Sooo ... what's so great about this?
You get to return a card that you either had to put in your graveyard yourself; otherwise, it's a slightly different and more conditional Raise Dead, which was never broken.
In the early game, you'll habe no creature worth retrieving, and in the lategame you could juast play another Spirit and not lose any speed by having to kill the critter yourself or wait for an attack.
In the late game, you'll have a creature that can return your destroyed bomb or other good card.
White: Search and play Enchantment in your library.
Blue: Search and play Instant in your library.
Black: Destroy X creatures at the beginning of your upkeep.
Red: Search and play Sorcery in your library.
Green: Search and play Creature in your library.
I had a much smaller collection of foils at one time (about 500), but it was useful for online trading - there are a lot of people that have those random foil wants for collections, and some of the strangest foils can get pretty good deals.
The problem, though, is that AS needs a heck of a lot more space for the programs. They have 28 programs on 6-day a week, 3 hour blocks. They have 1/3 more programming than G4 does, and 1/7 the space! (who says Boomerang should go?)
Man, RDW a tier 1 deck? You don't even see it make a tier offline. Interesting, since I really like red. : )
One of the explanations I recieved about it is that Tooth and Nail and RDW are relatively easy-to-build decks that don't require 4-ofs on expensive cards. Just having 4 Tooth, 1 Trike, 1 Meph. Vamp., 4 Birds, and 4 Witness are the extent of the harder to find cards for TaN, while RDW's main rares are Arc-Slogger and Nexus. A lot of the other decks in the format are more rare-intensive, or are just naturally not in the first tier. (I also see similarly for MGB, as some players flock to the rogue-ish Mono-Green deck and that's the deck right now)
Note one thing, though, for these: I consider the difference between Ponza and RDW being that (currently) Ponza is more focused on LD.
PS: I'm currently updating the list again for 2 more tournaments...
I'll be judging on Saturday and playing on Sunday. I am the only male judge there with long hair, so that's the easiest way to identify me.
Trade me all your prerelease cards! (The 11 Ink-Eyes was a dissapointment)
The following is the past several Top 8 archetype decks for Magic Online tournaments, as well as a compiled perspective on the raw data.
If you have opinions on how the tiers should be differently interpreted, I'd love to hear what you think.
Updated on occasion.
Note that if you have any questions on a deck, I can only get you the information on that deck up until the tournament is removed from Magic Online. After that time, I can no longer give information on that deck or tournament.
(R) = I consider the deck "Rogue"
(#) Notes on the deck are at the bottom of the post.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------- Results (all times are Central)
Sunday, July 20 4:00pm | 1x Prizes, 30 Players
1: Mono-Green Beats
2: Mono-Green Beats
4: Mono-Blue Control
4: Red Deck Wins
8: Tooth and Nail
8: White Weenie
8: Tooth and Nail
8: Tooth and Nail
Sunday, July 24 7:00am | 1x Prizes, 24 Players
1: 3-Color Gifts
2: Red Deck Wins
4: White Weenie
4: Red Deck Wins
8: Mono-Blue Control
8: Mono-Black Control
8: Red Deck Wins
8: White Weenie
1: Mono-Blue Control (w/Urzatron)
2: Mono-Blue Control (w/Urzatron)
4: Mono-Blue Control (w/Urzatron)
4: Mono-Blue Control (w/Urzatron)
8: Red Deck Wins
8: Red Deck Wins
8: Mono-Blue Control (w/Urzatron)
8: Red Deck Wins
1: Tooth and Nail
2: Mono-Blue Control (w/Urzatron)
4: White Weenie
4: B/G Control
8: Red Deck Wins
8: Red Deck Wins
8: Mono-Blue Control (w/Urzatron)
8: Tooth and Nail Wednesday, July 20 10:00pm | 2x Prizes, 54 Players
1: White Weenie
2: Red Deck Wins
4: Mono-Green Beats
4: Mono-Blue Control
8: Mono-Blue Control (w/Urzatron)
8: B/G Control
8: Red Deck Wins
8: Mono-Blue Control (w/Urzatron)
Wednesday, July 20 3:00am | 1x Prizes, 28 Players
1: Mono-Green Beats
2: 5-Color Control
4: Tooth and Nail
4: White Weenie
8: Mono-Blue Control (w/Urzatron)
8: Red Deck Wins
8: Mono-Blue Control (w/Urzatron)
8: Red Deck Wins
Tuesday, July 19 8:00am | 1x Prizes, 28 Players
1: Red Deck Wins
2: White Weenie
4: Red Deck Wins
4: White Weenie
8: Red Deck Wins
8: U/G Ninjas (R)
8: White Weenie
8: Red Deck Wins
Monday, July 18 6:00pm | 1x Prizes, 46 Players
1: Red Deck Wins
2: Red Deck Wins
4: Mono-Green Beats
4: Mono-Blue Control (w/Urzatron)
8: Unknown Deck
8: Red Deck Wins
8: Red Deck Wins
8: Red Deck Wins
/// Decks above this have not been placed into the statistics ///
Monday, July 18 6:00am | 1x Prizes, 24 Players
1: Mono-Green Beats (w/ U/R splash and W splash in SB)
2: Mono-Green Beats
4: White Weenie
4: White Weenie
8: Red Deck Wins
8: U/G Control
8: Mono-Blue Control
8: Mono-Green Beats
Sunday, July 17 4:00pm | 1x Prizes, 38 Players
1: Red Deck Wins
2: Red Deck Wins
4: Red Deck Wins
4: Red Deck Wins
8: Tooth and Nail
8: Tooth and Nail
8: Red Deck Wins
8: Tooth and Nail
Sunday, July 17 7:00am | 1x Prizes, 24 Players
1: White Weenie
2: Mono-Blue Control (w/Urzatron)
4: B/G Rat/Ninjas (R)(b)
4: Mono-Green Beats
8: Red Deck Wins
8: Tooth and Nail
8: Red Deck Wins
8: Tooth and Nail
Saturday, July 16 11:00pm | 2x Prizes, 51 Players
1: White Weenie
2: Domain Gifts
4: Tooth and Nail
4: Red Deck Wins
8: Mono-Blue Control (w/Urzatron)
8: White Weenie
8: Mono-Green Beats
8: Red Deck Wins
Saturday, July 16 4:00pm | 1x Prizes, 28 Players
1: Red Deck Wins
2: Mono-Green Beats
4: Mono-Blue Control (w/Urzatron)
4: Red Deck Wins
8: Tooth and Nail
8: Red Deck Wins
8: Red Deck Wins
8: Tooth and Nail
Thursday, July 14 10:00pm | 2x Prizes, 51 Players
1: Tooth and Nail
2: Tooth and Nail
4: Mono-Green Beats
4: Tooth and Nail
8: Red Deck Wins
8: Red Deck Wins
8: Mono-Blue Control (w/Urzatron)
8: Red Deck Wins
Wednesday, July 13 3:00am | 1x Prizes, 24 Players
1: Tooth and Nail
2: Mono-Green Beats
4: Mono-Blue Control (w/Urzatron)
4: Tooth and Nail
8: White Weenie
8: Tooth and Nail
8: Red Deck Wins
8: Tooth and Nail
Tuesday, July 12 8:00am | 1x Prizes, 24 Players
1: Tooth and Nail
2: Mono-Blue Control (w/Urzatron)
4: Mono-Blue Cnotrol
4: Mono-Green Beats
8: Tooth and Nail
8: Tooth and Nail
8: White Weenie
8: White Weenie
Monday, July 11 6:00am | 1x Prizes, 24 Players
1: Tooth and Nail
2: Red Deck Wins
4: Mono-Black Aggro
4: U/G Control
8: Tooth and Nail
8: Red Deck Wins
8: Mono-Blue Control (w/Urzatron)
8: Mono-Blue Control
Sunday, July 10 4:00pm | 1x Prizes, 29 Players
1: Tooth and Nail
2: Mono-Green Beats
4: Mono-Blue Control (w/Urzatron)
4: Mono-Black Aggro
8: Tooth and Nail
8: 3-Color Gifts
8: Tooth and Nail
8: Red Deck Wins
Sunday, July 10, 7:00am | 1x Prizes, 31 Players
1: Red Deck Wins
2: Mono-Black Aggro
4: Tooth and Nail
4: U/G Control
8: White Weenie
8: Tooth and Nail
8: Tooth and Nail
8: Tooth and Nail
Saturday, July 9 11:00pm | 2x Prizes, 49 Players
1: Red Deck Wins
2: Red Deck Wins
4: Mono-Breen Beats
4: Mono-Blue Control (w/Urzatron)
8: Mono-Green Beats
8: Tooth and Nail
8: Mono-Blue Control (w/Urzatron)
8: Red Deck Wins
Saturday, July 9 4:00am | 1x Prizes, 24 Players
1: Mono-Blue Control (w/Urzatron)
2: Mono-Blue Control (w/Urzatron)
4: Mono-Blue Control (w/Urzatron)
4: Mono-Blue Control (w/Urzatron)
8: Mono-Blue Control (w/Urzatron)
8: Red Deck Wins
8: Tooth and Nail
8: Tooth and Nail
Thursday, July 7 7:00pm | 1x Prizes, 44 Players
1: Tooth and Nail
2: Tooth and Nail
4: Red Deck Wins
4: Tooth and Nail
8: Mono-Green Beats
8: Erayo Affinity
8: Tooth and Nail
8: Red Deck Wins
Wednesday, July 6 10:00pm | 2x Prizes, 65 Players
1: U/G Control
2: Tooth and Nail
4: Red Deck Wins
4: Erayo Affinity (a)
8: Tooth and Nail
8: Mono-Green Beats
8: Tooth and Nail
8: Red Deck Wins
Wednesday, July 6 3:00am | 1x Prizes, 24 Players
1: U/G Control
2: Mono-Blue Control (w/ Urzatron)
4: 4-Color Gifts
4: Mono-Blue Control (w/Urzatron)
8: Red Deck Wins
8: Tooth and Nail
8: Red Deck Wins
8: Mono-Blue Control
Compiled Top 8 Standings including notes on some deck archetypes.
White Weenie
9 Top 8s /// 1st: 2 / 2nd: 0 / 4th: 2 / 8th: 5
Mono-Black Aggro, Mono-Black Control Any mono-black deck, regardless of how it wins.
3 Top 8s /// 1st: 0 / 2nd: 1 / 4th: 2 / 8th: 0
Domain Gifts, X-Color Silver Bullets, etc. Any 3+ color deck, usually (but not necessarily) utilizing Gifts Ungiven.
3 Top 8s /// 1st: 0 / 2nd: 1 / 4th: 1 / 8th: 1
Black/Green Any deck that runs black and green, regardless of style of victory.
0 Top 8s /// 1st: 0 / 2nd: 0 / 4th: 0 / 8th: 0
U/G Control Any deck that runs both green and blue, with more blue than just Meloku the Clouded Mirror.
5 Top 8s /// 1st: 2 / 2nd: 0 / 4th: 2 / 8th: 1
Ponza, Mono-Red Control, Big Red, Red Deck Wins Any red-based deck that isn't explicitly Sligh.
32 Top 8s /// 1st: 4 / 2nd: 3 / 4th: 6 / 8th: 19
Mono-Blue Control
21 Top 8s /// 1st: 1 / 2nd: 4 / 4th: 8 / 8th: 8
Tooth and Nail
39 Top 8s /// 1st: 6 / 2nd: 3 / 4th: 5 / 8th: 25
Mono-Green Beats, Mono-Green Aggro Any non-Tooth and Nail green deck that may or may not splash up to one card of other colors. (EX. Cranial Extraction, Meloku the Clouded Mirror)
14 Top 8s /// 1st: 1 / 2nd: 4 / 4th: 4 / 8th: 5
Erayo Affinity A blue deck consisting of many small artifact spells and with two major engines - Multiple Myr Servitors and many small artifacts with Erayo.
May 17, 2005 (1x Prizes, 37 Players)
1: Domain
2: Mono-Blue Control
4: U/G Control
4: Red Deck Wins
8: B/G Control
8: Mono-Blue Control
8: Domain
8: U/G Control
May 16, 2005, 6:00 PM (1x Prizes, 27 Players)
1: Tooth and Nail
2: Tooth and Nail
4: Mono-Green Beats
4: Domain
8: Tooth and Nail
8: Tooth and Nail
8: White Weenie / Equip
8: Red Deck Wins
May 16, 2005, 6:00 AM (1x Prizes, 28 Players)
1: Mono-Blue Control
2: Red Deck Wins
4: U/G Control
4: Tooth and Nail
8: Mono-Green Beats
8: Red Deck Wins
8: Mono-Blue Control
8: Mono-Blue Control
May 15, 2005, 4:00 PM (1x Prizes, 43 Players)
1: U/G Control
2: Red Deck Wins
4: Mono-Green Beats
4: Mono-Green Beats
8: B/G Control
8: Tooth and Nail
8: Mono-Green Beats
8: Mono-Green Beats
May 15, 2005, 7:00 AM (1x Prizes, 35 Players)
1: Red Deck Wins
2: White Weenie / Equip
4: U/G Control
4: Red Deck Wins
8: Mono-Blue Control
8: Red Deck Wins
8: B/G Control
8: Tooth and Nail
May 14, 2005 (2x Prizes, 51 Players)
1: Mono-Blue Control
2: B/G Control
4: R/G Beats
4: White Weenie / Equipment
8: U/G Control
8: Mono-Green Beats
8: Mono-Blue Control
8: Tooth and Nail
May 13, 2005 (1x Prizes, 27 Players)
1: Red Deck Wins
2: U/G Control
4: Red Deck Wins
4: Mono-Blue Control
8: Tooth and Nail
8: Red Deck Wins
8: Mono-Blue Control
8: B/G Control
May 12, 2005 (1x Prizes, 24 Players)
1: Red Deck Wins
2: Tooth and Nail
4: Mono-Blue Control
4: Mono-Green Beats
8: Tooth and Nail
8: U/G Control
8: Mono-Green Beats
8: Mono-Blue Control
May 3, 2005, 10:00 PM (2x Prizes, 67 Players)
1: Mono-Green Beats
2: B/G Control
4: Red Deck Wins
4: Mono-Blue Control
8: Mono-Green Beats
8: Mono-Blue Control
8: Red Deck Wins
8: Tooth and Nail
May 3, 2005, 3:00 AM (1x Prizes, 30 Players)
1: Red Deck Wins
2: Red Deck Wins
4: Red Deck Wins
4: Red Deck Wins
8: Mono-Blue Control
8: Scepter Orb (R)(4)
8: Domain
8: Tooth and Nail
May 2, 2005 (1x Prizes, 37 Players)
1: Red Deck Wins
2: Tooth and Nail
4: Red Deck Wins
4: Mono-Blue Control
8: Mono-Green Beats
8: Tooth and Nail
8: Tooth and Nail
8: Mono-Green Beats
May 1, 2005, 4:00 PM (1x Prizes, 47 Players)
1: Mono-Blue Control
2: W/B Cogs (R)(3)
4: White Weenie / Equip
4: Mono-Green Beats
8: B/G Control
8: Tooth and Nail
8: Sligh (1)
8: Mono-Blue Control
May 1, 2005, 7:00 AM (1x Prizes, 24 Players)
1: Mono-Green Beats
2: Tooth and Nail
4: Tooth and Nail
4: U/G Control
8: Mono-Green Beats
8: Mono-Green Beats
8: Mono-Green Beats
8: B/G Control
April 30, 2005, 11:00 PM (2x Prizes, 57 Players)
1: Tooth and Nail
2: Mono-Green Beats (dual B/R splash)
4: Tooth and Nail
4: Mono-Blue Control
8: Domain
8: Tooth and Nail
8: Mono-Blue Control
8: Mono-Green Beats
April 30, 2005, 7:00 AM (2x Prizes, 44 Players)
1: U/G Control
2: Red Deck Wins
4: U/G Control
4: Mono-Green Beats
8: B/G Control
8: White Weenie / Equip
8: Red Deck Wins
8: Tooth and Nail
April 30, 2005, 4:00 AM (1x Prizes, 25 Players)
1: Red Deck Wins
2: Mono-Blue Control
4: Red Deck Wins
4: Tooth and Nail
8: Red Deck Wins
8: B/G Control
8: Red Deck Wins
8: Tooth and Nail
April 29, 2005 (1x Prizes, 36 Players)
1: Tooth and Nail
2: Mono-Green Beats
4: Domain
4: Red Deck Wins
8: Mono-Green Beats
8: U/G Control
8: Tooth and Nail
8: Mono-Blue Control
April 28, 2005 (1x Prizes, 30 Players) (Tournament Prematurely ended after first round - not counted in bottom sections)
4: Red Deck Wins
4: Mono-Green Beats
4: Red Deck Wins
4: Red Deck Wins
8: R/G Beats
8: Red Deck Wins
8: Domain
8: Red Deck Wins
April 27, 2005, 10:00 PM (1x Prizes, 40 Players)
1: Red Deck Wins
2: Domain Gifts
4: Mono-Green Beats
4: B/G Control
8: Red Deck Wins
8: Domain Gifts
8: Red Deck Wins
8: R/G Beats
April 27, 2005, 3:00 AM (1x Prizes, xx Players)
1: Red Deck Wins
2: Red Deck Wins
4: Mono-Green Beats
4: B/G Control
8: Tooth and Nail
8: Mono-Blue Control
8: Tooth and Nail
8: Tooth and Nail
April 26, 2005 (1x Prizes, 30 Players)
1: Domain
2: Red Deck Wins
4: Tooth and Nail
4: Red Deck Wins
8: Mono-Blue Control
8: Tooth and Nail
8: Mono-Green Beats
8: Unknown Deck
April 25, 2005. 6:00 PM (1x Prizes, 25 Players)
1: Tooth and Nail
2: Mono-Green Beats
4: B/G Control
4: Sligh (1)
8: Red Deck Wins
8: Tooth and Nail
8: Red Deck Wins
8: B/G Control
April 25, 2005, 6:00 AM (1x Prizes, 24 Players)
1: Tooth and Nail
2: G/W Beats (R)(2)
4: Mono-Blue Control
4: Red Deck Wins
8: Sligh (1)
8: B/G Control
8: Domain
8: Red Deck Wins
April 24, 2005, 4:00 PM (1x Prizes, 41 Players)
1: Domain
2: Mono-Black Control (w/Death CLoud)
4: Red Deck Wins
4: Tooth and Nail
8: Domain
8: Mono-Black Control
8: Tooth and Nail
8: Mono-Green Beats
April 24, 2005, 7:00 AM (1x Prizes, 30 Players)
1: Red Deck Wins
2: Tooth and Nail
4: Tooth and Nail
4: Mono-Blue Control
8: Tooth and Nail
8: Red Deck Wins
8: White Weenie / Equip
8: Domain
April 23, 2005, 11:00 PM (2x Prizes, 68 Players)
1: Mono-Green Beats
2: Tooth and Nail
4: White Weenie / Equip
4: G/W/U (R)
8: Mono-Green Beats
8: Domain
8: Mono-Blue Control
8: Red Deck Wins
April 23, 2005, 4:00 AM (1x Prizes, 32 Players)
1: Tooth and Nail
2: Domain
4: Tooth and Nail
4: Mono-Green Beats
8: B/G Control
8: U/G (R)
8: White Weenie / Equip
8: Red Deck Wins
April 22, 2005 (1x Prizes, 33 Players)
1: Domain
2: Red Deck Wins
4: Mono-Green Beats
4: Tooth and Nail
8: Mono-Blue Control
8: U/W Control
8: Tooth and Nail
8: Mono-Green Beats
April 21, 2005 (1x Prizes, 26 Players)
1: Tooth and Nail
2: Tooth and Nail
4: Tooth and Nail
4: Mono-Black Control
8: Tooth and Nail
8: Tooth and Nail
8: Mono-Blue Control
8: R/G Beats
April 20, 2005 - 10:00 PM (2x Prizes, 44 Players)
1: Tooth and Nail
2: Mono-Green Beats
4: Mono-Blue Control
4: Mono-Black Control
8: Red Deck Wins
8: Red Deck Wins
8: Tooth and Nail
8: Tooth and Nail
April 20, 2005 - 3:00 AM (1x Prizes, 28 Players)
1: Red Deck Wins
2: Red Deck Wins
4: Mono-Green Beats
4: Tooth and Nail
8: Tooth and Nail
8: B/R (R)
8: Red Deck Wins
8: Mono-Blue Control
April 17, 2005 (1x Prizes, 41 Players)
1: Red Deck Wins
2: Tooth and Nail
4: Tooth and Nail
4: Mono-Blue Control
8: Mono-Black Control
8: Mono-Green Beats
8: Tooth and Nail
8: Unknown Deck
April 16, 2005 (2x Prizes, 51 Players)
1: Red Deck Wins
2: Red Deck Wins
4: Mono-Black Control
4: Mono-Black Control
8: Tooth and Nail
8: Tooth and Nail
8: Mono-Black Control
8: Tooth and Nail
April 15, 2005 (1x Prizes, 37 Players)
1: Tooth and Nail
2: Mono-Black Control
4: Red Deck Wins
4: Mono-Green Beats
8: Mono-Green Beats
8: Red Deck Wins
8: Mono-Green Beats
8: Mono-Green Beats
March 29, 2005 (IPA Qualifier, 1x Prizes, 121 Players)
1: Red Deck Wins
2: Tooth and Nail
4: Red Deck Wins
4: Red Deck Wins
8: White Weenie
8: R/G Beats
8: Tooth and Nail
8: Mono-Blue Control
>>> Spells
Mesmeric Orb (4)
Ghostly Prison
Necrogen Mists (2)
Scrabbling Claws
Grinding Station (2)
Sensei's Divining Top (2)
Ensnaring Bridge (2)
Cranial Extraction (2)
Chrome Mox
Sun Droplet
Myr Retriever
Lantern of Insight (3)
Welding Jar
Wrath of God (2)
Crucible of Worlds
Ritual of Restoration (2)
>>> Possible Sideboard Cards
Quicksilver Fountain
Sacred Ground (2)
Damping Matrix
Terashi's Grasp
Circle of Protection: Green
>>> Possible extra cards in the sideboard
Ensnaring Bridge (seen 4 in a game 2)
Sensei's Divining Top (seen 3 in a game 3)
Scrabbling Claws (seen 2 in a game 2)
Mirrodin's Core (seen 2 in a game 2)
(4) Scepter Orb : Island, Stalking Stones, Sensei's Divining Top, Mesmeric Orb, Reach Through Mists, Consuming Vortex, Sculpting Steel, Isochron Scepter, Dampen Thought, Early Frost, Psychic Puppetry
Well, after a FNM of interesting decks, I've come to 2 new conclusions:
1 - Naturalize > Oxidize/Justice in varied Metagames
You're only slightly giving up the power of speed against Affinity, but there are some cards in other matchups that you need this against. MBC has Night of Soul's Betrayal, which alone can cripple most forms of this deck. It also lets you be prepared for Honden decks, which the best-made versions CAN beat this deck.
2 - Troll Ascetic is the key for this deck against red and black-based decks. Against those matchups, the opposing decks are forced to use Barter in Blood-style cards to do their damage to Ascetic; a lot of those decks can kill everything else pretty effectively, though.
Don't get too excited about it, though. I collect promos, so all of these cards are the "throw-ins" of many trades I have done for promos, as many of these cards are among the lowest-valued promotional cards.
This is the "Finals" tab on Magic Online for the Magic Invitational. The other 7 tabs are (in order):
Loxodon Peacekeeper - Draft
Shadowmage Infiltrator - CHK/BOK Vanguard Sealed
Rootwater Theif (fixed) - Auction of the People
Meddling Mage - IPA Draft
Avalanche Riders - Extended
Chromescale Drake - Standard
Sylvan Safekeeper - Press Challenge
(above image) - Finals
It would make logical sense for it to be Maher's art, but that isn't positive.
In the late game, you'll have a creature that can return your destroyed bomb or other good card.
Blue: Search and play Instant in your library.
Black: Destroy X creatures at the beginning of your upkeep.
Red: Search and play Sorcery in your library.
Green: Search and play Creature in your library.
All they need to do on launch is re-aquire Outlaw Star and they'd have the best network you pretty much could have.
True. Very, very true. You could go a step farther and say:
Adult Swim > Toonami > Meguzi > CN's Kiddy Programs > Fox Animated
The problem, though, is that AS needs a heck of a lot more space for the programs. They have 28 programs on 6-day a week, 3 hour blocks. They have 1/3 more programming than G4 does, and 1/7 the space! (who says Boomerang should go?)
But yeah, go Family Guy!
One of the explanations I recieved about it is that Tooth and Nail and RDW are relatively easy-to-build decks that don't require 4-ofs on expensive cards. Just having 4 Tooth, 1 Trike, 1 Meph. Vamp., 4 Birds, and 4 Witness are the extent of the harder to find cards for TaN, while RDW's main rares are Arc-Slogger and Nexus. A lot of the other decks in the format are more rare-intensive, or are just naturally not in the first tier. (I also see similarly for MGB, as some players flock to the rogue-ish Mono-Green deck and that's the deck right now)
Note one thing, though, for these: I consider the difference between Ponza and RDW being that (currently) Ponza is more focused on LD.
PS: I'm currently updating the list again for 2 more tournaments...
I'll be judging on Saturday and playing on Sunday. I am the only male judge there with long hair, so that's the easiest way to identify me.
Trade me all your prerelease cards! (The 11 Ink-Eyes was a dissapointment)
If you have opinions on how the tiers should be differently interpreted, I'd love to hear what you think.
Updated on occasion.
Note that if you have any questions on a deck, I can only get you the information on that deck up until the tournament is removed from Magic Online. After that time, I can no longer give information on that deck or tournament.
(R) = I consider the deck "Rogue"
(#) Notes on the deck are at the bottom of the post.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Results (all times are Central)
Sunday, July 20 4:00pm | 1x Prizes, 30 Players
1: Mono-Green Beats
2: Mono-Green Beats
4: Mono-Blue Control
4: Red Deck Wins
8: Tooth and Nail
8: White Weenie
8: Tooth and Nail
8: Tooth and Nail
Sunday, July 24 7:00am | 1x Prizes, 24 Players
1: 3-Color Gifts
2: Red Deck Wins
4: White Weenie
4: Red Deck Wins
8: Mono-Blue Control
8: Mono-Black Control
8: Red Deck Wins
8: White Weenie
Saturday, July 23 11:00pm | 2x Prizes IPA Qualifier, 92 Players
1: Mono-Blue Control (w/Urzatron)
2: Mono-Blue Control (w/Urzatron)
4: Mono-Blue Control (w/Urzatron)
4: Mono-Blue Control (w/Urzatron)
8: Red Deck Wins
8: Red Deck Wins
8: Mono-Blue Control (w/Urzatron)
8: Red Deck Wins
Thursday, July 21 7:00am | 1x Prizes IPA Qualifier, 107 Players
1: Tooth and Nail
2: Mono-Blue Control (w/Urzatron)
4: White Weenie
4: B/G Control
8: Red Deck Wins
8: Red Deck Wins
8: Mono-Blue Control (w/Urzatron)
8: Tooth and Nail
Wednesday, July 20 10:00pm | 2x Prizes, 54 Players
1: White Weenie
2: Red Deck Wins
4: Mono-Green Beats
4: Mono-Blue Control
8: Mono-Blue Control (w/Urzatron)
8: B/G Control
8: Red Deck Wins
8: Mono-Blue Control (w/Urzatron)
Wednesday, July 20 3:00am | 1x Prizes, 28 Players
1: Mono-Green Beats
2: 5-Color Control
4: Tooth and Nail
4: White Weenie
8: Mono-Blue Control (w/Urzatron)
8: Red Deck Wins
8: Mono-Blue Control (w/Urzatron)
8: Red Deck Wins
Tuesday, July 19 8:00am | 1x Prizes, 28 Players
1: Red Deck Wins
2: White Weenie
4: Red Deck Wins
4: White Weenie
8: Red Deck Wins
8: U/G Ninjas (R)
8: White Weenie
8: Red Deck Wins
Monday, July 18 6:00pm | 1x Prizes, 46 Players
1: Red Deck Wins
2: Red Deck Wins
4: Mono-Green Beats
4: Mono-Blue Control (w/Urzatron)
8: Unknown Deck
8: Red Deck Wins
8: Red Deck Wins
8: Red Deck Wins
/// Decks above this have not been placed into the statistics ///
Monday, July 18 6:00am | 1x Prizes, 24 Players
1: Mono-Green Beats (w/ U/R splash and W splash in SB)
2: Mono-Green Beats
4: White Weenie
4: White Weenie
8: Red Deck Wins
8: U/G Control
8: Mono-Blue Control
8: Mono-Green Beats
Sunday, July 17 4:00pm | 1x Prizes, 38 Players
1: Red Deck Wins
2: Red Deck Wins
4: Red Deck Wins
4: Red Deck Wins
8: Tooth and Nail
8: Tooth and Nail
8: Red Deck Wins
8: Tooth and Nail
Sunday, July 17 7:00am | 1x Prizes, 24 Players
1: White Weenie
2: Mono-Blue Control (w/Urzatron)
4: B/G Rat/Ninjas (R)(b)
4: Mono-Green Beats
8: Red Deck Wins
8: Tooth and Nail
8: Red Deck Wins
8: Tooth and Nail
Saturday, July 16 11:00pm | 2x Prizes, 51 Players
1: White Weenie
2: Domain Gifts
4: Tooth and Nail
4: Red Deck Wins
8: Mono-Blue Control (w/Urzatron)
8: White Weenie
8: Mono-Green Beats
8: Red Deck Wins
Saturday, July 16 4:00pm | 1x Prizes, 28 Players
1: Red Deck Wins
2: Mono-Green Beats
4: Mono-Blue Control (w/Urzatron)
4: Red Deck Wins
8: Tooth and Nail
8: Red Deck Wins
8: Red Deck Wins
8: Tooth and Nail
Thursday, July 14 10:00pm | 2x Prizes, 51 Players
1: Tooth and Nail
2: Tooth and Nail
4: Mono-Green Beats
4: Tooth and Nail
8: Red Deck Wins
8: Red Deck Wins
8: Mono-Blue Control (w/Urzatron)
8: Red Deck Wins
Wednesday, July 13 3:00am | 1x Prizes, 24 Players
1: Tooth and Nail
2: Mono-Green Beats
4: Mono-Blue Control (w/Urzatron)
4: Tooth and Nail
8: White Weenie
8: Tooth and Nail
8: Red Deck Wins
8: Tooth and Nail
Tuesday, July 12 8:00am | 1x Prizes, 24 Players
1: Tooth and Nail
2: Mono-Blue Control (w/Urzatron)
4: Mono-Blue Cnotrol
4: Mono-Green Beats
8: Tooth and Nail
8: Tooth and Nail
8: White Weenie
8: White Weenie
Monday, July 11 6:00am | 1x Prizes, 24 Players
1: Tooth and Nail
2: Red Deck Wins
4: Mono-Black Aggro
4: U/G Control
8: Tooth and Nail
8: Red Deck Wins
8: Mono-Blue Control (w/Urzatron)
8: Mono-Blue Control
Sunday, July 10 4:00pm | 1x Prizes, 29 Players
1: Tooth and Nail
2: Mono-Green Beats
4: Mono-Blue Control (w/Urzatron)
4: Mono-Black Aggro
8: Tooth and Nail
8: 3-Color Gifts
8: Tooth and Nail
8: Red Deck Wins
Sunday, July 10, 7:00am | 1x Prizes, 31 Players
1: Red Deck Wins
2: Mono-Black Aggro
4: Tooth and Nail
4: U/G Control
8: White Weenie
8: Tooth and Nail
8: Tooth and Nail
8: Tooth and Nail
Saturday, July 9 11:00pm | 2x Prizes, 49 Players
1: Red Deck Wins
2: Red Deck Wins
4: Mono-Breen Beats
4: Mono-Blue Control (w/Urzatron)
8: Mono-Green Beats
8: Tooth and Nail
8: Mono-Blue Control (w/Urzatron)
8: Red Deck Wins
Saturday, July 9 4:00am | 1x Prizes, 24 Players
1: Mono-Blue Control (w/Urzatron)
2: Mono-Blue Control (w/Urzatron)
4: Mono-Blue Control (w/Urzatron)
4: Mono-Blue Control (w/Urzatron)
8: Mono-Blue Control (w/Urzatron)
8: Red Deck Wins
8: Tooth and Nail
8: Tooth and Nail
Thursday, July 7 7:00pm | 1x Prizes, 44 Players
1: Tooth and Nail
2: Tooth and Nail
4: Red Deck Wins
4: Tooth and Nail
8: Mono-Green Beats
8: Erayo Affinity
8: Tooth and Nail
8: Red Deck Wins
Wednesday, July 6 10:00pm | 2x Prizes, 65 Players
1: U/G Control
2: Tooth and Nail
4: Red Deck Wins
4: Erayo Affinity (a)
8: Tooth and Nail
8: Mono-Green Beats
8: Tooth and Nail
8: Red Deck Wins
Wednesday, July 6 3:00am | 1x Prizes, 24 Players
1: U/G Control
2: Mono-Blue Control (w/ Urzatron)
4: 4-Color Gifts
4: Mono-Blue Control (w/Urzatron)
8: Red Deck Wins
8: Tooth and Nail
8: Red Deck Wins
8: Mono-Blue Control
Compiled Top 8 Standings including notes on some deck archetypes.
White Weenie
Any mono-black deck, regardless of how it wins.
Any 3+ color deck, usually (but not necessarily) utilizing Gifts Ungiven.
Any deck that runs black and green, regardless of style of victory.
Any deck that runs both green and blue, with more blue than just Meloku the Clouded Mirror.
Any red-based deck that isn't explicitly Sligh.
Any non-Tooth and Nail green deck that may or may not splash up to one card of other colors. (EX. Cranial Extraction, Meloku the Clouded Mirror)
A blue deck consisting of many small artifact spells and with two major engines - Multiple Myr Servitors and many small artifacts with Erayo.
[filler for future archetype] (---)
B/G Rat/Ninjas /// 3rd/4th Place
Deck Notes
(a) - Erayo Affinity
Cards Seen: Island; Tendo Ice Bridge; Blinkmoth Nexus; Pithing Needle; Myr Servitor; Frogmite; Cranial Plating; Echoing Truth; Arcbound Worker; Erayo, Soratami Ascendant; Ornithopter; Welding Jar; Myr Enforcer; Genesis Chamber; Scale of Chiss-Goria
(b) - B/G Rat/Ninjas
Pretty much a Rat deck with Sakura-Tribe Elder and Eternal Witness. It also showed both blue and white splashes.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
All information below this point is from before the release of Saviors of Kamigawa.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
May 17, 2005 (1x Prizes, 37 Players)
1: Domain
2: Mono-Blue Control
4: U/G Control
4: Red Deck Wins
8: B/G Control
8: Mono-Blue Control
8: Domain
8: U/G Control
May 16, 2005, 6:00 PM (1x Prizes, 27 Players)
1: Tooth and Nail
2: Tooth and Nail
4: Mono-Green Beats
4: Domain
8: Tooth and Nail
8: Tooth and Nail
8: White Weenie / Equip
8: Red Deck Wins
May 16, 2005, 6:00 AM (1x Prizes, 28 Players)
1: Mono-Blue Control
2: Red Deck Wins
4: U/G Control
4: Tooth and Nail
8: Mono-Green Beats
8: Red Deck Wins
8: Mono-Blue Control
8: Mono-Blue Control
May 15, 2005, 4:00 PM (1x Prizes, 43 Players)
1: U/G Control
2: Red Deck Wins
4: Mono-Green Beats
4: Mono-Green Beats
8: B/G Control
8: Tooth and Nail
8: Mono-Green Beats
8: Mono-Green Beats
May 15, 2005, 7:00 AM (1x Prizes, 35 Players)
1: Red Deck Wins
2: White Weenie / Equip
4: U/G Control
4: Red Deck Wins
8: Mono-Blue Control
8: Red Deck Wins
8: B/G Control
8: Tooth and Nail
May 14, 2005 (2x Prizes, 51 Players)
1: Mono-Blue Control
2: B/G Control
4: R/G Beats
4: White Weenie / Equipment
8: U/G Control
8: Mono-Green Beats
8: Mono-Blue Control
8: Tooth and Nail
May 13, 2005 (1x Prizes, 27 Players)
1: Red Deck Wins
2: U/G Control
4: Red Deck Wins
4: Mono-Blue Control
8: Tooth and Nail
8: Red Deck Wins
8: Mono-Blue Control
8: B/G Control
May 12, 2005 (1x Prizes, 24 Players)
1: Red Deck Wins
2: Tooth and Nail
4: Mono-Blue Control
4: Mono-Green Beats
8: Tooth and Nail
8: U/G Control
8: Mono-Green Beats
8: Mono-Blue Control
May 3, 2005, 10:00 PM (2x Prizes, 67 Players)
1: Mono-Green Beats
2: B/G Control
4: Red Deck Wins
4: Mono-Blue Control
8: Mono-Green Beats
8: Mono-Blue Control
8: Red Deck Wins
8: Tooth and Nail
May 3, 2005, 3:00 AM (1x Prizes, 30 Players)
1: Red Deck Wins
2: Red Deck Wins
4: Red Deck Wins
4: Red Deck Wins
8: Mono-Blue Control
8: Scepter Orb (R)(4)
8: Domain
8: Tooth and Nail
May 2, 2005 (1x Prizes, 37 Players)
1: Red Deck Wins
2: Tooth and Nail
4: Red Deck Wins
4: Mono-Blue Control
8: Mono-Green Beats
8: Tooth and Nail
8: Tooth and Nail
8: Mono-Green Beats
May 1, 2005, 4:00 PM (1x Prizes, 47 Players)
1: Mono-Blue Control
2: W/B Cogs (R)(3)
4: White Weenie / Equip
4: Mono-Green Beats
8: B/G Control
8: Tooth and Nail
8: Sligh (1)
8: Mono-Blue Control
May 1, 2005, 7:00 AM (1x Prizes, 24 Players)
1: Mono-Green Beats
2: Tooth and Nail
4: Tooth and Nail
4: U/G Control
8: Mono-Green Beats
8: Mono-Green Beats
8: Mono-Green Beats
8: B/G Control
April 30, 2005, 11:00 PM (2x Prizes, 57 Players)
1: Tooth and Nail
2: Mono-Green Beats (dual B/R splash)
4: Tooth and Nail
4: Mono-Blue Control
8: Domain
8: Tooth and Nail
8: Mono-Blue Control
8: Mono-Green Beats
April 30, 2005, 7:00 AM (2x Prizes, 44 Players)
1: U/G Control
2: Red Deck Wins
4: U/G Control
4: Mono-Green Beats
8: B/G Control
8: White Weenie / Equip
8: Red Deck Wins
8: Tooth and Nail
April 30, 2005, 4:00 AM (1x Prizes, 25 Players)
1: Red Deck Wins
2: Mono-Blue Control
4: Red Deck Wins
4: Tooth and Nail
8: Red Deck Wins
8: B/G Control
8: Red Deck Wins
8: Tooth and Nail
April 29, 2005 (1x Prizes, 36 Players)
1: Tooth and Nail
2: Mono-Green Beats
4: Domain
4: Red Deck Wins
8: Mono-Green Beats
8: U/G Control
8: Tooth and Nail
8: Mono-Blue Control
April 28, 2005 (1x Prizes, 30 Players) (Tournament Prematurely ended after first round - not counted in bottom sections)
4: Red Deck Wins
4: Mono-Green Beats
4: Red Deck Wins
4: Red Deck Wins
8: R/G Beats
8: Red Deck Wins
8: Domain
8: Red Deck Wins
April 27, 2005, 10:00 PM (1x Prizes, 40 Players)
1: Red Deck Wins
2: Domain Gifts
4: Mono-Green Beats
4: B/G Control
8: Red Deck Wins
8: Domain Gifts
8: Red Deck Wins
8: R/G Beats
April 27, 2005, 3:00 AM (1x Prizes, xx Players)
1: Red Deck Wins
2: Red Deck Wins
4: Mono-Green Beats
4: B/G Control
8: Tooth and Nail
8: Mono-Blue Control
8: Tooth and Nail
8: Tooth and Nail
April 26, 2005 (1x Prizes, 30 Players)
1: Domain
2: Red Deck Wins
4: Tooth and Nail
4: Red Deck Wins
8: Mono-Blue Control
8: Tooth and Nail
8: Mono-Green Beats
8: Unknown Deck
April 25, 2005. 6:00 PM (1x Prizes, 25 Players)
1: Tooth and Nail
2: Mono-Green Beats
4: B/G Control
4: Sligh (1)
8: Red Deck Wins
8: Tooth and Nail
8: Red Deck Wins
8: B/G Control
April 25, 2005, 6:00 AM (1x Prizes, 24 Players)
1: Tooth and Nail
2: G/W Beats (R)(2)
4: Mono-Blue Control
4: Red Deck Wins
8: Sligh (1)
8: B/G Control
8: Domain
8: Red Deck Wins
April 24, 2005, 4:00 PM (1x Prizes, 41 Players)
1: Domain
2: Mono-Black Control (w/Death CLoud)
4: Red Deck Wins
4: Tooth and Nail
8: Domain
8: Mono-Black Control
8: Tooth and Nail
8: Mono-Green Beats
April 24, 2005, 7:00 AM (1x Prizes, 30 Players)
1: Red Deck Wins
2: Tooth and Nail
4: Tooth and Nail
4: Mono-Blue Control
8: Tooth and Nail
8: Red Deck Wins
8: White Weenie / Equip
8: Domain
April 23, 2005, 11:00 PM (2x Prizes, 68 Players)
1: Mono-Green Beats
2: Tooth and Nail
4: White Weenie / Equip
4: G/W/U (R)
8: Mono-Green Beats
8: Domain
8: Mono-Blue Control
8: Red Deck Wins
April 23, 2005, 4:00 AM (1x Prizes, 32 Players)
1: Tooth and Nail
2: Domain
4: Tooth and Nail
4: Mono-Green Beats
8: B/G Control
8: U/G (R)
8: White Weenie / Equip
8: Red Deck Wins
April 22, 2005 (1x Prizes, 33 Players)
1: Domain
2: Red Deck Wins
4: Mono-Green Beats
4: Tooth and Nail
8: Mono-Blue Control
8: U/W Control
8: Tooth and Nail
8: Mono-Green Beats
April 21, 2005 (1x Prizes, 26 Players)
1: Tooth and Nail
2: Tooth and Nail
4: Tooth and Nail
4: Mono-Black Control
8: Tooth and Nail
8: Tooth and Nail
8: Mono-Blue Control
8: R/G Beats
April 20, 2005 - 10:00 PM (2x Prizes, 44 Players)
1: Tooth and Nail
2: Mono-Green Beats
4: Mono-Blue Control
4: Mono-Black Control
8: Red Deck Wins
8: Red Deck Wins
8: Tooth and Nail
8: Tooth and Nail
April 20, 2005 - 3:00 AM (1x Prizes, 28 Players)
1: Red Deck Wins
2: Red Deck Wins
4: Mono-Green Beats
4: Tooth and Nail
8: Tooth and Nail
8: B/R (R)
8: Red Deck Wins
8: Mono-Blue Control
April 17, 2005 (1x Prizes, 41 Players)
1: Red Deck Wins
2: Tooth and Nail
4: Tooth and Nail
4: Mono-Blue Control
8: Mono-Black Control
8: Mono-Green Beats
8: Tooth and Nail
8: Unknown Deck
April 16, 2005 (2x Prizes, 51 Players)
1: Red Deck Wins
2: Red Deck Wins
4: Mono-Black Control
4: Mono-Black Control
8: Tooth and Nail
8: Tooth and Nail
8: Mono-Black Control
8: Tooth and Nail
April 15, 2005 (1x Prizes, 37 Players)
1: Tooth and Nail
2: Mono-Black Control
4: Red Deck Wins
4: Mono-Green Beats
8: Mono-Green Beats
8: Red Deck Wins
8: Mono-Green Beats
8: Mono-Green Beats
March 29, 2005 (IPA Qualifier, 1x Prizes, 121 Players)
1: Red Deck Wins
2: Tooth and Nail
4: Red Deck Wins
4: Red Deck Wins
8: White Weenie
8: R/G Beats
8: Tooth and Nail
8: Mono-Blue Control
Deck Notes
(1) Sligh : Slith Firewalker, Ornithopter, Raging Goblin, Arcbound Worker, Shuko, Lava Spike, Shrapnel Blast, Lava Hounds; Frostling, Akki Avalanchers, Viashino Sandstalker
(2) G/W Beats : Isamaru, Hound of Konda; Troll Ascetic; City of Brass; Leonin Skyhunter; Viridian Zealot; Umezawa's Jitte; Eight-and-a-Half-Tails; Blinkmoth Nexus; CoP: Red (Sideboard); Hokori, Dust Drinker; Chrome Mox; AEther Vial; Sword of Fire and Ice
(3) B/W Cogs ///
>>> Lands
Plains (8)
Swamp (5)
Mirrodin's Core
Blinkmoth Nexus (4)
Stalking Stones
>>> Creatures
Leonin Abunas
>>> Spells
Mesmeric Orb (4)
Ghostly Prison
Necrogen Mists (2)
Scrabbling Claws
Grinding Station (2)
Sensei's Divining Top (2)
Ensnaring Bridge (2)
Cranial Extraction (2)
Chrome Mox
Sun Droplet
Myr Retriever
Lantern of Insight (3)
Welding Jar
Wrath of God (2)
Crucible of Worlds
Ritual of Restoration (2)
>>> Possible Sideboard Cards
Quicksilver Fountain
Sacred Ground (2)
Damping Matrix
Terashi's Grasp
Circle of Protection: Green
>>> Possible extra cards in the sideboard
Ensnaring Bridge (seen 4 in a game 2)
Sensei's Divining Top (seen 3 in a game 3)
Scrabbling Claws (seen 2 in a game 2)
Mirrodin's Core (seen 2 in a game 2)
(4) Scepter Orb : Island, Stalking Stones, Sensei's Divining Top, Mesmeric Orb, Reach Through Mists, Consuming Vortex, Sculpting Steel, Isochron Scepter, Dampen Thought, Early Frost, Psychic Puppetry
Well, the first way I learned to find the difference is from that:
Unlimited: Grey copyright text, centered in the area for the copyright.
Revised: White copyright text, on the lower bevel of the area.
You have a series of digits:
1 - 1 + 1 - 1 + 1 - 1 + 1 - 1 + 1 - 1 + 1 - 1 + ...
From here, you can group this equation in two ways, first by it's actual way.
(1 - 1) + (1 - 1) + (1 - 1) + (1 - 1) + (1 - 1) + (1 - 1) + ... = 0
-1 + (1 - 1) + (1 - 1) + (1 - 1) + (1 - 1) + (1 - 1) + (1 - 1) + ... = -1
So, since these infinite series are the same, 0 = -1. Multiply by -1, and 0 = 1. Add 4, and you get 4 = 5. Seperate, and you get 2 + 2 = 5.
The flawed logic, Calculus and it's definitions of Limits prevent you from moving a -1 to the front without taking it back away at some point.
Yeah... Ravager's gone, although I don't think it was affecting the format all that much anymore.
1 - Naturalize > Oxidize/Justice in varied Metagames
You're only slightly giving up the power of speed against Affinity, but there are some cards in other matchups that you need this against. MBC has Night of Soul's Betrayal, which alone can cripple most forms of this deck. It also lets you be prepared for Honden decks, which the best-made versions CAN beat this deck.
2 - Troll Ascetic is the key for this deck against red and black-based decks. Against those matchups, the opposing decks are forced to use Barter in Blood-style cards to do their damage to Ascetic; a lot of those decks can kill everything else pretty effectively, though.
>>> Magic Player Rewards
01 Voidmage Prodigy
02 Powder Keg, 1 sealed
02 Psychatog, sealed
03 Fireball
05 Terror
01 Oxidize
05 Bear Token, Onslaught
01 Insect Token, Onslaught
02 Goblin R/W Token, Apocaypse
01 Soldier Token, Onslaught
06 Sliver Token, Legions
01 Squirrel Token, Odyssey
02 Dragon Token, Onslaught
06 Beast Token, Darksteel
02 Zombie Token, Odyssey
01 Wurm Token, Odyssey
07 Rukh Token, 8th
05 Myr Token, Mirrodin
06 Pentavite Token, Mirrodin
05 Spirit Token, Champions of Kamigawa
04 Demon Token, Mirrodin
05 Angel Token, Scourge
01 Beast Token, Odyssey
01 Bird Token, Invasion
02 Goblin Token, Legions
Don't get too excited about it, though. I collect promos, so all of these cards are the "throw-ins" of many trades I have done for promos, as many of these cards are among the lowest-valued promotional cards.