What the hell is going on in Cincinnati?!

[mini1337s]

Link: http://sales.starcitygames.com//deckdatabase/deckshow.php?&start_date=2013-09-01&end_date=2013-09-01&start=1&finish=16&event_ID=20
In the Top 16, we have:
3 Loam Decks (1 GB Loam, 2 4 Color Loam)
2 Belcher
2 Elves
2 Shardless Bug
1 Grixis Delver (first appearance and 1st place finish)
1 Team Italia
1 Sneak and Show
1 Reanimator
1 Dredge
1 MUD
1 Painted Stone

For real, what the hell is going on there? Not that I'm super pro-Tier 1 or anything, but there were 0 Jace decks in the top 16, 0 RUG Delver decks, and tons of Graveyard based shenanigans. There were 277 players, so it would have had a pretty open metagame, but it's surprising (nice in a way too) to see such variety in the Top 16.

[twndomn]

What's wrong with you? Shardless BUG does have Jaces.

Basically, Painter stone is a sign of meta-game shift, since it can hate out all the Shardless BUG easily.

[lordofthepit]

I suspect this is just normal variance, but if I had to try to interpret something and assume there was a trend, it would be as follows:

1) Fair decks with terrible manabases have been overplayed on the SCG circuit (Shardless BUG, Deathblade)
2) These decks have been skimping on their combo matchup, which helps decks like Belcher and Elves (which already has a terrific Shardless matchup)
3) Terrible manabases get wrecked by Blood Moon and Loam

[mini1337s]

What's wrong with you? Shardless BUG does have Jaces.

Basically, Painter stone is a sign of meta-game shift, since it can hate out all the Shardless BUG easily.
That's fair. I totally forgot that Shardless BUG was running atleast 2 Jaces.
It's nice to see that the T16 was filled with smart meta-call decks. I

[sauce]

thank god recruiter is not a widely available card... or else we'd all be in trouble

[apple713]

thank god recruiter is not a widely available card... or else we'd all be in trouble

its a lot more widely available than it ever was. Maybe we should be on the look out?

[Megadeus]

People that dont have recruiters can always play Mono Red Sneak attack or Werewolf Stompy :p

[Madmankevinx]

I'm certainly aware of the fact that Blood Moon is a card now more than in past year or so!

[apple713]

problem with blood moon is that it requires an early play or else its much less effective. With the rise of DRS its not to hard to deal with. It gets Abrupt decayed and the decks move on. RUG doesnt care as much cause they can still play the R part of their deck

Dont get me wrong, its good, but its not better than it was. It just cant save you if your opponent already played a bunch of stuff, so late game its not great.

[Megadeus]

. RUG doesnt care as much cause they can still play the R part of their deck

So they can cast lightning bolt and maybe forked bolt? Thats 6 cards, and those 6 are not enough for them to win the game. Drop a blood moon before they get one of their dudes on board and that is GG

[Koby]

Thank god it wasn't just a run of the mill burn deck. Heaven forbid a red deck with an actual strategy takes it down.

[twndomn]

So they can cast lightning bolt and maybe forked bolt? Thats 6 cards, and those 6 are not enough for them to win the game. Drop a blood moon before they get one of their dudes on board and that is GG

cough, not true, cough. If you actually watch the Final of SCG, the Delver guy will just proceed with Young Pyromancer with Blood Moon on the board, burn you while making more tokens, you still die.

[Barook]

cough, not true, cough. If you actually watch the Final of SCG, the Delver guy will just proceed with Young Pyromancer with Blood Moon on the board, burn you while making more tokens, you still die.
He was talking about RUG Delver where this is totally true.

The guy playing was Grixis Delver who run Young Pyromancer, something RUG normally doesn't do.

[Megadeus]

cough, not true, cough. If you actually watch the Final of SCG, the Delver guy will just proceed with Young Pyromancer with Blood Moon on the board, burn you while making more tokens, you still die.

That wasnt RUG delver so yeah... Stuff

[FTW]

Where can I find video coverage?

[jrw1985]

Where can I find video coverage?

http://www.twitch.tv/scglive/b/454786024

Legacu begins around 4:35:00

[feline]

I guessed Belcher would pop up again sooner or later, before this it was like 6 months ago, same for high tide. The only one left now that needs to perform that hasn't in a while is Burn that I could see happening. Or something super fringe like another Aluren or Prison Stax or Pox or w/e, and of course Landsalways comes back once you think it's finally dead.