Magic strategy is like blowing bubbles. Sometimes, you manage to create elongated, wobbling monstrosities; sometimes, you get one huge clump of tiny bubbles clinging to each other; every so often, you generate that one perfect bubble that glistens like a rainbow in the sun. Whatever shape emerges from your wand, at its core, it is a sphere.
The basics of Magic strategy, like the shape that forms a bubble, are the same.
Magic strategy basics are the rules you always abide when playing a deck or format. Control decks always rely on patience when deciding whether or not to counter an opponent’s spell. Drafting starts by knowing the relative value of cards in a Limited environment. However, just as a bubble can morph into different shapes with each exhalation of breath, so does Magic strategy. While the basics remain the same, other strategy rules are stretched and bent to suit the idiosyncrasies of a given format.
In a previous article, I discussed the basics of building Mirrodin Sealed. This time, I would like to go one step further, into the realm of those rules we need to modify to fit the Mirrodin format. I’d like to talk about using synergy to build your Sealed deck.
As with any Sealed deck, first and foremost (aside from verifying your registration sheet and sorting your cards into colors), it is typical to separate cards into a”playable” and”unplayable” pile. We all know the world isn’t monochrome, and various people have different strategies for sorting those cards that are halfway between playable and unplayable. Usually, these cards start in the playable pile until they are either culled out or become the twenty-second and twenty-third card to finish a deck. Using this sorting strategy in Mirrodin Sealed can be quite troublesome, since there are so many playable cards that aren’t tied to a color. When I first played Mirrodin Sealed, I often found myself with upwards of forty cards that could easily fit into a deck. Trying to prune forty cards to a mere twenty-two or twenty-three is a real challenge.
This is where it is time to bend the rules a little bit. Instead of looking at all the playable and semi-playable cards at once, throw anything that wouldn’t automatically go into a deck to the side. Start just by looking at those cards that you would feel confident to put in any given deck.
I can already hear the protests on people’s lips…
“Why would you dismiss card X? It is so good when combined with card Y that I would never not put it in the playable pile!”
Before we start down that well-worn path, understand that these cards will not be completely dismissed. We will go back and exploit any synergies after building a solid deck first. So, instead of working from only the pile of playable cards as you are used to doing, employ this strategy:
- Cut all marginal and/or conditional cards . Leave only the cards that you’d want to put in any deck.
- Build your Sealed deck with only the playable cards . Completely build the deck such that it is ready to be played in the tournament.
- Review the deck you just built . Note specific strengths, weaknesses, and concerns about the build. Number of evasion creatures, mana curve, number of powerful cards and color distribution are a few things worth noting.
- Review all the cards you set aside . Are there any cards among these that would help alleviate weaknesses and/or provide a large benefit with its inclusion? Expect to find maybe one or two cards. Anything more, you might want to consider a rebuild.
- Look for a way to include that extra card without weakening the deck as a whole . Expect to replace a card instead of just merely adding that card to the deck.
It is important to note that not all decks will benefit from the conditional cards that you ignored in the first round of building. This additional look is a secondary process that can help turn a decent deck into something better just by the addition of one or two synergistic cards.
Also, figure out which method serves you best to review cards you decided not to include in the playable pile the first time around. My preference is to dump all the”unplayable” cards together, making note of cards that have specific uses. For example, if I have a Journey of Discovery in my card pool, I might note that in my head if I start seeing some expensive, powerful cards. I don’t like to set certain cards aside because I want to make sure to get a second look at all the cards just in case I missed something the first time around. Do whatever is most comfortable for you.
To demonstrate building Mirrodin Sealed using synergy, I have two examples to work through.
Pencils ready?
“I Saw Loxodon Warhammer Once In Eight Rounds at the Grand Prix”
Land
Ancient Den
Blinkmoth Well
Black
Chimney Imp
2 Contaminated Bond
Moriok Scavenger
Terror
2x Wail of the Nim
Blue
Assert Authority
Disarm
Fatespinner
Inertia Bubble
Lumengrid Warden
Slith Strider
Somber Hoverguard
Thoughtcast
Wanderguard Sentry
Green
Battlegrowth
Bloodscent
2x Fangren Hunter
Hum of the Radix
Journey of Discovery
2x Tel-Jilad Archers
Tel-Jilad Exile
Red
2x Atog
Detonate
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Fractured Loyalty
Krark-Clan Grunt
Molten Rain
Ogre Leadfoot
Slith Firewalker
Vulshok Berserker
White
Auriok Transfixer
Leonin Elder
2x Loxodon Mender
Slith Ascendant
Artifact
Altar of Shadows
Bosh, Iron Golem
Chromatic Sphere
Clockwork Beetle
Clockwork Condor
2x Cobalt Golem
Copper Myr
Dross Scorpion
Duskworker
Extraplanar Lens
Frogmite
Goblin War Wagon
Hematite Golem
Iron Myr
Leonin Scimitar
Lifespark Spellbomb
Loxodon Warhammer
Malachite Golem
Myr Enforcer
Necrogen Spellbomb
Needlebug
Nim Replica
Pyrite Spellbomb
Rustspore Ram
Scale of Chiss-Goria
Silver Myr
Slagwurm Armor
Talisman of Dominance
Titanium Golem
Tooth of Chiss-Goria
Vulshok Gauntlets
Yotian Soldier
I’ve gone over my reasoning on which cards I consider playable and unplayable before, so I won’t subject you to another long treatise on what should and shouldn’t get cut. Take a stab at it yourself before reading further.
Here is my condensed list of cards I now have to work with:
Land
Ancient Den
Black
Moriok Scavenger
Terror
Blue
Assert Authority
Inertia Bubble
Somber Hoverguard
Thoughtcast
Green
2x Fangren Hunter
2x Tel-Jilad Archers
Tel-Jilad Exile
Red
2x Atog
Detonate
Ogre Leadfoot
Vulshok Berserker
White
Auriok Transfixer
Slith Ascendant
Artifact
Altar of Shadows
Bosh, Iron Golem
Clockwork Condor
2x Cobalt Golem
Duskworker
Goblin War Wagon
Hematite Golem
Leonin Scimitar
Loxodon Warhammer
Malachite Golem
Myr Enforcer
Needlebug
Pyrite Spellbomb
Rustspore Ram
Titanium Golem
Vulshok Gauntlets
Yotian Soldier
I should make a note before I continue, just so as not to confuse anyone: The mana Myrs and Talismans (Silver, Gold, Leaden, Iron, and Copper) should be treated almost as if they are land. I set these cards aside with my land and include them after I’ve created my base deck.
Based on the above cards I have to work with, it is obvious that white will not make the cut with only three usable cards, none of which are worth a splash. Blue has some good tricks, with three fliers in the form of Cobalt Golems and Somber Hoverguard. Although black has only two playable cards, both Terror and Moriok Scavenger are strong enough to merit splashing. Green has plenty of solid creatures, and red is by far the best color. These two colors will start the deck, and I will look for room to splash either black or blue.
Further work shows I just have enough room to splash the two-card black. Without looking back at any of the cards I initially discarded, I have the following deck:
Land
6 Mountain
6 Forest
3 Swamp
Black
Moriok Scavenger
Terror
Green
2x Fangren Hunter
2x Tel-Jilad Archers
Tel-Jilad Exile
Red
2x Atog
Detonate
Ogre Leadfoot
Vulshok Berserker
Artifact
Altar of Shadows
Bosh, Iron Golem
Clockwork Condor
Copper Myr
Goblin War Wagon
Hematite Golem
Iron Myr
Loxodon Warhammer
Myr Enforcer
Pyrite Spellbomb
Rustspore Ram
Vulshok Gauntlets
Yotian Soldier
Reviewing the deck I just built, I notice two things: I have an incredible eighteen creatures (with little evasion, sadly) and my two most powerful cards cost eight mana each.
As I go back through the cards I tossed away, two cards catch my attention: Bloodscent and Journey of Discovery. With so many decent-sized creatures and two pumpable Atogs, the Bloodscent is actually useful in my deck. I can force through plenty of damage with one attack. The Journey of Discovery has caught my notice because of the need to get to eight mana rather quickly. Using it to get land number seven and eight is important. There is also the added plus of grabbing one of the few black sources of mana.
The question arises on which cards to take out of the deck. Prime candidate number one is Ogre Leadfoot; with so many large, well-costed creatures, it doesn’t seem fit to have a 3/3 for five mana in the deck.
I have two choices from this point: I can cut out one more card or I can remove the black splash. Since I only have seventeen mana sources and a fairly heavy mana curve, I would feel much more comfortable removing the black for the two green cards and having a land replace the Ogre Leadfoot. Though Moriok Scavenger allows me the opportunity to get Bosh back, the Scavenger isn’t as synergistic with the rest of the deck as Bloodscent is.
The final build is as follows:
Green
Bloodscent
2x Fangren Hunter
Journey of Discovery
2x Tel-Jilad Archers
Tel-Jilad Exile
Red
2x Atog
Detonate
Vulshok Berserker
Artifact
Altar of Shadows
Bosh, Iron Golem
Clockwork Condor
Copper Myr
Goblin War Wagon
Hematite Golem
Iron Myr
Loxodon Warhammer
Myr Enforcer
Pyrite Spellbomb
Rustspore Ram
Vulshok Gauntlets
Yotian Soldier
Having played both with and without the Bloodscent, I can definitely claim that I would have won several more matches if I would have had it in my deck in the beginning.
Still want a little more practice? Here’s the second deck that helped spark this article:
“My Buddy Bob’s Deck”
Land
Cloudpost
Tree of Tales
Vault of Whispers
Black
Chimney Imp
Contaminated Bond
2x Disciple of the Vault
Dross Prowler
Flayed Nim
Spoils of the Vault
Woebearer
Wrench Mind
Blue
Annul
Disarm
Inertia Bubble
Looming Hoverguard
Lumengrid Sentinel
Lumengrid Warden
Neurok Spy
Regress
Thirst for Knowledge
Wanderguard Sentry
Green
Fangren Hunter
Groffskithur
Journey of Discovery
Sylvan Scrying
Tel-Jilad Chosen
Tel-Jilad Exile
Turn to Dust
Red
Electrostatic Bolt
Fists of the Anvil
Grab the Reins
Incite War
Krark-Clan Grunt
Krark-Clan Shaman
Molten Rain
Spikeshot Goblin
Trash for Treasure
Vulshok Berserker
White
Arrest
Awe Strike
Loxodon Mender
Loxodon Punisher
Raise the Alarm
Razor Barrier
Skyhunter Cub
Artifact
Alpha Myr
Clockwork Condor
Culling Scales
Dead-Iron Sledge
Dross Scorpion
Elf Replica
Gold Myr
Heartwood Shard
Hematite Golem
Krark’s Thumb
Leonin Scimitar
2x Malachite Golem
Myr Retriever
Needlebug
Omega Myr
2x Pewter Golem
Pyrite Spellbomb
2x Scrabbling Claws
Silver Myr
Soldier Replica
Steel Wall
Talisman of Progress
Talisman of Unity
Vulshok Battlegear
2x Vulshok Gauntlets
Going through the same divvying process, here are the remaining cards to work with:
Land
Vault of Whispers
Tree of Tales
Black
Flayed Nim
Woebearer
Blue
Annul
Inertia Bubble
Looming Hoverguard
Neurok Spy
Regress
Thirst for Knowledge
Green
Fangren Hunter
Tel-Jilad Chosen
Tel-Jilad Exile
Turn to Dust
Red
Electrostatic Bolt
Fists of the Anvil
Grab the Reins
Krark-Clan Grunt
Spikeshot Goblin
Trash for Treasure
Vulshok Berserker
White
Arrest
Loxodon Punisher
Razor Barrier
Skyhunter Cub
Artifact
Alpha Myr
Clockwork Condor
Hematite Golem
Leonin Scimitar
2x Malachite Golem
Needlebug
2x Pewter Golem
Pyrite Spellbomb
Soldier Replica
Vulshok Battlegear
2x Vulshok Gauntlets
Red is the obvious first choice in the deck… But from there, there, it gets difficult to decide what other colors to choose. There is enough equipment to support white’s power creatures. Blue has very solid utility cards. Black has two Pewter Golems. Green has solid creatures. Though it is a tough decision that can be argued for each color, I chose red, black and white. Having been on the bad side of a Pewter Golem one too many times, it is hard to pass up two four-power regenerating creatures.
My initial build is as follows:
Land
6 Mountain
5 Plains
4 Swamp
1 Vault of Whispers
Black
Flayed Nim
Woebearer
Red
Electrostatic Bolt
Fists of the Anvil
Grab the Reins
Spikeshot Goblin
Trash for Treasure
Vulshok Berserker
White
Arrest
Loxodon Punisher
Razor Barrier
Skyhunter Cub
Artifact
Alpha Myr
Clockwork Condor
Gold Myr
Hematite Golem
Leonin Scimitar
Needlebug
2x Pewter Golem
Pyrite Spellbomb
Silver Myr
Soldier Replica
Vulshok Battlegear
Vulshok Gauntlets
This deck appears solid – a decent mana curve, decent creatures, good equipment, and plenty of removal.
Pawing through the cards tossed aside, I notice the Dead-Iron Sledge. With three regenerators in the deck and two white cards that receive a benefit merely by being equipped, this is a card worth considering. It isn’t a heartbreaker to take out the Fists of the Anvil. Following the same reasoning from the last example, Fists of the Anvil’s primary use is on the Spikeshot Goblin. Dead-Iron Sledge can easily work with at least five cards in the deck.
After that one tweak, the final deck is:
Land
6 Mountain
5 Plains
4 Swamp
1 Vault of Whispers
Black
Flayed Nim
Woebearer
Red
Electrostatic Bolt
Grab the Reins
Spikeshot Goblin
Trash for Treasure
Vulshok Berserker
White
Arrest
Loxodon Punisher
Razor Barrier
Skyhunter Cub
Artifact
Alpha Myr
Clockwork Condor
Dead-Iron Sledge
Gold Myr
Hematite Golem
Leonin Scimitar
Needlebug
2x Pewter Golem
Pyrite Spellbomb
Soldier Replica
Vulshok Battlegear
Vulshok Gauntlets
Before we conclude this jaunt down the world of Mirrodin Sealed, I’d just like to leave you with the Top 5 most-heard sayings at Grand Prix: Kansas City…
5.”I thought it was an instant!”
4.”He played turn 1 Bonesplitter, turn 2 Leonin Den-Guard, turn 3 equip Den-Guard, attack for four.”
3.”I had an amazing draw.”
2.”I had those same cards in my deck – I just didn’t draw them.”
1.”Bosh.”