all your report are belong to us

So on 2/20, Deal Me In Games in Boyertown PA was holding their very first
vintage event at the store. The TO was a long time faithful vintage player and
card dealer, Jason Koresco. He used to help run the early Blue Bell Games events
over ten years ago when the Northeast vintage scene just started. I was happy to
see 32 players come to battle today and I showed up with an old throwback deck
called "2 Card Monte" and won the whole event! Now this is just after winning an
event a few weeks back on Dredge. So below is a list and a rough idea on how my
day went. Again bug thanks to Jason at Deal Me In Games for hosting a kickass
event!!

"2 Card Monte"

4 Leyline of the Void
4 Helm of Obedience
3 Grindstone
4 Painter Servant
4 Goblin Welder
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Demonic Consultation
1 Tinker
1 Memory Jar
1 Wheel of Fortune
1 Ancestral Recall
2 Mental Misstep
1 Ancient Grudge
1 Pyrpblast

4 Serum Powder
1 Black Lotus
1 Mox Opal
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Jet
1 Sol Ring
1 Mana Crypt
4 Mishras Workshop
4 Ancient Tomb
2 Gemstone Mine
2 City of Brass
4 Mana Confluence
1 Tolarian Academy

SIDEBOARD
4 Leyline of Sanctity
1 Trinisphere
3 Nature's Claim
1 Ancient Grudge
1 Balance
1 Sphinx of the Steel Wind
1 Batterskull
1 Red Elemental Blast
2 Defense Grid

Round 1 -(2-0 win) Keith Seals on Ravager Shops
Game 1 - I often see Keith playing a multitude of different decks much like
myself so I am not sure how to play out game 1. In game 1 I powder away a hand
containing LOTV and Ancient Grudge knowing if hes on dredge thets probably a
keep. And if he's on shops I will be locked off Ancient Grudge with 1 sphere. So
I powder it away. My new hand has Ancestral Recall, Goblin Welder, Painter,
Mental Misstep and 3 mana sources. I am on the play and sadly Keith ends up
Mulliganing to 4. I cast Ancestrall Recall, and a couple fast mana turn 1. I
then Mental Misstep his turn 1 Sol Ring followed up by Goblin Welder and
Grindstone. It end quickly.

Sideboarding: -1 LOTV -2 Mental Misstep -Wheel of Fortune -2 Serum Powder
+Batterskull + Sphinx of the Steel Wind +Balance +3 Nature's Claim +Ancient
Grudge

Game 2 - WE Both Keep 7. My hand has a lot of mana, some shops hate, and a
Painter's Servant. Keith is stranded on Tomb/Factoy for a long time with Ravager
and Thorn in play, I do some things and he scoops as he is stuck light on
mana...

Round 2 -(2-1 win) Nate Davidoff on Dredge
Game 1 - I Powder and Mulligan into a hand that has LOTV. I use Helm of
Obedience and kill him a few turns after.

Sideboarding: -2 Mental Misstep -Ancient Grudge -1 Goblin Welder +3 Nature's
Claim +1 Red Elemental Blast

Game 2 - I Mulligan to 4 with LOTV, Goblin Welder, Vampiric Tutor, Demonic
Tutor. I scry a non land to bottom and draw Mana Confluence on my turn. He casts
Serenity, I am forced to Vampiric Tutor for Nature's Claim to stay alive for the
time being. I put up a fight but lose shortly thereafter...
Game 3 - I have a turn 1 win with Mishra's Workshop, Mox Jet, Black Lotus,
Demonic Consultation, Painter's Servant, Ancient Tomb, Memory Jar. I miscount
like an idiot and kill him turn 2.

Round 3 -(2-0 win) Jeremy Beaver on UWG Gush Aggro
Game 1 - Jeremy has 2 Force of Wills for my Tinker and Helm of Obedience,
stopping me from winning. He has lethal on the board, Meddling Mage on Helm of
Obedience, and I am at 2 life, holding Wheel of Fortune. I cast Wheel, My wheel
hand contains Helm of Obedience, Mental Misstep, Pyroblast, 4 mana sources. I
cast Pyroblast on the Meddling Mage (going to 1 life). He responds with Gush,
then responds with Brainstorm. I hardcast Mental Misstep. The Pyroblast
resolves, I cast Helm of Obedience and win at 1 life

Sideboarding: -4 Serum Poder -2 Goblin Welder -1 Vampiric Tutor +Trinisphere
+Batterskull +Sphinx of the Steel Wind +2 Defense Grid +Red Elemental Blast
+Balance (I kept Ancient Grudge in, in case of Null Rod. He in fact had Stony
Silence But never got it)

Game 2 - I have Turn 1 Trinisphere which meets Force of will. A few turns later
I exhaust his hand some more. He casts Managorger Hydra going to 1 card in hand.
I cast Tinker into Sphinx of the Steel Wind and ride it into the sunset.

Round 4 - ID

Round 5 - Play for t8 seating (1-2 loss) Joe Brennan on UWr Mentor
Game 1 - I play through 2 Force of Wills and win on Turn 2 or 3 with Leyline
Helm

Sideboarding: -4 Serum Powder -1 Ancient Grudge -2 Goblin Welder -Vampiric Tutor
+Trinisphere +2 Defense Grid +1 Batterskull +1 Sphinx of the Steel Wind +1
Balance +1 Red Elemental Blast +1 Nature's Claim

Game 2 - I had a turn 1 win lined up until he plays Pithing Needle on Helm of
Obedience. I switch gears and play Batterskull going up to 30+ life. End up
drawing bricks for too many turns and he comes back to steal victory.
Game 3 - Again I have a turn 2 win with Red Elemental Blast back up. He has his
1 of Pithing Needle yet again to stall me out. We have another long back and
forth game and he gets there later in the game.

Top 8 - (2-1 win) Paul Mastriano on UWb Key Vault Mentor
Game 1 - My hand has an opening LOTV, 2 Helm of Obedience, with mana to cast on
turn 1, and then again on turn 2. I also had Tinker in hand. I cast Helm, it
meets Force of Will. Next turn I cast Helm again, it meets Force of Will. I draw
a 3rd Helm, Which meets his 3rd Force of Will. Then I cast Tinker for my 4th
Helm of Obedience and Kill him while staring down lethal on board...

Sideboarding: -4 Serum Powder -Ancient Grudge +1 Trinisphere +1 Balance +2
Defense Grid +Red Elemental Blast

Game 2 - Paul is on a Mulligan to 6. It involves a really fast Monastery Mentor
off Black Lotus, and a Mystic Remora. My initial flurry gets stopped by Force of
Will. He top decks Ancestral Recall and finishes me quickly with Mentor and
friends.
Game 3 - My opener has LOTV, Helm of Obedience, Red Elemental Blast, Grindstone,
Mox Ruby, Mishras Workshop, and Ancient Tomb. I lead with LOTV, Ancient Tomb,
Mox Ruby, tap Tomb for Grindstone, it resolves. Paul has turn 1 Thoughtseize,
taking my Turn 2 Kill sadly. Now I am at the mercy of my top deck. Paul casts
Monastery Mento and Mystic Remora, I draw Black Lotus, and Mox Pearl the next 2
turns. Finally, my next draw is Painter's Servant. I play the Pearl, so I would
have enough mana to cast Painter, use Red Elemental Blast, and have 3 mana to
activate. I play Painter's Servant and Paul scoops showing me 2 Flusterstorms
and a Mental Misstep!

Top 4 - (2-0 win) Ryan Glackin on Ravager Shops
Game 1 - I mulligan to 6 and Glackin to 4. My hand is an odd keep but a keep
nevertheless. I literally have Ancient Grudge and 5 mana sources. I scry my card
to the bottom. I draw Ancestral Recall. Glackin doesn't have much pressure at
all. I play my lands accordingly around Glackins 2 Wastelands. I resolve Goblin
Welder and Memory Jar soon after. I Proceed to mill his deck via Grindstone.

Sideboarding: -1 LOTV -2 Serum Powder -2 Mental Misstep -1 Wheel of Fortune
+Batterskull +Sphinx of the Steel Wind +Balance +Ancient Grudge +3 Nature's
Claim

Game 2 - Glackin plays turn 1 Phyrexian Revoker on Black Lotus. My turn 1, I
play Mana Confluence into Ancestral Recall, into Mana Crypt, Sol Ring, Mox Opal,
Goblin Welder, Painter's Servant. I am able kill a Lodestone Golem, Weld another
one out for Revoker back in, naming Goblin Welder. I then proceed to Nature's
Claim Witchbane Orb, cast Grindstone, and kill him.

Finals - (2-1 win) Matt Murray on Brian Kelly Salvager Oath
Game 1 - I think I have him dead on Board with Painter Grindstone until He plays
Dack Fayden and kills me on the spot. If I had more mana I would have waited
another turn. If he gave me another turn he was dead...such is life

Sideboarding: -1 Serum Powder -2 Goblin Welder -1 Painter's Servant -1 Wheel of
Fortune -1 Ancient Grudge +4 Leyline of Sanctity +Trinisphere +2 Defense Grid

Game 2 - Odd Game here. I have an initial flurry to try to win turn 2. This gets
stopped by Nature's Claim on my LOTV. I cast Painter's Servant in hopes to set
up Grindstone which gets stopped, and Matt resolves Oath. I cast Helm of
Obedience and activate milling 5 hoping to get a big creature off it. I don't.
Matt activated Oath of Druids and finds Sphinx of the Steel Wind. I activate
Helm again with no luck. Lets hope the 3rd time is the charm. Matt Repeals my
Helm of Obedience, accidentally passes the turn missing combat. I play a 2nd
Workshop and cast Helm of Obedience. I top Tolarian and my other mana to
activate it again, the last card flipped was Void Winnower, I win shortly
thereafter with Matts big dude.

Game 3 - I have a turn 0 Leyline of Sanctity. A few turns later Matt has dack
Fayden and I reolve 2 Grindstones and a Painter. Matt can't steal a Grindstone
and use it to kill me, as my Leyline of Sanctity was protecting me from my own
Grindstones. Matt doesnt muster up a way to answer both Grindstones and
conceeds.

Props: Jason and Deal Me In Games, my super awesome and friendly opponents, good
friends, tight play, and a fun deck. Oh yeah and $300 Smile
Slops: A few play errors on the day, and sideboarding to 61 cards sometimes :-p

In Conclusion: This deck is very hard to play, mulliganing is very difficult,
but it is in fact a ton of fun to play!!!

Enjoy!