Date: Thu, 28 Aug 1997 22:18:07 -0800 From: Elizebeth Moeller Subject: Re: Red/Blue Sumo deck for Alaska Championships. Thanks for the feedback, Seth. I may try your mix, as it might be a little faster. I had a short debate with one person over Ball Lightning vs. Fog Elemental, so I think that I'll hit what the pros and cons of each are. 1. Ball Lightning--6 potential damage, some of which will still get through even if blocked. Downsides: only one use (barring silly tricks); can be bolted (or even Timmed); costs RRR (hard to come up with in a 2 color deck on Turn 3). 2. Viashino (affectionately known in these parts as Larry the Lizard)--Reusable. Only costs 1RR, and much easier to cast in a two color deck. Great psychological edge if he gets through once, as opponent tends to go on the defensive to guard against another "Larry sighting" I do not understand why Price only played 2. Someone illuminate me, please. 3. Fog Elemental (affectionately known as SloMo, for Slow Motion Psionic Blast)--well, that's pretty much what it is. It's blue, it does 4, it costs 2U, with the downside being that a flyer could block it or it could get Swords/Terrored before it hits. On the other hand, it can block in a pinch. I'll have to give some thought to a few Lightnings, though. SBURN@CMCVAX.MCKENNA.EDU wrote: > Greetings Elizebeth, > My name is Seth Burn. I'm a NY Magic player with a lot of experience in > this environment. I usually have to wade through at least 2 or 3 Counterposts > if I want to win a local tourney, but apperently you don't have to deal with > that. The idea of Straw Golems is that they punish Thawing Glacier decks. As > such, 4 of them deserve a place in your sideboard. Anarchy is clearly strong > and I would again go with 4, especially in the environment you describe. I > am presently running two decks, G/W Maro/Orb/Geddon control and Black-Ice. > Apperently you don't have to worry about G/W Maro-Geddon and you seem well > equipped to crush Black-Ice. My worry is that you'll run into a turn 3 > Ishan's Shade (via Lake of the Dead) and suffer beatdown. Since you can only > use 1 blue in your casting cost, a case can be made for Man-o-wars, but if > you don't have to worry about this kind of threat, Man-o-Wars won't be > neccessary, although they are still useful. You clearly expect 4 damage from > any creature costing 3 or more, but why 2 Lava Hounds and no Eron? I know > David Price went 4 and 0, but his militant sticking to the mana curve was > based on 4 Ball Lightnings and only 2 Sandstalkers. As you have 4 Sandstalkers, > wouldn't one Eron be warrented, if not 2? Meekstones and Psyknesis are both > strong, but might 4 psy and 2 Meekstones be better than 3 and 3? A second psy > is as good as the first, and besides, you often need it faster. With the > fourth Anarchy, are 2 Slights neccessary? I would go down to one and have the > new 15 card sideboard with 1 meekstone traded for a Psyknesis. As for the > deck, can a case be made for Balls over Sands? Price clearly thought so, and > his deck worked great (6-0 at nationals). Yours also works, but its a little > slower. Here is how I might build your deck: > > 4 Goblin Vandals > 4 Ironclaw Orcs > 3 Dwarven Soldiers > 3 Ball Lightnings > 3 Viashino Sandstalkers > 3 Fog Elementals > 1 Lava Hounds > 1 Eron the Relentless > 4 Incinerates > 4 Fireblasts > 3 Hammers of Bogardan > 2 Thunderbolts > 3 Impulses > 15 Mountains > 4 Undiscovered Paridises > 3 Islands > > 4 Straw Golems > 4 Psykneses > 4 Anarchy's > 2 Meekstones > 1 Slight of Mind > > Hmm... Viva la difference? Too mino to love, but perhaps they help. The > Ball Lightnings add a nice touch of speed and power. You have asked a lot of > questions about your sideboarding. Sideboarding is very hard to test and is > therefore tough to critique. Your deck can sideboard well against control, > speed, White, and perhaps against big creatures. As for other sumo decks... > In R/U vs. R/U it is a race. Only Psyknesis can help you, and it will really > be who gets the better draws. Hydroblasts can help if you want > them, but without White, it will be a race. You lack land destruction, but > Post decks should fall to your speed. Beware of Gerard's Wisdom and its > little sister, Mangara's Blessing. Honerable Passages suq big time, but again, your > goal is to blitz them before these defense can work. I think your deck can > work so long as it doesn't run into a U/W Bosium Strip deck and see its > opponent gain life by the dozen. Good luck liz. Later... > > Sethy B. > > P.S. I'm actually trying to defend my Sealed NY State championship on Aug 16th. > It would be nice to sweep. Please e-mail me and tell me what works up there, > although I'm sure you'll post a tourney report. Also, if you've qualified for > Chicago and have begun playtesting in extended, tell me what has been working > for you. Mono-Red and G/W are my two bests, abusing Fork/Fireblast or > Land Tax/Gerrards Wisdom. Again, later...