[Editor’s Note: This article reads both front to back and back to front, so it is being presented here in its original form, immediately followed by the same article, but in reverse for easy reading.]
“The Innovator”
Patrick Chapin
What is Reverse-Read Theory Magic, anyway? Have some patience with this article. There is a point, I promise. Let’s just say that it is better to look back after you have already experienced a thing in its entirety. I can’t print everything here. Perhaps another time.
Have I told you about some of the things I saw Mark Rosewater do at Worlds? Aside from countless skipping races for money, I also witnessed drunken shenanigans that even Mark Herberholz would be proud of. On a whim, we called up random people in my speed dial and invited them over for a birthday party. You might not realize this about the guy, but he turned 22 a couple of weeks ago.
Manuel Bucher and I played a lot of Magic before Worlds, but we also partied it up a fair bit. ManuelB even celebrated his first Thanksgiving complete with all of the craziness you would expect. There were multiple dance competitions involving people who didn’t know they were in them. Though they were! There were intelligent, good wholesome women whom I wouldn’t dream of objectifying by calling them something as offensive as “beautiful.” The holidays in Detroit never disappoint.
Where to begin? Okay, let’s get to what you’ve been waiting for.
People talk about Counterbalance, Ad Nauseam, and Trinisphere in Legacy for a reason. They are foolish. Surely we can do better. Goblins and B/W/G Junk? I think those are the only Tier 1 decks. Beyond these strategies, I really think the rest of the decks in the format leave something to be desired. Like Affinity, they are fairly easy to hate out, if you are so inclined. These players are vulnerable to creature decks, however, having real trouble with a lot of random strategies.
Stax is tricky. Its ability to quickly fill the board with lock components, such as its 4 Trinispheres, allow it to give combo players serious headaches. Its mana disruption, combined with threats that cost more than two powered by a ton of acceleration, make it very challenging for Counterbalance decks to deal with. This deck is built to prey on the Tier 1, having inherent strengths against both Counterbalance and combo.
Mono-White Stax
Akihiro Takakuwa
3 Magus of the Tabernacle
4 Armageddon
4 Chalice of the Void
4 Crucible of Worlds
4 Ghostly Prison
3 Enlightened Tutor
2 Oblivion Ring
4 Mox Diamond
2 Smokestack
4 Trinisphere
4 Wasteland
4 Flagstones of Trokair
4 Ancient Tomb
4 City of Traitors
1 Ancient Den
3 Dust Bowl
2 Horizon Canopy
4 Plains
Sideboard
4 Exalted Angel
3 Thorn of Amethyst
3 Tormod’s Crypt
2 Aura of Silence
1 Enlightened Tutor
1 Pithing Needle
1 Rule of Law
Mono-White Stax is an interesting strategy that Akihiro Takakuwa used in the Legacy portion of the Team Challenge, this year.
If you neglect to spend time looking at this strategy, you will be punished.
Tendrils of Agony and Goblin Charbelcher have long been classic kill cards in decks like these, and now with Ad Nauseam to fuel them, they are probably Tier 1. These combo decks are ruthlessly fast and chock full of Vintage restricted cards, such as Lion’s Eye Diamond, Lotus Petal, Mystical Tutor, and Brainstorm.
Ad Nauseam-Belcher
Toshikazu Fujii
4 Simian Spirit Guide
4 Elvish Spirit Guide
4 Tinder Wall
4 Rite of Flame
4 Dark Ritual
4 Lotus Petal
4 Lion’s Eye Diamond
3 Cabal Ritual
4 Burning Wish
4 Chrome Mox
3 Empty the Warrens
2 Ad Nauseam
4 Goblin Charbelcher
2 Infernal Tutor
4 Land Grant
1 Manamorphose
3 Seething Song
1 Bayou
1 Taiga
Sideboard
4 Shattering Spree
4 Pyroblast
1 Cave-In
1 Ad Nauseam
1 Pyroclasm
1 Empty the Warrens
1 Infernal Tutor
1 Simplify
1 Tendrils of Agony
Ad Nauseam Tendrils
Ryousei Kawai
4 Rite of Flame
4 Mystical Tutor
4 Lion’s Eye Diamond
4 Lotus Petal
4 Dark Ritual
2 Ad Nauseam
1 Ancient Grudge
4 Brainstorm
3 Burning Wish
2 Cabal Ritual
4 Chrome Mox
1 Echoing Truth
4 Duress
2 Infernal Tutor
2 Mox Diamond
2 Orim’s Chant
4 Gemstone Mine
4 Polluted Delta
1 Badlands
1 Tundra
1 Underground Sea
1 Island
1 Swamp
Sideboard
3 Dark Confidant
3 Angel’s Grace
1 Ancient Grudge
1 Empty the Warrens
1 Infernal Tutor
1 Meltdown
1 Orim’s Chant
1 Pyroclasm
1 Rolling Earthquake
1 Tendrils of Agony
1 Thoughtseize
What do the two best Ad Nauseam decks in the format use? Cards like Sorrow’s Path and Great Wall, obviously. However, if you name some bad cards, you will see that you can’t just fill your deck with any old junk. Dark Ritual and Cabal Ritual, for example.
There are a variety of ways to win turn 1 with Ad Nauseam. If you don’t want to play Counterbalance, another strategy to consider is that of the turn 1 kill.
Zvi has another approach to this basic strategy which you can read about in his 2007 Worlds tournament report, here. Just look at the deck’s core. The Dreadnaughts and Standstills instead of Tarmogoyfs and Dark Confidants are just details. Counterbalance, Top, Brainstorm, and Force of Will are the keys.
Paul Cheon is a force to be reckoned with. This is what he played a couple of weeks ago.
Dreadtill
Paul Cheon
4 Brainstorm
4 Force of Will
4 Standstill
4 Daze
4 Stifle
3 Counterbalance
4 Trinket Mage
3 Spell Snare
2 Trickbind
3 Phyrexian Dreadnaught
2 Sensei’s Divining Top
2 Engineered Explosives
3 Wasteland
3 Polluted Delta
3 Flooded Strand
2 Volcanic Island
4 Mishra’s Factory
6 Island
Sideboard
3 Tormod’s Crypt
3 Blue Elemental Blast
2 Red Elemental Blast
1 Pyroblast
2 Echoing Truth
1 Pithing Needle
1 Relic of Progenitus
2 Pyroclasm
Paul Cheon went undefeated in the Legacy portion of the World’s Team Event this year, helping lead Team USA to the title. The Threshold shell is hardly the only way to compliment Counterbalance-Top. It is a quite good one, though. Counterbalance is not an unbeatable strategy. I just think that decks revolving around Brainstorm, Force of Will, Top, and Counterbalance have advantages that other decks just lack.
This is the deck I played in the Legacy portion of Worlds 2007.
Next Level Blue
Patrick Chapin
4 Tarmogoyf
4 Nimble Mongoose
4 Dark Confidant
4 Force of Will
4 Brainstorm
4 Ponder
1 Serum Visions
2 Thoughtseize
4 Swords to Plowshares
3 Counterbalance
3 Daze
1 Stifle
3 Sensei’s Divining Top
1 Engineered Explosives
4 Polluted Delta
4 Flooded Strand
4 Tropical Island
3 Underground Sea
2 Tundra
1 Island
Sideboard
4 Engineered Plague
3 Leyline of the Void
2 Stifle
3 Threads of Disloyalty
2 Krosan Grip
1 Engineered Explosives
I intentionally drew with Uri Peleg in the final round of swiss, at the World Championships in 2007. I defeated Zoo, Mono-W Stax, and Threshold, losing to Nassif and his Landstill deck. I didn’t love Serum Visions, but the rest of the deck was great. While this was over a year ago, I think the deck is still very real and a great place to start.
I was very happy with my World’s 2007 deck and plan on starting my Chicago preparations by revisiting it.
Personally, I like using the best creatures in the game’s history, Tarmogoyf and Dark Confidant. The rest of the deck can be built to your taste, as there are a variety of ways to take advantage of this basic foundation.
This deck is fueled by Brainstorm, Force of Will, and if you want, Ponder, giving you a deadly core that dominated Vintage before Erik Lauer stepped in. This engine is overwhelmingly powerful on its own and even more so in a format as overrun with zero-, one-, and two-mana spells as this one. Counterbalance-Top is my favorite strategy in this format.
What are the actual best strategies, though? Personally, I think the best strategies in Legacy, right now, are those that revolve around abusing cards that are restricted in Vintage, but legal as four-ofs in this format.
One interesting consequence is that decks have popped up that revolve around a number of cards that are restricted in Vintage, but have been deemed fine as four-ofs in Legacy, such as Lion’s Eye Diamond, Lotus Petal, Mystical Tutor, Brainstorm, Ponder, Merchant Scroll, Burning Wish, Trinisphere, Regrowth, and so on. As a result, a separate list was made, treating Legacy as its own entity.
Cards like Mana Drain, Mishra’s Workshop, and Bazaar of Baghdad may not be restricted in Vintage, but they would certainly make Legacy unfun if they were legal. Legacy hasn’t been as widely played as many other formats. Over time, this proved to make a format that was less than interesting. Legacy used to be a toned-down version of Type 1, simply removing the restricted cards, but all that changed.
That means it is worth starting to take a look at what this insanely powered format is like these days. There is a Legacy GP coming up in March, and a new set will probably not shake up as old and powerful of a format as this one, much. You want to know a format that is underrated and a lot of fun, in my humble opinion?
I am in love with the Peasant Highlander format, and I don’t play anything else any more, would be an example. If I did, I would say something totally different. No, I am not kidding, and would not joke about something like this.
Seeing as there is an Extended GP/PTQ season and then a Standard Pro Tour first, I suppose I should probably focus on those for the time being. A second set tends to dramatically alter the landscape of a Block format, so it is hard to tell what Shards Block Constructed will look like.
Speaking of Block, I can’t wait to take part in the most awesome prerelease on Earth, the Conflux prerelease on the Game in the Gulf Magic Cruise in February. The thing is, the Block Pro Tour isn’t until long after Conflux is legal. It should be very interesting and a lot of fun. I haven’t really played any Shards Block Constructed, yet, though I certainly look forward to it.
My perspectives on Standard and Extended haven’t really changed in the past two weeks. Two weeks ago, I broke down the basics to the strategy I recommend for Standard, here. Last week, I went into great detail laying out the current Extended metagame, here.
Warning, things are about to get crazy, but try to enjoy the colorful story and trust that the other version is actually true.
Strategy talk mixed with insanity seems like a reasonable deal right? Okay, I realize I have been guilty of rambling a little today, but a writer is appreciative when he is given a little room to try something creative. I know I would be.
Would authors be beating a dead horse if they talked about the power level of Faerie cards in Standard? Well, they would if they talked about that this week. GerryT and Paulo Vitor Damo da Rosa articles explain the subject well.
Everyone loves those cards’ impact on the game! Plus, they are all interesting on many levels and very flavorful and fun. I love that they are printing them just right so that they stay cool.
The amount of time and energy that R&D must have spent making them all sophisticated and strong, but not broken, is impressive. I love these cards. Bitterblossom is a prime example. Isn’t it great that they didn’t turn out format warping and boring, like certain mistakes? Planeswalkers come to mind. Personally, if I had to name the single greatest achievement of Wizards R&D, I know what I would say.
As much as I love Oona and her storyline, just like 9 million other Magic players, I can’t wait to see what they do with Nico Bolas, Planeswalker. It is kind of fun reading up on the Magic backstory, like the Brother’s War. Isn’t that the storyline when a gate to the plane of Shiv opens up on Phyrexia?
ManuelB and I were walking along, talking about the Magic storyline, trying to think of which part of the story that was in. All of sudden, a dimensional crack opened up and revealed a world with lakes of fire! Not every night turns out to be easy. Where had Bucher and I ended up? Hell, it was torturous. As crazy as this place looked, it was not the most fun atmosphere we have experienced. The walls were filled with fire and we were surrounded by the former Detroit Mayor’s entourage. This place was unreal.
ManuelB and I looked around and immediately looked to escape. We tried taking the elevator up. It seemed like we had to wait an eternity, but eventually we made it. To really appreciate what we went through, I recommend reading Dante’s Inferno.
Another night, we were out at a Casino and ended up waiting in line for a private party in the attached club. Going out was always fun. We met the club owner and saw him give VIP passes to a couple of young lady friends of mine. By that, I mean that he talked to them and was a perfect gentleman. Manuel Bucher ended up spending the night with two girls, Brooke and Carol! It was out of control, we are talking beyond epic. (Sean McKeown can attest to this.) There is nothing like a night at the Gothic/Industrial/Drum’n’Bass Club.
ManeulB is a helluva wingman. So many girls’ names were told to us. Surely I can think of one or two. Hrmm. Maybe not.
Let’s see, you want some interesting stories? Awkward.
Where is Michael J. Flores these days? He is the greatest deck builder of all time.
A number of people don’t realize something about Gabriel Nassif. It would be nice to say that Nassif is not a cross-dresser. The thing is, as funny as it sounds, that is not even remotely true. Gabriel Nassif wears women’s underwear. He had been one of those people who hadn’t really tried it, just not doing it because Gerry Thompson does it that way. Now he loves to do it.
While playtesting in Atlanta, I had the pleasure of demonstrating to Charles Gindy why exactly it is that Cruel Ultimatum is the real deal. Some people were drafting Tempest in real life, but I stayed busy preparing for Worlds. We needed a weapon.
Sword, a fantasy metal band, was playing a show in town later in the weekend, so maybe there was still hope. Personally, I doubted it. I mean, that is what the music to which we were rocking out claimed, anyway. As it turns out, we had to take off our clothes to have a good time. We were joined by such legends as Chris Pikula, Rudy Edwards, and Aziz Al-Doory who helped make this a lot more fun. Boys will be boys.
I know a lot of hardcore thespians, and this insanity was beyond anything I had ever seen. Picture a giant gamer-commune from the old school, filled with Magic players doing what Magic players do behind closed doors. It was such a blast hanging out at KK’s place in Atlanta.
Doesn’t that sound like a great time?
How about a month of good times with ManuelB? I gave him a ride to Atlanta for the Grand Prix. He would stay with me for a month, and then fly home. He had simply told Wizards he wanted to fly into Worlds in November. We had picked ManuelB up down south since his flight was paid for, but he had heard that he had to fly into and out of the same airport.
While on the drive, we listened to a whole CD of songs with subliminal messages in them. The weird thing is, the music made sense both forwards and backwards, but it was very different depending on which way you heard it. It wasn’t like that Missy Elliot song Tim Aten likes that is just a sample in reverse.
“Even though the song makes sense forward, we are supposed to go back and listen to it backwards?” he asked me. After he got in, we listened to this song that was backmasked on top of another song. I rocked out to Billy Joel while Manuel Bucher loaded his stuff into my car and got in.
“Do you really feel the way I feel? Walking in Memphis. Walking with my feet ten feet off the field. I was walking in Memphis.”
The plane finally touched down…
…
The plane finally touched down…
“I was walking in Memphis. Walking with my feet ten feet off the field. Walking in Memphis. Do you really feel the way I feel?”
I rocked out to Billy Joel while Manuel Bucher loaded his stuff into my car and got in. After he got in, we listened to this song that was backmasked on top of another song. “Even though the song makes sense forward, we are supposed to go back and listen to it backwards?” he asked me.
It wasn’t like that Missy Elliot song Tim Aten likes that is just a sample in reverse. The weird thing is, the music made sense both forwards and backwards, but it was very different depending on which way you heard it.
While on the drive, we listened to a whole CD of songs with subliminal messages in them.
We had picked ManuelB up down south since his flight was paid for, but he had heard that he had to fly into and out of the same airport. He had simply told Wizards he wanted to fly into Worlds in November. He would stay with me for a month, and then fly home. I gave him a ride to Atlanta for the Grand Prix. How about a month of good times with ManuelB?
Doesn’t that sound like a great time?
It was such a blast hanging out at KK’s place in Atlanta. Picture a giant gamer-commune from the old school, filled with Magic players doing what Magic players do behind closed doors. I know a lot of hardcore thespians, and this insanity was beyond anything I had ever seen.
Boys will be boys.
We were joined by such legends as Chris Pikula, Rudy Edwards, and Aziz Al-Doory who helped make this a lot more fun. As it turns out, we had to take off our clothes to have a good time. I mean, that is what the music to which we were rocking out claimed, anyway. Personally, I doubted it. Sword, a fantasy metal band, was playing a show in town later in the weekend, so maybe there was still hope.
We needed a weapon. Some people were drafting Tempest in real life, but I stayed busy preparing for Worlds. While playtesting in Atlanta, I had the pleasure of demonstrating to Charles Gindy why exactly it is that Cruel Ultimatum is the real deal. Now he loves to do it. He had been one of those people who hadn’t really tried it, just not doing it because Gerry Thompson does it that way.
Gabriel Nassif wears women’s underwear.
The thing is, as funny as it sounds, that is not even remotely true. It would be nice to say that Nassif is not a cross-dresser. A number of people don’t realize something about Gabriel Nassif. He is the greatest deck builder of all time. Where is Michael J. Flores these days?
Awkward. Let’s see, you want some interesting stories? Maybe not. Hrmm. Surely I can think of one or two. So many girls’ names were told to us. ManeulB is a helluva wingman.
There is nothing like a night at the Gothic/Industrial/Drum’n’Bass Club. (Sean McKeown can attest to this.) It was out of control, we are talking beyond epic. Manuel Bucher ended up spending the night with two girls, Brooke and Carol! By that, I mean that he talked to them and was a perfect gentleman. We met the club owner and saw him give VIP passes to a couple of young lady friends of mine.
Going out was always fun. Another night we were out at a Casino and ended up waiting in line for a private party in the attached club. To really appreciate what we went through, I recommend reading Dante’s Inferno. It seemed like we had to wait an eternity, but eventually we made it. We tried taking the elevator up. ManuelB and I looked around and immediately looked to escape.
This place was unreal. The walls were filled with fire and we were surrounded by the former Detroit Mayor’s entourage. As crazy as this place looked, it was not the most fun atmosphere we have experienced. Hell, it was torturous. Where had Bucher and I ended up? Not every night turns out to be easy. All of sudden, a dimensional crack opened up and revealed a world with lakes of fire!
ManuelB and I were walking along, talking about the Magic storyline, trying to think of which part of the story that was in. Isn’t that the storyline when a gate to the plane of Shiv opens up on Phyrexia? It is kind of fun reading up on the Magic backstory, like the Brother’s War. As much as I love Oona and her storyline, just like 9 million other Magic players, I can’t wait to see what they do with Nico Bolas, Planeswalker.
Personally, if I had to name the single greatest achievement of Wizards R&D, I know what I would say. Planeswalkers come to mind. Isn’t it great that they didn’t turn out format warping and boring, like certain mistakes? Bitterblossom is a prime example. I love these cards. The amount of time and energy that R&D must have spent making them all sophisticated and strong, but not broken, is impressive.
I love that they are printing them just right so that they stay cool. Plus, they are all interesting on many levels and very flavorful and fun. Everyone loves those cards’ impact on the game!
GerryT and Paulo Vitor Damo da Rosa articles explain the subject well. Well, they would if they talked about that this week. Would authors be beating a dead horse if they talked about the power level of Faerie cards in Standard? I know I would be.
Okay, I realize I have been guilty of rambling a little today, but a writer is appreciative when he is given a little room to try something creative. Strategy talk mixed with insanity seems like a reasonable deal right?
Warning, things are about to get crazy, but try to enjoy the colorful story and trust that the other version is actually true.
Last week, I went into great detail laying out the current Extended metagame, here. Two weeks ago, I broke down the basics to the strategy I recommend for Standard, here. My perspectives on Standard and Extended haven’t really changed in the past two weeks.
I haven’t really played any Shards Block Constructed, yet, though I certainly look forward to it. It should be very interesting and a lot of fun. The thing is, the Block Pro Tour isn’t until long after Conflux is legal. Speaking of Block, I can’t wait to take part in the most awesome prerelease on Earth, the Conflux prerelease on the Game in the Gulf Magic Cruise in February.
A second set tends to dramatically alter the landscape of a Block format, so it is hard to tell what Shards Block Constructed will look like. Seeing as there is an Extended GP/PTQ season and then a Standard Pro Tour first, I suppose I should probably focus on those for the time being.
No, I am not kidding and would not joke about something like this. If I did, I would say something totally different. I am in love with the Peasant Highlander format, and I don’t play anything else any more, would be an example.
You want to know a format that is underrated and a lot of fun, in my humble opinion? There is a Legacy GP coming up in March, and a new set will probably not shake up as old and powerful of a format as this one, much. That means it is worth starting to take a look at what this insanely powered format is like these days.
Legacy used to be a toned-down version of Type 1, simply removing the restricted cards, but all that changed. Over time, this proved to make a format that was less than interesting. Legacy hasn’t been as widely played as many other formats. Cards like Mana Drain, Mishra’s Workshop, and Bazaar of Baghdad may not be restricted in Vintage, but they would certainly make Legacy unfun if they were legal.
As a result, a separate list was made, treating Legacy as its own entity. One interesting consequence is that decks have popped up that revolve around a number of cards that are restricted in Vintage, but have been deemed fine as four-ofs in Legacy, such as Lion’s Eye Diamond, Lotus Petal, Mystical Tutor, Brainstorm, Ponder, Merchant Scroll, Burning Wish, Trinisphere, Regrowth, and so on.
Personally, I think the best strategies in Legacy, right now, are those that revolve around abusing cards that are restricted in Vintage, but legal as four-ofs in this format. What are the actual best strategies, though?
Counterbalance-Top is my favorite strategy in this format. This engine is overwhelmingly powerful on its own and even more so in a format as overrun with zero-, one-, and two-mana spells as this one. This deck is fueled by Brainstorm, Force of Will, and if you want, Ponder, giving you a deadly core that dominated Vintage before Erik Lauer stepped in.
The rest of the deck can be built to your taste, as there are a variety of ways to take advantage of this basic foundation. Personally, I like using the best creatures in the game’s history, Tarmogoyf and Dark Confidant.
I was very happy with my World’s 2007 deck and plan on starting my Chicago preparations by revisiting it.
While this was over a year ago, I think the deck is still very real and a great place to start. I didn’t love Serum Visions, but the rest of the deck was great. I defeated Zoo, Mono-W Stax, and Threshold, losing to Nassif and his Landstill deck. I intentionally drew with Uri Peleg in the final round of swiss, at the World Championships in 2007.
Next Level Blue
Patrick Chapin
4 Tarmogoyf
4 Nimble Mongoose
4 Dark Confidant
4 Force of Will
4 Brainstorm
4 Ponder
1 Serum Visions
2 Thoughtseize
4 Swords to Plowshares
3 Counterbalance
3 Daze
1 Stifle
3 Sensei’s Divining Top
1 Engineered Explosives
4 Polluted Delta
4 Flooded Strand
4 Tropical Island
3 Underground Sea
2 Tundra
1 Island
Sideboard
4 Engineered Plague
3 Leyline of the Void
2 Stifle
3 Threads of Disloyalty
2 Krosan Grip
1 Engineered Explosives
This is the deck I played in the Legacy portion of Worlds 2007.
I just think that decks revolving around Brainstorm, Force of Will, Top, and Counterbalance have advantages that other decks just lack. Counterbalance is not an unbeatable strategy. It is a quite good one though.
The Threshold shell is hardly the only way to compliment Counterbalance-Top. Paul Cheon went undefeated in the Legacy portion of the World’s Team Event this year, helping lead Team USA to the title.
Dreadtill
Paul Cheon
4 Brainstorm
4 Force of Will
4 Standstill
4 Daze
4 Stifle
3 Counterbalance
4 Trinket Mage
3 Spell Snare
2 Trickbind
3 Phyrexian Dreadnaught
2 Sensei’s Divining Top
2 Engineered Explosives
3 Wasteland
3 Polluted Delta
3 Flooded Strand
2 Volcanic Island
4 Mishra’s Factory
6 Island
Sideboard
3 Tormod’s Crypt
3 Blue Elemental Blast
2 Red Elemental Blast
1 Pyroblast
2 Echoing Truth
1 Pithing Needle
1 Relic of Progenitus
2 Pyroclasm
Paul Cheon is a force to be reckoned with. This is what he played a couple of weeks ago.
Counterbalance, Top, Brainstorm, and Force of Will are the keys. The Dreadnaughts and Standstills instead of Tarmogoyfs and Dark Confidants are just details. Just look at the deck’s core. Zvi has another approach to this basic strategy which you can read about in his 2007 Worlds tournament report, here.
If you don’t want to play Counterbalance, another strategy to consider is that of the turn 1 kill. There are a variety of ways to win turn 1 with Ad Nauseam.
Dark Ritual and Cabal Ritual, for example. However, if you name some bad cards, you will see that you can’t just fill your deck with any old junk. Cards like Sorrow’s Path and Great Wall, obviously. What do the two best Ad Nauseam decks in the format use?
Ad Nauseam-Belcher
Toshikazu Fujii
4 Simian Spirit Guide
4 Elvish Spirit Guide
4 Tinder Wall
4 Rite of Flame
4 Dark Ritual
4 Lotus Petal
4 Lion’s Eye Diamond
3 Cabal Ritual
4 Burning Wish
4 Chrome Mox
3 Empty the Warrens
2 Ad Nauseam
4 Goblin Charbelcher
2 Infernal Tutor
4 Land Grant
1 Manamorphose
3 Seething Song
1 Bayou
1 Taiga
Sideboard
4 Shattering Spree
4 Pyroblast
1 Cave-In
1 Ad Nauseam
1 Pyroclasm
1 Empty the Warrens
1 Infernal Tutor
1 Simplify
1 Tendrils of Agony
Ad Nauseam Tendrils
Ryousei Kawai
4 Rite of Flame
4 Mystical Tutor
4 Lion’s Eye Diamond
4 Lotus Petal
4 Dark Ritual
2 Ad Nauseam
1 Ancient Grudge
4 Brainstorm
3 Burning Wish
2 Cabal Ritual
4 Chrome Mox
1 Echoing Truth
4 Duress
2 Infernal Tutor
2 Mox Diamond
2 Orim’s Chant
4 Gemstone Mine
4 Polluted Delta
1 Badlands
1 Tundra
1 Underground Sea
1 Island
1 Swamp
Sideboard
3 Dark Confidant
3 Angel’s Grace
1 Ancient Grudge
1 Empty the Warrens
1 Infernal Tutor
1 Meltdown
1 Orim’s Chant
1 Pyroclasm
1 Rolling Earthquake
1 Tendrils of Agony
1 Thoughtseize
These combo decks are ruthlessly fast and chock full of Vintage restricted cards, such as Lion’s Eye Diamond, Lotus Petal, Mystical Tutor, and Brainstorm. Tendrils of Agony and Goblin Charbelcher have long been classic kill cards in decks like these, and now with Ad Nauseam to fuel them, they are probably Tier 1.
If you neglect to spend time looking at this strategy, you will be punished.
Mono-White Stax is an interesting strategy that Akihiro Takakuwa used in the Legacy portion of the Team Challenge, this year.
Mono-White Stax
Akihiro Takakuwa
3 Magus of the Tabernacle
4 Armageddon
4 Chalice of the Void
4 Crucible of Worlds
4 Ghostly Prison
3 Enlightened Tutor
2 Oblivion Ring
4 Mox Diamond
2 Smokestack
4 Trinisphere
4 Wasteland
4 Flagstones of Trokair
4 Ancient Tomb
4 City of Traitors
1 Ancient Den
3 Dust Bowl
2 Horizon Canopy
4 Plains
Sideboard
4 Exalted Angel
3 Thorn of Amethyst
3 Tormod’s Crypt
2 Aura of Silence
1 Enlightened Tutor
1 Pithing Needle
1 Rule of Law
This deck is built to prey on the Tier 1, having inherent strengths against both Counterbalance and combo. Its mana disruption, combined with threats that cost more than two powered by a ton of acceleration, make it very challenging for Counterbalance decks to deal with. Its ability to quickly fill the board with lock components, such as its 4 Trinispheres, allow it to give combo players serious headaches. Stax is tricky.
These players are vulnerable to creature decks, however, having real trouble with a lot of random strategies. Like Affinity, they are fairly easy to hate out, if you are so inclined.
Beyond these strategies, I really think the rest of the decks in the format leave something to be desired. I think those are the only Tier 1 decks. Goblins and B/W/G Junk? Surely we can do better. They are foolish. People talk about Counterbalance, Ad Nauseam, and Trinisphere in Legacy for a reason.
Where to begin? Okay, let’s get to what you’ve been waiting for.
The holidays in Detroit never disappoint. There were intelligent, good wholesome women whom I wouldn’t dream of objectifying by calling them something as offensive as “beautiful.” Though they were! There were multiple dance competitions involving people who didn’t know they were in them. ManuelB even celebrated his first Thanksgiving complete with all of the craziness you would expect. Manuel Bucher and I played a lot of Magic before Worlds, but we also partied it up a fair bit.
You might not realize this about the guy, but he turned 22 a couple of weeks ago. On a whim, we called up random people in my speed dial and invited them over for a birthday party. Aside from countless skipping races for money, I also witnessed drunken shenanigans that even Mark Herberholz would be proud of. Have I told you about some of the things I saw Mark Rosewater do at Worlds?
Perhaps another time. I can’t print everything here. Let’s just say that it is better to look back after you have already experienced a thing in its entirety. There is a point, I promise. Have some patience with this article. What is Reverse-Read Theory Magic, anyway?
Patrick Chapin
“The Innovator”