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06-11-2001
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Each spring* we can look at the migration patterns of a species known as
the “Australian MtG Player” - These amazing creatures congregate at the
same time each year at a stomping ground known as the State
Championships. They are drawn out of their winter hibernations where all
but a few have been lying dormant for the last month or 2 - the only
active specimens in these months are those who proved themselves strong
enough to make long journeys overseas. These creatures are known as the
“National Team” and have been licking their wounds since late August.
The average player emerges finding it’s environment changed to what it
is used to, as we now see the first few tentative steps towards an era that will be
known as the 01/02 season. So let’s grab our pith helmets and take a
look at the creatures that will emerge onto the new Standard scene.
Not all return from last year, as is the way with nature. This year we
expect to not see the return of 4 of the main subspecies. They are:
2) The Nether-Go player has also lost his creature base. He only had one
to begin with and now it has gone, and it is a sad day. The Nether Spirit had died
many times in the last 2 years only to comeback - and now the Nether-Go
player can be heard howling into the night for his lost (never to
return) comrade.
3) The Skies player hasn’t lost his creature base but instead he has
lost his counterspells. He now finds himself sying “no” to his opponents
for no reason other than just not wanting to them to cast spells. They
are to find themselves in very dwindling numbers unless they can relearn
the lost art of “paying costs in mana”.
4) The ‘Geddon player has been gone for some time now - a long lost
memory of times past. His domination & triumph at NSW State Champs of
last year now a forgotten page in history.
With these creatures unable to evolve the other returning players seek
to strengthen in numbers - the most notable:
2) It is yet to be seen if the Machine head player can compete as it
used too, as it no longer has the speed it had in it’s younger days. It now compensates
with card drawing - a fact that worries the abovementioned U/W player.
This type of player is ingenious and may try to disrupt it’s opponents
land base with a new style of play.
3) The Fires player. Oh, yes how could we forget - the R/G player has
been around since the early days of MtG, with his Ernhams and Lightning
bolts. He has continued to evolve over the years - only changing when it
has to. Such inbreeding can be noticed by the large anounts of drool and
a constant state of being cross-eyed. These beings aren’t frightened by
loud noises or quick movements - in fact, there is a theory that such
things aren’t even noticed. Do not dismiss such simple creatures
however! They can be very dangerous, especially in the rounds prior to
luncheon intervals.
These 3 types of MtG player will not have the expanses of the State
Champs to themselves however..... New breeds of creatures now also walk
the planes, ready to prey on the older, weaker players.
They are:
2) The most anticipated new species, “Finkel”, will hope to contol the
board with defensive creatures such as Glacial Wall & Nightscape
Familiar - whilst gaining card advantage with Thieving Magpie &
Shadowmage Infiltrator. These creatures, backed up with countermagic
should be out to impress.
3) The Stompy player is a relative of the Fires player. The only real
difference is that the Fires player will probably have Urza’s Rage -
being from a richer environment, no doubt. The younger, poorer and
mono-green cousin comes across as dull, linear player with little scope.
Being hit with a dull, linear, scopeless object is no Sunday at the
movies however, and he should be treated with caution if not respect.
4 & 5) The White Weenie and the Sligh players may return from lands of
extended to try to battle their standard counterparts, each gaining
significant power in the set rotation. Sligh gains sideboarding
supremacy over Control and enough burn to make anyone nervous. Perhaps
not as strong as it was in it’s glory days of Mirage/Rath but
powerful nonetheless. White weenie on the other hand sees an array of
new White 2 and 3 drops as well as the return of a crusade effect in
Divine Sacrament. Many people have mooted that White Weenie has never
been as strong as it is now in the Standard format, even with the loss
of Armageddon.
6) Once every major expansion, MtG Research and Development have a long
liquid lunch and come back to the office to design a card that refines
the metagame entirely. Past entries to the “Let’s hope nobody breaks it
too quickly and we’ll have to ban it” award are:
So there you have it. A full look at what’s hot and what will get you
ejected for playing cards that aren’t legal any more...... No doubt in
three months everyone will be saying “Of course Nef. Lich (or something
else obscure) is the most reliable deck in the format, but until then
we’ve got to keep guessing!
Good luck all and I’ll see you at the tables!
* Seasonally set for the southern Hemisphere of course. If you’re from
the Northern Hemishpere please realise that the world is upside-down and
Down Under is on top, and adjust accordingly.
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