Magic: the Gathering Tournament Decks




White Weenee Rush 4

The Standard (Type 2) Alabama State Championship was August 2nd.
There were 54 participants in this tournament, which was a 6-round Swiss system tournament, then splitting junior and senior divisions, 8 person single elimination for the championship.
I squeaked into the "seniors" final 8 with a 4-1-1 record, won in the quarterfinal round, and finally lost in the semifinals.
The Swiss match scores were: 2-0 v. a White/Blue Millstone deck, 1-1 v. a White/Blue Abeyance deck, 1-2 v. a Red creatureless direct damage deck, 2-0 v. a Red deck, 2-1 v. a Blue deck, and 2-1 v. a Red/Black deck. In the finals, the scores were: 2-0 v. a Black deck, and 1-2 v. a White/Blue "Big Blue" deck.
The total match tally was 5-2-1, and the total games tally was a respectable 13-7.
The most memorable match was probably the last game of the Swiss, at that point my third "must-win" match in a row. I faced a Red/Black deck, winning the first game, then losing the second (primarily because I couldn't answer a Dystopia). In the third game I got Dystopia'd again, but he couldn't sustain it, and we simmered in a creatureless deadlock for a few turns. Then I played a Freewind Falcon, and the next turn dropped Empyrial Armor on it (7/7!). He responded with Anarchy, but this time I had an answer -- I Sleighted it, and he couldn't hold on. After the match, someone asked me, "Do you know who that was that you beat?" I said, "No", and he said, "That was Jeff Butz. He's the third member of the U.S. National team!" After that, plus making the finals after a 1-1-1 start, nothing could ruin my day.

My notes and thoughts previous to the tournament, with post-tourney comments in purple:
At the last minute, I made some significant changes to the deck. The changes are still in keeping with the previous secondary theme of disrupting the opponent's mana. The goal is disrupt the opponent's mana with minimal disruption of my own. This means the replacement of Armageddon with Winter Orb, and the replacement of Fellwar Stone (used primarily to recover from 'Geddons) with Mana Web. The Icys can be used to tap my Orbs, if necessary. This has the added benefit of a lower casting cost, four shots at disrupting the opponent instead of two, and hosing up Blue decks (my nemesis) right from the first game.
This change had mixed results. While working well in theory, the Mana Web/Winter Orb combo only hit the table once, even with 2 of each plus an Enlightened Tutor in the deck. Mana Web proved to be hard on counterspell decks -- only one counterspell, then the land was tapped. Winter Orb by itself was surprisingly ineffective; I had thought that it would hobble opponents much more than it did. Another problem was that in actual play I was reluctant to use the Orb since I was also using an Outpost. The Icys won a couple of games, one by repeatedly tapping a City of Brass, another by tapping lands needed to drive a COP: White. However, I never achieved the Icy/Winter Orb combo. These 6 slots (currently 2 Mana Web, 2 Winter Orb, 2 Icy Manipulator) are the slots with the greatest potential for change. Possible changes include moving Ankh of Mishra into the main deck, pulling Armageddon back into the main deck, and introducing another Enlightened Tutor. Decisions, decisions...
General notes:
A Kjeldoran Outpost has been added to the deck. In theory, that will give me better chances against massive counterspell decks -- it can't be countered, and there are only so many Plows, Wraths, and Serrated Arrows one can fit in a deck.
Sure could use one more Outpost.
 Ankh of Mishra and Mana Web has also been added to combat Big Blue and to neutralize Thawing Glaciers.
Ankh of Mishra never stayed on the table; it always drew a counterspell or disenchant -- not saying that's bad; they opened up other opportunities. I have concluded that I misplayed the final game of the night. I had an Ankh and Enlightened Tutor in my opening hand, I played first and he played Thawing Glaciers. I should have gone for a 2nd and 3rd turn Ankh, but instead I went looking for an Empirial Armor for my Order of the White Shield, which got Plowed (ouch -- Tutor, Armor, and pump-Knight for a Plow). This also exposed my error in sideboarding, since I had planned to sideboard out the creature enchantments, just forgot in the heat of battle. Oh well, I won a game earlier where my opponent made a grave error from a won position that allowed me to win.
 Tariff, since it is non-targeting, may be good for destroying protection from White or "cannot be the target..." creatures.
Quicksand is good for stopping Black's pump-knights and Black Knights, and Red's Ball Lightnings, and Quicksand is not destroyed by those Discs I see so often when facing Red or Black.
The Enlightened Tutor is even more powerful in this version. I can fetch Aura of Silence, Winter Orb, an Icy, Fellwar Stone, Spirit Link, Crusade, or Empyrial Armor -- enchantment/artifact destruction, land control, creature control, mana source, life gain, or creature pumping -- the card you need, all for one mana, as an instant, with one card.
Oddly enough, I have yet to face another White Weenee deck this year, or even see one. I've heard they're out there ... or maybe everyone else is too afraid of Anarchy to try them anymore.
Finally saw another White Weenee deck at the tournament! The guy playing it sat next to me during the third round. I think he went 3-3 for the tournament.
 Mono-Black, mono-Red, and White/Blue control are the decks to beat around here, with a good mono-Green deck floating around too.
Too much White/Blue control! I'll be happy to see the Ice Age-Homelands-Alliances block rotate out of Standard (Type 2) play. I think I'll do a lot better with Force of Will, Arcane Denial, Serrated Arrows, and Swords to Plowshares gone, and Red and Black may become more popular (and more successful against White/Blue), and that's good for me, since mono-Red or mono-Black is my preferred opponent.

Deck: Straight White w/ Sleight version, White Weenee Rush 4

61 Card deck:

15 Card sideboard:



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