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Ah, the PTQ season. The time of the year when we do what we love most: cram ourselves into cars with friends to participate in a grueling day of card play (if we're lucky). As we sit in the car, we’ll most likely sleep in perfect serenity, leaving the unfortunate driver to his daunting battle with the road. However, for many of us, the night before was not so peaceful, as a common dilemma is often raised: what is the deck to play?

I ran afoul of this predicament after playing Raphael Levy's deck in Valencia and missing Day2 by a single win. Although the deck hadn't posted terrible results for us, it became apparent that in a format such as Extended the deck we were playing wasn't the most perfect fit. So again, the problem arose. With the format slightly changed, what was the correct deck choice? In Valencia, Olivier Ruel said something to me that really struck home...

“In this format, there is Dredge, the decks that beat Dredge, and the decks that beat the decks that beat Dredge.”

Never have I believed this statement to be more true than today. Obviously, he didn't mean that decks that beat dredge auto-lose to decks that don't... he was simply pointing out the obvious advantage of having access to a much more diversified sideboard. After some tedious testing of the format I've come to love and hate(thanks to Dredge), this is the deck I've decided to play.

Kim-chee U/B Featured by Alex Kim on 2008-02-24 (Extended) As written about in http://www.starcitygames.com/php/news/article/15486.html Print this deck!
Maindeck: Artifacts 4 Chrome Mox 4 Sensei's Divining Top 2 Vedalken Shackles Creatures 1 Psychatog 3 Tombstalker Enchantments 2 Counterbalance Instants 4 Counterspell 2 Force Spike 2 Mana Leak 4 Mental Note 4 Smother 3 Spell Snare 3 Thirst For Knowledge	Legendary Creatures 1 Meloku the Clouded Mirror Artifact Lands 1 Seat of the Synod 2 Vault of Whispers Basic Snow Lands 6 Snow-Covered Island 1 Snow-Covered Swamp Lands 3 Flooded Strand 4 Polluted Delta 4 Watery Grave	Sideboard: 1 Tormod's Crypt 4 Dark Confidant 2 Yixlid Jailer 1 Counterbalance 4 Leyline of the Void 3 Thoughtseize
Download this deck in Apprentice format!		Download this deck in Magic Online Text format!

I built this deck prepared for the following issue: No deck beats Dredge consistently game 1. The solution to properly opt for, as proved in Valencia, is to make sure you have an adequate plan to win games 2 and 3. What makes Dredge such a great deck for PTQs is the lack of knowledge people have about the deck. The majority of people know how the deck functions, but very few commit a full 7 -8 slots in their sideboard to the matchup. Many believe that a simple 4-5 cards will suffice in trumping the deck, which is the reason it is currently posting (and will continue to post) winning results. This will happen until people come to the same epiphany as the players in Valencia did: the deck is warping the format.

I cannot stress enough how crucial it is to be prepared for this deck, as the speed at which it performs is absolutely terrifying. It is also important to remember it is not the only deck in the format. CounterTop, Doran, Red Goyf, Goblins, Bubble Hulk... many others also populate the current metagame. While the metagame is very diverse, it is undeniable that there has been a trend in the format which affects the majority of the decks: everyone's favorite little Green guy, Tarmogoyf. Let’s face it, Tarmogoyf has become a staple in the majority of the aggro or control decks in this format (other than Tron)... even Affinity is seen playing Tarmogoyf! It has become a must in order to compete, as having a two-mana 6/7 seems to give you a slight edge over your opponent's four-mana 4/4.

How has the format responded to his presence? By both playing Tarmogoyf, ways to kill Tarmogoyf, and ways to capitalize off your opponent's Tarmogoyfs. An array of Threads of Disloyalty, Spell Snares, Smothers, Engineered Explosives and many more have joined the battlefield in a fight against this most loved (or hated) little Green man. I opted to play the above deck because of the immunity that many of the threats have to the answers in the current format. Let’s take CounterTop, for instance. Their Counterbalance, Spell Snares, and Threads of Disloyalty are less than stellar against an eight-mana Tombstalker or a five-mana Meloku the Clouded Mirror. Doran Decks, armed with Vindicate and Smother, have a slew of dead removal spells as Smother is effective against a whopping one card in your deck. Their remaining defences are in the form of 4 Vindicate, which may initially seem to be decimating, but when you consider all the options they must choose from (Shackles, Counterbalance, Meloku, Tombstalker) the card suddenly seems slightly less potent.

I almost forgot to discuss one of my favorite cards in the deck: Mental Note. At first glance, this card might seem, as Zac Hill would say, “Loose.” I guarantee that it is the key to the deck performing at its best. My love of this card first began when Antoine Ruel convinced me to play his deck at my first PTQ. His justification was that it allowed you to have a 56-card deck, it fed Tombstalker, and it fueled Ghastly Demise. In this list, however, Mental Note also has amazing synergy with Sensei's Divining Top. If turning one mana into three new cards isn’t enough, it helps make Tombstalker a required aggressive monster in helping you cast him early, or simply frees up your mana later on so that you can protect your newly-cast flying threat. And, of course, it also feeds Psychatog. All of these things make the card somewhat of a catalyst to the deck achieving optimal performance.

Let’s look at some matchups...

Mono-Blue CounterTop/Goyf

This matchup seems considerably in your favor, since your threats evade their conventional ways of dealing with such things (excluding Vedalken Shackles). They are armed with 4 Counterspells for your Tombstalker, but other than that their arsenal is limited. Having Counterbalance advantage is crucial in this matchup, as this game either turns into a card advantage game or a lopsided game where one side drops an early threat (such as Dark Confidant/Tombstalker from one side or Tarmogoyf from the other) and protects it.

-2 Vedalken Shackles, -1 Meloku the Clouded Mirror, -1 Thirst for Knowledge, -1 Smother
+4 Dark Confidant, +1 Counterbalance

Mono-Red with Goyf

I can’t possibly stress the power of Counterbalance is in this matchup, as it seems to turn off the majority of their deck. It's also important to remember that your opponents play Barbarian Ring, so dropping to a low life total should be avoided even if you have the game locked with Counterbalance. The card which has proven to be most problematic is Blistering Firecat, as he is immune to Smother and Counterbalance. Your defences against this card lie in the form of Counterspell and Mana Leak, so it might prove rewarding to save these cards for the big kitty.

-1 Spell Snare
+1 Counterbalance

Domain Zoo

Counterbalance / Sensei's Divining Top serves as an off-switch for their deck. Should their list play Vindicate, keeping a three-mana card on top of your deck can adequately keep them “locked.” Doing so also causes them to have to “bait” your spin should they want to Krosan Grip their way out of the lock. Seeing Mental Note/Tombstalker is always nice when playing this matchup, as it will most likely allow you to play a Tombstalker and protect it on the same turn. Vedalken Shackles obviously plays an MVP role in this matchup.

-1 Thirst for Knowledge
+1 Counterbalance

The Rock/Gifts Rock

An early Tombstalker, even unprotected, can efficiently end the game the majority of the time, due to his immunity to Deed and his amazing ability to fly. An early Dark Confidant can have the same effect, as many times he can net you enough cards to end the game, especially if they board out their low-end removal.

-3 Spell Snare, -4 Smother (you might want to leave some in if you see Tarmogoyfs)
+3 Thoughtseize, +4 Dark Confidant

And...

-2 Force Spike( if they have Genesis, or Wish for it)
+2 Yixlid Jailer

Tron

Assuming the role of a “Fish” deck is what will most likely be the best shot at your victory. Counterbalance can be somewhat effective(Remands, Thirsts, Crucible), but the majority of the time it will prove itself to be useless unless you are playing against U/G Tron which uses Life From The Loam. Often, you will find yourself casting Spell Snare or Force Spike on their Signets to capitalize on the loss of tempo that helps create.

-2 Counterbalance/Force Spike( I like leaving in Counterbalance against U/G Tron), -2 Vedalken Shackles, -4 Smother, -1 Meloku the Clouded Mirror
+3 Thoughtseize, +4 Dark Confidant, +2 Yixlid Jailer

Doran

Hold onto your Smothers if possible, as sometimes you’ll die to Treetop Villages having wasted your Smother instead of a Counterspell on a threat, thinking you want to save the Counterspell for something such as Profane Command. Weighing the variables and deciding which decision is correct can prove somewhat tricky, but it is crucial to winning this matchup. The Counterbalance lock is pretty efficient against them, but your MVP is most likely be Sensei's Divining Top, as it allows you to play through all their hand disruption. Mental Note becomes a little worse due to the possibility of their casting Thoughtseize or Cabal Therapy for your Top. Another factor to keep in mind is that when you cast Tombstalker you don't have to protect it most of the time, as they only play 4 Vindicate and 2 Profane Commands as answers. When you think you can’t possibly lose and have them Counterbalance/Top locked, just make sure you're aware of what could happen should they draw a Profane Command.

-1 Mental Note
+1 Counterbalance

Dredge

AHHH!

Okay, moving on to the matchup I dread most... Dredge.

For game 1, try to disrupt their combo and kill them with a fast Tombstalker... easier said than done. Dredge can sometimes mulligan itself out of a game, or keep a hand with a single enabler, and should you be able to shut down their enablers (Careful Study, Putrid Imp etc.) and set up a clock, you should be in good shape.

Your plan for games 2 and 3 should consist of three factors.

- Acquire a hate card (preferably a Leyline of the Void in the opener).
- Protect the hate card.
- Don't die to stupid creatures / play threats of your own.

Keep these things in mind while you play.

-2 Counterbalance, -3 Spell Snare, -2 Smother
+2 Yixlid Jailer, +1 Tormod's Crypt, +4 Leyline of the Void

That’s all for today!

Alex Kim

Wait a second... it’s bonus time!

Bonus Section: Kim-chee Blink in Standard

Kim-chee Blink Featured by Alex Kim on 2008-02-24 (Standard) As written about in http://www.starcitygames.com/php/news/article/15486.html Print this deck!
Maindeck: Creatures 2 Brine Elemental 4 Mulldrifter 4 Riftwing Cloudskate 3 Vesuvan Shapeshifter Instants 4 Cryptic Command 4 Momentary Blink 4 Rune Snag Legendary Creatures 2 Venser, Shaper Savant	Snow Artifact Creatures 3 Phyrexian Ironfoot Sorceries 4 Ancestral Vision Basic Snow Lands 10 Snow-Covered Island 4 Snow-Covered Plains Lands 4 Adarkar Wastes 3 Calciform Pools 3 Faerie Conclave 2 Nimbus Maze	Sideboard: 3 Aven Riftwatcher 1 Draining Whelk 4 Teferi's Moat 3 Flashfreeze 4 Wrath of God
Download this deck in Apprentice format!		Download this deck in Magic Online Text format!

This is a modified list of the deck I played at Worlds. Paul Cheon and I have been running the Magic Online Standard events with it, as it seems to have good matchups against the majority of the field at the moment. Of course, Morningtide is almost here in electronic form...

RG Mana Ramp

The dice roll often dictates what role you'll be playing in this matchup. Should you win the roll, your objective will most likely be overwhelming them with massive amounts of tempo advantage paired with evasive attackers. Losing the dice roll means you'll be playing a more control-ish role, due to their mana acceleration and depending on your draw, as a turn 3 Garruk outclasses pretty much any play you could possibly produce. Therefore you often run into the dilemma of how to handle your turn 2, whether it be suspending a Riftwing Cloudskate or leaving mana open for a Rune Snag. This decision normally depends on the remainder of your hand. Vesuvan Shapeshifter and Brine Elemental are rather stellar in this matchup, as they are pretty cold to the Brine lock. A Blink on a face down Brine Elemental, along with a Shapeshifter, can often mean the end of a game as they tend to tap out during their turns for large threats such as Siege-Gang Commander, Harmonize, or Garruk Wildspeaker, allowing you to catch them off guard with a pre-emptive lock.

+1 Draining Whelk, +3 Flashfreeze, +4 Wrath of God
-4 Riftwing Cloudskate, -3 Momentary Blink, -1 Venser, Shaper Savant

After sideboard, your deck no longer makes an attempt at maintaining tempo. Instead, you assume the role of a control deck with a better late game plan, more card advantage, and better card quality. They play mana cards such as Search for Tomorrow and Wall of Roots so, inevitably, you're playing the stronger deck.

BG Elves

Again for game 1, winning the dice roll is a great bonus due to the sometimes overpowering starts with which elves can initiate the game. Your primary objective in game 1 should be buying yourself time to set up for a Brine lock, which is the best way to trump Elves. Sometimes, charging a storage land may be more relevant than casting a spell, so be wary of how you spend your mana each turn because expediting the lock is crucial to winning game 1. Cryptic Command is your MVP when it comes to buying you time because... simply put, they do everything. Countering your opponents spells, bouncing their Treetops, tapping their creatures, and setting the perfect conditions for an unmorphed Brine.

-4 Ancestral Visions, -4 Riftwing Cloudskate, -3 Momentary Blink, -1 Venser, Shaper Savant
+3 Flashfreeze, +4 Teferi's Moat, +4 Wrath of God, +1 Draining Whelk

Games 2 and 3 become significantly easier due to your trump card, Teferi's Moat. After resolving this card, they are limited to casting Profane Command for the win, or possibly a Black creature such as Oona's Prowler, Shriekmaw, or Mirri. Teferi's Moat on Green flat-out trumps the majority of their strategy and leaves you free to win by attacking with fliers. Something to keep in mind is that there is no rush, so if you cannot attack your opponent without leaving mana open for a counter on a lethal Profane Command, even if you know he doesn't have one in hand, there is no need to risk it. As a countermeasure to Riftsweeper, The Riftwing Cloudskates and Ancestral Visions come out, leaving your opponent's deck with 4 Grizzly Bears. In addition to devaluing your opponent's cards, your deck now contains a crucial component for dealing with aggro decks - Wrath of God - along with the nice bonus of a two-mana counterspell for crucial cards such as Garruk or Imperious Perfect, or quite possibly Wren's Run Vanquisher if you're on the play.

Dragonstorm

For this matchup, an aggressive draw is essential. The key cards you want to see are Venser, Shaper Savant; Cryptic Command, and Riftwing Cloudskate. A Momentary Blink also helps. Casting Cryptic Command on their storage lands can also be vital in keeping them off their combo. Playing early Brines as you turn 3 morphs in order to dodge a deadly Ignite Memories should also be considered. For the most part, the matchup is very favorable, as you're playing an aggro deck which somewhat trumps their strategy of building up storage counters for their combo, therefore strictly limiting their potential to initiate their plan.

-3 Phyrexian Ironfoot, -2 Brine Elemental
+3 Flashfreeze, +1 Draining Whelk, +1 Aven Riftwatcher

The same strategy applies after boarding, only now you have access to many different ways to trump their combo, including a two-mana hard counter. Draining Whelk is HUGE (power/toughness wise) in this matchup. Not only in the role he plays, but also in size should he catch your opponent's Hellkite or a Dragonstorm in the late game. Often, it is correct to simply cast him to negate a smaller spell in order to gain an efficient beater.

U/G Faeries

Ahhh! Okay, so this is the matchup you do not want to see. Scryb Ranger is Superman, as he absolutely trumps your tempo strategy, all of your evasion beaters, and serves as a remedy the Brine lock. This is only worsened by Pendelhaven, which lets Scryb Ranger really beat up your Mulldrifters and Riftwings. Game 1 is not favorable due to this card, but if you manage to Rune Snag it, or it doesn't make an appearance, victory is attainable.

+4 Wrath of God, +3 Aven Riftwatcher
-1 Phyrexian Ironfoot, -2 Momentary Blink, -4 Riftwing Cloudskate

The matchup post sideboard is significantly better, and similar to the elf sideboarding, your plan is to abandon the tempo approach. Ironfoot isn't too stellar in this matchup, but it seems to be a necessary evil that deals with Garruk if dropped early, and Treetop Villages.

B/G/W Doran

This matchup is very similar to Elves, only (luckily) their starts are normally not as explosive. You have more time to set up the brine lock, or even potentially tempo them out of the game.

-4 Ancestral Visions, -4 Riftwing Cloudskate, -3 Momentary Blink, -1 Venser, Shaper Savant
+3 Flashfreeze, +4 Teferi's Moat, +4 Wrath of God, +1 Draining Whelk

It is important to consider how they can possibly fight through Teferi's Moat. Again, this five-mana enchantment serves as an ultimate trump, leaving you victorious should your opponent not have one of few outs. These outs consist of Shriekmaw attacks, Profane Command, or Oblivion Ring. Flashfreeze is very important, as it counters the staples of the deck - Ohran Viper, Doran, Garruk Wildspeaker, and Tarmogoyf. The Whelk comes in as an additional counter-measure for Profane Command, and it also serves as a great finisher after Moat.

...

That’s all for now, guys! if you have any questions, feel free to contact me or leave a message in the forums.

And remember... The Tide Is Rising...