World Championship Decks 1998

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1998 World Championships Ad

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Twenty-three-year-old professional Magic® player Brian Hacker of San Diego, California, thought he had a good chance of winning the finals with his white weenie deck. Hacker said his deck was well set up to defeat his opponents with its twenty-something aggressive creatures—including a number of shadow and en-Kor creatures. Unlike traditional white weenie decks, which rely on Armageddon as a major threat card, Hacker's deck uses Cataclysm, which he feels better complements the use of Empyrial Armor.

Brian Hacker Bio

Brian Hacker Decklist

Though only fifteen years old, Ben Rubin has amassed quite an impressive tournament record. He placed second at Pro Tour™—Los Angeles and finished in the Top 16 at Grand Prix—San Francisco, his hometown. Ben played the archetypal mono-red weenie or Sligh deck at the 1998 Worlds. Although he prefers to play a more balanced deck, Rubin thought the aggressive Sligh would work well at this tournament. His deck consists of roughly one-third land, one-third direct damage, and one-third small aggressive creatures.

Ben Rubin Bio

Ben Rubin Decklist

Brian Selden, a seventeen-year-old high school student from San Diego, California, says his deck revolves around the interaction between Survival of the Fittest and Recurring Nightmare. The former is used to put creatures into the graveyard and the latter can then bring them into play. With this combo, Selden is able to use his creatures to react to an opponent's threats. The deck also contains over twenty creatures, many of which have an effect when they enter play or perform some other useful function, such as the Spike Weaver. Unlike many similar decks, Selden's dips into blue, primarily for Lobotomy. He said this was the key to many of his victories.

Brian Selden Bio

Brian Selden Decklist

Although twenty-six-year-old professional Magic® player Randy Buehler of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, didn't make the Top 8, he did finish with an impressive 6—1 record during the Standard portion of the World Championships. Buehler's Draw, Go deck is built for pure control with over twenty counters. He uses eight card-drawing spells to get to his counters more quickly and only four Stalking Stones and one Rainbow Efreet for offensive power. Buehler said he won some games without ever having to tap a land for mana on his own turn.

Randy Buehler Bio

Randy Buehler Decklist

Instant

Until end of turn, target player can't cast instant or sorcery spells, and that player can't activate abilities that aren't mana abilities.
Draw a card.

Abeyance

Sorcery

Each player chooses from among the permanents they control an artifact, a creature, an enchantment, and a land, then sacrifices the rest.

Cataclysm

Armageddon

Enchantment

Artifact and enchantment spells your opponents cast cost {2} more to cast.
Sacrifice this enchantment: Destroy target artifact or enchantment.

Aura of Silence

Creature — Kor Nomad Soldier

{0}: The next 1 damage that would be dealt to this creature this turn is dealt to target creature you control instead.

Nomads en-Kor

Creature — Human Knight

First strike, protection from black and from red (This creature deals combat damage before creatures without first strike. It can't be blocked, targeted, dealt damage, or enchanted by anything black or red.)

Paladin en-Vec

Enchantment — Aura

Enchant creature
Enchanted creature gets +1/+1 for each card in your hand.

Empyrial Armor

Creature — Bird

Flying
When this creature enters, destroy target enchantment.

Cloudchaser Eagle

Disenchant

Creature — Soltari Cleric

Shadow (This creature can block or be blocked by only creatures with shadow.)
Whenever this creature deals damage to a player, destroy target enchantment that player controls.

Soltari Visionary

Creature — Human Cleric

Whenever another creature enters, you gain 1 life.

Soul Warden

Search your library for a Plains card. If target opponent controls more lands than you, you may search your library for an additional Plains card. Reveal those cards, put them into your hand, then shuffle.

Tithe

Creature — Kor Warrior Knight

Warrior en-Kor

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

Look at the top four cards of your library. Put one of them into your hand and the rest on the bottom of your library in any order.

Impulse

Buyback—Discard two cards. (You may discard two cards in addition to any other costs as you cast this spell. If you do, put this card into your hand as it resolves.)
Counter target spell.

Forbid

Counter target spell unless its controller pays {3}.

Mana Leak

Creature — Jellyfish

When this creature enters, return target creature to its owner's hand.

Man-o'-War

Creature — Faerie

Sea Sprite

Creature — Efreet

Flying
{U}{U}: This creature phases out. (While it's phased out, it's treated as though it doesn't exist. It phases in before you untap during your next untap step.)

Rainbow Efreet

Creature — Soltari Monk Cleric

Protection from black
Shadow (This creature can block or be blocked by only creatures with shadow.)

Soltari Monk

Protection from red
Shadow (This creature can block or be blocked by only creatures with shadow.)

Soltari Priest

Creature — Human Soldier

When this creature enters, you gain 4 life.

Staunch Defenders

Buyback {3} (You may pay an additional {3} as you cast this spell. If you do, put this card into your hand as it resolves.)
Return target permanent to its owner's hand.

Capsize

Counterspell

Dismiss

Counter target spell unless its controller pays {1}.

Force Spike

Counter target spell. If that spell is countered this way, exile it instead of putting it into its owner's graveyard.

Dissipate

Enchant creature (Target a creature as you cast this. This card enters attached to that creature.)
Whenever enchanted creature deals damage, you gain that much life.

Spirit Link

Creature — Human Assassin

First strike
When this creature enters, destroy target nonartifact, nonblack creature. That creature can't be regenerated.

Nekrataal

First strike (This creature deals combat damage before creatures without first strike.)
Protection from black (This creature can't be blocked, targeted, dealt damage, or enchanted by anything black.)

White Knight

Sacrifice a creature, Return this enchantment to its owner's hand: Return target creature card from your graveyard to the battlefield. Activate only as a sorcery.

Recurring Nightmare

Choose one —
• Counter target spell if it's red.
• Destroy target permanent if it's red.

Hydroblast

Creature — Thrull

{1}{B}, Sacrifice this creature: Look at target player's hand and choose a card from it. That player discards that card. Activate only as a sorcery.

Thrull Surgeon

You may sacrifice two Mountains rather than pay this spell's mana cost.
Fireblast deals 4 damage to any target.

Fireblast

Creature — Goblin

This creature can't attack or block alone.

Mogg Flunkies

Shock

Creature — Dwarf Shaman

{T}: Switch target creature's power and toughness until end of turn.

Dwarven Thaumaturgist

Creature — Spirit

Flying
{T}, Tap two untapped creatures you control: Return target permanent to its owner's hand.

Tradewind Rider

Creature — Lizard Warrior

Haste (This creature can attack and {T} as soon as it comes under your control.)
At the beginning of the end step, return this creature to its owner's hand. (Return it only if it's on the battlefield.)

Viashino Sandstalker

As an additional cost to cast this spell, discard X cards.
Firestorm deals X damage to each of X targets.

Firestorm

Buyback {3} (You may pay an additional {3} as you cast this spell. If you do, put this card into your hand as it resolves.)
Destroy target artifact.

Shattering Pulse

Buyback {5} (You may pay an additional {5} as you cast this spell. If you do, put this card into your hand as it resolves.)
Draw a card.

Whispers of the Muse

Creature — Goblin Rogue

Whenever this creature attacks and isn't blocked, you may pay {R}. If you do, destroy target artifact defending player controls and this creature assigns no combat damage this turn.

Goblin Vandal

Choose one —
• Untap target permanent.
• Destroy target non-Aura enchantment.
• Target creature loses flying until end of turn.

Emerald Charm

Land

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

City of Brass

Creature — Orc

{X}{X}{R}, {T}, Sacrifice this creature: Destroy X target lands.

Orcish Settlers

Creature — Spike

This creature enters with two +1/+1 counters on it.
{2}, Remove a +1/+1 counter from this creature: Put a +1/+1 counter on target creature.
Remove a +1/+1 counter from this creature: You gain 2 life.

Spike Feeder

Creature — Ape

When this creature enters, destroy target artifact.

Uktabi Orangutan

Creature — Plant Wall

Defender
When this creature enters, draw a card.

Wall of Blossoms

This creature enters with three +1/+1 counters on it.
{2}, Remove a +1/+1 counter from this creature: Put a +1/+1 counter on target creature.
{1}, Remove a +1/+1 counter from this creature: Prevent all combat damage that would be dealt this turn.

Spike Weaver

{G}, Discard a creature card: Search your library for a creature card, reveal that card, put it into your hand, then shuffle.

Survival of the Fittest

Dread of Night

Legendary Land

{T}: Add {C}.
{1}{B}, {T}: Put target creature card from your graveyard on top of your library.

Volrath's Stronghold

Urborg Panther

Breathstealer

Feral Shadow

Legendary Creature — Demon Spirit

Flying, trample, haste, protection from black
Spirit of the Night has first strike as long as it's attacking.

Spirit of the Night

Artifact

{T}: Exile the bottom card of target player's graveyard.
{1}, Sacrifice this artifact: Exile target card from a graveyard. Draw a card.

Phyrexian Furnace

This land enters with three mining counters on it.
{T}, Remove a mining counter from this land: Add one mana of any color. If there are no mining counters on this land, sacrifice it.

Gemstone Mine

Boil

{T}: Add {C}.
{T}, Sacrifice this land: Target attacking creature without flying gets -1/-2 until end of turn.

Quicksand

{T}: Add one mana of any color. During your next untap step, as you untap your permanents, return this land to its owner's hand.

Undiscovered Paradise

Creature — Dwarf

{2}{R}, {T}: Destroy target nonbasic land.

Dwarven Miner

Take an extra turn after this one. At the beginning of that turn's end step, you lose the game.

Final Fortune

Hammer of Bogardan deals 3 damage to any target.
{2}{R}{R}{R}: Return this card from your graveyard to your hand. Activate only during your upkeep.

Hammer of Bogardan

Creature — Jackal

Whenever this creature is dealt damage, it deals that much damage to you.

Jackal Pup

Incinerate deals 3 damage to any target. A creature dealt damage this way can't be regenerated this turn.

Incinerate

Sacrifice this creature: It deals 1 damage to any target.

Mogg Fanatic

Stormforged Armor

Creature — Elemental

Trample (This creature can deal excess combat damage to the player or planeswalker it's attacking.)
Haste (This creature can attack and {T} as soon as it comes under your control.)
At the beginning of the end step, sacrifice this creature.

Ball Lightning

Choose one —
• Counter target spell if it's blue.
• Destroy target permanent if it's blue.

Pyroblast

World Enchantment

At the beginning of each player's upkeep, that player chooses a color. Until end of turn, lands tapped for mana produce mana of the chosen color instead of any other color.

Hall of Gemstone

This creature can't block creatures with power 2 or greater.

Ironclaw Orcs

Defender
Put a -0/-1 counter on this creature: Add {G}. Activate only once each turn.

Wall of Roots

Saproling

At the beginning of each upkeep, create a 1/1 green Saproling creature token.

Verdant Force

Target player reveals their hand, then you choose a card other than a basic land card from it. Search that player's graveyard, hand, and library for all cards with the same name as the chosen card and exile them. Then that player shuffles.

Lobotomy

Artifact Creature — Gnome

Sacrifice this creature: You gain 3 life.

Bottle Gnomes

Birds of Paradise

{3}, {T}: Choose a card name, then reveal a card at random from your hand. If that card has the chosen name, this artifact deals 2 damage to any target.

Cursed Scroll

{3}, {T}: Target player mills two cards. If two cards that share a color were milled this way, repeat this process.

Grindstone

{1}, {T}: Exile any number of cards from your hand face down. Put that many cards from the top of your library into your hand. Then look at the exiled cards and put them on top of your library in any order.