2009 was the Year of the Monster. 2009 witnessed the printing of many new colossi: Inkwell Leviathan, Sphinx of the Steel Wind, and Iona, Shield of Emeria, most prominently. 2010 marked the dawning of a brave new world for Vintage players, a world awakened.
Worldwake – February 2010
Zendikar delivered many playables into the Vintage format, touching nearly every major archetype in the format. Worldwake, the second set in Zendikar block was not the weaker of the two as far as Vintage is concerned.
Released February 5, Worldwake would define and shape Vintage in 2010. Two remarkable additions in particular will echo through the annals of Vintage lore: Jace, the Mind Sculptor, the first Planeswalker with four abilities, and Lodestone Golem, a deadly fusion of Sphere of Resistance and Juggernaut, providing a unique synthesis of beatdown and control. Upon these two printings an empire was built in 2010. Other notable printings include Nature’s Claim and Terastodon, role players in the shadow of the big two.
Doomsday 3 – March 2010
Lodestone Golem’s impact was swift, striking hard at the Italian “Doomsday” tournament, an annual event that serves as one of the world’s largest Vintage tournaments. Lock up your belongings and protect your loved ones! Doomsday 3 arrived in Italy and on March 14 a whopping 170 players battled in Florence for two Beta Black Lotuses, 2 Unlimited Lotuses, and so much more! Florence was conquered by Ronzo Giampiero, with this pioneering Workshop Aggro deck:
Aggro MUD, by Ronzo Giampiero 03-12-2010
Lodestone Golem was the new poster boy for Mishra’s Workshop decks, and a monster turn one play. Golem disrupts the opponent, making it difficult for them to play spells, while grinding them into the dust. It’s the ideal Workshop dual threat.
Rise of The Eldrazi – April 2010
The conclusion of Zendikar block, yet mechanically distinct, Rise of The Eldrazi promised enormous monsters, and did not disappoint in that respect at least. Released on April 23, Rise introduced the biggest baddie ever seen in the Magic pantheon: Emrakul, the Aeons Torn. On the whole, Rise did not satisfy Vintage players, who expected playables from the final set in a block that changed Vintage in so many ways. Emrakul sees play as a Show and Tell or Oath of Druids target, but almost nothing else from Rise has found a home in Vintage.
Bazaar of Moxen IV – May 2010
Lodestone Golem continued his rampage at the annual “Bazaar of Moxen,” renowned for its generous prize awards. Almost forty pieces of Power Nine were awarded, with the tournament victor alone receiving a full set of the Power Nine (Black Lotus, Moxes, Ancestral, Time Walk, Timetwister). Held May 16 in Annecy, France, 347 players showed up to compete for the jewelry and other awesome prizes. BoM IV was the largest Vintage tournament of 2010, and Fabian Moyschewitz vanquished the competition with this:
Aggro MUD, by Fabian Moyschewitz 05-16-2010
| Business (33) 4 Chalice of the Void 4 Sphere of Resistance 4 Thorn of Amethyst 4 Tangle Wire 4 Metalworker 4 Lodestone Golem 3 Karn, Silver Golem 4 Triskelion 2 Sword of Fire and Ice Mana Sources (27) 1 Black Lotus 1 Mox Emerald 1 Mox Jet 1 Mox Pearl 1 Mox Ruby 1 Mox Sapphire 1 Mana Crypt 1 Sol Ring 1 Mana Vault 1 Tolarian Academy 4 Mishra’s Workshop 4 Ancient Tomb 2 City of Traitors 1 Strip Mine 4 Wasteland 2 Mishra’s Factory | Sideboard (15) 2 Crucible of Worlds 4 Duplicant 4 Relic of Progenitus 2 Sculpting Steel 3 Tormod’s Crypt |
This list should seem familiar. It’s almost identical, sharing 59 of 60 cards, to Ronzo Giampiero’s Doomsday winning list above. The repeat success of Golem quarterbacked Workshop Aggro over two of the largest Vintage tournaments of the year cemented the status of the archetype in the top tier of the Vintage format. What could contend with this Vintage menace?
Magic 2011 (M11) – July 2010
Released on July 16, M11 provided an interlude for the Eternal scene in 2010. Continuing the trend begun by M10 of printing new cards in the core set along with longtime favorites, M11’s meager contribution to the Vintage card pool offered a few polished gems. A (mostly) new cycle of Leylines included Leyline of Sanctity. The White enchantment at long last furnished Workshop decks with a solution to Oath of Druids, a meddlesome two mana trump to the entire Workshop archetype. This Leyline also gave Dredge decks a solution to Tormod’s Crypt, Nihil Spellbomb, and Tendrils of Agony.
M11 also introduced Preordain, a one mana blue cantrip strikingly similar to Ponder and Brainstorm. Preordain came with a warning, caveat emptor. Tom LaPille, speaking on behalf of the DCI, cautioned that should Preordain become as pervasive as had Brainstorm and Ponder before it, the Vintage community should expect Preordain to join them on the Restricted List. Preordain gave a prompt boost to Storm combo decks, including The Perfect Storm and Bob Tendrils, which took advantage of Preordain’s card digging efficiency to find restricted cards and smooth out draws.
The Vintage Championship – August 2010
Held annually at GenCon Indianapolis, the Vintage Championship is celebrated for being the largest and most prestigious annual Vintage tournament sponsored by Wizards of the Coast, which awards the winner with an oversized original painting of a famous Vintage card. 117 players signed up to compete for the new Mox Sapphire redux trophy on August 6, 2010.
An answer to the Workshop menace was finally uncovered. David Ochoa designed a deck that the legendary Bob Maher, David Williams, and Owen Turtenwald each piloted. A testament to the strength of design, Owen Turtenwald and Bob Maher met in the finals, playing the identical 75-card mirror match:
Trygon Jace, by Owen Turtenwald 08-06-2010
An evolution of the traditional Tezzeret (Voltaic Key + Time Vault) Control decks, the modifications explain its success. A trio of Trygon Predators were included maindeck for the Workshop matchup, as were a full complement of the highly efficient Nature’s Claim between the maindeck and sideboard, supported by a basic Forest in addition to the normal Tropical Island, enabled by the new Zendikar “enemy fetchland” Misty Rainforest. Together, Nature’s Claim and Trygon Predator ate through opposing Workshop pilots, one complementing the other. Nature’s Claim cleared a path so that Trygon Predator might resolve and do the rest.
Conscripted into battle against Workshop decks helmed by Worldwake’s Lodestone Golem was another extraordinary printing from that set, Jace, the Mind Sculptor. Jace was the breakout card of the tournament, the Yin to Lodestone Golem’s Yang. Jace dominated games by generating a critical mass of card advantage that could be leveraged into a combo finish, and was protected by creatures like Dark Confidant and Trygon Predator. Its versatility and power more than offset the subtraction of Tezzeret the Seeker, which Jace would effectively replace in the Time Vault decks going forward.
The Waterbury – September, 2010
The largest North American Vintage tournament of 2010 was held on September 11 in Waterbury, Connecticut. Known for its relatively remote location and tight-knit Vintage community, the annual Waterbury is a marquee event on the Vintage calendar. One hundred and twenty-five players showed up to compete for fame and profit. An up-and-coming Vintage star, Joseph Brown, quietly ground through the competition, unequivocally for American audiences, the strength of Workshop decks with Lodestone Golem:
Null Rod Stax, by Joseph Brown 09-11-2010
| Business (33) 4 Chalice of the Void 3 Null Rod 4 Sphere of Resistance 4 Thorn of Amethyst 1 Trinisphere 4 Tangle Wire 2 Crucible of Worlds 3 Smokestack 4 Lodestone Golem 2 Karn, Silver Golem 2 Duplicant Mana Sources (27) 1 Black Lotus 1 Mox Emerald 1 Mox Jet 1 Mox Pearl 1 Mox Ruby 1 Mox Sapphire 1 Mana Crypt 1 Sol Ring 1 Mana Vault 1 Tolarian Academy 4 Mishra’s Workshop 4 Ancient Tomb 1 Strip Mine 4 Wasteland 2 Ghost Quarter 2 Mishra’s Factory | Sideboard (15) 4 Leyline of the Void 3 Maze of Ith 2 Powder Keg 3 Relic of Progenitus 3 Triskelion |
Joseph Brown’s list is a hybrid of aggro and control elements, much like its centerpiece, Lodestone Golem. It features Null Rod to combat Jace decks and opposing Workshop lists, making it more difficult to resolve spells like Trygon Predator or activate a Metalworker. It also features Smokestack for greater board control. Joseph Brown’s list, in contrast to the more aggressive European variants, appears geared towards combating an environment with more proxies and more power.
The breakout deck of the tournament was Cobra Vault, a deck designed by MeanDecker Brian DeMars to abuse Jace, the Mind Sculptor, and piloted by Brian to a third place finish:
Cobra Vault, by Brian DeMars 09-11-2010
| Business (36) 4 Force of Will 4 Spell Pierce 3 Nature’s Claim 1 Hurkyl’s Recall 1 Ancestral Recall 1 Brainstorm 1 Ponder 1 Time Walk 1 Necropotence 4 Dark Confidant 4 Lotus Cobra 1 Vampiric Tutor 1 Mystical Tutor 1 Demonic Tutor 1 Tinker 1 Inkwell Leviathan 1 Yawgmoth’s Will 3 Jace, the Mind Sculptor 1 Time Vault 1 Voltaic Key Mana Sources (24) 1 Black Lotus 1 Lotus Petal 1 Mox Emerald 1 Mox Jet 1 Mox Pearl 1 Mox Ruby 1 Mox Sapphire 3 Misty Rainforest 3 Polluted Delta 3 Verdant Catacombs 2 Underground Sea 2 Tropical Island 1 Bayou 1 Forest 1 Island 1 Swamp | Sideboard (15) 1 Darkblast 1 Doom Blade 3 Duress 4 Leyline of the Void 2 Mindbreak Trap 2 Perish 2 Relic of Progenitus |
Lotus Cobra facilitates a faster and more aggressive Jace plan than Trygon Jace. Turn one Lotus Cobra followed by a fetchland on turn two generates sufficient mana to play Jace and protect it with Spell Pierce. Cobra Vault was the most aggressive Jace strategy seen thus far. In theory, this additional mana production might also be enough to overcome the mana constraints imposed by opposing Workshop decks.
OvinoGeddon 5 – September 2010
The same weekend as Waterbury, another grand European Vintage tournament with 233 participants was underway in Milan, Italy. Dubbed “OvinoGeddon,” or “Sheep-Armageddon,” a brand that reflects it’s quirky and fun atmosphere, it is another critical tournament on the Vintage calendar with sensational prizes, much like the annual Bazaar of Moxen and Doomsday tournaments. Famed Magic artist Dan Frazier (the artist of the original Moxen) was also in attendance, signing and altering cards and playmats for fans at this grand gala.
After 8 rounds of Swiss and a top 8 playoff, the first, second, and third place decks were Bob TPS, Trygon Jace, and Workshop Aggro. Marco Signorin won the tournament with this deck:
Confidant TPS, by Marco Signorin 09-11-2010
Gush and Frantic Search Unrestricted – September 2010
The DCI surprised everyone by waiting until September to make the first changes to the Vintage Banned and Restricted List in 2010. But when they did it, they chose two cards that few Vintage players could have predicted; they unrestricted Gush (for the second time) and Frantic Search, which was restricted in 1999. The announcement and explanation can be found here.
Eternal Weekend – October 2010
On October 9, 2010, Spain held its largest Vintage tournament of the year during the “Eternal Weekend,” organized by Cesar Fernandez and the guys from Clandestino. 148 players fought for a first place prize of five Moxen! Ruben Gonzalez and Guillem Ragull split in the finals, both playing nearly identical Gush-fueled combo-control decks:
Gush Storm, by Ruben Gonzalez 09-11-2010
Barely a week into its new era, Gush once again proved that it can compete with the big boys! Gush offers a draw engine that supports a wide range of strategic options, from combo to control to aggro-control. Unfortunately, there are many challenges to playing Gush, most prominently the lack of experience and understanding of how to operate Gush decks, which differ substantially from traditional blue based decks both in terms of play and design. Fortunately, I have written a book (literally) on how to design, play and update Gush decks, featuring tons of decklists, card explanations, play patterns, and more. Whether you want to abuse or defeat Gush-based strategies, you’ll find my book to be a vital resource. Gush is back, I promise.
Scars of Mirrodin – October 2010
Mishra’s Workshop based strategies enjoyed a banner year on account of Worldwake’s Lodestone Golem. The best may be yet to come, as Scars of Mirrodin was released on October 1st and the return to Mirrodin brought plenty of new options for the Workshop player, including Steel Hellkite, Contagion Clasp, Wurmcoil Engine, Myr Battlesphere, Mox Opal, Precursor Golem, and much more. As the rest of the new Mirrodin block is unveiled it is likely we’ll see even more tools for the Workshop aficionado.
Blue Bell – November 2010
The November 20th Blue Bell tournament, a monthly hub of Vintage activity in the tri-state region of eastern Pennsylvania, felt the impact of Scars of Mirrodin immediately. In the largest Blue Bell Vintage tournament of the year, with 63 players in attendance, the winning deck featured multiple Scars additions. The winner, Sam Berse, played this:
Steel MUD, by Sam Berse 11-20-2010
Steel Hellkite appears to be the valedictorian of a strong class of spells coming out of Scars block in 2010. Hellkite is notable for its ability to address the most vexing threats to the Workshop pilot, spells like Trygon Predator and Oath of Druids. Hellkite handles both cards, through battle or mechanic, and can clear out many other permanents at the same time, including Moxen that have slipped into play under a Sphere or three. Like Golem before it, Steel Hellkite is a fusion of control and beatdown, taking out opposing permanents, including mana sources, while putting the opponent on a short clock.
Masters Edition IV – December 2010
Unheralded by many Eternal players, Masters Edition IV may eventually prove to be the most momentous occasion of the year, foreshadowing the future of the format. Masters Edition IV brings everything relevant to Vintage except Power Nine into Magic Online, including Time Vault, Sol Ring, Mana Vault, Library of Alexandria, and Mishra’s Workshop. ME IV sets the stage for the eventual release of Power Nine, and the eventual porting of Vintage into Magic Online.
Earlier in the year, Wizards announced, to the dismay of many (including myself) that it would preserve the Reserved List, preventing the much needed expansion of the card pool to support Eternal formats. The possibility of Vintage online offers a new outlet for growth of this amazing format, which may otherwise be hampered by the Reserved List impacting card availability. This would be an event that will change Vintage forever.
Have a wonderful 2011,
Stephen Menendian
Appendix
If you are interested in reading more about Vintage history, check out these previous Year in Review articles:
2004 Vintage Year in Review
2005 Vintage Year in Review, Part 1
2005 Vintage Year in Review, Part 2
2006 Vintage Year in Review, Part 1
2006 Vintage Year in Review, Part 2
2007 Vintage Year in Review
2008 Vintage Year in Review
2009 Vintage Year in Review