So yesterday was Part 3 of my quixotic quest to prove arcane denial viable (Part 2 was
Eudemonia's Mox Emerald Tourney; Part 1 was Eudo's Mox Pearl tourney, in which I went 2-2 with the Tez package main, and did not consider the day newsworthy).
Here's what I played:
4 Polluted Delta
3 Underground Sea
2 Cephalid Coliseum
2 Island
1 Swamp
1 Tolarian Acadamy
1 Library of Alexandria
1 Black Lotus
5 Moxen
1 Sol Ring
1 Mana Crypt
4 Mishra's Bauble
1 Urza's Bauble
1 Sensei's Divining Top
4 Force of Will
4 Arcane Denial
3 Spell Pierce
1 Rebuild
1 Chain of Vapor
1 Mind Twist
1 Repeal
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Thirst for Knowledge
1 Fact or Fiction
1 Brainstorm
1 Merchant Scroll
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Tinker
1 Yawgmoth's Will
1 Time Walk
3 Dark Confidant
1 Skeletal Scrying
1 Darksteel Colossus
1 Tendrils of Agony
SB:
4 Leyline of the Void
2 Hurkyl's Recall
2 Claws of Gix
1 Energy Flux
1 Diabolic Edict
1 Helm of Obedience
1 Pithing Needle
1 Tezzeret the Seeker
1 Time Vault
1 Voltaic Key
The maindeck was fairly well thought out. On the suggestions of folks in the Eudo thread I tried Spell Pierce in the place of Mana Drain, which I've been testing on Workstation with reasonably good results. At the last minute I decided 4 pierces were too many and decided to cut one. I was thinking of Imperial Seal (in part to better support the Tez package in the board), but couldn't find it and decided on Mind Twist instead (I have no idea if this was a good idea because I never drew it all day long).
I strongly considered cutting Dark Confidant due to the prevalence of oath at the last event, but couldn't find a draw package I was happy with. This was possibly influenced by the fact I only own one Scrying (I'd considered 2 Scrying and a Gifts in place of Dark Confidant), but the fact is that confidant is really good against everything other than Oath, especially Stax which is otherwise bit of a problem. I was also concerned about being cold to Sadistic Sacrament.
On the other hand, the SB was thrown together. 3 cards for workshops felt right, but the decision to go with 2 Hurkyl's /1 Flux (rather than 2 Flux/1 Hurkyl's) was arbitrary I intentionally scrimped on dredge hate because there hasn't been too much dredge showing up lately (and went with Leyline on the theory that its game winning if I can protect it), but 5 is really pushing it. The helm is cute, but I never wanted to bring it in and should probably be a jailer or second needle. The Tez package was a last minute inspiration as something to take out for confidant in the oath matchup, or bring in against anything where I want more threats, and served me well in my matchup against Fob. Edict is my only creature hate, which seems like way too little since I only have repeal and chain of vapor to answer permanents main; with the rise of noble fish it feels like smother, threads, and/or sowers belongs somewhere, but not sure for what (maybe claws of gix?).
Speaking of the claws, these were inspired by Web's Goblin Bombardment (which I assume were oath tech, since he lacked the other pieces for a transformation to pebbles). As an amusing aside, the night before the tourney I scoured workstation for blue/black/colorless cards that sacrifice permanents or creatures, and for 15 seconds I was super-excited to find Carrion Feeder, until it occurred to me that bringing in a creatures to get rid of spirit tokens is not in fact tech. Alter of Demensia was promising since it feeds scrying and will, but I was sold on Claws of Gix because its easier to cast and "combos" better with Arcane Denial and Academy, and paying 1+ colorless per turn to answer orchard (with lifegain to boot) seemed like a small price to pay. No idea if this is worth the slot; I resolved against Fob, but won the game before orchard saw play.
On to the tourney. I apologize in advance for any mistakes or missed details, as this is all from memory (anyone who's played with me knows I play long enough without trying to take notes). Additions and corrections are welcome.
Round 1: Lin-? (I'm sorry for not remembering your full name) ("The Deck"?)
I believe Lin was a variant of Mr. Weisman's concoction, reconfigured for the modern era by Messrs. and Menendian. Game 1 went was a bitter control battle that went very long (almost 40 min). While I don't remember details, the essential feature was that his viscious attacks on my mana base with strip mine, wasteland, and gorilla shaman, combined with naturally land-light draws, left me severely mana constrained (3 lands in play most of the game). Nevertheless, I was able to force through an early bob, and pulled further ahead by casting denial on my worthless moxen (and maybe a recall in there somewhere. Eventualy I was able to protect a black lotus fueled yawg will for the win.
I sideboard in the Tez package for rebuild and a couple of baubles I think.
Game 2 I was again able to resolve an early unanswered bob which I rode to victory, winning on turn 4 of extra turns with a lethal mini-tendrils.
1-0 matches/ 2-0 games.
Round 2 v. Matt Nass (Stax)
Matt doesn't own cards and is known for playing what he can find, so I feared he was on dredge.
Game 1 I win the die roll, and open a busted hand of something like land, lotus, mana crypt tinker and spell pierce, confidant, and Mishra's Bauble. I play the bauble to see what I'm facing, and am surprised to see trinisphere (I later learn Matt rented this deck from Fob for $10 before the turney. Fob said he offered to take 1/2 of any prize winnings instead, but Matt opted to pay cash -- pretty steep if you ask me, but I guess beggers can't be choosers). Having established I'm probably facing stax, I considered tinkering first turn with spell pierce to protect, but opt instead to play land mana crypt, on the theory that I could pierce his first spell and play both confidant and tinker the following turn. As planned, I pierce his first turn tangle wire, and my robot and bob get there.
I sideboard in hurkyls, energy flux & needle for scrying, FoF a couple of baubles.
Game 2 I again draw a busted hand of with double FOW and energy flux, mox, land and demonic tutor. I fow both his two first turn threats, untap, dt for lotus and go all in on energy flux. Matt lets me time walk for several turns as he taps out to keep his moxen alive. Eventually he resolves a crucible with wasteland in play, but I have only 1 nonbasic in play and answer with bob, which hits for a while and pulls me further ahead. Matt may have tried to cast something else which I countered, but is generally hobbled by flux. Eventually barbarian ring, but strangely decides not to kill bob. He later tells me he thought bob-o-side was his best chance for the win from that board position -- I'm not sure, though there were a couple of turns that flipping dark confidant would have been death. Instead I draw tendrils and hurkyl's and reply my board for lethal.
2-0 matches / 4-0 games
Round 3: Fob with Vroman Oath
I figured Jeff was on Oath, which he's been playing lately. Game 1 I have land, mox, confidant, tinker. I consider briefly holding back bob, but decide I have to take the risk. Sure enough, Jeff plays first turn lotus, orchard, dt-->oath (I think -- I know the oath came out first turn), protected by FOW. I'm relieved he had orchard anyway, though I stand by my choice to play bob. I untap, swing for 3, and resolve tinker for DSC (don't remember if I had to protect it or not). Jeff untaps and oaths, Iona naming blue into play after revealing 3-4 cards, and passes the turn. On my third turn I swing with everything; Iona blocks bob, and Jeff goes to 5. Jeff untaps for his third turn and begins oathing rapidly. I tell Jeff he can flip his deck over and show me if he has no creatures. Jeff complies, and asks me if I want him to combo out. I truthfully say that I haven't actually seen the combo finish, and would like to see how it works. So Jeff taps two of his three lands to k-rec lotus and timetwister, draws his card, thinks for a while, says he's a mana short, and scoops. This surprises me greatly, as I really did think he had it.
I couldn't tell if Jeff was trying to bluff me into conceding or genuinely thought he had it. While we were shuffling he said he misplayed by tutoring for the wrong card. I'm not sure what his options were, but I suspect Jeff was right to resolve oath as quickly as possible, as I think a control standoff favors me.
I sideboard in my tez package and needle for bobs and a bauble.
Game 2 Jeff double counters my ancestral, leaving us with just a couple of cards each, but I'm left with tez & vampiric tutor in hand, which finds lotus on upkeep to resolve tez --> key. Vault follows the turn after and Fob scoops.
Round 4 & 5. ID. Round 4 I play two unsideboarded games for fun against my opponent, who it turns out is on Dark Depths. Game 1 he plays 2 leylines, followed by a 3rd, but nothing else, and I win handily. Game 2 I'm in control with bob in play, but die to bob after flipping a couple of FOWs. Probably coulda played that tighter.
3-0 matches / 6-0 games.
Top 8 Quarters v. Brent with Tezzerett w/ Intuition & AK
Brent is a close friend of Web and Fob's, and a very tight player. Surprisingly, while I've seen him before I don't think we've played or otherwise been introduced. I don't know exactly what he's is playing, but suspect a Tez variant since that seems to be what most good players play these days.
Game 1 is a long back and forth, with several skirmishes over our respective draw spells. If memory serves, Brent resolved his own ancestral recall and countered mine, but I was able to resolve bob and maintain equality, and pull ahead with fact or fiction. Eventually I was able to resolve lotus --> yawg will with double counter backup (including a hardcast FoW) for the win. An amusing moment in game one arose when Brent was confirming with me how denial works, and Eric (the judge) commented from the other table that it sounded like we were talking about arcane denial -- which he didn't believe at first.
Same sb as Round 1.
Game 2 we start the game playing draw go for a while. Post board this match proves to be tough for me. I forget the order exactly, but I consistently lose counter wars over draw spells to his better hard counters (his red blasts and mana drains versus my spell pierces and arcane denials). At some point Brent resolves time vault. I find yawg will, but he's able to double counter (he made a comment to Web and Eric about 3 lucky topdecks), and I opt to let his ancestral resolve even though I could have hardcast FoW. At the time I was afraid he would untap and resolve key for the win, though in retrospect I'm pretty sure not trying to counter ancestral was a mistake -- I don't know if he had protection though. I forget how the game ended exactly, but I think he leveraged his accumulated card advantage into a lethal yawg will (or maybe he just forced through key to complete the combo).
I remember even less about Game 3. I think it played out similar to game 2, with me again losing counter battles but resolving bob to keep from being blown out. The critical turn comes when Brent goes for tinker. I have 2x arcane denail and chain of vapor in hand, but I let it resolve since I figure his target is DSC. Instead he trumps my chain with Inkwell. EOT I try to arcane denial my chain on his mox jet, but he has double blast to stop that nonsense (so in retrospect it wouldn't have mattered if I'd tried to counter his tinker, though I probably should have). I still have some fight left in me though. I topdeck Tez, which finds time vault and buys me an extra turn when he attacks it, and the next turn draw top, which reveals FoF, FOW & DT. Even though I can theoretically survive another hit, I don't have a blue card in hand, so the best I can do is DT for Key now and hope he hasn't found a counter. Instead, Brent shows me the mana drain and I extent a hand. There's a flurry of confusion when I quickly clarify that my handshake was not intended as a concession (I'll still be at 1 after Brent's next attack). Brent looks puzzled and asks if I'd seen his hand, at which point I look down at his double fire which everyone in the room but me had noticed.
I think this match can be summed up as me losing a close, tight control match to a better player. The games were filled with difficult decision, and I strongly doubt I made all the right choices. I do think going with spell pierce over.mana drain (or duress/thoughtseize) hurts in this matchup (though it helps with stax and others), and that his sideboard against me is better than mine against his. Still, I'm curious how this matchup would end up if played out between two players of equal caliber.
Final result 3-1 matches played; 7-2 games played. I win back$15 in store credit from my $25 entry.
I really don't know what to think about this deck. On the one hand, its hard for me to believe Arcane Denial could be better than cards like Mana Drain, Duress or Thoughtseize. On the other hand, denial.deck has earned me back to back top 8s in 22 person events, both times losing to one of the two best (pro-caliber) players in the room playing the best deck in the format; and this time that final match was very close. Admittedly, this is a small sample size, but the results seem interesting nonetheless. You also have to realize that while I play solid I'm far from the best (in contrast to some of the folks on here, who could place in any given tourney with dogpoop.dec), so you can't explain my results as a function of play skill. Nor do I think my list is optomized. I'd love for some of the stronger players on here to test out arcane denial and share their experience... 'till then, bring on the windmills.
Thanks to all for coming out to make a great tourney, and for Superstars to keeping T1 alive in the bay area.
