And that is four successful tournaments in a row! Although the Gatecrash prerelease madness was in the same weekend as our first qualifier of the season 16 people showed up to fight for assured participation of the Peasant Groningen Invitational at the end of the season. After four straight wins, Johan Rots can now rest assured knowing that he has secured his place, congratulations!
Piloting a White Weenie version that finds its strength in the sheer value of each of its cards, Johan illustrated that white is very powerful. He knew he would have a weak match-up against storm combo, but expected no one to wield that considering its weakness to faeries and in particular the discard oriented decks that have been skulking about recently. Against those two archetypes specifically, this White Weenie is quite strong.
As promised, I have given you all the decks that were played this tournament (and will keep doing so in the future) and among them we see not many new faces. Elves, Faeries, MBA, WW and Sepp's 'Can't Touch This' have all seen play quite often this season. The noteworthy new face here is Walter's 'Teaching Posts', the deck is a proper old school control deck featuring tons of tricks, card advantage and removal. Win conditions are few and far between, so protecting those is vital. However, with counter magic and ghostly flicker at your disposal this should be managable.
Another thing I find noteworthy about the decklists in this tournament is the predominance of monocolored decks. It seems that the guildgates have not yet been able to open up the way for more multicolored decks, but considering the speed of the format this is not too shocking I guess. Perhaps with the full complement of guildgates people will be able to break the metagame open? I personally think that the Dimir, Simic and Orzhov Guildgates might be able to achieve what some of the other guildgates could not yet do. Our opinions on the other two gates and the rest of Gatecrash will be up for your reading pleasure before the next tournament in a review of the set's top cards, but maybe you already have ideas a plenty with the new set and its mechanics? I am curious to find out what impact Gatecrash will have on the format, as well as that of Skeletal Scrying!
See you all in February, maybe with a new metagame?
1.
Johan Rots *
White Weenie
4/4/0
Creatures
4 Benevolent Bodyguard
4 Gideon's Lawkeeper
3 Shade of Trokair
4 Kor Skyfisher
4 Squadron Hawk
4 Order of Leitbur
2 Razor Golem
2 Kor Sanctifiers
Spells
3 Bonesplitter
2 Mask of Memories (U)
3 Swords to Plowshares (U)
4 Journey to Nowhere
Lands
21 Plains
Sideboard
2 Disenchant
3 Sunlance
4 Pollen Remedy
3 Aven Riftwatcher
2 Seraph of Dawn
1 Dust to Dust
2.
Rob de Jonge *
Black Fish
4/3/0
Creatures
4 Chittering Rats
4 Phyrexian Rager
2 Liliana's Specter
1 Shriekmaw (U)
2 Crypt Rats
2 Okiba-Gang Shinobi
Spells
4 Dark Ritual
4 Hymn to Tourach
4 Sinkhole
4 Sign in Blood
4 Geth's Verdict
2 Snuff Out
Lands
4 Mishra's Factory (U)
19 Swamp
Sideboard
1 Grim Harvest
4 Rancid Earth
2 Crypt Rats
3 Relic of Progenitus
1 Snuff Out
4 Duress
3.
Siebe van der Veer *
Faeries
4/3/0
Creatures
1 Cloud Sprite
4 Cloud of faeries
4 Spellstutter Sprite
4 Zephyr Sprite
4 Spire Golem
Spells
4 Counterspell
4 Preordain
3 Gitaxian Probe
4 Snap
3 Gush
4 Favorable Winds (U)
3 Daze
1 Mental Misstep (U)
Lands
17 Island
Sideboard
2 Desert
2 Thornwind Faeries
3 Blue Elemental Blast
3 Spell Pierce
3 Into the Roil
2 Remove Soul
4.
Sylke Gosen *
Elves
4/3/0
Creatures
4 Birchlore Rangers
4 Nettle Sentinel
3 Quirion Ranger
4 Priest of Titania
4 Viridian Joiner
4 Llanowar Elves
2 Fyndhorn Elves
4 Timberwatch Elves
Spells
3 Distant Melody
4 Manamorphose
4 Rancor
4 Lotus Petal
4 Umbral Mantle (U)
Lands
12 Forest
Sideboard
4 Wellwisher
2 Relic of Progenitus
2 Taunting Elf
1 Lys Alana Huntmaster
1 Spider Spawning (U)
3 Scattershot Archer
2 Naturalize
5.
Walter Fuglistahler *
Teaching Posts
4/3/0
Creatures
2 Mnemonic Wall
3 Sea Gate Oracle
4 Mulldrifter
1 Ulamog's Crusher
Spells
1 Isochron Scepter (U)
1 Grim Harvest
1 Echoing Decay
1 Agony Warp
1 Diabolic Edict
1 Muddle the Mixture
1 Ghostly Flicker
1 Capsize
1 Hideous Laughter (U)
1 Doom Blade
1 Disfigure
2 Counterspell
4 Preordain
1 Prohibit
2 Mystical Teachings
4 Prophetic Prism
2 Innocent Blood
Lands
1 Terramorphic Expanse
8 Island
5 Swamp
2 Dimir Aqueduct
4 Cloudpost
4 Glimmerpost
Sideboard
3 Blue Elemental Blast
1 Disfigure
2 Deep Analysis
2 Temporal Fissure
1 Hindering Touch
1 Coffin Purge
2 Dispel
1 Perplex
1 Engineered Plague (U)
1 Haunting Hymn (U)
6.
Niels *** *
The Rack
4/2/1
Creatures
1 Ninja of the Deep Hours
4 Chittering Rats
3 Trinket Mage
3 Sea Gate Oracle
3 Mesmeric Fiend
1 Ravenous Rats
Spells
4 The Rack (U)
1 Executioner's Capsule
4 Doom Blade
4 Raven's Crime
1 Engineered Plague (U)
4 Hymn to Tourach
2 Echoing Decay
2 Disfigure
1 Bonesplitter
Lands
1 Vault of the Whispers
1 Evolving Wilds
4 Terramorphic Expanse
11 Swamp
5 Island
Sideboard
1 Echoing Decay
3 Dispel
3 Tormod's Crypt
3 Desert
1 Relic of Progenitus
1 Okiba-Gang Shinobi
1 Tragic Slip
2 Diabolic Edict
7.
Andre Pannekoek *
Faeries
4/2/0
Creatures
Spells
Lands
Sideboard
8.
Sepp Jansen *
Can't Touch This 2.0
4/2/0
Creatures
4 Gladecover Scout
4 Slippery Bogle
4 Silhana Ledgewalker
2 Taoist Hermit (U)
Spells
1 Abundant Growth
2 Spirit Mantle (U)
2 Call to Serve
3 Ancestral Mask
4 Ethereal Armor
2 Spider Umbra
4 Rancor
4 Hyena Umbra
4 Armadillo Cloak
Lands
11 Forest
9 Plains
Sideboard
4 Temporal Isolation
2 Aura Gnarlid
1 Flickering Ward (U)
2 Naturalize
2 Journey to Nowhere
3 Dawn Charm
1 Hidden Spider
9.
Allard van der Made *
U/W Blink
4/2/0
Creatures
4 Mulldrifter
4 Sea Gate Oracle
1 Ninja of the Deep Hours
4 Porcelain Legionnaire
3 Aven Riftwatcher
3 Temple Acolyte
Spells
4 Preordain
1 Ponder
2 Deep Analysis
2 Repeal
3 Momentary Blink
4 Swords to Plowshares (U)
1 Path to Exile (U)
2 Oblivion Ring
Lands
4 Azorius Guildgate
11 Island
7 Plains
Sideboard
3 Disenchant
3 Tormod's Crypt
1 Temple Acolyte
2 Sunlance
2 Journey to Nowhere
2 Dispel
2 Spell Pierce
10.
Danny Sardjan *
Faeries
4/2/0
Creatures
4 Spellstutter Sprite
4 Pestermite
4 Delver of Secrets
3 Cloud Sprite
4 Ninja of the Deep Hours
Spells
2 Force of Will (U)
4 Mana Leak
4 Counterspell
4 Vapor Snag
2 Gush
3 Favorable Winds (U)
2 Exclude
Lands
17 Island
3 Desert
Sideboard
2 Spell Pierce
3 Blue Elemental Blast
3 Weatherseed Faeries
3 Echoing Truth
2 Relic of Progenitus
2 Spire Golem
11.
Niek Ottens *
Shrieking Rats
4/2/0
Creatures
4 Ravenous Rats
4 Chittering Rats
3 Lilliana's Specter
2 Okiba-gang Shinobi
Spells
4 Shrieking Affliction (U)
4 Consume Spirit
4 Duress
4 Distress
2 Doom Blade
2 Geth's Verdict
2 Victim of the Night
1 Grasp of Darkness
1 Soul Reap
1 Diabolic Edict
1 The Rack (U)
Lands
22 Swamp
Sideboard
3 Black Cat
3 Murder
2 Cadaver Imp
2 Vile Rebirth
2 Faerie Macabre
1 Soul Burn
1 Drain Life
1 Crypt Rats
12.
Desmond Scholtens *
UR Tempo
4/1/0
Creatures
4 Delver of Secrets
4 Illusory Angel (U)
4 Kiln Fiend
4 Porcelain Legionnaire
Spells
4 Gitaxian Probe
4 Ponder
3 Gush
4 Manamorphose
4 Snap
1 Apostle's Blessing
1 Force of Will (U)
4 Lightning Bolt
3 Lotus Petal
Lands
2 Izzet Guildgate
6 Mountain
8 Island
Sideboard
4 Electrickery
3 Apostle's Blessing
1 Mizzium Skin
3 Smash to Smithereens
2 Echoing Truth
1 Dispel
1 Spell Pierce
13.
Maarten Jacobs *
NeoTE
4/1/0
Creatures
4 Gatecreeper Vine
4 Sakura-tribe Elder
4 Golgari Brownscale
4 Stinkweed Imp
2 Crypt Rats
2 Tilling Treefolk
2 Wickerbough Elder
1 Shriekmaw (U)
1 Battlefield Scrounger
Spells
3 Faithless Looting
2 Flame Jab
1 Raven's Crime
3 Sylvan Library (U)
4 Tortured Existence
1 Goblin Bombardment (U)
Lands
4 Golgari Guildgate
4 Rakdos Guildgate
2 Mountain
8 Forest
4 Swamp
Sideboard
1 Flame Jab
1 Spore Frog
1 Gorilla Shaman
2 Ancient Grudge
2 Raven's Crime
3 Faerie Macabre
3 Gnaw to the Bone
1 Crypt Rats
1 Heartstabber Mosquito
14.
Mathijs Hoogeveen *
Sensei's Erasure
4/1/0
Creatures
4 Trinket Mage
4 Etherium Sculptor
2 Sage of Epityr
Spells
4 Lotus Petal
2 Helm of Awakening (U)
3 Sensei' Divining Top (U)
4 Dizzy Spell
4 Brainstorm
4 Ponder
4 Muddle the Mixture
3 Conjurer's Bauble
4 Jace's Erasure
4 Gitaxian Probe
Lands
14 Island
Sideboard
3 Essence Scatter
2 Echoing Truth
2 Downpour
3 Arcane Denial
3 Spell Pierce
2 Dispel
15.
Jan Rigter *
White Weenie
4/0/1
Creatures
4 Soul Warden
4 Doomed Traveler
4 Kor Skyfisher
4 Squadron Hawk
2 Kor Firewalker (U)
2 Suture Priest
4 Guardian of the Guildpact
4 Razor Golem
Spells
2 Bonesplitter
1 Spectral Procession (U)
4 Journey to Nowhere
4 Unmake
Lands
19 Plains
2 Desert
Sideboard
2 Demistify
1 Dawn Charm
4 Order of Leitbur
2 Suture Priest
2 Kor Firewalker (U)
2 Seraph of Dawn
2 Thraben Sentry
16.
Marius Hollenga *
MBA
4/0/0
Creatures
4 Fume Spitter
4 Dauthi Slayer
4 Vampire Nighthawk (U)
3 Okiba-Gang Shinobi
1 Shriekmaw (U)
4 Vault Skirge
1 Rathi Trapper
Spells
4 Bonesplitter
2 Grim Harvest
4 Lose Hope
4 Doom Blade
4 Sign in blood
Lands
18 Swamp
3 Bojuka Bog
Sideboard
4 Duress
4 Fearie Macabre
4 Vampire Lacerator
3 Rathi trapper