Subject: [DECK] ManaCap (FlareBack, Cold Fire) 1.1 Date: Tue, 23 Dec 1997 12:38:27 -0500 From: Bas Pluim To: ----------------------------------------------------------- After receiving some very good suggestions, I thought I'd post the new version of the ManaCap deck, or, as Defender calls it, Cold Fire (now there's a good name!). The new version is quite different - no creatures and Earthquakes for early control. My new version - ManaCap 1.1 4 Mana Flare 3 Capsize 4 Counterspell 2 Dismiss 3 Dissipate 3 Powersink 4 Incinerate 2 Fireball 2 Earthquake 1 Searing Touch 2 Nevinyrral's Disk 1 Whispers of the Muse 4 Impulse 1 Mystical Tutor 1 Recall 2 Sky Diamond 10 Islands 1 Caldera Lake 7 Mountains 4 Quicksand (61 cards) Sideboard: 1 Earthquake 2 Hammer of Bogardan 4 Hydroblast 3 Pyroblast 2 Shatter 1 Disk + 2 slots variable Now for some discussion - everyone seems to want 4 Whispers in the deck. I don't want to sound like a bumpersticker, but with 4-6 lands and a Mana Flare out, "I'd rather be Capsizing". This deck already has card advantage oozing out of it's ears (Earthquake, Capsize, Disk, Dismiss), I've tried 4 Whispers and I end up using them as worthless cantrips until I have just one. Then it just sits in my hand because I'm Capsizing. Another point of discussion is Hammers in the main deck. Apart from the fact that it has RR in the casting cost, it's an unneccesary alternate road to victory. Once the Capsize lock is down, one Fireball will finish it. Against mono blue Hammers are wonderful though. Just Dissipate the Dissipates. Also, no-one seems to play with Disks anymore. With all the swarm and combo decks out there, Disks are a real lifesaver. Aether flash doesn't work - far too slow. Other suggestions were Prosperity/Sudden Impact, Mind Warp and Ankh of Mishra. All very playable in this deck, but once again redundant with the Capsize lock. This deck handles Stompy, Sligh /Burn and Mono Blue quite well, but has difficulty against Discard decks I shudder to think what Pox/Cursed Scroll/Discard will do to it, but I haven't seen many people play it (still working on my own version...). So far, all I've been able to come up with against discard is Library of Leng, there has to be something more effective along the lines of Psychic Purge or Guerrilla Tactics. Bas Pluim baspluim@us.ibm.com