It's official, CO > NE, GrimLong report

[Clown of Tresserhorn]

From Fuckin' Lou,




Colorado Invades Nebraska: [Report] Top 4 (of 22); Grim Long

The overall results and information for this tournament can be found here.

It's Thursday night, and I get a phone call from Jim telling me about a Type 1 tournament in Nebraska on Saturday.  Holy shit, we're going to Nebraska.  Hide your women, and pack a bowl.  We next decide that the Crew must be assembled, and Scott and Travis are called.  Zach is later informed, and with only Bob "The Boner" missing, the Colorado Crew is ready to road trip and play some Magic.

Saturday morning comes, way to early after to much drinking and smoking, and at 5:00 am we leave Zach's house for the 480 mile trip from Denver to Lincoln, Nebraska.  The drive was a peace of cake, as the conversation flowed and we all told tales of Magic and lore.  This is honestly one of my favorite aspects of Magic.  The camaraderie and getting together as a team.  We (or maybe just me) are some rowdy mother fuckers that like to have a good time.  And we always do.  Six and a half hours later, and we are in Lincoln, Nebraska.

We pull up to HobbyTown, USA at about 12:30, right on time for registration.  I knew right away that I wanted to play Long, as I had been testing the deck a little bit, gold fishing a lot, and I knew that I loved the deck.  It just has a feel to it that fills my pants a little bit.  It can be raw power.  I had been testing Steve's exact list, but I felt like the deck was missing something without Crop Rotation.  Almost every time I drew Imperial Seal, I thought it was crap.  This might have been because I was gold fishing more than anything, but I don't think so.  After talking with Bob Friday night about my final main deck and sideboard choices, he convinced me to run the Imperial Seal, but I wasn't going to lose Crop Rotation, so I cut Windfall, and I honestly never missed it.  I also ran a Forbidden Orchard in place of the Underground Sea, because I just didn't feel like it would ever be the wrong decision.  I didn't tweak the deck other than that because it really does feel nice.  The Xantid and the Hurkyl's felt like great blind metagame slots, and thus stayed as were.  Now for a deck list:


Quote
Decklist

Grim Long (Type 1 -- 01/07/2006)

Artifacts (12)
1 Black Lotus
1 Lion's Eye Diamond
1 Lotus Petal
1 Mana Crypt
1 Mana Vault
1 Memory Jar
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Sol Ring

Creatures (3)
2 Elvish Spirit Guide
1 Xantid Swarm

Enchantments (2)
1 Yawgmoth's Bargain
1 Necropotence

Intstants (15)
1 Ancestral Recall
4 Brainstorm
2 Cabal Ritual
1 Crop Rotation
4 Dark Ritual
1 Hurkyl's Recall
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Vampiric Tutor

Sorceries (17)
1 Demonic Tutor
4 Duress
3 Grim Tutor
1 Imperial Seal
1 Mind's Desire
1 Regrowth
1 Tendrils of Agony
1 Time Walk
1 Timetwister
1 Wheel of Fortune
1 Yawgmoth's Will

Lands (10)
4 City of Brass
2 Forbidden Orchard
4 Gemstone Mine

Legendary Lands (1)
1Tolarian Academy

Sideboard (15)
1 Balance
2 Chain of Vapor
1 Darksteel Colossus
2 Elvish Spirit Guide
1 Hurkyl's Recall
1 Mox Diamond
2 Ray of Revelation
1 Seal of Cleansing
2 Tormod's Crypt
2 Xantid Swarm

Matchup Analysis[Match up|_Before I begin my round by round analysis, I would like to say that there might be mistakes in this text.  I was very tired, and a little sick as well.  I took notes, but they were rather shitty, and ended up being more a mana and storm count tracker than anything else, though I had full intention of them being the best notes ever.  All of my opponents were very nice, and I would like to thank them for that.

Round 1 vs Brian (G/W Stompy)
Game 1: Brian tells me that he doesn't play Type 1 very often, and that he is merely here for fun.  I'm put a little at ease, as I don't think he is full of shit, and I don't want to start this tournament with to much pressure, as I don't feel good, and I am tired.  I kept a suspect hand game 1, and after a few turns of draw go, Brian has a Troll Ascetic that is all of a sudden very huge thanks to enchantments, and a Berserk makes the Troll lethal.  Well shit.
Sideboard (1st): -1 Xantid Swarm; +1 DSC
Game 2:  I decide that I had better go ahead and take this one seriously, as Brian can win faster than I was expecting.  My notes are shady here, but Brian got a few turns of beats in before I won.
Sideboard (2nd):-4 Duress; + Some bounce
Game 3: I have no idea why I kept the Duress' in Game 2, but I did.  This one was over quickly, as I ramp up a pretty big storm count, tutor up Tendrils, and win this one on Turn 1.
Record: 1-0-0

Round 2 vs Chris (U/W Fish)
Game 1: For some reason I thought Chris was playing Stax.  When I found out it was U/W fish, I was a little relieved.  A turn 2 Necro spelled game over for Chris, as an early Necropotence usually does.
Sideboard (1st): Something like -1 Xantid Swarm, -1 ESG; +1 DSC, +1 Hurkyl's Recall
Game 2: I get to learn an important lesson in this game.  I get a turn 1 Necro, and I went to 6 life, which was quite foolish.  I end up killing myself very quickly, as my Necro was poo.  I never should have put away 13 cards, as he had me on no clock, and I could have just waited a turn or two.  Chris asks me this game the number of Necropotences' that I am running.  I assure him only one.
Sideboard (2nd): No Change
Game 3: A fairly uneventful game that was over on turn 1.  I got some acceleration, resolved Timetwister, and that was all she wrote.
Record: 2-0-0

Round 3 vs Zach (Oath)
Game 1: Zach is my team mate, and as such, this match was a little more lax.  I fizzled hard during this game, and that was all Zach needed to wrap up game 1.
Sideboard (1st): I feel that I have a very strong sideboard for Oath, and really any enchantment based deck in general.  I don't remember everything that I took out, but I know that I brought in +2 Ray of Revelation, +1 Seal of Cleansing, +2 Chain of Vapor.
Game 2: This game was all about token beat down.  I had all the answers for his Oath, and three tokens is a decent clock.
Sideboard (2nd): No Change
Game 3: Zach Tinkers up DSC on turn one in this one, and while he only gets one swing in before I can bounce the big guy, I was giving him mad tokens in this one, and his 1/1s came through for the victory.  If there was ever a match-up that I thought Forbidden Orchard would hurt me in, I did not think it would be Oath.
Record: 2-1-0

Round 4 vs Doug (Dragon)
Game 1: I have the faster kill in this match-up, so I am feeling pretty good.  He gets an early Bazaar and starts going to work, even Forcing (!/?) a few key spells.  He has a huge yard, but not a lot of mana, so I Imperial Seal for a Timetwister and pass, realizing that I need to fill up my hand, but that I can also get rid of his yard which had everything in it that he needed.  Timetwister loves me again, and I win that turn.
Sideboard (1st): -1 Tinker, -1 Memory Jar, -1 Wheel of Fortune, -1 Xantid Swarm, -1 Grim Tutor, -1 Imperial Seal, -1 ESG / +1 Seal of Cleansing, +2 Ray of Revelation, +2 Tormod's Crypt, +2 Chain of Vapor
Game 2: Game 2 ends in a weird draw, as Doug reanimated a Dragon, looked at me like I should scoop, and declared the game a draw when I told him to go ahead and finish the combo.  He said he had no win condition, and we move on to game 3.  I am not sure he played this right, but I am no expert with Dragon, so what do I know.
Sideboard (2nd): No Change
Game 3 This is one of the dumbest games of the day, as I have a first turn with some busted plays and I have to choose between two cards to cast first, not including mana.  Yawgmoth's Bargain, or a busted Yawgmoth's Will?  I Will first, although it didn't really matter.  A huge storm and Tendrils follows, and I can now draw into Top 8.
Record: 3-1-0

Round 5 vs Travis (Gifts)
Match: ID.  Travis is my old room mate and current team mate, and of course we ID.  This is probably the match up I know best, even if that is not saying much.
Record: 3-1-1

Top 8, Quarterfinals vs Scott (Dragon)
Game 1: Scott is a team mate and just a good dude.  I am excited that he is playing Dragon, as again I feel that I have the quicker clock.  Game 1 is kind of stupid, for Scott.  I think he dropped a turn 1 Bazaar, and I know he won turn 2.  Combo is so fun.
Sideboard (1st): -1 Tinker, -1 Memory Jar, -1 Wheel of Fortune, -1 Xantid Swarm, -1 Grim Tutor, -1 Imperial Seal, -1 ESG / +1 Seal of Cleansing, +2 Ray of Revelation, +2 Tormod's Crypt, +2 Chain of Vapor
Game 2: I have all the hate in the world, and Scott just can't play through it.  We both fucked up early, and knew what the other had most of the game.  This one was long and drawn out, with neither of us wanting to do anything.  I really feel that I had inevitability in this one though, with all the hate, and I did.
Sideboard (2nd): No Change
Game 3: This was one of the most fun games of Magic I have ever played.  By this point, my judgement was seriously lacking, and my brain was pretty much fried.  I am on the draw and I open with a hand of Lotus Petal, Mystical Tutor, Ray of Revelation, City of Brass, Demonic Tutor, and Cabal Ritual.  Scott takes his turn, setting him up for a turn 2 win.  He passes, and I draw... Dark Ritual.  That's what I'm talking about.  I drop the Lotus Petal, pop it for black, cast the Dark Ritual and the Cabal Ritual, Demonic Tutor for Yawgmoth's Will, do it all again, Tutor up the Tendrils, and that is GG.  I know it wasn't an extremely difficult turn 1 win, but I have never beat Scott, and we were just having a lot of fun at that point.  I was stoked, even if I can't fully express that here in this report.
Record: 4-1-1

Top 8, Semifinals vs Travis (Gifts)
Game 1: I was really getting tired at this point.  I got lucky here, as I drop a turn one Xantid, sort of baiting Travis, as I have Tinker as my next play.  He Forces, I get the Jar, and proceed to win on turn 1.  I don't remember everything that I did, or hardly anything for that matter, but it was more than enough for this one.
Sideboard (1st): Obviously the Xantids and I brought the Tormod's Crypts in as well.  I don't remember what I sided out.
Game 2: This one took a little time, and it was extremely tense and hard on both Travis and myself.  He pulls it out with DSC and Force back up after a big Will.  I remember he double Forced the turn before, with my second spell being Yawgmoth's Will.  Savage.
Sideboard (2nd): No Change
Game 3 This one sucked balls.  I thought I had a turn 1 win, but I didn't, and Travis had the Force any ways, which I didn't put him on at all.  I fumble through some shit, make a lot of bad decisions, and basically just scoop 'em up.  Oh well.  I should have Tutored up an Ancestral, with Regrowth in my hand, but I went for it instead, and it cost me the Finals.
Record: 4-2-1

This tournament was extremely fun, and I definitely gained a fuck load of experience from this one, so all is well that ends well.  We stopped and got some food from Whiskey Creek Good Ole Boys Steak House and County Music Emporium on our way out, and then a very uneventful sleepy ride back to Denver followed.

Props:

The Colorado Crew for putting all 5 members in the Top 8

Grim Long, for being hella fun such a fucking powerhouse

Bob, for helping me with my sideboard and strategy the night before the tourney and for being a pimp with the ladies. You clearly are the alpha male!
Slops:

Diareaha, you are my nemesis, and I hate you

dansHTU for talking mad shit,Diarrheag at 2-2, and leaving before I had a chance to trade for one of his beautiful signed Chinese Mind's Desires


There should be more props and slops, but that's all I got for now.

The deck was very solid, and I don't know that I would change much.  The ESGs were lacking all day, but with little Stax, that is to be excpected.  I might consider the Underground again, but the only match up that expecteded in, it shouldn't have.

Good times, and I can't wait for the next Nebraska tourney, and Richmond for damn sure.

Fuckin' Lou

[Lou]

I am not so sure that I wrote that Bob was a pimp with the ladies, or an alpha male, but I haven't smoked yet today, so I am not sure what is going on.

[iamfishman]

Fuckin Lou ...you are the man...

I can't wait until the next GenCon to chill again.  Maybe this time we'll get some lovin from the ladies coming into our hotel room.

As for on topic content:

I would love to hear some feedback on the inclusion of the regrowth.  I am not knocking it...(I'm all about unique card choices) but in my experience, I have not seen that in Grim Long.

How did it work for you?

Ray

[Lunar]

I would love to hear some feedback on the inclusion of the regrowth.  I am not knocking it...(I'm all about unique card choices) but in my experience, I have not seen that in Grim Long.

wasnt it in Steve's list from Chicago???

[Clown of Tresserhorn]

Yeah...it's amazing. Aside from obvious plays (regrowth on recall, lotus, will, etc.) it has awesome synergy with LED and can win the game by itself (rit, rit, rit, tendrils, rewgrowth, tendrils).

I still can't believe you didn't win Lou.

[Lou]

I would have had a much better chance of making the finals and winning my game three of the semi-finals if I had abused Regrowth like the deck is intended to do so.  Ancestral Recall-Regrowth-Ancestral is such a strong play, even if the first Ancestral is countered.  Black Lotus can be quite stupid, and if nothing else, you have just upped your storm count by two and came out one mana ahead.  It really helps the decks consistency IMO, allowing you to reply countered spells, and just abusing your graveyard even more.  Also, I am never unhappy with Regrowth in my hand, because the threat density of the deck will almost always ensure a good target.  Also, just to be clear, Regrowth is by no means my tech, as Steve ran one in his Chicago list.

Edit - You guys are to fast for me.

[the19inchgecko]

This is offtopic, but I think it needs to be said.  I used to live in Nebraska and I used to play at the Hobbytown USA and I always had good experiences, but there is a group of guys from Grand Island that was able to get away with a bunch of my cards.  Most of the fault was me being really new and thinking I could trust them.  They might have been at the last mox event, I am not sure.  But it is just a warning.  If you want names please e mail me of PM  thanks

[psu42]

I was just overlooking your list and noticed it is only 59 cards, your sorceries list is 1 short of the number you say is there. I was just wondering what the missing card was.

[Manpriest]

Glad to see some boys from my home town decimate, congrats all around.

[the19inchgecko]

This is offtopic, but I think it needs to be said.  I used to live in Nebraska and I used to play at the Hobbytown USA and I always had good experiences, but there is a group of guys from Grand Island that was able to get away with a bunch of my cards.  Most of the fault was me being really new and thinking I could trust them.  They might have been at the last mox event, I am not sure.  But it is just a warning.  If you want names please e mail me of PM  thanks

Sorry for another post, but I just wanted to let everyone know that this did NOT happen at Hobbytown USA.  It might have sounded like that but, the players involved may be attending the mox events.  Peace

[raiL]

Game 3: This was one of the most fun games of Magic I have ever played.  By this point, my judgement was seriously lacking, and my brain was pretty much fried.  I am on the draw and I open with a hand of Lotus Petal, Mystical Tutor, Ray of Revelation, City of Brass, Demonic Tutor, and Cabal Ritual.  Scott takes his turn, setting him up for a turn 2 win.  He passes, and I draw... Dark Ritual.  That's what I'm talking about.  I drop the Lotus Petal, pop it for black, cast the Dark Ritual and the Cabal Ritual, Demonic Tutor for Yawgmoth's Will, do it all again, Tutor up the Tendrils, and that is GG.  I know it wasn't an extremely difficult turn 1 win, but I have never beat Scott, and we were just having a lot of fun at that point.  I was stoked, even if I can't fully express that here in this report.
Record: 4-1-1

Wondering how that play wins. Lotus petal, sac, ( 1 b ), Dark Ritual ( 3 b ) cabal ritual ( 4 b ), D Tutor ( 2 b ), You get will, you cant cast it. You drop city at best, cast will, replay lotus petal, sac, ( 1 b ), Dark Ritual ( 3 b ) Cabal ritual ( 4 b ), D tutor ( 2 b ), no way of casting Tendrills.

[Kowal]

Thread necromancy is bad, mkay?[/color]