Party of the Pit Lords: Full Metagame Breakdown & Winner's Report

Updated 12.19.2016 – Added two videos: part and part two of the game four of the finals between Brian and Jaco. Enjoy!

Party of the Pit Lords
Chicago Old School heavyweight Grant Casleton recently completed his set of Savannahs, and decided there would be no better way to celebrate than hold an Old School tournament and run Erhnamgeddon. In the spirit of the holidays, Grant connected with Chicago's Cornerstone Community Outreach, and made the tournament entry one new-in-the-packaging toy to be donated to Chicago's less-fortunate families.

I'm not quite sure what was in the air, but somehow 22 duelists showed up to battle for glory at Hopewell Brewing Company's tap room in Chicago's Logan Square neighborhood for the illustrious Party of the Pit Lords. If you are not aware of Chicago's Lords of the Pit, we're a formidable convocation of dark wizards.

Don't fuck with us.

Like most Chicago Old School events, a bunch of us got together for breakfast the morning of the tournament. We went to Handlebar (like we have before) and dined on incredible vegetarian cuisine while being serenaded by various punk and metal bands in the background.

Per usual, I got the chimichanga

Breakfast panorama from left to right:
Brian Fisher, Shane Semmens, Jaco, Nathan Mullen, Matt Slack

Metagame Breakdown
The day brought a diverse showing of decks, and much to my surprise, only one copy of The Deck, with Tempo and Midrange being the most popular archetype choices in the room. Here is a snapshot of the day, including deck/player along with their final record and the basic archetype breakdown of all decks that were played.

Kird Ape, Argothian Pixies, Mishra's Factory, and Lightning Bolt ruled the day, followed closely by Erhnam Djinn and Serendib Efreet. It was also impressive to see six Shivan Dragons in the room, the hallmark of ancient MTG fauna.

I was also very surprised by the amount of Tranquility in the room, although I did post a picture of sets of Mana Vortex and Land Equilibrium the night before 😉

This could have made the day unbearable

The Chicago 93/94 metagame has often consisted largely of creature-less decks, dominated by prison and control. It was refreshing to see only twelve Counterspells in the room, although Disenchant was rampant per usual.

Decks Lists
I have all of the deck list pictures (with linked text lists) here in no particular order. Aside from the top four duelists, I do not have access to the actual complete standings, as Grant's computer decided to shut down immediately after the Swiss finished up.

At a work party recently, I was chatting with a co-worker who is also a MTG player about building something better than WER for running non-sanctioned tournaments. I was initially just thinking about a command-line only utility, but since he's an actual developer, he thought a GUI-based application wouldn't be too difficult. Hopefully there will be more on this to come later.

Anyways, here they all are. Three players either did not take pictures of their sideboards, or did not have them built.

5C Dreams Combo
By Danny Friedman

Business (31)
Instants (8)
1 Ancestral Recall
3 Flash Counter
4 Lightning Bolt
Sorceries (12)
1 Balance
1 Braingeyser
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Recall
1 Regrowth
1 Timetwister
1 Time Walk

1 Wheel of Fortune

4 Winds of Change
Artifacts (6)
1 Black Vise
1 Chaos Orb
Enchantments (9)
4 Howling Mine
1 Sylvan Library
4 Underworld Dreams

Mana Sources (29)
Artifacts (7)
1 Black Lotus
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Sol Ring
Instants (4)
4 Dark Ritual
Lands (18)
4 Badlands
4 City of Brass
1 Island
1 Library of Alexandria
2 Swamp
4 Underground Sea
2 Volcanic Island

Sideboard (15)
Instants (5)
1 Blue Elemental Blast
2 Boomerang
2 Red Elemental Blast
Artifacts (5)
2 City in a Bottle
3 Ivory Tower
Enchantments (5)
2 The Abyss
3 Gloom

4C Tron
By Shane Semmens

Business (31)
Instants (6)
1 Ancestral Recall
4 Avoid Fate
1 Crumble
Sorceries (6)
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Braingeyser
1 Fireball
1 Regrowth
1 Time Walk
1 Wheel of Fortune
Artifacts (2)
1 Chaos Orb
1 Ring of Ma'rûf
Creatures (14)
4 Juggernaut
1 Serendib Djinn
4 Serendib Efreet
1 Tetravus
4 Triskelion
Enchantments (3)
2 Fastbond
1 Sylvan Library

Mana Sources (32)
Artifacts (9)
1 Black Lotus
2 Fellwar Stone
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Sol Ring
Lands (23)
4 City of Brass
1 Strip Mine
4 Tropical Island
4 Urza's Mine
4 Urza's Power Plant
4 Urza's Tower
2 Volcanic Island

Sideboard (15)
Instants (6)
1 Berserk
2 Blue Elemental Blast
1 Lightning Bolt
1 Red Elemental Blast
1 Shatter
Sorceries (6)
1 Fireball
1 Flashfires
1 Mind Twist
1 Recall
2 Tranquility
Enchantments (2)
2 Control Magic
Lands (1)
1 Strip Mine

WRG Bazaar Zoo
By Jason Jaco

Business (39)
Instants (13)
2 Avoid Fate
3 Disenchant
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Swords to Plowshares
Sorceries (5)
1 Balance
2 Chain Lightning
1 Regrowth
1 Wheel of Fortune
Artifacts (1)
1 Chaos Orb
Creatures (15)
4 Argothian Pixies
4 Kird Ape
3 Preacher
4 Savannah Lions
Enchantments (3)
3 Sylvan Library
Lands (2)
2 Bazaar of Baghdad

Mana Sources (21)
Artifacts (4)
1 Black Lotus
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mox Rub
Lands (17)
1 Forest
1 Mishra's Factory
1 Plains
4 Plateau
3 Savannah
4 Strip Mine
3 Taiga

Sideboard (15)
Instants (5)
1 Disenchant
4 Red Elemental Blast
Sorceries (3)
2 Dust to Dust
1 Tranquility
Creatures (4)
2 King Suleiman
1 Spinal Villain
1 Whirling Dervish
Enchantments (3)
1 Circle of Protection: Red
1 Greater Realm of Preservation
1 Karma

RUG Zoo
By Brian Fisher

Business (34)
Instants (8)
1 Ancestral Recall
4 Lightning Bolt
3 Psionic Blast
Sorceries (8)
4 Chain Lightning
1 Regrowth
1 Timetwister
1 Time Walk
1 Wheel of Fortune
Artifacts (1)
1 Chaos Orb
Creatures (16)
4 Argothian Pixies
4 Erhnam Djinn
4 Kird Ape
4 Serendib Efreet
Enchantments (1)
1 Sylvan Library

Mana Sources (26)
Artifacts (5)
1 Black Lotus
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Sol Ring
Lands (21)
3 City of Brass
1 Library of Alexandria
4 Mishra's Factory
1 Strip Mine
4 Taiga
4 Tropical Island
4 Volcanic Island

Sideboard (15)
Instants (9)
3 Blue Elemental Blast
3 Red Elemental Blast
3 Shatter
Sorceries (4)
2 Earthquake
2 Tranquility
Enchantments (2)
2 Control Magic

Big Red Green Smash Idiots
By Joe Alane

Business (35)
Instants (8)
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Shatter
Sorceries (11)
1 Channel
4 Fireball
1 Regrowth
4 Stone Rain
1 Wheel of Fortune
Artifacts (1)
1 Chaos Orb
Creatures (11)
4 Erhnam Djinn
4 Kird Ape
3 Shivan Dragon
Enchantments (4)
4 Sylvan Library

Mana Sources (25)
Artifacts (7)
1 Black Lotus
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Sol Ring
Lands (18)
1 Hammerheim
5 Forest
4 Mountain
4 Strip Mine
4 Taiga

Sideboard (15)
Instants (5)
2 Fork
3 Red Elemental Blast
Sorceries (8)
2 Chain Lightning
2 Earthquake
2 Hurricane
2 Tranquility
Enchantments (1)
1 Lifeforce
Lands (1)
1 Maze of Ith

BGW Midrange
By Brandon Sanders

Business (31)
Instants (8)
4 Disenchant
4 Swords to Plowshares
Sorceries (7)
1 Demonic Tutor
4 Hymn to Tourach
1 Mind Twist
1 Regrowth
Artifacts (1)
1 Chaos Orb
Creatures (13)
4 Erhnam Djinn
4 Hypnotic Specter
4 Juzam Djinn
1 Sengir Vampire
Enchantments (2)
2 Sylvan Library

Mana Sources (29)
Artifacts (1)
1 Sol Ring
Instants (2)
2 Dark Ritual
Creatures (4)
4 Birds of Paradise
Lands (22)
4 City of Brass
2 Forest
1 Savannah
4 Scrubland
2 Strip Mine
8 Swamp
1 Urborg

Sideboard (15)
Instants (3)
3 Avoid Fate

2 Whirling Dervish

Artifacts (2)
2 Golgothian Sylex
Enchantments (8)
4 Gloom
4 Underworld Dreams

White Weenie
By Nathan Mullen

Business (37)
Instants (8)
4 Disenchant
4 Swords to Plowshares
Creatures (25)
4 Icatian Javelineers
4 Order of Leitbur
1 Preacher
4 Savannah Lions
4 Thunder Spirit
4 Tundra Wolves
4 White Knight
Enchantments (4)
4 Crusade

Mana Sources (23)
Lands (23)
4 Mishra's Factory
15 Plains
4 Strip Mine

Sideboard (15)
Instants (2)
2 Divine Offering
Sorceries (4)
2 Armageddon
2 Dust to Dust
Creatures (2)
1 King Suleiman
1 Preacher
Artifacts (3)
3 City in a Bottle
Enchantments (4)
2 Circle of Protection: Black
2 Circle of Protection: Red

Mono Red Burn
By Tyler Etters (deck provided and built by Brandon Sanders)

Business (37)
Instants (16)
4 Fork
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Shatter
4 Chain Lightning
Sorceries (8)
4 Fireball
2 Pyrotechnics
1 Shatterstorm
1 Wheel of Fortune
Artifacts (3)
1 Chaos Orb
2 Nevinyrral's Disk
Creatures (9)
4 Ball Lightning
4 Rukh Egg
1 Shivan Dragon
Enchantments (1)
1 Blood Moon

Mana Sources (23)
Artifacts (3)
1 Mana Vault
1 Mox Ruby
1 Sol Ring
Lands (20)
1 Hammerheim
1 Maze of Ith
17 Mountain
1 Strip Mine

Sideboard (15)
Instants (6)
1 Dwarven Catapult
1 Inferno
4 Red Elemental Blast
Sorceries (4)
2 Pyrotechnics
2 Shatterstorm
Creatures (1)
1 Orgg
Lands (4)
4 Desert

Nick Rohr - Trolls Are Garbage™
By Nick Rohr

Business (30)
Instants (8)
4 Disenchant
4 Lightning Bolt
Sorceries (11)
1 Balance
4 Chain Lightning
3 Earthquake
2 Fireball
1 Wheel of Fortune
Artifacts (4)
4 Nevinyrral's Disk
Creatures (6)
4 Rukh Egg
2 Uthden Troll
Lands (1)
1 Maze of Ith

Mana Sources (30)
Artifacts (5)
1 Sol Ring
4 Mana Vault
Lands (25)
4 City of Brass
4 Mishra's Factory
9 Mountain
4 Plateau
4 Strip Mine

Sideboard (15)
Instants (8)

4 Fork
4 Red Elemental Blast
Sorceries (1)
1 Shatterstorm
Enchantments (6)
2 Blood Moon
4 Spirit Link

Power Monolith Control
By Bob Agra

Business (31)
Instants (9)
1 Ancestral Recall
4 Counterspell
2 Disenchant
1 Mana Drain
1 Swords to Plowshares
Sorceries (13)
1 Balance
1 Braingeyser
1 Demonic Tutor
2 Fireball
1 Mind Twist
1 Recall
1 Regrowth
1 Timetwister
1 Time Walk
2 Transmute Artifact
1 Wheel of Fortune
Artifacts (4)
1 Chaos Orb
1 Jayemdae Tome
1 Mirror Universe
1 Rocket Launcher
Creatures (1)
1 Triskelion
Enchantments (4)
1 The Abyss
3 Power Artifact

Mana Sources (29)
Artifacts (12)
3 Basalt Monolith
1 Black Lotus
2 Fellwar Stone
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Sol Ring
Lands (17)
4 City of Brass
1 Library of Alexandria
2 Mishra's Workshop
1 Strip Mine
4 Tundra
3 Volcanic Island
2 Underground Sea

Sideboard (15)
Instants (11)
2 Disenchant
3 Power Sink
3 Red Elemental Blast
3 Swords to Plowshares
Sorceries (1)
1 Tranquility
Artifacts (1)
1 City in a Bottle
Enchantments (1)
1 The Abyss
Lands (1)
1 Maze of Ith

Mono Red Rukh Burn
By James Tork

Business (40)
Instants (11)
3 Disenchant
4 Disharmony
4 Lightning Bolt
Sorceries (9)
4 Chain Lightning
1 Earthquake
3 Fireball
1 Wheel of Fortune
Artifacts (3)
3 Copper Tablet
Creatures (13)
4 Ball Lightning
4 Granite Gargoyle
4 Rukh Egg
1 Shivan Dragon
Lands (4)
4 Diamond Valley

Mana Sources (20)
Artifacts (4)
1 Black Lotus
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mox Ruby
1 Sol Ring
Lands (16)
4 City of Brass
9 Mountain
4 Plateau
1 Strip Mine

Sideboard (0)

Firestorm Troll
By Dan Rech

Business (30)
Instants (1)
1 Ancestral Recall
Sorceries (12)
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Fireball
3 Hymn to Tourach
1 Mind Twist
1 Recall
3 Stone Rain
1 Time Walk
1 Wheel of Fortune
Artifacts (5)
1 Chaos Orb
4 Nevinyrral's Disk
Creatures (10)
1 Firestorm Phoenix
1 Guardian Beast
4 Sedge Troll
1 Sol'kanar the Swamp King
3 Uthden Troll
Enchantments (2)
2 Paralyze

Mana Sources (31)
Artifacts (5)
1 Black Lotus
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Sol Ring
Lands (26)
4 Badlands
3 City of Brass
1 Hammerheim
5 Mountain
4 Strip Mine
4 Swamp
4 Underground Sea
1 Urborg
Sideboard (15)
Instants (5)
4 Lightning Bolt
1 Inferno
Sorceries (5)
1 Stone Rain
2 Detonate
1 Fireball
1 Hymn to Tourach
Creatures (1)
1 Will-o'-the-Wisp
Enchantments (3)
2 Gloom
1 Paralyze
Lands (1)
1 Maze of Ith

Erhnamgeddon
By Grant Casleton

Business (27)
Instants (8)
4 Disenchant
4 Swords to Plowshares
Sorceries (7)
3 Armageddon
1 Balance
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Mind Twist
1 Regrowth
Artifacts (2)
1 Chaos Orb
1 Jayemdae Tome
Creatures (8)
4 Erhnam Djinn
4 Serra Angel
Enchantments (2)
2 Sylvan Library

Mana Sources (33)
Artifacts (6)
1 Fellwar Stone
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Sol Ring
Creatures (8)
4 Birds of Paradise
4 Llanowar Elves
Lands (19)
1 Bayou
3 City of Brass
2 Forest
2 Plains
4 Mishra's Factory
3 Savannah
4 Strip Mine

Sideboard (15)

Instants (3)
3 Avoid Fate
Sorceries (6)
1 Armageddon
2 Dust to Dust
2 Tranquility
1 Wrath of God
Creatures (1)
1 King Suleiman
Enchantments (4)
2 Circle of Protection: Red
2 Karma
Lands (1)
1 Maze of Ith

Mono White Prison
By Carter Petray

Business (32)
Instants (8)
4 Disenchant
4 Swords to Plowshares
Sorceries (6)
3 Armageddon
1 Balance
2 Wrath of God
Artifacts (13)
1 Ankh of Mishra
3 Black Vise
4 Howling Mine
2 Icy Manipulator
1 Relic Barrier
2 Winter Orb
Creatures (2)
2 Serra Angel
Enchantments (2)
2 Kismet
Lands (1)
1 Maze of Ith

Mana Sources (28)
Artifacts (9)
4 Fellwar Stone
4 Mana Vault
1 Sol Ring
Lands (19)
4 Mishra's Factory
11 Plains
4 Strip Mine

Sideboard (0)

Mono White Serra Control
By Dan Piquard

Business (35)
Instants (12)
4 Disenchant
2 Divine Offering
2 Eye for an Eye
4 Swords to Plowshares
Sorceries (4)
2 Armageddon
1 Balance
1 Dust to Dust
Artifacts (9)
1 Chaos Orb
2 Icy Manipulator
4 Relic Barrier
2 Winter Orb
Creatures (10)
2 Preacher
4 Serra Angel
4 White Knight

Mana Sources (25)
Artifacts (5)
4 Fellwar Stone
1 Sol Ring
Lands (20)
4 Mishra's Factory
12 Plains
4 Strip Mine

Sideboard (15)
Sorceries (2)
1 Dust to Dust
1 Wrath of God
Artifacts (4)
4 Ivory Tower
Enchantments (9)
2 Circle of Protection: Black
2 Circle of Protection: Red
2 Karma
3 Spirit Link

Mono Black Aggro
By Erik Schardin

Business (29)
Instants (5)
2 Terror
3 Unholy Strength
Sorceries (7)
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Drain Life
4 Hymn to Tourach
1 Mind Twist
Artifacts (2)
2 The Rack
Creatures (10)
4 Black Knight
4 Hypnotic Specter
2 Sengir Vampire
Enchantments (6)
3 Evil Presence
2 Pestilence

Mana Sources (31)
Instants (4)
4 Dark Ritual
Lands (27)

4 Mishra's Factory
4 Strip Mine
19 Swamp

Sideboard (14)
Instants (3)
2 Terror
1 Unholy Strength
Creatures (7)
3 Royal Assassin
1 Sengir Vampire
3 Xenic Poltergeist
Enchantments (4)
3 Paralyze
1 Gloom

BW I Dream of Ankhs and Orbs
By Ray Mattson

Business (36)
Instants (4)
4 Disenchant
Sorceries (6)
1 Balance
1 Demonic Tutor
4 Sinkhole
Artifacts (18)
3 Ankh of Mishra
4 Black Vise
1 Chaos Orb
4 Howling Mine
1 Icy Manipulator
3 Relic Barrier
2 Winter Orb
Enchantments (8)
4 Underworld Dreams
4 Warp Artifact

Mana Sources (24)
Artifacts (2)
1 Mana Vault
1 Sol Ring
Instants (4)
4 Dark Ritual
Lands (18)
2 City of Brass
4 Scrubland
4 Strip Mine
8 Swamp

Sideboard (15)
Instants (4)
2 Terror
2 Swords to Plowshares
Sorceries (4)
2 Drain Life
2 Dust to Dust
Creatures (1)
1 Royal Assassin
Enchantments (6)
3 Circle of Protection: Red
1 Island Sanctuary
2 Paralyze

Harambe & Friends
By Matt Moss

Business (33)
Instants (12)
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Fork
4 Lightning Bolt
1 Mana Drain
3 Psionic Blast
2 Shatter
Sorceries (7)
3 Fireball
1 Regrowth
1 Timetwister
1 Time Walk
1 Wheel of Fortune
Artifacts (1)
1 Chaos Orb
Creatures (12)
2 Argothian Pixies
2 Erhnam Djinn
4 Kird Ape
4 Serendib Efreet
Enchantments (1)
1 Sylvan Library

Mana Sources (27)
Artifacts (5)
1 Black Lotus
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Sol Ring
Creatures (2)
2 Birds of Paradise
Lands (20)
1 Forest
1 Island
3 Mishra's Factory
3 Strip Mine
4 Taiga
4 Tropical Island
4 Volcanic Island

Sideboard (15)
Instants (4)
1 Fork
3 Red Elemental Blast
Sorceries (5)
2 Chain Lightning
1 Channel
2 Tranquility
Creatures (2)
2 Whirling Dervish
Enchantments (4)
4 Energy Flux

UWG Turbo Dom
By Anthony Zinni (deck provided by Shane Semmens, photo missing two Savannah)

Business (32)
Instants (13)
1 Ancestral Recall
3 Counterspell
4 Disenchant
1 Mana Drain
1 Power Sink
3 Swords to Plowshares
Sorceries (6)
1 Balance
1 Braingeyser
1 Recall
1 Regrowth
1 Timetwister
1 Time Walk
Artifacts (1)
1 Chaos Orb
Creatures (10)
4 Erhnam Djinn
2 Mahamoti Djinn
4 Serra Angel
Enchantments (1)
1 Sylvan Library
Lands (1)
1 Maze of Ith

Mana Sources (28)
Artifacts (5)
1 Black Lotus
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Sol Ring
Creatures (4)
4 Birds of Paradise
Lands (19)
4 City of Brass
1 Island
1 Library of Alexandria
1 Plains
3 Savannah
1 Strip Mine
4 Tropical Island
4 Tundra

Sideboard (15)
Instants (4)
1 Counterspell
2 Blue Elemental Blast
1 Swords to Plowshares
Sorceries (2)
1 Dust to Dust
1 Wrath of God
Artifacts (1)
1 Jayemdae Tome
Enchantments (6)
1 Circle of Protection: Red
3 Energy Flux
1 Greater Realm of Preservation
1 Sylvan Library
Lands (2)
2 Strip Mine

White Weenie
By Michael Walker

Business (33)
Instants (9)
1 Army of Allah
4 Swords to Plowshares
4 Disenchant
Creatures (19)
3 Icatian Javelineers
4 Order of Leitbur
4 Savannah Lions
4 Thunder Spirit
4 White Knight
Enchantments (5)
4 Crusade
1 Divine Transformation

Mana Sources (27)
Lands (27)
4 Mishra's Factory
19 Plains
4 Strip Mine

Sideboard (0)

Red and Black
By Jim Bailey

Business (32)
Instants (5)
1 Ancestral Recall
4 Lightning Bolt
Sorceries (13)
2 Chain Lightning
1 Demonic Tutor
2 Disintegrate
2 Fireball
4 Hymn to Tourach
1 Mind Twist
1 Time Walk
Artifacts (1)
1 Chaos Orb
Creatures (12)
4 Hypnotic Specter
2 Juzam Djinn
4 Sedge Troll
2 Sol'kanar the Swamp King
Lands (1)
1 Maze of Ith

Mana Sources (28)
Artifacts (5)
1 Black Lotus
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Sol Ring
Instants (4)
4 Dark Ritual
Lands (19)
4 Badlands
4 Strip Mine
5 Swamp
2 Underground Sea
4 Volcanic Island

Sideboard (15)
Instants (4)
3 Red Elemental Blast
1 Shatter
Sorceries (2)
2 Earthquake
Artifacts (3)
3 Golgothian Sylex
Creatures (3)
3 Black Knight
Enchantments (3)
3 Blood Moon

The Deck with Shivan Dragon

By Matt Slack

Business (32)
Instants (16)
1 Ancestral Recall
4 Counterspell
4 Disenchant
3 Lightning Bolt
1 Mana Drain
3 Swords to Plowshares
Sorceries (8)
1 Balance
1 Braingeyser
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Fireball
1 Mind Twist
1 Recall
1 Regrowth
1 Time Walk
Artifacts (5)
1 Chaos Orb
1 Disrupting Scepter
3 Jayemdae Tome
Creatures (1)
1 Shivan Dragon
Enchantments (2)
1 Copy Artifact
1 Sylvan Library

Mana Sources (28)
Artifacts (10)
1 Black Lotus
3 Fellwar Stone
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Sol Ring
Lands (18)
4 City of Brass
1 Library of Alexandria
3 Mishra's Factory
1 Plains
1 Strip Mine
3 Tundra
2 Underground Sea
3 Volcanic Island

Sideboard (15)
Instants (7)
2 Blue Elemental Blast
1 Divine Offering
1 Swords to Plowshares
3 Red Elemental Blast
Sorceries (3)
2 Dust to Dust
1 Wrath of God
Creatures (2)
1 Aladdin
1 Serra Angel
Enchantments (3)
2 Circle of Protection: Red
1 Moat

This should paint a pretty comprehensive picture of exactly what the field looked like and how the decks and players performed.

Next we have Brian Fisher's guest tournament report followed by pictures from the event. Enjoy!

//Danny

Winner's Tournament Report
I meet up with Jaco Friday night and we head down to Chinatown for a seafood extravaganza. I have my first encounter with a lobster and I consume the brain. I begin to feel like pinching things… more on this later.

For breakfast we meet up at a place called Handlebar. Shane lets me try his chimichanga and I’m hooked. I can’t believe I haven’t had one of these before. I watch Jaco playing U/W Mentor and Matt playing Doomsday battle some Vintage. Jaco gets balled in three games.

Two years in a row I played U/W/R at Eternal Weekend (Old School)—pretty much White Weenie, Serendibs, and a pile of burn. Playing a three color mana base with the Knights costing double white really gave me some trouble. I went 4-2 the first year and 3-3 the second. Both times I found myself wondering why I had settled for the same deck. I think I was really over-valuing Disenchant. Sure it’s a strong card, but it’s not killing your opponent in the fastest way possible.

This is when R/U/G comes in. All the creatures only take a single color to cast. Burn is never dead and it’s always fun to say TO THE FACE when you Bolt, Bolt, Psi Blast for the win. Just kidding, remember to keep it classy when you play.

Round 1 vs Carter with Mono White

The knowledge of the crab empowers me.

Game 1: Carter is on the play and opens with Black Vise followed by Howling Mine. I don’t have any acceleration, but start with a Kird Ape and Pixies. I throw burn at his face fueled by the Howling Mine. The Black Vise deals eleven damage to me, but luckily there was no pressure to follow it up.

Game 2: I lead with Kird Ape without a Forest and a Serendib. Burn quickly finishes things off.

Win: 2-0

Round 2 vs Daniel with Mono White

Game 1: My Kird Ape and Serendib go farming while double Relic Barrier keeps my Sol Ring and Ruby at bay. Daniel drops Serra and then Armageddon’s. I’m at 21 with Daniel at five life, and his Serra Angel racing his mana burning. (Daniel’s mana sources were Sol Ring and Fellwar Stone, with me having no lands). He draws the land to stop burning at two. I draw another Bolt but my only red source is the Ruby. I float mana on the following upkeep and another Bolt to the face seals it.

Game 2: He only draws a Strip Mine and Factories. With no access to white mana my army of small dudes pummel poor Daniel’s Plains-less corpse.

Win: 2-0

Round 3 vs Jaco with Naya

Game 1: I wish I remembered more from this game, but it was close and Jaco barely gets there.

Game 2: I elect to be on the draw and slowly out value Jaco (more on this later).

Game 3: Jaco elects to be on the draw. I keep a bonkers hand of Time Walk, Erhnam, Serendib, Tropical Island, Sol Ring, and two other non-mana source juicy cards. I get Stripped and don’t draw any other lands until it’s too late.

Lose: 1-2

Round 4: Matt with The Deck

Game 1: I open with Library and Matt plays Disrupting Scepter. I keep using Library while slowly pressuring with one creature a turn. I win a drawn out game. If you can make The Deck's Factories irrelevant, it makes the match so much easier. Argothian Pixies really shine here.

Game 2: Matt only draws one colored source so my minions pummel his color-lacking corpse. I felt so bad that I offered him another game so it would feel like he actually played magic.

Win: 2-0

Round 5 vs Matt with R/U/G

Matt is from Cedar Rapids Iowa, and won the award for furthest traveled for the event! Matt is rocking a build similar to mine with Birds of Paradise and fewer Erhnams.

Game 1: I curve out perfectly with Kird Ape, Pixies, and Serendib. The only damage I take is from my Serendib and Psionic Blasts.

Game 2: I have Library and its Matt’s turn to be aggressive. I Chaos Orb his Serendib and activate my Factory to block his Kird Ape. He does not have the Lightning Bolt and my Factory surprisingly lives. He then drops a Erhnam which I thank him kindly for and Control Magic it. I then play my own Erhnam and its off to the races!

Win: 2-0

Top 4 vs Joe with R/G

Before we play Joe says the one matchup he wants to avoid is R/U/G decks.

Game 1: The only resistance Joe can muster is a Lightning Bolt on a Kird Ape and a Fireball on my Serendib. My Erhnam nam takes care of the rest.

Game 2: Joe drops an Erhnam which I thank him kindly for and Control Magic it.

Win: 2-0

Finals vs. Jaco with Naya 2-1-1

I love a good rematch and it couldn’t be against a better person. Jaco was my only loss in the swiss and I look forward to a tight match. Each game the active player elected to be on the draw. Gear up for a grindy match!

Game 1: My Kird Ape gets Bolted and Jaco drops Lotus, Strip Mine, Savannah Lions, and Disenchant on my Mox. He beats me down to ten life with Savannah Lions before I draw out of the mana shortage first. Jaco is not quite so lucky.

Game 2: I Chaos Orb Jaco’s land and he stalls out. Meanwhile I have a Serendib that goes farming. I draw blanks for a while. Jaco draws into mana sources gets piles up a Kird Ape and another Lion. I draw a Serendib but it has to sit back on blocking duty. My life slowly drops and it’s on to game 3!

Game 3: I take the draw and open with Sol Ring into Erhnam on turn two. He goes farming. That’s okay—I have a Serendib the next turn. He also goes farming. We start trading burn for creatures and nobody can keep anything on the table. Jaco gets Sylvan Library which combos nicely with his Bazaar. Great so he is seeing live cards while I’m going off the top.

I play another Serendib, which is Red Blasted. I Blue Blast back, and Jaco has another Red Blast! I’ve been sitting on Time Walk all game and finally draw Timetwister to set it up. Hopefully Jaco doesn’t have another Red Blast in hand. Timetwister resolves! I play an Erhnam and Kird Ape, followed by Wheel of Fortune. My Erhnam goes farming and we both draw new hands. My new hand is light on action. Jaco starts to pull ahead again but is only putting one creature on the table at a time, fearing my Earthquake.

At this point both our decks are starting to look thin. I draw another Erhnam to buy me some time. He also goes farming which puts me up to six. Jaco drops a Preacher, which then steals my Kird Ape attacks with a Pixie and sends me to four. I draw a blank. Jaco browses with Sylvan, I wait for him to reveal a Bolt and take the title. He attacks with my Kird Ape, his own Ape, and a Factory. I Bolt Preacher to get control of my Ape, block his Factory and Blue Blast the other Ape. Jaco draws a Chain Lightning (I can’t afford to send it back sadly), and kills my Ape, attacking me down to two. I draw my last card and it’s Earthquake! I check life totals, I’m at two Jaco is at ten. The game has gone on so long that I have more than enough mana to Earthquake for the draw!

On to game 4!!

Game 4: At this point we have to change tables because we had the area reserved until 6pm so we move to a smaller table. I get off to fast start of Kird Ape and Serendib, they beat him down to seven life. I draw Earthquake and have just enough mana to play it to take the decisive game four!

Win: 2-1-1

The tournament was a blast, and the Chicago Old School scene is really something to be proud of. Of course I have to mention the power of the crab because without that knowledge where would I be?

Video from Game Three (of Four) of the Finals