5CB Multiplayer Results!

[Jacob Orlove]

Okay, we had a solid five entries for this new format, and I don't think you'll believe what takes it home!

Multiplayer fun - technogeek5000
Black lotus
Black lotus
pyrite spellbomb
Auriok salvagers
pact of negation
Life bid: 19

"A Deck Named Hawk"
Card #1: Black Lotus
Card #2: Show and Tell
Card #3: Overmaster
Card #4: Simian Spirit Guide
Card #5: Form of the Dragon
Life bid: 19

Kill it. With Fire! - Jacob Orlove
Firestorm
Simian Spirit Guide
Nether Spirit
Cabal Therapy
Cabal Therapy
Life bid: 17

SWARM! - ReAnimator
Pendelhaven
Bayou
Deathspore thallid
Sprout swarm
Animate Dead
Life Bid: 2

Slow - Franz Ferdinand
Saprazzan Cove
Energy Field
Darksteel Reactor
Force of Will
Misdirection
Life Bid: 0

Instead of determining first place randomly, we'll see what happens in each case.

First, let's assume technogeek5000 wins the roll. I open with SSG, Firestorm on his upkeep, targeting him, Spencer, and one of the other two players. He uses Pact of Negation, but the Franz Forces his Salvagers. technogeek dies on his next upkeep. Spencer goes next, and drops Show and Tell unopposed. Franz is the only one with a relevant decision to make. If he puts Energy Field into play, it dies when I hit him with Therapy. If he doesn't, it dies when I hit him with Therapy (remember, I have to stop people from winning if I can). Thus, we have Form of the Dragon vs Thallids, and Form wins that pretty handily.

Alternatively, Franz can Force the Pact of Negation. That kills Spencer and technogeek immediately, but I can then Therapy Franz, giving the game to the Thallids.

Now, if Spencer goes first, things play out much the same. I open with Firestorm, and technogeek is free to counter it. If he doesn't, they both die, and Franz can only counter one of my Therapies, meaning ReAnimator wins. If technogeek counters, Spencer drops Form, technogeek dies on his upkeep, and Franz once again can't get both his permanents down in time. Form beats Thallids. Here, though, Franz has the option of countering Spencer's Lotus or technogeek's Pact, either of which would give the game to ReAnimator.

So, I'm calling this a tie between ReAnimator and SpencerForHire.

Next time, we'll start with 7 cards and 20 life, and people can bid cards AND life to try to go first (cards take precedence, so a bid of 1 card beats a bid of 19 life).

Any thoughts on how to resolve the "kingmaking" issue we saw this game, beyond calling it a tie?

[SpencerForHire]

Ties are difficult to play out in this.. And i guess I misunderstood slightly in the rules.. I thought you would ONLY give the option to counter if it was going to mean a player would be killing an opponent (or going into a position of victory) I didnt realize the option to counter Black Lotus would even be there (hense the Overmaster thing).

As for ties I don't see many ways to handle it successfully without really screwing one of the contestants, It might almost be best to leave it as you did.


Edit:  Also not to be an ass butt...

Multiplayer fun - technogeek5000
Black lotus
Black lotus
pyrite spellbomb
Auriok salvagers
pact of negation
Life bid: 19

Weren't decks suppose to be vintage legal?

[Illissius]

I really, really like your deck. Very imaginative. It's too bad you can't retroactively use the Therapies to force Firestorm through.

[parallax]

There is no stipulation for NCB that decks must be Vintage legal. That's only a rule I used in my 7CB tournament.

[ReAnimator]

I play A LOT of multiplayer and if it's taught me anything it's that any deck can win. Often the most powerful deck/player is the first to die as everyone is gunning for them, and it's who ever has a long game plan or whoever is left standing that wins the game. I've seen the RW samurai deck take down an entire table, after all the 'good' decks have crippled each other, it's really amusing to watch.

This was really amusing, thanks for running it.
My deck was awful, and I thought of it in about 5 second, but it was the last one standing sometimes and it happened to have a win condition, wheeeee!. My other idea was to run a naturalize in the swarm slot and if i had i probably would have won the whole thing.

For the future i have a question about stealing things (like my animate dead), if the player dies and i have their creature do i still have it or is it rfg'd ?

[Jacob Orlove]

Right, NCB events will typically announce for a few weeks that the new set isn't legal, but with just a few days to go, that didn't seem necessary here.

I'll clarify the counter rule. That was designed to force players to use the countermeasures they're holding, so you don't have the "well, he has a Force too, so I'll not play mine and force him to use his" annoyance.

I think we'll play that you keep stolen stuff, since that sounds cooler.

[SpencerForHire]

There is no stipulation for NCB that decks must be Vintage legal. That's only a rule I used in my 7CB tournament.

NO but, in Jorlove's rules he said Vintage legality.... The Salvager list runs twin Lotus.

[Jacob Orlove]

Oh whoops, I copied that off the 7CB list, and meant to just ban unglued+unhinged. I accepted the deck, though, so the results stand, with an apology from me. Next time, I'll do a better job with this.

[Franz Ferdinand]

So, can we send you our stuff for the 7-card round yet? This was a lot of fun, I thought I'd do better.

[Jacob Orlove]

I made a thread for it here: http://www.themanadrain.com/index.php?topic=33217