N.Y.S.E. Open IV Official Tournament Report

Prospero

N.Y.S.E. Open IV has come and gone. And it was a hell of an event.

For starters, with 156 attendees, N.Y.S.E. Open IV doubled the attendance of N.Y.S.E. Open I. As a tournament organizer, especially a Vintage tournament organizer, I cannot begin to adequately express how rewarding it is to see that so many people felt the event worth attending. We are a community built format, and to see so many members of our great community rally behind this event, and all the people who put in a great deal of effort to make it a success, is something that I will treasure. Thank you.

Many members of the community contributed their time, effort, and skill in order to make this event a success. I owe a debt of gratitude to Nick Coss, Calvin Hodges, Greg Fenton, Aaron Rubinstein, Mike Lupo, Visna Harris, Paul Baranay, Brian Paskoff, Mani Cavalieri, Adam Shaw, Gil Rappold, and the countless others who ensured that N.Y.S.E. Open IV was a success.

The top eight for this event was one of the most legendary top eights I've ever seen, as we mixed some of the old giants with the new pixel greats. Anytime you get to see Roland Chang and Andy Probasco in a top eight, it's a good event. That we also got to see many of the newer members of the community, including Andy Markiton, Hank Zhong and Tom Metelsky, was a great thing. Congrats to Montolio, and all of my top eight!

Top Eight Decklists:

Andy Markiton - Ravager TKS

4 Mishra’s Workshop
4 Ancient Tomb
4 Wasteland
4 Eldrazi Temple
1 Strip Mine
1 Tolarian Academy
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mana Crypt
1 Sol Ring
1 Black Lotus
1 Chalice of the Void
4 Phyrexian Revoker
1 Lodestone Golem
4 Thought-Knot Seer
4 Arcbound Ravager
4 Triskelion
3 Hangarback Walker
4 Sphere of Resistance
4 Thorn of Amethyst
1 Trinisphere
4 Tangle Wire

SB:

4 Grafdigger’s Cage
2 Relic of Progenitus
2 Tormod’s Crypt
3 Crucible of Worlds
2 Dismember
2 Witchbane Orb

Tom Metelsky - Grixis Pyromancer

2 Baleful Strix
3 Young Pyromancer
1 Black Lotus
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Brainstorm
4 Cabal Therapy
2 Flusterstorm
4 Gitaxian Probe
4 Mental Misstep
1 Ponder
3 Preordain
1 Demonic Tutor
2 Sudden Shock
1 Time Walk
2 Dack Fayden
1 Yawgmoth’s Will
1 Jace, the Mindsculptor
4 Force of Will
3 Gush
1 Pyroblast
1 Treasure Cruise
1 Island
3 Polluted Delta
4 Scalding Tarn
3 Volcanic Island
1 Strip Mine
2 Underground Sea

SB:

1 Dread of Night
3 Grafdigger’s Cage
1 Pyroblast
1 Shattering Spree
1 Null Rod
1 Dismember
1 Mindbreak Trap
3 Ravenous Trap
2 Ingot Chewer
1 Murderous Cut

Hank Zhong - Esper Mentor

4 Monastery Mentor
3 Jace, Vryn’s Prodigy
1 Snapcaster Mage
4 Force of Will
4 Mental Misstep
1 Flusterstorm
1 Thoughtseize
3 Swords to Plowshares
4 Gush
1 Dig through Time
1 Treasure Cruise
1 Jace, the Mindsculptor
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Demonic Consultation
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Time Walk
1 Ponder
1 Brainstorm
3 Gitaxian Probe
1 Preordain
1 Black Lotus
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mox Jet
1 Mana Crypt
3 Tundra
2 Underground Sea
1 Island
4 Flooded Strand
1 Misty Rainforest
1 Scalding Tarn
1 Polluted Delta
1 Library of Alexandria
1 Strip Mine

SB:

2 Disenchant
1 Swords to Plowshares
1 Balance
1 Engineered Explosives
4 Containment Priest
1 Rest in Peace
1 Ravenous Trap
1 Energy Flux
1 Plains
1 Ethersworn Canonist
1 Thoughtseize

Ryan Glackin - Amalgam Dredge

4 Narcomoeba
4 Bloodghast
4 Cabal Therapy
3 Golgari Thug
3 Ichorid
4 Bridge from Below
4 Leyline of the Void
4 Stinkweed Imp
4 Unmask
4 Golgari Grave-Troll
4 Prized Amalgam
4 Serum Powder
4 Bazaar of Baghdad
4 City of Brass
2 Dakmor Salvage
4 Undiscovered Paradise

SB:

4 Barbarian Ring
4 Ingot Chewer
3 Serenity
4 Wispmare

Vito Picozzo - Jeskai Mentor

4 Force of Will
4 Gush
4 Monastery Mentor
1 Young Pyromancer
2 Dack Fayden
1 Jace, the Mindsculptor
4 Preordain
1 Supreme Verdict
1 Pyroblast
1 Flusterstorm
2 Gitaxian Probe
2 Snapcaster Mage
2 Swords of the Plowshare
1 Mindbreak Trap
3 Mental Misstep
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Time Walk
1 Brainstorm
1 Wear/Tear
1 Black Lotus
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Island
1 Snow-Covered Island
4 Scalding Tarn
1 Misty Rainforest
1 Flooded Strand
1 Library of Alexandria
3 Tundra
3 Volcanic Island
1 Treasure Cruise
1 Dig through Time

SB:

4 Rest in Peace
2 City in a Bottle
2 Ingot Chewer
1 Wear/Tear
2 Containment Priest
1 Mountain
1 Swords to Plowshares
1 Flusterstorm
1 Supreme Verdict

Brian Kelly - Minus Five

1 Black Lotus
1 Mana Crypt
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Lotus Petal
2 Monastery Mentor
3 Dark Confidant
1 Snapcaster Mage
4 Force of Will
3 Mental Misstep
2 Flusterstorm
3 Gush
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Brainstorm
1 Steel Sabotage
1 Swords to Plowshares
3 Gitaxian Probe
3 Preordain
1 Ponder
1 Time Walk
1 Merchant Scroll
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Yawgmoth’s Will
1 Tendrils of Agony
2 Jace, the Mindsculptor
3 Polluted Delta
3 Flooded Strand
2 Misty Rainforest
3 Underground Sea
2 Tundra
1 Island
1 Library of Alexandria
1 Sensei’s Divining Top

SB:

2 Tormod’s Crypt
3 Containment Priest
2 Rest in Peace
2 Swords to Plowshares
1 Balance
1 Karakas
1 Disenchant
1 Steel Sabotage
1 Ethersworn Canonist
1 Mindbreak Trap

Roland Chang - Ravager TKS

1 Black Lotus
1 Chalice of the Void
1 Mana Crypt
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Sapphire
2 Hangarback Walker
1 Sol Ring
1 Umezawa’s Jitte
4 Arcbound Ravager
4 Phyrexian Revoker
4 Sphere of Resistance
4 Thorn of Amethyst
1 Trinisphere
4 Tangle Wire
1 Lodestone Golem
4 Thought-Knot Seer
4 Triskelion
1 Strip Mine
1 Tolarian Academy
4 Ancient Tomb
4 Eldrazi Temple
4 Mishra’s Workshop
4 Wasteland

SB:

3 Crucible of Worlds
3 Dismember
3 Grafdigger’s Cage
2 Karakas
4 Tormod’s Crypt

Andy Probasco - White Eldrazi

1 Chalice of the Void
3 Containment Priest
4 Eldrazi Displacer
1 Lodestone Golem
4 Phyrexian Revoker
4 Reality Smasher
3 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
4 Thorn of Amethyst
4 Thought-Knot Seer
2 Vryn Wingmare
1 Black Lotus
4 Ancient Tomb
4 Cavern of Souls
4 Eldrazi Temple
1 Karakas
1 Sol Ring
1 Mana Crypt
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Jet
3 Plains
2 Snow-Covered Plains
1 Strip Mine
4 Wasteland

SB:

2 Aegis of the Gods
1 Dismember
1 Containment Priest
2 Disenchant
2 Grafdigger’s Cage
2 Umezawa’s Jitte
2 Tormod’s Crypt
2 Swords to Plowshares
1 Rest in Peace

With eight pieces of power given out, a playset of Workshop given out, a playset of English Mana Drains given out, sealed boxes of EMA and MM2 given out, and more than a thousand dollars extra in additional free giveaways, N.Y.S.E. Open IV came to an end.

Thank you all for your support. This series has been tremendously demanding in both time and effort, but seeing the community response makes it feel worthwhile.

See you all around!

Smmenen

Awesome top 8! Thanks for sharing the decklists and for hosting an unforgettable tournament!

call1me1dragon

Unless im really bad at counting 1st place list is missing cards? Given its mont mud/shops Im guessing theres x4 revoker in there but not listed. Seeing 5 cards not listed though. Assuming revokers are correct, not sure what the last one is. Maybe chalice?

Otherwise, pretty generic top 8. With the wackyness of the BOM top 8 was hoping to see a couple innovative lists in the Top 8. But its pretty much minor tweaks on existing archetypes (strix in grixis for eldrazi/increased creatures in meta, amalgam in dredge like he cut return though, long thought its win more in dredge, supreme verdicts, etc etc). Otherwise, its a lot of thorns, mentors, gushes, and thought-knot seers. Kind of the pillars of the current meta.

That said given the stakes involved makes sense for people to stick with what they are comfortable with and just try to make solid metagame tweaks within that. And lets face it mentor, workshop, and gush are good vintage cards. Just in my head had fingers crossed someone would come up with some omni show, affinity shops, or something brew that surprised everyone

Even though I couldnt make it (and dont own paper cards even if i could) thanks for all the write-ups, hosting, effort on the stream (albeit next time id make sure to get some test runs in prior to the event), and having a great vintage event. Vintage has long been my favorite format so happy to see.

Dr.Edge

Congrats to the top8.

The almagam dredge deck only has 56 cards.

p3temangus

@Dr.Edge I'm guessing bridge from below.

themonadnomad

So did the format seem better with LSG restricted? During the stream the audience seemed split on it...

Ryan Glackin is quietly becoming one of the winningest Vintage players in recent memory. The dude has a resume of greatness (three Champs top eights on three different decks), and has taken Amalgam Dredge to the playoffs of ASOFAD's Lotus event as well as this one. The dude is on fire.

Tutor

Yeah, first place with 55 cards MD, and Dredge 56 (but almost sure missing 4 bridge from below).
Congrats all. 156 players are amazing ! And welcome to vintage TKS =D

Islandswamp

I'm glad things went well. Every single comment I've seen about the event was positive, which stands in stark contrast to what people usually say about large grand Prix and similar events.
One of these days I'll attend an event like this. It sounds like an incredible experience.
Congratulations to Montolio, and everyone else in the top eight.

Smmenen

@themonadnomad said:

So did the format seem better with LSG restricted? During the stream the audience seemed split on it...

Everyone I talked to seemed to think that the restriction of LSG opened up the possibilities for cards like Thalia and Humans in the format.

On the other hand, Jaco believes that his Eldrazi deck (which drew into 10th place) beats 4 Golem Shop decks.

This is an awesome Top 8 (& top 10 if you count Brian S & Jaco's decks).

Is Brian S's 9th place deck identical to the 1st place deck?

@Smmenen I would guess so, since Brian is close to @Montolio . @Bschl care to elaborate?

Apologies for the missing cards in the top 8 lists. I typed them up in a rush Sunday night after driving home from the event (which was longer than expected due to thunderstorms and a flat tire).

The missing cards from Andy Markiton's list are 4 Phyrexian Revokers and 1 Chalice of the Void.
The missing cards from Ryan's list are 4 Bridge from Belows.

If any of the other lists are missing cards, please let me know.

Tutor

ty for update @ChubbyRain . Other decks are fine.
Idea if we can have metagame breakdown or some pics?

ty !

@Tutor said:

ty for update @ChubbyRain . Other decks are fine.
Idea if we can have metagame breakdown or some pics?

ty !

Metagame Breakdown

Pics

There are more pics floating around on Facebook, but I don't think anything official.

bschl

Steve,

Andy, Will Dayton and I have worked together on our shop decks for about a year now, and have had a lot of success proving that "shops aren't dead" after both chalice and lodestone restrictions. Andy and I were on 73 of the same cards, and Will was about 72. Andy had one chalice of the void maindeck and I had an Umezawa's Jitte in that slot.

Was really great seeing you SaturdayShoot me a PM on Facebook or a text if you have questions. I only check TMD when someone tells me to.

Cheers,
B

betasedgetroll

@Prospero said:

Vito Picozzo - Jeskai Mentor

SB:

2 City in a Bottle

Is this some next level Dredge hate???

joshuabrooks

@eliotd said:

@Prospero said:

Vito Picozzo - Jeskai Mentor

SB:

2 City in a Bottle

Is this some next level Dredge hate???

I think I'd rather have pithing needle, but I guess it gets around MM and Chalice for 1 and also might occasionally catch a player that is pimping with Arabian City of Brass instead of Mana Confluence, which is certainly not unheard of. Ive seen a few top dredge players run Arabian City of Brass, and I've pinged a few of them with Tangle Wires.

wappla

City in a Bottle hits any card originally printed in Arabian Nights, not just printings that actually are Arabian Nights

rikter

@eliotd said:

@Prospero said:

Vito Picozzo - Jeskai Mentor

SB:

2 City in a Bottle

Is this some next level Dredge hate???

Dredge or Library, though Id guess its primarily dredge. I believe he did get a dredge player with it, a guy sat down near me after his match and was talking about how he just got city in a bottled.

Within the dredge matchup its better than needle, just because it kills bazaar and keeps you from triggering landfall, but needle is obviously a lot more versatile and so thats the card Id rather play.

joshuabrooks

@wappla said:

City in a Bottle hits any card originally printed in Arabian Nights, not just printings that actually are Arabian Nights

No, I know. I was saying you might catch someone trying to pimp their deck by playing Arabian CoB instead of Mana Confluence. I don't think you'll find anyone that plays City of Brass if they only have Chronicles copies.