US:CD 9

Urza's Saga: Carpe Diem Part 9: Type I (and a note on Red)

Unlike the past few sets, whose impact on Classic has been small (except for the brief time when you could have 4 of Wasteland and Strip Mine), Urza's Saga's impact looks to be huge. If Type I is to survive as a playable format (by which I mean one in which most games last 4 or more turns) several cards in the set will have to be restricted. In fact, at least one of them was so obviously a problem card that it should have been put on the Restricted List before it was even printed. Here, then, are the new Type I cards (leaving out the very long-term ones, like Serra's Liturgy, and the fun distractions like Argothian Enchantress):

31 Planar Birth (Rare) 1W Sorcery Put all basic lands from all graveyards into play under their owners' control, tapped.

Stop looking at me like that! All the cards that combo with Planar Birth are type I. First, there's Zuran Orb, which allows you to get 2 life for every basic land you have in play, then put them back. Second is Land Tax, which lets you discard a good number of basic lands (by overtaxing). Then put them into play. There are others, too. But this is a minor point compared to the real problems, and whether playing enough basic land is worth it is debatable.

62 Back to Basics (Rare) 2U Enchantment Nonbasic lands do not untap during their controller's untap phases.

103 Time Spiral (Rare) 4UU Sorcery Remove Time Spiral from the game. Each player shuffles his or her graveyard and hand into his or her library, then draws seven cards. You untap up to six lands.

105 Turnabout (Uncommon) 2UU Instant Tap or untap all artifacts, creatures, or lands target player controls.

111 Windfall (Uncommon) 2U Sorcery Each player discards his or her hand and draws cards equal to the greatest number a player discarded this way.

This one gives you the equivalent of 6 Wheels of Fortune (with Timetwister). Using the full array of artifacts, you probably have a 50/50 or better chance for a 1st turn new 7, leaving your opponent at severe card disadvantage and with a hand he can't mulligan.

330 Tolarian Academy (Rare) Legendary Land Tap: Add U to your mana pool for each artifact you control.

Stroke of Genius is probably better than Braingeyser, especially for the decks that currently play one, because it's an instant. If Braingeyser is restricted, this must also be.

And, of course, as has already been pointed out, this is a rough outline of the deck that killed Type I:

I'm sure you can see how it works: Draw lots of cards, draw lots more, win. A first turn kill isn't at all out of the question: 1st turn Mox, Crypt, Windfall, Petal, Vault, Academy, Wheel of Fortune, Mox, Hurkyl's Recall….

Solution: WotC must restrict Stroke of Genius and Tolarian Academy ASAP as obviously broken with Mana Crypt and the Moxen. Windfall may also need to be restricted for similar reasons. Otherwise, this deck (or something like it, somehow winning by going off in the first three turns) will make the Mirror deck look like TurboHesitation, and make Mind Twist and Channel look balanced. Do I make myself clear?

A final note: Red. I didn't write a separate section on Red. I won't, because red got that screwed. Not that we won't see any red decks - we will. Problem is, all the good red cards are based on either damaging your opponent, which makes them bad outside of Sligh or SRB type decks, a few neat goblins, or land destruction. Which means you'll have a new, narrower Sligh (because it will have less power to control the board), and a new land destruction variant. Counterpheonix will still be around, of course. The new goblins look like fun, but in the end the deck won't be that different from Sligh. Basically, red now revolves around one deck style: The use of burn and quick creatures to rush your opponent, possibly aided by land destruction. Otherwise, it's a support color and weaker than any color has ever been, with the possible exception of green before Arabian Nights (and Ernham Dijin). And it's easier to hose than ever; Pariah on a Pro. Red creature (like Paladin En-Vec, Disciple of Law or Soltari Monk) or on an en-Kor with another creature that has Pro. Red, or Worship with the same creature, is game outside of Cursed Scroll. Absolute Law and Douse don't look that horrible, though. But right now, I'm staying away from it in draft too. But draft, and color choice, and color co-operation within a draft, are all another article.

So that's it. If not sooner, I'll be back in November, when I'll report on Neutral Ground's November 1st Type II tournament, which was designed by Brian David-Marshall to let NY players take credit for their new ideas ASAP, and unless total disaster strikes (and probably then anyway) to report on PT:Rome.

Zvi Mowshowitz Zvi@sprintmail.com