After seeing that there were some deck idea submissions posted to the Star City site, I decided to add my own $.02 with a pair of what I think are interesting and fun decks. While they won’t always pound your opponent into submission, they have a chance to win some games and perhaps dominate certain matchups – but for the most part, they seem to test the players’ wits in a unique, and in my opinion, fun way.
Zur’s Temple
RectorWeirdingRebels
4x Academy Rector
1x Rappelling Scouts
1x Jhovall Queen
1x Lin-Sivvi, Defiant Hero
2x Ramosian Lieutenant
4x Ramosian Sergeant
2x Enlightened Tutor
1x Stroke of Genius
4x Memory Lapse
4x Counterspell
4x Zur’s Weirding
1x Treachery
1x Confiscate
1x Abundance
1x Worship
4x Braidwood Cup
8x Island
4x Plains
4x Saprazzan Skerry
4x High Market
4x Adarkar Wastes
Sideboard:
1x No Mercy
1x Douse
1x Light of Day
1x Confiscate
4x Nightwind Glider
4x Thermal Glider
This idea came from some brainstorming sessions on IRC of a small group of players that wanted to make Zur’s Weirding playable. This seems to be a favorite card for the "fun" player to try to make use of in the duel, and I think that this deck has done that. The conversation had, in part, drifted to Zur’s Weirding in a roundabout way too – because if it can be kept on the table, it will beat the powerful Replenish deck as that deck only has a few cards that you have to stop, and between counters and the Weirding that is usually achieved.
Generally, the basis of the idea is that the Rebel engine circumvents the Weirding, and the Temple player can continue to put cards into play while thwarting their opponent’s ability to do so. The deck contains the Braidwood Cups for lifegain to offset the payment of life in dumping opponent’s cards. This slot could also be replaced or augmented with Rejuvenation Chamber, which actually lets you gain its eight-life pool faster.
The deck also contains a small pool of "Sexy Rector" cards to add to its power. Since you hope to limit your opponents’ on-board threats, it becomes a very big thing to steal one or more of your opponents’ permanents as one of several options present themselves. The idea though is NOT to Rector for the Weirding, but to Rector with a Weirding in place. This is why there are four Weirdings. You hope to play it AND have a Rector in hand to fetch a stealing enchantment. Another great option is to fetch Abundance, which also circumvents the Weirding. As a game progresses, you will generally choose to either allow your opponent all their land cards and no spells, or vice versa. The deck is a little light on counters and they must be meted out carefully. The usually-weak Memory Lapse becomes a powerhouse under the Weirding, as that card can expect to be lost.
I find it fun to get 3-4-5 turns into a game and make a decision based on the "Zur’s Gambit."
This next idea isn’t totally absent from the Magic picture. There have been versions of Haunted Crossroads decks that have been played somewhat successfully. My version I think is a more fun "pile," and it usually is fun trying to respond to whatever my opponent happens to throw out.
MysteryMachine
4 Vampiric Tutor
2 Worldly Tutor
4 Birds of Paradise
2 Llanowar Elves
4 Blastoderm
4 Haunted Crossroads
4 Fecundity
1 Deranged Hermit
1 Masticore
1 Squee, Goblin Nabob
1 Thorn Elemental
1 Spore Frog
1 Jolrael, Empress of Beasts
1 Ravenous Rats
1 Elvish Lyrist
1 Dawnstrider
1 Uktabi Orangutan
1 Bone Shredder
1 Highway Robber
9x Forest
8x Swamp
2x Treetop Village
2x Spawning Pool
1x High Market
1x Gaea’s Cradle
1x City of Brass
Obviously, the "fat’ is that you can see third-turn Blastoderms with regularity, and that alone can win games. It gets worse when you can recur them with Haunted Crossroads. Basically, what this deck boils down to is using the Tutors to find the best card for any moment, whether that is a creature, the Crossroads, or the powerful Fecundity. You will notice that most of these creatures have special powers that are made more powerful if you can recur them. One of the best is Spore Frog once Fecundity is in play, as now you can recur the Frog every turn AND draw a card for doing it, keeping you from the infinite Frog Crossroads loop. IF you can establish control Highway Robber, High Market, and the Crossroads is also quite a fun way to end an opponent.
Both of the above decks should perhaps hold some ability to be modified and played after the Urza’s block rotates out, as they only use Urza’s block cards as replaceable additions to the "archetype".