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      <div class="link_text">Shot of Confidence</div>
      <div class="grey_text">Joe Tobin</div>
      <div class="text">February 21, 2006</div>

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<p>Ravager Affinity was an 

  insane deck in type 2 for a few reasons. First, the deck was pure synergy. Second, 

  it had alternate win conditions (<a href="javascript:WizardsAutoCard('Disciple of the Vault');">Disciple 

  of the Vault</a>, <a href="javascript:WizardsAutoCard('Arcbound Ravager');">Arcbound 

  Ravager</a>/<a href="javascript:WizardsAutoCard('Cranial Plating');">Cranial 

  Plating</a>, possibly <a href="javascript:WizardsAutoCard('Shrapnel Blast');">Shrapnel 

  Blast</a> too). Third, it could often win games out of nowhere. Fourth, it had 

  card draw which is uncommon for a beatdown deck to have.</p>

<p>Since Ravager Affinity rotated out we have yet to see another 

  deck even remotely similar. Whilst this is a good thing as no one deck is really 

  dominant right now, I think the reasons why Ravager Affinity used to win can 

  be duplicated for Type 2 right now.</p>

<p>Back in Kamigawa block I playtested a black spirit deck. The 

  deck was fast - it packed cheap efficient creatures, a way to make them bigger, 

  <a href="javascript:WizardsAutoCard('Umezawa's Jitte');">Umezawa's Jitte</a> 

  and an alternate win condition/finisher (<a href="javascript:WizardsAutoCard('Devouring Greed');">Devouring 

  Greed</a>). This deck playtested well but it seemed to be missing something 

  so the deck was shelved.</p>

<p>Then along came Ravnica and the card I needed to make the deck 

  work!</p>

<p>Like Ravager Affinity, black 

  spirits have awesome synergy with each other. Black spirits also have an alternate 

  win condition/finisher in Devouring Greed. What it lacked was the ability to 

  win from nowhere and card draw.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Enter <a href="javascript:WizardsAutoCard('Dark Confidant');">Dark 

  Confidant</a>...</p>

<p>There's a creature with some awesome stats! A 2/1 for 2 mana 

  that gets you an extra card every turn with a loss of life that can be offset 

  with <a href="javascript:WizardsAutoCard('Devouring Greed');">Devouring Greed</a> 

  and <a href="javascript:WizardsAutoCard('Umezawa's Jitte');">Umezawa's Jitte</a>. 

  The perfect suicide strategy card drawer. I also looked into some Kamigawa cards 

  I'd previously dismissed and found <a href="javascript:WizardsAutoCard('Death Denied');">Death 

  Denied</a> - a great card for bringing back dead creatures and replaying them 

  with <a href="javascript:WizardsAutoCard('Thief of Hope');">Thief of Hope</a>.</p>

<p>Then I looked into Ravnica a little further and realised my 

  deck was loaded with 2 drops. In came <a href="javascript:WizardsAutoCard('Shred Memory');">Shred 

  Memory</a> to transmute for whatever I need - <a href="javascript:WizardsAutoCard('Dark Confidant');">Dark 

  Confidant</a>, <a href="javascript:WizardsAutoCard('Umezawa's Jitte');">Umezawa's 

  Jitte</a>, <a href="javascript:WizardsAutoCard('Death Denied');">Death Denied</a>, 

  <a href="javascript:WizardsAutoCard('Wicked Akuba');">Wicked Akuba</a>, 2 drop 

  removal - it can fetch most the cards that have a big impact on the game. Discussing 

  the deck on the forums here someone suggested I splash blue and run <a href="javascript:WizardsAutoCard('Dimir Infiltrator');">Dimir 

  Infiltrator</a>. It can transmute but the best part is the fact its a 1/3 unblockable 

  spirit! <a href="javascript:WizardsAutoCard('Shred Memory');">Shred Memory</a> 

  only had one real use (other than stopping dredge/reanimation which depends 

  on my opponent) but <a href="javascript:WizardsAutoCard('Dimir Infiltrator');">Dimir 

  Infiltrator</a> was a powerhouse in a deck like this.</p>

<p>There was still something missing though - I had a choice of 

  more spirits or more creature removal. I had a feeling this problem may be solved 

  in Guildpact. Guildpact was released and I discovered a fantastic spirit that 

  suited both spirit and removal needs - <a href="javascript:WizardsAutoCard('Plagued Rusalka');">Plagued 

  Rusalka</a>. On top of that it even lowered the mana curve of the deck and gave 

  me more first turn drops.</p>

<p>Pure synergy - <em>check!</em><br>

  Alternate win condition/finisher - <em>check!</em><br>

  Win out of nowhere - <a href="javascript:WizardsAutoCard('Devouring Greed');">Devouring 

  Greed</a> and <a href="javascript:WizardsAutoCard('Death Denied');">Death Denied</a> 

  help with this - <em>check!</em><br>

  Card draw - <a href="javascript:WizardsAutoCard('Dark Confidant');">Dark Confidant</a> 

  and Transmute - <em>check!</em></p>

<p>Its no Ravager Affinity but its probably as close as I'm going 

  to get...</p>

  <p>

      <table cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=7 width="80%" align="center" style="border: thin solid black">

        <tr> 

          <td colspan="3" bgcolor="#0000A0" style="color:white; text-align:center"> 

            <b>Shot of Confidence</b><br> </td>

        </tr>

        <tr style="font-variant:small-caps;font-size:90%"> 

          <td colspan="2" style="color:white; text-align:center; border-top: thin solid black" width="66%" bgcolor="#0000E0"> 

            <b>Joe Tobin</b> <br> </td>

        </tr>

        

  <tr style="font-size:80%"> 

    <td valign="top" style="text-align:left" width="50%" background="http://www.mtgparadise.com/images/bg.jpg">

<p align="Left"><strong><Maindeck</strong> 

      <p>16 Swamps<br>

              2 <a href="javascript:WizardsAutoCard('Watery Grave');">Watery Grave</a><br>

              4 <a href="javascript:WizardsAutoCard('Underground River');">Underground River</a><br>

            <strong>22 Lands</strong> </p>

            <p>4 <a href="javascript:WizardsAutoCard('Umezawa's Jitte');">Umezawa's Jitte</a><br>

			3 <a href="javascript:WizardsAutoCard('Long-Forgotten Gohei');">Long-Forgotten Gohei</a><br>

              3 <a href="javascript:WizardsAutoCard('Death Denied');">Death Denied</a><br>

              4 <a href="javascript:WizardsAutoCard('Devouring Greed');">Devouring Greed</a><br>

              <strong>14 Spells</strong> </p>

            4 <a href="javascript:WizardsAutoCard('Dark Confidant');">Dark Confidant</a><br> 

			4 <a href="javascript:WizardsAutoCard('Dimir Infiltrator');">Dimir Infiltrator</a><br> 

			4 <a href="javascript:WizardsAutoCard('Bile Urchin');">Bile Urchin</a><br> 

			4 <a href="javascript:WizardsAutoCard('Plagued Rusalka');">Plagued Rusalka</a><br> 

			4 <a href="javascript:WizardsAutoCard('Wicked Akuba');">Wicked Akuba</a><br> 

			4 <a href="javascript:WizardsAutoCard('Thief of Hope');">Thief of Hope</a><br>

			<strong>24 Creatures</strong> </p>

          <td valign="top" style="text-align: left;" width="50%" background="http://www.mtgparadise.com/images/bg.jpg"> 

            <p align="left"><strong><font size="-1">Sideboard</strong></p>

            

      <p>3 <a href="javascript:WizardsAutoCard('Boseiju, Who Shelters All');">Boseiju, 

        Who Shelters All</a><br>

              3 <a href="javascript:WizardsAutoCard('Nightmare Void');">Nightmare Void</a><br>

              3 <a href="javascript:WizardsAutoCard('Shred Memory');">Shred Memory</a><br>

              4 <a href="javascript:WizardsAutoCard('Last Gasp');">Last Gasp</a><br>

              1 <a href="javascript:WizardsAutoCard('Cruel Edict');">Cruel Edict</a><br>

              1 <a href="javascript:WizardsAutoCard('Consume Spirit');">Consume Spirit</a><br>

              <strong>15 Cards</strong> </p>

			  </p></td>

        </tr>

      </table>

      <br>

      <p><br>
      Right now i'm only running two copies of <a href="javascript:WizardsAutoCard('Watery Grave');">Watery 

      Grave</a> because that is all I have. Ideally I would run four and cut two 

      swamps but so far the splash for blue works okay.</p>

    <p>You may be wondering where I got the name for the deck from. 

      Confidence obviously refers to running Dark Confidant. The deck is loaded 

      with spirits. Spirits (as in those of the alchoholic kind) can be measured 

      or drunk as shots. Put the two together and you get Shot of Confidence.</p>

    <p><br>

      Until next time may the mana screw fairy avoid you like the plague!<br>

    </p>

    <p>Joe Tobin (Aytakk2)</p>



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