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Tash
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« on: September 18, 2005, 01:22:48 pm » |
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I heard about the Legacy format at my local comic book shop, Empire Comics. That was around 2 months ago. My friends Randy and Vegas were telling myself and my fellow Team Highschool member Joey about the format, and the PTQ Philadelphia Trial in Louisville. After doing a bit of research on the format I decided that it was the format for me. The four of us started playtesting various decks, including WTF, U/g madness, Sligh, Trix, Landstill, and Scepter-Chant. The date of the tournament rolled around, and I caught a ride with Joey, who picked me up from college, about 2 hours away.
The morning of the tourney rolled around and I met up with Vegas, and then we met up with Randy at McDonald's. We start discussing the tournament and what we expect to see and what we're going to play. Vegas had W/r/G Zoo built, while Randy had Jack Black (Mono Black Control) built, while I had my own deck, an Auriok Salvagers/Lion's Eye Diamond powered out by Gamekeeper, which Vegas suggested would be called 'Golden Grahams'. (We were playing with the extended tradition of naming Combo decks after Cereals) Joey was already at the tourney, scouting out the metagame, and he had White Weenie/Solution built.
The list I was playing was this.
4 Chromatic Sphere
4 Living Wish
4 Duress
4 Cabal Therapy
4 Tainted Pact
4 Lions Eye Diamond
4 Innocent Blood
4 Dark Ritual
2 Nights Whisper
1 Pyrite Spellbomb
1 Krosan Reclamation
2 Auriok Salvagers
3 Gamekeeper
1 Savannah
1 Scrubland
1 Bayou
1 Plains
2 Snow Covered Forest
2 Forest
3 Snow Covered Swamp
2 Swamp
1 Bloodstained Mire
2 Polluted Delta
3 Windswept Heath
SB:
4 Tsunami
1 City of Brass
1 Viridian Zealot
1 Gamekeeper
1 Trinket Mage
1 Ray of Revelation
1 Maga, Traitor to Mortals
1 Kjeldoran Dead
2 Darksteel Colossus
1 Auriok Salvagers
1 Kagemaro, First to Suffer
There was a slight problem with my deck list but I'll mention that later.
We arrive at the tournament and get registered, we goof around for the first few minutes and scout out the scene, apparently there were less goblin decks than we were planning on seeing, and that might have hurt our metagame decisions, but nevermind that. The tournament started and there was already one problem, apparently the T.O. couldn't read my handwriting and signed up my name as Ben Tasit, I mention it to the T.O. and he fixes it before anything goes wrong. After fixing that problem I go to find my round 1 opponent.
Round 1: Chase playing White Weenie.
My Roll: 11 His Roll 2
Game 1: After winning the die roll, I opt to go first and keep my opening grip. A hand with a living wish, duress, 2 Lion's Eye Diamonds, Chromatic sphere, and 2 lands. He mulligans down to a 6 card hand and keeps. I duress him on the first turn. I see a hand with a Plains, Paladin En Vec, Crusade, Silver Knight, Wasteland, and a Mother of Runes, I make him drop the Crusade. 2 turns later I drop both of the diamonds, cast Living Wish, and in response pop both of the diamonds for White mana. I get my Salvagers out of my sideboard and proceed to combo off undisrupted.
1-0
Game 2: He goes first and comes out swinging with Mother of Runes, Silver Knight, and Paladin En Vec. My opening grip consists of 2 duress, a salvagers, pyrite spellbomb, a few lands. I duress him on turn 1 and 2 and snag a Dampining Matrix and a Chrome Mox, and proceed to combo off after ripping a Lions Eye Diamond, and hardcasting a Salvagers on turn 4.
Record: 1-0-0
Round 2: William with Jack Black
My Roll: 1 Will's Roll: 2
Game 1: Will opts to go first and duresses away my duress. We battle back and forward with hand disruption, and I get out a Gamekeeper, which in turn turns into a Salvagers. He edicts before I have the mana to untap, so I play another Gamekeeper, and he Edicts it away on the end of my turn. I decide to let the trigger resolve and flip over my other Salvager. He finds no answers on his next turn and I proceed to spellbomb him for a lot.
1-0
Game 2: I mulligan down to 5, and he hits me hard with duress turn 1, and hymn turn 2. I have no way to recover. I believe I got a Salvagers out and had a Diamond in play, with no hand and a sphere in the yard, but after the first Diamond activation he Edicts away my Salvagers. Over the game he cast 3 Skeletal Scrying and had a Staff in play plus 2 Cabal Coffers. That spelled game
1-1
Game 3: I keep a fairly good hand with Diamond, lands and Tainted pact. On his turn 3 he taps out to play a Oblivion Stone and at the end of his turn I Tainted Pact into a Salvagers, and draw the 4th land with diamond and sphere. My Spellbomb got removed in the process of the Tainted Pact, so combo off, getting "infinite mana" and then proceed to draw cards until I hit a Living Wish, which gets me a very painful for him Maga, Traitor to mortals.
Record: 2-0-0
Round 3: James with Jack Black
My Roll: 3 His Roll: 6
Great, another round against Jack Black. I already didn't like my round 2 match-up, and I was sweating balls during game 3 of the previous round.
Game 1: My notes are scarce here but the game goes a little something like this. He hits me with the usual disruption, duress, and hymn, but somehow I manage to pull off the combo on turn 5, but in reaching for my library I knock cards off the top of my library and the judge issues me a "caution" (gotta love REL 2 Events). I proceed to draw up to my Pyrite Spellbomb and "Spellbomb him for more than he's worth." My notes say that I living wished twice and Tainted Pact'ed twice, the wishes got me Salvagers and a City of Brass, and I can't remember what the pacts got me.
1-0
Game 2: James chose to go first and hits me with disruption as usual, I Cabal Therapy blindly and hit a hymn also seeing 2 Cabal Coffers, 1 Swamp, and a Consume Spirit, I hit him again, this time calling for the Spirit this time. On turn 6 I get out a Gamekeeper and flashback Cabal Therapy with a forest and a Savannah untapped. James has one card left in his hand, and I'm sweating it just a little bit, considering that the only card that could hurt me was a diabolic edict. Gamekeeper's ability resolves before the therapy does and I hit a Salvagers with a Diamond and a spellbomb in the yard, he nods and I say "Naming?" he nods and I say "Diabolic Edict" he drops his hand, and I see a nice Japanese Diabolic Edict, which he throws into the yard. I keep my face from showing too much emotion as I proceed to combo off.
Record: 3-0-0
As the round 4 pairings are announced, one of the 4 players with 9 points looks at us and explains that if all 4 of us agree to draw round 4 and 5, we can get into top eight. The 4 of us shake hands and proceed to wait around for 2 hours. I walk over to Subway twice during this time, to pick up food for Joey, and for myself. As round 5 finshes up I'm nervous, and then Deck Check is called. I turn in my deck and walk around, impatiently, knowing that nothing is wrong. The judge, however, disagreed with me. "BEN TASH! I need to talk to you" I hear from across the room. My heart drops and he shows me my decklist. I'd written down "Wooded Foothills" (which I'd used in every other deck since I didn't own Windswept Heaths), instead of Windswept Heath. Needless to say I got a game loss, and the Judge said he could fix the decklist. After this, I'm sweating balls all over again, and Joey stops me and tells me that he's going to take notes for me during my top 8 match(es). So the rest of the report is a lot more thorough, mostly because he didn't have to play cards.
Record: 3-0-2
Top 8: Craig playing Aggro Red
Game 2: Opening hand includes Innocent Blood, Night's Whisper, Gamekeeper, and land. On turn 2 I play a Night's Whisper, drawing a Lion's Eye Diamond and a Dark Ritual. Meanwhile Craig has a Jackal Pup on the board. On my third turn I announces duress, in response I get a Lightning Bolt to the face kicking me down to 10. I make him drop a Fireblast from the guy's hand, and see 3 lava darts sitting in his hand, which is a problem. Plays a Dark Ritual and a Gamekeeper. The Gamekeeper is facing the Pup, what a match-up. On turn 4 I play Innocent Blood, Gamekeeper gets removed, only to fetch another Gamekeeper. No worries, I had a Cabal Therapy in the yard. I announces the Cabal Therapy, opponent says, "ok." and I remove the Gamekeeper to plop a Salvager in the zone. I say "Naming?", Craig nods, and I say Lava Dart. Craig says "In response... I Lava Dart" and everyone sitting around knows what happened. "Sorry guy, you already passed priority" He nods and realizes his mistake. He is obviously distressed by his mistake. I hit the 3 lava darts, and see no other threats. After that I'm able to combo out with the LED and a Chromatic Sphere for a win.
1-1
Game 3
I open up with a Duress, Pyrite Spellbomb, Night's Whisper, Innocent Blood, land. Keep. Craig does not keep his hand, goes to 6. Craig drops a Mogg Fanatic on turn one. Turn 1 draw Innocent Blood. I cast Duress, ripping a Fireblast from his hand. Craig's next 3 turns are land drops. Turn 2 draw is Bloodstained Mire. It goes in, then out. I play Spellbomb, as well as an Innocent Blood. Bye Bye Mogg. 3rd turn draw is a Tainted Pact. End of Craig's turn 3, I hit in with the Pact, netting a LED. My 4th draws me a Chromatic Sphere. I play it and pop it. I play a Night's Whisper with the mana, and draw into Gamekeeper and Tainted Pact. 5th turn I draw a Polluted Delta, and drop a Gamekeeper like it's hot. To end my turn, Craig hits in with a Lightning Bolt, sending me to 9. Craig's 5th leaves him with two Taiga's, a Wasteland, and a Forest. Pass turn. 6th nets me a Gamekeeper. A Keeper is in play already. I play Innocent Blood. And Salvager hits the board, and LED drops on the field I could have combo'ed out here, but Craig's full hand had me sweating. I was not about to LED once and watch the Salvager die. I continue to play a Polluted Delta and think for a full minute and a half about the ramifications of sacrificing it, if I do, I go down to eight, and while my opponent has only 2 mountains in play, along with a forest and a wasteland, so I can't get double fireblasted, he could have Fireblast/Fork. I figure that my day has been long enough, and if he has the kill in his hand, then he deserves the win. I sacrifice the delta and get a swamp. I play the second Gamekeeper. A Cabal Therapy makes the Gamekeeper go away, and a Gamekeeper comes in. I hit 2 Fireblast with the Therapy, and see nothing else worth worrying about in his hand. Needless to say, I combo out.
2-1
Record: 4-0-2
Top 4: Scott playing Iggy Pop
My Roll: 6 His Roll: 9
Game 1: Ah wonderful, Iggy Pop. I'd read about this on themanadrain.com, and I'd even tested it a bit. So that was a slight advantage towards me, I knew how the deck worked, and I knew what to duress for. At least I thought I did.
I open up with 2x Living Wish, Cabal Therapy, Chromatic Sphere, land. Meanwhile, Scott takes a mulligan. Turn 1 I draw a whisper, and he drops down the Sphere. End of turn Scott plays a brainstorm. Turn 2 I draw Swamp, and pop the Sphere for black, Duress. Play mistake #1: I used my swamp for this, not even thinking about using the therapy on him, since my other untapped land was a forest. Scott Brainstorms in response and plays Mystical Tutor placing Intuition on top - Scott's hand: 2x Dark Ritual, Polluted Delta, Ill Gotten Gains - I make him drop the Ritual. 3rd turn I draw a plains, play a Swamp, and then Night's Whisper. Scott sacs Delta in response then Intuitions. Pulls out Ill Gotten Gains x3. It doesn't matter what I draw at this point, I have a Cabal Therapy in hand. I play Cabal Therapy, all Gains are in the "yard". There really is no recovery for the Scott. Next turn allows me to play LED and Ritual to Wish for a win.
1-0
Game 2
I open Auriok Salvagers, Tainted Pact, Cabal Therapy, Night's Whisper, Living Wish, land. Turn 1 I draw the other Salvagers, and play and sacs Bloodstained Mire. End of turn Scott plays Brainstorm. 2nd turn I draw into Windswept Heath, sac, and get a Savannah comes into play now. I blindly cast Cabal Therapy gets played naming Intuition - Scott reveals Ill Gotten Gains, Gift Ungiven, Lotus Petal, Mystical Tutor, Cabal Ritual. End of turn Scott casts the Tutor to get Intuition. Scott's 3rd allows a Petal on the board. My turn 3 nets a Delta, I fetch a Bayou, play a Night's Whisper. Draws Innocent Blood and Dark Ritual. End of turn Scott casts Gifts Ungiven - and gets a LED and Mystical Tutor. Scott's Turn 4 he plays LED - Cabal Rit - Intuition - pops LED - gets Gains - and I scoop.
1-1
Game 3
I open up Tainted Pact, Gamekeeper, Living Wish, Dark Ritual, Lion's Eye Diamond, and 2 land. Scott mulligans. Looks good so far. Turn 1 I open with Savannah - LED. Opp's T1 is a Pithing Needle - naming Auriok Salvagers.. damn... not good. 2nd draw is an Innocent Blood I cast Ritual and out comes the Gamekeeper. Scott's 2nd turn is a Lotus Petal. Turn 3 is draw and drop Plains. Swings in with Gamekeeper. Note : This is the first and probably only game this will ever happen. E.O.T. is a tutor for Scott fetching Land Grant. Turn 3 is Scott Grant's for a Bayou. My 4th turn gets me a nice shiny Auriok Salvagers in his hand. Christmas morning? Yeah, hell yeah! One minor problem. Pithing Needle. Gamekeeper swings in. E.O.T. Scott plays Intuition - gets Gains. Scott is able to combo out on his turn.
1-2.
End of day 4-1-2, 3rd place in the first Louisville area Legacy GP trial.
Props and Slops.
Props:
Joey for getting me down to the tourney.
Team Empire, for filling up the gaps in my deck.
Matt on TMD forums for suggesting a few of the SB cards.
Subway for being right next door to the tournament venue.
My deck, for never crapping out on me.
All the guys in round 4 that decided to draw in.
Vegas who also made Top 4 with San Diego Zoo
Slops:
My deck, for flipping over cards whenever I reached for it.
Pithing Needle.
Me, for misregistering a card.
Me, for not knowing how to play the politics of a tournament.
All and all, I was proud of how Golden Grahams did, 3rd at a PTQ Trial is nothing to write off blindly. There's a few changes I'd make here and there, but I need to discuss them with a few people.
Comments? Suggestions?
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