KAAAAAHHHHHHNNNNNNN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes, my reaction to the new changes to Extended were indeed very Kirk-like. The timing couldn't have been any worse, and now I'll never be able to play Dredge, "proper" Scapeshift, Teachings (for long), or several of the other decks in the format. To be honest, I was quite crushed. Luckily, after several hours of therapy and drinking, I'm levelheaded enough to sit down and really consider the ramifications.

Gone, gone, gone! It's all GONE!

We all knew Mirrodin was going to be leaving the format soon, and I'm sure we've all thought about how that would be handled. No more Chrome Mox or Chalice of the Void and whatever was left of Extended Affinity is no more. What we didn't expect was that our $240 playset of Tarmogoyfs and $X00 worth of Shocklands would be losing their value so soon! Zoo has been neutered, DD/Thopter is gone as gone can be, Hypergenesis is now banned, Scapeshift lost all his dual land friends and Teachings lost, well, the deck! Near as I can tell we're currently looking at the following decks being either gone or broken:

• Dark Depths -- Gone! We lose Dark Depths, so that's pretty self-explanatory
• Thopter Sword -- Sword of the Meek got the ban hammer, and I can only imagine it was to prevent some kind of brokenness coming with Scars block
• Dredge -- We lose the mechanic, we lose the deck
• All In Red -- Simian Spirit Guide, Chrome Mox, Blood Moon and Seething Song are all going away, and this deck just wont be the same. I'm sure we'll see RDW variants , but nothing on the level of AIR
• Scapeshift -- While a version of the deck will remain, losing Stomping Ground, Steam Vents and the like, along with Remand, Peer through Depths and other draw, the deck will severely lack the consistency it has today
• Teachings -- Mystical Teachings and Teferi both take their leave, as well as the deck
• Hypergenesis -- Without Hypergenesis, the deck is gone
• Combo Elves -- Cloudstone Curio and Glimpse of Nature are both gone, but we still have Primal Command. The deck just may survive, but not in it's current incarnation
• Zoo -- I don't see Zoo making the cut. Without Shock Lands, Tarmogoyf, Kird Ape and other utilities, the deck starts to look a LOT like Standard Naya, which is no longer Tier 1. People will play it I'm sure, but it's not going to be the threat it is today.

 I've included cards from Time Spiral being cut, as I don't see them being around long enough to make an impact on the format. It's a little sad, as several of these decks were quite fun and interesting. Well, okay, DD\Thopter wasn't THAT interesting, but other decks certainly were.

Repercussion

Let's take a slightly more involved look at these losses. This new shift puts several cards in very awkward places. Tarmogoyf will still maintain most of his value due to heavy Legacy play, but what about the Shock Lands? In a format where real Dual Lands are readily available, why take the shocks? Dark Depths should plummet, as it's no longer viable in any format. Chrome Mox is still valuable in both Legacy and Vintage (It's coming, you just watch!) so I expect it to hang around the $8-$10 range. Additionally, with Urza's Legacy and the banning of Mystical Tutor (and unbanning of Grim Monolith), does the Thopter Sword combo stand a chance in Legacy?

For the sake of baseless speculation, I have to agree with some people in that this new change gives credence to the new eternal format rumors. By the end of 2011 we should have all of Masque block online, at which point we'd have all the necessary resources to have an identical format both on paper and online. If this is truly the case, it may be worth picking up those soon-to-be price cut Shock Lands soon.

Surviving The End Of Days

If there's two things guaranteed to survive an apocalypse, it's cockroaches and faeries. People are already complaining discussing about how Fae will be the deck to beat come this new Extended season. I for one don't buy it. Yes, Fae's good, and consistent, but we have the tools to keep it from overrunning the format. Rock variants including classic BG Rock, Doran decks and Jund will be able to make a stronger claim to the format now. I would almost go so far as to say these BG/x decks will be quite popular at first, given Jund's popularity in Standard. It opens a window for more people to try Extended without breaking the bank on a whole new deck.

No doubt Fae will be good, really good. Even back in Standard it danced around Volcanic Fallout and Jund Charm with little difficulty. With additions like Jace, The Mind Sculptor I imagine the deck will remain Tier 1 until Lorwyn rotates out next year. However, like with all Tier 1 decks, it will be beaten. I can see Thoughtseize, Maelstrom Pulse and Volcanic Fallout all making strong showings from several decks, not to mention whatever hate Scars brings with it.

A New Challenger Approaches!

Several new decks are emerging to make a showing in the new Extended. People have money on BW Tokens making a comeback, and I can see why. The deck is fairly cheap to build, minus all the expensive cards, and can aggro through most situations. The loss of Glorious Anthem is being completely ignored in light of the superior Eldrazi Monument. I personally plan on running 5-Color Control, another house from Lorwyn Standard. Combining Reflecting Pool with the Vivid lands to make for an obscenely consistent mana base, the deck can play just about any threat it wants as a finisher, often opting for Cruel Ultimatum and/or Broodmate Dragon. We're sure to see some sort of Tezzeret-powered deck make a showing, presumably Time Sieve, though again who knows what Scars will bring.

I'm also expecting to see every single deck we have in Standard making some attempt at Extended in some fashion or another. Naya Zoo, Bant, Jund, RDW, Grixis Control, and God help me Turbo Fog will all probably show up in some fashion.

Okay, So Now What?

Firstly, take everything I say with a grain of salt. PT Amsterdam is this September, so if you're playing in that you'll definitely want to hold on to your Time Spiral staples. For the rest of us, I think now's the time to start picking up Lorwyn staples, namely Thoughtseize and the various multi-colored lands. The best advice I could give is to pick your archetype now, and start collecting the cards for it before October. Scars will surely shake up the format, but I doubt it will be enough to snuff out archetypes. I'm going with 5-Color Control, because I'm comfortable in it. I doubt Scars will break the deck, and is more likely to add to it if anything.

This article is based almost entirely on my own opinions and speculation, so please feel free to disagree with me, point out gaping holes in my logic or, hell, agree! I'm a big fan of Extended, and despite the tantrum I threw (on the inside) after hearing the news, I really think we're going to be okay. The damage is extensive, but it's made way for new options that didn't have a chance previously. Again in the vein of baseless speculation, with both the Shock Lands and Pain Lands gone I'm heavily leaning towards the possibility of enemy colored M10 tap lands showing up in either M11 or Scars.

TL;DR - Don't fret, Extended will remain healthy, but different

Until next time!

-Jeff Torres