[Report] TempleCon 2007 Report brought to you by Myriad Games

[Myriad Games]

The TempleCon 2007 Vintage Tournament announcement for Sunday, February 18th, 2007 can be found here.

25 players participated in this event, at the 2nd annual TempleCon at the Westin Hotel in Providence, RI.

Standings after 5 rounds of Swiss, cut to Top 8.

Top 4   Andy Probasco -- Gifts
Top 4   Dan Joskiewich -- Control Slaver
Top 4   Dan Cunningham -- Salvagers
Top 4   Sam Best -- Gifts
Top 8   Joshua Cutler -- U/W/r Fish
Top 8   Arik Pogrebinsky -- U/W/b Fish
Top 8   Marc Tuttle -- U/R Fish
Top 8   Stefan Ellsworth -- Gifts
9th    Eric Dupuis -- Gifts
10th   Lloyd Anderson -- B/R Tempo Control
11th   Matt Moroff -- Mono Green Stompy
12th   Ryan Bourgoin -- Grim Long
13th   Don Belcastro -- Gifts
14th   Brian Rozzero -- IT Control
15th   David Romano -- White Weenie
16th   Dave Feinstein -- U/W/b Fish
17th   Oliver Beaumont -- The Guildmage Wins Again
18th   Ryan Marek -- Gifts
19th   Erik Anderson -- U/W/b Fish
20th   Armand Cabral -- Oath
21st     Derek Brown -- U/G Landstill
22nd    Dan Yarrington -- The Mountains Win Again
23rd    Sara Yarrington -- Sui Black
24th   Alex Mosher -- Casual R/W Aggro
25th   Chris Petri -- Gifts   

Here are the Top 8 decklists, with Top 4 and 5th-8th place winners listed in order of placement at the end of round 5 of the Swiss. When I stopped back by the venue after dinner, there was just a Top 4 list with no results, so I gathered that the Top 4 had split. Perhaps someone in the Top 4 can let us know the final results and prizes.

Top 4 - Andy Probasco with Brassy Gifts

4x Force of Will
4x Brainstorm
3x Gifts Ungiven
1x Demonic Tutor
1x Vampiric Tutor
1x Mystical Tutor
1x Yawgmoth's Will
1x Time Walk
3x Repeal
1x Hurkyl's Recall
1x Recoup
1x Ancestral Recall
2x Merchant Scroll
1x Tendrils of Agony
1x Empty the Warrens
1x Skeletal Scrying
1x Burning Wish
1x Tormod's Crypt
2x Mana Drain
2x Duress
1x Timetwister
1x Gorilla Shaman
1x Mox Sapphire
1x Mox Pearl
1x Mox Ruby
1x Mox Emerald
1x Mox Jet
1x Black Lotus
1x Mana Crypt
1x Lotus Petal
1x Sol Ring
2x Island
1x Snow-Covered Island
1x Swamp
2x Underground Sea
2x Volcanic Island
1x Tolarian Academy
1x Library of Alexandria
1x Flooded Strand
4x Polluted Delta
1x Dark Ritual

Sideboard
1x Extirpate
2x Red Elemental Blast
1x Pyroblast
1x Empty the Warrens
1x Pyroclasm
1x Mind Twist
1x Duress
1x Rebuild
1x Repeal
2x Tormod's Crypt
1x Deep Analysis
1x The Abyss
1x Hurkyl's Recall

Top 4 - Dan Joskiewich with Control Slaver

1x Sol Ring
1x Mana Vault
1x Mana Crypt
1x Mox Jet
1x Mox Sapphire
1x Mox Ruby
1x Mox Emerald
1x Mox Jet
1x Black Lotus
1x Mindslaver
3x Goblin Welder
1x Triskelion
1x Sundering Titan
1x Tinker
1x Yawgmoth's Will
1x Demonic Tutor
2x Merchant Scroll
1x Time Walk
1x Recoup
1x Empty the Warrens
4x Mana Drain
4x Force of Will
1x Echoing Truth
1x Mystical Tutor
4x Brainstorm
2x Thirst for Knowledge
1x Ancestral Recall
3x Gifts Ungiven
1x Pyroblast
3x Island
1x Tolarian Academy
1x Library of Alexandria
1x Badlands
3x Volcanic Island
2x Underground Sea
2x Bloodstained Mire
3x Polluted Delta

Sideboard
2x Red Elemental Blast
2x Pyroclasm
2x Tormod's Crypt
3x Trickbind
2x Rack and Ruin
1x Fire and Ice
1x Tendrils of Agony
2x Empty the Warrens

Top 4 - Dan Cunningham with Salvagers

4x Force of Will
4x Brainstorm
3x Merchant Scroll
4x Trinket Mage
4x Auriok Salvagers
2x AEther Spellbomb
1x Tormod's Crypt
1x Sol Ring
1x Engineered Explosives
1x Pithing Needle
1x Echoing Truth
4x Mana Drain
3x Thirst for Knowledge
2x Misdirection
1x Black Lotus
1x Mox Emerald
1x Mox Sapphire
1x Mox Ruby
1x Mox Jet
1x Mox Pearl
1x Time Walk
1x Ancestral Recall
4x Tundra
4x Flooded Strand
1x Snow-Covered Island
2x Plains
1x Library of Alexandria
1x Strip Mine
4x Island

Sideboard
4x Orim's Chant
4x Chalice of the Void
1x Tormod's Crypt
3x Old Man of the Sea
2x Energy Flux
1x Exalted Angel

Top 4 - Sam Best with Gifts

3x Volcanic Island
2x Flooded Strand
2x Island
2x Underground Sea
3x Polluted Delta
1x Library of Alexandria
1x Tolarian Academy
1x Swamp
1x Sol Ring
1x Mystical Tutor
1x Ancestral Recall
1x Time Walk
4x Brainstorm
4x Mana Drain
4x Force of Will
1x Mox Emerald
1x Mox Ruby
1x Mox Pearl
1x Mox Sapphire
1x Mox Jet
1x Mana Crypt
1x Mana Vault
1x Demonic Tutor
1x Yawgmoth's Will
1x Black Lotus
3x Gifts Ungiven
2x Merchant Scroll
1x Recoup
1x Tendrils of Agony
1x Lotus Petal
1x Rebuild
1x Dark Ritual
2x Repeal
1x Timetwister
1x Empty the Warrens
1x Mind's Desire
1x Chain of Vapor
2x Duress
1x Vampiric Tutor

Sideboard
1x Hurkyl's Recall
2x Tormod's Crypt
2x Trickbind
2x Pithing Needle
2x Red Elemental Blast
2x Empty the Warrens
1x Massacre
1x Pyroclasm
1x Pyroblast
1x Extirpate

Top 8 - Joshua Cutler with U/W/r Fish

1x Black Lotus
1x Mox Sapphire
1x Mox Pearl
2x Volcanic Island
4x Flooded Strand
1x Polluted Delta
4x Tundra
1x Island
1x Plains
4x Wasteland
1x Strip Mine
1x Ancestral Recall
1x Time Walk
4x Force of Will
4x Brainstorm
4x Meddling Mage
4x Null Rod
2x Kataki, War's Wage
2x Red Elemental Blast
3x Stifle
3x Daze
2x Echoing Truth
2x Isamaru, Hound of Konda
4x Savannah Lions
3x Jotun Grunt

Sideboard
1x Kataki, War's Wage
4x Swords to Plowshares
2x Tormod's Crypt
2x Energy Flux
2x Red Elemental Blast
4x Fire and Ice

Top 8 - Arik Pogrebinsky with U/W/b Fish

4x Dark Confidant
4x Meddling Mage
4x Jotun Grunt
4x Dimir Cutpurse
3x Isamaru, Hound of Konda
1x Savannah Lions
4x Force of Will
4x Brainstorm
3x Duress
3x Swords to Plowshares
3x Null Rod
1x Ancestral Recall
1x Time Walk
1x Black Lotus
1x Mox Jet
1x Mox Pearl
1x Mox Sapphire
3x Flooded Strand
3x Polluted Delta
3x Underground Sea
2x Scrubland
2x Tundra
1x Island
1x Plains
1x Swamp
1x Strip Mine

Sideboard
4x Leyline of the Void
3x Threads of Disloyalty
3x Trickbind
2x Echoing Truth
2x Darkblast
1x Null Rod

Top 8 - Marc Tuttle with U/R Fish

1x Ancestral Recall
1x Time Walk
4x Force of Will
2x Misdirection
2x Daze
3x Brainstorm
3x Standstill
3x Umezawa's Jitte
3x Aether Vial
4x Grim Lavamancer
4x Cloud of Faeries
2x Gorilla Shaman
4x Drifter il-Dal
4x Polluted Delta
1x Flooded Strand
3x Wasteland
1x Strip Mine
1x Mox Ruby
2x Island
2x Faerie Conclave
4x Mishra's Factory
4x Volcanic Island
1x Black Lotus
1x Mox Sapphire

Sideboard
3x Stifle
1x Umezawa's Jitte
3x Extract
3x Tormod's Crypt
3x Threads of Disloyalty
2x Null Rod

Top 8 - Stefan Ellsworth with Brassy Gifts

2x Flooded Strand
3x Polluted Delta
2x Volcanic Island
2x Underground Sea
1x Tolarian Academy
2x Snow-Covered Island
1x Library of Alexandria
1x Island
1x Sundering Titan
1x Snow-Covered Island
4x Force of Will
3x Gifts Ungiven
3x Merchant Scroll
4x Mana Drain
4x Brainstorm
1x Recoup
1x Lotus Petal
1x Black Lotus
1x Sol Ring
1x Mox Emerald
1x Mox Jet
1x Mox Pearl
1x Mox Ruby
1x Mox Sapphire
1x Demonic Tutor
1x Ancestral Recall
1x Time Walk
1x Yawgmoth's Will
1x Mana Crypt
1x Tendrils of Agony
1x Vampiric Tutor
1x Mystical Tutor
1x Tormod's Crypt
1x Hurkyl's Recall
1x Dark Ritual
1x Timetwister
2x Duress
1x Burning Wish
1x Repeal
1x Tinker

Sideboard
1x Tormod's Crypt
1x Hurkyl's Recall
2x Duress
2x Empty the Warrens
1x Pyroblast
1x Red Elemental Blast
2x Pyroclasm
2x Extirpate
1x Massacre
2x Pithing Needle

Congratulations to all the winners! Thank you to our gracious hosts, and all the fine players who attended. Despite my infinite scrubbage, I had a good time. 

We'll look forward to seeing everyone here at Myriad Games for our next Vintage event on March 24th!

[Evewalker]

Yep, congrats to all the winners, and everyone who turned out for the event.    Also, thanks for everyone's patience during the first couple of rounds while we beat our computer system into submission for giving us issues with the DCI Reporter.   

We're planning on a lot more events next year, and are already in talks to expand Magic at the con quite a bit.   

Thanks for coming, everyone.   

[Sam Best]

Each of the top 4 got: $55.00, 3 Ravnica Tournament Packs and I believe 4 booster packs from random sets which we drafted to see who got what packs. Dan Cunningham got the plaque which we rolled to see who got it. Dan rolled at 19, Brassman rolled 2, I rolled 17 and the other guy rolled 18

[technogeek5000]

lol how was i in last place, when i dropped i was 1-3. surely some1 did worse

[hippie]

This was one of the most fun at a tournament I have had in a very long time.  Vintage players in New England are the swellest group of guys a man can ask for.

~Josh C

[Myriad Games]

lol how was i in last place, when i dropped i was 1-3. surely some1 did worse

The Standings after round five did not include two players who dropped, so I had to estimate their standing without knowing their points. I've updated that.

[Myriad Games]

I've just posted a few hastily snapped photos from the event. You can check them out here.



Enjoy!

[Sam Best]

Merek. Haha. Thanks for the pics Dan

[Twaun007]

That venue looks straight ball'in. Are those coffee pots in the 4th pic?

[Bubbydan]

   Yes they were coffee pots, but sadly they were all empty when we got there, but on a good note we were all treated to free cans of red bull.
   It was a great event, held in a great place. I really enjoyed myself.  I enjoyed the pictures too.

Dan J

[Disburden]

Brassman is a friggin animal. Seriously, how many top 8s has it been so far these past three months? And his Gifts build just gets weirder and weirder. Gorilla Shaman, only two Mana Drains, Two Duress MD, Extirpate in the maindeck last tourney and now gone in this one,etc. Good stuff. I love these reports.

[desolutionist]

Brassman is a friggin animal. Seriously, how many top 8s has it been so far these past three months? And his Gifts build just gets weirder and weirder. Gorilla Shaman, only two Mana Drains, Two Duress MD, Extirpate in the maindeck last tourney and now gone in this one,etc. Good stuff. I love these reports.

I don't think these choices are what he considers to be optimal.  He is most likely having fun, proving that Gifts is inherently broken, or a combination of both.  We can't analyze/dissect these recent lists because they're not coherent and he's probably laughing about it.

[TopSecret]

     I think that might be underestimating the element of surprise.
If your opponent thinks you have a Drain, they won't walk into it.
Then, Duress is better.
But, if you already cast Duress, there's a better chance that they'll walk into a Drain.

     Don't be fooled... There's a method to his madness.

[nataz]

I don't think these choices are what he considers to be optimal.  He is most likely having fun, proving that Gifts is inherently broken, or a combination of both.  We can't analyze/dissect these recent lists because they're not coherent and he's probably laughing about it.

The lists were certainly not Jokes.

[desolutionist]

They certainly are funny.  I'll believe what I want, while you netdeck and test those absurdities.

[Disburden]

They certainly are funny.  I'll believe what I want, while you netdeck and test those absurdities.

Why are you so quick to observe a decklist on paper, not in action, and then call it an abusrdity? Usually those kind of comments are backed up with some kind of proof such as tournament play or testing results in a thread. I don't look at Brassman's success as a farce with a horrible deck list. I'm sure he doesn't see it that way either.

[nataz]

I'll believe what I want, while you netdeck and test those absurdities.

Is the cutting of Drain for X duress really that surprising? Do you honestly believe that Gorilla Shaman has never been seen before in combo-control decks? Scrying, Tormods; what absurdities, no control deck would ever run those!

/sigh I hate to come off as a Andy's fan boy, but-

Rather then just netdecking, perhaps my comment could stem from the fact that I've played against Andy, and these lists, in real life; afterwards discussing his unconventional card choices?

Real life experiences, and not just snide internet-based theorizing. Amazing.

[Dxfiler]

While Brassman certainly does joke about some of the awkward choices in his gifts list, he pretty much never runs cards for laughs.  He tests the hell out of his list and agonizes over ever single card choice, usually not settling on anything until the night before a tourney.  Usually, he'll set aside 20 cards in my basement and then decide on 5 in the middle of the night while I'm sleeping... then promptly sneak out of my house when he said he was sleeping over :p

Anyway, he's been on a tear because he's constantly adapting his list.  He doesn't stick to the same plan.  for this particular tourney, he figured there'd be a good amount of fish given that it's 5 proxies, hence cutting down on maindeck drains and adding abyss to the sideboard.  His tweaks are based strictly on the metagame.  If you don't adapt with a deck as diverse as gifts, you're dead in the water to someone who does.

- Dave Feinstein

[desolutionist]

While Brassman certainly does joke about some of the awkward choices in his gifts list, he pretty much never runs cards for laughs.  He tests the hell out of his list and agonizes over ever single card choice, usually not settling on anything until the night before a tourney.  Usually, he'll set aside 20 cards in my basement and then decide on 5 in the middle of the night while I'm sleeping... then promptly sneak out of my house when he said he was sleeping over :p

Anyway, he's been on a tear because he's constantly adapting his list.  He doesn't stick to the same plan.  for this particular tourney, he figured there'd be a good amount of fish given that it's 5 proxies, hence cutting down on maindeck drains and adding abyss to the sideboard.  His tweaks are based strictly on the metagame.  If you don't adapt with a deck as diverse as gifts, you're dead in the water to someone who does.

- Dave Feinstein

I can agree to that.  I'm just indicating, probably poorly, that his decks should be taken with a grain of salt.

[Implacable]

Real life experiences, and not just snide internet-based theorizing. Amazing.

Don't talk crazy, Nataz!  If you can't be snide, what's the point?

In all seriousness, I don't see how people can just say 'Oh, it's crazy Brassman, he's just having fun and playing games...'.  In all seriousness, Andy's list looks absolutely reasonable, and, in a lot of ways, the diversity of the cards makes it seem like Keeper, but good .  It's not like someone who wins Power tournaments just randomly throws some cards together for shits and giggles...