Mox Saphire Split R.I.W.

Prelude: It was a cold and dreary morning. 96 East was slam packed going up to Livonia and to be honest I had a cough that was god awe-full. I hope I got at least 1 person sick :). I made plans to go to RIW from Lansing over the last week and I was shocked when I found out that I could actually attend. My buddy Paul (Hitman) from the source let me know it was happening.

So I get there and sign up. In awe of the counter-front I pick up some singles and sleeves for my E.D.H. deck (Props to B. Cook for the T.E.S. EDH Dranlu list.)

So I sleeve that up and play some E.D.H. deck only to get caught naked against an identity crisis. So that was fun.

Tournament:

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Note:
Before the tourney I decided after scouting a bit that i'd audible from the lone jace slot and instead use a 3rd decree.

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List:61
Lands:23

Code:

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4 Flooded
1 delta
1 Flats
4 tundra
1 sea
1 scrub
3 plains
3 island
3 mishra
1 dustbowl
1 ruins

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Permission:10

Code:

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4 force
4 snare
2 cs

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Draw:9

Code:

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3 bs
3 standstill
3 top

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Removal:10

Code:

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4 stp
3 ee
2 wog
1 humility

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Win: 5

Code:

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3 decree
2 elspeth

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Utility: 4

Code:

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2 wish
1 disk
1 path

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The disk and path are in the slots that normal utility like C.O.W or Dragon slots would be. I like to split the deck like so.

Code:

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sb:
1 path
1 pulse
1 extirpate
1 e tutor
1 Beb
1 ray of distortion
4 counterbalance
4 EP
1 cow

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round 1: UBw Dreadstill:
1. I snare a bob, stp a second, drop top and still. Win with elspeth
in: 1 cow out 1 still
2. mana light hand with no blue mana. hand goes something like this
he casts bob on t2 no way to deal.
t3 cruc no fetch
t4 elspeth
t5 disk
t6 deal with board position, win game.

Round 2. Paul (hitman) w/ UGw Thresh: (whew on the audible to 3rd decree.)
g1. He gets mana screwed, I slow roll him.
no side
g2. He plays threshhold without the use of counterbalance, I roll him. GG.

round 3. Paul Matriano (Team Meandeck)
Merfolk with stifle/thrasher/new m10 lord. no snare
g1. I have a mana light hand with double force double still and im on the play. I quickly regret taking the hand.
I side in 4 plague 1 tutor 1 path I side out 2 wish 3 still 1 counterspell
g2. He casts some things, I deal with them and roll him with 2 mishra's factorys from 20.
g3. he plays t3 b2b with 2 islands and a wasteland. I retort with top into every other answer in my deck. I attempt to deal with b2b 1 time but it ends up hosing him more then I. Get 2 ep get elspeth final and disk and beat him in O.T. Really what happened in this matchup was that paul didn't see anything use full and I believe that’s based on the high cc of that particular model.

round 4: land-still mirror: I.D. for top4 I’m in first even if I I.D. so im alright with that.

top 4:
round 1 r/w goblins
g1 on the play: I force a lackey, draw stp cry. He drops double fanatic. I cast still hoping to seal him, I misplay like crazy and lose.
side in 4 plague 1 path 1 beb 1 tutor side out 3 still 4 snare
g2: I solve the board position. I lock him out eventually with 2 ep. He attempts to disenchant them I force.
g3: I side out 2 wish and 1 path for 3 snare (Piledriver, disenchant)
He establishes a small board position. I answer it and counter with EP and Elspeth. He disenchants the ep I snare he blasts. He counters with matron I blast that. Top for humility, top for ep, see a second ep gg.

finals: Landstill mirror (split).

props:
Excellent play in the goblins matchup g2 and 3.
Playing sick through the tournament. Like Really sick.
Finding all sorts of edh cards for bryant cooks edh tes list.
beb and decree for being mvp's.
R.I.W. (Pam) and the rest of the gang. I really enjoyed myself at the shop and I look forward to coming back soon.

Slops:
Basicly playing horribly in the g1 of the goblins matchup.
counterbalance, because it was awe full in that meta.
Drinking after the tourney, then coming home and drinking more.
Michigan for loosing on the road.

Congrats. Should have played out the finals and saved yourself half the mox.

Grats on the finish, I hope Paul's deck was full of Rhox War Monks.

I just called paul to find out what the fuck you were talking about. Inside jokes are never as funny when the outsider finds out. (Disheartened)

Micheal I do realize I could have played him but honestly I fealt and still feel like it was the much much smarter move. I would rather pay and get the mox then not pay and get $100 cash. The 150 I payed turned out to be more then worth it. Im satisfied. It also solidified my belief in the entire sideboard - counterbalance.

It may end up going 3 balance 1 relic instead of four, but I honestly need to test out test and find out exactly whats going with those 4 slots. Otherwise the other 71 slots are purrrfect.

Moss, I tested Countertop in Landstill and Hanni's List. I think the countertop strategy is much weaker. In your tourney, since you didn't get to test it, I can tell you from my testing it's weak SB slots.

Why? You only have seven 2cc slots after boarding in Balance. Flipping is terrible and you either flip 0,1,4, never 2 and 3. I have a new Countertop list (Counterbalance in the SB) and after boarding in relevant hate against combo/burn, it'll up the 2cc slots to an 15 (4Goyf,4Standstill,4Balance,2 Negates), pretty impressive for Landstill.

Moss, just a question, why did you have Balance in the SB? Which matchups were you expecting and wanting it? All I can say, brief report, good list, but I'm glad you didn't board the balances in since they're terrible with your list as of now. You either have to tweak the list to make it better at flipping 2,3cc spells or take on Hanni's list, which I'm not fond of due to the lack of x-1s and lack of permanent removal (Oring is not really a solution at all since decks pack grips against Landstill all day post-board).

Countertops purpose is meant to counter spells 0, and 1cc against tes and ant.

Its other purposes are against the mirror (4)

and burn (1) until you get to wish.

Its the only card that universally helps in these problem matchups consistently and gives landstill a fighting chance.

This is why im playing it. Not for the 2,3 cc slots. though sometimes it comes up.

why is path under utility ?

whats cow and pulse ?

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Originally Posted by santeria

why is path under utility ?

whats cow and pulse ?

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Crucible of Worlds & Pulse of the Fields.