"U.S. Nationals Final Four + Two"


The top decks in the U.S. nationals are listed below. Price's, Gary's, Maher's and Weissman's decks are confirmed, the others are a best guess.
Weissman/Nicoloff/Robaina "Turbo-Abeyance" Deck
4 Abeyance
2 Disenchant
3 Wrath of God
3 Swords to Plowshares
1 Armageddon
2 Gerrards Wisdom
1 Island Sanctuary
1 Enlightened Tutor
4 Arcane Denial
2 Counterspell
4 Impulse
2 Recall
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Paradigm Shift
1 Relearn

4 Howling MIne
3 Mind Stone
1 Kjeldoran Outpost
2 Gemstone Mine
4 Adarkar Wastes
7 Plains
8 Island

Sideboard:
2 Jesters Cap
2 Time Elemental
2 Political Trickery
2 COP: Black
Sideboard (cont):
2 Disenchant
2 Divine Offering
1 Gerrard's Wisdon
2 Sleight of Mind

Both versions played (by Brian Weissman and Chris Pantages) went 4-1-1. The deck does poorly against Counter Post, but Pantages and Weissman correctly guessed that the field at Nationals would be 'post poor.

Brian had these comments on the deck: "I was happy to assuage all skepticism about my deck with my 4-1-1 showing. Actually, my record would have been 5-1 had I now been cheesed over by Henry Stern. He was watching my third round match against Brett Quorn, and in the third game, with about thirty seconds left in the match and five cards left in his library, Brett, the true sportsman that he is, tried to concede. Now, this situation would have been fine and dandy had I been playing the very familiar turbo stasis(against which MANY people have conceded in the middle of a third game), but, because my deck was new, Brett's concession looked like collusion to Henry, and he wouldn't allow it. I tried to argue that the concession was totally justified, since there were three howling mines in play, and I was going to recall for four Abeyances on my next turn, but Henry wouldn't listen. He gave me the whole "players can only concede when they have a distinct strategic reason for doing so" bit, and I was screwed. Oh well, I at least know that I went 5-1 :-). If I were to play the deck again, I would lose the Armageddon and make it 60 cards. While I feel like this deck is nearly invincible against everything but a well tuned counterpost deck, I must stress that it is extremely taxing to play, and that it isn't really viable unless you have ninety minute rounds. Every match that went to three games used up almost all of the allotted time, and I didn't finish one of them."


Dave Price's Deadguy Sligh Deck
4 Goblin Vandals
3 Goblin Digging Team
4 Ironclaw Orcs
2 Dwarven Soldier
4 Ball Lightning
2 Viashino Sandstalkers
4 Lava Hounds
4 Incinerate
4 Hammer of Bogardan
4 Fireblast
3 Kaervak's Torch

4 Dwarven Ruins
18 Mountain
Sideboard:
4 Anarchy
4 Detonate
Sideboard (cont):
4 Straw Golem
3 Pyrokinesis

Dave went 6-0 in the T2 portion of the U.S. Nationals and handed the eventual Champion his only loss in the constructed deck portion. 


1st, Justin Gary's U/R Deck
4 Man 'O War
3 Rainbow Efreet
1 Air Elemental

4 Counterspell
4 Dissipate
4 Force of Will
2 Binding Grasp
3 Wildfire

2 Incinerate
3 Disintegrate
3 Earthquake

1 Frenetic Efreet
2 Serrated Arrows
2 Nevinyrral's Disk
4 Thawing Glaciers
10 Island
8 Mountain
Sideboard:
1 Pyroclasm
2 Hydroblast
1 Incinerate
2 Shatter
Sideboard (cont):
3 Pyroblast
2 Energy Flux
3 Anarchy
1 Mind Harness


2nd, Kyle Bigos' 4CB Deck
2 Shadow Guildmage
2 Erg Raiders
4 Black Knight
4 Fallen Askari
3 Knight of Stromgald
1 Crypt Rat
2 Necratog
4 Nekrataal
1 Demonic Consultation
1 Kaervak's Spite
2 Bad Moon

4 Man 'O War
3 Arcane Denial

4 Incinerate
1 Kaervek's Torch
2 Winter Orb

1 City of Brass
3 Undiscovered Paradise
3 Underground River
2 Sulfurous Springs
3 Gemstone Mine
3 Island
5 Swamp
Sideboard: *UNKNOWN*
2 Mind Bend
3 Hydroblast
2 Knights of the Mist
2 Infernal Darkness
Sideboard (cont):
2 Pyroblast
1 Forsaken Wastes
1 Serentiy
2 Disenchant


3rd, Bob Maher's Buried Alive Deck
3 Shadow Guildmage
4 Fallen Askari
4 Black Knight
4 Knight of Stromgald
2 Nether Shadow
4 Ashen Ghoul
2 Krovikan Horror
1 Nekrataal
3 Buried Alive
2 Choking Sands
2 Necropotence
1 Bad Moon

4 Incinerate
1 Fireball

1 Nevinyrral's Disk
4 Gemstone Mine
3 Undiscovered Paradise
4 Sulfurous Springs
11 Swamp
Sideboard:
2 Swords to Plowshares
2 Contagion
2 Pyroblast
1 Disenchant
3 Winter Orb
Sideboard (cont):
2 Ebony Charm
1 Fireball
3 Dystopia
1 Serenity

Bob had this to say about the deck: "As far as changes I would make to the deck, I would be to take out 2 Necropotence, 1 Krovikan horror and add 1 Swords to Plowshares, 1 Armageddon, and probably one Contagion. Normally I really hate having single cards in a deck but in this deck they really work."


4th, Jeff Butz's "Bone Dancer" Deck
1 Shadow Guildmage
4 Black Knight
3 Knight of Stromgald
4 Nether Shadow
4 Ashen Ghoul
2 Bone Dancer
2 Krovikan Horror
4 Buried Alive

3 Suq'Ata Lancer

4 Incinerate
2 Death Spark
2 Hammer
1 Firestorm
2 Nevinyrral's Disk
1 Thawing Glaciers
1 City of Brass
1 Undiscovered Paradise
1 Gemstone Mine
4 Sulfurous Springs
6 Mountain
8 Swamp
Sideboard: *UNKNOWN*
4 Pyroblast
2 Pillage
Sideboard (cont):


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