I've been having fun playing multiplayer EDH (otherwise known as "Commander") on MtGO in the casual room.
Here's the terrible, horrible, cheap-ass Red/Black deck I've been playing - that's also been winning.

As you'll see it's made up of mostly cheap-tic, underpowered spells. I have no idea how or why it's won.

Commander/General:

1 x Kaervek the Merciless

Creatures:

1 x Hellhole Rats
1 x Hollowborn Barghest
1 x Needle Specter
1 x Nezumi Shortfang
1 x Dusk Urchins
1 x Nezumi Graverobber
1 x Urborg Syphon-Mage
1 x Shambling Remains
1 x Mogg Maniac
1 x Lightning Reaver
1 x Kederekt Parasite
1 x Ashling the Pilgrim
1 x Malfegor
1 x Igneous Pouncer
1 x Phyrexian Rager
1 x Screeching Buzzard
1 x Lord of the Undead
1 x Lavaborn Muse
1 x Flameblast Dragon
1 x Stigma Lasher
1 x Singe-Mind Ogre
1 x Ebony Owl Netsuke
1 x Infectious Horror
1 x Hell's Thunder
1 x Golgari Thug
1 x Anathemancer
1 x Crypt Rats
1 x Shocker
1 x Stingscourger
1 x Greater Gargadon

Artifacts:

1 x Skullcage
1 x Paupers' Cage
1 x Relic of Progenitus
1 x Pyrite Spellbomb
1 x Misers' Cage
1 x Icy Manipulator
1 x Muse Vessel
1 x Ward of Bones
1 x Geth's Grimoire
1 x Farsight Mask

Enchantments:

1 x Pain Magnification
1 x Wound Reflection
1 x Everlasting Torment

Instants & Sorceries:

1 x Recover
1 x Inflame
1 x Syphon Soul
1 x Wheel of Fate
1 x Pyroclasm
1 x Inferno
1 x Flame Javelin
1 x Breath of Malfegor
1 x Sizzle
1 x Words of Waste
1 x Dark Suspicions
1 x Beseech the Queen
1 x Fiery Gambit
1 x Makeshift Mannequin
1 x Wildfire
1 x Nameless Inversion
1 x Reiterate
1 x Volcanic Fallout

Lands:

1 x Reflecting Pool
1 x Terramorphic Expanse
1 x Grixis Panorama
1 x Exotic Orchard
1 x Barren Moor
1 x Savage Lands
1 x Leechridden Swamp
1 x Jund Panorama
1 x Auntie's Hovel
1 x Tresserhorn Sinks
1 x Rakdos Carnarium
1 x Reliquary Tower
1 x Forgotten Cave
1 x Rupture Spire
12 x Mountain
12 x Swamp

I've been doing a LOT of ARB-ARB-ARB and BETA-BETA-BETA drafting on MtGO, and have come across a great, totally asymmetrical drafting strategy around these cards.

The centerpiece card of the strategy is Mind Funeral:

--
Mind Funeral 1UB
Sorcery (U)
Target opponent reveals cards from the top of his or her library until four land cards are revealed. That player puts all cards revealed this way into his or her graveyard.
--

In limited this card is a powerhouse. You essentially need to hit your opponent with a Mind Funeral three times and that's game. At 1UB this can be easily done. However, due to the speed of some opponent's decks, there are a bunch of cards that can help you buy the time - or find Mind Funeral - to get that strategy across the line.

I've seen a great deal of drafts where the Mind Funerals get picked 10th-13th. If you see this happening, snatch them up. Even getting off a single Mind Funeral and watching your opponent mill away their bombs is always heartening.

In order of drafting perference, if you're going to go down the mill strategy, these are the cards I would go for:

If staying within Esper:

Mind Funeral: As the core of the strategy, you really need three of these, unless you have cards (such as Reborn Hope) that can return a Mind Funeral back to your hand.
Nemesis of Reason (+ Finest Hour): An excellent 5 drop for the mill strategy, it becomes absolutely insane if you splash green for Finest Hour, in which case you hit for a 20 mill advantage.
Wall of Denial: The best delaying card in the format. Almost nothing can touch it. They either have to sneak past with unblockable or fear, or get enough dudes in play to get around it.
Slave of Bolas: One of the best pieces of removal in the format, it's a great top pick.
Kathari Remnant: Another great "wall", with the added benefit of cascading into Mind Funeral.
Deny Reality: Cascading into Mind Funeral is great, especially while your delaying their attack.
Mistvein Borderpost: Mana fixer de jour.
Fieldmist Borderpost: The other Esper fixer.
Ethersworn Shieldmage : A great card for slowing down your opponent, and on the odd occassion acting as removal as well. Perfect against a Grixis Grimblade.
Bant Sureblade: The best defensive 2 drop in the set.
Esper Stormblade: Excellent 2 drop.

If splashing Green:

Reborn Hope: Your fourth, fifth or sixth Mind Funeral.
Lord of Extinction: I attacked with a 37/37 Lord of Extinction today off the back of a couple of Mind Funerals. The two just love each other.
Maelstrom Pulse: The best removal in the format, so why not pick it?
Winged Coatl: I've seen games stall a long time just from this little guy. Well worth grabbing.
Lorescale Coatl: If you're splashing green, he's great to have in order to find your Mind Funeral.
Behemoth Sledge: Buys you the lifegain you need to stick around. Also wins games by itself.
Qasali Pridemage: Great artifact removal, and can act as a beater if need be.

The great thing about drafting the mill strategy is that most opponents don't expect it (yet). The reaction from your opponent when you slam down a Mind Funeral one turn, and a Lord of Extinction or Nemesis of Reason the next is fantastic. If you know your playgroup is avoiding the core Esper cards for the strategy, I recommend you give it a try, and while your opponent tries to figure out how to bring your life from 20 to 0, you play an asymmetrical game where every land they play brings them close to losing.

Labels: analysis, Esper, magic, milling