When I first started writing this article, it was back during the "dog days" of the Magic cycle. Jitte Block Constructed was fading from memory (and still is), Ravnica: City of Guilds had yet to see play in any format and there was little, if any action happening in Standard. It was the part of Magic where articles were stale and stagnant, formats were already defined and drafters begged for something new. I, however, had gone into "Pre-Game" mode. I began to think about the new Extended format that is now among us. Visions of golden cards being added to my favorite format didn't just dance in my head. No, they discoed, head-banged, twenty-three skadooed, and crypt walked through every crevice of my mind. Ravnica spoilers were finalized and everyone was beginning to talk of this crazy new set, which I will openly admit, is my favorite set to date. So with that vision in your head, (a walking, life-size Dimir Cutpurse trying to drop down and get his eagle on) let's take a look at what we will have to work with in this wild, new world.

Invasion
Planeshift
Apocalypse
Odyssey
Torment
Judgment
Onslaught
Legions
Scourge
Mirrodin
Darksteel
Fifth Dawn
Champions of Kamigawa
Betrayers of Kamigawa
Saviors of Kamigawa
Ravnica: City of Guilds
Seventh Edition
Eighth Edition
Ninth Edition

Here's what won't be allowed this time around:

Aether Vial
Disciple of the Vault
Entomb
Skullclamp

The List of the Banned is looking a little small this year, but locks out some very powerful, and key, cards to many decks. Let's first go over these four so called power houses and see what makes them break this format.

Aether Vial
During last year's Extended season, I walked amongst two kinds of people: the ones that loved the Vial and the ones that hated it and wanted it to get the ax. Last season was an extremely fun one and one that will be missed by many players. The thing that made it fun was that it was balanced. The "Rock, Paper, Scissors" philosophy held true and aggressive, control, and combo decks all made showings, in more than one lone deck. Aether Vial helped promote decks like Goblins and Ravager to the top tables. Last season, control and combo decks were either fast enough to race these decks, or had the tools to help hose them in their sideboards. This season, they are lacking both and something had to go, goodbye and so long Vial, we barely knew ye.

Disciple of the Vault
Another card that turned Affinity into an absurd power house. The Affinity player could be locked down, absolutely no outs visible. I'm talking the player might as well start counting his pocket change to see if he can buy that extra burger across the street! And suddenly, there is the miraculous top deck that is Disciple of the Vault. This little cleric just turned the aggro deck into a combo deck, making everything on the board worth at least one, if not two points of damage. Good game sir.

Skullclamp
It's broken, what can I say?

Entomb
This card is the only card that I can see among the four, if any, that is reasonable in play now. The Reanimator decks of old are now destitute of their prime spells and the main problem I see this as now is an instant tutor. This card is arguable both ways, but I believe Wizards of the Coast and the DCI made the right choice by leaving this one on the pine pony.

So that leaves us with a couple dozen sets and some really nice core sets to fool around with. Also, Ravnica: City of Guilds is now legal. With that in mind, I'm about to look into my magic orb of stupid-ness, and try to make some predictions on my all time favorite format... stay with me on this one.

Red Deck Wins
In the past, this deck has been one of the best decks to introduce newer players to the format with. It is a metagame deck and just all around good. Unfortunately, it has lost some key staples in the deck that made it what it was. Cursed Scroll was an amazing addition to the deck last year and, in my opinion, can't be replaced by a similar effect. The reusable burn and minimal draw back if any, (is having to play your burn spells to leave only one card in hand bad?) made this card something that can't be mirrored. Another key loss for the deck were its one-drops, Mogg Fanatic and Jackal Pup. While they both served different purposes, they applied pressure and did it well. The loss of Fanatic is a huge one. This utility card was a powerful threat against many weak, but necessary creatures for other decks, and was splashable in non-Red decks. Jackal Pup was an impressive one-drop, as it almost mirrored Savannah Lions as an efficient beater.

My Predictions for RDW is that it will need to revamp itself entirely to be the great deck it was. Cards that may see play in the new RDW are Goblin Charbelcher as an effective finisher and ways to clear the board of blockers, or even Isochron Scepter, as a makeshift Cursed Scroll. Another card that I believe will be staple to any Red deck (besides Goblins) emerging is Char. Char is just a card that is good. Flat out good. I think RDW will shift more to a "Flores Red" like that of the current Standard format.

The Rock
With Ravnica introducing the Golgari Guild in its first set, the rock has so many new options to work with. Grave-Shell Scarab is a new creature that will be up for consideration in the latest version of the deck. It also gains a new Wall of Blossoms that can actually kill critters. Carven Caryatid will help slow down Goblins and opposing aggro decks. Pernicious Deed is still in the format, but then again, so is Pithing Needle. The way I see it, The Rock lost very little, and what it did lose can be easily replaced by cards coming in with Ravnica, not to mention it gets its new "Shock Land" ahead of the others. I've seen it coming in many forms, splashing an additional color, Green and Black, either way the deck will definitely be seen in tournament play so I'd expect to sideboard for it.

Madness
This deck don't lose a thang. It stays the same year after year and continues to make random Top 8s and even wins some PTQs here and there. After testing against it, Madness will be a new powerhouse in the upcoming format. The environment has slowed down just enough to let the disruption of the deck be enough to allow it to win with flying Worm tokens and big beefy dogs. Allow me to take this time to make a public service announcement to the non-believers: Madness is good. Really good. Thank you. I did mention that it loses nothing, but I lied. It loses Daze. Daze is an extremely useful card in many decks, but found home in Madness. I really don't think there is any replacement for this card except for Force Spike, but the aggro/control decks out there can find better methods of disruption.

Reanimator
Sadly this deck basically loses everything. Reanimate, Exhume... the list goes on and on. I have, however, seen many people tinkering around with a Gifts Ungiven version of the deck that uses Life/Death and is more control oriented. The threat of a turn 1 Akroma or Rorix is finally over... at least I hope.

Goblins
One of my favorite decks of all time. Many people are saying that this deck is finally slow enough to be fair. While it still doesn't have its amazing late game with Vial delivering a free creature every turn, it still is amazingly fast and consistent at that. The problem is that with the rotation of both Rishidan Port and Wasteland, Goblins will have to look to another color for some form of disruption. While mono-Red Goblins provide you with occasional stupid draws, it doesn't have the goods that say, splashing for Black does. Black also adds a card that can save you in the late game after a Wrath of God or a similar effect: Patriarch's Bidding. After testing, I've grown to love this card as it has won me games where I really shouldn't have.

U/W Scepter Chant a.k.a. "NO" stick
This deck gets some amazing additions with Ravnica, as Transmute can turn merely not-too-shabby cards into tutors throughout your deck. It does, however, lose a lot of its card drawing with Intuition, Accumulated Knowledge and Brainstorm all missing in action. On top of all that, Pithing Needle can once again turn their plan to lock you into nothing but shattered dreams on turn one. I'm not going to continue to go on and on about how the needle can warp an entire format, but it can. I see it as at the very least, a sideboard option for just about every aggro deck out there, if not honorable of a few main deck slots.

Back to Scepter Chant, the deck may be able to compete, but with the loss of such a powerful card drawing engine hinders the deck's performance greatly. That goes for just about any permission control deck out there. I'd like to make a statement to Wizards by saying that permission control is very slowly dying off. It's like watching the comet come for the dinosaurs in slow motion. There is very little instant speed card drawing that I would deem good in Extended, and even less in Standard. These decks do, however, get the addition of Telling Time. This card is the first one in a long time that has caught my eye as good. The deck will have to go through some growing pains, but with its combo lock down still available, I believe it will still be in tourneys somewhere.

Balancing Act a.k.a. Balancing "Tings"
This deck has been placing well in many MODO events. The idea behind the deck is to use sac lands that generate two different color mana and other jewelry like Chromatic Sphere to get up to about five mana of the appropriate colors and cast a Balancing Act with no cards in hand, and no permanents in play, and follow it up on the same turn with a Terravore or Nimble Mongoose.

It may have done well on MODO, but I don't think this deck will be able to hold up in the cardboard world. I've tested with and against this deck and found it to be okay at best. It's just not consistent enough and the promise of one Balancing Act sometimes isn't enough to wipe the entire board. Let the die-hard fans of the deck flame me in the forums as a moron or fool but I have yet to believe its power.

Affinity
This deck has taken hit after hit after hit. In standard they passed a law saying you must spay or neuter your Arcbound Ravager. I also hear to properly care for your Ravager, you must take it out of its environment, along with its toys and friends, and kick it repeatedly. That's what I'm told at least. With the lack of Disciple and Vial, does this deck still have the speed and brawn to take on the rest of the field? I think not at the same pace it used to. This deck was rumored to be the new dominant force in Extended with the loss of Energy Flux. But as it was in Standard, it must be so in Extended. I haven't seen this deck in action yet or even a deck list, but I feel the die hards will find a way to make the Ravager work.

This season is already starting to shape up as a very interesting one, putting aggro-control at the top. At the moment, it is very similar to the last season of Extended, but probably won't compare to its father before it. Last season, it seemed that any and every deck was viable. There was no such thing as rogue, because rogue suddenly became tier 2 at the very least. It will be missed, but we must dredge on and into this bold new format. Good luck at your PTQs, and here's to hoping cool stuff comes out of the Pro Tour this weekend.

Thank you for spaying your Ravager,

Rob Cheseldine