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By: RWHope, RWH
Apr 17 2013 12:49pm
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Hello and welcome to a meta update for the wonderful format that is Classic Heirloom! If at any point you find yourself interested to learn more, go to http://gatherling.com/gatherling.php to find all you need to know. Another exciting tournament has taken place! Sadly I was unable to participate but from reviewing the records it was a meta full of the classic Goblins deck.

Big news this week! Shared Animosity has been emergency banned due its value swelling to over 2 dollars! Sorry tribal folks. cough*goblins*

Shared Animosity  

Goblins
A Classic Heirloom Deck by Mihahitlor
Creatures 
Goblin Arsonist 
Goblin Bushwhacker 
Goblin Chieftain 
Goblin Wardriver 
Mogg Fanatic 
Mogg War Marshal 
Spikeshot Elder 
28 cards

Other Spells 
Flame Javelin 
Goblin Grenade 
Lightning Bolt 
12 cards
Lands 
20 Mountain 
20 cards

Sideboard 
Flame Slash 
Blood Knight 
Anarchy 
Relic of Progenitus 
15 cards
Goblin Grenade
 

The archetype was in great form this week, all 3 players that played it made top 8. Overall the format was very diverse and not a lot of hate for the little red devils of death were being slung. A mono white list went 2-1 and lost in the top 8, losing both games to Goblins! The sideboard in the mono white list was not equipped for the goblins very well but that still shows the power of the little buggers. But as good as the goblins can be none made it to the final round. UW Control was eventually beaten by BoozeElemental with "The Darkness"; a mono black control list with a bevy of powerful removal and hand disruption. Lets take an in-depth look at the winner of Classic Heirloom 4.07. 

Mono Black Control has been a popular archetype for some time but it has not won in quite a while. With lots of life gaining removal such as Corrupt or Tendrils of Corruption aggro decks have a tough time getting through fast enough. There is a lot of hand disruption as well, most notably Stupor which are very powerful against the UW Control variants. Throw in some strong, midrange, black creatures and you have yourself a tournament victory. 

Gatekeeper of Malakir Hypnotic Specter 

These are two very powerful 3 drops for black. (Lets consider Gatekeeper a 3 drop since when you're not casting it for 3 it's just a bear) For a low cost these 2 dudes can heavily disrupt your opponent's board and hand. Hypnotic Specter is greatly undervalued in every format it is played in. The opponent has to have an answer for it immediately or face the fear of having key cards chucked from their hands. He is also a 2/2 with flying so it is getting in with damage, has some good evasion, and can potentially kill your opponent's hand. In Heirloom control players have started steering away from spot removal and if they are forced to start using their Day of Judgment to keep you at bay then it's job has been done. Gatekeeper of Malakir has edict on legs and does an excellent job of slowing early pressure. Against Goblins or other aggro you can make them sacrifice a creature and have a blocker for their next guy. With a powerful early game that transitions into middle and late game very well, mono black control is very powerful. I personally have had great matchups against it with my Tron lists beating a MBC deck in both the swiss and top 8 during both of my tournament wins. 

I love how open the format of Classic Heirloom can be and mess around with fun brews all the time. This week I bring you a GW aggro/midrange idea that I have been toying with.

GW Midrange
A Classic Heirloom Deck by TheVlagh
Creatures
4 Qasali Pridemage
4 Watchwolf
4 Dauntless Escort
4 Knight of Glory
2 Loxodon Hierarch
4 Wilt-Leaf Cavaliers
22 cards

Other Spells
3 Prey Upon
4 Safewright Quest
2 Selesnya Charm
4 Honor of the Pure
4 Wolfir Avenger
17 cards
Lands
4 Selesnya Guildgate
9 Forest
8 Plains
21 cards

Qasali Pridemage

 

(Wolfir Avenger is a creature but I don't know enough of how this program works to put it in the right spot)  

Using the speed and power of GW this deck makes good use of cheap but fat creatures and an added boost of exalted. Having creatures that affect the board the turn they enter is helpful and exalted lets me do just that. Not to mention you can attack with a bigger oomph while leaving blockers behind. 

   Creatures

I am very afraid of wrath and Dauntless Escort is great against control. Being able to stop any wrath without paying mana is great, and putting it on a 3/3 body for 3 makes it a great main deck choice. I thought about playing something else that either permanently makes my creatures indestructible or at instant from my hand but I felt that Escort allows me to main deck 4 copies and not feel like I am wasting a slot against decks that don't try to wrath. Qasali Pridemage was my other major reason for adding green. A 2/2 for 2 with exalted boosts the creature that attacks the turn he comes into play and his flexibility allows me to play artifact/enchantment removal main deck. There are very powerful artifacts and enchantments in Heirloom that people try to sneak in all the time. Pridemage lets me keep up an aggressive attack plan and have some hate for them game 1. Knight of Glory and Wolfir Avenger are some more cards to help with trouble matchups game 1. The knight has exalted to boost fast attacks and protection from black keeps it almost unkillable for MBC. The Avenger and it's regeneration keeps it alive through almost anything MBC throws at it as well and it can be flashed in to get around counterspells and wrath effects. Watchwolf hits very hard and fast and just a solid dude to have. Loxodon Hierarch does many things in many matchups. As a 4/4 he is a big on offense and defense, when he enters the field I gain 4 life which insane against aggro. Finally his second ability, while it costs mana, gives me Dauntless Escort 5&6. He is a great card and I added 2 more to the sideboard for many matchups. 

   Spells

Safewright Quest is my only potential turn 1 play that can make sure I hit my colors and land drops. I don't need much but I don't want to miss in the first 4 turns. I like it better than playing more lands since I curve out so quickly. Removal is hard for these colors without Path to Exile or Swords to Plowshares and I am not a fan of the enchantment removal like Oblivion Ring. Prey Upon is for problem flyers or other little creatures that can bode a problem through means other than attack such as Spikeshot Elder. Selesnya Charm is very versatile and I love it in this deck. It can play around wrath and get another dude on the field, get a creature over a blocker, and it can exile some big threat that I may run into. Since every creature in the deck is white except for Wolfir Avenger, Honor of the Pure is a great enchantment for midrange matchups and can just make your beats all the bigger. 

   Sideboard

I don't have to worry too much about artifacts, enchantments, or wraths so my sideboard is chock full of cards to beat goblins. I swore to never lose the little mites ever again and I intend to keep that promise. Centaur Healer, Loxodon Hierarch, and especially Timely Reinforcements are back breaking against heavy aggro. I also like Timely in the MBC matchup to get some sacrifice fodder and a bit of potential life gain at some points. Against counterspells I bring in Summoning Trap to make sure I get a dude down because it is so darn important. Gaea's Blessing is due to my new respect for mill strategies that can surprise you if you are not careful. Luckily 2 of these bad boys is all I need to make sure I always have a card to draw on my turn. Of course I could run into the situation where I draw both but that would just be very unfortunate. 

Heirloom may be my favorite format and because of that I hope to continue updating you in the weeks to come. Come join us on Sundays at 1 pm EST for a fun and budget format. I hope that I can give it the attention it deserves and the more that play the bigger it gets.