ForceofWill
01-25-2009, 11:49 PM
After driving an hour out of the way to pick up Tom (J.V.) and Cicio we were well on our way. Cicio and I already knew we were playing Evolution thresh which is a 4c Thresh list that has been tweaked quite a bit over the last couple of months. To give you some history about the list I take you back to TMLO.
Original list thanks to Brandon LePage: http://www.deckcheck.net/deck.php?id=21764
I was sick of playing dreadstill at Wednesday legacy so I decided to build something new. I didn't have needles for the maindeck at the time and I never liked spell snare much as a card. So this was the list at the time.
creature [10]
2 Mystic Enforcer
4 Nimble Mongoose
4 Tarmogoyf
instant [19]
4 Brainstorm
3 Daze
4 Force of Will
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Swords to Plowshares
sorcery [4]
4 Ponder
enchantment [3]
3 Counterbalance
artifact [3]
3 Sensei's Divining Top
land [19]
3 Flooded Strand
1 Forest
1 Island
3 Polluted Delta
3 Tropical Island
3 Tundra
3 Volcanic Island
1 Windswept Heath
1 Wooded Foothills
58 cards
was what I ended up with but still had two slots and the tournament was starting in 1 minute so I randomly grabbed two cryptic commands and threw them in figuring whatever. By the end of the tournament the 5 times I cast command I either won the game because of it or seriously helped me including a time where I countered a standstill and bounced a dreadnought.
One of the things I noticed even more was how amazing counterbalance is. Like seriously people if you play this card play four of them. For awhile we cut a land for the 4th CB but I noticed between the 4 color mana base and the high cc cards you really want the 19th land. I have never been a fan of 61 cards but I honestly think it's fine in this deck.
After the last hadley where both me and josh missed top 8 in the last round where we both had to play it out due to the unusually high number of draws (thanks 8 landstill players). Josh noticed two things first Cryptic while potentially game breaking wasn't really necessary and second he wanted a 3cc for Counterbalance.
One of the things Cryptic Command did so well was really hurt most CB decks like Threshold and Dreadstill. Trygon predator was also an answer for CB but against dreadstill if it hit play it was essentially game over. Trygon also is great against decks like dragon/faerie stompy and stax.
So here is the list we agreed upon for The Grid Mox tournament:
creature [12]
2 Trygon Predator
2 Mystic Enforcer
4 Nimble Mongoose
4 Tarmogoyf
instant [19]
4 Brainstorm
3 Daze
4 Force of Will
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Swords to Plowshares
sorcery [4]
4 Ponder
enchantment [4]
4 Counterbalance
artifact [3]
3 Sensei's Divining Top
land [19]
3 Flooded Strand
1 Forest
1 Island
3 Polluted Delta
3 Tropical Island
3 Tundra
3 Volcanic Island
1 Windswept Heath
1 Wooded Foothills
Total Cards [61]
Sideboard:
3 Krosan Grip
3 Threads of Disloyalty
4 Red Elemental Blast
2 Blue Elementa Blast
3 Gaddock Teeg
The sideboard is still a work in progress and there are plenty of cards we are still considering.
When it comes to remembering matches I'm quite terrible at it but heres a quick recap:
Round 1 vs Ben Nash playing [RG Aggro Loam]
game1: His start is something like turn 1 land mox burning wish for loam. I drop top and pass. He fetches and plays another mox then casts seismic assault. I drop a CB but can not find a 2cc on top to stop his loam craziness and he takes game 1.
game2: My hand is busted with 2 land ponder counterbalance Grip Trygon and Tarmogoyf. I play land ponder (drawing a land) and he drops turn 1 Chalice for one. I play tarmogoyf. Eventually I end up gripping an Assault and dropping trygon that kills chalice and lets me CB lock him.
game3: This game was kinda of stupid. I mull and keep a risky two lander with 2 cantrips 1 Tarmogoyf and an STP. He plays mountain pass and I'm happy to not see chalice turn 1. I ponder and shuffle away a pathetic 3 cards. He EOT cycles and wastes my land. I play another land and pass. He draws and wastes my land I brainstorm needing some land and find my one island and another ponder good enough for me. I play Island and another ponder and have an interesting choice when I see basic forest. I decide to draw a force of will from ponder and leave the forest for my next draw step. On his turn he drops ancient tomb and Bloodmoon and I rejoice knowing I have both the basics in my deck. In the turns to come I drop 2 Tarmogoyfs and hes stuck on two red land with a hand full of green cards.
2-1
Josh playing identical maindeck draws with Aaron (b4r0n) who was playing 4c Surival.
Round 2 vs. Guy I don't know playing [UGR Thresh]
His list was interesting it had CB top and Stifle/waste
I love this matchup for the most part because he plays 8 creatures and 0 STPs. I play 12 creatures and 4 STPs.
Game1: We trade our turn 1 Mongooses. and he wastes my land and stifles my next fetch and drops a top. I eventually get another land resolve a top. We both spend a lot of time topping he drops a goose. Eventually I ponder he dazes. I keep taking one from goose. I finally hit my 2nd land and start to drop the 3 tarmogoyfs in my hand. 2 of which get dazed. When the third one sticks I stabalize and eventually drop CB to lock him out of the game once more land come.
Game2: my hand sucked and I should have mulled. He plays turn 1 top which I force and he forces back. I do very little and his turn 3 CB followed by 2 mongooses lead him to victory as for 10 turns I draw 1cc spells and land.
Game3: We are running low on time and I really don't want to draw. He ends up mulling to 4 and My hand is really good. I have 2 Land 2 REB 1 Tarmo CB/TOP. He doesn't do anything while I drop tarmogoyf and CB/TOP. game over.
Josh beat Matt (TrialbyFire) who was playing UGW Thresh
Round 3 vs. Josh Cicio playing Evolution Thresh
Go Figure I'm the only 2-0 to get paired down and it's against a friend who was playing card for card mirror.
Game1: We are pretty back and forth trading mongoose both dropping top STPing each others Goyf but when it came down to it I drew CB first. Eventually he tries to land a Predator but I have a bolt waiting. I remember eventually killing him by attacking 9 times with Predator.
Game2: We go back and forth. He played 2 tops then shuffled one away. I gripped the first just to have him drop top #3 which I also gripped. In the end I drew a lot better than him.
At this point I was a lock for top 8.
Round 4 vs. Edward Dunning playing [RBg Goblins]
His list had some very strange choices skirk prospector, kiki-jiki, Volraths Stronghold, Goblin Tinkerer to name a few.
Game1: He destroyed me with wasteland not because I think the manabase is weak but because all 3 of the lands I played got wasted the turn after.
About now I was regretting taking the pyroclasms out of the sideboard right before the tournament started but oh well.
Game2: I remember being in a winning position at one point where I had a big tarmogoyf and he had two piledrivers. I had 3 swords in my hand and could not draw a fetchland or a tundra. Eventually he terminated the Goyf and the 2 drivers went the distance.
Josh beat Goblins 2-0
Round 5 vs. Ubw Landstill (Rockout) ID
Josh beat UBg Painter (PTPaul) 2-1
And we both make Top 8.
Top 8 vs. Louis playing [Imperial Painter]
Game1: This was kinda an insane game I remember being heavily landscrewed despite Top in play all I know is I stabilized at 1 life because trygon predator killed 3 sword of light and shadow.
Game2: he goes turn 1 painter. I play land go. Turn 2 he plays grindstone I bolt painter at his eot which he pyroblasts. On my turn I play another bolt on painter. On his turn he plays a 2 mana land another painter and grinds me.
Game3: I don't remember much from this game but I believe I had spot removal for every relevent thing he did and then dropped CB/Top to lock him out of the game.
Top 4 vs. Ed Dunning again still playing [RBg Goblins]
I was pretty positive I was about to get another 3rd place I'm so used to it by now.
Game1: He was stuck on 1 land forever but stuck a vial I dropped tarmos and was attacking while he ramped vial and dropped 1 guy a turn. Enventually I had him at 8 but could no longer attack because his counterattack would kill me. I tap out for an enforcer he plays a couple more guys. I'm in a situation where hes attacking for lethal so I think I need a bolt I top at upkeep and find near gin. It wasn't the bolt I was looking for but It was a nimble mongoose and a STP. I draw the mongoose swing for 6 and leave tarmo and goose to block. Hes up to 3 land and casts matron I STP his warchief he gets a kiki-jiki and vials it in making a copy of one of his piledrivers. and attacks. I block two of the drivers and fall to 1 life. On my turn Mystic gets the job done.
Game2: I lost and honestly don't remember any details from this game
Game3: When I'm in these top 4 situations lately I think I play worse just because I expect to get 3rd but oh lady luck shined on me today. I kept a risky hand of land 2bolt stp 2 cantrips tarmo. I get the lands I need keep drawing good despite my numerous attempts to punt the match.
Finals: We split.
After words We flipped a coin to see if we were going to Friendly's or Hooters.
Friendly's won and good times were had.
I'm going to talk to a mod about starting a thread for the deck but I'm not sure if there will be because there are so many thresh threads. Any questions just ask in the thread and I'll do my best to answer them.
Original list thanks to Brandon LePage: http://www.deckcheck.net/deck.php?id=21764
I was sick of playing dreadstill at Wednesday legacy so I decided to build something new. I didn't have needles for the maindeck at the time and I never liked spell snare much as a card. So this was the list at the time.
creature [10]
2 Mystic Enforcer
4 Nimble Mongoose
4 Tarmogoyf
instant [19]
4 Brainstorm
3 Daze
4 Force of Will
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Swords to Plowshares
sorcery [4]
4 Ponder
enchantment [3]
3 Counterbalance
artifact [3]
3 Sensei's Divining Top
land [19]
3 Flooded Strand
1 Forest
1 Island
3 Polluted Delta
3 Tropical Island
3 Tundra
3 Volcanic Island
1 Windswept Heath
1 Wooded Foothills
58 cards
was what I ended up with but still had two slots and the tournament was starting in 1 minute so I randomly grabbed two cryptic commands and threw them in figuring whatever. By the end of the tournament the 5 times I cast command I either won the game because of it or seriously helped me including a time where I countered a standstill and bounced a dreadnought.
One of the things I noticed even more was how amazing counterbalance is. Like seriously people if you play this card play four of them. For awhile we cut a land for the 4th CB but I noticed between the 4 color mana base and the high cc cards you really want the 19th land. I have never been a fan of 61 cards but I honestly think it's fine in this deck.
After the last hadley where both me and josh missed top 8 in the last round where we both had to play it out due to the unusually high number of draws (thanks 8 landstill players). Josh noticed two things first Cryptic while potentially game breaking wasn't really necessary and second he wanted a 3cc for Counterbalance.
One of the things Cryptic Command did so well was really hurt most CB decks like Threshold and Dreadstill. Trygon predator was also an answer for CB but against dreadstill if it hit play it was essentially game over. Trygon also is great against decks like dragon/faerie stompy and stax.
So here is the list we agreed upon for The Grid Mox tournament:
creature [12]
2 Trygon Predator
2 Mystic Enforcer
4 Nimble Mongoose
4 Tarmogoyf
instant [19]
4 Brainstorm
3 Daze
4 Force of Will
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Swords to Plowshares
sorcery [4]
4 Ponder
enchantment [4]
4 Counterbalance
artifact [3]
3 Sensei's Divining Top
land [19]
3 Flooded Strand
1 Forest
1 Island
3 Polluted Delta
3 Tropical Island
3 Tundra
3 Volcanic Island
1 Windswept Heath
1 Wooded Foothills
Total Cards [61]
Sideboard:
3 Krosan Grip
3 Threads of Disloyalty
4 Red Elemental Blast
2 Blue Elementa Blast
3 Gaddock Teeg
The sideboard is still a work in progress and there are plenty of cards we are still considering.
When it comes to remembering matches I'm quite terrible at it but heres a quick recap:
Round 1 vs Ben Nash playing [RG Aggro Loam]
game1: His start is something like turn 1 land mox burning wish for loam. I drop top and pass. He fetches and plays another mox then casts seismic assault. I drop a CB but can not find a 2cc on top to stop his loam craziness and he takes game 1.
game2: My hand is busted with 2 land ponder counterbalance Grip Trygon and Tarmogoyf. I play land ponder (drawing a land) and he drops turn 1 Chalice for one. I play tarmogoyf. Eventually I end up gripping an Assault and dropping trygon that kills chalice and lets me CB lock him.
game3: This game was kinda of stupid. I mull and keep a risky two lander with 2 cantrips 1 Tarmogoyf and an STP. He plays mountain pass and I'm happy to not see chalice turn 1. I ponder and shuffle away a pathetic 3 cards. He EOT cycles and wastes my land. I play another land and pass. He draws and wastes my land I brainstorm needing some land and find my one island and another ponder good enough for me. I play Island and another ponder and have an interesting choice when I see basic forest. I decide to draw a force of will from ponder and leave the forest for my next draw step. On his turn he drops ancient tomb and Bloodmoon and I rejoice knowing I have both the basics in my deck. In the turns to come I drop 2 Tarmogoyfs and hes stuck on two red land with a hand full of green cards.
2-1
Josh playing identical maindeck draws with Aaron (b4r0n) who was playing 4c Surival.
Round 2 vs. Guy I don't know playing [UGR Thresh]
His list was interesting it had CB top and Stifle/waste
I love this matchup for the most part because he plays 8 creatures and 0 STPs. I play 12 creatures and 4 STPs.
Game1: We trade our turn 1 Mongooses. and he wastes my land and stifles my next fetch and drops a top. I eventually get another land resolve a top. We both spend a lot of time topping he drops a goose. Eventually I ponder he dazes. I keep taking one from goose. I finally hit my 2nd land and start to drop the 3 tarmogoyfs in my hand. 2 of which get dazed. When the third one sticks I stabalize and eventually drop CB to lock him out of the game once more land come.
Game2: my hand sucked and I should have mulled. He plays turn 1 top which I force and he forces back. I do very little and his turn 3 CB followed by 2 mongooses lead him to victory as for 10 turns I draw 1cc spells and land.
Game3: We are running low on time and I really don't want to draw. He ends up mulling to 4 and My hand is really good. I have 2 Land 2 REB 1 Tarmo CB/TOP. He doesn't do anything while I drop tarmogoyf and CB/TOP. game over.
Josh beat Matt (TrialbyFire) who was playing UGW Thresh
Round 3 vs. Josh Cicio playing Evolution Thresh
Go Figure I'm the only 2-0 to get paired down and it's against a friend who was playing card for card mirror.
Game1: We are pretty back and forth trading mongoose both dropping top STPing each others Goyf but when it came down to it I drew CB first. Eventually he tries to land a Predator but I have a bolt waiting. I remember eventually killing him by attacking 9 times with Predator.
Game2: We go back and forth. He played 2 tops then shuffled one away. I gripped the first just to have him drop top #3 which I also gripped. In the end I drew a lot better than him.
At this point I was a lock for top 8.
Round 4 vs. Edward Dunning playing [RBg Goblins]
His list had some very strange choices skirk prospector, kiki-jiki, Volraths Stronghold, Goblin Tinkerer to name a few.
Game1: He destroyed me with wasteland not because I think the manabase is weak but because all 3 of the lands I played got wasted the turn after.
About now I was regretting taking the pyroclasms out of the sideboard right before the tournament started but oh well.
Game2: I remember being in a winning position at one point where I had a big tarmogoyf and he had two piledrivers. I had 3 swords in my hand and could not draw a fetchland or a tundra. Eventually he terminated the Goyf and the 2 drivers went the distance.
Josh beat Goblins 2-0
Round 5 vs. Ubw Landstill (Rockout) ID
Josh beat UBg Painter (PTPaul) 2-1
And we both make Top 8.
Top 8 vs. Louis playing [Imperial Painter]
Game1: This was kinda an insane game I remember being heavily landscrewed despite Top in play all I know is I stabilized at 1 life because trygon predator killed 3 sword of light and shadow.
Game2: he goes turn 1 painter. I play land go. Turn 2 he plays grindstone I bolt painter at his eot which he pyroblasts. On my turn I play another bolt on painter. On his turn he plays a 2 mana land another painter and grinds me.
Game3: I don't remember much from this game but I believe I had spot removal for every relevent thing he did and then dropped CB/Top to lock him out of the game.
Top 4 vs. Ed Dunning again still playing [RBg Goblins]
I was pretty positive I was about to get another 3rd place I'm so used to it by now.
Game1: He was stuck on 1 land forever but stuck a vial I dropped tarmos and was attacking while he ramped vial and dropped 1 guy a turn. Enventually I had him at 8 but could no longer attack because his counterattack would kill me. I tap out for an enforcer he plays a couple more guys. I'm in a situation where hes attacking for lethal so I think I need a bolt I top at upkeep and find near gin. It wasn't the bolt I was looking for but It was a nimble mongoose and a STP. I draw the mongoose swing for 6 and leave tarmo and goose to block. Hes up to 3 land and casts matron I STP his warchief he gets a kiki-jiki and vials it in making a copy of one of his piledrivers. and attacks. I block two of the drivers and fall to 1 life. On my turn Mystic gets the job done.
Game2: I lost and honestly don't remember any details from this game
Game3: When I'm in these top 4 situations lately I think I play worse just because I expect to get 3rd but oh lady luck shined on me today. I kept a risky hand of land 2bolt stp 2 cantrips tarmo. I get the lands I need keep drawing good despite my numerous attempts to punt the match.
Finals: We split.
After words We flipped a coin to see if we were going to Friendly's or Hooters.
Friendly's won and good times were had.
I'm going to talk to a mod about starting a thread for the deck but I'm not sure if there will be because there are so many thresh threads. Any questions just ask in the thread and I'll do my best to answer them.