Elder Dragon Highlander: Hating the Players, Not the Game

Inspiration often comes at strange moments. I was in the shower fiddling with the hot and cold dials when I stumbled upon what I later learned to be one of the most basic rules of live DJing: The best way to boost the bass of a song is NOT to turn up the bass- it’s to turn DOWN the mid and treble levels. This is because you have twice as much control over the bass level- you’re turning two dials instead of one. Counterintuitive, but true.

It’s fitting that my Magic epiphany occurred while doing DJ stuff- scrounging the digital record crates online. I was looking for some tracks to fill in a new mix I’m working on. One largely inspired by Jacob London DJ Dave Pezzner’s recent mix, which features a very Black (not just the more politically correct African American; I believe some of these tracks were produced in Africa) vibe with forward sounding, futuristic synths. It has really blown my mind. I couldn’t find tracks to match that feel that I was looking for- they were all either too loungy or not sleek and futuristic enough.

I still haven’t solved that DJing problem, but at that moment I did solve another one running through my mind- why Fugie’s new Intet Elder Dragon Highlander deck has been kicking the snot out of people lately. Like Pezzner’s mix, he’s got these seemingly incongruous pieces; taxing effects like Propaganda, Ghostly Prison, Rhystic Study, Crystal Shard, etc, and then a combo win with three TimeWarp effects, and E-Witness (or Izzet Chronarch) with Erratic Portal and Crystal Shard for the bouncy recursion of said dudes. Fugie can then take as many turns as necessary to kill everyone else dead. So what, it’s a combo deck? But with a twist! Just like Pezzner’s track list, it’s the little things that make the difference. Know how Mind’s Eye is teh nutzzz in EDH? Because it draws you cards when you can pay for it? Well Rhystic Study is similar- but the opponent has to pay for you to NOT draw. A big difference. Many of Fugie’s support cards are similar. If he has Propaganda, Rhystic Study and Crystal Shard out, it’s quite likely you’ll have to pay mana to do ANYTHING. Or let the good Ol Fugie McWizard get a benefit from you. Most of the time, it’s worth it to pay- but that’s the trap. Once Fugie starts to combo out you have even less mana available to disrupt him.

This all relates to the upcoming EDH open (this Sunday!). Normally in multiplayer combo decks are kept in check by the societal forces- no one wants to play with a player who always wins on turn zero. But at the upcoming EDH tourney combo is perfect- a player can take the metagame by storm for two rounds (no sideboards even!) and then have a decent shot at comboing out before the other four (combo) players at the top table do so in the finals. Playing combo seems like so strong an option that the only reason not to play without a combo would be to avoid a gang-up in the second round once everyone knows what you’re up to. But that strategy is basically asking to get beat in round one, so it hardly seems like a good idea.

The rest of this article is devoted to hating out the known combo decks in the metagame. Don’t fret combo players; you will want to be running many of the hate cards I discuss too, for your own combo-slinging competitors!

Let’s start at the top of the food chain.

FUGIE: Playing Intet.
We’ve gone over the combo above- as many Time Walks as it takes to win by cycling either Time Warp, Time Stretch, or Capture of Jingzhou using Eternal Witness or Izzet Chronarch (there may be a third Regrowth on legs in here, I don’t know) via Crystal Shard or Erratic Portal.
How to Beat It:
JESTER’S CAP, with the ideal targets being Crystal Shard, Erratic Portal, and Research and Development. Fugie was planning the R&D as tech, to make sure none of his combo pieces are removed from the game permanently, but if you can take either his bouncies OR his Regrowths on legs IN ADDITION TO his way to get the removed from game cards back into his library, I think he’s neutered. Obviously your Cap targets will vary based on what’s already been drawn. If he already has Research in hand then you still force him to burn it by taking all of one part of the combo. It should slow him down at least two turns, during which time someone should have…
OTHER REMOVAL CARDS: We’re looking ideally at instant speed artifact or creature removal. Many of these cards are excellent against all decks and will not be a wasted slot by any means. Return to Dust, Altar's Light, Duplicant, Carbonize or Yamabushi’s Flame, Last Breath (surprisingly good), and the always awesome Swords to Plowshares. Note that the otherwise stellar Krosan Grip will likely only buy a turn against Fugie, because of the recursion. Other solid non-instant answers would be Shatterstorm effects (Dust to Dust will always have targets) and Wrath effects, like Final Judgment and Decree of Annihilation, that RFTG. A timely Tormod’s Crypt (ideally with all copies of one part of the combo, like his bounce effects, butt he’ll try to get you to use it prematurely) can screw Fugie, but even getting one of his Time Walks will buy probably two turns.
COUNTERSPELLS: Like all good combo decks, Fugie has outs against counterspelling. Counterspell both the E-witness and the Chronarch, if possible, since he will have to dig up a Regrowth or something before recommencing his combo. Unfortunately his recursion piece of the combo makes it difficult to keep something in the graveyard for long. So remove things from the game instead! Faerie Trickery, Dissipate and Spelljack are quality disruption against Fugie (again, getting a Research with these spells would make him cry). Time Stop on one of his Time Walks is a beating, because it also will remove any card that is still on the stack from the game. Fugie will have to dig up another Time Walk to lock everyone else out. Trickbind or Stifle only delays going off for a turn, not useful. Commandeer on a Time Walk may not be a total backbreaker but is certainly enjoyable and is wholeheartedly recommended.
RESOURCE DENIAL: At the least Fugie needs 9 mana available to go off (5 for the Time Warp, 3 for the E-Wit, 1 for the bounce activation). Armageddon and other land-D will slow the man down.
Key Hate Cards: JESTER’S CAP! Swords to Plowshares, Return to Dust, Time Stop and other RFTG counters, Tormod’s Crypt.

CAPTAIN BONDAGE GOTH: Playing something U/B/R.

I have never faced CBG’s fabled multi combo concoction, but helped him develop a few of them, so I have a little insight. One combo uses a Brighthearth Banneret and some other cost reducers to make Grinning Ignus’s mana production ability go infinite. The kill is either Empty the Warrens with Fervor in play, or Grapeshot for whatever, or Tendrils of Agony for whatever, or just Fireball everyone for 40. He may have Brain Freeze as well. There’s another infi man combo with the Monoliths (Grim and Basalt) but I can’t for the life of me remember how it works. I think there was an Intruder Alarm in there somewhere. Then there’s rumor of a Djinn Illuninatus and Pact of the Titan to make a million 4/4s, all with Fervor for the haste part. I had no hand in creating that, but it seems awesome. Note that the hasty creatures and the Fireball will kill all other player AT ONCE. That means CBG gets the only points in the pod, and all the tie break points and everyone else ties for fourth in the pod. Seems like a scenario worth avoiding.
How to Beat It:
JESTER’S CAP, naming either all the mana producers the (Monoliths and Ignus) or Grapeshot, Tendrils of Agony and Fervor. The first plan hoses all his early kills- now the table just needs to kill CBG before he resolves an Illuminatus. The second plan leaves his only insta-kill option as Brain Freeze (which he may or may not even run). He will either have to Fireball (which is vulnerable to counterspells in ways that Storm spells are not) or wait a turn to attack honestly with his 500,000 goblin tokens. Hopefully someone will cast a Wrath effect in the intervening turn. Without haste his Pact tokens are useless.
OTHER REMOVAL CARDS: CBG has both artifact and enchantments that are key to some of his combos. Mass artifact and enchantment removal will likely screw him. Krosan Grip on a Monolith will not stop CBG from adding mana to his pool with an activated ability, but it will stop an untap ability from being put on the stack, so that seems golden. Without green his recursion options are limited to black’s reanimation strategies, so those pesky Monoliths and Fervor will probably stay dead. No need to remove them from the game. The creatures may be another story. Kill Banneret type effects on sight, as CBG does not need to pass turn once an Ignus resolves. Any creature kill will do, preferably at instant speed. You know the usual suspects, Eyeblight’s Ending, Terror, a million other black targeted removal spells, Swords to Plowshares, Pongify, Lightning Bolt, Sulfurous Blast and/or Rout (bye-bye tokens!) etc., etc. Every color except green should have a way to deal with CBG’s creatures at instant speed. Tormod’s Crypt is probably moot against him, unless you can Crypt away an Illuminatus or some such thing that he might try to reanimate.
COUNTERSPELLS: Storm laughs at counterspells, so don’t bother. Except for Time Stop, of course, which laughs at Storm. Trickbinding the appropriate Storm copy- yadda yadda, you all know how to do that. Note that Djinn Illuminatis’ replicate copies are put onto the stack, not played, so they will not help CBG resolve his Storm cards, only his Pact of the Titan. PLEASE counterspell his Fireball for a million (he may be smart enough to not even run it, lest it backfire). That would be enjoyable. Again, Commandeer would be so delicious.
RESOURCE DENIAL: CBG and I made sure that at least the first of his combos could work with only four mana, so unless Myojin of Night’s Reach can rip apart his hand, there’s not a lot else to stop him. Land-D won’t be useful.
Key Hate Cards: JESTER’S CAP! Any instant speed creature removal, Any instant speed Disenchant cards, Sulfurous Blast, Trickbind, Time Stop.

THE CAPTAIN: Playing Five color Flash Hulk Combo

The Captain may not be playing this deck, but if there was ever a time to be competitive playing EDH, this is it. Even if the Captain decides to run his Jhoira of the Ghitu deck instead (another combo deck!), there will probably be some Spike who turns up with a five color General and tries to run this, so it’s worth discussing. I’m not quite sure what the perfect combo would look like, but there’s no reason why The Captain couldn’t run the Karmic Guide/Carrion Feeder/Kiki-Jiki kill. Flash out Protean Hulk, when it goes to the graveyard get Karmic Guide/Carrion Feeder. Bring back the Hulk, sac to the Feeder, this time tutoring up Kiki Jiki, Mirror Breaker, which copies the Guide, then gets sacrificed with the copy effect on the stack. The effect resolves, The Captain gets a Guide token, which brings back Kiki Jiki. Now you can loop the Goblin and the Spirit until you have an arbitrary large number of hasty Spirit tokens. Let me know if this is not correct. Is there another option with Reveillark/Body Double/Mogg Fanatic? I am not up on my Standard tournament deck lists. If The Captain wins through combat damage, he would take all the points in the round. Pinging players to death would technically allow for a 2nd, 3rd, and 4th place. Keep in mind this thing probably consistently goldfishes around turn four-ish, with a turn one kill possible.
How to Beat It:
JESTER’S CAP, naming either Kiki Jiki, Karmic Guide and Carrion Feeder, or Reveillark, Body Double, and whatever kill condition he has. I think. I am not 100% on what to name here, but I think looking through the deck would provide the answer. Jester’s Cap seems to wreck Hulk Flash. Assuming the game gets to turn 5, a big assumption.
OTHER REMOVAL CARDS: We are dealing with a creature only combo that can go off in one turn, so instant-speed creature removal is key. But any targeted removal can be countered simply be sacrificing to Carrion Feeder. Once Carrion Feeder is on board Sudden Death on the Feeder is one of only a few outs. I also like Sulfurous Blast or Squall Line for 2 during the combat step, if someone can get to four mana in time. Turn two signet never seemed so key, so you can hit that fourth mana on turn three. Rout on his turn is WAAAY too pricey, unfortunately. Tormod’s Crypt is probably the best out combo as it gets in every deck and is cheapest card that can hate. Tormod’s Crypt with Hulk in the bin for the first time and his put into the graveyard trigger on the stack pretty much screws The Captain as well, because I don’t think he can go off without returning the Hulk to play at least once. Anyone ballsy enough to run a singleton Leyline of the Void in EDH just to hose Flash Hulk should be rewarded by getting it into play turn zero at least once, right? Actually, I hear Fugie dislikes that Leyline as well. It may well be playable…
COUNTERSPELLS: These work against Flash- and nothing else. No other card in the combo is actually cast. So get your Force of Wills out, boys. Turn one Pact of Negation is not recommended. But Trickbind/Stifle on the first Hulk trigger makes The Captain a sad panda.
RESOURCE DENIAL: Umm, Extract for whatever part of the combo isn’t in his hand turn one? That’s all I got.
Key Hate Cards: JESTER’S CAP! (I can dream, okay?), Sudden Death, Sulfurous Blast, Squall Line, Tormod’s Crypt, Leyline of the Void, Force of Will, Trickbind, and Stifle.

Swizz Dizzle: Playing Niv-Mizzet, the Firemind

The deck revolves around an obscene amount of mana ramping into the Firemind himself, along with Curiosity or some way of untapping Niv-Mizzet infinitely. Again, help with alternate combos would be much obliged. If I am correct about this, I think that Swizz can only deal about 80 points of damage before decking himself. So this might not clear an entire table of players on its own. Swizz might need to slowroll this, to make sure that he can wipe everyone after some infighting has already occurred. He runs Propaganda-style effects to discourage too much attention fall on himself as well. Keep in mind this can be as simple as a two card combo, and Swizz has access to one of those cards at all times. Be careful.
How to Beat It:
JESTER’S CAP, naming Curiosity and whatever other kill conditions he has in there. Jester’s Cap alone could do Swizz in, I am not sure how many win conditions he has in his deck.
OTHER REMOVAL CARDS: Instant speed creature removal. His General will come back anyway, but his creature enchantments may not. Swords to Plowshares, Pongify, Terror, Terminate, even Turn to Mist effects will wreck him. Just beware possible counterspell backup, and know that Niv will hit play again.
COUNTERSPELLS: Don’t waste them on Niv-Mizzet, holding them for the kill condition. Any counterspell will work, as long as he doesn’t counter your counter. I think once something is in his graveyard it will stay there (he’s R/U after all), so no need to worry about removing things from the game. Swizz’s deck would really hate to see Pact of Negation or Force of Will because then he has to rethink when it is safe to go off. Trickbind on the Niv-Mizzet trigger that deals one damage is tech as well, but only for the turn, so someone better find some removal before the dragon genius untaps again.
RESOURCE DENIAL: Swizz has so much acceleration that really only Jokulhaups style board sweepers give any relief. I once witnessed Swizz cast Niv-Mizzet on turn 2! Shatterstorm would at least give him a run for his money, though, as most of his mana sources are artifacts.
Key Hate Cards: JESTER’S CAP! Pact of Negation, Force of Will, Trickbind, Shatterstorm, any instant speed creature removal.

Don’t get into a Prisoner’s Dilemma mindset where you think that everyone else will play with combo hate and you won’t have to. I guarantee that running anti-combo cards will make your deck stronger. Here is the start of a short list of cards that are useful in numerous situations. There are cards in all the colors and most are good in plenty of other situations.

JESTER’S CAP! Run this card! At the very worst, it takes out three potential answers for your threats.
Tormod’s Crypt. It’s already in your deck, right?
Swords to Plowshares
Return to Dust
Krosan Grip
Squall Line
Sudden Death
Shatterstorm
Rout
Sulfurous Blast
Trickbind
Time Stop
Leyline of the Void
Faerie Trickery
Dissipate
Spelljack

More than other posts, please correct any errors in my reasoning or obvious things that I am missing. It is late. And feel free to dissect my Numot build (christened Hammer Time by CBG), if you want, too, for fairness! Oh, and one last thing: I do have super secret tech against much of the combo field. But you’ll have to wait until Sunday to see that in action!

T

Pezzner's Spring Opening at the Polyclinic 2008 Mix