Vintage Doomsday Deck List Analysis for 2021.09.04-05

First, big congratulations to IdraftTheBeatz for winning the Qualifier, as well as showing up four times in this week's set of lists, each time with the exact same deck list. Something, something, practice over data, etc. But! We analyze these lists for the fun of it and to learn. And who doesn't like to learn?

Saturday Challenge

Sunday Challenge


discoverN (11th Place)

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

Sorceries (13)
1 Demonic Tutor
4 Doomsday
1 Gitaxian Probe
1 Ponder
1 Portent
4 Preordain
1 Time Walk

Instants (23)
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Brainstorm
4 Dark Ritual
2 Daze
1 Demonic Consultation
1 Dig Through Time
3 Flusterstorm
1 Force of Negation
4 Force of Will
1 Gush
1 Mental Misstep
1 Mystical Dispute
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Vampiric Tutor

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

Enchantments (1)
1 Necropotence
Lands (14)
2 Flooded Strand
2 Misty Rainforest
2 Polluted Delta
3 Scalding Tarn
1 Snow-Covered Island
4 Underground Sea

Sideboard (15)
1 Fatal Push
1 Island
4 Leyline of the Void
1 Mindbreak Trap
2 Pyroblast
4 Steel Sabotage
1 The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale
1 Volcanic Island

IdraftTheBeatz (20th Place)

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

Sorceries (13)
1 Demonic Tutor
4 Doomsday
1 Gitaxian Probe
1 Ponder
4 Preordain
1 Time Walk
1 Treasure Cruise

Instants (23)
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Brainstorm
4 Dark Ritual
3 Daze
1 Demonic Consultation
1 Dig Through Time
3 Flusterstorm
4 Force of Will
1 Gush
1 Mental Misstep
1 Mystical Dispute
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Vampiric Tutor

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

Enchantments (1)
1 Necropotence
Lands (14)
2 Flooded Strand
1 Island
2 Misty Rainforest
2 Polluted Delta
2 Scalding Tarn
4 Underground Sea
1 Watery Grave

Sideboard (15)
1 Island
1 Duress
2 Fatal Push
1 Hurkyl's Recall
4 Leyline of the Void
1 Library of Alexandria
1 Null Rod
3 Steel Sabotage
1 The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale

revenantkioku (21st Place)

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

Sorceries (13)
1 Demonic Tutor
4 Doomsday
1 Gitaxian Probe
1 Ponder
4 Preordain
1 Time Walk
1 Treasure Cruise

Instants (23)
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Brainstorm
4 Dark Ritual
2 Daze
1 Demonic Consultation
1 Dig Through Time
3 Flusterstorm
1 Force of Negation
4 Force of Will
1 Gush
1 Mental Misstep
1 Mystical Dispute
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Vampiric Tutor

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

Enchantments (1)
1 Necropotence
Lands (14)
2 Flooded Strand
1 Island
2 Misty Rainforest
2 Polluted Delta
2 Scalding Tarn
4 Underground Sea
1 Watery Grave

Sideboard (15)
1 Island
3 Fatal Push
1 Grafdigger's Cage
2 Hurkyl's Recall
1 Mindbreak Trap
2 Opposition Agent
4 Steel Sabotage
1 The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale

sawatarix (26th Place)

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

Sorceries (13)
1 Demonic Tutor
4 Doomsday
1 Gitaxian Probe
1 Ponder
4 Preordain
1 Time Walk
1 Treasure Cruise

Instants (23)
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Brainstorm
4 Dark Ritual
2 Daze
1 Demonic Consultation
1 Dig Through Time
4 Flusterstorm
1 Force of Negation
4 Force of Will
1 Gush
1 Mental Misstep
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Vampiric Tutor

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

Enchantments (1)
1 Necropotence
Lands (14)
3 Flooded Strand
1 Island
2 Misty Rainforest
2 Polluted Delta
2 Scalding Tarn
4 Underground Sea

Sideboard (15)
1 Island
1 Chain of Vapor
2 Fatal Push
4 Leyline of the Void
1 Library of Alexandria
1 Pithing Needle
4 Steel Sabotage
1 Thoughtseize

Qualifier

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 (21)
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Brainstorm
4 Dark Ritual
2 Daze
1 Demonic Consultation
1 Dig Through Time
3 Flusterstorm
4 Force of Will
1 Gush
1 Mental Misstep
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Vampiric Tutor
Lands (13)
8 Fetch Lands
1 Island
4 Underground Sea

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

Enchantments (1)
1 Necropotence

Sideboard (5)
1 Fatal Push
1 Island
3 Steel Sabotage

IdraftTheBeatz (26th Place) Differences

Main (4)
1 Daze
1 Mystical Dispute
1 Treasure Cruise
1 Watery Grave
Sideboard (10)
1 Duress
1 Fatal Push
1 Hurkyl's Recall
4 Leyline of the Void
1 Library of Alexandria
1 Null Rod
1 The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale

discoverN (11th Place) Differences

Main (4)
1 Force of Negation
1 Mystical Dispute
1 Portent
1 Fetch Land
Sideboard (10)
4 Leyline of the Void
1 Mindbreak Trap
2 Pyroblast
1 Steel Sabotage
1 The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale
1 Volcanic Island

revenantkioku (21st Place) Differences

Main (4)
1 Force of Negation
1 Mystical Dispute
1 Treasure Cruise
1 Watery Grave
Sideboard (10)
2 Fatal Push
1 Grafdigger's Cage
2 Hurkyl's Recall
1 Mindbreak Trap
2 Opposition Agent
1 Steel Sabotage
1 The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale

sawatarix (26th Place) Differences

Main (4)
1 Flusterstorm
1 Force of Negation
1 Treasure Cruise
1 Fetch Land
Sideboard (10)
1 Chain of Vapor
1 Fatal Push
4 Leyline of the Void
1 Library of Alexandria
1 Pithing Needle
1 Steel Sabotage
1 Thoughtseize

Total Differences

Draw (4)
1 Portent
3 Treasure Cruise

Counters (8)
1 Daze
1 Flusterstorm
3 Force of Negation
3 Mystical Dispute

L⁣ands (4)
2 Watery Grave
2 Fetch Lands
Graveyard (13)
1 Grafdigger's Cage
12 Leyline of the Void

Artifacts (7)
3 Hurkyl's Recall
1 Null Rod
3 Steel Sabotage

Discard (2)
1 Duress
1 Thoughtseize

Creatures (2)
2 Opposition Agent

Lands (3)
2 Library of Alexandria
1 Volcanic Island

Counters (2)
2 Mindbreak Trap

Removal (10)
1 Chain of Vapor
4 Fatal Push
2 Pyroblast
3 The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale

Other (1)
1 Pithing Needle

Thoughts

Our core is 56 Main and 5 Side this week. The Watery Grave/Fetch Land split is hardly interesting to discuss anymore. IdraftTheBeatz chose an extra Daze instead of Force of Negation. sawatarix went with a Flusterstorm instead ofMystical Dispute. Now, there are a lot of Blue decks at the moment. Along with the downward pressure on being efficient, either seems like a good choice. This mirrors the extra Daze and Flusterstorm instead of Force of Negation or Mystical Dispute we saw a few weeks back. discoverN is still on Portent, but Treasure Cruise draws three. With lots of Dreadhorde Arcanist around, drawing three is important. We're playing a resource management game more than ever.

Now Sideboards, where discoverN is trying a Volcanic Island and pair of Pyroblasts. This must be in response to the stark increase in Blue. I'm surprised he's still on Leyline of the Void, but everyone is except for me, this week. It may be the right choice. We owe it to ourselves to see how far we can stretch our sideboard, right now.

That said, Pyroblast is powerful. I'm not sure if I'd side it in in the mirror, but it's an interesting option. Legacy Doomsday is currently doing the Red "splash" for Pyroblasts due to the Delver Menace™. Vintage, of course, has other concerns. Like Bazaar decks, which have all but disappeared. I've liked Grafdigger's Cage for its flexibility versus the variety of Tinker and Arcanist decks as well. But I may be fighting on the wrong axis.

I was the only one playing Opposition Agent, and everyone else might be right. See, here's the rub. Opposition Agent is great in the mirror (which is down in numbers). Opposition Agent is a "gotcha" but "gotcha" does not win matches. Especially since we are a combo deck that does not win by getting the opponent to zero life. I like the card. Too much, maybe.

Fatal Push numbers keep climbing, and with good reason. Hurkyl's Recall hasn't completely caught on yet. But its ability to deal with the non-Shops Urza's Saga decks is valuable. (Note to self: Contact IdraftTheBeatz and ask how Null Rod has been. I'm still not sold on it.)

Will Doomsday winning the Qualifier pump up the numbers next week? Will Bazaar find a ay to fight back and come back? Is the Red Splash here to stay? Time will tell.


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