Roundup

By Mike Flores

Andrew Hanson's Faeries

Decklist Stats Sample Hand

Planeswalker (2)

2 Jace, the Mind Sculptor

Creature (11)

4 Mistbind Clique 4 Spellstutter Sprite 3 Vendilion Clique

Sorcery (5)

4 Thoughtseize 1 Inquisition of Kozilek

Instant (12)

4 Cryptic Command 3 Mana Leak 2 Grasp of Darkness 3 Disfigure

Enchantment (4)

4 Bitterblossom

Land (26)

4 Creeping Tar Pit 4 Secluded Glen 4 Darkslick Shores 4 Mutavault 2 Sunken Ruins 2 Tectonic Edge 4 Island 2 Swamp

60 Cards

Sideboard (15)

1 Tectonic Edge 1 Disfigure 2 Sower of Temptation 2 Infest 2 Wurmcoil Engine 3 Vampire Nighthawk 2 Jace Beleren 2 Peppersmoke

Deal Another Hand

Believe it or not, "Faeries" isn't just any old Faeries. The deck, as we have it in Extended, is highly customizable, despite a slavish adherence to core cards like Bitterblossom and Cryptic Command. For example, Hanson's seems geared more towards combating control and combo. He has twenty-six lands and one in the sideboard. Of these, he has added two main and one side Tectonic Edges. The Faeries creature mix can go a lot of different directions ... Andrew went with three copies of Vendilion Clique, which perform strongly against combo and control decks as a combination of clock and disruption.

Beyond the customization, Hanson has all the toys ... Bitterblossom and Mistbind Clique for super threats; Cryptic Command, Mana Leak, and Jace, the Mind Sculptor for top-end blue spells. Andrew supplemented the four staple copies of Thoughtseize with Inquisition of Kozilek, and Disfigure with the Mistbind Clique-answering Grasp of Darkness.

He was a bit more aggressive with his non-Faeries sideboard creature package ... Two copies of Wurmcoil Engineand three copies of Vampire Nighthawk... Pretty good setup against the beatdown.

Scapeshift Omens

Nassim Ketita's Green-Blue Scapeshift Omens

Decklist Stats Sample Hand

Creature (3)

3 Oracle of Mul Daya

Sorcery (20)

4 Explore 3 Ponder 3 Rampant Growth 3 Scapeshift 1 Cultivate 2 Firespout 2 Preordain 2 See Beyond

Instant (6)

4 Cryptic Command 2 Mana Leak

Enchantment (4)

4 Prismatic Omen

Land (27)

4 Forest 5 Island 4 Misty Rainforest 3 Halimar Depths 4 Flooded Grove 4 Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle 1 Scalding Tarn 1 Mountain 1 Tectonic Edge

60 Cards

Sideboard (15)

2 Tectonic Edge 2 Firespout 1 Mana Leak 2 Wurmcoil Engine 2 Jace, the Mind Sculptor 2 Guttural Response 2 Into the Roil 2 Vendilion Clique

Deal Another Hand

This is a Green-Blue Scapeshift / Prismatic Omen deck very similar to the one that Jason Ford used to win Grand Prix Atlanta.

The deck works by playing out Prismatic Omen to "turn on" Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle, despite playing only one Mountain.

Unlike some of the other Valakut decks in the format, Green-Blue absolutely needs to have Prismatic Omen in play in order to win with Valakut damage. As such, players of all different strategies have started adopting cards that can deal with a Prismatic Omen as part of their main decks and sideboards. To wit:

Deglamer – A Naturalize analogue that shuffles away a Prismatic Omen, most excitingly while Scapeshift is on the stack. Deglamer is slightly worse than Naturalize when dealing with Prismatic Omen specifically (especially against Wargate variants), but far superior against Wurmcoil Engine decks. Most commonly found in Jund sideboards.
Consign to Dream – A Boomerang effect that can target ... whatever. A reasonable tempo card, this one rubs up against Time Walk versus red and green permanents. When you play Consign to Dream with Scapeshift on the stack, you force the opponent to shuffle Prismatic Omen away, rather than "just" putting it on top of the opponent's deck. Because a deck with multiple copies of Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle in play—as well as Prismatic Omen—can deal a ton of damage in a hurry, forcing the opponent to shuffle the card away rather than just forcing him to waste a card can be very desirable. Most commonly found in Faeries sideboards.
Qasali Pridemage – A fine bringer of beatdown. A good threat, a good buddy to solo attackers a la Baneslayer Angel; very low cost to play main deck. Almost always played in Naya Fauna Shaman decks, and is also seen main deck in builds like Green-White Caw-whatever.

News Flash: Green-Blue Scapeshift Omens is going to be among the Decks to Beat, at least until Mirrodin Beseiged shakes things up.

Red Deck Wins

Boin's Red Deck Wins

Decklist Stats Sample Hand

Creature (18)

4 Boggart Ram-Gang 4 Figure of Destiny 4 Goblin Guide 4 Plated Geopede 2 Stigma Lasher

Instant (18)

4 Burst Lightning 4 Flame Javelin 4 Lightning Bolt 4 Searing Blaze 2 Volcanic Fallout

Land (24)

4 Arid Mesa 12 Mountain 4 Scalding Tarn 4 Teetering Peaks

60 Cards

Sideboard (15)

2 Stigma Lasher 2 Volcanic Fallout 4 Devastating Summons 4 Goblin Bushwhacker 3 Tunnel Ignus

Deal Another Hand

Red Deck is ... Red Deck. Super-efficient offensive drops, even better burn spells to knock down blockers and knock out opponents. This version features:

Eight fetch lands – Some players are puzzled at the presence of Arid Mesa and Scalding Tarn in straight red decks. This one takes advantage of the fetches to break Plated Geopede on offense, and flips Searing Blaze live even on the opponent's turn.
Four Teetering Peaks – Useful in particular with the many haste creatures.
Stigma Lasher! "You cannot gain life."

Despite playing 100% lands that can produce red mana (or can go and get lands that can produce red), Boin's deck opted for all fast plays instead of climbing the mana ladder up to Demigod of Revenge.

The big surprise out of the sideboard was the Devastating Summons + Goblin Bushwhacker combo. That combination can sometimes produce a turn three kill. Like so:

Mountain, Goblin Guide (18)
Mountain, Plated Geopede (16)
Arid Mesa, break for Mountain; Devastating Summons sacrificing all three Mountains + floating , Goblin Bushwhacker. Attack with a Goblin Guide (now a 3/2), Plated Geopede (now a 6/5), a Goblin Bushwhacker (2/1), and two Elementals (4/3 and 4/3) ... Fatality!

Blightning Beatdown

Mike Alfano's Blightning Beatdown

Decklist Stats Sample Hand

Creature (18)

3 Hell's Thunder 4 Goblin Guide 4 Hellspark Elemental 4 Figure of Destiny 3 Plated Geopede

Sorcery (4)

4 Blightning

Instant (17)

4 Volcanic Fallout 4 Lightning Bolt 4 Burst Lightning 4 Searing Blaze 1 Flame Javelin

Land (23)

4 Arid Mesa 3 Scalding Tarn 3 Lavaclaw Reaches 4 Dragonskull Summit 4 Teetering Peaks 4 Mountain 1 Blackcleave Cliffs

62 Cards

Sideboard (15)

4 Earthquake 4 Anathemancer 2 Doom Blade 2 Deathmark 3 Thought Hemorrhage

Deal Another Hand

Ooh look! Blightning!

The mana in Extended is pretty great. As you can see, Alfano was able to add black for Blightning main-deck without compromising his mana base. Blightning is a stronger card than almost every card in the default red deck.

Additionally, he has all kinds of gas in the sideboard, made available by the introduction of black:

Anathemancer – Anathemancer provides brutal reach against many kinds of decks in Extended, in particular decks like Four-Color Control, or even Jund variants with very few basics. You can run it out there on turn three, or wait until much later for more impact (and, as the case may be) enough space to pay for a Mana Leak. Anathemancer is ferocious and to a degree inevitable. You can block a bigger creature and re-buy later. Control decks can't even counter the Anathemancer's unearth.
Deathmark and Doom Blade – One of the traditional enemies of red decks is the White Weenie deck. Kor Firewalker and its cohorts slough off Lightning Bolts and rush past red blockers. Similarly, big green decks (like the presently popular big Naya decks) can pose similar problems; they are offensively fast and pose threats like Woolly Thoctar and Baneslayer Angel that are too big for a Bolt. Adding Deathmark and Doom Blade gives a red deck more—and mana efficient—options for fighting these enemies of the red.
Thought Hemorrhage – Red decks are often soft to combo. They are fast compared to fair decks, but not necessarily fast compared to decks that can win on turn three or four. Resolving a Thought Hemorrhage will often rattle a combo deck's ability to win with a perfect, often uncontested, fast goldfish kill. Just another bonus Bogarted by bringing on that second color.

Naya Valakut Ramp

Kyle Duncan's Naya Valakut Ramp

Decklist Stats Sample Hand

Creature (10)

4 Bloodbraid Elf 4 Knight of the Reliquary 2 Primeval Titan

Sorcery (16)

4 Rampant Growth 4 Explore 3 Growth Spasm 1 Cultivate 4 Scapeshift

Instant (3)

3 Path to Exile

Enchantment (4)

4 Prismatic Omen

Land (27)

4 Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle 9 Mountain 4 Misty Rainforest 3 Verdant Catacombs 1 Murmuring Bosk 1 Khalni Garden 4 Forest 1 Plains

60 Cards

Sideboard (15)

1 Path to Exile 4 Great Sable Stag 4 Obstinate Baloth 2 Primal Command 1 Tectonic Edge 2 Hallowed Burial 1 Day of Judgment

Deal Another Hand

Duncan's deck is another classic example of an upgrade to an existing archetype by adding an additional color; in this case, white.

What does white give Kyle?

Knight of the Reliquary – One of the highest-quality creatures in the format, Knight of the Reliquary gives Duncan the ability to dig up more copies of Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle, as well as the ability to field a powerful board presence several turns before Primeval Titan comes online.
Path to Exile – In addition to a good and fast defensive spell, Path to Exile is a kind of thirteenth acceleration spell. In a pinch you can Path your own creature to set up a lethal Scapeshift.
Sideboard cards (Day of Judgment and Hallowed Burial) – Duncan can slow play against a creature deck by taking the control role. He could methodically get ahead and stay ahead with removal, buying time before going lethal.

While this deck plays four copies of Prismatic Omen, given Kyle's nine Mountains, his deck doesn't strictly need Prismatic Omen out to win (but especially with Knight of the Reliquary, it can be nice).

Green-White Tokens

Jon Boutin's Green-White Tokens

Decklist Stats Sample Hand

Planeswalker (4)

2 Elspeth Tirel 2 Ajani Goldmane

Creature (20)

4 Noble Hierarch 2 Dauntless Escort 4 Wilt-Leaf Liege 4 Kitchen Finks 2 Linvala, Keeper of Silence 4 Qasali Pridemage

Sorcery (6)

1 Conqueror's Pledge 4 Spectral Procession 1 Overrun

Instant (3)

3 Path to Exile

Enchantment (3)

3 Leyline of Sanctity

Land (24)

4 Forest 4 Razorverge Thicket 5 Plains 3 Stirring Wildwood 4 Wooded Bastion 4 Windbrisk Heights

60 Cards

Sideboard (15)

2 Dauntless Escort 1 Linvala, Keeper of Silence 1 Path to Exile 2 Deglamer 1 Cloudthresher 3 Great Sable Stag 2 Pithing Needle 3 Guttural Response

Deal Another Hand

A lot of the "double Standard" Extended decks take their inspiration from past (and in the case of Red-Green Valakut Ramp, present) Standard decks. Boutin's Green-White Tokens deck is reminiscent of the dominant strategy from about two years ago, but jazzed up with some recent bombs.

Basic game plan: The Green-White Tokens deck seeks to break Windbrisk Heights (a lot like Green-White Hideaway), but is more focused on a solid and consistent beatdown than going over the top with a freebie Emrakul or Iona. I mean a free Ajani Goldmane or even Wilt-Leaf Liege is still quite advantageous in terms of mana spent (you devote two lands) and the fact that it is a bonus card.

You can go Noble Hierarch into Spectral Procession, then smash for 6 with a boost. You can get lethal quickly with Overrun, compete on power via your planeswalkers, or take out a Prismatic Omen or awesome Blossom with your Qasali Pridemage.

The Green-White Tokens deck plays a fair number of spoilers—Dauntless Escort prevents an opposing control deck from sweeping your team, and Linvala, Keeper of Silence can silence an entire Elves or Mythic Conscription deck. Lots of stuff against Faeries (Great Sable Stag, Cloudthresher, Guttural Response!) all out of the board, too.

(Don't forget to say "Gutterball" when you spike a Cryptic Command).

The White-Green Tokens poses a surprisingly quick and versatile attack deck with lots of ways to interact with the other top decks in the format without playing the usual suspects.

In sum, come get some.

... But next week, come get some a little early.

In order to accommodate the upcoming Pro Tour Paris, I am going to switch places with my man Jake Van Lunen and run a Top Decks next Wednesday instead of the usual Thursday slot (by Thursday the PT will have already started). So tune in at an all-different Bat-Time (but same Bat-Channel). In the meantime, good luck and have fun!

Posted in Top Decks on February 3, 2011

Roundup

Andrew Hanson's Faeries

Planeswalker (2)

Creature (11)

Sorcery (5)

Instant (12)

Enchantment (4)

Land (26)

Sideboard (15)

Blue (24)

Black (22)

Colorless (29)

1 (11)

2 (13)

3 (10)

4 (12)

6 (2)

Common (13)

Uncommon (9)

Rare (31)

Mythic (22)

Nassim Ketita's Green-Blue Scapeshift Omens

Creature (3)

Sorcery (20)

Instant (6)

Enchantment (4)

Land (27)

Sideboard (15)

Blue (20)

Green (18)

Multi colored (6)

Colorless (31)

1 (7)

2 (18)

3 (7)

4 (12)

6 (2)

Common (32)

Uncommon (3)

Rare (20)

Mythic (20)

Boin's Red Deck Wins

Creature (18)

Instant (18)

Land (24)

Sideboard (15)

Red (43)

Multi colored (8)

Colorless (24)

1 (24)

2 (15)

3 (8)

6 (4)

Common (32)

Uncommon (12)

Rare (31)

Mike Alfano's Blightning Beatdown

Creature (18)

Sorcery (4)

Instant (17)

Land (23)

Sideboard (15)

Black (4)

Red (35)

Multi colored (15)

Colorless (23)

1 (22)

2 (13)

3 (15)

4 (3)

6 (1)

Common (23)

Uncommon (19)

Rare (34)

Mythic (1)

Kyle Duncan's Naya Valakut Ramp

Creature (10)

Sorcery (16)

Instant (3)

Enchantment (4)