3CB Tournament #77 - Tournament Opening (special format!)

[combo_dude]

Apologies for the essay excuse once again, but that plus being away from a computer for the last few days has meant I haven't quite finished the results; as such they'll be up tomorrow, but for now, here is the new tournament!

For this week: Very Different!

In addition to the banned list, the following cards are in effect: [card]Trinisphere[/card], [card]Upwelling[/card], and [card]Leyline of Singularity[/card]. Furthermore, all nonbasic lands are legendary, (EDIT: all double discard spells are now also banned,) and all Land Destruction (including lands such as Dust Bowl) is banned.

Banned list:
Portal (in ALL its forms)
Unglued AND UNHINGED
[card]Mesmeric Fiend[/card]
[card]Nezumi Shortfang[/card]
[card]Blackmail[/card]
[card]Chain of Smog[/card]
[card]Cabal Therapy[/card]
[card]Encroach[/card]
[card]Mind Swords[/card]
[card]Anvil of Bogardan[/card]
[card]Mishra's Workshop[/card]
[card]Karakas[/card]
[card]The Rack[/card]
[card]Balance[/card]
[card]Meddling Mage[/card]
[card]Vindicate[/card]

NOTE BANNED LIST CHANGE! (And I definitely reserve the right to ban cards in the next few days if necessary!)

What is 3cb?

3-Card Blind (3CB) is a very unique game. The rules are as follows

Your deck is composed of 3 cards, all of which start in your hand.
You have no library (technically, the library exists, but starts at 0 cards) and no sideboard (Wishes fetch nothing).
Random effects always go in your opponent's favour.
You can see your opponent's hand, so you can always make the best possible play.
You don't lose as a result of not being able to draw a card.
You will play each opponent twice, once going first, once going second.
For each win, you score 3.
For each draw, you score 1.
For each loss, you get nothing.
Other than the aforementioned, EVERYTHING IS HANDLED EXACTLY LIKE A REAL GAME OF MAGIC!

To make an entry, PM your deck to combo_dude in the following format:

Subject: 3cb Tournament #77 Entry or 3cb Tournament#77 Revision
Deck Name
Card #1
Card #2
Card #3

Optional Deck discussion, random sucking up, etc.

I'll close entries after 2 weeks. Get your entries in by 15th May and I'll calculate. Go crazy!

Adam

[That0neguy]

not really having to do with this specific format, but why is portal banned still???  Its legal in Eternal.  It has errata.  And it can be searched for on Gatherer.  There is really no point to having it be banned anymore except for the horsemanship cretures being unblockable, but is that really that big of a deal anyways?

[Franz Ferdinand]

Is Smokestack banned?

[combo_dude]

@Franz: Smokestack is probably OK, since it comes out turn 2 and doesn't do anything immediately - there's still time to put a threat down on the table for the opponent.

@That0neguy: Portal is banned mainly from laziness to look through the card lists, though I don't think that there's anything too dangerous in there. I'm prepared to unban it, but I'm not about to spend hours looking at all the cards and trying to look for combos; I don't take enough serious interest in MtG any more to warrant looking through it. If someone who takes Magic more seriously has looked through it already, then let me know what needs banning and I'll allow Portal with exceptions. It was banned when Portal was illegal, and nobody's got round to looking through the lists.

Adam

PS Dissension will be legal in the next regular format.

[Franz Ferdinand]

Also, if you're having trouble making the time to do these, you can always ask other people. I know that I saw in the last topic, a bunch of regulars are willing to do it for you. I know how much trouble it is, I've been running these over at another site where we get more in a round, and it's a headache.

Actually, we used these rules in the last round...judging by the changes from the last time I saw the Trinisphere+Upwelling rule when I looked at past ones, it seemed like you looked at ours.

[combo_dude]

Also, if you're having trouble making the time to do these, you can always ask other people. I know that I saw in the last topic, a bunch of regulars are willing to do it for you. I know how much trouble it is, I've been running these over at another site where we get more in a round, and it's a headache.

Actually, we used these rules in the last round...judging by the changes from the last time I saw the Trinisphere+Upwelling rule when I looked at past ones, it seemed like you looked at ours.

Actually, I got it from MtGSalvation - my brother runs the 4CB there (and used to run 3CB here), so we often end up sharing format ideas and so on. I've never been on Magic-League or any other sites that may run it.

Adam

EDIT: Speaking of 4CB, I'm thinking of trying that out on these boards, because it's arguably a more interesting and powerful format, but that's for another thread...

[Khahan]

First time I've seen this (not usually in the casual forums).  How is mana handled?

[Cross]

4cb is interesting because you can get into decks with multiple strategies.

[combo_dude]

First time I've seen this (not usually in the casual forums).  How is mana handled?

What do you mean, how is it handled? For this format Upwelling is in effect, so mana just builds up - unless you're asking a different question, of course.

As for 4CB, that's pretty much the reason - it seems odd to anyone used to 3CB but from experience I've found that decks using Black Lotus rarely win without a strong control option to supplement the speed boost provided. Maybe that can act as a special format for a while if necessary? Or I could run both simultaneously, but I'd need someone else to run this if I was going to do 4CB, no matter how busy I am.

Adam

[Godder]

I'm happy to run 3CB if combo_dude needs time off, or if he wants to run other formats such as 4CB (or more).

[combo_dude]

OK, I'm changing the banned list: from now on, all double-discard is also banned. Apologies to those who have sent decks in with cards like Hymn, but it can never go worse than 3-3 against any deck. That's too good.

Adam

[Cross]

I'm assuming that applies for mind twist as well, seeing as it basically is a hymn.

[combo_dude]

Yes - any card that can force an opponent to discard more than one card in one turn is banned.

Adam

[Franz Ferdinand]

Just wondering, though not for the sake of this round--how is a random discard effect like Hypnotic Specter treated? Does the "random effects always go in your oppo's favor" rule apply here?

[combo_dude]

Truth be told, I don't think the issue's ever really come up; it'd probably be most consistent to do it by choosing, but I'm open to suggestions.

Adam

[combo_dude]

Another addendum/clarification for the banned list: Land Destruction includes all cards like Misguided Rage that can cause lands to be destroyed.

Adam

[Franz Ferdinand]

Truth be told, I don't think the issue's ever really come up; it'd probably be most consistent to do it by choosing, but I'm open to suggestions.

Adam

Yeah, it came up in just one game in the current round of mine (Swamp-Rit-Hyppie starting versus TET), and I wasn't sure how to handle it, because depending on which is discarded, it decides the game.

For now, though, I guess I'll put it under the randomization rule and have it benefit the TET player. Thanks anyway.