Introduction
Per my last RCQ report, I haven't played in an RC since Denver last year.
Breach is the nemesis of the format, but I don't own a complete set of 3 Grinding Stations yet. I've gotten a decent number of reps in with Amulet Titan, so I decide to jam that for the weekend.
Publishing this morning of 2025-03-23 but backdating it to the event date sorry for the delay
- This is a relatively stock Aftermath Analyst for February 2025 with some spicy meatballs. It has the ability to infinite-mana combo with Analyst, which can then go wide with infinite Primeval Titans or just find the one-Dryad and make a copy or infinity while going off.
- I decided to add a Collector Ouphe to the maindeck that I could find with my tutors, as well as one Bojuka Bog. 62 cards maindeck as a result, only three Urza's Sagas, a Hedge Maze and a Misty Rainforest for SB blue cards.
- I think Dryad Arbor is a bad GSZ target if your opponent has any form of interaction ever. If we're in a pure goldfish format, sure go for 0
Sideboard
Tried to get cute.
- Colossal Skyturtle and Seal of Removal are theoretically answers to Harbinger of the Seas.
- Collector Ouphe to fight the elephant in the room.
- Consign to Memory for Eldrazi
- Gemstone Caverns for being OTD
- Yasharn hypothetically an answer to Breach - turns out it dies to Unholy Heat and Flame of Anor
- Vexing Bauble solid Saga target
- Keen-Eyed Curator big graveyard hater + beater
Swiss
- R1 Quentin Wilebski on Temur Breach on GR ramp LWL (0-1)
Copied from Discord notes.
G1 keep a hand with Crumbling Vestige, Mirrorpool, Grazer, Ouphe. Go for the Grazer line. Don't find a green source. Die on turn 3. Could/should have sequenced to T2 Ouphe
G2 win. Kept a 6 with double Ouphe + Yasharn, draw Selesnya Sanctuary. Op was playing around GY shenanigans, Pithing Needle on Aftermath Analyst. I decline to correct him.
G3 get 2x Nature's Claim one on Amulet one on Saga, Torpor Orb. Breach Claim my Vexing Bauble Whiffs on lands. Find a Lotus Field with double Amulet and Titan but can't Bog with Orb out - R2 Joseph Peo on GB Cardtypes LL (0-2)
G1 I Bojuka Bog him with two Nethergoyfs. Off his Saga he finds a Nihil Spellbomb, casts Witherbloom Command and Overlord of the Balemurk to swing with 7/8s
G2 hand was funky
Boseiju, Hanweir Battlements, Map, Amulet, 3 GSZ
I should have run Map out. Got Thoughtseized turns 1 and 2 whatever - R3 Henry Hughes on Boros Energy LWW (1-2)
Win G3 at one life ggez - R4 Noah Schmeissner on 4C Breach WW (2-2)
My cards work, I guess. No notes, as I recall it was swift. - R5 Chase Stalsberg on UB Oculus LL (2-3)
G1 I get counterspelled, G2 I mull to 5 and get T1 Thoughtseized T2 Psychic Frog
Didn't get to play a whole lot, really. Opponent did mulligan both games fwiw - R6 Tyler Novak on Temur Eldrazi WLW (3-3)
G2 got land-destroyed out of the game
This matchup is nonsense, and is entirely based around whether they have the busted start or a pile of cards. - R7 Dillon Wernimont on RW Energy LWW (3-4)
G1 I go for a double Titan play then turns out he has both Galvanic Discharge for 6 + Thraben Charm to kill them. The other two games were quite the beatings, so I kind of won three games (if I had gone for basically any other line G1) - R8 Spencer Asral on Temur Breach LL (4-4)
G1 my GSZ eats a Swan Song and he recurred the one-of Haywire Mite with Emry
G2 notes say that I forgot that Summoner's Pact can just find an Ouphe, then I died
How does the loop work
- Have an Amulet (or Spelunking) out, ideally two Amulets
- Find/cast Aftermath Analyst
Find a way to get Lotus Field onto the field then into your yard
Primeval Titan, Tolaria West, etc. to do these things - Sacrifice Aftermath Analyst, bringing back lands that generate nine or more mana after accounting for Amulet/Spelunking
(have delirium online, sometimes this requires finding an Urza's Saga as pre-requisite work to sacrifice to Lotus Field for delirium) - Sacrifice enough lands to generate nine+ mana when they come back
- Shifting Woodland to copy Analyst in the yard for 2GG with delirium online
3G to sacrifice it - You have now established infinite mana
- Assuming that a Simic Growth Chamber + Tolaria West was part of step 2, declare that instead of a net positive mana land to loop sacrifice + ETB, you will sacrifice SGC which brings it back allowing you to bounce Tolaria West. SGC couldn't have been part of the loop earlier, because then it would be bouncing lands and not allowing you to loop. I mean, the loop could be performed at instant speed with infinite land-bounce triggers but that is generally suboptimal.
- Tolaria West transmute for more Pacts, finding a Titan that finds Valakut & Mirrorpool.
optional: Pact for Dryad of the Ilysian Grove - Repeat loop, now with the ability to sacrifice Mirrorpool copying Primeval Titan to find more lands
- Make (in)finite copies of your Shifting Woodland-copying-an-Aftermath Analyst, milling your deck
- Copy Aftermath Analyst while holding priority, copy Dryad of the Ilysian Grove in your graveyard
After Dryad-copy resolves, sacrifice Mirrorpool targeting your Dryad of the Ilysian Grove
Allow Analyst-copy to resolve, continue looping but now you have Valakut + mountains so your opponent dies
Conclusions & Takeaways
- I should have just been playing Underworld Breach for the weekend deck posted insane win rates
- An Amulet Titan pilot did win the event with a streamlined list, but his semifinals Boros opponent hard-dropped the ball with his Molten Rains
- Most players don't actually understand how Amulet Titan works, to their own detriment
- The only way Amulet is playable atm vs Breach is the ability to T3 infinite loop nonsense. Consistent T4 Titan just isn't enough any more.
