3CB #55 Results and Discussion

[combo_dude]

Since wonkey_donkey's internet is playing up, he sent me this to post on his behalf.

I'd like to congratulate Beaker as the winner of 3CB Tournament #55!
The changes to the banned list favoured playing something quick and blunt, and maksnaught certainly fits that description. A good deck - perhaps too good? Congratulations!

Banned list:
Portal
Unglued
[card]Black Lotus[/card]
[card]Mesmeric Fiend[/card]
[card]Nezumi Shortfang[/card]
[card]Blackmail[/card]
[card]Chain of Smog[/card]
[card]Cabal Therapy[/card]
[card]Encroach[/card]
[card]Mind Swords[/card]
[card]Anvil of Bogardan[/card]
[card]Strip Mine[/card]
[card]Wasteland[/card]
[card]The Rack[/card]
[card]Balance[/card]
[card]Meddling Mage[/card]
[card]Isochron Scepter[/card]

1.   wonkey_donkey -   Dizzy -   Saprazzan Skerry,   Forget,   Imaginary Pet
2.   combo_dude -   Steel Wheel -   Mishra's Workshop,   Wheel of Torture,   Steel Golem
3.   Beaker -   (No Name) -   City of Traitors,   Phyrexian Dreadnaught,   Illusionary Mask
4.   epeeguy -   Heeeeeerrrrrre's FORM!!! -   Saprazzan Cove,   Form of the Dragon,   Show and Tell
5.   fadeblue -   Tong Twister -   Mishra's Workshop,   Ensnaring Bridge,   Scalding Tongs
6.   Godder -   Mobilization -   City of Traitors,   Plains,   Mobilization
7.   goobafish -   (No Name) -   Tropical Island,   Thallid,   Daze
8.   virtual -   (No Name) -   Badlands,   Roc Hatchling,   Evil Presence
9.   Das Boot -   (No Name) -   Lion's Eye Diamond,   Arrogant Wurm,   Nether Spirit
10.   Chifley -   (No Name) -   Taiga,   Thallid,   Crack the Earth
11.   ReAnimator -   Rob Roy's Seas Claim -   Tropical Island,   Thallid,   Tidal Warrior
            
12.   wonkey_donkey -   All eyes on me -   Lion's Eye Diamond,   Arrogant Wurm,   Nether Spirit
13.   combo_dude -   The Brick -   Hickory Woodlot,   Tempting Wurm,   Tempting Wurm
14.   epeeguy -   Ouch! That burns! -   Ancient Tomb,   Mox Ruby,   Words of War
15.   Godder -   Mishra's Goons -   City of Traitors,   Mishra's Factory,   Mishra's Factory
16.   Chifley -   (No Name) -   Fountain of Cho,   Myojin of Cleansing Fire,   Preacher
17.   ReAnimator -   I only lose to other workshops -   Mishra's Workshop,   Trinisphere,   Ferropede

      1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9   0   1   2   3   4   5   6   7    T     (P)
1|   x   3   3   6   1   4   6   0   0   1   1   0   3   6   6   6   0   46   (10)
2|   3   x   0   0   6   6   6   6   0   6   6   0   6   6   6   6   6   69   (2)
3|   3   6   x   6   0   6   3   6   6   1   6   6   6   6   6   6   3   76   (1)
4|   0   6   0   x   6   6   6   0   3   0   0   3   6   6   6   6   0   54   (6)
5|   4   0   6   0   x   6   1   2   6   4   3   6   6   0   6   6   6   62   (3)
6|   1   0   0   0   0   x   0   0   0   0   3   0   0   2   6   0   6   18   (17)
7|   0   0   3   0   4   6   x   3   3   4   4   3   0   3   0   0   3   36   (14)
8|   6   0   0   6   2   6   3   x   0   3   3   0   6   0   6   6   3   50   (8)
9|   6   6   0   3   0   6   3   6   x   1   6   2   0   6   2   6   3   56   (4)
0|   4   0   4   6   1   6   1   3   4   x   2   4   4   0   6   6   3   54   (6)
1|   4   0   0   6   3   3   1   3   0   2   x   0   3   0   6   6   3   40   (11)
2|   6   6   0   3   0   6   3   6   2   1   6   x   0   6   2   6   3   56   (4)
3|   3   0   0   0   0   6   6   0   6   1   3   6   x   6   2   0   0   39   (12)
4|   0   0   0   0   6   2   3   6   0   6   6   0   0   x   0   6   3   38   (13)
5|   0   0   0   0   0   0   6   0   2   0   0   2   2   6   x   0   6   24   (15)
6|   0   0   0   0   0   6   6   0   0   0   0   0   6   0   6   x   0   24   (15)
7|   6   0   3   6   0   0   3   3   3   3   3   3   6   3   0   6   x   48   (9)

Well, what do people think of the new-look banned list? I think at least one or two more tournaments are needed to give anything vaguely conclusive, but the ease with which Dreadnaught ran away with this tournament suggests that it may be slightly too strong. Whether Leveler should be in the same bracket is debatable, but very difficult to say for the time being! On the other hand, the 1-mana land destruction spells and 2-mana double discard spells do not appear to be dangerous - is this just due to a lack of storage-land decks?. That leaves LED and Wheel of Torture - I am certainly of the view that Wheel of Torture should be in the same place as Paupers' Cage, although whether that is banned or legal is another matter. My personal thoughts lean towards banned, but I need more than my own opinion! LED is a definite removal from the list, although the question is whether or not it should be replaced by Arrogant Wurm - is LED-Wurm-Spirit too strong and (perhaps as importantly) too easy? Do we want a deck that will be beaten by bridge-tongs, big creatures and not a lot else? One more tournament may help with this one.

Please post corrections/discussion.

Tom

My own opinion is that I was wrong about Masknought - leave it for a tournament because everyone will be gunning for it, but it's looking pretty good. So is Steel Wheel, or Steel Cage, or Caged Beast; any of these are pretty damn good too. They're both worse versions of The Rack in this game, and we know that The Rack is an incredible card; OK, these force you to play a Workshop deck, but I think that this isn't enough, because you can't realistically play mana-threat-removal against it as the threat would be too small to outrace both. Worse still, if it's something like Oxidise or Seal of Cleansing, then they can play the Wheel and sit back until they Seal it, when you promptly drop the Golem and kill them. In short, I think Wheel and Cage should be banned now, but Mask and Wurm can stay for a tournament or two.

I think that with all the double discard off the list, storage lands are just weak now - they might be pretty good next time if everyone is aiming at Workshop decks, but otherwise they're just too slow, especially with discard off the banned list.

Oh, and I fixed the link in the banned list (the Anvil of Bogardan link was broken).

EDIT: Also changed the table so it looks better with all the numbers in line.

[Godder]

I think if Rack is banned, Wheel should be banned as well. Having to play MWS is hardly a bad thing, since you're immune to 3Sphere, for example, and I can't think of a 1 drop that's better than the 3 drop artifact creatures.

I have to admit, Mobilization w/Plains (instead of Pearl) seemed a good idea at the time, since it's immune to both Swords and 3Sphere, but they were nearly nonexistent. That also allowed MaskNought to flourish, since that loses going second to 3Sphere and discard, and loses outright to Swords.

FWIW, Mobilization beats Dizzy on the play easily:
T1 Plains – Skerry
T2 CoT, Mobilization – Forget (required for Pet to stick)
T3 Soldier token (1/1 w/ Vigilance) – Imaginary Pet
T4 Soldier token – attack for 4 (no blockers)
T5 Soldier token, attack for 2 – attack for 4 (no blockers)
T6 Soldier token, attack for 3 – either attack and lose Pet, and then lose game, or sit back and get swarmed, and lose game.

Mobilization also beats the Myojin deck either on the play or on the draw by only attackinng prior to the Preacher, and then just building up some guys for a while before committing to attacks.

T1 Plains – Fountain of Cho
T2 CoT, Mobilization – counter
T3 token – counter
T4 token, attack for 1 – counter (19)
T5 token, attack for 2 – Preacher (17)
T6 token, attack for 3 – counter (14)
T7 token, no attack – counter
T8 token, no attack – counter
T8 token, no attack – counter
T9 token, no attack – counter
T10 token, no attack – counter
T11 token, no attack – counter
T12 token, no attack – counter
T13, token, attack for 11 – counter, can use Preacher and steal the new token and block, but does nothing useful.

On the draw it's much the same. Note that if the Preacher steals a token and attacks with it, there's no point blocking it, since it's only 1 a turn, and they'll be dead before the damage matters.