Grind Their Mind - Alec Collins (2/28/2013)

Smell that? (Inhales sharply). Ahhh, I love the smell of new sets in the morning. The best things about new sets, in my opinion, are the awesome old decks and quirky strategies that are resurrected with the new cards and mechanics. My brewing buddies and I spend hours digging through all the new cards and pairing up with old strategies we could never quite make work. Most of the time, things don't really pan out. However, once in a blue moon, a deck comes together to make some magic happen (see what I did there? I've got all the jokes). Such was the case last week when my good friend Kevin and I were looking for a rogue deck to take to FNM. I had settled on a BUG Tempo brew, but Kevin was stumped. He wanted to play something controlling, but with a win condition that nobody would really have an answer for. I suggested some OmniThagFire lists and even the UWR Door Control deck from my last article, but neither of these really interested him. As I usually do, I turned to the Bind

Bind
	Set: Invasion Cost: 2 Color: Green Type: Instant Rarity: R Number: 182 Artist: Mark Zug Text: Counter target activated ability. (Mana abilities can't be countered.)Draw a card.

er Spirit

Spirit
	Set: Divine vs Demonic Cost: 0 Color: Colorless Type: Creature Sub Type: Spirit Rarity: C Power: 1 Toughness: 1 Text: Flying

s to give us a good idea. I flipped to my favorite color, black, and landed on my Dimir page. I had played a really sweet Dimir deck to great success at prerelease that rode on the backs of two cards in particular. Both of which I quickly acquired a full play set of each, thinking I could do something really sweet with them later on.

I glanced over to Kevin, “How do you feel about mill decks?”

“Never played one,” he replied.

I fanned out the eight cards, plus a few more choice cards, on the table in front of him. He smiled, somewhat wickedly, “I like it.”

For those of you who don't know, or who play real Magic and have never tried to do it, milling works by simply removing all the cards from your opponent's library so that he cannot draw any cards. If he or she can't then you win the game. This is obviously much easier said than done which is why milling someone isn't a very popular win condition. However, every once in a while, there are some very powerful mill cards printed that make the strategy viable. I feel that Gatecrash has given us those weapons and my buddy and I set out to prove it. We did some hefty brewing and testing with a few different mill strategies. Right away, we discovered that an aggressive mill strategy, one that involves few to no creatures and spells that do nothing but mill, would never work in this format. The other decks in Standard are simply way too fast to go up against them without some way to slow them down. We settled on a list that had a powerful mill plan coupled with creatures that would get scary big and board sweepers to slow down the aggressive creature decks.

Introducing Esper Grind!


Creatures:
4 Jace's Phantasm

Jace's Phantasm
	Set: Magic 2013 Cost: 1 Color: Blue Type: Creature Sub Type: Illusion Rarity: U Number: 57 Artist: Johann Bodin Power: 1 Toughness: 1 Text: Flying Jace's Phantasm gets +4/+4 as long as an opponent has ten or more cards in his or her graveyard.

2 Duskmantle Guildmage

Duskmantle Guildmage
	Set: Gatecrash Cost: 2 Color: Multicolor Type: Creature Sub Type: Human Wizard Rarity: U Number: 158 Artist: Slawomir Maniak Power: 2 Toughness: 2 Text: {1}{U}{B}: Whenever a card is put into an opponent's graveyard from anywhere this turn, that player loses 1 life. {2}{U}{B}: Target player puts the top two cards of his or her library into his or her graveyard.

3 Consuming Aberration

Consuming Aberration

Set: Gatecrash Cost: 5 Color: Multicolor Type: Creature Sub Type: Horror Rarity: R Number: 152 Artist: Karl Kopinski Power: * Toughness: * Text: Consuming Aberration's power and toughness are each equal to the number of cards in your opponents' graveyards. Whenever you cast a spell, each opponent reveals cards from the top of his or her library until he or she reveals a land card, then puts those cards into his or her graveyard.

Spells:
3 Syncopate

Syncopate
	Set: Odyssey Cost: 2 Color: Blue Type: Instant Rarity: C Number: 103 Artist: Pete Venters Text: Counter target spell unless its controller pays X. If that spell is countered this way, remove it from the game instead of putting it into its owner's graveyard.

4 Chronic Flooding

Chronic Flooding
	Set: Return to Ravnica Cost: 2 Color: Blue Type: Enchantment Sub Type: Aura Rarity: C Number: 32 Artist: Scott Chou Text: Enchant land Whenever enchanted land becomes tapped, its controller puts the top three cards of his or her library into his or her graveyard.

2 Inaction Injunction

Inaction Injunction
	Set: Return to Ravnica Cost: 2 Color: Blue Type: Sorcery Rarity: C Number: 41 Artist: Wayne Reynolds Text: Detain target creature an opponent controls. (Until your next turn, that creature can't attack or block and its activated abilities can't be activated.) Draw a card.

4 Mind Grind

Mind Grind
	Set: Gatecrash Cost: 2 Color: Multicolor Type: Sorcery Rarity: R Number: 178 Artist: Daarken Text: Each opponent reveals cards from the top of his or her library until he or she reveals X land cards, then puts all cards revealed this way into his or her graveyard. X can't be 0.

4 Thought Scour

Thought Scour
	Set: Dark Ascension Cost: 1 Color: Blue Type: Instant Rarity: C Number: 52 Artist: David Rapoza Text: Target player puts the top two cards of his or her library into his or her graveyard. Draw a card.

2 Psychic Strike

Psychic Strike
	Set: Gatecrash Cost: 3 Color: Multicolor Type: Instant Rarity: C Number: 189 Artist: Mathias Kollros Text: Counter target spell. Its controller puts the top two cards of his or her library into his or her graveyard.

4 Supreme Verdict

Supreme Verdict
	Set: Return to Ravnica Cost: 4 Color: Multicolor Type: Sorcery Rarity: R Number: 201 Artist: Sam Burley Text: Supreme Verdict can't be countered. Destroy all creatures.

2 Terminus

Terminus
	Set: Avacyn Restored Cost: 6 Color: White Type: Sorcery Rarity: R Number: 38 Artist: James Paick Text: Put all creatures on the bottom of their owners' libraries. Miracle {W} (You may cast this card for its miracle cost when you draw it if it's the first card you drew this turn.)

Planeswalkers:
2 Jace, Memory Adept

Jace, Memory Adept
	Set: Magic 2012 Cost: 5 Color: Blue Type: Planeswalker Sub Type: Jace Rarity: M Number: 58 Artist: D. Alexander Gregory Text: +1: Draw a card. Target player puts the top card of his or her library into his or her graveyard. 0: Target player puts the top ten cards of his or her library into his or her graveyard. -7: Any number of target players each draw twenty cards.

Lands:
2 Drowned Catacomb

Drowned Catacomb
	Set: Magic 2010 Color: Land Type: Land Rarity: R Number: 224 Artist: Dave Kendall Text: Drowned Catacomb enters the battlefield tapped unless you control an Island or a Swamp. {T}: Add {U} or {B} to your mana pool.

4 Glacial Fortress

Glacial Fortress
	Set: Magic 2010 Color: Land Type: Land Rarity: R Number: 226 Artist: Franz Vohwinkel Text: Glacial Fortress enters the battlefield tapped unless you control a Plains or an Island.{T}: Add {W} or {U} to your mana pool.

4 Hallowed Fountain

Hallowed Fountain
	Set: Dissension Color: Land Rarity: R Number: 174 Artist: Rob Alexander

6 Island

Island
	Set: Oversize Cards Color: Land Type: Land Rarity: X Artist: Tony Roberts Text: T: Add U to your mana pool.

2 Nephalia Drownyard

Nephalia Drownyard
	Set: Innistrad Cost: 0 Color: Colorless Type: Land Rarity: R Number: 245 Artist: Cliff Childs Text: {T}: Add {1} to your mana pool. {1}{U}{B}, {T}: Target player puts the top three cards of his or her library into his or her graveyard.

1 Plains

Plains
	Set: Oversize Cards Color: Land Type: Land Rarity: X Artist: Tony Roberts Text: T: Add W to your mana pool.

1 Swamp

Swamp
	Set: Oversize Cards Color: Land Type: Land Rarity: X Artist: Tony Roberts Text: T: Add B to your mana pool.

4 Watery Grave

Watery Grave
	Set: Ravnica City of Guilds Color: Land Type: Land Sub Type: Island Swamp Rarity: R Number: 286 Artist: Rob Alexander Text: (T: Add U or B to your mana pool.) As Watery Grave comes into play, you may pay 2 life. If you don’t, Watery Grave comes into play tapped instead.

In this article, we will take a look at the deck, I'll explain the thought process behind it and why I think it is viable in the new standard, and how it did on the field of battle. So let's get to it. First I want to explain some of the card choices we made here. As far as spells go, most of them are ways to control the board while we get our mill engine online. Syncopate

Syncopate
	Set: Odyssey Cost: 2 Color: Blue Type: Instant Rarity: C Number: 103 Artist: Pete Venters Text: Counter target spell unless its controller pays X. If that spell is countered this way, remove it from the game instead of putting it into its owner's graveyard.

and the new hard counter Psychic Strike

Psychic Strike
	Set: Gatecrash Cost: 3 Color: Multicolor Type: Instant Rarity: C Number: 189 Artist: Mathias Kollros Text: Counter target spell. Its controller puts the top two cards of his or her library into his or her graveyard.

are our suite of counter spells. Psychic Strike

Psychic Strike
	Set: Gatecrash Cost: 3 Color: Multicolor Type: Instant Rarity: C Number: 189 Artist: Mathias Kollros Text: Counter target spell. Its controller puts the top two cards of his or her library into his or her graveyard.

is pretty great new counter spell for this deck. It is basically a Cancel

Cancel
	Set: Time Spiral Cost: 3 Color: Blue Type: Instant Rarity: C Number: 51 Artist: Mark Poole Text: Counter target spell.

that also mills the caster for two. In most decks, Dissipate

Dissipate
	Set: Mirage Cost: 3 Color: Blue Type: Instant Rarity: U Artist: Richard Kane Ferguson Text: Counter target spell. Remove that spell card from the game.

would be strictly better, but we want cards in graveyard to make our creatures (which we will get to in a minute) bigger. Psychic Strike

Psychic Strike
	Set: Gatecrash Cost: 3 Color: Multicolor Type: Instant Rarity: C Number: 189 Artist: Mathias Kollros Text: Counter target spell. Its controller puts the top two cards of his or her library into his or her graveyard.

does this and then some which is why it makes the cut here.

For card draw, we have Inaction Injunction

Inaction Injunction
	Set: Return to Ravnica Cost: 2 Color: Blue Type: Sorcery Rarity: C Number: 41 Artist: Wayne Reynolds Text: Detain target creature an opponent controls. (Until your next turn, that creature can't attack or block and its activated abilities can't be activated.) Draw a card.

and Thought Scour

Thought Scour
	Set: Dark Ascension Cost: 1 Color: Blue Type: Instant Rarity: C Number: 52 Artist: David Rapoza Text: Target player puts the top two cards of his or her library into his or her graveyard. Draw a card.

. Anyone who has read some of my previous articles knows how much I like the card Inaction Injunction

Inaction Injunction
	Set: Return to Ravnica Cost: 2 Color: Blue Type: Sorcery Rarity: C Number: 41 Artist: Wayne Reynolds Text: Detain target creature an opponent controls. (Until your next turn, that creature can't attack or block and its activated abilities can't be activated.) Draw a card.

. Detaining a big threat for a turn and drawing a card in the process is really all you need to find the perfect answer to what is on the board. Thought Scour

Thought Scour
	Set: Dark Ascension Cost: 1 Color: Blue Type: Instant Rarity: C Number: 52 Artist: David Rapoza Text: Target player puts the top two cards of his or her library into his or her graveyard. Draw a card.

is a great card draw engine for this deck because it lets you put just that many more cards into your opponent's graveyard while drawing a card. This slot used to be held by Think Twice

Think Twice
	Set: Time Spiral Cost: 2 Color: Blue Type: Instant Rarity: C Number: 86 Artist: Jim Nelson Text: Draw a card. Flashback 2U (You may play this card from your graveyard for its flashback cost. Then remove it from the game.)

, but we found that the one mana extra simply didn't make it any better and in fact would get it stuck in your hand sometimes.

The big reason why we went with Esper for the deck is for the board sweepers. Board sweepers are critical for us because the mill strategy is slow and grindy. You have to be able to keep creatures clear of the board so you can fully develop and execute your strategy. Supreme Verdict

Supreme Verdict
	Set: Return to Ravnica Cost: 4 Color: Multicolor Type: Sorcery Rarity: R Number: 201 Artist: Sam Burley Text: Supreme Verdict can't be countered. Destroy all creatures.

is obviously the premier sweeper of the format. At four mana it is very easily cast before the fast aggro decks can run you over and it sends cards to the graveyard which is very important for your creatures. However, everyone is expecting Supreme Verdict

Supreme Verdict
	Set: Return to Ravnica Cost: 4 Color: Multicolor Type: Sorcery Rarity: R Number: 201 Artist: Sam Burley Text: Supreme Verdict can't be countered. Destroy all creatures.

in your deck if you are playing Esper. Also indestructibility is a big thing, especially in Boros, these days that that renders Supreme Verdict

Supreme Verdict
	Set: Return to Ravnica Cost: 4 Color: Multicolor Type: Sorcery Rarity: R Number: 201 Artist: Sam Burley Text: Supreme Verdict can't be countered. Destroy all creatures.

basically useless. This is why we have back up in the form of Terminus

Terminus
	Set: Avacyn Restored Cost: 6 Color: White Type: Sorcery Rarity: R Number: 38 Artist: James Paick Text: Put all creatures on the bottom of their owners' libraries. Miracle {W} (You may cast this card for its miracle cost when you draw it if it's the first card you drew this turn.)

. It gets rid of pesky indestructible guys and comes out of nowhere with its miracle. However, it doesn't put the cards in the graveyard which is why it should be used only in extreme emergencies when you need a miracle (all the jokes).

Now to the mill cards of the deck, Chronic Flooding

Chronic Flooding
	Set: Return to Ravnica Cost: 2 Color: Blue Type: Enchantment Sub Type: Aura Rarity: C Number: 32 Artist: Scott Chou Text: Enchant land Whenever enchanted land becomes tapped, its controller puts the top three cards of his or her library into his or her graveyard.

and Mind Grind

Mind Grind
	Set: Gatecrash Cost: 2 Color: Multicolor Type: Sorcery Rarity: R Number: 178 Artist: Daarken Text: Each opponent reveals cards from the top of his or her library until he or she reveals X land cards, then puts all cards revealed this way into his or her graveyard. X can't be 0.

. Chronic Flooding

Chronic Flooding
	Set: Return to Ravnica Cost: 2 Color: Blue Type: Enchantment Sub Type: Aura Rarity: C Number: 32 Artist: Scott Chou Text: Enchant land Whenever enchanted land becomes tapped, its controller puts the top three cards of his or her library into his or her graveyard.

is a land aura that I feel was terribly over looked in Return to Ravnica. Normally, things that mess with land are considered to be subpar. However, I feel that Chronic Flooding

Chronic Flooding
	Set: Return to Ravnica Cost: 2 Color: Blue Type: Enchantment Sub Type: Aura Rarity: C Number: 32 Artist: Scott Chou Text: Enchant land Whenever enchanted land becomes tapped, its controller puts the top three cards of his or her library into his or her graveyard.

is perfect for this deck in this standard environment. Many of the decks in this format are aggro and midrange with low land counts. We are talking like 18-24 lands. With so few lands, making two or three of their lands mill them for three every time they tap it for mana can be back breaking. They can't simply use other lands because they don't have lands to tap. It is a great way to force them to choose between advancing their own board state and advancing your ultimate strategy. But now we come to the real power house mill card of the deck; Mind Grind

Mind Grind
	Set: Gatecrash Cost: 2 Color: Multicolor Type: Sorcery Rarity: R Number: 178 Artist: Daarken Text: Each opponent reveals cards from the top of his or her library until he or she reveals X land cards, then puts all cards revealed this way into his or her graveyard. X can't be 0.

. Mind Grind

Mind Grind
	Set: Gatecrash Cost: 2 Color: Multicolor Type: Sorcery Rarity: R Number: 178 Artist: Daarken Text: Each opponent reveals cards from the top of his or her library until he or she reveals X land cards, then puts all cards revealed this way into his or her graveyard. X can't be 0.

is a super powerful card. It allows the player to calculate when they can win, not by the amount of cards they see, but by the amount of lands. By taking into account that many times these decks are running 18-24 lands, you can know exactly when your Mind Grind

Mind Grind
	Set: Gatecrash Cost: 2 Color: Multicolor Type: Sorcery Rarity: R Number: 178 Artist: Daarken Text: Each opponent reveals cards from the top of his or her library until he or she reveals X land cards, then puts all cards revealed this way into his or her graveyard. X can't be 0.

will be lethal. For example, say your opponent has 6 lands on the table and you find 7 in the yard then you have to cast it for at least 8 to make it most likely lethal. It is a super efficient and powerful card to finish the game.

The creature base is very straightforward and lethal. Jace's Phantasm

Jace's Phantasm
	Set: Magic 2013 Cost: 1 Color: Blue Type: Creature Sub Type: Illusion Rarity: U Number: 57 Artist: Johann Bodin Power: 1 Toughness: 1 Text: Flying Jace's Phantasm gets +4/+4 as long as an opponent has ten or more cards in his or her graveyard.

is a powerful ally for the mill deck. I mean, who doesn't want to cast dragons for one mana? However, this is definitely not a guy you want to cast on turn one or two. He is very vulnerable till you get ten cards in your opponent's graveyard. I like to drop him on turn five or six after you do your first couple of board sweeps. Once he gets big, he is extremely hard to deal with, especially for the red aggro decks. Duskmantle Guildmage

Duskmantle Guildmage
	Set: Gatecrash Cost: 2 Color: Multicolor Type: Creature Sub Type: Human Wizard Rarity: U Number: 158 Artist: Slawomir Maniak Power: 2 Toughness: 2 Text: {1}{U}{B}: Whenever a card is put into an opponent's graveyard from anywhere this turn, that player loses 1 life. {2}{U}{B}: Target player puts the top two cards of his or her library into his or her graveyard.

is a very efficient creature. He lets you use all of your mana effectively on every turn and actually sets up a pretty grisly combo with Jace, Memory Adapt. Activating this guys damage ability and then activating Jace lets you deal an instant 10 damage. If you combine that with a Mind Grind

Mind Grind
	Set: Gatecrash Cost: 2 Color: Multicolor Type: Sorcery Rarity: R Number: 178 Artist: Daarken Text: Each opponent reveals cards from the top of his or her library until he or she reveals X land cards, then puts all cards revealed this way into his or her graveyard. X can't be 0.

, you can deal a very quick 20 damage. This brings us to my favorite card in this deck - Consuming Aberration

Consuming Aberration

Set: Gatecrash Cost: 5 Color: Multicolor Type: Creature Sub Type: Horror Rarity: R Number: 152 Artist: Karl Kopinski Power: * Toughness: * Text: Consuming Aberration's power and toughness are each equal to the number of cards in your opponents' graveyards. Whenever you cast a spell, each opponent reveals cards from the top of his or her library until he or she reveals a land card, then puts those cards into his or her graveyard.

. Every time this guy hits the field he is going to be huge. If you cast a Thought Scour

Thought Scour
	Set: Dark Ascension Cost: 1 Color: Blue Type: Instant Rarity: C Number: 52 Artist: David Rapoza Text: Target player puts the top two cards of his or her library into his or her graveyard. Draw a card.

on turn one, a Chronic Flooding

Chronic Flooding
	Set: Return to Ravnica Cost: 2 Color: Blue Type: Enchantment Sub Type: Aura Rarity: C Number: 32 Artist: Scott Chou Text: Enchant land Whenever enchanted land becomes tapped, its controller puts the top three cards of his or her library into his or her graveyard.

on turn 2, and a Mind Grind

Mind Grind
	Set: Gatecrash Cost: 2 Color: Multicolor Type: Sorcery Rarity: R Number: 178 Artist: Daarken Text: Each opponent reveals cards from the top of his or her library until he or she reveals X land cards, then puts all cards revealed this way into his or her graveyard. X can't be 0.

on turn 4, Consuming Aberration

Consuming Aberration

Set: Gatecrash Cost: 5 Color: Multicolor Type: Creature Sub Type: Horror Rarity: R Number: 152 Artist: Karl Kopinski Power: * Toughness: * Text: Consuming Aberration's power and toughness are each equal to the number of cards in your opponents' graveyards. Whenever you cast a spell, each opponent reveals cards from the top of his or her library until he or she reveals a land card, then puts those cards into his or her graveyard.

will be at least a 7/7 when he hits the field. And that is if you only hit 2 cards off of Mind Grind

Mind Grind
	Set: Gatecrash Cost: 2 Color: Multicolor Type: Sorcery Rarity: R Number: 178 Artist: Daarken Text: Each opponent reveals cards from the top of his or her library until he or she reveals X land cards, then puts all cards revealed this way into his or her graveyard. X can't be 0.

! A 7/7 for 5 is pretty freaking amazing. BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE! Consuming Aberration

Consuming Aberration

Set: Gatecrash Cost: 5 Color: Multicolor Type: Creature Sub Type: Horror Rarity: R Number: 152 Artist: Karl Kopinski Power: * Toughness: * Text: Consuming Aberration's power and toughness are each equal to the number of cards in your opponents' graveyards. Whenever you cast a spell, each opponent reveals cards from the top of his or her library until he or she reveals a land card, then puts those cards into his or her graveyard.

basically has a Mind Grind

Mind Grind
	Set: Gatecrash Cost: 2 Color: Multicolor Type: Sorcery Rarity: R Number: 178 Artist: Daarken Text: Each opponent reveals cards from the top of his or her library until he or she reveals X land cards, then puts all cards revealed this way into his or her graveyard. X can't be 0.

for one attached to him for each spell you cast! Considering that most of your spells have pretty low mana costs, you can pull off two or three of these each turn. That is a gross amount of mill that just makes this monster even bigger! I love it.

Lastly, Jace and Nephalia Drownyard

Nephalia Drownyard
	Set: Innistrad Cost: 0 Color: Colorless Type: Land Rarity: R Number: 245 Artist: Cliff Childs Text: {T}: Add {1} to your mana pool. {1}{U}{B}, {T}: Target player puts the top three cards of his or her library into his or her graveyard.

are must includes in any mill deck. Jace delivers the most mill bang for your buck while Drownyard lets you use all of your mana to the fullest every turn.

Sideboard wise, I always feel you should rebuild the sideboard weekly based on what you expect to find in your local Meta. We figured we would hit a lot of aggro and midrange so we built it like so:


3 Blind Obedience

Blind Obedience
	Set: Gatecrash Cost: 2 Color: White Type: Enchantment Rarity: R Number: 6 Artist: Seb McKinnon Text: Extort (Whenever you cast a spell, you may pay {(w/b)}. If you do, each opponent loses 1 life and you gain that much life.) Artifacts and creatures your opponents control enter the battlefield tapped.

1 Pithing Needle

Pithing Needle
	Set: Saviors of Kamigawa Color: Colorless Rarity: R

1 Witchbane Orb

Witchbane Orb
	Set: Innistrad Cost: 4 Color: Colorless Type: Artifact Rarity: R Number: 236 Artist: John Avon Text: When Witchbane Orb enters the battlefield, destroy all Curses attached to you. You have hexproof. (You can't be the target of spells or abilities your opponents control, including Aura spells.)

4 Lingering Souls

Lingering Souls
	Set: Dark Ascension Cost: 3 Color: White Type: Sorcery Rarity: U Number: 12 Artist: Bud Cook Text: Put two 1/1 white Spirit creature tokens with flying onto the battlefield. Flashback {1}{B} (You may cast this card from your graveyard for its flashback cost. Then exile it.)

1 Merciless Eviction

Merciless Eviction
	Set: Gatecrash Cost: 6 Color: Multicolor Type: Sorcery Rarity: R Number: 177 Artist: Richard Wright Text: Choose one — Exile all artifacts; or exile all creatures; or exile all enchantments; or exile all planeswalkers.

1 Elixir of Immortality

Elixir of Immortality
	Set: Magic 2011 Cost: 1 Color: Colorless Type: Artifact Rarity: U Number: 206 Artist: Zoltan Boros & Gabor Szikszai Text: {2}, {T}: You gain 5 life. Shuffle Elixir of Immortality and your graveyard into your library.

2 Essence Scatter

Essence Scatter
	Set: Magic 2010 Color: Blue Type: Instant Rarity: C Number: 51 Artist: Jon Foster Text: Counter target creature spell.

2 Oblivion Ring

Oblivion Ring
	Set: Lorwyn Cost: 3 Color: White Type: Enchantment Rarity: C Number: 34 Artist: Wayne England Text: 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.

So that is the deck. But the real test would be on the field of battle. We packed up and headed out to FNM.


Round 1 vs. Boros Aggro
Game 1: My opponent started super strong with a beautiful curve of Cackler into Lightning Mauler

Lightning Mauler

Set: Avacyn Restored Cost: 2 Color: Red Type: Creature Sub Type: Human Berserker Rarity: U Number: 144 Artist: Dave Kendall Power: 2 Toughness: 1 Text: Soulbond (You may pair this creature with another unpaired creature when either enters the battlefield. They remain paired for as long as you control both of them.) As long as Lightning Mauler is paired with another creature, both creatures have haste.

into Boros Reckoner

Boros Reckoner
	Set: Gatecrash Cost: 15 Color: Multicolor Type: Creature Sub Type: Minotaur Wizard Rarity: R Number: 215 Artist: Howard Lyon Power: 3 Toughness: 3 Text: Whenever Boros Reckoner is dealt damage, it deals that much damage to target creature or player. {(r/w)}: Boros Reckoner gains first strike until end of turn.

into Hellrider

Hellrider
	Set: Dark Ascension Cost: 4 Color: Red Type: Creature Sub Type: Devil Rarity: R Number: 93 Artist: Svetlin Velinov Power: 3 Toughness: 3 Text: Haste Whenever a creature you control attacks, Hellrider deals 1 damage to defending player.

. Good news for me was I was able to land two Chronic Flooding

Chronic Flooding
	Set: Return to Ravnica Cost: 2 Color: Blue Type: Enchantment Sub Type: Aura Rarity: C Number: 32 Artist: Scott Chou Text: Enchant land Whenever enchanted land becomes tapped, its controller puts the top three cards of his or her library into his or her graveyard.

and then sweep his board turn 4 and 5. I ground him down to 5 cards in library before he drew the burn to finish me off.

Game 2: He went to 5 cards and despite an explosive start; he couldn't rebuild then board after I Verdicted on turn 4. I dropped a 9/9 Consuming Aberration

Consuming Aberration

Set: Gatecrash Cost: 5 Color: Multicolor Type: Creature Sub Type: Horror Rarity: R Number: 152 Artist: Karl Kopinski Power: * Toughness: * Text: Consuming Aberration's power and toughness are each equal to the number of cards in your opponents' graveyards. Whenever you cast a spell, each opponent reveals cards from the top of his or her library until he or she reveals a land card, then puts those cards into his or her graveyard.

on turn 6 and two swings later it was over.

Game 3: Stuck Blind Obedience

Blind Obedience
	Set: Gatecrash Cost: 2 Color: White Type: Enchantment Rarity: R Number: 6 Artist: Seb McKinnon Text: Extort (Whenever you cast a spell, you may pay {(w/b)}. If you do, each opponent loses 1 life and you gain that much life.) Artifacts and creatures your opponents control enter the battlefield tapped.

on turn 2 and he just had no way to get rid of it. With his haste shut off, I clogged the board with Lingering Souls

Lingering Souls
	Set: Dark Ascension Cost: 3 Color: White Type: Sorcery Rarity: U Number: 12 Artist: Bud Cook Text: Put two 1/1 white Spirit creature tokens with flying onto the battlefield. Flashback {1}{B} (You may cast this card from your graveyard for its flashback cost. Then exile it.)

and Phantasms and milled him out on turn 9.

1-0


Round 2 vs. Jund

Jund

Set: Planechase 2012 Edition Cost: 0 Color: Colorless Type: Plane Sub Type: Alara Rarity: C Number: 20 Artist: Aleksi Briclot Text: Whenever a player casts a black, red, or green creature spell, it gains devour 5. (As the creature enters the battlefield, its controller may sacrifice any number of creatures. The creature enters the battlefield with five times that many +1/+1 counters on it.) Whenever you roll chaos, put two 1/1 red Goblin creature tokens onto the battlefield.

Midrange
Game 1: He went down to 4 cards and did a quick scoop. Felt bad for that one

Game 2: I opened perfectly and was able to combo out with Jace and Duskmantle Guildmage

Duskmantle Guildmage
	Set: Gatecrash Cost: 2 Color: Multicolor Type: Creature Sub Type: Human Wizard Rarity: U Number: 158 Artist: Slawomir Maniak Power: 2 Toughness: 2 Text: {1}{U}{B}: Whenever a card is put into an opponent's graveyard from anywhere this turn, that player loses 1 life. {2}{U}{B}: Target player puts the top two cards of his or her library into his or her graveyard.

. He had mana troubles again and was pretty mad about it. Things happen I guess

2-0


Round 3 vs. Bant

Bant

Set: Planechase Cost: 0 Color: Colorless Type: Plane Sub Type: Alara Rarity: C Number: 4 Artist: Michael Komarck Text: All creatures have exalted. (Whenever a creature attacks alone, it gets +1/+1 until end of turn for each instance of exalted among permanents its controller controls.) Whenever you roll {C}, put a divinity counter on target green, white, or blue creature. That creature is indestructible as long as it has a divinity counter on it.

Hex

Hex
	Set: Ravnica City of Guilds Cost: 6 Color: Black Type: Sorcery Rarity: R Number: 89 Artist: Michael Sutfin Text: Destroy six target creatures.

proof
Game 1: I completely underestimated how fast this deck could be. He opened on Invisible Stalker

Invisible Stalker
	Set: Innistrad Cost: 2 Color: Blue Type: Creature Sub Type: Human Rogue Rarity: U Number: 60 Artist: Bud Cook Power: 1 Toughness: 1 Text: Hexproof (This creature can't be the target of spells or abilities your opponents control.) Invisible Stalker is unblockable.

into Rancor

Rancor
	Set: Urza's Legacy Cost: 1 Color: Green Type: Enchant Creature Rarity: C Number: 110 Artist: Kev Walker Text: Enchanted creature gains +2/+0 and trample.When Rancor is put into a graveyard from play, return Rancor to owner's hand.

, Rancor

Rancor
	Set: Urza's Legacy Cost: 1 Color: Green Type: Enchant Creature Rarity: C Number: 110 Artist: Kev Walker Text: Enchanted creature gains +2/+0 and trample.When Rancor is put into a graveyard from play, return Rancor to owner's hand.

, and Spectral Flight

Spectral Flight
	Set: Innistrad Cost: 2 Color: Blue Type: Enchantment Sub Type: Aura Rarity: C Number: 79 Artist: Johann Bodin Text: Enchant creature Enchanted creature gets +2/+2 and has flying.

. I couldn't buy a sweeper and went down hard.

Game 2: Same old song and dance. I held him until I milled 3/4ths of his deck, but then he stuck a Geist of Saint Traft

Geist of Saint Traft

Set: Innistrad Cost: 3 Color: Multicolor Type: Legendary Creature Sub Type: Spirit Cleric Rarity: M Number: 213 Artist: Igor Kieryluk Power: 2 Toughness: 2 Text: Hexproof (This creature can't be the target of spells or abilities your opponents control.) Whenever Geist of Saint Traft attacks, put a 4/4 white Angel creature token with flying onto the battlefield tapped and attacking. Exile that token at end of combat.

that I couldn't answer.

2-1


Round 4 vs. Boros Aggro
Our opponent decided to concede to us as his tie breakers were very bad and ours were good so he didn't want to hurt our chances of prizing out.

3-1


We came out with some packs and I was very, very, very happy with how the deck turned out. The only change I would consider making would be to move the Lingering Souls

Lingering Souls
	Set: Dark Ascension Cost: 3 Color: White Type: Sorcery Rarity: U Number: 12 Artist: Bud Cook Text: Put two 1/1 white Spirit creature tokens with flying onto the battlefield. Flashback {1}{B} (You may cast this card from your graveyard for its flashback cost. Then exile it.)

to the main deck. I sided them in almost every round. They just made a really awesome road block for all the aggro decks.

So in conclusion, I really feel like mill could be a usable strategy in this format. As long as you can slow down the aggro decks for a couple of turns, your creatures and spells immediately start to take over the game. If they don't deal with your huge creatures you will win through normal damage. If they can't deal with your spells you will mill them out. Either way, it's a win. That's it for this week everyone! Be sure to follow me on twitter @axlxexc to find out how the decks are playing.

Keep brewing out there!

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