FlickerLark

Reveillark is an incredibly powerful and versatile card.  It almost always provides tons of card advantage, especially when paired with Mulldrifer, Wall of Omens, or any of the many other weak creatures of today that draw cards.  Note that its ability triggers when it leaves the battlfield--so Mistmeadow Witch is an excellent source of disruption, tempo, and card advantage.

Now look at the Witch with Nevermaker.  When it leaves play, you can bounce a nonland permanent to the top of an opponent's library, locking an opponent out of either:
1)  Drawing new cards.
2)  Playing cards for you to bounce.

Here's a rough list I've thrown together, admittedly without much testing.  Also note that its more expensive than lists I usually post; this is just my example of how to build a unique control deck.

2 Body Double
4 Galepowder Mage
3 Mistmeadow Witch
4 Mulldrifter
4 Nevermaker
4 Reveillark
4 Riftwing Cloudskate
4 Sea Gate Oracle
4 Wall of Omens

4 Everflowing Chalice

4 Azorius Chancery
3 Cloudcrest Lake
3 Terramorphic Expanse
6 Island
7 Plains

It's a very different deck to play than most common aggro decks.  Worth some messing around with.

Until next time, play on.

Twelve-Land Stompy

Twelve-land stompy is a deck that seems to be well-loved around the casual table for a few reasons:
1)  With a good hand, it can beat an expensive deck with ease.
2)  Twelve or less lands means that you can run tons of creatures and other stuff.
3)  There's nothing like swinging for ten damage on the fourth turn.

I threw together a 12-Land list--with a twist.  12-Land is usually played as monogreen.  This is red and black.  The sole problem with the list is the manabase: untapped duals are really powerful and necessary to the deck's speed.  However, they're expensive.  I included two copies of Blackcleave Cliffs in the list (I pulled two copies from a fat pack) and they comprise a quarter of the deck's price.

The main problem that a 12-Land deck has is consistency in the late game.  I've tried to resolve that issue.  One note--I'm still not sure about the choice of Spikeshot Elder over Seal of Fire.  The issue is still up in the air.  Resolve as you see fit.

4 Bloodhall Ooze
4 Carnophage
4 Death's Shadow
4 Guul Draz Vampire
4 Jackal Pup
4 Pulse Tracker
4 Spikeshot Elder
4 Tattermunge Maniac
4 Vampire Lacerator

4 Bonesplitter
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Vendetta

4 Akoum Refuge
2 Blackcleave Cliffs
2 Mountain
3 Swamp
1 Terramorphic Expanse

Obviously, the deck is kind of luck-reliant.  The nuts draw is a turn one Bloodhall Ooze, turn two Tattermunge Maniac and Pulse Tracker, turn three shenanigans.  Bonesplitter on Spikeshot Elder hasn't happened in testing yet, but it'll happen someday--and I can't wait for it.  In the worst scenario, he's a 1/1 for one mana which isn't necessarily bad.  Signal Pest, however, may eventually replace him.  Your late game is a combination of Death's Shadow, Guul Draz Vampire, and Bloodhall Ooze.  Getting a single one of them active should win you the game in short order.  Note also that Tattermunge Maniac is green, though you're going to pay red mana for him.  That means that he'll boost your Ooze.

Until next time, play on.

KuldothaGoblins

I'm working on a rebuild of this list but here's where the list stands right now.  It's basically a deck devoted solely to dropping tons of 1/1 goblin tokens into play and overwhelming an opponent quickly.  Cards are hyperlinked to Gatherer.

4 Goblin Bushwhacker
4 Goblin Wardriver
4 Memnite
4 Mogg War Marshal
4 Signal Pest

4 Dragon Fodder
4 Kuldotha Rebirth
4 Mogg Alarm
4 Quest for the Goblin Lord
3 Shared Animosity

4 Darksteel Citadel
4 Great Furnace
13 Mountain

This deck has a ton of tribal stuff to do and it's really fast.  It can win on turn 3 with a lucky enough hand:
T1: Memnite, Memnite, Mountain, Signal Pest
T2: Swing (4), Mountain, Kuldotha Rebirth, Kuldotha Rebirth
T3: Tap both Mountains, Mogg Alarm, Goblin Bushwhacker (with kicker), swing for 28 more

Of course, not a likely hand.  But turn three wins do happen.

On another note, I bought the Into the Breach event deck on Saturday and it's been a blast to play.  I've kept it Standard-legal and took out a few cards for the Searing Blazes that it came with.  Lots of fun, if you have $25 sitting around.

Until next time, play on.

Zur the Enchanter EDH

So I was messing around with some generals for Commander (EDH for those like myself who still call it by its older name) and stumbled across Zur the Enchanter.  Whenever he attacks, you get an enchantment with a CMC of 3 or less from your deck.  Attach Vanishing and he's unkillable.  Attach Steel of the Godhead and he can deal some serious damage.  Fetch up Oblivion Ring or Seal of Doom to kill stuff.  There are also two "cute" little combos he can assemble in EDH: Grim Poppet with Torture and Triskelion with Daily Regimen.  My favorite trick is to swing, attach Arcanum Wings, get through due to flying, and Aura Swap it for an Eldrazi Conscription.  Here's the list I'm testing.  It has some combos that use Zur to set up, namely Reality Acid and Vedalken Mastermind and Grim Poppet with Torture.

General:  Zur the Enchanter

Creatures (14):
Auratog
Cantivore
Celestial Ancient
Evershrike
Grim Poppet
Kor Spiritdancer
Lost Auramancers
Mesa Enchantress
Mindleech Mass
Nomad Mythmaker
Sovereigns of Lost Alara
Tidespout Tyrant
Umbra Mystic
Vedalken Mastermind

Noncreature Spells (45):
Arcanum Wings
Arrest
Aura of Silence
Azorius Signet
Battle Mastery
Celestial Mantle
Circle of Protection:  Artifacts
Cloak of Mists
Compulsion
Conviction
Daybreak Coronet
Declaration of Naught
Demonic Collusion
Diabolic Tutor
Dimir Signet
Diplomatic Immunity
Dragon Shadow
Eldrazi Conscription
Empyrial Armor
Enslave
Flickerform
Infiltrator's Magemark
Journey to Nowhere
Journeyer's Kite
Lingering Death
Mark of Eviction
Mind Control
Obelisk of Esper
Oblation
Oblivion Ring
Orzhov Signet
Pillory of the Sleepless
Prison Term
Prophetic Prism
Reality Acid
Seal of Cleansing
Seal of Doom
Sleeper's Robe
Sphere of the Suns
Spirit Loop
Steel of the Godhead
Three Dreams
Torture
Vanishing
Volition Reins

Land (40):
Ancient Spring
Azorius Chancery
Bad River
Calciform Pools
Cloudcrest Lake
Dimir Aqueduct
Dreadship Reef
Esper Panorama
Evolving Wilds
Flood Plain
Island (8)
Jwar Isle Refuge
Orzhov Basilica
Plains (7)
Prahv, Spires of Order
Rootwater Depths
Rupture Spire
Sejiri Refuge
Swamp (6)
Terramorphic Expanse
Thalakos Lowlands
Waterveil Cavern

There are still some cards I want to fit in: Corrupted Conscience, Copy Enchantment, Dance of the Dead,  Pemmin's Aura, Phyresis, and Phyrexian Reclamation (mainly because sending your general to the General Zone upon death is optional).  I wasn't sure what to cut, to be honest.  I like Pyresis because the deck has a hard time getting in for 21 Zur damage, which is mainly how it wins.  The rest give me some redundancy or other options for fighting.  Any suggestions?

Until next time, play on.