Peasant-Magic

Dissension Review

2006-04-27T09:58:00.000-04:00

I'm not dead!

Spoiler - Dissension
White

Card Name: Aurora Eidolon
Cost: 3W
Type: Creature — Spirit
Pow/Tgh: 2/2
Rules Text: W, Sacrifice Aurora Eidolon: Prevent the next 3 damage
that would be dealt to target creature or player this
turn.
Whenever you play a multicolored spell, you may return
Aurora Eidolon from your graveyard to your hand.
Set/Rarity: Dissension common

As a creature it’s pretty awful, more than two mana above the curve. The sacrifice ability is not particularly great, and there aren’t enough worthwhile multicolored spells in white to make the Aurora Eidolon a good choice.

Card Name: Beacon Hawk
Cost: 1W
Type: Creature — Bird
Pow/Tgh: 1/1
Rules Text: Flying
Whenever Beacon Hawk deals combat damage to a player,
you may untap target creature.
W: Beacon Hawk gets +0/+1 until end of turn.
Set/Rarity: Dissension common

I can conceive of situations in which the Beacon Hawk is worthwhile: you can tap Mother of Runes to make the Hawk unblockable, then untap the Mother of Runes and use it on defense, for example. Unfortunately, I don’t think there are enough useful tapping creatures to justify playing the Hawk over other white two-drops.

Card Name: Carom
Cost: 1W
Type: Instant
Pow/Tgh:
Rules Text: The next 1 damage that would be dealt to target creature
this turn is dealt to another target creature instead.
Draw a card.
Set/Rarity: Dissension common

In the right situations, Carom is a three for one, and in the worst situations it cycles. Vulshok Sorcerer and Sparksmith are both good sideboard cards against White Weenie, and it’s possible that Carom is a good sideboard choice against IsoBurn, Goblins, and so on in order to counteract their sideboard strategies.

Card Name: Freewind Equenaut
Cost: 2W
Type: Creature — Human Archer
Pow/Tgh: 2/2
Rules Text: Flying
As long as Freewind Equenaut is enchanted, it has “T:
Freewind Equenaut deals 2 damage to target attacking
or blocking creature.”
Set/Rarity: Dissension common

The ability is pretty much worthless, since it necessitates a creature enchantment and an opponent’s attacking or blocking creatures, so this is a 2/2 Flyer for 3. It’s not crazy, but I think that Thermal Glider is generally better.

Card Name: Guardian of the Guildpact
Cost: 3W
Type: Creature — Spirit
Pow/Tgh: 2/3
Rules Text: Protection from monocolored
Set/Rarity: Dissension common

There’s so little multicolored stuff in the format that this is pretty close to unblockable and untargetable. Its only nemesis is Mishra’s Factory (which is exactly the right size to block it). At 4 mana, it’s not a ridiculous finisher for a control deck. For bonus fun, play this with a Tallowisp in play and fetch Armadillo Cloak.

Card Name: Haazda Exonerator
Cost: W
Type: Creature — Human Cleric
Pow/Tgh: 1/1
Rules Text: T, Sacrifice Haazda Exonerator: Destroy target Aura.
Set/Rarity: Dissension common

There are a handful of solid Auras, but not enough to justify this one drop.

Card Name: Soulsworn Jury
Cost: 2W
Type: Creature — Spirit
Pow/Tgh: 1/4
Rules Text: Defender (This creature can’t attack.)
1U, Sacrifice Soulsworn Jury: Counter target creature
spell.
Set/Rarity: Dissension common

This strikes me as really good in matchups the revolve around creatures without evasion. On turn three, it’s likely to be big enough to block any potential attacker without taking lethal damage, and when your opponent casts a bigger creature it can trade if you have mana up. I think that this is viable, at least as a sideboard card, in UW control.

Card Name: Steeling Stance
Cost: 1WW
Type: Instant
Pow/Tgh:
Rules Text: Creatures you control get +1/+1 until end of turn.
Forecast — W, Reveal Steeling Stance from your hand:
Target creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn. (Play
this ability only during your upkeep and only once
each turn.)
Set/Rarity: Dissension common

“Overrun” White-Weenie might be the optimal way of building the deck, but I think that other Army of Allah effects are stronger.

Card Name: Valor Made Real
Cost: W
Type: Instant
Pow/Tgh:
Rules Text: Target creature can block any number of creatures this
turn.
Set/Rarity: Dissension common

This will almost always be worse than Fog.

Blue

Card Name: Enigma Eidolon
Cost: 3U
Type: Creature — Spirit
Pow/Tgh: 2/2
Rules Text: U, Sacrifice Enigma Eidolon: Target player puts the
top three cards of his or her library into his or her
graveyard.
Whenever you play a multicolored spell, you may return
Enigma Eidolon from your graveyard to your hand.
Set/Rarity: Dissension common

Again, its creature-ness and activated ability are pretty awful. If this is playable, it’s for the triggered recursion ability. If you’re looking for blank cards I think you could do better.

Card Name: Helium Squirter
Cost: 4U
Type: Creature — Beast Mutant
Pow/Tgh: 0/0
Rules Text: Graft 3 (This creature comes into play with three +1/+1
counters on it. Whenever another creature comes into
play, you may move a +1/+1 counter from this creature
onto it.)
1: Target creature with a +1/+1 counter on it gains
flying until end of turn.
Set/Rarity: Dissension common

Five mana is too much for three points of power, even if it made your entire team unblockable for free.

Card Name: Ocular Halo
Cost: 3U
Type: Enchantment — Aura
Pow/Tgh:
Rules Text: Enchant creature
Enchanted creature has “T: Draw a card.”
W: Enchanted creature gains vigilance until end of
turn.
Set/Rarity: Dissension common

I’m pretty sure most of the tricks you can do with this and tons of mana are better – or at least comparable – with Psionic Gift. If you haven’t seen the Psionic Gift deck, you’re unlikely to see the Ocular Halo deck.

Card Name: Silkwing Scout
Cost: 2U
Type: Creature — Faerie Scout
Pow/Tgh: 2/1
Rules Text: Flying
G, Sacrifice Silkwing Scout: Search your library for
a basic land card and put that card into play tapped.
Then shuffle your library.
Set/Rarity: Dissension common

Silkwing Scout draws immediate comparison to Sakura-Tribe Elder. The Scout is a lot more expensive to use right away as a land-fetching spell, and suffers particularly for requiring two colors of mana. It’s much harder to support Silkwing Scout than it is to support STE. That said, it’s a lot easier to get card advantage from a creature with two power, and Silkwing Scout doubles as an aggressive creature much more usefully than Sakura Tribe Elder. I think Silkwing Scout will be a reasonable choice in UG, although it won’t be anything like a staple.

Card Name: Vision Skeins
Cost: 1U
Type: Instant
Pow/Tgh:
Rules Text: Each player draws two cards.
Set/Rarity: Dissension common

When is this better than Words of Wisdom?

Okay, and how often does that happen?

Exactly!

Card Name: Writ of Passage
Cost: U
Type: Enchantment — Aura
Pow/Tgh:
Rules Text: Enchant creature
Whenever enchanted creature attacks, if its power is
2 or less, it’s unblockable this turn.
Forecast — 1U, Reveal Writ of Passage from your hand:
Target creature with power 2 or less is unblockable
this turn. (Play this ability only during your upkeep
and only once each turn.)
Set/Rarity: Dissension common

Against an opponent with no removal, this is great on a Ninja of Deep Hours or an Ophidian. Even if they have removal it’s a solid Forecast ability. It’s the sort of borderline playable card that’s the best in the format at doing something that isn’t quite worth doing.

Black

Card Name: Delirium Skeins
Cost: 2B
Type: Sorcery
Pow/Tgh:
Rules Text: Each player discards three cards.
Set/Rarity: Dissension common

Three cards is a lot. If you have any kind of board advantage and can empty both players’ hands, it’s pretty close to game. I’m pretty sure this is significantly worse than Hymn to Tourach (except in the rare situations where it’s your last card in hand and your opponent has exactly three cards in hand, or situations where you want to get rid of cards in hand) and so I think it’s more interesting as a potential splash, particularly against Tides. I’m pretty sure, though, that around the time you’ll cast this Tides will have more than three cards in hand, and its vulnerability to Disrupt makes me think that Mesmeric Fiend is probably a better anti-Tides splash discard spell.

Card Name: Demon’s Jester
Cost: 3B
Type: Creature — Imp
Pow/Tgh: 2/2
Rules Text: Flying
Hellbent — Demon’s Jester gets +2/+1 as long as you
have no cards in hand.
Set/Rarity: Dissension common

A 4/3 Flyer for 3B is nothing to sneeze at, but it’s still a little expensive, especially since at three toughness it’s vulnerable to Lightning Bolt and Incinerate. When an opponent can also deal with it with Shock (or an unpowered Kindle or Pyrite Spellbomb or whatever) during your upkeep, it just looks a little too fragile. When it takes a special (though far from impossible) set of circumstances to even get that fragile creature, it seems like Demon’s Jester is cute but not good enough.

Card Name: Enemy of the Guildpact
Cost: 4B
Type: Creature — Spirit
Pow/Tgh: 4/2
Rules Text: Protection from multicolored
Set/Rarity: Dissension common

This is close to strictly worse than Giant Cockroach.

Card Name: Entropic Eidolon
Cost: 3B
Type: Creature — Spirit
Pow/Tgh: 2/2
Rules Text: B, Sacrifice Entropic Eidolon: Target player loses
1 life and you gain 1 life.
Whenever you play a multicolored spell, you may return
Entropic Eidolon from your graveyard to your hand.
Set/Rarity: Dissension common

It’s possible that the black or green Eidolon belong in some sort of GB Tortured Existence deck with Shambling Shell. It’s definitely worth testing, since GB Tortured Existence is a solid deck, but I think the Eidolon’s are probably “win more” cards in the one deck that could justify playing with them.

Card Name: Macabre Waltz
Cost: 1B
Type: Sorcery
Pow/Tgh:
Rules Text: Return up to two target creature cards from your graveyard
to your hand, then discard a card.
Set/Rarity: Dissension common

That art is creepy! I think there are better choices, since Macabre Waltz is pretty mediocre in the early game when you don’t have many creatures in the graveyard and will frequently be a pretty mediocre topdeck. By the time it’s good you probably have enough mana to play

Card Name: Nettling Curse
Cost: 2B
Type: Enchantment — Aura
Pow/Tgh:
Rules Text: Enchant creature
Whenever enchanted creature attacks or blocks, its
controller loses 3 life.
1R: Enchanted creature attacks this turn if able.
Set/Rarity: Dissension common

Without the Red ability, it’s almost strictly worse than Pacifism in a color that has better removal. With the ability, it’s likely to be an expensive way to deal damage to an opponent and to yourself at the same time.

Card Name: Slaughterhouse Bouncer
Cost: 4B
Type: Creature — Ogre Warrior
Pow/Tgh: 3/3
Rules Text: Hellbent — When Slaughterhouse Bouncer is put into
a graveyard from play, if you have no cards in hand,
target creature gets -3/-3 until end of turn.
Set/Rarity: Dissension common

Hellbent isn’t a very useful ability on a control card. In this case, you have to hit 5 mana, empty your hand, and have your opponent’s creatures matter. It’s too hard.

Card Name: Vesper Ghoul
Cost: 2B
Type: Creature — Zombie Druid
Pow/Tgh: 1/1
Rules Text: T, Pay 1 life: Add one mana of any color to your mana
pool.
Set/Rarity: Dissension common

It’s too much mana to make a good accelerant. It’s better as a mana fixer, but even then three mana is too much. By the time Vesper Ghoul has an effect on the game, several other decks are winning the game.

Red
Card Name: Cackling Flames
Cost: 3R
Type: Instant
Pow/Tgh:
Rules Text: Cackling Flames deals 3 damage to target creature or
player.
Hellbent — Cackling Flames deals 5 damage to that creature
or player instead if you have no cards in hand.
Set/Rarity: Dissension common

Five damage is a lot, but so is four mana. I think this is a better finisher in IsoBurn than Fireball, but I still don’t think it makes the cut.

Card Name: Kill-Suit Cultist
Cost: R
Type: Creature — Goblin Berserker
Pow/Tgh: 1/1
Rules Text: Kill-Suit Cultist attacks each turn if able.
B, Sacrifice Kill-Suit Cultist: The next time damage
would be dealt to target creature this turn, destroy
that creature instead.
Set/Rarity: Dissension common

There are too many good cards for R (or B) to justify the Cultist.

Card Name: Ogre Gatecrasher
Cost: 3R
Type: Creature — Ogre Rogue
Pow/Tgh: 3/3
Rules Text: When Ogre Gatecrasher comes into play, destroy target
creature with defender.
Set/Rarity: Dissension common

There aren’t enough good, common walls for the Gatecrasher to ruin.

Card Name: Psychotic Fury
Cost: 1R
Type: Instant
Pow/Tgh:
Rules Text: Target multicolored creature gains double strike until
end of turn.
Draw a card.
Set/Rarity: Dissension common

Psychotic Fury seems like a card to build a deck around, or at least to dramatically influence a deck’s design. If you have plenty of multicolored creatures, Psychotic Fury is great. It cycles for 1R, or it’s a cantrip combat trick to either kill an opponent’s creature (because it effectively doubles a creature’s power) or save your own (since Double Strike incorporates First Strike), or it’s a finisher that deals a ton of damage (and, while it’s at it, it draws a card). The issue is having enough multicolored creatures around. My first instinct is to look to green, which also provides Giant Growth and similar cards. It’s also possible that Psychotic Fury belongs in a Wee Dragonauts deck or even in Psychatog.

Card Name: Sandstorm Eidolon
Cost: 3R
Type: Creature — Spirit
Pow/Tgh: 2/2
Rules Text: R, Sacrifice Sandstorm Eidolon: Target creature can’t
block this turn.
Whenever you play a multicolored spell, you may return
Sandstorm Eidolon from your graveyard to your hand.
Set/Rarity: Dissension common

See the other Eidolons.

Card Name: Taste for Mayhem
Cost: R
Type: Enchantment — Aura
Pow/Tgh:
Rules Text: Enchant creature
Enchanted creature gets +2/+0.
Hellbent — Enchanted creature gets an additional +2/+0
as long as you have no cards in hand.
Set/Rarity: Dissension common

Four power is a lot, especially for 1 mana, but too many things can go wrong for Taste for Mayhem to be worthwhile.

Card Name: Utvara Scalper
Cost: 1R
Type: Creature — Goblin Scout
Pow/Tgh: 1/2
Rules Text: Flying
Utvara Scalper attacks each turn if able.
Set/Rarity: Dissension common

It’s a flying Goblin. But no.

Card Name: Whiptail Moloch
Cost: 4R
Type: Creature — Lizard
Pow/Tgh: 6/3
Rules Text: When Whiptail Moloch comes into play, it deals 3 damage
to target creature you control.
Set/Rarity: Dissension common

There’s a huge difference in the format between 3 toughness and 4. This is easy to dismiss at three toughness, since it would be barely playable without the big disadvantage.

Green
Card Name: Cytospawn Shambler
Cost: 6G
Type: Creature — Elemental Mutant
Pow/Tgh: 0/0
Rules Text: Graft 6 (This creature comes into play with six +1/+1
counters on it. Whenever another creature comes into
play, you may move a +1/+1 counter from this creature
onto it.)
G: Target creature with a +1/+1 counter on it gains
trample until end of turn.
Set/Rarity: Dissension common

It’s nice and big, but it’s too expensive. It’s pretty hard to justify over Krosan Tusker.

Card Name: Simic Initiate
Cost: G
Type: Creature — Human Mutant
Pow/Tgh: 0/0
Rules Text: Graft 1 (This creature comes into play with a +1/+1
counter on it. Whenever another creature comes into
play, you may move a +1/+1 counter from this creature
onto it.)
Set/Rarity: Dissension common

I don’t think the ability to put more eggs into your baskets is that helpful.

Card Name: Simic Ragworm
Cost: 3G
Type: Creature — Worm
Pow/Tgh: 3/3
Rules Text: U: Untap Simic Ragworm.
Set/Rarity: Dissension common

In general, Horseshoe Crab is going to be a smarter choice since it biases your deck towards blue, which matches the activated ability.

Card Name: Sporeback Troll
Cost: 3G
Type: Creature — Troll Mutant
Pow/Tgh: 0/0
Rules Text: Graft 2 (This creature comes into play with two +1/+1
counters on it. Whenever another creature comes into
play, you may move a +1/+1 counter from this creature
onto it.)
1G: Regenerate target creature with a +1/+1 counter
on it.
Set/Rarity: Dissension common

Four mana is too much for two points of power.

Card Name: Street Savvy
Cost: G
Type: Enchantment — Aura
Pow/Tgh:
Rules Text: Enchant creature
Enchanted creature gets +0/+2 and can block creatures
with landwalk abilities as though they didn’t have
those abilities.
Set/Rarity: Dissension common

The format includes very little land-walking, so this is really two toughness for a card and one mana. That seems worse than, say, Holy Strength, which is hardly defining the format.

Card Name: Utopia Sprawl
Cost: G
Type: Enchantment — Aura
Pow/Tgh:
Rules Text: Enchant Forest
As Utopia Sprawl comes into play, choose a color.
Whenever enchanted Forest is tapped for mana, its controller
adds one mana of the chosen color to his or her mana
pool.
Set/Rarity: Dissension common

To support Utopia Sprawl, you need plenty of Forests and also a desire for non-green mana (since, otherwise, this is just a worse Wild Growth). You also really want to be two colors, since otherwise Utopia Sprawl is not going to get you your colors. Finally, Utopia Sprawl makes the “Karoos” significantly worse and it also makes your deck more vulnerable to land destruction and bounce. With all those problems, it’s hard to see Utopia Sprawl as seeing significant play.

Card Name: Verdant Eidolon
Cost: 3G
Type: Creature — Spirit
Pow/Tgh: 2/2
Rules Text: G, Sacrifice Verdant Eidolon: Add three mana of any
one color to your mana pool.
Whenever you play a multicolored spell, you may return
Verdant Eidolon from your graveyard to your hand.
Set/Rarity: Dissension common

Again, see the other Eidolons, particularly the black one. It seems like Verdant Eidolon has the most useful ability and has synergy with Tortured Existence so it’s the most likely to see play.

Multicolor
Card Name: Assault Zeppelid
Cost: 2GU
Type: Creature — Beast
Pow/Tgh: 3/3
Rules Text: Flying, trample
Set/Rarity: Dissension common

Flying and Trample are not very synergistic, and the cost/mana ratio is significantly worse than Gaea’s Skyfolk, so I don’t see the Zeppelid as being strong.

Card Name: Azorius First-Wing
Cost: WU
Type: Creature — Griffin
Pow/Tgh: 2/2
Rules Text: Flying, protection from enchantments
Set/Rarity: Dissension common

Protection for Enchantments is a mixed blessing, since I’d be inclined to run Empyrial Armor in WU agro. The card Azorius First-Wing is most likely to dodge is . . . Pestilence!

Card Name: Coiling Oracle
Cost: GU
Type: Creature — Snake Elf Druid
Pow/Tgh: 1/1
Rules Text: When Coiling Oracle comes into play, reveal the top
card of your library. If it’s a land card, put it into
play. Otherwise, put that card into your hand.
Set/Rarity: Dissension common

I really want this to be good, but Sakura-Tribe Elder is almost certainly better. Even without considering the mana cost, definitely getting an extra basic land of your choice is much better in the early game than a land or a card draw, depending on what’s on top of your deck. When you factor in the mana costs, Sakura-Tribe Elder takes an even bigger lead in the early game. In the late game, Coiling Oracle is better than Sakura-Tribe Elder, but not by a lot.

Card Name: Gobhobbler Rats
Cost: BR
Type: Creature — Rat
Pow/Tgh: 2/2
Rules Text: Hellbent — Gobhobbler Rats gets +1/+0 and has “B: Regenerate
Gobhobbler Rats” as long as you have no cards in hand.
Set/Rarity: Dissension common

Without Hellbent, Gobhobbler Rats is marginally below the curve. If you can achieve Hellbent, the Rats are significantly above the curve. It’s going to be hard in PEZ to achieve Hellbent in a two-color deck, so I don’t see the Rats being that successful.

Card Name: Minister of Impediments
Cost: 2(w/u)
Type: Creature — Human Advisor
Pow/Tgh: 1/1
Rules Text: ((W/U) can be paid with either W or U.)
T: Tap target creature.
Set/Rarity: Dissension common

It doesn’t require any turn-to-turn mana investment, so it might not be unreasonable, but there aren’t many decks that can’t deal with a 1/1, especially one that doesn’t come online until turn 4. It’s a possible sideboard card against Affinity.

Card Name: Overrule
Cost: XWU
Type: Instant
Pow/Tgh:
Rules Text: Counter target spell unless its controller pays X.
You gain X life.
Set/Rarity: Dissension common

Here’s how a match between Mono-U control and IsoBurn plays out: in the early game, IsoBurn lays lands and casts Lightning Bolts, a couple of which Mono-U counters. Mono-U hits about 5 mana around the time IsoBurn hits 0 cards in hand, and at about 8 life. Both decks draw cards for a few turns, and then IsoBurn casts 5 or six Burn spells during Mono-U’s endstep, one or two of which resolve. If necessary, the two decks repeat these last steps and IsoBurn does the last few damage. Overrule would be great in this matchup, since, say, five life makes a huge difference. On the other hand, Faith’s Fetters might be just as good since it deals with an Isochron Scepter or a Mishra’s Factory and gains 4 life at the same time.

Card Name: Plumes of Peace
Cost: 1WU
Type: Enchantment — Aura
Pow/Tgh:
Rules Text: Enchant creature
Enchanted creature doesn’t untap during its controller’s
untap step.
Forecast — WU, Reveal Plumes of Peace from your hand:
Tap target creature. (Play this ability only during
your upkeep and only once each turn.)
Set/Rarity: Dissension common

Until you hit 5 mana, the Forecast ability is unlikely to be useful since it really only prevents blocking. At 5 mana, Plumes of Peace can neutralize an untapped creature, which may be useful. I think I’d rarely prefer this to Faith’s Fetters, though.

Card Name: Rakdos Ickspitter
Cost: 1BR
Type: Creature — Thrull
Pow/Tgh: 1/1
Rules Text: T: Rakdos Ickspitter deals 1 damage to target creature
and that creature’s controller loses 1 life.
Set/Rarity: Dissension common

This isn’t awful, but this sort of RB control deck isn’t struggling for win conditions, so the one life loss isn’t a big deal. I think Vulshok Sorcerer is probably better.

Card Name: Riot Spikes
Cost: (b/r)
Type: Enchantment — Aura
Pow/Tgh:
Rules Text: ((B/R) can be paid with either B or R.)
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature gets +2/-1.
Set/Rarity: Dissension common

Riot Spikes trades power for versatility. Sometimes, you really need to put two power onto the board (with haste, as well!) Sometimes, you really need to remove a troublesome creature. Riot Spikes fills in either of these needs for one mana! Unfortunately, those two points of power are in the form of a creature enchantment (or Aura), and an enchantment that makes creatures even more fragile. And that removal spell is at Sorcery speed and only effects creatures with one toughness. As a rule, flexibility is worse than power (unless it’s a lot of flexibility for a little power), and I don’t think Riot Spikes is an exception.

Card Name: Shielding Plax
Cost: 2(g/u)
Type: Enchantment — Aura
Pow/Tgh:
Rules Text: ((G/U) can be paid with either G or U.)
Enchant creature
When Shielding Plax comes into play, draw a card.
Enchanted creature can’t be the target of spells or
abilities your opponents control.
Set/Rarity: Dissension common

Shielding Plax requires a lot of mana without having any immediate impact on the board. The effect can be very powerful in very narrow circumstances, since it requires that your opponent have creature removal and not have creature removal (or mana) right now. I don’t think it’s quite good enough.

Card Name: Vigean Hydropon
Cost: 1GU
Type: Creature — Plant Mutant
Pow/Tgh: 0/0
Rules Text: Graft 5 (This creature comes into play with five +1/+1
counters on it. Whenever another creature comes into
play, you may move a +1/+1 counter from this creature
onto it.)
Vigean Hydropon can’t attack or block.
Set/Rarity: Dissension common

If the common Graft cards were good then Vigean Hydropon might also be good as a way of enabling them. Since they aren’t that great, Vigean Hydropon just makes your next 5 creatures slightly bigger. That’s not crazy, especially in a near mirror, but it isn’t good enough.

Card Name: Wrecking Ball
Cost: 2BR
Type: Instant
Pow/Tgh:
Rules Text: Destroy target creature or land.
Set/Rarity: Dissension common

I think this is worse than Terminate, which isn’t seeing much play but might be more viable now that there’s a B/R Karoo. That said, the Karoos make land destruction much more viable, both since it can produce a major tempo advantage and because it’s especially good against multicolor decks.

Artifacts
Card Name: Azorius Signet
Cost: 2
Type: Artifact
Pow/Tgh:
Rules Text: 1, T: Add WU to your mana pool.
Set/Rarity: Dissension common

Card Name: Rakdos Signet
Cost: 2
Type: Artifact
Pow/Tgh:
Rules Text: 1, T: Add BR to your mana pool.
Set/Rarity: Dissension common

Card Name: Simic Signet
Cost: 2
Type: Artifact
Pow/Tgh:
Rules Text: 1, T: Add GU to your mana pool.
Set/Rarity: Dissension common

The Signets are hard to run, mostly because they “turn on” opponents’ artifact destruction in decks that otherwise lack it. Many of the format’s best decks are hurt by artifact destruction and so there’s good reason to maindeck it. If your deck isn’t hurt by artifact destruction it’s tough to justify running Signets.

Lands
Card Name: Azorius Chancery
Cost:
Type: Land
Pow/Tgh:
Rules Text: Azorius Chancery comes into play tapped.
When Azorius Chancery comes into play, return a land
you control to its owner’s hand.
T: Add WU to your mana pool.
Set/Rarity: Dissension common

Card Name: Rakdos Carnarium
Cost:
Type: Land
Pow/Tgh:
Rules Text: Rakdos Carnarium comes into play tapped.
When Rakdos Carnarium comes into play, return a land
you control to its owner’s hand.
T: Add BR to your mana pool.
Set/Rarity: Dissension common

Card Name: Simic Growth Chamber
Cost:
Type: Land
Pow/Tgh:
Rules Text: Simic Growth Chamber comes into play tapped.
When Simic Growth Chamber comes into play, return a
land you control to its owner’s hand.
T: Add GU to your mana pool.
Set/Rarity: Dissension common

I really like the Karoos. A Karoo and a Lotus Petal is tempo and card neutral, so it’s actually not crazy to run them in aggro decks. Contrary to my first impressions, they’re actually not that great in base-blue control decks, since they cost one mana if you play them and return a tapped land but cost two mana if you play them and return an untapped land. They’re best in “board control decks” that do a bunch of things on their own turn. I think, then, the BR one might be best, although the others are definitely playable.

Guildpact Set Review

2006-02-05T12:05:00.000-05:00

Ravnica, City of Guilds Set Re-review / Set review post-mortem:

How’d I do?

Pretty well, I think.

I overrated Convoke, as a whole, but I made it pretty clear I saw Convoke.dec as a tier 3 strategy.

Faith’s Fetters hasn’t yet seen play, but I still think it will. There’s no deck for it yet, but once there is it’s very good.

Dizzy Spell is better than I gave it credit for being. I said it would probably make the cut in ProsTides, and as it turns out it’s fantastic in Tides.

Stinkweed Imp is better than I thought. I said it would be a solid blocker but wouldn’t be abused. It turns out to be a good card to abuse that occasionally can be used as a solid blocker.

Surge of Zeal might be better than I thought, but I haven’t seen it yet. People are talking about it in ElfClamp, which I hadn’t considered.

Civic Wayfinder hasn’t seen any play, but I’m beginning to think that it’s a little better than I had thought.

Golgari Brownscale is better than I thought, but mostly I was right in suggesting Tortured Existence. I don’t think Tortured Existence.dec is great, but it’s a lot better that I gave it credit for being and Golgari Brownscale is vital in some matchups.

Centaur Safeguard is probably a little worse than I thought. I thought it was bad, but okay. It’s probably just bad.

I totally missed Terrarion’s coming into play tapped, and I overrated it a little because of that, but I still think it might generally be better than Chromatic Sphere.

I think the Karoo lands (come into play tapped, return a land to your hand) are probably worse than I thought, especially in Psychatog.

Any other blunders you see? Write a comment and let me know where I blew it.

Guildpact Set Review

White

Absolver Thrull - 3W
Creature - Thrull Cleric (C)
Haunt
When Absolver Thrull comes into play or the creature it haunts is put into a graveyard, destroy target enchantment.
2/3
Illus. Rob Alexander

The slightly higher toughness and capacity to destroy two enchantments makes this argueably better than Cloudchaser Eagle, but not much. There just aren’t enough enchantments being played to justify running Absolver Thrull.

Benediction of Moons - W
Sorcery
You gain 1 life for each player.
Haunt
When the creature Benediction of Moons haunts is put into a graveyard, you gain 1 life for each player.
Illus. Matt Cavotta

Lifegain has to be attached to something else (like Consume Spirit or Teroh’s Faithful) to be worthwhile. This is strictly worse than W – Gain 4 life, which would be pretty much unplayable.

Ghost Warden - 1W
Creature - Spirit (C)
{T}: Target creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn.
"I thought of fate as an iron lattice, intricate but rigidly unchangable. That was until some force bent fate's bars to spare my life."
-Ilromov, traveling storyteller
1/1

It’s got a good creature type, a useful ability, and a low cost. I might put this in Tallowwisp.dec, but it’s too small and competes with too many other creatures to go anywhere else.

Guardian's Magemark - 2W
Enchantment - Aura (C)
Enchant creature
You may play Guardian's Magemark any time you could play an instant.
Creatures you control that are enchanted get +1/+1.

There’s some point at which this and the other Magemarks become a good deal, but it’s a long way off and a lot of work to put together. It would certainly be interesting to splash one of each Magemark into, oh, I don’t know, Tallowwisp.dec.

Lionheart Maverick - W
Creature - Human Knight (C)
Vigilance
{4}{W}: Lionheart Maverick gets +1/+2 until the end of turn.
"Your signet is no symbol of power. It marks only your need for members to aid you. What do you do, guild-rat, now that you face my blade alone?"
1/1

As a one drop without evasion, Lionheart Maverick is basically unplayable.

Shrieking Grotesque - 2W
Creature - Gargoyle (C)
Flying
When Shrieking Grotesque comes into play, if {B} was spent to play Shrieking Grotesque, target player discards a card.
2/1

This is a really strong choice for an aggro-control deck that can consistently generate 1WB. Such a deck will probably also want Phyrexian Rager and Chittering Rats at the three slot, but there’s probably room for the Grotesque as well.

Skyrider Trainee - 4W
Creature - Human Soldier (C)
As long as Skyrider Trainee in enchanted, it gains flying.
3/3

This guy wouldn’t be playable even if he always flew. Five mana is too much.

To Arms! - 1W
Instant (C)
Untap all creatures you control.
Draw a card.

This is definitely playable in any Elf combo deck that can generate the white mana. Between Birchlore Rangers and Skyshroud Elf, it’s quite easy to fit this into an Elf deck that’s looking to generate mana for a big Fireball. The fact that this Cantrips makes it better than Vitalize in a deck that can produce the W.

Withstand - 2W
Instant (C)
Prevent the next 3 damage that would be dealt to target creature or player this turn.
Draw a card.

This has a smaller effect than To Arms! and costs more mana.

Blue

Crystal Seer - 4U
Creature - Vedalken Wizard (C)
When Crystal Seer comes into play, look at the top four cards of your library. You may then put those cards back on top of your library in any order.
{4}{U}: Return Crystal Seer to it’s owners hand.
2/2

Five mana is too much for a 2/2, even a 2/2 with abilities as synergistic as these.

Gigadrowse - U
Instant (C)
Replicate {U} (When you play this spell, copy it for each time you paid its replicate cost. You may choose new targets for the copies.)
Tap target permanent.

Hello uncounterable Mana Short! Tides wants Dizzy Spell anyway to find High Tide and Prosperity. Gigadrowse is amazing against burn and mono-U control, since it’s an uncounterable instant you can use in your opponent’s end step to tap him out the turn before you go off. This is an extremely significant sideboard card for Tides. It replaces several other sideboard cards, pretty much simultaneously.

Infiltrator's Magemark - 2U
Encahntment - Aura (C)
Enchant creature
Creatures you control that are enchanted get +1/+1 and can't be blocked except by creatures with defender.

An Aura deck seems too slow to compete with Affinity and Tides.

Repeal - XU
Instant (C)
Return target nonland permanent with converted mana cost X to its owner's hand.
Draw a card.
Illus. Dan Scott

This will rarely be better than Repulse, which doesn’t see play.

Runeboggle - 2U
Instant (C)
Counter target spell unless its controller pays {1}.
Draw a card.

I can’t think of a deck where I’d prefer this to Disrupt.

Steamcore Weird - 3U
Creature - Weird (C)
When Steamcore Weird comes into play, if {R} was spent to play Steamcore Weird, it deals 2 damage to target creature or player.
Like many Izzet creations, weirds are based on wild contradictions yet somehow manage to work.
1/3
Illus. Justin Norman

This is very expensive, but it’s a big effect. Two damage is enough to kill Frogmite, Somber Hoverguard, Ornithopter, or Disciple of the Vault. The ability to target players is a big addition, and the toughness is good, if not great. I could see this as a sideboard card to get a two for one against weenie strategies, but I think Arc Lightning is just cheaper and better.

Torch Drake - 3u
Creature - Drake (C)
Flying
{1}{R}: Torch Drake gets +1/+0 until end of turn.
2/2

Awful, awful, awful.

Train of Thought - 1U
Sorcery (C)
Replicate {1}{U} (When you play this spell, copy it for each time you paid its replicate cost. You may choose new targets for the copies.)
Draw a card.
Illus. Matt Thompson

In the early game, Accumulated Knowledge is better because it cycles as an instant. In the late game, Accumulated Knowledge is better because it also draws multiple cards, but for two mana as an instant. I could see this as a one of in a deck with tutoring, but even that’s doubtful.

Black

Cremate - B
Instant (C)
Remove target card in a graveyard from the game.
Draw a card.
Illus. Paolo Parente

I might suggest that this should become a staple maindeck card in MBC and possibly in Psychatog. Cremate is almost always able to cycle for 1 mana, so it doesn’t hurt a deck much at all. It helps a great deal against Dredge and Flashback, hoses Accumulated Knowledge, has an occasionally non-trivial impact against Psychatog (ignoring Accumulated Knowledge) and Threshold, and just so happens once again to slaughter Reanimator.

Cry of Contrition - B
Sorcery
Target player discards a card.
Haunt (When this spell card is put into a graveyard after resolving, remove it from the game haunting target creature.)
When the creature Cry of Contrition haunts is put into a graveyard, target player discards a card.

The price is right, one mana for two cards, but letting the opponent choose is a pretty significant knock. I think there are just too many other options that are just better, like Hymn, Duress, Funeral Charm, Ravenous Rats, Mesmeric Fiend, Chittering Rats, and possibly Wrench Mind.

Douse in Gloom - 2B
Instant (C)
Douse in Gloom deals 2 damage to target creature and you gain 2 life.

Like Cry of Contrition, it’s good but not good enough to replace other removal.

Necromancer's Magemark - 2B
Enchantment - Aura (C)
Enchant creature
Creatures you control that are enchanted get +1/+1.
If a creature you control that's enchanted would be put into a graveyard, return it to its owner's hand instead.

This is the best Magemark, since as long as it resolves it protects you from Auras’ greatest weakness: card disadvantage. It’s not unreasonable to play this in a black creature deck with lots of coming into play effects and without any other enchantments.

Orzhov Euthanist - 2B
Creature - Human Assassin (C)
Haunt
When Orzhov Euthanist comes into play or the creature it haunts is put into a graveyard from play, destroy target creature that was dealt damage this turn.
2/2

Firstly, it’s not very useful on defense, since you can’t chump block then play the Euthanist. That means it’s only really good for breaking through defenses of large creatures or in conjunction with some source of reusable creature damage. Since the red Prodigal Sorcerers are all useful against weenies anyway, the Euthanist might be playable in a R/b deck as a sideboard strategy against larger creatures.

Ostiary Thrull - 3B
Creature - Thrull (C)
{W}, {T}: Tap target creature.
Orzhov churches don't pass the plate for collection. They charge for admission.
2/2
Illus. Ron Spencer

That’s got to be too much mana for the effect. I’m pretty sure Faceless Butcher is almost strictly superior.

Poisonbelly Ogre - 4B
Creature - Ogre Warrior
Whenever another creature comes into play, its controller loses 1 life.
3/3

The ability would be great in suicide black, but the cost requires a control deck, in which the opponent’s loss of life is unlikely to be relevant.

Restless Bones - 2B
Creature - Skeleton
{3}{B}, {T}: Target creature gains swampwalk until end of turn.
{1}{B}: Regenerate Restless Bones.
1/1

That’s too much mana. This is probably unplayable at B.

Red

Bloodscale Prowler - 2R
Creature - Viashino Warrior (C)
Bloodthirst: 1
3/1

If this were a Goblin it would be spectacular. As a Viashino it’s much less useful, but still likely to be a role player in RG Aggro.

Fencer's Magemark - 2R
Enchantment - Aura (C)
Enchant creature
Creatures you control that are enchanted get +1/+1 and have first strike.

This isn’t playable in any real deck.

Ogre Savant - 4R
Creature - Ogre Wizard (C)
When Ogre Savant comes into play, if {U} was spent to play Ogre Savant, return target creature to its owner's hand.
3/2
Illus. Paolo Parente

This is harder to cast than Man-o’-War, and Man-o’-War is a viable sideboard card but doesn’t see much play.

Pyromatics - 1R
Instant (C)
Replicate {1}{R} (When you play this spell, copy it for each time you paid its replicate cost. You may choose new targets for the copies.)
Pyromatics deals 1 damage to target creature or player.
Illus. Glen Angus

This is an instant, so you can’t compare it directly to, say, Rolling Thunder, but it’s seems pretty clearly not good enough.

Shattering Spree - R
Sorcery (U)
Replicate: {R} (When you play this spell, copy it for each time you paid its replicate cost. You may choose new targets for the copies.)
Destroy target artifact.
Illus. Pat Lee

An early spoiler had this as a common, and I was ecstatic. As an uncommon, it’s probably better than Gorilla Shaman. I'm not mentioning this one card because I think it's the best uncommon. I'm just bringing it up because I'm so sad that it's uncommon.

Tin Street Hooligan - 1R
Creature - Goblin Rogue (C)
When Tin Street Hooligan comes into play, if {G} was spent to play Tin Street Hooligan, destroy target artifact.
"Rauck-Chauv's like a holiday! Only it isn't on the calendars, and instead of dancing you knock people flat, and instead of giving gifts you break stuff."
2/1
Illus. Luca Zomini

This is such a great creature in want of a home. I don’t think Goblins can splash it and a don’t think ElfClamp wants to. RG Aggro will probably run it.

Green

Beastmaster's Magemark - 2G
Enchantment - Aura (C)
Enchant creature
Creatures you control that are enchanted get +1/+1.
Whenever a creature you control that's enchanted becomes blocked, it gets +1/+1 until end of turn for each creature blocking it.
Illus. Brandon Kitkouski

This compares very poorly with the blue Magemark.

Ghor-Clan Savage - 3GG
Creature - Centaur Berserker (C)
Bloodthirst 3
2/3

As a 5/6 for 5, this would be worse than Blastoderm but probably a reasonably Blastoderm 5-8.

Gruul Nodorog - 4GG
Creature - Beast (C)
{R}: Gruul Nodorog can't be blocked this turn except by two or more creatures.
4/4
Illus. Pete Venters

Six mana is too much for a 4/4 with such a trivial ability.

Gruul Scrapper - 3G
Creature - Human Berserker (C)
When Gruul Scrapper comes into play, if {R} was spent to play Gruul Scrapper, it gains haste until end of turn.
3/2

Not all creatures can be Blastoderm, but this does not seem like a sensible 4 mana creature.

Silhana Ledgewalker - 1G
Creature - Elf Rogue (C)
Silhana Ledgewalker can't be blocked except by creatures with flying.
Silhana Ledgewalker can't be the target of spells or abilities your opponents control.
1/1
#94/165

Two mana for a 1/1 is really small, but the Ledgewalker has some really useful abilities. Many decks won’t be able to block it, and without blocking it’s very difficult to contain. Unfortunately, I don’t see the Ledgewalker’s abilities finding it a deck. It’s possible as a 1-of in ElfClamp to be found with Wirewood Herald, but I’m don’t really see what role it can play even there.

Silhana Starfletcher - 2G
Creature - Elf Druid Archer (C)
As Silhana Starfletcher comes into play, choose a color.
{T}: Add one mana of the chosen color to your mana pool.
Silhana Starfletcher may block as though it had flying.
1/3
#95/165

At three mana, it doesn’t provide much acceleration. It’s more of a mana fixing card. If you don’t need mana fixing, it’s a pretty adequate wall. I have trouble imagining this over Vine Trellis or Kodama’s Reach, and I’d definitely run Sakura-Tribe Elder over it.

Skarrgan Pit-Skulk - G
Creature - Human Warrior (C)
Bloodthirst 1 (If an opponent was dealt damage this turn, this creature
comes into play with a +1/+1 counter on it.)
Creatures with power less than Skarrgan Pit-Skulk's power can't block it.
1/1
#96/165

The Pit-Skulk isn’t very exciting. Let’s pretend that it’s a 2/2 that you can’t play on the first turn. That means on the second turn you need this and another good one drop, plus a good one drop on the first turn. The list of really good aggressive one drops isn’t that long, but there are enough solid one drops that the Pit-Skulk could probably find a home in a deck like Stompy or G/R Aggro.

Wildsize - 2G
Instant (C)
Target creature gets +2/+2 and gains trample until end of turn.
Draw a card.
#98/165

Three mana is a lot in PEZ. There are enough creatureless or creature-light decks that Trample and the extra +1/+1 are not enough to make this better than Aggressive Urge.

Multicolor

Blind Hunter - 2WB
Creature - Bat (C)
Flying
Haunt (When this card is put into a graveyard from play, remove it from the game haunting target creature.)
When Blind Hunter comes into play or the creature it haunts is put into a graveyard, target player loses 2 life and you gain 2 life.
2/2
Illus. Warren Mahy
#102/165

It’s a pretty big life swing, but for 2WB it better be. It makes sense in some sort of control deck that’s looking for blockers rather than removal, but outside of that it’s just too expensive.

Burning-Tree Bloodscale - 2RG
Creature - Viashino Berserker (C)
Bloodthirst 1
{2}{R}: Target creature can't block Burning-Tree Bloodscale this turn.
{2}{G}: Target creature blocks Burning-Tree Bloodscale this turn if able.
2/2
Illus. Kev Walker
#104/165

It’s just too small. With it’s mana-intensive abilities, it belongs in some sort of very controlling aggro-control deck. With it’s Bloodthirst, it’s calling for a more aggressive deck. In whole, it’s not that great in either.

Castigate - WB
Sorcery (C)
Target opponent reveals his or her hand. Choose a nonland card from it. Remove that card from the game.
#106/165

There’s just too much good discard to give Castigate a big role. You want Duress and Hymn first, and then it’s hard to justify Castigate over Ravenous Rats, Chittering Rats, Funeral Charm, or, say, Shrieking Grotesque.

Izzet Chronarch - 3UR
Creature - Human Wizard (C)
When Izzet Chronarch comes into play, return target instant or sorcery card from your graveyard to your hand.
He not only assures himself that the lighting will strike twice, but when and how it will.
2/2
Illus. Nick Percival
#119/165

I’m often tempted by Scrivner and Anarchist in decks that stock the Graveyard, but I’m put off by their high costs. Izzet Chronarch is even more expensive since it requires two colored mana, and I don’t think the option of switching from Anarchist to Scrivner as the situation calls for makes the card playable.

Leap of Flame - UR
Instant (C)
Replicate {U}{R} (When you play this spell, copy it for each time you paid its replicate cost. You may choose new targets for the copies.)
Target creature gets +1/+0 and gains flying and first strike until end of turn.
#121/165

As a finisher, it’s pretty weak. How often will this be better than, say, Rolling Thunder.

Pillory of the Sleepless - 1WB
Enchantment - Aura (C)
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature can't attack or block.
Enchanted creature has "At the beginning of your upkeep, you lose 1 life".
Which is worse - the sleep which never ends or that which never comes?
Illus. Mark Romanoski
#125/165

In a deck that can reliably produce WB, I’d run this over the cheaper Pacifism, but probably not over Rend Flesh, and running Pillory prevents you from running Diabolic Edict. I doubt that the 1 damage a turn will typically make up for this card’s shortcomings.

Scab-Clan Mauler - {R}{G}
Creature - Human Berserker (C)
Bloodthirst 2
Trample
They inflict pain to forget their own and break foes to feel whole.
1/1
Illus. Liam Sharp
#128/165

Without the Bloodthirst, the Mauler is awful. With the Bloodthirst, it’s great. I can definitely see this getting some play in RG Aggro.

Streetbreaker Wurm - 3RG
Creature - Wurm (C)
6/4
#133/165

I think this is the best choice in RG for Blastoderm 5-8, but let me know if you disagree.

Wee Dragonauts - 1UR
Creature - Faerie Wizard (C)
Flying
Whenever you play an instant or sorcery spell, Wee Dragonauts gets +2/+0 until end of turn.
1/3
Illus. Greg Staples

It doesn’t take many cantrips to make Wee Dragonauts really, really rough on an opponent. Each burn spell you direct at a blocker also makes Wee Dragonauts more punishing. Reviewers for other formats haven’t been impressed with the Dragonauts, and it’s hard to use in PEZ against IsoBurn or MBC, since if you spend mana to pump the Dragonauts you can’t use that mana to protect it, but this strikes me as UR’s significantly worse (but common!) Psychatog. I don’t think the Dragonauts belong in every UR deck, but I think you can definitely build a deck around connecting with the Dragonauts for 7-11 damage a couple of times. Even Lightning Bolt to the dome looks good with the Dragonauts in play and unblocked.

Guild Mana

Mourning Thrull - 1{wb}
Creature - Thrull (C)
Flying
Whenever Mourning Thrull deals combat damage, you gain that much life.
1/1
#146/165

In what matchups would White Weenie or Mono Black want this? Probably against straight burn, where it deals 3 damage and gains 3 life, or at least gains 3 life (by trading with a Lightning Bolt that would otherwise have gone to the dome). I don’t think that’s worth it, and it seems worse in other matchups.

Petrahydrox - 3{ru}
Creature - Weird (C)
When Petrahydrox becomes the target of a spell or ability, return Petrahydrox to its owner's hand.
3/3
Illus. Anthony S. Waters
#148/165

For 4 mana, Petrahydrox needs to do better than be part of some weird combo.

Wild Cantor - {rg}
Creature - Human Druid (C)
Sacrifice Wild Cantor: Add one mana of any color to your mana pool.
They are the voice of the wild, crying out with nature's fury and bringing forth its primeval might.
1/1
Illus. Glenn Fabry
#149/165

It’s a lot to invest for one mana. I suppose it might be a little better than Llanowar Elves as a Bloodthirst enabler, since it can attack and generate a mana in the same turn, but only once. I think it’s a card to keep in mind, but I don’t think it belongs in very many places.

Artifacts

Gruul Signet - 2
Artifact (C)
{1}, {T}: Add {R}{G} to your mana pool.

Izzet Signet - 2
Artifact (C)
{1}, {T}: Add {U}{R} to your mana pool.
The Izzet signet is redesigned often, each time becoming closer to a vanity portrait of Niv-Mizzet.
Illus. Luca Zotini

Orzhov Signet - 2
Artifact (C)
{1}, {T}: Add {W}{B} to your mana pool.

The worst of these signets is probably Gruul, since you probably have other mana acceleration options and since you don’t want to invest two mana in something that doesn’t attack your opponent. Izzet Signet is probably best, since it fits so well into UR Scepter. Your opponent might target it with artifact destruction, but that just means your Scepter will be easier to protect. Orzhov Signet is hardest to judge, because the deck for it doesn’t yet exist (unless it belongs in W/b Life?) and it isn’t clear how controlling a W/B deck will be, how its mana curve will look, or whether it will run other artifacts that make the Signet more sensible.

Lands

Gruul Turf
Land (C)
Gruul Turf comes into play tapped.
When Gruul Turf comes into play, return a land you control to its owner's hand. {T}: Add {R}{G} to your mana pool.
Illus. John Avon

Izzet Boilerworks
Land (C)
Izzet Boilerworks comes into play tapped.
When Izzet Boilerworks comes into play, return a land you control to its owner's hand.
{T}: Add {U}{R} to your mana pool.
Illus. John Avon

Orzhov Basilica
Land (C)
Orzhov Basilica comes into play tapped.
When Orzhov Basilica comes into play, return a land you control to its owner's hand.
{T}: Add {W}{B} to your mana pool.
Illus. John Avon

The format is so fast that there aren’t many decks willing to trade the mana on turn two for the extra card and mana fixing that the Karoos provide. You also need to be somewhat Proactive with the Karoos, since otherwise you have to discard when you return a land to your hand. I wasn’t able to make Dimir Aqueduct work in ‘Tog, which seems like the deck most likely to want one of these lands, so I’m not very optimistic about Guildpact’s lands. If they do get used, I think the my comments regarding the Signets apply here. Izzet is most likely, Grull least likely, and without a more concrete decklist it’s hard to see what Orzhov’s role will be.

In summary:

Pretty much definitely see play in an already tier 1 deck:

Gigadrowse

Cremate

Likely to see play, or definitely good but in a deck that’s not quite as well established:

To Arms!

Tin Street Hooligan

Wee Dragonauts

Izzet Signet

Likely to see play, but unlikely to be a major player:

Shrieking Grotesque

Bloodscale Prowler

Skarrgan Pit Skulk

Scab-Clan Mauler

Streetbreaker Wurm

Enter the Clamp, Part Two: KoboldClamp

2006-01-24T15:18:00.000-05:00

Enter the Clamp 2: KoboldClamp

KoboldClamp, is probably the most explosive deck in the PEZ format. While not as consistent as its Elvish cousin, KoboldClamp has the potential of “going-off” earlier, and with greater resistance to disruption. These strengths are related, in part, to the uncounterable Storm ability of its kill, Tendrils of Agony, and also because of its high concentration of acceleration and cheap creatures—oftentimes creature removal attempts are met with more mana, and more creatures. Its greatest weakness, unfortunately, is artifact removal. Without the ‘clamp, the deck simply does not function.

Here’s a skeleton, posted by Anonymous (with a few modifications):

12 Kobolds (you need a full set).
4 Trinket Mage (REQUIRED)
4 Skullclamp (uncommon)
1 Tendrils of Agony (uncommon)
3 Reaping the Graves
4 Dark Ritual
4 Either Culling the Weak or Cabal Ritual (or both)
4 Songs of the Damned
14 Swamp
4 Lotus Petal

The core components work together like magic: The KC player sacs Kobolds to the Skullclamp in the hopes that he’ll draw into more creatures and more mana acceleration. Once a lot of creatures are in the graveyard, the KC player will play a Songs of the Damned for tons of mana, which is then converted into a Reaping the Graves—which returns all creatures in the graveyard to the KC player’s hand. Basically, once you get a Storm-count high enough and have drawn into Tendrils, you win. Period.

Here’s how the combo works:

Turn One: The first turn contains little action. Against decks without artifact removal, playing a first turn ‘clamp is always a good option, as you get an extra point of mana on the combo turn. Against decks with artifact removal, you’ll either try to draw into two Skullclamps, or wait until the opponent is tapped out of mana—in which case, the KoboldClamp player should attempt to force a combo attempt. Remember, mulliganing with KoboldClamp is crucial to getting a successful combo off. I oftentimes mulligan two, or even three, times before settling on a hand—invariably settling on anything with either a ‘clamp or a Trinket Mage in it. It’s a risky deck, and sometimes a KoboldClamp pilot is going to have to make great gambles to get good results.

1st Swamp.
Skullclamp.

Turn Two: The second turn oftentimes involves sacing creatures to the ‘clamp in order to get key cards in hand. Otherwise, unless the KC player has an excellent hand, this turn has very little action in it.

2nd swamp.

Turn Three: This is the combo turn. The third and fourth turns are when KC should combo off. If, upon reaching the third turn, KoboldClamp has spare mana, ‘clamp targets, and a ‘clamp on the table, this deck absolutely needs to activate its combo. Because it’s a storm deck, holding zero-casting cost cards until the combo turn is also an important factor.

3rd swamp.
Kobold.
Tap swamp, float a black mana.
Pay mana to sac Kobold to the ‘clamp, draw two.
Kobold.
Tap 2nd swamp, float a black mana.
Kobold.
Pay mana to sac Kobold to the ‘clamp, draw two.
Tap 3rd swamp, float a black mana.
Play Dark Ritual, float three black mana.
Play Lotus Petal, break it to float one blue mana plus the three black.
Play Trinket Mage, fetching another ‘Clamp, one black remaining.
Play Songs of the Damned. Float four black.
Play Skullclamp.
Pay two to double-clamp Mage, drawing four, one black floating.
Play Dark Ritual to float three black.
Play and break 2nd Lotus Petal for another black.
Play Tendrils of Agony with Storm-count 10 for the win.

Here’s what my version of the deck looks like:

// Lands
1 Vault of Whispers
14 Swamp
// Creatures
1 Myr Moonvessel
4 Blood Celebrant
4 Trinket Mage
4 Crimson Kobolds
4 Crookshank Kobolds
4 Kobolds of Kher Keep
// Spells
4 Cabal Ritual
4 Dark Ritual
3 Reaping the Graves
4 Songs of the Damned
1 Tendrils of Agony
// Artifacts
4 Lotus Petal
4 Skullclamp
// Sideboard
SB: 4 Confound
SB: 3 Island
SB: 4 Disrupt
SB: 4 Mana Leak

Analysis: KoboldClamp is a vicious competitor against pure aggro decks and many control strategies and an equal when put up against the best combo decks in the format, for a few simple reasons: It's the fastest combo in the format, robust and completely non-interactive.

This particular build emphasizes a transformational sideboard, in which it can switch from being purely combo oriented to a more controlish bent. However, having not even tested the 'board out, yet, I cannot make any predictions as to how this might perform against the PEZ gauntlet. I can say, with great certainty, however, that this build is the most consistent I've ever played.

Alternate Builds: It has been suggested that alternate KC builds could minimize its one-toughness critters, in exchange for Culling the Weak, Skulltap, Ornithopter and Phyrexian Walker. I'm not sure of what to think of this proposition, but designing around a more powerful draw engine might prove to be highly effective. For example, a double-clamped Phyrexian Walker that gets Skulltap'd draws six, in exchange for four mana and two cards. In a format rife with creature-kill, tougher creatures might be worth consideration.

Again, comments appreciated!

Enter the Clamp: ElfClamp

2006-01-11T19:13:00.000-05:00

Enter the Clamp Part One, a Look at the Peasant Format's ElfClamp

Introduction: Mirrodin block left an indelible stamp upon the Peasant Magic format when it introduced two extremely powerful cards, Isochron Scepter, and the dread Skullclamp. For now, we’ll stave off the ‘scepter discussion and focus on the ‘clamp, and its influence upon two of the most interesting, and perhaps powerful, decks in the format.

Two Peasant decks most empowered by the ‘clamp would be the appropriately named ElfClamp and KoboldClamp. Despite a shared inclusion of the ‘clamp, these builds are functionally different beasts. ElfClamp is a combo-aggro deck, while KoboldClamp is purely combo.

Let’s start the discussion off with an analysis of the ElfClamp archetype.

Unique in the format, ElfClamp is an aggro deck in which the chief combo augments its beatdown strategy. Similar to Foodchain Goblins, ElfClamp tries to flood the board with creatures, either through its chief combo enabler (the ‘clamp), or through mana acceleration. Once it combos off, it wins through drawing and playing Concordant Crossroads and through untapping its creatures with Vitalize. When on the kill turn, it can beat for hundreds of points of damage.

While ElfClamp benefits greatly from Skullclamp’s draw engine, it is not wholly reliant upon it. First and foremost, it is an aggressive beat-down deck that accelerates out massive Elf-synergy. As a secondary aspect, the ‘clamp is used to cycle into its key cards. The spine of the ElfClamp offense is Timberwatch Elf, which boosts attacking critters’ power into the realm of the lethal.

Here’s my version (which is heavily based on Chris Morling’s build) of ElfClamp:

// Lands
10 Forest
// Creatures
4 Birchlore Rangers
4 Llanowar Elves
4 Seeker of Skybreak
3 Timberwatch Elf
3 Wirewood Herald
1 Elvish Herder
4 Fyndhorn Elves
4 Multani's Acolyte
4 Priest of Titania
4 Quirion Ranger
// Enchantments
1 Concordant Crossroads
// Spells
4 Vitalize
4 Land Grant
// Artifacts
4 Skullclamp
2 Lotus Petal
// Sideboard
SB: 4 Avoid Fate
SB: 4 Elf Replica
SB: 4 Naturalize
SB: 1 Taunting Elf
SB: 1 Timberwatch Elf
SB: 1 Wirewood Herald

Card Changes: Some of the changes I’ve made are based on observations of Vintage decks—for instance, in Food Chain Goblins, removal cards oftentimes come packed in the sideboard, not main-decked. In that regard, rather than worrying about slowing or halting opponents, this build focuses on blistering speed. For the sake of making it faster, I’ve shifted Naturalize to the sideboard and emphasized elements that help get the combo off the ground more quickly. Of utmost importance are the addition of Concordant Crossroads (in the fifth uncommons slot) and 4 Vitalize, which almost breaks the deck.

Play Mechanics: ElfClamp has two strategies, pure beatdown and then combo, followed by beatdown. Both strategies use mana-Elves, and untap effects, to generate a mana surplus, which is either used to play more Elves, or ‘clamp through its library. In the first scenario, ElfClamp drops as many Elves as possible, hopefully getting a Priest of Titania (which generates enough mana to drop an entire hand) or a Timberwatch on the table before striking for lethal damage. In the second case, it puts a Skullclamp on the table and begins cycling through its creatures before killing with pumped beaters. An ElfClamp variant alternatively use Wild Mongrel combined with the ‘clamp, in which it draws tons of cards and then pitches them to the Mongrel—though, I should note that this is an inferior build because the Mongrel cannot be tutored for, and its creature type is not Elf, thus reducing the efficacy of Timberwatch Elf, Birchlore Ranger, Wirewood Herald and Priest of Titania. Anyway, variants aside, ElfClamp kills on the fourth or fifth turn.

Sideboard: The sideboard is probably debatable, but it includes Elf Replica, which kills enchantments—such as Engineered Plague, Arcane Laboratory and Pestilence. Additionally, not only can it be tutored for, the Replica beats through Circles of Protection and Prismatic Strands. Another crucial sideboard card is Avoid Fate, which negates opponents’ removal attempts. It is important to note that Avoid Fate also protects Skullclamp, which is a priceless advantage.

ElfClamp in the PEZ metagame: This newest build of ElfClamp is capable of pulling off wins against a somewhat wider array of decks within the PEZ field, including CofferKings, White Weenie, Red Burn—however, its sole advantage over other variants hinges upon its increased combo speed, rather than any major changes in deck interaction. While, the deck, pre-board, has become less interactive than before in the hopes that speed can trump opponents’ combo strategies, its post-board performance makes it a tremendous competitor against any well-crafted deck. Here’s a breakdown of its performance so far, against a small number of test decks:

BRU Consultation Affinity: ElfClamp has done well (50-50) against RUB Consultation Affinity builds—though whether it wins is heavily dependent on it drawing Skullclamp. RUBCA is probably the best aggro deck in the format, which speaks volumes about ElfClamp’s quality.

ProsTides: Oftentimes, this matchup goes to whichever deck played first and whether or not ElfClamp is able to get a Skullclamp into play. If both conditions are met, ElfClamp wins—and if not, it loses. While the odds are strictly in favor of ‘Tides, the Elf deck has an excellent chance of winning two out of three games, provided it can get the first game in its corner.

Overall Performance Rating and Potential in PEZ: Drawing strength from its speed and flexibility, ElfClamp is a great deck and it will only become stronger within the format, as the Elf creature type continues to receive support from Wizards. Its weakness against creature removal and lack of disruption against faster combo decks will more than likely hinder its performance within tournaments, as many top-tier decks sport powerful creature removal or are combo-based. It has been suggested that Surge of Zeal and/or Tinder Wall might be good additions, however, lacking a reliable color filtering engine, and Tinder Wall not being an Elf, I'm unsure of this proposition. If anyone has any additional comments, I would love to hear them.

Next Deck: Kobold Clamp.

White Weenie and the PEZ Gauntlet

2005-11-14T12:43:00.000-05:00

One word: Hotdogs.

Whenever someone plays ‘White Weenie”, that’s precisely what I think of. And – yes – I fully realize the Freudian implications. Ignore what’s implied about my heterosexuality, and ponder the composition of the standard nitrate-stick: It's composed of all kinds of animals, just as White Weenie is composed of all kinds of creatures. The similarities extend further: Weenie can be bad for one’s health.

Okay, ditching the hotdog metaphor and getting back to penis – damn Freud! – I meant White Weenie.

Here's what’s good about WW: It has access to excellent combat tricks – such as Master Decoy; the Weenie archetype is stuffed with a wide and diverse assortment of evasion critters; Weenie possesses the strongest color hate in the game. Basically, many PEZ players are diehard White Weenie enthusiasts for a good reason. However, within the PEZ metagame, the good components are outweighed by the bad: It has limited access to removal; Weenie has no game against combo decks; WW, as an offensive deck, is quite slow. That said, this article does not constitute an attempt to tear the archetype apart, rather, this is an attempt to gently inform fans of some bad news:

White Weenie is not a top tier PEZ deck. It’s close, but not close enough.

I recently threw together a gauntlet of top-tier Peasant decks, and then offered a prize to the man who could construct the best performing build. Four decks were submitted and over the last few weeks, these were subjected to a battery of the strongest decks PEZ offers: CofferKings, IsoBurn, ElfClamp, Affinity and ProsTides. Although I had initially planned on using Goblin Sligh, circumstances beyond my control forced Affinity (which is a much better – although less consistent – deck) into the fold. In each match-up, I played the gauntlet deck, and a far more skilled friend – Eric – piloted the Weenie build. I figured WW needed all the help it could get.

Rather than forcing a read-through of this article, I’ll just say it: Chris Morling’s build took the top spot, by a wide, almost ridiculous, margin. Its overall performance against the guantlet was 8 wins out of 12 matches, or three overall wins, two losses. It lost to CofferKings and ProsTides and won against Affinity, ElfClamp and IsoBurn.

The following is a summary of the matchups:

Word Mail White Weenie:

Rodddj’s Wordmail build was the first into the gauntlet. Wordmailed Weenie is in many ways superior to the Empyrial Armor variant: It hits the table quicker and theoretically beats for more damage earlier. Unfortunately, these advantages don’t translate into efficacy within the PEZ metagame. Out of all the under-costed, white, evasion creatures, only Soltari Foot Soldier (which wasn’t used in this build) has a name longer than two words, and, with Wordmail attached, it’s only a 4/4 beater on turn-two. Good, but by no means is it game-winning. For the most part, the Wordmail build generates 6/6 beaters, that get blocked ad nauseum by regenerators, Maze of Ith and other weenie creatures. A second-turn 6/6 is mighty powerful, but it doesn’t win games. The primary failing of Wordmail-equipped builds is an over-reliance on a single card. Wordmail Weenie left the gauntlet without a single win–overall performance: 0-10.

Versus ElfClamp: Wielding ElfClamp, I ended up going second, and mulliganing once. Wordmail drew a near-god hand and dropped two ‘mailed creatures by turn three. WM beat with a creature which I chump-blocked. Turn four, I struck with the Elves en force, drawing the lone, blocking creature away with a Taunting Elf. With Seeker of Skybreak and a pair of Quirion Rangers, the Timberwatch on the table boosted the unblocked elves to hit for well over twenty life. In game two, I drew a similar hand, and my opponent drew creature-less. I ended up beating for over twenty for the second time on turn 4.

Versus CofferKings: The opening of this game was bleak, indeed. Playing CK, I ended up losing the toss, and had to mulligan twice. WM got out a few creatures, which I thinned with Vicious Hunger. Eventually, I got out Cemetery Gate, with Pestilence; however, my opponent got out a Order of the White Shield with a Wordmail on it, and destroyed the Pestilence. Fortunately, I Edict’ed the OWS and then went on to establish brutal and massive control of the board.
Game 2, my opponent scooped after seeing that Order of Leitbur was the only ProBlack creature in the ‘board, and I had already swept his creatures with a flood of removal.

Versus Affinity: I started off by flooding the board with artifact creatures. By the third round I had clamped off into Cranial Plating, and was promptly beating for 12 points of damage with an ornithopter. My opponent, lacking fliers, scooped on turn four. Game two went the same way.

Versus ProsTides: Both games one and two began as they ended – Wordmail White Weenie dropped creatures, and then failed to beat for big-damage. By turn four, the series was virtually completed, as ProsTides combo’ed off with ridiculous regularity.

Versus IsoBurn: WM had one of its best matches against IsoBurn. Again, I took control of the burn deck, and mulliganed down to six in hand. My opponent dropped a second turn Order of the Holy Nimbus, with Wordmail, and tried to beat for a mighty six.. I chumped blocked the OHN with a Mogg Fanatic, and on the following turn struck with Flame Burst and Fireblast – the remaining land was used to keep the OHN from regenerating. After sweeping the board clean, I went on to burn for twenty. The second game ended much the same way, except I got a scepter on the table, which was only good for a single burst – my opponent responded to the drop by zapping it with artifact hate.

The second deck into the gauntlet was Swagon’s build, which possessed a little bit of everything from the White Weenie archetype – it had a little bit of color-hate, creature-pump, evasion, big-creature beats and a little bit of removal. The biggest problem with the deck is the sideboard, and its small number of one-drop creatures, which ended up costing it tempo against some of the faster decks. The overall performance was 5/13 – a good showing, but of overall subpar performance. Here’s a summary of how it performed:

Against ElfClamp, Swagon’s build did marvelously – although it must be noted that my performance with the ‘clamping deck was quite poor, especially in game 3. Poor ability on my part aside, the first match went to the ‘clamp. I was able to flood the board with elves turn one, and beat for well above twenty on turn five by sliding through a Quirion Ranger beefed by a Timberwatch Elf. Game two, my opponent sided in artifact removal, thus negating the only Skullclamp in my hand. I ended up getting a few elves on the table, but was ultimately overwhelmed by WW’s strong defense and a ‘splittered Soltari Priest. In game three, ElfClamp played wonderfully – I flooded the board and beat my opponent down to one life, by turn six. Unfortunately, the power went to my head and I started getting sloppy. WW erected an impenetrable wall of defenders, backing up a ‘splittered Soltari Priest. Unable to get any attackers though, I fell to superior forces – however, had I gone defensive, victory would have been certain.

Against CofferKings, Swagon’s build came out the gates strong, dropping three Order of Leitbur by turn four. Despite putting a Serrated Arrows into action, I ending up falling beneath a wave of weenie beaters. Game two, I sided in Stench of Decay, but ended up not drawing into it. WW opened up by dropping some weenies – I Edict’d an Order and followed up with a Serrated Arrows. The removal kept the majority of threats off the table, until I was able to get a Cabal Coffers into play, which ignited the CK’s life drain engine, which led to a win. Game three was a little more complex – this time, in addition to Stench of Decay, I tossed in a few Spinning Darkness. WW got off a ‘splittered Chicken and began beating. I played a Serrated and, later, responded with a Cemetery Gate and Pestilence. The first two board sweeps failed when WW hardcast two back-to-back Prismatic Strands. CofferKings achieved board control, though, by eventually dropping a second Serrated Arrows.

As usual, the ProsTides match went to turn four – and then abruptly halted. ‘Tides started off furiously deploying search, while WW dropped creatures. Weenie beat for a few points of damage, but it was not enough and ‘Tides comboed off on turn four. WW in both games beat for less than eleven by the combo turn.

Against IsoBurn, WW got face-smashed. Even with its pro-red weenies on the table, like Soltari Priest, there just wasn’t enough creatures to break through IsoBurn’s scorching defensive wall. Even the toughest creatures in Swagon’s arsenal weren’t immune to burn–although they did represent card advantage. In the end, IsoBurn either blasted the pro-red Priests with Spellbombs, or it simply controlled the board long enough to get a scepter on the table for the win. 2-0 sweep.

Against Affinity, WW got out a handful of creatures, but couldn’t compare with the Affinity bullrush in the first few rounds of the game. Compared to Affinity’s 4 creatures, two with evasion and attached Cranial Plating, WW was only able to muster four creatures–and in combat became heavily reliant on Master Decoy. By turn six, Affinity had beat for 26 points of damage, and even with Master Decoy tapping an Ornithopter in the precombat step. However, Swagon’s sideboard proved to be instrumental in turning the Affinity matches inside out. In game two, after boarding in Seal of Cleansing and Dust to Dust, WW went on to destroy all my mana base and color filtering, which slowed me down long enough for WW to deliver the killing blow. This is a feat that was repeated in game three, when I fell 1/3 against an absolutely brutal artifact hosing.

paulchristsen’s creation opted for Empyrial Armor, and its construction heavily emphasized card advantage. The actual card-drawing engine, composed of Skullclamp and one-toughness creatures, is similar to Chris Morling’s build. Although it went 3/10 against the gauntlet, I suspect this was partly due to bad draws.

In the first round against IsoBurn, I lost toss and both decks mulliganed. Christsen’s deck came up strong in the first two turns, dropping a Skullclamp and a Crimson Acolyte – which equals death, unless IsoBurn can get a Spellbomb on the table. I wasn’t able to, and WW cycled through its deck, picked up critical cards, and beat me to death. In the second and third round, fortunately, things turned around. Game two, WW was unable to produce any pro-red creatures, while I was able to get two Scepters, with Fire/Ice and Incinerate imprinted, on the table – with the burn engine going full blast, I swept the table and burned for the win. Game three erupted into a pitched battle between IsoBurn’s scepters and Weenies’ sideboarded Circles of Protection: Red. The match opened up with WW dropping a CoP – which necessitated my reliance on Mishra’s Factory. WW followed up by dropping a Soul Warden, and later enchanted this with Empyrial Armor. The game ended when WW was forced to expend all its mana and I played all my burn spells at once. The game's total was one win, two losses.

The match against ProsTides looked interesting on paper, but in practice, it was quick and brutal. WW won toss, but was unable to beat for 20 or more by the fourth turn – a common problem with most Weenie decks. Game two didn’t prove to be any more interesting, as the Weenie deck only drew into a Feldon’s Cane without an accompanying discard engine, thus consigning it to defeat on the dreaded fourth turn. 0-2.

The ElfClamp match proved to be extremely interesting. I drew two ‘clamps and played one. Weenie dropped a Lantern Kami, followed up by a turn-two, accelerated Empyrial Armor. I responded by Naturalizing the Armor, and going on a clamp rampage the following turn. On turn six, I slipped a Timberwatch-augmented Elf through the Weenie ranks to beat for the kill. Game-two, WW got out an Armored Soul Warden and began beating – I chump blocked the Warden with a Wirewood Herald, and zapped the Armor off with a Naturalize. WW began dropping evasion critters while I beat with Elves. On the verge of winning, Weenie began hardcasting Prismatic Strands. Without possessing the means to bypass Strands, combined with WW’s emphasis on evasion creatures, ElfClamp’s beat engine stalled for four straight turns – resulting in an easy win for the Weenie deck. Game three, both decks slapped Skullclamp onto the table, and the following round began clamping off – I drew into Hunting Grounds, my opponent into multiple Prismatic Strands. On round five, I combo’d off, and played Hunting Grounds. The following turn, I was beating for more than 120 damage – however, Prismatic Strands thwarted my all out attack, and the following round Weenie beat me into the ground with a wave of evasion critters. 2/3 Weenie.

Against Affinity, White Weenie started out by dropping a Soul Warden and following up with a Disenchant to an artifact land. On the fifth turn, WW had a an Empyrial Armored evasion beater, and had whittled my life total down to six – all was not lost, however, as I produced an Ornithopter with Cranial Plating attached, but a Disenchant robbed me of any opportunity to smash back, and I fell under a blistering WW assault. Game two, I started out by dropping a horde of artifacts, along with the dreaded Atog/Disciple combo – and then proceeded to end the series, 0-2.

Against CofferKings, was forced to mulligan twice, and lost toss – Starting out with card disadvantage and a half-turn behind, WW still gave a good performance, by dropping a ‘clamp and cycling into land. By the fifth turn, Weenie stood an excellent chance of winning – if it weren’t for my complete control over the board. WW made plaintive attempt to ward off my drain attacks by hard-casting a Prismatic Strands, but without any creatures on the table, Eric was unable to halt my drain engine. Overall, Weenie fell 0-2 against CofferKings. Its overall record was 3-10 against the PEZ gauntlet.

I’ve saved the best performing deck – Chris Morling’s deck – for last. Keep in mind that the results were wildly unexpected, and I suspect that favorable draws were partly responsible. Mr. Morling’s built around Empyrial Armor and focused on red/black hate.

Morling’s deck ended up playing first against ElfClamp. Weenie performed well, laying down a line of evasion beaters by turn four. I tried to keep pace by dropping a Skullclamp. With ‘clamp on the table, I focused my strategy on speed – I’ve learned from a painful series of tests against Weenie that evasion beaters, combined with creatures capable of holding the defensive line, are deadly. On turn four, I forced an early combo, and lay down a good number of token creatures, along with an army of elves. It would have been easy to beat for the kill on turn five – however, a single Prismatic Strands laid me on my back – slowing my win-clock by two critical turns – and Weenie evasion beaters proceeded to break the back of ElfClamp. Game two went even worse – Weenie sided in Ethereal Haze and an additional Prismatic Strands. After beating for twelve damage on turn four, I followed up by dropping a horde of Elvish beaters – and then got stopped in my tracks by a string of damage negation effects – Prismatic Strands, three times, Ethereal Haze, once. The most disheartening part is that Eric could have stalled me an additional turn, with a remaining Strands in his graveyard. 2-0 in favor of Weenie.

Against IsoBurn, Weenie immediately played pro-red creatures, such as Crimson Acolyte and Thermal Glider. Realizing that this match is essentially a damage race, I applied burn to the dome. However, by turn five, with an Empyrial Armored Thermal Glider on the table, and my life total rapidly dwindling, I was unable to clear my hand – my opponent’s life total went to five (which could have been as low as two, had I played my cards right). The following turn Weenie delivered the [i]coup de grace[/i]. Game two went no better, and I found myself overwhelmed by pro-red creatures and unable to top-deck a Spellbomb. 2-0 in favor of Morling’s build.

Affinity, technically, should have been the easiest win for me – unfortunately, in game one, Eric drew into three Empyrial Armors, and applied all of them – by turn five – to a Lantern Kami. I was forced to chump block with an Ornithopter (a 9/2 flier) once and failed to draw into a kill on turn six, thus consigning Affinity to defeat. Game two, mulliganing once, I played a few creatures and began beating with a Disciple of the Vault, equipped with Cranial Plating, on turn two – for a total of six damage. By turn three, my opponent only had a Crimson Acolyte and a Soltari Trooper on the board (which negated the full weight of the Disciple/Atog combo) – however, by turn four, Eric started dropping creatures and Empyrial Armor. Turn five, he had flooded the board, and completely locked up my kill attempts with a few well-timed Ethereal Hazes. Turn six, the game was completely over, as he beat for the kill by pumping up his hand with Skullclamp. 2-0, surprisingly, in favor of Morling’s build.

Against CofferKings, Weenie went first, and managed to get out an early evasion beater enchanted with Empyrial Armor. I tried to fend off the attacks, but ultimately fell beneath evasion beaters. Game two, after I boarded in nine cards, proved to be more interesting – I was able to shut down all of the pro-black creatures with Stench of Decay, Innocent Blood and Diabolic Edict (Serrated Arrows didn’t show up until game three). After losing its board position, and getting drained repeatedly, Weenie went down. Game three was less difficult a win, with CofferKing’s brutal control trampling over Weenie’s pro-black creatures from the very beginning. The game ended with Weenie’s CoP defensive pitted against Pestilence – resulting in Weenie getting toppled, 1/3 against CofferKings.

Against ProsTides, Weenie was able to slip a win in the first game, when – under intense pressure – ProsTides forced a combo attempt on a fourth turn. The hastily executed try fizzled, and Weenie beat for the kill on the fifth turn. Shockingly, this was the first win against ‘Tides out of all the test decks, and it was also the last. ‘Tides went on to combo off on the forth turn in the next two games, ending the series 1/3, in favor of 'Tides. The overall record was 8/12.

Congratulations to Chris! Please send me your mailing address (through e-mail: kanoyams@yahoo.com) and I'll send you your prize. Thanks to everyone who entered! Your participation is much appreciated.

Peasant Council vacancies

2005-10-09T09:03:00.000-04:00

Due to some changing priorities and non-Magic responsibilities, there are three vacancies on the Peasant Magic Council -- the format's decision making body. If you'd like a role in determining the direction of the format, please go to the Peasant Magic group at Yahoo at put yourself forward.

You can see Rob Baranowski's official invitation here.

City of Guilds Commons Review

2005-09-18T17:21:00.000-04:00

All cards are from http://mtgsalvation.com/spoiler/. Thanks to the moderators, contributors, and owners of mtgsalvation for their work.

I apologize for any formatting errors in this post. I had to make a series of conversions to get this posted. I'm also not putting links in to the cards I mention. You'll have to live with it, as there are too many.

Because these are from the spoiler, there are bound to be errors. Sorry. Hopefully, there’ll be very few and they won’t matter.

There are some solid uncommons in Ravnica, but nothing that’s strong enough to spawn a new deck or replace a currently used uncommon. I’ll just be talking about the commons.

WHITE

Benevolent Ancestor #3
2W, Creature - Spirit 0/4, Common
Defender {T}: Prevent the next 1 damage that would be dealt to target creature or player this turn.

This is a reprint of an unplayed card: Alabaster wall. It has a better creature type in Spirit, but that’s not enough of a difference to matter.

Boros Fury-Shield
2W, Instant, Common
Prevent all combat damage that would be dealt by target attacking or blocking creature this turn. If {R} was spent to play Boros Fury-Shield, it deals damage to that creature's controller equal to the creature's power.

A combat trick for limited. It wins the game in a handful of positions (if your opponent attacks with a giant Wild Mongrel or Atog, for example, but you’re likely to win in those positions with any damage prevention.

Caregiver
W, Creature - Human Cleric 1/1, Common
{W} ,Sacrifice a creature: Prevent the next 1 damage that would be dealt to target creature or player this turn.

It’s really, really terrible.

Conclave Equenaut
4WW, Creature - Human Soldier 3/3, Common
Convoke (Each creature you tap while playing this spell reduces its cost by {1} or by one mana of that creature's color.)
Flying

This is okay at 4 mana and good – but not amazing – at 3. There’s not much in PEZ to punish overcommitting (except Pestilence) so the Convoke deck isn’t a crazy idea, but I think it’s underpowered.

Conclave's Blessing
3W, Enchantment - Aura, Common
Enchant creature Convoke (Each creature you tap while playing this spell reduces its cost by {1} or by one mana of that creature's color.) Enchanted creature gets +0/+2 for each other creature you control.

It’s possible to conceive of situations in which this is good. Enchant your Coalition Honor Guard with it, for example, and your opponent’s Serrated Arrows and Burn will be useless. It’s not totally ridiculous that this might be worth testing as part of a sideboard suite in White Weenie that will devastate IsoBurn, but given that decks’ other shortcomings I doubt that this will actually see play.

Courier Hawk
1W, Creature - Bird 1/2, Common
Flying, vigilance

The two slot in White Weenie is really cramped. Soltari Trooper, Mesa Chicken, the Acolytes, and Order of Leitbur are all worth considering. Courier Hawk does something none of these cards do, playing defense against 1/1’s as well as offence, but I don’t think it’s enough.

Dromad Purebred
4W, Creature - Beast 1/5, Common
Whenever Dromad Purebred is dealt damage, you gain 1 life.

Compare this to Teroh’s Faithful. Teroh’s Faithful costs 1 less mana and gains four life immediately. It’s marginally smaller, but I don’t think there’s a huge difference between 4 and 5 toughness. I think Dromad Purebred compares poorly with Teroh’s Faithful, and is not playable.

Faith's Fetters
3W, Enchantment - Aura, Common
Enchant permanent When Faith's Fetters comes into play, you gain 4 life.
Enchanted permanent's activated abilities can't be played unless they're mana abilities. If enchanted permanent is a creature, it can't attack or block.

4 mana is a lot, but the effect here is pretty close to “destroy target permanent, gain 4 life.” It can’t deal with lands or mana creatures, and some local enchantments (or, rather, Auras) are unaffected (Paralyze, for example), but it’s an extremely powerful effect for 4 mana, and should be playable. It might not be great in White Weenie, but in any other deck with white it seems great.

Gate Hound
2W, Creature - Hound 1/1, Common
Creatures you control have vigilance as long as Gate Hound is enchanted.

Vigilance just isn’t good enough in the environment to invest a card in.

Leave No Trace
1W, Instant, Common
Radiance - Destroy target enchantment and each other enchantment that shares a color with it.

Compare this to Aura Blast. This will destroy two enchantments only very rarely, mainly in the mirror or against Blue Skies, while whenever Aura Blast is useful it will give card advantage. Aura Blast isn’t playable, so this won’t be either, unless there’s a deck out there that uses far more enchantments than we’ve seen before.

Nightguard Patrol
2W, Creature - Human Soldier 2/1, Common
First strike, Vigilance

Three mana is a lot in White Weenie, and this creature doesn’t have any evasion and doesn’t hose an existing archetype. It seems like it might be solid against Goblins, but I think that have 1 toughness is enough of a vulnerability to rule it out.

Screeching Griffin
3W, Creature - Griffin 2/2, Common
Flying {R}: Target creature can't block Screeching Griffin this turn.

The whole point of flyers in PEZ is that they can’t be blocked. This is just too expensive.

Veteran Armorer
1W, Creature - Human Soldier 2/2, Common
Other creatures you control get +0/+1.

This does something really cool that no other card does, but I don’t think it’s enough to make it playable. It’s competing for slots with some really strong two drops, and I don’t see how it can come out on top.

Votary of the Conclave
W, Creature - Human Soldier 1/1, Common
{2}{G}: Regenerate Votary of the Conclave.

Maybe in W/g Tallowisp – Wordmail.dec.

Wojek Siren
W, Instant, Common
Radiance - Target creature and each other creature that shares a color with it get +1/+1 until end of turn.

+1/+1 is a pretty small effect, but with enough creatures this is an interesting finisher. I generally build White Weenie with this intention of enchanting one creature with Empyrial Armor and protecting it, but this lends itself pretty well to builds with Army of Allah, Righteous Charge, and lots of creatures.

BLUE

Compulsive Research
2U, Sorcery, Common
Target player draws three cards. Then that player discards two cards unless he or she discards a land card.

If this were an instant it would be amazing. As is, it’s definitely strong, but it might be lacking a deck. It’s worth thinking about in Tog, especially with Drift of Phantasms.

Convolute
2U, Instant, Common
Counter target spell unless its controller pays {4}.

I can’t see playing this over Mana Leak.

Dizzy Spell
U, Instant, Common
Target creature gets -3/-0 until end of turn.
Transmute {1}{U}{U} ({1}{U}{U}, Discard this card: Search your library for a card with the same converted mana
cost as this card, reveal it, and put it into your hand. Then shuffle your library. Play only as a sorcery.)

This is a really tough call. Firstly, this card has no text outside of Transmute. It’s significantly worse than Shrink, which is already awful. It’s more useful to think of this as an uncounterable sorcery-speed tutor, which for 3 mana will fetch a spell costing 1 mana.

Two cards that spring to mind immediately are High Tide and Prosperity. One thing that ProsTides lacks is a way to find Prosperity outside of the uncommon Mystic Tutor. Dizzy Spell provides that. It also fetches High Tide. In Dizzy Spell, then, ProsTides gets a tutor that finds mana (if you need mana) or a card that’s essentially a win condition if you have a significant amount of mana. What’s not to like, eh?

But it’s really expensive! Three mana is so much, particularly the turn you’re going off but before the first Prosperity.

I think overall, Dizzy Spell will be most useful on turn 3 to set you up for going off on turn 4, or after casting a small Prosperity (for 8-12 cards, say) and missing a second Prosperity. I’d guess that it’s good enough to be played as a 3-4 of in ProsTides, and I’m almost certain that it at least belongs as a 1 of to fetch with Merchant Scroll.

Outside of ProsTides, it’s still almost really good, fetching Skullclamp or Duress or Brainstorm, but I don’t think it’s going to be played outside of decks where it can fetch Prosperity.

Drake Familiar
1U, Creature - Drake 2/1, Common
Flying When Drake Familiar comes into play, sacrifice it unless you return an enchantment in play to its owner's hand.

There just aren’t enough enchantments being played to justify this unless you have several of your own that you might want to bounce. Unstable Mutation is reasonable (especially if you’re rescuing it from a creature that will be dying next turn) but other than that the options are very thin.

Drift of Phantasms
2U, Creature - Spirit, Common
Defender (This creature can't attack.), Flying
Transmute {1}{U}{U} ({1}{U}{U}, Discard this card: Search your library for a card with the same converted mana cost as this card, reveal it, and put it into your hand. Then shuffle your library. Play only as a sorcery.)

This is a more “solid” card than Dizzy Spell, in that both effects are useful. It’s a strong wall against an assortment of decks, and when it’s not useful as a wall it’s a tutor, or it’s a tutor when you’ve got some time and a strong wall when you’re very tight. Drift of Phantasms suffers in that there aren’t a lot of good cards to fetch at three mana in monoblue. It’s probably best for fetching Psychatog with a handful of other 3 mana one-of’s (Man-o-War for example) and the option of being a wall.

Flight of Fancy
3U, Enchantment - Aura, Common
Enchant creature
When Flight of Fancy comes into play, draw two cards.
Enchanted creature has flying.

I think there are better options. If I don’t want my ‘Tog to be blocked, I’d rather play Shadow Rift. If I want to draw cards, I’d rather play Deep Analysis.

Grayscaled Gharial

U, Creature - Crocodile 1/1, Common
Islandwalk

Allegedly, this has a flavor text quote from the Gharial
Hunter. I’ll believe it when I see it.

Induce Paranoia
2UU, Instant, Common
Counter target spell.
If {B} was spent to play Induce Paranoia, that spell's controller puts the top X cards of his or her library into his or her graveyard, where X is the spell's converted mana cost.

Milling is only good when you’re doing a lot of it, and 4 mana is a lot for countering a spell with no real effect.

Muddle the Mixture
UU, Instant, Common
Counter target instant or sorcery spell.
Transmute {1}{U}{U} ({1}{U}{U}, Discard this card: Search your library for a card with converted mana cost equal to this card's, reveal it,
and put it into your hand. Then shuffle your library. Play this ability only any time you could play a sorcery.)

Isochron Scepter Blue has a lot of instants that cost 2 mana that you want to Imprint, and Isochron Scepter itself costs 2. This seems like a great fit in a solid deck. Unfortunately, I don’t think it’s good enough to shift that decks place in the metagame.

Peel from Reality
1U, Instant, Common
Return target creature you control and target creature you don't control to their owners' hands.

It’s too much work to make this good, and when it’s good it’s just okay.

Quickchange
1U, Instant, Common
Target creature's color becomes the color or colors of your choice until end of turn. Draw a card.

This is only good if you’re planning on abusing it somehow. Note that in PEZ, since Unhinged is legal, Pink is a valid choice for Quickchange.

Snapping Drake
3U, Creature - Drake 3/2, Common
Flying

It’s okay, but I think it’s significantly worse than Illusionary Forces.

Stasis Cell
4U, Enchantment - Aura, Common
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature doesn't untap during its controller's untap step. {3}{U}: Attach Stasis Cell to target creature.

This is just too expensive.

Surveilling Sprite
1U, Creature - Faerie Rogue 1/1, Common
Flying When Surveilling Sprite is put into a graveyard from play, you may draw a card.

Again, this is okay but it’s worse than the other options for the same cost.

Tattered Drake
4U, Creature - Zombie Drake 2/2, Common
Flying {B}: Regenerate Tattered Drake.

This is way too much mana.

Terraformer
2U, Creature - Human Wizard 2/2, Common
{1}: Choose a basic land type. The land type of each land you control becomes that type until end of turn.

Hooray for color fixing! This also hoses Islandwalkers.
I think this is a very good card that isn’t quite good enough to build a deck
around and doesn’t fit into existing decks.

Tidewater Minion
4UU, Creature - Elemental 4/4, Common
Defender (This creature can't attack.)
{4}: Tidewater Minion loses defender until end of turn.
{T}: Untap target permanent.

Six mana is too much to make this a reasonable wall, and there are better finishers.

Vedalken Dismisser

5U, Creature - Vedalken Wizard 2/2, Common
When Vedalken Dismisser comes into play, put target creature on top of its owner's library.

Once in a tournament I cast the same Hunting Drake on three consecutive turns. I cast it on one turn, bounced it with Silver Drake and recast it the next, and then returned it to my hand from my graveyard in my next upkeep with Reya, Dawnbreaker. I was just incredibly happy about doing this, and started laughing, which was not very appropriate.

I’m therefore very sorry to say that Vedalken Dismisser is not playable in PEZ. It’s just too much mana.

Vedalken Entrancer

3U, Creature - Vedalken Wizard 1/4, Common
{U}, {T}: Target player puts the top two cards of his or her library into his
or her graveyard.

I don’t think this is at all good, but I believe it’s the only common
“Millstone” except for the awful Reef Pirates.

Zephyr Spirit
4U, Creature - Spirit 0/6, Common
When Zephyr Spirit blocks, return it to its owner's hand.

For five mana, you should
basically win the game. Maybe that’s a little too much, but you should be
producing a threat that will single-handedly win the game. Zephyr Spirit is not
that threat.

BLACK

Brainspoil
3BB, Sorcery, Common
Destroy target creature that isn't enchanted. It can't be regenerated.
Transmute {1}{B}{B} ({1}{B}{B}, Discard this card: Search your library for a card with the same converted mana cost as this card, reveal it, and put it into your hand. Then shuffle your library. Play only as a sorcery.)

There’s nothing worth Transmuting for at this cost, and the spell seems overpriced by about 1B.

Clinging Darkness
1B, Enchantment - Aura, Common
Enchant creature Enchanted creature gets -4/-1.

There’s better removal than this.

Dimir House Guard
3B, Creature - Skeleton 2/3, Common
Fear
Sacrifice a creature: Regenerate Dimir House Guard.
Transmute {1}{B}{B} ({1}{B}{B}, Discard this card: Search your library for a card with the same converted mana cost as this card, reveal it, and put it into your hand. Then shuffle your library. Play only as a sorcery.)

The regeneration ability makes it work best in a deck with lots of creatures, and the Fear ability is most useful against decks with lots of creatures. So this is good in limited, but not necessarily in PEZ. It’s a bad – but not awful – finisher, but I think if it’s going to see play in PEZ it’ll be as a Tutor that’s occasionally a creature. At four mana, it fetches Pestilence, Blastoderm, Deep Analysis, Coalition Honor Guard, or Serrated Arrows, but not much else in this format.

Disembowel
XB, Instant, Common
Destroy target creature with converted mana cost X.

I think I’d rather play Rend Flesh.

Infectious Host
2B, Creature - Zombie 1/1, Common
When Infectious Host is put into a graveyard from play, target player loses 2 life.

This is way too expensive for the effect.

Last Gasp
1B, Instant, Common
Target creature gets -3/-3 until end of turn.

First, there was Diabolic Edict, unquestionably the best common removal spell for black control decks. Then Rend Flesh opened the debate, dealing with big creatures even when an opponent had weenies available, but not dealing with Blastoderm. Now Last Gasp makes the decision even harder. It deals with most of the creatures in the format for less mana than Rend Flesh, but there are a handful more creatures that Rend Flesh destroys than Last Gasp: Myr Enforcer, Atog, Psychatog, and Wild Mongrel being the most common. It’s also worth noting that the 2 slot is more crowded in MBC than the 3 slot. I think that, overall, Last Gasp is not quite good enough, but it’s certainly close.

Mortipede
3B, Creature - Insect 4/1, Common
{2}{G}: All creatures able to block Mortipede this turn do so.

There aren’t many situations where this is a useful effect, and it requires playing BG.

Necromantic Thirst
2BB, Enchantment - Aura, Common
Enchant creature Whenever enchanted creature deals combat damage to a player, you may return target creature card from your graveyard to your hand.

It’s too hard to make this useful. Compare to Death Denied.

Roofstalker Wight
1B, Creature - Zombie 2/1, Common
{1}{U}: Roofstalker Wight gains flying until end of turn.

This is a strong aggro creature in a black deck with access to U but not enough to run Vodalian Zombie.

Sadistic Augermage
2B, Creature - Human Wizard 3/1, Common When Sadistic Augermage is put into a graveyard from play, each player puts a card from his or her hand on top of his or her library.

This is really strong when you’re ahead, or if you have no cards in hand, but I don’t think it’s generally good enough to see play.

Sewerdreg
3BB, Creature - Spirit 3/3, Common
Swampwalk Sacrifice Sewerdreg:
Remove target card in a graveyard from the game.

This is too expensive for a 3/3 with an extremely marginal ability.

Shred Memory
1B, Instant, Common
Remove up to four target cards in a single graveyard from the game.
Transmute {1}{B}{B} ({1}{B}{B}, Discard this card: Search
your library for a card with the same converted mana cost as this card, reveal it, and put it into your hand. Then shuffle your library. Play only as a sorcery.)

This spell will only be useful in extremely rare situations. This is going to be a 3 mana tutor for a 2 mana card. It could fetch Hymn to Tourach or Demonic Tutor (to chain this spell to anything) or Diabolic Edict or even Isochron Scepter, but I think it’s too expensive to be played.

Stinkweed Imp
2B, Creature - Imp 1/2, Common
Flying Whenever Stinkweed Imp deals combat damage to a creature, destroy that creature. Dredge 5 (If you would draw a card, instead you may put exactly 5 cards from the top of your library into your graveyard. If you do, return this card from your graveyard to your hand. Otherwise, draw a card.)

Without a way to use the graveyard (say, more Dredge cards) this is okay at a Flying blocker that kills anything that it blocks and that you can draw turn after turn. It’s great against Blastoderm, for example. I don’t think there are enough ways to really abuse the graveyard in PEZ to make this ultimately good.

Strands of Undeath
3B, Enchantment - Aura, Common
Enchant creature When Strands of Undeath comes into play, target player discards two cards. {B}: Regenerate enchanted creature.

As a discard spell, it’s too expensive, and as an Aura it’s very, very narrow.

Thoughtpicker Witch
B, Creature - Human Wizard 1/1, Common
{1}, Sacrifice a creature: Look at the top two cards of target opponent's library, then remove one of them from the game.

This effect isn’t awful, but the cost and the body it’s attached to make it unplayable.

RED

Barbarian Riftcutter
4R, Creature - Human Barbarian 3/3, Common
{R}, Sacrifice Barbarian Riftcutter: Destroy target land.

If land destruction worked in PEZ, this would be a really useful card. It’s a reasonable finisher when your opponent has no mana or when he has too much of it to destroy, and a passable land destruction spell when he has a couple of lands. Unfortunately for the Riftcutter, I think there are too many weenie decks to make land destruction playable.

Coalhauler Swine
4RR, Creature - Beast 4/4, Common
Whenever Coalhauler Swine is dealt damage, it deals that much damage to each player.

It’s a good creature, but it’s just too much mana.

Dogpile
3R, Instant, Common
Dogpile deals damage to target creature or player equal to the number of attacking creatures you control.

You’d need a lot of attacking creatures before this became good, at least 5, and if you have 5 attacking creatures you shouldn’t need this.

Fiery Conclusion
1R, Instant, Common
As an additional cost to play Fiery Conclusion, sacrifice a creature.
Fiery Conclusion deals 5 damage to target creature.

If this were “target creature or player,” it would be amazing. The restriction to just targeting creatures makes this pretty bad in PEZ.

Galvanic Arc
2R, Enchantment - Aura, Common
Enchant creature When Galvanic Arc comes into play, it deals 3 damage to target creature or player. Enchanted creature has first strike.

This is okay, but much, much worse than Lightning Bolt and Incinerate.

Goblin Fire Fiend
3R, Creature - Goblin Berserker 1/1, Common
Haste Defending player blocks Goblin Fire Fiend if able. {R}: Goblin Fire Fiend gets +1/+0 until end of turn.

Too much mana.

Goblin Spelunkers
2R, Creature - Goblin Warrior 2/2, Common
Mountainwalk

Reprint.

Incite Hysteria
2R, Sorcery, Common
Radiance - Creatures that share a color with target creature can't block this turn.

This would be unplayable if it said, “creatures can’t block this turn.” It’s worse than that.

Ordruun Commando
3R, Creature - Minotaur Soldier 4/1, Common
{W}: Prevent the next 1 damage that would be dealt to Ordruun Commando this turn.

This is too much mana for too little an effect. On turn 4, ProsTides is winning the game and ElfClamp and Affinity are both thinking about ending things. IsoBurn and CofferKing are locking up the board. You can’t play a mediocre creature in that position.

Rain of Embers
1R, Sorcery, Common
Rain of Embers deals 1 damage to each creature and each player.

There are too many other effects that do this better. Bloodfire Dwarf, for example.

Sabertooth Alley Cat
1RR, Creature - Cat 2/1, Common
Sabertooth Alley Cat attacks each turn if able.
{2}{R}: Sabertooth Alley Cat can't be blocked this turn except by creatures with defender.

Affecting blocking isn’t very useful in PEZ. There are too many decks that don’t care.

Seismic Spike
2RR, Sorcery, Common
Destroy target land. Add {R}{R} to your mana pool.

Again, if you were playing land destruction, this seems like a good card to use, but I don’t think you should be playing that deck.

Sell-Sword Brute
1R, Creature - Human Mercenary 2/2, Common
When Sell-Sword Brute is put into a graveyard from play, it deals 2 damage to you.

As a Goblin, I might play it, but it just isn’t broken enough for this format without the synergy.

Smash
2R, Instant, Common
Destroy target artifact. Draw a card.

Reprint

Sparkmage Apprentice
1R, Creature - Human Wizard 1/1, Common
When Sparkmage Apprentice comes into play, it deals 1 damage to target creature or player.

This is the smallest Flametongue Kavu ever. I’d definitely test this if it were a goblin, but I don’t think there’s a deck that wants this little effect on a little body.

Surge of Zeal
R, Instant, Common
Radiance - Target creature and each other creature that shares a color with it gain haste until end of turn.

One mana and a card just seems like too much to pay for haste.

Torpid Moloch
R, Creature - Lizard 3/2, Common
Defender Sacrifice three lands: Torpid Moloch loses defender until end of turn.

Torpid Moloch is a creature for a red deck that needs to block and can’t otherwise deal with creatures. No such deck exists in PEZ.

Viashino Fangtail

2RR, Creature - Viashino Warrior 3/3, Common
{T}: Viashino Fangtail deals 1 damage to target creature or player.

At 2 mana you have Sparksmith which is okay by itself but becomes Visara with a couple more Goblins. At 3 mana you have Vulshok Sorcerer, a 1/1 with Haste. Now, at 4 mana,
you have Viashino Fangtail, which is better for blocking, occasionally better for attacking, and harder to kill. It’s just 2 turns slower. I think Vulshok Sorcerer is better because of those 2 turns.

Viashino Slasher

1R, Creature - Viashino Warrior 1/2, Common
{R}: Viashino Slasher gets +1/-1 until end of turn.

Not if the effect cost 0 mana.

War-Torch Goblin
R, Creature - Goblin Warrior 1/1, Common
{R}, Sacrifice War-Torch Goblin: War-Torch Goblin deals 2 damage to target blocking creature.

This isn’t versatile enough to replace Mogg Fanatic, but could supplement it in Goblins. I think Akki Avalanchers is better in Aggro Goblins, though, and I think Goblin Vandal might be better in control.

GREEN

Bramble Elemental
3GG, Creature - Elemental 4/4, Common
Whenever an Aura becomes attached to Bramble Elemental, put two 1/1 green Saproling creature tokens into play.

The first aura in green is “free”: Rancor is good enough to play without enabling anything else. The second is hard to find unless you’re playing multiple colors, but Armadillo Cloak, Wordmail, and Empyrial Armor in are all playable in W/G.

I think there’s a deck here, but it’s not a very good one.

Civic Wayfinder
2G, Creature - Elf Warrior Druid 2/2, Common
When Civic Wayfinder comes into play, you may search your library for a basic land card, reveal it, and put it into your hand. If you do, shuffle your library.

This seems to me to be significantly worse than Sakura Tribe Elder. If you need a creature, there are better ones than this. If you need mana fixing, there are better spells than this.

Dryad's Caress
4GG, Instant, Common
You gain 1 life for each creature in play. If any {W} was spent to play Dryad's Caress, untap all creatures you control.

This is very, very bad.

Elves of Deep Shadow
G, Creature - Elf Druid 1/1, Common
{T}: Add {B} to your mana pool. Elves of Deep Shadow deals 1 damage to you.

Reprint.

Elvish Skysweeper

G, Creature - Elf Warrior 1/1, Common
{4}{G}, Sacrifice a creature: Destroy target creature with flying.

Affinity’s flying creatures are the only thing that keep ElfClamp from having inevitability in that matchup, and White Weenie’s fliers are also an issue, so this might actually be reasonable as a one of in ElfClamp’s sideboard.

Farseek
1G, Sorcery, Common
Search your library for a Plains, Island, Swamp, or Mountain card and put it into play tapped. Then shuffle your library.

This is strictly worse than Rampant Growth in PEZ.

Fists of Ironwood
1G, Enchantment - Aura, Common
Enchant creature When Fists of Ironwood comes into play, put two 1/1 green Saproling creature tokens into play. Enchanted creature has trample.

I think this is a reasonable card for the Convoke deck, as a Sorcery speed Raise the Alarm. I don’t think the Convoke deck will be good.

Gather Courage
G, Instant, Common
Target creature gets +2/+2 until end of turn. Convoke (Each creature you tap while playing this spell reduces its cost by {1} or by one mana of that creature's color.)

This might be better than Invigorate, but only marginally. I don’t think this is green’s answer to IsoBurn.

Golgari Brownscale

1GG, Creature - Lizard 2/3, Common
When Golgari Brownscale is put into your hand from your graveyard, you gain 2 life.
Dredge 2 (If you would draw a card, instead you may put exactly 2 cards from the top of your library into your graveyard. If you do, return this card from your graveyard to your hand. Otherwise, draw a card.)

To make this worthwhile, you’ve got to abuse the Dredge. There seem to be a few ways to do this: Threshold, Flashback, and Black “reanimation” or “Raise Dead” effects. The best combo might be Tortured Existance, which can net you one life per Black mana every turn, or more if you have two of these. Ultimately, I think other decks are just doing much more broken things, and this won’t prove useful.

Greater Mossdog
3G, Creature - Hound 3/3, Common
Dredge 3 (If you would draw a card, instead you may put exactly 3 cards from the top of your library into your graveyard. If you do, return this card from your graveyard to your hand. Otherwise, draw a card.)

Again, you have to abuse the Dredge. I don’t think the benefits are worth it.

Scatter the Seeds
3GG, Instant, Common
Convoke (Each creature you tap while playing this spell reduces its cost by {1} or by one mana of that creature's color.) Put three 1/1 green Saproling creature tokens into play.

If the Convoke deck works, it’ll be because of this, but I still don’t see that happening.

Siege Wurm
5GG, Creature - Wurm 5/5, Common
Trample Convoke (Each creature you tap while playing this spell reduces its cost by {1} or by one mana of that creature's color.)

This is a pretty decent body to work up to, but it’s just too much work.

Stone-Seeder Hierophant
2GG, Creature - Human Druid 1/1, Common
Whenever a land comes into play under your control, untap Stone-Seeder Hierophant. {T}: Untap target land.

If you play a land, this guy (sort of) taps for two mana.
That’s not enough to warrant playing a 4 mana 1/1.

Sundering Vitae
2G, Instant, Common
Convoke (Each creature you tap while playing this spell reduces its cost by {1} or by one mana of that creature's color.)
Destroy target artifact or enchantment.

When this is better than Naturalize, it’s a little better. When it’s worse, it’s a lot worse. You’re unlikely to have more creatures you can spare for a turn than mana when you’ve got 1-3 lands, and so it’ll be rare that you can cast this but not another, cheaper Naturalize effect.

Transluminant
1G, Creature - Dryad Shaman 2/2, Common
{W}, Sacrifice Transluminant: Put a 1/1 white Spirit creature token with flying into play at end of turn.

In G/W it takes two removal spells, but I think you’ve got more important things to be doing.

MULTICOLOR (52/52)

Consult the Necrosages
1UB, Sorcery, Common
Choose one - Target player draws two cards; or target player discards two cards.

Both of these effects are good, and the cost is okay. In the early game, ‘Tog can use this as disruption and then if it’s drawn in the late game it’s card drawing. I think it’s reasonable, but not significantly more powerful than existing options.

Dimir Infiltrator
UB, Creature - Spirit 1/3, Common
Dimir Infiltrator is unblockable.
Transmute {1}{U}{B} ({1}{U}{B}, Discard this card: Search your library for a card with the same converted mana cost as this card, reveal it, and put it into your hand. Then shuffle your library. Play only as a sorcery.)

This little guy does it all, but not very well. He is an unblockable clock, but at 20 turns and easily removed. He’s a wall, but only a small one and doesn’t deal with evasion creatures. He’s a tutor, but a Sorcery speed one for three mana. I don’t think the Infiltrator does anything quite well enough.

Golgari Rotwurm

3BG, Creature - Zombie Wurm 5/4, Common
{B}, Sacrifice a creature: Target player loses 1 life.

Five mana for a 5/4 is reasonable, and the ability makes it a pretty good finisher.

Guardian of Vitu-Ghazi #212
6GW, Creature - Elemental 4/7, Common
Convoke (Each creature you tap while playing this spell reduces its cost by {1} or by one mana of that creature's color.)
Vigilance

This is a nice reward for playing the Convoke deck. 4/7 Vigilance is gigantic in creature matchups and the cost becomes reasonable at about three creatures in play. I still don’t think the investment is worth it.

Perplex
1UB, Instant, Common
Counter target spell unless its controller discards his or her hand.
Transmute {1}{U}{B} ({1}{U}{B}, Discard this card: Search
your library for a card with the same converted mana cost as this card, reveal it, and put it into your hand. Then shuffle your library. Play only as a sorcery.)

This is almost a hard counter in the early game, but even then it’s significantly worse than Counterspell. In the late game it’s a tutor, but a slow expensive one.

Rally the Righteous
1RW, Instant, Common
Radiance - Untap target creature and each other creature that shares a color with it. Those creatures get +2/+0 until end of turn.

This is a strong finisher for WW/r, and occasionally a nice defensive surprise.

Seeds of Strength
GW, Instant, Common
Target creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn. Target creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn. Target creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn.

As an aggressive card, it’s significantly worse than Giant Growth, which doesn’t see play. To be useful, you need to wreck your opponent’s carefully chosen blocks, and there isn’t enough blocking in PEZ to choose to use this card.

Selesnya Evangel
GW, Creature - Elf Shaman 1/2, Common
{1}, {T}, Tap an untapped creature you control: Put a 1/1 green Saproling creature token into play.

It’s too slow for ElfClamp. It needs the Convoke deck, I think, to both have extra creatures lying around and then to use the Saprolings.

Shambling Shell
1BG, Creature - Plant Zombie 3/1, Common
Sacrifice Shambling Shell: Put a +1/+1 counter on target creature. Dredge 3 (If you would draw a card, instead you may put exactly 3 cards from the top of your library into your graveyard. If you do, return this card from your graveyard to your hand. Otherwise, draw a card.)

This is nice in creature matchups, blocking a 2/2 and then saving and permanently improving one of your 2/2’s, but I don’t think that sort of matchup is universal enough to run this.

Skyknight Legionnaire
1RW, Creature - Human Knight 2/2, Common
Flying, haste

This is very solid, and should see play if the WW/r deck consistently sees Red mana on turn 3.

Thundersong Trumpeter
RW, Creature - Human Soldier 2/1, Common
{T}: Target creature can't attack or block this turn.

Someone compared this effect to half a Master Decoy, and that seems about right. Master Decoy incapacitates a creature for two players’ turns, this for one. I think the mana requirements will prevent this from seeing play.

Woodwraith Strangler
2BG, Creature - Plant Zombie 2/2, Common
Remove a creature card in your graveyard from the game: Regenerate Woodwraith Strangler.

Blastoderm costs 4 mana. This is no Blastoderm.

GUILD MANA

Boros Recruit
(r/w), Creature - Goblin Soldier 1/1, Common
({RW} can be paid with either {W} or {R}) First strike

Nah. Definitely not in White Weenie, and almost definitely not in Goblins, where it's okay but not special enough.

Centaur Safeguard
2(g/w), Creature - Centaur Warrior 3/1, Common
({GW} can be paid with {G} or {W}.)
When Centaur Safeguard is put into a graveyard from play, target player gains 3 life.

I could see running this in G/W, as it’s 3 power for a flexible cost with a leaves play ability.

Gaze of the Gorgon
3(b/g), Instant, Common
({BG} can be paid with either {G} or {B}.)
Regenerate target creature.
At end of combat, destroy all creatures that blocked or were blocked by that creature this turn.

It looks promising, but I think the effect is actually very similar to Giant Growth, which usually keeps your creature from dying and usually causes it to destroy the creatures that block it.

Lurking Informant #249
1(u/b), Creature - Human Rogue 1/2, Common
({UB} can be paid with either {U} or {B}.)
{2}, {T}: Look at the top card of target player's library. You may put that card into that player's graveyard.

In multiples, or with something to untap creatures, this is a pretty powerful effect. You can cause your opponent to draw land almost every turn with two of these. With counterspells backing it up, it seems very strong. Unfortunately, it's on a 1/2, and it's too easy for too many decks to deal with.

ARTIFACTS (21/21)

Boros Signet
2, Artifact, Common
{1}, {T}: Add {R}{W} to your mana pool.

Dimir Signet
2, Artifact, Common
{1}, {T}: Add {U}{B} to your mana pool.

Golgari Signet
2, Artifact, Common
{1}, {T}: Add {B}{G} to your mana pool.

Selesnya Signet
2, Artifact, Common
{1}, {T}: Add {G}{W} to your mana pool.

The Signets each provide some acceleration, to 4 mana on turn 3, and some mana
fixing. They’re not cheap at two mana, and because they provide two mana of two different colors, there are several spells they don’t help with. Most notably, they don’t interact well with Counterspell, Hymn, Duress, or Lightning Bolt. They also have the downside of turning on your opponent’s artifact removal if you’ve built your deck to avoid it. I think they’re worth it in control decks with plenty of other artifacts, but otherwise they’re not great.

Terrarion
1, Artifact, Common
Terrarion comes into play tapped. {2}, {T}, Sacrifice Terrarion: Add two mana of any combination of colors to your mana pool. When Terrarion is put into a graveyard from play, draw a card.

This is obviously a lot like Chromatic Sphere, and I doubt that you’re going to run both. The question is, in what situations is this better than Sphere, and in what situations is it worse?

It’s better when you have two spells you want to cast and don’t have the color to cast either. This happens in Affinity quite frequently. It’s also better when you want to cast a spell with two colored mana in its cost, like Hymn to Tourach
or Counterspell. It’s worse when you miss your second land drop, or when you didn’t get to play it on turn 1 and you only have 2 lands. These things also happen in Affinity, especially missing a third land.

In the good situation, you get to use a card that would otherwise be stranded. In the bad situation, you’re slowed down by a turn. I think that’s okay, and I think this is good enough to replace Chromatic Sphere in 3 color Affinity.

LANDS

Boros Garrison
Land, Common
Boros Garrison comes into play tapped. When Boros Garrison comes into play, return a land you control to its owner's hand. {T}: Add {R}{W} to your mana pool.

Dimir Aqueduct
Land, Common
Dimir Aqueduct comes into play tapped. When Dimir Aqueduct comes into play, return a land you control to its owner's hand. {T}: Add {U}{B} to your mana pool.

Golgari
Rot Farm

Land, Common
Golgari Rot Farm comes into play tapped. When Golgari Rot Farm comes into play, return a land you control to its owner's hand. {T}: Add {B}{G} to your mana pool.

Selesnya Sanctuary
Land, Common
Selesnya Sanctuary comes into play tapped. When Selesnya Sanctuary comes into play, return a land you control to its owner's hand. {T}: Add {G}{W} to your mana pool.

These are the best common mana fixing lands, but that isn’t saying too much. They slow you down significantly on the second turn, but you regain parity on turn 3 and then, since they produce two mana, they’re card advantage (since they’re kind of like two lands.) They’re also phenomenally bad without a basic land. If you draw two of these and no basic lands, you’re in a significantly bad place. I don’t think these enable three color decks (since you don’t want to risk opening hands with just these) and I don’t think they belong in aggro decks (since they slow you down) but they’re very good in control decks, especially in Psychatog.

Summary (21/21)

Overall, I think the set does a good job of enabling some two color control decks and includes a handful of narrow tutors, but offers very little for aggro. As the subsequent sets come out, I expect even more goodies for two color control. I think Dizzy Spell will be the most played card in the set, making ProsTides better, but I imagine that Dimir Aqueduct will make U/B Control easier to play, which should hurt ProsTide significantly in the metagame. The common lands and the two decent land destruction spells might make land destruction a viable choice to compete with both 'Tog and ProsTides. Mudle the Mix is fantastic in Mono Blue Scepter and will improve that deck, but probably not by enough.

Radiance is a strong effect in PEZ, but the cards just aren't there to support it. Convoke produces some powerful creatures, but not quickly enough to deal with the best decks in the format. Dredge is very interesting and has some cool interactions, but isn't "explosive" enough. Transmute is most powerful mechanic improving both combo and control decks, but as a 3 mana Sorcery I imagine its overall impact will be subtle, rather than format shifting.

Ravnica is likely to be a Champions of Kamigawa, rather than a Mirrodin.

9th Edition PEZ review

2005-09-15T12:52:00.000-04:00

This is a little joke. I'll be writing a Ravnica review real soon now, and I'd like to just say a couple of things about 9th edition:

Outside of PEZ, it seems like an amazing set. All the Pain Lands being back is great (and makes drafting 999 reasonably lucrative online). There's less chaff and more wheat than ever before.

Within PEZ, I want to mention a few cards:

Gift of Estates was a rare in Portal. Now it's an uncommon, so you can play it in PEZ. It's a good card, but totally unplayable in PEZ as an uncommon. Sorry.

Cruel Edict was a common in Portal, Second Age. It's printed here as an uncommon, but that should make it more widely available. Cruel Edict was once (arguably) the second best black common removal spell (after Diabolic Edict, which is strictly better.) I think it's now eclipsed by Rend Flesh and by a new card in Ravnica, but it's worth remembering that there are two common spells that force an opponent to sacrifice a creature but don't affect you.

Zodiac Monkey is another common from Portal, this one from Three Kingdoms. It's identical to Rushwood Dryad, which is unplayed.

Cheers,

Chris

Tides! (And how it's good, it doesn't dominate the format, and maybe you just can't beat it).

2005-08-12T12:30:00.000-04:00

Almost every PEZ deck wins in the same way: 20 damage to the dome.

The method may very well vary. Some decks swing with men over several turns. Some decks make a big guy and swing once (or maybe twice). Some decks swing with men for a while, then go to the dome with burn. Some decks try to deal all 20 with direct damage. The concensus, though, is 20 to the head.

Mostly, these decks win around turn 5. Generally, decks that take longer than 5 turns are "slow" and include some elements of disruption. Decks that win in fewer than 5 turns (Affinity and ElfClamp, for example) are generally fast and eschew disruption.

Mostly, these decks are dependent on permanents. The exceptions are Burn and CofferKing, but both of these decks typically depend on either Mishra's Factory and Isochron Scepter or Pestilence.

ProsTides is a different animal. It doesn't deal any damage (except in very, very rare games). It doesn't rely on any permanents. It's faster than the fast decks.

The most commonly encountered control element in PEZ is creature removal. Tides is totally immune to creature removal, in a way that even IsoBurn isn't. The deck is also immune to Artifact and Enchantment removal, which is also commonly encountered. Finally, the deck can be built, or at least sideboarded, in a way that makes it highly resistant to discard.

Here's a list:

4 x High Tide
4 x Frantic Search
4 x Framed!
4 x Cloud of Faeries
4 x Prosperity *** UNCOMMON ***
1 x Feldon's Cane

4 x Brainstorm
3 x Ideas Unbound
3 x Merchant Scroll
1 x Fact or Fiction *** UNCOMMON ***
1 x Peer Through Depths
3 x Impulse
4 x Disrupt
20 x Island

Sideboard:
4 x Power Sink
4 x Blue Elemental Blast
4 x Rushing River
3 x Hydroblast

This list differs from previous ones I've posted with the addition of Ideas Unbound in the place of Deep Analysis. I'm fairly certain this is correct, but it definitely has a negative impact on the matchup against MBC. Deep Analysis is better for recovering from Hymn to Tourach and Wrench Mind than Ideas Unbound is. Power Sink from the sideboard is very effective against MBC, however (as well as giving the deck a chance against counters) and I believe it's reasonable to compromise the MBC matchup.

There are a couple of elements of this list that might be controversial, but they shouldn't be:

1) No Snap. Snap is a very bad card. It exposes you to all sorts of vulnerabilities that you would otherwise have. Snap makes your opponent's creature removal useful -- devastating, in fact. Snap is necessary in an environment without Framed! to make Tides work, but awful when there's an alternative. I would definitely not run Tides in a format where Snap was necessary.

2) Only one Feldon's Cane, and no way to get it back. "What," you might ask, "about discard? Or artifact destruction?" To win, you need to minimize your exposure of Feldon's Cane. Against discard you should play the Cane as early as possible. Against artifact destruction you should play the Cane right before you sacrifice it. You are unlikely to play against a deck with both discard and artifact destruction, but even in that case it's only an issue if you draw the Cane before the turn you go off. That's just a risk you take. Even in that case (and this is something that will come up a lot in the bad answers to Tides category below) you're just put into a position where you have to force a draw, which is generally no big deal.

I have no tolerance for the decision to run multiple copies of Feldon's Cane, which is already a dead draw until the end of the game, but if you are so worried about running into a deck with Duress and Naturalize (or Shattering Pulse) that you refuse to take any risk, you should run Conjurer's Bauble instead of the second Cane. The bauble is occasionally useful to increase the number of Prosperities, High Tides, or Framed! left in your deck and replaces itself. I still believe the correct decision is to accept that Duress and Naturalize constitute a problem, but if you refuse to do that the solution is definitely Conjurer's Bauble instead of an extra Cane.

There are also some potentially controversial elements that I believe there should be debate on.
1) 3 x Impulse, 1 x Peer Through Depths. I believe that Impulse is very slightly better than Peer Through Depths, but I think one Peer is good to Scroll for when you really need a Prosperity and can't fetch Fact or Fiction, presumably because you've already used it. 4 x Peer or 4 x Impulse are also reasonable.

2) Fact or Fiction. This is a little idiosyncratic, but I really belive it's a strong choice. The other uncommon that is frequently encountered here is Force of Will, but I don't think Force of Will helps you anywhere that matters. It's hard to use it in the early game, and a bad choice to Tutor for, and Disrupt is generally as good when you're going off, since your opponent has so little mana. I believe Force of Will is a good card in the MUC matchup, but that's so one sided against Tides that I don't think it's relevant. Fact or Fiction is critical for recovery from discard.

3) 4 x Disrupt. Disrupt is amazing. It counters every important card from MBC unless they hold back mana, which, in turn, makes many of their spells worse. It wins the game against IsoBurn. It can cripple ElfClamp by countering Land Grant (but it usually doesn't). It randomally hoses all sorts of decks. And then, when you're going off (or earlier, even) it cycles for 1U whenever you cast another Sorcery or Instant.

How do I beat Tides?

It's very difficult to race Tides. Tides is almost certainly faster than whatever deck you're thinking about playing. Even ElfClamp and Affinity are too slow to race Tides with any degree of consistency. Each of those decks can approach a 30% win rate by racing, but they can't get better than that. It might seem like IsoBurn could race, since the turn Tides goes off IsoBurn will draw all its Lightning Bolts and Fireblasts for 5 damage per Mountain, but Disrupt prevents that strategy.

No, to beat Tides you have to slow it down. You can't attack its creatures (since Cloud of Faeries is really a spell that untaps 2 lands), and it has no relevant Artifacts or Enchantments. There are three places you can attack Tides to slow it down: its lands, its cards in hand, or its spells on the stack.

Attacking Tides' lands would be great, but I don't think there's a viable deck there. Attacking Tides' lands is good, but attacking White Weenie's lands or ElfClamp's lands or almost any other agressive deck is useless. You also have to contend with Disrupt from Tides.

Attacking Tides' cards in hand is much more fruitful, but I've tested enough to say that it won't win by itself. Discard is effective at slowing Tides down. It doesn't stop Tides, unless you're doing it every turn. You have to accompany discard with some sort of clock. MBC is awful against Tides, but MBAggro, or AggroControl is excellent.

The most effective way to slow down Tides is with counters. Even given a very slow clock, it's almost impossible for Tides to assemble a hand that wins through 3-4 counterspells. It's especially difficult for Tides because Tides decks run too little land to win a significant counter fight. Disrupts are not very useful against an opponent with more lands in play, each of which make multiple mana thanks to High Tide.

Things are even more uneven than that, though, because the Tides deck gives its opponent most of the cards in his or her deck. IsoBurn has a great post-board matchup against Tides if it runs just 3 Red Elemental Blasts, despite a terrible game 1.

So there are several decks that have good matchups against Tides: IsoBurn, MUC, Psychatog, Fish/Skies, AggroBlack, U/G Madness, and U/B Reanimator, for example. There are other decks that have reasonable matchups: many builds of Affinity, or Goblins.

But there are also decks which stink against Tides.

White Weenie Can't Beat Tides at All

Usually, when we talk about matchups being one-sided, we mean a 70% win rate for one of the decks. FatGreen beats IsoBurn consistently, but if IsoBurn gets a good mana draw and plenty of burn spells, or if FatGreen has to take two mulligans, IsoBurn wins. That doesn't happen a lot, but it's enough that, if you're IsoBurn, you want to play a very tight game and hope for the best.

White Weenie loses to ProsTides something like 95% of the time. (FatGreen is similar.)

The reason was discussed at the beginning of this post: ProsTides is just trying to do something different than all the other decks. Either it works, and Tides wins, or it gets stopped, and Tides loses. White Weenie just has no tools to stop Tides, and it generally isn't fast enough to win games where Tides stumbles (and can't go off until turn 5.)

Now, there are several "answers" people have suggested ranging from very bad to merely bad.

The worst of the bunch is Feldon's Cane as a weapon against Tides. Feldon's Cane is totally useless in most decks, White Weenie included. Tides can generally force the opponent to draw 70 cards as easily as 60. I have no idea how a White Weenie deck can (reasonably) get 10 cards into its graveyard, let alone enough (about 25) to make problems for Tides. Even if that worked, all it would do is force a draw. Tides can still force the opponent to draw 100 cards and draw the game. 1-0-2 is a match win for Tides, and you're unlikely to start the match with Feldon's Cane in your deck, and you're unlikely to draw it in the first few turns in all three games.

The second category of cards attack Tides ability to recycle its own graveyard. Tormod's Crypt and Rust both do this. They're better than Feldon's Cane because they actually succeed at putting the game out of reach for Tides (except you have to draw the Crypt in your top cards and Disrupt can stop Rust, but when they work, they work.) Unfortunately, even though they keep Tides from winning, they still allow the Tides player to get a draw, and generally win the match 1-0-2.

The best answer I've heard in Penance. Penance requires the Tides player to eventually cast a 55ish card Prosperity, which is normally a challenge. If the Tides player succeeds, that forces a draw. Unfortunately, I think that playing Penance on turn three slows White Weenie down enough to make a 55 card Prosperity reasonable, especially if you have to Enlightened Tutor for it. It's also very significant that Penance is an uncommon. Finally, if the Tides player is running bounce, Penance is less effective.

Some people seem uncomfortable about unwinnable matchups, or even bad matchups in general. People seem to want to tweak their decks to have a good matchup against every opponent. This is obviously impossible, since your opponent can't have a good matchup against you if you have a good matchup against him. I think, in general, you have to be willing to accept some good matchups and some bad matchups and hope to run into good matchups.

I think the metagame right now focuses on IsoBurn and ProsTides. It seems to include:

ProsTides
IsoBurn (which beats ProsTides)
Decks that beat ProsTides but lose to IsoBurn
Decks that beat beat IsoBurn but lose to ProsTides
Decks that lose to IsoBurn and ProsTides.

I think you can justify going into a tournament (assuming you're just playing to win, and not to play the most fun deck) with a deck from the first four categories, but I wouldn't play anything from the fifth. In a more defined metagame (say, with three BYES at a theoretical Peasant Grand Prix), I might consider a deck with a good matchup against ProsTides and IsoBurn but a crummy matchup against the rest of the field. Maybe there's a U/W Counter/Life deck waiting to be discovered?

Cheers,

Chris

Link and discuss

2005-07-18T12:11:00.000-04:00

I'll make a more fleshed out post soon, but I wanted to share this.

Christophe Deslandes (whom I played against last week) ran a very successful Peasant Magic tournament in Paris last weekend. The winner: ProsTides (with Snaps instead of Framed).

Cheers,

Chris

Tournament report

2005-07-11T14:53:00.000-04:00

My peasant-magic Yahoo Group post.

To summarize: no tournament (not enough people) but a few good games/matches between people who wouldn't usually get together to play Peasant Magic, many of whom having never previously used MWS, mIRC, or the #peasant-magic channel. That's pretty good, right?

I played three matches on Saturday (2 of 3). I played against Goblins and Red Deck Wins with the deck I had planned on using in the tournament (which I'll come back to), then played against Red Deck Wins again, this time with ElfClamp.

I like ElfClamp a lot. I think it's one of the better aggro decks. I also don't think it's a deck that's likely to win any tournaments in the near future. It just walks into too much hate. Everyone is prepared for weenies (and artifacts, to a lesser extent), and ElfClamp is vulnerable to all of that stuff.

I ran into Sparksmith game one (with other burn) and into Fire Whip in games two and three, and that's pretty rough for ElfClamp but it's exactly the kind of decision players will/should be making. People's hate for White Weenie, Goblins, Red Deck Wins, Stompy, Fish, Aggro Black, and so on all translates pretty well to ElfClamp. I won game two against Red Deck Wins thanks to multiple Blastoderm, but lost games one and three. Obviously one match isn't enough to come to any real conclusions about the matchup, but I think this one happens to be pretty indicative.

The deck I had intended to play in the tournament was also monogreen:

4 x Sakura Tribe Elder
4 x Vine Trellis
2 x Acridian
4 x Simian Grunts
3 x Bull Elephant
4 x Blastoderm
4 x Endangered Armodon

4 x Land Grant
4 x Wear Away
4 x Kodama's Reach
4 x Serrated Arrows

4 x Strip Mine (*** UNCOMMON ***)
4 x Mishra's Factory
11 x Forest

Sideboard:
4 x Rending Vines
4 x Reap and Sow
4 x Springing Tiger
3 x Moment's Peace

That's 19 land, but 35 total mana sources, 17 creatures with more than 3 toughness (not counting Vine Trellis), and 8 slots devoted to disrupting the two most commonly encountered threats: Serrated Arrows for Weenies and Wear Away for artifacts (and it also hits Pestilence, Empyrial Armor, and other random enchantments). Additionally, Strip Mine also punishes players for extremely tight mana curves.

Springing Tiger and Reap and Sow are both for CofferKing. Those games should generally go long, making Springing Tiger a 5/5 for 4 and Reap and Sow a spell that destroys two land for 6 mana (destroy a land and fetch Strip Mine). Reap and Sow should also come in for ProsTides, and Springing Tiger should generally come in for other non-burn control decks. Rending Vines is especially good against decks running Mishra's Factory or artifact lands. Moment's Peace is for random aggro decks.

I do not believe this is the best deck in the format by any means, but it happens to have a good matchup vs. IsoBurn, some builds of CofferKing, and Affinity. Other aggro/weenie decks are tougher than Affinity but several are okay. I won on Saturday vs. Goblins 2-1 and vs. Red Deck Wins 2-0. Strip Mine was key in both matches, ruining the chances of Red Deck Wins (which was only running 17 land to support 1 and 2 mana spells) and preventing Goblins from casting spells after Goblin Recruiter. Serrated Arrows were also fantastic in both matchups. I'm not sure how it affected the games I won, but I think I might have won the game I lost had the Vine Trellises been Wall of Roots.

The deck doesn't quite scoop to ProsTides, since Strip Mine (and then Reap and Sow after boarding) can turn tight mana draws into mana screw, but it's a very bad matchup. You just don't goldfish fast enough unless they're sitting on one or two mana for several turns.

Cheers,

Chris Morling

Online tourney

2005-07-01T18:37:00.000-04:00

What: Peasant Magic Tournament
When: Registration ends at 11:00 am, GMT-5 (U.S.
Eastern Standard Time), Saturday July 9.
How: Meet on efNet (mIRC can be downloaded from
www.mirc.com) in #peasant-magic. Play over Magic
Workstation (www.magicworkstation.com)
Format: Swiss if we have enough people with cut to
smaller number. Round robin if we don't, with cut to
top 2.

I'll be holding an online Peasant Magic Tournament on Saturday, July 9. Meet in #peasant-magic on efNet, then play over Magic Workstation.

I'll be playing if doing so gives us an even number of players. If I'm not playing, I want decklists from everyone before the tourney begins (i.e., 11 am on Saturday). If I'm playing, I'd like decklists after the event.

Because we're playing over MWS, the following banned list is in effect:

Booster Tutor
Chaos Confetti
Clay Pigeon
Eye to Eye
Handcuffs
Mouth to Mouth
Orcish Paratrooper
Phyrexian Librarian
Prismatic Wardrobe
Shoe Tree
Side to Side
Six-y Beast
Volrath's Motion Sensor

Other Unhinged and Unglued cards are allowed. Cards requiring players to perform feats are allowed and favor the feat do-er. That is to say, Mesa Chicken can gain flying, Charm School will stay on heads, and no one will accidentally touch Vile Bile. If there are cards that clearly should be on this list that aren't, please leave a comment.

Face to Face requires playing Rock-Paper-Scissors. Replace this with a coin flip.

I'd like to know in advance who would like to play; leaving a comment would be a fine way to do this. Do the same with any questions.

Cheers,

Chris

IsoBurn

2005-06-17T17:58:00.000-04:00

Here's the list:

4 x Lightning_Bolt
4 x Incinerate
4 x Kindle
4 x Flame_Burst
4 x Guerrilla_Tactics
4 x Pyrite_Spellbomb
4 x Fireblast
1 x Chain_Lightning
1 x Fire/Ice (*** UNCOMMON ***)
4 x Mogg_Fanatic
4 x Isochron_Scepter (*** UNCOMMON ***)
4 x Mishra's_Factory
18 x Mountain

Sideboard:
4 x Sparksmith
4 x Vulshok_Sorcerer
4 x Shattering_Pulse
3 x Pyroblast

The most important thing to remember with this deck is that it is not an aggro deck. It is generally creature control. Against opponents without creatures to control, it's aggro. Against creautures, you want to lock up the board with Isochron Scepter and a burn spell. The only time to go to the dome (against creature based decks) is during your opponent's endstep if he has no creatures in play, or if his life total is very low and you can burn him out.

Game 2, many opponents will be bringing in artifact removal. It's very important to only lay a Scepter when you can immediately use it (so you don't hit with a 2 for 1). It's best to not imprint Flame Burst or Kindle after boarding against an opponent who might have artifact removal. While Isochron Scepter is important to your strategy in game 1 and unreliable in game 2, you're still well off because of Sparksmith and Vulshok Sorcerer. Several decks roll over to either of these creatures. It's even reasonable to remove the Scepters for these creatures against decks with plenty of artifact destruction but no creature control.

Maindeck Pyrite Spellbombs and Mishra's Factories are a big problem for White Weenie. Maindeck Guerrilla Tactics is highly annoying to MBC. Mogg Fanatic is occasionally amazing, but usually just solid. It's best because it powers up Sparksmith.

I would suggest that 4 artifact removal spells are reasonable (although I welcome discussion of alternatives): Overload, Shattering Pulse, Goblin Tinkerer, and Goblin Vandal.

The two Goblins are worth considering mostly beacause of Sparksmith. Sparksmith is decent against Affinity, but becomes amazing with one other goblin. The Goblin Tinkerer is particularly good even without Sparksmith against Affinity, destroying all their lands then perhaps a more expensive artifact. The Vandal is okay, but I imagine you're unlikely to attack unmolested.

The reason I'm reluctant to use a Goblin for artifact removal is mostly because of the mirror. Both Goblins need to recover from summoning sickness before they can be used, and burn is unlikely to give you that option.

Overload is great against Isochron Scepters, Cranial Platings, and Skullclamps, but worse than Shattering Pulse against larger artifacts, and useless against the largest artifact creatures with affinity for artifacts or for basic lands. It's really the presence of Isochron Scepter in the deck that pushes me to Shattering Pulse, since you ideally are spending 2 mana each turn for either spell and would prefer no restrictions.

I certainly have decks that win against IsoBurn, but it sits at the top of my standings, and it's the first deck (and the only, for unsuccessful decks) I test against with any new design. I encourage you to test against it as well.

Cheers,

Chris

Where is the format?

2005-06-11T18:53:00.000-04:00

That is to say, how does the format's metagame work? What kind of decks are good?

Here's my impression, but I'd be interested in your comments.

The "natural" decks are weenie aggro decks. My experience discussing the format is that people assume it's about bad aggro decks. A very base metagame might be white weenie beats aggro red (which might be the most natural deck of all) beats random aggro decks beat white weenie.

The next level of decks look at this natural metagame and try to break it. ProsTides competes on a completely different plane than the aggro decks. It wins faster than the aggro decks, and is totally immune to creature removal, the most obvious kind of disruption in the "natural" metagame. Coffer King (MBC as championed by Jason Chapman) recognizes the vulnerability of the aggro decks to mass removal. Several decks scoop to Pestilence, particularly when accompanied by Cemetery_Gate. Isochron Scepter Burn is designed to handle the aggro decks, and -- thanks to Red Elemental Blast -- has great game post board against ProsTides.

I believe that the "natural" aggro decks are forced by the next level decks to add significant combo elements. Affinity emerges as a solid aggro deck that can suddenly drop Atog and Disciple of the Vault or Demonic Tutor for Cranial Plating and swing for 10 or even 20. ElfClamp can fetch up a Quirion Ranger with Wirewood Herald and then use Timberwatch Elf to deal 20 damage. Builds of ElfClamp with Rancor and Wild Mongrel have an extra combo win, since ElfClamp can reasonably get 7-12 cards in hand. Both ElfClamp and Affinity win on turn 4 pretty regularly, before Pestilence or Isochron Scepter become important and occasionally before ProsTides goes off. Affinity wins more frequently on turn 4 than ElfClamp does, but ElfClamp is a much more consistent deck.

I've played a lot of "two-handed Magic" with PEZ, testing two decks against one another and trying to "not know" what's in the other hand. My testing suggests that Isochron Scepter Burn has a good matchup against the weenie aggro decks (including White Weenie with maindeck Crimson Acolyte), against the two other "next level" decks I mentioned, and against the combo/aggro decks.

Now, I hope nobody questions the honesty of my numbers, but I'm quite comfortable with people questioning the accuracy. I'm pretty sure I'm using an optimal (or mearly optimal) build of Isochron Scepter Burn, but I'm not sure that I have optimal builds of White Weenie or Coffer King. Assuming my builds are good, I think my play of White Weenie and Coffer King is good, but I recognize that my win percentages are significantly different than other people are saying. I think White Weenie is a 60-40 matchup in favor of Isochron Scepter Burn. Other people are suggesting it's more like 30-70 for White Weenie.

Even more significantly, I think Coffer King is an 80-20 matchup for Isochron Scepter Burn. Other people are suggesting it's 20-80 in favor of Coffer King. Obviously that's a huge difference. Both decks are good against aggro, but Isochron Scepter Burn is better, particularly against the best aggro decks (ElfClamp and Affinity.) If Isochron Scepter Burn also wins against Coffer King, then Coffer King becomes almost strictly worse. If Coffer King wins, the situation is similar to when a dominant deck is teched out for the mirror. You're a little worse against the field, but better against the best deck.

If, in fact, Isochron Scepter Burn beats White Weenie and Coffer King (and it beats ProsTides and Affinity and ElfClamp and random aggro decks, which most people would agree it does) then it sits comfortably at the top of the metagame. I was actually quite concerned about it. I built a white/green deck with 10 maindeck pro-red creatures, Charm School, Blastoderm, plenty of artifact removal, and Armadillo Cloak and managed to secure a 60% match win rate. It's pretty ridiculous to think you can set out to beat one deck and only secure a 60% win rate.

Fortunately, I've started preliminary testing of a fat green deck and I'm having lots of success against several decks, including a very high win rate against Isochron Scepter Burn. It's very have for the red deck to succeed when every opposing create has 4 or more toughness -- except Sakura Tribe Elder. In fact, most of the decks have strategies to disrupt small creatures, and (efficient!) creatures with 4 or 5 toughness are very hard to deal with. Because the deck is green, it also has access to a significant amount of artifact destruction, which is very important in this field.

Sol Ring

2005-06-10T14:50:00.000-04:00

This is a test.

Here is a link to Sol Ring.