The Sphere

Congrats to the tourney winner, Marco, and here's my brief tournament report...

ROUND 1, Versus Shaun (Faerie Fish)

Game 1: I don't really do too well because he manages to control me with Faeries and he proceeds to draw off of his clamps like crazy. Once that engine starts running, there's next to nothing you can do.

Game 2: Managed to win by storming him out with a Yawgmoth's Will-aided Tendrils. Timetwister has been my best friend in this game, as it allowed me to refill after putting a few moxen and lands on the table, giving me card advantage.

Game 3: Mind's Desire for 9 thanks to casting artifacts, chain of vapor, replaying them. Guess what I revealed? Two bombs, 7 mana sources. Guess what he had in his hand? 2 counters. Fail.

ROUND 2, versus Rommel (?), (Landstill?)

Game 1: He had an early Standstill, but even after drawing, he didn't counter my Necropotence. This allowed me to win the game with ease.

Game 2: A Timetwister-fueled victory into Tendrils happened second or third turn, after I Duressed away any opposition from his hand. I just played solidly throughout, and never flinched at the sheer amount of control I was faced with.

ROUND 3, versus Sam (Dredge)

Game 1: I get overwhelmed, as after I mulled to six, I found nothing of consequence. He just dredged in my face and killed me with Flamekin zealot.

Game 2: Leyline opens for me, then I hit him with a Mind's Desire for 21. That proved sufficient for a victory.

Game 3: I opened with double Leyline. He never managed to clear all the hate on my table, as I ended up having a Yixlid in play, as well as a hardcast (!) Sphinx of the Steel Wind. I attacked him, and the minute he was down to 2, I hardcast Tendrils FTW.

ROUND 4, versus Melo (Dark Times)

Game 1: He Thoughtseized me pretty early on. At some point, he had Confidant in play. I Duress him, and take out his Vampiric Tutor (Huge misplay on his part.). A tinkered Sphinx of the Steel Wind carries me to within five life, I Dark Rit, Tendrils him to one life, and his own Confidant kills him the following turn.

Game 2: He opens with another Thoughtseize, taking away my Brainstorm. I topdeck into a Force of Will, which waited for his Sad Sac with arms wide open. He Sad Sacced me the following turn, only to realize I was holding *both* kill conditions in my hand. Pretty soon, I hardcast (!) Sphinx, attacked him to within two life, then hardcast Tendrils of agony. Cheap way to win, but meh, I'll take it.

ROUND 5, versus Bernard (Shop Aggro)

Game 1: He opened with nothing of consequence. I opened with Mox, Dark Rit, land, Tinker, with FOW backup. He died shortly afterwards.

Game 2: He opened with Lotus, Tolarian, Golem. I opened with Crypt, land, Hurklyl's, leaving him with no mana on the table, since Tolarian had zero artifacts to work with. From there, he started trying to aggro me out, then he cast Jester's Cap, which I allowed to resolve. On my turn I just went with Tinker-Jar, mini Tendrils for 14 damage, then hardcast Necro, to promptly allow me to draw 20 cards, assuring me his Jester's Cap would do nothing, as I drew into Yawgmoth's Will. He activated his Cap, found nothing of consequence, then I just Yawgmoth's Will for the win on the succeeding turn.

ROUND 6, versus (?) (?)

Game 1: I had no idea what he was playing. I Duress, find nothing of consequence, then proceed to sculpt a good hand, and when I hardcast Gifts at the end of turn 4 or 5, he scoops.

Game 2: I still had no idea what he was playing. I hit a Mind's Desire for a measly 4, but hit two bombs in the process, and win from there.

QUARTERFINALS, versus Justin (13SA)

Game 1: I find myself mulling, then promptly find myself decimated by sphere effect after sphere effect.

Game 2: Same thing happens. I was just locked out both games, and no skill on my part could get me out of the qagmire of not getting lands from my deck when I need them, or spells from my deck when I need them.

All in all, it was a solid outing for me, as I played flawlessly this past tournament, only losing games I was never meant to win. My deck choice was excellent as it had decent matches against my two nightmare decks: shops and dredge. While I was decimated by shop in the semis, with a less terrible hand, I'm sure I would've had a significantly better time, and overall, I was pleased as punch that I've managed to dance nimbly around a not-so-common but still significant mismatch, Dark Times.

Congrats sa mga nanalo and to the legend Marco Deligos for winning again.

Tourney Report
Round 1 vs TPS (mistervader)
*see his report

I should not have countered the second dark ritual that he casted in game 2 because he already had a low hand count, should have just waited out for the bomb.


Round 2 vs MUD Aggro (Justin Rampage)

Game 1: He won the roll, but started out slowly. I managed to out accelerate him and cast Tezzeret ftw

Game 2: I got a little bit cocky and kept a one land hand with 2 FOWs in hand. No land showed out for the next three turns and I lost

Game 3: I kept a hand with a very unstable manabase prompting me to cast my pithing needle on wasteland to secure my mana. He also started very slowly and cast pithing on my vault. I countered his golem and STPed his Karn while his mana crypt and tombs brought him from 24 life to 1 life. I drained his trike and managed to hardcast Inkwell Leviathan. He cast sculpting steel on leviathan forcing me to wait it out until a factory with SOFI killed me.


Round 3 vs Confidant Storm (Vanquish)
Game 1: controlled the game via faeries and clamp
Game 2: He started the game with mana accelerants and an Academy, but it took a while for him to secure a black source. My draw engine was already online by then and a resolved Glen Elendra Archmage controlled the game.


Round 4 vs Dark Times (JM Budget)
Game 1: opening leyling made my draw engine useless. I cant really remember what happened but I think I managed to assemble vault-key FTW

Game 2: My opening hand was two strands, sol ring, drains, faeries. He cast an early ritual followed up by thoughtseize removing mana drain, and casted pithing needle on my fetchland. I topdecked a mox sapphire on my next turn, stabilized my manabase and raced him with sprite and clique ftw


Round 5 vs The Deck (Omheng)
Game 1: Started out with 2 moxen and island with mana drain online. He cast ancient grudge on my sapphire which I drained in order to fuel a trinket mage next turn. I cast top, attacked and passed the turn. He flashbacked grudge destroying sapphire, casted another grudge destroying Jet, stripped my island and tinkered out a COW to my demise.

Game 2: I managed to assemble early accelerants and tinkered out a leviathian on the next couple of turns.

Game 3: Faerie beats brought him to low life. He tinkers with Sphinx of the Steel Wind and gains the upper hand. I play 2 Sowers of temptation (one which was countered) and got his sphinx.


Round 6 vs Tezzerator (lance) - Politics


T8
Round 1 vs Mono Red (bebx)
Game 1: Controlled the game and casted tinker ftw

Game 2: Early moon effect with some beaters kept me on pressure. There are no creatures that i could cast when his second cunning sparkmage resolved becasue all my creatures' toughness are two and below.

Game 3: A combination of moon and null rod proved to be lethal as most of my board and hand consisted of artifacts. No answer showed up and I slowly died. I honestly did not expect null rod during that game.

Tulungan ko na si Allan.

Gusto ko yung ipinangalan ni Eric sa deck so adopt ko nalang.

"HateRed"

11 Mountain
4 Ancient Tomb
4 City of Traitors
4 Simian Spirit Guide
2 Gorilla Shaman
4 Manic Vandal
4 Magus of the Moon
4 Cunning Sparkmage
4 Figure of Destiny
3 Greater Gargadon
4 Ligthning Bolt
3 Dead/Gone
3 Basilisk Collar
1 Umezawa's Jitte
2 Shattering Spree
3 Blood Moon

SB:
4 Tormod's Crypt
2 Relic of Progenitus
3 Red Elemental Blast
2 Pyroblast
3 Null Rod
1 Goblin Bombardment

Yung ibang cards ko sa SB di ko nagamit wala akong nakalabang Oath and Dredge. I'm happy na naka-Top 8 ako kasi this is again a proof na pwede budget deck sa vintage.

OT: Finally nakabawi na din ng tulog. Playtest last Sat ng 6pm diretso pasok ng 1am pagout ng 10am punta agad tourney, after tourney pasok ulit hehe Walang liguan haha

Medyo busy pa ang daming tatapusin sa office before I go on my mid-year vacation, 10 days in SG, wohoo.
So I'll post the decklist by end of the week, while on vacation.

OT:
Those who texted and PM'ed who are interested with my collection, I'll post an updated haves list. I'll probably let you guys bid on it. I'll do a silent auction. Konti na lang naman natitira kong cards na ok so hindi masyado mahal natitira kong cards.

wait ko ung decklist, bka mag babakal na rin ako
panu ung silent auction, sna nka post na lang....
thank you jester

congrats to marco for the win, alam ko na sikreto niyan bakit ang bagsik ng laro nung tourney, congrats din to the top 8 and to all the participants, hopefully next time we get our numbers back para mas masaya ang vintage.

Good showing for my 3 teammates and to the rest of the top 8. I bombed out at 3-3 using Oath. Mental note, always side in Inkwell Leviathan against Workshop.

Doesn't Inkwell just get copied by Sculpting Steel? It doesn't target...

What you really want against workshop is Terastodon, Woodfall Primus or go old school with Woodripper.

Congrats to my team mates Shaun and Joseph for placing in the top8!

Wasn't able to play na vedalken shackes na naman...

Congrats din to Marco for consistently winning it all and the rest of the top 8!!!