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Red Irish
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« on: April 14, 2008, 07:29:39 am » |
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Location: Granada, Spain
Date: 5th of April, 2008
Players: 53
Format: Vintage, 10 proxies
Prizes:
1. Mox Ruby
2. Berserk (Beta)
3. Demonic Tutor (Revised, black-bordered)
4. Badlands (signed)
5 to 8: An assortment of rare booster packs
I finished in 15th position with the following:
"Scrapyard"
4 Goblin Welder
3 Arcbound Ravager
4 Solemn Simulacrum
4 Juggernaut
2 Triskelion
1 Karn. Silver Golum
3 Sword of Fire and Ice
4 Sphere of Resistance
4 Thorn of Amethyst
3 Tangle Wire
1 Trinisphere
1 Black Lotus
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mana Crypt
1 Mana Vault
1 Sol Ring
2 Ancient Tomb
6 Mountain
4 Wasteland
1 Strip Mine
1 Tolarian Academy
4 Mishra's Workshop
Sideboard:
3 Magus of the Moon
3 Tormod’s Crypt
2 Viashino Heretic
1 Rack and Ruin
3 Spawning Pit
2 Pyroclasm
1 Razormane Masticore
The I City of Granada Vintage Open represented a milestone for Vintage players in the city. Normally we have to travel to other locations in order to play this format and, although thankful that the morning did not involve a lengthy car journey, I felt a certain sense of responsibility over my coffee: after 13 years, Granada has become my second home and I wanted to put in a good performance and ensure that the rest of Spain were aware that we boasted a healthy community of Vintage players.
Following a second cup of coffee in the café in front of Videohobby, the venue for the event, and having elicited opinions from all my friends in relation to last-minute sideboard decisions, we moved into the shop, handed in the deck lists and waited for the first round postings. The response had been amazing: 53 players nervously waited to discover what aspect the first opponent of the day would present.
Round 1: Jose from Granada, playing Gruul (R/G Beats)
Game 1: I had been expecting a large number of Gruul deck - a lot of players that normally don’t play Vintage simply adapted their Extended Zoo decks – and I was hoping to avoid them in the first few rounds while they were picked off by Oath or Storm-combo. So much for hope: Jose won the die roll and dropped a Kird Ape and I immediately knew that I was in trouble. He followed this with Gorilla Shaman and I seem to recall Skull Clamp, Aether Vile and a Tarmogoyf. Between burn and Tin-Street Hooligan, he ensured that there was never a threat on my side of the table and the game was over very quickly. What a great start.
Game 2: After the board things just got worse: Seal of Primordium and Ancient Grudge appeared before I could set up a solid Sphere or Tangle Wire lock.
I didn’t have a bad hand in either game and I don't think I made any mistakes: Gruul is simply one of Aggro Shop's worst matches.
I was upset, but I was determined to not to become nervous or pessimistic – there were still 5 rounds left, all I had to do was stay focused and win each round.
Result: 1 loss
Round 2: Alex from Alicante playing Tog
Game 1: I won the die roll and drew a great hand. Alex was very quickly faced with a Thorn followed by Juggernaut. Tangle Wire followed and all I saw of his deck was a fetch land, a couple of island-duals and a Brainstorm – I assumed GAT as we went for the board.
Game 2: As it turned out, my assumption was sound, although I subsequently discovered that he ran 3 Togs and no Dryads: He dropped a lotus, land and Tog o the first turn. My opening turn was mountain, Ruby Mox, Lotus, followed by Thorn and Magus of the Moon and he appeared to have no counters - devastating. Magus was joined by Welder and Ravager in the second turn and a third turn Sword of Fire and Ice more or less sealed his fate.
Things were back on track
Result: 1 loss, 1 win.
Round 3: Alberto from Jaen playing GAT (a hybrid with Phyrexian Dreadnought and Illusionary Mask)
Game 1: I know Alberto well. Magic's a strange game: there are certain players that you always seem to be paired against in every Tournament, irrespective of size or location, and we both joked about this (as it turned out the same thing occurred in the next round). I won the die roll and set up a sphere lock that was quickly followed by Juggernaut and Triskelion. It was over in a few turns.
Game 2: He quickly dropped a Dryad and I recall a sphere being countered in my first turn. I remember that he Wished up a Rack and Ruin a few turns later, which proved decisive, and once another Dryad entered into play I scooped up my cards and started shuffling.
Game 3: I dropped an early Magus followed by Ravager and, aided by Tangle Wire, they went the distance.
My nerves were showing in this game as I burned myself with Tolarian Academy a couple of times when I clearly could have avoided it. This didn’t affect the outcome, but attention to these types of details often determine who wins the match – I reminded myself that I needed to keep focused.
Result: 1 loss, 2 wins.
Round 4: Ángel from Almeria playing Oath
Game 1: As soon as I saw Ángel before the tournament started he reminded me that it we would inevitably face one another - he was right. I won the die roll and managed to successfully cast a Thorn. The thorn was quickly followed by Tangle Wire and Karn, which allowed me to destroy two moxes, thereby sealing the game.
Game 2: I managed to resolve a Spawning Pit and from my notes I brought him down to 11 life. However, he simply played an Echoing Truth followed by Time Walk (using his Orchard) a few turns later and proceeded to combo. It seems that Spawning Pit in isolation is not enough: it needs to be used in conjunction with Mishra's Factory and a Sword of Fire and Ice that has conveniently been resolved in the early turns.
Game 3: I looked at my hand, knowing that I was playing against Oath, and decided to take a big risk: I dropped a Mishra’s Workshop, a mox and a Juggernaut, hoping that he didn’t have the Oath in his opening hand – he did. I swung with the Juggernaut, played and used a Wasteland and the next turn he sent all my permanents skyward. I was despondent and extremely tempted to scoop up my cards and shake hands, but then, on reflection, I realised that I wasn’t dead yet and I had nothing to lose if I kept on playing. The judges called five minutes to turns. I looked at my hand, replete with all the permanents that Ángel had returned from the table, and decided to make a play. I dropped a Mishra's Factory and three moxen in order to play a Juggernaut and Ravager. It was a meaningless gesture - Ángel was on 9 life and I was on 10 – all he had to do was play any spell, bounce the Juggernaut and attack twice; however, for some unknown reason he decided to activate the Oath. The gods were definitely smiling on me: I watched him reveal cards from the top of his library, one after another, but the second Tyrant refused to appear. As it turned out, the second Tyrant was the very last card he revealed. I asked Ángel if he had any means of returning cards from his graveyard to his library, but I had played Wastelands on his only sources of green mana. We shook hands and I confessed that I had just witnessed a miracle.
Result: 1 loss, 3 wins.
Round 5: Ándres from Murcia playing TPS
Game 1: I don't remember the exact details of this game. I resolved two Welders early in the game, and aided by Thorn and Tangle Wire, they went the distance as 1/1 beaters. At one stage he attempted to set up a storm combo, but halfway into the combo he realised that he needed another black mana.
Game 2: He opened with 2 moxen, Mana Crypt, a land and passed the turn. I opened with Tangle Wire and Ravager and played a second Tangle Wire in the following turn. When I had him at 8 life, he countered a Triskelion, which would have been game (the Ravager had 4 counters), but I followed this with a Welder and he was forced to make a desperate play in his own turn: he played Pithing Needle naming Welder and then played a series of spells followed by Tendrils that sent me down to 2 life, whilst his life total shot back up to 26. Magus of the Moon was followed by Juggernaut and in a few turns I beat him down to 0.
Result: 1 loss, 4 wins.
Round 6: Raúl from Cartagena playing TK Deeznought
Game 1: I was nervous. Raúl was on 10 points and I was on 12, so intentionally drawing to make top 8 was not an option. He won the die roll, played a land and passed. I played Thorn and Welder and he played two Force of Wills and then dropped confidant on his own turn. I did not recover from that play and the dreadnought appeared a few turns later to finish things off.
Game 2: I had a pretty strong hand with two Workshops. I forget my opening play, but I certainly won't forget Raul's opener: he top-decked a Lotus, giving him the green mana he needed, let out a triumphant squeal and dropped a Trygon Predator. That was game and little consolation was gained from the fact that Raúl went on to win the tournament.
Result: 2 losses, 4 wins.
Reflection on the deck
I like the deck and I would certainly play it again; however, I do feel that some modifications should be made in light of this tournament:
- 9 spheres and 3 Tangle Wires are often not enough. Karn came to my rescue on various occasions by allowing me to destroy the opponent’s moxen. I think that the deck's ability to directly attack the opponent’s mana base, rather than creating "inconveniences", needs to be enhanced: I would add a Gorilla Shaman to assist Karn's moxen carnage, or remove Karn and run 2 Gorilla Shaman.
- I should have run Duplicant in the sideboard.
- I would run Jester’s Cap rather than Spawning Pit
All in all, my final standing had a lot to do with luck rather than skilful play on my part.
I had a great day, the event drew a lot of players and I almost made top 8 – you can’t really ask for more. Thanks to Mario Ávalos, Trasgos and Videohobby for organising everything and congratulations to Carlos Santiago, one of Spain’s best young players, and Mario Zuñiga for almost pulling it off.
On a side note, the fact that players who completed all 6 Swiss rounds entered a draw for a Library of Alexandria, ensured that most players (with the exception of my round 1 opponent) played on irrespective of their possibilities of entering top 8 and I recommend this strategy to other tournament organisers.
I have ranted on enough; here are the Top 8 decks for your perusal:
1. Raúl Talavera, TK 3.0 (Road to Piacenza)
1 Island
4 Underground Sea
1 Bayou
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Time Walk
4 Force of Will
4 Brainstorm
4 Stifle
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Duress
3 Thoughtseize
4 Dark Confidant
4 Tarmogoyf
1 Trygon Predator
3 Trinket Mage
1 Phyrexian Dreadnought
1 Engineered Explosives
1 Sensei's Divining Top
1 Aether Spellbomb
1 Black Lotus
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Strip Mine
4 Polluted Delta
1 Flooded Strand
1 Bloodstained Mire
1 Tropical Island
3 Wasteland
Sideboard:
4 Leyline of the Void
1 Leyline of Singularity
1 Thoughtseize
3 Spell Snare
3 Trygon Predator
1 Pithing Needle
1 Engineered Explosives
1 Krosan Grip
2. Carlos Santiago, Tyrant Oath
1 Krosan Reclamation
1 Pithing Needle
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Emerald
1 Black Lotus
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Time Walk
3 Thoughtseize
4 Gush
3 Spell Snare
3 Merchant Scroll
1 Chain of Vapor
1 Imperial Seal
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Yawgmoth's Will
1 Fastbond
1 Tendrils of Agony
4 Brainstorm
4 Force of Will
2 Tidespout Tyrant
4 Oath of Druids
2 Tropical Island
2 Underground Sea
2 Volcanic Island
1 Island
3 Flooded Strand
3 Polluted Delta
4 Forbidden Orchard
Sideboard:
2 Pithing Needle
2 Red Elemental Blast
4 Leyline of the Void
3 Engineered Explosives
2 Rack and Ruin
1 Simic Sky Swallower
1 Blazing Archon
3. Mario Zuñiga, TPS
2 Volcanic Island
1 Underground Sea
1 Snow-Covered Swamp
1 Swamp
4 Brainstorm
4 Dark Ritual
3 Duress
4 Force of Will
1 Yawgmoth's Bargain
1 Yawgmoth's Will
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Mystical Tutor
2 Tendrils of Agony
1 Empty the Warrens
1 Necropotence
1 Gifts Ungiven
1 Fact or Fiction
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Lotus Petal
1 Black Lotus
1 Mana Crypt
1 Mana Vault
1 Sol Ring
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Time Walk
1 Timetwister
1 Tinker
1 Platinum Angel
1 Hurkyl's Recall
1 Rebuild
1 Echoing Truth
1 Mind's Desire
4 Polluted Delta
2 Flooded Strand
1 Island
1 Snow-Covered Island
1 Chain of Vapor
1 Tolarian Academy
Sideboard:
2 Hurkyl's Recall
1 Rebuild
1 Engineered Explosives
2 Repeal
1 Pyroclasm
1 Pyroblast
1 Red Elemental Blast
4 Yixlid Jailer
1 Darksteel Colossus
1 Sundering Titan
4. Ángel Gorriana, Intuitive
4 Accumulated Knowledge
2 Intuition
1 Repeal
1 Echoing Truth
1 Chain of Vapor
1 Darksteel Colossus
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Empty the Warrens
1 Recoup
1 Tinker
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Yawgmoth's Will
1 Time Walk
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Sol Ring
1 Black Lotus
1 Mana Crypt
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Emerald
2 Flooded Strand
3 Polluted Delta
2 Island
4 Underground Sea
2 Volcanic Island
1 Tolarian Academy
4 Force of Will
4 Brainstorm
2 Merchant Scroll
4 Mana Drain
3 Dark Confidant
3 Duress
Sideboard:
2 Propaganda
2 Energy Flux
2 Pithing Needle
1 Hurkyl's Recall
2 Yixlid Jailer
2 Pyroclasm
1 Thoughtseize
2 Extirpate
1 Sundering Titan
5. Jose Luis Pastor, Oath
2 Flooded Strand
4 Brainstorm
4 Force of Will
4 Gush
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mox Ruby
1 Time Walk
1 Black Lotus
3 Mana Drain
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Vampiric Tutor
2 Tidespout Tyrant
1 Krosan Reclamation
4 Duress
1 Yawgmoth's Will
1 Flash of Insight
1 Chain of Vapor
1 Misdirection
1 Brain Freeze
1 Fastbond
2 Tropical Island
2 Underground Sea
3 Polluted Delta
4 Forbidden Orchard
2 Island
4 Oath of Druids
3 Merchant Scroll
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Volcanic Island
Sideboard:
1 Platinum Angel
1 Tinker
3 Rebuild
4 Leyline of the Void
1 Blazing Archon
1 Tendrils of Agony
3 Shattering Spree
1 Volcanic Island
6. Benito Hernández, Gush Tendrils
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Emerald
1 Sol Ring
1 Mana Crypt
1 Tolarian Academy
2 Flooded Strand
3 Polluted Delta
3 Island
2 Tropical Island
3 Underground Sea
1 Darksteel Colossus
1 Tinker
1 Tendrils of Agony
1 Yawgmoth's Will
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Fastbond
1 Regrowth
1 Timetwister
1 Mind's Desire
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Fact or Fiction
1 Time Walk
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Gifts Ungiven
1 Rebuild
1 Repeal
1 Misdirection
2 Mana Drain
3 Merchant Scroll
3 Lim-Dûl's Vault
4 Force of Will
4 Brainstorm
4 Gush
1 Black Lotus
1 Lotus Petal
Sideboard:
4 Leyline of the Void
1 Leyline of Singularity
2 Pithing Needle
2 Duress
1 Platinum Angel
1 Hurkyl's Recall
1 Chain of Vapor
1 Rebuild
1 Echoing Truth
1 Engineered Explosives
7. Miguel Blaya, Aggro MUD
4 Juggernaut
4 Metalworker
3 Tangle Wire
1 Trinisphere
4 Sphere of Resistance
4 Thorn of Amethyst
4 Chalice of the Void
2 City of Traitors
4 Ancient Tomb
1 Tolarian Academy
1 Strip Mine
4 Wasteland
4 Mishra's Workshop
1 Sol Ring
1 Mana Crypt
1 Mana Vault
1 Black Lotus
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Emerald
3 Arcbound Ravager
3 Triskelion
3 Karn, Silver Golem
2 Sword of Fire and Ice
Sideboard:
3 Crucible of Worlds
3 Orb of Dreams
3 Tormod's Crypt
3 Powder Keg
3 Pithing Needle
8. Sebastián Sánchez, MUD
2 Staff of Domination
1 Black Lotus
1 Mox Sapphire
4 Mishra's Workshop
3 Wasteland
4 Mishra's Factory
1 Strip Mine
1 Barbarian Ring
4 Ancient Tomb
2 Karn, Silver Golem
1 Masticore
2 Arcbound Ravager
4 Metalworker
3 Chalice of the Void
4 Sphere of Resistance
4 Thorn of Amethyst
1 Trinisphere
1 Sol Ring
1 Mana Crypt
3 Sword of Fire and Ice
2 Crucible of Worlds
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Ruby
1 Tolarian Academy
2 Triskelion
4 Tangle Wire
1 Mox Pearl
Sideboard:
1 Engineered Explosives
2 Powder Keg
4 Tormod's Crypt
1 Chalice of the Void
1 Masticore
3 Jester's Cap
3 Smokestack
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