Grand Prix: Columbus - Tribal Beatdown

Three updates today, one is the announcement of our Twitter feed, which will start updating with the upcoming Grand Prix, two is the live updates we will try to be making during the Grand Prix, and that every day this week, we're leading up to the big event for American Legacy by bringing you some lists to look at and be ready for!  If you haven't picked your deck yet, now would be the time!

Merfolk by Alex Bertoncini | The Rusty Machete

26 Creatures:  
4 Lord of Atlantis
4 Merrow Reejerey
4 Merfolk Sovereign
4 Silvergill Adept
4 Coralhelm Commander
4 Cursecatcher
2 Kira, Great Glass-Spinner

12 Spells:  
4 Aether Vial
4 Force of Will
4 Daze

22 Lands:  
1 Mishra's Factory
13 Island
4 Mutavault
4 Wasteland

15 Sideboard:  
2 Umezawa's Jitte
3 Tormod's Crypt
2 Sower of Temptation
3 Blue Elemental Blast
2 Back to Basics
3 Spell Pierce

Currently the Merfolk list you can be expecting to see, because of it's ability to actually beat the worst matchup (Zoo).  Note the 16 Lord effects, and that of Coralhelm Commander's ability to beat down incredibly well on his own.  While it is even lighter on disruption than previous builds, keep in mind that their creatures may very well end up much larger than your creatures very quickly.

Rb Goblins by Anthony Avitollo | The Rusty Machete

30 Creatures:  
4 Goblin Matron
4 Goblin Ringleader
4 Gempalm Incinerator
2 Goblin Chieftain
4 Goblin Piledriver
1 Goblin Sharpshooter
2 Stingscourger
4 Goblin Warchief
1 Siege-Gang Commander
4 Goblin Lackey

6 Spells:  
4 Aether Vial
2 Warren Weirding

24 Lands:  
7 Mountain
3 Rishadan Port
4 Wasteland
2 Arid Mesa
2 Scalding Tarn
3 Bloodstained Mire
3 Badlands

15 Sideboard:  
4 Tormod's Crypt
3 Price of Progress
4 Cabal Therapy
1 Goblin Sharpshooter
1 Stingscourger
1 Nature's Ruin
1 Perish

As I occasionally say while at tournaments: Goblins does as Goblins does.  You can be playing any deck and lose to Goblins.  The deck I chose for the Grand Prix has a fantastic aggro matchup, but if Goblins does as Goblins does, I will drop games and even matches to it.  It's a harsh world.  Expect the black splash to be much more common than it was before, people acknowledge that Tarmogoyf and Zoo exists, and having access to Perish and Warren Weirding give Goblins an edge that is good enough sometimes to take the match away from random cats and apes.

Elf Survival by Beiersdorfer Alexander | The Rusty Machete

36 Creatures:  
4 Fyndhorn Elves
3 Llanowar Elves
4 Elvish Spirit Guide
3 Wren's Run Vanquisher
1 Elvish Archdruid
4 Priest of Titania
2 Quirion Ranger
2 Sylvan Messenger
4 Imperious Perfect
1 Viridian Zealot
1 Anger
1 Squee, Goblin Nabob
1 Progenitus
3 Elvish Champion
1 Deranged Hermit
1 Eladamri, Lord of Leaves

7 Spells:  
4 Natural Order
3 Survival of the Fittest

17 Lands:  
2 Misty Rainforest
2 Wooded Foothills
2 Savannah
4 Taiga
2 Gaea's Cradle
5 Forest

15 Sideboard:  
3 Absolute Law
2 Choke
1 Viridian Shaman
1 Viridian Zealot
2 Mindbreak Trap
2 Relic of Progenitus
2 Absolute Grace
1 Concordant Crossroads
1 Wellwisher

While not as common on the American tournament circuit as the previous two, the next best performing tribe of Legacy is Elves - oftentimes with Progenitus and Squee as honorary Elves.  Anger doesn't count, since he's almost never in play, where Squee can sometimes make an appearance.

Stay tuned, we've got a hell of a ride ahead of us.

-G