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2012)

So Standard rotated and, not surprisingly, we already had a new villain in the format. Everybody thought this October would be full of Zombies, and while I'm sure everybody has watched Night of the Living Dead a few times (like they should every October), Zombie decks are just not as good as we all thought. What card has saved us from a format as boring as last season's The Walking Dead

Walking Dead
	Set: Legends Cost: 2 Color: Black Type: Creature Sub Type: Walking Dead Rarity: C Artist: Dan Frazier Power: 1 Toughness: 1 Text: B: Regenerates

? (Editor's note: The Walking Dead

Walking Dead
	Set: Legends Cost: 2 Color: Black Type: Creature Sub Type: Walking Dead Rarity: C Artist: Dan Frazier Power: 1 Toughness: 1 Text: B: Regenerates

is awesome! Don't let anyone's poorly-worded metaphors tell you anything different) [ACTUAL Editor's note: I didn't say that, but I do agree]. Thragtusk

Thragtusk
	Set: Magic 2013 Cost: 5 Color: Green Type: Creature Sub Type: Beast Rarity: R Number: 193 Artist: Nils Hamm Power: 5 Toughness: 3 Text: When Thragtusk enters the battlefield, you gain 5 life. When Thragtusk leaves the battlefield, put a 3/3 green Beast creature token onto the battlefield.

! A fast aggressive deck like Zombies just can't beat the combination of life gain and card advantage that comes on the back of this 5/3.

However, you either die a hero or live long enough to become the villain. There were 24 copies of this stupid card in a recent Star City Open (provided Chewie decides to post this article quicker before Standard rotates again.) [Editor's note: This alone delayed posting of this article by at least 3 days. HA!] Without question, Thragtusk

Thragtusk
	Set: Magic 2013 Cost: 5 Color: Green Type: Creature Sub Type: Beast Rarity: R Number: 193 Artist: Nils Hamm Power: 5 Toughness: 3 Text: When Thragtusk enters the battlefield, you gain 5 life. When Thragtusk leaves the battlefield, put a 3/3 green Beast creature token onto the battlefield.

is warping Standard. My solution? Just like Rocky Balboa did in Rocky III, we turn to an old enemy for guidance!

Delver Beats Thragtusk
Thragtusk
Set: Magic 2013
Cost: 5
Color: Green
Type: Creature
Sub Type: Beast
Rarity: R
Number: 193
Artist: Nils Hamm
Power: 5
Toughness: 3
Text: When Thragtusk enters the battlefield, you gain 5 life. When Thragtusk leaves the battlefield, put a 3/3 green Beast creature token onto the battlefield.
!

Creatures: 12
4 Ash Zealot

Ash Zealot
	Set: Return to Ravnica Cost: 2 Color: Red Type: Creature Sub Type: Human Warrior Rarity: R Number: 86 Artist: Eric Deschamps Power: 2 Toughness: 2 Text: First strike, haste Whenever a player casts a spell from a graveyard, Ash Zealot deals 3 damage to that player.

4 Delver of Secrets

Delver of Secrets
	Set: Innistrad Cost: 1 Color: Blue Type: Creature Sub Type: Human Wizard Rarity: C Number: 51 Artist: Nils Hamm Power: 1 Toughness: 1 Text: At the beginning of your upkeep, look at the top card of your library. You may reveal that card. If an instant or sorcery card is revealed this way, transform Delver of Secrets.

4 Snapcaster Mage

Snapcaster Mage

Set: Innistrad
Cost: 2
Color: Blue
Type: Creature
Sub Type: Human Wizard
Rarity: R
Number: 78
Artist: Volkan Baga
Power: 2
Toughness: 1
Text: Flash When Snapcaster Mage enters the battlefield, target instant or sorcery card in your graveyard gains flashback until end of turn. The flashback cost is equal to its mana cost. (You may cast that card from your graveyard for its flashback cost. Then exile it.)

Spells: 28 (26 instants and sorceries)
3 Essence Scatter

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

3 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.

3 Mizzium Mortars

Mizzium Mortars
	Set: Return to Ravnica Cost: 2 Color: Red Type: Sorcery Rarity: R Number: 101 Artist: Noah Bradley Text: Mizzium Mortars deals 4 damage to target creature you don't control. Overload {3}{R}{R}{R} (You may cast this spell for its overload cost. If you do, change its text by replacing all instances of "target" with "each.")

4 Pillar of Flame

Pillar of Flame
	Set: Avacyn Restored Cost: 1 Color: Red Type: Sorcery Rarity: C Number: 149 Artist: Karl Kopinski Text: Pillar of Flame deals 2 damage to target creature or player. If a creature dealt damage this way would die this turn, exile it instead.

2 Runechanter's Pike

Runechanter's Pike
	Set: Innistrad Cost: 2 Color: Colorless Type: Artifact Sub Type: Equipment Rarity: R Number: 231 Artist: John Avon Text: Equipped creature has first strike and gets +X/+0, where X is the number of instant and sorcery cards in your graveyard. Equip {2}

3 Searing Spear

Searing Spear
	Set: Magic 2013 Cost: 2 Color: Red Type: Instant Rarity: C Number: 147 Artist: Chris Rahn Text: Searing Spear deals 3 damage to target creature or player.

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 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.

3 Unsummon

Unsummon
	Set: Revised Edition Cost: 1 Color: Blue Type: Instant Rarity: C Artist: Douglas Shuler Text: Return target creature to owner's hand; enchantments on target creature are discarded.

Lands: 20
1 Desolate Lighthouse

Desolate Lighthouse
	Set: Avacyn Restored Cost: 0 Color: Colorless Type: Land Rarity: R Number: 227 Artist: Scott Chou Text: {T}: Add {1} to your mana pool. {1}{U}{R}, {T}: Draw a card, then discard a card.

4 Izzet Guildgate

Izzet Guildgate
	Set: Return to Ravnica Cost: 0 Color: Colorless Type: Land Sub Type: Gate Rarity: C Number: 242 Artist: Noah Bradley Text: Izzet Guildgate enters the battlefield tapped. {T}: Add {U} or {R} to your mana pool.

4 Sulfur Falls

Sulfur Falls
	Set: Innistrad Cost: 0 Color: Colorless Type: Land Rarity: R Number: 248 Artist: Cliff Childs Text: Sulfur Falls enters the battlefield tapped unless you control an Island or a Mountain. {T}: Add {U} or {R} to your mana pool.

4 Steam Vents

Steam Vents
	Set: Guildpact Color: Land Type: Land Sub Type: Island Mountain Rarity: R Number: 164 Text: (T: Add U or R to your mana pool.) As Steam Vents comes into play, you may pay 2 life. If you don’t, Steam Vents comes into play tapped instead.

(Okay, so I only have 2, but it should be 4)
3 Mountain

Mountain
	Set: Arabian Nights Color: Land Type: Land Rarity: C Artist: Douglas Shuler Text: Tap to add R to your mana pool.

4 Island

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

s

Sideboard: Changes based on my mood
2x Negate

Negate
	Set: Morningtide Cost: 2 Color: Blue Type: Instant Rarity: C Number: 43 Artist: Jeremy Jarvis Text: Counter target noncreature spell.

2x Essence Backlash

Essence Backlash
	Set: Return to Ravnica Cost: 4 Color: Multicolor Type: Instant Rarity: C Number: 160 Artist: Jung Park Text: Counter target creature spell. Essence Backlash deals damage equal to that spell's power to its controller.

4x Stromkirk Noble

Stromkirk Noble
	Set: Innistrad Cost: 1 Color: Red Type: Creature Sub Type: Vampire Rarity: R Number: 164 Artist: James Ryman Power: 1 Toughness: 1 Text: Stromkirk Noble can't be blocked by Humans. Whenever Stromkirk Noble deals combat damage to a player, put a +1/+1 counter on it.

2x Tormod's Crypt

Tormod's Crypt
	Set: Chronicles Cost: 0 Color: Colorless Type: Artifact Rarity: C Artist: Christopher Rush Text: T: Sacrifice Tormod's Crypt to remove all cards in target player's graveyard from the game.

1x Thundermaw Hellkite

Thundermaw Hellkite
	Set: Magic 2013 Cost: 5 Color: Red Type: Creature Sub Type: Dragon Rarity: M Number: 150 Artist: Svetlin Velinov Power: 5 Toughness: 5 Text: Flying Haste (This creature can attack and {T} as soon as it comes under your control.) When Thundermaw Hellkite enters the battlefield, it deals 1 damage to each creature with flying your opponents control. Tap those creatures.

1x Hypersonic Dragon

Hypersonic Dragon
	Set: Return to Ravnica Cost: 5 Color: Multicolor Type: Creature Sub Type: Dragon Rarity: R Number: 170 Artist: Dan Scott Power: 4 Toughness: 4 Text: Flying, haste You may cast sorcery spells as though they had flash. (You may cast them any time you could cast an instant.)

2x 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.

1x Devil's Play

Devil's Play
	Set: Innistrad Cost: 1 Color: Red Type: Sorcery Rarity: R Number: 140 Artist: Austin Hsu Text: Devil's Play deals X damage to target creature or player. Flashback {X}{R}{R}{R} (You may cast this card from your graveyard for its flashback cost. Then exile it.)

Why isn't Delver good anymore?

Not only did Delver decks lose Phyrexian spells, Mana Leak

Mana Leak
	Set: Stronghold Cost: 2 Color: Blue Type: Instant Rarity: C Number: 36 Artist: Christopher Rush Text: Counter target spell unless its caster pays an additional 3.

, and Ponder

Ponder
	Set: Lorwyn Cost: 1 Color: Blue Type: Sorcery Rarity: C Number: 79 Artist: Mark Tedin Text: Look at the top three cards of your library, then put them back in any order. You may shuffle your library. Draw a card.

, they also had a poor match up against Zombies and Cavern of Souls

Cavern of Souls
	Set: Avacyn Restored Cost: 0 Color: Colorless Type: Land Rarity: R Number: 226 Artist: Cliff Childs Text: As Cavern of Souls enters the battlefield, choose a creature type. {T}: Add {1} to your mana pool. {T}: Add one mana of any color to your mana pool. Spend this mana only to cast a creature spell of the chosen type, and that spell can't be countered.

. Delver was no longer the unfair deck that it once was. Now it was just a fair deck that lost to Zombies. Obviously, it has been a poor choice in that metagame. The problem is, if you look at major tournament results, as well as my personal experience from the Magic Online Tournament Practice Room, Zombies are no longer a major player. Everybody is running Pillar of Flame

Pillar of Flame
	Set: Avacyn Restored Cost: 1 Color: Red Type: Sorcery Rarity: C Number: 149 Artist: Karl Kopinski Text: Pillar of Flame deals 2 damage to target creature or player. If a creature dealt damage this way would die this turn, exile it instead.

, Centaur Healer

Centaur Healer
	Set: Return to Ravnica Cost: 3 Color: Multicolor Type: Creature Sub Type: Centaur Cleric Rarity: C Number: 148 Artist: Mark Zug Power: 3 Toughness: 3 Text: When Centaur Healer enters the battlefield, you gain 3 life.

, and/or Thragtusk

Thragtusk
	Set: Magic 2013 Cost: 5 Color: Green Type: Creature Sub Type: Beast Rarity: R Number: 193 Artist: Nils Hamm Power: 5 Toughness: 3 Text: When Thragtusk enters the battlefield, you gain 5 life. When Thragtusk leaves the battlefield, put a 3/3 green Beast creature token onto the battlefield.

for the win. Also, I have not seen a Cavern of Souls

Cavern of Souls
	Set: Avacyn Restored Cost: 0 Color: Colorless Type: Land Rarity: R Number: 226 Artist: Cliff Childs Text: As Cavern of Souls enters the battlefield, choose a creature type. {T}: Add {1} to your mana pool. {T}: Add one mana of any color to your mana pool. Spend this mana only to cast a creature spell of the chosen type, and that spell can't be countered.

for weeks.

New Tools

Delver lost Vapor Snag

Vapor Snag
	Set: New Phyrexia Cost: 1 Color: Blue Type: Instant Rarity: C Number: 48 Artist: Raymond Swanland Text: Return target creature to its owner's hand. Its controller loses 1 life.

, but kept Unsummon

Unsummon
	Set: Revised Edition Cost: 1 Color: Blue Type: Instant Rarity: C Artist: Douglas Shuler Text: Return target creature to owner's hand; enchantments on target creature are discarded.

. Admittedly, the 3-4 points of damage accumulated over the game were relevant in that deck. However, it also lost the Phyrexian Mana spells that helped speed up the opponent's clock. This gives Delver an extra turn or two against other aggro or tempo decks. In addition, playing red gives Delver access to Pillar of Flame

Pillar of Flame
	Set: Avacyn Restored Cost: 1 Color: Red Type: Sorcery Rarity: C Number: 149 Artist: Karl Kopinski Text: Pillar of Flame deals 2 damage to target creature or player. If a creature dealt damage this way would die this turn, exile it instead.

and Searing Spear

Searing Spear
	Set: Magic 2013 Cost: 2 Color: Red Type: Instant Rarity: C Number: 147 Artist: Chris Rahn Text: Searing Spear deals 3 damage to target creature or player.

, both of which can make up those last few points of damage.

Nothing can replace Ponder

Ponder
	Set: Lorwyn Cost: 1 Color: Blue Type: Sorcery Rarity: C Number: 79 Artist: Mark Tedin Text: Look at the top three cards of your library, then put them back in any order. You may shuffle your library. Draw a card.

and Gitaxian Probe

Gitaxian Probe
	Set: New Phyrexia Cost: 5 Color: Blue Type: Sorcery Rarity: C Number: 35 Artist: Chippy Text: ({(u/p)} can be paid with either {U} or 2 life.) Look at target player's hand. Draw a card.

, but their rotation makes room for a full playset of 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.

. This instant speed cantrip also helps fill the graveyard with instants and sorceries for Snapcaster Mage

Snapcaster Mage

and Runechanter's Pike

Runechanter's Pike
	Set: Innistrad Cost: 2 Color: Colorless Type: Artifact Sub Type: Equipment Rarity: R Number: 231 Artist: John Avon Text: Equipped creature has first strike and gets +X/+0, where X is the number of instant and sorcery cards in your graveyard. Equip {2}

. I also really like 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.

. In many situations, it works as well as a kicked Into the Roil

Into the Roil
	Set: Zendikar Cost: 2 Color: Blue Type: Instant Rarity: C Number: 48 Artist: Kieran Yanner Text: Kicker {1}{U} (You may pay an additional {1}{U} as you cast this spell.) Return target nonland permanent to its owner's hand. If Into the Roil was kicked, draw a card.

at sorcery speed. It is unfortunate that you cannot detain or bounce your own creature if your opponent does not have a target, but most of the time that is not an issue.

Ash Zealot

Ash Zealot
	Set: Return to Ravnica Cost: 2 Color: Red Type: Creature Sub Type: Human Warrior Rarity: R Number: 86 Artist: Eric Deschamps Power: 2 Toughness: 2 Text: First strike, haste Whenever a player casts a spell from a graveyard, Ash Zealot deals 3 damage to that player.

is also an interesting addition to the deck. When building the deck, I had to decide whether I wanted eight Delvers, eight Snapcaster Mage

Snapcaster Mage

s, or some combination thereof. I tried Augurs of Bolas as additional Snapcaster Mage

Snapcaster Mage

s, and thought they were fine. At this point, though, I like the Aggressive side of Ash Zealot

Ash Zealot
	Set: Return to Ravnica Cost: 2 Color: Red Type: Creature Sub Type: Human Warrior Rarity: R Number: 86 Artist: Eric Deschamps Power: 2 Toughness: 2 Text: First strike, haste Whenever a player casts a spell from a graveyard, Ash Zealot deals 3 damage to that player.

. Assuming you avoid Zombies, it is fairly common that your opponent will not have a creature on turn two. This is where the Zealot can get in for some real damage. Yes, occasionally she makes you Lightning Bolt

Lightning Bolt
	Set: Revised Edition Cost: 1 Color: Red Type: Instant Rarity: C Artist: Christopher Rush Text: Lightning Bolt does 3 damage to one target.

yourself, but it happens to the opponent more often than you might think and every point of damage counts in a Tempo-focused deck like this. The primary aggressive deck I've seen uses mostly humans, so you can side the Zealot out for Stromkirk Noble

Stromkirk Noble
	Set: Innistrad Cost: 1 Color: Red Type: Creature Sub Type: Vampire Rarity: R Number: 164 Artist: James Ryman Power: 1 Toughness: 1 Text: Stromkirk Noble can't be blocked by Humans. Whenever Stromkirk Noble deals combat damage to a player, put a +1/+1 counter on it.

in those situations.

I don't own any Bonfire of the Damned

Bonfire of the Damned
	Set: Avacyn Restored Cost: 1 Color: Red Type: Sorcery Rarity: M Number: 129 Artist: James Paick Text: Bonfire of the Damned deals X damage to target player and each creature he or she controls. Miracle {X}{R} (You may cast this card for its miracle cost when you draw it if it's the first card you drew this turn.)

on Magic Online, but Mizzium Mortars

Mizzium Mortars
	Set: Return to Ravnica Cost: 2 Color: Red Type: Sorcery Rarity: R Number: 101 Artist: Noah Bradley Text: Mizzium Mortars deals 4 damage to target creature you don't control. Overload {3}{R}{R}{R} (You may cast this spell for its overload cost. If you do, change its text by replacing all instances of "target" with "each.")

offers an answer to many of the same aggressive and mid-range decks. The deck has enough removal and cantrips to slow down the opponent long enough to get to Mizzium Mortars

Mizzium Mortars
	Set: Return to Ravnica Cost: 2 Color: Red Type: Sorcery Rarity: R Number: 101 Artist: Noah Bradley Text: Mizzium Mortars deals 4 damage to target creature you don't control. Overload {3}{R}{R}{R} (You may cast this spell for its overload cost. If you do, change its text by replacing all instances of "target" with "each.")

's overload cost more often than not. If you have access to Bonfires, I would definitely play at least a few. In those cases, maybe run extra Bonfires or Mortars in your sideboard.

Delver would not be a deck without its counter spells. Unfortunately, we lost Mana Leak

Mana Leak
	Set: Stronghold Cost: 2 Color: Blue Type: Instant Rarity: C Number: 36 Artist: Christopher Rush Text: Counter target spell unless its caster pays an additional 3.

. We did, however gain 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.

, which is usually a worse Mana Leak

Mana Leak
	Set: Stronghold Cost: 2 Color: Blue Type: Instant Rarity: C Number: 36 Artist: Christopher Rush Text: Counter target spell unless its caster pays an additional 3.

. Luckily, that does not matter. People just do not fear the turn one Delver, turn two flip revealing 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.

the way they did with Mana Leak

Mana Leak
	Set: Stronghold Cost: 2 Color: Blue Type: Instant Rarity: C Number: 36 Artist: Christopher Rush Text: Counter target spell unless its caster pays an additional 3.

. Because of this, several opponents I've seen have simply not played around 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 tapped out while I had two mana untapped. At least twice I've had opponents do this after I revealed the 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.

. They may have been baiting me, but it was still a one for one.

Besides 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.

, with so many of Delver's tools rotating, we have room for Essence Scatter

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

in this build. At first I thought Essence Scatter

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

was about as good as Negate

Negate
	Set: Morningtide Cost: 2 Color: Blue Type: Instant Rarity: C Number: 43 Artist: Jeremy Jarvis Text: Counter target noncreature spell.

, a sideboard card and nothing more. Then I realized that nine out of ten times, Mana Leak

Mana Leak
	Set: Stronghold Cost: 2 Color: Blue Type: Instant Rarity: C Number: 36 Artist: Christopher Rush Text: Counter target spell unless its caster pays an additional 3.

was most brutal when cast to counter a creature. Now, instead of having four good Mana Leak

Mana Leak
	Set: Stronghold Cost: 2 Color: Blue Type: Instant Rarity: C Number: 36 Artist: Christopher Rush Text: Counter target spell unless its caster pays an additional 3.

s, we have six bad Mana Leak

Mana Leak
	Set: Stronghold Cost: 2 Color: Blue Type: Instant Rarity: C Number: 36 Artist: Christopher Rush Text: Counter target spell unless its caster pays an additional 3.

s. I'd still rather have the Mana Leak

Mana Leak
	Set: Stronghold Cost: 2 Color: Blue Type: Instant Rarity: C Number: 36 Artist: Christopher Rush Text: Counter target spell unless its caster pays an additional 3.

s, but it is not a bad substitution.

The Sideboard

The first thing you should notice in my sideboard is the four copies of Stromkirk Noble

Stromkirk Noble
	Set: Innistrad Cost: 1 Color: Red Type: Creature Sub Type: Vampire Rarity: R Number: 164 Artist: James Ryman Power: 1 Toughness: 1 Text: Stromkirk Noble can't be blocked by Humans. Whenever Stromkirk Noble deals combat damage to a player, put a +1/+1 counter on it.

. One of my favorite cards from Innistrad, Stromkirk Noble

Stromkirk Noble
	Set: Innistrad Cost: 1 Color: Red Type: Creature Sub Type: Vampire Rarity: R Number: 164 Artist: James Ryman Power: 1 Toughness: 1 Text: Stromkirk Noble can't be blocked by Humans. Whenever Stromkirk Noble deals combat damage to a player, put a +1/+1 counter on it.

can do a lot. He comes in against humans obviously, but since I don't have Ash Zealot

Ash Zealot
	Set: Return to Ravnica Cost: 2 Color: Red Type: Creature Sub Type: Human Warrior Rarity: R Number: 86 Artist: Eric Deschamps Power: 2 Toughness: 2 Text: First strike, haste Whenever a player casts a spell from a graveyard, Ash Zealot deals 3 damage to that player.

s in paper, I'm going to try him out in the main deck this Friday at Friday Night Magic.

Thundermaw Hellkite

Thundermaw Hellkite
	Set: Magic 2013 Cost: 5 Color: Red Type: Creature Sub Type: Dragon Rarity: M Number: 150 Artist: Svetlin Velinov Power: 5 Toughness: 5 Text: Flying Haste (This creature can attack and {T} as soon as it comes under your control.) When Thundermaw Hellkite enters the battlefield, it deals 1 damage to each creature with flying your opponents control. Tap those creatures.

and Hypersonic Dragon

Hypersonic Dragon
	Set: Return to Ravnica Cost: 5 Color: Multicolor Type: Creature Sub Type: Dragon Rarity: R Number: 170 Artist: Dan Scott Power: 4 Toughness: 4 Text: Flying, haste You may cast sorcery spells as though they had flash. (You may cast them any time you could cast an instant.)

are there for long matchups. I bring them in against control or any mirror matches I may find. The argument could certainly be made to just run 2 Hellkites, but again there is an issue of card availability and Hypersonic Dragon

Hypersonic Dragon
	Set: Return to Ravnica Cost: 5 Color: Multicolor Type: Creature Sub Type: Dragon Rarity: R Number: 170 Artist: Dan Scott Power: 4 Toughness: 4 Text: Flying, haste You may cast sorcery spells as though they had flash. (You may cast them any time you could cast an instant.)

is very affordable. Also, there is something to say about being able to cast the Dragon. Double Red is not hard to achieve, but one of each color is definitely easier. Giving sorceries flash is also something to think about. Mizzium Mortars

Mizzium Mortars
	Set: Return to Ravnica Cost: 2 Color: Red Type: Sorcery Rarity: R Number: 101 Artist: Noah Bradley Text: Mizzium Mortars deals 4 damage to target creature you don't control. Overload {3}{R}{R}{R} (You may cast this spell for its overload cost. If you do, change its text by replacing all instances of "target" with "each.")

and Pillar of Flame

Pillar of Flame
	Set: Avacyn Restored Cost: 1 Color: Red Type: Sorcery Rarity: C Number: 149 Artist: Karl Kopinski Text: Pillar of Flame deals 2 damage to target creature or player. If a creature dealt damage this way would die this turn, exile it instead.

would make great instants.

The additional counterspells are for siding into a control deck. Sometimes Unsummon

Unsummon
	Set: Revised Edition Cost: 1 Color: Blue Type: Instant Rarity: C Artist: Douglas Shuler Text: Return target creature to owner's hand; enchantments on target creature are discarded.

and 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.

do very little. These are the cards you side out. Devil's Play

Devil's Play
	Set: Innistrad Cost: 1 Color: Red Type: Sorcery Rarity: R Number: 140 Artist: Austin Hsu Text: Devil's Play deals X damage to target creature or player. Flashback {X}{R}{R}{R} (You may cast this card from your graveyard for its flashback cost. Then exile it.)

can also fit in somewhere in these matchups. The other card I am thinking of adding is Izzet Charm

Izzet Charm
	Set: Duel Decks Izzet vs. Golgari Cost: 2 Color: Multicolor Type: Instant Rarity: U Number: 21 Artist: Zoltan Boros Text: Choose one — Counter target noncreature spell unless its controller pays {2}; or Izzet Charm deals 2 damage to target creature; or draw two cards, then discard two cards.

. This helps get an extra mana source in a deck with 20 land and can also help once you start top-decking, chipping away at the opponent and filtering through your deck.

Finally, we have my Magical Christmas Land card, Essence Backlash

Essence Backlash
	Set: Return to Ravnica Cost: 4 Color: Multicolor Type: Instant Rarity: C Number: 160 Artist: Jung Park Text: Counter target creature spell. Essence Backlash deals damage equal to that spell's power to its controller.

. In the previous standard format, as Phyrexian Obliterator

Phyrexian Obliterator
	Set: New Phyrexia Cost: 4 Color: Black Type: Creature Sub Type: Horror Rarity: M Number: 68 Artist: Todd Lockwood Power: 5 Toughness: 5 Text: Trample Whenever a source deals damage to Phyrexian Obliterator, that source's controller sacrifices that many permanents.

became more popular, I started running Wrack With Madness in my sideboard. One day, my dream came true and I forced my opponent to sacrifice all of his permanents. One day, I will counter a Thragtusk

Thragtusk
	Set: Magic 2013 Cost: 5 Color: Green Type: Creature Sub Type: Beast Rarity: R Number: 193 Artist: Nils Hamm Power: 5 Toughness: 3 Text: When Thragtusk enters the battlefield, you gain 5 life. When Thragtusk leaves the battlefield, put a 3/3 green Beast creature token onto the battlefield.

with Essence Backlash

Essence Backlash
	Set: Return to Ravnica Cost: 4 Color: Multicolor Type: Instant Rarity: C Number: 160 Artist: Jung Park Text: Counter target creature spell. Essence Backlash deals damage equal to that spell's power to its controller.

to kill my opponent. This card is great, since many decks rely on Thragtusk

Thragtusk
	Set: Magic 2013 Cost: 5 Color: Green Type: Creature Sub Type: Beast Rarity: R Number: 193 Artist: Nils Hamm Power: 5 Toughness: 3 Text: When Thragtusk enters the battlefield, you gain 5 life. When Thragtusk leaves the battlefield, put a 3/3 green Beast creature token onto the battlefield.

to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. Essence Backlash

Essence Backlash
	Set: Return to Ravnica Cost: 4 Color: Multicolor Type: Instant Rarity: C Number: 160 Artist: Jung Park Text: Counter target creature spell. Essence Backlash deals damage equal to that spell's power to its controller.

turns that five life gained into five life lost. This is huge in a tempo deck. If you cannot do that last little bit of damage after an Essence Backlash

Essence Backlash
	Set: Return to Ravnica Cost: 4 Color: Multicolor Type: Instant Rarity: C Number: 160 Artist: Jung Park Text: Counter target creature spell. Essence Backlash deals damage equal to that spell's power to its controller.

, there are very few cards that could have saved you.

Playing the Deck

When you look at your opening hand, it is important to have and be able to case either Delver or Ash Zealot

Ash Zealot
	Set: Return to Ravnica Cost: 2 Color: Red Type: Creature Sub Type: Human Warrior Rarity: R Number: 86 Artist: Eric Deschamps Power: 2 Toughness: 2 Text: First strike, haste Whenever a player casts a spell from a graveyard, Ash Zealot deals 3 damage to that player.

. You need to be hitting your opponent on turn two. Multiple 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.

s can make a creatureless hand playable, but 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.

isn't Ponder

Ponder
	Set: Lorwyn Cost: 1 Color: Blue Type: Sorcery Rarity: C Number: 79 Artist: Mark Tedin Text: Look at the top three cards of your library, then put them back in any order. You may shuffle your library. Draw a card.

or Gitaxian Probe

Gitaxian Probe
	Set: New Phyrexia Cost: 5 Color: Blue Type: Sorcery Rarity: C Number: 35 Artist: Chippy Text: ({(u/p)} can be paid with either {U} or 2 life.) Look at target player's hand. Draw a card.

. You still need something on turn one or two. The deck also has plenty of ways to spend its mana, so keeping a four-lander is not the worst thing in the world. Like many decks, it's always shaky to keep a one land hand, but if you have multiple Delvers or 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.

s, this is doable as well. I really like playing 20 lands, because it is not as difficult to hit your first few land drops without relying on cantrips. That was always my biggest issue with the 19 land Delver decks: I always got mana screwed.

You don't have many creatures in the deck, so avoid unfavorable trades and don't be afraid to use an Unsummon

Unsummon
	Set: Revised Edition Cost: 1 Color: Blue Type: Instant Rarity: C Artist: Douglas Shuler Text: Return target creature to owner's hand; enchantments on target creature are discarded.

to dodge a removal spell (I guess sometimes Unsummon

Unsummon
	Set: Revised Edition Cost: 1 Color: Blue Type: Instant Rarity: C Artist: Douglas Shuler Text: Return target creature to owner's hand; enchantments on target creature are discarded.

is better than Vapor Snag

Vapor Snag
	Set: New Phyrexia Cost: 1 Color: Blue Type: Instant Rarity: C Number: 48 Artist: Raymond Swanland Text: Return target creature to its owner's hand. Its controller loses 1 life.

.) Also, this deck can be very aggressive. Don't horde your counterspells and removal. You need to win before they play their big flashy six drop anyway. This deck is deceptively aggressive. It consistently kills by turn five or six if you can keep your opponent from amassing a huge board.

That's all I have for now. Please let me know what you think about the deck on the boards. You can also follow me @khalman on Twitter, email me at kitchenfinkspodcast@gmail.com, and hear me on the Kitchen Finks

Kitchen Finks
	Set: Shadowmoor Cost: 5 Color: Multicolor Type: Creature Sub Type: Ouphe Rarity: U Number: 229 Artist: Kev Walker Power: 3 Toughness: 2 Text: When Kitchen Finks comes into play, you gain 2 life. Persist (When this creature is put into a graveyard from play, if it had no -1/-1 counters on it, return it to play under its owner's control with a -1/-1 counter on it.)

Podcast available at mtgcast.com. Thanks for reading!

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