[Report] Carta Top 8 with Rector Trix (a little late)

My friends insisted I write a report for this tournament, so here it is. I had orginally submitted it to Starcity but they never got back to me, so I'm posting it here.

This past Saturday (April 4th)I ran into a few friends at our local store – Kool Kards Heaven. After talking with them for a while, they talked me into going to Montreal with them the next day for the monthly Type 1 tournament at Carta Magica.

We left the next day at 9AM. A 2and a half hour drive with a stop for lunch later and we arrived at the site, 10 minutes before registration closed. We quickly sat down and registered our decks. My teammates Sebastian, Sebastian and Marc-Andre were playing Chains of Mephistopheles Keeper, Hulk Smash and Ankh Sligh respectively. I was going with Rector Trix.

I chose rector trix because I don’t have Mana Drains, Time Walk or Library of Alexandri, so playing Keeper was out. I also lack Bazaar of Baghdad so Dragon was out, and I have no masks or workshops either so those decks were out as well. Also, this deck is fast and relatively consistent, and I own a foil Yawgmoth’s Bargain that I’ve wanted to play in a tournament since I got it.

Without further back story, here’s my deck list:

Mana
R Mox Jet
R Mox Emerald
R Mox Ruby
R Mox Sapphire
R Mox Pearl
R Black Lotus
R Lotus Petal
R Tolarian Academy
R Mana Vault
R Sol Ring
R Mana Crypt
4 Dark Ritual
4 Polluted Delta
3 Underground Sea
2 Scrubland
1 Tundra

General Brokenness and Setup Cards
R Demonic Tutor
R Yawgmoth’s Will
R Ancestral Recall
R Mystical Tutor
R Vampiric Tutor
1 Lim-Dul’s Vault
4 Brainstorm

The Combo
4 Academy Rector
4 Cabal Therapy
R Necropotence
R Yawgmoth’s Bargain

The Kill
2 Illusions of Grandeur
2 Donate
1 Tendrils of Agony
1 Rushing River
1 Seal of Cleansing

Protection
4 Duress
4 Force of Will

The Sideboard
1 Tormod’s Crypt
4 Swords to Plowshares
1 Seal of Cleansing
2 Disenchant
2 Powder Keg
1 Capsize
1 Morphling
2 Psychatog
1 Lim-Dul’s Vault

The first thing you’ll notice about that sideboard is that it sucks. Big time. All day I think I used the sideboard twice, and it never really mattered. I think some combination of Avalanche, Melting, Arcum’s Weathervane, Wood Elemental and various bands with other lands would be just as useful. The only cards I ever used were the Tormod’s Crypt and the disenchant effects. I think in the future I would go with more graveyard hate and more disenchant effects, as trinistax can be a big problem for this deck.

The Swords to Plowshares are only in there for Worldgorger Dragon and Goblin Welder, and maybe Psychatog, as you can generally go off before any other creature matters. The powder kegs are generally too slow to matter and I found I never really bother with them. Capsize is just inferior to rushing River, as you rarely have the mana for buyback. The transformational sideboard with the Morphling and Togs is generally just slower and more difficult for the manabase to support, and the extra Lim-Dul’s vault was left over from a previous Cunning Wish based build that really didn’t work.

First Round
Felix Pragent, playing …cards…?
I’m pretty sure this was his first tournament, and that he was fairly new to magic. The first thing I noticed on sitting down is that not only are not all of his cards sleeved (just the rares I think), he’s also playing with world championship edition cards in his deck. I call the judge and he takes my opponent aside and helps him desleeve his deck and remove the world championship edition cards and finish registering his deck.
10 Minutes later we’ve got extra match time and we begin to play. I keep what looks like a decent hand and lead off with Tolarian Academy, Black Lotus, and then break the lotus for a first turn Academy Rector. My opponent plays a land and says go. I untap, draw Mana Vault and pass the turn. My opponent plays a land and we pass back and forth for a while, him playing land and me drawing no mana sources. He plays an Information dealer and puts crown of ascension on it, and starts beating down. I finally fill my hand up and then discard a Cabal Therapy. Next turn I flash it back, sacking my Rector to go and get Necropotence (unfortunately I had already drawn the Bargain). I necro for 10 and pass the turn. I get my cards and take a look – I’ve finally drawn my second playable mana source – Mana Crypt. My opponent casts a Spitting Gourna on his turn and says go. I untap, play my crypt, cast mana vault and now my Academy finally taps for mana again. I cast Mystical Tutor for Yawgmoth’s will and then Brainstorm to pick it up. Then I realize I can’t plait it because I have no black mana and that If I necro for any more cards the gourna and my opponent’s wizards will kill me if he attacks. I scoop.

I don’t bother sideboarding as I figure that I can just combo him out and don’t really need anything for that. Game 2 proves me to be correct as I hit him with a Tendrils of Agony for 16, and then cast Yawgmoth’s Will and then eventually tendrils him again for 28, all on turn 3.

In game 3 I open with an early rector and my Opponent plays land go for a while. I get him to 16 with rector beats before he casts his first creature, a Crafty Pathmage. On my next turn I duress him, taking future sight, then lay my land and say go. He then starts playing creatures while I draw land forever. At this point time is called but we have extra match time. We play several more turns, him playing more creatues and hitting me with his crown of ascensioned birchlore rangers and me drawing more land. A large crowd has gathered to watch as we are the last match still running at this point. He drops a Rhox, which I hardcast Force of Will to stop. I comment to one spectator that I only need to draw 3 more lands and then I’m guaranteed a spell because there will be no more land in the deck. To spite me my deck coughs up moxes for a few turns, and then goes back to lands, throwing in a Dark Ritual for variety. Eventually my opponent builds up enough fatties to overwhelm me, doing just enough damage to kill me. If I had had one more life, I could have blocked with me rector, gone and got bargain, and then hardcast the illusions in my hand and probably won, but it was not to be.

0-1

Second Round
Guillame Baril, playing Long.dec
First round I open with a land and Cabal Therapy, naming Dark Ritual. He reveals a hand of 3 moxes, a Gemstone mine, Demonic Tutor, another land and a Ritual. He discards the ritual and draws for the turn. He plays the mine and moxes, casts the ritual he just topdecked, and then tutors for Yawgmoth’s Will. He casts it, leaving 1 black in his pool, then flashbacks both rituals, saying “6 in my pool”. I point out it’s only 5, and he recounts to make sure then curses himself for the miscount. His original plan of flashing back the tutor to go get tendrils foiled, he instead flashes back the tutor to get Necropotence and plays it, then necros for 8. On my turn I drop some moxes and ritual out a rector, flashing back the therapy to get bargain, then eventually hand over an illusions and then seal it for the win.

Game 2
He lays Tolarian Academy and Mox Jet, then taps academy and casts Brainstorm, and then passes the turn. I lay Mox Ruby, Mox Pearl and then Underground Sea. In an attempt to mana screw him I cast Seal of Cleansing and blow up his jet. On his turn he plays Mox Pearl and Sol Ring, then passes the turn. At this point I feel a little upset about wasting my seal, so I play a land and cast a rector. On his turn he draws a card and says go. On my turn I Cabal Therapy naming Force of Will. He reveals his hand and points out how lucky I was. He shows me some land, Dark Ritual, Demonic Tutor, Yawgmoth’s Will and Yawgmoth’s Bargain. I flash back the therapy and go get bargain, while naming bargain and taking his. I bargain into a tendrils and then play a bunch of spells, finally casting tendrils for a lot and winning.

1-1

Third Round
Tim Martoni, playing Academy
Tim wins the roll and plays first, dropping a Gemstone Mine, a Sol Ring and a Black Lotus, then passing the turn. I play Mox Jet, Dark Ritual, Sol Ring, Underground Sea, Black Lotus, and then Duress. He reveals a hand of Meditate, Abeyance, and another card I can’t remember. I take the mediate (don’t ask why, just another mistake on my part), then tap the Sol Ring and cast Demonic Tutor to get a Cabal Therapy. He sac’s his lotus in response to Abeyance me. I break my lotus for white in response, and then use the one colorless plus the lotus mana to play the rector from my hand. He untaps, draws and says go. I draw my Tolarian Academy and play it, then cast my Cabal Therapy naming Wood Elemental (as I had already forgotten what the other card in his hand was). I flashback the therapy and then go for my bargain. I can’t remember what exactly happened after that, but I did find Tendrils of Agony and Yawgmoth’s Will in the top 10 cards.

Game 2
I get a turn 2 rector with and kill it with a therapy, finding bargain. I draw a lot of cards while tapped out. My opponent keeps chanting “no lotus, no lotus” I point out I can’t draw lotus as it’s been in my hand since before the bargain hit, and he scoops as I drop a load of artifact mana into play.

2-1

Fourth Round
Samuel Vaillancourt, playing Trinistax
I win the roll and elect to play. I draw my opening hand and have Duress, Mana Crypt, Mox Emerald, Academy Rector, Dark Ritual, Donate and Force of Will. I pass the turn, playing nothing. He drops a Volcanic Island and a Goblin Welder, and passes the turn back. I draw a Brainstorm and discard Duress. He untaps and hits me for 1 wit h the welder, then plays Wasteland and passes the turn. I draw a polluted delta. I break it and go get a Scrubland, then drop my mox and crypt and cast the rector. He untaps, wastes my Scrubland and then plays a workshop and casts Smokestack. I untap, win the flip on my Mana Crypt, and draw Duress. He untaps, puts a counter on the Smokestack and says go after playing another land. I untap, win the flip on my Mana Crypt again, then sac my rector to the smokestack and go get bargain. I draw lots of cards and then win.

Game 2
I side in Tormod’s Crypt, 2 Disenchants and Seal of Cleansing, removing all 4 Duress.
He plays a volcanic and a welder and passes the turn. I play an Underground Sea and then Cabal Therapy him, naming Sphere of Resistance. He does not have Sphere of Resistance, but he does have another welder, along with Trinisphere and 2 Wastelands. I say go, with the sinking feeling I may not win this game. He untaps, casts the other Welder, lays the Mishra’s Workshop he just topdecked, and casts the Trinisphere. Thanks to his Wastelands, I never get above 2 land, and welders quickly beat me to death.

Game 3
I play first, this time when I cast the therapy I remember to name Trinisphere. He discards one and I pass the turn. He plays a land and says go. I untap and play Brainstorm, then drop a mox. He casts Tanglewire on his turn, and we pass a few turns back and forth. I draw a disenchant with one counter remaining on the wire but decide against playing it. After the Wire stops I’m able to play my second Land I just topdecked, and use both lands to cast Demonic Tutor, getting Black Lotus. With the mox and lotus mana I cast a Rector, and then flash back my therapy. I bargain for a lot of cards, then eventually Donate an Illusions of Grandeur to him and then disenchant it.

3-1
Fifth Round
Nick Leblanc, playing Dragon
Game 1 I go off faster than he does and hit him with a huge tendrils on turn 3.

Game 2
I side out 1 Lim-Dul’s Vault for my Tormod’s Crypt.
I play a land and a few moxes and brainstorm. He plays nothing and says go. He draws his card then discards a Worldgorger Dragon. I play more mana and then ancestral, still not finding what I need to go off. On his turn he decides I must have a god hand and plays a land, and then a mox and draws the game with an animate on the dragon, and no other targets available.

Game 3 he gets some moxes and a turn 1 Bazaar of Baghdad. I get a few lands and some card draw, but not enough to go off. He goes infinite on turn 3.

Game 4
I finally draw my Tormod’s Crypt this time. I drop my crypt, along with a Mox Sapphire and Tolarian Academy turn 1, and then cast Ancestral Recall. He mutters something about crypt being bad for him, then plays a land and a mox and passes the turn. I draw Mox Jet. I play it, and then cast 2 Dark Rituals and Demonic Tutor for my lotus. I break my lotus for blue. He tries to Stifle my lotus but the judge tells him he can’t. I cast the other black card from my hand, which happens to be Yawgmoth’s Will. I flash back my lotus, both rituals, and then cast ancestral, drawing into a therapy. I play the therapy, naming Stifle. He discards it, then I flash back Demonic Tutor and go get Tendrils of Agony and hit him with it. I end the game with an untapped Academy and an unused Lotus in play. He Curses himself for showing the Stifle too early, and I point out it would not have made a difference as I would simply have had to break my lotus or tap my academy. He says he would have stifled tendrils’ storm trigger, so I show him my hand of Donate, Force of Will and Duress.

4-1

Round 6
Jean Beaulieu, playing Slaver (with workshops)
We agree to ID into top 8.
We play for fun, and I crush him 2 games in a row, including a turn 1 tendrils for 32.
We trade for a while and I manage to get the 8th edition foil Grave Pact I’ve wanted since I first saw the new art on Grave Pact.

Top 8
Justin, playing GAT
In game 1 I go off rather quickly, and attempt a Rector on turn 2. He counters, but I respond with a Force of Will. He seems a little shocked that I run counters, then resignedly says my rector resolves. He plays a Dryad ad passes the turn. I play a therapy, naming Force of Will. He has none, so I flash back the therapy and get my bargain. I name Arcum’s Weathervane, but he doesn’t have any of those either. After drawing 10 cards with the bargain I have enough mana to play Illusions of Grandeur. I use that life to draw 20 more cards, finding a Donate and playing it. I do not however, find a Seal of Cleansing or Rushing River, forcing me to play my lotus and Mana Crypt, and cast another rector, then therapy naming Deep Water. I flashback naming Shelkin Brownie, and he doesn’t have any of those either, so I just seal his illusions for the win.

Game 2 he gets a great hand with a turn 1 Quirion Dryad. My hand is not great, having some land, 2 moxes and rectors, and no disruption. I try to cast some rectors, but his hand had 3 Mana Drains and a Force of Will, so they never resolve. The dryad beats me to death about turn 5.

Game 3 I get off to a decent start with a rector on turn 2 and another on turn 3. I never draw any way to sacrifice them though, so I end up going rector beatdown. I get him to 13, but then he drops a dryad and a Psychatog. I decide to hold off on attacking, so I can block the dryad and tog. We go back and forth for a long time. He has 2 null rods in play, screwing me out of playing my artifact mana as anything but academy food. After many turn of going back and forth I manage to kill one but the other is still a problem*. I attempt Yawgmoth’s Will but he brainstorms into a counter in response. Eventually I get necro down and draw some cards. I manage to play an Illusions and Donate it to him, but in order to have the mana I had to blow my rushing river on the null rod, so I have no way to kill him. I necro for more cards. One of them is tendrils, but he manages to duress it away on his turn. He then casts Yawgmoth’s Will and initiates the stupidity that only that card can generate. I scoop because he’s got 8 mana to pay for illusions and his dryad is now 15/15 and backed up by a tog, so there is no way he’ll run out of mana before he kills me.

All in all it was a fun day, and I did much better than I had hoped, but now I have to live with knowing that my rector trix build lost to turbo crown of ascension. My advice to anyone playing the deck would be as follows.
1. Get a better sideboard, mine sucks, as it was thrown together 15 min before a previous tournament and I never changed it.
2. Pile Shuffle before every game and shuffle a lot. This is Clumpy the Wonderdeck. If you do not shuffle enough you will get screwed.
3. Apparently this deck only does well against powered opponents. If your opponents are scrubs, expect to get screwed. I never was actually able to get anyone to side out their power and test this theory though.

Nick Sirman
Terevaune on themanadrain.com, starcitygames.com and just about everywhere else

*this was a big mistake – I never should have blown the seal. I was hoping I could replay it off will but that got countered. My other mistake was not waiting for more disruption to force the will through.