[Results] ELD's Mox IV Top 8

[ELD]

Thanks to everyone who made this event a success.  As always, all participants received a proxy, which does not count towards the proxy count in all my future events.   This event was for a Mox Sapphire, so that's the proxy that I made.



We had 33 players so I was able to up the prize structure to the following:

1st Unlimited Mox Sapphire
2nd Playset of 4x  Force of Will
3rd Playset of 4x Beta Dark Ritual
4th Playset of 4x Foil FNM Brainstorm
5th-8th had a choice from several cards they chose:
5th Foil Eternal Witness
6th Foil Trinisphere
7th Proxy Ancestral Recall
8th Antiquities Mishra's Factory

Alden Earle won the preregistration Dual Land.  It was a Tropical Island.  Thanks to everyone who preregistered.  It makes the events much easier to run. 

The Top 8 was

1 Chadd Klein - UW Fish
2 Andy Probasco - Rector? I Barely Know Her (Flash/Rector Combo)
3 Chris Thoms - Sullivan Solution
4 Donald Belcastro - Bomberman
5 Scott Hughes - Staxless Stax
6 Keith Johnson - Bomberman
7 Alden Earle - Decklist Missing (a deck with Drains any info would be helpful here)
8 Tim Landale - Gifts

Top 8
Chadd Klein - UW Fish def Tim Landale - Gifts
Scott Hughes - Stax  def Donald Belcastro - Bomberman
Chris Thoms - Sullivan Solution def Keith Johnson - Bomberman
Andy Probasco - Rector? I Barely Know Her (Flash/Rector Combo) def Alden Earle - Decklist Missing

Top 4
Chadd Klein - UW Fish def Scott Hughes - Stax
Chris Thoms - Sullivan Solution def Andy Probasco - Rector? I Barely Know Her (Flash/Rector Combo)

Top 2
Chadd Klein - UW Fish split with Chris Thoms - Sullivan Solution

Congratulations to everyone who made the Top 8.  Making it in after 6 rounds in a tough field is an accomplishment.  I hope to see you all at my next event, which is May 19th. 

[Driven]

Hey, it's Alden.  I was playing a tri-color combo-control deck, nicknamed "Jits" for Jank Is The Shit.  It ran some pretty terrible cards (as most of my decks do), but did pretty well.

Props to ELD for the proxy idea and the fun tournament, and slops to Andy for smashing my face Round 7.  Still a fun match though:)

[nataz]

Andy Probasco - Rector? I Barely Know Her (Flash/Rector Combo)

OMG, what suave fellow could have come up with such a name?

This sounded like a really great event. One day I'll brave the southlands for a trip down.

[iamfishman]

ELD...this was a great event.

I have one major gripe.(and this isn't really a serious one)

You called Scott Hughes Top 4 deck "Stax".  It is most definitly a Staxless Stax deck that I built for him that he has been playing for the last few weeks.

I have to assume you know how much I hate my deck being called Stax, and as such you wanted to get a chuckle out of me.

[ELD]

Glad to hear everyone had a good time. 

You called Scott Hughes Top 4 deck "Stax".  It is most definitly a Staxless Stax deck that I built for him that he has been playing for the last few weeks.

I have to assume you know how much I hate my deck being called Stax, and as such you wanted to get a chuckle out of me.

Corrected. No sass intended, this was just a simple oversight on my behalf. 

[Bill Copes]

Thanks, ELD.  You threw another great tourney.  The sapphire proxies look great.  I'm curious to see what the whole meta breakdown looks like on paper...from walking around i saw what looked like 30 completely different decks.

I ended up in 9th place this time.  So close.

[nataz]

I ended up in 9th place this time.  So close.

Ah-ha. Blame Glix. Thats my SOP.

[ELD]

And now for the Top 8 Decklists.  There was one list missing, which included some very interesting card choices.  Reclaim and Quicken to name a couple.  Hopefully Alden will feel inclined to share his list with the rest of the class.  Donald's Bomberman list had 8x Trinket Mage, so I'd like to know what the other 4x cards are supposed to be. 

   Chris Thoms – Sullovin Solution
4   Polluted delta
2   Flooded strand
4   Underground sea
3   Wasteland
1   Stripmine
2   Island
1   Swamp
1   Lotus Petal
1   Black Lotus
1   Mox Emerald
1   Mox Sapphire
1   Mox Ruby
1   Mox Jet
1   Mox Pearl
   
2   Engineered Explosives
4   Force of Will
4   Duress
4   Brainstorm
3   Stifle
2   Echoing Truth
4   Dimir Cutpurse
4   Dark Confidant
3   Erayo
1   Psychatog
1   Ancestral Recall
1   Shadow of Doubt
1   Time Walk
1   Vampiric Tutor
1   Demonic Tutor
   
   SIDEBOARD
3   Diabolic Edict
3   Threads of Disloyalty
3   Energy Flux
3   Tormod's Crypt
3   Umezawa's Jitte
1   Darkblast
   
   Scott Huges – Staxless Stax
1   Mox Emerald
1   Mox Jet
1   Mox Sapphire
1   Mox Pearl
1   Mox Ruby
1   Black Lotus
1   Stripmine
4   Wasteland
1   Mana Vault
1   Mana Crypt
1   Tolarian Academy
1   Sol Ring
2   Darksteel Ingot
4   City of Brass
2   Gemstone Mine
4   Mishra's Workshop
1   Barbarian Ring
   
1   Bazaar of Baghdad
1   Ancestral Recall
1   Time Walk
1   Mindslaver
3   Crucible of Worlds
1   Demonic Tutor
1   Vampiric Tutor
4   Goblin Welder
1   Triskelion
1   Crop Rotation
1   Tinker
1   Balance
1   Karn, Silver Golem
1   Sundering Titan
1   Memory Jar
1   Trinisphere
4   Tangle Wire
4   Chalice of the Void
2   Gorilla Shaman
1   Sensei's Divining Top
   
   SIDEBOARD
1   Darkblast
2   Red Elemental Blast
2   Fire/Ice
1   Duplicant
2   Choke
3   Eon Hub
3   Tormod's Crypt
1   Triskelion
   
   Keith Johnson – Bomberman
1   Black Lotus
1   Lotus Petal
1   Mana Crypt
1   Mox Emerald
1   Mox Jet
1   Mox Pearl
1   Mox Ruby
1   Mox Sapphire
1   Sol Ring
1   Island
2   Flooded strand
4   Polluted delta
3   Underground sea
1   Plains
3   Tundra
1   Library of Alexandria
   
1   Aether Spellbomb
1   Ancestral Recall
3   Auriok Salvagers
4   Dark Confidant
1   Demonic Tutor
1   Echoing Truth
4   Force of Will
2   Duress
2   Mana Leak
2   Misdirection
4   Mystic Remora
1   Psychatog
1   Repeal
1   Sensei's Divining Top
1   Time Walk
1   Tormod's Crypt
3   Trinket Mage
1   Vampiric Tutor
1   Yawgmoth's Will
1   Phyrexian Furnace
1   Pithing Needle
   
   SiDEBOARD
2   Extirpate
1   Chalice of the Void
2   Echoing Truth
3   Jotun Grunt
1   Ray of Revelation
3   Orim's chant
2   Energy Flux
1   Aura of Silence
   
   Donald Belcastro – Bomberman
1   Black Lotus
1   Mox Emerald
1   Mox Jet
1   Mox Sapphire
1   Mox Pearl
1   Mox Ruby
1   Sol Ring
4   Flooded strand
4   Tundra
4   Island
2       Plains
1   Snow-Covered Island
1   Stripmine
1   Library of Alexandria
   
4   Force of Will
4   Mana Drain
4   Trinket Mage
4   Brainstorm
4   Auriok Salvagers
3   Merchant Scroll
3   Thirst for Knowledge
1   Echoing Truth
1   Ancestral Recall
2   Misdirection
1   Tormod's Crypt
1   Time Walk
1   Gift's Ungiven
1   Engineered Explosives
1   Pithing Needle
1   Aether Spellbomb
   
   SIDEBOARD
   Orim's Chant
   Exalted Angel
   Serra Avenger
   Energy Flux
   Rebuild
   Chalice of the Void
   Tormod's Crypt
   Old Man of the Sea
   
   Tim Landale – Gifts
1   Mox Emerald
1   Mox Ruby
1   Mox Sapphire
1   Mox Pearl
1   Mox Jet
1   Black Lotus
1   Lotus Petal
1   Sol Ring
1   Mana Crypt
1   Mana Vault
2   Island
2   Flooded strand
1   Snow-Covered Island
1   Dark Ritual
3   Volcanic Island
3   Underground sea
1   Tolarian Academy
2   Polluted delta
   
4   Brainstorm
4   Force of Will
1   Misdirection
4   Mana Drain
1   Echoing Truth
1   Time Walk
3   Repeal
1   Ancestral Recall
1   Yawgmoth's Will
1   Hurkly's Recall
1   Commander
1   Fact or Fiction
1   Mystical Tutor
1   Mind's Desire
1   Tendrils of Agony
3   Gift's Ungiven
2   Empty the Warrens
1   Timetwister
1   Vampiric Tutor
1   Recoup
1   Demonic Tutor
   
   SIDEBOARD
4   Duress
2   Tormod's Crypt
1   Polluted delta
1   Repeal
1   Rack and Ruin
1   Red Elemental Blast
3   Old Man of the Sea
1   Mind Twist
1   Skelatal Scrying
   
   Andy Probasco – Rector? I Barely Know Her
4   Polluted delta
2   Swamp
1   Island
3   Underground sea
1   Tundra
1   Tolarian Academy
1   Sol Ring
1   Lotus Petal
4   Dark Ritual
1   Mana Crypt
1   Mox Emerald
1   Mox Jet
1   Mox Pearl
1   Mox Sapphire
1   Mox Ruby
1   Black Lotus
1   Chrome Mox
   
4   Academy Rector
1   Sundering Titan
1   Null Profusion
1   Yawgmoth's Bargain
1   Tendrils of Agony
1   Vampiric Tutor
1   Chain of Vapor
1   Hurkly's Recall
3   Cabal Therapy
3   Merchant Scroll
4   Force of Will
4   Brainstorm
1   Tinker
1   Ancestral Recall
1   Time Walk
1   Yawgmoth's Will
1   Demonic Tutor
3   Flash
1   Mystical Tutor
   
   SIDEBOARD
1   Hurkly's Recall
4   Leyline of the Void
1   Rebuild
1   Form of the Dragon
3   Massacre
3   Duress
1   The Abyss
1   Seal of Cleansing
   
   Chadd Kline – UW Fish
1   Black Lotus
1   Mox Pearl
1   Mox Sapphire
4   Flooded strand
2   Island
1   Plains
2   Polluted delta
1   Stripmine
4   Tundra
4   Wasteland
1   Windswept Heath
   
2   Isamaru, Hound of Konda
3   Jotun Grunt
2   Kataki, War's Wage
4   Meddling Mage
1   Old Man of the Sea
4   Savannah Lions
1   Ancestral Recall
4   Brainstorm
4   Daze
3   Echoing Truth
4   Force of Will
1   Misdirection
4   Null Rod
1   Time Walk
   
   SIDEBOARD
1   Kataki, War's Wage
2   Old Man of the Sea
3   Orim's Chant
3   Seal of Cleansing
3   Swords to Plowshares
3   Threads of Disloyalty

*************************************************************************************
The rest of the field was quite varied.  There were no more than 3 of any deck that missed the cut.

Gifts x3
Bomberman x2
Goblins x2
TMWA x2
Suicide Black x2
Control Slaver x2
Belcher x2

and the following decks with only one copy of each 

UW Fish
Dry Slaver
4C Control
Pitch Long
BW Stax
Sullovin Solution
Rector Flash
Staxless Stax
Masknaught
Landstill

[TheDB]

Hi,

This is Don.

The list is only missing 2 plains.

Sorry about the mistake.

[ELD]

Hi,

This is Don.

The list is only missing 2 plains.

Sorry about the mistake.

Fixed.  I am very surprised at the variety of decks, especially in the Top 8.  With my next event only 17 days away, I'll be interested to see how similar the field will be.  The deck breakdown brings up some interesting questions.  Is this event proof that Aggro/Control is the best plan when faced with a diverse field?  Will Flash turn out to be a dominate deck?  With no one playing Ichorid, is now the best time to run it? 

[Dxfiler]

and the following decks with only one copy of each 

UW Fish

There was another anonymous UW fish player who may or may not have seen his 20+ top 8 streak with that deck come to an end at the hand of brainfreeze :p

staxless stax

I know there were at least two of that deck, as both Ray and his friend who top 8'd both ran it.

Rector Flash

T00l ran a carbon copy of Brassman's deck (obv) and got pwned (also obv :p)

Tourney was well run, as always.  I really wish I stuck to my guns and played the SS deck instead of letting Thoms run it at the last minute... but oh well :p

Fish in general seems very much alive, as it was a fish on fish finale.  This does not surprise me that much.  Fish has been quite strong lately, but I suspect that won't last much longer.

To port something over that I said in your tourney announcement thread (I didn't think there'd be a tourney results thread for this event), Ichroid is probably going to run wild very shortly.  It just got too many cards and I don't think packing some crypts or leylines is going to cut it, but only time will tell.

The Flash deck seems very scary but I question its consistency.  One person couldn't win a game with it while the other one didn't lose a game until top 4, and both are very close in skill level.  So I really don't know how that 'thing' will hold up in the long run, but I'm curious.

I look forward to the next batch of NE tourneys that will have FS legality.  See you all there.

- Dave Feinstein

[The Atog Lord]

I look forward to the next batch of NE tourneys

Yes. Yes, I look forward to this too.

[zeus-online]

Can't understand why null profusion is being run over say Necropotence or future sight?..or if it's necessary at all? Sure it sucks if your opening grip got the "combo" and bargain, but still, how often is that going to happen?..And even if it does happen there's always brainstorm.

Oh and why not 4x flash? Would make it a little bit more consistent.. (Although i realize that it can always run oldschool rector and hardcast the thing and sac it to a cabal therapy).

/Zeus

[TheDB]

and the following decks with only one copy of each 

UW Fish

There was another anonymous UW fish player who may or may not have seen his 20+ top 8 streak with that deck come to an end at the hand of brainfreeze :p

staxless stax

I know there were at least two of that deck, as both Ray and his friend who top 8'd both ran it.

Rector Flash

T00l ran a carbon copy of Brassman's deck (obv) and got pwned (also obv :p)

Tourney was well run, as always.  I really wish I stuck to my guns and played the SS deck instead of letting Thoms run it at the last minute... but oh well :p

Fish in general seems very much alive, as it was a fish on fish finale.  This does not surprise me that much.  Fish has been quite strong lately, but I suspect that won't last much longer.

To port something over that I said in your tourney announcement thread (I didn't think there'd be a tourney results thread for this event), Ichroid is probably going to run wild very shortly.  It just got too many cards and I don't think packing some crypts or leylines is going to cut it, but only time will tell.

The Flash deck seems very scary but I question its consistency.  One person couldn't win a game with it while the other one didn't lose a game until top 4, and both are very close in skill level.  So I really don't know how that 'thing' will hold up in the long run, but I'm curious.

I look forward to the next batch of NE tourneys that will have FS legality.  See you all there.

- Dave Feinstein

"The rest of the field was quite varied. "


Dave, he was talking about what decks were there BESIDES the top 8.  If you add up top 8 plus the decks he mentions you get =33

[Tobi]

Donald's Sideboard misses some numbers 

[TheDB]

Donald's Sideboard misses some numbers 

   SIDEBOARD
3   Orim's Chant
1   Exalted Angel
3   Serra Avenger
2   Energy Flux
1   Rebuild
1   Chalice of the Void
1   Tormod's Crypt
3  Old Man of the Sea

[TopSecret]

OMG.

Brassman has another two card win combo,
but this time it's only two mana.

This is even worse than Flame-Vault.

Please, R&D,
if you can read this,
save Vintage with another well timed errata!

[TheBrassMan]

The Flash deck seems very scary but I question its consistency.  One person couldn't win a game with it while the other one didn't lose a game until top 4, and both are very close in skill level.  So I really don't know how that 'thing' will hold up in the long run, but I'm curious.

I don't want to make any claims as to the consistency of the deck, as it's still pretty young to the format, but Stefan's two match losses were user error.  While normally a tight gifts player, Stefan made some small combo mistakes that turned at least one guarenteed match win into a loss, making his results not 100% accurate for measuring deck power.  (In all fairness, *my* results were probably a little on the lucky side). 

Can't understand why null profusion is being run over say Necropotence or future sight?..or if it's necessary at all? Sure it sucks if your opening grip got the "combo" and bargain, but still, how often is that going to happen?..And even if it does happen there's always brainstorm.

Oh and why not 4x flash? Would make it a little bit more consistent.. (Although i realize that it can always run oldschool rector and hardcast the thing and sac it to a cabal therapy).

/Zeus

In testing, having a secondary enchantment in the deck was very useful against prepared opponents with Pithing Needle, and for going off at low life totals.  In the course of the tournament it was totally useless, so it might not be necessary at all.  I think if you're going to run a second enchantment, however, Null Profusion is the card.  In play it's just been infinitely better than Necro or Future Sight, especially with Chain of Vapor/Hurkyl's, but that's really not necessary.  The only other arguments would be for Necro's dirt cheap cost, or Form of the Dragon, but so far I really don't like those cards.

As far as the fourth Flash goes, again, could be right, I'm not sure.  In early testing we had to fit in Street Wraiths, and Flashes were clogging lots of hands.  When we made the switch to pre-FS legality and added Scrolls, cutting one made sense at the time.  I really like the way the list ran, but the fourth Flash is definitely a slot that needs to be looked into more.

OMG.

Brassman has another two card win combo,
but this time it's only two mana.

This is even worse than Flame-Vault.

Please, R&D,
if you can read this,
save Vintage with another well timed errata!

They have it in for me! ... stupid designer search...

[zeus-online]

The way i see it: Necropotence is always a card worth considering in a deck with 4x dark ritual

How fast is the deck?

As always, your deck lists are interesting, keep up the good work!

/Zeus