SorceryCon 2024, the first fan-run convention for all things Sorcery: Contested Realm was a huge success, a testament to both the dedication and talent of its organizers, as well as the dedication and enthusiasm of the larger Sorcery community.
Amidst a weekend of excitement and camaraderie, Gilbert Mederios from Providence, RI, emerged victorious in the convention's Constructed event - claiming the “Unland Cup” for himself!
For Mederios, SorceryCon wasn’t just about the competition; it was about the shared moments and experiences that make gaming events memorable. “The organizers of SorceryCon did an amazing job,” Mederios notes, citing the venue choice and smooth facilitation of the scheduled events, “they really stepped up to the challenge to provide a great experience for everyone involved.”
How to Play like Champion of the Unland
When it came to deck building, Mederios embraced a philosophy rooted in adaptability and strategic foresight - looking to bring a hyper-aggressive earth/fire deck centered around the Sorcerer as his avatar. He graciously offered to share his wisdom with the community.
You can view Mederios' full deck list on Sorcery TCG's official deck-building site Curiosa.io here: Let Sleeping Giants Lie
Q: What inspired you to create this deck? What is the concept behind your deck?
I piloted a deck known as Fury Road, crafted by Scourage Alters. It’s a hyper-aggressive earth/fire deck that leverages the Sorcerer as a card draw engine. To tailor it for this specific event, I made a few strategic substitutions to tilt the deck towards more aggression, titling it "Let Sleeping Giants Lie" (LSGL). Essentially, this deck capitalizes on opponents’ slower setups (I see you Deathspeaker!) and by only needing 5 sources of mana to operate, I can then pressure the opponent with two spell draws per turn and a low mana curve of potent threats.
Most lists in Sorcery currently are trying to build to a large endgame where they control the board and win with an overwhelming advantage. LSGL is primarily focused on controlling the opponent by getting their life total to 0 as fast as possible.
Q: What’s your philosophy when brewing decks?
I always try to play the deck that has the best chance of winning. When I was preparing for SorceryCon, I playtested all of the decks with any traction on Curiosa.io and the Sorcery League. I actually didn’t make the final decision until Friday, the night before the event! With it being a best-of-1 format with no sideboard, I noticed many players were changing lists to include more copies of dispel and larger cards (6+ mana) to their lists to be better in the Deathspeaker mirror. I originally wanted to play Deathspeaker, but pivoted to Fury Road to go under the larger decks I expected to face. I even swapped out 2 Wicked Witches, an excellent card in the list with so many synergies, for an Autumn Unicorn and a Petrosian Cavalry to tilt the deck toward more aggression. That combined with the card Blaze allowed me to consistently clear up Deathspeaker minions and win games.
Q: Key Card Choices: Tell us about some of the key cards in your deck and why you included them. How do they with your deck's strategy?
Most decks in Sorcery have built-in value or draw engines (Pathfinder, Deathspeaker, etc.). This deck includes the Sorcerer as a way to keep pressure on. The mana curve in the deck is low, allowing the Sorcerer’s draw engine to ignite after reaching 5 mana, much earlier than it could with most current decks.
Colicky Dragonettes, Slumbering Giantess, Bosk Troll, Autumn Unicorns, this deck surrounds itself with creatures that are slightly above the curve/power ratio to lean on the opponents and keep pressure... and then there’s Blaze.
Blaze is a unique effect that allows greater mobility, a very underrated part of this game so far, and a good amount of damage to smaller creatures. I’m looking at you Vile Imp and Apprentice Wizard…
Blaze can even be used to wake up the Slumbering Giantess and kill your opponent's Root Spiders with your own, not to mention finishing off the enemy Avatar when they are at Death’s Door.
A Future Contesting the Realm
Having been playing since the first day of the Beta release, Mederios built up his Sorcery experience through a starter deck league and weekly drafts, and he is excited for future games at his LGS, Game King, in Fall River, Massachusetts.
