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Sligh

Here’s the deck that started it all at the Atlanta Pro-Tour Qualifier 1996, by looking like a pice of crap, playing one card that was deemed non-tournament viable after the other, and still beating Necrodecks left and right. What was going on? Jay Schneider explained the secret, which lay in the the underlaying concept of the mana curve, and Magic was forever changed. Oh, and one of Magic's most durable and adaptive deck archtypes was created too, by the way.

The deck is named after Paul Sleigh, who was playing it there, even though the original designer was Jay Schneider.

Note: This deck was constructed under the 5 of all current expansions
rule used in the pro-tourney. As such it is not optimized for Standard
Type II play. (i.e., note Goblins of the Flarg plus Dwarves, not a
good combo to play on yourself.)

Orcish Librarian Deck, PT1 format, by Paul Sligh:
Jun 1996

2       Dwarven Trader
2       Goblin of the Flarg
4       Ironclaw Orcs
3       Dwarven Lt.
2       Orcish Librarian
2       Brothers of Fire
2       Orcish Artillery
2       Orcish Cannoneers
2       Dragon Whelp

4       Lightning Bolt
4       Incinerate
1       Fireball
1       Immolation
1       Shatter
1       Detonate

4       Brass Man
1       Black Vise

4       Strip Mine
4       Mishra's Factory
2       Dwarven Ruins
13      Mountain

Sideboard

4       Mana Barbs
2       Serrated Arrow
1       Shatter
1       Detonate
1       Fireball
1       Meekstone
1       Zuran Orb
3       Active Volcano
1       An-Zerrin Ruins

Concepts and observations on Sligh Deck w/Jay
Schneider, July '96:

Concept #1:  The most important one.  The Mana Curve.  A
true Sligh deck (and any good active deck) is optimized to use
the mana curve that comes from playing one land per turn,
and using ALL of it's mana on every turn.  This is done using a
"tiered" system. When you look at a Sligh deck you should see
'slots', not specific cards.  Taking this approach Sligh looks
like this:

    1 mana slot: 9-13
    2 mana slot: 6-8
    3 mana slot: 3-5
    4 mana slot: 1-3
    X spell: 2-3
    Lightning bolt (critter kills): 8-10
    mana 23-26 15-17 of color

In a deck designed to use it, it is highly effective to use all of
your mana each turn. Think of how often Sligh's 1 casting cost
critters do 5 - 10 points of damage before they are neutralized
or dealt with.

Concept #2:  Card Advantage.  It doesn't look like it but Sligh
is built on card advantage.  The key is selective card
advantage.  All of the cards in Sligh are effective by
themselves.  Sligh is very effective at killing all of an
opponents creatures, thereby rendering creature support
cards useless. Orcish Artillery represent the culmination of this
principle, i.e. a useful card in and of itself that also gains card
advantage if it’s special ability is used just once.

Concept #3:  How the attack progresses.  First on the ground,
which an opposing deck should eventually stop.  Then in the
air.  If this attack is stopped then finish them off with direct
damage.

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