15-20 man T1 tourny in Northern CA, *5th*

[Criticism]

So we head up to Newark's C&J Collectibes Thursday.  My friend Max (Spevack on this board) is playing Academy, and I borrow the cards for Nether Void from him.  It's what I believe to be a card-for-card copy of Zherbus' Nether Void deck, except that the power is replaced by 2 swamps.

The sideboard looks like this:
1x Keg
3x Dystopia
4x Contagion
2x Masticore
4x Flesh Reaver (prob should be Negator, but didn't have em)

Round 1:  Games 1&2
A young kid named Raiyaan (sp?) playing a 80 card black / white deck.  I win pretty quickly with shade.  After the round, I spend some time suggesting some cards for him (StP, etc).  Competative T1 decks tend to make you feel like a real jerk sometimes =P.

Round 2:  Fully-powered Keeper (Andrew Huang)
Game 1:  I keep a hand packed with strips.  I believe I strip one Dual, sinkhole another, and my opponents next land is a wasteland.  I duress somtime and see an Edict.  Unfortunately, I ritual out a Hyppie into the edict.  In retrospect, I should have wasted his waste, then laid the Mishra, and ritualed out the Void.  My opponent also makes a misplay of not YawgWilling back a land and playing Sol Ring.  That would have allowed Abyss the next turn, which is definetly bad times.  I eventually play a Void, and a second Mishra's after my first is stripped and it serves for 20.

Game 2: I board out Kegs for Flesh Reavers.  My theory here was to have more damage sources.  This is against Zherbus' advice in the primer (he recommends you keep Kegs in and bring in Negators for the Shades).  Since I hadn't played void since today, I honestly don't know what's right.  This game is kind of a blur for me, I remember drawing an extremely good hand though, and I win from there.

Round 3:  I'm paired against Max, but we've just bought Pizza so we draw and eat.  We played a few test games beforehand and we split them 2-2, unsideboarded.  It seems like the matchup involves little to no skill on the Nether Void players' part.  My only advice is, that I go for Hymn over Sinkhole, unless there is an academy on the table.  Hyppie is too slow, and try to dump your hand even if it involves wasting because you'll most likely be drawing a new one.

Round 4: My round 2 opponent's older brother (Peter).  He's playing a Tools n Tubbies deck that features the Illusionary Mask combo.  I reason that casting Void after Mask has resolved is much like ripping off your right arm and beating yourself over the head.  So... I'm not too happy about the matchup.

Game 1:  I  mull to 6, hoping to get to a keg.  I don't, but keep it anyway.  This might have been an interesting game, however, my opponent goes Lotus, Mask, Dreadnaught.  I do something useless (I hymn away some incarnation and another Mask).  And my opponent untaps and Dreadnaughts again.  

Game 2:  I sideboard out 4 hyppies (I think they are too slow), 1 Void, and 1 something else and board in 3 Dystopia's (for Survival), 2 Cores (welder / blocking big artifacts), and 1 Keg (Dreadnaught, Welder).  This is probably too many Dystopia's and too few Contagions.

I manage to mana screw my opponent by denying him colored mana.  He doesn't have the Mask/ Dreadnaught.  Since there's little pressure on me, I cast Necro, and start drawing cards.  I trade a shade with a Juggernaut, but with my gradual card advantage I'm able to keep him light on mana and play threats.  Eventually I cast a Yawgmoth's will into ritual, ritual, Keg, Shade, Diabolic Tutor (for Void).  I void the next turn, and win with the shade.

Game 3: I keep a two keg hand, and am pretty happy with it.  My opponent gets a Mask and welder on the table, and is constantly memory jarring (cast via Workshop).  The only thing I have in my graveyard are some Masticores, so I don't think he wants to Weld my keg.  After one Jar, my opponent lays three facedown creatures.  I drop another keg, and keg for zero, my opponent reveals his guys so he ends up with like 2 welders (1 tapped) and two Naughts.  Then I keg for one, the naughts and tapped welder go away, but the untapped welder, welds something bad into play because Anger is in the graveyard (I'm at like 8 life).  I die shortly after.

I'm very impressed with this deck.  It's very neat to see it go.

So I finish 2-1-1, 5th.  I encourage everyone to show up at this tourney.  It's great sanctioned T1.

o.

[Green Knight]

Thanks for the report Criticism!

Good luck on the next T1,

Zach

[NaClhv]

Nice, entertaining report.  I couldn't make it because it was the first week of school, but in the weeks to come I should be able to make it down sporatically.  You know, its kinda funny how you and Max never seems to be in the same tournament with the guys that I play with (except last week).  Hopefully we'll catch each other more frequently in the weeks to come.

It looks like you had some pretty tough matchups.  It's good to see reports from C&J's where we get to showcase a lot of strong decks; It shows the strength of our metagame.

How did the top 4 look like this week?

[Zherbus]

Nice report.

Now here is where I speak up and say things about your build, the sideboard really. First thanks for using the deck

Quote The sideboard looks like this:
1x Keg
3x Dystopia
4x Contagion
2x Masticore
4x Flesh Reaver (prob should be Negator, but didn't have em)

My version (sb-wise) has altered. First, Contagion usually costs 2 cards and is really only good against cards that powder keg are good against. Spinning Darkness is a better weapon against early juggernauts. (Imagine a simple and likely ritual-hymn/sinkhole-duress, then spinning darkness that first turn Ubernaut.)

Secondly, I stopped building my sideboard so its less consistant and less consult friendly. In other words 3 Masticores is a good number, and the  rest of the reavers should be edicts.

Here is what I have together now, inspired by the asskicking workshop decks give me. (Maindeck is still the same)

3 Dystopia
3 Masticore
3 Diabolic Edict (Chainers wouldnt be bad, but diabolics can make su-chi's suck)
1 Powder Keg
4 Spinning Darkness
1 Open Slot (Either Masticore #4, Dry Spell, or whatever tickles me from seeing who shows up)

I think in your area, if anything, perhaps a few tormods crypts would work alright.

[spevack]

Quote
Round 3:  I'm paired against Max, but we've just bought Pizza so we draw and eat.  We played a few test games beforehand and we split them 2-2, unsideboarded.  It seems like the matchup involves little to no skill on the Nether Void players' part.

Pizza is strictly better than Academy vs. Void.  What a lame matchup.  <SARCASM>Plus, we have to protect our ratings, since they're SO FREAKING IMPORTANT.</SARCASM>

I'm becoming a big fan of Void as well, and I'm also losing faith in Academy and Keeper very quickly -- Academy because despite everyone's best efforts, you still just scoop to control, and Keeper because it just sees so much hate that it can't ever get a break.

Andrew (Criticism) and I PTQ'd on Saturday in Sacramento with some friends, but I actually didn't scrub out so no more begging Brian Weissman for Keeper mirror matches.  Andrew made top 8 though, and our other friend Tom won the whole darn thing.  Good times.

[Razor]

Quote That would have allowed Abyss the next turn, which is definetly bad times.  I eventually play a Void, and a second Mishra's after my first is stripped and it serves for 20.

Well, I don't know if you noticed or not, but since The Abyss is an Enchant World, your Nether Void gets rid of it.

[Criticism]

Green Knight:  Thanks, I'll let you guys know how to next one goes.

NaClvh:  Yeah, I hope to play against you guys sometime.  Definetly will make the tournament more interesting.  There was this period where Max or I were constantly out of town, so we didn't make it to the tourney as often as we'd like.

I don't remember but some of the top decks were TnT with Mask, Keeper with Oath (Fishhead's), and janky blue/black control with Shadowmages.

Zherbus:  Thanks for designing the deck and the sideboard update.  I think you're definetly right about the Contagions, I didn't feel like boarding them in at all.  I was wondering, though, what you thought about Planar Void in the board.  It would deal with Welder recursion, worldgorger, and Oath but would negate Spinning Darkness' usefulness.

Max:  I definetly played Mono Black at the PTQ too...  Am I turning into a Black Mage forever?

Razor:  I think I knew that.  I can't remember the round anymore though.  Thanks, though.

[Zherbus]

Quote Zherbus:  Thanks for designing the deck and the sideboard update.  I think you're definetly right about the Contagions, I didn't feel like boarding them in at all.  I was wondering, though, what you thought about Planar Void in the board.  It would deal with Welder recursion, worldgorger, and Oath but would negate Spinning Darkness' usefulness.

Planar Void is great early game, which means youll have to run at least three, while tormods is better later on which lets you run only 2. That tends to make me drift towards crypt, so I can use other sb slots towards things like fat creatures. Also, dystopia kills Survivals, dont forget.

[Raziel]

Quote  Andrew made top 8 though, and our other friend Tom won the whole darn thing.  Good times.

Congrats for Sat. Criticism(Andrew). Maybe you or Tom could post a report over in the type II/ OBC area. I missed watching the Top 8 playoffs. Hope to play you guys Thursday @ C&J.