[Article] Instant Analysis - SCG KC & San Jose Legacy Opens

[JACO]

In the wake of the December 20 2010 announcement by the DCI banning Survival of the Fittest, the metagame clock in Legacy was set to be turned back in time about six months before the breakout performance of Caleb Durward’s Vengevine Survival at Grand Prix Columbus in June. While there were other Survival variants and Vengevine decks floating around and performing admirably over the past few years, no Survival deck had quite captivated players’ attention like this since RecSur circa 1998. From the Blue-Green Madness variant with Wild Mongrels that Caleb piloted a number of other intriguing variants spawned over the next five plus months, including WG Vengevine Survival that Jessie Butler won with at SCG Nashville, Rion Marmulstein’s Necrotic Ooze laced BUG Vengevine Survival deck from the same event (SCG Nashville), the Hatfield’s mono-Green Lion’s Eye Diamond-fueled turbo Vengevine Survival* from SCG Baltimore, Nick Spagnolo’s Trinket Mage infused UG Survival Vengevine at SCG Charlotte, and Gerry Thompson’s BWG Fauna Shaman-Necrotic Ooze-Vengevine-Survival mashup from SCG Boston, a polished variant of many others that had come before it. The rapid mutation and proliferation of Survival as a percentage of the metagame and repeated success led to the DCI wielding the axe, probably prematurely, late in 2010.

With the fallen beast slain by the DCI and Survival’s tombstone written, what decks and strategies would players turn to in order to trump a metagame rewound about half a year? In this week’s Instant Analysis follow along as we review what players busted out for the first two major post-Survival metagame tournaments of the New Year, at SCG KC and SCG San Jose. That’s right, two mini-articles for the price of none!

Check it out after the jump!
Instant Analysis - SCG KC & San Jose Legacy Opens (http://www.eternal-central.com/?p=1388)

I couldn't get this up as fast as I wanted, but it's still a quick read for you all, heading into the first quarter of 2011. Let us know what you liked, disliked, and thought could be improved. I drop a new Junk and Taxes deck list in here, so check it out!

[SpikeyMikey]

You missed the best deck in KC, All In Bant! Nah, good write-up. I think you couldve done a little more speculation on the field for Indy, especially with Goblins being the obvious DtB right now.

[.nemesis]

Was a nice read and pretty much confirms what I think is true of Legacy: You need to be able to do seriously degenerate stuff pretty quick or be rather good at preventing degenerate stuff.

This means, Zoo is not a Legacy deck, but Merfolk and Goblins are.

[Finn]

With all the aggro control in top 8s right now I expect Zoo to be a strong choice.

[ramanujan]

The real question is where is Lands? Is there too much Counterbalance to let Lands feast on those aggro decks? I don't see even close to as much hate as there once was when Chris W was winning with lands last year. Am I mistaken or what?

[ScatmanX]

Nice article. Thanks.


In Round 8 with a Top 8 berth on the line eventual fifth place finisher Shea Hart (playing BWG Junk) was able to Duress and then Extirpate Jacob’s High Tide’s in game 2, at which point Jacob didn’t have a realistic shot at winning facing down any kind of clock.
It's very easy to g2 side out 1 High Tide, and search for it with Cunning Wish when needed. If he played better, he could could have done better...

[Ozymandias]

I think you should at least mention that Dredge is still lurking around the fringes (just as successful as painter-salvagers), and that it's not safe to cut your yard hate.

[Laertes]

Green and Taxes got a lot more attention from Lewis than Jonathan Job. I don't know the guy at all, but just today I did run into his finish from Denver (Aug 22, 2010).
http://sales.starcitygames.com//deckdatabase/displaydeck.php?DeckID=34793

[SpikeyMikey]

Green and Taxes got a lot more attention from Lewis than Jonathan Job. I don't know the guy at all, but just today I did run into his finish from Denver (Aug 22, 2010).
http://sales.starcitygames.com//deckdatabase/displaydeck.php?DeckID=34793

That's because Laskin is a pro. They always make a big deal about the pros, even when they don't T8 because of the name recognition. Gerry T got press despite a poor showing (given that he had 2 byes). That's just the nature of the game. As an aside, I'd received the impression that Gerry was an asshole, based on what people had said about his articles. He's actually pretty chill. Laskin on the other hand reminds me of the PTQ perenials. He seems like the kind of guy that'd make little kids cry at an FNM for screwing up minor procedures.

[Finn]

I have met Lewis a few times. He is always perfectly friendly to me.

[DragoFireheart]

I'm holding onto my Vengevines in hopes that a new deck using them emerges. Some have begun but nothing has placed yet.

[mchainmail]

The real question is where is Lands? Is there too much Counterbalance to let Lands feast on those aggro decks? I don't see even close to as much hate as there once was when Chris W was winning with lands last year. Am I mistaken or what?

Too much bull-**** combo in the format.

I will play anyone in Lands vs. Counterbalance (NOT Thopters) at even odds for money every day of the week. Lands struggles against decks like Ooze Reanimator, TES, and probably some Vengevine variants.

[SpikeyMikey]

I have met Lewis a few times. He is always perfectly friendly to me.

I didn't speak to hin directly; I saw him a couple of times while I was out for a cigarette. He struck me as a cocky little bastard. I could be dead wrong, that was just my first impression.

[Tammit67]

Too much bull-**** combo in the format.

I will play anyone in Lands vs. Counterbalance (NOT Thopters) at even odds for money every day of the week. Lands struggles against decks like Ooze Reanimator, TES, and probably some Vengevine variants.

Why not thopters? :( Does a dreadstill list count?

[mchainmail]

Why not thopters? :( Does a dreadstill list count?

Thopters plays 6+ basics, Jace, G2/3 have Back to Basics and tutorable grave hate, sometimes maindeck Crucible.

Aka, all the right answers.

Dreadstill I'd probably end up sub 50-50, but it's still winnable.

[Rico Suave]

Lands doesn't mind playing against traditional CB/Top decks. Ultimately, if your goal is to attack with creatures like Goyf and Clique and whatnot, you're going to struggle to actually win the game against a Lands player. Although to be fair Clique is pretty solid against Lands by removing the Loam.

Most CB decks are ill equipped to fight over Lands' engine, not to mention they are unlikely to keep the acceleration pieces off the board either. Add to this that most people just don't really know what to do here and it's often a recipe for disaster. For the average player they need something as simple as "E.Tutor -> B2B" which will break the Lands match open before they realize how to win it. But when it comes down to it, Lands vs. Blue is often a nuanced match that most people are not comfortable or experienced playing, and generally the one who knows the match-up best will often prevail.

[Michael Keller]

I didn't speak to hin directly; I saw him a couple of times while I was out for a cigarette. He struck me as a cocky little bastard. I could be dead wrong, that was just my first impression.

Most are people that are heavily referenced through Star City's website. Even Gerry Thompson has an article we need to pay for so we get to select any of three decks of his choosing because he believes he can (and will) win the whole thing with any one of them, no matter what. (It's certainly not just for novelty purposes; these people play to win like any true competitor.)

I always attend the Opens whenever I am within proximity, and would love to mix it up slinging cards with any one of those individuals - win or lose - largely because I'm sick of hearing about them over...and over...and over...and over again. Good players? Sure. But with such a high level of parity involved at these events, it's no wonder they hardly (if ever) retort their endeavors when they bow out after two or three rounds and don't offer the bourgeoisie any detailed explanation as to what happened. I am a Premium Member, and can say with full honesty I don't intend on renewing. It's not that I don't like SCG's, because I love them and shop regularly from their store and play in their events. But sometimes, I just roll my eyes reading some of that material.

It just gets so monotonous watching people drool with envy over these players on a regular basis. Most of them are arrogant, and I have seen them interact with others before, during, and after matches and they can attest as well. Heated competition is fine, and quite healthy. But it seems like there is a false sense of entitlement most of these regulars have, as if to say regular patrons at a local dive bar feel overrun or overtaken by new people looking to make the place their own. It just doesn't work that way editorially and it shouldn't.

Participating in a Star City Games Open event is like playing a "Magic" version of Punch-Out: first you have to get through the Glass Joe's to get past the Great Tiger's only to end up going up against the Super Macho Men - who aren't macho at all. Once you crack the code on how to get to Tyson - in this case the aforementioned, for example - all you need to do is study their tendencies and cognitive process mid-play and you can get the K.O. Unfortunately, because of their inherent byes - due in large part of their cult status and success as "professional" Open circuit ringers - it is almost as though you have to beat Star City itself on the way to winning the whole thing. (For example, when Iain Bartolomei won the San Jose Open, the headline completely nullified his accomplishment by praising the runner-up over the winner in a rather condescending prologue, (http://www.starcitygames.com/magic/standard/20916_Live_Coverage_of_StarCityGamescom_San_Jose.html) from what I gather. (This happens often.)

"Iain Bartolomei overcame Gerry Thompson in yet another bridesmaid story for our Invitational champion, but it’s a long season. The smart money says Gerry hoists another trophy, and soon."

Just...wow.

Thompson is a product of Star City Games. I suppose my theory is based on mimicry and an "alpha male" status when you win an event such as an Open. It's just really unfortunate that no matter who you are trying to make a name for yourself in this (expensive) business that you will be judged by your performance and by your peers.

[sclabman]

Is there anything to fact that some of the players' names are capitalized in the top 16 decklists, most if not all of them being the so-called "Pros"? Especially while newcomers are all lower-cased?

http://sales.starcitygames.com//deckdatabase/deckshow.php?&start_date=2011-01-16&end_date=2011-01-16&event_ID=20