I made an infect/proliferate deck, but I'm a new player and I'm not sure if it's good. I know some infect deck uses green to pump their creatures and go for a fast win but that's not really my type, that's why I made my deck black and blue, it's more slow-paced and it uses proliferation. I play tested it yesterday and something felt not right. I don't know, it feels like I went in every possible direction my deck could have and it doesn't feel consistent, maybe I just play it bad though. I'd like to hear your suggestions and feedbakc to improve it! Here's the deck : http://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/05-10-16-phyrexian-infection/ I would greatly appreciate any help!
You need to run the best of your 1-2 drops, cut out the rest except for hand of the Praetors for a curve topper. Keep innexorable tides and contagion engine. Inrease the number of contagion clasps and distortion strikes as well. Also try to run more proliferate spells like steady progress.
Though as soon as you show you are running infect you are going to get as much hate as draw go and land destruction deck.
Yeah, I would cut out the infect guys that cost a lot of mana. Most importantly you need to get in there quickly with a small infect creature. Then you can proliferate your way to the win. Stuff like Chained Throatseeker is just too slow, too little, too late.
Ichorclaw Myr is probably better than Necropede. It's even more annoying to block. Unlike Necropede, it cannot be killed by a 1/1 or 2/2. And it can trade with stuff as big as 3/3 (or leave a permanent -3/-3 dent in something very big). Necropede can only trade with a 2/2.
I would also increase copies of Distortion Strike, although that card is better when you have the fat creatures like Phyrexian Vatmother than with the weenies (Strike + Vatmother = 2 hit kill).
Livewire Lash is cool, but you could just use Bonesplitter too. The cheaper costs will make a difference a lot.
Contagion Engine is slow to get online (10 mana before it starts doing real work). In a faster deck like this, you're better off cutting them for more Contagion Clasp or something else that proliferates right away like Grim Affliction.
thank you all for your answers. I'd like to explain some of my choices. I took Necropede because I like the -1/-1 when dying, not because it can kill 2/2 that way, but because after his death I would have two opponent's creatures with a -1/-1, then I could proliferate to kill them both. It's also the reason I had Contagion Engine and Serrated Arrows, so I could spread -1/-1 counters and wreck the battlefield with proliferation. Should I add Virulent Wound then? Or any other spells you can think of that spreads -1/-1 counters? As for big creatures, the reason I had them(and Inexorable Tide) is because I expected games to be long enough to cast them. And Inexorable Tide is a great source of poison counter when the opponent has too many creatures on the board. The thing is, I'm scared that these suggestions, while they are good ones, will make my deck faster than I want it to be. I mean if a 5 drop is to high, does that mean that my game should be over by then? Because if that so, it's not really the style of play I had in mind. I wanted to attack every while and then so I could spread -1/-1 and poison counters and then proliferate, will your suggestions help me to have that kind of deck?
It's not that a 5-drop is too high because the game should be over when you hit 5 mana. It's that those 5-drops are just not very good Magic cards. The only decent Infect cards they printed at high mana cost in your colors are Corrupted Conscience and Skithiryx, the Blight Dragon. The ones you have in your deck don't give you that much value compared to the mana you have to invest in them. (Contagion Engine CAN be really strong, but it takes 10 mana to get rolling, so you usually want it in a deck with artifact mana acceleration and/or Planeswalkers so you can really profit. For only Infect and -1/-1 counters, it comes up a bit weak.)
The problem with 5-drops and 6-drops is that when you are investing that much into a single card, you need the card to be really good. Because if you spend 6 mana on a creature and opponent spends 2 mana to Go for the Throat it, then opponent ends up ahead on you. He will still have 4 mana free to dump into activated abilities or cast more creatures the same turn that he trades with your fatty. And those advantages will allow him to build a bigger board presence and get ahead in the game. Remember that just because you are playing a slow control deck doesn't mean the opponent will be playing slow too. You need to be able to keep up with him in case he is putting pressure on your life total or so you have mana to react to his threats too. Paying mana for a really good card is OK, but just paying 6 mana for a common Infect fatty with bad abilities isn't worht it.
So reducing mana cost isn't just about being able to play a fast aggro deck. Even good control decks want to play low-cost stuff if possible. Because you need to be able to interact with both fast decks and slow decks. Slow control decks will still prefer 1-mana Swords to Plowshares over 4-mana Divine Verdict. It's just about being efficient with your resources.
The problem with something like Inexorable Tide is that you have to tap out to play it (5 mana) and it does nothing the turn you play it. You only hope to start proliferating next turn, if you still have spells. So it's a terrible topdeck. And casting it turn 5-6 doesn't help you stabilize against an aggressive deck pressuring your life total. It's only good if the opponent is doing nothing at all and you have time and mana to waste to set some stuff up. If your opponents don't interact much or pressure your life total and let you spend a few turns setting up cool combos, then Inexorable Tide can do some great things. But you said your deck hasn't been coming together, so maybe it's because opponents aren't letting you do that... It really depends on how you're losing your games or how your friends play Magic.
If you want to focus on the -1/-1 counters and proliferate more than the Infect kill, then you could make a more dedicated control deck. With a control deck, you don't want so many 1/1 Infect weenies. You probably want fewer creatures and to win with just the best Infect creatures.
If you run fewer weenies, then Black Sun's Zenith or Carnifex Demon are good ways to spread -1/-1 counters everywhere. And if you are proliferating a lot in a control deck, even more than Serrated Arrows you probably want Lux Cannon to just blow stuff up.
Here's an example of a UB control shell (3 Skith might be out of your budget though):
Your early drops (Virulent Wound, Necropede, Ichor Rats) are all about getting those first -1/-1 counters and poison counters out there early. They're chosen so that even lategame they are relevant for the same purpose. Then, you have a bunch of spells that proliferate while doing other useful control things (drawing cards, countering spells, or making more counters). Finally there is Black Sun's Zenith to spread -1/-1 counters everywhere, Tumble Magnet to tap down problematic attackers while you stabilize, and catch-all answers like Mana Leak and Lux Cannon. You can win by proliferating Infect counters or by hasting out Skithiryx.
I really like the deck that FTW1987 suggested, but would advise against running multiple Tezzeret's Gambit. On the surface, it looks like exactly what you want to do, but if you're trying to play counterspells, then casting this at sorcery speed is just not that great. Instead maybe take a look at Night's Whisper, which is a mana less. You can cast that and keep up counter magic easier, or just trade it for an instant speed draw spell like Accumulated Knowledge, Fact or Fiction, or Think Twice.
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Though as soon as you show you are running infect you are going to get as much hate as draw go and land destruction deck.
Consider going up to
4 Blighted Agent (best one. unblockable)
4 Plague Stinger (next best. flying)
Add 4 Phyrexian Crusader (this card does a lot of work on the ground)
Ichorclaw Myr is probably better than Necropede. It's even more annoying to block. Unlike Necropede, it cannot be killed by a 1/1 or 2/2. And it can trade with stuff as big as 3/3 (or leave a permanent -3/-3 dent in something very big). Necropede can only trade with a 2/2.
Cut the slower stuff like Inexorable Tide, Chained Throatseeker, Reaper of Sheoldred. Hand of the Praetors is your best card at 4 cost and up. You don't really need the other "fatties".
I would also increase copies of Distortion Strike, although that card is better when you have the fat creatures like Phyrexian Vatmother than with the weenies (Strike + Vatmother = 2 hit kill).
Livewire Lash is cool, but you could just use Bonesplitter too. The cheaper costs will make a difference a lot.
Contagion Engine is slow to get online (10 mana before it starts doing real work). In a faster deck like this, you're better off cutting them for more Contagion Clasp or something else that proliferates right away like Grim Affliction.
Consider something along these lines:
4 Thrummingbird
4 Blighted Agent
4 Plague Stinger
4 Phyrexian Crusader
4 Hand of the Praetors
4 Phyrexian Vatmother
3 Contagion Clasp
3 Bonesplitter
//Spells: 8
4 Distortion Strike
2 Grim Affliction
2 Tezzeret's Gambit
4 Jwar Isle Refuge
4 Drowned Catacomb
2 Choked Estuary
6 Island
6 Swamp
I do agree with cutting everything above 4 mana especially if you want to go with the fast game plan instead of a control one.
Caress of Phyrexia is another way to end the game with a slower infect build or draw cards... whatever you need.
At least Corrupted Resolve or mana Leak could be useful if you go for a controlling shell.
Some cards that come to mind (I know some of these are already being used or already mentioned)
The problem with 5-drops and 6-drops is that when you are investing that much into a single card, you need the card to be really good. Because if you spend 6 mana on a creature and opponent spends 2 mana to Go for the Throat it, then opponent ends up ahead on you. He will still have 4 mana free to dump into activated abilities or cast more creatures the same turn that he trades with your fatty. And those advantages will allow him to build a bigger board presence and get ahead in the game. Remember that just because you are playing a slow control deck doesn't mean the opponent will be playing slow too. You need to be able to keep up with him in case he is putting pressure on your life total or so you have mana to react to his threats too. Paying mana for a really good card is OK, but just paying 6 mana for a common Infect fatty with bad abilities isn't worht it.
So reducing mana cost isn't just about being able to play a fast aggro deck. Even good control decks want to play low-cost stuff if possible. Because you need to be able to interact with both fast decks and slow decks. Slow control decks will still prefer 1-mana Swords to Plowshares over 4-mana Divine Verdict. It's just about being efficient with your resources.
The problem with something like Inexorable Tide is that you have to tap out to play it (5 mana) and it does nothing the turn you play it. You only hope to start proliferating next turn, if you still have spells. So it's a terrible topdeck. And casting it turn 5-6 doesn't help you stabilize against an aggressive deck pressuring your life total. It's only good if the opponent is doing nothing at all and you have time and mana to waste to set some stuff up. If your opponents don't interact much or pressure your life total and let you spend a few turns setting up cool combos, then Inexorable Tide can do some great things. But you said your deck hasn't been coming together, so maybe it's because opponents aren't letting you do that... It really depends on how you're losing your games or how your friends play Magic.
If you run fewer weenies, then Black Sun's Zenith or Carnifex Demon are good ways to spread -1/-1 counters everywhere. And if you are proliferating a lot in a control deck, even more than Serrated Arrows you probably want Lux Cannon to just blow stuff up.
Here's an example of a UB control shell (3 Skith might be out of your budget though):
4 Necropede
4 Ichor Rats
3 Skithiryx, the Blight Dragon
//Spells: 20
2 Virulent Wound
4 Mana Leak
2 Grim Affliction
4 Steady Progress
3 Tezzeret's Gambit
2 Fuel for the Cause
3 Black Sun's Zenith
2 Contagion Clasp
2 Tumble Magnet
1 Lux Cannon
//Lands: 24
4 Jwar Isle Refuge
4 Drowned Catacomb
4 Choked Estuary
6 Island
6 Swamp
Your early drops (Virulent Wound, Necropede, Ichor Rats) are all about getting those first -1/-1 counters and poison counters out there early. They're chosen so that even lategame they are relevant for the same purpose. Then, you have a bunch of spells that proliferate while doing other useful control things (drawing cards, countering spells, or making more counters). Finally there is Black Sun's Zenith to spread -1/-1 counters everywhere, Tumble Magnet to tap down problematic attackers while you stabilize, and catch-all answers like Mana Leak and Lux Cannon. You can win by proliferating Infect counters or by hasting out Skithiryx.