A thought beyond.

If I was ever fortunate enough to write a series for a proper big money-paying website, I'd call my column "a thought beyond". It would be all about the stella decks that really smack a format for 2, and end up with all the Top 8 players.

Sealed formats are quickly "understood" because the Commons that really rock show up in winning decks, or sometimes the 'problem' cards like Madcap Skills. It's a problem that you can be so dead so quick, either taking damage or trading for more mana and perhaps the same cards.

That's not the case for constructed though, seeing the top decks show up, and present themselves very well and then are WIDE-LY spread around. What's the key thing? What's the thought beyond all the other decks, that lead to great players having the greatest deck to make day 2, top 8, win?

I'd like to bring up the magical number, after the obvious "bargain" cards. Sphinx's Revelation is the best thing you can do in Standard at the moment. Melisa DeTora and Ben Stark both played decks that took great advantage of this, using different key cards to really punish the opponent.

Ben Stark played a very clever set up, with no permanents that 3 or less and very few creatures that weren't brilliant value on their own. Augur of Bolas: draw a card. The 1/3 is what's extra. Resto Angel? Reloads on Augur or Snapcaster, the 3/4 is just a bonus, or and instant creature-based lightning bolt in the air. Snapcaster Mage? The 2/1 is highly forgetable, as instead you can rebuy ANY SPELL you want, or even bait out that counter spell from the opponent (I'll Snapcaster and possibly replay that Sphinx's Revelation. Counter it?).

The exciting card here, that was only a 2-of, was Planar Cleansing. It clears away all the problem cards, anything not indestructible, and most importantly any Garruks and Lilys hanging around. Included is the deck's own built-in self resilience, winning with nonBasic Nephalia Drownyards. No problem. Got more spells? Here's another 4 wraths and a Cleansing. Still alive? 2 Snapcasters make it 8 total.

The exciting thing about Melisa's deck is that it plays the same 2-of, being drawn very easily off bigger and bigger Sphinx's Revelations and allowing the deck to transform. It goes from being basic Bant, which plays against itself all the time, and turn into a trampling madhouse, where all your lands get to attack for +1! Trampling Thragtusk's change the game and play against expectation.

So my point was that the magical number is 2, if you're playing with Sphinx's Revelation. It's allowed these two decks to play single, out-of-the-ordinary cards to gain a really good advantage.