-Greg
Hey, guys! It's been a while, but I just wanted to drop in and hit you guys with some decklists.
While checking out the States decklists, I noticed that there was literally no place on the web where you could see the top 8 decks from Oklahoma. I know it seems weird that someone might want to see these lists, since the big OK isn't really a hopping place for MTG, but being born and raised there, I have a strange attraction to keeping up on the ole' home state. Eventually, my online research led me to the tournament organizer's email address, and he was kind enough to provide me with the finalists' decks from OK and KS States tourneys. So, without further ado, here, for the first time on the internet ever, four deep-fried, southern decks for your viewing pleasure :
drumroll
Oklahoma Champion - Gerald Sixkiller - U/W Control
4 Fieldmist Borderpost
4 Glacial Fortress
2 Island
4 Marsh Flats
10 Plains
4 Knight of the White Orchid
4 Baneslayer Angel
4 Vedalken Outlander
3 Oblivion Ring
2 Elspeth, Knight-Errant
3 Emeria Angel
4 Path to Exile
4 Devout Lightcaster
4 White Knight
4 Honor the Pure
Sideboard:
2 Celestial Purge
3 Mind Control
2 Brave the Elements
4 Negate
2 Day of Judgment
2 Journey to Nowhere
Oklahoma Second Place- Tony Menzer - Jund
4 Savage Lands
4 Verdant Catacombs
4 Rootbound Crag
4 Dragonskull Summit
3 Mountain
3 Swamp
3 Forest
4 Sprouting Thrinax
4 Bloodbraid Elf
3 Siege-Gang Commander
4 Broodmate Dragon
4 Lightning Bolt
3 Rampant Growth
2 Terminate
4 Blightning
3 Maelstrom Pulse
3 Bituminous Blast
1 Chandra Nalaar
Sideboard:
4 Relic Crush
4 Jund Charm
4 Goblin Ruinblaster
2 Mind Rot
1 Maelstrom Pulse
Kansas Champion - Michael Mead - RDW
4 Jackal Familiar
4 Goblin Bushwhacker
4 Ball Lightning
4 Hell's Thunder
4 Goblin Guide
4 Burst Lightning
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Hellspark Elemental
4 Banefire
2 Earthquake
4 Teetering Peaks
18 Mountain
Sideboard:
2 Earthquake
3 Act of Treason
3 Manabarbs
2 Elemental Appeal
2 Chandra Nalaar
3 Unstable Footing
Kansas Second Place - Sean Patchen - Naya Lightsaber
4 Bloodbraid Elf
3 Baneslayer Angel
4 Noble Hierarch
4 Qasali Pridemage
3 Wild Nacatl
4 Wooly Thoctar
4 Birds of Paradise
3 Ajani Vengeant
1 Elspeth, Knight-Errant
4 Lightning Bolt
3 Journey to Nowhere
1 Oran-Rief, the Vastwood
3 Sunpetal Grove
4 Arid Mesa
3 Plains
3 Mountain
3 Rootbound Crag
6 Forest
Sideboard
3 Acidic Slime
4 Goblin Ruinblaster
2 Dauntless Escort
3 Luminarch Ascension
3 Unstable Footing
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Friday, December 4, 2009
Testing for States - Update
-Greg
After running the GWb Junk list through a gauntlet of games, I've got to say I'm pretty happy with where it ended up. I found Putrid Leech to be pretty underwhelming, and since I was being smashed by Eldrazi decks to no end, I made the switch to Qasali Pridemage in the main. Emeria Angel was also completely ridiculous in conjunction with Knight of Reliquary and Lotus Cobra. I really think this deck is where I want it now.
Lands
5 [UNH] Forest
4 [ZEN] Marsh Flats
3 [UNH] Plains
2 [M10] Sunpetal Grove
3 [M10] Terramorphic Expanse
4 [ZEN] Verdant Catacombs
2 [UNH] Swamp
Creatures
2 [CFX] Thornling
4 [M10] Baneslayer Angel
4 [CFX] Knight of the Reliquary
3 [ZEN] Lotus Cobra
3 [ZEN] Emeria Angel
4 [CFX] Noble Hierarch
4 [ARB] Qasali Pridemage
2 [ALA] Elspeth, Knight-Errant
Spells
3 [ARB] Behemoth Sledge
4 [ARB] Maelstrom Pulse
3 [CFX] Path to Exile
Sideboard
1 Path to Exile
4 Zealous Persecution
3 Day of Judgement
2 Oblivion Ring
3 Dauntless Escort
2 Duress
Taking it to FNM tonight to hopefully get some more games under my belt before I head off to States on Saturday. Good luck to everyone!
After running the GWb Junk list through a gauntlet of games, I've got to say I'm pretty happy with where it ended up. I found Putrid Leech to be pretty underwhelming, and since I was being smashed by Eldrazi decks to no end, I made the switch to Qasali Pridemage in the main. Emeria Angel was also completely ridiculous in conjunction with Knight of Reliquary and Lotus Cobra. I really think this deck is where I want it now.
Lands
5 [UNH] Forest
4 [ZEN] Marsh Flats
3 [UNH] Plains
2 [M10] Sunpetal Grove
3 [M10] Terramorphic Expanse
4 [ZEN] Verdant Catacombs
2 [UNH] Swamp
Creatures
2 [CFX] Thornling
4 [M10] Baneslayer Angel
4 [CFX] Knight of the Reliquary
3 [ZEN] Lotus Cobra
3 [ZEN] Emeria Angel
4 [CFX] Noble Hierarch
4 [ARB] Qasali Pridemage
2 [ALA] Elspeth, Knight-Errant
Spells
3 [ARB] Behemoth Sledge
4 [ARB] Maelstrom Pulse
3 [CFX] Path to Exile
Sideboard
1 Path to Exile
4 Zealous Persecution
3 Day of Judgement
2 Oblivion Ring
3 Dauntless Escort
2 Duress
Taking it to FNM tonight to hopefully get some more games under my belt before I head off to States on Saturday. Good luck to everyone!
Monday, November 30, 2009
States
-Greg
If you've read my most recent post, you'll know I'm not exactly thrilled to play Standard. Also, if you were at Pastimes this past Saturday, you'll know that the level of hatred I have for playing Jund is probably second only to the hatred I had for last season's 5CC lists. So, with States coming up this weekend, I'm trying to hit that balance between playing a deck that is strong enough to win, and doesn't make me hate every match. Looks like I'm going back to the GWb list I ran a few weeks ago.
Here's the list. Any tips or ideas for how to strengthen it are greatly appreciated.
Lands
5 [UNH] Forest
4 [ZEN] Marsh Flats
3 [UNH] Plains
2 [M10] Sunpetal Grove
3 [M10] Terramorphic Expanse
4 [ZEN] Verdant Catacombs
2 [UNH] Swamp
Creatures
3 [CFX] Thornling
4 [M10] Baneslayer Angel
4 [CFX] Knight of the Reliquary
3 [ZEN] Lotus Cobra
4 [CFX] Noble Hierarch
4 [ARB] Putrid Leech
2 [ALA] Elspeth, Knight-Errant
2 [LRW] Garruk Wildspeaker
Spells
3 [ARB] Behemoth Sledge
4 [ARB] Maelstrom Pulse
3 [CFX] Path to Exile
Sideboard
SB: 1 [CFX] Path to Exile
SB: 3 [M10] Duress
SB: 4 [ARB] Zealous Persecution
SB: 2 [ZEN] Day of Judgment
SB: 3 [ALA] Tidehollow Sculler
SB: 2 [ALA] Oblivion Ring
If you've read my most recent post, you'll know I'm not exactly thrilled to play Standard. Also, if you were at Pastimes this past Saturday, you'll know that the level of hatred I have for playing Jund is probably second only to the hatred I had for last season's 5CC lists. So, with States coming up this weekend, I'm trying to hit that balance between playing a deck that is strong enough to win, and doesn't make me hate every match. Looks like I'm going back to the GWb list I ran a few weeks ago.
Here's the list. Any tips or ideas for how to strengthen it are greatly appreciated.
Lands
5 [UNH] Forest
4 [ZEN] Marsh Flats
3 [UNH] Plains
2 [M10] Sunpetal Grove
3 [M10] Terramorphic Expanse
4 [ZEN] Verdant Catacombs
2 [UNH] Swamp
Creatures
3 [CFX] Thornling
4 [M10] Baneslayer Angel
4 [CFX] Knight of the Reliquary
3 [ZEN] Lotus Cobra
4 [CFX] Noble Hierarch
4 [ARB] Putrid Leech
2 [ALA] Elspeth, Knight-Errant
2 [LRW] Garruk Wildspeaker
Spells
3 [ARB] Behemoth Sledge
4 [ARB] Maelstrom Pulse
3 [CFX] Path to Exile
Sideboard
SB: 1 [CFX] Path to Exile
SB: 3 [M10] Duress
SB: 4 [ARB] Zealous Persecution
SB: 2 [ZEN] Day of Judgment
SB: 3 [ALA] Tidehollow Sculler
SB: 2 [ALA] Oblivion Ring
Monday, November 23, 2009
Bad Decks, Extended, Que Sera Sera
-Greg
So, despite my spotty record in the year I've been playing competitive MTG, I still can''t consider myself much of a casual player. I don't really enjoy playing EDH more than once every six months or so (although I do love to watch the games - especially if Pete and Luciano are playing. SHOUTOUT GUYS!). I find Planechase to be especially unlikeable, as each player's turn is excrutiatingly long, leaving me to watch in bordeome as everyone shouts and grabs at cards and stacks enough triggers to make me roll my eyes. At the opposite end of the spectrum, I also don't enjoy playing the inevitable 60-card formatless decks that people will always have - but for opposite reasons. Since these decks are normally carried around and piloted by people new to the game, or just getting back into it, I try to suffer through the matchups with whatever I have on me, sticking around after to offer whatever advice or new card primers I can - and while the latter part is always a good experience, I do not find the games themselve to be enjoyable. Sadly, it's as if I can't shake that need for competition and winning. Sure, casual games can test your knowledge, memory, and ability to juggle various triggers (especially true for EDH), but the thrill is just not there for me.
The best part about any casual format, something I hope most of you would agree with, is that casual players are just awesome people. EDH players always want to show you their insane combos and win conditions. New players always want to share interesting deck lists and ideas, and still have that New Player Smell® of someone who's just having a good time. Old players starting up again have cool stories about their experiences with older sets, and share my appreciation of the sort-of return to basics (or at least flavor) that M10 brought. On the flip-side, players like myself who prefer slugging out out 1v1 matches full of tricks and mind-games tend to be enormous assholes. I've heard enough sarcastic iterations of "nice deck" or "nice draw," or even straight-up aggression and resentment to losing to know that the only real joy to be had at a PTQ or higher is winning. I'm ok with that, sure, but no matter how thick-skinned I am, I still wish I could be playing these intensely competitive games with these intensely friendly people - something that only really happens when we can organize a good 8-man cube draft.
The point I'm trying to make, in a very round-about way, is that Standard right now is just not my favorite format. There are interesting ways to win, interesting cards, and there's definitely been a gauntlet thrown down by Jund (who doesn't love a challenge?) - but I can't seem to get into a format where you just do this:
1) Grab four Baneslayers
2) Add 46 support cards
3) Bash
Not to say there's no complexity or room for maneuvering, but it definitely says something when both the Channelfireball crew and Japanese national team's sickest take on the format is to run a stock Jund list with more gas. These problems were really becoming obvious to me this weekend, as Brenna took to our kitchen table with a white-weenie deck that packed only eight mana-producing lands. It was fast, scary, and cute - but by using this modified strategy...
1) Grab four Baneslayers
2) Add 46 support cards (board sweepers, stallers, mana rampers, and big dudes)
3) Survive six turns until she runs out of gas
4) Deal fifty damage in a few big swings
it was not too difficult. There are other options in the current meta, too, but they seem to fall back on similar strategies. That is, if you play Rhox War Monk, isn't he doing the same thing as Baneslayer? He's a big dude with lifelink, meant to establish board presence and lower your opponent's life total while upping yours. Throw this thinking in with a staggering glut of spot-removal, mostly irrelevant card-draw, and you've got yourself a format that's defined by creatured-driven attrition wars. Do you have a bigger dude than me? Do you have spot removal? Cool, let's sideboard.
What you'll notice in my modified strategy is no real mention of what the support cards are, which I assure you, is irrelevant and predictable. In fact, you could probably build the deck I was running with only that information, and knowledge of my colors (GWb). Lotus Cobra? Check. Knight of the Reliquary? Check. Path? Check. Maelstrom Pulse? Check. Furthremore, what would you say the most powerful control cards in the format are? Is Wall of Denial on your list? Because if not, it should be, and regardless of whether or not people will agree with me that WoD is a "control card," it most certainly is. It is, in fact, a prominent control card, central to a deck's strategy. Last season, Plumeveil filled a similar function, but didn't even come close in the wall's level of importance. In short, mucking up the battlefield before laying down a flier is the control strategy in the Standard season of late 2009. There are other options, sure, but how long can you cascade into Spreading Seas and still say to yourself, yeah, Blue rules? Not long, I don't think.
But to tie this in to my previous statements about casual vs competitive magic... Well, people who are playing Standard seem to be strictly divided in two camps: nice casual players, and competitive jerks. In a bizarre twist of fate, though, these two player camps are using the same strategy, and it revolves almost entirely around tables covered in dudes. Just think what life would be like if they hadn't printed Day of Judgement...
So, with my rant aside, I've been getting more and more into Extended. There is an entirely new level of complexity to explore, more options and outs available, and more explosive games that rely on your ability to build and drive.
All I have to do now is convince my wife that it's fun...
So, despite my spotty record in the year I've been playing competitive MTG, I still can''t consider myself much of a casual player. I don't really enjoy playing EDH more than once every six months or so (although I do love to watch the games - especially if Pete and Luciano are playing. SHOUTOUT GUYS!). I find Planechase to be especially unlikeable, as each player's turn is excrutiatingly long, leaving me to watch in bordeome as everyone shouts and grabs at cards and stacks enough triggers to make me roll my eyes. At the opposite end of the spectrum, I also don't enjoy playing the inevitable 60-card formatless decks that people will always have - but for opposite reasons. Since these decks are normally carried around and piloted by people new to the game, or just getting back into it, I try to suffer through the matchups with whatever I have on me, sticking around after to offer whatever advice or new card primers I can - and while the latter part is always a good experience, I do not find the games themselve to be enjoyable. Sadly, it's as if I can't shake that need for competition and winning. Sure, casual games can test your knowledge, memory, and ability to juggle various triggers (especially true for EDH), but the thrill is just not there for me.
The best part about any casual format, something I hope most of you would agree with, is that casual players are just awesome people. EDH players always want to show you their insane combos and win conditions. New players always want to share interesting deck lists and ideas, and still have that New Player Smell® of someone who's just having a good time. Old players starting up again have cool stories about their experiences with older sets, and share my appreciation of the sort-of return to basics (or at least flavor) that M10 brought. On the flip-side, players like myself who prefer slugging out out 1v1 matches full of tricks and mind-games tend to be enormous assholes. I've heard enough sarcastic iterations of "nice deck" or "nice draw," or even straight-up aggression and resentment to losing to know that the only real joy to be had at a PTQ or higher is winning. I'm ok with that, sure, but no matter how thick-skinned I am, I still wish I could be playing these intensely competitive games with these intensely friendly people - something that only really happens when we can organize a good 8-man cube draft.
The point I'm trying to make, in a very round-about way, is that Standard right now is just not my favorite format. There are interesting ways to win, interesting cards, and there's definitely been a gauntlet thrown down by Jund (who doesn't love a challenge?) - but I can't seem to get into a format where you just do this:
1) Grab four Baneslayers
2) Add 46 support cards
3) Bash
Not to say there's no complexity or room for maneuvering, but it definitely says something when both the Channelfireball crew and Japanese national team's sickest take on the format is to run a stock Jund list with more gas. These problems were really becoming obvious to me this weekend, as Brenna took to our kitchen table with a white-weenie deck that packed only eight mana-producing lands. It was fast, scary, and cute - but by using this modified strategy...
1) Grab four Baneslayers
2) Add 46 support cards (board sweepers, stallers, mana rampers, and big dudes)
3) Survive six turns until she runs out of gas
4) Deal fifty damage in a few big swings
it was not too difficult. There are other options in the current meta, too, but they seem to fall back on similar strategies. That is, if you play Rhox War Monk, isn't he doing the same thing as Baneslayer? He's a big dude with lifelink, meant to establish board presence and lower your opponent's life total while upping yours. Throw this thinking in with a staggering glut of spot-removal, mostly irrelevant card-draw, and you've got yourself a format that's defined by creatured-driven attrition wars. Do you have a bigger dude than me? Do you have spot removal? Cool, let's sideboard.
What you'll notice in my modified strategy is no real mention of what the support cards are, which I assure you, is irrelevant and predictable. In fact, you could probably build the deck I was running with only that information, and knowledge of my colors (GWb). Lotus Cobra? Check. Knight of the Reliquary? Check. Path? Check. Maelstrom Pulse? Check. Furthremore, what would you say the most powerful control cards in the format are? Is Wall of Denial on your list? Because if not, it should be, and regardless of whether or not people will agree with me that WoD is a "control card," it most certainly is. It is, in fact, a prominent control card, central to a deck's strategy. Last season, Plumeveil filled a similar function, but didn't even come close in the wall's level of importance. In short, mucking up the battlefield before laying down a flier is the control strategy in the Standard season of late 2009. There are other options, sure, but how long can you cascade into Spreading Seas and still say to yourself, yeah, Blue rules? Not long, I don't think.
But to tie this in to my previous statements about casual vs competitive magic... Well, people who are playing Standard seem to be strictly divided in two camps: nice casual players, and competitive jerks. In a bizarre twist of fate, though, these two player camps are using the same strategy, and it revolves almost entirely around tables covered in dudes. Just think what life would be like if they hadn't printed Day of Judgement...
So, with my rant aside, I've been getting more and more into Extended. There is an entirely new level of complexity to explore, more options and outs available, and more explosive games that rely on your ability to build and drive.
All I have to do now is convince my wife that it's fun...
Monday, November 16, 2009
GP Minneapolis, BAD DECKS GO
-Greg
Bryan, Luciano, Pete, and I piled into the car this weekend and made the 7-hour trip to Minneapolis for the Grand Prix. Our two days there were, for the most part, uneventful. Bryan finished day one with an impressive record of 7-1, but couldn't quite get there in the day 2 drafts. I went in with no byes, and had to admit to myself somewhere around round six that I couldn't play well enough to ride my mediocre pool to victory. In hindsight, I realize I made some errors in my final build, so at any rate, I paid forty bucks for a lesson in limited craftsmanship and a Chrome Mox. Fair enough.
For the first time in all the events I've played with my go-to "suck it, nerd" playmat, I finally managed to offend someone. I'm not sure what he aimed to gain from telling the judge my mat was confrontational, but since the judge and I had seen each other at other events (and because he was a reasonable person with a sense of humor), I know what he didn't gain: anything.
So, since the only real advice I have for someone looking to succeed in sealed is "open a sick pool and destroy everything that stands in your way," I'll tell you about our next adventure: Friday Night Bad Magic.
The goal is this: Build a terrible deck. Go to FNM. Win. We brewed up a hilarious set of rules, caveats, and ideas, and are planning to take our awful decks to the Lich's Lair this Friday, after which I'll post here about our experience.
Bryan, Luciano, Pete, and I piled into the car this weekend and made the 7-hour trip to Minneapolis for the Grand Prix. Our two days there were, for the most part, uneventful. Bryan finished day one with an impressive record of 7-1, but couldn't quite get there in the day 2 drafts. I went in with no byes, and had to admit to myself somewhere around round six that I couldn't play well enough to ride my mediocre pool to victory. In hindsight, I realize I made some errors in my final build, so at any rate, I paid forty bucks for a lesson in limited craftsmanship and a Chrome Mox. Fair enough.
For the first time in all the events I've played with my go-to "suck it, nerd" playmat, I finally managed to offend someone. I'm not sure what he aimed to gain from telling the judge my mat was confrontational, but since the judge and I had seen each other at other events (and because he was a reasonable person with a sense of humor), I know what he didn't gain: anything.
So, since the only real advice I have for someone looking to succeed in sealed is "open a sick pool and destroy everything that stands in your way," I'll tell you about our next adventure: Friday Night Bad Magic.
The goal is this: Build a terrible deck. Go to FNM. Win. We brewed up a hilarious set of rules, caveats, and ideas, and are planning to take our awful decks to the Lich's Lair this Friday, after which I'll post here about our experience.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
OMG STANDARD DECKS YES
-Greg
I just logged into my Tweeter and noticed Evan Erwin had linked to a blog entry here about the Cat/Bird Deck, which has become quite infamous in our local group of players. I'm glad people seem to enjoy the story, and I hope it inspires everyone to help out new players - Brenna and I had such a fun time building and playing it, that it wasn't like it was charity. It was just awesome.
I just logged into my Tweeter and noticed Evan Erwin had linked to a blog entry here about the Cat/Bird Deck, which has become quite infamous in our local group of players. I'm glad people seem to enjoy the story, and I hope it inspires everyone to help out new players - Brenna and I had such a fun time building and playing it, that it wasn't like it was charity. It was just awesome.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Pastimes Halloween 1K
-Greg
The Pastimes Halloween 1K - The Subtle Art of Dreamcrushing Yourself
This past Saturday, Brenna and I sleeved up some new decks to hit up a 1K Standard tournament at Pastimes, in Chicago. A couple other guys we play with a lot were there, and I feel like between us, we had more than enough talent to put at least one of us in the top 8. Unlike most Pastimes events, this one was relatively small (meaning, less than 60 people), so while it was still a competitive REL event, it was much more laid back than other events we've attended there.
Anyway, here's the list I ran. Note I was short 3 Lotus Cobras, so I had to make due with a couple Stags and a Bird. The board was built with Boros Bushwacker, Jund (and by extension, the ubiquitous vampires decks), and random anti-Jund control decks in mind.
Lands
5 [UNH] Forest
4 [ZEN] Marsh Flats
3 [UNH] Plains
1 [M10] Sunpetal Grove
4 [M10] Terramorphic Expanse
4 [ZEN] Verdant Catacombs
2 [UNH] Swamp
Creatures
3 [CFX] Thornling
4 [M10] Baneslayer Angel
4 [CFX] Knight of the Reliquary
1 [ZEN] Lotus Cobra
4 [CFX] Noble Hierarch
4 [ARB] Putrid Leech
2 [ALA] Elspeth, Knight-Errant
2 [LRW] Garruk Wildspeaker
2 [M10] Great Sable Stag
1 [M10] Birds of Paradise
Spells
3 [ARB] Behemoth Sledge
4 [ARB] Maelstrom Pulse
3 [CFX] Path to Exile
Sideboard
SB: 1 [CFX] Path to Exile
SB: 3 [M10] Duress
SB: 4 [ARB] Zealous Persecution
SB: 3 [CFX] Celestial Purge
SB: 1 [ZEN] Day of Judgment
SB: 3 [ALA] Tidehollow Sculler
Round 1 - Andrew with Vampires
I sat down across a guy who had no sleeves on his deck, and managed to notice a Blood Seeker while he was shuffling. Game 1 I dropped a Stable Stag on the second turn, followed soon after by a hammer and that was pretty much it. Game 2, he does a little better, but my dudes were just bigger and faster, and my removal was better. Funny thing is, this guy's unsleeved deck had had several expensive cards in it- including a foil Bloodwitch and a foil Nocturnus. Sleeves cost $6. If just ONE of your cards is worth more than that (Nocturnus - $30, Bloodwitch - $6, etc, etc), then why in the hell aren't you using sleeves?
1-0
Round 2 - Jesus with Mono-Green Elves (yes, this really is a good deck)
This round I sat down across from a guy who gave me a ridiculous beating the last time we played. His play is tight, and his decks are always crazy tech that I've never seen before, so I was definitely worried. In a freak bit of luck, my opponent had been given a game loss in round 1 due to a deck reg error, so we started off on game two. He took the lead pretty quickly, with various mana rampers into a Garrku and Eldrazi Monument, and I had literally no outs. Game 3, I sandbagged a Pulse for a long time, resisiting the urge to take out all his Beast tokens. I finally manage to stick a Baneslayer to hold off his attackers, stick a hammer on it, and pass the turn. He plays like thirty more dudes, drops the monument, and Eldrazi gives him an indestructible wall of flying beasts and Elves. I untap, Pulse the Monument, and swing for lethal.
2-0
Round 3- Matt Jensen with Dredge (yes, this really is a real Standard deck)
This round I play against one of the funnier dudes in the room, who happens to have good taste in hats. I watched him play a little earlier, and I knew he was playing some bizarre mill-yourself-unearth homebrew. Game one was pretty terrible. I kept a slow hand, he milled a bunch of dudes, got an active Crypt, and unearthed for like 18. Awesome, good game dude. I board in all my RFG stuff, and keep a much faster hand. I ramp into double Thornling and we go to game three. It was pretty much the same, though, as he has trouble getting Crypts online before I can lay the beats. Hierarch was a total all-star this game, dropping him to five points - low enough that I can end things in only a couple of Thornling swings. Thornling fucking rules.
3-0
Round 4 - Nick with Boros Bushwacker
These games were just embarassing. I can't get a fast hand, can't fix my mana, and he plays around the Zealous Persecution I was bagging to wipe the board.
3-1
Round 5 - Bryan with 4-Color Cascade
Lucky me, I get paired up with a friend in round five. We discuss ID'ing, but after we run some numbers, we realize that with a draw, it's possible for both of us to be out of to-8 contention. Both decks seemed evenly matched against the other top-8 chumps, so we play it out. Game 1, I mull to six, and after Blightning, I just fold up and die. Next game was a little better for me, as I stick an early Lotus Cobra and ramp into Thornling with enough mana to make him move. Game 3 was really similar to game 3. I keep a slow but powerful hand, and stick a Baneslayer on turn 4. We go back and forth, and I'm really overextending to keep up with his card advantage. My draws are good, though, and I manage to keep his board mostly clear until we get to this situation:
Bryan's at 10, I'm at 40. I have two Baneslayers, he has one Baneslayer and a Wurm. I have three cards in hand, and if he draws dead I can push through for lethal in a couple turns, even with his Baneslayer lifegain. My board position is almost completely unbeatable. I tap GGB, and Pulse his Baneslayer. Bryan looks at me, then makes a gun shape with his hand and shoots all three angels, "Pew, pew, pew." Oops.
So yeah, literally gave Bryan the game because I am completely incapable of playing Magic. Anyway, I guess if you're going to totally fuck up, you might as well do it at a time in which you give your buddy a shot at some prize money.
3-2
Anyway, at this point there was about a 2% chance that I can manage to finish in the top 8, but it involves a complicated and improbable series of up-and-down-pairings, crushed dreams, and Halloween magic. Luci and Bryan are both win-and-in, so I decide to play the round. Even if I'm not able to eek my way in, I can at least dream-crush some other slob.
Round 6 - Chris with RUW Control
I hadn't eaten much by this point, and was a little on tilt about the last game, so I obviously wasn't in the best mood. I felt a little bad about my mood, though, because Chris seemed like a pretty nice guy. I'm obviously in complete moron mood still when I try to pulse a Capsule when he had mana open. He just sac'd it in response, and I just had to laugh at my own stupidity. I take a second and get my head together, because I was definitely not losing this round. Stag hits the board, and work around his control long enough to stick a Baneslayer to hold off his unkillable Sphinx of Jwar Isle. He scoops it up, and I board in my Sculler/Duress package. Game two, I took four damage from fetch lands and ramped into the win. Thanks, Thornling.
4-2
Ninth place. Awesome. Bryan ended up in the top 8, but Luci's vampire opponent forced the draw to put herself in, and Luci out.
Overall, I have to say this deck is one of the strongest Standard decks I've played in a long, long time. It's fast, it's packed with threats, and the board is flexible enough to give you an answer to almost any deck you might face. Vampires is practically a bye for it, and Jund is nearly as easy. Dedicated control is a bit of an issue, but speed of the mana-ramping, the disruption board, and the flexibility of the threats can really put you in the clear if you're on top of your game. Luckily, most control decks now are hybridized anti-jund builds, and this deck totally eats them alive. The biggest problem is Boros Bushwacker - it's just so fast! The Zealous Persecutions are great in this matchup, but if your opponents are leaving fetchlands open then you are seriously screwed. Your two biggest threats, Baneslayer and Thornling, are going to practically give you this game if you can live that long. Good luck with that one.
As for changes I would make, I did have some small issues with the land. 23 feels like just the right amount, leaving me mana/color screwed in only one game all day. But I did have several instances where I had literally no basic land left to grab from fetches or paths, and was often wishing I had a second Sunpetal Grove to grab with Knight of Reliquary. Figuring out what to cut is hard, though, because everything is balanced out really well. Terramorphic is the easy pick, but the damn thing is surprisingly good, working with the fetches to give you access to almost any combination of early turn plays. Here's how I would run the lands now (but I'm still not sure if the second Sunpetal is better than a full set of Terramorphics):
5 [UNH] Forest
3 [ZEN] Marsh Flats
4 [UNH] Plains
2 [M10] Sunpetal Grove
3 [M10] Terramorphic Expanse
4 [ZEN] Verdant Catacombs
2 [UNH] Swamp
As for the main - I loved it. Sable Stag was an incredible main deck card all day, so even though I threw them in last-minute, I can't imagine cutting them to put Cobras back in. Cobra is really good, though, much better than I expected, so that Bird needs to be replaced with a snake ASAP. But what do you cut to make room? Wel... Nothing. As it is, I feel like running four Cobras forces the deck to run like a deck based around Cobras. That probably doesn't make sense, but I only wanted to go all-in on a Cobra about half the time - so running two Cobras makes sense to me. If you wanted to run this list, and needed all four snakes, then the obvious cut is the Stags - but it might be prudent to drop a Pulse and possibly a Knight. Right now Stag is just that good. Vampires can't kill it, Jund pretty much has to bolt it, and control decks built to hose Jund will have to waste valuable Paths to keep him at bay. Then again, if the meta starts to fill up with Boros or this new green elves thing, then they'll need to go back to the board.
The fourth Pulse could easily be a Path, but I'm still undecided. I love the hammers. They are completely broken, and easily give you games you don't deserve by basically turning your tokens or early drops into mini-Baneslayers.
Anyway, enough rambling. This is what I'd run if I were doing another tourney tomorrow:
Creatures
3 [CFX] Thornling
4 [M10] Baneslayer Angel
4 [CFX] Knight of the Reliquary
2 [ZEN] Lotus Cobra
4 [CFX] Noble Hierarch
4 [ARB] Putrid Leech
2 [ALA] Elspeth, Knight-Errant
2 [LRW] Garruk Wildspeaker
2 [M10] Great Sable Stag
Spells
3 [ARB] Behemoth Sledge
4 [ARB] Maelstrom Pulse
3 [CFX] Path to Exile
The Pastimes Halloween 1K - The Subtle Art of Dreamcrushing Yourself
This past Saturday, Brenna and I sleeved up some new decks to hit up a 1K Standard tournament at Pastimes, in Chicago. A couple other guys we play with a lot were there, and I feel like between us, we had more than enough talent to put at least one of us in the top 8. Unlike most Pastimes events, this one was relatively small (meaning, less than 60 people), so while it was still a competitive REL event, it was much more laid back than other events we've attended there.
Anyway, here's the list I ran. Note I was short 3 Lotus Cobras, so I had to make due with a couple Stags and a Bird. The board was built with Boros Bushwacker, Jund (and by extension, the ubiquitous vampires decks), and random anti-Jund control decks in mind.
Lands
5 [UNH] Forest
4 [ZEN] Marsh Flats
3 [UNH] Plains
1 [M10] Sunpetal Grove
4 [M10] Terramorphic Expanse
4 [ZEN] Verdant Catacombs
2 [UNH] Swamp
Creatures
3 [CFX] Thornling
4 [M10] Baneslayer Angel
4 [CFX] Knight of the Reliquary
1 [ZEN] Lotus Cobra
4 [CFX] Noble Hierarch
4 [ARB] Putrid Leech
2 [ALA] Elspeth, Knight-Errant
2 [LRW] Garruk Wildspeaker
2 [M10] Great Sable Stag
1 [M10] Birds of Paradise
Spells
3 [ARB] Behemoth Sledge
4 [ARB] Maelstrom Pulse
3 [CFX] Path to Exile
Sideboard
SB: 1 [CFX] Path to Exile
SB: 3 [M10] Duress
SB: 4 [ARB] Zealous Persecution
SB: 3 [CFX] Celestial Purge
SB: 1 [ZEN] Day of Judgment
SB: 3 [ALA] Tidehollow Sculler
Round 1 - Andrew with Vampires
I sat down across a guy who had no sleeves on his deck, and managed to notice a Blood Seeker while he was shuffling. Game 1 I dropped a Stable Stag on the second turn, followed soon after by a hammer and that was pretty much it. Game 2, he does a little better, but my dudes were just bigger and faster, and my removal was better. Funny thing is, this guy's unsleeved deck had had several expensive cards in it- including a foil Bloodwitch and a foil Nocturnus. Sleeves cost $6. If just ONE of your cards is worth more than that (Nocturnus - $30, Bloodwitch - $6, etc, etc), then why in the hell aren't you using sleeves?
1-0
Round 2 - Jesus with Mono-Green Elves (yes, this really is a good deck)
This round I sat down across from a guy who gave me a ridiculous beating the last time we played. His play is tight, and his decks are always crazy tech that I've never seen before, so I was definitely worried. In a freak bit of luck, my opponent had been given a game loss in round 1 due to a deck reg error, so we started off on game two. He took the lead pretty quickly, with various mana rampers into a Garrku and Eldrazi Monument, and I had literally no outs. Game 3, I sandbagged a Pulse for a long time, resisiting the urge to take out all his Beast tokens. I finally manage to stick a Baneslayer to hold off his attackers, stick a hammer on it, and pass the turn. He plays like thirty more dudes, drops the monument, and Eldrazi gives him an indestructible wall of flying beasts and Elves. I untap, Pulse the Monument, and swing for lethal.
2-0
Round 3- Matt Jensen with Dredge (yes, this really is a real Standard deck)
This round I play against one of the funnier dudes in the room, who happens to have good taste in hats. I watched him play a little earlier, and I knew he was playing some bizarre mill-yourself-unearth homebrew. Game one was pretty terrible. I kept a slow hand, he milled a bunch of dudes, got an active Crypt, and unearthed for like 18. Awesome, good game dude. I board in all my RFG stuff, and keep a much faster hand. I ramp into double Thornling and we go to game three. It was pretty much the same, though, as he has trouble getting Crypts online before I can lay the beats. Hierarch was a total all-star this game, dropping him to five points - low enough that I can end things in only a couple of Thornling swings. Thornling fucking rules.
3-0
Round 4 - Nick with Boros Bushwacker
These games were just embarassing. I can't get a fast hand, can't fix my mana, and he plays around the Zealous Persecution I was bagging to wipe the board.
3-1
Round 5 - Bryan with 4-Color Cascade
Lucky me, I get paired up with a friend in round five. We discuss ID'ing, but after we run some numbers, we realize that with a draw, it's possible for both of us to be out of to-8 contention. Both decks seemed evenly matched against the other top-8 chumps, so we play it out. Game 1, I mull to six, and after Blightning, I just fold up and die. Next game was a little better for me, as I stick an early Lotus Cobra and ramp into Thornling with enough mana to make him move. Game 3 was really similar to game 3. I keep a slow but powerful hand, and stick a Baneslayer on turn 4. We go back and forth, and I'm really overextending to keep up with his card advantage. My draws are good, though, and I manage to keep his board mostly clear until we get to this situation:
Bryan's at 10, I'm at 40. I have two Baneslayers, he has one Baneslayer and a Wurm. I have three cards in hand, and if he draws dead I can push through for lethal in a couple turns, even with his Baneslayer lifegain. My board position is almost completely unbeatable. I tap GGB, and Pulse his Baneslayer. Bryan looks at me, then makes a gun shape with his hand and shoots all three angels, "Pew, pew, pew." Oops.
So yeah, literally gave Bryan the game because I am completely incapable of playing Magic. Anyway, I guess if you're going to totally fuck up, you might as well do it at a time in which you give your buddy a shot at some prize money.
3-2
Anyway, at this point there was about a 2% chance that I can manage to finish in the top 8, but it involves a complicated and improbable series of up-and-down-pairings, crushed dreams, and Halloween magic. Luci and Bryan are both win-and-in, so I decide to play the round. Even if I'm not able to eek my way in, I can at least dream-crush some other slob.
Round 6 - Chris with RUW Control
I hadn't eaten much by this point, and was a little on tilt about the last game, so I obviously wasn't in the best mood. I felt a little bad about my mood, though, because Chris seemed like a pretty nice guy. I'm obviously in complete moron mood still when I try to pulse a Capsule when he had mana open. He just sac'd it in response, and I just had to laugh at my own stupidity. I take a second and get my head together, because I was definitely not losing this round. Stag hits the board, and work around his control long enough to stick a Baneslayer to hold off his unkillable Sphinx of Jwar Isle. He scoops it up, and I board in my Sculler/Duress package. Game two, I took four damage from fetch lands and ramped into the win. Thanks, Thornling.
4-2
Ninth place. Awesome. Bryan ended up in the top 8, but Luci's vampire opponent forced the draw to put herself in, and Luci out.
Overall, I have to say this deck is one of the strongest Standard decks I've played in a long, long time. It's fast, it's packed with threats, and the board is flexible enough to give you an answer to almost any deck you might face. Vampires is practically a bye for it, and Jund is nearly as easy. Dedicated control is a bit of an issue, but speed of the mana-ramping, the disruption board, and the flexibility of the threats can really put you in the clear if you're on top of your game. Luckily, most control decks now are hybridized anti-jund builds, and this deck totally eats them alive. The biggest problem is Boros Bushwacker - it's just so fast! The Zealous Persecutions are great in this matchup, but if your opponents are leaving fetchlands open then you are seriously screwed. Your two biggest threats, Baneslayer and Thornling, are going to practically give you this game if you can live that long. Good luck with that one.
As for changes I would make, I did have some small issues with the land. 23 feels like just the right amount, leaving me mana/color screwed in only one game all day. But I did have several instances where I had literally no basic land left to grab from fetches or paths, and was often wishing I had a second Sunpetal Grove to grab with Knight of Reliquary. Figuring out what to cut is hard, though, because everything is balanced out really well. Terramorphic is the easy pick, but the damn thing is surprisingly good, working with the fetches to give you access to almost any combination of early turn plays. Here's how I would run the lands now (but I'm still not sure if the second Sunpetal is better than a full set of Terramorphics):
5 [UNH] Forest
3 [ZEN] Marsh Flats
4 [UNH] Plains
2 [M10] Sunpetal Grove
3 [M10] Terramorphic Expanse
4 [ZEN] Verdant Catacombs
2 [UNH] Swamp
As for the main - I loved it. Sable Stag was an incredible main deck card all day, so even though I threw them in last-minute, I can't imagine cutting them to put Cobras back in. Cobra is really good, though, much better than I expected, so that Bird needs to be replaced with a snake ASAP. But what do you cut to make room? Wel... Nothing. As it is, I feel like running four Cobras forces the deck to run like a deck based around Cobras. That probably doesn't make sense, but I only wanted to go all-in on a Cobra about half the time - so running two Cobras makes sense to me. If you wanted to run this list, and needed all four snakes, then the obvious cut is the Stags - but it might be prudent to drop a Pulse and possibly a Knight. Right now Stag is just that good. Vampires can't kill it, Jund pretty much has to bolt it, and control decks built to hose Jund will have to waste valuable Paths to keep him at bay. Then again, if the meta starts to fill up with Boros or this new green elves thing, then they'll need to go back to the board.
The fourth Pulse could easily be a Path, but I'm still undecided. I love the hammers. They are completely broken, and easily give you games you don't deserve by basically turning your tokens or early drops into mini-Baneslayers.
Anyway, enough rambling. This is what I'd run if I were doing another tourney tomorrow:
Creatures
3 [CFX] Thornling
4 [M10] Baneslayer Angel
4 [CFX] Knight of the Reliquary
2 [ZEN] Lotus Cobra
4 [CFX] Noble Hierarch
4 [ARB] Putrid Leech
2 [ALA] Elspeth, Knight-Errant
2 [LRW] Garruk Wildspeaker
2 [M10] Great Sable Stag
Spells
3 [ARB] Behemoth Sledge
4 [ARB] Maelstrom Pulse
3 [CFX] Path to Exile
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