Yu-Gi-Oh! 09.11 Ban List Analysis

With the new Limited and Forbidden list finally confirmed for the Autumn-Winter season, it is finally time to start analysing the new format. What strategies have been damaged the most by the list, and could we see the revival of forgotten strategies as a result? And just how different will this format be to the last? Let’s find out!

The September Impact!

In forming an opinion on the new format, it is important to first take into account the “Power Card” availability that the list leaves us with. Power Cards can be anything from something widely considered a staple, to threats and solutions that were previously unavailable. So let us begin by taking a look at five of the most impacting factors leading into the new format.

1. The Perfect Storm

Once Heavy Storm found its way onto the Forbidden list, players across the globe were ecstatic. And I won’t lie, I was one of them! Players could finally play the controlling Traps and theme-empowering Field Spells they’d always wanted to, and surely the potential for crazy combinations and One Turn Kills were impossible! 

It turns out that a single back row sweeper is enough for combo players to work with, especially when that sweeper is Giant Trunade. The fact the format shifted towards the use of such controlling traps as Solemn Warning and Royal Oppression resulted in Giant Trunade being doubly advantageous. Should it resolve, the player can generally pull off any major play they need to with minimal fear, needing only to play carefully to avoid Effect Veiler when possible, and then follow up by resetting their defenses to force the opponent into having one real out. And that, of course, would be their own Giant Trunade...

With Giant Trunade leaving the format, Heavy Storm makes its triumphant return. As ever, the presence of Heavy Storm will result in far more calculated, careful use of the spell and trap zones, whilst bringing Stardust Dragon back to higher levels of play. Much hype has been given to the supposedly inevitable maindecking of Starlight Road thanks to the staple status of Dark Hole and Heavy Storm.The problem with this is Mystical Space Typhoon, and its long awaited (or feared?) return to 3 copies per deck. This change alone makes the playability of Starlight Road fall dramatically, but will yet again drive up the presence of Stardust Dragon. The return of Heavy Storm brings the game back to a state in which reckless and mindless play are punished severely, but only time will tell whether or not the unlimiting of Mystical Space Typhoon will prevent the formation of a skillful format.

2. A Legend Stands Alone

When Lightsworn and Blackwings tore apart their respective formats, Konami took every necessary step to eradicate the problem with the following Limited and Forbidden list, and often going too far just to ensure the problem is dealt with. The release of Storm of Ragnarok revived the Six Samurai theme with superior Legendary versions, whilst bringing the theme up to date by introducing a powerful Synchro “Boss Monster” to work with. 

Legendary Six Samurai - Shi En swiftly became a powerhouse in the format, and Konami’s precautionary response in March was to restrict Gateway of the Six. One format later, and the restriction has proven fairly meaningless to decks seeking to swarm and lock up the game as fast as possible. As a result, Konami made the decision to restrict both Legendary Six Samurai - Shi En and the theme-specific tutor Shien’s Smoke Signal. I believe that this decision was the best that Konami could possibly make, as for once they’re actually tackling the problem cards without butchering the theme entirely. 

3. Freedom from Oppression

Of all the Traps in recent years to produce one-sided games, Royal Oppression is the worst offender. Similar in many ways to the sheer power once displayed by Imperial Order, Royal Oppression was very rarely used in the manner originally intended. The design idea behind the card is clearly to impose a soft lock on special summons in order to control the pace of the game. The reality of the game, however, enables the player to run through their own explosive turn and only then follow up with Royal Oppression. In doing so, a player can utterly dominate the board unfairly in a game that is ever shifting towards utility through special summons, firstly with Synchro’s and today with Xyz. 

Many argue that the return of Heavy Storm and unlimiting of Mystical Space Typhoon would have been enough to counter the oppressive Trap card, but should we really have to answer such a card? It isn’t an engine, or a win condition to build a deck around. Royal Oppression had simply become an abusable game changer, and its move to the Forbidden list is long overdue.

4. Unique Individuals

A major sweep of six major card restrictions have been enforced with the new Limited and Forbidden list, and the majority of which were to keep the previous format’s top deck under control. The first of these restrictions brings the TCG in line with the OCG by limiting Trishula, Dragon of the Ice Barrier. Trishula has clearly had a powerful effect on the game since its printing, and has had long enough to be experimented with in multiples in the TCG.

The next pair of limitations were those of Lonefire Blossom and Debris Dragon. The plant engine has made its presence known for quite some time, and though the limitation of their tutor does hinder the engine, it certainly doesn’t kill it. With the arrival of Leviair the Sea Dragon, the plant engine gained another level of play in being able to retrieve whatever plant was removed in order to revive Spore. This gain is more than enough to make up for the minor decrease in opportunity of drawing into the powerful tutor. 

Debris Dragon has long abused the plant engine, and its limitation will be most strongly felt in the TCG. The OCG has frequently seen the combination of Junk Synchron and Doppel Warrior take precedence over Debris Dragon techniques, particularly with the release of Shooting Quasar Dragon and the removal of ignition priority. With the TCG behaving as quite a different beast to the OCG recently, it will be interesting to see whether or not Junk Synchron can make such an impact this season.

The next pair of limitations came as a result of Synchro spam abuse. Yes, everyone predicted the limitation of the draw engine that is T.G. Hyper Librarian, and Konami were wise enough to realise that the card severely needed restriction to make it a powerful card not to be wasted recklessly. For some strange reason though, the limitation of Formula Synchron came as a surprise to many, and I can’t quite understand how anyone who has played the card can possibly be surprised by this. If Hyper Librarian is the engine, then Formula Synchron is the enabler. Without multiple copies to work with, chaining Synchro summons into Shooting Quasar Dragon will require greater patience and skill.

But why do all these restrictions matter so much? Pot of Avarice has now regained its limited status, and in doing so has phenomenally raised the level of skill involved in playing such engines as the plant engine. This limitation will also have an effect on the reliability of such combo decks as Fabled, decreasing the ease of pulling back into the game when the combo fizzles. This again promotes skillful play, and increases the consequences for playing recklessly.

5. Don’t Shoot the Messenger!

When Gold Series 4 telegraphed the return of Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the Beginning, forums erupted in rage. To many, the Envoys are symbolic in the need of the Limited and Forbidden list, with Chaos Emperor Dragon - Envoy of the End hitting the first list before being swiftly followed by the Soldier. But with time the game has changed dramatically, and though the Dragon would still be very much overpowered, the Soldier is no longer the unstoppable titan that he once was. 

Though infinitely more splashable than similar cards such as Dark Armed Dragon and Judgment Dragon, the Envoy is now little more than another Boss Monster to work with. In the OCG the Envoy is weaker still due to the loss of ignition priority, which has resulted in an excess of hype surrounding the use of either Honest or Armory Arm to finish the opponent in an instant. Though clearly possible, potential One Turn Kills involving attacks involve such a risk that they can be deemed fair, particularly with Tragoedia now an ever-present fear in its semi-limited status.

With the Envoy in mind, it is worth taking a moment to respect Konami’s instinct in answering any potential madness before it can emerge by restricting Primal Seed. Though the card is far from insane on its own, in multiples it can produce an infinite loop. With a field containing the Envoy and a card with a Macro Cosmos effect, two copies of Primal Seed and an Ookazi can loop for infinite damage with ease. Though a seemingly unrealistic combo, the potential to make games dull and uninteresting was there and has been dealt with efficiently.

To the Future!

As the Limited and Forbidden list comes into force, I will start looking at a variety of decks that show potential as the new format develops, how the current top tier can potentially evolve to survive, as well as the projects that I intend to work on myself. 

MTG GB Nationals 2011

Here we are, finally on site at GB Nationals supporting our newly opened local store and venue, The Scythe and Teacup Gamer Cafe, and ready to fight for the title of National Champion... 

/

Team Teacup?

Well that went well. Despite making use of every possible opportunity to research the developing trends in Standard, I began my testing the week before Nationals with a very undecided mindset. With minimal time to test, I settled on UB Control, but the specifics of the deck were very uncertain. I felt relatively comfortable with a list very similar to that piloted by Ali Aintrazi to seize the title at US Nationals, but I was far from certain that I’d be able to compete with the deck in the traditionally aggressive UK metagame. 

As a member of our group was attempting to grind in, a clear read of the meta could be established at the LCQ, allowing an estimation to be made as to which decks would likely see most play in the main event itself. Combo in the form of Twin as well as Red Deck Wins were quite heavily represented, as is expected of an LCQ, but those types of decks always decrease in numbers in the main event itself. UB Control however appeared to be very popular, making it a strong bet for seeing heavy play the next day. At this point I made the choice to bite the bullet and adapt my deck to work as Tezzeret Control, utilizing Torpor Orb and the ability to push with animated artifacts to fight off the expected metagame. 

And so the morning of Nationals arrives, and I ready myself for the long day that awaits. The player meeting eventually starts, and my nerves are kicking in. As I started my first match, doubt began to creep in as I faced Valakut. Despite landing an early Torpor Orb, Primeval Titan swings through as I fail to find removal, and despair starts to take over. Game 2 lasted a bit longer, as I controlled the board and slowly pushed through with Inkmoth Nexus. He readies the kill whilst sitting on five poison counters. All I need to do is find a Tezzeret to win, yet I fail to see anything beyond a land. He continues to make a mistake in his turn, failing to pull off the kill, and yet again I see nothing but land off the top of the deck. The second round pairs me against Valakut yet again, and despite solid controlling starts I manage to hit mana floods, followed by Titans and Terastadon crashing through with ease. 

Disheartened, I sat down for round 3 hoping for one of the many, many control decks I could see around me during the previous rounds. Alas, I am paired against Splinter Twin, which proceeds to beat me violently whilst Torpor Orbs prove powerless without backing of any kind. And so, on a stellar record of 0-3, I decided to drop and claim my two free drafts to hopefully recoup some of my losses from the weekend. Despite rare drafting when able(a Chandra in each draft...), my solid draft decks resulted in losses nonetheless. During the second day I decided to try my hand at the Legacy GP with a strong Team America build, but even that resulted in failure as I lose to NO RUG and draw against Enchantress and Stifle-naught. 

And so Nationals has proven a success for me in nothing more than a disheartening experience. Though I understand that I sorely lacked the time necessary to gain the experience needed to succeed, I could never have predicted that the weekend would result in a total of zero match wins across three utterly different formats. 

But if I were ever to let such losses get to me, I wouldn’t be playing Magic today. I have had my moment of painful humility and am determined to prepare for the future. With Modern developing into a deep yet innovative format, I intend to slowly work on the format and develop my skills so that I can play a better game than ever before. The Spring PTQ season will undoubtedly be played through the Modern format, and I intend to succeed this time on skill rather than luck. In order to develop I cannot work alone, and thanks to our new local venue it is time to truly begin working as team to take on the competitive scene. But more on that will follow soon enough, and thanks for reading.

Project T - Stage 1

As Nationals approaches, I have decided to make an investigation into Standard in the hopes of finding a home for a power so gravely under-represented in the format. Project T is a quest to find a home for Tezzeret, Agent of Bolas, arguably the most powerful Planeswalker in Standard following the banning of Jace, the Mind Sculptor. The cost of wielding such a power is the relatively narrow selection of cards that must be utilized effectively in order for Tezzeret to compare favourably to Jace. The cost for such power has put many players off even attempting to get the Agent to work, but a few inquiring minds have given us a glimpse at the raw power being ignored here.

In this post I intend to explore the three primary designs that have put Tezzeret to effective use in Standard since his printing in Mirrodin Besieged, as well as pondering means of evolving the concepts for the future. Does Tezzeret stand a chance of being a secret weapon at Nationals? Let us begin our investigation.

//Design by Cyrus Bales
4	Darkslick Shores
4	Drowned Catacomb
4	Creeping Tar Pit
4	Inkmoth Nexus
6	Swamp
3	Island
2	Skithiryx, the Blight Dragon
4	Phyrexian Crusader
4	Necropede
4	Plague Myr
4	Tezzeret, Agent of Bolas
2	Jace Beleren
4	Inquisition of Kozilek
1	Despise
3	Doom Blade
1	Brittle Effigy
3	Ratchet Bomb
3	Sword of Feast and Famine

 Display Deck Statistics

During the initial rise of Caw-Blade following Pro Tour Paris, an Infect deck cropped up providing an alternative set of creatures to wield the Sword of Feast and Famine. Phyrexian Crusader alone was reason enough to consider the deck, as it posed a significant threat to the popular Squadron Hawks and Lightning Bolts dominating the format.

With the ability to play an aggressive clock with a variety of efficient Infect creatures as well as Creeping Tar Pits and animated artifacts, the deck proved to be difficult to handle if unprepared, very much leading to the heavy presence of Inkmoth Nexus in modern day Caw-Blade lists. Inquisition of Kozilek and Planeswalkers allow the deck to keep up its momentum during the mid-game, or even take on the role of control. Though the loss of the Mind Sculptor was felt heavily, the deck continues to show power. I first heard of the infect strategy in a Regional report from the excellent UK player Cyrus Bales on Manaleak’s new article site, and I was so convinced by his report that I sleeved up the deck and ran it at my first qualifier of the season. Though I narrowly missed out on qualifying at the event, I knew that greater experience would have allowed me to push further.

Recently Cyrus Bales repeated his success with the deck (with obvious, minor updates) and yet again his report works well towards convincing me of its viability. Ratchet Bomb is an all-star right now, being capable of answering Splinter Twin, Tempered Steel and Caw-Blade with relative efficiency. Brittle Effigy left me quite unconvinced, and Despise feels like a meta choice at best. But the raw power of the skeleton is undeniable, and will be explored further in the near future.

//Based on design by Martin Juza
4	Darkslick Shores
4	Drowned Catacomb
4	Inkmoth Nexus
7	Swamp
5	Island
1	Blightsteel Colossus
1	Wurmcoil Engine
4	Kuldotha Forgemaster
3	Spellskite
4	Tezzeret, Agent of Bolas
4	Inquisition of Kozilek
1	Duress
4	Preordain
1	Mindslaver
4	Everflowing Chalice
3	Sphere of the Suns
3	Ratchet Bomb
3	Tumble Magnet

 Display Deck Statistics

At Pro Tour Paris, the Tezzeret deck that attracted the most attention wasn’t the most successful, but was undoubtedly the most intriguing. Martin Juza and his team developed a deck that could efficiently drop a Blightsteel Colossus onto the field to swing for the win on turn 5. Though this strategy had been attempted repeatedly with Shape Anew, to little success, Martin Juza took a very different approach in working the powerful artifact-hungry engine that is Kuldotha Forgemaster. Early disruption with Inquisition (a necessity in a format that became increasingly combo-friendly with the subsequent releases of New Phyrexia and M12) allowed for acceleration into either a turn 3 Planeswalker or turn 4 Forgemaster. The above list is an attempt at an updated list, but for Juza’s original check it out here as it is investigated thoroughly by Patrick Chapin.

Blightsteel Colossus remains an effective win condition in Standard. The loss of Jace works in its favour as it leaves control with very few effective answers, with Oblivion Ring being effective in the time it takes to load three counters on a Ratchet Bomb. Tempered Steel provides an undeniable threat, with Dispatch making short work or the relevant combo pieces and the speed of the deck being quite unlike anything seen at Pro Tour Paris. But is Tempered Steel truly the deck to beat? At present, it appears that Caw-Blade and Valakut will be the decks to beat at Nationals, and Forgemaster has always had an excellent game against the Molten Pinnacle.

It can be argued that the success of Forgemaster strategies on Standard now heavily depends on the popularity of Dismember, but let’s not forget an equally influential artifact that saw print in that very same set! Spellskite shows huge potential in this strategy, just as it does in Splinter Twin, and can even be put to solid late-game use thanks to Tezzeret, be it for burn or beats. Do Solemn Simulacrum and Ponder have a home in this deck? M12 continued to work in Forgemaster’s favour, but such a complex weapon demands a lot of attention to find success in a format dominated by efficient engines.

//Design by Shouta Yasooka
4	Darkslick Shores
4	Drowned Catacomb
4	Creeping Tar Pit
4	Tectonic Edge
1	Inkmoth Nexus
4	Island
3	Swamp
1	Consecrated Sphinx
1	Wurmcoil Engine
4	Tezzeret, Agent of Bolas
2	Jace Beleren
1	Batterskull
1	Black Sun's Zenith
1	Consume the Meek
2	Dismember
2	Doom Blade
4	Everflowing Chalice
3	Inquisition of Kozilek
2	Mana Leak
1	Stoic Rebuttal
3	Preordain
1	Sorin's Vengeance
2	Torpor Orb
2	Tumble Magnet
3	Ratchet Bomb

 Display Deck Statistics

Japan had the honour of introducing the new M12-legal Standard format with its own National Championship in the middle of July, and the famous control player Shouta Yasooka brought Tezzeret right back into the spotlight. During the unfortunately short lifetime of the Scars of Mirrodin Block constructed format at Pro Tour Nagoya, Tezzeret based UB Control decks were powerful and common. In that format they utilised an effective card advantage engine abusing Ichor Wellspring and Mycosynth Wellspring, with cards like Tezzeret and Phyrexia’s Core draining extra advantage as the game runs long.

Though this engine is yet to see success in the undeniably faster and more demanding Standard format, the standard skeleton existed and simply required powerful artifice to attack the metagame with. Enter Torpor Orb! The card proved a great success for Shouta Yasooka at Grand Prix Singapore, and sticking to his guns allowed him to break into the top 8 at Japan Nationals with a list that certainly stands out against the more conventional UB control decks. A mixed package of controlling cards supplemented by a Planeswalker became a standard with Shards of Alara, but the banning of Jace, the Mind Sculptor resulted in little more than an automatic shift to lower numbers of Jace Beleren to replace him. The introduction of new, and overall underwhelming, Planeswalkers in M12 had left Tezzeret long forgotten.

Thankfully, Magic is no longer a game dependent entirely on large events such as Nationals to provide new metagame reads and exposure of effective technology. Starcitygames Open events provide an influx of new decks with relative frequency, but it is Magic Online that proves to be the breeding ground for new decks with potential. Over the past couple of weeks Tezzeret control lists similar to the design championed by Yasooka have been finding relative success during Daily events, seizing an increasing number of 3-1 and 4-0 slots. The deck shows great promise, but also great potential to evolve. Numbers and technology are crucial for a control deck to succeed in any environment, and the ability to dig for the appropriate tools with Tezzeret allows for great creativity at a far lower risk. I expect Tezzeret control to claim further top 8 slots by the end of the season.

Agents are Coming...

Three lists, three potentials, and three very different directions. Tezzeret is a weapon of proven success, but minimal dedication. Which direction is likely to yield the best results? Can Blight-Blade compete with the efficiency and playtesting manpower behind Caw-Blade? Does Forgemaster combo warrant a revival in a wider, combo-oriented format? These questions remain, but I am without doubt that Tezzeret control has great potential to break the format right now, but it is far from clear whether the deck can be refined to surgically dismantle the dominant strategies whilst remaining stable and consistent enough to tackle rogue strategies without falling apart.

With just under two weeks remaining before Nationals, I hope beyond all hope that an efficient Tezzeret deck can be found in Standard in order to tackle Nationals without encountering mirror matches every other round! Please vote for the deck you believe carries the most potential, and I will make that deck the focal point of my initial testing, and expect it to be the focus of my next article. In Stage 2, I will be working through variations of the chosen deck, discussing strategy and testing results. Should that stage be successful, Stage 3 will be live experience of using the deck in a competitive environment. Stay tuned!

The Road to Nationals - The Evolution of UW

Drastic times led to drastic measures at the start of the summer season this year. For months the deck known as Caw-Blade dominated tournament tables globally, a point made ever the more clear by the frequent competitive events broadcast live by StarCityGames. Standard became heavily one-sided, and metagaming came down to little more than minor tweaks to the resilient shell of Caw-Blade.

In order to bring about a more diverse format, Wizards decided to ban the two most powerful cards in the deck: Jace, the Mind Sculptor and Stoneforge Mystic. Whilst Jace held great power as a stand-alone card, it was Stoneforge Mystic that worked as an engine for the deck. With the release of New Phyrexia, Stoneforge Mystic went into overdrive in allowing players to land uncounterable monsters in the form of Batterskull on turn 3, whilst continuing to control with counterspells and eventual domination through Swords and Hawks.

With the departure of Stoneforge Mystic, the deck was declared dead. Players rejoiced and spent their time tinkering with old favourites such as Valakut and UB Control, whilst others moved on to “break” the next big decks, such as Splinter Twin, now that they were no longer oppressed. During this time, UW control of any kind saw minimal play and fell from public interest; it was inferior to the disruptive UB Control, and too incapable of handling combo.

However, all it really needed was time...

Dark Wings, Dark Words

The King has returned, and everyone wants his head. The return of Caw-Blade to Standard came as a shock to many, but it truly was an inevitability. As the name itself states, the deck is reliant on the overwhelming advantage provided by Squadron Hawk and Sword of Feast and Famine. Stoneforge Mystic clearly spoiled players for far too long in allowing such ease in tutoring the Blade, but as long as cheap, effective card advantage such as Preordain and Squadron Hawk exist then drawing into the required equipment isn’t such a difficult task. Just not as brokenly easy, that’s all.

Caw-Blade began its revival as many decks start their life cycles in these modern times, by proving itself time and again in Magic Online’s Daily events. With three National Championship and two StarCityGames Open events in the books following the release of M12, Caw-Blade has made its presence known. The powerful increase in popularity and success in the second week of the format not only shows the strength of the core cards, but also the surprising variety of tools seeing play.

The raw skeleton of the deck takes the form of 4 Squadron Hawk, 2-3 Sword of Feast and Famine and 4 Preordain (with the standard manabase). Beyond this, players have taken the deck in various directions, aiming to dominate differing stages of the game whilst hating out the threats expected in the respective metagame. The initial list type to build momentum on Magic Online takes a relatively blunt, tap-out approach in keeping the curve low and dropping efficient beaters to wield the sword. This form found glory this past weekend at France Nationals, seizing the top prize.

Deck: Caw-Blade

//1st French Nationals - Armel Primot
//Main
4	Celestial Colonnade
4	Glacial Fortress
2	Inkmoth Nexus
2	Island
6	Plains
4	Seachrome Coast
4	Tectonic Edge
4	Hero of Bladehold
4	Mirran Crusader
2	Spellskite
4	Squadron Hawk
1	Sun Titan
1	Deprive
2	Dismember
1	Gideon Jura
1	Into the Roil
4	Mana Leak
1	Oblivion Ring
4	Preordain
3	Spell Pierce
2	Sword of Feast and Famine
//Side
2	Condemn
3	Day of Judgment
3	Leonin Arbiter
1	Linvala, Keeper of Silence
2	Revoke Existence
3	Timely Reinforcements
1	White Sun's Zenith

 Display Deck Statistics

With Jace banished from the format, Hero of Bladehold has been able to gain some much deserved respect as an engine capable of winning the game swiftly and efficiently. Interestingly, despite the online popularity of Blade Splicer, Armel opted to fight with Mirran Crusader as his instrument. The protection offered by Sword of Feast and Famine is undoubtedly one of its most attractive features in a format dominated by Dismember, thus protecting your investment better than Blade Splicer ever could. The deck aims to build a fast clock and force it through with counters and pointed removal. A solid late game plan is present with Gideon and Sun Titan splitting the duty, allowing the deck to take the traditional control route when necessary.

The sideboard presents two particularly interesting new additions. Firstly, White Sun’s Zenith presents a solid traditional win condition in the same vein as Decree of Justice (though clearly not at the same power level). Timely Reinforcements is our second new addition (which I gladly called in a previous post!), providing a powerful answer to aggro whilst leaving bodies to wield the Sword when necessary. However, in order to see the true value of Timely Reinforcements we need only hop over the pond and take a look at the winning list from the StarCityGames Open in Seattle.

Deck: Caw-Blade

//1st SCG Open Seattle - Nicholas Spagnolo
//Main
4	Celestial Colonnade
4	Glacial Fortress
3	Inkmoth Nexus
4	Seachrome Coast
4	Tectonic Edge
4	Island
3	Plains
3	Spellskite
4	Squadron Hawk
2	Gideon Jura
3	Jace Beleren
4	Preordain
3	Timely Reinforcements
4	Dismember
3	Into the Roil
4	Mana Leak
3	Spell Pierce
3	Sword of Feast and Famine
//Side
2	Ratchet Bomb
1	Sun Titan
1	Deprive
2	Flashfreeze
3	Mental Misstep
2	Day of Judgment
2	Revoke Existence

 Display Deck Statistics

It should come as no real surprise that a StarCityGames Open proves to be the stage for both the rebirth and continual evolution of Caw-Blade. Though many players blamed the power of Jace, the Mind Sculptor on his widespread use in Standard, but in truth the card simply enabled players to do what they enjoy most. Caw-Blade was ever dominant at StarCityGames events regardless of its true power at any given time, and thus StarCityGames Standard Open tournaments became a challenge in skill and technology. This level of intellectual challenge is what control players most desire, as it provides a means to prove oneself. In Seattle last Saturday, Nicholas Spagnolo and Edgar Flores proved themselves and their technology by seizing the top two spots with identical maindecks packed to the brim with technology.

Their list gets rid of the creature heavy approach seen most recently in lists, and instead favours the Hawks and solid protection. To make up for the lack of hands to hold the swords, three copies of Spellskite provide a tough beast to answer with Lightning Bolts and Go for the Throat being most prominent. Predicting the increased popularity of Splinter Twin at the event, Nick and Edgar metagamed brilliantly by running this magnificent multitool with legs. Carrying on with this trend, Inkmoth Nexus returns as a powerful control win condition that dodges black’s current spot removal of choice, whilst providing a grand total of 7 man-lands to allow the deck to fight through Tectonic Edge. Two copies of Timely Reinforcements in the main proves to be the final tech choice for the tournament, acting very much as a Spectral Procession with a tacked on Renewed Faith, allowing Caw-Blade a powerful tool to turn the game around with in the mid-game.

Expect Caw-Blade to continue to evolve as various decks gain and lose popularity over the next few weeks. I expect we will likely see lists similar to that piloted by Nick and Edgar during this next weekend at National Championships such as Italy, however I expect the deck to take on different technology at the StarCityGames Open in Pittsburgh. With RUG Twin likely to make a powerful showing following Australia Nationals, one can only wonder what technology could evolve this weekend.

Stick ‘em with the Pointy End

Deck: Puresteel

//10th SCG Open Seattle - Chris Schafer
//Main
2	Celestial Colonnade
4	Glacial Fortress
4	Inkmoth Nexus
4	Seachrome Coast
1	Island
8	Plains
1	Kemba, Kha Regent
4	Puresteel Paladin
4	Squadron Hawk
3	Trinket Mage
4	Preordain
4	Dispatch
2	Mox Opal
1	Accorder's Shield
1	Basilisk Collar
3	Flayer Husk
4	Mortarpod
1	Sword of Body and Mind
2	Sword of Feast and Famine
2	Sword of War and Peace
1	Sylvok Lifestaff
//Side
1	Spellskite
4	Kor Firewalker
3	Dismember
4	Flashfreeze
2	Negate
1	Revoke Existence

 Display Deck Statistics

The combination of Squadron Hawk and Sword of Feast and Famine has recently spawned an alternative deck to the more traditional Caw-Blade form. Puresteel Paladin, the namesake of the deck, enables a wide variety of powerful equipment to be utilized as an engine. The ability to keep playing relevant tools as cantrips is powerful enough, but adding the fact that Puresteel Paladin does away with equip costs the deck becomes a monster. The potential to alpha strike can come out of nowhere, and with the abilities and protection granted by powerful equips like the Swords there is no guaranteed way to defend safely against such an attack. With the loss of Stoneforge Mystic, Trinket Mage acts as a tutor for a few key pieces of equipment in her stead. The most relevant of the tutorable equips are Basilisk Collar and Mortar Pod, both of which have been under the radar since the banning but form a lethal means of slaughter alongside an active Puresteel Paladin. This deck has plenty of potential and a very variable toolbox to work with, and I expect it to gain popularity as experience is gained with the deck.

Life is but a Sojourn

Deck: UW Control

//8th SCG Invitational Brooklyn - Anthony Lebron
//Main
4	Celestial Colonnade
4	Glacial Fortress
2	Halimar Depths
4	Seachrome Coast
1	Sejiri Refuge
4	Tectonic Edge
3	Island
4	Plains
1	Consecrated Sphinx
2	Sun Titan
1	Sunblast Angel
2	Solemn Simulacrum
3	Spellskite
2	Jace Beleren
2	Venser, the Sojourner
2	Day of Judgment
4	Preordain
4	Mana Leak
1	White Sun's Zenith
3	Oblivion Ring
4	Spreading Seas
2	Batterskull
3	Tumble Magnet
//Side
3	Leyline of Sanctity
2	Celestial Purge
2	Flashfreeze
3	Mental Misstep
3	Timely Reinforcements

 Display Deck Statistics

Traditional control decks will always have a home in standard. Even if the format doesn’t support control in the slightest, the players will make every effort to play the most skill intensive decks they can fathom. UW Control has been a dominant figure in Standard for a long time, but has very much been the tap-out control deck whenever possible. The return of Oblivion Ring brings the removal suite of UW Control back up in power, and though lacking a spot removal spell on par with Path to Exile, it is still capable of tackling a metagame focused on creatures. As UW Control has always been fond of utilizing Jace Beleren as a draw engine with Sun Titan, the loss of Jace, the Mind Sculptor has had a greater impact in choosing the central engine of the deck. In this case Venser, the Sojourner has been granted the opportunity to show off his skills, gaining advantage by flickering a variety of powerful cards, from Spreading Seas and Oblivion Ring to Solemn Simulacrum and Sunblast Angel. Though not an instant win as with the Mind Sculptor, Venser’s ultimate is very much worth working towards, and will frequently be underestimated by opponents before their lands whittle away as you cast simple utility spells such as Preordain. Though various builds of UW Control have seen moderate success since M12, it could prove to be a struggle for the deck to compete against the pace of Caw-Blade. There have already been signs of Brian Kibler’s famous Caw-go strategy being successful, so perhaps there is yet hope for UW Control lists aiming for the late game. Time will tell.

In the Middle of Difficulty lies Opportunity

It is impossible to deny the impact that Caw-Blade’s return has had on the metagame. Though not quite the monster it once was, Caw-Blade will be a dominant force across the globe simply due to familiarity. Having played with variants of the deck for months, players are very unlikely to take risks with less familiar strategies when they can stick with a deck that they know. As a result, Caw-Blade has successfully resumed its position as the enemy of the format, seizing the crown from Valakut, which couldn’t even maintain the title when the opportunity arose.

Hating out Caw-Blade whilst not leaving yourself open to the likes of Valakut, Red Deck Wins and Splinter Twin will be a difficult task this Nationals, and it does naturally lead any player familiar with Caw-Blade to wonder why they should bother fighting it. As players become increasingly worried about their mirror matches, the format will open in a way that was prevented by the reliability of Stoneforge Mystic and Jace, the Mind Sculptor. Caw-Blade is far from unbeatable, and when they focus on tearing one another apart then there is a chance to strike.

Next time...
I will be spending the next week working on a personal approach to the format, with a small variety of lists being tested against the primary threats expected at Nationals. My weapon of choice? A weapon that is often underestimated, and despite minor success has been ignored by the majority due to the difficulty involved in its use. Hopefully I will be able to tap some of the untapped potential, and prepare to go rogue at Nationals. Tune in next time for Project T!

The Road to Nationals - The Fringe

Following my last article looking at the state of the metagame following M12, I intend to use this article to focus on the decks gaining slightly less attention right now, but with strong potential to break into the top tier. With the right player and a perfected build, these decks provide the perfect opportunity to break through an unprepared metagame that is unprepared for the strategy. So let’s take a look!

The Fringe Decks

Deck: Pyromancer Ascension

//Pyromancer Ascension
4	Scalding Tarn
4	Halimar Depths
8	Island
8	Mountain
4	Pyromancer Ascension
4	Gitaxian Probe
4	Ponder
4	Preordain
4	Lightning Bolt
4	Burst Lightning
4	Into the Roil
4	Mana Leak
2	Tezzeret's Gambit
2	Call to Mind

 Display Deck Statistics

Another summer, and Pyromancer Ascension jumps back into the spotlight. Despite lacking Time Warp for an overpowering end game, Pyro has been given an incredible push towards the top tier with the reprinting of Ponder. With a sickening access to three powerful one mana tools to dig with, the vital move of finding the Ascension early should be simple. With an early, active Ascension, Pyro plays out its combo with well timed burn spells and copies, backed by multiplying counterspells.


Combo decks all seem to gain during the core set overlap seasons in the summer, but whilst Valakut and Twin aggressively push their combo through early, Pyro has the advantage of playing the long game. Resolving an Ascension is usually easier than successfully landing a Primeval Titan or a Deceiver Exarch, and each and every other vital spell is cheap enough to drive through any defence. Much like with Twin, the ability to bring in alternate win conditions from the sideboard allows Pyro to play a true and traditional control game, working towards a Titan or similar whist the opponent is burning through resources in order to prevent an Ascension landing, let alone becoming active.


An increasingly popular strategy right now is the hybrid deck PyroTwin. Taking the speed of the Twin combo and supporting it with the inevitability of Pyro, many are placing their bets on this deck following in the footsteps of Dark Depths Turbo. For those of you who don’t remember, Gerry T successfully broke the extended format apart during the Spring of 2010 with his fusion of the Vampire Hexmage + Dark Depths combo and the Sword of the Meek + Thopter Foundry combo. I cannot see PyroTwin reaching the dominance of DDT simply due to the colours in use, as DDT relied heavily on its disruptive discard. No number of Gitaxian Probes will remove an answer from the opponents hand, but perhaps careful counterspell choices will allow Pyro to reach the top tier as a part of this powerful hybrid.

Deck: Birthing Pod

//Birthing Pod
4	Copperline Gorge
4	Raging Ravine
4	Misty Rainforest
4	Scalding Tarn
4	Forest
3	Island
2	Mountain
4	Birds of Paradise
3	Fauna Shaman
4	Lotus Cobra
3	Deceiver Exarch
1	Sylvok Replica
1	Tuktuk the Explorer
1	Obstinate Baloth
1	Phyrexian Metamorph
1	Solemn Simulacrum
1	Vengevine
3	Acidic Slime
1	Frost Titan
1	Inferno Titan
3	Birthing Pod
3	Splinter Twin
4	Preordain

 Display Deck Statistics

Birthing Pod is a challenge that has been tackled by deckbuilders with increasing intensity since its release in New Phyrexia. At Pro Tour Nagoya we first caught a glimpse of the potential of the Pod, but with the diverse variety of bullets to build into in Standard we are bound to see a wide range of different decks built with the artifact in mind. While initial lists seemed to follow a straight-forward pattern of creatures ramping up to various Titans and Praetors at the top of the curve, but with the dominance of combo in Standard the tutoring ability of Birthing Pod enables the Splinter Twin combo to be included without affecting the smooth curve of the midrange deck.


The sheer flexibility of Birthing Pod decks is obviously reminiscent of Fauna Shaman’s impact in Naya and Bant decks prior to the last rotation, with singleton bullets now easier than ever to dig into. During the current PTQ season it is perfectly plausible to metagame carefully and maindeck a variety of powerful hate cards. Alas, for Nationals it is far harder to metagame, particularly in the UK due to the lack of good communication between gaming communities. Should the top decks reach a state of relative stability, a reliable but personalized list with proven bullets in the sideboard could succeed against the very narrow decks currently dominant.

Deck: Architect

//Architect
4	Inkmoth Nexus
3	Buried Ruin
16	Island
4	Grand Architect
4	Thrummingbird
3	Spellskite
3	Treasure Mage
2	Solemn Simulacrum
2	Wurmcoil Engine
1	Triskelion
3	Contagion Clasp
1	Contagion Engine
2	Mindslaver
4	Everflowing Chalice
3	Tumble Magnet
3	Preordain
2	Tezzeret's Gambit

 Display Deck Statistics

Architect has been hyped since its release, and despite multiple attempts to break the card it took a long time for it to find its home in this deck. Unfortunately, the deck was easily forgotten as Caw-Blade seized control of the format. There are many powerful interactions in the deck, but the simple ability to ramp into game winning power artifacts like Mindslaver makes the strategy worth considering once more. A variety of tools are worth considering in modern builds, especially potential effective use of Tezzeret, Agent of Bolas. It is M12 though has given us a true gem to work with in Buried Ruin. Replicating Academy Ruins in a less overpowering manner, Buried Ruin allows deadly recycling of the the powerful win conditions, and allows utter control with Mindslaver to dominate the opponents turns for far longer than is necessary to win. Solemn Simulacrum is also a powerful new (old) tool for this kind of deck, working perfectly to keep the tempo in building into the late game.


The weakness of mono-coloured control decks in recent times has been sideboarding, as the colour pie has made splashing for a second colour a necessity to survive. However, Scars of Mirrodin block has brought a powerful array of artifacts to effectively replicate the effects of the solutions once splashed for. Ratchet Bomb provides a powerful sweeper right now, with Tempered Steel and Red Deck Wins being priced low and in large numbers. Batterskull changes the game quite dramatically in providing a non-white deck with access to a powerful Baneslayer Angel effect against aggro, with the insane ability to act as a near unstoppable win condition against control. At the cost of Trinket Mage it is easily conceivable that Torpor Orb will fill out a chunk of the sideboard to ease the combo match-ups whilst Flashfreeze fill the final slots in being the most useful answer to the largest range of threats.

Deck: Eldrazi

//Eldrazi
1	Eye of Ugin
4	Eldrazi Temple
2	Khalni Garden
4	Tectonic Edge
14	Forest
2	Emrakul, the Aeons Torn
1	Kozilek, Butcher of Truth
2	Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre
3	Wurmcoil Engine
2	Terastodon
4	Overgrown Battlement
4	Everflowing Chalice
4	Rampant Growth
3	Explore
4	Summoning Trap
4	Quicksilver Amulet
2	Ancient Stirrings

 Display Deck Statistics

The initial form of the Eldrazi deck ran very similarly to Valakut by abusing Primeval Titan to dig for the vital land, in this case Eldrazi Temple and Eye of Ugin. It feels strange to see a list without Primeval Titan, but Japanese Nationals brought the Eldrazi back into play utilizing the new tool Quicksilver Amulet. This wonderful piece of artifice allows you to drop an Eldrazi at the end of the opponent’s turn, before swinging in for the win with Annihilator making short work of the board. Green unsurprisingly allows for solid acceleration into both the Amulet and a variety of costly monstrosities, with a total of 15 options for acceleration on turn 2. Wurmcoil Engine and Overgrown Battlement provides a solid wall to defend against aggro, whilst Summoning Trap proves to be a potent threat against the current widespread use of Mana Leak.


Eldrazi appear to be well positioned to use raw power against decks that can have their tempo disrupted harshly when forced to change their role in the game. Though Primeval Titan didn’t make a showing in the limelight stealing list from Japan Nationals, it is important to be equally prepared for the Titan as well as the Amulet. Green provides a solid array of sideboard options as has been noted with Valakut, but the intensity of green mana makes Garruk, Primal Hunter a tempting tool to put to use. This seems to be an idea worth testing, as our new Garruk is undoubtedly a powerful weapon seeking a home, and every green deck can do with extra draw.


Anything Missing?

So, &?

It should be pretty clear that a certain colour combination has been missing throughout my most recent articles. Fear not, it has not been ignored, as I will be covering my favourite colour combination in my next article. Stay tuned!