3CB #42 Results and Discussion

[wonkey_donkey]

I would like to congratulate combo_dude as the winner of 3CB Tournament #42.
A very high-powered tournament, this time – the metagame is improving, it would seem!
There were no winners of the mise-prize, with foil-spirit just falling short once again.

The rules for this competition will be: Anything Goes!

Banned list:
Portal
Unglued
[card]Black Lotus[/card]
[card]Mesmeric Fiend[/card]
[card]Blackmail[/card]
[card]Chain of Smog[/card]
[card]Hymn to Tourach[/card]
[card]Cabal Therapy[/card]
[card]Encroach[/card]
[card]Mind Swords[/card]
[card]Forget[/card]
[card]Anvil of Bogarden[/card]
[card]Strip Mine[/card]
[card]Wasteland[/card]
[card]Raze[/card]
[card]The Rack[/card]
[card]Wheel of Torture[/card]
[card]Balance[/card]
[card]Meddling Mage[/card]
[card]Isochron Scepter[/card]
[card]Phrexian Dreadnaught[/card]
[card]Lion's Eye Diamond[/card]
[card]Evil Presence[/card]
[card]Sea's Claim[/card]

Entrant – Deck Name – Deck

1.   wonkey_donkey – Bodyroc – [card]Volcanic Island[/card], [card]Roc Hatchling[/card], [card]Daze[/card]
2.   combo_dude – The Harbour – [card]Mox Sapphire[/card], [card]Rishadan Port[/card], [card]Imaginary Pet[/card]
3.   Chifley – Job 38:11 – [card]Remote Farm[/card], [card]Pendelhaven[/card], [card]Preacher[/card]
4.   BlueJay – Avatar of Inertia – [card]Saprazzan Cove[/card], [card]Avatar of Will[/card], [card]Web of Inertia[/card]
5.   Ocifer – Just Junk – [card]Mishras Workshop[/card], [card]Junk Diver[/card], [card]Junk Diver[/card]
6.   Matt – Ol’ Reliable – [card]Island[/card], [card]Foil[/card], [card]Nether Spirit[/card]
7.   Nazdakka – Lumbercrack – [card]Taiga[/card], [card]Orcish Lumberjack[/card], [card]Aftershock[/card]
8.   RedMage2k – 3CB Rock – [card]Bayou[/card], [card]Duress[/card], [card]Rogue Elephant[/card]
9.   Upinthe – Toothpick, Inc – [card]Taiga[/card], [card]Orcish Lumberjack[/card], [card]Lavaborn Muse[/card]
10.   r_x_ - One mana biggies.dec – [card]Savannah[/card], [card]Tethered Griffin[/card], [card]Hidden Guerrillas[/card]
11.   Goblinboy – Turn Seven Beats.dec – [card]Hollow Trees[/card], [card]Kodama of the North Tree[/card], [card]Desert Twister[/card]
12.   Nibble – Partly Cloudy – [card]Subterranean Hangar[/card], [card]Nether Spirit[/card], [card]Death Cloud[/card]
13.   xthexpunisherx – Eat this.dec – [card]Mishras Workshop[/card], [card]Sol Ring[/card], [card]Eater of Days[/card]
14.   Lhyrrus – Dry Cleaners.dec – [card]Ruins of Trokair[/card], [card]Mishras Factory[/card], [card]Disenchant[/card]
15.   Fadeblue – Mmm… - [card]Mox Sapphire[/card], [card]Mishras Factory[/card], [card]Lingering Mirage[/card]
16.   Machinus – What Lotus? – [card]Island[/card], [card]Nether Spirit[/card], [card]Foil[/card]
17.   MoreFling – Why change an almost winning team.dec – [card]Island[/card], [card]Mana Crypt[/card], [card]Donate[/card]
18.   Leviat – The Last Supper – [card]Ruins of Trokair[/card], [card]High Market[/card], [card]Preacher[/card]

How to read the table:
Match the deck# on the left with the deck # on top. Append a 1 where appropriate. The #s on the right of that deck correspond to how many points that deck received versus the deck on top. (Once again append a 1 where appropriate. The 1's are missing to make the table clearer)

0  1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8   Total
1| x 3 6 0 2 6 6 2 6 6 0 0 3 6 6 6 3 6     67
2| 3 x 4 6 6 2 3 3 3 4 6 6 0 6 6 2 6 4     70
3| 0 1 x 2 6 2 0 6 0 6 0 0 6 6 0 2 0 3     40
4| 6 0 2 x 2 2 0 6 0 6 2 2 2 6 0 2 0 2     40
5| 2 0 0 2 x 2 6 2 0 0 2 0 0 2 0 2 0 0     20
6| 0 2 2 2 2 x 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 0 2 2 2 2     30
7| 0 3 6 6 0 2 x 0 4 6 6 6 6 6 0 2 6 6     65
8| 2 3 0 0 2 2 6 x 0 6 2 2 3 2 2 2 3 0     37
9| 0 3 6 6 6 2 1 6 x 6 6 6 0 6 0 2 6 0     62
0| 0 1 0 0 6 2 0 0 0 x 0 0 0 0 2 2 3 0     16
1| 6 0 6 2 2 2 0 2 0 6 x 0 0 6 0 2 6 6     46
2| 6 0 6 2 6 2 0 2 0 6 6 x 3 6 0 2 0 6     53
3| 3 6 0 2 6 2 0 3 6 6 6 3 x 0 6 2 6 0     57
4| 0 0 0 0 2 6 0 2 0 6 0 0 6 x 2 6 6 2     38
5| 0 0 6 6 6 2 6 2 6 2 6 6 0 2 x 2 0 6     58
6| 0 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 0 2 x 2 2     30
7| 3 0 6 6 6 2 0 3 0 3 0 6 0 0 6 2 x 6     49
8| 0 1 3 2 6 2 0 6 6 6 0 0 6 2 0 2 0 x     42

Final Standings:

1:   combo_dude 70
2:   wonkey_donkey 67
3:   Nazdakka 65
4:   Upinthe 62
5:   Fadeblue 58
6:   xthexpunisherx 57
7:   Nibble 53
8:   MoreFling 49
9:   Goblinboy 46
10:   Leviat 42
11:   BlueJay 40
   Chifley
13:   Lhyrrus 38
14:   RedMage2k 37
15:   Machinus 30
   Matt
17:   Ocifer 20
18:   r_x_ 16

Well, another tournament over, and combo_dude’s first win! The strength of Rishadan Port showed itself once again - it hardly got beaten by anything this time around. Solid choices hit the top of the standings again, with daze, lumbercrack and the harbour getting the top 3 this time.

I'm starting to feel confident about taking bodyroc practically anywhere now - it seems to be a strong contender in most fast metagames. There are a few other decks that fall into that category - <3sphere, harbour and lumbercrack, in my view. Still, there's such a diverse metagame that you can pick up most things and get a few points with it.

Thankfully no mise-prize winners this time either - although it does mean that people are still going to be playing foil.dec until it wins one     . It was also quite interesting to see the lack of decks that can beat that sort of deck, namely ones with two threats. Is it a dying breed? Time will tell, I imagine.

Please post any corrections/discussion.

Tom

[leviat]

Code:

0  1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8	Total
----------------------------------------------------
1| x 3 6 0 2 6 6 2 6 6 0 0 3 6 6 6 3 6	  67
2| 3 x 4 6 6 2 3 3 3 4 6 6 0 6 6 2 6 4	  70
3| 0 1 x 2 6 2 0 6 0 6 0 0 6 6 0 2 0 3	  40
4| 6 0 2 x 2 2 0 6 0 6 2 2 2 6 0 2 0 2	  40
5| 2 0 0 2 x 2 6 2 0 0 2 0 0 2 0 2 0 0	  20
6| 0 2 2 2 2 x 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 0 2 2 2 2	  30
7| 0 3 6 6 0 2 x 0 4 6 6 6 6 6 0 2 6 6	  65
8| 2 3 0 0 2 2 6 x 0 6 2 2 3 2 2 2 3 0	  37
9| 0 3 6 6 6 2 1 6 x 6 6 6 0 6 0 2 6 0	  62
0| 0 1 0 0 6 2 0 0 0 x 0 0 0 0 2 2 3 0	  16
1| 6 0 6 2 2 2 0 2 0 6 x 0 0 6 0 2 6 6	  46
2| 6 0 6 2 6 2 0 2 0 6 6 x 3 6 0 2 0 6	  53
3| 3 6 0 2 6 2 0 3 6 6 6 3 x 0 6 2 6 0	  57
4| 0 0 0 0 2 6 0 2 0 6 0 0 6 x 2 6 6 2	  38
5| 0 0 6 6 6 2 6 2 6 2 6 6 0 2 x 2 0 6	  58
6| 0 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 0 2 x 2 2	  30
7| 3 0 6 6 6 2 0 3 0 3 0 6 0 0 6 2 x 6	  49
8| 0 1 3 2 6 2 0 6 6 6 0 0 6 2 0 2 0 x	  42

[rvs]

Can we please just ban the mise-prise thing? It's totally moronic and stupid, in my opinion.

[Matt]

It's not like it ever wins, so what do you care? It's just a metagame hurdle, same as having to beat elf.dec in round one of a type one tournament.

[Jacob Orlove]

If they win the mise-prize, then by definition they had exactly zero net effect on the standings. So there's really nothing wrong with it.

[wonkey_donkey]

Can we please just ban the mise-prise thing? It's totally moronic and stupid, in my opinion.

I ban any deck that is succesful - the irritating thing is when we have the situation that we have now; one deck is close, but not quite managing to win the prize. I personally wouldn't play a mise-deck, but it's always there. Also, you do occasionally get people playing mise-decks by accident (e.g. Tristal on one occasion), and I don't like telling people that they can't play their deck.

Good point from Jacob, too - they generally have hardly any effect. If they do have an affect, is that luck or good metagaming on the part of those who it goes nicely for?

Tom

[combo_dude]

I think that they should be baned as they add nothing to the game. Still, this is speaking as someone who has:

a) just won the tournament; and
b) already won a mise prize with Nether Spirit/Foil in one of the special formats.

...so probably best to take my opinion as just that.

Oh, and thanks to wonkey_donkey for both running the tournament and inventing "The Harbour". I think he invented it, anyway.

[wonkey_donkey]

Oh, and thanks to wonkey_donkey for inventing "The Harbour". I think he invented it, anyway.

Why thankyou. Nibble and I both played it in the same tournament, although unless he knows something I don't it was done separately .

Tom

[Nazdakka]

I am still trully mystified as to why there is seen to be something wrong with netdecking by playing Choker.dec or Leveller... it's not like much of the rest of the field aren't 'netdecks' of one kind or another as well. If lots of high-powered decks mean the field is 'improving', why do some top decks seem to be taboo?

[fadeblue]

I agree with you Nazdakka. How do you actually get a metagame unless decks are reused? Although I do think that the Choker/Chasm deck is a bit too strong...