Monday, March 14, 2016

Modern Musings - Chapter 1: The (Less Appreciated) Modern Landscape

I know by now everyone is sick of the same old song and dance you see in the Top 8 of every tournament, especially if they’re all going to be filled with the Lovecraftian horrors that Oath of the Gatewatch brought to the forefront of everyone’s mind. The point of this article isn’t going to be to rehash those same lists, but to bring a breath of fresh air to your Modern deckbuilding process.

The first deck I want to go over is Modern’s spin on a much loved, yet very feared mechanic: Dredge. This deck operates a bit like it’s Legacy counterpart: get as many cards as you can in the graveyard, throw some undead at your opponent, and finish them off in a blaze of glory. The only difference with this deck is that you also want a whole lot of cards in your hand, to fuel your alternate win-con: Conflagrate!



There’s a lot of pretty sweet stuff going on in this list, including a bunch of cards that you likely don’t see on a day to day basis; stuff like Vengeful Pharaoh and Squee, Goblin Nabob. They’re all here to serve a greater purpose though, don’t worry. The general goal of this deck is to dredge as many cards as you can into your graveyard in the early game with powerful dredgers like Golgari-Grave Troll and draw spells like Faithless Looting, to get incremental advantages from cards like Bloodghast and Lingering Souls.

While you’re playing the beatdown, there are still a bunch of ways to hold other decks at bay. With the 2-mana black enchantment, Zombie Infestation, you can either continue applying pressure with the cards you’re sure to have in hand, or make some blockers at instant speed; nothing screws up your opponent’s combat math like creatures showing up out of nowhere! Vengeful Pharaoh is another card that needs a particular home to really shine, and that home is here! It isn’t hard to incidentally mill one into the graveyard, and once it gets there once, it will just keep triggering and repeating its ability. There’s nothing quite like a kill spell that repeats itself and requires exactly 0 mana.

So now that we’re past the fluff, we can get to the real core of the deck. After turns of reloading on Bloodghasts and poking your opponents with Lingering Souls, you’ve reached the turning point. You’ve got 7 cards in hand including 2 Life from the Loams, and a Squee and a Conflagrate in the graveyard, and your opponent is ending their turn at a respectable 13 life. You studiously remember your upkeep trigger on Squee, and draw for turn. Your Loams each net you 3 lands, bringing your hand size up to 13 cards. If you’ve been following along, that’s conveniently your opponent’s life total, and it’s also convenient that that’s how much damage your Conflagrate is currently burning into them. That’s where the true magic in this deck lies; it tricks your opponent into thinking that your creatures are important, when you really just wanted to combo kill them.

The other deck I want to feature today is a pet project of mine, and is centered around my favorite card of all time: Monastery Mentor. I had been playing an Esper version of this deck for quite a while to some success, but I think that this deck has a chance to shine again if we can provide some changes based on past experiences. In this case, that translates to adding a 4th color to the deck entirely, and cutting some of the less consistent pieces. I’ll go over the basic premise of the deck, but here’s the current iteration:



It's effectively a 4c good stuff deck that wins with Lingering Souls most of the time, but I think this version is probably better than the original Esper version; the red provides reach with Lightning Bolt and Lightning Helix, and recursion of threats like Monastery Mentor and Snapcaster Mage with Kolaghan's Command. The red splash also provides more sideboard options and other possible threats like Pia and Kiran Nalaar, and cards to shore up the original worst matchup: Tron. Being able to recur Fulminator Mages with Kolaghan's Command or even just the ability to toss in Crumble to Dust should prove pretty useful, as I'm fairly confident that Tron will make a pretty big resurgence once the Eldrazi Menace recedes.

The most difficult parts of playing the deck are the manabase (4 colors, ridiculous right?), and the deck's seemingly conscious desire to draw lands past turn 5/6. I might switch the Vault of the Archangel to a Desolate Lighthouse so I can loot away extra lands, or I might just play a second Painful Truths. Making decisions is hard sometimes. If you guys have any suggestions, feel free to let me know.

I think the biggest strength of this deck is that it plays a lot like Jund, except that we can be a bit more flexible since we’ve got card selection in Serum Visions, and the ability to cast any of our instants or sorceries a second time with Snapcaster Mages. Besides that, we’ve frankly got as much removal as them anyway. Decks like these tend to do pretty well, as they’ve got game against pretty much the entire field, and they don’t straight up crumble to any side board silver bullets like a lot of decks can.

I think that both of these decks are poised to do pretty well once Shadows over Innistrad comes around, and brings a whole new Banned & Restricted list with it. The life span of the Eldrazi is nearly at its end, and who knows, we might even get some new toys to play with when April rolls around.

Written by: Zane Knapp

Tuesday, March 1, 2016

Yu-Gi-Oh! OTS Championship Top Eight Decklists

Thanks to all who participated in the Yu-Gi-Oh! OTS Championship held Saturday, February 27, 2016, at Gamer's Gambit in Danbury. Congratulations to our top eight finishers and to the first place finisher, Bryce Catania, who won an invite to the 2016 WCQ National Qualifier and the Yu-Gi-Oh! OTS Championship playmat! Here are the winning deck lists of the top eight finishers:

1st - Bryce Catania


Monsters:
1- Kozmo Dark eclipse
3- kozmo dark destroyer
2-kozmo forerunner
2- kozmo sliprider
2-kozmo wicked witch
2-kozmo farmgirl
3-kozmo tincan
1-kozmo goodwitch
1-kozmo strawman
3-maxx c
2- effect veiler

Spells:
3-kozmotown
3-emergency teleport
2-twin twister
1- Raigeki

Traps:
3- Solemn Strike
3- call of the haunted
2-kozmojo
1-solemn warning

Side deck:
3-cyber dragon
1-flying c
2- archfiend eccentric
1- dark hole
3- wavering eyes
2-storming mirror force
3- mask of restrict

Extra deck:
2- chimeratech fortess dragon
1-psy-framelord omega
1-starlight red dragon archfiend
1- cyberdragon infinity
1-cyberdragon nova
1-constellar Pleiades
1-red eyes flame metal dragon
1-number 11: big eye
1-daigusto emerald
1-number 101: silent honor ark
1- castel, the skyblaster musketeer
1-gagaga cowboy
1-evilswarm nightmare
1-number 47: nightmare shark

2nd - Matthew Herrera


Monsters:
3- Magical Abductor
3- Armageddon knight
3-performapal donkey
3-performapal sorcerer
2-performapal lizard draw
1-performapal monkey board
1-performapal guiturtle
1-performapal skullcrobat joker
1-performer partnaga
1-luster pendulum dracoslayer
1-blackwing zephyros the elite
1-recover
1-x saber palomuro
1-Risebell the star adjuster

Spells:
3-upstart goblin
3-terraforming
3-chicken game
3-emergency teleport
3-emergency teleport

Traps:
1- traptrix traphole
1-bottomless trap hole

Side deck:
1-chimeratech fortress dragon
2-cyber dragon
1-shadoll dragon
1-twin twister
2- dark hole
1-raigeki
3- deck devastation virus
2-mask of restrict

Extra deck:
1-elder entity norden
1-karbonala warrior
1-Dinoster Power, the mighty dracoslayer
1-naturia beast
1- ignister prominence, the blasting dracoslyer
1- traptrix cell thesis
1- evilswarm nightmare
1-abyss dweller
1-daigusto emerald
1- majester paladin, the ascending dracoslayer
1-diamond dire wolf
1- Castel, the skyblaster muketeer
1- king of the feral imps
1- carnigorgon, the antiluminescent knight
1- number 66: master key beetle

3rd - Shermine Cianciolo


Monsters:
3- effect veiler
3-mermail abyssgaios
3-alantean heavenly infantry
3-neptabyss, the alantean prince
1-aqua spirit
1-mermail abysssprite
2-mermail abyssgunde
2-mermail abyssteus
1-mermail abyssturge
1- mermail abysslinde
2- alantean dragoons
2-alantean marksmen
1- deep sea diva
1-moulinglacia the emerald lord
1-mermail abyssleed

Spells:
3-upstart goblin
3-instant fusion
2-dark hole
1-soul charge
1-one for one
1- abyss scale of the mizuchi
1-raigeki

Traps:
1-abyss sphere

Side deck:
2-system down
2- ghost ogre & snow rabbit
2-forbidden chalice
3-twin twisters
2-imperial iron wall
2-anti spell fragrance
2- maxx c

Extra deck:
1- Armory arm
2-abyss dweller
1-trishula dragon of ice barrier
1-mecha phantom beast draccosack
2- elder entity norden
1-abyss mermail gaios
1- number 101: silent honor ark
1-black rose dragon
1-mermail abysstrite
1-bahamut shark
1-number 11: big eye
1-dewloren, tiger king of the ice barrier
1- tatsunoko

4th - Anthony Kelly


Monsters:
3- Armageddon knight
3-wisdom-eye magician
3-dragonpit magician
2- odd eyes pendulum dragon
2- oafdragon magician
2- majespecter unicorn kirin
1- blackwing zepyhros
1- performapal skullcrobat
1-majespecter raccoon bunbuku
1- performapal monkey board
1-dragonpulse magician
1-nobledragon magician
1- tuning magician
1- performapal tumpgirl

Spells:
3- wavering eyes
3-upstart goblin
2-terraforming
3-pendulum call
3-chicken game
1-odd eyes fusion
1-reinforcment of the army
1- sky iris

Side deck:
1-shaddoll hedgehog
1-shaddol dragon
1-shaddoll beast
2- fog king
3- shaddoll fusion
2-mystical space typhoon
2-psi-blocker
1- el shaddoll grysta
1- el shaddoll winda
1- el shaddoll shekhinaga

Extra deck:
1- odd eyes rebellion
2-odd eyes absolute dragon
1-number 39: utopia beyond
1-evilswarm nightmare
1-diamond dire wolf
1-abyss dweller
1-trishula
1-psy-framed omega
1-odd eyes meteorburst dragon
1-ignister, prominence the blasting dracoslayer
1- clear wing synchro dragon
1-ancient fairy dragon
2-odd eyes vortex

5th - Vincent Silverman


Monsters:
3-erebus the underworld monarch
3-ehther the heavenly monarch
1-thestalos the mega monarch
1-kuraz the light monarch
2-majesty’s fiend
3-edea the heavenly squire
2-eidos the underworld quire

Spells:
3-pantheism of the monarchs
3-tenacity of the monarchs
3-domain of the monarchs
3- the monarchs stormforth
3-return of the monarchs
3-upstart goblin
1-raigeki
1-one for one
1-foolish burial
1-reinforcemanet of the army

Traps:
3- the prime monarch
1- escalation of the monarchs

Side deck:
3- maxx c
3- twin twister
2- forbidden chalice
3-mind crush
3-cursed seal of the forbidden spell
1-vanity’s emptiness

6th - Armaan Masters


Monsters:
1-Tour Guide from the Underworld
1-Graff, motba
1-Cir, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss
1-Scarm, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss
1-Rubic, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss
1-Barber, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss
1-Farfa, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss
1-Cagna, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss
1-Draghig, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss
1-Alich, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss
2-Effect Veiler
2- Fiendish Rhino Warrior
2- Maxx C

Spells:
2- Twin Twister
1-Foolish Burial
1-Raigeki

Traps:
3-Solemn Strike
2-Fire lake of the Burning Abyss
2- traveler of the Burning Abyss
3-Magic Drain
2-Horn of Heaven
1-Torrental Tribute
1-Solemn Warning
1-Vanity’s Emptiness
1-Skill Drain

Side Deck:
2- Master of Restrict
2- Imperial Iron Wall
2- Anti Spell fragrance
2- Gameciel, the sea turtle
1-Cyber Dragon
1-Cyber Dragon core
2-Vanity’s friend
1-effect veiler

Extra deck:
3- Dante, Traveler of the burning Abyss
1-Vrgil, Rock Strap
1- Number 47: Nightmare Shark
2-Number 30: Acid Golem
1-chimeratech fortress dragon
1- number 17: Leviathan dragon
1- mechquipped Angineer
1-number 49: fortune tune
1-number 20: giga brilliant
1-number F0- utopic future
2-Downerd Magician

7th - Kamal Williams


Monsters:
2- ghost ogre & snow rabbit
3-kozmo dark destroyer
1-kozmo dark eclipse
2-Kozmo farmgirl
1-kozmo forerunner
2- kozmo goodwitch
3-kozmo sliprider
1-kozmo strawman
3-kozmo tinman
2-kozmo wickedwitch
2-max c

Spells:
3-emergency teleport
3-kozmotown
1-raigeki
1-twin twister

Traps:
2- anti spell fragrance
3-call of the haunted
1-kozmojo
1-solemn warning
3-solemn strike

Side deck:
2-cyber dragon
1-maxx c
2-kaiser colosseum
2-system down
1-macro cosmos
3-mask of restrict
2- effect veiler
1-twin twister
1- dark hole

Extra deck:
1-chimeratech fortress dragon
1-ancient fairy dragon
1- black rose dragon
1-odd eyes meteorburst dragon
1-scarlight red dragon archfiend
1- trishula dragon of the ice barrier
1-castel, the skyblaster musketeer
1- abyss dweller
1- constellar Pleiades
1-cyber dragon nova
1- daigusto emerald
1- number 61: volcasaurus
1-number 82: heartlandraco
1-gagaga cowboy

8th - Nick Marvin


Monsters:
3- ehther the heavenly monarch
3-erebus the underworld monarch
1-caius the mega monarch
1-thestalos the mega monarch
1-Magesty’s fiend
3- edea the heavenly squire
3- eidos the underworld squire

Spells:
3-terraforming
3-chicken game
3-tenacity of monarchs
3-pantheismof the monarchs
3- the monarchs stormforth
3-domain of the true monarchs
1-return of the monarchs
1-foolish burial
1-reinforcement of the army
1- one for one

Traps:
2-the prime monarch
1- escalation of the monarchs

Side deck:
2- solemn scolding
1-the prime monarch
3-twin twister
2- mystical space typhoon
2-dark hole
1-raigeki
2- effect veiler
2-majesty’s fiend

Tuesday, January 19, 2016

Magic $1k Modern Constructed Event Top 8 Decklists

Thanks to all who participated in the Magic: The Gathering $1k Modern Constructed Event held Saturday, January 2nd 2016, in Poughkeepsie. Congratulations to our top 8 finishers, who all won prizes, and to the first place finisher, Rich Cali, who won a $400 spending spree at Dragon's Den! Here are the winning deck lists of the top eight finishers:

Rich Cali, 1st - UR Twin


CREATURES: 12
4 Snapcaster Mage
2 Pestermite
4 Deceiver Exarch
2 Vendililion Clique

SPELLS: 25
2 Dispel
2 Cryptic Command
4 Remand
4 Lightning Bolt
1 Harvest Pyre
2 Electrolyze
4 Serum Visions
2 Spell Snare
4 Splinter Twin

LANDS: 23
1 Mountain
5 Island
4 Misty Rainforest
3 Sulfur Falls
3 Steam Vents
1 Stomping Ground
1 Tectonic Edge
1 Desolate Lighthouse

SIDEBOARD: 15
1 Dispel
2 Blood Moon
1 Grim Lavamancer
1 Keranos, God of Storms
1 Jace, Architect of Thought
1 Negate
2 Pia and Kiran Nalaar
1 Izzet Staticaster
1 Roast
2 Pyroclasm
2 Ancient Grudge

Paul Lake, 2nd - GR Tron


CREATURES: 6
3 Wurmcoil Engine
1 Emrakul, the Aeons Torn
1 Ulamog, the Ceasless Hungar
1 Void Winnower

SPELLS: 34
4 Karn Liberated
2 Ugin, the Spirit Dragon
3 Oblivion Sower
4 Expedition Map
4 Ancient Stirrings
4 Sylvan Scrying
3 Pyroclasm
4 Chromatic Sphere
4 Chromatic Star
2 Relic of Progenitus

LANDS: 20
1 Forest
4 Grove of the Burnwillows
1 Eye of Ugin
1 Ghost Quarter
4 Urza’s Tower
4 Urza’s Mine
4 Urza’s Power Plant
1 Cavern of Souls

SIDEBOARD: 15
1 Crucible of Worlds
2 Obstinate Baloth
2 Spellskite
2 Rending Volley
4 Nature’s Claim
1 Engineered Explosives
1 Ghost Quarter
2 Sudden Shock

James Rynkiewicz, 3rd - UR Twin


CREATURES: 12
4 Snapcater Mage
4 Deceiver Exarch
2 Pestermite
2 Vendilion Clique

SPELLS: 25
2 Spell Snare
4 Serum Visions
3 Dispel
4 Remand
2 Cryptic Command
4 Lightning Bolt
1 Roast
4 Splinter Twin
1 Electrolyze

LANDS: 23
4 Island
2 Mountain
3 Steam Vents
3 Sulfur Falls
1 Stomping Ground
2 Desolate Lighthouse
4 Misty Rainforest
4 Scalding Tarn

SIDEBOARD:
1 Roast
1 Engineered Explosives
1 Pyroclasm
2 Negate
2 Jace, Architect of Thought
1 Shatterstorm
1 Rending Volley
2 Blood Moon
2 Keranos, God of Storms
2 Ancient Grudge

Craig Rocco, 4th - Blue Naya


CREATURES: 28
4 Birds of Paradise
2 Wall of Roots
1 Scavenging Ooze
1 Wall of Omens
1 Phantasmal Image
1 Coiling Oracle
1 Qasali Pridemage
4 Voice of Resurgence
2 Spellskite
3 Eternal Witness
2 Kitchen Finks
4 Restoration Angel
2 Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker

SPELLS: 8
4 Path to Exile
4 Chord of Calling

LANDS: 24
4 Windswept Heath
2 Misty Rainforest
1 Wooded Foothills
1 Arid Mesa
2 Stomping Ground
1 Temple Garden
1 Breeding Pool
1 Hallowed Fountain
1 Sacred Foundry
2 Forest
1 Plains
2 Horizon Canopy
2 Grove of the Burnwillows
1 Fire-Lit Thicket
2 Gavony Township

SIDEBOARD: 15
2 Rest in Peace
1 Linvala, Keeper of Silence
3 Negate
2 Pia and Kiran Nalaar
1 Reclamation Sage
1 Thragtusk
2 Lightning Bolt
2 Engineered Explosives
1 Chalice of the Void

Jonathan Cortez, 5th - Bring to Light Scapeshift


CREATURES: 5
1 Snapcaster Mage
4 Sakura Tribe Elder

SPELLS: 29
1 Dispel
4 Search for Tomorrow
2 Izzet Charm
2 Anticipate
2 Farseek
4 Remand
2 Electrolyze
1 Anger of the Gods
1 Hunting Wilds
3 Scapeshift
4 Cryptic Command
3 Bring to Light

LANDS: 26
1 Cinder Glade
1 Watery Grave
1 Swamp
1 Mountain
1 Flooded Grove
2 Forest
2 Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle
2 Breeding Pool
3 Island
4 Steam vents
4 Stomping Ground
4 Misty Rainforest

SIDEBOARD: 15
1 Ancient Grudge
1 Negate
2 Spellskite
2 Destructive Revelry
2 Anger of the Gods
1 Nissa, Vastwood Seer
4 Obstinate Baloth
1 Shatterstorm
1 Slaughter Games

Michael Keating, 6th - Amulet Bloom


CREATURES: 7
4 Primeval Bounty
2 Azusa, Lost but Seeking
1 Dragonlord Dromoka

SPELLS: 26
4 Amulet of Vigor
4 Serum Visions
4 Ancient Stirrings
4 Summoner’s Pact
4 Summer Bloom
3 Hive Mind
2 Pact of Negation
1 Slaughter Pact

LANDS: 27
4 Gemstone Mine
4 Simic Growth Chamber
3 Tolaria West
2 Selesnya Sanctuary
2 Gruul Turf
1 Golgari Rot Farm
1 Boros Garrison
1 Vesuva
1 Slayer’s Stronghold
1 Sunhome, Fortress of the Legion
2 Forest
1 Khalani Garden
1 Radiant Fountain
1 Cavern of Souls
1 Mana Confluence
1 Tendo Ice Bridge

SIDEBOARD: 15
1 Kolaghan’s Command
1 Slaughter Pact
1 Engineered Explosives
1 Sigarda, Host of Herons
2 Krosan Grip
1 Chalice of the Void
2 Thragtusk
1 Courser of Kruphix
1 Pyroclasam
1 Cavern of Souls
1 Forest
1 Bojuko Bog
1 Ghost Quarter

Thomas Fitzsimmons, 7th - Affinity


CREATURES: 28
3 Memnite
4 Ornithopter
4 Signal Pest
3 Steel Overseer
3 Vault Skirge
4 Arcbound Ravager
4 Etched Champion
1 Spellskite
1 Hangarback Walker

SPELLS: 16
4 Cranial Plating
4 Galvanic Blast
4 Mox Opal
4 Springleaf Drum

LANDS: 16
4 Inkmothe Nexus
4 Blinkmoth Nexus
4 Darksteel Citadel
3 Glimmervoid
1 Mountain

SIDEBOARD: 15
3 Ancient Grudge
2 Whipflare
2 Relic of Progenitus
2 Spell Pierce
2 Thoughtseize
1 Ethersworn Canonist
1 Ghirapur Aether Grid
1 Dismember
1 Torpor Orb

Nick Langella, 8th - Grixis Twin


CREATURES: 11
4 Snapcaster Mage
4 Deceiver Exarch
2 Pestermite
1 Vendilion Clique

SPELLS: 26
4 Serum Visions
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Remand
1 Mana Leak
1 Dispel
2 Rise//Fall
3 Terminate
1 Murderous Cut
1 Cryptic Command
2 Kolaghan’s Command
3 Splinter Twin

LANDS: 23
4 Polluted Delta
2 Bloodstained Mire
4 Scalding Tarn
2 Steam Vents
1 Watery Grave
1 Blood Crypt
4 Island
1 Swamp
1 Desolate Lighthouse
3 Sulfur Falls

SIDEBOARD: 15
1 Anger of the Gods
2 Engineered Explosives
1 Rise//Fall
1 Thoughtseize
1 Vendilion Clique
1 Glen Elendra Archmage
1 Dispel
1 Bitter Blossom
1 Keranos, God of Storms
1 Blood Moon
1 Molten Rain
1 Negate
1 Tasigur, the Goldenfang
1 Izzet Staticaster

Saturday, December 5, 2015

Yu-Gi-Oh! Kozmo Prize Card Tournament Top 8 Decklists

Thanks to all who participated in the Yu-Gi-Oh! Kozmo Prize Card Tournament held Saturday, November 28, at Gamer's Gambit in Danbury. Congratulations to our top eight finishers of this favorite deck event and to the first place winner, Joseph Campbell, who took home a full playset of Kozmo Farmgirls! Here are the deck lists of the top 8 finishers:

1st Place – Joseph Campbell (Kozmo)


Monsters: 14
3x Kozmo Farmgirl
2x Kozmo Dark Destroyer
2x Kozmo Forerunner
3x Kozmo Sliprider
2x Kozmoll Wickedwitch
1x Kozmo Strawman
1x Kozmo Goodwitch

Spells: 15
3x Emergency Teleport
1x Allure of Darkness
3x Kozmotown
1x Raigeki
2x Terraforming
2x Mystical Space Typhoon
3x Reasoning

Traps: 11
2x Anti-spell Fragrance
1x Solemn Warning
1x Torrential Tribute
1x Vanity’s Emptiness
2x Mind Crush
1x Escape from the Dark Dimension
2x Storming Mirror Force
1x Grand Horn of Heaven

Side Deck: 15
1x Skill Drain
1x Typhoon
2x Maxx “c”
2x Deck Devastation Virus
2x Artifact Lancea
2x Debunk
3x Fairy Wind
2x Time-Space Trap Hole

Extra Deck: 9
1x Daigusto Emeral
2x Castel the Skyblaster Musketeer
1x Abyss Dweller
1x Constellar Pleiades
1x Number 30: Acid Golem
1x Number 80: Rhapsody in Berserk
1x Number 50: Blackship of Corn
1x Dark Rebellion XYZ Dragon

2nd Place – Philip Pena (PePe)


Monsters: 25
3x Performage Mirror Conductor
3x Performage Plushfire
3x Magical Abductor
3x Maxx “c”
3x Performage Damage Juggler
3x Luster Pendulum Dracoslayer
1x Doomstar Magician
1x Performage Trick Clown
1x Performage Hat Tricker
1x Masked Chameleon
1x Performapal Lizardra
1x Gem-Knight Garnet
1x Performapal Partnaga

Spells: 13
2x Mystical Space Typhoon
2x Brilliant Fusion
3x Upstart Goblin
2x Instant Fusion
3x Wavering Eyes
1x Foolish Burial

Traps: 2
1x Vanity’s Emptiness
1x Solemn Warning

Side Deck:
1x Mystical Space Typhoon
2x Typhoon
2x Storm
2x Deck Devastation Virus
2x Mind Crush
2x Denko Sekka
1x Archfiend Eccentrick
2x Imperial Iron Wall
1x Raigeki

Extra Deck:
1x Satellarknight Diamond
1x Stardust Dragon
1x Abyss Dweller
1x Castel the Skyblaster Musketeer
1x Elder Entity, Norden
1x Tellarknight Ptolemaeus
1x Performage Trapeze Magician
2x Ignister Prominence, the Blasting Dracoslayer
1x Diamond Dire Wolf
1x Psy-Frame Omega
1x Daigusto Emeral
1x Gem-Knight Seraphrinite
1x King of the Feral Imps
1x Number 101: Silent Honor Ark

3rd Place – Johannes Eisenberg (Majespecter)


Monsters: 26
3x Majespecter Raccoon – Bunbuku
3x Majespecter Fox – Kyubi
2x Majespecter Cat – Nekomata
3x Performage Plushfire
3x Performage Mirror Conductor
3x Performage Damage Juggler
1x Performage Trick Clown
1x Performage Hat Tricker
3x Luster Pendulum the Dracoslayer
2x Archfiend Eccentrick
2x Samurai Cavalry of Reptier

Spells: 10
3x Wavering Eyes
3x Upstart Goblin
3x Mystical Space Typhoon
1x Foolish Burial

Traps: 4
3x Majespecter Tempest
1x Solemn Warning

Side Deck:
1x Artifact Lancea
3x Magical Spring
3x XYZ Universe
2x Full House
3x Trap Stun
3x Imperial Iron Wall

Extra Deck:
2x Ignister Prominence, the Blasting Dracoslayer
1x D/D/D Duo-Dawn King Kali Yuga
1x Satellarknight Constellar Diamon
1x Tellarknight Ptolemaeus
1x Performage Trapeze Magician
2x Diamond Dire Wolf
1x Castel, the Skyblaster Musketeer
1x Number 42: Heartlandraco
1x Majester Paladin, the Ascending Dracoslayer
1x Abyss Dweller
1x Number 52: Diamond Crab King
1x Number 30: Acid Golem
1x Totem Bird

4th Place – Jacob Maddox (Majespecter)


Monsters: 16
3x Majespecter Raccoon – Bunbuku
3x Majespecter Cat – Nekomata
3x Majespecter Fox – Kyubi
2x Majespecter Crow – Yata
1x Majespecter Unicorn – Kirin
3x Luster Pendulum the Dracoslayer
1x Archfiend Eccentrick

Spells: 16
2x Majesty’s Pegasus
3x Terraforming
3x Upstart Goblin
2x Wavering Eyes
2x Galaxy Cyclone
2x Chicken Game
1x Raigeki
1x Majespecter Cyclone

Traps: 8
3x Majespecter Tempest
3x Storming Mirror Force
1x Solemn Warning
1x Majespecter Tornado

Side Deck:
3x Imperial Iron Wall
3x Mind Crush
3x Grand Horn of Heaven
1x Majespecter Tornado
2x Mystical Space Typhoon
1x Wavering Eyes
2x Maxx “c”

Extra Deck:
2x Ignister Prominence, the Blasting Dracoslayer
1x Ghostrick Alucard
1x Number 30: Acid Golem
1x Performage Trapeze Magician
1x Number 47: Nightmare Shark
1x Lightning Chidori
1x Castel the Skyblaster Musketeer
1x Majester Paladin, the Ascending Dracoslayer
1x Diamond Dire Wolf
1x Abyss Dweller
1x Number 80: Rhapsody in Berserk
1x Gagaga Cowboy
1x Tellarknight Ptolemaeus
1x Satellarknight Constellar Diamond

5th-8th Place – Paulie Aronson (Majespecter)


Monsters: 22
3x Majespecter Fox – Kyubi
3x Majespecter Raccoon – Bunbuku
3x Performage Plushfire
1x Performage Mirror Conductor
3x Majespecter Cat – Nekomata
1x Archfiend Eccentrick
3x Performage Damage Juggler
2x Majespecter Crow – Yata
3x Luster Pendulum, the Dracoslayer

Spells: 12
1x Mystical Space Typhoon
3x Upstart Goblin
3x Wavering Eyes
2x Majesty’s Pegasus
1x Majespecter Cyclone
2x Terraforming

Traps: 6
1x Time-Space Trap Hole
3x Majespecter Tempest
1x Solemn Warning
1x Majespecter Tornado
Side Deck:
2x Full House
2x Trap Stun
2x Mystical Space Typhoon
2x Maxx “c”
3x Stygian Dirge
3x Imperial Iron Wall
1x Spell Shattering Arrow

Extra Deck:
1x Wind-Up Zenmaines
1x Ghostrick Alucard
1x Totem Bird
1x Tellarknight Ptolemaeus
1x Satellarknight Constellar Diamond
1x Constellar Pleiades
1x Steelswarm Roach
1x Castel, the Skyblaster Musketeer
1x Diamond Dire Wolf
1x Abyss Dweller
1x Performage Trapeze Magician
1x Majester Paladin, the Ascending Dracoslayer
2x Ignister Prominence, the Blasting Dracoslayer
1x Diamond Crab King

5th-8th Place – Michael Cabral (Infernoid)


Monsters: 25
3x Infernoid Decatron
1x Infernoid Pirmais
3x Infernoid Antra
2x Infernoid Harmadik
3x Infernoid Patrulea
3x Infernoid Seitsemas
3x Infernoid Attondel
1x Infernoid Devyaty
1x Infernoid Onuncu
2x Raiden, Hand of the Lightsworn
1x Lyla, Lightsworn Sorceress
1x Lumina, Lightsworn Summoner
1x Card Trooper

Spells: 13
3x Reasoning
1x Monster Gate
2x Void Seer
2x Charge of the Light Brigade
1x Book of Moon
1x Rekindling
1x One for One
1x Raigeki
1x Burial from a Different Dimension

Side Deck:
1x Lyla, Lightsworn Sorceress
1x Artifact Lancea
2x Mischief of the Gnomes
2x Fiend Comedian
2x Royal Decree
3x Mystical Space Typhoon
1x Prohibition
2x Light-Imprisoning Mirror
1x Mind Drain

Extra Deck:
1x Dante, Traveler of the Burning Abyss
1x Castel, the Skyblaster Musketeer
1x Abyss Dweller
1x Gem-Knight Pearl
1x Divine Dragon Knight Felgrand
1x Star Eater
1x Leo, Keeper of the Sacred Tree
1x Psy-Framelord Omega
1x Stardust Spark Dragon
1x Hot Red Dragon Archfiend
1x Michael, Arch Lightsworn
1x Black Rose Dragon
1x Scrap Archfiend
1x Black Rose Moonlight Dragon
1x Goyo Guardian

5th-8th Place – Owen Gray (Kozmo)


Monsters: 20
2x Honest
3x Effect Veiler
3x Maxx “C”
1x Kozmo Strawman
3x Kozmo Farmgirl
1x Kozmo Goodwitch
3x Kozmo Wickedwitch
2x Kozmo Forerunner
1x Ghost Ogre and Snow Rabbit
3x Kozmo Dark Destroyer

Spells: 16
1x Allure of Darkness
1x Raigeki
2x Dark Hole
3x Mystical Space Typhoon
3x Emergency Teleport
3x Kozmotown
3x Kaiser Colosseum

Traps: 2
1x Solemn Warning
1x Vanity’s Emptiness

Side Deck:
1 Thunder King Rai-Oh
3x Royal Decree
3x Storming Mirror Force
2x Cyber Dragon
2x D.D. Crow

Extra Deck:
2x Chimeratech Fortress Dragon
1x Number 11: Big Eye
1x Constellar Pleiades
1x Abyss Dweller
1x Star Eater
1x Scarlight Red Dragon Archfiend
1x Red-Eyes Flare Metal Dragon
1x Gagaga Cowboy
1x Daigusto Emeral
1x Number 101: Silent Honor Ark
1x Cairngorgon, Antiluminscent Knight
1x Castel, the Skyblaster Musketeer
1x Number 23: Giga-Brilliant
1x Number 47: Nightmare Shark

5th-8th – Joseph Bogli (PePe)


Monsters: 27
2x Summoner Monk
1x Jigabyte
2x Masked Chameleon
1x Denko Sekka
1x Doomstar Magician
1x Performapal Partnaga
1x Performage Hat Tricker
2x Performage Trick Clown
3x Performage Damage Juggler
2x Magical Abductor
2x Maxx “c”
3x Performage Mirror Conductor
3x Luster Pendulum, the Dracoslayer
3x Performage Plushfire

Spells: 13
3x Upstart Goblin
3x Wavering Eyes
3x Mystical Space Typhoon
2x Wonder Wand
1x Raigeki
1x Foolish Burial

Side Deck:
3x Storm
3x Stygian Dirge
2x Chimeratech Fortress Dragon
3x Cyber Dragon Drei
2x Effect Veiler
1x Denko Sekka
1x Maxx “c”

Extra Deck:
1x King of the Feral Imps
1x Number 103: Ragnazero
2x Performage Trapeze Magician
1x Abyss Dweller
2x Diamond Dire Wolf
1x Number 101: Silent Honor Ark
2x Castel, the Skyblaster Musketeer
1x Majester Paladin, the Ascending Dracoslayer
1x Scarlight Red Dragon Archfiend
2x Ignister Prominence, the Blasting Dracoslayer
1x Psy-Framelord Omega

Tuesday, November 17, 2015

Magic PPTQ Top 8 Decklists at Dragon's Den on Nov 14, 2015

Thanks to all who participated in the Magic: The Gathering Preliminary Pro Tour Qualifier held Saturday, November 14, at Dragon's Den in Poughkeepsie. Congratulations to our top eight finishers of this Standard Constructed event and to the first place winner, Collin Stiles, who took home a box of Battle for Zendikar and an invite to a Regional Pro Tour Qualifier of his choice! Here are the winning deck lists of the top 8 finishers:

1st Place - Collin Stiles


~ Dark Jeskai ~

CREATURES: 14
4 Mantis Rider
4 Jace, Vryn’s Prodigy
2 Soulfire Grand Master
2 Tasigur, the Golden Fang
1 Pia and Kiran Nalaar
1 Dragonmaster Outcast

SPELLS: 20
4 Fiery Impulse
4 Crackling Doom
2 Dig Through Time
1 Painful Truths
1 Utter End
3 Ojutai’s Command
3 Kolaghan’s Command
2 Dispel

LANDS 26
4 Flooded Strand
4 Polluted Delta
4 Bloodstained Mire
1 Island
1 Plains
1 Swamp
2 Mountain
2 Prairie Stream
1 Smoldering Marsh
1 Sunken Hollow
4 Mystic Monastery
1 Nomad Outpost

SIDEBOARD: 15
1 Master of the Unsen
3 Surge of Righteousness
2 Disdainful stroke
1 Felidar Cub
1 Virulent Plague
2 Radiant Flames
2 Duress
2 Exert Influence
1 Dragonmaster Outcast

2nd Place - Joseph Countryman


~ Abzan Blue ~

CREATURE: 23
4 Siege Rhino
4 Warden of the First Tree
4 Anafenza, the Foremost
3 Woodland Wanderer
4 Hangarback Walker
2 Wingmate Roc
2 Den Protector

SPELLS: 12
2 Murderous Cut
4 Abzan Charm
1 Gideon, Ally of Zendikar
3 Dromoka’s Command
2 Stubborn Denial

LANDS: 25
4 Windswept Heath
4 Wooded Foothills
3 Polluted Delta
4 Flooded Strand
1 Plains
2 Swamp
2 Forest
2 Canopy Vista
1 Sunken Hollow
1 Smoldering Marsh
1 Prairie Stream

SIDEBOARD: 15
2 Disdainful Stroke
1 Self-Inflicted Wound
1 Ultimate Price
3 Silkwrap
2 Dispel
1 Sorin, Solemn Visitor
1 Tasigur, the Golden Fang
1 Den Protector
2 Tragic Arrogance
1 Surge of Righteousness

3rd Place - Derek Snyder


~ Bant Megamorph ~

CREATURES: 21
4 Warden of the First-Tree
4 Den Protector
3 Hangarback Walker
4 Deathmist Raptor
2 Nissa Vastwood Seer
3 Wingmate Roc
1 Hidden Dragonslayer
1 Hooting Mandrills

SPELLS: 13
4 Gideon, Ally of Zendikar
4 Dromoka’s Command
3 Silk Wrap
1 Valorous Stance
1 Stasis Snare

LANDS 24
4 Forest
5 Plains
1 Prairie Stream
3 Canopy Vista
3 Wooded Foothills
4 Flooded Strand
4 Windswept Heath
1 Yavamaya Coast

SIDEBOARD: 15
2 Valorous Stance
3 Disdainful Stroke
3 Surge of Righteousness
2 Mastery of the Unseen
1 Stratus Dancer
2 Archangel of Tithes
1 Tragic Arrogance
1 Become Immense

4th Place - Thomas Fitzsimmons


~ RG Landfall ~

CREATURES: 20
4 Abbot of Keral Keep
4 Den Protector
4 Monastery Swiftspear
4 Scyth Leopard
3 Snapping Gnarlid
1 Zurgo Bellstriker

SPELLS: 16
4 Atarka’s Command
4 Become Immense
4 Temur Battle Rage
4 Titan’s Strength

LANDS 24
2 Cinder Glade
5 Mountain
4 Forest
4 Bloodstained Mire
4 Wooded Foothills
4 Windswept Heath
1 Evolving Wilds

SIDEBOARD:
3 Arc Lightning
1 Yasova, Dragonclaw
1 Roast
4 Rending Volley
2 Sarkhan, the Dragonspeaker
2 Fiery Impulse
2 Outpost Siege

5th Place - Christopher Juliano



~ Grixis Aggro ~

CREATURES 21
4 Monastery Swiftspear
4 Abbot of Keral Keep
2 Kolaghan, the Storm’s Fury
4 Thunderbreak Regent
1 Goblin Heelcutter
3 Forerunner of Slaughter
3 Zurgo Bellstriker

SPELLS 15
1 Murderous Cut
2 Treasure Cruise
4 Draconic Roar
3 Exquisite Firecraft
3 Wild Slash
2 Kolaghans Command

LANDS 24
4 Wooded Foothills
4 Bloodstained Mire
3 Polluted Delta
8 Mountain
1 Swamp
2 Sunken Hollow
2 Smoldering Marsh

SIDEBOARD: 15
1 Treasure Cruise
2 Disdainful Stroke
1 Outpost Siege
1 Ob Nixilis Reignited
1 Foul-Tongue Invocation
2 Scar-Clan Berserker
3 Duress
4 Self-Inflicted Wound

6th Place - Kevin Jones


~ Dark Jeskai ~

CREATURES: 13
4 Mantis Rider
4 Jace, Vryn’s Prodigy
2 Tasigur, the Golden Fang
1 Dragon Mater outcast
2 Soulfire Grand Master

SPELLS: 21
4 Crackling Doom
3 Dig Through Time
3 Ojutai’s Command
3 Fiery Impulse
2 Kolghan’s Command
2 Utter End
1 Wildslash
1 Negate
1 Valorous Stance
1 Painful Truths

LANDS 26
4 Mystic Monastery
4 Flooded Strand
4 Polluted Delta
4 Bloodstained Mire
2 Mountain
2 Sunken Hollow
2 Prairie Stream
1 Island
1 Swamp
1 Plains
1 Smoldering Marsh

SIDEBOARD: 15
2 Radiant Flames
2 Disdainful Stroke
2 Duress
2 Dispel
1 Brutal Explosion
1 Felidar Cub
1 Mastery of the Unseen
1 Surge of Righteousness
1 Dragonmaster Outcast
1 Transgress the Mind
1 Rending Volley

7th Place - Aiden Colligan



~ Dark Jeskai ~

CREATURES: 8
2 Dragonmaster Outcast
3 Jace, Vryn’s Prodigy
3 Soulfire Grand Master

SPELLS 26
1 Roast
2 Negate
1 Disdainful Stroke
4 Dig Through Time
1 Planar Outburst
3 Ojutai’s Command
2 Utter End
4 Crackling Doom
2 Kolaghan’s Command
1 Radiant Flames
3 Fiery Impulse
2 Silkwrap

LANDS 26
4 Mystic Monastery
4 Bloodstained Mire
4 Flooded Strand
3 Polluted Delta
2 Prairie Stream
1 Smoldering Marsh
1 Sunken Hollow
2 Shambling Vent
1 Island
1 Plains
1 Swamp
2 Mountain

SIDEBOARD: 15
1 Virulent Plague
2 Mastery of the Unseen
1 Disdainful Stroke
3 Infinite Obliteration
1 Duress
1 Self Inflicted Wound
1 Felidar Cub
2 Radiant Flames
1 Horribly Awry
1 Dispel
1 Painful Truths

8th Place - Oscar Hurtado


~ Abzan Blue ~

CREATURES: 20
4 Anafenza, the Foremost
3 Den Protector
3 Hangarback Walker
4 Siege Rhino
4 Warden of the First Tree
2 Wingmate Roc

SPELLS 14
4 Abzan Charm
4 Dromoka’s Command
1 Murderous Cut
4 Gideon, Ally of Zendikar
1 Silk Wrap

LANDS 26
2 Canopy Vista
4 Flooded Strand
2 Forest
2 Llanowar Wastes
2 Plains
4 Shambling Vent
1 Smoldering Marsh
1 Sunken Hollow
4 Windswept Heath
4 Wooded Foothills

SIDEBOAD: 15
2 Duress
2 Silkwrap
1 Sorin, Solemn Visitor
1 Tasigur, the Golden Fang
3 Transgress the Mind
2 Ultimate Price
1 Wingmate Roc
2 Self-Inflicted Wound
1 Virulent Plague