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About JP Meyer: JP is a member of Team Mean Deck and was amongst the first to develop competitive Psychatog and U/G Madness for the Vintage format. He is also one of the foremost pundits on Magic's oldest format.
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This match features Ugo, a member of the Montreal Type 1 scene with Control Slaver against Joe Weber, a local pro with more than twenty Pro tour appearances to his name. The deck he's running today is Four-Color Fish. "Wait - so my kind of deck is called 'Fish?'" Weber asked. A crowd of fellow French-Canadian players have gathered to watch the match, so I have absolutely no idea what anybody around me is talking about right now. Joe won the roll and obviously chose to play. Both players chose to keep their opening seven. Joe led off with a Tundra and passed the turn. Ugo had a more exciting first turn, playing Volcanic Island, Mox Pearl, and then a Brainstorm. Joe considered his plays for a while and then eventually played a Wasteland to kill Ugo's Volcanic. Rivard played his Polluted Delta and passed the turn back. Weber played a Mox Ruby and a Mishra's Factory before playing Standstill. Rivard fetched out an Undergound Sea and cast Brainstorm in response and then let the Standstill resolve. Ugo played a Strip Mine on his turn, but chose not to use it on the Mishra's Factory yet, instead waiting until Joe tried to attack. Joe played a second Wasteland after the attack to destroy Rivard's Sea. Rivard had a second Sea to replaced the one that went barren.
The game slowed down at this point - neither player was willing to break the Standstill, but Joe hadn't drawn another Factory in order to resume his attacks. Once Joe drew up to seven cards, Rivard played Brainstorm to break the Standstill, forcing Joe to discard the cards that he just drew. With the Standstill broken, Rivard played a Seat of the Synod and a Mox Jet in order to Demonic Tutor for Black Lotus. On his second main phase, he sacrificed the Lotus and Pearl to cast Tinker. Joe Forced and Ugo Drained back, getting it to resolve. He then inexplicably said, "Go" before searching, prompting a head judge to rule that Ugo could not go back.
Joe played a Gorilla Shaman and Wasteland and wrecked Ugo's board, leaving him with just his Seat of the Synod. Rivard used his Mana Drain mana to cast Gifts Ungiven for Sol Ring, Crucible of Worlds, Mox Sapphire, and Thirst for Knowledge. Joe gave him the Thirst and Crucible, and Rivard had to burn for the remaining two mana. Joe attacked with the Shaman (taking Rivard to 16) and then followed up with Grim Lavamancer and Time Walk. On the Walk turn, he played a Lotus, ate the Seat, and attacked for two more. Rivard had no play on his turn. Weber attacked again and played out a second Shaman. Again, Rivard had no more play while Weber attacked for two more (this time leaving the Lavamancer back in order to use its ability. After discarding for two turns, Ugo conceded.
Weber 1- Rivard 0
Both players sideboarded and shuffed up for game two in silence, still somewhat uneasy after the result of the last game, as Ugo was shuffling both decks noticeably loudly and nearly tossed both decks when presenting them. Joe chose to take a mulligan, while Rivard started off with a Library of Alexandria. Weber played a Tundra on his turn before sending back. Ugo drew his LoA card on his turn before playing a Volcanic. Joe had to think for a while on his next turn, eventually settling on a Flooded Strand for Volcanic of his own. Weber played a Lavamancer, to which Ugo Brainstorm'ed in response. Ugo drew another LoA card on his turn, and then afterwards played a Mox Ruby, Sol Ring, Lightning Greaves, and Tolarian Academy. Weber attacked for one and then cast Standstill, which met a Mana Drain. Rivard used his Mana Drain mana to Fact or Fiction. Joe split it as Thirst for Knowledge + Vampiric Tutor and Force of Will + Mindslaver + Volcanic Island. Ugo took the bigger pile and then cast the Thirst for Knowledge, discarding Delta and Vampiric. He then played a second Thirst, again discarding more non-artifacts.
Weber attacked with the Lavamancer again, but this time he turned it into a Ninja of Deep Hours, netting him an extra card. He replayed the wizard again after combat. Ugo drew with the LoA on his turn and then played an Underground Sea. He layed a Gifts Ungiven, which resolved. Ugo searched for Mystical Tutor, Black Lotus, Demonic Tutor, and Ancestral Recall. Joe gave him the Lotus and Ancestral. Ugo cast the Ancestral and Lotus and cast a third Thirst, discarding Triseklion. He finished the turn with a Time Walk. On the Time Walk Legacy, he first drew another card from LoA and then cast Tinker, sacrificing the Mox and searching out Platinum Angel. Rivard tried to equip the Greaves onto the Angel, but Joe played Swords to Plowshares in response. Ugo had the Force of Will though to save the Angel. Joe had no play on his turn. Ugo played Yawgmoth's Will on his turn and Joe conceded.
Weber 1 - Rivard 1
Joe had to take another mulligan to start game three. His opening play was just a Tundra. Ugo only had a Sea of the Synod, but played Ancestral Recall during Joe's upkeep. Joe played Aether Vial during his mainphase, which Ugo countered with Force of Will. Rivard played a Mox Pearl, Sol Ring, and Tolarian Academy on his turn. Joe had no play on his. Ugo played a mainphase Brainstorm on his next turn. Ugo's attempt at Goblin Welder met a Force of Will. Joe finally drew a second land (Volcanic Island) and played a Gorilla Shaman, which ate Ugo's Seat. Ugo tapped out a for a Triseklion, which then killed the Shaman. Joe had a strong followup play of Seal of Cleansing, which destroyed the Trisk when it attacked. Joe played another Seal on his next turn and passed the turn back after fetching out another Tundra with a Flooded Strand. Ugo played another land, but still had no other play. Joe played another Strand and got a Volcanic on his next turn and tapped out to hardcast Ninja of Deep Hours. Ugo killed the Ninja with Pyroclasm and sent the turn back. Joe went for a Standstill with an empty board. Ugo didn't fall for it though, and the Standstill met a hardcast Force. Joe played the Mishra's Factory that he had held back to make the Standstill look less threatening and ended his turn.
Rivard again played an uneventful turn. Weber attacked with the Factory on his turn and cast a Meddling Mage, which was Mana Drain'ed. Rivard used the Mana Drain mana to cast Yawgmoth's Will, replaying Ancestral Recall, Brainstorm, and a Goblin Welder. Joe attacked Ugo down to 15 with the Factory and passed the turn back. Rivard destroyed the Factory with his Strip Mine and then swapped the Triskelion back into play. Weber half-heartedly tried for Ancestral, which was Drained. Rivard went in with the Welder and Triskelion (inadvertently burning from the Mana Drain), knocking Joe to 10. Joe didn't draw anything and conceded.
