03.21.02  - Since I missed my article for last week, I thought I'd make up for it by posting 2 deck fixed this week.  Both these decks sent to me were versions of popular standard builds that could use a boost from one of the most overlooked artifacts from Odyssey... Millikin.  Milli"king" actually serves 2 functions to improve BOTH these decks in that it works as mana acceleration AND feeds threshold!  

The first deck is an attempt to build a sligh deck... lets look at Casey's build.


  Greetings, sir.  I know you probably won't be reading this, but I'd really appreciate it if you would help me out with this Sligh deck I've created.  I've won most of the games I've played with it, but I feel like there's something missing. So, here's the list, and thanks for taking a look.

4x Shock (standard ouch)
4x Skullscorch (4 damage or Hymn.  Not bad)
4x Volcanic Hammer
4x Grim Lavamancer (not that I'll be able to get 4 of these...)
4x Urza's Rage
4x Fiery Temper (since I don't have any discard in here, I might take them out for something else)
4x Firebolt
2x Ghitu Fire
1x Blaze (you know, in case of Haunting Echoes)
1x Spitting Earth
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4x Skizzik (I don't really have to explain this, do I?)
1x Kamahl, Pit Fighter (It's a token white male! Haha.  But seriously, he's saved my ass on turn 6 before.)
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3x Barbarian Ring
20x Mountain
___
Again, thanks for taking a look.

Casey


In my pathetic, sometimes demented world of magic Sligh is all about early drops for early pressure and then using burn to finish the opponent off.  Casey has built more of a "burn" deck that I think could use some creatures as a more efficient way to deal more damage over the course of the game.  Here's the mono-red deck I've been testing on Apprentice lately with some success...

4 Grim Lavamancer
4 Mogg Sentry
2 Raging Goblin
4 Millikin
4 FTK
4 Skizzik

4 Reckless Charge
4 Firebolt
4 Fire/Ice
4 Urza's Rage

17 Mountains
4 Barbarian Ring
1 Keldon Necropolis


How does Millikin fit into this picture?  Well for a mono-red deck there's 2 cards that are great fits for an aggresive deck... those being Skizzik and Flametongue Kavu.  The unfortunate side to these creatures is that they cost 4 to cast which is too expensive for the traditional sligh build that wants to apply early beats.  This is where Millikin will immediately shine as it will allow you to play both these wrecking balls on turn three.  

But that's not all, Millikin also has great synergy with 2 other cards that by themselves do not see eye to eye... Grim Lavamancer and Barbarian Ring.  Lavamancer wants to remove cards from the grave to deal damage while Barbarian Ring needs ATLEAST 7 cards in the grave to deal damage!  Millikin supplies the cards in grave to be able to use both of these excellent cards.

++++++   +++++    +++++  ++++

My second deck-fix that involves Millikin is a B/R  deck heavy on removal and disruption via discard.  First the deck as it was sent to me...


This is my red/black deck. My concept is simple, eliminate early threats
by direct damage and removal spells then wait until my fatties come out. But
somehow my deck doesn't work against fast decks like goblin or white weenie.
Can you suggest anything to make my deck better? Thanks!!!

Here's my deck:

Lands
9 Swamp
7 Mountain
4 Urborg Volcano
3 Tainted Peak

Creatures
3 Flametongue Kavu
3 Blazing Specter
2 Phyrexian Scuta
2 Skizzik
2 Sengir Vampire
2 Thundescape Familiar
2 Nightscape Familiar
4 Mesmeric Fiend
1 Ichorid

Spells
4 Blazing Salvo
4 Terminate
4 Backlash
2 Chainer's Edict
2 Void


More of a control deck than the mono-red deck above... Millikin serves once again as a great accelerant for high end spells like Blazing Spectre and Void.  Actually my version runs Shower of Coals over Void because once again Millikin will help achieve Threshold as well as accelerate the casting of Shower!  

4 Duress
4 Shock
4 Millikin
4 Chainer's Edict
4 Mesmeric Fiend
3 Pyre Zombie
4 Urza's Rage
4 Blazing Spectre
3 FTK
2 Shower of Coals

4 r/b pain lands
4 r/b tap lands
3 Barbarian Ring
6 Mountains
7 Swamps


Ideally you'd like to see early Duress/Mesmeric Fiend to force thru a Blazing Spectre for an early win.  If they are able to deal with the Spectre with a top deck or you just don't draw him early all your removal in the deck will buy you all the time you need.  Millikin will also help with Flashback on Chainer's Edict and the recursion of Pyre Zombie in the mid game.  This is an excellent deck that functions well in any point of a game versus most any opponent you will face... Kicked Urza's Rage is yet another late game option this deck has!

Hope this helps... have fun! (Go Saluki's!!)
Aaron