This is a series of duel decks themed around each color fighting its enemies.
Decklists are WIP and will update over time. Input and suggestions welcome.
The battle between white and its enemies black and red is represented well by perhaps one of the most well-known conflicts: Heaven vs. Hell. Angels vs. Demons and Devils. Priests and Paladins vs. Cultists. Lawful Good vs. Chaotic Evil. It's classic.
W Heavenly W
The Heavenly deck focuses on holy warriors and their weapons; most of the tribal cares about Angels and Humans, the Humans consisting chiefly of Clerics, Knights, and Soldiers, with Equipment as a major subtheme.
The Infernal Deck focuses on Demons and Devils with some Imps, hellhounds, and cultists mixed in, and cares more about sacrifice and spellcasting, though it does also feature a few demonic weapons. Devil tokens are a small subtheme, and are prime fodder for damage-dealing sac outlets like Skirsdag Cultist and Lyzolda, the Blood Witch.
Blue is of course the color most associated with the pursuit of knowledge, the color that most values intellect. Red and green meanwhile are the two colors that most value strength and brute force.
U Knowledge U
The Knowledge deck unsurprisingly puts a heavy focus on card draw and cards that care about card draw, as well as cards in your hand. Knowledge looks to outwit Strength with spells that turn its big beaters against it or remove them outright.
Black is the color most associated with death, as a weapon and as a source of strength. Green and white, in contrast, focus more on life, the preservation and protection of such.
G Life W
The Life deck quite obviously cares about lifegain, especially tied to creatures. Many cards in the deck make use of lifegain, including Ajani's Pridemate, Cradle of Vitality, Ageless Entity, and Well of Lost Dreams. Another major theme would be creature tokens, representing life's propagation.
The Death deck takes advantage of creature death and facilitates it through sacrifice. The Morbid mechanic features prominently, and is backed up with Undying, Unearth, and other necromantic abilities. Life loss is also present to help offset the Life deck's lifegain.
Red is impulsive, reactive, and more often than not a little destructive. White and blue value discipline, patience, and control. Red often finds itself fighting against white and blue's attempts at enforcing order, for better or worse.
R Fury R
The Fury deck likes to hit fast and hard with aggro and burn spells. Mana pump abilities like firebreathing and X-cost spells like Banefire give red something to do with its accumulated mana in the late game, when it starts running out of cards to cast and needs to close the game fast.
Control likes to slow down and hinder the opponent long enough to set up its end game. To that end, it employs all manner of delays: counterspells, damage prevention, tapdown, bouncing, flickering, and outright removal.
Green is of course the color most associated with nature and environmentalism. Blue on the other hand favors artifice while black exploits resources for its own greed with wanton disregard for the consequences.
G Nature G
When one thinks of nature, one thinks of the environment, and in Magic the environment is best represented with land. Therefore the Nature deck is heavily focused on land and land-relevant mechanics. But of course the land is just part of nature's grand design; a veritable myriad of animals is another, and they're capable of growing through the use of +1/+1 counters.
MTGS Wikia Article about "New World Order"
Every time I read a comment about "Well if this card had card draw/trample/haste/indestructible/hexproof/life gain...", I think "You're missing the point." They're armchair developer comments that fail to take into account the card's role in the greater Limited and Standard environment. No, it may not be as good as whatever card you're comparing it to. There's a reason for that. Not every burn spell is Lightning Bolt, nor does it need to be or should be.
PSA to everyone who keeps forgetting about the Reserved List:
You're on a website dedicated to talking about MtG. You're only a few keystrokes away from finding out what cards are on the Reserved List. You're also only a few keystrokes away from finding out why some cards on the Reserved List got foil printings in FtV, as Judge promos, or whatnot, as well as why that won't happen again. Stop doing this.
As the OP says, the decklists are WIP (Works in Progress). I'm open to suggestions for cards that help fill needs for the decks while also keeping to the theme, as well as how to properly balance each pair of decks against one another (making sure neither has an overwhelming advantage and generally has at least one answer to any particular threat from the other).
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MTGS Wikia Article about "New World Order"
Every time I read a comment about "Well if this card had card draw/trample/haste/indestructible/hexproof/life gain...", I think "You're missing the point." They're armchair developer comments that fail to take into account the card's role in the greater Limited and Standard environment. No, it may not be as good as whatever card you're comparing it to. There's a reason for that. Not every burn spell is Lightning Bolt, nor does it need to be or should be.
PSA to everyone who keeps forgetting about the Reserved List:
You're on a website dedicated to talking about MtG. You're only a few keystrokes away from finding out what cards are on the Reserved List. You're also only a few keystrokes away from finding out why some cards on the Reserved List got foil printings in FtV, as Judge promos, or whatnot, as well as why that won't happen again. Stop doing this.
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Decklists are WIP and will update over time. Input and suggestions welcome.
The Heavenly deck focuses on holy warriors and their weapons; most of the tribal cares about Angels and Humans, the Humans consisting chiefly of Clerics, Knights, and Soldiers, with Equipment as a major subtheme.
1 Nearheath Pilgrim
1 Relic Seeker (R)
1 Puresteel Paladin (R)
2 Banisher Priest
1 Emancipation Angel
1 Silverblade Paladin (R)
1 Goldnight Commander
1 Herald of War (R)
1 Goldnight Redeemer
1 Urbis Protector
1 Angel of Serenity (MRFC)
1 Cathar's Shield
1 Scroll of Avacyn
1 Angelic Armaments
1 Pristine Talisman
1 Sword of Vengeance (R)
1 Moonsilver Spear (R)
Enchantments
1 Quest for the Holy Relic
1 Sigarda's Aid (R)
1 Defy Death
1 Increasing Devotion (R)
Land
2 Secluded Steppe
1 Seraph Sanctuary
20 Plains
The Infernal Deck focuses on Demons and Devils with some Imps, hellhounds, and cultists mixed in, and cares more about sacrifice and spellcasting, though it does also feature a few demonic weapons. Devil tokens are a small subtheme, and are prime fodder for damage-dealing sac outlets like Skirsdag Cultist and Lyzolda, the Blood Witch.
2 Rakdos Cackler
1 Skirsdag High Priest (R)
1 Ashmouth Hound
1 Torch Fiend
1 Sin Prodder (R)
1 Lyzolda, the Blood Witch (R)
1 Pyre Hound
1 Hellrider (R)
1 Rakdos, Lord of Riots (MRFC)
1 Skirsdag Cultist
1 Blazing Hellhound
1 Indulgent Tormentor (R)
1 Priest of the Blood Rite (R)
1 Scroll of Griselbrand
1 Rakdos Riteknife (R)
1 Demonspine Whip
1 Rakdos Keyrune
1 Tormentor's Trident
Instants
1 Altar's Reap
1 Brimstone Volley
2 Dance with Devils
Sorceries
1 Infernal Plunge
2 Make Mischief
1 Torrent of Souls
1 Promise of Power (R)
1 Into the Maw of Hell
1 Blasphemous Act (R)
2 Blasted Landscape
4 Rakdos Guildgate
1 Rix Maadi, Dungeon Palace
9 Swamp
9 Mountain
The Knowledge deck unsurprisingly puts a heavy focus on card draw and cards that care about card draw, as well as cards in your hand. Knowledge looks to outwit Strength with spells that turn its big beaters against it or remove them outright.
1 Jace's Archivist (R)
1 Psychosis Crawler (R)
1 Sphinx's Disciple
1 Horizon Scholar
1 Consecrated Sphinx (MRFC)
1 Arcanis the Omnipotent (R)
1 Spellbook
1 Elixir of Immortality
1 Mind Stone
1 Venser's Journal (R)
Enchantments
1 Sphinx's Tutelage
1 Control Magic
2 Think Twice
1 Aetherize
1 Comparative Analysis
1 Overwhelming Intellect
Sorceries
1 Pore Over the Pages
Land
2 Lonely Sandbar
20 Island
The Strength deck is all about raw power, creature power specifically.
1 Atarka Beastbreaker
1 Skarrg Guildmage
1 Wild Beastmaster (R)
1 Champion of Lambholt (R)
1 Drumhunter
1 Staunch-Hearted Warrior
1 Rubblebelt Raiders (R)
1 Stonebrow, Krosan Hero (R)
1 Bloodshot Cyclops (R)
1 Borborygmos (MRFC)
1 Atarka Monument
1 Mage Slayer
Enchantments
1 Burning Anger (R)
Instants
1 Pit Fight
Sorceries
1 Soul's Might
Land
1 Forgotten Cave
4 Gruul Guildgate
1 Skarrg, the Rage Pits
1 Tranquil Thicket
10 Mountain
10 Forest
The Life deck quite obviously cares about lifegain, especially tied to creatures. Many cards in the deck make use of lifegain, including Ajani's Pridemate, Cradle of Vitality, Ageless Entity, and Well of Lost Dreams. Another major theme would be creature tokens, representing life's propagation.
1 Essence Warden
1 Serra Ascendant (R)
1 Soul Warden
2 Ajani's Pridemate
1 Oracle of Nectars (R)
1 Grazing Gladehart
2 Centaur Healer
1 Wayfaring Temple (R)
1 Healer of the Pride
1 Wall of Reverence (R)
1 Seraph of Dawn
1 Trostani, Selesnya's Voice (MRFC)
1 Ageless Entity (R)
1 Scion of Vitu-Ghazi (R)
1 Sylvok Lifestaff
1 Selesnya Signet
1 Behemoth Sledge
Enchantments
1 Angelic Accord
1 Cradle of Vitality (R)
1 Growing Ranks (R)
Land
4 Blossoming Sands
1 Grove of the Guardian (R)
1 Secluded Steppe
1 Tranquil Thicket
10 Forest
10 Plains
The Death deck takes advantage of creature death and facilitates it through sacrifice. The Morbid mechanic features prominently, and is backed up with Undying, Unearth, and other necromantic abilities. Life loss is also present to help offset the Life deck's lifegain.
1 Viscera Seer
1 Wakedancer
1 Geralf's Messenger (R)
1 Desecration Demon (R)
1 Rakshasa Gravecaller
1 Sidisi, Undead Vizier (R)
1 Vengeful Pharaoh (R)
1 Reaper from the Abyss (MRFC)
1 Scythe of the Wretched (R)
Enchantments
1 Corrupted Roots
1 Shadows of the Past
Instants
1 Fatal Push
1 Tragic Slip
1 Altar's Reap
Sorceries
1 Bone Splinters
1 Self-Inflicted Wound
1 Dead Reckoning
1 Gruesome Discovery
2 Barren Moor
2 Mortuary Mire
20 Swamp
The Fury deck likes to hit fast and hard with aggro and burn spells. Mana pump abilities like firebreathing and X-cost spells like Banefire give red something to do with its accumulated mana in the late game, when it starts running out of cards to cast and needs to close the game fast.
2 Goblin Fireslinger
1 Anger
1 Krenko, Mob Boss (R)
1 Flameblast Dragon (R)
1 Hellkite Charger (R)
1 Furyborn Hellkite (MRFC)
1 Fire Diamond
Enchantments
1 Impact Tremors
1 Gratuitous Violence (R)
Sorceries
1 Banefire (R)
2 Forgotten Cave
1 Ghitu Encampment
22 Mountain
Control likes to slow down and hinder the opponent long enough to set up its end game. To that end, it employs all manner of delays: counterspells, damage prevention, tapdown, bouncing, flickering, and outright removal.
1 Isperia, Supreme Judge (MRFC)
1 Angelic Arbiter (R)
Artifacts
1 Azorius Signet
1 Authority of the Consuls (R)
1 Martial Law (R)
Instants
1 Hindering Light
4 Tranquil Cove
10 Plains
10 Island
When one thinks of nature, one thinks of the environment, and in Magic the environment is best represented with land. Therefore the Nature deck is heavily focused on land and land-relevant mechanics. But of course the land is just part of nature's grand design; a veritable myriad of animals is another, and they're capable of growing through the use of +1/+1 counters.
2 Arbor Elf
1 Jaddi Offshoot
1 Grazing Gladehart
1 Oracle of Mul Daya (R)
1 Conclave Naturalists
1 Woodborn Behemoth
1 Oran-Rief Hydra (R)
1 Avenger of Zendikar (MRFC)
1 Sylvok Lifestaff
1 Sword of the Animist (R)
1 Druidic Satchel (R)
Enchantments
2 Khalni Heart Expedition
1 Retreat to Kazandu
Instants
1 Return to the Earth
1 Genesis Wave (R)
Land
1 Khalni Garden
1 Llanowar Reborn
2 Tranquil Thicket
20 Forest
Industry of course entails artifice, as well as the byproducts of their manufacturing.
1 Chief Engineer (R)
1 Vedalken Engineer
1 Cathodion
1 Chief of the Foundry
1 Cogwork Assembler
1 Foundry Inspector
2 Foundry Assembler
1 Self-Assembler
1 Sly Requisitioner
1 Sphinx Summoner (R)
1 Wurmcoil Engine (MRFC)
1 Sharding Sphinx (R)
1 Salvage Titan (R)
1 Marionette Master (R)
1 Hangarback Walker (R)
1 Golem Foundry
Enchantments
1 Contaminated Ground
1 Underhanded Designs
1 Efficient Construction
1 Thopter Spy Network (R)
Instants
1 Go for the Throat
1 Metallic Rebuke
Land
1 Foundry of the Consuls
1 Mishra's Factory
1 Polluted Mire
1 Remote Isle
4 Submerged Boneyard
1 Urza's Factory
8 Island
8 Swamp
Every time I read a comment about "Well if this card had card draw/trample/haste/indestructible/hexproof/life gain...", I think "You're missing the point." They're armchair developer comments that fail to take into account the card's role in the greater Limited and Standard environment. No, it may not be as good as whatever card you're comparing it to. There's a reason for that. Not every burn spell is Lightning Bolt, nor does it need to be or should be.
Every time I read a comment about "Well if this card had card draw/trample/haste/indestructible/hexproof/life gain...", I think "You're missing the point." They're armchair developer comments that fail to take into account the card's role in the greater Limited and Standard environment. No, it may not be as good as whatever card you're comparing it to. There's a reason for that. Not every burn spell is Lightning Bolt, nor does it need to be or should be.