4 Card Blind: The Silkster Seasons

[tirrit]

Tirrit: Island, Elvish Spirit Guide, River Boa, Signal Pest, comment:
I really wanted to play no islands and Aku Djinn plus xathrid acolyte, with the idea that it would force a double block and the wall would have 3 counters and so be able to attack, but if someone was playing a copycat with a small islandwalker and a wall, then their wall would not be able to attack and xathrid acolyte would win. The problem was that it was just a terrible deck: it lost to any 2 power creature. It is so hard to get away from island stuff in the "season of the island".


GoblinSmashmaster: Volcanic Island, Goblin Lackey, Skoa, Embermage, Merfolk Spy, comment: Goblin smash!
I can't attack or goblin lackey will smash me, so I lose to merfolk spy. 0-6

Silkster: Subterranean Hangar, Xathrid Acolyte, Vesuva, Phantasmal Forces, comment: upkeeps!
Phantasmal forces is too slow vs my turn 8 goldfish. 6-0

dte: Rushwood Legate, Rushwood Legate, Tropical island, Mistbreath Elder, comment:
Legates smash me. 0-6

Wrath of Pie: Island, Island, Reef Shaman, Volatile Stormdrake, comment:
Unfortunately for you my threat is worse than your stormdrake, so your stormdrake smashes you. 6-0

FTW: Cathedral of War, Island, Deeptread Merrow, Gilded Drake, comment:
I barely win the race by attacking first on the draw (again having a worse threat than gilded drake is important here). 6-0


18/30 points

[FTW]

Tirrit: Island, Elvish Spirit Guide, River Boa, Signal Pest, comment:
I really wanted to play no islands and Aku Djinn plus xathrid acolyte, with the idea that it would force a double block and the wall would have 3 counters and so be able to attack, but if someone was playing a copycat with a small islandwalker and a wall, then their wall would not be able to attack and xathrid acolyte would win. The problem was that it was just a terrible deck: it lost to any 2 power creature. It is so hard to get away from island stuff in the "season of the island".

I also tried to force Aku Djinn (or Sheltering Ancient), but those decks were losing to 3/x Islandwalk. In case someone found a better way to use them, Drake. I think you chose right with turbo 3/x.

[dte]

It's a good thing I made the scoring system kind to such a thing! It's certainly easier to get 0 or 6 round points with fewer players. I think my Inquisition deck was my first time getting 6 round points. I can hardly remember anyone scoring 6 round points before my Inquisition deck. I even have strong memories someone in the pauper season playing Swamp, Ritual, Duress, Skittering Skirge and they went 6-0 in every matchup except for one 3-3 because it was the closest I'd seen to a full sweep.

The first round of my first full season (pauper bannathon that you won), I had a full sweep on a 11 players round with:
Laboratory Maniac, Mortuary Mire, Izzet Boilerworks, Irrigation Ditch
I was very proud of it :)

And now I think tirrit did it at least twice in a single season?

[silkster]

The first round of my first full season (pauper bannathon that you won), I had a full sweep on a 11 players round with:
Laboratory Maniac, Mortuary Mire, Izzet Boilerworks, Irrigation Ditch
I was very proud of it :)

And now I think tirrit did it at least twice in a single season?

Oh, I do remember the Lab Maniac now. I didn't realize it had been reprinted with a rarity drop. And you're right that Tirrit did it twice already. I think this format of floor/ceiling (which I call "Room" in my scrap excel sheets) is good for innovation and allows some really great finds. I think you've also commented on having a deck in your notes that would have swept. In the round where the floor deck was Therapy, Sadist, and Fumespitter, I thought people would play Deathspeakers, but it turned out that Mindslaver + EE would have swept that round.

[dte]

I think you've also commented on having a deck in your notes that would have swept

That I had a few times (I think FTW too), but I guess it reflects more on thinking of too many decks and/or choosing poorly between them.

Room is a good name for floor & ceiling :) I agree the format brings in surprises.

[silkster]

87d38539b12ac645791334cdd2e7814e02011f1330528ea9f568a648ab30fa81

Checking for legalities now.

[silkster]

Round 3

GoblinSmashmaster: Crystal Vein, Simian Spirit Guide, Goblin Flotilla, Crookshank Kobolds, comment: Goblin paddle?
dte: Goblin Champion, Bazaar of Baghdad, Big Game Hunter, Forbidden Orchard, comment: Goblin smash! With real vintage lands!
Reeplcheep: Blightbeetle, Slayers' Stronghold, Raffine's Tower, Sunbaked Canyon, comment: No phantasms please
Wrath of Pie: Grove of the Burnwillows, Elvish Spirit Guide, Thermo-Alchemist, Polar Kraken, comment:
FTW: Stomping Ground, Svyelunite Temple, Dwarven Sea Clan, Taunting Kobold, comment: Dwarves!
Silkster: Vesuva, Izzet Boilerworks, Mogg Toady, Seasinger, comment: Goblin smash!
Tirrit: Chancellor of the Annex, Sand Silos, Indatha Triome, Kjeldoran Javelineer, comment:

[silkster]

7 entries and 28 different cards! And very different strategies too. Only a few lands are close, like Stomping Ground and Grove of the Burnwillows, and a few triomes are pretty close, though still each chosen very specifically. The closest thing to repeat strategies is 3 goblin decks!

[FTW]

FTW: Stomping Ground, Svyelunite Temple, Dwarven Sea Clan, Taunting Kobold, comment: Dwarves!

I thought Island and Vesuva would not be playable, since Frog gro is too good. But Seasinger and Blightbeetle are both good solutions.


GoblinSmashmaster: Crystal Vein, Simian Spirit Guide, Goblin Flotilla, Crookshank Kobolds
A fellow Kobold! But your 2/2 goblin is much bigger than my 1/1 Dwarf. LL 6-0

dte: Goblin Champion, Bazaar of Baghdad, Big Game Hunter, Forbidden Orchard
Clever way to only beat the Frog. I did not notice the 1st ability wasn't a "may".
If you play Champion, I have 2 1/1s vs your 1/2. If you play BGH, I have 3 1/1s. If I trade with your attacking 2/2, then your 1/2 beats by 1/1. But if I let it through, I can race you 3 vs 2. WW 0-6

Reeplcheep: Blightbeetle, Slayers' Stronghold, Raffine's Tower, Sunbaked Canyon
Island? I can Goad you into death. WW 0-6

Wrath of Pie: Grove of the Burnwillows, Elvish Spirit Guide, Thermo-Alchemist, Polar Kraken
My 1/1 can't attack through Thermo-Alchemist, and your wall can't be Goaded. LL 6-0

Silkster: Vesuva, Izzet Boilerworks, Mogg Toady, Seasinger
Vesuva can copy my blue land, but you still can't keep Seasinger & I have too many creatures for Toady. WW 0-6

Tirrit: Chancellor of the Annex, Sand Silos, Indatha Triome, Kjeldoran Javelineer
Kobold is too good! I have Channex fodder, so I can play my 1/1 and win. WW 0-6


12 points (4 loss, 8 wins)


Should have played one of my other contenders:
Exotic Orchard, Icatian Store, Hammerhead Shark, Kjeldoran Javelineer
Overgrown Tomb, Deepwood Legate, Land Cap, Acolyte of Xathrid

I was surprised to see no Deepwood Legates and few Forests playing around it.

[silkster]

Round 3

GoblinSmashmaster: Crystal Vein, Simian Spirit Guide, Goblin Flotilla, Crookshank Kobolds, comment: Goblin paddle?
Your goblin attacks while mine looks on timidly. That's a goblin paddling.
6-0

dte: Goblin Champion, Bazaar of Baghdad, Big Game Hunter, Forbidden Orchard, comment: Goblin smash! With real vintage lands!
I figured out mostly why this was legal, then saw the sneaky line of holding the elder until both players are at 3, and this deck got the dm of doubt, even though the line I proposed was winning for the Big Game Hunter. I'm curious about even how many unplayed lists 6-0 this. I had one that 6-0s this and I nearly played it, but I couldn't resist the allure of smashing with goblins.
0-6

Reeplcheep: Blightbeetle, Slayers Stronghold, Raffine's Tower, Sunbaked Canyon, comment: No phantasms please
Many rounds ago I had a Deathspeakers + Slayers' Stronghold deck, and I had a 2x blightbeetle deck, but I somehow didn't put this together. I'm also just realizing that I did the math to realize that this deck could play Island, but my list didn't have Island in it, and when I found Seasinger I was pretty sure I'd never activate it. Alas, the beetle does not fill its ears with wax, nor does it have its crew mates tie it to the mast of the ship, and the poor beetle sails straight into the rocks.
0-6

Wrath of Pie: Grove of the Burnwillows, Elvish Spirit Guide, Thermo-Alchemist, Polar Kraken, comment:


FTW: Stomping Ground, Svyelunite Temple, Dwarven Sea Clan, Taunting Kobold, comment: Dwarves!
I spent a few minutes trying to figure out how this deck was fast enough to kill the elder before it grows, and then finally remembered that you're not playing an island. I didn't think that for anyone else though. The Sea Clan just sounds like you're running an island, I guess.
I'm surprised that Taunting Kobold didn't get printed as "Taunting Goblin". We could have had even more goblins. I'm also amused that you could have played Taunting Elf, and it would have been the same.
6-0

Silkster: Vesuva, Izzet Boilerworks, Mogg Toady, Seasinger, comment: Goblin smash!
Surely no one will actually play an island, right?

Tirrit: Chancellor of the Annex, Sand Silos, Indatha Triome, Kjeldoran Javelineer, comment:
My Toady is way too fast for your Javelineers, but I can't resolve it through the Chancellor if you just never play a land.
2-2

I was very excited so I already commented that there are 28 different cards here. And the strategies too.
Race with a 2/2 and chump block once.
Forbidden Orchard specifically against Mistbreath's bounce.
Vigilance pro green, ft. The Lonely Island.
Block with an 0/3.
Shoot it down because it's on an island.
Steal it because it's on an island. (Maybe these two are the closest.)
Cumulative upkeep slowness with chancellor as the anti 2/2. (My Javelineers list was forced to play a blocker that could attack.)

[GoblinSmashmaster]

GoblinSmashmaster Result for Round "Goblins"

GoblinSmashmaster: Crystal Vein, Simian Spirit Guide, Goblin Flotilla, Crookshank Kobolds, comment: Goblin paddle?
That's me, on the same goblin!

dte: Goblin Champion, Bazaar of Baghdad, Big Game Hunter, Forbidden Orchard, comment: Goblin smash! With real vintage lands!
Goblin smash! 0-6

Reeplcheep: Blightbeetle, Slayers Stronghold, Raffine's Tower, Sunbaked Canyon, comment: No phantasms please
Goblin smash! 0-6

Wrath of Pie: Grove of the Burnwillows, Elvish Spirit Guide, Thermo-Alchemist, Polar Kraken, comment:
Wall 6-0

FTW: Stomping Ground, Svyelunite Temple, Dwarven Sea Clan, Taunting Kobold, comment: Dwarves!
Goblin smash! 0-6

Silkster: Vesuva, Izzet Boilerworks, Mogg Toady, Seasinger, comment: Goblin smash!
Goblin smash! 0-6

Tirrit: Chancellor of the Annex, Sand Silos, Indatha Triome, Kjeldoran Javelineer, comment:
Goblin smash! 0-6

6 goblin points

[dte]

GoblinSmashmaster: Crystal Vein, Simian Spirit Guide, Goblin Flotilla, Crookshank Kobolds, comment: Goblin paddle?
6-0, goblin smash! But not mine..
6

dte: Goblin Champion, Bazaar of Baghdad, Big Game Hunter, Forbidden Orchard, comment: Goblin smash! With real vintage lands!
That's me smashing with goblin (and stealing someone else's line.

Reeplcheep: Blightbeetle, Slayers Stronghold, Raffine's Tower, Sunbaked Canyon, comment: No phantasms please
6-0, beetle smash!
12

Wrath of Pie: Grove of the Burnwillows, Elvish Spirit Guide, Thermo-Alchemist, Polar Kraken, comment:
6-0, goblin burnt.
18

FTW: Stomping Ground, Svyelunite Temple, Dwarven Sea Clan, Taunting Kobold, comment: Dwarves!
6-0, dwarves smash!
I had almost the same deck with the elf one and other lands.
24

Silkster: Vesuva, Izzet Boilerworks, Mogg Toady, Seasinger, comment: Goblin smash!
6-0, goblin smash! But not mine.
Vesuva again! Will have to remember it.
30

Tirrit: Chancellor of the Annex, Sand Silos, Indatha Triome, Kjeldoran Javelineer, comment:
6-0. I can't beat chancellor
36

Two sweeps in a row! Unless I miscalculated, which happens.

Should have played one of my other contenders:
Exotic Orchard, Icatian Store, Hammerhead Shark, Kjeldoran Javelineer
Overgrown Tomb, Deepwood Legate, Land Cap, Acolyte of Xathrid

I was surprised to see no Deepwood Legates and few Forests playing around it.

The first would have been illegal : the token is bounced and the frog becomes 3/3, beating the shark. Otherwise I never thought of deepwood legate, but I had a saprazzan Legate deck until I realized it was against mountains and not forests :/

I was very excited so I already commented that there are 28 different cards here. And the strategies too.
Race with a 2/2 and chump block once.
Forbidden Orchard specifically against Mistbreath's bounce.
Vigilance pro green, ft. The Lonely Island.
Block with an 0/3.
Shoot it down because it's on an island.
Steal it because it's on an island. (Maybe these two are the closest.)
Cumulative upkeep slowness with chancellor as the anti 2/2. (My Javelineers list was forced to play a blocker that could attack.)

7 different strategies and 28 different cards is indeed remarkable, I don't remember seeing that diversity, even when we played with bonuses or penalties for redundancies. Pretty cool.

And I really thought there would be at least one phyrexian walker!

[silkster]

Should have played one of my other contenders:
Exotic Orchard, Icatian Store, Hammerhead Shark, Kjeldoran Javelineer
Overgrown Tomb, Deepwood Legate, Land Cap, Acolyte of Xathrid

I was surprised to see no Deepwood Legates and few Forests playing around it.

The first would have been illegal : the token is bounced and the frog becomes 3/3, beating the shark. Otherwise I never thought of deepwood legate, but I had a saprazzan Legate deck until I realized it was against mountains and not forests :/

That's Exotic Orchard not your Forbidden Orchard. It's funny because I had Exotic Orchard in a few decks, like Icatian Store, Kjeldoran Javelineers, Exotic Orchard, Keeper of Progenitus, so when I read it I read the right one, but your mind was elsewhere.

As far as the Legate goes, I was expecting the copycat Overgrown Tomb, Deepwood Legate, Shanodin Dryads. I submitted the only deck I had that went 6-0 against this copycat.

[Wrath of Pie]

Wrath of Pie: Grove of the Burnwillows, Elvish Spirit Guide, Thermo-Alchemist, Polar Kraken, comment:

GoblinSmashmaster: Crystal Vein, Simian Spirit Guide, Goblin Flotilla, Crookshank Kobolds, comment: Goblin paddle? - WW
dte: Goblin Champion, Bazaar of Baghdad, Big Game Hunter, Forbidden Orchard, comment: Goblin smash! With real vintage lands! - WW
Reeplcheep: Blightbeetle, Slayers Stronghold, Raffine's Tower, Sunbaked Canyon, comment: No phantasms please - LL
FTW: Stomping Ground, Svyelunite Temple, Dwarven Sea Clan, Taunting Kobold, comment: Dwarves! - WW
Silkster: Vesuva, Izzet Boilerworks, Mogg Toady, Seasinger, comment: Goblin smash! - WW
Tirrit: Chancellor of the Annex, Sand Silos, Indatha Triome, Kjeldoran Javelineer, comment: - LL

4l = 12 points

I probably should have stuck with exalted Dryad Arbor, blocking was too good.

[tirrit]

Tirrit: Chancellor of the Annex, Sand Silos, Indatha Triome, Kjeldoran Javelineer, comment:
I had a couple of different decks I was considering (including reep's deck, almost exactly!), but all of the interesting ones seemed to 0-6 vs force spike so I thought I'd try it.


GoblinSmashmaster: Crystal Vein, Simian Spirit Guide, Goblin Flotilla, Crookshank Kobolds, comment: Goblin paddle?
6-0 you have an extra spell to throw into the force spike.

dte: Goblin Champion, Bazaar of Baghdad, Big Game Hunter, Forbidden Orchard, comment: Goblin smash! With real vintage lands!
0-6 Wow this deck is brilliant. It's always a good sign when I look at it and I think "wait, that's illegal!" and turn out to be wrong. Here I was in the same boat as FTW and I thought both parts of the trigger were optional.

Reeplcheep: Blightbeetle, Slayers Stronghold, Raffine's Tower, Sunbaked Canyon, comment: No phantasms please
6-0 you can pay for force spike on the beetle (too bad stronghold taps for mana, right?)

Wrath of Pie: Grove of the Burnwillows, Elvish Spirit Guide, Thermo-Alchemist, Polar Kraken, comment:
0-6 you only have one thing and no extra mana.

FTW: Stomping Ground, Svyelunite Temple, Dwarven Sea Clan, Taunting Kobold, comment: Dwarves!
6-0 you have a spare spell to throw into the force spike.

Silkster: Vesuva, Izzet Boilerworks, Mogg Toady, Seasinger, comment: Goblin smash!
2-2 we stare. (I initially thought this was 6-0 because I forgot how useless vesuva is!)

20 points

[FTW]

Does Frog return Seasinger on upkeep, returning control to opponent in time to attack once before Seasinger can activate again?

[silkster]

Does Frog return Seasinger on upkeep, returning control to opponent in time to attack once before Seasinger can activate again?

I actually did forget about Frog returning my things on upkeep for a bit, but Frog returns Toady which I can recast. But, now that I think about it, the deck that I almost submitted that would have beaten dte was actually illegal.

[dte]

That's Exotic Orchard not your Forbidden Orchard. It's funny because I had Exotic Orchard in a few decks, like Icatian Store, Kjeldoran Javelineers, Exotic Orchard, Keeper of Progenitus, so when I read it I read the right one, but your mind was elsewhere.

Indeed, I mixed my orchards :/

[FTW]

As far as the Legate goes, I was expecting the copycat Overgrown Tomb, Deepwood Legate, Shanodin Dryads. I submitted the only deck I had that went 6-0 against this copycat.

Any deck with Forest loses to that. That's why I played Stomping Grounds (Forest). Was surprised to see no copycats and few Forest.

[silkster]

Any deck with Forest loses to that. That's why I played Stomping Grounds (Forest). Was surprised to see no copycats and few Forest.

Strangely enough, my Shanodin Dryads deck specifically ran a Forest because that's a weakness, but I wasn't doing that in my other decks because I was trying to run worse lands.

Our next ceiling deck is unambiguously the deck that went undefeated: Goblin Champion, Bazaar of Baghdad, Big Game Hunter, Forbidden Orchard,

Also banned are:
Rushwood Legate,
Tropical island,
Mistbreath Elder

Special note that Wood Elemental is once again legal. You wouldn't want to overlook that one by just automatically assuming that it's banned.