[Top 16] StarCityGames Legacy Open - Baltimore

[NeoTech]

Top 8:
6 Maverick
1 Spiral Tide
1 Sneak n' Show

9th-16th:
3 Blade Control (1 UW, 1 UWb, 1 UBW)
1 White Weenie
2 Dredge
1 Rouge - Zombies?
1 Spiral Tide

Ok, so this seems a bit unheard of... 6 Maverick in top 8. I'm curious as to how much maverick showed up to this 264 player event. The 6th place "Maverick" is actually BANT I believe, but even so....

To me, Thalia is the true reason that this GW DTB is really starting to push forward as one of the best decks in the format.

What are everybody's thoughts on these results? What do yall think the the Rouge Zombies that made its way to a top 16 finish at an event this large? What other factors aside from Thalia makes Maverick the best at this time?

[Koby]

What other factors aside from Thalia makes Maverick the best at this time?

Choke & maindeck Artifact removal (Pridemage)

[routlaw]

Choke, and the Stoneblade players not respecting Choke.

Really guys is two SB disenchants and you keeping in one Force of Will asking all that much? Disenchant targets in the post-board matchup are numerous (Choke, Library, Jitte so you don't have to Legend rule your own to the yard, etc) and useful now in almost every single DTB MU.

Sam Black's Zombies list is a real looker but surprisingly legitimate. Cabal Therapy is an extremely powerful card in that deck (and in the Veteran Explorer decks going around, but no one will play them in the USA for some reason).

[metamet]

Maverick is a fairly straightforward deck, especially considering how soft the Opens have been recently.

[CorpT]

Maverick is a fairly straightforward deck, especially considering how soft the Opens have been recently.

The Legacy at Baltimore was 264 people 9 round tournament including all of the people who didn't make top 8 in the Invitational:

1 Anderson, Todd 25 59.8471%
2 Cai, Adam 24 60.5350%
4 Cox, Patrick B 22 67.0488%
7 Hatfield, Alix 22 59.9368%
11 Black, Samuel H 21 60.7878%
12 Gottlieb, Bryan M 21 60.3836%
15 Hatfield, Jesse 21 56.5844%
18 Laskin, Lewis 21 53.2407%
22 Duke, Reid 19 53.0791%
27 Braun-Duin, Brian S 18 63.6626%
48 Bernal, Joe w 15 68.0272%
53 Hoey, Matt E 15 58.3333%

Those are all names I recognize as being solid players. I wouldn't call Baltimore "soft".

[Fuzzy]

They should ban Brainstorm.

[ScatmanX]

They should ban Brainstorm.
Hahahahahhahahahahahaha!=D
(whole office looked at me when I laughed at this)

[Aggro_zombies]

Looks like it's time to ban Knight of the Reliquary!

[UnsungHero]

Cursed Totem wrecks that top 8 other than the Sneak show deck and High Tide.

[ESG]

Time for SI to shine.

[Michael Keller]

The Legacy at Baltimore was 264 people 9 round tournament including all of the people who didn't make top 8 in the Invitational:

1 Anderson, Todd 25 59.8471%
2 Cai, Adam 24 60.5350%
4 Cox, Patrick B 22 67.0488%
7 Hatfield, Alix 22 59.9368%
11 Black, Samuel H 21 60.7878%
12 Gottlieb, Bryan M 21 60.3836%
13 Keller, Michael S 21 57.8204%
15 Hatfield, Jesse 21 56.5844%
18 Laskin, Lewis 21 53.2407%
22 Duke, Reid 19 53.0791%
27 Braun-Duin, Brian S 18 63.6626%
48 Bernal, Joe w 15 68.0272%
53 Hoey, Matt E 15 58.3333%

Those are all names I recognize as being solid players. I wouldn't call Baltimore "soft".

I came in 13th at this event. And it wasn't soft. In fact, this might have been the most difficult and talent-saturated field of Legacy players I've ever played in.

EDIT: Fixed that for yah. Thanks.

[sdematt]

If Qasali and Thalia weren't cards, then I think we wouldn't see Maverick where it is. But, they are, and it definitely helps make Maverick what it is.

But, congrats to everyone that placed and attended!

-Matt

[Koby]

Meh, I'm still on the fence about Thalia. She isn't needed to fight against any fair deck, but really helps vs unfair decks. Without Pridemage, Maverick definitely loses its luster.

[Mark Sun]

I came in 13th at this event. And it wasn't soft. In fact, this might have been the most difficult and talent-saturated field of Legacy players I've ever played in.

Agree. I finished 21st, having to fight through some of said names. Always felt like an uphill battle for me; a lot of matches went to Game 3.

[Fade]

Meh, I'm still on the fence about Thalia. She isn't needed to fight against any fair deck, but really helps vs unfair decks. Without Pridemage, Maverick definitely loses its luster.

When I was testing with her I never found her to be that relevant. I had completely cut her from the deck the time Indy rolled around, but upon talking with Mark Sun he insisted that I played three (Side note: Mark is like my bad luck charm. Every time he comes to watch my matches, I start to severely punt and get thrown off my game for no good reason)

I ended up cutting my 4th Stoneforge, my 3rd Pridemage, and my 2nd Scryb Ranger to fit her in. She did nothing for me all day despite having her in my hand against storm twice. One time they were just too fast and the other time she was grapeshotted/bounced (can't remember). I have personally won more games with a Qasali Pridemage destroying my opp's LED when they cast their next spell than Thalia has ever won for me.

I still think your reasoning for not playing Thalia at Indy is solid. The match ups she is supposed to be good in normally end too fast for her to matter and high tide can just play around her. Looking back, I wish I didn't play her because in the fair matches all she would do is mess up my swords and GSZs, while doing practically nothing to the board state. Teeg, Canonist, and Ooze (assuming they go for Iggy Loop) are good enough without having to dilute the deck, which is what I feel Thalia does.

[lordofthepit]

I wouldn't call Baltimore "soft".

Me neither. I wouldn't go there without packing heat.

[Hanni]

They should ban Brainstorm.

[Vacrix]

What are everybody's thoughts on these results?
Dread of Night and Massacre ought to see more play.

[Rizso]

Lot of Gideon Jura's in the sideboards. Good to see more planeswalkers seeing legacy play :P

[Goaswerfraiejen]

Whoa, what does lipstick Zombies look like?

[Hanni]

Would it be in bad taste if I started a new [SCD] Brainstorm thread?

[Koby]

I think it would be a good idea; it seems people need to be reminded how to play Brainstorm correctly again. At least Jacob Van Lunen seems to think so everytime someone casts that spell.

[Di]

Would it be in bad taste if I started a new [SCD] Brainstorm thread?

Please don't.

[Zilla]

Would it be in bad taste if I started a new [SCD] Brainstorm thread?
Aside from mass moderator suicide, what could you possibly hope to accomplish?

[lordofthepit]

Aside from mass moderator suicide, what could you possibly hope to accomplish?

Provide a nice supplement to this thread? http://www.mtgthesource.com/forums/showthread.php?18424-SCD-Force-Of-Will

(Disclaimer: lordofthepit is not responsible for any trauma to moderators who click on the above link)

[Gheizen64]

Provide a nice supplement to this thread? http://www.mtgthesource.com/forums/showthread.php?18424-SCD-Force-Of-Will

(Disclaimer: lordofthepit is not responsible for any trauma to moderators who click on the above link)

Comparing the case for FoW and the case for BS is pretty much communist propaganda of the worst kind.

[Malchar]

The name "rouge zombies" is somewhat appropriate considering the red splash. This is definitely a brew. Here's the list:

http://sales.starcitygames.com//deckdatabase/displaydeck.php?DeckID=45087