all your report are belong to us

Once again, this weeks turnout for participants was 'low' compared to the
numbers of participants during the summer months. Even with small numbers,
strong competition was present including FishHead, Saucemaster, Webster, and
Zhalfirin. This weeks deck: WelderMUD.

WelderMUD (99.9% Team Mean Deck)
//Artifact
2 Karn, Silver Golem
4 Metalworker
1 Triskelion

1 Black Lotus
4 Grafted Skullcap
1 Mana Crypt
1 Mana Vault
1 Memory Jar
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Sapphire
3 Powder Keg
4 Smokestack
4 Sphere of Resistance
1 Sol Ring
4 Tangle Wire
1 Time Vault
2 Winter Orb

//Red
4 Goblin Welder

//Land
4 Mishra's Workshop
6 Mountain
1 Petrified Field
1 Strip Mine
1 Tolarian Academy
4 Wasteland

SB: 2 Bottle Gnomes
SB: 2 Jester's Cap
SB: 2 Null Brooch
SB: 1 Serrated Arrows
SB: 1 Tormod's Crypt
SB: 3 Rack and Ruin
SB: 4 Red Elemental Blast

Brief match summary:

Round 1: Justin, TMD Saucemaster (Burning Desire)

Great. Saucemaster is a very skilled player. Another 'problem' playing against
Saucemaster, you can not categorize him as 'the Hulk player,' 'the Keeper
player,' or 'the WelderMUD player.' You just do not know what you will be
facing. Hmm, however, he is one of the Team Mean Deck. Perhaps, we have a
mirror? I will have to play a near flawless game. With this in mind, we roll for
draw/play... I win, electing to play first.

Game 1: Draw seven. Good hand! Hmm... I'll drop a Mishra's Workshop and tap to
play either Metalworker or Sphere of Resistance? If I play Metalworker and
resolves, I can lock him down completely next turn. If I play Sphere of
Resistance and resolves, I would have to play slower in developing board
position. I go for the Metalworker in an attempt to lock him out early, it
resolves. Saucemaster draws and plays City of Brass. Oh SHIT! Rule out Hulk and
WelderMUD. He would not play Keeper considering our current meta. Oh god, no
please... not Burning Desire. All this ran through my mind as Sauce taps city,
Dark Ritual, Duress taking sphere. He plays out the floating mana and passes.
Unless I top deck another sphere, there goes the game! Draw, nope. Well, so much
for "I will have to play a near flawless game." I lose on turn one mistake... I
am able to play my entire hand including skullcap, stack, and wire (whoohoo!
tapping his city! grr...). His second turn lasts several minutes highlighted by
casting several draw seven spells and effects, a bunch of floating mana, a
Burning Wish, and me kicking myself in the ass.

In: 2 Null Brooch, 1 Tormod's Crypt
Out: 1 Triskelion, 2 Winter Orb

Game 2: Draw seven. Sphere = Saucemaster scoops.

Game 3: Saucemaster elects to play first. Draw seven. Two spheres in hand with
no mana sources at all. Mull... Draw six. Sphere in hand with no mana source
again. WTF! Mull... Draw five. Mana sources but guess what, no sphere. Feeling
like I need a hug, I keep and pray. Saucemaster goes first, good game.

UnstableCornBread comments: When unsure/not 100% sure about the opponent, play
the sphere. WelderMUD is built for that, most likely the opponent's deck is not.
Sphere can win games.

0-1, 1-2

Round 2: John (Mono-U Control)

I have never seen John play at C&J's before and I am already feeling depressed
from the first round which I could have possibly won. If I lose this round, I'm
going home and kicking the dog.

Game 1: I win dice role and elect to go first. Draw seven, good hand. Remebering
my short comings from round one, I open with Mishra's Workshop, casting sphere.
It resolves and I use the floating mana to cast Mox Jet. John's first turn is
draw, island, go. My second turn, my second workshop is played. Tapping workshop
and mox to play Metalworker, resolves. His second turn, draw, island, go. Hmm.
My turn, I drop my whole hand including Karn via worker and two workshops. Hmm,
good game?

In: 2 Red Elemental Blast
Out: 1 Powder Keg, 1 Time Vault

Game 2: John opens with island, go. I open with workshop, worker; however,
worker is countered by his Force Spike. Hmm. I continue to play Mox Ruby, welder
which resolves. His next turn is draw, go. He kept a one hand land playing
mono-U with no draw/search effects!?! In fact, his next three turns are draw,
go. Good game?

1-1, 3-2

Round 3: Clinton (Suicide/Void)

Game 1: Draw seven. I open with workshop, worker. Clinton opens with Wasteland
taking out the workshop. He then notes, "That's probably game already though."
Correct. Second turn, play Mountain, tap worker to reveal Black Lotus, Grafted
Skullcap, Smokestack, Sphere of Resistance. Tap mountain to play welder and then
drop all artifacts. Feeling locked, he scoops.

In: 2 Bottle Gnomes
Out: 1 Mana Crypt, 1 Time Vault

Game 2: Clinton puts the early pressure which featured hymn, sinkhole, and a
Flesh Reaver. However, he never managed to cast Nether Void. During the
beatings, I stablize getting gnomes and Karn in play along with my lock. My lock
becomes animated and angry, ends up swinging two turns to take him out after
grinding most of his permanents away.

2-1, 5-2

Round 4: Luis (Hulk)

Getting late, this round is fuzzy and I am laden with play mistakes that,
fortunately, do not cost me the match.

Game 1: Luis win die roll and elects to go first. Plays Tropical Island, go. I
open with workshop, Metalworker, in which he responds with Ancestral Recall.
Metalworker still resolves. His second turn, draw... brainstorm. No land!
Between recall, draw phase, and brainstorm he sees seven cards with no land nor
Force of Will. Luis is forced to discard down to seven at end of turn. My second
turn, draw, tap worker, drop whole hand, he scoops...

In: 2 Null Brooch, 2 Red Elemental Blast
Out: 1 Triskelion, 1 Mana Crypt, 1 Time Vault, 1 Winter Orb

Game 2: Luis opens with Library of Alexandria. No problem as I look at my
opening hand with Wasteland. Draw, play Wasteland and take out the library. We
both play land go for our second turn. My third turn with mountain in play and
REB in hand, I play workshop. I played the mountain first since I feared his
lone Strip Mine possibility. Tapping workshop, I attempt to play worker. He
tries to force and I respond with REB. He casts Accumulated Knowledge but does
not draw an answer, Metalworker resolves. Luis is now searching for an answer.
He has three lands, Mox Ruby and Black Lotus in play. My turn again, tapping
worker revealing and dropping wire, stack, and Karn. Did I mention I had an
untapped mountain still? Luis is staring at me with the look, "Well..." I pass
the turn! WTF? He looked surprised too! That mistake could have cost me the game
since he gets Pernicious Deed into play next turn with help from the lotus and
land drop. However, Karn offs his Mox Ruby after realizing the mistake. My next
turn, Karn and his artifact friends swing heavily. Because of Tangle Wire, Luis
would have to use deed during the upkeep but only has four mana. Karn swings
solo for the win... Whew. I'm a n00bx10.

3-1, 7-2

Final Standings Top 8: (Tiebreakers determined 2-4)
1. Webster (Congrats!)
2. KiL0
3. Zhalfirin
4. FishHead
5. Luis
6. Clinton
7. Robin
8. Dan

If I played the first turn Sphere of Resistance in game one of round one, I most
likely would have won the match. Possibly putting myself in a position to play
for first. However if I make the same gross play mistakes in round 4, Webster
would absolutely crush me.

About the main deck, what changes could be made to include a Null Brooch?
Uncounterable counter maindeck with negligible draw back since WelderMUD drops
their hand so quickly.

About the sideboard options, REB sucks when skullcap is in play. Would Blood
Moon be a better option?