Vintage Doomsday Deck List Analysis for 2021.01.16-17

Congrats to discoverN on the back to back challenge victories running the same list! There's some interesting things to look at this week, so let's get digging.

Saturday Showcase Challenge

Sunday Challenge

Preliminaries

League


Core and Differences

Core

Creatures (6)
4 Street Wraith
2 Thassa's Oracle

Sorceries (12)
1 Demonic Tutor
4 Doomsday
1 Gitaxian Probe
1 Ponder
4 Preordain
1 Time Walk

Instants (20)
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Brainstorm
4 Dark Ritual
1 Demonic Consultation
1 Dig Through Time
2 Daze
4 Force of Will
2 Flusterstorm
1 Gush
1 Mental Misstep
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Vampiric Tutor
Lands (13)
1 Island
8 Fetch Lands
4 Underground Sea

Artifacts (3)
1 Black Lotus
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Mox Jet

Enchantments (1)
1 Necropotence

Sideboard (8)
4 Steel Sabotage
3 Leyline of the Void
1 Island

discoverN (1st Place) Differences

Draw (1)
1 Portent

Counters (3)
1 Force of Negation
1 Flusterstorm
1 Mystical Dispute
Lands (1)
1 Fetch Land

Graveyard (1)
1 Leyline of the Void

Creatures (1)
1 Opposition Agent

Lands (1)
1 Library of Alexandria

Counters (1)
1 Mindbreak Trap

Removal (3)
2 Fatal Push
1 The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale

Clone9 (5-0) Differences

Draw (1)
1 Peek

Counters (2)
1 Flusterstorm
1 Force of Negation

Bounce (1)
1 Chain of Vapor
Lands (1)
1 Watery Grave

Graveyard (3)
1 Leyline of the Void
2 Ravenous Trap

Creatures (2)
2 Opposition Agent

Removal (2)
1 Fatal Push
1 Snuff Out

Diem4x (27th Place) Differences

Draw (1)
1 Sleight of Hand

Counters (2)
1 Flusterstorm
1 Mystical Dispute

Discard (1)
1 Duress
Lands (1)
1 Watery Grave

Graveyard (1)
1 Leyline of the Void

Discard (1)
1 Duress

Creatures (2)
1 Gurmag Angler
1 Opposition Agent

Counters (1)
1 Force of Negation

Removal (2)
1 Fatal Push
1 The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale

Nammersquats (3-1) Differences

Draw (1)
1 Treasure Cruise

Counters (1)
1 Force of Negation

Discard (1)
1 Duress

Bounce (1)
1 Chain of Vapor
Lands (1)
1 Fetch Land

Graveyard (1)
1 Surgical Extraction

Discard (1)
1 Duress

Creatures (1)
1 Tasigur, the Golden Fang

Counters (1)
1 Flusterstorm

Removal (3)
1 Eliminate
2 The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale

DinoBelcher_BogBoyz (26th Place) Differences

Draw (1)
1 Treasure Cruise

Counters (1)
1 Force of Negation

Bounce (1)
1 Chain of Vapor
Lands (2)
1 Duress
1 Fetch Land

Graveyard (1)
1 Leyline of the Void

Discard (1)
1 Duress

Creatures (2)
1 Opposition Agent
1 Tasigur, the Golden Fang

Counters (1)
1 Flusterstorm

Removal (2)
1 Fatal Push
1 The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale

MaxMagicer (4-0) Differences

Draw (1)
1 Opt

Counters (2)
1 Flusterstorm
1 Mystical Dispute

Discard (1)
1 Duress
Lands (1)
1 Watery Grave

Graveyard (1)
1 Leyline of the Void

Discard (1)
1 Duress

Creatures (2)
1 Gurmag Angler
1 Opposition Agent

Counters (1)
1 Force of Negation

Removal (2)
1 Fatal Push
1 The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale

Total Differences

Draw (6)
1 Opt
1 Peek
1 Portent
1 Sleight of Hand
2 Treasure Cruise

Counters (11)
3 Mystical Dispute
4 Flusterstorm
4 Force of Negation

Discard (4)
4 Duress

Bounce (3)
3 Chain of Vapor
Lands (6)
3 Fetch Lands
3 Watery Grave

Graveyard (8)
5 Leyline of the Void
2 Ravenous Trap
1 Surgical Extraction

Discard (4)
4 Duress

Creatures (10)
2 Tasigur, the Golden Fang
2 Gurmag Angler
6 Opposition Agent

Lands (1)
1 Library of Alexandria

Counters (5)
2 Force of Negation
2 Flusterstorm
1 Mindbreak Trap

Removal (14)
1 Eliminate
6 Fatal Push
1 Snuff Out
6 The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale

Thoughts

Four Street Wraith has become almost standard. Speed is important right now. Everyone was only running one draw spell in their flex slots this week. (Well, three if we count two of the extra Street Wraiths.) But here was quite some variance. MaxMagicer's use of Opt is curious. I'd prefer the information Peek provides, even though Opt digs deeper. discoverN is still on Portent, and after a few games with it, I have to admit it is a strong card.
Everyone was on a Watery Grave or an extra Fetch Land. We also had the normal variety of counters, bounce and discard show up.
Nothing particularly stands out in the sideboards this week. Fatal Push was generally preferred over Eliminate. Snuff Out is interesting, but the cost seems high. Gurmag Angler is still a "mirror breaker" of choice, but Opposition Agent is likely better.

Since discoverN did so well this weekend, I decided to give his list a spin. I found it to be solid. (That's obvious.) But after a couple of games with it, I missed the interactions offered by Chain of Vapor and Duress. The fact that his list runs neither surprises me. Still, those cards may be for helping you not lose more than they are there to help you win.

I would likely drop one Flusterstorm for either Chain or Duress main and put the other in the side. But then again, I am not winning back-to-back challenges.

I have to admit, I had my doubts about Library of Alexandria. But after opening with it a few times against Xerox decks, I'm in love. One opponent got upset in chat, claiming they were "90-10" to win the game, ignoring that I drew six cards with Library. The beauty of Library and Necropotence should be obvious. Although it happens rarely.


The $25 Mythic Event Token available now gets you access to almost all cards for tournaments. So have some fun this weekend. Although we don't know if those will become permanent or not, Wizards giving us options is great. Still, if you'd like to support me, feel free to sign up with ManaTraders. That link has my referral code in it.

Best of luck to everyone playing!