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Thread: [Deck] Imperial Painter

  1. #881
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    Re: [Deck] Imperial Painter

    Jack lost a heartbreaker in the top 8. I'll let him tell the story. I will post my list and a short report and thought son the deck Monday. I will also try to answer of of these questions that people are asking about the Miracles match up.

    Seth
    …no matter how much you think you love somebody, you’ll step back when the pool of their blood edges up too close.

  2. #882
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    Re: [Deck] Imperial Painter

    Quote Originally Posted by sroncor1 View Post
    Jack lost a heartbreaker in the top 8. I'll let him tell the story. I will post my list and a short report and thought son the deck Monday. I will also try to answer of of these questions that people are asking about the Miracles match up.

    Seth
    Congrats to you both!
    Currently playing:
    Imperial Painter

    One of the few Painter players in SoCal...

  3. #883
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    Re: [Deck] Imperial Painter

    Quote Originally Posted by Imperial View Post
    He had countered a few of my early threats (Recruiter/Servant/Grindstone), and he assembled quite a potent board state, giving me one turn to draw an out. I drew Bridge, and he was able to hardcast Force.
    Yeah, that's just a damn good draw, not much to do, but it is far from indicative of the matchup in general.

  4. #884
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    Re: [Deck] Imperial Painter

    Edit:
    @ Kap'n

    ouch bro, you lost to BUG Delver in the semi's? Not enough Moon action?

  5. #885
    Bob Ross
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    Re: [Deck] Imperial Painter

    Thanks everyone. Certainly got lucky my last two rounds to make it in. My only 2 losses on the day were to team America actually. Game 3 of the first I drew all 4 grindstones. Top 8 was unfortunate. I mulled twice and variance caught up to me. He outdrew me and hymn was really lucky. I don't think I could have played better, just more aggressively with moon without backup maybe.

    Jandax it wasn't a lack of moons that did me in. More so just the right answers at the right time. Seth one heartbreaking thing was my initial 7 game 1 of the top 8 that I shipped and no one saw. I'll include it in my report but it's just one of those things that means easy game win and mull

  6. #886

    Re: [Deck] Imperial Painter

    Quote Originally Posted by sroncor1 View Post
    So after reading many of the recent posts I felt like this post is needed. [...]
    seth
    Hey Seth, thanks a lot for these awesome insights! Read the post just before a local event (went 3-3, lost against Spanish Inquisition, TES and Burn, with all of these matches being incredibly close and some crazy topdecks of the opponents) and realized it really changed my way of thinking of the deck and my boarding decisions. In future I'll most definitely play 3 Enlightened Tutors as well and stop boarding too much disruption in favor of more focus on the combo instead of trying to prison the opponent at all costs!
    I'm really looking forward on your more detailed report on the equipment sideboard!

  7. #887
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    Re: [Deck] Imperial Painter

    Here is my list from the recent SSG Open.* It is what has already been posted but I think it is pretty solid right now.* I will post my board and some thoughts about how I boarded.* I feel that exact numbers and plans is sort of moot though.* I paid close attention to what I did and realized that my boarding was often very fluid and was not consistent between the same match ups.* Things like if I was on the play or draw, whether I won the first game and how much time in the round all factored in.* not to mention how I saw the opponent play.* Most likely if I played those match ups again I would side board completely differently.* I did side board at least 2 times completely wrong and I will address that in the relevant match up.* Overall I felt really good with the list.* E tutor was a fucking rock star all day.* Only one game did it languish in hand when it could have won me the game but I had a Moon effect out.* It may be the way I play the deck, and the fact that game one I rarely throw out Blood Moon blind anymore, so it allows me to set it up for maximum value.*

    4 recruiters

    4 Painters

    3 SSG

    2 Goblin Welder

    2 Magus of the Moon

    1 Jaya

    1 Peacekeeper

    4 grindstone

    3 reb

    3 pyroblast

    2 SDT

    2 Koth

    3 e tutor

    2 lotus petal

    4 blood moon

    1 ensnaring Bridge

    8 sol lands

    5 fetches

    3 mountain

    2 plateau

    1 great furnace

    Side

    4 RIP

    1 helm of obedience

    1 stoneforge

    1 jitte

    1 SoLS

    4 Firbolt

    2 ensnaring Bridge

    1 goblin welder

    Round 1: Sneak and Show

    In game 1 I put him on TES as I say a fetched Volcanic into Gitaxian Probe then Ponder.* So I tutored up Painter and then got show and Telled into a walking draw seve.* Recruiter into Peacekeeper would have won me the game as he admitted that he could not beat resolved bridge effects.* On to game 2, it goes long, we trade resources and he show and tells in an eldrazi and I drop an Ensnaring bridge.* RiP and the combo follow many turns later.* Game 3 we are short on time.* I have Helm and bridge in hand with a top in play and numerous lands.* I have RiP as my top card and he Show and Tells.* I go back and forth in my mind because if he drops eldrazi putting the Helm into play wins me the game.* If it is Bargain I probably never resolve another spell.* So I play it safe and drop the Bridge.* Now we have maybe 4 minutes left and this guy was slow all day which always pisses me off because I play super fast.* He admits he cant beat a resolved Bridge but will not scope.* We eventually go to time and draw.* I could have tried to blast the counter on helm when I played it but he had a full grip and I was pretty sure he had FoW( He did btw).* Onto the draw bracket due to this guy while playing within the rules, bc he was a choad( and yes I mean a dick that is fatter than it is long).

    Round 2:* Jund depths

    In the draw round I play a lands deck.* In game one I get an early moon effect and basically ride that out while beating down with my dorks.* Game 2 is far more interesting.* He is on the play, and for my first turn I drop Grindstone.* I have a Plateau and RiP and Moon, and Recruiter in hand so I am thinking this is over.* He entombs for Iona and I am thinking, Fuck I just lost.* On his second turn he ancient grudges my Grindstone.* I proceed to untap RiP and from there just drop Moon and slowly hit the combo.* He never plays another spell, and I counter and Exploration bc I feared Oblivion Stone and wanted to slow down his general mana production.* When I asked why he didn’t just reanimate Iona and go for the throat he said he feared a Painter in hand.* I guess it makes sense as he didn’t know RiP where there, but if I were him I would have called red.*

    Round 3: Jund Depths

    See round 2.* I actually don’t remember much.* I know I won with a fast combo game one.* Game two I have no idea but I think it involved Moon.* The deck is slow and Dark depths is easily played around.

    2-0-1 at this point

    Round 4: Mono blue Omni tell

    I got hit with his first or second *turn combo all three games.* Game one I was dead as I never expected to see this deck in the draw bracket.* I kept an average hand as best I can remember.* Game 2 I had a few combo pieces and two blast effects.* Slow rolled the combo, and kept blast mana up, and REB his Show and Tell with and combo win.* Game three a keep a seven card hand with something like Grindstone, 2 REB, 2 mountains, and Recruiter and another card that doesn’t matter.** I play mountain knowing that if he has the god hand he has me.* I debated going for a mull to try and get a fast mana source, but really I could not have a better hand.* He had the FoW and basically the perfect seven to go off on his turn two.* Not much I can do here.* I boarded a welder in for a bridge effect and kept the deck the same.* Another blast in the board would have been better, but really I am not sure we can do much here.

    2-1-1

    Round 5: Miracles

    These were fun.* Game one I eventually force down a moon effect like turn 3-4 after we traded resources.* Not really sure the specifics but eventually locking them off Jace is the important things.* I would then go on to slowly beat down.* I boarded In the Stoneforage package here.* I actually took out the bridges I think.* After winning game one I wanted to go on the aggressive in games 2 and 3 if it happened.* I took out Koth and added the other welder.* I figured I would trade resources and then use the equipment to leverage a win.* Ironically my stoneforge package was better than his as Recruiter for stone forge for SoLS was a great card advantage engine that he couldn’t beat.* He fought the good fight and actually used 3 STP that second game against me but eventually a Painter stuck and I swung gained life, and eventually killed him.* Once the Recruiter chain hit I had plenty of dudes to equip and it was over.* The life gain was really important however due to STp, I never returned a dud but it didn’t matter.* You could argue that Koth should have stayed in but on the draw I wanted to play a lower curve and put more pressure on him early with cards like Welder and Stoneforge as they were all must answers and once his resources were depleted the Moon and other cards would just lock him out.* It is funny that against Jace.deck I sided koth out as he just wrecks them, but I actually think these other cards were better bc I was playing second, was already up game one, and knew I could actually out card advantage them by in true card advantage and virtual card advantage from Blood Moon.* I still think some number of Koth in the 75 is important as planeswalkers are incredibly strong and he is a great win con under bridge, but I did rethink 2 main deck.

    Round 6: death and Taxes

    I get a fairly quick combo game one.* I think he hit one STp that game to slow me down but eventually I mill him.* Here is where I def sided wrong.* I boarded out Koth, welder( I think) for the 4 Firebolt.* My thought was that I could use the bolt to slow him down and then ensure I could combo.* As the second game would wear on I had him under a bridge.* He uses 3 STP, 2 Revokers and pithing Needle.* In the end Flickerwisp[ removing my Bridge got there.* One turn before I drew the Firebolt which would have cleared the way for me.* Jack was watching this match and afterwards asked me why I didn’t bring in stoneforge.* And I was thinking leave in moon to stop Karakas and taxing effects, but he may have been right, as an active jitte just nuts all over their face.* But we were short on time for game 3.* So I left the stoneforge out knowing that I needed to go for the throat due to time constraints.* I knew combo was my way in game three.* I needed Jaya to blow up an O ring as he used two on my grindstones for the kill.* Jack was correct when he noted my opponent missed a Karakas activation on my Jaya, but I would have still gotten to destroy on O ring so it would not have changed the game state.* There was a critical turn when I debated jaya vs Blood moon and had I had more time I would say the Moon first was the correct play.* But since I knew time was important I played jaya to speed up my ability to combo out.*

    4-1-1

    Round 7: Jund

    It was a beating.* I managed to take one.* My opponent landed a first turn deathrite and second turn Hymm every game.* Not much I can say about that.* In game one he added a 3rd turn bloodbraid into Lilianna.* Thems the breaks.* This is a tough one.* His hymm in game three was huge as my hand was all combo pieces.* If he didn’t hit the E tutor and Recruiter I actually think I could have won.* This is a tough match up and I doubt I would do much differently in planning.* Stoneforge came in as the equipment is good here, but it’s a kick in the dick playing them.* Luckily True name raps them so you shouldn’t see them often.* Jack would go on to win some crazy games against this guy in the next round.

    4-2-1

    Round 8: BUG

    I wasn’t sure what he was playing but I was tired and threw down a blind Moon bc I thought he was playing a blue black deck as he had been sitting around me a few turns earlier.* It worked and he scoped.* I wasn’t sure if he was on BUG, or team America or miracles at this time.* As such I left the Firebolt in the board as I saw no Delver or Deathrite in game one.* I actually can’t remember game 2.* I think I traded some cards with him and then went for the combo, but it could have been Moon.* I am sorry I can’t remember more details.* Afterwards Jack asked why I didn’t board in the Firebolt and I had to say yeah I should have but game one I never saw the deathrite.

    5-2-1

    Round 9: Lands

    These were some good games.* I know the guy as he is a local so I know he is on lands.* In game one I keep a hand with a first turn Moon.* He proceeds to drop 2 Mox diamond and I am like Fuck.* Eventually I am able to slow him down, blast a port at the end of his turn to ensure I have enough mana and grind him out for the win.* Game 2 is similar in the sense that he again has double mox diamond.* The mana advantage is huge on the first turn.* I fight for a while but then he Chalice for 1 and I sided out Jaya.* I know Lands plays Chalice for combo.* I just forgot.* That coupled with recurring EE and even RiP couldn’t bail me out.* Game three I was on the play.* Jammed a first turn Moon and hoped he didn’t have Punishing Fires or Mox Diamonds.* He didn’t we slow rolled it and I dropped Blood Moon and sloly started to beat down.* He blew up some grind stones and a welder with EE.* But eventually I was able to recruiter for Welder untap and win.* I probably would have been able to win with beat down* but better safe than sorry.

    6-2-1

    Overall I beat what I should have and lost some tough ones.* The list was rock solid all day.* I debated dropping SDT for another fast mana source and possible E tutor.* Will think about that some more.* Also Koth never really mattered although I still think his power means he should be in the deck.* Although 2 main may not be correct.* Firebolt was the tits in every match up that you wanted it.* I routinely* got 2 for 1 and was so happy killing Bobs, Revokers, and Deathrites with it.* I think it is far superior to lightning Bolt right now and will say anyone that is playing lightning bolt is most likely playing the wrong card now.* I will post more thoughts on the miracles later.

    *

    Seth

    *

    *Ps Todd Anderson doesn't wash he hands when he shits.
    …no matter how much you think you love somebody, you’ll step back when the pool of their blood edges up too close.

  8. #888
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    Re: [Deck] Imperial Painter

    My take from this write up is that all the astrix mean that throughout the day, as you played out your tournament, Todd Anderson took interval shits and didn't wash his hands.


    Best tournament report ever.

    Would read again

  9. #889
    Bob Ross
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    Re: [Deck] Imperial Painter

    Prelude to my report I will comment on the small portion of video coverage:

    http://www.twitch.tv/scglive/b/498351187

    starts at 13:47

    The description of Painter was pretty terrible. Matthias classified it as all-in, when the e tutor builds are the exact opposite. They also mentioned that it was mono-red when I had written Rw Painter as my archetype and there was even a plateau in play. Lastly, while firebolt was somewhat concealed in the yard, they mentioned that beyond jaya, there was no burn in the deck. That was cleared up shortly, thankfully. Also, Sullivan's description of team America as a terrible matchup is wrong, but it certainly isn't as easy as we all make it out to be. The presence of hymn forces you to play into daze and decay. Its in our favor, but not as awesome as uwr delver or shardless bug is.

    Also, I need to say that my initial memory was wrong. I had been talking to Seth today and was debating my grindstone choice saying deathrite had already been played. Watching the video you can see that it was only goyf and wasteland, which definitely backs up my reasoning to go grab stone eot. Him letting the tutor resolve while having a spell pierce told me that it was okay to go get stone and cast it and then if I draw a land I win the game. I certainly thought about great furnace as well, but because he didn't pierce I was okay with getting stone. wasteland was unfortunate as well because I was about to try to win otherwise. obviously I didn't know the pierce but that was my line of thought. The craziest part was how the game got to that state, which I will cover in depth in my report. But I only saw 3 lands the entire game as well. Pretty unfortunate that I couldn't flashback the firebolts. Getting the library (off of a ponder the prior turn) was really the turning point of the game for him. I had it all but locked up with welder, painter, rec and 3 lands. sadly the library found him everything he needed with the deathrite, double waste, and clock with goyf.

  10. #890
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    Re: [Deck] Imperial Painter

    Seth, did you find yourself wanting Spellskite in the deck at any point, for Swords and other things that Welder can't help you with? Or are you happy with Pyroblast/REB protection and the tutors to replace pieces?

  11. #891

    Re: [Deck] Imperial Painter

    Congrats Cap'n and Seth!

    Quote Originally Posted by sroncor1 View Post
    Firebolt was the tits in every match up that you wanted it.* I routinely* got 2 for 1 and was so happy killing Bobs, Revokers, and Deathrites with it.* I think it is far superior to lightning Bolt right now and will say anyone that is playing lightning bolt is most likely playing the wrong card now.
    Nice report Seth! About the Firebolt: I take it you intentionally dismiss Sudden Demise as a possible sweeper instead of one or two bolts?

  12. #892

    Re: [Deck] Imperial Painter

    Congrats for the results.

    Concerning the spot removal slot, Firebolt looks interesting. I'm playing Lightning Bolt in my UR painter. I started off with Flame Slash but I really missed instant speed for several MUs (D&T primarily but also a bit better vs. elves and in general, instant speed is better). However, the ability to recast it might change everything, I'll definitely test it out.

  13. #893
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    Re: [Deck] Imperial Painter

    The spellskite issue is that it would be great to draw in those match ups where STP is played however tutoring for another Painter is almost always the better play. Think of it like this in my build I effectively run 11 ways to find Paintet. They run 4 total STP. If the game really grinds koth will beat those decks along with bridges. I actually enjoy playing decks with STP. Now burn is another matter as I never found spellkite to help out much. I guess running 3-4 main is red decks and Jund is in high effect in your meta might be an option.

    About firebolt, occasionally instant speed matters I will admit. But the card advantage in a game is more important I think. Occasionally it is nice to get a Mom after she has been end of turn vialed. But mostly you will kill two delvers or deathrites with one card. You can activate it twice in a turn easily. The big thing to remember, is that with firebolt and imperial recruiter and stoneforge my deck has some great opportunity for card advantage without losing consistency. And with no true card advantage engines in the format other than Jitte, Bob, and jace that puts you in a great place. It doesn't really fight Sulvan Library well, but Jund decks are a terrible match up anyway.

    Seth
    …no matter how much you think you love somebody, you’ll step back when the pool of their blood edges up too close.

  14. #894

    Re: [Deck] Imperial Painter

    I too was at #SCGBALT, but I wasn't on top of my game and played poorly, so I don't really want to do an in-depth write up. I know the errors I made.

    Quick version.

    Round 1: Lost: RUG delver - G1 Established Bridge died to 3rd Lightning Bolt. G2: Establish Bridge die to Bolt x2. (He did get the double delver flip turn 3 so that helped him a lot)
    Round 2: Won: MUD - Crushed in both games.
    Round 3: Lost: Merfolk - ... Punted Game 1, was on tilt game 2 plus didn't mulligan effectively (should have gone to 5 instead of kept a sub-par 6)
    Round 4: Draw: Aluren - Pros, figured out it was Aluren game in time and blasted his forest. Cons, lost game two in turns resulting in a draw)

    That was the end of my day.

    Overall errors were made, (not all listed), lessons were learned.

  15. #895
    Bob Ross
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    Re: [Deck] Imperial Painter

    Hope you guys like reading long reports. Working on it now.

    Report:


    Strawberry Shortcaking to 5th Place

    SCG Baltimore ended up being huge. Record breaking huge. Over 400 players. The final standings were crazy too. No player at 6-2-1 made top 32. My previous best SCG result had been that exact record drawing round 9 with Daryl Ayers (2nd at Baltimore) at SCG Washington DC about a year ago. Only a few 7-1-1 players even made top 8. So yea, it was crazy, and looking back I honestly don’t know how I ended up going 8-1. My matchups for the most part were certainly friendly as you will see. I had been talking to Seth a lot in the week leading up to the event and while I wasn’t going to be switching any of my cards, he decided to run a cool stoneforge sideboard. Basically I chose to dedicate those slots to storm and show and tell, but there is a strong argument to either. We both are probably some of the only people playing the white splash aka Strawberry Shortcake, so it’s even cooler that we both would be in the same tournament.

    Da List:

    4 Ancient Tomb
    3 City of Traitors
    1 Great Furnace
    4 Red Fetches
    5 Mountain
    2 plateau

    4 Imperial Recruiter
    4 Painter's Servant
    3 Simian Spirit Guide
    3 Goblin Welder
    1 Magus of the Moon
    1 Jaya Ballard, Task Mage
    2 Phyrexian Revoker

    4 Blood Moon
    4 Grindstone
    3 Sensei's Divining Top
    2 Lotus Petal

    4 Pyroblast
    2 Red Elemental Blast
    2 Ensnaring Bridge
    2 enlightened tutor

    The board

    3 Tormod's Crypt
    1 Ensnaring Bridge
    1 Koth of the Hammer
    1 Manic Vandal
    1 Red Elemental Blast
    4 Firebolt
    1 ratchet bomb
    1 trinisphere
    1 thorn of amethyst
    1 ethersworn canonist


    Pairings go up and here we go.

    Round 1 vs Team America

    My initial rust from playing was clearly evident to start the game. I drove down from PA that morning, and while it was only a 1.5 hour drive, I was definitely still waking up. At some point I drew tutor with top and after shuffling it away tried to look at the top 3. If I had just put an activation of the stack it would have worked but like I said, still waking up. I think I ended up getting hymned out of existence game 1. Game 2 I kept a gambling hand of tomb, petal, ssg, moon, moon, tutor on the mull. Of course you gotta roll the dice and keep that. He forces the first moon and I drop petal. Next turn I draw a plateau like a champ and play the 2nd moon. It gets spell pierced. He does something else inconsequential his next turn so I tutor for the third and go all in on the last moon. Gets there. Game 3 I thought I’d be dropping early. I had to mull down to 4. I ended up keeping mountain, city, fbolt, blast. I killed an early delver and found a stone and a top. I don’t remember much of the in between but he ended up flooding and the ultimate turn came down to me topping and seeing painter, fetch, ssg. I played painter off the city while he had no card in hand ready to win the next turn. He brainstorms and finds a waste. I draw fetch, flip top to get the monkey, and stone for the W. Insane way to start the day and I can’t believe it.

    1-0

    I went and found Seth to see him play against Sneak and Show and saw him have it locked up with a bridge, but no scoop means he drew and entered the Land of Loam bracket.

    Round 2 vs Death and Taxes

    Game 1 he goes turn 1 mom, turn 2 stoneforge, turn 3 skull in or something along those lines. I finish at 8 life or something. My turns were Welder, Recruiter for Painter, Play painter holding blast, blast, ssg, tutor with sol, plateau mountain in play. GG. Game 2 I kept a riskier hand that had two firebolts, stone, tutor, jaya, land or something. Anyways, he just says go on his turn 1. I draw a second stone (ugh) and play the first. He untaps and plays serenity. 2nd stone isn’t looking so bad now haha. He plays a mom, I kill it, he plays a revoker on stone, I kill it. He plays another revoker on stone and a skull and I play jaya. He end steps an etutor grabbing RIP and casts it. I tutor for Painter and play it, leaving one land untapped and one card in hand. I draw and play a land and say go. He eot puts in skull and e tutors again, leaving only a cavern up. I blast revoker and enter win the game mode with stone. He looks confused pointing to RIP and calls a judge. I sit there wondering how people still don’t know how the combo works.



    I sat next to Dan Signorini this round. I have only played against him once when he got me with a null rod but we know each other from Curio Cavern. Apparently everyone was on Team America from there. Foreshadowing. Also, he played against a mono-red Imperial, and next to that guy was another one. Either painter was out in force or every single painter player was in three consecutive matches, not counting Seth of course.

    2-0

    Round 3 vs Team America

    I saw the pairing vs Bob Huang (akatsuki) and was 90% sure that I was up against TA. He had been talking some shit about Painter on here so I knew I had to exact some revenge lol. He was another Curio dude, but he started playing there after I moved. Not exactly sure what happened game 1 but my notes show the life totals at 13-18 his favor. Pretty sure I just combo’d out and he had nothing. Game 2 the only thing that really mattered was a sketchy brainstorm ruling (correct ruling and penalty being a warning, just unfair how it benefits them). I played a Moon which got dazed and his next turn he played a Sea and brainstormed and then dropped a fetch. He sacced it grabbing the trop off the top of his deck. I was confused at first but realized it was two lands and we called a judge. They ruled put the fetch in his hand and shuffle library. So I asked how its fair that he gets a free brainstorm shuffle as well, since I want him to draw a land next turn. Warning and just shuffle it up. Whatever it comes down to a resolved moon and he has lethal. I drop a bridge without a 4th mana to blast and he has a force. Game three nothing special happened. I drew 4 grindstones and had a bunch of stuff decayed.

    2-1

    Whenever I lose early in a big tournament I end up playing a lot looser and relaxed the rest of the day (at least until rounds 8-9 when I was on edge again).

    Round 4 vs Affinity

    Another sketchy keep: Tomb, City, Petal, Top, Recruiter, Tutor, Blast. Turn 1 top see another tutor. Draw that next turn and drop the city and petal. Tutor for Painter and play and spin top my turn 2 seeing a fetch. He attacks me down to 6 but next turn I draw the fetch, float the 2 city mana, tutor for stone, flip top and mill. Game 2 I just kept a good hand and he died. Welder, blast, recruiter, tutor, fetch, fetch, tomb.

    3-1

    I think it was after this round Seth and I started playing Block. This made the tournament way more fun, playing old decks. It was Odyssey Tog vs Urza’s Ramp? Seth you’ll have to correct me on the names. Anyways, I had to upheaval twice to try to stave off a Masticore but couldn’t get anything going and died.

    Round 5 vs UWR Delver

    I personally think that this is the easiest variant of Delver to play against. Yes, they have 8 removal spells, but their clock is slow. That allows you to build up mana to pay for stuff and just resolve game ending bridges and moons. Anyways, Game 1 I drop a fetch and pass. He delvers and on my turn play a mountain and blast the delver. Resolves. He plays a stoneforge getting skull. I eot tutor and he dazes. Next turn I drop a blood moon and blast his force. Eventually I find and play a bridge. Game 2 I lose when he meddling mages blood moon and all I do is draw mana for 5 turns. Game 3 was over quick. Bridge comes down and I go to zero cards, stopping his lavamancer, stoneforge and delver. I play a moon and blast a force on my painter. Find stone and win.

    4-1

    Round 6 vs UWR Delver

    This guy sat next to my opponent last round so I know exactly what he’s playing. Game 1 goes back and forth and I somehow drop a bridge at 5 life, I believe paying tomb for pierce. Luckily I spit top eot and see the grindstone I need to activate and win the next turn before he can cantrip into a bolt. Game 2 is another back and forth affair. I think I have the game firmly in my favor (albeit at a low life total) when he has one card in hand, I blast his delver and manic vandal his batterskull. He has 1 card left a vials in sword of fire and ice. The previous round I mentioned to my opponent leaving in sword of feast and famine was kindof sketchy since I can control it with Painter. The three of us were even talking about it so I’m surprised he left his in. Afterwards he admits he completely forgot about the painter part haha. Game 3 I keep 2 blasts, 3 land, moon and something. I play land go. He plays delver. I play land go and he ponders. I kill the delver during his turn. Untap cast moon, blast his pierce and win.

    5-1

    One part that’s nice about the white splash (and playing against delvers all day and not dnt or grindy loam decks like Seth in the draw bracket) is that your games are over way faster. This is how I compare my white deck against the faithless looting deck I always championed. Looting is designed for late game attrition to discard your moons and lands, while e tutor grabs what you need for the early game. Both give up a draw step for the most part, so why not just win earlier? That is probably the thing Seth hammered me on the most while I was still running red. Yes, welder is grindy, but Painter is not really that good of a control deck like he mentioned earlier. It’s arguably the best deck at stalling until you can win the game, though. Anyways, I also just like the various sideboard stuff you get to run. I think this round was when Seth and I geared up for round 2 of Block decks. This one was actually tempest block, and pitted cataclysm white weenie vs survival living death. These were some crazy games where I was stealing his hermit druid and activating using mox diamond to hit landdrops so that I could cataclysm his board away and keep beating. I think I lost the match though, as spike feeder is just too unfair.

    Round 7 vs Team America

    This was against Chris Lafave, another Curio guy I know. I knew he would be on some delver variant and he knew I would be on Painter, unlike Bob earlier in the day. After the early attrition the board is his tombstalker, goyf, and deathrite to my welder, painter, mountain , great furnace, and 9 life. No cards in either hand and I had a stone in the yard.Rip dat foreign bb plateau courtesy of Jandax. Game 2 was one of the longest games of magic I have ever played. I got out two bridges and a welder extremely early. He had to decay the welder so that future artifacts wouldn’t just be another bridge. I played an absurd amount of firebolts this game, killing delvers and deathrites. We were both in topdeck mode for the longest time as I was just drawing lands and getting them hymned away. Turning point was he cast a liliana and edicted rather than tick up and try to ultimate. I flashbacked firebolt to kill her and eventually found a magus. I ended up natural milling.

    6-1

    After this round was when it really started to sink in that I have a shot at top 8. I have had a somewhat decent chance of top8ing before. I was 5-1 at my first Baltimore open when I played against Rug and got a magus instead of a painter to just have redundant combo pieces. Last time I kept Magus in against Rug. Seth and I were just chillin outside the tournament room. The Baltimore convention center is really nice. While the actual playing area is smaller and hotter than the actual DC center (not the ghetto Virginia Grand Prix site), the outside area is much nicer with a lot of places to just relax. Seth just got raped by Jund the previous round, effectively ending top 8 or top 16 hopes. Just brutal what happened with all the hymns. I had earlier said that there wasn’t going to be any jund here and it seemed like he hit the one guy. I asked Seth what the dude’s name was in case I played him and Seth said ‘whatever don’t worry about it I don’t remember’. What are the odds.

    Round 8 vs Jund

    I notice that I’m in 17th as a 6-1. I actually get paired down too. I win the roll and open up a hand that will murder anyone but Belcher. City, Tomb, Mountain, Blast, Stone, Painter, Moon. Da nut. I decide to go for the turn 2 win and drop Painter. He fetches out a badlands and debates for a second. He ends up bolting Painter. I drop moon and ride out a win. But I saw enough to know he was jund. He mulls all the way to 4 game 2 while I keep another risky hand of fetch, painter, painter, stone, firebolt, moon, blast. Holy shit though, his 4 was epic. He plays turn one deathrite. I draw a tomb and firebolt. In hindsight, I probably shouldn’t have firebolted just because when he mulls to 4, the mana advantage might not even matter. He drops a land and a bob turn 2. I debate about what to do, but I drop Painter and Stone, making him have a decay. Seth pointed out I definitely should have just blasted Bob and left my opponent with 1 card in hand and a swamp and bayou which is definitely the right play there. Instead he reveals liliana, plays badlands and edicts painter. Next turn I drop painter and leave up the blast. He reveals an ancient grudge (and I just say what the fuck I’m about to lose to jund when he mulls to 4 here goes my top 8 hopes) he grudges painter, I blast liliana in response since that would allow us to get back to even. He grudges stone as well. Next turn I drop moon to keep him with only swamps and mountains. I eventually can flashback firebolt on bob and recruit for a welder that doesn’t get burned to get the combo back.

    7-1

    Round 9 standings go up and I’m in 10th so I probably can’t draw in. I notice Royce Walter is in 9th and pray I’m not matched against him because I have a terrible track record against storm, TES is much faster and harder than regular Ant, and Royce is one of the top TES players there is, coming from Syracuse with Bryant and Ning. Pairings go up and its someone I don’t know. However, theres a repair and its against Royce.

    Round 9 vs TES

    Luckily I win the roll and I open up such a sketchy hand against storm. 2 pyros, mountain, city, magus, moon, recruiter. I hate mulliganing so I rationalize the keep in my head even though it was so risky since they have 7 sources of black mana through a moon. I decide to blast whatever cantrip he plays turn 1 and then drop a magus. It’s a probe, and I start racing to drop revokers on petal and led. Eventually he’s at 8 and is able to infernal off a chrome mox for rite of flame and drop 12 gobs. Being a huge lucksack I had drawn into another recruiter and stone. I drop painter, stone, and keep up blast to win.
    This was the first time I had boarded 3sphere, thorn, and canonist. Koth and the bomb came in once and the three crypts sat there unused on the day, but there was a decent amount of dredge and reanimator around me. So game 2 is even luckier than the first. Tomb, recruiter, magus, revoker, blast, painter, stone. Again, I rationalize it thinking if I draw a mana and get to turn 2 I can have Painter and revoker in play with a blast, or just win turn 2. He probes and ponders turn 1. I draw a blank and cast painter. He tanks his turn 2, casts brainstorm. I assume I die, but he drops a volc and ponders, shuffling. I turn to the crowd and Royce and say if there was ever a time for a sol land to be on top of my library, this was it. I draw and look and it’s a



    Damn. What a way to lucksack into top 8.
    I go find seth to see him get locked out by a chalice against lands and then draw a grindstone. He easily wins game 3 dropping turn 1 moon and recruiting for welders.

    Top 8

    Seth said that it was heartbreaking and it involved some bad luck, but what can you do. I got lucky to get here. Winning a mull to 4 of my own and my opponent’s and topdecking that City. Plus facing 5 delver decks. They aren’t byes, but they also aren’t the hardest thing.

    My initial 7 was so close to being the perfect hand:
    Magus, Moon, Blast, Painter, Stone, Recruiter, City. Have to mull that.

    I ended up keeping 2 mountain, stone, top, moon, moon I think. I play stone and say go. I draw a petal and I probably should have just jammed the first moon, but I liked setting up top to see if there was a blast as well as get my third land and drop a moon daze proof and then drop another. Well I get hymned my turn. He taps out so if he hits the petal I drop moon. He hits both moons. Ugh. Probably a misplay though and I was probably too cautious. I tried to dig out the best I could. When we were both depleted of cards I dropped a bridge but his last card was decay to swing for lethal. Game 2 I had to mull again. He didn’t have much pressure but had everything else. I only saw three lands the entire game so I was taking some tomb damage dropping painters and going aggro. I play moon, he dazes, I pay with ssg, he cliques me tapping out which was kind of risky. I show him blast and firebolt. He leaves them and dazes again. He swings me to 10 with a flipped delver. I kill both. From here I draw a recruiter and get welder. I believe he decayed the last painter to get rid of my artifacts. He pondered and kept and that’s where the video starts.

    Copy/paste from earlier:

    http://www.twitch.tv/scglive/b/498351187

    starts at 13:47

    The description of Painter was pretty terrible. Matthias classified it as all-in, when the e tutor builds are the exact opposite. They also mentioned that it was mono-red when I had written Rw Painter as my archetype and there was even a plateau in play. Lastly, while firebolt was somewhat concealed in the yard, they mentioned that beyond jaya, there was no burn in the deck. That was cleared up shortly, thankfully. Also, Sullivan's description of team America as a terrible matchup is wrong, but it certainly isn't as easy as we all make it out to be. The presence of hymn forces you to play into daze and decay. Its in our favor, but not as awesome as uwr delver or shardless bug is.

    Also, I need to say that my initial memory was wrong. I had been talking to Seth today and was debating my grindstone choice saying deathrite had already been played. Watching the video you can see that it was only goyf and wasteland, which definitely backs up my reasoning to go grab stone eot. Him letting the tutor resolve while having a spell pierce told me that it was okay to go get stone and cast it and then if I draw a land I win the game. I certainly thought about great furnace as well, but because he didn't pierce I was okay with getting stone. wasteland was unfortunate as well because I was about to try to win otherwise. obviously I didn't know the pierce but that was my line of thought. The craziest part was how the game got to that state, which I will cover in depth in my report. But I only saw 3 lands the entire game as well. Pretty unfortunate that I couldn't flashback the firebolts. Getting the library (off of a ponder the prior turn) was really the turning point of the game for him. I had it all but locked up with welder, painter, rec and 3 lands. sadly the library found him everything he needed with the deathrite, double waste, and clock with goyf.

    Even with the bittersweet ending it was an awesome run. it’s really crazy to make top 8 of such a huge tournament, especially having to go 8-1. The list was humming along all day. Like Seth said, firebolts are so good right now out of the side. They provide so much value and card advantage. It really helps with fair decks, which allowed me to dedicate some artifacts in the board for the unfair. It also certainly says a lot when our combined record was 14-4-1, running pretty much the same list. The only real differences were the stoneforge vs storm side hate. I won’t be switching up the list anytime soon probably. The only thing is the 3rd tutor vs 3rd top since tutor was awesome but I want to keep my artifact count up for welder. I can’t really help with the mono-red as much anymore, since White provides so much. It did take me a long time to come around to it, but it certainly paid off here.
    Last edited by Kap'n Cook; 01-28-2014 at 10:31 PM.

  16. #896
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    sroncor1's Avatar
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    Re: [Deck] Imperial Painter

    Yeah jack and I saw a bunch of people on painter. You guys should have said hi. We were talking shop most of the day.

    Seth
    …no matter how much you think you love somebody, you’ll step back when the pool of their blood edges up too close.

  17. #897

    Re: [Deck] Imperial Painter

    Quote Originally Posted by Kap'n Cook View Post
    Hope you guys like reading long reports.
    Nice reading and congrats again!

  18. #898

    Re: [Deck] Imperial Painter

    I am amazed by the idea of Firebolt, but I have a hard time thinking of what to board out for the Firebolt.. would you mind to share some thoughts?

  19. #899
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    Re: [Deck] Imperial Painter

    I often times found myself bringing them in and taking out SDT. Since I run less tutor targets than Jake it's sometimes tough to find what to pull. Against Miracles I take the Bridge effects out. Koth got boarded out a bunch on the day. I never really have a sideboard plan. I am usually more fluid and modify it dependin on so many game states.

    Seth
    …no matter how much you think you love somebody, you’ll step back when the pool of their blood edges up too close.

  20. #900
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    Re: [Deck] Imperial Painter

    Really nice finish and report, Seth and Jack! Too sad I cannot play my painter in tournament now because there are always some players running jund in my local store, but I think I should take some serious tests with the white splash post Chinese new year.

    Do you guys consider relic as sideboard cards? I always bring it in against Jund, thresh and Team America, it can do a lot of things in these match-up(shrinking goyf, shuting down drs and tombstalker, preventing painter from extrated, etc.)
    Team Blood, Beijing.
    Currently play: Sneaky Show/ Lands

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