Magic: The Gathering

[Velociryx]

Chowlett, my first question would be to get a better sense of your personal preferences.

White and Black decks CAN be made to work together....but they are oppositional colors, and oppositional decks aren't as seamless in their construction as complimentary decks are (ie - there tend to be more naturally occuring combinations in decks constructed of complimentary colors).

So....I would start off by recommending that you pick either white or black, and pair it off with either's complimentary colors. Once you have nailed down some color combos you wanna use the next step is to look at your rares. We'll assume you have enough common/uncommon cards at your disposal to create pretty much any kinna deck you want, so we'll let the rares at your disposal guide the efforts at figuring out exactly WHAT to make...

-=Vel=-

[Chowlett]

Ok, fair enough. I'm probably more of a white player than a black - and I'm quite fond of the weenie decks myself. I'll scare up a list of my white, green and blue rares. I assume that since we're using 7th Edition onwards a lot of you guys would like descriptions of the cards?

[Velociryx]

I've been outta the game since 4th edition...LOL..yeah, as much as I hate to admit it, I'll prolly need at least a few descriptions....

-=Vel=-

[Grrr]

I did play. But these days I spend so much time on Apolyton I no longer have time.

[Chowlett]

Hmm, I have 81 with colourless, 68 without. I'll start with just the white ones. I have a couple of unopened decks I was saving for sealed deck or draft games, but I could probably open those and acquire more if I need them.

7th Edition
Master Healer - 4W - 1/4 Cleric - Tap: Prevent next 4 damage to target creature or player this turn.
Serra Angel (same as ever, I think)
Sunweb - 3W - 5/6 Wall - Flying. Can't block power 2 or less
Pariah - 2W - Enchant Creature - All damage dealt to you is dealt to enchanted creature instead.
Glorious Anthem (same as ever, I think)
Reverse Damage - 1WW - Instant - Next time you would be dealt damage this turn, prevent damage and gain that much life

Invasion
Alabaster Leech - W - 1/3 Creature - White spells you play cost W more
Fight or Flight - 3W - Enchantment - At start of each opponent's combat phase, separate all creatures he controls into two face-up piles. Only one pile of his choice may attack this turn
Death or Glory - 4W - Sorcery - Separate all creatures in your graveyard into 2 face-up piles. Place one pile of opponent's choice into play, remove other from game.
Global Ruin - 4W - Sorcery - Each player chooses from the lands they control one of each basic type and sacrifices the rest
Rout - 3WW - Sorcery - May be played as instant if 2 more is payed. Destroy all creatures, no regeneration.

Planeshift
Dominaria's Judgement - 2W - Instant - Until end of turn, creatures you control gain protection from white if you control a Plains, from blue if you control an Island, etc for all 5.

Apocolypse
Degavolver - 1W - 1/1 Volver - Kicker 1B or 1R. If you paid the 1B kicker, comes into play with 2 +1/+1 counters, and has "Pay 3 Life: Regen". If you paid 1R kicker, one +1/+1 counter & first strike

Odyssey
Devoted Caretaker - W - 1/2 Cleric - W, tap: target perm you control gains protection from insts & sorcs until end of turn
Aven Shrine - 1WW - Enchantment - whenever a player plays a spell, that player gains X life, where X is the number of cards in all graveyards with the same name as that spell
Earnest Fellowship - 1W - Enchantment - Each creature has protection from its colours
Karmic Justice - 2W - Enchantment - whenever a spell or ability an opponent controls destroys a noncreature perm you control, you may destroy target permanent controlled by that opponent.

[Velociryx]

Chowlett, do you have any duplicates of any of these? If so, how many? Some good cards here, but it'll be hard to get them to come up reliably without dupes....will wait to offer up sugesstions tho, til I see what else we've got to play with...I have some ideas tho....*G*

-=Vel=-

[Chowlett]

No dupes of those, unless there are some in my sealed packs. I'll see if it's worth me opening them (ie - if it's still possible to "buy" packs for free)

Edit - Heh. Yes it is, and the "shipping delay" is 4 minutes. Give us a bit of time, and I might have some more for you.

[Velociryx]

'k....another question...as of the 7th edition, are there any easy methods of generating whatever color of mana you want/need? What I'm thinking is if so, then a splash of a third color might be the way to go, if we're dealing with a deck that has not many dupes. Few dupes of power cards changes the construction mechanic...we're relying on versatile effects more than specific locks...that's okay, though versatile decks tend to sacrifice a bit in terms of raw power, they can (sometimes....perhaps even often) make up for it in sheer staying power).

With few dupes among your rares, and assuming theres a reasonably easy way at your disposal to generate mulit-colored mana (or the color of your choosing), I'd recommend a 3 (splash), or even a rainbow deck. Those are always fun....

-=Vel=-

[Chowlett]

As a result, I now have in addition:

Elite Archers - 5W - 3/3 soldier - tap: deal 3 damage to target attacking or blocking creature
1 Additional Sunweb
Harsh Judgement - 2WW - Enchantment - as enters play, choose a colour. If inst or sorc would damage you, it damages its controller instead.
1 Additional Domin's Judgement
Pianna, Nomad Captain - 1WW - 2/2 Nomad Legend - Whenever P, NC attacks, all attacking creatures gain +1/+1 until turn end
Delaying shield - 3W - Enchantment - if you would be dealt damage, place that many delay counters on Shield instead. At beginning of upkeep, remove all counters and pay 1 life or 1W for each counter removed in this way.
1 Additional Karmic Justice
Vengeful Dreams - WW - Instant - Discard X cards from your hand, remove X attaxking creatures from game.

That's all I can get today.

[Chowlett]

For multi-coloured mana, at a glance I have:

1 City of brass (tap for 1 of any colour, deals one damage to you whenever tapped)
7 Nomadic Elf (1G 2/2 Elf, 1G: add one mana any colour)
4 Quirion Sentinel (1G 1/2 Elf, one of any colour when brought into play)
15 Fertile Land (1G Ench Land, when land tapped for mana, add one of any colour)
9 Chromatic Sphere (1 Artifact, 1 tap sacrifice: add one of any colour, draw a card)
1 Phyrexian Altar (3 arftifact, sacrifice creature: add one of any colour)
3 Archeological Dig (land, tap: 1 colourless. tap, sacrifice: 1 of any colour)
7 Quirion Explorer (1G 1/1 Elf, tap: add one of any colour an opponents land could produce)
1 Multani's Harmony (G ench Creature, creature has "tap: add one of any colour")
2 mana cylix (1 artifact, 1, tap: add one of any colour)
3 star compass (2 artifact, tap: add one of any colour your basic lands could produce)
1 Forsaken City (land. Doesn't untap. Remove card from hand fgrom game: untap. tap: add one of any colour)
3 Necra Disciple (B 1/1 Wizard. G, tap: add one of any colour. W, tap: prevent next 1 damage to creature or player this turn)
5 Ceta Disciple (as above, except cost is U, and W ability is replaced with R, tap: target creature gets +2/+0 until eot)
5 Helionaut (2W 1/2 soldier, flying. 1, tap: add one of any colour)
2 Abandoned outpost (Land, enters play tapped. Tap: add W. Tap, sacrifice: add one of any colour)
4 Bog Wreckage (as above for B)
6 Ravaged Highlands (as above for R)
4 Seafloor Debris (as above for U)
5 Timberland Ruins (as above for G)

Also some two-colour lands, I can't be bothered to check right now.

[Velociryx]

'k....perfect...looks like we've the raw materials to make a good tri-colored, or even a rainbow deck. That's sweet, cos it's a nice way to avoid the issue of fewer dupes, and it can be QUITE the surprise the first time you play against a given opponent.

I'll refrain from making tooooo many more observations till you get a chance to post your other rares, but yes....some good potential so far!

-=Vel=-

[Jon Miller]

asmentioned having duplicates is good

you want 4 of most things in your decks (of the better spell)

only if the spell is equal does it not matter

rares are not always the best cards, in fact often having some rares and some uncommons is better (And some commons)

what is it you want?

just a good deck??

a good deck has some major offense and some control (as well as ballanced manna and manna cost)

have you thought about complementary color weeny

do you have crusades, white knights, longbow archers (other good all white cards)

Originally posted by Chowlett
Hmm, I have 81 with colourless, 68 without. I'll start with just the white ones. I have a couple of unopened decks I was saving for sealed deck or draft games, but I could probably open those and acquire more if I need them.

7th Edition
Master Healer - 4W - 1/4 Cleric - Tap: Prevent next 4 damage to target creature or player this turn.
Serra Angel (same as ever, I think)

good

Sunweb - 3W - 5/6 Wall - Flying. Can't block power 2 or less
Pariah - 2W - Enchant Creature - All damage dealt to you is dealt to enchanted creature instead.
Glorious Anthem (same as ever, I think)

these last two are good cards

Reverse Damage - 1WW - Instant - Next time you would be dealt damage this turn, prevent damage and gain that much life


Invasion
Alabaster Leech - W - 1/3 Creature - White spells you play cost W more
Fight or Flight - 3W - Enchantment - At start of each opponent's combat phase, separate all creatures he controls into two face-up piles. Only one pile of his choice may attack this turn
Death or Glory - 4W - Sorcery - Separate all creatures in your graveyard into 2 face-up piles. Place one pile of opponent's choice into play, remove other from game.

never played with this, it might be interesting

Global Ruin - 4W - Sorcery - Each player chooses from the lands they control one of each basic type and sacrifices the rest

might be interesting in a armageddon deck type (but I would not try it now)

Rout - 3WW - Sorcery - May be played as instant if 2 more is payed. Destroy all creatures, no regeneration.

wrath of godish, miht be good

Planeshift
Dominaria's Judgement - 2W - Instant - Until end of turn, creatures you control gain protection from white if you control a Plains, from blue if you control an Island, etc for all 5.

interesting but probably not for this deck

Apocolypse
Degavolver - 1W - 1/1 Volver - Kicker 1B or 1R. If you paid the 1B kicker, comes into play with 2 +1/+1 counters, and has "Pay 3 Life: Regen". If you paid 1R kicker, one +1/+1 counter & first strike

Odyssey
Devoted Caretaker - W - 1/2 Cleric - W, tap: target perm you control gains protection from insts & sorcs until end of turn

good for anti-control purposes (white and blue have the best anti-control)

Aven Shrine - 1WW - Enchantment - whenever a player plays a spell, that player gains X life, where X is the number of cards in all graveyards with the same name as that spell
Earnest Fellowship - 1W - Enchantment - Each creature has protection from its colours
Karmic Justice - 2W - Enchantment - whenever a spell or ability an opponent controls destroys a noncreature perm you control, you may destroy target permanent controlled by that opponent.

last two are a bit interesting (never used them before)

I would probably put in the 4 serra if you have them

do you have any patrol hounds, those are decent small

savanah lions are decent 1-drop (but I think they are too old)

Jon Miller

[Jon Miller]

by the way I would strongly suggest a 2 color deck or less

otherwise your risk jumps way up for manna screw

also, it takes much more skil for more (I have never went beyond 3 myself (well my freind does not play black)

-------------

For multi-coloured mana, at a glance I have:

1 City of brass (tap for 1 of any colour, deals one damage to you whenever tapped)

- not really worth it

7 Nomadic Elf (1G 2/2 Elf, 1G: add one mana any colour)

- poor

4 Quirion Sentinel (1G 1/2 Elf, one of any colour when brought into play)

- decent

15 Fertile Land (1G Ench Land, when land tapped for mana, add one of any colour)

- decent

9 Chromatic Sphere (1 Artifact, 1 tap sacrifice: add one of any colour, draw a card)
1 Phyrexian Altar (3 arftifact, sacrifice creature: add one of any colour)

- probably not interesting

3 Archeological Dig (land, tap: 1 colourless. tap, sacrifice: 1 of any colour)
7 Quirion Explorer (1G 1/1 Elf, tap: add one of any colour an opponents land could produce)

- not very good

1 Multani's Harmony (G ench Creature, creature has "tap: add one of any colour")

- this is symmetric right?, is interesting

2 mana cylix (1 artifact, 1, tap: add one of any colour)

- not that good

3 star compass (2 artifact, tap: add one of any colour your basic lands could produce)

- not that good

1 Forsaken City (land. Doesn't untap. Remove card from hand fgrom game: untap. tap: add one of any colour)

- not that good

3 Necra Disciple (B 1/1 Wizard. G, tap: add one of any colour. W, tap: prevent next 1 damage to creature or player this turn)

- for 3 color deck

5 Ceta Disciple (as above, except cost is U, and W ability is replaced with R, tap: target creature gets +2/+0 until eot)

- I have thought about, but not played

5 Helionaut (2W 1/2 soldier, flying. 1, tap: add one of any colour)

- expensive

2 Abandoned outpost (Land, enters play tapped. Tap: add W. Tap, sacrifice: add one of any colour)

- sucks sort of

4 Bog Wreckage (as above for B)
6 Ravaged Highlands (as above for R)
4 Seafloor Debris (as above for U)
5 Timberland Ruins (as above for G)

- sucks

Also some two-colour lands, I can't be bothered to check right now.

- two color lands can be good

Jon Miller

[Jon Miller]

Originally posted by Velociryx
'k....perfect...looks like we've the raw materials to make a good tri-colored, or even a rainbow deck. That's sweet, cos it's a nice way to avoid the issue of fewer dupes, and it can be QUITE the surprise the first time you play against a given opponent.

I'll refrain from making tooooo many more observations till you get a chance to post your other rares, but yes....some good potential so far!

-=Vel=-

having a few rares makes the deck

(I always like to put in 4 serra's and other 'rares')

but you need a good group of uncommons usually

I couldn't recommend a deck for hm until he does that

Jon Miller

[Jon Miller]

As a result, I now have in addition:

Elite Archers - 5W - 3/3 soldier - tap: deal 3 damage to target attacking or blocking creature

- there is better

1 Additional Sunweb
Harsh Judgement - 2WW - Enchantment - as enters play, choose a colour. If inst or sorc would damage you, it damages its controller instead.
1 Additional Domin's Judgement
Pianna, Nomad Captain - 1WW - 2/2 Nomad Legend - Whenever P, NC attacks, all attacking creatures gain +1/+1 until turn end

- I think this can be decent

Delaying shield - 3W - Enchantment - if you would be dealt damage, place that many delay counters on Shield instead. At beginning of upkeep, remove all counters and pay 1 life or 1W for each counter removed in this way.

- basically defense sucks (except control defense which can be used for offense)

1 Additional Karmic Justice
Vengeful Dreams - WW - Instant - Discard X cards from your hand, remove X attaxking creatures from game.

- seems a little interesting

That's all I can get today.

Jon Miller