On Behalf of Vincent Forino
Congrats Vin on a stellar performance! All that beer-in-hand-testing really pays off
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Hi all, I’m honored to have taken 3rd at this years World Championship. The competition was fierce, but I felt prepared with the deck I love to play so much. I invented it a while ago when I was bedridden from an appendix operation. Just as evil as the appendix taken out of me, I present to you another one of my wicked creations.
FSB (Forino Sui Black)
//The Mana
3 x Bloodstained Mire
3 x Polluted Delta
4 x Swamp
2 x Underground Sea
1 x Strip Mine
1 x Wasteland
1 x Cabal Pit
4 x Dark Ritual
1 x Mox Sapphire
1 x Lotus Petal
1 x Black Lotus
4 x Cabal Ritual
1 x Mox Jet
//The Engine
2 x Bazaar of Baghdad
1 x Library of Alexandria
4 x Dark Confidant
3 x Night's Whisper
//The Kill
2 x Extirpate
1 x Echoing Truth
1 x Yawgmoth's Will
4 x Cabal Therapy
4 x Duress
3 x Tendrils of Agony
1 x Demonic Consultation
1 x Necropotence
3 x Grim Tutor
1 x Demonic Tutor
1 x Ancestral Recall
1 x Vampiric Tutor
//Sideboard
4 x Leyline of the Void
1 x Wasteland
1 x Hurkyl's Recall
1 x Chain of Vapor
3 x Null Rod
2 x Massacre
1 x Darkblast
2 x Ill-Gotten Gains
I know long time fans, which is a much larger group than I thought, are sure to be disappointed to not see any Negators in my list however they suck in this meta as well as Null Rods, so out they went for combo pieces. Extirpates were not great cards, but just disruptive enough to get the job done.
The other genesis of the deck happened when my brother Raffaele asked me the same question every time I would lose a game, “Why did you lose?” It seems simple now, but once we realized the answer was almost always not drawing rituals, tutors, or simply drawing too much, we re-evaluated the card pool. Raffaele suggested Bazaar after noticing how I regularly D. Consulted recklessly and remove most of my deck from the game. The logic seemed good, so I went with it and fit in two Bazaars over a disruption slot and a Wasteland.
I was concerned that the DCI just took away my auto bye in tournaments – gifts decks. Thankfully Flash turned out to be a great match-up for me and GAT a very winnable one as well, so I set out to Indiana with a decree to unleash evil upon Vintage!
I definitely wanted to make up for last year’s performance; enjoying myself way too much in Italy while they were winning the World Cup. I was still living the life upon getting home which equals zero games of Magic played before GenCon. That resulted in losing to Raging Goblin.dec (Yes, the same one that Ray Robillard lost to).
Playing WUB fish to a X-2 record on Friday was fun. I definitely need to start playing more fish because it annoys everyone
)
Saturday comes and I drop a few Ginkobincolobo’s and proceed to sign-in. At the courtesy Continental Breakfast provided by the Hotel I stuffed myself since I knew it was going to be a looong day (and made a reference to feeling like Liono’ in the Thundercats episode where Schnarf prepares a feast for him because he is taking the coming of age test and would be away a long time).
To do a little foreshadowing… here’s a discussion that we had amongst our crew while prepping for GenCon.
Me “I’m not preparing for Ichorid, no one is going to bring it to GenCon”
Raffaele “Agreed, people with access to Bazaars will want to play a fully powered deck”
Roland “WOW, I may play Stax if that’s the case”
Josh “I’m going on a beer run, anyone in?”
Round 1 – Ichorid
I win the die roll and keep a good seven, my opponent also keeps 7. I lead with duress and see it’s Ichorid… my good hand is soon useless and a 3rd turn Sutured Ghoul nailed me for over 20 damage.
I’m glad I prepped for GenCon…
In comes 4 Leylines, 2 IGG, and a wasteland.
Game two I mull to six and find a Leyline. He drops Bazaar says go. I strip it and start to build a board but he Unmasks my Yawg Will, which is a kick in the nuts. He finds another Bazaar, which draws him into an Emerald Charm. I feel the pressure and need to go off or it’s game over – I use two rits and Ill Gotten Gains to get back 2 rits and Yawg Will and proceed to Tendrils him out.
Game three he uses Serum Powder and keeps his new 7. I’m happy to see two Therapy’s gone. My seven is jacked however doesn’t have a Leyline so I keep. He starts and Unmask my Dark Rit. I follow up with a land, Mox, Confidant. His turn cranks his Bazaar and dredges all crap, mostly land and sideboard cards. My second turn I draw off Confidant and swing bringing him to 18. He cranks Bazaar on his turn and doesn’t hit any Narcomoeba’s to start the BFB, however he had some Ichorid’s in his Yard and lays a dryad so I’m going to see a Dredge Return next turn which = BAD. I rip strong with the Confidant and have D Rit, C Rit, D-tutor, G-tutor, and Nights Whispers, and land in hand – I whispers in to IGG and proceed to d. rit into DT into Black lotus giving me Threshold, C-Rit in to IGG – Bring back Black Lotus, C. Rit, DT into Tendrils. Nobody likes playing against Ichorid and I was happy to be 1-0. Definitely putting Jailers in my SB for next tournament.
Round 2 – Oath
I win the die roll and keep a good 6, I lead with a duress and see Brainstorm x2, Impulse, and some other crap so I pull the Impulse. Knowing it’s Oath I do exactly what he wants on turn 2… cast a Confidant. So we are racing, and exchange a few Duresses back and forth, he hits a Oath and my Confidant is drawing flat so he gets to activate Oath and hit Spirit of the Night… Thumbs up for the Retro! I finally pull some Rituals and end the game.
In +1 Chain, +1 Hurkyl’s, +1 Wasteland
Game two. We both Mull to Six and he leads with a Leyline and Mox Emerald go…. No land drop. Seem like he took a crap hand that had Leyline. I’m swamp go, he pulls into Underground Sea turn 2 and casts a duress, nailing a ritual. I waste him and really jam him up (Tendrils + Wasteland rock). We play draw go for six turns while I made just about every land drop and he doesn’t. I eventually Grim without ritualing for an Echoing Truth and go off.
Round 3 Hulk Flash (Bad Kill)
This is the match I’ve prepped for and feel very confident about, I kicked Roland’s ass so bad in play testing that he almost went back to Stax for GenCon…. So predictably I lose 2-0!
I’m on the draw and have an OK hand , no gas and not enough disruption. He nails me with a turn 3 Flash and does the whole body snatcher thing, he messes it up while talking it through but I found it so funny I let him slide.
In - +4 Leylines
Game 2 I mull a rotten 7 and keep a very questionable 6. I have to lotus, Grim tutor for a duress pulling Flash. Next turn I Therapy which gets FOW and I EOT vamp for extirpate. I nail the flash and but pull no gas… he hard cast Body Snatcher and Ghoul and combo’s out… in hind sight I should of waited for him to combo out and extirpate the hulk. I wouldn’t have won anyway because I took so much damage just tying to slow him down that creatures would have brought me down.
So at this point I’m mad and b/c I’m a much better deck than flash and very frustrated that I lost to it considering my ridiculous play test results. I ask for a chance to avenge the loss.
Round 4 WUB Fish
I win the die roll and keep a good seven, an early duress and nights whispers is met with a Grunt. After it gets one counter on it and swings I topdeck lotus and produce 8 mana with a Tendrils at 4 and 5 (18 damage) – he responds by plowing his Grunt. Well at least I still have a Grim in my hand. Next turn he topdecks an Exalted Angel and plays it morphed… ouch. It proceed to beat my face until he is back up to 18 life, at this point I manage to clear his hand and squeak a Y. Will through thanks to Bazaaring out 3 lands, I make sure to do at least 22 points of damage.
In – 2 Massacre
We both keep 7, he leads with a duress and I return the favor seeing public enemy no 1 – meddling mage. He’s down on turn 2 naming Tendrils which hurts (I could have gotten around either Ritual being named). I night’s whispers two turns in a row waiting for something and come across Echoing Truth, I cast it EOT and have it dazed. He then cast a Dimir Cutpurse which put the pressure on me, I topdecked Lotus and have enough mana to Tutor, Y. Will, Tutor for massacre and the rest is history (I had enough storm to compensate for him plowing his own creature).
Round 5 Hulk Flash (Sliver Kill)
Finally I get a chance to avenge my only loss of the day, did I mention that I don’t like the deck?
I win the roll and keep a strong 6 cards. I play sac, swamp, Ritual, duress seeing (2 flash, FOW, Mis-D, BS, 2 land). I pull a flash then C-Therapy nailing FOW, then Extirpate his flashes… needless to say he’s stunned. Turn 2 I consult for a confidant and combo out by turn 5 or 6.
In +4 Leylines
Game two he mulls to five, I have a strong 7 with out a Leyline so I keep thinking he almost can’t kill me with a 5 card hand….. he goes land, BS, Mox Sapphire, Mox Emerald, Flash showing the Hulk and I end up with sliver sh*t on me, I clean up and prep for game 3.
I pull a strong seven which includes a Leyline. He mulls to 6, I duress and pull a FOW leaving him with a Flash. I get a turn 2 confidant and proceed to attack his hand. I lay Bazaar turn 3 and next turn pull Vamp – I cast it and for Y. Will and activate Bazaar bringing it to hand, I play Y.Will which he responds to with mystical tutoring, BS, FOW to try and stop the Y. Will (I had 4 black and a Tendrils so the extra storm he provided killed him).
Round 6 Rector Flash
He get a second turn flash, A. Rector for Y. Bargain and draws 15 cards before he flashes for another Rector out who find Form of the Dragon (I feel like I’m in a super friends episode). I lose badly.
In +4 Leylines
Game 2 – no Leyline however I duress a flash out turn 1 and then Extirpate it turn 2, I Therapy out a FOW, resolve confidant and Combo out before a Rector hits the table.
Game 3 – I have a good 6 with a Leyline, he keeps a 6 and is on the play. He goes Lotus, Mox Sapphire, Island Tinker…. Yes he boarded in Tinker and dropped a Platinum Angel on me. I therapy turn 1 on FOW and miss but see he has crap in his hand (no blue cards, just two Rectors and land). Turn 2 and 3 I night whispers while I’m building a stacked hand. Turn 4 I topdeck Echoing Truth, on his turn he cast Merchant scroll, since I knew he was getting a FOW I respond to it on the stack by casting Echoing truth at the Angel putting it back to his hand. At this point I Therapy out his FOW and do the whole Y. Will thing.
Round 7 GAT
Surprised that I didn’t run into more of this deck, no worries – I do well vs. it.
Game 1 is back and forth, duress for duress, etc. He Mysticals for a A. Recall. I extirpate to reshuffle his deck and guess what he draws… the f’ing A. Recall. With luck like that he continues to crush me game 1.
In - ?
Game 2 – I keep a strong 7 and lead with Library, I draw for 4 turns off it and combo out with little resistance. He tried racing with a Dryad however it was futile.
Game 3 – we both keep 7 cards, he starts with a Leyline which is annoying to say the least. I duress taking FOW and cast confidant turn 2 which get Echoing Truth’d on his turn. I recast him turn 3 and swing turn 4 while building a big hand. He cast Tog to deter my swinging and we have a stare off for a turn. I extirpate his FOW and see the coast is clear – with his life at 15 I manage to storm 8 exactly with out getting rid of the Leyline – 2 rits, DT for lotus, consult for d.rit and that’s game for the Tendrils in hand.
After the round I meet Lou from Colorado – Lou is very intoxicated at this point and tells me how much he appreciates my deck and how the original version I played with IGG helped plant the seeds for Colorado Gains.
Round 8 – I ID with Ray and hear about how losing to raging goblins.dec was a wake-up call in his life. Wish I could say the same…
Quarterfinals Grim Long with Street Wraith
Nobody likes a mirror – and in a weird way this is the closest thing I have to one (I guess). I’ve played this match up so many time amongst my crew trying to demonstrate to David Ata that Grim isn’t the best deck ever created – I use to get rocked till I leaved how to play it and now win it fairly consistently.
I win the die roll and lead with a D-rit, consult for Duress removing about 30 cards from my library (the crowd grimaces on Y. Will). I see a lot of gas and elect to pull his Grim T.. He lays land go, I resolve a confidant turn 2 and start swinging turn 3. He get a Jar through my disruption and responds to it on the stack my popping his Lion’s Eye discarding Tendrils. I draw 7 off the Jar and see Extirpate…. I wait for him to bump up the storm and I extirpate the Tendrils in the graveyard (even the judge felt bad)… that is his only win condition so he concedes.
In +3 Null rods
Game 2 He leads with a Leyline and duress. I start with a first turn nights whispers, and a turn 2 duress seeing his has very few lands I waste his under ground and he’s stuck with a lone Island, I resolve a turn 3 confidant and go to work attacking him. I therapy out a lotus petal and see two c-rits…. I could flash it back and rip his hand apart however I decide to throw a mini tendrils bring me up to 23 life. On his turn he goes nuts and does 24 damage with a Tendrils, owe well.
Game three – I mull to 6 and lead with D-rit, Null rod, he duress and whiffs b/c I only have lands and a confidant which I play turn 2, He cast Grim tutor and passes, I waste and caste a second Null Rod – I see him very uncomfortable after that play. He goes land go, I continue to duress out his Y. Will. He’s desperate at this point and Rit’s out a Necro drawing 8 cards. On my turn I rip extirpate on D-rit and pull one from his hand then follow up with a Therapy on Tendrils so he can’t mini-tendrils me and draw more. He brainstorms and scoops being at 4 life and know the next 3 cards.
Semi Finals of Vintage Worlds!
I’ll leave it to Smmemenedian to do most of the talking here as he’s a better writer than I am however between being him being fatigued at GenCon and probably staying up all night to write the report in time for his deadline he reported a couple of things inaccurately! I’ll high-light a few choice lines (If you don’t have a membership get one, if you can’t afford it stop reading this report and get a job).
I was definitely excited at the prospect of playing two Gat decks to pull it down, as I mention it’s a fine match up however it tends to be swingy, I’ve won 3+ games in a row and have dropped 2+ in a row (going first hasn’t really been significant in the match).
“Vincent Forino has slowly been making a name for himself, most recently by Top 8ing at SCG Boston.” – hey what are you talking about, I was the cat’s meow in the mid to late 90’s… c’mon no one remembers LOL
“I killed him twice on turn 1 at the SCG event” – I believe it was a first and a second turn kill…. I though you where a professional writer
Game 1 – went a little differently. I won the die roll and play black lotus which gets FOW (that really hurt btw). I top deck D. rit , cast it, night whispers, play land, confidant. He mysticals on his upkeep for FOW and uses it on something I cast next turn. He duresses me and I beat with bob, I storm 5 bringing him to 1 life and he concedes know his next two cards off a brainstorm.
Game 2 – he gave a pretty good enactment of it except I had to mull to 5 cards (talk about starting in a hole) – he led with a first turn Library which I wasted. I was hoping that he kept a bad hand and would rely on the Library… not the case. On my final turn he was at 12 life and I could of done 10 damage with a tendrils (while getting through the Mana Drain in his hand) I had baited Steve the turn earlier with a duress, if he had mana drained it I would have had the storm I need to be lethal (he’s one of a handful of players I’ve met that hasn’t taken the bump my storm bait)…. If only I had a Mox Jet instead of a land in hand.
Game 3 – I get an early confidant and it hits absolute crap…. My two flips are both tendrils (8 damage off the bastard in 2 turns). On my last turn I have a c-rit and 3 tendrils in my hand, in hind sight I should of know the only way for him to win in that game state is to Fastbond/Yawg Will so I should of hit him with a mini tendrils for 4 damage/life…. I probably would have been playing Rich Shay…
It came down to him going down to 1 life to beat me off restricted card nonsense.
Aside from not getting a chance to play for the World Championship, I would have enjoyed getting the chance to play Rich Shay who I hear is one of the true gentlemen of our game (I mainly go to tournaments in the Winter, he mainly plays in the summer so our paths never crossed).
Props:
*All the people I play with and how they give me great feedback and games; couldn’t do it without you.
*Mike Lupo for introducing me the magic pill
*TMD’ers who have spoken well on my behalf with out ever meeting me, RThomas, Negator131, and PoliceHQ – Props.
*Ray R. for also following up a “raging goblin.dec” 06’ loss with an 07’ T8.
*To the Yankees for the being the top team since the All-Star break.
*desolutionist for a great Waterbury tournament report, you manage to top Feinstein’s.
*James Hangley for proving to me that luck does matter at magic.
*Everyone I played – I don’t remember names well however you where all cool. Drop me a line on the thread!
Slops:
*Smmenendian for his BS into 2 restricted cards to be able to kill me at 1 life in game 3
*Staying up drinking Saturday night then going straight to a 6AM flight home
*lord mayhem for saying “I don't deem that you accomplished anything particularly extraordinary enough for you to act as if you are my superior.” when I tried to offer him advice – I think I know what I’m talking about.
*Mike Lupo for being a drunk degenerate and trying to disrupt our play test efforts
