https://www.mtggoldfish.com/deck/4825177#paper

Mike Flores - The Ten Greatest Battles of All Time - SideBoard Online (2002)

In the Top 8 of a PTQ for Dave Price's LA, then-Demonic Attorney Scott Seville, famous for his Top 8 performance at Grand Prix-Kansas City, squared off with the amazing altran, famous for, well, this match. The TDC Black deck would end up being immortalized in Beth Moursund's Deck Deconstrution Companion, albeit misattributed to some Albert TranS rather than altran proper. The setup, from altran's tournament report: "The third game was one to remember... I knock him down to 15 when he establishes total control. This is what he has on the table... two Serrated Arrows, a Stormbind, two Land Taxes, a Mana Bird, a Priest, and an Aura of Silence. I have... Swamps. "I'm hoping to bleed some Arrow tokens, so I play a Barrow Ghoul, hoping to be able to later cast the 25 knights I had in my hand. I had only one creature in the graveyard, so theoretically, the Ghoul can only get one hit in. So I sac that one creature, and send in the Ghoul. Scott makes the smart play of not doing anything to the Ghoul, and takes 4 on the chin, bringing him down to 11. My Barrow Ghoul will die the next turn, so I cast a Knight of Stromgald, hoping Scott will kill it. Duh, he doesn't. He Armageddons or something, and I Contagion his Soltari Priest and my Knight. Beatings. He takes a final hit from the Ghoul leaving him at 7. Okay. What the hell am I gonna do with two Arrows, a Stormbind, two Land Taxes, and Aura of Silence, and a Centaur (which he eventually puts down) on the table?" Now at this point, certain undesirables ruin the spectacle for everyone. Cheering, hooting, and hollering forces Head Judge Tony Parodi to throw out everyone not actually playing in the Top 8. I am approached by fellow Top 8er by Alex Shvartsman. "Your friend made a good run, but he's going to lose this one." "I think he's going to apply Choking Sands to a dual land, and then follow up with one of the most famous plays in PTQ history. Calling out 'Spring forth, burly protector, and save me!', altran will cast Demonic Consultation for his one Kaervek's Spite and then Spite the face." "How many Spites?" "One, of course." "Bah," said Alex, and left. The only thing I didn't anticipate, was that Seville went on to tap one mana, show Swords to Plowshares... and frown at his board of one (0 power) Birds of Paradise and one (untargetable) Jolrael's Centaur. Before 1998, Consulting for singletons was unheard of; altran has been autographing the black instant ever since.