Guillaume and Poison and Allies, Oh My!

Hello there everyone! The dust has settled, the war has ended, and Guillaume Matignon is your 2010 world champion! In a duel of the Guillaumes UB mirror, Matignon pulled out on top! While I am dissapointed that PV didn't win, or even go to the finals, we now have something epic to look forward to: a single match between Guillaume Matignon and Brad Nelson in PT Paris to decide who will be our 2010 POY. I don't know how it will be worked into the tournament schedule, but this is going to be an epic high profile game! This is the very first time in Pro Tour history that there has been a tie for Play of the Year, so I know these guys are going to be testing like crazy for the next 3 months.

I was wrong about PV winning the whole thing, but I was right on all my other picks, from the top 4 to having Wafo-Tapa lose in the finals. But enough about worlds, let's talk about Phyrexia!

I recently posted up a UB Poison list, but I realized I made many terrible mistakes in the deck. First, I was in UW mindset when I put in Necropede and Ichorclaw Myr in. I'm playing black! Plague Stinger is a much better 2 drop infect creature than Necropede because it doesn't get pwnd by Wall of Omens. Also, I found that when I was playing MG Infect that having a plant token from Khalni Garden could slow you down enough to prevent you from ever hitting your opponent. For that reason, I realized I wanted to play Ichor Rats to ensure I could have something to Proliferate later in the game. Now that I am running no artifact creatures, and very few artifacts in general, Grand Architect becomes a lot worse. This frees up space to have the deck run a bit more like UB Control with Inquisition of Kozelik and Duress. Also, I figured since we're playing Black and Infect, let's get the biggest baddest Infect creature ever printed so far: Skittles, the Impossible to Spell Right Dragon. This guy is so cool, he can chomp on your opponent from out of nowhere by going hasty on turn 6 or later.

So the list has barely changed, but it is dramatically better:

2x Contagion Engine

2x Inexorable Tide

3x Jace TMS
3x Jace Beleran
4x Ichor Rats
4x Plague Stinger
1x Skittles

4x Preordain
4x Mana Leak
2x Consume the Meek
1x Memoricide
3x Doom Blade
3x Inquisition of Kozelik
4x Drowned Catacomb
4x Darkslick Shore
4x Creeping Tar Pit
4x Swamp
4x Tectonic Edge
2x Island
1x Scalding Tarn
1x Verdant Catacombs
 
I am torn whether I want to play this deck or my UW Venser deck that the next FNM, because that is the major way I can even test my decks these days. If I can get some testing in between then and now, I will definitely write about it. Another deck I have mentioned that I would get to from time to time, but haven't actually gotten to yet is a GW Allies deck I have been thinking about. This is actually another contender for deck I should play at FNM alongside UW and UB. Maybe i just hate red.... Here's the list:
 
4x Oran-Rief Survivalist
4x Kazandu Blademaster
4x Hada Freeblade
3x Kabira Evangel
4x Talus Paladin
4x Harabaz Druid
2x Turntimber Ranger
 
4x Genesis Wave
3x Eldrazi Monument
3x Journey to Nowhere
1x Mimic Vat
 
4x Sunpetal Grove
4x Razorverge Thicket
4x Stirring Wildwood
4x Tectonic Edge
3x Forest
3x Plains
1x Marsh Flats
1x Verdant Catacombs
 
This list is very straightforward and the deck should be really easy to play: drop allies and bash. Eventaully get Harabaz Druid or 2 into play, create an obscene amount of mana, Genesis Wave for 10, instantly kill your opponent with an army of 13/13 Lifelinking Protection from WUBRG Flying Indestructable guys that you paid 1 or 2 mana for. Hello Tarmogoyf on crack! I'm going to make the bold statement that Hada Freeblade on turn 1 from your opponent can be more painful than Goblin Guide. If you play one other ally, Hada Freeblade is bigger than Goblin Guide and it keeps getting bigger. The only thing that can stop this deck is an on-curve Day of Judgement or Consume the Meek (which doesn't hit Talus Paladin and Turntimber Ranger). And here's the best part: this deck is an insanely budget friendly! The expensive cards: 2 fetchlands, 3 Monument aren't necessary, but they just make it all sweeter. You can replace the fecthlands for appropriate basics, and as for the Monuments, you can go +1 on Kabira Evangel and +2 on just about anything you want, like spot removal from Condemn or protection like Withstand Death.
 
Genesis Wave makes ally decks infinetly better. Consider this: splashing blue for Halimar Excavator. Now let's see what happens when you Genesis Wave for 10 (25/60 cards are creatures, or 42%, so we will hit 4 allies):
 
With 4 allies already in play (1 Excavator): mill 26
With 5 allies already in play (1 Excavator): mill 30
 
With 4 allies already in play (2 Excavator): mill 52!
With 5 allies already in play (2 excavator): mill 60!
 
How about this? What if we had 4 Ondu Cleric and 4 Felidar Sovereign? Using the same numbers, we would gain the same amount of life as cards we would mill, but then you would gain more life off of attacking when everything is huge and has Lifelink from Talus Paladin. Genesis wave, go from 10 life to 50 or more? Ok! Another card that can be considered for every Ally deck is Mimic Vat. No tribe can abuse Mimic Vat more than allies, and if you go for a WB Bala Ged Theif deck, you can lock your opponent out by Mimic Vatting Thief into play and stealing the card they draw every turn at the end of their Draw Step. There's a reason Disrupting Scepter can only be used on your turn. Also, Lilliana's Specter under the Vat gets it done too.
 
That's all for today! I am off to go play these decks I just listed and then play some Legacy Reanimator. Until next time, stay classy! (and crush the hivemind)