TOP EIGHT PREDICTIONS FOR RICHMOND

[forests failed you]

My prediction is that Steve plays his new Tendrils deck with no basic lands. 

Also in the spirit of good rivalry;  I will give anybody who beats Steve while he is in contention in a match day one a Revised Dual land. 

The Vintage Avant-Garde is a class act.  We don't give out jank rares to people whose actions please us.

[MuzzonoAmi]

Keep that dual ready for me, Brian.

[nataz]

Also in the spirit of good rivalry;  I will give anybody who beats Steve while he is in contention in a match day one a Revised Dual land. 

So thats like what, 2 duals max then? At least Randy didn't put a condition on his bet.

*Edit

oh and @ Muzzie

You did read that part about "in contention" right? Beating Steve when paired together in the 0-2 bracket doesnt count!

**Edit X2

oh yea, list

SliverKing
O<3
PTW
The Cubbies
Zvi
Rosewater
Cross-Man Japan
Hemingway

Final standing will show Rosewater at the top w/ the new unrestricted and green Minds Desire from *snap*, all the while laughing manically about unsanctioned events. Quote Rosewater after the finals: "It's all about the color pie Bitches"

[Evenpence]

Day 1

1)  Drain-based TPS
2)  Stax
3)  Drain-based TPS
4)  Gifts
5)  Stax
6)  Drain-based TPS
7)  RANDOM JANK
8)  Randy Buehler

Day 2

1)  Randy Beuhler
2)  RANDOM JANK
3)  Gifts
4)  Control Slaver
5)  Stax
6)  Drain-based TPS
7)  Drain-based TPS
8)  Drain-based TPS

I say he makes top 8 BOTH days.

[Juggernaut GO]

I thought uba stax was supposed to smash all combo?  How can all that combo make top 8 if uba stax stands in its way?

[Jacob Orlove]

O<3

Is that supposed to be me?

On the topic, I think the decks for the day 2 T8 will look very different from the day 1 lists, but at least two players will overlap (I would normally predict at least one overlapping player, but Randy will be there).

So, aside from Randy making T8 both days, and my obligatory reference to some meandeckers T8ing, I suspect we'll see the strongest performances from people like Brassman and FFY, because Vroman and others are going to run into increasing hate, and their decks have an excellent matchup against the TPS-style drain decks that everyone seems to be all excited about. There will be a few solid local players also in contention for T8, but I doubt they'll have anything new (unless you consider changing 10 different junk cards in Miller's list "new").

[Evenpence]

I thought uba stax was supposed to smash all combo?  How can all that combo make top 8 if uba stax stands in its way?

I don't think that many people will be playing Ubastax, because people on the forums have been saying Drain-based Combo and Gifts wreck it, which is completely untrue.

The guy who won the Time Walk (Joe Davis, awesome guy) with BPS (w ENORMOUS amounts of MD hate for Ubastax) said that there was *no harder matchup for his deck than Ubastax*.

We tied in the first round.  I was up a game, and the rounds were only forty minutes, so we went to time.  As I've never gone to time before (I know, peculiar) I didn't know how tiebreakers within rounds were settled, and thought that he could actually win the game, and I would still come out on top, because I won the first game.  (The tournament before, when people went to time, if they were 1-1, and in Game 3, and they went throughout their 5 turns, and it was still a tie, whoever won the first game would win).

If I knew that, I wouldn't have LET MY TRINISPHERE DIE.  Unfortunately, I did, and we drew.  I wasn't really that pissed because I didn't expect to win that tournament anyway, with the metagame being really ANTI-Stax.

But yeah, Travis, I don't expect to EVER play the Ubastax mirror at Richmond.  Although, if I do, and it's anyone but Vroman, Yesphuryen, or Nataz, I'll consider myself to have the upper hand. 

[nataz]

Is that supposed to be me?

Yea, its those pesky "R"s again. Normally I just switch them out for an "L" but this time look like I just droped it all together.

[Whatever Works]

I have heard from multiple people Osyp will be in this tourney. Personally, I think he will do better then randy bueler.

Predicting players who top 8 has over time just become more and more pointless to me... Just look at the waterbury predictions... nobody got more then 1 person right... Instead of guessing who will/wont do well work on a sideboard or like go outside or something.

[Juggernaut GO]

I predict that kyle leith will go to time in 7 rounds, and draw 2

[forests failed you]

I predict that Paul Nicolo will go X-1-1 and make top eight.  However he will lose in the third round to mana screw, and most likely have a meltdown and throw his deck acrossed the room and say "Two lands on the draw!!!!   How as I supposed to know he'd have Strip Mine and I'd never draw another!!!!  What was I supposed to do, throw it back!!!???" 

[Jacob Orlove]

Predicting players who top 8 has over time just become more and more pointless to me... Just look at the waterbury predictions... nobody got more then 1 person right.

Well, that's because Waterbury basically didn't have anyone well-known actually playing. There were like 5 guessable players out of 180+ total people--it's no surprise that only GI made T16.

Richmond, though, is going to have way, way, way more well-known players, which makes guessing possible.

Also, Randy is far more prepared for this event than Osyp. They're both great players, though, so I'd expect them to each do well.

[SonataOfTheCathedral]

I'd be suprised if Osyp would even bother with Type 1 if he didn't have some certain confidence in what he was playing.

Otherwise I don't see what sense it would make for him to go play.

[jcb193]

Those of you that play Randy, make sure you are up to snuff on your floor rules.  I've never played anyone in Magic who knew how to use them to his advantage better.  [And i'm not saying that in a bad way, rules are part of the game too.]

[Whatever Works]

Predicting players who top 8 has over time just become more and more pointless to me... Just look at the waterbury predictions... nobody got more then 1 person right.

Well, that's because Waterbury basically didn't have anyone well-known actually playing. There were like 5 guessable players out of 180+ total people--it's no surprise that only GI made T16.

Richmond, though, is going to have way, way, way more well-known players, which makes guessing possible.

Also, Randy is far more prepared for this event than Osyp. They're both great players, though, so I'd expect them to each do well.

I dont Know I think there were ALOT of well known players at that event. Just because meandeck wasnt in attendence, doesnt mean that the event was short on good players.

Osyp would not go to this event imho unless he feels that he has a very strong oppertunity to win. Therefore its fair to conclude that he either broke some deck... Or believes he can take something like Tog, and outplay the field. Both of which I believe he probably can do... Not to take anything away from Randy who is extremely good. and I cant agree more with jcb193 lol.

Kyle L

[forests failed you]

Not only that but it was a very odd metagame.  Basically, it was an entire meta designed to stomp the shit out of Drain decks.  I think that most of the goood drain players who played at this event learned several valuable lessons about how to tweak their decks to stomp random aggro and hate decks. 

I PWN WEREBEAR

[Disburden]

I wont go ahead to predict all 8, but I think I am certain about these:

Steve M.
Buehler
FFY
Eric Miller (does he still play The Riddler?!)

Whoever else in Meandeck that plays the new deck, which no one will prepared for.

[Methuselahn]

I predict Rich Shay or Jesus Roxas will make Top8.

[Disburden]

I predict Rich Shay or Jesus Roxas will make Top8.

Good job. Shay won lol.

[Moxlotus]

A Meandecker with Smmenen's Deck
Travis Laplante   Do you think you can take a Wee Drag?  I didn't think so.
Outlaw
Brassman
I think someone from Team Orge but not Vroman
ForceFieldyou
Eric Miller - I don't no how or why but he seems to just dominate Richmond
Smmenen - if he shows he will make it

I think Buehler will make top16 and be high placing but not Top 8.  If I make it I'll definitely make at least top 16.

MoxMonkey wins this thread.  3/8 in top 8 predictions and the correct Buehler guess.

[MoxMonkey]

No Shit I win I always Win.

Shay would have been on my list over the Random meandecker if I knew he was going but last I heard was he wasn't going to make it.  =(  I would have gotten half the Top 8 man that would have ruled.  For Day 2 My prediction

Brassman - He will be taking the Cake home People Watch out hes comming for you.
Rich Shay  - Who else would you want in your list?
Outlaw - When doesn't he top 8 a SCG?  These things are byes for him he topdecks ;p
Travis LaPlatne - If he plays Workshops if not FFY again
Buehler - this might not be true and at worst I see him getting top 12
Paul Nicolo
Robert Vroman
1 Person that isn't known on TMD

Ya theres 2 Days to this one lets see if I can get the top 8 right again.    If I do predict this top 8 I want a cookie this thing took time and thinking.  *Drools at thought of Cookie*

[Methuselahn]

Actually, I think I  had the most accurate prediction seeing as it was 100% accurate. 

Also, we didn't want to tell anybody that Shay was going.  Then everybody would have obviously boarded in lots of Shay Slaver hate Day 1.

[forests failed you]

Predicting players who top 8 has over time just become more and more pointless to me... Just look at the waterbury predictions... nobody got more then 1 person right... Instead of guessing who will/wont do well work on a sideboard or like go outside or something.

Huzzah, all face players in top eight.  Predicting rules!

[MoxMonkey]

Someone will get called on for Drinking to much and not making it to day 2 in turn ruining MoxMonkeys Day 2 Predictions.  Man Alcohol is soo good yet so bad. 

Cannot wait to see both days top 8 list, so Slaver won Both days if I was reading something right?  If thats wrong what won day 2.

[forests failed you]

What are you talking about? YOu didn't even pick me JERK!!!   lol

[MoxMonkey]

Travis LaPlatne - If he plays Workshops if not FFY again

Haha I did.  You were with Travis as the questionable person to make it in since I figured youd definitly go out with Samite since getting 2nd and 3rd means drinking, but comeon sleeping past the start time.  didn't you ever pull all nighters with alcohol. 

You better get down here for the next Waterbury or the 4 Workshop so we can tear it up with Slaver or Tendrils or R/G beatz.  I'm not sure which is better in the metagame. 

[Moxlotus]

Someone will get called on for Drinking to much and not making it to day 2 in turn ruining MoxMonkeys Day 2 Predictions.  Man Alcohol is soo good yet so bad. 

Cannot wait to see both days top 8 list, so Slaver won Both days if I was reading something right?  If thats wrong what won day 2.

Brian Fisher won day 2 and I'm next to positive he was playing a FlameVault combo deck.

[Kowal]

It was control slaver.  He beat me in game three when I brainstormed, fetched, thirsted, brainstormed again, fetched again, and then topdecked for like seven turns failing to see cards that are not mana sources.  No hard feelings though, we arranged a prize split ahead of time and I'm really quite content to be walking with the ancestral and the twister.

That match and Fisher's match with Becker were very amusing.  It was good times.

[forests failed you]

  didn't you ever pull all nighters with alcohol. 

I don't remember.

I talked to Brian on the phone last night, he was definately playing Slaver.  So, we had dubs CS victories in Richmond.   One from Shay and one from Fisher.

[Moxlotus]

WTF-Fisher has always bitched about how much he hates playing slaver and how it sits there and doesn't do anything...then he decides to play it.  Well--that's Fisher.