Charleston tournament Report with Oath

[dad]

Where to begin?  This was a Type 1 10 proxy tournament with:

1st = English ManaDrain
2nd = 4 FoW
3rd = a signed Mana Crypt
4th = $30 store credit

Anyway, I haven't played in a tournament in a while.  I chose to run Oath because it felt strong for the meta and something I have played in the past.  I had difficulty deciding which version to run.  I tried DOA, Meandeck, and Chalice.  After a lot of testing I liked Meandeck the most, but was still unhappy with it and thought about bringing Dragon. 

Eventually I realized that Meandeck was designed for someone like Smmennen.  This isn't a slam, but Steve plays aggressively.  He loves combo, and thats how he plays the deck.  However, I play Oath controllish, as it has historically been played.  I did agree with Smmennen that the AK/Intuition draw engine was clunky.  I felt I needed to change the draw or scrap the deck.  After some tweaking, I developed a list I liked:

Dad's Oath

4 Oath of Druids
1 Gaeas Blessing
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Ancient Hydra
1 Akroma
4 Force of Will
4 Mana Drain
4 Brainstorm

4 Impulse
4 Serum Vision
3 Mana Leak
3 Misdirection
2 Intuition
4 Forbidden Orchard

3 Wasteland
1 Stripmine
4 Polluted Delta
4 Island
1 Tropical Island
1 Volcanic Island
5 Mox
1 Lotus
1 Fact or Fiction


Sideboard:
3 Energy Flux
3 Pyroclasm
1 Crater Hellion
1 Pristine Angel
1 Morphling
2 Tormods Crypt
1 Control Magic
3 Extract
Yes, thats 61 cards.  Normally, I would cut the FoF, but I keep seeing arrogant, know-it-all dic** flame people for 61 cards. 

No Timewalk.  It was the first card I boarded out.  It is good, but my opinion of it is similar to Necropotence and Black Vise.  You can PM me about this, but I don't want a discussion.

Anyway...

Round 1 vs. Logan F.
A nice 10 year old.  He brings about a 75 card u/w deck.  I don't see a rare.  AJ, the Sex Machine, asks me how I can sleep at night.  This goes quickly.  2-0, 1-0
BTW, Logan wins round 2 by twice hitting a DSC with Ray of Revelation!!!

Round 2 vs.Greg Mitchell
Another bye.  He is running his own concoction with Mesmeric Orbs.  I don't see what all it can do because I brought out the broom and swept.  4-0-0, 2-0-0

Round 3 vs. Jon Spires (Gilthanas01)
Jon brings Stax.  I felt this matchup was in my favor.  Game 1 we play a 30 minute marathon.  I win after eventually getting active Oath.  Game 2 he wins, but time expires and we settle for a draw (his 2nd).  1-0-1, 2-0-1

Round 4 vs. Ian Stickles
He is running Parfait with Scepter Chant.  Ugh!!! He wins game 1, then tells me he is probably going to leave after the match.  Game two, I get an early Energy Flux.  He has Tax/Rack, but elects not to activate the Rack and lets it go.  He should have won, but I think he didn't care that much and still needed to learn how to play the deck a little better.  He then scoops game 3 to me because he has to go.  Thank the Lord.  What a terrible matchup.

Round 5 vs. Squeek
We ID into top 8

Top 8
1. WTF- Runyan
2. Meandeck Gifts- George Guanos
3. Dad's Oath
4. Gifts Tog- Jeremy_78
5. Workshop Aggro- Squeek
6. RGB pile- Mr. Beichner
7. Parfait!?- Zombie Shakespeare
8. MonoU Gifts- Chub

Round o' 8 vs. Squeek
Game 1 was a tight match where he had me with Factory beats plus a pair of Disciples.  Eventually I get an active Oath and win, though he had me at 3.

Game 2 I mull and keep a not so good hand.  He goes Workshop, Lotus, break Lotus, Chalice for 2.  I play a couple turns, but scoop.

Game 3.  I go Mox Emerald, Mox Pearl, Wasteland, Oath.  He plays a Workshop and passes.  I Waste his Shop and play a 2nd Wasteland.  He loses another Shop.  I keep drawing counterspells while he starts to beat with a Factory.  Eventually I top an Orchard and win.

Round o'4 vs. Chub

Game 1 he Tinkers early for Collosus and beats my dome.
Game 2 I get a lot of mana and  2 active Oaths.  I have Pristine and Morphling out.  I pump Morphling and double block only taking points from the token.  Occassionally I swing with the Angel until he is in lethal range, then swing for the win.
Game 3 Early Oath after I win the counter war.

Finals with Jeremy_78
I take the 4 FoW's plus a Crucible, Jitte, 4 Sphere of Resistance and 2 TFK.  He takes the Mana Drain.

Props:
To Beowulf and the Green Dragon for hosting the tournament
Jebus for keeping everything running smoothly
Mr. Beichner for top8ing with that pile o'tirds
Stally, Jeremy and George for travelling long distances.
Ian for scooping
Hill Redwine for not showing and being my usual Round 1 opponent
Evil Bill for attempting a comeback.

Slops
to Medievel dickweeds, for killing Ted
Turkish prisons
men in leotards

[MrBeichner]

Go Dad !

My deck wasn't a pile !  Kird apes FTW !