White Weenie Type II, Jul - Aug '96
| The following four decks presented all have
one feature in common, Sleights in either the main deck or sideboard, and
four Adarkar Wastes to support them. This has become standard practice amongst
players of WW because of the ever present threat of a first turn gloom (and
also, dystopia). One thought that came up on the MTG Strategy list was how
best to harness the extra power afforded by blue, and the results were
informative. Some thought that adding in any more blue would dilute the structure
of the WW deck , others thought that a balance could be reached, juggling
between the fast offense and disruption strategies inherent in the design.
Standard WW Type II V1.1 (Aeolipile) 4 Icatian Javelineers 4 White Knight 4 Mesa Pegasus 4 Order of the White Shield 4 Savannah Lions 2 Icatian Infantry 2 Aeolipile 3 Disenchant 4 StP 3 Armageddon 4 Crusade 1 Land Tax 1 Zuran Orb 16 Plains 4 Adarkar Wastes 1 Kjeldoran Outpost Sideboard 4 Repentent Blacksmith 3 Energy Storm 4 Sleight of Mind 1 Island 3 Death Speakers Note: Aeolipile is strong in a WW deck, if not in the main deck then at least in the sideboard, for its use against `Protection from White' creatures, flyers, and as a game ender. Energy Storm is chosen in the sideboard vice COP's. For creature removal Serrated Arrows is also a strong candidate to substitute for the Aeolipile. No extra blue, but an island added in the sideboard for use against Blood Moon and Land Destruction. Standard WW-U Type II V1.0 (Flux) 4 Adarkar Wastes 14 Plains 1 Kjeldoran Outpost 1 Strip Mine 1 Barbed Sextant 1 Aeolipile 1 Zuran Orb 2 Armageddon 4 Crusade 3 Disenchant 3 Swords to Plowshares 1 Land Tax 1 Energy Flux 1 Sleight of Mind 2 Unstable Mutation 4 Icatian Javelineers 4 Order of Leitbur 4 Order of the White Shield 4 Savannah Lions 4 White Knight Sideboard: 3 Island 3 Slight of Mind 4 Repentant Blacksmith 4 Energy Storm 1 Energy Flux The use of Energy Flux in the main deck is interesting and useful. Many decks rely heavily on artifacts, especially U/W control decks (ironically enough). Against other decks that use white as a splash color just for disenchants and StP, and rely on key artifacts (Howling Mine, Books, Tomes, Orbs, Disrupting/Despotic Sceptre, Ivory Tower, etc.), the flux will become an important disenchant target and could easily throw them off their game. The use of Unstable Mutation is somewhat surprising, since creature enchantments are generally frowned upon in tourney decks, but is reasonable considering the style of WW play. The surprise value of both cards is considerable, which in terms of the psychological game could be considered good justification for their inclusion (of course your opponent may not realize that you are throwing him off, and just StP the creature anyway). Standard WW-U Type II V1.1 (Weirding) 10 Plains 4 Adakar Wastes 2 Land Cap 1 Kjeldoran Outpost 1 Land Tax 1 Barbed Sextant 1 Elkin Bottle 1 Zur's Weirding 1 Unsummon 1 Portent 4 Savannah Lions 4 Icatian Javelineers 3 Deathspeakers 2 Benalish Hero 2 Icatian Infantry 4 Mesa Pegasus 4 Repentant Blacksmiths 3 White Knights 4 Crusades 1 Morale 4 Disenchant 2 Swords to Plowshares Sideboard 4 Sleight of Mind 1 Land Cap 2 Energy Storm 4 Hydroblast 2 Swords to Plowshares 1 Zuran Orb 1 Morale Warning: Yes, this deck is light on mana. However, you should be able to use a majority of cheaper spells (only 1 costs 4, 2 cost 3) to insure a quick start. There are a few card-drawing tricks to try to maintain an advantage against opponents (Portent, Barbed Sextant, Land Tax). The blue cards are added for surprise value and versatility, the Elkin Bottle for sustainment capabilities beyond the 6th turn. The interesting note here is the Weirding. Consider the fact that a WW expects to be ahead in life on the 3rd thru 6th turn, and the benefits of a Weirding played then should be obvious. Standard WW-U Type II V1.2 (Flyer-Sink & Chill) 4 Savannah lions 2 Mesa falcon 2 Wild Aesthir 4 Mesa pegasus 4 White knight 4 Icatian javelineer 4 Order of the white shield 4 Swords to plowshares 3 Disenchant 4 Crusade 4 Power sink 4 Adarkar wastes 1 Kjeldoran Outpost 9 Snow-covered plains 5 Snow-covered islands 4 Strip mines Sideboard 4 Sleight of mind 4 Order of the sacred torch 4 Winters chill 3 Call to arms This deck should be rather self-explanatory by now. Sideboard is the interesting part (Winter's Chill). The countering ability of the Power Sink is chosen here in lieu of Armegeddon's to provide a disruption strategy, along with the addition of 4 Strip Mines. It is somewhat suspect though, since 8 of the creatures require extra mana (or perhaps it makes the deck a greater challenge to play, you decide). Master Notes --Following are notes on WW/U decks taken from the MTG Strategy List in November of 1995. These are decks that were submitted for the Master's discussion of Archetype WW/u decks as moderated by Ken Lignelli. Three of the previous decks were taken from this discussion, and the rest are listed here for a look at, and perhaps further analysis of, some of the different tangents this simple Archetype can take off into and the decisions that led to the changes in the basic WW card mix. LAND CHOICES - people widely varied here: -Roger Gaudreau 3 Adarkar Wastes 14 Plains 4 Islands 2 Ruins of Trokair -Bryan 4 Adarkar Wastes 3 City of Brass 15 Plains -Jeff Boes 11 Plains 11 Islands -Ken Lignelli 14 Plains 2 Islands 3 Adarkar Wastes 3 Land Cap CREATURE CHOICES - almost everyone had Savannah lions, Mesa Pegasus, Javelineers, and White Knight. Some unique things were: -Roger Gaudreau 3 Repentant Blacksmith 3 Sea Sprite 1 Serra Angel 1 Aysen Gargoyle -Bryan 4 Pikemen -Jeff Boes 4 Mesa Falcon 4 Zephyr Falcons 4 Albatross -Ken Lignelli 4 Giant Albatross 4 Sea Sprite 4 Osai Vultures 4 Mesa Falcon 4 Kjeldoran Skyknight BOOSTERS - Everyone but Roger, Jeff and me had Crusades. Other boosters included: -Roger Gaudreau 2 Enduring Renewal 2 Elkin Bottles -Jeff Boes 2 Jayemdae Tome -Ken Lignelli 4 Morale 2 Elkin Bottle 2 Howling Mine 1 Enduring Renewal 1 Serra Aviary OTHER - Utility spells, permission, etc. An Interesting assortment! -Roger Gaudreau 3 Disenchant 3 Swords to Plowshares 4 Power Sink 1 Zuran Orb 2 Disrupting Sceptre -Bryan 4 Sword to Plowshare 3 Disenchant 4 Armegeddon 2 Land Tax -Jeff Boes 2 Disenchant 2 Divine Offering 2 Swords to Plowshares 2 Prismatic Ward 2 Black Ward 2 White Ward 2 Counterspell 2 Brainstorm 1 Recall 2 Sleight of Mind 2 Merchant Scroll -Ken Lignelli 1 Zuran Orb 2 Zur's Weirding 2 Truce SIDEBOARDS and Deck total: close to 60 cards was average. -Roger Gaudreau 62 cards total Sideboard 2 CoP: Red 2 Justice 1 Wrath of Marit Lage 3 Sleight of Mind 1 Disenchant 1 Swords to Plowshares 2 Land Tax 3 CoP:Black -Bryan Sideboard 4 Sleight of Mind 4 Blue Elemental Blast 3 Energy Storm 3 Aeliopile 1 Disenchant -Jeff Boes Sideboard 4 Sea Sprite 2 Red Ward 2 Green Ward 1 Counterspell 2 Serra Angel 2 Spell Blast 2 Power Sink -Ken Lignelli Sideboard 4 CoP:Red 4 CoP:Black 4 Sleights 3 Apocalypse Chime Some notes on WW/u Decks taken from MTG-L Strategy: Flyers are probably not the way for WW to go. Experimentation with quite a few WW decks should lead one to the conclusion that maximizing the number of power-of-2 creatures is optimal for design (between 8-16, most likely 12). Besides this working out quite efficiently it has the nice side effect of giving you 12-16 Protection from X creatures (with the inclusion of Blacksmiths). What that means is extra mileage from the Sleight of Minds that are usuall y standard in decks, and mandatory as at least sideboard cards. Sleights should always be sideboarded vs. Black players. If they know you'll do that (and they should), and thereby leave out their Glooms, you are still ahead. You can always use them on a Blacksmith, if you're not using them on the opponents Knights & Orders. Six sources of blue mana should be enough. Rough tests, testing how many times a castable Sleight can be used against a first turn Gloom within the first 3 turns, with 4 Wastes & 2 Sextants, succeed 72% of the time (does anyone know how to figure this out exactly?). Sextants are preferable to Cities or Depletions for 2 reasons. First, they're a cantrip, which means you can get extra cards in an emergency, and second, they make sideboarding easier - if the Sleights aren't coming in, then the Sextants always go out. Sideboard cards should always be chosen to maximize the versatility of your deck. The uses of the Disenchants are pretty obvious. Things they are usually used against are COP:White, Island Sanctuary, An-Zerrin Ruins, Winter Orbs, Brass Men & Yotians. Those cards generally tend to come in from the sideboard (except for the Winter Orbs), which is why some Disenchants can be kept in the sideboard. The Sleights serve double duty - they stop Glooms & Anarchies, but they also make the Protection-From creature s more flexible. Serra Bestiaries stop big creatures before they attack, and also shut down threats like Tims, Assassins etc. Energy Storms stop all colors of direct damage (even Drain Life & Storm Seekers), and protect creatures as well. They're also the equivalent of a meekstone vs. fliers, and since most WW don't play with any fliers (or shouldn't, much), that helps. Meekstones themselve, of course, are also a strong sideboard card for WW. And now a deck from a reader of the list that listened to the strategy and heeded the advice. WW/u Orb-Armageddon Notes: WW/u with Winter Orb/Armageddon for SENTE and mana control. Built and played by a Master's discussion convert. 4 White Knight 4 Savannah Lions 4 Icatian Javelineers 3 Repentant Blacksmith 2 Trade Caravan 2 Mesa Falcon 3 Mesa Pegasus 4 Crusade 2 Disenchant 2 Swords to Plowshares 2 Armageddon 1 Land Tax 2 Unsummon 2 Brass Man 3 Winter Orb 1 Zuran Orb 1 Black Vise 4 Adarkar Wastes 1 City of Brass 2 Land Cap 11 Plains Sideboard 2 Brass Man 4 Hydroblast 3 Sleight of Mind 2 Disenchant 2 Enduring Renewal 2 Swords to Plowshares WW/u Outpost deck (Semi-finalist, U.S. Open) This deck is a bit creature light with only 15, and has a slightly defensive bent with the 3 Aelopile's, Wrath of God, and the disruption strategy of the Armageddon. It is a nicely rounded deck however. The creature mix is compensated for by the inclusion of 3 Outposts. Deck by Bill Macey. 4 Order of Leitbur 4 Savannah Lions 4 White Knight 3 Repentant Blacksmith 4 Disenchant 4 Swords to Plowshares 3 Crusade 2 Armageddon 1 Balance 1 Land Tax 1 Wrath of God 3 Aeolipile 1 Zuran Orb 4 Adarkar Wastes 2 Strip Mine 3 Kjeldoran Outpost 16 Plains Sideboard 2 COP:Red 2 Divine Offering 2 Karma 2 Reprisal 2 Serrated Arrows 3 Sleight of Mind 1 Strip Mine 1 Wrath of God `96 World Champion Deck And now - the `96 World Champion Deck by Tom Chan Pheng. A little explanation about the sleight of mind... Tom recorded his deck incorrectly and was forced to play it as recorded (he forgot to write down the Adarkar Wastes, and instead wrote Plains for all land), adjust accordingly. Also, Tom faced many Necro decks during the tournament... he gambled (a little) and was rewarded for having 12 Knights w/prot. black in his deck. The deck is a fairly standard WW Deck, with the exception of absolutely *NO* crusa des. Apparently this was not a problem. It does lend support to the theory that a *good* ww deck doesn't need crusades. I.e., crusades don't kill your opponent in and of themselves, and with so few disenchant targets (4) an opponent may be left with useless disenchants in hand. This deck is also the first to include cards from Alliances. Tom chose Reinforcements (limited but powerful Land Tax like effect), Reprisal (good Ernham/Sengir stopper), Phyrexian Warbeasts (strong against Necro, and fits the fast da mage theme nicely), Lodestone Bauble (good Antil-LD), Exile in the sideboard (expensive StP, but w/out the drawback) and Kjeldoran Outpost (extra-weenies, and a new staple in WW decks, included in some of the above decks with the editors permission). 4 Orders of Leitbur 4 Orders of the White Shield 4 White Knight 4 Savannah Lions 2 Serra Angels 4 Disenchant 4 Swords to Plowshares 1 Reprisal 1 Balance 1 Land Tax 1 Reinforcement 1 Armageddon 2 Phyrexian Warbeasts 1 Zuran Orb 1 Lodestone Bauble 1 Sleight of Mind (???) 1 Kjeldoran Outpost 4 Strip Mines 4 Mishra's Factories 15 Plains (should be 3-4 Adarkar Wastes here) Sideboard: 4 Divine Offering 2 Aurenson's Aura 1 Sleight of Mind 1 Reprisal 1 Exile 1 Kjeldoran Outpost 2 Serrated Arrows 1 Spirit Link 1 Energy Storm 1 Black Vise With the removal of Necropotence from TII, and the loss of some of White's best creatures, the WW deck has taken some severe blows. The Mtenda Herder and Long Bow Archer are good White Weenie replacements, but the loss of the Order of Leitbur and White Shield are hardly replaceable by the flanking knights from Mirage. Perhaps if rumors are true, the pumpknights will return in 5th edition, but for the time being the speed offense of the WW deck is severely hurt. On the positive side, the loss of Pyroclasm is a good reason for all Weenie Decks to rejoice, no matter what the color. The Magic Dojo© 1997-1998 Frank Kusumoto. Please report bugs or problems to webmaster@classicdojo.org.
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