Some decks are born from inspiration; others are forged in fire.
At SCG CON Baltimore, Julian “UnderSietch” Singer-Corbin claimed the Crossroads Championship with his deck Seeing Red. In his own words, a blistering Fire build that refuses to slow down, trading patience for pure aggression.
We caught up with Julian to talk about his journey from Brooklyn newcomer to Crossroads Champion, and the fiery evolution that earned him his title.
Looking to see Julian’s deck in action? Watch the gameplay of the SCG CON Baltimore finals here.
Forged in the Fires of Brooklyn
Julian: “I’m a Brooklyn-based theatre and music maker originally from Albuquerque, New Mexico. I’m an ardent generalist, I love to dabble, to learn, to explore. I genuinely love food, people, and traveling.
I’ve been playing Sorcery since the release of Arthurian Legends, about a year ago. In September, I won the King of the Realm Cornerstone event in New York City, sponsored by Action City Comics, my home shop. We have the absolute best community of Spellslingers there, meeting weekly. They taught me everything I know about the game, and I’d be nowhere without them.
My good friend Eric LaGaccia runs Action City Comics and hosts a play night on Sundays. One day, he brought home a box of Arthurian Legends and said, ‘It’s a new set for a game I think you’ll like.’ Big bonus points there, because I’ve always loved the stories of Camelot. We opened a few packs, and I was instantly entranced by the art and aesthetic.
We played a little sealed series between the two of us, adding new cards each week. I made an Air/Water Faeries deck called From Merlin to Mab that usually lost to his Earth/Fire Witch deck. I still have bad dreams about Blunderbore eating my faeries and gaining power, but it was a blast. Eventually, I started going to the shop every Sunday and fell in love with the game and the Brooklyn community that grew around it.”
The Spark That Started It All
Julian: “My deck is called Seeing Red. It’s a reaction to, well, getting my butt kicked too much for too long. We have some brilliant and decorated deck brewers in my local group, and it felt like no matter how much I improved, I was always going to lose to them.
As the tournament season approached and the level of play kept rising, I decided to set aside my whimsy and approach the game less like a story to be told and more like a war to be won.
I studied the decks that were winning and noticed Steam Druid spreading like wildfire. I liked its charge minions and Fire spells, but when players added defensive Water sites and big minions, they slowed down. I wondered, why not just keep pushing? What would happen if this deck never let up?
Thus began my love affair with Fire. I made a list of every Fire card in the game and built a deck that embodied raw speed and aggression: unrelenting, beautiful, pure flame. I tested it endlessly against the Archimago, AoE, AoA, and Druid players in my group. The more I leaned into speed, the more wins I racked up.
I was especially successful against Steam Druid, which wasn’t used to facing something even faster. Turns out, when you burn twice as hot, you can leave your opponents in the ashes.”
View Julian’s Seeing Red Deck on Curiosa.io
How do you approach piloting this deck?
Julian: “I want my games to be short and sweet. I don’t want other decks to get set up and start pulling big, intricate plays. My goal is to get my opponent reacting to me, spending their few actions each turn removing my threats instead of imposing their will.
The plan is to drop one spell every turn: Tawny on one, Imp or War Horse on two, Powries or Dragonettes on three, Saracen Raiders or Monstrous Lion on four, Blunderbore on five. Every non-minion card helps my creatures deal more damage or turns Tawny into a flamethrower that burns both Avatars and minions.
It’s nerve-wracking not playing any defense. Sometimes I’ll let enemy minions hit my sites freely for multiple turns just to set up the swing. But offense becomes a kind of defense when it works.”
Which cards are essential to the deck’s success?
Julian: “Tawny is the most important card in the deck, an airborne spellcaster that comes back whenever I play a site. She loves trinkets, explosions, long walks on the beach, and maximizing Lava Flows.
Jihad is the best Fire card and the spirit of this deck. I want to summon my minions on my opponent’s side, power them up, and let them swing away.
Siege Giant is the unsung hero. It can throw 21 cards in the deck, Avatar and Tawny included, to nearby sites without tapping. It made an impact in every game I played.
Many opponents use defensive sites like Perilous Bridge or Bottomless Pit to slow me down.
That’s when Sinkhole shines. I’ll drop it early and wait for the right moment to open a gap and replace their site with my own. If I don’t draw it, Smokestacks of Gnaak works as my ‘if I can’t have it, neither can you’ play.”
Were there any key inclusions or exclusions that defined your build?
Julian: “ I was always skeptical of Drums of Doom. I didn’t like that they also offered the same benefits to my opponent. It felt messy, and I like being in more control than that. And, anyway, why did I need it? It didn’t feel like it fit the theme of my deck. Until one day, when an opponent playing water had managed to stabilize and wipe the board of all of my minions and drop a few of their own. Cornered, I dropped Drums of Doom on my flipped Druid and made it so any minion that dared enter a site near me was instantly met with lethal damage. I was able to draw cards until I had all of the answers I needed and came back to win the game. This spikey defensive shell has become a lifesaver for me.
Not every card made it into the deck, though. I’m going to make some enemies here. Courtesan Thais is just not for me. I’m pretty averse to stopping the game to proceed with everyone displaying and playing each other’s hands. That’s not the path for me. I came here to throw fire at you. If I need to have a game come down to that kind of trickery, I think my plan has already failed.
What are this deck’s greatest strengths and weaknesses?
Julian: “This deck’s greatest strength lies in its consistency. I feel like I draw and play the same cards every game, and that keeps me confident that what I draw next will be something that I can use meaningfully. Most opponents are caught off guard by my fast and balanced onslaught. I’ll usually make a meal of Steam Druid, Archimago, Sorcerer control, Pathfinder, and Waveshaper (those are the most common opponents I encounter).
The ones that give me trouble? Avatar of Air and Avatar of Earth. Air can outmaneuver me. It’s just zany with all of the Rolling Boulders and Blinks and Grappleshots. I need a more predictable and locked-down board so I know where to point my flamethrower.
Earth is the worst. I mentioned my mentor and friend earlier, Eric. He plays an AoE deck that I’ve maybe beaten once?”
Final Thoughts and Future Plans
Julian: “I’m in shock that this worked so well. I’ve had people from all over the world message me saying they’re playing my build, tweaking it, and winning with it. I’m overwhelmed by the support.
I almost didn’t make it to Baltimore, but when Tim the Enchanter told me he took my Cornerstone deck to a Top 8 finish in Houston, I knew I had to go. I couldn’t let other Sorcerers have all the fun.
The most surprising play of the tournament was when my opponent, James, polymorphed one of my minions into a frog. I went from commanding a scary warrior to owning an ordinary little beast. Then I drew a Torshammer Trinket and Firebreathing. That frog charged in, hit for one, and blasted his Avatar for four. It was probably the most dangerous frog I’ve ever seen.
I’m leaving the deck exactly as it is. The last-minute tweaks, especially adding a single Shatter Strike, made it efficient and dangerous. It carried me to a championship. I might try Pathfinder next, but for now, I’m enjoying the burn.
Recently, I’ve started doing voiceover commentary for Sorcery matches. I narrated the video of my Cornerstone win and loved it. If anyone needs a broadcast buddy, I’m in.”
Write Your Own Story at a Crossroads Event
From Brooklyn to Baltimore, Julian’s victory reminds us that every Sorcerer’s story begins with a single spark. Will yours ignite at SCG CON Las Vegas?
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