Last Friday night I was hanging outside Richmond Comix with Jay Delazier between rounds, and he mentioned he didn’t like last week’s column very much. When I asked him why, he said he thought I was contradicting myself – on the one hand I was lamenting the lack of diversity in Standard (despite the claims the claims to the contrary by the good folks at Wizards), and wishing that people played with a wider variety of cards as opposed to selecting a couple of the dominant, power cards in the format and then sprinkling in some filler. On the other hand, I was talking about adding the ubiquitous Sowers of Temptation along with the less played but powerful Vendilion Clique to my deck, not exactly walking the cutting edge of technology. Jay didn’t see why I was down on Patrick Chapin “devolution” of Dark Bant into a Doran/Elf hybrid while at the same time advocating my own Lorwyn card modifications.
Fair enough. Perhaps I should clarify things a bit, especially since many of the forum comments seemed to come down on the side of apparently being happy with the format. Really? Is everyone satisfied with the metagame, content with the cards being played and not being played? Perfectly fine with every other deck revolving around a handful of juiced up Lorwyn cards? Really?
Perhaps I’m letting my gray hairs get to me, revealing a little too much crotchety old man. Perhaps I’m just grumpy with not already knowing the full spoiler for the upcoming set for the first time in over seven years; I’m a civilian player now just like everyone else! The demise of Scrye sucks in many ways.
Basically, my heart tells me that the Standard metagame is stagnant and in desperate need of some shaking up. I have hope that Alara Reborn might shake things up, but my guess is that it won’t. Considering how much Standard I’m going to be playing, both in Friday Night Magic tournaments, PTQs and Regionals, it makes me sad and more than a little grumpy that I’m going to be playing a lot of predictable, boring games of Magic, many with a lot on the line (with the caveat that a boring day of Magic beats an exciting day at work).
That’s my heart talking. My heart wishes and hopes and dreams. Now my head… my head is interesting in figuring out how to win without completely selling out to the Tier 1 netdecks. Thus, I don’t have a problem with utilizing these overpowered Lorwyn cards to improve a deck if it means a better shot at winning a PTQ or making Top 4 at Regionals.
Now, I’ve got good reasons for considering Chapin’s take on Dark Bant a devolution, while my version I’d consider an evolution, even if both are adding in Lorwyn cards. It comes down one of the few new revolutionary cards to come out of Conflux – Ancient Ziggurat. My deck is built to try and take maximum advantage of this incredible mana fixer, and that pretty much demands playing nearly all creatures. Add Birds of Paradise, Noble Hierarch, and Reflecting Pool to the mix, and you can pretty much play nearly any creature in the format. That’s why you can do crazy things like turn 1 Bird, turn 2 Sculler, and turn 3 Sower consistently.
Patrick takes out the Ziggurat and pretty much abandons Conflux altogether outside the awesome Noble Hierarchs. I’m not claiming that’s a bad move; in fact, I’d pretty much bet money that his deck is a powerful, winning machine. I don’t blame him for seeking out the most powerful, winning combination of cards – that’s what he does, and if the cards from Lorwyn helps him win more, I expect him to go that route. But that also doesn’t mean I’m not disappointed that he goes back to the tried and true rather than breaks new ground with the newest cards.
Okay, so have I clarified where I stand? Is it clear… as mud? Hahaha!
Anyway, here’s what I ended up running for last week’s Standard FNM. It’s gotten a few tweaks since I wrote last week’s article:
Creatures (34)
- 4 Birds of Paradise
- 2 Briarhorn
- 4 Doran, the Siege Tower
- 3 Shriekmaw
- 4 Sower of Temptation
- 2 Vendilion Clique
- 3 Rafiq of the Many
- 4 Rhox War Monk
- 4 Tidehollow Sculler
- 4 Noble Hierarch
Lands (23)
Spells (3)
After I’d turned in my column last week, I got a flash of inspiration – Cephalid Constable! Now I know a few people have tried making Constable decks competitive, dropping one on turn 2 on the play can really lock down a slow opponent, and with Noble Hierarch and Exalted, the Constable is this close to being good. The problem is you’re playing Birds and Hierarchs and then your three-drop also has one toughness, so you’re just begging to be blown away by Volcanic Fallout or Infest. On the other hand, against slower decks, especially those playing Vivid lands, a turn 2 Constable backed with Exalted should be game over. Still, you can’t always count on turn 2 Constable, which is why I worked 2 Briarhorns into my maindeck, to help make a mid-game Constable potentially relevant. The Constable seems like a very techy sideboard card for a Ziggurat deck. Brigid and Galepowder Mage were my picks for helping deal with tokens, even after they’ve been boosted with a Glorious Anthem or an Ajani activation. Too often tokens are larger than 1/1, which makes Scattershot Elves less than ideal.
We had 22 people muster out for the FNM – a good crowd! Here’s a brief overview on how the tournament went.
Round 1 versus Roger, Bloom Tender/Mistmeadow Witch
I get the dream opening of turn 1 Birds, turn 2 Doran, smash in with Doran and Birds, then smash in with Doran, Birds, and Treetop Village. Roger scoops shortly thereafter. Game 2 is a little slower, with a turn 2 Sculler removing a Cryptic Command from the game, and an evoked Shriekmaw taking down his Witch before he got enough mana to get crazy. I get in two hits with Sculler before he stalls the ground with some Cryptics and creatures and we eyeball each other a bit. Finally I stick a Shriekmaw and, backed with a little Exalted, fear goes all the way.
Match 2-0, Games 1-0
Round 2 versus Shaun, Cruel Control
He goes first, and I start things slow with a turn 2 Sculler, though with him playing Vivid lands I figure I have a little time. I tuck away Esper Charm under the Sculler and leave him Broodmate Dragon and Cruel Ultimatum. I get in three smacks with Sculler, including boosted with Briarhorn to take him to 11, and he taps out to play Broodmate. At the end of his turn I dispatch the dragons with two Paths to Exile and play Vendilion Clique. The peek at his hand reveals the Cruel, a Banefire and two Cryptics—yikes! I untap, draw the second Briarhorn and attack with the Sculler, Briarhorn, Clique with a +3/+3 boost from the Briarhorn to deal exactly 11! Shawn looks surprised, and laments not just tapping the team twice with his Cryptics, though it would certainly be tough to suspect two Paths and a Clique after he played a Broodmate. Game two I have to mulligan an exceedingly slow hand, with three spells and four lands, and get basically the same with one less land. I do have my sideboard tech card and a counterspell to back it up, so I elect to keep. Luckily, Shawn has the extremely slow all Vivid land opener, so when I play my turn 3 Cephalid Constable it sticks. Shawn plays a fourth land, untapped and passes the turn. On my turn I play two Hierarchs and announce an attack; Shawn holds up his hand and plays Cryptic Command, set to bounce the pesky Cephalid and draw a card. I have the Negate! Constable crashes in and bounces three Vivid lands. Shaun spins around the Constable, reads it again, frowns, and gathers up his Vivids. He untaps, draws, replays a Vivid, and passes the turn. I attack with the 3/3 Constable, and he goes ahead and scoops, realizing he’s not going to keep more than one land in play and none so far that can provide a mana the turn it hits (the fourth land was a filter land).
Match 2-0, Games 2-0
Round 3 versus Nicholas, Red Deck Wins
He wins the roll and goes Mountain, Bolt you… er, I mean, Spark Elemental you. I panic a bit; I have a Hierarch and War Monk but only two lands. I play the Hierarch and sure enough it eats a Mogg Fanatic while another Spark Elemental smashes my face. Turn 2 I drop a Sculler, and see a Tattermunge Maniac, another Spark Elemental, a couple mountains and a Banefire. I flinch a bit and take the Banefire. Nicholas rips a Hellspark Elemental, so now I’ve got 6 more points of hasty trampling damage coming over, and I stolidly mark my life down to 8 while Sculler greedily hangs on to the X spell. I rip the third land and play the War Monk to his empty board. 8 life is not bad with a War Monk, but it’s not completely safe either; RDW can dish out a lot of damage quick. Nicholas draws, shakes his head, and passes the turn. My turn I rip a Briarhorn, but my fourth land is a Treetop. I’d like to have a 3/3 body out there, but do I risk only gaining 3 life off the War Monk and he drawing removal before I play the Briarhorn at full cost, or do I go ahead, evoke the Briarhorn and smash in now for six and a gain of six life? I decide to go ahead and take the six, crash in for eight points, though I suppose in retrospect I could have kept the Monk on defense and protected him with Briarhorn if necessary. Nicholas draws another land and it’s pretty much over – I win – Whew! Game 2 starts a little slower, without taking a bunch of living Lightning Bolts to the face early, but plenty of burn for my early critters. Nicholas drops some spicy tech – Juggernaut, which I think is pretty hot in the face of the growing popularity of Wall of Reverence, don’t you think? I draw my hero, Rhox War Monk, who gains me some life before he dies, then I rip another one, and a Doran (who does a nice number on the Juggernaut), and I finish the game at a comfortable 16 life. Double whew!
Match 2-0, Games 3-0
Round 4 versus Michael, Green/Red/White Zoo
We’re both undefeated so we draw into the Top 4. Only problem is, once the round is over, Tommy realizes we all need to actually play a fifth Swiss round to cut to top 4. D’oh!
Match 1-1-1, Games 3-0-1
Round 5 versus Tony, can’t remember
I actually don’t remember anything from this game; my notes only show life totals and “Condemn.” I guess Tony drew a clutch Condemn at some point? I win the first game at 34 life, I’m pretty sure that involved a Rafiq backing up a War Monk. Game 2 my life totals go 20-16-15-11-10-6-2-1, and his go 20-10. I guess I tried to mount a massive comeback but my second attack gets Condemned maybe? Anyway, we go to a third game, and end up not being able to finish. I seem to remember some number of counters and Cryptics squashing my attempts at aggro without allowing him to have any chance of actually winning.
Match 1-1-1, Games 3-0-2
Another draw… makes me a little nervous about making Top 4, but the pairings come out and I’m in!
Semifinals versus Michael, Green/Red/White Zoo
So, we get to play this time! Michael, the reigning Mid-Atlantic Regionals Champion, is one of the best players in the shop so I’m certainly nervous about squaring off against him. In fact, it was his Ziggurat deck that so completely smashed me some weeks back leading up to the $5K that had me give this deck a try. This time around he’s playing Green/White/Red good stuff, with the killer Knight of the Reliquary in the mix. Game 1 Michael goes first and I have to mulligan, so it’s not very pretty. Still, he gets a rather slow draw and while I get picked to death with small critters I try and muster something but my deck severely color screws me (though to be fair, when Michael Pathed my only creature I fetched an Island instead of a Swamp, and proceeded to draw a bunch of Black creatures). Michael’s small fry pick up a Loxodon Warhammer and kill me, with his ending life at 26. Ouch. Game 2 is rather bizarre… this time Michael has to mulligan, while I have a blazing start with turn 1 Bird into turn 2 War Monk. Michael’s got mana creatures but no gas and it’s not too long where I’ve got a Bird, Hierarch, War Monk, and Rafiq in play and 35 life, where he’s at five. Michael makes a killer play here – he plays Volcanic Fallout, Naya Charm getting back the Fallout, and plays the Fallout again, sweeping the board clean and leaving him at 1 life! We’ve both got nothing in hand, so it’s top-deck time! I rip a Birds and play it, hoping to draw a Doran maybe next turn. Michael’s got nothing. My turn, I draw a Shriekmaw, and sadly kill off my Birds in order to get a fear creature in play – he’s got nothing that can block it. Michael draws, no removal, and it’s on to the last game. I have to mulligan and keep a semi-risky hand of one land (Ziggurat) and two Hierarchs along with a War Monk. I don’t draw a land so I end up with two Hierarchs in play with one summoning sick, so Michael plays Volcanic Fallout, killing his own Birds too but he’s got three lands to my one. In response though I play Path to Exile on a Hierarch to go fetch a land, and when I draw it’s a Reflecting Pool so I’m able to play War Monk and swing things around immediately. I then rip a Doran and it turns into a rout. Michael plays like a king, giving him every opportunity to draw into an out, but I just have too much pressure and manage to finish things at a comfortable 31 life.
Match 2-1, Games 4-0-2
Finals versus Jonathon, Black/White tokens
I win the first game in a squeaker, coming out fast but I’ve got a lot of tokens to wade through… I’m at two life, he’s at three when I send all my guys in, he’s able to block everything but one Bird of Paradise (dealing 1 damage with Doran out), but I’ve got a Briarhorn surprise to end the game right there. Game two is a rout, he’s blazing out the gates while I’m on the back foot, and eventually just get smashed by a swarm of 3/3 tokens. The last game is marathon nail-biter, with a massively stalled game board – me unable to punch through his token swarm, he unable to attack back due to Brigid. After way too much time has passed I realize something – if I attack with the Treetop Village (boosted with a couple Exalted dudes), only his creatures with toughness greater than 2 will be able to soak up any damage, so I activate Treetop and smash in, bringing him down to two life. I try it again the next turn, but he Condemns the Village. Crap! I can’t help but beat myself up for not noticing that a turn or two earlier and finishing this thing, but it’s past midnight now and I’ve been up since 6am. We both draw blanks for a while, then he draws Ajani and I can feel things start to slip away as his tokens get larger than Brigid can contain, though I’ve got enough creatures out he can’t really get in for lethal and he’ll lose a bunch of creatures and he’s too low in life. I get a little bit excited when I draw a Treetop, but he rips a Terror for poor Brigid and crashes in with a bunch of tokens to kill me. Ah, so close!
Match 1-2, Games 4-1-2
I get a Maelstrom Archangel and a Martial Coup out of my prize packs, so that’s all good. I’m also feeling pretty good about Ziggy Hierarch, though I’m thinking I really want some more trample for the deck. The obvious answer is Loxodon Warhammer, but that’s six mana to cast and equip, none of which can be paid for by Ancient Ziggurat so I’m a bit skeptical about choosing that route. There’s a couple interesting creature options – Might Weaver (gives white creatures trample) and Bant Battlemage, which taps to give either trample or flying. Michael Rooks swears by 10th edition enchantment Primal Rage. Rhox Charger would be perfect if it’s Exalted ability gave the attacking creature trample rather than just having trample itself, so I’m hoping for maybe a rare version of Rhox Charger that does something like that. I’ll see what Alara Reborn brings to bear for Ziggy Hierarch as we get closer and closer to Regionals and the PTQs.
Bonus deck!
The other deck in the top 4 was a fascinating build by Daniel Sale, who unfortunately didn’t make it past the B/W token deck, but was kind enough to send me his decklist to share. Some of you may recall a funky deck by Jia Wu that won the Alaska State Champs that was basically a singleton deck built around 4 Cryptic Commands, basically making the statement that Cryptic Command is so ridiculous it doesn’t matter what other cards you add to the deck.
As I was smashing my way through the Swiss, I started hearing about Dan bashing people with his Singleton deck. I joked with him, “but you’ve got four Cryptic Commands in there, right?” “No!” he replied. “There’s no Blue in it at all.” It’s pretty much Green and White singleton Good Stuff, with just a hint of Red for Banefire. I was really hoping to square off with him in the finals, but apparently his opponent managed to draw all of his removal spells at the perfect clutch time to squeak by.
Creatures (20)
- 1 Llanowar Elves
- 1 Birds of Paradise
- 1 Troll Ascetic
- 1 Civic Wayfinder
- 1 Cloudthresher
- 1 Mirror Entity
- 1 Chameleon Colossus
- 1 Oversoul of Dusk
- 1 Twilight Shepherd
- 1 Wilt-Leaf Cavaliers
- 1 Wilt-Leaf Liege
- 1 Archon of Justice
- 1 Wickerbough Elder
- 1 Battlegrace Angel
- 1 Knight of the White Orchid
- 1 Elvish Visionary
- 1 Qasali Ambusher
- 1 Steward of Valeron
- 1 Wall of Reverence
- 1 Noble Hierarch
Planeswalkers (3)
Lands (23)
Spells (14)
“Suffice to say that this is a very FUN deck to play,” said Daniel. “And if you know what you’re doing, you will always be in a position to win. It actually plays a lot like Limited, except your opponent is playing the most insane deck possible.” Of course, even though this deck is singleton it’s chock full of potent cards too. If you’re looking for something different to play for FNM that can still win, give this Singleton deck a try!
Okay, that’s it for this week. I hope area players will make time to attend the “big event” Alara Reborn prerelease in Richmond on April 25th, it’s going to be awesome! Not least of which will be me sitting at the gunslinging table ready to take on anyone who dares… I’m going to be armed with a Sealed deck and a handful of Standard decks to battle once I’m done helping with the morning administration duties. If you bring a rogue deck or homebrew to duel then I may put you in the following week’s column – Hope to see you there!
Bennie
starcitygeezer AT gmail DOT com