Archmage - Single Card Stragegies
Volume XXII #7 - the Gray Ogre
After many days of wandering your finger around scratching your ass, you are wondering through a stupid forest which my pathetic novel telling skills cannot describe to any decent amount of detail. After you wandar around and do some nature things, you come across a clearing. A man in the middle waves his finger at you. Or is he fingering you? "My name is Can't Tickle. Come into the circle, I have been expecting you, for I have no life and do nothing but wait for new mages to come into my circle. Allow me to tell you the wonders of the often underestimated card the

GRAY OGRE!!!!!!!!!!!
For ONLY 3 mana the practicer of red magic can call upon this beast of fear and terror. Although it is a creature of only average power and toughness (2/2) many mages overlook it's more subtle, more useful powers.
Many will note that the Gray Ogre is a Red spell. This means that the Red mage also has the powers of Red's destructiveness at his disposal. By using his Red Magic, the Red Mage can clear the board of all opposing creatures to allow the mighty Gray Ogre through. Or consider some of the other Red spells which will pump the Gray Ogre to unbelieveable levels, such as The Brute, or Giant's Strength. While immolation will initialy kill it, if you combine Immolation with The Brute, you make the Gray Ogre a force to be reckoned with, for it then becomes a 10/6, which few mages would shake a stick at. Or combine the Gray Ogre with a few of Red's "surprise" spells, such as Giant Growth or Righteousness. Just imagine the look on the opposing mages face when they attack with their Leviathan, normally a deadly creature, and you have but 2 red mana free. With a Righteousness and a Giant Growth, you shall kill the leviathan and keep your Gray Ogre smiling.
Few Mages realize some of the deeper, subtler advantages the Gray Ogre gives you. Consider the artifact Meekstone. Using these two cards together will immobilize many opponents indeed. Throw in a Mightstone or an Orcish Oriflame and laugh as your opponent takes 5 points of damage every turn.
And finally, do not forget the Gray Ogre's most powerful use, often underestimated by red mages. With a simply Black Felt Tip pen, one can write the words "Black Lotus" or "Mox Ruby" on it, to serve as a placeholder for cards the red mages either does not want to use, or does not own.

Can't Tickle closes his book and stares at you intently. In awe at his eternal wisdom, you are unable to say a word. After a few moments, you decide it is time you go on. As you gather your possesions, Can't Tickle continues to stare at you, the same way he was before, and you can't help thinking, this man must have had a lobotomy.

Single Card Stragegies is Copyright and all that crap by Jeff Franzman. Can't Tickle is a completely fictional character and any resemblence it has to any other completely fictional character is completely coincidental.

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