A Land Before Time Sieve...

So 2 weeks ago I was 100% sure I wanted to continue playing 5cc as I know the deck inside out. Well after Shuhei winning Japanese Nationals the same weekend I made top 8 with the deck and this past weekend with Gindy, Yurchick, and Anderson making top 8 with 5cc it looks like it will be hated out to the max. Kithkin is dead and their Advisor, Cedric Phillips has buried them. So I think if you want to continue to play 5cc the Runed Halos need to come back into the main for Plumeveils. I have a feeling this weekend will see a rise in Blightning decks, 5 color blood/mannequin with anathemancer main, and time sieve combo.

Earlier this week I had text my friend Jon Knapp about playing the Time Sieve combo deck at the upcoming PTQ in Chicago. I told him about the favorable matchups it had against the 5 color control decks. The only downside was that the deck gets completely hosed by Faeries, which I hope are still dead after the results of last weekend with 32 Great Stable Stags and 31 Volcanic Fallouts.

Oliver Ruel made top 8 in French Nationals with the following:

Mainboard:

7 Island
3 Mystic Gate
3 Plains
3 Swamp
2 Ethersworn Canonist
2 Cryptic Command
4 Elsewhere Flask
4 Fieldmist Borderpost
4 Howling Mine
2 Jace Beleren
3 Kaleidostone
4 Mistvein Borderpost
4 Open the Vaults
4 Pollen Lullaby
3 Silence
2 Tezzeret the Seeker
3 Time Sieve
4 Time Warp

# 61

Sideboard:

1 Jace Beleren
2 Ethersworn Canonist
1 Cryptic Command
3 Burrenton Forge-Tender
3 Meddling Mage
2 Negate
1 Silence
2 Vedalken Outlander

# 15

I think this version seems better than the Finnish Nationals version. The maindeck Silences are very good and set up turns for you. After playing this deck a few times I was not too happy with the maindeck Ethersworn Canonist. I know they are there to fight off Elf Combo which is a turn or 2 faster than our own combo. The deck has no maindeck answer to Gaddock Teeg. Many people like their G/W decks and this guy will be in them considering how popular big spells have been over the last couple of weeks. I like to have at least one out main to have a chance and not be entering scoop mode. I know it is possible to take tons of turns under Teeg and hope to mill them with Jace and then pass turn and have them die to Howling Mine effects, but that will not always get there. I have been testing a disperse main and it has been pretty solid. Another idea I have been working with my playtest group has been the inclusion of 1 Magister Sphinx and 1 Thopter Foundry. These inclusions have given me outs in games in which I should have no chance in winning. The Sphinx is always discarded if drawn. When an Open the Vaults is cast your opponent will goto 10. Depending on board position you may be free to kill with just the Sphinx. The Thopter Foundry is also an out for lethal damage to chump block and hope to combo the next turn. I propose the following list which I have been testing this week.

Mainboard:

7 Island
3 Mystic Gate
4 Plains
2 Swamp

2 Cryptic Command
4 Elsewhere Flask
4 Fieldmist Borderpost
4 Howling Mine
2 Jace Beleren
2 Kaleidostone
4 Mistvein Borderpost
4 Open the Vaults
4 Pollen Lullaby
3 Silence
2 Tezzeret the Seeker
3 Time Sieve
4 Time Warp
1 Thopter Foundry
1 Magister Sphinx
1 Disperse


# 61

Sideboard:

3 Path to Exile
3 Ethersworn Canonist
1 Silence
3 Negate
1 Relic of Progenitus
2 Thopter Foundry
1 Sphinx of the Steel Wind
1 Platinum Angel

# 15

The board still has some things to work out. The alternate guys package in the board has been alright. Not too impressed with it, but when needed it has been game changing. There might be some Meddling Mages added to get around being Thought Hemmorhaged or to name Maelstrom Pulse. I have one more solid night of playtesting before the PTQ. If I could only take an extra turn to see where I would end up the following day. See you next time with a full report from PTQ Austin:Chicago.