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About Andy Probasco: Andy "Brassman" Probasco finished 2nd at the 2005 Vintage World Championships, and is considered to be amongst the best Vintage deckbuilders in the world.
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In the make it or break it round, we see the Rich mirror. Rich Mattiuzzo is a Type One regular and one of the Canadian players responsible for building and popularizing the Vintage Worldgorger Dragon deck. Today he's running a rogue control deck packing Mishra's Workshop and Mana Drain. Rich Hoaen is a Pro Tour veteran Limited master, and today is acting as one of this event's Shooting Stars. Hoaen is running a traditional Welder-based Stax list.
Before the match began, the players spent a considerable amount of time discussing the different tiebreaker connotations and whether or not Mattiuzzo could afford to draw. Hoaen's tiebreakers were definitely good enough to make him a lock for the Top 8 with a draw, but the other Canadian Richard was not so fortunate and eventually decided that he had to play it out or likely draw himself into something less than the Top 8.
Mattiuzzo won the die roll and opened up with Academy, Mox, Engineered Explosives at 0, and Time Walk. The Walk turn was less exciting as Mattiuzzo simply drew his card and passed. Hoaen Wasted the Academy and played a Mox Ruby. Mattziuto ripped an Island and played an Engineered Explosives at 1, which Hoaen answered with the dreaded Workshop, Trinisphere. Mattiuzo just drew and passed under the Trinisphere, just like the good old days, and Hoaen played a Mox Emerald off of the Workshop, plus a Chalice at 2 with a second. Trinisphere kept up the good work and stole another turn from Mattiuzo, giving Hoaen a chance to play a Goblin Welder. At the end of his turn, Mattiuzo sacrificed his Explosives at one, untapped and drew a Wasteland. With the magic number of mana sources at last, Mattiuzo dropped a Crucible of Worlds. Now it was Hoaen's turn to draw and do nothing, going further in the hole when Mattiuzo Wasted both of his Workshops on his. Hoaen cast Vampiric Tutor for Goblin Welder, but never got a chance to play it. Mattiuzo killed both of Hoaen's Moxen with his other Explosives, and locked him down under his own Trinisphere. Hoaen scooped after Mattiuzzo drew a Strip Mine and showed him the Tinker that would end it.
Rich Mattiuzzo 1 - Rich Hoaen 0
Mattiuzzo sideboarded:
out: 4 Chalice of the Void, 3 Mana Drain
in: 3 Rack and Ruin,1 Lava Dart, 3 Nevinyrral's Disc
Rich Hoaen sideboarded:
out: 2 Sphere of Resistance, 2 Tangle Wire, Chalice of the Void
in: 2 Viashino Heretic, 2 Seal of Cleansing, Red Elemental Blast
Game two, Hoaen led with Black Lotus, City of Brass, and a Chalice at 0, and Mattiuzo played Crucible of Worlds off of a Workshop. Hoaen dropped an Smokestack and passed, but got his Workshop Wasted the following turn. The Smokestack got a counter, then Hoaen played a Seal of Cleansing and threw it at the Crucible; all Mattiuzo could do was Waste Hoaen's Gemstone Mine and pass back. Hoaen sacrificed the Smokestack to itself, played a second Seal, and both players played land for two turns. Mattiuzo cast Thirst for Knowledge in response to a Hoaen's Tangle Wire, and Force of Willed the lock piece, pitching another Thirst for Knowledge. On his turn, Mattiuzo dropped another Crucible and played a Waste from the yard, clearing Hoaen's board besides the Seal. Hoaen didn't draw anything playable while Mattiuzo got a Library of Alexandria active. "That's pretty lucky," Hoaen said sarcastically as he made his second-to-last last play of the game, a short-lived Wasteland, to cast Sol Ring. Over the next few turns, Mattiuzzo cast another Time Walk, Thirst for Knowledge, a Fact or Fiction, two more Crucibles and two Nevinyrral's Discs before drawing his Darksteel Colossus. Mattiuzzo tapped Academy for exactly 11 mana, and threw down the iron giant. Hoaen played a Pearl and Balance, but Mattiuzzo had drawn the Mana Leak to counter it long ago, knocking Hoaen out of Top 8 contention.
