Building a fresh Extended deck for the type2 and Psychatog era.

 

 Before I tell you the secrets of building an all-soon-to-be-powerfull-extended deck, how abought a history on magic formats?
   (Dont worry, it won't take long)

 

 Back in the old days, there were moxs, Time walks, Necro, and a world full of deck ideas. It was common ground to see 3 to 5 moxes in play, at every table, at every tournament. Thene Ice Age hit, and the Nasty Lich looking skull came to rear its ugly head, only to be shunned by the pro's, and gathered by the Timmys and Spikes.
 Then, on one dark and horrific night, a casual Timmy beat a big shot Jonny, and Jonny saw raw, untapped power.
 For years the Skull walked the walk and Talked the the talk to all who played. For years it wrecked the game with it's Black Flavor of massive card advantage for small amounts of life.
 Then it stopped, and Urza decided that His Academy of Higher Knowledge and Magic wanted to play, despite the other Artificers and magic weilders, with there Elves, Helix's, and Land destruction. Urza's massive pull of blue magic was so strong, that even the Timmys and Spikes were considered  Big shot Jonnys, becuase of there little Academys of Knowledge and the Masticore's of Artifice.
 Yes, it was a troublesome time then. A broken down engine that couldn't be fixed.
 A few years later, Mirrodin rears its ugly head with the same glee of the Skull, only this time a gaint, ground smashing, water lovin, artifact crazy, Fish? Yes, a fish the size of Lavathian.
 Many of you have grown tired of the Ravager match up, with the goblins and Mono white.
 Some of you have stopped playing FNM for this reason. That saddens me. No one should have to stop doing something because of two cards.
 Welcome to Extended.

 

 Extended is a cruel misstress, and she likes to play. She may only be one woman, but compared to Brother type1,  and Sister type2, She's the sweetest, most hugable one of all.

 

 Extended is full of decks that Type2 will never have, mainly because of the card pool.
 In the current Standered, we have 8th, Onslaught, Legions, Scourge, Mirridon, and Darksteel.
 Six sets in all, compared to Extendeds  Urza Block, Marqadian Block, Invasion Block, Odessy Block, Onslaught Block, and now the first two sets of the Mirridon Block, Plus 8th, 7th and 6th edition cards. That totals abought twenty sets of cards to choose from. Compared to Type2's six.
  Of course Extended has its fair share of problemsome decks. Includeing the dreaded Dr.Teeth of Oddessy block.
 Old school style decks are present, with decks like TheRock, Sligh,RDW, the occasinal Enchantress, Madness, Combo decks, and pure HandD Decks, in all shapes and sizes.
 Type2 generally has abought 3 to 4 diffrent types of top decks at any given time, where Extended has a uneven amount, depending on you'r Metagame. But on average, 3 to 4, ( Psychatog, MBC, TheRock, U/G Madness )

 

 While on my quest to find a deck for Extended, and with limited funds, I had to find something that not only beat 'Tog, Madness, and MBC, but didn't go with the Oddessy block cards!  Why? Because Everyone was playing Oddessy Style, and he who looks elsewhere finds other stuff.
 My metagame didn't  look like the Given Extended Metagame above, with Slide and Affinity thrown in with the occasinal Goblin, goofy dec, and vary rare Psychatog, the metagame was pratically a joke for almost-ten-man-tournaments.
 But none the less, it was a differant format, differant cards, and differant combos.

 

 I found myself looking at my casual decks in awe with their raw, untapped power to crush type2, and fight a good fight against 'Tog.

 

 With the current banings of Extended, Tinker and Grim Monolith are there no more to crush us, leaving a plane to walk on with out the need for Artifact Repelant.
 Breath of Darigaaz, Mindslaver, and Urza lands could once again sprout their bulbs and take in the light of the new field, being shunned from the light for too long.
  Sadly, it didn't last long, but they had a few weeks in the Limelight.

 

 None the less, I came across a funny lookin fellow known as Goblin Trenches.

 

 1RW
Enchantment
2: Sacrafice a Land: Put two 1/1 Red White Goblin Soldier creature Tokens Into Play.

 

 Fasinated, I tested it, bought it, and three tournament wins later, Im still cleaning house with it, and given the nickname
' Mr.Goblin Trenches.'
 How did I stumble upon this gem?
 While surfing throu the Apocalypse Spoiler.
 Why does it win? Plain and simple, everything type2 right now can't beat its raw power of two or so sets of guys every few turns, and with Holy Day, Lots of land, Solid creature removal, and some burn, its a force to be reckoned with.
 I have yet to test it in a 40 man tournament, but my results say that I should win 2/4 to 3/4 of all games, other than the Dread 'Tog Matchup.

 

 Finding you'r gem should be an easy task, as this 'Gem' is most lickely one of you'r favorite cards.
 Finding you'r utility shouldn't be hard at all, as Invasion block and Onlsaught have plenty of answares to stuff like Exalted Angel, Eternal Dragon, and even 'Tog.

 

 Extended has other hidden gems as well, includeing such cards as Armageddon, Phyrexian Processesor, Mishra's helix, the list goes on till you meet the three-color cards known as The Volvers from Apocalypse, which, arn't the most impresive, but add a punch to anygame.

 

There are turn 2 and 3 kills, but not very likely, and hard to pull off at times.
 Some people will tell you that Extended is all abought speed, countermagic, and the long game for those people who don't have the better cards. Belive those people. They are right, but only to a dagree.
 Magic, as complicated a game as it is, has one thing that is at every players grasp, the game itself.
 In the evolving into a God like super Planes walker thing, you must not only have counter attacks ready, but also control both sides of the field.
  In lasting through the long game, you must make it to the long game, thus use all of the magic resources you can in the form of Time Stretch, Timewarp, Holyday, Fog, Moments Peace. Creatures, like Steel Wall, are good early defenders, and possible fodder for later. Creatures like Exalted Angel help keep you'r life high. Despite phisical harm to itself.
 What then, do you whant in the long game? Can you say Combo?

 

 Most combos only need till abought turn ten, maybe early'er, and with the little bit of information I've given you, you can last longer than that. The Problem? Not grasping the feel of it.
 Most players whant to win fast, and with no problems.
 I don't blame them. Who doesn't whant to stretch their legs, eat a quick sandwich, talk abought something other than magic, in abought ten or so minutes? We can't just play Magic all the time!
 But Planeswalkers can. And thats are role in this game as these Gods among Men. Before you say "I take 2, my turn?", say " 2 Damage? I'll play Fog. My turn?" Instead. The outcome is more perferable.

 

 There wasn't always Extended, Type1 and Type2. At one point there was only one format (Type1). After that, Extended, after that, Type1. What works in Standered can work in Extended, and if you tweak it in Extended for Type1, than its set to go for alot of game wins.
 This isn't to say that all decks are good. Far from it. If you are good as a player, than you have a shot at winning the big time prizes. But if you can also build winning decks, than you have a shot at greatness. Just don't pick out a deck on the internet, tinker with the cards for yourself. The smart ones test for the big events, the dumb ones pick a deck that says it wins, plays it all week, and dumps it when the next set comes out for the winning stuff in it.
 Its not hard. If you like tinkering with the other cards, test! If you don't, well, theres not much more you can do other than play you'r freinds winning deck. But try at the same time to see what makes it win, and how it wins.

 

 My Extended playing experience has been great. I perfer it over type2, and Type1, due to the speed of both formats.
 Not to say I don't think the others are no good. But to say, both are in a fast time rift, with no way to destroy it.

 

 -Dustin Burazin
 Cabalwannabe on the pojo Message Boards.

 

 For those of you wondering abought the Trenches deck, here it is:

 

 R/W Control

 

4 Mogg Fanatic
2 Flametongue Kavu
4 Goblin Legionnaire
1 Helm of Possession
1 Circle of Protection: Red
2 Goblin War Drums
2 Scorching Lava
2 Breath of Darigaaz
4 Goblin Trenches
3 Holy Day
1 Seal of Cleansing
3 Topple
4 Order/Chaos

 

12 Plains
12 Moutain
3 Battlefield Forge

 

 The Circle of Protection can be sided out with a Order/Chaos for two more Seal of Cleansing.
 Sideboard has lots more Artifact Destruction and Enchantment, with Pyroclams.
 But it all depends on your metagame.