CardShark Content - Vincent Lovaglio (12/2/2003)

This is my first article for the site so I would like to tell everyone about myself and what my weekly articles will b about. I started playing Magic the Gathering about one year ago. I have a 1749 Constructed Rating and have several JSS and PTQ Top 8s. I'm going to be writing weekly (hopefully) about a recent FNM and a review of the metagame. And, well, here's the article, so, savage readings (or something like that).

I arrive at Mark's Comics and Collectibles, the best Magic store in the world (shameless plug), at 5:30, ready for the 6:00 tournament. Surpisingly, I see the hated little midget (he's really not a midget, just a jerk, and no offense to my midgets out there) T.J. He apparently came to shout at everyone who was passing that he made Amsterdam. Whoopdedoo.


I'm running everyone's favorite deck (I know it is so don't lie), U/W Control. Here is a list because everyone just loves those lists. No card by card analysts though; I'm too lazy for that. (Woah, I just used a semicolon!)


Creatures 6
2 Exalted Angel

Exalted Angel
	Set: Onslaught Cost: 6 Color: White Type: Creature Sub Type: Angel Rarity: R Number: 28 Artist: Michael Sutfin Power: 4 Toughness: 5 Text: Flying. Whenever Exalted Angel deals damage, you gain that much life. Morph 2WW (You may play this face down as a 2/2 creature for 3. Turn it face up any time for its morph cost.)

3 Eternal Dragon

Eternal Dragon
	Set: Scourge Cost: 7 Color: White Type: Creature Sub Type: Dragon Spirit Rarity: R Number: 12 Artist: Justin Sweet Power: 5 Toughness: 5 Text: Flying. 3WW: Return Eternal Dragon from your graveyard to your hand. Play this ability only during your upkeep. Plainscycling 2

1 Akroma, Angel of Wrath

Akroma, Angel of Wrath
	Set: Legions Cost: 8 Color: White Type: Creature Sub Type: Angel Legend Rarity: R Number: 1 Artist: Ron Spears Power: 6 Toughness: 6 Text: Flying, first strike, trample, haste, protection from black, protection from red Attacking doesn’t cause Akroma, Angel of Wrath to tap.

Counterspell

Counterspell
	Set: Revised Edition Cost: 2 Color: Blue Type: Instant Rarity: U Artist: Mark Poole Text: Counters target spell as it is being cast.

s 10
4 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.

2 Complicate

Complicate
	Set: Onslaught Cost: 3 Color: Blue Type: Instant Rarity: U Number: 76 Artist: Scott M. Fischer Text: Counter target spell unless its controller pays 3. Cycling 2U (2U, Discard this card from your hand: Draw a card.) When you cycle Complicate, you may counter target spell unless its controller pays 1.

4 Rewind

Rewind
	Set: Urza's Saga Cost: 4 Color: Blue Type: Instant Rarity: C Number: 93 Artist: Carl Critchlow Text: Counter target spell. Untap up to four lands.

Creature/Board Control 11
4 Wing Shards

Wing Shards
	Set: Scourge Cost: 3 Color: White Type: Instant Rarity: U Number: 25 Artist: Darren Bader Text: Target player sacrifices an attacking creature. Storm

3 QWtyb21hJ3MgVengeance

Vengeance
	Set: Portal Second Age Cost: 4 Color: White Type: Sorcery Rarity: U Artist: Keith Parkinson Text: Destroy any one tapped creature.

4 Wrath of God

Wrath of God
	Set: Revised Edition Cost: 4 Color: White Type: Sorcery Rarity: R Artist: Quinton Hoover Text: All creatures in play are buried.

Utility/Fun Win Condition 5
2 Renewed Faith

Renewed Faith
	Set: Onslaught Cost: 3 Color: White Type: Instant Rarity: C Number: 50 Artist: Dave Dorman Text: You gain 6 life. Cycling 1W (1W, Discard this card from your hand: Draw a card.) When you cycle Renewed Faith, you may gain 2 life.

3 Decree of Justice

Decree of Justice
	Set: Scourge Cost: 5 Color: White Type: Sorcery Rarity: R Number: 8 Artist: Adam Rex Text: Put X 4/4 white Angel creature tokens with flying into play. Cycling 2W When you cycle Decree of Justice, you may pay X. If you do, put X 1/1 white Soldier creature tokens into play.

Card Drawers 4
4 Concentrate

Concentrate
	Set: Odyssey Cost: 4 Color: Blue Type: Sorcery Rarity: U Number: 78 Artist: Glen Angus & Arnie Swekel Text: Draw three cards.

Land 24
4 Coastal Tower

Coastal Tower
	Set: Invasion Color: Land Type: Land Rarity: U Number: 321 Artist: Don Hazeltine Text: Coastal Tower comes into play tapped.T: Add W or U to your mana pool.

4 Flood

Flood
	Set: Fourth Edition Cost: 1 Color: Blue Type: Enchantment Rarity: C Artist: Dennis Detwiller Text: UU: Tap target creature without flying.

ed Stand
9 Plains

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

7 Island

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

Sideboard 15 (Obviously)
4 Karma

Karma
	Set: Revised Edition Cost: 4 Color: White Type: Enchantment Rarity: U Artist: Richard Thomas Text: During a player's upkeep, Karma does 1 point of damage to that player for each swamp he or she has in play.

4 Circle of Protection: Red
3 March of the Machines

March of the Machines
	Set: Mirrodin Cost: 4 Color: Blue Type: Enchantment Rarity: R Number: 42 Artist: Ben Thompson Text: Each noncreature artifact is an artifact creature with power and toughness each equal to its converted mana cost. (Equipment that's a creature can't equip a creature.)

2 Scrabbling Claws

Scrabbling Claws
	Set: Mirrodin Cost: 1 Color: Colorless Type: Artifact Rarity: U Number: 237 Artist: Thomas M. Baxa Text: T: Target player removes a card in his or her graveyard from the game. 1, Sacrifice Scrabbling Claws: Remove target card in a graveyard from the game. Draw a card.

2 Stabilizer

Stabilizer
	Set: Scourge Cost: 2 Color: Colorless Type: Artifact Rarity: R Number: 142 Artist: David Martin Text: Players can't cycle cards. ´´Hold that thought.´´ - Pemmin, Riptide survivor.

By no way is this the best list available. I think that the Concentrate

Concentrate
	Set: Odyssey Cost: 4 Color: Blue Type: Sorcery Rarity: U Number: 78 Artist: Glen Angus & Arnie Swekel Text: Draw three cards.

s should be changed to Thirst

Thirst
	Set: Mirage Cost: 3 Color: Blue Type: Enchant Creature Rarity: C Artist: Roger Raupp Text: When Thirst comes into play, tap enchanted creature.During your upkeep, pay U or bury Thirst.Enchanted creature does not untap during its controller's untap phase.

IGZvciBLbm93bGVkZ2U= because of its instant speed, and Solemn Simulacreaum should be in the main because it kicks the mirror match in the, well, let's not go there. An interesting sideboard choice is the March of the Machines

March of the Machines
	Set: Mirrodin Cost: 4 Color: Blue Type: Enchantment Rarity: R Number: 42 Artist: Ben Thompson Text: Each noncreature artifact is an artifact creature with power and toughness each equal to its converted mana cost. (Equipment that's a creature can't equip a creature.)

. I haven't seen many lists with this in the board but it completely wrecks the most popular deck in the format, Affinity. Turn 4, March of the Machines

March of the Machines
	Set: Mirrodin Cost: 4 Color: Blue Type: Enchantment Rarity: R Number: 42 Artist: Ben Thompson Text: Each noncreature artifact is an artifact creature with power and toughness each equal to its converted mana cost. (Equipment that's a creature can't equip a creature.)

, destroy all your lands. Turn 5, Wrath of God

Wrath of God
	Set: Revised Edition Cost: 4 Color: White Type: Sorcery Rarity: R Artist: Quinton Hoover Text: All creatures in play are buried.

, you scoop.


Well, on to the tournament!


Round 1: Squirrel! (He really looks like a squirrel)! playing Mono Blue Control
I vaguely remember this match. In both games I remember him tapping out for Quicksilver Dragon

Quicksilver Dragon
	Set: Onslaught Cost: 6 Color: Blue Type: Creature Sub Type: Dragon Rarity: R Number: 103 Artist: Ron Spencer Power: 5 Toughness: 5 Text: Flying. U: If target spell has only one target and that target is Quicksilver Dragon, change that spell's target to another creature.. Morph 4U (You may play this face down as a 2/2 creature for 3. Turn it face up any time for its morph cost.)

and me answering with a 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.

. I can't resolve a spell because he's playing abotu 20 counters so I wait until I have about 10 or so lands and cycle a big Decree of Justice

Decree of Justice
	Set: Scourge Cost: 5 Color: White Type: Sorcery Rarity: R Number: 8 Artist: Adam Rex Text: Put X 4/4 white Angel creature tokens with flying into play. Cycling 2W When you cycle Decree of Justice, you may pay X. If you do, put X 1/1 white Soldier creature tokens into play.

. (The only counterspell he wasn't playing was Stifle

Stifle
	Set: Scourge Cost: 1 Color: Blue Type: Instant Rarity: R Number: 52 Artist: Dany Orizio Text: Counter target activated or triggered ability.

, not even in the board)


In between rounds I go to the grocery store and get the judge a bag of chips (I was trying to get on his good side and win some store credit for sportsmanship)(Don't tell him I said that). I also traded my Glorious Anthem

Glorious Anthem
	Set: Urza's Saga Cost: 3 Color: White Type: Enchantment Rarity: R Number: 15 Artist: Kev Walker Text: All creatures you control get +1/+1.

for 2 Broodstar

Broodstar
	Set: Mirrodin Cost: 10 Color: Blue Type: Creature Sub Type: Beast Rarity: R Number: 31 Artist: Glen Angus Power: * Toughness: * Text: Affinity for artifacts (This spell costs 1 less to play for each artifact you control.) Flying Broodstar's power and toughness are each equal to the number of artifacts you control.

s. (Savage misings, or something like that). I finally found out why God made little kids who play Magic, to get ripped off.


Round 2: Hal playing White Weenie
This is another easy match for me. He starts off quick with triple Savannah Lions

Savannah Lions
	Set: Revised Edition Cost: 1 Color: White Type: Creature Sub Type: Lions Rarity: R Artist: Daniel Gelon Power: 2 Toughness: 1

and double Silver Knight

Silver Knight
	Set: Scourge Cost: 2 Color: White Type: Creature Sub Type: Knight Rarity: U Number: 23 Artist: Edward P. Beard, Jr. Power: 2 Toughness: 2 Text: First strike. Protection from red.

. He has no cards in hand so I Wrath away the board. I counter his next threat with a Rewind

Rewind
	Set: Urza's Saga Cost: 4 Color: Blue Type: Instant Rarity: C Number: 93 Artist: Carl Critchlow Text: Counter target spell. Untap up to four lands.

, untap and make two soldiers. Next turn I play a Salty Exalty and he scoops.
The second game was uneventful. He got stuck on 1 land and I Wing Sharded his Lions away.


Round 3: T.J. (Most annoying person in the world) playing R/G LD
Game 1: I really hate this kid. He starts off by saying that the good player always wins, that's why he always wins. He then calls be a barn and a scrub. My strange reply is, ´´I may be a scrub but I don't have enough cards to be a Barn!´´ That shut him up and I take the offensive by singing the Pokemon theme song. I beat him game 1 with a turn 6 face up Angel. He scoops.
Game 2: He has the turn 2 LD and the the turn 4 Plow Under

Plow Under
	Set: Urza's Destiny Cost: 5 Color: Green Type: Sorcery Rarity: R Number: 117 Artist: Edward P. Beard, Jr. Text: Put two target lands on top of their owner's library.

. I scoop.
Game 3: A long and boring game. I have about 14 land out but he is holding two starstorms. I obviously topdeck the Akroma and fly over for the win. (Savage beats. or something like that).


Round 4: Kenny playing MBC
We agree to do a credit split and he beats me 2-0 despite me getting a Karma

Karma
	Set: Revised Edition Cost: 4 Color: White Type: Enchantment Rarity: U Artist: Richard Thomas Text: During a player's upkeep, Karma does 1 point of damage to that player for each swamp he or she has in play.

out in game 2 and another one after he blew up the world with a Stone.


I get 16 Credit for my efforts and then ask the judge if I can get 33 Credit for Sportsmanship because I didn't punch T.J. in the face. To my disbelief he says yes. I check my credit and see that I have 75 so I get my box of Mirroding and leave.


I hope that everyone enjoyed my report and my view on what I think is the best deck in Standard. Until the next time, savage misings! (or something like that)

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