Magic: The Gathering

Discussion in 'Games' started by Dilly Star, Dec 26, 2013.

  1. Dilly Star

    Dilly Star The Dilliest in the Galaxy
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    Yo! I didn't see any other big M:tG threads here, so I thought I'd make one just for that!

    Who here likes/loves/plays Magic? What are your favorite colors, cards, or deck strategies? Are you new to the game, or have you been playing for a while? Do you have a favorite Planeswalker? Tell me all about how you play the game, and post your deck lists here. If you want advice on how to beef up your deck, I'm sure players on this site would be willing to give advice. I can even give tips to casual players on how to build good decks that are inexpensive.

    I've got a lot to say about Magic! I learned to play a few other card games semi-competitively before I was taught Magic by some classmates of mine, so I already had a good idea how I would be playing before I began. Still there was a lot to discover about the game. My first two decks were BR Eldrazi and WU Fliers. Later in the game, I played a lot of mono-black and mono-red decks, just because I had so many of those cards lying around. But the truth was, Blue always fascinated me more than the other colors. I have a lot of decks, but I'll post all my favorite decks here. Anyone that wants can give comments or advice!

    I haven't actually finished this one yet, since all my paychecks have been coming in slowly, but this has evolved from the monstrous deck I've been bringing to Standard FNM's all summer. The main strategy is to have some ammunition against all the other current meta decks; having steady removal and mana ramp puts me where I want to be, which is drawing into a dragon to bring the hurt to my opponents. My main problem is draw and keeping threats on the board. The sideboard is primarily geared to deal with all the control decks in Standard nowadays. I dream of a day when R/G Monsters will triumph over control and secure its place among the legendary Magic decks.

    [​IMG]

    Creatures:
    Genesis Hydra x4
    Stormbreath Dragon x4
    Polukranos, World Eater x4
    Sylvan Caryatid x4
    Elvish Mystic x4


    Planeswalkers:
    Chandra, Pyromaster x4

    Instants/Sorceries:
    Magma Jet x4
    Lightning Strike x4

    Lands:
    Templa of Abandon x4
    Evolving Wilds x4
    Mountain x7
    Forest x9

    Sideboard:
    Mistcutter Hydra x4
    Xenagos, the Reveler x4
    Hammer of Purphoros x4
    Fade Into Antiquity x3

    So, here's a deck off the beaten path. I haven't ever seen Turbo Fog played in Modern and thought I'd give this deck a go. I've never brought it to an event but I want to have a friend look over it before I do; here's hoping it'll turn out well! I think the basic premse is pretty sound: Fog until they draw out, re-use Fogs and sift through your library for more Fogs. Mill them down with Jace if the game gets close. Sideboard is mostly serious additions the deck might need, plus Kiora, who may or may not turn out to be useful. I wouldn't play her against a Red deck.

    [​IMG]

    Fogs:
    Fog x4
    Moonmist x4
    Druid's Deliverance x4
    Clinging Mists x4

    Planeswalkers:
    Jace, Memory Adept x3

    Artifacts/Enchantments:
    Dictate of Kruphix x4
    Rites of Flourishing x4
    Elixir of Immortality x1

    Instants/Sorceries:
    Dissolve x3
    Sleight of Hand x4
    Noxious Revival x1

    Lands:
    Hinterland Harbor x4
    Temple of Mystery x4
    Island x7
    Forest x9

    Sideboard:
    Jace, Memory Adept x1
    Witchbane Orb x4
    Kiora, the Crashing Wave x4
    Bow of Nylea x1
    Negate x4
    Elixir of Immortality x1

    This deck is all about being political, as are all fun Commander decks. Its interactive and deals with threats to its Commander well. It has a lot of medium-sized attackers that can hit in the air and on the ground, plus it has some fair draw and search effects. The main idea is to not be the biggest threat on the board, and instead wipe out the person who looks like they're making their move first. This deck is not designed to win as completely as some, but rather seeks to find political opportunities to further its game state. It has enough board wipes, counters and threats to have some control over where the game goes. It is ultimately a deck that seeks to be fair. Marchesa also allows me to bring back creatures which have +1/+1 counters that have died, and therefore all monstrous effects of my creatures can be used more than once.

    I'll also list the intended effect for each card, since there are too many in a Commander/EDH deck to list here.

    [​IMG]

    Commander:
    Marchesa, the Black Rose

    Creatures:
    Thraximundar (beater)
    Rune-Scarred Demon (beater/search)
    Sire of Insanity (prevent opponent from accruing large hand)
    Soul of Ravnica (beater/draw)
    Aetherling (beater)
    Ob Nixilis, Unshackled (beater/prevent opponent from searching)
    Grave Titan (beater/tokens)
    Inferno Titan (beater/burn)
    Consuming Aberration (beater)
    Keranos, God of Storms (beater/draw)
    Siren of the Fanged Coast (beater/repeatable control magic)
    Drana, Kalastria Bloodchief (beater/repeatable removal)
    Indulgent Tormentor (beater/draw/life loss/sacrifice)
    Shadowborn Demon (beater/removal)
    Exava, Rakdos Bloodwitch (gives all my creatures haste)
    Erebos, God of the Dead (draw/anti life-gain)
    Ember Swallower (repeatable land sacrifice)
    Chasm Skulker (beater/tokens)
    Royal Assassin (repeatable removal)
    Nightscape Familiar (cheapens lots of my spells)

    Planeswalkers:
    Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker (land destruction/control magic)
    Liliana Vess (discard/search)
    Ral Zarek (tap/untap)

    Artifacts/Enchantments:
    Dictate of Erebos (encourage opponents to attack each other)
    Propaganda (encourages opponents to attack each other)
    Darksteel Ingot (mana ramp)
    Obelisk of Grixis (mana ramp)
    Whispersilk Cloak (grants shroud)
    Circle of Flame (discourages attacks by token players)
    Armillary Sphere (mana ramp)
    Swiftfoot Boots (grants hexproof)
    Wayfarer's Bauble (mana ramp)
    Traveler's Amulet (mana ramp)
    Sol Ring (mana ramp)

    Instants/Sorceries:
    Bonfire of the Damned (single-player board wipe)
    In Garruk's Wake (one-way board wipe)
    Decree of Pain (creature-only board wipe)
    Obliterate (complete board wipe)
    Recurring Insight (draw)
    Opportunity (draw)
    Thassa's Bounty (draw)
    Jace's Ingenuity (draw)
    Countermand (counter)
    Dismiss (counter)
    Fuel for the Cause (counter)
    Diabolic Tutor (search)
    Wild Ricochet (copy a spell)
    Grixis Charm (removal/bounce/pump)
    Crosis' Charm (removal/bounce)
    Undermine (counter)
    Psychic Strike (counter)
    Counterflux (counter)
    Dissolve (counter)
    Cancel (counter)
    Call to Mind (re-use a spell)
    Countersquall (counter)
    Counterspell (counter)
    Negate (counter)
    Twincast (copy a spell)
    Reverberate (copy a spell)

    Lands:
    Command Tower (all three colors)
    Crumbling Necropolis (all three colors)
    Rupture Spire (all three colors)
    Transguild Promenade (all three colors)
    Evolving Wilds (search a basic land)
    Terramorphic Expanse (search a basic land)
    Grixis Panorama (search a basic land)
    Drowned Catacomb (blue/black)
    Temple of Deceit (blue/black)
    Jwar Isle Refuge (blue/black)
    Dimir Guildgate (blue/black)
    Izzet Boilerworks (blue/red)
    Temple of Epiphany (blue/red)
    Izzet Guildgate (blue/red)
    Rakdos Carnarium (black/red)
    Akoum Refuge (black/red)
    Rakdos Guildgate (black/red)
    Vivid Creek (blue/remove counter for any)
    Seafloor Debris (blue/sacrifice for any)
    Vivid Marsh (black/remove counter for any)
    Subterranean Hangar (add counter/remove counters for black)
    Bojuka Bog (black/exiles cards from graveyards)
    Temple of the False God (adds two colorless)
    Island x8
    Swamp x4
    Mountain x6
     
    #1 Dilly Star, Dec 26, 2013
    Last edited: Jul 17, 2014
  2. Fenris Rose

    Fenris Rose Going Through Changes
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    [YOUTUBE]8iO5-ic0Ug4[/YOUTUBE]
     
  3. Dreamer

    Dreamer Cartoon Ninja Cat

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    YOOOOOO.

    I started magic because my scout-troop had this box full to the brim with cards that we'd bring on camp-outs because the game was epic.
    I currently have a hand-made green/white deck, which is pretty good, but I really don't have anyone to play against to test it.
    I also bought the "2014 start deck" blue/white, which is very heavy swarming the enemy with flying creatures. It's kinda fun.

    But overall I have very little experience >.>
     
  4. Dilly Star

    Dilly Star The Dilliest in the Galaxy
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    @Ridley Wolf Yep, I'm a total Geek. The secret is out.

    My brother plays White/Green. It's a fun color combo. It was also the first deck my girlfriend ever bought, so I've played against it a lot.
     
  5. Malak

    Malak World Eater
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    Creature (17)
    4x Arbor Elf
    4x Deranged Hermit
    2x Nut Collector
    4x Squirrel Mob
    1x Squirrel Wrangler
    2x Vigor

    Sorcery (6)
    2x Acorn Harvest
    4x Chatter of the Squirrel

    Artifact (1)
    1x Coat of Arms

    Planeswalker (1)
    1x Garruk Wildspeaker

    Land (22)
    1x Dryad Arbor
    17x Forest
    1x Mutavault
    1x Pendelhaven
    2x Swarmyard

    Enchantment (14)
    3x Beastmaster Ascension
    3x Druid's Call
    4x Earthcraft
    4x Squirrel Nest

    Sideboard (15)
    2x Asceticism
    3x Autumn's Veil
    3x Echoing Courage
    2x Essence Warden
    3x Muraganda Petroglyphs
    2x Vigor

    Sliver Queen + Mana Echoes
    ALL THE TOKENS!
     
  6. Dreamer

    Dreamer Cartoon Ninja Cat

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    Where do you find planeswalker cards? Are they just rare from packs, or do you need to buy them with decks?
     
  7. Proxy

    Proxy Resident Lurker
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    Love this game, but terrible at it. I run a Green/Black deck, it's semi decent.
     
  8. Malak

    Malak World Eater
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    They can be found in boosters, but not in pre-constructed decks as far as I'm aware.
     
  9. Dilly Star

    Dilly Star The Dilliest in the Galaxy
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    @Malak That's a pretty cool deck list. Green enchantment decks are hardcore.

    Back in the day, all I ever did was lose. It kinda comes with the learning curve.
     
  10. Minterwute

    Minterwute Cookie Horse
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    Here's my deck which unfortunately no one is willing to play against any more.

    The deck was constructed with the goal in mind being denying opponents the ability to perform many key actions typically associated with winning; you know, things like actually casting spells. In the early game, the deck mostly stalls for time to get of of its multiple win conditions going, which is either done by using Walls of Denial as barricades to hold of the opponent, Man-o-war to bounce creatures, or by using Isochron Scepter and one of either Mana Leak or Boomerang to prevent the opponent from performing actions. In a multiplayer match, the strategy is to basically sit back and try to draw aggro, which typically works well when you only put out Walls or weak creatures.

    The mid game for the deck orients around Dovescape denying the opponent non-creature spells, with Venser Sojourner exiling the card during my turn. Grand Arbiter helps get the combo out faster, while Howling Mine, Mind Unbound and Venser's Journal increase survivability through life gain. Suture Priest, Dissipation Field, Echoing Truth and Evacuation are used as a means of moderating the opponent's damage capabilities.

    The deck wins by one of the following means: 1) Using Guile with Dovescape to produce an absurdly large number (usually into the trillions) of bird tokens and win through damage, 2) Lab Maniac (protected by Dovescape from most forms of removal) to mill myself to victory, or 3) As a fall back, simply beat the opponent to death with creatures like Denizens of the Deep.

    The deck used to run Silence, but people simply refused against it after I had put the card onto Isochron Scepter, which literally prevent the opponent from doing anything, every turn starting as early as turn 3.

    Instants:
    Boomerang x2 (x2 in side board)
    Evacuation x2 (x2 in side board)
    Echoing Truth x2
    Mana Leak x2

    Artifacts:
    Isochron Scepter x2
    Holwing Mine x2
    Venser's Journal x2

    Planeswalkers:
    Venser Sojourner x2

    Creatures:
    Guile x2
    Lab Maniac x2
    Man-o-war x4
    Wall of Denial x4
    Grand Arbiter Augustin IV x2
    Denizen of the Deep x2
    Dust Elemental x2
    Suture Priest x2

    Enchantments:
    Dovescape x2 (x2 in side board)
    Dissipation Field x2
    Mind Unbound x2

    Lands:
    Glacial Fortress x2
    Halimar Depths x1 (x1 in side board)
    Reliquary Tower x2
    Island x9
    Plains x9
     
  11. Malak

    Malak World Eater
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    Not sure if no one noticed or decided to not point it out, but my title is a reference to a card. Hydras and wurms are my favorite creature types only shadowed by slivers.

    [​IMG]
     
  12. Dilly Star

    Dilly Star The Dilliest in the Galaxy
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    Hydras are super fancy.

    And in all fairness, your title could have also been a Skyrim reference.
     
  13. Malak

    Malak World Eater
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    I suppose.

    Are you familiar with the Unhinged and Unglued sets? I can only imagine the insanity the drafts would have been.

    One of my favorites

    [​IMG]
     
  14. Dilly Star

    Dilly Star The Dilliest in the Galaxy
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    Yeah! I love Censorship.

    [​IMG]
     
  15. Malak

    Malak World Eater
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    [​IMG]
    Hey guise, Chaos Orb isn't insane enough.
    [​IMG]
    CHAOS CONFETTI!
     
  16. Dilly Star

    Dilly Star The Dilliest in the Galaxy
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  17. Himura Kenshin

    Himura Kenshin Roxas, The Keyblade Wielder

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    I'm a Black/Green Magic: The Gathering player. My other Color is Red/White (Boros Guild in 2013 Gatecrashers)
     
  18. Malak

    Malak World Eater
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    Favorite game modes? I rather like Commander and Two-Headed Giant. For THG I usually play slivers and have my partner put a Hivestone in their deck.
    <.< No one plays with me anymore when they see my Black Lotus sleeved slivers.
    1 Arena
    1 Blasted Landscape
    1 Dryad Arbor
    30 Forest
    1 Gaea's Cradle
    1 Jungle Basin
    1 Llanowar Reborn
    1 Oran-Rief, the Vastwood
    1 Slippery Karst
    1 Tranquil Thicket

    39 lands

    1 Acidic Slime
    1 Arashi, the Sky Asunder
    1 Chameleon Colossus
    1 Clockwork Hydra
    1 Deadwood Treefolk
    1 Eternal Witness
    1 Feral Hydra
    1 Fertilid
    1 Fungal Behemoth
    1 Hydra Omnivore
    1 Ivy Elemental
    1 Keeper of Progenitus
    1 Khalni Hydra
    1 Magus of the Candelabra
    1 Manaplasm
    1 Primordial Hydra
    1 Protean Hydra
    1 Renegade Krasis
    1 Stuffy Doll
    1 Ulvenwald Tracker
    1 Vastwood Hydra
    1 Vorinclex, Voice of Hunger

    22 creatures

    1 Beast Within
    1 Boundless Realms
    1 Caged Sun
    1 Chord of Calling
    1 Collective Voyage
    1 Creeping Mold
    1 Creeping Renaissance
    1 Cultivate
    1 Death's Presence
    1 Doubling Season
    1 Eladamri's Vineyard
    1 Explosive Vegetation
    1 Extraplanar Lens
    1 Feed the Pack
    1 Food Chain
    1 Gauntlet of Power
    1 Greater Good
    1 Green Sun's Zenith
    1 Harrow
    1 Heartbeat of Spring
    1 Hurricane
    1 Kodama's Reach
    1 Mana Reflection
    1 Mirri's Guile
    1 Momentous Fall
    1 Mutant's Prey
    1 New Frontiers
    1 Nourishing Shoal
    1 Ooze Flux
    1 Praetor's Counsel
    1 Predatory Urge
    1 Prey Upon
    1 Primeval Bounty
    1 Rites of Flourishing
    1 Squall Line
    1 Stream of Life
    1 Vernal Bloom
    1 Weird Harvest
     
  19. Xander

    Xander A Pony Every Pony Should Know

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    I love slivers. I remember being introduced to them in Legion and never looking back. I got my hands on old slivers and made real good use of Sliver Queen and Sliver Overlord. Once they introduced some of the Timeshift slivers though, like Gemhide, my deck was set to be one of the best of all my friends.

    I really don't like what they did to slivers now. I think their designs are...bad and less unique, and I don't like that they only help your own slivers instead of all of them. I think mechanically it makes more sense but it drains all the flavors out of the cards, which was half the fun of using them.
     
  20. Malak

    Malak World Eater
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    Making their hivemind more controlled is... odd. Lore wise slivers don't fight against each other and I can see why limiting their ability sharing in 2014 makes sense, but at the same time Lore dictates that all slivers within a certain distance share their abilities. Though I'm not going to discount the newer ones, I'm glad to have more slivers bringing in a second set of abilities with varying mana costs and power/toughness and even color changes.

    However, never underestimate the fact that Slivers evolve, and have done so consistently every single time we’ve seen them. In the beginning, back when they were Rathi immigrants from Dominaria in the Tempest block, their evolution was accelerated by Volrath infiltrating their Hive and modifying some of them, which in turn made the other Slivers evolve to match them. We saw further evolution when they returned via the Riptide Project in Onslaught block, where the ripples of the Mirari’s power sparked further evolution and produced the Sliver Overlord.

    In their second return, during the chaos of the aforementioned Time Spiral block, they were sentient enough to actively absorb the powers and appearances of other beings they deemed useful. Additionally, the Sliver hivemind itself slowly became sentient, forming the Sliver Legion.


    The point is, Slivers have only become more and more powerful and adaptive since we’ve met them. Let’s be real; the snakelike bodies and rigid adherence to the hivemind are cool, but after a while they stop holding up so well in battle. So, the Slivers evolve once again to the more convenient and expressive humanoid forms, and fine-tune their abilities so they only affect the Slivers they want to affect. Isn’t nature great?
     

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