Our weekly Standard tournaments may not be large, but they comprise of all the best decks available for people to net-deck. My team of four often takes different approaches to the tournaments, and we often see at least one of our members in the top four each week. I seem to be the most off the norm for deck selection, but then again rogue decks and strategies have always been my specialty.

This week, thirteen people showed up and spent their money to play standard at Millennium Games and Hobbies in Rochester, NY. Three of them were my team members and myself. Bob was playing Tog, a fairly traditional decklist with only a few changes. Jesse played a MBC deck of my tweaking that we all like a good bit. I played a deck that I have been working on for some time, a deck that can handle most anything thrown at it, a deck comprised mostly of...

Clerics.

Yes, that's right: Clerics. No, Legions is not legal, and yes, this is a sanctioned Standard environment. How could I possibly win with a Cleric deck? Watch, and find out...

First, the deck:

Clerics.dec
by Andrew Chapman

2x Devoted Caretaker
2x True Believer
3x Benevolent Bodyguard
4x Nova Cleric
4x Rotlung Reanimator
3x Cabal Archon
2x Beloved Chaplain
3x Master Apothecary
3x Wrath of God
3x Diabolic Tutor
4x Oblation
1x Patriarch's Bidding
1x Sigil of the New Dawn
1x Worship
4x City of Brass
2x Tainted Field
1x Starlit Sanctum
9x Plains
8x Swamp

Sideboard:
2x Sacred Ground (there had been a Braids deck and a land destruction deck running around)
1x Beloved Chaplain
1x Wrath of God
1x Master Apothecary
2x Disenchant
1x Demystify
3x Sanctimony
2x Morningtide
2x Stern Judge

Round 1 vs. Squirrel Opposition
This match-up is fairly easy. I have lots of weenie creatures for the Opposition to catch up with, the ability to win all creature battles with Rotlung and Apothecary, four maindecked enchantment sweepers, and Wraths to clear the board if I fall behind. With that said, Opposition can still win - but it isn't an easy matchup for them. My opponent lost game 1 and then I brought in even more enchantment removal. I cleaned up in the third game after clearing the board with a Wrath then casting Bidding to bring back three Rotlungs, three Apothecaries, a Nova, and a Chaplain. He got a pair of Wild Mongrels out of the deal.

1-0 match, 2-1 game

Round 2 vs. Wake Combo
This deck was odd and can't simply be played against as though it was a typical Mirari's Wake deck - which is what I thought it was during game 1. As I had clerics on the table and two Wraths in hand, I was waiting for the Time Stretch/Crush to go off so that I could absorb some damage, clear the board, and win with the zombies left over from Rotlung. As it was, he went into this whole infinite mana combo with Early Harvest and Funeral Pyre and ended up casting Opportunity at me until I was decked.

Heh. On to game 2. I brought in some graveyard hate and more enchantment removal, hoping to disrupt him long enough to win. Though he saw three Moment's Peaces this game, I eventually came through for the win.

Game 3 saw him having two Wraths and me having no Rotlungs. He goes off and I just lose.

1-1 match, 3-3 game

Round 3 vs. Jesse playing my MBC deck
Let's review: I have a weenie rush that recovers itself when I have a Rotlung out. I can protect Rotlung from Smother with Caretaker and Bodyguard. Mutilate leaves me with as many creatures or more than I had before. Do you see where I am going with this? Sorry, Jesse, but this match is totally in my favor. There's nothing complicated about it, and I win in two quick games.

2-1 match, 5-3 game

Round 4 vs. U/G
This matchup is tough, like most decks are against U/G... But there are some definite things to note. Master Apothecary is amazing in this match; it either makes all your creature battles go in your favor, including those with Wild Mongrels, or it slows down the aerial assault to a crawl until you sweep the board and replace it with a horde of Zombies. Worship and Rotlung bring U/G into a soft lock that Devoted Caretaker helps hold down after they side in Naturalizes (if they even do, because they might not see a need). In short, you will find a Wrath and break through for the win eventually.

Game 1 was a straight fight, but my opponent claims some mana screw that I didn't see from him. Game 2 saw some Apothecary action to allow me to win all the creature matchups, leading to a Wrath and a finish with Zombies.

3-1 match, 7-3 game

Round 5 (semi-finals) vs. Astroglide
Let's review this matchup in case you haven't already figured it out: Mainboard enchantment removal, fast beatdown, protection from various effects, and their removal only gives me more creatures. They have no counter power to prevent me from doing anything that the deck does. I easily win game 1, and then bring in even more enchantment removal and the Morningtides to make sure they don't bring any of it back. Game 2 was just as easy as game 1, and this match was done even before it started.

4-1 match, 9-3 game

Round 6 (finals) vs. Tog
This is an interesting game, and Clerics takes on a beatdown deck's role in this match-up. Rotlung gives the deck some length through all the removal, and most of the creatures are fast enough to get through counter magic. Upheavals tend to get cast defensively, and I can recover so much faster. A very long game 1 finds my opponent finally breaking through with his last 'Tog (he wasn't aware I was packing Wrath) with only five cards left in his library. Game 2 also went a long time - but this time it was I who won in the end. Game 3 was very disappointing. After two great games, we both got mana screwed in the last and deciding match -b but my deck functions much better on two mana than a Tog deck with only six blue mana and no black. I won the game, the match, and the tournament.

5-1 match, 11-4 game

So, why is this deck capable of winning? Let's look again at some of the generalities of the matchups. Removal - especially mass removal - is mostly ineffective against my deck, and the deck has many ways of staying ahead on creature wars. The Rotlung/Wrath combo is a game winner, and the deck has enough enchantment removal to not allow decks like Opposition and Astral Slide become too much of a hassle. Low casting costs allow you to play around counterspells, and Oblation turns any losses you have into card advantage. In a pinch, Oblation can also remove a blocker to win you the game, or remove a threat that you don't have the ability to deal with at the time.

The sideboard was definitely made somewhat against my local metagame, and there are some things there that can definitely be changed. Feel free to play around with it until the block shift, and maybe even beyond. Withered Wretch fits in somewhere once Legions is legal, and other cleric builds might become better (i.e. Scion of Darkness). In any case, this is a deck that can easily carry you through a diverse field, but you need to have the skill to use it. It gives you many options, and it is essential to know what to do when.

As always, feel free to contact me with any questions you might have. I appreciate hearing how other people fare with my decks if they happen to play with them and any suggestions you might have for the existing one.

Until next time...

Andrew Chapman
whitechrisrock@yahoo.com
AIM: wchrisrock
MODO: cabalpapa