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Total Votes : 5
Felipe Musco
Posted: Mon Feb 12, 2007 3:42 pm
Joined: 18 May 2006 Posts: 2434 Location: Florianópolis, SC, Brasil
--- description ---
Check out what kind of power Chaos can give you!
--- end description ---


Ok, I’m back! This time, I’m going to take a different approach to something I’ve been doing for a while, now. Everyone knows that, with each new set released, a sea of possibilities open before our eyes, so it’s also very easy to get lost in it. Today, I’m going to try and guide some of you through this journey of acknowledging the new cards, spotting strong ones, weak ones and deceitful ones, and who knows, maybe even noticing something you hadn’t before. Then, I’m gonna lay down some decklists, to better illustrate the possibilities opened by the new set. They are not all supposed to be tier 1 (because believe me, there will be quite a number of them), but hey, after D-Storm won Worlds, you never know. Last, but not least, this is going to be a fairly large article, so I warn you guys in advance to make good use of the Table of Contents and the Find Tool (ctrl+F) to get to the points of your particular interest, or to help you get back to where you stopped reading, in case you choose to split the reading. So without further delay, here it is, my always trustworthy Table of Contents!

1. Introduction
2. The New Cards

2.1. White
2.2. Black
2.3. Red
2.4. Blue
2.5. Green
2.6. Golden
2.7. Lands

3. Decklists
3.1. Monochromatic Decks
3.1.1. Monowhite Weenie
3.1.2. Monogreen Weenie
3.1.3. Monogreen Beats
3.1.4. Monoblack Control
3.1.5. Monoblue Control
3.1.6. Monored Combo
3.2. Multi-colored Builds
3.2.1. UB Milling
3.2.2. RG Echo
3.2.3. RG LD
3.2.4. RGW Aggro
3.2.5. Gruul Beats
3.2.6. Boros Deck Wins
3.2.7. Selesnya Beats
3.2.8. GW Weenie
3.2.9. Slivers
3.2.10. GW Thallids
4. The Extirpate Discussion
5. Conclusion


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1. Introduction
Planar Chaos brought a "new" concept to the game, in the form of color pie swapping. Now, of course, Psionic Blast is proof that this existed before, but if you take a closer look, it usually happened way back, during the time they were still defining the color pie, and when Time Spiral brought back some cards like Psionic Blast and Avoid Fate, it was in preparation to what would come. Now, card abilities are all around the color pie, be them timeshifted ones or not, and possibilities are endless. This Standard era has potential to be one of the best ones Magic: The Gathering has ever had, what with Ravnica’s and 9th Edition’s colored possibilities, and Time Spiral’s surprises. Another cool point from this new set, in my humble opinion, is the look on timeshifted cards, which I really liked. Seriously, if you have the possibility of getting a foil Sunlance, do so. You’ll have one beautiful card. But hey, you didn’t come here to talk about the looks, now did you? So let’s get straight to them:

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2. The New Cards
As usual, I’d like to remember all of you that these are MY cards of choice, so if I missed something you think should be mentioned, feel free to post about it! New ideas and brainstorming are what makes us learn more, and learn faster!

2.1. White

Aven Riftwatcher – I liked this one, especially in Limited. However, there might be some possibilities for him in Constructed, also. He has decent stats for a reasonable price, and a cool triggered ability, aside from being a Rebel, although he DOES vanish rather quickly.

Benalish Commander – I specially like this guy. A lot of synergy with Darien, King of Kjeldor, and a powerhouse on its own, even if only as a token generator. Really reasonable price for its ability.

Calciderm – Well, this was one of the first cards to be sold out in PRE-ORDER on Cobra Cards. Do I need to say something else? Ok, it’s a beast, 5/5 for 4 mana, with an amazing ability, and let’s face it, I can bear with the drawback! Not to mention, white can also reanimate it now with Resurrection, so it can deal an awful lot of damage! I think it may have potential to replace Giant Solifuge on Boros, since with all the burn it packs, not having trample rarely is an issue.

Crovax, Ascendant Hero – Pretty cool with Calciderm, but I must say I don’t think he’s worth his cost. He MAY become a valuable asset in a sideboard, in case Glare becomes strong, and he can shut down a lot of top-knotch cards, namely, Giant Solifuge and Dark Confidant, and also the new Groundbreaker. But still, not enough for me to pay 6 mana for a 4/4 legend (albeit one tough to kill).

Dawn Charm – Can help monowhite against painful Persecutes, and stop a lethal Blaze to the head, but seriously, not that great. Most players will Demonfire you to the head with hellbent, so it wouldn’t work. However, it’s versatile enough that it may find room in some sideboards.

Dust Elemental – REALLY good card. All I can say. Gets the job done, and its drawback can turn out to be helpful, since you could save three creatures from a lethal Wrath of God or Damnation, and other than that, you get to swing with your creatures and play him end of turn (opponent’s turn, of course!), lessening the drawback A LOT! Also, may be the first case of a card with Fear outside black!

Heroes Remembered – Ok, 9 mana for 20 life is not THAT expensive, but seriously, I don’t think anyone would play this, even though you can suspend it on turn one, as you might not live enough to see it resolve, and even if you do, it gives opponents NINE turns to find a Remand…. But hey, Snow White was out there, wasn’t it? So who knows? But my initial judgment on this one is steer clear of it for now.

Magus of the Tabernacle – Has some potential as a weenie or aggro hoser, since you’ll lock up some mana. Could be a really cool tool for sideboards in WU control decks, since locking their mana makes them more vulnerable to Mana Tithe, Rune Snag and Mana Leak, and since the combination has both Wrath of God AND Pongify, in case something BIG stays... Could also pair up well with Gigadrowse / Exhaustion builds, making they tap out almost every turn. Frozen Aether would combo nicely, too.

Mana Tithe – Ok, I’ve seen most players look at this and go: oh, Force Spike is back, cool for UW control! However, I think this card has A LOT MORE potential than it may look to, and may be one of the more undermined commons of the set so far! I’m pretty sure everyone remembers Damo da Rosa’s Boros build from Worlds, right? Now, he used Honorable Passage in his sideboard, as a D-Storm defense. However, it consumed two mana from him, that he had to keep open, in case they went off. Also, what happens with both Combo and Control when they play against powerful aggro? They HAVE to go off as soon as possible, or they HAVE to Wrath the board on turn four, or they are toast. And what if they can’t? For ONE mana, you get to throw a wrench in both D-Storm and Control decks, since they’re usually short on mana so early in the game. Also, it costs ONE, and da Rosa’s Boros was cheap enough so that it could part with one mana and still put enough pressure on the opponent! So yeah, I think this card has a good place in control decks, but I think it’s most valuable in aggro, as a sideboard tool. Amazing card, and a common one!

Mantle of Leadership – Now, I’m not that keen on Auras, they’re a bridge to card disadvantage. However, this one has Flash, making it kind of more versatile. Also, I always liked Herd Gnarr in Thallid decks, but he was too much of a mediocre creature, and with this one, you get to choose WHO will be the powerhouse! Also, this one triggers with any creature, so it can also be a hose on Flash-block strategies, in Limited. All in all, for an Aura, it’s a good one, and I think that WG Thallids may have something going on here.

Pallid Mycoderm – The finisher Thallid decks needed. A great body for a reasonable cost, too, but I don’t know if Thallids are going to be THAT playable. At least, they make for a fun casual deck!

Rebuff the Wicked – It’s a cool card, strictly better than Avoid Fate in my opinion, but I don’t see it as THAT playable, I was actually surprised it sold out so fast. But perhaps I’m missing something here…

Shade of Trokair – Looks pretty cool in theory, but lacks evasion and it’s too fragile to be a top finisher. However, might combo nicely with Rebuff the Wicked, that is, in case it doesn’t get countered. But I’m not that impressed by this one.

Sinew Sliver – I think it’s one of the best slivers in Standard right now. Plain, simple and USEFUL! Very cool card. If nothing else, an effective 2/2 for 2, which is not all bad, although at that cost, Benalish Commander and Knight of the Holy Nimbus are way better.

Stonecloaker – Really cool card. Has utility, works as a good defense for an important creature, and hey, you can play with it and cards like Whitemane Lion for a lot of blocking gimmicks! Oh, yes, did I mention it’s 3 mana for 3 damage through the air, and no summoning sickness? Cool, huh?

Sunlance – Ok, it’s a fairly limited card, in my opinion. Could it find room in sideboards? Well, it’s VERY GOOD against Gruul, as it gets rid of both Kird Apes and Scab-Clan Maulers for ONE mana, but against Boros it’s useless (you won’t want to burn a Scorched Rusalka, will you?), and it IS the dominant aggro deck out there, so I think this one won’t make it out of Limited.

Voidstone Gargoyle – A lot of potential, wasted by an obscene mana cost. If only it had a better body, or some protection…

Whitemane Lion – As I said before, you can play some nice flash-block strategies, so it’s not a BAD card. Also, goes very well with Aven Riftwatcher, gaining you some valuable extra life and “resetting” the count.

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2.2. Black

Big Game Hunter – Has some potential, but I don’t think Madness is going to be that great of a strategy. About hardcasting it, it’s only a 1/1 body, and it’s ability could turn back at you, so it’s a risk I’m not willing to take (and most players probably won’t, too). That being said, it’s VERY good in Limited.

Damnation – People have been arguing that this is the best card in the set. While I agree this is AMAZING, and opens A LOT of possibilities for deckbuilding, I think it’s the second-best card. However, it’s the best one in Limited. I don’t think anyone has ever said Wrath of God is bad, so there’s not much to be said about this card, except it clears the path for a Phyrexian Totem to swing, which is WAY better than a Thunder Totem…

Dash Hopes – There has been a lot of discussion around this one. Why is Browbeat so great? Because it draws you cards? No, it rarely does it. It’s because it’s 5 damage for 3 mana. Dash Hopes may find room in monoblack aggro, or even in multi-coloreds aggro builds, if they have enough black to make it happen, since it’s 5 damage for TWO mana, and at INSTANT speed! Remember what I said about Mana Tithe? Well, that’s the kind of power Dash Hopes gives, but to black. All that is left now is to find out if black aggro will be a reasonable strategy.

Dunerider Outlaw – Well, maybe monoblack aggro IS possible, after all. Protection from green comes in handy for dodging annoying chump-blocking with elves, and this guy gets really cool with a Badmoon out, but he IS vulnerable to all forms of removal, so it’s hard to KEEP him out once he finally gets big enough to matter.

Enslave – Not as versatile as Confiscate, but taking a creature AND dealing damage turn after turn to your opponent? Good! Specially great in Limited!

Extirpate – Extirpate will be discussed in its own chapter, due to the raw power it has. For now, let’s just say I think it may be too broken…

Imp’s Mischief – Ok, it’s not a very great card, but it DOES let you try to tie a game after a Demonfire to the face or protect your valuable permanents after Phyrexian Totem takes a Char to the face, so who knows, it could find a tiny room I the dusty corner of a sideboard. Oh, yes, and if YOU take a Char to the face, what a sweet deal. Instead of 4, you take 3 damage, and your opponent takes 6! If you can play Dash Hopes before that, and he’s Charring for the win, well, too bad that won’t happen too often.

Mirri the Cursed – A reasonable cost for a very good creature, both in stats and in abilities! Also, she fits in the Dimir Houseguard’s transmute range, along with Persecute, Damnation and Plague Sliver. Cool! Huh? Did anyone hear that “monoblack aggro” whisper?

Null Profusion – I don’t think anyone could think of this as a good card, but in case someone does, picture this: you play this, they play Delirium Skeins or anything like it. Game over, unless you have Phyrexian Arena out.

Temporal Extortion – This is a great card, in the very same sense as Dash Hopes, and it would probably go in the same deck. Really cool, but kind of expensive, although it also fits in the Houseguard’s transmute range.

Waning Wurm – Considering the amount or reanimation black has, this creature is really good. Also, Rakdos builds with Timecrafting could make it VERY good! Too bad it lacks trample, but hey, that just wouldn’t be fair, now would it?

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2.3. Red

Akroma, Angel of Fury – I must say, for the parameters of an Akroma, I’m not that impressed. Ok, so red finally has a big finisher worth its salt, but it’s just… too fragile! What can I say about a creature this expensive (even with Morph, it’s still a 9 mana total, although split up) that can be killed by a Big Game Hunter? I expected more. Great art, though!

Battering Sliver – Too expensive, but with Gemhide Sliver out there, RG Slivers (maybe with a splash of white for Sinew Sliver, Watcher Sliver, Essence Sliver and perhaps Sidewinder Sliver) might become a real possibility.

Blood Knight – I loved this one, from the moment I saw it! I’ve been playing Llanowar Elves in Gruul for quite sometime now, because short from Scab-Clan Mauler, there is no other good two-drop for it. Well, this one is worth replacing it! Very solid creature for an aggro build, and maybe even boros could find room for it, now that Mana Tithe can make sure Scorched Rusalka’s ability won’t be needed that much anymore.

Boom//Bust – Anyone who has read the article on KasrtenBot’s Babykiller knows that a second-turn LD possibility is a very strong opening. With the shift Standard is about to take, Cryoclasm may not be worth the risk of maindecking it anymore, so this card ensures a turn-two landkill, even in other color combinations. Now, I’ve been hearing a lot of people whispering about playing Boom with Flagstones of Trokair out, but then what? What does white has to offer for an LD deck? Really? However, a lot of aggro decks pack landkill in the sideboard, to hose control strategies, and to those ones, specially for Boros (which already HAS Flagstones, and good sues for it), this is a great possibility! Oh, yes, do I need to say Bust is great?

Brute Force – Well, Giant Growth hasn’t seen some play for a while, so I don’t think a red version of it will. If you’re playing red, why pack pumps instead of burn? It’s more versatile anyway.

Dead//Gone – If someone still plays Shock, this is the new version of it. Why play Shock when you can do the same thing, and still have a more versatile option available? Cool card. Specially good for aggro decks, as a sideboard strategy, since you lose a little firepower (Volcanic Hammer, usually) for more options, and who knows, this may even replace it maindeck, although while Kird Apes and Maulers are out there, I seriously doubt it.

Detritivore – One of those cards that deceit some players. Really, I wouldn’t suspend it, and it lacks haste, not to mention it won’t always be THAT big, so I’d rather go with Shivan Wumpus.

Fatal Frenzy – Has some potential, but I’m not sure we will see a lot of it being played. Seems good with the red Akroma, not to mention red also has Fury Charm AND Brute Force now!

Keldon Marauders – Reasonable enough creature, equals 5 damage for 2, even if not all of it is dealt to the opposing player. But not that great in my book, I’d rather play Volcanic Hammer over him.

Lavacore Elemental – Now this here is one powerful creature. Too bad it’s risky to play, but if you can open with turn one Kird Ape, turn two Scab Clan Mauler, turn 3 this, you have a very strong opening… Specially if Skarrg, the Rage Pits is out.

Pyrohemia – Great removal tool, as you can dose it out to remove whatever you want. If you can pair it up with Bathe in Light, or even go for the echo build with Thick-Skinned Goblin, great card! Pestilence, but made better, I believe!

Reckless Wurm – Rakdos self-discarding strategy is really starting to pay off. There is so many things you can do with this guy in a Rakdos build, from Trespasser il-Vec to Jagged Poppet and even Drekavac and Avatar of Discord, if you have enough mana, that it’ll always mean a 4/4 trampler for 3, which is VERY good.

Rough//Tumble – If Dead//Gone is the new Shock, this is the new Pyroclasm, which can ALSO help you deal with Stronghold Overseer, one of the new dragons, or whatever slipped by your defenses, although it only makes the new Akroma even worse…

Shivan Meteor – Ok, I don’t think anyone missed the synergy with this and Stuffy Doll. However, I find this card VERY dangerous, since it can run into Honorable Passage, and OUCH! A bomb in Limited, but not Constructed material, so far. Great art, though!

Shivan Wumpus – One of the best creatures in the set, I believe. Suddenly, LD decks are viable again, and Magnivore is not even necessary anymore! Also, if any LD build packs Demolish, it’s useless now, this card is way much better, in every aspect, even if it can’t destroy Artifacts.

Timecrafting – Kind of a cool card, with a lot of possibilities. I’m just not sure wether it’ll find room in Constructed, but it’s very great in limited.

Volcano Hellion – If combined with Thick-Skinned Goblin, this is one powerful creature! RG Echo seems like a really cool possibility, although I’m not sure of its power, so far, but I’ll get back to it later.

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2.4. Blue

Body Double – Ok, so everyone knows this can copy Phage, the Untouchable. But let’s talk Standard for now. BU reanimator has been popular for some time, now, and this guy fits very well in it! Also, if you happen to Pongify a white Akroma (boy, that’s fun!), you can have one yourself next turn! Fits in well with Vesuvan Shapeshifter, as well, as he can blow up a legend when it’s useful to do so, and Body Double can then copy it. Although BU reanimator seems like an easier way to use it.

Chronozoa – Very good creature. Nice stats for a flier of its cost, and gets REALLY annoying if not taken care of quickly. Goes nicely with Clockspinning and Timecrafting, not to mention Jhoira’s Timebug. Also, could be a way to FINALLY make Krovikan Mist work, since Meloku the Clouded Mirror is long gone.

Dichotomancy – Really cool with Gigadrowse, and actually playable if you use suspend with it. Maybe monoblue can make a comeback, too!

Frozen Aether – Another nice card. Makes Gigadrowse / Exhaustion builds a possibility, not to mention helping a lot the Vesuvan Shapeshifter + Brine Elemental combo, by draining resources from opponents until it kicks in.

Magus of the Bazaar – Yay for UB Reanimator! This guy is amazing! Also very good with Locket of Yesterday builds. And if your opponent wastes removal on it, too bad for him. You can draw cards by other means anyway… Oh, yes, he also helps madness, although I don’t see a UX Madness build in the near future…

Merfolk Thaumaturgist – Comboes nicely with Serendib Sorcerer and Ovinize, but it’s too poor of a combo to be worth the deck space. Cool to pull off in Limited, though, if you get the chance!

Pongify – Stupidly powerful card! Can burst up almost any card out there, and you can even use it on your own (Magus of the Bazaar?) before it dies to change it for a more powerful creature. Oh, yes, and of course that, even you DO give an opponent a 3/3 in the first case, you can always then Repeal it for one mana, and still draw a card.

Primal Plasma – In a monoblue build, this could find some room, due to its versatility. But I’m not that sure of it being worth, since for the same cost you get a Chronozoa.

Reality Acid – The cool thing about this one is that it triggers once it leaves play, no matter HOW it happend! Very cool to picture alongside Heidar, Rimewind Master, and the right amount of Snow-Covered lands... Expensive, but just picturing “5 mana and bye-bye permanent” seems cool. I’m afraid not too useful, though.

Serra Sphinx – A good creature, and one that blue can find a good use for it. Monoblue fliers are starting to really shape up, between Serra Sphinx and Chronozoa…

Tidewalker – A beast in monoblue. Can you imagine how powerful this guy can be? Ok, so he shrinks, big deal! You’ll probably have won by then anyway!

Wistful Thinking – UB Reanimator? Nah. I’d rather draw 3 and discard 2 with Compulsive Research, at the same cost. But with Piracy Charm and Riptide Pilferer, this could make for a cool discard spell in a possible UB discard/mill.

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2.5. Green

Evolution Charm – Land searching is a great ability. When it comes at instant speed, it’s even better! Oh, yes, fetching back a creature from the graveyard is ALSO useful, so this card is versatile enough that it may see some play.

Fungal Behemoth – All of a sudden, land, Birds; then double Vigean Hydropon on turns 2 and 3 don’t seem all that bad, huh? But still, I was not impressed by Graft when it first appeared, and I’m not impressed by it now. Could lead to some fun builds, but nothing really impressive, specially due to the lack of trample or some other kind of evasion.

Gaea’s Anthem – If White Weenie was cool, yay for Green Weenie! A lot of enthusiastic people have also been chatting about stuffing Anthems in a GW build, and it DOES sound cool in theory, but if you’re going to try it, PLEASE, pack Vitu-Ghazi and a MAXIMUM of 6 Anthems. 8 is just too much.

Groundbreaker – It’s kind of a fragile creature, although with a first-turn elf or bird, it means 6 damage on turn 2! Also, as you’ll see in a while, it makes for a fun build with Greater Good. You swing, and if things go askew, or after damage is on the stack, you sac it and draw some extra cards to keep on the pressure.

Harmonize – Concentrate was one of the best cards in its set, and it was blue, the color of card-drawing by excellence! When you get to do it in GREEN, the color of fast mana-building, it’s just EVIL! This one’s going to see quite some play, I believe. In UG builds with enough speed, it may even outshine Tidings, or Compulsive Research.

Hedge Troll – A very solid creature for GW to follow the Savannah Lions and Watchwolf opening, and an annoying one to your opponents! ‘nough said.

Jedit Ojanen of Efrava – Seems pretty cool, but I’m not sure we’ll see it in a lot of decks, due to the triple green in its cost. However, could be great in monogreen decks! Specially with Yavimaya Dryad!

Kavu Predator – If Ashcoat Bear was any good, this is certainly sending it into forgetfulness alongside Grizzly Bears (not that they WERE any good after all...). A lot of people have been using Lightning Helix lately, which makes this guy specially good, and innate trampling ability is REALLY good in a 2/2 for 2. Great for Green Weenie, and A BEAST against those pesky life-gaining decks!

Life and Limb – Though a lot of players may think this card is cool, just picture this: you play Life and Limb, and (hopefully) swing for, say, 6-7 damage? They play Rough, Pyroclasm, activate Pyrohemia, play Subterranean Shambler, Sulfurous Blast, Wildfire, Wrath of God or Damnation. What, then? You have now no lands, and most likely no creatures. However, if monogreen really kicks in (and if you check the most played decks in Standard right now, it’s a possibility) this card can act as a VERY cool hoser! After all, it says ALL Forests, not YOUR Forests, so YOU could play this against monogreen and blow everything to smithereens (although PAYING the cost in a non-green build might be a problem, requiring SOME signets and Gemstone Mines, making it less useful)!

Mire Boa – Another solid creature for aggro, and another cool 2-drop for Gruul. Also, really good in green Weenie and in Selesnya beats. All in all, a really solid common, one of the best ones in the set.

Reflex Sliver – Yet another great sliver for an RG build, with a reasonable cost.

Seal of Primordium – Although it lacks the element of surprise that Naturalize has, I appreciate not having to leave mana open, waiting for the right time, so for me, at least, it’s strictly better than Naturalize. If you want surprise (because of counterspells or something), just go with Krosan Grip, it’s easier.

Timbermare – Remember that RG echo build I suggested? Well, this one fits right in! 4 mana for a 5/5, guaranteed to strike unless opponent has an instant ready for it, and make that a powerful one! I like it! If nothing else, you can make it a burn spell.

Uktabi Drake – Cool in RG Echo, green Shock if nothing else. Also, if you open with turn one elf or Birds, you get to play Thick-Skinned Goblin on turn two and still play this guy. Also, even if you do not play to pay the echo, this plus Might of Old Krosa is MEAN.

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2.6. Golden

Cautery Sliver – Scorched Rusalka in sliver version. More expensive, but a better body, and the synergy slivers have. Not bad, but not top-knotch.

Darkheart Sliver – In the 2-colored sliver department, this one is cool. Nice body, and if everything goes wrong and someone Wraths the board, you can just gain a ton of life. As you can do it after letting damage on the stack, killing a blocker and making good use of an already dead creature. Really good, this one.

Frenetic Sliver – If you want insurance to try and make slivers a powerhouse, this one is great. Color intensive, but a great combo with the Darkheart Sliver. A Sliver is gonna die, you try the coin flip. If you lose, you sack it to gain 3 life. Nice, huh? Gemstone Mines are DEFINITLY a must in sliver decks…

Intet, the Dreamer – One of the best dragons of the cycle. His ability helps speeding up the deck, and if you have Telling Time for a little topdeck manipulation, you can remove (and play) Ancestral Vision! Without having to wait even one turn! Not to mention other cards like Curse of the Cabal, or even Heroes Remembered! In Extended, with Sensei’s Divining Top and the Invasion groves lying around, this is one powerful dragon!

Necrotic Sliver – Great card, sliver deck or not. Take my BW build, for instance. Instead of maindecking Mortify, I can just use this guy, as sort of a Vindicate seal. In sliver decks, well, this is one mean drop!

Numot, the Devastator – Cool dragon, great ability. However, he comes into play kind of late game to make the ability matter that much, unless you can suspend a Lotus Bloom on turn one and stuff an awful lot of duals, Chromatic Stars and Prismatic Lenses just to make it happen early enough to matter. Is it worth it? Who knows… Swinging for 6 AND destroying 2 lands on turn 5 is pretty crippling…

Oros, the Avenger – Amazing for Limited play, not so great for Constructed, not that amazing of an ability. But has its uses, and if there ARE white creatures on the table, you can just play Sulfurous Blast or Pyroclasm anyway (he IS red after all, which means you have access to the color).

Teneb, the Harvester – This is one mean dragon, perhaps the best one of them, maybe tied with Intet. Also, although it’s a poor, color-intensive combo, he makes a nice casual deck with Scion of the Ur-Dragon. You play Scion, copy Teneb, and use its ability to bring THE Teneb from the graveyard to play. Then, you can proceed to copy each of the other legendary dragons (or even other dragons of your choice) each turn with Scion, and Teneb himself will yank it out into play. Nice, huh? Too bad it’s, as I said, too color-intensive, and too vulnerable, also.

Vorosh, the Hunter – The most lame of the dragons, IMO, but still a beast. In limited, it’s a game-winner on its own.

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2.7. Lands

Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth – Another kind of lame land, at least for Standard (in Extended, it’s a whole other deal, it’s pretty sweet) since so far, the only cards that care for Swamps are Tendrils of Corruption, which is kind of limited, and Consume Spirit, which sees very little play. Yeah, it helps Mire Boas getting through, but really, is it THAT necessary? I think not. This card really shines, though, in my WGrb Sliver build idea, enabling the full power of Sedge Sliver!

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3. Decklists
Now, Ravnica and 9th Edition, with the shocklands and painlands, almost “force” us to splash other colors into builds, since it’s so easily done. However, Planar Chaos ALSO brings the possibility (and reward in doing it) of going mono again. Now, these are just some sketches of decks that are either fun, inventive, different or powerful, using some of the new cards, but not ALL of them are meant to be tier 1 decks, they are here just to show that this is an era of possibilities. But as usual, if someone has an idea of how to make a deck better, well, pitch-in! Help is always welcome!

3.1. Monochromatic Decks

3.1.1. Monowhite Weenie
22 Lands:
18 Snow-Covered Plains
4 Scrying Sheets

29 Creatures:
4 Icatian Javelineers
4 Savannah Lions
4 Knight of the Holy Nimbus
4 Benalish Cavalry
3 Serra Avenger
2 Paladin en-Vec
4 White Shield Crusader
2 Benalish Commander
2 Whitemane Lion

4 Enchantments:
4 Glorious Anthem

5 Instants:
3 Bathe in Light
2 Fortify

Sideboard:
4 Calciderm
3 Ghostway
3 Disenchant
2 Sacred Mesa
3 Mana Tithe

The concept here is simple. The Snow-Covered Lands + Scrying Sheets, IMO, belongs in almost any mono-colored deck, and since white has no card-drawing at all (unless you use Howling Mine, which also helps opponents), it’s most welcome here! Creatures in this deck are cheap, powerful or both, and Glorious Anthem means they come down to strike and strike hard. Fortify is a cool trick in the event of a Wildfire or early Sulfurous Blast, as is Bathe in Light, and they both serve attack purposes as well, meaning they’ll get by opponent’s defenses, and/or deal some good amount of damage. Whitemane Lion is a cool creature, serving as a combat/evasion trick as well, but since we’re already packing 3 copies of Serra Avenger (kind of delays the evolution of the beats), I was afraid of it being too slow. Paladin en-Vec is kind of expensive to the deck, too, thus the low count, and Benalish Commander is here as a token provider, much more than a creature on his own. You just suspend him for as long as you can, and that’s one free creature a turn, right there.
Now, as for the sideboard, Calciderm could even be maindeck material, if it weren’t for the weenie thematic, but if removal is abundant, and creatures are not, they can come in for a quicker job, perhaps over Avengers, and White Shields. Sacred Mesa is here in case you need A LOT of creatures, as it can make those indefinitely, although locking up some mana. Ghostway goes really nicely against decks packing Wrath-like effects (which render Bathe in Light almost useless), in a sense that you can throw it down to save your creatures for a finishing strike, and Mana Tithe can help with that too, the same way I described when I talked about it in Boros deck’s sideboards.

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3.1.2. Monogreen Weenie
20 Lands:
20 Forest

28 Creatures:
4 Llanowar Elves
4 Boreal Druid
4 Whirling Dervish
4 Elvish Warrior
4 Groundbreaker
4 Silhana Ledgewalker
4 Skarrgan Pit-Skulk

8 Sorceries:
4 Harmonize
4 Call of the Herd

4 Enchantments:
4 Gaea’s Anthem

Sideboard:
3 Avoid Fate
3 Moldervine Cloak
3 Kavu Predator
3 Recollect
3 Krosan Grip

Now, due to the heavy colored requirement of some spells, the Scrying-Sheets drawing engine might be a bit risky, thus, it’s out. However, green has gotten a pretty new spell which we already discussed, called Harmonize, which can make up for the extra card loss. Also, due to some of the weenies being Llanowar Elves and Boreal Druid (I would’ve gone with Birds of Paradise, but this one helps enabling a turn-two Skarrgan Pit-Skulk with the extra counter, which may come in handy), the land count can also be lower. Then again, this is a weenie deck, thus, all about the beats. All the creatures here either drop early, or hit hard, or even both, in the event of a turn one elf, turn two accelerated Groundbreaker. Ledgewalker and Pit-Skulk both have some kind of evasion, which may come in handy too, and Call of the Herd is just too good to pass on.
At the sideboard, protection against a lot of removals in the form of Avoid Fate (since they’re usually instants), although this deck is a little bit vulnerable to Wrath of God. However, in this department, Groundbreaker is tremendous help. Moldervine Cloak is very good when played on Silhana Ledgewalker or Pit-Skulk, and its dredge ability is really useful. Also, in case you DO face some Wrath-like decks, Recollect on Groundbreaker is a very good play, and a life-saver. Krosan Grip is insurance against decks that either rely too much on signets, or against Worship and stuff like that (maybe even some random Stuffy Doll + Pariah’s Shield combo). Kavu Predator is good against lifegain, and ALSO handy since a lot of decks have been using Lightning Helix. Thus, this gives them a tough choice to make, not to mention, innate trampling ability may be useful in certain match-ups.

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3.1.3. Monogreen Beats
21 Lands:
17 Snow-Covered Forest
4 Scrying Sheets

20 Creatures:
4 Llanowar Elves
4 Birds of Paradise
4 Groundbreaker
4 Silhana Ledgewalker
4 Skarrgan Pit-Skulk

15 Instants:
4 Might of Old Krosa
4 Giant Growth
4 Stonewood Invocation
3 Avoid Fate

4 Enchantments:
4 Greater Good

Sideboard:
1 Avoid Fate
4 Leyline of Lifeforce
3 Recollect
3 Krosan Grip
1 Feldon’s Cane
3 Tormod’s Crypt

This deck is similar to the Green Weenie, in a sense that it’s all about fast beating and cheap creatures, but if you check this one closely, you’ll see it packs a lot of evasive creatures. That’s because this one is about fast beating, yes, but “quality” beating. It’s about swinging for a lot of damage with one or two creatures, thus Birds over Druids, and the great amount of pumping instants. Also, with Greater Good down, you can play a Groundbreaker, play Might of Old Krosa on it, swing for 10, and then sac it to draw 10 cards! The maindecked Avoid Fates are here because of this, since you’ll be pumping a creature to astronomic levels during your turn, anything they might try to pull off will either be Instants or Auras with flash, so it’s protection for 1 mana. Also, since you don’t need to have more than 1 beater out at a time (meaning one Silhana or one Pit-Skulk), this deck is way less vulnerable to Wrath of Gods. One of the best plays is to go Might of Old Krosa / Giant Growth (or both) on Silhana Ledgewalker (or Pit-Skulk, if opponent has no instant removals or you have Avoid Fate), seal it up with Stonewood Invocation, and swing for massive damage (usually sacrificing the creature afterwards to draw a lot of cards). Due to the INSANE amount of cards you’ll be drawing, you run the serious risk of getting decked, specially since, as you’ll see in a short while, UB Milling will (finally) be a real possibility, thus, Feldon’s Cane. Also, in case some life-winning deck survives the new Standard, you may need the bonuses back to start over again. If you face a counter-happy deck, Leyline of Lifeforce + Groundbreaker + Stonewood Invocation is the key to success here. Tormod’s Crypt is there mainly against reanimators, since due to Greenseeker, reanimation is becoming increasingly popular.

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3.1.4. Monoblack Control
22 Lands:
18 Swamp
4 Quicksand

14 Sorceries:
4 Blackmail
4 Stupor
4 Damnation
2 Persecute

11 Instants:
4 Funeral Charm
3 Extirpate
4 Last Gasp

9 Artifacts:
3 Phyrexian Totem
2 Muse Vessel
4 The Rack

4 Enchantments:
4 Phyrexian Arena

Sideboard:
2 Nightmare Void
2 Dimir House Guard
1 Extirpate
1 Phyrexian Totem
4 Dash Hopes
3 Consume Spirit
2 Persecute

Now, with a black Wrath of God lying around, and with a card with the power level of Extirpate, I can’t think monoblack without thinking control-discard. It’s got the whole package! The Rack drops early and chumps away at opponent’s life, Quicksand, Last Gasp and Damnation (and even Funeral Charm, under certain circumstances) help keep things under control, Arena draws cards, Muse Vessel makes sure their hands, once empty, remain this way (not to mention preventing any neat tricks like Char on Phyrexian Totem…), and the Totems finish the job. Great mana curve, also! Sideboard is here to help controlling more in case it’s needed, letting you bring in four of whatever you might be needing extra copies, like Persecute over Last Gasp (or Damnation) against control. If they pack card-drawing spells and counterspells, you can put in Nightmare Void, which you can recur, and also fetch with the sideboard option of using the Dimir House Guard search engine. In case the life loss from Arena hurts you too much, Consume Spirit can help out gaining some extra life, not to mention finishing the job started by The Rack. And, depending on how much damage you want to force, and how quickly, you can bring in your OWN counterspells, in the form of Dash Hopes! I sincerely think this one build has enough potential to become a powerful deck in Standard, maybe even tournament’s Top 8 material!

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3.1.5. Monoblue Control
22 Lands:
4 Scrying Sheets
17 Snow-Covered Island
1 Academy Ruins

12 Creatures:
4 Drift of Phantasms
4 Chronozoa
3 Tidewalker
1 Heidar, Rimewind Master

10 Sorceries:
4 Sleight of Hand
4 Compulsive Research
2 Flow of Ideas

16 Instants:
4 Remand
4 Mana Leak
4 Pongify
4 Repeal

Sideboard:
3 Frozen Aether
4 Icy Manipulator
1 Heidar, Rimewind Master
3 Gigadrowse
4 Exhaustion

Well, as you could’ve guessed, monoblue is all about the raw card advantage. It’s not as “control” as it usually gets with blue, but still... You’ve got the Scrying Sheets drawing engine, as well as A LOT of card drawing spells. I’ve decided to go with Flow of Ideas because if you can get to cast it, it’s just TOO good to pass on while playing monoblue, and strictly better than Tidings. The rest of the deck is either aggression, in the form of multiple Chronozoa and Tidewalker, or more control elements, like bounce, counterspells and even removal! Also, Heidar, Rimewind Master is GREAT to maintain card advantage, and has wonderful interaction with Pongify, as you can return the token made by it to your opponent’s hand, thus killing it (same with Repeal, which then costs a measly 1 mana AND draws a card). Also, Pongify helps getting creatures to the size Drift of Phantasms can deal with, and Drift itself can fetch Compulsive Research, should you need cards, or even get the finishing Tidewalker, which gets HUGE in this deck real easily. On the sideboard, a kind of switchboard for changing the control element, featuring another Heidar for getting him faster in the long term, and the package for annoyance: Frozen Aether makes anything opponents play come into play tapped, then you Gigadrowse the rest end of turn, and play Exhaustion on your turn, buying a full turn for your deck. Also, Exhaustion can be fetched via Drift of Phantasms, and Icy Manipulator is GREAT for keeping annoying creatures at bay, specially those which can get past Drift. Otherwise, it’s good for hosing down the mana base of a lot of multi-colored decks around, specially those packing UrzaTron + signets control engine, and if they DO get rid of an Icy Manipulator, you can just go and get it back with Academy Ruins. So far, the only thing I’m still not so sure is if using Ancestral Vision could be better than Sleight of Hand, even if I’m not packing Clockspinning. But other than that, it’s a very cool deck, and probably as good as it gets when we talk about monoblue in Standard.

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3.1.6. Monored Combo
22 Lands:
16 Snow-Covered Mountain
4 Scrying Sheets
2 Kher Keep

4 Creatures:
4 Simian Spirit Guide

7 Sorceries:
4 Rite of Flame
3 Wheel of Fate

8 Instants:
4 Seething Song
4 Lightning Axe

12 Artifacts:
4 Stuffy Doll
4 Coldsteel Heart
4 Howling Mine

7 Enchantments:
4 Furnace of Rath
3 Pyrohemia

Sideboard:
4 Dead//Gone
3 Rough//Tumble
4 Brute Force
2 Sulfurous Blast
2 Barbed Shocker

Now this deck was not THAT much altered with the new set (lest for Pyrohemia, which is one of the best removal spells on the format right now, as well as going well with Stuffy Doll), but it’s got redundancy, which is great. Simian Spirit Guide is GREAT to enable a first-turn Howing Mine, Coldsteel Heart or suspended Wheel of Fate, alongside Rite of Flame. The goal of the deck is pretty simple, which is drawing as much cards as you can (thus, the Snow-Covered Land + Scrying Sheets engine), making mana faster, playing a Stuffy Doll, and, in a single turn, use that same 5 mana you have access to play Furnace of Rath + Lightning Axe on Stuffy Doll. Furnace doubles the damage the Axe deals, dealing 10 to the Doll. Then, it ALSO doubles the damage THE DOLL deals, dealing 20 to the face, from a colorless source. It’s cool, but easily disruptable, thus, sideboard is here to help that. Brute Force is here as a defense against Darkblast and Last Gasp. There is A LOT of board-sweepers that also go really well with Doll, and it’s got 2 Barbed Shockers as helpers, disrupting opponent’s hands as well. Granted, they get to draw that many cards again, but with Wheel of Fate, you’ll be practically milling down opponents, which drains their resources at least a bit. Now, the most weird card on the deck, some might say, is Kher Keep. Why is it there? And I’ll tell you why: first, you can always make chump blockers, should the need arise, to survive until game 2, when you can board in the sweepers, and it ALSO serves a VERY important purpose: dodging spells like Cruel Edict, Evangelize and such. Cool attempt at monochromatic build, but I’m not sure if it’s powerful enough to survive today’s standard, but it’s still a cool taste of what a single color can do these days.

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3.2. Multi-colored Builds

3.2.1. UB Milling
22 Lands:
7 Island
3 Swamp
4 Watery Grave
4 Underground River
3 Gemstone Mine
1 Dimir Aqueduct

2 Creatures:
2 Dralnu, Lich Lord

20 Sorceries:
4 Glimpse the Unthinkable
2 Traumatize
2 Brainspoil
4 Sleight of Hand
4 Damnation
4 Compulsive Research

12 Instants:
4 Extirpate
4 Mana Leak
4 Muddle the Mixture

4 Artifacts:
4 Dimir Signet

Sideboard:
3 Phyrexian Arena
3 Psychic Drain
3 Persecute
3 Sudden Death
3 Tormod’s Crypt

One of the most powerful archetypes of the new Standard, because one of the (if not THE) most broken cards on the format: Extirpate! Just picture opening with turn one Sleight of Hand, turn two Glimpse the Unthinkable, turn three Extirpate. There. Done deal. You can get whatever you think is annoying from their deck, and it’s as good as gone. PLUS, you get to take a look at their hands and decks. Muddle the Mixture is good for Countering burn, discard and other counters, which tend to be good against this build, as well as transmuting for Glimpse. Then, you can transmute Brainspoil (or use it as a very expensive, desperate form of removal) for Traumatize to strike hard at them, or get Dralnu. That’s the last shovel of dirt on the game. With Dralnu, not only you get to flashback all the Glimpses to seal the deal, but you also get to flashback Extirpate, for ULTIMATE “cheating” the game! Signets help you build up your mana base faster, as well as being good in case you have to sacrifice some Gemstone Mines, either for lack of counters or because Dralnu was burned. Damnation is just icing on the cake, having a powerful board-sweeper without having to splash in a third color! Sideboard is pretty straightforward, Psychic Drain goes into the milling theme as well as replenishing your life points, Persecute is great against control decks and Sudden Death, well, Sudden Death is just great. Notice that Tormod’s Crypt tends to be better than Leyline of the Void against any random deck packing Feldon’s Cane (reanimation COULD be a problem too, but Extirpate tends to fix that), since you don’t need to either get one in your opening hand or compromise a lot of mana, and since it doesn’t just sit there on the table early game, opponents are most likely to not be able to destroy it before you get to use it to good avail. All in all, I think this is a very strong deck, and UB (even if not this build) is probably going to dominate the meta for a good while.

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3.2.2. RG Echo
20 Lands:
4 Stomping Ground
4 Karplusan Forest
6 Forest
5 Mountain
1 Skarrg, the Rage Pits

24 Creatures:
4 Birds of Paradise
4 Llanowar Elves
4 Thick-skinned Goblin
4 Volcano Hellion
4 Timbermare
4 Uktabi Drake

8 Sorceries:
4 Harmonize
4 Browbeat

4 Instants:
4 Char

4 Artifacts:
4 Gruul Signet

Sideboard:
3 Demonfire
4 Groundbreaker
4 Recollect
4 Rough//Tumble

This deck is VERY cool to play with. It produces mana fast, draws cards with Harmonize, and then abuses Thick-Skinned Goblin’s text, simply by not paying any echo costs. With a Birds or Elves on turn one, you get to play Thick-Skinned Goblin AND Uktabi Drake on turn 2, swinging for 2. From here on, things are pretty straightforward. Volcano Hellion is specially great with Thick-Skinned, since you get to blow up whatever annoying creature is in your way, and you ALSO get a 6/5 for 4 mana! Timbermare is more of a “sure” way to deal damage, since nothing can stand in its way, and Skarrg also tends to be very helpful. If things go askew and they get to destroy Thick-Skinned, this deck produces enough mana so you can actually pay the echo costs. Char is more of a finisher, although it can take out a big creature if you need it to, and Browbeat serves two purposes: burning early game so your fast, strong creatures can get through enough damage, or replenishing your hand late game, specially if you have enough mana, and get to Browbeat into Harmonize. Sideboard packs Groundbreaker and Recollect, which is a good combo, and in case you need to deal more damage quickly and Volcano Hellion is not doing the job well enough (for instance, if you’re playing a deck with lots of Wrath-like effects, which are Sorceries). Demonfire can force the last points of damage against counter-happy decks, and Rough//Tumble is an AMAZING card for this deck. A little self-sacrificial, in a sense it may kill your Birds and Elves, but even though it’s good if you really need to cast it, since you can save Thick-Skinned, and echo creatures don’t tend to be all that expensive anyway. One thing I’ve been wanting to experiment with this deck is trying out Boom//Bust, specially for the Bust part, since between Thick-Skinned, Elves, Birds and Signets, you might not need all that mana, and this card is one heck of a hoser! You’ll see an example of this very same “engine” right below.

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3.2.3. RG LD
20 Lands:
4 Stomping Ground
4 Karplusan Forest
7 Forest
5 Mountain

15 Creatures:
4 Llanowar Elves
4 Birds of Paradise
2 Boreal Druid
4 Shivan Wumpus
1 Magnivore

21 Sorceries:
4 Boom//Bust
4 Stone Rain
4 Cryoclasm
4 Wreak Havoc
1 Wildfire
4 Harmonize

4 Artifacts:
4 Gruul Signet

Sideboard:
3 Demolish
2 Wildfire
3 Tormod’s Crypt
2 Rumbling Slum
3 Krosan Grip
2 Life from the Loam

This one is another deck that might come crashing down into Standard, due to its speed in locking down the opponent. You’ll most likely blow up a land on turn two, and then one on turn three, with the amount of acceleration, and the addition of Boom//Bust. Then, you can just speed up playing accelerators and signets, stock up on cards, and proceed to locking the game, by playing Shivan Wumpus, meaning you’ll either get a 6/6 trampler for 4, or lock down your opponent with no lands. This lock is so powerful, the deck has only ONE Magnivore, as an ALTERNATE win condition (since you DO have an awful lot of sorceries), depending more on Shivan Wumpus to win. The coolest thing about this deck is it can play differently against aggro or control. Either way, the goal here is to get to 6 mana as fast as possible, and then you either stock up on lands and play Wildfire, sweeping the board (but keeping your signets), against aggro decks; or to build up an army of mana-making critters and play the Bust half of Boom//Bust. So far, around 80% of the decks in Standard either packs Plains or Islands, making Cryoclasm a sure maindeck, but this list could be altered if decks diversify, in which case you’d probably add in a second Magnivore, and swap 3 Cryoclasms with the 3 Demolish from the sideboard, but since I’m predicting UB to be the strongest archetype out there, followed closely by WB, I think Cryoclasm will have no problem being left maindecked.

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3.2.4. RGW Aggro
21 Lands:
4 Flagstones of Trokair
4 Sacred Foundry
4 Stomping Ground
3 Temple Garden
3 Gemstone Mine
3 Vesuva

23 Creatures:
4 Savannah Lions
4 Kird Ape
3 Icatian Javelineers
1 Magus of the Scroll
4 Scab-Clan Mauler
4 Watchwolf
3 Burning-Tree Shaman

8 Sorceries:
4 Rift Bolt
4 Call of the Herd

8 Instants:
4 Lightning Helix
4 Char

Sideboard:
3 Tormod’s Crypt
3 Krosan Grip
3 Giant Solifuge
4 Mana Tithe
2 Hedge Troll

This is another look at my take on the Zoo. You can check out all about it in my other Article, “Bringing Back the Beats”. Its main list is completely intact, as nothing really powerful that could fit into this build came out on Planar Chaos. However, on the sideboard, it’s a totally different matter. Mana Tithe, as discussed earlier, has potential to seal a game in an aggressive deck like this one, since it can mean that you’ll be able to deny opponent’s their much needed Wrath of God or Wildfire, which they usually have to cast ASAP, WHILE also playing a reasonable form of defense against Dragonstorm, either by trying to stop them from going off, or hosing their early card-drawing spells. Hedge Troll is a pretty decent creature if you have Plains, and regeneration can come in handy against certain decks, specially if their removal comes in the form of burn spells, so he gets the last two spots opened by the removal of Leyline of Lifeforce (not necessary in a deck so aggressive as this one) and Honorable Passage (Mana Tithe tends to be more handy, and can play the same role with wider reach). Another very strong deck, and one who’s gotten a really useful boost on its sideboard, so this one has potential for tournament play, for sure!

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3.2.5. Gruul Beats
21 Lands:
7 Mountain
4 Forest
4 Stomping Ground
4 Karplusan Forest
2 Skarrg, the Rage Pits

19 Creatures:
4 Kird Ape
3 Scorched Rusalka
1 Magus of the Scroll
4 Scab-Clan Mauler
3 Blood Knight
4 Burning-Tree Shaman

16 Sorceries:
4 Rift Bolt
4 Volcanic Hammer
4 Browbeat
4 Call of the Herd

4 Instants:
4 Char

Sideboard:
3 Naturalize
3 Giant Solifuge
3 Tormod’s Crypt
2 Rumbling Slum
3 Moldervine Cloak
1 Blood Knight

Another deck that’s not new at all. You can check info on this one at the Deck Clinic, under the name “Gruul Beats”. However, the big boost this one’s gotten is the release of Blood Knight, a fairly decent creature for a low mana cost, pretty ideal for this build. So, 3 copies replaced Llanowar Elves (although depending on the meta Mire Boa could also step in), with the last Elves being replaced by another copy of Scorched Rusalka, to maintain speed and ensure a first-turn drop to enable blood thirst on the Maulers. Sideboard has been slightly altered, with another copy of Tormod’s Crypt (just so useful these days... hosing reanimation and dredge has become really handy, not to mention flashback cards!), and the removal of both Pandemonium (less than optimal most of the times) and Leyline of Lifeforce (reason above stated), and the addition of Moldervine Cloak (in case you need to deal damage faster, they tend to be better than playing a creature, since you can have a 6/6 trampler swinging on turn three) and the last Blood Knight, as a Boros hoser. Another strong deck, and a sure bet to dish out some pain!

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3.2.6. Boros Deck Wins
21 Lands:
4 Sacred Foundry
4 Battlefield Forge
3 Gemstone Mine
3 Boros Garrison
4 Flagstones of Trokair
2 Plains
1 Mountain

19 Creatures:
3 Scorched Rusalka
4 Savannah Lions
4 Icatian Javelineers
4 Knight of the Holy Nimbus
4 Soltari Priest

12 Sorceries:
4 Rift Bolt
4 Volcanic Hammer
4 Browbeat

8 Instants:
4 Lightning Helix
4 Char

Sideboard:
4 Calciderm
4 Blood Knight
4 Mana Tithe
3 Disenchant

Ah, Boros Deck Wins, the aggro “deck to beat” in Standard right now, if not THE deck to beat. Planar Chaos offers little help for this one, except in the form of sideboard cards like Blood Knight (not sure on its effectiveness for now) and Mana Tithe, for the reasons we discussed earlier. Note that, as a PERSONAL option, I usually went with Browbeat over Giant Solifuge on the main deck, since it’s better for the curve, and I’ve seen this deck lose a fair share of matches for running out of gas or failing to deliver that last point of damage. If nothing else, it costs one less that Solifuge and deals at least one more point of damage, and with 4 new Wrath of Gods lying around in the form of Damnation, most decks WILL have an answer for it, so I’d rather stick with more damage or card-drawing power. And, since Solifuge went to the sideboard, I swapped it with Calciderm, which I think is strictly better in this build.

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3.2.7. Selesnya Beats
22 Lands:
4 Temple Garden
4 Brushland
3 Gemstone Mine
3 Selesnya Sanctuary
6 Plains
2 Vitu-Ghazi, the City-Tree

31 Creatures:
4 Savannah Lions
4 Icatian Javelineers
4 Watchwolf
4 Knight of the Holy Nimbus
4 Soltari Priest
4 Selesnya Guildmage
4 Hedge Troll
3 Loxodon Hierarch

4 Sorceries:
4 Harmonize

3 Enchantments:
3 Moldervine Cloak

Sideboard:
2 Mire Boa
3 Bathe in Light
4 Mana Tithe
3 Krosan Grip
3 Tormod’s Crypt

This is another powerful deck that has been neglected for a while, now. It’s got the most solid beaters on the slowest mana curve, and can pull off some nifty tricks, making a real army out of Selesnya Guildmage and Vitu-Ghazi, the City-Tree, or beating opponents down to dust quickly with the sheer power of the creatures in the deck. And if you threaten to run low on gas, just play Harmonize to replenish your hand and start beating again. Note that I didn’t use Flagstones of Trokair in this one, and that’s because one of the solid beaters Planar Chaos has given us: Hedge Troll. The guy needs Plains more than he needs white mana, and the land-devoted slots left in the deck went for Vitu-Ghazi (really good against control), and the Gemstone Mine + Selesnya Sanctuary trick, to better ensure I’d have my colors when I needed them. Sideboard is pretty much the same as all the other aggro decks use, including my new card-to-love Mana Tithe, but this one packs Mire Boa (good, but not so good as Soltari Priest for maindecking it, perhaps it COULD have potential to replace Knight of the Holy Nimbus), and Bathe in Light as either protection or a finishing tool against other aggro decks, decks with a lot of chump blockers or Glare of Subdual decks. Another option is adding in 4 Glorious Anthem and 2 Gaea’s Anthem, 2 more copies of Vitu-Ghazi, Birds of Paradise and Glare of Subdual, to make this a switchboard into Ghazi-Glare. However, I like aggro better, thus, this is my vision on a cool Selesnya build with the newly released cards. For using a lot of Anthems, check below.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

3.2.8. GW Weenie
20 Lands:
4 Temple Garden
4 Brushland
4 Flagstones of Trokair
4 Gemstone Mine
2 Selesnya Sanctuary
2 Vitu-Ghazi, the City-Tree

28 Creatures:
4 Elves of Llanowar
4 Savannah Lions
4 Icatian Javelineers
4 Watchwolf
4 Knight of the Holy Nimbus
4 Soltari Priest
4 Selesnya Guildmage

3 Sorceries:
3 Harmonize

3 Instants:
3 Bathe in Light

6 Enchantments:
3 Glorious Anthem
3 Gaea’s Anthem

Sideboard:
2 Vitu-Ghazi, the City-Tree
1 Glorious Anthem
1 Harmonize
1 Bathe in Light
3 Krosan Grip
3 Tormod’s Crypt
4 Mana Tithe

This is a different take on the same color combination, relying on making as much powerful weenies as possible due to the presence of SIX Anthems, and keep swinging for the win, or make a full swing protecting the creatures with Bathe in Light. Vitu-Ghazi plays a very important part in this role, making endless tokens and being hard to stop, and with Anthems out, each and every one of them will be big enough to matter. Selesnya Guildmage can ALSO play this role, and pump every creature, too, and Harmonize, obviously, is here to refill your hand. While some may think the deck to be short on lands, remember that the creatures (the core of the deck) CURVE OUT at 2 mana, and from here on it’s just Anthems, Harmonizes and activation costs. Sideboard is pretty similar to all other aggro decks, the only difference being the fourth copy of whatever you may need in a certain match-up: Bathe in Light against creature-full decks or decks with a lot of removal; Harmonize against control, to make an army faster, and Glorious Anthem, since white IS the predominant color, in case you need to resort to rebuilding your army with Vitu-Ghazi, in which case the sideboard ALSO packs 2 more copies of it. Krosan Grip is against both enchantments and signets on decks that rely on signet + UrzaTron control, and Tormod’s Crypt is against anything that bothers you in their graveyard. Mana Tithe has been exhaustively talked about, so no need to explain it again.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

3.2.9. Slivers
23 Lands:
4 Temple Garden
3 Sacred Foundry
4 Stomping Ground
1 Overgrown Tomb
2 Godless Shrine
4 Flagstones of Trokair
1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
4 Gemstone Mine

31 Creatures:
4 Birds of Paradise
4 Sidewinder Sliver
4 Sinew Sliver
4 Gemhide Sliver
3 Sedge Sliver
3 Watcher Sliver
2 Might Sliver
2 Reflex Sliver
1 Battering Sliver
1 Fury Sliver
1 Darkheart Sliver
2 Necrotic Sliver

4 Sorceries:
4 Harmonize

2 Artifacts:
2 Coat of Arms

Sideboard:
2 Harmonic Sliver
1 Darkheart Sliver
1 Battering Sliver
1 Fury Sliver
1 Might Sliver
1 Reflex Sliver
2 Necrotic Sliver
1 Overgrown Tomb
2 Godless Shrine
3 Tormod’s Crypt

Slivers are most definitely fun! However, building a competitive deck with them is a whole different matter! I’m not sure if this would classify as a powerful deck, but it’s fun, and it seems to work pretty well. Mana base is bizarre, but easy to explain due to color (and priority) requirements. Also, Flagstones of Trokair is GREAT, since it can fetch you just the right colors to get the engine running. A lot of early mana fixers in the form of Birds of Paradise and Gemhide Sliver (which, if you can get one out and keep it, pretty much solves any color issue the deck might have), and then it’s all about utility. Each sliver plays a role in the deck, most of them pumping the army, while some of them are finishers or protectors. Fury Sliver and Battering Sliver all are meant to be finishers (as is Coat of Arms), you play one of those and win swinging with the others. Sedge Sliver is both pumping and protection, and Darkheart Sliver is an insurance policy, meaning you can get a ton of life out of your army, should Wrath of God or Damnation drop by to say “hi”. Necrotic Sliver will pretty much take out ANYTHING in your path, be it artifact, enchantment or creature. Sideboard has more copies of specific slivers, depending on the deck you might be facing and your needs, and something very unusual: lands. In case you’re facing an annoying control build, for instance, and want all four Necrotic Slivers down the first chance you get, while regeneration and trample hardly matters, you could side out Sedge Slivers and Battering Sliver for another Darkheart (against Wrath effects, to boost your life and extend the game), 2 Necrotic Slivers and, say, Reflex Sliver or Might Sliver. Then, your deck would be leaning more towards black than red, so you could alter the proportion of lands accordingly. Harmonic Sliver serve very specific purposes, and since they have decreased utility, they are not found in high numbers, even on the sideboard, as I can’t see them being needed so much. Other than that, there’s just good old Tormod’s Crypt, doing its thing.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

3.2.10. GW Thallids
22 Lands:
4 Brushland
4 Temple Garden
4 Vitu-Ghazi, the City-Tree
6 Forest
3 Flagstones of Trokair
1 Plains

25 Creatures:
4 Birds of Paradise
4 Llanowar Elves
4 Thallid
4 Thallid Shell-Dweller
4 Sporesower Thallid
3 Mycologist
4 Pallid Mycoderm
2 Thelonite Hermit

4 Sorceries:
4 Harmonize

5 Enchantments:
1 Doubling Season
4 Gaea’s Anthem

Sideboard:
1 Doubling Season
2 Coat of Arms
3 Glare of Subdual
3 Krosan Grip
3 Tormod’s Crypt
3 Bathe in Light

As the Theme Deck suggests, some “Fun With Fungus”! A lot of early plays, and this deck ALSO takes a different path than most Thallid decks, that usually will try to abuse Doubling Season and splash Deathspore Thallid as removal. This one is a more aggro approach (although one copy of Doubling Season is still in, since it IS good if you can cast it), relying more on the token-creation power of Thallids (specially with Sporewsower Thallid) and Vitu-Ghazi, using Gaea’s Anthem to make’em look bigger, so that each one of them matter individually, rather than just being vulnerable to one single Pyroclasm. Pallid Mycoderm is here as both protection (letting you sac saprolings that were going to die anyway, and make the others bigger) and as a finisher (sac all the saprolings to let that one that slipped through deal, like, 9 damage easily. Mycologist lets you live longer to get around Wrath effects and the like, by gaining some much needed life for a comeback. Also, Wrath effects are not as problematic when you have the Anthem + Ghazi combo, since you can just make more tokens, and each of them will be big enough to matter. I don’t think I have to explain Harmonize by now, do I?
As for the sideboard, these days, Krosan Grip is a MUST in decks packing acceleration, since they’re just REALLY good against control decks, letting you shatter signets from Tron users, and annoying Enchantments from just about anyone else. Tormod’s Crypt is ANOTHER card that do not need further comments. Bathe in Light is for either protection against mass burn, or to deliver a finishing blow against critter-filled decks, and Glare of Subdual let’s you change your strategy completely between games. In case abusing Doubling Season IS a good option (in particularly long matches), there’s another one in the sideboard, and in case you need a surprise finisher, Coat of Arms drops like a bomb!

Well, I hope you all enjoyed taking a look at my deck ideas (or remakes) for the new meta, and also that you all pitch in with YOUR ideas, that’s what makes deck better, brainstorming! Now let’s move on, to the not-so-exciting, but much needed Extirpate Discussion.

_______________________________________________________________________

4. The Extirpate Discussion

I’ve decided to discuss Extirpate separately, because I think it’s a card that may pose a serious threat to the game. It costs ONE, it’s INSTANT speed, and it get rids of ANY card that may bother you! Oh, yes, and it has SPLIT SECOND! Could it be any more broken? It’s, BY A LANDSLIDE, the best card in the set. “Oh, ok, but it just gets a card that’s on the graveyard”, some might say. Yeah, but how many cards end up in a graveyard, in any given game? Specially now, that black ALSO has mass removal AND mass discard? Even not mentioning this, they counter one of your spells, it’s the last one they’ll counter with that card. They make an elephant with Call of the Herd, the 7 others its owner could make from a playset are as good as gone. You Char them, and it’s no more. Just take a look at all the decks above, and see how many of them can be crippled BADLY with just ONE Extirpate, say FOUR! And worse, the ONLY defense against it is baiting it out with a card in your graveyard, and then Extirpating HIS Extirpate. Because of this, EVERY deck may have to AT LEAST splash black, and a lot of players will just go and play black right away, so we will have a predominance of black decks in the meta, and almost ALL decks at least splashing it. Also, matches will start to drag on, with players developing boards in hope of baiting the other player’s Extirpate first, so he can get rid of it, and hopefully Extirpate 3 other annoying cards. I’m not saying the idea was bad, I like what the card does, but it’s just TOO powerful! If a card has ever needed banning right away, this is certainly it. Otherwise, it’ll be the end of playset-filled decks. And it’s not that I don’t like Highlander format, I actually enjoy playing it every now and then, but HAVING to play it in STANDARD, and in TOURNAMENTS, is just not fair! The only way to overcome it would be with weenie-like builds, where cards don’t matter all that much, you just throw them down and swing. But even then, they clear the board, it’s four less creatures in your deck, which will also cripple your draws (less useful spells = more land draws). Also, UB decks can cast it EIGHT times (with Dralnu, as I suggested), while GB decks could cast it TWELVE times (with Recollect and Reclaim), so it would ruin almost any deck COMPLETELY (and I’m not even mentioning the SIXTEEN times a UBG deck could do it)! ONE CARD will take over control of the whole meta! And it’s not only Standard, picture this opening: first turn, Duress; second turn, Extirpate. How powerful is this?!? Others might claim “Yeah, but so did Umezawa’s Jitte dominate Standard”, and they’re right in a sense. However, it was colorless, which didn’t “force” players to play a specific color if they wanted to use it, and it was a PERMANENT (making it MUCH more vulnerable to removal, meaning you could either use it, or tech against it), and a LEGENDARY one for that matter. Oh, yes, and you DI get to counter it, too. This card is a one mana instant, which offers no chance of defense against it at all! If the MTG player community ever needed to mobilize to get a card banned, now is that time. Fellow players, unite for a colored world! Wink

_______________________________________________________________________

5. Conclusion
When I first skimmed over the Planar Chaos list, I was kind of disappointed, since the power level of the cards seemed somewhat lower than in Time Spiral. But when I started drifting in thought through deckland, and all those crazy ideas (sometimes, whole decks) came to my head, I just figured out an important lesson, which is what I intend to now pass on: complementary sets shouldn’t be looked upon as a single set. The player should take it, splice it into the whole lists available for Standard, Extended or whatever format they play, and look at the card pool available as a whole. That said, so far I’m enjoying the format very much, and can’t wait to see where they are gonna take it with the release of Future Sight! Still one set away from releasing the whole block, and I already sense a great shift on Standard!
As usual, I apologize for the long read, and hope you could find something useful in here. Criticism, questions and ideas are ALWAYS WELCOME! Thank you very much for reading this! Homage
Last edited by Felipe Musco on Sat Feb 24, 2007 7:06 pm; edited 3 times in totalI don't like YOU.
The First
Posted: Mon Feb 12, 2007 4:56 pm
Joined: 07 Oct 2005 Posts: 195 Location: Anderlecht, Belgium
A friend of mine says that Extirpate is only good in extended. Because of thousand and one reasons. I say that this card is a tech card for any deck playing Black, or splashing it.

When you play aggro -> 1 wrath played? Well, no others will see play with Extirpate. Same goes for spot removal. Graveyard recursion with the Grave Troll? No way. Firmane Angel decks are as good as gone now. Call of the Herd, I mock you.

Play it in mill decks to cripple your opponent a bit further.

In control, you’ll find a card to remove.

IN THE WORST CASE, it is a 1 drop that allows you to see your opponent’s hand AND library. That is nuts. I agree that this card is the nr. 1 card of the set. It can’t even be countered.
Last edited by The First on Mon Feb 12, 2007 7:21 pm; edited 1 time in totalGreat minds bleed alike.
Do not copy media. Support creativity.
physcosick
Posted: Mon Feb 12, 2007 5:30 pm
Joined: 18 Oct 2005 Posts: 229 Location:
All I can say is: Thank god my semester has begun. Cause now I have no time to write articles. And in good timing cause it would be rough to have to beat this.

However, I have not red it so who knows? u could have a bunch of problems...

i might read it sometime...

But one thing, Extirpate is extremely overrated for several reasons but I’m not going to get into the details because i dont feel like going back and forth with people, syaing the same things...

It doesn’t kill combo in extended, just forces them to play duress

This card kinda sucks balls against Aggro and Aggro / Control for they do not revolve around one card.

The problem with Extirpate is that it does not affect the board position in any way. And you don’t generate card advantage unless you stirp cards from their hand.

Against decks like Dragonstorm, if you can strip their Dragonstorms or accel with discard, you basically have already won. However, they can still always draw a Hellkite and beat face.

Removing all copies of a counterspell really won’t do you much because any single counterspell does not win games nor is a deck crippled without it.

In a lot of cases, depending on the situation, you could even be slimming the opponents deck out so they can draw into exactly what they need for the situation (ie: extirpating Call of the Herd when they want to top deck burn).

Extirpate is a format defining card. It is not broken like Jitte or Skullclamp. All it does is create problems for some top decks in the format. What this does is force those decks to change and adapt. If they don’t adapt, they will prolly lose. However, unlike Jitte, Affinity, Skullclamp, etc it is possible to adapt to extirpate. Skullclamp and affinity had to be banned because Qizards kept printing more and more artifact hate but nothing ever worked. It was broken. Jitte was broken. Skullclamp was broken. Extirpate is not broken because all it does is force a few decks to change their style.

All in all, extirpate doesn’t defeat the top decks played in type 2 right now (dralnu, UG, and boros) and other decks (like dragonstorm) can still win but we will probably see it evolve into something slightly different.

The price for extirpate is 15 right now. However, once everyone realizes that extirpate isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, it’ll lower to about 7-8.

A friend of mine was playing UB Dimir Fish against some kid and he totally raped him because of the counterspells. So the kid said "ok, you win... I’m gonna go home now and build a deck with 4 extirpates now" and then we laughed at him because of how stupid he was.
The First
Posted: Mon Feb 12, 2007 7:33 pm
Joined: 07 Oct 2005 Posts: 195 Location: Anderlecht, Belgium
Of course Extirpate is not a card you can build your deck around like Jitte. Take any deck with creatures in it, put Jitte in it and it will be at least half decent.

Extirpate doesn’t quite work that way, I think everyone should realyse. Extirpate won’t give you card or board advantage but for 1 mana, it sure can give your opponent a hard time.

What about playing 4 Extirpates against UB Dimir Fish? Of course, it won’t win you the game, but for 1 mana, you know if your opponent is bluffing that Mana Leak or if it is for real. With some luck, it even gets some counters out. You will also be able to take a good look at the finishers and the rest of your deck.

All in all, Extirpate is not broken but it sure is handy.

PS: Removing Call of the Herd is always a good thing IMO Wink Especially since it "survives" Damnation. But there might be other priorities.
Great minds bleed alike.
Do not copy media. Support creativity.
Cobra
Posted: Tue Feb 13, 2007 1:07 am
Joined: 12 Jul 2005 Posts: 1202 Location: Austin, TX, USA
Another very thorough set review from Felipe, nicely done. Applause I’ll find time to read through the whole thing eventually, but for now here are a couple random comments:

Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth looks pretty solid to me. Consider a Black/Green deck running 4x Mire Boa, which seems likely enough. Draw a swamp, and you’ve got another black mana. Draw an Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth instead, and you’ve got another black mana, plus extra black mana in case you need it for BlackBlack or BlackBlackBlack casting costs, plus swampwalk for your Boas regardless of what your opponent is playing.

Sure, these are relatively minor advantages, but we’re not talking about a spell slot here, just a basic land upgrade. Smile

I’m on the fence about Extirpate. As far as having a direct effect on the game, it doesn’t seem so great:
physcosick wrote:
The problem with Extirpate is that it does not affect the board position in any way. And you don’t generate card advantage unless you strip cards from their hand.


On the other hand, getting to see your opponent’s entire hand and deck so cheaply does seem a little ridiculous. Half the fun of Magic: The Gathering is the element of surprise! Very Happy
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Felipe Musco
Posted: Tue Feb 13, 2007 10:34 am
Joined: 18 May 2006 Posts: 2434 Location: Florianópolis, SC, Brasil
Well, let’s see how time treats Extirpate... But for now, my protest stands, at least for my meta. About Urborg, well, as I said, I’ve found it to be less than impressive, since we haven’t seen a lot of BG aggro, but as I mention, B aggro is more of apossibility with the new cards, but two of the staples, which are Whirling Dervish and Dunerider Outlaw, are counterproductive in the same deck, specially Dunerider, since you can’t Moldervine Cloak him, for instance. But I guess it IS possible. But on the "land upgrade" department, I’m still all the way with Flagstones, at least while Ravnica is around. I’m curious if they’ll do it with the other colors, ’cause it’ll mean THREE legendary (and specific) lands in one set!
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La_Sin_Grail
Posted: Wed Feb 14, 2007 3:18 pm
Joined: 14 Aug 2005 Posts: 806 Location: Maryland
I agree about extirpate being overpowered in older formats.

There’s no way I’m able to read this whole thing at once... but here’s a blub about the decks.

White: You’re going to need some bigger things. I’m thinking a definate fourth serra avenger, but also some more... well either bigger than two power or with evasion. Looks to me like you have a junkload of two mana creatures, making first and third turns potentially problematic.

Green(weenie): Once again, I’m not sure you can actually get across twenty damage. I’d recommend moldervine cloak here, as well as possibly stonewood invocation.

Green (beats): the only things I see as problematic are spot removal if you didn’t grab an early ledgewalker. If you instant/pump anything else and they spot removal it, you’re likely going to have problems killing them. Also, gaea’s anthem? I know it’s not weenie, but anthem is still nice on twenty creatures.

MBC: Looks powerful except muse vessel. It’s a little... well... not good? I’m not sure how useful maindecked exitrpate will be in standard. I’m seeing it as more of an older card, unless you get the 2-3 copies of a card in hand and you discard one, extirpate the rest.

You could use a legit kill condition to join muse vessel and totem. I don’t trust either one of them.

MUC: I like the looks of thie except it’s possibly a little too slow to stop agro. Looks devastating against control.

Red Combo: Darn... I was looking forward to seeing shivan meteor Razz Might want to add that and play the final copy of pyrohemia over simian sporit guide/maybe rite of flame. Mana Acceleration is a little overrated when it costsa the whole card for a single mana unless you’re going to dragonstorm off for the win.
Felipe Musco
Posted: Wed Feb 14, 2007 4:12 pm
Joined: 18 May 2006 Posts: 2434 Location: Florianópolis, SC, Brasil
La_Sin_Grail wrote:

White: You’re going to need some bigger things. I’m thinking a definate fourth serra avenger, but also some more... well either bigger than two power or with evasion. Looks to me like you have a junkload of two mana creatures, making first and third turns potentially problematic.


I have around 8 1-mana creatures, although you COULD add Sidewinder Sliver too, if you think it’s not enough. Also, Serra Avenger locks your hand, should you get a bunch of them early, and Anthem makes EVERY creature big enough to be a threat. Between early drops, Soltari Priest, Knight of the Holy Nimbus (flanking kind of discourages blocking), Benalish Cavalry and Serra Avenger, I can usually pull it off. Also, main plan is to make them considerably large with Anthem and chip away while OVERWHELMING them with creatures, and them either Bathe in Light and swing ftw, or swing and Fortify.

La_Sin_Grail wrote:

Green(weenie): Once again, I’m not sure you can actually get across twenty damage. I’d recommend moldervine cloak here, as well as possibly stonewood invocation.


Same as above, although it’s not as easy in this build, but the Groundbreakers at the sideboard are great for that, if you need them. Against control, it’s easier, as you’ll swarm them, and in Green there’s Harmonize to help keeping up the pressure.

La_Sin_Grail wrote:

Green (beats): the only things I see as problematic are spot removal if you didn’t grab an early ledgewalker. If you instant/pump anything else and they spot removal it, you’re likely going to have problems killing them. Also, gaea’s anthem? I know it’s not weenie, but anthem is still nice on twenty creatures.


Avoid Fate does that just fine, since I’ll usually pump my creatures during the main phase anyway (so as to ensure Pit-Skulk gets through, for instance), so anything they try to use will be either instant or flash auras. And if theyr allow even ONE to resolve, it WILL be a large beater that will draw me cards after sacrificing it, and I can always Stonewood Invocation in response to removal if I need to. Anthem does not fit for lack of space, since I’d rather swing for 10 with Groundbreaker and Might of Old Krosa and draw 10 cards losing one creature (which is gonna die anyway) than to swing for 3 with 2 Pit-Skulks, and being unable to abuse Greater Good.

La_Sin_Grail wrote:

MBC: Looks powerful except muse vessel. It’s a little... well... not good? I’m not sure how useful maindecked exitrpate will be in standard. I’m seeing it as more of an older card, unless you get the 2-3 copies of a card in hand and you discard one, extirpate the rest.

You could use a legit kill condition to join muse vessel and totem. I don’t trust either one of them.


Vessel sucks BADLY, I know. Problem is, you run out of discard, they draw cards just as usual. How do you ensure that they didn’t draw Char to play on Totem? However, since it’s so narrow, I’m considering swapping it to the sideboard (then it could come in WITH Fellwar Stone) and maindecking Dimir House Guard.

La_Sin_Grail wrote:

MUC: I like the looks of thie except it’s possibly a little too slow to stop agro. Looks devastating against control.


Drift of Phantasms, Repeal, Pongify and some counters? May not stop the best aggro out there (and I said that it’s not a particularly powerful build anyway), but’ll certainly throw a wrench at a lot of them!

La_Sin_Grail wrote:

Red Combo: Darn... I was looking forward to seeing shivan meteor Razz Might want to add that and play the final copy of pyrohemia over simian sporit guide/maybe rite of flame. Mana Acceleration is a little overrated when it costsa the whole card for a single mana unless you’re going to dragonstorm off for the win.


As I said, still some Honorable Passage wandering around sideboards, so I’m afraid of taking 13 to the face with a creatureless deck which tends to take some cruel early damage, so for Shivan Meteor, for now, it’s a no-go. If Passage falls out of flavor for Mana Tithe, then it could come in, as I could time it to resolve on the turn I have everything set up. As for Simian Spirit Guide, I REALLY need him, since this is a VERY disruptable combo deck, so I need the speed. He helps suspending Wheel of Fate on turn one, as well as playing Coldsteel Heart or Howling Mine. With Heart out, I can play Stuffy Doll on turn 2 (2 lands, Heart and Seething Song), and control the board/play some Mines until Wheel resolves, to combo out, or combo out if I have the right cards on turn 4-5, or even THREE with a Godhand. I tried to ditch him, but he’s really necessary.
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La_Sin_Grail
Posted: Wed Feb 14, 2007 6:51 pm
Joined: 14 Aug 2005 Posts: 806 Location: Maryland
Too much to quote! I’ll just label which I’m talking about.

White- I guess my point is I would like to see a little more range on mana cost. If you could add something that can really finish, you would do better against wrath/damnation etc., and remember that you get dead mana if you try to play too many two drops.

Green- I think this needs to test against some other quality decks. I’m sure it can deal twenty fishing, but not when they’ve got either counters or creatures.

Probelm with avoid fate is you’re not able to tap out then... but I guess it works. I just think that if they can removal a pumped dude, you’re in deep trouble.

Black: My solution is don’t use the totems as win conditions Razz

MUC: Yeah, I actually would rather pongify my own creatures after they’ve stacked damage to trade. Using it on their stuff isn’t nearly as fun.

Red: Honorable passage will not be in game one. At the very least, you should be packing it maindeck and subbing it game 2/3.

At least you could pack like some wild cantors for turn two triggering. Get some chump blocking/stalling if you don’t need the acceleration.
Felipe Musco
Posted: Wed Feb 14, 2007 9:13 pm
Joined: 18 May 2006 Posts: 2434 Location: Florianópolis, SC, Brasil
See your point with the weenies. Green does not have too much trouble after siding, but white DOES have... Avoid Fate costs 1, the deck usually will use 4 mana per turn, TOPS, and have plenty just lying around, tends to work. But yes, if they DO remove a creature, I COULD be in trouble, just that unless they Sudden Shock or Sudden Death it, I can sac it to draw a ton of cards and set up for the next attack, this one works better than the weenies. Yeah, I guess the monoblue is hopeless, it won’t go farther than that, for now. And about red, I’ve been thinking about Wild Cantor too, for a while, but ran a few tests, and I usually would rather have the surprise Spirit Guide mana than the sure VULNERABLE Cantor mana. Too many removal lying around, and I have just one removable creature (unless they pack -X/-X stuff in black, of course, but with Damnation, why would they? But some still do, sure.), and they’ll be on to it after game 1... Also, for chumping, I have Kher Keep and USUALLY a TON of useless mana anyway, I only use mana to wipe the board at once or to go off.
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