MtG: Peasent Constructed Deck Tourney

On Saturday, March 13th, Armored Gopher Games will be hosting a Peasant Magic tournament.  The Starting time is 6:30pm.

We had 14 players in December, and 12 players in January.  Let's keep the momentum of fun magic in CU going! 

Fun!

What is Peasant Magic???

• Peasant Magic is a fun format that anyone can build a deck for, at minimal cost.
• A Peasant Magic deck can have NO rare cards.
• A Peasant Magic deck can have only 5 uncommon cards.
• Every other card in the (60 card minimum) deck must be a common.
• Alpha through Zendikar - If the card has a white border, or a black border - and it has a standard Magic:The Gathering back, you can play it.

How do I know what is common or uncommon???

• If the card has ever been printed as a common, you can count it as a common.
• If the card has never been printed as a common, but has been printed as an uncommon, you can count it as an uncommon.
• Look at the Gatherer website (http:/gatherer.wizards.com) to see what rarity the card has been printed at.

What do I need to bring???

• A deck
• A way to keep track of life totals (pencil and paper, small rocks, really solid boogers)
• A decklist.

What's a decklist???

• A decklist is a piece of paper that has a listing of all the cards that you are playing in your deck.  On this decklist, you need to have your name, and you need to indicate which of the cards in your deck are UNCOMMON.  Remember - NO RARES, AND ONLY 5 UNCOMMON CARDS.

How much does it cost to enter???

• The cost is $5.00.  This entry fee gets you a soft drink, and one pack that goes to prize support.  (People who win the most matches get prizes.)

Is there anything else I need to know???

• Yes.  This is meant to be a fun event.  This means have fun.  Play Magic.  Drink Soda.  Buy stuff from Dave (the guy behind the counter).  Trade cards.  Meet new people.  Get out of the basement.

Remember, in constructed decks, you are allowed a 15 card sideboard.  These are cards that for the second and third game of a match you can swap one-for-one with other cards in your deck.  This lets you deal with specific threats that might not be worth putting in your deck all the time.  For example, a white deck might have Circle of Protection: Green in the sideboard to deal with big green creatures.

• You always start against each new opponent with the deck that you registered on you decklist.
• Cards in the sideboard can be swapped one-for-one with cards in the main deck on games 2 and 3
• The sideboard must be listed on your decklist.
• The sideboard must be exactly 15 cards.  If you can't think of enough cards you want, then fill the rest of the sideboard with basic land.
• Deck = 60 cards (minimum)  + 15 card (exactly) sideboard.

Prizes!

Each player contributes one pack to the prize pool.  Prizes will be paid such that everyone who finishes with a 50% or greater win/loss record will get some prize.  (The tournament sponsor, Chris Manrique will provide extra prize packs to make up for any shortage of packs)

Last tournament had 14 players, and paid out 17 packs in this order:

• 1st place - 12 points - 4 packs
• 2nd place - 9 points - 3 packs
• 3rd place - 9 points - 2 packs
• 4th place - 9 points - 2 packs
• 5th - 8th place - 6 points - 1 pack each

The only difference for this tournament will be that all players with the same number of points will receive the same prize.  So if you end the tournament with 9 points, you will receive the same prize whether you finish in second place or fourth place (no getting screwed by tie-breaks)!

Decklists!

Okay, so here's how decklists will work for this tournament.

Usually at a tournament, you turn in a decklist and the judge will glance over it and make sure that there are no glaring errors in it.  ANd then will put it in a stack with all the other decklists.  Sometime during the tournament, you may or may not get deckchecked.  If you have deck errors, then bad things happen (usually a game loss - ouch.)

Reasons why this won't work for this tournament.

1) I'm judging and playing.  This isn't a DCI sanctioned event, but even it if were, judges are now allowed to play in casual rated events.  We're going to use the old 3-judge system.  This means that if you have a judge question, you call me.  If I am playing you that round, then you call Judge 2 (probably Dave or Austin).  If I am playing against Judge 2, and we have a judge question, we call on Judge 3.  This way, no judge is making calls for themself.  

2) Since I'm judging, it would not be fair for me to get to see everyone's decklist but they don't get to see each others.

3) I'm not doing deck checks.  I'm playing.  Plus, this is casual.

So, what we are going to do is this.

1. Make your decklist.
2. Your uncommons need to be listed FIRST.  Every other card in your deck should be common.
3. The only real issue that should come up is if someone thinks you have more than 5 uncommons or some rares.  If this happens, then show your decklist to your opponent, and go over what are common and uncommon.  (If there's a question, then you should probably write down what set that particular card was a common or uncommon in, so that you can prove your point.)  If you cannot resolve it with an "oh, okay" moment, then look at Gatherer and resolve it that way.
4. If it turns out that you had too many uncommons in your deck.  Here's the penalty so that everyone knows

• A) You keep the first 5 uncommons listed on your decklist.  Any other cards that were uncommons, get replaced with basic land of your choice.
• B) If you happen to have put rares in your deck, these get replaced with basic land of your choice.
• C) You lose the game you are in when the error is discovered.  If you have finished a game, then you receive a loss for the next game you play.  Even if it is against a different opponent.  (DCI penalty guidlines give "Game Loss" as the penalty for illegal decklist at all levels of play.  If possible the penalty is applied in the game being played.  If not possible, then it applied in the next game of the match.)  If it is against a different opponent, then we are using the honor system for you to tell that opponent at the start of the match. 

Peasant Magic is meant to be a CASUAL and FUN format.  

Let's just make sure that we are playing with a legal deck so that we won't have this problem.

Oh.  One more issue of decklists.

At the end of the tournament, anyone who would like to post their decklist on this thread is more than welcome to.  If you won, you can brag.  If you lost, you can talk about what did or did not work for you. 

I'm running another Peasant Magic tourney at WinterWar (Saturday Night), and this might be a good place to try to grow the game in town.

Banned Cards!

There is a  short Banned list for Peasant.

The following cards are banned as being either to high in price, or too powerful for the format:

• Ancient Den (banned as of 14/11/2009*)   (Artifact lands powering affinity have been found to be exceptionally powerful in the format)
• Bazaar of Baghdad (Price)
• Berserk (Price and Power)
• Brain Freeze (This was found to be an unbalanced deck in the format)
• Counterbalance (banned as of 14/11/2009) (Balance issues)
• Darksteel Citadel (banned as of 14/11/2009*) (Artifact lands powering affinity have been found to be exceptionally powerful in the format)
• Demonic Consultation (banned as of 14/11/2009) (Power)
• Demonic Tutor (banned as of 14/11/2009) (Power)
• Diamond Valley (Price)
• Frantic Search (as of 29/06/2008) (Power - the untap mechanic was a great combo engine)
• Great Furnace (banned as of 14/11/2009*) (Artifact lands powering affinity have been found to be exceptionally powerful in the format)
• Jeweled Bird (Ante card)
• Library of Alexandria (Price)
• Mana Drain (Price)
• Seat of the Synod (banned as of 14/11/2009*) (Artifact lands powering affinity have been found to be exceptionally powerful in the format)
• Skeletal Scrying (banned as of 14/11/2009) (Consistently drawing more than 3 cards was found to be unbalancing to the format)
• Skullclamp (Power)
• Sol Ring (as of 29/06/2008) (Power)
• Strip Mine (as of 29/06/2008) (Power)
• Tendrils of Agony (as of 29/06/2008) (Power)
• Tree of Tales (banned as of 14/11/2009*) (Artifact lands powering affinity have been found to be exceptionally powerful in the format)
• Vault of Whispers (banned as of 14/11/2009*) (Artifact lands powering affinity have been found to be exceptionally powerful in the format)
• All commons and uncommons from the Unglued and Unhinged sets. (Non-standard back, non-standard for purposes of being able to make consistent rulings).

NOTE::: gatherer.wizards.com will be the official reference for card rarity.  (If gatherer finds a common version, you can use it as a common, otherwise if gatherer says it was printed as uncommon, then it can fill and uncommon slot.  If gatherer shows it only printed as a rare (such as Shahrazad), then it is not usable in your peasant deck. 

If this is confusing, or you have any other questions, please contact Chris Manrique  (chris dot manrique at gmail dot com)

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