2005-07 Precon Championships: Round 7 and the Leaderboard
Welcome back to our coverage of the 2005-07 Preconstructed Championships! This past weekend saw the exciting conclusion to the Turian, the seemingly deadliest division of the season. As it happened, Time Spiral block was the 800-pound gorilla, with a deck from each of its three sets contending for advancement. Looking for the spoil was Coldsnap, the “hidden set” that rounded off Ice Age block.
Beyond the Grave locked horns with Reality Fracture in a battle that pitted a sacrifice engine against the combination of suspend and storm. Although it went to three games, Beyond the Grave had more than enough weapons at its disposal to get the job done. In the next matchup, we saw another suspend deck- Future Sight’s Suspended Sentence, which was up against the graveyard reanimation deck Rituals of Rebirth. Sadly for Planar Chaos fans, Rituals just couldn’t marshal enough resistance to the shenanigans that Suspended Sentence had on display, and with the ability to lock out both weenies and fatties, Suspended Sentence put in a commanding shift.
As we’ve said many times, we wish that we could award achievement for more than one deck, but the cold, cruel reality is that every other deck bar one each season is simply a footnote in the historical register when compared to winning it all. Both decks are worthy, but only one can claim to represent the Turian Division in the conference finals. In a fiercely contested clash, Suspended Sentence outplayed the equally intricate Beyond the Grave and claimed divisional glory.
Our predictors had a rough go of it this week, as the second round of any division is notoriously difficult to call. 38% picked Beyond the Grave to win its first match, while there was less confidence for Suspended Sentence- only 29% thought it would have what it needed to beat Rituals of Rebirth. As for calling the final match? Congratulations to tenthtechpriest, the only one who gave Suspended Sentence its due. Of course, all this means that there was little movement on the league table this week:
Now it’s time to predict this weekend’s matches! We have a bye this week, so only three points are up for grabs as we begin the competition in the final division, the Lauer. Here they are:
To help with your picks, your contenders for the coming matches are as follows:
Army of Justice
Colours: White
Set: Ninth Edition
Rares: Glorious Anthem, Righteousness
Detail: A by-the-book White weenie deck, Army lives up to its name with a horde of small, efficient creatures and combat tricks. Some evasive fliers help send things over the top when the red zone gets too congested, and a minor lifegain subtheme helps keep the deck in the game. (review: not available)
Code of the Orzhov
Colours: White, Black
Set: Guildpact
Rares: Skeletal Vampire, Teysa, Orzhov Scion
Detail: The Orzhov occupy the space where religiosity and commerce intersect, and they are just as keen in this deck to extract their pound of flesh! Looking to establish board control before squeezing out a win with relentless life drain, evasion, and its own unique haunt mechanic. (review: not available)
Dead Again
Colours: Black
Set: Ninth Edition
Rares: Nightmare, Underworld Dreams
Detail: The last deck from Ninth Edition, this mono-Black looks to make resources out of unusual places- your graveyard and your life total. Packed with utility creatures, Dead Again proves that death is no impediment to getting a job done! (review: not available)
Golgari Deathcreep
Colours: Black, Green
Set: Ravnica
Rares: Golgari Grave-Troll, Savra, Queen of the Golgari
Detail: The Golgari deck centers around the dredge mechanic, an ability powerful enough that when properly focused it can hold its own in many Constructed matchups. Here, it’s a particularly nasty and effective way to make sure that nothing goes to waste- all the more important when the deck leans on sacrifice effects and outlets! (review: deck, play)
Kjeldoran Cunning
Colours: White, Blue
Set: Coldsnap
Rares: Darien, King of Kjeldor, Field Marshal
Detail: On first blush, Kjeldoran Cunning looks like another base-White Soldier deck with some Blue fliers thrown in for good measure. It certainly can win through those weapons, but the ace up the sleeve for the deck is the ripple mechanic. With library manipulation letting you orchestrate ripples for maximum effect, the real threat the deck wants to overwhelm with is card advantage! (review: deck, play)
Rakdos Bloodsport
Colours: Black, Red
Set: Dissension
Rares: Lyzolda, the Blood Witch, Nihilistic Glee
Detail: Our final Ravnican guild, the Rakdos have just the plan in mind for maximum carnage and mayhem. Guided by their signature hellbent mechanic, the deck powers up when you most needed it to- once you’ve emptied your hand. Not a deck for the faint of heart, the Rakdos go all-or-nothing in a blaze of glory. (review: deck, play)
Sliver Evolution
Colours: White, Red, Green
Set: Time Spiral
Rares: Fungus Sliver, Pulmonic Sliver
Detail: The last deck in the division is certainly one of the more exciting ones, for the Slivers hold an esteemed place amongst all of Magic’s tribes. With the Sliver-based decks only improving over the course of successive sets, this third-and-final construction (barring the Premium Deck Series) really does live up to its name! (review: deck, play)
Let us know what your picks are, and best of luck! The next round of precon action goes up this Sunday, so you have until then to render your votes!
Ertai's Lament 
13: Army of Justice. It’s the underdog. It has flying though. It has one of my favorite instants, righteousness. I can’t not give it my support. Though, lately that’s been the kiss of death.
15: Can’t believe Kjeldoran Cunning comes with 3 brainstorms, field marshal, and the king. It’s up against dredge and a deck packing removal. Earlier I went with Azorious, but this time I’m going with Golgari Deathcreep. Just don’t see it going the other way, but anything is possible.
16: Code of the Orzhov. Haunt looks like a fun ability, and I’m interested in seeing how it plays out. Still, Dead Again has a little too much removal that would prefer to be up against a non-black deck. So it’s Code all the way for me.
Can’t wait to see what happens! Love these championships.
Army of Justice
Gogari Deathcreep
Code of the Orzhov
13: Sliver Evolution. Pacifism doesn’t play well against slivers. The only way slivers will lose is if it stumbles on mana. Betting on the opposition to get unlucky is not a winning game plan.
14: The rakdos has such defensive creatures in a color combination and mechanic that wants to be aggressive, that its obvious the bye will get the win 😛
15: Golgari Deathcreep. Unless the Kjeldoran can draw and cast its king, the golgari seem to have a more solid deck.
16: Code of the Orzhov. Blind Hunter is highway robber, only with wings and haunt. The removal suite of dead again is dead (pun intended) against most of code’s creatures while the removal of the orzhov is not only deep but in large variety. Orzhov is Dead Again, only better.
13: Sliver Evolution.
15: Kjeldoran Cunning.
16: Code of the Orzhov. A bit slow maybe but usually in precon you have more time to develop your game.
13. Sliver Evolution. Flanking, removal, and better pumps will just overrun the Army.
14. …Rakdos is totally going to go to three to win against Bye.
15. Golgari Deathcreep. Minimal removal and limited creatures against a deck that has removal and recurring creatures fixes the match. Mana problems notwithstanding, of course.
16. Code of the Orzhov. While Nightmare and Underworld Dreams are powerful in Dead Again, Code has consistent removal and better lifegain. These games are going to be long, though.
Since I’ve completely forgot to put my picks in the last two rounds…I’m getting in early!
13: Sliver Evolution
15: Kjeldoran Cunning
16: Code of the Orzhov
Sorry, forgot to change my display name. Those picks are for “Doomed_Traveler”
Game 13 – Sliver Evolution
Game 15 – Kjeldoran Cunning
Game 16 – Code of the Orzhov
Regardless of the raw odds, I refuse to vote for a Dredge themed deck.
Well let’s see… ignoring rakdos winning the sleep-in special:
13:sliver evolution. Flanking and lack of hard removal for key slivers sounds like a bad time for white weenie.
15:Golgari Deathcreep. This probably could go either way though, as cunning DOES have a silver bullet in the lone Jötun Grunt and the Shambling Shell pair were hit pretty hard by the damage on stack loss… but I think the heavier removal package plus better reliability of dredge will push the guild through.
16: Code of the Orzhov. Most of what dead again’s removal targets are either black or haunt powered. Toss in all of orzhov’s incremental life drain against dead again’s suicide black cards and I think orzhov is gonna take it beyond lucky nightmare drops
silvers swarm vs swarm silvers get more beneffits from swarm
golgari rav got to take 1 win right?
orzhov seems better but knowing my luck it dies instandly
13. Sliver Evolution
15. Kjeldoran Cunning
16. Dead Again
I didn’t even try looking up the decks this time, going with gut instinct
13. Army of Justice
15. Kjeldoran Cunning
16. Code of the Orzhov
Slivers
Golgari
Orzhov
I went back and forth on Kjeldoran Cunning vs. Golgari Deathcreep… we’ll see if I chose right!
13: Sliver Evolution
14: Rakdos Bloodsport (eh heh heh)
15: Golgari Deathcreep
16: Code of the Orzhov
Game 13: Sliver Evolution
Game 15. Kjeldoran Cunning
Game 16. Dead Again
Game 13: Sliver Evolution (TSP)
Game 15: Golgari Deathcreep (RAV)
Game 16: Code of the Orzhov (GPT)
13: Army of Justice (9ED)
15: Kjeldoran Cunning (CSP)
16: Code of the Orzhov (GPT)
I’m running out of time to answer.
13: Sliver Evolution. If the slivers lack any color or if they don’t draw any double strike/+2 power sliver they will lose or if the army goes flying over. But those conditions are hard to fulfill and the slivers will run over the army.
15: Kjeldoran Cunning. The boomerangs and good removal that the nordic white men have is enough to win before the slow Golgari start controlling the game.
16: Going for the Orzhov.
13. Sliver Evolution- The slivers work pretty well together.
14. Rakdos
15. Kjelodran Cunning- 3 Brainstorms!? That’s just bonkers.
16. Code of the Orzhov- Some sweet interactions going on between black and white. Reminds me of Standard’s BW tokens deck at the moment.
1. Sliver Evolution
2. Rakdos Bloodsport
3. Golgari Deathcreep
4. Dead Again (you better not fail me, 9ED deck!)
13) Sliver Evolution (Army of justice’s best bet is to hope the Slivers get manascrewed, but with a playset of Gemstone Slivers I don’t think it will be likely. Ultimately, the Slivers’ ability to affect every other comrades will prove overwhelming, imho.
15) Golgari Deathcreep (The Kjeldoran army has good creatures, good library manipulation, a Sword to Plowshares and a perfect Golgari hoser: the Jotun Grunt. Unfortunately, it focuses on early stalls in order to establish its position, and that’s exactly what the Golgari want. They have many multicoloured creatures and a generally slow approach, but when the engine starts running, I don’t think the Kjeldoran will be able to resist against a deck where everything is reusable, from creatures to removal)
16) Code of the Orzhov (Dead Again’s removal is useless against a fellow black deck. Moreover, many of its cards compensate their power level with loss of life. Against a deck packed with lifegain AND slow damage, it’s over. The only hope for Dead Again is to start with a good opening hand, keep the pressure high and destabilize the Orzhov, denying them the opportunity of a successfull stall. But I don’t think it will happen.)
Sliver Evolution
Golgari Deathcreep
Code of the Orzhov