Thirst for Knowledge
1 Hurkyl's REcall
1 Darkblast
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Myr Battlesphere
1 Swamp

Sideboard:
3 Dismember
1 Wurmcoil Engine
1 Hurkyl's Recall
1 steel Sabotage
1 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
2 Mental Mistep
1 Trinisphere
1 Nihil Spellbomb
1 Relic of Progenitus
3 Yixlid Jailer


2nd Place: Richard Johnson (7th swiss) Bomberman
4 Flooded Strand
3 Island
3 Tundra
1 Cavern of Souls
1 Library of Alexandra
2 Polluted Delta
1 Plains
1 Tolarian Academy
3 Trinket Mage
2 Auriok Salvagers
1 Aven Mindcensor
4 Force of Will
3 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
4 Mana Drain
3 Mental Misstep
3 Spell Snare
1 Sensei's Divning Top
1 AEther Spellbomb
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Engineered Explosives
1 Flusterstorm
1 Grafdigger's Cage
1 Thirst for Knowledge
1 Time Walk
2 Swords to Plowshares
1 Brainstorm
1 Black Lotus
1 Sol Ring
1 Mana Crypt
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Pearl
1 MOx Ruby
1 Mox Sapphire

Sideboard:
4 Rest in Peace
2 Kataki, War's Wage
2 Energy Flux
1 Pithing Needle
1 Grafdigger's Cage
2 Swords to Plowshares
1 Devout Witness
2 Disenchant

3rd Place: Ryan Dail (6th Swiss) (Terra Nova)
4 Lodestone Golem
4 Phyrexian Revoker
4 Phyrexian Metamorph
4 Chalice of the Void
4 Sphere of Resistence
4 Thorn of Amethyst
1 Mana Crypt
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Sapphire
2 Scupting Steel
4 Dismember
1 Trinisphere
1 Sol Ring
4 Wasteland
1 Strip mine
4 Mishra's Workshop
4 Mishra's Factory
4 Ancient Tomb
4 Mutavault
1 Tolarian Academy

Sideboard
3 Tormod's Crypt
4 Grafdigger's Cage
3 The Tabernacle of Pendrell Vale
2 Ghost Quarter
1 Crucible of Worlds
2 Etched Champion

4th Place: Ben Gibala (8th Swiss) (OG Oath)
2 Underground Sea
1 Volcanic Island
2 Tropical Island
1 Tolarian Academy
3 Flooded Strand
2 Polluted Delta
4 Forbidden Orchard
1 Black Lotus
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Sol Ring
1 Mana Crypt
1 Ponder
1 Brainstorm
1 Merchant Scroll
1 Time Walk
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Tinker
1 Regrowth
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Yawgmoth's Will
3 Duress
2 Thoughtseize
1 Rebuild
3 Mental Mistep
4 Force of Will
1 Blightsteel Colossus
1 Channel
1 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
1 Time Vault
1 Voltaic Key
2 Dragon's Breath
2 Emrakul, the Aeon's Torn
4 Oath of Druids

Sideboard
1 Lightning Bolt
3 Red Elemental Blast
4 Show and Tell
1 Pyroclasm
1 Helm of Obedience
4 Leylind of the Void
1 Echoing Truth

5th place: Thomas Pendergast (1st Swiss) (Helm Line)
1 Tinker
2 Helm of Obedience
4 Leyline of Void
2 Rest in Peace
2 Thoughtseize
1 Duress
1 Mox Sapphire
1 MOx Ruby
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Pearl
1 Black Lotus
1 Mana Vault
1 Mana Crypt
1 Voltaic Key
2 Grim Monolith
1 Time Vault
2 Tezzeret the Seeker
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Steel Sabotage
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Time Walk
1 Blightsteel Colossus
4 Force of Will
1 Brainstorm
1 Ponder
3 Mana Drain
1 Sol Ring
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Hurkyl's Recall
1 Yawgmoth's Will
4 Polluted Delta
2 Marsh Flats
4 Underground Sea
1 Tundra
1 Scrubland
1 Swamp
2 Island

Sideboard
3 Swords to Plowshares
1 Snow Covered Plains
2 Flusterstorm
1 Inkwell Levithan
3 Steel Sabotage
2 Disenchant
1 Balance
2 Mindbreak Trap

6th Place: Neal Smith (Dredge)

4 Bloodghast
3 Dread Return
1 Flamekin Zealot
4 Narcomoeba
1 Lion's Eye Diamond
4 Leyline of the Void
2 Golgari Thug
3 City of Brass
4 Stinkweed Imp
2 Icharid
4 Golgari Grave-Troll
4 Bridge from Below
3 Cabal Therapy
1 Flayer of the Hatebound
1 Lotus Petal
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Black Lotus
4 Undiscovered Paradise
4 Bazaar of Baghdad
4 Ingot Chewer
3 Serum Powder
2 Fatestitcher
2 Sun Titan

Sideboard:

4 Darkblast
3 Firestorm
4 Mental Misstep
4 Nature's Claim

7th Place Joshua Meinel (The Government came and gave me herpes aka Shop Combo by Nat Moes)

4 Thorn of Amythyst
4 Staff of Domination
4 Chalice of the VOid
2 LIghtning Greaves
1 Sol Ring
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Emerald
1 Memory Jar
1 Mana Vault
1 Mana Crypt
1 Black Lotus
4 Kuldotha Forgemaster
4 Metalworker
4 Lodestone Golem
2 Phyrexian Revoker
1 Wurmcoil Engine
1 Triskelion
1 Sundering Titan
1 Phyrexian Metamorph
1 Karn, Silver GOlem
1 Duplicant
4 Mishras Workshop
4 Burried Ruin
4 Ancient Tomb
3 City of Traitors
1 Tolarian Academy

Sideboard:

4 Tormod's Crypt
2 Witchbane Orb
1 Shimmer Myr
1 Wurmcoil Engine
2 Razormane Masticore
2 Ratchet Bomb
1 Platinum Angel
2 Nihil Spellbomb

8th Place: Rachel Jaffe (RUGBurn Belcher)

4 Goblin Charbelcher
1 Voltaic Key
1 Time Vault
4 Pact of Negation
1 Burning Wish
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Yawgmoth's Will
1 A Mauseam
1 Tinker
1 Timetwister
1 Windfall
1 Wheel of Fortune
1 Memory Jar
4 Gitaxian Probe
4 Manamorphose
1 Channel
3 Simian Spirit Guide
4 Dark Ritual
4 Rite of Flame
1 Mox Opal
1 Lotus Petal
1 Lion's Eye Diamond
1 Mana Vault
1 Mana Crypt
3 Chrome Mox
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Black Lotus
3 Land Grant
1 Stomping Ground
1 Overgrown Tomb

Sideboard:

3 Red Elemental Blast
3 Pyroblast
1 Pyroclasm
1 Shattering Spree
1 Tendrils of Agony
1 Empty the Warrens
1 Mind's Desire
1 Balance
1 Demonic Consultation
1 Necropotence
1 Past in Flames
1 Regrowth


http://www.twitch.tv/atomicempire/b/384944997 Round 1 starts at ~18 min mark, Semi-finals start at ~ 1hour, finals start at 1:46:20

Despite making a ton of misplays under the camera in top 8, this was easily the most fun I've had playing magic in a long time.  Huge thanks to James Dowling for coming up with an absolutely awesome list for the current meta!

[Worldslayer]

I'm sorry I wasn't able to make this one, GWiley - would have been nice to have an old WizO forums showdown.

Props to Rich for not getting LoA'd into oblivion this time, and...is that the same Rachel from Saturday in 7th? If so, Bravo for leaving the damn robots at home.

Also: That first place list looks amazing, and will be played as soon as everyone around me stops running god damn Landstill.

[msg67183]

Back when I started vintage I was playing Turbo Tezz and I must say this list looks AWESOME! How good were the Back to Basics? How good was Karn? Seems like a Tom of fun to play!

[wiley]

BtB won me into top 8 against grixis control after landing it when he was tapped out and it won me the oath match in top 8.  Never got to cast karn and sided him out for the faster jace most games, but he would definitely be a beating.

Also, in g1 of finals the vamp should have gotten yawg will to recast jace and then vamp for tez, not sure it would have won since he had jace in hand and I couldn't cast jace and tez that turn, but it would definitely have been the better play.

[shrewarmies]

That top place deck makes me so happy. You have no idea.

James and I have been working on that deck for a couple of months now, I am actually suprised someone saw the list and played it but seeing it do well is just too awesome. Thank you so much for picking it up and doing well with it.

[wiley]

After scrubing out the day before at Richmond Comix playing dredge I just wanted to play time vault.  I figured tez would be a good place to start and looked at tc decks lists.  I didn't really like any of the lists until I saw yours/James' and my jaw dropped.  I love how solid it is at protecting itself from the main disruption strategies of other T1 decks, and it's disruption can be really back breaking.  Great job on the list, I hope you guys put up a primer on it in the future.

[shrewarmies]

Now that it has a win under its belt (and more than 10 players at that) I will have to talk to James about that. Will you be writing a report? It's always nice to have one attached to any primer.

[Justin]

Sorry I couldn't make it guys. Hope to see you all at the next one. Congrats Garret!

[wiley]

Thanks Justin, hope you can make it to the next one, also I might be getting a house within 10-15 min of you soon so maybe we can play a few rounds sometime.

It isn't a great report since I didn't take detailed notes outside of life totals and I had worked a 56 hour week the week before, gone straight to a legacy tourney friday night, went to virginia saturday and picked up the deck the morning of the tournament.

R1: Bye, that's right I got to scout the field.

R2: Chris Coppola with Espresso Stax:

g1: He wins the roll and starts with sphere which stops my turn 1 tez play, he then casts 4 tangle wires overlapping so I never have any mana again and assembles crucible and strip mine to destroy my islands.  I never got into this game, but had it gone any differently, like less tangle wires or waste instead of strip or no t1 sphere I'm confidant I would have won.

g2: We go back and forth with him landing spheres and me landing basics.  After 4 or so turns of taking damage from my mana vault I land a tezzeret, the seeker and he has no answer.

g3: He gets lodestone, spheres and a factory and I only draw 3 mana.

R3: Nick Crowley with bomberman (I don't remember this match very well, probably has mistakes)

g1: He wins a counter war over vendi clique which duresses my only win con from hand and proceeds to ride it to victory.

g2: He lands a something that beats for two and takes me to 12 before I catch him without counters and cast time vault to complement the key that had been sitting in play for a few turns.

g3: I misstep and force his stuff, and ultimately win off tezzeret agent of bolas plus a tinkered myr battlesphere.

R4: Bert Purvis with grixis control

g1: he lands a bob, on my turn I land jace and fateseal him letting him keep the force to hit with bob.  Bob doesn't dig gim out from under jace and I land a tezzeret the seeker after baiting out his counters.

g2: All I remember from this game is that turn 4 I land a back to basics when he is tapped out.  I had 3 islands and a mox in play, he had 3 non basics and an island in play.  He didn't draw another mana source before I played tezzeret the seeker with double counter backup.

Quarterfinals: Rachel Jaffe with RUGBurn Belcher (Grats to Nat Moes for having two versions of his creations make it to top 8 in this tournament)

g1: I keep a hand with force + blue card, drain, 2 blue mana, tezzeret the seeker and something else.  I force her attempt to go off and cast tezzeret before she can recover.

g2: I counter a wheel of fortune after I see her hand off land grant containing burning wish, yawg's will and wheel. I land a key and top and a couple of turns later I demonic for vault but can't cast it that turn.  On her turn she drops lotus and yawg wills for wheel, I draw a force, vamp tutor and my yawg will.  I counter her attempt to go off and vamp for lotus, draw it with top, yawg and win with vault key.

Semifinals: Ben Gibala with old school oath

g1: I keep a hand containing double force, mana drain and vamp.  His first oath gets countered by force pitching back to basics after he lands 3 moxen.  His second oath gets drained, I cast jace with the mana.  I d tutor for a tezz and pass the turn to be able to cast him with hurkyl's recall mana up (in case he found a time vault to go with his in play key), I have to force another oath and cast tez my next turn.  I jacestorm hoping to find a key but don't.  Fortunately he doesn't find channel emrakul or his own vault his turn and I win.

g2: I keep u sea, p delta, mox ruby, drain, btb, d tutor and thirst.  He t1 duresses taking the d tutor.  I then proceed to play out back to basics and drain the reb he casts on it.  I force his oath (I should have hard cast this instead of pitching thirst, but I wasn't counting my u sea because of btb) while beating in with 2 spirit tokens.  I land a top alongside my key and don't abuse it to draw extra cards every turn for some unknown reason (other than I was being a horrible player this match).  I let a ponder resolve that I shouldn't have, countered his lotus he drew off the ponder and he scoops.

Finals: Richard Johnson with bomberman

g1: I keep island, sea, tez the seeker, vamp, darkblast, grim monolith and blue card (steel sabotage I think).  He snares the monolith and tries to clique which I force.  Next turn he cliques again which I darkblast in response to the trigger since it is pne of 2 creatures I can't answer and shuts off all my planeswalkers.  He knocks down the tezzeret and goes on to land a jace before I can play mine.  I play mine to kill his.  He lands a salvager and starts with the usual spellbomb shenanigans that I love the deck for.  I try to vamp, he avens in response, I try to drain it and he get an ancestral but no further counter.  I tutor tezzeret when I should have gotten will and have no chance of winning.

g2: I keep 2 island, 3 force, drain and vamp.  He mulls to 6.  We play draw go, then fight over an aven which I win and still have a force left in hand.  I tinker with force backup and camp for a drain to protect it.

g3: He t1 plays an uncounterable salvagers which I dismember, then I win the counter war over ancestral.  I go on with top to find tez the seeker and counter backup which wins it for me.

I can't say there was a card choice that I didn't like.  There are a few that are situational (hurk, ss and karn main deck) but ultimately they were all good for me (except karn, I never got to play him).

[TendrilsFTW]

g3: He t1 plays an uncounterable salvagers which I dismember, then I win the counter war over ancestral.  I go on with top to find tez the seeker and counter backup which wins it for me.

If you didn't have that dismember I would have won on turn 2.  I'm fine losing to a team mate in the finals though.  I'm glad you were able to win some drains that you needed.  Our games were interesting and fun and I had a blast.