Standard for States and Beyond Part 1: Mike Long and Chris Bishop Editor's Note: Mike and Chris are too hopped up on Diet Jolt and Skittles to actually write an article, so we hit record on the Dictaphone and tried to transcribe their spluttering caffeinated mania. Think of this as Magic's version of Car Talk. Chris: So let's kick this off talking about the new set, eh? Mike: It's pretty solid. Critics might want to hold back till after States. Buehler and company stuck some subtle stuff in there. Tainted Pact for example... Chris: The black Impulse? Heck yeah. Good stuff. (eats more Skittles) Mike: Usually impulsive, yep. But it's more of a Demonic Consultation if you have to have a specific card, say, Wrath of God. Of course your deck needs to have lots of non-basic land so basics don't break the Pact. Chris: Even if it misfires, at least you milled through a bunch of jank. Pact's never a total loss. Odyssey is pretty smooth in general. It's nice to draft a more cooperative Rochester set. Flashback and threshold are thinking man's mechanics, very cool. One rant though: when the heck is R&D going to keep broken Limited cards out of the common and uncommon slot? Cone of Flame and Shower of Coals are dumb and dumber. Ditto for Overrun. Why add more "coin flips" to the game? Mike: Amen. But this is a Constructed rant, so quit yer whinin' and get to the first deck. You trying to steal Wise's job? Chris: Nah, I'm no wrestler. Tell the people what we're up to here. Mike: Okay, it's a new Standard season - States are around the corner, tech is in flux. Most of the cornerstone decks got slagged. No Blastoderm or Rishadan Port for Fires, no Saproling Burst. Saproling Burt and Merfolk/Opposition lose the whole Gush/Foil/Thwart engine, and Machine Head is out Dark Ritual. Doesn't sound like much, but it's a big difference. So we're doing the same thing most of you are: retrofitting old tech with new parts. This time round, the results are looking strong. Chris: Indeed. Invasion Block was a lot of fun, and the new dual lands make it easy to run three colors without bleeding away to pingers and taplands. Great to see folks working to foil out their IBC decks. That's the sign of a good format. Expect plenty of those foils to slide right into Standard. First off, we're serving up some White Lightning. It's the new white weenie, and probably what R&D has in mind for upcoming Nationals. Mike: What was your first clue? That it's stuffed with rares? (whistles a little tune) "White Lightning" 4 Devoted Caretaker 4 Meddling Mage 4 Galina's Knight 4 Longbow Archer 4 Lightning Angel 2 Goblin Trenches 2 Divine Sacrament 4 Fire/Ice 4 Urza's Rage 4 Prophetic Bolt 4 Costal Tower 2 Skycloud Expanse 1 Dromar's Cavern 4 Battlefield Forge 4 Shivan Reef 2 City of Brass 3 Plains 3 Mountain 1 Island Sideboard Suggestions:Flametongue Kavu, Price of Glory, Disrupt, Repulse (vs. Green Tokens), Wash Out (ditto), Spectral Lynx, Hibernation, Disenchant, Aura Blast, Teferi's Response (vs. Opposition & LD), Mystic Crusader, Dodecapod, Divert, +1-2 Crusade/Divine Sacrament, Worship, Crimson Acolyte, Wrath of God Chris: It's pretty hard to argue with White Lightning for States. Fast beats backed by burn is a safe course in uncharted seas. We like Mystic Crusader, Lieutenant Kirtar, and Pianna, Nomad Captain, but they just don't fit the curve. Trenches, Rage, and Divine Sacrament claim the three spot, then Lightning Angel screams out on turn four. Mike:Devoted Caretaker is a little mother love monkey for one white. She takes devoted care of your Meddling Mages, for example. Be sure Pikula yells "Wrath of God" versus control. Chris: Caretaker loves Goblin Trenches too. And boy are Trenches a sweet combo with Sacrament. Mike: I read on the internet that eleven Hill Giants are "some good." Chris: I read that too! Probably that Bob "Frookin" Rigatoni guy. Really, Trenches are in to help versus Wrath of God more than anything. Sneak it out quick if you can. Mike: White Lightning doesn't have many bad matchups, though Pernicious Deed is not your friend. Watch out for it, and make them pay with a Prophetic Bolt in response. Opposition can give you troubles, but you should do fine after sideboarding Disenchant and Teferi's Response/Aura Blast. Next up is Sea of Green, which should be real familiar to anyone who's played much Invasion Block Constructed: "Sea of Green" 4 Birds of Paradise 4 Blurred Mongoose 2 Kavu Titan 2 Beast Attack 4 Gaea's Skyfolk 4 Call of the Herd 2 Flametongue Kavu 4 Fire and Ice 4 Urza's Rage 4 Fact or Fiction 4 Prophetic Bolt 4 Shivan Oasis 2 Mossfire Valley 4 Yavimaya Coast 4 Shivan Reef 5 Forest 1 Mountain 2 Island Sideboard Suggestions:Flametongue Kavu, Price of Glory, Repulse, Wash Out (vs. White Weenie), Spellbane Centaur, Teferi's Response, Dodecapod, Divert, Thunderscape Battlemage, Thornscape Battlemage, Earthquake, Hull Breach, Simplify, Druid Lyrist, Jungle Barrier, Bearscape Chris:Birds of Paradise give this archetype a kick in the pants. Bird, Herd, Herd, Burn is going to win you a ton of games. Watch out for Spectral Lynx though. Mike: Ice can tap one for an alpha strike, but if Lynx's are running wild in your neck of the woods, consider swapping Scorching Lava for Fire/Ice. Two or three Spellbane Centaur might be handy main deck if Opposition is rampant. Nothing about these lists is engraved in stone, ya know... Constructed is all about metagame calls and practice. We're just giving you more arrows for the quiver. Chris: And giving these archetypes decent names fercrissakes. "Liquitempo"? "GoMar"? "Red Deck Wins"? This is what happens when you let engineers and programmers name things. Mike: "OppOrb." (chuckles) Anyways, our final beastie is a nasty little creation I like to call Harry Potter. Remember to pretend you have 30 counterspells when playing it. Harry Potter (and the Shadowy Master) 4 Spectral Lynx 4 Shadowmage Infiltrator 4 Duress 3 Tainted Pact 3 Gerrard's Verdict 4 Vindicate 4 Dromar's Charm 3 Fact or Fiction 3 Wrath of God 2 Mirari 2 Yawgmoth's Agenda 2 Darkwater Catacombs 3 Coastal Tower 3 Salt Marsh 4 Caves of Kolios 1 Dromar's Cavern 3 Adarkar Wastes 2 Underground River 3 Plains 3 Swamp Sideboard Suggestions:Repulse, Hibernation, Exclude, Disenchant, Aura Blast, Dismantling Blow, Teferi's Response, Dodecapod, Divert, Gainsay, +1 Wrath of God, +1 Gerrard's Verdict (vs. Beats n' Burn, really devastating), Hobble, Cremate, Sphere of Law, Lobotomy, Rout, Persuasion Chris: I was shocked just how smooth "Harry Potter" runs. It's a real powerhouse once you take serious time to practice. Mirari is no joke. Nine mana is not that hard to reach with Armageddon out and Fact or Fiction in. Mike: There's something to be said for killing most of an opponent's land midgame with one Vindicate. Great synergy with Agenda. Don't get too greedy with Tainted Pact. Think of it as an Impulse except in emergencies. Hmmmm, what else? Oh, you'd think 4 counterspells would be too few, but heavy discard and big card advantage goes a long way. Pretend you have more. If Shadowmage Infiltrator attacks a few times, you won't have to pretend. Chris: No kidding, but Finkel is usually just a distraction 'till you get the Fact or Fiction, Agenda, Mirari engine humming. He delivers a stern lecture to blue-green or vanilla white weenie though. If you're lucky, your opponents will sideboard four threats for four Price of Glory. It's practically a dead card. Mike: No more than annoying, yep. If you only build one of these, try "Harry Potter". It beat up our test decks savagely... except for "Psycho Chick"... Chris: Ah, foreshadowing. Very clever, Mister Long. Your self-promotion style kung-fu is strong. Who's your master? (lips keep moving) Mike: This too is for the sequel, worthy opponent... (assumes "flying monkey" stance) Part 2 coming soon (chorus of flutes and gongs)