all your report are belong to us

I played in a 20 player tournament at The Player's Guild on Saturday going 4-0-1
in the Swiss, and making it to the Finals, here is the list I was playing:

4 Mishra's Workshop
4 Ancient Tomb
4 Wasteland
4 Mishra's Factory
1 City of Traitors
Tolarian Academy
Strip Mine
8 Lotus, Moxen, Crypt, Sol
4 Lodestone Golem
4 Phyrexian Metamorph
4 Phyrexian Revoker
4 Wurmcoil Engine
1 Batterskull
3 Sphere of Resistance
4 Thorn of Amethyst
4 Tangle Wire
4 Chalice of the Void
Trinisphere

Sideboard:
4 Grafdigger's Cage
4 Ratchet Bomb
3 Tormod's Crypt
3 Crucible of Worlds
1 Ghost Quarter

The original list was supposed to have 4 Batterskull and 0 Sphere of Resistance,
but due to a lack of Batterskull, and a lack of patience to write out 3
Batterskull Proxies, so I threw in 3 Spheres. The reason I wanted 4 Wurmcoil and
4 Batterskull was because I expected a lot of creature based decks. Here is a
mini report of my day:

Round 1: Brandon Brown with UW RIP Helm Combo (won die roll)

These games went extremely fast. I didn't even know what he was on until much
later in the tournament. All I saw from him was: Force of Will, Mental Misstep,
Island, Plains, Tundra, some fetches and an Aven Mindcensor.

Games: 2-0
Round Total: 1-0

Round 2: Dan Bernquist with Grixis Painter (lost die roll)

Game 1 took all but 16 minutes of the round. He mulliganed to 6. I exhausted 4
or 5 Tangle Wires, had about 3 or 4 sphere effects in play, none of which were
Golem, and took 15 damage from my own Mana Crypt. He eventually is able to cast
Agent of Bolas to beat me to death. Next top deck for me would have been a
Wurmcoil. Also during this game he played a Trinket Mage and searched for a
Painter's Servant, seems like a strong Trinket Mage! I pointed that out and
Painter then became a Sapphire.

Game 2 went extremely fast as I had Triple Lodestone by turn 2.

Game 3 was going well for me until he Hurkyl'sd me right as time was called. I
tried to just prevent him from winning to take the draw.

Games: 3-1-1
Round Total: 1-0-1

Round 3: Steven Thompson with Elves! (won die roll)

These games were very easy for me, the match took like 10ish minutes. Chalice @1
and Spheres do wonders, as does Wurmcoil Engine and Ratchet Bomb.

Games: 5-1-1
Round Total: 2-0-1

After our match, Steven was looking for someone to play Commander with,
eventually I played him with this deck. Let's just say I scooped shortly
after... 

Round 4: Phil Cassidy with Martello (lost die roll)

Game 1 he is ahead of me the entire game, until I drop a Wurmcoil. Then I
Metamorph a Wurmcoil. Then I play a third Wurmcoil. That's what I call
stabilizing!

Game 2 he plays Factory Chalice @0 pass. I play Ratchet Bomb, pop at 0, then
play Mox and Tormod's. He then plays an irrelevant Crucible. I play my own
Crucible then Waste his land. He never gets into the game.

Games: 7-1-1
Round Total: 3-0-1

Now I know I can make it in the Top 8 no matter what I do so I play my next
opponent:

Round 5: Bill Sees with Boberman (Esper Bomberman) (lost die roll)

Game 1, he mulliganed to 6, all I remember was that a Wurmcoil hit him and he
scooped, must have went all the way.

Game 2 he beat me down with a Trinket Mage while I kept taking damage from Mana
Crypt.

Game 3 he mulliganed to 6, the game was awkward. I was beating with Factory, I
eventually animated and Metamorphed it, then eventually played another Factory.
He later Hurkyl'sd me thinking I had 3 Factories. I then play Wire Metamorph
Wire while he was tapped out to seal the deal.

Games: 9-2-1
Round Total: 4-0-1

This put me in the first seed, but Shawn doesn't like the Top seed rule so we
had to use the old fashioned die roll, darn.
My Top 8 opponent was.... Steven again! I was happy to know my match would be
easy, or so I thought.
I lose the die roll...

Game 1 I mulligan to 6, the first time all tournament, and keep a hand that was
very similar to the first, except it allowed for a turn 2 Wurmcoil. He goes
Fetch, Birchlore go. I go double Thorn go. He plays a bunch of guys and tries
to play a Lotus for free but I point out the Thorns, so he pays 2. I play
Wurmcoil. He then has enough mana to cast Natural Order to get Craterhoof and
hit me for exact damage through my Wurmcoil. Damn! I was scared.

Game 2 he scoops to triple Lodestone.

Game 3 was very grindy. He Natural Order's for Craterhoof early just to get
damage in. I eventually drop Batterskull. We are at a standstill for awhile.
During this he Natural Order's for a Viridian Shaman to blow up a Lodestone. I
eventually get another one out, he casts his third and final Natural Order
declares it to be a Viridian Shaman searches, no Viridian Shaman. Here he sided
in the wrong pile, and so puts a Priest of Titania into play. I equip
Batterskull to Lodestone and just go to town.

I was actually a lot more afraid of this match than I originally was.

Games: 11-3-1

Top 4: Keith Seals with Grixis Control (won die roll)

Game 1 Revoker names Jace, gets in there for awhile and then I think a Golem
sees play.

Game 2 I get desperate and go from 14 to 8 to Metamorph a Bob. Didn't end well
as then he plays Tezzeret and Jace. Guess who gets to take all the turns? He
does!

Game 3 was incredibly fast. Turn 1 Lodestone Chalice @0. Turn 2 Metamorph for
Lodestone beats face.

I'm excited to be in the Finals, until I see who my opponent is...
Games: 13-4-1

FINALS: Rob Edwards with Keeper

Damn it! I knew he was on Keeper, this deck is the bane of me. 

Game 1 I mulligan to 6, I play Chalice @0 and Sphere. He plays Mountain pass. I
play something I can't remember, all I know is he assembles Goblin Welder and
Gorilla Shaman very early! He gets Jace out, Ultimates him, and I lose to my
Mana Crypt on upkeep.

Game 2 he gets Trygon Predator into play. I play Wurmcoil, he Jace bounces
multiple times, while blowing up stuff with Predator. I try to Metamorph the
Predator but he counters it. He Hurkyl'sd me I try to get there but he then gets
to take all the turns.

Games: 13-6-1

All in all I think the deck performed well. I wouldn't make any changes to it. I
got $100 credit for placing 2nd, and got a bunch of Commander stuff.

Thank you to all my opponents for giving me a fun day of slinging cardboard.
Thank you Shawn for allowing me to play in such a fun tournament, and thank you
to Justin Kohler for allowing me to borrow this deck!

Hope you enjoy this tournament report.