The recent build of the Zombies deck mainly focused on the Black Red aspect. The powerful inclusions of Falkenrath Aristocrat and burn spells made the deck successful in the Standard metagame. My take now of the archetype is to bring back its color at the time when Dark Ascension was released: the Blue Black Zombies.

Dimir Zombies by Mark Ian Alloso
Standard

Lands
10 Swamp
1 Island
4 Dimir Guildgate
4 Drowned Catacomb
4 Watery Grave

Creatures
4 Geralf’s Messenger
4 Gravecrawler
4 Diregraf Ghoul
4 Knight of Infamy
2 Vampire Nighthawk
2 Diregraf Captain
4 Duskmantle Seer
2 Highborn Ghoul

Spells
2 Rapid Hybridization
4 Spell Rupture
2 Dimir Charm
1 Tragic Slip
2 Victim of Night

The four-drop slot is now held by Duskmantle Seer, which I think is a powerful late-game drop. He may not be hasty, but the card draw trigger gets you gas or counterspells to stop your opponent. It also gives cards to your opponent, but the loss of life drawback makes it an instant kill if they draw their behemoths or serenity angels, or even a Thragtusk.

Spell Rupture is an auto-inclusion, which I based on BUG decks. Dimir Charm provides you options on countering a Terminus or killing a Huntmaster of the Fells’ human form.

The sideboard would look like the usual Duress, counterspells, removals, and I might also include Mutilate for fast aggro decks.

Let me know what other options are available for the build. Hit the comments below.

Until next post.

Another upcoming event I’ve scheduled to play into is the 2013 World Magic Cup Qualifiers. The first leg will be this coming weekend, April 6th the date. It is a Standard format, in which I am most familiar with unlike last PTQ wherein it was a Modern event.

So for this tournament I’ve decided to run Naya Midrange. The current bogeyman or deck to beat in the meta is Junk Reanimator, wherein it is in the third week of topping various events and on Magic Online. I haven’t playtested yet my updated build against that deck but I’m hoping it will be enough to suffice against the powerful spells like Angel of Serenity and Craterhoof Behemoth.

Here is my list:

Naya Midrange by Mark Ian Alloso
Standard

Maindeck
4 Avacyn’s Pilgrim
3 Loxodon Smiter
4 Restoration Angel
4 Thragtusk
2 Thundermaw Hellkite
2 Aurelia, the Warleader
3 Boros Reckoner
3 Huntmaster of the Fells/Ravager of the Fells

1 Aurelia’s Fury
4 Farseek
1 Domri Rade
1 Garruk Relentless/Garruk, the Veil-Cursed
4 Mizzium Mortars

1 Cavern of Souls
1 Clifftop Retreat
2 Kessig Wolf Run
4 Rootbound Crag
4 Temple Garden
4 Sacred Foundry
4 Stomping Ground
4 Sunpetal Grove

I’ve upgraded to a playset of Mizzium Mortars as it is the most suited mass/spot removal for Naya, replacing Bonfire of the Damned. Most of the current critters have four or more toughness to deal with so Bonfire is ineffective if drawn early or at your starting hand.

Aurelia’s Fury is another trick card & removal that can help you win board stalled games.

Domri Rade has not seen effectiveness in gameplay versus creature decks & he is mostly sided out so I decided to cut it down to one copy. Garruk Relentless is the replacement, which I see has more potential halting aggro decks.

The sideboard is not yet finalized but I’m definitely including graveyard hate against Reanimator. My other concern is on beating the new version of American Control with the Aurelia angel. It packs lots of countermagic which maybe effective against my big creature spells. I guess I’ll be needing more Cavern in the main.

We’ll see what we can come up with in the remaining days before the WMCQ. Until next post and thanks for reading.

Hello guys, it’s another Monday to start the new week. I hope you have spent your weekend well. Mine was just all about Magic the Gathering as our team is vigorously preparing for the Pro Tour Qualifier on the sixteenth in Manila. Let’s discuss another new archetype for the current widespread Standard metagame. I’d call this list the ‘RUG Zegana’:

RUG Zegana by Mark Ian Alloso
Standard

Lands
1 Alchemist’s Refuge
1 Kessig Wolf Run
4 Breeding Pool
1 Island
3 Forest
2 Steam Vents
4 Rootbound Crag
4 Stomping Ground
4 Hinterland Harbor

Creatures
3 Elvish Visionary
3 Master Biomancer
4 Strangleroot Geist
4 Thragtusk
4 Prime Speaker Zegana
4 Huntmaster of the Fells

Spells
3 Bonfire of the Damned
2 Sleep
1 Garruk, Primal Hunter
2 Garruk Relentless
2 Simic Keyrune
4 Farseek

It might look like a typical ramp-to-big-creatures type of deck but it’s more like a token pumped to the Biomancer combo, a late-game huge gas by Zegana.

Strangleroot Geists & Bonfire help fends off fast aggro decks while you ramp up to your Huntmasters and Thragtusks. The Garruks also help in setting up an advantaged board position, doing multiple purposes of adding critters and helping you fetch Zegana.

Sleep is typically your swing for the win card buying you two attacks.

What’s good about its Simic core colors is the addition of permission spells in your sideboard. You can have Negate and even Spell Rupture to work in your favor. You can even add the Staticaster-Peddler combo against aggro decks.

A poolmate already tried a similar list of this deck at FNM and it went pretty good. It just needed a metagame sideboard tweak to get the job done.

Let me know what other sideboard cards you have in mind for the deck. Hit up the comments below.

See ya in the next post. Thanks.

At this point, I can say that we never stop innovating in the Standard metagame. That can be attested by the recent success of the archetype nicknamed “The Aristocrats” in Pro Tour Gatecrash in Montreal. Another version of the Zombies deck also emerged, having White as its second color. Why not we combine the two?

I present you Zombie Aristocrats.

Lands
4 Dragonskull Summit
3 Orzhov Guildgate
5 Swamp
4 Isolated Chapel
4 Godless Shrine
4 Blood Crypt

Creatures
4 Diregraf Ghoul
4 Gravecrawler
4 Geralf’s Messenger
4 Cartel Aristocrat
3 Falkenrath Aristocrat
3 Blood Artist
2 Obzedat, Ghost Council
2 Skirsdag High Priest

Spells
1 Sorin, Lord of Innistrad
1 Bone Splinters
1 Liliana of the Veil
1 Tragic Slip
2 Lingering Souls
1 Victim of Night
3 Orzhov Charm

The red splash for Falkenrath Aristocrat gives you a lot of card interactions in various board setup. That made me considers on adding Skirsdag High Priest to benefit more on Morbid triggers. A hasty 4/1 flyer also give you a fast clock.

The other cards like Obzedat, Ghost Council & Blood Artists are auto inclusion in the deck. I’ve differentiated spot removals on a few singletons, since most are sure kill to threats like Boros Reckoner.

I’ve not yet finalized the sideboard plan but adding red has given me a fine sb card Slaughter Games versus Blue White based control decks.

I’ll do a test run on this coming FNM and we’ll see how it goes. Thanks for reading and until next post.

Here is another deck archetype I’ve come up with for the Gatecrash Standard format. The reference to the idea was from my card pool mate Charles wherein he made a Simic deck with flash critters combined with tempo & counter spells.

I’ve noticed the lack of spot removals in the list and so my third color of choice was Red, also basing the idea from Saito’s Gruul Aggro.

Here is the list I’ve come up with:

Lands
4 Stomping Ground
4 Breeding Pool
4 Steam Vents
3 Hinterland Harbor
2 Forest
4 Rootbound Crag
1 Island

Creatures
4 Burning-Tree Emissary
2 Yeva, Nature’s Herald
4 Experiment One
4 Wolfir Avenger
4 Flinthoof Boar
2 Wolfir Silverheart
2 Strangleroot Geist
4 Arbor Elf

Spells
4 Spell Rupture
2 Rancor
2 Simic Charm
4 Searing Spear

The deck’s usual aggressive start is curving into Experiment One, Burning Tree Emissary and Pumba err Flinthoof Boar. It also has resilient critters against removal with the Wolfir Avenger and the green geist. Yeva also makes things interesting for the deck, in which you can play around counterspells.

Spell Rupture is Mana Leak with most of your creatures at 3-power. Also, Rancor helps achieve that aside from giving Trample.

Searing Spears are your sole spot removal against most creatures in the format and by far the popular choice among other aggro decks.

Let me know what you think of the deck archetype or for any sideboard suggestions. Just hit the comment box below.

Until the next post and thanks for reading.

As for the usual routine whenever a new Magic: the Gathering card set is released, a Gameday is released every third weekend of the month that it’s on sale in the market. As for Gatecrash, it will be this coming weekend February 23-24, 2013.

The format of this event will be Standard constructed, with promo cards for participants and for the top 8 finishers. The champion will receive an exclusive Gatecrash Gameday playmat, aside from the usual booster pack prizes.

More information can be found here.

With every new expansion added to Standard, it is not unusual for previous deck archetypes to adjust to the metagame. The recently released Gatecrash set has provided firepower for aggro decks to hit the top deck choices. One deck that has gained new card components is the Selesnya Aggro.

We knew the deck could go midrange or remain on pure aggressive strategy. I’ve chosen the latter.

Here is my proposed decklist:

Lands
4 Sunpetal Grove
4 Temple Garden
9 Forest
1 Gavony Township
1 Selesnya Guildgate
3 Plains

Creatures
2 Wolfir Silverheart
1 Yeva, Nature’s Herald
2 Arbor Elf
2 Wolfir Avenger
4 Experiment One
4 Strangleroot Geist
4 Dryad Militant
4 Loxodon Smiter
2 Avacyn’s Pilgrim

Spells
4 Rancor
2 Faith’s Shield
3 Selesnya Charm
4 Call of the Conclave

The new card inclusion from Gatecrash is only Experiment One though he fixes the first three-turn aggressive curve. Dryad Militant’s addition ensures that he evolves on turn two and Loxodon Smiter, Wolfir Avenger, or Call of the Conclave for a second evolve for 3/3. Strangleroot Geists also works well with it.

The two-ofs of Arbor Elf & Avacyn’s Pilgrim make sure that it gives you the option for a double green casting cost or just green and white for turn two.

The sideboard would look like this:

4 Centaur Healer
2 Rest in Peace
1 Ray of Revelation
1 Beckon Apparition
3 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
1 Rootborn Defenses
3 Oblivion Ring

I think these are pretty self-explanatory sideboard plans based on the current metagame. Let me know what you think of the deck, or you might have some suggestions in mind. Just hit the comments below.

Until the next post.

We all know that Jund is a powerful deck archetype in Modern (that’s before the banning of Bloodbraid Elf) and it’s not surprising that it is also a deck choice in Standard, though it was the control version.

With Gatecrash dual land Stomping ground completing its colors, it is now an option to create a Jund aggro deck.

The new inclusions in the deck are Experiment One and Flinthoof Boar from M13. Here is a build that’s played in major tournaments (like the SCG Open) in the US.

Jund Aggro/Experiment Jund
Maindeck
4 Experiment One
4 Dreg Mangler
4 Ghor-Clan Rampager
4 Hellrider
4 Strangleroot Geist
3 Flinthoof Boar
3 Deathrite Shaman
2 Thundermaw Hellkite

4 Searing Spear
2 Tragic Slip
2 Abrupt Decay

4 Stomping Ground
4 Overgrown Tomb
4 Blood Crypt
4 Rootbound Crag
2 Woodland Cemetery
2 Dragonskull Summit
1 Mountain
3 Forest

Sideboard
3 Skullcrack
2 Tribute to Hunger
2 Rolling Temblor
2 Abrupt Decay
2 Golgari Charm
2 Gruul Charm
1 Rakdos Charm
1 Deathrite Shaman

I somehow forgot to discuss this deck archetype. Since the metagame in Standard is now shifting to the aggro side, I think it’s best to discuss possibilities and deck potential. This list was referenced from a major tournament in Magic-league just before Gatecrash was prereleased.

I was looking on building another variety of the Zombies deck, with White as its second color. Good thing Orzhov is now out in Gatecrash so I got a bunch of options to include in the list.

Here is what I came up:

Orzhov Aggro
by Mark Ian Alloso
Lands
1 Cavern of Souls
10 Swamp
4 Orzhov Guildgate
1 Vault of the Archangel
4 Isolated Chapel
4 Godless Shrine

Creatures
4 Restoration Angel
4 Cartel Aristocrat
2 Blood Artist
2 Obzedat, Ghost Council
4 Gravecrawler
4 Diregraf Ghoul
4 Geralf’s Messenger

Spells
4 Orzhov Charm
1 Oblivion Ring
1 Sorin, Lord of Innistrad
4 Lingering Souls
2 Liliana of the Veil

Sideboard
2 Appetite for Brains
2 Beckon Apparition
3 Cathedral Sanctifier
1 Liliana of the Veil
2 Oblivion Ring
3 Frontline Medic
2 Vampire Nighthawk

The deck has the nature of Zombie resilience with a splash of blink. Orzhov Charm is the best removal in the set, as to consider dealing with the best creatures in the metagame. The loss of life is not that of the big deal, as you have Obzedat and Blood Artists for life gain. Lingering Souls can do both offense and defense, and also fodders to Cartel Aristocrat.

Resto Angel is not that impressive in the deck (only blinking messengers and ghost dad), but a flashy flying 3/4 can be considered for a four-drop. Liliana of the Veil & Sorin, Lord of Innistrad are you options against control, backed up by the sideboard Appetite for Brains and maybe additional Oblivion Rings.

Since aggro is now the choice of most people, I might have to update the sb a bit with Ultimate Price or maybe consider High Priest of Penance. We’ll see.

Until next post.

With Gatecrash hitting Standard last Feb. 1, a lot of decks have been considered and included in the format. A few existing archetypes got its upgrade while a few others created the latest combo deck. This deck strategy appeared on last weekend’s Starcity Games Open in Atlanta. It was piloted by Brian Braun-Duin and the deck is an updated Human Reanimator with Angel of Glory’s Rise.

The deck’s combo method is to reanimate an Angel of Glory’s Rise with a Cartel Aristocrat, a Fiend Hunter, and a Huntmaster of the Fells in your graveyard. Quoting from the daily decklist on the mothership, “The Angel returns all three, and you resolve their triggers, putting a 2/2 Wolf onto the battlefield, gaining 3 life, and exiling the Angel of Glory’s Rise. Sacrifice your Huntmaster and the Fiend Hunter to the Cartel Aristocrat, and when the Angel returns to play, it will return both the Fiend Hunter and the Huntmaster to play, allowing you to loop the combo, gain a huge amount of life, and put a lot of tokens onto the battlefield.”

Here is the decklist:

Maindeck
1 Blood Crypt
4 Cavern of Souls
2 Clifftop Retreat
1 Godless Shrine
1 Overgrown Tomb
1 Sacred Foundry
4 Stomping Ground
3 Sunpetal Grove
2 Temple Garden
4 Woodland Cemetery
23 lands

4 Angel of Glory’s Rise
4 Cartel Aristocrat
1 Cathedral Sanctifier
4 Fiend Hunter
4 Huntmaster of the Fells
17 creatures

4 Faithless Looting
4 Farseek
4 Grisly Salvage
4 Mulch
4 Unburial Rites
20 other spells

Sideboard
4 Appetite for Brains
3 Cathedral Sanctifier
2 Purify the Grave
3 Ray of Revelation
3 Slaughter Games

So, last weekend was not only a celebration of the yearly Dinagyang festival, but also the prerelease of Magic’s recent expansion Gatecrash. This time, a total of 30 participants played in the sealed format event (an increased turn out from the previous twenty players in RTR prerelease), with five guilds to choose from. The remaining guilds to join the ten guilds of Ravnica were Boros, Dimir, Orzhov, Gruul & Simic.

Boros was the strongest among the five so it was not a surprise that their guild kit was the first to run out. My guild choice was Orzhov eventhough I initially thought of getting Gruul. Extort mechanic is somewhat pushing through a grindy mid range deck and I hoped my card pile would provide me that. It was the opposite. I was able to acquire cards that were far off of my guild. I ended up playing with this list:

Lands
8 Swamp
2 Orzhov Guildgate
6 Plains
1 Boros Guildgate

Creatures
1 Treasury Thrull
2 Vizkopa Confessor
1 Kingpin’s Pet
1 Nightveil Specter
1 Millennial Gargoyle
1 Gateway Shade
1 Basilica Guards
1 Luminate Primordial
1 Syndic of Tithes
1 Deathcult Rogue
1 Smog Elemental
1 Syndicate Enforcer
1 Thrull Parasite
2 Basilica Screecher

Spells
1 Prophetic Prism
1 Purge the Profane
1 Assemble the Legion
1 Holy Mantle
1 Debtor’s Pulpit
1 Smite
1 Devour Flesh

I was expecting to get crushed by more aggressive builds but my play start on the rounds was satisfactory. I won my first two rounds against a Gruul and a Dimir. The third round was discouraging as I was paired against my teammate Oliver who was playing Boros.

I checked his cardpool seeing that he got a much better build and a high chance of winning his fourth match. I decided to give way and let him win & hoping I could get myself a win in the last round for my third booster prize.

Last round was an Orzhov mirror match wherein he just crushed me Game one with Extort and flyers while I got stuck on three lands. Game two was a 50-50, exchanging Extort effects and trading critters. He ended up flooded while I’m still drawing up my guys, Extorting and attacking him until zero life.

Game three was favored to me as I was able to resolve Nightveil Specter while he was just on three lands. Since it was a mirror, I get to play the top cards exiled by the specter and turn the game around using his creatures against him. We’ll you know what happens when a lot of Extort guys are in the table with lot of mana to spend.

Final record, 3-1 and it was a satisfying result for a mediocre card pool. My prize packs’ rares were not that good. I only got a Prime Speaker Zegana & another Spark Trooper. The two 4-0 players were Mik (Boros) and Rei (Dimir).

Overall, Gatecrash limited is pretty much okay to play. You just stick on what guild your card pool will provide you to make a good deck. Although most removals are quite guild based, you can splash if a few mana fixers are around like Prophetic Prism. Though I suggest you follow what the pros say, to stick to your guild colors. Two colors at max.

Until next post.

It is the final two weeks of Gatecrash previews before we hit the Prerelease events of the set. More and more cards revealed are shaping the potential archetypes to hit the Standard format. One of which that has my attention is the Boros aggro deck.

Here are a few Gatecrash cards with high chance to be added to the list:

Syndic of Tithes – this cheap two-drop can provide early beats and late game reach with Extort. Combine these with your burn spells and you’re good to go.

Boros Charm – the best charm of the set I believe. It can provide multi-use very suited for an aggro deck.

Sunhome Guildmage – another two-drop which can provide early damage input & additional board presence late game with its token generating ability.

Spark Trooper – this late card preview is so far the best four-drop of the deck aside from usual Hellriders. Lifelink might be a bonus but it can matter in aggro mirror matchups.

Hellraiser Goblin – your three-drop if you’d go with the Battalion strategy. Lightning Mauler can also help you achieve that.

Skullcrack – more of a sideboard card but with Thragtusks still being popular, I’d go with two or three copies in the main deck.

Frontline Medic – another potential sideboard card vs Sphinx’s Revelation.

That’s about it for now. We still have a hundred more of card to preview before we can come up with an exact look of Boros aggro and how it will par with other aggro decks in Standard.

Until next post & thanks for reading.