A casual deck, how to transform it into a tourney quality.

[TheGuyFromTheOtherPost]

I have been playing Magic for about 2 years now, and I have advanced in the game. I have a deck that I would like to transform into a better, possibly a tourney quality deck.

I have played this deck in casual games between now and then, but now, since I love the idea of the deck, I would like to transform it and/or atleast develope it into a further level.

Here's the deck (I'll explain it's tech after the list):

Blue Creatures (18):
4 - Darting Merfolk
4 - Drake Hatchling
3 - Pendrell Drake
3 - Sandbar Serpent
2 - Drifting Djinn
2 - Aerial Caravan

Blue Spells (18):
4 - Accumelated Knowledge
4 - Miscalculation
4 - Counterspell
4 - Seal of Removal
2 - Rescind

Lands (24):
2 - Rath's Edge
2 - Blasted Landscape
20- Island

The deck is really fun and sometimes challenging to play. You have small defenders, and large attackers. The point of the deck is to cycle every card that doesn't have an 'instant' use to it; so if I draw a Drifting Djinn, Sandbar Serpent, and/or Penedrell Drake, I should cycle them inorder to get cards like Daring Merfolk, Miscalculation, Counterspell, Seal of Removal, and/or Drake Hatchling. Late game, you might want to cycle the Miscalculation as it becomes very useless, so does the Blasted Landscape.

Aerial Caravan is the best creature there is. I have never seen a card that can do so much without tapping (other than Morphling). You play the Caravan, get yourself a 4/3 flyer, and now you could draw a lot of cards, make sure you have a lot of mana though.
The Caravan becomes even more useful when you draw Cycling cards, because you could use the Cycling ability and draw cards that 'will' stay in your hand even after the turn is done.
*More people should try this creature, it's really, really playable and useful.*

Defense against fast decks should come easy, with cards like Seal of Removal, Darting Merfolk, and Drake Hatchling. Don't worry about not drawing any of these cards, that's why almost half the deck uses Cycling.

Now, I want to make this deck more valuable (if it isn't already), so please help me.

Wheather you're planning to reply or not, it doesn't matter to me, because I will always be the Guy from the other post.

****I wrote this deck in the wrong Forum, sorry. I forgot about the Deck section you guys have in here. This is my first time posting a deck on the WWW so please execuse me. Thanks.****

[Edited by TheGuyFromTheOtherPost on August 16th, 2000 at 12:25 AM]

 

[nodnarb24]

Tag Guard

Doesn't this belong in the Casual Decks/Varients/Etc section

 

[TheGuyFromTheOtherPost]

...said I'm sorry. I didn't really focus. Sorry for that. Next time, I'll post my decks over there.

The Guy from the other post.

 

[nodnarb24]

Tag Guard
It's all right. Your deck looks pretty good but i don't know how it will stand against tournament decks since i don't play in tournies. I used to aabout two years ago when they had free ones every week then it was every other week. Now i don't even know when they play tournies since I rarely go to the shop any more.

 

[FoundationOfRancor]

It looks good and fun to play with, but maybe a bit to slow for tourneys. Something like parralax tide or boomerangs could comopensate.

 

[TheGuyFromTheOtherPost]

...you please explain some more? I can't figure the whole thing out by myself. How would I fit Parallax Tide and/or the bouncing spells into the deck? What should I remove? What kind of changes should I make? What kind of creatures should I use? Please don't change this deck into a Mono Blue control with Palinchron/Morphling/Masticore, I really want it to stay on the theme: Cycling. Just help it a bit.

I'm sorry I don't know much about the cards, since I'm only the Guy from the other post.

 

[Purple_jester]

If speed is the problem, then I can make a few suggestions. I'm not too familiar with a deck made up mostly of cycling cards, so you'll have to test out my ideas to see if they work, okay?

1) Cloud of Fairies: 1U Cycling, 1/1 Flying, When it comes into play, untap 2 lands. -It's essentially free once you have 2 mana on the table, allowing you to folow up with a counterspell or miscalculation, if need be. And it has the cycling trait that you like. I use this in my Blue Skies deck.

2) Sky Diamond: -Do you have trouble with having enough mana? 2 or more of these might help. Of course, 4 Accumulated Knowledge is pretty fast already.

3) Brainstorm: -Available in Mercadian Masques. 1 or 2 would blend well with the Accumulated Knowledge.

4) Mana Short: -Available in 6th edition. The poor man's Timewalk. Cast this during the opponent's unkeep phase and he probably won't get to do much during his turn (unless he's green).

5) Boomerang: -Available in 6th edition. When you have a Rescind in hand, it's so useful that you won't want to Cycle it (it can return ANY permanent). So, why not use Boomerang, a Rescind that costs only UU?

6) Coastal Piracy: -Available in Mercadian Masques, and it's only uncommon. It's a little expensive (2UU) but I noticed that most of your creatures fly. That means that you can probably hit your opponent pretty often. That's 1 additional drawn card per hit.

Try some of these out, if you can, and see if it makes the deck any better.

 

[Griffith_se]

Cycling? To bad You can't use Fluctuator(sp?).

 

[TomB]

See? That was easy!

BTW, those are some excellent suggestions by PJ. And I disagree with you on the Caravans. They're way too slow, for one thing, and they don't cycle, so they're out of theme. The Piracys and Faeries together will gain you more cards, IMO.

It does look like a fun deck to play though. I hope that helps!

 

[Griffith_se]

I was joking about Fluctuator. Fluctuator breaks cycling so it is banned (If You didn't already know). "Fluctuating Death" is the only cycling based Tourney worthy deck that I know of, but hey somebody has to create these things, why not You.

I don't know about tourney's.

I have some ideas though (besides P.J.'s exellent suggestions( is it OK to call You P.J.)). You might want to use some of the cards You cycled, so how bout Recall, Maybe? Temperal Adept, I think is also a pretty useful card.
Also it would be nice to have a Dominate in Your hand for early game big threats.
It's kind of expensive , but Lifeline would be good (use Grim monoliths maybe to get it out).

Say You have a a Sandbar Merfolk, of Cloud of Faeries in play, or what ever, and You cycle a Drifting Djinn, Pendrrell Drake, or Sandbar Serpent. You would get a big moster in play for 2 plus draw a card. Just some ideas, not Tourney worthy though. Just My wild ideas.





[Edited by Griffith_se on August 16th, 2000 at 05:34 PM]

 

[TheGuyFromTheOtherPost]

...those were great suggestions Purple_Jester.
I thought about the Cloud of Faried myself, but isn't it too small to even be worth it? I'll try them out though. Mana hasn't been a problem with this deck do to it's Cycling nature. If I only draw 2 lands in my opening hand, then Cycling will help me get over this problem. I don't need the Diamonds. Boomerang 'is' better than Rescind(sp?), and it does cost 1 less to play. I'll just add 2 Boomerangs then. Coastal Pirecy(sp?), I should have thought about his myself. Most my creatures fly, that means the Coastal will transform each and everyone of them into a Theiving Magpie. That's great.

TomB, I like Aerial Caravan, remember, I'm play casual here. I think I'll just replace them with either 2 more Drifting Djinns or 2 Coastal Pirecy.

Griffth_se, I don't think Life Line works with Cycling, does it?

Thanks everyone.

 

[arhar]

Well, if you really want to transform this into a tournament winning deck, I guess you'll have to sacrifice originality for playability, and add Morphlings, Grim Monoliths and Powder Kegs. Take out the unefficient creatures like Djinn and Caravan, you should only need 3 or 4 big creatures in the deck. Drake Hatchlings are fine, and so are Darting Merfolk (although they don't do much against green with Rancors =) ). Cloud of Faeries is a very good suggestion. Also change your counter base - Thwart is a very good card, so is Foil. Lands - everything's ok, although you should add Faerie Conclaves. Also, try out Somnophore, it works great!

 

[Dark Horse]

Here are some things I think could help

1) Free Creatures- I know you dont want this, but try Palinchron, or at least Peregrine Drake, to get a 2/3 or 4/5 flying esentially for free, leaving you open for either A threats or B Counters.

2) Lifeline most definitly DOES work with cycling. Pretty well as a matter of fact.

3) I do agree with you on the Aerial Caravan, I would try to get another one if you could. Also, while we are on the subject, if you can, Temporal Aperture is a better Aerial Caravan

Temporal Aperture

Tap- Shuffle your library and remove the top card of it from the game- You may play it as if from your hand without paying its castin cost.

and of course lastly

4)As Jester said, mana short. If that doesnt work/ you cant find it, these are some subs for it.

Drain Power (I dont know if its in 6th though.)
Mana Vapors
Misstep
Ensnare
Submerge

But of course, what do I know, I'm just the guy from the other post

 

[Griffith_se]

I think lifeline does work with cycling, as a matter of fact I think you could pay 4, cycle 2 Drifting Djinn's, draw 2 cards, and put them both into play at the end of your turn untaped.

The only bad thing is it helps Your opponent also. Thats why I thought about Temp Adept, besides just being an all around good utility card. Say Your opponent tries to take advantage of Your life line by diacarding a fatty of there own,"Oop, I don't think so" Bounce Your Lifeline Back to Your Hand.

Also for land, why not use Crystal Veins, and Remote Islands?

 

[Griffith_se]

I double checked the lifline thing, and here is what it says.

Only triggers on a creature card going to the graveyard from play. When a card goes to the graveyard from someplace other than "in play", it is not a creature. [WotC Rules Team 98/10/18]

Doesn't that seem like a contradiction. Why is it OK then To discard a creature then bring it back with unearth, or something like that. According to the above ruling You couldn't. I really get honked off sometimes. That is just a blatant inconsistancy. I protest!

Oh well, I'm Batting a 1000 I think I'll just shut up for a while.

[Edited by Griffith_se on August 16th, 2000 at 07:15 PM]

 

[Duel]

nice deck. I wouldn't change the mechanics of it, All I will do is replace decent creatures with cards that mey be better suited to your purpose.

Blue Creatures (18):
4 - Thalakos Scout
4 - Drake Hatchling
3 - Palinchron
3 - Sandbar Serpent
2 - Drifting Djinn
2 - Aerial Caravan

Blue Spells (18):
4 - Accumulated Knowledge
4 - Miscalculation
4 - Counterspell (You may want better cards for this, not sure which, as I'd have to test it)
4 - Seal of Removal
2 - Rescind

Lands (24):
20- Island
4 - Faerie Conclave

Better?

 

[Spiderman]

Just curious on why you think there's an inconsistency. I'm not sure what you're getting at, but I don't think the two events are really related... Unearth involves casting another spell at the least (a non-renewable resource), while Lifeline is generating a continuous one. But I need more info (if you would care to expound) to understand fully.



<sigh> Never mind, I found you posted this in the Rules forum and everything was answered there. Forget this.

[Edited by Spiderman on August 17th, 2000 at 08:53 AM]

 

[Duel]

Already forgotten