[Deck] Goblins

A seemingly fringe situation with Port, but one which has come up for me surprisingly often is using Port to bait an opposing Wasteland before playing Cavern or a Dual.

Vs. Lands, it is *sometimes* possible to keep them off of colored mana, but you need to know what you're doing if you're going to be actively Wastelanding as well.

The thing that had me most excited about JPR's list is that he's made 4 Ports work with the black splash. I imagine that not having to expose a Badlands early for Cabal Therapy is key there. (Much as I do love Therapy)

Well, JPR even plays a third color (and, to make it even better, a fourth color, counting the one Wailing Wail). I was really hoping on some vids, it would be interesting to see him play.

I agree with 100% of what Sandro said and I want to point out another drawback of going for 4 Wastelands + 4 Ports: you cant play Pendelhaven, which has proven to be an excellent utility land, Insider and outside of a Winstigator list.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Sockosensei

A seemingly fringe situation with Port, but one which has come up for me surprisingly often is using Port to bait an opposing Wasteland before playing Cavern or a Dual.

Vs. Lands, it is *sometimes* possible to keep them off of colored mana, but you need to know what you're doing if you're going to be actively Wastelanding as well.

The thing that had me most excited about JPR's list is that he's made 4 Ports work with the black splash. I imagine that not having to expose a Badlands early for Cabal Therapy is key there. (Much as I do love Therapy)

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Chatto

Well, JPR even plays a third color (and, to make it even better, a fourth color, counting the one Wailing Wail). I was really hoping on some vids, it would be interesting to see him play.

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Yes, part of the reason my splashing works is that I very rarely need exactly my badlands or taiga for something. Tin street, Grenzo, and earwig squad all can be cast off cavern (or even lackey and vial if you're not using the effects of tin street or earwig).

Only k-grip, ancient grudge's second cast, and warren weirding require one of my duals. I also try to not fetch for a dual until I'm either certain that my opponent isn't playing wasteland or I'm ready to cast a spell using that color. Sometimes I will be forced to fetch a dual early because I'm light on lands and can't afford to not draw a fetch later when I need it, but that isn't too terribly common.

I do not know if I could support 4 ports and additional splash colors if I were on the 3 cabal therapy plan. I suspect not.

Warping wail has been very easy to cast. The only tension with the mana base is sometimes you have to choose between porting someone and leaving up Wail. Often times you can make the correct decision by asking yourself, "if I port here, can they still play the sorcery I want to counter or the creature I want to exile?"

Sadly the tournament wasn't on stream so I have no videos for you. The top 8 matches were especially exciting, my report really didn't do them justice.

While I enjoyed your report, I do miss a decent video-coverage. I believe you when you say those MU's were pretty exciting!

@ Sandro: Badlands are vunerable to Wasteland as well. I do agree when playing a heavy splash-colour like you do, more Duals are required. In that case, cutting on Port for instance only seems natural.

@ Gobolord: Let's say, for the sake of argument, Pendelhaven substitutes Rishadan Port. I love Pendelhaven, don't get me wrong. It served me well in the WInstigator-build (never tried it in a Classic-build). Thing is, the way I read it, in given examples one page earlier Pendelhaven does not accomplish the same thing. Yes, it's not entirely fair to make such a comparison, but the point is both cards serve a different purpose.

Sideboards - Graveyard hate

Sometimes it's better to diversify due to pithing needles. Relics are better against Goyfs, Cages against reanimator, but what's considered our best GY SB cards? How many should we pack? It's meta dependant so I guess 3-4 normally. I have found Leylines the best if you can draw them, but it requires aggressive mulligans and no guarantee you'll find them.

Leyline of the Void
Relic of Progenitus
Tormod's Crypt
Grafdigger's Cage
Surgical Extraction

What do you guys play most as GY hate? I don't like Dredge, or Reanimator decks either, alongside my hate for Storm!!!!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by orcanmail

Sideboards - Graveyard hate

Sometimes it's better to diversify due to pithing needles. Relics are better against Goyfs, Cages against reanimator, but what's considered our best GY SB cards? How many should we pack? It's meta dependant so I guess 3-4 normally. I have found Leylines the best if you can draw them, but it requires aggressive mulligans and no guarantee you'll find them.

Leyline of the Void
Relic of Progenitus
Tormod's Crypt
Grafdigger's Cage
Surgical Extraction

What do you guys play most as GY hate? I don't like Dredge, or Reanimator decks either, alongside my hate for Storm!!!!

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Well if Dredge is your problem, Skirk Prospector should help you there. Just react to their Bridge From Below triggers.

I find that splashing white is more optimal for goblins, but there is definitely a case for splashing Black as the best color.

So my graveyard hate is Rest in Peace and Containment Priest for the Reanimator match up. As for storm I use a playset of Leyline of Sanctity, which doubles as good sideboard tech against Burn, Pox, and anything that targets you.

My SB is

4x Leyline of Sanctity
3x Chalice of the Void
2x Containment Priest
2x Rest in Peace
2x Wear / Tear
1x Goblin Sharpshooter
1x Boartusk Liege

I went 3-0 at my local tonight. It was a tiny event, but I wanted to try out goblinpiledriver's list.
-1 Krenko
-1 Wail (don't own it)
+1 Earwig Squad
+1 Tarfire

2-1 vs RUG Delver
2-0 vs Miracles
2-1 vs Nic Fit


Notes:
Vs Nic Fit, I cast both Earwigs in a grindy game 1, removing all hope for him to stabilize. I didn't know it was possible to keep that deck off mana, but Ports and Wastes won me the match for me.
Vs Miracles, Vial backed by double Port was brutal. Earwig put in work as well.

The only mana issue I had was wanting a second Badlands when I had two Earwigs in hand and couldn't get a creature to stick to trigger Prowl. I'd consider -1 Taiga, +1 Badlands.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Sockosensei

I went 3-0 at my local tonight. It was a tiny event, but I wanted to try out goblinpiledriver's list.
-1 Krenko
-1 Wail (don't own it)
+1 Earwig Squad
+1 Tarfire

2-1 vs RUG Delver
2-0 vs Miracles
2-1 vs Nic Fit


Notes:
Vs Nic Fit, I cast both Earwigs in a grindy game 1, removing all hope for him to stabilize. I didn't know it was possible to keep that deck off mana, but Ports and Wastes won me the match for me.
Vs Miracles, Vial backed by double Port was brutal. Earwig put in work as well.

The only mana issue I had was wanting a second Badlands when I had two Earwigs in hand and couldn't get a creature to stick to trigger Prowl. I'd consider -1 Taiga, +1 Badlands.

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I am also very interested in goblinpiledriver's list. I own most of the cards (-1 Grenzo). My one issue is that I always have the unfortunate luck to face several burn decks in legacy tournaments. So that's why I'm very heavy in sideboarding with white.

How would you make a sideboard for the B/R list?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by orcanmail

Sideboards - Graveyard hate

Sometimes it's better to diversify due to pithing needles. Relics are better against Goyfs, Cages against reanimator, but what's considered our best GY SB cards? How many should we pack? It's meta dependant so I guess 3-4 normally. I have found Leylines the best if you can draw them, but it requires aggressive mulligans and no guarantee you'll find them.

Leyline of the Void
Relic of Progenitus
Tormod's Crypt
Grafdigger's Cage
Surgical Extraction

What do you guys play most as GY hate? I don't like Dredge, or Reanimator decks either, alongside my hate for Storm!!!!

---

Mostly relic of progenitus because it replaces itself. Also removing both graveyards rather than 1 helps vs goyf and deathrite.

Sometimes I put a single cage in my board if I scout out or just think that extra grave strategies are being represented at a given tournament.

Hey there fellow Chieftains,

This is a short summary of my last event I played on Sunday.
Result: 4-2 after 6 rounds, 38 players

The decklist (changes compared to last tournament: -2 Warchief, + 1 Cheiftain, + 1 Grenzo)

MANA (22)
4 Cavern of Souls
2 Pendelhaven
2 Wasteland
1 Snow-Covered Mountains
6 Mountain
2 Badlands
6 R-Fetches
4 Aether Vial
4 Goblin Lackey
4 Goblin Piledriver
4 Goblin Matron
4 Ringleader

4 Goblin Chieftain
3 Gempalm Incinerator
1 Stingscourger
1 Krenko, Mob Boss
1 Earwig Squad
1 Grenzo, Dungeon Warden
1 Skirk Prospector
3 Cabal Therapy

Sideboard (15)
3 Pithing Needle
3 Blood Moon
4 Goblin Sharpshooter
1 Tuktuk Scrapper
1 Boartusk Liege
1 Goblin Settler
2 Earwig Squad

http://magiccards.info/scans/de/avr/172.jpg
R1: Niklas with Elves (1-2)
[on the draw]
G1: I get Crater-hoofed on turn 3.

-3 Cabal Therapy, -4 Ringleader, + 3 Pithing Needle, +4 Sharpshooter

G2: I get Sharpshooter going on turn 4 and that is that.
G3: I keep the following 7: 1 Wasteland, 2 Caverns, 1 Pithing Needle, 1 Piledriver, 1 Sharpshooter, 1 Krenko. My opponent takes mulligan down to 5, keeps, play Bayou, then DRS.

PUZZLE TIME #1: What would you do with this hand and why?



http://magiccards.info/scans/de/avr/172.jpg
R2: Stefan with Elves (1-2)
[on the draw]
G1: I get Crater-hoofed on turn 3 or 4.

This time I decide to give Cabal Therapy a shot, as neither Krenko, Grenzo nor EWS seemed to pull any weight in this MU:
-1 Grenzo, -1 Earwig Squad, -1 Krenko, -4 Ringleader, + 3 Pithing Needle, +4 Sharpshooter

G2: I strip Natural Order and Green Sun’S Zentith from his hand with Cabal Therapy + get Sharpshooter going by turn 4 or 5.
In G3 I strip his hand again with Cabal TherapyIt takes him until forever to find business (although he pulled off Wirewood + Visionary tricks. I dropped Needle at some point and I myself don’t find any business. At some point he destroys my Needle, does some more Visionary tricks and passes the turn with a full hand. I am sure that he is able to finish me next turn so, with Chieftain on board, I need to draw Sharpshooter from the top. Fortunately I DO draw Sharpshooter, but Unfortunately I don’t win the game from there because I am an idiot. Of all the creatures he has on his board I need to start with Sharp-shooting a Dryad Arbor, while he has Quirion Ranger on the board. He bounces that Dryad Arbor and my Sharpshooter doesn’t untap. I pass the turn, watch him doing thing with Glimpse on Nature, then casting Natural Order. I am so embarrassed about my misplay from the turn before that I miss the untap trigger on Sharpshooter that came from sacrificing a creature into Natural Order and I just scooped, although I could just as well have emptied his board entirely in response to Craterhoof hitting the ground.



http://magiccards.info/scans/en/fe/12.jpg
R3: Tobias with BUG Delver
[on the draw]
G1: He has it all: DRS, Goyf, Decay , Hymn, Lili, another Goyf

-3 Cabal Therapy, + 3 Blood Moon

G2: I cast Lackey on turn 1. He drops a Delver. On my turn I drop Pendelhaven, attack, and kill Delver. On my next turn Lackey connects, I drop Ringleader and I’m riding it home from that point onwards.
G3: We trade Delver for Lackey on turn 3, then I resolve Blood Moon on an otherwise empty board and Tobias scoops.




http://magiccards.info/scans/de/avr/38.jpg
R4: Patrick with Miracles (2-0)
[on the play]
G1: I blind-cast Cabal Therapy on turn 1, hit Brainstorm and see that I am up against Miracles. Other cards on my hand include Grenzo, Ringleader and Earwig Squad. You can imagine how that went.

-3 Therapy, -1 Stingscourger, +1 Goblin Settler, +2 Earwig Squad, +1 Boartusk Liege

G2: I cast a total of 3 Matron, 2 Ringleader, 1 Grenzo and 2 Earwig Squad in this game. ‘Nuff said.




http://magiccards.info/scans/en/od/102.jpg
R5: Florian with Ubr Landstill (1-0)
G1: I win a loooong draaaawn ooouuuut gaaaaamme, other than that I pretty much saw my entire deck.



http://magiccards.info/scans/de/lw/86.jpg
R6: Lukas with Merfolk (2-0)
G1: I kill him on turn 4 with – well – Piledriver, Chieftain and 2 MWMs

-3 Cabal Therapy, -1 Stingscourger, -1 EWS, +4 Sharpshooter, +1 Tuktuk Scrapper

G2: At some point in G2 the gamestate is as follows.

ME
3 Mountains, 1 Cavern of Souls, Aether Vial @4,
3 Sharpshooter, 1 Lackey, 1 Piledriver (everything untapped)
Hand: 1 Matron
Life: 3

LUKAS
2 Island, 1 Mutavault (untapped)
True Name Nemesis (untapped)
Hand: 1 unknown card
Life: 15


PUZZLE TIME #2:How do you win this game from here?


Conclusions
* Cabal Therapy impressed me once more. The card was very good whenever I could cast it. Also, I figured out that it is actually good at slowing down Elves, while I am waiting to cast Sharpshooter
* Pendelhaven was awesome as usual. The situation in R3-G2 is just another example.
* Pithing Needle I still one of the best card that I have in my SB right now
* can’t really evaluate Grenzo yet. I have a strong inner aversion against playing this card. It did do a lot of work against Miracles – but it needs to proof its ground outside of that MU as well.
* playing the full set of Sharpshooter is just awesome, because it increases your odds of actually having one by turn 3. Also, opponents don’t expect (and usually can’t deal with) more than one Sharpshooter. On the other hand it is slow and thinking about having 4 Pyrokinesis instead gives me shivers too. But then again P’Kinesis is a good example to demonstrate the “Law of Diminishing Returns”. The 4th copy is not nearly as useful as the third, which is not as good as the 2nd. Maybe a 2-2 split between Kinesis and Sharpshooter could do. Would love to get some input on that.
* still looking to replace Boartusk Liege with something else.
Thank you for reading my report. Questions and comments are – as always – appreciated.

Puzzle time 2 solution:

Cast matron, tutor skirk prospector, cast prospector

Attack with everything possible (3 sharpshooter, lackey, piledriver)

When he animates mutavault, sac matron to skirk and use sharpshooters to ping him once and the mutavault twice

Go to damage, takes 3 from shooters and 9 from piledriver (assuming lackey is blocked). Sac guys and sharpshooter him for the rest

If he blocks a sharpshooter instead then just sac and shoot before combat damage

@ Gobolord: am I missing cards? Warren Instigator?

Regarding 2/2 split Shooter Knesis: I always like (when I'm thinking oud-school) to have Knesis as a 2-of in my SB. It's very useful getting bigger targets, something Shooter isn't always capable to do.

Regarding the puzzle: T1 Needle on DRS, T2 let's say he is manascrewed waste on bayou and drop a CoS. T3 second CoS, drop Piledriver, T4 hope for the best: landdrop and Shooter. Keep the board clear from there on.

Or just T1 Needle on DRS, T2 drop Piledriver, T3 drop Shooter and T4 drop Krenko. The more direct, agressive route.

@goblinpiledriver: Thank you for your comment. The solution you suggested doesn't take His unknown card (e.g. Daze) into Account.

@Chatto: thanks for your comment. I went for the second route, because his T2 play was quirion Ranger. Do you think I should have Named Quirion Ranger or Wirewood Symbiote instead?
Oh, and: yeah; no Winstigators. In the face of Goyf, Hymn to Tourach and Liliana, I want to run the mini-cardadvantage-engines of MWM + GI again.
BUG and Elves are the only MUs (outside of Storm Combo of course) where I don't feel favored - and Im looking to change that.

@ Gobolord: Wirewood, I think at this stage it could be a pain in the ass.

MWM and GI make for a solid plan in your meta.

EDIT: I'm just thinking about how Ranger and Symbiot can be problematic when played correctly. I'm no Elves-player, but I can see them go over the top, especially with the right draw.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by GoboLord

@goblinpiledriver: Thank you for your comment. The solution you suggested doesn't take His unknown card (e.g. Daze) into Account.

@Chatto: thanks for your comment. I went for the second route, because his T2 play was quirion Ranger. Do you think I should have Named Quirion Ranger or Wirewood Symbiote instead?
Oh, and: yeah; no Winstigators. In the face of Goyf, Hymn to Tourach and Liliana, I want to run the mini-cardadvantage-engines of MWM + GI again.
BUG and Elves are the only MUs (outside of Storm Combo of course) where I don't feel favored - and Im looking to change that.

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I guess I overlooked the card in their hand.

I have solutions for daze, dismember, and vendilion clique. I believe these are the most likely cards in my opponents hand.

They all start with cast matron and tutor for ringleader, then activate vial.

A)[opponent cliques in response to vial]: one sharpshooter pings the clique while the other 2 ping him to 13 life, all untapping. With him dead and vault tapped, swing with everyone. He blocks a 1/1 (say sharpshooter) and takes 9+1+1+1 = 12, putting him to 1. The blocked creature dies and your remaining sharpshooters untap for the kill. If he does not block, it's exact damage.

B)[opponent doesn't clique]:
Swing with all but one sharpshooter after ringleader enters play

B1)[opponent dismembers piledriver, going to 11 life]: ping him to 8 with sharpshooters then untap after piledriver dies. Attack with all but one sharpshooter. When he activates mutavault, ping your matron and untap. Use two shooters to kill vault and the third to put him to 7. If he blocks lackey, deal 4 combat damage and get untap triggers to finish him. If he blocks ringleader, same thing. If he blocks a sharpshooter, ping for 3 and again get untap triggers for the other 2 to ping again, plus the 3 from ringleader and lackey.

B2)[opponent dismembers sharpshooter, going to 11]: ping to 8 then untap. attack with 1 sharpshooter, lackey, ringleader, piledriver. He activates vault, ping your matron. Untap, kill vault, untap. Piledriver deals 7 and at least one other guy gets through to do the last damage

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Sockosensei

I went 3-0 at my local tonight. It was a tiny event, but I wanted to try out goblinpiledriver's list.
-1 Krenko
-1 Wail (don't own it)
+1 Earwig Squad
+1 Tarfire

2-1 vs RUG Delver
2-0 vs Miracles
2-1 vs Nic Fit


Notes:
Vs Nic Fit, I cast both Earwigs in a grindy game 1, removing all hope for him to stabilize. I didn't know it was possible to keep that deck off mana, but Ports and Wastes won me the match for me.
Vs Miracles, Vial backed by double Port was brutal. Earwig put in work as well.

The only mana issue I had was wanting a second Badlands when I had two Earwigs in hand and couldn't get a creature to stick to trigger Prowl. I'd consider -1 Taiga, +1 Badlands.

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Vs NicFit: what did you take out? Deed and big creatures?

And out of curiosity I checked your eBay-account: if I only had the money... That all-Japanese Goblin deck looks sweet!

@ all: have other people tried Wailing Wail? If so, what are your thoughts on the card?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Chatto

Vs NicFit: what did you take out? Deed and big creatures?

And out of curiosity I checked your eBay-account: if I only had the money... That all-Japanese Goblin deck looks sweet!

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His Deeds were in the sideboard for game 1 when this happened, so the first Earwig took out 2x Massacre Wurm and 1x Grave Titan as they were his best chance to stabilize. The second Earwig took out the other Titan and two Phyrexian Obliterators. His only remaining heavy hitters were the Wurmcoils in his hand which he couldn't cast thanks to Ports keeping him off of 6 mana. I'd seen one earlier when he had a Courser of Kruphix revealing his top card.
Thanks for checking out my eBay stuff!


@GoboLord and @goblinpiledriver
I enjoyed the puzzles and solutions.

I'll admit that the Merfolk situation took me a while to get right, even sitting in my comfortable chair at home. I wouldn't have gotten it under in-game pressure, which is why I still need much more practice, especially with Sharpshooter tricks! It's one thing to solve it quickly when you know a way exists, and another when you're unsure the way is even there and you need to make a play. Nicely done.

Please keep posting situations like these.

Hey guys, I just got top 4 in a local super IQ (47 players) with the red/white build of goblins. I played in the legacy classic in Charlotte a few weeks ago, with the same build, and lost my "Win-and-in" to sneak and show (ugh). Here it is:

Creatures (30)
2 Gempalm Incinerator
4 Goblin Lackey
4 Goblin Matron
3 Goblin Piledriver
4 Goblin Ringleader
1 Goblin Sharpshooter
4 Goblin Warchief
1 Legion Loyalist
2 Mogg War Marshal
1 Siege-Gang Commander
1 Skirk Prospector
1 Stingscourger
1 Tuktuk Scrapper
1 Krenko, Mob Boss

Spells (8)

4 Aether Vial
2 Pyrokinesis
2 Tarfire

Lands (22)

4 Mountain
3 Arid Mesa
3 Bloodstained Mire
4 Cavern of Souls
1 Plateau
3 Rishadan Port
4 Wasteland

Sideboard
3 Chalice of the Void
2 Relic of Progenitus
1 Tuktuk Scrapper
1 Stingscourger
2 Magus of the Moon
2 Grafdigger's Cage
2 Pyrokinesis
2 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben

Round 1 (Elves, with red?)
Game 1 - My opponent was on the play and started going crazy with mana on turn two and natural ordered a craterhoof. I bounced it with stingscourger hoping he wouldn't be able to cast it for its actual cost. He went off again and cast it, killing me.
Game 2 - I took out the 4 Aether vials, and brought in the cages and pyros. I have a pyrokinesis in my opening hand and keep him from going off. I just do the normal, lackey into warchief into other goblins and win.
Game 3 - Pretty much the same as game 2, but I had 2 pyrokinesis and wiped his board twice. He wasn't able to recover. He had taiga's in his maindeck, but I never saw a red spell, anyone see this before?

1-0

Round 2 (Sneak and Show)
Game 1 - My opponent gets a turn 2 show and tell with an Emrakul. Not much I can with that.
Game 2 - Sided out the pyro's and Tuktuk, sided in Thalia and stingscourger. I played a lackey turn one and got a siege-gang down after hitting him. I develop a board, and he drops an emrakul and swings, i sacrifice a bunch of dudes and swing back for the kill.
Game 3 - On the draw, I have a turn 1 lackey and go nuts dropping goblins before he gets any big creatures out. He showed me that he had through the breach and a sneak attack, but couldn't find a creature. I was surprised I won this match, I usually expect the worst going into it.

2-0

Round 3 (Enchantress)
Game 1 - I mull to 5. I had a somewhat slow hand, and he started dropping enchantments and got the rest in peace - helm combo.
Game 2 - I sided out stingscourger, pyro, gelmpalms. Sided in thalia, chalice of the void. He mulls to 5. I get a couple quick creatures out and go to town before he gets anything going.
Game 3 - I get a Chalice on 1 down, but it gets banished and he kills me with Words of War. This match-up just sucks, not much I can do about enchantments.

2-1

Round 4 (Junk)
Game 1 - He starts with a deathrite shaman, into a stoneforge mystic, which grabs a jitte. It seems pretty bad, but I pyro both of his creatures when he going to equip the jitte. I develop a board state and he gets stuck on two lands. He eventually gets a scavenging ooze out, but I have a skirk prospector to prevent any damage from Jitte. I end up overwhelming him with goblins.
Game 2 - I forgot what I sided out, but I brought in another Tuktuk and the pyro's. He plays a scrubland and passes. I play a wasteland and vial. He waste's my wasteland. I play another wasteland and blow up his scrub land. He never drops another land and I continue to tick up vial and drop creatures. Pretty straight forward game.

3-1

Round 5 (Burn)
Game 1 - I'm on the draw. He plays a Swiftspear and attacks. I drop a lackey on my turn. He plays another swiftspear and swings with both, he attempts to bolt my lackey and pump his monsters, but I pyro both of his swiftspears in response. He gets a Sulfuric Vortex out, but doesn't draw enough burn to finish me off. I got a warchief and other goblins out and just keep swinging until I win.
Game 2 - I side in more pyro's, and take out the tuktuk and stingscourger. He starts by playing a Goblin guide and swings. I play a land and a vial. He plays another Goblin Guide, and I pyro both of them. He proceeds to draw 8 or 9 lands, while I keep dropping ringleaders. He burned a couple of my creatures, but I was able to pull out a win throught consistent pressure by the Goblin Ringleaders.

4-1

Round 6 - ID into Top 8

Quarter Finals (Infect)
Here is a video of the match. (There is a good bit of vulgar language in the background)
http://www.twitch.tv/readytoplaytc/v/38784991?t=49m17s

Game 1 - I screwed up what to target with the tarfire and stingscourger. I should have tarfire'd the Agent and bounced it if he gave it hexproof. He ends up drawing the pump to kill me the next turn. Oh well.
Game 2 - I side out 4 Aether vials and a tuktuk, bring in the pyro's, thalia and one chalice. He mulls to 4 this game and I get him to waste his pumps protecting his elf. Thalia prevents him from being able to go crazy with pumps. I steadily beat him down with thalia and goblin tokens.
Game 3 - My opponent plays the Spellskite instead of the blighted agent and it pretty much costs him the game. I may have been able to burn the agent though. Either way, he doesn't draw another land and I get Krenko pumping out tokens. The game ends shortly after that.

Semi Finals (Storm)
Game 1 - I am on the draw. My opponent passes turn without dropping a land. I play a lackey and he storms off on his turn.
Game 2 - I side out pyro's, gempalms, and tuktuk. Brought in Thalia and Chalice. I mull to 6 with a lackey, warchief, piledriver hand, hoping to win before he combo's off. I play the lackey and pass, he combo's off and gets a ton of tokens out. I lose. I could have continued to mull until I hit Chalice, but I felt that wasn't likely.

Anyway, I want to change up the sideboard a little bit, but I am not really sure what I want to do yet. I really would like to find room for Warping Wails, but I am not sure what to cut. I will try some stuff out over the next couple weeks and see what I find.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Diotram

[tournament report]

---

First of all, thank you for sharing your report.

A comment on your game 2 vs. Storm: It's totally legit to keep this hand. You are very likely to kill your opp by turn 3 - and that's nothing that you should mulligan away easily, even without holding any hatecard. If a stormdeck goes off on turn 1 or 2, then that's something you must live with.

@goblinpiledriver: Thank you for providing these solutions to my puzzle-time-question. In the end I Matron'ed for Ringleader, put Ringleader into play, attacked with everything execpt for 1 Matron and 1 Sharpshooter. Upon activating his Mutavault, I killed my own Matron with Sharpshooter, then untapped 3 Sharpshooters to deal 1 dmg to his life and 2 to his mutavault. Piledriver then dealt unblocked damage and I finished him off with some more Sharpshooter activations.

@Chatto: Yeah, Wirewood and Quirion Ranger are the reason why I bring in Needle in the first place. I wasn't sure if blind-naming one of these would have been better then shutting down DRS. In the end DRS didn't do anything as neither him nor me had any lands in GY.