Tournament Results: 2nd Place 6-1-2
Hello everyone. Anyone ever owned a Mox Ruby?! I have, I do, but I wanted another one, and I almost did it. Here is what happened... to tell this story, we gotta go back lol... yes I know, its my thing, and I am doing it again.
It was September 2003, there was a Mirridon booster draft and it was in the early days of Wiseguy. At the time there was Larry Mcknight, Aaron Helton, Tandy Branham, Gary Presley and myself on the ROSTER, and I just took a young man named Fred Holbrook under my wings. Well while at the draft Fred had bought a box of Mirridon and was getting the crappy Frogmites and Thoughtcast to make a "Affinity" deck. The deck he built ran Ornithopters and Welding Jars and looked like the biggest PILE ever. He traded for Broodstars (which were CRAP) and got a couple of the uncommons for the deck Well the next day we were testing for EXTENDED, I remember this well. Larry, Tandy, and Aaron were over at my apartment and were playing in the kitchen and I was with Fred in the living room, playing against his new TYPE two deck. Affinity. I kinda felt like at the time that all the players were wanting to seriously test and I was just playing with Fred cuz he was the red headed step child. Fred was NEW playing a total PILE and I think at the time I was the only one that seen that this kid had skills. And after playing against his deck THAT I WATCHED HIM BUILD the first weekend the set was out, I learned his deck had alot of potential to. We played and he was dropping 4/4's on turn 3, the deck was capable of INSANE things, and if he got the broodstar out, it was OVER. I remember calling everyone in to check out the games and how the deck was BLOWING up. They all groaned and went back to testing Tandy's ELF deck. Oh there was potential in Affinity.
That seems like a weird statement NOW, but then, it really wasn't. The mechanic didn't seem broken, but it was, and with STATES looming, I knew this was going to have to be taken into account. Well the WEEK b4 States and there was a BUZZ growing on the net about Affinity, it was the deck to beat at STATES proclaimed Kai, everyone was chiming in. So we through a build together and took it to the VA States to test in the hotel the night b4. On this particular trip it was Ryan, Fred, Aaron and I, Fred and I just along for the ride really. We tested all night and the deck COULD not beat U/W control (a VERY hot deck) Akroma's Vengeance was MEAN! So we gave up on it and Aaron ran something else (dont remember what lol)
For reference, here is what won KY's state CHAMPIONSHIP!
"Affinity is this year's U/G Madness." -Chris Fox
3 Atog
3 Broodstar
4 Frogmite
4 Myr Enforcer
2 Assert Authority
4 Chrome Mox
4 Mana Leak
2 Rush of Knowledge
4 Talisman of Progress
2 Temporal Fissure
4 Thirst for Knowledge
4 Thoughtcast
4 Welding Jar
4 Ancient Den
4 Glimmervoid
4 Great Furnace
4 Seat of the Synod
SB
4 Annul
3 Circle of Protection: Red
3 Flashfires
3 Pyroclasm
2 Second Sunrise
Counterspells and Second Sunrise out of the board, dont we feel stupid for not doing this!? Oh well, it was out and EVERYWHERE, Broodstar Affinity was the bomb and everyone knew it. Fred invented the deck didnt he?
Well the next few months brought Darksteel and Darksteel brought a lil gadget called Skullclamp, at this point it was gettin INSANE, Affinity was everywhere, Clamps were in every deck, Affinity was winning EVERY tourney. That got banned then there was Vial Affinity. It ran rampant at States, Nationals, Worlds, Grand Prix Rimini, EVERYWHERE... then came this....
"Twas the night before banning and all through the shop,not a card was safe, not even a Sensei's Divining Top.The cards were all sleeved and tucked in there boxes.there were Witnesses, Ravagers and even chrome moxes.The players were nestled all snug in there bed,while visions of disciple less standard danced in there head,When all over the net there rose such a clatter,there was no need for oxidize, ruin, or shatter. to the Starshitty msg boards I head with a flash. On those damn Ravagers I wasted my cash!"
That leaves one format to run this deck in and since I traded for alot of the foils, I wasnt going to let them set in my room without running them. Here is Canali's build...
4 Seat of the Synod
4 Vault of Whispers
2 Ancient Den
2 Glimmervoid
4 Darksteel Citadel
1 City of Brass
2 Blinkmoth Nexus
4 Arcbound Worker
4 Disciple of the Vault
4 Frogmite
4 Arcbound Ravager
4 Meddling Mage
3 Myr Enforcer
3 Somber Hoverguard
3 Cranial Plating
4 AEther Vial
4 Chromatic Sphere
4 Thoughtcast
SB
3 Kami of Ancient Law
3 Engineered Plague
3 Chill
1 City of Brass
2 Seal of Removal
3 Cabal Therapy
Canali is a genius! Meddling Mages and Kami's. Oh well, I went with a fling version played EARLY in the season. Didnt need the MAGES I ran Tangle Wires and hopes that would keep some hate away. It really did sometimes and the hate wasnt strong anymore as Affinity was really not showing up alot of the time.
Mine was like this...
4 Seat Of The Synod
4 Great Furnace
4 Vault Of Whispers
3 Ancient Den
3 Blinkmoth Nexus
2 Glimmervoid
4 Arcbound Worker
4 Arcbound Ravager
3 Atog
1 Somber Hoverguard
4 Frogmite
4 Disciple Of The Vault
4 Chromatic Sphere
4 Thoughtcast
4 AEther Vial
2 Fling
3 Cranial Plating
3 Tangle Wire
SB
3 Engineered Plague
4 Kami Of Ancient Law
1 Tangle Wire
3 Chill
4 Cabal Therapy
If I were to replay the tourney I would have took out the extra Ancient Den and threw in another Fling. But that was IF I were to go back and since I cant I will get on with it.
Round 1- Some Kid playing WIZARDS! Dont laugh, cuz it wasnt funny
Game 1- This game went about how a U on affinity match should go. Totally wiped him up with FAST beats and the Fling/Tog combo killed him... Game 2- I side in my Cabal Therapy and Kami of Ancient Laws. He starts setting up his Wizards while I go on the defensive trying to keep Energy Flux off the board, therefore my hand is slow. I Therapy him opening turn calling ENERGY Flux, he's reads Therapy (apparently they dont have them cards in Deane KY) he reveals and there is NOTHING but a Voidmage and Islands. At some point he gets TIM in play and puts the CREATURE enchantment that makes it into a Morphling LIKE critter. He has a cleaver nickname for this BTW but it wasnt cleaver enuf as I dont actually remember what he called it. Well this really does me in as he has about 10 MANA in play so basically I cant keep stuff on the board and I am just setting there waiting for the kill. Its at this point that he ask me what ENERGY FLUX does which clues me in that he probably dont know what the hell he is doing. He eventually kills me after DRAWING 70 cards from that WIZARD LEGEND that lets you tap Wizards to draw cards. Game 3-I sideboard out my THERAPY's but leave three Kami's in incase I can snag one of those Superman spells. Well I have a decent enuf start with an AETHER VIAL/Atog draw. I get a Tog in play, and a DISCIPLE when he cast... you guessed it, ENERGY FLUX on his turn THREE!!!! Dang it. Looks like I lose... but I keep playing, I hit him for 5 with a tog, making him take 2 from Disciple, leaving him at 11, I saved my VIAL BTW so I could drop another tog... and I did. So I sack my VIAL and another Arti land to each of my togs, bringing him to 9 and I swung for 6, he blocked 1 and took 4 more 3 from TOG and 1 from an attacking Disciple (go DISCIPLE) and I just set there and watch him look for an answer to DISCIPLE, there isnt any and I keep throwing artifacts into play and letting the die to Energy Flux and he never found an answer. 2-1 (1-0 overall)
At this point I run around and talk to several ppl that ask me HOW I pulled that off. Its funny, cuz ppl would come, look , shake there head and walk off feeling sorry for me. But today I was harking back to my days of dominance, where nothing SHOOK me and I ALWAYS saw my outs. Yet I just about got beat by a WIZARD deck. lol.. a Wizard deck, what was this game Harry Potter?
Match 2- Anthony Brown Gobbos w/green and black!
Who the hell is this guy, I walk over and find its just Wayne. Wayne's name is Anthony... who knew. Anyways, Wayne is a pretty cool guy and I think he has beat me b4 and I know he is RUNNING Gobbos so Im not taking it for granted.
Game 1- I play pretty conservativly and the game is an easy win though it took a while as Wayne plays pretty careful alot of the time. I know I hold FLING the whole game but dont use it to kill him cuz I am afraid of something tricky, I dont know what the hell I expected him to do that was so tricky. In between games he is laughing his butt off and I dont really know why... I said something to the effect that he must have some good tech. Game 2- I get a GREAT START! And things are goin SWELL as I have a Disciple, and Engineered Plaugue and 5 lands in play, couple in hand too. He gets a Swamp and a forrest into play and I am sitting there staring down a DEED all of the sudden. Its funny, cuz at first I didnt even think this was weird and actually didnt thinking much of it at all.... but then it clicked in my head that that card DESTROYS my board completly, then it dawns on me that thats the reason he was laughing, cuz that card is REALLY silly in a Goblin deck... Oh well I recover VERY quickly with two lands and a RAV and eventually win with BEATDOWN.
Match 3 vs John Slone (Affinity)
Game 1-This match is kinda cloudy to me for some reason, but I am pretty sure I sandwiched my wins. First game I win with a normal BEATDOWN draw, nothing to special Game 2- John dominates this game and I am never even in it, as he gets a DISCIPLE and 2 Myr Enforcers down. There are also Ravagers and Togs involved and I am not even on the right side of the table, if I remember correctly I was hoping he would get him self down enuf to where I could Disciple him out too, but he got me down to 4 first, then did it and I needed to do 9 more to kill him, I only had 4 or 5 Arti's in play :( Game 3-This is probably my nastiest game all day, sorry John. I had a VERY fast draw really just not having the Disciple... John goes turn 1 Vial, turn 2 Therapy naming Disciple... he missed, I vial out tog and top deck a Disciple, I do exactly enuf to kill him THAT turn using FLING ToG and Disciple.
Round 4 PLaying Noah and his Tog deck I think.
Game 1-I roll him with a super fast draw and he has nothing going righ for him. I think that I actually drew my Flings on him but wouldn't use them due to fear of counterspelling. Game 2-This was an odd game, I have NO idea what tog brings in against me, but I assume its Energy Flux. Anyways I keep him on tilt by playing out Kami's and Atogs, throwing Therapy's at him every chance I got. I drew 4 TEROPYS! HA! I was pulling him counters and I think I forced a couple of upheavals out too. Not a hard win as he was drawing land after land. This was a cool kid and he was from Tazwell, I hope I run into em again someday, and I imagine I will.
Great I can draw into the top 8 and I do. Which ends up putting me as the 2 SEED in the tourny. Rayban was 1 and Doss was 3 (I dont know if I am spelling that right.)
TOP 8-John Slone Mirror Match
This sux as three Wiseguys made top 8 and I have to play my great friend John in the first round of top 8, but Brian is perched on the other side of the brackets so thats a plus.
Game 1 I get a solid draw and I am able to outlast John through making good blocks and I eventually done the ol Rav sac trick... pretty blah of a game after the one round of actual combat. Game 2- John drops a Vault of Whispers and calls Disciple of the Vault after I had already went to six... I had two of them... later he does it again calling Tog and hit then too. Needless to say John stomped a mudhole in me that game. Game 3- I get probably the best hand you can get. If John doesnt go Vault/Therapy for Ravager, I win. He goes Furnace Vial, which is a fine opening, but there was no stopping my hand that game... I eventually killed him with a Nexus with six token on it as he had no fliers in his build. I hate beating John, cuz John is like my big brother, but I move on and get ready for the big man DOSS.
Top 4- Doss playing Gobbos featuring GREEN with JIITE in the board.
This guy I sorta met the day before but I didnt really get to talk to em, I did pick up one thing from the talk, he was a REALLY great guy and just as good of a player as anyone that was in the room. He was buddies with Triplet and Pat whom I also like really well and have tremendous respect for. On to the game.
Game 1-I get a pretty good draw as its standard fair for Affinity, he gets what I believe to be a one land hand that had a VIAL and some serious business if he draws land. He doesnt draw land though and is stuck on a PORT. The funny thing is this doesnt stop him from getting a TON of stuff in play. Thanx WIZARDS for printing Aether Vial as its totally the best card in EXTENDED and every deck should run 4. Game 2-I get some serious stuff going with Chills and Atog. He keeps throwing stuff at the tog and I keep burning away my artifacts that were useless to me. I think this is probably one of the better played games I had all day as I kept making timely plays that kept me on Doss's back. I think though he makes a mistake here involving his Vial when he had a Sharpshooter in hand, he let it go to four counters, I guess thinking he was going to drop some Ringleaders. He never did though and I eventually done the ol heave ho with an Atog.
FINALS vs RAYBAN, I like to call him Jason Williamson
Rayban and I go WAY back. Ive always had a great respect for Rayban and think he is a good guy despite our differences in opinions when we discuss Magic. We are both hard headed and I guess thats what thats all about. I consider him to be a good friend of mine and I can usually count on him to help me find cards alot of the time. My all time record against him is UNKNOWN, but I sware it used to be to my advantage. I dont think that is the case anymore.
Game 1-This game was the only good game for me in the finals. I pretty much done exactly what I am suppose to to and won pretty easily. It was a competive game, but TOG does the job I beleive. Might have involved a FLING cant remember. Game 2-I went first turn Vial dropped a worker. I attacked into a Fanatic that was VIALED out and he sacked it killing my Disciple on th board too. :( Advantage Rayban... and I never recovered the rest of the match. It was a standard block and I walked into it. Oh well. On to game 3. Game 3-I am on the play and I keep a hand that has, 1 land, 1 Vial, but it has two of my board in cards Tangle Wire AND Engineered Plauge. If I draw land two of my next three turns I am pretty sure that I can win. This was faulty logic I have now decided and I should definatly have mulliganed. Hell even Noob knew that. I think my first land got WASTED and I never drew a third. Rayban easily beats me and I made him play it out as I was sad to see that happen.
Overall I think this is the best tourney played in Whitesburg yet. Shannon is doing a fabulous job running tourneys and I know my guys (Wiseguys) enjoy coming to my home town to play for a change. I think I will do props and slops for a lil goofiness.
PROPS-
Triplet and Doss for being really cool guys that I hadnt had the pleasure to meet yet. This day and age there are not to many good guys that play this game, at least not guys like this, and it was cool to meet these fellas that I have heard Pat talk about for a year.
Shannon for runnin plenty of tourneys and finally getting sanctioned. The Wiseguys really dig your store, keep up the good work.
Fred, Tandy, and Noob for coming and watching us play and lending support. Thats what good friends and good team mates do.
Noonie for crackin my ass up ALL the time. I cant quit laughing about the deck box falling under the seat and you not getting it until like an hour later cuz you didnt wanna bend over to pick it up.
SLOPS
Dont really have anything that negative to say, cept our attendence wasnt the highest it has been, especially since it was for a MOX. But ppl are busy so who the hell cares lets keep cracking skulls. Well I guess I will end this report otherwise I will be here forever. Sorry Brian, stole your quote.
