Welcome to the second part of my series about Odyssey Block (OBC) and in my current adventures about Grizzly Fate. For those of you a tad lost, check out my last article.

Green/Blue is the dominant force in OBC right now. Sure, there are a lot of other contending decks you hear about and talk about, but when it comes down to it, the Green/Blue decks are the ones doing all the winning. So what do you need to succeed?

It's all about Grizzly Fate these days. Sure, you don't see as many decks with Fates in them - but believe me, that card is just ruining tournament days for people all over the place. It's the Green/Blue ace card. Versus Control Black, there's no better way to come back from a Mutilate. In fact, you pressure them to find another Mutilate because you have four 2/2 bears pounding at the door.

Fate isn't always four critters, though; sometimes it's just two bears. That can be good enough though in a lot of situations. When things get hard, it's time to think about Flashing back the Grizzly Fate for the full four bears.

What I want to talk about today is two versions of Grizzly Fate Green/Blue that aren't focused on Threshold. Mind you, when I say focused, I mean that. All versions of Green/Blue have easy access to threshold even if you are not really trying for it. These versions of the deck, which seemingly have fallen out of the public eye, utilize Quiet Speculation.

Let's cut right into the first decklist:

Quiet Fate without Catalyst Stone: Made off the general ideas for the deck
4x Basking Rootwalla
4x Werebear
4x Wild Mongrel
4x Careful Study
4x Quiet Speculation
4x Roar of the Wurm
3x Grizzly Fate
2x Deep Analysis
1x Howling Gale
1x Krosan Reclamation
2x Upheaval
3x Wonder
2x Mental Note
10x Forest
1x Centaur Garden
11x Island

What I usually do with my first Speculation, which I cast right away because I am not scared of what they could do, is get two Roar of the Wurm and a Deep Analysis. I have found that with this deck, which uses only twenty-two land, that Deep Analysis is more important then breathing at times. You need to draw more land at a good rate in order to not fall into the Rancid Earth mana screw clause. Also, things like Roar of the Wurm and Grizzly Fate cost four or five mana, so having as much as possible is key.

Then you always seem to find a second Speculation before you have even used all the goodies you searched up from the first. In the event that you need to use it, go for another Deep Analysis, another Roar and some card that applies to that particular situation. Facing off against the U/W Punisher deck and have a ton of annoying 1/1 flying birds in your way? Howling Gale proves to be a powerhouse. Afraid of graveyard removal or facing off against another Green/Blue variant? Snag up your Krosan Reclamation. Then there is always getting the fourth Roar (which generally, you don't need all four each game you play) or taking a Grizzly Fate. Be cautious with this.

Be very cautious.

If you put a Grizzly Fate in your graveyard but are nowhere near getting to seven mana anytime soon, you are just asking to have Haunting Echoes cast on you. If you aren't playing black, then you are better off leaving the Fates in your deck, since two Speculations pretty much assures you of Threshold, especially with the other cards you are using (Mental Note, Careful Study, Wild Mongrel).

The funniest thing about all Quiet Speculations is the toolbox features you see from deck to deck - which are always different. Each different deck runs one of this, one of that and one of those. It varies from design to design, and I am still not sure what cards are the best, but I like the one-of's in Howling Gale, Krosan Reclamation, and a lonely Centaur Garden.

So how do you play this deck?

Hit them in the face hard!

That's what basically happens. Turns 1-3 you are doing whatever; dropping Wild Mongrels, Basking Rootwallas or casting spells that get you those cards, or other goodies. If you do nothing for the first three turns of the game, it doesn't look good for you at all!

You see, Green/Blue is a deck that lies to you: While it plays a ton of spells and seems more bent on being a utility deck, the deck comes out fast and makes the appearance that it is the king of beatdown. You will get that game with three Basking Rootwallas, a Careful Study, and a Mongrel to boot. Your opponent must be allowed to complain about your lucky draw. Heck, it was! Why can't they complain about it?

Don't let them go too far complaining, though; that can just be annoying.

Here is how you should treat and play your Grizzly Fates. They are your "secret tech" cards. I don't care if they know it's in your deck and that it should be coming soon; Fate digs you out of bad situations and bad games. Things are leaning towards your opponent's game plan, but then you've got a whole new army of guys.

Grizzly Fate is the Wrath of God (in theory) of Odyssey Block.

It's that spell that cost you a bit of mana, but turns the game right back into your favor. You see, I'm not saying it's the same as Wrath of God (the closest has to be Mutilate by default), but it is the card that nets you that supreme card advantage.

Game changing Bear-Beats.

So remember, you don't let your Grizzly Fate's in the graveyard unless it really is okay to. Well... Unless you are playing Catalyst Stone.....

Quiet Fate with Catalyst Stone: Made off general ideas for the deck.
3x Basking Rootwalla
4x Werebear
4x Wild Mongrel
4x Careful Study
3x Quiet Speculation
4x Roar of the Wurm
3x Grizzly Fate
2x Deep Analysis
3x Catalyst Stone
3x Wonder
2x Upheaval
3x Mental Note
10x Forest
11x Island
1x Tarnished Citadel

Catalyst Stone versions of Green/Blue seem to be generally the worst performers in sheer numbers, but can also appear to be the best version of the deck. The Stone can stymie your opponent's stuff while you are at work making 6/6 Wurms for two mana. Two mana! How good is that? Good enough that the painful Rancid Earths and other land denial you may see aren't as devastating as they are versus other versions of Green/Blue.

To make room for the Stones though, you need to sacrifice some your Toolbox effects. You can dump those in the sideboard in multiple form even, to help you out when you need them. This deck is all about consistency. You want to draw a Catalyst Stone each game. That's right; every game.

Therein lies the problem: You don't really need two or three Stones in a game. When playing Careful Study, Deep Analysis and Mental Note, you will find yourself running into them very often if you play four. Thus, I only play three, and the better versions I have seen of this style only seem to play three Stones.

The Stone doesn't make the deck; it just makes it easier. It's a mini-Dark Ritual, basically. Dark Ritual makes everything easier in black decks; the deck isn't necessarily "good" because of the Rituals, but things work easier, things seem better, and can be. Catalyst Stone is obviously way narrower in terms of the cards you can use with it. Roar of the Wurm, Deep Analysis, Grizzly Fate and your opponent's stuff is basically the round-a-bout of things for the deck.

All those Flashback cards are powerful components to the deck makeup though. Helping them be a little bit more effective, or efficient, means good things down the road.

I'll tell you what. I love it when I cast Grizzly Fate with Threshold, then flash it back the next turn. Game-Changer. It almost is enough to make me want to play Green/Blue at the next Odyssey Block tournament I run into.

Then again, I get bored when playing the deck. It is strong because of its consistency, but it is very redundant. While you get to do a lot of smashing, and make a lot of bears, it's all about the time before that happens. Cast a blue spell. Another blue spell. Maybe a Wild Mongrel or a Werebear. Even though you are doing a lot of stuff, it's more about when can you finally get the good stuff going.

Then again, the people who win with this deck get things going on turn 3 or 4 every time. I am more like the guy who gets the three Basking Rootwalla, two Wild Mongrel draw with the perfect amount of land to add a turn 4 Roar of the Wurm one game - then follow up with a four Island, two Forest, Upheaval hand, that I paris mulligan into a two Upheaval, three Catalyst Stone, one Tarnished Citadel hand.

Yes, that happened the other day. Twice in fact, in about fifteen games. It must be me. I never play Green with Blue: They are enemies to the end. Why should I ally their powers and try to make something positive of it?

Okay, now for the big kicker (no, not Urza's Rage). Even with those bad games that I described above.. I still managed to win most of those games. Call me the lucky Top Deck guy in those games. I start drawing Careful Studies and I am off to the races. Maybe it's just that Green/Blue is just pretty darn good together these days?

Nah, that can't be it. Nobody plays those colors anymore.

(Jeremy is now looking at some eight-man Odyssey Block tournament where everyone played their Wayward Angel/Major Teroh decks and their Ashen Firebeast deck.)

So do you want my recommendation on OBC and what to play?

Green

+

Blue

It's not quite the Ziplock combo, but you mix in yellow somewhere and you come close.

Feel free to ask anything.

Jeremy Muir
Elven Disciple
Keiichibell@go.com