INTRODUCTION
A casual theme-deck devoted to playing, fighting, and - hopefully - winning like Goku or one of his other super-strong friends. Looking at it from a strictly M:tG point of view, the deck is a spellslinger build with a heavy focus on mana, card draw, and combat. You'll probably like playing this deck if you:
Like drawing cards
Like swinging with creatures
Like the concept of spellslinging in general
Like Dragon Ball
Play in a more casual environment or want something to play in such an environment
Don't mind playing a deck that isn't 100% optimal
If you don't fall into one of those categories, you probably won't like this deck that much. If you're still here, then let's take a look at the actual list itself and then break it down from there.
GOKU
Shu Yun is our Commander and proxy for Goku and works quite well in the role. Even the color identity he grants us is an excellent representation of Goku: Red is for his Saiyan heritage and Warrior spirit, White for his role as a protector of others, and Blue for his constant quest for the growth and improvement of his skills. Prowess as a mechanic is reflective of how fights typically go in the series, building up strength for a decisive attack (or, as those most familiar with the anime might think, spending twenty-minutes screaming before throwing a punch), and the ability to grant Double strike is then reflective of one of the character's most iconic abilities: the Super Saiyan transformation.
PLACES & PLANETS
I've always been under the impression that playing lands in the game was to represent the Wizard's journey, which is exactly how I envision the use of lands here. Other than that, there's not much to say, we use lands for mana, we use mana to play spells, we play spells to win.
FRIENDS & FAMILY
With some brief exceptions, most battles in Dragon Ball are essentially Goku doing all the heavy lifting with his allies providing support. Some may step into the spotlight for a time, some of them even rival Goku in strength, but ultimately he is always the best bet. So, this deck runs on much the same principle; our Commander is often going to be the best tool for winning but he needs some friends to help him along the way.
CAPSULES
Another hallmark of the series were capsules, magic technology that allowed you to store all kinds of different items in tiny, handheld packages. In our case, capsules are mana rocks, large amounts of extra resources packed into small packages.
GATHERING KI
Most of the screaming while powering up in the anime was filler to kill screentime, but occassionally there were attacks so strong they actually required time to gather all the necessary strength, my personal favorite being Goku's Spirit Bomb. Thus, we have cards that allow us to ask the land for as much ki as it can give to fuel our defense of it.
TRAINING GARMENTS
Special clothing to help us train and make us more effective. Goku used things like weighted boots (though enigmatically, we put them on rather than take them off to increase our speed) and the Buu saga introduced the Z Sword, an implement key to gaining greater power.
DRAGON BALLS
Rather than focus on the actual physical form of the balls, I instead decided to focus on the number 7. So, seven draw sevens! This deck is built on playing spells so functionally this works for us very well as our hand will be constantly looking for fuel, while thematically a wish from the Dragon was typically used to return someone to life or undo great destruction, a similar goal to refilling our hand.
WARRIOR'S INSTINCTS & RIGOROUS TRAINING
Primarily cheap, instant speed cantrips so we can boost Prowess as a combat trick and keep going as well as keeping our card quality high. Thematically it shows how honed Goku's abilities and speed are and his supreme ability in a fight.
Goku has had a number of masters he has learned under over the course of his journey, from Roshi to the Gods, and the best way to represent that training is with tutors. In particular, Gamble is probably the most Dragon Ball of them all, taking big chances for big rewards or just possible doom.
CUNNING STRIKES, DECISIVE ATTACKS, & A FURIOUS STORM OF BLOWS
Despite the later series amping up the beam spam, Goku is and always will be a martial artist. Thus, we need melee attacks. We have your more conventional strikes thrown during a fight in the form of select pump spells, moments where you land key attacks and gain the initiative with our multiple combat steps, and those times when anger just takes over and you land EVERYTHING on your opponent in the form of one of our X Spells, Epic Experiment
KI BLASTS, SWIFT COUNTERATTACKS & KAMEHAMEHA WAVE
A few generic blasts to be tossed about with good utility, and the most iconic attack of the series, the Kamehameha Wave in the form of Comet Storm, our other X Spell. We've also got some good emergency spells to keep on hand, you never know when an opponent is going to come on strong and we have to rely on our years of training to react in the just the right way.
BATTLE BRILLIANCE
Though he might be fairly naive and somewhat dumb, Goku is renowned and feared for his fighting abilities, able to adapt in mid-combat to better defeat his opponents, and tendency to always come back twice as strong it seems. Thus, we represent this supreme skill with spells that offer multiple uses or allow us to double the strength of our spells.
SENZU BEANS
Another series hallmark, the magical beans that when eaten, bestow the effects of ten days food and rest. Here we represent this very helpful feature with cards that allow us to recover spent spells in our yard and further their value.
HOW DOES THIS DECK PLAY
For the most part, this is a Voltron deck. Goku is going to be your main mode of winning typically by getting him out early and swinging. If not, using one of your other creatures, or burning the table down with Comet Storm is always an option. Really though, this deck is mostly devoted to combat and emerging as the strongest through it.
A good opening hand is typically going to have three lands, at least one piece of early ramp, and at least one draw or cantrip that can be cast by turn two, with the other spots being flexible. Because we want to start swinging early, I wouldn't be afraid to be a little more aggressive with your mulligans (depending on the type being used for play) to try and get something that puts Goku out turn two and has him swinging pumped on turn three.
Since this deck is built for more casual play its answers for specific situations (ie, wraths, counterspells, removal, etc) are limited, but this is also a deck you don't mind losing with as its a lot of fun to play. Hope you enjoy! Happy playing.
Updated the list quite a bit, playing a lot more smoothly and is an absolute riot to pilot. I also updated the actual post and deck listing itself, explaining the reason for certain card and build choices, or how cards fit within the theme of the deck. As always, a continued work in progress but so much fun to play. Enjoy!
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A casual theme-deck devoted to playing, fighting, and - hopefully - winning like Goku or one of his other super-strong friends. Looking at it from a strictly M:tG point of view, the deck is a spellslinger build with a heavy focus on mana, card draw, and combat. You'll probably like playing this deck if you:
1 Shu Yun, the silent Tempest
PLACES & PLANETS
4 Mountain
2 Island
1 Plains
1 Ancient Tomb
1 City of Brass
1 Command Tower
1 Mana Confluence
1 Tarnished Citadel
1 Arid Mesa
1 Bloodstained Mire
1 Flooded Strand
1 Marsh Flats
1 Misty Rainforest
1 Polluted Delta
1 Scalding Tarn
1 Windswept Heath
1 Wooded Foothills
1 Volcanic Island
1 Steam Vents
1 Cascade Bluffs
1 Shivan Reef
1 Sulfur Falls
1 Highland Lake
1 Izzet Guildgate
1 Swiftwater Cliffs
1 Temple of Epiphany
1 Wandering Fumarole
1 Plateau
1 Sacred Foundry
1 Tundra
1 Hallowed Fountain
1 Soulfire Grandmaster
1 Charmbreaker Devils
1 Narset, Enlightened Master
1 Djinn Illuminatus
CAPSULES
1 Chrome Mox
1 Everflowing Chalice
1 Mana Crypt
1 Mox Diamond
1 Mox Opal
1 Sol Ring
1 Mind Stone
1 Talisman of Progress
1 Chromatic Lantern
1 Thran Dynamo
1 Gilded Lotus
GATHERING KI
1 Turnabout
1 Mana Geyser
1 Mana Flare
TRAINING GARMENTS
1 Swiftfoot Boots
1 Sword of Feast and Famine
DRAGON BALLS
1 Wheel of Fate
1 Timetwister
1 Wheel of Fortune
1 Memory Jar
1 Reforge the Soul
1 Time Reversal
1 Time Spiral
WARRIOR'S INSTINCTS
1 Brainstorm
1 Leap
1 Quicken
1 Visions of Beyond
1 Ancestral Vision
1 Gitaxian Probe
1 Ponder
1 Anticipate
1 Impulse
1 Think Twice
1 Rhystic Study
1 Enlightened Tutor
1 Mystical Tutor
1 Gamble
1 Intuition
CUNNING STRIKES
1 Leap of Flame
1 Swift Kick
1 Distortion Strike
1 Reckless Charge
1 Haze of Rage
DECISIVE ATTACKS
1 Savage Beating
1 Seize the Day
1 Waves of Aggression
A FURIOUS STORM OF BLOWS
1 Epic Experiment
KI BLASTS
1 Lightning Bolt
1 Flame Jab
KAMEHAMEHA WAVE
1 Comet Storm
SWIFT COUNTERATTACKS
1 Cyclonic Rift
1 Increasing Vengeance
1 Chaos Warp
1 Comeuppance
BATTLE BRILLIANCE
1 Boros Charm
1 Mystic Confluence
1 Jeskai Ascendancy
SENZU BEANS
1 Mizzix's Mastery
1 Mystic Retrieval
1 Past in Flames
GOKU
Shu Yun is our Commander and proxy for Goku and works quite well in the role. Even the color identity he grants us is an excellent representation of Goku: Red is for his Saiyan heritage and Warrior spirit, White for his role as a protector of others, and Blue for his constant quest for the growth and improvement of his skills. Prowess as a mechanic is reflective of how fights typically go in the series, building up strength for a decisive attack (or, as those most familiar with the anime might think, spending twenty-minutes screaming before throwing a punch), and the ability to grant Double strike is then reflective of one of the character's most iconic abilities: the Super Saiyan transformation.
PLACES & PLANETS
I've always been under the impression that playing lands in the game was to represent the Wizard's journey, which is exactly how I envision the use of lands here. Other than that, there's not much to say, we use lands for mana, we use mana to play spells, we play spells to win.
FRIENDS & FAMILY
With some brief exceptions, most battles in Dragon Ball are essentially Goku doing all the heavy lifting with his allies providing support. Some may step into the spotlight for a time, some of them even rival Goku in strength, but ultimately he is always the best bet. So, this deck runs on much the same principle; our Commander is often going to be the best tool for winning but he needs some friends to help him along the way.
CAPSULES
Another hallmark of the series were capsules, magic technology that allowed you to store all kinds of different items in tiny, handheld packages. In our case, capsules are mana rocks, large amounts of extra resources packed into small packages.
GATHERING KI
Most of the screaming while powering up in the anime was filler to kill screentime, but occassionally there were attacks so strong they actually required time to gather all the necessary strength, my personal favorite being Goku's Spirit Bomb. Thus, we have cards that allow us to ask the land for as much ki as it can give to fuel our defense of it.
TRAINING GARMENTS
Special clothing to help us train and make us more effective. Goku used things like weighted boots (though enigmatically, we put them on rather than take them off to increase our speed) and the Buu saga introduced the Z Sword, an implement key to gaining greater power.
DRAGON BALLS
Rather than focus on the actual physical form of the balls, I instead decided to focus on the number 7. So, seven draw sevens! This deck is built on playing spells so functionally this works for us very well as our hand will be constantly looking for fuel, while thematically a wish from the Dragon was typically used to return someone to life or undo great destruction, a similar goal to refilling our hand.
WARRIOR'S INSTINCTS & RIGOROUS TRAINING
Primarily cheap, instant speed cantrips so we can boost Prowess as a combat trick and keep going as well as keeping our card quality high. Thematically it shows how honed Goku's abilities and speed are and his supreme ability in a fight.
Goku has had a number of masters he has learned under over the course of his journey, from Roshi to the Gods, and the best way to represent that training is with tutors. In particular, Gamble is probably the most Dragon Ball of them all, taking big chances for big rewards or just possible doom.
CUNNING STRIKES, DECISIVE ATTACKS, & A FURIOUS STORM OF BLOWS
Despite the later series amping up the beam spam, Goku is and always will be a martial artist. Thus, we need melee attacks. We have your more conventional strikes thrown during a fight in the form of select pump spells, moments where you land key attacks and gain the initiative with our multiple combat steps, and those times when anger just takes over and you land EVERYTHING on your opponent in the form of one of our X Spells, Epic Experiment
KI BLASTS, SWIFT COUNTERATTACKS & KAMEHAMEHA WAVE
A few generic blasts to be tossed about with good utility, and the most iconic attack of the series, the Kamehameha Wave in the form of Comet Storm, our other X Spell. We've also got some good emergency spells to keep on hand, you never know when an opponent is going to come on strong and we have to rely on our years of training to react in the just the right way.
BATTLE BRILLIANCE
Though he might be fairly naive and somewhat dumb, Goku is renowned and feared for his fighting abilities, able to adapt in mid-combat to better defeat his opponents, and tendency to always come back twice as strong it seems. Thus, we represent this supreme skill with spells that offer multiple uses or allow us to double the strength of our spells.
SENZU BEANS
Another series hallmark, the magical beans that when eaten, bestow the effects of ten days food and rest. Here we represent this very helpful feature with cards that allow us to recover spent spells in our yard and further their value.
HOW DOES THIS DECK PLAY
For the most part, this is a Voltron deck. Goku is going to be your main mode of winning typically by getting him out early and swinging. If not, using one of your other creatures, or burning the table down with Comet Storm is always an option. Really though, this deck is mostly devoted to combat and emerging as the strongest through it.
A good opening hand is typically going to have three lands, at least one piece of early ramp, and at least one draw or cantrip that can be cast by turn two, with the other spots being flexible. Because we want to start swinging early, I wouldn't be afraid to be a little more aggressive with your mulligans (depending on the type being used for play) to try and get something that puts Goku out turn two and has him swinging pumped on turn three.
Since this deck is built for more casual play its answers for specific situations (ie, wraths, counterspells, removal, etc) are limited, but this is also a deck you don't mind losing with as its a lot of fun to play. Hope you enjoy! Happy playing.