Parfait builds.

[K-Run]

Replenish : The only thing I don't like about playing many of them is the chance you get 2 in your opening hand. Plus, you don't have a lot of enchantments in the graveyard most of the time. I'd say Argivian Find is strictly superior in Parfait, but don't misunderstand me: Replenish is quite broken too, but under some circumstances.

Humility : Usually better than Moat, which is in the sideboard for those unusual circumstances.

Swords : It's such a good card, you don't want to go lower than 4 of these.

Chant : played over Abeyance because it's better vs combo. Having 2-3 chants/abeyances in hand and nothing to push through sucks though. Since you already have a lot of "must-counter", a few (2-3) additional Chants will be enough to break the counter wall.

Ivory Tower : I play two of them mostly because I play Humility over Moat. A survival spell until you get your silver bullet in play, then becomes itself a silver bullet.

Ivory Mask : Since winning the first game is so important, you want your deck to be as "invincible" as it can be. While it's strenght vs Sligh is obvious, the Mask also protects vs discard, Crypt and a lot of random things.

Soldevi Digger : It returns your instants, sorceries and lands to your library. Of course you will never return enchantments and artifacts to your deck.

[Shade]

Hey guys!

I've been looking for a powerless control deck that can actually compete in a tourney setting, and after looking over this and a couple other threads, Parfait looks very interesting to me.  However, I'm wondering if there's any sort of primer out on this deck, even an outdated one?  I think I understand the general functionality of the deck, but any other info I could gain would be great before deciding how I want to build the deck.  

My main thing here are that I play in a sideboardless format, so the deck has to be as balanced as possible MD against all decktypes. Also, I was wondering what everyone's general analysis is of Mobilization vs. Mesa.  I think I may try the Mobilization because of the stupid upkeep on Mesa that I KNOW I'll forget more often than not.   Thanks in advance.

[j_orlove]

Mesa is *much* better, because the tokens are cheaper, and they fly. Flying is good, especially if morphling or moat are on the board.

If you don't mind devaluing your cards, you can write "pay the upkeep" on them with a thick marker. It usually works pretty well.

[Shade]

Quote (j_orlove @ Oct. 20 2002,13:07)Mesa is *much* better, because the tokens are cheaper, and they fly. Flying is good, especially if morphling or moat are on the board.

If you don't mind devaluing your cards, you can write "pay the upkeep" on them with a thick marker. It usually works pretty well.

True, the Mesa is cheaper per token, but you still have to pay 6 mana to generate those first 2 tokens, and you aren't forced to pay an upkeep with Mob if you need the mana for other things.  Also, leaving your creatures in a position to both attack and block has to be nice.

[Zherbus]

When you are ready to drop the win condition, mana is generally a non-issue.

[Shade]

Quote (Zherbus @ Oct. 20 2002,14:09)When you are ready to drop the win condition, mana is generally a non-issue.

That's kind of my point.  The extra mana to use Mobilization doesn't matter much then, but the fact that you may have to drop the Mesa/Mob early makes it easier to work around the Mob, due to the negligable upkeep.  I haven't had the chance to actually play the deck yet, though, so this is just a random observation.

[pernicious dude]

If you stick a couple of lands up under the Mesa,
it's hard to untap without remembering the upkeep.

Yes, this a definitely a tournament level deck.
Power helps, but it's quite playable without.

I have a hard time finishing more than one game in 50 minutes,
but Sam can regularly play 2 or 3 in time.
He top 8-ed yesterday with it and never timed out.
It takes practice, though.

It's not a deck you can just download, build and go play.
There's a lot going on in there.

[BigChuck]

Shade:
The upkeep on mesa does not matter late game, as you will have plenty of mana to pay it. If you forget, then your just dumb. It really isn't that big of a burden to remember to lose a guy during your upkeep. Mobilization is NOT a better card because there is no upkeep. It also doesn't work well with other cards in the deck(mainly moat). Mesa has the bonus of having good synergy with everything, and being able to endlessly block morphling. If you have a mobilization on the table, I'd laugh as my morphling beat you down.

[cooberp]

Re: Pariah--
Pariah is great in Enchantress because Enchantress has huge amounts of search and four everything-for-one Replenishes.  I have no idea if a Pariah or multiples are good in a deck that can't tutor for them against a Negator or recur them without losing the opportunity to recur all the other stuff.  Maybe it still is.

[Razor]

You mentioned valid reasons Cooberp - I think your hunch about Pariah in Parfait is similar to mine - no.

I don't like Pariah in Parfait.  Why?

1) Parfait runs fewer maindeck Replenish (in lieu of Argivian Finds) to maximize its recursion.

2) Pariah plainly lacks versatility, too.  Especially in the face of untargettable threats like: Iridescent Angel, Morphling, Nimble Mongoose, Mishra's Factories, etc.

3) For just one extra mana, a card like Humility is a better bomb - it stops everything but Combo.
[Aside: However, despite the inferiority of Pariah in comparison to a card like Humility, Enchantress must use Pariah simply because its Argothian Enchantresses cannot abide Humility.  Enchantress's ability to Replenish Pariah onto untargettables is truly amazing.]

4) Even Replenished onto a hapless Morphling, the darned Morphling can still dish 5 damage yet survive the Pariah with stack tricks.  This is one example of Pariah's shortcomings.

Q. So should Parfait run more enchantment-bombs (like Pariah) and increase the number of Replenish to maximize their effect at the cost of non-replenishables (like Plows, Wraths and Finds)?

A. No. For, as K-Run said, Argivian Find is simply more effective in Parfait than Replenish is.  Parfait fundamentally requires cheap, undercosted, powerful maindeck spells since it must consistently operate the Land Tax engine to win.  It cannot count on having 3 or 4 mana available with which to Pariah/Replenish whilst also hoping to Tax:Rack.

It is all about Tax, Rack and A.Find, and much less about Pariah or Replenish.

[kl0wn]

Quote (Razor @ Oct. 21 2002,21:59)Q. So should Parfait run more enchantment-bombs (like Pariah) and increase the number of Replenish to maximize their effect at the cost of non-replenishables (like Plows, Wraths and Finds)?

A. No. For, as K-Run said, Argivian Find is simply more effective in Parfait than Replenish is.  Parfait fundamentally requires cheap, undercosted, powerful maindeck spells since it must consistently operate the Land Tax engine to win.  It cannot count on having 3 or 4 mana available with which to Pariah/Replenish whilst also hoping to Tax:Rack.

It is all about Tax, Rack and A.Find, and much less about Pariah or Replenish.

Odd...I've been having tremendous results from my 3-Replenish Parfait build. I've only lost  3 matches in the past 3 tournaments I've played it in, and those 3 matches were against Academy.

You shouldn't ever cut Plows, Wraths and Finds. You can, however, cut Ivory Towers.

Pariah isn't a bomb, its a toy; it doesn't do much against a lot of the good decks out there. Pariah is basically like a Replenishable, Findable, bad version of StoP that costs 2 more mana and is not an instant. Of course, Pariah doesn't stop other creatures like Gorilla Shaman and Ophidian.

[pernicious dude]

I like Pariah in Parfait so much that I run an extra on the side.
It's all about the Negator.
Pariahing him is much better than Swordsing him.
I run 2 Replenish.

[Shade]

Here's my powerless Parfait build.  I haven't yet played with Parfait, so this is just based on the arguments I've read on the deck so far.  Does this stand a chance in a powered meta?

ENCHANTMENTS (14)
3 Aura of Silence
1 Blood Moon
1 Humility
1 Ivory Mask
4 Land Tax
1 Mobilization
1 Sacred Mesa
2 Story Circle

OTHER SPELLS (18)
4 Argivian Find
1 Balance
1 Enlightened Tutor
4 Orim's Chant
2 Replenish
4 Swords to Plowshares
2 Wrath of God

ARTIFACTS (6)
3 Scroll Rack
1 Soldevi Digger
2 Zuran Orb

MANA (22)
1 Lotus Petal
1 Mountain
1 Mox Diamond
15 Plains
1 Sol Ring
1 Strip Mine
2 Wasteland

The deck is currently sideboardless, but with that 1 MD Mountain, REB becomes an option.  

Also, has anyone considered replacing the Wastelands with a pair of City of Traitors?  There are 12 cards in this deck that require 2 colorless mana to cast, and it seems that speed may be Parfait's weak suit.  On top of that, with a Blood Moon MD, you can lock down LoA, Academy, and other non-basics anyway, and you don't want to Waste too many of the opponent's lands or you won't be able to Tax reliably.  And, since CoT dies as soon as you lay out another land, you can still Tax with ease!  Just some random thoughts.

[Iuewen]

The optimal land situation for you is you having 1 less land then your opponent. Wastelands help make it that way, as you can equalize down as much as you want with Zorb.

City of Traitors wouldnt work very well. First, like ANY nonbasic in parfait, it can't be taxed into. Bad. Its a wasteland target. Bad. It dies if you play a plains to catch up with your opponents land drops. Bad. It produces 2 colorless. Bad. Unless your land can affect board position, it really has no place in parfait. You almost never need 2 colorless early. Its a nice idea, but it just dosen't work in parfait

[kl0wn]

Iuewen, have you ever played with this deck? You ALWAYS[/i] need 2 colorless early.

Scroll Rack and every enchantment in the deck that doean't require an upkeep cost wants to come down ASAP. Wraths also like to be cast early on.

Also, if non-basic land that doesn't affect board position is bad in Parfait, why do people play with Library of Alexandria?

If you were to run City of Traitors, I would suggest including a couple of Marble Diamonds so that you could further exploit the extra Sol Rings.

Also, Mobilization is crap because it doesn't singlehandedly shut down Morphling (and other flyers) and win you the game at the same time like Mesa.


Aside from the Mobilization, your deck looks quite solid Shade.\n\n

[K-Run]

Having 2 extra colorless mana is great, but not at the expense of a land drop.

Mana Crypt would be a great addition, but unfortunately Parfait is too slow...

[Raven]

The simplest answer is to run Black Lotus, and combined with 4 Arkivakian Finds, you will always have enough mana to do what needs to be done. You could even Enlightened Tutor for the lotus early as well.

But unfortunatly lotus is very expensive... I decided to join the Parfait club and am building my own deck right now. I run Mox Pearl, Mox Diamond (Keeps land count down so helps tax), and Sol Ring. But still feels too slow, and from playtesting with a proxy Lotus, you wouldn't belive how much it speeds up the deck.

Lotus is so perfect for this deck, especially with all the WW casting costs. Guess I'll have to try and find some lotus tourney and enter.

[Radjammin]

Quote (Raven @ Oct. 23 2002,13:34)Lotus is so perfect for this deck, especially with all the WW casting costs. Guess I'll have to try and find some lotus tourney and enter.

I bought a lotus for this deck, and yes it is definatly a deck that benifits off the lotus alot.  I would say it might be the deck that uses the lotus the most, not to be confused with the deck that benifits most from having a lotus.  That's probaby keeper or Suicide.  It's common to drop the lotus like 4 times during a game.

[Iuewen]

kl0wn: Yes, this deck is all I play anymore. No, I dont feel this deck needs a two colorless mana land drop with those kind of limitations.

I don't play with library. I dont like having even one single waste target. It defeats the whole purpose of the mana base. With library/sanctum/anything your opponent doesn't have 4 dead wastes anymore. You have one less plains to tax for.

I like Mobilization. I play 1 mesa/1 mobil. The mesa can be searched for or tutored for if needed that bad. The mobil lets you win a lot faster as you can actually go a little aggressive when you have one out.

[Shade]

The thing I'm really starting to like about Parfait is the ability to run a MD basic of your choice to play out some powerful splash stuff.  Incarnations are kinda interesting (Anger for haste for your tokens), but I'm specifically thinking of trying a swamp MD to play Duress over Chant.  Good idea, or no?  Blue's not really worth splashing since I have no power for Ancestral, nor is green, which nets only Sylvan and Regrowth, neither of which is worth making room for.  Red IS worth it, IMO, just for Blood Moon, and black may be worth it for Duress.  Perhaps something like:

CREATURES (1)
1 Anger

ENCHANTMENTS (14)
3 Aura of Silence
1 Blood Moon
1 Humility
1 Ivory Mask
4 Land Tax
2 Sacred Mesa
2 Story Circle

OTHER SPELLS (18)
4 Argivian Find
1 Balance
1 Enlightened Tutor
4 Duress
2 Replenish
4 Swords to Plowshares
2 Wrath of God

ARTIFACTS (6)
3 Scroll Rack
1 Soldevi Digger
2 Zuran Orb

MANA (21)
1 Lotus Petal
1 Mountain
1 Mox Diamond
15 Plains
1 Sol Ring
1 Strip Mine
1 Swamp

I have little problem with removing Wastes for these slots, since Blood Moon should do the job well enough on lethal non-basics.

[kl0wn]

About Duress vs. Chant:

You're forgetting about the other part of Chant that is absolutely crucial against aggro which is the Timewalk effect. Also, by only running one Swamp in the deck, you'll have to wait until you've Taxed to cast it and its not as good then. If you want to have a better matchup against control, include another Replenish.

Don't get me wrong, I am a huge fan of Duress, I just don't think it belongs in Parfait. By splashing more than a minute amount of 1 other color, you start crossing the line between Parfait and Enchantress, which is more suited to support other colors.

About cutting more Wastelands:

Bad idea. Blood Moon hoses non-basics, yes, BUT one of the reasons for running multiple Wastelands is to have a better chance of drawing them, so as to not get totally sat on by a rampant LoA. Your only way to deal with nasty non-basics is Blood Moon, which you only have 1 of in a deck that has no search ability. You are just asking for trouble by cutting all of your Wastes.


Iuewen:

Your logic behind not running Library is a bit eccentric and flawed. Not playing with a card because it makes some of the cards in your opponents deck useful is not a good idea. Especially if those cards cost a land drop.

Regarding Mobilization vs. Mesa:

I've already spoken my piece on this, but let me just add something else:

Parfait is a defensive deck, it does not want to go aggro early on unless the planets align and it gets the perfect Balance hand.

Every card in the deck combines to create the ultimate defense. Mesa is a  tank. Mobilization is an armored car.

The tank needs more care to maintain and skill to operate, but is much more durable and blows shit up. The armored car is pretty simple, but doesn't take quite a beating and can't take anything out short of running it over or plowing into it.

[Iuewen]

Not playing a card that gives you a tiny advantage in a deck with such a powerful card advantage engine does not put you at a disadvantage. My logic is based on personal testing with it thanks. Making 4 wastes in your opponents deck suddenly shitty mana producers is NOT a bad thing. I don't understand why you can't even begin to see this.

I also have given my two cents on the mobil/mesa issue. I still use mesa, but mobil is solid as long as your opponent dosent have Morphling. Your analogy is based off bias instead of test in my opinion. I know parfait is a defensive deck, but there comes a point when you win. You know you win. Your opponent either dosen't realize this, or they are just being a pain in the ass and stalling for time. Those extra few turns that mobil saves you in this instance are golden. I draw more matches to people like this with parfait than I lose to combo. It annoys me enough that I have taken steps against it. Thats it. If I need a damn mesa I still have a mesa.

Drop mobil after humility still = attacking dosent cause your soldiers to tap = good thing. Just one more reason.

[Raven]

Does anyone run a few marble diamonds? The deck is very White mana intensive, so sol ring isn't even always helpfull. Do you think it would speed the deck up a bit? Or maybe help the deck to keep the land count low? I'm new to the deck so I'm not really sure how other people play it. But useually I try to keep my land count lower than my opponent, which in some cases is really low makeing it hard to mount a 1/1 token offensive. It would seem to me like marble diamonds could really help the deck out.

And whats the orgins of Parfait? If I remember correctly, the idea was created long ago when balances where not restricted. And the deck could run off 1-2 lands, and drop a balance to gain card advantage. And would run The Rack's as a kill method, but of course no mesa pegesus existed back then. It also ran CoP's, StP's, Disenchants, Wrath of Gods, and Icy Manipulators I think. This was the first mono-white controll, and I think it spawned the idea for Pox as well. Although Pox is a poor deck today, the idea is the same, card advantage through board controll.

I Think LoA is a great card for the deck, outside of the tax/scroll combo, it is very slow and has no card draw accel. A turn 1 LoA is  just too much card advantage. Who cares if ONE of your opponents Wastlands becomes usefull if that LoA nets you 3+ cards, it's more or less an ancestrall recall for white. The idea of parfait is to make your opponent have as many dead cards as possible through a lack of targets. But if we always worried about our opponents cards, then we would never play anything. *Sarcasm* We wouldnt wanna make our opponents counterspells usefull, so lets sit on our hands and play lands the whole game, Oh wait, we can't do that cause they could have a strip mine. Better just scoop all together. *End Sarcasm*

Have alittle common sense people, who wouldnt wanna make a turn 1 LoA? Especially if your playing Parfait and you always opt to draw, so it will always activate when you drop it. Now if someone was to suggest running a blinking spirit or another creature as the kill, we would have problems. I don't think 1 LoA is gonna messup my 14 Plains and make for inconsistant land draws, and if it is, so be it, thats a risk I'm willing to take for a free auto win every 7-10 games.

And worse case scenario, they do wasteland your LoA, ok, now the other 3 wastlands in there deck are pointless as well. And they hurt there own mana base by setting themselves back a turn by loseing a land drop to take out your LoA. I value Drawing Cards > Makeing 1 of my opponents wastlands usefull. I doubt I go over 1 non-basic land though, because like someone said, wastland targets are bad. But I fail to see how 1 single non-basic land in your deck will change the outcome of a game. The pro's outweigh the cons for adding a single non-basic in LoA.

It's like the old idea of running a lone Black Vise in a Stasis Deck. Sure it will make the deck alittle more inconsistant, but for the love of god, its only 1 card. And every 7-10 games you play, you end up pulling it on turn 1, and it's a card that single handedly wins the game for you. LoA is no different.

[Iuewen]

Hey im not saying not running LoA is the optimal thing to do for everyone, I just find that it works best for me. We all know the power of LoA, but it only has that power if it lives. And if that is the only target for enemy wastes then its sure not going to be around long enough to help.

Everyone around here runs 4x wastes, and if all goes well, I NEVER draw off LoA on the first turn. Dosen't that sound sad

I would much rather play a tax then a rack any day, and by that time my LoA is dead. I dont need it midgame, I need plains then to fuel tax/rack and finds. I don't need it lategame, I have already won or lost. One land that dies the turn after I draw it does not make me want to play the thing.

[Raven]

Well if your always gonna assume that your opponent will always have a wasteland in that opening hand to deal with your LoA then yeah, I guess it's a bad play. But the reality of the matter is that very often a LoA can go un answered for long periods of time even vs poeple playing 4 Wastlands. And you often force your opponent into tutoring for a wastland to deal with it.

Another reality is that you are not always gonna have a Tax/Rack in your opening hand, so I think of LoA as the 4th Rack in the deck. Just increases the odds that you will get some early drawing power.  4 Taxes, 3 Racks, and 1 LoA. Thats 8 cards, and from random drawing, chances are you will most often have at least one of those in your opening hand. Dropping the LoA just cuts off one of your draw sources makeing the odds slightly worse of getting one opening hand.

Also, alot of multi-colored decks are more focused on protecting and developing there very fragile mana base to pay any attention to yours. So many neglect to put wastlands in there decks, and if they do, it's a small ammount of say 1 Waste/1 Strip.

[kl0wn]

Quote  Making 4 wastes in your opponents deck suddenly shitty mana producers is NOT a bad thing. I don't understand why you can't even begin to see this.

Drawing more cards when you don't have Tax/Rack going is NOT a bad thing.

Outdrawing your opponent 2 to 1 is more important than making 3 of their lands LESS useful. I don't understand why you can't grasp the concept of card advantage.

Quote Your analogy is based off bias instead of test in my opinion.

I haven't tested Mobilazation in this deck for the same reason why I haven't tested Shock in Sligh. Mobilization is blatantly inferior to Sacred Mesa.

Perhaps your environment does not contain as many Morphlings or TNT as mine, and for that I am envious. I would love the opportunity to mess around with suboptimal cards.


I'm not going to start a flame war over this with you as it seems like this is shaping up to be.

I will now concede that I am not playing Parfait anymore and that I am instead playing a different deck altogether. Parfait is slow as molasses and loses to combo and control, but autowins against aggro. I am not playing that deck.

I am playing Hype.

I am playing a deck that splits with Keeper and hoses aggro and Mono-U, while being a large boil on combo's ass that occasionally pops and sprays sour-smelling filthy green puss everywhere. I am not concerned with gaining life until aggro or control is within range of killing me. I don't care about Morphlings any more than any other creature because my deck has 64945659576093 ways of killing them.

I started playing the deck with K-Run's December 22, 2000 decklist minus the Moat. I then altered it so that it would win against control as much as aggro. The deck evolved into what I now refer to as The Great White Hype because so many people have lost to it on countless occasions and began running the jankiest and most narrow SB cards to stop it (read the old Cunning Wish In Keeper thread and then ask yourself why CrazyCarl was playing with Allay over Aura Fracture). I maintained a 100% game win percentage throughout an entire 29-person tournament that included Keeper, Mono-U and OSE with Hype; the Keeper deck was played by our very own Riverboa11 and the OSE was played by CrazyCarl and I beat them both without losing a game. I have not lost a match to any deck aside from Academy within the past month since I started playing with Hype again.

I obviously have no idea what I'm talking about.

I swear...I've encountered the most ridiculous arguments about my build and my strategy from people who have nowhere near the results that I have achieved repeatedly and consistently.

I don't mean to come off sounding like a prick...actually I do mean to sound like a prick. I don't spend five minutes short of forever trying to convey the logic behind the deck just so I can get some post like Iuewen's telling me that I don't know shit from peanut butter about a deck that I've spent the better part of a year and a half learning how to play as close to perfectly as possible and evolving into the brick house that it is.\n\n

[Iuewen]

I am not trying to start shit either kl0wn, but I am going to defend my card choices. I gave explainations for the reasons I play parfait the way I do but what do you want me to say? "I am a moron. I don't know how to play magic. I use suboptimal cards for no particular reason."

I don't know anything about the only deck I play. Sorry for saying anything.

[Project5]

Afternoon everybody.

Let me first say that that we seem to be well on the way to receiving some Zherbus-style bold-red type followed by some post locking. Come on guys, I know we all love this deck, we don't need to fight about it.

Pariah: Razor, I have to answer your argument. You correctly state that Pariah cannot target untargetable creatures. I ask you, how would StP be better in this instance? You also say taht Humility is a better bomb, and you'll note that I play with two. Those slots were uncontested. You say that if Replenished onto a Morphling, that said Morphling will still deal its damage and not die. I ask you, how? It might not die, but the damage will never get through to me while it has a Pariah on it. My claim was that in a pinch (read: without tax/rack), Pariah could be found from the graveyard while StP cannot. I understand that tax/rack is the winner in Parfait, but I tend to design for the worst case.

The only argument against it is it's power level, and people seem to be of two different minds on this one.

Kl0wn, you say that your version of Parfait can defeat aggro without much sideboard help, but you still run Light of Day in the side against Suicide. With all of your Replenishes, and presumably the fourth sided in against Suicide, have you ever considered Pariah instead of Light of Day? I figure it would be more generally helpful against decks out side Suicide, like Mask or Lackey Sligh or just people running creatures. If you have, could you tell me your line of thinking? I also agree with you that it doesn't belong main after playing both Sligh and OSE last night.

Humility: I certainly saw the advantage of this last night. OSE managed to draw two Morphlings and counter my first Humility. Next turn I apply the rack and find... my second Humility. Had that been a Moat I would have bought the big one shortly thereafter. K-run, remember I'm still new to this, so I have to run around and test things and see what works and what doesn't. At the very least It'll gain me a better understanding of the deck.

Ivory Mask: Likewise. The amount I was struggling against Sligh was so vastly reduced once I put this onto the board that I'm a firm believer now.

Mobilization: Pumping out tokens without an upkeep is huge, and that they don't tap to attack is likewise. If time is an issue and you have few flying things headed your way, go for it.

The problem I have with this is against both OSE and Keeper, Parfait seems to get into a topdecking war with them. Last week, my opponent and I were going back and forth from forcing a Story Circle to have it buyback-capsized to Aura-ing the target, to him pulling a Morphling off the top.

I apply the rack for two (only cards in my hand) and I find a Sacred Mesa and a Plains. I can imagine how differently that game would have gone had I drawn a Mobilization... The version that I play doesn't have the tutoring power that Iuwen relies on in this case, so I have to rely on sheer defense power so that topdecks in pinches win the game.

Land Count: How many do people feel is needed? I had to make room for the Ivory Mask last night, and was forced to cut the Phyrexian Furnaces. I've found that I really miss them, espcially in the face of Survival or a Will. I'm currently running:
 
15 Plains
3 Wasteland
1 Stripmine
1 Mox Diamond
1 Sol Ring

Can I get away with 14 Plains? Should I cut my second Humility instead? What do you all think? Kl0wn, I know you're going to tell me to cut my two Ivory Towers, but they've saved my ass many a time. Gaining life under a Morphling assualt feels great  

I'll post my revised list a little later, once classes are done.

--Ben

[Shade]

Quote (kl0wn @ Oct. 24 2002,00:45)About Duress vs. Chant:

You're forgetting about the other part of Chant that is absolutely crucial against aggro which is the Timewalk effect. Also, by only running one Swamp in the deck, you'll have to wait until you've Taxed to cast it and its not as good then. If you want to have a better matchup against control, include another Replenish.

Don't get me wrong, I am a huge fan of Duress, I just don't think it belongs in Parfait. By splashing more than a minute amount of 1 other color, you start crossing the line between Parfait and Enchantress, which is more suited to support other colors.

About cutting more Wastelands:

Bad idea. Blood Moon hoses non-basics, yes, BUT one of the reasons for running multiple Wastelands is to have a better chance of drawing them, so as to not get totally sat on by a rampant LoA. Your only way to deal with nasty non-basics is Blood Moon, which you only have 1 of in a deck that has no search ability. You are just asking for trouble by cutting all of your Wastes.


Iuewen:

Your logic behind not running Library is a bit eccentric and flawed. Not playing with a card because it makes some of the cards in your opponents deck useful is not a good idea. Especially if those cards cost a land drop.

Regarding Mobilization vs. Mesa:

I've already spoken my piece on this, but let me just add something else:

Parfait is a defensive deck, it does not want to go aggro early on unless the planets align and it gets the perfect Balance hand.

Every card in the deck combines to create the ultimate defense. Mesa is a  tank. Mobilization is an armored car.

The tank needs more care to maintain and skill to operate, but is much more durable and blows shit up. The armored car is pretty simple, but doesn't take quite a beating and can't take anything out short of running it over or plowing into it.

Points taken.  How about the Anger, though?  Is it worth it to give my tokens haste, effectively sppeding up my kill by a turn?

[K-Run]

Quote Is it worth it to give my tokens haste, effectively speeding up my kill by a turn?

No. All the cards in Parfait are devoted to favor/take control, even the kill mechanisms. If you really want to speed up the deck, you have to learn to play faster.\n\n