N.Y.S.E. 20 Official Tournament Report

[Prospero]

For starters, my sincere thanks to the 46 players who showed up to the event yesterday.  While the crowd was missing many of the regulars that I had hoped to see, there was a sea of new faces.  For someone who prides himself on knowing a fair percentage of the American Vintage community, I found myself at a loss for words with all the new blood.  It was a heartening surprise.

There was, however, no surprise to me in the generosity and decency of one of the silent pillars of the Vintage community.  Visna Harris is known to just about everyone in the NY/NJ/PA community as a fun-loving pilot who has been responsible for many efforts, big and small, to help grow the community.  The prize support for yesterday's event was provided to me by Visna, and it was only by his beneficence that we were able to give away all that we did.  The Lotus was guaranteed, but the support for this event was stellar, as second place received a Revised Underground Sea, third got a Mana Crypt, fourth got a Beta Swords to Plowshares, and an additional $200 was given away for the 5th-8th place finishers.  Visna, you deserve the positive attention.  You have helped build the community that we have before us.  Thank you.


Complete Metagame Breakdown:


Drains:

Fenton Oath: 3
Treasure Cruise BUG Oath: 1
NWCS: 2
Gush Tendrils: 1
Grixis Control: 3
U/W Bomberman: 1
U/W Stoneforge Control: 2
4C Planeswalker Control: 1
BUG Control: 1  
AK-Abyss Control: 1
5C Deathrite Control: 1
U/B Control: 1

Workshops:

Terra Nova: 4
Martello Shops: 2
Espresso Stax: 1
Metalworker-Forgemaster: 1
5C Stax: 1
Slash Panther Aggro: 1

Null Rods:

Merfolk: 5
4C Delver: 2
RUG Delver: 4
U/R Delver: 1
B/R Goblins: 2

Rituals:

Gitaxian Long: 1
Doomsday-Gush: 1
Grixis Combo: 1

Bazaars:

Cavern Dredge: 1


Dredge had a huge coming out party last weekend at Top Deck Games, and it followed that up with... one participant at this week's event?  Wild.  This event really felt like it was dominated by the 'fair' Vintage decks.  Delver, Merfolk and Terra Nova were at the top tables all day long, and that's no surprise.  They may feature cards that aren't flashy, and may seem like they're not terribly good in this format, but they proved their worth over the day.


Top Eight Pairings and Results:


John Grudzina vs. Will Magrann - Grudzina wins.
Craig Masley vs. Will Dayton - Masley wins.
Raffaele Forino vs. Jesse Prouler - Forino wins.
Myles Caracciolo vs. Chris Hanson - Caracciolo wins.


Top Four Pairings and Results:


Myles Caracciolo vs. Raffaele Forino - Caracciolo wins.
John Grudzina vs. Craig Masley - Grudzina wins.


Finals:


Myles Caracciolo vs. John Grudzina - Split!


Congratulations to Myles Caracciolo, John Grudzina, and all my competitors!


Top Eight Decklists:


1st/2nd - Myles Caracciolo
Planeswalker Control

3 Island
2 Volcanic Island
2 Underground Sea
1 Library of Alexandria
1 Tolarian Academy
4 Scalding Tarn
2 Polluted Delta
2 Tezzeret the Seeker
2 Snapcaster Mage
3 Mana Drain
4 Force of Will
2 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
2 Mental Misstep
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Pearl
1 Black Lotus
1 Time Walk
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Time Vault
1 Fact or Fiction
1 Sensei's Divining Top
1 Toxic Deluge
1 Yawgmoth's Will
1 Sol Ring
1 Mana Crypt
1 Dack Fayden
1 Fire/Ice
1 Hurkyl's Recall
1 Mana Vault
1 Blightsteel Colossus
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Thirst for Knowledge
1 Misdirection
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Brainstorm
1 Spell Snare
1 Voltaic Key
1 Tinker
1 Flusterstorm
1 Vampiric Tutor

SB:

1 Notion Thief
2 Leyline of the Void
1 Mountain
2 Yixlid Jailer
2 Ravenous Trap
1 Hurkyl's Recall
1 Flusterstorm
1 Lightning Bolt
3 Ingot Chewer
1 Pyroblast

1st/2nd - John Grudzina
4C Delver

4 Delver of Secrets
3 Deathrite Shaman
3 Young Pyromancer
2 Snapcaster Mage
3 Mental Misstep
2 Spell Pierce
2 Spell Snare
2 Steel Sabotage
4 Force of Will
3 Lightning Bolt
2 Abrupt Decay
1 Ancient Grudge
1 Brainstorm
1 Ponder
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Time Walk
2 Preordain
2 Gush
3 Treasure Cruise
1 Black Lotus
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Ruby
3 Polluted Delta
4 Scalding Tarn
2 Underground Sea
2 Volcanic Island
2 Tropical Island
1 Island

SB:

1 Mountain
1 Surgical Extraction
3 Grafdigger's Cage
2 Nature's Claim
2 Annul
2 Flusterstorm
1 Abrupt Decay
1 Ancient Grudge
2 Ravenous Trap

3rd - Raffaele Forino
Martello Shops

1 Black Lotus
4 Chalice of the Void
1 Mana Crypt
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Pearl
1 Sol Ring
4 Phyrexian Revoker
3 Sphere of Resistance
4 Thorn of Amethyst
4 Tangle Wire
1 Trinisphere
4 Lodestone Golem
3 Phyrexian Metamorph
4 Kuldotha Forgemaster
1 Duplicant
1 Steel Hellkite
1 Sundering Titan
1 Strip Mine
1 Tolarian Academy
4 Ancient Tomb
4 Mishra's Factory
4 Mishra's Workshop
4 Wasteland

SB:

2 Dismember
4 Tormod's Crypt
1 Sphere of Resistance
3 Crucible of Worlds
1 Witchabane Orb
1 Duplicant
2 Wurmcoil Engine
1 Ghost Quarter

4th - Craig Masley
U/W Stoneforge Control

3 Tundra
4 Flooded Strand
2 Scalding Tarn
1 Marsh Flats
2 Cavern of Souls
1 Tolarian Academy
3 Island
2 Plains
4 Stoneforge Mystic
2 Vendilion Clique
2 Trinket Mage
1 Sensei's Divining Top
1 Engineered Explosives
1 Grafdigger's Cage
1 Pithing Needle
1 Batterskull
1 Swords of Fire and Ice
1 Sol Ring
1 Black Lotus
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Pearl
1 Brainstorm
1 Thirst for Knowledge
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Time Walk
4 Force of Will
3 Mental Misstep
1 Spell Snare
2 Mana Drain
2 Swords to Plowshares
1 Council's Judgment
3 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
1 Ponder

SB:

2 Grafdigger's Cage
1 Aegis of the Gods
2 Disenchant
1 Hurkyl's Recall
2 Meddling Mage
2 Rest in Peace
1 True-Name Nemesis
1 Supreme Verdict
1 Misdirection
2 Mindbreak Trap

5th - Will Dayton
Terra Nova

4 Dismember
3 Chalice of the Void
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Pearl
1 Sol Ring
3 Null Rod
4 Phyrexian Revoker
4 Sphere of Resistance
4 Thorn of Amethyst
4 Lodestone Golem
4 Phyrexian Metamorph
1 Darksteel Juggernaut
1 Karakas
1 Strip Mine
1 Tolarian Academy
4 Ancient Tomb
4 Mishra's Factory
4 Mishra's Workshop
4 Mutavault
4 Wasteland

SB:

4 Grafdigger's Cage
1 Null Rod
2 Sculpting Steel
2 Batterskull
2 Darksteel Juggernaut
1 Karakas
3 The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale

6th - Will Magrann
Terra Nova

4 Dismember
3 Chalice of the Void
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Pearl
1 Sol Ring
3 Null Rod
4 Phyrexian Revoker
4 Sphere of Resistance
4 Thorn of Amethyst
4 Lodestone Golem
4 Phyrexian Metamorph
1 Darksteel Juggernaut
1 Karakas
1 Strip Mine
1 Tolarian Academy
4 Ancient Tomb
4 Mishra's Factory
4 Mishra's Workshop
4 Mutavault
4 Wasteland

SB:

4 Grafdigger's Cage
2 Crucible of Worlds
2 Sculpting Steel
2 Batterskull
1 Darksteel Juggernaut
1 Karakas
3 The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale

7th - Chris Hanson
Terra Nova

4 Dismember
4 Chalice of the Void
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Pearl
1 Sol Ring
2 Null Rod
4 Phyrexian Revoker
4 Sphere of Resistance
4 Thorn of Amethyst
1 Trinisphere
4 Lodestone Golem
4 Phyrexian Metamorph
1 Karakas
1 Strip Mine
1 Tolarian Academy
4 Ancient Tomb
4 Mishra's Factory
4 Mishra's Workshop
4 Mutavault
4 Wasteland

SB:

2 Tormod's Crypt
4 Grafdigger's Cage
1 Null Rod
2 Crucible of Worlds
2 Batterskull
1 Darksteel Juggernaut
3 The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale

8th - Jesse Prouler
4C Planeswalker Control

4 Force of Will
3 Mana Drain
2 Flusterstorm
2 Mental Misstep
2 Fact or Fiction
1 Dig Through Time
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Time Walk
1 Gifts Ungiven
1 Noxious Revival
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Tinker
1 Yawgmoth's Will
2 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
1 Tezzeret, the Seeker
1 Dack Fayden
1 Blightsteel Colossus
1 Brainstorm
1 Hurkyl's Recall
2 Lightning Bolt
2 Abrupt Decay
1 Toxic Deluge
1 Black Lotus
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mana Crypt
1 Sol Ring
1 Sensei's Divining Top
1 Voltaic Key
1 Time Vault
1 Polluted Delta
4 Scalding Tarn
3 Underground Sea
1 Volcanic Island
2 Tropical Island
2 Mana Confluence
2 Island

SB:

4 Grafdigger's Cage
3 Yixlid Jailer
4 Ingot Chewer
2 Abrupt Decay
1 Toxic Deluge
1 Mountain


9th Place Prize:


The ninth place prize was nine One With Nothings, autographed by the top eight and I.  The proud winner of this auspicious prize is Matt Murray, who finished in ninth by the smallest of tiebreakers.

That said, I think that a moment should be spent talking about Matt.  His car bailed on him at the last minute, and, solo, he made the drive to New York to play in yesterday's event.  It showed dedication to the format, support for a T/O, and much of what makes the Vintage community exceptional.  

Thank you for making the trip, Matt.  I hope to be typing out your list in an N.Y.S.E. top eight report soon.


Grudge Match:


Well, Pennsylvania, I hope that you enjoyed your short time with the Grudge Match trophy.  It is coming back to its rightful home, in New York, thanks to the efforts of Raffaele Forino, Greg Fenton and Tom Dixon.  These three New Yorkers fought long and hard, and managed to win the Grudge Match with a 39 point performance!  Congratulations, Team New York!


In Conclusion:


While the turnout at yesterday's event could have been better, the quality of the men who turned out was exceptional.  I was happy to see so many new faces, glad to see many of the old ones do so well, and look forward to seeing you all at the next N.Y.S.E. event.

Outside of the N.Y.S.E. Open, I've been dormant as a T/O for the last two years.  I look forward to changing that.  Starting in January 2015, the N.Y.S.E. series will return to Brothers Grim on a quarterly basis.  My goal is to run a January event, an April event, the N.Y.S.E. Open, and an October event to close out the year.  I look forward to rebuilding the New York community with you.

My sincere thanks to Visna Harris, Brian Paskoff, Joe DiCarlo, and all my competitors!  See you soon!

[Chubby Rain]

The ninth place prize was nine One With Nothings, autographed by the top eight and I.  The proud winner of this auspicious prize is Matt Murray, who finished in ninth by the smallest of tiebreakers.

I'm going to keep them in my binder as a bad-luck good-luck charm. I'd also post pictures but unfortunately not all of them are family-friendly or appropriate for work.

Props to Nick for organizing the tournament, Visna for his contributions, and the top 8 on their accomplishments. Oh, and the group that went out to Applebees for dinner after the tournament.

Slops to a 4-hour early morning drive in the rain to LI, going to the wrong restaurant three times before finding the right Applebees, and getting home at 4 a.m.

[mr.grim]

Props to Raf and the rest of the top!
I am super excited to hear N.Y.S.E events will be making a comeback in 2015.

Visna, thank you for what you do for the vintage community!

I am sorry I missed this event but was happy to see 2 guys from my area get to go instead.

[brianpk80]

Thanks for the report.  I'm glad to see there's a January event coming up since this October, I was unable to make the Grudge match and will have to miss Champs due to a scheduling conflict.  Congratulations to the Top 9 and this is a pretty good showing for Khans of Tarkir, having both of its new draw spells represented by blue decks in the Top 8. 

[TVand]

Starting in January 2015, the N.Y.S.E. series will return to Brothers Grim on a quarterly basis.  My goal is to run a January event, an April event, the N.Y.S.E. Open, and an October event to close out the year.  I look forward to rebuilding the New York community with you.

That's really great to hear.  Yesterday's event was awesome, and I'm definitely planning to make the trip down from the barren, Vintage-free hellscape of upstate NY for those events.

[ErtaiAdept]

Cool to see that the top 8 was actually evenly split blue vs brown.   

Thanks a bunch Nick and Visna for a fantastic event.   Brothers Grim for hosting and to everyone who came out to play.   

[bfeingersh]

Love Grudzina's deck, better get your notion thieves/RIPs ready for champs.

[brianpk80]

Love Grudzina's deck, better get your notion thieves/RIPs ready for champs.

Seriously, that Notion Thief is going on one hell of a Cruise...

[The Atog Lord]

Notion Thief will steal your ship, making him a Notion Pirate.

[EyeOfTheStorm]

Notion Thief will steal your ship, making him a Notion Pirate.

Not a very good Pirate if he dies to Pirate Ship....

I was bummed to have missed this one (grumble grumble GP Orlando) but I'll glad to hear I'll have another shot in January!

[Prospero]

I'm going to see if I can put together a double Mox event, or something of that caliber. 

Card prices will play a big, big factor as far as the prize support is concerned. 

[Will]

This tournament was truly terrific! Whether it be the community, the Mexican food or the prize support, I don't know what my favorite part was. My least favorite part was definitely having to spend almost 8 hours in a confined area with Craig and his toxic gas, but even that couldn't take away from the awesomeness of the tournament!

I can't wait for the next event that you run, Nick!

[Prospero]

This tournament was truly terrific! Whether it be the community, the Mexican food or the prize support, I don't know what my favorite part was. My least favorite part was definitely having to spend almost 8 hours in a confined area with Craig and his toxic gas, but even that couldn't take away from the awesomeness of the tournament!

I can't wait for the next event that you run, Nick!

"Tanker ___ [fire, flip, spill, etc.] on the LIE" seems to be synonymous with "NYSE". 

Sorry to hear about that. 

Glad to hear you had a great time though. 

[Saya]

Congratulate Dack Fayden.

Eternal Weekend will see more dig through depths,which can dodge notion pirates.