Too many cards! Help!
Deck Help forum
Posted on March 18, 2013, 9:29 p.m. by Diddykong2397
I'm new to magic. I have a red aggro deck that I got bored of, so I began making a blue/black mill deck...and maybe control? I'm not really sure. But I have way too many cards. I need help narrowing it down.
The cards I have are, not including the basic lands:Creature Bond x3
Paralyzing Grasp x2
Spectral Prison x1
Chronic Flooding x1
Death's Approach x3
Dying Wish x1
Contaminated Ground x1
Shadow Slice x1
Last Thoughts x2
Midnight Recovery x1
Wistful Thinking x3
Silent Departure x1
Index x1
Paranoid Delusions x2
Whispering Madness x1
Rise from the Grave x1
Coerced Confession x1
Dispel x1
Cancel x2
Unsummon x1
Totally Lost x1
Exclude x2
Hydrosurge x1
Bone to Ash x1
Venser's Diffusion x1
Repulse x2
Murder x2
AEtherize x1
Psychic Strike x2
Regress x1
Psychic Barrier x4
Grisly Spectacle x2
Thought Scour x1
Unsummon x2
Downsize x1
Sage's Row Denizen x1
Balustrade Spy x2
Wight of Precinct Six x2
Dinrova Horror x3
Talrand, Sky Summoner x1
Consuming Aberration x4
Metathran Zombie x2
Soulsworn Spirit x2
Basilica Screecher x1
Stern Mentor x1
Jace's Phantasm x1
Illusionary Wall x2
Mindeye Drake x2
Merfolk Mesmerist x2
Vedalken Entrancer x2
Chancellor of the Spires x1
Duskmantle Guildmage x1
Crosstown Courier x1
Dimir Keyrune x2
Codex Shredder x4
Mind Funeral x1
Mind Grind x3
Undercity Informer x3
Trepanation Blade x4
Tribute to Hunger x3
Undead Alchemist x2
Jace's Erasure x1
Mind Control x3
Fog Bank x2
Mind Sculpt x4
Vapor Snag x4
Psychic Spiral x4
Grindclock x1
So yeah....if someone could help me narrow it down, I'd be very thankful.Also any card suggestions I don't have listed would be welcome as well.
If you are just wanting to make a blue black mill deck, you could always take a look at mine, and then add your own spin to it. Mill or Bust
March 19, 2013 1:43 a.m.
I put together a deck from what cards you have listed here. Let me know when you've copied the deck over to your profile so I can delete it from mine.
Basically, it uses control cards (like Dispel and Grisly Spectacle) to stall until you can play Consuming Aberration. Once it's out, it should be a very big creature you can then use to win the game. There's also enough mill in the deck to win that way if you can't get through to deal damage, in which case Consuming Aberration acts like a giant wall. Talrand, Sky Summoner can always make a bunch of tokens, as well, to fly over your opponent.
Your sideboard has more creature removal to use, depending on your opponent. Or, Basilica Screecher and Sage's Row Denizen provide additional support for longer games against other control decks.
The deck is ready to go for standard, so you can take it to your local FNM if you want.
Cards I'd consider adding to your deck are:
4x Dimir Guildgate4x Watery Grave4x Drowned Catacomb1+ Cyclonic Rift1x Runechanter's Pike1x Sever the Bloodline1+ Ultimate Price1+ Syncopate 1+ Nephalia Drownyard3+ Augur of Bolas2+ Snapcaster Mage3x Jace, Architect of Thought2x Tamiyo, the Moon Sage2x Jace, Memory Adept2+ Dimir Charm
March 19, 2013 6:52 a.m.
Diddykong2397 says... #5
Thankyou! This helped me immensely. I do have some questions about some other cards. For instance, what about Mind Sculpt, Psychic Spiral, Vapor Snag, Mindeye Drake?
March 19, 2013 10:39 a.m.
on Mind Sculpt its a staple of any mill deck IMO.i think Psychic Spiral is neat but it seems expensive for what it does just because you can get more (guaranteed) mill from other cards at better cost like Dream Twist. Vapor Snag if youre trying to control the entire board AND mill go for it,ive thought about using Mindeye Drake in my own mill deck but hes just too darn expensive. check out mine here, maybe you can pull some ideas from it Millville
March 19, 2013 12:13 p.m.
Diddykong2397 says... #7
@ mahlonn I agree with Mind Sculpt, which is why I added it to my deck. Thanks for the comment.
March 20, 2013 2:22 p.m.
Diddykong2397 says... #8
@ mahlonn what are your opinions on Dinrova Horror?
March 20, 2013 2:27 p.m.
@ Diddykong2397 im not really a fan because its super expensive for what it does. there are 2 ways i can see it being useful1) opponent has no cards in hand and thus HAS to discard whatever you decide to bounce.2) after casting you still have enough mana leftover for a counter when opponent more than likely recasts next turn.im sure there is something cool to use it with but i've yet to discover it myself.
March 20, 2013 2:47 p.m.
Diddykong2397 says... #10
@mahlonn good point. Any opinion on, Wistful Thinking, Merfolk Mesmerist, Vedalken Entrancer, Codex Shredder, Grindclock, Trepanation Blade, or Mind Funeral?
March 20, 2013 2:59 p.m.
The reason I didn't include Mind Sculpt and Paranoid Delusions was because you didn't have any threats on turn two. You needed more creatures and/or removal. Mind Sculpt on turn two doesn't do much, other than inconvenience your opponent. It doesn't impact the game until close to the end when you're about to mill them for game, or when you have Consuming Aberration out. The issue is you have to get there first.
As far as the other cards you listed, they're either too expensive for what they do, get outclassed by other cards with the same mana cost (Dispel is stronger than Codex Shredder, for example), or they aren't standard legal.
Lastly, a sideboard is exactly 15 cards (10 cards in EDH). You can't have more and you can't have less. Right now, your deck listed in your profile has 23.
March 20, 2013 6:29 p.m.
Diddykong2397 says... #12
@sylvannos I see your point, and as for the side board I'm not done with it right now. I appreciate what you did for me in making the deck, but I'd still like to add some of my own touches to it. I will reduce the amount of cards in my sideboard to 15 in due time. I feel like for me to get better at making a deck, I need to do some things on my own and go through some trial and error.
March 20, 2013 6:48 p.m.
Diddykong2397 says... #13
@sylvannos Wouldn't Mind Sculpt be helpful in building the power and toughness of my Consuming Aberration?
March 20, 2013 7:13 p.m.
@Diddykong2397: Definitely! You won't get better if you don't try things out for yourself.
As far as Mind Sculpt with Consuming Aberration, yes, Mind Sculpt will make him HUGE. The only thing you have to ask is whether it's helping you or just acting as a "win more" card. Compare it to a removal spell, like Ultimate Price or another creature. You know have more control of the board and aren't being overrun by your opponent's threats.
March 20, 2013 7:34 p.m.
Diddykong2397 says... #15
@sylvannos I see what you mean. Could you take a look at what I have now and tell me what you would take out, and what you would replace it with, if anything? I'd be very grateful.
March 20, 2013 7:59 p.m.
I think it's looking good so far for what cards you have available. You'll want to get more cards for your deck, particularly more copies of what you have. Duskmantle Guildmage, Jace's Phantasm, and Mind Grind would be good candidates.
Are you on a budget and if so, how much?
March 20, 2013 10:09 p.m.
Diddykong2397 says... #17
@sylvannos well I don't want to spend too much, which is why I kinda just buy the cards I need. I'm saving up for Jace, Memory Adept or anything else I need. I would think 2 more Psychic Strike's and more cancel cards like the sort. Or maybe more cards that keep creatures off the field? But for now, just assume I don't have a budget.
March 20, 2013 10:25 p.m.
I noticed you have some Fog Bank I really like to use them. If you get them out early, they just suck up the damage that your opponents creatures would throw at you, and let you stall while you mill.
March 20, 2013 10:28 p.m.
Diddykong2397 says... #19
@willsm87 Yup I really wanted some of them, so I bought 2, which was all that particular site had in stock. It should come in the mail pretty soon.
March 20, 2013 10:31 p.m.
@Diddykong2397: In that case, yeah I'd suggest getting Duskmantle Guildmage and Jace's Phantasm so that you have four of each in your deck.
Syncopate, Dimir Charm, Augur of Bolas, Dimir Guildgate, Ultimate Price, Duress, Appetite for Brains, and Victim of Night are all cheap cards under 75 cents that would really improve your deck and help you make a stronger sideboard.
Nephalia Drownyard, Sever the Bloodline, and Runechanter's Pike all hover around $1 each. They're cheap additions for your deck that can work wonders. You'd only need one or two of each.
March 20, 2013 10:35 p.m.
hey Diddykong2397 just checked out the deck, looks like its coming along nicely, ive got a few suggestions do with them what you will haha.try and work these in if you can Invisible Stalker this guy is GREAT with the Paranoid Delusions ciphered to him. Essence Harvest gives you a possible win combined with a big enough Consuming Aberration def agree with sylvannos on more duskmantles (id suggest 1) and the phantasm(maybe 2 more of those?) im not too sure on the extra grind though, i think even 3 is too many personally. You could drop one and put maybe another creature or maybe another Thought Scour you'll probably want to have some card draw in this deck and thats a start. Sign in Blood is pretty good for draw and i think with those fog walls in play the 2 life cost wont be an issue for you.
March 20, 2013 10:41 p.m.
Just for laughs you could throw in a few Gift of Orzhova and put it on a huge Consuming Aberration flying and lifelink look good on it...
March 20, 2013 10:44 p.m.
Diddykong2397 says... #23
@sylvannos, mahlonn I actually already have 1 Augur of Bolas I just didn't realize how valuable he was. Instead of Ultimate Price could I just add 2 more Murders or maybe 2 more Grisly Spectacles? Also, I already have too many cards, so with all these new additions, what should I take out? I have trouble weighing how valuable a card is to a deck.
March 20, 2013 10:59 p.m.
Diddykong2397 says... #24
@willsm87 Haha I like that idea. But it would require some tweaking with the land...but that would be an amazing way to add insult to injury.
March 20, 2013 11:01 p.m.
Diddykong2397 says... #25
@willsm87 Wait I didn't see it was black or white. Hell yes! I'm gonna buy a couple of those just to have around lol.
March 20, 2013 11:02 p.m.
Diddykong2397 the problem with murder and grisly is that they are expensive compared to other cards that do the same like Victim of Night and Ultimate Price as far as what to take out, what do you want to be your primary focus is it the mill? Or maybe board control? or is it all to get out a big ugly aberration and dominate? figure that out and itll be much easier to decide what to pull.
March 20, 2013 11:10 p.m.
Diddykong2397 says... #27
@mahlonn Hmm...I think it would be to control the board until I can get my aberration out there, but I would need to mill to get him nice and big right? Plus, counter's and such to help keep him alive, so he doesn't just get killed by an instant or a creature that kills anything it touches. And then I guess if my aberration fails, the milling would be my backup.
March 20, 2013 11:15 p.m.
The thing is, you want Consuming Aberration to be a 5/5 when he comes out (you want him to be just as strong as his mana cost). Grisly Spectacle will ensure he's a 4/4, so it's playable in your deck. The issue with Murder however, is the double black mana needed. It would be fine if you were just playing one color, but since you're playing two, it's harder to get. Compare that to Ultimate Price, which costs one black less or Victim of Night, which costs one less but does practically the same thing.
What's worth pointing out, though, is your opponent will probably have more than five cards in their graveyard by the time you cast Consuming Aberration. The real important thing is making sure you have a spell to follow up with the turn after you cast him.
I also forgot to mention Think Twice. You can flash it back, triggering Consuming Aberration's ability twice. I think it'd fit nicely in your deck.
March 21, 2013 12:02 a.m.
Diddykong2397 says... #29
@sylvannos I get what your saying, but right now the cards that are listed in my deck are all I have. To me, I feel like this deck would be very strong against a creature based deck. But kinda crappy against something using a lot of instants or sorcery's.
March 21, 2013 9:51 p.m.
Yeah I think your deck is in a good spot to start playing and not have them curb stomp you. You'll probably do well considering Standard is almost nothing but aggro at the moment. Are you planning on going to Friday Night Magic to test it out?
March 22, 2013 midnight
Diddykong2397 says... #31
@sylvannos That's the thing. I live in a small town and don't have a Friday Night Magic to go to. I have 3 friends that play, and I'm looking for more.
March 22, 2013 12:40 a.m.
Ah okay. You'll probably do well against them since you can tailor your deck easier and don't have to worry about six or seven decks at FNM.
March 22, 2013 6:48 a.m.
Diddykong2397 says... #33
@sylvannos Yeah. Oh hey, I have 4 Psychic Barriers. Would they have any place in this deck?
March 22, 2013 12:05 p.m.
The double blue is a bit harsh when you can just run Counterspell . I think if you want to hit creatures, you're better off with Essence Scatter .
euknemarchon says... #2
It might be a more productive start if you picked nine individual cards listed above and made a 60-card list with 4 copies of each of those and 24 lands. That would give a much better start to any ideas readers put out there.
March 18, 2013 10:01 p.m.