Welcome to another installment of Precon Recon here at Pojo.com. This weeks Reconstrcution comes via request from reader Michael Von Pul from the Netherlands! He asked me to take a look at the other event deck, Rot From Within. So here we go! For the original deck list, you can check it out here: http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Article.aspx?x=mtg/daily/arcana/714.

Rot from Within - New Phyrexia Event Deck

22 Forest
1 Inkmoth Nexus

1 Blight Mamba
4 Glistener Elf
2 Ichorclaw Myr
4 Overgrown Battlement
2 Putrefax
3 Rot Wolf
3 Viridian Corrupter

4 Carrion Call
1 Contagion Clasp
1 Green Sun's Zenith
4 Groundswell
4 Mutagenic Growth
4 Primal Bellow

Sideboard
3 Contagion Clasp
1 Melira, Sylvok Outcast
2 Obstinate Baloth
1 Pistus Strike
3 Trigon of Infestation
2 Unnatural Predation
2 Vines of Vastwood
1 Viridian Corrupter

     So pretty much Rot From Within is an infect deck, yet from looking at the deck list, it is trying to be something else as well, but I cannot figure out what that something is. It looks like it wants to create a lot of creatures, but why? Infect should hit hard, hit fast, and get the job done before your opponents know what hit them. This deck makes a valiant attempt at doing so, but obviously falls short. I built a very fast, and very effective infect deck, and modifying this deck a little should place it pretty close to how tactfully effective the deck I have is.

     For starters, let us get on with the pulling. Carrion Calls are a decent card, but four mana just to get some 1/1’s in this deck just doesn’t fly. So the Carrion Calls are out. The Overgrown Battlements would be a nice touch, if there was anything that cost a lot of mana. In this deck, there isn’t. We will later be adding a card that would greatly benefit from some extra mana, however, these guys still just slow the deck itself down, and should be removed. I also feel personally that the Viridian Corrupter is a card that will either often drop and not destroy something, or will remain in the hand while waiting to be able to use it. This to me is dead weight, and should be trimmed. I think that there are better options, and as such I would remove them all. I also feel that the Contagion Clasp is just so worthless. We are running green! Proliferate? NO! Slam your opponent with poison until they roll over dead. An obvious remove. The Green Sun’s Zenith is another great card, just not for this deck. You should be able to kill your opponent with anything you put on the field, and wasting a turn and mana to go fetch something means something isn’t working right. This deck WILL work right. So the Zenith should be removed. I also think that having four copies of Groundswell and Mutagenic Growth is a bit much. Cut it down to two copies of each, and let’s see what we can do with the space created.

       Seventeen cards out. That is a lot for any deck. But the seventeen that we replace them with will definitely alter the deck for the best. The first of many cards that should go in is Bladed Pinions. This is such an amazing artifact, especially for infect based decks. The first strike granted is great for defensive and offensive purposes. The reason is because the first strike damage would allow the -1/-1 counters to go on before the other creature deals damage. If the initial damage doesn’t kill it, than there is a good chance that it may not be able to kill you creature afterwards. That and the flying bonus creates blocking restrictions. And no one wants to see flying infect coming there way, especially with first strike. Four copies, hands down. Next, where are the spells that would bring things back from the graveyard? Putrefax is in here, and he will die, so how are we supposed to utilize him again? With Corpse Cur, that’s how. Two copies of this awesome four mana 2/2 that allows you to bring back a creature with infect from your graveyard to your hand. I would also suggest using Noxious Revival, but this grants us a creature as well. Another great card for the same reason we used Bladed Pinion is Flight Spellbomb. Tap, sac, flying until end of turn. Four copies. This leaves us space for seven more spells. I noticed that the sideboard used Unnatural Predation, however no copies made it into the main deck. Why? How did the folks at Wizards not think that trampling infect was a great idea, and should be main decked? Three copies, hands down. Also, another three copy spells is definitely Untamed Might. A one mana and X pump. How did such a great way of killing someone with infect not get included? A simply 1/1 gets through, and then gets pumped by all the mana you have. Your opponent will start sweating anytime even one creature doesn’t get blocked, and they should. With the abilities that grant flying, it becomes even more of a threat. Used with a perfectly timed Mutagenic Growth, it could even be end game. As such, if you find that the Mutagenic Growths work better than the Groundswells, than by all means, adjust freely. The final card is one that I just admire. Phyrexian Hydra. It is a 7/7 for five mana. Once equipped with a Bladed Pinions, it becomes a nightmare. If you cannot get your hands on one of them for this deck, adding in another copy of Pistus Strike can be a lot of fun. The reason I say that is the Flight  Spellbomb can give a troublesome creature your opponent controls flying, and then the Pistus Strike takes it out, and gives them a poison counter. But stick with the Hydra if able.

       There you have it! Once tweaked, this deck should have your opponent’s begging for mercy, but all the find is infection. And this deck will definitely make them Rot From Within!

     That is it for this week. Next week I go Vintage, taking a look at the Divine half of Divine vs Demonic for reader Alex Yue! It should be a lot of fun. And if any of you out there would like to see a preconstructed deck get reconstructed, be sure to drop me an e-mail!

      So until next time, keep safe and keep gaming!