Meandeck Open: Top 4 - A Brief Report

[Korhil]

3) I ran the Contagions in the maindeck not to answer a problem in Game One, but rather in an attempt to squeeze all of my answers in the sideboard. The Contagions made the maindeck by simple virtue of being the only free spell and therefore the only one castable in Game One.

Daves point here seems important, and relevant to some of the discussion above.
If Ichorid players are adapting to run some sideboard cards in the main, the deck must be losing some of it's game 1 power. If it gives up too much game 1 power, and still can have problems folding to Layline/Jailer/Crypt games 2 & 3, then the deck can't be totally overpowered.

Not all players will want to run Ichorid to start with, but will we see the players that enjoy the deck try tune the maindeck so they can survive vs hate? Ultimately causing the deck to become more 'fair'?

(Flash is a different topic)

---Korhil

[LordHomerCat]

Nice job Dave, Ichorid definitely seemed like a good call sunday, given the number of GAT and assorted other Gush decks floating around.

Jaco, for some reason it just ended up being a bad weekend, with many common participants out with family, signifigant others, vacations, etc.  I think there was like 14 or 16, usually the average is in the mid 20s.

[Grand Inquisitor]

If Ichorid players are adapting to run some sideboard cards in the main, the deck must be losing some of it's game 1 power

I didn't conclude this from his deck building choice.  As I understand it, game 1 is still overwhelmingly in Ichorid's favor.  However, the diversity of threats brought against it post board is more than a 15 card sideboard can handle.  Where as some decks are hedging against Ichorid game 1 with MD tormod's crypt, etc.  Ichorid is hedging against the sideboard strategies of the entire format by watering down its game 1...because it can afford to.

[Tin_Mox5831]

As I understand it, game 1 is still overwhelmingly in Ichorid's favor.  However, the diversity of threats brought against it post board is more than a 15 card sideboard can handle.  Where as some decks are hedging against Ichorid game 1 with MD tormod's crypt, etc.  Ichorid is hedging against the sideboard strategies of the entire format by watering down its game 1...because it can afford to.

This describes my feelings on the matter exactly. The real issue is that in order to deal with some forms of hate, I have to devote over a third of my sideboard (6 Slots) to land. Finding exactly 9 cards on which I'm willing to gamble my entire tournament is tough to do, especially when my deck choice dictates that they all must cost 1 or have realistic alternate costs. As a result, I wasn't comfortable enough to face Yixlid Jailers all day, so I shoehorned more answers to Jailer into my deck in the only real way I could: the maindeck. Chain Of Vapor is by far the best card in the board, however. I brought it in all day. The great thing about CoV is that most decks will bring in certain answers and can be anticipated, but even if you guess wrong (i.e. A random GAT player boards Leylines, w/e.) you still have some viable answers. Chain was definitely my all-star, and the synergy with Cabal Therapy is quite strong.

Later,
Dave

[diopter]

As I understand it, game 1 is still overwhelmingly in Ichorid's favor.  However, the diversity of threats brought against it post board is more than a 15 card sideboard can handle.  Where as some decks are hedging against Ichorid game 1 with MD tormod's crypt, etc.  Ichorid is hedging against the sideboard strategies of the entire format by watering down its game 1...because it can afford to.

This describes my feelings on the matter exactly. The real issue is that in order to deal with some forms of hate, I have to devote over a third of my sideboard (6 Slots) to land. Finding exactly 9 cards on which I'm willing to gamble my entire tournament is tough to do, especially when my deck choice dictates that they all must cost 1 or have realistic alternate costs. As a result, I wasn't comfortable enough to face Yixlid Jailers all day, so I shoehorned more answers to Jailer into my deck in the only real way I could: the maindeck. Chain Of Vapor is by far the best card in the board, however. I brought it in all day. The great thing about CoV is that most decks will bring in certain answers and can be anticipated, but even if you guess wrong (i.e. A random GAT player boards Leylines, w/e.) you still have some viable answers. Chain was definitely my all-star, and the synergy with Cabal Therapy is quite strong.

Later,
Dave

Why not maindeck some of those lands then to give you a chance of hardcasting Therapies? Seems like the game 1 effect of a land is stronger than Contagion, given that you fear no creatures in game 1.

[Tin_Mox5831]

I can't say that I agree with that statement. The only thing lands can do Game 1 is help hardcast Cabal Therapies. After the first two turns of an average Game 1 with Ichorid, how likely are you to have a Cabal Therapy and a Land? This issue really seems to be a preference choice wrapped up with a nice little bow of logic, so feel free to make that switch if you like. One small sidenote is that both of my GAT opponents in this tourney boarded in Submerge which was mostly a garbage slot since they were unaware of the rainbow lands. Had I dredged away a City Of Brass instead of a Contagion however, I'm sure that would've changed. Granted, that certainly isn't compelling evidence to play my configuration, but it does illustrate that both choices have some intrinsic benefits to them.

Later,
Dave