1st Place Sweep at Myriad 11/10/07

[ELD]

I had only one loss on the day, and it didn't come from bad beats or weak choices.  It came from lack of media coverage.  "Ron Paul doesn't cut taxes, he kills them with his bare hands"  was my submission for best deck name.  It lost by one vote.  I'm certain it lost because there are still a ton of people out there who don't know who Ron Paul is.  To better improve my chance of winning best deck name next time, I will include a Ron Paul Fact with each round.     

I arrived at Myriad to see many new faces, as well as the regular crowd.  With a total of 35 players, we were looking at 6 rounds.  I stuck with the list I have been running, as it has been working quite well for me.  I went undefeated at Chester Li's tournament, and followed it up with a sweep of the Swiss at the Chicopee tournament.  There I had lost to Jeremiah in the Top 4.  With only one loss in the last two events, I figure if it's broke, don't fix it. 

GAT

// Lands
    2 Island
    3 Tropical Island
    3 Underground Sea
    3 Flooded Strand
    3 Polluted Delta

// Creatures
    1 Psychatog
    4 Quirion Dryad

// Spells
    1 Mystical Tutor
    4 Gush
    4 Duress
    1 Echoing Truth
    1 Time Walk
    1 Demonic Tutor
    1 Fastbond
    4 Merchant Scroll
    1 Vampiric Tutor
    1 Tormod's Crypt
    1 Yawgmoth's Will
    1 Cunning Wish
    1 Mox Sapphire
    1 Mox Jet
    4 Force of Will
    1 Black Lotus
    3 Ponder
    1 Ancestral Recall
    4 Misdirection
    4 Brainstorm
    1 Mox Emerald

// Sideboard
SB: 1 Hydroblast
SB: 1 Hurkyl's Recall
SB: 1 Snuff Out
SB: 1 Smother
SB: 1 Berserk
SB: 2 Oxidize
SB: 2 Yixlid Jailer
SB: 3 Pithing Needle
SB: 3 Tarmogoyf


Round 1 Bloodmoon + Spheres and Workshops Eric Carpenter

Ron Paul Fact #27 Ron Paul has a regenerative healing factor, retractable claws of freedom and a skeletal system comprised of adamantium encased liberty.

Game 1 I Forced a Magus of the Moon, letting other disruption resolve.  Orb of Dreams and Thorn slowed the game down a bit.  I eventually resolved a Dryad, which went the distance.   

Game 2 Sphere, Orb of Dreams and Pyrostatic Pillar keep the gamestate tense for quite a while.  I get down a Dryad to keep his army of small men at bay.  He suspends a Gargadon but I'm sitting on a Hyrdoblast, and Forces, so I'm in danger.  He eats the Pillar with Gargadon, plays some small guys and passes.  I improve my hand some more, and prepare to win.  A spectator comments on the fact that Gargadon does not eat all types of permanent, to the surprise of both myself and my opponent.  The judge is called, and warnings are issued.  I proceed to beserk over a chump blocker for the win. 

Round 2  Staxless Stax Mike Bergeron

Ron Paul Fact #33 Chuck Norris voted for Ron Paul in 88... twice.

Game 1 I'm able to combo out fairly early with force to protect the win. 

Game 2 Crucible and Strip keep my mana down, but Dryad keeps growing.  I have Fastbond, but need to be careful of which lands to play, as he has drawn tons of waste effects.  I'm able to stop any impactful spells and Dryad takes it down. 

Round 3 Bomberman Jeremy Wheeler

Ron Paul Fact #69 King Midas shook hands with Ron Paul once. Nothing happened.

Game 1 I win the die roll and cast Ponder.  My opponent drops a Plains and passes.  I proceed to combo on turn 2.  I duress during my turn and I find out that I'm playing against bomberman. 

Game 2 Plains and a Swamp are all I see from my opponent.  I duress a spell or two, but his hand of creatures is not able to disrupt me at all.  I win this one w/o opposition. 

Round 4 Goblins John Joyce

Ron Paul Fact #88 Ron Paul knows dozens of words that rhyme with "orange".

Game 1 I start with a very good hand.  I have fetch, Mox, Mox, Mox scroll for ancestral and cast it.  My next turn I Mystical for Will, replay Fetch and Ancestral.  I'm holding Cunning Wish, but I don't end up needing to cast Ancestral a third time.  The damage was done and I take it down with a huge creature. 

Game 2 My opponent gets the nut draw of Chrome Mox (imprint Mogg Fanatic), Mountain, Aether Vial, Goblin Lackey.  I have the perfect answer in Underground Sea, Pithing Needle on Vial, Snuff out on Lackey.  His turn 2 is a wasteland which he taps for Bloodmoon.  I force pitching Merchant Scroll.  I get down a pair of dryads, and I have a 4/4 and a 3/3 vs mountains and a strip mine.  My hand is Gush, Will and Underground Sea, with 2 Moxen in play.  He has only one card in hand, and I decide to go for it.  I play the underground, cast Will, play Snuff out targeting my smaller Dryad, and Force it pitching Gush.  His final card was REB.  Paying 5 life to kill your own guy is probably not optimal.  Luckily, my 7/7 Dryad is gets in there twice for the win.   

Round 5 ID I take this opportunity to get some trades in. 

Ron Paul Fact #2 Ron Paul has no alarm clock, but instead wakes every morning to the call of freedom.

Round 6 ID I take a look around an start getting ideas about how to spend my store credit.  Myriad has a great selection of games, and I start to make a pile of loot. 

Ron Paul Fact #4 Ron Paul doesn't go the gym. He stays fit by exercising his civil rights.

After the Top 8 is announced, we discuss split options.  With an offer of $100 each, I'm fine with a split.  Jeremiah Rudolph is the lone dissenter.  He says he wants to play me in the finals and beat me.  He brings up the fact that we have played like 5 times in the finals and he's never beaten me.  He says he's due to get the win.  I explain to him that it doesn't work that way, but there's no persuading him.  We discuss a 7 way split between everyone else, but ultimately we just play it out. 

Top 8 Goblins John Joyce

Ron Paul Fact #44 Ron Paul knows how LOST is going to end.

Game 1 Aether Vial doesn't allow for an explosive start this game.  I out race him and beserk over for the win.   
Game 2 He relies on some waste effects to try and hold me off, but my draw is too explosive to care. 

Again, after we were down to 4, our splitting options are given to us.  At $150 each, I'm fine with a split again.  Again Jeremiah Rudolph is the only one who doesn't want to split, so we play on. 

Top 4 Stax Keith Carpentier

Ron Paul Fact#54  Chuck Norris has a list of 5 people not to mess with.  Ron Paul is all of them.

Game 1 Keith opens with a respectable Workshop, Thorn, which meets Force, and follows with Ruby + Welder.  I take the opening and win. 
Game 2 After the last game, Keith goes looking for a solid opening hand.  He doesn't find it and mulls into oblivion.  I'm able to win the game well before he has a chance to recover. 

So it comes down to the match Jeremiah Rudolph was hoping for.  The crowd is firmly on my side, as everyone wanted to split but Jeremiah.  I remind him that it's not often that I get to play the good guy.  In spite of this, and our history, Jeremiah does not accept a split.  After losing to Jeremiah at Chicopee, I replayed that match up quite a bit.  I was able to go back and see which choices I should have made.  I was very prepared to face his deck again. 

Finals Jeremiah Rudolf Affinity w/Spheres

Ron Paul Fact #300 If Ron Paul had lived in Sparta, the movie would have been called "1".

Game 1 Jeremiah hopes a hand of strip effects will get the job done.  I have enough mana, and I can gush in response to one of them.  He goes for Crucible, and I force it as he has Strip in the bin.  He gets double Myr Retriever, I get down a Dryads.  I swing, killing a Retriever, and he gets back Crucible.  I counter Crucible.  He is forced to start using Myr Retriever as a eternal chump blocker.  I get down another creature and end it before he can get into the game. 

Game 2 He gets down 2x Skullclamp, 2x Maze of Ith and a Staff of Domnination.  He's at 3 mana + Lotus, so the staff doesn't do too much.  I get down a Goyf, and then Needle on Maze.  I follow it up with more creatures.  I play this game very cautiously, as my hand has 3x Force and 3x Blue cards.  I erred on the side of caution, and wrap the game up shortly after. 

Props

Myriad for putting on another great event
Sara - for making an above average crop of Mana Cookies
My opponents - for being polite in the face of absurd savagery
Everyone who attended - for keeping New England the best place in the world for Vintage
Ron Paul - He wants to remove our troops from the rest of the world, saving enough money to eliminate the IRS and return freedom to us all. 
Anyone who looks into Ron Paul after reading this report

Slops
Shrek the Third - for being terrible
Ingot Chewer - for not being Green. 
The media - for not covering Ron Paul even though he has over 7% in the polls and raised almost 4.5 million in one day. 

[mike_bergeron]

GAT

// Lands
    2 Island
    3 Tropical Island
    3 Underground Sea
    3 Flooded Strand
    3 Polluted Delta

// Creatures
    1 Psychatog
    4 Quirion Dryad

// Spells
    1 Mystical Tutor
    4 Gush
    4 Duress
    1 Echoing Truth
    1 Time Walk
    1 Demonic Tutor
    1 Fastbond
    4 Merchant Scroll
    1 Vampiric Tutor
    1 Tormod's Crypt
    1 Yawgmoth's Will
    1 Cunning Wish
    1 Mox Sapphire
    1 Mox Jet
    4 Force of Will
    1 Black Lotus
    3 Ponder
    1 Ancestral Recall
    4 Misdirection
    4 Brainstorm
    1 Mox Emerald

// Sideboard
SB: 1 Hydroblast
SB: 1 Hurkyl's Recall
SB: 1 Snuff Out
SB: 1 Smother
SB: 1 Berserk
SB: 2 Oxidize
SB: 2 Yixlid Jailer
SB: 3 Pithing Needle
SB: 3 Tarmogoyf

Round 2  Staxless Stax Mike Bergeron

Ron Paul Fact #33 Chuck Norris voted for Ron Paul in 88... twice.

Game 1 I'm able to combo out fairly early with force to protect the win. 

Game 2 Crucible and Strip keep my mana down, but Dryad keeps growing.  I have Fastbond, but need to be careful of which lands to play, as he has drawn tons of waste effects.  I'm able to stop any impactful spells and Dryad takes it down. 

[/quote]

Hey ELD, sorry I did not offer more RESISTANCE against your horde of beats. I will study hard, eat my cheerios, kill a communist,and come back stronger than ever. Entertaining report though, keep up the good work. It will be hard for you to go X-0-2 with a new metagame of gruul beats and dawn of the dead. Good luck with that.

one question, or maybe three questions: you did not mention using the crypt once during your report. Is it really needed? could you replace it with one Psychatog? Does the evil Ron Paul still exist?

[Smmenen]

Congrats on the finish.  A few questions:

1) What's the reasoning behind 4 Misd?  I'm a huge fan of Misd, so this is just curiousity.  Your previous builds, as I recall, did not feature more than 2.

2) WHERE  IS YOUR FOURTH PONDER?  Seriously.   It's, probably, the very best turn one play in gat using unrestricted cards.   It's better than Scroll cause of the predominance of Duress and its better than turn one Brainstorm most of the time.

3) Thoughtseize.   I am puzzled by the lack of them.  I ran 4 Duress and 1 Thoughtseize at SCG day 1 and then switched to 2 Thoughtseize and 3 Duress on Day Two.   The next time I play GAT, I will be playing with even more Thoughtseize. 

[Nehptis]

Great read!  All reports should have Chuck Norris/Ron Paul quotes in them from now on!  I looked into Ron Paul after reading the report.

[ELD]

I looked into Ron Paul after reading the report.

Glad to hear it.  Many people still do not know that he's the only Presidential Candidate that believes in freedom and following the Constitution.  Spread the word. 

1) What's the reasoning behind 4 Misd?  I'm a huge fan of Misd, so this is just curiousity.  Your previous builds, as I recall, did not feature more than 2.

I had been running 3x Misdirection, and wanting to cut a card for the 4th.  I made this happen a while ago, and I've been very happy with it.  I ran 4x Misdirection back in the day, and it owned the mirror, as well as any U decks.  All the reasons for this can't be explained in a few sentences.  Basically, decks that run Counters and are not faster than GAT, which is pretty much all of them, need to get lucky to win.  Luck usually looks like an early Lotus or Ancestral.  Lotus openings are too varied to go over, but basically, if they cast a bunch of small spells it's a beating, but if it's one bomb, you're more likely to be able to counter if you have double counters.  So it can help vs that kind of opening, and it rarely hurts.  Vs Ancestral, it's obviously game over.  Running the 4x makes it more likely that I'll not only have the Mis'D, but also a second pitch counter to make sure it resolves.  I prefer to make my opponent try and stop me when I'm playing GAT.  Misdirection is the best card at this outside of Force.  With 8 Pitch counters, it also makes hitting one off ponder or Brainstorm much more likely.  I've been happy with the disruption package, as it has prevented me from losing any games in the swiss of my last 3 events (except for a single game vs Elves where I got careless and color screwed)

2) WHERE  IS YOUR FOURTH PONDER?  Seriously.   It's, probably, the very best turn one play in gat using unrestricted cards.   It's better than Scroll cause of the predominance of Duress and its better than turn one Brainstorm most of the time.

Ponder is an absolute house.  It is better than brainstorm turn 1.  That said, I just feel the draw engine has worked fantastic so far.  The deck doesn't really need any more cantrips.  It is certainly not better than Merchant Scroll.  Scroll gives you a draw engine that is basically a free Yawgmoth's Bargain that sets up Yawgmoth's Will while it thins your deck.  Ponder gets you online, and digs.  Once you're online, Ponder starts to lose it's value. 

3) Thoughtseize.   I am puzzled by the lack of them.  I ran 4 Duress and 1 Thoughtseize at SCG day 1 and then switched to 2 Thoughtseize and 3 Duress on Day Two.   The next time I play GAT, I will be playing with even more Thoughtseize.

Thoughtseize could be fine, but I board out Duress frequently.  The roll that duress plays has been adequately fulfilled.  It makes sure my opponent doesn't win, or it makes sure I can.  I've duressed into a hand of creatures many times over the past few events, and I've won them all.  I do end over half my games at 1 life, if I had to guess.  The two life translates into 2 mana and 2 cards, which isn't really worth it in GAT IMO. 

The only card I question in my list right now is Tormod's Crypt.  As a singleton, it adds quite a bit of depth.  I keep it in so often, and vs dangerous match ups, that it isn't a huge price to pay.  Other cards that could go in that slot would make the deck more redundant.  Regrowth, Imperial Seal, a 4th Ponder, none of those cards make the deck do something different that it already can.  Most of the cards that I'd want to run in that slot are off color, or more narrow.  Hydroblast would be a card I would consider, as well as Stifle or Trickbind.  Crypt will stay in for now, as it saves a SB slot, and can buy insane amounts of tempo for free vs many decks. 

[Smmenen]

RE: Misd.

I also ran 4 Misd back in the day.   I played 4 Misd not just in GroAtog, but also the Vintage Gro variants that preceded it (including 2002 Chapin Gro).   Given that the metagame is shifting in other directions, I was just curious what your rationale was.  I expected a huge surge in Workshops in Chicago and you seemed to be going in the other direction. 

2) WHERE  IS YOUR FOURTH PONDER?  Seriously.   It's, probably, the very best turn one play in gat using unrestricted cards.   It's better than Scroll cause of the predominance of Duress and its better than turn one Brainstorm most of the time.

Ponder is an absolute house.  It is better than brainstorm turn 1.  That said, I just feel the draw engine has worked fantastic so far.  The deck doesn't really need any more cantrips.  It is certainly not better than Merchant Scroll.  Scroll gives you a draw engine that is basically a free Yawgmoth's Bargain that sets up Yawgmoth's Will while it thins your deck.  Ponder gets you online, and digs.  Once you're online, Ponder starts to lose it's value. 

Just to be clear: I did not say that Ponder is better than Scroll. This is coming from someone who plays Merchant Scroll as the primary engine of everyone of my creations, including Meandeck Gifts.  I was talking in the context of turn one alone.

I prefer turn one Ponder to turn one Scroll because of the prevalence of Duress. 

Even once your are online, however, Ponder remains powerful as it sustains you in that position.

In time, I think you will come to see that running less than 4 Ponder is an obvious error.   

[ELD]

I also ran 4 Misd back in the day.   I played 4 Misd not just in GroAtog, but also the Vintage Gro variants that preceded it (including 2002 Chapin Gro).   Given that the metagame is shifting in other directions, I was just curious what your rationale was.

I built my Type 1 Rating up with Miracle Gro, shortly after Werebear was printed.  I had 4x Mis'D in that too.  It was a beating for sure.  There are times when it isn't optimal game one, but it has proven to be more of an asset than a liability. 

In time, I think you will come to see that running less than 4 Ponder is an obvious error.   

I just don't think another cantrip could make that much of a difference, especially when there are pros and cons to the card itself.  Right now, I am not running Regrowth or Imperial Seal, cards that have been fantastic in previous tournaments.  There is the issue of versatility over consistency.  The deck has proven to be more than consistent enough.  At some point, I decide to trade superfluous consistency for a little bit of additional options.  The extra slot, Tormod, is essentially giving me a 16 card SB. 

[Smmenen]

In time, I think you will come to see that running less than 4 Ponder is an obvious error.   

I just don't think another cantrip could make that much of a difference, especially when there are pros and cons to the card itself.  Right now, I am not running Regrowth or Imperial Seal, cards that have been fantastic in previous tournaments.  There is the issue of versatility over consistency.  The deck has proven to be more than consistent enough.  At some point, I decide to trade superfluous consistency for a little bit of additional options.  The extra slot, Tormod, is essentially giving me a 16 card SB. 

I'm not sure what it means to you when a card is a 'cantrip,' but that is not the label I would apply to Ponder, just as I would not to Brainstorm.  It is true that they are both cantrips, but many cards are cantrips.  Cantrips are merely cards that replace themselves.   Brainstorm and Ponder are so much more.  If your analysis turns, in some measure, on the fact that you "don't think cantrips could make that much of a difference," as you write, then I think you should reconsider the card's function and then renew your analysis.

That said, I stand by my prediction.

[ELD]

I refer to Brainstorm, Ponder and Sleight of hand as Cantrips.  Functionally, as it relates to GAT, a Cantrip is a card that digs for land early if needed, and replaces itself in the late game with something better for the low cost of U mana.  My point is not that cantrips can't make a difference, but that I feel 7 is the maximum amount of this type of effect needed.  If Merchant Scroll got the axe, a 4th Ponder would be an auto include.  Until that happens, the deck is more than consistent enough.  Keep in mind that I also run 3 color, which adds to the consistency.  It is entirely possible that a 4c GAT deck would want more Ponders to try and hold the more fragile plan together. 

[ELD]

So, if you could run 8 Brainstorms, you would not?   

Correct, I would not in GAT.  I would run 7.  8 would certainly function, but I wouldn't call it optimal.  I infer from your line of questioning that you would run 8.  I ask how many you would run if there was no limit?  If you could run 8 Brainstorm, how many ponder would you run?

I've explained my view and discussed this at length with several people.  To me it is one of the most interesting things about the growing card pool.  It challenges us as deck builders.  Previously, we could just find the best unrestricted card, and run 4 of them.  Merchant Scroll is the nuts, guess I'll run as many as I can.  But how many would you run if there was no limit?  Now, with Thoughtseize, and Ponder, we actually have to answer that question.  The ability to run 8 copies of cards that we previously just maxed out on is new and exciting.  4x Duress was automatic for me, now that Thoughtseize it out, I have to answer some questions.  1) Which card is better in my deck 2) How many of this spell do I need 3) How does the value of the card go down as I draw multiple copies. 

Ponder is harder to answer than Thoughtseize.  Thoughtseize becomes garbage when your opponent has no cards that you can take.  Ponder is less likely to be useless, as it can replace itself unless you're in a very mana tight spot.

To me, I always try and find the minimum number or cards required to do a specific task.  This goes for all the functions of the deck.  Mana base, Counters, Threats, everything.  There is a point of diminishing returns, and I try and keep that in mind as I try and optimize my deck. 

My point is the draw engine has been working very well.  With my extra slots, I'm looking for answers to common situations.  I can find those answers because my engine works so well.  Making the engine marginally better IMO will not pay higher dividends than taking advantage of an already powerful engine with added versatility. 

[The Atog Lord]

Eric, I laughed out loud at your Ron Paul facts.

Now, to the heart of the discussion:

I've really liked Ponder a lot. Ponder is amazing any time you aren't already winning; in other words, it is the opposite of a win-more card. It is a lose less card. If the hand is keepable, then you can cast Ponder. And if you can cast Ponder, you are likely to find yourself another land, or business. Is it bad when your hand is so full of gas that you are casting other spells instead? Sure, but then you don't need the extra help as much. I played three at SCG Chicago and really thought they were great. I'm going to be testing four.

Also, on Thoughtseize. I played four Duress at Chicago and often found myself digging for one. A fifth might be good. I never faced Stax, so that may have something to do with it. However, I plan to test a Thoughtseize in GAT.

[Myriad Games]

"Ron Paul doesn't cut taxes, he kills them with his bare hands"

Ron Paul Fact #27 Ron Paul has a regenerative healing factor, retractable claws of freedom and a skeletal system comprised of adamantium encased liberty.

Ron Paul Fact #33 Chuck Norris voted for Ron Paul in 88... twice.

Ron Paul Fact #69 King Midas shook hands with Ron Paul once. Nothing happened.

Ron Paul Fact #88 Ron Paul knows dozens of words that rhyme with "orange".
 
Ron Paul Fact #2 Ron Paul has no alarm clock, but instead wakes every morning to the call of freedom.

Ron Paul Fact #4 Ron Paul doesn't go the gym. He stays fit by exercising his civil rights.

Ron Paul Fact #44 Ron Paul knows how LOST is going to end.

Ron Paul Fact#54  Chuck Norris has a list of 5 people not to mess with.  Ron Paul is all of them.

Ron Paul Fact #300 If Ron Paul had lived in Sparta, the movie would have been called "1".

QFH (Quoted For Hilarity)

[Rock Lee]

Despite making the top 8 play it out and losing to you, I had a blast.

In the future I look forward to wrecking whichever form of consistency you are running ELD.

[hulk3rules]

Congrats on the win and I am glad to see people actually playing it all the way through in a top8 for once!

[TRb]

He eats the Pillar with Gargadon

Read the card.

Not possible.

But still, good job non the less.

[ELD]

He eats the Pillar with Gargadon

Read the card.

Not possible.

He eats the Pillar with Gargadon, plays some small guys and passes.  I improve my hand some more, and prepare to win.  A spectator comments on the fact that Gargadon does not eat all types of permanent, to the surprise of both myself and my opponent.  The judge is called, and warnings are issued.

[ashiXIII]

Kind of off-topic, but it's really unfortunate that Ron Paul has almost no shot of winning the upcoming election. We have a serious shortage of good candidates.

[ELD]

Kind of off-topic, but it's really unfortunate that Ron Paul has almost no shot of winning the upcoming election.

What are you basing this opinion on?  Bookies place him at 6:1, better than Romney.  He raised more money in one day than any Republican ever.  Don't let the media tell you how to think. 

We have a serious shortage of good candidates.

We only need one

[Meddling Mike]

Ron Paul Fact #33 Chuck Norris voted for Ron Paul in 88... twice.

apparently Chuck has moved on and found another candidate...

http://youtube.com/watch?v=EjYv2YW6azE

[ELD]

Yeah, I've seen that video.  Huckabee certainly has a good sense of humor.  That said,

Ron Paul Fact #1 Ron Paul invented Chuck Norris

Since Ron Paul believes in personal freedom, he would never stop Chuck Norris from making his own mistakes, such as backing the wrong candidate. 

get more Ron Paul facts at

www.RonPaulFacts.com