Welcome to yet another article from the demented mind known as crypticfreak1978. In this article I will stray from my normal style by focusing on the newest craze sensation, Magic the Gathering Online, also known as Digital Cardboard Crack. At the moment I can only write a few short sentences before I need to get my next fix.

OK, I'm back now. What a wonderful world we live in, when we can not only play Magic with physical objects, but also with nonexistent pixilated images that we mortgage our souls for. I play, or should I say, am addicted to both forms of Magic. At one time I was against the idea of paying for something that would eventually be worth nothing. How wrong was I? I sold my first collection for pennies on the dollar only to see that same collection now would be worth thousands.

What is one to do about losing out on such a seemingly losing investment? Get back on the saddle and pony up again. Doing this costs money I don't have and would not be willing to spend if I did. So I sold my soul to the digital gaming gods and purchased some tickets to the great ball. Using those tickets I was able to connive my way to a few wins in drafts. The wonderful thing about drafting is that most people actually try to win. This leaves the good, but not really playable in draft, rares that can fetch you a few pretty pennies each. Some only fetch an ugly copper. Through this manner I have been able to acquire a decent collection of miscreants I hope can one day help me attain the lofty rank I was once at in the real world.

Throughout my short tenure as a writer here I have written about the power of this one card I believe to be unbelievably powerful. That card happens to be the one and only: Locket of Yesterdays. I do not believe that I am beating a dead horse on this topic, but rather giving some life to an old friend. My collection of misguided miscreants have helped me come up with what I believe to be an even more powerful version of my Locket deck.

Locket of Yesterdays version 3.0

Creatures (2):
2 Wall of Roots

Instants (20):
4 Mystical Teachings
4 Sprout Swarm
4 Remand
4 Careful Consideration
4 Repeal

Sorceries (4):
4 Compulsive Research

Artifact (12):
4 Locket of Yesterdays
4 Cloud Key
4 Dimir Signet

Land (22):
2 Swamp
12 Island
8 Forest

Sideboard can be created based on whatever manipulations you fear facing. I feared few but learned a valuable lesson in the end. Entering the Online Arena I focused my mana on defeating my opponents the way I dreamed of, Total Annihilation!!! Here is the way my dream plays out:

Turn one: Play Island, Locket of Yesterdays (5 cards in hand)

Turn two: Play Forest, Wall of Roots (4 cards in hand)

Turn three: Play Island, Compulsive Research, Discard two Sprout Swarm, Play Locket of Yesterdays (2 cards in hand)

Turn four: Play Island, End of Opponent�s turn play Careful Consideration, go infinite with Sprout Swarm.

Your Arsenal includes many spells you may cast on your opponent�s turn, allowing you to surprise them with this deck. Cloud Key allows you to still combo out if your opponent removes your graveyard with some Sprout Swarms in it.

For those of ye who don't know how to blow ye defending magi away, follow these steps:

1- Get a Locket of Yesterdays or 2 into play
2- Get 2 or 3 Sprout Swarm into the graveyard
3- Make infinite tokens

Now that you have shared in the suffering of my addiction I ask for your help. My powers are weak against what is known as Angel Fire. My dream does not come true when facing this nightmarish deck. I have suffered many defeats to the hands of the Angel Fire Magi. How can I slow this mighty flying force? Leave your mark for me to examine and all praise will be granted to the savior of my dilemma.


Billy Moreau
[email protected]