CRASH
Pennsylvania, USA | Burst Format | August 19 2018
1. Ardmore Bladers
Archer Hercules 10 Eternal
Hell Salamander 7Cross Bearing (Deck Format Finals Only)
Buster Xcalibur 0Bump Xtreme' (Deck Format Finals Only)
Hell Salamander 7Cross Atomic (Deck Format Finals Only)
Spriggan Requiem 7Bump Bearing (Deck Format Finals Only)
2. Ignitor1121
Archer Hercules 10 Eternal
Hell Salamander 0Bump Atomic
Crash Ragnaruk 11Reach Wedge
Spriggan Requiem 0 Bearing (Deck Format Finals Only)
3. Thug testing
Spriggan Requiem 7Bump Bearing
LC Archer Hercules 7 Bearing
Hell Salamander 0Bump Bearing
Hell Salamander 0Glaive Bearing
Hell Salamander 0Bump Atomic (Deck Format Finals Only)
Archer Hercules 10 Eternal (Deck Format Finals Only)
Archer Hercules 10Cross Eternal (Deck Format Finals Only)
Spriggan Requiem 7Glaive Bearing (Deck Format Finals Only)
Hell Salamander and Archer Hercules dominated the event for the most part, though Revive Phoenix was not a very popular choice. Vice Leopard and Hazard Kerbeus both made cameo appearances, but neither made a huge impact unfortunately. Buster Xcalibur and X' were only used by Ardmore Bladers in a few rounds of Deck Format, I don't know if anyone else at the tournament used them at all or even had them. On top of Ignitor1121 using it once, Common Pickle also used Crash Ragnaruk 11Reach Hunter a few times as well, though it ultimately lost to Thug testing's Requiem in the 3rd place match.
One thing that became very apparent throughout the tournament, at least in my eyes, was that the interactions between Atomic, Eternal, and Bearing is a lot more dependent on part variations and combo balance than I think most people at the tournament believed. There were many occasions where hS Atomic took down aH Eternal, and a few where aH Eternal took down hS or Sr Bearing. Strangely enough, Thug testing in particular was losing to hS Atomic with aH.10.Et, but then put Cross on and started winning against hS Atomic and Sr Bearing... and then started losing again. And despite hS.0B.H consistently defeating aH.7/10.Et for me in testing and at the last Virginia tournament, I lost 1-3 to RED NINJA 0829's aH.10.Et with it. I also judged a aH.10.Et vs hS.10.Et match which aH won. I know there has been a lot of talk about banning aH, but hS seemed just as problematic at this tournament if not worse.
Maximum Garuda was not used at all as far as I noticed, and Spriggan Requiem found a niche use in Deck Format because it allowed people to carry both left spin Bearing and Atomic in their deck to deal with both hS Bearing and aH Eternal reliably(?).
BURN
Pennsylvania, USA | Limited Format | August 19 2018
1. Wombat
MF-L Virgo TH170EDS
MSF-H Bandid Pegasis (Crystal Up) LW105RSF
MF-L Meteo L-Drago TR145EWD
MF Vulcan Horuseus 100MF
MF-H Gravity Perseus (Stamina) 85RB
2. NateDogPhilly
Earth Unicorno 230WD
Grand Beafowl W105W2D (Deck Format Finals Only)
Gladiator Ifraid S130HF (Deck Format Finals Only)
Guardian Goreim W105W2D (Deck Format Finals Only)
3. Common Pickle
Burn ____ 130TB
MF Screw Capricorn F: D
Although the skate park underneath the bridge where we were playing was the perfect backdrop for MFB's 10 year anniversary, the level of competition wasn't the highest in terms of combos used - a lot of the players were people who mainly played Burst and only had one or two combos that they had borrowed/bought for this tournament. Though to be fair, I don't think I've had this much fun at a Limited tournament since Raleigh Revival way back in 2014.
Not pictured, however: Valkyriology, who was using stuff like Earth 90WD, Virgo B: D, Flame 230D, and Screw GB145RF and actually tried to counterpick my Virgo combo with Screw (I ended up beating him 3-2 Attack vs Attack) but failed to KO Beymax's Dark Horogium B: D, and SparerSquash who somehow only went 2-4 with competitive stamina combos like Earth LW105WD and Earth 230D - I think he may have just guessed the wrong height matchup too many times.
Can't really comment on whether or not Gravity or 230 seemed overpowered since I think I was the only person to use Gravity the whole time, though it's worth noting that NateDogPhilly got to the finals using almost exclusively 230.