World Championship Decks 1997

Until end of turn, target player can't cast instant or sorcery spells, and that player can't activate abilities that aren't mana abilities. Draw a card.

Exile target nonwhite attacking creature. You gain life equal to its toughness.

The next time a source of your choice would deal damage to any target this turn, prevent that damage. If damage from a red source is prevented this way, Honorable Passage deals that much damage to the source's controller.

{1}: The next time a black source of your choice would deal damage to you this turn, prevent that damage.

{1}: The next time a red source of your choice would deal damage to you this turn, prevent that damage.

Destroy target artifact or enchantment.

Destroy target artifact or enchantment.

Destroy target artifact or enchantment.

You may pay 1 life and exile a blue card from your hand rather than pay this spell's mana cost. Counter target spell.

You may pay 1 life and exile a blue card from your hand rather than pay this spell's mana cost. Counter target spell.

Flying This creature can block only creatures with flying.

Enchant creature When this Aura enters, untap enchanted creature. You control enchanted creature. When enchanted creature dies, return that card to the battlefield under its owner's control.

Look at the top four cards of your library. Put one of them into your hand and the rest on the bottom of your library in any order.

Flanking (Whenever a creature without flanking blocks this creature, the blocking creature gets -1/-1 until end of turn.) When this creature enters, you may pay {U}. If you don't, destroy target Knight and it can't be regenerated.

When this creature enters, return target creature to its owner's hand.

Counter target instant or sorcery spell unless its controller pays {1}. Draw a card.

When this creature enters, return target creature to its owner's hand.

You may pay 1 life and exile a black card from your hand rather than pay this spell's mana cost. Distribute two -2/-1 counters among one or two target creatures.

Whenever this creature attacks and isn't blocked, you may draw a card. If you do, this creature assigns no combat damage this turn.

Cumulative upkeep—Pay 1 life. (At the beginning of your upkeep, put an age counter on this permanent, then sacrifice it unless you pay its upkeep cost for each age counter on it.) At the beginning of each player's upkeep, that player sacrifices a green or white permanent of their choice.

Exile target creature. Its controller gains life equal to its power.

Flanking (Whenever a creature without flanking blocks this creature, the blocking creature gets -1/-1 until end of turn.) This creature can't block.

Counter target spell. If that spell is countered this way, exile it instead of putting it into its owner's graveyard.

First strike When this creature enters, destroy target nonartifact, nonblack creature. That creature can't be regenerated.

Destroy target artifact or land. It can't be regenerated.

Exile the top creature card of your graveyard: this creature gets +2/+2 until end of turn.

Destroy target artifact or land. It can't be regenerated.

Counter target spell.

Counter target spell.

You may exile a red card from your hand rather than pay this spell's mana cost. Pyrokinesis deals 4 damage divided as you choose among any number of target creatures.

You may exile a red card from your hand rather than pay this spell's mana cost. Pyrokinesis deals 4 damage divided as you choose among any number of target creatures.

Exchange control of target land you control and target land an opponent controls. (This effect lasts indefinitely.)

You may exile a green card from your hand rather than pay this spell's mana cost. Distribute three +1/+1 counters among one, two, or three target creatures. For each +1/+1 counter you put on a creature this way, remove a +1/+1 counter from that creature at the beginning of the next cleanup step.

You may exile a green card from your hand rather than pay this spell's mana cost. Distribute three +1/+1 counters among one, two, or three target creatures. For each +1/+1 counter you put on a creature this way, remove a +1/+1 counter from that creature at the beginning of the next cleanup step.

Choose one — • Counter target spell if it's red. • Destroy target permanent if it's red.

Choose one — • Counter target spell if it's red. • Destroy target permanent if it's red.

Haste Flanking (Whenever a creature without flanking blocks this creature, the blocking creature gets -1/-1 until end of turn.)

Whenever Spectral Bears attacks, if defending player controls no black nontoken permanents, it doesn't untap during your next untap step.

Players can cast spells and activate abilities only during their own turns.

Choose one — • Untap target permanent. • Destroy target non-Aura enchantment. • Target creature loses flying until end of turn.

This artifact enters with three arrowhead counters on it. At the beginning of your upkeep, if there are no arrowhead counters on this artifact, sacrifice it. {T}, Remove an arrowhead counter from this artifact: Put a -1/-1 counter on target creature.

Destroy target non-Swamp land. If that land was nonbasic, Choking Sands deals 2 damage to the land's controller.

Return a Forest you control to its owner's hand: Untap target creature. Activate only once each turn.

Islandwalk (This creature can't be blocked as long as defending player controls an Island.) {G}: Regenerate this creature.

Choose one — • Target opponent loses 1 life and you gain 1 life. • Exile up to three target cards from a single graveyard. • Target creature gains fear until end of turn. (It can't be blocked except by artifact creatures and/or black creatures.)

When this creature enters, destroy target artifact.

When this creature enters, destroy target artifact.

When this creature enters, destroy target artifact.

Players can't gain life. At the beginning of each player's upkeep, that player loses 1 life. Whenever this enchantment becomes the target of a spell, that spell's controller loses 5 life.

When this creature enters, sacrifice it unless you return a basic land card from your graveyard to your hand.

If this land would enter, sacrifice a Forest instead. If you do, put this land onto the battlefield. If you don't, put it into its owner's graveyard. {T}: Add {G}. {T}: Target creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn.

If this land would enter, sacrifice a Plains instead. If you do, put this land onto the battlefield. If you don't, put it into its owner's graveyard. {T}: Add {W}. {1}{W}, {T}: Create a 1/1 white Soldier creature token.

When this creature enters, sacrifice it unless you sacrifice a Forest.

{U}, {T}: Put target creature you control on top of its owner's library. {R}, {T}: This creature deals 1 damage to any target and 1 damage to you.

First strike (This creature deals combat damage before creatures without first strike.) Protection from white (This creature can't be blocked, targeted, dealt damage, or enchanted by anything white.)

This land enters tapped. {1}, {T}: Search your library for a basic land card, put that card onto the battlefield tapped, then shuffle. Return this land to its owner's hand at the beginning of the next cleanup step.

{T}: Add {C}. {1}, {T}, Sacrifice this artifact: Draw a card.

{T}: Exile the bottom card of target player's graveyard. {1}, Sacrifice this artifact: Exile target card from a graveyard. Draw a card.

This land enters with three mining counters on it. {T}, Remove a mining counter from this land: Add one mana of any color. If there are no mining counters on this land, sacrifice it.

{T}: Add one mana of any color. During your next untap step, as you untap your permanents, return this land to its owner's hand.

{T}: Add one mana of any color. During your next untap step, as you untap your permanents, return this land to its owner's hand.

{T}: Add one mana of any color. During your next untap step, as you untap your permanents, return this land to its owner's hand.

Protection from white {B}: This creature gains first strike until end of turn. {B}{B}: This creature gets +1/+0 until end of turn.

Hammer of Bogardan deals 3 damage to any target. {2}{R}{R}{R}: Return this card from your graveyard to your hand. Activate only during your upkeep.

Protection from white {1}{R}: This creature gets +1/+0 until end of turn.

Protection from white {1}{R}: This creature gets +1/+0 until end of turn.

Disintegrate deals X damage to any target. If it's a creature, it can't be regenerated this turn, and if it would die this turn, exile it instead.

Disintegrate deals X damage to any target. If it's a creature, it can't be regenerated this turn, and if it would die this turn, exile it instead.

Shroud (This creature can't be the target of spells or abilities.) Flanking (Whenever a creature without flanking blocks this creature, the blocking creature gets -1/-1 until end of turn.)

Earthquake deals X damage to each creature without flying and each player.

Earthquake deals X damage to each creature without flying and each player.

Incinerate deals 3 damage to any target. A creature dealt damage this way can't be regenerated this turn.

Incinerate deals 3 damage to any target. A creature dealt damage this way can't be regenerated this turn.

Incinerate deals 3 damage to any target. A creature dealt damage this way can't be regenerated this turn.

{T}: Add {G}.

Choose one — • Counter target spell if it's blue. • Destroy target permanent if it's blue.

Choose one — • Counter target spell if it's blue. • Destroy target permanent if it's blue.

Choose one — • Counter target spell if it's blue. • Destroy target permanent if it's blue.

Flying {0}: Flip a coin. If you win the flip, this creature phases out. If you lose the flip, sacrifice this creature. (While it's phased out, it's treated as though it doesn't exist. It phases in before you untap during your next untap step.)

Flying {0}: Flip a coin. If you win the flip, this creature phases out. If you lose the flip, sacrifice this creature. (While it's phased out, it's treated as though it doesn't exist. It phases in before you untap during your next untap step.)

Destroy target artifact. It can't be regenerated. That artifact's controller gains life equal to its mana value.

At the beginning of your upkeep, if a player has more life than each other player, the player with the most life gains control of this creature.

Target creature gets +3/+3 until end of turn.

Lhurgoyf's power is equal to the number of creature cards in all graveyards and its toughness is equal to that number plus 1.

Protection from black At the beginning of each end step, if this creature dealt damage to an opponent this turn, put a +1/+1 counter on it.

Protection from black At the beginning of each end step, if this creature dealt damage to an opponent this turn, put a +1/+1 counter on it.

This artifact enters tapped. {1}, {T}: Destroy all artifacts, creatures, and enchantments.

As long as this artifact is untapped, players can't untap more than one land during their untap steps.

Whenever this land becomes tapped, it deals 1 damage to you. {T}: Add one mana of any color.

Whenever this land becomes tapped, it deals 1 damage to you. {T}: Add one mana of any color.

Whenever this land becomes tapped, it deals 1 damage to you. {T}: Add one mana of any color.

{T}: Add {C}. {T}: Add {B} or {R}. This land deals 1 damage to you.

{T}: Add {C}. {T}: Add {U} or {B}. This land deals 1 damage to you.

({T}: Add {W}.)

({T}: Add {W}.)

({T}: Add {W}.)

({T}: Add {W}.)

({T}: Add {U}.)

({T}: Add {U}.)

({T}: Add {U}.)

({T}: Add {U}.)

({T}: Add {U}.)

({T}: Add {U}.)

({T}: Add {U}.)

({T}: Add {U}.)

({T}: Add {B}.)

({T}: Add {B}.)

({T}: Add {B}.)

({T}: Add {B}.)

({T}: Add {R}.)

({T}: Add {R}.)

({T}: Add {R}.)

({T}: Add {R}.)

({T}: Add {R}.)

({T}: Add {R}.)

({T}: Add {R}.)

({T}: Add {R}.)

({T}: Add {G}.)

({T}: Add {G}.)

({T}: Add {G}.)

({T}: Add {G}.)

Kühn, a fifteen-year-old high-school student from Hanover, Germany, played a red, white, and blue deck with a balanced mix of speed and control. It uses cards like Incinerate and Swords to Plowshares to deal with opponents' fast creatures, while increasing the mana base with Thawing Glaciers. For late in the game, Disintegrate and Hammer of Bogardan are excellent finishing cards.

Šlemr, a twenty-year-old computer analyst from Prague in the Czech Republic, said that he wasn't happy with his deck's 3—4 performance in the Standard (Type II) portion of the tournament. However, it came through for him in the elimination rounds. A black weenie deck at heart, it dips into all five colors. It also features a number of creatures that have an effect on entering play, like Man-o'-War, Uktabi Orangutan, and Nekrataal.

McCabe, a nineteen-year-old college student from Toronto, Canada, played a fast red-blue attacking deck. The deck's main strategy is to put the opponent on the defensive, using a large number of inexpensive, efficient creatures such as Suq'Ata Lancer, Cloud Elemental, Ophidian, and Man-o'-War. It also makes good use of several "pitch" spells like Force of Will and Pyrokinesis.

Geertsen, a sixteen-year-old high-school student from Copenhagen, Denmark, played a mono-green deck known affectionately as "Señor Stompie." Of the eight finalists, Geertsen had the best record in the Standard (Type II) portion of the tournament, going 6—0—1. This deck is overloaded with fast green creatures, thirty-three in all. The only noncreature cards are Giant Growth, Bounty of the Hunt, and Winter Orb. The deck also exploits the interaction between Rogue Elephant, Harvest Worm, and Heart of Yavimaya.