A while ago, I was trying to figure out what deck I was going to play at Regionals. My best option at that point was Slide, but I wanted something a bit rogue. Then my friend linked me to Scott Johns' article on B/R/G Reanimator.

After looking through that deck, I immediately asked my good friend whether this was a sane move, playing this deck. His logic was that,"Well, it beats R/G. It gives U/G fits, and Tog is about its only tough matchup."

I trusted my friend, though, and whipped up the deck in a few short weeks. The only changes I made were to change a Butcher Orgg to a Smother, an Overmaster to a Smother, the Innocent Blood to a Chainer's Edict, and a Sideboard Entomb to a Haunting Echoes. After much debate, I decided against Spellbane Centaur and hoped not to see maindeck bounce. (Those are"only" changes, particularly in a deck with as many foibles as Reanimator? - The Ferrett)

Arriving at Regionals, I smelt the Magic players, and saw the wide variety of decks. Wanting to see a lot of R/G, I was surprised to see... well... everything! I saw a lot more Wake and MBC than I expected. I heard the words"Cunning Wish, Mirari, Cunning Wish, Elephant Ambush" all over the floor. I was also surprised to see another room opened up for play to compensate for the five hundred and two people who showed up! I knew I was in for a long day when Head Judge Conan announced that we were going for ten rounds if we wanted a prize.

As I wandered to my placings, I found myself at one of the last tables in the room, and sat down next to a very smart man. How did I know he was smart? He had a Glade Air Freshener on the table.

Round 1: U/G Madness
I win the roll and opt to go first. A Duress revealed a Wild Mongrel, two Nimble Mongeese, island, two forests, and a Roar of the Wurm. I did him a favor with the Roar, and passed the turn. I got the Buried Alive off and hoped to stall long enough for my Visara to do her dirty work, but she was met by a maindeck Aether Burst. I knew I had a tough matchup ahead. My only other reanimation attempt was met by a Circular Logic, and I shuffled for the next game.

Out goes Symbiotic Wurm, and in comes a Smother.

Game 2: My Duress revealed two Circular Logics, two Unsummons, forest, island, and Mongrel. I was never able to get my creatures out of the yard after they're buried.

I walked over to my friend Adam, who came unexpectedly and decided to play (of all things) Wizards. I was surprised to hear that he played against another unexpected deck - soldiers! and lost. (Editor's Note: See "What The Hell Is A Gustcloak Runner Doing At The Top Table?", also today - The Ferrett) After a run to Burger King, we return to find ourselves farther back in the second room.

Round 2: Elves.
After sitting down and waiting for the next round to start (it took about half an hour after pairings were announced), I talked a bit to my opponent and found that, fortunately, he wasn't the type of player to call me on every little thing. I win the roll, and opt to play first. My Duress reveals two forests, two Wirewood Prides, A Bloodline Shaman, a Wirewood Hivemaster, and a Llanowar Elves. I figured this matchup shouldn't be too tough, and steal one of the Prides.

He gets off to a very fast start: Llanowar, Shaman, Timberwatch, and Hivemaster, all in three turns. A Seeker of Skybreak combo with a Timberwatch Elf finishes me off just as I find Visara. Out goes the Wurm, in comes the Smother.

I opt to play first, and mulligan a hand with two lands, four fatties, and a Duress. My second hand is a bit better, and I Duress into a one-land hand, stealing his Rampant Growth, dismayed, he follows suit with a Llanowar. He gets off to a fast start, eventually looking at my six life with a Hivemaster, six insects, two Heralds, two Elves, and a Shaman. I topdeck Sickening Dreams, pitching Phantom Nishoba, then Stitch Together for the win.

Game 3, he comes into a bad hand, and I reanimate Visara turn 4, which gets Wing Snared. I reanimate her again along with Akroma, Angel of Wrath, and he can't keep up.

He tells me that he wanted to see U/G. Poor, dismayed fellow! I move on to round 3.

Round 3: Mono Red Sorceries
That's the best name I can come up with for it. Game 1 went like this for him: Turn 1 Firebolt to the dome. Turn 2 Volcanic Hammer to the dome. Turn 3 Pillage my swamp. Turn 4 Magnivore. Turn 5 Magnivore. I Sickening Dreams both of them away, but see a turn 6 Magnivore. I can't keep up.

Out goes Visara, in goes Duress.

Aside: I was later told that Visara was a bad choice to take out, as it was my only way to deal with the 'Vore. I realized that the Wurm was a better choice to be taken out.

Game 2: I get a bomb start with turn 3 Buried Alive, turn 4 Zombify, turn 5 Entomb, and two Stitches. He can't burn fast enough.

Game 3: It was a long, drawn out game that basically boils down to the fact that I couldn't find a mountain for Anger or Burning Wish. Bitterly, I shake hands and talk to my Wizard friend Adam.

To my astonishment, my Wizards-packing friend Adam was two and one, and gaining popularity. People came to watch him beat a U/G deck, and, somehow, Sligh. A sideboarded Thought Devourer flew over Sligh for the win.

Round 4: Wake
This man was a Wake player for Wake players. Not only was he running a slow deck, but he thought about everything for at least five minutes, and questioned me on miniscule things. He once threatened to call a judge when I put Buried Alive directly into the graveyard instead of onto the table upon casting. It was technically wrong, but I highly doubt it affected the flow of the game.

I let the first game slip out of my hands when he Chastised my Phantom Nishoba, and my Gigapede got Wrathed twice. I die to Elephant Ambush tokens.

We are unable to finish game 2, as he plays extremely defensively, Wishing for Krosan Reclamation four times (thanks to Mirari), and topdecking three Wrath of Gods. Even my God draw couldn't rebuild.

Adam's Wizards made another big showing, drawing to Wake, making him 2-1-1.

Round 5:
My opponent concedes, and he leaves. He must have been too scared of my deck and didn't even want to play against it. God, I'm good at Magic.

I wander off trading, and to watch my wizard-packing friend. I walk into game 2 of his, and he had got the game under control with a Voidmage Prodigy and three one-drops. Poking with the Voidmage, he counters the Upheaval and swings for the win. I can't believe he beat Tog.

He's 3-1-1, and I'm 2-3. I decide to stay for one more round, and leave if I lose.

Round 6: U/G Madness
I didn't take notes on this match, because he maindecked Unsummon, and sideboarded in Turbulent Dreams. I almost win with a Gigapede, but I just can't beat so much bounce.

My Wizard friend also lost and dropped, and we headed home. He later told me that he gained a lot of popularity. People shook his hands and crowded around his game, it looked fun.

Final Analysis: The deck screams potential, but it is too slow and self-destructive. Its strengths are in its utilities and Wishing abilities. The disadvantages are pretty numerous:

1. It is forced to take a lot of early-game damage while setting up.
2. It can't compete if Buried Alive or Burning Wish gets countered.
3. I found myself wanting a way to keep control somehow. I yearned many times for the chance to counterspell or Wrath. The biggest lie that I've heard is that"If you get the reanimation off, it's game over." Not true. Bounce, Wrath, Chastise, and the like can screw you over a lot when you don't have a counter saved in your hand for such spells. When you get the Reanimation off, your opponent's devoted all their energy to answering, so he'll usually find some answer, and you can't keep up. I found myself relying on the topdeck too many times for comfort.

Before I leave, I have two more quick asides:

1. Apparently Scott Johns was at Regionals. I could've had the deck's creator autograph the decklist! If you're reading this, Scott, find a way to get Counterspell in this mix and I'll be eternally grateful. (Not bloody likely - The Ferrett)

2. I carried around a lucky charm: Two foil Seize the Days in a case, as a library holder. This, combined with my collection of sixty-six Seize the Days, attracted more attention than I did. If somebody would break this card, I'd be eternally grateful (and pretty dang rich).

Hope to see you at Last Chance qualifiers (look for the Seize the Day guy),

Andrew Patrick.