Subject: [DECK] Cursed Oath
Date: Tue, 15 Sep 1998 21:41:00 -0300
From: Carlos Eduardo Scheidegger <carlos.scheidegger@pro.via-rs.com.br>
To: fkusumot@ix.netcom.com

Hi Frank.


        I've been playtesting one T2 deck without revealing it to the
public, because I believed it to have a true potential, and I still do.
However, I'm completely out of time, and I won't be able to take it to a
tournament before MiViWl rotates out. So I decided to reveal it to the
list.

        The deck is an attempt (successful, I think) to mix the
artificer's lock deck with the Oath of Druids one. I have a full set of
Slyvans and Impulses to ensure I'll get to the cards quickly. The Gaea's
Blessings help with the manipulation early game, and I usually am able
to hold off the game until I can drop the cards.

        I play the deck in two modes: before both Ensaring Bridge and
Null Brooch (the latter, mainly) and after them. Before I play them, I
play the deck with a large number of cards in hand (4-5), and the deck
plays like an OoD deck. After it, I am usually able to keep one
counterspell either in hand, available in the sylvan-draw or with the
Brooch, and no more cards in hand. It is kind of weird to have a look in
your hand and have a counter as the only card, but almost ALWAYS have
it. Your opponent then gets locked and dies a scroll-death. I once faced
and opponent who decided to do nothing against me and see what happened
- he thought I would have a big hand size and not be able to hold off
the creatures. I then played all my artifacts, having 3 brooches in
play, and then started to brooch-counter MY OWN spells, keeping my
hand-size low.

        As usual for OoD decks, it CRUSHES sligh and suiblack, but has
the added control aspect of not letting creatures attack at all. The
scroll can ping anything not wanted, like an eventual Soltari Visionary
or things I can't think of now.

        Problems with this deck:

        1) Tradewind Riders;
        2) Living Death decks (Mainly because of recurring uktabis);
        3) Cuneo Blue (cause of disk; if I can get a Brooch through,
usually I win, though);
        4) Creatureless decks.

        A few weeks ago, I wouldn't play this, because Uktabi Orangutans
were a big big shower at tourneys. Nowadays, we don't see much of them
(at least it is what I've read from tourneys)

        And it is FUN to play it, too :)

        Here it goes:

        Cursed Oath
        60 cards
        Control/Lock Blue/Green

        4 Cursed Scroll
        4 Ensnaring Bridge
        3 Null Brooch
        4 Impulse
        4 Counterspell
        4 Dissipate
        3 Oath of Druids
        1 Intuition
        3 Spike Feeder
        1 Spike Weaver
        4 Gaea's Blessing
        4 Sylvan Library

        3 Quicksand
        7 Forest
        7 Island
        2 Reflecting Pool
        2 Wasteland

        Sideboard:

        2 Reclaim
        2 Intuition (great tricks with reclaims, specially because I'll
have the other cards shuffled away in little time)
        2 Needlestorm
        2 Sleight of Mind
        2 Verdigris
        2 Capsize
        3 Hydroblast

        I know this is a expensive deck (28 rares, being 4 cursed, 4
ensnaring, 4 null brooch and 2 pools) now that even Oath of Druids is a
glamour card, (Oh, the times of $4 Oath of Druids and $6 Cursed Scrolls
) but it is really worth it.

        I think this deck has a true potential, and if anyone would want
to take it to a tournament, I would be glad to hear the results.

        Thanks,
        Carlos Eduardo Scheidegger
        carlos.scheidegger@pro.via-rs.com.br

        PS: I'm cross-posting this to the MTG-STRATEGY-L.