The British Columbia provincials were held at Mishra's Game Factory. I came sporting my Three-Color Beast deck, finishing better than half the field. This deck can cast fifteen beasts and contains three maindeck beast"enablers" making it a true theme deck.

Three Color Beasts (3CB)
23 land
7 Forest
2 Mountain
3 Plains
2 City of Brass
4 Brushland
4 Karplusan Forest
1 Contested Cliffs

29 creatures
4 Birds of Paradise
3 Llanowar Elves
4 Anurid Brushhopper
4 Petravark
2 Hystrodon
2 Wirewood Savage
4 Wild Mongrel
3 Ravenous Baloth
3 Glory

9 other spells
4 Firebolt
1 Beast Attack
1 Earthquake
3 Living Wish

Sideboard:
1 Silklash Spider
1 Glory
1 Genesis
1 Intrepid Hero
1 Spellbane Centaur
1 Nantuko Monastery
1 Sylvan Safekeeper
3 Reprisal
3 Naturalize
1 City of Brass
1 Contested Cliffs

This deck is very similar to Kibler's Red Zone 2K2, using mana critters to accelerate out efficient threats while using Living Wish to access"toolbox creatures" out of the sideboard. A Glory in the graveyard helps you breakthrough for the final strike.

Notable Card Selections
Wirewood Savage
With fifteen beasts in the deck, this card is a no-brainer. If cast on turn 2 and not promptly removed, this elf can draw you lots of cards. Don't forget to draw a card when Brushhopper comes back at end of turn, but not when Hystrodon unmorphs (since it was already in play). Make sure to proclaim"Savage Beatings" when you swing with him.

Petravark
This Nightmare Beast was included in the deck because some standard decks need either plenty of mana ('Tog, Wake, Corrupter), or have janky mana (U/G madness). The 'Vark exploits these decks with a dose of mana disruption.

Firebolt
Chosen over Shock, since the Ravenous Baloths should ensure you make it to the late game, where Firebolt shines compared to Shock.

"Earthquake
The single Earthquake was included as another"breakthrough" card in case your Glories don't show up or get removed by Haunting Echoes.

Matchups and Sideboarding Strategy
I tested this deck mainly against U/G Madness, Mono Black Control and Goblin Sligh.

Versus U/G Madness
This matchup is better than 55% in your favour. Play first whenever you can, and pray they don't get a God hand. Save Firebolts for Merfolk Looter and use Petravark to strangle key mana sources, as U/G madness has trouble with color screw. Primary Wish targets are Silklash Spider (if your board position is even), Intrepid Hero (if you're behind in board position and need to remove Wurms), Glory (if you're ahead in board position and have Mongrel or Brushhopper to enable discard) and Spellbane Centaur (if they have Aether Burst). Watch out for Circular Logic after wishing!

Game 2, sideboard out one Earthquake, one Petravark, and one Firebolt for three Reprisals.

Versus Mono Black Control
This matchup is tilted slightly in your opponents favor, but not by much. An early Braids can wreck you, not to mention Mind Sludge followed up with Haunting Echoes.

Use the Petravarks to steal Cabal Coffers. Primary wish targets are Sylvan Safekeeper (to thwart Smother), Genesis (especially if you think you'll get Mind Sludged next turn), Contested Cliffs (if you have a 'Hopper, Hystrodon, or Baloth in play, as all of Mono-Black's creatures have three toughness or less). If you have threshold, your opponent is on the ropes; wish for Nantuko Monastery, as most of MBC's removal is sorcery speed.

Sideboard in Naturalize for Firebolt if you see Mirari or Oversold Cemetery. Otherwise do nothing for game two as your primary answers are better in the board where they can be wished for.

Versus Goblin Sligh
This is a good matchup (better than 60%), as Ravenous Baloths in the main deck can buy you an extra couple turns when you need it. Primary wish targets are Sylvan Safekeeper (to thwart burn), Contested Cliffs (even with a measly Petravark on the board), and Glory.

Sidebording: Do nothing, as your main deck configuration is good enough to beat sligh.

B.C Provincials Tournament Report
The tournament consisted of six rounds with 49 people in attendance.

Round #1 vs. Jackson Cunningham playing WGU Wake deck
Game #1 doesn't start off well for the younger brother of Philly GP champ Jeff Cunningham, as he double-mulligans to start the first game; he is lucky, though, as one of his three lands is Krosan Verge. I get him down to eleven before he casts Future Sight and gets a free Wrath of God to dispatch my side. He then casts an Exalted Angel with two Mirari's Wakes out.

Sideboard - 3 Firebolt -1 Earthquake, +3 Naturalize, +1 Reprisal.

Seeing his plethora of powerful enchantments makes me wish I had Ray of Revelation in the sideboard instead of Naturalize.

Game 2: I get out Mongrel and Wirewood Savage quickly, but inexplicably forget to drop my land on fourth turn, delaying Beast Attack (and an extra card) by one turn. He plays Wake again, but this time with Mobilization. Watching his army of 2/2s swarm me makes me wish I didn't sideboard out my lone Earthquake. To add insult to injury, he Cunning Wishes for Tribal Unity, giving his Soldiers +10/+10 for the final strike.

Result: Lose 0-2, not a good start. If luck be a lady, then the young Cunningham is a smooth operator, while I must have left the toilet seat up.

Round #2 vs. Phillip Kwon playing Land Destruction
Game 1: Phillip goes first - which is a big advantage for LD, but I burn his first two elves, then turn the tables on him by playing Petravark and strangling his Forest. I don't take any damage, and actually gain four life after trading a Ravenous Baloth and flashbacked Firebolt for his Ernham Djinn.

Game 2: I keep a Wirewood Savage and six-land hand; Phillip uses two Stone Rain, Tremor, Pillage, Chain of Acid and Demolish to destroy them all. Three swings with Magnavore and a five-point Earthquake finishes me off.

Game 3: I get out a first-turn elf to accelerate out Brushhopper, Wirewood Savage, Brushhopper and Ravenous Baloth. He burns my Wirewood savage, but only after I drew three more cards than him.

Result: Win 2-1 to even my matches at one apiece.

Round #3 vs. Michael Thicke playing U/B control
Game 1: I go first and get out Llanowar Elves and Brushhopper. I end up discarding lots of cards to the Brushhopper as he draws four Aether Bursts. I manage to keep Glory away from his Mesmeric Fiends, then use it to break through with my Brushhopper for the final three damage.

Game 2: Mike plays first and lays a third-turn Shadowmage Infiltrator, which I match with Mongrel. We reach a stalemate as he has two Faceless Butchers (strangling Mongrels), Shadowmage Infiltrator, Merfolk Looter, and Mesmeric Fiend (strangling Firebolt), and I have Petravark (strangling Island), Mongrel, Elf, Bird and Beast token. Then I draw Contested Cliffs. I attack with my Beast token, he quadruple-blocks with Finkel, both Butchers and a Fiend. I take out two nightmares with combat damage, then throw Finkel off the cliff. I get my Firebolt back and burn his Looter, leaving him with a lonely Butcher that gets punked in the arena by my Anurid Brushhopper the next turn. Contested Cliffs wins me this game - however, in hindsight, I may have misplayed by being over aggressive with my Beast token instead of keeping it back and Flametoungue-ing his crew before attacking safely.

Result: Win 2-0 over a pro tour player. With a 2-1 match record, I have to win my remaining matches to make the top eight.

Round #4 vs. Mike Valleau playing B/G beatdown
Game #1 Mike goes first and gets a Birds of Paradise and Call of the Herd by turn 2. I drop Anurid Brushhopper, but he one ups me by having Genesis - not to mention three Smothers.

Sideboard -2 Firebolt, - 1 Earthquake, + 3 Reprisal

Game 2: I go first and get down a quick Mongrel. On my fourth turn, I attack into his Call of the Herd token with mongrel and a facedown Hystrodon. He blocks the 'don with his token and I morph, surprising him. He concedes shortly after.

Game 3: Mike gets a second-turn Call, third-turn Phantom Centaur, fourth-turn Genesis. I stay in the game with Mongrel and two Reprisals, and look to regain control after using Petravark to strangle his lone forest, then using the same Petravark next turn to Cliff his Llanowar Elves. The board is me with Mongrel, Wirewood Savage, and Petravark vs. him with two Call tokens. The turn after I cut off his green mana, he plays Sickening Dreams for two, decimating my side. I am at a precarious one life, needing at least a chump blocker or I die to his Call token next turn. To further exacerbate the situation, I only have one pain-free source of green mana. I hope to topdeck a Hystrodon, but will settle for an elf or bird as I have Glory in the grave.

I rip a Brushland.

Result: Lose 2-1 and drop put of top 8 contention. I took six points of damage from my painlands in the decisive game.

Round #5 vs. Gavin Kwok playing G/W/U Wake
Game 1: Gavin goes first and mulligans. I am feeling good with Wirewood Savage and Anurid Brushhopper by fourth turn, but then he drops Mirari's Wake, then Mobilization. I get him down to four life, hoping to draw Firebolt, but he eventually swarms me with fourteen 2/2 Soldier tokens.

Sideboard -3 Firebolt, +3 Naturalize

Game 2: I go first and get a second-turn Anurid Brushhopper that goes all the way.

Game 3: I make a colossal blunder by looking at my sideboard before casting Living Wish, which gets me a warning from the Judge. Despite this and taking seven points of damage from my pain lands, I manage to drop Anurid Brushhopper and Petravark, riding them to victory.

Result: Win 2-1 and look to finish a respectable 4-2 if I can get a win in the final round.

Round #6 vs. Dan Spiller playing G/W beatdown
Game 1: Dan goes first and drops Tireless Tribe, Phantom Nomad, and Arrogant Wurm by turn 3. After Dan enchants his trampler with Elephant Guide, I concede.

Sideboard: -3 Firebolt, +3 Reprisal

Game 2: I get a Wirewood Savage then Anurid Brushhopper into play. I smile as he casts his own Anurid Brushhopper, but frown when he follows up with Divine Sacrament and Battle Screech. I am forced to cast Glory to fend of his four 2/2 bird tokens; he pitches his Glory to his Brushhopper to set up his alpha strike.

Result Lose 2-0 and finish the tourney in 23^rd place.

Top Eight
The top eight standings:
1 - Jeff Cunningham (undefeated) playing R/G beatdown
2 - Daniel Kurtzman playing U/G madness
3 - Slone Romano playing WW/u
4 - Mathew Vail playing B/U/G with Braids
5 - Aoe Paquette playing Psychatog
6 - Mike Valleau playing B/G beatdown
7 - Wesley Roe playing R/G beatdown
8 - Gavin Atkinson playing U/G madness

Jeff Cunningham eventually becomes Provincial champ.

I was disappointed with my 23^rd place finish, but happy with my Three Color Beast deck's performance. My opponents had excellent draws especially in the first and fourth rounds, while mine were unspectacular. If I had played more U/G madness, I may have advanced further, as 3CB plays well against it (I've won two out of the last three Friday Night Magic tourneys at my local store facing a sea of U/G).

Post Tourney Adjustments
I have replaced four painlands with four fetchlands. Also, to adjust to my local metagame where U/G madness still runs rampant, I replaced one Petravark and one Hystrodon with two Spellbane Centaurs. In the sideboard, I took out one Spellbane for Nova Cleric - a wishable answer to Astral Slide and other enchantment-heavy decks. (Assuming it survives long enough - The Ferrett)

Three Color Beast is a blast to play. Its a deck makes Timmy smile and gives Spike a run for his money.

Juan Leung
DonMagicJuan@canada.com