“My name is Steven, and I have a problem.”
“Hi Steven!”
Thank you, thank you.
... I don't know what people are supposed to say after they announce they have a problem. All the movies I've seen cut away after the person says that.
I suppose I should start with an intro.
Setting: The local card shop in Fairbanks, AK about a month ago.
The players: Me, The Josh, Wu Jia (the Chinese National Champion, also known as “The Legend”), Kit “The Legend Killer” Dawson, and some randoms.
The Josh: “I'm pretty sure the Legend Killer is going to win this year....he's the Legend Killer”
Me: “Yeah, but... but...”
It was at this point I realized the amount of training I had ahead of me. My preparation for this event would have to be gargantuan if I were to defeat the legend and his accompanying killer. I called my old buddy Hoo-Chi Min, a proficient ninja assassin, and settled in for some intense training action.
Since all ninja assassin training is very secretive, I cannot share with you the events that transpired in the month leading up to this event. Sorry.
I can, however, tell you how I came up with this:
Early testing (and late testing, but ya know what I mean) showed the top decks to be Rakdos, Boros, and Tron. Then we realized something. Once one of us actually built the Zoo deck, it was all over. Every single time someone asked me what deck I was going to play, I would answer with “I would play deck X, but it just loses to Zoo.” Now, deck X was constantly changing, but no matter what I liked at the time, I just couldn't beat Zoo.
So I decided to play Zoo.
I was set. Then something happened. The Japanese had done it again. The Glare deck definitely did not lose to Zoo.
One of the guys in my test group told me about a combo deck his Pro Tour connection had mentioned, that was apparently the stone cold nuts versus the field... but scooped to Zoo. I don't know how valid that statement is, but needless to say I was intrigued.
The combo?
Saffi Eriksdotter, Soul Warden, and Crypt Champion.
For those who don't know, it works like this:
Play Soul Warden.
Play Saffi Eriksdotter.
Play Crypt Champion.
Stack Crypt Champion and Soul Warden's come-into-play triggers (put the sacrifice trigger below the exhume trigger).
Sacrifice Saffi Eriksdotter with the triggers on the stack, targeting Crypt Champion.
Crypt Champion's triggers resolve, with Saffi Eriksdotter coming back into play from the exhume trigger, and then Crypt Champion dying and returning to play via Saffi's ability.
Stack the triggers again and gain enough life to make even quad Firemane Angels jealous.
I sat staring at my computer for something like four hours on Thursday night, trying to figure out how to get this combo deck to beat Zoo... but it was just a turn slower than it needed to be. Then it hit me.
The secret was to incorporate the combo into a deck that already beat Zoo. That would be the Glare deck. Lose the Stonewood Invocations, the Akroma, Angel of Wrath, and a couple random cards for some Congregation at Dawn and the singleton Soul Warden and Crypt Champion... and you have a broken format, ladies and gents.
Two people ended up running this list, although we would have had a third play it if we could have rustled up the cards. The deck posted an overall record of X-1-3, with the only loss and two of the draws coming when I was paired with the other person playing the deck in the Swiss and semis.
Round 1, I was paired against defending state champ Matt Jones with Flores Style U/G.
I must say... Jones is a king among men. There is no better person to play in a game of Magic.
Game 1 I was on the play, and able to resolve a Glare of Subdual on turn 3 when he went for the turn 2 Ohran Viper. It was pretty much over after that.
Game 2, and I brought in Serrated Arrows for a couple Thelonite Hermits. He got a quick start, as the U/G deck tends to do, and was able to hold off my comeback with multiple Repeals for my multiple Calls, and a Moldervine Cloaked Looter Il-Kor. His card advantage buried me.
Game 3 saw me resolve a Call of the Herd on turn 2 and 3, then play a Serrated Arrows pre-combat to his board of Ohran Viper and Call of the Herd token. When he messed up and attempted the elephant token trade, I just activated the Serrated Arrows, and it was pretty much over after that.
Round 2, I got Wu in the mirror. Since Alaska tournaments are really short, we decided to take our draw now and just win in, since our deck is awesome. Lunch time!
Round 3 was Jeff Gottstien with U/R/w Tron. The White was for Court Hussar and Wrath of God.
I won the roll and got down a quick Loxodon Hierarch, then another, and they went all the way. Had Jeff found the Wildfire, I had a bunch of mana guys held back and would have recovered very quickly.
In came four Mwonvuli Acid-Moss and 3 Giant Solifuge for 4 Loxodon Hierarch, 1 Glare of Subdual, 1 Thelonite Hermit, and 1 Congregation at Dawn.
Game 2, and Jeff drew something like 400 Signets and three Wildfires, so it was a blowout.
Game 3 was one of the reasons I love this deck. I baited a back-up Solifuge into a Rune Snag so that my Acid-Moss could resolve (targeting a dual, not a Tron piece - more on that later). He assembled the Tron, cast a Compulsive Research, and discarded more colored lands, and tapped out for some signets. My turn I dropped the bomb. Glare of Subdual. Go. Upkeep, tap your Signets. Have fun with all that colorless mana.
Nice.
Deck.
Solifuge took it home.
Round 4 was Damien with Solar Flare.
Game 1 I cast Congregation at Dawn for Crypt Champion, Soul Warden, and Thelonite Hermit (Saffi Eriksdotter was already in the graveyard) in response to a Persecute. Two turns later he taps for Akroma, and I combo him on my turn.
In come the Acid-Moss and Solifuge for another tour of duty. Hierarch and Glares go to the bench. Game 2 was quick and brutal. Double Acid-Moss on two Karoo lands, and Congregation at Dawn for triple Solifuge was all it took.
Round 5 was Jameson with Counter-Post, minus most of the counters. We could have just drawn in, but he wanted to play.
Game 1 was all about baiting his Mystic Snake with Congregation at Dawn, and resolving the Glare of Subdual. Game 2 was all about the two midgame Mystic Enforcers he peeled and the fourteen lands I drew. But to be fair, two of them were Vitu-Ghazi, so I still almost pulled it out. He also played masterfully with the few spells he managed to draw.
We had something like three minutes left for game 3, so we took the draw and got ready for the Top 8.
Jameson with Counter-Post
Me with Glare
Wu with Glare
Kit with Rakdos
Nate with counter-heavy U/G
Genesis with Sea Stompy
Mark with Solar Pox
Damien with Solar Flare
I believe our test group also placed the ninth, tenth, and twelfth slots. But I'm not positive.
My quarterfinal, against Mark, wasn't close. Solar Pox has no Remand, has no Persecute, has no game. I honestly think the deck is incredibly overhyped, and not as good as regular Solar Flare. I combo him in game 1, and Solifuge plus Acid-Moss take game 1 like the true MVPs that they are. (By the way, Glare tapping Signets aiding Acid-Moss-induced color-screw is one of the coolest ways to win a game of magic).
The semi finals brought with them my nemesis. Wu Jia. I've never beaten this guy in the Top 8 of anything. I'm something like 0-13. It's kinda stupid, truth be told... but I would not be denied this day.
Game 1, Wu went for the combo, but I slow-played my own Saffi so he couldn't go off (Saffi is legendary, so when the Crypt Champion exhumes them there isn't time to sacrifice her to keep the chain going before they die as a state-based effect.). My Glare trumped his No-Glare, and it was on to game 2.
Out: -4 Loxodon Hierarch, -1 Llanowar Elves, -1 Crypt Champion, -1 Soul Warden, -2 Congregation at Dawn
In: +4 Mwonvuli Acid-Moss, +2 Indrik Stomphowler, +1 Seedborn Muse, +2 Serrated Arrows
Since he didn't have Seedborn Muse, I knew all I really needed to do was get mine into play and it was pretty much gravy. I probably should have kept the 4 Congregations, since just one is enough to win on its own, but I couldn't figure out what else to board out. I ended up not even needing the Seedborn Muse, as multiple Call of the Herds and an Indrik Stomphowler for his Glare put the game away. He tried to trick me into Acid-Mossing his Black source instead of his City-Tree, but I would have none of it.
I've got to say that this deck has the best sideboard in the format. Period. Acid-Moss and Solifuge are just ridiculous. Nobody expects the spider from a Green mage (for some inexplicable reason). The card does feel very Red. I would slot in a third Serrated Arrows if I was to do this over again, but I don't have a clue what I would lose for it.
At this point, I wander over to see Kit and Jameson deep into game 2, with Kit up a game. Jameson quickly resolved Circle of Protection: Red and Story Circle on Black, with a City-Tree, and was nowhere near Demonfire range. The Saprolings quickly overwhelmed our hero, and they moved to game 3.
Now, Kit “the legend killer” Dawson is one of the best players I know. Maybe the best. If there was ever a man who could fight through the dreaded Circle: Red, it was Kit Dawson. Sure enough, Jameson has the Circle on turn 2, but Kit had Dark Confidant and Shadow Guildmage. They got in about seven damage before a Wrath showed up. Another Confidant followed. Rakdos Guildmage kept Jameson's mana tied up, and two Cruel Edicts took out Wall of Roots. One Edict got Voidslimed, which allowed a Volcanic Hammer to put Jameson on four, and the last one cleared the path for Bob, who put the enemy on two. Jameson was all in and peeled the apparent miracle card. His side of the room roared. He slammed the City Tree into play...
... and Kit just pointed to his Rakdos Guildmage, earning the handshake.
That, ladies and gentlemen, is why Circle: Red sucks.
Kit decided to drop after the semis, since we wanted to be Co-Champs (being teammates, and each other's wingman and all). So I got the title, while he got the plaque.
So, with my ninja training a success, we rode off into the sunset in search of hotties and beers. Both searches were very successful. Let it be known: girls are impressed by winners. It doesn't matter what you win. Magic State Champ is good enough for a make-out or two. Get a pen. Get some paper. Write it down. Or just copy/paste it. Whatever.
F_Teve,
a.k.a. The Wizard
a.k.a. The Shadowman
a.k.a. Beer Pong Champion of the Universe
loserkid182 in the forums
ducktapeloser_182@hotmail.com on MSN.
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