Uthden Troll Cup 2025
"Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in," a bunch of friends were going and 6 other fellow Finns decided to go this time. Ok. I am in. I know the Trolls run a great weekend, so I coughed up some money and I was in. Last year I had a year off, only made it to the top 16 in the OS draft. Maybe I will take another stab at this weekend. Let’s go!
Here are some of the friends from this weekend. My coffee tastes funny. Happy times!
I wanted to keep on changing things around and coming up with different 75 to tournaments. I also wanted to travel with just one deck, so I played this at both the Swaffel and the Old School main. Sure, it is just a 12 bolt, but there are some subtle things going on here. I did put some thought into the list. I began from my old URw Atog list, but felt like maybe Armageddon was not that good this time around. Also, I just have not liked Ankh or Relic Barrier lately. I ventured into green, but disliked where Arabian or RUG was. Swaffel doesn’t really change the format, so no need to get too cute.
So I took what I could learn from Pez’s amazing Lobstercon (and the Shark) winning list and figured out maybe it is ok to just have the Vises around. Cutting on artifacts means cutting on Atog, but I still wanted to have some around to throw my toys at the opponents face when I am done playing with them. I really wanted to improve against aggro and robots, so I wanted to have all the burn in the world and enough of creatures. Pixies was decided on because of the obvious robot and factory ignoring abilities.
I didn’t want to go 1 for 1 removing my opponents factories, robots and/or other stuff with Shatter or Disenchant if I could avoid it. Unblockable Pixies and flying Efreets and all the burn makes this a viable plan. Everything to the face. I didn’t play Demonic Tutor because I rather spend my turn, the mana and draw on burn or creatures. I might be dumb, but I am clever. If it is not something that is killing my opponent dead, it had to be something with immediate impact like drawing more gas or taking away the opponents stuff with Mind Twist or recurring something with a Regrowth. The mana is difficult, I don’t know if the Geyser fits even if it won me a top8 G2 and the matchup as forced draw with two Vise online in the Swaffel tournament.
Sideboard was just as flexible as possible. I could switch small things around even in the same matchup depending on what I see and what happens in the games. Manabarbs was additional solution to random hate like CoP and my missing Armageddon.
When this is your wind and in, you know it’s on. I played three robots in the swiss of Swaffel, just like I planned. I only won 2 of 3 (not as planned). They were all from Switzerland, funny. They all played the same 75, hilarious. Finally I did it, Leo is my nemesis and I never win him. I lost two finals to Leo at UTC 2023, both the OS draft and main event. I also lost to Leo at table 1 or 2 in Noobcon to begin my spiral out of the top, eventually losing a win and in etc. The curse is broken now?
I did the old Svante sneak and got into the top with breakers. Beast mode activated. I had a good mix of luck and playing at the top of my game, made it to the EPIC (European Premodern Invitational) finals against my friend Frank from season 1. Frank was undefeated until the finals, he even beat me in R2 of the swiss. I navigated a difficult G1 somehow and got there with a upkeep PsiBlast+Bolt.
I must address what happened in the end there in G2. I planned my lines in beforehand, decided to play Control Magic on the Efreet and get in there with the factory. Then something happened. I tapped wrong with my factory for the Control Magic, when I had cast the spell I realized what happened, I immediately focused on how can I still win it, my outs were all the burn spells. No take backs, just remember to be more careful the next time. It is not easy play 10 rounds of magic. It is never perfect, stuff happens, move on.
Same thing as after my missed flip on camera (second time in the finals at UTC), I just shrugged it off like nothing and focused on how to win the game after that too. I just felt great, had friends around and some wine in my glass. I was not here to lose my third finals at this place. I was also really confident in my deck version in this mirror as I knew the version Frank was piloting like my own pockets. He was almost card for card on the Olle and Svante list.
Third time is the charm. Finally a finals victory at Leuwaarden!
We celebrated with some beers to cap it off.
Hotel Vie Via keeps on motivating your toilet trips in bizarre fashion.
After 10 rounds of magic the day before and getting to bed after 2am, I survived the main event and went 4-3. Nothing special, but I think I used up all my good luck for the weekend. Draw 7 lists are also high variance, so I saw the other side this day. Drew some vises when they didn’t do anything. Lands when you don’t need them and so on. It was still great to just hang have some drinks with good people. The place does get a bit too crowded with the main event being 200+ players. It also is really loud. The Trolls are victims of their own success.
Here are the finalist battling for the Uthden Troll. The deck with Hive in it won I guess.
A little flex. I had a great time. It was good seeing so many friends and the trolls do an amazing job at running this weekend. Than you so much for giving us this party. I did some big trades to broaden my cardpool. I was happy to see my friend Svante win the overall competition this time, he made the top in both Swaffel and OS! I was so lucky that my deck saved me in the finals when it mattered the most and my brain let me down. You always need some luck and I have to say, Frank is amazing player, one of those old PT players.
As you can see in the top corner there, I got original Jens altered Island. This meant a lot to me. It still hurts like hell and we miss him. As testament to him, the EPIC players took down three titles, the Swaffel, the Premodern Nationals (Phil Taylor) and the Premodern draft (Danny de Rooij). I will give us a B+ for that. It was great to follow Phil’s amazing play from back home, as I just got back here before the weekend ended. So happy for you buddy. Phil also played his first OS event this weekend, you will be crushing people soon, can’t wait.
Next up some team action in Finland. We will have the Team Unified Old School Nationals here to end the year. I plan to travel to Arvika next, so see you over there if you are coming.
-Sloth