Legend of THE Deck
General forum
Posted on Sept. 14, 2017, 12:12 a.m. by NapoleonBonaparte
Im curious how many of you believe that you've found THE deck for you. I want to know how you've found it and why you believe it's perfect for you. Personally I don't believe there is a perfect deck for me. I've been searching modern for years and have played 10-15 archetypes and cant find THE ONE. It's slightly frustrating and very costly $ constantly switching decks because i get bored.
Do you believe everyone has a perfect deck for them? If so, how can people find it?
List of modern decks I've played for reference:
Grixis Shadow
G/X Tron
Merfolk
Soul Sisters
Martyr Proc
Naya and Boros Burn
Elves
Affinity
BTL Scapeshift
Skred Red/Free Win Red
4 Varients of Kiki Chord
Bant Eldrazi
Faeries
U/R Storm
Ad Nauseam
BW Eldrazi
Dredge
Bogles
Maybe a few more im forgetting
SoggyGecko says... #3
Yeah, I have the same thing. I usually get bored of one, then move onto another. But I did find a way to bypass it though, with what I have dubbed "the toolbox". Basically, it has several cards for one play style, so I can add a new win-con, or have a more all-in style. For me, I play Goblins, with the ability to play Gobots, Traditional, and straight 8-Whack, and I also play Blue Moon, with pieces for a couple alternate win-cons (Cryptic Serpent, planeswalkers, Torrential Gearhulk), and the ability to switch to UR Delver (more of a pet deck, but still hella fun).
That's my way of bypassing the whole getting bored of a deck, as it gives me a way to play something different on how I feel. Just an idea.
September 14, 2017 3:26 a.m.
Winterblast says... #4
For me it's always Stax because my natural reaction to an opponent's threat is "how could I prevent that from happening in the first place?". Keeping bad stuff from happening is the most comfortable play style for me.
I do like to play other archetypes as well, but eventually I find myself using Stax elements like Tangle Wire in aggro decks too. I just instinctively want to shut down any possible reactions, no matter how I plan on winning.
September 14, 2017 3:52 a.m.
Long story, and I apologize in advance...
Initially, I thought I was merely a tribal player when I built my 2nd deck in magic - Mono tribal Wizards. I started around Apocalypse, but didn't really get into the full swing of things until Onslaught. I was in love with , specifically the Counterspell spell. The ability to just tell people "no" felt so good. With some help from my friends I built this awful Wizards tribal deck that ran on Prodigal Sorcerer + Curiosity + Mind Over Matter. My friend traded me a Force of Will for some Fetchlands.
Then Legions came out...and I saw them for the first time - Slivers. My true form, and tribe. Their look, their presence, everything about them were simply overwhelming. I just couldn't really process them to be honest. I didn't have the best understanding of all the rules then, so...when I saw Root Sliver I was just dumbfounded. Years later around Futuresight I just started collecting Slivers feverishly. I had traded for multiple Sliver Queens (my favorite card) and all the other one clawed critters I could get my hands on and I built my one TRUE deck. The deck that represents me on the battlefield.
My wife, my true Queen even contributed...and bought me a custom hand made deckbox that resembles a Sliver Queen's Egg. If we're going by magic lore, and we as players are all Planeswalkers...then I am definitely a Legendary Sliver.
How do you find the right deck for you? Well...you just have to see someone else play it. You have to get an idea of the mechanics, the form, the function. It may enthrall you, hold your curiosity...but what's most important is you seeing yourself playing this for a long time. Finding little ways to tweak and experiment with it. Making it better...making it more and more unique to you. So long as you have the desire to make it better, it'll be your deck.
September 14, 2017 8:35 a.m. Edited.
Hey there, I see you have definitely tried out a lot of differing playstyles that's for sure. Let me apologize in advance for the length of what I have had to say, but all of which I feel helps to give some background to the deck choices I now play.
Anyways here's a bit of background about my experience with magic. I first had started playing at around Theros, although I knew nothing of modern, or even standard at this time and just played this casual deck featuring Prophet of Kruphix, Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx, Heroes' Bane, Plasm Capture, Explosive Vegetation, Roil Elemental, Archetype of Imagination, Horizon Chimera, Chasm Skulker, and some other stuff. I always had difficulty keeping it at 60 cards and at it's highest I think I was playing like 80 or so cards. I eventually opened a Windswept Heath expedition by the time of BFZ and proceeded to sell it when I learned of it's value a few weeks later. With the credit and some cash I bought things like a Kozilek, Butcher of Truth because I started to become very interested in the eldrazi tribe, then stuff like Omnath, locust of mana, Spawnsire of Ulamog, Jin-Gitaxias, Core Augur, and all of the other praetors minus Urabrask.
Next I then got into playing commander, and my then first actual constructed deck was one led by Vorel of the Hull Clade and which was largely at first built from my existing casual simic deck. Then into playing standard at around late BFZ / a few months away from OGW releasing with essentially an upgraded into deck around eldrazi. Then by around SOI I began playing my first 'competitive' standard deck in contrast to the eldrazi with vampires which were somewhat hyped early on. I also began playing modern around this time too, and at first with this eldrazi deck. I now look back at how horrible that deck was lol, it played basic lands, Jungle Hollows, 1 Eldrazi Temple, and a couple Shrine of the Forsaken Gods alongside things like Bane of Bala Ged, Blisterpod, and even my 1x Kozilek, Butcher of Truth. My first match ever of modern I obviously got wrecked and it was by storm, here I was playing Blisterpod and the like while my opponent was casting Gitaxian Probe after Gitaxian Probe, Serum Visions, Pyretic Ritual etc and my awful, clunky deck never got to do anything.
Later I just borrowed decks from others at my town's still fairly new lgs and I started with mono green stompy and then infect which I absolutely loved. I started to build the deck myself during Eldritch Moon largely from trades from the same guy who let me play the deck to start with, who had extra cards for the deck. I however sadly stopped building it at around kaladesh/aether revolt after the banning of Gitaxian Probe and the printing of fatal push. More recently noble hierarchs have had increased a fair bit in prices and that was another reason. Being a student I didn't want to sink too much money into modern at first either. Later on, much closer to the present I finally began to build a tron deck for modern to take the place of my unfinished infect. I had already been thinking of building such a deck much earlier at around the same time as I originally was thinking about infect, but I decided against it and chose the infect.
I now went with the more cheaper mono version of the deck and through almost 100% by trading I managed to put together the deck to play about a month before Amonkhet released.
In summary here, I took a liking early on in magic to casting large spells as seen by my playing of eldrazi, ramping, and then as well as generating lots of mana overall. That is why I now see that tron and any of it's variants are among my favorite type of deck to play. From also playing with the praetors and a couple other cards long ago, I had also taken a liking to the Mirrodin block and the infect mechanic even though I never got the chance to play at that time. At some point, I plan to finish the deck even though it isn't what it use to be, but that's alright as I like the playstyle it offers and a bit more of a challenge might keep things interesting. Mainly got to buy the Noble Hierarchs, then some more of the lands like Pendelhaven, Breeding Pools, and 3 more of the 8 average green fetches it wants to have, but then it was done.
Although I didn't mention it before, but from Kaladesh up until now I have been playing a delirium deck, and more recently an energy variant due to rotation nearing and I also loved the graveyard interaction and strategies. Emrakul, the Promised End, Ishkanah, Grafwidow, Liliana, the Last Hope, Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet, Grim Flayer, alongside Traverse the Ulvenwald was a blast to play. While not being maybe top tier, I have been keeping in mind porting something like this deck over to modern despite unfortunately selling off my lilianas and flayers and making a sultai () delirium deck in modern. Tarmogoyf, Jace, Vryn's Prodigy, Mishra's Bauble, Thoughtseize among others could be added. Abzan midrange has also been in my mind to try. I would like to find a home for one of my all time favorite cards since I started back in Theros, and that is Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet in modern maybe.
Furthermore, just like eldrazi, slivers are among my most favorite and beloved creature types in magic, and that is why I now play them in commander, pauper, and someday hopefully standard too! I have been considering now that tron is finished, of buiding something else in modern that is tribal and with the recent iconic masters spoilers revealing a reprint to aether vial, that now is the time to try something like this whether it be slivers, or even merfolk in modern.
Here is a final breakdown of what I like to play and might possibly build .
Current decks:- Mono U Tron (Might later try out eldrazi tron if I acquire chalices and temples)- Infect (Not complete)
Ideas for my future decks (Probably will only choose 1-2)
Affinity
Slivers or Merfolk tribal
Abzan Midrange
U/W Control
Sultai Delirium
On a final note, what I suggest you look into anyways is trying something with planeswalkers perhaps? With the upcoming changes to planeswalkers from Ixalan, this might open up some interesting new ideas. My immediate thoughts on this are playing an orzhov () deck around Gideon of the Trials and other gideons, then even Liliana of the Veil and Liliana, the Last Hope, plus stuff like possibly Slaughter Pact , Collective Brutality, then also tokens from Bitterblossom, and Lingering Souls.
Or what about consider something like Abzan just like I have always been interested in. Here's a sample list: https://www.mtggoldfish.com/archetype/modern-abzan#paper
I will admit the price of something like it had always scared me away from it in the past, even now still kind of after some reprints in mm17, but I definitely have been interested in it.
But anyways what you could try doing if you haven't already been doing so, is proxying cards and even decks to get a feel for them outside of fnm events and what not. I suggest you give something like my above suggestion a try or something from my own interests listed. I hope this was of help to you as well as maybe even remotely interesting or more, I do apologize yet again for the extensiveness of my post!
- Longest tappedout message of mine ever...
September 14, 2017 12:03 p.m.
hwagner I just realized something, maybe you need to invent your own deck. Go out and find a combination of cards that speak to you.
September 14, 2017 12:29 p.m.
NapoleonBonaparte says... #8
I really appreciate all of the replies!! LVL_666 a card that has spoken to me since ive gotten into competitive magic is Scapeshift. Ive played the 4 color version of it and i loved it! But i grew bored of it and moved on. I think i will revisit it because i love the card Scapeshift. Thanks for everyones stories and advice!
September 14, 2017 1:10 p.m.
hwagner well that's the first step. Why not find different ways to use and abuse Scapeshift and develop your own synergy. When I read that card the first thing that came to mind for me anyway was Landfall.
September 14, 2017 1:30 p.m.
Do you want to know what The Deck was for me? It was my first deck, which I have been able to remake, and will tweak for Modern play. There were no Planeswalkers, and cards like Dark Ritual and Hypnotic Specter were great, as were Shivan Dragon and Serra Angel. I built the slickest, meanest hand control deck, featuring the two aforementioned black cards, Hymn to Tourach, and The Rack. Yes, it sounds the ancestor to our modern 8-rack, and I have to say yes I believe it is. I have built myself an updated version of my "dream" deck now, and I will be transferring this over to 8-rack once the other pieces arrive. I like hand disruption, messing with people's thought process.
September 14, 2017 5:17 p.m.
DrukenReaps says... #11
It was hard for me to find the right kind of deck. I've always loved combos but I also like to take my time. A lot of my early decks were interesting but I'd either die or win by turn 6ish depending on the deck. Commander changed this since making something that consistent is difficult. I discovered pillow fort though which is perfect for me. I can draw out a game without stopping other people from having fun and I can take my time putting together a combo. Divine Decree has become my signature deck, it only took me a decade to find it... lol.
September 14, 2017 5:39 p.m.
Shinzer_scrub4life says... #12
I think THE Deck that I found myself coming back to and loving is this little Pia's Revolution deck for Standard. I got into Magic very recently, my very first interaction with Magic was the very last draft my LGS was doing for Aether Revolt, right around the bend of Almond Cat prerelease. After performing decently well in that draft, I looked around for sites online to find a deck idea for the Standard format, as being able to fine tune my own personalized deck was the big appeal of getting into Magic for me (take two guesses which site I found, first one doesn't count).
I stumbled across a U/G Electrostatic Pummeler list that was more combo oriented and less aggro based. With Fling revealed in Amonkhet, I knew I wanted to chuck Pummelers at people. So I took the list, tweaked it to Temur so I could Fling Pummelers, and took it to a few Standard events. I got mostly crushed, although chucking a 48/48 pummeler at people when it worked was pretty satisfying. One highlight however was the match with a Marvelworks deck that ended with me casting a Glorious End during his upkeep that I had sideboarded in. It got the attention of most of the table as the Marvelworks played mulled over to counter it or not. He decided not to, just to see what happens. I think I had a Blossoming Defense and a Pummeler in hand. Untap, Upkeep, draw... a Land (RIP).
Pummel-Fling being a janky inconsistent Combo deck, I was starting to get a little tired of lopsided it was, so I toured this site and found this deck Pia's Recycling Facility! (Budget Combo). The list intrigued me, because I always love synergy and combos in most games, and this deck looked like synergy.dec. I scrabbled together what few cards I had for the deck already (including the FMN promos of Unlicensed Disintegration) and got the rest off of TCGPlayer.
The first couple of games with the Deck during my next standard events were very fun and action packed. One highlight in particular was when the Deck survived 5 turns of a Dragonmaster Outcast by chucking Ornithopter in front the dragons and getting them returned to the hand by Pia's Revolution. I still lost that game, but the mental image of a wall of tiny toy planes holding off a Dragon onslaught amused me.
For some reason or another, I slowly trailed off the deck as I went back to making my own brews (I bounce around decks and Ideas like a yo-yo). When Hour came out, I was insistent on making a U/R prowess with Riddleform work. It kinda did. It was alright, but I was working on another. A Sultai "toolbox" deck with janky win-cons, card draw, counterspells, ramp, and discard. I was trading like a madman for the Blooming Marsh playset needed for the land base.
The one Standard Showdown I took the Sultai toolbox to... it got smoked. Like "it made my Pummeler-fling Deck look tier 1" smoked. I had about 0% fun playing it to, casually chucking a Nissa into a board of the mono-B zombie's nut draw of 24 power on like turn 6. Match 3 I actually got to play Magic, and actually won 2-0, but by that time I was less than lukewarm about the deck. One of only good things to come out of that showdown was the absolutely insane Showdown pack with Nicol Bolas, God-Pharaoh AND a FOIL Chandra, Torch of Defiance
. I remember audibly saying "man, I should lose more often!" after seeing those.
Defeated by how feeble my jank brew was, I went back to the U/R prowess deck that I mentioned in passing, and then September rolled around. With it, the Promo Fatal Push. Which got me thinking... about the Pia's Revolution deck I had so much fun with. About 3-4 days ago, I looked at my version of the list, looked at some of the spoilers in Ixalan, especially the reprint of Lightning Strike and Duress. I edited the list to include more removal mainboard and heavily modified my version of the deck's sideboard (the weakest aspect), then took it to FMN.
In my game 2 against B/W zombies during that FMN, I made alot of interesting decisions with Ravenous Intruder and ultimately ended that game in a spectacular fashion with 1 life left by dealing enough combat damage to get my opponent to 1, eating my Scrap Trawler post combat, and playing the Ornithopter retrieved by Trawler dying with Reckless Fireweaver on the field, pinging for the last point. Death by Ornithopter. My maindeck removal came in clutch and basically sealed the opponent out of the game in game 3.
I think I realized then that just because I didn't make the deck, doesn't mean I can't make it my own. This Pia's Revolution deck always feels like it's a close game, with both players making interesting decisions. I don't even mind losing when I play this deck, because even when I do, it feels like I played a game of Magic and that I was only one or two critical cards away from victory. The deck is also practically untouched in the coming rotation, and is even getting new toys like the aforementioned reprints. Whew... well anyone who read this wall of text, grats to making it this far. Nothing much else left to say except that a deck that makes Ornithopter a threat is a deck that I enjoy, apparently.
September 17, 2017 1:51 p.m.
LiKWiDCAKE says... #13
For me, I tried a bunch of different Modern decks, including Burn, Infect, Twin, Amulet Bloom, Abzan, and Scapeshift before discovering the joy of Living End. Now going back to other decks, even in really good games, I sometimes think to myself, "Wow, that was almost as fun as playing Living End!"
September 18, 2017 7:49 p.m.
NapoleonBonaparte says... #14
yeaGO I believe Anilhoverboard is spamming. Don't follow the link he/she provided in the previous comment
Dabean27 says... #2
I fell in love with my first modern deck and I will play it as long as modern is a thing and for me the deck is infect. I love everything about the deck I love how fast it is I love the challenge the deck provides and I love the fear factor of slamming down a T1 glistened elf
September 14, 2017 1:08 a.m.