TO Report: The Players Guild - Bloomsburg, PA - 12/22/12

[Kameli0n]

Today was a very poor day for vintage in Bloomsburg. Had 14 vintage participants. Top 4 decided to play with only the Mox Ruby going to first. Thanks  to everyone who did come to play vintage in Bloomsburg.

The Metagame Breakdown:

Forces:
Keeper: 1 – 7.14%
Confidant Control: 2 – 14.29%
URb Landstill: 1 – 7.14%

Workshops:
Aggro MUD: 1 – 7.14%

Combo:
Cobra Gush: 1 – 7.14%
Burning Tendrils: 2 – 14.29%

Bazaars:
Dredge: 2 – 14.29%

Others:
Noble Fish: 1 – 7.14%
Faeries: 1 – 7.14%
Elves: 1 – 7.14%
Shamans: 1 – 7.14%

This event was run with 4 swiss rounds with the cut to top 4.

Top 4 Pairings and Results
 Edwards, Rob vs. Ballester, Lance – Edwards Wins
Kenney, Tim vs. Gotshall, Matthew – Gotshall Wins

Finals
 Edwards, Rob vs. Gotshall, Matthew – Edwards Wins

Please inform us of any suggestions you may have for us to improve our tournaments in the future! And again, thanks to everyone for coming out to help support the game! Congrats to Rob for winning it all!

Top 4 Decklists:

First – Rob Edwards
“Worse Than Keeper”

1 Sol Ring
1 Mana Crypt
1 Black Lotus
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Mox Pearl
1 Voltaic Key
1 Tolarian Academy
1 Island
1 Snow-covered Island
1 Mountain
1 Flooded Strand
1 Polluted Delta
1 Misty Rainforest
4 Scalding Tarn
2 Underground Sea
2 Tropical Island
2 Volcanic Island
4 Force of Will
1 Mana Drain
1 Mindbreak Trap
1 Mental Misstep
1 Spell Pierce
1 Red Elemental Blast
1 Pyroblast
1 Merchant Scroll
1 Gifts Ungiven
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Time Walk
1 Brainstorm
1 Thirst for Knowledge
1 Sensei’s Divining Top
1 Tinker
1 Time Vault
1 Myr Battlesphere
1 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
1 Fire/Ice
1 Ancient Grudge
1 Echoing Truth
1 Lightning Bolt
1 Yawgmoth’s Will
1 Gorilla Shaman
1 Goblin Welder
1 Sower of Temptation
1 Trygon Predator
1 Trinket Mage

SB:
1 Leyline of the Void
1 Nihil Spellbomb
1 Pithing Needle
1 Yixlid Jailer
1 Ravenous Trap
1 Tormod’s Crypt
1 Grafdigger’s Cage
1 Engineered Explosives
1 Ingot Chewer
1 Viashino Heretic
1 Hurkyl’s Recall
1 Nature’s Claim
1 Mystic Remora
1 Pyroclasm
1 Perish

Second– Matthew Gottshall
“Shops"

4 Mishra’s Workshop
4 Mishra’s Factory
4 Wasteland
3 Ghost Quarter
1 Tolarian Academy
4 Ancient Tombs
4 Lodestone Golem
4 Phyrexian Metamorph
4 Phyrexian Revoker
1 Strip Mine
1 Black Lotus
1 Mana Crypt
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Pearl
1 Sol Ring
4 Sphere of Resistance
4 Tangle Wire
4 Chalice of the Void
4 Thorn of Amethyst
3 Crucible of Worlds
1 Trinisphere

SB:
3 Grafdigger’s Cage
3 Ratchet Bomb
4 Tormod’s Crypt
3 Dismember
1 Ghost Quarter
1 Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale

Semi-Finalist – Lance Ballester
“UBR Confidant”

4 Lightning Bolt
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Brainstorm
4 Delver of Secrets
2 Gitaxian Probe
2 Steel Sabotage
2 Snapcaster Mage
2 Mental Misstep
4 Force of Will
2 Dismember
1 Vendilion Clique
1 Runechanter’s Pike
4 Preordain
4 Dark Confidant
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Time Walk
4 Gush
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Mox Ruby
1 Black Lotus
1 Mox Jet
4 Scalding Tarn
1 Mountain
2 Underground Sea
2 Volcanic Island
1 Polluted Delta
2 Flooded Strand
3 Island

SB:
2 Spell Snare
2 Mental Misstep
4 Ingot Chewer
3 Grafdigger’s Cage
2 Pithing Needle
1 Grim Lavamancer
1 Viashino Heretic

Semi-Finalist – Tim Kenney
“Red Deck Wins”

4 Bloodghast
4 Narcomoeba
3 Ichorid
1 Flame-kin Zealot
1 Griselbrand
3 Golgari Thug
4 Stinkweed Imp
4 Golgari Grave-Troll
1 Sun Titan
1 Fatestitcher
1 Mental Misstep
4 Cabal Therapy
3 Dread Return
4 Bridge from Below
3 Nature’s Claim
1 Chain of Vapor
4 Serum Powder
4 Bazaar of Baghdad
4 City of Brass
4 Undiscovered Paradise
2 Dakmor Salvage

SB:
1 Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite
2 Ingot Chewer
4 Leyline of the Void
2 Chain of Vapor
1 Nature’s Claim
1 Darkblast
2 Wispmare
2 Mental Misstep

Again, thanks for all the support. The date of the next Bloomsburg event is not set as of yet. Thanks again everyone!!!!! And once again, Congratulations to Rob!!!

[mr.grim]

PROPS to A.one!

[Methuselahn]

Today was a very poor day for vintage in Bloomsburg. Had 14 vintage participants. Top 4 decided to play with only the Mox Ruby going to first. Thanks  to everyone who did come to play vintage in Bloomsburg.

Armed with these results, how would you structure the next tournament? What worked? What didn't work?  Was the date bad?  The entry fee? No interest?

I noticed that entry was 25$.  25 bucks x 14 people is 350 dollars.  I'm going to guess that you could have sold the Ruby and made more.  Perhaps contestants spent money at the store on other things to make up for it.

Do people come to win a mox or do they come to play vintage?

[msg67183]

Shawn, my deck should be titled "Ghosttown Shops"

[A.-1.]

Thanks, Keith.

Shawn, my deck is missing Voltaic Key and Mox Pearl.

The structure and entry fee were the same as always. The date conflicted with a Standard event in the area, and I'm sure the holidays didn't help. I don't think Bloomsburg has had any four-round events on open dates this year.

I feel like most of us in attendance were there to play Vintage, especially those of us on less than optimal decks.

[msg67183]

My list is also missing 4 Ancient Tombs
4 Lodestone Golem
4 Phyrexian Metamorph
4 Phyrexian Revoker

Congrats Rob for beating me and being my only losses of the day

[Pokey]

I feel like most of us in attendance were there to play Vintage, especially those of us on less than optimal decks.

Haha, yeah!  I had a great time playing my bad deck and losing to other bad decks.  I like power cards and top heavy prize pools, but I mostly just like vintage.

[Methuselahn]

So, do you think attendance would have greater if the entry fee was lower?  Say, 10 dollars instead?  If you weren't there for the prize and just the fun of playing games would it have been worth it to just play for a dual land or something instead of a mox?

I'm just curious.  I guess I've seen a lot of tournament results with lower turnout but entry fee seems a bit steep to me.    Maybe it's not the case.  Just wondering since you asked for suggestions.

[Kameli0n]

I do not think that having a 10 dollar entry for a dual land would entice many vintage players to travel 2 hours to play regardless of how much they enjoy the format. If I am wrong please let me know. Credit to top 4 was offered, and they rejected choosing to play for first only getting the ruby. There was a local standard event scheduled after I posted the event that drug a few of our locals away, as well as the fact that 2 people could not attend due to work, 1 person got stuck in traffic, and about 6-8 people apparently told their car pools last night that they changed their mind and didn't feel like attending. Plus the holidays. We work with what we get sometimes. Thank you. 

[brokenbacon]

Congrats all; Rob, that is one sick pile.

[InfectedMushroom]

Myself, along with a few others, could not get today off because of work. Last Saturday before Christmas is insane.

[poggydude]

i wouldve come if it werent for the holidays, i had the time, i just didnt have a ride back to state college

[A.-1.]

Mason, that "sentence" physically hurt me.

[vaughnbros]

A big thanks so Shawn for hosting a great event and still giving out a mox even when it was a loss.  My fingers are crossed for a larger turnout at the next Bloomsburg event.

Congrats Rob for beating me and being my only losses of the day.

Ditto on this one.

[Cruel Ultimatum]

So, do you think attendance would have greater if the entry fee was lower?  Say, 10 dollars instead?  If you weren't there for the prize and just the fun of playing games would it have been worth it to just play for a dual land or something instead of a mox?

I'm just curious.  I guess I've seen a lot of tournament results with lower turnout but entry fee seems a bit steep to me.    Maybe it's not the case.  Just wondering since you asked for suggestions.

The winter usually has the worst attendance. It is even worse right before Christmas.

[ramrodjon]

Holiday plans most definitely interfered with me making the trip to Bloomsburg for this event.  Looking forward to the next dates and see if I can attend.  Merry Christmas (Happy Holidays if you prefer) everyone!

[Will]

As someone who bailed the night before, the proximity to Christmas made my decision for me. Instead of going I finished my Christmas shopping, sorry Shawn.

[jlim17]

Hey guys! I wish I could make these. For feedback's sake, personally for me, this venue would have to be closer, as in 2 hrs or under, for me to make it out there. I'm the type of person who always has a lot going on, so squeezing 6 hours of driving time into my weekend not including tournament time is very difficult. However, I do intend on scheduling a whole weekend to come out, bring the wife and friends, play Sat and then go snowboarding on Sun!

If you are a vintage player and closer than me, you should have absolutely tried to make it out there and play! If I was closer, I'd try to be there every time. It is a luxury to have a monthly vintage tournament for power to go to. It sounds like Shawn does a great job running this event and providing this generous prize support each and every time. Its organizers like these that need and deserve your support. They make sacrifices for the magic community to give you a place and a reason to play, so play! Put down the video game for later. If you're on the fence about going to these, get off your ass and go, keep your local vintage community rolling, and do it for people like me who can't share in the experience!