July Tournament (in progress)

[jatill]

juzamjedi is in group C, thedrugo is in group A instead, there was a mixup so you'll have to play thedrigo against monopman and me since juzamjedi is not in our group

Dammit, why weren't the brackets updated? Aww, can you please update the brackets, and post them in the first post? Thanks.

[aww1979]

I thought I did update them, sorry. I'll try to find everywhere that refers to it

[aww1979]

I put this in the first post as well:
Group A:
Cognis
Monopoman
Thedrigo

Group B:
Jatill
Taron
Yggdrasil

Group C:
Discoransom
Shantak
Juzamjedi

Group D:
Brandon822
Serbitar
Aww1979

As for the bugs, if the issue is a known approximation in coding, I'll let it stand. For instance, one game with Thedrigo's deck, I was not allowed to put Lightning Greaves or Eldrazi Conscription on Emrakul, the Aeons Torn. Since this was a known issue beforehand, I left it as is.

If the bug is something unexpected, like Dark Ritual countering a spell, I'll either try to debug it to the proper state, or mentally keep track to see whether the bug affected the outcome. I'm not sure what I'd do if it did; all the games I've had falling under that category, the outcome was already a foregone conclusion one way or the other.

[juzamjedi]

I have finished the first round and for me the most fun deck was created by thedrigo. Lightning Greaves + Metalworker + Eldrazi was a lot of fun to pull off I was honestly surprised it worked and pleased with the result.

[Shantak]

Group A:

Cognis vs. Monopoman (AI) - 2-1, Cognis +1 point
Progenitus came and I had only targeted removal. Path of Exiled my own Watchwolf in order to get mana for Baneslayer Angel to get life, but it was countered. I was ran over by Proggy. 0-1

Gaddock Teeg kept Natural Order from being cast and Baneslayer Angel did the dirty job. 1-1

Last game, AI got Progenitus on its last turn, but was already in 4 life and I had enough attackers. 2-1

Cognis vs TheDrigo (AI) - 2-0, Cognis +2 points
AI couldn't deal with aggressive G/W creatures. 1-0

The second game was practically a repeat of the first. 2-0

Monopoman vs Cognis (AI) - 2-0, Monopoman +2 points
Third turn Progenitus for me in the first game. 1-0

This game was slow as I had three 1/1 creatures waiting for Threshold and two Progenituses in my hand and could do minimal damage. AI doesn't present any danger however, and when I reach Threshold, my next attack wins the game. 2-0

Monopoman vs TheDrigo (AI) - 2-0, Monopoman +2 points
Fourth turn Progenitus. Also, Trygon Predator seems pretty effective against TheDrigo's deck. 1-0

Fourth turn Progenitus again. 2-0


TheDrigo vs. Cognis (AI) - 0-2, Cognis +5 points
Took two mulligans to get two lands in starting hand. Couldn't do much when AI started attacking. 0-1

Would have finally been able to cast Darksteel Colossus on my last turn, but Ancient Tomb would have killed me. So it was either that or AI's creatures. 0-2

TheDrigo vs Monopoman (AI) - 2-1, TheDrigo +1 point
Cast Sundering Titan on my fourth turn but it was met with a Force of Will. Then Progenitus dropped down and killed me. 0-1

Second turn Lodestone Golem was dealed with StoP. Then fourth turn Sundering Titan blew all AI's lands. Two turns later I casted Darksteel Colossus. AI was dust. 1-1

Again a second turn Lodestone Golem. Grim Monolith + Voltaic Key is a lovely combo. Lodestone won the game. 2-1


Total points:
Cognis +8
Monopoman +4
TheDrigo +1

[aww1979]

Again a second turn Lodestone Golem. Grim Monolith + Voltaic Key is a lovely combo. Lodestone won the game. 2-1

I had to do a doubletake at that. In all the games I played in group A, I never saw Voltaic Key a single time, either on AI side or my side :p

[thedrigo]

Again a second turn Lodestone Golem. Grim Monolith + Voltaic Key is a lovely combo. Lodestone won the game. 2-1

I had to do a doubletake at that. In all the games I played in group A, I never saw Voltaic Key a single time, either on AI side or my side :p

In retrospect, I think I shoulda added one more Voltaic Key instead of the third Master Transmuter... I also think a fourth Metalkworker woulda been in order instead of one Chromatic Sphere.

Sorry I haven't been able to post results, but I'm out of town for business. I'll test in the second round, if that's ok.

[jatill]

Ok, let's try this again:

thedrigo vs cognis (1-2) vs monopman (1-2)

cognis vs monopman (2-0) vs thedrigo (2-0)

monopman vs cognis (2-0) vs thedrigo (2-0)

Group C all decks went 2-0. Very nice group there. That wraps it up for me.

[aww1979]

In retrospect, I think I shoulda added one more Voltaic Key instead of the third Master Transmuter... I also think a fourth Metalkworker woulda been in order instead of one Chromatic Sphere.

Sorry I haven't been able to post results, but I'm out of town for business. I'll test in the second round, if that's ok.

I thought the deck worked surprisingly well, at least on the human side. (The AI was not so good with it; it likes to tap Grim Monolith as soon as it plays it :p) I'd probably take out some or all of the Chromatic Spheres, though; usually I ended up just cantripping them or else hoarding them for Metalworker. A fourth Metalworker could have been fit in for at least one of those. Turn 2 lightning greaves turn 3 metalworker, equip, and tap for mana was pretty fun

The Crop Rotation was rather clever; I wouldn't have thought of doing that to make the Urza's set, and two seems to be a good number of those to have.

And yeah, it's alright if you pass testing on round 1 and test in round 2.

[Brandon822]

Group A

Cognis 4 points
Monopoman 6 points
TheDrigo 1 point

Cognis vs Monopoman (AI) - 2-0 --- Cognis +2 points
Cognis vs TheDrigo (AI) - 2-0 --- Cognis +2 points

Monopoman vs Cognis (AI) - 2-1 --- Monopoman +1 points
Monopoman vs TheDrigo (AI) - 2-0 --- Monopoman +2 points

TheDrigo vs Monopoman (AI) - 1-2 --- Monopoman +3 points
TheDrigo vs Cognis (AI) - 2-1 --- TheDrigo +1 points

Group B

Jatill 2 points
Yggdrasil 9 points
Taron 2 points

Jatill vs Taron(AI) - 2-1 --- Jatill +1 point
Jatill vs Yggdrasil(AI) - 2-1 --- Jatill +1 point

Yggdrasil vs Taron(AI) - 2-0 --- Yggdrasil +2 points
Yggdrasil vs Jatill(AI) - 2-0 --- Yggdrasil +2 points Note: In one game AI had five turns to use the combo, but it didn't.

Taron vs Jatill(AI) - 2-0 --- Taron +2 points Note: In one game AI had ~five turns to use the combo, but it didn't.
Taron vs Yggdrasil(AI) - 0-2 Yggdrasil +5 points

[Cognis]

Speaking of which, when will round 2 start? I think a lot of people finished round 1, but best not to hurry much so the tournament wouldn't end mid july

[aww1979]

Group B:
jatill vs taron AI 2-0 (jatill +2 pts)
jatill vs yggdrasil AI 2-0 (jatill +2 pts)
taron vs jatill AI 2-0 (taron +2 pts)
taron vs yggdrasil AI 2-1 (taron +1 pts)
yggdrasil vs jatill AI 2-0 (yggdrasil +2 pts)
yggdrasil vs taron AI 2-0 (yggdrasil +2 pts)

J vs T:
Game 1: I keep a somewhat questionable hand, 3 lands, 2 chrome mox, sign in blood and damnation. I'm hoping the SiB will draw something and damnation can stall. AI wastelands my first land and then has no more land all game, while I draw into the combo and win on turn 4 against an empty AI board. 1-0
Game 2: I have basically the same hand as before, except the Helm and another land instead of the moxes. AI stalls with Tangle Wire and gets a few beats with Solemn Simulacrum x2, but I find Enlightened Tutor, get the Leyline of the Void, and win. 2-0

J vs Y:
Game 1: I mull a zero land hand to 6 and keep it, though it has no combo pieces, but does have two Damnation. I kill a Vampire Nighthawk, and then take 5 from a Demigod and kill that, too. I take a lot of damage, from Lightning Bolt, Blightning, and my own fetches/draw spells, but eventually I draw into the combo and win at 4 life. 1-0
Game 2: I keep a hand with Leyline and loads of land. Turn 0 Leyline, and I quickly draw into Enlightened Tutor for Helm, and win on turn 3 thanks to Dark Ritual and City of Traitors for my mana. 2-0

T vs J:
Game 1: I had a stax lock by turn 3. It took awhile to beat down with the Arcbound Ravager, but the AI had no chance. I did get a bit of a boost when AI played Sign in Blood, targeting me :p 1-0
Game 2: First hand has no mana, mull it. Second hand has one forest. Ugh, mull that, too. Third hand has still only one land, Tropical Island, but going to 4 seems pretty ugly, and my 4 cards are Trinisphere, Ravager, Simulacrum, Tangle Wire, so if I can get the land, I should do okay, I hope. AI plays City of Traitors turn 2 and fetchland turn 3, burying it :p I topdeck an Island for the ravager, so I've at least got that. Turn 4 I topdeck a fetch and play Tangle Wire, and it's on! After that, Tangle Wire, and after that, a second Tangle Wire keep AI from being able to cast anything except a Duress, and I slowly beat until I win. AI seemed to be manaflooded. 2-0

T vs Y:
Game 1: It takes me a few turns to draw into a third land, but after that, Tangle Wire followed by a second one keeps AI tapped out while I go to town with my creatures. 1-0
Game 2: I mull to 6, still only have 1 land, but keep it reluctantly. The first four turns see AI hit all land drops but only casts a bolt to my face, while I finally see a land on turn 5 and play a ravager. AI drops 5th land and blightnings me, but I have doubles of meekstone and crucible so I don't really care, while I play a second ravager. Demigod comes down on AI turn 6 (no more land drops) and I take 5, but I have another meekstone in hand. AI plays a second demigod, and I take another 5 down to 3 life, but thank goodness the Meekstone is keeping those tapped :p Turn 8 AI plays a Hymn, and I lose a crucible and a thirst, but I can't cast them anyway with 2 land. AI also plays a Vampire Nighthawk, which is *not* good. I topdeck Careful Study, use it, throw away two Careful Consideration, and get a Wasteland. Life totals are 3 to 14, and nighthawk can fly right past meekstone. I use a rather costly combat trick and attack with the ravagers, sac the unblocked one to the other one, making it a 3/3, and trade it with the nighthawk. Ouch, but it has to be done, since saccing the meekstone is *not* a viable option. Turn 9 AI plays Bitterblossom, and I'm probably effed in the ass, now. I've got 3 land, and my hand is Tangle Wire and Thirst for Knowledge. I topdeck Wasteland (*now* I'm drawing lands, lol) If I play Tangle Wire, I think that's probably a loss, so I go for TfK and hope for the best. I get Forest, Careful Study, and Misty Rainforest. I toss the tangle wire and play Careful Study. I get an island and a meekstone, and toss the fetch and meekstone. This is not good at all. AI gets a faerie and does nothing. I draw... Emrakul and pass. (sigh) AI gets another faerie, attacks, and passes. I draw Trinisphere and concede. 1-1
Game 3: Turn 2 sees me play ravager and AI play Nezumi. I attack and sac my meekstone when he blocks to make ravager 2/2. Chainer's Edict comes down to kill it, though. I play Tangle Wire, hoping to stall, since I have no answers if AI gets a nighthawk or something. A few boring turns ensue; AI hymns a trinisphere/tooth and I play a ravager and a trinisphere. I topdeck Careful Consideration, and after uh carefully considering the options (hehe) I keep a simulacrum and a thirst and throw a tooth and a careful study. AI plays Blightning, rendering the previous choice moot, as all the cards are now in the grave. I topdeck thirst, see careful consideration, meekstone and tangle wire, and toss the meekstone. I attack, and life totals are now 15-15. AI plays Vampire Nighthawk. (ugh) I play Tangle Wire, and since AI has only 3 lands, it will tap everything it has next turn. I could attack and sac trinisphere to make ravager 3/3, but I think I'll wait on that. I draw another careful consideration, throw a thirst and a trinisphere and keep meekstone and tooth, and attack for 2. AI taps his nighthawk and 2 lands, and then plays a bitterblossom, even though Trinisphere should have stopped that. I'll let it go, though, because AI could have sacced the fetchland it played and then cast bitterblossom legitimately. I topdeck Kozilek, and grin evilly as I put him right into play with Tooth and Nail, crossing my fingers that it won't die to Terminate or something. It doesn't AI swings with nighthawk, makes a faerie, and plays a second nighthawk, which unfortunately can block and kill Koz. I topdeck crucible and recur a wasteland. I could attack with Koz, which would annihilate 4, but if the AI is smart, it would sac its lands and keep nighthawk to block with, and deathtouch would kill him, and I'd probably lose to 2x nighthawk and bitterblossom. If the AI is dumb, it might screw up by blocking my 2/2 ravager with nighthawk, but I will wait a turn, since I know AI will swing with its unblockable flying nighthawks and leave the path clear next turn. The life totals are 13-12, so I can afford to do this. I attack just with the ravager, and AI blocks it with nighthawk, and I sac the trinisphere that only seems to be affecting my spells anyway for some reason. AI taps its nighthawk with the single tanglewire counter, and as I'm laughing it casts Nighthawk #3. Shit! I draw a simulacrum and crucible a fetchland, since AI has all swamps. I had wondered why AI fetched a swamp last turn instead of badlands; maybe it realized I'd just recur my wasteland? Even so, it should have fetched a mountain :p Again, due to an untapped nighthawk, I keep Koz back. AI swings for 6 with flyers, and gains 4. Life totals are 5-16, so I need either a great topdeck or an AI fuckup with annihilator targets. I topdeck thirst, draw emrakul, tangle wire, and smokestack, and throw the meekstone I already had. AI sacs both bitterblossom, a swamp and a faerie to Koz. I play Tangle Wire, and since AI has only 3 lands, it has to tap one of its creatures (2 nighthawk and a faerie) and since I have 5 life I can survive a turn. Koz will then annihilate and Tangle Wire will lock what's left. AI taps 2 creatures and 2 swamps, swings with Nighthawk, and life totals are now 3-15, and I can't kill yet, since Koz + simulacrum = 14 damage. I swing anyway of course, and AI is left at 1 life, saccing everything but a faerie and a swamp. Tangle Wire taps those, and I attack for the win! Holy shit, what a close game! 2-1

I'll upload this video, just because of that final game, lol. I think I could have easily lost if I hadn't made some of the choices I did, like keeping Tooth and Nail off Careful Consideration, and of course a human would have beat me in this game.

Y vs J:
Game 1: I keep a one land hand, since it includes hymn and bitterblossom, and I figure that should go pretty far. Unfortunately, by turn 6, I'm still waiting to crack that fetchland :p AI has 4 scrublands and one of my nezumis from a Helm of Obedience. I break the fetch and bolt it, since I don't want to start discarding to it. On about turn 7 or 8 I finally get a second land and play Hymn against a 7 card hand. I get two Thoughtseize, and next turn I hymn a mox and damnation. I follow up with two Bitterblossom on my next two turns and start making faeries out the behind. AI discards a leyline to my nezumi and a helm and duress to blightning, so either jatill's patch didn't do as much as he thought, or I just have enough stuff in play that the AI has given up. The latter is quite possible, as AI hasn't even sacced the fetchland it played recently. On my last turn I Blightning, hitting swamp and enlightened tutor, and then peek at its hand, and see night's whisper, sign in blood, and... Damnation *facepalm*. Faerie horde then attacks. 1-0
Game 2: My opening hand is pretty good. I have Nezumi and Bitterblossom, two lands, a nighthawk, and then two useless removals. AI goes first, and doesn't even play a land! Turn 2 it plays one, and I play bitterblossom. Turn 3 AI casts Thoughtseize on my Damnation (go ahead, you have no creatures, lol) and I hymn a land and Chrome Mox. Turn 4 AI plays City of Traitors and Helm of Obedience; I topdeck swamp and play another Bitterblossom and attack. Turn 5 AI mills me with helm, gets Demigod and hits for 5, but I terminate it once I untap. The next two turns AI does nothing while I play nighthawk, attack with my horde twice, and bolt for the win. I peek at AIs hand after I bolt, and it has 2 thoughtseize, dark ritual, sign in blood, enlightened tutor, and leyline, with 2x scrubland and city of traitors in play. 2-0

Y vs T:
Game 1: First hand has one mana, and a lot of expensive cards like 3x Damnation, so I mull it immediately. Second hand has one mana, two demigods, blightning, nighthawk, and death's shadow. Ugh, I'd better mull that, too. I keep the 5 card hand with 2x bitterblossom, nezumi, demigod, and swamp. Ugh, but at least topdecking a land will give me a chance, whereas the other hands I'd have needed to draw at least two lands to do anything at all. This time, things go smoothly and I topdeck the swamp on my first draw and play bitterblossom; AI played a meekstone. I topdeck another swamp, and bitterblossom #2 comes down. I start beating the hell out of the AI, while it plays two Trinisphere. I topdeck a Hymn, and for some reason I cannot cast it even though I have 3 swamps in play; maybe Trinisphere is somehow being cumulative, and wants me to spend 2BB, even though it should be 1BB even with two of them. I just activate Nezumi instead, and AI discards Emrakul. AI taps out to play Careful Consideration, and I attack for the win on my next turn. I topdecked a bitterblossom and it showed up as uncastable as well. Something is seriously wrong with Trinisphere, but I win anyway. 1-0
Game 2: I keep demigod, hymn, bitterblossom, blightning and 3 land This is pretty nice. AI ends up being manascrewed and the win is easy.

[aww1979]

Speaking of which, when will round 2 start? I think a lot of people finished round 1, but best not to hurry much so the tournament wouldn't end mid july

I scheduled it for July 14, giving everyone one day per match, but if everyone is done before then, it will start earlier.

[thedrigo]

I thought the deck worked surprisingly well, at least on the human side. (The AI was not so good with it; it likes to tap Grim Monolith as soon as it plays it :p) I'd probably take out some or all of the Chromatic Spheres, though; usually I ended up just cantripping them or else hoarding them for Metalworker. A fourth Metalworker could have been fit in for at least one of those. Turn 2 lightning greaves turn 3 metalworker, equip, and tap for mana was pretty fun

I'm glad it's fun for people to play it. That was more my thing since I was so sick of the AI sucking at every deck I put together. In the end I decided to build the deck for it to be fun for me to play as opposed to it being a killer in the idiot AI's hands.

Originally, the deck had other colored cards that required the Spheres to be included but when I switched those cards out I forgot to remove them. Like I said, in retrospect, I woulda put some other fun stuff in... Heeheehee.

[monopoman]

Group A: Monopoman vs. Cognis vs. TheDrigo

Match 1: Cognis (Human) vs. Monopoman (AI) 2-0 win for Cognis
Game 1:
I am able to get some early beats going and am glad to have Teeg to help stop the power that is Natural Order. Baneslayer comes down and seals the game in short order Cognis as human wins.

Game 2: I get out a bunch of hierarchs and swing in with watchwolf early as a 6/6. Get out Baneslayer but she gets swored the AI starts to mount a decent threat with my only decent damage dealer being watchwolf. I start swinging in with big creatures thanks to Noble which the AI is forced to block. The army eventually overwhelms AI never gets down a Progenitus. Cognis wins.

Match 2: Cognis (Human) vs. TheDrigo (AI) 2-0 win for Cognis

Game 1: AI seems to keep a one land hand I get a ridiculous fast start. AI is forced to chump with Metalworker early and dies a very quick death. Cognis wins.

Game 2: Get a slower start this time and AI seems to have a better hand. I do put the AI at 5 life on my turn 4 though due to Watchwolf+Wilt-Leaf cav and liege. AI dies a slow death barely casting anything that is relevant at all.

Match 3:Monopoman (Human) vs. Cognis (AI) 0-2 loss for Monopoman

Game 1: AI gets a half way decent start and I get a great one I swords the AI's blocker and swing in early. I start to stall the game and neither player is able to get much damage through either way. Order does come down though activating threshold for Werebear+Mongoose and getting me prog in the process. Unfortunately Baneslayer comes down and I am unable to kill him before Cognis's army wins.

Game 2: Once again Baneslayer comes down and I have a mediocre hand and can't find a Order for the life of me. I have a decent army but the removal of the AI takes out my best creatures don't see a single swords or Order Cognis wins.

Match 4: Monopoman (Human) vs. TheDrigo (AI) 2-1 win for Monopoman

Game !: AI gets a much better start then the games I saw earlier but I have a Force sitting in hand waiting for the first big threat. I force his first Metalworker fearing Emrakul. I order for Predator since I have BOTH progrenitus in hand but it is good in this matchup. Eventually the game goes long enough where my army wins the day Monopoman wins.

Game 2: AI gets 2 metalworkers out quickly but I am able to swords them both before they can lose summoning sickness. Unfortunately I have no green mana so I fear the worst... Double lodestone golem seals the game since I can't do anything at all until it is too late. Horrible hand should have mulliganed again. I despise when this game treats me like #$#$ with bad hands.

Game 3: AI gets an early Colossus but I have an early Progenitus to combat that with a Swords in hand. AI attakcs with all his creatures including Transmuter and Metalworker I swords colossus and block everything and win combat due to threshold activation. End the game easily next turn as the AI can't do crap.

Match 5: TheDrigo (Human) vs. Cognis (AI) 1-2 loss for TheDrigo

Game 1: I assemble tron thanks to Crop rotation drop a 3rd turn lodestone golem. He removes it via pridemage sac for a followup turn I drop Kozilek the butcher. He swords that and swings in with a 5/4 finks thanks to Wilt-Leaf I keep putting down threats though like Golem next turn+Transmuter with a Conscription in hand. He swords the Golem and swings in for 9 I drop Plat Angel which helps secure a win assuming AI can't remove it. Next turn I conscript Plat and swing then Drop Colossus for a followup. AI barely pulls it though with a path to exile on the Angel and a swing in for lethal damage.

Game 2: This game I get a much better hand and start to bring out threats early the AI removes some but we go back and forth until I drop Butcher of Truth he can't stop that right away so I get one swing in with greaves the next turn to protect him. So to add insult to injury I conscript it then put on a greaves needles to say the AI has no answer for this period. TheDrigo wins.

Game 3: I get a 3rd turn Transmuter and pray the AI does not remove it and that I draw blue mana. Neither of these things happen I die next turn to beats from the big AI creatures. TheDrigo loses.

Match 6: TheDrigo (Human) Vs. Monopoman (AI) 2-0 win for TheDrigo

Game 1: I get an okay hand that can lead to an early mine and golem if I draw some acceleration. I get out a golem and feeling good about it since I have 2x mine in addition and he doesn't have anything huge. It gets sworded though right away. I get out a Transmuter with graves though and drop Colossus. AI does Order for Prog the turn after though which is formidable thankfully I have greaves on the colossus. I get the mana to cast Emrakul though the turn after and win the game quickly.

Game 2: Get a bit of a stalemate early since I have no big creatures and can't attack in. I have Transmuter and Worker though so I hope I can draw something that can win the game. I get down a conscription on a Lodestone and the AI does a stupid move and blocks with Predator which could have killed it next turn. Thanks to stupid AI I win in two swings.


Notes: I really feel embarrassed how well other people are doing with my deck and I get steamrolled with it in my own hands.