Subject: Deck: StaunchGeddon
Date: Wed, 3 Jun 1998 11:58:54 -0700
From: "Tom Gibes and Co." <tgibes@execpc.com>
To: <fkusumot@ix.netcom.com>

For the sixth installment of the Gibes Rogue Deck Monthly, I decided to go
a little less rogue and a little bit more down the straight and narrow with
a 'Geddon deck.  But this 'Geddon deck is hardly typical.  It's a black and
white beauty with a variety of ways to win.  It can beat any deck out there
and it's two colors allow for utility in the mainboard and the sideboard.

So, here it is.  Staunch Geddon.

Creatures (10):
4 Staunch Defenders (The best Type II white fattie)
4 Bottle Gnomes (Great with Stronghold and Corpse Dance)
1 Avenging Angel (Have fun trying to kill this sucker)
1 Selenia, Dark Angel (Better than Avenging Angel.  Virtually Unkillable)

Removal (10):
2 Wrath of God (Mass Removal)
4 Diabolic Edicts (Early Removal)
4 Terrors (More Early Removal)

Utility (12):
4 Armageddon  (The icing on the cake)
3 Disenchants (Obviously needed)
2 Gerrard's Wisdom (Just try and burn me)
1 Spirit Mirror (Better than Blinking Spirit, Awesome after Wrath)
2 Corpse Dance (Late game win card w/ Gnomes or fatties)

Mana (28):
4 Dark Rituals (Key.  Allow for third turn fattie)
1 Stalking Stones (Good after a Wrath)
1 Volrath's Stronghold (Beautiful with Defenders)
4 Gemstone Mines (Allow for Versatile Sideboard)
9 Plains
9 Mountain

Let's analyze this monster now, shall we?

The best way to win:
First Turn: Plains
Second Turn: Swamp (Terror?)
Third Turn: Plains, Ritual, Staunch Defenders (Or an Angel)
Fourth Turn: Geddon!

With the amount of mana sources (28) you should be able to recover faster
than your opponent will.  Repeat if needed.

Other ways to win include:
-Corpse Dance w/ Gnomes
-Wrath and Spirit Mirror / Stalking Stones

While none of these are sure fire ways to win, they will hopefully give you
a good enough advantage that you can win.

Here's a rough sideboard:
2 Lobotomy (Second turn possibly with Rituals)
2 Warmths
2 Light of Days
2 Aura of Silence
1 Disenchants
2 Perish
3 Bottomless Pit (Against Control)
1 Living Death

This sideboard has a large variety of options, much like the mainboard.
The Bottomless pits will really hurt control and may hurt you in the
beginning, but you'll recover because of the high amount of mana.  3 Things
for artifact removal (Disenchant, Aura).  2 Warmths for sligh.  2 Light of
Days for Suicide Black (Second turn with Rituals).  2 Perish against Green.
 2 Lobotomys against combo decks. 1 Living Death to slap other people for
using mass removal against you.

Overall, this deck is fun and versatile.  The roads to victory can be
achieved because of a few reasons.  First off, the rituals.  They are one
of the most important cards in the deck.  These give this deck the speed it
needs.  It makes those fatties come out surprisingly quick.  It can beat
burn and quick decks with life gain.  It also can stop weenie swarms with
early removal and mass removal.  Disenchants handle the artifacts.   It has
a surprise value with Stalking Stones and Spirit Mirror (Why don't more
people use this?).  This deck just doesn't quit.

Well, that's all for now.  Keep creating.

-Tom Gibes
tgibes@execpc.com