Welcome to Round 61 of 5CB and congratulations to ced395 for edging out bateleur to win with his powerful and versatile Scavenger build.
I hope you all enjoyed the special round, though my apologies that I didn't present the theme clearly. For those still wondering at my seemingly random choices, the card names all relate to Christmas. Also, my apologies on two specific cards: Elvish Spirit Guide and Star Compass. ESG is a bit too versatile to promote creativity, and Star Compass is just really bad. The new year begins next week, and I've chosen five new cards that deal with the themes of celebration, time, and rebirth.
On a larger scale, the new year is a time to reflect on the year that's ending and set a good course for the year to come. I'd like to thank carrion pigeons and WhammWhamme again for their great work as moderators. All their rounds are now archived in the "Rounds" spoiler.
POTM will resume in a week. I've added a section for POTM under the rules for Tournament Structure, and I welcome discussion on it.
I've also added a poll to measure interest for special rounds. I will use the results as a guide, but the results will not necessarily determine how I run future rounds.
I hope everyone has a happy New Year. Results and rules are below.
Last week's format was Christmas Special.
Results
1 WhammWhamme – Elvish Spirit Guide / Balance / Black Lotus / Black Lotus / Hunting Pack / Yawgmoth's Will The combination of Balance with a traditionally very staight-forward strategy is interesting. Pack surprises me; I would expect a disruption slot to fit better with Warrens, for the cost. Shame on you for making a simple deck so much harder to calculate. : )
4 dasheiff – Elvish Spirit Guide / Daze / Flash / The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale / Tundra / Woodfall Primus The 5CB + 1 port isn't quite as good here, but not bad either. For a reactive deck with such powerful disruption, this deck is surprisingly inflexible. It would have helped if you could play ESG for a threat and still had mana for Flash.
6 BigBarn – Elvish Spirit Guide / Black Lotus / Channel / Oxidize / Pact of Negation / Platinum Angel Oxidize for the Chalice that no one seems to play any more. I suppose when you have a card that wins the game as thoroughly as Angel, you can afford to be a bit narrow, but Oxidize is really pushing it.
Five Card Blind (5CB) is a weekly Magic tournament, run entirely within this forum. Players "blindly" submit five-card decks to compete against each other. Scoring assumes optimal play; given perfect information and no random effects, a match will always have the same outcome. 5CB is a pure challenge of deckbuilding and metagaming.
Rules
1. Players' decks contain exactly five cards, which begin the game in hand. Players do not mulligan or sideboard.
2. Players' libraries begin the game empty, but still exist. Players do not lose the game as a result of being unable to draw a card.
3. A random effect produces the result that least benefits the owner of the source of the effect.
4. During players' first and second turns, no player may make a play which would win the game, create an extra turn, or force a card in an opponent's hand to change zones.
5. Decks may include any number of any card legal in Vintage, with the exception of the following cards:
1. Each participant submits a deck to the 5CB moderator (Mogg). If a participant submits multiple decks, only the most recent submission is counted.
2. Each participant plays against each other participant. Matches consist of two games, with each player going first once.
3. Match points (MP) determine final tournament standings, and game points (GP) serve as tie-breakers. For each match, players earn: 3 MP for two wins or a win and a draw, 1 MP for two draws or a win and a loss, and 0 MP for two losses or a draw and a loss. For each game, players earn: 3 GP for a win, 1 GP for a draw, and 0 GP for a loss.
4. The top third of players each round (rounded down) have their points counted toward the Player of the Month (POTM) award. At the end of each month, the player with the most POTM points becomes the Player of the Month.
Special Round:
Each deck will contain a sixth card, chosen from the list below (This card is literally a card in the deck; It starts the game in hand). Once per game, a player may play that card without paying its mana cost.
The new year begins next week, and I've chosen five new cards
Ooh, interesting picks!
I have a request for the results posts: please could we have autocard links for the cards in the decklists? I notice you're already reformatting the lists. Assuming you use a decent text editor it should be very little extra work to link them.
Regarding the poll: I would ideally like to have given the answer "2-3". Please interpret accordingly.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
--
(I'm on on this site much anymore. If you want to get in touch it's probably best to email me: dom@heffalumps.org)
Forum Awards: Best Writer 2005, Best Limited Strategist 2005-2012
5CB PotM - June 2005, November 2005, February 2006, April 2008, May 2008, Feb 2009
MTGSalvation Articles: 1-20, plus guest appearance on MTGCast #86!
<Limited Clan>
I did consider forked lightning, but I felt that I would rather have instant speed in order to deal with manlands. Also the wither lets me knock down huge creatures like primus using a combination of beacon and blast over several turns, reducing my damage taken at the same time. I think this list would have been great last week, which is why I picked it. I failed to consider how much it rolls over and dies to a hardcast ESG or an otherworldly journy on the puncture blast target.
5CB is clearly one of those "minutes to learn, ages to master" sorts of games. I'll get the hang of it eventually.
Why does that not break the rule about forcing a card in the opponent's hand to change zones?
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
--
(I'm on on this site much anymore. If you want to get in touch it's probably best to email me: dom@heffalumps.org)
Forum Awards: Best Writer 2005, Best Limited Strategist 2005-2012
5CB PotM - June 2005, November 2005, February 2006, April 2008, May 2008, Feb 2009
MTGSalvation Articles: 1-20, plus guest appearance on MTGCast #86!
<Limited Clan>
Just noticed this, but why do I only get 2 points against WhammWhamme?
Should Leyline of Singularity own Hunting Pack?
Then Karakas can finish up.
And I think I can win, before he plays Balance if I am on the play.
WhammWhamme explained this well.
2) Knowledge
vs
4)dashieff
Can't I on the play, drop my hand (except for ESG) beat for 8, pass the turn.
Then Dashieff would Flash in Hulk Primus and take out Karakas, then, it wouldnt come back thanks to Leyline of the Void. That still leaves me with Elvish Spirit Guide to produce mana for one swing of Opalescence before we tie.
On the draw, I think I lose.
Unfortunately, I don't remember why I had this listed as 0-6. It's 2-2 now. dasheiff can always blow up enough permanents with Primus to not lose, and you can withhold your hand until after Primus hits play, then play Karakas and Leyline of Singularity to bounce Primus.
I hope you all enjoyed the special round, though my apologies that I didn't present the theme clearly. For those still wondering at my seemingly random choices, the card names all relate to Christmas. Also, my apologies on two specific cards: Elvish Spirit Guide and Star Compass. ESG is a bit too versatile to promote creativity, and Star Compass is just really bad. The new year begins next week, and I've chosen five new cards that deal with the themes of celebration, time, and rebirth.
On a larger scale, the new year is a time to reflect on the year that's ending and set a good course for the year to come. I'd like to thank carrion pigeons and WhammWhamme again for their great work as moderators. All their rounds are now archived in the "Rounds" spoiler.
POTM will resume in a week. I've added a section for POTM under the rules for Tournament Structure, and I welcome discussion on it.
I've also added a poll to measure interest for special rounds. I will use the results as a guide, but the results will not necessarily determine how I run future rounds.
I hope everyone has a happy New Year. Results and rules are below.
Last week's format was Christmas Special.
Results
1 WhammWhamme – Elvish Spirit Guide / Balance / Black Lotus / Black Lotus / Hunting Pack / Yawgmoth's Will
The combination of Balance with a traditionally very staight-forward strategy is interesting. Pack surprises me; I would expect a disruption slot to fit better with Warrens, for the cost. Shame on you for making a simple deck so much harder to calculate. : )
2 Knowledge – Elvish Spirit Guide / Black Lotus / Karakas / Leyline of Singularity / Leyline of the Void / Opalescence
One of my favorite decks returns. This deck won Round 23, when it punished players for being greedy with Channel. 8 hasty damage backed by a couple pieces of free disruption is still good, it seems.
3 Halinn – Ghostly Wings / Daze / Foil / Nether Spirit / Thallid / Tropical Island
Eventually, the metagame adjusts, and the hat-trick remains unachieved.
4 dasheiff – Elvish Spirit Guide / Daze / Flash / The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale / Tundra / Woodfall Primus
The 5CB + 1 port isn't quite as good here, but not bad either. For a reactive deck with such powerful disruption, this deck is surprisingly inflexible. It would have helped if you could play ESG for a threat and still had mana for Flash.
5 bateleur – Elvish Spirit Guide / Blinkmoth Nexus / Dust Bowl / Mishra's Factory / The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale / Vesuva
Slow and steady almost won the race. I'm amazed at how many options five cards can present. I suppose it helps when you're powerhouses cost nothing to play and only get hit by Balance.
6 BigBarn – Elvish Spirit Guide / Black Lotus / Channel / Oxidize / Pact of Negation / Platinum Angel
Oxidize for the Chalice that no one seems to play any more. I suppose when you have a card that wins the game as thoroughly as Angel, you can afford to be a bit narrow, but Oxidize is really pushing it.
7 ghweiss – Ghostly Wings / Black Lotus / Channel / Disrupting Shoal / Pact of Negation / Platinum Angel
This may be the first time I've seen Shoal in a deck I liked; It works surprisingly well with your free card, and with the mana costs of the format.
8 MyNameIsFourteen – Ghostly Wings / Beacon of Destruction / Boseiju, Who Shelters All / City of Traitors / Mercadian Bazaar / Puncture Blast
Slow, narrow, and underpowered tends to do poorly. Given that your ideal time to play Puncture Blast is on turn 3, when you have access to 3R, Forked Lightning seems like a better choice.
9 YuanTi – Otherworldly Journey / Island / Karakas / Leyline of Singularity / Meddling Mage / Meddling Mage
I'm still a firm believer that Mage should be playable turn one. You scored mainly on the strength of Leyline-Karakas.
10 ced395 – Otherworldly Journey / Abolish / Anurid Scavenger / Black Lotus / Foil / Tundra
A creative and successful take on the format. Well done.
Matches
X| 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0
1| X 2 2 2 2 6 0 6 2 0 | 11
2| 2 X 2 2 6 6 2 6 6 2 | 17
3| 2 2 X 2 0 0 0 6 2 3 | 8
4| 2 2 2 X 2 6 2 2 4 4 | 15
5| 2 0 6 2 X 6 6 6 6 0 | 17
6| 0 0 6 0 0 X 2 4 0 0 | 7
7| 6 2 6 2 0 2 X 0 0 0 | 9
8| 0 0 0 2 0 1 6 X 0 0 | 4
9| 2 0 2 1 0 6 6 6 X 1 | 11
0| 6 2 3 1 6 6 6 6 4 X | 20
Tournament Standings
1 ced395: 20
2 bateleur: 17
2 Knowledge: 17
4 dasheiff: 15
5 YuanTi: 11
6 WhammWhamme: 11
7 ghweiss: 9
8 Halinn: 8
9 BigBarn: 7
10 MyNameIsFourteen: 4
Congratulations to ced395 for winning 5CB #61!
Overview
Five Card Blind (5CB) is a weekly Magic tournament, run entirely within this forum. Players "blindly" submit five-card decks to compete against each other. Scoring assumes optimal play; given perfect information and no random effects, a match will always have the same outcome. 5CB is a pure challenge of deckbuilding and metagaming.
Rules
1. Players' decks contain exactly five cards, which begin the game in hand. Players do not mulligan or sideboard.
2. Players' libraries begin the game empty, but still exist. Players do not lose the game as a result of being unable to draw a card.
3. A random effect produces the result that least benefits the owner of the source of the effect.
4. During players' first and second turns, no player may make a play which would win the game, create an extra turn, or force a card in an opponent's hand to change zones.
5. Decks may include any number of any card legal in Vintage, with the exception of the following cards:
Strip Mine
Wasteland
Ghost Quarter
Force of Will
Trinisphere
Magus of the Moon
Tournament Structure
1. Each participant submits a deck to the 5CB moderator (Mogg). If a participant submits multiple decks, only the most recent submission is counted.
2. Each participant plays against each other participant. Matches consist of two games, with each player going first once.
3. Match points (MP) determine final tournament standings, and game points (GP) serve as tie-breakers. For each match, players earn: 3 MP for two wins or a win and a draw, 1 MP for two draws or a win and a loss, and 0 MP for two losses or a draw and a loss. For each game, players earn: 3 GP for a win, 1 GP for a draw, and 0 GP for a loss.
4. The top third of players each round (rounded down) have their points counted toward the Player of the Month (POTM) award. At the end of each month, the player with the most POTM points becomes the Player of the Month.
September 2007
Round 1 (Introduction)
Round 2 andelijah
POTM: None
October 2007
Round 3 Mogg
Round 4 Chimpanzee (Lorwyn)
Round 5 Meat Popsicle (Repeat Letters)
Round 6 Mogg (10 Life)
POTM: Mogg
November 2007
Round 7 Death_By_Beebles
Round 8 jcsuperstar (Mindslaver)
Round 9 Mogg (Thanksgiving Special)
Round 10 Mogg (Thanksgiving Special, Part Two)
POTM: Mogg
December 2007
Round 11 carrion pigeons
Round 12 Mogg (Later Alphabet)
Round 13 Mogg (Backbuild)
Round 14 Xyre (Backbuild)
POTM: Mogg
January 2008
Round 15 armlx
Round 16 Chimpanzee (Auras)
Round 17 Mogg (Doubling Season)
Round 18 carrion pigeons, Chimpanzee (Doubling Season)
Round 19 WhammWhamme (31 Bans)
POTM: Mogg
February 2008
Round 20 Chimpanzee
Round 21 Mogg (Combat)
Round 22 Mogg (Combat)
Round 23 Knowledge
POTM: Mogg
March 2008
Round 24 Mogg (Consecutive Names)
Round 25 Chimpanzee (Consecutive Names)
Round 26 The Mad Tapper
Round 27 The Mad Tapper
POTM: The Mad Tapper
April 2008
Round 28 The Mad Tapper (DC5)
Round 29 jcsuperstar (DC5)
Round 30 jcsuperstar (< 20)
Round 31 bateleur
POTM: bateleur
May 2008
Round 32 WhammWhamme (Leyline)
Round 33 Silver Seraph (Mana Market)
Round 34 bateleur (Helm of Awakening and Mirari)
Round 35 Alfred (Pre-entered Decks)
POTM: bateleur
June 2008
Round 36 bateleur
Round 37 WhammWhamme (Favorite Colors)
Round 38 YuanTi (Lotus)
Round 39 Mogg (Mogg Week)
POTM: WhammWhamme
July 2008
Round 40 bateleur (Mulligans)
Round 41 Mogg
Round 42 Chimpanzee
Round 43 ced395 (Even)
POTM: Mogg
August 2008
Round 44 WhammWhamme (Odd)
Round 45 Farik (No Bans)
Round 46 Mogg
POTM: Error1
September 2008
Round 47 ghweiss (Low-Scoring)
Round 48 theeguy (Backbuild, Part Two)
Round 49 Mogg
Round 50 Mogg (50 Life)
Round 51 Error1 (Landline)
POTM: Mogg
October 2008
Round 52 Shogun17 (Exploration)
Round 53 MT_Gunn (Multicolor Discount)
Round 54 Silkenfist (2-2)
Round 55 bateleur, WhammWhamme
POTM: None
November 2008
Round 56 Error1 (Colorless Creatures)
Round 57 Knowledge, Silkenfist (Legendary Creatures)
POTM: None
December 2008
Round 58 (Introduction)
Round 59 Halinn
Round 60 Halinn
Round 61 ced395 (Christmas Special)
POTM: None
Each deck will contain a sixth card, chosen from the list below (This card is literally a card in the deck; It starts the game in hand). Once per game, a player may play that card without paying its mana cost.
Choose one of the following cards:
Dawn's Reflection
Enduring Renewal
Goblin Festival
Sands of Time
Stone Calendar
Deck Submission Deadline:
Friday, January 2nd, 12:00 pm (noon) PST.
Please use this thread to discuss any aspect of 5CB.
BWTeysa, Orzhov Scion
GWRhys the Redeemed
GUKruphix, God of Horizons
GRXenagos, God of Revels
GThrun, the Last Troll
GStompy
<applause>
Now that's a nice deck!
Ooh, interesting picks!
I have a request for the results posts: please could we have autocard links for the cards in the decklists? I notice you're already reformatting the lists. Assuming you use a decent text editor it should be very little extra work to link them.
Regarding the poll: I would ideally like to have given the answer "2-3". Please interpret accordingly.
(I'm on on this site much anymore. If you want to get in touch it's probably best to email me: dom@heffalumps.org)
Forum Awards: Best Writer 2005, Best Limited Strategist 2005-2012
5CB PotM - June 2005, November 2005, February 2006, April 2008, May 2008, Feb 2009
MTGSalvation Articles: 1-20, plus guest appearance on MTGCast #86!
<Limited Clan>
I did consider forked lightning, but I felt that I would rather have instant speed in order to deal with manlands. Also the wither lets me knock down huge creatures like primus using a combination of beacon and blast over several turns, reducing my damage taken at the same time. I think this list would have been great last week, which is why I picked it. I failed to consider how much it rolls over and dies to a hardcast ESG or an otherworldly journy on the puncture blast target.
5CB is clearly one of those "minutes to learn, ages to master" sorts of games. I'll get the hang of it eventually.
Why does that not break the rule about forcing a card in the opponent's hand to change zones?
(I'm on on this site much anymore. If you want to get in touch it's probably best to email me: dom@heffalumps.org)
Forum Awards: Best Writer 2005, Best Limited Strategist 2005-2012
5CB PotM - June 2005, November 2005, February 2006, April 2008, May 2008, Feb 2009
MTGSalvation Articles: 1-20, plus guest appearance on MTGCast #86!
<Limited Clan>
Because I'm the one who is discarding to Balance, since I have more cards in hand than he does. Pretty simple, really.
.
BWTeysa, Orzhov Scion
GWRhys the Redeemed
GUKruphix, God of Horizons
GRXenagos, God of Revels
GThrun, the Last Troll
GStompy