Game Den

Allow me to explain something about rounds in a MTG tournament.  It is necessary to play enough rounds to determine a clear winner.  When more than 16 players are in a tournament, like the 22 who played in this one, it is incumbent upon me to play FIVE ROUNDS thereby giving all players who have done well a chance to take first place.  This is standard operating procedure for any sanctioned MTG tournament.  Ergo:

8 players=3 rounds
9-16 players=4 rounds
17-32 players=5 rounds
33-64 players=6 rounds
65+ players=7 rounds

A few exceptions may arise.   For example,  if I’m having my period and there are 17-18 players, it is entirely possible that only 4 rounds will be played.  There you have it.

Now back to our regularly scheduled program.

Like in weeks past, a jolly Jund deck took first place.  Jordan Paxton orchestrated a tournament  victory going 4-0-1 and was the only undefeated player.  And there was much rejoicing.

2nd -Adam Westwood-Jund
3rd- Josh Snow-Blue/White control
4th- Randy Fullmer
5th- Jeff McHenry

Othern:

Jerry Jong-”A special deck”
James Sorensen-Vampire Aggro
Thomas Rushton-All American Control
Jeremy Hansen-Jund
Andy Sartor-”White poo”
Ryan Sherman-Boss Naya
David Hoague-Blue/White Allies
Addison Hansen-Eldrazzi Green
Cory Bagozzi-Grixis
Skylar Sherman-Bant Mythic
Josh Jensen-Naya
Nathan Wright-Allies
Shawn Matthews-Blue/White Allies
Anthony Covert-Jund
Michael Walbridge-Blue/White Allies
Cameron Fazzio-Blue/White Control

Thank you to all participants for the roaring awesome turnout.

Seventeen personages came to Game Den’s MTG on this night.  Oh happy day!  Finally a night where Jund did not reign supreme.  Josh Snow with his Blue/White control deck went 4-0 to finish in 1st place defeating Anthony Bentle and his Jund deck in the final.  Jordan Paxton with another Jund deck took 2nd on tiebreakers

1st-Josh Snow
2nd-Jordan Paxton
3rd-Anthony Bentle
4th-Andy Sartor
5th-Josh Jensen

Other players:  Addison Hansen, Skylar Sherman, Sean Alexander, Michael Walbridge, Jeremy Hansen, Ryan Sherman, Adam Westwood, Antoine Harris, Shaun Matthews, Nathan Wright, David Hoague, Jonathan Rayback.

Thank you to everyone who participated.  You’re all neato.

Like a herd of gluttonous swine vying for a single bucket o’ slop, so fought 25 MTG aficionados at Game Den’s Standard MTG tournament on March 10, 2010.   Almost all of my MTG heroes came to this tournament.  The competition was fierce.  Jund decks ruled taking the top 3 spots.  Eric Twarog impressively followed up his Game Day 1st place showing with a  5-0 night to once again be numero uno.  Eric defeated Ryan Sherman in a Jund mirror-match in round 5 to remain undefeated.  Brandon Nelson playing his “Donkasaurus Rex ” Jund deck finished 2nd on tiebreakers at 4-1, and Ryan finished 3rd.  Adam Westwood, a Game Den employee, playing Bant finished impressively in 4th place at 4-1.  Alex Sittner, after losing in round one,  also ended up up  at 4-1 and took fifth playing  “Turbo Trap” or whatever the hell you want to call it.  Many a cussword was heard from his opponents as Alex repeatedly Twincasted Timewarps taking numerous consecutive turns before burning his opponent with Runeflare Trap.  Most titillating indeed.

1st Place-Eric Twarog

Eric’s deck (From Pro Tour San Diego 1st place)

Creatures
4 Bloodbraid Elf
3 Broodmate Dragon
4 Putrid Leech
3 Siege-gang Commander
4 Sprouting Thrinax

Instants
4 Lightning Bolt

Planeswalkers
2 Garruk Wildspeaker

Sorceries
4 Blightning
3 Maelstrom Pulse
2 Rampant Growth

Basic Lands
4 Forest
3 Mountain
3 Swamp

Lands
2 Dragonskull Summit
2 Lavaclaw Reaches
4 Raging Ravine
1 Rootbound Crag
4 Savage Lands
4 Verdant Catacombs

2nd Place-Brandon Nelson-Donkasaurus Rex (Jund)
3rd Place-Ryan Sherman-Jund
4th Place-Adam Westwood-Bant
5th Place-Alex Sittner-Blue/Red

Other players in an order:

Jordan Paxton-Jund
Andy Sartor-”Token Rush”
Drew Winn-Vampires
Jeremy Hansen-Naya Lightsaber
Jeff McHenry-Jund
Anthony Johnson-”White Emeria I guess”
Skylar Sherman-Eldrazzi Green
Anthony Bentle- “Just Jund”
Josh Jensen-Naya
Nathan Wright-Allies
Jerry Jong-Jund
Dave Evans-Naya
Thomas Rushton-All America Control
Shady Badran-Boss Naya
Brian Hawley-Bant
James Sorenson-Vampire Aggro
Josh Snow-Blue/White control
Michael Hodgson-”Destroyer of Worlds”

Thank you to everybody who played in this stupendous tournament.

Allow me to state one thing without equivocation.  When playing in a MTG tournament, it is very important that you play the  person with whom you’re paired.  Thank you.  To the patient many, once again I say thank you.

Also,  this is for the unwashed amongst you.  Within the past few centuries, mankind has made many amazing technological advances.  Showers and deodorant number among them.  Some of you STINK.  I mean you really REEK.     Please, for the love of god, shower before you come to a tournament or for that matter go out in public period.  Showering every day and putting on deodorant every day would be greatly appreciated by others with whom you associate.

But I digress.  About the tournament.  Eric Twarog and Jess Wilson nonintentionally drew in round 5, 0-0(sheesh, holy cow).  Eric had the better tiebreakers thereby winning the tournament.  Players numbered 30.  Top 8 players numbered 8.  Here are the top 8 and their deck name and list:

1st-Eric Twarog- Bant Mythic

Stirring Wildwood x3
Sunpetal Grove x2
Verdant Catacombs x4
Sejiri Steppe x1
Misty Rainforest x4
Forest x6
Island x2
Plains x1
Celestial Colonnade x4
Baneslayer Angel x4
Birds of Paradise x4
Knight of the Reliquary x4
Lotus Cobra x4
Noble Hierarch x4
Rampaging Baloths x2
Thornling x1
Rhox War Monk x4
Finest Hour x3
Rafiq of the Many x3

Sideboard:

Day of Judgement x1
Jace the Mindsculptor x2
Negate x3
Bant Charm x3
Admonition Angel x2
Mind Control x4

2nd-Jess Wilson-Elspeth’s Holy Servant

Birds of Paradise x2
Noble Hierarch x4
Wild Nacatl x4
Scute Mob x1
Ranger of Eos x4
Bloodbraid Elf x4
Knight of the Reliquary x4
Stoneforge  Mystic x2
Ajani Vengeant x2
Oblivion Ring x2
Path to Exile x1
Lightning Bolt x3
Behemoth Sledge x1
Basilisk Collar  x1
Elspeth Knight-Errant x2
Forest x5
Mountains x2
Plains x2
Raging Ravine x1
Rootbound Crag x1
Sejiri Steppe x1
Stirring Wildwood x2
Terramorphic Expanse x2
Tectonic Edge x1
Misty Rainforest x3
Arid Mesa x4

Sideboard

Goblin Guide x1
Qasali Pridemage x3
Stoneforge Mystic x1
Basilisk Collar x1
Dragonmaster Outcast x1
Oblivion Ring x1
Baneslayer Angel x2
Dau;ntless Escort x2
Cunning Sparkmage x3

3rd-Ryan Sherman-Jund

Borderland Ranger x1
Garruk Wildspeaker x3
Bituminous Blast x2
Blightning x4
Maelstrom Pulse x3
Bloodbraid Elf x4
Broodmate Dragon x2
Sprouting Thrinax x4
Terminate x2
Putrid Leech x3
Great Sable Stag x3
Verdant Catacombs x4
Savage Lands x4
Lavaclaw Reaches x1
Rootbound Crag x2
Dragonskull Summit x3
Swamp x3
Forest x3
Mountain x3

Sideboard

Great Sable Stag x1
Terminate x2
Ruin Blaster x4
Malakir Bloodwitch x3
Deathmark x3

4th-Travis Clark-Strike First!

Kazandu Blademaster x4
Sigiled Paladin x4
Knight of the White Orchid x4
Stoneforge Mystic x2
Kor Firewalker x2
Path to Exile x4
Brave the Elements x3
Elspeth, Knight Errant x3
Jace, the Mindsculptor x2
Basilisk Collar x2
Hammer of Ruin x1
Honor of the Pure x3
Oblivion Ring x2
Plains x12
Celestial Colonnade x4
Glacial Fortress x4
Sejiri Refuge x1

Sideboard

Devout Lightcaster x4
Baneslayer Angel x2
Kor Sanctifiers x2
Kor Firewalker x1
Hindering Light x2
Day of Judgment x2
Relic of Progenitus x2

5th-Brandon Nelson-Donkasaurus Rex

Putrid Leech x4
Sprouting Thrinax x4
Bloodbraid Elf x4
Siege-Gang Commander x3
Lightning Bolt x4
Maelstrom Pulse x3
Blightning x4
Rampant Growth x2
Garruk Wildspeaker x2
Raging Ravine x4
Savage Lands x4
Forest x4
Swamp x3
Mountain x3
Verdant Catacomb x4
Dragonskull Summit x2
Lavaclaw Reaches x2
Rootbound Crag x1

Sideboard

Pithing Needle x1
Master of the Wild Hunt x3
Terminate x2
Deathmark x4
Maelstrom Pulse x1
Great Sable Stag x4

6th-Kurtis Kvenvold-Boss Naya

Wild Nacatl x4
Basilisk Collar x1
Behemoth Sledge x1
Birds of Paradise x2
Bloodbraid Elf x4
Knight of the Reliquary x4
Noble Hierarch x4
Ranger of Eos x4
Scute Mob x1
Stoneforge Mystic x2
Oblivion Ring x2
Lightning Bolt x3
Path to Exile x1
Ajani Vengeant x2
Elspeth, Knight Errant x1
Forest x5
Arid Mesa x4
Misty Rainforest x3
Raging Ravine x1
Rootbound Crag x1
Sejiri Steppe x1
Stirring Wildwood x2
Tectonic Edge x1
Terramorphic Expanse x2

Sideboard

Basilisk Collar x1
Behemoth Sledge x1
Baneslayer Angel x2
Cunning Sparkmage x4
Dauntless Escort x2
Stoneforge Mystic x1
Oblivion Ring x1
Luminarch Ascension x3

7th-Adam Westwood-Bant Mythics

Noble Hierarch x4
Birds of Paradise x4
Lotus Cobra x4
Rhox War Monk x4
Knight of the Reliquary x4
Baneslayer Angel x4
Thornling x1
Rampaging Baloth x2
Elspeth, Knight-Errant x1
Finest Hour x3
Forest x5
Plains x2
Island x1
Misty Rainforest x4
Verdant Catacombs x4
Celestial Colonnade x4
Stirring Wildwood x3
Sunpetal Grove x2
Sejiri Steppe x1

Sideboard

Harm’s Way x3
Pithing Needle x4
Bant Charm x3
Admonition Angel x2
Mind Control x3

8th-Brandon Champman-U/W Control

Path to Exile x4
Mind Spring x2
Flashfreeze x3
Essence Scatter x1
Day of Judgment x4
Oblivion Ring x3
Martial Coup x2
Everflowing Chalice x3
Jace, the Mindsculptor x4
Iona, Shield of Emeria x2
Spreading Seas x4
Negate x1
Cancel x2
Rite of Replication x2
Halimar Depths x1
Glacial Fortress x4
Arid Mesa x3
Celestial Colonnade x4
Tectonic Edge x2
Scalding Tarn x3
Plains x3
Island x5

Sideboard

Baneslayer Angel x3
Celestial Purge x4
Flashfreeze x1
Mind Control x1
Essence Scatter x1
Negate x1
Oblivion Ring x1
Kor Firewalker x3

Game Den’s standard MTG tournament on Wednesday, March 3, 2010 was a most wonderful experience for almost everyone involved.  MTG players battled like cold-blooded reptiles for the last bit of evening sunshine on a mountainside rock.  Shady Badran with his Boss Naya deck was the only player to go 4-0.  Jordan Paxton and Ryan Sherman drew in the first round in a mirror-match Jund face off, and Ryan ended up 3-0-1.  Adam Westwood with his bant deck being 3-0 going into the final round faced Shady in said round 4.    Bant is apparently no match for Boss Naya, and Shady is a damn (can you say “damn” on the internet?) fine MTG player to boot .  Shady won quickly 2-0 to remain undefeated.  Adam, a Game Den employee, suffered an ignominious loss of lugubrious proportions.

1st Shady Badran-Boss Naya
2nd Ryan Sherman-Jund
3rd Adam Westwood-Bant
4th Jeremy Hansen-Naya
5th Antoine Harris-Goblins

Other players in an order of my choosing, not necessarily in order of my liking:

David Hoague-Green/White Allies
Josh Jensen-Naya
Jordan Paxton-Jund
James Sorenson-Vampires
Michael Walbridge-Blue/White
Josh Snow-Jund
Cory Bagozzi-Grixis
Jonas Randall-Jund
Nathan Wright-Green/White Allies
Jeff McHenry-Jund
Jerry Jong-Jund
Skylar Sherman-Eldrazzi

Thanks to everyone who played.  What’s wrong with you other *&!#@s?