January 12 RIW Hobbies MI Vintage Event - Top 8 Decklists

[forests failed you]

Today began the renaissance of Vintage Magic at RIW Hobbies!  We had 18 players and look forward to even more next month.

The event was a lot of fun and it certainly felt like a blast from the past to be battling Vintage at RIW Hobbies once again.  The great news is that Vintage will now be a monthly event at RIW and so there will be more Vintage fun on the horizon in during the coming months.  I will also make sure that notice of the events goes up sooner in advance so that people can plan.

We played four rounds of Swiss with a cut to top eight.  I ended up splitting the finals with Jeff Stevens.

1-2 Brian DeMars (BUG Control)
1-2 Jeff Stevens (Welder Control)
3rd Duane Haddix (Forgemaster MUD)
4th Ben Perry (Espresso Stax)
5th Kevin Poenisch (Espresso Stax)
6th Monty Wonnacott (RUG Delver)
7th Raja Sulaiman (BUG Fish)
8th Chris Livingston (Workshop Affinity)

aaaand decklists...

(Thanks to Jacob Gillham for typing these out)




Top 2: Brian DeMars (BUG Control)

 

1 Black Lotus

1 Mox Jet

1 Mox Emerald

1 Mox Pearl

1 Mox Sapphire

1 Mox Ruby

1 Mana Crypt

1 Mana Vault

1 Sol Ring

1 Sensei’s Divining Top

1 Blightsteel Colossus

1 Time Vault

1 Voltaic Key

3 Dark Confidant

2 Thoughtseize

1 Toxic Deluge

1 Demonic Tutor

1 Vampiric Tutor

1 Yawgmoth’s Will

1 Nature’s Claim

1 Ancestral Recall

1 Brainstorm

1 Ponder

1 Mystical Tutor

1 Merchant Scroll

1 Tinker

2 Mana Drain

2 Flusterstorm

4 Force of Will

1 Thirst for Knowledge

1 Hurkyll’s Recall

1 Time Walk

2 Mental Misstep

1 Tezzeret, the Seeker

2 Jace, the Mind Scuptor

 

2 Polluted Delta

4 Misty Rainforest

1 Verdant Catacombs

3 Underground Sea

3 Tropical Island

1 Tolarian Academy

1 Island

 

SB

4 Leyline of the Void

3 Nihil Spellbomb

1 Thoughtseize

2 Trygon Predator

3 Nature’s Claim

1 Flusterstorm

1 Forest

 

Top 2: Jeff Stevens (Welder Control)

 

1 Black Lotus

1 Mox Jet

1 Mox Emerald

1 Mox Pearl

1 Mox Sapphire

1 Mox Ruby

1 Mana Crypt

1 Mana Vault

1 Sol Ring

1 Sensei’s Divining Top

1 Blightsteel Colossus

1 Time Vault

1 Voltaic Key

1 Demonic Tutor

1 Vampiric Tutor

1 Yawgmoth’s Will

2 Tezzeret the Seeker

1 Jace, the Mind Scuptor

1 Mystical Tutor

1 Ancestral Recall

1 Brainstorm

2 Flusterstorm

4 Force of Will

2 Mental Misstep

1 Memory Jar

1 Mindslaver

1 Myr Battlesphere

1 Imperial Seal

1 Wheel of Fortune

3 Goblin Welder

1 Steel Sabotage

1 Thirst for Knowledge

1 Tinker

1 Windfall

1 Grafdigger’s Cage

 

1 Tolarian Academy

2 Polluted Delta

4 Scalding Tarn

3 Underground Sea

3 Volcanic  Island

2 Island

 

SB

1 Pyroclasm

2 Yixlid Jailer

 

2 Viashino Heretic

4 Ingot Chewer

 

2 Lightning Bolt

1 Pithing Needle

1 Pyroblast

1 Grafdigger’s Cage

1 Mountain

 

Top 4: Duane Haddix (Forgemaster MUD)

 

4 Metalworker

4 Kuldotha Forgemaster

4 Lodestone Golem

1 Blightsteel Colossus

3 Lightning Greeves

3 Pithing Needle

2 Batterskull

4 Triskelion

3 Myr Battlesphere

1 Duplicant

1 Phyrexian Metamorph

2 Karn Liberated

1 Trinisphere

1 Black Lotus

1 Mox Jet

1 Mox Emerald

1 Mox Pearl

1 Mox Sapphire

1 Mox Ruby

1 Mana Crypt

1 Mana Vault

1 Sol Ring

 

4 Mishra’s Workshop

4 Ancient Tomb

4 City of Traitors

1 Tolarian Academy

2 Buried Ruin

3 Cavern of Souls

 

SB

2 Witchbane Orb

2 Tormod’s Crypt

1 Cavern of Souls

1 Expedition Map

2 Grafdigger’s Cage

1 The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale

3 Mental Misstep

3 Wurmcoil Engine

 

Top 4: Ben Perry (Espresso Stax)

 

1 Mox Jet

1 Mox Emerald

1 Mox Pearl

1 Mox Sapphire

1 Mox Ruby

1 Mana Crypt

1 Sol Ring

4 Lodestone Golem

2 Karn, Silver Golem

3 Crucible of Worlds

2 Steel Hellkite

2 Phyrexian Revoker

4 Smokestack

4 Tangle Wire

3 Thorn of Amethyst

1 Trinisphere

4 Sphere of Resistence

4 Chalice of the Void

1 Phyrexian Metamorph

 

4 Wasteland

1 Strip Mine

1 Tolarian Academy

1 City of Traitors

4 Ancient Tomb

4 Mishra’s Workshop

4 Mishra’s Factory

 

SB

2 Phyrexian Revoker

3 Duplicant

4 Witchbane Orb

2 Tormod’s Crypt

4 Grafdigger’s Cage

 

Top 8: Kevin Poenisch (Espresso Stax)

 

2 Platinum Angel

4 Lodestone Golem

1 Solemn Simulacrum

4 Phyrexian Metamorph

2 Sculpting Steel

1 Orb of Dreams

3 Tangle Wire

3 Smokestack

2 Crucible of Worlds

2 Goblin Welder

4 Chalice of the Void

2 Null Rod

4 Sphere of Resistence

2 Thorn of Amethyst

1 Sol Ring

1 Mox Ruby

1 Mox Sapphire

1 Black Lotus

 

4 Wasteland

1 Strip Mine

4 Mishra’s Workshop

4 Ancient Tomb

4 Cavern of Souls

1 Dust Bowl

1 Mountain

1 Tolarian Academy

 

SB

2 The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale

2 Pithing Needle

2 Goblin Welder

1 Relic of Progenitus

1 Crucible of Worlds

2 Thorn of Amethyst

1 Tangle Wire

1 Smokestack

2 Duplicant

1 Null Rod

 

Top 8: Monty Wonnacott (RUG Delver)

 

4 Tarmogoyf

3 Delver of Secrets

3 Snapcaster Mage

2 Vendillion Clique

4 Lightning Bolt

4 Gush

4 Force of Will

3 Preordain

3 Mental Misstep

2 Flusterstorm

2 Spell Pierce

2 Steel Sabotage

1 Fire // Ice

1 Brainstorm

1 Ancient Grudge

1 Ancestral Recall

1 Time Walk

1 Mox Ruby

1 Mox Sapphire

1 Mox Emerald

1 Black Lotus

 

4 Volcanic Island

4 Tropical Island

4 Polluted Delta

1 Scalding Tarn

1 Misty Rainforest

1 Island

 

SB

2 Ancient Grudge

1 Red Elemental Blast

1 Pyroblast

3 Nature’s Claim

2 Grafdigger’s Cage

2 Trygon Predator

4 Surgical Extraction

 

Top 8: Raja Sulaiman (BUG Fish)

 

4 Deathrite Shaman

4 Dark Confidant

3 Snapcaster Mage

1 Scavenging Ooze

2 Trygon Predator

4 Abrupt Decay

4 Force of Will

1 Vampiric Tutor

1 Demonic Tutor

1 Brainstorm

1 Ancestral Recall

1 Mystical Tutor

1 Time Walk

1 Jace, the Mind Sculptor

3 Spell Pierce

3 Mental Misstep

1 Flusterstorm

1 Steel Sabotage

1 Nature’s Claim

1 Null Rod

1 Mox Jet

1 Mox Emerald

1 Mox Sapphire

1 Black Lotus

 

3 Wasteland

1 Strip Mine

3 Polluted Delta

2 Verdant Catacombs

1 Misty Rainforest

3 Tropical Island

3 Underground Sea

1 Bayou

 

SB

1 Null Rod

1 Nature’s Claim

2 Grafdigger’s Cage

1 Flusterstorm

2 Snuff Out

2 Dismember

1 Mental Misstep

2 Yixlid Jailer

3 Surgical Extraction

 

Top 8: Chris Livingston (Workshop Affinity)

 

1 Mox Jet

1 Mox Emerald

1 Mox Pearl

1 Mox Sapphire

1 Mox Ruby

1 Mana Crypt

1 Mana Vault

1 Sol Ring

1 Thorn of Amethyst

1 Memory Jar

4 Memnite

4 Phyrexian Revoker

4 Skullclamp

4 Tangle Wire

4 Arcbound Ravager

4 Lodestone Golem

4 Genesis Chamber

2 Steel Overseer

3 Frogmite

4 Signal Pest

 

1 Tolarian Academy

1 Wasteland

1 Strip Mine

2 Gaea’s Cradle

4 Mishra’s Workshop

4 Ancient Tomb

 

SB

2 Dismember

3 Witchbane Orb

4 Grafdigger’s Cage

2 Tormod’s Crypt

2 Phyrexian Metamorph

2 Thorn of Amethyst

[Grand Inquisitor]

Thanks for posting.  Congrats on getting your scene jump started again.  Having played something similar recently, I had some questions on your list...

3 Dark Confidant

Although I was originally opposed, as the metagame became more and more attrition based I really came to see the value in a full set of Bobs.  Do you have a specific reason (life loss?) or is this outcompeted by a specific card in your 60?  Or do you just not want four?

1 Toxic Deluge

Do you think this is a consistent MD card?  How much might this have to do with your local metagame expectations (that's a pretty beefy T8)?

0 Abrupt Decay

I remember another thread about ADecay and I think you had an unfavorable opinion on this card.  I can't find the thread and I don't recall specifics.  Is it mana issues?  It's been great for me, as a catchall and even against stuff like Merfolk where (ostensibly) it's tough to cast.

[forests failed you]

Hey G.I.

I.  I am always kind of worried about playing with Dark Confidant and dying to blind flips.  I felt that the mana curve in this deck is a little big higher than most Grixis Control type decks AND I really wanted to play Thoughtseize (more than I wanted Bob).  So, I cut back on one Confidant to try and mitigate the chances of having to play out two Dark Confidants and hope for the best.  I also have a lot of ways to try and control the Bob flips in here, which helps with that angle.

II.  Toxic Deluge was an absolute all star.  I tutored for it multiple times and there were at least two games that I would have lost without it in my deck.  In a deck with a lot of Tutors that is trying to go big I am of the opinion it is automatic to play the card, especially in a creature heavy metagame.

III.  I am just not in love with Abrupt Decay.  The primary reason is that it almost always trades down.  Not to mention that it is really hard to cast, most of the time it will require two land drops worth of mana to put the spell online to trade with a one or two drop.  The flexibility is nice, but the cost is just too steep for me.  Most of the cards that I would target with an Abrupt Decay can also be destroyed via Nature's Claim, and Claim can also hit Lodestone, Smokestack, and Kuldotha for less than half the price.  It is also a card that seems much to reactive for my taste.  Most of my cards are proactive OR enable me to be proactive. 

[Bibendum]

Hey any idea what cards are missing from the other finalists list? Seems interesting. It just looks to be 2 cards short.