On Again Off Again:
I have played Magic off and on for close to 20 years. I picked it up when I was about 12 or 13 and I would go through a cycle of quitting and restarting the game every few years for various reasons. I’m currently playing Magic again, and have been for the last year or so. Because it’s so pricey to get involved in Standard, I mostly play limited both on MTGO and at my local card shop in Modesto, Kriers. I love to draft, but there is part of me that wants to play Standard. I just can’t bring myself to make the investment, though, at least not all at once, so I am building my card pool slowly on MODO (as it’s significantly cheaper than physical cards), and also looking for budget cards that are under valued in the current standard environment. My goal is to both build up a card pool to build competitive decks, as well as to open up the meta-game and introduce some rogue elements that can take out some current big-dogs.
Green/Black Control:
4 [mtg_card]Mutilate[/mtg_card]
1 [mtg_card]Demonic Rising[/mtg_card]
1 [mtg_card]Disciple of Bolas[/mtg_card]
3 [mtg_card]Deathrite Shaman[/mtg_card]
1 [mtg_card]Vraska the Unseen[/mtg_card]
1 [mtg_card]Liliana of the Dark Realms[/mtg_card]
1 [mtg_card]Deadbridge Chant[/mtg_card]
3 [mtg_card]Gloom Surgeon[/mtg_card]
4 [mtg_card]Overgrown Tomb[/mtg_card]
2 [mtg_card]Phylactery Lich[/mtg_card]
1 [mtg_card]Staff of Nin[/mtg_card]
2 [mtg_card]Underworld Connections[/mtg_card]
4 [mtg_card]Woodland Cemetery[/mtg_card]
2 [mtg_card]Barter in Blood[/mtg_card]
2 [mtg_card]Putrefy[/mtg_card]
1 [mtg_card]Ultimate Price[/mtg_card]
4 [mtg_card]Vampire Nighthawk[/mtg_card]
4 [mtg_card]Prophetic Prism[/mtg_card]
2 [mtg_card]Abrupt Decay[/mtg_card]
1 [mtg_card]Dark Impostor[/mtg_card]
16 [mtg_card]Swamp[/mtg_card]
Sideboard
1 [mtg_card]Barter in Blood[/mtg_card]
3 [mtg_card]Human Frailty[/mtg_card]
3 [mtg_card]Illness in the Ranks[/mtg_card]
1 [mtg_card]Crypt Incursion[/mtg_card]
3 [mtg_card]Duress[/mtg_card]
2 [mtg_card]Abrupt Decay[/mtg_card]
1 [mtg_card]Deathrite Shaman[/mtg_card]
1 [mtg_card]Gloom Surgeon[/mtg_card]
Gameplay: It’s not a bad deck. It’s fairly inexpensive, and while it could use a few improvements (Thragtusk for one), it can hold its own as it is. I am currently working on modifying this version, but I am waiting to pick up the Thragtusks until I see if they are reprinted in Magic 2014. If they aren’t reprinted, I won’t invest in them, as I don’t want to toss money at cards that are going out of rotation. This deck does fairly well against the aggro decks in the field as long as you get a turn four [mtg_card]Mutialte[/mtg_card]. You generally get into the danger zone with your life total against the crazy aggro decks, but once you clear the board, you can stabilize. It’s fairly fun, and wins by providing two or three for one situations and slowly gaining card advantage and board control.
I’d be happy to hear suggestions.
