Black mass removal EDH cards I can think off:

Crux of Fate

Life's Finale

Decree of Pain

In Garruk's Wake

Overwhelming Forces

More semi-mass removal can be found in Gatherer, but vary from having X-in the CMC or only remove a certain creature type.
http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=+[destroy]+[all]+[creatures]||text=+[destroy]+[all]+[creatures]&color=|

Dug up my TMD account just to QFT this.

Thanks for the articles! Really like reading about those 'good old days'. Although me and my brother started playing MtG around the time Exodus was released, we were really impressed by the competitive decks we saw friends play. And I do recognise the creatures mentioned.

I think your opponent is just a sore loser.

Such a bummer..I was looking forward to more actual duallands...
Also tapped into play, was that really necessary? These lands with scry 1 seem marginally better than the Invasion-duals.
I am very curious to see how these lands actually work in real games. It seems like a great set for sealed-formats.

Easy to miss, but 'Far' only bounces a Creature.

Also, 5 CMC for a two for one. Not sure about the speed of vintage right now, but it seems unlikely that this card will be cast with fuse.

I think this is correct, if I look at

Edit:
And then I found this thread in the WotC rules forum: http://community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/75842/26505005/Reconnaissance_questions
Reconnaissance can be used for pseudo-vigilance.
As was already said by ed0.

Interesting design characteristic too (although I'm no expert), it does surprise me that this is

• not a mythic
• not even legendary

Almost looks like Wizards just really dislikes it when players win by other means than the combat phase...

Thawing Glaciers was my first guess too!
WotC did make a Judge Foil version of Thawing Glaciers in 2010 if I'm correct?
http://magiccards.info/jr/en/51.html

The same year as the last changes were made to the reserved list, so it could be that the reprinted Glaciers was done before the card was put on the reserved list.

Other lands to appear in this FTV could include EDH staples like Maze of Ith, Volrath's Stronghold_{also on reserved list...}, Academy Ruins, Wasteland OR Strip Mine, Mikokoro?

Perhaps not entirely relevant for Vintage, but anyone see the announcement for the two Event Decks that will come with Dark Ascension?

Especially the Spiraling Doom deck seems interesting, containing 2 Birthing Pods, 4Strangleroot Geist and Solemn. Seems solid for a preco.

http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Article.aspx?x=mtg/daily/arcana/902

Stephen Menendian has written a lot of excellent articles on how to use Gifts Ungiven in somewhat similar lists.
Be sure to check out this one: http://www.starcitygames.com/magic/vintage/18317_So_Many_Insane_Plays_How_To_Use_Gifts_Ungiven_In_Vintage_Tezzeret.html

This one might also be useful: http://www.starcitygames.com/magic/vintage/16270_So_Many_Insane_Plays_The_Perfect_Storm.html

Could be nice with Pox / Small Pox?

It does feel kinda comfortable to know that whenever something completely new and exciting is launched from Maro-HQ, TMD is the place where it gets burnt.

I must say, I don't like the flippin' double faced cards from what I know now. It does seem a more fitting mechanic for 'kitchen table'-fun times than a competitive setting. Also qft

Good news for Commander-precons: every commander deck will have a Sol Ring!



http://www.wizards.com/magic/magazine/article.aspx?x=mtg/daily/arcana/723&dcmp=ilc-mtgrss

If you do a Google search for 'Godbook' and 'New Phyrexia' you'll end up where you need to be.
Extra hint, a blog called mtg realm claims to have put up a complete text-based spoiler.

Just a quick FYI, I noticed you said . Spells cast trough cascade are still cast and can be countered. See also the rulings at the bottom of this page:

http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=185053

So...in the end, would Jitte get +4 counters since the equipped creature deals combat damage twice?
(first strike damage: +2, regular damage: +2 = +4 counters)

On the bottom of the Arcana page on mtg.com a new keyword is spoiled (click several times on the dice at the bottom):

Infect (this creature deals damage to creatures in the form of -1/-1 counters and to players in the form of poison counters.)

How about that...


http://www.wizards.com/magic/magazine/article.aspx?x=mtg/daily/arcana/519

In the 3CMC slot against Stax, why not give Seeds of Innocence a try?
Of course, it's not very effective in other match ups

I would cut the bloodghasts and rancors, and focus on your combo. Also, drop the landcount and add some moxen.
Try something like this (quick 'n dirty version):

2 Swamp
1 Forest
4 Dark Depths
4 Bayou
4 Verdant Catacombs
2 Bloodstained Mire
3 Wasteland
1 Black Lotus
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Jet
2 Into the North
4 Crop Rotation
1 Worldly Tutor
1 Fastbond
4 Reanimate
4 Unearth
4 Buried Alive
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Demonic Consultation
4 Vexing Shusher
3 Xantid Swarm
3 Dark Confidant
4 Vampire Hexmage

Nice article Dennis. Good read!
You could have said something on the metagame-choice of 5c Stax over Red Staxx or MUD, but that was recently covered in Steven Menedian's article on Crop Rotation-Staxx a few weeks ago anyway.

I do have a few questions, if I may (although I'm no pro on Staxx):
- the list you suggested plays 4 welders. Do you find that to be the (only) correct number? I've seen others play 2 or 3 copies. With the rainbow-manabase one could play 2 welders, 1 regrowth and 1 gifts, to add more flexibilty, recursion and a 2card tutor. What are your thoughts on not including Gifts Ungiven or Regrowth?
- you've chosen not to include Uba Masks. In the tourney in Utrecht last saturday I got paired against Arjen Ruiterkamp, playing R-Staxx with bazaars and Uba Mask. The amount of cards he drew was simply put insane. Why did you not include the Ubamask-Bazaar draw eninge?
- On the 'what cards to play first' issue. This always bugs me when I'm playing the Staxx deck in my testing group. I often know my opponents playing FoWs, and I'm often stifled by not being sure what card to cast first. Smokestack seems to be the right choice though. Crucible is often you trump card, so it's not wise to get that countered early on. Learning how to play this any deck correctly and successfully comes pretty much down to knowing what hands to keep, and how to play them. That means lot of testing, and tournament play!

As a final note, I didn't know that you could tell your opponent how he should stack upkeep triggers. Good to know though.
On the trigger-issue, is it possible to stack smokestack with 0 counters on it in your upkeep in such a way, that you can sac a permanent to it? For instance against Oath, you might wanna sac spirits as fast as possible. So you normally first sac 0 permanents, then put a counter on. But from you article I understand you could do the reverse?

Thanks again for the article!

Nice report, good read. Congrats on the finish!
Very interesting list too. Seems like a mix of Fish and more controllish lists. Did you ever wish you had more Duress-effects?

Have one insignificant question, which is probably a typo anyway:
Round 3, game 1 you mention getting rid of Barb. ring in case you find a second sower that you boarded in. Did you forget to take it out in the previous round?

Okay!That's even better. Thanks!

_{apologies for possible topic-necromancy, but I do think my question belongs in this topic.}

I have another Commandeer question: what happens if you Commandeer someones Buried Alive? Will it work in the desired way, i.e. I (as the Commandeer-caster) get to put creatures in my G.Y.? Or do I get the choice of which creatures (if any) will be 'buried alive' in my opponents G.Y?

I did check out the Oracle-text of both cards, but that got me more confused:

Commandeer
Color= Blue    Type= Instant    Cost= 5UU    CS(R)

Text (CS+errata): You may remove two blue cards in your hand from the game rather than pay ~this~'s mana cost. ; Gain control of target noncreature spell. You may choose new targets for it. (If that spell is an artifact, enchantment, or planeswalker, the permanent comes into play under your control.) [Oracle 2008/04/01]

• You cannot remove this card since it is in the stack already when you are choosing cards to pay the cost. [Coldsnap FAQ 2006/06/14]
• Even though you control the spell, it goes to its owner's graveyard. [Coldsnap FAQ 2006/06/14]
• After you gain control of the spell, references to "you" in the card text refer to you and not the former controller. [Coldsnap FAQ 2006/06/14]
  
• You do not have to change the targets, but you can. If you do change them, the new targets must be legal. If you don't change them, they can remain illegal. [Coldsnap FAQ 2006/06/14]

---

Buried Alive

Color= Black    Type= Sorcery    Cost= 2B    WL(U)/OD(U)

Text (OD): Search your library for up to three creature cards and put them into your graveyard. Then shuffle your library.

• You can look in your library and then choose to find any number from zero to three creatures after you look at it. [D'Angelo 2000/12/07]
• You do not have to find all three creature cards if you do not want to. You can choose to find zero, one, or two instead. See Rule G19.4. [D'Angelo 2001/07/14]

So, Oracle says Commandeer changes all instances of "You" in the targeted spell on the stack to "You" as the caster of Commandeer. So do you as the owner of Commandeer get to put creatures in your GY, or get to choose the creatures that will be put in to the GY of the owner of Buried Alive?
I think the latter is true, but I would like to hear what you guys have to say about it 

I tested Mindlock Orb shortly after it was printed, somewhere near November '08, in a 'Crazy Staxx' shell as suggested by Steven Menendian.
I found that Mindlock, as a prison-piece, was usefull. However, its CMC makes it come into play too late. In most matches, it's probably smarter to drop spheres of even null rod in stead of M.orb. By the time you want to drop M.orb, you could have also played Smokestack, Uba Mask, a Juggernaut, or simply gone bonkers with Metalworker. Don't get me wrong, it's a solid card and it can win games for you. It just felt underachieving to me to run it 4 or 3 times. Could be nice to have 2 or even a singleton though.

Phyrexian Tower seems a bit conditional to me. Why don't you try Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth instead?
MD-ing Urborg makes it easier to go on the Obeyline route as well.

Did you by any chance mean Mana Burn instead of Mana Drain?
I was kinda lured here through the RSS-header suggesting Maro wanted to ban drain, but it looks like all he talks about is mana burn.

Yeah..well..I must say that my first reaction was all fury and rage, but after checking the forum at WotC that kinda subsided.

Along with many "OMG how can they do this" and "OMG why did they do this", come answers in the likes of "if it ain't broke, fix it till it is", "So, if like you guys are quitting, can I have your cards?" and the more sensible answer from  "ainsi_la_nuit  ainsi_la_nuit":

I guess he has a point...this game has been around for what? About 16 years? And it survived all those years to such a degree, that even those earliest of cards printed way back in 1993 are still playable and legal in official sanctioned tournaments...

So, before turning this thread into a 2nd flame-infested trollinggrotto, let us just give 'them' some credit for keeping a freaking card game alive for so long. And yes, things change and although some change is highly welcomed (i.e. yes we can) some change is not. But if these changes keep my favorite game alive, hey, I guess I'll just have to learn some new rules. And unlearn some old ones that I liked 10million times better than the new ones. But this is not a game published by / in Soviet Russia, so bucks need to made. And bucks are made through new customers mostly.

QFT

I do not see how this could be a serious addition to a core set. I could see how this clunky card fit in some crazy theme, where P9-cards have infested the land. But this card in a core set? And in to the battlefield?

Woe is us...

Actually, as far as I know, Impulse has been errata-ed so that you no longer need to shuffle.


You just put cards on the bottom these days..

Sounds a lot like Vangaurd to me.

Also, check out the Serra's Sanctum in the second picture: