The best of InQuest's first-year Magic tournament decks
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Killer Decks Revisited
The best of InQuest's first-year Magic tournament decks
They keep changing the rules on us. As soon as we get a Magic Killer Deck
all primed for the mag, them fickle folks over at the Duelists' Convocation
start banning, unbanning and restricting cards. Heck, even whole expansions
got eliminted from Type II tourneys.
So whatta we do? We dig up the last year's worth of decks from our monthly
"Killer Decks" column, redesign 'em so they're all nice and tournament
legal, then pit them against one another to separate the men from the boys.
After weeks of play testing, four stood head and shoulders above the rest,
with the most powerful from the original line-up proving to be the most
powerful still.
Copyright 1996 Gareb Shamus Enterprises, Inc.
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@node Crusader
THE CRUSADERS - FIRST PLACE
Original deck design by Michael Searle ["Killer Decks," InQuest #3]
This deck all started from the notion that it was impossible to build a
single-color tournament deck. You certainly can do it, but the deck just
might be susceptible to lots of things. For instance, after Ice Age, the
old "Crusaders" deck would've taken a severe lickin' from Anarchy,
but since then, it's been retooled to include artifacts as a "second color.
No longer will you fall prey to constant white hosing, and you'll still be
able to enjoy running rampant with all those weenies...
Deck Tips
White Can Do Everything. If you're going to build a single-color deck,
white's a good choice. It's the big kid on the block. Armageddon provides
mega-land destruction. It has great creature selection (Serra Angel), great
creature enhancements (Spirit Link) and great creature elimination
(Swords to Plowshares). Not to mention Disenchant, the best all-purpose
spell in the game.
Sounding the Charge. Weenies always need to strike quickly, and this deck's
no exception. Savannah Lions are one of the premier first-turn weenies,
with Tundra Wolves and Brass Men a strong complement. Follow them up
quickly with White Knights and a tougher artifact creature.
The Crusades. The sooner you can get your creature enhancers out the better
Drop a few Crusades-or for that matter, Angelic Voices-and little ones'll
become giants. You'll only need two or three to become an effective
fighting force If you pull more, hold them in case a nasty
Tranquility comes your way and cleans the board of enchantments.
Versatile Defense. Let's see, you've got Swords to Plowshares and Spirit
Links for slowing down the enemy horde, Strip Mines for tempering your
opponent's land production, Reverse Damages to turn assaults into boons,
and Disenchants to pick off opposing artifacts and enchantments. And
that's not even counting Balance.
Balancing the Scales. The great equalizer: Balance. Your opponent's got
better creatures than you? Block with all of yours, killing them off,
then cast Balance on your turn and BANG-he's left with zippo. Use it as a
white Mind Twist if you can get rid of all your cards in the process
of casting Balance, your opponent's cards'll be sucked to the graveyard
too. Of course, the classic approach is to sandbag-wait until your opponent
builds up, especially land, defend yours lf with as minimum
expenditure as possible (try to play with just two lands) and then Balance,
putting the fear of the Lord into his pants.
Sneaky Creatures. A bunch of guys have abilities to keep in mind. Amrou
Kithkin's ability to slip past creatures greater than one power becomes a
serious hassle once you start dropping down Crusades. The Blinking Spirit
dodges killing blows like a mongoose-cobra dance. The Mesa Pegasi
and the Pikemen have banding which comes in handy and'll keep your
guys alive. White Knights have first strike and protection from black.
The Witch Hunter can throw opposing creature back into your
opponent's hand. The list is pretty extensive.
Sideboard. Against the appropriate colors, you'll want to swap in the
corresponding Circles of Protection and color hosers. Energy Storm makes
a particularly good defense against direct damage and overruns by flying
marauders. Throw in the extra Land Tax against land-destruction or
discard decks. Finally, the extra Wrath of God helps to provide those
retaliatory strikes against giant creatures, after which you'll be able
to bounce back fairly quickly with fast-moving wenies.
WHITE
Creatures
1 Amrou Kithkin
1 Blinking Spirit
1 Icatian Scout
3 Mesa Pegasi
1 Pikemen<
3 Savannah Lions
2 Serra Angels
2 Tundra Wolves
2 White Knights
1 Witch Hunter
Spells
1 Angelic Voices
1 Balance
3 Crusades
3 Disenchants
1 Land Tax
2 Reverse Damages
1 Spirit Link
3 Swords to Plowshares
2 Wraths of God
Lands
17 Plains
3 Strip Mines
Artifacts
1 Brass Man
1 Clockwork Swarm
2 Dragon Engines
1 Icy Manipulator
1 Soldevi Golem
1 Soldevi Simulacrum
1 Yotian Soldier
Sideboard
2 Circles of Protection: Artifact
2 Circles of Protection: Black
2 Circles of Protection: Green
2 Circles of Protection: Red
1 Conversion
1 Drought
2 Energy Storms
1 Karma
1 Land Tax
1 Wrath of God
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@node Rack
THE RACK - RUNNER UP
Original deck design by Douglas Goldstein ["Killer Decks" card, InQuest #3] <P>
Originally four colors, the restriction of dual lands in Type II tourneys
shook this deck up quite a bit. Out completely was blue, the aforementioned
dual lands, Mind Twist and them fancy-schmancy Moxes.
What it still does is prevent your opponent from casting spells. By ripping
the cards from his hands or slowing him up by forcing him to hold cards or
face the Racks, your opponent will face an attack from three fronts:
discard- and damage-inducing creatures, multiple Racks and a double
clip of Lightning Bolts.
Deck Tips
Self-Serve. The main goal of this deck is to yank cards outta your opponent
hands. That being the case, go for the Hymns to Tourach at every
opportunity. Got a swamp and a Dark Ritual on the first turn and can't
decide between a Hymn or a Specter? Go for the Hymn. Heck, even if
you take a point of mana burn, it's worth it.
Speaking of Hymns to Tourach. Knowing when to play this card can make it
super-effective. Got a Disrupting Scepter or Abyssal Specter out? Have
them nail your opponent first, forcing him to discard a card of his choice
obviously his least-desirable card. Then zap 'im with the Hymn. With
fewer cards in his hand, the odds just went up that you'll pull two
clutch cards!
Hey, Nice Racks. Not quite as cheesy as the Vice, but the Racks are up
there. (It's much more difficult to create a Rack deck than a Vice one.
Hell, a monkey and a box of boosters could make a Vice deck.) Not too much
strategy here, just put as many of these guys out and let your
card-eliminators do their thing.
Them White Cards. Not too much white in this deck, but the four that are,
are clutch. The only way you can handle any artifacts or enchantments cast
are with the three Disenchants, so hold 'em for something valuable. Balance
one of the best cards in the game, can be used any number of different
ways from evening out an out-of-control weenie deck that got the jump on
you to a land-destruction fiend who's got you on the ropes. In this deck
it takes on one more use: if you pull Balance, have some Racks out and
can empty your hand, go for it, then cast Balance. Bam, instant white Mind
Twist!
Ben Franklin's Legacy. Yup, there's a whole mess of direct damage lurking
in this deck, but it's primarily for the speed-creature decks that are show
ing up more frequently at tourneys these days. Since the only creatures you
have are mostly 2/2 li'l guys, you'll have trouble with those second-turn
Erhnam Djinns that are bound to pop up. That's where a well placed Bolt
can finish the job. And hey, don't hesitate to point one your opponent's
way if he's sucking wind. Not terribly polite, but effective.
Can I Interest You in Some Florida Real Estate? 99% of the time, you're
best off by dropping a swamp on your first turn. If you draw a Hymn to
Tourach on your second turn, drop a second swamp and BAM, you're ready to
cast. Your creatures need two black to be cast, so the sooner you have 'em
the sooner you'll have your creature. Unless you have to, avoid using the
Sulfurous Springs for colored mana or the City of Brass; they're great,
but they bite.
Sideboard (or How to Make This Deck More Annoying). Stand tall against
other discard decks or land-destruction decks with Land Tax, take direct
damage on somebody else's chin with Simulacrum, step over COPs with
Ghostly Flame, put your foot in a permission deck's ass with Pyroblast
and Curse of Marit Lage, and while Gloom may give you a minor head-ache
due to your handful of white cards, it'll make a primarily white deck
cry like a little girl.
BLACK
Creatures
4 Abyssal Specters
4 Hypnotic Specters
2 Mindstab Thrulls
Spells
4 Dark Rituals
4 Hymns to Tourach
1 Mind Warp
Spells
4 Lightning Bolts
4 Incinerates
WHITE
Spells
3 Disenchants
1 Balance
Land
4 Cities of Brass
4 Sulfurous Springs
1 Strip Mine
10 Swamps
2 Plains
1 Mountain
Artifacts
4 Racks
2 Disrupting Scepters
1 Cursed Rack
1 Zuran Orb
Sideboard
2 Land Taxes
1 Ghostly Flames
3 Simulacrums
4 Pyroblasts
1 Disenchant
2 Glooms
2 Curses of Marit Lage
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@node Lighting
BAYOU LIGHTNING - THIRD PLACE
Original deck design by Michael Searle ["Killer Decks," InQuest #1]
"To beat the Moxes" was the whole reason Bayou Lightning was built in the
first place. Speed, speed and more speed, as the deck provided lots of
quick mana from creatures, artifact sources and Dark Rituals. Bayou
Lightning's gone through significant changes-Birds of Paradise replaced
the original concept cards for the deck, the Elves of Deep Shadow;
high-powered cards like Berserk and Juzam Djinn were removed-but the basic
gist of using mana from every direction to brin out big creatures, still
takes any tournament deck to task.
Deck Tips
Creature Mana. The deck's basic framework is one-casting-cost green
creatures that can generate black and green mana. Virtually every turn,
you're putting out a land and some other source of mana, whether it be a
Llanowar or a Fellwar Stone, which adds up to a lot in a short amount of
time.
Fast and Furious. Put the pressure on as early as possible. Your best bet
is to strike hard and fast with your creatures. On average, by the third
turn you'll see one of your big bad boys. It's even possible to summon
first-turn nigtmares like the Sengir Vampire or the Derelor if you pull
a swamp and a pair of Dark Rituals.
The Li'l Guys. Just 'cause they're 1/1s doesn't mean they're worthless. If you've got enough mana going, attack in force, adding your weenies to the war party. Inevitably, your opponent'll be forced to block your big guns and let yo
r weenies slip through. Wham! That's when you hammer him with a well placed Giant Growth or a hefty Fanatical Fever and drive another nail in his coffin.
The All-Purpose Card. Desert Twister. Sure, it costs an arm and a leg, but
it can destroy any card on the board. Save it for particular nuisances like
an Icy Manipulator, a Maze of Ith or a Royal Assassin. Remember, too, it's
your only initial defense against enchantments.
Land Destruction. Though there are no direct cards to counter land
destruction, Bayou Lightning is quick and needs only a single Forest to
be on its way. Your 10 mana creatures, four Dark Rituals and two artifact
sources should be enough to operate for short periods of time without land
Heck, you might win a game or two even with an opening Mulligan (though we
recommend drawing a new hand).
Direct Damage. The best way to deal with Lava Bursts and Fireballs is to
put the heat on yourself. Send your creatures in fast and furious and
watch the fireworks train on your minions instead of you. Have patience
eventually his damage will run out and creatures will start slipping
through. In a pinch, hold that Simulacrum for a massive blow and channel
it off to one of your li'l critters.
Creature Elimination. For the most part, you won't have to worry about
your opponent's creatures-yours should be bigger anyway. If you do, a
timely Giant Growth should sway the numbers in your favor. Hurricanes
work wonders on clearing out the aggravating flyers-just don't forget
about your mana birds.
Sideboard. First, the color hosers. Use Deathgrip and Lifeforce to prevent
black and green players from casting important cards. Gloom will shut down
white, while Tsunamis, if played carefully, will wipe out a blue player's
islands. If you're having trouble against artifacts, swap in some Crumbles
Same goes for enchantments-swap in Tranquilities to wipe 'em clean. Direct
damage a little too hot to handle? Get more of those Simulacrums in your
hands.
GREEN
Creatures
1 Autumn Willow
3 Birds of Paradise
3 Erhnam Djinns
1 Hungry Mist
4 Llanowar Elves
1 Spectral Bears
3 Tinder Walls
Spells
2 Desert Twisters
1 Fanatical Fever
4 Giant Growths
2 Hurricanes
BLACK
Creatures
2 Derelors
1 Hypnotic Specter
2 Sengir Vampires
1 Sorceress Queen
Spells
4 Dark Rituals
1 Simulacrum
Artifacts
2 Fellwar Stones
1 Icy Manipulator
2 Soldevi Simulacrums
Land
1 City of Brass
10 Forests
2 Strip Mines
7 Swamps
Sideboard
3 Crumbles
2 Deathgrips
2 Glooms
2 Lifeforces
2 Simulacrums
2 Tranquilities
2 Tsunamis
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@node Titania
WRATH OF TITANIA - FOURTH PLACE
Original deck design by Jeff Hannes ["Killer Decks," InQuest #7]
Out of all the decks reconstructed for this feature, this one saw the
biggest overhaul. It really goes to show how the updated banned/restricted
list and the exclusion of any set older than Fallen Empires strongly
alters the atmosphere of Type II tournament play. You may not be able to
play some of the older expensive cards, but it makes the tourneys a much
more even and enjoyable playing environment. Anyway, enough with the
sermon.
This deck can blindside an opponent in one shot, leaving his jaw on the
table as you clear the board of everything but your horde of creatures.
How? Just load up on the handy-dandy artifacts that will protect you
during early game play, then BAM, Wrath of God all creatures off the
board, mosh all lands with an Armageddon and drop a Titania's Song,
turning all your "harmless" artifacts into a mechanical army that would
make James Cameron proud.
Deck Tips
Them's a Lot of Artifacts." Indeed. With about 20 artifacts in this deck,
it does seem a little artifact heavy. But these pieces of machinery serve
a dual role. First, they keep your opponent from causing too much mischief
Fellwar Stones and Mana Vaults will keep things on an even keel with speed
decks, Shield of the Ages and Pentagram of the Ages will protect you from
direct damage and big critters, Nevinyrral's Disk will bring a losing game
back to square one, and the Icy Manipulators...well, these are just super
useful. From tapping your opponent's mana on his upkeep, shutting down
irritating artifacts or keeping heavy-duty creatures at bay, the Icy is
still one of the best, most versatile cards in the game. Just pour out
your artifacts fast and furious...and wait.
"Titania's What?" Odds are most players won't be expecting Titania's Song
to pop up. It's a seldom-played green enchantment that strips all artifact
of their abilities and transforms them into artifact creatures with
power/toughnes equal to their casting cost.
If you're playing against a creature deck, cast Wrath of God first.
Follow with the Song, and watch your seemingly innocent artifacts pull
a page from the Transformers Handbook and metamorphasize into 4/4 monsters
in the blink of an eye. "But what if my opponent's playing artifacts too?"
Not to worry. Odds are he won't be playing as many as you, but if he's got
a bunch out, hey, that's what the Disenchants and Lightning Bolts are for.
Now you gotta go for the lock...
"Hey...Where'd My Mana Go?" Wrath of God will clear the board of all
creatures. Titania's Song will eradicate all artifact abilities. Now you
gotta put the last nail in your opponent's coffin by destroying all land
in the game. Thin of it: the only creatures left standing are those in
your recently drafted artifact army, mana-producing artifacts no longer
work and if you blow up his land, the show's over. By the time he begins
to recoup, you'll be well on your way to the finals.
Sideboard or "Hey, is that a COP: Artifact?" Unless you're playing a
colossally stupid person, your opponent will be ready for that li'l
Titania's Song trick again. But, seeing as how this deck is pretty single
minded, it'll be a challenge to overcome the unpleasantries that'll be
shuffled into your opponent's deck. Your best bet is to slow him up with
heavy color-hosers like Pyroblast, Tsunami, Energy Storm and Drought.
Stymie land-destruction/discard decks with Land tax and avoid mega
fireball and quadruple-Giant Growthed critters with Reverse Damage.