Building Blocks #1

Features

jkarnes

28 May 2013

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Building Blocks #1

When I first got into Magic some sixteen or so years in the past, I didn’t know anything about formats, rarities, drafting, expected value, two-for-ones, basic strategy, or even color balance. I thought the art was cool, the store was neat (it sold Iron Man!), and the people were interesting. Naturally, I wanted to fit in... so I had my parents buy a couple boosters of Ice Age and away I went to crack the six packs that they bought me (at $2.99 each mind you, back in the good days). In essence, I had an Ice Age sealed format pool.

A couple older players (remember, I was 9, these guys were like 13 and 14 so they knew everything) suggested that I build decks out of the cards based on color. So I did. The decks were all bad and couldn’t hold a candle to type 2 (as it was called back then) decks. It didn’t matter that they didn’t win; building them was the fun part. It was a challenge working with such restrictions.

Years would pass and I would become a very good constructed format player and builder... but every time a format rolls around with restrictions (like sealed, draft, or block constructed) it piques my interest. So imagine my surprise when I learned that PT Las Vegas is block constructed!

(Monty Python Voice) Get on with it!

What Are You Doing Anyway

Oh fine. I was very recently going through my commons and uncommons for the RTR block and decided that building block constructed would be fun... but in classic innovation style I’m going to add another restriction: No Rares.

Ravnica is probably one of my favorite blocks of all time. It’s reminiscent of Planeshift in that a lot of the cards are multicolored and that it’s a slow(er) format. Each of the ten guilds has a flavor that goes along with it... everything is very well designed.

I will be building a deck each week featuring one of the ten guilds of Ravnica in a wedge style (3 color). Each deck will emphasize flavor more-so than raw power. For instance, you won’t see Boros playing Street Spasm despite it being an amazing card in a format with no rare cards.

I would encourage each of you to dig through your boxes and have fun with me. I will track each of the submissions on a first-come first-serve basis and play against one of them with the Rareless Block Constructed deck that I build.

So who’s up first?

The Church of Orzhova

I don’t know what it is about Orzhov that I like so much this time around. Maybe I’m sadistic, but the thought of killing my opponent slowly and by small tortuous stabs is kind of cool. Extort is a neat mechanic, and the art for most of the cards is awesome. So that everyone is on the same page, let’s take a look at what Orzhov is all about.

The Orzhov Syndicate is the Ravnican guild of business, where the values of white and black meet, where the dead exist solely to rule. Nearly every business in Ravnica ties back to the Orzhov in some devious way or another. Whilst they bear the facade of a religious group and may well have been a true faith at the signing of the Guildpact, they now worship only profit and power.

Hmmm... from a flavor perspective it sounds like Dimir would be the best fit to go along with Orzhov to create an Esper wedge. Let’s take a quick look at Dimir’s philosophy:

Dimir is a guild of secrecy, manipulation and underhanded deals, a shadowy organization operating behind the scenes to twist Ravnica to its own ends. The guild provides espionage, smuggling, burglary, counter-intelligence, assassination and other illegal services for the Ravnican populace, although its patrons are unaware that they are in fact employing the guild, instead thinking they are employing guildless mercenaries or another guild such as the Rakdos. The guild is so secretive that even its own agents often do not know who they truly work for.

See that word “Employing?” I like that word. It matches well with “the Ravnican guild of business.” The problem though is that Rakdos and Golgari have equal claims to the “business” side of the equation! Rakdos is described as “attending to menial labor and services industry, which includes some less-than-savory offerings, such as assassination, as well as more agreeable ones, such as the catering (i.e., food service) and entertainment industries.” The Golgari tend to function as the agricultural sector of Ravnican society. Both of those sound pretty business-like...

Board Meeting

We also have the Azorius Senate to finish the Esper wedge on the Blue side... but from a flavor perspective, we aren’t going to play Azorius/Orzhov. Firstly, that’s too many Z’s; and secondly, everyone knows that Government Regulation and Business Extortion just don’t go together (ZING!).

From a power perspective, Brozhov (WBR) would probably be the most powerful wedge; however, the Boros Legion actively enforces laws proposed by the Azorious Senate. So they (Boros) are out!

That leaves us with Rakdos, Golgari, and Dimir to pair up with.

To find the best flavor I’m going to dig into the design philosophy of each guild starting with Rakdos.

In developing the identity of the Cult of Rakdos, Aaron Forsythe noted that the Cult of Rakdos revolves around the destruction of everything, with exception to enchantments, a permanent type that neither Black nor Red can deal with. In addition to this, the guild was conceived as one that wanted to hastily play out its hand, and was willing to sacrifice creatures for beneficial effects for itself and detrimental ones for opponents.

Now, I’m pretty sure that most businesses aren’t in the habit of destroying everything, because then there’s nothing to do business with! Sorry Rakdos, you’re just too wanton to be in the Orzhov deck... please don’t kill me in my sleep.

Golgari has some interesting lore related to Orzhov... did you know this:

The guildhall of the Golgari Swarm in the Ravnica block is Svogthos, a former elaborately decorated and gilded cathedral of the Orzhov Syndicate. Svogthos is a semi-living structure in which the detached, severed head of Svogthir is housed and claimed to move position as the center of Golgari territory shifts.

That sounds pretty cool! Cooler than Dimir? Maybe. The concept of hoarding the food and extorting the population to eat is appealing... might even be appealing enough to change our ally... muses. Another strong point is that the Golgari work with death directly (remember Dredge?) which is something that Orzhov also does. The ties between these two guilds are quite strong.

In looking at Dimir’s flavor we see this idea:

The Dimir's guildmages use their magic to influence the minds of others. They can send messages to operatives over distances or strike people with amnesia, magically alter memories or even perform lobotomies on victims to cover their tracks. The Dimir also practice necromancy, creating undead minions such as skeletons and wights to carry out missions. Spirits are also used by the Dimir to pass on messages, carry out surveillance invisibly or even to possess important figures such as judges and senators. Nobody is beyond the reach of House Dimir.

It sounds like a Dimir/Orzhov combination would be like a propaganda machine or a marketing firm. They have a very strong interaction between Cipher and Extort. Is the flavor stronger than Golgari? I will have to think about it.

Before anyone accuses me of leaving out the tree-hugging Selesnya Conclave, I’ll tell you why I didn’t consider them with this little piece of background information right here:

The Selesnya Conclave is a decentralized collective variably described as a "selfless, nurturing, spiritual group" or a "brainwashing nature cult,” and involves itself in the establishment and maintenance of peace, life, and unity in Ravnica.

Brainwashing Nature Cult!? Selfless?! That doesn’t sound very business like! Arguably, manufacturing peace is a good business (ask America ZING AGAIN!) so the grouping is not that unlikely... but in the end, I feel the desire of Orzhov and the desires of Selesnya don’t line up. Yeerrrrrrrr outta here!

Strategic Partnerships

In thinking about it, I’ve decided to go against my gut feeling that Dimir would be our partner in crime. The Golgari Swarm has too much flavorful connection to The Church of Orzhov. In addition, the concept of charging exorbitant prices for food (like your firstborn’s first 10 years of life) just sounds too fun to pass up.

So, without any hesitation for my inner Vorthos, let’s dig in to the cardpool.

Best Common and Uncommon Orzhov Cards

Debt to the Deathless - I actually can’t believe this card is an uncommon. Even for a 1v1 situation, a control or long-range deck can easily cast this for values of 4+ which nets a 16 point life swing. It will also generally kill our opponent.

Gift of Orzhova - +1/+1, Flying (evasion), and Lifelink (longevity). Sounds amazing. Only weakness being that it’s an enchantment and prone to 2-1s

Syndic of Tithes - Extort Bear. Moar Extort!

Basilica Guards & Basilica Screecher - More extort guys. One has evasion and the other a huge butt.

Thrull Parasite - One Drop Extort Guy. Also manages to knock +1/+1 counters off of things. Against rare-using opponents, can help against planeswalkers.

Illness in the Ranks - Against token decks this would be helpful

Knight of Obligation - 2/4 Vigilance Extort. Sold.

Profit / Loss - The potential to be a wipe is here, it also (when fused) generally will end a game.

One Thousand Lashes - Arrest with a parasite attached.

Orzhov Charm - Unconditional Removal that could also tempo small creatures and save enchantments for big dudes.

Sin Collector - Can remove removal spells from our opponent, and has a 2/1 body to either trade or go to the red-zone.

Vizkopa Confessor - Discard Spells with Bodies are cool. Extort is a huge plus.

Executioner's Swing - Kills most creatures in the format.

Kingpin's Pet - Flying Extorting 2/2.

Sinister Possession - This is the kind of card that screams Orzhov. If we can keep casting spells and extorting, our opponent might just accidentally kill himself.

Tithe Drinker - I think that Lifelink and Extort is pretty good on one creature. It will rarely attack into untapped creatures, but it makes racing with 2/2s almost impossible.

Best Common and Uncommon Golgari Cards

Down / Dirty - Modal discard that also gets back a value creature as an option. This card is really more valuable in limited instead of constructed because games tend to go longer. It’s on the list because it’s good. Mind Rot is a decent standard card (not excellent), and tacking on extra effects only makes it better.

Dreg Mangler - a 3/3 with haste for 3 is very, very, good. Scavenge is the icing on the cake.

Gobbling Ooze - Even though it costs 5, once you get it out, it becomes the target of all removal spells.

Golgari Charm - -1/-1 wipe potential, plus mass regeneration, AND it can kill enchantments. I’m sold.

Putrefy - It’s like Murder, but 2 color and better.

Rot Farm Skeleton - It’s like Dredge... and we all remember how good that was. The one thing I don’t like about this guy in The Church of Ozrhov is that he doesn’t count as a spell when he gets brought back... and it’s sorcery speed.

Treasured Find - It’s Reclaim.

Grisly Salvage - Find an Extort guy, find a land, find a flier. If we’re playing salvage creatures, we might find them too.

Zanikev Locust - It's the 2BB 3 power scavenge that makes this guy nuts. 5B for a 3/3 flier isn't ideal... More of a limited powerhouse.

Korozda Monitor - The opposite of the Locust. Has Trample which might be relevant.

Sewer Shambler - Against opposing black decks, this guy demands an answer.

Stonefare Crocodile - While we’re at it, lets gain more life. More of a Limited Powerhouse, but worth mention.

Trestle Troll - The Super Blocker. Might be relevant.

Best Mono-Colored Gorzhov Cards

Arrest - This seems more like an Azorious card, but I can make the argument that Orzhov would probably have a similar spell due to the existence of One Thousand Lashes.

Savage Surge - Combat Trick. Can be extorted. Can Gain life on the right target... unfortunately, it feels more Gruul or Selesnya.

Seek the Horizon - Before I’m bashed, this isn’t that bad. In a 3 color deck, this gets all our colors at the expense of a 4 drop. Might make the cut. Selesnya-ish but possibly Golgari too.

Dutiful Thrull - Blocks on the ground forever until it gets hit by an Auger Spree or Rapid Hybridization. Good target for Enchantment spells.

Axebane Guardian - If we're going the Defend and Extort route, this guy could be good... but we really don't have good mana sinks or Doorkeeper (and we're not playing limited).

Daggerdrome Imp - Scavenge and this are silly. Also flies and has lifelink.

Gatekeeper Vine - Search for a gate! It's Farseek (kind of) in Block.

Verdant Haven - Free Extort Mana that makes us not miss our curve anymore! Also gains 2 life.

Building for Flavor

One of the things that you will notice by looking at the cards in the list above is that there are stellar options for us to utilize that are simply absent. Centaur Healer is a great example. Why is it not in the list? Simply put, because Centaur Healer is a Selesna Conclave card. We’re building on a flavored wedge (kind of like a slice of lemon or lime). Angelic Edict is a great single target removal spell... but again, Selesnya.

With that out of the way, it becomes required to figure out what flavor of deck we want to build. The Church of Orzhov has been around for a long time (more than 10,000 years) so it’s obvious that they’re in it for the long haul. Unlike the Cult of Rakdos and the Gruul Tuffs who want to do everything quickly and move on, The Church takes its time. Guilt (in the case of our deck, hunger) is a powerful sales tool. Everyone feels guilty (hungry) from time to time, and for the right price, you too can be cleansed (fed).

Going for the long haul has a couple of implications for the deck. First and foremost, we’re going to weed out the creatures which are more offensive in nature like Dreg Mangler, then we’re going to pick creatures which tend to have a toughness higher than their power. These are creatures which are more suited to block, which is a key strategy to prolonging games. After that, we’re going to need removal spells (because blocking forever isn’t the best game plan). Then, lastly, we want a finisher. Something big and annoying that instantly ends the game. Extort is a fabulous way to nickel and dime someone to death, but it’s always nice to just have that card which says, “Game 2.”

I think that the cards which are most apt to this goal are Rot Farm Skeleton (I know, it’s not a blocker), Gatekeeper Vine, Grisly Salvage, Debt to the Deathless, Basilica Guards, Knight of Obligation, One Thousand Lashes, Putrefy, Daggerdrome Imp, Arrest, and Sewer Shambler. The cards on their own are cool and all... but there’s got to be a story. This is a flavored wedge.

Well, the way I see it is like this: You walk through the Orzhov Guildgate with the occasional Gatekeeper Vine hanging from it (because it’s more cost efficient to let plants clean up the mess). On your way in, you pass through the Basilica Guards and pay the church tax. Sitting in the courtyards are people who couldn’t pay their Debt to the Deathless and are being Arrested and punished with One Thousand Lashes. You, the hungry Ravnican, have heard that the Golagri Rot Farm Skeletons have been producing food that the Church has started to stockpile... so you stumble in, hungrily, and see the food defended by a single Knight of Obligation. A thief seeking food due to the shortage comes through a grate sneakily, but the Knight is quick to act with his lance. You hand over your Orzhovian gold marks (purchased at an abysmal exchange rate of course) to collect your food. Rejoicing, you eat some now and then roll it up into your pack.

Seeing as how the process took so long, the sky is darkening... and that means the Daggerdrome Imps will be out. You hurry home, but it’s too late! An imp comes careening towards you. A Krozoda Guildmage flings a Putrefy spell at the imp, saving your dinner. When she explains that she’s working with the Church and demands a tax, you try to flee... but to no avail. Her next spell turns you into Grisly Salvage for the Sewer Shamblers.

All that’s left now is to come up with some numbers.

From a flavor perspective, I want the Golgari influence to be strongest with the Rot Farm Skeleton to emphasize the idea that we’re farming and keeping the food hostage. The other Golgari cards will take a minor role (with the exception of Putrefy) in the deck.

As we curve out at 4 (with our finisher sorcery being the only >4 spell we play) I’ve opted to curve the deck out at 23 lands. I have 20 creatures, 12 removal spells, 2 finishers, and 3 card selection tools. We’ll aim to win through Extort.

A preliminary count for the deck looks like this:

4 Arrest
4 Basilica Guards
2 Daggerdrome Imp
2 Debt to the Deathless
4 Gatecreeper Vine
3 Grisly Salvage
4 Knight of Obligation
4 One Thousand Lashes
4 Putrefy
4 Rot Farm Skeleton
2 Sewer Shambler
4 Forest
3 Golgari Guildgate
4 Orzhov Guildgate
5 Plains
6 Swamp
1 Transguild Promenade

There’s just few small issues I have with the list as it’s designed:

If we mill out both our Debt to the Deathless effects with a Rot Farm Skeleton chain or unlucky Grisly Salvage then we’re pretty much out of luck chuck when it comes to needing that big finisher. We could make a really good case to cut the Daggerdrome Imp and Sewer Shambler in favor of +1 Grisly Salvage and +3 Treasured Find. From a power perspective, I think playing 20 creatures in this deck is correct. From a flavor perspective, it feels like just enough, if not a little heavy.

12 pieces of removal is slightly light. I think that finding room for a set of Orzhov Charms wouldn’t hurt. By removing a single Rot Farm Skeleton and a single Knight of Obligation, we can cut one land and put in 3 charms. Seems like a semi-bad decision though because we’d only ever be using it to kill something... but if that something needs to die, it’s not a bad decision.

In the end, I’m happy with the flavor of the deck as it stands. I look forward to receiving a submission to play against so that I can do a game report and follow it with a new wedge. Please vote on what you think the next guild I should write about is in the comments to the article!

I’ll be constructing a sideboard before submissions even make it to the table... so don’t let it be said that I built a sideboard based on submissions!

I hope you enjoyed reading my article and building alongside me!

PS: Here’s the final decklist!

A Man's Gotta Eat

Standard* jkarnes

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