[Free Article] Top 4 With Tezzeret: A Vintage Tournament Report

[Smmenen]

http://www.starcitygames.com/magic/vintage/18382_So_Many_Insane_Plays_Top_4_With_Tezzeret_A_Vintage_Tournament_Report.html

Monday, December 7th - Today’s So Many Insane Plays sees Stephen Menendian doing what he does best: in-depth, intricate, play-by-play tournament reports! He shares his recent Top 4 success at a local Vintage tournament, with decklists, detail, and drama throughout.

Enjoy!

Stephen

[Grand Inquisitor]

Does any of your play-by-play speak to your choices of Mystical Tutor, Inkwell Leviathan, or Misdirection?  How many people played?

[Marske]

Stephen,
Great report, congratulations on the finish!

[Zieby]

Great Article I have some question regarding your choices in round 2, game 1.

On turn 3 you draw Imperial Seal.

With 3 mana in play you opted to play Merchant Scroll for Ancestral Recall and then play Impereal Seal for TV (With Key in play).

I think with the Mana Drain in hand it would be better to only play the Impereal Seal for TV and leave Drain mana open for the turn that you need to give to your oponent before winning the game. This way you could have stopped the Null Rod. If he had the extra counter you could have used the scroll for bounce the next turn.

Just some thoughts.

[Mantis]

Lately, I have been very disappointed in most of SCGs premium articles, up to the point where I question why I even pay for them. Your article reminded me, it was simply a lot of fun to read. Keep up the good work as I think you make a lot of people enthousiastic about Vintage.

[CorwinB]

Another great article. That was really nice to see how the deckbuilding methodology you showcased last week worked out in practice,especially your sideboard choices.

[Smmenen]

Does any of your play-by-play speak to your choices of Mystical Tutor, Inkwell Leviathan, or Misdirection?  How many people played?

These choices were addressed directly in my article last week.   I discussed Inkwell and Misdirection in specific sections of the article.  I did not discuss the choice of Mystical Tutor, but I will do so in a future article.

The tournament results for the report in this article are here: http://www.themanadrain.com/index.php?topic=39354.0

Great Article I have some question regarding your choices in round 2, game 1.

On turn 3 you draw Imperial Seal.

With 3 mana in play you opted to play Merchant Scroll for Ancestral Recall and then play Impereal Seal for TV (With Key in play).

I think with the Mana Drain in hand it would be better to only play the Impereal Seal for TV and leave Drain mana open for the turn that you need to give to your oponent before winning the game. This way you could have stopped the Null Rod. If he had the extra counter you could have used the scroll for bounce the next turn.

Just some thoughts.

I believe I discussed my decision making process for this in the article.  But its a good question. 

[jewfro]

This truly was a great article and congrats on the finish.
Your articles were the reason i started playing vintage. I have no idea why you get so much crap from people on this forum but you truly are an amazing player. The way you discussed every play was great in this article and you tried to cater it to ptq players too. The way you always said "i am not scared" ect was a good touch too.

[pierce]

This truly was a great article and congrats on the finish.
Your articles were the reason i started playing vintage. I have no idea why you get so much crap from people on this forum but you truly are an amazing player. The way you discussed every play was great in this article and you tried to cater it to ptq players too. The way you always said "i am not scared" ect was a good touch too.

and here I thought you were just my barn corey!

one of the regrets of the time I spent in the midwest was missing out on the only meandeck open to occur in that time period. Should Ohio State accept me into their graduate ranks (I like my chances) I'll be at every one.

Also, our lists are within three cards. Metagame issues I assume. Great Steves think alike!

[Smmenen]

that would be awesome.

post your list plz, tks

[pierce]

Indeed.

I have diabolic edict where you have darkblast due to my fear of iona, as well as extra protection from inkwell and company. Also, I hate that darkblast. The one copy in enough to make me afraid to get in there with a deck full of x/1s. Is it really necessary anymore? No one picked up my take on fish, though it seems fine vs the noble variants.
I have a rack and ruin main where you run the second top, and instead of the fourth bob I've thirst for knowledge. Rebuild and hurkyls are a push in my book.

I didn't consider the manabase when the claim was made. Though the one swamp and fourth delta (over rainforest) are certainly more important in stax heavy ohio. Our sbs are also radically different--you're prepared for dredge, while I expect to dodge it. With lou moved to Cali and piazza selling his bazaars, there won't be any tier one dredgers around these parts to worry about.

// Lands
    3  Island
    1  Tolarian Academy
    1  Library of Alexandria
    3  Underground Sea
    2  Volcanic Island
    3  Polluted Delta
    1  Snow-Covered Island
    1  Scalding Tarn
    1  Misty Rainforest
    

// Creatures
    3  Dark Confidant
    1  Inkwell Leviathan

// Spells
    1  Tezzeret the Seeker
    1  Ponder
    1  Tinker
    1  Mystical Tutor
    1  Merchant Scroll
    1  Sensei's Divining Top
    1  Brainstorm
    1  Vampiric Tutor
    1  Demonic Tutor
    1  Yawgmoth's Will
    1  Time Walk
    1  Thirst for Knowledge
    1  Gifts Ungiven
    1  Mana Vault
    1  Ancestral Recall
    1  Mox Emerald
    1  Mox Jet
    1  Time Vault
    1  Voltaic Key
    1  Fire/Ice
    1  Rebuild
    1  Repeal
    4  Force of Will
    4  Mana Drain
    1  Mox Sapphire
    1  Black Lotus
    1  Sol Ring
    1  Mana Crypt
    1  Mox Pearl
    1  Mox Ruby
    1 [BD] Diabolic Edict
    1  Rack and Ruin
    1  Imperial Seal
    1  Misdirection

// Sideboard
SB: 1  Pyroclasm
SB: 2  Smother
SB: 1  Pyroblast
SB: 3  Greater Gargadon
SB: 1  Red Elemental Blast
SB: 1  Yixlid Jailer
SB: 1  Tormod's Crypt
SB: 2  Ingot Chewer
SB: 1  Hurkyl's Recall
SB: 1  Ravenous Trap
SB: 1  Trinisphere

[potato]

Off-topic articlewise, but you mentioned something called Zero Variance which I've never heard of before. Could you explain what that is or link to some other source(s) that explain(s) what it is?

[Killane]

Off-topic articlewise, but you mentioned something called Zero Variance which I've never heard of before. Could you explain what that is or link to some other source(s) that explain(s) what it is?

Zero Variance is an awesome mental magic / correspondence magic format that Smmenen presented in an article a while back here:

http://www.starcitygames.com/magic/misc/16754_So_Many_Insane_Plays_Zero_Variance_The_Ultimate_Mental_Magic_Format.html


you should check it out- I've played a few games with friends and it's a very interesting a deep format.

[Smmenen]

SCG just recently changed its policy.   Articles are now free after 30 days.... Hrm...

Anyway, I put ALOT of time into this report, and it was designed to get people interested in Vintage and jazzed up about the format.

Also, MRIEFF (http://www.themanadrain.com/index.php?topic=39737.msg551342#new) just won a Lotus with the list in this article, so check it out...

[Gandalf_The_White_1]

Turn 3:

Top revealed a Bob, and I decided to go for it. If he has another Oath, he has it. If I can weather a turn or two, I should probably win.

Of course, he – apparently – topdecked another Oath.

He Oathed up Hellkite Overlord, and I scooped.

Why did you scoop?  Although you were unlikely to win in this situation, I believe that you still had outs, and even if you don't hit them, it's not like it will take up a lot of time to finish the game.

His opening play was:

Turn 1:

Gemstone Mine, Chalice of the Void, Gorilla Shaman.

I played Ancestral Recall immediately rather than risk running into a Red Elemental Blast. I discarded a superfluous land rather than Darkblast.

He did nothing from there on out.

I'm confused as to why he kept that hand.  Did he explain after the match?

[Smmenen]

Turn 3:

Top revealed a Bob, and I decided to go for it. If he has another Oath, he has it. If I can weather a turn or two, I should probably win.

Of course, he – apparently – topdecked another Oath.

He Oathed up Hellkite Overlord, and I scooped.

Why did you scoop?  Although you were unlikely to win in this situation, I believe that you still had outs, and even if you don't hit them, it's not like it will take up a lot of time to finish the game.

I may have taken authorial liberty here.   I probably didn't scoop until the following turn.   That said, I may have, since I consider time to be a big issue, and we may have already taken quite a bit of time up. 

His opening play was:

Turn 1:

Gemstone Mine, Chalice of the Void, Gorilla Shaman.

I played Ancestral Recall immediately rather than risk running into a Red Elemental Blast. I discarded a superfluous land rather than Darkblast.

He did nothing from there on out.

I'm confused as to why he kept that hand.  Did he explain after the match?

This was over two months ago, so I'm not sure -- but I seem to have a vague recollection that Nam Tran mulliganed to 5.   I could be confusing that with another time I played him.   

But, to answer your question, no explanation was offered, at least that I can recall.