When I originally looked over the Odyssey spoiler, the Thought creatures instantly caught my eye. They were undercosted and very powerful... But came with a major drawback. However, as the case has been with many other undercosted creatures like this (Jackal Pup immediately comes to mind), if a deck could be constructed that works around the drawback, it could provide amazing results. So after a long period of thought, the idea for this deck came to me. I have been playtesting it for quite some time now, and believe that the information I have now is ready for publication.

Thought Stompy works on a rather simple level: The Thought creatures are vastly undercosted for their mana cost, but effectively deprive you of a hand. However, a truly strong and fast attacking deck will often not have a hand - and this goal is what Thought Stompy strives for. With topdecking essential this deck, Thought Stompy needs to contain an excellent amount of library manipulation to ensure the player always draws what he or she needs. Fast and efficient flyers are then backed up by a large amount of bounce, ensuring that other aggressive decks (such as the green decks expected to be everywhere in the new metagame) will be stalled sufficiently for the powerful flyers to do their jobs. This bounce also can be used against control decks, to disrupt its rhythm in playing land, and the like. Here is the decklist I use currently, with card-by-card analysis:

4x Thought Devourer – The cornerstone of the deck, this creature is very difficult to deal with, and very often ends the game shortly after being played.

4x Thought Eater – A flying Grizzly Bears, the Eater is an exceptional early-game play that has extensive damage-dealing potential.

4x Thought Nibbler – A great first-turn play, the Nibbler can deal large amounts to an unprepared opponent, with a drawback that is mostly negligible.

4x Sage Owl – A hidden gem from 7^th Edition, the Owl not only provides another flyer to keep up the pressure, but also manipulates Thought Stompy's library to provide excellent topdecking for a longer period of time. One of the cards that makes the deck function as smoothly as it does.

4x Air Elemental – Another undercosted flyer, very dangerous, and it has no drawback like the Devourer. An excellent middle-to-late game threat that can easily finish off a deck with little flying defenses.

4x Sleight of Hand – A very strong card for this deck. It is strictly superior to Opt, the only possible drawback being that it can only be played on Thought Stompy's turn, and not the opponent's. However, as any card drawn with this will have to be immediately played, with cards left in hand leaving at end of turn, this drawback is in fact, no drawback at all.

2x Opt – While not quite as good as Sleight of Hand, still always useful for this deck, for the same reasons.

4x Wash Out – Simply a fantastic bounce card. It crushes mono-color decks, which will show up in far greater numbers in this new T2. All the efficient counter-producing green cards simply roll over and die faced with this, and it can be used to deal with other permanents as well. It is not hurt by being a Sorcery, and therefore is invaluable to this deck.

4x Boomerang – More excellent bounce, it can be used to stall an aggressive deck by bouncing creatures, giving Thought Stompy just enough time to win. It deals with the more difficult cards in the metagame (such as Spiritmonger), it can bounce other permanents, it can be used to bounce a control deck's lands to slow it down, is great creature kill for tokens - really, its uses are almost limitless.

4x Repulse – More excellent bounce, this gives you card advantage when facing tokens, quickly cycles through the deck, and provides more tempo advantage against creature decks.

22x Islands – Often, the best results can be achieved simply with basic lands, as is the case here.

A few words about the sideboard as a whole. It is designed mainly to combat control decks, which Thought Stompy has most of its trouble with. It does so extremely well, not by utilizing specific hate, but by transforming the deck into an aggro-control build of its own.

4x Spellbook – So here is Spellbook, which many will be surprised not to see in the main deck. Spellbook has amazing synergy with the Thought creatures, completely negating their drawback. However, it does not quite deserve a spot in the main deck. It slows the deck down a lot; while it costs nothing to play, it takes a slot away from the deck's offense, where a powerful creature could be instead. In addition, as there are only twelve Thought creatures in existence - and you don't draw one, the card is useless. Thus, it goes in the Sideboard, for the purposes of transforming the deck into a more controlling variant, and allowing Thought Stompy to hold back counters without the risk of losing them.

4x Counterspell – Part one of the transformation into a control build, this deals with any nasty threat (like Wrath of God) for which there is no solution main deck.

4x Syncopate – Another excellent Counterspell, this deals nicely with the powerful new Flashback cards.

3x Exclude – Provides card advantage and negates pesky creatures, yet another powerful permission card.

While certain selections may vary based on the deck one's opponent is playing, when adding these cards I usually remove the Air Elementals, Slight of Hand, Opt, Repulse, and one Thought Devourer. In my playtesting, I did this against Go-Mar and New Frontiers/Time Stretch, although it is possible to sideboard in this way against Opposition. Basically, if you are playing a control deck, these are the changes to make; otherwise, no change is the best change.

A few weeks ago, a deck similar to this made its first appearance on StarCity, by Pierre DuPont. His Decklist is below:

Sadly, this deck possesses many weaknesses that are not found in Thought Stompy. It uses the combo with Spellbook, but this so weakens the aggression of this deck that only twelve creatures make up the kill. It possesses a ton of card drawing, including the excellent Standstill. However, if Spellbook is not drawn, then this card advantage will be void upon the player's discard phase. If Blonde Skies doesn't draw enough creatures, it stands no chance regardless. Counterspells will sit idly in hand, then be discarded when the opponent simply doesn't play spells. There is not nearly enough bounce, or enough mana, to support spells like Upheaval. Simply put, Blonde Skies is an excellent and imaginative idea, but fails in application.

So how does this deck do against other decks? My playtesting indicates that Thought Stompy will certainly be a Tier 1 deck in the upcoming Type 2. It simply crushes most aggressive decks (Stompy, Sligh), against which no sideboarding is needed. It also performs extremely well against most aggro-control decks as well (Opposition, G/B Deed, etc.), where the combo/control card (Opposition/Static Orb, or Pernicious Deed) is bounced as it hits play, and the more efficient and numerous creatures overpower the opponent's defenses. One can sideboard in the control cards for Air Elementals/Sleight of Hand/Opt here, or leave the deck as is, according to one's personal preference. Thought Stompy will usually lose game 1 against a good control deck (Go-Mar, Probe-Go), where mass removal such as Wrath of God is devastating, but stands a much better chance after sideboarding, where the control deck will find its answers countered away. This deck usually loses to combo (New Frontiers/Time Stretch) first game as well, but performs better after sideboarding again, where a counterspell can deal with Ghitu Fire. Thought Stompy also cleans out most rogue decks (Lich/Infestation, Threshold WW, Ponza) easily.

So, there it is - Thought Stompy. Please send suggestions, comments, criticisms, etc. to komisarof@home.com. I think this deck truly has the potential to see a lot of play in the upcoming season, but only time will tell, no? Good luck with it!

Appendix 1 (Playtesting Results – 10 games played)
Vs. Sligh: 7-3 pre-sideboarding, 6-4 post-sideboarding
Vs. Stompy: 8-2 pre-sideboarding, 8-2 post-sideboarding
Vs. Go-Mar 3-7 pre-sideboarding, 7-3 post-sideboarding
Vs. Combo (Frontiers/Stretch): 3-7 pre-sideboarding, 6-4 post-sideboarding
Vs. Opposition: 6-4 pre-sideboarding, 6-4 post-sideboarding
Vs. G/B Deed: 7-3 pre-sideboarding, 6-4 post-sideboarding

Appendix 2 (Playtesting results – 5 games played, no sideboarding)
Vs. Threshold WW – 5-0
Vs. Ponza – 4-1
Vs. Lich/Infestation – 5-0
Vs. Domain – 3-2
Vs. Jon Finkel's Control Deck (from Sideboard) – 3-2

Thanks to all the members from my playtesting team, Team MTGnews, who have helped with this deck: Yawgmoth's Father, Chilling_Apparition, Terraformer51, Proscrypt, Skizzik, Accolon, and Lick, couldn't have done this without you all!