N.Y.S.E. XIV - 4/23 - Official Tournament Report

We’ve got another N.Y.S.E. in the books!

We had 36 players come and battle for a pair of Moxen. After taking a vote of the players, the players chose to forgo the second place prize of a Mox Ruby in order to add prize structure for 3rd through 8th. At the end of the day Brendan Banfield couldn’t be stopped. Brendan won the Mox Sapphire after taking second at the N.Y.S.E. Lite last weekend.

The Complete Metagame Breakdown

Mana Drains:

Jace Gush Storm: 1
Gush Storm: 2
Minus Six: 2
Tidespout Oath: 1
Golden Gun Oath: 2
Turbo Tezz: 2
DeMars Control: 2
Landstill: 1
ETW Tezz: 1

Workshops:

Espresso Stax: 7
Precursor MUD: 4
Mono Red Stax: 1

Null Rods:

R/W Control: 1
Madness: 1
Goblins: 1
Boros: 1
Noble Fish: 1

Bazaars:

Dredge: 3

Rituals:

U/B Belcher: 1
Ignite Memories Combo: 1

The biggest thing to take from this event would have to be the general failure of Workshops/Workshop pilots. A full 33% of the field was Workshop decks, and yet only Dan Mason was able to make the top 8.

Another interesting point to note would be the success of Dredge at this event. There were a mere three Dredge pilots at N.Y.S.E. XIV, and yet all three made the top 8 of the event. Dredge seems primed for a return to prominence.

And, in conclusion, it seems as though the blue pilots have yet to decide upon the optimal build of a blue deck in this metagame. While David Ata/Damien Fortune’s take on DeMars Control certainly warrants serious consideration, a proliferation of other strategies abounded. The only point that I found terribly interesting was the steady decrease in popularity of various Oath strategies. Is Oath on the downswing? Are Shops overrated? Is Dredge ready for a serious threat to the crown of best deck in Vintage? Only time will tell…

Top 8 Pairings and Results:

Brendan Banfield vs. Andrew Brady – Banfield wins
David A. vs. Michael Bauer – Ata wins
David Gans vs. Corey Mann – Gans wins
Dan Mason vs. Josh Potucek – Mason wins

Top 4 Pairings and Results

Brendan Banfield vs. David Gans – Banfield wins
David A. vs. Dan Mason – A. wins

Finals

Brendan Banfield vs. David A. – Banfield wins

My sincere congratulations to Brendan Banfield, David Ata and all of our top 8 competitors.

Top 8 Decklists

1st – Brendan Banfield
Jace Storm

3 Island
4 Underground Sea
2 Tropical Island
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Ruby
1 Sol Ring
1 Black Lotus
1 Mana Crypt
1 Imperial Seal
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Gifts Ungiven
1 Tinker
1 Regrowth
1 Fastbond
1 Yawgmoth’s Will
1 Mind’s Desire
1 Memory Jar
1 Timetwister
3 Mana Drain
2 Thoughtseize
4 Force of Will
2 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
4 Gush
3 Preordain
1 Brainstorm
1 Ponder
1 Time Walk
1 Ancecstral Recall
1 Blightsteel Colossus
1 Tendrils of Agony
1 Chain of Vapor
1 Hurkyl’s Recall
3 Misty Rainforest
2 Polluted Delta
1 Flooded Strand

SB:

2 Sower of Temptation
3 Yixlid Jailer
2 Nihil Spellbomb
1 Relic of Progenitus
2 Duress
1 Doom Blade
2 Hurkyl’s Recall
2 Nature’s Claim

2nd – David A.
DeMars Control

1 Black Lotus
1 Mana Crypt
1 Mana Vault
1 Sol Ring
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Jet
1 Time Vault
2 Sensei’s Divining Top
2 Voltaic Key
1 Blightsteel Colossus
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Imperial Seal
1 Yawgmoth’s Will
1 Deglamer
2 Ancient Grudge
1 Snow-Covered Island
1 Island
2 Underground Sea
1 Volcanic Island
1 Tropical Island
1 Tolarian Academy
4 City of Brass
1 Polluted Delta
4 Misty Rainforest
3 Mana Drain
4 Preordain
4 Force of Will
1 Tezzeret the Seeker
2 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
1 Brainstorm
1 Merchant Scroll
1 Gifts Ungiven
1 Tinker
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Ponder
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Time Walk

SB:

3 Nature’s Claim
1 Forest
1 Pithing Needle
4 Leyline of the Void
1 Doom Blade
2 Red Elemental Blast
1 Pyroblast
2 Pyroclasm

3rd – David Gans
Dredge

4 Narcomoeba
4 Bloodghast
4 Ichorid
1 Fatestitcher
4 Stinkweed Imp
4 Golgari Grave-Troll
1 Terastodon
1 Flame-Kin Zealot
1 Iona, Shield of Emeria
1 Brainstorm
2 Darkblast
1 Ancestral Recall
4 Cabal Therapy
3 Dread Return
4 Bridge from Below
1 Black Lotus
4 Serum Powder
4 Bazaar of Baghdad
2 Petrified Field
4 Undiscovered Paradise
4 City of Brass
2 Dakmor Salvage

SB:

4 Chain of Vapor
4 Nature’s Claim
4 Leyline of the Void
3 Leyline of Sanctity

4th – Dan Mason
Espresso Stax

4 Chalice of the Void
3 Crucible of Worlds
2 Duplicant
3 Karn, Silver Golem
4 Lodestone Golem
1 Mana Crypt
1 Mana Vault
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Pearl
4 Serum Powder
4 Smokestack
1 Sol Ring
4 Sphere of Resistance
4 Tangle Wire
2 Thorn of Amethyst
1 Trinisphere
1 Strip Mine
1 Tolarian Academy
3 Rishadan Port
4 Ancient Tomb
4 Mishra’s Workshop
4 Wasteland

SB:

4 Leyline of the Void
3 Pithing Needle
3 Ratchet Bomb
1 Thorn of Amethyst
1 Duplicant
3 Ghost Quarter

5th – Andrew Brady
Lawls

4 Golgari Grave-Troll
4 Bridge from Below
4 Stinkweed Imp
2 Serum Powder
3 Crop Rotation
4 Cabal Therapy
4 Leyline of the Void
4 Narcomoeba
4 Ichorid
4 Bloodghast
3 Golgari Thug
1 Flame-Kin Zealot
2 Dread Return
2 Nature’s Claim
1 Iona, Shield of Emeria
1 Darkblast
4 Undiscovered Paradise
4 Bazaar of Baghdad
2 Petrified Field
2 City of Brass
1 Dakmor Salvage

SB:

2 City of Brass
2 Nature’s Claim
4 Chain of Vapor
3 Unmask
4 Leyline of Sanctity

6th – Michael Bauer
Dredge

4 Bazaar of Baghdad
1 Dakmor Salvage
2 City of Brass
4 Undiscovered Paradise
2 Petrified Field
4 Leyline of Sanctity
1 Iona, Shield of Emeria
4 Golgari Grave-Troll
4 Chalice of the Void
4 Cabal Therapy
4 Bridge from Below
2 Ichorid
4 Bloodghast
4 Serum Powder
4 Narcomoeba
2 Nature’s Claim
1 Chain of Vapor
2 Dread Return
1 Flame-Kin Zealot
4 Stinkweed Imp
2 Golgari Thug

SB:

2 Nature’s Claim
2 Chain of Vpoar
4 Leyline of the Void
3 Pithing Needle
2 Serenity
1 Darkblast
1 Ingot Chewer

7th – Corey Mann
Not Quite Noble Fish

4 Force of Will
3 Annul
3 Stifle
4 Spell Pierce
3 Swords to Plowshares
4 Tarmogoyf
3 Meddling Mage
3 Trygon Predator
3 Vendilion Clique
4 Qasali Pridemage
4 Wasteland
1 Strip Mine
1 Time Walk
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Brainstorm
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Mox Emerald
1 Black Lotus
4 Misty Rainforest
2 Flooded Strand
3 Tropical Island
2 Tundra
1 Savannah
1 Forest
1 Island

SB:

3 Kataki, War’s Wage
4 Sower of Temptation
2 Nature’s Claim
4 Relic of Progenitus
2 Pithing Needle

8th – Josh Potucek
ETW Tezz

1 Scalding Tarn
1 Misty Rainforest
4 Polluted Delta
2 Island
1 Snow-Covered Island
1 Swamp
1 Tolarian Academy
3 Underground Sea
2 Volcanic Island
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Mox Jet
1 Mana Crypt
1 Mana Vault
1 Black Lotus
1 Sol Ring
3 Night’s Whisper
2 Empty the Warrens
1 Time Vault
1 Voltaic Key
1 Tinker
1 Blightsteel Colossus
1 Gifts Ungiven
1 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
1 Brainstorm
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Sensei’s Divining Top
1 Merchant Scroll
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Yawgmoth’s Will
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Time Walk
1 Rebuild
1 Hurkyl’s Recall
2 Chain of Vapor
4 Force of Will
3 Mana Drain
2 Thoughtseize
2 Spell Pierce

SB:

3 Hurkyl’s Recall
2 Ingot Chewer
1 Volcanic Island
3 Red Elemental Blast
2 Yixlid Jailer
4 Leyline of the Void

9th Place Prize:

The winner of the 9th place prize, which I conveniently forgot at home, was John Jones. Don’t worry John, you have another quality N.Y.S.E. 9th place prize waiting for you…

Player of the Year Race:

Standings for the N.Y.S.E. Player of the Year race will be updated later this week, so keep your eyes peeled.

In Conclusion:

I’d like to thank Nick Coss, dealer extraordinaire, Gil, Dave, Frank and all the Brother’s Grim staff, our judge, Brian Paskoff, and all my competitors. On a holiday weekend, with a StarCityGames Open in Boston, I was very happy to see so many loyal Vintage aficionados come to Long Island for another N.Y.S.E. event. I’m currently looking at 6/11/11 as the big event of the summer, an N.Y.S.E. Lotus tournament, so hold the date and check back.
Thanks for your continued support, and here’s hoping that I see you soon at another N.Y.S.E.!