World Championship Decks 2002

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2002 World Championships Ad

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Pro Tour™ veteran Brian Kibler piloted his green-white-red "Red Zone 2K2" deck to an impressive finish at this year's Worlds. This deck quickly tried to put its many creatures into the "red zone," the attacking zone on the playmats used on the Pro Tour circuit. The twenty-one—year-old Kibler attends Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, and is part of the "Mini Colony" playtest group that designed the Red Zone 2K2 deck.

Brian Kibler Bio

Brian Kibler Decklist

Carlos Romão played the same style of deck that many people at this year's World Championships chose to play: blue-black Psychatog. He simply played his version better than everyone else playing theirs. Romão, known as "Jaba" to his friends, was a perfect 6-0 during the Swiss portion of the tournament, posting a stunning 12-0 game record. This twenty-year-old native of São Paulo, Brazil, has been widely regarded as one of the best players in South America. His deck tried to stay alive long enough to play Upheaval, while floating mana to replay Psychatog on the same turn.

Carlos Romão Bio

Carlos Romão Decklist

A native of Toulouse, France, Raphael Levy posted an impressive 5-1 record during the Standard portion of this year's Worlds playing a blue-green deck he named "Le Wonder Goose." This deck used lots of small creatures—like Numble Mongoose and Werebear—that get bigger at threshold. The deck used blue not for countermagic, but for cards like Careful Study and Mental Note, which help the deck reach threshold more quickly, and for Wonder in the graveyard, which allows the deck's pumped-up threshold creatures to fly.

Raphael Levy Bio

Raphael Levy Decklist

Malaysian National Champion Sim Han How raised some eyebrows by posting a 6-0 record with his blue-green-red "Squirrel Opposition" deck. This deck tried to get out lots of Squirrel tokens with Squirrel Nest before using Opposition to tie up the opponent's creatures and mana. Han How won quite a few games using some tricky sideboarding, such as pulling out his enchantments and bringing in more beatdown cards like Flametongue Kavu and Roar of the Wurm. Besides being a top Magic® player, Han How is also a student at Bandar Utama College in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Sim Han How Bio

Sim Han How Decklist

Creature — Incarnation

Flying
{2}{W}: Choose a color. Creatures you control gain protection from the chosen color until end of turn. Activate only if this card is in your graveyard.

Glory

Sorcery

Each player chooses from the lands they control a land of each basic land type, then sacrifices the rest.

Global Ruin

Instant

Destroy target enchantment.
Flashback {G} (You may cast this card from your graveyard for its flashback cost. Then exile it.)

Ray of Revelation

Creature — Human Soldier

{T}: Destroy target creature with power 4 or greater.

Intrepid Hero

Gainsay

Draw four cards, then choose X cards in your hand and discard the rest.

Breakthrough

Kicker—Sacrifice a land. (You may sacrifice a land in addition to any other costs as you cast this spell.)
Return target nonland permanent to its owner's hand. If this spell was kicked, return another target nonland permanent to its owner's hand.

Rushing River

Destroy target creature with power 4 or greater. It can't be regenerated.

Reprisal

Counter target spell unless its controller pays {1} for each card in your graveyard.
Madness {U} (If you discard this card, discard it into exile. When you do, cast it for its madness cost or put it into your graveyard.)

Circular Logic

Target player draws two cards.
Flashback—{1}{U}, Pay 3 life. (You may cast this card from your graveyard for its flashback cost. Then exile it.)

Deep Analysis

You may reveal an instant card you own from outside the game and put it into your hand. Exile Cunning Wish.

Cunning Wish

Mental Note

Creature — Zombie

Blue spells and red spells you cast cost {1} less to cast.
{1}{B}: Regenerate this creature.

Nightscape Familiar

Search target player's library for up to three cards with flashback and put them into that player's graveyard. Then the player shuffles.

Quiet Speculation

Counter target instant or sorcery spell unless its controller pays {1}.
Draw a card.

Disrupt

Flying
As long as this card is in your graveyard and you control an Island, creatures you control have flying.

Wonder

Destroy target green creature. It can't be regenerated.
Draw a card.

Slay

Target player sacrifices a creature of their choice.
Flashback {5}{B}{B} (You may cast this card from your graveyard for its flashback cost. Then exile it.)

Chainer's Edict

Reveal the top five cards of your library. An opponent separates those cards into two piles. Put one pile into your hand and the other into your graveyard.

Fact or Fiction

Mine Security

Flametongue Kavu

Creature — Kavu

When this creature enters, it deals 4 damage to target creature.

Counterspell

Return target creature to its owner's hand.
Draw a card.

Repulse

Careful Study

Creature — Human Wizard

Kicker {1}{B} and/or {G} (You may pay an additional {1}{B} and/or {G} as you cast this spell.)
When this creature enters, if it was kicked with its {1}{B} kicker, target player discards two cards.
When this creature enters, if it was kicked with its {G} kicker, destroy target enchantment.

Thunderscape Battlemage

Counter target spell or ability an opponent controls that targets a land you control. If a permanent's ability is countered this way, destroy that permanent.
Draw two cards.

Teferi's Response

Return all green permanents to their owners' hands.

Hibernation

Tap all lands target player controls and that player loses all unspent mana.

Mana Short

Counter target spell. If that spell is countered this way, put it on top of its owner's library instead of into that player's graveyard.

Memory Lapse

Creature — Merfolk Rogue

Merfolk Looter

Enchantment

Tap an untapped creature you control: Tap target artifact, creature, or land.

Opposition

Creature — Elf Wizard

Kicker {R} and/or {W} (You may pay an additional {R} and/or {W} as you cast this spell.)
When this creature enters, if it was kicked with its {R} kicker, it deals 2 damage to any target.
When this creature enters, if it was kicked with its {W} kicker, destroy target artifact.

Thornscape Battlemage

Return all permanents to their owners' hands.

Upheaval

At the beginning of your upkeep, if this creature is in your graveyard, you may pay {2}{G}. If you do, return target creature card from your graveyard to your hand.

Genesis

You may reveal a creature or land card you own from outside the game and put it into your hand. Exile Living Wish.

Living Wish

Exile target card from a graveyard.
Flashback {B} (You may cast this card from your graveyard for its flashback cost. Then exile it.)

Coffin Purge

Creature — Centaur Spirit

Protection from black
This creature enters with three +1/+1 counters on it.
If damage would be dealt to this creature, prevent that damage. Remove a +1/+1 counter from this creature.

Phantom Centaur

Fire deals 2 damage divided as you choose among one or two targets.

Fire

Target opponent reveals their hand. You choose a noncreature, nonland card from it. That player discards that card.

Duress

Sacrifice a land: Target creature you control gains shroud until end of turn. (It can't be the target of spells or abilities.)

Sylvan Safekeeper

Creature — Frog Beast

Discard two cards: Exile this creature. Return it to the battlefield under its owner's control at the beginning of the next end step.

Anurid Brushhopper

Creature — Centaur Druid Scout Archer

Reach (This creature can block creatures with flying.)
Threshold — This creature gets +2/+2 as long as there are seven or more cards in your graveyard.

Seton's Scout

Destroy target nonblack creature if its toughness is less than or equal to the number of cards in your graveyard.

Ghastly Demise

Creature — Cat Beast Spirit

Trample
This creature enters with seven +1/+1 counters on it.
Whenever this creature deals damage, you gain that much life.
If damage would be dealt to this creature, prevent that damage. Remove a +1/+1 counter from this creature.

Phantom Nishoba

Land

{T}: Add {C}.
{T}: Add {U} or {R}. This land deals 1 damage to you.

Shivan Reef

{T}: Add {C}.
{T}: Add {G} or {U}. This land deals 1 damage to you.

Yavimaya Coast

Creature — Bird

Birds of Paradise

Elephant

Create a 3/3 green Elephant creature token.
Flashback {3}{G} (You may cast this card from your graveyard for its flashback cost. Then exile it.)

Call of the Herd

Whenever a black card is put into an opponent's graveyard from anywhere, you may draw a card.

Compost

Llanowar Elves

Marwyn's Kindred

Creature — Elf Druid

Creature — Mongoose

Shroud (This creature can't be the target of spells or abilities.)
Threshold — This creature gets +2/+2 as long as there are seven or more cards in your graveyard.

Nimble Mongoose

Return target permanent to its owner's hand. Then that player discards a card.

Recoil

Wurm

Roar of the Wurm

Create a 6/6 green Wurm creature token.
Flashback {3}{G} (You may cast this card from your graveyard for its flashback cost. Then exile it.)

Simoon deals 1 damage to each creature target opponent controls.

Simoon

Squirrel

Enchantment — Aura

Enchant land
Enchanted land has "{T}: Create a 1/1 green Squirrel creature token."

Squirrel Nest

Creature — Human Bear Druid

{T}: Add {G}.
Threshold — This creature gets +3/+3 as long as there are seven or more cards in your graveyard.

Werebear

Creature — Dog

Discard a card: This creature gets +1/+1 and becomes the color of your choice until end of turn.

Wild Mongrel

Creature — Atog

Discard a card: This creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn.
Exile two cards from your graveyard: This creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn.

Psychatog

Wane

Target creature gets +2/+2 until end of turn.

{T}: Add {U}. This land deals 1 damage to you.
Threshold — {U}, {T}, Sacrifice this land: Target player draws three cards, then discards three cards. Activate only if there are seven or more cards in your graveyard.

Cephalid Coliseum

Darkwater Catacombs

{T}: Add {C}.
{T}: Add {G} or {W}. This land deals 1 damage to you.

Brushland

This land enters tapped.
{T}: Add {U} or {B}.

Salt Marsh

Whenever this land becomes tapped, it deals 1 damage to you.
{T}: Add one mana of any color.