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Highlander in Hawaii!

Started by Byron808, 03-11-2008, 01:24:04 PM

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Byron808

I played in a Highlander tourney a couple weeks ago. There was a small turnout (only 4 players) so everyone played everyone (3 rounds). I ended up tied for 1st, going 2-1. No tiebreakers were used.

I played Survival b/c it seems like a broken card in a format where everything is restricted and creatures are necessary. Tutors and card draw help me find Survival of the Fittest.

My first round opponent played some janky U/B deck. He somehow delt 20 damage to me, killing me. I didn't find out until next round that we're supposed to have 40 life. WTF?

Second round I played against an inconsistent Survival deck b/c it ran no tutors other than Academy Rector. He also organized this tourney and knowing the rules, which really wern't explained beforehand, used a very effective card in a 40 life format: Phyrexian Arena. I used a tutor for Survival early on, Wispmared his Arena and he basically had no chance.

Finals: I played against a control deck (forgot what it was already) being piloted by a ****tard. This guy seems pretty serious about winning and carries himself in a way to suggest that he's good but we both know he really isn't (he played in qualifiers for years but failed to make a single top 8.) Yet, he talks like he's a pro... Anyways I get an early advantage and he concedes rather than face real defeat.

the deck = 100 cards

36 lands
10 forest
2 island
2 plains
2 swamp
arcane sanctum
bayou
breeding pool
city of brass
grasslands
maze of ith
mountain valley
murmuring bosk
overgrown tomb
reflecting pool
savannah
temple garden
tropical island
thawing glaciers
vivid creek
vivid grove
vivid marsh
vivid meadow
windswept heath
wooded foothills

10 1cc
birds of paradise
boreal druid
elves of deep shadow
enlightened tutor
fyndhorn elves
llanowar elves
sensei's divining top
sylvan tutor
wild growth
worldly tutor

13 2 cc
demonic tutor
eldamri's call
gemhide sliver
gilded drake
land grant
merchant scroll
sterling grove
survival of the fittest
sylvan library
utopia tree
vine trellis
wall of blossoms
wall of roots

18 3cc
craven caryatid
cruel tutor
eternal witness
faerie macabre
gift of the gargantuan
idyllic tutor
kitchen finks
man-o-war
pernicious deed
recurring nightmare
repulse
spike feeder
squee, goblin nabob
uktabi orangutan
wispmare
wood elves
yavimaya dryad
yavimaya elder

15 4cc
abundance
academy rector
deep analysis
fact or fiction
forsee
glare of subdual
harmonize
krovikan horror
masticore
mystical teachings
pattern of rebirth
solemn simulacrum
spike weaver
tradewind rider
wonder

7 5cc
derranged hermit
genesis
mulldrifter
primal command
razormane masticore
shriekmaw
spiritmonger

1 7cc
simic sky swallower

How to play the deck
Simple! Use Demonic/enchantment tutors to find Survival. Use creature tutors to find Academy Rector, which finds Survival. You can even use Merchant Scroll to find Mystical Teachings to find an instant tutor for Survival.

Squee and Krivikan Horror abuse Survival.

Eternal Witness returns Survival to your hand should it be destroyed.

Genesis recurs Eternal Witness and other key creatures that reach the graveyard. It's also another way to abuse Survival.

For early tempo, Gilded Drake their best creature. Then Man-O-War Drake. Then play Tradewind Rider. Rider + Drake wins many games. You can also block Drake w/a Wonder in the grave (w/an island in play) if you have to.

Simic Sky Swallower is the main finisher.

Other Notes
Faerie macabre was for other recursion decks. I ended up using it once to fizzle a Makeshift Mannequin ^_^

I never got to draw 3 a turn w/the Sylvan Library + Abundance combo.

I never got to abuse Recurring Nightmare w/the various 187 creatures.

If counter-heavy decks are being played in your area, consider using Vexing Shusher.

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask. Thanks for reading!

Byron Juarez
myspace.com/lordbyron808

Mythrandir

Quote from: Byron808 on 03-11-2008, 01:24:04 PM

My first round opponent played some janky U/B deck. He somehow delt 20 damage to me, killing me. I didn't find out until next round that we're supposed to have 40 life. WTF?


well, we here play somewhat different. we only have 20 life, so your meta would bee way different with decks being more control oriented than aggro. RDW, ZOO, BR aggro even Ux skies would certainly suffer with this.

Survival is a well established deck, but is far from dominating. We here use a lot of grave hate.