Yes. It seems to me that the idea behind this tournament was that it was submitted for our entertainment, not our approval. I think it has consistently delivered on that promise(entertainment).
Well put. Indeed, this tournament has always existed for two reasons, and two reasons only (in the following order):
1) The enjoyment of those who run it (initially just myself, then later myself and Alfred)
2) The entertainment of those who read it
I neither ask for the approval of the audience nor care if I get it. I enjoy BOTS, and if the readers do as well, that is just a happy by-product. I'm happy either way - if people hate it, I don't care. If they like it, then obviously that is fine. I can't speak for Alfred on this, but this is how I have always felt about the whole project. I've presented these BOTS tournaments because they are FUN. But this is not a business - I have nothing invested in this project other than some time - a resource I was more than happy to give in the name of having good fun. I stand to lose nothing if people don't like BOTS or don't read it, and I stand to gain nothing if people like BOTS and read it religiously. I have nothing on the line here. Either way, I'm happy because BOTS has been fun for me.
I don't have much else to say about BOTS in general, or anything else. However, I will say this about the finals: a little controversy never hurt anybody. Do I care which deck people really think won? No, not particularly. Do I enjoy watching the controversy unfold in the aftermath of the finals? Definitely.
Wait....wait just a moment folks...do not leave your seats...the judges are questioning my ruling to overturn the result and give the win to Torment...
the judges are conferring...Legend and Alfred are asking them to overturn the result.......and.......
...they are checking the Apprentice game log.....this is the first video replay review in the history of BOTS....check back shortly....
AND NOW THE JUDGE'S PANEL RULING:
Well, there is no easy answer to this, since Antiquities could have instead used the Coffin on the Champion to perhaps buy one or two more turns (by doing that, Antiquities would have gone back up to 11 life) - then Antiquities maybe could have topdecked something else of use. However, it is almost certain that Torment would have won the game had the rule been applied correctly. Therefore....
The ruling on the field is overturned, and TORMENT IS OFFICIALLY THE BOTS VII CHAMPION!!!!
And finally, on a separate note, I just wanted to thank all the readers for tuning in to the latest installment of Battle of the Sets. I appreciate everyone reading and enjoying these articles. Thanks in particular to Alfred and Goblinboy.
This was my last BOTS and its been fun all the way. I've had a great time running the first seven BOTS tournaments, but as I said earlier, it is definitely time for me to step aside. As I don't play tournament Magic or any other kind of Magic anymore, I am definitely losing touch with the game, but more importantly the main reason is that running this thing is fun, but SO TIME-CONSUMING! Given the fact that I will soon have very little time due to some changes in my life, it won't be possible for me to run BOTS anymore.
I know there were some harsh exchanges on some of the earlier articles, but I am definitely glad people tuned in to this installment of BOTS.
Finally, I'll just say that you can look forward to future BOTS tournaments run by Alfred, who will be taking over the entire operation starting next time. So from this point forward, Alfred is the guy to talk to if you have any questions or comments about BOTS. Needless to say, the tournament will be in very capable hands. Alfred is a fine player and knows BOTS inside and out. Anyway, that's all I have. Thanks to everybody who has enjoyed BOTS!
Don't have a clue what this is? Then read this. Already well-versed in the ways of the BOTS? Then read on and I'll get right to the action!
BATTLE OF THE SETS VII - THE FINALS
ANTIQUITIES VS. TORMENT
In the greatest battle ever waged, the mighty Antiquities doom machine clashed with the unspeakable evil of Torment's nefarious nightmare squad in an epic confrontation between the two most successful sets in BOTS history. Much was on the line.
Antiquities was seeking to become the first set to win back-to-back BOTS titles, as well as the first set to win three out of four tournaments (no other set has more than one championship). Oddly, if Antiquities won in non-sweep fashion, it would also become the first champion to not sweep a single match, having won each of its first four matches by identical 3-1 scores.
On the other side, Torment was out for revenge, which the black-hearted entity of evil had been wickedly fantasizing about ever since it lost to Antiquities 3-1 in last tournament’s finals (Note: for a detailed history of both decks, check out the preview and recap of the BOTS VI finals, available here).
Not only did Antiquities arrive in the finals having defeated all four of its opponent by identical scores, so did Torment, which did it in even more dominant fashion - all sweeps. This marked only the third time that a set had swept four consecutive matches on the way to the finals, and the first time that both finalists had won each of their matches by identical scores. Torment had the perfect string of wins going - but that didn’t matter now, because the level of competition was about to take a step way up. Antiquities had not swept any of its opponents - nor had it been pushed to a deciding game five. Thus, despite the lack of sweeps, each of Antiquities’s matches had resulted in decisive wins. Both combatants, then, were buzz-saws that had sliced through the field with but one purpose in mind - to win the most coveted prize in all of sport - the BOTS championship.
GAME 1
Antiquities won the die roll 10-3 and looked at its opening hand - and ideal starting seven containing not one, but two copies of the all-important Mishra’s Workshop. This charmed opening hand led to the filthy start of turn one Onulet, turn two Tetravus. Torment could only manage a turn two Chainer’s Edict to kill the Onulet, everyone’s favorite walking, talking luxury toilet. Meanwhile, Antiquities, conscious of Torment’s Faceless Butchers, wished to avoid taking a bath on its investment in the Tetravus. Consequently, during Antiquities’s third-turn upkeep, three Tetravites broke off to form a four-way air armada (along with the original Tetravus). The Tet Offensive was underway.
Antiquities poured on the pressure, summoning a Su-Chi and adding an Urza’s Tower before passing the turn back to Torment. Rancid Earth demolished a Workshop, but the game was out of hand. Su-Chi and Team Tet reduced Torment to 9 life and another Onulet joined the gang, along with an Urza’s Power Plant. Although a Faceless Butcher arrived to steal Su-Chi, Torment conceded one turn later in the face of the unblockable Tet Offensive and a freshly cast Tawnos’s Coffin.
Antiquities 1, Torment 0[/font][/size]
GAME 2
Antiquities Strip Mined Torment’s first Swamp and then followed once more with Mishra’s Workshop + Onulet. Torment’s first creature was Nantuko Shade, while Antiquities replied with Mishra’s Factory, Candelabra of Tawnos, and a Clockwork Avian (using Workshop to cast Candelabra - leaving two mana floating - then using Factory + Candelabra to untap Workshop for three more mana to cast the Avian). Onulet attacked and went unblocked, as did the Nantuko Shade. Torment added another Shade and a Cabal Coffers before passing. Clearly, the Strip Mine was a major annoyance, since at the moment, Torment did not have a third Swamp. Antiquities got the turn back, and could have really put the screws to Torment with a Triskelion to wipe out both Shades - but Antiquities did not have a back-breaking Triskelion to windmill onto the table. As a result, Torment still had a chance. The Clockwork Avian and Onulet went in for an attack, which obliged a Nantuko Shade to trade with Onulet, gaining two life for Antiquities. The life totals stood at 22-14 after this exchange (Torment had taken one Onulet hit earlier). Antiquities seemed to be on the precipice of a 2-0 series lead when it summoned a Tetravus.
The match would quickly fall apart for Torment if it could not find a third Swamp immediately - fortunately for the king of evil, though, a Swamp was waiting on the topdeck. This led to a Shambling Swarm that created a tough choice for Antiquities. With Shambling Swarm in play, breaking Tetravus down into Tetravites might not be the wisest choice, since Swarm’s death can wipe out three Tetravites. But not breaking Tetravus down into Tetravites would expose the Tetravus to Faceless Butcher. Ultimately, it made more sense to break the Tetravus down into Tetravites, even with the Shambling Swarm in play - at least if the Swarm died, Torment would lose at least the Swarm, and perhaps a Chainer’s Edict (if Torment chose to intentionally kill the Swarm), whereas in the Faceless Butcher scenario, Torment would pay no price for eliminating an unbroken Tetravus. With this cost-benefit analysis in mind, Antiquities made three Tetravites during its upkeep. At least if the Shambling Swarm died, Antiquities would still have one 1/1 flyer. The Clockwork Avian (3/4) and the original Tetravus inflicted 4 damage, reducing Torment to 10. Antiquities added a 2/2 flying Primal Clay.
Torment attacked with the Shambling Swarm and the Nantuko Shade, dropping Antiquities to 13. Next, the fearsome Laquatus’s Champion made its first appearance of the match, suddenly reducing Antiquities to 7. Antiquities played a Tawnos’s Coffin, but critically, did not have enough mana to also use it. This meant that Antiquities had to utilize a conservative plan of attack, since it couldn’t afford to take another point of damage (which would put it within range of another Champion). All of Team Tet (original Tetravus + three Tetravites) hit through the skies, reducing Torment to 6. Even though Antiquities had gained a momentary life total advantage, Torment was on the verge of tying the series due to its huge edge in board position. A triple attack from Shambling Swarm, Nantuko Shade, and Laquatus’s Champion obliged Antiquities to block all three. The 2/4 Clockwork Avian blocked Shambling Swarm, Primal Clay blocked Nantuko Shade, and Mishra’s Factory (pumped to 3/3) blocked Laquatus’s Champion. Torment saved its Shade (killing Primal Clay), regenerated the Champion (killing the Factory), and the Avian and Swarm bounced off each other. Torment then wisely used a Chainer’s Edict on itself, sacrificing Shambling Swarm. The three -1/-1 Swarm counters were used to finish off the Avian and to wipe out Tetravus and one of the Tetravites. Antiquities was in a bad position and could only add a new Tetravus before passing the turn back.
Torment, by now with five Swamps and the Cabal Coffers in play, flashbacked the Chainer’s Edict from the graveyard to eliminate one of the two remaining Tetravites, then sent Laquatus’s Champion and Nantuko Shade in for an attack, obliging Antiquities to block each with a Tetravite. And if there was any doubt that Torment was going to win this game, it added a Shambling Swarm for good measure. Now breaking the new Tetravus into Tetravites was not a viable option, since Torment had a Chainer’s Edict in the graveyard and could kill all of the Tetravites using the Edict/Swarm tactic. As it was, Tetravus versus Laquatus’s Champion and Nantuko Shade was hardly a fair fight. Antiquities had only one out: keep its Tetravus intact as a 4/4 and hope to draw either a Triskelion or a third non-Workshop land with which to use Tawnos’s Coffin (Antiquities had only Urza’s Mine and Urza’s Tower as non-Workshop lands by this point). When the draw did not provide a Triskelion or a land, Antiquities conceded.
Antiquities 1, Torment 1
GAME 3
Antiquities kept a marginal two-land hand and was punished for it, stalling on Mishra’s Factory and Urza’s Mine, with nothing else in play besides a Candelabra. Torment capitalized immediately, stealing two Triskelions with Mesmeric Fiends and putting Antiquities on the clock with a Nantuko Shade. When a five-point Mind Sludge liquidated Antiquities’s hand shortly thereafter, it was time to move on to game four.
Torment 2, Antiquities 1
GAME 4
After the disaster of game three, Antiquities was suddenly left with no margin for error if it hoped to become the first back-to-back BOTS champion, and in the process, the first BOTS dynasty. The dreams of a repeat were flickering - Antiquities now needed to win two games in a row against a Torment deck that had lost just one game in the entire tournament thus far while winning fourteen - a daunting task indeed.
Game four began with Mishra’s Workshop + two Candelabras of Tawnos (with a point of mana burn to Antiquities). Urza’s Tower resulted in turn two Su-Chi, but Chi died to Chainer’s Edict (Antiquities avoided Chi mana burn by dumping the mana into Candelabra). Antiquities did not have another land, but fired back with a Tetravus off Workshop + Candelabra. Torment played a third Swamp and Nantuko Shade. As expected, Antiquities prepared for another Tet Offensive, getting three Tetravites during upkeep, before adding a Mishra’s Factory, Su-Chi, and Tawnos’s Coffin, taking another mana burn in the process. The original Tetravus attacked, and the life totals stood at 19-18 in favor of Torment, but it appeared that Antiquities had an overwhelming advantage in board position.
However, Torment knew that Antiquities needed a third non-Workshop land to operate the Coffin, a land which Antiquities obviously did not have. So as long as Antiquities could not use the Coffin, Torment could still dictate some of the action to Antiquities with Nantuko Shade. In came the Shade for an attack (with four untapped Swamps backing it up). Antiquities blocked with Su-Chi and a Tetravite. Shade swelled to 6/5, and all three combatants died. The Su-Chi mana went into Mishra’s Factory.
Antiquities did not find another land, but did draw and summon a welcome Triskelion. The remaining Tetravites and the Tetravus reduced Torment to 16. At this point, it seemed inconceivable that Torment could turn a game like this around - it had nothing in play besides Swamps, while Antiquities had three 1/1 flyers, a Mishra’s Factory, Triskelion, and of course the Tawnos’s Coffin. That possibility seemed all the more remote when Torment played Cabal Coffers, Rancid Earthed the Mishra’s Factory, and passed. Although Torment had added no blockers and was going to take at least seven damage next turn, it had accomplished a subtle yet important objective with the Rancid Earth - Antiquities now needed to draw two non-Workshop lands in order to use the Tawnos’s Coffin, and on top of that, Antiquities had one less attacker with the loss of Mishra’s Factory. As it turned out, this simple play would soon put Antiquities in a desperate situation.
Antiquities topdecked a land - but it was a surprisingly unhelpful Mishra’s Workshop. The three 1/1 flyers and Triskelion knocked Torment down to 9, but Antiquities had nothing further. Torment played its fifth Swamp and Faceless Butchered the Triskelion. In response, Antiquities elected to shoot Torment three times rather than kill the Butcher. This left open the possibility that Antiquities could shoot for three more damage if it later removed the Butcher and got Triskelion back (Triskelion would return with three fresh counters if it escaped the Butcher's grasp due to being removed from the game). Torment fell to a somewhat precarious 6 life from the Triskelion shooting, then (with four mana floating from Cabal Coffers) summoned a Shambling Swarm.
Antiquities struck once more with its Tet Team to drop Torment to 3, but could do little else aside from casting a useless Rocket Launcher. Torment attacked with both the Faceless Butcher and the Shambling Swarm to drop Antiquities to 13, then flashbacked Chainer’s Edict to kill Swarm, thereby wiping out Antiquities Tet Team. Torment was now in charge of the game and on the verge of capturing its second championship.
Barring another Triskelion, Antiquities needed to draw two lands in a hurry so it could get the Butchered Triskelion back to win the game. Otherwise, Antiquities’s dreams of a repeat would be over. The door remained slightly ajar when the draw provided an Urza’s Mine to go along with the Urza’s Tower in play, and the turn was back to Torment.
Antiquities’s worst fears were realized: Torment attacked with the Butcher, then summoned Laquatus’s Champion and Shambling Swarm! Antiquities, reduced to 5 life, needed to draw another land (besides Workshop) on the very next draw phase, or else the finals would be over, with Torment crowned as champion. No land on the draw and the dynasty dream would come to a bitter end.
The suspense was unbearable. Antiquities went to the draw phase, and slowly reached for its next card. Then, it happened …
URZA’S TOWER ON THE DRAW!!!
Antiquities was saved! Urza’s Tower hit the table, allowing Antiquities to liberate the Triskelion from its nightmarish imprisonment underneath Faceless Butcher. In an ironic turn of events, the Butcher, usually the one doing the imprisoning, got a taste of its own medicine and was imprisoned in Tawnos’s Coffin. In one moment of unbelievable reversal, Antiquities had gone from the depths of despair to the heights of euphoria. The liberated Triskelion returned triumphantly to play, shooting Torment for the final three points of damage! Miraculously, improbably, the finals were headed to a deciding game five.
Torment 2, Antiquities 2
GAME 5
Having escaped almost certain death thanks to a legendary topdeck that will undoubtedly echo through the halls of eternity, Antiquities was imbued with the unique ecstasy of one who had just escaped the grim reaper’s cold touch. However, just as Torment needed to regroup and forget about the cruel reversal of fortunes, Antiquities also needed to quickly shift focus to the serious business at hand - the miraculous reprieve had provided Antiquities with new life, but Torment was still alive and well. Indeed, although Torment had watched all-but certain victory slip away in agonizing fashion, the mono-Black menace now enjoyed the crucial advantage of playing first and still possessed the confidence that evil would carry the day. Both combatants believed it their destiny to capture the BOTS VII title - and now one tension-packed game would decide the matter.
With a Mishra’s Workshop in hand, Antiquities held the all-important land back until turn three (having nothing to cast until then) in order to avoid a possible Rancid Earth. Torment opened with three Swamps and nothing else, while Antiquities started off with a pair of Urza’s Towers. Then, on turn three, the avalanche of artifact creatures began. Down came the Mishra’s Workshop, and out popped a Clockwork Avian. The Avian fell to a Chainer’s Edict, but Antiquities played a Strip Mine and summoned a Tetravus.
Torment, with four Swamps and a Cabal Coffers in play, now had a window of opportunity to steal the match even after the stunning turn of events in game four. If only Torment had a Mind Sludge, it could have punished Antiquities and capitalized on the opening. But Torment didn’t have a Mind Sludge and was forced to settle for a Faceless Butcher on the Tetravus.
The window of opportunity was all too brief and started to close. Antiquities played Urza’s Mine + Triskelion, then Strip Mined a Swamp. Torment came right back with another Swamp and a Shambling Swarm, but Triskelion shot Faceless Butcher down EOT, and Antiquities once more controlled Tetravus. Antiquities declined to break off Tetravites and kept its 4/4 Tetravus intact. Things then went from bad to worse for Torment when another Mishra’s Workshop appeared. Torment’s window of opportunity was officially slammed shut. A fresh Tawnos’s Coffin took care of the Shambling Swarm, and Tetravus dropped Torment to 15 life (it had taken one point of mana burn earlier). Laquatus’s Champion showed up, but Antiquities was equipped to handle the problem thanks to the Tawnos’s Coffin. Antiquities allowed the Shambling Swarm to escape from its prison, and into the Coffin went the Champion, allowing Antiquities to surge back up to 18 (two mana burn when Coffin was cast so as to be able to use it on the same turn). Tetravus came through the skies to leave Torment with just 11 life points. Antiquities started to go nuts, summoning another Triskelion and Strip Mining Cabal Coffers.
Evil doesn’t die without a fight, though. Torment replaced the Coffers with a new one and summoned its top assassin, another Laquatus’s Champion. Swarm was allowed through to leave the life totals momentarily in Torment’s favor at 11-9. That advantage proved illusory, of course, as Antiquities added to its board advantage with a rare but appropriate 1/6 Primal Clay. Tetravus relentlessly struck again, and it was 9-7 in favor of Antiquities, which was rapidly closing in on the title. The moment was almost at hand. Just minutes earlier, Torment had been in a similar position, just one agonizing draw step away from victory before Antiquities pulled a rabbit out of its hat at the last possible moment to force this deciding fifth game. Seemingly certain victory had now gone horribly wrong for the mono-Black menace, and Antiquities was not about to let the same thing happen to it.
Incredibly, almost implausibly, Antiquities was about to capture the BOTS VII championship. Nothing could save Torment now, but it took another turn anyway. The draw mockingly provided a Mind Sludge to join Torment's other equally useless card in hand, Rancid Earth. A last-ditch flashbacked Chainer’s Edict accomplished nothing, as Antiquities simply sacrificed the 1/1 Triskelion. Torment had nowhere to go. Even if the Shambling Swarm and Laquatus’s Champion both attacked, it would not be enough because the 1/6 Primal Clay could block either attacker, or the remaining 4/4 Triskelion could simply block the Champion and shoot Torment down to 4 - just low enough for Tetravus to fly in for the win.
No matter how you looked at it, Antiquities had the championship bought and paid for. With the matter decided, Torment conceded, and a dynasty was born! The dream had come true - Antiquities had won back-to-back titles, and three out of four overall.
Antiquities 3, Torment 2
CONGRATULATIONS TO ANTIQUITIES - Battle of the Sets IV, VI, and VII champion!
BOTS CHAMPIONS & FINALISTS
BOTS I: Apocalypse d. Onslaught, 3-0
BOTS II: Tempest d. Mercadian Masques, 3-1
BOTS III: Mirrodin d. Tempest, 3-1
BOTS IV: Antiquities d. Onslaught, 3-1
BOTS V: Torment d. Apocalypse, 3-2
BOTS VI: Antiquities d. Torment, 3-1
BOTS VII: Antiquities d. Torment, 3-2
BOTS CHAMPIONS: WON/LOSS RECORDS
BOTS I: Apocalypse, 12-3 (played one fewer match due to first-round bye)
BOTS II: Tempest, 15-1
BOTS III: Mirrodin, 15-7
BOTS IV: Antiquities, 15-6
BOTS V: Torment, 15-4
BOTS VI: Antiquities, 15-2
BOTS VII: Antiquities, 15-6
It's been a wild ride, and here we are at the end. I hope you enjoyed it!
Yes, that is exactly the reason why there are no sideboards. Hopefully nobody will ask that question again because it should have been obvious to begin with.
And moreover, people seem to be concerned about blowouts. I think that is why people keep suggesting sideboards. There are plenty of close, exciting matches. What needs to be understood is that there are always going to be lopsided outcomes in any tournament.
Do you see anyone complaining about Duke beating Prairie View A & M by 50 points in the opening round of the NCAA tournament. No. Why? Because blowouts are a part of any competition. It is ridiculous to assume that Prophecy, or another bad deck, can be made to do well against Torment or Antiquities. Just like anything else in life, there are going to be winners and losers. Matches that aren't close won't be featured; the close matches will be featured. Torment and Antiquities win for a reason: they are great. Fallen Empires and The Dark lose for a reason: they suck. Don't worry about that. Bad decks are not going to be saved by sideboards.
But just so everybody understands loud and clear: sideboards have no place in BOTS and will never be used for the reasons we have just outlined.
Seriously, I have had enough of people hiding behind the "if you guys don't listen to anyone, how can you expect to improve" line that all these trolls keep trying to stuff down our throats. And a lot of these people are just that - trolls.
Well, I'm just not going to have that, and I'm not here to appease anyone. As Alfred noted, there is this ridiculous appetite for humbleness that folks seem to have. Humility has nothing to do with this. Nothing. Guess what? There is a difference between "trying to improve" and "taking suggestions from uninformed trolls/idiots." We are not here to listen to absurd, uninformed suggestions and comments. Moreover, we are not interested in hearing a great many suggestions at this point because we are satisfied with the way we run the tournament. Go run your own BOTS tournament if you don't like this one. No more appeasement of trolls hiding behind the guise of "improvement." Clearly, we put out a fun product, and a small, but vocal minority has decided that they can't just enjoy it, but rather, need to be nitpickers. Some of the terrible ideas that I have seen since the tournament started are so completely off the charts that words can't even describe them.
Frankly, most of the suggestions and ideas that people have provided since the tournament begand have sucked (not to mention the fact that they are highly unwanted). You may not like to hear that, but that's just the way it is. I mean, some of the ideas really have been ridiculous and uninformed. And if those people don't like what I'm saying, tough. What do I care? Alfred and I put on this tournament because we enjoy it, and because we enjoy presenting it. For those that don't like it, don't read it. It won't hurt me one bit - its not like I have anything invested in this like a sponsorship deal or something. Its not like I make any money from this. I have zero incentive to try and entice all the trolls to read this, because the whole thing was just for kicks anyway. I do it for one reason - because it is fun to run the tournament and fun to present it.
So here is an idea for everyone who has a suggestion: forget about it! I am not going to appease anyone. Go run your own tournament if you don't like this one. We run this tournament in a certain way, and too bad if you are too uptight to enjoy it. And for the last time, no sideboards!
It never ceases to amaze me how people can't just sit back and enjoy the tournament. Instead, they prefer to seize on one thing they didn't like. Wow. I'm not even upset by it - I'm more amused by this phenomenon than anything else. One person even had the nerve to say that the games were "full of errors." That person also remarked that they couldn't see how Antiquities can lose, despite the fact that other decks have won this tournament. Or that Mirrodin should have mulliganed this hand or that hand (when it won the match, BTW - I'd hate to see the comments if it had lost). I don't even mean to pick on that one set of comments - believe me, that is just the latest in a long line of stupid comments from people who have simply glanced at BOTS and drawn erroneous conclusions without much consideration or reasoning. This has been going on since the start of the tournament, and quite frankly this has never happened before. In previous tournaments, people have had fun and made predictions. This time around, for whatever reason, the tournament has attracted a different crowd - one that doesn't see the tournament for what it is - fun. Anyone who takes this tournament so seriously is missing the point. What is up with some of you people?
Seriously, though, the negativity is unbelievable. Why folks can't just enjoy something that was intended to be fun is beyond me. There are some seriously uptight people on these boards - I've not seen the likes of this on any other message board. And in the end, we all lose, because debating things on an Internet message board is an absolute waste of time - and yet here I am, sucked into exactly that - a pointless discussion on an Internet message board. Well, since I'm already wasting my time, I might as well continue.
One thing I'll say to people who continually like to look for playing errors: you need to remember that a lot of these reports are summaries of what took place (I go back and look at the Apprentice logs and also make comments based on memory of what we were thinking at the time to supplement the logs). They are not EXACT recounts of every single play - so a play may seem incorrect to you, but that might be because you do not have the entire context of the game - i.e. all the permanents that were in play, what cards were in hand, that sort of thing. If you wanted every last piece of information about a particular game, I could just post the Apprentice game logs, and not write a single report. But that wouldn't be very exciting, now would it? Remember, there are time constraints here - writing this tournament up is very time-consuming, and I have to draw the line somewhere. I can't give you every detail of every game. So before you jump so quickly to point out a mistake, remember that you may not have the entire context of the game available to you.
I can assure you that I went back and looked at the games from a lot of the matches to analyze the playing - yes, there were some minor mistakes over the course of the tournament, but we are not machines. And yes - we actually do play the matches - these are not simulations. But the play will not be flawless simply because we are human. There are too many people on this board who want to criticize things when they are not the ones running this tournament and know damn well that they are nitpicking. Seriously, if you don't like it, go run your own BOTS tournament - while I probably wouldn't agree with your way of running it, you are certainly free to do so.
And finally, since there seems to be some doubt about the quality of play (even though I just explained that a lot of the so-called playing errors that people see are just illusions based on the lack of context), I'll just say that I've been playing Magic since 1996. I played serious tournament Magic at PTQ's and such in the New York City area and in Tennessee/Kentucky from 2000-2004. I played hardcore Type I in the New York area over that span of time as well. Although at this point I am pretty much retired from Magic, I still know how to play the game. If numbers mean more to you (and believe me, I really do hate to bring this up, but at this point that's what its come to) I have DCI ratings well over 1800 in every major individual sanctioned Magic format - Constructed, Limited and Vintage. That is my experience and skill level. Again, I only bring this up since the integrity of the play-quality has been called into question time and time again. I consider myself to be a good and experienced player, and I consider Alfred to also be a good and experienced player. I can assure all doubters that on the whole, we made our best efforts to ensure that the matches were played out the way they needed to be. That's all I've got to say about that.
Yeah, I think it will be up to Alfred, since he will probably run the next tournament. I've said that this will be my last BOTS tournament, but one can never be sure. Maybe I would help out a little. I don't know right now. But Alfred will probably take over and decide when the next BOTS is.
In a dazzling (albeit brief) match that lived up to the hype, Mirrodin and Darksteel collided for a colossal confrontation between block brothers. As expected, this metallic battle played out like a Wild West showdown - lightning fast and brutally unforgiving. Five games - in a shade less than twenty minutes!
GAME 1
The match started out doubly nice for Darksteel: it won the die roll and watched Mirrodin mulligan once. Darksteel opened with Myr Moonvessel, while Mirrodin opened with Glimmervoid, Welding Jar, and Disciple of the Vault. Moonvessel traded with Disciple and Arcbound Stinger hit the table. Mirrodin failed to find a second land and conceded when Darksteel unveiled Arcbound Ravager and Skullclamp on the following turn.
Mirrodin’s turn two Atog was matched by Darksteel’s turn two Arcbound Ravager. Puzzled by this development, Atog looked across the table at a more modern, superior version of himself. Could it be? Had Wizards of the Coast printed a new Atog-like robot? Atog briefly reflected on days long gone, when he was the one and only Godzilla of artifact-munching, the undisputed scrap metal glutton. Now, though, the original Godzilla of artifact eating was faced with a cold, artificial version of himself - Arcbound Ravager, the Mechagodzilla of artifact eating. Atog walked up to the mysterious newcomer and knocked on its cold outer shell. No response. Just cold, emotionless steel. Realizing the power of this uncaring, metallic killer, Atog recoiled in horror and returned to the Mirrodin side of the table. He knew what needed to be done. He could not allow his Mirrodin team to fall to this emotionless menace - this newfangled artifact eater. The battle lines were drawn - it was Atog vs. Neo-Atog in a battle for artifact-eating supremacy.
Action resumed once more with the Spellbomb shooting down Arcbound Ravager. Mirrodin followed that success up with a Bonesplitter, then sent the newly Bonesplittered Ornithopter and Atog in for three damage. Darksteel prepared for battle with another Arcbound Ravager and a Skullclamp. Another three point attack went through, and Mirrodin added a Myr Enforcer. Darksteel played Arcbound Crusher, but Mirrodin, holding two Shrapnel Blasts, cared not. Mirrodin’s next attack (Ornithoper and Myr Enforcer) reduced Darksteel to 8, at which point the Shrapnel Blasts were revealed.
Darksteel 1, Mirrodin 1
GAME 3
Darksteel’s opening Myr Moonvessel was matched by an Ornithopter and Pyrite Spellbomb. Darksteel had a Skullclamp, though, and immediately began digging into its library with a sacrifice of the Moonvessel (taking one point of mana burn). Mirrodin answered with a turn two Somber Hoverguard, but Darksteel topped that with a Spire Golem on the next turn. Mirrodin summoned an Atog (which would soon turn out to be critical) and another Somber Hoverguard. When Darksteel summoned another Spire Golem and added a second Skullclamp, the illusion of an insurmountable Darksteel advantage permeated the game. Indeed, Darksteel seemed to be in total control with its two Skullclamps and began to go berserk with card-drawing and modular, quickly finding an Arcbound Ravager and Arcbound Crusher. With the game rapidly slipping away, Mirrodin frantically popped its Pyrite Spellbomb in search of a miracle. Things weren’t looking good for Mirrodin - or were they?
As Mirrodin began its turn, Darksteel was at a seemingly untouchable life total - 19 - and prepared to win in a turn or two. But the illusion of certain Darksteel victory was quickly scuttled when Mirrodin found its miracle - Disciple of the Vault waiting on the topdeck! Mirrodin now had the lethal Atog/Disciple combo online! Without any warning, the game came to a sudden and shocking end with a pair of Shrapnel Blasts (-6 each thanks to Disciple) plus the sacrifice of seven artifacts. Seemingly out of nowhere, Mirrodin had randomly won game three and claimed a crucial 2-1 series lead.
Mirrodin 2, Darksteel 1
GAME 4
Darksteel led off with Arcbound Worker + Genesis Chamber, followed by a third turn of Arcbound Slith + Skullclamp. Meanwhile, Mirrodin opened with a rollicking first three turns of Ornithopter, Pyrite Spellbomb, two Frogmites (plus two Myr tokens off Genesis Chamber), a Myr Enforcer (providing a third Myr token), Bonesplitter, and two Thoughtcasts! A strong start indeed. However, thanks to the Skullclamp, Darksteel could capitalize on Genesis Chamber Myr tokens to the tune of endless card drawing. It wasn’t long before this in fact happened, and before Mirrodin knew what hit it, a horde of Myr tokens and modular creatures had arrived to feed growing Arcbound Ravagers and Arcbound Crushers. Eventually it became clear that Mirrodin had no way of forcing through any damage (Atog and Disciple of the Vault were both hiding in Mirrodin's library) and that a really enormous Arcbound Stinger or Arcbound Crusher was going to end the game, thus Mirrodin conceded with Darksteel still at 19 life.
Mirrodin 2, Darksteel 2
GAME 5
Mirrodin led off this tension-filled deciding game with Vault of Whispers + Welding Jar. It was not a good opening hand, and given how important the opening hands are in this matchup, it appeared that Mirrodin was done for, especially when Darksteel’s first two plays were Skullclamp and Genesis Chamber. Mirrodin did nothing on its own turn two other than play a Great Furnace. An amazingly fast turnaround was in store, though. Mirrodin’s third land was a Glimmervoid, used for Thoughtcast, which led to a Frogmite + Myr token. Darksteel was unimpressed and added a Spire Golem + Myr. Then Mirrodin played another Great Furnace and summoned an Atog + Myr, which got Darksteel a little concerned, for now Mirrodin needed only Disciple of the Vault to own this game, especially considering that Genesis Chamber would actually work in Mirrodin’s favor with Atog/Disciple in play.
Darksteel figured it still had some time to make something happen before Disciple showed up, but that was not the case. Immediately after tapping its two Great Furnaces for Atog, Mirrodin tapped its Vault of Whispers and revealed a Disciple of the Vault! Darksteel, still clinging to hope, played an Arcbound Crusher, but the game was over - Mirrodin revealed two Shrapnel Blasts! With eight artifacts in play (Welding Jar, three artifact lands, Frogmite, and three Myr tokens), Mirrodin had enough Atog/Disciple fuel for twenty damage - exactly enough to bring the match to a stunning conclusion! Crestfallen Darksteel could only offer the gracious concession and hope for a different result next time.
Mirrodin 3, Darksteel 2
Mirrodin wins Division 1!
DIVISION 2
(1) Antiquities d. (3) Champions of Kamigawa, 3-1
The Antiquities buzz-saw sliced through yet another challenger with the only blemish a game three loss. Game one was decided by a crippling Strip Mine on Champions’s only Forest followed by a flurry of artifact creatures. Game two held much promise for Champions after it used a turn three Cranial Extraction to remove a pair of Triskelions from Antiquities’s hand, but the artifact deck shrugged off that setback and rumbled to victory with Tetravus, Primal Clay, and Onulet backed up by another damaging Strip Mine, this time on a Swamp. Champions rallied with a long, drawn-out game three victory on the strength of a recurred Joyous Respite that barely allowed Champions to outrun a Rocket Launcher. Nevertheless, Antiquities closed the match out in game four when a horde of artifact creatures swarmed past a last-ditch Meloku the Clouded Mirror.
Antiquities wins Division 2!
DIVISION 3
(2) Apocalypse d. (5) Ravnica, 3-2
Just as Odyssey did, Ravnica rallied from an 0-2 deficit only to fall hard to Apocalypse in a fifth game. Apocalypse will not want to make a habit of blowing 2-0 leads, but the fact remains that game five has belonged to Apocalypse this tournament. Apocalype seized control of the deciding game with two crippling Vindicates aimed at Ravnica’s first two Forests and a Gerrard’s Verdict for good measure. After peeling Ravnica’s resources apart, Apocalypse ensured that there would be no comeback and won in the way it knows best: with a Phyrexian Arena followed by Spiritmonger and Desolation Angel.
Apocalypse wins Division 3!
DIVISION 4
(1) Torment d. (2) Onslaught, 3-0
Torment has done it - an undefeated trip through Division Four! This rare feat of a 9-0 games record en route to the Final Four has been accomplished only by a select few others - Antiquities, Tempest, Visions, and Torment’s victim in this match, Onslaught. This particular match simply came down to too much Laquatus’s Champion - even though Mind Sludge was not a major factor this time (unlike the last two times these two met), Torment’s Champions were unstoppable and won the final two games almost by themselves. On top of that, the first game was decided completely by a triple-Rancid Earth draw.
Torment wins Division 4!
FINAL FOUR
MATCH 1: DIVISION 1 CHAMPION (Mirrodin) vs. DIVISION 2 CHAMPION (Antiquities)
Antiquities v. Mirrodin
Going into the match, Mirrodin was widely perceived as right near the top of the list of challengers who could dethrone Antiquities. However, Antiquities proved once again just how much it will take for a new champion to be crowned. In addition to the fact that Antiquities is just as fast as Mirrodin, it has several excellent cards against Mirrodin. Chief among these is Strip Mine - free land destruction can prove crippling against a deck with only sixteen lands. Another solid card in this matchup, as it is in all matchups, is Triskelion, which figured to give Antiquities two for one advantages against Mirrodin. On top of those cards, the simple fact of the matter is that Antiquities has, overall, larger creatures than Mirrodin, and since Antiquities can power out those creatures just as fast as Mirrodin, Mirrodin ended up at a disadvantage.
All this came to pass when the match actually started. Game one fell apart for Mirrodin after its first two lands (Seat of the Synod and Glimmervoid) were eliminated with Strip Mines. It wasn’t long before Su-Chi and Primal Clay stomped all over helpless Mirrodin (it’s not often that you will read that phrase “helpless Mirrodin” - but such is Antiquities’s power right now). In game two, both decks were off to fast starts - Mirrodin with Ornithopter, a pair of Frogmites, and a Myr Enforcer; Antiquities with Mishra’s Workshop, Onulet and Su-Chi. The situation favored Mirrodin, which Shrapnel Blasted Su-Chi (sacrificing a Frogmite) and sent the remaining Frogmite and the Myr Enforcer on the attack. Myr Enforcer got through, while the Onulet traded with Frogmite. The net result was six damage to Antiquities (four from unblocked Myr Enforcer, four from Su-Chi dying, but plus two from Onulet dying), leaving it at 14 life. The following turn saw Antiquities gain a chokehold on the match, as it played Urza’s Mine to complete the Urza Trinity. The first play after that was a Triskelion, which ended up blocking Myr Enforcer, then with damage on the stack, shooting Ornithopter for two and Mirrodin for one. Mirrodin tried to recover with fresh troops, Somber Hoverguard and Disciple of the Vault, but they too fell to another Triskelion! From there, a Tetravus and a third Triskelion cleaned up for a 2-0 series lead.
Although Antiquities had another fast start (turn one Mishra’s Workshop + Onulet) in game three, it was all Mirrodin, which opened fast with two Frogmites, an Ornithopter, and a Bonesplitter. Shrapnel Blast cleared away an early Su-Chi, and Mirrodin was able to get in just enough damage to ultimately win with a Shrapnel Blast and Pyrite Spellbomb just as Antiquities summoned a few larger creatures. Despite Mirrodin’s valiant comeback efforts, Antiquities drew a comeback killer hand in the fourth game, opening with turn one Onulet, turn two 3/3 Primal Clay, and turn three Triskelion. This considerable force was supplemented by a Mishra’s Factory, and the match came to an abrupt end.
Antiquities was back in the finals after winning, oddly enough, each of its first four matches by the same score - 3-1. Antiquities becomes the third set to return to the finals in defense of a championship. The first two failed to repeat - Tempest, coming off its BOTS II title, lost in the BOTS III finals to Mirrodin, 3-1, and Torment, coming off its BOTS V title, of course lost in the BOTS VI finals to Antiquities. Ironically, Torment will have the chance to do the same thing to Antiquities that Antiquities did to Torment last time - to ruin a bid to become the first ever repeat BOTS champion. How did Torment get this chance? By beating Apocalypse….badly…
MATCH 2: DIVISION 3 CHAMPION (Apocalypse) vs. DIVISION 4 CHAMPION (Torment)
Torment d. Apocalypse, 3-0
The magic number here is four - as in four times that these two have met, and four times that Torment has won. Only once was it close (in the BOTS V finals, which Torment won 3-2). The other meetings, including this one, have not been close at all. Once again, the primary culprit were Torment’s seemingly indestructible Laquatus’s Champions and Torment’s crippling resource denial (Mind Sludge, Mesmeric Fiend, and Rancid Earth). Amazingly, Torment has advanced to the finals with an unblemished 12-0 games record. Only two other contestants have ever accomplished that feat (Tempest in BOTS II, which it won with a 3-1 finals victory over Mercadian Masques, and Onslaught in BOTS I, which it did not win, falling 3-0 to Apocalypse in the finals).
Now comes the chance Torment has dreamed of in its wicked fantasies - the chance for revenge against Antiquities, revenge for the 3-1 defeat Antiquities exacted on Torment in the BOTS VI finals.
Come back on Friday to see the exciting results of the finals for BOTS VII!
Actually, I have every single piece of BOTS history archived on CD's, so if someone really wanted, I could open up the BOTS vault and give them access to everything that has every been written about BOTS. In the meantime, though, Nazdakka was kind enough to provide some links to old coverage in one of the other BOTS VII threads (just scroll to the bottom and click on the links he provided). These links do not include anything about BOTS I and II, but they do appear to be pretty complete for BOTS III-VI. If you really wanted some detailed stuff about BOTS I, I'd be happy to provide it. As for BOTS II, that was the one tournament where a lot of the stuff was lost because the manadrain.com crashed before I could save that material. Still, I have a good deal of information about that tournament (all the important information), but no match reports. Anyway, let me know if you want the BOTS I and II stuff. For everything else, here is the link provided by Nazdakka:
You can't get a turn one Su-Chi with the Antiquities deck. Workshop can only be used to add mana to cast artifacts, so any excess mana cannot be dumped into Candelabra (or Calberra as you call it) to untap a turn one Workshop. The earliest Su-Chi is turn two for the Antiquities BOTS deck. As for your thoughts about Torment, you are entitled to your opinion, although Alfred and I would obviously disagree with you.
Don't have a clue what this is? Then read this. Already well-versed in the ways of the BOTS? Then read on and I'll get right to the action!
Round of 16 Match Reports
DIVISION 1
(1) Mirrodin d. (4) Urza’s Saga, 3-0
In a matchup of degenerate artifact decks, Mirrodin proved far too fast for Saga to handle. Mirrodin cruises into the Division Finals, where it will face…
(2) Darksteel d. (7) Invasion, 3-0
…Darksteel, which crushed Invasion in about ten minutes. Right from the start, Division One was nothing more than a bloody battleground on which the Mirrodin Affinity annihilator and the Darksteel modular machine destroyed overmatched opponents who dared stand in the way of the inevitable showdown between the two.
DIVISION 2
(1) Antiquities d. (5) Scourge, 3-1
The last time these two met was in the BOTS IV Division Finals, where Antiquities fell into an 0-2 hole before the mighty artifact deck staged one of the most dramatic rallies in BOTS history to capture the final three games. From there, Antiquities went on to win its first championship. This time, though, Antiquities spotted Scourge only a single game before striking back with three straight commanding performances. The Antiquities death machine, that seemingly unbeatable industry of doom, steams into the division finals focused on its goal of becoming the first repeat champion (and first dynasty) in BOTS history.
(3) Champions of Kamigawa d. (3) Urza’s Legacy, 3-0
Once more, Champions dispatched an overmatched opponent in sweeping fashion. But this kid’s stuff is all over now - Antiquities awaits in the division finals for what should be a fascinating bout.
Three cards will be key for Apocalypse: Pernicious Deed, Phyrexian Arena, and Spectral Lynx. Deed provides Apocalypse with an answer to Odyssey’s horde of efficient creatures, Arena can ensure that Apocalypse keep its advantage after stopping the initial rush, and Lynx offers generally excellent defense against an all-Green opposing attack (although Wild Mongrel can change colors, which is an issue only if Apocalypse does not have regeneration mana available). On the other side, the key cards for Odyssey are Standstill and Upheaval. If Odyssey can back up its early creatures with Standstill, then Odyssey has a strong chance of keeping up or even pulling head of Apocalypse in the card battle. Standstill dropped onto a board favoring Odyssey means that Apocalypse will at least have to pay a price for using Deed or other removal - a price that Odyssey needs to make Apocalypse pay. Upheaval is the second key card because it can steal victory for Odyssey even after Apocalypse has turned the game in its favor. So long as Odyssey has an Upheaval and a creature to drop after floating mana, imminent defeat can be turned into almost certain victory.
GAME 1
Odyssey won the die roll and started out with Nimble Mongoose + Wild Mongrel. Meanwhile, Apocalypse established its defenses with a Spectral Lynx. Odyssey added a Werebear, but Apocalypse began to pull ahead thanks to Phyrexian Arena while the Spectral Lynx played defense. Another Lynx joined the effort to keep Odyssey stymied. From this point forward, Apocalypse would sustain almost no life loss aside from Phyrexian Arena. Although Apocalypse fell as low as 6, (one turn after Odyssey gained threshold with a Call of the Herd) it was never in danger of losing thanks to the constant flow of cards from the Phyrexian Arena. Apocalypse kept things under control with a three-point Death Grasp to kill the Wild Mongrel and a Vindicate to kill the Werebear. After those two creatures were removed, Odyssey still had an Elephant token and a fresh Roar of the Wurm token. Nonetheless, all of Odyssey’s efforts were rendered moot when Apocalypse finally found its first Pernicious Deed (popped for zero), then followed that up with a Gerrard’s Verdict to knock out an Upheaval. Desolation Angel and the pair of Spectral Lynxes closed it out from there.
Apocalypse 1, Odyssey 0
GAME 2
Once again, Odyssey was off to a promising start with Nimble Mongoose + Wild Mongrel, but just like in the first game Apocalypse defended with turn two Spectral Lynx and pulled ahead with an early Phyrexian Arena. Odyssey seized the initiative temporarily with an AEther Burst on the Spectral Lynx to pave the way for a Standstill, then another Aether Burst when the Lynx returned to play. By this point, Odyssey had threshold and was able to reduce Apocalypse to a precarious 4 life thanks to several attacks from the Nimble Mongoose and Wild Mongrel. Apocalypse fell to 3 from the Phyrexian Arena, but once more produced the necessary Pernicious Deed at the last possible moment to clear the board. A freshly drawn Werebear put the pressure back on Apocalypse, which fell to 2 from the Phyrexian Arena, then to 1 tapping a Caves of Koilos for White mana. But a four-point Death Grasp provided the Junk deck with more breathing room. Odyssey responded one more time with a Roar of the Wurm token, and Apocalypse lost two more life (one to Phyrexian Arena, one to Caves of Koilos for white mana), but eliminated the Wurm problem thanks to a Vindicate. The Aether Bursted Spectral Lynx returned to roam in the empty board. The board wasn’t empty for long, though, as the Lynx gained the unwelcome company of a Nimble Mongoose and an Elephant token. Another Pernicious Deed took care of this new problem, though, and when another Wurm token fell to a seven-point Death Grasp the turn after that, Apocalypse had seemingly gained complete control of the game. Still, relentless Odyssey mounted one more charge with a new Werebear and another Elephant token. Apocalypse countered with a Spiritmonger, but Odyssey topped that with another Roar of the Wurm token + Standstill! At last, Apocalypse had the final word, attacking with Spiritmonger (unblocked to drop Odyssey to 10), then putting the game away with a Desolation Angel (taking a mild risk that Odyssey could have a third Aether Burst off of Standstill). No Aether Burst was forthcoming, and it was on to game three.
Apocalypse 2, Odyssey 0
GAME 3
Odyssey had now played first twice and lost twice. That was disheartening, as was the fact that only five times in BOTS history has a set rallied from an 0-2 deficit to win a match. Nevertheless, Odyssey was undaunted and could still take heart in the potential for some Standstill or Upheaval ridiculousness to turn the match around. Nimble Mongoose + Werebear offered promise, but even more promising was the fact that Apocalypse had no turn two play. Odyssey had the opening it needed to get back into the match, and it capitalized with a turn three Standstill. Apocalypse fell to 17 from the ensuing attack, then broke the Standstill for a Phyrexian Arena. Odyssey was now in high gear, using Careful Study to dump two Roar of the Wurms, then using one to bring a 6/6 Wurm into play (using Werebear). Nimble Mongoose nipped for one more damage. Apocalypse Vindicated the Wurm, but Odyssey maintained its stranglehold on the game with a Wild Mongrel and a Call of the Herd. After the Nimble Mongoose and Werebear attacked, the life totals were 20-13 in favor of Odyssey, then 20-12 after Apocalypse’s upkeep. Death Grasp momentarily boosted Apocalypse back to 15, poaching the Elephant token. Then, after a five-point attack (Werebear, Nimble Mongoose, and Wild Mongrel pumped for one), Odyssey dropped its bomb: Upheaval. Although Odyssey could not play a land or a creature after the Upheaval, the game was reset at a favorable junction for Odyssey. The first play after the Upheaval was a now 3/3 Nimble Mongoose. Apocalypse had no play on its second turn after the Upheaval. The Nimble Mongoose nipped away for three damage, and gained a partner, Werebear. The Werebear fell to Vindicate, but Odyssey gained a concession the following turn when it dropped another Nimble Mongoose and a Standstill.
Apocalypse 2, Odyssey 1
GAME 4
Now came the challenging part for Odyssey - it needed to win two games in a row with Apocalypse playing first. That, however, is the price one pays for falling into an 0-2 hole - two out of the three wins (the last two) necessary for an 0-2 comeback must come on the draw.
Odyssey was up to the task of winning at least one of those games on the draw, as this game four turned out to be the “Four Standstill Game.”
The Blue/Green deck opened with Careful Study, discarding two lands, then watched in approval as Apocalypse once again played neither Spectral Lynx nor Gerrard’s Verdict on turn two (usually Spectral Lynx is the one card Odyssey doesn’t want to see early on, while Gerrard’s Verdict actually helps Odyssey if it has a Roar of the Wurm to discard. But in this case, Gerrard’s Verdict would have been a strong play for Apocalypse, since it could reasonably infer from the Careful Study that Odyssey had no Roar of the Wurms). Odyssey gained the advantage with a vicious Wild Mongrel, then watched in amazement as Apocalypse had no turn three play! Odyssey added a Nimble Mongoose, then Careful Studied a Call of the Herd and an Upheaval into the graveyard. Finally, there were signs of life on the other side, as Pernicious Deed arrived. The Wild Mongrel and Nimble Mongoose reduced Apocalypse to 15, but the Deed awaited them on the next attack. Nimble Mongoose perished, but Wild Mongrel was save by an Aether Burst and returned to play immediately. Apocalypse summoned its top enforcer, a Spiritmonger, but Odyssey responded with a Werebear (with threshold) and an irritating Standstill that Apocalypse would have no choice but to break at some point or else fall victim to an Upheaval cast at Odyssey’s convenience. Vindicate on Werebear broke the Standstill right away, and the turn was back to Odyssey.
Following another Careful Study (discarding two lands), down came another Standstill, as well as an Elephant token out of the graveyard. Death Grasp on the Elephant broke the new Standstill and brought Apocalypse back up to 18. Spiritmonger crashed in for six damage, and the score was 18-14 in favor of Apocalypse. But Odyssey had a nasty surprise in store: Upheaval floating one mana, followed by a land and Wild Mongrel. Right from the start, this game had been played Odyssey’s way, at Odyssey’s pace. That would continue, as Upheaval + Mongrel was backed up one turn later by a third Standstill! Wild Mongrel savaged Apocalypse down to 13 (three cards discarded, including Roar of the Wurm). With nothing better to do, Apocalypse broke the Standstill with Gerrard’s Verdict. Odyssey drew the three cards, then discarded a Nimble Mongoose and Wild Mongrel. The Mongrel in play caused another four damage and was joined by a Werebear. At 9 and in need of an answer, Apocalypse played a Pernicious Deed, then fell to 3 from the next attack. Both creatures died to the Deed when they tried to attack again, but that didn’t matter in the least - Odyssey had drawn its fourth Standstill! Another Werebear + Standstill pushed the series to the brink of a fifth game. Apocalypse Vindicated the Werebear, but a Wurm token replaced the fallen Bear. Spiritmonger entered the playing area to stop the Wurm, but Odyssey had drawn an Aether Burst off the Standstill. Thus, Odyssey had evened the series.
Odyssey had chained together four Standstills, which was too much even for Apocalypse to handle. Amazingly, but fittingly, the series was headed for a game five.
Apocalypse 2, Odyssey 2
GAME 5
Thus far, it had been a valiant comeback by Odyssey, but game five just didn’t work out. A Nimble Mongoose was immediately topped by Spectral Lynx, while two Careful Studies found no Roar of the Wurms. Odyssey did manage to play a Standstill, but Apocalypse broke it without hesitation for a Phyrexian Arena. There was a momentary glimmer of hope when the Nimble Mongoose (with threshold) charged in after an Aether Burst cleared away the Spectral Lynx. However, Apocalypse snuffed out any hopes for the 0-2 comeback with a Spiritmonger followed by Pernicious Deed, wiping out the Nimble Mongoose and an Elephant. The Spectral Lynx soon returned, while a Wild Mongrel was reduced to chump-blocking duty on Spiritmonger. Phyrexian Arena was providing a steady flow of threats and answers while Odyssey continued to flounder, having lost any chance of seizing the momentum. As another Spectral Lynx joined the Apocalypse force, the game spiraled out of control. Odyssey pushed the Upheaval panic button as a last-ditch effort to stay alive, but this did little to turn the game around, especially because Odyssey was unable to play a land or a creature following the Upheaval. Meanwhile, the Arena allowed Apocalypse to recover from the Upheaval without missing a step. Now it was only a matter of how to close out the match. A Spectral Lynx was met my a Wild Mongrel, but the second Lynx joined to restore Apocalypse’s creature advantage. Despite another Standstill, Apocalypse Vindicated the Mongrel with no concern that anything could go wrong, because the game was well in hand by this point. Odyssey managed a Nimble Mongoose and a Werebear after the Mongrel died, but those new creatures were picked off as well (not that Apocalypse even needed to, given the protection from green Lynxes on the attack), and the Lynxes rumbled to victory easily. Apocalypse could breath a sigh of relief - it was moving into the Division Three Finals to face the winner of Ravnica vs. Mirage.
Ravnica features an extremely efficient plan of attack which includes several fabulously undercosted creatures, including Watchwolf, Loxodon Hierarch, and the awesome Hunted Dragon. The newcomer also has the burn it may need to finish off Mirage if it halts the creature assault. Mirage will be no pushover though. The Red/Green deck has a load of burn with which to combat the Ravnica assault, plus the global creature sweeping power of Savage Twister. On top of that, Mirage can finish with solid creatures of its own. A general key to the match will be whether Ravnica can drop an early Moldervine Cloak to put a threat out of burn reach, or to cause so much damage as to render any Mirage comeback impossible.
GAME 1
Mirage played first, but Ravnica got off fast with turn one Birds of Paradise followed by turn two Skyknight Legionnaire. Mirage built up its mana with Rampant Growth, then Incinerated the Legionnaire. The Bird of Paradise went on the offensive thanks to a Moldervine Cloak. The reign of the overgrown Bird was short-lived though, as Kaervek’s Torch fried the ambitious avian. Another Bird replaced the fallen one, and as Mirage was unable to kill this new Bird, Ravnica had the opportunity to Dredge up Moldervine Cloak. Skipping its draw, Ravnica milled the top two cards of its library (Plains and Watchwolf) into the graveyard and retrieved the Moldervine Cloak, which enchanted the Bird of Paradise. Mirage fell to 12 from the attack, but again ended the Bird campaign with a Kaervek’s Torch. From there, the game settled into a long lull, as both combatants built up their mana. A Lightning Helix swung the life totals to 21-9 in favor of Ravnica (it had taken two damage from pain lands). Secure that the time was right, Ravnica unveiled its grandest creature of all - Hunted Dragon! With another burn spell in hand, Ravnica had captured game one.
Ravnica 1, Mirage 0
GAME 2
This match was to follow the same pattern as the Apocalypse/Odyssey match - the ultimate winner taking the first two games, losing the next two, then taking the deciding game. Ravnica pulled off the Birds of Paradise + Skyknight Legionnaire start once again, while Mirage, after it had boosted its mana with Rampant Growth, replied with a Hammer of Bogardan on the Legionnaire. Again, though, the Birds of Paradise + Moldervine Cloak tandem caused problems, as yet another Birds offensive opened up. This time, though, Mirage couldn’t kill the Bird the turn after it was Cloaked, which gave Ravnica the chance to add a second Moldervine Cloak. Emboldened by its newfound size and intoxicated with the power that comes with being, well, huge, the gigantic 6/7 bird attacked once in a sadistic frenzy before Mirage conceded.
Ravnica 2, Mirage 0
GAME 3
Just a short while earlier, Odyssey had been in the same predicament as Mirage, and just as Odyssey did, Mirage began the task of climbing out of its hole with a resounding game three victory. This time, Ravnica had no turn one Birds of Paradise, while Mirage had turn two and turn three Wall of Roots. Ravnica’s first creature was Selesnya Guildmage. Mirage continued to build up its mana with Fire Diamond, then watched with little concern as Ravnica summoned a Loxodon Hierarch. Volcanic Dragon wiped out the Hierarch's life gain while the Walls held the ground. With no other option, Ravnica sent in the Selesnya Guildmage and Loxodon Hierarch for an attack. A Wall of Roots blocked each, and thanks to Guildmage’s pumping ability, one Wall died to the now 5/5 Hierarch. However, all this was rendered academic when Mirage summoned a second Volcanic Dragon on the following turn and pulled too far ahead in the damage race even for lightning-fast Ravnica to pull off a comeback.
Ravnica 2, Mirage 1
GAME 4
Ravnica was in good shape after getting three hits in with yet another Moldervine Cloaked Bird of Paradise, while Watchwolf + Lightning Helix chopped down a Wall of Roots. But Mirage had an ace up its sleeve - Savage Twister. Ravnica tried to recover by dredging back the Cloak to put on a Watchwolf waiting in hand, but lost a potentially useful Hunted Dragon in the process. The Watchwolf was halted by a Wildfire Emissary (Protection from White). Skynight Legionnaire, which would have been a far better target for Moldervine Cloak, mockingly showed up on the next draw phase. Although the Legionnaire did get a hit in, this game was going maddeningly wrong for Ravnica with the loss of Hunted Dragon and the timing of the Legionnaire. Worse still, the Legionnaire fell to a Hammer of Bogardan, and Mirage followed that up with a Volcanic Dragon. Ravnica had added a Selesnya Guildmage before the Dragon entered play, and now used its only white mana to summon another Watchwolf. Mirage, holding another Savage Twister in hand, was well prepared. Though it could have Savage Twistered for far more, now Mirage only needed to Twister for three to kill the Selesnya Guildmage and the smaller Watchwolf, since Ravnica did not have any white mana with which to use the Guildmage’s pump ability. After those two creatures (plus a Saproling token produced by Guildmage) hit the graveyard, Mirage finished off the 6/6 Watchwolf with an Incinerate. Bereft of its creatures and faced with the rampaging Volcanic Dragon, Ravnica conceded.
Ravnica 2, Mirage 2
GAME 5
Despite all the difficulties Ravnica had endured in games three and four, none of that would matter if a strong opening hand presented itself. Not only did Ravnica draw a strong opening hand playing first, it was such a good hand that the entire game lasted just two minutes: turn one Birds of Paradise, turn two Moldervine Cloak, turn three Moldervine Cloak, and turn four Loxodon Hierarch. Helpless in the face of such an absurd opening, Mirage could only concede in disbelief as its tournament run came to a shattering conclusion. Ravnica was on to the Division Three Finals to face Apocalypse!
Ravnica 3, Mirage 2
DIVISION 4
(1) Torment d. (5) Judgment, 3-0
Torment continued to demonstrate its near-invulnerability against creature decks with a blowout against a solid Judgment deck. Torment has registered more sweeps than any other set because it feasts on most of the creature decks in the BOTS field. Judgment was just the latest in a long line of victims that have been added to Torment’s growing list of maulings.
(2) Onslaught d. (3) Fifth Dawn, 3-2
Fifth Dawn built a 2-1 series lead on the strength of early-game Bringers, but in the end, Onslaught’s Exalted Angels carried the day. Both the fourth and fifth games came down to Onslaught’s ability to clear the board with either Akroma’s Vengeance or Starstorm, then follow up the global removal with Exalted Angel, which Fifth Dawn has no way to remove.
What a round! Come back on Tuesday when we'll move right along.
I've been watching all the comments from the shadows over the past few weeks, and I don't really have much to say in reply to any of the specific criticisms (constructive or otherwise) and suggestions. However, just to clear a few things up, I have some general remarks to add.
So I'll just touch on a few points and that will be sufficient - you can take these comments however you like:
1. Alfred and I have worked very hard on these tournaments, and I can tell you from doing it that the writing component is extremely time-consuming (not that other aspects of the tournament aren't time consuming either.)
2. In any project of this size and scope, there are bound to be minor mistakes here and there, including scattered playing errors, spelling mistakes, even a couple of decks that in retrospect could have been seeded higher or lower. However, I am more than satisfied that Alfred and I, in putting on the BOTS tournament, have given you the best we have to offer - if you choose to seize on a mistake, or a deck you don't like, that is your choice, nobody can make you enjoy the finished product if you are determined not to enjoy it.
3. Alfred and I run the BOTS tournaments because we find it fun, and we hope you do also.
4. I said it before, and I'll say it again with regard to the complaints about the decklists: I didn't realize that there were so many former Pro Tour Champions on these boards who could help stupid old Alfred and stupid old me with the deckbuilding - seriously, we have tested these decks out, and we know the format. You may not agree with every single choice we make, but I certainly think it is true to say that we have given you a good product that you should be enjoying. It is a shame that human nature causes people to criticize and dissect things just for the hell of it when they should be having fun.
5. This ties in to Point #4 - nobody's perfect, least of all Alfred and I. We do not presume to be masters of the universe who have all the answers. So I think anyone who uses the word "defensive" is not characterizing us properly. All we are saying is that we are proud of the work we have done, and we think people should enjoy what we have worked hard on rather than being so nitpicky. I hope people realize that it is impossible to please everybody - hence, it is better for two people to make the decisions that they think best rather than trying to please everybody with regards to the decklists, the running of the tournament, and the exact playing of the decks.
6. This is probably going to be my last BOTS tournament. So I want to thank Alfred, but since I talk with him in PM's and can thank him more appropriately there, I want to thank more generally everyone who has gotten a kick out of BOTS over the past couple of years, everyone who has supported BOTS. Also thanks to Goblinboy. As for my involvement, I will definitely not be handling the writing part of BOTS again, as I have found it way too time-consuming, and I am likely done with the whole thing as it is also way, way too time-consuming. However, I am more than confident that Alfred can and will run the tournament brilliantly after I am gone (if he chooses to). Alfred is an excellent player, an excellent deckbuilder, and he knows BOTS inside out. Maybe I'll be like a BOTS consultant or something.
7. Finally, please enjoy the rest of the tournament - that is all I ask. Who cares about some little thing you disagree with? Just have fun and don't expect perfection - expect our very best effort, but not perfection. I sincerely hope that everybody has as much fun as I did running the tournament these past few years. Anyway, it's been a pleasure.
Don't have a clue what this is? Then read this. Already well-versed in the ways of the BOTS? Then read on and I'll get right to the action!
DIVISION 3 - Round of 32 Match Reports
(8) Mirage d. (1) Tempest, 3-1]
HUGE UPSET ALERT!!! HUGE UPSET ALERT!!!
Already lower seeds have fared better than they ever have in this tournament. Now an eighth seed has made some noise of its own.
In only the second ever eight-versus-one upset (the first was Nemesis over Apocalypse back in BOTS IV), Mirage stunned former champion Tempest - but there was nothing fluky about this one. This match came down to Tempest’s inability to deal with Mirage’s ample direct damage capabilities. In particular, Hammer of Bogardan was the thorn in Tempest’s side. Tempest’s past success has been predicated on its ability to shut down creature decks. Unfortunately for Tempest, Mirage is a burn deck first, creature deck second.
Mirage was well-situated to bounce Tempest because of the ability to rapidly ramp up it mana and thus outrun any possibility of a Capsize lock. The mana acceleration of Wall of Roots, Rampant Growth, and Fire Diamond also created another problem for Tempest - it led to early Wildfire Emissaries and Volcanic Dragons, meaning Tempest was forced several times to waste precious Counterspells or Dismisses on a creature before the Prayer/Humility lock was in place. In a matchup where its countermagic is Tempest’s only answer to burn (barring a late-game Capsize lock), this unfortunate but necessary waste of resources proved disastrous.
As for the possibility of a Capsize lock, this just never materialized except in game four (in which Tempest sustained nineteen points of damage) because Tempest was not given enough time to get the large quantity of mana, coupled with multiple Sapphire Medallions, that it needs to return two permanents per turn to Mirage’s hand. Mirage kept winning with burn, particularly recurred Hammers of Bogardan, before Tempest could gain control.
Mirage pulls the monumental upset and advances to face ….
(5) Ravnica d. (4) Arabian Nights, 3-0
…Ravnica!
This was supposed to be one of the closer matches of round one. Due to the shocking brutality and aggression of newcomer Ravnica, the anticipated showdown never materialized. Instead, Arabian Nights was left a shattered wreck sucking its thumb in a corner, quietly mumbling to itself. The best chance for Arabian to make it a match came in the second game when Ravnica fell to 1 from an early onslaught but stabilized and turned the game around from there. The other two games saw Arabian constantly off balance and playing from behind. Arabian, swept out of the last tournament by Judgment, has suffered two consecutive non-competitive first round exits.
Ravnica comes flying out of the gates and makes an immediate impression!
(2) Apocalypse d. (7) Planeshift, 3-0
Apocalypse peeled hapless Planeshift apart like a fresh orange. Apocalypse continues on in the quest for its first championship since it won the inaugural BOTS tournament.
(3) Odyssey d. (6) Legions, 3-2
Make it three consecutive five-game victories in three consecutive tournaments for Odyssey over Legions! Odyssey did it the last two times with a Psychatog deck, and gets the job done once again with a new Blue/Green aggro deck.
Legions must be sick of Odyssey, sick enough to vomit all over grandpa's new golf shirt - with this match, the two have now met a record-tying four times. The only matchup that has been waged as frequently is Tempest/Mercadian Masqes. At least in that matchup, the two have split the four encounters. On the other hand, Legions is 0 for 4 against Odyssey. Maddeningly, in the last three meetings, Legions has fallen one game short each time (the first time they met, in BOTS III, Odyssey won 3-1, the only time the series did not go the full five games). Somehow Odyssey finds a way to win a close match each time, and each time Legions goes home to barf in disgust after its latest near-miss.
This time, after a see-saw battle in which Odyssey trailed 0-1, then led 2-1, Wild Mongrel and company finally shook off a game Legions squad with a commanding game five performance. Odyssey started off with a Nimble Mongoose and Wild Mongrel on the first two turns, while Legions opened with Warbreak Trumpeter and Skirk Drill Sergeant. Odyssey Careful StudiedRoar of the Wurm and Aether Burst into the graveyard then added another Nimble Mongoose. Surprisingly, Legions had no turn three play, and when Odyssey played a turn four Roar of the Wurm, Legions was on the defensive. Clickslither came down for Legions, but the Wurm token was allowed through for the first damage of the game. Legions played a Goblin Goon, but it couldn’t block due to the creature parity on the board, and the Wurm token hit once more when Clickslither declined the block.
Nevertheless, Legions appeared to turn the momentum when it added a second Goblin Goon and used Gempalm Incinerator to fry the Wild Mongrel. But Odyssey was ready with an Aether Burst to foil Legions’s four creature attack, returning the Goblin Goon and Clickslither to Legions’s hand. That was enough for Odyssey to earn the concession, although Odyssey also could have closed the deal with Upheaval + Nimble Mongoose the following turn anyway.
Odyssey advances on to the second round for a showdown with Apocalypse!
DIVISION 4 - Round of 32 Match Reports
(1) Torment d. (8) Prophecy, 3-0
A rematch of the first round last time ends in the exact same way: a bone-crunching sweep.
(5) Judgment d. (4) Mercadian Masques, 3-2
Masques was able to take the second and fourth games thanks to Rishadan Port, but when Judgment had the mana it needed, the games were not particularly close, due in large part to Battle Screech, which completely negated Masques’s normally effective Thermal and Nightwind Gliders. Glory also contributed in a major way, powering unblockable alpha strikes, while Ray of Revelation kept Story Circle and Cho-Manno’s Blessing from factoring into the final outcome. Masques was also plagued by random annoying problems, such as the fact that Reverent Mantra naming White (all of Judgment’s creatures are White) is not particularly effective defensive tactic due to all of Masques’s creatures being white. Masques’s only hope was to shut Judgment down with Rishadan Port long enough for a few Rebels to capitalize on the mana-screw. This in fact happened - but only twice, obviously not enough to win the match.
The deciding game turned into a disaster for Masques after a promising start. Judgment opened with Spurnmage Advocate and Phantom Nomad, while Masques countered with Ramosian Sergeant, Ramosian Lieutenant, and Steadfast Guard. Masques did have a Rishadan Port, and for a few turns, it seemed that Judgment would be stymied once more by the irritating land. With two Plains and two Forests in play, Judgment was kept from casting Battle Screech for a turn due to the Plains being tapped down. However, before Masques could really build an advantage, Judgment topdecked a third Plains and unleashed four Battle Screech Bird tokens. Masques drew a second Rishadan Port one turn later, but the horse was already out of the barn. Judgment soon pulled ahead in the damage race, obliging Judgment to stop the Porting to play a Story Circle. Judgment had a Ray of Revelation for the Circle, though, and took advantage of the opening to uncork another Battle Screech, bringing the Bird count to eight.
In a finale that Alfred Hitchcock certainly could have appreciated, Masques conceded in the face of the overwhelming Bird swarm.
(2) Onslaught d. (7) Ice Age, 3-0
This same battle was waged in the first round of the previous BOTS tournament, with Onslaught emerging victorious in five games. This time, however, Onslaught didn’t even break a sweat in bouncing Ice Age. Incredibly, Ice Age remains winless in seven tournaments, having lost in the first round every single time. This match came down to Ice Age’s inability to deal with Lightning Rift and Astral Slide. So long as Onslaught held back enough mana to recover after Jokulhaups, Ice Age had no chance.
(3) Fifth Dawn d. (6) Saviors of Kamigawa, 3-1
Saviors made a decent showing in its debut, but never had a chance due to the board-sweeping power of Engineered Explosives. If that wasn’t bad enough, the sheer absurdity of turn three Bringers of the Blue Dawn and Bringers of the Green Dawn compounded the problems for an effective, but nonetheless fairly ordinary white weenie deck. The only extraordinary feature of Saviors is Charge Across the Araba, which can kill an opponent who seems safe at a high life total. Sadly for Saviors, the appropriate situation for a Charge Across the Araba kill arose only in game four. The sweep was averted, but Fifth Dawn advanced with little trouble nonetheless thanks to a fine game four performance.
That does it for the round of 32! Let's take a look at how things might play out in the round of 16:
ROUND OF 16 PREVIEW
The Round of 32 featured victories by six lower seeds - an 8 seed, a 7 seed, a 6 seed, and three 5 seeds. Among the victims of this lower seed success was Tempest, which suffered its first ever first-round exit at the hands of Mirage. Elsewhere, though, other members of the BOTS elite went about their business and chopped opponents into firewood. The two finalists from last time, champion Antiquities and runner-up Torment, posted easy 3-1 and 3-0 victories, respectively. Heavyweights Mirrodin, Darksteel, Apocalypse, and Onslaught also advanced, with Darksteel the only one among them that encountered difficulty (sliding by Alliances 3-2). However, as we turn our attention to the Round of 16, three dangerous contenders lurk in the shadows: Champions of Kamigawa, Odyssey, and newcomer Ravnica.
Let’s take a look at the matchups for the Round of 16:
DIVISION 1
(1) Mirrodin vs. (4) Urza’s Saga
Urza’s Saga has no defense of note with which to stop Mirrodin’s blazing attack and would do well to steal a game. Even Smokestack will probably be too slow to accomplish that feat against a Mirrodin assault that routinely wins in five turns. Indication that Saga is overmatched: Time Spiral probably helps Mirrodin more than Saga.
(2) Darksteel vs. (6) Invasion
An infant would have a better chance of winning a national spelling bee than Invasion does of beating Darksteel. The only surprise this match can possibly offer is if Darksteel doesn’t sweep. Invasion has no threat that Darksteel needs to worry about, and the modular machine will face no obstacles in building up its death industry in just a few short turns.
D-1 SUMMARY: Start looking forward to the highly anticipated showdown for the D-1 crown - Mirrodin vs. Darksteel.
DIVISION 2
(1) Antiquities vs. (5) Scourge
Here’s a match with a bit more intrigue than one might expect. Yes, Antiquities is the defending champion. And yes, including the present BOTS tournament, Antiquities has lost only one match over the course of the past four tournaments, winning two championships in the process. But there is some history here - and the revenge angle. Back in BOTS IV, Scourge held a 2-0 lead over Antiquities in their quarterfinal match. Then, like a dormant volcano, the artifact death machine erupted for three straight wins and the stunning comeback. Scourge was left shaken and awed, and could only wonder what might have been. Having narrowly escaped the cold clutches of elimination, Antiquities went on to capture its first championship with wins over Darksteel and Onslaught. Now, armed with the knowledge that it came within a game of bouncing Antiquities last time the two met, Scourge is out for revenge.
(3) Champions of Kamigawa vs. (7) Urza’s Legacy
Champions would like nothing more than the opportunity to dethrone Antiquities. It’s up to the artifact deck to make one half of that matchup possible, but Champions should be able to handle its business against an overmatched Legacy deck. Legacy has just four Miscalculations with which to combat the Hana Kami/Ethereal Haze lock (and the assortment of other tricks Champions can pull off), and those Miscalculations will be rendered mostly meaningless by Champions’s ability to build up its mana quickly. Legacy’s only hope is a fast creature rush; but Legacy is not capable of very early kills and thus will most likely fail in this strategy as well.
D-2 SUMMARY: All signs point to an Antiquities/Champions rumble for the division title unless Scourge can throw an unlikely monkey wrench into those plans. If Scourge can stun Antiquities, then the division title will belong to Champions, because Antiquities is the only opponent in this division that can handle Champions.
DIVISION 3
(5) Ravnica vs. (8) Mirage
We’ve got a broken half of the D-3 bracket here, folks! This meeting of two victorious lower seeds pits Ravnica, seeded a conservative 5th in its BOTS debut, against Mirage, which shocked Tempest in only the second ever eight versus one upset. Ravnica looked better than even its most ardent supporters could have hoped for in its 3-0 dismantling of Arabian Nights. Ravnica features an extremely efficient plan of attack which includes several fabulous, undercosted creatures, including Watchwolf, Loxodon Hierarch, and the awesome Hunted Dragon. The newcomer also has the burn to finish off a staggering opponent. Mirage will be no pushover though. The red/green deck has a load of burn plus the global creature sweeping power of Savage Twister. On top of that, Mirage can finish with solid creatures of its own. What does this all add up to? A fun match that should go the distance.
(2) Apocalypse vs. (3) Odyssey
The other side of the D-3 bracket offers another tight match between two powerhouses that have never met before. Three cards will be key for Apocalypse: Pernicious Deed, Phyrexian Arena, and Spectral Lynx. Deed provides Apocalypse with an answer to Odyssey’s horde of efficient creatures, Arena can ensure that Apocalypse keep its advantage after stopping the initial rush, and Lynx offers generally excellent defense against an all-green opposing attack (although Wild Mongrel can change colors, which is an issue if Apocalypse does not have regeneration mana up). On the other side, the key cards for Odyssey are Standstill and Upheaval. If Odyssey can back up its early creatures with Standstill, then Odyssey has a strong chance of keeping up or even pulling head of Apocalypse in the card battle. Standstill dropped onto a board favoring Odyssey means that Apocalypse will at least have to pay a price for using Deed or other removal - a price that Odyssey needs to make Apocalypse pay. Upheaval is the second key card because it can steal victory for Odyssey even after Apocalypse has turned the game in its favor. So long as Odyssey has an Upheaval and a creature to drop after floating mana, imminent defeat can be turned into almost certain victory. Look for a close match that comes right down to the wire.
D-3 SUMMARY: Division Three is the only division in which all four remaining decks all have a legitimate chance of advancing. Any combination of matchups involving these four competitors is a possibility for the division finals because both Round of 16 matches could very well end up as five gamers. If one had to pick favorites, Ravnica and Apocalypse would be slight favorites to advance, but not by much. Mirage and Odyssey will present tough challenges and should not be taken lightly.
DIVISION 4
(1) Torment vs. (5) Judgment
After advancing all the way to the quarterfinals last time out, Judgment has established itself as a force to be reckoned with. However, Torment measures success on a different scale and won’t be impressed. The mono-Black menace hungers for a return to the finals, where it thirsts for its second championship as well as possible revenge against Antiquities. It would take a stunning collapse for Torment to fall short against Judgment with so much on the line. Judgment’s best chance will be to survive the early game and get to a position in which it can ride Glory to victory. Torment stands an excellent chance of preventing that from happening, though, thanks to its stifling arsenal of creature control.
(2) Onslaught vs. (3) Fifth Dawn
This match is a toss-up and looks like a five-gamer. Fifth Dawn is well-equipped to battle Onslaught. The five-color deck has the ability to power out turn three Bringers then back that up with Engineered Explosives to take care of annoying Astral Slides. Lightning Rift is far less of a problem for Fifth Dawn than most other decks due to the size of its main threats. Rift serves two purposes for Onslaught: creature control and victory condition. Against Fifth Dawn, only the latter purpose will be served by Rift. Astral Slide is the more important of the two powerful Onslaught enchantments, because it can fend off Fifth Dawn’s big boys and also allow Onslaught to sneak a fourth turn face-up Exalted Angel into play with Slide plus a one-mana cycler. Fortunately for Fifth Dawn, it can handle Slide using Explosives. But there is one major problem that Fifth Dawn cannot handle which could ultimately decide the match: Exalted Angel. As there are only five colors in the game, Fifth Dawn is not able to remove six casting cost permanents using Explosives; hence Fifth Dawn will not be able to remove Exalted Angel so long as Onslaught plays its Angels face-up (either hardcast for the full six mana or using Astral Slide to turn a face-down Angel into a face-up Angel). Exalted Angel will be the key to the match - if Onslaught can deploy an Angel before Fifth Dawn can mount an overwhelming assault, Fifth Dawn will be toast. Rounding out Onslaught’s bag of tricks are its two mid to late-game mass removal spells - Akroma’s Vengeance and Starstorm, which will provide much needed panic buttons should the Fifth Dawn creature situation get out of hand.
D-4 SUMMARY: Torment should advance fairly easily over Judgment, but who its opponent will be is harder to tell. Either way, though, Torment is a strong bet to win another division title because it already has wins against both Onslaught and Fifth Dawn under its belt.
Come back on Friday to find out how the Round of 16 went!
As soon as the pairings were announced, it was clear that Darksteel had been handed a dangerous first-round assignment - an Alliances deck loaded with artifact hate and efficient creature removal. But not until the modular machine found itself needing to rally from a 1-2 deficit did the danger posed by Alliances become fully apparent…
MATCHUP ANALYSIS
Alliances’s strategy is simple: smash n’ burn everything that hits play for Darksteel as soon as possible, then drop a victory condition or two and win quickly before Darksteel can go berserk. A clear board for Darksteel means that Alliances can keep the outrageous potential of the modular machine from mushrooming into an uncontainable doom factory. Easier said than done, especially since Darksteel is far and away the more powerful and explosive of the two combatants, having the ability to come seemingly out of nowhere for random victories. Darksteel must be wary of Primitive Justice, though, and keeping an Arcbound Ravager on the board is the best way to combat the Justice threat.
Ultimately, the key to the matchup is Alliances’s ability to prevent Darksteel from getting its deadly machinery up and running - if Darksteel gets rolling, Alliances will not have enough firepower to recover. Almost any opponent will inevitably get the short end of a slugfest with Darksteel - the trick is avoiding the slugfest altogether.
GAME 1
Darksteel won the die roll and had the first play, an Arcbound Slith, which immediately fell to an EOT Death Spark. The efficient Darksteel machine stalled on two lands, and had to be content with another Arcbound Slith, which also got burned away, this time by Guerilla Tactics. The opening turns were going exactly the way Alliances wanted - a clear board.
Darksteel couldn’t find a third land, but added a Genesis Chamber. Alliances went on the offensive and unleashed the always unpleasant Yavimaya Ants while getting a Myr token thanks to Genesis Chamber. Mercifully, Darksteel found a third Island and summoned a Spire Golem (plus a Myr). Alliances kept the Yavimaya Ants around for one more turn and dropped an Elvish Ranger. The Ants traded with Darksteel’s Myr, and the modular machine slid to 11 thanks to the trampling horde of Ants. Alliances was left with two Myrs and the Elvish Ranger.
Darksteel had stabilized, and the situation did not improve for Alliances when an Arcbound Ravager and Arcbound Worker made their way into the battle, providing Darksteel with two more Myrs as well. Darksteel now controlled a force of Arcbound Ravager, Arcbound Worker, Spire Golem, and two Myrs. The Golem hit for two and the turn was back to Alliances, which sent the Elvish Ranger and Myr in for an attack. Darksteel blocked each with a Myr, then fed the dying Myrs to the Arcbound Ravager. Alliances ended its turn with Deadly Insect + Myr.
Darksteel appeared to have the upper hand, and added to its advantage with Arcbound Stinger + Myr. Darksteel then went for the kill, sacrificing Arcbound Ravager to make Spire Golem 5/7. Although the Golem knocked Alliances down to 13 and gave Darksteel a momentary boost, this plan would quickly backfire.
With the Arcbound Ravager no longer in play, Alliances was given a reprieve and could play its ace, Primitive Justice, without fear of Ravager tricks. Alliances took the opportunity to mete out a particularly harsh brand of Justice - with six mana, Spire Golem, Genesis Chamber, and Arcbound Stinger were all turned into scrap metal. The massacre was completed with a Pyrokinesis (discarding Balduvian Horde), which wiped away Darksteel’s remaining Myr and the Arcbound Worker. With the path cleared, Deadly Insect and Myr dropped Darksteel to a precarious 4.
Darksteel was not quite done, though, and tried to rally with a pair of Arcbound Stingers. Death Spark killed one, leaving a 2/2 Stinger to face the Deadly Insect and Myr, which moved in for an attack. Insect and Stinger traded, leaving Myr alone on the board and Darksteel at 3. Now, though, Alliances would have the Death Spark ready for retrieval next turn, thanks to the Deadly Insect sitting directly above it in the graveyard. Darksteel played an Arcbound Crusher, but it died to the Death Spark and Alliances’s Myr left Darksteel with just 2 life points. Could Darksteel actually succumb to a Myr token? What a bitter irony that would be!
Not so fast! Darksteel topdecked another Arcbound Ravager! Alliances could only draw and say "go," and suddenly Darksteel had a chance. Next, it drew a Skullclamp, and now the modular machine was back in business. Arcbound Ravager was sacrificed to the Skullclamp, allowing Darksteel to find an Arcbound Worker and a Blinkmoth Nexus. The Worker was next to be sacrificed to the Clamp, although Darksteel did not find anything else and ended its turn.
Meanwhile, Alliances was still in decent shape holding another Primitive Justice in hand. However, any further strategy considerations for either side were rendered moot when Alliances’s next draw produced a game-ending Guerilla Tactics.
Alliances 1, Darksteel 0
GAME 2
Although Darksteel was in a hole, at least a key point of strategy had emerged from the defeat: Arcbound Ravager had to be kept in play if at all possible as a means of neutralizing Alliances’s greatest weapon, Primitive Justice. If a Ravager died, let it be to Pillage, not Justice.
Facing a game it needed to win, Darksteel started off with an Arcbound Worker, which was promptly Death Sparked. Darksteel’s opening was solid, though, with turn two Genesis Chamber and turn three Spire Golem + Myr. Alliances replied with Elvish Ranger + Myr.
Darksteel fortified its position with a Blinkmoth Nexus and Myr Moonvessel + Myr. Golem hit Alliances for the first damage of the game, while a Darksteel Myr and the Alliances Myr traded.
Alliances got the turn back, and made the most of it, smashing the Spire Golem and the Genesis Chamber with a Primitive Justice (gaining 1 life to boot).
Darksteel, undaunted by the setback, merely applied more pressure, adding a second Blinkmoth Nexus and sending the Myr Moonvessel, Myr token, and the original Blinkmoth Nexus in for 4 damage, thanks to the freshly dropped Nexus pumping the first Nexus.
Alliances struck back with the Elvish Ranger hitting into an empty board, then added a Deadly Insect. But Darksteel was well positioned against Alliances’s one-toughness creatures, especially after adding a new Genesis Chamber the following turn. The Blinkmoth Nexi hit Alliances to 13.
Alliances managed to Pillage the new Genesis Chamber, but Darksteel continued with two more points of Nexus beatings, then added an Arcbound Slith. A freshly drawn Yavimaya Ants was sent on the attack, but Darksteel blocked with a leftover Myr token and sucked up 4 trample damage.
As Darksteel got the turn back, it led 12-11 in the damage race. Arcbound Slith traded with Elvish Ranger (with the modular counter going to a Blinkmoth Nexus), but a Nexus got through, and it was 12-9. Another Pillage took care of the augmented Nexus (the tapped one), but Alliances had no further plays and seemed to be fading.
That this game belonged to Darksteel was confirmed on the very next draw, when a Skullclamp hit the table. Myr Moonvessel turned into two cards at no cost, and suddenly, Alliances was facing an Arcbound Ravager arrival. Now desperate, Alliances sent its Deadly Insect on a suicide mission, which ended with a block by the remaining Nexus (sacrificed to feed Ravager). A defiant Elvish Ranger joined the battle, but the game was out of hand. Darksteel played an Arcbound Worker and an Arcbound Slith to feed the hungry Ravager, and added a Spire Golem for good measure. With no significant defenses left and facing the now 6/6 Ravager, Golem, and Skullclamp, Alliances conceded and the series was even.
Alliances 1, Darksteel 1
GAME 3
Alliances elected to draw in this potentially pivotal game three, and watched as Darksteel opened with a flurry: Myr Moonvessel, Blinkmoth Nexus, and Arcbound Ravager on the first two turns. Alliances tried to scrap the Ravager with a Guerilla Tactics, but the modular monster was having none of that, surviving at the expense of the Moonvessel and the Nexus (Moonvessel sacrificed in response to Tactics to make Ravager 2/2, then Moonvessel mana used to activate Nexus, sacrificed to make Ravager 3/3). Darksteel followed that up with a Ravager attack and an Arcbound Stinger. Alliances could only muster an Elvish Ranger, and watched as the Stinger became the latest Ravager fodder EOT.
The rapidly growing Ravager crashed in for five more damage, dropping Alliances to 12. Darksteel added an Arcbound Worker and passed the turn back. But just when Darksteel appeared to have left the underdog in the dust, Alliances ruined the Ravager strategy on the following turn. A Death Spark targeted the Arcbound Worker, which helped Ravager grow to 7/7. But now the Ravager was all alone with nowhere to put its counters should the need arise. It was a sitting duck for the ensuing Primitive Justice, which smashed the monstrous metallic menace and cleared the way for an Elvish Ranger attack. For Darksteel, the game, and possibly the series, had taken a dramatic turn for the worse, as it could manage only an Arcbound Crusher, which was not assigned to block the Ranger’s next attack. The life totals stood even at 12 as Alliances went for the throat with a Balduvian Horde. Darksteel tried to fight back with another Crusher, but conceded immediately when yet another Primitive Justice wiped out both Crushers on Alliances’s next turn.
Alliances 2, Darksteel 1
GAME 4
This is not how Darksteel’s tournament was supposed to end. Sure, it was understood that Darksteel could lose a tight match in the later rounds - it happens. Only the winner will ultimately experience a tournament free of disappointment. But a first round ouster? Unthinkable, even against the tough Alliances gauntlet of removal. Darksteel was expected to at least roll into the Top 8 and then, who knows? Now, though, those dreams were in serious jeopardy, and only a furious rally could revive them. Darksteel was facing a moment of truth.
The rally started off decently enough - turn one Myr Moonvessel, turn two Arcbound Slith, and a turn three Blinkmoth Nexus. The Moonvessel fell to a Guerilla Tactics after one measly attack, while the Slith also got one hit in before an Elvish Ranger was put on guard. Darksteel added an Arcbound Crusher and attacked with the Slith, which traded with the Ranger. The death of the 2/2 Slith grew the Crusher to a solid 3/3, but a Pillage immediately cut off that avenue of attack. Darksteel recovered easily, though, summoning an Arcbound Ravager and an Arcbound Stinger. The Ravager had plenty of potential food in play, including two Darksteel Citadels, the Nexus, and the Stinger. Alliances threw a Death Spark at the Ravager, but it calmly swelled into a 2/2 with the animation and sacrifice of Nexus. Alliances could only attempt a futile Primitive Justice, targeting Ravager and Stinger, but Darksteel grew the Ravager to 3/3 (sacrificing a Citadel) in response, then utilized the powerful modular mechanic by sacrificing Ravager onto Stinger, which ended up as a 4/4. The subsequent attack beat Alliances down to 14, and an Arcbound Worker joined the Stinger.
Alliances summoned a Deadly Insect and passed back. The Stinger struck again, and the turn went back to Alliances, which could only add an Elvish Ranger and pass. The Stinger’s third attack reduced Alliances to a tottering 6 life. Then, things took a most unfortunate turn: another Arcbound Ravager! Alliances was hopelessly outgunned and packed it in after a look at the next draw.
Alliances 2, Darksteel 2
GAME 5
It came down to this for Darksteel: a win-or-go-home game in round one. Although this match had been an ordeal for the modular machine, a win here and all would be forgotten.
This tournament is all about survival - the point is to survive and advance, even if it’s a struggle. If Darksteel could just smash its way past the stout test of Alliances, anything could happen.
The lesson of survival was demonstrated well by Antiquities in its first championship run in BOTS IV. Indeed, although Antiquities dominated the field last tournament en route to a 15-2 record and the BOTS VI championship (its second title), Antiquities’s first title run was not so smooth. In that tournament, BOTS IV, Antiquities had to sweat out a tight 3-2 decision in the first round against a Weatherlight deck that at the time was packing four Serenities. Then, in the Division Finals (Top 8), Antiquities trailed Scourge 0-2 before rallying for a miraculous 3-2 comeback victory that ultimately propelled the Workshop deck to the championship.
Could Darksteel take that first big step on the way to a possible championship run of its own?
The answer turned out to be an emphatic yes.
Alliances again drew, leaving Darksteel to make the first play, a turn two Arcbound Slith. The Slith died to yet another Death Spark, but Darksteel was just getting started. Turn three featured an Arcbound Ravager and a Skullclamp. As it turned out, the powerhouse was just getting started. Alliances aimed a Primitive Justice at the Skullclamp, which was predictably fed to the Ravager. Alliances then made another attempt to kill the metallic monstrosity, tossing a Pyrokinesis at the Ravager (losing Balduvian Horde to ‘Nesis). This tactic was successful in eliminating the Ravager, but Darksteel would not be denied and replaced the Ravager with a Blinkmoth Nexus and an Arcbound Crusher. Alliances could manage only an inadequate Elvish Ranger.
Darksteel finally put the match out of reach with a crushing sequence of events on the following turn: another Nexus, another Crusher, and worst of all, a fresh Ravager. A Genesis Chamber hit the board on Darksteel’s next turn. Alliances could manage nothing more than a Pillaging of the Chamber. Now the end was near for valiant Alliances, which had fought so hard only to come up just short against Darksteel’s lineup of industrial doom.
The end came when Darksteel added an Arcbound Worker and sent a 4/4 Crusher in for an attack. Alliances, with nothing in play besides the brave Ranger, blocked, determined to fight until the bitter end, even though the battle was clearly lost. In response, Darksteel used Ravager to sacrifice Worker, adding one counter to Crusher, and one to Ravager, in the process making them 5/5 and 3/3 respectively. The Elvish Ranger died, and Alliances took four trample damage, Darksteel’s first damage of the game. Pyrokinesis targeted the Crusher, but Darksteel would have none of that, sacrificing the Crusher to Ravager in response to ‘Nesis, growing Ravager to 4/4, and an activated Nexus to 6/6. From there, Alliances was quickly pummeled to death. A determined effort, but in the end, Darksteel’s raw power was just too much.
Darksteel survives and advances into the second round!
Darksteel 3, Alliances 2[
(1) Mirrodin d. (8) Stronghold, 3-1
As expected, former champ Mirrodin had little difficulty in dispatching a hopelessly overmatched opponent. Stronghold’s game three win ensured that it would not go home empty-handed, but Mirrodin put the hammer down in game four with an early kill that dashed any hopes of a historic upset.
(4) Urza’s Saga d. (5) Exodus, 3-1
Degenerate Saga took advantage of an ideal matchup, wiping the floor with Spike Weaver and company in a match that came down to one card: Smokestack. After a game one win for Exodus in which it barely managed to outrun a four-counter Smokestack thanks to Thopter Squadron, it was all Saga in three straight Stack-fueled blowouts
(6) Invasion d. (3) Urza’s Destiny, 3-1
These two have now clashed three times, and the festering hostilities have blossomed into a nascent rivalry. The first two times (BOTS III Round of 16 and BOTS VI Round of 32), Invasion was conquered by Destiny’s superior speed and muscle. Heading into this third meeting, Destiny was once more viewed as the prohibitive favorite. And why not? Although Invasion seems capable of beating Destiny, it had been blown out of the first two meetings by a combined games score of 6-1.
But this third meeting was different right from the start, as Invasion utilized its burn and solid creatures to keep Destiny off-balance. Unlike past meetings, Invasion was able to put Destiny under enough pressure to capitalize on some surprising stumbles by the normally dependable green powerhouse.
Game one set the tone for the match. Destiny had the ideal start: playing first with two Rofellos, Llanowar Emissary in hand. But the first Rofellos succumbed to Ghitu Fire, and the second to Urza’s Rage. Suddenly, Destiny’s promising opening had disappeared. Although it was able to follow with a Yavimaya Elder, Invasion had done just enough to seize the advantage, and quickly followed up with a pair of Blazing Specters. A Masticore arrived to limit the damage, but the pair of flying menaces had done irreparable harm by the time Destiny’s machine-gun Cat could shoot both down, and Destiny was left with just one card in hand. When an Addle knocked out Destiny’s last remaining card in hand and sent the ‘Core to the graveyard, the path was clear for a Skizzik to close out the victory.
Destiny regained its footing with a commanding game two win, but the turning point of the match came in game three. Invasion had already used one of its three Voids to knock two Ancient Silverbacks out of Destiny’s hand. The mono-Green powerhouse had recovered, though, and with Invasion at 16 life and facing down two Thorn Elementals, Destiny was poised to seize control of the match. Then, it happened: Invasion revealed another Void, this time for seven! With both Thorn Elementals chopped into firewood, Destiny was left with virtually nothing, save for a Rofellos, which soon fell to an Urza’s Rage in response to Pattern of Rebirth. These two gut punches left Destiny doubled over and gasping for air, and it wasn’t long before a gang of several small creatures came along to give Invasion a 2-1 series lead. After the shocking events of game three, Invasion was just one strong push from knocking Destiny over the edge.
Still stunned from game three, Destiny attempted to rally, throwing out an early Heart Warden in an attempt to draw fire away from Rofellos. However, when both the turn two Warden and a turn three Rofellos were burned away, Destiny was in trouble - and when it stalled on three Forests one turn later, Destiny was in serious trouble. Invasion, feeling only contempt for its disabled rival, coldly capitalized on the delay, uncorking a Skizzik. The match came to an abrupt end from there, as the Skizzik and a pair of bloodthirsty Shivan Zombies bludgeoned their fallen opponent to death in short order. Destiny’s demise was particularly gruesome, in that it was beaten about the head while watching a pair of opportunistic Zombies consume its tasty flesh.
DIVISION 2 - Round of 32 Match Reports
*Feature Match* - - - - - (5) Scourge d. (4) Betrayers of Kamigawa, 3-2
In possibly the longest match in BOTS history, Scourge finally tasted the sweet nectar of victory after an epic struggle that stretched well past the two-hour mark . . .
….but not before narrowly escaping elimination thanks to spectacular life-saving Decree of Justice topdecks in games two and four.
MATCHUP ANALYSIS
At first glance, Scourge might appear to be at a significant disadvantage against the heavy removal of Betrayers. Upon closer inspection, though, the contest is actually a toss-up.
Of particular concern for Scourge is Final Judgment, which, in addition to its obvious power as a Wrath of God effect, provides Betrayers with an answer to a large Decree of Justice, or to Eternal Dragon. Similarly, Eradicate can also prevent any Dragon nonsense, or simply liquidate all four copies of a key creature, such as Dawn Elemental. Horobi’s Whisper supplements the two aforementioned major removal cards as a nice third option with the potential to take out multiple creatures once Betrayers starts to fill its graveyard in the late game (thanks to the Splice ability). On top of this potent arsenal of removal, Betrayers can wreck Scourge with a well-timed Three Tragedies, the value of which increases in a slow match such as this. Three Tragedies is all the more potent in a deck featuring mass removal, as there is nowhere to hide - hold creatures back, and Tragedies rips them out. Put the creatures into play, and they fall victim to Final Judgment or Eradicate.
As for victory conditions, Betrayers has the extremely-annoying Genju of the Fields, which not only has excellent synergy with Final Judgment, but can also put Betrayers’s life total into the stratosphere thanks to the ruling that the Genju activation cost can be paid multiple times for a gain of an additional two life per activation whenever a Genju deals damage. So if Betrayers has ten mana in play in addition to the Plains enchanted with a Genju of the Fields, Betrayers can pay the Genju activation cost five times, which means a gain of ten life if Genju deals damage. Yukora, the Prisoner and Patron of the Kitsune, though vulnerable to Wing Shards (unlike Genju, which can just come right back), are certainly forces to be reckoned with. However, it should be noted that Betrayers will suffer from one problem that Scourge does not have - the four Terashi’s Grasps will be dead weight in this matchup, potentially a major handicap for Betrayers.
On the other side, Scourge has several important features that allow it to compete in this matchup. Chief among these features is Eternal Dragon - provided the Dragons are kept out of play unless absolutely necessary. Since these games figure to be long, drawn-out affairs, Scourge might be able to bide its time and use its Dragons to suck all the Plains out of the deck. In this way, Scourge can ensure “lucky” topdecks in the late game, while Betrayers is stuck drawing a much higher percentage of unwanted land. The deck-thinning provided by Eternal Dragon also tied in to one of Scourge’s other critical cards - Decree of Justice. If Scourge is to win, it will likely do so with huge late-game Decrees (either cycling for Soldiers or hard-cast for Angels, depending on what the situation calls for) because of the vulnerability of Scourge’s other creatures to Betrayers’s removal. Not only will the Eternal Dragons suck the land out of the deck, they will also allow Scourge to build up large quantities of mana to fuel massive late-game Decrees. The third key card for Scourge is Wipe Clean - without this invaluable enchantment removal, Scourge would be left almost helpless against the onslaught of Genjus. With the services of a full compliment of Wipes, however, Scourge will have a very good chance of avoiding Genju beatings (especially since Scourge has a better chance of drawing a Wipe Clean than Betrayers does of drawing a Genju of the Fields, due to the deck-thinning of Eternal Dragon and the cycling of Decree of Justice).
The matchup boils down to this: Betrayers has the hardcore removal, but no method of card-drawing or deck-thinning. On the other hand, Scourge is “smarter” thanks to the deck-thinning of Eternal Dragon, and wields a back-breaking late-game bomb in Decree of Justice.
GAME 1
Scourge went first, but Betrayers made the first significant play, a turn one Genju of the Fields. Scourge wasted little time in starting the Eternal Dragon deck-thinning campaign, then Wiped Clean the Genju. Scourge followed up with a Dawn Elemental. Betrayers eagerly took the opportunity to unveil one of its devastating weapons, Eradicate, which left the mono-white deck Elemental-less for the remainder of the game. Silver Knight was next on the board. Yukora, the Prisoner provided some company for the Knight, which was soon joined by a Daru Warchief. Betrayers launched its first offensive of the match on the following turn, assassinating the Warchief with Horobi’s Whisper and crashing in with Yukora.
Remarkably, Betrayers already had all four Terashi’s Grasp in hand - essentially leaving Betrayers four draw phases down. Nonetheless, Scourge was able to do nothing more than attack with the Silver Knight. A freshly drawn Genju of the Fields consolidated Betrayers’s position still further. Joined by the Genju, Yukora gored once more, leaving the life totals at 22-8 in favor of Betrayers, thanks to a double Genju activation.
Betrayers attempted the same attack once more, this time with a triple Genju activation. This time, Scourge was able to parry at least somewhat with a Wing Shards, but this was an inadequate remedy for the problem. All the Shards accomplished was the temporary dismissal of the Genju, which would return the following turn. Scourge fell to 3 from the Yukora beating, but Scourge found a sixth Plains and Noble Templar came to the rescue. Betrayers replayed the Genju of the Fields and had nothing more.
Scourge continued to rebuild its position with another Daru Warchief, but it was short for this game thanks to a Sickening Shoal. Another Genju of the Fields showed up, and Scourge was again in a bad way. The Eternal Dragon recursion plan started up during the next upkeep, but Betrayers was prepared to win this one before that would matter. The following turn saw a double-Genju/Yukora attack. The Silver Knight died blocking a Genju, while Noble Templar buffered Yukora. The unblocked Genju left Scourge tottering at 1, while Betrayers shot up to 26.
In a last-ditch attempt at survival, Scourge boosted its mana with a Temple of the False God and used a Decree of Justice for a pair of Angels. Mercifully, this plan worked, and Betrayers could only draw and pass. Now two Genju of the Fields and Yukora, the Prisoner simply stared across at two Angel tokens and a Noble Templar.
Then, Scourge increased the possibility of a successfully comeback bid with another Decree of Justice - this time for three Angels! The original Angel pair flew in for a righteous eight-point attack, and Betrayers was left to produce an answer. An EOT Horobi’s Whisper knocked out the Noble Templar, although Scourge had the three new Angels with which to block.
Scourge’s comeback dreams were still very realistic, even without the Templar - that is, until Betrayers topdecked Final Judgment! Suddenly, the only non-land permanents were the two Genjus. Mercifully, Betrayers’s only Plains were the Genju Plains (tapped to cast Final Judgment), so Scourge had one more turn to fight back.
Another Noble Templar rallied to the cause, and a topdecked Wipe Clean kept hope alive, eliminating a Genju of the Fields. The game then settled into a prolonged period of draw-go in which neither deck could improve its position. The remaining Genju of the Fields would attack with multiple activations, bouncing off Noble Templar, but providing life-gain. Templar would attack right back to keep the life-gain somewhat in check. Meanwhile, Scourge continued the Eternal Dragon deck-thinning process.
Scourge, though it could eventually reap a huge advantage from the repeated Dragon use, was facing a precarious situation. All Betrayers need to do was find a single removal spell to murder the Noble Templar and allow Genju of the Fields to end the game. Consequently, Scourge finally took the plunge and put an Eternal Dragon into play. The Dragon got one hit in before another Final Judgment wipe out both the Dragon and the Noble Templar. Scourge would not give in, though, and hung on thanks to a Wing Shards, delaying Genju of the Fields for one more turn.
However, the end at last came next turn, when Scourge found nothing of help. The first of five grueling late-game chess-matches had gone to Betrayers, but Scourge was more than prepared to meet the challenge.
Betrayers 1, Scourge 0
GAME 2
Drawing on the experience of game one, Scourge elected to draw this time. The mono-White deck’s first play was a Dawn Elemental, but it was immediately removed by an EOT Horobi’s Whisper. Three Tragedies knocked out a Daru Warchief, a Plains, and a Noble Templar, but Scourge hung tough with another Templar. Betrayers calmly replied with another Horobi’s Whisper.
Templars, in addition to their nobility, are apparently also quite persistent - a third Noble Templar appeared and started to chip away. The Templar was left unharmed, but a second Tragedies knocked out a Wing Shards, a Temple of the False God, and a Plains (Eternal Dragon’s Plainscycling cost paid in response to Tragedies).
During the next upkeep, Scourge recursed the Dragon. Then, the Templar hit once more, reducing Betrayers to 14. A Silver Knight joined the righteous cause, and Betrayers now had the inducement it needed to use a board-clearing Final Judgment.
Over the next several turns, Scourge went about the business of deck-thinning, while Betrayers launched a Genju of the Fields offensive against the Wipeless Scourge. Another Silver Knight entered the playing area, but the Genju continued to pour on the life-gain. Wing Shards stopped the Genju nuisance for a turn. Betrayers summoned its nightmarish enforcer, Yukora, the Prisoner. The life totals were 22-16 in favor of Betrayers.
Betrayers appeared to be in decent shape, but the reality was quite different. Scourge, though repeated use of Eternal Dragons, had the upper hand heading into the late game. A third Three Tragedies accomplished little in that it dumped two Plains and a Dragon, easily replaceable commodities at this stage of the game.
Yukora attacked and drew a chump block from the Silver Knight. The Sharded Genju of the Fields rejoined the monstrous Demon. Scourge called upon the defensive services of another Dawn Elemental, but once more, a Horobi’s Whisper dashed those plans. The Yukora/Genju assault left the life totals at 24-9.
Another Noble Templar limited the damage caused by the next attack, and the life totals became 30-7, then 27-7 after the Templar attacked. Scourge was preparing to prove that the huge disparity in life totals was nothing more than an illusion, but before that could happen, the mono-White deck needed a bit more defense, which it got in the form of another Dawn Elemental.
A frustrated Betrayers watched its Yukora/Genju campaign halted. After several turns of draw-go (and Eternal Dragon thinning), the Dawn Elemental attacked, signaling that Scourge had found a Decree of Justice. Yukora and Genju of the Fields attacked only to find that Scourge really did have the Decree. Nine Soldier tokens charged into play and two sacrificed for the greater good. The life totals once again stood at 30-7 in favor of Betrayers, although Scourge had the decided edge in board position as Betrayers’s turn ended.
Scourge dropped a ton of bricks on its opponent with a Daru Warchief and suddenly, those Soldier tokens were more than a nuisance. Betrayers's life total was sliced nearly in half to 16. Final Judgment reset the board and cleared the path for a Genju of the Fields attack, making the life score 18-5.
Scourge was unfazed by the board sweep, though, and sensing the time was right, aggressively went for the kill, summoning two Eternal Dragons. This strategy would only backfire if Betrayers had another Final Judgment, and had the benefit of ensuring that Eradicate could only neutralize one of the Dragons. Betrayers in fact had an Eradicate to kill one Dragon. Then, for the first time in the match, Patron of the Kitsune appeared. Scourge could respond only with a Daru Warchief, and once more the momentum had seemingly shifted in this back-and-forth match. The Patron and Genju of the Fields both attacked, inducing a Daru Warchief chump block on Patron and leaving the life totals at 25-5. When Betrayers summoned Yukora, the Prisoner and added another Genju of the Fields, it appeared that Scourge was about to be in an 0-2 hole.
Then, it happened: Decree of Justice on the draw! Moments earlier, Scourge had been all but assured of an all-but insurmountable 0-2 series deficit. Suddenly, though, an incredible topdeck had turned the game, and ultimately the match around. Six Angels entered the battle against a stunned Betrayers. The previously lonely Eternal Dragon attacked, and it was 20-5.
Eradicate removed the Dragon, and now-desperate Betrayers sent a Genju, Yukora, and Patron of the Kitsune in for an attack. Two Angels blocked Yukora, two blocked Genju, and one blocked Patron. Between Genju and Patron, Betrayers gained seven life, but it hardly mattered. The Genju left play, Yukora died, and so did Patron (due to Yukora leaving play). In the carnage, Scourge lost just two Angels. With four Angels left, Scourge could win with three more attack steps (due to the life-gain of Genju) provided Betrayers could not find another Final Judgment. All four Angels swooped in, and it was 11-5 Betrayers. Scourge added a Silver Knight for good measure.
Betrayers failed to find a Judgment and could only stall with a four-activation Genju attack, leaving the life totals at 19-3. It didn’t matter, but Betrayers couldn’t even re-cast the second Genju of the Fields due to having only one Plains left.
All four Angels and the Silver Knight attacked to leave Betrayers at a precarious 1 life. Betrayers had one more chance to find that Final Judgment it so badly needed. Final Judgment did not appear on the draw, but as it turned out, a Judgment would not have saved the game since Scourge had by this point drawn another Decree of Justice.
Betrayers 1, Scourge 1
GAME 3
Things started off promisingly for Scourge when it was able to Wipe Away an early Genju and Wing Shards Yukora, the Prisoner. However, the promise quickly evaporated when a wickedly timed Three Tragedies liquidated Scourge’s three-card hand of Decree of Justice, Decree of Justice, and Silver Knight, leaving the mono-White deck with nothing aside from a Noble Templar and Daru Warchief in play. Betrayers cruelly followed the gut-punch Three Tragedies up with a gut-punch Final Judgment, and for all intents and purposes the game was over. From there, Betrayers was able to feast on a floundering opponent that was left to topdecking. A pair of Genjus of the Fields backed by an avalanche of removal finished off the rout. Game three was a total liquidation - one more performance like that and Betrayers would be moving on for an almost certain date with Antiquities. But Scourge had other ideas.
Betrayers 2, Scourge 1
GAME 4
Despite the tragic outcome of the previous game, Scourge stuck with its plan, electing to draw once more. The end appeared near when Betrayers opened with two early Genjus of the Fields against a lonely Silver Knight. Fortunately for Scourge, Betrayers had land difficulties and could utilize neither the Three Tragedies nor the Final Judgments it maddeningly held in hand. Thus, Betrayers was compelled to use a Horobi’s Whisper on a Dawn Elemental and to do nothing about the Silver Knight and Daru Warchief. While Betrayers struggled, Scourge built up its mana and unleashed a four-point Decree of Justice.
Betrayers finally had five mana, but could only activate one Genju of the Fields to combat the four 2/3 Soldiers. The attack resulted in a net loss of only two life for Betrayers (three Soldiers unblocked, one blocked by double-activated Genju for a four-point life gain). Betrayers was still at a healthy 20 (a Genju had attacked earlier), but needed land in order to relieve the pressure with a Final Judgment. This did not happen, and Scourge poured it on with another four-point Decree of Justice.
Daru Warchief and eight Soldiers went for the kill, resulting in a net loss of twelve life (one blocked plus four-point life gain from double-activated Genju). However, Scourge conservatively held the Silver Knight out of the attack - a fact that would soon be significant. Now at 8 life, Betrayers needed to draw a land.
The draw? Swamp. Betrayers headed off the Soldier horde with a badly-needed Final Judgment.
The board clear, and Scourge came right back with a third Decree of Justice EOT! This time it was for six Soldiers. Although Scourge had fresh troops, the importance of the Knight not attacking was clear - had the Knight attacked, Betrayers would have been at 6 instead of 8, and the six new Soldiers would have been able to end the game on the next attack.
This turned out to be huge when Betrayers, still very much alive and kicking, unveiled a second Judgment on the next turn, clearing away the six Soldiers and a freshly played Noble Templar. Betrayers, flush with the feeling of having been given a second chance, seized the inititative with Yukora, the Prisoner. Scourge kept Yukora at bay with a Noble Templar, then added a Silver Knight. Needing to conserve Plains, Betrayers conservatively kept its Genjus back as well, and the game settled into a lull with the only activity being Eternal Dragon thinning for several turns.
Betrayers ended the lull with a third Genju of Fields. Eradicate ended the Noble Templar’s brief stay and liquidated the two remaining in Scourge’s library. Yukora was sent to hell by a Wing Shards, but another Demon replaced the fallen Yukora. Two of the three Genjus of the Fields disappeared EOT thanks to a pair of Wipe Cleans. It was now Yukora and a Genju of the Fields vs. a lone Silver Knight.
Scourge improved its chances with a Dawn Elemental, but it succumbed to a Sickening Shoal. Genju of the Fields then worked the life totals to 16-4 in favor of Scourge. Betrayers was beginning to work itself out of the danger zone, and Scourge was rapidly moving towards extinction. Despite the fact that Scourge had removed most of the Plains from its deck, three Decrees of Justice were already gone and Betrayers could handle the rest of Scourge’s threats much more easily.
The Eternal Dragon-thinning continued to suck Plains out of the deck and a Dawn Elemental appeared, only to fall to Eradicate. Scourge was now without the services of all of its Dawn Elementals, all of its Noble Templars, and three out of four Decrees of Justice. The only positive to the Eradication of the Dawn Elementals and Noble Templars had been that the chances of drawing the last Decree of Justice were increased in the process.
Meanwhile, the life totals got still closer at 9-8 after a Genju/Yukora attack. Scourge found another Wipe Clean to eliminate the Genju of the Fields, but Silver Knight died blocking Yukora.
Scourge had two Eternal Dragons in the graveyard at this point, and retrieved both during its upkeep. Scourge lacked the mana to cast an Eternal Dragon, though, so one of the Dragons went back to the graveyard in exchange for another Plains, boosting Scourge to sixteen mana (14 Plains and a Temple). Scourge then watched Yukora strike into an empty board to leave Scourge with just 4 life separating it from elimination.
The situation became really desperate when Betrayers summoned a topdecked Patron of the Kitsune - now the Eternal Dragons would not be sufficient to extend the game because Scourge did not have the nineteen mana required to retrieve one Dragon from the graveyard and then cast both. Tossing one of the Dragons in order to play a Plains right away had seemed like a decent play at the time, but that all changed with the Patron arrival. Had Scourge held the Plainscycled Eternal Dragon back, it would have been able to summon both Eternal Dragons on its next turn. But that was not a possibility now.
Suddenly, Scourge was staring at almost certain elimination. One card, and one card only could save Scourge’s tournament life: Decree of Justice.
Then, it happened.
Decree of Justice on the draw! Scourge was saved! Crestfallen, Betrayers could only watch in horror as six saving Angels arrived to the rescue. Scourge had gone from the depths of despair to the pinnacle of ecstasy in mere moments.
The pressure shifted back to Betrayers, which held nothing of use in hand. The draw? Final Judgment! One amazing topdeck deserves another - Betrayers was not dead yet!
The ensuing suicide attack boosted Betrayers’s life total to 10 (from Patron of the Kitsune). The effort resulted in the death of both creatures, each blocked by a pair of Angels. Final Judgment removed the four remaining Angels, and Betrayers played another Yukora, the Prisoner. Betrayers was assured of nothing, though, because Scourge had an Eternal Dragon in hand with which to block Yukora next turn, and another Dragon that Scourge could retrieve and play one turn after that. Betrayers would need another targeted removal spell to clear the path for a game-winning attack.
The suspense was now unbearable. None of the spectators had left their seats for nearly an hour for so much as a bathroom break, entranced by the pulsating back-and-forth action. What would happen next?
On Scourge’s upkeep, it made a solid decision and chose not to retrieve the Eternal Dragon in the graveyard. The reasoning was simple: Scourge did not have enough mana to retrieve the Dragon, then cast both that Dragon and the Dragon in hand. Better to see if the draw yielded anything of use - if the draw did provide something useful, then Scourge could cast both the Dragon in hand and the freshly drawn card. If nothing of use was drawn, Scourge could still summon one Eternal Dragon and then the other the on the following turn.
The draw, as it turned out, was extremely kind to Scourge: a third Eternal Dragon!
Scourge summoned two Eternal Dragons, and Betrayers was on the ropes. Betrayers drew a card and passed back. Scourge retrieved its third Eternal Dragon and attacked for the win with both Eternal Dragons in play. Betrayers earned a stay of execution with a Horobi’s Whisper to stop one of them. Scourge simply replaced the fallen Eternal Dragon with another one. Betrayers, down to 5, needed another removal spell. Instead, the draw mockingly produced Three Tragedies to compliment an equally useless Terashi’s Grasp in hand.
Despite a couple of questionable plays, Scourge had survived because of its “lucky” draws - thanks to the deck-thinning of Eternal Dragon. With the help of Eternal Dragon, luck is invariably on Scourge’s side in long games. Amazingly, this epic confrontation was headed for a deciding game five.
Betrayers 2, Scourge 2
GAME 5
Things fell apart right from the start for Betrayers. Two early Genjus of the Fields were Wiped Clean, and Betrayers could muster little after that. Scourge began to get the Eternal Dragon Plains factory going. Dawn Elemental died to a Sickening Shoal and Betrayers added Yukora, the Prisoner. However, Scourge had an answer for the Demon as well, slaying it with Wing Shards. Unsurprisingly, a Daru Warchief showed up, but surprisingly, it lived. The Warchief got one hit in before another Yukora, the Prisoner temporarily put a stop to that. Scourge was content to add a second Daru Warchief, which perished to another Sickening Shoal. Yukora got one hit in but declined a second attack when it became clear that Scourge was going to unload an EOT Decree of Justice. Nine Soldier entered play, and with that, Betrayers's hopes of winning the match went up in smoke. Betrayers managed to use a third Sickening Shoal on the remaining Warchief, but it mattered little.
Betrayers had nothing left, while Scourge had built up a massive amount of mana and had suffered no major setback (i.e. Eradicate or Three Tragedies). It was just a matter of finishing a battered and dazed opponent. Scourge summoned another Daru Warchief. Betrayers had a Horobi’s Whisper to deal with that threat, but even without their leader, the Soldiers streamed in for an attack. Yukora killed one, but the other eight reduced Betrayers to 10.
Betrayers could only draw and play a land, but was prepared to play on despite the overwhelming swarm of Soldiers. However, when Scourge revealed another Decree of Justice, Betrayers graciously conceded. A memorable confrontation between two worthy competitors had come to an end, but the memories of the legendary battle would echo through the halls of eternity.
Scourge 3, Betrayers 2
(1) Antiquities d. (8) Nemesis, 3-1
As expected, defending champion Antiquities advanced with only minimal difficulty against Nemesis, which had earned the eighth seed by winning the Play-In division. The only hiccup came in game two, when Nemesis capitalized on a slow start by the champ and bashed away with Blastoderm and Saproling Burst.
After Nemesis dared to challenge the champ’s authority, Antiquities responded with extreme prejudice and unloaded a game three thrashing on the rude upstart. Turn three Triskelion and turn four Triskelion followed turn one Onulet to crush Nemesis under an avalanche of cold steel. Meanwhile a pair of Strip Mines provided a couple of kicks to the teeth just for good measure. Antiquities then won the fourth game comfortably to advance.
(7) Urza’s Legacy d. (2) Visions, 3-1
After a dominating run to the Final Four last time, Visions is out considerably earlier this time around. What a difference one tournament makes.
If you aren't familiar with the Visions Sandsipoise combo, it works like this: Equipoise phases all of an opponent's excess creatures/artifacts/lands out during Visions’s upkeep, while Sands of Time requires each participant to skip his untap phase, making the opponent’s creatures, artifacts, and lands never come back again - this works because phasing in and out occurs during the untap step.
In other words, during its upkeep, Visions uses Equipoise to phase out all opposing creatures (Equipoise also phases out land and artifacts as long as the opponent has more than Visions - moreover, Equipoise allows its controller to choose the phase-out targets if that should become necessary). Meanwhile, Sands of Time causes both decks to skip their untap phase, which means phasing creatures (and any other phasing permanents) never get the chance to phase back in.
Thanks to the search power of Impulse and Vampiric Tutor, Visions has no difficulty setting up the lock within an adequate amount of time. Meanwhile, Peace Talks buys Visions any needed time against aggro, Coercion adds some protection against removal or any other threatening cards, and Wand of Denial slams the hammer down against any potential escape from the lock if the opponent does not already have what they need in hand. What it all amounts to is a cohesive mixture of lock components, search, and defense. Visions is certainly one of the most unusual and interesting decks in the format, and is one of only two creatureless decks - the other being Tempest.
However, Visions does have a few glaring weaknesses - and one of those weaknesses is susceptibility to man-lands. One factor that contributed to Antiquites’s sweep of Visions in the Final Four last time out was Mishra’s Factory. Antiquities could win with Mishra’s Factories even after the Sandsipoise lock was in place - the lock does not deny Visions’s opponents access to their lands so long as they do not go above four lands. Hence, Visions could still lose even with the lock in play unless it had a Vision Charm to stop Mishra’s Factory or a Forbidden Ritual to finish off the Factories for good.
Against Legacy, the manland problem was even worse. First, because there are more of them (four Faerie Conclaves and four Treetop Villages), and second because Vision Charm is useless against Conclave and Village (unlike Factory, which is also an artifact and can thus be permanently phased out by Vision Charm while the Sandsipoise lock is in place. The only way Visions could win would be to get the Sandsipoise lock in place, then use Forbidden Ritual to clear the board of lands. From there, Visions would be able to win by simply refusing to play any further lands and just decking Legacy.
But as the final match score indicates, this happened in only one game. In the other three games, Visions could not find Forbidden Ritual soon enough after the lock was down and died either to Treetop Villages or Faerie Conclaves, sometimes augmented by Rancor.
(3) Champions of Kamigawa d. (6) Legends, 3-0
Keep moving, folks, nothing to see here, nothing to see here….
Champions is a fascinating deck worthy of further discussion - but not after a ten minute warm-up match against a hopelessly overmatched opponent. Expect to see more of the powerful Champions deck in the later rounds of the tournament.
That's all I've got for you for now. Check in soon and the other half of the round of 32 will be ready for you!
Well put. Indeed, this tournament has always existed for two reasons, and two reasons only (in the following order):
1) The enjoyment of those who run it (initially just myself, then later myself and Alfred)
2) The entertainment of those who read it
I neither ask for the approval of the audience nor care if I get it. I enjoy BOTS, and if the readers do as well, that is just a happy by-product. I'm happy either way - if people hate it, I don't care. If they like it, then obviously that is fine. I can't speak for Alfred on this, but this is how I have always felt about the whole project. I've presented these BOTS tournaments because they are FUN. But this is not a business - I have nothing invested in this project other than some time - a resource I was more than happy to give in the name of having good fun. I stand to lose nothing if people don't like BOTS or don't read it, and I stand to gain nothing if people like BOTS and read it religiously. I have nothing on the line here. Either way, I'm happy because BOTS has been fun for me.
I don't have much else to say about BOTS in general, or anything else. However, I will say this about the finals: a little controversy never hurt anybody. Do I care which deck people really think won? No, not particularly. Do I enjoy watching the controversy unfold in the aftermath of the finals? Definitely.
the judges are conferring...Legend and Alfred are asking them to overturn the result.......and.......
...they are checking the Apprentice game log.....this is the first video replay review in the history of BOTS....check back shortly....
AND NOW THE JUDGE'S PANEL RULING:
Well, there is no easy answer to this, since Antiquities could have instead used the Coffin on the Champion to perhaps buy one or two more turns (by doing that, Antiquities would have gone back up to 11 life) - then Antiquities maybe could have topdecked something else of use. However, it is almost certain that Torment would have won the game had the rule been applied correctly. Therefore....
The ruling on the field is overturned, and TORMENT IS OFFICIALLY THE BOTS VII CHAMPION!!!!
And finally, on a separate note, I just wanted to thank all the readers for tuning in to the latest installment of Battle of the Sets. I appreciate everyone reading and enjoying these articles. Thanks in particular to Alfred and Goblinboy.
This was my last BOTS and its been fun all the way. I've had a great time running the first seven BOTS tournaments, but as I said earlier, it is definitely time for me to step aside. As I don't play tournament Magic or any other kind of Magic anymore, I am definitely losing touch with the game, but more importantly the main reason is that running this thing is fun, but SO TIME-CONSUMING! Given the fact that I will soon have very little time due to some changes in my life, it won't be possible for me to run BOTS anymore.
I know there were some harsh exchanges on some of the earlier articles, but I am definitely glad people tuned in to this installment of BOTS.
Finally, I'll just say that you can look forward to future BOTS tournaments run by Alfred, who will be taking over the entire operation starting next time. So from this point forward, Alfred is the guy to talk to if you have any questions or comments about BOTS. Needless to say, the tournament will be in very capable hands. Alfred is a fine player and knows BOTS inside and out. Anyway, that's all I have. Thanks to everybody who has enjoyed BOTS!
BEST REGARDS
-Legend
Please dont post multipl times-Qwerty
ANTIQUITIES VS. TORMENT
In the greatest battle ever waged, the mighty Antiquities doom machine clashed with the unspeakable evil of Torment's nefarious nightmare squad in an epic confrontation between the two most successful sets in BOTS history. Much was on the line.
Antiquities was seeking to become the first set to win back-to-back BOTS titles, as well as the first set to win three out of four tournaments (no other set has more than one championship). Oddly, if Antiquities won in non-sweep fashion, it would also become the first champion to not sweep a single match, having won each of its first four matches by identical 3-1 scores.
On the other side, Torment was out for revenge, which the black-hearted entity of evil had been wickedly fantasizing about ever since it lost to Antiquities 3-1 in last tournament’s finals (Note: for a detailed history of both decks, check out the preview and recap of the BOTS VI finals, available here).
LET'S MEET THE COMBATANTS:
4 Tetravus
4 Clockwork Avian
4 Tawnos's Coffin
4 Su-Chi
4 Rocket Launcher
4 Primal Clay
4 Onulet
4 Candelabra of Tawnos
4 Mishra's Factory
4 Strip Mine
4 Urza's Power Plant
4 Urza's Mine
4 Urza's Tower
3 Mind Sludge
4 Shambling Swarm
4 Faceless Butcher
4 Rancid Earth
4 Nantuko Shade
4 Mesmeric Fiend
4 Chainer's Edict
26 Swamp
HOW THEY GOT HERE:
Antiquities (3-1 Nemesis, 3-1 Scourge, 3-1 Champions of Kamigawa, 3-1 Mirrodin)
Torment (3-0 Prophecy, 3-0 Judgment, 3-0 Onslaught, 3-0 Apocalypse)
Not only did Antiquities arrive in the finals having defeated all four of its opponent by identical scores, so did Torment, which did it in even more dominant fashion - all sweeps. This marked only the third time that a set had swept four consecutive matches on the way to the finals, and the first time that both finalists had won each of their matches by identical scores. Torment had the perfect string of wins going - but that didn’t matter now, because the level of competition was about to take a step way up. Antiquities had not swept any of its opponents - nor had it been pushed to a deciding game five. Thus, despite the lack of sweeps, each of Antiquities’s matches had resulted in decisive wins. Both combatants, then, were buzz-saws that had sliced through the field with but one purpose in mind - to win the most coveted prize in all of sport - the BOTS championship.
Antiquities won the die roll 10-3 and looked at its opening hand - and ideal starting seven containing not one, but two copies of the all-important Mishra’s Workshop. This charmed opening hand led to the filthy start of turn one Onulet, turn two Tetravus. Torment could only manage a turn two Chainer’s Edict to kill the Onulet, everyone’s favorite walking, talking luxury toilet. Meanwhile, Antiquities, conscious of Torment’s Faceless Butchers, wished to avoid taking a bath on its investment in the Tetravus. Consequently, during Antiquities’s third-turn upkeep, three Tetravites broke off to form a four-way air armada (along with the original Tetravus). The Tet Offensive was underway.
Antiquities poured on the pressure, summoning a Su-Chi and adding an Urza’s Tower before passing the turn back to Torment. Rancid Earth demolished a Workshop, but the game was out of hand. Su-Chi and Team Tet reduced Torment to 9 life and another Onulet joined the gang, along with an Urza’s Power Plant. Although a Faceless Butcher arrived to steal Su-Chi, Torment conceded one turn later in the face of the unblockable Tet Offensive and a freshly cast Tawnos’s Coffin.
Antiquities 1, Torment 0[/font][/size]
GAME 2
Antiquities Strip Mined Torment’s first Swamp and then followed once more with Mishra’s Workshop + Onulet. Torment’s first creature was Nantuko Shade, while Antiquities replied with Mishra’s Factory, Candelabra of Tawnos, and a Clockwork Avian (using Workshop to cast Candelabra - leaving two mana floating - then using Factory + Candelabra to untap Workshop for three more mana to cast the Avian). Onulet attacked and went unblocked, as did the Nantuko Shade. Torment added another Shade and a Cabal Coffers before passing. Clearly, the Strip Mine was a major annoyance, since at the moment, Torment did not have a third Swamp. Antiquities got the turn back, and could have really put the screws to Torment with a Triskelion to wipe out both Shades - but Antiquities did not have a back-breaking Triskelion to windmill onto the table. As a result, Torment still had a chance. The Clockwork Avian and Onulet went in for an attack, which obliged a Nantuko Shade to trade with Onulet, gaining two life for Antiquities. The life totals stood at 22-14 after this exchange (Torment had taken one Onulet hit earlier). Antiquities seemed to be on the precipice of a 2-0 series lead when it summoned a Tetravus.
Torment attacked with the Shambling Swarm and the Nantuko Shade, dropping Antiquities to 13. Next, the fearsome Laquatus’s Champion made its first appearance of the match, suddenly reducing Antiquities to 7. Antiquities played a Tawnos’s Coffin, but critically, did not have enough mana to also use it. This meant that Antiquities had to utilize a conservative plan of attack, since it couldn’t afford to take another point of damage (which would put it within range of another Champion). All of Team Tet (original Tetravus + three Tetravites) hit through the skies, reducing Torment to 6. Even though Antiquities had gained a momentary life total advantage, Torment was on the verge of tying the series due to its huge edge in board position. A triple attack from Shambling Swarm, Nantuko Shade, and Laquatus’s Champion obliged Antiquities to block all three. The 2/4 Clockwork Avian blocked Shambling Swarm, Primal Clay blocked Nantuko Shade, and Mishra’s Factory (pumped to 3/3) blocked Laquatus’s Champion. Torment saved its Shade (killing Primal Clay), regenerated the Champion (killing the Factory), and the Avian and Swarm bounced off each other. Torment then wisely used a Chainer’s Edict on itself, sacrificing Shambling Swarm. The three -1/-1 Swarm counters were used to finish off the Avian and to wipe out Tetravus and one of the Tetravites. Antiquities was in a bad position and could only add a new Tetravus before passing the turn back.
Torment, by now with five Swamps and the Cabal Coffers in play, flashbacked the Chainer’s Edict from the graveyard to eliminate one of the two remaining Tetravites, then sent Laquatus’s Champion and Nantuko Shade in for an attack, obliging Antiquities to block each with a Tetravite. And if there was any doubt that Torment was going to win this game, it added a Shambling Swarm for good measure. Now breaking the new Tetravus into Tetravites was not a viable option, since Torment had a Chainer’s Edict in the graveyard and could kill all of the Tetravites using the Edict/Swarm tactic. As it was, Tetravus versus Laquatus’s Champion and Nantuko Shade was hardly a fair fight. Antiquities had only one out: keep its Tetravus intact as a 4/4 and hope to draw either a Triskelion or a third non-Workshop land with which to use Tawnos’s Coffin (Antiquities had only Urza’s Mine and Urza’s Tower as non-Workshop lands by this point). When the draw did not provide a Triskelion or a land, Antiquities conceded.
Antiquities 1, Torment 1
GAME 3
Antiquities kept a marginal two-land hand and was punished for it, stalling on Mishra’s Factory and Urza’s Mine, with nothing else in play besides a Candelabra. Torment capitalized immediately, stealing two Triskelions with Mesmeric Fiends and putting Antiquities on the clock with a Nantuko Shade. When a five-point Mind Sludge liquidated Antiquities’s hand shortly thereafter, it was time to move on to game four.
Torment 2, Antiquities 1
GAME 4
After the disaster of game three, Antiquities was suddenly left with no margin for error if it hoped to become the first back-to-back BOTS champion, and in the process, the first BOTS dynasty. The dreams of a repeat were flickering - Antiquities now needed to win two games in a row against a Torment deck that had lost just one game in the entire tournament thus far while winning fourteen - a daunting task indeed.
Game four began with Mishra’s Workshop + two Candelabras of Tawnos (with a point of mana burn to Antiquities). Urza’s Tower resulted in turn two Su-Chi, but Chi died to Chainer’s Edict (Antiquities avoided Chi mana burn by dumping the mana into Candelabra). Antiquities did not have another land, but fired back with a Tetravus off Workshop + Candelabra. Torment played a third Swamp and Nantuko Shade. As expected, Antiquities prepared for another Tet Offensive, getting three Tetravites during upkeep, before adding a Mishra’s Factory, Su-Chi, and Tawnos’s Coffin, taking another mana burn in the process. The original Tetravus attacked, and the life totals stood at 19-18 in favor of Torment, but it appeared that Antiquities had an overwhelming advantage in board position.
However, Torment knew that Antiquities needed a third non-Workshop land to operate the Coffin, a land which Antiquities obviously did not have. So as long as Antiquities could not use the Coffin, Torment could still dictate some of the action to Antiquities with Nantuko Shade. In came the Shade for an attack (with four untapped Swamps backing it up). Antiquities blocked with Su-Chi and a Tetravite. Shade swelled to 6/5, and all three combatants died. The Su-Chi mana went into Mishra’s Factory.
Antiquities did not find another land, but did draw and summon a welcome Triskelion. The remaining Tetravites and the Tetravus reduced Torment to 16. At this point, it seemed inconceivable that Torment could turn a game like this around - it had nothing in play besides Swamps, while Antiquities had three 1/1 flyers, a Mishra’s Factory, Triskelion, and of course the Tawnos’s Coffin. That possibility seemed all the more remote when Torment played Cabal Coffers, Rancid Earthed the Mishra’s Factory, and passed. Although Torment had added no blockers and was going to take at least seven damage next turn, it had accomplished a subtle yet important objective with the Rancid Earth - Antiquities now needed to draw two non-Workshop lands in order to use the Tawnos’s Coffin, and on top of that, Antiquities had one less attacker with the loss of Mishra’s Factory. As it turned out, this simple play would soon put Antiquities in a desperate situation.
Antiquities topdecked a land - but it was a surprisingly unhelpful Mishra’s Workshop. The three 1/1 flyers and Triskelion knocked Torment down to 9, but Antiquities had nothing further. Torment played its fifth Swamp and Faceless Butchered the Triskelion. In response, Antiquities elected to shoot Torment three times rather than kill the Butcher. This left open the possibility that Antiquities could shoot for three more damage if it later removed the Butcher and got Triskelion back (Triskelion would return with three fresh counters if it escaped the Butcher's grasp due to being removed from the game). Torment fell to a somewhat precarious 6 life from the Triskelion shooting, then (with four mana floating from Cabal Coffers) summoned a Shambling Swarm.
Antiquities struck once more with its Tet Team to drop Torment to 3, but could do little else aside from casting a useless Rocket Launcher. Torment attacked with both the Faceless Butcher and the Shambling Swarm to drop Antiquities to 13, then flashbacked Chainer’s Edict to kill Swarm, thereby wiping out Antiquities Tet Team. Torment was now in charge of the game and on the verge of capturing its second championship.
Barring another Triskelion, Antiquities needed to draw two lands in a hurry so it could get the Butchered Triskelion back to win the game. Otherwise, Antiquities’s dreams of a repeat would be over. The door remained slightly ajar when the draw provided an Urza’s Mine to go along with the Urza’s Tower in play, and the turn was back to Torment.
Antiquities’s worst fears were realized: Torment attacked with the Butcher, then summoned Laquatus’s Champion and Shambling Swarm! Antiquities, reduced to 5 life, needed to draw another land (besides Workshop) on the very next draw phase, or else the finals would be over, with Torment crowned as champion. No land on the draw and the dynasty dream would come to a bitter end.
The suspense was unbearable. Antiquities went to the draw phase, and slowly reached for its next card. Then, it happened …
URZA’S TOWER ON THE DRAW!!!
Antiquities was saved! Urza’s Tower hit the table, allowing Antiquities to liberate the Triskelion from its nightmarish imprisonment underneath Faceless Butcher. In an ironic turn of events, the Butcher, usually the one doing the imprisoning, got a taste of its own medicine and was imprisoned in Tawnos’s Coffin. In one moment of unbelievable reversal, Antiquities had gone from the depths of despair to the heights of euphoria. The liberated Triskelion returned triumphantly to play, shooting Torment for the final three points of damage! Miraculously, improbably, the finals were headed to a deciding game five.
Torment 2, Antiquities 2
GAME 5
Having escaped almost certain death thanks to a legendary topdeck that will undoubtedly echo through the halls of eternity, Antiquities was imbued with the unique ecstasy of one who had just escaped the grim reaper’s cold touch. However, just as Torment needed to regroup and forget about the cruel reversal of fortunes, Antiquities also needed to quickly shift focus to the serious business at hand - the miraculous reprieve had provided Antiquities with new life, but Torment was still alive and well. Indeed, although Torment had watched all-but certain victory slip away in agonizing fashion, the mono-Black menace now enjoyed the crucial advantage of playing first and still possessed the confidence that evil would carry the day. Both combatants believed it their destiny to capture the BOTS VII title - and now one tension-packed game would decide the matter.
Torment, with four Swamps and a Cabal Coffers in play, now had a window of opportunity to steal the match even after the stunning turn of events in game four. If only Torment had a Mind Sludge, it could have punished Antiquities and capitalized on the opening. But Torment didn’t have a Mind Sludge and was forced to settle for a Faceless Butcher on the Tetravus.
The window of opportunity was all too brief and started to close. Antiquities played Urza’s Mine + Triskelion, then Strip Mined a Swamp. Torment came right back with another Swamp and a Shambling Swarm, but Triskelion shot Faceless Butcher down EOT, and Antiquities once more controlled Tetravus. Antiquities declined to break off Tetravites and kept its 4/4 Tetravus intact. Things then went from bad to worse for Torment when another Mishra’s Workshop appeared. Torment’s window of opportunity was officially slammed shut. A fresh Tawnos’s Coffin took care of the Shambling Swarm, and Tetravus dropped Torment to 15 life (it had taken one point of mana burn earlier). Laquatus’s Champion showed up, but Antiquities was equipped to handle the problem thanks to the Tawnos’s Coffin. Antiquities allowed the Shambling Swarm to escape from its prison, and into the Coffin went the Champion, allowing Antiquities to surge back up to 18 (two mana burn when Coffin was cast so as to be able to use it on the same turn). Tetravus came through the skies to leave Torment with just 11 life points. Antiquities started to go nuts, summoning another Triskelion and Strip Mining Cabal Coffers.
Evil doesn’t die without a fight, though. Torment replaced the Coffers with a new one and summoned its top assassin, another Laquatus’s Champion. Swarm was allowed through to leave the life totals momentarily in Torment’s favor at 11-9. That advantage proved illusory, of course, as Antiquities added to its board advantage with a rare but appropriate 1/6 Primal Clay. Tetravus relentlessly struck again, and it was 9-7 in favor of Antiquities, which was rapidly closing in on the title. The moment was almost at hand. Just minutes earlier, Torment had been in a similar position, just one agonizing draw step away from victory before Antiquities pulled a rabbit out of its hat at the last possible moment to force this deciding fifth game. Seemingly certain victory had now gone horribly wrong for the mono-Black menace, and Antiquities was not about to let the same thing happen to it.
Incredibly, almost implausibly, Antiquities was about to capture the BOTS VII championship. Nothing could save Torment now, but it took another turn anyway. The draw mockingly provided a Mind Sludge to join Torment's other equally useless card in hand, Rancid Earth. A last-ditch flashbacked Chainer’s Edict accomplished nothing, as Antiquities simply sacrificed the 1/1 Triskelion. Torment had nowhere to go. Even if the Shambling Swarm and Laquatus’s Champion both attacked, it would not be enough because the 1/6 Primal Clay could block either attacker, or the remaining 4/4 Triskelion could simply block the Champion and shoot Torment down to 4 - just low enough for Tetravus to fly in for the win.
No matter how you looked at it, Antiquities had the championship bought and paid for. With the matter decided, Torment conceded, and a dynasty was born! The dream had come true - Antiquities had won back-to-back titles, and three out of four overall.
Antiquities 3, Torment 2
CONGRATULATIONS TO ANTIQUITIES - Battle of the Sets IV, VI, and VII champion!
BOTS CHAMPIONS & FINALISTS
BOTS I: Apocalypse d. Onslaught, 3-0
BOTS II: Tempest d. Mercadian Masques, 3-1
BOTS III: Mirrodin d. Tempest, 3-1
BOTS IV: Antiquities d. Onslaught, 3-1
BOTS V: Torment d. Apocalypse, 3-2
BOTS VI: Antiquities d. Torment, 3-1
BOTS VII: Antiquities d. Torment, 3-2
BOTS CHAMPIONS: WON/LOSS RECORDS
BOTS I: Apocalypse, 12-3 (played one fewer match due to first-round bye)
BOTS II: Tempest, 15-1
BOTS III: Mirrodin, 15-7
BOTS IV: Antiquities, 15-6
BOTS V: Torment, 15-4
BOTS VI: Antiquities, 15-2
BOTS VII: Antiquities, 15-6
It's been a wild ride, and here we are at the end. I hope you enjoyed it!
And moreover, people seem to be concerned about blowouts. I think that is why people keep suggesting sideboards. There are plenty of close, exciting matches. What needs to be understood is that there are always going to be lopsided outcomes in any tournament.
Do you see anyone complaining about Duke beating Prairie View A & M by 50 points in the opening round of the NCAA tournament. No. Why? Because blowouts are a part of any competition. It is ridiculous to assume that Prophecy, or another bad deck, can be made to do well against Torment or Antiquities. Just like anything else in life, there are going to be winners and losers. Matches that aren't close won't be featured; the close matches will be featured. Torment and Antiquities win for a reason: they are great. Fallen Empires and The Dark lose for a reason: they suck. Don't worry about that. Bad decks are not going to be saved by sideboards.
But just so everybody understands loud and clear: sideboards have no place in BOTS and will never be used for the reasons we have just outlined.
Well, I'm just not going to have that, and I'm not here to appease anyone. As Alfred noted, there is this ridiculous appetite for humbleness that folks seem to have. Humility has nothing to do with this. Nothing. Guess what? There is a difference between "trying to improve" and "taking suggestions from uninformed trolls/idiots." We are not here to listen to absurd, uninformed suggestions and comments. Moreover, we are not interested in hearing a great many suggestions at this point because we are satisfied with the way we run the tournament. Go run your own BOTS tournament if you don't like this one. No more appeasement of trolls hiding behind the guise of "improvement." Clearly, we put out a fun product, and a small, but vocal minority has decided that they can't just enjoy it, but rather, need to be nitpickers. Some of the terrible ideas that I have seen since the tournament started are so completely off the charts that words can't even describe them.
Frankly, most of the suggestions and ideas that people have provided since the tournament begand have sucked (not to mention the fact that they are highly unwanted). You may not like to hear that, but that's just the way it is. I mean, some of the ideas really have been ridiculous and uninformed. And if those people don't like what I'm saying, tough. What do I care? Alfred and I put on this tournament because we enjoy it, and because we enjoy presenting it. For those that don't like it, don't read it. It won't hurt me one bit - its not like I have anything invested in this like a sponsorship deal or something. Its not like I make any money from this. I have zero incentive to try and entice all the trolls to read this, because the whole thing was just for kicks anyway. I do it for one reason - because it is fun to run the tournament and fun to present it.
So here is an idea for everyone who has a suggestion: forget about it! I am not going to appease anyone. Go run your own tournament if you don't like this one. We run this tournament in a certain way, and too bad if you are too uptight to enjoy it. And for the last time, no sideboards!
Seriously, though, the negativity is unbelievable. Why folks can't just enjoy something that was intended to be fun is beyond me. There are some seriously uptight people on these boards - I've not seen the likes of this on any other message board. And in the end, we all lose, because debating things on an Internet message board is an absolute waste of time - and yet here I am, sucked into exactly that - a pointless discussion on an Internet message board. Well, since I'm already wasting my time, I might as well continue.
One thing I'll say to people who continually like to look for playing errors: you need to remember that a lot of these reports are summaries of what took place (I go back and look at the Apprentice logs and also make comments based on memory of what we were thinking at the time to supplement the logs). They are not EXACT recounts of every single play - so a play may seem incorrect to you, but that might be because you do not have the entire context of the game - i.e. all the permanents that were in play, what cards were in hand, that sort of thing. If you wanted every last piece of information about a particular game, I could just post the Apprentice game logs, and not write a single report. But that wouldn't be very exciting, now would it? Remember, there are time constraints here - writing this tournament up is very time-consuming, and I have to draw the line somewhere. I can't give you every detail of every game. So before you jump so quickly to point out a mistake, remember that you may not have the entire context of the game available to you.
I can assure you that I went back and looked at the games from a lot of the matches to analyze the playing - yes, there were some minor mistakes over the course of the tournament, but we are not machines. And yes - we actually do play the matches - these are not simulations. But the play will not be flawless simply because we are human. There are too many people on this board who want to criticize things when they are not the ones running this tournament and know damn well that they are nitpicking. Seriously, if you don't like it, go run your own BOTS tournament - while I probably wouldn't agree with your way of running it, you are certainly free to do so.
And finally, since there seems to be some doubt about the quality of play (even though I just explained that a lot of the so-called playing errors that people see are just illusions based on the lack of context), I'll just say that I've been playing Magic since 1996. I played serious tournament Magic at PTQ's and such in the New York City area and in Tennessee/Kentucky from 2000-2004. I played hardcore Type I in the New York area over that span of time as well. Although at this point I am pretty much retired from Magic, I still know how to play the game. If numbers mean more to you (and believe me, I really do hate to bring this up, but at this point that's what its come to) I have DCI ratings well over 1800 in every major individual sanctioned Magic format - Constructed, Limited and Vintage. That is my experience and skill level. Again, I only bring this up since the integrity of the play-quality has been called into question time and time again. I consider myself to be a good and experienced player, and I consider Alfred to also be a good and experienced player. I can assure all doubters that on the whole, we made our best efforts to ensure that the matches were played out the way they needed to be. That's all I've got to say about that.
Don't have a clue what this is? Then read this. Already well-versed in the ways of the BOTS? Then read on and I'll get right to the action!
DIVISION FINALS AND FINAL FOUR REPORTS
DIVISION FINALS
DIVISION 1
*Feature Match* - - - - - (1) Mirrodin vs. (2) Darksteel
In a dazzling (albeit brief) match that lived up to the hype, Mirrodin and Darksteel collided for a colossal confrontation between block brothers. As expected, this metallic battle played out like a Wild West showdown - lightning fast and brutally unforgiving. Five games - in a shade less than twenty minutes!
The match started out doubly nice for Darksteel: it won the die roll and watched Mirrodin mulligan once. Darksteel opened with Myr Moonvessel, while Mirrodin opened with Glimmervoid, Welding Jar, and Disciple of the Vault. Moonvessel traded with Disciple and Arcbound Stinger hit the table. Mirrodin failed to find a second land and conceded when Darksteel unveiled Arcbound Ravager and Skullclamp on the following turn.
Darksteel 1, Mirrodin 0
GAME 2
Mirrodin had a far better hand this time, and started off with Vault of Whispers, Pyrite Spellbomb, and Ornithopter. Next came a fascinating encounter between old and new.
Mirrodin’s turn two Atog was matched by Darksteel’s turn two Arcbound Ravager. Puzzled by this development, Atog looked across the table at a more modern, superior version of himself. Could it be? Had Wizards of the Coast printed a new Atog-like robot? Atog briefly reflected on days long gone, when he was the one and only Godzilla of artifact-munching, the undisputed scrap metal glutton. Now, though, the original Godzilla of artifact eating was faced with a cold, artificial version of himself - Arcbound Ravager, the Mechagodzilla of artifact eating. Atog walked up to the mysterious newcomer and knocked on its cold outer shell. No response. Just cold, emotionless steel. Realizing the power of this uncaring, metallic killer, Atog recoiled in horror and returned to the Mirrodin side of the table. He knew what needed to be done. He could not allow his Mirrodin team to fall to this emotionless menace - this newfangled artifact eater. The battle lines were drawn - it was Atog vs. Neo-Atog in a battle for artifact-eating supremacy.
Action resumed once more with the Spellbomb shooting down Arcbound Ravager. Mirrodin followed that success up with a Bonesplitter, then sent the newly Bonesplittered Ornithopter and Atog in for three damage. Darksteel prepared for battle with another Arcbound Ravager and a Skullclamp. Another three point attack went through, and Mirrodin added a Myr Enforcer. Darksteel played Arcbound Crusher, but Mirrodin, holding two Shrapnel Blasts, cared not. Mirrodin’s next attack (Ornithoper and Myr Enforcer) reduced Darksteel to 8, at which point the Shrapnel Blasts were revealed.
Darksteel 1, Mirrodin 1
Darksteel’s opening Myr Moonvessel was matched by an Ornithopter and Pyrite Spellbomb. Darksteel had a Skullclamp, though, and immediately began digging into its library with a sacrifice of the Moonvessel (taking one point of mana burn). Mirrodin answered with a turn two Somber Hoverguard, but Darksteel topped that with a Spire Golem on the next turn. Mirrodin summoned an Atog (which would soon turn out to be critical) and another Somber Hoverguard. When Darksteel summoned another Spire Golem and added a second Skullclamp, the illusion of an insurmountable Darksteel advantage permeated the game. Indeed, Darksteel seemed to be in total control with its two Skullclamps and began to go berserk with card-drawing and modular, quickly finding an Arcbound Ravager and Arcbound Crusher. With the game rapidly slipping away, Mirrodin frantically popped its Pyrite Spellbomb in search of a miracle. Things weren’t looking good for Mirrodin - or were they?
As Mirrodin began its turn, Darksteel was at a seemingly untouchable life total - 19 - and prepared to win in a turn or two. But the illusion of certain Darksteel victory was quickly scuttled when Mirrodin found its miracle - Disciple of the Vault waiting on the topdeck! Mirrodin now had the lethal Atog/Disciple combo online! Without any warning, the game came to a sudden and shocking end with a pair of Shrapnel Blasts (-6 each thanks to Disciple) plus the sacrifice of seven artifacts. Seemingly out of nowhere, Mirrodin had randomly won game three and claimed a crucial 2-1 series lead.
Mirrodin 2, Darksteel 1
GAME 4
Darksteel led off with Arcbound Worker + Genesis Chamber, followed by a third turn of Arcbound Slith + Skullclamp. Meanwhile, Mirrodin opened with a rollicking first three turns of Ornithopter, Pyrite Spellbomb, two Frogmites (plus two Myr tokens off Genesis Chamber), a Myr Enforcer (providing a third Myr token), Bonesplitter, and two Thoughtcasts! A strong start indeed. However, thanks to the Skullclamp, Darksteel could capitalize on Genesis Chamber Myr tokens to the tune of endless card drawing. It wasn’t long before this in fact happened, and before Mirrodin knew what hit it, a horde of Myr tokens and modular creatures had arrived to feed growing Arcbound Ravagers and Arcbound Crushers. Eventually it became clear that Mirrodin had no way of forcing through any damage (Atog and Disciple of the Vault were both hiding in Mirrodin's library) and that a really enormous Arcbound Stinger or Arcbound Crusher was going to end the game, thus Mirrodin conceded with Darksteel still at 19 life.
Mirrodin 2, Darksteel 2
GAME 5
Mirrodin led off this tension-filled deciding game with Vault of Whispers + Welding Jar. It was not a good opening hand, and given how important the opening hands are in this matchup, it appeared that Mirrodin was done for, especially when Darksteel’s first two plays were Skullclamp and Genesis Chamber. Mirrodin did nothing on its own turn two other than play a Great Furnace. An amazingly fast turnaround was in store, though. Mirrodin’s third land was a Glimmervoid, used for Thoughtcast, which led to a Frogmite + Myr token. Darksteel was unimpressed and added a Spire Golem + Myr. Then Mirrodin played another Great Furnace and summoned an Atog + Myr, which got Darksteel a little concerned, for now Mirrodin needed only Disciple of the Vault to own this game, especially considering that Genesis Chamber would actually work in Mirrodin’s favor with Atog/Disciple in play.
Darksteel figured it still had some time to make something happen before Disciple showed up, but that was not the case. Immediately after tapping its two Great Furnaces for Atog, Mirrodin tapped its Vault of Whispers and revealed a Disciple of the Vault! Darksteel, still clinging to hope, played an Arcbound Crusher, but the game was over - Mirrodin revealed two Shrapnel Blasts! With eight artifacts in play (Welding Jar, three artifact lands, Frogmite, and three Myr tokens), Mirrodin had enough Atog/Disciple fuel for twenty damage - exactly enough to bring the match to a stunning conclusion! Crestfallen Darksteel could only offer the gracious concession and hope for a different result next time.
Mirrodin 3, Darksteel 2
Mirrodin wins Division 1!
(1) Antiquities d. (3) Champions of Kamigawa, 3-1
The Antiquities buzz-saw sliced through yet another challenger with the only blemish a game three loss. Game one was decided by a crippling Strip Mine on Champions’s only Forest followed by a flurry of artifact creatures. Game two held much promise for Champions after it used a turn three Cranial Extraction to remove a pair of Triskelions from Antiquities’s hand, but the artifact deck shrugged off that setback and rumbled to victory with Tetravus, Primal Clay, and Onulet backed up by another damaging Strip Mine, this time on a Swamp. Champions rallied with a long, drawn-out game three victory on the strength of a recurred Joyous Respite that barely allowed Champions to outrun a Rocket Launcher. Nevertheless, Antiquities closed the match out in game four when a horde of artifact creatures swarmed past a last-ditch Meloku the Clouded Mirror.
Antiquities wins Division 2!
DIVISION 3
(2) Apocalypse d. (5) Ravnica, 3-2
Just as Odyssey did, Ravnica rallied from an 0-2 deficit only to fall hard to Apocalypse in a fifth game. Apocalypse will not want to make a habit of blowing 2-0 leads, but the fact remains that game five has belonged to Apocalypse this tournament. Apocalype seized control of the deciding game with two crippling Vindicates aimed at Ravnica’s first two Forests and a Gerrard’s Verdict for good measure. After peeling Ravnica’s resources apart, Apocalypse ensured that there would be no comeback and won in the way it knows best: with a Phyrexian Arena followed by Spiritmonger and Desolation Angel.
Apocalypse wins Division 3!
DIVISION 4
(1) Torment d. (2) Onslaught, 3-0
Torment has done it - an undefeated trip through Division Four! This rare feat of a 9-0 games record en route to the Final Four has been accomplished only by a select few others - Antiquities, Tempest, Visions, and Torment’s victim in this match, Onslaught. This particular match simply came down to too much Laquatus’s Champion - even though Mind Sludge was not a major factor this time (unlike the last two times these two met), Torment’s Champions were unstoppable and won the final two games almost by themselves. On top of that, the first game was decided completely by a triple-Rancid Earth draw.
Torment wins Division 4!
FINAL FOUR
MATCH 1: DIVISION 1 CHAMPION (Mirrodin) vs. DIVISION 2 CHAMPION (Antiquities)
Going into the match, Mirrodin was widely perceived as right near the top of the list of challengers who could dethrone Antiquities. However, Antiquities proved once again just how much it will take for a new champion to be crowned. In addition to the fact that Antiquities is just as fast as Mirrodin, it has several excellent cards against Mirrodin. Chief among these is Strip Mine - free land destruction can prove crippling against a deck with only sixteen lands. Another solid card in this matchup, as it is in all matchups, is Triskelion, which figured to give Antiquities two for one advantages against Mirrodin. On top of those cards, the simple fact of the matter is that Antiquities has, overall, larger creatures than Mirrodin, and since Antiquities can power out those creatures just as fast as Mirrodin, Mirrodin ended up at a disadvantage.
All this came to pass when the match actually started. Game one fell apart for Mirrodin after its first two lands (Seat of the Synod and Glimmervoid) were eliminated with Strip Mines. It wasn’t long before Su-Chi and Primal Clay stomped all over helpless Mirrodin (it’s not often that you will read that phrase “helpless Mirrodin” - but such is Antiquities’s power right now). In game two, both decks were off to fast starts - Mirrodin with Ornithopter, a pair of Frogmites, and a Myr Enforcer; Antiquities with Mishra’s Workshop, Onulet and Su-Chi. The situation favored Mirrodin, which Shrapnel Blasted Su-Chi (sacrificing a Frogmite) and sent the remaining Frogmite and the Myr Enforcer on the attack. Myr Enforcer got through, while the Onulet traded with Frogmite. The net result was six damage to Antiquities (four from unblocked Myr Enforcer, four from Su-Chi dying, but plus two from Onulet dying), leaving it at 14 life. The following turn saw Antiquities gain a chokehold on the match, as it played Urza’s Mine to complete the Urza Trinity. The first play after that was a Triskelion, which ended up blocking Myr Enforcer, then with damage on the stack, shooting Ornithopter for two and Mirrodin for one. Mirrodin tried to recover with fresh troops, Somber Hoverguard and Disciple of the Vault, but they too fell to another Triskelion! From there, a Tetravus and a third Triskelion cleaned up for a 2-0 series lead.
Antiquities was back in the finals after winning, oddly enough, each of its first four matches by the same score - 3-1. Antiquities becomes the third set to return to the finals in defense of a championship. The first two failed to repeat - Tempest, coming off its BOTS II title, lost in the BOTS III finals to Mirrodin, 3-1, and Torment, coming off its BOTS V title, of course lost in the BOTS VI finals to Antiquities. Ironically, Torment will have the chance to do the same thing to Antiquities that Antiquities did to Torment last time - to ruin a bid to become the first ever repeat BOTS champion. How did Torment get this chance? By beating Apocalypse….badly…
MATCH 2: DIVISION 3 CHAMPION (Apocalypse) vs. DIVISION 4 CHAMPION (Torment)
Torment d. Apocalypse, 3-0
The magic number here is four - as in four times that these two have met, and four times that Torment has won. Only once was it close (in the BOTS V finals, which Torment won 3-2). The other meetings, including this one, have not been close at all. Once again, the primary culprit were Torment’s seemingly indestructible Laquatus’s Champions and Torment’s crippling resource denial (Mind Sludge, Mesmeric Fiend, and Rancid Earth). Amazingly, Torment has advanced to the finals with an unblemished 12-0 games record. Only two other contestants have ever accomplished that feat (Tempest in BOTS II, which it won with a 3-1 finals victory over Mercadian Masques, and Onslaught in BOTS I, which it did not win, falling 3-0 to Apocalypse in the finals).
Now comes the chance Torment has dreamed of in its wicked fantasies - the chance for revenge against Antiquities, revenge for the 3-1 defeat Antiquities exacted on Torment in the BOTS VI finals.
Come back on Friday to see the exciting results of the finals for BOTS VII!
http://forums.mtgsalvation.com/showthread.php?t=22044&page=1&pp=15
Don't have a clue what this is? Then read this. Already well-versed in the ways of the BOTS? Then read on and I'll get right to the action!
DIVISION 1
(1) Mirrodin d. (4) Urza’s Saga, 3-0
In a matchup of degenerate artifact decks, Mirrodin proved far too fast for Saga to handle. Mirrodin cruises into the Division Finals, where it will face…
(2) Darksteel d. (7) Invasion, 3-0
…Darksteel, which crushed Invasion in about ten minutes. Right from the start, Division One was nothing more than a bloody battleground on which the Mirrodin Affinity annihilator and the Darksteel modular machine destroyed overmatched opponents who dared stand in the way of the inevitable showdown between the two.
DIVISION 2
(1) Antiquities d. (5) Scourge, 3-1
The last time these two met was in the BOTS IV Division Finals, where Antiquities fell into an 0-2 hole before the mighty artifact deck staged one of the most dramatic rallies in BOTS history to capture the final three games. From there, Antiquities went on to win its first championship. This time, though, Antiquities spotted Scourge only a single game before striking back with three straight commanding performances. The Antiquities death machine, that seemingly unbeatable industry of doom, steams into the division finals focused on its goal of becoming the first repeat champion (and first dynasty) in BOTS history.
(3) Champions of Kamigawa d. (3) Urza’s Legacy, 3-0
Once more, Champions dispatched an overmatched opponent in sweeping fashion. But this kid’s stuff is all over now - Antiquities awaits in the division finals for what should be a fascinating bout.
DIVISION 3
MATCHUP ANALYSIS
Three cards will be key for Apocalypse: Pernicious Deed, Phyrexian Arena, and Spectral Lynx. Deed provides Apocalypse with an answer to Odyssey’s horde of efficient creatures, Arena can ensure that Apocalypse keep its advantage after stopping the initial rush, and Lynx offers generally excellent defense against an all-Green opposing attack (although Wild Mongrel can change colors, which is an issue only if Apocalypse does not have regeneration mana available). On the other side, the key cards for Odyssey are Standstill and Upheaval. If Odyssey can back up its early creatures with Standstill, then Odyssey has a strong chance of keeping up or even pulling head of Apocalypse in the card battle. Standstill dropped onto a board favoring Odyssey means that Apocalypse will at least have to pay a price for using Deed or other removal - a price that Odyssey needs to make Apocalypse pay. Upheaval is the second key card because it can steal victory for Odyssey even after Apocalypse has turned the game in its favor. So long as Odyssey has an Upheaval and a creature to drop after floating mana, imminent defeat can be turned into almost certain victory.
GAME 1
Odyssey won the die roll and started out with Nimble Mongoose + Wild Mongrel. Meanwhile, Apocalypse established its defenses with a Spectral Lynx. Odyssey added a Werebear, but Apocalypse began to pull ahead thanks to Phyrexian Arena while the Spectral Lynx played defense. Another Lynx joined the effort to keep Odyssey stymied. From this point forward, Apocalypse would sustain almost no life loss aside from Phyrexian Arena. Although Apocalypse fell as low as 6, (one turn after Odyssey gained threshold with a Call of the Herd) it was never in danger of losing thanks to the constant flow of cards from the Phyrexian Arena. Apocalypse kept things under control with a three-point Death Grasp to kill the Wild Mongrel and a Vindicate to kill the Werebear. After those two creatures were removed, Odyssey still had an Elephant token and a fresh Roar of the Wurm token. Nonetheless, all of Odyssey’s efforts were rendered moot when Apocalypse finally found its first Pernicious Deed (popped for zero), then followed that up with a Gerrard’s Verdict to knock out an Upheaval. Desolation Angel and the pair of Spectral Lynxes closed it out from there.
Apocalypse 1, Odyssey 0
Once again, Odyssey was off to a promising start with Nimble Mongoose + Wild Mongrel, but just like in the first game Apocalypse defended with turn two Spectral Lynx and pulled ahead with an early Phyrexian Arena. Odyssey seized the initiative temporarily with an AEther Burst on the Spectral Lynx to pave the way for a Standstill, then another Aether Burst when the Lynx returned to play. By this point, Odyssey had threshold and was able to reduce Apocalypse to a precarious 4 life thanks to several attacks from the Nimble Mongoose and Wild Mongrel. Apocalypse fell to 3 from the Phyrexian Arena, but once more produced the necessary Pernicious Deed at the last possible moment to clear the board. A freshly drawn Werebear put the pressure back on Apocalypse, which fell to 2 from the Phyrexian Arena, then to 1 tapping a Caves of Koilos for White mana. But a four-point Death Grasp provided the Junk deck with more breathing room. Odyssey responded one more time with a Roar of the Wurm token, and Apocalypse lost two more life (one to Phyrexian Arena, one to Caves of Koilos for white mana), but eliminated the Wurm problem thanks to a Vindicate. The Aether Bursted Spectral Lynx returned to roam in the empty board. The board wasn’t empty for long, though, as the Lynx gained the unwelcome company of a Nimble Mongoose and an Elephant token. Another Pernicious Deed took care of this new problem, though, and when another Wurm token fell to a seven-point Death Grasp the turn after that, Apocalypse had seemingly gained complete control of the game. Still, relentless Odyssey mounted one more charge with a new Werebear and another Elephant token. Apocalypse countered with a Spiritmonger, but Odyssey topped that with another Roar of the Wurm token + Standstill! At last, Apocalypse had the final word, attacking with Spiritmonger (unblocked to drop Odyssey to 10), then putting the game away with a Desolation Angel (taking a mild risk that Odyssey could have a third Aether Burst off of Standstill). No Aether Burst was forthcoming, and it was on to game three.
Apocalypse 2, Odyssey 0
GAME 3
Odyssey had now played first twice and lost twice. That was disheartening, as was the fact that only five times in BOTS history has a set rallied from an 0-2 deficit to win a match. Nevertheless, Odyssey was undaunted and could still take heart in the potential for some Standstill or Upheaval ridiculousness to turn the match around. Nimble Mongoose + Werebear offered promise, but even more promising was the fact that Apocalypse had no turn two play. Odyssey had the opening it needed to get back into the match, and it capitalized with a turn three Standstill. Apocalypse fell to 17 from the ensuing attack, then broke the Standstill for a Phyrexian Arena. Odyssey was now in high gear, using Careful Study to dump two Roar of the Wurms, then using one to bring a 6/6 Wurm into play (using Werebear). Nimble Mongoose nipped for one more damage. Apocalypse Vindicated the Wurm, but Odyssey maintained its stranglehold on the game with a Wild Mongrel and a Call of the Herd. After the Nimble Mongoose and Werebear attacked, the life totals were 20-13 in favor of Odyssey, then 20-12 after Apocalypse’s upkeep. Death Grasp momentarily boosted Apocalypse back to 15, poaching the Elephant token. Then, after a five-point attack (Werebear, Nimble Mongoose, and Wild Mongrel pumped for one), Odyssey dropped its bomb: Upheaval. Although Odyssey could not play a land or a creature after the Upheaval, the game was reset at a favorable junction for Odyssey. The first play after the Upheaval was a now 3/3 Nimble Mongoose. Apocalypse had no play on its second turn after the Upheaval. The Nimble Mongoose nipped away for three damage, and gained a partner, Werebear. The Werebear fell to Vindicate, but Odyssey gained a concession the following turn when it dropped another Nimble Mongoose and a Standstill.
Apocalypse 2, Odyssey 1
GAME 4
Now came the challenging part for Odyssey - it needed to win two games in a row with Apocalypse playing first. That, however, is the price one pays for falling into an 0-2 hole - two out of the three wins (the last two) necessary for an 0-2 comeback must come on the draw.
Odyssey was up to the task of winning at least one of those games on the draw, as this game four turned out to be the “Four Standstill Game.”
Following another Careful Study (discarding two lands), down came another Standstill, as well as an Elephant token out of the graveyard. Death Grasp on the Elephant broke the new Standstill and brought Apocalypse back up to 18. Spiritmonger crashed in for six damage, and the score was 18-14 in favor of Apocalypse. But Odyssey had a nasty surprise in store: Upheaval floating one mana, followed by a land and Wild Mongrel. Right from the start, this game had been played Odyssey’s way, at Odyssey’s pace. That would continue, as Upheaval + Mongrel was backed up one turn later by a third Standstill! Wild Mongrel savaged Apocalypse down to 13 (three cards discarded, including Roar of the Wurm). With nothing better to do, Apocalypse broke the Standstill with Gerrard’s Verdict. Odyssey drew the three cards, then discarded a Nimble Mongoose and Wild Mongrel. The Mongrel in play caused another four damage and was joined by a Werebear. At 9 and in need of an answer, Apocalypse played a Pernicious Deed, then fell to 3 from the next attack. Both creatures died to the Deed when they tried to attack again, but that didn’t matter in the least - Odyssey had drawn its fourth Standstill! Another Werebear + Standstill pushed the series to the brink of a fifth game. Apocalypse Vindicated the Werebear, but a Wurm token replaced the fallen Bear. Spiritmonger entered the playing area to stop the Wurm, but Odyssey had drawn an Aether Burst off the Standstill. Thus, Odyssey had evened the series.
Odyssey had chained together four Standstills, which was too much even for Apocalypse to handle. Amazingly, but fittingly, the series was headed for a game five.
Apocalypse 2, Odyssey 2
GAME 5
Thus far, it had been a valiant comeback by Odyssey, but game five just didn’t work out. A Nimble Mongoose was immediately topped by Spectral Lynx, while two Careful Studies found no Roar of the Wurms. Odyssey did manage to play a Standstill, but Apocalypse broke it without hesitation for a Phyrexian Arena. There was a momentary glimmer of hope when the Nimble Mongoose (with threshold) charged in after an Aether Burst cleared away the Spectral Lynx. However, Apocalypse snuffed out any hopes for the 0-2 comeback with a Spiritmonger followed by Pernicious Deed, wiping out the Nimble Mongoose and an Elephant. The Spectral Lynx soon returned, while a Wild Mongrel was reduced to chump-blocking duty on Spiritmonger. Phyrexian Arena was providing a steady flow of threats and answers while Odyssey continued to flounder, having lost any chance of seizing the momentum. As another Spectral Lynx joined the Apocalypse force, the game spiraled out of control. Odyssey pushed the Upheaval panic button as a last-ditch effort to stay alive, but this did little to turn the game around, especially because Odyssey was unable to play a land or a creature following the Upheaval. Meanwhile, the Arena allowed Apocalypse to recover from the Upheaval without missing a step. Now it was only a matter of how to close out the match. A Spectral Lynx was met my a Wild Mongrel, but the second Lynx joined to restore Apocalypse’s creature advantage. Despite another Standstill, Apocalypse Vindicated the Mongrel with no concern that anything could go wrong, because the game was well in hand by this point. Odyssey managed a Nimble Mongoose and a Werebear after the Mongrel died, but those new creatures were picked off as well (not that Apocalypse even needed to, given the protection from green Lynxes on the attack), and the Lynxes rumbled to victory easily. Apocalypse could breath a sigh of relief - it was moving into the Division Three Finals to face the winner of Ravnica vs. Mirage.
Apocalypse 3, Odyssey 2
*Feature Match* - - - - - (5) Ravnica d. (8) Mirage, 3-2
MATCHUP ANALYSIS
GAME 1
Mirage played first, but Ravnica got off fast with turn one Birds of Paradise followed by turn two Skyknight Legionnaire. Mirage built up its mana with Rampant Growth, then Incinerated the Legionnaire. The Bird of Paradise went on the offensive thanks to a Moldervine Cloak. The reign of the overgrown Bird was short-lived though, as Kaervek’s Torch fried the ambitious avian. Another Bird replaced the fallen one, and as Mirage was unable to kill this new Bird, Ravnica had the opportunity to Dredge up Moldervine Cloak. Skipping its draw, Ravnica milled the top two cards of its library (Plains and Watchwolf) into the graveyard and retrieved the Moldervine Cloak, which enchanted the Bird of Paradise. Mirage fell to 12 from the attack, but again ended the Bird campaign with a Kaervek’s Torch. From there, the game settled into a long lull, as both combatants built up their mana. A Lightning Helix swung the life totals to 21-9 in favor of Ravnica (it had taken two damage from pain lands). Secure that the time was right, Ravnica unveiled its grandest creature of all - Hunted Dragon! With another burn spell in hand, Ravnica had captured game one.
Ravnica 1, Mirage 0
GAME 2
This match was to follow the same pattern as the Apocalypse/Odyssey match - the ultimate winner taking the first two games, losing the next two, then taking the deciding game. Ravnica pulled off the Birds of Paradise + Skyknight Legionnaire start once again, while Mirage, after it had boosted its mana with Rampant Growth, replied with a Hammer of Bogardan on the Legionnaire. Again, though, the Birds of Paradise + Moldervine Cloak tandem caused problems, as yet another Birds offensive opened up. This time, though, Mirage couldn’t kill the Bird the turn after it was Cloaked, which gave Ravnica the chance to add a second Moldervine Cloak. Emboldened by its newfound size and intoxicated with the power that comes with being, well, huge, the gigantic 6/7 bird attacked once in a sadistic frenzy before Mirage conceded.
Ravnica 2, Mirage 0
GAME 3
Just a short while earlier, Odyssey had been in the same predicament as Mirage, and just as Odyssey did, Mirage began the task of climbing out of its hole with a resounding game three victory. This time, Ravnica had no turn one Birds of Paradise, while Mirage had turn two and turn three Wall of Roots. Ravnica’s first creature was Selesnya Guildmage. Mirage continued to build up its mana with Fire Diamond, then watched with little concern as Ravnica summoned a Loxodon Hierarch. Volcanic Dragon wiped out the Hierarch's life gain while the Walls held the ground. With no other option, Ravnica sent in the Selesnya Guildmage and Loxodon Hierarch for an attack. A Wall of Roots blocked each, and thanks to Guildmage’s pumping ability, one Wall died to the now 5/5 Hierarch. However, all this was rendered academic when Mirage summoned a second Volcanic Dragon on the following turn and pulled too far ahead in the damage race even for lightning-fast Ravnica to pull off a comeback.
Ravnica 2, Mirage 1
Ravnica was in good shape after getting three hits in with yet another Moldervine Cloaked Bird of Paradise, while Watchwolf + Lightning Helix chopped down a Wall of Roots. But Mirage had an ace up its sleeve - Savage Twister. Ravnica tried to recover by dredging back the Cloak to put on a Watchwolf waiting in hand, but lost a potentially useful Hunted Dragon in the process. The Watchwolf was halted by a Wildfire Emissary (Protection from White). Skynight Legionnaire, which would have been a far better target for Moldervine Cloak, mockingly showed up on the next draw phase. Although the Legionnaire did get a hit in, this game was going maddeningly wrong for Ravnica with the loss of Hunted Dragon and the timing of the Legionnaire. Worse still, the Legionnaire fell to a Hammer of Bogardan, and Mirage followed that up with a Volcanic Dragon. Ravnica had added a Selesnya Guildmage before the Dragon entered play, and now used its only white mana to summon another Watchwolf. Mirage, holding another Savage Twister in hand, was well prepared. Though it could have Savage Twistered for far more, now Mirage only needed to Twister for three to kill the Selesnya Guildmage and the smaller Watchwolf, since Ravnica did not have any white mana with which to use the Guildmage’s pump ability. After those two creatures (plus a Saproling token produced by Guildmage) hit the graveyard, Mirage finished off the 6/6 Watchwolf with an Incinerate. Bereft of its creatures and faced with the rampaging Volcanic Dragon, Ravnica conceded.
Ravnica 2, Mirage 2
GAME 5
Despite all the difficulties Ravnica had endured in games three and four, none of that would matter if a strong opening hand presented itself. Not only did Ravnica draw a strong opening hand playing first, it was such a good hand that the entire game lasted just two minutes: turn one Birds of Paradise, turn two Moldervine Cloak, turn three Moldervine Cloak, and turn four Loxodon Hierarch. Helpless in the face of such an absurd opening, Mirage could only concede in disbelief as its tournament run came to a shattering conclusion. Ravnica was on to the Division Three Finals to face Apocalypse!
Ravnica 3, Mirage 2
DIVISION 4
(1) Torment d. (5) Judgment, 3-0
Torment continued to demonstrate its near-invulnerability against creature decks with a blowout against a solid Judgment deck. Torment has registered more sweeps than any other set because it feasts on most of the creature decks in the BOTS field. Judgment was just the latest in a long line of victims that have been added to Torment’s growing list of maulings.
(2) Onslaught d. (3) Fifth Dawn, 3-2
Fifth Dawn built a 2-1 series lead on the strength of early-game Bringers, but in the end, Onslaught’s Exalted Angels carried the day. Both the fourth and fifth games came down to Onslaught’s ability to clear the board with either Akroma’s Vengeance or Starstorm, then follow up the global removal with Exalted Angel, which Fifth Dawn has no way to remove.
What a round! Come back on Tuesday when we'll move right along.
So I'll just touch on a few points and that will be sufficient - you can take these comments however you like:
1. Alfred and I have worked very hard on these tournaments, and I can tell you from doing it that the writing component is extremely time-consuming (not that other aspects of the tournament aren't time consuming either.)
2. In any project of this size and scope, there are bound to be minor mistakes here and there, including scattered playing errors, spelling mistakes, even a couple of decks that in retrospect could have been seeded higher or lower. However, I am more than satisfied that Alfred and I, in putting on the BOTS tournament, have given you the best we have to offer - if you choose to seize on a mistake, or a deck you don't like, that is your choice, nobody can make you enjoy the finished product if you are determined not to enjoy it.
3. Alfred and I run the BOTS tournaments because we find it fun, and we hope you do also.
4. I said it before, and I'll say it again with regard to the complaints about the decklists: I didn't realize that there were so many former Pro Tour Champions on these boards who could help stupid old Alfred and stupid old me with the deckbuilding - seriously, we have tested these decks out, and we know the format. You may not agree with every single choice we make, but I certainly think it is true to say that we have given you a good product that you should be enjoying. It is a shame that human nature causes people to criticize and dissect things just for the hell of it when they should be having fun.
5. This ties in to Point #4 - nobody's perfect, least of all Alfred and I. We do not presume to be masters of the universe who have all the answers. So I think anyone who uses the word "defensive" is not characterizing us properly. All we are saying is that we are proud of the work we have done, and we think people should enjoy what we have worked hard on rather than being so nitpicky. I hope people realize that it is impossible to please everybody - hence, it is better for two people to make the decisions that they think best rather than trying to please everybody with regards to the decklists, the running of the tournament, and the exact playing of the decks.
6. This is probably going to be my last BOTS tournament. So I want to thank Alfred, but since I talk with him in PM's and can thank him more appropriately there, I want to thank more generally everyone who has gotten a kick out of BOTS over the past couple of years, everyone who has supported BOTS. Also thanks to Goblinboy. As for my involvement, I will definitely not be handling the writing part of BOTS again, as I have found it way too time-consuming, and I am likely done with the whole thing as it is also way, way too time-consuming. However, I am more than confident that Alfred can and will run the tournament brilliantly after I am gone (if he chooses to). Alfred is an excellent player, an excellent deckbuilder, and he knows BOTS inside out. Maybe I'll be like a BOTS consultant or something.
7. Finally, please enjoy the rest of the tournament - that is all I ask. Who cares about some little thing you disagree with? Just have fun and don't expect perfection - expect our very best effort, but not perfection. I sincerely hope that everybody has as much fun as I did running the tournament these past few years. Anyway, it's been a pleasure.
ENJOY!
Don't have a clue what this is? Then read this. Already well-versed in the ways of the BOTS? Then read on and I'll get right to the action!
DIVISION 3 - Round of 32 Match Reports
HUGE UPSET ALERT!!! HUGE UPSET ALERT!!!
Already lower seeds have fared better than they ever have in this tournament. Now an eighth seed has made some noise of its own.
In only the second ever eight-versus-one upset (the first was Nemesis over Apocalypse back in BOTS IV), Mirage stunned former champion Tempest - but there was nothing fluky about this one. This match came down to Tempest’s inability to deal with Mirage’s ample direct damage capabilities. In particular, Hammer of Bogardan was the thorn in Tempest’s side. Tempest’s past success has been predicated on its ability to shut down creature decks. Unfortunately for Tempest, Mirage is a burn deck first, creature deck second.
Mirage was well-situated to bounce Tempest because of the ability to rapidly ramp up it mana and thus outrun any possibility of a Capsize lock. The mana acceleration of Wall of Roots, Rampant Growth, and Fire Diamond also created another problem for Tempest - it led to early Wildfire Emissaries and Volcanic Dragons, meaning Tempest was forced several times to waste precious Counterspells or Dismisses on a creature before the Prayer/Humility lock was in place. In a matchup where its countermagic is Tempest’s only answer to burn (barring a late-game Capsize lock), this unfortunate but necessary waste of resources proved disastrous.
As for the possibility of a Capsize lock, this just never materialized except in game four (in which Tempest sustained nineteen points of damage) because Tempest was not given enough time to get the large quantity of mana, coupled with multiple Sapphire Medallions, that it needs to return two permanents per turn to Mirage’s hand. Mirage kept winning with burn, particularly recurred Hammers of Bogardan, before Tempest could gain control.
Mirage pulls the monumental upset and advances to face ….
(5) Ravnica d. (4) Arabian Nights, 3-0
…Ravnica!
This was supposed to be one of the closer matches of round one. Due to the shocking brutality and aggression of newcomer Ravnica, the anticipated showdown never materialized. Instead, Arabian Nights was left a shattered wreck sucking its thumb in a corner, quietly mumbling to itself. The best chance for Arabian to make it a match came in the second game when Ravnica fell to 1 from an early onslaught but stabilized and turned the game around from there. The other two games saw Arabian constantly off balance and playing from behind. Arabian, swept out of the last tournament by Judgment, has suffered two consecutive non-competitive first round exits.
Ravnica comes flying out of the gates and makes an immediate impression!
(2) Apocalypse d. (7) Planeshift, 3-0
Apocalypse peeled hapless Planeshift apart like a fresh orange. Apocalypse continues on in the quest for its first championship since it won the inaugural BOTS tournament.
Make it three consecutive five-game victories in three consecutive tournaments for Odyssey over Legions! Odyssey did it the last two times with a Psychatog deck, and gets the job done once again with a new Blue/Green aggro deck.
Legions must be sick of Odyssey, sick enough to vomit all over grandpa's new golf shirt - with this match, the two have now met a record-tying four times. The only matchup that has been waged as frequently is Tempest/Mercadian Masqes. At least in that matchup, the two have split the four encounters. On the other hand, Legions is 0 for 4 against Odyssey. Maddeningly, in the last three meetings, Legions has fallen one game short each time (the first time they met, in BOTS III, Odyssey won 3-1, the only time the series did not go the full five games). Somehow Odyssey finds a way to win a close match each time, and each time Legions goes home to barf in disgust after its latest near-miss.
This time, after a see-saw battle in which Odyssey trailed 0-1, then led 2-1, Wild Mongrel and company finally shook off a game Legions squad with a commanding game five performance. Odyssey started off with a Nimble Mongoose and Wild Mongrel on the first two turns, while Legions opened with Warbreak Trumpeter and Skirk Drill Sergeant. Odyssey Careful Studied Roar of the Wurm and Aether Burst into the graveyard then added another Nimble Mongoose. Surprisingly, Legions had no turn three play, and when Odyssey played a turn four Roar of the Wurm, Legions was on the defensive. Clickslither came down for Legions, but the Wurm token was allowed through for the first damage of the game. Legions played a Goblin Goon, but it couldn’t block due to the creature parity on the board, and the Wurm token hit once more when Clickslither declined the block.
Nevertheless, Legions appeared to turn the momentum when it added a second Goblin Goon and used Gempalm Incinerator to fry the Wild Mongrel. But Odyssey was ready with an Aether Burst to foil Legions’s four creature attack, returning the Goblin Goon and Clickslither to Legions’s hand. That was enough for Odyssey to earn the concession, although Odyssey also could have closed the deal with Upheaval + Nimble Mongoose the following turn anyway.
Odyssey advances on to the second round for a showdown with Apocalypse!
DIVISION 4 - Round of 32 Match Reports
(1) Torment d. (8) Prophecy, 3-0
A rematch of the first round last time ends in the exact same way: a bone-crunching sweep.
(5) Judgment d. (4) Mercadian Masques, 3-2
Masques was able to take the second and fourth games thanks to Rishadan Port, but when Judgment had the mana it needed, the games were not particularly close, due in large part to Battle Screech, which completely negated Masques’s normally effective Thermal and Nightwind Gliders. Glory also contributed in a major way, powering unblockable alpha strikes, while Ray of Revelation kept Story Circle and Cho-Manno’s Blessing from factoring into the final outcome. Masques was also plagued by random annoying problems, such as the fact that Reverent Mantra naming White (all of Judgment’s creatures are White) is not particularly effective defensive tactic due to all of Masques’s creatures being white. Masques’s only hope was to shut Judgment down with Rishadan Port long enough for a few Rebels to capitalize on the mana-screw. This in fact happened - but only twice, obviously not enough to win the match.
The deciding game turned into a disaster for Masques after a promising start. Judgment opened with Spurnmage Advocate and Phantom Nomad, while Masques countered with Ramosian Sergeant, Ramosian Lieutenant, and Steadfast Guard. Masques did have a Rishadan Port, and for a few turns, it seemed that Judgment would be stymied once more by the irritating land. With two Plains and two Forests in play, Judgment was kept from casting Battle Screech for a turn due to the Plains being tapped down. However, before Masques could really build an advantage, Judgment topdecked a third Plains and unleashed four Battle Screech Bird tokens. Masques drew a second Rishadan Port one turn later, but the horse was already out of the barn. Judgment soon pulled ahead in the damage race, obliging Judgment to stop the Porting to play a Story Circle. Judgment had a Ray of Revelation for the Circle, though, and took advantage of the opening to uncork another Battle Screech, bringing the Bird count to eight.
In a finale that Alfred Hitchcock certainly could have appreciated, Masques conceded in the face of the overwhelming Bird swarm.
(2) Onslaught d. (7) Ice Age, 3-0
This same battle was waged in the first round of the previous BOTS tournament, with Onslaught emerging victorious in five games. This time, however, Onslaught didn’t even break a sweat in bouncing Ice Age. Incredibly, Ice Age remains winless in seven tournaments, having lost in the first round every single time. This match came down to Ice Age’s inability to deal with Lightning Rift and Astral Slide. So long as Onslaught held back enough mana to recover after Jokulhaups, Ice Age had no chance.
Saviors made a decent showing in its debut, but never had a chance due to the board-sweeping power of Engineered Explosives. If that wasn’t bad enough, the sheer absurdity of turn three Bringers of the Blue Dawn and Bringers of the Green Dawn compounded the problems for an effective, but nonetheless fairly ordinary white weenie deck. The only extraordinary feature of Saviors is Charge Across the Araba, which can kill an opponent who seems safe at a high life total. Sadly for Saviors, the appropriate situation for a Charge Across the Araba kill arose only in game four. The sweep was averted, but Fifth Dawn advanced with little trouble nonetheless thanks to a fine game four performance.
That does it for the round of 32! Let's take a look at how things might play out in the round of 16:
ROUND OF 16 PREVIEW
The Round of 32 featured victories by six lower seeds - an 8 seed, a 7 seed, a 6 seed, and three 5 seeds. Among the victims of this lower seed success was Tempest, which suffered its first ever first-round exit at the hands of Mirage. Elsewhere, though, other members of the BOTS elite went about their business and chopped opponents into firewood. The two finalists from last time, champion Antiquities and runner-up Torment, posted easy 3-1 and 3-0 victories, respectively. Heavyweights Mirrodin, Darksteel, Apocalypse, and Onslaught also advanced, with Darksteel the only one among them that encountered difficulty (sliding by Alliances 3-2). However, as we turn our attention to the Round of 16, three dangerous contenders lurk in the shadows: Champions of Kamigawa, Odyssey, and newcomer Ravnica.
Let’s take a look at the matchups for the Round of 16:
DIVISION 1
(1) Mirrodin vs. (4) Urza’s Saga
Urza’s Saga has no defense of note with which to stop Mirrodin’s blazing attack and would do well to steal a game. Even Smokestack will probably be too slow to accomplish that feat against a Mirrodin assault that routinely wins in five turns. Indication that Saga is overmatched: Time Spiral probably helps Mirrodin more than Saga.
(2) Darksteel vs. (6) Invasion
An infant would have a better chance of winning a national spelling bee than Invasion does of beating Darksteel. The only surprise this match can possibly offer is if Darksteel doesn’t sweep. Invasion has no threat that Darksteel needs to worry about, and the modular machine will face no obstacles in building up its death industry in just a few short turns.
D-1 SUMMARY: Start looking forward to the highly anticipated showdown for the D-1 crown - Mirrodin vs. Darksteel.
DIVISION 2
(1) Antiquities vs. (5) Scourge
Here’s a match with a bit more intrigue than one might expect. Yes, Antiquities is the defending champion. And yes, including the present BOTS tournament, Antiquities has lost only one match over the course of the past four tournaments, winning two championships in the process. But there is some history here - and the revenge angle. Back in BOTS IV, Scourge held a 2-0 lead over Antiquities in their quarterfinal match. Then, like a dormant volcano, the artifact death machine erupted for three straight wins and the stunning comeback. Scourge was left shaken and awed, and could only wonder what might have been. Having narrowly escaped the cold clutches of elimination, Antiquities went on to capture its first championship with wins over Darksteel and Onslaught. Now, armed with the knowledge that it came within a game of bouncing Antiquities last time the two met, Scourge is out for revenge.
(3) Champions of Kamigawa vs. (7) Urza’s Legacy
Champions would like nothing more than the opportunity to dethrone Antiquities. It’s up to the artifact deck to make one half of that matchup possible, but Champions should be able to handle its business against an overmatched Legacy deck. Legacy has just four Miscalculations with which to combat the Hana Kami/Ethereal Haze lock (and the assortment of other tricks Champions can pull off), and those Miscalculations will be rendered mostly meaningless by Champions’s ability to build up its mana quickly. Legacy’s only hope is a fast creature rush; but Legacy is not capable of very early kills and thus will most likely fail in this strategy as well.
D-2 SUMMARY: All signs point to an Antiquities/Champions rumble for the division title unless Scourge can throw an unlikely monkey wrench into those plans. If Scourge can stun Antiquities, then the division title will belong to Champions, because Antiquities is the only opponent in this division that can handle Champions.
(5) Ravnica vs. (8) Mirage
We’ve got a broken half of the D-3 bracket here, folks! This meeting of two victorious lower seeds pits Ravnica, seeded a conservative 5th in its BOTS debut, against Mirage, which shocked Tempest in only the second ever eight versus one upset. Ravnica looked better than even its most ardent supporters could have hoped for in its 3-0 dismantling of Arabian Nights. Ravnica features an extremely efficient plan of attack which includes several fabulous, undercosted creatures, including Watchwolf, Loxodon Hierarch, and the awesome Hunted Dragon. The newcomer also has the burn to finish off a staggering opponent. Mirage will be no pushover though. The red/green deck has a load of burn plus the global creature sweeping power of Savage Twister. On top of that, Mirage can finish with solid creatures of its own. What does this all add up to? A fun match that should go the distance.
(2) Apocalypse vs. (3) Odyssey
The other side of the D-3 bracket offers another tight match between two powerhouses that have never met before. Three cards will be key for Apocalypse: Pernicious Deed, Phyrexian Arena, and Spectral Lynx. Deed provides Apocalypse with an answer to Odyssey’s horde of efficient creatures, Arena can ensure that Apocalypse keep its advantage after stopping the initial rush, and Lynx offers generally excellent defense against an all-green opposing attack (although Wild Mongrel can change colors, which is an issue if Apocalypse does not have regeneration mana up). On the other side, the key cards for Odyssey are Standstill and Upheaval. If Odyssey can back up its early creatures with Standstill, then Odyssey has a strong chance of keeping up or even pulling head of Apocalypse in the card battle. Standstill dropped onto a board favoring Odyssey means that Apocalypse will at least have to pay a price for using Deed or other removal - a price that Odyssey needs to make Apocalypse pay. Upheaval is the second key card because it can steal victory for Odyssey even after Apocalypse has turned the game in its favor. So long as Odyssey has an Upheaval and a creature to drop after floating mana, imminent defeat can be turned into almost certain victory. Look for a close match that comes right down to the wire.
D-3 SUMMARY: Division Three is the only division in which all four remaining decks all have a legitimate chance of advancing. Any combination of matchups involving these four competitors is a possibility for the division finals because both Round of 16 matches could very well end up as five gamers. If one had to pick favorites, Ravnica and Apocalypse would be slight favorites to advance, but not by much. Mirage and Odyssey will present tough challenges and should not be taken lightly.
DIVISION 4
(1) Torment vs. (5) Judgment
After advancing all the way to the quarterfinals last time out, Judgment has established itself as a force to be reckoned with. However, Torment measures success on a different scale and won’t be impressed. The mono-Black menace hungers for a return to the finals, where it thirsts for its second championship as well as possible revenge against Antiquities. It would take a stunning collapse for Torment to fall short against Judgment with so much on the line. Judgment’s best chance will be to survive the early game and get to a position in which it can ride Glory to victory. Torment stands an excellent chance of preventing that from happening, though, thanks to its stifling arsenal of creature control.
(2) Onslaught vs. (3) Fifth Dawn
This match is a toss-up and looks like a five-gamer. Fifth Dawn is well-equipped to battle Onslaught. The five-color deck has the ability to power out turn three Bringers then back that up with Engineered Explosives to take care of annoying Astral Slides. Lightning Rift is far less of a problem for Fifth Dawn than most other decks due to the size of its main threats. Rift serves two purposes for Onslaught: creature control and victory condition. Against Fifth Dawn, only the latter purpose will be served by Rift. Astral Slide is the more important of the two powerful Onslaught enchantments, because it can fend off Fifth Dawn’s big boys and also allow Onslaught to sneak a fourth turn face-up Exalted Angel into play with Slide plus a one-mana cycler. Fortunately for Fifth Dawn, it can handle Slide using Explosives. But there is one major problem that Fifth Dawn cannot handle which could ultimately decide the match: Exalted Angel. As there are only five colors in the game, Fifth Dawn is not able to remove six casting cost permanents using Explosives; hence Fifth Dawn will not be able to remove Exalted Angel so long as Onslaught plays its Angels face-up (either hardcast for the full six mana or using Astral Slide to turn a face-down Angel into a face-up Angel). Exalted Angel will be the key to the match - if Onslaught can deploy an Angel before Fifth Dawn can mount an overwhelming assault, Fifth Dawn will be toast. Rounding out Onslaught’s bag of tricks are its two mid to late-game mass removal spells - Akroma’s Vengeance and Starstorm, which will provide much needed panic buttons should the Fifth Dawn creature situation get out of hand.
D-4 SUMMARY: Torment should advance fairly easily over Judgment, but who its opponent will be is harder to tell. Either way, though, Torment is a strong bet to win another division title because it already has wins against both Onslaught and Fifth Dawn under its belt.
Come back on Friday to find out how the Round of 16 went!
Don't have a clue what this is? Then read this. Already well-versed in the ways of the BOTS? Then read on and I'll get right to the action!
DIVISION 1 - Round of 32 Match Reports
As soon as the pairings were announced, it was clear that Darksteel had been handed a dangerous first-round assignment - an Alliances deck loaded with artifact hate and efficient creature removal. But not until the modular machine found itself needing to rally from a 1-2 deficit did the danger posed by Alliances become fully apparent…
MATCHUP ANALYSIS
Alliances’s strategy is simple: smash n’ burn everything that hits play for Darksteel as soon as possible, then drop a victory condition or two and win quickly before Darksteel can go berserk. A clear board for Darksteel means that Alliances can keep the outrageous potential of the modular machine from mushrooming into an uncontainable doom factory. Easier said than done, especially since Darksteel is far and away the more powerful and explosive of the two combatants, having the ability to come seemingly out of nowhere for random victories. Darksteel must be wary of Primitive Justice, though, and keeping an Arcbound Ravager on the board is the best way to combat the Justice threat.
Ultimately, the key to the matchup is Alliances’s ability to prevent Darksteel from getting its deadly machinery up and running - if Darksteel gets rolling, Alliances will not have enough firepower to recover. Almost any opponent will inevitably get the short end of a slugfest with Darksteel - the trick is avoiding the slugfest altogether.
GAME 1
Darksteel won the die roll and had the first play, an Arcbound Slith, which immediately fell to an EOT Death Spark. The efficient Darksteel machine stalled on two lands, and had to be content with another Arcbound Slith, which also got burned away, this time by Guerilla Tactics. The opening turns were going exactly the way Alliances wanted - a clear board.
Darksteel couldn’t find a third land, but added a Genesis Chamber. Alliances went on the offensive and unleashed the always unpleasant Yavimaya Ants while getting a Myr token thanks to Genesis Chamber. Mercifully, Darksteel found a third Island and summoned a Spire Golem (plus a Myr). Alliances kept the Yavimaya Ants around for one more turn and dropped an Elvish Ranger. The Ants traded with Darksteel’s Myr, and the modular machine slid to 11 thanks to the trampling horde of Ants. Alliances was left with two Myrs and the Elvish Ranger.
Darksteel had stabilized, and the situation did not improve for Alliances when an Arcbound Ravager and Arcbound Worker made their way into the battle, providing Darksteel with two more Myrs as well. Darksteel now controlled a force of Arcbound Ravager, Arcbound Worker, Spire Golem, and two Myrs. The Golem hit for two and the turn was back to Alliances, which sent the Elvish Ranger and Myr in for an attack. Darksteel blocked each with a Myr, then fed the dying Myrs to the Arcbound Ravager. Alliances ended its turn with Deadly Insect + Myr.
Darksteel appeared to have the upper hand, and added to its advantage with Arcbound Stinger + Myr. Darksteel then went for the kill, sacrificing Arcbound Ravager to make Spire Golem 5/7. Although the Golem knocked Alliances down to 13 and gave Darksteel a momentary boost, this plan would quickly backfire.
With the Arcbound Ravager no longer in play, Alliances was given a reprieve and could play its ace, Primitive Justice, without fear of Ravager tricks. Alliances took the opportunity to mete out a particularly harsh brand of Justice - with six mana, Spire Golem, Genesis Chamber, and Arcbound Stinger were all turned into scrap metal. The massacre was completed with a Pyrokinesis (discarding Balduvian Horde), which wiped away Darksteel’s remaining Myr and the Arcbound Worker. With the path cleared, Deadly Insect and Myr dropped Darksteel to a precarious 4.
Darksteel was not quite done, though, and tried to rally with a pair of Arcbound Stingers. Death Spark killed one, leaving a 2/2 Stinger to face the Deadly Insect and Myr, which moved in for an attack. Insect and Stinger traded, leaving Myr alone on the board and Darksteel at 3. Now, though, Alliances would have the Death Spark ready for retrieval next turn, thanks to the Deadly Insect sitting directly above it in the graveyard. Darksteel played an Arcbound Crusher, but it died to the Death Spark and Alliances’s Myr left Darksteel with just 2 life points. Could Darksteel actually succumb to a Myr token? What a bitter irony that would be!
Not so fast! Darksteel topdecked another Arcbound Ravager! Alliances could only draw and say "go," and suddenly Darksteel had a chance. Next, it drew a Skullclamp, and now the modular machine was back in business. Arcbound Ravager was sacrificed to the Skullclamp, allowing Darksteel to find an Arcbound Worker and a Blinkmoth Nexus. The Worker was next to be sacrificed to the Clamp, although Darksteel did not find anything else and ended its turn.
Meanwhile, Alliances was still in decent shape holding another Primitive Justice in hand. However, any further strategy considerations for either side were rendered moot when Alliances’s next draw produced a game-ending Guerilla Tactics.
Alliances 1, Darksteel 0
Although Darksteel was in a hole, at least a key point of strategy had emerged from the defeat: Arcbound Ravager had to be kept in play if at all possible as a means of neutralizing Alliances’s greatest weapon, Primitive Justice. If a Ravager died, let it be to Pillage, not Justice.
Facing a game it needed to win, Darksteel started off with an Arcbound Worker, which was promptly Death Sparked. Darksteel’s opening was solid, though, with turn two Genesis Chamber and turn three Spire Golem + Myr. Alliances replied with Elvish Ranger + Myr.
Darksteel fortified its position with a Blinkmoth Nexus and Myr Moonvessel + Myr. Golem hit Alliances for the first damage of the game, while a Darksteel Myr and the Alliances Myr traded.
Alliances got the turn back, and made the most of it, smashing the Spire Golem and the Genesis Chamber with a Primitive Justice (gaining 1 life to boot).
Darksteel, undaunted by the setback, merely applied more pressure, adding a second Blinkmoth Nexus and sending the Myr Moonvessel, Myr token, and the original Blinkmoth Nexus in for 4 damage, thanks to the freshly dropped Nexus pumping the first Nexus.
Alliances struck back with the Elvish Ranger hitting into an empty board, then added a Deadly Insect. But Darksteel was well positioned against Alliances’s one-toughness creatures, especially after adding a new Genesis Chamber the following turn. The Blinkmoth Nexi hit Alliances to 13.
Alliances managed to Pillage the new Genesis Chamber, but Darksteel continued with two more points of Nexus beatings, then added an Arcbound Slith. A freshly drawn Yavimaya Ants was sent on the attack, but Darksteel blocked with a leftover Myr token and sucked up 4 trample damage.
As Darksteel got the turn back, it led 12-11 in the damage race. Arcbound Slith traded with Elvish Ranger (with the modular counter going to a Blinkmoth Nexus), but a Nexus got through, and it was 12-9. Another Pillage took care of the augmented Nexus (the tapped one), but Alliances had no further plays and seemed to be fading.
That this game belonged to Darksteel was confirmed on the very next draw, when a Skullclamp hit the table. Myr Moonvessel turned into two cards at no cost, and suddenly, Alliances was facing an Arcbound Ravager arrival. Now desperate, Alliances sent its Deadly Insect on a suicide mission, which ended with a block by the remaining Nexus (sacrificed to feed Ravager). A defiant Elvish Ranger joined the battle, but the game was out of hand. Darksteel played an Arcbound Worker and an Arcbound Slith to feed the hungry Ravager, and added a Spire Golem for good measure. With no significant defenses left and facing the now 6/6 Ravager, Golem, and Skullclamp, Alliances conceded and the series was even.
Alliances 1, Darksteel 1
GAME 3
Alliances elected to draw in this potentially pivotal game three, and watched as Darksteel opened with a flurry: Myr Moonvessel, Blinkmoth Nexus, and Arcbound Ravager on the first two turns. Alliances tried to scrap the Ravager with a Guerilla Tactics, but the modular monster was having none of that, surviving at the expense of the Moonvessel and the Nexus (Moonvessel sacrificed in response to Tactics to make Ravager 2/2, then Moonvessel mana used to activate Nexus, sacrificed to make Ravager 3/3). Darksteel followed that up with a Ravager attack and an Arcbound Stinger. Alliances could only muster an Elvish Ranger, and watched as the Stinger became the latest Ravager fodder EOT.
The rapidly growing Ravager crashed in for five more damage, dropping Alliances to 12. Darksteel added an Arcbound Worker and passed the turn back. But just when Darksteel appeared to have left the underdog in the dust, Alliances ruined the Ravager strategy on the following turn. A Death Spark targeted the Arcbound Worker, which helped Ravager grow to 7/7. But now the Ravager was all alone with nowhere to put its counters should the need arise. It was a sitting duck for the ensuing Primitive Justice, which smashed the monstrous metallic menace and cleared the way for an Elvish Ranger attack. For Darksteel, the game, and possibly the series, had taken a dramatic turn for the worse, as it could manage only an Arcbound Crusher, which was not assigned to block the Ranger’s next attack. The life totals stood even at 12 as Alliances went for the throat with a Balduvian Horde. Darksteel tried to fight back with another Crusher, but conceded immediately when yet another Primitive Justice wiped out both Crushers on Alliances’s next turn.
Alliances 2, Darksteel 1
This is not how Darksteel’s tournament was supposed to end. Sure, it was understood that Darksteel could lose a tight match in the later rounds - it happens. Only the winner will ultimately experience a tournament free of disappointment. But a first round ouster? Unthinkable, even against the tough Alliances gauntlet of removal. Darksteel was expected to at least roll into the Top 8 and then, who knows? Now, though, those dreams were in serious jeopardy, and only a furious rally could revive them. Darksteel was facing a moment of truth.
The rally started off decently enough - turn one Myr Moonvessel, turn two Arcbound Slith, and a turn three Blinkmoth Nexus. The Moonvessel fell to a Guerilla Tactics after one measly attack, while the Slith also got one hit in before an Elvish Ranger was put on guard. Darksteel added an Arcbound Crusher and attacked with the Slith, which traded with the Ranger. The death of the 2/2 Slith grew the Crusher to a solid 3/3, but a Pillage immediately cut off that avenue of attack. Darksteel recovered easily, though, summoning an Arcbound Ravager and an Arcbound Stinger. The Ravager had plenty of potential food in play, including two Darksteel Citadels, the Nexus, and the Stinger. Alliances threw a Death Spark at the Ravager, but it calmly swelled into a 2/2 with the animation and sacrifice of Nexus. Alliances could only attempt a futile Primitive Justice, targeting Ravager and Stinger, but Darksteel grew the Ravager to 3/3 (sacrificing a Citadel) in response, then utilized the powerful modular mechanic by sacrificing Ravager onto Stinger, which ended up as a 4/4. The subsequent attack beat Alliances down to 14, and an Arcbound Worker joined the Stinger.
Alliances summoned a Deadly Insect and passed back. The Stinger struck again, and the turn went back to Alliances, which could only add an Elvish Ranger and pass. The Stinger’s third attack reduced Alliances to a tottering 6 life. Then, things took a most unfortunate turn: another Arcbound Ravager! Alliances was hopelessly outgunned and packed it in after a look at the next draw.
Alliances 2, Darksteel 2
GAME 5
It came down to this for Darksteel: a win-or-go-home game in round one. Although this match had been an ordeal for the modular machine, a win here and all would be forgotten.
This tournament is all about survival - the point is to survive and advance, even if it’s a struggle. If Darksteel could just smash its way past the stout test of Alliances, anything could happen.
The lesson of survival was demonstrated well by Antiquities in its first championship run in BOTS IV. Indeed, although Antiquities dominated the field last tournament en route to a 15-2 record and the BOTS VI championship (its second title), Antiquities’s first title run was not so smooth. In that tournament, BOTS IV, Antiquities had to sweat out a tight 3-2 decision in the first round against a Weatherlight deck that at the time was packing four Serenities. Then, in the Division Finals (Top 8), Antiquities trailed Scourge 0-2 before rallying for a miraculous 3-2 comeback victory that ultimately propelled the Workshop deck to the championship.
Could Darksteel take that first big step on the way to a possible championship run of its own?
The answer turned out to be an emphatic yes.
Alliances again drew, leaving Darksteel to make the first play, a turn two Arcbound Slith. The Slith died to yet another Death Spark, but Darksteel was just getting started. Turn three featured an Arcbound Ravager and a Skullclamp. As it turned out, the powerhouse was just getting started. Alliances aimed a Primitive Justice at the Skullclamp, which was predictably fed to the Ravager. Alliances then made another attempt to kill the metallic monstrosity, tossing a Pyrokinesis at the Ravager (losing Balduvian Horde to ‘Nesis). This tactic was successful in eliminating the Ravager, but Darksteel would not be denied and replaced the Ravager with a Blinkmoth Nexus and an Arcbound Crusher. Alliances could manage only an inadequate Elvish Ranger.
Darksteel finally put the match out of reach with a crushing sequence of events on the following turn: another Nexus, another Crusher, and worst of all, a fresh Ravager. A Genesis Chamber hit the board on Darksteel’s next turn. Alliances could manage nothing more than a Pillaging of the Chamber. Now the end was near for valiant Alliances, which had fought so hard only to come up just short against Darksteel’s lineup of industrial doom.
The end came when Darksteel added an Arcbound Worker and sent a 4/4 Crusher in for an attack. Alliances, with nothing in play besides the brave Ranger, blocked, determined to fight until the bitter end, even though the battle was clearly lost. In response, Darksteel used Ravager to sacrifice Worker, adding one counter to Crusher, and one to Ravager, in the process making them 5/5 and 3/3 respectively. The Elvish Ranger died, and Alliances took four trample damage, Darksteel’s first damage of the game. Pyrokinesis targeted the Crusher, but Darksteel would have none of that, sacrificing the Crusher to Ravager in response to ‘Nesis, growing Ravager to 4/4, and an activated Nexus to 6/6. From there, Alliances was quickly pummeled to death. A determined effort, but in the end, Darksteel’s raw power was just too much.
Darksteel survives and advances into the second round!
Darksteel 3, Alliances 2[
As expected, former champ Mirrodin had little difficulty in dispatching a hopelessly overmatched opponent. Stronghold’s game three win ensured that it would not go home empty-handed, but Mirrodin put the hammer down in game four with an early kill that dashed any hopes of a historic upset.
(4) Urza’s Saga d. (5) Exodus, 3-1
Degenerate Saga took advantage of an ideal matchup, wiping the floor with Spike Weaver and company in a match that came down to one card: Smokestack. After a game one win for Exodus in which it barely managed to outrun a four-counter Smokestack thanks to Thopter Squadron, it was all Saga in three straight Stack-fueled blowouts
(6) Invasion d. (3) Urza’s Destiny, 3-1
These two have now clashed three times, and the festering hostilities have blossomed into a nascent rivalry. The first two times (BOTS III Round of 16 and BOTS VI Round of 32), Invasion was conquered by Destiny’s superior speed and muscle. Heading into this third meeting, Destiny was once more viewed as the prohibitive favorite. And why not? Although Invasion seems capable of beating Destiny, it had been blown out of the first two meetings by a combined games score of 6-1.
But this third meeting was different right from the start, as Invasion utilized its burn and solid creatures to keep Destiny off-balance. Unlike past meetings, Invasion was able to put Destiny under enough pressure to capitalize on some surprising stumbles by the normally dependable green powerhouse.
Game one set the tone for the match. Destiny had the ideal start: playing first with two Rofellos, Llanowar Emissary in hand. But the first Rofellos succumbed to Ghitu Fire, and the second to Urza’s Rage. Suddenly, Destiny’s promising opening had disappeared. Although it was able to follow with a Yavimaya Elder, Invasion had done just enough to seize the advantage, and quickly followed up with a pair of Blazing Specters. A Masticore arrived to limit the damage, but the pair of flying menaces had done irreparable harm by the time Destiny’s machine-gun Cat could shoot both down, and Destiny was left with just one card in hand. When an Addle knocked out Destiny’s last remaining card in hand and sent the ‘Core to the graveyard, the path was clear for a Skizzik to close out the victory.
Still stunned from game three, Destiny attempted to rally, throwing out an early Heart Warden in an attempt to draw fire away from Rofellos. However, when both the turn two Warden and a turn three Rofellos were burned away, Destiny was in trouble - and when it stalled on three Forests one turn later, Destiny was in serious trouble. Invasion, feeling only contempt for its disabled rival, coldly capitalized on the delay, uncorking a Skizzik. The match came to an abrupt end from there, as the Skizzik and a pair of bloodthirsty Shivan Zombies bludgeoned their fallen opponent to death in short order. Destiny’s demise was particularly gruesome, in that it was beaten about the head while watching a pair of opportunistic Zombies consume its tasty flesh.
DIVISION 2 - Round of 32 Match Reports
*Feature Match* - - - - - (5) Scourge d. (4) Betrayers of Kamigawa, 3-2
In possibly the longest match in BOTS history, Scourge finally tasted the sweet nectar of victory after an epic struggle that stretched well past the two-hour mark . . .
….but not before narrowly escaping elimination thanks to spectacular life-saving Decree of Justice topdecks in games two and four.
MATCHUP ANALYSIS
At first glance, Scourge might appear to be at a significant disadvantage against the heavy removal of Betrayers. Upon closer inspection, though, the contest is actually a toss-up.
Of particular concern for Scourge is Final Judgment, which, in addition to its obvious power as a Wrath of God effect, provides Betrayers with an answer to a large Decree of Justice, or to Eternal Dragon. Similarly, Eradicate can also prevent any Dragon nonsense, or simply liquidate all four copies of a key creature, such as Dawn Elemental. Horobi’s Whisper supplements the two aforementioned major removal cards as a nice third option with the potential to take out multiple creatures once Betrayers starts to fill its graveyard in the late game (thanks to the Splice ability). On top of this potent arsenal of removal, Betrayers can wreck Scourge with a well-timed Three Tragedies, the value of which increases in a slow match such as this. Three Tragedies is all the more potent in a deck featuring mass removal, as there is nowhere to hide - hold creatures back, and Tragedies rips them out. Put the creatures into play, and they fall victim to Final Judgment or Eradicate.
On the other side, Scourge has several important features that allow it to compete in this matchup. Chief among these features is Eternal Dragon - provided the Dragons are kept out of play unless absolutely necessary. Since these games figure to be long, drawn-out affairs, Scourge might be able to bide its time and use its Dragons to suck all the Plains out of the deck. In this way, Scourge can ensure “lucky” topdecks in the late game, while Betrayers is stuck drawing a much higher percentage of unwanted land. The deck-thinning provided by Eternal Dragon also tied in to one of Scourge’s other critical cards - Decree of Justice. If Scourge is to win, it will likely do so with huge late-game Decrees (either cycling for Soldiers or hard-cast for Angels, depending on what the situation calls for) because of the vulnerability of Scourge’s other creatures to Betrayers’s removal. Not only will the Eternal Dragons suck the land out of the deck, they will also allow Scourge to build up large quantities of mana to fuel massive late-game Decrees. The third key card for Scourge is Wipe Clean - without this invaluable enchantment removal, Scourge would be left almost helpless against the onslaught of Genjus. With the services of a full compliment of Wipes, however, Scourge will have a very good chance of avoiding Genju beatings (especially since Scourge has a better chance of drawing a Wipe Clean than Betrayers does of drawing a Genju of the Fields, due to the deck-thinning of Eternal Dragon and the cycling of Decree of Justice).
The matchup boils down to this: Betrayers has the hardcore removal, but no method of card-drawing or deck-thinning. On the other hand, Scourge is “smarter” thanks to the deck-thinning of Eternal Dragon, and wields a back-breaking late-game bomb in Decree of Justice.
GAME 1
Scourge went first, but Betrayers made the first significant play, a turn one Genju of the Fields. Scourge wasted little time in starting the Eternal Dragon deck-thinning campaign, then Wiped Clean the Genju. Scourge followed up with a Dawn Elemental. Betrayers eagerly took the opportunity to unveil one of its devastating weapons, Eradicate, which left the mono-white deck Elemental-less for the remainder of the game. Silver Knight was next on the board. Yukora, the Prisoner provided some company for the Knight, which was soon joined by a Daru Warchief. Betrayers launched its first offensive of the match on the following turn, assassinating the Warchief with Horobi’s Whisper and crashing in with Yukora.
Remarkably, Betrayers already had all four Terashi’s Grasp in hand - essentially leaving Betrayers four draw phases down. Nonetheless, Scourge was able to do nothing more than attack with the Silver Knight. A freshly drawn Genju of the Fields consolidated Betrayers’s position still further. Joined by the Genju, Yukora gored once more, leaving the life totals at 22-8 in favor of Betrayers, thanks to a double Genju activation.
Betrayers attempted the same attack once more, this time with a triple Genju activation. This time, Scourge was able to parry at least somewhat with a Wing Shards, but this was an inadequate remedy for the problem. All the Shards accomplished was the temporary dismissal of the Genju, which would return the following turn. Scourge fell to 3 from the Yukora beating, but Scourge found a sixth Plains and Noble Templar came to the rescue. Betrayers replayed the Genju of the Fields and had nothing more.
Scourge continued to rebuild its position with another Daru Warchief, but it was short for this game thanks to a Sickening Shoal. Another Genju of the Fields showed up, and Scourge was again in a bad way. The Eternal Dragon recursion plan started up during the next upkeep, but Betrayers was prepared to win this one before that would matter. The following turn saw a double-Genju/Yukora attack. The Silver Knight died blocking a Genju, while Noble Templar buffered Yukora. The unblocked Genju left Scourge tottering at 1, while Betrayers shot up to 26.
In a last-ditch attempt at survival, Scourge boosted its mana with a Temple of the False God and used a Decree of Justice for a pair of Angels. Mercifully, this plan worked, and Betrayers could only draw and pass. Now two Genju of the Fields and Yukora, the Prisoner simply stared across at two Angel tokens and a Noble Templar.
Then, Scourge increased the possibility of a successfully comeback bid with another Decree of Justice - this time for three Angels! The original Angel pair flew in for a righteous eight-point attack, and Betrayers was left to produce an answer. An EOT Horobi’s Whisper knocked out the Noble Templar, although Scourge had the three new Angels with which to block.
Scourge’s comeback dreams were still very realistic, even without the Templar - that is, until Betrayers topdecked Final Judgment! Suddenly, the only non-land permanents were the two Genjus. Mercifully, Betrayers’s only Plains were the Genju Plains (tapped to cast Final Judgment), so Scourge had one more turn to fight back.
Another Noble Templar rallied to the cause, and a topdecked Wipe Clean kept hope alive, eliminating a Genju of the Fields. The game then settled into a prolonged period of draw-go in which neither deck could improve its position. The remaining Genju of the Fields would attack with multiple activations, bouncing off Noble Templar, but providing life-gain. Templar would attack right back to keep the life-gain somewhat in check. Meanwhile, Scourge continued the Eternal Dragon deck-thinning process.
Scourge, though it could eventually reap a huge advantage from the repeated Dragon use, was facing a precarious situation. All Betrayers need to do was find a single removal spell to murder the Noble Templar and allow Genju of the Fields to end the game. Consequently, Scourge finally took the plunge and put an Eternal Dragon into play. The Dragon got one hit in before another Final Judgment wipe out both the Dragon and the Noble Templar. Scourge would not give in, though, and hung on thanks to a Wing Shards, delaying Genju of the Fields for one more turn.
However, the end at last came next turn, when Scourge found nothing of help. The first of five grueling late-game chess-matches had gone to Betrayers, but Scourge was more than prepared to meet the challenge.
Betrayers 1, Scourge 0
GAME 2
Drawing on the experience of game one, Scourge elected to draw this time. The mono-White deck’s first play was a Dawn Elemental, but it was immediately removed by an EOT Horobi’s Whisper. Three Tragedies knocked out a Daru Warchief, a Plains, and a Noble Templar, but Scourge hung tough with another Templar. Betrayers calmly replied with another Horobi’s Whisper.
Templars, in addition to their nobility, are apparently also quite persistent - a third Noble Templar appeared and started to chip away. The Templar was left unharmed, but a second Tragedies knocked out a Wing Shards, a Temple of the False God, and a Plains (Eternal Dragon’s Plainscycling cost paid in response to Tragedies).
During the next upkeep, Scourge recursed the Dragon. Then, the Templar hit once more, reducing Betrayers to 14. A Silver Knight joined the righteous cause, and Betrayers now had the inducement it needed to use a board-clearing Final Judgment.
Over the next several turns, Scourge went about the business of deck-thinning, while Betrayers launched a Genju of the Fields offensive against the Wipeless Scourge. Another Silver Knight entered the playing area, but the Genju continued to pour on the life-gain. Wing Shards stopped the Genju nuisance for a turn. Betrayers summoned its nightmarish enforcer, Yukora, the Prisoner. The life totals were 22-16 in favor of Betrayers.
Yukora attacked and drew a chump block from the Silver Knight. The Sharded Genju of the Fields rejoined the monstrous Demon. Scourge called upon the defensive services of another Dawn Elemental, but once more, a Horobi’s Whisper dashed those plans. The Yukora/Genju assault left the life totals at 24-9.
Another Noble Templar limited the damage caused by the next attack, and the life totals became 30-7, then 27-7 after the Templar attacked. Scourge was preparing to prove that the huge disparity in life totals was nothing more than an illusion, but before that could happen, the mono-White deck needed a bit more defense, which it got in the form of another Dawn Elemental.
A frustrated Betrayers watched its Yukora/Genju campaign halted. After several turns of draw-go (and Eternal Dragon thinning), the Dawn Elemental attacked, signaling that Scourge had found a Decree of Justice. Yukora and Genju of the Fields attacked only to find that Scourge really did have the Decree. Nine Soldier tokens charged into play and two sacrificed for the greater good. The life totals once again stood at 30-7 in favor of Betrayers, although Scourge had the decided edge in board position as Betrayers’s turn ended.
Scourge dropped a ton of bricks on its opponent with a Daru Warchief and suddenly, those Soldier tokens were more than a nuisance. Betrayers's life total was sliced nearly in half to 16. Final Judgment reset the board and cleared the path for a Genju of the Fields attack, making the life score 18-5.
Scourge was unfazed by the board sweep, though, and sensing the time was right, aggressively went for the kill, summoning two Eternal Dragons. This strategy would only backfire if Betrayers had another Final Judgment, and had the benefit of ensuring that Eradicate could only neutralize one of the Dragons. Betrayers in fact had an Eradicate to kill one Dragon. Then, for the first time in the match, Patron of the Kitsune appeared. Scourge could respond only with a Daru Warchief, and once more the momentum had seemingly shifted in this back-and-forth match. The Patron and Genju of the Fields both attacked, inducing a Daru Warchief chump block on Patron and leaving the life totals at 25-5. When Betrayers summoned Yukora, the Prisoner and added another Genju of the Fields, it appeared that Scourge was about to be in an 0-2 hole.
Then, it happened: Decree of Justice on the draw! Moments earlier, Scourge had been all but assured of an all-but insurmountable 0-2 series deficit. Suddenly, though, an incredible topdeck had turned the game, and ultimately the match around. Six Angels entered the battle against a stunned Betrayers. The previously lonely Eternal Dragon attacked, and it was 20-5.
Eradicate removed the Dragon, and now-desperate Betrayers sent a Genju, Yukora, and Patron of the Kitsune in for an attack. Two Angels blocked Yukora, two blocked Genju, and one blocked Patron. Between Genju and Patron, Betrayers gained seven life, but it hardly mattered. The Genju left play, Yukora died, and so did Patron (due to Yukora leaving play). In the carnage, Scourge lost just two Angels. With four Angels left, Scourge could win with three more attack steps (due to the life-gain of Genju) provided Betrayers could not find another Final Judgment. All four Angels swooped in, and it was 11-5 Betrayers. Scourge added a Silver Knight for good measure.
Betrayers failed to find a Judgment and could only stall with a four-activation Genju attack, leaving the life totals at 19-3. It didn’t matter, but Betrayers couldn’t even re-cast the second Genju of the Fields due to having only one Plains left.
All four Angels and the Silver Knight attacked to leave Betrayers at a precarious 1 life. Betrayers had one more chance to find that Final Judgment it so badly needed. Final Judgment did not appear on the draw, but as it turned out, a Judgment would not have saved the game since Scourge had by this point drawn another Decree of Justice.
Betrayers 1, Scourge 1
GAME 3
Things started off promisingly for Scourge when it was able to Wipe Away an early Genju and Wing Shards Yukora, the Prisoner. However, the promise quickly evaporated when a wickedly timed Three Tragedies liquidated Scourge’s three-card hand of Decree of Justice, Decree of Justice, and Silver Knight, leaving the mono-White deck with nothing aside from a Noble Templar and Daru Warchief in play. Betrayers cruelly followed the gut-punch Three Tragedies up with a gut-punch Final Judgment, and for all intents and purposes the game was over. From there, Betrayers was able to feast on a floundering opponent that was left to topdecking. A pair of Genjus of the Fields backed by an avalanche of removal finished off the rout. Game three was a total liquidation - one more performance like that and Betrayers would be moving on for an almost certain date with Antiquities. But Scourge had other ideas.
Betrayers 2, Scourge 1
GAME 4
Despite the tragic outcome of the previous game, Scourge stuck with its plan, electing to draw once more. The end appeared near when Betrayers opened with two early Genjus of the Fields against a lonely Silver Knight. Fortunately for Scourge, Betrayers had land difficulties and could utilize neither the Three Tragedies nor the Final Judgments it maddeningly held in hand. Thus, Betrayers was compelled to use a Horobi’s Whisper on a Dawn Elemental and to do nothing about the Silver Knight and Daru Warchief. While Betrayers struggled, Scourge built up its mana and unleashed a four-point Decree of Justice.
Daru Warchief and eight Soldiers went for the kill, resulting in a net loss of twelve life (one blocked plus four-point life gain from double-activated Genju). However, Scourge conservatively held the Silver Knight out of the attack - a fact that would soon be significant. Now at 8 life, Betrayers needed to draw a land.
The draw? Swamp. Betrayers headed off the Soldier horde with a badly-needed Final Judgment.
The board clear, and Scourge came right back with a third Decree of Justice EOT! This time it was for six Soldiers. Although Scourge had fresh troops, the importance of the Knight not attacking was clear - had the Knight attacked, Betrayers would have been at 6 instead of 8, and the six new Soldiers would have been able to end the game on the next attack.
This turned out to be huge when Betrayers, still very much alive and kicking, unveiled a second Judgment on the next turn, clearing away the six Soldiers and a freshly played Noble Templar. Betrayers, flush with the feeling of having been given a second chance, seized the inititative with Yukora, the Prisoner. Scourge kept Yukora at bay with a Noble Templar, then added a Silver Knight. Needing to conserve Plains, Betrayers conservatively kept its Genjus back as well, and the game settled into a lull with the only activity being Eternal Dragon thinning for several turns.
Betrayers ended the lull with a third Genju of Fields. Eradicate ended the Noble Templar’s brief stay and liquidated the two remaining in Scourge’s library. Yukora was sent to hell by a Wing Shards, but another Demon replaced the fallen Yukora. Two of the three Genjus of the Fields disappeared EOT thanks to a pair of Wipe Cleans. It was now Yukora and a Genju of the Fields vs. a lone Silver Knight.
Scourge improved its chances with a Dawn Elemental, but it succumbed to a Sickening Shoal. Genju of the Fields then worked the life totals to 16-4 in favor of Scourge. Betrayers was beginning to work itself out of the danger zone, and Scourge was rapidly moving towards extinction. Despite the fact that Scourge had removed most of the Plains from its deck, three Decrees of Justice were already gone and Betrayers could handle the rest of Scourge’s threats much more easily.
The Eternal Dragon-thinning continued to suck Plains out of the deck and a Dawn Elemental appeared, only to fall to Eradicate. Scourge was now without the services of all of its Dawn Elementals, all of its Noble Templars, and three out of four Decrees of Justice. The only positive to the Eradication of the Dawn Elementals and Noble Templars had been that the chances of drawing the last Decree of Justice were increased in the process.
Meanwhile, the life totals got still closer at 9-8 after a Genju/Yukora attack. Scourge found another Wipe Clean to eliminate the Genju of the Fields, but Silver Knight died blocking Yukora.
Scourge had two Eternal Dragons in the graveyard at this point, and retrieved both during its upkeep. Scourge lacked the mana to cast an Eternal Dragon, though, so one of the Dragons went back to the graveyard in exchange for another Plains, boosting Scourge to sixteen mana (14 Plains and a Temple). Scourge then watched Yukora strike into an empty board to leave Scourge with just 4 life separating it from elimination.
The situation became really desperate when Betrayers summoned a topdecked Patron of the Kitsune - now the Eternal Dragons would not be sufficient to extend the game because Scourge did not have the nineteen mana required to retrieve one Dragon from the graveyard and then cast both. Tossing one of the Dragons in order to play a Plains right away had seemed like a decent play at the time, but that all changed with the Patron arrival. Had Scourge held the Plainscycled Eternal Dragon back, it would have been able to summon both Eternal Dragons on its next turn. But that was not a possibility now.
Suddenly, Scourge was staring at almost certain elimination. One card, and one card only could save Scourge’s tournament life: Decree of Justice.
Then, it happened.
Decree of Justice on the draw! Scourge was saved! Crestfallen, Betrayers could only watch in horror as six saving Angels arrived to the rescue. Scourge had gone from the depths of despair to the pinnacle of ecstasy in mere moments.
The pressure shifted back to Betrayers, which held nothing of use in hand. The draw? Final Judgment! One amazing topdeck deserves another - Betrayers was not dead yet!
The ensuing suicide attack boosted Betrayers’s life total to 10 (from Patron of the Kitsune). The effort resulted in the death of both creatures, each blocked by a pair of Angels. Final Judgment removed the four remaining Angels, and Betrayers played another Yukora, the Prisoner. Betrayers was assured of nothing, though, because Scourge had an Eternal Dragon in hand with which to block Yukora next turn, and another Dragon that Scourge could retrieve and play one turn after that. Betrayers would need another targeted removal spell to clear the path for a game-winning attack.
The suspense was now unbearable. None of the spectators had left their seats for nearly an hour for so much as a bathroom break, entranced by the pulsating back-and-forth action. What would happen next?
On Scourge’s upkeep, it made a solid decision and chose not to retrieve the Eternal Dragon in the graveyard. The reasoning was simple: Scourge did not have enough mana to retrieve the Dragon, then cast both that Dragon and the Dragon in hand. Better to see if the draw yielded anything of use - if the draw did provide something useful, then Scourge could cast both the Dragon in hand and the freshly drawn card. If nothing of use was drawn, Scourge could still summon one Eternal Dragon and then the other the on the following turn.
The draw, as it turned out, was extremely kind to Scourge: a third Eternal Dragon!
Scourge summoned two Eternal Dragons, and Betrayers was on the ropes. Betrayers drew a card and passed back. Scourge retrieved its third Eternal Dragon and attacked for the win with both Eternal Dragons in play. Betrayers earned a stay of execution with a Horobi’s Whisper to stop one of them. Scourge simply replaced the fallen Eternal Dragon with another one. Betrayers, down to 5, needed another removal spell. Instead, the draw mockingly produced Three Tragedies to compliment an equally useless Terashi’s Grasp in hand.
Despite a couple of questionable plays, Scourge had survived because of its “lucky” draws - thanks to the deck-thinning of Eternal Dragon. With the help of Eternal Dragon, luck is invariably on Scourge’s side in long games. Amazingly, this epic confrontation was headed for a deciding game five.
Betrayers 2, Scourge 2
GAME 5
Things fell apart right from the start for Betrayers. Two early Genjus of the Fields were Wiped Clean, and Betrayers could muster little after that. Scourge began to get the Eternal Dragon Plains factory going. Dawn Elemental died to a Sickening Shoal and Betrayers added Yukora, the Prisoner. However, Scourge had an answer for the Demon as well, slaying it with Wing Shards. Unsurprisingly, a Daru Warchief showed up, but surprisingly, it lived. The Warchief got one hit in before another Yukora, the Prisoner temporarily put a stop to that. Scourge was content to add a second Daru Warchief, which perished to another Sickening Shoal. Yukora got one hit in but declined a second attack when it became clear that Scourge was going to unload an EOT Decree of Justice. Nine Soldier entered play, and with that, Betrayers's hopes of winning the match went up in smoke. Betrayers managed to use a third Sickening Shoal on the remaining Warchief, but it mattered little.
Betrayers had nothing left, while Scourge had built up a massive amount of mana and had suffered no major setback (i.e. Eradicate or Three Tragedies). It was just a matter of finishing a battered and dazed opponent. Scourge summoned another Daru Warchief. Betrayers had a Horobi’s Whisper to deal with that threat, but even without their leader, the Soldiers streamed in for an attack. Yukora killed one, but the other eight reduced Betrayers to 10.
Betrayers could only draw and play a land, but was prepared to play on despite the overwhelming swarm of Soldiers. However, when Scourge revealed another Decree of Justice, Betrayers graciously conceded. A memorable confrontation between two worthy competitors had come to an end, but the memories of the legendary battle would echo through the halls of eternity.
Scourge 3, Betrayers 2
(1) Antiquities d. (8) Nemesis, 3-1
As expected, defending champion Antiquities advanced with only minimal difficulty against Nemesis, which had earned the eighth seed by winning the Play-In division. The only hiccup came in game two, when Nemesis capitalized on a slow start by the champ and bashed away with Blastoderm and Saproling Burst.
After Nemesis dared to challenge the champ’s authority, Antiquities responded with extreme prejudice and unloaded a game three thrashing on the rude upstart. Turn three Triskelion and turn four Triskelion followed turn one Onulet to crush Nemesis under an avalanche of cold steel. Meanwhile a pair of Strip Mines provided a couple of kicks to the teeth just for good measure. Antiquities then won the fourth game comfortably to advance.
(7) Urza’s Legacy d. (2) Visions, 3-1
After a dominating run to the Final Four last time, Visions is out considerably earlier this time around. What a difference one tournament makes.
If you aren't familiar with the Visions Sandsipoise combo, it works like this: Equipoise phases all of an opponent's excess creatures/artifacts/lands out during Visions’s upkeep, while Sands of Time requires each participant to skip his untap phase, making the opponent’s creatures, artifacts, and lands never come back again - this works because phasing in and out occurs during the untap step.
Thanks to the search power of Impulse and Vampiric Tutor, Visions has no difficulty setting up the lock within an adequate amount of time. Meanwhile, Peace Talks buys Visions any needed time against aggro, Coercion adds some protection against removal or any other threatening cards, and Wand of Denial slams the hammer down against any potential escape from the lock if the opponent does not already have what they need in hand. What it all amounts to is a cohesive mixture of lock components, search, and defense. Visions is certainly one of the most unusual and interesting decks in the format, and is one of only two creatureless decks - the other being Tempest.
However, Visions does have a few glaring weaknesses - and one of those weaknesses is susceptibility to man-lands. One factor that contributed to Antiquites’s sweep of Visions in the Final Four last time out was Mishra’s Factory. Antiquities could win with Mishra’s Factories even after the Sandsipoise lock was in place - the lock does not deny Visions’s opponents access to their lands so long as they do not go above four lands. Hence, Visions could still lose even with the lock in play unless it had a Vision Charm to stop Mishra’s Factory or a Forbidden Ritual to finish off the Factories for good.
Against Legacy, the manland problem was even worse. First, because there are more of them (four Faerie Conclaves and four Treetop Villages), and second because Vision Charm is useless against Conclave and Village (unlike Factory, which is also an artifact and can thus be permanently phased out by Vision Charm while the Sandsipoise lock is in place. The only way Visions could win would be to get the Sandsipoise lock in place, then use Forbidden Ritual to clear the board of lands. From there, Visions would be able to win by simply refusing to play any further lands and just decking Legacy.
But as the final match score indicates, this happened in only one game. In the other three games, Visions could not find Forbidden Ritual soon enough after the lock was down and died either to Treetop Villages or Faerie Conclaves, sometimes augmented by Rancor.
(3) Champions of Kamigawa d. (6) Legends, 3-0
Keep moving, folks, nothing to see here, nothing to see here….
Champions is a fascinating deck worthy of further discussion - but not after a ten minute warm-up match against a hopelessly overmatched opponent. Expect to see more of the powerful Champions deck in the later rounds of the tournament.
That's all I've got for you for now. Check in soon and the other half of the round of 32 will be ready for you!