Nightmare '99 - Bring on the Degeneracy
There is a tournament coming up in June of this year and I need your suggestions...
The format consists as follows:
"Nightmare '99 (or just "Nightmare") is a one-on-one Magic format, harkening back to an era that never was, but could have been, if Wizards simply printed cards and watched the destruction they unleashed unfold. It has minimal deck construction requirements, and most notably, no banned & restricted list, meaning horribly powerful decks can be built.
Deck Construction Rules
Players construct decks of 60 or more cards.
Players may optionally construct a sideboard containing exactly 15 cards.
Players may not include more than four of copies of a card in their combined deck and sideboard. Cards are considered to be copies of the same card if they have the same English name.
Legal Sets
Cards printed in the following sets are legal:
Alpha
Beta
Unlimited
Revised
Fourth Edition
Fifth Edition
Arabian Nights
Antiquities
Legends
The Dark
Fallen Empires
Homelands
Ice Age
Alliances
Mirage
Visions
Weatherlight
Tempest
Stronghold
Exodus
Urza's Saga
Urza's Legacy
Urza's Destiny
Chronicles
Rivals Quick Start Set
Multiverse Gift Box
Anthologies
Renaissance
Portal
Portal Second Age
Portal Three Kingdoms
Starter 1999
All Book promos with copyright dates from 1999 or earlier (Arena, Sewers of Estark, Windseeker Centaur, Giant Badger, Mana Crypt)"
What are some of the most broken decks you can think of?
4 Time Vault + 4 Voltaic Key?
4 Lotus + 4 Ancestral?
Re: Nightmare '99 - Bring on the Degeneracy
Why did they even include stuff like Portal and Anthologies? If people try to make broken decks, it's just going to be an orgy of power nine plus other banned and restricted cards. I don't think traditionally powerful cards like Mind Twist, Strip Mine, Necropotence, or Library of Alexandria will even be playable. I don't think Timetwister would even be that desirable, due to the risk of drawing the opponent into Force of Will. Aside from Force of Will, Null Rod, and maybe Balance, Chains of Mephistophles, and Nether Void, I don't see any real answer cards, so this is very much a Turn-1 kill/die-roll format. Definitely not for me, but I'll indulge it as a thought exercise.
Likely deck constraints:
1) Has to have Force of Will and the requisite number of blue cards to cast it for free.
2) Has to be running four Null Rod or have a way to kill opposing Null Rods in games on the draw when lacking Force of Will. Crumble, Disenchant, Shatter, Seal of Cleansing, Boomerang, Abolish, and Crash are the most probable contenders, and a side plan would be wise. Playing more lands is probably a worse strategy than just mulliganing to Force of Will or Academy + bounce or Tinker vs. a dedicated Null Rod deck.
3) Has to have more than three win conditions so that you don't auto-lose to an opposing Turn 1 Jester's Cap.
4 Black Lotus
4 Lotus Petal
3 Mana Crypt
4 Mox Sapphire
4 Mox Jet
4 Tolarian Academy
4 Ancestral Recall
4 Time Walk
4 Tinker
4 Force of Will
4 Boomerang
1 Timetwister
1 Mind over Matter
2 Stroke of Genius
4 Demonic Tutor
2 Yawgmoth's Will
1 Channel
1 Kaervek's Torch
1 Time Vault
1 Voltaic Key
1 Memory Jar
1 Megrim
1 Teeka's Dragon
Re: Nightmare '99 - Bring on the Degeneracy
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Fallen_Empire
There is a
tournament coming up in June of this year and I need your suggestions...
I'm not watching a video. Just tell me where the tournament is.
Re: Nightmare '99 - Bring on the Degeneracy
Seems like the format is very much a turn 1 format, and is probably secretly miserable, especially with ante cards legal.
Re: Nightmare '99 - Bring on the Degeneracy
Quote:
Originally Posted by
thecrav
I'm not watching a video. Just tell me where the tournament is.
June 5th - Seattle during MagicFest 2020 at a brewery.
Re: Nightmare '99 - Bring on the Degeneracy
Quote:
Originally Posted by
ESG
Why did they even include stuff like Portal and Anthologies? If people try to make broken decks, it's just going to be an orgy of power nine plus other banned and restricted cards. I don't think traditionally powerful cards like Mind Twist, Strip Mine, Necropotence, or Library of Alexandria will even be playable. I don't think Timetwister would even be that desirable, due to the risk of drawing the opponent into Force of Will. Aside from Force of Will, Null Rod, and maybe Balance, Chains of Mephistophles, and Nether Void, I don't see any real answer cards, so this is very much a Turn-1 kill/die-roll format. Definitely not for me, but I'll indulge it as a thought exercise.
Yeah it's pretty wild. Not sure how many will rock 4 sets of power but it will be quick games I'm sure. Thanks for indulging!
There is a sweet playmat, maybe this will entice you:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/ERGaNqKU8AAGNJB.jpg
Re: Nightmare '99 - Bring on the Degeneracy
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Wrath of Pie
Seems like the format is very much a turn 1 format, and is probably secretly miserable, especially with ante cards legal.
Hmmm, I overlooked the fact that ante cards are also legal. Probably should add four copies of Contract from Below to the above deck, although I have no idea how ante is going to be adjudicated. If it follows original rules, then maybe no one will play power and the format will be completely different. Seems like everyone should play black, though.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Fallen_Empire
There is a sweet playmat, maybe this will entice you
It's a cool mat, for sure.
Re: Nightmare '99 - Bring on the Degeneracy
Quote:
Originally Posted by
ESG
I have no idea how ante is going to be adjudicated
http://emeraldcitytrolls.com/nightmare_rules.html
The whole thing is pretty bonkers but it will be interesting to see what happens.
Re: Nightmare '99 - Bring on the Degeneracy
I really wish to see reports/recordings from this.
Re: Nightmare '99 - Bring on the Degeneracy
Due to Covid-19, the event will be run online "batch-style": June 5th - June 22nd.
For more information or to sign up check out the old school players webcam group https://www.facebook.com/groups/551913338322720/ or http://emeraldcitytrolls.com/events.html
Re: Nightmare '99 - Bring on the Degeneracy
Bummer. But to be expected, I guess.
Re: Nightmare '99 - Bring on the Degeneracy
Do you have a deck yet?
On MTGS under the "Casual" sub a few years back there was some discussion of optimizing the turn 1 win rate for a list under no-B/R list. "Just for fun".format. But that format was allowed to run better wincons like Tendrils of Agony or Goblin Charbelcher.
You absolutely want:
4 Black Lotus
4 Ancestral Recall
4 Contract from Below
4 Demonic Tutor
They're just the most broken things you can do in Magic, and each one gets better as the average card quality of your deck increases.
To round out the mana sources you probably also want these, though it depends on your wincon and need for colorless vs colored mana
4 Lotus Petal
4 Mana Crypt
4 Dark Ritual
4 Mox Sapphire
4 Mox Jet
4 Tolarian Academy
Demonic Consultation is a very strong choice, but it depends if you're leaning more black or blue.
Shahrazad is a way to troll everyone.
Timetwister is strong just because the mana is so explosive that 3 mana for 7 cards is a very good deal.
Force of Will is probably a necessary evil, but it has some anti-synergy with Wheel effects (you lose your Forces and they draw more). Another protection option is Defense Grid, which lets you try to go off turn 1 in peace and Wheel as many times as you need.
You could also play Prison with Null Rod, Sphere of Resistance, and Chains of Mephistopheles. Chains is hilarious when everyone else is running 1-mana "Draw 7" and 1-mana "Draw 3". Chains is also hilarious when YOU cast Timetwister or Wheel of Fortune: "lose your hand, then mill 7". It just hoses the whole format. Chains might pair well with mass-discard like Balance/Mind Twist/Hymn to Tourach and The Rack. Chains + Anvil of Bogardan also locks them out of the game once they have no hand.
Re: Nightmare '99 - Bring on the Degeneracy
Quote:
Originally Posted by
FTW
We will be recording decklists (with deck photos) for the internet and hopefully some match play as well, it should be a tournament for the ages. I'll post links in the future to share. We have some big guns signed up so I'm definitely expecting some number of 4x Black Lotus - Ancestral Recall - Contract from Below - Demonic Tutor. :D
As for me I'm planning on playing some combination of budget UB prison:
Sol Rings, Sol lands, and Lotus Petals to power out Null Rod and Arcane Laboratory. Enough blue cards to support force (ancestral, mystical tutor, intuition, mana leak, windfall, boomerang) 4x Tinker to fetch out null rods or artifact beaters (Masticore + Teeka's Dragon) maybe even some number of Serendib Efreet or Morphling... Definitely Contract's too, I just need to win die rolls and pray for the best. Still going over my 60... It's Paris mulligan and think you have to probably just mull into force on the draw.
I really can't wait to see what people are putting into SB slots, I've very intrigued. Should be wild!
Re: Nightmare '99 - Bring on the Degeneracy
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Fallen_Empire
So, how'd this go? Tournament report?
Re: Nightmare '99 - Bring on the Degeneracy
The finals are tomorrow ESG. It is going to be live streamed:
Watch @rbuehler (Megrim Jar) and @BryanManolakos (Vault Key) in possibly the most degenerate match of Magic the Gathering ever played in the Nightmare ‘99 finals Monday, July 6, at 6PM PST/9PM EST!!! https://twitch.tv/os_stsully #oldschoolmtg
https://twitter.com/emeraldctrolls/s...44282405277696
Re: Nightmare '99 - Bring on the Degeneracy
Re: Nightmare '99 - Bring on the Degeneracy
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Fallen_Empire
The degeneracy was so intense that it took six months to recover from the hangover ...
Nice cardboard for sure, though.
Re: Nightmare '99 - Bring on the Degeneracy
I'd play chaos orb for the lols.
