MMCG June 14th Results and Lists and Meta Breakdown

[LordHomerCat]

On Sunday June 14, 18 players showed up at MMCG to battle for a Mox Jet.  Jeremy Seroogy ended up winning it all with a Dave Williams-inspired list of Remora Control with Coatls, defeating Duby with dredge in the finals.  Here's the Top 8 bracket (or close to it, I don't have the sheet):

Jimmy McCarthy def. Ben Carp
Jeremy Seroogy def. Derek Wochinski
Duby def. Tommy Kolowith
Matt Friwald def. John Beste

Jeremy def. Jimmy
Duby def. Matt

Jeremy def. Duby

Jeremy got the mox, Duby got (I think) $60 in Damien Credit and myself and Matt got $25 in credit back each.  Also, the 5-8th players battled as well with the winner (eventually TK over Derek) winning free entry to the next MMCG Mox event.

A Metagame breakdown for those interested:
Tezzeret: 8
Dredge: 2
Remora Control: 1
Weird Oath-Shaymora hybrid: 1
Mono Blue Workshops: 1
Normal Oath: 1
5cStax: 1
Mono-R Stax: 1
Tendrils Combo: 1
Rbg Goblins: 1

By "Engine" card*:
Mana Drain: 9 + 1
Mishra's Workshop: 2 + 1
Bazaar of Baghdad: 2
Dark Ritual: 1
Null Rod: 1 + 2
None: 1
* - Some decks used multiple engine cards.  There was one deck with both Drain and Rod and another with Shop and Rod.  They are the pluses (and also why this adds up for more than 18).

If there's anything else you would like to know, I have all the lists so just put up a request and I'll try and get to it (unless it's like "OMG please type up every list for me!!11!").

Top 8 Lists are as follows:

Jeremy Seroogy - Remora Control with Coatl

4 Polluted Delta
2 Flooded Strand
4 Tropical Island
1 Underground Sea
1 Swamp
4 Island
1 Library of Alexandria
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Sol Ring
1 Black Lotus
4 Mystic Remora
4 Force of Will
3 Commandeer
3 Mana Drain
1 Merchant Scroll
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Time Walk
4 Meditate
4 Lorescale Coatl
1 Time Vault
1 Voltaic Key
1 Tezzeret the Seeker
1 Tinker
1 Darksteel Colossus
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Yawgmoth's Will
1 Brainstorm
1 Fact or Fiction
1 Echoing Truth

SB:
1 Planar Void
1 Yixlid Jailer
1 Pithing Needle
4 Relic of Progenitus
2 Sower of Temptation
2 Hurkyl's Recall
3 Krosan Grip
1 Rebuild

Duby (Ryan Dubois) - Dredge

4 Stinkweed Imp
4 Golgari Grave-Troll
4 Golgari Thug
2 Flame-kin Zealot
3 Fatestitcher
4 Narcomoeba
4 Ichorid
1 Sadistic Hypnotist
4 Serum Powder
4 Leyline of the Void
4 Chalice of the Void
3 Unmask
4 Cabal Therapy
3 Dread Return
4 Bridge from Below
4 City of Brass
4 Bazaar of Baghdad

SB:
2 Wispmare
2 Darkblast
3 Chain of Vapor
4 Gemstone Mine
2 Ingot Chewer
1 Ancient Grudge
1 Platinum Angel

Jimmy McCarthy - Tezzeret w/ Spell Snare

4 Polluted Delta
2 Flooded Strand
3 Island
3 Underground Sea
2 Volcanic Island
1 Academy
1 Black Lotus
1 Sol Ring
1 Mana Crypt
1 Mana Vault
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Ruby

1 Darksteel Colossus
1 Sensei's Divining Top
1 Time Vault
1 Voltaic Key

1 Yawgmoth's Will
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Imperial Seal
1 Thoughtseize

1 Gorilla Shaman

4 Force of Will
4 Mana Drain
3 Spell Snare
4 Thirst for Knowledge
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Brainstorm
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Time Walk
1 Merchant Scroll
1 Echoing Truth
1 Rebuild
1 Tinker
1 Gifts Ungiven
1 Fact or Fiction
1 Tezzeret the Seeker


SB:
2 Ingot Chewer
1 Rack and Ruin
1 Darkblast
1 Pithing Needle
1 Relic of Progenitus
1 Tormod's Crypt
3 Yixlid Jailer
2 Red Elemental Blast
1 Thoughtseize
1 Glen Elendra Archmage
1 Pyroclasm

Matt Friwald - Tezzeret

2 Island
1 Snow-covered Island
1 Sensei's Divining Top
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Imperial Seal
1 Tinker
1 Darksteel Colossus
1 Rebuild
1 Echoing Truth
1 Brainstorm
1 Ponder
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Time Walk
1 Black Lotus
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mox Ruby
4 Force of Will
4 Mana Drain
1 Gifts Ungiven
1 Fact or Fiction
4 Spell Snare
1 Yawgmoth's Will
1 Merchant Scroll
4 Thirst for Knowledge
1 Mana Crypt
1 Mana Vault
1 Sol Ring
1 Tezzeret the Seeker
3 Polluted Delta
2 Flooded Strand
1 Tolarian Academy
3 Underground Sea
2 Volcanic Island
1 Voltaic Key
1 Time Vault
1 Library of Alexandria

SB:
1 Hurkyl's Recall
2 Glen Elendra Archmage
1 Ingot Chewer
1 Darkblast
2 Firespout
2 Tormod's Crypt
2 Pithing Needle
1 Trinisphere
3 Red Elemental Blast

Tommy Kolowith - Tezzeret

1 Tezzeret the Seeker
1 Rebuild
1 Time Vault
1 Voltaic Key
1 Sensei's Divining Top
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Yawgmoth's Will
2 Thoughtseize
2 Duress
1 Gifts Ungiven
1 Brainstorm
1 Time Walk
3 Impulse
1 Merchant Scroll
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Fact or Fiction
1 Ponder
1 Tinker
1 Darksteel Colossus
4 Thirst for Knowledge
4 Mana Drain
4 Force of Will
1 Sol Ring
1 Black Lotus
1 Mana Crypt
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Pearl
3 Underground Sea
2 Tropical Island
4 Island
1 Tolarian Academy
4 Polluted Delta
2 Flooded Strand

SB:
2 Yixlid Jailer
2 Relic of Progenitus
2 Pithing Needle
1 Darkblast
4 Tarmogoyf
2 Seal of Primordium
2 Krosan Grip

Derek Wochinski - Tezzeret

4 Polluted Delta
2 Flooded Strand
1 Tolarian Academy
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Pearl
1 Black Lotus
1 Sol Ring
1 Mana Crypt
1 Mana Vault
3 Volcanic Island
2 Underground Sea
2 Island
3 Negate
1 Vampiric Tutor
3 Mana Drain
4 Force of Will
4 Goblin Welder
2 Intuition
4 Thirst for Knowledge
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Time Vault
1 Tinker
1 Tezzeret the Seeker
1 Time Walk
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Brainstorm
2 Thoughtseize
1 Reconstruction
1 Inkwell Leviathan
1 Merchant Scroll
1 Voltaic Key
1 Yawgmoth's Will
1 Misdirection
1 Ancestral Recall

SB:
1 Threads of Disloyalty
2 Red Elemental Blast
1 Tormod's Crypt
2 Yixlid Jailer
2 Pithing Needle
2 Annul
2 Hurkyl's Recall
2 Fire/Ice
1 Pyroblast

Ben Carp - 5cStax

4 Chalice of the Void
4 Sphere of Resistance
4 Thorn of Amethyst
1 Trinisphere
4 Goblin Welder
4 Tangle Wire
4 Smokestack
3 Crucible of Worlds
1 Sundering Titan
1 Triskelion
1 Duplicant
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Tinker
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Balance
2 Bazaar of Baghdad
1 Strip Mine
4 Wasteland
4 Mishra's Workshop
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mana Crypt
1 Sol Ring
1 Black Lotus
1 Mana Vault
3 City of Brass
2 Gemstone Mine
1 Tolarian Academy

SB:
4 Leyline of the Void
3 Ray of Revelation
2 The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale
1 Razormane Masticore
2 Triskelion
3 Relic of Progenitus

John Beste - Oath

Black Lotus
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Pearl
1 Time Walk
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Ponder
1 Brainstorm
1 Gaea's Blessing
1 Sol Ring
4 Oath of Druids
4 Forbidden Orchard
4 Chalice of the Void
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Vampiric Tutor
4 Negate
4 Force of Will
1 Progenitus
1 Magister Sphinx
1 Merchant Scroll
1 Sensei's Divining Top
4 Thirst for Knowledge
4 Duress
1 Mana Leak
1 Crucible of Worlds
1 Strip Mine
1 Wasteland
2 Tropical Island
2 Underground Sea
1 Echoing Truth
1 Island
2 Polluted Delta
2 Flooded Strand

SB:
1 Engineered Explosives
1 Pithing Needle
3 Relic of Progenitus
1 Balance
1 Crop Rotation
1 Rebuild
2 Oxidize
1 Wasteland
2 Empyrial Archangel
2 Extirpate


As always, just post here if there are problems with the lists, and I have likely made a mistake or two somewhere and will then correct them.  I personally did OK, but played badly in the top 4 and Jeremy definitely deserved to win the whole thing.  Also, I am not 100% sure it was John in the last top 8 spot, so let me know if that's wrong (and if so, sorry to whoever was supposed to be there).  Anyway, enjoy, discuss, etc.

-Jimmy McCarthy

[Dipstik]

Eight out of Eighteen decks were Vault decks?

mmm kay.

[Tha Gunslinga]

Who played Mono-Blue Stax?  Any chance you could put up that list?

[Twaun007]

Jimmy McCarthy - Tezzeret w/ Spell Snare

Man, where did you get the idea to put Spell Snare in Tezz? That seems like neat tech.

[M.Solymossy]

I know, doesn't it? 


1 Thoughtseize
1 Gorilla Shaman
 

Those are the only cards different in Jimmy's list and the one I played, at least the main.

[Smmenen]

Jimmy was testing a bunch of cards, including your idea of Spell Snare.

He also told me that he wouldn't run Spell Snare again. 

[M.Solymossy]

See, until he runs into Null Rods.  There were maybe two decks with Null Rod + Creatures this time, whereas last time, at least 12 of the 24 decks had Null Rod + 2drop critters.

[OwenTheEnchanter]

Spell Snare is unplayable garbage.

[coolapc]

The mono-blue stax deck locked me up with lotus-mindlock orb first turn twice in a row... I did not realize how hard it would be to play around that card.  Good times, though.  I may have only won one match... against a 250 card deck somehow... but it was my first vintage torney so whatever.

[JACO]

1 Thoughtseize
1 Gorilla Shaman
 
Those are the only cards different in Jimmy's list and the one I played, at least the main.

Obviously Gorilla Shaman is the reason he finished Top 8 and you didn't ; )

See, until he runs into Null Rods.  There were maybe two decks with Null Rod + Creatures this time, whereas last time, at least 12 of the 24 decks had Null Rod + 2drop critters.

You of all people should know that Repeal is just as good at dealing with that crap as any other card, and Repeal is much more versatile. That's why every European deck feels the need to run 2-4 Repeal main. I know Owen hates it, but it was always off the chain for me when I played Tezzeret. It Time Walks against dudes, is ok against Workshop, and you can just bounce Null Rod end step to win with Tezzeret or Key/Vault.

[OwenTheEnchanter]

See, until he runs into Null Rods.  There were maybe two decks with Null Rod + Creatures this time, whereas last time, at least 12 of the 24 decks had Null Rod + 2drop critters.

You of all people should know that Repeal is just as good at dealing with that crap as any other card, and Repeal is much more versatile. That's why every European deck feels the need to run 2-4 Repeal main. I know Owen hates it, but it was always off the chain for me when I played Tezzeret. It Time Walks against dudes, is ok against Workshop, and you can just bounce Null Rod end step to win with Tezzeret or Key/Vault.

Last Xtreme tourney I had 4 Repeal in my deck and they were insane, that said I probably wouldn't run 4 again.

[T00L]

Repeal is obviously insane. Also @ TK I'm liking the impulses

[LordHomerCat]

Repeal doesn't touch Gaddock Teeg.  That's sad.

Also, Ben, I'll PM you that list.

Soly: I also cut awful Library.  That card is trash.

Dipstik: of 18 decks, 10 were actually running Vault Key.  All the tez, and then Jeremy and the Mono U Shop deck also had it..

As Steve mentioned, I probably won't run snares again.  They just weren't strong enough against the field at large.  And to be fair, there were zero null rod fish decks (how strange), the rods were in Oath, weird James King concoction Oath, and Mono R Shops.  That said, I wouldn't play them in a major event where I expect to play against Tezz or Remora decks often, because I didn't think they were strong enough there (I boarded snare out every round but one, where I lost to Oath of all things).

[T00L]

Repeal doesn't touch Gaddock Teeg.  That's sad.

We can't have our cake and eat it too

[The_spooky_kid]

Repeal doesn't touch Gaddock Teeg.  That's sad.

Also, Ben, I'll PM you that list.

Soly: I also cut awful Library.  That card is trash.

Dipstik: of 18 decks, 10 were actually running Vault Key.  All the tez, and then Jeremy and the Mono U Shop deck also had it..

As Steve mentioned, I probably won't run snares again.  They just weren't strong enough against the field at large.  And to be fair, there were zero null rod fish decks (how strange), the rods were in Oath, weird James King concoction Oath, and Mono R Shops.  That said, I wouldn't play them in a major event where I expect to play against Tezz or Remora decks often, because I didn't think they were strong enough there (I boarded snare out every round but one, where I lost to Oath of all things).

Library of Alexandria easily won me 3 games out of the day.  I think it should be an auto include in any tezzeret deck. It just happened to make Lorescale coatl grow extremely fast, and it helped me outdraw every control mirror that I faced, which was a majority of the decks I faced. 

[LordHomerCat]

Duresses were also much less present than usual in the field on Sunday though Jeremy, and turn 1 duress against a library hand usually forces the library player to either do nothing and try and get to 7 or just play cards normally and be stuck with a crappy colorless land.  I am unlikely to play the card, I would much rather have an Island and duresses.

Also, having 3 basic islands was huge against Ben in the top 4 for me, so that I could get drain active through sphere and wasteland.  It is unlikely I would have won game 3 against him if I did not have a third basic in the deck.

[hvndr3d y34r h3x]

1 Thoughtseize
1 Gorilla Shaman
 
Those are the only cards different in Jimmy's list and the one I played, at least the main.

Obviously Gorilla Shaman is the reason he finished Top 8 and you didn't ; )

See, until he runs into Null Rods.  There were maybe two decks with Null Rod + Creatures this time, whereas last time, at least 12 of the 24 decks had Null Rod + 2drop critters.

You of all people should know that Repeal is just as good at dealing with that crap as any other card, and Repeal is much more versatile. That's why every European deck feels the need to run 2-4 Repeal main. I know Owen hates it, but it was always off the chain for me when I played Tezzeret. It Time Walks against dudes, is ok against Workshop, and you can just bounce Null Rod end step to win with Tezzeret or Key/Vault.

I've always felt that repeal was complete crap against shop. It doesn’t remove chalice at 1, and costs 2+1+U to remove a sphere effect, seems like a tall order with waste effects and smokestacks running around.
I played oath against a couple of 4x spell snare, 0x duress, and against Jimmy running 2x snare. Knowing ahead of time that they were not playing duress allowed me to do a lot of stupid things with top and reoccurring fetch land. Not needing to keep my FOW and oath on top of my library, safe from duress, allowed me to simply draw it, and keep shuffling and looking for crazy stuff. It also made my duress effects a slightly stronger, if that makes any sense.

[LordHomerCat]

Hey now, there was no Topping against me.  Just lots of chalices and Force of Wills (and a Balance).

[Tha Gunslinga]

Also, having 3 basic islands was huge against Ben in the top 4 for me, so that I could get drain active through sphere and wasteland.  It is unlikely I would have won game 3 against him if I did not have a third basic in the deck.

I swear you had like 50 of the damn things.

[hvndr3d y34r h3x]

Jimmy, your right, there was no topping against you. And that balance was solid gold all day. Also you were playing a duress effect. But the top 8 match especially was very top intensive for both players, and I definately had an advantage for a lot of that game because spell snare was not as good as duress. (sidenote: I believe I would have won that game if I hadn't seen my dudes so much. But sometimes, it happens)

I guess what I'm trying to get at is, when it comes to the snare vs duress debate, I personally felt rather relieved to know my opponants where playing snare over duress even though all of my threats and a great deal of controll costed 2. Snare ment I counld wait and engage the opponant on my terms.
Spell snare is one of my favorite cards, but for a control meta, I agree with you, and wouldn't play it main.

(also, I figured I'd even the odds, and rfg half my FOW to FOW for ya'   )

[Twaun007]

Also, having 3 basic islands was huge against Ben in the top 4 for me, so that I could get drain active through sphere and wasteland.  It is unlikely I would have won game 3 against him if I did not have a third basic in the deck.

I swear you had like 50 of the damn things.

LHC pmed me his list.

49 Island
1 Underground Sea
1 Time Walk
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Tinker
1 Black Lotus
1 Time Vault
1 Voltaic Key
1 Mana Drain
1 Force of Will
1 Yawgmoths Will
1 Mox Sapphire

@ the Spell Snare conundrum:
Tez decks have a hell of a time combating Fish and Null Rod strategies. Spell Snare, in testing, has been the best card to trump these strategies. If I were to pilot Tezzeret in a metagame filled with Tezzeret.dec, which this tourney was, I would advise against running Spell Snare.

@ LHC:
How on god's green earth would you cut Library of Alexandria? It is the absolute balls in control mirrors. I would also like to hear what you thought of Imperial Seal in the deck. I personally hate it and replaced it with Skeletal Scrying.

[LordHomerCat]

Hard to cut a card that I didn't play to begin with.  I have played with library before but not in a long time (think MD Gifts era), and it sucks.  Sure, sometimes your opponent doesn't do anything so you get to draw extra cards and beat them.  And then the rest of the time, your opponent duresses you.  Or plays spells that matter (particularly relevant when everyone has a 2 card win combo).  Or plays a wasteland and you just skipped a land drop.  Or plays out lock pieces.  Or etc. etc.  I would never cut one of my basics for Library, and I try to play as few nonbasics as possible because the matches which are hardest for Tezz are Null Rod-Wasteland decks.  I mean, you don't see me playing multiple REB's main and Archmage main and stuff like that which is really only good against other blue decks?  That is because the deck is already fine there.  I would rather have cards which aren't just mulligans at best against hard matches.  Have you ever kept that library hand on the play only to be duressed on the first turn?  It's pretty much the most miserable position in all of vintage.

Seal was pretty solid.  I will probably play it again next tourney.  Ancestral Recall is so important in this format and Seal is amazing at getting you turn 2 recall.  Plus sometimes it finds your other Key/Vault piece.  Also, it is like the second best card in the deck post board against Dredge (behind Vampiric Tutor), another match that always makes me really nervous.  I also think Scrying is a piece of trash and in fact when I build decks it is not even anywhere near my playables box.  If I cut Seal, the first card I would put back would probably be Ponder (which has been consistently underwhelming in the deck and worse than Top which is saying something).

Also, your thoughts on Spell Snare are about how I feel.  It's good against null rods and fish, and everywhere else it's gonna get sided out.  I still don't know what I'm going to play instead though.

[M.Solymossy]

I disagree withy ou siding it out everywhere else.  Playing it against Oath or playing it against the Drain Mirror was insane on Sunday for me.  I was able to spell snare mana drain against Danny Friedman and Derrick Wochinski to create lopsided counter battles.  Granted, I do side out one or two.

[JudasKilled]

Bet you spell snares about 5 x better in any tourney i ply in, that card makes me bend over and take it up the A

but hey thats ok

[Tobi]

Nice top 8. I like the winning list! 

Where did this tournament take place (city)?

And John's list misses 2 sideboard cards.

[LordHomerCat]

Milwaukee, WI.  Sorry, forgot to mention that.

John should have 2 Extirpate in the sideboard.  I'll fix the OP as well.

[Elpacifismo]

Sorry I am so late.  The posted top 8 is all correct,  and thanks a bunch to Jimmy for posting the results and decklists,  it is much appreciated.

[Dark4Ever]

@Jeremey
Congrats on the win. Just one question if you don't mind.
Why DS over Inkwell?

Inkwell looks good because it pitches and can't be as easily removed and is unblockable vs most the field.
DS is a quicker clock and without TFK can be discarded at eot when you draw heaps.
But what if your opponent plays well around Remora DS can be stuck in your hand? (Ok that's two questions)

[The Atog Lord]

@Spooky,

Congratulations on winning through a very tough field. I like the look of that deck a lot; I'm going to test it soon.

[Grand Inquisitor]

1 Swamp

I don't get it.  This is good enough to support those three black spells against fish/stax that you'd run it over underground sea?