Top 4 at BBGD 16 with "Demars Control" 6-18-11

So after audibling from Oath to dredge after a semi-successful year, and then going 2 or 3 straight events with a 3 win then 3 loss record, I decided it was time to change it up again. I enjoy trying something different from time to time, because I still enjoy the fact that everyone usually puts me on oath, and I always loved the "those (red sleeves) are your oath sleeves". (It makes me feel better about myself knowing people are concerned about what I am playing). After getting bored with dredge (after 3 usages), I began reviewing last month's Blue Bell event and was intrigued and anxious to play the following:

Demars Control

4 Misty Rainforest
1 Scalding Tarn
4 City of Brass
3 Island
2 Underground Sea
1 Volcanic Island
1 Tropical Island
1 Black Lotus
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Mana Vault
1 Mana Crypt
1 Sol Ring
1 Sensei's Divining Top
1 Time Vault
1 Voltaic Key
1 Blightsteel Colossus
4 Force of Will
4 Preordain
3 Mana Drain
2 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
1 Tezzeret, the Seeker
1 Gifts Ungiven
1 Tinker
1 Rebuild
1 Thirst for Knowledge
1 Time Walk
1 Merchant Scroll
1 Spell Pierce
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Brainstorm
1 Ponder
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Yawgmoth's Will
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Imperial Seal
2 Ancient Grudge

SB:
4 Leyline of the Void
3 Nature's Claim
2 Dark Confidant
2 Red Elemental Blast
1 Pyroblast
1 Yixlid Jailer
1 Nihil Spellbomb
1 Forest

After reviewing the list, I decided to make absolutely no changes, with the exception of cutting 1 snow-covered island for 1 island. The only reason for this, was the fact that I had no idea where my snow-covered island was at.

I would like to take the time to note that my memory is not what it once was, and after suffering from several concussions, both on and off the job, I honestly do have a hard time remembering some details to things and confusing entire interactions at times. If you happen to notice that I may have made a mistake somewhere in my report, don't hesitate to correct me, and I will update the report. Thanks!!

Rd 1 – Josh ? (Cat Stax)
Game 1
Josh is quick to inform me this is his very first vintage tournament. I win the die roll and keep a hand of fetch, fetch, mox, dt, brainstorm, force, drain. I play fetch, mox, and pass. On his turn he plays mox, waste, thorn. In response, I crack fetch for island and brainstorm seeing thirst, mox, key. I permit the thorn, and he passes. I draw, knowing the thirst is next, and play the fetch, mox, key, and pass. He draws, plays another waste, another thorn, and passes. I draw my thirst, and pass. On his turn, he gets a port, I believe, and attempts to cast lodestone, which is met with my drain after I crack the fetch for underground sea. On my turn I draw an island, play the island, dt for Vault with drain mana, cast vault, and take infinite turns for the win. At the end of the game, Josh shows me the two slash panthers he had in his hand.

Game 2
Out: 1 Jace, 1 Gifts, 1 Tezzeret, 1 Preordain
In: 3 Nature's Claim, 1 Forest
I keep a subpar hand with recall, claim, island, mox, and some others, but it is no match for his resistors, followed by lodestone, panther, Kuldotha Forgemaster. Before its too late I'm able to tinker for Blightsteel with irrelevance in my hand. On his turn he metamorphs my Blightsteel. On his turn, I am forced to block his metamorphed blightsteel, and to make matters worse he sacks his resistors and a mox for platinum angel. What a beating.

Game 3
By turn 3 I assemble Key vault and just run for the win.

Rd 2 – Jon Richards (Cat Stax)

Game 1
Jon is a good friend and teammate. So, obviously, we assumed we would be playing each other by the second round. I win the die roll, playing a fetch, and passing. Jon draws, plays lots of mana, resistor, and revoker (naming Vault). Somehow in the midst of all of this I am able to assemble key vault after Jon began drawing dead, but beating the hell out of me down to 4 life with revoker.

Game 2
Out: 1 Tezzeret, 1 Gifts, 1 Jace, 1 Preordain
In: 3 Nature's Claim, 1 Forest
I again get to see the wrath of revoker (naming Jace), but this time, flash panther joins in for the win. I counter a few resistors, grudge a revoker and a minion of precursor golems, but can't handle the panthers long enough.

Game 3
I attempt to hold him off cats and golems, but his resistors and revokers (both naming Vault) keep me limited and on the clock. I eventually ramp up to enough mana to tinker for blightsteel, hoping he doesn't have anymore than one duplicant or phyrexian metamorph in his hand, since all I have is one force plus blue card in hand. On his turn he draws, attempts to duplicant, and when I force he falls back to defend. In the next turn he draws dead, and reaches over for the congratulatory handshake.

Rd 3 – Chris Verosky (Gush Control)

Game 1
I keep a hand of 6 with fetch, mox, mana vault, tezz, jace, preordain. I win the roll, play fetch, mox, vault, and preordain, seeing no lands or relevance. On Chris' turn, he goes land, mox, brainstorm. On my turn, I draw no land. I pass and see a turn two jace from chris, which he brainstorms from. On my turn, I finally receive island, and attempt to jace Chris' jace. Chris quickly forces as he has gained card advantage. On Chris' turn, he plays fastbond, and plays out some more mana for the advantage. On my turn, I attempt to cast tezz as my last resort, and I am hit with the drain. Chris tinkers into Blightsteel to seal the win.

Game 2
Out: 1 Mox Pearl, 1 Spell Pierce, 1 Preordain, 1 Ancient Grudge, 1 Thirst
In: 2 REB, 1 Pyroblast, 2 Dark Confidant
I get to tinker into blightsteel on turn 2 by sacking my crypt. Chris calmly allows the tinker, only to chain my monster on his turn. We go land, go for a few turns, and then I will into a crypt, tinker, recall for the win on the following turn.

Game 3
Chris is on the play, and goes fastbond, additional land, pass. After playing fetch, mox, key on turn 1, his turn two is draw, something else, and then my vamp at his eot. On my turn 2 I go vault, he attempts to force, in which I force, and he says good game.

Rd 4 - Ashok Chitturi (Jace Control)

Game 1
He allows me to go nuts on turn 1 with moxes, mana vault, preordain and tinker for blightsteel. Of course, the only card he could obviously be holding was hurkyl's. He plays a confidant on his next turn. We play draw go for awhile with him gaining card advantage and me taking confidant beats. After he plays another confidant and pulls me to four. I fear the worst, but with me at 4, and him at 12 with 2 confidants, he flips blightsteel as confidant flip number 1, and I fist pump for the win.

Game 2
Out: 1 Mox Pearl, 1 Preordain, 1 Spell Pierce, 1 Ancient Grudge, 1 Thirst
In: 2 REB, 1 Pyroblast, 2 Dark Confidant
I believe Ashok wins this easily with keyvault?

Game 3
We play land (and mox) go for a while and both get confidants out around the same time. We take a few more turns until I assemble keyvault after a few counters. Someone comments I may hit blightsteel off my confidant, but my response was "no, I'm actually in the process of tinkering."

Rd 5 – Max Brown (?) - ID

Rd 6 – Shawn Anthony (Empty Gush) - ID

Top 8 – David Third (Jace Control with Bob)

Game 1

Prior to the match, Mr. Third and I have a nice conversation about his prior events in Europe and the like. However, again, an early game tinker fails me as he only chains (or hurkyl's?) the big guy back to my hand. His confidant begins beating me as I draw into nothing, but beats him pretty excessively as well, with the force and other 3cc or more cards he flipped. I believe he gets me to 2 or 1 after he subsequently to 1. I pass my turn, prompting him to draw a zero cc for the win, but flips recall and I squeak away with another win and fist pump. Following the match, Mr. Third commented that its not often you see your opponent fist pump when you draw an ancestral recall. Well, Mr. Third, maybe that's not common in Europe.. but in Blue Bell, PA, USA.. that's just how we roll.

Game 2
Out: 1 Spell Pierce, 1 Mox Pearl, 1 Jace, 1 Ancient Grudge, 1 Preordain
In: 2 REB, 1 Pyroblast, 2 Dark Confidant
I believe I lose this one badly, so I must have erased it from my brain.

Game 3
I keep a hand with a reb and force/blue card, with some mana and preordains. I'm able to hold Mr. Third off anything until I can play key and imperial seal for the next turn victory. Mr. Third allows the key and attempts to claim the key on my following turn in response to my casting of vault. I have another counter (not sure which one) at this point to seal the victory.

Top 4 – Shawn Anthony (Empty Gush)
Mr. Anthony and I ID'ed in round 6, only to attempt to crush one another in the top 4.

Game 1
We run through a few turns until I am able to play a gifts on my turn with a bunch of mana. My gifts pile is lotus, will, tinker, and key. Mr. Anthony permits the key and lotus. With no mana remaining, I play the lotus, sac for black, and go key imperial seal. Shawn allows the seal, and on my next turn I play vault, which he counters and I counter his counter, and we move to game 2.

Game 2
Not wanting to lose to a really small amount of ETW tokens, I only board in 2 REB's and 1 Pyroblast.
Out: 1 Mox Pearl, 1 Spell Pierce, 1 Preordain
We play for quite awhile, but eot, with 3 lands and a crypt out, I mystical for a tinker. When I present the tinker as my mystical target, Mr. Anthony grudges my crypt. On his turn, he essentially tinkers his blightsteel up for the win.

Game 3
Out: 1 Jace, 1 Spell Pierce
In: I change my mind and decide the card advantage may be more beneficial - 2 Confidants
Again, I keep a subpar hand with a confidant and mystical,, but after he REB's my recall, Mr. Anthony is again able to pull it out with a big tinker for blightsteel on his turn.

For some reason, I feel as though I may be confusing the last two games. Perhaps Mr. Anthony can clarify if I may have made an error due to memory loss from too many unforeseen instances in the past.

All in all, great event, I'm disappointed that my day fell short, but was happy with the deck performance for the most part. Not many changes I would make to the list at all if I were to play it in the future. But, as everyone knows me, I usually play Oath.

Most Valuable Card of the Day: Imperial Seal, I have to say, I have never used it so often in one day!!

Should have been a different Card of the Day: As mentioned earlier, if I would have found it, 1 island would have been a snow-covered island

Least Valuable Card of the Day: I am proud to say, I didn't use Jace in any game today. The only time Jace was even cast from my hand was to attempt to kill another one unsuccessfully.

I would just like to thank all of my opponents for a great day of playing vintage, and with all of you the best in the future events to come! Congrats to the rest of the top 8, and Shawn on the overall win. Hope to see you all in July!