First Extended Results coming in

[John Galli]

So Chris Jobin posted an article about the recent PTQs this weekend (2 online ones and the Minnesota ones). Typical contenders were in the top 8 of all three, and Chris you'll be happy to see that Affinity won a PTQ and top 4'd another. This may be a good time for it, as it's early in the season and not a lot of people are packing hate.

I personally liked the winner of one of the other PTQs, a Doran deck-

Maindeck:

Artifacts
2 Chrome Mox

Creatures
4 Dark Confidant
3 Kitchen Finks
4 Noble Hierarch
3 Qasali Pridemage
4 Tarmogoyf

Instants
4 Path To Exile
2 Putrefy

Legendary Artifacts
2 Umezawa's Jitte

Legendary Creatures
3 Doran, The Siege Tower

Sorceries
2 Duress
3 Maelstrom Pulse
1 Profane Command
3 Thoughtseize

Basic Lands
1 Forest
2 Plains
1 Swamp

Lands
1 Godless Shrine
3 Marsh Flats
1 Murmuring Bosk
2 Overgrown Tomb
1 Temple Garden
3 Treetop Village
4 Verdant Catacombs
1 Watery Grave

Sideboard:
3 Tormod's Crypt
3 Burrenton Forge-tender
3 Meddling Mage
3 Circle Of Protection: Red
2 Gaddock Teeg
1 Duress

This deck looks very nice, and very competitive. I like how he uses chrome mox to add a fresh pace to an older standard deck. I think the same thing could be done to the bantcrasher idea I had to make it viable in extended. Dropping a potential turn 2 rafiq could be devastating to your opponent, or an early finest hour.

[Travis Lannoye]

Why would you want a turn 2 Rafiq? Unless you had something on turn 1 that was worthy of the exalted/double strike bonus that Rafiq provides, it would probably be better to just drop a Rhox War Monk on turn 2, then drop Rafiq on turn 3 and swing with the Monk.

[Travis Lannoye]

I'm usually not one to question professionals, but how in the heck does Adrian Sullivan's deck work? Countryside Crusher? Simian Spirit Guide? 8 fetches and only 7 targets?

For reference, here is the list:
3 Countryside Crusher
4 Dark Confidant
3 Simian Spirit Guide

3 Burst Lightning
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Lightning Helix
3 Path to Exile
4 Punishing Fire
2 Terminate

4 Bloodchief Ascension
4 Isochron Scepter

4 Arid Mesa
2 Blood Crypt
1 Gemstone Caverns
2 Ghitu Encampment
1 Godless Shrine
4 Grove of the Burnwillows
4 Marsh Flats
1 Mountain
1 Plains
1 Sacred Foundry
1 Swamp
60 cards

Sideboard:
3 Dead / Gone
3 Extirpate
1 Hide / Seek
4 Thoughtseize
3 Engineered Explosives
1 Relic of Progenitus