TES wins Library of Alexandria 5/24/08 Hadley, Ma

Back about a week ago I was looking for a ride to Hadley, Mass. and was trying to get some teammates to go, that wasn't happening. I was trying to persuade Zach Tartell into coming, when I said this...

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Originally Posted by Bryant Cook

Entry fee is 10 dollars, and gas will be around 15. You can't afford 25$ for a Library? Fuck, do you know how many books are in a Library?

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After giving up hope on EPIC, I found a ride to the event with Nick Wowelko (Nickrit2000) and Jason Wallace (Sacaruse). Three other Syracuse guys were also going, Hollywood (A legend), Geoff Smelski (Konsultant), and Tariq White (Spiderfreak). The day of the event came and I had to wake up at 7:00 A.M on a fucking Saturday. I quickly got ready and ate some left over pizza (best breakfast ever) and our car was off to Hadley, Mass. We arrive, and play some skittles - a highlander, peasant format with 5 colors and equal amounts of color. People kept on asking if that's what we were playing, "Yeah, It's five color aggrocombocontrol, waaaayyy better than Dreadstill". Pairings were being put up as I walked back inside...

The EPIC Storm 5/24/08
By: Bryant Cook

Lands
4 Gemstone Mine
4 City of Brass
1 Undiscovered Paradise
1 Tarnished Citadel

Creatures
4 Simian Spirit Guide

Spells
4 Orim’s Chant
4 Dark Ritual
4 Rite of Flame
4 Lion’s Eye Diamond
4 Lotus Petal
4 Chrome Mox
4 Infernal Tutor
4 Burning Wish
4 Brainstorm
4 Ponder
2 Infernal Contract
1 Diminishing Returns
1 Ill-Gotten Gains
1 Tendrils of Agony
1 Empty the Warrens

SB:1 Diminishing Returns
SB:1 Ill-Gotten Gains
SB:1 Cleanfall
SB:1 Tendrils of Agony
SB:1 Empty the Warrens
SB:1 Pyroclasm
SB:3 Shattering Spree
SB:4 Vexing Shusher
SB:2 Xantid Swarm

Round One: Lucas playing Quinn, the Mighty Eskimo.

Game One: He wins the die roll, and plays Plains, Sensei's Top, go. I play City of Brass, Brainstorm. He tops during his upkeep, plays plains says go. I draw a second land, play Dark Ritual, Infernal Contract, then Orim's Chant him. I then play Lotus Petal, Dark Ritual, Dark Ritual, Chrome Mox (Imprint: Brainstorm), Chrome Mox(Imprint: Simian Spirit Guide), then Infernal tutor for Tendrils.

Sideboarding: None

Game Two: He again goes Plains, Sensei's Top go. I look at my hand of...Lotus Petal, Lion's Eye Diamond, Simian Spirit Guide, Rite of Flame, Dark Ritual, Burning Wish, and Ill-Gotten Gains. I draw the card for my turn, Lotus Petal. I play two Lotus Petal, pitch Simian Spirit Guide, cast Rite of Flame, Dark Ritual, Lion's Eye Diamond, then cast Ill-Gotten Gains (Cracking Lion's Eye Diamond for BBB), getting back Burning Wish, Lion's Eye Diamond, Dark Ritual. Cast them all for Tendrils for 20.

2-0
2-0

After this round I met Jaynel and JanValentine00, cool guys, we do some trading, I get a Japanese Undiscovered Paradise, so I can get rid of my Chinese one. I sign a Tendrils and an Empty the Warrens, apparently I'm a big deal.[/sarcasm]

Round Two: Justin (Sunshine), with Ichorid.

Game One: He wins the die roll, then plays Cabal Therapy....ON HIMSELF. Awesome, I kept a no land hand, that if I drew a black card, blue card or a land I was set. I draw a Gemstone mine, then play Gemstone Mine, Dark Ritual, Infernal Contract. I draw some garbage, play 2 Chrome Mox, pitch a Simian Spirit guide, play Lion's Eye Diamond, then Burning Wish for Empty the Warrens for 14. I bash a couple times.

Sideboarding: -3 Orim's Chant, +3 Shattering Spree

Game Two: He opens up with 2 Lion's Eye Diamond, Chalice of the Void, Gemstone Mine, Breakthrough. I lose.

Game Three: I keep a hand that I shouldn't, I don't care about Magic. 2 SSG, 2 Lotus Petal, Infernal Tutor, Ponder, Brainstorm. I Petal, Brainstorm, into Lion's Eye Diamond. I end up making 14 little green guys on turn one and winning.

4-1
2-0

Round Three: Mike Keller (A Legend), Shadowpainter.

Game One: I win the die roll. I was fighting an uphill battle, he played 2 discard spells on key cards, I Diminishing Returns, into GARBAGE. He Duresses me three times, plays Tombstalker and gets in there.

Sideboarding: None

Game Two: I play Land, go. He Thoughtsiezes, I brainstorm. He takes a Dark Ritual. A few turns later, I draw Ill-Gotten Gains and try winning with the Brainstorm I used to hide stuff. I play Dark Ritual, 2 Lion's Eye Diamond, Rite of Flame into Ill-Gotten Gains. Brainstorm sucks. Bad luck for me. Luckily Mike is on one Swamp the entire game. When in doubt I play the Simian Spirit Guide and bring on the BEATZ. I bring him down to 12 and topdeck Ponder into Burning Wish, Burning Wish, Lion's Eye Diamond. I sweak out a Tendrils him for 14.

Game Three: I mulligan to five, Infernal Tutor, Burning Wish, Lion's Eye Diamond, Simian Spirit Guide and Gemstone Mine. Geoff (Konsultant) is looking on and goes "A mull to 5!?! Those hands must've been terrible, you're lazy with mulligans". If I can run it, I play it, those two hands were AWFUL. Mike goes land Ponder. I draw another Gemstone Mine, play Gemstone go. He thoughtsiezes me taking Lion's Eye Diamond. I Burning Wish for Diminishing Returns. He thoughtsiezes me, again, taking Diminishing Returns. I draw City of Brass, play it and pass. He plays Tombstalker. I draw Dark Ritual, pitch Simian Spirit Guide, Infernal Tutor, cast Diminishing Returns with nothing floating. I remove a ton of tutors = not good. I draw Lotus Petal, Brainstorm, Chrome Mox, City of Brass, Gemstone mine, Burning Wish, and Lion's Eye Diamond. I play Lotus Petal, Brainstorm into Simian Spirit guide, Lotus Petal and Lion's Eye Diamond. I put a land and Chrome Mox ontop. I play the other land, pitch Simian Spirit Guide, play Lotus Petal, play 2 Lion's Eye Diamond, and Burning Wish for Tendrils.

6-2
3-0

Round Four: Dylan, with Mossnaught.

Game One: He wins the die roll. We play land go for awhile, he goes turn 3 Dreadnaught, and I Orim's Chant him in response. He dazes, I pitch Simian Spirit Guide. I Diminishing Returns into a decent hand, I go for it, but my hand creates exactly four mana and has Tendrils, he dazes my Dark Ritual... I can't get to four. I lose to double Tarmogoyf and Deed.

Sideboarding: -1 Infernal Contract, -2 Ponder, -1 Chrome Mox, +2 Xantid Swarm, +2 Vexing Shusher. While sideboarding I'm talking to Aaron (Slay) and say that we'll draw round six, if it's alright with him. He agrees.

Game Two: I get a turn two Vexing Shusher, and have this in hand... Chant, Dark Ritual, Lion's Eye Diamond, Ill-Gotten Gains, Infernal Tutor, Simian Spirit Guide. I can't win with both storm engines in hand. I need to draw more acceleration so I can go Wish -> Storm Generator or just draw Brainstorm. He plays a Dreadnaught and bashes me in in the following turn. I'm praying to draw another Dark Ritual or Lion's Eye Diamond or Brainstorm. I draw Brainstorm and win fearing Stifle in his hand (I didn't have the mana to Orim's Chant).

Game Three: I open up the absolute nuts. Land, Dark Ritual, Lion's Eye Diamond, Dark Ritual, Orim's Chant, Ponder, and Infernal Tutor. I decide to take the slow route. I Ponder into Land, Lotus Petal, Lion's Eye Diamond. I take the land. On the next turn, I play Land Orim's Chant, it resolves. I play Dark Ritual, Dark Ritual, Lotus Petal, Lion's Eye Diamond, Infernal Tutor, Ill-Gotten Gains, get back Ritual, Lion's Eye Diamond, and Tutor, play them all and get Tendrils. When he discarded to Ill-Gotten Gains, he had two Stifle and two available blue. Good thing I didn't go for the turn one.

8-3
4-0

Round Five: Rich Meyst, with Vial Goblins.

Game One: He wins the die roll. We both mulligan to six. He plays land, Goblin Lackey. My first turn is slightly better... Gemstone mine, Chrome Mox (Imprint: Tendrils of Agony), cast Dark Ritual, Lion's Eye Diamond, Burning Wish for Diminishing Returns, cast it. Remove a ton of nothing. I draw 2 Lion's Eye Diamond, Chrome Mox, Simian Spirit Guide, Burning Wish, Brainstorm and Orim's Chant. I play the Lion's Eye Diamonds, Chrome Mox (Imprinting: Orim's Chant), pitch Simian Spirit Guide, cast Burning Wish for the Tendrils that was removed to Chrome Mox.

Sideboarding: -3 Orim's Chant, +3 Shattering Spree

Game Two: He opens with with Rishadan Port, Aether Vial, Chalice of the Void. I play a land say go. He plays a Chalice at one. I play another City of Brass, pass. Goblin Warchief then vials out a Piledriver, swings. I tap my deck and say be there, it was there. I drew Shattering Spree. I remove Simian Spirit Guide and kill his Chalices. He swings again. I Empty the Warrens for 10. I bash, he passes. We get into a stalemate. I Infernal Tutor for my one Orim's Chant for a timewalk. He on is next turn plays Chalice at one. I swing all out, then Tendrils him to 2. Having enough men to kill him on my next turn and live through Tendrils life. He topdecks Goblin Sharpshooter with Warchief in play. I lose.

Game Three: I'm on the play. I look at my hand...3 Dark Ritual, Gemstone Mine, Infernal Contract, Lion's Eye Diamond, and Infernal Tutor. I play all three Dark Rituals, cast Infernal Contract, draw into...3 lands and a Rite of Flame. I cast Lion's Eye Diamond, Infernal Tutor, Ill-Gotten Gains. He scoops.

10-4
5-0

Round Six: Aaron Sciore (Slay), Dragon Stompy.

We Draw.

10-4-1
5-0-1

Top 8: Nick Wowelko (Nickrit2000), UGR Canadian Threshold

Game One: He wins the die roll. I should mulligan, but I'm lazy and cant. My hand is... 2 Dark Ritual, 2 Lion's Eye Diamond, Infernal Tutor, Ponder, and Brainstorm. He plays Mongoose, go. I draw Gemstone mine, and Dark Ritual. He dazes. He plays a fetchland, and attacks for a few times. I draw another land after his first attack and brainstorm, next turn Ponder. I Brainstorm into Simian Spirit Guide, Rite of Flame, Empty the Warrens. I put back Ponder and one Lion's Eye Diamond. I ponder the next turn into Rite of Flame, Lion's Eye Diamond, and Brainstorm. I take Rite of Flame. I play a Chrome Mox (Imprint: Simian Spirit Guide), cast 2 Rite of Flames, Dark Ritual, play Lion's Eye Diamond, now only holding ETW and Infernal Tutor. I Empty the Warrens for 14, he stifles. I cast Infernal Tutor for Tendrils for 18. His two fetchlands killed him. He reveals a Force of Will and no blue card.

Sideboarding: -1 Infernal Contract, -2 Ponder, -2 Simian Spirit Guide, -2 Chrome Mox, +4 Vexing Shusher, +2 Xantid Swarm.

Game Two: He plays a turn one Mongoose again. I play land, go. He attacks Cantrips and passes. I play Shusher. He only has a Tropical island. We trade attacks down until we're at 10 and 11. I have a Tarnished Citadel and City of Brass in play. He finally draws a red source and kills Shusher, I play a Xantid. He dies. I go off with Orim's Chant. He forces leaving two cards in hand and one blue open. I have to pray he doesn't have stifle. He does.

Game Three: He mulligans to five, however, my hand was nuts. Gemstone Mine, Brainstorm, Xantid Swarm, Infernal Tutor, Dark Ritual, Lion's Eye Diamond and Lotus Petal. I play Xantid and Pass. He plays Tropical, Ponder, go. I draw Chrome Mox. I Brainstorm into Simian Spirit Guide, Rite of Flame, Ill-Gotten Gains. I put Ill-Gotten Gains and Chrome Mox back. I remove Simian Spirit Guide, Rite of Flame, Lotus Petal, Dark Ritual, Lion's Eye Diamond, Infernal Tutor, he scoops.

12-5-1
6-0-1

Top 4: Justin (Sunshine), with Ichorid.

Game One: We both Mulligan. I don't remember much of this game. I Diminishing Returns into 2 Infernal Contracts and a bunch of acceleration, I cast Infernal Contract into SSG, Rite of Flame, Lion's Eye Diamond, and Burning wish. I end up Tendrils'ing for 26.

Sideboarding: -3 Orim's Chant, +3 Shattering Spree.

Game Two: He doesn't mulligan into Chalice. But instead keeps a fast hand. I keep my hand. He plays a Imp and has breakthrough, I play land, Ponder. He tries to go off but fails. I take my turn and play 2 Lion's Eye Diamonds, Lotus Petal and Infernal Tutor for Ill-Gotten Gains, he scoops.

14-5-1
7-0-1

Finals: Rich Meyst, Vial Goblins.

Game One: I keep a Chrome Mox, Ponder play hand. I end up playing my first land on turn three. Then another Chrome Mox (Imprint: Simian Spirit Guide), Casting Rite of Flame and Lion's Eye Diamond. Cast Diminishing Returns (Crack Lion's Eye Diamond for BBB). I Diminishing Returns into...2 Lion's Eye Diamond, 2 Chrome Mox, Brainstorm, Orim's Chant and the seventh card I draw is...Infernal Tutor. I play 2 Lion's Eye Diamonds and the two Chrome Mox (Imprint: Brainstorm and Chant) all four of them now in play. Cast Infernal Tutor for Ill-Gotten Gains, get back 2 Lion's Eye Diamond and Infernal Tutor, cast them all and Tendrils.

Sideboarding: -3 Orim's Chant, +3 Shattering Spree.

Game Two: He opens up with Land, Aether Vial, Chalice of the Void. Chalice one on his next turn. I sit and wait... I tap my deck and say be there. It's there. Shattering Spree off the top. He Cabal Therapies me, then flashes it back. I do thing. Unfortunately, he plays Ringleader into Piledriver and Earwig Squad; with Goblin Warchief on the table. Bashes my face in.

Game Three: I keep another sketchy hand with Chrome Mox, Diminishing Returns, Ponder. I end up making 10 goblins. He can't deal with them. I win.

16-6-1
8-0-1

I am the proud winner of a new Library of Alexandria!
Sorry, the picture kind of sucks.
http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t...ne/Library.jpg

I now know how many books are in a Library.

Props:
Jaynel and janValentine00 for being cool dudes.
OfftheWall, good store, handled things well.
Bologna and Jelly Sandwiches.
Sleeping on the car ride back.
Me, for being a topdecking sonofabitch.
TES for being good to me.
Jason Wallace (Sacaruse) for driving.
Slay for being cool as shit.
Rich's Mull to four win vs. Bane

Slops:
Hammafist Roob. How lame.
Mass. I hate that state.
Dreadstill, still awful.
Fetchland Tendrils, same as above.
Geoff's car for sucking.

If anyone would like to purchase the Library let me know. It's near mint and signed.

Grats on the finish. I'm kinda bummed you only got goldfished once against Ichorid, though. You need to have that happen more often; a taste of your own medicine, if you will.

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Originally Posted by Bryant Cook

Dreadstill, still awful.

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Truth. Sorry, I can't take a deck that packs it to shatter seriously.

Congrats. Goes to show that winning takes a precise combination of luck and skill.

Nice report. Even better Topdecks. I see you moved away from pyroblast, Seems that you decided that V shusher was more then enough for blue (you didnt even board 4 in vs dreadnaught) I like that you added swarm back into the SB seems good!:) And congrats on winning nice books:tongue:

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Originally Posted by TeenieBopper

Truth. Sorry, I can't take a deck that packs it to shatter seriously.

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Dreadstill is way better than TES. It doesn't pack to Krosan Grip, nevermind Shatter.

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Originally Posted by HammafistRoob

Dreadstill is way better than TES. It doesn't pack to Krosan Grip, nevermind Shatter.

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There's some evidence that disagrees with your statement, hoss.

What's up with the Xantid Swarms?

They stop Stifle and Orim's Chant. Lately people have been using Chant as an anti-combo card. I don't want to walk into one.

On behalf of Comix Zone, I wanted to congratulate you on the win. Great way to represent the 'Cuse.

Congrats on the finish Bryant! Hopefully next time we'll actually get to play.

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Originally Posted by Bryant Cook

Props:
Jaynel and janValentine00 for being cool dudes.

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Thanks, you were pretty cool yourself :cool:

I would love to be able to keep no-landers and then just draw into a land. You're GOOD.

Again Congrats.

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Originally Posted by Bryant Cook

Luckily Mike is on one Swamp the entire game.

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I had Pondered twice actually off a Lotus Petal and then a second one I got back from Ill Gotten. I didn't see anything and was sitting on combo in my hand for like three or four straight turns game two. The Grindstone was in play already.

Game Three was another tight affair - I really felt like I had that one locked up too but I came out on the short end of the stick. But I give credit where credit is due - he drew what he needed to and won the game.

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Originally Posted by kicks_422

I would love to be able to keep no-landers and then just draw into a land. You're GOOD.

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I never said I was good. Not to mention I said I shouldn't of and I probably should've mulliganed. However, once you quit caring, who's to say you're wrong? I did after all win.

Congrats Bryant, I wish we got to play. I would've been a better opponent for you than goblins.

Hey, hey... who am I?

:eek:

Haha, good times. Congrats again, Bryant.

You obviously won because it was my birthday.

Congratulations! I see you're still playing the deck I developed. Keep up the good work kiddo.

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Originally Posted by Bryant Cook

Slops:
Hammafist Roob. How lame.
Dreadstill, still awful.

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Agreed.

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Originally Posted by HammafistRoob

Dreadstill is way better than TES. It doesn't pack to Krosan Grip, nevermind Shatter.

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No, Dreadstill = Landstill in bad. Even worse than Goyfstill.

SRSLY, how much hate is there against the Dreadnought? EE, Deed, Smother, Artifact removal such as Seal of Primordium, Threads of Disloyalty. It can easily be hit by CBalance and even Repeal'ing it is a hell of fun.

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Fetchland Tendrils, same as above.

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Yeah, by the way, where did that "emidln vs. thoughtseize and you"-discussion went to?

Congrats on the win! I was your round 4 opponent, btw (go figure).

Dreadnought is pretty broken though; who cares if it can be answered? 'Goyf can be answered, also by a multitude of cards, but it's still amazing. Dreadnought isn't answered a surprising amount of the time because they only have two more turns to find one. It's a fucking 12/12 trample for 1U. Pertaining to Landstill, it does give the deck a clock against combo.

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Originally Posted by iOWN

Congrats on the win! I was your round 4 opponent, btw (go figure).

Dreadnought is pretty broken though; who cares if it can be answered? 'Goyf can be answered, also by a multitude of cards, but it's still amazing. Dreadnought isn't answered a surprising amount of the time because they only have two more turns to find one. It's a fucking 12/12 trample for 1U. Pertaining to Landstill, it does give the deck a clock against combo.

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Ignore the doubters. I prefer them in this state of mind.

Thanks everyone. To everyone who's shitting on my thread, knock it off.