Bringing "Red Deck Nguyen's" to the North American Premodern Championship
Bringing "Red Deck Nguyen's" to the North American Premodern Championship
PLUS: NYC's Sacred Torch Showdown
Well, well, it’s been a while! Last time I chatted with you all it was the eve of the North American Premodern Championships at Lobstercon and I polled the community on which decks you all thoughts would Top 8. After tallying the results, it’s Jay L. who made the most correct predictions after guessing that the Top 8 would comprise of 2x Stiflenought, 2x UW Control, and one each of Burn, Elves, Goblins, and Tax-Rack. The actual Top 8 results were pretty close, with Jay missing one other Stiflenought and of course, Fluctuator, while Burn and Elves missed out on the Top 8. Well done, Jay!
This newsletter has been on a brief hiatus as a few of us in New York City’s Premodern crew, the Order of the Sacred Torch, have been busy building a website and organizing a $1.5K cash Premodern tournament in September (more on this below). In this issue of BANDING, I wanted to provide a months-overdue tournament report of my day at the Premodern Championships before we return back to more regular programming in the future.
Deck Selection
I was pretty conflicted on what to play in the weeks leading up to Lobstercon. It was going to be the largest in-person gathering yet and I wanted to find the perfect balance of spice and spike. I’m generally not too hung up on tournament performance but given it was a rare opportunity for me to play in-person Premodern these days (I have infant twins, affectionately known as Stangg and Stangg Twin among the NYC crew), I knew I didn’t want to fly too close to the spice sun. I was debating between five decks, ordered from spikiest to spiciest:
GW Prison Oath — I have it built in beautiful Japanese foil but to be honest I don’t enjoy playing it as much as I should because the games can go long and opponents can get frustrated by the gameplay. I was worried that I would end up in long games and spend the entire time at Lobstercon playing instead of hanging out with the community.
Angel McAngelface — My infamous Secret Lair/alternate art deck that only sees the light of day in face-to-face games.
Mono Red Control — A deck that had started off as a brewing challenge I gave myself that had turned out better than I had hoped after making it to the playoffs of the Facebook Webcam Monthly in September. The games for this deck can run long, which made me worried, but the prospect of playing a brew at Premodern’s largest stage was a big draw.
False Cure — One of the decks I’m most well-known for and also built in Japanese foil. I love the gameplay of this deck but the last Premodern tournament I had attended (The New York Sleight of Mind) my performance was pretty poor so I was a bit scarred from that incident.
Griffin Canyon — The first deck I played in a Facebook Webcam Monthly (went 4-1) and featured in the second season of the Premodern Showdown Series! This one was pretty attractive as I knew games could be over fast, one way or the other, and I could socialize.
I ended up choosing Mono Red Control, also known as Raging Glaciers or Red Deck Nguyen’s, as the perfect medium. In preparation for the event I did make a slight change to the deck (with zero testing) by splashing in green for Oath of Druids and Gaea’s Blessing. Here’s the list I ended up with the night before the event:
The morning of Lobstercon started with me rushing to the airport to catch the 90-minute flight from NYC to Boston, landing at 9:30am… with a return flight later that same evening at 10pm. I had originally been planning to take the train but given that Stangg and Stangg Twin weren’t sleeping through the night yet I needed to get home to help care for them and the train schedules didn’t align properly. My first stop after landing was heading to Mamaleh’s for a breakfast bagel — any fan of 90sMTG would know it’s the key ingredient of success in Magic: The Gathering. I also ran into Jeff and Matt from the NYC crew there as well, alongside the Smits brothers (congrats to Peter, who would later go on to Top 8 the tournament, likely due to some combination of skill and bagels, unsure the correct proportion).
From there it was a few minute walk to the venue where a crowd had already formed. We noted that there was a sign saying there would be salsa dancing later in the evening and wondered if that’s how Top 8 would be settled.
Round 1: Arty on Gro-A-Tog
My first round opponent was Arty, one of those people who I've interacted with before through online means only. I'm a huge proponent of webcam play and engaging with the Premodern community online, but there really is nothing quite like paper play across from a friendly face.
G1: My aforementioned friendly faced opponent was flooded with lands despite a flurry of cantrips, but the upside was we all got admire a beautiful collection of promo Islands. I'm not a big believer in Zodiac signs but I do know that your selection of basics reveals a lot about you. A Powder Keg wiped an opposing Mox Diamond while a Nevinyrral's Disk took out a Psychatog. My life total was never pressured and I ended my first game at Lobstercon with a win thanks to Factories factoring and Encampments encamping, supported with some burn. For sideboarding, in came the Pyroblasts and Red Elemental Blasts. I think I brought in some, but not all, of my artifact destruction too on the chance I could snipe a Mox Diamond or Winter Orb. I don't think I brought in graveyard hate for Psychatog, instead relying upon blasts and Kegs/Disks. Akroma, Angel of Wrath came in as well as Shard Phoenix didn't seem terribly effective against a sizeable Quirion Dryad or Psychatog. Out came the Slice and Dice and Lava Darts, their puny one damage unneeded in this particular battle.
G2: I'm unable to answer an early Quirion Dryad, which I mistakenly think is base 2/2 instead of 1/1. I think there was a point in which I could have cast an unkicked Urza's Rage to deal it three damage but I refrained from doing so thinking it was bigger than it was. Instead I relied upon ticking up a Powder Keg, which Arty gleefully Disenchanted once it hit one fuse counter — an impotent amount perfectly in between his Mox Diamond and Quirion Dryad.
G3: I don't have a ton of notes here but I believe an early Meddling Mage (on Lightning Bolt maybe?) got a few swings in before my manlands and board control took over the game. I remember after the match both Arty and the player to his right complimented my haircut, which I had gotten a week prior partially in preparation for this event. Now that I was an impressive 1-0, the bar was looking very tempting to celebrate the strong start with a drink... and as a father of twin infants, it's not often I get a chance to day-drink anymore. But I refrained, reasoning I would need to keep my wits about me if I wanted to 7-0 drop-to-make-my-flight.
Record: 1-0
Round 2: Jared on Mono Black Aggro
My next challenge was Jared, a genial player from Tulsa who had played at Lobstercon last year as well.
G1: I think I'm on the play as he leads his turn off with I believe a Sarcomancy. On my second turn I cast Oath of Druids, which he follows up with a late to the party Duress. Shard Phoenix cleans out his board of zombies and he's unable to stick any creatures for the rest of the game as Sarcomancy chews at his life total before he concedes. I think I bring in the Akroma, Angel of Wrath and perhaps take out a singular Slice and Dice or Pillage.
G2: I keep the board clear and Sarcomancy and Carnophage do some work on Jared's life total before an Oath of Druids brings out an Akroma, Angel of Wrath to quickly wrap up the match. This seemed like a very rough matchup for Mono Black Aggro but Jared was in good spirits afterward. We chatted a bit and he revealed he was playing Hatred. I hope he managed to get a few people with that card throughout the day. At this point, as far as my sobriety is concerned, I pretend I'm in Koilos and cave, heading to the bar to mark the 2-0 start with a Peroni.
Record: 2-0
Round 3: Travis on Pit-Rack
I'm paired up against Travis, who I'd actually played before in a webcam monthly but didn't remember since it had been over two years prior. I do remember his deck clearly though as it was an early attempt at a Dredge deck in Premodern, many years before the recent "Dredge at Home" lists became more popular.
G1: An early Duress from Travis grabs a Pillage, leaving an Oath of Druids in hand. On my turn I debate whether I should cast the Oath of Druids or not... I mean, he left it in hand so he clearly doesn't find it a threat right? Maybe I should keep it in hand to discard later? I decided to just cast it anyway. If it's good enough to be banned in Legacy it's good enough to be blindly put into play. Travis casts a Bottomless Pit and it becomes more clear what I'm up against. I was afraid of some sort of black-based combo deck but this I felt more comfortable around. We empty out our hands and my Pillage clears his Mishra's Factory and two Ghitu Encampments take it the rest of the way. I bring in some artifact destruction for his Cursed Scroll, The Rack, and Mishra's Factory. I take out the Oath of Druids, even though I saw a Plague Spitter discarded to Bottomless Pit. He asks me what creature type Ghitu Encampment is, presumably for Engineered Plague and I admit I'm not actually sure. I guess Barbarian. We look it up and the answer is Warrior.
G2: He once again lands a Bottomless Pit and he has Spawning Pools which impede my slow gameplan. However, unlike some control decks mine has the advantage of being able to be proactive with spells and I eventually out topdeck him, throwing burn his way and removing his Cursed Scroll and The Rack. At this point I devour a quick lunch: a Clif Bar.
Although the match didn't unfold the way Travis would have liked, he did perform magnificently in the Saturday event, landing in the Top 4 with a Tireless Tribe Quiet Speculation brew. Also be sure to check out his podcast, Shared Discovery!
Record: 3-0
Round 4: Pat on RG Goblins
I find myself up against Pat, who as part of the Duress Crew had a home court advantage today. The Duress Crew's coordinating shirts and playmats were really admirable and I made a note to think of some neat swag for our New York crew. I also took a photo to commemorate making it to the top table incase it was the last time I’d be seated there:
G1: Pat mulligans his first hand while I keep six lands (Mountain, Karplusan Forest, Wasteland, Ghitu Encampment, and two Mishra's Factory), and a Nevinyrral's Disk. Pat mulligans his second hand as well, commenting that his first hand had no lands while his second hand had six lands. I nervously chuckle, who would keep a hand of six lands, right? He plays some Mountains and for a brief moment I wonder if I'm finally facing a mirror. The illusion is shattered though as he eventually plays a Goblin Warchief, cracking in for two before I remove it. He casts a Siege-Gang Commander, leaving him with one card in hand, and I decide to cast my Nevinyrral's Disk instead of leaving up a manland blocker. On his turn he rips a Goblin Warchief, playing it and his mystery card: a Goblin Piledriver. He swings in with the team to deal me lethal damage. I make no sideboarding changes... a decision that would haunt me later.
G2: I get an early Oath of Druids down and Shard Phoenix carefully manages his board. I had lost to Goblins during my first Top 16 run in the September 2022 webcam monthly so I knew to save my instant-speed interaction for hasty creatures like Goblin Warchief and Goblin Ringleader. He chips away at my life total, throwing Mogg Fanatics and Siege-Gang Commanders my way. Eventually I'm down to two life and we're in extra turns. I have 11 lands in play and an Urza's Rage in hand while my opponent is at less than 10 life. I manage to rip a Lava Dart (somewhere out there Rich Shay just nodded his approval without knowing why) to deal lethal in the last turn to Pat alongside an unkicked Urza's Rage and Ghitu Encampment. Easily one of the most thrilling games of the entire event! Although I wasn't able to kick the Urza's Rage I was kicking myself for not putting in Akroma, Angel of Wrath into my deck. She would have finished the game quickly instead of recurring Shard Phoenixes that weren't able to attack. Pat also shared at the end that I had apparently burned through every single one of his creatures and the rest of his deck was nothing but lands and non-creatures.
Record: 3-0-1
Round 5: Joshua on Mono U Stiflenought
Yet another member of the community who I'd talked to many times before online (especially around brewing) but had never met, Joshua provided many of the neat lobster-themed Premodern paintings for the event.
G1: He leads off with Island, pass. At this point I'm excited at the potential prospect of facing UW Landstill. I like my odds against them with tools against their manlands, Slice and Dice for Decree of Justice, a recurring Shard Phoenix, and the long-game of Thawing Glaciers into Urza's Rage. I lead off with a Mishra's Factory so I can commence the beatdown when Standstill lands. Imagine my profound disappointment when he plays another Island into Phyrexian Dreadnought. I look at my hand, no Powder Keg in sight. I decide to concede before making a second land drop to conceal information. I bring in Pyroblast, Red Elemental Blast, Overload, and Crash.
G2: We play draw-go for a while, sculpting our hands. I apply some manland and burn pressure, getting him down to five life. During the pivotal turn he decides to go for it I have a Pyroblast, Crash, and Pillage waiting but he's able to answer all three and I die after two swings. In general I feel OK about the Stiflenought matchup after the sideboard if I make it past a few turns given the variety of ways I can answer the Phyrexian Dreadnought (five blast effects, three instant-speed Shatters, two Pillage, four Powder Keg, and four Nevinyrral's Disk) but Mono Blue is very good at digging for answers with redundancy and red doesn't have much in the way of card selection so variance can happen.
Record: 3-1-1
Round 6: Nick on Survival Elves
I'm up against another member of the Duress Crew and someone I had only interacted with online prior: Nick!
G1: Mishra's Factory and burn make quick work of his life total as I'm able to get out multiple Oath of Druids to control the board. I make zero sideboarding changes... I think in the last four matches I had moved a total of five cards between the main deck and sideboard.
G2: He's able to pressure my life total to nine with some small chip shots and a Masticore (I think) swing but Slice and Dice clears out the riff raff and Oath of Druids and manlands finish the job. I think this has to be one of the most lopsided matchups in Premodern but Nick was a good sport about it.
Record: 4-1-1
Round 7: Colton on Blue Tax-Rack
My last round before I had to bounce to the airport! I think I was out of Top 8 contention at this point but a 5-1-1 finish with a brew would still be something to be proud of.
G1: My opponent leads with a first turn Land Tax (maybe with Undiscovered Paradise?) and a third turn Scroll Rack. We play around for a while and I even manage to snipe his Spontaneous Generation tokens with a sneaky Slice and Dice. He assembles the crew with Land Tax, Scroll Rack, Ivory Tower, etc. and I decide to just pack it in early and see if I can take him on G2 where I have even more tools. I board in 13 cards, everything but the Akroma, Angel of Wrath and the Zuran Orb. I did think hard about the Zuran Orb to manage Land Tax activations but I decided that going down on lands was not how I would beat him.
G2: He assembles the Tax-Rack engine pretty quickly as I draw mostly lands. I do manage to get a Mishra's Factory, Ghitu Encampment, and Shard Phoenix attacking to try and race his Ivory Tower but he has a nice play of casting Swords to Plowshares on my Phoenix, forcing me to either blow up two of my own lands or lose the Phoenix. The lowest I get him to is 18 as he gets multiple of Land Tax and Scroll Rack out, as well as a Sylvan Library that he ignores to save time given the absurd amount of card advantage he's already working with. I answer Spontaneous Generation at least twice with Slice and Dice but have no real clear path to victory as he reaches above 70 life and a hand presumably full of counter magic. My one last glimmer of hope was to leave Lobstercon with a kicked Urza's Rage, of which I had 11 lands out. Unfortunately extra turns elapse and I'm not able to find the last land needed. Martin Berlin, somewhere far away, feels my silent anguish and decides right then and there to ban Land Tax.
Record: 4-2-1
Round 8: Pasta at the Airport
I head to the airport and of course all the flights are delayed. I wonder if I could have stayed for the last round. Lanny is providing some serious on the floor, play-by-play reporting in the Premodern Discord. Growing up in a generation with television and the internet I’ve always kind of wondered how the previous generations found entertainment in radio but now I get it. I order a pasta and do a #MengucciCuisine Twitter impression. It’s not my best food photo and the post gets three likes (shoutout to the BANDING super fans). I decide to take an equally low effort deck photo:
My plane thankfully avoids cancelation and I arrive back in NYC to spend the night tending to the twins! Huge thanks to Jared D., DFB, my opponents, the NYC crew, my internet friends who became real-life friends, and everyone else who made Lobstercon such an amazing experience. I hope to see you all in 2024!
Sacred Torch Showdown
You may have heard but Jeff F., Jordan N., Lanny H., and I are organizing a $1.5K cash Premodern tournament, the Sacred Torch Showdown, in NYC on September 16th! The event is at capacity already but the waitlist is open and we anticipate that a few people will drop and make room for those on the waitlist. More details can be found on our website here.
We’ve already announced some unique prizes, like the winner receiving a custom plaque featuring their winning decklist as a card, a commemorative stamped Red Elemental Blast, an altered Birds of Paradise to be given out, and a few more fun surprises in the works.
I’m sure we’ll do an organizers report later on, but my hope is that this is the first of many types of Premodern tournaments hosted here in NYC. My goal is to help organize events for all kinds of Premodern players and so the next one I’d love to gear more towards rewarding spicy brews with perhaps a more “Old School 93/94” feel to it. Keep an eye out for more details and share the event with your friends!