Landstill is a control deck that is based around the card Standstill. It attempts to control the game, then drop a Standstill and attack with manlands like Mishra’s Factory and Faerie Conclave. By attacking with manlands, Landstill can win the game without triggering Standstill’s ability
Other Spells: 35 4 Swords to Plowshares 4 Force of Will 4 Brainstorm 4 Standstill 4 Counterspell 3 Engineered Explosives 3 Cunning Wish 2 Fact or Fiction 2 Decree of Justice 2 Humility 2 Crucible of Worlds 1 Vindicate
Sideboard: 15 4 Leyline of the Void 3 Extirpate 3 Engineered Plague 1 Tsabo’s Decree 1 Blue Elemental Blast 1 Fact or Fiction 1 Return to Dust 1 Pulse of the Fields
BHWC Landstill Nick Trudeau: Top 8 GenCon Legacy Championships 2006 Spoiler:Show
Other Spells: 36 4 Force of Will 4 Counterspell 4 Brainstorm 3 Stifle 4 Standstill 3 Fact or Fiction 4 Swords to Plowshares 2 Cruel Edict 2 Disenchant 4 Pernicious Deed 2 Crucible of Worlds
Force of Will: Arguably the best counter in the game. You can tap out and still be able to counter a spell or get rid of something important before you have enough lands to counter it.
Counterspell: Deals with nearly everything for only . Very good counter.
Mana Leak: Will usually be a hard counter and is easier to cast than Counterspell.
Rune Snag: Not as good as Mana Leak early, but it gets better than Leak as the game goes on.
Spell Snare: A very good situational counter. It works for some metagames.
Remand: Not necessarily a counter, but it gains a lot of tempo and is the closest thing we have to a Time Walk.
Memory Lapse: Similar to Remand, but it puts the card on top of its owners library and doesn’t cantrip.
Force Spike: Acts as a hard counter in the first few turns of the game, but gets much weaker later on.
Dissipate: Its ability can be useful, but is a little expensive.
Cryptic Command: Rather expensive and hard to cast, but it makes up for it in versatility.
Humility: Shuts down creature-based decks pretty handily. Due to complicated layering rules, your manlands will keep their normal size, rather than becoming 1/1s.
Moat: Very hard for most aggro decks to deal with. It also means that you can’t attack with Mishra’s Factory, though.
Crucible of Worlds: Recurs your win conditions and lets your manlands chump block infinitely. Very useful.
Reanimator is a deck that tries to get a big creature like Akroma, Angel of Wrath, and then using a spell to return it to play, effectively getting a very powerful creature for a very low mana cost.
At the moment, Reanimator decks aren’t really top tier decks in any format. However, Reanimator is still a very powerful deck in lower-level tournaments and casual play. There have been many times in Magic history when Reanimator was a very powerful tournament deck.
Akroma, Angel of Wrath: Because it has haste, evasion, and a big body, it is one of the best creatures to reanimate. Protection from Red and Black makes it very hard to get rid of.
Angel of Despair: It can destroy anything when it comes into play, and it is evasive and has a big body.
Bogardan Hellkite: Its ability can give it pseudo-haste or destroy your opponent’s board. It also has evasion.
Razia, Boros Archangel: Evasion, haste, vigilance, and a useful ability make this a very good creature to reanimate.
Simic Sky Swallower: Very hard to get rid of, and it has evasion on a big body.
Phantom Nishoba: Has a big body and is hard to deal with. The lifelink can easily end the game against aggro decks. Used primarily if more expensive targets such as Akroma, or Razia are unavailable. Also very good for SB, or maindeck against a very heavy aggro environment.
Platinum Angel: Relatively small body and no combat-related abilities, but it forces an answer or they can’t win.
Garza Zol, Plague Queen: Haste and flying that goes along with a useful card drawing ability. A solid creature.
Symbiotic Wurm: Another creature with no combat-related abilities, but it’s put into a graveyard from play ability is very good.
Hellkite Overlord: Large body, haste, trample, and evasion (flying). These are the three most important and best abilities a beatstick can have. Tack on its ability to funnel mana into more damage as well as its ability to avoid the majority of all removal in the game and you have an incredibly powerful target.
Putrid Imp: Gets multiple reanimation targets into your graveyard for only one mana, and can even chumpblock or beat in a pinch.
Careful Study: Digs for your important cards and puts your creatures in your graveyard. Very important to the deck.
Oona’s Prowler: A more effective beater than Putrid Imp, but it is more expensive and discarding a card weakens rather than strengthens it.
Entomb: Essentially a one mana discard outlet that can get a creature from anywhere in your library. Keep in mind that it is Banned/Restricted in Legacy and Vintage.
Buried Alive: Similar to Entomb, but more expensive. Gets multiple creatures in case you need more than one.
Cabal Therapy: Disrupts your opponent and, because you can target yourself with it, can also act as a discard outlet.
Firestorm: Most Reanimator decks are UB, but Firestorm acts as removal and a discard outlet at the same time.
Dark Ritual: Accelerates you into early reanimation spells and discard outlets.
Lotus Petal: Similar to Dark Ritual; it provides less mana but can also fix your mana.
Lion's Eye Diamond: AKA LED. Very powerful card. Can be used to great affect with different things and can help power out a chain of spells.
Moxen: Always powerful. Especially used in Dragon decks. Essentially these are used to get around the "one land a turn" rule. Gives you a timewalk for free.
Black Lotus: Perhaps one of the most well known cards and besides Yawgwin, the most identifiable of all vintage restricted cards. Accelerates you three turns ahead for merely -1 CA. Can sit there on the table for as long as you'd like, and can be popped at any time.
Duress: Always the staple. Not incredibly expensive and is a solid first turn play. Lets you see what you're facing, what they have, and lets you gameplan more accurately. Oh and it lets you take their best option out of the picture.
Cabal Therapy: Against a competitive or well known meta, It lets you hit all the important spots of a deck, with potentially taking out two cards at once. And then you have the option to hit again even. Lets you see what they're planning and very good disruption for a mere
Thoughtseize: The alternate version of Duress. Pretty expensive, but is well worth it if you can afford it. Costs you two life but can do things even Duress can not. Sometimes is even better than duress.
Force of Will: If your deck can support it with enough blue spells, play this card. One of the top two best counterspells ever.
Black Weenie got its name following the suit of White Weenie, which wins by attacking with many smaller creatures. However in this case they are obviously black and not white.
Black Weenie is a decently powerful deck and is in a color that has many powerful options at its disposal such as draw and disruption. It has the ability to perform well in many environments.
Carnophage: 2/2 for 1 with a negligible drawback. Also is a zombie which has good synergy with Sarcomancy
Sarcomancy: Essentially a 2/2 for 1 with a life drawback. However this could potentially stay out the entire game and sap life if you don't have any zombies out.
Accursed Centaur: Solid 2/2 for 1. However the CiP:sacrifice a creature hurts tempo; and tempo is king for aggro.
Carrion Feeder: Solid 1/1 for 1, zombie card that can give some combat tricks to hit for an alpha strike.
Entrails Feaster: 1/1 for 1. However has a potentially powerful ability to grow. The ability is based on you losing creatures which means you are either losing or have a dedicated deck strategy to accomodate it.
Festering Goblin: Good budget card at a 1/1 for with a decent effect which lets it trade with 2/2's.
Maggot Carrier: Decent budget option at 1/1 for 1 with an okay effect.
Putrid Imp: Good budget option, excellent discard outlet, and has a nifty threshold bonus.
Crypt Creeper: Very inexpensive $wise. 2/1 for 2, that can be used as a decent hate card.
Dark Confidant: Very powerful card. 2/1 for 2, but draws you an extra card every turn.
Sangrophage: Decent 3/3 for 2. Costs 2 life a turn, so be weary of how many lifedraining effects you run.
Stromgald Crusader: Decent card at 2/1 for 2. Has pro:white which can be useful, as well as optional flying and an a (expensive) firebreathing option.
Yixlid Jailer: Decent 2/1 for 2, but has a very good hate ability against dredge and other decks.
Blind Creeper: Solid at 3/3 for 2 mana. Is weakened by the fact that the opponent dictates its power, but usually will be an attacking 3/3.
Withered Wretch: Solid 2/2 for 2 mana with an excellent ability that is very good hate.
Wretched Anurid: Good 3/3 for 2 with a life draining ability. Good budget card, and validity depends on how much creatures you run.
Barrow Ghoul: Requires deck design to be pretty dedicated to not let it become a dead card. However is a powerful 4/4 for 2 mana.
Rotting Giant: Strong card at 3/3 for 2 mana. Requires some dedication in deck design to make sure you have a stocked GY.
Dauthi Ghoul: Okay card at 1/1 for 2 and shadow, but has an effect to potentially grow. Don't expect much growth as they most likely won't die in combat.
Dauthi Horror: Decent at 2/1 for 2 and shadow. The majority of times the 1 will rarely mean much and you'll be getting two damage a turn.
Dauthi Slayer: Solid at 2/2 for 2 and shadow.
Dauthi Warlord: Can potentially be a strong card, and even with 1 other in play it is equivalant to a Dauthi Horror which is a fairly decent card.
Nim Abomination: Good budget option, and solid card in general in an aggro minded deck.
Phyrexian Negator: If used correctly, is a ridiculous card with a 5/5 body for 3 mana. Very bad in a meta that uses burn or lots of creatures.
Hypnotic Specter: Okay at a 2/2 flying for 3, but is a continuous source of card advantage. Also is known for its first turn antics with dark ritual.
Ashenmoor Gouger: Solid 4/4 for 3 mana.
Plagued Rusalka: Good budget card. Costs 1 mana and for 1 mana and a cost of a creature you can give -1/-1 to any target creature.
Duress: Always a reliable choice. 1 mana to take away their best threat. However you have to remember this is an aggressive deck. Also reveals their hand so you can plan and figure out what they are doing.
Cabal Therapy: Best used in a known meta. Can have synergy with the deck if you need creatures in the GY.
Thought Seize: Solid card that is better than duress in certain situations. Good 1 mana discard spell. Reveals their hand and can hit their best spell.
Diabolic Edict: Good creature removal that doesn't target and is instant speed.
Chainer's Edict: Good creature removal that doesn't target. It is sorcery speed but has the (expensive) option of flashback.
Aether Vial: A very very powerful card that makes nearly any aggro deck better.
Bad Moon: A two mana enchantment that gives +1/+1 to all black creatures.
Necropotence: Very powerful card that used to be legal in all formats. This card lets you play your entire hand, and still have a full hand the next turn. It also lets you sculpt your hand into a perfect draw at the cost of life.
A sideboard is an additional 15 cards you are allowed to keep beside the 60+ in your maindeck. In a 3 game match, you are allowed to swap any number or combination of those 15 cards into your maindeck. A meta, or metagame, is the environment you play in and what type of decks you are likely to see. The Sideboard usually are Metacards, or cards that are usually decent, but are especially good against specific decks. Since these cards aren't good against all decks, you can keep it in the Sideboard so you can put them in when you need them, without sacrificing deck effeciency against every deck they aren't effective against.
How important is a Sideboard and using Metacards?Spoiler:Show
In a more casual setting, it isn't as important as you are more likely to see a higher variety of decks, and it is an extra step of hassle when you simply want to play a game. In competitive magic it is nearly essential as it gives a huge advantage when properly used.
A transformational Sideboard, is just what it sounds like. In rare occasions a deck has enough commonalities with a different type of deck that you can simply switch a few cards and have an entirely different strategy. These decks are very rare, and good ones are rarer still.
Tormod's Crypt: Costs zero, can be activated as soon as played. Can sit and wait for oppurtune moment. Strong card that destroys an entire graveyard. Being colorless makes this an option for nonblack decks.
Leyline of the Void: Generally, enchantments are the hardest permanent to destroy. This card can potentially be a free first turn enchantment that not only prevents them using their graveyard, but prevents things from getting to their graveyard. Because it can potentially cost nothing, this can be used in non-black decks.
Yixlid Jailer: Good card. Costs 2, Beats for 2, and effectively eliminates their graveyard.
Extirpate: Decent Card. Costs only 1 and is uncounterable, removes all of a card from grave, hand, and library. Very useful agaisnt ichorid.
Wrath of God: AKA WoG. Very powerful card that whipes the entire field of creatures. Also occasionally the cannot regenerate clause is relevant as well.
Pyroclasm: Costs only 2 mana to potentially whipe their whole board.
Evacuation: Decent card that is good because of instant speed and is blue.
Quicksand: Solid card that kills x/2 creatures.
Maze of Ith: Can infinitely block a creature, however doesn't produce mana.
The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale: Doesn't produce mana, but puts a heavy burden on creatures and creates huge tempo problems for the aggro player.
Damnation: A black Wrath of God. Very good at dealing with aggro decks.
Engineered Explosives: Best in decks that run 2 or more colors, EE is a very effective and versatile board sweeper.
Nevinyrral’s Disk: More expensive than Engineered Explosives, but it destroys everything.
Infest: Deals effectively with creature rushes, but it is ineffective against bigger creatures.
Mutilate: A very powerful board sweeper if you run enough swamps.
Engineered Plague: Very good hate against tribal card such as elves and goblins. Very manacost effective as well.
Pernicious Deed: Very strong card. Is color demanding at 1bg, but can be played with extra mana and then popped to wipe the field later. good against aggro but also hits artifacts and enchantments.
Kami of Ancient Law Solid 2/2 for 2 that can sacrifice at any time to destroy an enchantment.
Disenchant: Solid card that costs 2 and hits at instant speed. Also hits artifacts.
Simplify: Narrow, and sorcery speed, but is very budget friendly and is effective at its' cost at one green mana.
Tranquility: Costs 3 mana and wipes the board of all enchantments. Sorcery speed, but can be excellent card advantage at a cheap price.
Leave No Trace: Instant speed for only 1w. Destroys any enchantment and can be a complete board sweep as it destroys all other enchantments that are the same color.
Ray of Revelation: Destroys an enchantment for 1w at instant speed, but also has a flashback at only g.
Pyrostatic Pillar: For red it is an incredibly good card. Costs a mere 1r to do perhaps 10 damage. Against storm it severely limits what they are able to do and can singlehandedly prevent them from winning.
Boil: Can give a lot of tempo. Combo often uses blue so this is a powerful card.
Orim's Chant: Can act as a weaker timewalk. It effectively prevents combo from going off for a turn (barring instant speed combo like flash/solidarity).
Stifle: Great card at only u that neuters all storm. Instant speed that you play in response to a storm card and prevent the storm copies from activating.
Pyroblast: Costs only r and counters any blue card, or costs only r and destroys any blue permanent. Very good card.
Cats are a fun tribal deck that has surprisingly good options. It is an aggro deck, that is often along the lines of a themed WW or W+(G/R) type beats.
For a known primary creature type (not goblin, elf, zombie etc.) it is very competitive in tribal. It can be an effective aggro deck, but limiting itself to cats of course eliminates other better options.
Bonesplitter: Budget friendly, easy on the curve (1 to play, 1 to equip) and gives a respectable +2/+0.
Leonin Scimitar: Budget friendly, easy on the curve (1 to play, 1 to equip) gives an okay +1/+1
Leering Emblem: Potentially gamechanging card, but costs a lot to play/equip (2 & 2), and can't be used until turn 3 at best; and if you do play this turn 2 and equip turn 3, you are behind in board position and could potentially be better off in just laying down 3 or 4 creatures in those three turns.
Umezawa's Jitte: Very powerful card. While it does cost 2 to play, and 2 to equip, which is fairly slow for a typical aggro deck, the card is too good to ignore. It can provide you with a few extra bits of life, it can kill off pesky chump blockers and weenies, but where it is really king is the ability to get +2/+2 for each counter. The fact that you get two counters for each hit is absurd. You can stockpile these to use later on in whichever way is most beneficial, or you can use them to avoid your creature dying or to do a bit more damage. It causes your opponent to have to think through many more possibilities and creates more opportunities for them to mess up.
Armadillo Cloak: To be playable, Aura's have to either be a. immensely powerful/game-changing or b. have bonuses to nullify card disadvantage if their enchanted creature dies. Armadillo Cloak falls under a. It buffs creature +2/+2, gives it trample, and best of all gives it soul link. Even with a single blow, you are usually talking about, at minimum, a 6 point swing in life totals. Very good card.
Rancor: To be playable, Aura's have to either be a. immensely powerful/game-changing or b. have bonuses to nullify card advantage if their enchanted creature dies. This card falls under b. With its ability, every time it would go to the graveyard, it instead goes back to your hand at no cost. This is a very powerful ability as its near impossible for you to lose card advantage from it. As an aura it gives a very nice +2/+0 with trample for a mere single green mana.
Coat of Arms: In tribal, or any aggro, this card provides a powerful effect that can win you the game. That being said, it is far too slow, clunky, easy to disrupt, and is played about when you should have already, or are about to win the game.
Shared Triumph: Decent card, good in a budget setting. It is a good buff which will give all your cats +1/+1 for 1W.
Crusade: Most cats are white, and crusade is an enchantment that costs WW, that gives all white creatures +1/+1. It is cheaper than other alternatives, but can end up pumping the opponents white creatures as well, neutering the effect.
Glorious Anthem: An enchantment that costs 1WW, this card pumps all, and only your creatures. This is beneficial and safer than other cards, but in aggro, every mana counts and it costs more than others.
Aether Vial: Good card that provides more options for a typical aggro deck. Provides manafixing, combat tricks, accelerates your clock, rounds down the curve, provides reliable first turn play, it does a lot of things that make it a very powerful card.
I apologize for not continuing to update this, I've been working on another, rather large, project for the forum. If anyone has any updates for any of the articles be my guest.
This can be in the form of decklists (with pilots and tournament results please!), or you can just list new cards that aren't included. I'd be more than willing to write the descriptions of the card if you don't want to.
Don't assume I have read any response you might have made directed toward me in a thread or post. The best method to contact me is Private Message as I will always check there upon logging on
