Extended Season - Archetype Primer

-Greg

I'm afraid we aren't testing enough for extended season, especially for the decks we're home-brewing, so starting the week I get back from vacation we're going to definitely invest some more time into testing relevant matchups. "But what are the relevant matchups?" you ask. Honestly, that's pretty up in the air, as the format is this far only defined by the top Austin lists and the hypothetical bottom-line aggro speed.

Enemy number one, though, is probably going to be Tezzerator.


The Blue Deck that LSV will play - Tezzerator

What it is: Nasty. Cheap counters and removal will hold you down until they can draw or tutor up their two combo pieces (Sword of the Week + Thopter Foundry), at which point you'll die to a swarm of 1/1 Thopters. If you haven't seen the combo before, it's pretty easy to understand: Foundry allows you to sac an artifact to gain a life and get a 1/1 token. If a 1/1 creature comes into play for you and Sword of the Meek is in your graveyard, you can return it to play and attach it to the creature. If both are in play, you sac Sword to Foundry as part of the cost so it's in the yard when the ability resolves, the token comes into play, and you return the sword and stick it on the token. Then you just do it over and over again until you're out of lands to tap.

If anyone wants a good primer on how to play the deck, or a good list, you should definitely check out Luis Scott Vargas's write-up on Channel Fireball.

How you beat it: The players who will be piloting this deck are going to cover a wide range of skill levels, from inept players new to the format to competent to dangerous gun-slingers like LSV. What you've got to do is remember that this deck is built to leverage their skill against yours, so you have to play smart - even against someone who you think is a doofus. A lot of what you'll be doing are just the same things you already probably know just from playing against control in the past. Some pointers:

1. A lot of the spells you'll need you either have to get out fast, or cost 2, so you'll be either playing through or around Spell Snare and Mana Leak for the entire game. Don't walk your Tarmogoyf into an open Island.
2. Don't over-extend. Most lists run at least two Wrath/Day of Judgement main, with plenty of ways to dig for them. A good player will also be more likely to keep a hand that's good against aggro, because of the prevelance of Zoo.
   
3. Be aggressive, especially game one when you don't have targeted hate against them. If you don't win before they assemble their combo, you will not win.
4. Don't take out all your removal post-board. A lot of lists pack Baneslayer in the side, and this isn't a creature most decks can race.
   
5. Think hard about what gifts you'll be giving them. A good player will give you two options that aren't really options, either forcing you to give them the mana they need (by playing artifact lands and snow-covered lands), or giving them their missing combo pieces (by getting the cards, or things that get them anyway).
   
6. Pack hate. Keep some of it main.
   

The deck is reactionary and wins by abusing artifacts and counterspells, so you have to use cards that can fight this strategy. Try running some of these answers: