MTG Salvation

We are planning to hold monthly tournaments, so if you were not able to make it to jsanime in chino hills, there will be another tournament on january 27, 2013, (a Sunday) moved from the 26 due to a prelease event. well we had a better turnout than last time forsure!

METAGAME (22 players)

2 Kaalia of the Vast
2 Momir Vig
Animar, Soul of Elements
Ashling the Pilgrim
Avacyn, Angel of Hope
Damia, Sage of Stone
Elesh NOrn, Grand Cenobite
Geist of Saint Traft
Godo, the Bandit Lord
Iname, Death Aspect
Maelstrom Wanderer
Mayael the Anima
Riku of Two Reflections
Sedris, The Traitor King
Sen Triplets
Skullbriar, the Walking Grave
Talrand, Sky Summoner
Wdywen, the Biting Gale
Wort, Boggart Auntie
Zur the Enchanter

Four Rounds Cut to TOP 4

Round One
Kaalia of the Vast vs Momir Vig (Vig wins, 2-0)
Elesh Norn Vs Wort (Norn Wins, 2-0)
Zur vs Talrand (Zur wins, 2-0)
Geist vs Ashling (Geist wins, 2-1)
Riku vs Animar (Draw, 1-1-1)
Skullbriar vs Iname (Skullbriar wins, 2-0)
Wanderer vs Momir (Wanderer wins, 2-0)
Wydwen vs Damia (Wydwen wins, 2-0)
Tripets vs Kaalia (Draw)
Mayael vs Sedris (Draw, 1-1-1)
Godo vs Avacyn (Godo wins, 2-0)

Round Two
Zur vs Momir (Draw, 1-1-1)
Skullbriar vs Elesh Norn (Skullbriar wins, 2-0)
Wanderer vs Tripets (Wanderer wins, 2-0)
Wdywen vs Godo (Wdywen wins 2-0)
Mayael vs Geist (Mayael wins 2-1)
Sedris vs Riku (Sedris wins, 2-1)
Animar vs Avacyn (Animar wins, 2-0)
Damia vs Kaalia (Damia wins, 2-0)
Momir vs Wort (Momir wins, 2-0)
Iname vs Kaalia (Iname wins, 2-1)
Ashling vs Talrand (Ashling wins, 2-1)

Round Three
Talrand (Bye)
Skullbriar vs Wanderer (Skullbriar wins, 2-1)
Wdywen vs Sedris (Wdywen wins, 2-0)
Mayael vs Zur (Mayael wins, 2-1)
Animar vs Momir (Animar Wins, 2-0)
Godo vs Ashling (Godo wins, 2-1)
Damia vs Iname (Damia wins, 2-1)
Geist vs Momir (Geist wins, 2-0)
Elesh Norn vs Riku (Draw, 1-1-1)
Wort vs Kaalia (Wort wins, 2-0)
Drops - Tripets, Kaalia, Avacyn

Round Four
Wdywen vs Skullbriar (Wdywen wins, 2-0)
Animar vs Mayael (Animar wins, 2-0)
Godo vs Wanderer (Godo wins,2-1)
Geist vs Sedris (Geist wins, 2-0)
Elesh Norn vs Momir (Elesh Norn wins, 2-0)
Ashling vs Iname (Ashling wins, 2-1)
Momir vs Talrand (Momir wins 2-0)
Riku vs Kaalia (Riku wins 2-0)
Drops - Wort, Zur, Damia

Semi Finals
Wdywen vs Godo (Wdywen wins, 2-0)
Skullbriar vs Animar (Animar wins, 2-0)

Finals
Wdywen vs Animar (Wdywen wins, 2-0)

Ouch, Animar vs Wydwyn in the finals. That matchup is soo painful for Animar. It's definitely winnable, and empirically I've managed to beak even on that, but it's consistently one of the most intense and long-drawn matchup's imaginable. Absolutely excruciating.

Good to see an Animar list in the runnings though; I was somewhat let down by the lack of appearances these past months. Any idea which list he was running?

it was a pretty common Animar build with eldrazis and stuff like that, he had to borrow my Imperial Recruiter for the tournament though. and he made a nice addition by adding Workhorse too

after playing ruhan in last months tournament i fould out that playing control was just purely boring and took too long, this time around i thinking of playing a rush deck, and my choices for the weekend were between Lyzolda, Skullbriar, or Isamaru, with the judgement that green had a bit more utility over red i ended up playing briar.

Round one - Iname, Death Aspect

Game one - he went first, land and and jeweled amulet. i played land passed, he charged amulet my endstep. he draws land passes. i play land and casted SB and he killed it with Go for the Throat. next two turns was nothing special he casted a small dude hit me, and Sketetal Scrying for 2 my end step. i think i recasted my general and passed. he casted Persecute calling green. i revealed my hand Scavening Ooze, Sylvan Library, Liliana of the Veil, Hymn to Tourach. shouldve called black, he down to two cards i casted hymn and played liliana and assumed board and hand control and smashed with dudes.

Game 2 - he starts with a land, i start with Chrome Mox and land into Survival of the Fittest. he drops another land and Thoughtseize my Scavening Ooze. i drop land and pass. He plays Lake of the Dead passes, i survival three times at his endstep ditched Thrun, the Last Troll for Vengevine for Gravecrawler for Dark Confidant. My turn i drop land and Mox Diamond into playing SB Crawler and Bob and attacked for alot. he plays a blocker i survival for Creakwood Liege. i get land from bob and draw Sylvan Library. i casted library and attacked, he plays Iname, but i crop rotation into Bojuka Bog and got rid of all his spirits.

Round two - Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite

Game one - Was quick, he kinda had a bad hand didnt have ne palys till turn 4, i remember playing Sb on two, on turn three i played Gravecrawler, Diregraf Ghoul, Deathrite Shaman. Turn four he played chump blocker. My turn i Duress his Terminus (he told me he drew it turn 2). I played Riding the Dilu Horse on Sb and killed him.

Game two - Both of us open with land pass. turn two he land passes, i play land and casts Sb, gets Sword to Plowshares, i can tell this game would be a bit longer. he plays land and casts Blade Splicer. I play land and cast Phyrexian Arena. He gets in for 4, while i draw two and play Viridian Shaman kill his Golem token and Llanowar Elves. He draws land and passes, i draw two played Gaea's Gradle and re casted my general and casted Rancor on him and swing in, (suprised he didnt block with his splicer). He land and plays Mageta the Lion. Draw two both lands, i knew my board was gone next turn, i just tried to get in for as much damage as possible. his turn now he stuck on 5 land and plays Land Tax. I luckly draw into Sylvan Safekeeper, i declare attackers and my board is blown up, i casted safekeeper and sac a land so he can't get lands with tax and keep blowing up my board. for 3 turns i keep drawing lands, and suprisingly he didnt didnt draw lands. I finally drew into a Demonic Tutor and got Liliana of the Veil and got rid of Mageta. He finally draws a land Emeria, the Sky Ruin and passes, i draw two drop Putrid Leech and Skyshroud Elite. he is now topdecking because of Mageta and Liliana draws and passes, i play Garruk Wildspeaker and attacked. He draws a 7th land plays Elesh Norn killing everything but Skyshroud Elite. My turn, made him sac his guy with Liliana and pumped my guy with Garruk and killed him. (this game i lost like 15 life from arena.. it was so slow.)

Round Three - Maelstrom Wanderer

Game one - I had a strong start playing Mox and Sb turn one, he land and passes. I play Library on turn two, and attack, he land into a signet. Here was my mistake, i shouldve been more agressive with Library and didnt take additional cards, i dont remember much but i kept playing dudes while he played more mana rocks like Grim Monolith and Coalition Relic. i got him down to 7 or 8 i think, he casts Wanderer and gets Personal Tutor and gets Devastation. I lose everything, and next three turns i take 21 commander damage and lose.

Game two - Same typish of game, i play dudes, he plays mana rocks. and again i was pretty close in damage, and instead of playing something in his hand he decided to play Wanderer instead and cascades into two signets. I kill it with Go for the Throat, and attacked for game.

Game three - i mulligan to 6 with a one land hand with 2 mana dudes. he plays land, i topdeck into Gradle, i played Command Towercasted Llanowar Elves. He plays land passes, i play SB and played Gradle into Deathrite Shaman and i smash with SB. He draws and plays Grim Monolith and Coalition Relic. I played Thrun with Gradle, poded away llanowar for Strangleroot Geist and attacked again. He missed a land drop and couldnt cast wanderer. next all i remember was i poped Geist for Viridian Shaman and killed monolith and blocked SB with Inkmoth. His turn he casted Capture of Jingzhou, i forgot what he did to blow up my board but i regenerated Thrun and attacked for game

Round four - Wdywen, the Biting Gale

Game one - i had a decent start, i played my guy he just plays land and passes, all i remember was that he countered my spells and edict my dudes. i actually got a resolved Library into play and took 16 life to try to draw more threats, but his ability to keep casting bouncing his general and a buyback capsize stoped me in my tracks. and he took my general with Sower of Temptation. My answer was Crop Rotation for my Homeward Path but gets countered and i lose by my own general.

Game two - i forgot what really happened i remember i played a Tarmagoyf and it did nothing, and i just ultimately lost because of edicts like Consuming Vapors, he jsut waited out my hand and killed me with Wdywen.

Semi Finals - Animar, Soul of Elements

Game one - both land pass, i played SB and swing for one, he land and Lotus Petal and casted Animar. i played land and Gravecrawler and Lotleth Troll. He land and drops Fauna Shaman. I know im dead if i dont draw a removal for hte next two turns. i didnt, so i just attacked, Animar blocks SB all day everyday. in the next two turns he Fauna shaman for Imperial Recruiter and turn after that throws sumthin else away for Shrieking Drake. i drew no outs and he drake bounce Fauna Shaman, cast recruiter for Phyrexian Metamorph and loops for 7 counters on Animar, gets Fierce Empath and gets Kozilek, Butcher of Truth and i lose.

Game two - Land and Elvish Spirit Guide for SB and hit for 1, he land passes, i draw land and casted Dreg Mangler and hit for 4. He drops land and casted Animar, and told me i need an answer or i lose his next turn. i top deck into Fleshbag Marauder and got rid of his animar. Turn four he cast Manowar bouncing my general. my turn i recasted my general, turn five he recasts Animar. I Unearth fleshbag and killed it again. I remember he casting Sea Gate Oracle and bouncing it and recasting it with Dream Stalker. I play more dudes but he blocks with his guys. In the end he recasts Animar and Combos off with Recruiter and plays Workhorse to cast Emrakul, the Aeons Torn.

The tournament was definitely fun and interesting. I was the guy playing Wydwen and it was funny to see people get surprised when I would flash in my general at the end of their turns. For some reason, people would just forget that Wydwen had flash. Some of my best and funnest games were against Godo, the first game against Godo anyways, and against Skullbriar. The night ended late and there were more people playing than I thought there would be, but it was incredibly fun and I look forward to next months tournament.

Consuming Vapors really only helped 50% of the time whereas Sower of Temptation helped me every time I played it. Yeah, it's fragile but I usually found myself with counter magic backup.

Looks like a fun tournament. I am definantly looking forward to coming down there later this month to compete (w/ friends). I have a couple questions;
What is the entry free?
What was the prize support like?
Will it be the same later this month?

Quote from Tirraxus

Looks like a fun tournament. I am definantly looking forward to coming down there later this month to compete (w/ friends). I have a couple questions;
What is the entry free?
What was the prize support like?
Will it be the same later this month?

It was pretty sweet I played wanderer! The entry fee is ten dollars and first prize is a commander arsenal again. If we get at least sixteen second place is a from the vault and third and fourth get some amount of packs. With 22 people last time we are looking to build a larger SoCal duel commander community.

We are planning on a Sunday this month I think due to ptqs prerelease and the scg open

Idont know if anyone was interested, but here are two lists out of the top four, Skullbriar and Animar. i dont have personal access to the Wydwen or Godo, but the Godo player does want to say one thing. Argentum Armor

heres my SB list.


And this is my buddy's animar list, kinda different, but pretty much imperial combo version.

Any date/time for the next tournament?

january 27, sunday

Quote from asimov

So you play it when you have 6 manas (4 for sower + 2 for counter)?
It's too expensive in a metagame based on duel banlist.

But, it looks like there is still in your tournament a lot of players who simply took their multiplayer EDH (kaalia, momir vig, elesh norn, etc), against them sower is a good card.

Ever heard of free counterspells? Also are you really trying to say 4 mana is too much for spells in this format?

Quote from rhythmguy

Ever heard of free counterspells? Also are you really trying to say 4 mana is too much for spells in this format?

If it's four mana, it had better be winning the game or coming very close to doing so. Sower of Temptation is sometimes really good but frequently totally dead as the meta doesn't run very many creatures. Many of the most popular creatures have hexproof or other ways to protect themselves from Sower. Even against decks that do run a lot of creatures, like Skullbriar, Ezuri or Thalia, there isn't a single really strong creature that you'd be really excited to get with Sower. I suppose stealing Animar could be game over, but Sower is kind of slow for dealing with Animar (same with Zur, plus he has a lot of removal for Sower).

Sowering a Skullbriar, Animar, and some others is pretty much a lock on that game. Also while a 4 mana spell has to be good, it does not have to win you the game.

Quote from rhythmguy

Sowering a Skullbriar, Animar, and some others is pretty much a lock on that game. Also while a 4 mana spell has to be good, it does not have to win you the game.

Definitely not true of Skullbriar. He's certainly great in his deck, but the deck isn't destroyed by not having him. Animar is the only one I can see, but there are much better ways of keeping Animar off the board in blue.

Quote from Cuivienen

Definitely not true of Skullbriar. He's certainly great in his deck, but the deck isn't destroyed by not having him. Animar is the only one I can see, but there are much better ways of keeping Animar off the board in blue.

I play a tuned Skullbriar. The deck has basically two ways to win: beat you down with skullbriar or beat you down with the rest of the deck. Taking Skullbriar eliminates that game plan and makes beating you down with the rest of the deck harder since they have a fat blocker in Skullbriar (oh, and the opponent has counterspells for any destruction or edicts and can beat you down with skullbriar). It's not a guaranteed loss but it's looking pretty bad.

I don't know about the rest of you, but when I played Sower, it pretty much won me the game I played it in. Against Godo, I won game 1 by stealing Godo on turn 6, it sealed my win against Sedris by allowing me to steal Griselbrand in game 1, and it secured game 1 in my favor against Skullbriar by allowing me to steal him at 4 counters and bashing my opponent's face with it. Maybe my meta is light on creature removal or something, but I found that every time I had Sower, it always stole something worth stealing and whatever it was that I did steal, I got to use for several turns.

Sower is just *fine*, but I can't imagine it being worthwhile to risk Sower falling victim to spot removal when you can simply run Treachery, Control Magic or Vedalkan Shackles as an alternative. The last thing you want is a Clone/Man o War on Sower to regain an active Animar, or a Snuff Out to surrender Griselbrand.

Quote from Jester831

Sower is just *fine*, but I can't imagine it being worthwhile to risk Sower falling victim to spot removal when you can simply run Treachery, Control Magic or Vedalkan Shackles as an alternative. The last thing you want is a Clone/Man o War on Sower to regain an active Animar, or a Snuff Out to surrender Griselbrand.

Completely correct of course.