BBGD 17.5 TO Report, with decklists and a metagame breakdown

[Iron_Chef]

Blue Bell had a great turnout of 32 players considering the Magic Celebration going on the same day, and a tournament going on in CT as well.  Thank you to everyone new and old who continually makes the Philadelphia area one of the best places to play Vintage!

Blue Bell 17.5 Metagame Breakdown



1st Place:
Josh Potucek playing Landstill

4 Standstill
4 Force of Will
4 Mana Drain
2 Spell Pierce
2 Mindbreak Trap
2 Misdirection
2 Steel Sabotage
2 Jace, the Mindsculptor
4 Null Rod
2 Crucible of Worlds
3 Lightning Bolt
1 Echoing Truth
1 Hurkyl's Recall
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Time Walk
1 Black Lotus
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Mox Ruby
1 Library of Alexandria
4 Mishra's Factory
4 Wasteland
1 Strip Mine
4 Volcanic Island
3 Island
1 Flooded Strand
1 Polluted Delta
1 Misty Rainforest
1 Scalding Tarn

Sideboard:
4 Leyline of the Void
2 Yixlid Jailer
2 Underground Sea
3 Energy Flux
1 Pyroblast
2 Red Elemental Blast
1 Firespout

2nd Place:
Evan Hundertmark playing Slash Panther MUD

4 Mishra's Workshop
1 Tolarian Academy
4 Ancient Tomb
2 City of Traitors
2 Mishra's Factory
4 Wasteland
1 Strip Mine
1 Black Lotus
1 Sol Ring
1 Mana Crypt
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Pearl
1 Trinisphere
4 Sphere of Resistance
4 Thorn of Amethyst
4 Chalice of the Void
2 Null Rod
4 Tangle Wire
4 Lodestone Golem
4 Phyrexian Metamorph
4 Slash Panther
4 Phyrexian Revoker

Sideboarrd:
2 Crucible of Worlds
3 Precursor Golem
3 Pithing Needle
3 Norn's Annex
4 Leyline of the Void

Top 4:
Joe Pace playing Gush Bob Control

1 Black Lotus
1 Blightsteel Colossus
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Sensei's Divining Top
1 Sol Ring
1 Time Vault
1 Voltaic Key
1 Hurkyl's Recall
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Yawgmoth's Will
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Brainstorm
1 Time Walk
1 Tinker
1 Fastbond
1 Lotus Petal
1 Ancient Grudge
1 Merchant Scroll
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Library of Alexandria
1 Island
2 Mental Misstep
2 Flusterstorm
2 Volcanic Island
2 Tropical Island
3 Jace the Mindsculptor
3 Mana Drain
3 Misty Rainforest
3 Scalding Tarn
3 Underground Sea
3 Dark Confidant
4 Force of Will
4 Gush

Sideboard:
1 Hurkyl's Recall
1 Pithing Needle
1 Mountain
1 Ravenous Trap
2 Pyroclasm
2 Greater Gargadon
3 Ingot Chewer
4 Yixlid Jailer

Top 4:
David Gans playing Dredge

4 Bloodghast
2 Ichorid
4 Narcomoeba
3 Fatestitcher
3 Sun Titan
4 Golgari Grave Troll
4 Stinkweed Imp
1 Golgari Thug
1 Flame Kin Zealot
1 Darkblast
1 Ancestral Recall
4 Cabal Therapy
3 Dread Return
4 Bridge from Below
1 Black Lotus
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Lion's Eye Diamond
1 Lotus Petal
4 Serum Powder
3 City of Brass
4 Undiscovered Paradise
2 Dakmor Salvage
4 Bazaar of Baghdad

Sideboard:
4 Leyline of the Void
4 Nature's Claim
4 Chain of Vapor
1 Ancient Grudge
1 Darkblast
1 Iona, Shield of Emeria

Top 8:
Rob Edwards playing Dredge

4 Bloodghast
2 Ichorid
4 Narcomoeba
4 Fatestitcher
3 Sun Titan
4 Golgari Grave Troll
4 Stinkweed Imp
2 Golgari Thug
1 Flame Kin Zealot
4 Cabal Therapy
3 Dread Return
4 Bridge from Below
1 Black Lotus
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Lion's Eye Diamond
1 Lotus Petal
4 Serum Powder
4 City of Brass
4 Undiscovered Paradise
1 Dakmor Salvage
4 Bazaar of Baghdad

Sideboard:
4 Nature's Claim
4 Chain of Vapor
2 Darkblast
1 Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite
2 Ancient Grudge
2 Firestorm

Top 8:
Anthony Scalzo playing Dredge

4 Bloodghast
2 Ichorid
4 Narcomoeba
3 Fatestitcher
3 Sun Titan
4 Golgari Grave Troll
4 Stinkweed Imp
2 Golgari Thug
1 Flame Kin Zealot
4 Cabal Therapy
3 Dread Return
2 Ancient Grudge
1 Ancestral Recall
4 Bridge from Below
1 Black Lotus
1 Lion's Eye Diamond
1 Lotus Petal
4 Serum Powder
3 City of Brass
4 Undiscovered Paradise
1 Dakmor Salvage
4 Bazaar of Baghdad

Sideboard:
3  Nature's Claim
3 Chain of Vapor
1 City of Brass
4 Leyline of the Void
2 Serenity
2 Firestorm

Top 8:
Matt Elias playing Dredge

4 Bloodghast
2 Ichorid
4 Narcomoeba
3 Fatestitcher
3 Sun Titan
4 Golgari Grave Troll
4 Stinkweed Imp
2 Golgari Thug
1 Flame Kin Zealot
1 Darkblast
4 Cabal Therapy
3 Dread Return
4 Bridge from Below
1 Black Lotus
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Lion's Eye Diamond
1 Lotus Petal
4 Serum Powder
3 City of Brass
4 Undiscovered Paradise
2 Dakmor Salvage
4 Bazaar of Baghdad

Sideboard:
4 Nature's Claim
4 Chain of Vapor
1 Serenity
1 City of Brass
1 Darkblast
1 Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite
2 Ancient Grudge
1 Firestorm

Top 8:
Nathan Thompson playing Gush

2 Polluted Delta
2 Misty Rainforest
2 Flooded Strand
3 underground sea
2 Tropical Island
2 Island
1 Snow-Covered Island
1 Library of Alexandria
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Ruby
1 Black Lotus
1 Mana Crypt
1 Sol Ring
1 Voltaic Key
1 Time Vault
1 Blightsteel Colossus
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Brainstorm
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Time Walk
1 Merchant Scroll
1 Tinker
1 Fastbond
1 Regrowth
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Yawgmoth's Will
3 Preordain
4 Gush
4 Force of Will
4 Mental Misstep
1 Flusterstorm
3 Mana Drain
2 Hurkyl's Recall
2 Jace, the Mindsculptor

Sideboard:
4 Leyline of the Void
2 Yixlid Jailer
1 Ravenous Trap
2 Hurkyl's Recall
1 Dismember
1 Volcanic Island
2 Greater Gargadon
2 Flusterstorm

Thanks again to everyone who helped out, and to everyone who came and played!

[Bill Copes]

3 Norn's Annex

Oh hell yeah.

[brokenbacon]

Shit that's a lot more Dredge than I'm used to seeing.

[metalhead666]

Shit that's a lot more Dredge than I'm used to seeing.

I had to play against it three times!

[oshkoshhaitsyosh]

Good thing only 1 of the lame decks' known as dredge made it to top 4...cool deck

[brokenbacon]

Shit that's a lot more Dredge than I'm used to seeing.

I had to play against it three times!

Jesus that's ridiculous   Shops 3x makes sense, but sucks; Dredge 3x is just really stupid.

Good thing that lame deck known as dredge didnt push through the top 8...cool deck

I think Mr. Gans himself did the honors of kicking ass in the name of Dredge - all the way to Top 4

[metalhead666]

Shit that's a lot more Dredge than I'm used to seeing.

I had to play against it three times!

Jesus that's ridiculous   Shops 3x makes sense, but sucks; Dredge 3x is just really stupid.

I lost to Elias round 2 then beat him in top 8 and Father Gans in top 4, so I guess it wasnt too bad in the end.

[A.-1.]

Grats to Josh P and the top 8.

Thanks to Matt for showing me Modern and to Nick for giving away free M12 boosters. I got a foil mythic!

[voltron00x]

Grats to Josh P and the top 8.

Thanks to Matt for showing me Modern and to Nick for giving away free M12 boosters. I got a foil mythic!

I'm glad our ID worked out for both of us.  Its always good to see you, don't be a stranger at these things!

[XxtSundaybxX]

Good thing only 1 of the lame decks' known as dredge made it to top 4...cool deck

Don't worry, your not the only person who misinterprets "lame" for "strategic" or "skillful". Just because a deck has a really high game 1 win percentage doesn't make it a "lame deck". Sideboarding is part of magic, you don't like it because your greedy with your sideboards. Games 2 and 3 win percentage drop considerably for mediocre dredge pilots, but still drop for even the most experienced dredge pilots. There is no difference between a dredge player opening with a bazaar and anti-hate cards and mana, and a blue pilot opening on double leyline counter back or say turn 1-2 key vault. With a dedicated sideboard I wouldn't see why you wouldn't wanna face dredge all day long, because of the g2-3 win percentage that your sideboard gives you options too. The fact that 4 dredge decks top 8d shows the talent behind the pilot and the deck, it has nothing to do with the deck being "lame" or "lucky".

[honestabe]

Good thing only 1 of the lame decks' known as dredge made it to top 4...cool deck

Don't worry, your not the only person who misinterprets "lame" for "strategic" or "skillful". Just because a deck has a really high game 1 win percentage doesn't make it a "lame deck". Sideboarding is part of magic, you don't like it because your greedy with your sideboards. Games 2 and 3 win percentage drop considerably for mediocre dredge pilots, but still drop for even the most experienced dredge pilots. There is no difference between a dredge player opening with a bazaar and anti-hate cards and mana, and a blue pilot opening on double leyline counter back or say turn 1-2 key vault. With a dedicated sideboard I wouldn't see why you wouldn't wanna face dredge all day long, because of the g2-3 win percentage that your sideboard gives you options too. The fact that 4 dredge decks top 8d shows the talent behind the pilot and the deck, it has nothing to do with the deck being "lame" or "lucky".

Haha, only in vintage is less than 7 sb cards for dredge 'getting greedy'

[oshkoshhaitsyosh]

Its still Lame its the only deck that calls to sb at minimum 6 cards vs it...And heck give most dredge pilots a blue deck and see how well they can really play. With the exception of the hybrid Matt Elias HAHA

[Womba]

Its still Lame its the only deck that calls to sb at minimum 6 cards vs it...And heck give most dredge pilots a blue deck and see how well they can really play. With the exception of the hybrid Matt Elias HAHA

Challenge Accepted...

[Slayn001]

I notice that you only do really well when you play a deck that does not have a lot of decision making, if you are going to complain about dredge pilots not being able to handle a "blue deck" try playing a deck that has interaction beyond "counter your spell, play a standstill".  but what do i know.

[GU3ST]

Its still Lame its the only deck that calls to sb at minimum 6 cards vs it...And heck give most dredge pilots a blue deck and see how well they can really play. With the exception of the hybrid Matt Elias HAHA

I'm pretty sure if you gave a blue player a dredge they would not do well with it.

[Cruel Ultimatum]

I do not think dredge is an easy deck to play, but I also dont likelaying against dredge because I dont find ot to be very fun.

[Teps]

I notice that you only do really well when you play a deck that does not have a lot of decision making, if you are going to complain about dredge pilots not being able to handle a "blue deck" try playing a deck that has interaction beyond "counter your spell, play a standstill".  but what do i know.

This.

[oshkoshhaitsyosh]

I notice that you only do really well when you play a deck that does not have a lot of decision making, if you are going to complain about dredge pilots not being able to handle a "blue deck" try playing a deck that has interaction beyond "counter your spell, play a standstill".  but what do i know.

Well obv u don't know me to well bc I won with landstill twice recently and also won with a nights whisper empty the warrens deck and a deck very similar but replaced whispers with bobs. So I won 4 tournament all recently with 3 different decks. And I guess what u don't realize landstill is harder to play then the broken blue decks I can't topdeck will, tinker, etc to sack a win. Mistakes made with a broken deck can be hidden by the powerful topdecks afterwards, not with landstill...on that note YOUR WRONG

[metalhead666]

Josh, what made you decide not to play Tinker and Blightsteel?

[Slayn001]

Josh, you said the same things in person today, and honestly, you are straight up wrong. you don't have intricate lines of play with your deck, you don't have to figure out gifts piles, you don't have to bait counterspells to try and resolve a bomb;  honestly, the most complicated part of playing your deck is knowing which spells you need to counter ( which is not that difficult, and if you think it is, then idk what to tell you ) and having the counterspell at the right time. Sure, you don't have the explosiveness that yawg will decks have, but that is by design, you trade the power of a few explosive turns/cards, for super consistency. I watched your match vs Jer today, and you went standstill, draw three cards, play another standstill, draw three cards, play another standstill, draw 3 cards. Very skill intensive there. I will agree that you put up some good results with a nights whisper  / empty / bob / tezzeret deck, but not any better than any of the other people who play around here. Saying that dredge players can't play blue decks like you are on some sort of higher level is ridiculous, you aren't that good. See you at Waterbury champ.

[oshkoshhaitsyosh]

Josh, you said the same things in person today, and honestly, you are straight up wrong. you don't have intricate lines of play with your deck, you don't have to figure out gifts piles, you don't have to bait counterspells to try and resolve a bomb;  honestly, the most complicated part of playing your deck is knowing which spells you need to counter ( which is not that difficult, and if you think it is, then idk what to tell you ) and having the counterspell at the right time. Sure, you don't have the explosiveness that yawg will decks have, but that is by design, you trade the power of a few explosive turns/cards, for super consistency. I watched your match vs Jer today, and you went standstill, draw three cards, play another standstill, draw three cards, play another standstill, draw 3 cards. Very skill intensive there. I will agree that you put up some good results with a nights whisper  / empty / bob / tezzeret deck, but not any better than any of the other people who play around here. Saying that dredge players can't play blue decks like you are on some sort of higher level is ridiculous, you aren't that good. See you at Waterbury champ.

So your basing you analysis on 1 match you watched of the deck? The deck doesn't always get 3 standstills in 1 game frankly that was lucky. And I agree with Jer, and most of the ppl I talk to about this. They say You're wrong I'm just willing to open my mouth and not care if i get hell for it. Your average dredge player can not play blue end of story. And what have you done that was so great? Played a brainless deck in shops and did well with it? Congrats dude but that isn't too skill intensive and I know Jer and many others will side with me on this argument so just drop it. And yes I don't give dredge players any credit, and yes I think players like me, allen, shawn, Jer, Pace, Nate, Vito, etc, etc list goes on and on can play a blue deck better then your average dredge player. I dont give dredge any credit and never will so if you want to try to convice me otherwise your wasting your breath. So end of story drop it

[Iron_Chef]

How about we all drop it. It's been a few years since a Blue Bell thread was locked, and I'm not looking to reignite that tradition here. In other news, I won NYSE with Minus Six yesterday!  Woot!

[Iron_Chef]

Fuck My Life,

My laptop failed me yesterday, and had to be reformatted.  I lost all of my BBGD tournament files, and the BBGD Player of the Year Race file.  Fortunately, I had saved a backup of the BBGD PotY file, but it only goes up to BBGD 17.  If you played in 17.5, please PM me with your final record at the end of the swiss, if you remember so I can go about reconstructing the data.

Thank you, and sorry for the inconvenience,

-Nick

EDIT: I may have emailed a copy of this file.  Check back tomorrow for the conclusion to this episode of "Just a guy with a nice collection".

[Prospero]

Fuck My Life,

My laptop failed me yesterday, and had to be reformatted.  I lost all of my BBGD tournament files, and the BBGD Player of the Year Race file.  Fortunately, I had saved a backup of the BBGD PotY file, but it only goes up to BBGD 17.  If you played in 17.5, please PM me with your final record at the end of the swiss, if you remember so I can go about reconstructing the data.

Thank you, and sorry for the inconvenience,

-Nick

EDIT: I may have emailed a copy of this file.  Check back tomorrow for the conclusion to this episode of "Just a guy with a nice collection".

I laughed out loud at work when I read the 'just a guy with a nice collection' comment.  Does that mean you're not a T/O either?  I kid, I kid...

[Iron_Chef]

I had emailed someone the finals standings, so not to worry, everything is saved and I don't need any more PMs.