TWIFE #3

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METAGAME OVERVIEW

I am still baffled by how different the fields are at XPDC and UPDC. They are, in some ways, polar opposites -- what is strong at one event suffers major hate at the other one. This of course makes it difficult for me to be loyal to one deck and still succeed at both events. It's become increasingly clear to me the utmost importance of metagaming at these two Future Extended tournaments. And so I thought it would be illustrative to take a look at exactly what people are playing at each event. Here goes. ( = XPDC and = UPDC)

FUTURE EXTENDED METAGAME

- Spore Cry -
- Affinity -
- Raspberry Control -
- MUTC -
- Prison Yard -
- Xtra Crispy -
- Boros Assortment -
- MGA
- Evil Stompy
- Simic Blink
- Uber Ninjas
- Ire
- Nearly MBC
- Freed Combo
- Cogs and Stripes -
Orzhov Blink -
GW Aggro -
RG Beats w/ LD -
RG Aggro -
Rodent Control -
Herdblinker -

(The full splendor of the Future Extended metagame can always be enjoyed at the Top 8 Metagame thread for the format, housed at the Princes of Pauper forums.)

Note: Only Eegag and I were intrepid enough to pilot the same deck (he Prison Yard, me Xtra Crispy) to T8 finishes in both FutEx tourneys this week. Self-aggrandizement over.

Spore Cry showed up heavily both nights, but at XPDC it was kept down by the preponderance of U/R decks that showed up: Uber Ninjas, Ire, and Raspberry Control. Black decks also tend to give Spore Cry fits, and we had a couple of those on Wednesday night, as well: Evil Stompy, Nearly MBC, and of course Prison Yard. XPDC's major hate, however, was aimed at the Saprolings, which allowed larger and heartier creatures, such as Myr Enforcers and Quicksilver Behemoths, to pound home for the gold.

On the other hand, UPDC was less kind to Affinity, perhaps due to some luck on the Spore Cry players' part, or perhaps due to the prevalence of other midrange aggro decks, most notably tempo or card advantage decks with green and red (a couple LD decks and Redleg's 4-color Herd deck), and/or Orzhov Blink (which I contend has a good matchup against Affinity). Maybe Affinity just got those unlucky draws, too... that's always a possibility, with Affinity.

The inexplicable absence of U/R from Sunday's metagame gave the Saprolings free reign, and when it all boiled down to a mirror match, the Sap deck with black had the decided advantage for two reasons: discard and toughness-independent removal. Piloted by the ever-competent Eegag, Prison Yard matched Spore Cry Sap-for-Sap, and turned the tide with Deathspore Thallid, Stinkweed Imp, Rend Flesh, and Okiba-Gang Shinobi.

As unpleasant as this may sound, the format could potentially degenerate into a war between Spore Cry and Prison Yard, unless we FutExers get all warm and cuddly with one of the most fiery females in the format: Martyr of Ashes. So far, there's only one deck that really exploits her (Raspberry Control), but other decks like Martyr Harvest and Suicide Pact also make great use of her full capabilities.

What has become apparent so far in Future Extended (and surely elsewhere, but we're not concerned with them) is that there is a Balance of Powers in the format. I would arrange it like so:

ORZHOV BLINK beats:
red_green_aggro.dec, Affinity, Xtra Crispy

SPORE CRY beats:
Orzhov Blink, anyone who doesn't know how to fight it

RED-BASED CONTROL beats:
Spore Cry, Prison Yard, miscellaneous aggro decks

AFFINITY beats:
red-based control, blue-based control, anyone if it has a god hand

There are certainly other decks, and there are surely other decks capable of beating all four of these, but if you don't have a solid game plan against at least most of these decks, then any success you encounter will be due largely to luck instead of preparation.

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DECKS TO WATCH

Prison Yard isn't generally as resiliant in the format as Spore Cry, but it does have a strong matchup in the mirror, so if G/W Saps continues its dominance of the metagame, Prison Yard will be a good avenue for ensuring greater success. Of course, there's also the possibility of a three-color variant, so far untried, that combines the resiliency of G/W with the potency of B/G.

Raspberry Control may strike some as obtuse, but it's critical in the metagame as a counter-balance to creature tokens. Mr Slippery 39 has shown us that it can win with his multiple T8 appearances. UPDC used to be the bastion of U/R control, but this week the roles reversed, and XPDC was the U/R stronghold.

Xtra Crispy also deserves a nod just because the format isn't very friendly to Orzhov right now, and Orzhov is the main deterrent from playing this deck. I was hoping to rip a hole in the metagame and win with burn at XPDC 1.02, but kaityson36's adroit artifact beatdown prevented me from making that dream come true. At UPDC I tried again, but the only thing I ripped a hole in there were the basic laws of probability.

Another potential candidate for success is Blue Beats. Just be sure to pack bounce for Spore Cry and counterspells for everything else. For Affinity, I don't know what to tell you. Annul?

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XPDC Power Rankings [1.02]

1. POLYJAK -
A gold medal with Spore Cry and a silver medal with Xtra Crispy. I think Eegag put it well when he told me, "This shows you're not just a one-trick pony." The one trick I was previously known for is good indeed, but I sure do love playing mono-red burn too. Unfortunately, the burn deck is lethally succeptible to bad play calls (and bad draws), so it's a very frustrating and stressful deck to play. From here, I just plain don't know where to turn.

2. KAITYSON36 -
Kaity has been faithful and diligent with Affinity, becoming quite experienced and adept with the deck, and his hard work and patience finally paid off as he became the first PDC FutExer to win with the deck. Kaity now has to make a decision: set the deck aside and move on, or continue to pilot this contender in future weeks? He finishes well consistently, so his new deck will need to be a strong one to continue the trend.

3. MSLANO -
A narrow scrape for 'lano at XPDC 1.01, but his Affinity deck struggled against Spore Cry at the very end. Still, his repeat T8 appearances peg him as a bigtime XPDC player, and one to keep an eye on as he tightens up his decklist for the changing metagame. (Beware the Servitors!)

4. KEHMESIS -
Two weeks, two T8 appearances, two steps closer to the coveted gold medal. Kehm is another player with a deck project that hasn't made it to the top... yet. I would be surprised if anyone other than Kehm earns MUTC its first trophy banner, though, as he is the deck's prime backer, most regular player, and greatest tweaker. Another player to watch!

5. ME5794 -
Even though he feels dirty doing it, Me5794 pilots Affinity on Wednesday nights, and does pretty well to boot. His presence in the XPDC metagame lends strength to the Affinity archetype. He's also been known to play Ire, though not as much lately. Still, when I think of Ire backers, Me5794 comes immediately to mind.

6. fissionessence -

7. Lysandar -

8. Jaird -

9. Krosanbeast9359 -

10. Mr Slippery 39 -

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UPDC Power Rankings [2.03]

1. BARON_SENGIR6989 -
The Baron gets his Cogs on in a most patriotic way, and his triple showing at UPDC, as well as a considerable double T4 appearance, land him at the top of the UPDC pile. His skill with the deck will continue to improve as he continues to pilot it and gain experience, and his stake in the Future Extended metagame will only increase as he steps into his new role as XPDC co-host. A well-deserved spot for the Baron, and one he'll have to fight to defend.

2. MR SLIPPERY 39 -
Slippery's absence from UPDC 2.03 cost him his top spot, but we all know that wherever Mr Slippery 39 goes, T8 appearances follow. His absence was missed at UPDC 2.03, however, allowing the Saprolings to grow unmolested. Whether he will continue to champion his creation, Raspberry Control, or create a new metagame breaker, remains to be seen. Stay tuned!

3. POLYJAK -
It is only due to my stubborn persistence that I have a spot on the UPDC Power Rankings. I seem to be cursed at this event of my own creation, unable to re-create my XPDC successes on weekends. However, I am a mainstay of the UPDC metagame, so you should always fear me and my hopefully strong metagame calls. And my land-drawing abilities.

4. THIS_GUY_DAN -
Stealth is the name of the game for this_guy_dan: even at the events he plays, he is here one round and gone the next, then back again in the T8 somehow. Spore Cry and Orzhov Blink represent his two T8 deck choices. There is something sharky about TGD, and if he continues to appear at UPDC events, we should see him continue to choose powerful decks. If he finds the right one, he may be able to break into the finals and snag a gold.

5. EEGAG -
Eegag's Season debut at UPDC was accompanied by a 1st place finish. The metagame was definitely right for his Prison Yard, and consequently he piloted it losslessly all the way to the top. Time has shown us that Eegag is a very strong player plagued by an extremely fickle disposition (at least when it comes to deck choice). Future Extended is a good format for him, however, as the metagame does seem to undergo dramatic shifts. If Eegag can begin to read these shifts, he can ride the waves and rise to the top.

6. Kingritz -

7. Jaird -

8. mslano -

9. Cadaeic314 -

10. 53N531 -