Hi This is my first time building a deck. I want to build a blue/black dimir deck, and was wondering what is the best way to got about it? All advice, tips and suggestions welcome. Thanks
Hey there, What sort of budget do you have? Do you have any limitations on what sets you can use? Any preference on win condition? (mill, attacking, direct life loss, ect.) What cards do you think are cool, and what interests you about dimir?
I don't know your budget but regardless of budget, we all like to find some cheap cards that are great additions to a deck. Here are some suggestions for blue/black:
Sepulchral Primordial - This card has a decent endgame impact in multiplayer and, since you play blue, you have multiple ways to copy it. Also, if there is a Clone or a similar card in one of your opponent's graveyard, you can bring it back, copy your primordial to bring back more creatures all over.
Hagra Mauling - This can help if you are looking for mana or if you have a threat to deal with....an overall good idea.
Animate Dead - At 2 mana it's not expensive to bring back the strongest creature available in graveyards. More choices of target in multiplayer games
Capital Punishment - Since each effect chosen affects all opponents, it will have a huge impact. Don't hesitate to choose taxes...even if all votes end up on "taxes", having each opponent discard 4 cards in a 4-player game is a major advantage. Even opponents with creatures would end up choosing "death" to avoid the horrible possibility of having 4 cards to discard.
Reins of Power - Possible game finisher and very decent defensive card...if you switch control of creatures during combat, they are no longer attacking.
Liliana's Triumph - Cheap way to get rid of a lot of creatures, instant speed too !
Syphon Mind - Great way to draw cards in multiplayer games
Phantasmal Image - Since the reprint, the value of this card dropped quite a bit. This card is cheap, can copy something big, you benefit from the come into play/leave play ability of the creature and it's sometimes surprising how long this will survive on the board...beware of Maze of Ith !
Counterspell - I hope you know about this one already =)
Diluvian Primordial - There are always a lot of nice instant/sorcery in these graveyards ! ...lovely in multiplayer games
Control Magic - Get rid of a threat and create one with only one card !
Evacuation - Doesn't permanently solve the problem but the fact that is instant speed allow you to wait until being threatened to use this.
Dredge the Mire - You get something from each opponent's graveyard ! ...even the worst creature in their deck was worth playing.
Fact or Fiction - Keep your mana open in case you want to cast something ...but if nothing is worth casting that Counterspell on, use that mana before your turn to draw some cards !
Duplicant - Another way to get rid of a threat and create one with only one card
Baleful Strix - This card is probably the best one from this list...I cannot insist enough on how good this guy is...it costs only 2 mana, it draws you a card to replace it, it will kill creatures in combat, it easily convinces anyone not to attack you and it can block mostly anything since it has flying !
Virtus's Maneuver - Very nice effects overall...especially if you have a team mate
Rite of Replication - This is a possible game finisher for 9 mana on the late game (use it on any Gray Merchant of Asphodel to drain a minimum of 60 life to each opponent !) and you are not stuck with it if you draw it early game (Did you hear that Rise of the Dark Realms ? ...I'm talking about you !) since you can play it for 4 mana ...I love cards that you are never sad of having in your hand.
These are the only few cheap cards that come to my mind right now but explore these forums and you will find a lot more.
Are you intending to play in a certain format, or just casually? This will determine what cards you can use.
What do you want the deck to do? Slow and controlling? Fast and aggressive? Something else?
Sepulchral Primordial - This card has a decent endgame impact in multiplayer and, since you play blue, you have multiple ways to copy it. Also, if there is a Clone or a similar card in one of your opponent's graveyard, you can bring it back, copy your primordial to bring back more creatures all over.
Hagra Mauling - This can help if you are looking for mana or if you have a threat to deal with....an overall good idea.
Animate Dead - At 2 mana it's not expensive to bring back the strongest creature available in graveyards. More choices of target in multiplayer games
Capital Punishment - Since each effect chosen affects all opponents, it will have a huge impact. Don't hesitate to choose taxes...even if all votes end up on "taxes", having each opponent discard 4 cards in a 4-player game is a major advantage. Even opponents with creatures would end up choosing "death" to avoid the horrible possibility of having 4 cards to discard.
Reins of Power - Possible game finisher and very decent defensive card...if you switch control of creatures during combat, they are no longer attacking.
Liliana's Triumph - Cheap way to get rid of a lot of creatures, instant speed too !
Syphon Mind - Great way to draw cards in multiplayer games
Phantasmal Image - Since the reprint, the value of this card dropped quite a bit. This card is cheap, can copy something big, you benefit from the come into play/leave play ability of the creature and it's sometimes surprising how long this will survive on the board...beware of Maze of Ith !
Counterspell - I hope you know about this one already =)
Diluvian Primordial - There are always a lot of nice instant/sorcery in these graveyards ! ...lovely in multiplayer games
Control Magic - Get rid of a threat and create one with only one card !
Evacuation - Doesn't permanently solve the problem but the fact that is instant speed allow you to wait until being threatened to use this.
Dredge the Mire - You get something from each opponent's graveyard ! ...even the worst creature in their deck was worth playing.
Fact or Fiction - Keep your mana open in case you want to cast something ...but if nothing is worth casting that Counterspell on, use that mana before your turn to draw some cards !
Duplicant - Another way to get rid of a threat and create one with only one card
Baleful Strix - This card is probably the best one from this list...I cannot insist enough on how good this guy is...it costs only 2 mana, it draws you a card to replace it, it will kill creatures in combat, it easily convinces anyone not to attack you and it can block mostly anything since it has flying !
Sphinx of Uthuun - Card draw and a decent threat
Virtus's Maneuver - Very nice effects overall...especially if you have a team mate
Rite of Replication - This is a possible game finisher for 9 mana on the late game (use it on any Gray Merchant of Asphodel to drain a minimum of 60 life to each opponent !) and you are not stuck with it if you draw it early game (Did you hear that Rise of the Dark Realms ? ...I'm talking about you !) since you can play it for 4 mana ...I love cards that you are never sad of having in your hand.
These are the only few cheap cards that come to my mind right now but explore these forums and you will find a lot more.
Have fun !
Kain