9/20/08 Mississauga, Canada For Black Lotus

[Smmenen]

39 People for a Black Lotus for 1st

Standings After Round Six:
1. Jason Pilarski (Blitzkreig)
2. Noah Long (Mono Blue Control)
3. Cody Vinci (Drain Tendrils)
4. Lam Phan (Confidant Control)
5. Kris Kavanagh (Landstill)
6. Owen Leskovar (UGB Fish)
7. Johmar Chua (UR Fish)
8. Brian Lee (Rings Mud)


Quarterfinals
Jason Pilarski d. Brian Lee ($25)
Kris Kavanagh d. Lam Phan($25)
Owen Leskovar d. Cody Vinci ($25)
Johmar Chua d. Noah Long ($25)

Semifinals
Johmar Chua d. Owen Leskovar ($50)
Kris Kavanagh d. Jason Pilarski ($50)

Finals
Kris Kavanagh ($700) d. Johmar Chua ($150)

Standings After Round Six:
1. Jason Pilarski (Blitzkreig) -------> mono R shop aggro
2. Noah Long (Mono Blue Control) -----> splash red
3. Cody Vinci (Drain Tendrils) -----> UR with 2x Tendrils
4. Lam Phan (Confidant Control)  -----> Counter Balance / Top Confidant control
5. Kris Kavanagh (Landstill)
6. Owen Leskovar (UGB Fish)
7. Johmar Chua (UR Fish)  ----------> lots of faeries
8. Brian Lee (Rings Mud)  ---------> Shop Combo

[jmedina]

Does anyone have decklists for this ?

[RaleighNCTourneys]

Sorry that should be UB Drain Tendrils not UR.

I went 4-0-2 in swiss (2 ID) with 8-0 in games and lost to Becker Fish in the top 8. Tourney was a lot of fun!

It's hilarious trying to explain what I'm doing when I cross the border. I'll always start out with "visting some friends for the day." Then, the border people say "what are you going to do?" me: "play a card game" them: "what game" me: it's called magic... you know... like pokemon... for adults... wizards... spells.... them: silence

It's so weird trying to explain magic to the border people. Especially going back to the US when I'm tired of driving and burnt out. They ask so many damn questions...

Here's what I played:

// Lands
    3 Flooded Strand
    2 Polluted Delta
    1 Tolarian Academy
    4 Underground Sea
    4 Snow-Covered Island

// Spells
    4 Accumulated Knowledge
    1 Ancestral Recall
    1 Black Lotus
    1 Brainstorm
    1 Chain of Vapor
    1 Demonic Tutor
    3 Duress
    1 Fact or Fiction
    4 Force of Will
    1 Frantic Search
    1 Hurkyl's Recall
    2 Intuition
    1 Lotus Petal
    1 Mana Crypt
    4 Mana Drain
    1 Mana Vault
    1 Mox Emerald
    1 Mox Jet
    1 Mox Pearl
    1 Mox Ruby
    1 Mox Sapphire
    1 Mystical Tutor
    1 Rebuild
    1 Sol Ring
    2 Tendrils of Agony
    4 Thirst for Knowledge
    1 Time Walk
    1 Vampiric Tutor
    1 Yawgmoth's Will
    1 Skeletal Scrying

[ErkBek]

6. Owen Leskovar (UGB Fish)

I take it from Cody's post that this is the BUG fish I posted in the open forum. I'd be interested to see the board Owen ran.

[yespuhyren]

The list I played today was as follows:

Blitzkrieg 3.0 - Link to SCG thread HERE

Mana:

4x Mishra's Workshop
4x Mishra's Factory (MVP 1/2)
1x Strip Mine
1x Wasteland
1x Tolarian Academy
6x Mountain
2x Ancient Tomb
5x Moxes
1x Lotus
1x Sol Ring
1x Mana Crypt (THE DEVIL!!!)
1x Mana Vault

Creatures:

4x Goblin Welder
4x Gathan Raiders (MVP 2/2)
4x Juggernaut
3x Razormane Masticore
4x Solemn Simulacrum

Other Stuff

4x Sword of Fire and Ice
4x Thorn of Amethyst
4x Sphere of Resistance
1x Trinisphere


SB:

4x Null Rod
4x Red Elemental Blast
4x Tormod's Crypt
3x Mogg Fanatic (AWESOME)

[Prometheon]

Eric: My board was incredibly sketchy. All of my T1 cards were stolen a few months ago, so the deck was assembled from scratch by borrwing cards from the community. I had full proxies and thus my board options were limited. The stuff I remember for sure was

3 Planar Void (Better against Chain, easier to Vamp or Demonic for than Leyline)
3 Yixlid Jailer
3-4 Seal of Primoridum (I can't remember)
3 Threads of Disloyalty

Seal of Primordium is better than Krosan Grip in my metagame due to all of the Landstill. If they drop a Standstill, Grip still gives them 3 cards. Seal is also faster against Oath (where speed is important if they have the T1 Oath) and workshop decks with Sphere/Thorn.

I also modified your original list a bit, cutting the MD Stifles. In those slots I ran something redundant (maybe another Duress) and Demonic Consultation which was amazing all day except when it backfired once, killing me. I won that match anyway.

The deck is so redundant, that Consultation is basically an Instant-speed Demonic for anything but Ancestral.

The deck is incredibly consistant and strong. I mulliganed once all day, which was, unfortunately, in my semifinals match against U/r Faerie fish which simply out tempoed me. I had more dead cards than he did in game 1 (Duress, Rod, Negate) and game 2 I couldn't draw Goys or Threads fast enough.

For the record (I know it's been an ongoing issue), there was no a single point where the Negate - Mana Leak issue popped up. (I ran 3 Negate and I never wanted to counter a creature where I couldn't, nor did I counter a spell where my opponenet had 3 extra mana.)

[blee1149]

Other people's decklist:

Kris's UR landstill is just shockwave's usual list.
Lam's list is never exposed

Here is my report:

So i am playing this shenanigan deck that I don't even know how to call it, Rings MUD. The deck is basically abusing Rings of Brighthearth to get infinite mana and infinite draws. I think there are very little people that knows all the combos in this deck.  I haven't touched it for 2 weeks cause of work and hope I didn't scrub hard.

If anyone want to really know how this deck work, I may consider writing how it works.

For Decklist, there is the decklist:

5 Moxen
1 Lotus
1 Crypt
1 Sol Ring
1 Mana Vault
4 Mishra's Workshop
4 Wasteland
1 Strip Mine
2 Ghost Quarter
3 Ancient Tomb
2 City of Traitors
1 Tolarian Academy

4 Metalworker
1 Triskelion
1 Triskelavus
3 Karn, Silver Golem
3 Street Wraith

4 Rings of Brighthearth
4 Sensei's Divining Top
3 Staff of Domination
1 Umbral Mantle
2 Voltaic Key
3 Basalt Monolith
1 Time Vault
1 Memory Jar
1 Trinisphere
2 Cruicble of Worlds

Sideboard:

4 Thorn of Amethyst
4 Sphere of Resistance
4 Juggernaut
1 Duplicant
2 Masticore

Round one Matt Hensley: (BGW Teeg/Bob thingy)
So I am on the play:
I think he mulled to five
I cast turn one metalworker, he goes lotus, bob withered wretch
Turn 2 I play Umbral Mantle, metalworker swings with lethal and the game ends quick
Game 2: Figuring that he'd have a Null Rod, I side in my spheres and sides out I think some key, top, staff etc.
I open up with turn one trinisphere, then wastes his land, casts Jar and Karn, attack with Jar and Karn etc.
He had a turn 2 null rod that kept out of bay

1 - 0 (2-0)

Round 2 Against Mike (Mana'd Ichorid)

G1: He mulls to oblivion

G2: I sided out 2 crucible, 1 key, 1 mantle, 1 top, 1 trinisphere?  in 4 thorns, 2 masticore
He keeps a 7 card hand, starts with zaar
I wastes, he starts dredging
Therapies my metalworker
I casts staff of domination, he puts light pressure on me as he does not find nacromoebas and just beats with 2 ichorid. I dig with Top to find metalworker and hand 3 artifacts.

Since I have no real solution to beat ichorid, I just build my combo and ignored his other side

2-0 (4-0)

Noah Mono Blue

G1: I open up with a decent hand, 2x workers. I cast turn 1 worker with tomb + mox, he impulses and the worker gets forced. He casts tinker DSC on turn 2/3 can't rmb, think it was turn 2. I play my other worker and resolves, I have a 1 turn clock before I die, my hand was: Trike, Triskelavus, Street Wratih, Voltaic Key and Rings of the Brighthearth. I reveal for all my artifacts, plays Rings, then key gets negated. So at this point I didn't have my infinite mana combo. I just cycle the wraith to get 2 cards, (Time Vault and Umbral Mantle)
I asked the Judge earlier and he said that time vault uses the original wording instead of the errata today, so I just throw the vault and asks if he wants to concede. Then the argument comes up, and then it was rules as the current oracle text. Then I just play Umbral Mantle and swing ftw.
G2: He gets 2 flux and 1 Back to Basics, I scoop. First lost of the day
G3: I open with metalworker, sphere. I play Triskelavus and Karn, while he's slowed, he managed to drain my trinisphere and puts out a flux, which came too late for him. I reveal with my metalworker on upkeep to have the mana I need to keep the karn and sphere alive to secure the game.

3-0 (6-1)

Round 4 Kevin with Dragon/Oath

G1: I open with a decent hand that I can combo off turn 2, I play shop monolith + voltaic key. then I play rings, which gets countered. He pulls dragon + bazaar shortly.
G2: I sided in 8 sphere, 4 juggs, 1 duplicant and sided out most my combo. I lock him hard with 1 spheres, 2 thorns and a trinisphere, I have 2 workers, time vault in play, for 7 turns I drew nothing except a staff on the last turn. He broke the lock and got the dragon. He bounced my time vault, just in case that I pull something random with it, I chain myself and bounces a mox and I get infinite mana and draw from staff/worker. Fails to find a solution

3-1 (6-3)

Jason Pilarsky Mono Red Aggro:

G1: I mulled and I play rings followed by triskelavus. I topdeck time vault. It was getting close as I had 2 tombs and a crypt for my mana source. Given that I don't get dmg from crypt all 4 turns, I win the game, which I did.
G2: I sided out most my combo pieces, as I know that he would have null rod SB. 
I sided in 4 spheres, 2 Masticores, 4 Juggernauts
He mulls He casts null rod, couldn't do much.
G3: He said, I have 2 null rods, wasn't sure if he was bluffing. Instead of going T1 worker I played top trinisphere. in fact he did have 2 null rods and his gathan raiders and factory and friends beat ftw.

After some deep thought, his threat wasn't really the welder, it was the null rod.
I should have sided in the thorns to keep rod out of the bay

3-2 (7-5)

Round 6 Chris with Painter.dec

G1: T1 Metalworker T2 Staff He thirsts and ancestral and could not find a solution.
G2: He plays a land and ruby, I Metalworker and he countered. he mystical for a tinker for on T2. He Tinker DSC, I play Rings, Street Wraith for 2 cards, fails to find combo (Lotus and land). He attacks, puts me to do or die. I get Staff!!!! I tap his DSC with tomb for 2 turns, puts me to 3 life. I have Juggernaut and Karn in hand, I felt that I shouldn't play them as they don't help stall the colossus. I find metalworker, cracks the lotus to stop him from attacking. With 2 Artifact, Rings + Worker Staff, I win the game. His force becomes online this turn, but I draw out my entire library, plays trike (FoW'ed) then multiple rings of brighthearth and trinisphere and shoots for like 50 with triskelavus

4-2 (9 - 5)

Being the highest tiebreaker, as pilarsky went 5-1 in swiss, I slipped in top 8

Top 8: Pilarsky again!

G1: T1 Worker T2 Staff
Then we thought it is best that I concede as he got better matchups against countertop and landstill, so I did, we played for fun anyways.
G2: He said that he'd mull into a null rod if this game was serious. But he didn't and starts off with Razormane. I get monolith turn one, then rings turn two, turn 3 I cast Staff of Domination and Sensei Top to get the win.

(11 - 5)

I think this deck is really fun and I built it so that every piece was a combo. I didn't rely 100% metalworker or the rings, it works in many many ways. In this tournament, in 7 rounds, 4 out of my 5 win matches I went 2-0, and the games weren't long at all too.  I think this deck can be developed more and be improved.

Props:
John for hosting a great tournament
People from States coming up

I liked how the deck beat out Tinker colossus twice in the swiss (both turn 2 casted). Tinker DSC gives me a 2 turn clock, which can happen a lot to find solution.   No SB for Ichorid and managed to raced it. I felt that the masticores were pretty useless throughout the entire day.  They were counter-interactive with welders when you discard an artifact.  Once I get infinite mana, I didn't need masticore to wipe the field, the deck just wins, most likely.

Even thought most games I attempted a transformation, I never casted a single juggernaut.
I figured that most people would have hate such as extirpate hitting staff or rings and over worrying the explosiveness of this combo.

Things I expected for this deck to do which didn't happen:
Crucible lock: well, a chance thing, really
Rings + Wastes to kill 2 lands.  It usually happens in late game, but all games lasted like 6 turns max, cept for 1 game
Win through Voltaic Key: There are 2 combos in the deck that uses key to win, never got out
Abuse Key & Top (+ Rings) to get a crapload of digging.

Street Wraiths were awesome in the deck, period.

Great turnout and tournament.
Not sure if the meta is degrading as there is elves and faeries, which both did pretty well in the past 2 tournaments (and this one).
The faeries deck seemed pretty scary and it had amazing synergy

[Noah_33]

I wasn't splashing Red, only Basics baby! Here's my report:

Mono Blue Control

8 Island
2 Polluted Delta
2 Flooded Strand
4 Wastelands
1 Strip Mine
1 Library of Alexandria

1 Mox Sapphire
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Emerald
1 Sol Ring
1 Black Lotus

1 Darksteel Colossus
1 Platinum Angel
4 Ophidian (MVP!)

4 Force of Will
4 Mana Drain
4 Negate
2 Mana Leak
4 Impulse
3 Powder Keg
3 Back to Basics
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Brainstorm
1 Time Walk
1 Tinker

Sideboard:
3 Energy Flux
4 Propaganda
4 Tormod's Crypt
4 Chalice of the Void


Round 1- vs. Aggro Loam

Game 1- I win role and play a turn 1 Ophidian. I Force his Bob and then cast Back to Basics taking out both his tapped lands. Control the game with Phid's cards from there.
Game 2- He goes basic, Duress taking Back to Basics. I draw Ancestral (how lucky) and play a land and mox. He plays a Countryside Crusher and I Mana Leak it. I don't draw a land so I recall myself and draw: Lotus, Land, Back to Basics (HOW LUCKY!). So I play the 3 cards I drew and shits his pants because he has only 1 basic and 2 non tapped. I play ophidian next turn and lock him out.

1-0

Round 2- vs. Stax

Game 1- I win role and play a Land and Mox. He plays Workshop, Sphere which meets a Negate. I play Back to Basics and he conceeds.
Game 2- He plays Workshop, Crypt, Vault, Smokestack and Tangle Wire. I don't have force and lose that one.
Game 3- I resolve a Chalice for 0 turn 1 and play a land. He goes Workshop Sphere. I Force it. I go land go. He goes Workshop Triskelion. I Drain it. I go Land, Back to Basics, Tinker and Energy Flux all in one turn. GG.

2-0

Round 3- vs. Staff Combo

Game 1- I counter his first Worker and I tinker for Colossus on turn 2. His turn 2 he plays a second Worker. I attack he's at 5 thanks to Ancient Tomb. He untaps and plays Time Vault, then Voltaic Key! I Negate the Key so then he cycles Street Wraith and ripps Umbral Mantle which combos with Worker. I die to a 1000000000000000000000/1000000000000000000000 Worker.
Game 2- I get 2 Energy Fluxs down and a Back to Basics GG.
Game 3- I draw only 1 Blue source and lose to his 2 Worker draw 1 of which I countered. Heart breaker.

2-1

Round 4- vs. Intuition Tendrils

Game 1- I get a really good draw with a first turn Ophidian. He lays a land and says go. I proceed to lock him out of the game with Ophidian and always 7 cards in hand.
Game 2- I get an even better hand with 3 Forces and a Library on the draw. By turn 3 I draw the 4th Force of Will and resolve a Chalice for 1 and 0. GG

3-1

Round 5- vs. ELVES!!!

Game 1- I have the absolute nuts vs. his deck and win easily:

2x Island
Sapphire
Tinker
Powder Keg
Force of Will
Impulse

Game 2- I mulligan to 5 and lose turn 2 comboy bull shit.
Game 3- I keep a slow hand but I'm on the play:

3 Island
3 Propaganda
Force of Will

I play land. He plays land LElf. I rip a chalice like a champ and lay it for 1. He plays Veridian Zealot and I Force it. I draw a dud and play my first Propaganda and watch him shit his pants. He plays some elves and passes. I draw a Force and I play my second Propaganda and he almost falls out of his chair. He rips another Zealot and I have to use up my 3rd Propaganda to Counter it so he doesn't go nuts after nucing my Chalice. We go draw go with him attacking for 2 each turn. I get to 7 and I draw my 7th land for my Angel. He attacks again and I take going to 5. I rip like a champ again, my 3rd Chalice by this point and lay it for 2. He conceeds as he didn't board in Krosan Grip to deal with the Angel.

4-1

I'm in the clear to top 8 now. Until I get paired down to Worldgorger Dragon which is in 8th with 10 points and has to play. GAY!!!

Round 6- vs. Worldgorger Dragon

Game 1- We basically go draw go for about 12 turns with me having to discard 4 times to missing land drops. He goes off with 8 cards and I can only counter 3 spells because I drew a Lotus the turn before. He casts animate dead and I negate it. He misds, I negate it, he forces it, I mana drain it, he plays another animate and I lose to needing one more land to mana leak it.
Game 2- I resolve a turn 1 Ohpidian and we go draw go again. bad news for him because I am making land drops and always have 7 cards in hand I win to having 2 crypts and an Angel in play with 7 Counters in my hand. SOOO sick.
Game 3- He keeps the combo in again and I get a negate open first turn and a crypt. We go draw go again with him using a bazaar which doesn't help him in the Card advantage department. he loses again for not being able to deal with my counters and crypt.

5-1 and 2nd overall.

Top 8- vs. UR Faeries

This match was literally an abortion. I drew 1 Force of Will and 2 Islands the whole match 1 of which got Stripped. On top of that frustration, he was playing super slow while crushing me and literally had no idea what half the cards in both our decks did. I was having to remind him to hurry up a lot so I could go eat at a really bad serviced Boston Pizza. Oh well at least I got the appatizer free.

Overall I'm very happy with the decks results. Now I just can't wait for Tezzeret to be printed so I can have an even better win condition.

[zeus-online]

Nice, your list looks alot like the mono blue decks of old.
It's good to hear the ophie can still swing for the win! 

How many times do you feel that ophie needs to hit to win the game? I generally say that the second time he hits i've won the game.

/Zeus

[Noah_33]

Every single time an Ophidian hit for the first time I knew I had won the game. He was so good for me on the day. The only game I didn't win with an active phid was when my opponent had a Ninja doing the same thing.

[M.Solymossy]

Round 1
I draw Ancestral (how lucky) and play a land and mox.. I don't draw a land so I recall myself and draw: Lotus, Land, Back to Basics (HOW LUCKY!).

Round 2
 I play Back to Basics and he conceeds.
He goes Workshop Triskelion. I Drain it. I go Land, Back to Basics, Tinker and Energy Flux all in one turn. GG.

Round 4
 I get a really good draw with a first turn Ophidian.
 I get an even better hand with 3 Forces and a Library on the draw. By turn 3 I draw the 4th Force of Will and resolve a Chalice for 1 and 0. GG

Round 5- vs. ELVES!!!

 I have the absolute nuts vs. his deck and win easily:
 I rip a chalice like a champ and lay it for 1.  I rip like a champ again, my 3rd Chalice by this point and lay it for 2. He conceeds as he didn't board in Krosan Grip to deal with the Angel.

Round 6-
 I win to having 2 crypts and an Angel in play with 7 Counters in my hand. SOOO sick.

So each round you won, you had the absolute nuts?  Nice job.
This post was unnecessary. It adds nothing to the discussion and isn't up to TMD standards. Verbal Warning.
-Godder

[OwenTheEnchanter]

Ya Soly thats usually what happens when you win a tournament, play well and get lucky. Even though he didn't win.

[misslehead3]

The list I played today was as follows:

Blitzkrieg 3.0 - Link to SCG thread HERE

Mana:

4x Mishra's Workshop
4x Mishra's Factory (MVP 1/2)
1x Strip Mine
1x Wasteland
1x Tolarian Academy
6x Mountain
2x Ancient Tomb
5x Moxes
1x Lotus
1x Sol Ring
1x Mana Crypt (THE DEVIL!!!)
1x Mana Vault

Creatures:

4x Goblin Welder
4x Gathan Raiders (MVP 2/2)
4x Juggernaut
3x Razormane Masticore
4x Solemn Simulacrum

Other Stuff

4x Sword of Fire and Ice
4x Thorn of Amethyst
4x Sphere of Resistance
1x Trinisphere


SB:

4x Null Rod
4x Red Elemental Blast
4x Tormod's Crypt
3x Mogg Fanatic (AWESOME)

Well damn if you havent come back from the dead, i havent heard from you ever now, anyways  how was shops for you and why was gathan riders the MVP 2/2 i remember playing lists forever ago that proved factories greatness but i dont understand Riders, also while im talking about shop decks are there any new cards fomr ALA that seem like they will find a place here

[islanderboi10]

Do you think we can get lists?

Grats on the win btw!!

[Noah_33]

So each round you won, you had the absolute nuts?  Nice job.

If you are calling playing a 1/3 on turn 1 that doesnt do anything for a turn is the nuts, then the world is going to hell. That happens in type 1 I thought we were all used to this by now.

[yespuhyren]

Yeah I'm semi-back from the dead, though it wasn't due to playing, I've been T8'ing in almost all the tourney's I played except for one or two 9th places.  I've been on temporary hiatus due to life craziness.  Gathan Raiders are just friggin insane.  They can't be destroyed by most artifact destruction means, and it's generally a 5/5 for 3 mana.  It helps to relieve the workshop dependence, which is a fault that many decks have.  It costs the same to play as Magus of the Moon, who at the time is rather suboptimal.  It was much more useful to me than Magus would have been, and in general the card is just fantastic in the deck. 

As far as shards goes, I haven't looked through it TOO too much but at the moment nothing is jumping out at me.  Salvage Titan or w/e seems cool, but it's almost certainly not going to make the cut.

[Razvan]

actually, jason, salvage titan might actually be good for the deck. not only can it help you get rid of mana crypt (in your case specifically), he's got good interaction with solemn simulacrum, and imagine what broken starts you can get with that beast?

furthermore, as you praise the gathan raiders, he's not an artifact, thus hard to deal with my most sideboards.

anyway, let's test it

[wiley]

actually, jason, salvage titan might actually be good for the deck. not only can it help you get rid of mana crypt (in your case specifically), he's got good interaction with solemn simulacrum, and imagine what broken starts you can get with that beast?

furthermore, as you praise the gathan raiders, he's not an artifact, thus hard to deal with my most sideboards.

anyway, let's test it

I'm probably reading this wrong, but salvage titan is an artifact.  If there is any creature from shards that could fit into a shop aggro build it is master of etherium.  The problem with switching to blue instead of red is that you lose welder.  I've been working on the deck for a while and am unsure if any new configuration is better than what yespuhyren played.

[Razvan]

good gracious, i am retarded
i wonder about master though. that would require the deck to go R/U... losing welder and other sb options would be rough.
anyway, that could be the best build.

[ReAnimator]

good gracious, i am stupid

For Great Posterity!

[yespuhyren]

DEFINITELY don't lose Red.  That's crazy talk.  Welder + REB's ETC are awesome.  And yeah the point of Raiders not being touchable by artifact destruction is HUGE