Bang For Your Buck #3

Bang For Your Buck

ducttapedeckbox

27 May 2013

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Bang for Your Buck -- Episode 3

Intro

Hey everyone! I’m back again with some tips for all of those budget builders out there. I hope you enjoy this article, and that it can help you become a better, a more efficient, budget Magic player. In this article, I’m going to address a commonly debated subject when it comes to budget decks: mana fixing (with a focus on dual/shock/etc. lands).

ducttapedeckbox’s Take on Mana Fixing

I’ve seen this topic debated at some point on nearly every budget deck I’ve helped out on. I hope I’ll be able to calm the minds of those who cannot/do not want to put hundreds of dollars into an “ideal” mana base. My take on this can be summed up in one statement:

You do NOT need to run a two hundred dollar mana base to have a successful deck

Suggestions for Decks by Number of Colors:

1. Two-color decks -- Honestly, I don’t think mana fixing should be a problem with most two color decks. If you’re playing a game and aren’t getting one of your two colors, you’ve probably just shuffled poorly. Some of you may get very uncomfortable without running any lands for mana fixing, so think about the Guildgates. They are not bad! Like any “enter the battlefield tapped” ability, you have to be smart about when you play it. If you need two mana to cast a spell on your second turn, don’t save the Guildgate for turn 2! It’s common sense, but I bet everyone has messed that up at some point. With that said, basic lands should be able to get the job done 99% of the time.

2. Three-color decks -- Now we’re getting a little tricky. Three color decks can have enough variation that basic lands won’t cut it. Guildgates, at the least, are a must. Try them out. If they don’t work, maybe you need to invest in some dual lands (Drowned Catacombs, Sunpetal Grove, etc.). I strongly believe that even in three-color decks, shocklands aren’t necessary. If you’re on a $50 budget like I constrain myself to, shocklands are out of the question, and my decks work just fine without them.

3. Four- and Five-color decks -- Budget players should usually avoid these complicated decks, because they require a lot of mana fixing, and a budget can greatly restrain that. With that said, don’t give up and not attempt one! I will explain a little later.

With the addition of more colors to a deck, constructing a reliable mana base can get extremely difficult. It is still possible, and below I will list some suggestions for any budget deck that will help get around the mana base.

1. Chose your cards wisely! Don’t run mana-intensive cards, such as Mikaeus, the Unhallowed, in 3+ color decks. The triple black in his mana cost will make him extremely difficult to play. Render Silent is another example; it requires specific colors in its entire cost. Stick with cards that require one or two colors to cast, and only one of each of those colors. They’ll ease the pressure on your mana base, and still allow you to have a successful deck.

2. Work in steps! Build your deck, and construct a mana base of solely basic lands. Play a few games and see how it works out. After 5-10 games, change out a few basics for some Guildgates and player some more games. Repeat this process with adding some more Guildgates, then dual lands. If you’re still having mana problems, consider changing the mainboard to include less mana-intensive cards. Keep in mind that too many Guildgates and dual lands can be a bad thing! You don’t want all of your lands coming into play tapped, as that will leave you a turn behind your opponent.

3. Try mana dorks and ramp! If you’re running green, Arbor Elf and Avacyn's Pilgrim are great early game drops. Have red too? Try Zhur-Taa Druid! Even Gyre Sage, Chromatic Lantern and Gilded Lotus are cheaper than shocklands and even some dual lands! Note that running most of the green cards listed above will merely prove you with more green mana, but will allow for a slight reduction in the green mana-producing lands you run.

As you can see, I don’t think shocklands are necessary in most budget decks, and with proper planning, they can be constructed with adequate lands bases. Please remember that this is what I think, and I’d love to hear what you think! A discussion is the only way to help others out.

Future Articles!

Below I will list some articles that we have coming up, and the line for having a deck featured.

Future Articles:

1. How to build a budget deck in a pricey archetype (with the help of Darkness1835)
2. Deck Features
3. Whatever budget-related topic the T/O community would like!

Feature wait list:

1. JokerWx13s’ Mostly Ghostly
2. thyhax’s Modified Budget Boros
3. psychoza’s Might of the Wild
4. PrivateCarly’s Bant Auras Budget
5. robogeek45’s Izzet Lightning
6. planeswalkersollis’s Sublimital Messages Ver. 2.0
7. CaveShinobi’s WB Life-Stealing Control
8. killroy726’s FNM deck on the cheap help please

I will only take TEN decks to have in the queue at a time, and I cannot promise that I’ll get to them all

I hope you all have enjoyed this edition of Bang for your Buck, and I’d love to hear your comments below. Again, this is just what I think, so start discussing! :)