Actually really bloody torn.

There you are, "bloody" in one of my post titles. Proves I'm an Aussie. Aside from that, I'm really bloody torn.

It's about Black. We've gotten along forever, ever since I first Terror'd a creature in Mirrodin, then later when Doran came out, and again we fell in love as I took hands with Walking-Terror aka Shriekmaw. Whenever I do tests it usually tells me I'm Rakdos or Dimir, so black or black, but lately... We've been having difficulties.

You know Slaughter Games? I wrote about it just last post, 'course you remember! I tried the deck again today, and got fed up, deciding I'd had enough. So removing all the black from my deck, I saw once again the "love pump" that makes each player build the decks they do. It's like imagining not being with your sweety (assuming you're on good terms), you'd just miss them too much.

Same here. There's only about half my lands gone, and Nicol Bolas and Slaughter Games itself, and Nephalia Drownyards and such. All good cards I want to have. And to replace them all, WHITE!

What does white offer? FIRST off, Terminus. I instantly loved it around preview time, and knew wrath for W was always going to be popular. It also does Angels but relying on the random topdeck for angels/win con is silly, even if heavily undercosted. It does allow for Angel of Serenity, Restoration Angel, Oblivion Ring and Detention Sphere, ALL cards I love just as much as the black side of my deck. So I want them all, and can't play them all, because there's no such thing Watery Grave x4 or Godless Shrine x4 in Standard at the moment.

So I must choose, and do not know what to do. I have an idea -- the Slaughter Games deck is powerful, when it works it's amazing, plus it's the most information rich deck out there. Turn 4, I get to see your everything unless you concede. You wont though, that's silly, so I can see all the cute little tech that people are playing and are thinking "Ha, no one else will be playing this!"

It's not long term though. It hasn't got much outright power, just really picks on tiny weenie decks once I stabilise. So I'm thinking that the sneaky clever deck would be best for, wait for it, GP Grinders. Yeah, Friday can be Slaughter Games all the way. That leaves Serious Deck of Choice #1 to be the Day 1, Day 2 part of my game, but what's that going to be?

My natural attraction was to blue/red/white, so I'm thinking at the moment that that's it, and I'm going to have to figure it out really soon. Next thursday I leave, so by then I'd better have my deck chosen. Do I go Bant though, with it's quick ramp, permissable control and giant boom-booms? (That 10/10 in two parts for six mana, Armada Wurm? YEAH!) Or does everyone expect it so they build the 8+ Terminus deck to eat me arse out?

I don't know. I do know playing Elves will get the elves killed because everyone kills elves. So there's no point. Wait for turn 2 naturally and cast Far Seek, ya know? It'd also allow for a clever splash of any colour I want, seeing there's a nonForest nonBasic of whatever colour you'd like, say W for the definate ability to Terminus?

Though Terminus and Armada Wurm in the same deck == the sillies.

The options are great, powerful and all look enticing. Nothing looks as good as just playing super control and nuking the board until I can drop my large slow lads that just glomp up the ground. This suggests some kind of 4-colour deck, though I REALLY don't think the decks can support it, and Far Seek would only half fix that.

So that's my position, and I'm torn. I've come full circle to love Slaughter Games again, and I know plenty of people wouldn't even consider it legitimate, so being suddenly pants'd in game 1 by this "horrible card" would do loads to tilt an unwary opponent.

But I can't shake the idea that there's something more consistent out there, that everyone else is playing. Is that the Rogue calling me, "Fooox... it's a good, clever, but above all legitimate idea...!"

I certainly hope not, will keep you posted.