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			Back to the [Distant] Future...
		With the thought of Extended rotating out the power sets (Artifact Cycle, Rath Cycle, and Masques Block, along with older cards from sixth edition), everyone has the same piece of mind in the back of their heads...what decks will be tier 1 and what deck should I play in the new extended in 2005.  I am writing this to get everyone prepped for the coming change.  I will continue writing articles for the new extended as long as I can think of stuff to write..anyway...         As most of the Extended players down at Left Field know, I love the Rock.  Although right now, the Extended format is so fast that the Rock is considered a dead deck, I am awaiting the ban list from DCI in December which will take effect in January, 2004.  Anyway, the Rock may be dead now, but in the new Extended, it prospers like it once did.  Here is my current decklist: Lands: 7 Swamp 6 Forest 3 Treetop VIllage 2 Dustbowl 1 Volrath's Stronghold 4 Llanowar Wastes Creatures: 2 Birds of Paradise 3 Ravenous Baloth 1 Genesis 1 Spiritmonger 4 Yavimaya Elder 4 Wall of Blossoms Spells: 4 Pernicious Deed 4 Diabolic Edict 4 Duress 4 Cabal Therapy 3 Vampiric Tutor 2 Infest 1 Haunting Echoes         What is affected in the deck as it stands?  Villages, Dustbowls, Stronghold, Elder, Wall, Edict, and Vampiric Tutor.  Now before you all say "But that makes the deck.  The wall and Elders are early blockers, the lands are utility, the edicts are necessary, and the tutors make the glue for the deck," let's take a look at the newer alternatives that will keep on chugging in the new Extended.         First, the easiest to spot: Wall of Blossoms.  Trade in Wall of Mulch.  Next, the Elders.  Put in Solemn Semulacrum.  Edicts?  Edicts!  Chainer's that is.  The non-basic lands and tutors are hard to replace.  The tutors could go on the safe side with diabolic tutors, but you can be a real black player and play Spoils of the Vault.  Treetop villages.  Either Stalking Stones (not the best idea) or Cenaur Garden.  At least giving a creature +3/+3 isn't as bad as paying 6 mana for a permanent creature that will almost always die anyway (he's an artifact don't forget.  He can be targeted easier).  Alas, there are no lands in the new Extended that destroy nonbasic land or return creatures from the grave.  But you could sub in another Genesis for the Stronghold and run only 22 land.  For the Dustbowl, all I can say is: it's two land.  Find something, anything.  And there are still quite a few sets coming in the future before 2005.  Keep those Ideas running!