all your report are belong to us

Vintage at Shuffle & Cut on 11/14/10

   I was excited to play vintage today. After some recent poor results piloting
a mix of legacy decks to terrible finishes, a couple of rough drafts with my
only successes coming from poison counters, and the only consistent performance
on my part being in weekly Standard FNM, which in the past is usually my worst
format, I was hungry to do well at something I know and love. Unfortunately, I
have been a little out of date and out of practice, and to make it worse I had
no idea what I wanted to pilot. I quickly decided to try and read up, hitting
the scg articles and recent reports here, but I still was not feeling anything
specific.
   I had it in my head that gush was probably the way I wanted to go, and in
that something with tendrils. But when I built it I didn't really like it, and
after running the list by a friend and discussing it some I decided it was not
what I wanted at all. I decided I would just default to snake city vault, which
I still felt good about, and I went about my life without any testing. As
reckless as I felt about this, between working and excessive drinking I could
not find the time, nor did I have anyone with whom I could throw down some
games. It was starting to feel like I might be going at this blind once again,
something I told myself I would stop doing. I set my mind to testing at least
some, and it was supposed to happen Friday night in place of my usual standard
FNM. I figured I would be at least a little better off if I could get 10 or 20
games in, but I would be happy with whatever. It would give me time to finalize
my list and learn to love whatever sideboard I accepted as fate. But as is
always in my life as a stranger in a strange land, I got sidetracked and the FNM
never quite happened. I discovered there is a difference between van nuys and
van ness, and spent part of the afternoon at a poker game in inglewood instead
of the valley. Ice Cube was not there, much to my dismay, and my host insisted
that he probably doesnt live anywhere close by. I accepted it and promptly lost,
and settled for the rest of some jim beam black that I was intent on making
disappear anyway. After that things get kinda sketchy, and while I may not
remember the hours I was supposed to spend testing, I did wake up safe and sound
and drunk as hell on Saturday morning in an apartment in Echo Park. I navigated
public transit back to the valley in time to make lunch, sober up, and get to
work. There was still not a vintage deck sleeved for me but I was determined to
play anyway. Maybe I would consider something different when I got home.
   After a long night in hell (aka work) and then coming home tired, I decided
there was no excuse not to get a deck together before bed and that whatever I
sleeved up I would make myself stick to. No changing my mind at the last minute.
I would be ready when Caleb came in the morning, hopefully (as proved true)
listening to football via this wonderful internet.  I got my things out and
after all was said and done sleeved up a very different deck, my favorite deck
and my pet deck, much like a true vintage player deciding to play what I like
instead of what I assumed was best. It didn't take long to force together an
ever familiar list, but once I extended from building sixty to seventy five I
found I wanted some changes. Things are not the same the last time I set myself
to work reanimating monsters of pure doom, and the board brought me to
speculation, a place I never like to be going in to something I want to win.
Still, I know the deck and believed it at least had a shot, so I put it in my
bag and promptly passed out, desperately in need of a good night's sleep after
the prior night's adventure.
   I did not pull it out in the morning but instead focused on preparing my
trade binders that never came out of my bag at the tournament. Caleb picked me
up and we were off, discussing the old days and random moments in magic personal
history, and we made great time. After registering we blasted out some legacy
games, and by the time the tournament started I was anxious to animate
something.

The Deck:

Worldgorger Dragon

4x Bazaar of Baghdad
3x Polluted Delta
2x Misty Rainforest
2x Underground Sea
2x Tropical Island
1x Swamp
1x Island
1x Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth

1x Black Lotus
4x Mox (no pearl)
1x Sol Ring
1x Mana Crypt
1x Lotus Petal

3x Worldgorger Dragon
3x Squee, Goblin Nabob
1x Eternal Witness

4x Animate Dead
2x Necromancy

4x Force of Will
4x Pact of Negation
3x Thoughtseize

4x Intuition
1x Demonic Tutor
1x Vampiric Tutor
1x Imperial Seal
1x Ancestral Recall
1x Brainstorm
1x Stroke of Genius
1x Echoing Truth
1x Chain of Vapor

Sideboard:

4x Leyline of the Void
4x Nature's Claim
1x Echoing Truth
1x Chain of Vapor
1x Rebuild
1x Hurkyl's Recall
1x Misty Rainforest
1x Island
1x Forest

   All in all I would probably run it the same way, though I did really wish I
had duresses to board in a couple of times, so I may take that into account. I
had a blast with the deck as always, and I was delighted that people were
entertained with the fact that I was running it and doing reasonably well. It
was a great tournament with a great crowd, well run with seemingly no issues. I
think the turnout was around sixteen or so, but I will let someone else confirm
it. It was a good event and hopefully there will be more people next time, and I
apologize to anyone if I get anything a little hazy in my match assessment since
I didnt take notes.

Round 1: Chad with ANT

Not the match I was hoping for, and playing against an acquaintance is never
exactly how you want to start out anyway. We discuss it a little and remain
casual, making it a point to enjoy some conversation and get to our games,
fondly discussing cards we love. This guy is awesome, and it is only natural
that he would get the nut draws against me, only to kill himself with
consultation and ad nauseam against someone else. But there was little I could
do, and I put up a good fight, but sometimes thoughtseize and force of will just
are not enough. After losing two games with relative swiftness, I wondered if I
made the best call, or if I should have devoted some SB to the match, but I
decide not to dwell on it. Hearing falsely that it is a top 4 cut makes me
believe I am out, but I decide I want to play one more round before retiring to
drinking.

At least everyone else seems to have done well, so at worst during round three I
can be putting back some strong drink and providing moral support in the way
only the best of us can.

0-1

Round 2: Oath

After the first game I assume my opponent is on trygon jace and the only
memorable cards are his turn 1 ancestral, a couple force of will and a mana
drain. Attrition prevailed and I got the dragon animated, and after seeing the
win condition we moved on to game two. At this point I discover it is oath
because of forbidden orchard, comment on it, but watch him quickly assemble
vault key after stopping thoughtseize and force of will. I readjust and we are
on to a third game, and I am pretty happy with my hand, playing land brainstorm
and mox, only to immediately watch my opponent play orchard, sapphire,
ancestral, lotus, oath, relic of progenitus. I am a little floored but I stick
it out, fairly certain I can try to go off before I lose. I get bazaar down and
decide to pass, holding the necromancy but not the mana, and he calls forth
terastodon, ruining my lands. I tap bazaar, feeling hopeless, but get some lands
and the dragon. I go to my turn and play a land and pass, realizing I might be
able to stall unless he pops another guy. He triggers oath and I figure its
over, but wait it out, hoping it will be his last card. As he mills I dont see a
reclamation, and it starts to look like I may get lucky. And then it happens:

There is no creature and no reclamation.

I feel terrible for my opponent, who suddenly realizes he either drew it or is
holding it or took it out or something and scoops. I do my best not to say much,
giving him time to deal with it, and as people approach to ask how I did I
confirm and try to explain. I am a little stunned at this point, but with my win
I also discover that it is top 8 and I am still live. No drinking yet for this
monster, and I am determined to have a better round three. My breakers are going
to be terrible as my opponent drops and chad lost, but I am determined for the
worst of it to be over.

1-1

Round 3: Beaux with Affinity

I know that he won the tourney the weekend before with his build and that it can
be insanely explosive, so I decide not to discount his deck and play tight. I
nearly blow it anyway because his deck is even more explosive than I thought,
but my absurd decision in game one pays off. I hardcast dragon turn one, play a
fetch land that I never break, and three turns later beat him to death only to
find myself at one life. It was too close for comfort, and I decide to try and
stick to my combo. Game two he goes crazy and beats me to death by turn 4, and
rebuild buys me one turn but I need one more. At least I am on the play, and as
long as I can get a decent hand I will pull out. Game three is my friend, and I
find myself ending it on turn 3 with Beaux drawing 210 cards, and also discover
that I can now not only make top 8 but also draw in. The drinking is put off yet
again, but the tournament is still in my reach. A bad set of swiss perhaps, but
the roughest and most random games still have a winner.

2-1

Round 4: ID

2-1-1

After a trip to the in and out I discuss with Jack that we will likely be
paired, and I try not to mention that I think I have a good match as I am aware
people keep saying that to him and he keeps beating them. But in my case it was
true, and as I predicted we are paired for top 8.

Top 8 match: Jack with Snake City Vault

Game one I have a powerful opening hand, but it quickly proves to have mana
issues, and having to dig for a black source puts me too far down on cards when
I try to go for my combo. I could have afforded to wait one more turn, and if I
would have done so I likely would have pulled through, but as an afterthought I
decided not to worry about it and make it a point to play a lot tighter game 2.
Jack struggles a bit sideboarding, much to my pleasure, and I bring in a mix
that I am happy about. Game two proves the longest and most skill intensive of
the format, with me drawing off a bazaar and 3 squee engine and Jack
brainstorming with Jace. My slight card advantage pays off, and after a large
number of turns I assemble the win. Game three I get my first completely broken
draw of the day, ready to pound a protected win out on turn 3 with answers to
hate, but it proves not needed. Though Jack had a few spell pierces I had all
the right cards, and it was over as quickly as it started.


Top 4: Storm

Game one of this match found my opponent drawing off necro three turns in a row,
each time with me thoughtseizing to disrupt. When he was out of life and cards
he scooped, and we were on to game two quickly. Game two was even shorter, and I
am pretty sure that he kept six because of brainstorm and it was not friendly. I
had a strong draw and put it away on turn 3. Moving on to the finals is pretty
awesome, and I am once again in love with my deck, and I realize that my
drinking will have to come in celebration instead of defeat.

As I discover that my ride and friend Caleb will be facing me in the finals,
with his deck full of blood moons and hate, we decide a draw is perfectly
acceptable between us and we discuss a way to chop the prize and head home
victorious. We bust out the flask and do a shot in victory, some reasonably
blended scotch, and after an exchange of greeting and collection of prize we are
soon thereafter heading home. Today was a good day, and a hell of a tournament.

Props to everyone I played, everyone that played in general, the store for
holding the event and having a pretty nice time vault, and the vintage community
in general. It was great to be playing cards that I truly enjoyed.


EITD