Subject: Deep Blue Date: Sun, 29 Nov 1998 17:05:18 -0700 From: "Christopher E. Otwell" To: woody@wizards.com, dci@wizards.com, vincent@wizards.com, fkusumot@ix.netcom.com, otwellc@jntf.osd.mil, otwell@worldnet.att.net, goodfrib@jntf.osd.mil, bobg@shadowglen.ml.org, minotaur@wizards.com To Mark Rosewater, the DCI, and the Rest of the Magic Community. A copy of this letter is being sent to Frank K. for posting to The Dojo. As you may of figured out, I gave the initial warning to all Magic Players, by way of The DOJO, that a deck such as the Tolarian Academy deck existed. This deck, I called Deep Blue or Piley Blast II. I helped many people build it, gave advice on how to maximize the mana productions of the deck, and how to stop it in the end (both main deck and sideboard). Well, after the past 2 month of observation and evidence gathering, we really don't have enough available to prove that this deck style is truely broken in any format. What we have will effectively be 50 State Championships, and 1 Pro Tour event. Yet, in these State Championships a good 60% to 75% of the players were completely unprepared for such a deck, nor understood what to do with it. And in nearly 95% of these players, they did not even come close to contending for the top 8, because of the lack of preparation. At PT:Rome, I would suspect that several of the PT players were prepared for it; however, they did not expect a High Tide varation of the deck. What this tells me, is that the majority of tournament players worldwide were not fully prepared for it. Hence, we do not have the objective proof required to make the decision to Ban a card in this deck yet. The Magic Community and The DCI needs more time and evidence before giving the deck it's Death Nail. I look back to the Summer that Necro Ruled all. It took about 6 to 9 Monthes before we were truely sure that anything in this deck was both 1) broken and that 2) the players could not easly stop it with better prepared deck construction. I think that in the case of Deep Blue, that neither piece has been proven as of yet. After all, we have the tools available that can keep this deck in check without further degenerating the environment. I would like the DCI to take a serious look at the Environment, the Card Sets in existance, and the evidence that we have gather so far. As I do not believe that Magic is truely ready for the DCI to intervence with corrective measures to stop this deck. What this deck does do, is keep many of the other decks currently in existance, Honest. What I mean by this, is that good focused, well designed decks will continue to compete with it, on an intelligent level. If you remove this deck from the environment, then I predict that what will evolve from this move, is that Survival/Recur infinate recursion Deck will take over completely. Or the ever-so nearly broken Fluctator deck will dominate Extended (the next Major Deck from the Council of Masters). Afterall, by killing the Blue deck, does not clear either Standard or Extended from a deck that can go into a infinate style of kill, or that can kill on Turn 1 or 2. Deep Blue only keep these decks in check, allowing Mono-Red and Hatred to be a good decks as well. Thanks for your time in Reading this message. Christopher E. Otwell Member of the "Council of Masters". =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= So, who put a stop payment on my "Reality Check", anyway? Software Engineer for L. C. Wright, INC. (719)-392-6782 (Home) (719)-567-9506 (Work) otwell@worldnet.att.net otwellc@jntf.osd.mil ICQ # 14585768