The current online Standard environment is one that is very wide open. If you’ve been paying attention to the recent articles on the Magic Online metagame, you’ve seen the large variety of decks that are having success in the magical world of MODO (not to be confused with “Mordor.” Geez, I’m a nerd.). This is one of those decks. My starting point was John Winters’s Missouri Champs build, which took second place:

U/B Aggro A Standard deck, by John Winters 2nd place at a States/Champs tournament in St. Charles, Missouri, United States on 2005-10-23 As reported at http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=mtgevent/champs05/mo Print this deck!
Maindeck: Artifacts 3 Sensei's Divining Top Creatures 4 Dark Confidant 4 Dimir Cutpurse 4 Dimir Guildmage 4 Festering Goblin 4 Hand of Cruelty 4 Hypnotic Specter Instants 2 Last Gasp 4 Sickening Shoal	Legendary Artifacts 4 Umezawa's Jitte Legendary Creatures 1 Meloku the Clouded Mirror Basic Lands 5 Island 9 Swamp Lands 4 Underground River 4 Watery Grave	Sideboard: 4 Threads of Disloyalty 4 Hinder 3 Mana Leak 4 Shadow of Doubt
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John's build obviously performed well, because he ended up taking the silver. Going back to the first time I saw Ravnica, my favorite card was Dimir Cutpurse and I knew I wanted to play some deck that would be abusing him. Originally, I aimed to play my deck in the Casual Room just for fun. I was relatively new to the Constructed format, and just wanted to “test the waters” a bit. My deck ate up the Casual Room, so on a whim I moved it to the Tournament Practice room. Surprisingly, my deck was keeping up with some of the more established decks of the format.

Fast forward: Three months of testing have turned up some very promising results. I have four premier event Top 8s on Magic Online, including two double prize tournaments, out of eight total tournaments entered. My deck has gone through many incarnations, but the build I'm running now looks like this:

U/B Aggro Featured by Nick Novak on 2006-02-26 (Standard) As written about in http://www.starcitygames.com/php/news/article/11372.html Print this deck!
Maindeck: Creatures 3 Dark Confidant 4 Dimir Cutpurse 4 Dimir Guildmage 2 Nekrataal 4 Ravenous Rats Instants 3 Boomerang 2 Hinder 3 Last Gasp 4 Mana Leak Legendary Artifacts 3 Umezawa's Jitte	Legendary Creatures 1 Meloku the Clouded Mirror Sorceries 4 Blackmail Basic Lands 8 Island 7 Swamp Lands 4 Underground River 4 Watery Grave	Sideboard: 4 Nezumi Graverobber 4 Threads of Disloyalty 3 Darkblast 2 Cranial Extraction 2 Eradicate
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The way the deck works is to drop cheap, efficient creatures that gain you card advantage while disrupting your opponent. The deck is a mix of cards that some people wouldn't touch with a nine-and-a-half-foot pole, but I have my reasons. You have probably already discounted this deck, purely because it doesn't feature what many consider to be the alpha and omega of hand destruction, Hypnotic Specter. Shame on you. Before you discount this deck as the musings of the random scrub, just hear me out.

Dark Confidant: Mmmmm, Bob! It took a while, but Dark Confidant has finally lived up to the hype that he triggered when he was first unveiled. He is nothing short of amazing. He is direct card advantage that comes down on turn 2. Against control decks, this guy is your man. The life loss you incur on yourself in these matchups is negligible, because your life is much less important than board control. Against other aggro matchups not running burn, the extra cards you are drawing should win you the game.

Dimir Cutpurse: This unholy lovechild of Ninja of the Deep Hours and Hypnotic Specter causes headaches for many of the decks that you are bound to come across. It's a two card swing. If you get one to hit against control, it's usually game over.

Dimir Guildmage: People are just flat-out wrong about this guy. Against aggro, it's an efficient 2/2 body that trades. Against control, it's a way to get rid of your opponent's last big card, or turn unused mana into cards for you in the late game, while simultaneously providing pressure on the board.

Nekrataal: Against aggro it's at least a two-for-one. Sometimes better, because of first strike. Against control it's an answer for “the Big Three” that give this deck problems: Meloku, Magnivore, and legendary dragons. Give him an Umezawa's Jitte to really screw up combat math for your unfortunate opponent.

Ravenous Rats: This one might sound kind of fishy, but against control it's a way to get rid of those high cost spells in their hand, and it combos well with Blackmail to get rid of the stuff that gives you problems. Against Boros it will usually get a creature or burn out of their hand. It's also a 1/1 body that trades with Savannah Lions and Hearth Kamis. If nothing else it'll hold a Jitte, which is sometimes all you really need.

Meloku the Clouded Mirror: The best creature in Standard plays a foil to aggro decks and control decks alike. The Confidants make adding any more than one more suicidal than helpful. He's a finisher and will bail you out if you get in a jam.

Boomerang: Boomerang is a very flexible card that varies in its role depending on the matchup. It can delay a big opposing creature for a turn, disrupt a Jitte, bounce lands, and combos well with discard to get rid of problem cards like enchantments and giant creatures that got past your counters.

Blackmail: The younger and weaker brother of Duress is still a formidable card that many overlook. It gets rid of problem cards like Wildfire, Meloku, Magnivore, and legendary dragons before they become a problem. What are the main counterspells in this format? Remand and Mana Leak. Blackmail costs one. This makes it hard for opponents to protect their spells.

Hinder and Mana Leak: They counter spells. Duh. Use your counterspells wisely. Make sure that you have them available for your opponents' key spells.

Last Gasp: Invaluable against aggro. It can also help you trade with opposing big guys in a pinch.

Umezawa's Jitte: I don't need to explain myself here.

Like I said, this deck has gone through many incarnations. These are a few cards that didn't make the cut and why:

Ninja of the Deep Hours: He was in the first few incarnations of the deck, but just proved too slow to be worth it. Pyroclasms and Shocks running rampant also make him less than optimal.

Hypnotic Specter: Excluded only because I personally cannot afford the 13-15 tickets he goes for on MODO. If you can afford them, I would suggest trying them out in place of Ravenous Rats.

Remand: I can see the case for this card, but I just prefer Mana Leak. It's a close call.

Disrupting Shoal: Tapping out on turn 3 to cast Cutpurse can be a problem sometimes. Dropping a Cutpurse with Shoal backup sounds good in theory, but testing has shown that you're better off leaving this to the Bob the Builder decks. Having the right casting cost spell in your hand is difficult for this deck.

Shadow of Doubt (sideboard): Gifts, Enduring Ideal, and Heartbeat are no longer popular in the online metagame. If these decks are popular in your metagame, use them.

Tips on Playing the Deck

Use your Boomerangs effectively. Don't be afraid to use it on your opponent's land on turn 2, if you think setting them back a turn will help you later. If they leave counterspell mana untapped at the end of their turn, Boomeranging a land to get your important spell across is a good play. Also, pairing Boomerang with discard is a good way to get rid of problem permanents that you can't otherwise deal with.

Use your counterspells wisely. Make sure they are hitting your opponents' key spells. Otherwise, don't bother.

All of your creatures except for Meloku die to Pyroclasm. Be especially careful not to leave yourself vulnerable to this card. You only need one Dark Confidant or Cutpurse to stick in order to be effective against control decks.

The Matchups and Sideboarding Strategy

Boros: Game one is pretty even. Dark Confidant becomes more of a liability, so be leery of keeping him on the board for long periods of time. Do what you can to keep them from getting a Jitte online, and try to stay out of burn range. Trade evenly whenever you can. A Jitte on your side also goes a long way, but when they have mana open and cards in hand it's usually a good idea to play a creature instead, as you want to keep their creatures from hitting you. Preventing their creatures from hitting you makes their burn less of a factor.

SB: +3 Darkblast +4 Threads of Disloyalty +3 Nezumi Graverobber +2 Eradicate -2 Hinder -4 Blackmail -3 Dark Confidant -3 Mana Leak

After boarding, this matchup gets much easier. Darkblast single-handedly destroys most builds. Threads is also the nuts, if you can draw them in multiples. Be wary however; some builds are more resilient to Threads and Darkblast. Use common sense. Some builds also run Orcish Artillery, which can be very bad for you if you let it rule the board.

Ghazi-Glare: This match isn't too tough. If you strike quickly and keep their big dudes and Glare off the board, you should be fine. Mana Leak is very important in this matchup.

SB: +2 Eradicate +2 Darkblast -3 Last Gasp -1 Ravenous Rats

The match doesn't change too much after board. Same plan. Play dudes early and keep theirs off the board.

URzatron: This is your worst matchup. They are resilient to your discard because of their card draw. As with most matchups, try to get in their face early. Your counterspells should be for Meloku, Keiga, Tidings, and their Signet if they play it on turn 2. Their mana base can be sketchy at times, so countering a signet can sometimes have major implications. If you can get a Confidant or Cutpurse to stick, you win. Otherwise, you lose.

SB: +2 Eradicate +2 Cranial Extraction -3 Last Gasp -1 Boomerang

Extract/Eradicate Meloku, then Keiga, if you can. They bring in Pyroclasm, if they don't play a version with it in the maindeck. Be prepared for it. Most versions also bring in Ribbons of Night.

U/R Magnivore: This matchup is very close in game 1. Be careful of Pyroclasm in the main. Also, do not let them resolve Wildfire. If you know beforehand that you are playing against Magnivore, make sure that your hand isn't vulnerable to land destruction.

SB: +2 Eradicate +2 Cranial Extraction -3 Last Gasp -1 Boomerang

Extract Magnivore first, then Wildfire if you can. Some versions scoop to Extraction or Eradicate on their Magnivores. Some of the newer versions run Meloku and/or Genju of the Spires in the board. Their mana base is terrible and you have Boomerangs, so Genjus aren't that much of a threat. As in game one, make sure the hand you keep isn't ruined by land destruction.

Greater Gifts: This is very similar to Ghazi-Glare. Attack early and use any means necessary to prevent them from resolving Greater Good and Yosei. Greater Gifts differs in that it only takes one mistake to allow them to combo out. If you mess up against Ghazi-Glare, a Boomerang can take care of the problem… but if you let Greater Good and Yosei exist on the board at the same time, there is nothing you can do to fix your mistake.

SB: +2 Eradicate +2 Cranial Extraction +2 Nezumi Graverobber -3 Last Gasp -3 Boomerang

Extract Yosei then Kokusho. If they play Yosei without Greater Good backup, punish them with Eradicate. Most won't see it coming. It's very hard for them to win if you extract Yosei. Remember, you can't Eradicate Kokusho. Nezumi Graverobbers prevent problematic legendary dragons from being recurred via Goryo's Vengeance.

You probably want to say to me “Wow and that is without any Guildpact cards! What will Guildpact have to add to this deck?” To which I would respond, “Well, I'm happy to see that kind of enthusiasm, but Guildpact is not a friend to us.” Sorry. If you are looking to play a deck pimped out in Guildpact-y goodness, you've come to the wrong place. All the toys that you are going to get are already available.

However, if it's Guildpact action you want, who am I to deny you? Here's a deck to mix things up a bit. If hand destruction is your thing, say hello to your new friend, Abyssal Nocturnus. Mr. ‘Turnus - or “Megrim on a stick” - starts off as a lowly 2/2 for three, but every discard you incur on your opponent gives it +2/+2 and fear. Fear might as well be unblockability in this Standard format, where Black creatures are as rare as Hannibal Lecter's prime rib. This deck went in a different direction than the U/B aggro deck, trading counterspells for efficient removal and an expanded discard package:

B/W Aggro Featured by Nick Novak on 2006-02-26 (Standard) As written about in http://www.starcitygames.com/php/news/article/11372.html Print this deck!
Maindeck: Creatures 4 Abyssal Nocturnus 4 Dark Confidant 4 Hypnotic Specter 3 Nezumi Shortfang 3 Ravenous Rats 3 Shrieking Grotesque Instants 4 Mortify 4 Otherworldly Journey Legendary Artifacts 3 Umezawa's Jitte Legendary Creatures 2 Ghost Council of Orzhova	Sorceries 4 Blackmail Basic Lands 4 Plains 10 Swamp Lands 4 Caves of Koilos 4 Godless Shrine	Sideboard: 2 Moratorium Stone 4 Paladin en-Vec 3 Sacred Ground 4 Last Gasp 2 Cranial Extraction
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This deck is philosophically similar to its U/B cousin; disrupt and attack. Where this deck differs is that you don't have the comfort of counterspells to fall back on. No worries, you still have an all-star cast of creatures to help you out. Joining the usual suspects Dark Confidant, Hypnotic Specter, and Nezumi Shortfang are the new boys in town: Shrieking Grotesque and Ghost Council of Orzhova. Dark Confidant is still your favorite turn 2 play, followed by either a Hyppie or a Nocturnus. Follow up with hand destruction and win. Does this sound familiar? Where the U/B deck had counterspells, W/B has Otherworldly Journey. This card is so good, it's sick. Why some White Weenie decks ignored this card during Kamigawa block is beyond me. What's not to like? This is the White Boomerang. It removes a blocker, saves your guy from removal, saves your guy after combat, prevents Jitte counters, gets around Wrath of God effects, and re-triggers comes into play effects.

Also making an appearance is the new premium removal spell, Mortify. In addition to taking out those pesky creatures, it gives you a maindeck answer to Threads of Disloyalty, Heartbeat of Spring, and other annoying enchantments. Out of the board we have Paladin En-Vec for Boros, the new Gruul decks, Magnivore, and Wildfire. This card is seeing more and more play in online Standard, and it should be no surprise. Protection from Red is extremely valuable. It has first strike, which helps when it wields a Jitte and while fighting other small creatures. Sacred Ground warrants an inclusion, to defeat the land destruction decks running around. There are plenty of decks that like to play tricks with their graveyard including Gifts, Greater Gifts, and decks that bring in Darkblast. Moratorium Stone is a cheap and effective way to prevent such tomfoolery. Heh, “tomfoolery.” Anyway, Last Gasps come in to help you out in the aggro matchups, and Cranial Extraction is a proactive solution for decks that are low on threats.

Thanks for reading this far and I hope I've given you something to think about for the upcoming Standard and Team Standard seasons. Go Team Fatman Dance!

Nick Novak
Nichmafish on Magic Online
“Another one of those eloquent, up-and-coming Magic players from St. Louis” (Sorry, Feldman)