woodjt5
11-19-2013, 07:41 PM
This is cross post from the Goblins thread, typos and all:
This weekend I attended GPDC with zero byes. I lost my win-and-in for Day 2 to finish 6-3. Here's the list I played:
4 Goblin Lackey
3 Goblin Piledriver
2 Mogg War Marshal
2 Stingscourger
4 Goblin Matron
4 Goblin Warchief
3 Goblin Chieftan
4 Goblin Ringleader
2 Krenko, Mobb Boss
1 Tuktuk Scrapper
3 Gempalm Incinerator
2 Tarfire
4 Aether Vial
12 Mountains
4 Cavern of souls
4 Wasteland
2 Rishadan Port
Sideboard:
4 Ashen Rider
2 Pyrokinesis
2 Tormod's Crypt
1 Grafdigger's Cage
1 Relic of Progenitus
1 Chalice of the Void
1 Pithing Needle
1 Goblin Sharpshooter
1 Legion Loyalist
1 Tuktuk Scrapper
I made some changes to the list heading into the tournament. After much testing, I decided that I needed artifact destruction in the main because of D&T and the Blade decks with TNN. I dropped a Skirk Prospector from my list in favor a Tuktuk Scrapper. I also felt that combo would be prevalent in DC, so I dropped the MWM in favor of the third Piledriver. To go along with that change, I cut the 4th Gempalm Incinerator for a 2nd tarfire. I never really missed the prospector, but I have always liked him in the past. I didn't face a blade deck all day, so the maindeck scrapper was sided out in almost every round.
I had Mindbreak Traps in the board until Friday night. I replaced them with 2 Chalices, then cut a chalice for the 4th Ashen Rider. Since the 2nd Tuktuk moved to the main deck, I had another open spot. I went with Legion Loyalist on the advice of some very knowledgeable legacy players at my local shop. Giving Piledriver trample and First strike is a big game. I had D&T in mind when i put this in my board, but I didn't face it at the GP.
Pyrokinesis was an all-star. I boarded it in a lot and it was great every time i drew it. When I didn't draw it, I wanted to. The GY hate was all good, and I liked the configuration. The chalice single-handedly won me a match, and came in in several others. I would consider going back to 2. Ashen Riders never came in becase somehow I never faced Sneak and Show. Sharpshooter was awesome. It wiped 12 Empty the Warrens tokens and gave me a fighting chance against TES. The needle never came in, but it fights a wide range of decks. Tuktuk also never came in because I never saw a Stoneforge Mystic. I boarded in Legion loyalist a few times just because i needed more dudes. It never really had a chance to shine.
I don't remember the intricacies of every game, but I'll give you a round up of my matches:
Round 1: Affinity (loss 1-2):
This was not the way I wanted to start my tournament. In game 1, He crushed me with a turn 2 cranial plating. I gempalmed his attacker, but he was able to move the plating before damage and hit me for lethal before I could crack back. Game two was a blowout the other way. A turn-1 Lackey connected, dropped in a Warchief, and then I played piledriver + MWM and he never really had a chance. Game 3 was back and forth. Eventually he landed 3 etched champions and I just couldn't break through. He eventually got Steel Overseer active and Hit beat me to death with unblockable robots. 0-1.
Round 2: Miracles (win 2-0):
This was not close. He wasn't playing the energy field/RIP/Helm/Enlightened tutor version. Instead, he was on the traditional plan, and both games were heavily in my favor. Krenko finished him off in Game 2. 1-1.
Round 3: TES (loss 1-2):
This is obviously a bad matchup for mono-red. This was an awesome match. In game 1 I played a turn 1 lackey. He pondered and passed off of an Underground Sea. I don't know why, but I put him on grixis delver instead of storm. I connected with a lackey and dropped something (maybe a matron?). I played a Piledriver after combat. On his turn, he went off and emptied the warrens for 16 tokens. I played a mogg war marshal and attacked with lackey. He chumped with a token. on his turn, he attacked with everything. I tarfired one and blocked as many as i could. I'm not sure exactly how we traded over the next two turns, but eventually i attacked him down to one with a swarm that included a matron. I dropped the matron into play and got the second tarfire, and shocked him for the game win. So close. In game 2 he stumbled and I was able to waste and port him a little bit. I kept a vial, lackey hand, but couldn't find much gas. He got me with tendrils on turn 5 or 6 when he was at 5 life. This was one of those games that you HAVE to win against storm. He was slow to go off and gave me an opening to kill him. I just couldn't find any guys to apply pressure. I had sided in GY hate in game 2 (which i drew instead of guys). I am familiar with ANT but I wasn't sure if TES relied on Past in flames, so I sided the yard hate out in g3. Game 3 was epic. I mulliganed to 4. He knows I'm on 4 so settles for 12 goblin tokens on turn 3 or 4. At this point, I don't think i had anything but a lackey and a vial on the board. The next turn, he attacked with 11 guys, putting me to 10 after I tarfired or gempalmed one. On my turn, I gempalmed his blocker, hit him with lackey, and dropped matron, getting my SHARPSHOOTER, and vialed it in. He cracked back. I traded with my matron and went to 1. I untapped and wiped his board with Sharpshooter. He didn't realize it worked like that. It does. I proceed to hit him with lackey and some MWM token for a few turns but again can't find any gas. 4 turns later, he goes off again and kills me. This was a really fun match, but I felt like I wasted an opportunity to steal a match from Storm.
At this point, I am somewhat resigned to my fate. I realize that winning 6 in a row is not very realistic, but I decide to do my best to make the best of it. 1-2.
Round 4: Burn! (Win 2-0)
This guy had a fire and lightning event box and Chandra sleeves. I told him that he should have worn a red shirt too. He was a fairly inexperienced player and could have taken game 1 if he made different decisions. He bolted a chieftan after i attacked with my hasted team and later bolted a lackey instead of a piledriver when i had one card in hand and a ton of guys already on the board. If it were FNM, I would have explained to him that he should have done things differently, but this was a GP and I was playing for my tournament life. I stole game 1, and then blew him out in game 2. He had a price of progress draw and i played all mountains. 2-2.
Round 5: RUG Delver (Win 2-0)
This round I played against a nice guy from Roanoke that works for SCG. I think his name was Allen, but I'm not sure. Game 1 he forced a turn 1 vial and was behind the whole game. I got ahead and was able to grind him out fairly convincingly. I boarded in 1 chalice, 1 relic, and 1 pyrokinesis. I think this is the right configuration. All of those cards are good against them, but so is most of the main deck, so it's hard to bring in much more. I killed a 4-toughness goyf by pitching tarfire to pyrokinesis. I was ahead but he had rough/tumble to wipe my board. I cast a ringleader and hit land-land-relic-vial. ouch. I eventually drew a matron and got another ringleader, which yielded better results. Again, I got ahead of him and just finished him off. This was my most enjoyable match of the day. I got a little sloppy in one fo the games when i connected with a lackey. He said "okay." I picked up my deck and started searching it. He said "what?" I said oops and put the matron from my hand into play that i forgot when the lackey connected. I was a step ahead in my mind and forgot to physically put the matron into play. He understood and let me go with it, but I'm pretty sure that if he wanted to be a dick he could have called a judge on me. 3-2.
Round 6: Shallow Grave Reanimator (Win 2-1)
This was an interesting match. My opponent had a hearing disability and was wearing a hearing aid, so there were a lot of hand motions. He was pleasant and seemed to be a strong player. In game 1 I had a quick lackey start and was able to slow him down with port + wasteland. He was pondering and brainstorming and lim-dul's vaulting. I had no idea what he was on, but I knew it was some sort of combo. he goes off and reanimates Emrakul, attackes, and wipes my board, putting me to 5. He is also at 5 and I'm left with Mountain, Matron. I peel stingscourger, attack for 4, and put him to 1. He has no answers and we go to game 2. Game 2 was a route. Grisledaddy and Emrakul teamed up to crush my face in short order. In game 3, I mulled to 6 and had turn 1 lackey, tun 2 chalice on 1. He had the kill, but Chalice stopped him for long enough for me to kill him. 4-2.
Round 7: Dragon Stompy (Win 2-0)
His game 1 turn 1 was tomb-> chrome mox pitching jaya ballard -> blood moon. He looked pleased. My turn 1 was mountain -> lackey. He was less pleased. Both games were heavily in my favor. 5-2.
Round 8: Dredge (win 2-1)
I lose game 1. It's dredge, so this isn't really very surprising. In game 2 I drop a turn 1 Cage. He can't find an answer and dies. Game 3 was crazy. I look at my 7 and see a good hand with a lackey, but no hate cards. I think for a while and ship it. My plan was "mulligan to hate," can't chicken out now. I had 4 GY hate cards and 4 creatures with echo. I wanted to find one of those cards. I also boarded in Pyrokinesis to shoot my own guys in a pinch. My 6 is 6 red creatures. Let's go to 5. My 5 is vial, land, land, ringleader, land. Nope. Let's go to 4. Mountain, Mountain, pyrokinesis, MWM. Sure. I'm on the play. Mountain pass. He plays putrid imp and passes. I draw....CRYPT! I play cyrpt and MWM. He loots, finds no dredgers, and puts a bridge in his yard. MWM dies to the echo trigger and I tell him to exile his bridge. He didn't recognize that MWM would get his bridge, and curses himself while exiling it. I draw tarfire and attack for 1. On his turn he casts careful study. There are 5 cards (maybe 6) in his yard. he plays nature's claim on my crypt, i respond with a tarfire on his imp so that if he pitches anything else to it, i can get whatever it is with the crypt. He lets it die and i get his GY. I attack him for 2 a turn for a few turns and eventually play some more pressure, and he concedes. Whew. 6-2. Playing for Day 2.
Round 9: Elves (Loss 0-2)
In game 1 i have a tarfire and wait patiently for a symbiote to kill. My draw is double vial, not a lot of guys. At some point i try to waste his Dryad Arbor to keep him off a potential combo the next turn. He saves it with Quiron Ranger (D'oh). I draw Krenko the next turn and can't cast it because i stone rained myself the turn before. I eventually have Krenko, Chieftan. I die to Natural Order -> HOOF one turn before I would have killed him with tokens. My wasteland cost me the game. I have a TON of hate for elves. Chalice, Cage, Sharpshooter, double pyrokinesis, and all my main deck removal. I mull to 6 and keep a decent hand with no hate cards. He has a trong draw and goes off on turn 3 or 4 despite me killing one of his guys with tarfire. I probably should have mulliganed farther. It was a disappointing loss because I love playing Legacy and felt really good about. I finished 6-3.
The event was a blast and the deck felt good. I played 9 different archetypes, none of which were sneak and show or blade decks. I think I want a second chalice in the board, but I'm not sure what I would drop. I'll leave tuktuk in the main for now--Blade decks were everywhere at the event, I just didn't play them.
Next time I'll get to Day 2. Some byes would obviously help.
This weekend I attended GPDC with zero byes. I lost my win-and-in for Day 2 to finish 6-3. Here's the list I played:
4 Goblin Lackey
3 Goblin Piledriver
2 Mogg War Marshal
2 Stingscourger
4 Goblin Matron
4 Goblin Warchief
3 Goblin Chieftan
4 Goblin Ringleader
2 Krenko, Mobb Boss
1 Tuktuk Scrapper
3 Gempalm Incinerator
2 Tarfire
4 Aether Vial
12 Mountains
4 Cavern of souls
4 Wasteland
2 Rishadan Port
Sideboard:
4 Ashen Rider
2 Pyrokinesis
2 Tormod's Crypt
1 Grafdigger's Cage
1 Relic of Progenitus
1 Chalice of the Void
1 Pithing Needle
1 Goblin Sharpshooter
1 Legion Loyalist
1 Tuktuk Scrapper
I made some changes to the list heading into the tournament. After much testing, I decided that I needed artifact destruction in the main because of D&T and the Blade decks with TNN. I dropped a Skirk Prospector from my list in favor a Tuktuk Scrapper. I also felt that combo would be prevalent in DC, so I dropped the MWM in favor of the third Piledriver. To go along with that change, I cut the 4th Gempalm Incinerator for a 2nd tarfire. I never really missed the prospector, but I have always liked him in the past. I didn't face a blade deck all day, so the maindeck scrapper was sided out in almost every round.
I had Mindbreak Traps in the board until Friday night. I replaced them with 2 Chalices, then cut a chalice for the 4th Ashen Rider. Since the 2nd Tuktuk moved to the main deck, I had another open spot. I went with Legion Loyalist on the advice of some very knowledgeable legacy players at my local shop. Giving Piledriver trample and First strike is a big game. I had D&T in mind when i put this in my board, but I didn't face it at the GP.
Pyrokinesis was an all-star. I boarded it in a lot and it was great every time i drew it. When I didn't draw it, I wanted to. The GY hate was all good, and I liked the configuration. The chalice single-handedly won me a match, and came in in several others. I would consider going back to 2. Ashen Riders never came in becase somehow I never faced Sneak and Show. Sharpshooter was awesome. It wiped 12 Empty the Warrens tokens and gave me a fighting chance against TES. The needle never came in, but it fights a wide range of decks. Tuktuk also never came in because I never saw a Stoneforge Mystic. I boarded in Legion loyalist a few times just because i needed more dudes. It never really had a chance to shine.
I don't remember the intricacies of every game, but I'll give you a round up of my matches:
Round 1: Affinity (loss 1-2):
This was not the way I wanted to start my tournament. In game 1, He crushed me with a turn 2 cranial plating. I gempalmed his attacker, but he was able to move the plating before damage and hit me for lethal before I could crack back. Game two was a blowout the other way. A turn-1 Lackey connected, dropped in a Warchief, and then I played piledriver + MWM and he never really had a chance. Game 3 was back and forth. Eventually he landed 3 etched champions and I just couldn't break through. He eventually got Steel Overseer active and Hit beat me to death with unblockable robots. 0-1.
Round 2: Miracles (win 2-0):
This was not close. He wasn't playing the energy field/RIP/Helm/Enlightened tutor version. Instead, he was on the traditional plan, and both games were heavily in my favor. Krenko finished him off in Game 2. 1-1.
Round 3: TES (loss 1-2):
This is obviously a bad matchup for mono-red. This was an awesome match. In game 1 I played a turn 1 lackey. He pondered and passed off of an Underground Sea. I don't know why, but I put him on grixis delver instead of storm. I connected with a lackey and dropped something (maybe a matron?). I played a Piledriver after combat. On his turn, he went off and emptied the warrens for 16 tokens. I played a mogg war marshal and attacked with lackey. He chumped with a token. on his turn, he attacked with everything. I tarfired one and blocked as many as i could. I'm not sure exactly how we traded over the next two turns, but eventually i attacked him down to one with a swarm that included a matron. I dropped the matron into play and got the second tarfire, and shocked him for the game win. So close. In game 2 he stumbled and I was able to waste and port him a little bit. I kept a vial, lackey hand, but couldn't find much gas. He got me with tendrils on turn 5 or 6 when he was at 5 life. This was one of those games that you HAVE to win against storm. He was slow to go off and gave me an opening to kill him. I just couldn't find any guys to apply pressure. I had sided in GY hate in game 2 (which i drew instead of guys). I am familiar with ANT but I wasn't sure if TES relied on Past in flames, so I sided the yard hate out in g3. Game 3 was epic. I mulliganed to 4. He knows I'm on 4 so settles for 12 goblin tokens on turn 3 or 4. At this point, I don't think i had anything but a lackey and a vial on the board. The next turn, he attacked with 11 guys, putting me to 10 after I tarfired or gempalmed one. On my turn, I gempalmed his blocker, hit him with lackey, and dropped matron, getting my SHARPSHOOTER, and vialed it in. He cracked back. I traded with my matron and went to 1. I untapped and wiped his board with Sharpshooter. He didn't realize it worked like that. It does. I proceed to hit him with lackey and some MWM token for a few turns but again can't find any gas. 4 turns later, he goes off again and kills me. This was a really fun match, but I felt like I wasted an opportunity to steal a match from Storm.
At this point, I am somewhat resigned to my fate. I realize that winning 6 in a row is not very realistic, but I decide to do my best to make the best of it. 1-2.
Round 4: Burn! (Win 2-0)
This guy had a fire and lightning event box and Chandra sleeves. I told him that he should have worn a red shirt too. He was a fairly inexperienced player and could have taken game 1 if he made different decisions. He bolted a chieftan after i attacked with my hasted team and later bolted a lackey instead of a piledriver when i had one card in hand and a ton of guys already on the board. If it were FNM, I would have explained to him that he should have done things differently, but this was a GP and I was playing for my tournament life. I stole game 1, and then blew him out in game 2. He had a price of progress draw and i played all mountains. 2-2.
Round 5: RUG Delver (Win 2-0)
This round I played against a nice guy from Roanoke that works for SCG. I think his name was Allen, but I'm not sure. Game 1 he forced a turn 1 vial and was behind the whole game. I got ahead and was able to grind him out fairly convincingly. I boarded in 1 chalice, 1 relic, and 1 pyrokinesis. I think this is the right configuration. All of those cards are good against them, but so is most of the main deck, so it's hard to bring in much more. I killed a 4-toughness goyf by pitching tarfire to pyrokinesis. I was ahead but he had rough/tumble to wipe my board. I cast a ringleader and hit land-land-relic-vial. ouch. I eventually drew a matron and got another ringleader, which yielded better results. Again, I got ahead of him and just finished him off. This was my most enjoyable match of the day. I got a little sloppy in one fo the games when i connected with a lackey. He said "okay." I picked up my deck and started searching it. He said "what?" I said oops and put the matron from my hand into play that i forgot when the lackey connected. I was a step ahead in my mind and forgot to physically put the matron into play. He understood and let me go with it, but I'm pretty sure that if he wanted to be a dick he could have called a judge on me. 3-2.
Round 6: Shallow Grave Reanimator (Win 2-1)
This was an interesting match. My opponent had a hearing disability and was wearing a hearing aid, so there were a lot of hand motions. He was pleasant and seemed to be a strong player. In game 1 I had a quick lackey start and was able to slow him down with port + wasteland. He was pondering and brainstorming and lim-dul's vaulting. I had no idea what he was on, but I knew it was some sort of combo. he goes off and reanimates Emrakul, attackes, and wipes my board, putting me to 5. He is also at 5 and I'm left with Mountain, Matron. I peel stingscourger, attack for 4, and put him to 1. He has no answers and we go to game 2. Game 2 was a route. Grisledaddy and Emrakul teamed up to crush my face in short order. In game 3, I mulled to 6 and had turn 1 lackey, tun 2 chalice on 1. He had the kill, but Chalice stopped him for long enough for me to kill him. 4-2.
Round 7: Dragon Stompy (Win 2-0)
His game 1 turn 1 was tomb-> chrome mox pitching jaya ballard -> blood moon. He looked pleased. My turn 1 was mountain -> lackey. He was less pleased. Both games were heavily in my favor. 5-2.
Round 8: Dredge (win 2-1)
I lose game 1. It's dredge, so this isn't really very surprising. In game 2 I drop a turn 1 Cage. He can't find an answer and dies. Game 3 was crazy. I look at my 7 and see a good hand with a lackey, but no hate cards. I think for a while and ship it. My plan was "mulligan to hate," can't chicken out now. I had 4 GY hate cards and 4 creatures with echo. I wanted to find one of those cards. I also boarded in Pyrokinesis to shoot my own guys in a pinch. My 6 is 6 red creatures. Let's go to 5. My 5 is vial, land, land, ringleader, land. Nope. Let's go to 4. Mountain, Mountain, pyrokinesis, MWM. Sure. I'm on the play. Mountain pass. He plays putrid imp and passes. I draw....CRYPT! I play cyrpt and MWM. He loots, finds no dredgers, and puts a bridge in his yard. MWM dies to the echo trigger and I tell him to exile his bridge. He didn't recognize that MWM would get his bridge, and curses himself while exiling it. I draw tarfire and attack for 1. On his turn he casts careful study. There are 5 cards (maybe 6) in his yard. he plays nature's claim on my crypt, i respond with a tarfire on his imp so that if he pitches anything else to it, i can get whatever it is with the crypt. He lets it die and i get his GY. I attack him for 2 a turn for a few turns and eventually play some more pressure, and he concedes. Whew. 6-2. Playing for Day 2.
Round 9: Elves (Loss 0-2)
In game 1 i have a tarfire and wait patiently for a symbiote to kill. My draw is double vial, not a lot of guys. At some point i try to waste his Dryad Arbor to keep him off a potential combo the next turn. He saves it with Quiron Ranger (D'oh). I draw Krenko the next turn and can't cast it because i stone rained myself the turn before. I eventually have Krenko, Chieftan. I die to Natural Order -> HOOF one turn before I would have killed him with tokens. My wasteland cost me the game. I have a TON of hate for elves. Chalice, Cage, Sharpshooter, double pyrokinesis, and all my main deck removal. I mull to 6 and keep a decent hand with no hate cards. He has a trong draw and goes off on turn 3 or 4 despite me killing one of his guys with tarfire. I probably should have mulliganed farther. It was a disappointing loss because I love playing Legacy and felt really good about. I finished 6-3.
The event was a blast and the deck felt good. I played 9 different archetypes, none of which were sneak and show or blade decks. I think I want a second chalice in the board, but I'm not sure what I would drop. I'll leave tuktuk in the main for now--Blade decks were everywhere at the event, I just didn't play them.
Next time I'll get to Day 2. Some byes would obviously help.