The Decks of Jay Schneider, Neutral Ground Atlanta - June '98

-J

  4 Mogg Fanatic
  4 Jackal Pup
  1 Raging Goblin
  4 Mogg Flunkie
  4 Suq'Ata Lancer
  1 Viashino Sandstalker
  4 Ball Lightning

  3 Shock
  4 Incinerate
  2 Seismic Assault
  4 Fireblast

 Sideboard:
  4 Pyroblast
  3 Spell Shock
  2 Mogg Maniac

  4 Cursed Scroll

  4 Wasteland
 18 Mountain

 Sideboard(Cont):
  2 Firestorm
  4 Price of Progress

Comments from Jay:  This deck is very similar to Sligh Invasion and is a beta version of post-Exodus Sligh. As Sligh decks go it is fairly straightforward to play. Sweep their creatures and kill them with yours. In the "late game" (about turn 4) burn them to death.

As before this version owes a lot of its design principles to David Price's "Deadguy Sligh". The Mogg Flunkies are just incredible in this deck. They give an amazing boost in speed and a "Creature of the Line" (something often lacking from Sligh decks) all for R1. Needless to say the in-house name (Throat Rip Geeba) is due to the incredible speed and strong attacking power of this deck.

This deck is a "keeper" - after three lands hit the table you generally hold them (Sphere of Resistance and Chill notwithstanding.) The key to playing the deck is knowing when to control the board and when to control the life total. Sun Tzu's quote about knowing yourself and your enemy was never more relevant in a deck. You must be able to identify your opponent and look at your hand to see which mode you play in.

As this is still a Beta there are several cards in "Testing" for Sligh Assault. Spell Shock is a possiblity for the main. 1 Goblin Bombardment is always strong. Firestorm is also a worthy choice for the main deck. 2 Seismic Assaults seem to be the right number. Additional Viashinos and Raging Goblins are also being tested (along with the complete removal of them.) An additional mountain has been added to the current version as Sligh Assault has performed so well additional stability is more important than increased beatdown.

The current sideboard ignores artifacts - it can. There aren't any that hurt enough fast enough (except Sphere of Resistance and that one defends itself and the sphere often helps as much as it hurts.) Spell Shock is amazing. When looking at Exodus with Paul (Sligh) he said "Look, they reprinted Manabarbs. :-)"

I feel at least in the short run it is important to keep a full set of "Prices" in the sideboard. The 5 color land decks (lifegaining sac critters with living death and 'Zillas) are the most dangerous threat to this deck. 6-10 points of damage from a Price of Progress solves that problem very neatly. It's also important to have 4 good cards to board against other red decks (in this case Maniacs and Firestorm.) Firestorms especially fit this deck and its keeper-burn style of play. It's my primary candidate to make it into the main deck especially with heavy bounce blue.

  3 Goblin Vandal
  4 Mogg Fanatic
  4 Jackal Pup
  4 Mogg Flunkie
  4 Suq'Ata Lancer
  2 Viashino Sandstalker
  3 Ball Lightning

  4 Shock
  4 Incinerate
  2 Invasion Plans
  1 Fireblast

  4 Cursed Scroll

 Sideboard:
  4 Pyroblast
  3 Mana Leak
  2 Sleight of Mind

  4 Wasteland
  4 City of Brass
  2 Undiscovered Paradise
  1 Gemstone Mine
 11 Mountain


 Sideboard(Cont):
  4 Honorable Passage
  2 Tranquil Domain

Comments from Jay: This is the deck that I played at the Southeast Regionals. It is pre-Exodus and has served me very well. The feedback I've gotten from others who have played this version has also been overwhelmingly positive.

This is one of the hardest Sligh decks to play, not from the main deck but from the sideboard. From the main deck 5cGeeba plays like a slightly inferior Sligh deck. The sideboard though is where 5cGeeba shines.

5cGeeba adds misdirection to the Sligh arsenal. If possible don't show the opponent multi color, and they will treat you as traditional Sligh. They will misplay based on this assumption. For example, playing multiple blue enchantments (Chill, Propaganda, Legacy's Allure) is good against a mono-color Sligh, and you can safely tap out to cast them. It is suicide against 5cGeeba. You can also cast your Living Death at any time against a traditional Red deck. Not 5cGeeba.

When going to sideboard there are two major options, control or burn. You decide. Your opponent doesn't and doesn't know. If you go control go "all the way". This means board in almost everything except the honorable passages and even choose to draw first. If you are playing burn then board lightly and play for the quick kill. The better you know the field the better you can decide.

When going into control mode take out the non-control cards from the main deck. The Fireblast goes. The Ball Lightnings go. The Invasion Plans go. Start removing bolts. Do not remove creatures. The way you will win is by playing a quick creature assault (a Pup and a Flunky is about ideal.) Then protect the table with control cards. I often refer to boarding in 11 counterspells and often do. Mana Leaks are clearly counters as are Pyroblasts (vs. blue control) but so are tranquils if they are enchantment heavy. Sleights are counterspells as well.

Sleights are absolutely amazing. They counter EVERYTHING that is brought in against a Sligh deck. For example: Chill, Warmth, COP Red, Hydro Blast, Prot. Red. They also handle several other things. Nekratalls kill themselves instead of others, Natural Order gets nothing, Armor falls off the falcon.

Practice the sideboard and set it up for your local metagame. If suicide black is big add Light of Day. Lots of enchantments? Add domains. Green is big add Perish (it kills Zilla's too.) Know what to take out against every deck and what goes in. Remember in some fights going burn in later games can be just as good as control.

  3 Nekrataal
  2 Fallen Angel
  4 Dark Ritual
  4 Corpse Dance
  4 Living Death

  4 Orcish Settlers
  4 Starke of Rath
  4 Earthquake

  4 Bottle Gnome
  4 Phyrexian Furnace

 Sideboard:
  4 Pyroblasts
  4 Bottomless Pit

  3 Wasteland
  4 Sulfurous Spring
  4 Rocky Tar Pit
  2 Volrath's Stronghold
  5 Mountain
  6 Swamp

 Sideboard(Cont):
  4 Mindstab Thrull
  3 Spinning Darkness

Comments from Jay: This deck is dedicated to Rudy Edwards. The Settlers Buyback name comes from the final lock in this deck. It is an 8 mana lock needing a Orchish Settler in the graveyard and a corpse dance in the hand. It chump blocks (if needed) and Stone Rains the opponent.

This lock is not required to win but does happen on a reguar basis. There are many other "lesser" locks which are also very effective. Every creature in the deck Corpse Dances well and Living Deaths well.

The furnaces are a must in this deck not because of what the opponent can do with their graveyard but what you do with it (as a side effect.) They can also prevent the occasional problem with multiple Starkes in the graveyard (and a living death about to occur.) Also, watch for Nekrataals wanting to take out a Starke. Generally you can arrange to give your opponent the Starke before Nekrataaling him.

The reason this deck can actually get to an 8 mana lock (or at least abuse to no end one of the 5 mana ones) is the superb land destruction of a cast settler, using all the Dark Rituals in the hand as Stone Rains and the large quantity of global creature destruction. Targeted destruction is handled by the Nekrataals and Starkes.

All cards in decks are guaranteed to be tournament legal. All prices quoted are in U.S. Dollars.

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