Messages

16

Deck Reviews / Re: [Modern] Jeskai Aggro - budget

« on: March 14, 2017, 05:56:34 pm »

Hello.

So because your deck is three colors, mana fixing is very important. Your deck is pretty balanced with the colors it can produce and what it needs, so the only thing here is to try and upgrade. Shock Lands (Hallowed Fountain, Sacred Foundry,  and Steam Vents) and Fetch Lands (Flooded Strand, Scalding Tarn, and Arid Mesa) are all nice, and very popular in the Modern format. Of course, these are all very expensive cards, and given your statement, you won't need them. Still, keep these in mind for the future if you want to make some big upgrades later.

For burn spells, Lightning Helix is great. For the same cost as Lightning Strike you also gain three life. It will be harder to cast, but with a good mana base it shouldn't be an issue. For 1 mana spells, we have Lava Spike, which while Sorcery speed, still deals 3 damage to a player for 1 mana. Boros Charm, while 2 mana, gives you a few options, all of which can be useful.

You have Stormchaser Mage, but I think another card to look at is Monastery Swiftspear. You can get it down turn one, and it will be able to do a lot of damage down the road. Both cards work well together. Delver of Secrets generally works better in decks with less creatures, but it can still do good here.

I'm also just going to list some general use cards that are popular. Serum Visions draws you a card and allows you to fix your decks draws a bit for 1 mana. Path to Exile will remove a threat for 1 mana. Remand will set an opponent back while also drawing you a card. Mutagenic Growth can buff a creature and can be paid using life instead of mana. Wear/Tear is nice for getting rid of any threats you might run into. You might not want these in your main deck, but they are all helpful.

Your deck looks pretty good anyway, these are just my suggestions. Hope this helped a bit.

17

Deck Reviews / Re: [Casual] B/W Deck looking for thoughts and suggestions

« on: March 13, 2017, 10:50:56 pm »

Hello.

So when building a deck, there are a lot of things to take into consideration. Usually, your deck is going to be 60 cards. In addition to this, typically more than 1 copy of each card is played. This structure gives you the highest chances of drawing the card you need when you need it. In addition, it makes your deck more consistent in what it does. No deck can have answers for everything while still being able to function perfectly all the time. Trying to do it all ends up resulting in inconsistency, which ultimately weakens the deck. Right now, at 80 cards and many one offs, it's hard to see your deck being consistent.

Looking at your deck, you mention Aetherflux Reservoir and exiling cards. With those two in mind, I'm going to try and make suggestions that would be helpful. There is a deck type called Soul Sisters which gains life and uses it to your advantage. I'm going to suggest some commonly used cards in the deck.

For exiling cards, Swords to Plowshares and Path to Exile are both great. For one mana removing a threat at instant speed is wonderful. Swords is cheaper money wise and is usually considered the better card, but if you are against providing an opponent with life, Path works as well. Oblivion Ring can get enchantments and artifacts in addition to creatures, giving you some nice flexibility.

Serra Ascendant is a wonderful card for gaining life. For one mana, you can potentially have a 6/6 Flying and Lifelink creature. It will help you get to your necessary life total to use the Reservoir. Assuming the deck continues to be a dedicated lifegain deck, it will certainly be nice. Soul's Attendant is very similar to Soul Warden.

Enlightened Tutor can help you find your Aetherflux Reservoir. It's a very helpful card.

Hopefully, some of these cards look good to you, and you think about cutting down a bit. From there, we can go over it again and look at the must haves.

Good luck!

18

Deck Reviews / Re: [Modern] Angels and Infantry: Red/White Aggro Angels and Soldiers

« on: February 11, 2017, 11:49:50 pm »

Hello.

So first off, I like the idea of your deck! I enjoy looking at Angel lists.

Now, as a general rule, most decks like to have multiple copies of the same card, so your chances of drawing one increases. Having a deck be consistent in its play style is good. I would suggest looking at the cards you think best fit your deck and make cuts from there.

Anyway, a few cards can be upgraded. Aside from one card, your deck isn't able to take advantage of the Madness, and for this reasons Fiery Temper can switched. For a direct damage spell, Lightning Bolt is king. You won't have to use three mana to use one either, giving you more mana to cast other spells. Immolating Glare is specific in when it can be used, which can get in the way sometimes. Path to Exile can be used at any point, and is cheaper to cast. Angelic Purge runs into issues with having to lost a permanent. For creature removal, again Path to Exile is better. For enchantment or artifact removal, you could include Disenchant.

Exquisite Angel is a nice card. However, to get a real you can't lose effect, Platinum Angel will do just that. It doesn't require any specific mana to cast, and while it has lower toughness and strength, it is more likely to come in handy.

As you mentioned you want your attacks to go through, Skullcrack might be nice. Rogue's Passage might be nice as well.

At this point, I don't know how much money you are willing to spend, or how much you want to change. Hopefully though, you like some of my suggestions. Happy deck building!

19

Deck Reviews / Re: [Modern] MonoRed Burn

« on: February 11, 2017, 10:59:21 pm »

Hello.

Don't worry about feeling dirty playing such an aggressive deck. People will be sure to get you back with an Leyline of Sancity on turn 1.

So I won't suggest Goblin Guide or anything that is super expensive (seeing how you don't want to spend too much), but a few cards I think would be nice. Lava Spike is just another 3 damage spell for one mana. It isn't as good as Lightning Bolt, but quite powerful still. Rift Blot is another good card. Even though it costs 3 mana, most always the Suspend cost will be used instead. Some others are Magma Jet which let you Scry for a needed spell, and Skullcrack can help you finish off your opponent without having to worry about any instant life gain or Fog effects.

If you are unable to find Hellspark Elemental, you might want to try Spark Elemental instead. You won't be able to return it, but it will save you mana for another bolt effect should it come down later.

Without knowing how much you want to build this deck up or your access to cards, I think this is a pretty good start. Hope you end up liking Burn!

20

Deck Reviews / Re: [Casual] white/black allies n' angels

« on: January 20, 2017, 07:19:56 pm »

Hello.

So a card I really recommend is Hada Freeblade. It is a great one drop creature for an Ally deck that grows stronger with every new Ally that enters. It can get big fast. Another one drop is Expedition Envoy. It doesn't have the long term power that the Freeblade can, but it still is a nice turn one play.

A two drop that I think is great is Kazandu Blademaster. This card is very similar to the Freeblade as it grows as more Allies enter, but for an additional mana it has Vigilance and First strike. It can become a very powerful card later on.

Because you have a sort of life theme going on, I have two card suggestions. First is Zulaport Cutthroat, a card that will drain life every time a creature of yours dies. It isn't the most powerful effect, but it puts a slight amount of punishment on opponents. Lantern Scout is the other. Being able to give everything Lifelink that will likely come back on your turns can be a huge.

I personally feel that General Tazri doesn't add a whole lot to the deck. The ability to look for an ally is nice, but at 5 mana it seems quite expensive.

http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?action=advanced&subtype=+[%22Ally%22]&color=||[W]

The above link is to all of the Ally cards that are either White or Black (some also have an additional color). There might be some cards in there that you like.

Hopefully you'll like some of the suggestions. Good luck to you!

21

Deck Reviews / Re: [Casual] Counter Soldier Unit

« on: September 04, 2016, 04:20:03 am »

Hello.

My friend plays a pretty similar deck. It can be a real pain in the ass to deal with. So because Counters are a big part in your deck, and because you specifically mentioned Flying (Abzan Falconer being the key part I see), I would like to suggest Thalia's Lieutenant (which I see is in your maybeboard) as a possible card. With most of your creatures being Human (and the ones that are not I think are the weakest links anyway), its enter the battlefield ability works very well with the already mentioned Falconer. Phalanx Leader does a similar job, but requires you to target it. I think both are perfectly usable with more than one copy, given how powerful they can be with your deck.

God's Willing is a cheep card, and triggers Heroic. I think Brave the Elements should stay as well, as it is very nice. Another card that is cheep and triggers Heroic is Lifelink. It simply gives a creature Lifelink, but it is super easy to use and can keep you alive a bit longer. It isn't necessary, but I think it is worth bringing up. Some other Auras are Ethereal Armor, Spirit Mantle, and Daybreak Coronet (a more costly card).

In regards to Ainok Bond-Kin, I honestly don't think it adds a whole lot, especially as a one off. Having first strike is nice, but I feel it won't be quite as useful as other things you could put in the deck. Especially compared to the flying theme. Soucatcher puts me off, maybe because it doesn't do a whole lot simply by itself until your stuff dies, but I feel like there are better cards that could fit.

Two recent cards that came out are Open the Armory, which can be nice to find the card you just need, and Sigarda's Aid, which can make those combat tricks really nice with Flash Auras. I think they are worth a look.

With your sideboard, I think Hero of Iroas is a good card, if not worthy of being in the main deck. It is better if you have more enchantments, of course. I think Elite Inquisitor is a cool card, but really doesn't add as much to your deck. It's protection is nice, but probaly won't be really relevant (unless you play against a lot of those creatures).

These are just my ideas, and you are absolutely free to ignore them. Your deck looks pretty good anyway.

22

Deck Reviews / Re: [Legacy] Elf Green and Black deck

« on: September 03, 2016, 04:55:41 am »

Hello.

So because you are running Black and specifically mentioned Graveyard hate, I think you should add Deathrite Shaman. It is a great card in all stages of the game with three wonderful and cheep abilities. I think you should absolutely add it.

Another card that seems nice is Shaman of the Pack. It's not a huge mana investment, and depending on the number of Elves you have, can do some serious damage.

Glimpse of Nature excellent in this deck. Being able to draw a card every time you play a creature (with all that mana, it shouldn't be hard) is amazing. Green Sun's Zenith is another amazing card. With most Elves costing little mana, the ability to find an Elf can putting in on the board is fantastic.

These cards (especially Glimpse of Nature) will be more costly than most of the cards in your deck, so that might be an issue. However, should you be able to afford them, I highly suggest playing them.

23

General Magic / Re: Kaladesh New Card Discussion

« on: September 02, 2016, 08:47:26 pm »

Some PAX cards have been shown. Here is a very nice one.

In case it didn't upload:

Saheeli Rai  1 Colorless, 1 Blue, 1 Red

Starting Loyalty 3

+1 Scry 1, Saheeli Rai deals 1 damage to each opponent.
-2 Create a token that's a copy of target artifact or creature you control, expect it's an artifact in addition to its other types. That token gains haste. Exile it at the beginning of the next end step.
-7 Search your library for up to three artifact cards with different names, put them onto the battlefield, then shuffle your library.

24

General Magic / Re: I got the big five, what now?

« on: September 02, 2016, 01:59:41 am »

How much are you willing to spend, and what format are you looking into?

25

General Magic / Re: New Kaladesh Lands

« on: September 02, 2016, 12:07:32 am »

I'm expecting something, yeah. This block is going to be the first artifact heavy (we can assume based off of all the information thus far) in a while. That will probably be incorporated in some way, just due to the significance of it, and that the last good chunk of blocks did special stuff.

I'm not so sure about Fetch Lands in the traditional sense, one for flavor reasons, and also because I feel like we are more likely to find that in Amonkhet due to it's Egyptian theme (I'm quite bold to be thinking about that set when it was just announced). However, looking for basics is entirely possible, within the power limit of Standard, of course.

What I think is most likely, though, would be lands with the artifact theme. I don't expect the lands to be too artifact heavy (nothing like the Mirrodin lands). But it's a perfect opportunity to try something, and I don't think Wizards will pass up that chance given how we are unlikely to see a block of this nature again in the near future.

26

Deck Reviews / Re: Help with a Zombie deck

« on: September 01, 2016, 12:23:11 am »

Hello.

So firstly, sideboards can't be above 15 cards. That is an easy fix.

Now, having a mono Black deck is perfectly fine. However, I would like to suggest the possibility of adding in Blue, as it gives you access to some quality cards. These include Diregraf Captain, Prized Amalgam, Geralf's Masterpiece, Undead Alchemist, Rise from the Tides, Havengul Lich, Forgotten Creation, Grimgrin, Corpse-Born, Forbidden Alchemy, Gisa and Geralf, and others (plus the access to Blue cards in general). Ignore these if you wish to sick with mono Black.

Carrion Feeder is a nice one drop that can get stronger by sacing a creature. Nantuko Husk can do something similar, although I prefer the Feeder. Sidisi, Undead Vizier, which you already have, works with this as well. These cards pair well with cards that benefit with creatures dying, such as Blood Artist, Zulaport Cutthroat, Deathgreeter, and Gavony Unhallowed.

Liliana's Elite is a solid card for when you have lots of dead creatures. Relentless Dead is a nice card in general, and is very nice with a lot of cards already in the deck.

Some nice little goodies are Vile Rebirth and Shamble Back. Getting a Zombie and removing screwing a bit with an opponents graveyard can be nice. Dark Salvation is a really nice card in the right time, weakening or killing a creature while getting yourself more Zombies. Gisa's Bidding can be nice as well.

From Under the Floorboards is a nice card the works well with discard outlets, in your case Putrid Imp. Necromancer's Stockpile can also use your hand to get Zombies.

Army of the Damned is a big finisher card, and just really fun to play.

A lot of the cards I suggested are fun, but there isn't a whole lot of room for all of them. I suggest looking over all the cards and seeing if you like any and what you can replace them with. I don't want to suggest cards to remove just yet.

Hope you enjoy the selection I provided you, and I hope you find them useful.

27

Deck Reviews / Re: [Modern] White Mono Soldier Deck

« on: August 31, 2016, 11:08:32 pm »

Hmm. Well I do think Stonehewer Giant is one card to remove, for the previous reasons. You can continue using Godsend if you wish, although I feel like it could be used better in a different deck, and I personally wouldn't use it. The other card I think is really out of place is Westvale Abbey. It doesn't add to the Soldier theme, and it needs some heavy mana investment to get the full value of it.

Other cards would be the replacements for some of the cards you like now. Honor of the Pure in place of Spear of Heliod. As Spear is Legendary, you can only have one in play at a time, while Honor can have many.

Brave the Sands I think can be in place of Heliod, God of the Sun. Heliod is nice, but Brave the Sands is cheaper for giving Vigilance. The tokens cost a lot to make and don't add to the Solider theme.

Beyond that, I think you can remove one copy of Angel of Jubilation. Archangel Avacyn can either go or stay in my opinion. That's all for cards I think are the most expendable to the deck. The rest depends on the cards you consider must haves.

28

Deck Reviews / Re: [Modern] White Mono Soldier Deck

« on: August 31, 2016, 09:34:11 pm »

Hello.

So I really enjoy the basic layout. Since a lot of the Soldier cards happen to be of the Human type (and you having 19 humans in your deck), may I suggest Thalias's Lieutenant? It is a wonderful card and will help add to the 1/1 counters. Of course, should the deck end up not having a lot of Humans the card might not be worth it.

Captain of the Watch, while being high at 6 mana, would do a lot. Other high costing cards, but quite useful would be the Elspeth cards (Elspeth Tirel, and Elspeth, Knight-Errant, and Elspeth, Sun's Champion). All three can be useful in this deck, depending on which you think fits the best. The other walker I would suggest is Kytheon, Hero of Arkos. It can provide some early game pressure, and flips pretty easily.

Ballyrush Banneret would really be nice to help get your creatures out a bit faster. Crusader of Odric could be some help once you get your cards out.

Honor of the Pure is a wonderful and cheep buffing card. Brave the Sands is a cheaper Vigilance giving card, but doesn't add the tokens and won't become a creature.

Raise the Alarm is an option for quick tokens, should you want it. Brave the Elements is a super easy card that will give all of your creatures protection of a color for a turn. I highly suggest including it.

I personally think the Stonehewer Giant doesn't fit all that well, considering there is only one copy in the deck, and only one Equipment card it takes advantage of.

Overall, I do think the deck looks fun and functional. While I do think it could use some of the cards I posted, it certainly won't need to take in all of my suggestions. Good luck with building!

29

Deck Reviews / Re: [Modern] Humans & Demons

« on: August 30, 2016, 05:59:10 am »

Hello.

So the very first thing is to fix your mana base. Your deck uses needs more Black mana than White mana, yet White is the color produced the most. You want the two pie charts to be as close as possible.

Now, your run 71 cards, many of them being single copies. This creates the problem of your deck not being consistent. Being defensive is pretty vague, and due to the number of cards and the fact that many are only a single copy, there is no reliable general strategy with each game, but one that has to be made up on the spot, more than other decks will. This is also an issue that an opponent will have there own deck doing its own thing, which will not wait for a deck to get all of its pieces in place. Math is a major part of this game, and it needs to be taken into account. Also, due to the deck size, the current land base doesn't fit. The roughly 20 lands idea only really works with a 60 card deck, and as yours is 71, you have a good chance of not getting enough land during a game.

Sorry if this sounds aggressive or mean, but Math is very important in Magic. By no means should you take my words as a personal attack, but as a means to improve. Everyone started off somewhere, and nobody is perfect at the game. Good luck.

30

Deck Reviews / Re: [Modern] BW Humans

« on: August 20, 2016, 08:06:48 pm »

You are absolutely right on Path to Exile. I'm not sure why I forgot about it, but I will absolutely switch it out. Also with Thoughtseize, completely forgot about that (and Inquisition of Kozilek).

Auriok Champion I think is worth trying out. I'm not personally a fan of Sin Collector, but I do see its value. Zealous Persecution is definitely worth including.

You have absolutely helped me out, thank you so much!