Today I’m going to show you my favorite new deck. It’s been performing very well in testing, and I think it’s ready for prime time. This article will take into consideration the principles I’ve spoken of this week, and how they can relate to deckbuilding and play-style.
I, like a lot of Americans, have an SUV as my main vehicle (technically it’s my only vehicle). This means I use up a lot of gasoline getting from place to place. My car, by definition of its V6 gas-guzzling engine, has bad mileage. But that’s not the type of mileage I’m talking about today…
The best cars are made with the best components. The same goes for Magic decks.
It’s real simple in the world of Magic. The cards which accomplish the most, at the cheapest cost, at the most efficiency (in terms of cost and return on investment), and just plain outshine all others in their type (i.e. the best creature in this color, the best enchantment in that color) are those which define the format.
When you think of a deck “engine,” what comes to mind? Is it the fueling of resources, a la Affinity? Is it the fueling via tutors, a la Tooth and Nail? Is it the synergy of types, such as Kamigawa Block Legends decks?
All of these decks work with one another in different ways. Whenever you think of two cards providing each other an advantage (fueling a win condition with an Urzatron piece, making another spell cheaper as a result of it being play), then that is a part of the deck’s engine to win.
Engines in Magic are relative to the cards around them. They are, at their best, pure synergy. The cards in an “Engine,” whether that is a combo, aggro, or control deck, work best when they’re all in play. When you draw all of them, you almost always win. Your “engine” is running. Your “game” has begun.
Evan takes a look at Cloudstone Curio for Standard, pairing it with a bevy of beautiful 187 creatures. He provides a decklist, plus a tournament report, and honestly evaluates the deck’s strengths and weaknesses. If you’re after something a little different for your next Standard tournament, then this is the article for you!
I’ve had a very interesting time the last few weeks. I went to Regionals using someone else’s decklist, and lost. I used another new decklist today, and performed better. In either case, their builds were strange to me, and while I was comfortable with the archetypes, I wasn’t comfortable with some of the choices. Allow me to share with you the lessons I learned when I used someone else’s deck.
Evan continues his look at the Azorius guild, with special consideration given to the control variants coming for the Regionals metagame. Two Blue/White decklists are presented for your examination… plus a successful Rakdos build that’s been performing well in testing.
Our Road to Regionals series continues… Today, Evan shares his successful Rakdos deck, in an article packed with card analysis and matchup data. The Red/Black guild of doom will surely have a strong showing at Regionals… are you prepared to take it down?
I’m back after a period of Dissension goodness, and I’m sure you’re no stranger to its ilk. As I write this, the site is mired in set reviews and predictions. I figure I’ll give you less of the former and more of the latter because, as we well know, “but it’s good in Limited” is one of the worst sins a Magic writer can ever make. Today I’m going to lay down a great deck from the same guild that seems geared for anything but. Do you know who’s the beatdown in Azorius?
Today I’m going to bring you immeasurable joy, like nothing you’ve seen before.
How’s that for a tagline? Read on, and soon you too will be a believer…
I’ve just had one of those moments. This happens to me often. Particularly when a new set arrives. I wonder just exactly what the emotion is – euphoria? Elation? Wonderment? There’s an intangible something that goes off in my head, and it just exploded.
I have seen the next big thing.
The standard beats package should be – according to Heezy Street – Kird Ape and Scab-Clan Mauler, with Giant Solifuge and Scorched Rusalka somewhere in the midst. No doubt those guys are fantastic – good enough to run over Owling Mine like it wasn’t even there, and good enough to win Forty Grand – but good enough today?
Hello there, my name is Evan Erwin… and I’m a hater. I hate your permanents, I hate your spells, and I hate your resources. I found the perfect deck for all you haters out there. It’s called Owling Mine. You may have heard of it…
This article is here to inform you on how this deck is built, played, and reshaped based on your local metagame, and how certain game situations hinge on knowing the right reasons for making certain decisions for it.
On a cold Saturday in February I entered a 45-person tournament and worked my way to the top with a Black/White Orzhov control deck. Inside I share the list, the strategy, and the match-by-match breakdown with detail like I’ve never had before. Read on and find out how it did, what are the best choices for the deck, and why my build came out on top.
