Tournament Results: 1-2 Drop
February 19th 2005. A day that is suppose to be remembered as the day that Wiseguy finally qualified for a PRO TOUR. It was the second round and I dispatched the first guy.... wait a minute, in order to tell this right we need to go back.
How far we going back? Way back.
Circa 95 there was a deck that was stomping everything in STANDARD (Type 2), it was called Necro. Necro decks were everywhere this summer and there wasnt much in the way of foil decks for NECRO. You could run WW but you would still lose to Gloom and Drain Lifes eventually. So I wanted to build a deck that could put you on a clock so that NECRO would have a hard time dealing with. This was around the time that they were premiering Arena at certain events like CONVENTIONS and select area's of the country. For those who dont know Arena was like FNM in alot of ways, it had prize support and it was all sanctioned. It was my first trip to Atlanta for Dragon Con and I was about to be apart of the TESTING for Arena. Arena's season was Type 2 and I wanted to build something that I could gun sling with that I wasn;t going to get drilled by Necro. So I went and threw a RED deck together that was made to kill ppl FAST. This was a lil bit like Sligh was, but this was b4 SLIGH had surfaced yet. My deck was proababy something like this.
4 Mons Goblin Raiders
4 Goblin Balloon Brigade
4 Goblins of the Flarg
3 Dragon Whelp
4 Ball Lightning
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Bloodlust
4 Goblin Grenade
1 Black Vise
1 Strip Mine
4 Incenerate
mountains and stuff
The point is I went through about 7 decks in a row with out losing. So I quit for the day and went attuned it for a TYPE 1 tourney. This is b4 I got my first big Type 1 card so I wanted to run a deck that could beat a deck like THE DECK without any chance of them gaining the upper hand. So I added my Chain Lightnings and the likes. The first guy I played was powered up. At this point I had never played against a powered deck, I was quite intimidated. He beat me the first game but by BARELY squeaking it out. Next game I slammed em pretty hard and he was visibly upset. Next game was another close one, and I ended up losing. The guy asked if he could see my deck and he looked through it real snidely... I asked if we could play some more since I was already out of the tourney. We played about 4 more games and I beat him all of them. Looking at it now it dont seem to be all that big, but at the time, it was unheard of that a GOBLIN deck could take out a POWERED deck.
After that I went years playing SLIGH, playing random red decks, like the original RDW that ran LD with Avalanche Riders. I was a fan of red. Sometime around then though Sligh lost its THUNDER. It started to lose to things that it used to ahndle and ppl were giving up on it (much like they have done to WHITE today) Then came a block full of GOBBOS and cards like the Recruiter and the Matrons weren't looking all that bad suddenly. That was two years ago and that is when I discovered that the Japanese were the craziest deck builders in the universe. This deck led directly to the banning of Goblin Lackey and Goblin Recruiter.
20 Mountain
2 Ancient Tomb
1 City of Traitors
___
4 Goblin Lackey
4 Mogg Fanatic
4 Goblin Recruiter
4 Goblin Piledriver
3 Gempalm Incinerator
3 Goblin Warchief
3 Goblin Ringleader
3 Goblin Matron
3 Skirk Prospector
2 Siege-Gang Commander
1 Sparksmith
___
3 Rites of Initiation
___
4 Seal of Fire
4 Pyrostatic Pillar
4 Pillage
1 Goblin Sharpshooter
1 Goblin Assassin
1 Goblin Incinerator
This concoction is the grand daddy of all GREAT Gobvantage decks. I played this to a VERY strong finish in Wise whenever I first came across the list as it somehow flew under the radar at the time since it did not top 8. But the deck was RAW in power so I know I wanted to run it. Now almost 2 years later I am still hooked on this deck. Its not lost much power but the original STUD cards in it are gone, Lackey and Recruiter. Truth be known, the deck still has Warchief and Pile Driver, which means it has enuf to win.
Here is the list I used this past weekend. I know you guys know this list by now but here it is anyways.
2 Goblin Goon
4 Goblin Matron
4 Goblin Piledriver
3 Goblin Ringleader
1 Goblin Sharpshooter
4 Goblin Warchief
4 Mogg Fanatic
3 Mogg Flunkies
1 Siege-Gang Commander
2 Skirk Prospector
___
4 AEther Vial
4 Cabal Therapy
2 Duress
___
4 Bloodstained Mire
12 Mountain
4 Sulfurous Springs
2 Swamp
___
2 Duress
3 Gempalm Incinerator
2 Goblin Goon
4 Powder Keg
4 Pyrostatic Pillar
The deck was a solid deck and from playtesting I knew I had a good chance of taking out COMBO. Unfortunately not LIFE combo though, here is my report.
Round ONE-Life/Breakfast
I lose the die roll of course and he goes first turn Forbidden Orchard, Aether Vial. I take my first turn and go Mountain, Aether Vial. On his second turn he Therapy's me calling Slith FIREWALKER! Holy crap, this guy is clueless, next turn I therapy him for Illusionist and I hit, I win easily.
Second game I dont get any early pressure on him and he eventually gets INFINITE blocking going. That sux, and he combos with the LIFE side of the combo on turn 5.
Third game I play first and Therapy him on turn one calling Nomad En Cor.... I HIT, it was the only business card he had in hand really and I had fast pressure on em.
2-1
Match TWO against Life.
This guy was pretty nice I guess. I couldnt spend way to much time with em as he is pretty annoying as well. We talk a lil before the game and he opens his mouth about his last game where he COMBOED the guy out... So I knew he was running a combo deck and at first I thought Desires. He won the roll and played first turn Forbidden Orchard. So Instantly I though he was with Aluren, so I Therapy him calling Aluren, he dont have it, he aint even playing it lol.. its another LIFE deck, this one running Black for the Seal. I rip 4 cards out of his hand and win.
Game two he goes off on turn four. I thought I was going to get him this game as he had to top deck a Worthy cause to beat me... of course he top deck the Worthy cause.
Game three is more of the same thing. I cant beat LIFE.
Match 3 vs Reanimator
This guy was butthole. He struck me as the typical Magic player that dont get out of the house cept for tourneys. There isnt much to report out of our two games really. Other than he got a turn 2 Akroma in BOTH games. This same thing happened to me in Whitesburg. Our Gobbos need answers to Akroma!
I have to say that even though I pretty much scrubbed I dont feel all that bad about my decision to run Goblins. Its not good in a field of Life and Reanimator, but you are going to see alot of them deck anyways. The only thing I would do to change the deck is switch out 3 Gempalms for three Sulfuric Vortex.... otherwise Id say the deck is pretty solid.
