LBC "Ten Commandments" GUW Control

[RuneMage]

Thought people might interested in one of the decks that took 6th at one of the early LRW BLC PTQ's that went on at the same time at Pro Tour: Hollywood:

Ten Commandments

Creatures: 11

4 Mulldrifter
4 Cloudthresher
1 Chameleon Collosus
1 Oona Queen Of The Fae
1 Oversoul Of Dusk

Spells: 21

4 Oblivion Ring
4 Firespout
4 Cryptic Command
3 Primal Command
3 Garruk Wildspeaker
2 Austere Command
1 Mind Spring

Lands: 28

5 Mountain (not sure)
4 Forest
4 Vivid Creek
4 Mystic Gate
3 Island
3 Reflecting Pool
2 Wooded Bastion
2 Vivid Grove
1 Plains

[Kcnabrev]

It's
-5 mountain
+ 4 fertile ground
+ 1 Vivid Grove

I think

[rpitcher]

I'd rather see the decks that finished 5th through 1st hehe.

This is an interesting deck to say the least. It reads like a list of all the "answers" in block. The cards that arent "answers" are just good stuff....like Mulldrifter.

The mana seems messy, but it did make the Top 8 of a PTQ. I know thats not the highest accolade, but the deck must work some to accomplish that nonetheless.

I guess Garruk is mostly for untapping the lands with Fertile Ground on them? Or would you really get (or need) to Overrun with tokens from the Queen?

[RuneMage]

I dunno what the 5th place was, but the top 4 were 3 Faerie decks and 1 Kithkin deck. The Kithkin deck won. Take That Faeries! :D

[Rakavolver]

RuneMage, that list had only 9 Commandments. Was it French?

This list had ten:

Kenneth Ellis – The Ten Commandments
Quarterfinalist - PTQ Berlin 5/23/08

4 Forest
3 Island
4 Mystic Gate
2 Plains
2 Reflecting Pool
3 Vivid Creek
4 Vivid Grove
2 Wooded Bastion
24 lands

4 Cloudthresher
4 Mulldrifter
1 Oona, Queen of the Fae <=== Yikes!
1 Oversoul of Dusk
10 creatures

3 Austere Command
4 Cryptic Command
4 Fertile Ground
4 Firespout
4 Garruk Wildspeaker
4 Oblivion Ring
3 Primal Command
26 other spells

Sideboard

4 Broken Ambitions
3 Faerie Macabre
4 Kitchen Finks
4 Wispmare
15 sideboard cards

[Rakavolver]

I dunno what the 5th place was, but the top 4 were 3 Faerie decks and 1 Kithkin deck. The Kithkin deck won. Take That Faeries! :D

But Faeries won the next tourney.

You can see these lists and more by clicking here. It's about Gindy's Hollywood win but the bottom half is about the PTQ tourneys. (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=mtgcom/daily/bd334)

[Rakavolver]

This deck forms the weakest of the Top 3, Tier 1 decks at Birrmingham here at the dawn of Block Constructed Season 2008. The "Weakest of the Strong" so to speak.

In truth it has only 8 Commands, and 2 are in the sideboard. Oh, those sneaky French! Well done, monsieurs.

8 Commandments
Manuel Bucher & Guillaume Wafo-Tapa

1 Fire-Lit Thicket
2 Forest
3 Island
3 Mystic Gate
4 Reflecting Pool
2 Sunken Ruins
4 Vivid Creek
4 Vivid Grove
2 Vivid Meadow
1 Wooded Bastion
26 lands


3 Cloudthresher
4 Kitchen Finks
4 Mulldrifter
1 Plumeveil
3 Shriekmaw
15 creatures

2 Austere Command
4 Broken Ambitions
4 Cryptic Command
3 Firespout
3 Makeshift Mannequin
3 Mind Spring
19 other spells


Sideboard

1 Cloudthresher
1 Firespout
3 Jace Beleren
2 Mind Shatter
3 Plumeveil
2 Primal Command
1 Shriekmaw
2 Twilight Shepherd
15 sideboard cards

[Rakavolver]

The list above is explained by Manuel Bucher in the Live Coverage blog at magicthegathering.com as so:

Both Guillaume Wafo-Tapa and Manuel Bucher have been regular guests in the Feature Match area throughout this weekend so far (and are 3-1 in those matches). Currently the French Wafo-Tapa is 8-1, while Manuel Bucher is 7-1-1. We sat down with the young Swiss for an inside look on their concoction, a Block-restricted update on their impressive Standard deck, that had put a lot of people into day two there and only narrowly missed out on a top 8 berth.

"The most unusual card in the deck probably is the one Plumeveil", Bucher said. "It's in the place of a fourth Firespout, because one Spout and one Plumeveil is always better than two Firespouts."

But that's only one minor detail that sets this list apart from similar decks in the field. "All the other Command decks are running Fertile Ground and Garruk Wildspeaker, but the deck does have so many three-drops, that Fertile Ground often is just a waste of cardboard -- especially with Pestermite, Fulminator Mage, Primal Command, and Cryptic Command that tap, bounce, or even destroy the enchanted land."

When asked about Planeswalkers, the young Swiss stated, "Garruk isn't any good, really. Even in the mirror one just attacks with Shriekmaw or Mulldrifter and then it's gone. You can even get one of those into play at the end of their turn via Makeshift Mannequin. One simply doesn't lose against Garruk..." Then he added, "But we do have Jace Beleren in the sideboard."

"We are now 4-1 in matches against Faeries", Bucher said happily. "Seeing as that is the most played deck, this should be pretty good. The match-up against White Weenie is positive as well, and the mirror match too. They have dead cards like Garruk and Fertile Ground, while we got Broken Ambitions and Mind Spring. Mind Spring probably is the absolute best addition to the deck."

"A bad match-up, however, is the Elemental deck with Reveillark", added Bucher. "The Feature Match against Levy was testament to this weakness. If you kill the Lark, they return something like Mulldrifter and possibly Elemental Harbinger and just go get another one. It's really frustrating... and one of the reasons we have Primal Command in the sideboard. We're not particularly happy with the card, but in this match-up we desperately need to get rid of their graveyard, before applying any sort of mass removal."

"Another problem is that this list was built for 60-minutes rounds", the Swiss mused. "With only 50 minutes, one really should add a copy of Twilight Shepherd."

[SPU]

For the upcoming Ptq's I'd probably add some number of Sower of Temptation. That card is such a beat stick that there's not a reason to run it in some number in the sideboard. Especially against Kithkin, its just so useful. Against Red decks, Firespout into Finks into Primal Command (Post Sb. +7 life, Search for Finks, put a land on top... Decisions decisions), while against the Kin, with their lack of removal, Sower of Temptation is Control Magic with a beefy 2/2 body. Primal Commanding into that after a board sweeper makes the midgets cry.

[Worlock]

When does the Jace come in? Against blue decks? the fae would just fly over and kill it?!

[S.Fiercex4]

I agree with SPU regarding Sowers in the SB. I've had a particularly hard time in my white-light version in dealing with Chameleon Colossus, and Sower in a removal-light format seems like the way to go. If they want to keep Firespouts or Nameless Inversions against a deck that plays creatures it doesn't care about (Mulldrifter) or are built for card advantage (Kitchen Finks) they're more than welcome. Also, Sower's usefulness against white in snagging lords is pretty helpful as well.

Currently, I've had an issue finding slots for acceleration. I think one of the biggest advantages you can have in the mirror is the mana advantage. Sure, whoever gets off the most Mulldrifter and Mind Springs is likely to win, but denying them the mana or gaining more mana seems also powerful. In that light, I've been attempting to fit in Farhaven Elf into my list. I think of all the options for acceleration, Farhaven is the best. The deck runs a fair amount of basics and is never remiss to draw him early. He has a bonus of being able to block once as well. Most importantly however is the fact that he brings a land into play, a basic at that, making him completely invulnerable to the mana denial in the format, outside of Primal Command. Fertile Ground in comparison is terrible, especially given the lack of fours in the deck. In addition, I'm running a pet card in Incendiary Command (I know, it seems subpar, but it's cooler than Austere and has a varied function which makes it interesting; in addition, it has a similar effect) which can help in getting ahead in the mana race, among other things.

Perhaps a list later, when I tune it up better.

[RuneMage]

More than likely against slower-control decks, possibly mirror matches or of it becomes a major deck, UW control.

[ParTyBoYSaMB]

I am curious is to what their opinion is on Oblivion Ring, and as to why they feel it wouldnt be useful in this deck. O Ring is just a rediculous card in the current Block format and I believe would do well for this deck. Great for Oversoul of Dusk, BitterBlossom, Chameleon Colossus, etc. The lack of Krosan Grip in block is definatly a plus as well.

I've tried it in my previous TNM and it works wonders.

Sower in block just doesnt seem to work for me. This block is very heavy creature based and thus there is a lot of creature removal so she can easily be delt with.

[Worlock]

Currently, I've had an issue finding slots for acceleration. I think one of the biggest advantages you can have in the mirror is the mana advantage. Sure, whoever gets off the most Mulldrifter and Mind Springs is likely to win, but denying them the mana or gaining more mana seems also powerful. In that light, I've been attempting to fit in Farhaven Elf into my list. I think of all the options for acceleration, Farhaven is the best. The deck runs a fair amount of basics and is never remiss to draw him early. He has a bonus of being able to block once as well. Most importantly however is the fact that he brings a land into play, a basic at that, making him completely invulnerable to the mana denial in the format, outside of Primal Command. Fertile Ground in comparison is terrible, especially given the lack of fours in the deck. Why do you feel that Fertile Ground is terrible? I personally haven't been fond of Broken Ambitions. I know peole will freak on that, but get this: I took the 4 Brokens out and added 3 Fertile grounds and 2 Garruk Wildspeaker (I'm missing a cryptic command atm. so it'll make up 60 cards). Then I get get crazy mana from garruk untapping the enchanted land. You speak of the need for acceleration? Well last night in playtesting, garruk+fertile ground help me net 10 cards with two Mind Springs. Seems good. Something to think about.

Good Luck
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[SPU]

@ Worlock: Depending on your list though, You can just be blown out by Kithkin/Faeries. You'd have some heavy advantages vs. the 5c mirrors though.

The main complaint against fertile ground is that it adds more mana into an already mana heavy list (25 lands). I hate losing to mana screw, whether its too much or too little. Farhaven elf, while unimpressive, at least blocks, and thins the deck. Meh.

Over all I don't think he's good enough, given that he costs 3.

[Squire4TheWin]

But how absurd would he be if he cost 2? He'd be better than Sakura Tribe Elder. I admit that I don't play this deck, but he seems like a worthwhile inclusion.

[fireknight90]

i played a list at a ptq this weekend i was 4-0 till i hit faeries 3 rounds in a row and i lost terribly. i played farhaven elf its very strong but you need at least 8 basics. also auster command is the stone cold NUTZ btw cut finks for farhaven elf if you are playing them and test it out thats what i cut.