If it was good enough for standard two years ago, it’s probably good enough for extended now, amirite?

Regionals is a real heart-breaker of a tournament for me. Two years ago I piloted a “homebrew” BW concoction that BDM dubbed the “anti-Feldman” deck. We played all the cards that Richard Feldman said were bad in BW at the time (Hypnotic Specter, Phyrexian Arena, Serra Avenger). I got paired against Mystical Teachings all day and ended up 6-1-1… 11th place. Never draw round one.

Last year I played the RG beatdown deck that Steve Sadin, Zvi, and Jacob van Lunen played at the pro-tour. When I was 5-1 I got paired against a 5c control deck that had infinite answers to my Magus of the Moon in his sideboard. Before the round started I asked him what his record was, he said he was 4-1-1. He had taken his draw round 1. I told him how I had taken a draw round 1 the year previous and missed top 8. Unfortunately my story did not draw the concession, as I had hoped, and I ended up losing when he topdecked a profane command ftw when he was dead on the board. Sigh. I ended up 6-2, 12th place. My 5c control opponent got 9th.

The BW deck was insanely fun to play, and I loved that nobody thought it was any good. I was talking to Curt, the primary designer of the deck, and he said he had been working on a similar deck for extended. Avert your eyes if you are easily offended.

Descendant of Kiyomaro x3
Kitchen Finks x4
Jotun Grunt x2
Stonecloaker x2
Ghost Council of Orzhova x3
Tidehollow Sculler x4
Dark Confidant x4

Phyrexian Arena x4
Umezawa’s Jitte x3
Smother x4
Bitterblossom x3
Thoughtseize x4

Windswept Heath x2
Godless Shrine x4
Bloodstained Mire x1
Polluted Delta x1
Swamp x2
Plains x4
Flagstones of Trokair x3
Fetid Heath x2
Caves of Koilos x2
Shizo, Death’s Storehouse x1

Sideboard
Wrath of God x2
Damnation x1
Path to Exile x3
Kataki, War’s Wage x4
Mortify x3
Relic of Progenitus x2

Yeah, that’s a lot of life loss. However, the deck has a number of ways to gain life back. In addition to T2 staple Kitchen Finks, we also have Kamigawa block all-star Umezawa’s Jitte and Kimagawa block pinch hitter Descendant of Kiyomaro. Ghost Council can gain some life too.

Dark Confidant + Phyrexian Arena seems like overkill. That’s because it is. This deck competes against decks like Bant, Faeries and Rock by outdrawing them. Chrome Mox also seems awesome in this deck given all the extra card draw, so maybe 1-2 spells and 1-2 lands could be removed so make room for 3 of them.

All the life loss makes the matchup against Zoo pretty unfavorable. Blue based decks have been very popular in the New York area lately, and if I were heading up to Boston this weekend I would definitely be tempted to give this deck a try. I have been playing it a bit on MWS and it has certainly been crushing any deck with Islands. I am still not sold on some of the main deck cards. I think I want Path to exile main. Stonecloaker and Jotun Grunt have rarely impressed me, and I would consider putting Path in for them. I also think something like Ethersworn Cannonist to lock up the combo match in game 2 and 3.

Curt should be playing the deck in Boston this weekend, although it will probably be a few cards different from the list above. If anyone else is going, he will be the guy in the big green Favre Jersey.

~WillPoP