Frontier Duel Decks #1: Angels vs Dragons (Dragons deck) (Frontier)

Dragons Deck:

I love Frontier, but it is hard to find a game. If MTGO supported it then it would be all that I would play. Alas, I'm stuck playing kitchen table Frontier. Often I have found my decks to be lopsided or to just not have favorable matchups. To fix this problem I'm going to do a series of decks designed specifically to go against each other, my own take on duel decks.

My goal is to build the decks as evenly as possible. I want them to curve similarly, both have sub-themes that work against each other. Also the decks must have answers for the powerful cards in the other deck. Once the core of the decks are built I then want to balance out the support cards so the decks perform evenly.

A key factor to these decks is that there are no sideboards. the decks are meant to perform well out of the gate against the other. No need for sideboard answers to balance things.

I first thought of building a Dragons deck. Once I had a deck chosen I then tried thinking of what would matchup up well against it. After considering a few different archetypes I decided to stay tribal. The problem with most tribes i considered was that the Dragons simply fly over the top. Then the your so stupid moment kicked in as it became obvious that Angels matchup up perfectly. So here we go.

Step 1: Add Dragons on curve.
*I went 15 Dragons deep. This is a fair number considering they all cost 4 or higher cmc.

a) Nicol Bolas, the Ravager

• Bolas forces a discard while being a threat to attack. 4/4 will be about the average size for a creature in these decks.
  *Some games will play long, if Bolas transforms you should be in the drivers seat.

b) Thunderbreak Regent
*Pseudo Protection for all your Dragons. The Angels will have tons of protection, so this helps make the gap a little closer.

c) Glorybringer
the perfect amount of damage to destroy the majority of the Angels the deck will face.
haste is nice to follow up playing a 4cmc Dragon.

d) Kolaghan, Storm's Fury
a major attacker and wincon.
5 toughness is big for surviving trades in combat.

e) Dragonlord Silumgar
the best answer we have to deal with the biggest Angels we will face.
often says "I win" if unanswered on entry.

f) Vaevictus Asmadi, the Dire
the most fun Dragon of the bunch (well Silumgar is pretty fun too)
the gamble almost always pays off for you, but you are rolling the dice some.
*6/6 makes it the biggest baddy in either deck.

Step 2: Dragon support cards.
*an advantage to building the Dragons deck is that there are many cards that directly support the Dragon archetype available to us.

a) Sarkhan, the Fireblood
ramp and card draw.
wincon in stalled games.

b) Dragon's Hoard
*ramp and card draw

c) Dragonlord's Servant
*brings down the cost of our dragons.

d) Dragonmaster Outcast
the token factor comes in handy in stalled games.
nice to play a card for 1cmc that must be answered midgame.

e) Draconic Roar
the all-star of the deck. It will kill plenty of Angels and any other small support critters lying around.
three to the face is major as an after thought.

Step 3: Eight support cards. (removal)

a) Fatal Push
*answers a ton of threats for 1cmc.

b) Transgress the Mind
*there are trouble cards (5 toughness Angels) that are worth grabbing early on.)

c) Unlicensed Disintegration
*will kill any Angel.

d) Murderous Cut
*will kill any Angel, likely for 1cmc

Step 4: Lands

8 fetches
3 smoldering marsh
2 sunken hollow
4 swamp
4 mountain
1 haven of the spirit dragon
2 sulfur falls