Remember Parfait?

[ShoryuuReppaX]

One of my friends started Magic years and years ago, quit around Exodus, and just started Magic again. One thing I've been doing is trying to build classic decks and show it to him. I've always found Parfait to be one of the most unique decks out there.

So, the question that bugs me is how do you build a modern day Parfait that captures the spirit of the deck?

My requirements for this deck is rather simple. Obviously, the deck is not Vintage competitive. I have no intention to try to make it competitive. I am more interested in capturing the original intentions of the deck. Newer cards from newer sets are fine, as long as it doesn't change the playstyle or the marquee cards in the deck.

So, my definition of Parfait is a deck using the Land Tax and Scroll Rack draw engine, and controlling your land count via Zuran Orb. Cheap stall is given by StP, Orim's Chant, and Abeyance. Panic button in the form of Wrath of Gods and Balance. Long Term control via a few Aura of Silences, Ivory Mask, and Humility. Some recursion via a Soldevi Digger and a few Argivian Finds. Kill is either Goblin Charbelcher or Sacred Mesa. Other random stuff like Enlightened Tutor and Planar Birth. And artifact mana.

So lets see... what do I have?

4 Land Tax
4 Scroll Rack
2 Zuran Orb

4 Swords to Plowshares
4 Abeyance

2 Wrath of God
1 Balance

2 Aura of Silence
1 Ivory Mask
1 Humility
1 Island Sanctuary

1 Soldevi Digger
4 Argivian Find

1 Sacred Mesa
1 Goblin Charbelcher
1 Planar Birth
1 Enlightened Tutor

1 Sol Ring
1 Mox Diamond
2 Talisman of Progress / Marble Diamond
18 Plains
1 Black Lotus (interchangeable with plains for budget casual)
1 Mox Pearl (interchangeable with plains for budget casual)

I think that's 59 cards. Basically, what are good inclusions? (i'm staying away from a sideboard, this is more for demonstration than practicality, honesty. which is why this is definitely in casual.)

So, how would you change this deck to make it spiritually closer to the original Parfait decks? And oh yeah, what are some other very unique classic decks that can be easily built?

[Illissius]

Oh man, I'm such a sucker for classic decks. Here's some:

Necro
Pox
Nether Void
Butter Knives
Napster
Hatred
ProsBloom
Fruity Pebbles
Sneak Attack
Replenish
Enchantress
Tinker
Wildfire
TurboHaups
Ponza Rotta Red
Legion Land Loss
Squirrel Prison
The Rock and His Millions
Secret Force
Survival, various flavours of
Oath
Turboland
Stasis
Draw-Go
Forbiddian

[keys]

A red splash ("Cherry Parfait") can be tasty.  It lets you play with Burning Wish.

-1 Planar Birth
+1 Burning Wish
-4 Plains
+1 Plateau
+3 Mountain

Since you don't have a Sideboard yet, I'll suggest this:

Sideboard:
4 Red Elemental Blast
2 Tormod's Crypt
2 Seal of Cleansing
1 Blood Moon
1 Pyrostatic Pillar
1 Wrath of God
1 Dust to Dust
1 Pyroclasm
1 Tariff
1 Planar Birth

Other cards to consider here:
Slice and Dice
Morningtide
Armageddon
Trash for Treasure
Winds of Change
Wheel of Fortune
Replenish

Other than that, your maindeck looks pretty traditional, which is what you're aiming for, right?  I love Parfait... Enjoy!

[MarkPharaoh]

Don't forget Blueberry Parfait.  Whatever happened to K-Run?

[Harlequin]

I always liked the Parfait / Belcher

Also If you've already got the scroll racks ... draco-plotion could be a cool wincondition.  For those unfamilair  Draco (who costs 16 mana) and Erratic Explosion are great with Scroll Rack.

[klu]

// Lands
    1  Strip Mine
    5  Plains
    1  Library of Alexandria
    3  Flooded Strand
    3  Scrubland
    3  Swamp

// Creatures
    4  Dark Confidant

// Spells
    1  Balance
    3  Goblin Charbelcher
    2  Tithe
    2  Seal of Cleansing
    4  Duress
    2  Abolish
    4  Land Tax
    1  Mox Sapphire
    4  Scroll Rack
    1  Mox Emerald
    1  Mox Jet
    1  Mox Pearl
    1  Mox Ruby
    1  Vampiric Tutor
    1  Black Lotus
    3  Chains of Mephistopheles
    4  Chalice of the Void
    3  Swords to Plowshares

here is the last list of parfait i worked on. Parfait is the first "competitive" deck i've played after casual.. I wanted to adapt it to the beginning of dragon's/slaver metagame.
Dark confidant was a more recent inclusion..

[zombone]

Here's my optomized build for you.

LAND

1   Strip Mine
2   Wasteland
11  Plains
1   Serra's Sanctom


DRAW ENGINE

4 Land Tax
3 Scroll Rack
2 Zuran Orb

ENCHANTMENTS

1 Moat
1 Story Circle
1 Peace of Mind (Great in response to a Balance/Planar Birth. Better than Ivory Tower)
1 Ivory Mask
3 Aura of Silence

ARTIFACT

1 Black Lotus
1 Mox Peral
1 Lotus Petal
1 Mox Diamond
1 Sol Ring
1 Tormod's Crypt
1 Crucible of Worlds
1 Reito Lantern (1 generic more to use than Soldevi Digger, but you can grab any card in any grave)

INSTANT

1 Enlightened Tutor
4 Argivian Find
4 STP
4 Orim's Chant
3 Abeyance

Sorcery

1 Planar Birth
1 Balance
1 Wrath of God
2 Goden Wish (this deck can actualy cast them early enough to matter)

WIN

2 Sacred Mesa

=========================

SIDEBOARD

1 Coat of Arms (this is here if the match is taking too long. i.e. Still the first match in a round, and you've gone to 5 turn extention.)
1 Moat
1 Wrath of God
2 Defence Grid
1 Tormod's Crypt
1 Story Circle
1 Ivory Mask
1 Conversion
1 Peace of Mind
1 Karmic Justice
1 Crucible of Worlds
1 Cursed Totem
1 Reito Lantern
1 Aura Fracture


It takes forever for someone to kill you/you to kill them, but it's fun if you're not playing against it.
The power can be changed for plains and the moat's can be changed for humility. If you do this you should cut a defence grid in the side for a masticore.
The deck is 62 cards. You could cut the Wish, although I suggest that you try them first.