Lands:
3 Adarkar Wastes
3 Brushland
4 Flooded Grove
4 Forest
2 Reflecting Pool
4 Seaside Citadel
4 Treetop Village
Creatures:
4 Akrasan Squire
4 Birds of Paradise
4 Cephalid Constable
1 Chameleon Colossus
4 Cold-Eyed Selkie
4 Rafiq of the Many
4 Spawnwrithe
Other Spells:
3 Cryptic Command
4 Elspeth, Knight-Errant
4 Oblivion Ring |
   One
Swing.
Description of deck by its author
(quoted):
Finally, we have a little recap on an idea I
mentioned in a previous article that came to spectacular fruition thanks
to Shards of Alara. When talking about Eventide, I got possibly a little
too excited about the potential to do naughty things with Cold-Eyed
Selkie and Cephalid Constable, really punishing opponents for not
blocking. Well, that idea really gained momentum when Bant came along to
lend a hand, led by Rafiq of the Many and Elspeth, Knight-Errant.
Scott Johns showed up to gunsling at Pro Tour–Berlin
with a truly vicious Standard deck (designed by R&D veteran Mons
Johnson) that used both Rafiq and Elspeth to deadly effect alongside
various "saboteurs." Being able to play turn-one Birds of Paradise,
turn-two Cephalid Constable, and turn-three Rafiq of the Many, then
swing and bounce four permanents will cause scoops all over the place.
If ever there were "big plays" to be had, Scott's deck seemed to have
them. Chameleon Colossus plus Rafiq led to a few crazy situations of
"one pump, you're dead," with double strike, exalted, and power doubling
all working together to finish games fast. Elspeth proved no slouch
either, also allowing for big attacks that would be hard to deal with.
Interestingly, this deck is one set up to be more aggressive with
Cryptic Command than most, tapping down creatures to clear a path for
swings as often as it counters spells and draws cards.
For those of you undaunted by a deck rarer than most
(two-thirds rare by my count, including mythic rares), here’s the full
list, which I have dubbed "One Swing." To be honest this deck only
really needs to get one big hit in to get a long way ahead in the game. |
