Date: Mon, 1 Dec 1997 21:01:38 +0100 From: "Ir. J.C. van den Broek" To: "'hahn@bway.net'" Subject: Re: War College: Good Initiative (+ Control/Aggro start) Hi Robert, I read your response and thought about it and although it took me quite some time, here's my answer. You said the following in your email to Frank. (Not sure if I was meant to get it but it was there so..) However I want to look at the top decks in this environment and that's why I'll take the 1997 World Championship decks as an example for top decks. (I suppose you have the list somewhere so..). I'll make a list of offensive cards in the deck (numbers only) and the defensive cards in it. Some (like an uktabi Urangetang) count as both and I made a ratio between them as well. (Usually it doesn't say that much but in case of high level decks I believe it does) I've also done this for the US Nationals (I excluded some cards like Buried Alive because they aren't aggressive or defensive. They're just catalysers. The Ophidian was another problem. I counted it as an aggressive card but I don't think it is. But then again it isn't really defensive.) Name No Aggro No Defensive Aggro/Defensive Slemr 31 18 1.72 Kühn 16 26 0.57 Geersten 38 10 3.8 McCabe 25 19 1.32 Gary 20 30 0.67 Bigos 27 19 1.42 Butz 32 16 2 Maher 29 12 2.42 Furthermore you said the following: > From this standpoint, I think the Type 2 environment, if anything is > veering towards the extremes. The best 'control' deck I've seen in > the environment so far is either a R/U CounterHammer with only 4 Disks > as the only non-land permanents This was the deck I played. I've put a list here (it differs a bit but hey we're both individuals) 4 Incinerate A/D 4 Kindle A/D 4 Counterspell D 2 Hammer A/D 4 Dissipate D 3 Power Sink D 3 Rainbow Efreets A 3 Disks D 4 Impulse 3 Searing Touch A/D 3 Earthquake A/D Land of your choice. Based on this and my observations I hope I can now convince you that type II might indeed veer towards the extremes but that the decks best to handle both the extremes and the midpath decks are the deck in the midpath itself. So I conclude again that the way in Type II is propably the midway in which new possibilities lie and that the extreme control decks will propably be extinct pretty soon while the Aggressive decks will most likely live on for a while. This is because of the aggressive nature of Tempest. However I think the aggro decks will have a hard time dealing with the midway dacks. Fair greetings from the beautiful city of Eindhoven (can you feel the irony) Victor van den Broek P.S. Are you going to the Pro Tour in Mainz because I'd love to continue the discussion with you there.