Quote from Impossible »So what you're saying is the deck is a sampling of the kinds of things Black does? Zombies, Vampires, draining life, sacrificing creatures for value, discard, etc? To me that sounds like a good introduction to what the color is all about, assuming you knew nothing about it beforehand.Quote from Neuroticneurok »I agree that the decks suffer from a lack of cohesion. The Liliana deck that was mentioned is half sacrifice and half Zombie-tribal, with sprinklings of Vampires. Pick a direction and go for it - either Zombie Tribal, sacrifice and graveyard shenanigans, or drain and gain. If these things WERE to overlap (for example, a zombie that used life as a resource for an effect), it would make sense for the strategies to be married to some extent.
You've heard how oil and water don't mix? Neither do distinct, separate strategies in a deck. That's what side decks are for - to make good the shortcomings of your deck after you play with it.
A good introduction to what the color is about, a bad introduction on how the game is actually played.
Take Liliana's deck. It's got heavy zombie, sacrifice, and reanimator themes in it. Imagine trying to play that deck against someone who has a playset of Remorseful Cleric and Take Vengeance, in addition to probably having access to another color, which could add further control or tempo elements to the deck. The planeswalker decks are flavorful, but they're not going to be able to scrape a win, not outside the circle of Planeswalker deck matchups.
If you were teaching someone to play golf, for example, you would not tell someone to play however they want, and sit back with a smile as they attempted to actually play through by picking up each of their clubs in turn and flinging them at the golf ball in order to make it move closer to the hole. In the same way, you do not give new players a deck with vanilla creatures and Skeleton Archers and other such rubbish - you give them a deck that has a strong, repetitive theme that makes for an easy deck to play. Here's cards that a Liliana deck should run:
Death Baron
Doomed Dissenter
Diregraf Ghoul
Graveyard Marshal
Gravedigger
Blood Divination
Macabre Waltz
Murder
Probably an Open the Graves or two.
Demonic Vigor and/or Abnormal Endurance.
Discard is a control strategy. Zombies are an aggro strategy. There can be overlap (if you make it a reanimation deck and there's a high cost finisher you can bring back to the field) but it's rare.
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When I see a new player I teach them with the free decks wizard provides and if they like the game I help them build a deck out of draft leftovers. These decks would retail for less than those plainswalker decks had the bought the cards as singles, but are better decks, with better cards. Yes they will still lose a lot but at least CAN win as the deck is at least built right with a good curve. And upgrading is easier as the deck has a better base.
I have taught over thirty people how to play in in my life. Most still playing to this day. My advice on these products is to avoid most of them. Play the starter deck I give them. Update ones collection though draft, prereleases and singles. Well and Commander decks as they often have good value and are playable out of the box if they want to start playing commander.
I would never suggest anyone buy a painswalker deck outside of collectors wanting to own them for completeness sake. They are just a bad product. Poorly built, poor card quality, and poor value. There is no upside for them to start the game with these weak decks that aren't a real upgrade to the free decks wizards gives newbies. I am with Azurhawk, my advice to new players is not to buy those decks. They aren't a good starting point. They don't demonstrate how to build a good deck. They are needlessly bad and aren't a good product for anyone really.
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The real problem isn't with a particular deck strategy it is with an unbalanced power level. I play at more than one LGS, and I play at home with friends and the power level is way different with these different metas. If I take my more competitive decks to my home play group of mostly poor and new players, it doesn't matter which style I play no one will have fun as the winner is determined at the start. If I play the precons I play at home, at the most competitive LGS I play at, I won't have fun as I would be dead to start. Power level is more important that deck strategy in regards to the fun in the game in my not so humble opinion.
I voted for the record fo combo. It is the least interactive and interaction is what I love about Magic. Plus some combos are so slow and durdle quite a while before they win. I think combo is needed in the meta but in my opinion it is the least fun to play against and with. For the record I do play a few different combo decks myself.
I will never understand all the whining about deck types. In an ideal world there would be decks of all types in a meta forcing adaption and thought. If any one type of deck becomes to common play becomes boring. Bring on stax, MLD, chaos, group hug, control, aggro, combo, ramp, reanimation, tempo, pillow fort, synergy decks, good stuff, and any off the way deck some mad deck builder can build. AS long as the power levels are somewhat balanced things should be fun.
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Shadowmage Infiltrator does some real work in the deck often drawing me 5 or more card before a sweeper kills it. No one uses removal to kill it as its damage is so minor and it never "combos off" like many of my creatures. My other, on paper better, draw creatures tend to die a whole lot as every piece of removal heads their way, and there's plenty of targeted removal in my metta.
My metta is also heavy on large creatures with multiple vulton style decks running around. Separatist Voidmage has saved me many of games by after the first time using a creature like the separatist to "capsize" there one touch death machine to their hand they look elsewhere while I have mana up.
And Lich Lord of Unx with Voidmage Prodigy often forms a soft lock on my most dangerous win from nowhere opponents. Plus he works really well with Galecaster Colossus, Azami, Lady of Scrolls, Nin, the Pain Artist, Patron Wizard, Riptide Director, Information Dealer, Patron Wizardand a cast Inalla, Archmage Ritualist. Can you honestly ask more out of a three mana creature?
You are probably right about Riptide Director. I will think about its slot in my deck. It tends to die before I ever use it, even once, and it does cost a lot to do its thing. My deck could find better things to do with its mana. Like sack a Lich Lord of Unx created zombie wizard to Voidmage Prodigy counter something that could cause me issues.
Here is what I really like about your deck that is missing in mine, Volrath's Stronghold. I will have to find a home for it. And you are right about Trinket mage and Trophy mage. I will likely find a home for them as well. I will think a bit about what to cut.
OK new deck list up. Added several targets for Trinket mage to find. Also added a way to win minus going infinite in Docent of Perfection and when it comes out I am going to add Vanquisher's Banner as with Riptide Director out I am in need of another way to draw a few extra cards. There are a few small changes here in there as well.
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I am not happy about this change. This is going to hurt FNM and it was the best place to play. They aren't trying to fix anything or they aren't at least going to. Yes, most FNM promos were a joke, but this is a new low. I mean most tokens literally get tossed after a draft. You can pick them up for free in most cases. I only know of one person that was excited by the two sided zombie tokens and 20 people just handed their tokens to him as they didn't want them. At least they didn't try to pass them off as a prise to be won.
The other changes I will reserve judgment on. But if they are in the same line of thought ase nerfing FNM support I am skeptical at best. Who really thinks tokens are an incentive to play? I can get all the tokens I want from the trash after a draft. So FNM is now reduced to a game store dumpster dive as a prise? I don't get why they think that would work to drive participation. I really don't.
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