Magic: the Gathering Tournament Decks




Deck: Straight White w/ side Sleight version, White Weenee Rush 4.1

Standard tournament: August 16.
There were 21 participants in this tournament, a 5 round Swiss with the top 4 in a single-elimination playoff.
I reached the final 4 playoff with a 4-1 record, and went on to win the tournament (rah!).
The Swiss match scores: 2-1 v. Red/White/Green, 2-1 v. Green/White, 0-2 v. Red/Black Buried Alive (oof!), 2-0 v. Blue/White Rainbow Efreet, 2-0 v. Red/Green land destruction. In the finals, the scores where: 2-1 v. Green creature swarm, 2-1 v. Red/Black Buried Alive (avenging my earlier loss).
Totals: 6-1 match score, 12-6 game score.
Tournament notes:
This was a fun tournament, with every match a hard-fought one. I got off to a great start when I was able to buy the Kjeldoran Outpost that I needed before the tournament began. That saved me in the matches against the Green decks and the Blue/White deck.
The most interesting matchup was against the Buried Alive deck (twice).
I had faced two Buried Alive decks in the State Championship, winning 4 games to 1. One of the best players in this area, Van Russell, authored this particular version, which was 10-0 in the Swiss (2-0 v. me!).
His semi-final opponent forfeited due to a family emergency, and I got my chance to avenge my earlier loss.
Frankly, I wanted that chance -- Buried Alive is hot, a very strong deck design, and I needed to know if my deck could really handle it.
I lost the first game of the final match.
I'll set the stage: We are both at around 16-18 life. I 'Geddon early, with an Order of the White Shield v. a Black Knight on the board, and a Spirit Link in my hand. I draw ONE land the rest of the game. Seems like enough, though. He's at 2 life, I'm around 10 due to the Spirit Link, but he's up to 3 Black Knights by now. I have in hand a Crusade and a White Knight (among other stuff) but ONE Plains in play. He draws a Death Spark! Bye bye Order and game. 0-1
Game two, side in 3 Sleights for the 2 Plows and a 'Geddon.
Side note -- in game 2 of our prevous match, I forgot to side in my Sleights. I get punished for Improper Sideboarding when he hits with TWO Anarchies, the second hitting when I've recovered from the first, and he's around 5 life.
Anyway, back to game two. All I remember about game two is quickly pummeling him to death with weenees. He'd remove one or two, but I always had more. The weenees were just a little too fast. 1-1
The biggie, for the tournament. Going into this match, I felt that I needed game one, because I felt that he was stronger after sideboarding. Now I begin to wonder if all that anti-White is slowing him down. For me, this game is fast creature beat-down again, with 2 Plains and 2 Sleights in my opening hand. Again, my Boys, Girls, and Birds pummel him. Along the way, I draw 2 Geddons, but my only other land is a Gemstone Mine (Blue mana!).
Now the brain teaser.
I finally pound him down to four life, with a White Knight, Death Speaker, and Repentant Blacksmith in play.
I draw Empyrial Armor -- a finisher!
But wait. He has a Black 2/2 creature in play, 5 cards in hand, and a graveyard with 3 Ashen Ghouls and 2-3 other creatures.
I have 2 Plains and a Gemstone Mine.
In hand: 2 Sleights, a White Knight, a Freewind Falcon, 2 Geddons (where's that 4th land???).
If I play Empyrial Armor, all my lands are tapped.
Play it on the Blacksmith, and he will be blocked.
Play it on the White Knight, and Red direct damage could blow him away before the Armor gets there.
Sleight the Blacksmith to prot. black, to bypass the Black blocker, and again, a Red DD instant could fry the Speaker, and I only do 3 damage.
What would YOU do?
Remember, a crowd is watching. Decide correctly, and win the tournament. Decide incorrectly, and possibly lose -- remember that Anarchy followed by Ashen Ghoul mob attack finished you in two turns in the last game of the last match.
I finally decide to attack with the White Knight and the Death Speaker. He goes to 1 life. I tap 2 Plains to play White Knight, and say "Your turn".
He taps 2 black, 2 red, for Anarchy. I tap the Mine and Sleight it to Black.
Game. 2-1
Afterwards, I felt a little bad for Van. He's a great guy, and a great magic player, and his deck went 11-0 for the day, and 3-0 against me, until I took the last two games. C'est la vie.


Notes previous to the tournament:
After the experience gained from the Alabama State Championship, a few modifications have been made to the deck.
Upon contemplating the possibilities of the deck, I have decided to try a some new ideas.
1) More creature-pumping enchantments + 2 Enlightened Tutors. The idea here is to increase the probability of the powerful third turn Empyrial Armor on a creature in play.
2) More Armageddons to disrupt opponents playing mana-intensive decks.

The intent of the changes is to 'tighten up' the deck; that is, to increase the probability of the quick-kill 3rd turn Empyrial Armored creature, 4th turn Armageddon combo.
This deck rarely gets mana-hosed due to the low casting costs of everything in the deck. Additionally, it is deadly against a mana-hosed opponent, or one who can't quickly deal with an Empyrial Armored protection creature -- often with a 5th or 6th turn kill.


61 Card deck:

15 Card sideboard:



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