As if one article wasn't enough, here's another attempt at some early Saviors Sealed strategy, and some guesses at the roles of a few cards in the new Standard or Block environments. But first of all, the Sealed pool I opened in flight two of the Prerelease.
Sealed Pool 2:
White: (12)
Charge Across the Araba
Curtain of Light
Harsh Deceiver
Kami of the Painted Road
Kitsune Blademaster
Kitsune Diviner
Kitsune Loreweaver
Moonwing Moth
Pious Kitsune
2 Plow Through Reito
Promise of Bunrei
Shinen of Stars' Light
Blue: (19)
Consuming Vortex
Cut the Earthly Bond
Freed from the Real
Ghost-Lit Warder
Hinder
Hisoka's Defiance
Ideas Unbound
Lifted by Clouds
2 Minamo Scrollkeeper
Oboro Breezecaller
Psychic Puppetry
Rushing-Tide Zubera
Shinen of Flight's Wings
Sift Through Sands
Soratami Rainshaper
Student of Elements
Thoughtbind
Time Stop
Black: (19)
Akuta, Born of Ash
Befoul
Cruel Deceiver
Cursed Ronin
Deathknell Kami
Deathmask Nezumi
Distress
Ghost-Lit Stalker
Gibbering Kami
Kagemaro's Clutch
Kiku's Shadow
Kuro's Taken
Nezumi Bone-Reader
Numai Outcast
Rag Dealer
Shinen of Fear's Chill
2 Sink into Takenuma
Soulless Revival
Red: (15)
Akki Avalanchers
Akki Coalflinger
Akki Drillmaster
Akki Rockspeaker
Blind with Anger
Desperate Ritual
Glitterfang
Godo's Irregulars
Into the Fray
Ronin Cavekeeper
Ronin Houndmaster
Sokenzan Spellblade
2 Spiraling Embers
Stone Rain
Green: (21)
Burr Grafter
Descendant of Masumaro
Dosan's Oldest Chant
Feral Deceiver
Molting Skin
Moss Kami
Myojin of Life's Web
Nature's Will
3 Nightsoil Kami
Orochi Leafcaller
Promised Kannushi
Rootrunner
Sakura-Tribe Elder
Sakura-Tribe Scout
Seek the Horizon
Thousand-Legged Kami
Venerable Kumo
Vine Kami
Other: (3)
Tenza, Godo's Maul
Tranquil Garden
Wine of Blood and Iron
I'd have to say that the white was very tempting. Charge Across the Araba and the double Plow Through Reito seemed to simultaneously excellent combat tricks and good ways to fill the hand. And we can't forget the solid weenies in Kitsune Blademaster and Kitsune Loreweaver.
Sadly, further after Moonwing Moth, Shinen of Stars' Light and the promising Promise of Bunrei (believe it or not, that was not an intentional pun), there really isn't much upper range guys. There's no Hikari this time, unfortunately.
While there are a lot of blue cards, this has no correlation with how strong the pool will be at all. Our good cards include the tricky Consuming Vortex and the reasonable flier Soratami Rainshaper from Champions, and Ghost-Lit Warder, Rushing-Tide Zubera, and Shinen of Flight's Wings from Saviors.
Good enough for the deck? I'd hope not.
Akuta, Born of Ash - again?! Well, I'm not complaining after his stunning performance last flight. As far as removal goes, we have Befoul, Kagemaro's Clutch, and Kiku's Shadow... not bad, not bad. Sink into Takenuma seems a decent disruption card that simultaneously fills your hand.
As for our early game, we have Cruel Deceiver, Deathmask Nezumi, Gibbering Kami and Cursed Ronin (although the latter two are arguably midgame). In addition to these are the questionable Deathknell Kami and the great Ghost-Lit Stalker. If everyone's trying to keep a large hand size, the Stalker's just what we need to bring it back under control.
Once again, I seemed to have opened Glitterfang without any spiritcraft triggers. We have a smattering of goblins, ranging from terrible to half-decent, coupled with the midrange creatures in Ronin Houndmaster and Sokenzan Spellblade. And of course, the Ronin Houndmaster becomes the new Samurai Enforcers - not necessarily that great a title.
The double Spiraling Embers could take out large creatures, or burn the opponent for the last few points. I think that expecting more than four damage out of this, when top-decking it late in the game is unlikely, however. And let's not forget the great trick in Blind with Anger.
Green has the effective spirit brigade as usual. Sadly, this bunch is somewhat sullied by the presence of Vine Kami, Myojin of Life's Web, and Thousand-Legged Kami, but we still have a fair few guys for our four-spot - Burr Grafter, Feral Deceiver and Rootrunner - as well as the big beater in Moss Kami.
Promised Kannushi, I'm a little less certain about; I would probably try it out, just to see how it plays. Nightsoil Kami just mirrors Moss Kami's position, and Descendent of Masumaro seems to have potential.
Wine of Blood and Iron looks like it could pump out a grotesque amount of damage - but overall, it just looks overcosted. In a deck without Legendary Creatures or evasion, it seems that Tenza may not make the cut either.
Sealed Deck #2:
Creatures: (16)
Akuta, Born of Ash
Burr Grafter
Cruel Deceiver
Cursed Ronin
Deathmask Nezumi
Descendent of Masumaro
Feral Deceiver
Ghost-Lit Stalker
Gibbering Kami
Kuro's Taken
Matsu-Tribe Decoy
Moss Kami
Nightsoil Kami
Promised Kannushi
Rootrunner
Sakura-Tribe Elder
Spells: (6)
Befoul
Kagemaro's Clutch
Kiku's Shadow
Seek the Horizon
Sink into Takenuma
Soulless Revival
Land:
8 Forest
10 Swamp
Mmm... nothing too special here. Just a bunch of efficient creatures thrown together in some semblance of a deck, with some removal added for flavor. Deathmask Nezumi and Descendent of Masumaro work nicely with Seek the Horizon and Sink into Takenuma, and spirits work well with Soulshift (amazing!) but that's about all the synergy you'll see in the deck.
Onto the rounds, I guess...
Of course, as this is the second flight on Saturday, many of the less "hardcore" players (or people that simply have better stuff to do) were not present - giving a rise in playskill of the group overall.
Round 1: Shawn Rayson
In the first game, he plays the fliers that I had in the first flight - Araba Mothrider and Moonwing Moth. He casts Cage of Hands on my Gibbering Kami, while bashing away at my life total with his fliers. I drop Moss Kami, but it's too little, too late, as his fliers race me down to three, where a Lava Spike finishes me off.
Second game involved me playing some early creatures, and removing any relevant blockers with Kiku's Shadow, then Befoul, then Kagemaro's Clutch. He was trying to get some splice action going with Blessed Breath, Glacial Ray, and Lava Spike. I eventually managed to push through lethal damage after my channelled Ghost-Lit Stalker ripped the last cards from his hand.
In the final game of the round, the outcome was decided by my turn 3 Descendent of Masumaro, which was followed by a turn 5 Sink into Takenuma - ripping his hand to shreds and pumping my Descendent to colossal size. The Descendent hit for six, then fourteen, and that was game.
2-1
1-0
Round 2: James Jackson
Game one was a little bit of a mana screw on his behalf, as my life total stayed at a healthy twenty, while he went from twenty to zero. Game two involved him stalling the board with Kami of Old Stone, Harsh Deceiver, and Honden of Cleansing Fire. I tried to hold him off with Kuro's Taken and some other random guys. He then drops Myojin of Cleansing Fire. Next turn, he blows up the board, hits for four, and plays Maga, Traitor to Mortals - draining my life total for about ten. Yeah, that was game.
Unfortunately for him, the last game was a mirror of his first game. Amusingly, however, was when he played Kagemaro's Clutch on one of my blockers, leaving me with just under lethal damage. "Going to draw that 3/2 Haste guy again?" he commented.
I then flip the top card of my library... Akuta, Born of Ash. Nice.
4-2
2-0
Round 3: Witta Anek
The first game was a complete rout as my life only dropped to eighteen, but I don't think he was mana screwed - maybe his deck was just acting up.
The second game was just a replica of the first, except with the roles reversed. I was mercilessly bashed for huge chunks of my life total from his Descendent of Masumaro. I, of all people, should've understood the folly of ignoring it sitting there on the table.
The final game seemed to be fairly balanced, with my early Deathmask Nezumi actually beating him down to twelve life, as he deployed Honden of Infinite Rage and Frostwielder. When I was at fourteen, he cast Undying Flames on my Deathmask, revealing Descendent of Masumaro - just enough. Then he proceeds to bash me all the way down to zero, while I've only managed to deal him six of the eight I needed.
5-4
2-1
Round 4: Craig Chapman
Ah... I remember how Craig made me lose to mana burn from Eladamri's Vineyard when I was playing with RDW at the previous Extended PTQ. Mmm... memories.
This time, in the first game, he has double Glitterfang, and I chump block them with Promised Kannushi, and then with the recently Soulless Revivaled Promised Kannushi.
Also, did I mention that we were both stuck on three land with nothing relevant to cast?
In the second game, I attacked with Moss Kami, when I definitely should have left it back to block. Inner Calm, Outer Strength and Kodama's Might finished me off.
In the final game I was outclassed with Okina Nightwatch - I didn't really put up a fight at all. *sigh*
6-6
2-2
Only four packs this time. Let's look at the card that I opened in both flights - Akuta, Born of Ash. Alongside Hand of Cruelty and Infernal Kirin, it looks likely that Mono-Black Aggro will be gaining a fair few cards.
The Kirin gives you early flying beats, while potentially ripping Hideous Laughters or Final Judgments, Dragons and what have you from their hands. But I do have to emphasize the "potentially." How the Kirin works: {card: what it forces discard of}
(Note that this gives you an effective way to combat the Gifts Ungiven combo, aside from Distress, Extraction, and the Graverobbers from the board.)
The deck seems reasonable, but there's a few things I'm still very uncertain about. Is Kokusho too pricey for the deck? I've found that Distress and Extraction are handy in the main to deal with Judgment and Jitte, etc. On the topic of Umezawa's Jitte, should the deck be eschewing it as I am above? Is Yukora worth it, regardless of the chance of card disadvantage?
Overall, I think the deck above has its heart in the right place, but there's a lot of work to be done before this becomes of a tournament level. Another place where Akuta could shine is in Standard Death Cloud.
Aside from the fairly standard Death Cloud build, the deck has Akuta to beat in the post-Cloud board. And we can't forget that a 4cc 3/2 haste creature is actually reasonable.
You almost certainly will be able to see how this works, but I'll explain it anyway. Cast Death Cloud from a position of advantage and then sacrifice a Swamp to bring Akuta back. Keep bashing until you win.
Unfortunately, I suspect that this is a little bit of a "win more" card. If you're in an advantageous position, it's possible that casting Death Cloud could just win you the game, or alternately, it could be possible that you don't need Cloud at all. If by some fluke you have more cards than the MUC player, then it could help out in that matchup... but the Shackles still steals it.
As always, a small side note before concluding: Pithing Needle. Personally, I think we'll see this card being used as a cheap answer to Vedalken Shackles. The uses to combat Jitte, Sword of Fire and Ice, and Sensei's Divining Top are all relevant, of course, but the prime use (at least until rotation) will be to stop Shackles, in my opinion.
After I do a bit more testing of the above decks with my friends, I just may have another article up my sleeve - but we'll see how it pans out.
Until next time,
Brandon
| 
