. (I like it more than the other 2, btw). http://www.pojo.com/magic/Contests/October2001Challenge/OctoberChallenge.html
Pojo recently had a sealed deck contest which is currently being judged. I was wondering how the BDominia regulars would build the same pool of cards.
Here's a list of the submissions
http://www.pojo.com/magic/Contests/October2001Challenge/110101DecksReceived.html
Tournament Pack
Rares -
Cephalid Shrine
Seton, Krosan Protector
Mystic Crusader
Uncommons -
Howling Gate
Zombie Infestation
Sphere of Duty
Spark Mage
Laquatus's Creativity
Gallantry
Frenetic Ogre
Shadowblood Egg
Chephalid Broker
Squirrel Nest
Commons -
Rites of Refusal
Primal Frenzy
Overeager Apprentice
Dedicated Martyr
Pardic Swordsmith
Aboshan's Desire
Seton's Desire
Springing Tiger
Morgue Theft
Angelic Wall
Bog Wreckage
Dreamwinder
Moment's Peace
Whispering Shade
Barbarian Lunatic
Repel
Diligent Farmland
Second Thoughts
Dusk Imp
Chainflinger
Aven Fisher
Rabid Elephant
Embolden
Words of Wisdom
Cartographer
Coffin Purge
Mystic Visionary
Rites of Initiation
Thought Nibbler
Druid Lyrist
Dirty Wererat
Confessor
30 Basic Lands of your choice
Booster #1
Commons
Peek
Werebear
Shelter
Cartographer
Coffin Purge
Mystic Visionary
Acceptable Losses
Syncopate
Springing Tiger
Filthy Cur
Dedicated Martyr
Uncommons
Caustic Tar
Deep Reconnaissance
Decompose\
Rare
Battle of Wits
Booster #2
Commons
Mystic Visionary
Anarchist
Aether Burst
Aven Windreader
Wild Mongrel
hallowed healer
Angelic Wall
Demoralize
Abandoned Outpost
Cease Fire
Kamahl's Desire
Uncommons
Shadowblood Egg
Mystic Penitent
Deep Reconnaissance
Rare
Kirtar's Wrath
Ok, in order to make sense of this , we first sort the colours:
BLUE
====
Cephalid Shrine
Laquatus's Creativity
Chephalid Broker
Rites of Refusal
Aboshan's Desire
Dreamwinder
Repel
Aven Fisher
Words of Wisdom
Thought Nibbler
Peek
Syncopate
Battle of Wits
Aether Burst
Aven Windreader
BLACK
=====
Zombie Infestation
Morgue Theft
Overeager Apprentice
Whispering Shade
Dusk Imp
Coffin Purge
Dirty Wererat
Filthy Cur
Caustic Tar
Decompose
Coffin Purge
GREEN
=====
Seton, Krosan Protector
Howling Gale
Squirrel Nest
Primal Frenzy
Springing Tiger
Diligent Farmland
Moment's Peace
Rabid Elephant
Druid Lyrist
Werebear
Cartographer
Seton's Desire
Cartographer
Springing Tiger
Deep Reconnaissance
Wild Mongrel
Deep Reconnaissance
RED
===
Spark Mage
Frenetic Ogre
Pardic Swordsmith
Barbarian Lunatic
Chainflinger
Acceptable Losses
Anarchist
Demoralize
Kamahl's Desire
Rites of Initiation
ARTIFACT/LAND
=============
Shadowblood Egg
Shadowblood Egg
Bog Wreckage
Abandoned Outpost
WHITE
=====
Mystic Penitent
Kirtar's Wrath
Cease Fire
hallowed healer
Angelic Wall
Mystic Visionary
Dedicated Martyr
Shelter
Mystic Visionary
Mystic Crusader
Sphere of Duty
Dedicated Martyr
Angelic Wall
Second Thoughts
Embolden
Mystic Visionary
Confessor
Gallantry
Now, we look for the bombs. I tend to define this VERY loosely, mainly as the cards that you will be disapointed if you can't play (because of their power).
Bombs/Power cards:
Hallowed Healer
Kirtar's Wrath
Squirrel Nest
Chephalid Broker
2 White ones, 1 Green one, one blue. Black has solid stuff but no bombs (zombie infestation is cool, but a bit expensive to activate to call a bomb).
Next, we analyze what colours we can base the deck on by counting creatures.
Quality Creature count:
White: 7 (* 2 walls)
Green: 8-10
Red: 2-3
Blue: 4-5
Black: 3
2 possible main colour configurations are deep enough in creatures on their own,
G/W and G/U . G/U does not let you play wrath
Now lets look at removal effects:
Removal Count:
White: 2
Green: 0
Red: 3
Blue: 2 (including the counter)
Black: 0
White has the bombs, the removal, and the creatures, and should therefore be a lock. Red does not have enough creatures to be anything but a splash, but has tempting removal. Blue COULD be a main colour, but that would mean a big green splash (even mana distributions aren't healhy)
Now lets look at the intangibles
intangibles: W and G have several cards to benefit from threshold, and white has several quality cantrips.
Now we get to the sample building phase. Based on the above, I would have a look at W/G/u, W/G/r, and straight W/G.
build #1 : W/G/u
1cc
Diligent Farmland
Druid Lyrist
2cc
Mystic Visionary
Mystic Visionary
Mystic Visionary
Werebear
Wild Mongrel
Gallantry
Shelter
Moment's Peace
3cc
hallowed healer
Mystic Crusader
Squirrel Nest
Embolden
Seton's Desire
4cc
Springing Tiger
Springing Tiger
Chephalid Broker
Aven Fisher
5cc
Rabid Elephant
6cc+
Second Thoughts
Kirtar's Wrath
Syncopate
6 Plains
7 Forest
1 Abandoned Outpost
3 Island
The advantage of this build is that it has symmetry and uses all your key 'bombs'. It is a good deck for both getting to and using threshold, and has good evasion and high quality spells and tricks.
BUILD #2
1cc
Diligent Farmland
Druid Lyrist
2cc
Mystic Visionary
Mystic Visionary
Werebear
Wild Mongrel
Gallantry
Shelter
Moment's Peace
3cc
hallowed healer
Mystic Crusader
Squirrel Nest
Barbarian Lunatic
Embolden
Seton's Desire
4cc
Springing Tiger
Springing Tiger
Chainflinger
Acceptable Losses
5cc
Rabid Elephant
Anarchist
6cc+
Second Thoughts
Kirtar's Wrath
6 Plains
7 Forest
1 Abandoned Outpost
3 Mountain
The advantage of this build is that red kills things in general much better than blue does, and anarchist gets you two shots at wrath. But the removal here is not great, so I would probably rank this below blue. A possible sideboard plan, but not the best maindeck.
BUILD #3
1cc
Diligent Farmland
Druid Lyrist
2cc
Angelic Wall
Angelic Wall
Mystic Visionary
Mystic Visionary
Mystic Visionary
Werebear
Wild Mongrel
Gallantry
Shelter
Moment's Peace
3cc
hallowed healer
Mystic Crusader
Squirrel Nest
Cease Fire
Embolden
Seton's Desire
4cc
Springing Tiger
Springing Tiger
5cc
Rabid Elephant
6cc+
Second Thoughts
Kirtar's Wrath
9 Plains
8 Forest
The advantage here is consistency. You are virtually assured of good mana and a quick, aggresive start.
You back up that start with bombs like wrath, which the high concentration of cantrip tricks helps you get to, as well as 4 creatures who gain flying with threshold. You have to run walls for this version, but I like it because it allows you to outplay your opponent and you don't need to sweat the mana.
My plan would probably be to start pure W/G, and sideboard to W/G/U if mre power or evasion was needed.
(you could also do the opposite, siding to the better mana base after you win a game, to make sure you dont give one back for free).
Your G/W build is exactly what I came up with, Nevyn . (I like it more than the other 2, btw).
Good job. I'd probably go with something similar to the GWu build...as I personally would give up a little consistency to play with better cards. I don't like playing with sub-optimal cards like Cease Fire to get better mana draws...but that's just me, and I haven't been as successful at sealed deck as a lot of people have been.
Winky, don't underestimate cease fire.
I agree that it is a 23rd card, but it cycles, slows your opponent at a crucial early turn, and gets you closer to threshold, which helps an utterly amazing 10 cards in the W/G deck above. Of course, the blue lets you do that too thanks to broker.
I think there is little doubt that you should use the G/W/u build. I have always found that in sealed the extra touch of the third color to a deck for the 2-4 bombs that it has will often make the difference, it allows you to scarafice little as far as consistency is concerned, and replace 2-4 cards at the bottom of the power list with ones near the top.