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By: BlippyTheSlug, Volker Kirstein
Apr 11 2012 8:29am
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Ham on Wry: The Erik Friborg Celebration Classic

 

  Rather than dwell on the death of Erik Friborg, I've decided to spit in Death's face, and celebrate his life instead. Since his birthday is coming up soon, I'm organizing a tournament in Hammy's favorite format:


  Date: Friday, May 4th, 2012 Happy Birthday, Hammy!
  Start Times: 1800 GMT (Euro Event) and 9:30PM Eastern (US Event), "last minute" registration will open 90 minutes prior to start time. You may play both Events.
  Format: Constructed Classic
  Structure: 4 (or more**) rounds of Swiss pairing, followed by a T8 playoff (All pairings & standings will be generated by DCI-Reporter)
  Announcements and game chat: /join HAM
  Registration and results: /join HAMCOM (Please do not chat in this room)
  Decklists will not be required. We request no deck changes between games (sideboarding during matches is obviously ok), but the "honor system" will be used. You may pre-register by letting me (US Event), or _Kumagoro_ (Euro Event), know you want to play. Don't be shy. PM us and say "I want to play!"
  Players, pairings, and standings for both Events, along with the current Prize Pool, can be found here.  

 

  I have been in contact with various people (some in high places) gathering more prize support, in the form of pledges, bounties, bot credits, charitable donations in a player's name, or what have you. If you wish to be part of this, or to pre-register, please let me know either in the client, or in a comment to this article. 

4 Days Later... And Over Easter Yet!

  Apparently, this Rocket-Powered Turbo Slug has Super haste. Since I first hesitantly mentioned this and offered up fifteen tickets on the mothership forums, support has snowballed outrageously! Then, on Easter Sunday, I was read the riot act about excluding the European community, and would I schedule something Euro-friendly. Ask, and ye shall receive! There are now two Events in Ham on Wry! Feel free to play in both.

  The folks over at MTGO Traders are setting up Hammybot to handle the selling of Erik's MTGO Collection. All proceeds from the sale of Erik's cards on Hammybot will go directly to Erik's family. Expect a war report from that front in the near future, as well.

  You will notice some discrepancies in the Projected Payout between the two Events. This is due to two things: clan based pledges, and individual bounties. These pledges were made before the Euro Event had even been imagined. Everything else, I was told basically "give this away as you see fit", so I split it right down the middle as best I could. This is all happening so fast... Woo hoo! I've encouraged _Kumagoro_ to seek out pledges from European based sponsors that can be applied specifically to the Euro Event. I encourage active European clans and playgroups to get together, then talk to _Kumagoro_ online, and get support going for the Euro Event. It's only about three weeks away now, so hop to it!

 

 Current Pledges:
  Marlon MTGO has pledged 150 tickets bot credit!
  Alphabot has pledged 1 ticket bot credit to every player* (up to 100)!
  CardBot has pledged 100 tickets bot credit!
  MTGO Traders has pledged $100 in five gift certificates!
  ValueBot has pledged 1 ticket bot credit to every player* (up to 100)!
  Clan CerealKillaz has pledged 60 tickets to the winner! (US Event only)
    A CK T-shirt to the highest placed CK member! (US Event only)
    A second T-shirt if the event winner is a CK member! (US Event Only)
  SharpBot has pledged 5 IID Draft Sets!
  Clan Yawgmoth has pledged a playset of FOIL Snapcaster Mage! (US Event only)
  Winter.Wolf has pledged a bounty of one Plateau to the highest placed RDW deck with at least one match win! (US Event only)
  SBena_Bot has pledged 10 tickets bot credit to the Hosts! (I request my share go to the Euro Event Winner)

Current Projected Payout:
     All proceeds from Hammybot to Erik Friborg's family
     $60 donation to Hammybot in both Winner's names
     1st - US Event: 116 various tickets/bot credit / Playset FOIL Snapcaster Mage / 2 IID Draft Set
     1st - Euro Event: 57 various bot credit / 3 IID Draft Set
     2nd - US 36 various tickets/bot credit / Euro 33 various bot credit
     T4 - US 20 various tickets/bot credit / Euro 18 various bot credit
     T8 - US 11 various tickets/bot credit / Euro 10 various bot credit
     First fifty players* in each event - 2 tickets various bot credit.

* A player is defined as entering the event and playing all four** rounds. A bye is considered playing in a round. Any leftover credits from the Euro Event will go to the next players after fifty in the US Event. :) We're basically paying people to play!

  ** The base is four rounds. If we hit 64 players, we will go 5 rounds. If we hit 128 players, it will be 6 rounds. I think it possible we may go 5, and would give birth to a live insurance salesman on the spot if we get enough players to go 6.

  More pledges and donations will be coming in. Some of the people I'm in contact with need a little time to organize, and I just started cobbling this beast together a few days ago. You can see the current Prize Pool and tentative distribution here. Key word here is tentative. This gala bloodfest is still a few weeks away, and I'm sure there will be small changes here and there.

  With this much chum in the waters, I expect a large turnout, with a great many sharks. Erik was no carebear when it came to gameplay. In fact, I'd call him downright cut-throat. I don't expect a significant percentage of players showing up to be carebears, either. The weather forecast for that day calls for a rain of gore, and gale force winds. So you will be spattered head to toe before this event is over. Be prepared for this. If you wear a tuxedo, don't come crying to me when it gets dirty!

  I strongly encourage you to pre-register. I have no desire to be mobbed by seventy people wanting to register at 9:28PM. You Johnny-Come-Lately's out there, I mean you! You know who you are. Don't make me get medieval on your heinie!

    

 

Break It Down! (The Wall of Voodoo!)

  So far, the meta for the daily Scheduled Events is shaping up a little different than the previous quarter's meta. Delver and Tron are putting up the big numbers, with Pod, Jund, Affinity, and Storm struggling to catch up; last quarter, the number one and two spots were Jund and Pod, respectively. The most interesting thing, to me, is the ever increasing number of R(x)DW decks showing up. This is one of my favorite archetypes, and it makes me quite happy seeing it do (relatively) well in the meta!

  The above portion of this section will be shown, either with or without the pie, in most future articles that features a "Break It Down!" section. I believe it shows a very good representation of the overall meta for the current quarter of SE's, and Modern (online, at least) in general.

  Here it is, the Wall of Voodoo in it's full glory! These are the archetypes that I'm breaking down into their various flavors. So without further ado, in alphabetical order:

  Quite the wall, isn't it? This wall will not be regularly posted in it's entirety, but portions of it will show up from time to time in future articles. I had considered stopping the breakdown on Pod, when just the other day a 5c Pod list showed up in the 3-1's. While not the "SplinterPod" I've been told about, it does sport Kiki-Jiki. I think it's interesting that the more popular (and more successful, to date) Splinter Twin variation is RUG, rather than UR. I wonder how long before we see a RUG Splinter that sideboards to RUG Delver, or vice versa?

  For those of you that like "raw numbers", here is the SE meta in it's raw form.

 

 

 


Overdrive! #41 Round-up 

 

  Won against BYE, Death & Taxes, Soul Sisters, Snappy Teachings, Affinity.

 

argyris - Overdrive! #41 Runner-uo
Affinity
Creatures
4 Arcbound Ravager
4 Memnite
4 Ornithopter
4 Signal Pest
4 Steel Overseer
4 Vault Skirge
3 Master of Etherium
2 Etched Champion
29 Cards

Mana
4 Mox Opal
3 Springleaf Drum
Weapons 
4 Cranial Plating
Draw
3 Thoughtcast
Control
1 Shrapnel Blast
15 Other Spells
Basic Lands
1 Island
Artifact Lands
4 Darksteel Citadel
Manlands
4 Inkmoth Nexus
2 Blinkmoth Nexus
Multicolor
3 Gemstone Mine
2 City of Brass
16 Lands

 

Arcbound Ravager

 

  Won against BYE, Turbo Fog, Bump, Doran Rock, lost to GBW Pod

 

Semifinalists 

 

  Won against Elfball, Boros Taxes, UW Polymorph, lost to GBW Pod.

 

 

  Won against BYE, Snake Charmer?, Gw Tron, lost to Affinity.

 

 

 
Eurodrive! #25 Round-up

mihahitlor - Eurodrive! #25 Champion
Kitkin
Creatures
4 Goldmeadow Harrier
4 Goldmeadow Stalwart
4 Knight of Meadowgrain
4 Wizened Cenn
3 Cloudgoat Ranger
2 Burrenton Forge-Tender
21 Cards

Other Spells
4 Spectral Procession
4 Honor of the Pure
4 Path to Exile
3 Brave the Elements
Planeswalkers
1 Ajani Goldmane
16 Cards
Basic Lands
20 Plains
Utility
3 Rustic Clachan
23 Lands


These little guys made me giggle all morning!

 

Knight of Meadowgrain

 

  Won againt BYE, Goblins, Boom/Bust Zoo, and UB Zombies.

 

garltik - Eurodrive! #25 Runner-up
UB Zombies
Beaters
4 Gravecrawler
4 Geralf's Messenger
4 Diregraf Ghoul
4 Phantasmal Image
4 Diregraf Captain
2 Phyrexian Obliterator
2 Fume Spitter
24 Creatures

Control
4 Geth's Verdict
4 Tragic Slip
Weapons
3 Mortarpod
1 Sword of War and Peace
Planeswalkers
2 Liliana of the Veil
14 Other Spells
Basic Lands
14 Swamp
Dual
4 Darkslick Shores
4 Drowned Catacomb
22 Lands

Brains! 

Gravecrawler

 

  Won against BYE, Mystical Entrance, Bloodcrank, lost to Kithkin.

 

Semifinalists

milegyenanevem
Bloodcrank
Combo Pieces
4 Mindcrank
4 Bloodchief Ascension
Damage
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Staggershock
4 Searing Blaze
4 Volt Charge
2 Pyroclasm
1 Arc Trail
Disruption
4 Blightning
2 Duress
Draw
2 Faithless Looting
1 Sign in Blood
Utility & Control
1 Veinfire Borderpost
1 Doom Blade
1 Hideous End
1 Devil's Play
40 Other Spells
Basic Lands
8 Mountain
8 Swamp
Dual
1 Akoum Refuge
1 Savage Lands
1 Vivid Crag
1 Vivid Marsh
20 Lands


"Just a hunka hunka burnin' mill..."

Mindcrank

 

  Won against Quest For A Soul, UB Mill, lost to UB Zombies.

 

r0x0r
Boom Bust Zoo

Beaters
4 Kird Ape
4 Tarmogoyf
4 Knight of the Reliquary
4 Bloodbraid Elf
3 Qasali Pridemage
2 Baneslayer Angel
1 Figure of Destiny
22 Creatures

Damage & Control 
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Lightning Helix
4 Path to Exile
Land Destruction
4 Boom/Bust
16 Other Spells

Lands
2 Forest
1 Mountain
1 Plains
Fetches
4 Arid Mesa
4 Verdant Catacombs
1 Marsh Flats
Manlands
1 Treetop Village
Dual
2 Clifftop Retreat
2 Rootbound Crag
2 Temple Garden
1 Sacred Foundry
1 Stomping Ground
22 Lands

Boom/Bust

 

 

  Won against BYE, UB Suicide Delver, lost to Kithkin.

 

 

 

 Where Angels Fear To Tread #2 

   Players: 16
   4-0: r0x0r
   3-1: mayure, allstar997, nav_pilot, SBena

   Players, pairings, results, and standings can be found here.
   All decks for WAFTT #2 can be found here.

 

 

Interesting Tidbits

  At the Avacyn Restored kickoff at PAX East, it was revealed that the fall set "Hook" will be Return to Ravnica! Woo hoo! Whether or not this means Shockland reprints remains to be seen, but I think it's a reasonably safe bet. After all, WotC did say "Modern reprints are coming", and some of the most (sought after/price barrier) cards are Ravnica shocks... and Bob... and Whoa! Jace teaming with Niv? Hmmm...

  Three more Modern format GP's have been added to the GP schedule:
    GP Lyon (FR) - November 3-4
    GP Chicago (USA) - November 10-11
    GP Toronto (CA) - December 8-9

  I find it interesting that there are no Legacy GP's in those final fourteen GP's for 2012. I'll bet there are some Legacy players screaming "snub!" over that! Relax. Legcay is not dead, though it has become aware of it's own mortality. Legacy had it's introductory brouhaha back in 2005. Modern is not even a year old yet. Let Modern have it's "birth events".

  Extended and Kaleidoscope are dead, however. They have been for many, many moons. No one plays these formats competitively unless a gun barrel is stuck in their mouth, or a family member held hostage. Very, very few people play it casually. Yet we are still forced to view their rotting corpses whenever we enter the Scheduled Events room. I'm starting to think this is necrophilatic voyeurism on the part of the event scheduling folks. Perhaps now, with the introduction of Cube Draft, these corpses will be hauled away. We can only hope.

  I was looking at the sheets of old events, and noticed that I see some of the names from Overdrive! #1 (which was in Overextended format, Overdrive! didn't become Modern format until Overdrive! #9) playing to this day. Woo hoo! ~¤~  EDIT: LOL! Right after I had written the previous sentence, and as soon as I posted the Overdrive! #41 announcement, who do I see reading the Overdrive! thread but LelouchViBritania! He told me he'll be playing tonight, now that Cube Drafting is (temporarily) over. ~¤~ EDIT2: There were three players from Overdrive! #1 in tonight's event: DirtyDuck, KaraZorEl, and LelouchViBritania. 

  As you can see from the attendance graph below, attendance at Modern SE's is slowing and stuttering a bit. Several failed to fire in April, so far. The ones that haven't fired were all scheduled to start in the wee hours, US time. Since the Modern PTQ season is now over, the next Modern GP is two months away, and the weather is turning nice, this is to be expected. Ignore the naysayers and doomcriers. The sky is not falling. 

   

 

Silent Departure

28 Comments

I would like to pre-register by mihahitlor at Wed, 04/11/2012 - 15:22
mihahitlor's picture

I would like to pre-register to both US and Euro event (if it is possible to pre-register to the latter through comments).

Ok! by BlippyTheSlug at Wed, 04/11/2012 - 15:40
BlippyTheSlug's picture

I can put you in the US Event, it's up to _Kumagoro_ to get you into the Euro Event. I'll put your name on there for him to add.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AhLez4zEwHkIdHFTdnlsY25LVmh...

I would also like to by Raddman at Fri, 04/13/2012 - 14:59
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I would also like to pre-register for the USA event. My mtgo name is ImpinAintEasy

This turned out even better by Paul Leicht at Wed, 04/11/2012 - 15:47
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5

This turned out even better than I expected. Thanks Blippy for organizing all this! And Kuma. You guys rock and I am betting Hamtastic would have loved this!

Classic Quarter by BlippyTheSlug at Wed, 04/11/2012 - 16:15
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I cannot complete the registration process at Classic Quarter forums. If someone wants to post this there, feel free.

like the tourney idea def @ by JustSin at Wed, 04/11/2012 - 16:55
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5

like the tourney idea def

@ modern.. the bant chart is awesome

Im curious why the format is by whiffy at Thu, 04/12/2012 - 09:06
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Im curious why the format is Classic, was it Erik's fav format?

Give the man a cigar! by BlippyTheSlug at Thu, 04/12/2012 - 09:44
BlippyTheSlug's picture

:) If you read the second sentence of the article, all will be made clear. But to save you the time:

Classic was chosen because, according to all sources, Classic was Hammy's favorite format.

you got me. I somehow missed by whiffy at Thu, 04/12/2012 - 10:56
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you got me. I somehow missed that even though i read it a few times. go go go brain power.

please pre-register me the by thewoof2 at Thu, 04/12/2012 - 21:57
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please pre-register me the event sounds fun!

I forgot to mention... by BlippyTheSlug at Thu, 04/12/2012 - 22:09
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One thing I forgot to mention in the article, and have been asked a few times already:

These Events are FREE to enter.

Update 4/13/12 by BlippyTheSlug at Fri, 04/13/2012 - 12:38
BlippyTheSlug's picture

WotC has pledged 62 IPA Draft Sets, which will be distributed 9-6-4-4-2-2-2-2 at both Events!

wow that's awesome, now if by JustSin at Fri, 04/13/2012 - 13:35
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wow that's awesome, now if only the cost of most classic decks wasnt so killer :P

Prize support is truly by mihahitlor at Fri, 04/13/2012 - 14:11
mihahitlor's picture

Prize support is truly incredible. I won't be too surprised if we play six rounds. :D

One question: If I am not by xger at Fri, 04/13/2012 - 14:57
xger's picture

One question: If I am not able to guarantee arrival by 6:30 (9:30 eastern I guess =P) but can get quite close (as in 6:35 or so) can I still play? If so, I'd like to pre-register, mtgo name is xger21

That should be fine. by BlippyTheSlug at Fri, 04/13/2012 - 15:03
BlippyTheSlug's picture

The first 5 minutes or so will be going over the rules, followed by a 10 minute (or so) intermission for first pairings, so the actual games won't start till about 9:45PM Eastern. So getting there at 9:35 is still "plenty of time".

I added you to US Event.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AhLez4zEwHkIdHFTdnlsY25LVmh...

Blippy, can you add me as by Raddman at Fri, 04/13/2012 - 15:06
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Blippy, can you add me as well?

-ImpinAintEasy on MTGO-

Done by BlippyTheSlug at Fri, 04/13/2012 - 15:27
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Done

Sweet, thanks by xger at Fri, 04/13/2012 - 16:25
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Sweet, thanks

Awesome, thanks for the quick by Raddman at Fri, 04/13/2012 - 16:41
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Awesome, thanks for the quick response and entry!

Sign me up! by Felorin at Fri, 04/13/2012 - 16:54
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I was lucky enough to meet Hamtastic in person at Pro Tour Austin. What a great guy! I wouldn't miss the chance to celebrate his life. Sign me up, me screen name on MTGO is Felorin!

In like Flynn by BlippyTheSlug at Sun, 04/15/2012 - 10:35
BlippyTheSlug's picture

You're in as player #25!

Those of you wanting to play in the Euro Event: I cannot ENTER you into that event, that has to be done by _Kumagoro_. All I can do is put your name on the Euro Event sheet with a note for Kuma to enter you.

Over half of the "just for playing payout" seats in the US Event are now filled. :) Remember, to be eligible for the 2 tix credit "just for playing", you do have to play ALL ROUNDS! (A bye counts as having played in a round)

Id like to point out that by Paul Leicht at Fri, 04/13/2012 - 18:20
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5

Id like to point out that people can offer personal bounties such as the one I did. I think Erik really loved that kind of thing and so I offered up a plateau for the best placing RDW (not counting anything I might bring) deck in the US tourney. It would be great to see more personal bounties offered.

Sign me up! huffy henry = by blandestk at Fri, 04/13/2012 - 18:56
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Sign me up! huffy henry = user name.

Added as #26. by BlippyTheSlug at Fri, 04/13/2012 - 19:38
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Added as #26.

Update 4/14/12 by BlippyTheSlug at Sat, 04/14/2012 - 09:34
BlippyTheSlug's picture

TheCardNexus has pledged 100 tickets bot credit, which will be distributed 15-11-6-6-3-3-3-3 at both Events!

I'll sign up JustSin of by JustSin at Sun, 04/15/2012 - 09:53
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5

I'll sign up JustSin of course, thinking someone has to shoot for that Plateau lol

Done. by BlippyTheSlug at Sun, 04/15/2012 - 10:32
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You're added as Player #33. Good luck on the Plateau bounty!

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AhLez4zEwHkIdHFTdnlsY25LVmh...