New York Northeast Vintage I

[Prospero]

And 2012 has begun!  At the second NEV event nobody could stop Ryan Glackin, running Matt Elias’s Gro list.  Congrats, Glackin!


The Complete Metagame Breakdown:





Drains:

Snapcaster Control: 4
Meandeck Stoneblade: 1
East Coast Wins: 1
Stasis Control: 1
Emrakul Oath: 2
Demon Oath: 2  
Snapclamp: 1
Bob/Gush: 1
Jace Control: 1
U/R/B Landstill: 1
U/B/G Jace: 1
Cron/DeMars Control: 2
U/R/B Painter: 1
U/B/R Tezz: 1

Shops:

Espresso Stax: 5
Mono Red Shops: 1
White Stax: 1

Bazaars:

3 Decks, 1 Box: 1
Unmask Dredge: 1
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia: 1

Null Rods:

U/B Bob-Delver: 2
R/G Beats: 1  
GRO: 3
Bob-Gro: 1
UBW Wizards: 1
Noble Fish: 2

Rituals:

Snapcaster Tendrils: 1
Bob Tendrils: 1
2 Land Belcher: 1
Hermit Druid Combo: 2

There are many things to take away from this breakdown.  Creature based strategies aren’t just viable, they’re a format defining aspect of Vintage right now.  Snapcaster Mage has left an indelible mark on the format as he sees play in everything from Ritual based Combo, to Control, to Aggro.  And then there’s Espresso, which, two years after development, continues to leave blue pilots on the side of the road as it continues to show its strength and resilience in the format.


Top Eight Pairings and Results:


Justin Leshen vs. Will Magrann – Leshen wins
Michael Mahr vs. Michael Savage – Mahr wins
Dan Mason vs. Bryan Brady – Mason wins
Ryan Glackin vs. Corey Mann – Glackin wins


Top Four Pairings and Results:


Dan Mason vs. Michael Mahr – Mason wins
Ryan Glackin vs. Justin Leshen – Glackin wins


Finals:


Ryan Glackin vs. Dan Mason – Glackin wins

Congratulations to Ryan Glackin, Dan Mason and all the top eight competitors!  While Gro may have won the tournament, I have to admit that I’m stunned that Espresso Stax took a full half of the top eight…  Welcome to Shop Country!

1st – Ryan Glackin
Elias Gro

1 Ancestral Recall
1 Brainstorm
1 Flusterstorm
4 Force of Will
4 Gush
1 Hurkyl’s Recall
2 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
3 Mental Misstep
1 Merchant Scroll
4 Mystic Remora
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Ponder
1 Preordain
1 Time Walk
1 Tinker
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Yawgmoth’s Will
1 Fastbond
3 Tarmogoyf
2 Trygon Predator
1 Black Lotus
1 Blightsteel Colossus
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Sol Ring
1 Time Vault
1 Voltaic Key
2 Island
4 Misty Rainforest
3 Scalding Tarn
3 Tropical Island
3 Underground Sea

SB:

1 Flusterstorm
1 Sower of Temptation
1 Dismember
4 Leyline of the Void
2 Yixlid Jailer
4 Nature’s Claim
1 Nihil Spellbomb
1 Forest

2nd – Dan Mason
Espresso Stax

4 Chalice of the Void
4 Tangle Wire
4 Smokestack
4 Sphere of Resistance
4 Phyrexian Metamorph
4 Lodestone Golem
2 Phyrexian Revoker
1 Trinisphere
2 Crucible of Worlds
3 Karn, Silver Golem
1 Black Lotus
1 Sol Ring
1 Mana Crypt
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Pearl
4 Mishra’s Workshop
4 Wasteland
4 Ancient Tomb
1 Strip Mine
1 Tolarian Academy
3 Mishra’s Factory
3 Rishadan Port

SB:

3 Dismember
4 Tormod’s Crypt
3 Relic of Progentius
3 Duplicant
1 Crucible of Worlds
1 Ghost Quarter

3rd – Justin Leshen
Dredge is the Only Real Deck

4 Stinkweed Imp
4 Bazaar of Baghdad
1 Mental Misstep
4 Bloodghast
2 Flame-Kin Zealot
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Black Lotus
3 Undiscovered Paradise
4 City of Brass
1 Lion’s Eye Diamond
2 Sun Titan
1 Dakmor Salvage
4 Narcomoeba
1 Ancestral Recall
4 Bridge from Below
4 Golgari Grave-Troll
1 Brainstorm
1 Chain of Vapor
1 Lotus Petal
1 Nature’s Claim
3 Fatestitcher
4 Cabal Therapy
3 Ichorid
3 Dread Return
2 Golgari Thug

SB:

4 Leyline of the Void
2 Nature’s Claim
2 Mental Misstep
3 Chain of Vapor
2 Firestorm
1 Darkblast
1 Serenity

4th – Michael Mahr
Espresso Stax

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

SB:

3 Duplicant
3 Relic of Progenitus
3 Ghost Quarter
2 Tormod’s Crypt
1 Crucible of Worlds
3 Pithing Needle

5th – Will Magrann
Espresso Stax

1 Black Lotus
4 Chalice of the Void
1 Mana Crypt
1 Sol Ring
4 Sphere of Resistance
2 Thorn of Amethyst
2 Crucible of Worlds
4 Tangle Wire
1 Trinisphere
4 Lodestone Golem
4 Phyrexian Metamorph
4 Smokestack
3 Karn, Silver Golem
1 Strip Mine
1 Tolarian Academy
3 Mishra’s Factory
3 Rishadan Port
4 Ancient Tomb
4 Mishra’s Workshop
4 Wasteland

SB:

3 Dismember
4 Tormod’s Crypt
3 Relic of Progenitus
2 Duplicant
3 The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale

6th – Corey Mann
Espresso Stax

1 Black Lotus
4 Chalice of the Void
1 Mana Crypt
1 Sol Ring
4 Sphere of Resistance
2 Thorn of Amethyst
2 Crucible of Worlds
4 Tangle Wire
1 Trinisphere
4 Lodestone Golem
4 Phyrexian Metamorph
4 Smokestack
3 Karn, Silver Golem
1 Strip Mine
1 Tolarian Academy
3 Mishra’s Factory
3 Rishadan Port
4 Ancient Tomb
4 Mishra’s Workshop
4 Wasteland

SB:

3 Dismember
4 Tormod’s Crypt
3 Relic of Progenitus
2 Duplicant
3 The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale

7th – Michael Savage
Blouse

1 Mox Sapphire
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Pearl
1 Black Lotus
1 Mana Crypt
1 Sol Ring
1 Voltaic Key
1 Time Vault
2 Sensei’s Divining Top
1 Blightsteel Colossus
4 Force of Will
3 Mana Drain
3 Mental Misstep
2 Flusterstorm
4 Dark Confidant
2 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
1 Tezzeret the Seeker
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Time Walk
1 Fire/Ice
1 Hurkyl’s Recall
1 Misdirection
1 Yawgmoth’s Will
1 Brainstorm
1 Thirst for Knowledge
1 Merchant Scroll
3 Underground Sea
2 Volcanic Island
1 Tolarian Academy
1 Tinker
2 Island
4 Scalding Tarn
2 Misty Rainforest
1 Mountain

SB:

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

8th – Bryan Brady
Terminator 2: Judgment Day

1 Merchant Scroll
1 Mystical Tutor
4 Hermit Druid
2 Laboratory Maniac
4 Narcomoeba
4 Force of Will
3 Mental Misstep
3 Cabal Therapy
2 Dread Return
4 Gitaxian Probe
4 Green Sun’s Zenith
1 Deep Analysis
1 Memory's Journey
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Ruby
1 Lotus Petal
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Black Lotus
1 Sol Ring
1 Mana Crypt
3 Verdant Catacombs
4 Misty Rainforest
2 Tropical Island
1 Breeding Pool
2 Underground Sea
4 City of Brass

SB:

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

9th Place Prize:


The winner of the 9th place prize was the one and only Mike Noble!  Mike ended up with 60+ Mudholes.  Tarv?


Conclusion:


Where do I even begin when it comes to thanking people?  Rich Stein, thank you for hauling out your video equipment, editing the rounds that you recorded and offering to put it all up for us.  It’s a much appreciated effort and something that is a tremendous service to the community.  Mark Hornung, thank you for helping me set up the Twitter account that I have yet to use...  My sincere thanks go out to Brian Paskoff, the best judge I could ask for, to Brothers Grim, who provide us with an incredible venue that offers even better service by its staff, but mostly my thanks go out to you, the players.  You are what make Vintage great – you are what define us as the incredible community that we are.  Thank you for coming out and supporting your local Vintage T/O, Brothers Grim and the format that we love.

The announcement for the next New York NEV event is up, but I’ll see you all a week before that, on 2/11 in Jersey!  Until then…

[Womba]

Winter Orb and Hermit Blaster?!?! What an other awesome top 8 and great event ran by the guys at Brother's Grimm. SnapClamp didn't really cut it for me at this one. It looks like the metagame is rotating once again.....with Shops leading the charge. 4 out of 5 in Top 8 is very impressive.....

Congrats to Glackin and the rest of the Top 8; it was great seeing some new faces out there!!!

[A.-1.]

Grats to Glackin and the rest of top eight.

How are those Mudholes treating you Mike? Those things just keep getting passed around.

[Iron_Chef]

Congratulations Glackin!

Also, that's one sexy chart!

[Prospero]

Winter Orb and Hermit Blaster?!?! What an other awesome top 8 and great event ran by the guys at Brother's Grimm. SnapClamp didn't really cut it for me at this one. It looks like the metagame is rotating once again.....with Shops leading the charge. 4 out of 5 in Top 8 is very impressive.....

Congrats to Glackin and the rest of the Top 8; it was great seeing some new faces out there!!!

When you consider that the last Espresso pilot lost his round six, knocking him out of top 8, it's even more so. 

We have to get the Twitter thing going.  I had no free time on Saturday.

[MagusOfTheMoon]

vintage is a format dominated by inkmoth nexus, blazing shoal and Draco.. Discuss.

Ah, Lord.  Full warning for using red text.  Jesse, please...

[voltron00x]

Grats again, Glackin!

[KingSquee]

Grats to Glackin and the rest of top eight.

How are those Mudholes treating you Mike? Those things just keep getting passed around.

The Mudholes got passed again... to me! Apparently those Mudholes would have nearly doubled the size of Mykie's collection and he can't have that! I've got them spread out on my bedroom floor, waiting for one of my cats to lay down on top of them and crush poor Tarv. But so far Oreo and Mittens are not being cooperative...

Also my sideboard should be -1 Nature's Claim and +1 Yixlid Jailer.

I should have a report up within the next couple of days.

[XxtSundaybxX]

Congrats again Glackin, and congrats to the rest of the top 8. Lots of new faces in top 8s these days.

[Alamoth]

Game 1 of the Round 1 Feature Match between Paul Mastriano and Ryan Glackin is now available on Youtube! Game 2 will be up later today, and I will upload Round 2's feature match tonight.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXiRu0MmZYQ

[Alamoth]

And now, for your viewing pleasure, Game 2 of Mastriano/Glackin: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ij9LDfzE_H4

Spoiler Alert: There's no game 3 

[MagusOfTheMoon]

Pweease get me that Hermit Druid feature match ASAP!

[Alamoth]

Pweease get me that Hermit Druid feature match ASAP!

The rest of the videos will be up later tonight!

[MagusOfTheMoon]

Pweease get me that Hermit Druid feature match ASAP!

The rest of the videos will be up later tonight!

You'd a best! Are you recording the whole season?
Make an effort to record top 4 featured. I'm excited.
Six to midnight over here.

[Alamoth]

Are you recording the whole season?
Make an effort to record top 4 featured. I'm excited.

I will try to make it to every event. I am planning on going to the Grudge Match in February which will host the third tournament of this series. As far as recording the top-8 matches, I am tied to the whim of the gentleman who is kind enough to provide my transportation to the events. If someone in our car makes the top-8 or if our driver wants to stay to spectate, then I will record the matches.

[voltron00x]

The maindeck of that Hermit Druid list is really similar to something Storm and I had worked on via IM.  Not sure if the list is based on that, but its cool to see the idea worked.  I think the deck is actually quite good against everything but Shops, but an unwinnable Shops match-up makes me scared to try it.

[MagusOfTheMoon]

The maindeck of that Hermit Druid list is really similar to something Storm and I had worked on via IM.  Not sure if the list is based on that, but its cool to see the idea worked.  I think the deck is actually quite good against everything but Shops, but an unwinnable Shops match-up makes me scared to try it.

Yea I assure you the only thing that influenced the construction of that deck was sex and bOoze. Oh and one really long Play test night between friends. The shop match tests went better than that top eight match. Can't win em all!

[MagusOfTheMoon]

The maindeck of that Hermit Druid list is really similar to something Storm and I had worked on via IM.  Not sure if the list is based on that, but its cool to see the idea worked.  I think the deck is actually quite good against everything but Shops, but an unwinnable Shops match-up makes me scared to try it.

Yea I assure you the only thing that influenced the construction of that deck was sex and bOoze. Oh and one really long Play test night between friends. The shop match tests went better than that top eight match. Can't win em all!

Pps Dan Mason is the goblin king. FYI

[Alamoth]

If you subscribed to my Youtube channel (which you didn't because I only have two subscribers) then you'd already know that Game 1 of the Round 2 feature match is now available for your viewing pleasure. Game 2 should be uploading now and I will have Rounds 3, 4 and 5 edited and posted tonight (I got caught up last night on some other work but didn't finish video editing).

http://www.youtube.com/Alamoth83

[XxtSundaybxX]

If you subscribed to my Youtube channel (which you didn't because I only have two subscribers) then you'd already know that Game 1 of the Round 2 feature match is now available for your viewing pleasure. Game 2 should be uploading now and I will have Rounds 3, 4 and 5 edited and posted tonight (I got caught up last night on some other work but didn't finish video editing).

http://www.youtube.com/Alamoth83

Round 2-  it's actually "Allen Fulmer" not "Alan Fullmer"

And nice work on the videos. This is a really cool feature.

[Alamoth]

Round 2-  it's actually "Allen Fulmer" not "Alan Fullmer"

And nice work on the videos. This is a really cool feature.

Thanks! I've corrected this mistake in the titles and descriptions.

[forests failed you]

Just a quick thing I noticed:  Meandeck Stoneblade is posted under "null rod decks" when it, in fact, plays Mana Drains and no Null Rods.  Just saying...

[Prospero]

Just a quick thing I noticed:  Meandeck Stoneblade is posted under "null rod decks" when it, in fact, plays Mana Drains and no Null Rods.  Just saying...

I edited it.

There are many decks that I file under the Null Rod pillar that don't actually run Null Rods.  Generally it's more a point of it being an aggressive, creature based deck.  Still, point taken, as the inclusion of Drains and the lack of Rods would shift it.

[psyburat]

How are those Mudholes treating you Mike? Those things just keep getting passed around.

As Glackin said, they literally doubled the size of my collection, so I have passed them off to the winner of the whole shebang to return it to 79 cards (my Me Fish 75, Mox Jet, Mox Ruby, Sunken City, Sibilant Spirit).

Spoiler Alert:  Round 3 is me vs Mark Hornung.  Variance ensues.  Also, since there is some audio in the other games, you may get to hear Mark mock my unique approach to Magic.

[Ravager Sam]

61 card MD is cool, but is it correct?

[Prospero]

61 card MD is cool, but is it correct?

I counted it out three times, then read Glackin's report a little while later.  His 61 card main is, indeed, correct.

[Ravager Sam]

And Gans, too, from a few weeks ago @ TDG.  Both with 61.

[KingSquee]

Hell, I figured if it's good enough for Jake Gans, it's good enough for me.

Should I ever make a Limited PTQ Top 8, I assure you I will not run 42 cards though. That's a little too loose.

[Ravager Sam]

Didn't Gans also play a 61 card dredge deck featuring Jace and 0 serum powder?

 

[Alamoth]

Spoiler Alert:  Round 3 is me vs Mark Hornung.  Variance ensues.  Also, since there is some audio in the other games, you may get to hear Mark mock my unique approach to Magic.

Sorry this took so long but with my girlfriend moving to Los Angeles this past week I spent virtually all of my free time with her and not in front of my computer editing video.  Of course, on the bright side, now that she's on the other side of the country pursuing her dream of "not having to put up with living in new york city for like a year or two" I'll have way more time to get this done and maybe even make it look professional or something.

In the meantime, both games of Mark and Mike's epic battle are up at http://www.youtube.com/Alamoth83

Expect rounds 4 and 5 to be up soon.