GrowAtog... what?! Waterbury 1st Place

[G-A-T 177]

So here it is guys- I was going to take some time to write a complete report, but to be honest, I can't remember the day all that well!  It all starts out on friday night.... Elias V, Roland Chang and the Forino brothers are all over my place doing some last minute testing and drinking some beers.  Im trying not to play too much because I know I'm gonna hate the game by about 4pm the next day.  I also hadn't decided what deck to play.  We were testing 2-land, the new ichorid deck and slaver, among others.  I was toying with the idea of running GaT.  I had pretty good success with the deck 2 rochesters ago (10th), and it just happens to be my favorite deck.  The guys suggest that I run it, as we expected to see lots of gifts, cs, and the new tps-ish drain deck with dark confidant- all of which are fine matchups for the deck.  I figure at the very least, I'll have some fun with it.  The night ends around 2am, leaving me only a few hours of sleep before taking the trip from long island to Waterbury.  Here's the list:

GrowAtog 2006

4 quirion dryad
2 psychatog

4 force of will
3 daze
2 misdirection
2 mana drain
3 duress

4 brainstorm
2 merchant scroll
2 cunning wish
2 gifts ungiven

1 gush
1 ancestral recall
1 time walk
1 demonic tutor
1 vampiric tutor
1 mystical tutor
1 yawgmoth's will
1 regrowth
1 darkblast

2 polluted delta
3 flooded strand
3 tropical island
3 underground sea
2 island
1 library of alexandria
5 moxes
1 black lotus
1 mana crypt

Sideboard:

3 ground seal
2 naturalize
2 oxidize
2 gilded drake
1 duress
1 skeletal scrying
1 echoing truth
1 berserk
1 mana drain
1 darkblast 

So what looks funny about this list?  Probably the mana drain counts.  At the tournament in rochester, I had already cut the 4th drain.  My counters looked like: 4 force, 3 drain, 3 misdirect.  I wanted to make the deck a little more aggressive for this tournament.  I added the dazes so I could always tap out for that early dryad.  There's also a whole lot less to drain into than with other decks, so I went down to 2.  The drain in the board replaces the traditional misdirection.  Realistically, its rare that you'll be able to wish and drain in the same turn, so the drain there is more for deterrence.  I usually wish for it EOT and hold it in my hand.  If it buys an extra turn or two for the dryad to swing while the opponent decides what to do about it, its done its job.  Not to mention, most players will just try to power through with 2 counters, which doesn't usually work against GaT because it has so much free countermagic.  On top of that, if you play a daze in game one, all 3 usually come out game 2 and the 3rd drain and 4th duress get sided in.  I think the rest of the list is relatively self-explanatory.

The tournament:  I'm going to post what I remember- which may or may not be correct in every case.  For those of you that I went up against in the tournament- it'd be great if you could add on/ correct my report.

Round 1- Enchantment based deck running root maze and stasis

Game 1- I let a root maze resolve and counter the stasis that might have won him the game- dryad beats end it quickly.
In: 1 naturalize, 1 mana drain  Out: 1 darkblast, 1 (?)
Game 2- I counter a black vise, a howling mine, and daze a choke when he taps out to cast it.  He was out of steam and a dryad (i think) took it home
1-0

Round 2- Control Slaver

Game 1- I keep a hand with two fetches, a dryad and a brainstorm.  He wins the flip and lays a first turn library.  I play a fetch and pass.  He starts drawing too many cards.  I play a second fetch and crack them both for a dryad.  He draws more cards and strips my sea.  I brainstorm and then swing on my turn.  He draws even more cards and then wastes(!) my trop!  I never see another land and he tinkers colossus for the win.  Yup, slaver with DSC and Wasteland!  I dont know how he found room but i love it!
Game 2- I paris and keep a hand with no gas, but 2 lands and a brainstorm.  I think he got the library again, and proceeded to steam roll over me with a triskelion (?)- it was a sad match.
1-1

Round 3- Oath

My opponent didn't show up on time, and received a game loss for the lateness.  We go straight to game two.
Game 2- I feel like Im in good position until he resolves oath and finds his orchard- Razia and Akroma kill me rather quickly.
In: 2 gilded drake, 1 duress, 1 Mana drain, 1 naturalize  Out: 1 Gifts, 1 darkblast, 2 daze, 1 tog
Game 3- I dont quite remember this one- I think he got an oath and I wished for a naturalize.  Dryads took care of the rest.
My opponent was really upset about the game loss- I felt really bad about it.  Im not the type of guy that likes to win that way.
2-1

Round 4- Foodchain Goblins

Game 1- I keep a solid hand with multiple lands, force, brainstorm and darkblast(!).  He gets a turn one lackey which is fine by me.  I get a quick dryad which becomes huge and dredging wins me the game.
In: 1 darkblast, 1 mana drain, 1 scrying  Out: 1 duress, 2 misdirection
Game 2- He mulls to 6 and has turn 1 ruby, chalice 0, lackey which gets forced.  He didn't see another land for quite a while.  Eventually I DT for time walk with tog in hand hoping he'll tap out sometime soon... which happens next turn.  I let the warchief resolve, hoping he'll swing.  He does, and on my turn I lay tog and time walk, winning next turn.
3-1

Round 5- Gifts

Game 1- I duress and counter a few times, and 2 small dryads take him down to 4 when he finally tinkers out DSC.  I now have 2 cards in hand (2x tog), and 2 dryads (1/1 and 5/5).  I have to get the smaller one up to 4/4 in order to win.  ANY spell will do- I may even survive one more turn if I drop both togs and try to block.  I draw a merchant scroll which he forces, bringing him to 3.  I play 1 tog and swing for the win.
In: 1 mana drain, 1 scrying, 1 duress, 1 gilded drake  Out: 1 darkblast, 1 merchant scroll, 1 tog, 1 daze
Game 2- He mulled to 6 (I believe) and got duressed a few times.  I cant remember how this one ended- I remember his draw was a bit subpar though.
4-1

Round 6- unpowered(?) oath w/ mana leak- the guy with the multi-colored top hat

Game 1- He only played one oath which got forced.  Dryad won it.
In: 2 gilded drake, 1 duress, 1 mana drain, 1 naturalize  Out: 1 gifts, 1 tog, 1 darkblast, 2 daze
Game 2- Super uneventful.  I think he played a choke, which got countered, and then he was out of steam.
5-1

Round 7- Gifts w/ Oath board (the guy that t8-ed)

Game 1- I duress and see the tinker (with force backup), which he casts on his next turn.  I dont mind because I have force (+ pitch card) and cunning wish.  He casts tinker, and I force, and he forces back, putting DSC into play.  EOT I got to.... where's my wish??  I wasnt thinking straight and pitched my wish instead of my daze!!
In: 1 duress, 1 gilded drake, 1 mana drain, 1 skeletal scrying  Out: 1 tog, 3 (?? daze ??)
Game 2-  He transforms into oath, which I relaly didn't expect.  I only put the drake in to gift for uncase the DSC hits play.  I don't remember how I won this won.  I think it was a quick dryad.
In: drake #2, 1 naturalize  Out: ?? forgot again!
Game 3- he gets an early oath down and has both Razia and Akroma in play, and Im at 2!  I had one turn to find a drake, because I had wish in hand and some drain mana coming- Im planning on draking Akroma and wishing for echoing truth to bounce the drake back.  I brainstorm (either once or twice) on my turn and dont see any possibility of finding the drake.  I concede and check the next card i would've drawn... Gilded Drake!!!  I don't get upset too often, but this one hurt!
5-2

Round 8- Flame vault gifts

Game 1- After i duress and counter a few times, he plays an early will with not a whole lot of available mana, so I let it resolve.  He refills his hand, but Im relieved that will is gone.  I end up duressing/ oxidizing his win conditions away, and proceed to win with a dryad.  After the game he admitted he had no way to win, but wanting to see what i was playing.
In: 1 drake, 1 duress, 1 mana drain, 1 scrying  Out: 1 tog, 1 merchant scroll, 2 daze
Game 2- He plays a delta and passes.  I duress and see: Delta, DT, Tinker, DSC, Time Vault, and Flame Fusillade!!  How funny is that!  I take the DT, because he won't have the mana for a while.  Nex turn he lays a mox.  The turn after that he rips a lotus and plays fusillade.  I brainstorm and see a second daze, but he has 2 mana available.  I promptly scoop.
Game 3- Im in control and have a dryad on the board until he resolves tinker for DSC.  At this point, he had no cards in hand and a DSC on the table, and I had a gush in hand and a 5/5 dryad.  He's at low life, and Im at 8, meaning I have 2 turns to find an answer, since i can block when he swings next turn.  I gush at the end of his turn and see nothing.  At this point, anything can save me... a wish, a drake.. i would've been happy with a brainstorm!  I rip a gifts and cast it with one (mana open) for: regrowth, mystical, drake, and time walk.  He gives me the time walk and the mystical.  I proceed to lay a land and time walk.  On my upkeep I explain how I will mystical for Yawg's will.. and he understands whats going to happen. 
6-2   

I squeek into the t16 in 16th place! 

t16- Dragon

Game 1- I keep a hand with a duress, force, and brainstorm.  He rolls and gets a 20.  I give him a funny look and roll a 19! Haha!  He plays first and lays bazaar, which Im actually rather happy to see, as I have the duress in hand.  He plays a swarm, and I EOT vamp for a 2nd duress and wish for darkblast....ouch!  I get an early dryad, draw into ancestral, and counter a few animation attempts.  Dryad takes it home.
In: (wow everything!) 3 ground seal, 2 naturalize, 1 echoing truth, 1 mana drain, 1 duress  Out: 1 tog, 2 wish, 1 merchant scroll, 3 daze, 1 gifts 
Game 2- I have a crazy hand with duress, force, ancestral, lotus, 2 lands, and brainstorm.  He mulls to 6 (?) and plays another bazaar.  I play turn one duress and lotus.  He bazaars and sees alot of creatures to discard.  Turn 2 I ancestral into DT.  I crazk lotus for green and DT, putting ground seal into play, then pass.  He continues with bazaar, not finding much, and losing cards all the time.  Next turn, I decide that he probably wont be able to get rid of ground seal and animate through force of will in one turn, so I lay psychatog and pass.  He bazaars and casts mainphase intuition.  I do my psychatog math and figure out that I have 17 points of damage next turn and he is at 18.  I let the intuition resolve, and he takes 3 animates.  On my upkeep I discard darkblast to tog and dredge it back, giving me the extra boost for the win.

t8- Gifts w/ Oath board- same guy I played in the swiss

Game 1- I lay all my resources into a dryad, which takes him within one turn of dying before he brainstorms twice and casts will and wins!
In: 2 drake (anticipating oath board), 1 duress, 1 drain  Out: 1 tog, 1 merchant scroll, 2 daze
Game 2- He mulls and is stuck on land.  The dryad wins it.
I watched and didn't see him sideboard back, so I left it the same too
Game 3- Cant remember this game too well.. I believe I had a dryad in play, countered an oath attempt, let DT resolve and then cast will solely to reuse the duress in the graveyard (which took the oath he tutored for).  Dryad and 3(?) orchard tokens win the game.

t4- Seth w/ Ak-Drain-TPS-But-Better
I played against Seth a few weeks ago and know that his deck is a monstrosity.  However, I feel like I have the upper hand going in, as I run duress and a fast clock, and his deck probably takes some time to develop a strong kill.

Game 1-  I remember having a dryad on board and dazing a frantic search when all he had was a lotus petal open.  I end the game with all 4 forces in my hand.
In: 1 drake, 1 drain, 1 duress  Out: 1 merchant scroll, 1 tog,  1?
Game 2- I have to admit, my hand was ridiculous this game.  You name a good card, and I was holding it.  The I remember about this game was a deep analysis that I misdirected, he forced, and I forced back.  leaving us both with three cards in hand.  Luckily, I have a dryad on board and don't really need cards in hand to win.

Wow Im in the finals!

Finals versus jcokn w/ Hulk
Ok, I know the history of the matchup, but I'm still not feeling super confident because I know he runs maindeck deeds.  I figure I'll need at least a little more luck to finish things up here.

Game 1- Totally lopsided- I win with a dryad, as he never saw a second island.
In: 1 drake, 1 duress, 1 drain  Out: 1 merchant scroll, 1 daze, 1 tog
Game 2- Totally lopsided, but in his favor, as I get smashed by DSC.
Game 3- A monumental last game in the finals!  My opening hand is: Sapphire, Jet, Emerald, Ancestral, Brainstorm, Brainstorm, ffetch land!  I play the sapphire and fetch and proceed to cast recall.  He forces and I brainstorm looking for a force, daze or misdirect, none of which i find.  However, I do find a dryad, lay the other two moxes, and cast it.  On my next turn, I brainstorm and see mana crypt land, land.  Wow that hand got bad really fast!  2 turns later I draw a dryad and cast it to go for a fast kill, seeing as he is having as much trouble developing as I am.  I take him down to within one turn of killing him with (2 lands?) in my hand.  He only has one card left and needs to draw the answer this turn, as he is it 4.  What does he rip?  Pernicious Deed of course!  He plays it and passes the turn.  On my turn I draw a tog and declare my attack.  He pops the deed and the dryads die.  "I hope you have a mana drain too!", I exclaim as I play the tog!  and of course, what happens??  Tog gets drained!!  Its not as bad as it looks though because he had to pop a fetch to play the drain, and he's now at 3 with no cards in hand and 3 mana in pool during his next mainphase.  What does he rip?  Cunning wish for FoF!  FoF came up Mox Jet, Deed, Drain, Force, and Brainstorm.  I split the pile [jet deed drain][force brainstorm].  I figured if he took the drain and deed, i could at least keep drawing until I found another threat and a way to force it through.  If he took the force and brainstorm, he would be facing the tough decision of forcing whatever I drew, or taking the chance on brainstorming and maybe not finding that blue card.  I ended up drawing gifts, which he forced, putting us both back at zero.  we play draw go for about 5 turns.  I see force, daze, force, force, mox.. no business, but alot of anti-business.  It was around this time that the whole mystical fiasco took place.  It got straightened out and was no big deal.  Someone in the crowd goes: "Thats too bad that he might get a game loss because he would've won this turn".. to which someone behind me replies, "have you seen Josh's hand?"  The guy replies "It doesnt matter", to which I reply, "I think it does".  On his turn he tries to mind twist me for 4- I hardcast force.  On my turn I drew some business (finally) in DT.  I tutor for Yawg's will, which he forces (putting him at one) and I force back.  I have lotus and moxes in the graveyard from the deed, as well as a duress and drain in the yard.  I duress him and see DSC, Tinker and Will (I think).  I announce that I will cast dryad and DT for Time Walk, and I win the title!  This game was absolutely monumental, and I couldn't have asked for a better finals.  I get home at about 6:30-7am and have a celebration beer with Roland, and then go to sleep after 24.5 hours of being awake!

Props:
Ray and crew for putting on a great tournament
My friends who had more faith in my game than I did, and forced me to take this tournament seriously!
Vincent Forino who t16ed with me
All the competitors who came out, and especially the t16- congratulations guys
Davide and the Italians
Quirion Dryad and Psychatog
GrowAtog versus Hulk Smash facing each other in the finals in 2006
and thanks to everyone who has left me congratulatory posts

Slops:
Winning a tournament then not being able to go out and celebrate because its 3am and you're in CT.
To the guy who stole EliasV's stack of cards- it all comes back around 


-Josh
 

[Smmenen]

Christ that finals is so painful to read simply becuase it remidns me out you need very big balls to play GAT without 4 Gush. 

That last game is a great example.  I probably would not have played the Ancestral though.  You have so much pitch magic that on the play on game two, you can very safely play turn two Ancestral and your opponent won't be able to stop it.  I would have brainstormed, fetched and depending upon what I saw I would then have Ancestraled on turn two and def. get it to resolve.  With that hand, I would def. have not had trouble winning. 

Congrats on winning.  You pwned a huge tournament and should be proud.

[mr_rogers]

Hey Josh, congrats on your win. You were a tough opponent in round 6, it also sucked that I had the worse hands of the day against you.  You loved the hat thought, right? .

-Joe

[Ultima]

Josh,

I'm so suprised that you didn't give me and seth props for helping you with your GAT deck.  You remember well when we were playing GAT with gifts back before May of 2005 and we had many a conversation that you should play it in GAT before you finally did.  Remember when we were playing the mirror at one of the PTQ's in NJ (i think it was an extended) and i was playing a similar gifts build and you were playing intuition for DA's GAT.

Regardless, well done.

-John

[G-A-T 177]

-updated- props to John Blake (Ultima), Seth and the rest of the Jersey crew (Sorry guys, it wasn't an intentional omission).  These guys have been working on GaT forever, and it was their idea to put gifts ungiven in the deck, and everyone knows how savage it is.

[Changster]

Hahaha, awesome report bud!  Way to pump one out in a couple of days. 

Oh yeah, and THAT GUY who had not seen your hand and thought your hand was crap in the finals, was the Dragon player you played in the Round of 16.  In most cases I've seen, the person you beat wishes you well and hopes you win it all to make them look good.  I guess someone was a little bitter 

-Ro

[v4ino]

Josh,

You will forever be the man for popping back a 40 when we had 25 minutes to relax and recharge for the t16!

[Smmenen]

-updated- props to John Blake (Ultima), Seth and the rest of the Jersey crew (Sorry guys, it wasn't an intentional omission).  These guys have been working on GaT forever, and it was their idea to put gifts ungiven in the deck, and everyone knows how savage it is.

No offense, but adding Gifts to GAT is pretty obvious.  Few people play GAT so just becuase we haven't seen it before doesn't mean people wouldn't use it.  I'd probably put Darkblast in GAT or the GAT Sb too.  That doesn't make it a key innovation.  It's obvious. 

[Scott_Limoges]

Congrats Josh!  I'm passing the torch to you.

[Whatever Works]

Congrats Josh!  I'm passing the torch to you.

Thank God! You can finally pick up a new deck dambit...


Congrats Josh!

[MoxMonkey]

Awesome Job.  I was the CS player from Round 2 who had a Wasteland and Strip Mine and DSC.  Those were very Savage Hands I got and I didn't get LOA Game 2 I had 2 moxen and a Shaman then Got Triskelion into play.  Love your deck and Great job.

[Grand Inquisitor]

Congrats on the win and nice list!  I'm especially a fan of the gilded drakes.

2c:
Perhaps this makes a tight deck even more difficult, but did you ever consider recoup and a lone volcanic?  It did wonders in the combo-control list I ended up running, and there's so many good targets in your list (duress, scroll, DT, Walk, and even regrowth and Will) not to mention the great pumping of dryad.

[Scoops666]

Hey, this is Derek man (Tournament judge) you had a great tournament dude, and such an amazingly well played finals game! Congrats on the win, hope to see you next Waterbury!

PS. GAT vs. Hulk- Jan '06. It's still making me smile

[Nomad]

Round 1- Enchantment based deck running root maze and stasis

Game 1- I let a root maze resolve and counter the stasis that might have won him the game- dryad beats end it quickly.
In: 1 naturalize, 1 mana drain  Out: 1 darkblast, 1 (?)
Game 2- I counter a black vise, a howling mine, and daze a choke when he taps out to cast it.  He was out of steam and a dryad (i think) took it home
1-0

I didn't know anyone was playing that, I still have my bad Root Maze/Stasis deck built, but I don't consider it especially viable unless the metagame is at least 50% Stax...

Anyone know who it was?

[Glix]

Congrats on the finish!  I'm the gifts/oath opponant you had 7th and top 8.  I have to say you played very well (except for that blatent misplay on forcing off wish).  You almost always had that turn one duress, which was very anoying, and the amount of countermagic was frustrating.  Nice deck.  I think you switched our 2nd and 3rd games in the top 8 match.  That game I got stuck on land I was relying on brainstorm, which went right into Razia, Akroma, Colossus.

I'm glad I lost to the winner, at least  .

[T00L]

Hey man I was your 8th round opponent congrats on the first place finish with GAT. I really screw up our first game but the 3rd game was a real nail biter! I thought I had you. Well congrats on going all the way.

[M.Solymossy]

No offense, but adding Gifts to GAT is pretty obvious.  Few people play GAT so just becuase we haven't seen it before doesn't mean people wouldn't use it.  I'd probably put Darkblast in GAT or the GAT Sb too.  That doesn't make it a key innovation.  It's obvious. 

Congrat's on the win at Waterbury, but I tend to have to agree with smemmen here.  Gifts Ungiven seems EXTREMELY obvious to put in any deck with Dryads AND/OR Tog's.

[The Atog Lord]

As for obviousness -- I did lose to a Meandecker playing Gifts Gro at Origins this summer.

But, really, this isn't about what is obvious or what isn't. The man found a way to incorporate the Gifts Gro concept into a deck stable and strong enough to win Waterbury. That's quite a task, no matter how you slice it.

[M.Solymossy]

After looking at his list, I Really wonder how this deck would handle any deck with the card "smokestack"

[Changster]

Actually, 13Nova, the following morning after Waterbury, Josh and I sat down and played out a few games without sideboarding.  We never had the chance to test my Stax vs his GroAtog and the results didn't really surprise us.  Out of 4 games played, it went 2 wins, 2 losses for each of us.  We stopped playing for Josh's brain's sake... I mean, come on... who likes to play "against" Stax.  I have made fun of Josh in the past for still playing the deck, but it should not be overlooked and underestimated.  Tech or no tech, luck or no luck, he won Waterbury, end of story.

 

[G-A-T 177]

Actually, 13Nova, the following morning after Waterbury, Josh and I sat down and played out a few games without sideboarding.  We never had the chance to test my Stax vs his GroAtog and the results didn't really surprise us.  Out of 4 games played, it went 2 wins, 2 losses for each of us.  We stopped playing for Josh's brain's sake... I mean, come on... who likes to play "against" Stax.  I have made fun of Josh in the past for still playing the deck, but it should not be overlooked and underestimated.  Tech or no tech, luck or no luck, he won Waterbury, end of story.

 

actually we've tested the matchup quite a while back when roland's build was a little different, but the results were always the same.  About even with stax taking a bit of an advantage. 

[Juggernaut GO]

I am glad to see you went on to win  the tournament.  We were .2% apart in tiebreakers for 16th and 17th and seeing how the dryads tore a hole right through the entire top 16 I have no doubt the same could have happened if our roles were reversed just with gorilla shaman and juggernauts instead.

I just want to address some of the stuff that was being said in the forum about being lucky by avoiding this deck, or that deck all day long.  That sort of argument really has no meaning at all.  You beat everyone you faced in the top16, you are the undisputed Waterbury champion.  Luck plays a very small roll in a tournament with  8 rounds, let alone a cut to top 16 afterwards. 

Good work, and we'll see you at waterbury IX to defend the title!

[The Atog Lord]

There is no tournament won without some fortunate pairings.
Being able to deduce which decks are likely to be faced and which are not, and building according to those predictions, is metagaming.
Congratulations -- you can't win a Waterbury without earning it.