As we all know by now, Extended has taken a big blow with the newly-released Onslaught. Dual lands, Force Of Will, Ball Lightning, Animate Dead, and most of the"beef" of former Extended game play is now out of the format. Fourth and Fifth editions, Mirage, Visions, and Weatherlight are just a few sets that threw in the towel November 2^nd. Every deck has taken a hard blow, no matter what it is.

But not everything is doomed. Painlands from 6^th and 7^th Edition, as well as the various two- and three-color lands from Tempest and Invasion, and the fetchlands from Onslaught give multicolor decks their mana - even if it stings them for a damage each time. Aluren, Benzo and Turbo Oath are now the decks to beat. With a 3^rd or even 4^th turn kill that happens consistently, how can any other deck win back the Extended spotlight?

What about Sligh? What about those guaranteed-death-by-5^th-turn-even-with-a-crappy-hand mono red burn and damage decks? Can we Shock the Wirewood Savage and stop the Stroke Of Genius? Can that Avatar of Woe be one turn too late? Can Counter decks be overwhelmed? Fireblast, Lightning Bolt, and Ball Lightnings may not be included this time around, but thanks to the Urza's block, a swarm of six 3/1s can be heading in for the kill 3^rd turn.

I like to refer back to the 1998 Ben Rubin Sligh deck - truly one of the best Sligh decks of all time. Nothing survives. Burn and attack. Burn and attack. That's all it was, and that's all it needed to do. Simplicity is king. One of my friends in my ring of playtesters bought this deck when it came out back in the day.

"Hey, you up for a game?"
"Sure. I need to try out this Recycle/Elf deck I made. What are you playing with?"
"Ben Rubin's Sligh."
"No problem. Let's go."
"I'm warning you; you won't beat a Sligh deck."
"Sure, whatever you say. I'll let you choose: play or draw?"
"I'll play first."

I made a mistake while playing that deck: I blinked. I was at twelve life, I blinked, and I was dead.

".....and a Fireblast to finish it off. Good game."
"Okay...Untap, Upkeep...What? What do you mean, good game? It's over?"

"I told you....you can never beat a Sligh deck."

I am still wondering how that Sligh didn't take the Championship; both Finkel and Ruben had awesome decks that year. I guess Recurring Survival was just too fast, though. Now, Spirit of the Night is gone, and Survival decks are a little slower. Sligh was the deck to beat. It needs to be the one to beat again.

I want to recreate that power. Differently.

Most of the traditional Sligh decks can be rebuilt: Jackal Pups, Mogg Flunkies and Mogg Fanatics, also adding in Goblin Cadets, Blistering Firecats, Wastelands - you know, the good old (and even good new) classics.

Stepping back, there is always a better way: Every deck can be re-done and played differently and better. There's nothing wrong or flawed with most Sligh decks today, but new cards and ideas cause new combos, damage, and death in ways you never thought possible.

The new Extended still has a plethora of cards that would tear decks a new hole: Blistering Firecat is hailed as the new Ball Lightning, Trumpet Blast is the red Overrun, and Goblin Lackeys can help get more creatures out, fast. For burn, we still have Shock, but now add Lava Dart and Seal of Fire to the mix. Instead of Fireblasts as the finishing blow, Goblin Bombardments or Last-Ditch Effort will do the trick after a devastating attack phase with six or seven creatures.

Time to rock and roll.

Since Extended has such a wider variety of cards than Standard, I started by writing down any card that I came across that would benefit the deck helps compare, contrast, and eliminate cards in our out of the main deck. Here's the basic rundown of the cream of the crop:

Creatures:
Jackal Pup, Mogg Fanatic, Mogg Flunkies, Goblin Lackey, Goblin Marshal (use with Lackey ability), Viashino Cutthroat, Blistering Firecat, Skirk Fire Marshal, Goblin Matron, Fireslinger, Goblin Cadets

Spells:
Shock, Lava Dart, Hammer Of Bogardan, Seal Of Fire (although it's an enchantment), Blazing Salvo, Trumpet Blast, Gamble, Shattering Pulse, Shower Of Sparks, Last-Ditch Effort, Final Fortune, Firebolt, Solar Blast

Enchantments, Artifacts, Lands:
Goblin Bombardment, Kyren Negotiations, Ruby Medallion, Cursed Scroll, Impending Disaster, Forgotten Cave, Wasteland, Barbarian Ring, Rishadan Port

I like the"Pave the way for the Lackey" idea. It may seem to make the deck more into a Goblin deck than a Sligh or Burn deck, but if it gets the job done, use it. Goblin Lackey, Goblin Marshal and Mogg Fanatic are shoe-ins for this approach. A Blistering Firecat or two is a great way to nail for seven points of damage, and the Skirk Fire Marshal provides another massive damage win condition.

Mogg Flunkies, Jackal Pup, and Fireslinger are old classics of Sligh decks, but are a little misplaced in this one. Fireslinger is a little slow and doesn't fit the mold. The damage doesn't bother me - but Gambles, Shocks, and the like should be played third turn, and death should come by turn 4. There's no time to waste. Mogg Flunkies and Jackal Pups are fast bruisers, but the Lackeys and Marshals have top priority. Swinging in with a fifteen-point Trumpet Blast on turn three is more effective than two turns with a Jackal Pup and once with a Flunkie. The Firecat outdoes the Viashino Cutthroat, hands-down. There's no debate over that one.

Goblin Matrons? I'm sorry I even wrote it down.

For spells, most of the direct damage will be small, one or two casting cost beatdowns. Shock, Lava Dart, and Seal Of Fire all have a basic one mana = two damage capability. Blazing Salvo is reminiscent of a Lightning Bolt, but it only deals damage to a creature, and when you need that creature dead, it still isn't guaranteed. Gambles are as the name implies, a chance of just one mana wasted and a key card gone, but when getting that win condition card is crucial - no cost is too great. The Hammer is a little too slow, and the Shattering Pulse isn't always necessary. I'll keep them in mind for possible sideboards. The Shower of Sparks is just too conditional - and, for the Last-Ditch Effort, playtesting will see if Goblin Bombardment is better.

As for the other permanents, Impending Disaster keeps the game from shifting sides if you have the creatures in play, destroying all lands on turn 5. If you get to turn 5, you'll need only one more turn. I'll keep Final Fortune in the back of my mind for that one. Kyren Negotiations is way too expensive - plus, your creatures will have already been tapped after the Trumpet Blasts. Ruby Medallion will help you cast the Firecat on turn 3 - but what about the other spells that you could have cast on turn 2? More Burn? Another Lackey and a Gamble? Time is crucial! Cursed Scroll is great if all you need is that extra damage to decide the game, or to get that Lackey through for one more Marshal, using Goblin Bombardment or Last-Ditch Effort for the final touches.

Ahhh... Goblin Bombardment, or Last-Ditch Effort? That's tough. Set up what we have so far, and play test later.

15 Creatures
4 Goblin Lackey
4 Goblin Marshal
4 Mogg Fanatic
3 Blistering Firecat

26 Spells
4 Shock
4 Lava Dart
4 Seal of Fire
4 Trumpet Blast
3 Gamble

2 Impending Disaster
2 Cursed Scroll
3 Goblin Bombardment or Last-Ditch Effort

19 Mountains

Sideboard: To Be Determined

Playtesting against all sorts of decks, here's how version 1 plays and what went wrong:

Turn 1: Ideally, play a Goblin Lackey. If there isn't a Lackey, Gamble for one if you have a Marshal in hand. If a Lackey and no Marshal, get a Marshal. If no Lackey or Marshal, either mulligan for six - or if it's still a great hand, play a burn card or Mogg Fanatic.

Turn 2: If that Lackey was out first turn, Shock, Lava Dart or Seal Of Fire any creatures in the way if necessary. Get a Marshal in your hand, attack with the Lackey, get Marshal into play - along with two 1/1 goblins. Use all mana possible for burn, Cursed Scroll or a Goblin Bombardment. Try to kill the Goblin Marshal if you have a Trumpet Blast in hand so you get another two 1/1s that won't be affected by summoning sickness next turn.

Turn 3: The Marshal dies due to echo if it couldn't die on turn 2, putting in the other two goblins in play. Play the third land - and if all five goblins are free from summoning sickness, play Trumpet Blast, attacking for fifteen. Existing Seal Of Fires or Lava Darts in the graveyard can pave the way or can be used directly on the opponent. If the Bombardment is in play, you can sack the tapped Goblins for more damage to your opponent. If no Trumpet Blast, then morph the Firecat. Ideally, this is a turn 3 kill. If not...

Turn 4: Three things could have happened. Either you got the Lackey out a turn late because it was killed or you needed to find it, or there was no Marshal in hand for the Lackey, or that Trumpet Blast just wasn't around. Gamble for one of three things: Trumpet Blast, Goblin Bombardment/Last-Ditch Effort or assorted burn. You may also play or un-morph the Firecat, attack, then sack to the Bombardment or a Last-Ditch Effort. Activate the Cursed Scroll if needed, or lay down an Impending Disaster if the game is going to take longer. The kill should definitely come by the next turn or two.

When I finish each game or set of games, I jotted down noted of what happened to me, and what aspects needed improvement. The most common notes were:

• The major weakness was getting that Lackey out and getting it through.
• Cursed Scroll and Impending Disaster didn't help out as much as I thought they would.
• The Firecat finished them off.
• Trumpet Blast, where are you?
• I need another Last-Ditch Effort!
• Stop with the mountains!

I decided from these notes and games to keep the Goblin Bombardment over the Last-Ditch Efforts. I also added in a fourth Gamble, and I moved Cursed Scroll and Impending Disaster to Sideboard. I'll keep the Firecats in, and maybe consider a Skirk Fire Marshal just in case I don't get the Trumpet Blast on turn 3. I can Gamble for the Skirk, Lackey it into play, and tap the Marshal's goblins for the ten damage, then sack them to the Bombardment on the way out for a total of sixteen damage for turn 3. Now there are two methods for the third turn kill. As for lands, we need to have enough, but a way to get rid of them if there are too many. I'll try four Forgotten Caves form Onslaught.

17 Creatures
4 Goblin Lackey
4 Goblin Marshal
4 Mogg Fanatic
3 Blistering Firecat
2 Skirk Fire Marshal

24 Spells
4 Shock
4 Lava Dart
4 Seal Of Fire
4 Trumpet Blast
4 Gamble
4 Goblin Bombardment

15 Mountains
4 Forgotten Cave

Sideboard - 15
2 Impending Disaster
2 Cursed Scroll
4 Volcanic Hammer
3 Wasteland
2 Shattering Pulse
2 Final Fortune

How did the changes affect the play of the deck? I got Gambles and Goblin Bombardments more frequently, the fast kills were more consistent, and sideboarding for different creatures or spells helped round the deck out against anybody. The Forgotten Caves will help me get one card closer to what I need. I can play them if I need them, or cycle them if I don't.

The overall flow plays basically the same. When playtesting, I took more notes about what kinds of decks and cards were giving me trouble, as well as what complaints or successes I had with the deck. I found four noteworthy decks at a regional PT qualifier, and I had a chance to see how I would do against the real threats to Extended.

*The Lackey kept dying against a mirror Sligh/Burn deck - but so did my opponent's creatures. This game took the longest to think about. I ended up using Cursed Scrolls instead of Trumpet Blasts for the win - and so did they. Forgotten Caves got me the cards I needed, but dragged me out one more turn when that's all I had. Skirks helped me out a little more, since they're pro-red. The burn cards against my Lackey were the worst to get around. Watch out for Tremors. Not all decks play them, but that occasional sideboard can hurt a lot. I used Shattering Pulses and Cursed Scrolls instead of Lava Darts for the sideboard, stopping their own Cursed Scrolls.

*Benzo and B/U Reanimators are just too successful in getting creatures out. I really had a hard time killing the 'fatty' (Laquatus's Champion, Avatar of Woe, or Rorix, among others) as soon as it came out - and it cost me lots of burn and maybe a few creatures due to the Goblin Bombardment if I had it. I sideboarded in the Volcanic Hammers over Lava Darts, which helped me on damage. Engineered Plagues on are what caused me to slow down, but Firecats pulled me through. I can't stop the Plague, except with stalling them with a Rishadan Port. So let's do that. Now.

*The Rock is a force to be reckoned with. Even though I get ahead early on, a third-turn Engineered Plague or a Pernicious Deed levels the playing field quick. Red doesn't have any way of counteracting the Plague, and the only ways I can think of is by giving them a higher toughness with a Goblin King (yeah, right!) or stalling them a turn with the aforementioned Rishadan Port. I never thought the Ports would help out THAT much! I can't stop the Deed from being played or triggered, but I can do some damage before it's activated - and that is if they get it (the Deed) out every time. The Spiritmongers and Masticores are virtually unstoppable once they're out, but I've got to kill him before then. It's usually not that slow - but if it is, then it's a 35% chance of winning after that. The 'Monger can only block one, and a swarm would be successful. The Firecats were my key cards for victory. This is by far the toughest deck to beat for Goblin Sligh. There's just too many things that can turn the game around. Thankfully, the Plagues are usually few and are on sideboard. The Deeds can come as soon as 3^rd turn, with a 4^th turn activation. How did I pull it off? Knock 'em down early to eight or less with the Goblins, whom soon died due to a Deed or Plague, then swing with a Firecat and lots of burn. I sideboarded in the Firecat instead of a Skirk, a Final Fortune instead of the other Skirk, Volcanic Hammers for Lava Darts and an Impending Disaster in place of a Goblin Fanatic. I hate to sideboard in so much, but it helps. The games went about 65%-35% in my favor, with the other 35% due to an early Plague. Wastelands instead of Caves could be used if the Disaster is kept out, but I found more success with the Disaster.

I never got the chance to play a Turbo Oath or a"Zombies Galore" (as I call them) with the Goblin Sligh, but I have played and had experience against them in the past, so I can only predict on how they'd fare. From the notes, the sideboard needed only a little work, but the overall main deck stayed the same except for lands. The Forgotten Caves turned out to be a really bad idea, and I substituted in Barbarian Rings instead for more damage when the game drags out. Instead of Wastelands, Rishadan Ports would stall decks such as The Rock out one more turn, allowing for more damage. I'll stick the four Ports in the maindeck, cutting three Mountains and a Ring. The Firecats were crucial, so I'll put the extra one in instead of a Skirk. I'll also cut down Impending Disaster to one, since I can Gamble for it if I put it in - and it's not always used.

17 Creatures
4 Goblin Lackey
4 Goblin Marshal
4 Mogg Fanatic
4 Blistering Firecat
1 Skirk Fire Marshal

24 Spells
4 Shock
4 Lava Dart
4 Seal Of Fire
4 Trumpet Blast
4 Gamble

4 Goblin Bombardment

12 Mountains
4 Rishadan Port
3 Barbarian Ring

Sideboard - 15
4 Volcanic Hammer
2 Cursed Scroll
3 Wasteland
2 Shattering Pulse
2 Final Fortune
1 Skirk Fire Marshal
1 Impending Disaster

Some thoughts on the deck: After playtesting and the changes made, this is a red Goblin Overrun deck instead of a Sligh. Sure, it has the aforementioned classics and staples - but it relies on the goblins to deal most of the damage. I also really hate putting the game in the hands of a Gamble, and I wish that there were some other card instead of it - but its success is well worth the one-mana chance. I'm not crazy about Volcanic Hammers, either. Three mana for three damage spells like Solar Blast, Hammer of Bogardan and Fiery Temper are instants and have an added option - but since the deck is built around speed, I'll go with the Volcanic Hammers. Barbarian Rings may sting for a damage, but sacrifice in the name of glory is necessary. And if the Ports fail, the Disaster levels the field.

Sideboarding is generally the same tradeoffs if necessary. Lava Darts and Skirks are usually the first to go, traded off for a combination of anything, depending on the opposing deck of course. Use Impending Disasters against games that tend to last longer and give your opponents the upper hand if they get too much mana (like The Rock); Final Fortunes, Hammers, and Blistering Firecat for more speed and damage against Benzo and Sligh (and The Rock!); and the obvious Wastelands and Shattering Pulse if deemed necessary.

The cards that can kill this deck are mass creature kills, such as Tremor (but who plays Tremor?), Engineered Plague, Pernicious Deed, Infest, and even Slice and Dice and Arc Lightning. Goblin Kings would help them resist these cards, but he's too slow, he's a Lord so the Lackey can't bring him out, and he can't assist with the Skirk if needed. There's no way to stop these cards - but the key is speed before these can be played, using Ports as a sort of Final Fortune, giving you an extra turn early on. Avatar of Woe or a Visara the Dreadful hurt bad if they come out faster than you do, and burn cards against Lackeys aren't helpful. Attack and burn first, ask questions later.

This is the point where everybody screams,"Why did you use that? It sucks! Why aren't these in here? This is the worst deck, man!" Sometimes there isn't a reason why they should or why they shouldn't be included or excluded. It all depends on your individual playing style. It's always helpful to see what decks that are winning big events are using to help with overlooked ideas and situations.

One thing used by some current PT and GP Sligh decks are Sac Lands. It's a great idea! By using the six to eight sac lands instead of Mountains, there are fewer lands and more substance in the deck. By paying one life, one more land is out of your library.

So why is it bad in this deck? One of the main reasons is Impending Disaster. Once you're set with creatures, or it's getting too late in the game and anything can be played, the Disaster will destroy your lands, leaving you with slim to nil left in your deck. There's only one Disaster as well - and it's only a hell-or-high-water issue, not a win condition. Firebolts give you a flashback for later in the game, but having Shock as an instant is more important. Sure, there are many other cards that can be put in, but that all depends on the player's choice. I never used the Shattering Pulses as much as I thought I would, but several other unmentioned decks were severely hurt using them.

Does Goblin Sligh have a chance? Sure. It's faster creature-wise with the Marshal than most Sligh decks today, and it isn't expected at all. I do think it has a great shot at high finishes, due to the current environment, but it can change. Extended has such a wide variety of decks that can kill fast, efficiently and consistently that every match is a toss up on what each players opening hand is. If they have the combos, they virtually have the game if they can play them without interruption.

Engineered Plague and Pernicious Deed are the Achilles' heels of this deck, and since they are commonly played in some decks, all you can do is brace yourself, sideboard good and hold on. Sligh is coming back, though - the PT Houston and GP Reims results show this clearly. How would it do in a professional tournament setting? Only by taking it there will we find out.

Take the road less traveled - victory.

Marshall Terry
guitardr@iwon.com
Feedback is appreciated.