Top 8 with Burning Long at Comic Book Depot

[Purple Hat]

It's been a while since I've played much live magic.  Some of you may remember me from back in the day when I used to animate dragons or smash people with arcbound crushers.  I think the last top 8 I made was in the second gush era, but I've been making about one tournament a year of some type for the past 3 years or so.  Recently I've had some more opportunities to play and I've been trying to get back into it for champs in November.

All that said, I've managed to convince my wife that I had time to play in tournaments the last two weekends.  The one at Top Deck Games last week didn't go too well (0-2 drop, 0-4 in games, massive play mistakes all around), but when I saw the event at Comic Book Depot was only an hour away I figured I had to give it another shot.

Here's what I ran:

Burning Long
Hale Simon 6/30/2013 @ Comic Book Depot

4 Burning Wish
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Vampiric tutor

4 Oath of Druids
2 Griselbrand

1 Wheel of fortune
1 Tinker
1 Memory Jar
1 Timetwister
1 Necropotence
1 Yawgmoth's bargain
1 Mind's desire
1 Windfall
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Time Walk
1 Brainstorm

1 Empty the Warrens

1 Repeal
2 Hurkyl's Recall
4 Duress

4 Dark Ritual
1 Chrome Mox
1 Mox Opal
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Mana Crypt
1 Mana Vault
1 Sol Ring
1 Black Lotus
1 Lotus Petal
1 Lion's Eye Diamond
4 Forbidden Orchard
4 City of Brass
3 Gemstone Mine
1 Tolarian Academy

Sideboard:
2 City of Solitude
2 Nature's Claim
3 Ancient Tomb
1 Hurkyl's Recall
1 Laboratory Maniac
1 Tendrils of Agony
1 Empty the Warrens
1 Show and Tell
1 Diminishing Returns
1 Shattering Spree
1 Yawgmoth's Will

I show up about 15 minutes early and fill out a deck reg.  Originally I had the second Chrome Mox where the Repeal is, I'm not sure that's the right call, so I think about it a bit and debate putting thoughtsieze in instead.  Rob Edwards suggest Repeal and I mention I don't have one.  He opens up his binder and passes one over, then just gave it to me when the tournament ended.  Nice Guy.

Pairings go up and it's time to roll:

Round 1: Grant on Dredge
Grant seems like a nice guy.  The player sitting next to him mentions that he almost played grant's deck today.  I'm intrigued, but grant is unwilling to give up any information.  I'm pretty sure I won the die roll but I don't have it noted anywhere and forget.

Game 1: he powders, then mulls to 5.  I keep a 7 that looks pretty decent with ancestral and some gas.  I think I ancestraled on turn 1 into turn 2 bargain.  He played bazaar and passed on his turn 1.  I manage to win from there.

Sideboard: -2 Hurkyl's recall, +2 Nature's Claim

Game 2: We both mull to 6, then he powders and keeps. he plays bazaar on his turn 1 and passes.  I play some moxes, wish for show and tell and drop griselbrand into play.  He gets a city of brass.  I go to draw 7 and he chains gris in response, so I draw 7 more.  With my fresh giant grip I try to play dark rit and he missteps, I play time walk and some mana, discard down to 7 and go to my walk turn.  He misstepped vampiric tutor in here somewhere too.  I wish for will and end up with storm 12, time walk and empty the warrens.

Games: 2-0, Matches: 1-0

Round 2: Nick Detweiler on some version of MUD
Nick asks if I'm the real Purple Hat, I say yes.  We talk a bit about how badly I've played recently and how much I'd like Dragon to be good again (not minus 6, Dragon with bazaars and Squee's).  Nick wins the roll and chooses to play

Game 1: I keep a hand with 1 land and 2 moxes and spells that don't read Hurkyl's Recall.  He keeps a hand with a sphere and a chalice of the void in it.  Then he gets some other lock parts....I think he wastes my land....it's an ugly scene.  I scoop at 19 life on about turn 5.

Sideboard: -2 Gris, -2 Duress, -1 Necro, -1 Bargain, -1 Desire.  +2 Nature's Claim, +3 Ancient Tomb, +1 Lab Maniac, +1 Hurkyl's Recall

Game 2: I don't remember this game too well.  I think this is the game where I mulled to 6 and decided I had to keep the Lotus, Mana Crypt, Orchard, Ancestral, Time Walk, Ancient Tomb hand because it was just too broken to ship.  That might have been next game though.  I think i was locked under a tangle wire for a while, and I kind of remember a trinisphere.  I'm pretty sure I imprinted a nature's claim on a chrome mox to cast oath. Regardless, it went on for a few turns, on one of which I appear to have gotten up to storm 6 with some blue mana floating before casting oath.  Oath gets Lab Man, and I'm able to get Nick a second creature and that wins the game.

Game 3: Nick mulls to 5 and I mull a hand that has tons of gas but no action.  Nick gets Grafdigger's cage into play, I play Oath.  he wastes my orchard leaving me with just a sapphire in play.  Oath finds Lab Man but mills away all my lands, along with about 50 cards off my deck. I play a city from hand and vamp in response to his strip hoping for enough mana to cast Lab Man.  The 5 cards are 2 dark rituals, mox jet and 2 other cards.  I put the jet on top, draw and play it.  Nick gets a steel Hellkite into play.  Next turn I can't use oath cus I still haven't got enough mana to cast Lab Man, but I draw a ritual and drop him into play.  Nick swings and destroys my oath.  then he casts a second HellKite.  I have 8 life and 1 card left in my library, but I repeal my sapphire on my upkeep and fail to draw for turn.

Matches: 2-0, Games 4-1

Round 3: Rob on Batterskull Shops
Rob gave me a repeal before the tournament started, so he knows exactly what I'm playing, and I've never seen rob play a non workshop deck so I've got a pretty good guess what he's playing.  I mention I hate playing the matchup and he says his build isn't as bad for me since it has less spheres than some of the other decks.  I think he won the roll.

Game 1: Rob plays turn 1 Sphere.  I play city of brass and chain out 3 moxen.  He gets a couple factories going and I'm losing chunks of life quickly. I think he stripped 2 land while I tried to get a chance to Hurkyl's him. Then he drops a batterskull.  Top deck Academy,  take the hit and Hurkyl's him Eot. Chain together Windfall and Wheel until I eventually have storm 10 and cast wish for tendrils.

Sideboard: -2 Gris, -2 Duress, -1 Necro, -1 Bargain, -1 Desire.  +2 Nature's Claim, +3 Ancient Tomb, +1 Lab Maniac, +1 Hurkyl's Recall

Game 2: he has a revoker and a sphere early, and I drop an oath.  I oath up Lab man while taking some beats, and he has chalice on 0 and chalice on 1.  I play timetwister trying to find an orchard, and fail, but I do find lots of fast mana, ancestral, vamp....chalice sucks...and empty the warrens.  There's a line of play that allows me to use this all to win, but I haven't figured it out yet at this point so we go back and forth for a while with me taking damage.  Then he makes a play mistake with me at 5 life and casts a second revoker.  I oath and fail to find.

The line of play that would have allowed me to win would be to cast empty for 2ish tokens, let him oath something up, then chump and let my tokens die so I can oath on my turn.  Gotta keep that one in mind for some tournament down the road.  Could be useful.

Matches: 3-0, Games: 6-1

At this point it becomes clear to me that I'm not gonna 0-2 drop and be home in a couple hours and be able to go to the grocery store.  Then again, I might be able to ID and go between rounds....

Round 4: Mike Moy on Dredge
Mike and I talk about drawing but with 20 participants they went to play/draw rules for top 8, so Mike wants to play it out since the other 3-0 got paired down.  I win the roll.

game 1: I play city of brass and duress him seeing 2 bazaars, 2 cities, an ichorid and a grave troll.  there was something else that I took, but I didn't write it down so I'm not sure what it was.  he plays bazaar and goes for the main phase bazaar pitching the gravetroll, ichorid and some other card.  I think about casting timetwister and drop another city for the turn, then decide to brainstorm and cast oath instead since he only has one dredger.  If I'd played brainstorm first I would have pulled a gemstone mine, but as it is I go to 17.  Mike dredges and finds a black creature to pitch to ichorid.  he plays the second bazaar and goes off.  he therapies me twice, getting rid of my timetwister.  he swings with ichorid and drops me to 14.  I dredge up griselbrand and draw 7.  My 7 cards are all fast mana and lands, but I can't draw another 7 because of the misplayed brainstorm and I lose.

Sideboard: -2 Hurkyls, +2 Nature's Claim

Game 2: I mull to 5, he keeps 7.  I play land, ruby, wish for diminishing returns, mox opal.  he casts therapy and takes the diminishing returns.  then at some point he nature's claims my ruby.  I never get in to the game.

Matches: 3-1, Games 6-3

Round 5: ID with Bogden

I use my ID to try and run to stop and shop and pick up supplies for the 4th of July.  I return just barely in time to not take a game loss in the top 8....good times.

Top 8: Bogden on TPS
Bogden is from the Ukraine and I saw him trying to find a vampiric tutor and a yawgmoth's will before the tournament started.  He's a nice guy, and I know he's playing some kind of storm deck, but I'm not sure what it is.  He was the #2 seed and chooses to play first.

Game 1: he plays turn 1 land.  I play turn 1 greedy idiot....jet, sol ring, chrome mox imprinting brainstorm, city, hurkyls myself.  He forces the hurkyls and I don't have enough mana to cast empty...oops.  I cast diminishing returns removing mostly lands, but mind's desire and Jar are gone too.  My hand ends up as some rituals, bargain and oath, but I'm tapped out.  I pass and it turns out bogden drew 2 duresses off the dimishing returns....that's the game as he tendril's me out a few turns later after I draw tinker with no jar left in my deck.

Sideboard: -2 Hurkyl's recall, -2 Griselbrand (this was dumb), +1 Lab Man, +1 Nature's Claim, +2 City of Solitude

Game 2: I play turn 2 duress seeing a hand of 2 dark rit, mana vault, tendrils, blightsteel and force.  I take the force.  next turn I windfall and we each draw 4.  I considered wishing on turn 2 and casting diminishing returns on turn 3.  Not sure if turn 3 windfall was the right play here.  Anyway, my 4 don't get me there.  Bogden eventually gets jar, tinkers up bsc and I lose.

Final record: Matches 3-1-2, games 6-5.

Overall it was a good tournament, and I played decently so a huge improvement over last week.  I'll definitely try to make it out to one of these again soon. 

I'm not sure about repeal in the deck.  I think I want it to be demonic consultation instead.  I never actually played a control deck and never saw city of solitude anyway so I'm not sure if it was a good thing to have or not.  I never wish for shattering spree, so i think I'm going to take it out of the board for either Grapeshot or Balance.

[XxtSundaybxX]

Nice report. In regards to your line of play against workshops where you figured you should have played empty for 2ish tokens and let your opponent oath up a creature and attack and you would block, if your opponent was competant he probably wouldn't attack into your tokens and let you win the game. So I don't necessarily think that your line of play was wrong/that he empty plan was a better line of play.

In regards to repeal, I haven't played this deck yet but I've watched Elias play many a games and repeal was really really good for him. Maybe it wasn't good for you, or maybe it was just too small of a sample size to make that call. Just an outside observation.

[A.-1.]

Congrats on the finish.

Are you sure Bogden was the two seed? I think you guys were the four/five match because Bogden went on to play Mike, who was the one seed, in top four.

I think you should play some games with Repeal before making a decision. Like Allen said, two Repeals were working out for Elias, and you only played 11 games.

[Purple Hat]

that's definitely true about repeal, and I didn't play any control decks either.  It's more of a feeling that it doesn't suit my play style.  every time it came up I was just like "oh...and my hand contains this other card..." it just felt out of place in my thought process, so I could be playing it wrong or just inclined towards lines that it doesn't really promote.

Bogden said he was the 2 seed, but it seemed odd to me as well.  I just barely avoided taking a game loss after running to the store so I'm not sure what the seeding was and just believed his story.

[Samoht]

that's definitely true about repeal, and I didn't play any control decks either.  It's more of a feeling that it doesn't suit my play style.  every time it came up I was just like "oh...and my hand contains this other card..." it just felt out of place in my thought process, so I could be playing it wrong or just inclined towards lines that it doesn't really promote.

Bogden said he was the 2 seed, but it seemed odd to me as well.  I just barely avoided taking a game loss after running to the store so I'm not sure what the seeding was and just believed his story.

He may have been higher than you, but I believe Jake Gans was the 2 seed.

[XxtSundaybxX]

I could be wrong, but while repeal does serve a purpose as a storm card, I believe it's main purpose it to give you outs to random cards you may run into. Things like null rod/Stoney silence, chalice, gaddock teeg, etc. there's nothing worse than conceding a game you should have won simply because you could not remove something from the board. It's never a dead card either, worse case it cycles.

[psyburat]

I could be wrong, but while repeal does serve a purpose as a storm card, I believe it's main purpose it to give you outs to random cards you may run into. Things like null rod/Stoney silence, chalice, gaddock teeg, etc. there's nothing worse than conceding a game you should have won simply because you could not remove something from the board. It's never a dead card either, worse case it cycles.

Repeal cannot be cast when Gaddock Teeg is on the battlefield.   Otherwise, yes, Repeal serves as a targeted Hurkyl's Recall in its ability to generate storm or remove a disruptive permanent, depending on the situation.

[Samoht]

I could be wrong, but while repeal does serve a purpose as a storm card, I believe it's main purpose it to give you outs to random cards you may run into. Things like null rod/Stoney silence, chalice, gaddock teeg, etc. there's nothing worse than conceding a game you should have won simply because you could not remove something from the board. It's never a dead card either, worse case it cycles.

Repeal cannot be cast when Gaddock Teeg is on the battlefield.   Otherwise, yes, Repeal serves as a targeted Hurkyl's Recall in its ability to generate storm or remove a disruptive permanent, depending on the situation.

BUT IT BEATS GRAFDIGGERS CAGE!!!!!!!!!!1111111oneoneoneoneone

[psyburat]

I could be wrong, but while repeal does serve a purpose as a storm card, I believe it's main purpose it to give you outs to random cards you may run into. Things like null rod/Stoney silence, chalice, gaddock teeg, etc. there's nothing worse than conceding a game you should have won simply because you could not remove something from the board. It's never a dead card either, worse case it cycles.

Repeal cannot be cast when Gaddock Teeg is on the battlefield.   Otherwise, yes, Repeal serves as a targeted Hurkyl's Recall in its ability to generate storm or remove a disruptive permanent, depending on the situation.

BUT IT BEATS GRAFDIGGERS CAGE!!!!!!!!!!1111111oneoneoneoneone

Unlike you.  Ever. 

[Samoht]

I could be wrong, but while repeal does serve a purpose as a storm card, I believe it's main purpose it to give you outs to random cards you may run into. Things like null rod/Stoney silence, chalice, gaddock teeg, etc. there's nothing worse than conceding a game you should have won simply because you could not remove something from the board. It's never a dead card either, worse case it cycles.

Repeal cannot be cast when Gaddock Teeg is on the battlefield.   Otherwise, yes, Repeal serves as a targeted Hurkyl's Recall in its ability to generate storm or remove a disruptive permanent, depending on the situation.

BUT IT BEATS GRAFDIGGERS CAGE!!!!!!!!!!1111111oneoneoneoneone

Unlike you.  Ever. 

I started playing Goblin Welder just to find another way to fail.

[XxtSundaybxX]

I could be wrong, but while repeal does serve a purpose as a storm card, I believe it's main purpose it to give you outs to random cards you may run into. Things like null rod/Stoney silence, chalice, gaddock teeg, etc. there's nothing worse than conceding a game you should have won simply because you could not remove something from the board. It's never a dead card either, worse case it cycles.

Repeal cannot be cast when Gaddock Teeg is on the battlefield.   Otherwise, yes, Repeal serves as a targeted Hurkyl's Recall in its ability to generate storm or remove a disruptive permanent, depending on the situation.

Good catch, I forgot about that. That's why I play chain of vapor

[Cruel Ultimatum]

I could be wrong, but while repeal does serve a purpose as a storm card, I believe it's main purpose it to give you outs to random cards you may run into. Things like null rod/Stoney silence, chalice, gaddock teeg, etc. there's nothing worse than conceding a game you should have won simply because you could not remove something from the board. It's never a dead card either, worse case it cycles.

Repeal cannot be cast when Gaddock Teeg is on the battlefield.   Otherwise, yes, Repeal serves as a targeted Hurkyl's Recall in its ability to generate storm or remove a disruptive permanent, depending on the situation.

BUT IT BEATS GRAFDIGGERS CAGE!!!!!!!!!!1111111oneoneoneoneone

Unlike you.  Ever. 

I started playing Goblin Welder just to find another way to fail.

Welder is quite good with grafdigfers cage. Although I guess if you have no clue what the card does its not too good.

[Samoht]

I could be wrong, but while repeal does serve a purpose as a storm card, I believe it's main purpose it to give you outs to random cards you may run into. Things like null rod/Stoney silence, chalice, gaddock teeg, etc. there's nothing worse than conceding a game you should have won simply because you could not remove something from the board. It's never a dead card either, worse case it cycles.

Repeal cannot be cast when Gaddock Teeg is on the battlefield.   Otherwise, yes, Repeal serves as a targeted Hurkyl's Recall in its ability to generate storm or remove a disruptive permanent, depending on the situation.

BUT IT BEATS GRAFDIGGERS CAGE!!!!!!!!!!1111111oneoneoneoneone

Unlike you.  Ever. 

I started playing Goblin Welder just to find another way to fail.

Welder is quite good with grafdigfers cage. Although I guess if you have no clue what the card does its not too good.

Pretty sure you can't Welder a creature into play from the Graveyard buddy :p

[Cruel Ultimatum]

I could be wrong, but while repeal does serve a purpose as a storm card, I believe it's main purpose it to give you outs to random cards you may run into. Things like null rod/Stoney silence, chalice, gaddock teeg, etc. there's nothing worse than conceding a game you should have won simply because you could not remove something from the board. It's never a dead card either, worse case it cycles.

Repeal cannot be cast when Gaddock Teeg is on the battlefield.   Otherwise, yes, Repeal serves as a targeted Hurkyl's Recall in its ability to generate storm or remove a disruptive permanent, depending on the situation.

BUT IT BEATS GRAFDIGGERS CAGE!!!!!!!!!!1111111oneoneoneoneone

Unlike you.  Ever. 

I started playing Goblin Welder just to find another way to fail.

Welder is quite good with grafdigfers cage. Although I guess if you have no clue what the card does its not too good.

Pretty sure you can't Welder a creature into play from the Graveyard buddy :p

I meant its good if your opponent is playing artifact creatures.

[Samoht]

I could be wrong, but while repeal does serve a purpose as a storm card, I believe it's main purpose it to give you outs to random cards you may run into. Things like null rod/Stoney silence, chalice, gaddock teeg, etc. there's nothing worse than conceding a game you should have won simply because you could not remove something from the board. It's never a dead card either, worse case it cycles.

Repeal cannot be cast when Gaddock Teeg is on the battlefield.   Otherwise, yes, Repeal serves as a targeted Hurkyl's Recall in its ability to generate storm or remove a disruptive permanent, depending on the situation.

BUT IT BEATS GRAFDIGGERS CAGE!!!!!!!!!!1111111oneoneoneoneone

Unlike you.  Ever. 

I started playing Goblin Welder just to find another way to fail.

Welder is quite good with grafdigfers cage. Although I guess if you have no clue what the card does its not too good.

Pretty sure you can't Welder a creature into play from the Graveyard buddy :p

I meant its good if your opponent is playing artifact creatures.

And has non-creature artifacts in the graveyard?

[Mr. Type 4]

I think you want them to have Artifact creatures in the graveyard, that's when its really good with Cage. 

[Kameli0n]

Leave Tom alone, he is still learning.

[rpf5029]

Wait, wait, wait, wait... so if you have a Cage and a Welder in play, then use the welder targeting an artifact in play and an artifact creature in the graveyard, the exchange still tries to resolve as much as possible?  The artifact in play goes bye-bye, and the creature stays in the yard? 

[vaughnbros]

Wait, wait, wait, wait... so if you have a Cage and a Welder in play, then use the welder targeting an artifact in play and an artifact creature in the graveyard, the exchange still tries to resolve as much as possible?  The artifact in play goes bye-bye, and the creature stays in the yard? 

Only if you play the chorus from 'N Sync's Bye Bye Bye on your phone.

[msg67183]

Wait, wait, wait, wait... so if you have a Cage and a Welder in play, then use the welder targeting an artifact in play and an artifact creature in the graveyard, the exchange still tries to resolve as much as possible?  The artifact in play goes bye-bye, and the creature stays in the yard? 

Only if you play the chorus from 'N Sync's Bye Bye Bye on your phone.

Winning

[Purple Hat]

Wait, wait, wait, wait... so if you have a Cage and a Welder in play, then use the welder targeting an artifact in play and an artifact creature in the graveyard, the exchange still tries to resolve as much as possible?  The artifact in play goes bye-bye, and the creature stays in the yard?  

exchanges don't work like that.  if part of the exchange fails the whole exchange gets unwound.  it's not like a normal target.

Learn something new everyday

[Samoht]

Wait, wait, wait, wait... so if you have a Cage and a Welder in play, then use the welder targeting an artifact in play and an artifact creature in the graveyard, the exchange still tries to resolve as much as possible?  The artifact in play goes bye-bye, and the creature stays in the yard? 

exchanges don't work like that.  if part of the exchange fails the whole exchange gets unwound.  it's not like a normal target.

That's what I thought, but have been told I was wrong. Guess it's time for clarification/research.

[Cruel Ultimatum]

Wait, wait, wait, wait... so if you have a Cage and a Welder in play, then use the welder targeting an artifact in play and an artifact creature in the graveyard, the exchange still tries to resolve as much as possible?  The artifact in play goes bye-bye, and the creature stays in the yard?  

exchanges don't work like that.  if part of the exchange fails the whole exchange gets unwound.  it's not like a normal target.

This is not true. Infact goblin welder doesn't even exchange anymore. The grafdiggers cage doesn't stop the goblin welder from targeting, it just stops the artifact creature from returning to the battlefield.

[Bibendum]

Welder looks for two legal targets. There are legal targets, Cage does not make it an illegal target, it just stops the creature from being put into the yard. Welder can eat artifacts in play and bring nothing from the yard with a Cage and an artifact creature in the yard.

[Stormanimagus]

Welder looks for two legal targets. There are legal targets, Cage does not make it an illegal target, it just stops the creature from being put into the yard. Welder can eat artifacts in play and bring nothing from the yard with a Cage and an artifact creature in the yard.

QFT.