World Championship Decks 1999

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1997 World Champion Jakub Šlemr came within two matches of becoming the first person to repeat as World Champion. The 22-year-old Prague native earned a flawless 6—0 resord during the Standard portion of the Swiss rounds. Šlemr, along with fellow teammate and quarterfinalist Gary Wise, played a mono-black deck coined "Black Control." He used discard effects early with cards like Ravenous Rats, Duress, and Stupor. However, the majority of his deck was dedicated to board control with Cursed Scrolls, Powder Kegs, and Phyrexian Plaguelords.

Jakub Šlemr Bio (1999)

Jakub Šlemr Decklist (1999)

Known as the "King of the Grand Prix," Kai Budde earned an unprecedented three Grand Prix titles in 1999. Though he went only 4—2 during the Swiss portion of the World Championships, he cruised through the Final 8 to become the 1999 World Champion. The 19-year-old Köln, Germany native played a red-artifact deck that contained more than 30 artifacts. He used those artifacts to quickly generate huge amounts of mana, with which he could play a big creature like Masticore or Covetous Dragon. He would then finish off his opponent with a well-timed Wildfire.

Kai Budde Bio

Kai Budde Decklist

Semifinalist Matt Linde is no stranger to high-level Magic® competition. The 18-year-old Maryland native was the 1998 U.S. National Champion. Linde played a very fast mono-green "Stompy" deck with 26 creatures—24 of which cost two mana or less to play. Supplementing this furious creature assault were four Rancors and four Giant Growths. Though the deck was designed to win by turn five, it did feature four Cursed Scrolls in case the game dragged on.

Matt Linde Bio

Matt Linde Decklist

Though only 17 years old, New Hampshire—native Mark Le Pine is a Pro Tour veteran. He has been with the Pro Tour since Atlanta '96 and has made the Top 8 three times (Mainz '97, Rome '98, and Worlds '99). Le Pine played an aggressive red deck called "Sped Red." With his deck he applied pressure early with 11 fast creatures, then he'd shift into land-destruction mode with Wasteland, Stone Rain, Pillage, and Avalanche Riders. For the late game Le Pine used Cursed Scroll and Hammer of Bogardan to finish off his mana-crippled opponent.

Mark Le Pine Bio

Mark Le Pine Decklist

Creature — Phyrexian Carrier

{T}, Sacrifice this creature: Target creature gets -4/-4 until end of turn.
Sacrifice a creature: Target creature gets -1/-1 until end of turn.

Phyrexian Plaguelord

Instant

As an additional cost to cast this spell, pay X life.
Target creature gets +X/+0 until end of turn.

Hatred

Creature — Phyrexian Horror

Trample
Whenever this creature is dealt damage, sacrifice that many permanents.

Phyrexian Negator

Exile up to three target cards from a single graveyard.
Cycling {2} ({2}, Discard this card: Draw a card.)

Rapid Decay

Creature — Rat

When this creature enters, target opponent discards a card.

Ravenous Rats

Creature — Human Nomad

Haste
Echo {3}{R} (At the beginning of your upkeep, if this came under your control since the beginning of your last upkeep, sacrifice it unless you pay its echo cost.)
When this creature enters, destroy target land.

Avalanche Riders

Creature — Dragon

Flying
When you control no artifacts, sacrifice this creature.

Covetous Dragon

Sorcery

Buyback—Pay 3 life, Discard a card at random. (You may pay 3 life and discard a card at random in addition to any other costs as you cast this spell. If you do, put this card into your hand as it resolves.)
Destroy target land.

Flowstone Flood

Rack and Ruin

Shock

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

Enchantment

Whenever a player casts a spell, this enchantment deals 2 damage to that player.

Spellshock

Buyback—Sacrifice a land. (You may sacrifice a land in addition to any other costs as you cast this spell. If you do, put this card into your hand as it resolves.)
Prevent all combat damage that would be dealt this turn.

Constant Mists

Enchantment — Aura

Enchant creature
Enchanted creature gets +2/+0 and has trample.
When this Aura is put into a graveyard from the battlefield, return it to its owner's hand.

Rancor

Buyback {2} (You may pay an additional {2} as you cast this spell. If you do, put this card into your hand as it resolves.)
Return the top creature card of your graveyard to the battlefield. That creature gains haste until end of turn. Exile it at the beginning of the next end step.

Corpse Dance

Creature — Treefolk

Trample
When this creature dies, return it to its owner's hand.

Weatherseed Treefolk

Creature — Insect

{2}{B}, {T}: Exile up to three target cards from a single graveyard.

Carrion Beetles

Artifact

This artifact doesn't untap during your untap step.
{T}: Add {C}{C}{C}.
{4}: Untap this artifact.

Grim Monolith

Dark Ritual

Target player sacrifices a creature of their choice.

Diabolic Edict

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

Duress

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.)
Evincar's Justice deals 2 damage to each creature and each player.

Evincar's Justice

Artifact Creature — Masticore

At the beginning of your upkeep, sacrifice this creature unless you discard a card.
{2}: This creature deals 1 damage to target creature.
{2}: Regenerate this creature.

Masticore

At the beginning of your upkeep, you may put a fuse counter on this artifact.
{T}, Sacrifice this artifact: Destroy each artifact and creature with mana value equal to the number of fuse counters on this artifact.

Powder Keg

Artifact Creature — Gnome

Echo {3} (At the beginning of your upkeep, if this came under your control since the beginning of your last upkeep, sacrifice it unless you pay its echo cost.)
Sacrifice this creature: It deals 1 damage to any target.

Ticking Gnomes

Sphere of Resistance

Thran Dynamo

{1}, {T}, Exile this artifact: Target player shuffles their graveyard into their library.

Thran Foundry

Land

This land enters tapped.
{T}: Add {R}.
{1}{R}: This land becomes a 2/1 red Warrior creature with first strike until end of turn. It's still a land. (It deals combat damage before creatures without first strike.)

Ghitu Encampment

This land enters tapped.
{T}: Add {B}.
{1}{B}: This land becomes a 1/1 black Skeleton creature with "{B}: Regenerate this creature" until end of turn. It's still a land. (If it regenerates, the next time it would be destroyed this turn, instead tap it, remove it from combat, and heal all damage on it.)

Spawning Pool

Legendary Land

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

Volrath's Stronghold

When you play another land, sacrifice this land.
{T}: Add {C}{C}.

City of Traitors

This land enters tapped.
{T}: Add {G}.
{1}{G}: This land becomes a 3/3 green Ape creature with trample until end of turn. It's still a land. (It can deal excess combat damage to the player or planeswalker it's attacking.)

Treetop Village

Choose a color. Target player reveals their hand and discards all cards of that color.

Persecute

Destroy all green creatures. They can't be regenerated.

Perish

Creature — Human Knight

{T}, Pay 1 life: Counter target white spell.

Stromgald Cabal

Target opponent discards a card at random, then discards a card.

Stupor

Search your library for a card, then shuffle and put that card on top. You lose 2 life.

Vampiric Tutor

Boil

Until end of turn, you may play lands and cast spells from your graveyard.
If a card would be put into your graveyard from anywhere this turn, exile that card instead.

Yawgmoth's Will

Earthquake deals X damage to each creature without flying and each player.

Earthquake

Creature — Human Wizard

{T}: This creature deals 1 damage to any target and 1 damage to you.

Fireslinger

Arc Lightning deals 3 damage divided as you choose among one, two, or three targets.

Arc Lightning

Creature — Jackal

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

Jackal Pup

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 — Goblin

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

Mogg Fanatic

Destroy target artifact or land. It can't be regenerated.

Pillage

Stone Rain

Whenever a player taps an Island for mana, this enchantment deals 1 damage to that player.

Scald

Islands don't untap during their controllers' untap steps.

Choke

Each player sacrifices four lands of their choice. Wildfire deals 4 damage to each creature.

Wildfire

Creature — Troll

Echo {1}{G} (At the beginning of your upkeep, if this came under your control since the beginning of your last upkeep, sacrifice it unless you pay its echo cost.)
{1}{G}: Regenerate this creature.

Albino Troll

Target creature gets +3/+3 until end of turn.

Giant Growth

Hurricane deals X damage to each creature with flying and each player.

Hurricane

Marwyn's Kindred

Creature — Elf Druid

Llanowar Elves

Creatures you control get +3/+3 and gain trample until end of turn. (Each of those creatures can deal excess combat damage to the player or planeswalker it's attacking.)

Overrun

Creature — Elf

{G}, {T}, Sacrifice this creature: Destroy target enchantment.

Elvish Lyrist

Creature — Snake

Islandwalk (This creature can't be blocked as long as defending player controls an Island.)
{G}: Regenerate this creature.

River Boa

Creature — Ape

When this creature enters, destroy target artifact.

Uktabi Orangutan

Creature — Cat

Echo {G} (At the beginning of your upkeep, if this came under your control since the beginning of your last upkeep, sacrifice it unless you pay its echo cost.)

Pouncing Jaguar

Sacrifice this creature: You gain 3 life.

Bottle Gnomes

{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

This artifact enters tapped.
{T}: Add {R}.

Fire Diamond

Creature — Dog

At the beginning of your upkeep, if a player has more life than each other player, the player with the most life gains control of this creature.
Cycling {2} ({2}, Discard this card: Draw a card.)

Wild Dogs

Legendary Artifact Creature — Golem

Whenever Karn blocks or becomes blocked, it gets -4/+4 until end of turn.
{1}: Target noncreature artifact becomes an artifact creature with power and toughness each equal to its mana value until end of turn.

Karn, Silver Golem

Mishra's Helix

Minion

As this artifact enters, pay any amount of life.
{4}, {T}: Create an X/X black Phyrexian Minion creature token, where X is the life paid as this artifact entered.

Phyrexian Processor

{5}, {T}: Shuffle your library, then reveal the top card. Until end of turn, for as long as that card remains on top of your library, play with the top card of your library revealed and you may play that card without paying its mana cost. (If it has X in its mana cost, X is 0.)