1st @ Concord

Prologue:

For a few weeks I had been planning to go home for Memorial Day weekend with my girlfriend and introduce her to my family and friends. When Zherbus scheduled his 2nd (and evidently, last) power tournament, I knew I had some finagling to do. I've been seeing Molly for less than 3 months, and I wasn't sure if she was ready to hear about my addiction to card board wielding. What's more is that the next thing I have to tell her is that I'll be ignoring her for an entire day of our trip. However, sometimes I imagine I have brass balls, and I just casually slip it into conversation when we're drinking one night: miraculously, it worked.

Pre-Tourney:

On Sunday morning I call Brian (Hulk3rules) and find out that although he is on the way, he has no idea what time the tourney starts, the address, or the phone # of the store. Molly and I hit the open road at 9:45 with a very rough idea of where we're going. With some more help via cell-phone with Brian I get to the store before him around 10:30 and find it...empty. I'm hoping its a 12 o'clock start time and retire with Molly to Pizzeria Uno's for some uber-good mushroom and chicken pizza. Phil (my '86 Honda Accord) is starting to make strange sounds and smell funny. During lunch Brian informs me that the tourney does indeed start at 12 and to get my ass in gear. I somehow persuade Molly to get Phil an oil job while I play magic and she hangs out in Concord all day: what a woman.

Decklist:

My pet project since Emerald Alice's slip in the metagame has been a version of combo-keeper affectionately called "Your Mother". Although I didn't think it was the best choice (I was also considering GAT, Urphid & Elfball!) I actually planned on losing so I could have more time later to spend with Molly. Your Mother is, in my opinion, somewhat difficult to play, and not good to bring when I knew that there would be at least 2 Urphid decks. Your Mother hates blood moon more than anything in the world. My plan back-fired; not that I'm complaining about another ancestral recall...

Your Mother

Mana: (27)
5x mox
1x black lotus
1x sol ring
1x grim monolith
1x library of Alexandria
1x tolarian academy
1x strip mine
1x tropical island
1x city of brass
3x volcanic island
3x tundra
3x underground sea
5x Polluted Delta/Flooded Strand

Permanents: (6)
2x future sight
1x fastbond
1x power artifact
1x trade routes
1x zuran orb

Counters: (8)
4x force of will
4x mana drain

Search/Utility: (7)
3x brainstorm
1x lim dul’s vault
1x time walk
2x swords to plowshares

Tutors: (8)
1x vampiric tutor
1x demonic tutor
1x mystical tutor
1x merchant scroll
4x burning wish

Draw: (4)
1x gush
1x ancestral recall
1x fact or fiction
1x stroke of genius

Sideboard: (15)
1x regrowth
1x chainer’s edict
1x balance
1x yawgmoth’s will
1x fireball
1x braingeyser
1x vindicate
1x duress

3x REB
1x Swords to Plowshares
1x Shattering Pulse
1x Circle of Protection Blue
1x Aura Fracture

Comments:
The new addition of Trade Routes is definitely staying in. It pitches to FoW, accelerates with Future Sight, and is an alternate win condition with Tolarian Academy (and sometimes Fastbond). If I had a 2nd city of brass, I would probably run it in place of tropical island, since I rarely fetched it, and always had green to cast fastbond. I'm still debating on going down to 3 brainstorms, but as of now, I don't know what I'd cut.

In the sideboard, CoP Blue was sort of a joke since I saw lots of GAT and Urphid while I was getting ready. I actually dug through the commons bin and begged for 10 cents to add it in. Luckily I didn't get matched up with the sligh deck that was present. I dropped Deep Analysis (I know, Your Mother loves deep anal) once I realized it is misdirectable and opted for regrowth, which I was very happy with. I wished for every sideboard sorcery during the day, and everything else in the sideboard saw use with the exception of shattering pulse.

Report:

Round 1: Brian (Hulk3rules), playing Urphid

So far my plan (of losing) seemed to be right on track; Urphid is one of Your Mother's worst matchups (phids, 5 strips, REB's & bloodmoons). It turns out CrazyCarl miraculously gets the 1st round bye and is covering it as the feature match. In game 1, Brian resolves a first turn ancestral (he ALWAYS gets his ancestral against me). I get a good hand and wish early for duress. Brian shows a Force of Will and a Misdirect. I take the FoW and procede to resolve ancestral recall, Gush, and Fact or Fiction over the next 2 turns. I eventually drop Future Sight and Brian scoops to the insanity. Game 2 goes well early on as I eat up his counters and resolve ancestral and aura fracture. This is one of two occasions all day where Your Mother fucked me over: I draw 9 straight lands after gaining board position. Brian doesn't even bother with bloodmoons, he just drops phids and beats my face in with morphling. Time was called while we're shuffling, so we settle for a draw; not bad for my worst matchup. It was a fun round; Brian is always a challenging and enjoyable opponent. I tend to draw often in the first round, I'm not sure why...
0-0-1, 1-1

Round 2: Dan (Perniciousdude), playing Lime Parfait

Although I'm not very familiar with his deck, I feel pretty confident as combo and control usually owns parfait. This is also my first time playing a parfait variant in a tournament. Early in the first game I attempt to strip his land and he crop rotates in response. I say 'ok' without thinking and then say 'wait'. I ask him if I can manadrain the crop rotation and since he's a class-act he lets me. I procede to wish for yawgwill and go nuts on him in short order. I think I would have won regardless of the manadrain play, but Dan could probably provide a better idea of how the game might have played out otherwise. Game 2 I get a decent start and manadrain his pursuit of knowledge (with sylvan on the table). I make a play error and Your Mother goes off too early with yawgwill. I can't sustain my momentum and he eventually drops aura-fracture, sterling grove and then replenishes. I manage to keep future sight on the board for a few turns, but can't find anything useful. He eventually finds sacred mesa, but he needs one more turn to kill me and we run out of time. During the match, I was almost over confident. Dan's a great player, I just thought the matchup is heavily in my favor. Looking back, I was lucky to get the win; Dan's sportsmanship might have given me the win.
1-0-1, 2-1-1

Round 3: Ed (team Binghamton, TMD name?), playing UWB combo-control

Ed's deck debuted with a T8 at the most recent CT tourney, and although his post didn't get much feedback, it got my attention and that knowledge helped in this matchup. Game 1 burning wish owns as I regrow my ancestral, and yawgmoth will twice. Game 2 I forget that he boards in meddling mage as well as ophidians. I only board in 3 REB's and drop to 1 StP. His early phid, followed by a pair of meddling mages seal the deal. Game 3 was close. I don't remember it very clearly, but after we stabalize, I force a Future Sight into play and win. It was nice to meet another member of team Binghamton, and Ed was a cool guy.
2-0-1, 4-2-1

Round 4: Tyler, playing RBW Rector

Tyler was a Concord local, the first besides Zherbus I've met. Nice guy, but his deck was rather unorthodox. Game 1 I counter his only threat (rector) and drop Future Sight. I'm not sure, but trade routes probably accelerated the win by a few turns. I don't really know what he's playing, but I'm guessing bargain into some enchantment based win condition. Game 2 he drops an early Rector, I Force it, he REB's, I tremble. He starts swinging with the Rector and I feel better about myself (Your Mother can handle a 20 turn clock). Eventually he tutors for something and I don't have a counter. He drops...words of war? I'm relieved that I at least have one more turn before he gets bargain. I draw a burning wish and vindicate the enchantment. If he had gotten something to kill the rector the same turn it would have been lights out. Tyler expresses his dislike of the color blue in magic, and I grin, knowing blue-based decks is all I ever play.
3-0-1, 6-2-1

Round 5: Carl (CrazyCarl), playing Keeper

The last time I played Carl at the TMD Championship in Syracuse, we drew (and I probably would have lost, time permitting). However, since he's from Team Binghamton I feel confident. All of the games revolved around resolving ancestral recalls, FoF's and eventually Future Sight. I smashed him one game, he smashed me another. In the third game I gain the upper hand and resolve Future Sight. I tap out (except for a volcanic) to resolve a big spell (FoF I think) since he only has 3 cards in hand, and I have a REB. Unfortunately those 3 cards are REB, mana drain and ancestral recall. He takes out my Future Sight and procedes to take control of the game. Since I was fairly certain I was in the T8, I over-extended and was outplayed. Fortunately, it was in a game that didn't mean much in the grand scheme of the tourney.
3-1-1, 7-4-1

Top 8: Jason (Leviat) playing Dog-a-Tog

The last time I was in Concord, Jason and I met in the T8 as well. It took nearly 2 hours and me going into time walk recursion to beat him. This time we were both playing different decks, and although I didn't know his build too well, Your Mother usually does well against GAT variants (never lost a match and undefeated in game play). Game 1 was hard fought. I had to wish for balance, vindicate and chainer's edict in order to keep his threats off the board, and I was one turn away from death the whole time. Eventually I can get off yawgmoth's will and go nuts with future sight. Game 2 was just as bad as Jason's report says. After 6-7 turns of draw go and his deck thinning, I duress and find he's holding complete shit. I on the other hand am holding a hand full of bombs. He scoops after I demonic tutor for the last card in my deck (burning wish) and fireball him for 20+. Game 2 was ridiculous though, his deck completely rolled over. In my two games, Jason has been a fun opponent, its unfortunate he drew so badly in this match.
4-1-1, 9-4-1

Top 4: Eric playing Gro-a-Tog

Eric is a Concord local (I think), and this was my first encounter. He was pretty quiet, polite, keep to himself, play his cards kind of guy. Game 1 I show him the power that is Your Mother. Burning wish for balance completely ruins his day. Few decks topdeck as well as Your Mother; Future Sight owns. Game 2 I draw pretty well. I get stp's and reb's exactly when I need them, and overwhelm him with non-misdirectable goodies. Burning wish is great against GAT. This was one of many games where siding out power artifact allowed me to pack more hate and just use trade routes/academy to go off.
5-1-1, 11-4-1

FINALS: Ben (Summensaugen), playing Urphid

Important to note here is that earlier I loaned Ben bloodmoons and fire/ice's on the agreement that he wouldn't side in the bloodmoons if we played. I wasn't going to hold it to him since this was the finals, but he's a professional (and I'm sure he'll want to borrow in the future) so he didn't bring in the bloodmoons.

Even unsideboarded, Urphid is difficult game 1. I waffle over whether to keep my opening hand (4 lands, fastbond, brainstorm, merchant scroll), and decide to go for it. Ben sees this and wrongly guesses that I am land tight. He opens with a strip, and I keep my bluff. I lay the land I want the least and see him take it out while I brainstorm in response. I find good things, and lay the fastbond the next turn. He allows it to resolve, thinking I have no land to play, and I procede to scroll, gush, wish and duress him. From there, I pick my counterwars wisely and get an active library going. He has no solutions for a resolved Future Sight until game 2, so I go nuts on him. I win with triple counter backup (just in case).

I can tell Ben is irritated by the amount of trash-talking he's doing. I consider boarding in the aura fracture, but decide instead to go with JEDI mind tricks. The early game sees me picking off phids and wishing for ways to drain his counter base. Ben responds by going after my mana base. At this point, with academy as my only land, i draw 3 straight artifacts (i love Your Mother). Then we both get LoA's and begin to move towards 7 cards (he has one more than I). Before he's about to hit 7 cards, I try to bait him with a fastbond (which wrecked him game 1). He goes for it, and I take the lead in the race to an active library. Here is the second time Your Mother shits on my by not giving me a black or red source for 8 turns. Luckily, I'm able to draw out his counters with other things, and keep him from using LoA. He eventually drops a phid, but my card advantage is so steep that I can deal with the phid, and resolve 2 yawgwills on the way to victory. A large fireball fueled by trade routes/academy wins the ancestral recall.
6-1-1, 13-4-1

Overall I had a great time at the tourney (even neglecting the fact that I walked home with a new piece of power). The turn out was smaller than I expected, but it was a very competitive field, and most of my favorites from CT and Hadley were there. Playing with Your Mother is the most fun I've had since getting back into magic, and its much more consistent than I initially judged. Steve ran a great tournament; I regret not getting to talk to him before he left. I was unaware of his health issues, but I hope he's feeling well.

Props:
Steve's, for hosting the tournament
Brian, for loaning me tundra's and vampiric tutor
Ben, for buying me lunch, keeping our deal, and bending over for Your Mother in the finals
Molly, for hanging out in Concord while I played magic, buying me dinner, and giving my car an oil job
Team Hadley, for owning the Concord scene once again

Slops:
McDonald's, for not having doors in there damn bathrooms
Me, for making some gruesome play errors and still coming out on top
All of those who didn't make the tourney, for not making the tourney

I hope you all start playing with Your Mother after reading this report.