So I just wrote up a long, long post about limited archetypes over time, and then the site ate it because the site was in read only mode!
WTF.
Well, I wasted a lot of time and energy into it, and I really just wanted to spark a conversation about limited archetypes over time. So take two. I was inspired by the Green-Blue Defenders Archetype in the new Iconic Masters set. And in its throwback to the Defenders deck from original Zendikar, I was reminded how much I loved the Red-White Defenders Archetype in original Conspiracy. Absolutely love Flamewright and wish for a Boros Defender-Theme Legend for EDH ...
Anyway, some color pairs are almost always doing the same thing in Limited (Red-White Aggro, which is why the deviation into Defender was so fun) and other decks move around a lot (White-Black is usually a midrange deck with recursion and lifegain, but it's had a few aggro tribal archetypes like Amonkhet or the Warriors theme in Tarkir).
Trying to identify and rank the pairs, this is what I see:
White/Blue: Usually Fliers. Even when it has some mechanic outside of flying (like ETB) it's often stapled on fliers or a mechanic that helps hold the ground so you win with fliers. It's usually more on the Control side though.
Blue/Black: Control. Simple. Mechanics can have some artifact synergies, or throw in some efficient card drawing.
Black/Red: Aggro. Fast. Removal/Burn. Has had some good tribal themes too (Innistrad Vampires, Theros Minotaurs, Iconic Masters Dragons).
Red/Green: Aggro beatdown and ramp. Doesn't mess around a lot.
Green/White: Of the allied color pairs, I think this pair can move around the most in what it's trying to do. Sometimes it's a go wide strategy with tokens (Populate) and sometimes it's a go tall strategy with counters (Iconic Masters) or both (Kaladesh) or just a midrange with not much of a mechanical focus. IIRC, Maro has said this is the hardest allied color pair to work out because it's overlap is so creature focused and similar. But it's usually a Midrange deck.
White/Black: Shifting to enemy color pairs, this one can be a midrange deck with recursion and lifegain to last for the long game (and the removal to boot), or a more aggro deck. I've liked how this can shift back and forth, curious if there's anything that stands out as an exception to either track.
Blue/Red: Almost always spells, but I don't think it always gets it to work. It's an archetype that is more consistent in what it's trying to do, but not consistent in the outcome. Because it's not creature focused, this deck can fall to formats where aggro is just too fast. Kinda interested in how Ixalan's Pirate Raid archetype works out.
Black/Green: Usually just a basic goodstuff Midrange deck, sometimes with a graveyard theme, or just a theme of resource management (sacrifice creatures/tokens, manage your allocation of +1/+1 or -1/-1 counters). Explore fits in well here.
Red/White: Aggro. Almost never changes. Any good examples of when it's different?
Green/Blue: I think with White/Black the enemy color pair that can change the most, but you could also argue that it's always trying to do the same thing, just like with Blue/Red sometimes it comes together and sometimes it doesn't. It wants to use Green to ramp into an effective big creature to win the game, and it wants to use Blue to draw cards, keep the opponent off balance, and get the damage through. But this can lead to a very durdle style of play, and if the spells you want aren't as efficient in the set, or aggro is too good too fast, it doesn't come together. I'm a little curious how Ixalan comes together, having it as a tribal color where the focus is creatures, counters, and evasion is unusual for this pair.
So what changes the most?
White-Green is usually focused on creatures and is usually midrange, but can shift between go wide or go tall. That's probably the most variance of an allied color pair.
Red-Blue is usually focused on spells, but can be hit and miss on if the card combinations are there. Usually tempo/combo.
White-Black can range between midrange and aggro.
Green-Blue usually wants to be tempo ramp, but like Red-Blue can be hit and miss on if the card combinations are there.
And given that how good aggro in the format sets the pace for everyone else, I'm grouping the pairs as roughly:
Aggro: Black/Red, Red/Green, Red/White, sometimes White/Black
Midrange: White/Green, Black/Green, sometimes White/Black
Control: Blue/Black, White/Blue
Combo/Tempo? Blue/Red, Green/Blue. Harder to categorize these two on the spectrum, so going with Combo/Tempo.
But there are exceptions, any other thoughts on some of the past Archetypes in recent years (say post-Return to Ravnica) that break these rules the most?
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----- "I cannot tune a harp or play a lyre, but I know how to make a small city great." - Themistocles
Blue black also usually has some horribly undersupported mill shenanigan. Other than that I think you have a pretty solid baseline, though I'd argue Red/Green is often a ramp/stompy deck more than pure aggro.
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Modern RBGLiving EndRBG
EDH UFblthpU BRXantchaRB BGVarolzGB URWZedruuWRU
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WTF.
Well, I wasted a lot of time and energy into it, and I really just wanted to spark a conversation about limited archetypes over time. So take two. I was inspired by the Green-Blue Defenders Archetype in the new Iconic Masters set. And in its throwback to the Defenders deck from original Zendikar, I was reminded how much I loved the Red-White Defenders Archetype in original Conspiracy. Absolutely love Flamewright and wish for a Boros Defender-Theme Legend for EDH ...
Anyway, some color pairs are almost always doing the same thing in Limited (Red-White Aggro, which is why the deviation into Defender was so fun) and other decks move around a lot (White-Black is usually a midrange deck with recursion and lifegain, but it's had a few aggro tribal archetypes like Amonkhet or the Warriors theme in Tarkir).
Trying to identify and rank the pairs, this is what I see:
White/Blue: Usually Fliers. Even when it has some mechanic outside of flying (like ETB) it's often stapled on fliers or a mechanic that helps hold the ground so you win with fliers. It's usually more on the Control side though.
Blue/Black: Control. Simple. Mechanics can have some artifact synergies, or throw in some efficient card drawing.
Black/Red: Aggro. Fast. Removal/Burn. Has had some good tribal themes too (Innistrad Vampires, Theros Minotaurs, Iconic Masters Dragons).
Red/Green: Aggro beatdown and ramp. Doesn't mess around a lot.
Green/White: Of the allied color pairs, I think this pair can move around the most in what it's trying to do. Sometimes it's a go wide strategy with tokens (Populate) and sometimes it's a go tall strategy with counters (Iconic Masters) or both (Kaladesh) or just a midrange with not much of a mechanical focus. IIRC, Maro has said this is the hardest allied color pair to work out because it's overlap is so creature focused and similar. But it's usually a Midrange deck.
White/Black: Shifting to enemy color pairs, this one can be a midrange deck with recursion and lifegain to last for the long game (and the removal to boot), or a more aggro deck. I've liked how this can shift back and forth, curious if there's anything that stands out as an exception to either track.
Blue/Red: Almost always spells, but I don't think it always gets it to work. It's an archetype that is more consistent in what it's trying to do, but not consistent in the outcome. Because it's not creature focused, this deck can fall to formats where aggro is just too fast. Kinda interested in how Ixalan's Pirate Raid archetype works out.
Black/Green: Usually just a basic goodstuff Midrange deck, sometimes with a graveyard theme, or just a theme of resource management (sacrifice creatures/tokens, manage your allocation of +1/+1 or -1/-1 counters). Explore fits in well here.
Red/White: Aggro. Almost never changes. Any good examples of when it's different?
Green/Blue: I think with White/Black the enemy color pair that can change the most, but you could also argue that it's always trying to do the same thing, just like with Blue/Red sometimes it comes together and sometimes it doesn't. It wants to use Green to ramp into an effective big creature to win the game, and it wants to use Blue to draw cards, keep the opponent off balance, and get the damage through. But this can lead to a very durdle style of play, and if the spells you want aren't as efficient in the set, or aggro is too good too fast, it doesn't come together. I'm a little curious how Ixalan comes together, having it as a tribal color where the focus is creatures, counters, and evasion is unusual for this pair.
So what changes the most?
White-Green is usually focused on creatures and is usually midrange, but can shift between go wide or go tall. That's probably the most variance of an allied color pair.
Red-Blue is usually focused on spells, but can be hit and miss on if the card combinations are there. Usually tempo/combo.
White-Black can range between midrange and aggro.
Green-Blue usually wants to be tempo ramp, but like Red-Blue can be hit and miss on if the card combinations are there.
And given that how good aggro in the format sets the pace for everyone else, I'm grouping the pairs as roughly:
Aggro: Black/Red, Red/Green, Red/White, sometimes White/Black
Midrange: White/Green, Black/Green, sometimes White/Black
Control: Blue/Black, White/Blue
Combo/Tempo? Blue/Red, Green/Blue. Harder to categorize these two on the spectrum, so going with Combo/Tempo.
But there are exceptions, any other thoughts on some of the past Archetypes in recent years (say post-Return to Ravnica) that break these rules the most?
"I cannot tune a harp or play a lyre, but I know how to make a small city great." - Themistocles
RBGLiving EndRBG
EDH
UFblthpU
BRXantchaRB
BGVarolzGB
URWZedruuWRU