Winner 5 Moxen T1.5 Tourney

This is the tournament report for the type 1.5, 5 moxen tournament at A-Z on 11-10-02

Please note that this is a pretty long report, so if you don't want to read all of the "Extras", please skip all of the intro and prologue, and shoot straight for the rounds.

For deck list, as always, it is at the bottom.

-------Prologue-------

I had tried Turbo Nevyn, and mono Blue landstill, but ended up settling on U/G Oath.

Jerry Moon and Dan Scott, two friends from work (Hallmark), and I Play tested pretty intensely every day at lunch, for the last month+ some, for this tournament. Jerry and Dan were unsure if they were going to make it to the tourney, so they mainly made net.dec’s for me to test against.

I primarily played vs Enchantress, Sligh, and Void, since I predicted that void and Sligh would be common.

As for the Enchantress Squirrel-Craft deck, Brian Pierce, the best player that I know, has been piloting that bad boy for months in T1 tourneys and cleaning house with it. Since the deck only had to change like 4 cards, I anticipated he would play it at this large event as well, so I wanted to be prepared for this tough match-up.

After SB I Sauseaged void, did pretty good against Sligh, but as for that Squirrel-Craft shite, only did about 40-60%… not very happy about that., but without just going crazy vs it, I decided to just take my chance with it.

-------Intro-------

The Night before the big even, John aka Drkavngr came over to my hose and we play tested. John ran Illusionary broken with a splash of blue for impulse and Lim-dual’s Vault and for Chill and hibernation SB.

Before and after SB, My oath went about 70-30%, so I was feeling good about that, but not about how frustrated John was.

John creamed Sligh, 1st - 2nd turn 12/12 is a little difficult to deal with in any deck, but Sligh just scooped.

Just to increase the speed of these games, if he had 1st turn combo, he’d just show me the cards, and we’d shuffle for game 2.

I went out to john’s house, and stayed the night, after staying up super late testing and gaming.

Next morning, John and I went to Miccy D’s to get some Miccy grub into our Miccy bellies, before the Miccy tournament (OK Freddie, not funny anymore). All I had was a 5 dollar Bill, so I ordered a Super sized big mac value meal, not for health food reasons (as I usually try to be semi-mindful of that) but because it was cheap. With tax it came out to be, you guessed it $5.00… luck was on my side already! MICCY KICK ASS!

After the meal, John gave me a piece of Eclipse gum; this will matter later in the report.

We get to the tournament in right when they were starting to sign up, only 5 people before me.
I saw Jerry Moon there, I was really surprised, pleasantly to see him, as I thought for sure it was a no-go for him.

He had thrown together 2 decks, a mono Black and a stompy… ended up playing mono black, and going 3-2, but dropping just so he could watch others play.

Jerry and I played a few games before the tourney started, me using Sligh, as I know bitches be scouting like a mo-fo up at these events, and I wanted to surprise.

Rounds were called with everyone thinking I was playing Sligh, and we were off to the tables.

-------Round 1------- Match Status: 0-0

Jeff: G/r/w Mana elves/ Winter Orb/ Armageddon 2-0

I have seen Jeff around a little, but had never played against him.

Game 1: Jeff lays taiga Llanowar Elf, and then stalls on that 1 land, that he wild growths, but I waste, getting a sweet 2 for 1 deal.

Jeff spends like 5 turns trying to set up mana elves, with no other mana… NO LANDS, which is cool with me, since I had impulsed and got an oath. Jeff takes advantage of this and drops winter orb, and I gulp, since almost all my land is tapped. I go crazy with Oahing guys and besides a 6 point Kaveric's torch to my dome, I am pretty unscathed.

SB: None.

Game 2: Jeff gets a 1st turn wall of roots, pitching an Elvish Spirit Guide, and I get a 2nd turn Oath.

I kill him with little effort, with crazy Morphlings, pumped with Feeder counters; I love swinging for 16 with 2 Morphlings in a single attack step.

-------Round 2-------- Match Status: 1-0

Ken: A weird 4-color deed regeneration creatures deck is this Roc and Minions? 1-2

Apparently Ken used to be heavy into magic a few years ago, got married, sold all his cards, got divorced, and now is getting back in to the game. He’s a good player, but I think he knows it, and allows it to negatively influence him.

Game 1: Ken casts a morph creature, and although I have a drain, I decide to see what it is, since I had 3 count them THREE impulses, I though I’d see oath, and just race, or infinite block… WRONG it was some angel that has a built in spirit link, what a mistake on my part!

My impulses yield me little more then fetch lands, and sylvan… I am just spanked!

SB: um… I was unsure what the hell I could SB, +1 Naturalize, -1 Misdirection. Because I figured city of solitude or something would come in on his side, and Misdirection seemed less then useful.

Game 2: I get the Oath thing going, near infinite life, and counters on my treetops, In this game, Ken plows one of my Morphlings, when I tapped out at eot for an impulse, AHHH I am a dumb ass.

He ends up scooping exclaiming to everyone within earshot that he lost HIMSELF the game since he had deeded earlier, and lost all his man creatures.

He then turns and tells anyone that is looking at him or the match, that lost the game himself, since he deeded away all the mana creatures, he says this no less then 2 time, but may have been more, I kind of blocked it out.

Even though I did not acknowledge what he was saying, I guess this is true, I mean, 2 Llanowar elves, and a BOP + Deed = Not a combo.

Game 3: This dude draws, and I kid you not, 3 Treetop Villages, and 3 Mishra’s Factories… WTF!?!?!!?

I am unable to deal, and curl up dying to the onslaught of never ending anti control lands.

I am a good sport, but I felt that I had gotten stiffed on the end of unluckiness… that’s the game though, and sometimes I am on the other side of that luck.

-------Round 3-------- Match Status: 1-1

Ethan: White Weenie w/ lots of shadow dudes 2-0

I don’t know this guy at all, but he was wearing black GLOVES a black leather jacket, and had a pair of black sunglasses looped in his black T-shirt.

Unless this guy was going to leave right from the tournament, and jump straight into a porcha and go race on the autobahn, in a 1980’s "montage" movie… he was dressed unusually.

The only reason I did not comment, to him, was that it was possible that he had OCD, or another disorder, that kept him from allowing his hands to be exposed???

I left it alone.

Game 1: He gets out 2 Crusade and a Glorious Anthem and an Empyreal Armored long Bow Archer.

I lay Oath, and have infinite blockers, but I have no way to deal him damage. So I just go up to like 38 life, draw like 4 extra cards from Sylvan, then finally find one of the three kegs in my deck, charge it up, and kill the archer, and swing freely with many creatures. Despite his attempt to drop his hand full of white knights, I easily win

SB: + None

Game 2: See game 1, the only difference, is that he removed my spike feeder with honor of the fallen… I had like 4 counters in my hand, but who cares about that? 1 less feeder = more Morphling sausaging. He should have saved it for a later stage in the game, to try and remove a bunch of critters from my craven and his, netting him a good life and significant victory.

Dispute the whole unusual dressing thing, Ethan was a nice guy, and comical, as shuffling made the sharp corners of our sleeves stick into his gloves and he always messed up the decks… kinda goofy.

-------Round 4------- Match Status: 2-1

Joe: White Weenie w/ lots of shadow dudes, friend of Ethan, similar decks 2-1

Joe is a nice guy, really good sport, and I enjoyed playing him, no unusual quirks, other then his affinity at drawing SPIRIT LINK (you’ll see).

Game 1: I keep an opening hand with no oath, but 2 impulse and a brainstorm… no help.

Joe beats my head in with shadow creature after shadow creature until I am DEAD DEAD DEAD!

SB: +3 Phyrexian Furnace, -1 Misdirection, -1 Counter Spell, -1 Sylvan
The SB was not because he had ANY graveyard recursion, but because I had been holding those freaking cards last game, and they were dead then, so I just got rid of ‘em and put in "cycling " cards… so they would be NOT dead… stupid, but they helped.

Game 2: I have a 2nd turn oath, but he has 2 soul wardens, and 2 shadow dudes with 2 spirit links on one of them!!!!

We are both breaking even life wise. I am swinging with a Morphling, with 2 F0eeder counters on it, and gaining 2-4 life a turn (feeder and 2 oaths) he is gaining no less then 6 life a turn, 4 from the shadow dude, and then 2 more from my Oathed creature and his 2 soul wardens.

He draws 2 more spirit links in a row, Which struck me as so funny in the middle of this tense game I start laughing for about 2 minutes and commenting that he was the spirit link master and the sprit linkenest drawen mo-fo I had ever met… I did have 2 naturalizes for those 2 spirit links though… I eventually have a Morphling with 4 counters and another with 3 counters, and win.

Game 3: He draws 4 spirit links again, this time 2 are invested into a Paladin en-vec, that I keg away, and the others are on a soul warden.

-------Interlude-------

At the end of the 4th round Kevin Greene had been paired off against Craig, playing Full English Breakfast. At some time in the match, Craig got a Hypnox in the graveyard, and then cast a shapeshifter… all hell broke loose!

Green argued that although the shape shifter would be a beefy 8/8 Flying Trampler, he would not get the CIP ability that Hypnox has.

Craig argued (Correctly?) the contrary, and although the judge, Mike Miner, ruled for Craig, Greene and a few others were so adamant, and loud and pushy, that Mike (and all the rest of A-Z) kept listening to the arguments, back and forth.

This got louder and louder, until all the occupants were looking in that direction, and were anticipating some sort of fight to break out.

Eventually Craig and Miner found the specific errata and rulings online to support Craig and Greene begrudgingly went along with it.

We were all surprised that the "debate" did not escalate into an actual fight.

-------Round 5------- Match Status: 3-1

Kevin Greene (2nd place T1 Kansas): Mono B Nether Void 2-0

Greene is a really good player, used to be #1 in the state for T1, is now #2. I have allot of respect for Greene

Game 1: I drain an early SinkHole, and lay Morphling… he cannot cope 4 turns later = death.

SB: + 3 compost, +2 Misdirection, -1 Naturalize (I didn’t know that he had voids in the deck) –2 Feeder, -1 fetch land?, -1 Sylvan

Game 2: Greene mulligan down to 5 cards, and I draw first, so I was pretty confident for this game. I misdirect a hymn. And get a 2nd turn compost. I draw a Morphling, and cast him tapping out… I care not if he deals with him; I just wanna see what happens, with my compost on the table.

I had another misdirect, I was hoping for a hymn, since if he did, I misdirect, snag 2 more black cards, and I draw 3 would be pretty good for me. Instead, he casts ritual, I draw, and then he lays a disk, I have a naturalize, so I am cool with it, then he edicts me, fine, I draw another card.

I drop a keg and build it up to 4 counters, although Greene was saving the disk for my 2nd Morphling, or an oath, he had no choice, so he blows the disk to kill off the compost and the keg.

Greene then casts Nether void, when I have 2 treetops and a Wasteland for his Mishra’s… I say "ok", and waste the factory, swing for 6, and he scoops, saying, "Well, you didn’t take the bait." He was hoping that the Nether Void would be an auto counter for me… are you kidding? With all my mana, I usually have out, I am usually pretty happy when my opponent casts it!

-------Round 6------- Match Status: 4-1

Luke: Mono B Nether Void 2-1

Luke is an acquaintance of mine, just got into magic about 6-7 months ago, and already own P10, and 4 Nether Voids, allot of duals, ect… just fanatical, but I think he has a genuine desire to be the best player he can be, and that is really important.

Luke is ex- military, so he is a big guy, pretty nice to play against and always willing to listen to advise.

I am a little miffed at this match, since Luke is 3-2, I was surprised that I would have gotten paired off against him. On top of that, there was some sort of misunderstanding that Luke thought if he won against me, that he would make top 8. This ended up being not true, but since he thought it was, he was playing for keeps. Not to say he shouldn’t, but the best that he could do is just spin me out, and that’s it.

IF he knew that, I think he would have left, since he wanted to go home, and was only staying, since someone mis-explained the rules of pairings to him.

Game 1: I get out a sylvan, and an oath, get up to like 50 life or something, and he drops Void… um ok, I will never miss another land drop.

I kill him under the void.

SB: + 3 compost, +2 Misdirection, +1 Naturalize, –2 Feeder, -1 Counter Spell, -1 Sylvan, -1 Fetchland, -1?

Game 2: He rocks me with an early shade, and a friggen Dystopia… that card is so good… I would just prefer that I didn’t see it on the other side of the table.

SB: + 2 feeder, -1 counter, -1 misdirection
This was a knee stupid jerk reaction, to having my life total depleted so fast, it was a mistake, but I pulled it out despite my stupidity.

Game 3: He drops a shade and starts working my life total, I get out an Oath, he lays Dystopia, but I am able to oath once… Oathing out a freaking feeder! UGH.

For whatever reason Luke had SB’ed Perish, although this was a mistake on his part, it ended up being good for him, since I was a dork and brought back in the Feeders. He happened to see one of the perishes and used it to kill the feeder, then swung with the shade, leaving me with an iffy life total, and only lands in play…

Just like the "Good" (good, meaning anyone could have done that) player that I am, I top deck a Morphling, and tap out to cast it… "Now or never" kind of thing. He makes the mistake of edicting me before attacking, and it gets all extra misdirected way back up on into his face… NO SHADE!!!!! WOO HOOOO!!!!

He does top deck another shade and is able to take me to TWO life, but I win… if he had edicted me AFTER the attack, he would have won.

-------Round 7 (1st round top 8)------- Match Status: 5-1

Evan: Mono U Standstill 2-0

A few years ago, when I first stated attending tournaments, and before I owned any power, I played in a few T2 tournaments. Evan was "THE" man at that time, abusing the hell out of Rebels to win every T2 tournament at A-Z.

Game 1: He lays a 2nd turn standstill, with 7 cards in hand… um ok, at eot, I’ll impulse, you discard 3.

This happens 2 more times, the last time, with him holding 6 cards, so the standstill replaced itself, and that’s all.

This puts Evan in a bad, "I’m going to deck" situation, and we both know it.

I just sit back and lay land, and build up all counters… I plan to simply sit back and wait, and make him try something, no time limit in top 8= "You deck buddy!"

He casts Morphling, I drain, he drains, I counter, he FOW, I Mis-D.

He casts a 2nd Morphling, I FOW, Pitching a FOW. He scoops

SB: + 2 Mis-D, +1 Naturalize, -2 Feeder, -1 Oath

I am anticipating B2B.

Game 2: He casts a standstill, and my next 2 land drops are treetops. He scoops… at TWENTY life.

I try to get him to reconsider, and he says "Nah, I only have 2 Dust Bowl in the deck, and those things are gonna kill me." I said "Dude, you’re at TWENTY life, and have Mishra’s and Morphlings in the deck too." As he is scooping he pauses and says, " No, I couldn’t have killed them."

Well OK but… WTF???

-------Round 8 (Semi-Finals)------- Match Status: 6-1

Craig: Full English Breakfast 2-1

I thought this guy was playing the Raisin Brand Alluren Combo… but I was unpleasantly surprised, I just didn’t know what all went into FEB.

Game 1: I drain 3 spells, counter 1 and FOW 1… Morph, and he scoops, complaining about all the counters… whatever, I can only play what I draw, and impulse into.

SB: + 1 Naturalize, +3 Phyrexian Furnace, -2 Feeder, -1 Misdirection, -1 Fetchland?

Game 2: He gets the confusing combo, shapeshifter + dreadnought + flowstone dude = death for me.

Do’h!

Game 3: This is one long ass game.

He gets out a B2b, and then a B2b, and a survival, I get out 2 Furnaces, and a keg. With 80% of my mana all pinned down and with no Naturalize in sight, just like the "Good" player that I am top deck the lone forest in the deck… full filling the prediction for that 1 forest, and then top deck 2 islands in a row. I am functional, but not doing that great.

I get out 2 oaths, and a Morph… answering the Morphling of his, and we just sort of camp out… we end up trading Morphlings, and I Oath out another (he had some other little bitch ass creature) and I go to town, he has no graveyard, to abuse survival.

I have 2 cards in hand, a drain, and a keg, he survivals, pitching a Hypnox, then casts a shapeshifter. I understood that he was a copy of it, but thought I would have a chance to respond after he came into play, using the stack, with a furnace or something. However it was stated that the shapeshifter had the traits of the Hypnox, or that it was a static ability, something like that.

Like the dumb ass that I am, I remove the Hypnox from the graveyard, then I keg for 3 killing the shapeshifter… I am confused on this, but the judge said that the cards were removed from game permanently, and that I WOULD have gotten them back, if I had kegged first???

Whatever

It was a long time later, I finally got him to 5, and the turn before I was to kill him, He laid a shapeshifter, I was cool with it, since he had no cards in graveyard (I love those furnaces!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) then he cast Ravenous Balog, or some shit, I allowed it, he gains 4, then the shape shifter becomes a copy, without me having an opportunity to respond with the furnace (since he has priority), and he ends up gaining 8 life!

Well, I kill him anyway.

I felt that this was the only actual bad sport that I played, I guess I understand, since he had 2 B2B and Survival, etc on the board, and I won anyway… sometimes it just works out this way, on the good side of the luck thing.

-------Round 9 (Finals)------- Match Status: 7-1

Brian Pierce: Green/ White Squirrel-Craft Enchantress 2-0

Any of you that were at the old Beyond Domina, or have read any of my previous tournament reports here, should recall the immense amount of respect that I have for Pierce.

He is the BEST player I know, super nice, and always willing to give advise, crack a joke, and laugh at his own defeat.

He is an awesome ambassador for the game, looking through kids 8000 crappy card collection, making them half way descend decks, and not complaining about it.

He is also a hell of a rogue deck builder… after he starts playing a new deck, usually 2-3 other players in the metagame will copy it.

I told pierce 2-3 times through out the day, when we saw each other, that I was rooting for him, win or lose, he is still the best player there at the tourney.

Game 1: I go 1st, and just drop an island, Pierce has a 1st turn Eledamri’s Vineyard. I use that mana for a keg, and then drain a spell of his, and drop a Morphling next turn. He attempts to Orim’s chant me with the 2 vineyard mana floating on his next turn, and I misdirect it to him… the 1 misdirect in the deck, he burns for 2, and I sinch up the game in short order.

SB: + 1 Naturalize, +2 Tranquil Domain, +3 Phyrexian Furnace, +2 misdirection, -4 Oath, -2 Feeder, -2 Wasteland

I was unsure about the wastelands, but I was willing to take the chance, and I was hoping for the chance to misdirect me some Squirrel Nest goodness.

All that play testing, and I was already up 1 game, I was starting to feel like, I may do it.

Game 2: Pierce lays another 1st turn Eledamri’s Vineyard. I use it to lay a keg, next turn, he used vineyard mana to cast a sylvan, although I don’t really want him to have it, I say ok, then he taps out to cast a sterling Grove, I am ok with it as well.

Next turn I win the game.

Not for dealing 20 points of damage, but because I use 2 Vineyard mana for a Tranquil Domain. Since pierce is tapped out, he is unable to even use sterling grove, and never had a chance to sylvan.

3 for 1 is pretty good I hear, and I drew first… much advantage on my side of the board.

I didn’t even have to tap my own mana!

I counter a few attempts at replenish, and then apply the beats with Treetop Villages.

He tries for a Squirrel Nest and I misdirect it with one of the THREE, that’s THREE Misdirections in my hand, and at 9 life, and 2 treetops staring at him, Pierce scoops.

I have never beaten pierce with this deck in T1, but I was pretty prepared, and it paid off here in 1.5.

-------Epilogue-------

For 1st place I had my choice of the 5 moxen, Beta Sapphire (NM condition), Beta Jet (G Condition), Unl Ruby (played condition), Unl Emerald (played condition), and an Unl Pearl (NM condition).

I asked if pierce primarily wanted the pearl, and Emerald for his deck, and he said "Yes". I did not take the pearl, which would have probably gotten me more money / trade towards my long coveted Beta/ Alpha lotus, but what can I say, I got lucky vs the best player I know, and if he wants that Emerald and Pearl, he’ll get that Emerald and Pearl. I still made out pretty good for the $20.00 entry.

After the tournament, I got a ride with Jessy, one of the other players there (since John had to go to work). On the way home I was able to reflect and discuss with Jessy, Dave aka Black Explosion, and Reitz, aka Reitz about the tourney in general, and specific plays that I screwed up on, or was good with…

We all discussed the brokeness of Full English Breakfast, and how full of a deck it must be to play, unless there are rules questions that almost lead to a brawl.

Since I had to shuffle SO much, with all the Oathng, I now have a shuffling callous on my left hand, since that is were I hold the corner of the deck as riffling… although Jerry Moon says that the callous is not from shuffling… nice.

When I got home, I realized that I had been Chewing that piece of Eclipse gum that john aka Drkavngr had given me after lunch for the entire tournament and ride home, just about 10 hours. Not only had it lost its flavor, and become a little hard ball of silly putty, but also it had made my jaw ache so much I could barely eat dinner.

Sheesh, magic be messing me all up!

-------

Here is my Deck list:

Type 1.5, 2 Color Oath

Blue: (19)
Morphling: 2
Impulse: 4
Brainstorm: 2
Mana Drain: 4
Force of Will: 4
Counter Spell: 2
Misdirection: 1

Green: (12)
Spike Feeder: 2
Oath of Druids: 4
Gea’s Blessing: 2
Sylvan Library: 1
Naturalize: 3

Artifact: (3)
Powder Keg: 3

Mana Sources: (26)
Wasteland: 4
Tropical Island: 4
Yavimya Coast: 3
Treetop Village: 3
Polluted Delta: 3
Windswept Heath: 2
Forest: 1
Island: 6

SideBoard: (15)
Blue Elemental Blast: 4
Compost: 3
Phyrexian Furnace: 3
Misdirection: 2
Tranquil Domain: 2
Naturalize: 1

-------If you have read this far down, you won’t mind a few Props and Slops-------

Props:
*A-Z comics: For hosting a great event.
*John aka Drkavngr: For Play testing so much with me, and giving me a ride
*Jerry Moon: being one hell of a good sport, every time he plays the game, and introducing me to the higher level mechanics and thinking of Magic.
*Dan Scott: For Play testing everyday for a month with me and Jerry, even though he didn’t go to the tourney.
*Jessy: for giving me a ride.
*Pierce: For being the best player that I know, and a great ambassador of the game.
*Dave aka Black Explosion: For just being so damn sexy… if you reading this Dave, we all know you got that seriously sweet ass!

Slops:
*Shapeshifter and Dreadnought: = Broken "Ass" combo
*Illusionary Mask and Dreadnought: = Broken "Ass" combo
*Mana Creatures and Deed: = Not a combo
*Eclipse gum and my Jaw: = Not a combo

Thanks for reading!

-Freddie\n\n