[Metagame Breakdown] Syracuse 1k event - 19 July 2008

[Zach Tartell]

Top 16 Lists:

1st:
Geoff Smelski; UWg Landstill
23 Lands:
4 Tundra
2 Tropical Island
1 Savannah
4 Flooded Strand
2 Island
3 Plains
3 Wasteland
4 Mishra’s Factory
Spells and Such (37):
4 Swords to Plowshares
3 Wrath of God
2 Humility
3 Decree of Justice
2 Eternal Dragon
2 Krosan Grip
3 Engineered Explosives
4 Brainstorm
4 Standstill
4 Counterspell
4 Force of Will
2 Fact or Fiction
Sideboard (15):
1 Enlightened Tutor
3 Runed Halo
1 Wrath of God
2 Ajani Goldmane
3 Meddling Mage
1 Krosan Grip
2 Crucible of Worlds
2 Tormod’s Crypt

2nd:
Dave Caplan; UGr Thresh
18 Lands:
4 Wasteland
4 Tropical Island
4 Volcanic Island
3 Flooded Strand
3 Polluted Delta
42 Spells:
4 Force of Will
4 Daze
4 Fire // Ice
4 Stifle
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Spell Snare
4 Nimble Mongoose
4 Tarmogoyf
4 Brainstorm
4 Ponder
2 Rushing River
Sideboard (15):
3 Pithing Needle
4 Tormod’s Crypt
2 Krosan Grip
2 Pyroblast
2 Red Elemental Blast

3rd:
Bryant Cook; The EPIC Storm
10 Land:
1 Forbidden Orchard
1 Undiscovered Paradise
4 Gemstone Mine
4 City of Brass
50 Spells:
4 Simian Spirit Guide
4 Dark Ritual
4 Rite of Flame
4 Lion’s Eye Diamond
4 Lotus Petal
4 Brainstorm
4 Infernal Tutor
4 Burning Wish
4 Orim’s Chant
3 Ponder
3 Thoughtseize
3 Chrome Mox
1 Empty the Warrens
1 Tendrils of Agony
1 Diminishing Returns
1 Ill-Gotten Gains
1 Infernal Contract
Sideboard (15):
3 Vexing Shusher
3 Pyroblast
3 Shattering Spree
1 Cleanfall
1 Pyroclasm
1 Tenrils of Agony
1 Empty the Warrens
1 Diminishing Returns
1 Ill-Gotten Gains

4th:
David Gearhart; It’s the Fear
Lands (22):
4 Flooded Strand
4 Polluted Delta
4 Tropical Island
3 Underground Sea
2 Tundra
2 Island
1 Plains
1 Volrath’s Stronghold
1 Academy Ruins
Spells (38):
4 Brainstorm
4 Swords to Plowshares
3 Sensei’s Divining Top
4 Tarmogoyf
4 Counterbalance
2 Counterspell
4 Intuition
3 Pernicious Deed
1 Vedalken Shakles
1 Eternal Witness
4 Force of Will
2 Engineered Explosives
1 Tormod’s Crypt
1 Life from the Loam
Sideboard (15):
3 Tormod’s Crypt
4 Krosan Grip
4 Leyline of the Void
4 Blue Elemental Blast

5th:
Rodney Hannigan; Ur Dreadstill
21 Lands:
6 Island
3 Polluted Delta
3 Flooded Strand
2 Volcanic Island
4 Mishra’s Factory
3 Wasteland
39 Spells:
4 Stifle
4 Phyrexian Dreadnought
4 Daze
4 Force of Will
3 Spell Snare
2 Trickbind
2 Sensei’s Divining Top
3 Counterbalance
3 Trinket Mage
4 Standstill
2 Engineered Explosives
Sideboard (15):
3 Echoing Truth
2 Tormod’s Crypt
3 Red Elemental Blast
3 Blue Elemental Blast
2 Pithing Needle
2 Pyroclasm

6th:
Anwar Ahmad; Ichorid
Lands (11):
3 Cephalid Coliseum
4 City of Brass
4 Gemstone Mine
49 Spells and such:
4 Putrid Imp
4 Breakthrough
4 Lion’s Eye Diamond
4 Cabal Therapy
3 Unmask
1 Flame-Kin Zealot
1 Cephalid Sage
3 Dread Return
2 Deep Analysis
4 Bridge from Below
4 Narcomoeba
4 Ichorid
3 Golgari Thug
4 Stinkweed Imp
4 Golgari-Grave Troll
Sideboard (15):
4 Pithing Needle
4 Chain of Vapor
4 Leyline of the Void
1 Unmask
2 Ray of Revelation

7th:
Alix Hatfield; 5c Thresh
Lands (18):
4 City of Brass
4 Bolluted Delta
4 Flooded Strand
2 Tropical Island
2 Tundra
1 Underground Sea
1 Volcanic Island
Spells (42):
4 Brainstorm
4 Ponder
3 Sensei’s Diving Top
2 Predict
4 Thoughtsieze
4 Force of Will
4 Counterbalance
3 Daze
4 Swords to Plowshares
4 Nimble Mongoose
4 Tarmogoyf
2 Mystic Enforcer
Sideboard (15):
4 Pyroclasm
4 Yixlid Jailer
3 Krosan Grip
2 Red Elemental Blast
2 Blue Elemental Blast

8th:
Don Bruss; GBRW Survival
21 Lands:
3 Wooded Foothills
3 Windswept Heath
2 Bloodstained Mire
3 Bayou
2 Taiga
1 Savannah
4 Forest
1 Plains
1 Mountain
1 Swamp
Spells (41):
4 Birds of Paradise
2 Quirion Ranger
4 Tarmogoyf
2 Magus of the Moon
2 Eternal Witness
2 Shriekmaw
1 Flametongue Kavu
1 Squee, Goblin Nabob
1 Anger
1 Genesis
1 Rofellow, Llanowar Emissary
1 harmonic Sliver
1 Faerie Macabre
4 Thoughtsieze
3 Cabal Therapy
3 Swords to Plowshares
4 Survival of the Fittest
3 Burning Wish
Sideboard (15):
1 Deathmark
1 Gleeful Sabotage
1 Rough // Tumble
1 Tsunami
1 Primal Command
1 Reverent Silence
3 Tromod’s Crypt
3 Engineered Plague
3 Krosan Grip

9th:
Nick Wowelko; RBG Goblins
23 Lands:
4 Mountain
4 Wooded Foothills
4 Bloodstained Mire
4 Wasteland
4 Badlands
4 Taiga
37 Spells and dudes:
4 Aether Vial
4 Goblin Lackey
4 Goblin Warchief
4 Goblin Matron
4 Goblin Ringleader
4 Mogg Fanatic
3 Goblin Piledriver
3 Gempalm Incinerator
2 Warren Weirding
2 Siege-Gang Commander
1 Wort, Boggart Auntie
1 Goblin Sharpshooter
1 Tin Street Hooligan
Sideboard (15):
2 Enginered Explosives
3 Krosan Grip
3 Cabal Therapy
3 Pyrokinesis
4 Chalice of the Void

10th:
Kevin Kehoe; RGBwSA
21 Lands:
6 Forest
4 Wooded Foothills
4 Windswept Heath
3 Bayou
2 Taiga
2 Savannah
39 Spells and Such:
4 Birds of Paradise
4 Survival of the Fittest
4 Tarmogoyf
4 Thoughtsize
3 Cabal Therapy
4 Burning Wish
2 Magus of the Moon
3 Eternal Witness
1 Spore Frog
1 Harmonic Sliver
1 Big Game Hunter
1 Anger
1 Sqee, Goblin Nabob
1 Rofellos, Llanowar Emissary
1 Genesis
1 Quirion Ranger
1 Shriekmaw
1 Masticore
1 Darkheart Sliver
Sideboard (15):
3 Krosan Grip
2 Yixlid Jailer
1 Reverent Silence
1 Cabal Therapy
1 Hull Breach
1 Seeds of Innocence
1 Regrowth
1 Rough // Tumble
1 Chainer’s Edict
3 Tormod’s Crypt

11th:
Nick Patnode; UGwb Threshold
18 Lands:
2 Island
3 Polluted Delta
3 Flooded Strand
4 Tropical Island
3 Underground Sea
3 Tundra
43 Spells:
4 Brainstorm
4 Tarmogoyf
4 Force of Will
3 Counterbalance
3 Thoughtsieze
4 Ponder
3 Sensei’s Divining Top
2 Smother
4 Swords to Plowshares
4 Nimble Mongoose
4 Bitterblossom
4 Daze
Sideboard (15):
3 Krosan Grip
2 Engineered Explosives
2 Pithing Needle
4 Tormod’s Crypt
4 Enginered Plague

12th:
Lam Phan; UB Fish
17 Land:
2 Island
4 Underground Sea
2 Flooded Strand
4 Polluted Delta
4 Wasteland
43 Spells and such:
4 Dark Confidant
3 Augury Adept
2 Tomb Stalker
4 Brainstorm
4 Force of Will
4 Stifle
4 Daze
3 Sensei’s Divining Top
3 Diabolic Edict
3 Snuff Out
4 Counterbalance
4 Chrome Mox
1 Rushing River
Sideboard (15):
4 Engineered Plague
4 Duress
4 Yixlid Jailer
3 Pithing Needle

13th:
Matt Kadilak; Bg Sui
21 Lands:
4 Bloodstained Mire
4 Polluted Delta
3 Bayou
4 Wasteland
6 Swamp
39 Spells:
4 Tarmogoyf
4 Hypnotic Specter
4 Nantuko Shade
4 Tombstalker
4 Dark Ritual
4 Snuff Out
3 Pithing Needle
4 Hymn to Tourach
4 Sinkhole
4 Thoughtsieze
Sideboard (15):
4 Leyline of the Void
4 Engineered Plague
4 Choke
3 Umezawa’s Jitte

14th:
Colin Chilbert; GBwr Survival
20 Lands:
4 Wooded Foothills
4 Windswept Heath
4 Bayou
3 Savannah
2 Taiga
3 Forest
40 Spells:
4 Birds of Paradise
1 Rofellos, Llanowar Emissary
4 Survival of the Fittest
3 Cabal Therapy
3 Thoughtsieze
4 Swords to Plowshares
2 Sensei’s Divining Top
4 Tarmogoyf
2 Nimble Mongoose
1 Squee, Goblin Nabob
1 Anger
1 Genesis
3 Dark Confidant
1 Harmonic Sliver
1 Masticore
1 Shriekmaw
1 Big Game Hunter
1 Quirion Ranger
1 Gaddock Teeg
1 Eternal Witness
Sideboard (15):
3 Engineered Plague
2 Yixlid Jailer
2 Exirtpate
3 Orim’s Chant
3 Krosan Grip (these were registered as another 3 Plagues. I’m pretty sure Colin would’ve blown goblins out of the water).
1 Gaddock Teeg
1 Magus of the Moon

15th:
Matt McNally; RGB Loam
25 Land:
4 Wooded Foothills
2 Bloodstained Mire
1 Windswept Heath
2 Taiga
1 Bayou
1 Badlands
2 Forest
1 Mountain
4 Wasteland
4 Tranquil Thicket
4 Forgotten Cave
1 Volrath’s Stronghold
Spells (35):
4 Dark Confidant
4 Tarmogoyf
2 Countryside Crusher
2 Terravore
4 Mox Diamond
4 Chalice of the Void
3 Life from the Loam
3 Engineered Explosives
4 Burning Wish
3 Seismic Assult
Sideboard (15):
4 Thorn of Amethyst
3 Krosan Grip
1 Life from the Loam
1 Devastating Dreams
1 Chainer’s Edict
1 Hull Breach
1 Shattering Spre
1 Reverent Silence
1 Regrowth
1 Pyroclasm

16th:
Carl Dillahay; MUC
23 Lands:
1 Academy Ruins
2 Polluted Delta
4 Flooded Strand
16 Island
37 Spells:
4 Force of Will
4 Counterspell
4 Brainstorm
3 Veldalken Shackles
3 Powder Keg
3 Fact of Fiction
3 Propaganda
3 Ancestral Vision
3 Force Spike
3 Back to Basics
1 Morphling
1 Meloku the Clouded Mirror
1 Teferi, Mage of Zahlfir
1 Misdirection
Sideboard (15):
4 Tormod’s Crypt
3 Echoing Truth
2 Spell Snare
1 Pithing Needle
1 Powder Keg
3 Stifle
1 Oona, Queen of the Fae


Metagame Breakdown:

• 1 Eternal Garden
• 1 It’s the Fear
• 3 Straight-Up Dreadnought Decks
  
  • 2 UR
  • 1 Mono-Blue
• 1 Landstill (UWg)
• 1 UB Reanimator
• 1 Shane’s Chrome Mox Aggro
• 5 Dragon Stompy
  
  • Coolest thing was Dave Elrod including 3 Heap Doll in the board to combat Ichorid
• 5 Eva Green (Bg Sui)
  
  • One running only 1 Tarmogoyf and 2 Ashenmoor Gouger; A couple that tried to play both Dark Confidant and Tombstalker
• 5 “fishy” decks:
  
  • Lam Phan’s UB Fish (Tombstalker + Confidant + Augury Adept)
  • Garrett Watterson’s Mono-U Faeries
  • Tariq White’s Goyf-a-Tog (Not Thresh; that’s about all I can say)
  • Doug McKay’s Ub Faeries
  • Danny S. Meaker’s Uw tough-to-diagnose Almost-Faerie-Stompy-Almost-Angel-Stompy.dec
• 5 Ichorid Lists
  
  • 1 with Platinum Angel as a boarded Dread Return target
  • 2 with 3x Unmask Main
• 3 TES lists that were exactly the same (save the subtle change of -1 Forbidden Orchard +1 Undiscovered Paradise)
• 1 Mono Green Stompy Deck (with the super optimal 1-of Tarmogoyf)
• 6 Painter’s Servant/Grindstone Decks:
  
  • 3 Imperial Painter
  • 1 Fish with Dreadnought as a back-up plan. UGrb.
  • 1 Fish w/o Dreadnought (but with MD Disenchant, Crucible, and 1-of Cunning Wish) (OMG. For Counterbore or the 4th Disenchant). Uwb with Meddling Magi
  • 1 EPIC MSPaint. See list in Barnello’s report thread
• 2 Rock-y Decks
  
  • Bob Kochis’ Tombstone
  • 1 Gb list with MD Extirpate, Innocent Blood, Putrefy, and Veteran Explorer.
• 1 BG Affinity with boarded Painter’s Servant/Grindstone combo
• 3 Enchantress Decks
  
  • It was enough that I got the mirror. I hate playing the mirror. Ugh.
  • Ray’s list included black for Thoughtsieze and Planar Void in the board.
• 3 Goblins lists
  
  • 2 Traditional Rbg goblins
  • 1 Ru Goblins for 4 Daze main and 4 Trickbind sideboarded.
  • Yeah. Go read that one again.
• 10 Thresh Decks
  
  • 1 UGr Swan Combo
  • 3 UGwb Lists
    
    • 1 with 4 Bitterblossoms MD’d
    • 1 more standard list with black for Thoughtsieze and Swords
    • 1 with 8 U-Fetches, 2 Tundra, 2 Sea, 2 Trop, 2 City of Brass, and 2 Vindicates main.
  • 1 UGb
  • 1 UGw
  • 2 5c
  • 2 UGr
    
    • 1 Canadian Thresh
    • 1 no-Stifle build with MD Trygon Preadators, 2 Krosan Grip, and a sideboarded (get ready for this) Commandeer (OH GOD I’M CUMMING).
• 3 Mono-U Control
• 6 Survival of the Fittest:
  
  • 2 RGBSA
  • 2 RGBwSA (Lists with white and Burning Wishes)
  • 2 GBwr Survival (no wishes)
• 1 Burn
• 1 RGB Loam deck

Whew. I'm no good with numbers, so if anybody wants to make a pie chart and PM it to me I'd be much obliged.

I don't have much to say, so I guess I'll just go grab some Wendy's and go to Comix Zone.

[Zach Tartell]

Additional Props to Geoff Smelski:
Dude gave up a total of 2 games in 10 Rounds. One to Dave Caplan (UGr Thresh) and the second to Matt Abold (UGwb).

Pretty badass.

[Deep6er]

Didn't he go to three against Alix?

[AnwarA101]

Thank you lonelybaritone. I know it takes a good amount of time to type all that up, but I really appreciate it.

[The American Dream]

Now my green stompy deck has 2 goyfs

[Wallace]

Thanks Zach, and congrats to all who made the T8/16. Thank you to all of the people who traveled to play in this event, I hope the turn out will be similar for the Aug. 23 event.

[Bryant Cook]

Additional Props to Geoff Smelski:
Dude gave up a total of 2 games in 10 Rounds. One to Dave Caplan (UGr Thresh) and the second to Matt Abold (UGwb).

Pretty badass.

I only lost 4 games the entire day. Jackass.

[Zach Tartell]

I only lost 4 games the entire day. Jackass.

DCI reporter disagrees with you. Jackass.

I just typed it up. You folks haggle over numbers and shit.

Edit: That is to say the standings papers. Like, don't freak out and kill the messenger if that's wrong - it's just the way that the numbers said it went down.

Edit 2: Turns out you were talking about yourself; I couldn't care less.

[Getsickanddie]

Additional Props to Geoff Smelski:
Dude gave up a total of 2 games in 10 Rounds. One to Dave Caplan (UGr Thresh) and the second to Matt Abold (UGwb).

Pretty badass.

Weird. Apparently Geoff disagrees with you....

Well I finally got the results I wanted to back up my list yesterday. I went 8-0-2 taking first in the 68 person 1,000$ cash Altered States event yesterday. The 2 draws were intentional after going 5-0 in the first 5 rounds of the swiss. I went undefeated for the day only losing 4 games out of the 8 rounds I actually played.

[zulander]

It's called Eva Green, not bg sui. sui was like sooo 2006

[Obfuscate Freely]

Yes, Geoff lost our first game in the quarterfinals. Actually, I thought I was going to win the second game, as well, before he stole it from me with a Decree of Justice (I had double-Force sitting in hand, laughing at me). I was never able to get into the third game, but it was a great match, nonetheless.

Thanks for typing this all up, Zach. I was worried that it wouldn't get done, especially after the store refused to give away the lists.

[Zach Tartell]

I only count 66 decks. Am I right?

Thank you lonelybaritone. I know it takes a good amount of time to type all that up, but I really appreciate it.

Yes, Geoff lost our first game in the quarterfinals. Actually, I thought I was going to win the second game, as well, before he stole it from me with a Decree of Justice (I had double-Force sitting in hand, laughing at me). I was never able to get into the third game, but it was a great match, nonetheless.

Thanks for typing this all up, Zach. I was worried that it wouldn't get done, especially after the store refused to give away the lists.

Yeah dudes. I don't mind being the new Anwar (as far as typing up shit goes). 16 decklists got nothing on two units of lesson plans.

If people want to, like, mail me lists from tournaments I have no problem typing shit up and throwing it on the internets.

It's called Eva Green, not bg sui. sui was like sooo 2006

A careful observer will notice that I listed the decks as Eva Green (Bg sui). I reckon that people not intimately into this site might appreciate actually knowing what a deck is by reading its name. Y'know, like how something ridiculous like Nourishing Lich Deck Wins is pretty standardly re-titled something along the lines of "Survival of the Fittest" or "Ichorid."

[Deep6er]

Yes, Geoff lost our first game in the quarterfinals. Actually, I thought I was going to win the second game, as well, before he stole it from me with a Decree of Justice (I had double-Force sitting in hand, laughing at me). I was never able to get into the third game, but it was a great match, nonetheless.

Thanks for typing this all up, Zach. I was worried that it wouldn't get done, especially after the store refused to give away the lists.

Way to not pull through in the ONE match that I was rooting for you. Jerk.

Man, I did NOT want to play against Geoff again. I fucking hate revenge matches.

[Finn]

I am astounded at how many completely unstable manabases are making top 8 in those large NE tournaments.

Still - nobody is making these three and four color decks pay for reaching.

[nitewolf9]

Sometimes the power is worth it. And why can't I get matched up against control players more. Stupid freaking ichorid.

[Zach Tartell]

I am astounded at how many completely unstable manabases are making top 8 in those large NE tournaments.

Still - nobody is making these three and four color decks pay for reaching.

• 1 Shane’s Chrome Mox Aggro
• 5 Dragon Stompy
• Garrett Watterson’s Mono-U Faeries
• 3 Imperial Painter
• 6 Survival of the Fittest
• 3 Mono-U Control

The Chrome Mox Aggro played (I think) 3 D-Flow main, the Dragon Stompy Decks are.... Dragon Stompy, the Mono-U Faeries packed B2B (IIRC), the Imperial Painter decks play at least 4 Magus of the Moon, each of the Survival lists (even the 4c ones) ran at least one Magus between the main and the board, and MUC each mained at least 3 B2B.

Soooo.....19 of 68 decks (though I only listed 66, I think) ran crazy-mana-base-punishing equipment. That sounds pretty.... uncool for decks with multiple non-basics.

[Watcher487]

The Chrome Mox Aggro played (I think) 3 D-Flow main, the Dragon Stompy Decks are.... Dragon Stompy, the Mono-U Faeries packed B2B (IIRC), the Imperial Painter decks play at least 4 Magus of the Moon, each of the Survival lists (even the 4c ones) ran at least one Magus between the main and the board, and MUC each mained at least 3 B2B.

Soooo.....19 of 68 decks (though I only listed 66, I think) ran crazy-mana-base-punishing equipment. That sounds pretty.... uncool for decks with multiple non-basics.

It's actually alot more than that in Chrome Mox Aggro. 3 D-Flows, 3 Wastes, 2 Vindicates and a Rith's Charm on top of the fact that I run Extirpate out of the board if things become a problem land wise. Funny thing about the whole manabase thing. I'm running 4 colors and only got color screwed once from all 7 rounds.

[Finn]

Well, yeah Zach. Actually that is a lot. And none of them made top 8. That was what I meant. I would love to hear an account form some of these guys whether they thought such a tactic was worth it.

Actually on closer look, Dava Caplan and Rodney Hannigan did have Wastelands and Stifles. I imagine that was enough to disrupt the crazy thin manabases in a few matches.

EDIT:Sarnath'd or something: Watcher, did you find that your disruption was worth the effort, and did your opponents fruitlessly try it on you?

[Zach Tartell]

Well, yeah Zach. Actually that is a lot. And none of them made top 8.

8th:
Don Bruss; GBRW Survival:
2 Magus of the Moon

[Watcher487]

Watcher, did you find that your disruption was worth the effort, and did your opponents fruitlessly try it on you?

Usually 9 times out of 10 it was worth the effort, due to the style of the deck I'm running. I used to only run 18 mana sources in the deck, to get sloshed by stuff like Canadian Thresh and Dragon Stompy. Now I'm up to 24 and it's made a huge difference.