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vroman
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« on: August 17, 2009, 03:31:19 pm » |
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[This is Colin Wu's tourney report from worlds, who asked me to post this bc he doesnt have a TMD account - vroman]
I’m a long time lurker on TMD but I haven’t really kept up with Vintage after the recent restrictions/unrestrictions. My understanding of the format is that TezVault = domination and Null Rod strategies are on the rise to combat it. I wasn’t going to play in this tourney at first due to prior engagements, but since I waited in line and picked up generic tickets (that was a crappy system btw) for Vroman and Co, I decided to give it a go last minute because I was interested in how my deck would perform. We literally made it just in time and I was frantically scribbling down my list during the players’ meeting; thanks to whomever loaned me that pen!
The last time I played competitive Vintage was over a year ago and I played Drain Tendrils. Current Tez lists seems to be an evolution of that deck (arguably Slaver as well). I’ve tested several Tez lists and they all performed well. Null Rod is merely a hindrance but it’s tough combined with heavy mana denial. But considering Pridemage is also the new hotness, I elected for the storm kill. I think it is more elegant and more resilient to hate. I expected everyone would be gunning for Tez. The vault decks that did well all had tech for the mirror (rack and ruin, welder, magus!).
Here’s what I played iirc: Drain Tendrils 2009
Ancestral Recall
Time Walk
Demonic Tutor
Mystical Tutor
Vampiric Tutor
Tinker
Yawgmoth’s Will
Fact or Fiction
Gifts Ungiven
Brainstorm
Ponder
Merchant Scroll
Intuition
Sensei’s Divining Top
Rebuild
2 Hurkyl’s Recall
Chain of Vapor
Dark Blast
Tendrils of Agony
Empty the Warrens
4 Dark Confidant
Platinum Angel
4 Force of Will
4 Mana Drain
2 Pyroblast
10 Solomoxen/Petal/Mana Crypt+Vault
4 Polluted Delta
3 Underground Sea
2 Volcanic Island
3 Island
2 Swamp
1 Tolarian Academy
SB
4 Leyline of the Void
1 Tormod’s Crypt
1 Relic of Progenitus
2 Pithing Needle
1 Helm of Obedience
2 Fire/Ice
2 Repeal
2 Duress
MD is pretty straight forward—DT and Tez’s bastard child. It’s 61 cards I know, I didn’t have time literally to make the cut. Dark Blast main was awesome; hence, Intuition over Thirst. Wtf, no Duress? I’ve never played less than 3 before but lately in testing, I really only wanted to see discard against balls to-the-wall combo. In the mirror, early Duress is good but I prefer to blast key spells for the tempo gain.
SB is awkward. The Ichorid matchup is terrible and it’s the reason why I play Platz MD. It doesn’t help a ton but at least it’s not autolose that way. I didn’t have time to find an Inkwell, even though it’s painted on my Tinker :/, I opted for Repeal and Fire for enemy Teegs and shenanigans.
Here are the results of my matches. I was unprepared obviously and had no notepad. My notes are on the backs of random deck list sheets I swiped from the front desk so please correct me if I mess something up.
Round 1: sorry I can’t find my sheet and forgot your name (TPS?: 2-0)
Poor guy mulls to 6 both games and doesn’t have a lot of gas. He Duress me here and there but he doesn’t answer my Bob(s). MD Pyros nabbs a Twister and I FoW a key spell somewhere. Both games ended fairly quickly (sorry your deck crapped out on you man, I hope you did well later on the day).
Round 2: vroman (RB stax: 2-0)
Vroman played against another friend last round because we were all late and now we play each other R2. Frown town. He leads with Bazaar both games while I keep risky, land-lite hands but they contain plenty of jewelry, counters, and Bob. I accumulate mana and cards until I can EoT bounce win both games.
Round 3: Jeffery (Tez: 2-0)
I win G1 by having answers for his Bob thanks to MD Darkblast and I draw infi cards. I win with Tendrils turn 5 or 6 with Pyroblast giving me lethal storm . G2 we both have slow hands. He gets an early Remora so we draw-go for a while. My hand is all counters and no tutors, he keeps playing mana and gets Remora up to 6 counters. In the meantime, Mana Crypt does 15 damage to him. I’ve definitely been on the receiving end of that before (tough break man). He couldn’t cast FoW so I just go for the win.
Round 4: Jay (mana dredge: 2-0)
This is where I sell my soul to the greater powers. I have no business winning game one, especially on the draw. Jay mulls to 5 and comments on how terrible his hands are. My response with “Dude, you really just need one card. Don’t play me like that.” He wasn’t happy that I got the scout but it’s hard not to notice thanks to his…”exotic” and voluptuous zombie tokens I witnessed the round before.
G1 he has a slow start and unmasks himself and plays chalice. He doesn’t dredge very deep or get anything meaningful over the next two turns while I Recall->Scroll->Mystical->Tinker. I bounce the Chalice, get Platz and Bob in play. I have infi mana and he scoops to an Academy fueled Gifts next turn.
G2 I mulled to six and god draw him. I open with Leyline. He plays Bazaar and activates to get hate. I open with Land, Mox, Mox, Needle. He evokes a three mana guy to kill something which I Drain. Next turn I play Helm and win. YuGiOh!!!
Round5: Dan (BUG fish: 2-1)
G1 was my first lost of the day. He opens with Lotus Thoughtseize which I Force, and he Forces back. He nabs my Bob and plays his own via Consultation. He then proceeds to Strip and Wasteland my runner runner land drops and I don’t get to play MtG. I rebuild my mana slowly and he gets Goyf and Trygon out. I tinker for Platz but he had Sower too. “Please sir, may I have some more?”
G2 he opens with Lotus discard again but I had a pretty good business hand. I get Darkblast running so he couldn’t get Bob advantage online. He’s sort of land hosed but played Null Rod anyway to slow me down and had no cards in hand. It took a few turns for me to find a tutor and win.
G3 I don’t remember this game at all. I’m sure we fight over Bobs for a while but I just hit critical mass and Yawgwin after bouncing his Null Rod. After I play tendrils he says “stifle” which gives me the jitters so I frantically look for my drain and force in hand but he just smiles and says his cards are just the artifacts I bounced. Don’t do that man, I’m running on 3 hours sleep !
Round 6: Owen (4c Tez: 2-1)
I am paired down and so Owen and I play while the other 5-0s take a nap. G1 I get blown out. He mulls to six and I mull to five. His hand is significantly better than mine thanks to Recall I believe. The best I could do is pump out 8-10 gobbos turn two or three but he goldfishes me. He shows me Trinket Mage but because I have blockers he shows me DSC and I scoop.
G2 I put up a better fight. Our hands are both empty from a counter war. I resolve Fact or Fiction and Time Walk somewhere but then we both get annoyed because a spectator randomly grabs a judge, who then asks us to stop playing for a while. It turns out to be something trivial but it takes me a minute to remember what I’m doing. I do appreciate the discretion and I do believe in fair play. But if you’re watching a game and miss something, it probably isn’t grounds to call a judge. If you’re absolutely convinced I made an illegal play, then by all means. After that fiasco I go for yawgwin with counter backup. My graveyard isn’t stacked but I had recall, mana, and a tutor. Chain gives me lethal storm and additional black mana.
G3 was tough despite his keeping a pretty slow hand while mine is stacked. Midgame Duress reveals two counters (no REB). A turn or two later he plays Thirst which I ignore. I top deck Will and go for it with a juicy yard and expect the game to be over at this point. He counters, counters, and gifts for more counters. I counter twice and am holding just Force in hand. If I hardcast it I have no mana post Will so I pass. I’m holding Force and he’s got a REB + one or two other cards. I top deck my Gifts a turn or two later and have Force backup and get DT, Tendrils, Ancestral, Merchant Scroll. I was almost certain I would end up with Recall and Scroll in hand which is still pretty good. He thinks for a while and gives me Tendrils and Scroll instead. With a win condition in hand, I scroll up Chain of Vapor, waited incorrectly probably an extra turn thinking I can Drain something to fuel the kill. Great games, and a fun match.
Round 7: Jesse (painter: ID)
About $#@$ time! I go and get food because I’m on the verge of passing out. Fun fact, I don’t think I’ve ever seen Vroman eat on these outings.
Top 8: John Donovan (GW hate: 2-1)
G1 he plays an early Kataki, which I Force. I play Confidant and he sticks around for a while. I think he Wastes a land drop or two but I have plenty of Moxen in hand. I win around T4 rather easily with Tendrils and he seems surprised. I don’t see any black in the deck so I’m not worried about discard and Bob. Teegs and Chants can be a problem so I’m not sure what he has in store for me.
G2 he gets out early pridemage and storyteller beats. I’m scared that storyteller will draw him multiple chants so I slow roll and build up mana and cards until I EoT bounce his storyteller, play Fact or Fiction, with at least double counter in hand. I was going for Yawgwin on my turn as I had plenty of mana, lotus on board, petal in hand, Recall in the yard, and DT in hand. He has 3 mana open so I purposely do not declare my second main to play DT. I drain his Mindscensor and the game is over at this point. I however, don’t declare my second main to get my extra mana. I go for it anyway and end up with infi storm but 1 mana short to kill him. Despite fizzing out I still have plenty of business in hand but can’t pull it off in time. He was sweating bullets and was ecstatic that I punted. It happens, it’s been 9 hrs since round 1 at this point and I’m tired. I shrug it off and battle it out.
G3 I keep a hand with Tendrils in it, mox, top, land, ponder, some removal spell, and drain. I ponder and see mox, hurkyls, recall?, and keep. He has no first turn play and runs something out on T2. I don’t care about Pridemage but he plays Null Rod. I Drain. Turn 3 I tendrils for 22 thanks to recall, hurkyl’s, drain mana, and plenty of jewelry + Top.
Begin rant. John clearly is not happy and throws his cards on the table. He then makes infi comments on how that takes no skill, etc, etc. First of all, I kept that hand because of early kill potential. It was a safe hand to keep because he didn’t play any card draw or discard and relied on finding the correct piece of hate. Yes, decks can go broken and autopilot. Welcome to T1. Most of the time, however, the decision trees in these decks I would contest require more “skill” to play than anything else. I’m pretty laid back in my matches but I take personally attacks seriously. He comments to either his friend or a spectator on how bad I was because I missed the kill last game because of Drain mana; ergo, he shouldn’t have lost. I just extend my hand which he shook reluctantly and I let the judge pull him aside rather than arguing with him. End rant.
Top 4: Brian (Draw 7 timevault: 2-0)
This match is online so I’m sure you get better details there as I have not watched the footage. I am told this would be a feature match. Brian certainly has more wins and experience so my goal is to put up a good fight and not embarrass myself too much on the interweb.
G1 I start and can time walk->FoF with crypt. I do so and even if he counters I’ll still be way ahead. He doesn’t counter and Fact gives me recall and some other card. I get EtW for 22 guys two turns later with Force back up. He thinks about his turn for a while which leads me to think he has half the combo and is calculating mana for tutors. He tinkers, I Force and he scoops.
G2 my heart is racing. I keep a one lander but had double force. He misses a land drop and I think he uses mana vault to play time twister. I Force, he Forces, I counter back, and I’m left with Mystical in hand and he’s out of cards. I tutor up recall and end up with something silly like Bob x 2 and blank. He plays Welder. I repeal Welder and swing in with Bob. He replays Welder and I play my third Force. Must be nice. However, at this point all I have left in my deck are Drains so I have to finish this fast. Bob x 2 and Mana Crypt are also killing me. I reason that with 3 Forces gone and I rfg’d Gifts and Fact to FoW I should be safe to run Bob #2 out there. I win a nail biter coin/confi flips and Brian scoops because he’s at 5 life with a tapped mana vault in play. Great and intense games. I’m sorry I couldn’t pull through in the finals for you.
Final Match: Itou (UBR timevault: 1-2)
This is online as well but I haven’t watched it yet. G1 I get completely blown out. I scroll up recall with drain backup. He plays recall on his turn. Even before I play my recall in response to his, there’s always that thought of misdirection when you respond to a bomb with another bomb. But I was like “whatever, I have drain.” He misdirects, I drain, he forces. I get a mindtwist and he gets a new hand. The rest is just formality.
G2 I pull off with an early EtW. There was a bit of a communication issue midgame. I always wait for my opponents to respond when playing spells. When I played EtW and said “ok?” he didn’t respond. I then wrote down the number of tokens I have, and Rashad came out with some handsome looking tokens. I set the dice and placed it on the tokens. At this point he drains a copy. It was still my turn and I haven’t played anything since so nothing’s really changed and it isn’t that big of a deal. I would appreciate some form of communication that you are waiting and thinking to respond though. I go down to 8 tokens and win on a three turn clock. He keeps me in suspense with his dramatic Japanese chanting and then he windmills…Time Walk. We all get a good laugh and go through another suspenseful draw and he scoops.
G3 I keep a slow hand but it has a counter, land drops, and a way to deal with Bob. I reason that this is certainly keepable in the mirror because I have an answer for his draw engine. He unfortunately opens with Library which puts me at a significant disadvantage because I have no business spells and cannot finish him off in the foreseeable future. I’m out drawn and he ends the game with 7 counters in hand and tinkers up Inkwell. My draws towards the end were Lotus, Gifts, DT, Bob, Force, and Rebuild. I probably could have withered his hand away with some better baiting on my part, but it still wouldn’t have been enough to stop him. It would have made it less embarrassing for me though . Library T1 won the game and match. Am I disappointed? Sure, but I had a great time playing and Itou deserves the win for sure. Congrats bud! If you need help bringing that painting to Japan…I can send it home for you…yeah…hehe.
If I have to cut a card I would move the extra Hurkyl’s to the SB. Duress would probably be Extirpate. The card isn’t great but it serves as additional dredge hate which this deck absolutely needs. Pate can also dig you out when you’re losing in terms of card draw, allowing you to tear down a counter wall to win. Another robot needs to be in the board. I was late so it was sloppy planning on my part.
I had a lot of fun, mainly because I have to play some high caliber opponents. Thanks to Cody for his work on the archetype, which sparked my interest in the deck. It was a pleasure meeting a lot of people I’ve only read about and it was nice seeing some familiar faces as well. I would like to echo the amazing work and effort on the live coverage. I’ll be checking it out during my lunch break today! Back to work .
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