Subject: Sorb Date: Thu, 23 Oct 1997 04:07:00 -0700 From: Taylors > Ok friends! Many people thought it could not be done. They either > said it was not viable, or that the current stasis methos where > more usefull (stasis and winter orb). Hey Nestor. I'm not sure if you've seen this, but I would like to show you my Static Orb deck. It is true that Stasis has more effect, but Stasis also has what amounts to a cumulative upkeep. You really have to base a deck around Stasis. I guess I'm basing a deck around the SOrb too, but I think it is generally solid without the SOrb showing up. Winter Orb disrupts mana, but everybody has seen Winter Orb, and can work around it (Diamonds or Elves). There are at least 4 different popular deck types right now that run 3-4 Winter Orbs standard. And guess what, every single one wins with a creature rush. Static Orb will take good care of both mana and creatures consistently. Sure, your opponent will get some resources back each turn, but I doubt it will be enough to protect themselves. 3 Static Orb 3 Abeyance 4 Quirion Rangers 2 Pygmy Hippos 1 Hurricane 1 Dirtcowl Wurm 3 River Boas 3 Wall of Roots 1 Mirri's Guile 4 Impulse 3 Gaea's Blessing 1 Enlightened Tutor 4 Memory Lapse 3 Disrupt 2 Disenchant 2 Mana Chains 4 Undiscovered Paradise 10 Forest 2 Adarkar Wastes 2 Gemstone Mines 4 Islands 61 Total While I'm posting this deck, I'd like to ask the list what they think about Pox at this point. It seems to me like every good deck must be able to either disrupt the mana supply or the cards in hand, and also be able to withstand an early creature rush or burn element. Pox can do all of these things just by itself. (Except possibly for burn, but that's why Drain Life was invented) 4 Pox 4 Stupor 3 Blood Pets 3 Shadow Guildmages 3 Skulking Ghosts 3 Knights of Stromgald 1 Black Knight 2 Dauthi Mindripper 1 Nekrataal 1 Bone Dancer 4 Diabolic Edict 1 Nevinyrral's Disk 2 Fountain of Youth 3 Drain Life 2 Vampiric tutor 4 Undiscovered Paradise 2 Gemstone Mines 18 Swamps 61 Total Without Lakes or Valleys, I think the fastest, easiest way to get life is with the Fountain. Pox followed by either Stupor or Diablic Edict is cool, despite opponent's choice, because they won't have any choice. There's almost a complete lack of speed in this deck, except for a few Blood Pets. Diamonds are killed by the Disk, and I have better things to do at 2 mana anyway, and I don't have anything extremely exciting at 4 mana. By the way, notice how there's no creatures at 3 mana? Hopefully I will either Pox or Stupor there. Anyway, about speed, Rituals are pretty good in a Pox deck because you aren't necessarily losing card advantage. Never the less, all out speed isn't really important, as there isn't anything imperative to cast on the first turn. I used to think Lotus Petals would be cool, and they probably would, but they are even worse than Dark Ritual when it comes to card disadvantage, because their mana boost is minimal, and in a (mostly) mono-color deck flexibility isn't needed. So anyway, write me if you have something cool to say.