I realize that Gen Con is over and done with, but I wanted to contribute to the peasant decks section. My deck is based on an all commons deck from an old Inquest Magazine article ("Common Denominator" issue #25, May 1997, for the record.) The original "Turbo Commons" deck was designed for the Type 2 of it's day. I thought it was time to make it Y2K+1 compliant. Notes follow each card, uncommons are marked with an *.
 
TURBO COMMONS VERSION 2.0 a.k.a TURBO PEASANT
 
BLACK SPELLS
1 Soul Strings (graveyard retrieval)
2 Deepwood Ghouls (quick regenerator)
2 Duress (card disruption)
*2 Crypt Rats (mass removal or killing blow)
2 Snuff Out ("pitchable" creature removal)
4 Dark Rituals (mana for all these 3 cc spells! This card is what makes the deck so fast)
2 Soul Burns (creature removal or game finisher)
*1 Cinder Shade (pumpable creature, creature removal)
1 Bog Down (more card disruption)
3 Skulking Fugitives (quick, big and cheap!)
2 Firescreamers (pumpable creature)
2 Ravenous Rats (still more card disruption)
 
RED SPELLS
3 Fault Riders (more pumpable creatures)
2 Rhysic Lightnings (direct damage)
4 Shocks (more direct damage)
*1 Breath of Darigaaz (mass removal)
 
GOLD SPELLS
2 Terminate (more creature removal)
2 Shivan Zombies (cheap anti-white creature)
 
LAND
13 Swamps
9 Mountains
 
SIDEBOARD
2 Plague Spores
2 Terminates
2 Dark Banishings
2 Nauseas
2 Duress
2 Shatter
2 Thunderclap
1 Pyroclasm
 
The idea is to smack your opponent with a red/black weenie assault deck. Basic strategy is pretty simple: ATTACK! with your creatures while using your support spells to destroy your opponents resources. The deck is easy enough for anyone to play, though I do have a few suggestions for newer players.
 
Soul Burn/Rhystic Lightning/Shock/Crypt Rats: You should try to use these to off your opponents creatures. Of course, if his/her life total is in the single digits, blast away. :) Be careful with the Rats though, don't just blindly cast it as soon as you have the mana. Wait until you need to clear the board before you play it.
 
Duress/Ravenous Rats/Bog Down: These are in here to try and knock out any nasty instants or enchantments your opponent might have in hand. A turn one Dark Ritual/Duress/Rats combo, followed by a kicked up Bog Down on turn two, would indeed be good times!
 
Breath of Darigaaz: Another "clear the board" card, this one can be tricky. Probably the most useful if the kicker cost is played, but kicked up the Breath will kill all your creatures! Just pretend it's Wrath of God, to be played only if you're being swarmed by your opponent's creatures
 
Soul Strings: Sometimes your creatures might die a turn of too soon for your liking. Bring 'em back with the Strings
 
The sideboard isn't too complicated. Facing a creature-light deck? Replace some of the removal/direct damage with more Duresses and Plague Spores. Facing a lot of creatures? Replace the discards and Soul String with more removal and damage.
 
And that's that! I haven't had a chance to play with this deck yet, but I think it should work. :) I'd be happy to get some feedback from anyone who plays it. Thanks for reading.

From: "B. Siems" whatever@hcinet.net