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More on Burning Bridges

    In my last article (I can't really say last week's, due to me being very
busy with school and prom. :P) on 7th Edition, I had started to discuss the
possibility of Burning Bridge as a viable archetype in Type 2, and this week,
I'll go further into it, also providing what I think is a strong list from
testing.  For those of you that didn't read my last article (blasphemy), I
had briefly discussed Burning Bridge, with Ensnaring Bridge and Grafted
Skullcap, the two key pieces of the deck, returning in 7th Edition.  One card
I had completely overlooked was Volcanic Hammer. Granted, it's no Hammer of
Bogardan or Incinerate, it still fits very well into the deck (up until last
week I had thought it could only target a player, and I still thought it was
good).  To start off, the deck needs a way to win, and that's burn.
   
    Chosing the direct damage for this deck isn't hard, all you have to do is
pull the best burn cards from the sets availible, and throw multiples of them
in.  Shock and Seal of Fire are the two most effecient burn spells in the
deck, both dealing 2 damage for only 1 mana, either an early shot to your
opponent's head, or an effective way to deal with early creatures.  In the 2
mana slot, Volcanic Hammer is definitely a good choice, removing alot of
creatures in the environment, and being a pretty darn good early damage card,
dealing 3 damage to your opponent on turn 2.  Also, there's Scorching Lava,
although not as good as Shock and Seal in most situations, with the
popularity of Nether-Go increasing rapidly, the times that it's good can win
the game, for example, if your Bridge gets countered.  One card that
absolutely cannot be overlooked in this deck is Urza's Rage, quite possibly
the most useful burn card in the deck, either being a very effecient instant
3 damage for 3 mana, or finishing the game when cast with kicker.  Also
sharing the spot at 3 mana is one card that I am constant debating over,
Rhystic Lightning.  Early game when your opponent taps out, especially on
turn 3, it's an amazing shot to the head, but against certain deck types, or
just late in the game, it usually becomes a mediocre 2 damage for 3 mana.  At
4 mana, we come to the most ridiculed, yet, at times, the biggest finisher in
the deck: Blood Oath.  Boy, is this card ever nuts. On turn 4, it can often
deal upwards of 9 to 12 damage, just naming creatures or instants, and late
in the game, it can deal 6-9 damage just by naming lands, although I'm sure
most people would think twice about holding lands once they see this card. 
Last, there should be a way to deal alot of damage late, and that would be an
X spell.  Normally, I would think that Ghitu Fire would be best in that slot,
but due to the fact that the opponent won't be dealing constant damage with
their creatures, I think that Earthquake is better, just because it can let
you survive until you find the Bridge.  Well, now that we've found all of our
burn spells, we can form a rough draft list for testing:

4 Ensnaring Bridge
3 Grafted Skullcap
4 Seal of Fire
4 Shock
4 Volcanic Hammer
3 Scorching Lava
4 Urza's Rage
4 Rhystic Lightning
3 Blood Oath
4 Earthquake
2 Rath's Edge
21 Mountain

    I think that, with some tuning, it has a very good chance in the current
environment, due to the fact that Ensnaring Bridge just cripples creature
decks, giving you a chance to survive, and burn your opponent out.  On a side
note, the first issue of Pojo's Magic: the Gathering has come out, make sure
and bother your local card store to carry it, it's a good read. :)


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