Extended High Tide deck: Difference between revisions

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'''High Tide''' is a mono-blue combo deck which came to fame when [[Kai Budde]] won Grand Prix Vienna 1999 with it.
'''High Tide''' is a mono-blue combo deck which came to fame when [[Kai Budde]] won Grand Prix Vienna 1999 with it.


High Tide was designed to combat decks based on <c>Tolarian Academy</c> and overpowered that deck by having less artifacts and more countermagic. In principle, High Tide casts the namesake <c>High Tide</c> and uses so called [[Free Spells]] of [[Urza's Legacy]] to produce massive amounts of mana and cast a <c>Stroke of Genius</c> on the opponent to force him to draw more cards than his library contains, ending the game.
High Tide was originally designed to combat and compete against [[Extended Academy deck|Academy]] decks (based on <c>Tolarian Academy</c>) appearing around the same time by having fewer single-purpose artifacts and more countermagic. In principle, High Tide casts the namesake <c>High Tide</c> after using the ''[[free spell]]s'' of [[Urza's Legacy]] to produce massive amounts of mana for a game-winning <c>Stroke of Genius</c> on the opponent. High Tide, properly tuned, has been called "the purest and most beautiful control deck ever devised".<ref>{{DailyRef|feature/top-10-extended-decks-all-time-2008-02-07|Top 10 Extended Decks of All Time|[[Mike Flores]]|February 07, 2008}}</ref> It was a deck that was all land, innovating the use of control-centered lands like <c>Thawing Glaciers</c>, mana ramping with High Tide, permission for defense, and card drawing. It was so purely focused on Blue cards and the strategy and identity of Blue that it left itself with no other way to win other than using a Blue combo to overdraw the opponent.<ref>{{DailyRef|feature/top-10-extended-decks-all-time-2008-02-07|Top 10 Extended Decks of All Time|[[Mike Flores]]|February 07, 2008}}</ref>


The Free Spells are spells which untap as many lands as their converted mana cost. Specifically used by the deck were <c>Frantic Search</c>, <c>Palinchron</c> and <c>Time Spiral</c>. All of these cards would also help the deck otherwise as well as Frantic Search and Time Spiral were card draw and Palinchron could be played repeatedly once enough mana was in pool. <c>Turnabout</c> was used for the same effect of untapping lands but did not produce an additional effect. Since <c>Islands</c> under one or multiple High Tides produce a multiple of their normal mana production, this process ramps up enormous amounts of mana rather quickly.
The ''free spells'' used by the deck were <c>Frantic Search</c>, <c>Palinchron</c>, and <c>Time Spiral</c>. All of these cards would also help the deck otherwise because Frantic Search and Time Spiral were card draw engines and Palinchron could be played repeatedly once enough mana was in the pool. <c>Turnabout</c> was used for the same effect of untapping one's lands but did not produce an additional effect. Since <c>Islands</c> under one or multiple High Tides produce a multiple of their normal mana production, this process ramps up enormous amounts of mana rather quickly.
 
In 2008, [[Mike Flores]] called it the 3rd best [[Extended]] deck of All Time. <ref>{{MTGref|mf184|Top 10 Extended Decks of All Time|Mike Flores|Thursday, February 07, 2008}}</ref>


In 2008, [[Mike Flores]] called it the 3rd best [[Extended]] deck of all time.<ref>{{DailyRef|feature/top-10-extended-decks-all-time-2008-02-07|Top 10 Extended Decks of All Time|[[Mike Flores]]|February 07, 2008}}</ref>


<d title="High Tide - Kai Budde - Grand Prix Vienna 1999">
<d title="High Tide - Kai Budde - Grand Prix Vienna 1999">
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4 Pyroblast
4 Pyroblast
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</d>


==References==
==References==

Latest revision as of 03:21, 9 April 2023

High Tide is a mono-blue combo deck which came to fame when Kai Budde won Grand Prix Vienna 1999 with it.

High Tide was originally designed to combat and compete against Academy decks (based on Tolarian Academy) appearing around the same time by having fewer single-purpose artifacts and more countermagic. In principle, High Tide casts the namesake High Tide after using the free spells of Urza's Legacy to produce massive amounts of mana for a game-winning Stroke of Genius on the opponent. High Tide, properly tuned, has been called "the purest and most beautiful control deck ever devised".[1] It was a deck that was all land, innovating the use of control-centered lands like Thawing Glaciers, mana ramping with High Tide, permission for defense, and card drawing. It was so purely focused on Blue cards and the strategy and identity of Blue that it left itself with no other way to win other than using a Blue combo to overdraw the opponent.[2]

The free spells used by the deck were Frantic Search, Palinchron, and Time Spiral. All of these cards would also help the deck otherwise because Frantic Search and Time Spiral were card draw engines and Palinchron could be played repeatedly once enough mana was in the pool. Turnabout was used for the same effect of untapping one's lands but did not produce an additional effect. Since Islands under one or multiple High Tides produce a multiple of their normal mana production, this process ramps up enormous amounts of mana rather quickly.

In 2008, Mike Flores called it the 3rd best Extended deck of all time.[3]

High Tide - Kai Budde - Grand Prix Vienna 1999

References

  1. Mike Flores (February 07, 2008). "Top 10 Extended Decks of All Time". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  2. Mike Flores (February 07, 2008). "Top 10 Extended Decks of All Time". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  3. Mike Flores (February 07, 2008). "Top 10 Extended Decks of All Time". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.