Subject: [THEORY] Thoughts on Academy (and beating it!) Date: Thu, 12 Nov 1998 18:28:45 -0500 (EST) From: Midn Joshua N Ali To: fkusumot@ix.netcom.com This is my first Dojo post, so go easy on me... So everybody is buzzing about the new hyper-effective (and hyper-expensive) Academy decks. This cool little baby has pretty much shown itself to be the replacement for the recently lost ProsBloom, except in the much more efficient form of being mono-colored (and mono-BLUE at that...) Everybody I know who is currently playing the deck swears by it, and everybody who is not playing the deck (or, more likely, does not WANT to play the deck) claims it to be broken and in need of a few cards being banned. Let's face it, nothing was ever banned from ProsBloom in the Standard environment, and I really don't see anything as being banned from Academy. If anything would be banned, it would not be the Stroke of Genius, or the Academy, or the Mind Over Matter; it would be the Time Spiral. True, the deck can function without it, but truly consider how WELL it would function without it. Not anywhere near well as all, huh? So, what's the answer? Ban the Spiral? Remove the "untap six lands" line from it (after all, it is that one line that makes it so strong: your hand back, your graveyard back, you don't even have to pay any mana for it)? Shoot everybody who attempts to play the deck in the streets at dawn? I think not... See, I have a Teammate who has come up with his own solution: learn to play against the deck. The first tourney we went to once Urza's cycled in, he did not have a deck together (neither did I). He threw together a mono-red old school sligh deck (I'm talking Orcish Artillery here!) and, after looking at the decklist and play theory of Academy, put together a sideboard consisting of Pyroblasts and Shattering Pulses, and went offense overkill theory against the deck (I played an old Living Death/Recurring Nightmare deck). He shattered Lotus Petals. He Pyroed Time Spirals (nothing else... THAT is the key, unless they are throwing a large Stroke at themselves in desperation). He burned them into oblivion. In other words, he didn't just play cards against the Academy, he PLAYED against the Academy. Cool, huh. He is currently 3-0-1 against Academy with his old school sligh and the friendly Orcs. He rips other decks apart on a regular basis. If it were not for a plague of manascrews, he would probably be winning tourneys more often (BTW due to the fact that he always draws poorly in finals, his Team name is "Manascrew"). And his one draw against Academy would be a win if his opponent hadn't taken so long doing the math and allowed time to run out. I myself am 3-0-0 against Academy, and we aren't talking random scrubs here. The opponents were ranked well in Maryland (where I play). The moral of the story: stop whining and learn to play. Learn about timing rules, and Pyro the MoM when they try to untap the Academy (contrary to popular belief, NOTHING, not even a mana source, can interrupt a batch of effects once it starts resolving...), Counter every Time Spiral they attempt to throw at you, get rid of any artifact you can as it hits the board (Diamonds and Vaults take precedence, though!). Remember they are only doing one thing, and you know what it is. Break them up, and the game is over. BTW, if you want to use discard against the deck, forget Duress and Persecute; use Lobotomy. A shout out to my other Team members, Sid and Al. We have all played against Academy and none of us have lost to it yet. If we ever do, it will be because of bad luck, not bad playing. Sorry for the long post, but it had to be said. Replies are appreciated. Random flames are not appreciated, but hey, what can I do? ;) Respectfully, Joshua N. Ali "The (Practically) Married Guy" Team (Just Team. Ever seen Animal House?)