Report for a Win a Duel (Underground Sea)
Match Report
Hello everyone, just throwing that tournament report down that I promised. Top 4 players in todays tournament get:
1) Underground Sea (Revised)
2) Bayou (Revised)
3) Badlands (Revised)
4) Polluted Delta (Onslaught)
5-8) Packs.
First and foremost, the list:
Mainboard
4 Goblin Lackey
4 Goblin Piledriver
3 Mogg War Marshal
2 Tin Street Hooligan
4 Goblin Matron
4 Goblin Warchief
1 Goblin Sharpshooter
4 Goblin Ringleader
1 Siege-Gang Commander
2 Gempalm Incinerator
4 Tarfire
4 AEther Vial
3 Mountain
1 Taiga
1 Plateau
2 Arid Mesa
4 Scalding Tarn
4 Cavern of Souls
4 Rishadan Port
4 Wasteland
Sideboard
3 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
3 Pyrokinesis
3 Relic of Progenitus
2 Confusion in the Ranks
1 Ancient Grudge
1 Sudden Shock
1 Stingscourger
1 Mindbreak Trap
Goblins: 33
Lands: 23
Removal: 6+1(Goblin Sharpshooter)
Matches
16 man tournament, swiss, cut to top 8.
Round 1 - Pete with Nic Fit (BUG Pod)
Me and Pete are good friends and play together all the time, so I know what he is on. Unfortunately we didn't actually want to be paired. Me because it's strongly in his favor, and him because he wanted extra chances to get at that first place Underground Sea because I'd be willing to get some stuff + a Bayou from him.
I lost the roll and looked at my opener and it was really bad. I jokingly brought up how if we drew game 1 we can get a gentlmen's mulligan. His hand must have been pretty bad too because he said he'd do it. I'll take it, it's a bad match-up. I end up mulliganing down to 6 and keeping a hand that had a clock and no Aether Vial. I got very, very lucky and top decked removal exactly when I needed it every other turn. I rammed my field through 2 Pernicious Deeds and 2 Murderous Redcaps, rebought with Eternal Witness, until he stopped moving.
+3 Relic of Progenitus
+1 Ancient Grudge
-4 Aether Vials
Aether Vial is bad in this match-up because it gets hit via splash damage off of Deed. The match-up is also a grind so I didn't bring in Pyrokinesis-- He doesn't actually fall over from a resolved Kinesis, he just rebuilds, usually very quickly.
He jammed a Vetern Explorer, joking about how it's a better Moat. I played a land and passed. He durdles with a Brainstorm and passed the turn. I played my Tarfire on Veteren Explorer at his end step intending to cast my Goblin Ringleader on turn 2, which I did. The game continues in this fashion for some time, with me chaining Ringleaders and him eventually deeding it away. It came down to the wire as this game was grinding out hard due to the extra sideboard deeds and Abrupt Decays but I took it with 30 seconds on the clock through a hard cast Grave Titan that never got to attack.. Great Game
2-0-1 for 1-0-0 total
Round 2 - Eben with Dig Control
I didn't know what he was on and also managed a nice 4 to his 5 on a couple of D6's. Going first doesn't matter anyway, right?
His early fetches, Islands, Plains and Tundra's made me put him on Miracles. My opener had a Mogg War Marshal, 2 Tarfires, and a Goblin Ringleader. I drew the Cavern of Souls shortly into the game, and got a viscous scowl out of him and a quick brainstorm the turn after I laid it. Must be counterspells in hand. After 2 Swords to Plowshares and a Path to Exile, and lots of Rishadan Porting he cast a Dig Through Time and some warning bells went off, he is probably not on Miracles, but whatever he's on it's a similar game plan and I was feeling confident. 4 more Swords to Plowsharess, via 2 Snapcaster Mages later and 2 more Dig Through Times he finally got what appeared to be 1 of his 2 win conditions down --Elspeth, Knight-Errant post Supreme Verdict. I assumed the other is Jace the Mind Sculptor as a probable 3 of. I shifted up a gear and dropped my hand and bashed for lethal as he was tapped out. I still like Goblin Piledrivers explosiveness.
20 Minutes on the clock.
+3 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
-3 Tarfire
I considered Sudden Shock, because it appeared he had 4 Snapcaster Mage, but decided that Goblin Matron's ability was more important.
2 Aether Vials got countered out of the gate and then we moved to grinding again. It was going solidly in my favor until a wild Baneslayer Angel appeared. He was at 7, dang. So once again I threw caution to the wind and dropped my hand on the board instead of playing conservatively, in the hopes of getting a high enough count for a Gempalm Incinerator. What ended up happening was him doing some math, attacking, bringing him up to 9 and me down to 7. On board I had an Aether Vial at 3, 1 land in hand, and could crack back with some tokens and a Goblin Ringleader for 4. I drew a Goblin Ringleader, played it off of a Cavern of Souls, revealing Goblin Warchief and Goblin Piledriver. I then presented lethal and he scooped.
2-0-0 for 2-0-0 total
Round 3 - Jeremy with Dredge
I know Jeremy and he could be on a wide variety of decks. I've seen him play Omnitell, Show and Tell, Hypergenesis, U/R Delver, and Dredge.
I lost another die roll and looked at my 7. Cavern of Souls, Scalding Tarn, Goblin Lackey, Goblin Pildriver, Mogg War Marshal, Goblin Warchief, Goblin Ringleader. Excellent.
He pitched his hand immediately to a Lion's Eye Diamond and flashbacked a Faithless Lootting. I'm so happy my hand is good. I play my lackey and pass. His dredges go pretty deep, about 24 or so cards, but no Bridge from Below or Narcomoeba. I don't mind some luck. Goblin Lackey connects and puts in Goblin Warchief, crack fetch and cast Goblin Piledriver and Mogg War Marshal. I ship it. His turn involves about 12 dredges and wiffing. Better lucky than good right? I come in for a turn 3 kill.
I board in just about every card in my sideboard. This is not a great match-up and pretty much every goblin is irrelevant.
+3 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
+3 Pyrokinesis
+3 Relic of Progenitus
-4 Aether Vial
-2 Goblin Ringleader
-1 Gempalm Incinerator
-1 Tarfire
-1 Goblin Sharpshooter
I'm not going to lie I straight up forgot to board in the Stingscourger to fight Dread Return.
He simply Faithless Lootings and put's a Cabal Therapy and a Golgari-Grave Troll in the grave I cast a turn 1 Relic of Progenitus, tap it, exiling his therapy and pass. His dredges don't seem to end, but no zombies. Unfortunately it does result in an Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite being Dread Returned off of some Narcomoeba. I pop my relic and pass, as there were therapies in graveyard and I really didn't want to lose my Pyrokinesis, as a second one was my out. The following turn I cast a suicide matron and realize my Stingscourger isn't in. I grab another matron thinking that any amount of deck thinning is good then. He simply bashes for 5 turns for the win.
Game 3 I immediately board in my Stingscourger, removing another Tarfire. Promptly mulligan to a slow 4 with a Thalia, Guardian of Thraben, and essentially lose on turn 3 to a pile of zombies.
Perhaps I shouldn't be boarding Thalia, Guardian of Thraben in against Dredge?
0-2-0 for 2-1-0 total
Round 4 - Isaac with Landstill
I finally win a die roll and go first. I do not know what he is playing.
I keep a hand with several 2 drops and a Matron, play a fetch and pass. He lays a land and passes. I cast a Mogg War Marshal and pass. He plays a Mishra's Factory and a Standstill. He's probably on Landstill as it did well recently. The only other option is Merfolk. I'm happy about either of these match-ups but I have no experience in the former, just theory. I pay the echo and draw an Aether Vial for turn. He has 6 cards in hand, so I just jam the Aether Vial. Waiting seemed far worse. He draws his 3 and Aether Vial resolves. A second Standstill comes down and he discards 2 cards. One of his lands that turn was another Mishra's Factory. The game progesses like this for a while with me having Aether Vial on 3, a couple of Goblin Matron over the course of a few turns that each tutored up Gempalm Incinerator for his Mishra's Factorys. I didn't see a Wasteland or Rishadan Port that game. And I took it pretty easily.
+3 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
+1 Sudden Shock
+1 Ancient Grudge (for Mishra's Factory)
-3 Mogg War Marshal
-1 Goblin Piledriver
-1 Siege-Gang Commander
-1 Tarfire
Rinse and repeat, but with Wasteland and Rishadan Port. I didn't even see my boarded cards. This match-up is heavily in our favor.
2-0-0 for 3-1-0 total
Round 5 - Nick with Elves
We drew, 3-2 gets into the top. We played some games for practice.
He was on elves with mainboard Gitaxian Probes, and a very good player. His super secret sideboard tech, which he revealed to me because top 8 lists were available, was good ol' Blood Moon. He said half of his wins came from it today. I won half of our practice games.
0-0-1 for 3-1-1 total
Round 6 - Andrew with U/R Delver
Top 8 now, only need to beat his guy to get to one of the top 4 prizes. I took a look at his list and he had 2 Forked Bolt, 2 Grim Lavamancer and 2 Electrickery in his board. Rough.
I lose the die roll once again and we go at it. He drops a Delver of Secrets. I drop a land and pass, despite having a Aether Vial in hand to play around Daze. He runs 3 and I NEED it to win the game with this hand. Lot's of pile of 2 costs, and a Tarfire. Delver flips and a Monastery Swiftspear joins the assault. Gitaxian Probe and Ponder make it so I take 6 this turn. I tick the Vial and draw a Goblin Lackey. I waste his Volcanic Island and tarfire his Delver of Secrets. He lays another Volcanic Island and attacks for 1. No pro-active spells means re-active. Might be bolt, but it is more than likely a Force of Will or Daze. I flash in Goblin Lackey, draw a Wasteland for turn and use it on his Volcanic Island, and he loses from there, never finding another land. 16 lands is real low to the ground.
I feel really good about this match-up.
+3 Pyrokinesis
+1 Sudden Shock
-2 Tin Street Hooligan
-2 Tarfire
Just upgrading some of the removal and adding a bit more.
Take the previous game, and repeat but with a Pyrokinesis in the middle of it.
2-0-0 for 4-1-1 total
Round 7 - Jeremy with Dredge
Literally read the Round 3 report, but I mulliganed to death again in 2 games, twice in game 1, 4 times in game 2. Turn 2 norn, and then turn 3 zombie horde in 2 games.
Literally hands I would not keep against ANY deck. The mull to 3 was probably the most controversial choice, my 4 was Rishadan Port, 2 Goblin Matron, and Goblin Ringleader. The argument being that mulliganing to 3 would be just as bad or worse. But I found 2 Goblin Lackey, Goblin Warchief. Sure I had to pass turn, but I topped a land the following turn. Then died.
0-2-0 for 4-2-1 total
I walked away with a Badlands.
Scattered Thoughts
There were a couple of marginal mistakes I made through-out that could have done damage to me, but didn't. I need to play tighter. Also that sideboarding mistake against dredge. Blech.
I might not need Thalia, Guardian of Thraben against Dredge. Anyone got information on this? I've had success in the past, but not a ton of information.
Wasteland is well positioned right now. I still think Rishadan Port is very good as well.
Don't buy "spicy" brownies from the store.
Despite never drawing Sudden Shock I was happy to have it in my board. If you got the slots, it's not an all star, but it is very good against Young Pyromancer and Stoneforge Mystic.
The best card in our deck is still Goblin Ringleader.
I was going to play a Grafdigger's Cage in my board and ended up sticking with Mindbreak Trap. Based on what I saw, oops.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Mantis
Hello all,
I would be curious to hear your opinions and will advocate Goblins to those looking to play a non-blue deck in the current metagame.
Rant Warning.
This might sound... head-strong, and is filled with generalizations for simplicities sake.
Magic players are sheeple and flock to what they can see. Few test out strategies that aren't "blue" because there is already so much research being done on what is blue.
If 75% of the room is trying to figure out how to make Treasure Cruise good, and the rest how to make it bad, which group is going to make more progress quicker?
End Rant.
I do think goblins is well placed with Lands being the worst of the "common" match-ups we should expect to see, at this exact moment anyway. Your Armageddon in board intrigues me. Is it possible to use Cataclysm with Flagstones of Trokair instead by chance, similar to D&T tech when they run it?
Re: Report for a Win a Duel (Underground Sea)
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Olaf Forkbeard
Goblin Sharpshooter is one of our best cards versus Dredge. Once it gets online it deals with all their Ichorids, Narcomoebas and Bridges. Do not board it out. I would board out the thir Ringleader or a Tinstreet Hooligan instead. I have found Dredge to be a decent matchup, especially if you are the more experienced player. Having Skirk Prospector really helps though, as it can steal a lot of games. Anyways, congratulations on your finish!
