May 25, 2010

Banned List Update 2

For the second time since I host this blog, there's been an update to the banned list. As of 14/05/2010 Berserk and Diamond Valley are no longer banned.

With Season 3 around the corner, we decided to take a good look at the banned list, particular those cards that were banned since the beginning. The unbanned cards are two of the cards that were on the list because of their price. We believe that that argument no longer holds, unless we also ban cards like Force of Will, Sinkhole, and a host of Portal 3 Kingdom cards. Unwilling to add those cards to the list, we asked ourselves what would happen if we took the expensive cards off the banned list instead.

In most cases, the cards are expensive for a reason. Cards like Library of Alexandria and Mana Drain are simply broken (or at least not costed appropriately), and would most likely have a negative impact on the peasant metagame. We are willing to give Berserk and Diamond Valley the benefit of the doubt however. Since Berserk is cheaper than Sinkhole and Force of Will, and Diamond Valley is not a 4-of, neither looks to be prohibitively expensive. We are confident that both cards will not be a requirement to enjoy, or indeed win, peasant tournaments either. More importantly however, powerwise they both seem to be on par with the best uncommons in the metagame.

Other than that, there are no changes to the banned list or the watchlist.

To see the full list of banned cards, click here.

May 21, 2010

Results May 9, 2010

There we are, at the end of the second season! After 12 tournaments, today we battled it out for the title of Season 2 Groningen Peasant Champ! For the first time, Rise of the Eldrazi was legal, and already cards from the set showed up in prominent decks, including the winner's. Six rounds, double points, one trophy!



Results

1. Martijn Beljaars (36 pt - Boros Burn)
2. Douwe van Noordenburg (30 pt - Taïga)
3. Martijn Hennink (24 pt - WeeBee)
4. Rob de Jong (24 pt - Predator Stompy)
5. Allard van der Made (24 pt - Elves)
6. Jasper Boelens (18 pt - Dirty Kitty)
7. Michiel Deunk (18 pt - Izzet Aggro Combo)
8. Niels Gramser (18 pt - Moosebite)
9. Erik-Sander Kwebeman (18 pt - UB Thopter Control)
10. Gijsbert Haaksman (18 pt - Reanimator)
11. Oswin ten Brinke (14 pt - Moosebite)
12. Johan Rots (12 pt - Faeries)
13. Matthijs Hoogeveen (12 pt - Channel Elfball)
14. Guus Venhuizen (8 pt - Astral Slide)
15. Martijn Labohm (6 pt - Moosebite)
16. Bart Holkenborg (6 pt - Faeries)



Martijn Beljaars - Boros Burn
1st place (36 points)

Creatures
4 Keldon Marauders
4 Kiln Fiend
4 Kor Skyfisher
4 Plated Geopede
2 Aven Riftwatcher

Spells
4 Burst Lightning
3 Chain Lightning
4 Lightning Bolt
1 Incinerate
1 Isochron Scepter (U)
4 Lightning Helix (U)
3 Searing Blaze
2 Rift Bolt

Lands
4 Desert
2 Evolving Wilds
8 Mountain
4 Plains
2 Terramorphic Expanse

Sideboard
SB: 1 Bloodfire Dwarf
SB: 3 Hallow
SB: 1 Martyr of Ashes
SB: 4 Pyroblast
SB: 2 Journey to Nowhere
SB: 2 Oblivion Ring
SB: 2 Prismatic Strands



Douwe van Noordenburg - Taïga
2nd place (30 points)

Creatures
1 Jungle Lion
4 Kird Ape
4 Wild Nacatl
2 Keldon Marauders
4 Kiln Fiend
3 Scab-Clan Maulers
1 Bloodbraid Elf (U)

Spells
4 Chain Lightning
4 Lava Dart
4 Lightning Bolt
2 Rancor
2 Reckless Charge
1 Colossal Might
2 Incinerate

Lands
2 Evolving Wilds
8 Forest
2 Gemstone Mine (U)
10 Mountain

Sideboard
SB: 3 Flaring Pain
SB: 4 Martyr of Ashes
SB: 1 Pyroblast
SB: 1 Gaea's Blessing (U)
SB: 3 Smash to Smithereens
SB: 1 Choke (U)
SB: 2 Vulshok Sorcerer



Martijn Hennink - WeeBee
3rd place (24 points)

Creatures
4 Kor Skyfisher
4 Ravenous Rats
4 Chittering Rats
4 Vampire Nighthawk (U)
4 Wispmare
3 Okiba-Gang Shinobi

Spells
3 Bonesplitter
3 Unearth
1 Loxodon Warhammer (U)
3 Riding Red Hare
4 Unmake

Lands
8 Plains
11 Swamp
4 Terramorphic Expanse

Sideboard
SB: 4 Disfigure
SB: 3 Relic of Progenitus
SB: 4 Blood Seeker
SB: 4 Holy Light



Rob de Jonge - Predator Stompy
4th place (24 points)

Creatures
4 Jungle Lion
4 Nettle Sentinel
4 Slippery Bogle
4 Skarrgan Pit-Skulk
4 Kavu Predator (U)
4 Silhana Ledgewalker

Spells
4 Giant Growth
4 Rancor
4 Vines of Vastwood
4 Invigorate
2 Snake Umbra
1 Bounty of the Hunt (U)

Lands
17 Forest

Sideboard
SB: 4 Nature's Claim
SB: 4 Relic of Progenitus
SB: 3 Sandstorm
SB: 4 Scattershot Archer



Allard van der Made - Elves
5th place (24 points)

Creatures
4 Birchlore Rangers
3 Fyndhorn Elves
4 Heritage Druid (U)
4 Llanowar Elves
4 Nettle Sentinel
4 Quirion Ranger
1 Wirewood Symbiote (U)
4 Elvish Visionary
3 Quirion Sentinel

Spells
2 Chromatic Star
4 Land Grant
4 Manamorphose
2 Compulsive Research
4 Distant Melody
3 Temporal Fissure

Lands
10 Forest

Sideboard
SB: 2 Magnify
SB: 4 Relic of Progenitus
SB: 4 Scattershot Archer
SB: 4 Echoing Truth
SB: 1 Deep Analysis



Jasper Boelens - Dirty Kitty
6th place (18 points)

Creatures
1 Goblin Bushwacker
2 Goblin Sledder
4 Skirk Prospector
4 Tinder Wall
1 Wild Cantor
1 Goblin Recruiter (U)
4 Mogg War Marshal
4 Goblin Matron

Spells
4 Lotus Petal
4 Rite of Flame
1 Grapeshot
4 Fecundity (U)
4 Seething Song
4 Empty the Warrens

Lands
8 Forest
10 Mountain

Sideboard
SB: 4 Nature's Claim
SB: 3 Pyroblast
SB: 2 Red Elemental Blast
SB: 2 Grapeshot
SB: 4 Wrap in Vigor



Michiel Deunk - Izzet Aggro Combo
7th place (18 points)

Creatures
4 Izzet Guildmage (U)
4 Kiln Fiend
3 Wee Dragonauts

Spells
4 Brainstorm
4 Lava Spike
4 Lightning Bolt
1 Mystical Tutor (U)
4 Ponder
4 Desperate Ritual
4 Incinerate
2 Muddle the Mixture

Lands
11 Island
7 Mountain
4 Terramorphic Expanse

Sideboard
SB: 2 Annul
SB: 4 Blue Elemental Blast
SB: 4 Red Elemental Blast
SB: 4 Echoing Truth
SB: 1 Wee Dragonauts



Niels Gramser - Moosebite
8th place (18 points)

Creatures
4 Putrid Leech
1 Eternal Witness (U)
4 Grazing Gladehart
2 Kitchen Finks (U)
2 Vampire Nighthawk (U)
4 Yavimaya Elder
3 Blastoderm
1 Cadaver Imp
3 Wickerbough Elder

Spells
3 Raven's Crime
3 Unearth
4 Doom Blade
2 Sign in Blood

Lands
1 Evolving Wilds
3 Golgari Rot Farm
4 Terramorphic Expanse
8 Snow-Covered Forest
8 Swamp

Sideboard
SB: 3 Leaf Arrow
SB: 1 Sandstorm
SB: 4 Hymn to Tourach
SB: 2 Nausea
SB: 2 Night Soil
SB: 1 Crypt Rats
SB: 2 Rending Vines



Erik-Sander Kwebeman - UB Thopter Control
9th place (18 points)

Creatures
3 Crypt Rats
2 Trinket Mage
4 Mulldrifter

Spells
1 Æther Spellbomb
4 Innocent Blood
1 Relic of Progenitus
1 Sensei's Divining Top (U)
4 Accumulated Knowledge
3 Counterspell
4 Diabolic Edict
1 Echoing Decay
1 Echoing Truth
3 Muddle the Mixture
2 Sword of the Meek (U)
2 Thopter Foundry (U)
3 Mistvein Borderpost

Lands
2 Esper Panorama
2 Evolving Wilds
6 Island
8 Swamp
2 Terramorphic Expanse

Sideboard
SB: 4 Blue Elemental Blast
SB: 4 Duress
SB: 1 Relic of Progenitus
SB: 1 Echoing Truth
SB: 1 Shrivel
SB: 4 Errant Ephemeron



Gijsbert Haaksman - Reanimator
10th place (18 points)

Creatures
3 Gamekeeper (U)
4 Ulamog's Crusher

Spells
4 Lotus Petal
2 Cabal Therapy (U)
4 Careful Study
4 Dark Ritual
1 Duress
4 Innocent Blood
2 Dragon Breath
4 Exhume
3 Ideas Unbound
4 Impulse
3 Compulsive Research

Lands
7 Island
2 Forest
5 Swamp
4 Terramorphic Expanse

Sideboard
SB: 2 Tormod's Crypt
SB: 3 Disrupt
SB: 3 Duress
SB: 4 Early Frost
SB: 3 Naturalize



And so, after 10 decklists, only one question remains. Who won? Well, faithfully playing fun homebrew decks has paid off! In the end, my third place was more then enough to take home that trophy.

Peasant Magic Groningen Season 2 Final Standings Top 20
1. Martijn Hennink (127 pt)
2. Jasper Boelens (99 pt)
3. Niels Gramser (88 pt)
4. Martijn Beljaars (88 pt)
5. Rob de Jonge (87 pt)
6. Martijn Labohm (85 pt)
7. Maarten Jacobs (84 pt)
8. Erik-Sander Kwebeman (82 pt)
9. Douwe van Noordenburg (78 pt)
10. Allard van der Made (64 pt)
11. Bart Holkenborg (55 pt)
12. Arne Haak (51 pt)
13. Johan Rots (51 pt)
14. Gijsbert Haaksman (51 pt)
15. Michiel Deunk (49 pt)
16. Oswin ten Brinke (47 pt)
17. Guus Venhuizen (40 pt)
18. Jan Kortlarski (36 pt)
19. Mathijs Hoogeveen (33 pt)
20. Anne Cnossen (22 pt)

I had great fun, and I hope you had fun reading up on these decklists! Season 3 starts on the 28th of May. Whatever the coming year may bring, I'll make sure to keep you up to date!

May 3, 2010

Results March 26, 2010

13 players showed up in march for the last peasant tournament of our second season. I concocted a new deck, together with a friend, and had a blast playing it!

Of the top 5 players, four were absent, visiting Grand Prix Bruxelles instead. Good news for me, since I already was on top in this season's standings. Still, with so many players missing, we had a really nice showing! Also, for the second month in a row, combo took the top spot!



Results

1. Arne Haak (13 pt - Arcane Tide)
2. Johan Rots (12 pt - WeeBee)
3. Bart Holkenborg (10 pt - Faeries)
4. Oswin ten Brinke (9 pt - ???)
5. Desmond Scholtens (9 pt - Naya Landfall)
6. Niels Gramser (9 pt - BG Moosebite)
7. Martijn Hennink (9 pt - BeeWee)
8. Rob de Jonge (6 pt - ???)
9. Mathijs Hoogeveen (6 pt - Channel Elfball)
10. Remco van den Berg (6 pt - ???)
11. Jan Kotlarski (6 pt - Taïga)
12. Julius Sijtstra (6 pt - ???)
13. Robert Bekker (3 pt - BG)



Arne Haak - Arcane Tide
1st place (13 points)

Creatures

Spells
1 Gigadrowse
4 Brainstorm
4 High Tide
4 Ponder
4 Reach Through Mists
1 Evermind (U)
2 Dampen Thought (U)
2 Stream of Consciousness (U)
4 Accumulated Knowledge
4 Ideas Unbound
4 Merchant Scroll
4 Peer Through Depths
4 Psychic Puppetry
1 Oona's Grace

Lands
17 Island

Sideboard
SB: 4 Blue Elemental Blast
SB: 4 Disrupt
SB: 3 Gigadrowse
SB: 4 Relic of Progenitus



Johan Rots - WeeBee
2nd place (12 points)

Creatures
4 Soul Warden
4 Kor Skyfisher
4 Aven Riftwatcher
4 Chittering Rats
3 Shrieking Grotesque
4 Vampire Nighthawk (U)
3 Okiba-Gang Shinobi

Spells
3 Bonesplitter
3 Unearth
4 Journey to Nowhere
1 Loxodon Warhammer (U)

Lands
8 Plains
11 Swamp
4 Terramorphic Expanse

Sideboard
SB: 4 Hallow
SB: 4 Nausea
SB: 3 Unmake
SB: 4 Wispmare



Bart Holkenborg - Faeries
3rd place (10 points)

Creatures
4 Cloud of Faeries
4 Spellstutter Sprite
4 Ninja of the Deep Hours
4 Pestermite

Spells
4 Force Spike
1 Spell Snare (U)
4 Counterspell
4 Mana Leak
3 Snap
4 Force of Will (U)
4 Gush

Lands
3 Desert
17 Island

Sideboard
SB: ? Annul
SB: ? Blue Elemental Blast
SB: ? Relic of Progenitus
SB: ? Viridian Longbow
SB: ? Negate



Oswin ten Brinke - ???
4th place (9 points)

Creatures


Spells


Lands


Sideboard
SB:



Desmond Scholtens - Naya Landfall
5th place (9 points)

Creatures
3 Steppe Lynx
4 Wild Nacatl
2 Elvish visionary
3 Plated Geopede
4 Grazing Gladehart
3 Territorial Baloth
3 Baloth Woodcrasher (U)

Spells
4 Vines of Vastwood
2 Explore
2 Manamorphose
4 Harrow
2 Harmonize (U)

Lands
1 Gruul Turf
1 Selesnya Sanctuary
12 Forests
5 Mountain
5 Plains

Sideboard
SB: 4 Lightning Bolt
SB: 4 Nature's Claim
SB: 3 Shieldmate's Blessing 
SB: 2 Journey to Nowhere
SB: 2 Night Soil



Niels Gramser - BG Moosebite
6th place (9 points)

Creatures
4 Putrid Leach
1 Eternal Witness (U)
4 Grazing Gladehart
2 Kitchen Finks (U)
2 Vampire Nighthawk (U)
4 Yavimaya Elder
2 Blastoderm
1 Gravedigger
3 Wickerbough Elder

Spells
3 Raven's Crime
4 Unearth
4 Doom Blade
2 Sign in Blood

Lands
4 Golgari Rot Farm
4 Terramorphic Expanse
8 Forest
8 Swamp

Sideboard
SB: 3 Diabolic Edict
SB: 4 Nausea
SB: 3 Night Soil
SB: 2 Safehold Elite
SB: 2 Rending Vines
SB: 1 Mold Shambler



Martijn Hennink - WeeBee
7th place (9 points)

Creatures
4 Soul Warden
4 Kor Skyfisher
4 Aven Riftwatcher
4 Chittering Rats
3 Shrieking Grotesque
4 Vampire Nighthawk (U)
3 Okiba-Gang Shinobi

Spells
3 Bonesplitter
3 Unearth
4 Journey to Nowhere
1 Loxodon Warhammer (U)

Lands
8 Plains
11 Swamp
4 Terramorphic Expanse

Sideboard
SB: 4 Nausea
SB: 4 Rest for the Weary
SB: 3 Unmake
SB: 4 Wispmare