Baumeister
09-10-2007, 12:54 PM
Hello everyone. I'm new here to the Source but I've been playing Magic for a little over 10 years (I know, Urza block doesn't seem that old). I looked around the forums and found a thread for GW beatdown, but nothing for a midrange deck. When I say midrange, I mean quick solid creatures followed by a gamewarping spell like armageddon. This deck plays a little like the Armageddon decks from when Tempest was standard but with better beats. Anyway, here's the decklist:
Lands (21)
6 Forest
3 Plains
4 Savannah
4 Windswept Heath
4 Rishadan Port
Creatures (21)
4 Llanowar Elves
4 Troll Ascetic
4 Iwamori of the Open Fist
2 Silvos, Rogue Elemental
4 Watchwolf
3 Anurid Brushhopper
Other Spells (18)
4 Rancor
3 Call of the Herd
3 Plow Under
4 Swords to Plowshares
3 Armageddon
Card Choices
Lands:
Forests and Plains: They're basic so they dodge Wasteland
Savannah: Helps with the mana requirements and it's painless
Windswept Heath: Fetches lands and thins the deck
Rishadan Port: I run this over Wasteland because it's hurts more after an Armaggedon and can provide a quasi-lock. Could be replaced, though.
Creatures:
Llanowar Elves: Mana excelleration and a good first turn drop
Troll Ascetic: An amazing creature. A turn two troll applies a lot of early pressure.
Iwamori of the Open Fist: A good undercosted beatstick. Trample helps.
Silvos, Rogue Elemental: I know, nobody plays him. He's surprisingly good as a back-up plan. He's an 8/5 for 6, and the deck ramps up into him.
Watchwolf: A 3/3 for 2? I'll take four.
Anurid Brushhopper: Provides quick beats with a big backside.
Spells:
Rancor: It's good.
Call of the Herd: A card I get to play twice? Sounds good.
Plow Under: It costs 5, but it sets your opponent back 2 turns and the only thing they get to draw is lands. Chaining these together and be very frusterating for the opponent.
Swords to Plowshares: I have plains, so I run Swords.
Sideboard Options:
Anything that can stop combo is good. Orim's Chant, Abeyance, Gilded Light, etc. Krosan Grip is good. The new GW guy from Lorwyn - Gaddock Teeg should go in the sideboard. I didn't include a sideboard because my metagame is non-existant.
I didn't include Tarmogoyf because I don't have any and they currently sell for $20. Us poor college students can't purchase those good cards. I'm sure adding Tarmogoyf to the deck would improve it a lot, so don't tell me about it.
Playing the Deck:
It's fairly simple to play. Power out early threats and follow with a mana-denial spell. It's surprising how effective they are if you can make it to the mid-game. The deck has a lot of options when playing. A first turn Llanowar Elves can be followed by a Troll Ascetic, Call of the Herd, or Anurid Brushhopper. Watchwolf is always a good play on turn two and Swords to Plowshares should only be used on big threats. Your creatures should be able to handle most everything. All you need is one big threat followed by Armaggedon to gain control of the game.
There you have it. It probably won't win any big tournaments, but it is a lot of fun to play. Plus, people won't hate you for beating the shit out of them with a 6/7 critter for 2.
Lands (21)
6 Forest
3 Plains
4 Savannah
4 Windswept Heath
4 Rishadan Port
Creatures (21)
4 Llanowar Elves
4 Troll Ascetic
4 Iwamori of the Open Fist
2 Silvos, Rogue Elemental
4 Watchwolf
3 Anurid Brushhopper
Other Spells (18)
4 Rancor
3 Call of the Herd
3 Plow Under
4 Swords to Plowshares
3 Armageddon
Card Choices
Lands:
Forests and Plains: They're basic so they dodge Wasteland
Savannah: Helps with the mana requirements and it's painless
Windswept Heath: Fetches lands and thins the deck
Rishadan Port: I run this over Wasteland because it's hurts more after an Armaggedon and can provide a quasi-lock. Could be replaced, though.
Creatures:
Llanowar Elves: Mana excelleration and a good first turn drop
Troll Ascetic: An amazing creature. A turn two troll applies a lot of early pressure.
Iwamori of the Open Fist: A good undercosted beatstick. Trample helps.
Silvos, Rogue Elemental: I know, nobody plays him. He's surprisingly good as a back-up plan. He's an 8/5 for 6, and the deck ramps up into him.
Watchwolf: A 3/3 for 2? I'll take four.
Anurid Brushhopper: Provides quick beats with a big backside.
Spells:
Rancor: It's good.
Call of the Herd: A card I get to play twice? Sounds good.
Plow Under: It costs 5, but it sets your opponent back 2 turns and the only thing they get to draw is lands. Chaining these together and be very frusterating for the opponent.
Swords to Plowshares: I have plains, so I run Swords.
Sideboard Options:
Anything that can stop combo is good. Orim's Chant, Abeyance, Gilded Light, etc. Krosan Grip is good. The new GW guy from Lorwyn - Gaddock Teeg should go in the sideboard. I didn't include a sideboard because my metagame is non-existant.
I didn't include Tarmogoyf because I don't have any and they currently sell for $20. Us poor college students can't purchase those good cards. I'm sure adding Tarmogoyf to the deck would improve it a lot, so don't tell me about it.
Playing the Deck:
It's fairly simple to play. Power out early threats and follow with a mana-denial spell. It's surprising how effective they are if you can make it to the mid-game. The deck has a lot of options when playing. A first turn Llanowar Elves can be followed by a Troll Ascetic, Call of the Herd, or Anurid Brushhopper. Watchwolf is always a good play on turn two and Swords to Plowshares should only be used on big threats. Your creatures should be able to handle most everything. All you need is one big threat followed by Armaggedon to gain control of the game.
There you have it. It probably won't win any big tournaments, but it is a lot of fun to play. Plus, people won't hate you for beating the shit out of them with a 6/7 critter for 2.