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[Artifact]

So, a few years ago I tried my hand at a 3-color Zoo deck, but I kind of missed the mark by having too many high-cc creatures. So this past weekend I tried again, and here's what I have so far:

Artifact: 3

1 AEther Vial
1 Sensei's Divining Top
1 Winter Orb

Creature: 40
1 Accorder Paladin
1 Bloodbraid Elf
1 Bloodhall Ooze
1 Boggart Ram-Gang
1 Changeling Berserker
1 Cloistered Youth
1 Dryad Militant
1 Elite Vanguard
1 Experiment One
1 Figure of Destiny
1 Ghor-Clan Rampager
1 Goblin Guide
1 Horned Kavu
1 Isamaru, Hound of Konda
1 Jackal Pup
1 Jungle Lion
1 Kird Ape
1 Loam Lion
1 Memnite
1 Mirran Crusader
1 Porcelain Legionnaire
1 Pouncing Jaguar
1 Reckless Waif
1 Rumbling Slum
1 Savannah Lions
1 Serra Avenger
1 Skinshifter
1 Skyshroud Elite
1 Sparkcaster
1 Stormblood Berserker
1 Tarmogoyf
1 Tattermunge Maniac
1 Uktabi Drake
1 Watchwolf
1 Wild Leotau
1 Wild Nacatl
1 Wojek Halberdiers
1 Woolly Thoctar
1 Advent of the Wurm (instant, makes 5/5 dude)
1 Call of the Conclave (sorcery, makes 3/3 dude)

Enchantment: 3

1 Fires of Yavimaya
1 Mass Hysteria
1 Rancor

Instant: 15

1 Beast Within
1 Boros Charm
1 Burst Lightning
1 Congregation at Dawn
1 Ghostway
1 Krosan Grip
1 Lightning Bolt
1 Lightning Helix
1 Magma Jet
1 Naya Charm
1 Path to Exile
1 Ready // Willing
1 Selesnya Charm
1 Swords to Plowshares
1 Wear // Tear

Planeswalker: 2

1 Ajani Goldmane
1 Garruk Wildspeaker

Sorcery: 2

1 Browbeat
1 Harmonize

Land: 35

1 Arid Mesa
1 Copperline Gorge
1 Fire-Lit Thicket
5 Forest
1 Jungle Shrine
1 Krosan Verge
1 Mishra's Factory
4 Mountain
1 Naya Panorama
4 Plains
1 Plateau
1 Razorverge Thicket
1 Reflecting Pool
1 Rith's Grove
1 Rootbound Crag
1 Rugged Prairie
1 Sacred Foundry
1 Skarrg, the Rage Pits
1 Stomping Ground
1 Sunpetal Grove
1 Temple Garden
1 Terramorphic Expanse
1 Treetop Village
1 Wasteland
1 Wooded Bastion

I haven't seen any other Zoo lists, but I know they've been kicking around for a while. So, if any has any suggestions, or links to "proven" decks, would love to see them... thanks!

Yep; still kicking out here...

This deck idea suggested itself to me while looking at some blue rare cards... The idea is to put out efficient and evasive (flying, shadow, unblockable) creatures and have enough mana to counter and/or bounce threats.

Here's the first draft:

Creatures (40)

1 Spiketail Drakeling
1 Errant Ephemeron
1 Augury Owl
1 Wind Zendikon (enchantment; makes creature)
1 Skaab Ruinator
1 Stitched Drake
1 Phantom Warrior
1 Spellstutter Sprite
1 Latch Seeker
1 Vexing Sphinx
1 Zephyr Sprite
1 Spire Golem
1 Briarberry Cohort
1 Riftwing Cloudskate
1 Horizon Drake
1 Jace's Phantasm
1 Cloudskate
1 Delver of Secrets
1 Inkfathom Infiltrator
1 Dewdrop Spy
1 Judge's Familiar
1 Faerie Impostor
1 Surveilling Sprite
1 Infiltrator il-Kor
1 Scrapskin Drake
1 Coralhelm Commander
1 Stormbound Geist
1 Hovermyr
1 Wasp Lancer
1 Invisible Stalker
1 Wormfang Drake
1 Flying Men
1 Illusionary Servant
1 Kathari Screecher
1 Sprite Noble
1 Serendib Efreet
1 Cloud Elemental
1 Spindrift Drake
1 Vendilion Clique
1 Angel's Tomb (artifact but becomes creature)

Counterspells (17)

1 Faerie Trickery
1 Familiar's Ruse
1 Turn Aside
1 Dispel
1 Counterspell
1 Negate
1 Deprive
1 Mana Leak
1 Hinder
1 Remand
1 Stoic Rebuttal
1 Force of Will
1 Cancel
1 Forbid
1 Dream Fracture
1 Dissipate
1 Cryptic Command

Bounce (4)

1 Disperse
1 Boomerang
1 Into the Roil
1 Echoing Truth

Other (5)

1 Bonesplitter
1 Grafted Wargear
1 Oblivion Stone
1 Shuko
1 Sensei's Divining Top

Lands (34)

28 Island
1 Remote Isle
1 Faerie Conclave
1 Halimar Depths
1 Lonely Sandbar
1 Mishra's Factory
1 Wasteland

A few comments...

1. I considered White as an additional color as of course there are good white fliers BUT I decided to keep it mono blue to strengthen the control parts of the deck.

2. Not sure about the mana balance... On the one hand control likes abundant mana sources; on the other aggro likes to keep it lean. Initial testing suggests that 34 (current land complement) may be a good balance.

3. I am unsure about 40 as a good number of creatures, BUT in other decks with some similar characteristics I have too often found myself unable to keep a creature or two in hand. In other words, I want to maximize odds of drawing/having creatures available to cast.

4. I have purposely left out some aspects that would normally be auto-includes in Blue decks (like Jace, card draw, etc.) I did this in consideration of (3) above as well as ensuring a reasonable abundance of counterspells.

4. In selecting spells that are creatures (or create creatures, like the Zendikon), I limited myself to a maximum casting cost of 3.

Any input is most welcome.

And here's another kitchen table brew, but I have a feeling it could be more...

// Lands
   1 Mishra's Factory
   1 Bayou
   5 Island
   7 Forest
   6 Swamp
   1 Terramorphic Expanse
   1 Overgrown Tomb
   1 Wasteland
   1 Tropical Island
   1 Watery Grave
   1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
   1 Twilight Mire
   1 Sunken Ruins
   1 Volrath's Stronghold
   1 Misty Rainforest
   1 Drowned Catacomb
   1 Inkmoth Nexus
   1 Flooded Grove
   1 Underground River
   1 Llanowar Wastes
   1 Yavimaya Coast

// Creatures
   1 Blight Mamba
   1 Glistener Elf
   1 Plague Myr
   1 Phyrexian Vatmother
   1 Phyrexian Swarmlord
   1 Phyrexian Juggernaut
   1 Phyrexian Hydra
   1 Necropede
   1 Ichorclaw Myr
   1 Ichor Rats
   1 Hand of the Praetors
   1 Plague Stinger
   1 Flesh-Eater Imp
   1 Flensermite
   1 Cystbearer
   1 Corpse Cur
   1 Contagious Nim
   1 Chained Throatseeker
   1 Blightwidow
   1 Blighted Agent
   1 Viridian Corrupter
   1 Thrummingbird
   1 Core Prowler
   1 Whispering Specter
   1 Putrefax
   1 Viral Drake
   1 Spinebiter
   1 Skithiryx, the Blight Dragon
   1 Septic Rats
   1 Rot Wolf
   1 Reaper of Sheoldred
   1 Tangle Angler

// Spells
   1 Fact or Fiction
   1 Putrefy
   1 Ferocious Charge
   1 Giant Growth
   1 Demonic Tutor
   1 Diabolic Edict
   1 Decree of Pain
   1 Doom Blade
   1 Oblivion Stone
   1 Black Sun's Zenith
   1 Damnation
   1 Sensei's Divining Top
   1 Loxodon Warhammer
   1 Sword of Light and Shadow
   1 Sword of Fire and Ice
   1 Garruk Wildspeaker
   1 Rancor
   1 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
   1 Carrion Call
   1 Grafted Wargear
   1 Corrupted Conscience
   1 Tezzeret's Gambit
   1 Steady Progress
   1 Contagion Engine
   1 Contagion Clasp
   1 Trigon of Infestation
   1 Swiftfoot Boots
   1 Worldly Tutor
   1 Beast Within
   1 Sword of Vengeance
   1 Krosan Grip
   1 Go for the Throat

(edit) - Phyrexian Crusader is an obvious inclusion; will swap it in for one of the less efficient creatures as soon as I get my hands on one.

Any thoughts?

And it is...

Lands (40 for mana production, incl. 3 wasteland effects))
    1 Reflecting Pool
    6 Forest
    6 Swamp
    9 Mountain
    1 Twilight Mire
    1 Graven Cairns
    1 Fire-Lit Thicket
    1 Terramorphic Expanse
    1 Jund Panorama
    1 Savage Lands
    1 Stomping Ground
    1 Maze of Ith
    1 Blood Crypt
    1 Overgrown Tomb
    1 Bayou
    1 Darigaaz's Caldera
    1 Mishra's Factory
    1 Ghitu Encampment
    1 Treetop Village
    1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth

    1 Wasteland
    1 Tectonic Edge
    1 Dust Bowl

Creatures
    1 Shivan Wumpus
    1 Terravore
    1 Magnivore
    1 Birds of Paradise
    1 Thresher Beast
    1 Dirtcowl Wurm
    1 Argothian Wurm
    1 Scuttlemutt
    1 Helldozer
    1 Goblin Ruinblaster
    1 Goblin Gardener
    1 Fulminator Mage
    1 Faultgrinder
    1 Dwarven Driller
    1 Barbarian Riftcutter
    1 Avalanche Riders
    1 Acidic Slime
    1 Ravaging Horde
    1 Ogre Arsonist
    1 Eternal Witness

Spells: LD
    1 Wrecking Ball
    1 Wreak Havoc
    1 Winter's Grasp
    1 Thermokarst
    1 Reap and Sow
    1 Despoil
    1 Frenzied Tilling
    1 Icequake
    1 Creeping Mold
    1 Choking Sands
    1 Blight
    1 Aftershock
    1 Price of Glory
    1 Stone Rain
    1 Seismic Spike
    1 Roiling Terrain
    1 Raze
    1 Rancid Earth
    1 Rain of Tears
    1 Incendiary Command
    1 Poison the Well
    1 Plunder
    1 Pillage
    1 Mwonvuli Acid-Moss
    1 Molten Rain
    1 Melt Terrain
    1 Boom/Bust
   
Spells: other utility
    1 Darksteel Ingot
    1 Damnation
    1 Go for the Throat
    1 Decree of Pain
    1 Putrefy
    1 Demonic Tutor
    1 Debtors' Knell
    1 Profane Command
    1 Black Sun's Zenith
    1 Sensei's Divining Top
    1 Oblivion Stone   
    1 Terminate

Would love any suggestions. Yes there are some cards in here that are sub-optimal; please (if you can) provide possibilities for replacement. Thanks!   

ETB is, of course, short for Comes into Play I mean Enters the Battlefield. The idea is to abuse various creatures' CIP/ETB effects. Five-color so far but I could undoubtedly be talked into reducing to 3 or 4 colors.

Lands (39)
    1 Steam Vents
    1 Blood Crypt
    1 Vivid Creek
    1 Marsh Flats
    1 Vivid Meadow
    1 Overgrown Tomb
    1 Arcane Sanctum
    1 Watery Grave
    1 Evolving Wilds
    1 Plains
    1 Tropical Island
    1 Godless Shrine
    1 Crumbling Necropolis
    1 Mountain
    1 Hallowed Fountain
    1 Misty Rainforest
    1 Arid Mesa
    1 Mishra's Factory
    1 Seaside Citadel
    1 Vivid Crag
    1 Sacred Foundry
    1 Forest
    1 Scalding Tarn
    1 Swamp
    1 Jungle Shrine
    1 Stomping Ground
    1 Vivid Marsh
    1 Mutavault
    1 Vivid Grove
    1 Dust Bowl
    1 Island
    1 Bayou
    1 Plateau
    1 Rupture Spire
    1 Reflecting Pool
    1 Verdant Catacombs
    1 Savage Lands
    1 Wasteland
    1 Temple Garden

Creatures with ETB effects:

    1 Broodmate Dragon
    1 Blind Hunter
    1 Acidic Slime
    1 Avenger of Zendikar
    1 Augury Owl
    1 Angel of Despair
    1 AEther Adept
    1 Triskelion
    1 Shriekmaw
    1 Karmic Guide
    1 Gravedigger
    1 Mnemonic Wall
    1 Woodfall Primus
    1 Nekrataal
    1 Eternal Witness
    1 Sage of Epityr
    1 Man-o'-War
    1 Harmonic Sliver
    1 Riftwing Cloudskate
    1 Flametongue Kavu
    1 Siege-Gang Commander
    1 Ogre Arsonist
    1 Llanowar Empath
    1 Venser, Shaper Savant
    1 Ravaging Horde
    1 Kitchen Finks
    1 Duplicant
    1 Nevermaker (well, leave-play effect but okay)
    1 Skinrender
    1 Mulldrifter
    1 Wall of Omens
    1 Murderous Redcap
    1 Indrik Stomphowler
    1 Grave Titan

Bounce/Blink effects

    1 Galepowder Mage
    1 Kor Skyfisher
    1 Stonecloaker
    1 Glimmerpoint Stag
    1 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
    1 Snap
    1 Crystal Shard
    1 Momentary Blink
    1 Seal of Removal
    1 Into the Roil
    1 Cloudstone Curio
    1 Venser, the Sojourner
    1 Echoing Truth
    1 Sunken Hope
    1 Flickerwisp

Other general utility

    1 Genesis
    1 Aura Shards
    1 Demonic Tutor
    1 Swords to Plowshares
    1 Wrath of God
    1 Darksteel Ingot
    1 Day of Judgment
    1 Coldsteel Heart
    1 Putrefy
    1 Sensei's Divining Top
    1 Mortify
    1 Damnation

Feedback greatly appreciated...

I'm sure most of you have seen the announcement from WotC on their new EDH Commander stuff:

http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Article.aspx?x=mtg/daily/feature/119k

Speculation on how/if this will impact the original Highlander format?

Using an approach I've actually been considering for years; severe hand disruption and trying to take advantage of it.

After including all the cards that I thought were worthwhile, there were yet some open slots so I filled them with off-theme cards that nevertheless are playable. Anyway, I have NO doubt that I have overlooked some worthwhile cards and/or synergies; any suggestions are most welcome!

Lands (36)
    1 Wasteland
    1 Dust Bowl
    1 Tectonic Edge
    1 Spawning Pool
    1 Leechridden Swamp
    1 Cabal Coffers
    24 Swamp
    1 Maze of Ith
    1 Barren Moor
    1 Mutavault
    1 Mishra's Factory
    1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
    1 Polluted Mire

Discard
    1 Augur of Skulls
    1 Oona's Prowler
    1 Mindslicer
    1 Hag Hedge-Mage
    1 Bloodhusk Ritualist
    1 Hypnotic Specter
    1 Abyssal Nocturnus
    1 Ravenous Rats
    1 Silent Specter
    1 Hollow Specter
    1 Guul Draz Specter
    1 Abyssal Specter
    1 Shimian Specter
    1 Order of Yawgmoth
    1 Scepter of Fugue
    1 Blackmail
    1 Wrench Mind
    1 Hymn to Tourach
    1 Stupor
    1 Thoughtseize
    1 Duress
    1 Inquisition of Kozilek
    1 Distress
    1 Liliana Vess
    1 Unburden
    1 Mind Shatter

Synergy with Discard
    1 Megrim
    1 Quest for the Nihil Stone
    1 Rise from the Grave
    1 Animate Dead
    1 Beacon of Unrest
    1 Sign in Blood

Other
    1 Oona, Queen of the Fae
    1 Magus of the Coffers
    1 Faerie Macabre
    1 Creakwood Liege
    1 Helldozer
    1 Stillmoon Cavalier
    1 Visara the Dreadful
    1 Shriekmaw
    1 Graveborn Muse
    1 Withered Wretch
    1 Nekrataal
    1 Relic of Progenitus
    1 Tormod's Crypt
    1 Scrabbling Claws
    1 Decree of Pain
    1 Hideous End
    1 Hideous Laughter
    1 Sensei's Divining Top
    1 Phyrexian Furnace
    1 Demonic Tutor
    1 Diabolic Tutor
    1 Damnation
    1 Shred Memory
    1 Phyrexian Arena
    1 Chainer's Edict
    1 Night's Whisper
    1 Rend Flesh
    1 Bitterblossom
    1 Consuming Vapors
    1 Crucible of Worlds
    1 Chill to the Bone
    1 Dark Ritual

Yes, there is a LOT of graveyard hate; I believe this is necessary considering how the deck works (although I may have gone overboard here).

I would love to hear any ideas you have!

This deck is purely for the Timmy that lurks in many of us. I have no ambitions of getting this to true competitiveness, but hey good fun all around. (Besides, preliminary playing around the kitchen table suggests that - like many slow decks are - it could be good for multiplayer games.)

Lands (39)

1 Evolving Wilds
1 Eye of Ugin
1 Jund Panorama
1 Tranquil Thicket
1 Temple of the False God
1 Forgotten Cave
1 Treetop Village
1 Eldrazi Temple
1 Verdant Catacombs
8 Forest
1 Dust Bowl
1 Mishra's Factory
1 Savage Lands
1 Mutavault
1 Maze of Ith
1 Barren Moor
1 Wasteland
6 Mountain
9 Swamp

Creatures (24)

1 Beastbreaker of Bala Ged
1 Noble Hierarch
1 Dread Drone
1 Artisan of Kozilek
1 Platinum Angel
1 Birds of Paradise
1 Hand of Emrakul
1 Ulamog's Crusher
1 Emrakul, the Aeons Torn
1 Ondu Giant
1 Kozilek's Predator
1 It That Betrays
1 Overgrown Battlement
1 Broodwarden
1 Joraga Treespeaker
1 Pawn of Ulamog
1 Rapacious One
1 Pathrazer of Ulamog
1 Darksteel Colossus
1 Farhaven Elf
1 Nest Invader
1 Kozilek, Butcher of Truth
1 Emrakul's Hatcher
1 Silverglade Elemental

Other Spells (37)

1 Cruel Edict
1 Mana Flare
1 Damnation
1 Not Of This World
1 Diabolic Edict
1 Consume the Meek
1 Phyrexian Furnace
1 Lotus Bloom
1 Realms Uncharted
1 Chainer's Edict
1 Skittering Invasion
1 Corpsehatch
1 Brood Birthing
1 Darksteel Ingot
1 Essence Feed
1 Primal Command
1 Chrome Mox
1 Awakening Zone
1 Krosan Grip
1 Creeping Mold
1 Rampant Growth
1 Growth Spasm
1 Kodama's Reach
1 Worldly Tutor
1 Diabolic Tutor
1 Harmonize
1 Quicksilver Amulet
1 Ancient Stirrings
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Spawning Breath
1 Sensei's Divining Top
1 All Is Dust
1 Eldrazi Conscription
1 Thran Dynamo
1 Gilded Lotus
1 Dreamstone Hedron
1 Lightning Greaves

Other cards in consideration:

Garruk
Doubling Season
Putrefy
Shred Memory

Any other thoughts/ideas?

I set up a Landfall deck a couple months ago, as a fun/casual deck. My youngest son (although he'll be 21 this summer  ), however, really enjoys it, and we've been working together to see if we can't convert it into something more competitive. Here's what we have so far:

Lands
    3 Forest
    1 Verdant Catacombs
    1 Naya Panorama
    1 Arcane Sanctum
    1 Crumbling Necropolis
    1 Bant Panorama
    1 Rupture Spire
    1 Savage Lands
    1 Scalding Tarn
    1 Seaside Citadel
    1 Terramorphic Expanse
    1 Misty Rainforest
    1 Jungle Shrine
    1 Arid Mesa
    1 Wasteland
    1 Dust Bowl
    1 Mishra's Factory
    1 Mutavault
    3 Plains
    3 Swamp
    3 Island
    2 Mountain
    1 Marsh Flats
    1 Esper Panorama
    1 Grixis Panorama
    1 Jund Panorama
    1 Crosis's Catacombs
    1 Darigaaz's Caldera
    1 Dromar's Cavern
    1 Rith's Grove
    1 Treva's Ruins
    1 Terminal Moraine
    1 Oboro, Palace in the Clouds

Creatures
    1 Rampaging Baloths
    1 Sakura-Tribe Elder
    1 Emeria Angel
    1 Grazing Gladehart
    1 Hedron Crab
    1 Roil Elemental
    1 Turntimber Basilisk
    1 Windrider Eel
    1 Ob Nixilis, the Fallen
    1 Coiling Oracle
    1 Diligent Farmhand
    1 Soratami Rainshaper
    1 Farhaven Elf
    1 Frontier Guide
    1 Yavimaya Granger
    1 Sakura-Tribe Scout
    1 Scute Mob
    1 Vinelasher Kudzu
    1 Yavimaya Elder
    1 Oracle of Mul Daya
    1 Living Tsunami
    1 Meloku the Clouded Mirror
    1 Walking Atlas
    1 Cosi's Ravager
    1 Lotus Cobra
    1 Mother of Runes

Spells
    1 Soul Stair Expedition
    1 Kodama's Reach
    1 Harrow
    1 Eternity Vessel
    1 Ior Ruin Expedition
    1 Khalni Heart Expedition
    1 Crucible of Worlds
    1 Adventuring Gear
    1 Sensei's Divining Top
    1 Oblivion Stone
    1 Wrath of God
    1 Damnation
    1 Demonic Tutor
    1 Propaganda
    1 Life from the Loam
    1 Lifegift
    1 Garruk Wildspeaker
    1 Exploration
    1 Rampant Growth
    1 Explore
    1 Lightning Greaves
    1 Worldly Tutor
    1 Mortify
    1 Chainer's Edict
    1 Swords to Plowshares
    1 Terminate
    1 Sylvan Scrying
    1 Diabolic Tutor
    1 Path to Exile
    1 Mind Spring
    1 Putrefy
    1 Krosan Grip

A few remarks...

Some of the more popular T2 Landfall creatures, most notably Plated geopede and Steppe Lynx, were in the original build but have since been cut because they didn't seem to be functioning too impressively. It seemed to my son and me that the deck was great once it got going but took some time to get there; hence the defensive card inclusions (Propaganda, Mother of Runes, Putrefy/Mortify, WoG, Damnation, etc.)

Fastbond seems like an obvious choice although we haven't tried it yet; maybe Zuran Orb also?

Red is in here, partly because of the original Geopede and partly because of Countryside Crusher (which has also been cut), as well as 1-2 other reasons (which I don't remember now). It may be that elimination of Red altogether is indicated, although of course that will mandate a serious re-working of the mana base. (Yes it supports Terminate, but Vindicate - although there are none currently in our household! - is probably better in that slot anyway.)

Also, Soratami Rainshaper still seems like a good idea to us, but in all honesty it simply hasn't shone much at all, in all the games played so far.

Anyway, the deck is still great fun (actually more fun) but we're kind of stymied at this point on improvements. Any suggestions?

This just in from the host store, New World Manga:

Highlander 2-Headed Giant!!

Thursday Sept 17th 6:00 (um, that's 18:00 to the rest of the world)

Extra prize support: Limited Edition Promo Gold Foil Deck Boxes to the winning team!! (minimum 6 teams required) These deck boxes are awesome and sell for $20 online...

Our standard Highlander deck construction rules with one added banned card: Erayo, Soratami Ascendent is banned in all 2HG tournaments.

You may use identical cards as your teammate, 1 of each card per player (not per team). This is to make it easy to show up on your own and grab a partner!

3 or 4 rounds depending on attendace and we will be starting promptly at 6:00. We don't want to run late on a school/work night.

Gateway Foils and booster pack prizes also!


I sure plan on attending!!

I seriously doubt that this concoction could ever be competitive - heck; just look at some of the cards, and you'll wonder how they actually made it into a constructed deck. But it's the kind of deck that I think could be fun to try in-between rounds at a tournament or just when people get together casually.

The idea is to try to cheat very powerful artifact cards (mostly from the Mirroden and Alara blocks) into play, and use spot/mass removal to try keeping things under control while putting the pieces together (helped by tutors and card drawing).

Lands
    1 Arcane Sanctum
    1 Dust Bowl
    1 Wasteland
    1 Academy Ruins
    1 Drowned Catacomb
    1 Mishra's Factory
    7 Island
    4 Swamp
    5 Plains
    1 Faerie Conclave
    1 Terramorphic Expanse
    1 Mutavault
    1 Glacial Fortress
    1 Caves of Koilos
    1 Adarkar Wastes
    1 Underground River
    1 Watery Grave
    1 Hallowed Fountain
    1 Godless Shrine
    1 Esper Panorama
    1 Ancient Den
    1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
    1 Seat of the Synod
    1 Vault of Whispers
    1 Vivid Creek
    1 Vivid Marsh
    1 Vivid Meadow

Creatures (all artifact)
    1 Tower Gargoyle
    1 Tidehollow Strix
    1 Tidehollow Sculler
    1 Sphinx Summoner
    1 Darksteel Colossus
    1 Master Transmuter
    1 Duplicant
    1 Arcbound Ravager
    1 Enigma Sphinx
    1 Ethersworn Adjudicator
    1 Sphinx of the Steel Wind
    1 Sharding Sphinx
    1 Metallurgeon
    1 Scornful AEther-Lich
    1 Sanctum Gargoyle
    1 Platinum Angel
    1 Phyrexian Walker
    1 Ornithopter
    1 Myr Retriever
    1 Myr Enforcer
    1 Mycosynth Golem
    1 Esper Battlemage
    1 Memnarch
    1 Master of Etherium
    1 Magister Sphinx
    1 Frogmite
    1 Filigree Angel
    1 Ethersworn Shieldmage
    1 Etherium Sculptor
    1 Ethercaste Knight
    1 Sharuum the Hegemon

Spells (all permanents are artifacts)
    1 Chronatog Totem
    1 Disenchant
    1 Telling Time
    1 Wrath of God
    1 Damnation
    1 Chainer's Edict
    1 Thunder Totem
    1 Phyrexian Totem
    1 Icy Manipulator
    1 Esper Charm
    1 Mortify
    1 Thirst for Knowledge
    1 Fact or Fiction
    1 Relic of Progenitus
    1 Mind Stone
    1 Darksteel Ingot
    1 Obelisk of Esper
    1 Fabricate
    1 Ancestral Vision
    1 Ponder
    1 Brainstorm
    1 Diabolic Tutor
    1 Demonic Tutor
    1 Path to Exile
    1 Swords to Plowshares
    1 Sensei's Divining Top
    1 Oblivion Stone
    1 Lightning Greaves
    1 Nevinyrral's Disk

Other cards that might be worth considering are Tezzeret (don't any any), Stuffy Doll, Sen Triplets (don't own any), Unmake, Scuttlemutt (more mana accel; the color manipulation can be very useful also), Ghostly Prison, Vedalken Engineer, Ward of Bones, Scourglass (don't own any), Engineered Explosives, Mindslaver. Too bad Enlightened Tutor is gone...

Any thoughts?

I have been enjoying my BU control deck recently, but there are 2 card slots that have been the subject of some minor debate.

A. Slaughter Pact vs. Doom Blade

Slaughter Pact: can be played even when tapped out; can make a huge difference if a big (but vulnerable, i.e. non-black, non-shroud) creature with haste suddenly shows up. Can be tutored for with Tolaria West.

Doom Blade: can be played a turn earlier. No chance to lose due to forgetting any subsequent upkeep effects. Makes a much better imprinting target for Isochron Scepter. Can be tutored for with either Shred Memory or Muddle the Mixture.

Current choice - Doom Blade

B. Trickbind vs. Interdict

Trickbind: virtually uncounterable due to split second. Can hit any permanent's ability including planeswalkers. Can counter non-permanent abilities (transmute, unearth, cycling, etc).

Interdict: includes card draw (those three words can make a huge difference). Can counter mana abilities (I believe).

Current choice: Trickbind.

Thoughts?

So, I am undecided as to what to put in that slot in my WW deck. I suppose I might try Idyllic Tutor, but it's not nearly as good, plus there are only 5 enchantments in the deck that it could target.

Some other cards that I am considering are:

Unmake
Devout Witness (turns any card in hand into Disenchant)
Wojek Siren (?)
Celestial Crusader
Beloved Chaplain/Commander Eesha
Temporal Isolation
Flickerwisp
Radiant's Judgment
Rebuff the Wicked
Ivory Mask
Elite Vanguard (new M10 2/1 guy)
Harm's Way (new M10 instant)

The deck already has 40 creatures, so adding in another isn't a huge priority unless the new one can really make a difference.

Thoughts? Suggestions? Other cards?

A local player has done well with Mono B, and it looked like it could be fun to try. Here's one that I put together; with maybe 3 or so changes this is largely what I played at our June local tournament (see thread under Reports). Any suggestions?


// Lands
    1 Volrath's Stronghold
    1 Cabal Coffers
    1 Leechridden Swamp
    1 Spawning Pool
    1 Wasteland
    24 Swamp
    1 Mishra's Factory
    1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
    1 Polluted Mire
    1 Mutavault
    1 Barren Moor
    1 Dust Bowl

// Creatures
    1 Faceless Butcher
    1 Augur of Skulls
    1 Bog Witch
    1 Cabal Interrogator
    1 Undertaker
    1 Murderous Redcap
    1 Leaden Myr
    1 Nezumi Graverobber
    1 Creakwood Liege
    1 Twisted Abomination
    1 Maga, Traitor to Mortals
    1 Oona's Prowler
    1 Puppeteer Clique
    1 Visara the Dreadful
    1 Bane of the Living
    1 Dusk Urchins
    1 Graveborn Muse
    1 Helldozer
    1 Hypnotic Specter
    1 Ink-Eyes, Servant of Oni
    1 Sygg, River Cutthroat
    1 Oona, Queen of the Fae
    1 Stillmoon Cavalier
    1 Shriekmaw
    1 Nekrataal
    1 Withered Wretch
    1 Ghastlord of Fugue
    1 Black Knight
    1 Knight of Dusk
    1 Festering Goblin

// Planeswalkers
    1 Liliana Vess

// Spells
    1 Animate Dead
    1 Hideous Laughter
    1 Barter in Blood
    1 Echoing Decay
    1 Unearth
    1 Unmake
    1 Shred Memory
    1 Lose Hope
    1 Rend Flesh
    1 Syphon Life
    1 Sensei's Divining Top
    1 Scepter of Fugue
    1 Slaughter Pact
    1 Chainer's Edict
    1 Decree of Pain
    1 Death Cloud
    1 Damnation
    1 Nevinyrral's Disk
    1 Profane Command
    1 Consume Spirit
    1 Drain Life
    1 Talisman of Dominance
    1 Mind Stone
    1 Night's Whisper
    1 Dark Ritual
    1 Demonic Tutor
    1 Diabolic Tutor
    1 Smother
    1 Sudden Death
    1 Chrome Mox
    1 Phyrexian Totem
    1 Thoughtseize
    1 Crucible of Worlds
    1 Bitterblossom

The North Jersey Veteran Mages (http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/njveteranmages/) held its monthly tournament this past Sunday, 7 June, and the format of choice was Highlander. Attendance was small by normal standards, but about average for us (7 participants).

I decided to take a break from my WW deck, opting instead to try my BU Control deck.

Round 1: MGA

He has a so-so start with a Llanowar Elves, followed by an Elvish Piper and a Hag Hedge-Mage. I, meanwhile, am slowly building up my
mana resources and keep pinging with a Shadowmage Infiltrator. I Diabolic Tutor for Hideous Laughter to mostly clear his board (his Treefolk Harbinger stays in play). I play Bribery and select Verdant Force, and keep his creature count low with follow-up counterspells, finally swinging in for lethal damage courtesy of the Force, a few Saprolings, and the indefatiguable Infiltrator.

1-0

Round 2: RG stompy

Unfortunately for him, he suffered from early mana screw which allowed me to get the needed resources on the table and in hand to keep the board under control. Along the way I Smothered his Thornweald Archer and then took it with Animate Dead; he Shocked it (or something) afterwards. Combat damage was dealt mostly by Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir; the final attacks were helped with an animated Chronatog Totem.

2-0

Round 3: BW... aggro/control??

Poor mulligan decision may well have cost me this one. First hand, no lands and all expensive spells; went to 6 right away. 4 lands and 2 mana artifacts, BUT I
FORGOT that I could then trade cards in at that point!!  So I kept. The only real interaction I had with him was the turn he attacked with his Nantuko Shade. I made no moves during early combat; at Damage Dealing he tapped Black to pump his Shade; in response I played Dominate targeting his Shade; with his remaining one mana (white) source, he Path to Exiles his Shade, getting the extra Plains he needs (you'll see). Next turn he plays Visara the Dreadful (now you saw); meanwhile all I have in hand is Teferi and more mana sources. I keep
drawing more lands, he plays more creatures, and he has his way with me.
Somewhere in there I do get a Phyrexian Totem onto the table, but it's too little too late.

2-1

Round 4: BU light control

He also suffered from some early mana screw, even having to discard at the end of his turn once or twice. Somewhere in there he plays Sower of Temptation; I kill it with... Devour in Shadow? I end up with a few creatures on the board and am looking fairly good; he plays Dread which I can't stop - ouch. I am looking at my own Sower in hand but figure I can't steal his Dread with impunity. So I play Diabolic Tutor to
fetch Pact of Negation; then play Sower on his Dread so I can attack into a clear field and not lose any of my creatures; he tries to play Incremental Blight on his next turn but the Pact is good and he forfeits.

3-1

Round 5: RU Artifacts

Very anticlimactic. He sees 2 lands for the first 5-6 turns, and forfeits in disgust while I am sitting there with a table full of lands and artifacts and Lilliana Vess and a handful of spells. I feel his pain.

4-1 in the end. Note that THREE of these wins involved opponents' mana screwage and my own loss involved mana floodage; truly this is an interesting game... The other person who went 4-1 was the guy I played in Round 3 (BW aggro/control)

We concluded the store's - and region's - first HL tournament last night (already announced here http://www.magicplayer.org/forum/index.php?topic=215.0).

A few highlights:

First place: mono-red Goblins (4-0)
Second place: mono-B control (4-0)
Third place: BR beatdown/control (3-1)

There were approximately 28 participants.

Me? I brought an enhanced version of that WW deck that I've played here recently, and went 2-2, placing me somewhere in the middle of the standings. I have every confidence that the deck is a good one and has the potential to do far better.

One match that I lost was to the 3rd-place BR winner (my son, actually, who is simply a better player and deckbuilder than I am). In that one-game match, our results were very much spot-on with all the playtesting we'd previously done against each other; I brought him to 4 life before he could stabilize against me (he runs about 7 board sweepers in his deck; very rough against WW and other fast aggro)and then throw lots of direct damage at me.

The other match I lost, in the final round, was against the 2nd-place winner, and I really truly have only myself to blame, as I allowed myself to be psyched out by him, and made at least two very, very bad play mistakes that likely (although not necessarily) cost me the game.

Interestingly, the one match my son (3rd with BR) lost was against the tournament winner, the R goblin player... who is a locally known Goblin "expert."

The two other matches I played were fairly unremarkable; in one my opponent was attempting to play a deck with big Dragons that he can "cheat" into play, and his deck was simply too slow. In the other I was playing against a player who is experienced in Magic but inexperienced in Highlander; he was playing mostly GW with a good amount of lifegain but I felt many of his card choices were suboptimal; we talked a lot about our decks and card choices after we finished our game.

I am trying to get decklists and will post them when they come in.

I apologize if (a) this is in the wrong Forum location, and (b) it is a stupid question.

Relentless Rats: how many allowed in a Highlander deck?

[EDIT:]

After some prodding by, and assistance from, your truly, New World Manga of Livingston will be holding its first-ever Highlander tournament. Details as follows:

Date/time: Sunday, April 5 at 5:00 pm

Rules will follow those posted on the official site here at www.highlandermagic.info/index.php, with the following changes:

1. Gold-bordered cards (Championship decks) are NOT permitted.

2. In addition to the cards already on the Banned list that is posted, the card Shahrazad is also prohibited from this tournament.

3. EDIT: There WILL be Banding. The store owner has changed his mind and decided to allow Banding, but only if anybody using it brings a printout of the official rules on it (and not a handwritten summary, as that might be construed as "outside notes"). (Any questions, call him at the store!)

There will be 4 rounds, 1 game per round. (This is a non-DCI-sanctioned tournament.)

Entry cost is US$6 per person. Each attendee will receive a FREE alternate-art foil promo Path to Exile, and additional prizes will be awarded to anyone with a 2-2 record or better.

For more details, contact the store at 973-597-0625.

OK... so MGA is a well-known archetype, as is White Weenie. So I'm thinking, why not combine the two and get the best of both colors?

Here's my first draft:

Lands (30)

    1 Secluded Steppe
    11 Plains
    10 Forest
    1 Wasteland
    1 Tranquil Thicket
    1 Mishra's Factory
    1 Elfhame Palace
    1 Arctic Flats
    1 Terramorphic Expanse
    1 Temple Garden
    1 Brushland

Creatures (35)
    1 Stonecloaker
    1 Exalted Angel
    1 Devoted Retainer
    1 Soltari Foot Soldier
    1 Blade of the Sixth Pride
    1 Akrasan Squire
    1 Lantern Kami
    1 Mirror Entity
    1 Angelic Page
    1 Mistral Charger
    1 Burrenton Forge-Tender
    1 Isamaru, Hound of Konda
    1 Suntail Hawk
    1 Ronom Unicorn
    1 Icatian Javelineers
    1 Weathered Wayfarer
    1 Savannah Lions
    1 Infantry Veteran
    1 Birds of Paradise
    1 Kitchen Finks
    1 Wilt-Leaf Liege
    1 Wilt-Leaf Cavaliers
    1 Skarrgan Pit-Skulk
    1 Pouncing Jaguar
    1 Llanowar Elves
    1 Wickerbough Elder
    1 Sakura-Tribe Elder
    1 Briarhorn
    1 Dryad Sophisticate
    1 Tarmogoyf
    1 Silhana Ledgewalker
    1 Twinblade Slasher
    1 Talara's Battalion
    1 Wall of Roots
    1 Jungle Lion
    1 Skyshroud Elite
    1 Basking Rootwalla
    1 Glittering Lynx

Planeswalkers (3)
    1 Ajani Goldmane
    1 Garruk Wildspeaker
    1 Elspeth, Knight-Errant

Spells (32)
    1 Sensei's Divining Top
    1 Disenchant
    1 Shuko
    1 Faith's Fetters
    1 Beckon Apparition
    1 Swords to Plowshares
    1 Bonesplitter
    1 Black Vise
    1 Oblivion Ring
    1 Condemn
    1 Land Tax
    1 Ghostly Prison
    1 Winter Orb
    1 Enlightened Tutor
    1 Grafted Wargear
    1 Slate of Ancestry
    1 Harmonize
    1 Might of Oaks
    1 Krosan Grip
    1 Worldly Tutor
    1 Loxodon Warhammer
    1 Rancor
    1 Sword of Fire and Ice
    1 Moldervine Cloak
    1 Call of the Herd
    1 Lightning Greaves
    1 Bounty of the Hunt
    1 Armageddon
    1 Path to Exile

Initial playtesting and goldfishing seems encouraging, but I have zero doubt that the aggregate experience contained within these forums can help tremendously 

Random thoughts on lands... The CIP-tapped lands slow the tempo a bit but I really like the mana flexibility they offer, so I dunno. I also have only 1 manland (Mishra) in here so far, but I'm considering pulling one more Forest out for a Treetop Village. Mutavault is of course good but I am afraid of losing the colored mana slot. I see also that I left out Wooded Bastion; should probably add that in place of either a basic land or one of the CIP-tapped ones.

Creatures... wondering if 35 is a bit low (although 2 of the PWs can make guys), maybe better to have say 40-45... if so, then (a) which other creatures and (b) which spells
to drop?

All input is most gratefully accepted!

So how do people feel about Pithing Needle in HL decks? Here are some conflicting observations:

1. In some previous decks I had run a copy but it seemed too situational and rarely got real use; I left it behind and haven't tried it since.

2. It happens often enough that there is some threat or another (with activated ability or -ies, of course) on the board that I wish I could shut down cheaply and quickly but couldn't find such an answer to it.

3. I haven't seen it in any of the better builds here (which I consider to be a pretty good indicator).

Thoughts?