401 in toronto

[bebe]

There was a tournament in Toronto today that i had no intention of playing in. I had gone to visit Leon ( owner of Hairy T's) and play test my TnT deck. We had been working on it for a little while. When i got there he had our old Duck Tape  deck built ( I call it this because the Psyduck version is very close to the one he built). Leon said the deck performed better overall then TnT and we should give it another shot. So iu played about six games against both aggro and control and liked it all over again. Down the street a typew 1 tournament was starting in an hour with Lam and a lot of the boys from thos site so I went over and signed up.
I played three or games before the actual tournament and had no problem beating a Phid deck and an aggro deck.

match one
The tournament started and I got a a Deed/Funk type deck first. I had maindecked two Caps for a Tangle and Stack in my list and managed to Cap away twop Deeds not knowing he was holding another two. No matter. I Smokestacked/Meditated him out after a long drawn out battle where he never got a Deed in play.
Game two ran out of time. I mulliganed twice and still delayed my opponent long enough with Tangle Wires to run out the clock (without stalling). He was going to kill me with Mishra's but I had Tsabos. By now I had been playing two and a half hours and was getting tired. My wife called and said I had to be home in another hour and half (I won't go into this) so I figured i had a another match in me.  

match two
I get paired with Lam who just won regionals and the Montreal tournament. I had beaten him already in testing so i am confident. Game one was rough. Lam got a few spells countered and  eventually got a Morph on th4e table that laughrd at my Wire/Stack lock. I tinkered a Karn but was outraced.
Game two is another marathon. I get three Grids on the table and eventually lock him down and he is forced to concede because he wants a match win and not a draw.
Game three - we know time will run out. I had sided in Trisks and Fire/Ices and was sure I could deal with the Morph and the Meddling Mages that Lam brought from the side. Never got to finish him off but he knows he lost to me three times in one day. I concede because I need to leave.

This is the current build without the maindeck Caps which i played today ( I put them in 'cause they are so much fun but they belong side).  

Mana Sources: 28
4 Mishra's Workshop
4 Volcanic Island
2 Shivan Reef
3 City of Traitors
Candelabra of Tawnos
Ancient Tomb
Tolarian Academy
Crosis's Catacombs
Lotus Petal
Mox Diamond
Mox Sapphire
Mox Ruby
Mox Pearl
Mox Jet
Mox Emerald
Sol Ring
Black Lotus
Grim Monolith
Mana Vault

The locks: 27
4 Defense Grid
4 Goblin Welder
4 Meditate
4 Smokestack / Cap main
4 Tangle Wire / Cap main
3 Tsabo's Web
2 Karn, Silver Golem
2 Null Brooch      

Restricted BS: 6
Tinker
Memory Jar
Timetwister
Ancestral Recall
Wheel of Fortune
Time Walk
      
SB:  4 Fire/Ice      
SB:  3 Jester's Cap
SB:  3 Triskellion
SB:  3 Tormod's Crypt
SB:  2 Snake Basket

I don't need Drakes. Triskellions rock. They bypass Moat, Humility and can surprise Morphs with Tangle/Stack lock.  Much better.
I often bring in the Baskets against aggro along with Fire/Ice and Trisks. They have no chance.  
Yes, I have a main deck Time Walk as my 61st card. I know it has no symettry with Tangle/Stack but early on it is great getting that extra turn.
Yes, two Karn. I would end up playing evn longer without the extra one. This deck tires me out.

My impressions:
I actually like the deck better than Fish and overall it is flexible and very powerful. I think it is even better against control than TnT and doesn't auto lose to combo. For those that have not played the deck yet, i encourage you to give it a try. Just make sure you are fresh and prepared because the deck takes a lot out of you.

[Anonymous]

The current build Psyduck and I have been running has changed greatly since the TOC and out performs the old deck. I really don't think duck wants his deck posted, so I'll just give some helpful hints. This deck wants colored mana, it wants as much mana as it can handle my version is running a split island mountain 2/2 where psyduck is 3/3. Also the full compliment of Shivan Reefs. Come on the catacombs was just for show, in TOC, drop it already. Also I have kept only 1 city of traitors and no tombs. Also have dropped down to one defense grid maindeck and 2 other tech cards. Also you need to have 4 tsabo's web, they are the heart and soul of this deck. Null Brooch also should not go beyond 1 and it is only is psyduck's deck because it is his signature card, I've decided to drop it altogether. GRIM MONOLITH? It doesn't add enough.

[specialk]

I will defend that phid deck bysaying that I got mana screwedI kept a hand on phid lotus and you deck came out to quick for me to wait out other lands.  I really think you should put it 4 webs because you want more cards an its toronto and you know everyone has Factories.

ps- Best Report yet

[bebe]

You could PM me your version and I will promise not to post it. I will be playing the deck next Sunday and can PM you the results... Tech is for sharing among friends...
I was mana screwed once so it needs some changes. Also the Brooch was pretty much buseless and I never once used the Candelabra.

[specialk]

If there where more Mono U at 401 then you would have used to Candelabra more or wanted to use it more

Edit: to help you out Mono U plays Back to Basics and that has a tendancy to wreck decks that don't play basic lands so tapping a few moxes to untap an Academy and Work shop would be a good thing and not slow you down too much.

[Anonymous]

Special K could you possibly add more to your post, your current comment sounds dumb because you obviously have no experience with the deck. I also just beat academy badly with this deck so another notch for ducktape.

[bebe]

Candelabra is useful but I can lock down a deck pretty quickly. An active Stack really hurts mono blue and i played a few mono blue decks. That being said I'm keeping one Candelabra and ading a few basics as suggested.
I was as skeptical as everyone else until I played this beast. It's a great deck with many answers and I'll keep my new list under wraps for now.
My only problem with the deck is that I find it exhausting to play and twice never finished rounds ... No breaks are hard.  I think that's why I liked Fish. Rounds were fast and easy on these old brain cells. I need to think hard before making any plays with this deck. For instance, Lam beat me in practice in a game I should have won because i cracked a Jar at the wrong time (yes, there is a wrong time for a jar). This deck takes some getting used to as ot has a lot of nuances.
I would love to see a full primer written up on the deck by the boys who invented its current incarnation. There was something of a mini-primer written but more information on match ups and choices would be nice.