Look, here’s the deal.
This article goes up at midnight on Monday. Your registration sheets and deck lists for Regionals are due at 10 a.m. this coming Saturday morning. That give you 130 hours from the time this article is posted to learn everything you possibly can about the current Standard metagame before the player meeting, so we’d better get to steppin’.
This is a list of the 10 decks that I expect to make up most of the field at your local (or in some cases not-so-local) Regional Championships and a brief summary of each, including what I think the odds are that you will face each deck at some point during your day, some of the strengths and weaknesses of each deck and my conclusion on whether I think the deck is a good choice for you, the reader, to play. That may seem like a lot to digest (and it indeed is), but consider the fact that, until recently, I wanted to talk about the top 20 archetypes including breakdowns of Elf Grenade, Elementals and eight others, and that would have been at least ten more pages. You’re welcome.
If you aren’t planning on playing one of these decks then so be it. I’m happy for you. Hope you break the format. Break it right in half. But even if you are playing something totally off the radar you still need to know what you are likely to get thrown into the pit with.
That’s why I am here. Reubs to the rescue.
Let’s get started.
Deck #1: Faeries
I am going to take what may be an unpopular stance: I think that having a deck like Faeries around is healthy for Standard. By that I mean that, in my opinion, having a deck that is clearly out in front in terms of quantity (22% of the day 2 field at the Pro Tour, far and away the most numerous for any one deck) can make a format better overall. I’m not saying Ravager Affinity was good for Standard or anything, but I am saying that it is good for the NFL to have the Patriots. Otherwise, you have what is commonly referred to the ‘Tier 2 Metagame,” where any given deck can win any given tournament, particularly if said given deck is brand spanking new and nobody knows what the heck they are playing against. Take last season’s Extended meta, for example. There was no clear-cut favorite at any point during the season that any one deck was the overwhelming majority (save for a week or two in the northwest with Doran).
Having one deck with a target on its sleeves gives the average card slinger something to aspire to beat. “Can this beat Faeries?” If not then it is probably the wrong choice. “Can this beat… the deck that randomly pops up at the next PTQ?” That’s a tougher task to complete.
You probably won’t have to face anyone as good as Paulo Vitor Long Name Damo Da Really Long Name Da Rosa, just the same you should probably be prepared to face this at some point during your day, as it will show up in droves:
Creatures (15)
Lands (25)
Spells (20)
Sideboard
Likelihood of play: Very High
Now, Fae is not as popular as it was just a few weekends ago, when 5 of the top 8 decks at the SCG 2K were of the small devilish flying variety, seeing as only one made the top 8 in Hollywood last Sunday. That’s… oh, well let me do a bit of math here… why, by my count that’s at least 4 less copies of Fae in the Top 8. Regardless and nevertheless, if you don’t face some little flashable flying blue dudes then you can consider yourself lucky.
Top 5 Strengths: Bitterblossom, Ancestral Visions, Mistbind Clique, Cryptic Command, Spellstutter Sprite
Top 5 Weaknesses: Magus of the Moon, Cloudthresher, Thoughtseize, Riftsweeper, Kitchen Finks
The strengths should come as no surprise to anyone, so I will move right on to the weaknesses. Fae is often kold to a resolved Magus, as the deck only runs 4-6 basic lands. Cloudthreshers (and Firespout) are instant speed x-for-1s and are definitely a beating when they resolve. Thoughtseize seems to be the only constant between Faerie sideboards for the mirror, as they are good for preemptively dealing with Visions and Bitterblossoms. Kitchen Finks may be a bit surprising but I put them on this list because I don’t think that people are giving them a fair shake when it comes to the Fae match. First of all, a three mana dude will often sneak past countermagic. Second, a three-power creature is a decent clock and can put a Fae player under pretty decent pressure in the early and mid-game. Third, the life gain is very relevant in this match up, as the 2 life (or, heavens to Betsy, maybe even 4 life) can mean an attack phase that the Fae player must make up later on in the game. Lastly, and most importantly, Finks can tangle with a Mutavault and live (again) to tell the tale.
Playability: Average
At a PT, Fae wasn’t good because the best players in the world were able to handle its sheer power. But the best players in the world don’t all come to your Regional Championships, so in my humble opinion Fae is a decent choice. That said, if you want to be king of the mountain be prepared to take everyone’s best shot. Everyone and their momma have a sideboard plan for Faeries, from Wispmare to Riftsweeper to Crovax. If you can take the heat, feel free to stay in the kitchen.
Deck #2: B/G Elves
Certainly one of the big decks on the weekend has to be the black-green Elf deck piloted to the top 8 by Shuhei Nakamura and the eventual champion Charles Gindy. Let’s have us a look, shall we?
Creatures (24)
- 4 Llanowar Elves
- 4 Civic Wayfinder
- 1 Boreal Druid
- 4 Tarmogoyf
- 4 Imperious Perfect
- 4 Wren's Run Vanquisher
- 3 Chameleon Colossus
Planeswalkers (2)
Lands (23)
Spells (11)
Sideboard
Likelihood of Play: Very High
Sometimes you just know you’re going to play a certain type of deck. One of those ways is if said deck wins a Pro Tour a couple of weeks ahead of time. I would be shocked (shocked, I tell you) if I were to avoid B/G Elves through all of my rounds on Saturday.
Top 5 Strengths: Wren’s Run Vanquisher, Chameleon Colossus, Thoughtseize, Profane Command, Tarmogoyf
Top 5 Weaknesses: Damnation/Wrath of God, Teferi’s Moat, Firespout, Cryptic Command, Mistbind Clique
I do think that these 5 are the most important spells in the deck to the archetype in this order. Tarmogoyf is very good, but in this deck the game is often over before Goyf is even very relevant (save for the few times you are lucky enough to Thoughtseize away a Bitterblossom turn 1). It’s more of a 6-drop in this deck that can theoretically only costs two mana. The weaknesses are fairly straightforward. Board sweep is clearly of concern and I would suspect that Incremental Blight is quite the beating too, though I have no firsthand experience with or against it in Elves. A Teferi’s Moat is of great concern as well, requiring immediate attention from a Primal Command or Krosan Grip. Mistbind Clique is very good against Elves because the deck runs a full octet of manlands, so tapping potential 2/2s and 3/3s is a real bummer if you wanted to do some bashing (not to mention the fact that Mistbind is a 4/4).
Playability: Very High
This is a good deck to play with at Regionals. Play dudes, attack with dudes, back up with discard and elimination. Certainly there are ways to mess up with Elves in your hands, but it isn’t nearly as easy to punt with, let’s say, Reveillark.
Deck #3: Reveillark
Speak of the devil.
Nowadays, Reveillark has something new to offer: a Red splash for Greater Gargadon. It seems that this deck is definitely a player in the new Standard metagame, as it put two players in the top 8 of Hollywood (with nearly identical lists). For the sake of argument, let’s use the 61-card list as opposed to the more traditional 60-card one.
You know, just ‘cos I can.
Creatures (20)
- 2 Greater Gargadon
- 2 Aven Riftwatcher
- 2 Body Double
- 2 Venser, Shaper Savant
- 4 Mulldrifter
- 4 Sower of Temptation
- 4 Reveillark
Lands (23)
Spells (18)
Likelihood of Play: High
I imagine that, seeing as a quarter of the Top 8 was Lark and it was played to some success, that there will be a fair portion of Reveillark decks this weekend. The new technology of Greater Gargadon brought to you by Makihiro Mihara eliminated the necessity of Mirror Entity and improved the Fae match up slightly.
Top 5 Strengths: Reveillark, Mulldrifter, Body Double, Momentary Blink, Teferi’s Moat
Top 5 Weaknesses: Bitterblossom, Faerie Macabre, Fulminator Mage, Thoughtseize, Magus of the Moon
I included Teferi’s Moat as the fifth card on this list even though it is in the sideboard because it is so good against such a wide variety of decks. As you can see, the decks with access to black have a much better chance against Reveillark because of the grave hate and discard afforded to them. Of course, Faerie Macabre can be played in any deck, but… well… that ruins my argument. Point is that black has ways to deal with the graveyard that don’t have to do with playing permanents like Tormod’s Crypt or Wheel of Sun-and-Moon (which the Reveillark player can simply bounce when they are ready to combo out). Bitterblossom always causes the Lark player problems, as a steady stream of 1/1 fliers is not easy to deal with when you consider the elimination Lark has to deal with them. Magus is still decent here as well, but with Coldsteel Hearts, bounce spells, and a few basic lands it isn’t the beating that it is against Fae.
Playability: Average
Now that people remember that Reveillark is in the format, there will be hate. In addition, there will be more Faeries players at Regionals than at the Pro Tour. However, I believe that it is not a bad decision to play Lark at Regionals, particularly if you think that aggro and Big Mana will be more popular at your tournament.
At this point I would like to talk about the ‘Theory of the Untapped Blue Mana.’ This is one of the big arguments for a deck like Reveillark. Most people are okay with getting a spell destroyed by a Naturalize effect or getting a creature burned by a spell or dying in combat. Somehow, it’s easier to accept. But those people simply cannot accept, either flavorwise or whatever, having a spell ‘countered.’ Fine, you sent some fire at my guy and he died. But snap your fingers and it disappears? Unacceptable. People don’t want to get their foil Dragons sent directly to the bin by some Blue magic before they can burninate the countryside (and, by connection, burninate all the peasants). So players are afraid of untapped islands more than they are of untapped Plains, Mountains, Swamps or Forests. It doesn’t really make logical sense, but it’s the truth. You already have won psychologically. So being able to take advantage of that is a strong argument to play a deck with Islands in it.
Deck #4: Skred Green
Remember when Red Green Snow Mana was the best deck in the format? When Kenny Meyer, Chris Woltereck and many others were governing the environment with Wall of Roots, Harmonize, and Skred? Heck, even I, you friendly neighborhood random, won a fair share of FNMs with Highland Wealds on the table. Ah, those were the days. Well, Marijn Lybaert almost brought those glory days back with this little number that is quite reminiscent of those decks:
Creatures (16)
Lands (24)
Spells (20)
Sideboard
There are some strange numbers and some strange card choices here. Edge of Autumn? Only one Snow-Covered Mountain? A lonely Faerie Macabre in the board? Grim Poppet? Perhaps the biggest surprise is the full complement of Goyfs in the board. But he’s Marijn The Bear, so who am I to argue? Unfortunately for him, he ran into Reveillark in the first round of the Top 8, but that doesn’t mean this deck doesn’t have some potential.
Likelihood of Play: Unknown
I’m not sure how popular this deck will be. I imagine that many people have the remnants of their old Snow deck sitting around in a deck box or binder somewhere so it may see a good amount of play. Or it may not. I really have no idea how popular this thing is going to be, but I would suggest getting familiar with this deck just in case.
Top 5 Strengths: Skred, Wall of Roots, Chameleon Colossus, Cloudthresher, Harmonize
Top 5 Weaknesses: Cryptic Command, Mind Shatter, Teferi’s Moat, Thoughtseize, Reveillark
Skred kills just about everything. Short of Paladin en-Vec, Troll Ascetic or Cho-Manno, Revolutionary, one red mana will take it down. Wall of Roots is the best defensive creature in the format, coming down early and preventing a quick onslaught from the aggressive decks while also being mana acceleration. Harmonize makes sure you don’t run out of gas, refilling your hand with efficient green dudes (or Grim Poppet). However, disruption in the early game can shut down this deck completely. A timely Mind Shatter for 2 or a turn one Thoughseize can ruin the plans of even the best hands. Countering a Harmonize and bouncing a comes-into-play-tapped land with a blue Command is equally troublesome. And as good as Skred is, it does very little when aimed at a Reveillark.
Playability: Above Average
Regionals tends to be aggro-heavy. This deck feasts on aggro-heavy metagames. Firespout maindeck adds to this deck’s appeal. Furthermore, it allows the deck builder to add or subtract fatties as they see fit. Siege-Gang Commanders, Deus of Calamity, you name it you can play it (assuming the mana allows). Heck, I splashed a Tresserhorn Sinks and a Snow-Covered Swamp for a singleton Shriekmaw in mine for a while (a Woltereck special). Decks with that kind of variability are always a fan favorite, so maybe this is the deck for you.
Deck #5: Merfolk
For a deck that made it to the finals of a PT, I have not heard a bunch of chatter about Fish on the interwebs. Maybe it’s because the little kid inside of us decided that Elves is the way to go if you want a link to your kitchen table days, but make no mistake about it, Merfolk is a powerful deck. Apparently, this is the list du jour right now as it had the most success at the Pro Tour:
Creatures (28)
- 4 Lord of Atlantis
- 2 Venser, Shaper Savant
- 4 Merrow Reejerey
- 4 Silvergill Adept
- 3 Sower of Temptation
- 2 Sygg, River Guide
- 2 Tideshaper Mystic
- 3 Stonybrook Banneret
- 4 Cursecatcher
Lands (24)
Spells (8)
Likelihood of Play: High
With twice as many Lords in Standard as any other tribe, access to Dismisses 5-8 in the form of Sage’s Dousing, and far and away the most card draw effects of any archetype in the format I suspect a surge of Merfolk at Regionals.
Top 5 Strengths: Merrow Reejerey, Lord of Atlantis, Stonybrook Banneret, Cursecatcher, Sygg, River Guide
Top 5 Weaknesses: Terror, Razormane Masticore, Garruk Wildspeaker, Damnation/Wrath of God, Firespout
I think that Sygg proved his worth in the Top 8 and deserves to be one of the top 5 most important cards for Merfolk, single-handedly taking down game after game and causing trouble for opponents all weekend. Razormane Masticore seems to cause some trouble though, as do sweeper effects and carefully placed Terrors, Nameless Inversions or Skreds.
I am no expert on Merfolk, so I suggest you look around for someone who is to get a full rundown on the deck. Might I suggest Jon Finkel, who played the little Blue dudes in Hollywood. If you run into him, I’m sure he’d be all too happy to help you out.
Playability: High
This deck plays a lot like Counter Slivers in Legacy. Play early dudes, protect them with countermagic and protection effects, proceed to beat face with those dudes until you win the game. I always liked Counter Slivers and I like Merfolk as well. In the current metagame I think that Merfolk is a solid choice and should be high on your consideration list for Regionals.
Deck #6: Doran
Doran won Worlds. Remember? Uri Peleg? Israel? Ringing any bells? Seems everyone forgot about Doran in between the big tournaments. Much like how Dragonstorm rears its ugly head every year or so, Doran popped up and reminded everyone how good 3-mana 5/5s are, putting Nico Bohny in the top 8.
Creatures (24)
- 2 Llanowar Elves
- 4 Birds of Paradise
- 3 Riftsweeper
- 4 Tarmogoyf
- 4 Doran, the Siege Tower
- 3 Chameleon Colossus
- 4 Kitchen Finks
Lands (23)
Spells (13)
Sideboard
Likelihood of play: Below Average
Surprisingly, I suspect that Doran will not see as much play. This is for a few reasons, most importantly of which is that the perception by many players considering Doran would rather go the Elves route and avoid the third color entirely. But for those brave souls who do choose to add The Worst Color In Magic, you will be rewarded with access to not only everyone’s favorite Treefolk Shaman but also the right to use Oblivion Ring and Wispmare.
Top 5 Strengths: Doran, the Siege Tower; Tarmogoyf; Thoughseize; Kitchen Finks; Profane Command
Top 5 Weaknesses: Magus of the Moon, Fulminator Mage, Reveillark, Skred, Cryptic Command
I don’t think that Profane Command gets enough love. Everyone knows the power of Cryptic Command and people have finally caught on to the power of ‘The Fair Command,’ which if you didn’t know is of the Primal variety. That said, Profane Command is crucial in many deck lists in many formats and deserves much more attention than it is currently getting. As this deck runs no basic lands, cards like Magus of the Moon and Fulminator Mage are a big problem. The fact that both nonbasic hating 2/2s tangle with many of the guys in Doran is just gravy.
Playability: Above Average
As mentioned earlier, Regionals tends to be aggro heavy. With the possibility of getting a turn 2 5/5 and many ways to deal with creatures and a good sideboard strategy, Doran might be a sleeper deck that could take the tournaments across the country by storm.
Deck #7: I Am Red Deck
I was going to keep calling this deck Magic Show Red, but that is no justice for the deck’s originator Chris “I Am” Nighbor. A quick aside: Tom LaPille and I were driving back from the latest SCG weekend. The other three members of the car (JR Wade, GerryT, and Ben Weinberg) were fast asleep, but the two of us were rather tired… and punchy. Anyway, somehow we imagined up Chris Nighbor as a Pokemon.
A Wild Nighbor Appears!
Quick, Use the Ultraballs!
I guess you had to be there…
I assume you all know how Red decks work and this thing is no exception. Cheap, powerful animals and burn spells take your opponent down to zero as quickly as possible. For an example, look at what the other Guillaume made Day 2 with:
Guillaume Cardin
Pro Tour: Hollywood Day 2
4 Ghitu Encampment
16 Mountain
4 Mutavault
4 Fulminator Mage
4 Keldon Marauders
4 Mogg Fanatic
4 Tattermunge Maniac
4 Incinerate
4 Lash Out
4 Rift Bolt
4 Shard Volley
4 Sulfurous Blast
Sideboard:
4 Countryside Crusher
3 Greater Gargadon
4 Magus of the Moon
4 Sulfur Elemental
Likelihood of Play: Very High
This is quite an elegant deck. Everything is maxed out 4-ofs, no questions of what the deck is trying to do. This is a Regionals deck. I would be just as shocked if I didn’t face this deck as I would if I didn’t face Faeries.
Top 5 Strengths: Mogg Fanatic, Magus of the Moon, Fulminator Mage, Lash Out, Rift Bolt
Top 5 Weaknesses: Kitchen Finks, Primal Command, Teferi’s Moat, Wall of Roots, Loxodon Warhammer
I tried to pick strengths for this deck and it proved to be very difficult. As ubiquitous as the Red deck appears to be, there is a ton of variance between the individual copies. Basically, the strength of the deck is aggressive spells. Not one is strictly better than the others. I will make special mention of Magus of the Moon and Fulminator Mage, however, as the nonbasic hate is a strong part of the success of the deck, putting the opponent off balance long enough to finish them off with more traditional angry Red spells. The weaknesses were also a tad tough to decide upon, but basically if your goal is to take life away then life gain and damage prevention are bad for you.
Playability: Low
I’m not sure this is the deck you want to be playing. There’s an awful lot of life gain and control for this kind of deck to fair well. My suggestion is to try to avoid playing this deck this weekend.
Deck #8: R/G Zvi Aggro
Now if you want to see an aggressive deck that I would suggest playing, feast your eyes on this:
Zvi Mowshowitz
Pro Tour: Hollywood Day 2
4 Fire-Lit Thicket
7 Forest
4 Grove of the Burnwillows
4 Karplusan Forest
2 Mountain
4 Birds of Paradise
4 Chameleon Colossus
4 Countryside Crusher
4 Deus of Calamity
4 Llanowar Elves
4 Magus of the Moon
4 Tarmogoyf
2 Firespout
4 Lash Out
3 Tarfire
Sideboard:
1 Cloudthresher
2 Firespout
4 Kitchen Finks
2 Loxodon Warhammer
2 Primal Command
1 Shivan Dragon
2 Squall Line
1 Sulfurous Blast
I just want to stop here and say something. Something that I think needs to be said.
This deck is awesome.
And now, on with the article.
Likelihood of Play: Above Average
I would imagine that this is going to be highly played, as aggro tends to do very well at Regionals. Furthermore, it’s Zvi freaking Mowshowitz. He’s so good they put him in the Hall of Fame, so it has to be good. I think that Zvi and Co. are on the right track with this deck. As he says in his deck tech with Wizards, each individual card is a threat. In a format often defined by 1-for-1s like Terror, Rune Snag, and Oblivion Ring, having a higher threat density can be key. Eventually, you are going to run out of threats or your opponent is going to run out of answers, so the more you have the better your chances are likely to be. Furthermore, having each card be good on its own is a good strategy. A lonely Lord of Atlantis or a singleton Scion of Oona isn’t particularly scary, but a Countryside Crusher or a Deus of Calamity on an empty board will do the trick.
Top 5 Strengths: Magus of the Moon, Chameleon Colossus, Tarmogoyf, Deus of Calamity, Countryside Crusher
Top 5 Weaknesses: Kitchen Finks, Damnation/Wrath of God, Aven Riftwatcher, Mogg Fanatic, Reveillark
Magus of the Moon is possibly the best card in the format and in this deck it comes down turn 2 thanks to Birds and Llanowar Elves. Mogg Fanatic kills those first turn mana plays and so is a very good card against this deck. Kitchen Finks and Aven Riftwatcher tangle with early plays as well as gaining life, causing a lot of problems for the Zvi special.
Playability: High
This deck is the kind of deck that Regionals is famous for: uncomplicated aggro. I expect this deck to show up in droves, though I suspect some of the numbers to change.
Deck #9: Furystokens
Grave Pact Goblins was a deck designed to kill aggro dead. Furystokens is the evolution of Grave Pact Goblins, basically swapping out the mana intensive and highly situational enchantment for the splashy new Furystoke Giant, giving the control-ish deck a combo finish.
Stuart Wright
Pro Tour: Hollywood Day 2
4 Auntie’s Hovel
1 Kher Keep
7 Mountain
1 Pendelhaven
4 Sulfurous Springs
7 Swamp
3 Furystoke Giant
4 Greater Gargadon
3 Magus of the Moon
4 Marsh Flitter
4 Mogg Fanatic
4 Mogg War Marshal
3 Nantuko Husk
4 Shadow Guildmage
4 Bitterblossom
2 Nameless Inversion
1 Slaughter Pact
Sideboard:
4 Dragon’s Claw
2 Extirpate
1 Furystoke Giant
1 Loxodon Warhammer
1 Magus of the Moon
2 Slaughter Pact
4 Thoughtseize
Likelihood of Play: Below Average
This is the list Stuart Wright brought to the party and he did quite well, but people (and by people, I mean the average player who wants to do well at Regionals) tend to shy away from splashy combo, particularly when that combo didn’t win or top 8 a recent tournament. With that in mind, I don’t think this will see the level of play that I think it deserves.
Top 5 Strengths: Greater Gargadon, Furystoke Giant, Magus of the Moon, Bitterblossom, Shadow Guildmage
Top 5 Weaknesses: Primal Command, Pithing Needle, Thoughtseize, Firespout, Riftsweeper
I am fairly unfamiliar with the deck, but beyond the combo pieces I am going to choose Shadow Guildmage as a member of this deck’s top 5. I mean, everything has 1 toughness in this metagame! I am hard pressed to think of a match up where I would sideboard them out. Primal Command sure is a beating, gaining seven and then putting a Blossom on top of your library. Pithing Needle, while not seeing a lot of play right now, certainly shuts this deck down. I am a little surprised at the lack of play that the Needle is seeing right now, as almost every deck runs something to set the Needle to shut down. At the very least it shuts down manlands. Just my two cents.
Playability: Average
Hungry for a combo deck? This would be my suggestion. You could even sideboard into Grave Pact if you really want to, to completely blow out an unsuspecting aggro opponent. This is a fun deck to watch and I’m sure it’s a blast to play.
Deck #10: Quick ‘n Toast
One of the all-stars from Hollywood has to be the emergence of Manuel Bucher Quick ‘n Toast, perhaps the first truly control deck. It is ugly looking. It has a dumb name. According to one pro, it has the “greediest manabase I’ve ever seen.”* It is possibly the next best Standard deck. Coming this summer, it is… Quick ‘n Toast.
Before the Pro Tour, I predicted a few things. One of these predictions was that a four or five color misconglomeration would do well. I suspected that it would include Coalition Relic. I suspected wrong, but predicted correctly. I’m putting it in the ‘Win’ column anyway.
Here’s a list:
Manuel Bucher
Pro Tour: Hollywood Day 2
1 Dreadship Reef
2 Fungal Reaches
1 Grove of the Burnwillows
2 Mystic Gate
4 Reflecting Pool
2 Sunken Ruins
4 Vivid Creek
4 Vivid Grove
4 Yavimaya Coast
3 Cloudthresher
4 Kitchen Finks
4 Mulldrifter
1 Oona, Queen of the Fae
4 Wall of Roots
4 Careful Consideration
3 Cryptic Command
3 Firespout
3 Makeshift Mannequin
4 Rune Snag
3 Slaughter Pact
Sideboard:
1 Detritivore
3 Mind Shatter
2 Primal Command
2 Riftsweeper
1 Shriekmaw
3 Teferi’s Moat
3 Wispmare
Likelihood of Play: High
This deck resonates with people. There’s no rhyme or reason to why some decks make people happy, but this one does. In recent memory, the only thing that I can think of that has this kind of effect on people was the Tooth and Nail deck that Zac Hill played in Spain (where the rain…does… something… argh, I give up). That deck made people want to play it, including me (thanks for the top 16 at the Worlds PTQ, Zac). So does this one. People will play this deck.
Top 5 Strengths: Cryptic Command, Firespout, Wall of Roots, Kitchen Finks, Mulldrifter
Top 5 Weaknesses: Magus of the Moon, Fulminator Mage, Venser, Shaper Savant, Thoughtseize
The mana is so very greedy. Sooo very greeeedy. I mean, look at the top 5 strengths. Ridiculous. A simple Fulminator Mage or Magus of the Moon can presumably shut this deck down all by itself, or at least slow it down for a few turns. Bouncing a Vivid land or a freshly cast threat isn’t very nice either. And, as with most control decks, early discard can ruin your day.
Playability: Depends
If you practice with this deck, practice long and practice hard, you have so very many options at your disposal with QnT. And if you make all of those decisions the correct ones then you are likely to fair very well. But when faced with at least five decisions per turn, it may be tough to overcome human error. Even if you make 90% of the correct decisions, that’s still a misplay every two turns. But if you master it then it is a great choice.
Bonus Deck #11: Plumeveil Control
This deck has gotten some chatter since I posted it a few articles back, so I thought I’d revisit my current build.
Creatures (12)
Lands (25)
Spells (23)
I know that it’s not the flashiest or the most popular or even the most powerful deck available, but as Thomas Crowne would say, you can keep your Monet. I just want my haystacks.
Happy battles.
Reubs
Reuben Bresler
Reubs in the forums
[email protected]
CleverMonikerMan on AIM
*Original source for this quote unknown. Sorry.