Hi everyone! My name is Brett Schmuckler and I live in the suburbs of Philadelphia, PA. This was my first vintage event with a "real" deck. 32(ish?) players on a nice Saturday afternoon showed up at Top Deck Games/Card Titan to battle some vintage in Haddonfield Township, New Jersey (right across the bridge from Philadelphia, PA). I went 4-1 in swiss, no-sirred the t8 split and split the t4.
Some notes about the event:
6-8 Shops lists in the room; most were Martello, only 2-3 Terra Nova
0 Dredge lists. That's right, none!
1 Merfolk
Lots of Delver-Gush lists, mostly U/R/(g)
2-3 Mentor Lists U/W/(r)
1 Worldgorger Dragon list
At least 1 BUG Fish list
My list: (* = 1 proxy)
4 Phyrexian Metamorph
4 Lodestone Golem
4 Phyrexian Revoker
3 Chalice of the Void
4 Thorn of Amethyst
4 Sphere of Resistance
3 Null Rod
1 Sol Ring
1 Trinisphere
4 Dismember
4 Mishra's Factory
4 Ancient Tomb
4 Wasteland
4 Mutavualt
4 Mishra's Workshop ****
1 Tolarian Academy
1 Strip Mine
1 Karakas
5 Moxen *****
Sideboard:
2 The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale **
3 Tormod's Crypt
1 Ratchet Bomb
1 Witchbane Orb
1 Karakas
2 Crucible of Worlds
1 Null Rod
4 Grafdigger's Cage
My rounds:
Round 1 vs UWr Mentor
I won the die roll for game 1, and led with an Ancient Tomb into a Sphere which got Force of Will'd. I landed a few spheres, a Revoker on Dack Fayden, and beat him down with Mutavaults. He was able to resolve a Mentor, but it was immediately Dismembered. Game 2 was a lot more of the same.
1-0
Round 2 vs Keith with Martello Shops
I win the die roll game 1, and we have a solid game. I get an early Null Rod, and we go back and forth trading Lodestone Golems and Metamorphs. Late in the game, I still haven't seen a manland, but Keith is down to 2. He rips and slams a Wurmcoil Engine, sealing the game in his favor. Game 2 I mulligan to 6, and keep a do-nothing hand. Probably should have mulliganed to 5! I lose.
1-1
Round 3 vs Dan Barkon with Martello Shops
Dan is my friend, and he drove us to the tournament. So suffice it to say, we know each other's decklists very well. When he won the die roll, I was pretty sure I lost the match. That was not the case, however! Game 1 was close, but I ended up edging him out due to Mana Crypt rolls going my way, and some lucky draws. Game 2 wasn't close, he has an explosive creature heavy start compared to my slower, sphere-filled hand and I am quickly demolished. Game 3 I have the actual nuts hand, with a turn 1 Revoker into a Sphere of Resistance. His turn 1 was Ancient Tomb into 2 moxen. Unfortunately for him, my turn 2 was a Null Rod and he died shortly after.
2-1
Round 4 vs Thomas Dixon on BUG Fish
Game 1 was a long affair, after he won the die roll and mulliganed, that started with multiple Revokers on DRS as he killed them off, and ended with him under 3-4 spheres and being beat down by Mutavaults. Game 2 I kept a hand with no fast mana, and lost to a turn 3 Trygon Predator. Sometimes I make bad decisions
Game 3 gad a solid start with me getting him under spheres fast and beginning the beat down early.
3-1
Round 5 vs Samantha on Merfolk
I was 8th place going in to round 5. After some deliberation, I decided it would be possible (no guarentee!) for me to make t8 if we ID'd. I offered the option to Samantha, who was in 7th place at the time but she politely refused - she said that she had a better chance than I did if we ID'd, but would feel bad if I got locked out. She was very nice, I really do appreciate the honesty! So we sat down and battled. Game 1 was an easy win for me. I won the die roll and she mulliganed. Multiple spheres including Trinisphere kept her from doing anything. ***edit*** In game 1 of round 5, I had a Trinisphere in play with a Sphere of Resistance. My understranding of the interaction was that Trinisphere makes the spell cost a minimum of 3 mana, and then the sphere's effect is added on. It is actually the other way around - there sphere's additional cost is added on to the spell, then Trinisphere checks to see if it is 3 mana before applying it's affect. (Sorry if that is unclear, I am paraphrasing the ruling from memory). We had played the game as if her spells cost a minimum of 4, which kept her hardlocked out of the game (she was stuck on 3 lands). We did not notice our error until most of the way through the game, when we called for a judge. By that point it was too far gone, but at least we know for the future! I beat her down with Mutavaults and on to game 2 we went! For game 2, I sideboarded completely wrong and accidentally left in Null Rods. Despite this, I was almost in the game, but she just kept Wastelanding me! 3 Wastelands in the first 5 turns, and then a Recall into the 4th set me too far back. I was able to keep up with her for a bit by Metamorphing her Silvergill Adept and trading when she didn't have any lords out, but it was not enough. For game 3, I sideboarded correctly and was on the play. She mulliganed to 6, again. I had a heavy Ancient Tomb start, and ended the game at 6 life. That being said, all damage done to me was dealt
by me. She lost to some factories while locked out under spheres.
4-1 and 3rd seed going in to top 8!
T8 vs Bernie playing Oath
I was the higher seed here, so I got to be on the play. Awww yiss.
Game 1 started with an Ancient Tomb into a Chalice on 0 which was fine, but the Sphere of Resistance was met with a FOW. From there, I resolved 0 other sphere effects, but a Null Rod and a Chalice on 1. He was able to resolve an Oath, so I beat him down with Mutavaults. I ended the game with a Revoker and Dismember in hand. Bernie opened Game 2 with a Trop and a Pithing Needle on Wasteland. On my turn 1 I had the option between Chalice @ 2 or Chalice @ 1 and Sphere of Resistance. Sensing a FOW, I opened with a Chalice @ 1 which resolved, and he FOW'd the Sphere. On my next turn I played a Chalice @ 2 but he had another FOW. From there, he didn't do much else and lost.
We split top 4!
Props:
Top Deck Games/Card Titan, Nick Coss, and Mike Noss for running an awesome event!
The Vintage community for being very kind to a newcomer!
Dan Barkon for driving me
Matt Bevenour for convincing me to build a Vintage deck, explaining to me all the different choices, and helping me with the initial testing!
Slops:
DCI reporter for pairing me against my buddy round 3
Power for spiking in price :'(
