Die Hard Games TO Report/Analysis/Results for 5-1 GP: Providence Trial- 90 Players!

Hello :laugh:

I am still recovering from our 90 person trial for GP:Providence. We expected a big turnout, but not that big :eek:

Luckily, being in a giant mill with tons of space has its advantages and I was able to rent out the room next door (formerly Catz Exotic Wear =p) and now could comfortably seat over 100.

With the turnout being much larger than anticipated, we were now able to award 3 byes to all of top 4. But that wasn't the only thing players battled for...

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5248/...98a5be224f.jpg
Those were Top 8 prizes, with the fetchlands in the middle were for our free side event which drew 30 players. Top 16 also received prize, with 9-12th getting $50 credit and 13-16th $25 credit.

After 7 rounds of Swiss, Top 8 was set to battle. It was a clean cut with all 8 remaining players having records of 5-1-1 or better.


This was Top 8 after 7 rounds of swiss:

1st: Tom Strong /w 19 points (UW Caw Blade)
2nd: John-Paul Phelan /w 18 points (the Rock)
3rd: Grant Garvin /w 17 points (The Rock)
4th: Taylor Pratt /w 17 points( NO Bant)

All at 16 points was the rest of top 8:
5th:Nicholas Malatesta /w Elf-vengevine
6th: Trenton Bollinger /w Burn
7th: Luke Bardsley /w Cephalid Life
8th: Adam Tanner /w NO Bant

Playoffs:

Tom beat Adam
Trenton beat Taylor
Nick beat Grant
John-Paul beat Luke

Top 4 split getting 1 of each blue dual and 3 byes each =D

Top 4 http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5106/...75b8c14b_m.jpg:
From left to right- Nick Malatesta, Tom Strong, John-Paul Phelan and Trenton Bollinger

Here's the moment you've been waiting for- Decklists!

1st-4th: Tom Strong /w 'Caw Blade Runner'
Tom also finals'd our Nats qualifier the day before, and he won the award for worst deck name :laugh:

4 Swords to Plowshares
4 Brainstorm
2 Preordain
2 Spell Pierce
3 Daze
1 Umezawa's Jitte
1 Sword of Fire and Ice
3 Jace, The Mind Sculptor
1 Elspeth, Knight-Errant
4 Force Of Will
4 Stoneforge Mystic
4 Squadron Hawk
2 Vendilion Cloque
1 Sower of Temptation

2 Plains
4 Island
4 Mishra's Factory
4 Wasteland
4 Flooded Strand
1 Arid Mesa
1 Scalding Tarn
4 Tundra

SB: 2 Hurkyl's Recall
1 Llawan, Cephalid Empress
3 Blue Elemental Blast
2 Kor Firewalker
1 Sword of Feast and Famine
1 Umezawa's Jitte
3 Submerge
2 Relic of Progenitus

1st-4th: John-Paul Phelan /w The Rock
I had not met John-Paul before, but he seemed like a nice guy and tore through the swiss with a very solid build of The Rock.

4 Dark Confidant
4 Tarmogoyf
4 Knight of the Reliquary
4 Swords to Plowshares
4 Vindicate
4 Thoughtseize
2 Inqusition of Kozilek
4 Hymn to Tourach
2 Pernicious Deed
4 Sensei's Divining Top
1 Umezawa's Jitte

4 Wasteland
4 Verdant Catacombs
4 Marsh Flats
3 Bayou
2 Scrubland
1 Savannah
1 Forest
1 Plains
1 Swamp
1 Windswepth Heath
1 Bojuka Bog

SB: 4 Engineered Plague
3 Krosan Grip
3 Ravenous Trap
3 Diabolic Edict
2 Duress

1st-4th: Nicholas Malatesta /w Elves
Nick has been quietly tearing up Legacy with this list, but his results are hard to ignore. Two consecutive weeks prior to this event he Top 4'd SCG Boston's Legacy and won a Tabernacle at a different Trial.

4 Wirewood Symbiote
4 Heritage Druid
4 Nettle Sentinel
3 Fyndhorn Elbes
1 Joraga Warcaller
4 Vengevine
3 Quirion Ranger
3 Llanowar Elves
4 Fauna Shaman
4 Glimpse of Nature
4 Elvish Visionary
3 Intuition
1 Regal Force

4 Tropical Island
4 Forest
4 Gaea's Cradle
2 Wooded Foothills
2 Windswept Heath
1 Misty Rainforest
1 Verdant Catacombs

SB: 4 Submerge
3 Krosan Grip
3 Null Rod
3 Tormod's Crypt
2 Phyrexian Revoker

1st-4th: Trenton Bollinger /w Burn?!?!
Trenton is a regular in our weekly Thursday Legacy events and he shockingly piloted Burn, a deck I've never seen him run before. Seemed to do well for him:laugh: Trenton credits the deck to Gabe Lebel, who regularly runs it in our weekly's.

4 Price of Progress
4 Grim Lavamancer
4 Goblin Guide
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Chain Lightning
4 Searing Blaze
4 Kiln Fiend
2 Keldon Marauder
4 Fireblast
4 Lava Spike
4 Manamorphose

12 Mountain
4 Wooded Foothills
2 Bloodstained Mire

SB: 4 Pyrostatic Pillar
4 Sulfuric Vortex
3 Shattering Spree
2 Vexing Shusher
2 Red Elemental Blast

5th: Grant Garvin /w The Rock http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5250/...d9b5ce27_t.jpg
Grant is a good friend and the owner of The Temple Games, about 10 minutes from my store. They run weekly Sunday Legacy which are both well-run and attended. If you have a free Sunday and are in the RI area I suggest you check them out.

1 Enlightened Tutor
2 Sensei's Divining Top
3 Mox Diamond
1 Pernicious Deed
4 Knight of the Reliquary
4 Tarmogoyf
4 Swords to Plowshares
4 Vindicate
4 Hymn To Tourach
4 Dark Confidant
2 Inquisition of Kozilek
4 Thoughtseize

1 Windswept Heath
1 Karakas
3 Marsh Flats
4 Verdant Catacombs
3 Scrubland
3 Bayou
4 Wasteland
1 Forest
1 Swamp
1 Maze of Ith
1 Horizon Canopy

SB: 3 Diabolic Edict
1 Darkblast
4 Extirpate
4 Engineered Plague
3 Choke

6th: Taylor Pratt /w NO Bant http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5147/...484b6aea_t.jpg
Taylor already had byes and was friendly with Trenton. He conceded to Trenton so he could have byes.

4 Noble Hierarch
1 Scryb Ranger
2 Tarmogoyf
2 Qasali Pridemage
1 Trygon Predator
2 Vendilion Cloque
1 Rhox War Monk
4 GreenSun's Zenith
4 Brainstorm
4 Swords to Plowshares
1 Jace, The Mind Sculptor
3 Natural Order
1 Progenitus
1 Sylvan Library
3 Spell Pierce
1 Daze
4 Force of Will

2 Dryad Arbor
1 Forest
1 Island
1 Tundra
2 Savannah
4 Tropical Island
4 Windswept Heath
4 Misty Rainforest
1 Wooded Foothills
1 Verdant Catacombs

SB: 1 Spell Pierce
2 Path to Exile
1 Hydroblast
1 Blue Elemental Blast
1 Gaddock Teeg
2 Stoneforge Mystic
1 Umezawa's Jitte
1 Sword of Fire and Ice
1 Loaming Shaman
1 Cold-Eyed Selkie
1 Sower of Temptation
1 Terastodon
1 Mirran Crusader

7th: Luke Bardsley /w Cephalid Life http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5022/...bc4df1e0_t.jpg
Luke is one of those 'silent but deadly' types who has been winning alot locally with his version of 'Cephalid Breakfast,' an old but still very potent combo deck not many people test with or against.

3 Cephalid Illusionist
3 Nomad En-kor
3 Narcomoeba
1 Kiki-jiki Mirror Breaker
1 Karmic Guide
1 Sky Hussar
4 Aether Vial
4 Brainstorm
4 Worldly Tutor
4 Living Wish
4 Force of Will
3 Ponder
3 Cabal Therapy
1 Dread Return
3 Daze

4 Scalding Tarn
4 Misty Rainforest
2 FLooded Strand
3 Tundra
3 Tropical Island
1 Underground Sea
1 Island

SB: 3 Spell Pierce
3 Krosan Grip
3 Qasali Pridemage
1 Cephalid Illusionist
1 Nomad En-kor
1 Harmonic Sliver
1 Kataki War's Wage
1 Meddling Mage

8th: Adam Tanner /w NO Bant http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5290/...f673113b_t.jpg
Adam is another regular who switches decks alot. Glad to see he found success with his latest deck choice.


4 Green Sun's Zenith
4 Natural Order
4 Force of Will
4 Brainstorm
4 Noble Hierarch
4 Tarmogoyf
4 Swords to Plowshares
4 Vendilion Clique
3 Daze
2 Path to Exile
2 Ponder
1 Progenitus
1 Rhox War Monk
1 Qasali Pridemage

4 Tropical Island
4 Windswept Heath
4 Misty Rainforest
3 Tundra
1 Island
1 Forest
1 Savannah
1 Dryad Arbor

SB: 3 Spell Pierce
1 Terastodon
1 Harmonic Sliver
1 Trygon Predator
1 Enlightened Tutor
1 Arcane Laboratory
1 Wheel of Sun and Moon
1 Energy Flux
2 Pithing Needle
2 Umezawa's Jitte
1 Gaddock Teeg

As promised, 9th-16th decklists! It's worth noting 9th-16th all went 5-2, so I consider these to be all very viable decks and just because they didn't make top 8 doesn't mean they aren't worth a look.

9th: Ray Robillard /w High Tide

3 Cunning Wish
4 Igh Tide
4 Merchant Scroll
3 Meditate
4 Force of Will
4 Ponder
4 Brainstorm
4 Time Spiral
2 Pre-ordain
4 Candelabra of Tawnos
1 Repeal
1 Blue Sun's Zenith
3 Tarmogoyf
1 Mind Over Matter

12 Island
2 Flooded Strand
2 Polluted Delta
1 Misty Rainforest
1 Scalding Tarn

SB: 1 Meditate
1 Hibernation
1 Snap
2 Hurkyll's recall
2 Repeal
1 Turnabout
3 Pact of Negation
1 Brain Freeze
1 Wipe Away
1 Blue Sun's Zenith
1 Ravenous Trap

10th: Chris Monroe /w Merfolk

4 Aether Vial
4 Merrow Reejery
4 Daze
3 Standstill
1 Merfolk Sovereign
4 Cursecatcher
4 Force of Will
4 Silvergil Adept
4 Coralhelm Commander
2 Kira Great Glassspinner
4 Lord of Atlantis

14 Island
4 Wasteland
4 Mutavault

SB: 4 Blue Elemental Blast
2 Hurkyll's Recall
3 Spell Pierce
2 Umezawa's Jitte
4 Submerge

11th: Jeremiah Rudolph /w Eldrazi Ramp

1 Emrakul
1 Kozilek
2 Primeval Titan
3 Repeal
4 Brainstorm
4 Trinket Mage
4 All is Dust
4 Expedition Map
3 Candelabra of Tawnos
3 Sensei's Divining Top
3 Crop Rotation

4 Cloudpost
4 Vesuva
4 GLlimmerpost
4 Tropical Island
1 Island
1 Eye of Ugin
1 Bojuka Bog
1 Tabernacle of Pendrell Vale
3 Flooded Strand
1 Polluted Delta

SB: 1 Maze of Ith
1 Primeval Titan
1 Crop Rotation
1 Engineered Explosives
4 Mindbreak Trap
3 Energy Flux
3 Mind Harness
1 Chalice of the Void

12th: Ken Briscoe /w BUG Counterbalance

4 Counterbalance
2 Vendilion Clique
1 Snuff Out
1 Go for The Throat
1 Maelstrom Pulse
4 Sensei's Divining Top
4 Hymn to Tourach
2 Ponder
4 Force of Will
2 Jace, The Mind Sculptor
1 Daze
4 Brainstorm
4 Tarmogoyf
4 Dark Confidant

SB: 1 Emrakul
1 Threads of Disloyalty
3 Pithing Needle
2 Pernicious Deed
1 Leyline of the Void
1 Tormod's Crypt
1 Nihil Spellbomb
2 Spell Pierce
1 Relic of Progenitus
1 Ravenous Trap
1 Go for the Throat

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

13th: Gabe Lebel /w Burn

4 Lightning Bolt
4 Chain Lightning
4 Price of Progress
4 Lava Spike
3 Searing Blaze
3 Keldon Marauders
4 Fireblast
4 Goblin Guide
4 Grim Lavamancer
4 Manamorphose
4 Kiln Fiend

4 Bloodstained Mire
2 Wooded Foothills
12 Mountain

SB: 4 Vexing Shusher
4 Sulfuric Vortex
4 Pyrostatic Pillar
3 Shattering Spree

14th: Dan Phelan /w Elves

3 Fyndhorn Elves
3 Elvish Archdruid
4 Llanowar Elves
4 Quirion Ranger
4 Elvish Visionary
1 Joraga Warcaller
4 Birchlore Rangers
1 Regal Force
4 Wirewood Symbiote
4 Nettle Sentinel
4 Heritage Druid
4 Glimpse of Nature
4 Summoner's Pact
3 Living Wish

7 Forest
3 Verdant Catacombs
3 Misty Rainforest

SB: 4 Vexing Shusher
4 Krosan Grip
1 Gaea's Cradle
1 Emrakul, The Aeon's Torn
1 Regal Force
1 Joraga Warcaller
1 Molten-tail Masticore
1 Sylvok Replica

15th: John Jackson /w Dredge

4 Breakthrough
4 Careful Study
2 Drowned Rusalka
1 Flame-kin Zealot
4 Golgari Grave-Troll
4 Stinkweed Imp
1 Angel of Despair
1 Sphinx of Lost Truths
1 Golgari Thug
1 Darkblast
3 Ichorid
4 Narcomoeba
4 Bridge from Below
3 Dread Return
4 Cabal Therapy
4 Putrid Imp

1 Dryad Arbor
1 Underground Sea
1 Watery Grave
1 Island
4 Misty Rainforest
3 Verdant Catacombs
4 Cephalid Coliseum

SB: 1 Iona, Shield of Emeria
1 Llawan Cephalid Empress
1 Darkblast
1 Blazing Archon
3 Null Rod
4 Unmask
3 Chain of Vapor
1 Echoing Truth

16th: Corey Fraser /w Painter's Grindstone

4 Goblin Welder
4 Grindstone
4 Sensei's Divining Top
1 Pyroblast
4 Brainstorm
3 Preordain
4 Painter's Servant
4 Accumulated Knowledge
4 Intuition
4 Force of Will
3 Mox Opal
1 Lion's Eye Diamond

4 Volcanic Island
2 Ancient Tomb
2 City of Traitors
4 Seat of the Synod
2 Great Furnace
1 Island
4 Scalding Tarn
1 Misty Rainforest

SB: 3 Show and Tell
3 Emrakul
3 Spell Pierce
1 Red Elemental Blast
2 Pithing Needle
1 Nihil Spellbomb
2 Tormod's Crypt

All top 16 decklists had records of 5-2 or better. No list with 2 losses did not make top 16.

Here are some more miscellaneous photos from the event that I couldn't fit in the first post:

Top 8 Match Photos-

Trenton Vs. Taylor http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5148/...17de8c56_m.jpg


Tom Vs. Adam http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5260/...f9e506b5_m.jpg


John-Paul Vs. Luke http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5228/...9bcb29c2_m.jpg


Grant Vs. Nick http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5241/...820e7e87_m.jpg

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5101/...4a40c77a_m.jpg Hooray 90 players! http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5267/...0191f0fb_m.jpg

People in the store watching JR play 'The Impossible Game' http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5253/...6d7a4674_m.jpg Pizza Time! http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5284/...1a5fc4f3_m.jpg

Head judge Joe Harrington sitting and Dustin Taylor standing. http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5302/...822d78d3_m.jpg
Dustin chose to not play and sit on his rating so he could qualify for Nationals. What a wuss :p

After a long day, my chairs get some much need time to themselves and my tables have collapsed from exhaustion http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5257/...1f9c6ba9_m.jpg

9th-16th decklists still to come in this post! I'd like to thank everyone for coming to ended up being everything I hoped for and more. I felt the event was very special and was very happy with how smoothly everything went. This is in no small part thanks to my judges: Joe Harrington, Alex Morill and Tim Gagne. Special thanks to them.

Full Photo album from the event here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/5911580...th/5686709220/

As big as this event was, we're hoping for similar turnout in just a few short weeks for our $1,000 TCGplayer.com qualifier on Sat May 21st.
This is the first Legacy TCQ ever and the perfect way to practice the week before Grand Prix Providence.

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5016/...133e174911.jpg
More info on that event here: http://www.mtgthesource.com/forums/s...e-hard-games-d

Thanks again to everyone who attended our Trial. It was a fantastic way to mark the 2 year anniversary of my ownership of the store and I'm glad I could spend it with all of you. I sincerely hope everyone had a great time. I know I did. :-)

- Dave

Posted Top 16 decklists above. Took a week longer than planned but I've been really really busy :tongue:

Hope you'll join us for our 1k Legacy TCQ on May 21st.
http://www.mtgthesource.com/forums/s...e-hard-games-d

Thank you :smile:

- Dave