4 Icy Manipulator
2 Jester's Cap
2 Memory Jar
4 Powder Keg
2 Darksteel Colossus
4 Counterspell
4 Expunge
4 Fact Or Fiction
4 Forbid
4 Mishra, Artificer Prodigy
10 Island
2 Mountain
2 Swamp
2 City Of Brass
2 Crosis's Catacombs
4 Shivan Reef
4 Underground River |
   Mishra
Defeats Chuck Norris.
Description of deck by it's author
(quoted):
This is a control deck that uses Mishra to get
various control pieces to help it establish dominance.
For example, casting an Icy gets you a second, to lock
down double the creatures. Normally an Icy has some problems seeing
serious play outside of fun decks because it costs four mana, which is
getting up there for an artifact that requires a mana to lock a creature
down for just one turn. However, when that four mana investment yields you
two separate Icies, then it begins to appear to be worth it. Powder Keg is
great with a double dosage in play. You can choose two different converted
mana costs to sit on your Kegs. Typically you sit your one Keg with a low
number of counters to prevent someone from playing nasty threats under the
Keg. However, if something of size this the table, it can take you several
turns to build up your Keg. Now you can sit one keg at a low level and one
at a medium level. A Keg at one can easily off anything that costs one or
two in a single turn while the other Keg at three can easily off anything
three or four in just one turn. It gives you much better board coverage.
The Jar with Mishra out is just plain mean. If I wanted t build a combo
Jar deck, I'd toss Mishra in if I could afford the mana, which I just
might be able to do with Welders and Tinkers and Megrims in an ideal Jar
deck. However, adding another broken element to a deck that was already
powerful enough to get elements of it banned doesn't seem like much of a
chore.
On the other hand, here the Jar gets you cool cards two
turns in succession. Remember to cast any cool artifacts you draw off the
Jar and get a second one for free. Also remember that Mishra can mine your
graveyard for a duplicate, so you can leave a copy in your library if you
wish. The Cap is just as good off a Mishra as the Jar. Pop a pair of Caps
and watch your opponent's chances of winning the game drop significantly.
Remember, since this is a control deck, you expect to be playing for a
while. Capping your opponent twice is like forcing him to play Russian
Roulette with more bullets in his gun than in yours. Sure, you might still
lose, but the odds are in your favor.
The deck also has some classic control elements. Expunge
for dirty creature killing. Note that Terminate, although better in many
ways, costs both off-colors, and I don't want to emphasize that. Plus,
Expunge cycles, which is always something good to fall back upon. A
control deck does not want dead cards against Pro Black boy or Morphling
girl.
Fact or Fiction rounds out our card drawing collection.
It's a pretty fancy card that we all know and love (or know and hate,
whichever describes you.) After that, it's the normal Counterspell /
Forbid suite of happy countermagic that helps your control deck win the
game. Pretty cool.
Oh yes, and you'll need a way to win, so why not load
the deck with one of the stompiest creatures around. Control decks love
the Colossus because it's impervious to a lot of removal. If you want to
Timmy up your control deck, look no further than the Colossus of
Darksteel. Note that playing one with Mishra out is just unfair.
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