P9 Mox Ruby 2009

Hello, and welcome to Eudemonia's Mox Ruby tournament 2009!
 
Today, we may or may not have a mox ruby to give away, so perhaps the winner will just walk away with $300 store credit or so – we'll see! You never can tell with type 1...
 
The day gets off to a slow start, with most people waiting a while to show up and try their hands. Lsv is awesome.
 
As it turns out, the store makes me a decent offer for my mox ruby, so I agree to put that up for the prize today. With something of my own on the line, I decide to play the same 5c stax list I've been practicing for the last couple events I went to:
 
Lands: 18
4 Wasteland
1 Strip Mine
4 City of Brass
4 Gemstone Mine
4 Mishra's Workshop
1 Tolarian Academy
 
Artifacts: 28
5 Moxes
4 Lotus Crypt Vault Sol Ring
4 Smokestack
4 Tangle Wire
4 Sphere of Resistance
2 Thorn of Amethyst
1 Trinisphere
4 Crucible of Worlds
 
Creatures: 8
4 Goblin Welder
2 Gorilla Shaman
1 Karn, Silver Golem
1 Triskelion
 
Sorceries: 4
1 Tinker
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Imperial Seal
1 Balance
 
Instants:2
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Vampiric Tutor
 
Sideboard:
4 Leyline of the Void
3 Pithing Needle
1 Helm of Obedience
1 Darkblast
1 Fire/Ice
4 Viashino Heretic
1 Don't remember
 
Round 1: John Wiley (Ad Nauseum)
 
I keep a hand of black lotus, ancestral, wasteland, welder, mana vault, ruby, imperial seal. He wrecks me with a turn 1 Duress on the ancestral. He then Ad Nauseums to draw like 2 ad nauseums, a chrome mox and a tendrils dropping to 6 life, but he's got no more gas. On my turn, I draw a city of brass and play the mox ruby, welder, and imperial seal for trinisphere. He plays a mini tendrils for 6 on turn 2 off of a thirst for knowledge and I play my trinisphere and weld away his sol ring for a blank chrome mox.
 
The game drags on for a while as I have some defense but don't have a clock or a smokestack to lock him out. He plays another mini tendrils for 6, and I go to 5 life. Finally, without me keeping him out of the game, on turn 9 or so he is able to tutor up a hurkyl's recall and have a broken Yawgmoth's Will turn.
John 1, Ryan 0
 
Game 2:
I start with a leyline of the void and an ancestral recall, which he forces. He plays sol ring go, and I drop a gorilla shaman and a thorn of amethyst with a workshop. He's got nothing on turn 2 and I eat his sol ring. From here on out it's pretty much my game as he is unable to assemble any mana to speak of. I attack him to 6 with a team of welders and a monkey, and apparently the turn before he is able to put together a combo, I topdeck a tangle wire to shut him out.
John 1, Ryan 1
 
Game 3:
He's got a slow hand, and I have a great start with a bunch of artifact mana, 2 thorns, and a tangle wire to buy me plenty of time. He defends with a force of will and a spell pierce, but has no gas and I get a smokestack out while he can't do much. A couple turns later I draw Karn and swing a couple times. He just couldn't draw enough gas to act early, and couldn't draw an out to my lockdown.
John 1, Ryan 2
 
 
Round 2: Philip Yam (Dark Confidants and Tarmogoyfs)
 
I lose another roll, and he starts with duress, seeing lotus, mana vault, ancestral, imperial seal, sphere of resistance, welder, and wasteland. He takes the mox. Fortunately, I topdeck a city of brass and draw 3 cards. I follow that up with mana crypt and sphere of resistance. He's got nothing for a few turns as I set up a solid lock. He darkblasts my first welder, but I take his mana low enough to stop him from getting my second one and he scoops when I draw trike.
Philip 0, Ryan 1
 
Game 2:
I mulligan to 6 and keep a hand of shop, trinisphere, 3 wastelands and crucible. I immediately shut down his game with trinisphere and a thorn of amethyst and a couple wastelands. He, however, gets a dark confidant out thanks to his first turn mox and 2 basic lands. He gets a third basic land thanks to the confidant (I hate fetchlands now btw) and is more or less uncontrolled.
 
I Imperial Seal after a while for strip mine and take out some more of his lands, but I just can't get control enough to stop him from playing Bitterblossom. It's close, but the faeries and bob do manage to go all the way. He finishes me at 3 life.
Philip 1, Ryan 1
 
Game 3:
He mulligans to 5, and I have 2 wastelands, a gemstone mine, 2 tangle wires, a strip mine, and a smokestack. I get off to a super slow start and he has a dark confidant. I, however, get control with first 1 tangle wire, then a second, and then a third, and get him totally out of the game with my smokestack.
 
Unfortunately, time is called and I can't find a clock in time to finish this one and we draw.
 
Round 3: Morgan Brewer (Tezz)
 
Morgan's a cool guy and we get off to a friendly start. I lose the third roll of the day. I have another lotus hand with city of brass, pearl, thorn, trinisphere, sphere of resistance and gemstone mine. He starts with a ponder, and I play my city, mox, lotus, and thorn.
 
He plays land-go for about 5 turns, as I develop my lock, get a welder, and a karn. I, however, screw up royally and totally miss the fact that some of his 6 mana are moxes, and he just plays voltaic key and time vault and wins. Slops to me for this one, I'm not entirely sure why I missed such an obvious thing.
Morgan 1, Ryan 0
 
Game 2:
This one isn't really close. He draws a bunch of cards, evokes an ingot chewer on my first smokestack, and I can't attack his mana enough to stop him from playing things. He draws a bunch of extra cards and when I go for the throat with a Tinker for Karn, he has a rebuild and wins on the next turn.
Morgan 2, Ryan 0
 
Round 4: Jeff Huang (Tezz/Oath)
 
I win my first roll of the day. In game 1 I mulligan to 5 and play turn 1 land, lotus, Balance. He discards down to 2 cards and I follow that up with Sphere of Resistance. We play draw-go for about 6 turns, and I have the next real action. I draw enough lands to play out 2 thorns and 2 goblin welders.
 
He puts together enough mana to play Merchant Scroll and then Ancestral Recall, but never gets out from under my lock as I pile on a tangle wire and a smokestack and start the welder shenanegans. Eventually I tinker for Karn and end it in 2 turns.
Ryan 1, Jeff 0
 
Game 2:
He has turn 1 ancestral on my upkeep, and I go mox, mox, mana vault, sphere of resistance into force of will, and thorn resolves. He plays a mox and I play a welder and a pithing needle on Sensei's Divining Top. He mystical tutors for and plays Tinker to get Sphinx of the Steel Wind.
 
I play a Smokestack and take 2 hits while I find a Tangle Wire to shut his side down. I, however, screw up again and don't ramp my smokestack to 3, instead resetting it with my welder. 2 turns later, he draws a couple more lands and puts together 4 lands and his sphinx with me at 4 life.
 
My smokestack at 2 and tangle wire at 2 are not enough and I lose this one. I should have been more aggressive with my smokestack to take down his number of permanents. Once again, I missed something relatively obvious. Slops to me again.
Ryan 1, Jeff 1
 
Game 3:
Game 3 is nowhere near close. I mulligan to 6, but start with a sphere of resistance and a smokestack. He just never gets into this game at all, and I pile on 2 more spheres of resistance and a welder.
 
Unfortunately, time is called again. On turn 4 of extra turns, I have no chance to win, and concede to him since he's a cool guy at 2-1 who got paired down against me at 1-1-1.
 
After a somewhat dissapointing tournament of my own, I dropped and resumed my traditional feature match coverage in the bubble round.
 
Round 5: Sam Sherman (TMWA with blue) v. David Ochoa (Tezz)
 
Game 1:
David wins the roll, and starts with a land. Sam has a Jackal Pup and it gets forced. Web follows that up with a Vampiric Tutor and ancestral recall. Sam grimaces as Web, still not done, plays a black lotus, demonic tutor, and time walk. On his extra turn he plays a mox and passes. Sam remarks that David is now out of stuff, and this is G-G.
 
Sam has a Goblin Guide that gets mana drained. Web has Yawgmoth's will , Black Lotus, Ancestral Recall, Demonic Tutor, Vampiric Tutor, Voltaic Key. Sam casts Lightning Bolt.
 
Sam follows up his vicious lightning bolt with a time walk. David plays force, but sam has Pyroblast. Sam tops a jackal pup and scoops it up.
Sam 0, David 1
 
Game 2:
Sam starts with chalice on 0 and a gorilla shaman. David has land, sol ring. Sam attacks and removes a simian spirit guide to destroy sol ring. Web cycles rebuild. Sam follows that up next turn with an attack and a jackal pup. Web drains it, but Sam has pyroblast. David draws cards with ancestral recall and ponder and destroys chalice with an evoked ingot chewer.
 
Sam plays goblin guide and attacks for 5. David has Pyroclasm, destroying Sam's team. Sam time walks and plays a new chaloice of the void. Web plays time walk too, repeals chalice, plays mox ruby, divining top, and tezzeret. Sam goes for the red blast but David has force of will. Web gets voltaic key. Sam kills tezz with a lightning bolt, remarking that there is now no way for him to lose as long as Web does not draw time vault. Or anything else relevant.
 
Sam has nothing on his turn. David starts drawing extra cards with top and key. Sam plays Null Rod, but David's tolarian academy is big enough to pay 5 for force of will. David continues drawing extra cards with top, and Sam has mogg fanatic. Web finds a Tinker and gets Darksteel Colossus.
Sam 0, David 2
 
Top 8:
 
Brett Allen v. Walter Shatford
 
Pilip Yam v.
 
David Ochoa v. Galen Lemei
 
and the top 8 feature:
 
Top 8 Feature: Morgan Brewer (Tezz) v. Luis Scott-Vargas ()
 
Morgan wins the roll, and both players keep.
 
Game 1:
Morgan starts with land, mox, sol ring. Luis has Thoughtsieze. He sees Force of Will, Thirst for Knowledge, Vampiric Tutor, Ponder, and takes the vampiric. Morgan plays thirst, untaps and plays a confidant and a time vault.
 
Luis has a land and a mox, and repeal on the confidant. Morgan replays it and a top. Luis plays Fire to kill the confidant. Morgan has another confidant, Luis mana drains, but morgan protects it with a force.
 
Luis goes for a Tinker to get Voltaic Key, plays time vault and passes. Morgan mystical tutors on his upkeep to get Tinker, but is short one mana of playing it and activating key. Bob draws him a Tinker and for his turn he draws a land to go infinite.
Morgan 1, Luis 0
 
Game 2:
Luis has turn 1 Merchant Scroll for ancestral. Morgan has turn 1 confidant. Luis has Smother. Morgan plays Vampiric Tutor, Confidant. Luis plays mana drain, and so does Morgan. Luis kills the confidant with Fire. Thoughtsieze takes Morgan's yawg will and Morgan gets and plays ancestral. Luis has mana drain and untaps and plays Fact or Fiction, finding vampiric tutor, mana drain and 3 lands. Morgan makes it vampiric or no, and Luis takes the tutor.
 
Morgan has nothing as Luis tutors, plays Yawgmoth's Will, lotus, ancestral, merchant scroll for mana drain, vampiric tutor. Morgan goes for Ice on the lotus, so Luis sacrifices it to play Thirst for Knowledge. Luis tinkers for a colossus. Red Blast backup keeps morgan off of an answer.
Morgan 1, Luis 1
 
Game 3:
Morgan takes a mulligan and the game gets off to a civilized start with both players just playing lands. On turn 5, Luis plays Thirst for Knowledge on Morgan's end step, which resolves.
 
Morgan goes for the gusto with a Time Vault and a Tezzeret. Luis has mana drain for tezz, Morgan uses his force of will, and Luis plays Fact or Fiction. The fact hits 4 lands and ancestral, and Luis goes for his own force of will to finish the counter war.
 
Luis uses ancestral and plays his own tezz, tinkers for mana vault and goes infinite.
Morgan 1, Luis 2
 
Top 4 Feature: David Ochoa (Tezz) v. Brett Allen (Oath)
 
Game 1:
Brett starts with an orchard and a Duress. He takes Ponder out of a hand of 2 drains, a mox jet, and some lands. David doesn't have anything special, and Brett plays oath. On Brett's next upkeep, he oaths out a hellkite overlord. He attacks and breathes two extra fire damage. David doesn't see anything cool and scoops.
Brett 1, David 0
 
Game 2:
Both players have a black lotus, but Brett uses his to play and use sensei's top. Brett follows that up with an orchard and an oath. Web has drain for the oath, and Brett uses Misdirection to protect it. Web has a second drain though. Web, however, doesn't do anything cool with his 7 mana, and plays voltaic key. He does, however, have a third drain for Brett's next oath.
 
Web still doesn't have anything special on his turn, and Brett replays top. Web keeps attacking with his 2 spirits. Brett pops his top and then plays Demonic Tutor. Brett tries a third oath, and both players force, but it resolves.
 
Web attacks for 3 and time walks, attacks for 3 again (taking Brett to 4), and passes. Brett untaps, oaths out Hellkite Overlord, and uses Strip Mine on Web's black mana. Web casts Vampiric Tutor in response and Brett attacks.
 
David untaps, draws his carefully selected card, attacks Brett to 1, and finishes him off with Fire.
David 1, Brett 1
 
Game 3:
Brett has turn 1 oath without orchard. Web ponders and Thoughtsiezes time vault over yawg will. Brett plays demonic tutor and then ancestral. David has merchant scroll and ancestral of his own. Brett has a force though, and untaps and plays thirst for knowledge and time walk. On his extra turn, he plays yawg will, ancestral, demonic tutor, lotus, time walk, sensei's top.
 
On his extra extra turn, Brett plays duress to take out David's demonic tutor and plays an orchard. David has brainstorm when it is finally his turn, with Tinker followup. David gets Colossus, and the race is on.
 
Brett oaths out Iona, chooses blue, plays a second oath and passes. He drops to 6 when David attacks him. On Brett's next turn, he oaths atain thanks to a new token on David's side. He pops his top to draw a card and then finds Hellkite Overlord. His attack is lethal thanks to the overlord's firebreathing.
David 1, Brett 2
 
The finals is an anticlimactic prize-splitting arrangement.
 
Props:
Me for putting up the mox for the tournament prize.
My opponents for being good sportsmen, even while they watched me shoot myself in the foot so many times.
 
Slops:
Me for being a terrible magic player.
LSV for taking my mox instead of store credit :(