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Introduction:
Whelp, it's Thanksgiving season here, and whether or not you celebrate the holiday, it doesn't ever hurt to stop and ask yourself what you can be thankful for. Loving family, food on the table, significant other, whatever you list consists of, I'm sure it's got all the most important pleasantries life has to offer. Of course, this includes Magic: The Gathering!
Decks:
Deck Name: Nivmagus Aggro
Deck Type: Aggro
Cost: $175
I figure that a good way to write about this month's decks is to talk about what I am thankful for, and how that relates to each deck. For Nivmagus Aggro, I am thankful that the Storm mechanic works exactly how I want it to when I combine it with Nivmagus Elemental. I am also thankful that such a combo can be combined with Young Pyromancer and other powerful cards to make an awesome aggro deck on the cheap!
| DeckMagic OnlineOCTGN2ApprenticeBuy These Cards | |
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Creatures [14] 4 Delver of Secrets 2 Kiln Fiend 4 Nivmagus Elemental 4 Young Pyromancer Spells [28] 4 Chain Lightning 4 Flusterstorm 4 Gitaxian Probe 4 Lightning Bolt 4 Ponder 4 Preordain 4 Spell Pierce | Lands [18] 8 Island 2 Mountain 4 Shivan Reef 4 Sulfur Falls |
Key Interactions-
Nivmagus Elemental + Flusterstorm
The namesake strength of this deck is the Nivmagus Elemental + Flusterstorm combo, which can create a huge creature for minimal investment thanks to storm. The Elemental doesn't need storm cards to get big though. If you have any spare spells, feel free to cast them and eat them. It's as simple as that. Even better, if you cast a powerful spell and it happens to get countered, eat it before the counter spell resolves. You are going to lose it anyways, may as well turn it into a permanent pump!
Nivmagus in that not the only creature worthy of praise here. Delver of Secrets is the bad guy of the whole format, and with good reason. Wild Nacatl made waves in the format when he was first printed. I'm not sure what Wizards was thinking when they decided to make him even better by giving him flying and making him blue. I'm also not one to argue though. Delver fits well into the list, and with eight draw manipulation cantrips, and a total of 28 spells, you will rarely have trouble making him flip.
Backing up all of your hyper aggressive creatures is a set of equally aggressive spells. Lightning Bolt and its little brother Chain Lightning keep small blockers away from your front line soldiers, or put in that little extra damage to the dome needed to finish the game. Gitaxian Probe acts as food for Kiln Fiend, Nivmagus and Young Pyromancer, while also just digging deeper into your deck and giving you information as far as what cards your opponent is holding. Finally, Spell Pierce works alongside Flusterstorm to protect your guys and you from anything too nasty.
Sideboard Suggestions-
Combo decks are pretty easy for you to handle. The great clock combined with one of the most powerful anti-combo counter spells ever printed means they are going to have a rough day. Additional counter magic in the board always helps too. I like Red Elemental Blast and its cousin Pyroblast. Mindbreak Trap is another option. Also, don't forget about graveyard hate. Tormod's Crypt is nice, but Surgical Extraction has some good synergy with most of your creature base.
Aggro decks are a little tougher for you, since your main form of removal can only really answer the smaller creatures. Your choices are to race them, counter the big threats, or bring in removal spells like Dismember. Flame Slash provides a little extra damage, but may not be good enough in the matchups where you really need something dead. If you do feel that racing is your only option, Ground Rift can work wonders for you. Stopping their blocks is one thing, but having an additional set of storm cards to feed your Elemental is another. Either way, good things happen for you.
The aforementioned color blast cards can work wonders for you against control, as can Surgical Extraction. Clout of the Dominus is also amazing here. Giving your Delver +1/+1 and shroud is great. Giving your Nivmagus +2/+2, shroud and haste is even greater, especially considering it's all for just one measly mana. Aside from this, you're looking at just trying to overwhelm them before they can get a firm footing, something that shouldn't be too problematic.
Deck Name: Mud Tron
Deck Type: Aggro
Cost: $200
As many of you are aware of, another thing I am thankful for is very big creatures. Many of the decks I have written about and played have had this in mind. I have cheated in 15/15 Wurms, reanimated 7/7 Demons, and hard cast 12/12 annihilators, all to the dismay of my opponents. The fact that the creatures in this next deck happen to also be giant robots is just a bonus, one that I think we can all agree makes them at least 10 times cooler (who didn't like Transformers and Gundam as a kid?). As we have seen recently (thanks to Wayne Polimine), some prefer to build their giant robots with 12-post lands. While these are just a little too expensive for us, we do have an alternative. This alternative is still extremely powerful (in some ways more so than 12-post), and was literally built to make giant robots happen. I'm talking of course, about the Urza Tron lands.
Key Interactions-
Urza's Mine + Urza's Power Plant + Urza's Tower
Blightsteel Colossus + Kuldotha Forgemaster
Kuldotha Forgemaster + Wurmcoil Engine or Myr Battlesphere
Metalworker + Staff of Domination
As I am sure you noticed, there is not a single color card in this entire list. This means, among other things, that you will never have color problems when you play, which is just a small bonus that can give you an edge against other opponents without even trying. Many 12 post and Urza Tron lists can run into color issues when trying to cast their big spells because their major mana sources only produce colorless mana. Not so here. The deck is capable of using all of the huge amounts of colorless mana it produces to cast any robot you see fit. Heck, you don't even need to stay limited to robots. I have seen similar Forgemaster lists that also ran Eldrazi creatures like Artisan of Kozilek, and I would not blame you for running the alien in your list.
Speaking of Metalworker, he's your other main mana man. Sol lands like Ancient Tomb, and other fast mana like Lotus Petal will allow you to get him into play as early as possible. From there, if he is able to lose summoning sickness you can be sure your opponent will be sweating in their seat. I have seen this deck in action many, many times. A Metalworker surviving to your next upkeep spells doom for your opponent very often. The typical robot to cast with him is Kuldotha Forgemaster, who will then grab whatever fatty you think you may need, including the uber robot Blightsteel Colossus. Turn two and three kills are indeed very possible with this deck, and Blightsteel Colossus arriving directly after visiting the foot locker (sporting his new Lightning Greaves) is how they happen. Believe me, I've been on the receiving end of such a play multiple times. Another instant win I have both seen and been subjected to is the combination of Staff of Domination with Metalworker. Whether you cast it from your hand, or find it with your Forgemaster, it doesn't really matter. Should you have both in play, and at least three artifacts in your hand, you go infinite. As much mana, life, and card draw as you could ever want is the result, along with the tear soaked card sleeves of whoever you are wiping the floor with.
Sideboard Suggestions-
Combo decks fall hard to cards like Chalice of the Void, so if you decide not to play it in the main deck, at least play it in the board. Trinisphere is Chalice's partner in crime, and works well too. Phyrexian Revoker can be used against mana rocks, Tormod's Crypt is fine for graveyard combo, and Thorn of Amethyst hoses storm. I would also suggest Platinum Angel, which can come as a great surprise for players who are just not ready for it.
All is Dust is great against aggro if you can afford it, but should it be a little too pricey you can always go the way of Ratchet Bomb or Powder Keg. Batterskull and its lifelink is really nice to have against those hyper aggressive aggro decks. All in all though, aggro should not be too much of a problem, as your robots are bigger than anything they are going to throw at you.
Control is actually not that bad of a matchup thanks to the inevitability that all your mana brings. Spine of Ish Sah can handle planeswalkers if you need it to. Revoker can handle some things, and your main deck Buried Ruin brings back anything that gets countered. Defense Grid is probably your best bet against counter spell heavy decks though. Either they waste a counter spell on it, or they never counter another robot again.
Deck Name: Titan Ramp
Deck Type: Ramp/Aggro
Cost: $250
You know what we should all be thankful for? Zeus, Hades, and Poseidon coming together despite their differences and defeating the titans in an epic battle. Thanks to them, we don't have to dodge giant feet when we drive to work in the morning.
Key Interactions-
Veteran Explorer + Cabal Therapy or Phyrexian Tower or Diabolic Intent
Thespian's Stage + Dark Depths
Dark Depths + Into the North or Primeval Titan
First things first though. How do we get Veteran Explorer killed? Well, like I said earlier, you can't get much better than Cabal Therapy. Being able to cast what is potentially the most back-breaking one CMC discard spell in the game twice in the same turn, while also grabbing two extra lands, is absurd. Phyrexian Tower eat up Explorer for a nice four mana boost. The double black can be awkward at times, but an uncounterable sacrifice outlet that gives double mana as a result is nothing to complain about. Finally, Diabolic Intent is a super sweet tech that forces a grin every time you cast it. When you sacrifice Explorer, you essentially cast a free Demonic Tutor. If that's not cool then I must not know the definition of the word.
Explorer is not your only way to ramp up your mana. Sakura-Tribe Elder makes a great blocker, and his ability pops lands into play, so you don't have to worry about being limited to single land drops a turn. Into the North works more or less in the same way, only in spell form. The more observant of you may have also noticed that one extra little juicy target available to you. We'll have more on that later though.
By far the most powerful and game ending of your fatties, though, is Primeval Titan. Sure, Grave Titan brings 2/2 Zombies with him, and the Baloths bring 4/4's. This guy tops them both. If you want token creatures, you can't do much better than a 20/20 flying and indestructible Cthulhu. Casting this titan means you can grab any two lands. Dark Depths + Thespian's Stage are your main choices, and they usually mean your opponent has roughly two turns to live. The combo gives you a game ending double threat. Either they try and answer the 20/20 token, or they try and answer the 6/6 titan. Rarely will they have a way to survive both.
Sideboard Suggestions-
Playing black means you have some pretty decent combo hate at your disposal. Playing additional discard like Duress or Inqusition of Kozilek should give you some pretty good game against most combo decks. Surgical Extraction is some great on color graveyard hate that can also randomly steal games against other strategies. You also have the option to play some green silver bullets thanks to your Green Sun's Zenith.
Aggro can be hosed by playing sweet cards like Engineered Plague, Perish, and similar cards. Other black removal spells like Smother and Innocent Blood can also be of use. Creatures with life gain abilities like Thragtusk and Obstinate Baloth can help, and Silklash Spider laughs in the face of both Delver and Baleful Strix. Again, many of your creatures are just plain bigger than what most creature decks will throw at you though, so you should be okay here.
Similar to Mud Tron, control decks will have a rough time with you thanks to your inevitability. A little something here or there could never hurt though. Carpet of Flowers is cute, and can ramp titans out faster than control decks can stabilize. More discard can help too, as counterspells normally don't work when they are not in your opponent's hand. Savage Summoning could be potential a blowout, but I have not tested it yet. Golgari Charm can kill True-Name Nemesis while also hitting other random strategies. Choke is the traditional go-to blue hate card that shouldn't be too hard to get a hold of. Finally, if you are really afraid of things like Batterskull[/CARD], there is always Krosan Grip.
Conclusion:
So, were you able to think of anything more you are thankful for? I know at least one other thing to add to the list: YOU GUYS! I am thankful that you guys are as supportive as you are, and I am thankful I have any readers to begin with. Thanks for reading my articles, I'll see you all soon for the last article of the year!
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