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Red or No:
Making the Top Eight with
Mirrodin/Darksteel
by Jeff Zandi
Darksteel matters. Last Saturday, the
pro tour qualifier season began for Pro
Tour San Diego. The format for this
season is sealed deck with one Mirrodin
tournament pack (we used to call these
starter decks) and two Darksteel booster
packs. For players in Texas, this is a
fun qualification season for a couple of
reasons. First and foremost, it’s for an
American pro tour. For the past many
months, players in my neck of the woods
have been getting tired of trying to
psyche themselves up to work hard to win
a PTQ for Amsterdam or Kobe with the
knowledge that even after they qualify,
they have to figure out a way to get
themselves halfway across the planet in
order to compete in the PT. A domestic
pro tour event is definitely a sight for
sore eyes. Secondly, it’s a limited
season, and even if limited lends itself
to more random results, lots of players
love sealed deck PTQs. Finally, Texas
players are very happy this season
because beginning with February 7th,
there is a PTQ in the Texas area for
eight straight weeks.
I don’t
know if you’ve noticed, but it really
isn’t necessary for Magic journalists to
be the best players in the world. As
badly as I want to be a great Magic
player, I’ll be happy to be remembered
as a better writer than player. This
season, however, I’m thrilled to be
speaking from a higher level of
experience. Mirrodin sealed has been a
very good format for me. Including last
Saturday’s PTQ for San Diego that was
held in Dallas, I’ve played in three
Mirrodin sealed deck pro tour
qualifiers. I have made the top eight in
all three of these tournaments. I also
played Mirrodin sealed at Grand Prix
Kansas in October. My combined record in
the sealed deck rounds of these
tournaments is 20-4-4. In the three
combined top eights, my record is 4-2,
winning a PTQ for Amsterdam that was
held in Austin in November. Saturday, I
went 5-1-1 in the sealed deck rounds and
1-1 in the top eight.
This article is part
tournament report and part analysis of
the format overall. From all of this, I
hope I can clue those of you who need
some help with this format. I think I
can keep it pretty simple.
Play red. Mountains.
You’re going to want to play Mountains.
The top eight sealed decks from
Saturday’s PTQ in Dallas ALL included
red. Out of sixty-nine players, there
were fourteen that finished with a
record of 5-2 or better. EVERY ONE of
these fourteen players played some red
in their decks. Spikeshot Goblin
appeared in five of the top eight
finishers’ sealed decks, one more
Spikeshot Goblin appears in the rest of
the top fourteen decks. Three of the top
eight sealed decks contained a red
uncommon from Darksteel that we haven’t
had to worry about for a long time,
Fireball! Some people do not believe
that Spikeshot Goblin does not
automatically merit at least a red
splash. Fireball is a different story.
If you open it, you’re playing it. In
the years since the card disappeared
from Magic, I had forgotten how powerful
Fireball is. It’s very dangerous,
swinging games drastically many times,
allowing players to steal wins by top
decking Fireball and pointing it at
their opponent’s face. Fireball will be
a bigger factor in this format than it
has ever been before in competitive
limited play. In past, sets that
included Fireball (or other very similar
red X spells) also included playable
counter spell and/or more damage
deflection or prevention tools. Usually,
you don’t have Fireball without Circle
of Protection: Red or something like it.
In reprinting this massively
game-changing card for use in limited
formats, the only apparent controls that
WOTC has put on the card is changing its
rarity from common to uncommon. As you
can see from the results of this
tournament, however, He Who Opens
Fireball turns out to often be He Who
Makes The Top Eight.
Colors and Power Cards
Of top fourteen decks,
all of which finished 5-2 or higher,
fourteen featured red, ten contained
black, six used green while only four
included white cards and only three
included blue. Ask anyone about sealed
deck tournaments and they’ll tell you
one thing every time, you have to open
some powerful cards if you want to
finish in the top eight. Here is a
sampling the more powerful cards that
just happen to appear in the top eight
sealed decks of the day. 5-0-2 finishers
Chris Gregory and Anthony Rubino each
played Leonin Bola, a cheap piece of
equipment from Darksteel that turns any
creature into a virtual Icy Manipulator.
Of course, Rubino also had a real Icy in
his deck. Both undefeated players had
Spikeshot Goblin. Chris stayed out of
the loss column with bombs like
Detonate, Troll Ascetic, Furnace Dragon
and Skullclamp, while Anthony survived
without loss thanks to his bomb cards
Loxodon Warhammer, Fireball and
Bonesplitter.
Two Pristine Angels
appeared in top eight decks, as well as
one Mask of Memory and one Sword of Fire
and Ice.
Two Colors is Better than
Three
Of the top fourteen
sealed decks, six decks stuck to just
two colors while the rest contained at
least a splash of a third color. The
common wisdom across the greater number
of Mirrodin limited players is that a
third color is no big problem,
especially in sealed deck play. I may be
able to agree with this thinking in
Mirrodin only, but now that Darksteel is
here, I think it is again important to
refine your sealed deck down to two
colors if possible. If you do play a
third color, make it a splash and make
certain the card or cards in that third
color are really important to your deck.
All-world limited player Neil Reeves
says “don’t splash dudes”. This bit of
homespun wisdom is as important in
Mirrodin limited play as it is in the
Men’s Room. A good candidate for a red
splash is Fireball, Shatter or Detonate.
Spikeshot is not a very good candidate
for your red splash unless you are
playing several very good
power-increasing pieces of equipment. As
good as Spikeshot Goblin is in the early
game for destroying Myrs and small early
game creatures, he is not automatically
a reason to play red. Almost, though. I
really don’t think it’s necessary to
defend the value of playing two colors
instead of three. In X number of games,
it’s going to be easier to play cards
earlier, more often when you need fewer
colors. Yes, Mirrodin/Darksteel is a
format where many, sometimes most, of
your spells do not require mana of any
color at all. Regardless, you will need
the mana of the right color for some
number of cards in your deck, and if you
play three colors instead of two, you
will have more problems getting the
needed colored mana.
Here are the decklists
from the tournament Saturday. First the
sealed decks from the top eight
finishers in the sealed deck portion of
the tournament followed by the draft
decks of the top eight players.
SEALED DECK TOP EIGHT
Chris Gregory
1st place
Swiss finisher 5-0-2
Forest
x8
Mountain x6
Great Furnace
Detonate
Fractured Loyalty
Spikeshot Goblin
Deconstruct
Tel-Jilad Exile
Troll Ascetic
Turn to Dust
Bonesplitter
Crystal Shard
Elf Replica
Granite Shard
Leaden Myr
Leonin Scimitar
Lightning Greaves
Myr Enforcer
Arcbound Bruiser
Arcbound Hybrid
Arcbound Worker
Leonin Bola
Skullclamp
Tangle Golem
Echoing Ruin
Furnace Dragon
Krark-Clan Stoker
Echoing Courage
Anthony Rubino
2nd place Swiss finisher
5-0-2
Mountain x6
Swamp x7
Great Furnace
Betrayal of Flesh
Moriok Scavenger
Nim Shrieker
Wrench Mind
Atog
Krark-Clan Shaman
Shatter
Spikeshot Goblin
Bonesplitter
Chromatic Sphere
Frogmite
Goblin Replica
Icy Manipulator
Iron Myr
Loxodon Warhammer
Myr Incubator
Rustspore Ram
Synod Sanctum
Yotian Soldier
Chittering Rats
Scavenging Scarab
Barbed Lightning
Fireball
Tears of Rage
Leonin Bola
Specter’s Shroud
Avi Wolfson
3rd
place Swiss finisher 5-1-1
Island x4
Mountain x6
Swamp x4
Seat of the Synod
Vault of Whispers
Looming Hoverguard
Regress
Thirst for Knowledge
Nim Shrieker
Shrapnel Blast
Spikeshot Goblin
Aether Spellbomb
Hematite Golem
Leaden Myr
Pewter Golem
Pyrite Spellbomb
Silver Myr
Talisman of Impulse
Neurok Prodigy x2
Dismantle
Furnace Dragon
Arcbound Stinger x2
Arcbound Worker
Vulshok Morningstar x2
Robert Chou
4th
place Swiss finisher 5-1-1
Mountain x3
Plains x5
Swamp x4
Great Furnace
Raise the Alarm
Skyhunter Patrol
Slith Ascendant
Betrayal of Flesh
Irradiate
Ogre Leadfoot
Shatter
Clockwork Vorrac
Goblin Replica
Isochron Scepter
Myr Enforcer
Silver Myr
Soldier Replica
Vulshok Battlegear
Auriok Glaivemaster
Emissary of Hope
Leonin Battlemage
Pristine Angel
Echoing Decay
Fireball
Arcbound Bruiser
Leonin Bola
Panoptic Mirror
Vulshok Morningstar
Jeff Zandi
5th
place Swiss finisher 5-1-1
Forest
x8
Mountain x8
Shatter
Spikeshot Goblin
Battlegrowth
Tel-Jilad
Chosen
Viridian Shaman
Wurmskin Forger
Cathodion
Gold Myr
Granite Shard
Hematite Golem
Leaden Myr
Mask of Memory
Solemn Simulacrum
Viridian Longbow
Echoing Ruin
Stand Together
Arcbound Crusher
Arcbound Hybrid x2
Arcbound Stinger x2
Arcbound Worker
Oxidda Golem x2
Nicholas Pavlov
6th
place Swiss finisher 5-1-1
Forest
x6
Mountain x8
Plains x2
Arrest
Rustmouth Ogre
Slith Firewalker
Vulshok Berserker
Fangren Hunter
Tel-Jilad Archers
Tel-Jilad Exile
Copper Myr
Goblin War Wagon
Gold Myr
Mirror Golem
Myr Retriever
Pyrite Spellbomb
Talisman of Progress
Vulshok Gauntlets
Pristine Angel
Purge
Barbed Lightning
Fireball
Echoing Courage
Tel-Jilad Outrider
Arcbound Bruiser
Arcbound Worker
Sword of Fire and Ice
Mark Dean
7th
place Swiss finisher 5-1-1
Forest
x6
Mountain x3
Swamp x6
Mirrodin’s Core
Slith Bloodletter
Woebearer
Spikeshot Goblin
Battlegrowth
Copperhoof Vorrac
Journey of Discovery
Tel-Jilad Archers
Tel-Jilad
Chosen
Clockwork Vorrac x2
Copper Myr
Dragon Blood
Goblin Replica
Granite Shard
Hematite Golem
Mindstorm Crown
Myr Enforcer
Pentavus
Pewter Golem
Scale of Chiss-Goria
Silver Myr
Chittering Rats
Murderous Spoils
Darksteel Gargoyle
Whispersilk Cloak
Gerald (Jim Bob)
Sixkiller
8th place Swiss finisher
5-2
Forest
x6
Mountain x6
Plains x2
Ancient Den
Great Furnace
Ogre Leadfoot
Shatter
Spikeshot Goblin
Vulshok Battlemaster
Deconstruct
One Dozen Eyes
Tel-Jilad
Chosen
Bonesplitter
Chromatic Sphere
Clockwork Condor
Elf Replica
Iron Myr
Lodestone Myr
Loxodon Warhammer
Talisman of Impulse
Purge
Unforge
Arcbound Hybrid
Arcbound Lancer
Arcbound Stinger
Gemini Engine
Oxidda Golem
Vulshok Morningstar
TOP EIGHT DRAFT DECKS
Gerald (Jim Bob)
Sixkiller
First place finisher and
PTQ winner
Forest
x8
Plains x9
Swamp
Blinding Beam
Raise the Alarm
Skyhunter Cub
Skyhunter Patrol
Soul Nova
Molder Slug
One Dozen Eyes
Slith Predator
Tel-Jilad Archers
Viridian Shaman
Chromatic Sphere
Leonin Scimitar
Mindslaver
Neurok Hoversail
Vulshok Gauntlets
Auriok Glaivemaster x2
Loxodon Mystic x3
Test of Faith
Nemesis Mask
Oxidize
Tangle Spider
Nicholas Pavlov
2nd place PTQ
finisher
Forest
x8
Mountain x7
Great Furnace
Incite War
Krark-Clan Grunt
Shatter
Creeping Mold
Deconstruct x3
Tel-Jilad
Chosen
Tel-Jilad Exile
Bonesplitter
Copper Myr
Pyrite Spellbomb
Vulshok Gauntlets
Fangren Firstborn
Arcbound Hybrid
Arcbound Stinger
Arcbound Worker
Darksteel Ingot
Drill-Skiller x2
Oxidda Golem
Specter’s Shroud
Tangle Golem
Jeff Zandi
Tied for third place
Island x8
Plains x5
Mountain x2
Great Furnace
Arrest
Leonin Den-Guard x2
Annul
Fatespinner
Looming Hoverguard
Somber Hoverguard
Grab the Reins
Aether Spellbomb
Bosh, Iron Golem
Gold Myr
Leaden Myr
Myr Enforcer
Slagwurm Armor
Talisman of Progress
Hoverguard Observer
Neurok Prodigy
Barbed Lightning
Echoing Ruin
Darksteel Gargoyle
Darksteel Ingot
Leonin Bola
Specter’s Shroud
Spire Golem
Avi Wolfson
Tied for third place
Forest
x6
Island x6
Mountain x5
Domineer
Regress
Detonate
Electrostatic Bolt
Ogre Leadfoot
Shatter
Tel-Jilad Archers
Tel-Jilad
Chosen
Bonesplitter x2
Clockwork Condor
Copper Myr
Hematite Golem
Iron Myr
Unforge
Pulse of the Tangle
Tel-Jilad Outrider
Tel-Jilad Wolf
Arcbound Hybrid
Dross Golem
Oxidda Golem
Skullclamp
Chris Gregory
Tied for fifth place
Mountain x9
Plains x7
Altar’s Light
Blinding Beam
Leonin Skyhunter
Fists of the Anvil
Fractured Loyalty
Goblin Striker
Shrapnel Blast
Spikeshot Goblin
Goblin Replica x2
Goblin War Wagon
Needlebug
Nuisance Engine
Pyrite Spellbomb
Titanium Golem
Loxodon Mystic
Drill-Skimmer
Barbed Lightning
Echoing Ruin
Unforge
Vulshok War Boar
Leonin Bola
Anthony Rubino
Tied for fifth place
Forest
x7
Plains x7
Auriok Steelshaper
Skyhunter Cub
Skyhunter Patrol
Journey of Discovery
Turn to Dust
Bonesplitter
Bottle Gnomes
Chromatic Sphere
Duskworker
Grid Monitor
Leonin Bladetrap
Loxodon Warhammer
Rust Elemental
Steel Wall
Synod Sanctum
Welding Jar
Wizard Replica
Purge
Reap and Sow
Tangle Spider x2
Arcbound Hybrid
Arcbound Worker
Chimeric Egg
Darksteel Pendant
Myr Matrix
Tangle Golem
Robert Chou
Forest
x10
Mountain x7
Electrostatic Bolt x2
Grab the Reins
Shatter
Fangren Hunter x2
Tel-Jilad Exile
Cathodion
Goblin War Wagon
Leaden Myr
Malachite Golem
Mask of Memory
Nim Replica
Talisman of Dominance
Talisman of Unity
Flamebreak
Echoing Courage
Karstoderm x2
Tanglewalker
Tel-Jilad Wolf
Arcbound Lancer
Oxidda Golem
Mark Dean
Tied for fifth place
Island x6
Swamp x6
Great Furnace
Seat of the Synod
Darksteel Citadel x2
Annul
Thirst for Knowledge
Irradiate
Nim Shrieker x2
Terror
Banshee’s Blade
Crystal Shard
Goblin Dirigible
Iron Myr
Pewter Golem x2
Scale of the Chiss-Goria
Silver Myr
Skeleton Shard
Wizard Replica
Quicksilver Behemoth
Chittering Rats
Essence Drain
Arcbound Bruiser
Arcbound Stinger
Specter’s Shroud
Spire Golem
Another PTQ win was so
close for me, yet so far away. In the
end, I was very happy with my sealed
deck build and my play all day. I was
never happy in the top eight,
practically from the very start of the
draft. Once you make it to the top
eight, it’s so important to be on top of
your game so that you can seal the deal
and win the tournament. You get so few
opportunities to be in a top eight with
the chance to win a seat at the Pro Tour
by “merely” winning a booster draft.
This
tournament was a particularly good
opportunity to qualify, because it did
not contain local legends Dave Williams
or Neil Reeves. Both of these PT
regulars, who each need to qualify for
San Diego, were in California at the
Grand Prix. Another local star, Brent
Kaskel, was also at the GP with Dave and
Neil, making the road to the top eight
in Dallas just a little easier.
Tomorrow, I’ll be in Austin, Texas,
trying to do it all again at another PTQ.
If your significant other is actually
allowing you to play in a PTQ on
Valentine’s Day, good luck to you, I
hope you do well.
Jeff Zandi
Texas
Guildmages
Level II DCI Judge
jeffzandi@thoughtcastle.com
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