This is one of the most diverse Standard Environments ever. With 2
expansions, 2 Stand alones and 5th edition there are a multitude of
cards
to choose from. Hopefully this will lead to some deck diversity and a
less
stagnant environment. These pages are a resource for decks. But please
note, merely copying a deck will probably not get you any further in
understanding
this game. When you look at a deck carefully note it's contents, look
at
the casting costs (both color-wise and size-wise), look at the
mana-sources
(both land and non-land). Question why certain cards are included
("Why
Stupor and not Coercion?"). Think about the decks potential strengths
and
weaknesses, and how to over come them. Once you can apply these skills
to your own decks you'll begin to build better more consistent decks.
Sometimes
it takes an outside eye to notice something about a deck, giving your
deck
up for critique is sometimes frustrating but is often beneficial. And
of
course there's no real substitute for play testing, playing your deck
against
a variety of decks will do a number of things-
-
Refine your actual playing skills, over time reducing your play-errors
(playing against good players is the best way to do this)
-
Allow you to get a better feel for the decks speed and consistency
-
Often points out weaknesses and strengths v. other decks
-
Gives you a chance to smooth out any mana problems
-
Let's you win cards in ante ;)
Before we move on to the current deck listings, just a few general
deck
construction notes and some helpful links to documents which every
magic
player who doesn't like getting his or her teeth kicked in should read
...
-
In *general* a tournament quality deck should have between 60-62
cards
-
Your percentage of mana should range between 30% and 45%. Thirty
percent
mana decks are weenie style decks with few casting costs exceeding 1
or
2. 45% decks run larger casting cost spells, x-spells, heavy
activation
costs (Jayemdae Tomes, Browse, Hammer of Bogardan etc.). There are
certain
decks that break these mana rules and succeed but the above figures
are
decent rules of thumb.
-
The vast majority of your mana sources should be plain old land.
Example
22 Land, 3 Fellwar Stones, 4 Birds of Paradise, 2 Thawing Glaciers ...
This is a typical mana distribution for a green/white Armageddon deck.
-
There should be only one color of spells in your deck in which there
are
more then 1 colored mana in the casting cost. Example in a Black/red
(B/r)
I have Nekrataals (2
 )
and Black Knights ()
and Incinerates (only one red in the casting cost 1 )
... but no Pillage (1**)
double red. Once again this is a rule of thumb and can be broken if
your
deck is carefully constructed with this in mind. An example would be a
counter-hammer deck, which normally runs 10-12 each Islands and
Mountains
, and 3-4 Reflecting Pools ... and it's double red spells aren't
usually
needed on turns 3-4 (Pillage, Hammer). Artifacts like diamonds, and
barbed
sextants, and critters like Birds of Paradise ... and Lands like
Reflecting Pool
, City of Brass etc. help alleviate this problem, but the less
colored mana in your deck the less Mana Screw.
-
Take a look here
at some of Robert Hahn's strategy material ... Quiz on Friday
[ Green/White Control ] * [ Red/Blue
] * [ Rainbow Black ] * [ Five
Color Mono-White ] * [ Frying Pan
] |
|