Date: Thu, 31 Jul 1997 22:55:32 -0400 From: Sean McKeown Subject: Re: Blue Orb (Deck Workshops) ------------------ The Blue Orb/Sligh deck has potential, but I think you are missing some valuable abilities that Blue has available. I re-made your deck, (hope you don't mind =) to show you how I would do it. I wanted to add Phantom Warriors as a solid 3cc creature, but the War Machine is better... Meerkats is a modestly common SB card, at least here in NYC when last I checked. The combo of Anhk of Mishra and Undiscovered Paradise is BAD, I'm just better off with, say, Aradakar Wastes there to support the StP's in the SB. Without Paradi, I will have to make the deck more efficient with stunted resources, so it is a bit more bottom-heavy than yours was. It's missing Fliers besides 2 Owls, and Puffy would be good, but not neccesarily better, as a 3cc critter. Here ya go... 0cc: 4x Force of Will 1cc: 4x Merfolk of the Pearl Trident 3x Unstable Mutation 2cc: 4x Lord of Atlantis 4x Merfolk Traders 2x Sage Owl 3x Winter Orb 2x Anhk of Mishra 4x Counterspell 3cc: 4x Man o' War 2x Phyrexian War Machine 2x Mana Web 3x Quicksands 4x Aradakar Wastes 13x Islands Sideboard: 2x Anhk of Mishra 4x Hydroblast 4x Psychic Venom 3x Swords to Plowshares 2x Phyrexian War Machine Your usual Orb deck, without the Forgotten part simply because I like C-Spells better for saying 'No'. 8 Merfolks and 4 Lords are pretty nifty for beefy (cheap) creatures, and with Unstable Mutations the damage flows more freely. I'd like to add another, but don't want to drop creatures or go to 61. 20 creatures is a little 'light' for a Weenie/Orb, but the Anhks, Orbs, and Webs all belong there, as do the FoW's and C-Spells. SB is a lesson in simplicity, if you recall that you are running with WOrb/Web standard. Venom shuts down slow decks as a 2cc 'land D' spell, and is better against C-Post than Trickery, as long as you counter Disenchants with FoW/C-Spell...and there are better Disenchant targets, by far. Against monored or mostly red, Hydroblasts can replace Forces of Will adequately as well as serve as removal. StP is solid removal for creature-heavy decks, and WarMachine is a solid Meercat-blocker/big creature Anhks are for any Control deck like C-Post, C-Hammer, Turbo/Squandered Stasis... it shuts down Stasis BIGtime unless they can eliminate it, and makes Thawing Glaciers...painful. ------------------ Sean McKeown Gandalf@BDominia.com "Look up to the bright blue sky, Can't you feel life passing by? If you could wouldn't you, Try to soar over everything? All the pain this world can bring, Once I flew now I've lost my wings" --White Town, "Once I Flew" by Jyoti Mishra