Single Card Strategies- Compilation 8 (August 12th,1994)

DRUDGE SKELETONS		(RV)-
TABLET OF EPITYR		(AQ)-
UNSUMMON			(RV)-Several new uses added
EVIL PRESENCE			(RV)-
CAMEL				(AN)-
WALL OF BRAMBLES		(RV)-New combinations, uses, added
KIRD APE			(RV)-
AMROU KITHKIN			(LG)-New combinations added
ARMAGEDDON CLOCK		(RV)-New uses, new combination added
BLOOD LUST			(LG)-New uses added

Single Card Strategies is (c) Jeff Franzmann, 1994. Of course, you are
given permission to disseminate this document with wild abandon, so long
as his name remains upon it and he is cited as creator of SCS and all
around nice guy :).
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DRUDGE SKELETONS!-The backbone of any Necromancers army, and creatures
which have ever held an esteemed place in the Black legions. For 2 mana,
this particular summons will bring forth a 1/1 sack of bones which can
time and again reassemble itself, no matter what is thrown at it.
	In terms of Regenerating beasts, the Drudge Skeletons are by far
the most convenient and economical. A mere 2 mana to bring out, they can
enter the battle early on, and will continue to serve long after other
servitors have fallen to the wayside. Compared to other beasts with
Regeneration, the Drudge Skeletons are among the best. Consider.
	As Black creatures, the Skeletons are immune to the effects of
Terror, which is often used to eliminate beasts such as the Uthden Troll,
or those Green critters which have had Regeneration placed on them. At
1/1, they are easily killed, but in terms of blocking ability, they can
serve just as well as a Wall of Stone. A Craw Wurm blocked by Drudge
Skeletons is still tapped, and still does no damage, and the Skeletons can
be brought back with the mere expenditure of 1 mana. And that 1 Damage
will make the Craw Wurm vulnerable to a Lightning Bolt as well.
	There are more benefits to the Drudge Skeletons. The undead are
popular beasts to put into play after raining destruction upon the players
with mass damage events such as Pestilence. While your opponent has to
struggle to rebuild his army, you merely spend the mana necesserary to
Regenerate your servants. A situation I once found myself in illustrates
this perfectly. While battling a Green Mage with hordes of Grizzly Bears,
Elves and Sprites, I found myself horribly outnumbered. I had but 6 swamps
available to me, and 2 Drudge Skeletons as blockers. Utilizing Pestilence,
I did 2 damage across the board, clearing everything. Stalemate ... or so
it seemed. Until I regenerated my two Skeletons, and granted one Unholy
Strength. The next turn, defenceless, my foe took 4 Damage, and was slain
the turn after by a 6 Point Pestilence.
	When you have multiple Skeletons in play, you can also use guile
to force your opponents hand. When on the defence, you may find yourself
with only 1 or 2 swamps available, hardly enough to regenerate your 3 or 4
Skeletons should they be slain. Grinning, your opponent attacks with all
his forces. You block, losing all four of your defending Skeletons. Your
opponent continues to smile, thinking he's rid himself of some of your
defenders ... and he continues to smile up until you play a Dark Ritual
and reassemble all of your Skeletons. And he with everything tapped.
	Facing off against the Skeletons can be frustrating. A Necromancer
will cheerfully toss his Drudgies in front of your most powerful beasts,
confident that he will be able to regenerate them. What is one to do?
Well, one thing which Skeletons are powerless to prevent is Trample
damage. Moorish Cavalry and War Mammoth's are the most effective attackers
when facing Drudge Skeletons ... even if they block the beasts, 2 damage
will still carry over to their controller. The worst beast that can be
faced by the Drudge Skeletons, however, is the Hurr Jackal. The howl of
this desert dog can remove the ability to Regenerate for a turn, an
ability which the Skeletons depend upon.

TABLET OF EPITYR!-A wonderful device, this little creation costs a mere 1
mana to create and a further 1 mana to activate. With each activation, any
artifact of yours which enters the graveyard grants to you a single life.
The uses of the this device are nearly limitless...
	In any deck which makes use of at least some Artifacts, the Tablet
is an absolute necessity. With it, creatures which are no longer proving
valuable in terms of defence or what have you can be thrown against the
enemy in last ditch attempts to force a breach. Even if they fail, their
sacrifice will give you that much more life. The same can be said of
Artifact creatures on the defensive. Once they have ceased to serve a
purpose, tossing them in front of a rampaging enemy can do you no harm.
There are, however, much better uses for the Tablet.
	Combined with either Reconstruction or the Argivian Archaeologist,
the Tablet of Epityr can be a source of great life. Should you be using
creatures which require sacrifices or the destruction of artifacts to
power them, the Tablet can prove to be a wonderful addition. Think of the
possibilities. An Ornithopter is in play along with Atog, and you also
have a Tablet out. Sacrifice the Ornithopter to Atog. You now have a 3/4
monster, and 1 extra life. Don't stop with this, though :). Reconstruct
the Ornithopter, bring it back out, and then sacrifice it. a 5/6 beast,
and 2 life. Now use the Argivian Archaeologist to recover the Ornithopter
yet again! A 7/8 creature and three life ...and you can still bring the
Ornithopter back the very next turn with the Archaeologist :). Such a
sequence of events would prove must frustrating to your opponet :).
	Better yet, consider the uses of the Hive and the Serpent
Generator in conjuction with the Tablet. It may be a matter of debate
whether the creatures created by these devices go to the graveyard when
slain, but I believe they do. And with a Tablet out, such devices gain all
new importance. The creatures they produce may be sacrificed with abandon
to your minions, and each sacrifice will not only add power to your
beasts, but life to you as well. For so little an expenditure in terms of
mana, there is great benefit.

UNSUMMON!-Among the Blue spells, this Instant is one of the cheapest
spells available, yet provides a great deal of variation in terms of use.
When cast upon a beast, it sends it fleeing back to its masters hand, and
all enchantments upon it are removed. Such a spell has so many uses...
	Unsummon is perhaps best utilized against those monsters which
have been granted a great deal of Enchanted Power. If a Terror, Lightning
Bolt or similar creature destroying piece of magic isn't available,
Unsummon can be terribly useful. Favourite tactics used by your enemy can
be thwarted by judicious use of Unsummon...Firebreathing Grizzly Bears,
rendered unblockable by Dwarven Warriors can be tossed from the field of
battle, and should they return, the will be without the bad breath. Beasts
with multiple wards can be dealt with with a minimum of mana expenditure.
The more powerful creatures can be returned to an opponent's hand to cause
him mana problems should he resummon the animal. The possibilities are
nearly limitless...
	Of course, to best utilize Unsummon, one must prioritize and
carefully consider the targets. Creatures less than 3/3, unless they have
been Enchanted, are simply not worth the trouble to Unsummon. A novice
mistake is to cast Unsummon on one of these troublesome beasts early in
the game, to avoid the damage. Better to take the damage now that not have
Unsummon available when the Colossus of Sardia hits the table running.
Unsummon CAN be useful against Regenerating beasts, but only insofar as it
gives you a turn to attack without tearing your hair out in frustration as
the blocker reassembles itself. As mentioned above, the best use for
Unsummon is against the high cost beasts your foe will put into play. It
takes them out of action for at least a turn (maybe two, depending on when
it is cast ... summoning sickness will prevent it from attacking), and
also forces your opponent to expend mana on the resummoning that may have
been better spent elsewhere.
	Unsummon also allows you another opportunity to get rid of
creatures you'd rather not face permamanently. How? Well, once something
nasty is on the table, Spell Blast, Power Sink and similar counterspells
are useless. If only you'd had them the turn before, before he had
summoned that Lord of the Pit. Well, now you can turn back time :).
Unsummon the Lord of the Pit, and when he tries to cast it again, Spell
Blast or Power Sink it :)
	Of course, Unsummon is not just useful against your opponent ...
it can provide excellent service to you as well. Especially considering the
clause of the spell which deals with Enchantments. Should one of your
defenders undergo Demonic Torment, or face Paralyzation, you have an
excellent counter. Unsummon your Paralyzed creature, which will remove the
Enchantment. You can then recast the spell, without the bothersome
Enchantment in the way :).
	Unsummon can also be used to avoid the dreadful effects of
Pestilence, Armageddon, Nevinyrral's Disk or other such magic of mass
destruction. Before utilizing these nasty creations, Unsummon your
favourite beast. Once the havoc has been wrought, resummon your creature
to torment your now defenceless opponent :).
	David Francis (errhead@u.washington.edu) adds that Unsummon is
also of good use against all those nasty Instant spells a foe can unleash
in the heat of battle. A Blood Lusted beast is fearsome indeed, as is a
Leprechaun under the influence of Giant Growth...both can be quickly dealt
with by means of Unsummon. If you have a Black Vise in play, all the
better...he has that many more cards in hand to worry about during his
next upkeep :).
	Mercenary, Mage of Red (noah@cs.umd.edu), after his own fashion,
made an excellent point. Unsummon is an excellent way to regain control of
those creatures which may have fallen under the influence of the Old Man
of the Sea, Control Magic, or similar spells. Simply bring it back into
your hand...
	Another method of dealing pain with Unsummon is put forth by Cal
Lott (cal@gsbux1.uchicago.edu). Through use of a simple, but effective,
combination of cards, wretched beasts can be rid of even if you don't have
a counterspell available after Unsummon...simply Unsummon the beast, and
then hit your opponent with a Hypnotic Spectre, Disrupting Sceptre, or
similar Magicks. Nebuchadnezzar comes to mind as an effective tool in this
situation...

EVIL PRESENCE!-A archaic Black Enchantment which costs but 1 mana, this
spell will allow you to turn any land into a basic swamp. Since
counterspells and changling magics are usually the Dominion of Blue, the
inclusion of Evil Presence into a Black Spellbook can provide a great many
benefits.
	First and foremost, when dealing with Magi who do not utilize
black magicks, the Evil Presence can be summoned forth to infect one of
their lands, turning it into a swampy morass. This will deny the use of
the land to your opponent. This same tactic can also be used on a foes
specialty lands, which are ever a nuisance to deal with. Libraries of
Alexandria can be flooded with tepid waters, the City of Brass can sink
beneath the bog, and the cursed Elephant's Graveyard can be ruined.
Numerous other specialty lands can also be destroyed through the use of
Evil Presence. Multilands, Strip Mines, Urza's Lands ... all can be
rendered next to useless by means of this spell. And, though not as varied
as Phantasmal Terrain, it is both cheaper and available to the practioner
of Black.
	Far more devious uses can be found for Evil Presence, especially
with the Swampwalking ability some marsh born beasts possess. Even if your
foe doesn't utilize Swamps, the Lost Soul will have a place to roam so
long as Evil Presence is around. The Zombie Master and his hordes of
Scathe Zombies can wreak havoc on a White Mage who finds his Plains
possessed by the Evil Presence, and that land is useless to him as well.
	Upkeep denial is another way in which Evil Presence can be
utilized. If an opponent is using something as troublesome such as a Force
of Nature, using Evil Presence on one of your foes Forests may prove to be
the deciding factor. Island Fish Jasconious could be prevented from
untapping in much the same manner ... turn Islands needed for the
untapping into Swamps, and your problem is solved :). Granted, this method
requires that your opponent has the bare minimum of land required for
these beasts, but with combined with Blight, Phantasmal Terrain and/or
Stone Rain, Evil Presence can be endlessly useful.
	Indeed, those other cards bring forth the greatest aspect of Evil
Presence. In those spellbooks devoted to Land Destruction, Evil Presence
should occupy a special place. A Blue/Black/Red Land Destruction tome with
a few Swamp Walking creatures for good measure can be devastating. Stone
Rain, Blight, Acid Rain and Phantasmal Terrain can all be used to render
lands useless. Evil Presence can turn whats left into a playground for
Lost Souls and Giant Slugs. A truly malicious use indeed.
	Never forget the possibilities of using Evil Presence upon
yourself. Just as it can provide your landwalkers with a path to their
foe, it can deny your opponents landwalkers the same. The Shanodin Dryads
slowly tearing you limb from limb, especially with that Holy Strength?
Turn your Forest into a Swamp. In desperate situations, this can be the
difference between life and death. A better use on yourself is tossing it
on a Land which you have no need for ... say one island amongst an ocean
of other islands, and utilizing the extra Black Mana for things like the
Frozen Shade, Drain Life or similar magicks.

CAMEL!-At first glance, the beast is as akward as it appears. 1 Mana to
summon forth an 0/1 banding creature? One would no doubt rather spend that
mana on a Benalish Hero, which can at least inflict some damage while
sacrificing herself to a cause. However, there is more to the Camel than
meets the eye.
	Obviously, the best use for a Camel would be in a duel against one
of the Southern Magi, who chooses to utilize the sand blasting power of
the Deserts in combination with other more common Magicks. Whereas most
creatures are at grave risk when facing one of these desert practicioners,
the Camel can pass with ease. Normally, a Desert can inflict 1 damage on
any attacking creature ... more than one desert in play can rapidly become
a nuisance. If you know that you are to face one of these Magi, a Camel or
two is your best defence. Banded with your more powerful creatures, it can
serve a twofold purpose. First off, it can absorb the hideous damage which
would otherwise be foisted off on the real attacker. If the band is
blocked by a Hill Giant or a similar beast, simply apply all the damage to
the Camel, allowing your true attacker to live. A common tactic is to band
the Camel with a War Elephant or Moorish Cavalry... the Trample Damage
done by the Mammoth or Cavalry will carry over to the defender, once his
defensive creatures have been crushed.
	However, not everyone will be facing off against deserts, and of
what use is a Camel then? A matter of priorities, my friend. A Benalish
Hero, in a game where no Deserts are in play, is of far more value than a
mere Camel. What good is a ship of the desert when there is nowhere for it
to sail? However, even in thos White Spellbooks which see no use against
the Desert Mage, there is a place for the Camel. First of all, it allows
the Mage to stock up to eight, 1 mana Banding creatures in his arsenal.
Quite simply, there is no other colour which can lay claim to this
benefit. A favourite tactic once used by an associate of mine was really
quite devious. A Benalish Hero and Camel were in play, along with Moorish
Cavalry and a White Knight. Placing Holy Strength on the Hero, and Holy
Armour on the Camel, he banded them with the other two creatures and
attacked. What delicious brilliance! The Hero and Knight combined for 3
damage, destroying the hapless Hill Giant which stood in their way. The
Camel and Cavalry bowled right over the defending Craw Wurm. Having a
Camel in your deck simply doubles your chance of receiving a cheap banding
creature. Indeed, when a creature has bands, there is little difference
between an 0/1 and a 1/1 ... in both cases, a Holy Armour or Holy Strength
will increase survivability and usefulness for minimum expenditure.
	Of course, the Camel can serve other, less noble purposes. Once
its banding abilities are no longer needed, it can serve as adequate
nourishment to the Lord of the Pit. Sacrifice to the Fallen Angel is also
a recommended course of action... after all, once the later stages of a
game are reached, the lesser creatures often serve more use dead than alive.
	When using the Camel, it's all a matter of of your opponent.
Should he utilize deserts, the Camel is a far better choice for a beast
than a Benalish Hero... the Hero will fall to the power of the Desert
sands, whereas the Camel, and all with it, will pass unharmed. This allows
you to reuse the banding ability.

WALL OF BRAMBLES!-A simple enough spell, it would seem at first. A Wall,
2/3, which can regenerate. Useful indeed, especially when one considers
that this can all be had for a mere 3 mana. An excellent blocker, with
the potential to deal great harm to a foe. There is more to the Wall than
just this...
	Amongst all the Walls, the one of Brambles is perhaps the
greatest. Humble though it seems, it's Regenerative capabilities mark it
as something else. When one can Regenerate, the difference between a 2/3
and a 1/4 is small indeed...this makes the Wall of Brambles slightly more
useful than the Black standby, the Wall of Bone. After all, the Wall of
Brambles can inflict more damage on an attacker, and even if destroyed can
be brought back with a simple expenditure of 1 Forest mana. A small price
to pay to inflict that little bit extra. Consider a situation which I once
faced. A Hill Giant was bearing down upon me, followed close behind by a
pair of Hurloon Minotaurs. With but a Wall of Brambles and Wall of Bone to
defend me, my opponent thought he'd outguessed me. Surely I would block
the Hill Giant with the Wall of Bone, and reserve the Brambles for one of
the Minotaurs. Not so. I blocked the Hill Giant with the Wall of Brambles,
and allowed it to be crushed. The Giant now had but one hit left, and a
Rod of Ruin quickly dealt with him. The next turn, my opponent was far
more cautious :).
	Of course, the Wall of Brambles serves one much better when
combined with other Green Magics. Placing a Giant Growth upon the Wall
after an opponent has declared the attack is a favourite tactic. A 5/6
blocker with regenerative capabilities can be a rather irritating thing to
face for a turn.
	However, the greatest merit of the Wall of Brambles is not its
strength nore its regeneration, but its cost. A cautious Green Mage can
bring the Wall out in a mere 2 turns, which is sufficient defence against
almost any creature a foe can summon with only three or four mana in play.
A single forest and a Wild Growth (or Llanowar Elves) on the first turn
will ensure enough mana to bring out the Wall. It will then take at the
very least a Frost Giant to batter down the wall, and such a monster
cannot be played without 6 mana. The Wall of Brambles is an excellent
blocker in the earlier stages of the game, more so even than a Wall of
Ice. Similar in cost, the Wall of Brambles can both be Regenerated and
inflict damage.
	Tossing magicks on the Wall can make it an even more formidable
sight. A Black Ward will protect it from Terror, while a Red Ward will
stave off the horrors of Lightning Bolt. The simple addition of Holy
Strength gives you the ideal defence against many of the Red Beasts, as a
3/5 blocker will deal with Hill Giants and Grey Ogres alike. Tossing
Flight on the Wall of Brambles gives you a Regenerating flyer, something
which is most useful against things like the Serra Angel and Sengir
Vampire. Unlike a Wall of Ice, which could be caught by surprise by a Howl
from Beyond or similar nastiness, a Wall of Brambles need not worry...even
if Howled to death, it can easily be brought back.
	However, the Wall is not without its weaknesses. A simple Terror
will make short work of it, and though it will recover, a Lightning Bolt
can remove it just before an attack. The Battering Ram is something which
should be placed in any deck which expects to deal with a Green
Mage...after all, what respecting Green Mage would be without a Wall of
Brambles, Ice or Wood? And there is precious little to be done by a Wall
against a Battering Ram. Banded with the Marble Priest, a Battering Ram is
doubly dangerous against the Wall of Brambles.
	As always, the ELF (mblack@mdw015.cc.monash.edu.au) provides more
illumination on this particular Green Magick. He notes, quite correctly,
that the nature of the Wall is such that it is ideal for the casting of
Glyphs. Glyphs of Destruction and Doom can be laid upon it, providing
their benefit, and even though the Wall may be destroyed, it will shortly
thereafter grow back...a wonderful use indeed for the Glyphs and the Brambles.

KIRD APE!-Of the many Red summonings, the Kird Ape is perhaps one of the
most powerful for the cost. A mere 1 mana will bring out this 1/1 primate,
but there is far more to the beast than a low casting cost. Should a
forest be in play on its owners side, the Kird APe gains a +1/+2, making
it the cheapest 2/3 beast in existence.
	The uses for such an animal are many and varied, especially when
you have a forest in play. It is hardly a great effort to bring the Ape
out and have it at 2/3 before the third turn of a duel, something which
should strike fear into an opponents bones. Think of it. On the second
turn, a 2/3 attacker will pretty much have his way with any critter your
foe can put in its way. If you are able, the addition of an Unholy
Strength or Holy Strength will make this animal a true menace. For the
simple cost of two mana (and assuming you have a forest in play), you will
have a 4/4 (Unholy Strength) or 3/5 (Holy Strength) creature for only _2_
mana. To my knowledge, there is no other creature with such power. As an
attacker or blocker early in the duel, there is no better beast than the
Kird Ape.
	What of the Mage who does not have any Forests for the Kird Ape to
dwell in? How can the creature be of any use? Ahhh, here is where the
devious can triumph over a lesser foe. Using Phantasmal Terrain, transform
one of your lands into the Forest which can be used by the Kird Ape. Other
spells may be able to accomplish the same goal, but Phantasmal Terrain is
by far the cheapest. Your Kird Ape, once a mere 1/1, is now a 2/3 menace
:). If you are a Red Mage and utilize neither Green nor BLue, than perhaps
a Goblin would be a better addition to your spellbook than a Kird Ape. But
even a Goblin King cannot provide the benefit to his minions that a simple
Forest can provide to the Kird Ape. I'd rather have 4 Kird Apes swinging
through the vines of my forest in battle than have 4 Goblin Raiders
tailing a Goblin King.
	The Kird Ape is, of course, susceptible to all the usual nastiness
which can be meted out. Terror & Lightning Bolt in particular. The simple
addition of Holy Armor or the like will render the Ape immune to Lightning
Bolt. While on the subject of Enchanting the Kird Ape...
	The Ape can be one of the more devastating beasts you can play
early in a duel, and in many cases could be sacrificed to provide an early
lead. The following combination wouldn't be hard to get out in the first
three or four turns, and could spell the end of an opponent. When the Kird
Ape has been placed, put one of the Strength Enchantments (Holy or Unholy)
upon him. This will defend against Lightning Bolts. At this point, the
resulting 4/4 or 3/5 creature is a force to be reckoned with on his own.
Now add either an Unstable Mutation or a Giant Growth...preferably both.
With three mana, you can create a 10/10 or 9/11 creature for one turn.
Early in the game. Nothing which a foe can place early on in the duel will
be able to stand before such a terror :).
	Of course, there are many ways around the dreaded Kird Ape. One
popular way in which to deal with the Ape involves the use of land
destruction spells. Not only will destryoing a land deny mana to your
opponent, but should that land be his only forest, the Kird Ape will lose
its greatest assest. As previously mentioned, Terror and Lightning Bolt
are old but proven methods of dealing with beasts.

AMROU KITHKIN!- A wonderously agile race, 2 white mana will summon them
forth to do battle on your side. Their speed and dexterity is such that in
battle, no creature with a power greater than 2 may be assigned to block
them. It is in this ability that one can find many great uses for the
creature, despite it's low initial power of 1/1.
	Due to the casting cost, the Kithkin will not often be found
fighting in the early stages of a duel. 2 White mana will be hard to come
by until at least the fourth or fifth turn, after all. Once played, the
Kithkin are formidable adversaries. The 1/1 is merely a temporary
condition, after all. Once out, placing a Holy Strength and/or Holy Armour
on the Kithkin is a highly recommended course of action...after all, it
has absolutely no effect on the Kithkin's special ability, and will serve
to protect it against such disturbing nuisances as the Rod of Ruin and
Prodigal Sorcerer. A 2/3 Kithkin will also be completely immune to ANY
blocker placed against it (so long as that blocker hasn't had anything
like Giant Growth placed on it).
	The Kithkin is best utilized on the offensive, sent in to
hamstring a foe as often as possible, attacking each and every turn. An
opponent can only assign blockers with a power of 2 or less to stave off
the Kithkin, and if you have played a Holy Strength on Amrou, you should
be in the clear. Even if your opponent manages to increase the power of a
blocker beyond 2 (once it has been assigned), you will still be able to
pump up the defence of the Kithkin, allowing it to survive. If your
opponent was unfortunate enough to use Bloodlust or Giant Growth, then he
has lost the spell to boot :). Of course, you also have this option
available to you...if he plays Giant Growth, return the favour :).
	The Kithkin are particularily deadly when they have had deadly
enchantments played upon them. As this has no bearing whatsoever on their
special ability, playing several enchantments should be considered. A Holy
Strength and Unholy Strength, in addition to Firebreathing or a similar
enchantment, can make for a truly devastating attacker which will run
roughshod over any foe. Consider placing Flight on the Kithkin...there are
few Flying beasts which are less than 3/3 in power which can be assigned
to block the Kithkin to begin with (Mesa Pegasi, Vampire Bats, and a few
others...no where near as many as you would face on the ground). This is
particularily useful against those who practice Black and Blue magicks.
Neither colour has more than 2 flying creature able to block the Kithkin
(Vampire Bats & Will o' the Wisps for Black, Flying Men and Wall of Air
for Blue).
	Dealing with the Kithkin is another matter entirely. Rods of Ruin
and Prodigal Sorcerers are only useful so long as the Kithkin remains at
1/1...since it won't remain so for very long, they aren't the best way of
dealing with the creature. Terror, as usual will handle the Kithkin quite
well. Pestilence and Lightning Bolt are two other options as well. When
facing an Enchanted Kithkin, however, a better bet would be to let your
opponent play the ENchantments, and then toss something like a Tranquility
into play...the Kithkin isn't quite so useful while it remains at 1/1 :).
	Pumpable blockers are the next best option. Frozen Shades are the
ideal blockers, since they can be assigned, and then pumped up enough to
deal with the Kithkin...having a Dark Ritual in hand could also ensure the
destruction of the nasty little critter as well.
	All in all, the Amrou Kithkin are best used as 'shock troops',
sent in to scout out and harrass your opponent for as long and as often as
possible. Once they have lost their usefulness in this regard, they can be
called back to serve as adequate defenders.
	Robert I.Eachus (eachus@spectre.mitre.org) also notes that with
the unleashing of the Dark, the Kithkin can be paired to the spell Venom
with terrible effect. A simple Holy Armour will keep her safe as all fall
before her poisonous grasp.

ARMAGEDDON CLOCK!- A magnificent and terrible device, all at once, an
artifact which was a result of the great War of the Artificers. Six mana
to summon, every turn a counter is added to the clock. And at the end of
your upkeep, every Mage involved in the duel takes damage equal to the
number of counters. A creation of the truly devious indeed. Of what use
could such a terribly wonderous machine be?
	Utilizing the Clock properly requires forethought and a great deal
of timing. It will not do to have this mechanism in play without the means
to avoid with its horrid effects. One item which should be considered a
requirement before utilizing the Clock is a Circle of
Protection:Artifacts. The use for such an item is obvious. While the clock
ticks away, and your foe finds himself crippled and helpless before the
machine, you can finish him off from within the safety of the Circle. The
progressively damaging nature of the Clock will have no effect on your
ability to prevent the damage, and is therefore the preferred method of
avoiding damage. Think of it, first 1 damage, then 2, then 3...by the
third turn it has been in play, the Clock can inflict 6 damage to an
opponent, as as long as you power the Circle, you are safe within it's
confines.
	Not every Mage is lucky enough to have access to the rituals
required to cast the CoP:Artifacts however. THis does not, however,
prevent the Clock from being useful, though it will require a little more
in the way of thought. A Disenchant and Reverse Polarity in hand will
allow the Clock to again become exceptionally useful. The clock will tick
away, causing you both to suffer...1, 2, then 3, and finally four damage.
When you have reached this point, your opponent will be thinking that you
are truly mad, determined to drag all down with you in defeat... not so.
Simply cast the Reverse Polarity, gaining four life back. The end result?
Your opponent has been stricken four 10 damage, and you for a total of 2.
No longer does your madness seem withod method :). A Reverse Damage can
achieve the same results. 
	These methodsall require one thing, however, and that is the
Magick of White. The Magi of other colours may find this device of less
utility than the Plains practicioners...I for one, have yet to utilize the
device more than once or twice in a true duel. One method I found to be of
use was combining the Clock with life giving magicks. Having taken a
beating at the hands of the Clock, both I and my foe, imagine his alarm
when I then proceeded to drain his life and add the essence to my own. I
then bound the Clock with the Gremlins of Phyrexia, to avoid it's damaging
effects. It hardly mattered, as my foe fell the next round. A Stream of
Life followed by a Crumble on the Clock is another destructive
combination. After three turns, your opponent will have taken 6 damage, as
you will have. Simply Crumble the Clock, retrieving your six life, and
then Stream of Life for even more...the end result is that your opponent
took six damage to your none. WHile not as economical as some methods of
damage, it is something to consider as an option.
	Ulrich Schade (schade@lili.uni-bielefeld.de) provides yet more
insight into the nature of this device. He notes that much of the Clock's
power is psychological as well...as your foe watches the hands inch
towards doom, he or she will be more inclined to spend the mana to prevent
such an occurence, draining their pool. If such a dangerous use is not
preferred however, one can always use the Martyrs of Korlis to absorb the
damage inflicted by a Clock...and with the addition of an Artifact Ward,
that damage would be negligable.

BLOOD LUST!- As Red magicks go, this can be one of the most devastating.
For 2 mana, one can briefly increase a creatures natural power at the cost
of his defence, to the tune of +4/-4. In it's rage, the creature will fail
to utilize it's defensive abilities, but indeed, the increased power can
make up for it.
	One of the best ways to utilize Bloodlust is upon a Regenerating
creature, which cares little if it falls in combat, should mana be
available to rebuild it. Placing Blood Lust upon an Uthden Troll, for
example, will provide you with a 6/1 attacker (since the -4 cannot drop a
creature below 1...), which, even if it falls, can easily be recovered
with a simple expenditure of red mana. I myself prefer using it upon the
Drudge Skeletons...5/1 attackers which simply rise from the dead should
they fail in their assault. And if they are let through? 5 damage is not
something most foes will easily accept :). 
	Blood Lust is also a must on any creature with the ability to walk
lands. The Shanodin Dryads can inflict a quick 5 points of damage on an
opponent. A Red Magi should consider casting Burrowing on some devastating
creature, and then Blood Lusting it. A Burrowing, Blood Lusted Hill Giant
is something no sane Mage would scoff at. 7/1 Mountainwalking is simply
too horrendous a combination, even for 1 turn. 
	As it is an instant, Blood Lust can also be used to good effect on
either offense or defence. After the attack has been declared, a defender
can choose to Blood Lust one of his creatures in order to ensure that it
destroys whatever it is it may be blocking. An attacker can do much the
same once defence has been declared, dropping a Blood Lust on a beast
which might not otherwise inspire fear...
	Speaking of Fear, there is another option to use with Blood Lust.
Invisibility, Fear, or even the Dwarven Warriors...anything which can get
your creature through the defensive lines without being blocked is an
excellent choice. A creature such as the Hurloon Minotaur can be rendered
unblockable using the Dwarven Warriors...applying a Blood Lust now makes
it a 6/1 unblockable beast which will strike terror into the hearts of
your foe :).
	There are disadvantages to Blood Lust which must be considered.
The +4/-4 which is placed on a Blood Lusted creature virtually ensures
that anything that blocks it will destroy it. A Rod of Ruin, Prodigal
Sorcerer or similar creature can also wreak havoc on a Blood Lusted
minion, so care must be taken. Indeed, if a Blood Lusted creature is
blocked and is killed, the spell was virtually wasted. Unless your plan
was on taking out an opponents best blocker, you've inflicted little to no
damage on your opponent. For this reason, it is suggested that Blood Lust
only be applied on Tramplers (which will simply carry over the damage),
Regenerators (which will simply rise from the dead), or on creatures whose
survival you can ensure. Though Blood Lust provides 1 more power than a
Giant Growth, it is both more expensive to cast and far more damaging to
your creature. It is a spell which must be used carefully.
	A more esoteric use for Blood Lust, one which I have used on
occaison, but neglected to mention, was called to my attention by Josh
Smith (irilyth@osiris.ac.hmc.edu). It involves utilizing Blood Lust on an
OPPOSING creature, to make the beast more susceptible to things like the
Rod of Ruin or Prodigal Sorcerer. Or, should you feel particularily
vindictive, cast Blood Lust after the attack is declared, and then block
the beast with your Drudge Skeletons. Imagine this on Craw Wurms...what
would have bowled right over the Skeletons before can now be slain by
them...and the skeletons can always Regenerate.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Great amounts of thanks go out to all the folks who have contributed to
the Single Card Strategies, and who have helped make it a success :).
Special thanks to all those subscribed to scslist, who have taken time out
again and again to help me, correct me, and support me throughout this
entire endeavour. And it shall continue, as long as you folks out there
want it to...

Sincerely,
Jeff Franzmann








	


