Defiance
x2
1
From Beyond
x4
2
Annihilate
x4
2
Desert Alchemist
x1
2
Petition
x4
2
Strange Navigator
x1
2
Unfamiliar Interloper
x1
3
Bartholo's Keepsake
x1
3
Blightmoth
x3
3
Pearl Abbey Smuggler
x3
4
Diana, Faith's Shield
x2
4
Enter the Monastery
x3
4
Rolant, Iron Tyrant
x4
4
Traver's Farm
x3
4
Wasteland Broker
x2
5
Makkar's Stranger
x2
5
Shen-Ra Speaks
x4
6
Backbreaker
x4
6
Grodov's Stranger
x2
Justice Sigil
x6
Argenport Cylix
x4
Seat of Mystery
x2
Seat of Progress
x4
Seat of Vengeance
x3
Shadow Symbol
x1
Time Symbol
x1
Xenan Cylix
x4
View Deck on Shiftstoned
Not to be entirely glib, I still think backbreaker is incredible strong, but the expedition format has shifted a bit since this event and it was hit by the balance changes. I think the concept of ramping into powerful units and effects is certainly still valid but we need to reshape deck to manage the meta. For example everyone seems to be packing relic destruction and kill spells that target Rolant these days, whereas he was immune to most of the usual suspects when I played this.
Late addition of swapping out 4th Enter the Monastery for 1 Bartolo's Keepsake paid off in the finals. The first Enter is amazing, the second is sometimes OK to draw market fuel. But the 3rd is often terrible. Between Enter and Grodov's Stranger I ran out of sigils several times in late games (though it never hurt me here) and Keepsake finding that Backbreaker was huge in g3 and can also still ramp you to 5 if needed.
I went back and forth on the Smuggler/Broker mix several times in the week leading up to the tournament. I had several different configurations. I'm convinced included both is right, but in this tourney (despite the win) I was wishing for Smuggler more than Broker. Still, putting 4 Svetya or 4 swirl into the top of the deck can just lock out some strategies.
Turn back time was my last change to the market. I never used it in the top 64, but used it several times to survive against aggro in the qualifying rounds. Restrained action is amazing vs. Rolant decks. It was also a late edition inspired by ladder testing and I love it.
The I swapped the singleton Alchemist in and out all week. Mostly for the 4th blightmoth. This is still the most questionable card in the deck to me, as I need it most when I have the least expendable cards to plunder, but it helps blunt aggro and big time dudes alike and is sometimes a great hit off restrained action (when you have excess power).
The shell is powerful, I got great mileage out of the Stranger package but tweak to your own meta needs. This decks worst matchups always felt (ironically) like the big T/s stranger deck that could load the board, be immune to Makkar's Stanger (while making hay off of mine) and sitting on there "creature can't die" fast spells. But I dodged that version in the top64. Whew!
I've really liked the Alchemist thus far. Being able to take out a big ground pounder and smooth out your draws has been valuable. Being able to get some use out of a late land with Restrained Action on 2 gets some added utility too.
I wanted to ask about the market. You said Turn Back Time was great against aggro, what were you getting back? Tempo plays on desecrate and such? If it's just there for aggro would baby Vara or Prideleader be better?
Last week I went 14-1 in Throne, got the number 1 seed and then lost to the 64 seed in 3 games (when they got to be on the play in games 1 and 3 as an aggro deck). So I'm going to say turnabout is fair play ;P