I started Ravnica Standard playing Critical Mass Update. My favorite games were the ones in which I laid an early Vinelasher Kudzu, then proceeded to counter every relevant spell my opponent played. I'd ride that Kudzu to victory. But for the most part, the deck's strategy was simple: accelerate into fat.

Recent versions- and better, according to the results- have even cut my beloved Vinelasher Kudzu's from the deck. They make way for... more fat.

The deck is simply too massive for my tastes.

I want an Aggro-Control deck, one that can force a quick start and protect my board advantage with countermagic. For now, the obvious color to pair with Blue is White. This supplies the most efficient creatures available.

Without any further ado, here is the list:

Critical Speed

2 Savannah Lions
3 Isamaru, Hound of Konda
4 Lantern Kami
4 Kami of Ancient Law
4 Ninja of the Deep Hours
3 Meloku the Clouded Mirror
4 Mana Leak
4 Remand
4 Hinder
4 Umezawa's Jitte
1 Eiganjo Castle
1 Minamo, School at Water's Edge
1 Oboro, Palace in the Clouds
4 Adarkar Wastes
8 Island
9 Plains

Most of the choices should not need explanation, but here's a brief word on a couple.

1: Lantern Kami is a great ninja-enabler and Jitte-wielder, getting the nod over Suntail Hawk due to the fear of Rend Flesh.
2: Kami of Ancient Law is the best two-drop with a single White mana casting cost. The deck's mana base is far too shaky to rely on turn two double White... and Kami of Ancient Law is surprisingly effective in the Standard metagame.

The deck's ideal draw will spend the first turns playing out threats to develop fast clock, then spend the rest of the game protecting the board. Of course most draws aren't ideal. One of the problems with a deck like this is that it is common to draw hands of all creatures and no countermagic, or vice-versa. The deck must be prepared to go to the late game, and can do so aptly with Umezawa's Jitte and Meloku the Clouded Mirror.

As Aggro-Control, the roles of the deck (and how it plays) are dependent upon your opponent's gameplan. As such, I felt it was best to break down the metagame into Control, Aggro-Control, Aggro, and Combo, and describe the strategies for victory against each.

Control
Beating Control decks is what this deck does best. They don't fight you for board dominance within the first few turns, and this deck can punish them for letting you get that early advantage. Ninja of the Deep Hours is a key card against Control as he is an uncounterable, must-answer threat. If you untap with a Ninja of the Deep Hours that they cannot block, you almost certainly win. You can safely over-commit, relying on countermagic to ward off board sweepers.

However, if you are not confident in your ability to counter board sweepers (for example, if you don't have countermagic, or you're facing a potential Pyroclasm), deciding the correct amount of pressure can be very tricky. Control decks have a better late game than you, so if you don't apply enough pressure they can punish you with fat and tricky creatures. An active Umezawa's Jitte or Ninja of the Deep Hours will put you in a better position for the long game, but without these your strongest plan is to burn your bridges and hope your opponent doesn't have a mass removal spell.

Greater Gifts (or any Gifts Ungiven deck) (~80%)
One of your better matchups. They accelerate into fat, which you can counter. They don't have much early removal, and you can handle Wrath of God (or Kagemaro, First to Suffer) with relative ease. Most Control decks without countermagic fall into this category.
Sideboard: No changes.

MUC (Mono-Blue Control) (~65%)
You have one-drops they can do nothing about, and Ninja of the Deep Hours is an uncounterable wrecking-ball. The heavier Black they are, the worse for you, as they can attempt to contain the weenies with spot removal and Hideous Laughter. Much of this matchup is about their Threads of Disloyalty. If possible, keep Kami of Ancient Law back. A Threads of Disloyalty on one is a guaranteed two for one and is generally game over for you, whereas if you can answer a Threads of Disloyalty with a fresh-cast Kami of Ancient Law, you remain in good shape.

Wildfire (Red/Blue/Black) (~55%)
I must admit that I don't understand why this matchup isn't better. Theoretically, it looks little different from a Gifts matchup, but the Wildfire player always has the mana advantage and is able to force through key spells with counters of their own. Most Wildfire builds do not run Pyroclasm maindeck or sideboard, but if they do this matchup drops around ten percent.
Sideboard: -2 Lantern Kami, -3 Meloku the Clouded Mirror, +2 Savannah Lions, +3 Terashi's Grasp

Hattori Hanzo (Blue/Red/Black Urzatron) (~40%)
This is similar to the Wildfire matchup, but they pack four maindeck Pyroclasm and can create more mana. If their deck works properly, there is little you can do. Thankfully, their deck can be fairly inconsistent and you can punish their bad draws with quick creature rushes.
Sideboard: -2 Lantern Kami, +2 Savannah Lions

Aggro-Control
The mirror match. I wish I could say that most of these matches come down to whichever player gets the fastest start, but unfortunately they come down to Umezawa's Jitte dominance. Cross you fingers, and draw yours first.

Critical Mass (~50%)
They have fantastic acceleration, and it can be difficult to develop the board fully before they can threaten to untap with five mana. At that point you can no longer tap out, even when only bluffing countermagic, unless you expect to be able to beat Meloku the Clouded Mirror. With one of your own, or an Umezawa's Jitte, you're still fighting. From the sideboard, their Threads of Disloyalty make the matchup very difficult; make sure to play Kami of Ancient Law appropriately.

GhaziGlare (~40%)
GhaziGlare will dominate the late game, so this match sees you playing against a Control deck that has Umezawa's Jitte and early creatures. They can beat an Umezawa's Jitte on your side of the table, but if they have one it's Game Over. It can be correct to save your Umezawa's Jitte as removal for theirs, rendering their Seed Sparks useless. Meloku the Clouded Mirror is your most valuable card against them, but beware the Pithing Needle that shuts him down.
Sideboard: -2 Savannah Lions, -4 Ninja of the Deep Hours, +1 Meloku the Clouded Mirror, +2 Terashi's Grasp, +3 Threads of Disloyalty

Green/Black/Blue Aggro (~40%)
I'll not mince words: a second turn Hypnotic Scepter destroys you, as does Dark Confidant. The game is all about Umezawa's Jitte, and Putrefy gives them the advantage here. After sideboarding, the matchup is actually worse. They bring in Threads of Disloyalty, and you cannot effectively do the same.
Sideboard: On the draw, -2 Remand, +2 Pacifism. Depending on their build, you may be able to bring in Threads of Disloyalty or Terashi's Grasp as well.

Green/Black Aggro (~40%)
This matchup is essentially the same as Green/Black/Blue Aggro. Happily, they don't have Threads of Disloyalty... but they are more consistent.
Sideboard: On the draw, -2 Remand, +2 Pacifism. Depending on their build, you may be able to bring in Threads of Disloyalty or Terashi's Grasp as well.

Aggro
Jitte Jitte Jitte Jitte Jitte. Need I say more?

Boros (~50%)
In game one, they have the advantage. Your counters are sub-optimal and they can burn away your creatures. However, boarding Threads of Disloyalty can completely change the game... except for the fact that it all comes down to Umezawa's Jitte regardless.
Sideboard: -4 Hinder, +4 Threads of Disloyalty. Take out some number of Remand for Terashi's Grasp, depending on how many targets Terashi's Grasp has and whether or not you are on the play. Remand is good if you are on the play, but on the draw should be boarded out before Hinder.

Combo
These are extremely good matchups. They play out like Control matches, but they do less to stop the aggression and have fewer must-counter spells. Combo decks tend to run Defense Grid from the sideboard, so be prepared for it by bringing in Terashi's Grasp.

Heartbeat/Harvest (~90%)
In all my testing I have yet to lose in this matchup. Remember to keep Remand handy for their Giant-Win-Condition-of-Choice. You never want to cast Meloku the Clouded Mirror, as by that point in the game you need to keep mana untapped. This makes sure they are unable to use their countermagic and force through the win. Terashi's Grasp kills Defense Grid and Heartbeat of Spring, so be sure to bring those in for games two and three. If they have a transformational sideboard into creatures, you probably don't want to change anything. If you don't know what to expect (as in for game two), going for something halfway between what is suggested below and no changes is probably the right move.
Sideboard: -3 Meloku the Clouded Mirror, -1 Umezawa's Jitte, -4 Mana Leak, +2 Savannah Lions, +4 Terashi's Grasp, +2 Rewind

Enduring Ideal (~80%)
Hold back Kami of Ancient Law! Other than that, this matchup is similar to playing against Control. You will often beat a resolved Enduring Ideal, especially after boarding, which is important because they pack Boseiju, Who Shelters All.
Sideboard: -3 Meloku the Clouded Mirror, -2 Umezawa's Jitte, -1 Lantern Kami, +4 Terashi's Grasp, +2 Savannah Lions

...

In the MTGO Standard 8-man queues, I've enjoyed a win percentage of sixty-five percent with Critical Speed. With Critical Mass, it was about fifty percent. All of my testing was done in these queues, and the matchup percentages above are my actual percentage of wins (appropriately rounded). The average constructed ratings of those in the queues were similar to mine (around 1700), so I assume the skill levels were close. The percentages should give a good estimation of the deck's performance versus a player of similar skill. Critical Speed is a competitive rogue option, a great choice in a Control-heavy metagame.

As far as changes that could be made to the deck... I have seen similar builds playing a Black splash for Dark Confidant and Last Gasp. While I have not personally tested this, I know that the mana base is a little shaky with just two colors. I cannot imagine the deck being at all consistent with three. When we have all the Ravnica Shock-lands to work with, this will likely be a good direction for the deck.

I have been having loads of fun with Critical Speed. I hope you enjoy it too.

Josh Utter-Leyton
(wrapter on MODO)
jwul@aol.com