[Deck] Food Chain Combo

[Manroe]

So thinking about the RG Squee/Living Wish version. I don't think the deck wants too many wish board targets. My thought process was:

1 Sage
1 Emrakul
1 Eternal Witness
1 Eternal Scourge
1 Purphoros

I've already hit a couple weird corner cases where I could not deal with an Engineered Plague/Elesh Norn effect so Scourge gives us some Coverage there. I was thinking also about a Walking Ballista here but Purphoros gives us a very similar type of win con that doesn't just die to Null Rod as Walking Ballista does.

Now, what about the rest? In other Food Chain builds I've played I really enjoyed Leyline of Vitality. In this variant of the deck, it is even castable. Is it worth main or side consideration?

I believe Vexing Shusher has merit.

Ensnaring Bridge can buy a lot of time, plus we don't win via attacks anyway. This could really even be main IMO but we're running out of space.

Graveyard Hate is also a necessity. I'm leaning Faerie Macabre here but is Leyline a better answer?

What about Artifact/Enchantment Hate?

My thoughts for SB:


1 Sage
1 Emrakul
1 Eternal Witness
1 Eternal Scourge
1 Purphoros
3 Ensnaring Bridge
3 Faerie Macabre
2 Ancient Grudge/Krosan Grip
2 Vexing Shusher

What do you all think? Any feedback is greatly appreciated.




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[WarpWorld]

So thinking about the RG Squee/Living Wish version. I don't think the deck wants too many wish board targets. My thought process was:

1 Sage
1 Emrakul
1 Eternal Witness
1 Eternal Scourge
1 Purphoros

I've already hit a couple weird corner cases where I could not deal with an Engineered Plague/Elesh Norn effect so Scourge gives us some Coverage there. I was thinking also about a Walking Ballista here but Purphoros gives us a very similar type of win con that doesn't just die to Null Rod as Walking Ballista does.

Now, what about the rest? In other Food Chain builds I've played I really enjoyed Leyline of Vitality. In this variant of the deck, it is even castable. Is it worth main or side consideration?

I believe Vexing Shusher has merit.

Ensnaring Bridge can buy a lot of time, plus we don't win via attacks anyway. This could really even be main IMO but we're running out of space.

Graveyard Hate is also a necessity. I'm leaning Faerie Macabre here but is Leyline a better answer?

What about Artifact/Enchantment Hate?

My thoughts for SB:


1 Sage
1 Emrakul
1 Eternal Witness
1 Eternal Scourge
1 Purphoros
3 Ensnaring Bridge
3 Faerie Macabre
2 Ancient Grudge/Krosan Grip
2 Vexing Shusher

What do you all think? Any feedback is greatly appreciated.




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Straight R/G or going RUG colors?

[Manroe]

Straight R/G or going RUG colors?I've been playing straight R/G. Only a few times though. The list is a few pages back. I borrowed it from someone else.

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[Jakobian1010]

I've been playing straight R/G. Only a few times though. The list is a few pages back. I borrowed it from someone else.

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Was it the list I posted? FYI I cut it down to 1 squee since then. Also, I hadn't even considered living wish, but it seems really strong.

[Jesture]

Shoutout to Cosmo Kwok for top 8'ing the SCG team open this past weekend with this list http://www.starcitygames.com/decks/120658

If you're here, or if anyone here knows him, I'm curious to hear about some of the more unorthodox choices. Notably, 2 Shardless Agents and 2 Noble Hierarchs seems strange, as does Emrakul/Tidespout finishers with no way to tutor for them.

[JackaBo]

Shoutout to Cosmo Kwok for top 8'ing the SCG team open this past weekend with this list http://www.starcitygames.com/decks/120658

If you're here, or if anyone here knows him, I'm curious to hear about some of the more unorthodox choices. Notably, 2 Shardless Agents and 2 Noble Hierarchs seems strange, as does Emrakul/Tidespout finishers with no way to tutor for them.

Nice to see food chain on stream. A bit sceptical on the list though. But then again, I'm sceptical on food chains place in the meta as a whole.

[WarpWorld]

Nice to see food chain on stream. A bit sceptical on the list though. But then again, I'm sceptical on food chains place in the meta as a whole.

How do you mean? It isn't tier 1 but I would say it's close maybe 1.25. I would say it's a soild deck choice in the meta right now.

[zerozero]

I played Cosmo a few weeks ago at my local store, and was surprised at those creatures. He just said he can find them when he needs them. I don't know what the shardless agents are for, since they only trigger on a few things in the deck. Maybe to try and hit a brainstorm to find a finisher, or a manipulate fate in the mid-game?

[ChristoferV]

Goblin Food Chain

Hello everybody!
I’m not sure where to post this so I’m going to try it in the Food Chain thread and the newly created Squee Chain thread.

This weekend I played a league final in Stockholm where the 16 highest placing players during a season played off to crown a champion. I tend to play decks like Aluren, Lands or Grixis Control/Czech Pile but decided to celebrate the printing of Squee, the Immortal with a spicy Goblin Food Chain list. Who needs Goblin Recruiter anyways?

The deck:

Main deck:
4 Goblin Lackey
3 Skirk Prospector
1 Goblin Sledder
3 Mogg War Marshal
4 Goblin Warchief
1 Goblin Chieftain
2 Gempalm Incinerator
1 Goblin Sharpshooter
2 Squee, the Immortal
4 Goblin Matron
4 Goblin Ringleader
2 Lightning Crafter
1 Goblin Settler
2 Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker
4 Food Chain
4 Scalding Tarn
2 Bloodstained Mire
2 Wooded Foothills
3 Taiga
3 Cavern of Souls
4 Mountain
1 Pendelhaven
3 Wasteland

Sideboard:
2 Surgical Extraction
1 Relic of Progenitus
2 Tin Street Hooligan
2 Blood Moon
2 Choke
2 Krosan Grip
1 Vexing Shusher
3 Thorn of Amethyst

I decided to play this deck without proper testing and made some flaws in my deckbuilding. Adjustments that I’d make now is to cut the Blood Moons in the Sideboard to include removal such as Pyrokinesis. I’d also cut a Goblin Warchief for a Sylvan Library in the main as Sylvan Library is just an amazing card and can do multiple things for a deck like this.

This deck has a lot of infinites besides Food Chain and Squee, the Immortal. With that combination of cards in play you can use Goblin Sledder to pump your team by an infinite amount, use Goblin Sharpshooter and a sac outlet like Goblin Sledder or Skirk Prospector to shoot as many times as you wish or do the good old Lightning Crafter + Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker infinite.

The appeal for me to play this deck was that it has a lot of different gears. You can play it as a slightly nerfed Vials Goblin deck that is slower, less synergistic and less consistent but have the option of doing heavy combos to finish games that might be hard to close otherwise. Having a combo in a deck like this gives you a better chance against faster combo decks also as you have a chance to combo out before they do.

So the pairings for the first round of the tournament comes up so I walk to the table to face of versus my first opponent!

Round 1.
Czech Pile.
G1: I keep a pretty slow hand which punish me very hard! My opponent plays a turn 1 Deathrite Shaman, followed up by a turn 2 Hymn to tourach (hitting my best cards) and then pondering to hit a turn 3 Hymn as well. I get stranded with only lands in my hand and he lands a turn 4 Jace. After two turns of him fatesealing and adding more pressure I scoop.

Sideboard: I brind in my relic of progenitus, 2 Choke and 2 Blood Moons for this matchup as I think that all of those cards are quite excellent.

G2: This hand is better for sure. I have a turn one Lackey, a Choke and several pretty reasonable cards. He bolts my Lackey turn one with Badlands, plays a swamp turn two and when I get to my third turn to jam Choke he lets it resolve, plays a wasteland and plays a Liliana, the Last hope. I start playing ringleaders and other hasty goblins but find myself in an ocean of removal and eventually a Jace. I die to a lethal swing by 14 zombie tokens after a long fight. Had all the pieces in my hand to kill him if I would’ve topdecked a Food chain but none was found!

0-1

Round2.
Lands.
G1: I’ve actually never seen this person pilot this deck so I was excited to see how the match would go. He starts by playing Mox Diamond, Grove and a Molten Vortex turn one. I realize that my early goblins will die pretty fast if I try to play them so I play land go. He start to pressure my life total pretty hard and by t3 I’m at 13 life with no spells cast. I take my turn, fetch and play my Food Chain. He continues to shoot me with the Vortex but makes a smart decision to keep mana up to see if he needs to shoot any creatures. I take my turn 4, play Squee, the Immortal, along with 4 other goblins. Goblin Sledder, Warchief, Matron for Chieftain and Chieftain. I loop Squee together with Sledder and infinite mana to make my team +1000/+1000 which kills him.

Sideboard: I bring in my 2 Surgical Extraction, 2 Blood Moon and 1 Relic of Progenitus.

G2: He has a very explosive start and goes: Mox Diamond, discard a fetch, Mox Diamond, discard a Maze of Ith, Thespian Stage and Gamble. His Gamble finds a Life from the Loam which is discarded. He passes the turn and I snap off my Surgical Extraction. He reveals his hand to show a lonely Krosan Grip. I search through his deck to see that he has no more graveyard synergies left in his deck.
I play a turn 1 Skirk Prospector and pass the turn. He draws a card, plays Grove of the Burnwillows and passes. I untap, draw my card, plays a land and use Prospector for mana to play a Blood Moon. (I did this to bait his Krosan grip to resolve a Food Chain and win within 1-2 turns.) He does not fall for the bait but seem to be search for a Dark Depths instead to get a ”free” Marit Lage by playing Grip on my Blood Moon with it in play. What ends up happening instead is me jamming Goblins and killing him over a couple of turns. He drew his Vortex but due to the Loams being exiled it was too little and too late.

1-1

Round 3:
UW Blade.
G1: He seems to be quite shocked to see me on a Goblin deck and our game one is a quite bad match actually. I do not play a single ”strong” goblin card and he doesn’t find good ways to stabilze so a few small Goblins made it all the way.

Sideboard: I’m scared of certain artifacts in his deck so I look at my Krosan Grips, Tin Street Hooligans and Chokes.

G2: This match is more to my opponents favor. I draw all lands besides 4 in my deck and my opponent gets to chain cantrips, use Jace a lot and presents a lot of different threats that I could simply not deal with.

G3: For the first two matches my opponent did not see Food Chain at all, which resultet in this game being very funny. The first three turns consists of us playing cantrips/threats, pretty standard Blade vs any fair deck really. Turn 4 he plays his Jitte, equips it to his Stoneforge Mystic and attack. I say ”no blocks”, he puts 2 counters on his Jitte and looks quite pleased. I untap and jam Food Chain which results in a lot of Goblins entering the battlefield (starting with Tin Street Hooligan to remove his Jitte). After a bit of Ringleading and Tutoring I put together Kiki-Jiki + Lightning Crafter combo, present an infinite damage loop which he scoops to.

2-1

Round 4:
Elves!
This is one of the opponents that I did not want to play against. I realized as we sat down that I have no cards in my sideboard against him and that his primary game plan is faster than mine.
G1: He does what Elves does best and kills me very hard on turn 3. I present some goblins but I really had no chance to win this game with his draw.

Sideboard: Not a single card!

G2: I can’t remember how this match started but after 4 turns I have managed to Gempalm some important creatures away and manage to get in a hasty Goblin Sharpshooter, which wins me the game.

G3: We both have pretty good hands but my opponent is missing a way to actually kill me (Natural Order, GSZ or just Behemoth). The first two turns consists of him drawing a lot of cards and building a board, I’m doing the same thing. Turn three he does a small glimpse that doesn’t find too much action. I play a Warchief, sitting with my Sharpshooter in hand, hoping to get one more turn. My opponent does the same thing again. A bigger glimpse turn. No action found. I get to untap, play Sharpshooter and shoot down 7 creatures. On his turn he doesn’t play any more creatures and just pass the turn back. I resolve a Food Chain and Chain together a win.

3-1.

Round 5:
I’m paired up against a friend and we decide to ID into top8.


Quarterfinals:
Elves!
I’m thinking ”oh no not again” as we start game 1.
G1: I keep a pretty slow hand that has the potential to combo turn 4. My opponent combos on turn 3 however, hitting me for 20+ damage, which is way too much for my Matron and two Goblin tokens to deal with.

G2: Feeling the match slip away from me I draw my seven and see a lot of things that I like. Prospector, Food Chain and other goodies. Our match is a quite grindy one, it gets so grindy that I actually get to cast Lightning Crafter. He plays a Craterhoof from his hand and hits me for 10 (it required him to tap his team to cast it so no other creature was able to attack). With the ”Trample” part of Craterhoof gone I feel like I’m in great shape. I play land number 5 and hardcast Kiki-Jiki. I do not have the infinite combo but I have a mini machinegun. He hits with Craterhoof the turn after which I block with Ringleader and finish off with Lightning Crafter. I make a copy of Lightning Crafter, champion Kiki-Jiki and shoot down a Deathrite Shaman. EoT I get my Kiki-Jiki back and my opponent realizes that this match is over.

G3: I get destroyed turn 3. My opponent drew a near perfect Elves hand and he maneuvered it very well! My opponent also always held decay mana up so I realized that I was in pretty deep trouble! He wins with a big swing and knocks me out of the tournament.

This deck was a lot of fun but it needs fixing. I’m currently looking at removing Vexing Shusher from the sideboard along with a Krosan Grip to add Pyrokinesis. I’m also looking at the possibility to shave a Goblin Warchief to add a Sylvan Library to the mix. It seems like a good pick up for this type of deck. Finding the right pieces is important and I think that it would’ve helped me during the tournament!

[Kaono]

Nice to see food chain on stream. A bit sceptical on the list though. But then again, I'm sceptical on food chains place in the meta as a whole.

We're favored against probably the 2 top decks in the format (Grixis Delver & Lands) and have solid matchups across the board aside from fast combo. I think this is the best meta since Miracles for FC to thrive in.

[cosmosis]

Shoutout to Cosmo Kwok for top 8'ing the SCG team open this past weekend with this list http://www.starcitygames.com/decks/120658

If you're here, or if anyone here knows him, I'm curious to hear about some of the more unorthodox choices. Notably, 2 Shardless Agents and 2 Noble Hierarchs seems strange, as does Emrakul/Tidespout finishers with no way to tutor for them.

Thanks for the shoutout! Cosmo Here. I lurk on TheSource once in a while, but never made an account until now. My standard player on the team forwarded me this post.

I'm busy over these next 2 days but hope to maybe type up a tournament report and explain some of my deck choices. The scg decklist should be fixed now. It is Engineered Plague in the sideboard (they initially had EE).

Spoiler: Let's stop calling this deck Food Chain Combo and call it Food Chain Value =)

[Corazu]

Thanks for the shoutout! Cosmo Here. I lurk on TheSource once in a while, but never made an account until now. My standard player on the team forwarded me this post.

I'm busy over these next 2 days but hope to maybe type up a tournament report and explain some of my deck choices. The scg decklist should be fixed now. It is Engineered Plague in the sideboard (they initially had EE).

Spoiler: Let's stop calling this deck Food Chain Combo and call it Food Chain Value =)

I figured as much that you're playing a grindy BUG value deck with the combo in the back pocket. I wonder though if the Ballista/Trinket Mage package doesn't play to that game plan a bit more though, give you toolbox answers to things. Could you not still find room for the 1 of Tyrant and Emrakul?

Looking forward to the writeup, I've just finished grabbing most of the core of the deck myself and am going to be sleeving it up soon, but I'm currently looking at a Ballista version.

[u-579]

I keep seeing that we are supposed to be good against delver, but I'm not sure how that match is supposed to be played. My local meta has been trending hard towards it so much so that the last local tournament, while smaller than normal, had between 33% and 50% delver. Despite how common it is, I have somehow only gotten matched up against it a few times and don't have anyone test against so I feel really unprepared for what looks like is going to be a such a large part of my meta going forward.

I have been playing a fairly standard 4 balista no trinket mage list.

[Kaono]

Don't over sideboard. I take out 1 Food Chain and 3 Ponder and bring in creature removal.

Always play around Daze unless you absolutely have no other choice or you're trying to bait one to do something else. Prioritize fetching your basics.

You'll still lose to their god draws occasionally but they eventually get overwhelmed by our 2-for-1s. They have no real way to gain card advantage. Strix and Manipulate Fate are nightmares for them. I'm to the point in confidence in the matchup that the good delver players call the MU "near unwinnable" and the bad/new delver players just get salty.

[u-579]

I had been brining in 2 Golgari charms and a Toxic deluge for sure. what I had been taking out was I think 1 food chain, 1 manipulate fate, and 1 force. Some of the times I might have boarded more with things like my 2 edicts because I haven't ever really felt like I knew what I should be doing. I guess one downside to playing a more obscure deck is the lack of resources available.

I also have been running 2 MD thoughsieze, against delver should those stay or go?


Also, what are the thoughts on Liliana the last hope either in the SB or MB?

For reference the sideboard that I have been running for a while is:
1 Relic of Progenitus
1 Pithing Needle
1 Vendilion Clique
2 Surgical Extraction
2 Diabolic Edict
1 Spell Pierce
2 Flusterstorm
2 Golgari Charm
1 Hydroblast
1 Thoughtseize
1 Toxic Deluge

[cosmosis]

Final Draft of SCG Baltimore 2018 Team Constructed Open Top 8 Tournament Report (Decklist (http://www.starcitygames.com/decks/120658)):

***OPENING THOUGHTS/INTRO:
~Hi all, just wanted to do a little intro as this is one of my first posts on The Source.
~I first picked up the deck (without having played any games prior at all, only saw videos) and fell in love with it as it was exactly my play style and I had immediate success with it despite my suboptimal list and suboptimal play. My only legacy experience prior to my first tournament was a local 4-round event piloting Burn. I wanted to build Shardless BUG in 2014 but could not afford the JTMS/Lilly/Goyf on top of the manabase, so I decided to put food chain together when I saw a list. I took it to my first major legacy tournament for SCG Columbus Invitational 2014 (needed a legacy deck, I was mainly playing standard with Jund Monsters then). Ultimately, I finished 13th overall, going 6-2 in both formats. I sure made a ton of misplays in legacy, but my opponents made more as they had no idea about the deck. Unfortunately, SCG didn't publish t16 decklists then, but here it is for reference: link (https://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/2014-06-13-scg-columbus-invitational-legacy/) (Yes, I had actual shocklands due to finance.)
~Since that summer of 2014, I have pretty much exclusively played Food Chain at large tournaments, only dabbled in other jank at local weekly events. Had a decent amount of min cash finishes or GP day 2's but was also developing as a legacy player; I also just loved playing random jank cards
~I've always been on shardless builds and only switched to baleful strix when Colorless Eldrazi became prominent, then switched to ballista when it was first released (here's proof (http://www.starcitygames.com/decks/112758)), only recently switching back to shardless because I missed the sheer CA value of it because it casts a card for free too!
~For this tournament, I expected a lot of grixis delver, monored, and some sneak & show. Versus S&S, ballista is inferior to the emrakul/tidespout win con. Ballista is better vs monored but isn't something I'm excited about anyway. Vs Grixis delver, I end up boarding out all of emrakul/tidespout and 2 of 4 ballistas anyway. So I decided to stick with shardless and emrakul package. Now I'm happy to just grind BUG midrange food chain all day and never play a full combo win con, because most legacy decks can't beat that, but the combo is good for decks that go over the top of us (MUD) or decks that can't easily interact with us (Eldrazi, Dredge) or just win for us (Show & Tell with Emrakul). Also, because I expected a lot of delver and monored (and because my judge noble foils just came in the mail that Friday before), I decided to play 2x noble hierarch. Versus Delver, I'm not upset if they bolt or daze it & if they don't I'm so far ahead on mana that it's like having a mb carpet of flowers that doesn't suck vs non-blue decks, not to mention the exalted triggers can win races. Versus monored, the extra manadork helps to beat fast blood moons before I can fetch all basics.
~I was on a 3-3 strix-shardless split prior, and moved to 4 strix-2 shardless because I expected more delver and strix is better there, whereas shardless is better vs czech and general grinding (because the card you draw off it is also cast - for only 1 extra mana!)
~Our whole team decided to play a nimble obstructionist in the 75 because of its versatility, so who was I to say no? (it replaced the 3rd sb thoughtseize I originally had). Nimble in legacy is great versus storm, they can't take it except with exactly therapy and it can work through a xantid swarm (that's primarily what I use it for). It can also stifle wastelands/ghost quarters, buy you a turn vs marit lage either by stifling hexmage permanently or thespian stage for 1 turn or flash blocker. It is an ambush flier that is easier to cast off basics than clique.
~Tombstalker better than Gurmag: the flying for extra B mana is so worth it (I have often found gurmag to just be ineffective versus chump blockers)
~Hostage Taker maindeck is sweet in my flex slot, handles a lot of trouble artifacts/creatures. And it's a 3 for 1 when it works! Also helps versus show and tell.
~No test cards in the 75: I had registered and played all of the cards in the 75 in a prior major tournament. All card choices were okay'd by my teammates (actually they just deferred to my judgment overall, but they gave the final 75 their blessing).
~SB Explanations:
1 Grafdigger's Cage - 3rd total piece of SB graveyard hate that also doubles duty versus elves and past in flames
2 Pithing Needle - first is pretty standard, the 2nd copy is to hedge versus sneak attack and JTMS (2 cards that are tough for us to beat). also for expected uptick in turbo depths (bad MU)
1 Nimble Obstructionist - explained above
1 Engineered Plague - mostly for true name nemesis as that card is one of our nemeses, also good versus a lot of other MUs; I like it over golgari charm because it's permanent
2 Flusterstorm, 2 Surgical Extraction, 1 Liliana the Last Hope, 2 Collective Brutality, 2 Thoughtseize, 1 Toxic Deluge - pretty standard stuff at this point I would assume
~The following tournament report is all from memory, so there are likely to be inaccuracies. After starting 2-2, top 8'ing and tournament reports were the last thing on my mind.

***Round 1 - Lands (Favored 70/30)
This round, unfortunately, was against a friend of mine, so we both knew what each other was on (so much for the surprise factor). He knew what to do and made a fast 20/20. I got up to 21 from DRS and was able to take a hit to go to 1 life. Too bad I needed to fetch to shuffle and thus had to use DRS to gain 2 life and that took a turn off my clock. It was a close game but he found punishing fire quickly to race my flock. I'm down 0-1.

Game 2, I kept a questionable hand with no fliers but had FoW + blue card and DRS. Turn 2 Leovold is no match for turn 2 marit lage.

SB In: 2x Surgical, 2x Pithing Needle, 1x Nimble Obstructionist
SB Out: 2x Shardless, 1x Murderous Cut, 2x Noble
Lost match 0-2, Modern lost, Standard DNF: Personal 0-1, Team 0-1

***Round 2 - Monored Prison (Favored 65/35?)
I lead with fetchland and pass. He goes ancient tomb + spirit guide into blood moon, which I force to enable the rest of my fetches in hand to get basics. I cast spells with basics. Chandra isn't enough, fortunately.Game 2, I kept force of will + blue card and lands to get basics. Plays out similar to game 1.

SB In: 1x Nimble Obstructionist, 1x Needle (Chandra can be hard to beat)
SB Out: 1x Vendilion Clique (harder to cast than Nimble), 1x Leovold
Won match 2-0, Modern DNF, Standard won: Personal 1-1, Team 1-1

***Round 3 - BUG Leovold Control (Favored 65/35 depending on build)
Game 1 I fetch basics as I usually do. He has wasteland and underground sea and never sees another colored source until it is too late.

Going into game 2, I board hedging for both delver and BUG Control as I am unsure what he is on. He is again mana screwed after I kill all his deathrite shamans. He eventually lands sideboard bitterblossom, to which I add insult to injury by playing engineered plague on faeries.

SB In: 2 Thoughtseize, 1 Toxic, 1 Plague, 2 Brutality
SB Out: 4 Force of Will, 1 Tidespout, 1 Emrakul
Won match 2-0, Modern lost, Standard won: Personal 2-1, Team 2-1

***Round 4 - Dark Maverick (Dog 45/55?)
Game 1 I assemble House Gryffindor with Food Chain and beat for 9 vigilance, which is enough to beat his main deck cards.

Game 2, he is able to get SoFi and I am unable to keep a board presence. He has GSZ to get pridemage to kill my food chain and I don't get a board presence against SoFi and friends.

Game 3, my DRS gets plowed. I have a ton of removal but Thalia slows it down and he overwhelms me with threats that I have to keep tapping out to remove. He eventually slams a Choke post combat and I am dead.

SB In: 1 Liliana, 1 Toxic, 2 Needle, 2 Brutality
SB Out: 4 Force of Will, 1 Tidespout, 1 Emrakul
Lost match 1-2, Modern won, Standard lost: Personal 2-2, Team 2-2

***Round 5 - Infect (Dog 30/70)
Game 1 I get lucky that he doesn't have a fast hand. I kill/trade everything and eventually win with deathrite activations.

Game 2 we trade resources to top decking. I can't find a flier for his inkmoth that he is able to to grow with a become immense off the top.

Game 3 I kill all the things, so I won.

SB In: All SB cards except cage and 2 surgical
SB Out: 4 Food Chain, 1 Fate, 2 Shardless, 1 Emrakul, 1 Tidespout, 2 Noble, 1 Scourge
Won match 2-1, Modern DNF, Standard won: Personal 3-2, Team 3-2

***Round 6 - Sneak & Show (Dog 30/70) versus Peach Garden Oath
I'm on the draw in game one and decide to brainstorm end of opponent's 2nd turn because I have a curve out hand. It gets spell pierced. Because he didn't play any threats on t1 or t2 and didn't mulligan, I assume he is on S&S and not grixis delver, so I proceed to put as many creatures on the board. I get close to killing on the crackback when he casts show and tell to show omniscience. However, he has both Emrakul and Griselbrand, so I die.

Game 2 I am able to thoughtseize and clique him out of threats to win the game. I also surgical'd sneak attack and saw only show and tell. Once I draw Emrakul, I knew the only way to lose was S&T omniscience with emrakul.

Game 3 oponent has leyline to start but luckily I don't have discard/clique. I keep 2 force, 2 blue cards and am able to use that to win when I play out a clock. EOT flash in nimble to apply pressure after leaving mana up was key.

SB In: 2 Thoughtseize, 2 Brutality, 2 Surgical, 2 Needle, 2 Fluster, 1 Nimble
SB Out: 2 Food Chain, 2 Shardless, 2 Noble, 3 Decay, 1 Cut, 1 Scourge
Won match 2-1, Modern lost, Standard won: Personal 4-2, Team 4-2

SIDENOTE: The Peach Garden Oath is probably one of the best teams ever (or at least the best US team). I must say that these guys were the epitome of what a pro player should be like. They were happy to sign my tokens before the match and were overall amiable folks. During the match, they were clear with their communication. It was clear they were there to win at magic, not win at angle shooting. When we won, they took defeat with grace; no salt at all, they've played long enough to know that you can't win them all and that they'll be back in the winner's circle soon enough. Much respect.

***Round 7 - Monored Prison (Favored 65/35?)
Game 1 I'm on the draw without Fow but have fetches and deathrite. He opens with t1 Blood moon. I die.

Games 2 and 3 play out similar to prior match. Fetch basics, cast spells, win. Abrupt decay is great versus ensnaring bridge. SB plan also same as prior.

Won match 2-1, Modern won, Standard DNF: Personal 5-2, Team 5-2

***Round 8 - Sneak & Show (Dog 30/70)
Game 1 my opponent mulls to 6 on the draw and casts t1 show and tell off ancient tomb + petal with force backup on my force. He has 2 cards left, I have to decide to show Leovold versus Clique. Clique is better if he has exactly omniscience + emrakul, otherwise Leovold is better in all other cases. I decide on Leovold, turns out he had omniscience into sneak attack. His next 3 draw steps were fluster and 2 lands, so I win with beats.

Game 2 he is able to resolve a sneak attack and gets sneaky with griselbrand. He draws a bunch of cards and is then at 10 life. Surely I am dead? He discusses with teammate about drawing another 7, which his teammate assures he can do safely as he telegraphs that there are 2 force of wills that he can use, though he can only use 1 as I also have a strix in play. Turns out he didn't draw a fatty offf the initial 14 cards, so he does draw 7 more to go to 3 life. I go to draw step and if I draw needle I think I can win, because he has to force it. Then I attack for 1 and can finish with a brutality to drain. I don't draw needle and have to cast brutality, which gets force'd going to 1 life. He untaps and Emrakul ends me.

Game 3 I don't quite remember. My notes saw I forced and surgical'd in my life totals but I don't remember what. My ragtag team of beats gets there. SB plan is same as prior match.

Won match 2-1, Modern DNF, Standard won: Personal 6-2, Team 6-2

***Round 9 - ID (Even 50/50), turns out later that it was a miracles matchup
We do the math and know that based on the tournament size and day 2 requirements that day 2 will be a small tournament and the "loss" from intentionally drawing into day 2 doesn't change the total number of wins needed to prize or top 8. We offer ID to opponents, briefly talk about the math and they agree (ultimately, they went 4-2 on day 2 and finished 9th, whereas we went 5-1 and finished 6th).

ID, Personal 6-2-1, Team 6-2-1

***Round 10 - Miracles (Favored 60/40, but fluctuates based on number of JTMS)
Game 1 goes grindy and my unanswered food chain keeps my threats resilient. As the game goes long with the flock, my opponent concedes in order to save time. The murderous cut and tombstalker do amazing job delving back my countered griffins/scourge.

Game 2 I have to dance with counterbalance, which does work for my opponent. I weather 2 JTMS only to see a 3rd! The first and 2nd are hard enough to beat. He brainstorms with jace and then casts council's judgement. I have all 3 griffins and scourge and have to decide which to exile in response, as I suspected a terminus was just set up. He has snapcaster to block for JTMS at 3 loyalty. I made mistake of exiling scourge + griffin to leave 2 griffins in play when it should have been all exiled but 1 griffin. Because I have 1 less griffin post-terminus, I die to angels.

Game 3 we start with only 10 minutes left, so I grab emrakul back from the SB and take out the shardless to have more ways to combo win. I mull to 6 (keeping food chain, griffin) and he mulls to 5. I keep tidespout on top and play fetchland mentally telling myself to not crack it until I draw tidespout. My first brainstorm also shows me emrakul which I keep and shuffle away tidespout, as it is more insulated versus swords/counters. I eventually cast emrakul on turn 0 and win.

SB In: 2 Thoughtseize, 2 Needle, 2 Fluster, 1 Nimble, 1 Liliana
SB Out: 2 Force of Will, 2 Strix, 2 Noble, 1 Shardless, 1 Emrakul
Won match 2-1, Modern won, Standard lost: Personal 7-2-1, Team 7-2-1

***Round 11 - Lands (Favored 70/30)
Game 1 and 2 I don't remember too much other than using food chain to cheat mana and generally sidestepping what Lands is trying to do to control us. No fast marit lage in either game, so I win pretty easily. SB same as prior.

Won match 2-0, Modern won, Standard DNF: Personal 8-2-1, Team 8-2-1

***Round 12 - Eldrazi (Favored 70/30)
Game 1 I misequence my play and got punished. Had 2 food chains and 1 manipulate fate and 1 hierarch. I cast food chain first thinking it would be more mana efficient. However, manipulate fate + hierarch is same efficiency or better. He has thought knot and takes manipulate fate. I die to smasher because I don't have multiple 3/3s.

Game 2 I am about to lock the game up with 9 vigilance flying power and win to move onto game 3, but my teammates both lose so I don't get to redeem my game 1 blunder.

SB In: 2 Thoughtseize, 1 Needle, 1 Plague
SB Out: 4 Force of Will (iirc)
DNF match, Modern lost, Standard lost: Personal 8-2-2, Team 8-3-1

***Round 13 - Maverick (Dog 45/55?) - Special note here that my opponent was A+ memes/dad jokes with me, thanks for the superb fun games!
Game 1 I just go turn 2 shardless into more fair BUG cards. My opponent makes a grave error putting his jitte on birds to block my griffins but never had counters on it. Deathrite and BUG cards ends the game.

Game 2 I have answers for his threats. Baleful strix holds down the fort. I don't get choked out and win. SB probably similar to prior.

Won match 2-0, Modern won, Standard DNF: Personal 9-2-2, Team 9-3-1

***Round 14 - Grixis Delver (Favored 60/40)
I was wondering when I'd finally see this matchup. Game 1 he had a slowish hand. I was able to play around daze and cast manipulate on t2 via mana dork. It resolves, and his pressure was too low, so I win easily.

Game 2 I keep a questionable hand of 1 land, brainstorm, DRS, and manipulate fate with other cards. My t1 DRS gets killed. Then I get braintorm locked. I die a slower than expected death to his slower hand, but I never get to even try to cast manipulate fate to call it a comeback.

Game 3 on the play my mana dorks give me an unsurmountable mana advantage. I cast all my spells without care and easily win this one.

SB In: 2 Brutality, Plague, Toxic, Liliana, 2 Fluster
SB Out: Emrakul, Tidespout, 4 Force of Will, Hostage Taker/Shardless On Draw/Play
Won match 2-1, Modern won, Standard lost: Personal 10-2-2, Team 10-3-1

At this point, we are locked to prize and am likely playing for top 8, I start to think that maybe I should have thought about taking better notes for a tournament report, but alas next round starts very quickly and I don't get a chance to take notes.

***Round 15 - Grixis Delver (Favored 60/40) - Off Camera Feature Match
It's time to break a curse, as I've never won a feature match, whether on camera or not. Game 1 is close. I play around daze and eventually sculpt a combo kill against his board of young pyro with tokens, TNN, and DRS when I go down to 3 life (1 life effectively because he has active DRS).

Game 2 is again very tight. I stabilize with food chain + manipulate fate for 9 flying vigilance power. I attack and put him down to 3 when I'm also at 3. He has no attackers that can get through and an active DRS. I know his hand is junk from a prior clique/escalated brutality. Leovold is also out, so he cannot cantrip into his only out - bolt. It wasn't bolt, so we are onto the top 8! At this point, I was too busy celebrating to be disciplined enough to take more notes for a tournament report. SB is same as last round.

Won match 2-0, Modern won, Standard DNF: Personal 11-2-2, Team 11-3-1 (6th Seed)

***Top 8 Quarterfinals - BUG Delver (Favored 65/35) - End of Game 2 on Camera
So our team is on camera but it is the modern match featured. We are low seed, so brutally our entire team is on the draw. All 3 of us then mulligan to 6. Game 1 is very close. I resolve manipulate fate and hardcast each 3/3 turn after turn to stabilize. It's too bad that before the game we had each other's decklists and my opponent said my deck was spicy, to which I responded he had 2 tombstalkers to my one. He has both stalkers out to my scourge + 2 griffins with me at 5 life. Thins look grim, until I topdeck my own stalker to force some draw go top decking over the next 3 or 4 turns. He is still at a healthy 14 and I am unable to make any attacks. There is a point where I draw noble hierarch that I can attack with stalker for 6. If he blocks, we trade stalkers. If he doesn't, he goes to 8 and I'm left to double chump his stalkers and hope he doesnt have removal for my scourge when I crack back for exactsies. I choose not to do so and continue draw go until I get strix to block better. I do so, and he takes the hit to go down to 6 after he fetched and forced. Next attack he trades stalkers. Then he plays DRS and I lose race to DRS. Would have won game if I saw a single food chain.

Game 2 is again a very grindy game. I resolve manipulate fate but his goyf clock plus double flipped delver on t3 is a lot before I can stabilize. I may have misplayed my not chumping goyf or casting griffin first to try to stabilize board, hard to tell what the right line is as his delver pressure was insane. Modern finishes match and of course camera comes to our match as I am getting demolished. Video (about 7:40:00 start) (https://www.twitch.tv/videos/258367172?sr=a&t=27600s) starts with his thoughtseize taking my needle to make goyf lethal. The turn I decide to decay, I probably should have cast griffin and not attacked and hoped that he had no removal because that was one of the lines to stabilize. He has a counterspell for my last blocker (misplay on camera by casting clique instead of griffin because it dies to abrupt decay, but didn't matter as it was countered). I die. Would have won game if I saw a single food chain.

Lost match 0-2, Modern won, Standard lost: Personal 11-3-2, Team 11-4-1 (Final standing: 7th)

***FINAL/EXTRA THOUGHTS:
~Overall, I am happy that my first SCG Top 8 would've also been a individual top 8 with my personal record, so I didn't have to feel 'carried.' Also, it is always cool to see that every one of my legacy opponents were excellent sports and made for enjoyable magic (most of our team opponents were too!). Overall, I am happy with the build. May end up cutting shardless for ponders or sylvan library to help find the food chains in the matchups where it is important (most). Still unsure of win cons as each has their pros/cons, may end up going back to 3 ballista and 1 emrakul or something like that. I was very happy with the noble hierarchs for their mana ramp on 19 lands and exalted triggers, just wished they were BUG instead of Bant.
~The shardless agents overall had plenty of juicy flips to hit (even when it's "just" a noble hierarch), but they may just be antiquated to the power of Leovold in that slot, as well as just lack of deck space because right now I love hostage taker so much more.
~We were a team of 2 legacy and 1 modern player, so I was able to win the legacy draw and props to our standard player for just jamming an unknown format and getting just enough wins to get the team there!
~Best Hostage Take This Tournament: Took a Titania Protector of Argoth in game 1 vs Maverick (won the game but lost the match)
~Best Nimble Obstruction This Tournament: No stifles really (no matchups conducive to that), just good old fashioned flash beats for a good amount of wins

Please let me know if this format is too wordy or whatnot. I am open to whatever feedback! Thanks for reading!

[JackaBo]

Cosmo: Great report!

[cosmosis]

Cosmo: Great report!

Thanks, I made some more edits and added some opening/final thoughts. I will consider this a final draft at this point, hope it was a reasonable read and formatted okay!

[matteo.defantmef]

Dalibor is currently 11th with 33 points @ GP Birmingham. I saw a trinket mage in the 75s. We will hopefully see.


Inviato dal mio iPhone utilizzando Tapatalk

[meffeo]

Dalibor is currently 11th with 33 points @ GP Birmingham. I saw a trinket mage in the 75s. We will hopefully see.

[Kaono]

https://magic.wizards.com/en/events/coverage/gpbir18-legacy/9-16-decklists-2018-05-12

Decklist here -- 2 trinket mage is something I've wanted to try but never had the guts.

[grokh]

Hi,

I played Food chain a couple years ago, when Leovold/Ballista/Scourge weren't released yet.

I played Jund recently, and i'm selling Jund for going back to Food chain

I found the following list i'm copying :
http://www.mtgtop8.com/event?e=19100&d=320535&f=LE

What do you think about this list ?

Would i make some changes or keep it as is ?

Thanks

Grokh

[JackaBo]

Hi,

I played Food chain a couple years ago, when Leovold/Ballista/Scourge weren't released yet.

I played Jund recently, and i'm selling Jund for going back to Food chain

I found the following list i'm copying :
http://www.mtgtop8.com/event?e=19100&d=320535&f=LE

What do you think about this list ?

Would i make some changes or keep it as is ?

Thanks

Grokh

3/3 ballista/mages is rather heavy on the finnisher side. Seems he cut ponders for the extra finnishers.
I think i would rather play ponders. If you gonna play that many mages you should make room for reliq of progenitus.

[grokh]

3/3 ballista/mages is rather heavy on the finnisher side. Seems he cut ponders for the extra finnishers.
I think i would rather play ponders. If you gonna play that many mages you should make room for reliq of progenitus.

Something more like this ?
http://www.magic-ville.com/fr/decks/showdeck?ref=584713

I cut the 3rd ballista and the Engineered explosives MD for a 2nd Ponder and a Relic of Progenitus.

[dte]

Isn't EE the main reason to run mage over ballista? If you do not run it, then no point in not just going 0 mages / 4 ballistas, as both are equal in combo mode and ballista is the better card outside of combo, if you cannot fetch EE.

[grokh]

Isn't EE the main reason to run mage over ballista? If you do not run it, then no point in not just going 0 mages / 4 ballistas, as both are equal in combo mode and ballista is the better card outside of combo, if you cannot fetch EE.

OK for keeping EE in the MD, but where do i put the Relic of Progenitus in this case ?

[grokh]

3/3 ballista/mages is rather heavy on the finnisher side. Seems he cut ponders for the extra finnishers.
I think i would rather play ponders. If you gonna play that many mages you should make room for reliq of progenitus.

Why do you want to make room for relic of progenitus MD ?

[Kaono]

Why do you want to make room for relic of progenitus MD ?

Relic is great in this meta. Forces opp. to eat their own GY with DRS, which you are also attacking with your relic making Angler harder to cast. Obviously great vs Lands. Helps your combo MU preboard. And is a 5th DRS to rebuy your Griffins from GY to make the deck great at grinding.

[grokh]

I saw some lists running Hostage taker in SB.

I suppose the card is here against Sneak show but is there other MUs where you sb in this card ?

Thanks

[Kaono]

I saw some lists running Hostage taker in SB.

I suppose the card is here against Sneak show but is there other MUs where you sb in this card ?

Thanks

It can come in in any matchup that you want to deal with artifacts/creatures, or any matchup that's grindy and rewards a slow 3-for-1.

I've brought it in vs Lands, D&T, Stoneblade, Eldrazi, Czech Pile, Dragon Stompy, Steel Stompy, MUD, 12-Post, the mirror, and probably a few more.

[grokh]

Hi,

I made a file with sideboard tables for my list :
http://www.magic-ville.com/fr/decks/showdeck.php?ref=584713

Here is the file :
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1YrA00dlG_q7QTnf_NuTmpKxo9NsbVPm4mHmWxnr1O-c/edit?ts=590e3f1d#gid=760684324

If somebody could look at it and correct the tables, it'd be nice to me.

Thanks

[Kaono]

Elves: Strix is useless here -- keep DRS take out Strix

Sneak: Strix is useless -- keep Ballista/Ponder/Fate take out Strix

In general Strix is really bad vs all combo decks except Reanimator

Jund: Leovold is good vs them, keep it in. Altar of the Brood can come out of maindeck since you don't want to mill their PFires. Push should come in to deal with Bob/DRS/Goyf. Hostage Taker could maybe come in.

Shardless: Hostage Taker should def. be coming in. It's a super grindy card and 3-for-1s your opps. Push seems less necessary since there's not as many "must kill" creatures as Jund. Shardless usually kills you with Strixes and Agents.

BUG Delver: Don't sideboard out FoW vs Delver. You happily trade resources for more time. Don't sideboard out Fate. You win by grinding them out. Take out Altar of the Brood (fuels their goyfs/stalkers) and slow stuff like Ponder.

Burn: Never take out FoW. Altar of the Brood can easily come out (sensing a pattern here, card is bad).

Eldrazi Aggro: They're a cavern deck. Cut FoW, relic and altar. What you're bringing in is fine. Cutting decay (jitte) and drs (ramp) is wrong.

Painter: If they're UR painter keep Leo in. Mono red he can prob go.

Miracles: Really disagree with taking out FoW/Thoughtseize/Chain -- those are some of your best cards vs them. They have like 1-2 wincons, so FoW is great. Thoughtseize great for same reason. Chain is their worst nightmare. Don't add surgical, you have relic already for minor snapcaster disruption. Don't add another relic, you have one mainboard and they're not a GY deck. Cut 4 Strixes since they do nothing, cut the Altar cause it does nothing - that's 5 cards. 2 fluster 1 needle 1 clique 1 EE is also 5.

Storm: Cut all your strixes before anything else. plague/ee should only come in if they're TES. Cutting 2 lands is risky. You should generally only cut 1 forest in fast combo MUs.

Czech Pile: Another great grindy MU to bring Hostage Taker in vs. Stealing a snapcaster is gas.

Stoneblade: Thoughtseize is pretty good vs them. I'd cut all 4 FoW before cutting TS

D&T: Thoughtseize is decent vs them too. I would not cut chain or griffin. Altar of the Brood and Relic are useless here, cut them.

Infect: Never ever ever cut a ballista vs infect. That one card literally wins you the MU. Cutting 2 lands is risky again. Cut all Food Chains since you can easily win just via a Manip Fate or Ballista.

Reanimator: I'd cut more Food Chains before I started cutting Manip Fates

Grixis Delver: Don't bring in Relic vs them. You have one mainboard already that's enough. Flusterstorm also not needed, they're a creature deck. Cut Thoughtseize, Altar, 1 Food Chain and 2 Ponder. Ponder is slow, and you're just looking for removal anyway. So replace the ponders with removal.

Dark Depths: Cut Altar of the Brood over Food Chain

Moon Stompy: Cut Altar before Manip Fate.

I don't see a sb strat for lands, but for your build I'd suggest: -1 altar -4 strix +2 surgical +1 needle +1 ee +1 relic and possibly hostage taker too

[JackaBo]

Elves: Strix is useless here -- keep DRS take out Strix

Sneak: Strix is useless -- keep Ballista/Ponder/Fate take out Strix

In general Strix is really bad vs all combo decks except Reanimator

Jund: Leovold is good vs them, keep it in. Altar of the Brood can come out of maindeck since you don't want to mill their PFires. Push should come in to deal with Bob/DRS/Goyf. Hostage Taker could maybe come in.

Shardless: Hostage Taker should def. be coming in. It's a super grindy card and 3-for-1s your opps. Push seems less necessary since there's not as many "must kill" creatures as Jund. Shardless usually kills you with Strixes and Agents.

BUG Delver: Don't sideboard out FoW vs Delver. You happily trade resources for more time. Don't sideboard out Fate. You win by grinding them out. Take out Altar of the Brood (fuels their goyfs/stalkers) and slow stuff like Ponder.

Burn: Never take out FoW. Altar of the Brood can easily come out (sensing a pattern here, card is bad).

Eldrazi Aggro: They're a cavern deck. Cut FoW, relic and altar. What you're bringing in is fine. Cutting decay (jitte) and drs (ramp) is wrong.

Painter: If they're UR painter keep Leo in. Mono red he can prob go.

Miracles: Really disagree with taking out FoW/Thoughtseize/Chain -- those are some of your best cards vs them. They have like 1-2 wincons, so FoW is great. Thoughtseize great for same reason. Chain is their worst nightmare. Don't add surgical, you have relic already for minor snapcaster disruption. Don't add another relic, you have one mainboard and they're not a GY deck. Cut 4 Strixes since they do nothing, cut the Altar cause it does nothing - that's 5 cards. 2 fluster 1 needle 1 clique 1 EE is also 5.

Storm: Cut all your strixes before anything else. plague/ee should only come in if they're TES. Cutting 2 lands is risky. You should generally only cut 1 forest in fast combo MUs.

Czech Pile: Another great grindy MU to bring Hostage Taker in vs. Stealing a snapcaster is gas.

Stoneblade: Thoughtseize is pretty good vs them. I'd cut all 4 FoW before cutting TS

D&T: Thoughtseize is decent vs them too. I would not cut chain or griffin. Altar of the Brood and Relic are useless here, cut them.

Infect: Never ever ever cut a ballista vs infect. That one card literally wins you the MU. Cutting 2 lands is risky again. Cut all Food Chains since you can easily win just via a Manip Fate or Ballista.

Reanimator: I'd cut more Food Chains before I started cutting Manip Fates

Grixis Delver: Don't bring in Relic vs them. You have one mainboard already that's enough. Flusterstorm also not needed, they're a creature deck. Cut Thoughtseize, Altar, 1 Food Chain and 2 Ponder. Ponder is slow, and you're just looking for removal anyway. So replace the ponders with removal.

Dark Depths: Cut Altar of the Brood over Food Chain

Moon Stompy: Cut Altar before Manip Fate.

I don't see a sb strat for lands, but for your build I'd suggest: -1 altar -4 strix +2 surgical +1 needle +1 ee +1 relic and possibly hostage taker too

I agree with almost all of this.
I used to keep fow in vs eldrazi though. Either they play turn 2 tKS off double sol land and you get to fow it. If they play it turn 3 and it's not all that scary.
Interesting that people have so different view of SB:ing.

[battousai555]

Hi,

I made a file with sideboard tables for my list :
http://www.magic-ville.com/fr/decks/showdeck.php?ref=584713

Here is the file :
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1YrA00dlG_q7QTnf_NuTmpKxo9NsbVPm4mHmWxnr1O-c/edit?ts=590e3f1d#gid=760684324

If somebody could look at it and correct the tables, it'd be nice to me.

Thanks
I also mostly agree with Kaono. However, I feel like for both Reanimator and Sneak I'd cut all Ballistas and Food Chains before Strixes. Strix pitches to FoW and draws us closer to more disruption, while still beating for 1 each turn. I feel like we have to try to be the control deck against faster combo decks, so I really don't like keeping any of the combo in. Ymmv, though.

[grokh]

I also mostly agree with Kaono. However, I feel like for both Reanimator and Sneak I'd cut all Ballistas and Food Chains before Strixes. Strix pitches to FoW and draws us closer to more disruption, while still beating for 1 each turn. I feel like we have to try to be the control deck against faster combo decks, so I really don't like keeping any of the combo in. Ymmv, though.

Yep, i agree with what you say Battousai555.

Great thanks to Kaono, i've updated most of my SB tables if you want to go and check again.

I'm also updating my list with -1 Ballista +1 Trinket mage

[Kaono]

I also mostly agree with Kaono. However, I feel like for both Reanimator and Sneak I'd cut all Ballistas and Food Chains before Strixes. Strix pitches to FoW and draws us closer to more disruption, while still beating for 1 each turn. I feel like we have to try to be the control deck against faster combo decks, so I really don't like keeping any of the combo in. Ymmv, though.

Definitely leave Strix in vs Reanimator -- I also cut all ballista and food chain that MU since we need both anti-combo and anti-creature SB cards.

Sneak is a tough MU -- I can understand cutting the combo but since Sneak is an A+B deck that we can't shut down as easily as the other combo decks I leave it in to mise the combo kill. If we give them enough time they can draw out of our early disruption. Strix cantrips, but it's either finding us combo or disruption so I'd rather just have those cards in hand instead. My blue count after board is 24 so not worried about pitch targets.


Great thanks to Kaono, i've updated most of my SB tables if you want to go and check again.

I'd recommend not taking Decay out vs Lands since their #1 SB cards vs us is Sphere of Resistance and Hostage Taker at 5 mana can be rough sometimes.

[battousai555]

Strix cantrips, but it's either finding us combo or disruption so I'd rather just have those cards in hand instead. My blue count after board is 24 so not worried about pitch targets.
I'm advocating Strixes over Ballistas/Chains, so I'm not sure what you mean when you say you'd rather the Strixes be disruption. The blue count is already high without Strix, but I'd usually rather pitch Strix to Force instead of any other blue card in my hand (save Griffin, of course). I've had many game states where my hand had something like Force+Brainstorm+Ballista, which forced me to pitch my Brainstorm to Force. Strix also doesn't need any other card to be useful, whereas Chain does nothing on its own, and Ballista is typically just a 1/1 beater without the combo in place. Strix also blocks Papa Gris and Emmy, which occasionally matters. Ballista is a faster beater over time when you have nothing to do other than use your mana to improve your clock, though.

Anyway, that's just my reasoning. The thing I love about magic is that there isn't necessarily an objectively "correct" way to sideboard, so I'll definitely do some more testing using your plan to see how it pans out. I appreciate the discussion!

[JackaBo]

I'm advocating Strixes over Ballistas/Chains, so I'm not sure what you mean when you say you'd rather the Strixes be disruption. The blue count is already high without Strix, but I'd usually rather pitch Strix to Force instead of any other blue card in my hand (save Griffin, of course). I've had many game states where my hand had something like Force+Brainstorm+Ballista, which forced me to pitch my Brainstorm to Force. Strix also doesn't need any other card to be useful, whereas Chain does nothing on its own, and Ballista is typically just a 1/1 beater without the combo in place. Strix also blocks Papa Gris and Emmy, which occasionally matters. Ballista is a faster beater over time when you have nothing to do other than use your mana to improve your clock, though.

Anyway, that's just my reasoning. The thing I love about magic is that there isn't necessarily an objectively "correct" way to sideboard, so I'll definitely do some more testing using your plan to see how it pans out. I appreciate the discussion!

I like to also consider how good half combo is versus different decks. Versus storm it's no disruption. Versus emrakul too.
Versus griselbrand though it's infinite chump and denying them of the life-gain and drawing of cards.
Therefore i like to keep food chain versus the griselbrand decks.

[grokh]

On my list, i'm actually with 2 Trinket mage 2 Ballista.

Is 1 Trinket mage 3 Ballista better ?

Does it change something ?

[grokh]

I can't see the use of having 1 Altar of the brood in the 75.

When do you prefer Altar to ballista when you're on infinite combo and getting a Trinket ?

Is there another reason to play Altar of the brood i don't see ?

[battousai555]

I can't see the use of having 1 Altar of the brood in the 75.

When do you prefer Altar to ballista when you're on infinite combo and getting a Trinket ?

Is there another reason to play Altar of the brood i don't see ?
When Needle/Spyglass/Revoker is on Ballista.

[grokh]

When Needle/Spyglass/Revoker is on Ballista.

Revoker isn't on Food chain most of the time ?

[Kaono]

In my experience a needle/spyglass/revoker on Ballista buys them a turn before they concede to an infinite/infinite attacker.

[grokh]

When Needle/Spyglass/Revoker is on Ballista.

I wondered if Altar should stay in my 75 cos in almot all tables i made, Altar is SB out on G2-G3 ...

[battousai555]

Revoker isn't on Food chain most of the time ?
No, D&T usually names Ballista before they name Food Chain because it's the best card against them (and kills a Revoker naming Food Chain, anyway).


In my experience a needle/spyglass/revoker on Ballista buys them a turn before they concede to an infinite/infinite attacker.
Usually, yeah. If it's D&T, they could easily have a vial on 3 with a Flickerwisp in hand, though. A couple of turns chump blocking with Recruiter/SFM could give them enough time to steal the game, too. That being said, it's already a good match-up for us, and I really don't like the Altar plan because it's usually unnecessary and a dead draw in far too many match-ups.

[WarpWorld]

On my list, i'm actually with 2 Trinket mage 2 Ballista.

Is 1 Trinket mage 3 Ballista better ?

Does it change something ?

It allows you to fetch a trinket with the first one and not have to worry about not having one to fetch a Ballista when you go to combo off.

I played around with alter when it came out and came to the "it's more cute than good" conclusion.

[grokh]

It allows you to fetch a trinket with the first one and not have to worry about not having one to fetch a Ballista when you go to combo off.

I played around with alter when it came out and came to the "it's more cute than good" conclusion.

You can't fetch a trinket with a trinket

So you would replace Altar by what in my list ?

[WarpWorld]

You can't fetch a trinket with a trinket

So you would replace Altar by what in my list ?

The first one finds you A trinket ie relic not a trinket mage. The second one gets you your ballista when you combo. Given that you are already playing a relic I would suggest an ee to be a sweeper md.

[grokh]

The first one finds you A trinket ie relic not a trinket mage. The second one gets you your ballista when you combo. Given that you are already playing a relic I would suggest an ee to be a sweeper md.

For replacing Altar of the brood, a friend of mine thought to Tasigur, and i think it's a pretty good idea nope ?

[WarpWorld]

For replacing Altar of the brood, a friend of mine thought to Tasigur, and i think it's a pretty good idea nope ?
Most people played tasigur when it came out (myself included) and most people switched to gurmag angler. The extra power can be relevant and it gets bounced to karakas. That being said his ability is good grindy matchups if you can activate it. Murderous Cut is another strong option if you're looking for a delve spell to fill the spot.

[grokh]

What about Massacre wurm in SB ?

I saw it in some lists, maybe could it replace my Toxic deluge ?

This seems weaker than Toxic vs Eldrazi, but better against Elves/D&T cos they lose lots of life and you let a 6/5 behind

[grokh]

Little report of my tournament of yesterday evening, we were 11 players, we played 4 rounds !

Round 1 Burn

G1 : I win with the aggro-Griffins plan and by forcing a Fireblast
G2 : I lose cos he has Eidolon, and i have the combo in hand but just a Scourge, and Scourge costs 3 so recasting it cause me too much damage
G3 : I win by comboing off fast with Griffins and infinite Ballista

Win 2-1

Round 2 Sneak show

G1 : I'll be able to down him to 4 with my creatures but he'll S&T into Sneak attack into Emrakul
G2 : I attack T1 with Thoughtseize + Surgical Griselbrand, he had 2 Griselbrand in hand, he'll never find a creature to combo off
G3 : I flusterstorm a S&T, then i'll beat him with the aggro Griffins plan

Win 2-1

Round 3 Dredge

G1 : He'll combo off very fast and i'm dead with Zealous and lots of Zombies
G2 : He'll try to draw with Golgari grave troll and Stinkweed imp in gy, i'll eat Troll then surgical Imp, he concedes
G3 : I open with a T1 Relic of progenitus, he'll concede

Win 2-1

Round 4 Stoneblade

G1 : I'll have 3 Griffins + Food chain + Scourge + Tasigur, he has Batterskull + Snapcaster mage, i'll attack him with 2 Griffins each turn cos i kp 1 Griffin for blocking BSK each attack then exile it before damage for avoiding him to gain life. I down him to 4 and he equips BSK on True name nemesis and i die by 7 damage (i was at 6 at this point)
G2 : He'll disenchant my food chain and i'll have 3 draw lands but i have fetched 3 times (1 fetch per turn) and he kills me

Lose 0-2

I'll finish 2nd and get 2 Dominaria boosters

My list : http://www.magic-ville.com/fr/decks/showdeck.php?ref=584713

My SB Tables : https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1YrA00dlG_q7QTnf_NuTmpKxo9NsbVPm4mHmWxnr1O-c/edit?ts=590e3f1d#gid=760684324

[grokh]

In my list i got 1 Relic of progenitus MD + 1 Relic SB.

Assuming i got 2 surgical + 1 Cage for gy-strategies in the SB too, i think i don't need the Relic in SB.

What could i put in to replace ?

And we played about 15 games post SB against Turbo dephts, i only won 3 of it.

Is there something to do to improve this MU ?

My list for reference : http://www.magic-ville.com/fr/decks/showdeck.php?ref=584713

Thanks !

EDIT : Made another list with Clique MD and 2 Edict SB : http://www.magic-ville.com/fr/decks/showdeck.php?ref=589333

[WarpWorld]

Round 4 Stoneblade

G1 : I'll have 3 Griffins + Food chain + Scourge + Tasigur, he has Batterskull + Snapcaster mage, i'll attack him with 2 Griffins each turn cos i kp 1 Griffin for blocking BSK each attack then exile it before damage for avoiding him to gain life. I down him to 4 and he equips BSK on True name nemesis and i die by 7 damage (i was at 6 at this point)

I think this might be a misplay in your part. I think if you attack with your team and trade tasagur with germ you're in a better spot. Because your scurge and Griffins have vigilance with food chain out. Otherwise you should be attacking for 9 in the air each turn because you have food chain and your Griffin's have vigilance. This still allows you to chump the germ in the meantime with scourge. Otherwise your list looks fine. If there are a lot of turbo depths players in your meta then 2 edicts is fine. A fast 20/20 can be tough game 1 without chaining together multiple stix into Griffins into food chain (basicly blockers until you get there). I haven't tried Massacre wurm yet but have heard positive things about it and might give one a try myself probably over deluge.

[nevilshute]

Getting into the groove of playing some Legacy again and took this deck for a league. Videos for those interested

https://m.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLHk0w4Md8v4AhdPsQoumSRufUo7Mg0k4Q

[JackaBo]

Getting into the groove of playing some Legacy again and took this deck for a league. Videos for those interested

https://m.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLHk0w4Md8v4AhdPsQoumSRufUo7Mg0k4Q

Nice and welcome back
How do you feel FC is positioned?
I haven't been in the mood for FC but people seem to think it's well positioned

EDIT: Food chain on MODO is unbarable, even to watch! They really need to work out the shortcuts...

[nevilshute]

Nice and welcome back
How do you feel FC is positioned?
I haven't been in the mood for FC but people seem to think it's well positioned

EDIT: Food chain on MODO is unbarable, even to watch! They really need to work out the shortcuts...

Yeah. Playing Food Chain on mtgo requires force of will in more than one sense. Not sure how we fare vs all those pyroblasts out of opposing deathrite decks, but the combo is strong and we get to play a lot of the best cards in the format so I like our position in that sense.

[Emrakul503]

Hello all! I top 8'd a 6 round of swiss, 34 person tournament yesterday and wanted to post my thoughts on it. Here is the list I brought: http://mtgtop8.com/event?e=19394&d=323551&f=LE

While I do not have a fully detailed recollection of how everything shook out, I can do a quick once over of my matches:

R1 - Rory BUG Delver

G1 - BUG Delver did BUG Delvery stuff. 2 blindly flipped Delvers closed out the game pretty quickly.

G2 - I actually am pretty unclear about how this game went. I think I combo'd but am not sure how.

G3 - I kept a greedy hand that leaned on DRS a bit too hard, and was punished for it. I generally fetch up basics versus Wasteland decks, but for some reason needed a dual to play my hand as it was. The DRS died, the land died, I moved into the concede phase.

R2 - Nate Tezzerator

G1 - He sticks 2 Mox Diamonds and a Birthing Pod, I start to set up for the combo, but then go in for the Griffyn beat down plan. I apply too much pressure for him to dig out from under, and kill him before I see basically anything else.

G2 - Birthing Pod in Legacy is new for me, therefore I wasn't ENTIRELY sure what his game plan was, and I kept Forces in (which I generally do not do unless its versus combo). He sticks a Pod while I set up the beat down plan again, then goes for a 7mana Affinity for Artifacts creature that I definitely force. I am able to close the game, then he informs me Griselbrand was in my future if I had not Forced that. He was pretty choked on mana, not having a blue source that game, so he was unable to do much, which felt bad.

R3 - Rory number 2 (?) Mono Red Prison

G1 - I have a semi nut draw with 2 basics and a fetch that gets the other basic I need. I knew what he was on, since he had sat next to me the round before, so I had a bit of an edge. I fetch up my basic, play my Ponder before they land a T2 Chalice. He has prison effects, but after I Decay the Trinisphere, I pretty smoothly sail into a combo finish.

G2 - I leave in the Forces and take out Relic, a Ponder, and Clique for the 2 Thoughtseize and Brutality. The Thoughtseize grabs a Rabblemaster, revealing Blood Moon, Chalice and some lands. He Chalices then Blood Moons the next turn, but I naturally drew into the combo, and kill him a turn or two later. I really like Red Prison conceptually, but it seemed to run out of gas pretty hard both games. I was under no pressure to assemble anything, and was able to do so at my leisure.

R4 - Tim Czech Pile

G1 - Tim is a good friend of mine and a pillar of the local Legacy community. While known for his all foil DnT, he owns multiple copies of just about every deck in the format, so it really is a dice roll when you sit across from him. The last we played, he steam rolled me with Shardless, so I thought it would be BUGx something. He does a few things that were pretty characteristically Czech Pile plays, like fetch up Sea into Badlands, then Hymn me. So I knew pretty quickly. There is some good resource exchange here, but I get a Food Chain online to give the birds "vigilance" and that is more than enough of a board state to close things up.

G2 - This was probably my most unfortunate game of the day. As I know he is a very capable pilot, I believe he drew 3 total spells the entire game, and 13 of his mana sources. While one of the spells was a Hymn and another a Deluge, he just sort of sat there and watched me go ham with my fliers. I had certainly anticipated a more interactive game, but it was over fairly quickly because of him being on the wrong side of variance.

R5 - Derek Red Taxes

G1 - So these games were intense. I did not know what I was on, because when people fetch up Plateau, you generally stare in awe. Which is what I did. He also did it with a Flooded Strand, so I was all sorts of concerned. A few turns in, after a Vial and SFM hit the table, I had a better idea of what I was dealing with. I combo'd through some Ports and the like, but not knowing if I am going to be Magus of the Moon'd I had fetched for basics which turned of his Wastelands.

G2 - I cant recall how I boarded, but I don't think it was correct. I definitely did not bring in Needle, which I should have. I have been playing a ton of Eternal lately, and the "First Strike" rules in that game are different, so I had a pretty savage punt attacking a DRS into a Thalia offering the "trade". I shame scooped immediately.

G3 - Midrange soup in action! We slugged it out for a long while, me fighting through a Sanctum Prelate and some Ports. I was able to stick a Leovold, draw some cards, it died, stick ANOTHER Leovold, draw some cards, and ultimately this won me the game. I got a Food Chain and a full board of birds online toward the end, staring down a Crusader with Batterskull. I dropped a Pithing Needle on the board, naming SoFI, which I SHOULD have named Batterskull (since I was looking at it), but thought he may have drawn the Sword and was going to start killing my stuff. Eventually hitting for 9 in the air, and having 2 DRS online was enough to close out a very long and interesting game. My opponent was incredibly fun to interact with, and we had a good conversation throughout our game, which was easily one of the highlights of my day.

R6 - ID

R1 of Top 8 - Cody 4c Deathblade

G1- Cody and I have a really great rapport. He is easily one of the best and widely respected Legacy players in the area, and is a fantastic person to play Magic with. As we are shuffling up, he comments on my playmat: "Do you write for www.TeamRankstar.com? I have heard they put out some good stuff." Since I am the owner of the site, I nearly pass out from flattery in this moment, but drop a casual "Yea, I own the site!"

With my colored glasses firmly lodged on my face, we jump into the game. I have not played against much Deathblade, since it is all but nonexistent in our local meta. So I have never played against it on Food Chain. While I have experience with the deck, and know what Deathblade is capable of, I did not see some of the tech. I managed to cobble together enough value to combo off some how, and feel pretty good about it.

G2 - I did not see baby Jace coming. Between that flashing back StP a few times, and Bob getting him ahead on cards, I just could not keep up. We slug it out for a while, but I was a bit choked on cards after a Lily and some Thoughtseize action, so we move into G3.

G3 - This is definitely the game I am the most proud of. Not only am I giving a player who I respect a ton a run for their money, I feel like I make some really tight plays that give me the best chances to win. If he does not have the Force for my Deluge destroying his board of Bob, DRSx2 and Baby Jace, I pretty much win on the spot. Because he DID have the Force, I had to slither my way around his pressure, making some reasonable trades. The nail in the coffin turn was when I go to cast a Ballista for 6, which would have wiped out his Bob and something else, buying me enough time to find a Food Chain, and combo off with the pieces I had on board/in my hand. He politely Force of Will'd my game plan into the shadow realm, and swiftly ended the game on his next turn.

Overall, I think the list performed very well. While the Relic in the main was not particularly good today, it has been a house for me in the past, exiling cards in response to opponents DRS activation, getting a Griffyn out of the GY and so on. I would probably take a similar list to another event this weekend, but may find room for a Chalice in the SB. I am also likely going to swap out a Ponder for either a Search for Azcanta or a Sylvan Library.

Huge shout out to each of my opponents for being incredibly gracious and having great conversations after our games.

Thanks for reading!

[deimus]

Im testing this version with minor changes in last tournaments.

2 Baleful Strix
4 Deathrite Shaman
1 Eternal Scourge
1 Gurmag Angler
2 Leovold, Emissary of Trest
3 Misthollow Griffin
2 Snapcaster Mage
2 Trinket Mage
2 Walking Ballista
4 Food Chain
1 Sylvan Library
3 Abrupt Decay
4 Brainstorm
1 Fatal Push
4 Force of Will
1 Bayou
1 Forest
2 Island
2 Misty Rainforest
4 Polluted Delta
1 Swamp
2 Tropical Island
2 Underground Sea
4 Verdant Catacombs
3 Manipulate Fate
2 Ponder

Sideboard: 15
1 Altar of the Brood
1 Engineered Explosives
1 Pithing Needle
1 Relic of Progenitus
1 Massacre Wurm
1 Diabolic Edict
2 Flusterstorm
2 Golgari Charm
1 Surgical Extraction
3 Thoughtseize
1 Toxic Deluge

I replace 2 strix for 2 snapcasters getting more flexibility and sometimes getting the cost 2 in same colour for continue the combo.

Im sb i think that the altar of brood is necesary when u have some lands in metagame, with the altar you can combo with sphere of the resistance.

Ill play it this weekend and ill try report the results.

Regards

[Holmen]

Have anyone tried Spellseeker? Im gonna try the oneoff, seems like a good fit. Gets manipulate fate, push, Brainstorm and sideboard cards like surgical. And is good on a chain to griffins!

[Kaono]

Have anyone tried Spellseeker? Im gonna try the oneoff, seems like a good fit. Gets manipulate fate, push, Brainstorm and sideboard cards like surgical. And is good on a chain to griffins!

Someone just t8 dual for duels with 2x spellseeker in food chain -- seems like it might have legs

[grokh]

Someone just t8 dual for duels with 2x spellseeker in food chain -- seems like it might have legs

Could you show us the list with the 2 Spellseeker please ?

[Kaono]

https://scontent-sea1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/35434234_10156382708665797_523702568040267776_n.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=ad814bd1536db8dcfe042f723e5a755f&oe=5BB70266

[cosmosis]

6/10/2018 SCGCON Legacy Classic Top 4 Tournament Report:

Decklist: http://www.starcitygames.com/decks/121672

Round 1 - Czech Pile

I lost the die roll (never lucky), open with gemstone caverns (always lucky), and proceed to exile a tropical island (not good at magic) which leaves me with forest and gemstone caverns as my 2 lands to start. Brainstorm doesn't find me a source to cast baleful strix. I decay his DRS and then get my hand ripped by hymn then snapcaster hymn because I exiled the tropical island and couldn't cast all the strixes I drew.

SB In: Needle (for JTMS), Toxic, Liliana, Surgical; sometimes add fluster/brutality/2nd needle
SB Out: Tidespout, Emrakul, 2 Fow; sometimes take out all Fow and both shardless if adding fluster

Game 2 is a grind that I think I'm going to lose. He has a board of liliana last hope, 5/6 goyf, leovold, DRS, and strix to my food chain + scourge + 1 griffin. I cannot pressure liliana at all which is ticking up to my doom (on scourge), and I cannot brainstorm. I fall from 17 to 12 because of goyf. And then I topdeck Toxic Deluge. I exile my griffin, cast Toxic to wipe his board and go to 6, then replay my exiled dudes. Game won.

Game 3 starts with a mull to 6. Scry spellseeker to the top, which later finds me manipulate fate to undo the mull. It is another grindy game where we go to turns, where traverse gets hostage taker to take DRS for a 2 deathrite swing. I present lethal with DRS and griffin to his JTMS and hand of 3 cards. I ask for concession, he refuses, says he has removal plus jace but puts his hand into library, so who knows? It is round 1 and he has every right to take the draw; plus the draw bracket favors me anyway.

0-0-1

Round 2 - Belcher

So I get paired up, so much for draw bracket, right? It's Belcher! His game 1 hand is t1 tons of goblins despite my Force of Will to stop mana chain. I lose.

SB In: 13 Cards (everything but cage and liliana)
SB Out: 3 Decay, Cut, 4 Chain, Emrakul, Tidespout, 2 Shardless, Forest on Draw/Gemstone on Play

Game 2 I mull to 5 and have Fluster, Fow, Blue Card, Needle, Swamp. Scry a Delta to the top. I Start with needle on belcher and pass, praying for a not goblins kill through force. He doesn't go off. I get fluster up now and eventually find a win con to kill.

Game 3 he goes for a t1 kill. I force his mana to strand him with 2 cards in hand. I follow up with a premature thoughtseize out of curiosity, seeing burning wish and belcher, so I take wish. I eventually draw needle, plague, and toxic to cover all bases, with another fluster/force too! Can't complain about the luck.

1-0-1

Round 3 - Czech Pile

Another match up. Well I might not get to grind versus Czech Pile all day but I'll gladly take the improved tiebreakers. Turns out it was Czech Pile anyway.

I don't remember much from this match, other than me winning games 1 and 3 due to being able to do the food chain grind thing. Game 2 I almost beat a JTMS on an empty board, but alas it was not meant to be. (SB similar to prior).

2-0-1

Round 4 - Czech Pile

Now in the draw bracket, it is another Czech Pile. He is a gracious opponent and we have some grindy but fun and swingy games. I win game 1 on the power of manipulate fate plus deathrite shaman.

Game 2 I felt so far ahead due to my board state of good cards, being able to again traverse for hostage taker to go for a 2 deathrite swing. But he is able to czech pile grind me out of DRS and present his own DRS for lethal. I dealt with 1 goyf but the 2nd one was too big.

Game 3 started with only 10 minutes left, so I boarded a tidespout back in for a combo chance. We play fast, I go on the beats and present both DRS and griffin in turns to be 1 turn of short of lethal (2 if he forces one). He has force + snapcaster (no removal or draw spells in GY) when I cast those cards and he chose to not force after some decisions. I cannot kill him but ask for concession due to lethal board. He agrees, as a 2nd draw for both of us makes the road much tougher.

3-0-1

Round 5 - Grixis Delver

Another draw bracket opponent with underground seas... this time Grixis Delver. I am firmly in control all 3 games, as I am able to kill off threats and resolve manipulate fate, playing around daze and all the delver-y things. Game 2 he steals back because of a topdecked bolt when I had lethal on following turn. Game 3 he has little pressure and concedes to my 4th land drop after resolving manipulate fate. Traverse for tombstalker was excellent in this matchup.

SB In: 2 Surgical, 2 Brutality, Toxic, Plague, Liliana
SB Out: Emrakul, Tidespout, Spellseeker, Hostage, Chain, 2 Shardless

4-0-1

Round 6 - Grixis Delver

We do the math. Because of all the draws that happened, we now have a double win and in. We both know what we are on based on having sat next to each other. Despite losing the die roll, I end up winning both games on the draw. Same thing as prior matchup in playing carefully to not get delver'd. Win with close margins, though only one game would've been stolen with a top deck bolt.

5-0-1

Round 7 - (Monored Prison, didn't know until top 8)

Draw to lock top8 at likely 2nd-5th seed! (It was 3rd seed)

5-0-2

Quarterfinals - Grixis Delver

High seed means I'm on the play, yay! I deal with all the threats, don't let the deck do delver-y things. Start casting phantom monsters each turn to race TNN, which it does win.

Game 2 on the draw, I am lucky! Open Gemstone Caverns and pitch a land with plenty more in hand. I answer turn 1 delver with my turn 1 decay. Turn 2 delver meets the same fate. I am able to brutality a young pyro, but not after brainstorm makes a token. I get a strix down but won't trade it off for the token. That token gets in for 4 turns as we rebuild our hands, putting me to 14. I answer TNN with traverse for tombstalker. Race won. DRS and ground threat ends it even faster.

6-0-2

Semifinals - Grixis Delver (Eventual Champion)

I am on the play in both games, but lightning bolt decides the race both times. Fun matches. It's only a matter of time until delver deck finally does delver-y things to me.

However, game 2 does present a opportunity that I shied away from that may have caused me the game. I am facing a delver and DRS with slight pressure due to my blockers. I have a toxic deluge that my opponent knows about from a prior probe. By the time I got the mana to cast it, my opponent had already brainstorm'd and ponder'd multiple times. My hand is force of will and toxic deluge. Only 4 lands in play. I figured Daze was boarded out, but I had to play around FoW and spell pierce. I decide to wait until another blue card as the pressure was not high. He rips a therapy to take my Deluge and I die to his eventual removal on my blockers. Casting Deluge would've resolved, but my board was poor enough that had it been countered I lose. I'm not sure what the right play was here, perhaps I was baited by my own FoW (drew 3 straight non-blue, non-land cards as land allows me to cover spell pierce).

6-1-2

Parting Words/Thoughts on the New Spice:
1) Traverse is insane and easy to get delirium in this deck. I want to try a 2nd but the person who gave me the tech said he tried 2 and it was clunky. I used it to both get basics to hit my land drops and to get tombstalker/hostage taker. Didn't use it much to get Griffin/Emrakul/Tidespout though. Spellseeker was boarded out 50% of the time (not sure if that was correct). I did get Leovold once versus Czech to cause a concession if I recall correctly.
2) Spellseeker felt good and powerful. I was unsure if boarding it out versus grixis delver was correct, as there became times where I did have the mana to use it. Passed the approval of this tech to the guy who gave me Traverse tech (he promptly top 4'd with 2x spellseeker in a duals event). We discussed that this card may possibly take over shardless for the value spot, allowing for ballista's return!
3) Gemstone Caverns is cute, can be very good when it is good. Not sure if a Hierarch on Ponder is better instead, as I really just want 19.5 lands. But someone (or actually all of my car) said just do it when I asked if I should, so I did! I've been known to run Karakas as land #20, so this isn't much different.
4) Back to the laboratory to see what else I brew up next. Unfortunately, I am also moving and leaving the rich East Coast Legacy scene, so I don't know when I will get to play a major tournament next. Maybe I'll be able to get time off to attend GP Richmond later in the year?
5) Not quite varied opponents, so more testing is required.

[JackaBo]

Great report! Keep brewing and winning with spicy list, Cosmo

[bomberman32]

Has anyone ever tried Bant Food Chain? Gives access to Hierarch, maybe Thalia with shardless main deck, and STPS. Plus added color of white for board options and disruption. With Grixis delver big right now, a path in the board seems like it would be good. I have played BUG Food Chain for a while, with and without Walking Ballista. Just wanted to switch things up and see if the deck can still function. Also makes me feel like we would b able to grind a bit better with a 4/4 griffin off of Hierarch instead of a 3/3. Any ideas or suggestions would b appreciated.

[Kaono]

I did for a while, but found DRS and Strix were too good to replace. Here's the last list I tested, I was trying out a mini-Legendary package:

3 Misthollow Griffin
3 Walking Ballista
1 Eternal Scourge
1 Trinket Mage
1 Vendilion Clique
3 Snapcaster Mage
4 Noble Hierarch
1 Venser, Shaper Savant

4 Food Chain
1 Relic of Progenitus

4 Brainstorm
4 Force of Will
4 Swords to Plowshares
3 Manipulate Fate
4 Ponder

1 Forest
2 Tropical Island
2 Island
4 Misty Rainforest
2 Tundra
1 Plains
3 Flooded Strand
3 Windswept Heath
1 Karakas

Sideboard:
1 Pithing Needle
1 Engineered Explosives
1 Containment Priest
2 Meddling Mage
1 Vendilion Clique
2 Rest in Peace
3 Flusterstorm
2 Disenchant
1 Gideon, Ally of Zendikar
1 Council's Judgment


I don't think switching colors is the right way to beat Grixis Delver. As discussed in the past, I think the BUG version of FC is very favored vs them already.

[bomberman32]

That's exactly the line I was thinking of with Bant. But playing BUG beforehand I get where you are coming from with Baleful and DRS. I don't know if spalishing white would help with Czech, but for Miracles and Grixis we are already pretty good. I'm still tinkering with ideas just for fun at FNM, but as soon as I have a list and results I will post them.

[Nightrider]

My list if DRS will be banned:

4 Misthollow Griffin
3 Walking Ballista
1 Eternal Scourge
1 Trinket Mage
1 Vendilion Clique
2 Stoneforge Mystic
4 Noble Hierarch

4 Food Chain
1 Sword of Fire and Ice
1 Umezawa's Jitte

4 Brainstorm
4 Force of Will
4 Swords to Plowshares
3 Manipulate Fate
2 Ponder
2 Rest in Peace

1 Forest
2 Tropical Island
2 Island
4 Misty Rainforest
2 Tundra
1 Plains
3 Flooded Strand
3 Windswept Heath
1 Savanah

Sideboard:
1 Pithing Needle
2 Engineered Explosives
2 Containment Priest
2 Blue Elemental Blast
2 Surgical Extraction
3 Flusterstorm
1 Disenchant
1 Gideon, Ally of Zendikar
1 Council's Judgment

[bomberman32]

Oh that's sweet! I love having stoneforge in there. As we talked about before, non DRS build would have more trouble against Grixis. With SOFI I think it would help us out a lot. I dig the list. Now with the addition of a mini stoneforge package we start doing a bit of both things. You can treat it as just another threat or a post board option when you board out Food Chain.

[JackaBo]

Eventhough RIP is Sweet with griffins i would hesitate to run not only 4 do nothing enchantments but 6.
If DRS got banned my guess is that all kinds of combo plus Canadian Threshold-eque delver will become stronger leaving food chain in a worse position, due to less midrange and lands to pray upon.

[grokh]

Deathrite shaman and Gitaxian probe are now banned.

For me i'll stay BUG, with the same list, testing 4 Birds of Paradise instead of 4 DRS

[Kaono]

4 birds is too much. DRS was important because the stuff it did next to ramp. It was good all stages of game. BoP is a bad topdeck. I think we can play 3 max.

I'll be trying:

-4 drs
-1 angler

+2 bop
+1 relic
+2 Tombstalker

Relic was great before, now it's gonna be better than ever and we're one of the few decks that can get crazy value out of it. Maybe we even want 3. Also might again be time to think about Thoughtseize in the maindeck.

[grokh]

4 birds is too much. DRS was important because the stuff it did next to ramp. It was good all stages of game. BoP is a bad topdeck. I think we can play 3 max.

I'll be trying:

-4 drs
-1 angler

+2 bop
+1 relic
+2 Tombstalker

Relic was great before, now it's gonna be better than ever and we're one of the few decks that can get crazy value out of it. Maybe we even want 3. Also might again be time to think about Thoughtseize in the maindeck.

I have already my Relic MD

Tombstalker can be hard to cast with BB nope ?

[Kaono]

I have already my Relic MD

Tombstalker can be hard to cast with BB nope ?

I'm going from 1 relic to 2 MD. I'd love to play more but don't want to overkill. GY decks are gonna come out the woodworks. Threshold is back.

BB is harder, yes, but I was playing Angler to beat other Anglers. Now that there'll be less, I want a better threat. Current lists already play stalker just fine.

Other question to you Food Chainers is do we switch up our manabase? I'm not sure if 10 fetches are necessary anymore (dont need the drs food, and they're now stifle targets), and I kind of want to go back up to 20 lands. Maybe like:

3 Delta
3 Misty
3 Verdant
2 Island
1 Swamp
1 Forest
2 Bayou
2 Trop
2 U Sea
1 Volrath's Stronghold (or 7th dual/5th basic?)

[grokh]

I'm going from 1 relic to 2 MD. I'd love to play more but don't want to overkill. GY decks are gonna come out the woodworks. Threshold is back.

BB is harder, yes, but I was playing Angler to beat other Anglers. Now that there'll be less, I want a better threat. Current lists already play stalker just fine.

Other question to you Food Chainers is do we switch up our manabase? I'm not sure if 10 fetches are necessary anymore (dont need the drs food, and they're now stifle targets), and I kind of want to go back up to 20 lands. Maybe like:

3 Delta
3 Misty
3 Verdant
2 Island
1 Swamp
1 Forest
2 Bayou
2 Trop
2 U Sea
1 Volrath's Stronghold (or 7th dual/5th basic?)

What about this list :
http://www.lotusnoir.info/magic/decks/bug-food-chain/

[Kaono]

What about this list :
http://www.lotusnoir.info/magic/decks/bug-food-chain/

There's only relic and 2 sb Surgicals to deal with all GY stuff in the format. That's not enough IMO.

I think you're a bit glutted on 3-drops.

I forgot to mention Scavenging Ooze before, I think we should def be playing 1 main (and maybe 1 more sb).

[grokh]

There's only relic and 2 sb Surgicals to deal with all GY stuff in the format. That's not enough IMO.

I think you're a bit glutted on 3-drops.

I forgot to mention Scavenging Ooze before, I think we should def be playing 1 main (and maybe 1 more sb).

-1 Spellseeker + 1 Ooze

updated

[Accendor96]

After the DRS ban yesterday I started to play around with 4 Veteran Explorer and 4 Cabal Therapy, so basically the NicFit pieces.
It worked really well online in the ~20 games in played against non DS non Probe decks. It even allows T3 Combo and the discard really helps against combo.
Still working on a more tuned list, currently I am not playing much GY-Hate in the MD (1 Relic with 1 Trinket Mage) but of course it is hard to tune a list without actually knowing the meta.

I am certainly not saying this is the way to go, but it is interesting to play and feels very consistent. So if someone is interested in also trying it, be my guest.

[Nightrider]

I followed this link ad i made a little change for my personal tastes:


3 Misthollow Griffin
3 Walking Ballista
1 Eternal Scourge
1 Trinket Mage
4 Baleful Strix
4 Birds of Paradise
1 Scavenging Ooze
2 Leovold, Emissary of Trest

4 Food Chain
1 Relic of Progenitus

4 Brainstorm
4 Force of Will
2 Abrupt Decay
3 Manipulate Fate
3 Ponder
1 Murderous Cut or 1 Gurmag Angler

1 Forest
1 Swamp
2 Island
3 Tropical Island
1 Bayou
1 Underground Sea
2 Misty Rainforest
4 Polluted Delta
4 Verdant Catacombs


Sideboard:
1 Pithing Needle
1 Engineered Explosives
1 Vendilion Clique
1 Flusterstorm
1 Invasive Surgery
1 Golgari Charm
1 Dread of Night
1 To the Slaughter
1 Toxic Deluge
2 Surgical Extraction
2 Diabolic Edict
2 Thougtseize


I like this configuration of mana because i want, more than before, start with green mana. I need also a lot of green source of mana for my Scooze. 8 fetches to pic up our Swamp against decks with Wasteland or Blood Moon.
I think BUG version is still playable.

Bye

[meffeo]

I followed this link ad i made a little change for my personal tastes:


3 Misthollow Griffin
3 Walking Ballista
1 Eternal Scourge
1 Trinket Mage
4 Baleful Strix
4 Birds of Paradise
1 Scavenging Ooze
2 Leovold, Emissary of Trest

4 Food Chain
1 Relic of Progenitus

4 Brainstorm
4 Force of Will
2 Abrupt Decay
3 Manipulate Fate
3 Ponder
1 Murderous Cut or 1 Gurmag Angler

1 Forest
1 Swamp
2 Island
3 Tropical Island
1 Bayou
1 Underground Sea
2 Misty Rainforest
4 Polluted Delta
4 Verdant Catacombs


Sideboard:
1 Pithing Needle
1 Engineered Explosives
1 Vendilion Clique
1 Flusterstorm
1 Invasive Surgery
1 Golgari Charm
1 Dread of Night
1 To the Slaughter
1 Toxic Deluge
2 Surgical Extraction
2 Diabolic Edict
2 Thougtseize


I like this configuration of mana because i want, more than before, start with green mana. I need also a lot of green source of mana for my Scooze. 8 fetches to pic up our Swamp against decks with Wasteland or Blood Moon.
I think BUG version is still playable.

Bye
You basically replaced DRS with BoP, which are probably the worst topdeck of the whole deck (compared to the good ol' Elf). Don't know if it's the right track to go, and as a friend of mine suggested, Veteran Explorer + Cabal Therapy might be the correct way to follow and to ramp (and to tear opponent's hand apart).
On the other hand, with the increase of reanimator strategies, Scooze and Relic look fine to me.

[grokh]

You basically replaced DRS with BoP, which are probably the worst topdeck of the whole deck (compared to the good ol' Elf). Don't know if it's the right track to go, and as a friend of mine suggested, Veteran Explorer + Cabal Therapy might be the correct way to follow and to ramp (and to tear opponent's hand apart).
On the other hand, with the increase of reanimator strategies, Scooze and Relic look fine to me.

Will we have to play Wall of blossoms over Strix for chumpblocking the Nimble mongoose in this new meta ?

[Captain Hammer]

I am tempted to replace black with a blue/green two color build now that Deathrite Shaman got banned.

Blood Moon and Wasteland will be top dogs in this new meta and without Deathrite to smooth out mana, the deck needs the consistency and strong mana base that two colors provides.

Noble Hierarch slots in for Deathrite Shaman
Wall of Blossom slots in for Baleful Strix and can block Mongeese all day long
Natural Order slots in for Leovold as an alternative win condition/finisher

[Kaono]

Baleful Strix alone is reason to stay BUG. BUG decks existed before DRS y'all...

We have plenty of basics to handle Blood Moon and Wasteland, same as always.

Wall of Blossoms is just bad. It's bad vs Delver, bad vs Eldrazi, bad vs Angler, etc etc etc.

It's better to do powerful and proactive things with a weaker manabase than it is to do mediocre things with a good manabase.

[TrueAndy91]

Hello there, Im trying the deck tomorrow for the first time at my local GS. pretty exited ^^
I'm going to try 2 maindeck Relics plus Ooze. And SB 3-4 Leylines cause Im expecting 4 RUG Delver Decks at least ^^. And 3 Birds 2 Pushes 2 Decays.

Going to report. :wink:

[Kaono]

Hello there, Im trying the deck tomorrow for the first time at my local GS. pretty exited ^^
I'm going to try 2 maindeck Relics plus Ooze. And SB 3-4 Leylines cause Im expecting 4 RUG Delver Decks at least ^^. And 3 Birds 2 Pushes 2 Decays.

Going to report. :wink:

Sans an all-reanimator meta I'm not a fan of leyline of the void in our sb and further think it's just mediocre vs RUG unless you're certain they're on the mandrills build. Even then it's an iffy topdeck vs a deck that we really don't want more dead draws vs.

Since it's been a while since RUG has been around, remember that just like vs Grixis Delver we're the control deck so we should only act when necessary. As long as we're hitting our land drops, if we're not under pressure, there's no reason to walk into stifle/daze/snare/pierce. A 1/1 mongoose doesn't count as pressure, so let it hit you for a while until you can take control rather than playing into their spells that'll give them threshold.

[IHaveAnAnswer]

Hi everyone,

I bring here the list i will play after the bans :

4 Misthollow Griffin
1 Walking Ballista
4 Baleful Strix
1 Scavenging Ooze
1 Leovold, Emissary of Trest
1 Vendilion Clique
4 Food Chain
4 Traverse The Ulvenwald
4 Mishra's Bauble
4 Brainstorm
4 Force of Will
2 Abrupt Decay
3 Manipulate Fate
4 Ponder
1 Forest
1 Swamp
2 Island
3 Tropical Island
1 Bayou
1 Underground Sea
2 Misty Rainforest
4 Polluted Delta
4 Verdant Catacombs

We need to be more open-minded to find a correct answer. Bird isn't DRS, it wont fit.
I'm trying to build the deck like a sultai death's shadow in modern, with a combo for the kill

[Kaono]

Food Griffin predates Deathrite Shaman (though not by long). Pre-DRS the deck played 4 BoP but also looked very different.

Yes BoP is significantly worse than DRS. But we're also not the only deck that lost DRS, so our deck being weaker is to be expected since that also happened to the other decks in our archetype. Therefore we need to be most worried about decks that didn't play DRS that got better (Reanimator etc).

Swapping 4 DRS for 4 BoP is definitely incorrect, but playing 0 BoP I'm not sure is correct either. Even when we had 4 DRS we also played 1 BoP for quite a long time.

This will be my first test list at my next weekly:

2 Relic of Progenitus

3 Misthollow Griffin
3 Walking Ballista
1 Eternal Scourge
4 Baleful Strix
1 Trinket Mage
1 Vendilion Clique
1 Leovold, Emissary of Trest
1 Scavenging Ooze
1 Tombstalker
2 Birds of Paradise

4 Food Chain

3 Manipulate Fate
3 Ponder
3 Abrupt Decay
4 Brainstorm
4 Force of Will

2 Island
1 Forest
1 Swamp
2 Bayou
2 Tropical Island
2 Underground Sea
3 Polluted Delta
3 Misty Rainforest
3 Verdant Catacombs

Sideboard:
1 Pithing Needle
1 Engineered Explosives
1 Grafdigger's Cage
1 Engineered Plague
2 Surgical Extraction
2 Diabolic Edict
3 Flusterstorm
1 Liliana, the Last Hope
3 Thoughtseize

[Captain Hammer]

Even if the deck sticks to BUG colors, I vastly prefer Noble Hierarchs to Birds.

Swinging with 4/4 flyers make for a significantly faster clock than 3/3 flyers.

[grokh]

Food Griffin predates Deathrite Shaman (though not by long). Pre-DRS the deck played 4 BoP but also looked very different.

Yes BoP is significantly worse than DRS. But we're also not the only deck that lost DRS, so our deck being weaker is to be expected since that also happened to the other decks in our archetype. Therefore we need to be most worried about decks that didn't play DRS that got better (Reanimator etc).

Swapping 4 DRS for 4 BoP is definitely incorrect, but playing 0 BoP I'm not sure is correct either. Even when we had 4 DRS we also played 1 BoP for quite a long time.

This will be my first test list at my next weekly:

2 Relic of Progenitus

3 Misthollow Griffin
3 Walking Ballista
1 Eternal Scourge
4 Baleful Strix
1 Trinket Mage
1 Vendilion Clique
1 Leovold, Emissary of Trest
1 Scavenging Ooze
1 Tombstalker
2 Birds of Paradise

4 Food Chain

3 Manipulate Fate
3 Ponder
3 Abrupt Decay
4 Brainstorm
4 Force of Will

2 Island
1 Forest
1 Swamp
2 Bayou
2 Tropical Island
2 Underground Sea
3 Polluted Delta
3 Misty Rainforest
3 Verdant Catacombs

Sideboard:
1 Pithing Needle
1 Engineered Explosives
1 Grafdigger's Cage
1 Engineered Plague
2 Surgical Extraction
2 Diabolic Edict
3 Flusterstorm
1 Liliana, the Last Hope
3 Thoughtseize

Why not play 1 sentinel totem 1 relic instead of 2 relic MD ?
The totem can exile graveyards even if reanimator tries to combo off on t1

[Whitefaces]

Why not play 1 sentinel totem 1 relic instead of 2 relic MD ?
The totem can exile graveyards even if reanimator tries to combo off on t1

Because it doesn't draw a card, it's a big deal. Relic isn't specifically md gy hate for reanimator, but a grinding tool for Griffins that hit the gy, something DRS did before.

[grokh]

Even if the deck sticks to BUG colors, I vastly prefer Noble Hierarchs to Birds.

Swinging with 4/4 flyers make for a significantly faster clock than 3/3 flyers.

You'll swing with just ONE 4/4 Flyer, it' faster to swing with 3 3/3 Flyers

[leyawn]

https://www.mtggoldfish.com/deck/1192969#paper

Here's the brew I'm testing for Bant Food Chain. Enlightened Tutor fetches combo pieces and sideboard answers. I'm really liking Rest in Peace in the main, and Energy Field is just spice, unsure on how good it is. Debating between Disenchants and Grip in the side to answer a resolved Chalice.

[Captain Hammer]

Seeing Rest In Peace maindeck makes me want to replace Food Chain with Helm of Obedience and Leylines.

Oh god how I wish there was a mage (ala Trinket Mage or Treasure Mage) that could tutor up 4cc artifacts.

Such a Mage would instantly make such a deck a top dog in this format.

[leyawn]

Seeing Rest In Peace maindeck makes me want to replace Food Chain with Helm of Obedience and Leylines.

Oh god how I wish there was a mage (ala Trinket Mage or Treasure Mage) that could tutor up 4cc artifacts.

Such a Mage would instantly make such a deck a top dog in this format.

Yeah it's tempting to drop a Helm in the main actually, since it's fetchable with E Tutor too. I'm also toying with a Living Wish sideboard, removing Ballistas from the main and having Emrakul in the SB as wincon, along with 1 of answers (Rec Sage instead of Grip, Karakas, Tabernacle, etc.)

[leyawn]

https://www.mtggoldfish.com/deck/1192969#paper

Here's the brew I'm testing for Bant Food Chain. Enlightened Tutor fetches combo pieces and sideboard answers. I'm really liking Rest in Peace in the main, and Energy Field is just spice, unsure on how good it is. Debating between Disenchants and Grip in the side to answer a resolved Chalice.

The list I ended up running:


2 Walking Ballista
1 Eternal Scourge
4 Misthollow Griffin
4 Noble Hierarch
2 Snapcaster Mage

4 Brainstorm
4 Force of Will
3 Manipulate Fate
3 Ponder
3 Enlightened Tutor
2 Swords to Plowshares

2 Energy Field
2 Rest in Peace
4 Food Chain

3 Flooded Strand
1 Forest
2 Gemstone Caverns
1 Island
4 Misty Rainforest
1 Plains
1 Savannah
2 Tropical Island
2 Tundra
3 Windswept Heath

SB:

1 Pithing Needle
2 Swords to Plowshares
2 Flusterstorm
1 Engineered Explosives
1 Carpet of Flowers
1 Helm of Obedience
2 Containment Priest
2 Surgical Extraction
2 Krosan Grip
1 Grafdigger's Cage


vs Mono-Red Prison (W, 2-1)
vs Death & Taxes (L, 1-2)
vs Esper Stoneblade (W, 2-1)
vs Maverick (W, 2-1)

Made a lot of little mistakes (could have won vs D&T), still learning the lines of the deck, but it felt pretty strong. Snapcaster Mage was useless, I'm going to try replacing those with another Rest in Peace and another Energy Field, or maybe a third Walking Ballista. MVP was definitely Enlightened Tutor, the flexibility it gave was incredibly strong, especially after sideboarding. Energy Field actually overperformed, locking out D&T and Stoneblade, giving me enough time to beat down with Griffins or find the combo. I also want to go up one more basic Island, maybe taking out a fetch.

I also ended up siding out Gemstone Caverns if I was on the play in g2/g3, and I never felt constricted for mana.

Helm seems like win more. Options to replace include Surgical, Grip, Stony Silence, Pithing Needle, Carpet of Flowers. Also jammed a few games against RUG Delver, and the matchup doesn't seem bad. Resolving either Rest in Peace or Energy Field buys you a lot of time. In fact, game one they usually don't have an answer to a resolved Energy Field. Just remember to fetch for basics.

Need to practice against combo and see how the deck holds up. Overall, I'm liking how it plays!

[deimus]

Hi

I was playing snapcasters in BUG version and im happy with the results u can combo in t2 with perfect hand instead strix.
I think that was a mistake playing RIP with snapcasters, its useless.

I saw the solution in main ooze + relic and I think that works fine. Im not sure about library and tombs but ill try it more time.

I have a big tournament in my city in two weeks, ill put the results.

3 [AVR:68] Misthollow Griffin
1 [SOM:48] Trinket Mage
2 [3ED:290] Underground Sea
2 [ZEN:220] Misty Rainforest
4 [MMQ:61] Brainstorm
2 [ISD:78] Snapcaster Mage
4 [ZEN:229] Verdant Catacombs
1 [CN2:77] Leovold, Emissary of Trest
2 [3ED:288] Tropical Island
2 [MPRP:29] Ponder
2 [E01:80] Baleful Strix
3 [AER:181] Walking Ballista
3 [INV:60] Manipulate Fate
4 [MMQ:246] Food Chain
1 [AER:57] Fatal Push
1 [MM3:134] Scavenging Ooze
1 [3ED:283] Bayou
4 [KTK:239] Polluted Delta
1 [GUR:1] Forest
3 [RTR:141] Abrupt Decay
2 [GUR:2] Island
4 [ALL:28] Force of Will
1 [GUR:5] Swamp
1 [EMN:7] Eternal Scourge
1 [HOP:124] Relic of Progenitus
1 [MMA:102] Tombstalker
1 [VMA:235] Sylvan Library
3 [LEB:187] Birds of Paradise


SB: 1 [MM2:99] Surgical Extraction
SB: 1 [RTR:231] Pithing Needle
SB: 1 [NPH:74] Surgical Extraction
SB: 1 [MM3:221] Grafdigger's Cage
SB: 2 [IMA:55] Flusterstorm
SB: 1 [MMA:204] Engineered Explosives
SB: 1 [EMA:108] Toxic Deluge
SB: 1 [A25:85] Diabolic Edict
SB: 1 [KTK:216] Altar of the Brood
SB: 1 [RTR:164] Golgari Charm
SB: 1 [MBS:46] Massacre Wurm
SB: 3 [THS:107] Thoughtseize



The list I ended up running:


2 Walking Ballista
1 Eternal Scourge
4 Misthollow Griffin
4 Noble Hierarch
2 Snapcaster Mage

4 Brainstorm
4 Force of Will
3 Manipulate Fate
3 Ponder
3 Enlightened Tutor
2 Swords to Plowshares

2 Energy Field
2 Rest in Peace
4 Food Chain

3 Flooded Strand
1 Forest
2 Gemstone Caverns
1 Island
4 Misty Rainforest
1 Plains
1 Savannah
2 Tropical Island
2 Tundra
3 Windswept Heath

SB:

1 Pithing Needle
2 Swords to Plowshares
2 Flusterstorm
1 Engineered Explosives
1 Carpet of Flowers
1 Helm of Obedience
2 Containment Priest
2 Surgical Extraction
2 Krosan Grip
1 Grafdigger's Cage


vs Mono-Red Prison (W, 2-1)
vs Death & Taxes (L, 1-2)
vs Esper Stoneblade (W, 2-1)
vs Maverick (W, 2-1)

Made a lot of little mistakes (could have won vs D&T), still learning the lines of the deck, but it felt pretty strong. Snapcaster Mage was useless, I'm going to try replacing those with another Rest in Peace and another Energy Field, or maybe a third Walking Ballista. MVP was definitely Enlightened Tutor, the flexibility it gave was incredibly strong, especially after sideboarding. Energy Field actually overperformed, locking out D&T and Stoneblade, giving me enough time to beat down with Griffins or find the combo. I also want to go up one more basic Island, maybe taking out a fetch.

I also ended up siding out Gemstone Caverns if I was on the play in g2/g3, and I never felt constricted for mana.

Helm seems like win more. Options to replace include Surgical, Grip, Stony Silence, Pithing Needle, Carpet of Flowers. Also jammed a few games against RUG Delver, and the matchup doesn't seem bad. Resolving either Rest in Peace or Energy Field buys you a lot of time. In fact, game one they usually don't have an answer to a resolved Energy Field. Just remember to fetch for basics.

Need to practice against combo and see how the deck holds up. Overall, I'm liking how it plays!

[deimus]

Hi again.

First of all, I want to apologize for my English is a little rusty.

I got tournament with 199 players in my city and i tried this version. I tested sometimes in internet and i was happy with the results.


// 60 Maindeck
// 1 Artifact
1 Relic of Progenitus

// 18 Creature
3 Misthollow Griffin
1 Trinket Mage
2 Snapcaster Mage
1 Leovold, Emissary of Trest
2 Baleful Strix
3 Walking Ballista
1 Scavenging Ooze
1 Eternal Scourge
1 Tombstalker
3 Birds of Paradise

// 5 Enchantment
4 Food Chain
1 Sylvan Library

// 12 Instant
4 Brainstorm
1 Fatal Push
3 Abrupt Decay
4 Force of Will

// 19 Land
2 Underground Sea
2 Misty Rainforest
4 Verdant Catacombs
2 Tropical Island
1 Bayou
4 Polluted Delta
1 Forest
2 Island
1 Swamp

// 5 Sorcery
2 Ponder
3 Manipulate Fate


// 15 Sideboard
// 4 Artifact
SB: 1 Pithing Needle
SB: 1 Grafdigger's Cage
SB: 1 Engineered Explosives
SB: 1 Altar of the Brood

// 1 Creature
SB: 1 Massacre Wurm

// 6 Instant
SB: 1 Surgical Extraction
SB: 1 Surgical Extraction
SB: 2 Flusterstorm
SB: 1 Diabolic Edict
SB: 1 Golgari Charm

// 4 Sorcery
SB: 1 Toxic Deluge
SB: 3 Thoughtseize

R1 D&T.
G1: He starts with vial, thalia and wasteland im out
in 1 Engineered Explosives, 1 Golgari Charm, 1 Toxic Deluge, 1 Massacre Wurm
G2: I saw 2 lands in 4 turns and his Thalia and ports kick me out.
0-1

R2 Goblins.
G1: I got a slow hand and he started with a lot of pressure.
in 1 Engineered Explosives, 1 Golgari Charm, 1 Toxic Deluge, 1 Massacre Wurm
G2: I got push and decays for control the start of the game, he started t1 lackey, t2 lackey wasteland. I can control the table a few and get the combo but he killed me the creature and i cant finish
0-2

Im out but i want play the deck a few more
R3 Eldrazi
G1: He mull to 5, I got the combo fast and win.
G2: He got a big mistake with Sorcerous Spyglass, He played and name food chain

1-2

I drop

I think that Tombstalker is bad in this metagame BB its really hard to get i put back the gurmag, Ill try to test the deck a few more in internet but i think that the deck still life.

[JackaBo]

I can recommend 4 ponder and lowering the curve as much as possible.

[Holmen]

I've been trying a different take after the ban. My first two tries were a shardless build with more removals and 21 land which was functional but not great. After that I tried the ballistaversion again but really disliked the lack of creatures to accelerate with. A new take is going with a deeper artifact sub-theme, to optimize the synergy between Misthollow Griffin and Chrome Mox, and in the process getting to play Glint-Nest Crane as a great way to ramp out a fast win with the Chain. Being a 2-drop is awesome when going turn one Chrome mox (Pitching Griffin) + Baleful Strix, turn two Food Chain > Glint-Nest > Finding Ballista > Win.

First draft:

Artifact dudes
4 Baleful Strix
4 Walking Ballista
1 Phyrexian Metamorph

Dudes that synergize with artifacts
4 Glint-Nest Crane
2 Trinket Mage

Additional Artifacts
1 Relic of Progenitus
4 Mishra's Bauble
1 Engineered Explosives

Core cards
4 Food Chain
4 Force of Will
4 Brainstorm
2 Manipulate Fate
4 Misthollow Griffin

Artifact mana
4 Chrome Mox
1 Seat of the Synod
1 Vault of Whispers
1 Tree of Tales

Regular mana
2 Underground Sea
2 Tropical Island
1 Bayou
1 Island
1 Gemstone Caverns
4 Polluted Delta
2 Misty Rainforest
1 Verdant Catacombs

Sideboard (some slots for Trinket Mage):
2 Phyrexian Revoker
1 Pithing Needle
1 Reclamation Sage
2 Abrupt Decay
1 Tormod's Crypt
1 Diabolic Edict
1 Aether Spellbomb
2 Thoughtseize
2 Surgical Extraction
2 Carpet of Flowers

[Razorwynd]

THis is a really interesting take on the deck. Not sure how I feel about bauble though...seems like it is in there just to make the crane better

[Holmen]

THis is a really interesting take on the deck. Not sure how I feel about bauble though...seems like it is in there just to make the crane better

Yes, making crane better and smoothing out draws (crack bauble and see if you want to fetch in your turn or opponents).
The main problem with the artifact theme IMO is the lack of good 1-drops, that's why I turned to bauble.

If you have any suggestions that doesn't drop the artifact count under 20–22, that would be welcome. I'm so sad we can't play Shardless in this build. :(

[FFreak]

From an aluren idea that looks a bit like this :P

Why not play Antiquitys War as secound win ?

[Holmen]

From an aluren idea that looks a bit like this :P

Why not play Antiquitys War as secound win ?

Yeah that's sweet tech. Hard to fit one in main, but will try to include one for the freebies. Might be a good sideboardplan, board out Food Chains for AQ Wars.

[Cyanhur]

Hi people,

I played the deck in all side events at brussels GP with BUG version and it was fine.

I saw the article on MTGgolfish about Bant food chain.

What is your opinion? Is it competitive?

Thanks for your answer.

[PirateKing]

I've been trying a different take after the ban. My first two tries were a shardless build with more removals and 21 land which was functional but not great. After that I tried the ballistaversion again but really disliked the lack of creatures to accelerate with. A new take is going with a deeper artifact sub-theme, to optimize the synergy between Misthollow Griffin and Chrome Mox, and in the process getting to play Glint-Nest Crane as a great way to ramp out a fast win with the Chain. Being a 2-drop is awesome when going turn one Chrome mox (Pitching Griffin) + Baleful Strix, turn two Food Chain > Glint-Nest > Finding Ballista > Win.

On paper I'm wary of any list that leans too hard on the combo finish. My experience with the deck informs me the most success I had was when I weaved back and forth between the combo finish and a plain-jane BUG value deck. My opponent's would side something to cut off one angle completely, only to succumb to the other. Phyrexian Revoker or Leyline of Sanctity can't protect you from Griffin beats. Ensnaring Bridge or an army of Angel tokens can't protect you from all the damage in the world coming straight to your face.
But losing DRS was a pretty deep cut into the BUG value half, one not easily replaced. Sure Birds of Paradise ramp and feed Food Chain. People were already playing Relic of Progenitus as DRS #5 just so there was never a case of a Griffin being stuck in the graveyard. But nothing really replaces that out when the game grinds to a halt and you're both out of options and draining for 2 gets you over the line first. Liliana the Last Hope offers some help with inevitability in a vacuum, but not much more than Griffin beats were doing already.
So maybe this is the future then. We're just a combo deck with a plan B. Not sure how I like that.

[Holmen]

On paper I'm wary of any list that leans too hard on the combo finish. My experience with the deck informs me the most success I had was when I weaved back and forth between the combo finish and a plain-jane BUG value deck. My opponent's would side something to cut off one angle completely, only to succumb to the other. Phyrexian Revoker or Leyline of Sanctity can't protect you from Griffin beats. Ensnaring Bridge or an army of Angel tokens can't protect you from all the damage in the world coming straight to your face.
But losing DRS was a pretty deep cut into the BUG value half, one not easily replaced. Sure Birds of Paradise ramp and feed Food Chain. People were already playing Relic of Progenitus as DRS #5 just so there was never a case of a Griffin being stuck in the graveyard. But nothing really replaces that out when the game grinds to a halt and you're both out of options and draining for 2 gets you over the line first. Liliana the Last Hope offers some help with inevitability in a vacuum, but not much more than Griffin beats were doing already.
So maybe this is the future then. We're just a combo deck with a plan B. Not sure how I like that.

I'm not sure that is how the deck will function. Ballista is a great grindy removal tool, and trinket mage works as a toolbox for explosives and other goodies. Since almost everything gives value, I think it has the potential to grind decks out. I will get back about the build after testing!

For a while, I also played a bant version with white Recruiter and Snapcaster which also was fine. All and all, I've tested more than 20 builds of FC, from BANT to 4c, some which have given me wins in +100 player events. Best version I ever played was the Shardless+DRS-build, and I miss it greatly. :)

[Holmen]

OK, this is the build I will try for next legacy on monday.

Main:
4 Baleful Strix
4 Coiling Oracle
2 Fierce Empath
1 Gurmag Angler
1 Emrakul, the Aeons Torn
3 Abrupt Decay
2 Fatal Push
4 Misthollow Griffin
1 Eternal Scourge
1 Leovold, Emissary of Trest

4 Food Chain
4 Force of Will
4 Brainstorm
1 Ponder
2 Manipulate Fate

4 Chrome Mox
2 Underground Sea
2 Tropical Island
1 Bayou
2 Island
1 Forest
1 Swamp
1 Gemstone Caverns
4 Polluted Delta
2 Misty Rainforest
2 Verdant Catacombs

SB:
1 Pithing Needle
1 Relic of Progenitus
1 Planar Void
1 Diabolic Edict
2 Thoughtseize
1 Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite
2 Surgical Extraction
2 Carpet of Flowers
1 Collective Brutality
2 Walking Ballista
1 Xantid Swarm

Without the artifact theme, you can keep the grindy game plan, go down on lands and play chrome mox instead of DRS. This gives a lot more explosive openings with a t1 valuedude. The number of turn 3 wins should improve, as well as a good lategame. Relic is a sweet card for board, since it goes in both in grindy games and fast ones.

I value the non-ballista game plan since it requires fewer slots, and the gurmag is a good beater that gets toolboxed by empath. It also has freebies against snt, weird painterdecks etc. A couple of ballistas in board is sweet against any decks packing X/1s.

[JackaBo]

I guess 4 Griffons and only 2 Fates is because of mox chrome. Its a bit sad to only play 2 of the best card in the deck.

[WarpWorld]

OK, this is the build I will try for next legacy on monday.

Main:
4 Baleful Strix
4 Coiling Oracle
2 Fierce Empath
1 Gurmag Angler
1 Emrakul, the Aeons Torn
3 Abrupt Decay
2 Fatal Push
4 Misthollow Griffin
1 Eternal Scourge
1 Leovold, Emissary of Trest

4 Food Chain
4 Force of Will
4 Brainstorm
1 Ponder
2 Manipulate Fate

4 Chrome Mox
2 Underground Sea
2 Tropical Island
1 Bayou
2 Island
1 Forest
1 Swamp
1 Gemstone Caverns
4 Polluted Delta
2 Misty Rainforest
2 Verdant Catacombs

SB:
1 Pithing Needle
1 Relic of Progenitus
1 Planar Void
1 Diabolic Edict
2 Thoughtseize
1 Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite
2 Surgical Extraction
2 Carpet of Flowers
1 Collective Brutality
2 Walking Ballista
1 Xantid Swarm

Without the artifact theme, you can keep the grindy game plan, go down on lands and play chrome mox instead of DRS. This gives a lot more explosive openings with a t1 valuedude. The number of turn 3 wins should improve, as well as a good lategame. Relic is a sweet card for board, since it goes in both in grindy games and fast ones.

I value the non-ballista game plan since it requires fewer slots, and the gurmag is a good beater that gets toolboxed by empath. It also has freebies against snt, weird painterdecks etc. A couple of ballistas in board is sweet against any decks packing X/1s.

Careful with chome mox. Once you remove the imprinted card ie. casting Griffin the mox will not tap for Mana. I agree with jackbo and would cut a grif. For a Fate or even ponder number 2

[Holmen]

Careful with chome mox. Once you remove the imprinted card ie. casting Griffin the mox will not tap for Mana. I agree with jackbo and would cut a grif. For a Fate or even ponder number 2

I agree in theory, but when trying something new, I rather go with the full swing to get a grasp of the concept in practice, and then cut stuff after game play. My gut tells me to play 3 mox/3 griffins. That chrome mox stops being a mox sapphire when you start to deploy griffins is fine, by then you are in good shape mana-wise. :)

[Holmen]

3-0-1 yesterday locally.

Main:
4 Baleful Strix
4 Coiling Oracle
4 Walking Ballista
1 Trinket Mage
1 Relic of Progenitus
3 Misthollow Griffin
1 Eternal Scourge

2 Ponder
4 Food Chain

4 Force of Will
4 Brainstorm
3 Manipulate Fate

3 Abrupt Decay

3 Chrome Mox
2 Underground Sea
2 Tropical Island
1 Bayou
2 Island
1 Forest
1 Swamp
4 Polluted Delta
2 Misty Rainforest
4 Verdant Catacombs

SB
1 Pithing Needle
2 Planar Void
1 Diabolic Edict
2 Fatal Push
1 Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite
2 Surgical Extraction
2 Carpet of Flowers
4 Kitesail Freebooter

Sneak and Show (2-1)
Game 1 he crushed me fast as expected. 0-1
Game 2 he went for a fast SNT which i Fowed, and then started deploying freebooters to rip his hand apart. 1-1
Game 3 was the same as game 2, I played a turn one freebooter and continued to handle his game plan while deploying mine. 2-1

Infect (2–1)
Game 1 I kept a zerolander like a chump on the draw, but with a ponder, a chrome mox and a griffin. Saw one land on the ponder and zero after that. 0-1
Game 2 I played about 10 removals on his dudes, and then slowly grinded him out with my Griffins. 1-1
Game 3 was the same, a needle on inkmoth and all removal pointed and Agents. This matchup, I take out 1 Chain and 1 Fate, as well as some slower cards like ponder, and overload them with removal. 2-1

Grixis kontroll (2-1)
Game 1 I got crushed by the combination of a tombstalker and a lot of countermagic. 0-1
Game 2 I played a turn one manipulate fate, turn 2 food chain, and a turn three infinite ballista.Yummy! 1-1
Game 3 I played a turn one Planar Void which is MVP against grixis. All their delve, snappys etc, become useless, as well as removal for griff. I played the same Griffin about 10 times until he finally went out of pushes and bolts. 2-1

Zombardment
Game 1 he had the nuts and therapied my hand apart. 0-1
Game 2 I played a planar void which won me the game. 1-1
Game 3 was in time 2 minutes after we started, so we had no time to play it out.

Overall, I was no fan of ballista in main (again). Might try it one more time before switching to empath-route. Empath is sweet with Angler and with Elesh Norn in sideboard.
Iäve last all preboarded games, seems like deck is better after board...

[pocari79]

@Holmen

Your list looks really interesting, I like the idea of the Chrome Mox. I was wondering how were the Coiling Oracles for you? From looking at the list, 4 seems kind of excessive and it feels like there might be better things to do with 2 mana? I was thinking of playing 2 Lim-Dul's Vault but haven't had the chance to try it out yet.

[grokh]

Hi,

Here's the list i'm toying with on my last tournaments :

http://www.lotusnoir.info/magic/decks/bug-food-chain/

I did 3-1 on my 2 last tournaments with about 25-30 players each.

On 1st tournament :

Win 2-1 Eldrazi
Win 2-0 TES
Lost 1-2 Omnitell
Win 2-0 Junk

On 2nd tournament :

Win 2-1 mono G devotion (casual deck)
Win 2-1 High tide
Lost 1-2 Infect
Win 2-0 a casual deck artifact control mono U

Here are my results for the moment.

I think i'll play MKM Series Paris with this list too !

[Holmen]

I´m not sure about coiling, but I want to maximize on creatures for the 2-slot to make chain better. For example, 4 Freebooters in board is a sweet tech.
Lim-Dul's is not for this deck IMO, we don´t need a way to find our chain. I´ve played Lim-Dul´s in earlier iterations.

Upsides:
It is good on chrome mox
It is blue for force
It is value and can chump to buy time
It can create ramp if you use ponder och brainstorm turn 1 to set it up
It ramps for the chain

Downsides:
It has a largely irrelevant body
It is slow: a 1/1 for two that almost doesn´t impact the board is harsh when you already got manipulate on the 2-slot that doesn't impact the board
It has two colors: making it harder to chain into

Alternatives:
Wall of Roots
Wall of Blossoms
Birds of Paradise
Noble Hierarch
Adding Wirewood Symbiote to increase value and impact (might need Leo and Empath for additional Value)
GSZ


@Holmen

Your list looks really interesting, I like the idea of the Chrome Mox. I was wondering how were the Coiling Oracles for you? From looking at the list, 4 seems kind of excessive and it feels like there might be better things to do with 2 mana? I was thinking of playing 2 Lim-Dul's Vault but haven't had the chance to try it out yet.

[grokh]

Hi,

We'll get this new card soon :

http://www.magic-ville.com/pics/pfou/grn/152.jpg

Could this fit in our lists ?

[nevilshute]

Nvm

[Manipulato]

Hey fellas,

I created a new thread here on the source with a new version of Food Chain, please let me know what you think. It looks like hell of fun and quite powerful :laugh:

http://www.mtgthesource.com/forums/showthread.php?32745-UG-Food-Chain-Stompy

[cosmosis]

Eternal Weekend 2018 Legacy Tournament Report ("19th" Place):

***My Decklist:
(20 Lands)
4x Misty Rainforest
3x Polluted Delta
3x Verdant Catacombs
2x Tropical Island
2x Underground Sea
1x Bayou
2x Island
1x Swamp
1x Forest
1x Gemstone Caverns
(18 Creatures)
3x Birds of Paradise
4x Baleful Strix
1x Trinket Mage
1x Spellseeker
1x Eternal Scourge
3x Misthollow Griffin
1x Notion Thief
1x Tombstalker
1x Muldrotha, the Gravetide
2x Walking Ballista
(22 Non-Creature Spells)
1x Relic of Progenitus
1x Traverse the Ulvenwald
4x Brainstorm
3x Manipulate Fate
2x Abrupt Decay
2x Assassin's Trophy
4x Food Chain
4x Force of Will
1x Murderous Cut
(15 Sideboard)
3x Leyline of the Void
2x Thoughtseize
2x Hymn to Tourach
2x Flusterstorm
1x Spell Pierce
1x Carpet of Flowers
1x Liliana, the Last Hope
1x Toxic Deluge
1x Engineered Explosives
1x Pithing Needle

***Background Stuff/Deck Choice (Skip ahead to "The Matches" if this kind of stuff bores you):
*So going into this year's eternal weekend, I knew I was going to play food chain and most likely the build I had been jamming. The biggest question mark was vintage, which I ended up playing 4x notion thief and making top 8 (That tourney report is here (http://www.themanadrain.com/topic/2246/drawing-14-vintage-champs-2018-top-8-8th-place-with-grixis-thieves-or-as-i-like-to-call-it-ocean-s-75-by-george-clooney)). So on the morning of the legacy tournament, I audibled out of main deck Leovold into main deck notion thief. The rest of the deck is kind of an amalgamation of some of the greatest Food Chain minds. I took Brian's sideboard and tweaked my main deck to match his a bit more (there was only a couple card differences at that point). I still jammed 2 of my 3 pet cards (Gemstone Caverns, Spellseeker, Hostage Taker) and in the blind tried a new pet card that I always wanted to try - Muldrotha; it could also be argued that spellseeker is going to be considered stock BUG FC card, as it is insanely good.

*And no, food chain isn't dead! Sure, it's not as good as it used to be pre-DRS ban, but all the other decks lost him too. DRS drains was only plan C back then. Plan A is still value 3/3 beats with supports from 1/1s and occasionally a 5/5. Plan B is combo. The thing I miss most about DRS isn't the drain 2; it's actually the incidental valuable GY hate that hurts a lot of decks. Losing DRS made me play Relic, which made me play trinket mage, and thusly walking ballista. Otherwise, I might still have registered some shardless agents with Ms. Emrakul and her friend tidespout tyrant. Overall, I don't think food chain moved much in terms of meta tiers after DRS banning: it's still a tier 2 deck, which is plenty good enough in legacy. Of all the DRS decks, I think Food Chain and Elves were probably least affected by the ban.

*Regarding other card choices, I don't think I'm playing anything too new that I haven't played before except the following.
1) Muldrotha: She seems excellent in grindy matchups and with BoP getting to 6 mana in the long games isn't unreasonable. She allows you to rebuy lost food chains and ballistas used as removal spells. Also, baleful strix can be cast as a creature or artifact for more value.
2) Carpet of Flowers: I was initially down on this card, but it plays a huge role versus delver decks and control decks. The extra mana makes it tough for them to fight everything, plus BoP usually come out vs. the control decks. Sorry Carpet for doubting you!
3) Leyline of the Void: Brian told me there was a lot of Dredge out there and online. Plus it just replaces my 2x Surgical + Cage I had been using before, so it hits most of the same matchups.

*I chose to exclude all names of opponents unless it was already given to the public (via top 8 decklists or camera matches). Apologies that all is done from memory, as I didn't even think about tournament report until late in day 1 and even then I was too tired to take copious notes. I also don't remember exactly on most of my SB'ing choices, but they'd only be a card or two off (for all SB where I take out BoP it is replaced by gemstone out for 1 BoP on the play). Now onto the matches!

***The Matches:

**Round 1 - 4C No Red Leovold Stoneblade (Favorable):
*Game 1 (Draw): He gets a t2 leovold which is annoying and beats down with exalted for 4 a turn, but it is not enough to stop me from assembling the combo, though 9 power would have stabilized even without ballista.
*Game 2 (Draw): He gets another t2 leovold, this time it is triple exalted and the beats for 6 a turn is too much, especially backed up by a timely force of will.
*Game 3 (Play): This game is a grind fest. He starts the beats early with ethersworn canonist and friends. My earlier food chain had eaten a force of will and I cannot find another to help stabilize the board. Canonist stifles my ability to do both griffin making and casting removal for stabilization. I EOT brainstorm into carpet and EE. I have just enough mana to cast EE on 2 then also cast carpet on main phase 1. Attack with strixes, then main phase 2 use carpet mana to blow up the canonist, allowing me to also have mana to cast manipulate fate and fade a draw step of noble hierarch while I am at 3 life (he already has a BoP with 2 hierarch and me without fliers). He does not draw a hierarch, so I get to untap and cast a griffin on each turn, stabilizing and winning at 1 life.
*SB In: Carpet, 2x TS, Needle, Deluge, EE, Liliana, 2x Hymn, Spell Pierce on the play
*SB Out: 3x BoP, 4 FoW, 2x Ballista, Gemstone Caverns on the play
*Overall Record 1-0, Won 2-1

**Round 2 - G/W Maverick (Favorable):
*Game 1 (Play): He mulls to 6. We trade off force of will and removal for his threats, but then he is able to land a library to catch up. A scyrb ranger and scavenging ooze are unable to race my flock of griffins, cast in a fair fashion.
*Game 2 (Draw): This game was a massacre. He had Ooze, Scryb Ranger, and equipped Jitte by turn 4. I curved t2 strix into t3 food chain, chaining the strix for scourge + griffins from hand into t4 EE on 2 and blow it up.
*SB In: 2x TS, Needle, Deluge, EE, Liliana
*SB Out: Notion Thief, 4x FoW, 1x Ballista
*Overall Record 2-0, Won 2-0

**Round 3 - Czech Pile (Favorable) - Christopher Walton (Top 8 Player):
*Game 1 (Draw): I mull to 6. We exchange resources by my mulligan is a difference maker. He has force for my manipulate fate so I never get a chance to make up CA through the hymns. Game 1 takes a whle but a toxic deluge ultimately ends me.
*Game 2 (Play): I mull to 6 again. This one is another grindy affair but I believe I resolve manipulate fate to undo my mulligan and his hymns.
*Game 3 (Draw): I mull to 6 yet again, but this time Chris does as well. We only had 9-10 minutes left when starting this match, and I should have boarded 1x ballista back in knowing that a combo kill might be needed to win. My opponent isn't a fast player, but at least he also isn't a slow player; however, there is no way his deck is going to kill me in 9 minutes so at least I'm pretty sure I'm walking away with at least a draw (though I am wiling to concede to board state). This game is again a grindfest. We trade resources and it comes down to turns where he uses removal to stave off death. I am playing a warp speed, but one of his ponders takes about 30 seconds, for which he apologizes. I bring him down to 2 life on turn 5. He is hellbent with nothing but lands and top decking. I have a griffin, baleful strix, carpet of flowers that just cast muldrotha. I am able to cast the food chain from GY and chain into trinket mage (without ballista in deck). There is no out he could draw for my board. I ask for the concession not realizing he doesn't know that I could do all that with Muldrotha. Based on his initial response, I knew that trying to convince him that the win should be mine was futile so I don't put up any arguments further as the tournament must move on. We talk after I sign the match slip and he tells me he doesn't realize what Muldrotha did; either way he said he was playing for the draw and would not have conceded anyway. I'm just a tad annoyed as he had used more of the game clock in my opinion overall, but there is no time to dwell on it as the next round was going to start soon. After all, I did not defeat him in the time alloted and a draw puts me in the draw bracket, where I get to play favorable matchups all day (ie. miracles, pile, grixis control, D&T)!
*SB In: 2x Hymn, 2x TS, Spell Pierce, Liliana, Deluge, Needle, Carpet
*SB Out: 3x BoP, 4x FoW, 2x Ballista
*Chris and I talked later in the tournament and there are no hard feelings either way. Each player has every right to refuse a concession in the face of lethal. I am glad that the draw instead of a loss mattered for Chris to get into the top 8!
*Overall Record 2-0-1, Draw 1-1-1

**Round 4 - AK Miracles (Favorable) - Hans Jacob Goddik (Camera Match):
*Yay a camera match vs. another draw, should be a fun grindfest on camera: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/331045367?t=02h18m35s
*Game 1 (Play): I open with fetch or basic into BoP. Hans plays a flooded strand and passes, so I am expecting miracles with back to basics. I jam a dual land anyway for a t2 food chain with force-griffin backup, which I use for Hans' force. Hans then plays plains pass. I untap and play a basic swamp to cast griffin, to which there is an AK response (but resolves). Hans predicts himself and doesn't hit a 3rd land. I untap and start the 3/3 beats (without vigilance, as I don't have a way to fight countermagic or to put griffin back into exile from the GY); add a fetch and pass. Hans finds a 3rd land and casts council's judgment, which I have hardcast force for (no other blue card). I topdeck a manipulate and it resolves, bringing the flock. Brainstorm finds nothing fun but there is a force of will, so I pass. This is enough to finish it.
*Game 2 (Draw): Hans leads with fetch basic for ponder. I go basic island and pass. Hans plays 2nd island and passes, so I go EOT brainstorm. I play a verdant and pass, to which Hans goes EOT AK. He then plays a arid mesa and passes, so I go EOT fetch a swamp to shuffle the brainstorm'd card. I fetch up a basic forest to cast food chain to eat countermagic, having more food chains in hand; Hans finishes my turn with another AK. He leads his turn with a brainstorm plus fetchland and passes. I untap and play brainstorm to see how I want to plan this turn. I find a carpet of flowers to break mana barriers, which baits a force of will but I have the flusterstorm. Carpet mana gets me manipulate fate, which gets pyroblast'd and I'm sad. So I finish the turn with a pithing needle on JTMS. Hans starts his turn with a preordain and finds himself a council's judgement (only know that because I saw it on the camera in review afterwards) then passes. I lead my next turn with thoughtseize, to which Hans brainstorms hiding the judgement. I see flooded strand, brainstom, and snapcaster so I take the mage; I finish my turn with food chain and leyline of the void. Hans plays the flooded strand and passes. I draw nothing, so pass back and Hans fetches plains to shuffle his brainstorm'd card. Hans starts his turn with a brainstorm which finds mentor, for which I have no answer; Ponder makes a token and Hans passes. I find a manipulate fate, but Hans has the force of will for it, making another token. Hans gets his council's judgment on my food chain, which takes most of my outs away to the mentor beats. I draw nothing twice and die to monks.
*Game 3 (Play): I lead with island into needle on JTMS because that card is too scary. Hans goes fetchland and pass. I play a fetchland and pass back. Hans goes volcanic and passes, so I take the opportunity to brainstorm for a 3rd land, which gets fluster'd. Fortunately, the topdeck gives me a misty, so I am able to fetch for swamp and trop to cast food chain (and have a 2nd blue to cast griffin later), which resolves. Hans fetches up a tundra to confirm that back to basics is boarded out and casts a ponder, plays his third land then passes. I draw a 4th land, so I shoot for trinket mage for relic which also gets cast; I pass to leave Force + Griffin in my hand, Hans fetches for EOT AK. Hans then snapcasters his ponder while I'm tapped out but chooses not to exile ponder to relic (good choice, Hans!); he finishes his turn with a preordain into JTMS in hand (only seen to me on camera). I untap and draw a 2nd FoW so I decide to just cast griffin instead of trading mage, so I can eat Hans' FoW and still recast griffin using the mage and relic, which is exactly what happens. Hans starts his turn with AK and brainstorm then land pass. I untap and start the delver beats, then show vigilance post combat to protect against snapcaster crackback and baiting more counters, which it does; Relic allows me to replenish the Griffin and pass. Hans casts mentor, which I fight with force pitching force; Hans then ponders and shuffles on ponder with another brainstorm then passes. I attack again, bringing Hans to 10 then cast my leyline and pass, so Hans fetches down to 9 to cut it to a 3 turn clock. Hans draws and passes. I continue my delver routine to bring Hans to 6 and cast my 2nd FC to insulate against losing the first. Hans draws and passes again, so I swing for another to bring Hans down to 3. Here, I make a mistake trying to bait more counters for no reason, as I have lethal next turn and snapcaster crackback doesn't do anything. We have a fight over the AK in response and Hans uses FoW to kill my griffin, I do get to relic it back but cannot recast it. I eventually end the game by griffin grind, as terminus only buys a turn each time. Muldrotha does get to make it on camera though to replay a fetch before getting terminus'd!
*SB In: 2x TS, 2x Fluster, Spell Pierce, Liliana, Needle, EE, 2x Leyline, Carpet, 2x Hymn
*SB Out: 3x BoP, 2x Walking Ballista, 4x Baleful Strix, Murderous Cut, 1x Decay, 1x Traverse, 1x Trophy
*So Hans was the monarch (as the defending champ), meaning my victory makes me king of the hill: all my matches will be featured until I lose to the new monarch. Yay for VIP seating at the feature area! Of note, I am unsure about how I feel about the Leylines; having brought 2 in, they would have been insane if I started with one, turning off snapcasters and AKs completely. Still unsure if I should bring these in against future AK miracles.
*Overall Record 3-0-1, Won 2-1

**Round 5 - Dredge (50/50 depending on SB games) - Matt Sperling (Played Yesterday in Vintage Swiss):
*So much for the draw bracket, as there's no other draws I can play in the bracket at the top, so I get matched down to Matt who stomped me in the vintage swiss yesterday. A friend gave me a heads up that he was likely on dredge, which doesn't matter in knowing because my g1 interaction is just 4 forces and a relic or fast combo, so I am heavily unfavored g1. We sit down in the same seats as our feature match yesterday, so that I can break any superstitious curses in that seat if one exists.
*Game 1 (Draw): I mull to 6 because my 7 is no lands anyway. My mull to 6 is okay and has a relic and force blue card with 1 land, so I keep. I force the first dredge payoff spell and land a relic. The nexy payoff spell allows Matt to ignore the t1 relic, so I die.
*Game 2 (Play): I start with Leyline. His 1/1 hardcast beats are no match for my 3/3s.
*Game 3 (Draw): I mull to 6 and he mulls to 5. My 6 is blue land, Fow, blue card, Relic, Fluster, Scourge. My scry is a 2nd land so I leave it on top. Matt leads with a t1 faithless looting, which I Force pitch blue card. I draw my 2nd land and play the first & pass. On t2, he has a 2nd faithless looting which I fluster; this is followed up with a breakthrough for X = 0, discarding the entire hand. I untap and draw my 3rd land: I play my 2nd land and play + crack relic to gain a huge lead. My next turn 3/3 scourge eventually cleans up the match before Matt can rebuild his graveyard.
*SB In: 3x Leyline of the Void, 2x Fluster, Spell Pierce, 2x TS (only on the play)
*SB Out: 2x (3 on the play) Food Chain, Muldrotha, Traverse, Spellseeker, Notion Thief, Gemstone on the play
*Overall Record 4-0-1, Won 2-1

**Round 6 - Miracles (Favorable):
*Game 1 (Play): I mull to 6 and we trade resources off. Back to Basics slows me down and JTMS ultimately puts the game out of reach.
*Game 2 (Play): Standard Food Chain value game with hymns make grind out work of miracles. I have a single griffin and food chain and draw trinket mage. He scoops to me casting trinket mage as we are starting to run low on time. It didn't matter that I boarded out ballistas as I was going to win that game anyway, just needed a few more turns.
*Game 3 (Draw): I mull to 6 but hymns and other things equalize my CA. I do the food chain grinds miracles thing and beat down with a single unkillable griffin + food chain for the win.
*SB In: 2x Hymn, 2x TS, 2x Fluster, Spell Pierce, Needle, Deluge, EE, Liliana, Carpet
*SB Out: 3x BoP, 4x Baleful Strix, 2x Walking Ballista, Murderous Cut, Traverse, 1x Decay
*Overall Record 5-0-1, Won 2-1

**Round 7 - AK Miracles (Favorable):
*Game 1 (Play): I mull to 6 but manipulate fate is insane. We grind out some value, but drawing 4 cards is too much for miracles early.
*Game 2 (Draw): I sculpt a good food chain grinds miracles plan and 3/3s get there.
*SB is same as Round 6
*Overall Record 6-0-1, Won 2-0

**Round 8 - Esper Miracles (Favorable) - (Daniel Miller, Camera Match):
*Another Camera Match, this time with an opponent I've played before and we always have good laughs: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/331045367?t=07h39m58s
*Game 1 (Draw): Dan goes flooded strand pass. I go Verdant for basic into BoP. He goes island pass. I crack delta for swamp into strix. He plays another fetch and passes. I attack for 1 deathtouch but Dan is not a creature and add another fetchland before passing. Another fetchland from Dan and passes. I add a land and attempt a food chain, which eats a counterspell. We play draw go for 1 cycle, then I go for a ballista on X = 2 to apply some pressure, as the instant win part of the card isn't as important in this matchup. This is met by terminus, so Ballista gets in for 2 pings. Also a back to basics, which I answer with decay. Travese the ulvenwald is with delirium because of ballista, which gets spellseeker getting manipulate fate. I cast birds and pass, leaving the manipulate fate open to discard. Dan draws and passes. I get the turn back and first cast strix which draws me food chain, so I decide to bait out countermagic because I still have relic and manipulate is the more important spell in this matchup at this point. (Also, oops tapped wrong for the strix, but obv had mana for it.) Dan plays a strix and passes. My fate gets spell snare'd, so tinket mage finds the last ballista for more damage. Dan draw goes again, so I swing for weenie beats for 3. I decide to hold onto the ballista and pass. Dan uses both fetches to likely thin deck and goes to 5. He finds a mentor which meets my decay. I swing for 3 more and cast ballista for lethal, which is forced. Dan vindicates my mage at 2 life and I get in with spellseeker for 1 to bring him to 1. I add a strix (again almost failing to tap properly, dunno why I kept thinking my forest was an island, maybe the light glare?) to make it 2 lethal threats. Dan doesn't draw an out but finds a fetchland to go out on his own terms.
*Game 2 (Draw): Dan leads with flooded strand for underground into inquisition. I have a one-lander with carpet to protect, so I force pitching spellseeker. I fetch up a trop and go for the carpet, which resolves. Dan goes plains into TS and sees myhand of spell pierce, hymn, fluster, and food chain. He takes my hymn. I topdeck an island and play out a food chain. Dan replies with his council's judgment on his turn. I draw a FoW and pass. Dan plays brainstorm and passes. I draw EE and pass. Dan plays draw go and passes. I draw Delta and play it then pass. Dan draw goes still on 4 lands. I draw a notion thief and pass, prompting Dan to flash in notion thief on my end step (which is why he kept passing with 4 mana up). Dan finds a 5th land and attacks for 3. I draw a TS but decide to just go EE on 4 with carpet mana and blow it up to be the only one with notion thief. Dan goes land into JTMS, which I try to fight with FoW pitching the now dead spell pierce; that gets disrupted so Dan gets his JTMS with a cantrip plus JTMS activation! I draw my 4th land to get notion thief online. Carpet casts my TS to take StP, leaving Dan with 2 strix and a mentor. Dan draws for turn and attempts jace-storm, which I notion thief. I draw 3 but they are bad and I assume Dan puts 2 strix back on top. My assumptions are confirmed when he plays out his hand of mentor and counterbalance. Unfortunately my draw 3 was 2 lands and a manipulate, the 2 strix on top stops me from casting manipulate due to counterbalance. I play out needle on JTMS. We play draw go twice and I get to eat two punches from mentor. After Dan draws the 2 strix and I draw even more lands, I go for the manipulate which gets countered by a blind snapcaster on top for counterbalance, which is backbreaking. Dan goes snapcaster and I forget about the StP in the GY, which is a huge mistake, as I should've hardcast force on snapcaster. And it stops a prowess trigger which is more important as I forgot about my life total for a second, having been so blown back by the blind flip and not seeing any lines that would win me the game. Oops... That being said, my hand was of no gas and I would die the following turn even had I forced the snapcaster. Shake it off, onto game 3!
*Game 3 (Play): I mull to 6 on the play which can be bad in this matchup. I keep a medium hand a scry brainstorm on top. We have draw go for the 1st two turn cycles. On t3 I TS and Dan disrupts to cycle which I pay for. I see a hand of swamp, plains, FoW, Snapcaster, vindicate, council's judgement, and terminus. So I take snapcaster. Dan plays a land and passes after drawing a hidden snapcaster. I lead with a brainstorm with fetchland available then play other land and pass. Dan plays a land and passes. I try a food chain, to which Dan responds with a snapcaster into brainstorm, which I spell pierce (playing fast, probably should not have done this to save for Jace or a stack fight). Dan untaps and plays Jace, which I have to Force pitch Force. I topdeck manipulate fate, which resolves. Here, I am playing and thinking fast and there are two lines. One is to just pass and griffin grind over the next turns, because I know Dan has an answer for food chain and access to terminus, or just cast tombstalker and use that to get 3 griffins. But manipulate fate draws me into hymn, which I make a quick decision to cast to hope to hit his answers to food chain, which I don't. Dan ponders and then vindicates my food chain. I start to slow cast my griffins. Dan plays Liliana, so I trade griffin for snapcaster having tombstalker in my hand. I play another griffin and it gets snap-vindicated. I flash in notion thief to finish off liliana and cast scourge from hand and tombstalker to delve the 2 griffins. Dan hardcasts terminus to reset the board. I topdeck my 6th land and get excited and cast Muldrotha. While Dan is reading it, I'm looking through my GY to see what I can play, absolutely forgetting that I played a land already for turn and try to play a misty rainforest from the graveyard (this is caught a few turns later but I never cracked it, so Dan and I wanted to just put it back in the GY but judges could not allow that, so I throw it off screen to never use for the rest of the match. Oops playing extra land, my bad! A GRV well deserved here; again this is trying to play fast in a matchup that becomes a grindfest). Dan plays a mentor and council's judgement my muldrotha. I brainstorm to find EE and use that to threaten mentor and other 3 drops. Dan finds a strix into another land. He attacks with mentor, so I blow up EE. I untap and cast griffin on my last turn. We discuss if anyone is obviously going to win and agree to a draw, since I am hellbent and Dan's last card is spell snare. I believe I am slightly ahead, as he can no longer attack through my griffins, but I cannot clock fast enough to not give Dan a bunch of draw steps. So we agree to a draw and hug it out, as neither of us wanted this outcome. We flip over the top 3-4 cards of our decks and turns out I had food chain there to guarantee the win, whereas Dan had 3 bricks. Oh well, Dan is a great guy and hella fun opponent, so at least we had a bunch of laughs in our match.
*SB is same as Rounds 6 and 7
*Overall Record 6-0-2, Draw 1-1-1

**Round 9 - Sneak & Show (Unfavorable):
*Game 1 (Play): He brought Emrakul to school early. I was not prepared.
*Game 2 (Play): We both mull to 5 in a slow game, but my timely thoughtseizes, hymns, and forces allow me to get my beats through.
*Game 3 (Draw): A thoughtseize and 2 lucky hymns take all the business cards as I coast to a win.
*SB In: 2x Hymn, 2x TS, 2x Fluster, Spell Pierce, Needle, Carpet
*SB Out: 3x BoP, Muldrotha, Murderous Cut, 2x Decay, 1x Ballista, 1x Food Chain
*I end day 1's 9 swiss rounds at 7-0-2 and still alive for the double top 8 if I go 2 for 2 in rounds 10 and 11. We go get some dinner and sleep, while also talking a bit about my vintage quarterfinals MU.
*Overall Record 7-0-2, Won 2-1

**Round 10 - Miracles (Favorable):
*Game 1 (Play): My hand is good versus miracles but I am short on mana. My first land had to be a dual and I was able to get a basic for land number 2. He does have back to basics, stranding my first land. I draw a 3rd land but it cannot fetch the 2nd basic to cast baleful strix, so I fetch up a dual to cast it to dig 1 deeper. This is a mistake, as I should have just passed and waited, because even though I dig 1 deeper for another land I just stone rained myself. Mistakes were made. I drew out of it a turn or 2 too late and died to JTMS.
*Game 2 (Play): I do the food chain + manipulate fate for a quick beatdown and game win.
*Game 3 (Draw): Mistakes were made in a thoughtseize for this game... So he goes land pass. My t1 needle meets a spell pierce, and I am sad. He makes a 2nd land and passes. I play my 2nd land and my hand now is 2 lands, FoW, Manipulate, TS, Liliana. One line is to TS now to set up T3 Liliana and hope to ride to ultimate or wait until T3 for TS + Manipulate. I choose to TS now, because passing means I may have to FoW pitching manipulate. My TS shows: Mentor, JTMS, FoW, no lands and 3 other cards that don't matter and are not blue (probably some numbers of disenchant and swords). I opt to take the FoW to guarantee that my Liliana resolves and not having to use my FoW. Taking JTMS means he would have to draw a blue card for turn to stop my liliana and I get rid of one of the cards I have a lot of trouble answering, especially with my only needle countered. However, taking mentor would have been the best move, because if he draws a 3rd land then I have to force the mentor anyway. Then if there is a fight over Liliana, I still have the FoW for his FoW (which may have to cause him to pitch JTMS anyway!). So he ended up drawing the 3rd land and I have to FoW Mentor. My Liliana resolves, but on the turns prior to hitting her ultimate, he is able to find the lands needed for JTMS, which then found council's judgement in time. An unanswered JTMS grinds me out to my first loss.
*SB is same as rounds 6-8
*Mistakes were made in this match that were costly! Dream for top 8 is dead. But at least I should be a lock for min prizes even with a loss and live for playing for top 16/32. Either way, with the prizes being so tiered and often down to breakers, I would (as I always do) plan to offer prize split with my last round opponent.
*Overall Record 7-1-2, Lost 1-2

**Round 11 - G/W Maverick (Favorable):
*I offer prize split, to which my opponent agrees. He asks me for the concession, as he thought he was live for top 8 (I told him highly unlikely as his breakers were worst of his bracket AND he got matched down to me who had 1 less point) but still would really like to add a top 16 to his name. I told him that I would not right now but may consider to do so later after at least games 1-2 (what I really wanted to do was feel out his personality and whether I would be okay with conceding to him, as I do not like to concede to someone who is a jerk). Also, making him earn the win is important too.
*Game 1 (Play): I win the die roll AND open with Gemstone Caverns, how unlucky! My only 2 lands are underground sea and caverns and opt to keep. I immediately get punished with wastelands and never find another land as I succumb to a large knight.
*Game 2 (Play): We have a close fight where he is ahead early, but ultimately my 3/3 and 5/5 fliers are too much and stabilizes the game. I am able to pick away at his life with 1 flier at a time while not dying at 5 life to his massive ground force.
*Game 3 (Draw): I get an early food chain out with 2 griffins. He manages a decent ground force, but I am able to post-combat exile my griffins and cast a deluge as plague wind and recast my griffins. A turn later as I am able to swing 2 griffins at his 6 life, I concede before he can scoop up his cards.
*SB is same as in round 2
*I ended up conceding to my opponent because the prospect of an official top 16 seemed so important to him. Also, he was a fantastic and humble opponent and I decided after game 1 that I was going to do so, but wanted to see if he could earn it himself. Unfortunately, he ended up 19th but it was a pleasure to meet him. Oh, and we also had a mutual friend in Brian, who helped convince me to play the current SB, so that's funny.
*Overall Record 8-1-2, Won 2-1 (Would have been 19th, our final standings would have been exactly swapped)
*Actual Reported Record 7-2-2 (62nd)

***Final Thoughts:
*I always have fun playing food chain, which is why I haven't put it down for the past 5+ years. Overall my opponents were fun to play against. The deck still feels fine despite losing DRS and it still probably is a tier 2 deck like it was before. It was overall a fun weekend!

*Changes to the deck moving forward are as follows: I'm not sure how much I like the spell pierce in the SB, but it probably stays. The Gemstone Caverns is a pet card, but could easily be replaced by a 4th Polluted Delta or 2nd Basic Swamp (I'm leaning towards Delta). Still unsure about Muldrotha right now as she is good in the grindy games but not impressive versus miracles (though servicable), she may be swapped out for Leovold, as I did like Notion Thief a lot (though he may be better in the SB).

*The commentators were on point and made watching these matches afterwards a blast. Great event overall, though the EV was pretty bad; hopefully, it is increased next year.

*Cards that overperformed: Carpet of Flowers, Notion Thief (I got to notion thief a couple miracles players but can't remember all the times it happened so I didn't put it in the matches above, except the one on camera)
*Cards that underperformed: Maybe Muldrotha but that may be because of all the miracles...

*Until next time! -Cosmo Kwok

[tped]

Eternal Weekend 2018 Legacy Tournament Report ("19th" Place):

***My Decklist:
(20 Lands)
4x Misty Rainforest
3x Polluted Delta
3x Verdant Catacombs
2x Tropical Island
2x Underground Sea
1x Bayou
2x Island
1x Swamp
1x Forest
1x Gemstone Caverns
(18 Creatures)
3x Birds of Paradise
4x Baleful Strix
1x Trinket Mage
1x Spellseeker
1x Eternal Scourge
3x Misthollow Griffin
1x Notion Thief
1x Tombstalker
1x Muldrotha, the Gravetide
2x Walking Ballista
(22 Non-Creature Spells)
1x Relic of Progenitus
1x Traverse the Ulvenwald
4x Brainstorm
3x Manipulate Fate
2x Abrupt Decay
2x Assassin's Trophy
4x Food Chain
4x Force of Will
1x Murderous Cut
(15 Sideboard)
3x Leyline of the Void
2x Thoughtseize
2x Hymn to Tourach
2x Flusterstorm
1x Spell Pierce
1x Carpet of Flowers
1x Liliana, the Last Hope
1x Toxic Deluge
1x Engineered Explosives
1x Pithing Needle

***Background Stuff/Deck Choice (Skip ahead to "The Matches" if this kind of stuff bores you):
*So going into this year's eternal weekend, I knew I was going to play food chain and most likely the build I had been jamming. The biggest question mark was vintage, which I ended up playing 4x notion thief and making top 8 (That tourney report is here (http://www.themanadrain.com/topic/2246/drawing-14-vintage-champs-2018-top-8-8th-place-with-grixis-thieves-or-as-i-like-to-call-it-ocean-s-75-by-george-clooney)). So on the morning of the legacy tournament, I audibled out of main deck Leovold into main deck notion thief. The rest of the deck is kind of an amalgamation of some of the greatest Food Chain minds. I took Brian's sideboard and tweaked my main deck to match his a bit more (there was only a couple card differences at that point). I still jammed 2 of my 3 pet cards (Gemstone Caverns, Spellseeker, Hostage Taker) and in the blind tried a new pet card that I always wanted to try - Muldrotha; it could also be argued that spellseeker is going to be considered stock BUG FC card, as it is insanely good.

*And no, food chain isn't dead! Sure, it's not as good as it used to be pre-DRS ban, but all the other decks lost him too. DRS drains was only plan C back then. Plan A is still value 3/3 beats with supports from 1/1s and occasionally a 5/5. Plan B is combo. The thing I miss most about DRS isn't the drain 2; it's actually the incidental valuable GY hate that hurts a lot of decks. Losing DRS made me play Relic, which made me play trinket mage, and thusly walking ballista. Otherwise, I might still have registered some shardless agents with Ms. Emrakul and her friend tidespout tyrant. Overall, I don't think food chain moved much in terms of meta tiers after DRS banning: it's still a tier 2 deck, which is plenty good enough in legacy. Of all the DRS decks, I think Food Chain and Elves were probably least affected by the ban.

*Regarding other card choices, I don't think I'm playing anything too new that I haven't played before except the following.
1) Muldrotha: She seems excellent in grindy matchups and with BoP getting to 6 mana in the long games isn't unreasonable. She allows you to rebuy lost food chains and ballistas used as removal spells. Also, baleful strix can be cast as a creature or artifact for more value.
2) Carpet of Flowers: I was initially down on this card, but it plays a huge role versus delver decks and control decks. The extra mana makes it tough for them to fight everything, plus BoP usually come out vs. the control decks. Sorry Carpet for doubting you!
3) Leyline of the Void: Brian told me there was a lot of Dredge out there and online. Plus it just replaces my 2x Surgical + Cage I had been using before, so it hits most of the same matchups.

*I chose to exclude all names of opponents unless it was already given to the public (via top 8 decklists or camera matches). Apologies that all is done from memory, as I didn't even think about tournament report until late in day 1 and even then I was too tired to take copious notes. I also don't remember exactly on most of my SB'ing choices, but they'd only be a card or two off (for all SB where I take out BoP it is replaced by gemstone out for 1 BoP on the play). Now onto the matches!

***The Matches:

**Round 1 - 4C No Red Leovold Stoneblade (Favorable):
*Game 1 (Draw): He gets a t2 leovold which is annoying and beats down with exalted for 4 a turn, but it is not enough to stop me from assembling the combo, though 9 power would have stabilized even without ballista.
*Game 2 (Draw): He gets another t2 leovold, this time it is triple exalted and the beats for 6 a turn is too much, especially backed up by a timely force of will.
*Game 3 (Play): This game is a grind fest. He starts the beats early with ethersworn canonist and friends. My earlier food chain had eaten a force of will and I cannot find another to help stabilize the board. Canonist stifles my ability to do both griffin making and casting removal for stabilization. I EOT brainstorm into carpet and EE. I have just enough mana to cast EE on 2 then also cast carpet on main phase 1. Attack with strixes, then main phase 2 use carpet mana to blow up the canonist, allowing me to also have mana to cast manipulate fate and fade a draw step of noble hierarch while I am at 3 life (he already has a BoP with 2 hierarch and me without fliers). He does not draw a hierarch, so I get to untap and cast a griffin on each turn, stabilizing and winning at 1 life.
*SB In: Carpet, 2x TS, Needle, Deluge, EE, Liliana, 2x Hymn, Spell Pierce on the play
*SB Out: 3x BoP, 4 FoW, 2x Ballista, Gemstone Caverns on the play
*Overall Record 1-0, Won 2-1

**Round 2 - G/W Maverick (Favorable):
*Game 1 (Play): He mulls to 6. We trade off force of will and removal for his threats, but then he is able to land a library to catch up. A scyrb ranger and scavenging ooze are unable to race my flock of griffins, cast in a fair fashion.
*Game 2 (Draw): This game was a massacre. He had Ooze, Scryb Ranger, and equipped Jitte by turn 4. I curved t2 strix into t3 food chain, chaining the strix for scourge + griffins from hand into t4 EE on 2 and blow it up.
*SB In: 2x TS, Needle, Deluge, EE, Liliana
*SB Out: Notion Thief, 4x FoW, 1x Ballista
*Overall Record 2-0, Won 2-0

**Round 3 - Czech Pile (Favorable) - Christopher Walton (Top 8 Player):
*Game 1 (Draw): I mull to 6. We exchange resources by my mulligan is a difference maker. He has force for my manipulate fate so I never get a chance to make up CA through the hymns. Game 1 takes a whle but a toxic deluge ultimately ends me.
*Game 2 (Play): I mull to 6 again. This one is another grindy affair but I believe I resolve manipulate fate to undo my mulligan and his hymns.
*Game 3 (Draw): I mull to 6 yet again, but this time Chris does as well. We only had 9-10 minutes left when starting this match, and I should have boarded 1x ballista back in knowing that a combo kill might be needed to win. My opponent isn't a fast player, but at least he also isn't a slow player; however, there is no way his deck is going to kill me in 9 minutes so at least I'm pretty sure I'm walking away with at least a draw (though I am wiling to concede to board state). This game is again a grindfest. We trade resources and it comes down to turns where he uses removal to stave off death. I am playing a warp speed, but one of his ponders takes about 30 seconds, for which he apologizes. I bring him down to 2 life on turn 5. He is hellbent with nothing but lands and top decking. I have a griffin, baleful strix, carpet of flowers that just cast muldrotha. I am able to cast the food chain from GY and chain into trinket mage (without ballista in deck). There is no out he could draw for my board. I ask for the concession not realizing he doesn't know that I could do all that with Muldrotha. Based on his initial response, I knew that trying to convince him that the win should be mine was futile so I don't put up any arguments further as the tournament must move on. We talk after I sign the match slip and he tells me he doesn't realize what Muldrotha did; either way he said he was playing for the draw and would not have conceded anyway. I'm just a tad annoyed as he had used more of the game clock in my opinion overall, but there is no time to dwell on it as the next round was going to start soon. After all, I did not defeat him in the time alloted and a draw puts me in the draw bracket, where I get to play favorable matchups all day (ie. miracles, pile, grixis control, D&T)!
*SB In: 2x Hymn, 2x TS, Spell Pierce, Liliana, Deluge, Needle, Carpet
*SB Out: 3x BoP, 4x FoW, 2x Ballista
*Chris and I talked later in the tournament and there are no hard feelings either way. Each player has every right to refuse a concession in the face of lethal. I am glad that the draw instead of a loss mattered for Chris to get into the top 8!
*Overall Record 2-0-1, Draw 1-1-1

**Round 4 - AK Miracles (Favorable) - Hans Jacob Goddik (Camera Match):
*Yay a camera match vs. another draw, should be a fun grindfest on camera: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/331045367?t=02h18m35s
*Game 1 (Play): I open with fetch or basic into BoP. Hans plays a flooded strand and passes, so I am expecting miracles with back to basics. I jam a dual land anyway for a t2 food chain with force-griffin backup, which I use for Hans' force. Hans then plays plains pass. I untap and play a basic swamp to cast griffin, to which there is an AK response (but resolves). Hans predicts himself and doesn't hit a 3rd land. I untap and start the 3/3 beats (without vigilance, as I don't have a way to fight countermagic or to put griffin back into exile from the GY); add a fetch and pass. Hans finds a 3rd land and casts council's judgment, which I have hardcast force for (no other blue card). I topdeck a manipulate and it resolves, bringing the flock. Brainstorm finds nothing fun but there is a force of will, so I pass. This is enough to finish it.
*Game 2 (Draw): Hans leads with fetch basic for ponder. I go basic island and pass. Hans plays 2nd island and passes, so I go EOT brainstorm. I play a verdant and pass, to which Hans goes EOT AK. He then plays a arid mesa and passes, so I go EOT fetch a swamp to shuffle the brainstorm'd card. I fetch up a basic forest to cast food chain to eat countermagic, having more food chains in hand; Hans finishes my turn with another AK. He leads his turn with a brainstorm plus fetchland and passes. I untap and play brainstorm to see how I want to plan this turn. I find a carpet of flowers to break mana barriers, which baits a force of will but I have the flusterstorm. Carpet mana gets me manipulate fate, which gets pyroblast'd and I'm sad. So I finish the turn with a pithing needle on JTMS. Hans starts his turn with a preordain and finds himself a council's judgement (only know that because I saw it on the camera in review afterwards) then passes. I lead my next turn with thoughtseize, to which Hans brainstorms hiding the judgement. I see flooded strand, brainstom, and snapcaster so I take the mage; I finish my turn with food chain and leyline of the void. Hans plays the flooded strand and passes. I draw nothing, so pass back and Hans fetches plains to shuffle his brainstorm'd card. Hans starts his turn with a brainstorm which finds mentor, for which I have no answer; Ponder makes a token and Hans passes. I find a manipulate fate, but Hans has the force of will for it, making another token. Hans gets his council's judgment on my food chain, which takes most of my outs away to the mentor beats. I draw nothing twice and die to monks.
*Game 3 (Play): I lead with island into needle on JTMS because that card is too scary. Hans goes fetchland and pass. I play a fetchland and pass back. Hans goes volcanic and passes, so I take the opportunity to brainstorm for a 3rd land, which gets fluster'd. Fortunately, the topdeck gives me a misty, so I am able to fetch for swamp and trop to cast food chain (and have a 2nd blue to cast griffin later), which resolves. Hans fetches up a tundra to confirm that back to basics is boarded out and casts a ponder, plays his third land then passes. I draw a 4th land, so I shoot for trinket mage for relic which also gets cast; I pass to leave Force + Griffin in my hand, Hans fetches for EOT AK. Hans then snapcasters his ponder while I'm tapped out but chooses not to exile ponder to relic (good choice, Hans!); he finishes his turn with a preordain into JTMS in hand (only seen to me on camera). I untap and draw a 2nd FoW so I decide to just cast griffin instead of trading mage, so I can eat Hans' FoW and still recast griffin using the mage and relic, which is exactly what happens. Hans starts his turn with AK and brainstorm then land pass. I untap and start the delver beats, then show vigilance post combat to protect against snapcaster crackback and baiting more counters, which it does; Relic allows me to replenish the Griffin and pass. Hans casts mentor, which I fight with force pitching force; Hans then ponders and shuffles on ponder with another brainstorm then passes. I attack again, bringing Hans to 10 then cast my leyline and pass, so Hans fetches down to 9 to cut it to a 3 turn clock. Hans draws and passes. I continue my delver routine to bring Hans to 6 and cast my 2nd FC to insulate against losing the first. Hans draws and passes again, so I swing for another to bring Hans down to 3. Here, I make a mistake trying to bait more counters for no reason, as I have lethal next turn and snapcaster crackback doesn't do anything. We have a fight over the AK in response and Hans uses FoW to kill my griffin, I do get to relic it back but cannot recast it. I eventually end the game by griffin grind, as terminus only buys a turn each time. Muldrotha does get to make it on camera though to replay a fetch before getting terminus'd!
*SB In: 2x TS, 2x Fluster, Spell Pierce, Liliana, Needle, EE, 2x Leyline, Carpet, 2x Hymn
*SB Out: 3x BoP, 2x Walking Ballista, 4x Baleful Strix, Murderous Cut, 1x Decay, 1x Traverse, 1x Trophy
*So Hans was the monarch (as the defending champ), meaning my victory makes me king of the hill: all my matches will be featured until I lose to the new monarch. Yay for VIP seating at the feature area! Of note, I am unsure about how I feel about the Leylines; having brought 2 in, they would have been insane if I started with one, turning off snapcasters and AKs completely. Still unsure if I should bring these in against future AK miracles.
*Overall Record 3-0-1, Won 2-1

**Round 5 - Dredge (50/50 depending on SB games) - Matt Sperling (Played Yesterday in Vintage Swiss):
*So much for the draw bracket, as there's no other draws I can play in the bracket at the top, so I get matched down to Matt who stomped me in the vintage swiss yesterday. A friend gave me a heads up that he was likely on dredge, which doesn't matter in knowing because my g1 interaction is just 4 forces and a relic or fast combo, so I am heavily unfavored g1. We sit down in the same seats as our feature match yesterday, so that I can break any superstitious curses in that seat if one exists.
*Game 1 (Draw): I mull to 6 because my 7 is no lands anyway. My mull to 6 is okay and has a relic and force blue card with 1 land, so I keep. I force the first dredge payoff spell and land a relic. The nexy payoff spell allows Matt to ignore the t1 relic, so I die.
*Game 2 (Play): I start with Leyline. His 1/1 hardcast beats are no match for my 3/3s.
*Game 3 (Draw): I mull to 6 and he mulls to 5. My 6 is blue land, Fow, blue card, Relic, Fluster, Scourge. My scry is a 2nd land so I leave it on top. Matt leads with a t1 faithless looting, which I Force pitch blue card. I draw my 2nd land and play the first & pass. On t2, he has a 2nd faithless looting which I fluster; this is followed up with a breakthrough for X = 0, discarding the entire hand. I untap and draw my 3rd land: I play my 2nd land and play + crack relic to gain a huge lead. My next turn 3/3 scourge eventually cleans up the match before Matt can rebuild his graveyard.
*SB In: 3x Leyline of the Void, 2x Fluster, Spell Pierce, 2x TS (only on the play)
*SB Out: 2x (3 on the play) Food Chain, Muldrotha, Traverse, Spellseeker, Notion Thief, Gemstone on the play
*Overall Record 4-0-1, Won 2-1

**Round 6 - Miracles (Favorable):
*Game 1 (Play): I mull to 6 and we trade resources off. Back to Basics slows me down and JTMS ultimately puts the game out of reach.
*Game 2 (Play): Standard Food Chain value game with hymns make grind out work of miracles. I have a single griffin and food chain and draw trinket mage. He scoops to me casting trinket mage as we are starting to run low on time. It didn't matter that I boarded out ballistas as I was going to win that game anyway, just needed a few more turns.
*Game 3 (Draw): I mull to 6 but hymns and other things equalize my CA. I do the food chain grinds miracles thing and beat down with a single unkillable griffin + food chain for the win.
*SB In: 2x Hymn, 2x TS, 2x Fluster, Spell Pierce, Needle, Deluge, EE, Liliana, Carpet
*SB Out: 3x BoP, 4x Baleful Strix, 2x Walking Ballista, Murderous Cut, Traverse, 1x Decay
*Overall Record 5-0-1, Won 2-1

**Round 7 - AK Miracles (Favorable):
*Game 1 (Play): I mull to 6 but manipulate fate is insane. We grind out some value, but drawing 4 cards is too much for miracles early.
*Game 2 (Draw): I sculpt a good food chain grinds miracles plan and 3/3s get there.
*SB is same as Round 6
*Overall Record 6-0-1, Won 2-0

**Round 8 - Esper Miracles (Favorable) - (Daniel Miller, Camera Match):
*Another Camera Match, this time with an opponent I've played before and we always have good laughs: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/331045367?t=07h39m58s
*Game 1 (Draw): Dan goes flooded strand pass. I go Verdant for basic into BoP. He goes island pass. I crack delta for swamp into strix. He plays another fetch and passes. I attack for 1 deathtouch but Dan is not a creature and add another fetchland before passing. Another fetchland from Dan and passes. I add a land and attempt a food chain, which eats a counterspell. We play draw go for 1 cycle, then I go for a ballista on X = 2 to apply some pressure, as the instant win part of the card isn't as important in this matchup. This is met by terminus, so Ballista gets in for 2 pings. Also a back to basics, which I answer with decay. Travese the ulvenwald is with delirium because of ballista, which gets spellseeker getting manipulate fate. I cast birds and pass, leaving the manipulate fate open to discard. Dan draws and passes. I get the turn back and first cast strix which draws me food chain, so I decide to bait out countermagic because I still have relic and manipulate is the more important spell in this matchup at this point. (Also, oops tapped wrong for the strix, but obv had mana for it.) Dan plays a strix and passes. My fate gets spell snare'd, so tinket mage finds the last ballista for more damage. Dan draw goes again, so I swing for weenie beats for 3. I decide to hold onto the ballista and pass. Dan uses both fetches to likely thin deck and goes to 5. He finds a mentor which meets my decay. I swing for 3 more and cast ballista for lethal, which is forced. Dan vindicates my mage at 2 life and I get in with spellseeker for 1 to bring him to 1. I add a strix (again almost failing to tap properly, dunno why I kept thinking my forest was an island, maybe the light glare?) to make it 2 lethal threats. Dan doesn't draw an out but finds a fetchland to go out on his own terms.
*Game 2 (Draw): Dan leads with flooded strand for underground into inquisition. I have a one-lander with carpet to protect, so I force pitching spellseeker. I fetch up a trop and go for the carpet, which resolves. Dan goes plains into TS and sees myhand of spell pierce, hymn, fluster, and food chain. He takes my hymn. I topdeck an island and play out a food chain. Dan replies with his council's judgment on his turn. I draw a FoW and pass. Dan plays brainstorm and passes. I draw EE and pass. Dan plays draw go and passes. I draw Delta and play it then pass. Dan draw goes still on 4 lands. I draw a notion thief and pass, prompting Dan to flash in notion thief on my end step (which is why he kept passing with 4 mana up). Dan finds a 5th land and attacks for 3. I draw a TS but decide to just go EE on 4 with carpet mana and blow it up to be the only one with notion thief. Dan goes land into JTMS, which I try to fight with FoW pitching the now dead spell pierce; that gets disrupted so Dan gets his JTMS with a cantrip plus JTMS activation! I draw my 4th land to get notion thief online. Carpet casts my TS to take StP, leaving Dan with 2 strix and a mentor. Dan draws for turn and attempts jace-storm, which I notion thief. I draw 3 but they are bad and I assume Dan puts 2 strix back on top. My assumptions are confirmed when he plays out his hand of mentor and counterbalance. Unfortunately my draw 3 was 2 lands and a manipulate, the 2 strix on top stops me from casting manipulate due to counterbalance. I play out needle on JTMS. We play draw go twice and I get to eat two punches from mentor. After Dan draws the 2 strix and I draw even more lands, I go for the manipulate which gets countered by a blind snapcaster on top for counterbalance, which is backbreaking. Dan goes snapcaster and I forget about the StP in the GY, which is a huge mistake, as I should've hardcast force on snapcaster. And it stops a prowess trigger which is more important as I forgot about my life total for a second, having been so blown back by the blind flip and not seeing any lines that would win me the game. Oops... That being said, my hand was of no gas and I would die the following turn even had I forced the snapcaster. Shake it off, onto game 3!
*Game 3 (Play): I mull to 6 on the play which can be bad in this matchup. I keep a medium hand a scry brainstorm on top. We have draw go for the 1st two turn cycles. On t3 I TS and Dan disrupts to cycle which I pay for. I see a hand of swamp, plains, FoW, Snapcaster, vindicate, council's judgement, and terminus. So I take snapcaster. Dan plays a land and passes after drawing a hidden snapcaster. I lead with a brainstorm with fetchland available then play other land and pass. Dan plays a land and passes. I try a food chain, to which Dan responds with a snapcaster into brainstorm, which I spell pierce (playing fast, probably should not have done this to save for Jace or a stack fight). Dan untaps and plays Jace, which I have to Force pitch Force. I topdeck manipulate fate, which resolves. Here, I am playing and thinking fast and there are two lines. One is to just pass and griffin grind over the next turns, because I know Dan has an answer for food chain and access to terminus, or just cast tombstalker and use that to get 3 griffins. But manipulate fate draws me into hymn, which I make a quick decision to cast to hope to hit his answers to food chain, which I don't. Dan ponders and then vindicates my food chain. I start to slow cast my griffins. Dan plays Liliana, so I trade griffin for snapcaster having tombstalker in my hand. I play another griffin and it gets snap-vindicated. I flash in notion thief to finish off liliana and cast scourge from hand and tombstalker to delve the 2 griffins. Dan hardcasts terminus to reset the board. I topdeck my 6th land and get excited and cast Muldrotha. While Dan is reading it, I'm looking through my GY to see what I can play, absolutely forgetting that I played a land already for turn and try to play a misty rainforest from the graveyard (this is caught a few turns later but I never cracked it, so Dan and I wanted to just put it back in the GY but judges could not allow that, so I throw it off screen to never use for the rest of the match. Oops playing extra land, my bad! A GRV well deserved here; again this is trying to play fast in a matchup that becomes a grindfest). Dan plays a mentor and council's judgement my muldrotha. I brainstorm to find EE and use that to threaten mentor and other 3 drops. Dan finds a strix into another land. He attacks with mentor, so I blow up EE. I untap and cast griffin on my last turn. We discuss if anyone is obviously going to win and agree to a draw, since I am hellbent and Dan's last card is spell snare. I believe I am slightly ahead, as he can no longer attack through my griffins, but I cannot clock fast enough to not give Dan a bunch of draw steps. So we agree to a draw and hug it out, as neither of us wanted this outcome. We flip over the top 3-4 cards of our decks and turns out I had food chain there to guarantee the win, whereas Dan had 3 bricks. Oh well, Dan is a great guy and hella fun opponent, so at least we had a bunch of laughs in our match.
*SB is same as Rounds 6 and 7
*Overall Record 6-0-2, Draw 1-1-1

**Round 9 - Sneak & Show (Unfavorable):
*Game 1 (Play): He brought Emrakul to school early. I was not prepared.
*Game 2 (Play): We both mull to 5 in a slow game, but my timely thoughtseizes, hymns, and forces allow me to get my beats through.
*Game 3 (Draw): A thoughtseize and 2 lucky hymns take all the business cards as I coast to a win.
*SB In: 2x Hymn, 2x TS, 2x Fluster, Spell Pierce, Needle, Carpet
*SB Out: 3x BoP, Muldrotha, Murderous Cut, 2x Decay, 1x Ballista, 1x Food Chain
*I end day 1's 9 swiss rounds at 7-0-2 and still alive for the double top 8 if I go 2 for 2 in rounds 10 and 11. We go get some dinner and sleep, while also talking a bit about my vintage quarterfinals MU.
*Overall Record 7-0-2, Won 2-1

**Round 10 - Miracles (Favorable):
*Game 1 (Play): My hand is good versus miracles but I am short on mana. My first land had to be a dual and I was able to get a basic for land number 2. He does have back to basics, stranding my first land. I draw a 3rd land but it cannot fetch the 2nd basic to cast baleful strix, so I fetch up a dual to cast it to dig 1 deeper. This is a mistake, as I should have just passed and waited, because even though I dig 1 deeper for another land I just stone rained myself. Mistakes were made. I drew out of it a turn or 2 too late and died to JTMS.
*Game 2 (Play): I do the food chain + manipulate fate for a quick beatdown and game win.
*Game 3 (Draw): Mistakes were made in a thoughtseize for this game... So he goes land pass. My t1 needle meets a spell pierce, and I am sad. He makes a 2nd land and passes. I play my 2nd land and my hand now is 2 lands, FoW, Manipulate, TS, Liliana. One line is to TS now to set up T3 Liliana and hope to ride to ultimate or wait until T3 for TS + Manipulate. I choose to TS now, because passing means I may have to FoW pitching manipulate. My TS shows: Mentor, JTMS, FoW, no lands and 3 other cards that don't matter and are not blue (probably some numbers of disenchant and swords). I opt to take the FoW to guarantee that my Liliana resolves and not having to use my FoW. Taking JTMS means he would have to draw a blue card for turn to stop my liliana and I get rid of one of the cards I have a lot of trouble answering, especially with my only needle countered. However, taking mentor would have been the best move, because if he draws a 3rd land then I have to force the mentor anyway. Then if there is a fight over Liliana, I still have the FoW for his FoW (which may have to cause him to pitch JTMS anyway!). So he ended up drawing the 3rd land and I have to FoW Mentor. My Liliana resolves, but on the turns prior to hitting her ultimate, he is able to find the lands needed for JTMS, which then found council's judgement in time. An unanswered JTMS grinds me out to my first loss.
*SB is same as rounds 6-8
*Mistakes were made in this match that were costly! Dream for top 8 is dead. But at least I should be a lock for min prizes even with a loss and live for playing for top 16/32. Either way, with the prizes being so tiered and often down to breakers, I would (as I always do) plan to offer prize split with my last round opponent.
*Overall Record 7-1-2, Lost 1-2

**Round 11 - G/W Maverick (Favorable):
*I offer prize split, to which my opponent agrees. He asks me for the concession, as he thought he was live for top 8 (I told him highly unlikely as his breakers were worst of his bracket AND he got matched down to me who had 1 less point) but still would really like to add a top 16 to his name. I told him that I would not right now but may consider to do so later after at least games 1-2 (what I really wanted to do was feel out his personality and whether I would be okay with conceding to him, as I do not like to concede to someone who is a jerk). Also, making him earn the win is important too.
*Game 1 (Play): I win the die roll AND open with Gemstone Caverns, how unlucky! My only 2 lands are underground sea and caverns and opt to keep. I immediately get punished with wastelands and never find another land as I succumb to a large knight.
*Game 2 (Play): We have a close fight where he is ahead early, but ultimately my 3/3 and 5/5 fliers are too much and stabilizes the game. I am able to pick away at his life with 1 flier at a time while not dying at 5 life to his massive ground force.
*Game 3 (Draw): I get an early food chain out with 2 griffins. He manages a decent ground force, but I am able to post-combat exile my griffins and cast a deluge as plague wind and recast my griffins. A turn later as I am able to swing 2 griffins at his 6 life, I concede before he can scoop up his cards.
*SB is same as in round 2
*I ended up conceding to my opponent because the prospect of an official top 16 seemed so important to him. Also, he was a fantastic and humble opponent and I decided after game 1 that I was going to do so, but wanted to see if he could earn it himself. Unfortunately, he ended up 19th but it was a pleasure to meet him. Oh, and we also had a mutual friend in Brian, who helped convince me to play the current SB, so that's funny.
*Overall Record 8-1-2, Won 2-1 (Would have been 19th, our final standings would have been exactly swapped)
*Actual Reported Record 7-2-2 (62nd)

***Final Thoughts:
*I always have fun playing food chain, which is why I haven't put it down for the past 5+ years. Overall my opponents were fun to play against. The deck still feels fine despite losing DRS and it still probably is a tier 2 deck like it was before. It was overall a fun weekend!

*Changes to the deck moving forward are as follows: I'm not sure how much I like the spell pierce in the SB, but it probably stays. The Gemstone Caverns is a pet card, but could easily be replaced by a 4th Polluted Delta or 2nd Basic Swamp (I'm leaning towards Delta). Still unsure about Muldrotha right now as she is good in the grindy games but not impressive versus miracles (though servicable), she may be swapped out for Leovold, as I did like Notion Thief a lot (though he may be better in the SB).

*The commentators were on point and made watching these matches afterwards a blast. Great event overall, though the EV was pretty bad; hopefully, it is increased next year.

*Cards that overperformed: Carpet of Flowers, Notion Thief (I got to notion thief a couple miracles players but can't remember all the times it happened so I didn't put it in the matches above, except the one on camera)
*Cards that underperformed: Maybe Muldrotha but that may be because of all the miracles...

*Until next time! -Cosmo KwokIs Traverse used as a another tutor to find ballista or do you use it find more land drops?

Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using Tapatalk

[cosmosis]

Is Traverse used as a another tutor to find ballista or do you use it find more land drops?

Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using Tapatalk

Traverse is a tutor. Period.

Honestly, I've used it to tutor for everything in the deck.
Ballista is actually not the most common thing I tutor for.
I'd say Tombstalker, Ballista, or Spellseeker for manipulate fate/removal are the 3 most common tutors, with Tombstalker and Spellseeker for Manipulate the 2 most common lines (I board out Ballista A LOT).

Traverse is also great in land light hands early or versus decks that punish nonbasics to go get basics. I have considered cutting a BoP or other way to find room for a 2nd traverse, because using it early for basic land is important role, but sometimes I wish I still had a 2nd copy to seek for.

[JackaBo]

Great watching you cosmo and great report. I am a big fan of traverse in theory as it’s a ’ponder for land’ in the early game and a threat in the late game.

[maurobad2k4]

Hey Cosmo, it's nice watching you playing Food Chain at EW. Do you stream or are planning to do in the future ?

[cosmosis]

Great watching you cosmo and great report. I am a big fan of traverse in theory as it’s a ’ponder for land’ in the early game and a threat in the late game.

Exactly! I'd say I use it as late game threat 80% of the time, but 20% of the time to get basic land are VERY important when I use it for that. Do wanna find room for a 2nd.


Hey Cosmo, it's nice watching you playing Food Chain at EW. Do you stream or are planning to do in the future ?

I don't stream, as that requires me to use MTGO. I've never used MTGO. Maybe in the future, but it's hard enough having 1 collection. It's also brutally hard to play food chain on MTGO due to clicking from what I hear, though I rarely ballista people anyway, so maybe it's not as bad for me. Also, work and other life priorities prevent me from playing MTGO. Do I plan on doing it in the future? Probably not, but one never knows... Thanks for the interest though!

[grokh]

Hi,

This new creature has just been spoiled :

https://i.imgur.com/RZ9pyNH.png

Could this fit in Food chain, maybe replace Ballista for the kill ?

[Captain Hammer]

Hi,

This new creature has just been spoiled :

https://i.imgur.com/RZ9pyNH.png

Could this fit in Food chain, maybe replace Ballista for the kill ?

I love it. If there is room, it might be worth it to play it alongside 1-2 Ballista so you can draw the ballista and win that same turn. But maybe that’s not necessary. Gaining 40 life and playing every creature in your deck with 3 FoW in hand is a guaranteed win next turn regardless.

It’s a win condition once food chain is on the board and not horrible otherwise (pitches to FoW, 4 mana for a 2/2 draw a card, gain a life or 6 mana for a 4/4 draw 2 cards and gain 2 life).

Best of all, the card draw happens on cast which means the draw can’t be countered the way ballista can. So even if countered, you draw 40 cards and gain 40 life, play all your creatures and win with FoW backup.

The one con is that it’s not as versatile as Ballista if you don’t have the combo online. So it’s not as easy to justify playing 4 of these maindeck the way Ballista could be. Would it make sense to maindeck Living Wish and play one of these along with some utility creatures/lands in the sideboard?

[grokh]

The only "problem" i can see with this new Hydra is you have to count the number of cards you got in library before casting it because if you draw too much, you can just kill yourself cos trying to draw into an empty library ...

You still can imagine a new wincon with Laboratory maniac though :laugh:

It’s not as versatile as Ballista if you don’t have the combo online but it can't be blocked by a Pithing needle/Revoker as could be Ballista !

[JackaBo]

The only "problem" i can see with this new Hydra is you have to count the number of cards you got in library before casting it because if you draw too much, you can just kill yourself cos trying to draw into an empty library ...

You still can imagine a new wincon with Laboratory maniac though :laugh:

It’s not as versatile as Ballista if you don’t have the combo online but it can't be blocked by a Pithing needle/Revoker as could be Ballista !

Ballista can be countered, Hydra can be stifled - Hydra is better in that regard
Ballista win on the spot, Hydra build a powerful boardstate/hand and probably win the next turn, unless you run both then hydra win on the spot too - Ballista is better in that regard, but not by much
Ballista is a deecent card outisde of combo, Hydra is worse
Both cards are however stronger the more mana you can ut into them so if you plan on running both, maybe you can have an alterantive mana generator in addition of food chain
What comes to mind is carpet of flowers, ancient tomb, mana dorks, gaeas cradle (and more creature).
Maybe there's some sort of UG ramp build that utilizes the scalablility of ballista and Hydra, powering them out with dorks and cradles.

[grokh]

Ballista is a deecent card outisde of combo, Hydra is worse


Hydra worse than Ballista outside of combo ?

For 4 manas :
-Ballista : you got a 2/2 which can kill 2 1/1
-Hydra : you got a 2/2 Flying trample, draw 1 + 1 life

For 6 manas :
- Ballista : you got a 3/3 which can kill 3 1/1
- Hydra : you got a 4/4 Flying trample, draw 2 + 2 life

And the hydra can't be blocked by a Pithing needle/Revoker, for me outside of combo Hydra > Ballista

[Captain Hammer]

Hydra worse than Ballista outside of combo ?

For 4 manas :
-Ballista : you got a 2/2 which can kill 2 1/1
-Hydra : you got a 2/2 Flying trample, draw 1 + 1 life

For 6 manas :
- Ballista : you got a 3/3 which can kill 3 1/1
- Hydra : you got a 4/4 Flying trample, draw 2 + 2 life

And the hydra can't be blocked by a Pithing needle/Revoker, for me outside of combo Hydra > Ballista

Good point. Plus even if you don’t have a Misthollow, saccing a bunch of creatures to cast a massive Hydra makes it likely you can draw into one. And it pitches to FoW. So do we go...
-4 Ballista
+4 Hydra

And call it a day.

Without MD Ballista, we will need some way to blow up Ensnaring Bridge.

So Engineered Explosives or the new Reclamarion Sage maindeck is a must play. Maybe a maindeck Relic of Progenitus as well. Trinket Mage was great for getting utility 1 of artifacts and a Ballista when needed for the win. So the deck is really not gaining much.

So what does the deck need to be competitive again. It hasn’t seen many Top 8s since DRS’s ban.

[grokh]

Good point. Plus even if you don’t have a Misthollow, saccing a bunch of creatures to cast a massive Hydra makes it likely you can draw into one. And it pitches to FoW. So do we go...
-4 Ballista
+4 Hydra

And call it a day.

Without MD Ballista, we will need some way to blow up Ensnaring Bridge.

So Engineered Explosives or the new Reclamarion Sage maindeck is a must play. Maybe a maindeck Relic of Progenitus as well. Trinket Mage was great for getting utility 1 of artifacts and a Ballista when needed for the win. So the deck is really not gaining much.

So what does the deck need to be competitive again. It hasn’t seen many Top 8s since DRS’s ban.

Nope, i think we need to keep Ballista as our kill MD, cos it go over Ensnaring bridge, i thought in my list do -1 Trinket mage +1 Hydra.

i'd play 1 Hydra 2 Ballista or maybe 2 Hydra 1 Ballista, not fixed yet

And we can't play Knight of autumn in this deck cos our main colors are BUG and i don't think we want to add a 4th color to the deck

[Captain Hammer]

Yeah Hydra is great here. What do you guys think of the new white splash build putting up results that plays RIP and Energy Field?

The only thing that pushed this deck out of tier one is the loss of Deathrites ability to eat your own Griffins. RIP does the same and also hates on a big chunk of the format and combos with Energy Field. It maindecks Knight of Autumn which is an amazing card and can bring in both LotV and Helm from the board for an alternate win condition.

Overall a much more controllish list.

[Curtis Dittmar]

Looked on MTG Top8 and TC decks,looks like the basic BUG.
I’ve been considering building RIP but Food Chain RIP sounds more fun.
Where did you come across the lists?

[WarpWorld]

Looked on MTG Top8 and TC decks,looks like the basic BUG.
I’ve been considering building RIP but Food Chain RIP sounds more fun.
Where did you come across the lists?Most people playing white are on the FB group. Here is a sample list:
4 Misty Rainforest
3 Flooded Strand
3 Windwept Heath
2 Tundra
2 Tropical Island
1 Savannah
2 Island
1 Forest
1 Plains
1 Karakas

4 Noble Hierarch
2 Spell Queller
1 Spellseeker
1 Vendilion Clique
1 Eternal Scourge
3 Misthollow Griffin
2 Walking Ballista
1 Emrakul, the Aeons Torn
1 Tidespout Tyrant

4 Brainstorm
2 Swords to Plowshares
1 Enlightened Tutor
3 Manipulate Fate
1 Sylvan Library
2 Energy Field
3 Rest in Peace
4 Food Chain
4 Force of Will

SB:
2 Pithing Needle
2 Surgical Extration
2 Krosan Grip
2 Containment Priest
2 Flusterstorm
2 Swords to Plowshares
1 Ethersworn Canonist
1 Disenchant
1 Carpet of Flowers

Personally I have been playing BUGr food chain since the ban of deathrite.

[Captain Hammer]

I can confirm, Narset, Parter of Veils is the real deal for Food Chain Combo.

It's a Leovold that's much easier to cast and like Leovold shuts off a ton of the matchups we have the toughest time against.

But it also has two impulses attached to it, making it fantastic in digging for Food Chain, cantrips or Manipulate Fate.

[heat_wave]

I can confirm, Narset, Parter of Veils is the real deal for Food Chain Combo.

It's a Leovold that's much easier to cast and like Leovold shuts off a ton of the matchups we have the toughest time against.

But it also has two impulses attached to it, making it fantastic in digging for Food Chain, cantrips or Manipulate Fate.

Narset does look great in this deck (as well as in many others). Have you just swapped 2 Leovolds for 2 Narsets in a typical BUG build?

[Pdingo]

So i saw the new strix and made that:
Could be good:

Bant Foodchain:

Maindeck (60)
3 Walking Ballista
2 Birds of Paradise
4 Noble Hierarch
3 new bant strix
1 Eternal Scourge
3 Misthollow Griffin
3 Narset, Parter of Veils
3 Teferi, Time Raveler
1 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
4 Brainstorm
2 Ponder / new fow but ponder is probably more important.
3 Manipulate Fate
4 Force of Will
4 Food Chain
1 Flooded Strand
4 Misty Rainforest
2 Polluted Delta
1 Savannah
2 Snow-Covered Forest
2 Snow-Covered Island
2 Tropical Island
2 Tundra
4 Windswept Heath

Sideboard (15)
1 Containment Priest
2 Vendilion Clique
3 Flusterstorm
2 Surgical Extraction
2 Disenchant
2 new fow
1 Carpet of Flowers
1 Rest in Peace
1 Sylvan Library



Shared via TopDecked MTG

https://www.topdecked.me/decks/35ca7944-95eb-404f-b802-d612eeaaf872

What do people think about that?

[Captain Hammer]

Narset has whiffed for me on occastion. Not 100% sure if it's superior to Leovold anymore.


So i saw the new strix and made that:
Could be good:

Bant Foodchain:

Maindeck (60)
3 Walking Ballista
2 Birds of Paradise
4 Noble Hierarch
3 new bant strix
1 Eternal Scourge
3 Misthollow Griffin
3 Narset, Parter of Veils
3 Teferi, Time Raveler
1 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
4 Brainstorm
2 Ponder / new fow but ponder is probably more important.
3 Manipulate Fate
4 Force of Will
4 Food Chain
1 Flooded Strand
4 Misty Rainforest
2 Polluted Delta
1 Savannah
2 Snow-Covered Forest
2 Snow-Covered Island
2 Tropical Island
2 Tundra
4 Windswept Heath

Sideboard (15)
1 Containment Priest
2 Vendilion Clique
3 Flusterstorm
2 Surgical Extraction
2 Disenchant
2 new fow
1 Carpet of Flowers
1 Rest in Peace
1 Sylvan Library



Shared via TopDecked MTG

https://www.topdecked.me/decks/35ca7944-95eb-404f-b802-d612eeaaf872

What do people think about that?

Two thoughts...

I would replace Walking Ballista with Hydroid Krasis.

Krasis draws 40+ cards and gains you 40+ life even if it gets countered (making it the better win condition to Walking Ballista) and it can be pitched to FoW, and it's an extra green creature that can be sacced to Natural Order (sometimes playing Krasis for 4 mana to gain a life and draw a card and get a 2/2 isn't a bad play).

Throw a Dryad Arbor in the deck and Natural Order works beautifully in a list like this (triply so if you have a Teferi, Time Raveler on the board). I think Natural Order is a stronger option than the planeswalkers. The planeswalkers don't outright win you the game, Natural Order does.

With all the mana elves and the high density of green creatures (hierarchs, birds, krasis, the new strix that can be played EOT, the ability to turn any of your fetchlands into a dryad arbor), Natural Ordering out a Progenitus on turn 3 with FoW and Daze and Misdirection backup is very consistently doable and an excellent way to end the game if you're unable to food chain combo online. You can even bait a counterspell with a turn 2 Food Chain even if you don't have the combo, and follow that up with a turn 3 Natural Order.

If you have a Progenitus in hand but no Natural Order, Progenitus can be hardcast if you get the Food Chain online. Alternatively, you can shuffle it back into the deck using Brainstorm/Jace.

Sample list...


4 Noble Hierarch
2 Birds of Paradise
2 Hydroid Krasis
2 Progenitus
3 Ice-Fang Coatl
3 Misthollow Griffin
1 Eternal Scourge

1 Misdirection
1 Ponder
2 Teferi, Time Raveler
3 Manipulate Fate
4 Brainstorm
4 Force of Will
4 Food Chain
4 Natural Order

4 Misty Rainforest
4 Windswept Heath
3 Verdant Catacombs
2 Snow-Covered Forest
2 Snow-Covered Island
2 Tropical Island
1 Tundra
1 Savannah
1 Dryad Arbor

Sideboard
3 Flusterstorm
2 Surgical Extraction
2 Return to Nature
2 Vendilion Clique
2 Force of Negation
1 Containment Priest
1 Carpet of Flowers
1 Rest in Peace
1 Sylvan Library

[Pdingo]

This is definitly not the way i wanna go. And no krassis is not better. And narset is just nuts. But anyway thanks for advice.

[Nightrider]

This is definitly not the way i wanna go. And no krassis is not better. And narset is just nuts. But anyway thanks for advice.

I like your line but i would cut also the white color... next days i will put my new list but only UG

[Pdingo]

Already did that, made a list with a friend which is very well known for developing the deck here in the EU back in shaman days.

Still a small sample size but felt really nice to play.

UG Foodchain:

Maindeck (60)
3 Walking Ballista
1 Birds of Paradise
4 Noble Hierarch
4 new ug strix
1 Eternal Scourge
1 Trinket Mage
3 Misthollow Griffin
4 Narset, Parter of Veils
4 Brainstorm
2 Ponder
3 Manipulate Fate
4 Force of Will
2 Back to Basics
4 Food Chain
4 Misty Rainforest
4 new fetch
2 Snow-Covered Forest
5 Snow-Covered Island
1 Tropical Island
2 Verdant Catacombs
2 Windswept Heath

Sideboard (15)
2 Vendilion Clique
1 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
2 Flusterstorm
2 Surgical Extraction
2 Return to Nature
2 new fow
1 Relic of Progenitus
1 Umezawa's Jitte
1 Carpet of Flowers
1 Sylvan Library



Shared via TopDecked MTG

https://www.topdecked.me/decks/35ca7944-95eb-404f-b802-d612eeaaf872

[Nightrider]

My list would be probably this:

Maindeck (60)
3 Walking Ballista
1 Birds of Paradise
4 Noble Hierarch
4 Ice-Fang Coatl
1 Eternal Scourge
1 Trinket Mage
4 Misthollow Griffin
3 Narset, Parter of Veils
4 Brainstorm
3 Ponder
3 Manipulate Fate
4 Force of Will
1 Force of Negation
1 Relic of Progenitus
4 Food Chain
4 Misty Rainforest
4 Prismatic Vista
2 Snow-Covered Forest
5 Snow-Covered Island
2 Tropical Island
2 Verdant Catacombs


Sideboard (15)
2 Vendilion Clique
2 Flusterstorm
2 Surgical Extraction
2 Naturalize
2 Force of Negate
2 Back to Basics
1 Umezawa's Jitte
1 Carpet of Flowers
1 Sylvan Library


I think with 5/8 Force you need 4 griffin to make a real card advantage, Narset is good but i switch one copy for another ponder to be faster in early turns. Back to Basic in sideboard for me.

[Lookyloo]

My list would be probably this:

Maindeck (60)
3 Walking Ballista
1 Birds of Paradise
4 Noble Hierarch
4 Ice-Fang Coatl
1 Eternal Scourge
1 Trinket Mage
4 Misthollow Griffin
3 Narset, Parter of Veils
4 Brainstorm
3 Ponder
3 Manipulate Fate
4 Force of Will
1 Force of Negate
1 Relic of Progenitus
4 Food Chain
4 Misty Rainforest
4 Prismatic Vista
2 Snow-Covered Forest
5 Snow-Covered Island
2 Tropical Island
2 Verdant Catacombs


Sideboard (15)
2 Vendilion Clique
2 Flusterstorm
2 Surgical Extraction
2 Naturalize
2 Force of Negate
2 Back to Basics
1 Umezawa's Jitte
1 Carpet of Flowers
1 Sylvan Library


I think with 5/8 Force you need 4 griffin to make a real card advantage, Narset is good but i switch one copy for another ponder to be faster in early turns. Back to Basic in sideboard for me.

I love these new U/G lists, I think it really has potential to be the new direction especially with Narset. Do you think there is a lot more value in Noble Hierarch over Birds? I've actually run the old BUG list with no mana ramp at all with pretty decent results.

[Pdingo]

Yeah those lists have potential.

To the other UG list. I would not run 2 trops. You almost never fetch to trop. Specially with the new fetchland. Also tonopen with trop is weak. I dont agree on the 5th fow. I dont think we need 4 griffins. I dont like to open with them to be honest. There are more important slots. Also i see the new fow more as an sb card. Dont forget that it can be a bad topdeck.
After playing some games i did already some small changes. Btb is more an sb card, unless you know the meta. I changed them for a second Trinket mage(for toolbox) and for a relic which is just relevant in some match where griffin eats a removal. So basically we play 3 relic.

I like to play 5 manadudes which are important otherwhise this deck is really slow. Also new narset is perfect. I basically want always t2 narset. So far i stay on 4.

[Nightrider]

I love these new U/G lists, I think it really has potential to be the new direction especially with Narset. Do you think there is a lot more value in Noble Hierarch over Birds? I've actually run the old BUG list with no mana ramp at all with pretty decent results.

Mana dorks are too important to combo off at T2 or T3.

For UG lists hierarchs are better than birds because exalted triggers is cool, 4/4 flying creature is better than 3/3 :)

[Nightrider]

So basically we play 3 relic.

How many blue spells do you run with 3 relics maindeck?

Didn't you think about [card]scavenging ooze[/cards] instead of relics? It helps on chain and eat snapcaster targets for example.

When i was on BUG version i played 1 relic and 1 ooze

[JackaBo]

The new white knight is interesting. He fetches ballista and mana dork, beats for 3 then sacrifices to protect your combo turn. Also is a house versus storm and terminus. White is a nice color to splash when you already run hierarchs.

[Pdingo]

How many blue spells do you run with 3 relics maindeck?

Didn't you think about [card]scavenging ooze[/cards] instead of relics? It helps on chain and eat snapcaster targets for example.

When i was on BUG version i played 1 relic and 1 ooze


I mean with 3 relic the toolbox of 2 trinket mage and 1 relic.

Ooze is ok but slow and dies more than relic. Also the most important is the synergie with trinket mage. So i would not play him.

[nimkee]

I recently picked Food Chain up again after putting it down post ban. I ran into this list awhile ago that's also UG, and this guy took down a large-ish tournament with it.

https://www.hareruyamtg.com/en/deck/231788/show/

Aside from that, I'm still trying to figure out if I want to run birds or not. My first tournament saw them get bolted / plowed / pushed ever game I played them. It was sort of comical, except that I kept hands partially on using them as a mana source.

Anyone have thoughts on just not running them?

[QUOTE=Pdingo;1069696]Already did that, made a list with a friend which is very well known for developing the deck here in the EU back in shaman days.

Still a small sample size but felt really nice to play.

UG Foodchain:

[Jesture]

https://assets1.ignimgs.com/2019/09/04/Foulmire1567588261747.png

Format for new split cards from Throne of Eldraine, regular art on the left and alternate art on the right.

This seems sort of huge for Food Chain. Assuming that we get some green/blue split cards with meaningful adventures to cast, the Misthollow Griffins and Eternal Scourge can be replaced with cards that are less dead outside of the combo but still able jump start the infinite mana with Food Chain.

[PirateKing]

https://assets1.ignimgs.com/2019/09/04/Foulmire1567588261747.png

Format for new split cards from Throne of Eldraine, regular art on the left and alternate art on the right.

This seems sort of huge for Food Chain. Assuming that we get some green/blue split cards with meaningful adventures to cast, the Misthollow Griffins and Eternal Scourge can be replaced with cards that are less dead outside of the combo but still able jump start the infinite mana with Food Chain.

Pretty sure after reading it a few times, the cast from exile is only after resolving the Adventure, so there is no infinite combo to be had with these creatures

[Jesture]

Pretty sure after reading it a few times, the cast from exile is only after resolving the Adventure, so there is no infinite combo to be had with these creatures

So I was thinking the same thing at first, but there's also no way to notate which cards were exiled from the adventure resolving and which cards were exiled via other means. It seems like a logistical nightmare for a player to cast the adventure half in the first few turns of the game, then half an hour later try and remember which cards were exiled via adventure and which cards were exiled in other ways.

Somewhat relevant is that Karn, Scion of Urza reads "exiled with a ~ counter" which would have been the ideal templating for notating that a card was exiled by resolving the adventure. Because this clause isn't on the card I'm pretty certain we can just cast the creature half of the card regardless of how it was exiled.

Edit: Seems I was mistaken. From the Throne of Eldraine Mechanics Article: (https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/feature/throne-eldraine-mechanics-2019-09-04)

"Now the fun part of going on an adventure: returning safely! If an exiled card you own is on an adventure, you can cast the creature. This could be the same turn in which you cast the Adventure or on a future turn. This works only if the Adventure spell resolves and the card remains in exile. If you cast the Adventure and it's countered, you're out of luck. Of course, you don't have to cast the Adventure at all. You could just cast Beanstalk Giant if you have need of smashing now or you don't want to risk Fertile Footsteps getting countered."

[cosmosis]

GP Atlanta Tournament Report - 9/21/2019
10-5 Record for 78th place and some cas$h

----------

Decklist:
4 Polluted Delta
4 Misty Rainforest
3 Verdant Catacombs
2 Underground Sea
2 Tropical Island
1 Bayou
2 Island
1 Swamp
1 Forest

2 Birds of Paradise
3 Baleful Strix
2 Snapcaster Mage
1 Leovold, Emissary of Trest
1 Spellseeker
1 Eternal Scourge
3 Misthollow Griffin
1 Tombstalker
1 Hydroid Krasis
2 Walking Ballista

4 Brainstorm
3 Ponder
1 Traverse the Ulvenwald
3 Manipulate Fate
3 Abrupt Decay
1 Assassin's Trophy
4 Food Chain
4 Force of Will

SB:
2 Plague Engineer
2 Spell Pierce
2 Surgical Extraction
2 Thoughtseize
1 Duress
1 Assassin's Trophy
1 Grafdigger's Cage
1 Marsh Casualties
1 Pithing Needle
1 Veil of Summer
1 Vendilion Clique

----------

Intro/Specific Card Choices:
So I had spent the ~2 months leading up to GP Atlanta focusing on modern format due to some other events (glad I did because it paid off, and figured I knew my way around food chain enough at this point). Therefore, I had not gotten a chance to test non-BUG food chain lists really. I built bant and goldfished it thrice and was not overly impressed so I went with the legacy truth: play what you know... and that's how I chose BUG food chain instead of bant or UG, though I really want to try bant because of Teferi.

The list I ended up on is pretty much what I've been playing for the past 3-4 months, with maybe a handful of changes. I tested bringing back the Trinket Mage/Relic package and a 2nd pithing needle to fight the WN6 RUG Delver decks on Friday's MCQ, but was no longer impessed with what that package used to do. I also had Narset in the Leovold/Narset slot, but figured Leovold was better in a WN6 world and increased spell pierce world. I actually completely forgot about using Carpet of Flowers to fight the expected delver decks and gladly would've played 1-2 in the SB... oops. Anyway, on to the games!

----------

Round 1: BYE (Heavily Favored Matchup Probably), Won 2-0

Good because I was feeling a bit sick to the stomach.

Record: 1-0

----------

Round 2: BYE (Heavily Favored Matchup I Think), Won 2-0

Good because I was feeling a bit sick to the stomach still.

Record: 2-0

----------

Round 3: Jeskai Mentor (Favorable), Won 2-0

Game 1: I lose the die roll, but manipulate fate just draws too many cards. He can't answer the food chain, while I decay his mentors. 3x 3/3 unkillable beats eventually deal with JTMS then my opponent.

SB Out: 3x Strix, 2x BoP, 2x Ballista, 1x Verdant
SB In: 1x Trophy, 2x TS, 2x Pierce, 2x Plague, 1x Needle

Game 2: On the draw vs. a deck that shouldn't pressur my mana I can take a land out. More of the same as game 1 except now I don't have useless tribal birds. All mentors get decayed or trophied. 3/3 beats wins the game. Astrolabe is unimpressive overall.

Record: 3-0

----------

Round 4: RUGb Delver (50/50), Won 2-1

Game 1: I win the die roll but mull to 6. Luckily being on the play vs. delver is great and I play around dazes and whatnot. I resolve manipulate fate and decay his threats. 3/3 fliers cheated with food chain win the race.

SB Out: 2x BoP, 3x Food Chain, 2x Ballista
SB In: 1x Trophy, 2x Plague, 1x Marsh, 2x Pierce, 1x Needle

Game 2: On the draw now, BoP feels terrible as a WN6 means you can't even use it once. He is able to keep me off tempo and win with an unanswered early flipped delver. WN6 keeps me honest on mana just enough to be unable to stabilize. True Name is good too.

SB Out: 2x Pierce, 1x Marsh
SB In: 2x BoP, 1x Food Chain

Game 3: On the play, I can afford to cast food chain and have birds to ramp, as they at least work once through a WN6. We trade resources early. I resolve a manipulate fate. Steady stream of 3/3 fliers beats TNN every day.

Record: 4-0

----------

Round 5: 4C Snow Pile (Favorable), Won 2-0

Game 1: I lose the die roll, but the food chain value grind is too real, and I win the war of attrition despite dead tribal bird cards. It also helped a bit that my opponent mull'd to 6 on the play.

SB Out: 2x BoP, 3x Strix, 2x Ballista, 1x Verdant
SB In: 1x Trophy, 1x Needle, 1x Duress, 2x TS, 2x Pierce, 1x Veil

Game 2: Same stuff as game 1 and boarding a land out on the draw, except no silly tribal bird cards. Again, also helped that my opponent mull'd to 6 again on the play.

Record: 5-0

----------

Round 6: ANT (Unfavorable), Lost 1-2

Game 1: I lose the die roll and my opponent just goes T1 TS and cantrips next 2 turns. I suspect storm and assume I am dead. He goes for a 2nd discard spell, which I snapcaster brainstorm and do not find a 2nd force, so I force the discard and prays he does not go off, as brainstorm has set up a combo kill on the untap. He does go off, but makes a large number of goblins instead. Large size ballista is better, stealing game 1 is nice!

SB Out: 2x BoP, 3x Strix, 3x Decay, 1x Trophy, 2x Food Chain
SB In: 1x Duress, 2x TS, 1x Cage, 2x Surgical, 2x Plague, 2x Pierce, 1x Veil, 1x Clique

Game 2: He has 2 discard spells for my 2 pieces of countermagic and then fires off an ad nauseum at 18 life. My chances of survival are close to 0%, which was the outcome.

Game 3: I mull to 5 on the play and am sad. An early TS to take infernal tutor followed by extracting it buys me a decent amount of time, while snapcaster on TS on turn 3 applies pressure. However, brainstorm/ponder are too good for storm and he builds a natural tendrils kill while I am still trying to recover from my mulligan.

Record: 5-1

----------

Round 7: RUG Delver (50/50), Lost 0-2

Game 1: I win the die roll, but mull to 6. I am punished by an early flipped delver + goyf. Big goyf gets abruptly decayed, but delver crosses the finish line.

SB Out/In: Same as prior RUGb Delver

Game 2: I am on the play and get to cast spells playing around daze. Unfortunately, I draw the force after he plays a T3 TNN. TNN slowly beats me down as I dig for answers and fail to find them. Gotta win the next one to advance to day 2.

Record: 5-2

----------

Round 8: RUG Delver (50/50), Won 2-0

Game 1: I lose the die roll, but opponent mulls to 6. His hand is all threats (multiple delvers and goyfs) that do a beating, but then all get answered by blockers and decays. He has no removal or interaction with me, so I am able to mount a defense and my griffins win the race.

SB Out/In: Same as prior

Game 2: I am again on the draw and my opponent mulls to 6 again. I am able to stay above 10 life while manipulate fate'd griffins take over after answering his early threats. Beating delver to make day 2 does feel good.

Record: 6-2

----------

Round 9: RUG Infect (Favorable?), Lost 1-2

Game 1: I lose the die roll, but answer the non-inkmoth threats. Unfortunately for me, inkmoth can count to 10 as well.

SB Out: 4x Food Chain, 1x Krasis, 1x Scourge, 2x BoP, 1x Manipulate
SB In: 2x Surgical, 2x TS, 1x Needle, 2x Plague, 1x Trophy, 1x Marsh, 1x Clique

Game 2: Opponent mulls to 6. All of the threats were killed. Plague Engineer and walking ballista on X=2 are excellent in this matchup.

Game 3: I mull to 6 on the draw so my mana ends up being suspect and I get WN6 waste'd out of the game and die to noble hierarch beats. I do think I make a mistake and thought I was going to lose the race and took a turn off attacking with tombstalker so it could block. Attacking might've won, but I played too afraid of pump spells to let nobles win the race. By not attacking, opponent crop rotated for inkmoth on end step and now I was forced to block it. He had enough pump to kill tombstalker, but it is not clear if he drew the pump or had it already and if his crop rotate line would've been different had I attacked and not given him a draw step. Pretty sure I still lose, but I think not attacking and playing afraid was a mistake.

Record: 6-3, not the most exciting record going into Sunday... daed for top 8, but doing the math a 3-2-1 Sunday record should still cash, so that's nice.

----------

Round 10: Jeskai Mentor (Favorable), Won 2-0

Game 1: I win the die roll and win handily in this favored matchup. Glad to see this to start Sunday. Opponent seems aware of how the matchup goes and conceded pretty early in the game.

SB Out/In: Same as prior

Game 2: My opponent chooses to draw here, which I think is interesting. It may be correct to do so in the grindy attrition matchup, but delaying a turn on dropping mentor might be incorrect? Either way, my tribal bird synergy is gone post board, so I win the grind handily.

Record: 7-3

----------

Round 11: B/R Reanimator (50/50?), Won 2-1

This opponent was stationed for military service and newish to legacy, but was enjoying the format; I thanked him for his service (and thank you to all reading who are serving or have served)!

Game 1: I've been joking for about 8 rounds in a row prior about not having pre-game effects when we begin,

except this time my opponent says "I do." He mulled to 6 on the play, but the deck is too good at what it

does and I am unable to steal game 1.

SB Out: 2x BoP, 2x Decay, 1x Krasis, 4x Food Chain, 1x Scourge, 1x Manipulate
SB In: 1x Cage, 2x TS, 1x Duress, 2x Pierce, 2x Surgical, 1x Trophy, 1x Veil, 1x Clique

Game 2: Opponent mulls to 5, but with the London mulligan this is still very scary for me. Grafdigger's

cage is a pretty good card, and I think my opponent's only answer to it was hardcasting things. He goes and

reaches for his board after this game.

SB Out: 1x Ballista (don't need to cast this for X=0 to bypass chancellor as much on the play)
SB In: 1x Food Chain

Game 3: I mull to 6, while opponent mulls to 4. An early thoughtseize reveals chancellor and shenanigans plus 2 lands, so I take the shenanigans. He eventually uses shenanigans to deal with baleful strix "pressure" but a force prevents reanimation while I increase my clock enough before he can recover.

Record: 8-3

----------

Round 12: B/R Reanimator (50/50?), Won 2-0

Game 1: Another pre-game effects chancellor opponent. However, this time I win the die roll and allow a brainstorm to eat the chancellor trigger. Opponent had unmasked himself and had no protection for my force. Food Chain + 3 Griffins steal victory despite his recovery to reanimate a griselbrand.

SB Out/In: Same as prior

Game 2: I have the surgical for the T2 sire of insanity, which also reveals to me that there are only 4 chancellor and 4 griselbrand left in the deck as threats, with 2 pyroblasts and no answer for cage. I dig for cage but am unsuccessful. However, snapcater on to flashback surgical deals with all the chancellors. I topdeck TS and know his hand from the prior surgical, which is 3 reanimation spells, lotus petal, and dark ritual while he only has bayou in play. No entombs or lootings were cast, so I decided to TS the petal to play around looting instead of entomb. The snapcaster swings to bring opponent down to 17 and I add a griffin. Of course, my opponent topdecks entomb and goes ritual into entomb into exhume for griselbrand. He pays 7 life to go to 10 to draw many cards. Luckily, my 1 mana open is a veil of summer as he attempts to TS my hand, so I can protect trophy. I topdeck a 2nd snapcaster mage, which should be game though I misplay a bit. I trophy the griselbrand and attack for 5 to bring opponent to 5. I pass turn, knowing the contents of his entire deck. I should've his upkeep flash in snapcaster to target my trophy so endstep trophy griselbrand again sets up lethal. Instead I forget and let him crack his fetch to get a red source, which he immediately casts faithless looting with allowing me to sigh relief of a pyroblast. He casts lotus petal and I wise up and respond to the cast with the snapcaster play to lock up the game.

Record: 9-3

----------

Round 13: RUG Delver (50/50), Lost 1-2

Game 1: I win the die roll, but mull to 6 (ditching a 2 dual land, double decay, no cantrip or threat hand) in the blind. Turns out the hand would've been great with multiple decays, but my hand of manipulate fate races delver clock well so I win with 6 life left.

SB Out/In: Same as prior

Game 2: Being on the draw against delver is brutal. Double goyf is too much to handle.

Game 3: Being on the play is great! Unless you mull to 5 and then misplay like I do in this game. Mull to 5 wasn't bad, but both brainstorms and both manipulate fates got countered. Luckily there was no early pressure other than WN6. Reflexively named Human instead of Wizard with plague engineer on unflipped delver. Then I don't attack plague engineer into a bigger goyf defending WN6 threatening emblem in 2 turns, which punishes me because I am forced to sac Leovold into goyf blocker to prevent WN6 from getting emblem. So 2 misplays there. I then proceed to get grinded out by a dreadhorde arcanist (non-Human Wizard) that is able to cast a bunch of ponders and brainstorms to eventually kill me with a TNN. Not naming Wizard and losing Leovold for no reason cost me the game there. Definitely the worst played game of the tournament here. But as the Director of the Thraben University told me after this match, Shake It Off! just like Tay Tay.

Record: 9-4

----------

Roud 14: Death & Taxes (Heavily Favored), Won 2-0

Game 1: I win the die roll and my opponent mulls to 6. And he's on D&T, so a pretty quick and overwhelming victory here. However, my opponent had many pretty shadow signed cards, so we gladly chatted and oogled each other's signed cards... because signed cards are more powerful.

SB Out: 4x Force, 1x Krasis
SB In: 1x Needle, 2x Plague, 1x Clique, 1x Trophy/Marsh (I had trouble deciding so my opponent helped me by picking one randomly, it was the trophy)

Game 2: Unfortunately, my opponent mulls to 6 again. However, he is able to start setting up a prison and slowly beat me down. Sanctum prelate on 2 nullified all my targeted removal while a revoked named food chain and thalia beat down through my non 3/3 blockers. I was able to resolve manipulate fate before the prelate came down, so finally got to 4 mana to start casting griffins. Opponent then threatened jitte. Luckily, BoP got in blocking duty after I found more lands. This turned on delirium, allowing for traverse to tutor plague engineer, which named Horror to turn on food chain and create the griffin flock. This would typcially win the game most likely, but a snapcaster flashed back traverse to find ballista for the quicker win. We decide to commerate the match by taking a picture of our crazy board state with all them signed cards!

Record: 10-4, which should lock me for prizes

----------

Round 15: U/R Delver (Unfavorable), Lost 1-2

We discuss whether it makes sense to draw or not, but the math was too hard to really ascertain. However, we do agree to split prizes and played out the match. Turns out, if we had drawn, we both would've top 64'd. The GP prize structure is annoying in that it makes these scenarios occur. I did truly appreciate Tales of Adventure's Eternal Extravaganza payouts in the past, where top 8 was advertised prizes and then everyone who didn't top 8 was based on record instead of standings. Made so much sense as tiebreakers feel so meh.

Game 1: I win the die roll, but U/R delver is a bit lower to the ground than RUG and am unable to take advantage of being on the play. I also did not play around stifle (it was T2 in the blind after T1 delta pass), which was all the tempo that was needed to put me way behind.

SB Out: 4x Food Chain, 2x Ballista, 1x Krasis
SB In: 1x Trophy, 2x Plague, 1x Marsh, 2x Pierce, 1x Needle

Game 2: Clunky food chains come out against lowest to ground delver deck. T1 island ponder into T2 forest BoP with spell pierce for the bolt gives me insane mana advantage. From there, killing everything and playing griffins was elementary, as I win with more than 10 life.

Game 3: Being on the draw with an awkwardish mana hand set me up for getting delver'd. The trophy in my hand got countered when a decay would've killed the single delver threat, which did all the damage needed. The hand was a close keep/mulligan but I was trapped into keeping by a brainstorm that ended up being a horrible brainstorm.

Record: 10-5, good for 78th place and cash money

----------

Post-Tournament Thoughts:

I completely forgot about carpet of flowers, and would've liked 1-2 in the SB, cutting spell pierce for the first copy. If I wanted the 2nd copy, duress/trophy/clique would've been next up to get cut. Otherwise, I was pretty happy with the overall card choices in the deck.

I have been able to play Leon's Bant list this week and found the two decks to be drastically different in playstyle. I'm not sure which is better right now, but both have their merits. I will definitely be testing a bunch to figure out what build/colors of food chain to bring to Eternal Weekend in November.

Thanks for reading,
Cosmo

[Jesture]

GP Atlanta Tournament Report - 9/21/2019
10-5 Record for 78th place and some cas$h

Hey Cosmo, thanks for taking the time to write the report. Have a few questions for you:

1) How do you feel about Food Chain's place in the current meta game? I know the deck has traditionally been favored against most fair strategies, but I was wondering if that still holds true against this new RUG Delver strategy that's been turbo charged with the last few sets.

2) On a related note, how have the Birds of Paradise been for you? I noticed Leon's Bant version wasn't playing any Hierarchs, which I was sort of unusual as they're great for powering spells through soft permission and jump starting Food Chain lines later on in the game. Just curious to hear if you think the upside they provide is worth the downside they have against Wrenn and Six, which I noticed you ran into a few times.

[jimytuning]

Cosmo, why does he Graffdigers Cage a Relic of Progenitus?
Spellseeker or Trinket Mage?
Spell Pierce o Flusterstrm?
Isn't it little to play only 2 Ballista?

[cosmosis]

Hey Cosmo, thanks for taking the time to write the report. Have a few questions for you:

1) How do you feel about Food Chain's place in the current meta game? I know the deck has traditionally been favored against most fair strategies, but I was wondering if that still holds true against this new RUG Delver strategy that's been turbo charged with the last few sets.

2) On a related note, how have the Birds of Paradise been for you? I noticed Leon's Bant version wasn't playing any Hierarchs, which I was sort of unusual as they're great for powering spells through soft permission and jump starting Food Chain lines later on in the game. Just curious to hear if you think the upside they provide is worth the downside they have against Wrenn and Six, which I noticed you ran into a few times.

Thanks, hope you enjoyed the report!

1. I honestly don't know. I will almost always play food chain because it is my pet deck and I have a ton of fun playing it, win or lose. The highest it every got in the meta was tier 1.5 when counter-top miracles was tier 1/tier 0 and FC just beat up on it so easily. I'd say it will always be a tier 2-2.5 sometimes tier 3 deck that can win games in the hands of a pilot who knows his/her build and what role it plays in matchups and how to approach things. We are still favored vs. fair strategies. Still unfavored vs. combo generally. Still about 50/50 vs. delver. Different versions of food chain will swing percentages a bit for each of those (though I don't think its more than 10-20% of swing). I think I mentioned it in the report, but I should've played carpet of flowers in SB, it is insane against all delver variants (I forgot about the card to be honest). Bant also seems to have the best RUG delver matchup of the variants, due to Rest In Peace specifically being insane vs. goyf and wren and 6. But all food chain variants can beat delver decks, just depends on delver popularity and how many SB slots you want to devote.

2. Birds of Paradise is still fine (in BUG). I'm on 2 copies because it can be a durdly top deck, but it has utility of blocking marit lage and winning delver matchups. On the play it is fine to keep vs. WN6 decks. On the draw, board it out. Birds is still an insane mana dork that also is worth 3 mana with food chain. I think if Bant were to run mana dorks, I'd still go with birds over nierarch for marit lage reasons. Bant doesn't necessary need it as much because the mana is cleaner (no decay or trophy) and they have more 2 and 3 drops, whereas BUG runs more noncreature spells. Could try utopia sprawl vs WN6 but not being worth 3 mana is not as good and not being able to change mana colors is bad.



Cosmo, why does he Graffdigers Cage a Relic of Progenitus?
Spellseeker or Trinket Mage?
Spell Pierce o Flusterstrm?
Isn't it little to play only 2 Ballista?

1. Grafdigger's cage is a nail in the coffin against a lot of decks, such as reanimator (relic needing to hold up 1 mana is often way too slow), elves, GSZ decks, storm. Relic is more functional as a maindeck card, as a sideboard hate piece it is not good enough. I tested trinket mage + relic package on Friday in MCQ and was not impressed like I was with it maybe 1 year ago.

2. Spellseeker is insane. I think it is a core piece of all food chain decks as a 1-of. Yes it is slow and clunky but is also a body to start the chain. We play 3 Manipulates because the 2nd copy is so bad. Spellseeker is a 4th effective copy that also gets you decay or trophy or SB hate cards like surgical; also can just become a ponder or brainstorm in a pinch. Trinket Mage is only good if you have utility targets for it (No, ballista doesn't count), so without a maindeck relic easy no to trinket mage - it is fine for SB hate pieces only if you already have mainboard utility, because SB hate pieces too slow if you need to go through trinket mage first.

3. This is always a meta call. Flusterstorm is the stronger answer, but spell pierce is the more varied answer. Spell pierce answers walkers (which is always tough for this deck). It's a wren and 6 and walker world and not as much a instant/sorcery world right now, so spell pierce got the nod.

4. No, 2 ballista is fine. BUG is not a combo deck. It is a midrange/value/control deck first that can also combo. It's the slowest of the food chain variants to combo. Ballista doubles as a slow removal spell. This deck does effectively play more ballistae than appears though.... Deck effectively has about 7 ballistae for comboing. The 2 actual ballista, 1 hydroid krasis, 1 traverse, 1 spellseeker to find traverse, 2 snapcaster to flashback traverse. Yes some of those last ones are convoluted lines, but ones I take often enough (I was on 1 snapcaster for a while and bumped it up to 2 for this utility).

[Captain Hammer]

Anyone having success with Once upon a time. Finding anyone of your combo pieces except for food chain turn 1 consistently for 0 mana seems good.

[Nightrider]

Next weekend I would try this list of Bant Food Chain:

MAIN
1 Relic of Progenitus
4 Brainstorm
2 Swords to Plowshares
2 Path to Exile
3 Ponder
4 Food Chain
4 Force of Will
3 Manipulate Fate
3 Misthollow Griffin
1 Eternal Scourge
4 Noble Hierarch
4 Ice-Fang Coatl
1 Scavenging Ooze
1 Spellseeker
1 Trinket Mage
2 Walking Ballista
4 Misty Rainforest
4 Prismatic Vista
1 Windswept Heath
1 Flooded Strand
3 Forest
3 Island
2 Plains
1 Savannah
1 Tropical Island

SIDEBOARD
1 Deafening Silence
1 Engineered Explosives
2 Flusterstorm
1 Grafdigger's Cage
1 Path to Exile
2 Pithing Needle
1 Knight of Autumn
2 Veil of Summer
2 Supreme Verdict
1 Tormod's Crypt
1 Venser, Shaper Savant

[janchu88]

5-0ed a league with bant food chain :)

https://www.twitch.tv/videos/622690813