From: mflores@mail1.sas.upenn.edu (Michael J Flores)
Subject: Replacing Ernie...
Date: 22 Jun 1997 17:47:36 GMT

When people talk about replacing the Erhnam Djinn, at least in the 
current Type II environment, they tend to take certain things for granted 
that simply cannot be taken for granted any longer.  When speaking of a 
classic "replacement" for the mighty Erhnam, people are trying to take 
one of two concepts from 1996 Type II, and they are trying to cram these 
concepts into current play.

The Erhnam was generally taken in one of two ways:

1.  Baxter theory.  The Erhnam can be exploited in a non-green deck as a 
splash card of considerable merit to disrupt sideboarding strategies and 
bolster the deck's own offensive machine.  Consider the original House of 
Pain...  Baxter used the Erhnam for its (friendly) G3 CC, allowing him to 
use no forests, and yet play 4 of them;  his Djinns had no drawbacks, and 
they were easily played.

In today's environment, the only appropriate G3 CC creatures are Giant 
Mantis/Spider and Nettletooth Djinn.  The Nettletooth Djinn has problems 
of his own, and simply does not work in the Baxter-style deck, which is 
already in trouble because of its many damage lands.  I'll assume that 
nobody wants me to get into the Mantis/Spider side.

Bull Elephant, Maro, Stampeding Wildebeests, all fine cards, cannot be 
easily splashed.

2.  Djinn Deck theory.  The Erhnam is a central facet of the deck 
concept, coupled with white or red removal, or both.  In the Erhnageddon 
deck, Armageddon removes one's own forests;  in Erhnam and Burn 'em, 
provolone, cheddar, and jack remove pesky forestwalkers.

The problem here is that none of the above three decks is actually 
viable.  People try to cram current cards into the old styles, and 
complain that "there is no Erhnam replacement."  

Even before 4th and Chronicles were rotated into 5th, I changed over 
Azure Drakes for Djinns in 3-color decks.  Drakes are of similar casing 
cost, are easily splashed, fly, evade well, and CoP Green is a lot more 
common than CoP Blue.  Also, Ernie can't stroll past an Outpost 
token.  Just an idea.

About the G/W deck...  It doesn't work.  It will again when Ice Age and 
Serrate--I mean Homelands--both return, but it doesn't now.  Anyone who 
thinks they can consistently win tournaments with pure Marogeddon G/W is 
delusional.  Wait for the return of Swords to Plowshares, Icy, Arrows, 
and so forth.  The G/W deck will be even better than before with black 
getting the shaft (every one else gets cards like StP, Anarchy, and Stunted 
Growth...  blue needs no help...  black gets...  Consultation?)

About G/R...  It doesn't need big creatures.  CC 4 creatures that don't 
say "Yavimaya Ants" across the top are too slow.  Go with some Granger 
Guildmages, Boas, and Elvish Archers instead.  You'll be surprised how 
good Giant Growth is.  Lhurgoyf in the sideboard ruins the day of many 
decks, but as I said before, it's generally not quick enough in the main 
of the G/R deck...  Ants, Fireblast, Firblast is usually fast enough!

If you want to try the old style decks they are still viable, just not as 
G/W.  White has lost too much oomph with the removal of StP and the 
emasculation of Disenchant.  The old Erhnageddon decks can work as R/W 
decks with Ogre Enforcers instead of Djinns and Willows, Thaws instead of 
Brushlands and Land Tax, and Incinerates instead of StP.  With a little 
tuning, the deck could work, but would probably still lose to Big Blue.

Say hello to Bert for me Ernie.  Cya.  

Flores