Peasant Magic

Happy new year

Frédéric Meurin — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 15:31:00 +0100

On this brand new year, I'd like to wish to everyone a Happy new year, with or whithout magic : health, prosperity and happiness for everyone.
Our favorite format is shifting here in France, since we banned Frantic Search, SkullClamp, Sol ring and Strip Mine. Brand new decks are showing up, and fighting along to become new archetypes.
I'm going to present some of these decks.

One of my favourites, and easiest to play, is Spore Cry. The main card came from Planar Chaos and is Sprout Swarm. It became the keystone for a Pauper deck, which was quite easy to shift into a Peasant one.

The deck is very straight going : summon one Soul Warden, and then cast Tokens any way you like.

It's quite common to end up with 40 Life points and more.

Here's the list from Patrice Hello, who won the November tourney in Paris.

1 Pendelhaven
4 Terramorphic Expanse
7 Plains
8 Forest
1 Spore Frog
2 Thornweald Archer
4 Essence Warden
4 Kami of False Hope
4 Pendelhaven Elder
4 Soul Warden
4 Fists of Ironwood
2 Ramosian Rally
2 Strength in Numbers
4 Raise the Alarm
4 Scatter the Seeds
4 Sprout Swarm
1 Acorn Harvest

Sideboard:

1 Sundering Vitae
3 Naturalize
3 Prismatic Strands
3 Avoid Fate
3 Wrap in Vigor
2 Thornweald Archer

As you can see, you have plenty of solutions to swarm your opponent, gain life and do the kill. Uncos are Pendelhaven and Pendelhaven elders. You can notice that Terramorphic Expanse is an auto-include.

After the tourney, Patrice made some critics about his own deck, and changed it so :

1 Pendelhaven
4 Terramorphic Expanse
7 Plains
8 Forest
1 Pallid Mycoderm
1 Spore Frog
4 Essence Warden
4 Kami of False Hope
4 Pendelhaven Elder
4 Soul Warden
4 Thornweald Archer
2 Gilt-Leaf Ambush
2 Ramosian Rally
2 Strength in Numbers
4 Raise the Alarm
4 Scatter the Seeds
4 Sprout Swarm

Sideboard :

1 Sundering Vitae
3 Naturalize
3 Prismatic Strands
3 Avoid Fate
4 Wrap in Vigor
1 Pallid Mycoderm

Fists of Ironwood came out, since it was one of the worst token generator of the deck (you basically need one creature at least to cast it). Acorn Harvest is too expensive. 2 Thorweald Archer joined in since it prooved very useful against a bunch of creature (who said "Orni" ?). Pallid Mycoderm is a solution against Echoing Truth and all the Tremor like. Gift-leaf Ambush is a newcomer from Lorwyn, but could be replaced with Echoing Strength.

Any comments welcome !

Lorwyn Review

Frédéric Meurin — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 14:56:00 +0200

In this review, I kept all the common, and only a few uncos : the most appealing ones. Some aren't worth noticing in the end, but I thought it might be useful to tell why.

White

Avian Changeling - 2W
Creature - Shapeshifter (Common)
Flying, changeling
2/2

Changeling are though to analyse. Since they are any kind of creature, you can fit them into any creature based and/or using numbers of given creature type. For this one, as a Rebel, Aven Riftwatcher is better. But as a Kithkin, it can be useful.

Cenn's Heir - 1W
Creature - Kithkin Soldier (Common)
Whenever Cenn's Heir attacks, it gets +1/+1 until end of turn for each other attacking Kithkin.
1/1

Aka Kithkin Piledriver, this kithkin screams : Build around me. Let's see in the whole spoiler if this can be done.

Dawnfluke - 3W
Creature - Elemental (Common)
Flash
When Dawnfluke comes into play, prevent the next 3 damage that would be dealt to target creature or player this turn.
Evoke {W} (You may play this spell for its evoke cost. If you do, it's sacrificed when it comes into play)
0/3

Evoke is a nice mechanic. Just think what you can do with Evoke and Momentary Blink. This put apart, Dawnfluke shouldn't see play.

Goldmeadow Dodger - W
Creature - Kithkin Rogue (Common)
Goldmeadow Dodger can't be blocked by creatures with power 4 or greater.
1/1

This first candidate for our kithkin WW is quite useless.

Goldmeadow Harrier - W
Creature - Kithkin Soldier (Common)
{W}, {T}: Tap target creature.
Chocolate Rain; It's the fear your leaders call control.
1/1

Another Master Decoy. It's a Kithkin, but it doesn't work with Cenn's Heir (since it should stay untapped for defense or clear path for your attackers).

Goldmeadow Stalwart - W
Creature - Kithkin Soldier (Uncommon)
As an additional cost to play Goldmeadow Stalwart, reveal a Kithkin card from your hand or pay {3}.
2/2

Aka Kithkin Isamuru. Unfortunately, it's a unco and the "Glorious Anthem" Kithkin is better (see below).

Hillcomber Giant - 2WW
Creature - Giant Scout (Common)
Mountainwalk
3/3

Expensive and not that big. Pro red would have been better than mountainwalk.

Judge of Currents - 1W
Creature - Merfolk Wizard (Common)
Whenever a Merfolk you control becomes tapped you may gain 1 life.
1/1

A combo thing. But isn't Soul Warden just simpler, faster, better ? There's a lot of "tap X merfolks" abilites, though. May be both are worth a try, along with Soul Warden, or with a build around, but not centered to, Seeker of Skybreak and Shields of Velis Veil (see below).

Kinsbaile Balloonist - 3W
Creature - Kithkin Soldier (Common)
Flying
Whenever Kinsbaile Balloonist attacks, you may have target creature gain flying until end of turn.
2/2

Weak, a situationnal ability, and expensive. Kithkin deck goes a long way away card after card.

Kinsbaile Skirmisher - 1W
Creature - Kithkin Soldier (Common)
When Kinsbaile Skirmisher comes into play, target creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn.
2/2

Basically a 2/2 for 2 with a nice ability. Works well with the Isamaru-like. Too bad it hasn't flash.

Kithkin Greatheart - 1W
Creature - Kithkin Soldier (Common)
As long as you control a Giant, Kithkin Greatheart gets +1/+1 and has first strike.
2/1

Giants are very expensive and not so interesting. Therefore this one kithkin should stay in your shoe box.

Kithkin Harbinger - 2W
Creature - Kithkin Wizard (Uncommon)
When Kithkin Harbinger comes into play, you may search your library for a Kithkin card, reveal it, then shuffle your library and put that card on top of it.
1/3

Unco, no Flash, a very narrow specter of tutoring... Forget it.

Kithkin Healer - 2W
Creature - Kithkin Cleric (Common)
{T}: Prevent the next 1 damage that would be dealt to target creature or player this turn.
2/2

Kithkin Samite healer. It has a bigger body, but is more expensive though. Another defensive kithkin.

Lairwatch Giant - 5W
Creature - Giant Warrior (Common)
Lairwatch Giant can block an additional creature.
Whenever Lairwatch Giant blocks two or more creatures, it gains first strike until end of turn.
A giant can pout for decades. Woe to anyone who disturbs them.
5/3

Nice wall, but awfully expensive.

Neck Snap - 3W
Instant (Common)
Destroy target attacking or blocking creature.

Better than Pacifism or Temporal Isolation, weren't the mana cost.

Oaken Brawler - 3W
Creature - Treefolk Warrior (Common)
When Oaken Brawler comes into play, clash with an opponent. If you win, put a +1/+1 counter on Oaken Brawler.
2/4

With luck, a 3/5 for 4. May be in a clash deck, which just seems a bad idea. Or not... but not in white.

Oblivion Ring - 2W
Enchantment (Common)
When Oblivion Ring comes into play, remove another target nonland permanent from the game.
When Oblivion Ring leaves play, return the removed card to play under its owner's control.

Wormfang Enchantment. It is just great, a real must have. It's an enchantment - one of the hardest thing to deal with -, it can target quite everything but a land, really nice. A very good side card, which could be main decked in the right deck.

Plover Knights - 3WW
Creature - Kithkin Knight (Common)
Flying
First strike
3/3

Nice association, but too expensive

Shields of Velis Vel - W
Tribal Instant - Shapeshifter (Common)
Changeling (This card is every creature type even if this card isn't in play.)
Creatures target player controls get +0/+1 and gain all creature types until end of turn.

You know how strange a builder I can be. Some say even poor. This might explain why I love this spell. +0/+1 for only W is already good. But the giving changeling abilty is a loveable one. I've already put it in some decks, and it gives them the top touch. It's also the final part for the infinite life combo, along with Judge of currents (gain 1 life each time a merfolk is tapped), and Skybreach Seeker (T : untap target creature), making the elf into a merfolk.

Soaring Hope - 4W
Enchantment - Aura (Common)
Enchant creature
When Soaring Hope comes into play, you gain 3 life.
Enchanted creature has flying.
{W}: Put Soaring Hope on top of its owner's library.

Good in draft, awful elsewhere.

Springjack Knight - 2W
Creature - Kithkin Knight (Common)
Whenever Springjack Knight Attacks, clash with an opponent. If you win, target creature gains double strike until end of turn. (Each clashing player reveals the top card of his or her library then puts that card on the top or bottom. A player wins if his or her card had a higher converted mana cost)
2/1

My. This is good in the right deck. Cenn's hair, Springjack Knight, Sensei's Divining top, blue cantrips ? Should be tried.

Surge of Thoughtweft - 1W
Tribal Instant - Kithkin (Common)
Creatures you control get +1/+1 until end of turn.
If you control a Kithkin, draw a card.

Just add this one to the previous list.

Triclopean Sight - 1W
Enchantment - Aura (Common)
Enchant creature
Flash
When Triclopean Sight comes into play, untap enchanted creature.
Enchanted creature gets +1/+1 and has vigilance.

This one's good. Without flash it would be quite useless, but there it's a real good combat trick. Too bad Phantom Cloak is such a lousy (loosy ? ;) deck.

Wellgabber Apothecary - 4W
Creature - Merfolk Cleric (Common)
{1}{W}: Prevent all damage that would be dealt to target tapped Merfolk or Kithkin creature this turn.
2/3

Errr. Five mana to cast and two for activation ? For a defensive thing ? Can't you spend these SEVEN mana in a kill ?

Wispermare - 2W
Creature - Elemental (Common)
Flying
When Wispermare comes into play, destroy target enchantment.
Evoke {W}
1/3

The Evoke mechanic is a nice one, but it needs Flash to be broken. Wispermare is just another Cloudchaser eagle, with a lower cost possibility. Even in a dedicated deck with Momentary blink, Disenchant seems better.

Wizened Cenn - WW
Creature - Kithkin Cleric (Uncommon)
Other Kithkin creatures you control get +1/+1.
2/2

You just have to find the fifth unco if you want to build a Kithkin deck.

Blue

Æthersnipe - 5U
Creature - Elemental (Common)
When Æthersnipe comes into play, return target non-land permanent to its owner's hand.
Evoke {1}{U}{U} (You may play this spell for its evoke cost. If you do, it's sacrificed when it comes into play)
4/4

A (s)lower Rescind on a potent body. Nice, but not that much.

Ameboid Changeling - 1U
Creature - Shapeshifter (Common)
Changeling (This card is every creature type even if this card isn't in play.)
{T}: Target creature gains all creature types until end of turn.
{T}: Target creature loses all creature types until end of turn.
1/1

Nice, but I'm still wondering of what use it can be. Against Slivers, maybe ? Or in the Judge of currents / Skybreach thing ?

Aquitect's Will - U
Tribal Sorcery - Merfolk (Common)
Put a flood counter on target land. That land is an island in addition to its other types as long as it has a flood counter on it. If you control a Merfolk, draw a card.

Sea's claim with a cantrip-to-be touch. Why not ? Because you shouldn't play that much merfolk.

Broken Ambitions - XU
Instant (Common)
Counter target spell unless its controller pays {X}, then clash with an opponent. If you win, that spell's controller puts the top four cards of his or her library into his or her graveyard.(Each clashing player reveals the top card of his or her library then puts that card on the top or bottom. A player wins if his or her card had a higher converted mana cost)

Spell blast with a luck-based mill ability. Do you play Spell blast ? No. But you might play Counterbalance and/or Sensei's divining top. I don't think that's enough, though.

Deeptread Merrow - 1U
Creature - Merfolk Rogue (Common)
{U}: Deeptread Merrow gains islandwalk until end of turn.
2/1

Ok, here's one of the Merfolk you can put in a deck playing Aquitect's Will. Or not play at all.

Faerie Trickery - 1UU
Tribal Instant - Faerie (Common)
Counter target non-Faerie spell. If it was countered this way, remove it from the game instead of putting it in its owner's graveyard.

Efficient of course, but quite expensive though. And there aren't so many spell that need to be removed from the game (but in your current meta, you might find it useful to remove Flaring Pain, Moment's Peace, Ancient Grudge, anything TE plays...)

Glimmerdust Nap - 2U
Enchantment - Aura (Common)
Enchant tapped creature
Enchanted creature doesn't untap during its controller's untap step.

I've never been tempted to play Venarian Gold. Paralyse, yes, but never Venarian Gold.

Inkfathom Divers - 3UU
Creature - Merfolk Soldier (Common)
Islandwalk
When Inkfathom Divers comes into play, look at the top four cards of your library, then put them back in any order.
3/3

3/3 for five. Arg. I'd rather play Sage of Epityr for the same quality advantage.

Merrow Reejerey - 2U
Creature - Merfolk Soldier (Uncommon)
Other Merfolk creatures you control get +1/+1.
Whenever you play a merfolk spell, you may tap or untap target permanent.
2/2

Merfolk Champion, for 3, with a nice ability. Don't think it's enough.

Mulldrifter - 4U
Creature - Elemental (Common)
Flying
When Mulldrifter comes into play, draw two cards.
Evoke {2}{U} (You may play this spell for its evoke cost. If you do, it's sacrificed when it comes into play)
2/2

Too expensive as a drawer, way too expensive as a creature, wonderful with Momentary blink (just as reminder : Evoke Mulldrifter, before its 187 abilty resolve, blink it, unfold stack : draw four and have a 2/2 flying. Worth 5 manas).

Paperfin Rascal - 2U
Creature - Merfolk Rogue (Common)
When Paperfin Rascal comes into play, clash with an opponent. If you win, put a +1/+1 counter on Paperfin Rascal.
2/1

Too expensive even for a 3/2.

Pestermite - 2U
Creature - Faerie Rogue (Common)
Flash
Flying
When Pestermite comes into play, you may tap or untap target permanent.
The fae know when they're not wanted.
That's precisely why they show up.
2/1
Illus. Christopher Moeller
#78/301

I have a stupid deck, based on Horseshoe Crab, Psionic Gift and untap thing. Pestermite will replace Jolt in this deck. Don't think the deck is competitive anyway.

Ponder - U
Sorcery (Common)
Look at the top three cards of your library, then put them back in any order. You may shuffle your library.
Draw a card.
"We see the same sky as you, but we see it differently."
Illus. Mark Tedin
#79/301

We had Brainstorm. Then came Ponder. The only drawback of this spell is its speed : sorcery. Anyway this manipulation trick is probably better than anything else - but Brainstorm - printed before : Sleight of hand does less at the same speed, Serum Vision is maybe more precise but can't shuffle, Opt is faster but does less. In the right deck, Ponder might even be better than Brainstorm. Both have obvious synergies. A must have.

Protective Bubble - 3U
Enchantment - Aura (Common)
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature is unblockable and has shroud.

From Ponder to this, a world apart...

Ringskipper - 1U
Creature - Faerie Wizard (Common)
Flying
When Ringskipper is put into a graveyard from play, clash with an opponent. If you win, return Ringskipper to its owner's hand.
1/1

Clash, clash, clash. The whole mechanic would need a review to say if a viable deck can see play, the point being : can we bend the chances ?

Note Ringskipper have seen successful play in a fitted deck I will discuss in a later post.

Sentinels of Glen Elendra - 3U
Creature - Faerie Soldier (Common)
Flash, flying
2/3

Expensive for a 2/3, even with flight, but its color and flash makes it worth trying : no counter this opponent's turn ? Let's play this guy. As a thoughness score, 4 would have been better though. Maybe Spire Golem is just better after all ;)

Silvergill Douser - 1U
Creature - Merfolk Wizard (Common)
{T}: Target creature gets -X/-0 until end of turn, where X is number of Merfolk you control.
1/1

Another defensive fishboy. Not that bad, but not that good.

Spellstutter Sprite - 1U
Creature - Faerie Wizard (Common)
Flash
Flying
When Spellstutter Sprite comes into play, counter target spell with converted mana cost X or less, where X is the number of Faeries you control.
1/1
Illus. Rebecca Guay
#89/301

Will you find the right time to play this ? I wouldn't have bet, before I see the Faerie Blink deck...

Stonybrook Angler - 1U
Creature - Merfolk Wizard (Common)
{1}{U}, {T}: You may tap or untap target creature.
1/2

*Play Horseshoe Crab*

Streambed Aquitects - 1UU
Creature - Merfolk Scout (Common)
{T}: Target Merfolk creature gets +1/+1 and gains Islandwalk until end of turn.
{T}: Target land becomes an Island until end of turn.
2/3

Correct body, nice interaction with the previous fish boy but... 2 creatures (5 mana) and 2 mana on activation are they worth to make a single creature slightly bigger and unblocable ?

Tideshaper Mystic - U
Creature - Merfolk Wizard (Common)
{T}: Target land becomes the basic land type of your choice until end of turn. Play this ability only during your turn.
1/1

Same reflexion than previously. Merfolk are synergetic, right, but they're just too weak.

Whirlpool Whelm - 1U
Instant (Common)
Clash with an opponent, then return target creature to its owner's hand. If you win, you may put that creature on top of its owner's library instead. (Each clashing player reveals the top card of his or her library then puts that card on the top or bottom. A player wins if his or her card had a higher converted mana cost)
Illus. Cyril Van Der Haegen
#96/301

Another clash card. Without luck or propriate deck manipulation, it's worse than Unsummon, with, it's awfully better.

Wings of Velis Vel - 1U
Tribal Instant - Shapeshifter (Common)
Changeling (This card is every creature type even if this card isn't in play.)
Target creature becomes 4/4, gains all creature types, and gains flying until end of turn.

One of the best boost for 1U ever made. BUT it's blue and so is difficult to fit into aggro decks. The combo like thing seems useless. Strange thing to be remembered, maybe for Fish ?

Zephyr Net - 1U
Enchantment - Aura (Common)
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature has defender and flying.

A nice defensive trick. Blue has better option to deal with problems, though (don't allow the creature to reach board, first).

Black

Black Poplar Shaman - 2B
Creature - Treefolk Shaman (Common)
{2}{B}: Regenerate target Treefolk.
1/3

Regernerate was, is and will (ever) be the worst ability of magic (banding is free, people).

Bog Hoodlums - 5B
Creature - Goblin Warrior (Common)
Bog Hoodlums can't block.
When Bog Hoodlums comes into play, clash with an opponent. If you win, put a +1/+1 counter on Bog Hoodlums.
4/1

Even under torture, I won't play a 5/2 gobelin for 6. Never.

Boggart Birth Rite - B
Tribal Sorcery - Goblin (Common)
Return target Goblin card from your graveyard to your hand.
#101/301

The fun thing is it can now bring back tribal goblin spell. Such as Tarfire. Enough to be played ? Not sure.

Boggart Harbinger - 2B
Creature - Goblin Shaman (Uncommon)
When Boggart Harbinger comes into play, you may search your library for a Goblin card, reveal it, then shuffle your library and put that card on top of it.
2/1

Goblin matron is a common, you know ?

Boggart Loggers - 2B
Creature - Goblin Rogue (Common)
Forestwalk
{2}{B}, Sacrifice Boggart Loggers: Destroy target Treefolk or Forest.
2/1

I've been looking cards in this review for decks already known. This one could fit in a mana denial oriented version of Tortured existence. But since it can only target forest which are know to spawn with amazing speed (Sakura tribe elder and the like), I wonder if this could be a good idea.

Dreamspoiler Witches - 3B
Creature - Faerie Wizard (Common)
Flying
Whenever you play a spell during an opponent's turn, you may have target creature get -1/-1 until end of turn.
2/2

Expensive for a 2/2 flyer which does nothing by itself.

Exiled Boggart - 1B
Creature - Goblin Rogue (Common)
When Exiled Boggart is put into a graveyard from play, discard a card.
2/2

A madness thing. Can't see where to put it into.

Eyeblight's Ending - 2B
Tribal Instant - Elf (Common)
Destroy target non-Elf creature.

You want a stupid idea ? Cast metamorphosis on a Wirewood Herald to generate 3 black mana, tutor this and destroy the mean opponent's creature. Stupid, isn't it ?

Facevaulter - B
Creature - Goblin Warrior (Common)
{B}, Sacrifice a Goblin: Facevaulter gets +2/+2 until end of turn.
1/1

I know a RB Goblin Storm deck that could like this.

Footbottom Feast - 2B
Instant (Common)
Put any number of target creature cards from your graveyard on top of your library.
Draw a card.

This could be an interesting coutermeasure against Night Soil in Tortured Existence. I guess you can trade four for two with Goblin Ringleader, but that would be a poor choice for RB aggro deck.

Hornet Harasser - 2BB
Creature - Goblin Shaman (Common)
When Hornet Harasser is put into a graveyard from play, target creature gets -2/-2 until end of turn.
2/2

Well. Festering Goblin is better.

Moonglove Winnower - 3B
Creature - Elf Rogue (Common)
Deathtouch (Whenever this creature deals damage to a creature, destroy that creature.)
2/3
#126/301

No room for this in an Elf deck when Thornweald Archer exists.

Mournwhelk - 6B
Creature - Elemental (Common)
When Mournwhelk comes into play, target player discards two cards.
Evoke {3}{B} (You may play this spell for its evoke cost. If you do, it's sacrificed when it comes into play)
3/3
#127/301

*play Hymn to Tourach*

Nameless Inversion - 1B
Tribal Instant - Shapeshifter (Common)
Changeling (This card is every creature type even if this card isn't in play.)
Target creature gets +3/-3 and loses all creature types until end of turn.
#128/301

Isn't Last Gap better ? I know it has every creature type, but unless you play Boggarts birth rite - and even then, you won't bring it back from your graveyard every day.

Nath's Buffoon - 1B
Creature - Goblin Rogue (Common)
Protection from Elves
1/1

Casual, at best.

Nightshade Stinger - B
Creature - Faerie Rogue (Common)
Flying
Nightshade Stinger can't block.
1/1
#132/301

Nice in mono black, since it can fly, but a little bit weak.

Peppersmoke - B
Tribal Instant - Faerie (Common)
Target creature gets -1/-1 until end of turn.
If you control a Faerie, draw a card.

Faerie in black doesn't exist before Lorwyn. I guess it's a bit short for including Peppersmoke in a deck.

Quill-Slinger Boggart - 3B
Creature - Goblin Warrior (Common)
Whenever a player plays a Kithkin spell, you may have target player lose 1 life.
3/2

Not even in a side.

Scarred Vinebreeder - 1B
Creature - Elf Shaman (Common)
{2}{B}, Remove an Elf card in your graveyard from the game: Scarred Vinebreeder gets +3/+3 until end of turn.
1/1

It needs a lot of mana and creatures in graveyard and to make it big, and it doesn't have trample yet.

Shriekmaw - 4B
Creature - Elemental (Uncommon)
Fear
When Shriekmaw comes into play, destroy target nonartifact, nonblack creature.
Evoke {1}{B} (You may play this spell for its evoke cost. If you do, it's sacrificed when it comes into play.)
3/2
Illus. Steve Prescott
#139/301

Looks like a Nekraatal, with a cheaper option. Since you can play Faceless butcher for the same use than Nekraatal, I guess you can forget it.

Skeletal Changeling - 1B
Creature - Shapeshifter (Common)
Changeling (This card is every creature type even if this card isn't in play.)
{1}{B}: Regenerate Skeletal Changeling.
1/1

Again, Regenerate is one of the cheapest ability. Too bad.

Spiderwig Boggart - 2B
Creature - Goblin Shaman (Common)
When Spiderwig Boggart comes into play, target creature gains fear until end of turn.
2/2

Expensive for no more than a correct body and a correct but too short effect.

Thieving Sprite - 2B
Creature - Faerie Rogue (Common)
Flying
When Thieving Sprite comes into play, target player reveals X cards from his or her hand, where X is the number of Faeries you control. Choose one of those cards. That player discards that card.
1/1
#143/301

Basically, you can make your opponent discard anything IF you have enough Faerie in play. Too bad.

Warren Pilferers - 4B
Creature - Goblin Rogue (Common)
When Warren Pilferers come into play, return target creature card from your graveyard to your hand. If that card is a Goblin card, Warren Pilferers gains haste until end of turn.
"What do they need all this stuff for? They're dead, we're alive. Simple enough."
3/3
Illus. Wayne Reynolds

Too expensive to be truly useful.

Weed Strangle - 3BB
Sorcery (Common)
Destroy target creature. Clash with an opponent.
If you win, gain life equal to that creature's toughness.
#147/301

5 manas is too much to destroy a threat.

Red

Adder-Staff Boggart - 1R
Creature - Goblin Warrior (Common)
When Adder-Staff Boggart comes into play, clash with an opponent. If you win, put a +1/+1 counter on Adder-Staff Boggart.
2/1

Ugly.

Axegrinder Giant - 4RR
Creature - Giant Warrior (Common)
The angriest of giants are often the most skillful weaponsmiths. Their grudges fuel endless sessions at the forge, all the while growling ferociously to themselves.
6/4

...

Blades of Velis Vel - 1R
Tribal Instant - Shapeshifter (Common)
Changeling (This card is every creature type even if this card isn't in play.)
Up to two target creatures each get +2/+0 and gain all creature types until end of turn.

Song of blood seems better. Maybe the combo trick could be used, but don't see where.

Blind-Spot Giant - 2R
Creature - Giant Warrior (Common)
Blind-Spot Giant can't attack or block unless you control another Giant.
4/3

Its ability reads : Blind-Spot Giant can't be played since you won't play another Giant.

Boggart Forager - R
Creature - Goblin Rogue (Common)
{R}, Sacrifice Boggart Forager: Target player shuffles his or her library.
1/1

Of course you can always use some deck manipulation in mono red, but in a goblin deck, you will play Goblin Matron, in a combo deck, you'll play either Demonic Consultation or Fecundity... If it hadn't need to kill itself, Forager would have been a real bonus.

Boggart Shenanigans - 2R
Tribal Enchantment - Goblin (Uncommon)
Whenever a Goblin card is put into your graveyard, Boggart Shenanigans deals 1 damage to target player.
"People of Kinsbaile, we declare Shenanigans."

Too bad it's a unco. But a common would really have been broken.

Boggart Sprite-Chaser - 1R
Creature - Goblin Warrior (Common)
As long as you control a Faerie, Boggart Sprite-Chaser gets +1/+1 and has flying.
1/2

Who wants Goblin to fly ? I mean, if you really want them to, just Fling them !

Caterwauling Boggart - 3R
Creature - Goblin Shaman (Common)
Each Goblin you control can't be blocked except by two or more creatures.
Each Elemental you control can't be blocked except by two or more creatures.
2/2

Nice, of course, but I would have paid half for (the good) half of its abilities.

Ceaseless Searblades - 3R
Creature - Elemental Warrior (Uncommon)
Whenever you play an activated ability of an Elemental, Ceaseless Searblades gets +1/+0 until end of turn.
2/4

Consuming Bonfire - 3RR
Tribal Sorcery - Elemental (Common)
Choose one - Consuming Bonfire deals 4 damage to target non-Elemental creature; or Consuming Bonfire deals 7 damage to target Treefolk creature.

Will be useful once in a while. Almost never.

Faultgrinder - 6R
Creature - Elemental (Common)
Trample
When Faultgrinder comes into play, destroy target land.
Evoke {4}{R} (You may play this spell for its evoke cost. If you do, it's sacrificed when it comes into play)
4/4

Way. Too. very. Much. Expensive.

Firebelly Changeling - 1R
Creature - Shapeshifter (Common)
Changeling
{R}: Firebelly Changeling gets +1/+0 until end of turn. Play this ability no more than twice each turn.
1/1

Ok it's a changeling, but Flamekin brawler is simply better.

Flamekin Bladewhirl - R
Creature - Elemental Warrior (Uncommon)
As an additional cost to play Flamekin Bladewhirl, reveal an Elemental card from your hand or pay {3}.
2/1
Illus. 165

A little weak, would have need haste or to be common to be really nice.

Flamekin Brawler - R
Creature - Elemental Warrior (Common)
{R}: Flamekin Bladewhirl gets +1/+0 until end of turn.
0/2

Along with Ceaseless blades and Smokebraider, you could see the begin of a Combo deck, weren't they so many good elementals being uncos.

Flamekin Harbinger - R
Creature - Elemental Shaman (Uncommon)
When Flamekin Harbinger comes into play, you may search your library for an Elemental card and reveal it, then shuffle your library and put that card on top of your library.
1/1

See the above.

Giant's Ire - 3R
Tribal Sorcery - Giant (Common)
Giant's Ire deals 4 damage to target player.
If you control a Giant, draw a card.

One of the funniest non-unglued illustration. Game ability ? Er... forget it.

Hurly Burly - 1R
Sorcery (Common)
Choose one - Hurly Burly deals 1 damage to each creature without flying; or Hurly Burly deals 1 damage to each creature with flying.

More expensive, but a little better than Tremor. Unfortunately, most flyers are x/2.

Ingot Chewer - 4R
Creature - Elemental (Common)
When Ingot Chewer comes into play, destroy target artifact.
Evoke {R} (You may play this spell for its evoke cost. If you do, it's sacrificed when it comes into play)
3/3

It's probably the cheapest but the slowest artifact destroyer (you can only play Evoke at sorcery speed).

Inner-Flame Acolyte - 1RR
Creature - Elemental Shaman (Common)
When Inner-Flame Acolyte comes into play, target creature gets +2/+0 and gains haste until end of turn.
Evoke {R} (You may play this spell for its evoke cost. If you do, it's sacrificed when it comes into play)
2/2

In a mono red aggro deck, Inner-Flame Acolyte is better than Reckless charge since it can unlock creatures such as Goblin Conscripts AND give a boost.

Inner-Flame Igniter - 2R
Creature - Elemental Warrior (Uncommon)
{2}{R}: Creatures you control get +1/+0 until end of turn. If this is the third time this ability has resolved this turn, creatures you control gain first strike until end of turn.
2/2

You can see here the good interaction with Ceaseless Blades. Alas, it's once again an unco...

Lash Out - 1R
Instant (Common)
Lash Out deals 3 damage to target creature. Clash with an opponent. If you win, Lash Out deals 3 damage to that creature's controller. (Each clashing player reveals the top card of his or her library, then puts that card on the top or bottom. A player wins if his or her card had a higher converted mana cost.)

The card makes you think : what about playing this along with Ponder and the like ? But there are so many better options to deal 3 damage you forget it can deal 6. Are you right to forget ?

Lowland Oaf - 3R
Creature - Giant Warrior (Common)
{T}: Target Goblin you control gets +1/+0 and gains flying until end of turn. Sacrifice that creature at end of turn.
3/3

Yeah. Sure. Whatever.

Mudbutton Torchrunner - 2R
Creature - Goblin Warrior (Common)
When Mudbutton Torchrunner is put into a graveyard from play, it deals 3 damage to target creature or player.
1/1

What do you want to do with three mana in a red deck ? Cast this guy, or cast 3 lightning bolts-like ?

Needle Drop - R
Instant (Common)
Needle Drop deals 1 damage to target creature or player that was dealt damage this turn.
Draw a card.

Could be tried as a drawer in Burn. Not that convincing though.

Rebellion of the Flamekin - 3R
Tribal Enchantment - Elemental (Uncommon)
Whenever you clash, you may pay {1}. If you do, put a 3/1 red Elemental Shaman creature token into play. If you win, that token gains haste until end of turn.

This enchantment could be the main reason to build a clash deck. Wonder if there are enough opportunities to make it rentable ?

Smokebraider - 1R
Creature - Elemental Shaman (Common)
{T}: Add two mana in any combination of colors to your mana pool. Spend this mana only to play Elemental spells or activated abilities of Elementals.
"Be silent and listen to your inner fire. Only then can you walk the Path of Flame."
1/1
Illus. Anthony S. Waters

Vedalken Engineer dedicated to Elementals. The blue accelerator doesn't see that much play, and smokebraider has an even narrower spectrum.

Soulbright Flamekin - 1R
Creature - Elemental Shaman (Common)
{2}: Target creature gains trample until end of turn. If this is the third time this ability has resolved this turn, you may add {R}{R}{R}{R}{R}{R}{R}{R} to your mana pool.
2/1

Here is the real big thing of an elemental combo deck. Soulbright Flamekin, Smokebraider, Red mana rituals and Brawler. Probably too hard to be built, but fun though.

Stinkdrinker Daredevil - 2R
Creature - Goblin Rogue (Common)
Giant spells you play cost {2} less to play.
1/3

My hero.

Tarfire - R
Tribal Instant - Goblin (Common)
Tarfire deals 2 damage to target creature or player.

Of course you want to play this in a Goblin deck, along with Shenanigan. But how are you gonna draw ?

Green

Battlewand Oak - 2G
Creature - Treefolk Warrior (Common)
Whenever a Forest comes into play under your control, Battlewand Oak gets +2/+2 until end of turn.
Whenever you play a Treefolk spell, Battlewand Oak gets +2/+2 until end of turn.
1/3
Illus.
#197/301

Nice in a turbo land deck... which are rare in PEZ...

Bogstrider Ash - 3G
Creature - Treefolk Shaman (Common)
Swampwalk
Whenever a player plays a Goblin spell, you may pay {G}. If you do, you gain 2 life.
2/4

Very narrow side-dedicated card.

Bramble Horns - 3G
Creature - Elemental (Uncommon)
Flash
When Bramble Horns comes into play, target creature gets +3/+3 until end of turn.
Evoke {1}{G} (You may play this spell for its evoke cost. If you do, it's sacrificed when it comes into play)
3/3
Illus. Nills Hamm
#199/301

Giant growth on leg, just in case you'd want to wait to cast a 4CC 3/3...

Cloudcrown Oak - 2GG
Creature - Treefolk Warrior (Common)
Reach
3/4

Nothing useful here.

Elvish Branchbender - 2G
Creature - Elf Druid (Common)
{T}: Until end of turn, target forest becomes an X/X Treefolk creature in addition to its other types, where X is the number of Elves you control.
2/2

Timberwatch elf is better.

Elvish Eulogist - G
Creature - Elf Shaman (Common)
Sacrifice Elvish Eulogist: You gain 1 life for each Elf card in your graveyard.
1/1

As a side card in Elf Clamp, may be, if speed is of the essence and you fear not to be able to activate the Sybil.

Elvish Handservant - G
Creature - Elf Warrior (Common)
Whenever a player plays a Giant spell, you may put a +1/+1 counter on Elvish Handservant.
1/1

You will never put a +1/+1 counter on Elvish Handservant.

Elvish Harbinger - 2G
Creature - Elf Druid (Uncommon)
When Elvish Harbinger comes into play, you may search for an Elf card, reveal it, shuffle your library and put that card on top of it.
{T}: Add one mana of any color to your mana pool.
1/2

Way too expensive and slow as a tutor...

Elvish Promenade - 3G
Tribal Sorcery - Elf (Uncommon)
Put a 1/1 green Elf Warrior creature token into play for each Elf you control.

For the same price, you can have a common 3/3 that generates a token for each Elf spell you play (see below). Make your choice.

Fertile Ground - 1G
Enchantment - Aura (Common)
Enchant land
Whenever enchanted land is tapped for mana, its controller adds one mana of any color to his or her mana pool.
Pretty, valuable, and delicious - a boggart thief's trifecta.

An all time classic, never played.

Fistful of Force - 1G
Instant (Common)
Target creature gets +2/+2 until end of turn. Clash with an opponent. If you win, that creature gets an additional +2/+2 and gains trample until end of turn.
#212/301

Nice trick, but you'll need to build around the Clash mechanic to really make it worth. You'd better play Thrill of the hunt and forget this one.

Gilt-Leaf Ambush - 2G
Tribal Instant - Elf (Common)
Put two 1/1 Green Elf Warrior token creatures into play. Clash with an opponent. If you win, those creatures gain deathtouch until end of turn.

Nice token generator, but does Elf need it ? Not sure. Does Spore Cry ? There are some better choice. May be as a one or two drops, if you're really against Ironwood fists.

Gilt-Leaf Seer - 2G
Creature - Elf Shaman (Common)
{G}, {T}: Look at the top two cards of your library, then put them back in any order.
2/2

Would have been nice with a 1 or 2 CC. At 3, it's only ugly.

Heal the Scars - 3G
Instant (Common)
Regenerate target creature. You gain life equal to that creature's toughness.

Expensive but interesting. But expensive. Could have replace Worthy cause in life.

Hunt Down - G
Sorcery (Common)
Target creature blocks target creature this turn.

Sorcery speed. Forget it.

Imperious Perfect - 2G
Creature - Elf Warrior (Uncommon)
Other Elf creatures you control get +1/+1.
{G}, {T}: Put a 1/1 green Elf Warrior creature token into play.
2/2
Illus. Scott M. Fisher
#220/301

In non Clamp format, the best unco Elf could dream of.

Kithkin Daggerdare - 1G
Creature - Kithkin Soldier (Common)
{G}, {T}: Target attacking creature gets +2/+2 until end of turn.
1/1

Out of color for Kithkin based deck, too slow for Stompy, can't be used for defence...

Lace with Moonglove - 2G
Instant (Common)
Target creature gains deathtouch until end of turn.
Draw a card.

Too expensive a trick to be played.

Leaf Gilder - 1G
Creature - Elf Druid (Common)
{T}: Add {G} to you mana pool.
2/1

Another Llanowar elves - like. Nothing new worth the change.

Lignify - 1G
Tribal Enchantment - Treefolk Aura (Common)
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature loses all abilities and becomes a 0/4 Treefolk.

Interesting to be cast on an Atog or Disciple of the Vault. Hasn't Flash, though.

Lys Alana Huntmaster - 2GG
Creature - Elf Warrior (Common)
Whenever you play an Elf spell you may put a 1/1 green Elf Warrior creature token into play.
3/3

In Clamp allowed format, this could be a real big thing. You won't need another kill...

Nath's Elite - 4G
Creature - Elf Warrior (Common)
All creatures able to block Nath's Elite must do so.
When Nath's Elite comes into play, clash with an opponent. If you win, put a +1/+1 counter on Nath's Elite.
4/2

Expensive for a wanna be 5/3 Mocking elf.

Oakgnarl Warrior - 5GG
Creature - Treefolk Warrior (Common)
Vigilance, trample
5/7

Who wants to reanimate me ;-) ?

Rootgrapple - 4G
Tribal Instant - Treefolk (Common)
Destroy target noncreature permanent. If you control a Treefolk, draw a card.
#234/301

Just too expensive. The only creature removal in green, though.

Spring Cleaning - 1G
Instant (Common)
Destroy target enchantment.
Clash with an opponent. If you win, destroy all enchantments your opponents control.

Could have been nice if it was 1 mana higher but could target artifact. There aren't that many echantments to need this.

Treefolk Harbinger - G
Creature - Treefolk Shaman (Uncommon)
When Treefolk Harbinger comes into play, search your library for a Treefolk or Forest card and reveal it, then shuffle your library and put it on top of your library.
0/3

Treefolks are not that big they need a sorcery speed tutor, and you have better common land drawers.

Warren Scourge Elf - 1G
Creature - Elf Warrior (Common)
Protection from Goblins
1/1

I guess being Goblin Protected is not your elf priority...

Woodland Changeling - 1G
Creature - Shapeshifter (Common)
Changeling (This card is every creature type even if this card isn't in play.)
Changelings can't resist the temptation of a new form, even if it isn't in their best interest.
2/2
Illus. Franz Vohwinkel

Another Grizzly Bear, but with the changeling ability... Well. another Grizzly Bear.

Artifacts

Herbal Poultice - 0
Artifact (Common)
{3}, Sacrifice Herbal Poultice: Regenerate target creature.
#257/301

An all creature-type Welding jar, only harder to activate... No comment.

Moonglove Extract - 3
Artifact (Common)
Sacrifice Moonglove Extract: Moonglove Extract deals 2 damage to target creature or player.

Quite expensive for a little colorless damage. Could be nice to try a direct colorless damage deck with Ectofire, this, and some 36 other colorless damage sources. Well I guess it's named Affinity...

Runed Stalactite - 1
Artifact - Equipment (Common)
Equipped creature gets +1/+1 and is every creature type.
Equip {2}

A nice colorless "every creature type" source, but is it usefull to anything ?

Springleaf Drum - 1
Artifact (Common)
{T}, Tap an untapped creature you control: Add one mana of any color to your mana pool.
#261/301

Huge in Affinity. Can be a nice accelerator in Merfolks deck with all their "When ~this~ is tapped" effects.

Wanderer's Twig - 1
Artifact (Common)
{1}, Sacrifice Wanderer's Twig: Search your library for a basic land card, reveal it, and put it into your hand. Then shuffle your library.

Less expensive but less powerful than Wayfarer's Bauble.

Land

Shimmering Grotto
Land (Common)
{T}: Add {1} to your mana pool.
{1}, {T}: Add one mana of any color to your mana pool.
Bunnies are not the only denizens of this grotto.

With Terramorphic expanse, this land is quite useless. You can find it useful in deck needing many different colors, such as Slivers.

In summary

Tribal extensions have always the same problems : you want to build from the extensions, looking for "tribes" already existing in previous sets. Elves are not so powerful than before, and actually grew wicker from Onslaught. Only the Imperious Perfect full deserves its name.
Kithkins were so to say inexistent before Lorwyn, and generates another version of WW.
Merfolks had some good opportunites, but Lorwyn isn't enough -yet ? - to made some mermaid decks.
Goblins... well goblins can't turn away ten years of mountain life in a single set.
Flamekins are brand (!) new, and with elemental additions (Mulldrifter on the top), could be interesting. They're still a bit weak as an aggro deck, and way too unstable as a combo deck.
Treefolks remain big and slow, the best of them being a rare (Doran).
Changeling have no ability big enough to replace any member of existing tribes.

Pretty much definitely see play :

Oblivion Ring
Ponder
Springleaf Drum
Imperious Perfect

Likely to see play, or definitely good but in a deck that’s not quite as well established :

Lys Alana Huntmaster
Mulldrifter
Pestermite

Likely to see play, but unlikely to be a major player :

Cenn's Heir
Goldmeadow Harrier
Judge of Currents
Shields of Velis Vel
Springjack Knight
Surge of Thoughtweft
Wizened Cenn
Faerie Trickery
Wings of Velis Vel
Ceaseless Searblades
Flamekin Brawler
Flamekin Harbinger
Smokebraider
Soulbright Flamekin
Inner-Flame Acolyte
Shimmering Grotto

White Winnie

Frédéric Meurin — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 12:25:00 +0200

White Winnie is an all-time classic. In every format, you can find a deck with hundreds of low cost white creatures, high power, and a basic strategy : CHARGE !!!

White winnie (WW) is not the best aggro deck in peasant. Affinity is. But White winnie, with the recent additions from the Time Spiral block, has found some solutions to most of the gauntlet decks.

The best peasant version is a Rebel engined WW, designed - again ! - by Christophe Deslandes, the Rebel mechanic providing the library manipulation and tutoring you might need.

20 Plains
4 Bonesplitter
1 Defiant Falcon
1 Whipcorder
3 Amrou Scout
3 Zealot il-Vec
4 Benevolent Bodyguard
4 Children of Korlis
4 Crimson Acolyte
4 Icatian Javelineers
4 Pegasus Charger
4 Ramosian Sergeant
4 Swords to Plowshares

Sideboard
4 Dust to Dust
4 Holy Light
4 Rune of Protection: Red
3 Divine Offering

It can deal with Affinity thanks to Pegasus charger (blocks a plated orni withouth dying, thanks to First strike), Whipcorder (by tapping the big Atog), and post side, with Dust to dust and Divine Offering (both spell will help against any heavily artifact based deck).
The classic RoP : red cuts Burn strategy out. Crimson acolyte doesn't help Burn nor Gobs, and it can be replaced with Obsidian acolyte (although a good build of Mono black should play Diabolic edict, and thus, don't fear the acolyte ability).
Decks with numerous creatures can be halted with your own hordes, and their abilities (Zealot and Javelineers are plagues for Gobs and Elves) and post side, Holy light can stand the Wrath of god slot.
On top of all these, you can use your Swords to plowshares to gain tempo. Against Affinity, it might be all that you need (hard to come back with an empty hand and an empty board after your 'tog's been "sworded").
Children of Korlis is probably the best answer you can afford to damage-based combo deck, and good news, it's a rebel !

Once you've dealt with menaces, you can use your own, that is, basicaly everything able to swing a Bonesplitter (sorry, no Jitte allowed in PEZ...)

WW might be a good deck to play if you don't know what your metagame is made of. As it is very polyvalent, it's also a good testing deck : everything loosing too many times to that deck should worry (although there is a most definitive test deck, that we'll discuss later).

UG Tempo

Frédéric Meurin — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 17:01:00 +0200

Control are, to the least, quite rare in Peasant Magic. As in its older brother, some of you might have heard of as "Legacy" format, decks tend to be explosive combo or aggro, sometimes something in between.

There are two control decks in the format. You already know the first, shown in these columns as Iso MUC. Here is the other one, in its more recent and evoluted form.

What does this deck ? Nothing. Or, more exactly, it prevents its opponent from doing anything. The point to reach is : 7 cards or more in the graveyard (so you have Threshold), and enough mana to hard cast Grizzly Fate and its Flashback in the same turn. And then, rush in with Teddy bears.
You can also let an Isochron Scepter hit the board with a nice card imprinted on it (Moment's Peace is a favorite), and wait for your opponent to concede.
Last way to win : mill your opponent. It's very slow, very boring, but can work sometimes.

9 Forest
9 Island
2 Isochron Scepter
4 Chromatic Star
4 Sakura-Tribe Elder
1 Condescend
2 Harrow
3 Impulse
3 Moment's Peace
4 Accumulated Knowledge
4 Brainstorm
4 Memory Lapse
1 Deep Analysis
3 Grizzly Fate
3 Time Ebb
4 Temporal Spring

SideBoard
1 Respite
1 Muddle the Mixture
3 Werebear
3 Nourish
3 Hindering Touch
4 Naturalize

Thanks to Joun, also known as Etienne Barberon, for his list.
[Edit : let's say hi to Julien "EternelReveur" Kloetzer, original builder of this deck].

I translated his comments about his deck, and add some [explanations] :

"My deck lists 2 Isochron scepter and only 3 Grizzli fate in the unco slot [nota : first version played 4 Grizzly fate and Wonder, then it used to play 4 Grizzly fate and 1 Sol ring, but since this last one is ban out there in France...].

The main goal of this deck is to handle every aggro deck of the format, including Affinity.
I think this deck will suffer against some combo deck such as LeJay's TPPS [The Perfect Peasant Storm, also known as Warren Agony, before Tendrils was banned too].

About the Side :

Nourrish against burn : quite easy.
Respite against big aggros such as affinity.
Naturalize mainly against affinity surtout, and any other random deck that would use artifacts or enchantments as tool : Gob-Fecondity for example.
Muddle the mixture to search Moment's peace, scepter, AK, or Nourrish...

Against the new storm : 3 hindering touch, + 1 Muddle, + 3 Werebear to win the clock... [this is quite outdated. Hindering touch is quite bad, and its slot could be use for something else]
Werebear can get in against MonoBlack : usually, MB sides its removal OUT for the second game, and doesn't like much being faced with a 4/4 at 2cc. Moreover, Werebear protects us against the manadeath sinkhole can generate."

Of course, this Peasant Threshold deck is quite vulnerable to artifact disruption and/or Echoing Truth, as the card is to be more and more used with Empty the Warrens upheaval. Hopefully, you'll have a Memory Lapse or even a Muddle the Mixture to protect your kill. Even Condescend will be enough, with the massive amount of mana you should have thanks to the Sakura Tribe Elder.
Graveyard hate, such as Tormod's crypt, are way too few present to be really feared.

Future sight review

Frédéric Meurin — Mon, 16 Jul 2007 17:17:00 +0200

Ok. Now I know I'm late. Xth is almost there, Lorwyn fills the rumor mills, and there I am with a PEZ Future sight review.

Anyway, these are good cards to use. Or not.

White

Augur il-Vec - 1W
Creature - Human Cleric (C)
Shadow (This Creature can block or be blocked by only creatures with shadow.)
Sacrifice Augur il-Vec: You gain 4 life. Play this ability only during your upkeep.
If it would end this exile, my life is yours.
1/3
#2/180

The "only during your upkeep" make it awful. Could have been nice elseway.

Gift of Granite - W
Enchantment - Aura (C)
Enchant creature
Flash
Enchanted creature gets +0/+2.
#7/180

Nice combat trick, which can give you a real Card Advantage. Is that enough ? Not sure, since you can lost your CA to a Diabolic edict.

Judge Unworthy - 1W
Instant (C)
Choose target attacking or blocking creature. Scry 3, then reveal the top card of your library.
Judge Unworthy deals damage equal to that card's converted mana cost to that creature.
(To scry 3, look at the top three cards of your library, then put any number of them on the bottom of your library and the rest on top in any order.)
Illus. Greg Staples
#9/180

Basically, as creature removal, this is better than Erratic Explosion. But as it is white, and as Peasant is a fast format, using cheap cc card, it won't deal tremendous amout of damage. Judge Unworthy does a lot of thing (quality advantage, creature removal), but the color is just wrong.

Knight of Sursi - 3W
Creature - Human Knight (C)
Flying, flanking
Suspend 3- {W}
2/2
Illus. Cyril Van Der Haegen
#10/180

In WW, you'd rather play Icatian Javelineers. In UW Control, you'll keep your mana to Mana tithe your opponent. Even if it can kill a doubly plated Orni, Knight of Sursi won't have a chance to.

Marshalling Cry - 1WW
Sorcery (C)
Creatures you control get +1/+1 and gain vigilance until end of turn.
Cycling {2}
Flashback {3}{W}
#13/180

It's not a trick, since it's a Sorcery. It's very heavy to hard cast, even harder to flashback, and expensive to cycle (W would have been better). The main effect is not THAT decisive (a massive +2/+2 would have been better). It's just worse than Fortify.

Saltskitter - 3W
Creature - Wurm (C)
Whenever another creature comes into play, remove Saltskitter from the game. Return Saltskitter to play under its owners control at end of turn.
3/4
Illus. Chippy
#14/180

A combo engine to be - I guess. Is it worth looking for ?

Samite Censer-Bearer - W
Creature - Human Rebel Cleric (C)
{W}, Sacrifice Samite Censer-Bearer: Prevent the next 1 damage that would be dealt to each creature you control this turn.
Samite alchemists extracted traces of healing minerals from the residue of the receding salt dunes.
1/1
#15/180

This is a nice side card for a rebel-based WW, since it will prevent most of the massive destruction spells red and black can play. Unfortunetaly, it can prevent neither the -1/-1 from Nausea, nor the 2 or more damages from Martyr of Ashes. May be not good enough.

Blade of the Sixth Pride - 1W
Creature - Cat Rebel (C)
3/1
#19/180

Very weak body, no ability... forget it.

Lucent Liminid - 3WW
Enchantment Creature - Elemental (C)
Flying
It is a herald of the sun goddess, projected from the hallowed glass whenever her light passes through.
3/3
#24/180

I don't know what mechanics are behind this, but what I can see is it's awfully expensive, weak before Lighting bolt, weak before Disenchant, and so isn't worth boring.

Luminthread Field - 1W
Enchantment (C)
Creatures you control get +0/+1.
Morph {1}{W}
After conquering the Bastion of Suns, the Otas seized its light.
Illus. Scott Altmann
#25/180

A funny trick, but I wonder if this can be used in decks other than casual.

Lymph Sliver - 4W
Creature - Sliver (C)
All Sliver creatures have absorb 1. (If a source would deal damage to a Sliver, prevent 1 of that damage.)
Its skin remaings in a flowing liquid state that keeps its body coated with potent restorative lymph.
3/3
#26/180

Read Plated sliver, and tell me what you think of this.

Patrician's Scorn - 3W
Instant (C)
If you played another white spell this turn, you may play Patrician's scorn without paying its mana cost.
Destroy all enchantments.
#29/180

In a WW deck, it is quite easy to play this during your main phase. As a defensive trick against, say, Fecondity, Disenchant remains better.

Blue

Aven Augur - 3U
Creature - Bird Wizard (C)
Flying
Sacrifice Aven Augur: Return up to two target creatures to their owners' hands. Play this ability only during your upkeep.
"I have seen the future. It does not include you."
2/2
#32/180

From the Augur series, this one might see play in Satin doll, as an alternative kill and control element. Needs testing.

Foresee - 3U
Sorcery (C)
Scry 4, (Look at the top four cards of your library. Put any number of them on the bottom of your library and the rest on top in any order.)
then draw two cards.
Wind time's watch and watch time unwind.
#36/180

Impulse is way cheaper and therefore better. But Foresee is to be reminded to as being the only common to dig 6 cards deep into your deck.

Infiltrator il-Kor - 4U
Creature - Kor Rogue (C)
Shadow
Suspend 2 - {1}{U}
3/1
#37/180

As a kill in MUC, Spire Golem remains the top leader.

Leaden Fists - 2U
Enchantment - Aura (C)
Enchant Creature
Flash
Enchanted Creature gets +3/+3 and doesn't untap during its controller's untap step.
#38/180

Is this supposed to be a joke ?

Unblinking Bleb - 3U
Creature - Illusion (C)
Morph {2}{U}
Whenever Unblinking Bleb or another permanent is turned face up, you may scry 2 (Look at the top two cards of your library. Put any number of them on the bottom of your library and the rest on top in any order.)
1/3
#45/180

There are now a bunch of common Illusion cards. Unfortunately, this tribal deck is very likely to remain casual. Might be better than an Auroch deck, though...

Venser's Diffusion - 2U
Instant (C)
Return target nonland permanent or suspended card to its owner's hand.
#46/180

This boomerang-like doesn't reach high in all the boomerang-like spells (see Satin doll to see some better ones.)

Blind Phantasm - 2U
Creature - Illusion (C)
2/3
#49/180

... *Yawn* ...

Logic Knot - XUU
Instant (C)
Delve
Counter target spell unless its controller pays {X}.
#52/180

Ouch. This is good. The delve mechanic virtually allows you to play 8 Counterspell : 4 real one, and 4 Logic Knot. Definitely testing, though there are plenty of good counterspell in PEZ.

Mesmeric Sliver - 3U
Creature - Sliver (C)
All Slivers have "When this permanent comes into play fateseal 1". (Look at the top card of an opponent's library. You may put that card on the bottom of that library.)
2/2
#53/180

Too expensive. Nice ability, though.

Sarcomite Myr - 2U
Artifact Creature - Myr (C)
{2}: Sarcomite Myr gains flying until end of turn.
{2}, Sacrifice Sarcomite Myr: Draw a card.
2/1
#56/180

I repeat myself : Spire Golem.

Vedalken AEthermage - 1U
Creature - Vedalken Wizard (C)
Flash
When Vedalken AEthermage comes into play, return target Sliver permanent to its owner's hand.
Wizardcycling {3}
Each reality is but the dream of another, and each sleeper a god unknowing.
1/2
#61/180

A sliver boomerang, Wizard tutor, on a Squire body and CC. Strange mix. Has to be reminded as a common tutor for Trinket mage, just in case.

Whip-Spine Drake - 3UU
Creature - Drake (C)
Flying
Morph: {2}{W}
"I swear the clouds were made just so the drakes would have a place to lurk."
-Kasharri, Skyknight
3/3
#62/180

You don't know how hard it is to comment cards like this.

Black

Augur of Skulls - 1B
Creature - Skeleton Wizard (C)
{1}{B}: Regenerate Augur of Skulls.
Sacrifice Augur of Skulls: Target player discards two cards. Play this ability only during your upkeep.
Within each empty skull, it seeks ways to preserve its own failing undeath.
1/1
#63/180

Play abilities or spells at upkeep, and then loosing mana for the card you're going to draw has always been bad (the only counter example being activating a Merfolk looter to discard somethin before your draw step, the something being to be dredged at your draw step). This augur doesn't change things. You might consider it in a UB Rack deck, but I don't think you'll want to keep it.

Cutthroat il-Dal - 3B
Creature - Human Rogue (C)
Hellbent - Cutthroat il-Dal has shadow as long as you have no cards in hand.
4/1
#64/180

Shadow doesn't make this guy avoid Nausea and Javelins. Simply not worth it.

Grave Peril - 1B
Enchantment (C)
When a nonblack creature comes into play, sacrifice Grave Peril. If you do, destroy that creature.
#67/180

It's a cheaper Seal of Destruction, with the default you can't choose your target. That's a big default : just imagine your opponent plays Whitemane Lion, you just lost your Grave Peril...

Ichor Slick - 2B
Sorcery (C)
Target creature gets -3/-3 until end of turn.
Cycling {2}
Madness {3}{B}

To be fully efficient, Ichor Slick needs 6 mana. To give -3/-3 till end of turn, and draw one. My opinion begins with Forget, and ends with it.

Lost Hours - 1B
Sorcery (C)
Target player reveals his or her hand. Choose a nonland card from it. That player puts that card into his or her library third from the top.
"Your thoughts do not interest me nearly as much as the abscence thereof."
-Gorghul, augur of skulls
#69/180

On top would have be nice. It's a nice disrupt against combo if you already master the tempo. But what the use of playing cards thant makes you win when you're already winning ?

Oblivion Crown - 1B
Enchantment - Aura (C)
Enchant creature
Flash
Enchanted creature has "Discard a card: This creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn".

For 1B, make your creature something worse than a Wild mongrel, at instant speed. It won't prevent it from being targeted. So you'd better leave it for draft players.

Putrid Cyclops - 2B
Creature - Zombie Cyclops (C)
When Putrid Cyclops comes into play, scry 1, then reveal the top card of your library. Putrid Cyclops gets -X/-X until end of turn where X is that card's converted mana cost.
3/3

A 3/3 than can die on its arrival ? Tremendous...

Stronghold Rats - 2B
Creature - Rat
Shadow
Whenever Stronghold Rats deals combat damage to a player, each player discards a card.
2/1

I recently built a BG Madness deck, and tried to fit this one in. Unfortunately, it does not seem to work well. To be tested in real condition though, but its 3cc keeps me dubious.

Death Rattle - 5B
Instant (C)
Delve
Destroy target nongreen creature. It can't be regenerated.

You already have plenty of destruction spell in black. Play this one would be rather strange, unless your deck can fill your graveyard without need to use it.

Deepcavern Imp - 2B
Creature - Imp Rebel (C)
Flying, haste
Echo - Discard a card
2/2

In a RB Hellbent deck, may be. But then again, I don't think you can make anything of such a deck.

Frenzy Sliver - 1B
Creature - Sliver (C)
All sliver creatures have Frenzy 1 (Whenever this creature attacks and isn't blocked it gets +1/+0 until end of turn)
1/1

Damn ! This one's good. Too bad Black isn't a classic color for sliver decks.

Grave Scrabbler - 3B
Creature - Zombie (C)
Madness - {1}{B}
When Grave Scrabbler comes into play, if its madness cost was paid, you may return target creature card in a graveyard to its owner's hand.
2/2

This could be used in a BG Madness, or in Tortured existence, where it could give you a card advantage (Activate TE, discard Grave Scrabbler, 1B for its madness cost, return 2 creature cards to your hand). To be tested, but not that decisive : a lone B as a Madness cost would have been great.

Mass of Ghouls - 3BB
Creature - Zombie Warrior (C)
5/3
#88/180

I guess there are some similar guys in R and G... *sigh*

Red

Bogardan Lancer - 1R
Creature - Human Knight (C)
Bloodthirst 1 (If an opponent was dealt damage this turn, this creature comes into play with one +1/+1 counter on it.)
Flanking (Whenever a creature without flanking blocks this creature, the blocking creature gets -1/-1 until end of turn.)
1/1

Just worse than Scab-Clan Mauler, since a 3/3 Trample is better than a 2/2 flanking. Nice, though, if you want to play 8 of these.

Emberwilde Augur - 1R
Creature - Goblin Shaman (C)
Sacrifice Emberwilde Augur: Emberwilde Augur deals 3 damage to target player. Play this ability only during your upkeep.
Legends say a djinn gave the goblins a gift they could never hope to master.
2/1
#97/180

As a creature, Spark elemental is just better. As a delayed damage source, Seal of Fire or Mogg fanatic are better too. If you can make this 2/1 survive long enough, it can deal way much more damage than both. In Goblin Song ?

Fatal Attraction - 2R
Enchantment - Aura (C)
Enchant Creature
When Fatal Attraction comes into play, it deals 2 damage to enchanted creature.
At the beginning of your upkeep, Fatal Attraction deals 4 damage to enchanted creature.
#98/180

As PEZ doesn't have access to Stuffy doll, Fatal Attraction shouldn't see play...

Gathan Raiders - 3RR
Creature - Human Warrior (C)
Hellbent - Gathan Raiders gets +2/+2 if you have no cards in hand.
Morph - Discard a card (You may play this face down as a 2/2 creature for {3}. Turn it face up any time for its morph cost.)
3/3
Illus. Parente
#99/180

Basically, it's a 2/2 for 3, that you can morph for a card (Rooting Baskwalla ? Fiery Temper ? Ancient Grudge ?). It does have nice interaction, as a decent body for a decent cost, and can get awfully better if things goes for best. Which doesn't happen that much with Hellbent. Maybe someone should give it a try with some of the cards I just told, and some others like the red Giant Growth... Could destroy a discard based strategy.

Riddle of Lightning - 3RR
Instant (C)
Choose target creature or player. Scry 3, then reveal the top card of your library. Riddle of Lightning deals damage equal to that card’s converted mana cost to that creature or player.

A scry-enabled and thus more expensive Erratic Explosion. Since its ancestor is not played, guess what you'll do with this riddle ?

Rift Elemental - R
Creature - Elemental (C)
{1}{R}, Remove a time counter from a permanent you control or suspended card you own: Rift elemental gets +2/+0 until end of turn.
"It's difficult to heal a rift after it begins wandering about on its own" - Teferi
1/1
Illus. Ron Spears
#106/180

When you read it, you want to build around. When you begin to, with PEZ rules, you quickly stop to : the suspend mechanic is too slow (no kidding ;-) for PEZ.

Flowstone Embrace - 1R
Enchantment - Aura (C)
Enchant creature
{T}: Enchanted creature gets +2/-2 until end of turn.

Erk.

Fomori Nomad - 4R
Creature - Nomad Giant (C)
4/4

Here is the no-ability guy for the red. Nice to meet you.

Ghostfire - 2R
Instant (C)
Ghostfire is colorless.
Ghostfire deals 3 damage to target creature or player.
Illus. Cyril Van Der Haegen

A 3cc-colorless lightning bolt : basically, you can avoid color protection. But are they that much played ? You'd better play some solutions against enchantment, it will be more useful.

Grinning Ignus - 2R
Creature - Elemental (C)
{R}, Return Grinning Ignus to its owner's hand: Add {2}{R} to your mana pool. Play this ability only any time you could play a sorcery.
2/2

By now, everybody heard about the Grinning ignus / Aluren combo. But Aluren is a rare. I'm not sure the Ignus can find its way in a Storm combo deck, but it should be remind as an interesting card.

Henchfiend of Ukor - 3R
Creature - Ogre (C)
Haste
Echo: {1}{B}
{BR}: Henchfiend of Ukor gets +1/+0 until end of turn.
3/2

Very expensive (6 mana, with 2 colors), not that big, little ability...

Homing Sliver - 2R
Creature - Sliver (C)
Each Sliver card in each player's hand has Slivercycling {3}.
Slivercycling {3} ({3}, Discard this card: Search your library for a Sliver card, reveal it, and put it into your hand. Then shuffle your library.)
2/2

In your hand, it's THE tutor any sliver deck waited for. On table, it's simply awful, since you can trade any sliver in your hand for another. A must have for sliver decks.

Green

Kavu Primarch - 3G
Creature - Kavu (C)
Convoke
Kicker - {4}
If the kicker cost was paid, Kavu Primarch comes into play with four +1/+1 counters on it.
3/3

The nice thing is : you can pay with Convoke the Kicker cost. So if you have 8 creatures on board, Kavu Primarch is a free 7/7. But do you need a single, no trampling 7/7 when you already have 8 creatures on board ?

Llanowar Augur - G
Creature - Elf Shaman (C)
Sacrifice Llanowar Augur: Target creature gets +3/+3 and gains trample until end of turn. Play this ability only during your upkeep.
I am irrelevant. The future I hold in my hand is everything.
0/3
#129/180

A Giant Growth on an Elvish Wall of Wood body. The flavor text reads : I'm irrelevant. It might be, but you should remember this guy also affords Trample, as a bonus of its +3/+3 boost. In a heavily elf-populated deck, it might see play.

Llanowar Empath - 3G
Creature - Elf Shaman (C)
When Llanowar Empath comes into play, scry 2, then reveal the top card of your library. If it’s a creature card, put it into your hand.
2/2

A single Quality advantage for 4cc... Not enough.

Petrified Plating - 2G
Enchantment - Aura (C)
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature gets +2/+2.
Suspend 2 - {G}

Auras are bad, since you can loose the Aura and its support on a single removal. A suspended aura is just worse, since you clearly say : I'm about to cast a creature I want to boost. You wanna bluff ? Forget this (or consider you're playing with 4 dead cards).

Quiet Disrepair - 1G
Enchantment - Aura (C)
Enchant Artifact or Enchantment
At the beginning of your upkeep choose one - Destroy enchanted permanent; or you gain 2 life.

Counterexample of what I said : This aura gives no Card Disadvantage, since you will play it on an opponent's artifact or enchantment. But you basically need to destroy these kinds of threats by the time you play your answer, not a full turn later. So it's no use. Auras are bad.

Sprout Swarm - 1G
Instant (C)
Convoke (Each creature you tap while playing this spell reduces its total cost by {1} or by one mana of that creature's color)
Buyback {3} (You may pay an additional {3} as you play this spell. If you do, put this card into your hand as it resolves.)
Put a 1/1 green Saproling creature token into play.
Illus. Chippy
#138/180

Here is the deal : if you have 5 mana, you can make a 1/1. Next turn, you'll be able to make a 1/1 for 4 mana only. The only PEZ deck where this thing could see play is UG Tempo, where it could be a nice Common kill in addition or replacement of Grizzly fate.

Wrap in Vigor - 1G
Instant (C)
Regenerate each creature you control.
#141/180

Nice but not perfect : Nausea ignores regeneration. A side card, at best.

Edge of Autumn - 1G
Sorcery (C)
If you control four or fewer lands, search your library for a basic land card, put it into play tapped, then shuffle your library.
Cycling - Sacrifice a land (Sacrifice a land, Discard this card: Draw a card.)

May be I'm dumb, but I can't see any use for this. Keeps busing me, though.

Nessian Courser - 2G
Creature - Centaur Warrior (C)
3/3
#148/180

3/3 for 3. Better than the Legendary Grey Ogre.

Sporoloth Ancient - 3GG
Creature - Fungus (C)
At the beginning of your upkeep put a spore counter on Sporoloth Ancient.
Creatures you control have "Remove two spore counters from this creature: Put a 1/1 green Saproling creature token into play".
4/4

Fungus.dec is as much played as Aurochs.dec and Illusion.dec.

Thornweald Archer - 1G
Creature - Elf Archer (C)
Reach (This creature can block creatures with flying)
Deathtouch (Whenever this creature deals damage to a creature, destroy that creature)
2/1

Another elf you can pick to better your ElfClamp deck (if you are lucky enough to be allowed to play SkullClamp). It has a nice body for this deck, nice abilities and a decent cc. Bloody elves !

Virulent Sliver - G
Creature - Sliver (C)
All Sliver creatures have poisonous 1.
(Whenever a sliver deals combat damage to a player, that player gets a poison counter. A player with ten or more poison counters loses the game.)
1/1
Illus. Franz Vohwinkel
#155/180

Ok. This is enough to give a try to Sliver deck :) What about a Control Sliver deck, with these guys and Winged ones ?

So what do we have ?
Pretty much nothing I fear. At best we can find some alternatives cards to existing ones in classic decks.

Altar of Storm

Frédéric Meurin — Tue, 03 Apr 2007 09:48:00 +0200

Banning Tendrils of Agony made a void that many players wanted to fill in with new combos decks. This one is based on Myr Retriever sacrified on an Ashnod's Altar to generate infinite Storm count for a deadly Grapeshot.

Here is a first try of the build

2 Sulfur Vents
2 Mountain
4 Great Furnace
4 Seat of the Synod
8 Island
4 Ashnod's Altar
4 Chromatic Sphere
4 Chromatic Star
4 Lotus Petal
4 Myr Retriever
3 Impulse
4 Brainstorm
4 Muddle the Mixture
1 Transmute Artifact
4 Grapeshot
4 Rite of Flame

Sideboard
4 Tremor
4 Red Elemental Blast
4 Annul
3 Blue Elemental Blast

For those who wonder, the five uncos are 4 Myr retriever and 1 Transmute artifact. Ashnod's altar was a common in Chronicles reprint.

As you can see, this is fully combo oriented. You have all you might need to draw (Brainstorm and Impulse), accelerate your mana (Rite of Flames, Lotus Petal, Sulfur Vents), do both at a time (Chromatic sphere and star), tutor anything (Muddle the mixture can fetch Transmute artifact that can fetch Ashnod's Altar). It's still need to be tested, tough, and as a theorical paperworks, some fixing might be needed - the manabase may be quite wrong.

Let me know what you think of it :)

Tournoi sur la région parisienne le 14/04/07

Frédéric Meurin — Wed, 28 Mar 2007 18:07:00 +0200

Rendez-vous au magasin Camisole à partir de 13h
14, rue Montbauron
78000 Versailles
SNCF Réseau Saint-Lazare : Versailles Rive Droite
SNCF Réseau Montparnasse : Versailles Chantiers
RER C : Versailles Chantiers ou Versailles Rive Gauche

PAF 5 €

Dotation globale de 2 boosters par participant :
1 booster minimum pour chaque joueur et le reste pour les meilleurs

Limité à 18 personnes (plus que 16 places)

Préinscription et renseignements via les commentaires de ce billet, Règles de construction des decks en cliquant sur "Continue Reading..."

Règles de construction des decks

Deck de 60 cartes minimum, construit uniquement à partir de communes et de 5 uncos maximum (réserve comprise), et comme d’habitude, 4 exemplaires de chaque carte maximum.

Une carte éditée en commune et en unco dans différentes éditions est considérée comme commune.

Une carte éditée en unco et en rare dans différentes éditions est considérée comme unco.

Par exemple, la version Spring de Mishra’s Factory a été édité en commune en Antiquities, Mishra’s Factory est donc une commune.

Editions autorisées : toutes les éditions autorisées en Type 1.

Cartes bannies : cartes de mise, Brain Freeze, Ali From Cairo, Bazaar of Baghdad, Berserk, Candelabra of Tawnos, Diamond Valley, Frantic Search, Juzam Djinn, Library of Alexandria, Mana Drain, Mishra’s Workshop, SkullClamp, Sol Ring, Strip Mine, Tendrils of Agony

Carte re-qualifiée en commune à titre expérimental : Relentless rats

Goblin Storm, second try

Frédéric Meurin — Sun, 25 Feb 2007 16:23:00 +0100

After a bunch of testing and some comments from fellow Magicians, here is the most dangerous build of this deck.

The deck works without Skullclamp.
It heavily relies on Fecundity, and thus is highly sensible to Disenchant-like spells. It can still work as a Goblin aggro deck, though it is way less aggressive without the green enchantment.

// Lands
4 Forest
12 Mountain

// Creatures
1 Goblin Warchief
1 Goblin Recruiter
1 Goblin Sledder
1 Mogg Raider
3 Wild Cantor
4 Goblin Matron
4 Mogg Fanatic
4 Mogg War Marshal
4 Skirk Prospector

// Other spells
4 Chromatic Star
4 Lotus Petal
3 Fecundity (or SkullClamp if you're allowed to)
1 Brightstone Ritual
1 Desperate Ritual
4 Empty the Warrens
4 Rite of Flame

// Sideboard :
1 Grapeshot
4 Tragic Poet (or Reconstruction if you're playing SkullClamp)
4 Akki Blizzard-Herder
4 Tin Street Hooligan
2 Desperate Ritual

Tortured existence, updated

Frédéric Meurin — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 10:38:00 +0100

You could see Christophe Deslandes and Chris Morling comments about my Tortured existence deck. I worked on these and tried to update the list with new releases from Time Spiral and Planar Chaos.

Here is the list Christophe Deslandes suggested. It's way much competitive with the 3 Sylvan Library having a heavy interaction with the 9 Dredge cards.

// Lands
11 Forest
10 Swamp

// Creatures
4 Sakura-Tribe Elder
4 Krosan Tusker
4 Stinkweed Imp
4 Golgari Brownscale
4 Crypt Rats
4 Spore Frog
1 Battlefield Scrounger
1 Eternal Witness
1 Shambling Shell
4 Tortured Existence
3 Sylvan Library
1 Demonic Tutor
4 Moment's Peace

//Sideboard:
3 Dark Heart of the Wood
1 Nourish
3 Rofellos's Gift
4 Crumble
4 Naturalize

As you can see, the deck is nice, but quite slow.

First modification, I'd change the Shambling shell for the brand new Uktabi Drake. It's a wonderful turn 1 drop, a graveyard auto-filler and it can be recast for only 2 mana (one for the Tortured Existence activation, one for hard casting), against 4 mana for Shambling Shell. Of course, you loose one dredge card, but this one wasn't the most used.

Second change : Mana acceleration. One of the best mana acceleration is Dark ritual, but it's not so synergic with the deck. So what about Songs of the Damned. As you've got a lot of creatures, some of them easily going to graveyard, the spell should be powerful enough even in the early game to bring what's most needed here : mana. We need to out some cards, and I choose to replace Moment's peace with Songs.

Third change : mana acceleration and drawing. Krosan Tusker is nice but heavy : 3 mana to cycle is a lot. Planar Chaos brings us a Green Time Shifted Sindbad : the common Fa'adiyah Seer. It can only start to work at turn 3 (cast at turn 2), such as Krosan Tusker, but it leaves you with 3 mana free for doing whatever you want. It can be used to dredge or simply draw, and eventually fill your graveyard, which is not bad in this deck.

Fourth change : the side. Moment's peace is so good and usefull we can't afford to trash it. Dark Heart of the wood and Nourish can be left away, since we need mana and the deck should go faster with its new mana acceleration. By the way, Seal of Primordium is strictly better in this deck than Naturalize : it's an enchantment you can cast "in case of", leaving you with spare mana later, and as an enchantment, you can bring it back with Rofello's gift.

// Lands
11 Forest
10 Swamp

// Creatures
4 Sakura-Tribe Elder
4 Fa’adiyah Seer
4 Stinkweed Imp
4 Golgari Brownscale
4 Crypt Rats
4 Spore Frog
1 Battlefield Scrounger
1 Eternal Witness
1 Uktabi Drake
4 Tortured Existence
3 Sylvan Library
1 Demonic Tutor
4 Songs of the damned

//Sideboard:
4 Moment's Peace
3 Rofellos's Gift
4 Crumble
4 Seal of primordium

Please feel free to comment this list :)

Planar Chaos Review

Frédéric Meurin — Thu, 18 Jan 2007 21:07:00 +0100

Here is the second set from the Time Spiral Block. A lot of very good cards show up, both in the common and unco slots.

White

Aven Riftwatcher - 2W
Creature - Bird Rebel Soldier (C)
Flying
Vanishing 3
When Aven Riftwatcher comes into play or leaves play, you gain 2 life.
2/3
Illus. Don Hazeltine
#1/165

It's a bit expensive to pay 3 mana just to have a 2/3 for 3 turn, and win 4 life. It's awfully good to pay 3 mana to have a 2/3 flyer for 3 turn and win 4 life, 8 if you momentary blink it. Moreover, it's a Rebel.

Dawn Charm - 1W
Instant (C)
Choose one - Prevent all combat damage that would be dealt this turn; or regenerate target creature; or counter target spell that targets you.
Illus. John Avon
#4/165

For a 2cc, you can fog, or prevent a discard ability (regenerate is more casual). Moreover, its cc allows it to be imprinted under a Isochron Scepter. Definitely a good side card.

Ghost Tactician - 4W
Creature - Spirit Spellshaper (C)
{W} , {T} , Discard a card: Creatures you control get +1/+0 until end of turn.
2/5
Illus. Zoltan Boros & Gabor Szikszai
#6/165

Way too expensive by itself, its ability is way too weak to remember...

Pallid Mycoderm - 3W
Creature - Fungus (C)
At the beginning of your upkeep, put a spore counter on Pallid Mycoderm.
Remove three spore counters from Pallid Mycoderm: put a 1/1 green Saproling creature token into play.
Sacrifice a Saproling: Each Fungus and each Saproling you control gets +1/+1 until end of turn.
2/4
Illus. Jim Nelson
#10/165

Fungi come to white. No big deal, since the " wait 3 turn, do something" is way too slow in PEZ, since you can access to the Rare cards that doubles counters.

Poultice Sliver - 2W
Creature - Sliver (C)
All Slivers have "{2},{T}: Regenerate target Sliver."
2/2
Illus. Randy Gallegos
#11/165

Regenerate is one of the worst ability in Magic. This sliver is not worth it.

Saltfield Recluse - 2W
Creature - Human Rebel Cleric (C)
{T}: Target creature gets -2/-0 until end of turn.
He remembers a past of light and healing. But he lives the bitter present—parching salt, scouring wind, and the withering heat of the desert.
1/2
#16/165

Erk. Children of Korlis are just better.

Shade of Trokair - 3W
Creature - Shade Warrior (C)
{W} : Shade of Trokair gets +1/+1 until end of turn.
Suspend 3 - {W} Rather than play this card from your hand, you may pay {W} and remove it from the game with three time counters on it. At the beginning of your upkeep, remove a time counter. When the last is removed, play it without paying its mana cost. It has haste.)
1/2
Illus. William O'Connor
#18/165

Nobody plays Frozen shade. Would anyone play this ? Not in WW, maybe in some MWC, but the deck seems hardly doable in PEZ - no Wrath, remember.

Whitemane Lion - 1W
Creature - Cat (C)
Flash (You may play this spell any time you could play an instant.)
When Whitemane Lion comes into play, return a creature you control to its owner's hand.
Saltfield nomads call a sudden storm a "whitemane."
2/2
#22/165

A 2/2 for 2, instant speeded with a taste of Shrieking Drake ? Well... why not ? It could be some nice trick, but a little bit expensive. A 1/1 for 1 would have been great, but it's a card advantage generator after all : you save your creature, and put another one in play : two for one.

Mana Tithe - W
Instant (C)
Counter target spell unless its controller pays {1}.
Illus. Martina Pilcerova
#25/165

Fun, but casual I guess. Maybe WW can put it as a side card, but Dawn Charm seems better at this, being a hard counter. Anyway, could create some nice surprises against the first turn Duress or Quirion Ranger...

Revered Dead - 1W
Creature - Soldier Spirit (C)
{W}: Regenerate Revered Dead.
1/1
Illus. Ron Spears
#29/165

White Dredge Skeletons. You don't play black ones. Rebels are better than Soldiers. Nomad Phantom auto-regenerates... As I just said, White dredge skeltons.

Sinew Sliver - 1W
Creature - Sliver (C)
All Slivers get +1/+1.
While the tendons of the creature stretched, Hanna noticed with horror an identical movement of flesh on the others. Ignoring what she had wanted to say, she warned Sisay to keep the ship at a safe distance.
1/1
Illus. Steven Belledin
#30/165

Ouch ! Now, you can play eight Muscle Sliver ! That's a lot. That's awful. WUG slivers with Gemhide, Winged and these might be an Aggro power house. Be prepared to battle the hive again.

Sunlance - W
Sorcery (C)
Sunlance deals 3 damage to target nonwhite creature.
#31/165

A 3 damage for 1 ? It's not Lightning bolt, since it only targets non-white creatures, but it could be a good Swords to plowshare-like common card.

Blue

Aquamorph Entity - 2UU
Creature - Shapeshifter (C)
As Aquamorph Entity comes into play or is turned face up, it becomes 5/1 or 1/5.
Morph {2}{U}
*/*
Illus. Brian Despain
#33/165

As a "wall", it's pretty expensive. As a beater, it's pretty fragile. Spire golem and Drift of Phantasms, which both bring better options, won't bother at this newcomer.

Dreamscape Artist - 1U
Creature - Human Spellshaper (C)
{2}{U},{T}, Discard a card, sacrifice a land: Search your library for up to two basic land cards and put them into play. Then shuffle your library.
1/1
#40/165

Uh ? Land-tutoring in blue ? Nice ! Indeed, the cost is high (3 mana, tap the thing, sacrifice a land AND discarding a card). But couldn't it be nice in PEZ Tog ? What about trading this island for another one and a swamp, AND filling the graveyard for Big Teeth ? To be tested.

Erratic Mutation - 2U
Instant (C)
Choose target creature.
Reveal cards from the top of your library until you reveal a nonland card. Target creature gets +X/-X until end of turn where X is the converted mana cost of the revealed card. Put all cards revealed this way on the bottom of your library in any order.
Illus. Zoltan Boros & Gabor Szikszai
#41/165

As a boost, it's quite dangerous, as a removal, it's quite erratic, as the card reads.

Reality Acid - 2U
Enchantment - Aura (C)
Enchant permanent
Vanishing - 3
When Reality Acid leaves play, the controller of enchanted permanent sacrifices it.
Illus. James Wong
#45/165

One of the very few removal in blue. Unfortunately, it's awfully slow. You will bounce the threat and counter its next casting four times before this thing triggers.

[edit] : Indeed, as said in the comments, if you can afford to bounce and recast Reality acid, it becomes a Vindicate like for a 4cc in mono blue. Good potential, but a bit expensive, unless the bounce is under a Scepter. Casting cost is higher, but you've got a versatile lock.

Shaper Parasite - 1UU
Creature - Illusion (C)
Morph {2}{U}.
When Shaper Parasite is turned face up, target creature gets +2/-2 or -2/+2 until end of turn.
2/3
Illus. rk Post
#46/165

Too expensive for such a weak effect.

Synchronous Sliver - 4U
Creature - Sliver (C)
All slivers have vigilance.
"With a twitch of its muscles, its timeline forks. Then, just as quickly, its two selves reintigrate. Causality, strangly, seems not to mind."
—Rukarumel, field journal
3/3
Illus. E. M. Gist
#48/165

Vigilance is a great ability. Even greater when you think of the interaction with Telekeinetic Sliver. But 5cc for a 3/3 is just too much to pay.

Veiling Oddity - 3U
Creature - Illusion (C)
Suspend 4 - {1}{U} Rather than play this card from your hand, you may pay {1}{U} and remove it from the game with four time counters on it. At the beginning of your upkeep, remove a time counter. When the last is removed, play it without paying its mana cost. It has haste.)
When you remove the last time counter from Veiling Oddity, if it's removed from the game, creatures can't be blocked until end of turn.
2/3
Illus. Dave DeVries
#51/165

Suspend a aggro trick seems quite strange in blue, but with slivers, who knows ? Seems rather casual though.

Wistful Thinking - 2U
Sorcery (C)
Target player draws two cards, then discards four cards.
"To probe the wonders of the multiverse, to gaze upon worlds unspoiled by blade or spell...it's enough to make one weep for the possibilities denied."
Illus. Brian Despain
#53/165

One of my favorite from PC. It's a mini millstone, a big Hymn to Tourach, it's common and only 3cc. I just wonder where it could fit ? In some BU Rack version of Satin doll ? I'll give it a try.

Gossamer Spirit - 1U
Creature - Illusion (C)
Flying
When Gossamer Spirit becomes the target of a spell or ability, sacrifice it.
2/1
#55/165

Strictly worse than Flying Man.

Merfolk Thaumaturgist - 2U
Creature - Merfolk Shaman (C)
{T}: Switch target creature's power and toughness until end of turn.
1/2
Illus. Steve Prescott
#56/165

This is an interesting alternative to Crookclaw Transmuter or About face in Life decks. Its advantage are it's slightly cheaper than the Transmuter, and can be used any numbers of time. But it's way much slower.

Piracy Charm - U
Instant (C)
Choose one — Target creature gains islandwalk until end of turn; or target creature gets +2/-1 until end of turn; or target player discards a card.
Illus. John Avon
#58/165

The islandwalk thing is just crap, or so casual you can forget it. The boost/removal might be interesting, but the discard thing at instant speed is the main interest in this card : blue has now 2 discard spells. Is it enough to build a deck around this ? Tempting, but no success guaranteed. Could be a nice side card in UB Tendrils, though.

Primal Plasma - 3U
Creature - Elemental Shapeshifter (C)
Primal Plasma comes into play as your choice of a 3/3 creature; a 2/2 creature with flying; or a 1/6 creature with defender.
*/*
Illus. Luca Zontini
#59/165

Primal clay was a rare artefact, now it's a Common Elemental Shapeshifter. Won't make it more played...

Black

Blightspeaker - 1B
Creature - Human Rebel Cleric (C)
{T}: Target player loses 1 life.
{4} , {T}: Search your library for a Rebel card with converted mana cost 3 or less and put it into play. Then shuffle your library.
1/1
Illus. Ron Spears
#64/165

As in Prophecy, black rebels show up in Planar Chaos. Its lifeloss ability is interesting, and make it useful at all stages of the game. But it's a bit slow to make it played.

Brain Gorgers - 3B
Creature - Zombie (C)
When you play Brain Gorgers, any player may sacrifice a creature. If a player does, counter Brain Gorgers.
Madness {1}{B} (If you discard this card, you may play it for its madness cost instead of putting it into your graveyard.)
In spite of their hunger, they're slow eaters.
4/2
Illus. Kev Walker
#65/165

It sounds as a Madness'ed Diabolic Edict, or a common Nekraatal. But the edict effect being optionnal, I guess it won't be played. Too bad, sounded fun.

Cradle to Grave - 1B
Instant (C)
Destroy target nonblack creature that came into play this turn.
#67/165

On paper, it's a good removal. In reality, it has serious adversaries, Diabolic edict being the first. Maybe it will help counter some instant threats, but I can't see any at first think being. Goblin Warchief, perhaps ? Anyway, it's a narrow spectrum for playing this.

Dash Hopes - BB
Instant (C)
When you play Dash Hopes, any player may pay 5 life. If a player does, counter Dash Hopes.
Counter target spell.
Illus. Zoltan Boros & Gabor Szikszai
#68/165

The famous Black Counterspell everybody heard about. We all know about these choice spells : if you play them to counter your opponent key spell, he will pay the 5 life. The right use of Dash Hopes would be to counter the first spell of your opponent, just to bother him. Is it enough for this to see play, in some Mono Black, balancing between Control and Aggro ? Not sure.

Deadly Grub - 2B
Creature - Insect (C)
Vanishing 3
When Deadly Grub is put into a graveyard from play, if it has no time counters on it, put a 6/1 green Insect creature token into play that has "this creature can't be the target of spells or abilities."
3/1
Illus. E. M. Gist
#69/165

3 mana, wait 3 turn, just to get a Deadly Insect token ? Well... play Deadly insect, boy, it was a common in Masques of Mercadia !

Midnight Charm - B
Instant (C)
Choose one - Midnight Charm deals 1 damage to target creature and you gain 1 life; or target creature gains first strike until end of turn; or tap target creature.
Illus. John Avon
#74/165

Nice, but not enough.

Ridged Kusite - B
Creature - Horror Spellshaper (C)
{1}{B} , {T} , Discard a card: Target creature gets +1/+0 and gains first strike until end of turn.
1/1
Illus. R. K. Post
#78/165

Ugly, expensive and uneffective.

Spitting Sliver - 4B
Creature - Sliver (C)
All slivers have first strike.
"Our lances' reach had been our saving grace in our fight against the hive. Now even that advantage is taken from us."
—Adom Capashen, Benalish knight
3/3
Illus. Steve Ellis
#80/165

Err... Isn't Tallon sliver way much cheaper ?

Bog Serpent - 5B
Creature - Serpent (C)
Bog Serpent can't attack unless defending player controls a Swamp.
When you control no Swamps, sacrifice Bog Serpent.
5/5
Illus. Thomas M. Baxa
#84/165

No comment.

Melancholy - 2B
Enchantment - Aura (C)
Enchant creature
When Melancholy comes into play, tap enchanted creature.
Enchanted creature doesn't untap during its controller's untap step.
At the beginning of your upkeep, sacrifice Melancholy unless you pay {B}.
Illus. Lars Grant-West
#88/165

Paralyze is just better.

Rathi Trapper - 1B
Creature - Human Rebel Rogue (C)
{B} , {T}: Tap target creature.
1/2
Illus. Pete Venters
#90/165

I've always seen Master decoy as a defensive guy, White Winnie having too many evasion creatures to line up, to need a defending creature removal. So I ask : since when Black bothers with defense ?

Shrouded Lore - B
Sorcery (U)
An opponent chooses a card in your graveyard. You may pay {B}. If you do, that opponent chooses a card not already chosen for Shrouded Lore. You may repeat this process any number of times. Put the last chosen card in your hand.
#91/165

I let this one in because it might sound interesting. I don't think it actually is. In PEZ, you can play Forgotten lore, but Regrowth is just better, and you don't play any one of these in the end : you play Eternal Witness. Here is the same : Shrouded Lore can't stand before Demonic Tutor or Demonic Consultation. So you'd better forget it.

Vampiric Link - B
Enchantment - Aura (C)
Whenever enchanted creature deals damage, you gain that much life.
Illus. Kev Walker
#92/165

If you really need to play a life point source in a black deck, I'd suggest Mourning thrull, rather than this Timeshifted Spirit link.

Red

Battering Sliver - 5R
Creature - Sliver (C)
All Slivers have trample.
Covered with hard shell-like plates, these slivers burrow through solid rock to carve out new nests for their hive.
4/4
Illus. Greg Staples
#95/165

Horned Sliver is cheaper, though weaker. But the Horned one fits in the 3 most used color for a Sliver deck.

Dust Corona - R
Enchantment - Aura (C)
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature gets +2/+0 and can't be blocked by creatures with flying.
"They infiltrated deep into the enemy camp under cover of darkness...and dirt."
—Corus, Viashino warrior
Illus. Luca Zontini
#97/165

A boost and evasion trick, to be put on a flyer or so. It's not Rancor, and there are so few flyers to block your own that you'd better play Rancor.

Firefright Mage - R
Creature - Goblin Spellshaper (C)
{1}{R} , {T} , Discard a card: Target creature can't be blocked this turn except by artifact creatures and/or red creatures.
After millenia of advancement in goblin military theory, Toggo VI realized that almost everyone is afraid of fire.
1/1
Illus. Greg Staples
#99/165

Fire Fear ? You will need a really big critter to need it. Ornithopter already has flying, and most of the R/G things are trampling...

Fury Charm - 1R
Instant (C)
Choose one - destroy target artifact; or target creature gets +1/+1 and gains trample until end of turn; or remove two time counters from target permanent or suspended card.
Illus. John Avon
#100/165

This is one of the big thing from PC : it's an enhanced Shatter. The +1/+1 and trample thing makes it avalaible in main deck for Aggro Gobelin, RG Beats and the like. There might be something to work out with the time counters thing, but it currently looks more casual (we should wait and see if Fading is errated to have time counters...) Get your playset of these, just in case.

Keldon Marauders - 1R
Creature - Human Warrior (C)
Vanishing 2 (This creature comes into play with two time counters on it. At the beginning of your upkeep, remove a time counter from it. When you remove the last, sacrifice it.)
When Keldon Marauders comes into play or leaves play, it deals 1 damage to target player.
3/3
Illus. Alex Horley-Orlandelli
#102/165

Another big thing for RG Beats, ready to trigger Scab Clan Mauler's Bloodthirst. And a 3/3 for 2cc, plus a pinger, is a nice thing anyway. All it needs is a Concordant crossroads or Reckless Charge to make it fully usefull.

Lavacore Elemental - 2R
Creature - Elemental (U)
Vanishing 1
Whenever a creature you control deals damage to an opponent, you may put a time counter on Lavacore Elemental.
5/3
#103/165

A 5/3 for 3, this Unco could be worth it in a very neatly build RG Beats. Is it enough to sacrifice a unco slot ? Not so sure. But definetely needs testing.
[Edit] After a few thinking (happens sometimes), Lavacore Elemental has a serious challenger, or may be L.E. is just a challenger to : Ball Lightning (unco in The Dark). In mono red, Ball is just better, since you don't have any creature of so few... But in RG Beats, you shouldn't be out fo these. Even a Fog can be ruined by a Mogg Fanatic. Always the same : needs testing. A Reckless charge by a Lavacore Elemental sounds so nice...

Needlepeak Spider - 3R
Creature - Spider (C)
Needlepeak Spider can block as though it had flying.
4/2
Illus. Dany Orizio
#105/165

Giant Spider - aka the Goal Keeper - isn't played. Why this one should be ?

Stingscourger - 1R
Creature - Goblin Warrior (C)
When Stingscourger comes into play, return target creature an opponent controls to its owner's hand.
Echo {3}{R}
2/2
Illus. Wayne Reynolds
#107/165

First known as "Man'o'War Gobelin", this guy has a nice effect, but can't be use for Combo or interactions effects. This restriction, plus the Echo cost, makes it unlikely to play.

Dead // Gone - R // 2R
Instant (C)
Dead deals 2 damage to target creature.
//
Return target creature you don't control to its owner's hand.
Illus. Tomas Giorello
#113/165

Shock plus a defensive boomerang. Might see play as a side in Burn.

Brute Force - R
Instant (C)
Target creature gets +3/+3 until end of turn.
Blood, bone and sinew are magnified, as is the rage that drives them. The brain, however, remains unchanged—a little bean, swinging by a strand in a cavernous, raving head.
#116/165

Another boost for Goblin Sligh or R/G Beats. Nice if you want to lower your green part, useless otherwise : Seal of Strength, Giant Growth and Reckless Charge do better job.

Prodigal Pyromancer - 2R
Creature - Human Wizard (C)
{T}: Prodigal Pyromancer deals 1 damage to target creature or player.
1/1
Illus. Jeremy Jarvis
#118/165

This Timeshifted Prodigal Sorcerer comes out after Vulshok Sorceress and Martyr of ashes : too late.

Pyrohemia - 2RR
Enchantment (U)
At end of turn, if no creatures are in play, sacrifice Pyrohemia.
{R}: Pyrohemia deals 1 damage to each creature and each player.
#119/165

Pestilence in red, but as an unco. Too bad, but to be remembered. May be in Burn, without neither Isochron Scepter nor Strip Mine.

Simian Spirit Guide - 2R
Creature - Ape Spirit (C)
Remove Simian Spirit Guide in your hand from the game: Add {R} to your mana pool.
2/2
Illus. Greg DeVries
#122/165

Red has, at least on paper, better cards than any other colors in PC. This red Elvish Spirit Guide prooves it once again, and might be one of the best addition to many decks that needs Red Mana Acceleration. It could even replace Lotus Petal in Mono red Decks using Martyr of Ashes.

Skirk Shaman - 1RR
Creature - Goblin Shaman (C)
Skirk Shaman can't be blocked except by artifact creatures and/or red creatures.
2/2
#123/165

A Fire Fear Goblin. Nice but expensive. One Red mana less would have make it great. At 3cc, it is just useless, goblin decks being generating hordes of tokens. Having one among thousands unblockable is not that decisive.

Green

Citanul Woodreaders - 2G
Creature - Human Druid (C)
Kicker {2}{G}
When Citanul Woodreaders comes into play, if its kicker cost was paid, draw 2 cards.
1/4
Illus. Stephen Belledin
#125/165

Draw is not Green big thing. It won't be with this one as it needs 6 mana to bring in a 1/4 and draw 2. I'd rather bounce and recast a Wall of blossoms for same effect and less mana.

Evolution Charm - 1G
Instant (C)
Choose one - Target creature gains flying until end of turn; or Search your library for a basic land card, reveal that card, and put it into your hand. Then shuffle your library; or Return target creature card from your graveyard to your hand.
Illus. John Avon
#127/165

Targeted Regrowth, land tutoring, flight-like... a little bit of everything, but not enough of anything.

Giant Dustwasp - 3GG
Creature - Insect (C)
Flying
Suspend 4 {1}{G} Rather than play this card from your hand, you may pay {1}{G} and remove it from the game with four time counters on it. At the beginning of your upkeep, remove a time counter. When the last is removed, play it without paying its mana cost. It has haste.)
3/3
Illus. Greg Hildebrandt
#129/165

A 3/3 flying, with haste, casted at turn 2 and in play at turn 6 ? You must be joking ?

Kavu Predator - 1G
Creature - Kavu (U)
Trample
Whenever an opponent gains life, put that many +1/+1 counters on Kavu Predator.
2/2
Illus. Dan Scott
#132/165

This one is nice : 2/2 trample for 2cc, with a nice ability. Too bad it's an unco. It has a very nice interaction with Revigorate, forces Life deck to switch to kill mode, and makes the WellWisher ability a default for the elf player, though. May be some very aggressive green stompy could be built around this guy. Or not.

Mire Boa - 1G
Creature - Snake (C)
Swampwalk
{G}: Regenerate Mire Boa.
Mire slime courses through its veins in place of blood. No sooner does it bleed than it opens its mouth to replace the loss.
2/1
Illus. Greg Hildebrandt
#135/165

River boa was nice, but of limited use. Mire boa might see play in heavily black metagame.

Reflex Sliver - 3G
Creature - Sliver (C)
All Slivers have Haste.
"This sliver comes into the world a perfect predator. It's ready to hunt and devour its first meal within seconds of hatching."
—Rukarumel, field journal
2/2
Illus. Luca Zontini
#138/165

Ok, it's Green, I told you twice a PEZ sliver deck should be WUG and Heart Sliver is red. Ok, this one is a 2/2 and Heart is only a 1/1. But this one is 4cc, and Heart is 2cc. Period.

Uktabi Drake - G
Creature - Drake (C)
Flying, haste
Echo {1}{G}{G} (At the beginning of your upkeep, if this came under your control since the beginning of your last upkeep, sacrifice it unless you pay its echo cost.)
2/1
Illus. Matt Cavotta
#141/165

Nice turn one, but what else with such an echo cost ? May be in Tortured existence, where it could be there almost every turn from turn 1. Needs testing in this very specific deck.

Utopia Vow - 1G
Enchantment - Aura (C)
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature can't attack or block.
Enchanted creature has "{T}: Add one mana of any color to your mana pool."
"I'll guard this fruit and its seedling until the land is healed. My life now belongs to Dominaria."
Illus. Heather Hudson
#142/165

It's Pacifism, but with the huge counterpart you make one of your opponent's creature a Birds of Paradise. It's a common Paradise Mantle, but with higher casting cost and with the Pacifism counter part. So we can guess it's nothing.

Vitaspore Thallid - 1G
Creature - Fungus (C)
At the beginning of your upkeep, put a spore counter on Vitaspore Thallid.
Remove three spore counters from Vitaspore Thallid: Put a 1/1 green Saproling creature token into play.
Sacrifice a Saproling: Target creature gains haste until end of turn.
1/1
Illus. Christopher Moeller
#143/165

Haste would be a great addition to the Thallid deck. If one existed.

Essence Warden - G
Creature - Elf Shaman (C)
Whenever another creature comes into play, you gain 1 life.
1/1
Illus. Terese Nielsen
#145/165

Nice ! Soul Ward becomes green AND an elf. You think "ElfClamp" and then test it. And then you regret your WellWisher. Ok the Onslaught girl is slower, more expensive, but it makes you gain tremendous amount of life every turn. You will have to find another place to use this one. May be in RG Beats (but it would be wiser to blast your opponent) or in Tortured existence, where the great number of creatures can trigger the Warden ability.

Fa’adiyah Seer - 1G
Creature - Human Shaman (C)
{T}: Draw a card and reveal it. If it isn't a land, discard that card.
1/1
Illus. Heather Hudson
#146/165

Remember Hermit Druid ? This is just the same, but it's common, and you just draw or discard one. Anyway, it's awfully powerful. Either you fill your graveyard up with powerfull tools, letting you reach threshold, for instance, or you just get your land. It surely needs for the right deck to fully express its possibility, and once again I'd think about Tortured Existence, but there might be some others to find out.

Healing Leaves - G
Instant (C)
Choose one - Target player gains 3 life; or prevent the next 3 damage that would be dealt to target creature or player this turn.
Illus. Michael Suftin
#150/165

Healing salve in green isn't likely to see play, since green has Nourrish to give 6 life for GG, and green creatures are the most regenerating ones, or untargetable. Maybe in a Kavu Predator deck... ok I was kidding...

Keen Sense - G
Enchantment - Aura (U)
Enchant Creature
Whenever the enchanted creature deals damage to a player, you may draw a card.
Illus. Jim Nelson
#152/165

Damn ! This is curious (bad pun, indeed). Stompy might need this, since it has very few drawers, and has spare unco slots. It could be powerful too in a RG Beats including Vulshok Sorceress or the like, or on any beating creature. May be a French Elf Deck (read : without the newly Ban SkullClamp) could use this too. The green color gives it a potential that blue has not, at least in monocolored decks.

Seal of Primordium - 1G
Enchantment (C)
Sacrifice Seal of Primordium: Destroy target artifact or enchantment
"I am the simplifier, the root that drags all artifice to earth."
-Seal inscription
Illus. Christopher Moeller
#153/165

As Seal of Cleansing is simply better than Disenchant, Seal of Primordium is simply better than Naturalize. A must have.

Multicolor

Cautery Sliver - RW
Creature - Sliver (U)
All Slivers have "{1}, Sacrifice this creature: This creature deals 1 damage to target creature or player."
All Slivers have "{1}, Sacrifice this creature: Prevent the next 1 damage that would be dealt to target Sliver or player this turn."
2/2
#154/165

This is the one sliver you should have in red, as it allows combo kill. Gemhide Sliver plus Cautery Sliver means as much damage to target player as slivers on your side. A powerhouse, way much powerfull than Acidic Sliver which was jus one mana too expensive to activate.

Dark Heart Sliver - BG
Creature - Sliver (U)
All Slivers have "Sacrifice this creature: Gain 3 Life"
2/2
Illus. rk Post
#155/165

Tortured existence use Dark heart of the wood has a life source. Could it use this sliver in remplacement ? May be. Otherwise, the life gain isn't the first goal of sliver, and as an unco, you can't afford to use it as a side card.

Necrotic Sliver - 1WB
Creature - Sliver (U)
Each sliver has "{3}, sacrifice this creature: Destroy target permanent."
2/2
#159/165

Vindicate on a 2/2 body ? Sounds cool until you see the activation cost. Too bad :(

In summary

There is a lot of interesting card in PC. A lot of them open new opportunites to not-so-big decks, and should better them. It is too early to say if some of these decks will become major actors, but at first sight, Tortured existence and R/G Beats should run way faster than before.

White gets a lot of nice cards, but much are side ones.
Blue, acceding to discard, may try a MUC Rack deck, based on counters and discard, but it seems a bit slow.
Black, with no real addition, is the great looser of this extension. Its best cards are Rare, with Damnation - black Wrath of god - and a Split Second Cranial Extraction for B, targeting a card in graveyard.
Red could sum up to Simian Spirit Guide, but it also has nice critters and tools for Aggro decks.
Green wins a "build around me" card with Fa’adiyah Seer, and nice tools to be used in specific metagames.

Pretty much definitely see play :
Simian Spirit Guide

Likely to see play, or definitely good but in a deck that’s not quite as well established :
Aven RiftWatcher
Dawn Charm
Whitemane lion
Sinew Sliver
Dreamscape Artist
Wistful Thinking
Piracy Charm
Fury Charm
Keldon Marauder
Lavacore Elemental
Kavu Predator
Essence Warden
Fa’adiyah Seer
Cautery Sliver

Likely to see play, but unlikely to be a major player :

Mana Tithe
Sunlance
Merfolk Thaumaturgist
Brute force
Dead / Gone
Pyrohemia
Mire boa
Seal of primordium
Dark heart sliver
Necrotic Sliver

Ritual Agony

Frédéric Meurin — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 15:19:00 +0100

Two versions of this Combo, one with Frantic Search, and another without.

Ritual Agony is a combo deck. Its goal is to cast a lot of mana-producing and drawing spells, in order to make a 10 storm count and launch a killing Tendrils of Agony.

Frantic Agony

The first version was a Frozen Tides spin-off : since Brain Freeze was banned, you have to find another solution to kill your opponent.

The deck is actually very stable, much less sensible to disruption than its true blue cousin, but still hard to handle : you have to carefuly study your options and keep an accurate account of your mana pool.

Here's the favorite list form Christophe Deslandes.

// Lands
18 Island

// Spells
4 Sleight of Hand
4 Words of Wisdom
3 Ideas Unbound
2 Compulsive Research
4 Frantic Search
4 Chromatic Sphere
4 Lotus Petal
4 High Tide
4 Dark Ritual
4 Cabal Ritual
1 Demonic Consultation
4 Tendrils of Agony

// Sideboard
SB: 4 Swamp
SB: 4 Hydroblast
SB: 3 Deep Analysis
SB: 4 Hindering Touch

Warrens Agony

This version came out in France when Frantic search was discussed to be banned. Since you can't untap 3 high tided islands, and draw 2, Jean-Mary Accart found another way to produce a lot of mana : common trilands from Invasion, Rite of Flame, and Seething song.

In including so much red mana spells, he offered his deck a second kill : Empty the warrens. The deck is still able to kill on turn 3 on a very frequent basis and can, with God Hands, kill on turn 1. It further asks if Tendrils of Agony should be banned too. A survey is currently going on in the french PEZ community to see if whether or not it's going to be outted.

Here's Jean-Mary Accart's list.

// Lands

4 Sulfur Vent
4 Ancient Spring
3 Geothermal Crevice

// Other spells

3 Sleight of Hand
3 Words of Wisdom
4 Chromatic Sphere
4 Chromatic Star
3 Pentad Prism
4 Lotus Petal
4 Dark Ritual
4 Rite of Flame
4 Cabal Ritual
4 Seething Song
2 Demonic Consultation
3 Tendrils of Agony
3 Brainstorm
4 Empty the Warrens

// Sideboard

1 Geothermal Crevice
4 Duress
4 Grapeshot
4 Tremor
2 Emerald Charm

Affinity

Frédéric Meurin — Mon, 08 Jan 2007 15:27:00 +0100

The Mirrodin nightmare is back. Discover the best aggro deck you can dream of.

This version is as fast as one can imagine. It needs very few lands to make tremendous starts, thanks to Sol Ring. This lone card is such a powerhouse that it has been banned in French PEZ.

Darksteel citadel is there to avoid Stripmine and Sinkhole.

// Lands
4 Darksteel Citadel
4 Seat of the Synod
4 Great Furnace
3 Vault of Whispers

// Creatures
4 Ornithopter
4 Arcbound Worker
4 Disciple of the Vault
3 Atog
4 Frogmite
3 Somber Hoverguard
4 Myr Enforcer

// Spells
4 Cranial Plating
4 Thoughtcast
4 Sol Ring
4 Chromatic Star
3 Chromatic Sphere

// Sideboard
SB: 4 Pyroblast
SB: 3 Red Elemental Blast
SB: 4 Krark-Clan Shaman
SB: 4 Shattering Pulse

Thanks to IdfTrotter for his list.

IsoMUC

Frédéric Meurin — Sun, 07 Jan 2007 22:05:00 +0100

Everybody knows the Mono Red Control, based on Burn spells and at least one Isochron Scepter. Another deck follows the same way, but it's blue.

Do you remember the good ol'time whent the main question agaisnt a blue player was : "Do you have 2 untapped islands ?" in fear of a Counterspell.
This deck brings this ol'time back, for the best... or the worse. The idea is to play an Isochron Scepter imprited with the best solution : Hurkyl's Recall against affinity, Lull against any aggro, BEB against IsoBurn...
There also are some 1cc answers for turn 1, like BEB, Disrupt, Vision Charm, just to stop the combo player playing all alone too early.

The engine can turn to a lock with a Memory Lapse or Disempower imprinted Scepter.

This deck is quite frustrating to play against, since its main action is : "No, counterspell". You will notice that almost all the cards have a 2 CC, making them reachable by Muddle the Mixture.

You basically win the game either by having it offered by a disgusted opponent, or by putting in play another Scepter, this one with Vision Charm. You then choose the "4 cards from library to graveyard" option, and keep waiting. A slow, very stable deck, needing a few testing but quite less than any other deck : as you basically counter the main threats of your opponent, you just have to know what these threats are.

21 Island
4 Isochron Scepter
1 Hurkyl's Recall
2 Echoing Truth
2 Lull
3 Brainstorm
3 Condescend
4 Accumulated Knowledge
4 Counterspell
4 Disrupt
4 Memory Lapse
4 Muddle the Mixture
4 Vision Charm

SB:
1 Disempower
4 Power Sink
4 Hydroblast
4 Annul
1 Echoing Truth
1 Lull

Thanks to Pokpok for his list.

Stupid game

Frédéric Meurin — Thu, 04 Jan 2007 12:09:00 +0100

You know your magic ? You know it well ? You like little pictures ?

Try this.

Happy new bans

Frédéric Meurin — Wed, 03 Jan 2007 12:05:00 +0100

On this early 2007, some things are going to change out here in France for PEZ...

"Happy new year", said IdfTrotter, "what about some bans ?"

The question was a long time one, but this time it's going for real. Before we detailled them, let's explain why some bans have to occur.

Because PEZ is intended as both a cheap AND fun format. The Affinity / Mono-Black / UB Tendrils domination currently leaves no room for any other deck, and these 3 fight each other as this : UB beats Affinity beats MB beats UB.

Some other decks are trying to show up (Life, IsoMUC), but can't really exist before a good opening hand of any of these three.

So, in order to "break" these decks, without making them unplayable, IdfTrotter suggested to ban some essential cards to them. You may be find these choices irrelevant, stupid or whatever, but they have been long debated, and if you know your Magic well, you should notice these are already ban in Legacy AND restricted in Vintage. So to say they're overpowered.

So let's strip PEZ of the mine...

Mono-Black heavily abuses Strip mine. First it was a common, but the Peasant Council over-rated it as an unco. Unfortunately, any game with 4 Strip Mine and 4 Sinkhole is an auto win. And actually, the card's so good it has been seen in IsoBurn, leaving the Isochron Scepter as a sided fifth unco !

Cool down, don't be so Frantic

UB Tendrils, and in a lesser proportion, ProsTides, relies on Frantic Search. We first tought the problem was High tide, but it's not. You can run a UB Tendrils without it but with Frantic Search untapping again and again a Dimir Aqueduct. Drawing 2, discarding 2 AND untapping 3 lands, at instant speed... definitely was too much.

End of Capitalism and Animal Research

Remember the "No Producing more than they cost Artifact" Policy from wizard ? That's it. You won't ever see Black Lotus anymore. But PEZ wasn't concerned : the dreadful flower is a rare. But Sol ring is not. It's an unco. And it makes 2 colorless at the cost of one. And it's an artifact. So it fitted too well in Affinity.

Turn 1 : Seat of Synod, Sol ring, Ornithopter, Cranial Plating, free Frogmite, free Frogmite.

Hope ? What hope ? Well, it's over. No more Sol ring. The bad thing is, it will actually hurt a lot of decks that could use this fusion thing, but it only proved it was too much of an energy source : the card is so good it could claim at least a slot over any other uncos : everybody needs fast, reliable mana.

The last card still has an uncertain future, as we don't know yet if it will be utterly ban, or simply restricted. The French community - where all this occurs, remind you, all you happy US readers - is strongly fighting for a restriction to a single... SkullClamp. Affinity first used this as its unco, till it realized Sol ring was just better. If you ban Sol Ring, you have to deal with SkullClamp unless you want to downgrade only 2 of the 3 tier 1 decks.

But the sad thing is : what about all the others decks (ElfClamp and KoboldClamp, to mention the best known) that relies on this artefact ?

In order to keep these decks alive, with a lot of change (be prepared to see a lot more of Enlightened tutors), we're trying to push to a simple restriction.

Here are the 2007 PEZ Changes. These are still subject to criticism, experimentation and final validation. But that's the way we're taking here in France. Feel free to comment !

Time Spiral review, followed

Frédéric Meurin — Mon, 16 Oct 2006 10:13:00 +0000

As we could see, the new extensions brings a lot of good commons, and might bring to life new PEZ archetypes. Future will tell, time being the essence of these kinds of matter.
A question comes to mind : "If commons are so good, what about the uncos ?"

Here you go.
Actually, I didn't keep the full W/U/B/R/G list. There are a lot of useless cards in PEZ : most of the uncos are creatures, and those creatures are quite pointless (no Eternal Witness, guys), and don't give gamebreaking options.

I only list here the valuable uncos. It keeps you time reading and commenting the forgotten pearl ;-)

Truth or Tale - 1U
Instant (U)
Reveal the top five cards of your library and separate them into two piles. An opponent chooses one of those piles. Put a card from the chosen pile into your hand, then put all other cards revealed this way on the bottom of your library in any order.
Illus. Michael Phillippi
#89/301

A cheaper Fact or fiction, both in effect and in casting cost. The card advantage is lower, but the pile you don't choose is recycled into your library. Not so bad, and might be a better alternative to its ancestor in Tides, since it keeps mana for other spells.

Wipe Away - 1UU
Instant (U)
Split second (As long as this spell is on the stack, players can't play spells or activated abilities that aren't mana abilities.)
Return target permanent to its owner's hand.
An eyeblink later, all that remained of the tree-beast was the breeze of its momentum.
Illus. Jeff Miracola
#94/301

A boomerang like, that can't be countered. Might have seen play in PEZ in only it were cheaper to cast. Or a common. But then it would have been broken.

Might Sliver - 4G
Creature - Sliver (U)
All Slivers get +2/+2.
"The colossal thing rumbled over the ridge, tree husks crumbling before it. The ones we were already fighting howled as it came, their muscles suddenly surging, and we knew it was time to flee." -Llanach, Skyshroud ranger
2/2
Illus. Jeff Miracola
#205/301

Here is a serious challenger for our top of the curve in Sliver deck, if the unco slot is not filled with an utility spell, such as drawing.

Pendelhaven Elder - 1G
Creature - Elf Shaman (U)
{T}: Each 1/1 creature you control gets +1/+2 until end of turn.
The elder who carries the ancestral mantle of Jacques le Vert is tasked with his ancient mission: to protect the creatures of Pendelhaven.
1/1
Illus. Pete Venters
#209/301

Here is something interesting. I don't know if it could be an alternate fifth unco in ElfClamp, but there would be a good interaction with the whole mecanich of the deck. Or not, since you have Wirewood pride and Timberwatch elf.

Firewake Sliver - 1RG
Creature - Sliver (U)
All Slivers have haste and "{1}, Sacrifice this creature: Target Sliver gets +2/+2 until end of turn."
"They are here, and they are hungry. And what they do not eat, they burn. Yavimaya is lost. We must leave now for Skyshroud." -Edahlis, greenseeker
1/1
Illus. Anthony S. Waters
#238/301

I would have trade the "+2/+2" and "target sliver" for a "+1/+1" AND "all slivers". But this is still very good, since it makes every sliver a living Fires of Yavimaya.

Ghostflame Sliver - BR
Creature - Sliver (U)
All Slivers are colorless.
"This breed is on the cusp of evolution. It burns away the markings that connect it to a queen that no longer heeds its call. It seeks a new master. Perhaps I can give it one." -Freyalise
2/2
Illus. Luca Zontini
#239/301

Colorless ? Again ? What for ? Oh, well I guess a BR sliver deck would love to avoid this Obsidian and Crimson acolytes...

Locket of Yesterdays - 1
Artifact (U)
Spells you play cost {1} less to play for each card with the same name as that spell in your graveyard.
Every hour, at the turning of the glass, its owner had whispered to the locket, seeding it with secrets. This would be her legacy, her memory, if the rifts should take her.
Illus. Dany Orizio
#258/301

May be this could be useful for slow decks, using a lot of the same cards, such as UG Tempo or MUC. But then it would remove a Grizzly fate (which can use a Sol ring) or an Isochron Scepter... I guess it just need to be tested.

In the end, as you can see, Time Spiral doesn't bring any Uncommon spoiler. But maybe it will help a good sliver to come out. You've seen something worthwhile that I missed ? Leave it in the comments !

Rapport du tournoi du 14/10

Frédéric Meurin — Sun, 15 Oct 2006 14:31:00 +0000

Petite participation pour ce tournoi dans l'ouest parisien : 8 personnes, ce n'est certes pas beaucoup, mais le plateau était sympathique, enthousiaste et dans un bon esprit.

Les decks joués étaient finalement assez représentatifs du format (1 affi, 1 MB, 1 ritual agony, 2 elfes, les autres étant moins habituels, mais sans être des random decks : Life, UG Tempo et mono UC).
Sinon, petit clin d'œil pour ces messieurs : vous avez manifestement été déstabilisés par LA participante du tournoi, puisque celle-ci gagne avec Affinité.

Autre anecdote, les seconds ex-aequo au nombre de points ne sont pas moins de 3, et ne sont départagés que par leur moyenne victoire / défaite. Un plateau définitivement équilibré donc, même si le faible nombre de participants y est pour beaucoup également.

Personne n'a encore osé le deck Rats Implacables : la carte reste donc qualifiée en commune, faute d'avoir pu tester son impact.

Le lieu est ouvert et agréable (j'avais quelques craintes qu'on étouffe sous la clope et il n'en fut absolument rien), et en plus, aspect auquel je n'avais pas songé, le gérant ne nous a absolument pas mis la pression sur les consos. Que du bon, donc, et on a vu qu'on aurait pu loger sans difficultés les 10 joueurs supplémentaires que le nombre maxi d'inscrits permettait.

A ce sujet, je communiquerai plus à l'avenir sur le nombre d'inscrits, pour que les retardataires puissent venir l'âme libérée ;)

Enfin, le petit point noir qu'on m'a remonté, sans animosité cependant : les lots.
Je tacherai de doubler la mise - c'est à dire 2 boosters par personne + bonus au top 4 - la prochaine fois, et ce bien sûr, pour le même prix d'inscription.

Rendez-vous si tout va bien mi-novembre pour remettre ça, avec Time Spiral légal cette fois.

Les listes jouées sont juste après...

Classement en 5 rondes sèches

1 - Sophie Larasse - Affinity - 10 Points

4 Darksteel Citadel
4 Seat of the Synod
4 Great Furnace
4 Vault of Whispers
4 Ornithopter
4 Arcbound Worker
4 Disciple of the Vault
3 Atog
4 Frogmite
3 Somber Hoverguard
4 Myr Enforcer
4 Cranial Plating
4 Thoughtcast
4 Sol Ring
4 Chromatic Sphere
2 Welding Jar

SB: 4 Pyroblast
SB: 4 Krark-Clan Shaman
SB: 3 Shatter
SB: 1 Shattering Spree
SB: 2 Pyrite spellbomb
SB: 1 Echoing truth

2 - Benoit Chiquet - Elf - 9 pts

10 Forest
4 Lotus Petal
4 Skullclamp
3 Wellwisher
4 Birchlore Rangers
4 Fyndhorn Elves
4 Priest of Titania
4 Quirion Ranger
4 Silhana Ledgewalker
4 Timberwatch Elf
4 Wirewood Herald
1 Enlightened Tutor
2 Surge of Zeal
4 Vitalize
4 Land Grant

SB: 1 Elf Replica
SB: 3 Naturalize
SB: 3 Crown of Awe
SB: 3 Hindering Touch
SB: 4 Circle of Protection: Red
SB: 1 Wellwisher

3 - Etienne Barberon - Black Hand - 9 pts

18 Swamp
4 Strip Mine
4 Chittering rats
2 Crypt rats
4 Dauthi slayer
2 Skittering Skrige
2 Erg raiders
4 Carnophage
4 Dark ritual
4 Sinkhole
2 Duress
1 Rancid earth
1 Hymn to Tourach
1 Demonic tutor
3 Paralyze
3 Unearth

SB : 3 Hymn to Tourach
SB : 1 Spinning Darkness
SB : 2 Crypt rats
SB : 1 Unearth
SB : 2 Unearth
SB : 2 Choking sands
SB : 3 Nausea
SB : 1 Paralyze

4 - Tristan Polzl - Iso MUC - 9 pts

21 Island
4 Isochron Scepter
4 Spire Golem
4 Ninja of the Deep Hours
1 Echoing Truth
1 Hurkyl's Recall
1 Hydroblast
1 Muddle the Mixture
1 Rescue
2 Brainstorm
2 Disrupt
2 Force Spike
2 Remove Soul
4 Accumulated Knowledge
4 Counterspell
4 Memory Lapse
2 Merchant Scroll

SB: 3 Prodigal Sorcerer
SB: 4 Annul
SB: 1 Echoing Truth
SB: 2 Muddle the Mixture
SB: 2 Remove Soul
SB: 1 Hindering Touch
SB: 2 Blue Elemental Blast

5 - Christophe Deslandes - Ritual Agony - 9 pts

17 Island
4 Sleight of Hand
2 Opt
4 Words of Wisdom
2 Visions Skeins
3 Ideas Unbound
4 Frantic Search
4 Chromatic Sphere
4 Lotus Petal
4 High Tide
4 Dark Ritual
3 Cabal Ritual
1 Demonic Consultation
4 Tendrils of Agony

SB: 4 Disrupt
SB: 4 Hydroblast
SB: 3 Deep Analysis
SB: 4 Aether Spellbomb

6 - Jean-Mary Accart - UG Tempo - 8 pts

4 Maze of Ith
9 Forest
9 Island
1 Sol Ring
3 Chromatic Sphere
4 Sakura-Tribe Elder
3 Harrow
4 Accumulated Knowledge
4 Brainstorm
4 Memory Lapse
4 Mental Note
3 Deep Analysis
4 Grizzly Fate
4 Temporal Spring
SB: 2 Naturalize
SB: 4 Fade Away
SB: 4 Harvest Wurm
SB: 4 Envelop
SB: 1 Harrow

7 - Frédéric Meurin - Life with nature - 4 pts

8 Plains
4 Forest
4 Secluded steppes
1 Remote farm
1 Maze of ith
1 Starlit sanctum
1 Mountain
4 Nomads en-kor
4 Task force
3 Spirit en-Kor
4 Daru Spiritualist
4 Benevolent bodyguard
1 About face
4 Worthy cause
4 Commune with nature
4 Crop rotation
4 Chromatic Sphere
3 Barbed sextant
2 Lotus petal

SB : 4 Obsidian acolyt
SB : 4 Red Elemental Blast
SB : 4 Vision Charm
SB : 3 About face

8 - Arthur Chansiaux - Elf - 3 pts

18 Forest
4 Timberwatch elf
4 Silhana Ledgewalker
4 Wellwisher
4 Wirewood herald
4 Heedless one
4 Llanowar elves
2 Taunting elf
1 Gempalm strider
4 Elvish warrior
4 Wirewood pride
4 Crown of vigor
4 Predator's strike

SB : 2 Jukai Messenger
SB : 1 Falling timber
SB : 2 Taunting elf
SB : 2 Echoing courage
SB : 2 Naturalize
SB : 2 Rending vines
SB : 2 Tel-Jilad Chosen

Kobold Clamp

Frédéric Meurin — Wed, 04 Oct 2006 10:07:00 +0000

Also known as KC, this combo deck is one of the most explosive ever made.

Kanoyams (who appears sometimes commenting some posts of this site) posted a interesting how-to around this deck. Comments shows different builds, and here is what the best list should look like.

The deck remains one of the very first effective combo of the format, though it's very sensible to disruption and is less stable than ProsTides. Both deck must bow before Ritual Agony anyway, which is the most stable and explosive. The Warren Agony deck can make Turn one kill without loosing any stability.

Unfortunately, or not, note that you can't either play KoboldClamp nor ProsTides, nor Ritual (Warren) Agony in France since Frantic Search, SkullClamp and Tendrils of Agony are banned.

// Lands
6 Swamp
5 Island
2 Seat of synod
2 Vault of whispers

// Creatures
4 Crimson Kobolds
4 Crookshank Kobolds
4 Kobolds of Kher Keep
4 Myr Moonvessel
4 Trinket Mage
3 Ornithopter

// Spells
1 Tendrils of Agony
4 Skullclamp
2 Reaping the Graves
3 Songs of the Damned
4 Culling the Weak
4 Dark Ritual
4 Lotus Petal

// Sideboard
4 Duress
4 Welding Jar
4 Gigadrowse
3 Hindering touch

Tortured existence, the recursive thing

Frédéric Meurin — Tue, 03 Oct 2006 17:38:00 +0000

It's already my third post about this deck, and this one is made after testing the deck a few. Changes to come ! For those whou wouldn't have followed our previous episodes, Tortured existence.dec is based on the eponym enchantment, and intends to find creatures solutions through it, using a lot of dredge and graveyard manipulation.

Last build was a classic GB deck, two well known colors for any who plays reanimator things.

Tactics

When I tested it, I observed a few things.
First, something you might already know the deck is slow. Llanowar Elves or Elves of the Deep Shadow can't help this.
Second, as it's slow, you can't afford to misplay. A lot of testing is not necesseray, it's essential. Basically, your first hand needs at least one creature with sacrifice ability (Spore frog or better, Sakura Tribe elder), at least one dredge able one (Golgari brownscale if you play against anything damaging quickly your life total, or Stinkweed imp for a quick graveyard fill), and of course at least one Tortured existence. With 2 lands, you're on the go.
Third, as there are a LOT of interactions, you do need to test (yeah, I know, I tend to repeat myself). It's useless to play four Golgari Brownscale if you forget to spend all your black mana into torturing them in and out of your graveyard by the end of your opponent's turn. In the same way, you may want, as your turn begin, to proceed like this :

You're at your turn 3, you already have 3 lands and a sakura tribe elder in your graveyard (wonder how these 3 lands reached the board...)

Untap step : untap 3 lands
Upkeek : Torture one brownscale to get one sakura tribe elder back
Draw phase : dredge your brownscale, get 2 life and possibly two tools you can torture later
Main phase : Play your sakura tribe elder.

So yes indeed, you don't have mana anymore, since you spend all 3, but you draw what you wanted to (a sakura tribe elder), gained 2 life, have a blocker/mana tutor on board and filled your graveyard with creatures. Not that bad ! If you consider that you may have a Spore frog layed on turn one, it can be very strong against aggro. For some example...

Third, and last, don't make it slower than it is. As soon as you can cast a Blastoderm, go for it. It doesn't mind if it gets countered, you will have your revenge next turn. The same can be said of Dimir House Guard : tutor your kill as soon as you can, it can't get countered ! And, again, you can get it back ! All this doesn't mean you have to rush in : it remains a control deck.

Changes

Ok then, these are tricks, but are the changes you talked about ?

Here's the new build the tests gave birth to.
Lands
8 Forest
12 Swamp

Creatures
1 Faceless Butcher
1 Nantuko Vigilante
2 Blastoderm
4 Eternal Witness
3 Spore Frog
3 Stinkweed Imp
4 Dimir House Guard
4 Golgari Brownscale
4 Mesmeric Fiend
4 Sakura-Tribe Elder

Other spells
1 Æther Vial
4 Tortured Existence
4 Culling the Weak
2 Duress

Sideboard
1 Ravenous rats
3 Crypt Rats
3 Ghastly Demise
3 Nantuko Vigilante
2 Duress
2 Blastoderm
1 Spore Frog

Elves, or Yavimaya elders are out, and replaced by 4 Culling the weak. You wanted mana acceleration, here you are. Talking about mana, mana base last build was all screwed up, with basically 8 swamps when you need 12 of them...
Demonic tutor is a great card to go through your library. Eternal witness is just better when you need to get things from your graveyard. More over when you think it is a creature, and can be brought back to your hand thanks to Tortured existence. You therefore have the new name of the deck : Tortured witness.

Other options

Can it be bettered still ?
I don't know yet, but I'd like to playtest Tortured witness with some cards from Timespiral. 2 of them focused my attention in making the deck run way faster and more secure.
The first one, a security one, would be a replacement for Spore frog : Children of Korlis. It would indeed mean you need a source for white mana. Wild cantor seems the perfect candidate for this. It could fit in by getting out a couple of lands, as a recursive mana fixer/beater. To be tested though.
The other one, less important, would be Pit keeper, a Tortured existence on legs. It could help by saving mana, beating and be another target for Culling the weak. I don't know yet where to squizze it in, but will keep you posted with playtest results as soon as I get 4 of these.

The last option can be tested by now just as Wild Cantor. It would be a nice option to make the deck faster - and by this I mean "more aggressive" : instead of Blastoderm, play Nantuko husk.
Both Blasto' and Husk are vulnerable against MBC, that forces you to sacrifice, and doesn't target.
Just as the big green thing, Husk doesn't fear burn as long as you have creatures on board. Okay, if you don't have any, it's too bad. But Husk is out there one turn earlier. Which brings Husk's main default here : it can't be reached through Dimir House Guard.

The match is pretty even yet, and I will compare these guys very soon through playtests.

To conclude, I just had an awful idea by writing this article up, and will let you know very soon. Just a clue : Ugly Legends art (yes there are a few...).

Tournoi sur la région parisienne le 14/10

Frédéric Meurin — Mon, 02 Oct 2006 10:14:00 +0000

Rendez-vous au magasin Camisole
14, rue Montbauron
78000 Versailles
SNCF Réseau Saint-Lazare : Versailles Rive Droite
SNCF Réseau Montparnasse : Versailles Chantiers
RER C : Versailles Chantiers ou Versailles Rive Gauche

PAF 5 €

Limité à 20 personnes (plus que 12 places !!!)

Préinscription et renseignements via les commentaires de ce billet.

—————————————————————————————

Règles de construction des decks

Deck de 60 cartes minimum, construit uniquement à partir de communes et de 5 uncos maximum (réserve comprise), et comme d’habitude, 4 exemplaires de chaque carte maximum.

Une carte éditée en commune et en unco dans différentes éditions est considérée comme commune.

Une carte éditée en unco et en rare dans différentes éditions est considérée comme unco.

Par exemple, la version Spring de Mishra’s Factory a été édité en commune en Antiquities, Mishra’s Factory est donc une commune.

Editions autorisées : toutes les éditions autorisées en Type 1. Time spiral ne sera pas encore légale.

Cartes bannies : cartes de mise, Brain Freeze, Ali From Cairo, Bazaar of Baghdad, Berserk, Candelabra of Tawnos, Diamond Valley, Juzam Djinn, Library of Alexandria, Mana Drain, Mishra’s Workshop

Carte re-qualifiée en uncommon : Strip Mine
Carte re-qualifiée en commune à titre expérimental : Relentless rats